SWINDON & DISTRICT TALKING
NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL REPORT
& ACCOUNTS
For the year ended 31st March 2026
Swindon & District Talking Newspaper Association Craven House, 145 Victoria Road, SWINDON, SN1 3BU Tel: 01793 522511 (Email: stan@swindontalkingnews.org.uk) Registered Charity No. 1206237
The Swindon and District Talking Newspaper Association
Contents of the Annual Report for the period 1[st] April 2025 to 31[st] March 2026
| Report of the Trustees | Page 1,2 |
|---|---|
| Independent Examiner’s Report | Page 3 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | Page 4 |
| Authorisation for Issue | Page 5 |
Swindon and District Talking Newspaper Association
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st March 2026
INTRODUCTION
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2026.
OBJECTIVES AND AIMS
The charity is managed by the committee and trustees with its primary objective being the provision of a talking newspaper service for the blind and partially sighted people in the Swindon area.
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Charitable activities
The charity is run wholly by volunteers and a memory stick is produced every two weeks. There are currently 95 registered listeners.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Financial position
The financial state of the charity is not healthy as we are eating into our reserves in order to keep buoyant. The charity is grateful for donations from generous listeners but there is an increasing need to fund raise and to seek grants to improve the financial state. The financial reserves currently stand at £9,142. This might appear healthy but it is currently being reduced at a rate of £1,409 per year.
Investment policy and objectives
Under the trust deed, the charity has no specific investment policy.
FUTURE PLANS
As stated above, the plan for the next year is to consolidate the provision of a talking newspaper for the blind and partially sighted people in the Swindon area.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust and constitutes a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), charity number 1206237.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
Appointment of the trustees is governed by the trust deed of the charity and the committee.
Organisational structure
The charity is managed by the committee and trustees. There are approximately 20 volunteers who give willingly of their time to provide for the management and administration of the service and the recording of the memory sticks.
Risk management
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
Page 1
Swindon and District Talking Newspaper Association
Charity Commission Registration Number: 1206237
Charity Address :
Craven House 145 Victoria Road Swindon SN1 3BU
Trustees:
Chairman Mr Mike King Secretary Mrs Jackie Wray Treasurer Dr Alan Avery Others: Mr Mike Wood Mrs Veronica Laker Mrs Ruth Plumridge Mr Glenn Harris
Contact Name and Address:
Dr Alan Avery 3 Curtis Road Shrivenham Swindon SN6 8AY
Bankers:
Barclays Bank plc. Leicester LE87 2BB
Page 2
Swlndon and District Talking NewspaperAssoclatlon Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Swindon and District Talking NewspaperAssociation (rhe Trust) for the year ended 310t March 2026. Rosponsibiliti and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 A(* and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent examiner's statamont I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination gNing me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understsnding of the accounts to be reached. Tracey ¥Jht ACA 43 Colton Road Shrivenham Swindon SN6 8AZ Ilb12ts Page 3
Swindon and District Talking Newspaper Association
Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31[st] March 2026
| Receipts Donation from former charity Donations Bank interest CD Sales Payments Conference Fees Registration Fees Website Management Telephone & Broadband Insurance Accountancy Computer & Audio Equipment Listener Equipment Office & Admin Supplies Travel Costs Net (payments)/receipts Balance at start of period Balance at 31 March |
Year ended 2026 £ £ - 1,475.44 67.85 - 1,543.29 20.00 42.00 360.00 548.20 213.79 720.00 278.15 521.16 110.30 138.40 2,952.00 (1,408.71) 10,550.50 9,141.79 |
Year ended 2026 £ £ - 1,475.44 67.85 - 1,543.29 20.00 42.00 360.00 548.20 213.79 720.00 278.15 521.16 110.30 138.40 2,952.00 (1,408.71) 10,550.50 9,141.79 |
Period ended 2025 Restated £ £ 11,947.54 208.00 81.68 250.00 12,487.22 - 98.39 - 468.32 154.53 588.00 433.98 - 81.50 112.00 1,936.72 10,550.50 - 10,550.50 |
Period ended 2025 Restated £ £ 11,947.54 208.00 81.68 250.00 12,487.22 - 98.39 - 468.32 154.53 588.00 433.98 - 81.50 112.00 1,936.72 10,550.50 - 10,550.50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.00 42.00 360.00 548.20 213.79 720.00 278.15 521.16 110.30 138.40 |
- 98.39 - 468.32 154.53 588.00 433.98 - 81.50 112.00 |
|||
| (1,408.71) 10,550.50 |
10,550.50 - |
|||
| 9,141.79 | 10,550.50 |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31[st] March 2026
| Assets Bank Current Account Bank Savings Account Other Assets Equipment Liabilities Accountancy fees due Net Assets at 31 March |
2026 £ £ 3,487.64 5,654.15 9,141.79 1,519.50 10,661.29 - 10,661.29 |
2026 £ £ 3,487.64 5,654.15 9,141.79 1,519.50 10,661.29 - 10,661.29 |
2025 Restated £ £ 4,964.20 5,586.30 10,550.50 2,026.00 12,576.50 720.00 11,856.50 |
2025 Restated £ £ 4,964.20 5,586.30 10,550.50 2,026.00 12,576.50 720.00 11,856.50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,661.29 - |
12,576.50 720.00 |
|||
| 10,661.29 | 11,856.50 |
Notes
-
Accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis, the period ended 31[st] March 2025 has been restated due to the change in basis of preparing the financial statements.
-
Equipment is written off 25%pa on reducing balance.
-
There were no guarantees and no debts outstanding secured on any assets of the CIO.
Page 4
Swindon and District Talking Newspaper Association Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st March 2026 The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 2L<I4W026 and were signed on its behalf by: Mr M King- Tru ee and Chaimian Mrs J Wray - Trustee and Secretsry DrA J Avery- Trustee and Treasurer Page 5