## **ASHTON ALMSHOUSE CHARITY Charity Reg. No. 200349** ## **Trustees Annual Report for the period 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025** ## **Charity Address:** Association of Dunstable Charities Grove House, 76 High Street North, Dunstable, Bedfordshire. LU6 1NF ## **Trustees for the period 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025** ## **Ex Officio:** Rector of Dunstable - Revd. Rachel Phillips ## **Representative Governors Dunstable Town** ## **Council:** Cllr Mr Greg Alderman Cllr Mr Louise O’Riordan ## **Co-optative Governors:** Mrs Cynthia Gresham Mr Peter Hollick Mrs Elizabeth Bentley Mrs Jana Veyres ## **Chairman:** Mrs Cynthia Gresham ## **Clerk to the Governors:** Mrs Julie Tipler ## **Charity Structure, Governance and Management:** **Governing document:** Trust Foundation under scheme framed by will dated 30[th] March 1885, and Charities Act 1960. Amended and updated by Trustees in 2012. ## **Trustee Selection Methods:** **One ex officio** – Incumbent of the benefice of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Dunstable **Two Nominative Trustees** – Appointed by Dunstable Town Council ## **Four Co-optative Trustees** – Appointed by resolution of the Trustees. ## **Objectives and Activities** Maintenance and upkeep of the Frances Ashton Almshouses and the gardens and help towards energy and other costs for residents. Concern for the welfare of the six residents. ## **Achievements and Performance in the past year** Trustees inspect all the flats in the Almshouse and grounds annually. The Chairman/Clerk make regular visits throughout the year. The gardens continue to be well maintained, and all residents are very happy and have been enjoying socialising together in the garden. This has been helped with the addition of a new seating area with new garden furniture. Maintenance of the gardens and building is all up to date. The vacant flat is now occupied and current resident is happy and has integrated with existing residents extremely well. The RCD fuse boxes were all updated to be in line with current safety standards ## **Finances** Buildings and grounds are the main asset. Money is invested and helps with the maintenance and upkeep of the building, day to day running costs, administration, and refurbishments. Other income is obtained from the maintenance charges from residents **.** **Mrs Julie Tipler Clerk to the Charity 9[th] July 2025** ## **ASHTON ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** ## **Statement of Accounts as at 31st March 2025** |**RECEIPTS**
Maintenance Charges
Council Tax Rebate
Affinity Water
Other (Jane Cart Grant -£8157.20/
£167.24 CBC Council Tax Flat 5
rebate)
& £142.91 Affinity Water
**Income from Investments:**
C.O.I.F
Higher Interest a/c £47.63& £51.33
National Savings|**Apr 2024 - March 2025**
**£**
**£**|**Apr 2024 - March 2025**
**£**
**£**|**Apr -**
**£**|**March**
**£**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||2,973.94
204.40
0.00|43,819.70
8,324.44
3,178.34|3,035.61
163.89
0.00|33,937.59| |||||3,185.01| |||||3,199.50| |INCOME EXC LOANS £47155.31|5,212.00
661.09
547.20
1,204.19
2,490.27
22.50
404.00
379.11|**£**
**55,322.48**|Income ex
Grant
6,216.84
936.00
508.80
1,249.80
2,040.65
15.00
1,647.03
66.84|**£**
**40,322.10**| |**Total receipts**
**EXPENDITURE**
**Administration of Almshouse**
Gas
Water
Careline
Insurance
Electricity
T.V. Licence
Council Tax/ J Bradley
Fire Protection Service
Council Tax||||37137.09| |||||| |Building Survey
**Maintenance of Almshouse**
Window/internal cleaning
Garden Maintenance
Decorating/Main
Surveys
White goods
Electrics
Heating
Keys/locks
Sundries Voile/blocked drain)
Carpet
**Administration of Charity:**
Rent & Admin
Payroll Rent & Admin
COIF goes out then returned
Almshouse Assoc||||| ||1,643.00
6,395.45
378.25
0.00
984.98
11,434.41
1,827.60
363.12
47.31
690.00|**10,920.36**
**23,764.12**
**6,693.50**|1,029.00
1,768.05
273.95
2,880.00
744.97
460.10
2,335.20
34.56
709.03
120.00|**12,680.96**
**10,354.86**
**9,699.00**| ||2,635.00
3,689.00
0.00
369.50||0.00
9,216.00
120.00
363.00|| |||||| |**Total Expenditure**
**NET RECEIPTS / (EXPENDITURE)**
**Balances as at 31st March 2024**
Total of Investments
National Savings Account
Total of bank balances
**Total assets brought forward**
Add Net Receipts/(Expenditure)
Add movement in investments
**Balances as at 31st March 2025**
Total of Investments
National Savings Account
Total of bank balances
**Total assets carried forward**
**Check**||**41,377.98**||**32,734.82**| |---|---|---|---|---| |||||| ||204,381.33
25,444.18
56,352.12|**13,944.50**|185,052.83
25,444.18
48,764.84|**7,587.28**| |||**286,177.63**
**13,944.50**
**(6,667.44)**||**259,261.85**
**7,587.28**
**19,650.11**| ||197,713.89
25,444.18
70,296.62||204,381.33
25,444.18
56,352.12|| |||**293,454.69**||**286,177.63**| |||||| |||0.00||0.00| 0 43 Summer Street Slip End Luion LUI 4BL 18° October, 2025 Towh mItMa NALM E CHARrrY- I have been asked by the Clerk to The Th]stees of the alx)ve ch￿lty, Julie Ilplei, to carry out an independent irkspection of the ￿counts for the peri(rfl from I. April 2024 to 31" March 2025. I have been Blven full access to all relevant d(￿llMents ]￿lUdI The list of Lwrent T￿￿teeS & their appointhient dates The Thlstees Annual Report for the peTfi(￿ I" April 2024 to 31. March 2025 Minutes of the Trustees Meain8 2&512024 Minutes of the Trustees Meding fd1112024 Minutes of the Th]stees Meetlng 5r312025 Cash book spreadsheei 2024-2025 Ststement of Accounts for 202￿ and 2024-5 Assets & Llabi]iues Surnmary at 3113r2025 BACS confirmations for all tTansactions, supported by Supplie￿ trAVoi￿S. Bank Statements for IK)th bank accounts & COIF sta￿Ments. I have fully cross-checked all the Bank Statements, BACS pa￿ent confinnauons, and the relevant invoices for the period against the cash Lwk spreadsheet and have found no inConsRs￿naeS or errors. Thete are no cash transactions. VAT Is paid where it is due and is conECtly managed. The Clerk has conflrmed that all Lix and Nl due on her salary and that of her assistant is paid and in order - this is managed via the Association of Dunstable ChaTities to which the Ashton Almshouse Charity pays a monthly contrlbutlon. The queries I ralsed with the Clerk We￿ all anSWe￿d to my satlsfacuon. There is no separaie budget meeting, but finanaal matteTS are addressed as part of every trustee meeting. The aims of this historlc d￿ll￿ are being well meL There is clear evidence from bcrth the minu￿5 and the financial transactions, thai the 6 dwellings aN1 assoclated gardens are well maintained and are meeiing the prdciical and social ￿ of the residents in line with the spirit of the chariiy. Invesunent in the garden palio area undertaken this year. has l￿en much welcomed by the resl(knts. A signilicani amount of electrical work was also urfftdertaken, for which a grant was soughi and successfully obtsined. Gardenin& property repai￿. cleaning and n￿lAtenanCe are caTried out In a tlmely. efficient and cost-effective manner, by rellable ￿ade5people known to the Association of Dunstable Charities. While 8oods and caTpets are renewed when needed. Tradespeople and other suppliers are pald promptly. Day to day flnancial accoundng and recotd-keeping ts accurate. efficient and timely. Paperwork is well managed and there is deat eviderKe that irjcome alld payment5 are regularly scruunised. I raised a query on what appeared to be a dormant National sayin￿ account and before the audit was complete there had been agreement to transfer these funds to the COIF account which is definitely in the inQtests of the Charity. Sucb a swift restK•n5e is just one e￿rnple of the dynamic approach of the both the Clerk and the T￿￿tees. Thank you for asking me to carry oui this inspection. Should you have any further questions. please do noi hesiL3ie to conL4ct tlle. Yours West