**Charity number:  209495** 

## **THE COUNTESS OF THANET’S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** 

**ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED** 



## **THE COUNTESS OF THANET’S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** 

**Contents** 

||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees Report|1-2|
|Examiner’s Report|3|
|Receipts and payments accounts|4|
|Statement of assets and liabilities|5|
|Notes to the accounts|6|





## **THE COUNTESS OF THANET’S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** 

**TRUSTEES REPORT For the year ended 31st December 2020** 

## **Charity registered number** 

The Countess of Thanet’s Almshouse Charity is constituted by a Deed of Trust and is a registered charity No. 209495 

## **Address of the Charity** 

Brockshill House, Holtye, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7ED. 

## **The Trustees during the year were:** 

## **Ex-officio Trustees** 

The Rev’d J Sear – Ex-officio Rector of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Mary, Hartfield 

## **Nominative Trustees** 

Mrs C Beare Mr J Murray-Willis 

## **Co-optative Trustees** 

Mr R Whatley Mrs R Burns Mrs J Stirrat 

## **Structure, governance and management** 

The governing document is a trust deed ratified on the 9[th] September 1976. Since the closure of St. Stephen’s Church, Hammerwood, no alternative Ex-officio has been appointed. The trustees are aware the Trust Deed may need to be updated to reflect this. 

The methods adopted for the appointment of the body of trustees are that the body shall consist of:- 

Two Ex-officio Trustees – The Rector of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Mary, Hartfield. 

Two Nominative Trustees - The person shall be appointed by the Parish Council of Hartfield. Each appointment shall be made for a term of four years at a meeting convened and held according to ordinary practice of the Parish Council. 

Three Co-optative Trustees – The person who through residence, occupation or employment, or otherwise have special knowledge of the Parish of Hartfield. Each appointment shall be made for a term of five years by a resolution of the Trustees passed at a special meeting. 

## **Policy on Reserves** 

The Trustees shall establish and maintain a reserve fund, to be entitled Extraordinary Repair Fund, for the purpose of providing for the extraordinary repair, improvement or rebuilding of the almshouses belonging to the Charity. 

The fund and the income therefrom are invested in the M&G Charity Multi Asset Fund (The National Association of Almshouses Common Investment Fund was merged into the M&G Charity Multi Asset Fund on the 15th November 2019). 

Page 1 



# **THE COUNTESS OF THANET’S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** 

# **TRUSTEES REPORT CONTINUED** 

**For the year ended 31st December 2020** 

## **Objectives** 

The object of the charity is to provide almshouse accommodation for people in need of the ecclesiastical parish of Hartfield or surrounding area. The accommodation at the Almshouses at Holtye Common comprises four houses, one flat and two bedsits. 

It is the Trustees policy to provide and maintain good quality housing for its residents. The charity is staffed on an entirely voluntary basis. 

## **Achievements and performance** 

The charity’s principle source of income are the contributions paid by the residents. During 2020 these contributions amounted to £27,318. The total income for 2020 amounted to £32,492. 

The total expenditure for 2020 amounted to £11,994. As a result the net receipts were £20,498. 

The accumulated cash fund now stands at £39,486. 

## **Declaration** 

The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees report above. 

## **Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees** 

………………………………………….. **Trustee -** Mrs C Beare 

…………………………………………. **Trustee -** Mrs J Stirrat 

**Date of approval** ………………………. 

Page 2 



## **THE COUNTESS OF THANET’S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** 

## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE COUNTESS OF THANET’S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31st December 2020, which are set out on pages 4 to 6. 

## **Responsibilities and basis of report** 

As the charity’s 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 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. 

## **Independent Examiner’s Statement** 

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: 

- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or 

- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records 

I have no concerns and have come across no matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

## Estelle Sherlock **DMC Partnership Limited Chartered Accountant** 

Yew Tree House Lewes Road Forest Row East Sussex RH18 5AA 

Date:…………………………….. 

Page 3 



## **THE COUNTESS OF THANET’S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** 

## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31st December 2020** 

|**RECEIPTS**<br>Contributions from residents<br>Interest received Charities deposit fund<br> <br>**ASSET AND INVESTMENT RECEIPTS**<br>Dividend receipts from shares<br>**Total Receipts**<br>**PAYMENTS**<br>Water<br>Repairs and Maintenance<br>Insurance<br>Electricity<br>Subscriptions<br>Garden Maintenance<br>Sewerage<br>Accountancy<br>**ASSET AND INVESTMENT PAYMENTS**<br>Retained dividend receipts from shares<br>**Total Payments**<br>**NET RECEIPTS**<br>**CASH FUNDS LAST YEAR END**<br>**CASH FUNDS THIS YEAR END**||**£**<br>27,318<br>20<br> 27,338<br>5,154<br>5,154<br>738<br>1,270<br>1,044<br>554<br>179<br>1,540<br>615<br>900<br>6,840<br>5,154<br>5,154||**2020**<br>**£**<br> <br>32,492<br>11,994<br>**20,498**<br>18,988<br>**39,486**|_£_<br>_26,905_<br>_37_<br> _26,942_<br>_5,004_<br>5_,004_<br> _378_<br>_17,962_<br>_958_<br>_627_<br>_170_<br>_1,463_<br>_645_<br>_900_<br>_23,103_<br>_5,004_<br>_5,004_|_2019_<br>_£_<br>_31,946_<br>_28,107_|_2019_<br>_£_<br>_31,946_<br>_28,107_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||||||**_3,839_**<br>_15,149_<br>**_18,988_**|**_3,839_**|



Page 4 



## **THE COUNTESS OF THANET’S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** 

**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES As at 31st December 2020** 

|**CASH FUNDS**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Unrestricted**||**Unrestricted**|
|||||**Funds**|**Funds**|
|||||**2020**|**_2019_**|
|||||**£**|**£**|
|Bank Current Account||||31,907|_11,429_|
|Charities Deposit Fund||||7,579|_7,589_|
|**Total cash funds**||||**39,486**|**_18,988_**|
|**INVESTMENT ASSETS**||||||
|**Funds to which**||**Market**||**Value**|**Market Value**|
|**asset belongs**<br>||**31 December 2020**|||**_2019_**|
||||**£**||**£**|
|M&G Charity Multi Asset Fund**(1)**Restricted||128,278|||_132,495_|
|<br>**ASSETS RETAINED FOR CHARITY’S OWN USE**||||||
||**Funds to which**|||||
||**asset belongs**|||||
|Almshouse at Holtye Common, East Sussex|**(2)**Endowment|||||



## **LIABILITIES** 

There are no liabilities 

**Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees** 

………………………………………….. **Trustee -** Mrs C Beare 

…………………………………………. **Trustee -** Mrs J Stirrat 

**Date of approval** ………………………. 

Page 5 



# **THE COUNTESS OF THANET’S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY** 

**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31[st] December 2020** 

## **(1) Investments** 

Current holding **1,386.556** _(2019 – 1,386.556)_ Accumulation Shares (Extraordinary Repair Fund) with M&G Charity Multi Asset Fund _(2019 - M&G Charity Multi Asset Fund)._ 

The income in respect of Accumulation Shares is not distributed but retained in the Fund and is reflected in the price of the Shares. 

Income from Accumulation Shares retained 

**£ 5,154** 

## **(2) Permanent Endowment** 

The Almshouse at Holtye Common, East Sussex Freehold was vested in the Official Custodians of Charities on 30[th] June 1871. 

## **(3) Income Tax and Value Added Tax** 

As a registered charity the Trust is generally exempt from Income Tax but not from VAT.  The charity is not registered for VAT and accordingly payments are shown gross of VAT. 

Page 6 

