The Retreat
Registered number 236433
Annual Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 December 2024
Trustees as at 31st December 2024:
Rev Dermot Thornberry, Chair, Mark Boomla, Treasurer, Michael Brignall, Secretary, Gill Clayton, Susan Richardson, Peter Robinson and Tony Stratton. During the year, the Trustees held three meetings. We are seeking to increase the number of our Trustees as the number has fallen short of our normal practice.
All residents continue to be visited regularly. A pastoral report on their wellbeing and any issues of concern to them is made to each meeting of the Trustees.
The year was very successful financially. The receipts once again exceeded £25,000. There were two main reasons for this:
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there was 100% occupancy of the properties throughout the year,
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a deposit of £8,969 for replacement double-glazed sash windows was paid during the year in advance of the work being carried out in early 2025 to improve heat insulation.
The reserves at the year-end were over £117,000. This is an excellent financial result. The reserves have been built up in accordance with the policy stated below.
The accounts for the year were examined by Martine MBida. The Trustees record their thanks to her for her work.
During the year we made better arrangements for the maintenance of the gardens. We have engaged a new gardener who comes two hours fortnightly and uses the Council Green bins for the garden waste.
The Trustees approved the following Reserves Policy on April 28, 2021 :
The reserves were built up to over £100,000 in preparation for the major expenditure for the replacement of windows of £45,000 in total. The majority of this money was payable in March 2025 after the work was completed.
This amount should also be sufficient to meet any major further demands for maintenance of the properties and allow for regular cyclical expenditure such as refurbishing properties between appointments.
The Reserves are held in Charity Funds recommended by The Almshouses Association with the aim of long-term appreciation, whilst £10,000 to £20,000 is held in readily accessible accounts operated by The Central Finance Board of The Methodist Church. Investments In these products should provide adequate risk protection and ethical concerns.
Susan Richardson attended a very useful Almshouse Association course during the year.
August 2025
The Retreat Balance sheet As at 31st De¢ember2024 315tl)ecem 31st De¢emb 2023 FedA5$ets Pmptttyatw 1,678 IDVqStrnents Equttles M&G IA¥etsNent5 cItaritytr1JAs5Ots Fthx1 58,179 Bonds 8WRock CharftyUK8thJFuTh1 6.027 Bonds Certts*Fthance Boaryj ofmethothlschurch 16,155 80.362 a$h4t UWS Bank¢nI8¢ 29222 Totat 116.n8 104,094 Repr¢$iM•a br. Heaems 8rov8Thiiowrd edlnthey In¢wseknvaiueollnvesimeNs 104.oy 7,169 95,025 4.637 4A32 C81rt#11oMard 116,728 104.094
Tth¢RelreBt Incomeand ExpÈnttttuie yendedls¢DICeMber2 12rnonlhsio 31S1Dt¢ember2024 12niomhs 31stDpcefflber2023 io¢omo D¢nawon5 Cortribuiknn5 320 22A45 28,QlS 28,43S Lypendhui BrilishGas EDF-Èle¢tyity Soulb EasterntEr S,931 11.084 834 zooo 6.180 2,205 3.é13 DoubleQ¥tedWldows knsurance 1.125 1.062 1,104 1.092 122 ielorpni15miih GardneY$ c1$1Ma5VQUcne 5houseAssttiatlon LegaFèes Sun¢ry 438 175 162 $6tr 55 175 705 25,176 23,796 4.637 Gi L(97xi fJ
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES; Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Roport to the trusteesl members of The Retreat On accounts for the year ¢nd•d 31st Doc6mber 2024 Charity no Ilf any) 236433 Set out on pages One and Two. I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounts of th¢ above charity Ilhe Trust") for the year ended 3111212023 R•sponsSbllltles and As the charity trustees of the TTUSt, you are responsib for the preparation basls of roport of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the ChaiYli8s Act 2011 Ilhe Act"}. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under se¢lion 14515Mb) of the Act. I have completed my exarn1naln. l confirm that no material matters have come lo my attents'on (other than thal di%dosed below "l in connection with the examinal#)n whh gNes me cause to believe that in, any material respect. aOunt13 records were rnt kept in accordance wrth section 130 of Ihe Act or the accounts do not acc#)rd wilh the auntIj records Independent examinor's 8tstoment I have no ¢oncem$ and have com6 across no 0th8r matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order lo enabk8 a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ' Please delet8 the words in the br8¢kels if rhey do not apply. Slgned: Date: Nam•: Martine Mbida Relavant professlonal quJllfScatlon($) or body (If any): FCCA Addr$. 34 Beckett Avenue East Ham E6 6AF IER October 2018
Section 8 Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions ar guidan for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018