## **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: 

- there was 100% occupancy of the properties throughout the year, 

- 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
F￿edA5$ets
Pmptttyatw
1,678
IDVqStrnents
Equttles
M&G IA¥etsNent5
cItaritytr￿1JAs5Ots Fthx1
58,179
Bonds 8WRock
CharftyUK8thJFuTh1
6.027
Bonds
Certts*Fthance Boaryj
ofmethothlschurch
16,155
80.362
a$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
y￿ended￿ls¢DICeMber2
12rnonlhsio
31S1Dt¢ember2024
12niomhs
31stDpcefflber2023
io¢omo
D¢nawon5
Cortribuiknn5
320
22A45
28,QlS
28,43S
Lypendhui
BrilishGas
EDF-Èle¢tyi￿ty
Soulb Eastern￿tEr
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$
c￿1$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 exarn1nal￿n. 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 wh￿h gNes me cause to believe that in, any material
respect.
a￿Ount1￿3 records were rnt kept in accordance wrth section 130 of
Ihe Act or
the accounts do not acc#)rd wilh the a￿untI￿j 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