MONTAGU HENRY FOSTER AND MARY HENVILLE FOSTER CHARITY
Charity Number: 236729
Annual Report for financial year end 31[st] December 2024
1. Introduction (Structure and Management)
This charity, commonly known as ‘The Foster Charity’, was registered with the Charity Commission on 4[th] January 1964 and undertakes the care and management of 1 and 3 Gosport Road plus the Foster Reading Room. These three properties form a terrace with the Reading Room flanked by the houses. This building was constructed in 1903 by Montague Henry Foster.
The Trustees of the Foster Charity are the Vicar and Wardens of Crofton Parish.
The general day to day management of the houses and Reading Room are taken care of by volunteers.
2. Activities and Objectives
The two houses (1 and 3 Gosport Road) continued to be let at an affordable rate via Eckersley White Estate Agents (Lee on the Solent) for the whole of 2024. The Reading Room was available for use by local community groups (for a donation), and various groups used the facility throughout each week.
A summary of the activities for each of the properties is as follows:
- 1 Gosport Road
The tenants occupying the house remained the same throughout the year. The only major maintenance work carried out was the decoration of the bathroom and lounge plus bathroom and loft insulation. Rental income £10,689.70
Maintenance and management outgoings £2855.52
- 3 Gosport Road
The tenants occupying the house remained the same throughout the year. During 2024 no major Maintenance works were required. Rental income £10,175.00
Maintenance and management outgoings £1554.90
-
Foster Reading Room
-
During the year 16 different groups used the room. These included 11 U3A groups and several art and craft groups. U3A groups are attended by local retired residents.
Donation income £5050.00
Electricity and Sundries outgoings £2,013.40
- Maintenance of front gardens for all three properties The garden contract with W Drier continued only until the 19 August as the contractor was ceasing to do self-employed garden work. GH Garden Care started work under a similar contract in October 2024. The garden has continued to look neat and tidy through to the end of the year The cost of this work was across both contractors was £1,612.00.
3. Achievements and Performance
The following charity organisations were supported during 2024 from the income gained from renting the two houses and use of the Foster Room:
-
Crofton Welfare Trust Support for this local charity has continued with the money being used to fund school holiday food gift vouchers to the value of £1060.
-
Crofton Family Worker Support for this Crofton Parish worker has continued throughout the year at the same rate as 2023. This was £360 per month totalling £4,320.00 over the year.
These two gifts fall within the requirements of the Foster Charity governing documents.
Crofton Men’s Shed (sited on Foster charity land to the east of No 3 Gosport Road).
During 2024 the Crofton Men’s shed project progressed as for as erecting and painting an approved cabin-style building on the earmarked land. A top level timeline follows.
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February – Agreement with Southern Water on shed position with respect to the sewer. Size of shed reduced to 10Mx4M.
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April - Presentation of report and program dates to Crofton Parish PCC.
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August – Groundworks (foundations/soakaway) completed.
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September – Cabin is erected and painted.
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November - ‘Licence to place’ signed by trustee and MSG chairman. This details the conditions for usage of the shed and the Foster charity land it is sited on. The extent of the land that is licenced to the MSG is also detailed in this document.
The Cabin should be fitted out and in working order during the first half of 2025.
4. Financial Review
The financial summary for 2024 is attached to this report.
5. Charity Location and Trustees
The property of the Foster Charity is located at:
Gosport Road Stubbington Hampshire PO143AS
The 2024 Trustees of the Foster Charity were:
Rev Richard England (Vicar of Crofton Parish) Dr Martin Yeandle (Churchwarden of Crofton Parish) Nichola Sampford (Churchwarden of Crofton Parish)
The Foster Charity Accounts 2024
£ 28,126.48
Current Account Opening Balance
Number 1 Gosport Road
| Number | 1 Gosport Road | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||||
| Rent | £ | 10,689.70 |
|||
| Total | £ | 10,689.70 |
|||
| Expenditure | |||||
| Eckersley White Management | £ | 1,154.52 |
|||
| Eckersley White Maintenance | £ | 1,701.00 |
|||
| Other Maintenance / Repair | £ | - |
|||
| Total | £ | 2,855.52 |
|||
| Number | 3 Gosport Road | ||||
| Income | |||||
| Rent | £ | 10,175.00 |
|||
| Total | £ | 10,175.00 |
|||
| Expenditure | |||||
| Eckersley White Management | £ | 1,098.90 |
|||
| Eckersley White Maintenance | £ | 456.00 |
|||
| Other Maintenance / repair | £ | - |
|||
| Total | £ | 1,554.90 |
|||
| The Foster Room | |||||
| Income | |||||
| Donations | £ | 5,050.00 |
|||
| Total | £ | 5,050.00 |
|||
| Expenditure | |||||
| Electricity | £ | 1,974.43 |
|||
| Sundries | £ | 38.97 |
|||
| Total | £ | 2,013.40 |
|||
| All Foster Property | |||||
| Expenditure | |||||
| Insurance | £ | 941.58 |
|||
| Gutter Clearance | £ | 150.00 |
|||
| Gardening | £ | 1,612.00 |
|||
| Total | £ | 2,703.58 |
|||
| CFW | 12 months @ £360 | £ | 4,320.00 |
||
| Total | £ | 4,320.00 |
|||
| CWT | Gift vouchers for schools | £ | 1,060.00 |
||
| Total | £ | 1,060.00 |
|||
| Other | £ | - |
|||
| £ | - |
||||
| Total Income | £ | 25,914.70 |
|||
| Total Expenditure | £ | 14,507.40 |
|||
| Net Income | £ | 11,407.30 |
|||
| Current Account Closing Balance | £ | 39,533.78 |
|||
| Deposit | Account Opening Balance | £ | 15,180.72 |
||
| Interest | £ | 180.82 |
|||
| Deposit | Account Closing Balance | £ | 15,361.54 |
Total Cash
£ 54,895.32
| Freehold Property at valuation | |
|---|---|
| FosterReading Room,GosportRoad,StubbingtonHampshire | f478,800.00 |
| lGosportRoad,StubbingtonHampshire | €378,000.00 |
| 3GosportRoad,StubbingtonHampshire | f378,000.00 |