**REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 266869**
## **THE SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS FOR THE DIOCESE**
## **OF ST. EDMUNDSBURY AND IPSWICH**
**31 DECEMBER 2025**
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **CHARITY INFORMATION**
|Charity registration number:|266869|
|---|---|
|Charity address:|17 Jermyn Avenue|
||Bury St Edmunds|
||IP32 7LJ|
|Bankers:|Barclays Bank Plc|
||4 Church Street|
||Woodbridge|
||Suffolk|
||IP12 1DJ|
|Accountants:|R & H Accountants|
||1 The Courtyard|
||Balls Farm|
||Tye Road|
||Elmstead Market|
||Colchester|
||Essex|
||CO7 7BB|
|Donations should be sent to:|T Hart|
||17 Jermyn Avenue|
||Bury St Edmunds|
||IP32 7LJ|
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **CONTENTS**
||**PAGE**|
|---|---|
|Independent examiner's report|1|
|Trustees' annual report|2 - 3|
|Income and expenditure account - General fund|4|
|Income and expenditure account - Restoration fund|5|
|Income and expenditure account - Library fund|6|
|Income and expenditure account - Jubilee fund|7|
|Income and expenditure account - Pipe Family Trust fund|8|
|Income and expenditure account - The Adrian Kinights fund|9|
|Income and expenditure account - Handbell fund|10|
|Income and expenditure account - Golden Bottle fund|11|
|Income and expenditure account - Centenary Dinner fund|12|
|Statement of assets and liabilities|13 - 14|
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the Suffolk Guild of Ringers**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025 which are set out on pages 5 to 15
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity's trustees 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 charity's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- 1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
- 2 the accounts do not accord with those records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**A E Rutherford FCCA R & H Accountants 1 The Courtyard Balls Farm Tye Road Elmstead Market Colchester CO7 7BB**
**Date: 31 January 2026**
1
## **Trustees’ Annual Report for 2025**
## **The Trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025.**
## **Charity**
The Suffolk Guild of Ringers for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich was registered with the Charity Commission on 10 December 1975, registration number 266869. The Charity's registered address is 17 Jermyn Avenue, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7LJ. It is governed under a constitution originally registered in 1977 and most recently revised in 2022.
## **Principal Objectives**
The main purposes of the Charity are: to promote and encourage the practice of bellringing within the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich; to recruit, train and encourage bellringers in the practice of their art; to cultivate the art of scientific change ringing; to promote and advise on the preservation, renovation and augmentation of bells in an efficient condition.
## **Trustees**
The Trustees during the period were:
From 1[st] January to 31[st] December: P M Ogden (Chairman); T P Hart (Treasurer); Rev D J Everett (Secretary) From 1[st] January to 26[th] April: K J Salter (Ringing Master) From 26[th] April to 31[st] December: J Colman (Ringing Master)
## **General Policies**
The Guild has formulated the following policies, which are regularly reviewed: Safeguarding; Privacy; Bullying; Complaints; Equality & Diversity; Expenses; Financial Management.
## **Review of Progress and Achievements**
## **Bellringing**
Throughout 2025, The Suffolk Guild continued to meet its charitable objectives:
- Promoting & encouraging the practice of bellringing through the organization of ringing events across the four districts in the Guild, including Guild striking competitions held at Aldeburgh and Yoxford.
- Supporting the recruitment and training of bellringers, welcoming 43 new members throughout the year and supporting the installation of training bells at Ipswich Minster, complementing our existing teaching hubs: the long established Bardwell Teaching Hub, bellsashen Teaching Hub and Sole Bay Ringing Hub.
- Cultivating the art of scientific ringing through regular practices across the Guild and the successful scoring of 83 peals and over 600 quarter peals during the year
- Promoting the preservation of bells, recommending repairs and supporting restoration and augmentation through the work of the Bell Advisory Committee and Restoration Fund, more details of which are given below.
Our Ringing Master, Katherine Salter, stepped down as Ringing Master and Trustee. We thank her for her major contributions to the Guild.
## **Guild Finances**
## **Summary**
The Guild’s finances are healthy, with the general fund and restoration funds both increasing over the year. £13150 of our restoration fund was given to projects during 2025, with a further £1650 allocated for ongoing restoration work. A new fund has been created to manage the generous donation from the late Adrian Knights.
2
## **General Fund**
The general fund increased in 2025. Income for 2025 decreased compared to 2024, with subscription payments and donations both reducing, the former associated with a return to normal of subscription payments after abnormal payment patterns in 2023 & 24. Expenses also reduced, with lower administrative costs recorded, resulting in a net gain for the fund.
## **Adrian Knights Fund**
In January 2025, we received a very generous donation from the estate of Adrian Knights, a late ringer who passed away in December 2023. A separate fund has been set up to manage this donation and a working group, reporting into the trustees, has been created to ensure the terms in the will are met. The terms of the will specify that the money should be spent _‘for the purpose of augmenting existing rings of bells to eight or more’_ . The working group have contacted all Guild members and all PCCs in Suffolk, asking towers to register interest in funding towards a potential augmentation. An initial list of potential towers has been created and the working group are in contact with the towers and bell hanging companies to determine feasibility, prior to presenting a short-list of options to the trustees & GMC in 2026.
## **Restoration Fund**
During the year we had two requests for grants. Back on 20 Oct 24, the Guild offered £2K towards the refurbishment of the bearings, new pulley blocks and finally the repainting of the frame at Blythburgh. During the work, two of the clapper bushes were found to be significantly worn. The parish took the opportunity to deal with the issue and received an estimate of £1350 (plus vat) from Nicholson’s, who were carrying out the refurbishment. The rebushing was not included in the original work schedule and the parish approached the Guild for additional funding. The GMC unanimously recommended a further grant of £150.
The second application concerned Aldeburgh. In 1961, Aldeburgh’s bells were rehung in a new steel, 8 bell frame, 5 bells recast, and two new trebles added to make the new octave. The bells are a good musical set but spoilt by the 1622 William and John II Brend fifth bell, which was retained by the parish at that time. The PCC, plan to have their existing fifth bell replaced with a new bell and retain the old one as a clock bell. A recent inspection also revealed the rope pulleys are all heavily worn, adversely affecting the going of the bells and recommended that new pulleys be fitted.
The parish have decided to refurbish all the pulley blocks, at a cost of £1693 plus vat. The replacement 5th bell with new headstock is estimated at £12,251 plus vat. The work totals £13,944 plus vat, and the Guild unanimously recommended a grant of £1,400, £170 for the pulley’s and £1,230 for the bell. Unusually, Aldeburgh have not obtained thee estimates for the work. Taylors completed all the previous work and are the preferred contractors for this refurbishment.
In 2025, four projects came to fruition. The first was Drinkstone, 6 new recast bells in a new steel frame with sound control. Fornham St Martin’s original 6 bells have been transformed into a new eight bell peal, with sound control, new fittings, and frame. Blythburgh’s bell refurbishment was completed in the summer, but the bells have yet to be rung because of on-going building work in the church. Finally, the refurbished pulley blocks have been refitted at Aldeburgh, although the 5th bell has yet to be replaced.
Projects gaining momentum and likely to come to fruition in the foreseeable future include Copdock, Haverhill and Wetherden. Longer term projects remain Framsden, Hoxne and Thornham Magna.
Additionally, minor works including inspections, repairs and advice were provided by the BAC to over 30 towers in the county. BAC members freely give their time for such work and many towers generously provide a donation to the restoration fund after the work is completed.
## **Other Funds**
The Library, Handbell, Golden Bottle, Jubilee and Pipe Family Funds remain broadly static.
P M Ogden Trustee & Chairman January 2025
T P Hart Trustee & Treasurer
Rev D J Everett Trustee & Secretary
J Colman
Trustee & Ringing Master
3
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025**
|**GENERAL FUND**
**INCOME**
Donations
Subscriptions
Peal Fees
Fundraising
Report Advertising
Sundry Sales
**LESS: EXPENDITURE**
Annual Report
Members Accident Insurance
Public Liability Insurance
Property Damage insurance
Handbell Insurance
Administration
Central Council affiliation
Travel & Subsistence
Hall Hire (Meetings)
Striking Competition expenses
Lapel Badges
Ringing World Adverts
Grants paid
**SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR**
**TRANSFERS TO RESERVES**
To Restoration fund (note 1)
Closure of Centenary Fund
**BALANCE AFTER TRANSFERS**
**GENERAL FUND at 1st January 2025**
**GENERAL FUND at 31st December 2025**|**£**
**£**
_£_
_£_
1,575
_2,082_
10,251
_12,060_
738
_624_
-
_194_
205
_205_
6
_30_
12,775
_15,195_
597
_844_
793
_793_
390
_390_
107
_107_
152
_156_
591
_1,196_
269
_126_
163
_911_
372
_197_
448
_0_
0
_0_
49
_25_
3,000
6,930
_4,743_
5,846
_10,452_
5,495
_6,342_
0
_67_
351
_4,042_
20,058
_16,016_
20,409
_20,058_
**2025**
_2024_|
|---|---|
||597
793
390
107
152
591
269
163
372
448
0
49
3,000|
|||
4
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025**
## **RESTORATION FUND**
|**£**
**£**
**Income**
Gift aid tax recovered
1,963
Affiliation Scheme
1,245
St. Edmund Clapper income
0
Donations
1,205
NW Open Day
-
Interest Received (note 2)
4,136
Guild Meetings and Events
114
Jubilee Fund interest (note 3)
1,612
Vestey Ring donations
180
10,456
**Expenditure**
Grants Approved in Year
1,550
Drinkstone inscriptions (NW Open Day money)
-
(1,550)
**Net income/expenditure**
8,906
Coombs grant expired (returned from Allocated Fund)
0
Westhorpe grant returned from Allocated Fund
-
Transfer from General Fund (note 1)
5,495
**Unallocated Restoration Fund as at 1 January 2024**
73,787
**Unallocated Restoration Fund as at 31 December 2024**
88,187
**Restoration Allocated Grants**
**Income**
Transfer From Restoration Fund (i.e. Grants approved)
1,550
**Expenditure**
Grants Paid
(13,150)
**Net income/ expenditure**
(11,600)
Coombs grant expired (returned to Restoration Fund)
0
Westhorpe grant no longer required (returned to Restoration Fund)
0
**Allocated Grant Fund as at 1 January 2024**
13,250
**Allocated Grant Fund as at 31 December 2024**
1,650
**Total Restoration Fund as at 1 January 2025**
87,037
**Total Restoration Fund as at 31 December 2025**
89,837
**2025**|_£_
_£_
_2,107_
_1,140_
_0_
_747_
_2,038_
_5,557_
_0_
_1,886_
_225_
_13,700_
_12,000_
_839_
_(12,839)_
_861_
_0_
_5,000_
_6,342_
_61,584_
_73,787_
_12,000_
_(5,600)_
_6,400_
_0_
_(5,000)_
_11,850_
_13,250_
_73,434_
_87,037_
**2024**|_£_
_£_
_2,107_
_1,140_
_0_
_747_
_2,038_
_5,557_
_0_
_1,886_
_225_
_13,700_
_12,000_
_839_
_(12,839)_
_861_
_0_
_5,000_
_6,342_
_61,584_
_73,787_
_12,000_
_(5,600)_
_6,400_
_0_
_(5,000)_
_11,850_
_13,250_
_73,434_
_87,037_
**2024**|
|---|---|---|
|||_13,700_
_(12,839)_|
||||
|||_861_
_0_
_5,000_
_6,342_
_61,584_|
|||_73,787_|
|||_12,000_
_(5,600)_|
|||_6,400_
_0_
_(5,000)_
_11,850_|
|||_13,250_|
|||_73,434_|
|||_87,037_|
5
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025**
|**LIBRARY FUND**
**INCOME**
**EXPENDITURE**
Misc.
**SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR**
**LIBRARY FUND at 1st January 2025**
**LIBRARY FUND at 31st December 2025**|**£**
**£**
_£_
_£_
0
_0_
10
_30_
(10)
_(30)_
197
_227_
187
_197_
**2025**
_2024_|
|---|---|
|||
6
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025**
|**JUBILEE FUND**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**2025**|||_2024_||
||**£**||**£**|_£_||_£_|
|**INCOME**|||||||
|Donations received|||0|||_0_|
|**SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR**|||0|||_0_|
|**JULBILEE FUND at 1st January 2025**|||36,218|||_36,218_|
|**JULBILEE FUND at 31st December 2025**|||36,218|||_36,218_|
7
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025**
|**PIPE FAMILY TRUST FUND**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**2025**|||_2024_||
||**£**||**£**|_£_||_£_|
|**INCOME**|||||||
|Interest received|||35|||_46_|
|**EXPENDITURE**|||||||
|Grants|||0|||_0_|
|**SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR**|||35|||_46_|
|**PIPE FAMILY TRUST FUND at 1st January 2025**|||1,058|||_1,012_|
|**PIPE FAMILY TRUST FUND at 31st December 2025**|||1,093|||_1,058_|
8
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
|**INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025**||||
|**THE ADRIAN KNIGHTS FUND**||||
|||**2025**||
||**£**||**£**|
|**INCOME**||||
|Donations|||259,487|
|Interest received|||7,356|
|**EXPENDITURE**||||
|Grants|||0|
|**SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR**|||266,843|
|**THE ADRIAN KNIGHTS FUND at 1st January 2025**|||0|
|**THE ADRIAN KNIGHTS FUND at 31st December 2025**|||266,843|
9
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025**
|**HANDBELL FUND**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**2025**|||_2024_||
||**£**||**£**|_£_||_£_|
|**INCOME**|||||||
|Donations received|||0|||_75_|
|**EXPENDITURE**|||||||
|Repairs|||0|||_0_|
|**SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR**|||0|||_75_|
|**HANDBELL FUND at 1st January 2025**|||1,068|||_993_|
|**HANDBELL FUND at 31st December 2025**|||1,068|||_1,068_|
10
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025**
|**THE GOLDEN BOTTLE TRUST**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**2025**|||_2024_||
||**£**||**£**|_£_||_£_|
|**INCOME**|||||||
|Donations received|||0|||_0_|
|**EXPENDITURE**|||||||
|Misc.|||0|||_228_|
|Grants paid|||1,850|||_0_|
|**SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR**|||(1,850)|||_(228)_|
|**GOLDEN BOTTLE FUND at 1st January 2025**|||3,037|||_3,265_|
|**GOLDEN BOTTLE FUND at 31st December 2025**|||1,187|||_3,037_|
11
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025**
|**CENTENARY DINNER FUND**||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**2025**|||||_2024_|||
||**£**||**£**|||_£_||_£_||
|**INCOME**||||||||||
|Ticket sales||||-|||||_-_|
|**EXPENDITURE**||||||||||
|Transfer to General Fund on Closure||||-|||||_67_|
|**SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR**|||||0||_-_||_67_
|
|**CENTENARY DINNER FUND at 1st January 2025**|||||0||||_67_|
|**CENTENARY DINNER FUND at 31st December 2025**|||||0||||_-_|
12
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2025**
|**CURRENT ASSETS**
CAF 12mth bonds
CCLA/CBF General a/c
CCLA/CBF Jubilee Fund
CCLA/CBF Adrian Knights Fund
Barclays Current Account
District Cash in hand
**TOTAL ASSETS**
**REPRESENTED BY**
General fund
Restoration fund
Restoration grants allocated
Library fund
Jubilee fund
Pipe Family Trust fund
Handbells fund
The Golden Bottle Trust
The Adrian Knights Fund|**£**
**£**
_£_
_£_
-
-
96,345
92,174
36,218
36,218
266,843
-
17,102
19,889
333
391
416,841
_148,671_
416,841
_148,671_
20,409
_20,058_
88,187
_73,787_
1,650
_13,250_
187
_197_
36,218
_36,218_
1,093
_1,058_
1,068
_1,068_
1,187
_3,037_
266,843
_0_
416,841
_148,671_
**2025**
_2024_|**£**
**£**
_£_
_£_
-
-
96,345
92,174
36,218
36,218
266,843
-
17,102
19,889
333
391
416,841
_148,671_
416,841
_148,671_
20,409
_20,058_
88,187
_73,787_
1,650
_13,250_
187
_197_
36,218
_36,218_
1,093
_1,058_
1,068
_1,068_
1,187
_3,037_
266,843
_0_
416,841
_148,671_
**2025**
_2024_|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||_148,671_|
|||_20,058_
_73,787_
_13,250_
_197_
_36,218_
_1,058_
_1,068_
_3,037_
_0_|
|||_148,671_|
_In the opinion of the Trustees, all of the Funds except the General Fund are restricted in nature._
## **Notes to the accounts**
Note 1. 50% of the sum of subscriptions and peal fees is transferred to the Restoration fund.
Note 2. The total interest received from: the CCLA/CBF General fund, & CAF bonds has been allocated to the Jubilee Fund, Restoration Fund & Pipe Family Trust Fund and apportioned in the ratio of their respective capital sums. The Jubilee Fund amount has been passed directly to the Restoration Fund.
Note 3: The Jubilee Fund interest is transferred directly to the Restoration Fund.
Note 4: Transfer from General Fund to Restoration Fund, in line with Reserves Policy
13
## **SUFFOLK GUILD OF RINGERS**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2025**
## **ASSETS**
The Guild owns a number of gifted assets in addition to the various bank balances.
The main items (with approximate replacement costs) are:
|Handbells
Library
Vestey Ring
Stock of lapel badges
Other assets
**Grants - Approved and P**
Ipswich, St Clement
Blythburgh
Drinkstone
Aldeburgh|**aid**
Approved
Approved
Previous Years
This year
500.00
2,000.00
150.00
11,000.00
1,400.00|15,000
13,000
4,900
1,305
2,700
`
36,905
Date
Date of
Grants Paid
Grants Paid
Grants
Approved
Expiry
Previous years
This year
unpaid
Notes
22/10/2017
22/10/2017
250.00
250.00
29/10/2023
29/10/2026
2,150.00
23/06/2024
22/06/2029
11,000.00
19/10/2025
18/10/2028
1,400.00
250.00
13,150.00
1,650.00|
|---|---|---|
||13,500.00
1,550.00||
|**Non-BRF Grants - Approved**|**and Paid**||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Approved|Approved|Date|Date of|Grants Paid|Grants Paid|Grants|Comment|
||Previous Years|This year|Approved|Expiry|Previous years|This year|unpaid||
|SMLT Training Bells|3,000.00||23/06/2024|23/06/2027||3,000.00|-|General Fund|
|SMLT Training Bells Tech|1,850.00||23/06/2024|23/06/2027||1,850.00|-|Golden Bottle Trust Fund|
||4,850.00|-|||-|4,850.00|-||
## **APPROVED:**
We approve the accounts on pages 2 to 15 and confirm that the records produced, together with the information and explanations supplied to R & H Accountants, constitute a true and correct record of all the transactions of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025.
…............................... **M Ogden**
….................................. **T Hart**
…................................ **Date:**
….................................... **Date:**
14