**REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 269109**
**Report of the Trustees and**
**Unaudited Financial Statements**
**for the Year Ended 31 March 2025 for The Ropner Centenary Trust**
**The Ropner Centenary Trust**
**Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025 Page Report of the Trustees** 1 to 2 **Independent Examiner's Report** 3 **Statement of Financial Activities** 4 **Balance Sheet** 5 **Notes to the Financial Statements** 6 to 11 **Detailed Statement of Financial Activities** 12
## **The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
## **Objectives and aims**
The objects of the charity are the relief of those persons considered to be in a condition of poverty or distress or in need of education.
## **Public benefit**
The charity’s aims and achievements are set out within this report. The activities set out in this report have been undertaken to further the charity's charitable purposes for the public benefit. The Trustees have complied with the duty under Section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charities Commission and the Trustees have paid due regard to this guidance in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
- Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance paid due regard to this guidance in deciding what
- out 12 grants to individuals (2024: 14) and made a donation the Trustees and takes account of recent demand for funds. and the market prospects in the medium term. The funds
- maintain unrestricted funds, which are the free reserves of the investment policy. The current level of free reserves
- costs and to respond to emergency applications for grants
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
## **Charitable activities**
During the year the charity paid out 12 grants to individuals (2024: 14) and made a donation of £5,000 to Friends of Ropner Park.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## **Investment policy and objectives**
The investment strategy is set by the Trustees and takes account of recent demand for funds. The Trustees consider the income requirements, the risk profile and the market prospects in the medium term. The funds may be invested in any type of investment. Our strategy is reviewed annually.
## **Reserves policy**
It is the policy of the charity to maintain unrestricted funds, which are the free reserves of the charity, at a level which allows maximum flexibility in determining investment policy. The current level of free reserves provides sufficient funds to cover governance and support costs and to respond to emergency applications for grants which may arise from time to time.
The charity has no restricted funds and there are no restrictions on the charity's power to invest.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Governing document**
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust and constitutes an unincorporated charity.
The Ropner Centenary Trust is constituted under a trust deed dated 2 January 1975 and deed of variation dated 10 March 1983. It is a registered charity number 269109.
## **Recruitment and appointment of new trustees**
Trustees are appointed by the Board of Trustees. New Trustees are given appropriate induction to allow them to perform their duties effectively.
## **Organisation**
The Trustees meet annually to assess grant applications and to consider the investment performance of the assets available to the organisation.
## **Risk**
The Trustees have examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the charity faces and confirm that the systems have been established to enable regular reports to be produced, so that the necessary steps can be taken to lessen these risks.
Page 1
**The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number**
269109
## **Principal address**
15 The Green High Coniscliffe DARLINGTON Co Durham DL2 2LJ
## **Trustees**
A P Theakston R J B Ropner Sir Henry John William Ropner
## **Independent Examiner**
Christopher Beaumont BA (Hons) BFP FCA DChA Clive Owen LLP Chartered Accountants 140 Coniscliffe Road DARLINGTON Co Durham DL3 7RT
## **Solicitors**
Tilly Bailey & Irvine LLP York Chambers York Road Hartlepool TS26 9DP
## **Bankers**
NatWest Bank Plc 25 High Row Darlington Co Durham DL3 7QP
Approved by order of the board of trustees on ............................................. and signed on its behalf by:
........................................................................ A P Theakston - Trustee
Page 2
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Ropner Centenary Trust**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Ropner Centenary Trust (the Trust) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity 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 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all 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:
- with the applicable requirements concerning and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement across no other matters in connection with the examination
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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.
Christopher Beaumont BA (Hons) BFP FCA DChA
Clive Owen LLP Chartered Accountants 140 Coniscliffe Road DARLINGTON Co Durham DL3 7RT
Date: .............................................
Page 3
## **The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|**DRAFT**
Notes
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
Investment income
2
**EXPENDITURE ON**
**Charitable activities**
3
Donations
Grants payable
**Total**
Net gains on investments
**NET INCOME**
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**|2025
Unrestricted
fund
£
44,832
5,000
25,492
30,492
42,269
56,609
1,270,219
1,326,828|2024
Total
funds
£
48,466|
|---|---|---|
|||2,000
25,390|
|||27,390|
|||12,768|
|||33,844
1,236,375|
|||1,270,219|
||||
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 4
## **The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Balance Sheet 31 March 2025**
|**DRAFT**
Notes
**FIXED ASSETS**
Investments
8
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Debtors
9
Cash at bank
**CREDITORS**
Amounts falling due within one year
10
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT**
**LIABILITIES**
**NET ASSETS**
**FUNDS**
11
Unrestricted funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**
The
financial
statements
were
approved
by
the
Board
of
Trustees
and
............................................. and were signed on its behalf by:
.............................................
A P Theakston - Trustee|2025
2024
Unrestricted
Total
fund
funds
£
£
1,265,988
1,202,690
5,867
5,784
58,173
63,807
64,040
69,591
(3,200)
(2,062)
60,840
67,529
1,326,828
1,270,219
1,326,828
1,270,219
1,326,828
1,270,219
1,326,828
1,270,219
authorised
for
issue
on|
|---|---|
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 5
**The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Basis of preparing the financial statements**
The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, with the exception of investments which are included at market value, as modified by the revaluation of certain assets.
## **Incoming resources**
All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.
deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank. for on an accruals basis and has been classified under Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular within support costs, they are the costs of providing in the year when the offer is conveyed to the recipient grants being recognised as expenditure when the conditions quoted shares, traded bonds and similar investments are (their market value) at the year end. Any gains or losses
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank. Dividends are recognised once the dividend has been declared and notification has been received of the dividend due.
## **Resources expended**
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis considered appropriate by the Trustees.
Support costs have been allocated against the costs of the charitable activities of the Trust.
Governance costs are included within support costs, they are the costs of providing the governance infrastructure to the charity.
Grants payable are charged in the year when the offer is conveyed to the recipient except in those cases where the offer is conditional, such grants being recognised as expenditure when the conditions attaching are fulfilled. Returned grants are set against grants payable in the year the grant is returned.
## **Investments**
Fixed asset investments in quoted shares, traded bonds and similar investments are valued initially at cost and subsequently at fair value (their market value) at the year end. Any gains or losses on revaluation are taken to the Statement of Financial Activities.
## **Taxation**
The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
There are no restricted funds.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
## **Financial instruments**
The charity has financial assets and financial liabilities as basic financial instruments. They are initially recognised at transactions value and subsequently measured as their settlement value, with charges recognised in the statement of financial activities.
Page 6
continued...
**The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|**DRAFT**
**2.**
**INVESTMENT INCOME**
2025
£
Dividends receivable
36,134
Interest receivable
8,698
44,832
**3.**
**CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS**
Grant
funding of
activities
Support
(see note
costs (see
4)
note 5)
£
£
Donations
5,000
-
Grants payable
22,800
2,692
27,800
2,692
**4.**
**GRANTS PAYABLE**
2025
£
Donations
5,000
Grants payable
22,800
27,800
The total grants paid to institutions during the year was as follows:
2025
£
Middlesbrough Sea Cadets
-
Friends of Ropner Park
5,000
5,000
Total number of grants paid to individuals
12|2024
£
40,958
7,508
48,466
Totals
£
5,000
25,492
30,492
2024
£
2,000
23,100
25,100
2024
£
2,000
-
2,000
14|
|---|---|
The grants are within the purpose of the charity.
continued...
Page 7
**The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **5. SUPPORT COSTS**
|**5.**|**SUPPORT COSTS**||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||Governance||
|||Management|costs|Totals|
|||£|£|£|
||Grants payable|550|2,142|2,692|
||Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:||||
||**Management**||||
||||2025|2024|
||||Grants|Total|
||||payable|activities|
||||£|£|
|**6.**
**7.**|**DRAFT**
Administration of the charity
550
550
**Governance costs**
2025
2024
Grants
Total
payable
activities
£
£
Professional fees
-
117
Independent examiner fee
2,142
1,623
2,142
1,740
**TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended
31 March 2024.
**Trustees' expenses**
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.
See note 12 for further details of amounts due to trustees.
**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
Unrestricted
fund||||
|||||£|
||**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**||||
||Investment income|||48,466|
||**EXPENDITURE ON**||||
||**Charitable activities**||||
||Donations|||2,000|
||Grants payable|||25,390|
||**Total**|||27,390|
||Net gains on investments|||12,768|
||**NET INCOME**|||33,844|
|||Page 8||continued...|
Page 8
## **The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
**7. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued**
Unrestricted fund £ **RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS** Total funds brought forward 1,236,375 **TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD** 1,270,219 **8. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS** Listed investments £ **MARKET VALUE** At 1 April 2024 1,202,690 Additions 213,100 Disposals (192,071) Revaluations 42,269 At 31 March 2025 1,265,988 **NET BOOK VALUE** At 31 March 2025 1,265,988 At 31 March 2024 1,202,690 There were no investment assets outside the UK. The cost of the investment, represented above at fair value, was £830,967 (2024: £867,867). **9. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR** 2025 2024 £ £ Prepayments and accrued income 5,867 5,784
continued...
Page 9
## **The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **10. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
|Accruals and deferred income
**11.**
**MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**|2025
£
3,200|2024
£
2,062|
|---|---|---|
||||
|**DRAFT**
At 1.4.24
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
1,270,219
**TOTAL FUNDS**
1,270,219
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
Resources
resources
expended
£
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
44,832
(30,492)
**TOTAL FUNDS**
44,832
(30,492)
**Comparatives for movement in funds**
At 1.4.23
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
1,236,375
**TOTAL FUNDS**
1,236,375
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
Resources
resources
expended
£
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
48,466
(27,390)
**TOTAL FUNDS**
48,466
(27,390)|Net
movement
in funds
£
56,609
56,609
Gains and
losses
£
42,269
42,269
Net
movement
in funds
£
33,844
33,844
Gains and
losses
£
12,768
12,768|At
31.3.25
£
1,326,828|At
31.3.25
£
1,326,828|
|---|---|---|---|
|||1,326,828||
|||Movement
in funds
£
56,609
56,609
At
31.3.24
£
1,270,219||
|||1,270,219||
|||Movement
in funds
£
33,844
33,844||
||||33,844|
continued...
Page 10
**The Ropner Centenary Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **11. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued**
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:
|Net|
|---|
|movement
At|
|At 1.4.23
in funds
31.3.25|
|£
£
£|
|**Unrestricted funds**|
|General fund
1,236,375
90,453
1,326,828|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**
1,236,375
90,453
1,326,828|
|**DRAFT**
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above
as follows:
Incoming
Resources
Gains and
Movement
resources
expended
losses
in funds
£
£
£
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
93,298
(57,882)
55,037
90,453
**TOTAL FUNDS**
93,298
(57,882)
55,037
90,453
General Fund - This fund represents unrestricted resources available for the general work of the charity.
**RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES**
Alan Theakston, Trustee, charged a fee of £550 for administration expenses (2024: £550), both 2024 and 20
fees were outstanding at 31 March 2025.|
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
## **12. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES**
Alan Theakston, Trustee, charged a fee of £550 for administration expenses (2024: £550), both 2024 and 2025 fees were outstanding at 31 March 2025.
Page 11
## **The Ropner Centenary Trust**
||**Detailed Statement of Financial Activities**|||
|---|---|---|---|
||**for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**|||
|||2025|2024|
|||£|£|
|**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS**||||
|**Investment income**||||
|Dividends receivable||36,134|40,958|
|Interest receivable||8,698|7,508|
|||44,832|48,466|
|**Total incoming resources**||44,832|48,466|
|**EXPENDITURE**||||
|**DRAFT**
**Charitable activities**
Grants payable to institutions
5,000
Grants to individuals
22,800
27,800
**Support costs**
**Management**
Administration of the charity
550
**Governance costs**
Professional fees
-
Independent examiner fee
2,142
2,142
Total resources expended
30,492
**Net income before gains and losses**
14,340
**Realised recognised gains and losses**
Net gains/(losses) on investments
42,269
**Net income**
56,609|||2,000
23,100
25,100
550
117
1,623
1,740
27,390
21,076
12,768
33,844|
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
Page 12