REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE RAMSEY FOUNDATION For the year ending 31[st] March 2023
The Foundation’s accounts show a small deficit of approximately £300 for the year, compared with a surplus of approximately £25,500 in the previous year. Income across the two years was similar, but this year there have been increases both in charitable donations and maintenance expenditure on property. The largest expenditure was for the replacement of gutters on the North and East elevations of the Stable Flats.
The deficit relating to the squash courts was similar to the previous year and arose primarily from the cost of insurance. The courts are still moth-balled.
Ramsey Pre-School continues to use the Old Library building, which is leased to Cambridgeshire County Council. This arrangement is working well in terms of preserving the asset, but no income to the Charity arises. No decision has yet been reached on what will happen to the site when the current lease to Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) expires. A meeting was held in March 2023 with representatives of the Foundation, CCC, the pre-school and the local Council. CCC has started a process to review the future of the site in the context of wider plans for the provision of Primary Education in the area. In particular, a decision needs to be made as to whether the Spinning Infants School will remain on the site in the long term.
For the time being, The Ramsey Spinning Infants School, part of which occupies land belonging to the Foundation under a 1952 lease to Huntingdon County Council (now Cambridgeshire County Council) continues to be operated by the Elliot Foundation under a sub-lease from the Council. There is no income to the Charity.
The Charity continues to manage the smallholdings to provide income for the benefit of the Trust. The rents were increased in 2022/23 on average from £88 to £97 per acre. The matter of unauthorised use of School Farm Drove by a neighbouring business remains unresolved, although there have been various exchanges on the matter during the year.
Discussions continued throughout the year with agents for Cadent, relating to the need for remedial works to be carries out at School Farm Drove to protect a gas pipeline. Investigations were carried out, but the final scheme of remediation has not been agreed and completed.
The bungalow situated in the school grounds continues to be let to private tenants.
In addition to the usual annual contribution to Abbey College for school prizes, donations totalling
Registered charity number 270604
£19,520 were made for equipment for the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme and the Textiles department, and for MindFit services, which support student mental health.
The Charity ended the year with a cash balance of £100.078.
Progress towards an agreement to surrender the lease of the Abbey Building and surrounding land came to an abrupt halt in February 2023, when solicitors for the Fairhaven Trust advised that they would not be proceeding with the agreement. Some further discussions have since taken place, but it is still not clear whether any agreement can be reached. The building is not currently in use by Abbey College for educational purposes.
The Multi Use Games Area built on land leased from the Foundation continues to serve as a valuable resource both for the school and the local community.
The Foundation is still awaiting the grant of an alternative right of way from Abbey College to give access to the School Field. The original right of way granted by a 1935 Conveyance, which gave access to the School Field from Hollow Lane, had been obstructed by various developments, including a school building.
Mr John Chrisp was appointed as a Trustee in March 2023. There were no other changes to the Trustees.
Dated 24[th] January 2024
Signed………………………………………
Alan John Dods Chairman
| INFORMATION | |
|---|---|
| PROPRIETOR | The Ramsey Foundation |
| Charity number: 270604 | |
| PRINCIPAL OFFICE | Abbey College |
| Abbey Road | |
| Ramsey | |
| Cambridgeshire PE261DG |
|
| ACCOUNTANTS | Whitings LLP |
| Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers | |
| 108 High Street | |
| Ramsey | |
| Cambridgeshire PE261BS |
|
| BANKERS | CAF Bank |
| 25 Kings Hill Avenue | |
| Kings Hill | |
| West Mailing | |
| Kent | |
| ME194JQ |
| 2023£ | 2022£ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INCOME & ENDOWNMENTS | ||||
| Investment Income | 53,911 | 54,400 | ||
| TOTAL INCOME & ENDOWNMENTS | 53,911 | 54,400 | ||
| LESS: EXPENDITURE | ||||
| Expenditure on properties Expenditure on charitable activities Administration costs |
25,116 22,380 6,718 |
9,657 13,809 5,367 |
||
| TOTAL EXPENDITURE | 54,214 | 28,833 | ||
| NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING) RESOURCES FOR THE YEAR |
(303) | 25,567 |
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| ASSETS | |||||
| Fixed assets | 4 | 1,083,949 | 1,084,344 | ||
| Investments | 5 | 8,815 | 9,277 | ||
| 1,092,764 | 1,093,621 | ||||
| CURRENT ASSETS | |||||
| Poors Land Charity | 2,234 | 2,675 | |||
| Prepayments | 2,761 | 2,073 | |||
| Other debtors | 1,577 | ||||
| Deposit account | 94,942 | 93,666 | |||
| Current account | 5,136 | 5,000 | |||
| 105,073 | 104,931 | ||||
| CURRENT LIABILITIES | |||||
| Accountancy accrual | (820) | {770) | |||
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | 104,253 | 104,161 | |||
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT | LIABILITIES | 1,197,017 | 1,197,782 | ||
| RESERVES | |||||
| Charibond accumulation shares | 8,815 | 9,277 | |||
| Revaluation reserve | 1,045,331 | 1,045,331 | |||
| William Brown prize fund | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1,054,147 | 1,054,609 | ||||
| UNRESTRICTED FUNDS | |||||
| Balance brought forward | 143,173 | 117,606 | |||
| Excess of income over expenditure | 25,567 | ||||
| 143,173 | 143,173 | ||||
| Excess of expenditure over income | (303) | ||||
| 142,870 | 143,173 | ||||
| 1,197,017 | 1,197,782 |
| Old Grammar School | 0.0% |
|---|---|
| Squash Courts | 0.0% |
| Stable Flats | 0.0% |
| Lodge | 3.7% |
| Small hlolding | 0.0% |
| Playing Field | 0.0% |
| 4. ASSETS |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squash | ||||||
| Old | Courts & | 75.542 | ||||
| Grammar | Playing | Stable | acres of | |||
| School£ | Field£ | Flats£ | Lodge£ | farmland£ | Total £ |
|
| Cost/Valuation | ||||||
| At 1 April 2022 and | ||||||
| 31 March 2023 | 150,000 | 300,000 | 375,000 | 10,664 | 255,000 1,090,664 | |
| Depreciation | ||||||
| At 1 April 2022 Charge for the year |
6,320 395 |
6,320 395 |
||||
| At 31 March 2023 | 6,715 | 6,715 | ||||
| Net book value | ||||||
| At 31 March 2023 | 150,000 | 300,000 | 375,000 | 3,949 | 255,000 1,083,949 | |
| At 31 March 2022 | ^50,000 | 300,000 | 375,000 | 4,344 | 255,000 | 1,084,344 |
| 5. INVESTMENTS | ||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Charibond accumulation shares at valuation | 8,815 | 9,277 |
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| TURNOVER | ||||
| Smallholdings | 7,037 | 6,390 | ||
| Stable flats | 33,605 | 35,540 | ||
| Lodge | 10,040 | 9,780 | ||
| Sundry income | 300 | |||
| Poors Land Charity | 2,234 | 2,675 | ||
| Bank interest | 695 | 15 | ||
| GROSSSURPLUS | 53,911 | 54,400 | ||
| LESS:EXPENSES | ||||
| LAND & BUILDINGS | ||||
| Repairs & refurbishments | 17,789 | 3,652 | ||
| Squash court insurance, maintenance, light | ||||
| & heat | 3,234 | 2,894 | ||
| Insurance | 3,071 | 2,776 | ||
| Utilities | 627 | |||
| Depreciation | 395 | 395 | ||
| 25,116 | 9,657 | |||
| ADMINISTRATION | ||||
| Accountancy fees | 800 | 764 | ||
| Administration & management costs | 5,255 | 4,460 | ||
| Sundries | 123 | 119 | ||
| Prizes & donations | 22,380 | 13,809 | ||
| Surveyors Fees & Cost of Plans | 540 | 24 | ||
| 29,098 | 19,176 | |||
| 54,214 | 28,833 | |||
| NET (DEFICIT)/SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR | (303) | 25,567 |
THE RMISEY FOUNOATJON INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE RAMSEY FOUNDATION ON THE UNAUDITED FINANCINL INFORMATION J report on the accounts of the Foundatlon lor the year ended 31 Al4h 2023 whSch •rg Sot out on pagos 5 to 9 whl¢h havè en pr•pad und¢r the hi$torleal cost conventlon. R•spectlvè responslbllltles of trust•6s and Indopend•nt examlner As th& charttys trust8es YDU are r85ponsfft)1o for thè preparallm of tho 8ccDunts.' Lxjnsider th31 the audll requiment of section 144121 of the Charities Aci 2011 Ilhe A¢ll do&s not apply. 11 is my r95Ptsibity to stste, on the proced¢Jrès specified in the General Directions given by the Chaiity Commb8ioners SeCt)n 14515llbl ol the Act, whether parliculaf matlers have come lo myattenlKJn. 8a81¥ of Ind•ynd•nt èxamln•V$ JJtat•m•nt My examln8tion w8$ carried (xrt in aCCldenCe vthh Ihe General Dlr8c¢lon5 glven by the Charity CommissKTrners. An examination indudes a review ol the actJJJnbng records kept by the tharity and a compari50n of the aco)unls presentèd wth th9se recofds. It also inrJud8s ¢on5id&ratN>n of any unusual items or dlsclosures in the accounts. and seeking •¥planatlons from srju as tm$lees, cn¥thmirrfJ sueh matters. The procedures undertakon do nol provide all the evidence that wovkj be required In art audrt and CseQUent1Y I do not express an audll opinSon on Ihe vlow gNen by Ihe accounts. Indondent •xamlner's •t#tement I have ¢OMpt¥d my examinal¢on. l nfirM that no malèrlal mailers have comtr to my attention h nnect)n with th& examination gwing me caus¢ lo believo tha¢ in any maleri81 respect.. l. a¢¢tsuntin9 records were nol kopt in resp8¢t of the Tru$l as requirtrd by s8a1 130 of Ihe Act; 2. the accounts do not accord wilh those ièeords,. or 3. the accounts do nol Comply th Iha 8pplicabl8 r8qulremts conc4mifig Ihe fomi and content of accounts Sel out In the Charilles IAccounls and Rèports) Regulatsons 2008 other than any rèquiremont thal the ac¢ount8 glve a'tr(to and fair view vthith is not o matter cthsidered as of an independent examlnafjon. ANDREW BAND WHITINGS LLP Chartered Accountants & Busln•s$ Advls•rs 108 Hlgh Str¢ot Ramsey Cèmbridgeshir• PE26 1BS D4te: L4 /1 /24- Page 4