## **The Pratt Green Trust** ## **Registered Charity Number : 290556** ## **ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **Trust Contact and Acting Treasurer:** ## Revd Canon Michael Garland 6 Whimbrel Road Quedgeley Gloucester GL2 4LJ ## **Trustees** The Rev Dr Janet Wootton (Chair) Ms Bernadette Farrell (Vice-Chair) The Rev Dr Andrew Pratt The Rev Robert Canham (resigned April 2024) Dr Gillian Warson Dr Martin Clarke The Revd Dr Graham Adams The Revd Canon Michael Garland ## **Report 2024-5** ## **Report of the trustees for the year ended 31st March 2025** The trustees present their report along with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2025. ## **Special Statement** During the follow up to the Trust’s 40[th] anniversary in 2024, serious anomalies in the accounts became apparent. At a Trustees’ Meeting in October 2024, a finance working party was set up to investigate, and steps were put in place to safeguard existing funds. It has been necessary to reconstruct the 2023-4 accounts from bank records, with no access to documentation, which led to a considerable delay in completion and submission. The situation is ongoing. We are pleased to be able to submit the 2024-5 reconstructed accounts within the Charity Commission deadline. In August 2025 the Trustees issued the following statement to stakeholders such as partner organisations, patrons and friends, as well as people with a historic connection with the Charity such as former Trustees. During 2024, the Trustees became aware that there were potential anomalies in the Trust accounts. At the Trustees Meeting on October 14th, a finance working party was set up to investigate, and immediate steps were put in place to safeguard existing funds. We finally gained access to the bank accounts in June 2025, at which point it became possible to reconstruct financial records, which revealed the considerable scale of the problem, going back at least seven years. Reports have now been filed with Action Fraud and the Charity Commission, and correct accounts submitted to the Charity Commission. We are grateful to our major stakeholder and funding body for their confidence and support through this period. We are confident that the systems now in place are robust and secure. This report relates to the financial situation and actions taken to safeguard the Charity for the future. The Trustees’ Meeting in October 2025 agreed to pursue a draft constitution, bringing the Charity structure up to date. Terms of service for Trustees and Officers will be introduced, and tighter definitions of roles and procedures. ## **Constitution and objects** The Pratt Green Trust is constituted under a trust deed dated 30th March 1984 as varied by a deed of variation dated 31st October 1984 and registered as a charity under number 290556. The objects of the charity are:- - 1) To advance public education in the field of church music and other music suitable for religious purposes and in the field of hymnody. - 2) To provide prizes, scholarships, bursaries and other grants for church musicians and musicians concerned with the composition and rendering of religious music and for hymn writers. - 3) To make donations to otherwise further the objects of other charities carrying on in whole or in part objects similar to the objects set out in 1 and 2 above. ## **Organisation** The trustees who have served during the year and since the year end are listed above Trustees are appointed by the remaining trustees or trustee. There is currently no time limit on a trustees term of appointment (but see above). The trustees meet half yearly, or more frequently if circumstances require. The Chair or Vice-Chair together with one other trustee can approve urgent grant requests between meetings up to a maximum of £600 subject to details of these being reported to the next full trustees meeting. ## **Grant Making and other project support Policy** The policy is to give continued support to the HymnQuest Project, the Pratt Green Collection at Durham University, The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland and to make occasional other grants to persons or institutions for specific projects, especially those unlikely to be undertaken without the Trust’s help. ## **Financial review and investment policy** The charity received an initial donation from the Reverend Frederick Pratt Green in 1984 together with the right to royalty income and or other fees as set out in various agreements made between Reverend Frederick Pratt Green and Stainer & Bell Ltd, Hope Publishing Company and The Hymn Society of America. The majority of the income from royalties currently arises from publications in the United States of America. All income received and funds held by the charity are unrestricted and may be used at the trustees discretion in accordance with the objects of the charity. The charity has also received the benefit of reasonable levels of income from sales of the HymnQuest. This was as a result of a long term project undertaken by the Trust to compile a unique database of hymnody to allow greater access to the wide repertoire of hymns and songs for worship now available. HymnQuest has continued to be upgraded this year as in past years. In 2022, a mobile version was released which enables users to access the data from tablets and smartphone devices. In 2024, HymnQuest was made fully online, with transfers available for existing users from the earlier versions. There are no restrictions on the charity’s power to invest. Investment policies are under review as part of overall changes, in the light of the financial situation as described above. ## **Reserves Policy** A new reserves policy is being discussed in the light of the financial situation described above. ## **Risk management** . Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements Law applicable to charities in England and Wales require trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to: select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently: make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; that there are no serious incidents or other matters relating to their charity over the previous financial year that should have been brought to the commission’s attention; that all aspects of the Charity Commission Anti-Terrorism guidelines are followed and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business, that all aspects of both the Charity Commission and Data Protection requirements are considered. The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. A new risk management policy is under discussion in the light of the financial situation mentioned above. ## **Review of the Year** In 2022, the Trustees agreed to a development programme leading to a relaunch of the Trust for the 40th anniversary in 2024. The working party, set up to oversee the project, continued its work throughout 2023 and 2024. - New Patrons were recruited in 2024, and a number of Associates, Partners and Friends joined. - A new website was launched in spring 2024. - An online version of HymnQuest became available in early 2024, with a revised subscription structure. - A hymn competition was successfully launched, with a number of high profile judges appointed and a high number of submissions by the spring of 2024. The three successful entrants received a monetary prize, and their hymns were sung on Premier Christian Radio and at the Hymn Society Conference. - A Day Conference titled ‘A More Profound Alleluia’ (taken from a Fred Pratt Green hymn) was held at the Luther King Centre in Manchester, and a publication is planned, based on the papers at the Conference. A part time self-employed administrator was appointed in 2022 to facilitate the work. The working party, with a number of subsidiary groups, reported regularly on progress to Trustee meetings. We are pleased to be in a more robust position at the present time, but are aware of the ongoing need to update and reconstruct policies and procedures. Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf: Revd Dr Janet Wootton Chair of The Pratt Green Trust 7 February 2026 ## **THE PRATT GREEN TRUST Registered Charity Number 290556** ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED: 31st March, 2025** |**Incoming resources**
**2025**
Royalties
£13,345.26
Donations
£420.00
Bank Interest
£8.48
**_Income from Operating Activities_**
Hymnquest
£12,145.32
**Total Incoming**
**resources**
**£25,919.0**
**6**
**Resources**
**expended**
**Charitable**
**expenditure**
Grants out
£0.00
Hymnquest database
Indexing
£6,486.
15
HQ Co-ordinator
£155.54
Website
Management
£9,900.
00
£16,541.69
**Other expenditure**
Chair’s Honorarium
Fee
£480.00
Trust Secretary
£2,783.
70
Admin salary
£0.00
Trustee Expenses
£590.06
Audit Fee
£0.00
Meeting room hire
£200.00
Sundry
£895.00
£4,948.76
**Unauthorised**
**expenditure**
£14,053.77
**Total resources**
**expended**
£35,544.22
**Net movement in**
**funds**
(£9,625.16)
**Reconciliation of**
**funds**|£2,042.33
£626.20
£1,946.37|**2024**
£25,451.93
£195.00
£14,381.90| |---|---|---| |||**£40,028.8**
**3**| |||£2,556.00
£4,614.90
£10,371.57
£25,403.44| ||£1,440.00
£2,686.49
£5,778.43
£291.65
£0.00
£175.00
£0.00|| |||| |||£42,945.91| |||(£2917.08)| |Funds b/f 31/3/24
Surplus/Defcit 2025
Funds c/f 31/3/25|£16,769.66
(£9,625.16)
£7,144.50|£19,686.74
(£2,917.08)
£16,769.66| |---|---|---| ## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31/3/2025** ||**20**|**2024**| |---|---|---| ||**25**|| |**Current assets**||| |Cash at bank|£9,144.50|£16,769.| |||66| |Loans due within 1|(£2,000)|£0.00| |year||| |Total current assets|£7,144.50|£16,769.| |||66| ## **Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts of The Pratt Green Trust for the year ended 31 March 2025** My examination has included a review of the bank statements and accounts presented to me by the Trustees. It has also included consideration of unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, for which I have received satisfactory explanations from the Trustees. A. P Rawson Mr Anton Rawson 28 Farthing Lane Curdworth Sutton Coldfield B76 9HF 7 February 2026