OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2025-08-31-accounts

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] AUGUST 2025

(Registered Charity Number 297249)

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] AUGUST 2025

Trustees, Officers and Advisers

______________

Charity Trustees

Nominated by The King’s School, Canterbury

J Lowson (Headmistress) (Appointed September 2023) T Ward Esq. D Hannent Esq

Nominated by The Cleary Foundation

A Gould Esq MRICS CEnv FRSA (Chair)

Advisers

Bankers

Barclays Plc UK Banking 1 Churchill Place London E14 5HP

Auditors

Alliotts LLP 3 London Square Cross Lanes Guildford Surrey GU1 1UJ

Officer

Honorary Treasurer & Clerk to the Trustees

M R Taylor FRSA (Bursar)

Address of the Trust

25 The Precincts Canterbury Kent CT1 2ES

Investment Managers

Sarasin & Partners LLP 100 St Paul’s Churchyard London EC4M 8BU

Solicitor

Boys & Maughan 57 Queen Street Ramsgate Kent CT11 9EJ

Page 1

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

Annual Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

_____________

The Trustees present their annual report for the year ended 31[st] August 2025 under the Charities Act 2011, together with the audited accounts for the year, and confirm that the latter comply with the requirements of the Act, the Trust Deed and the Charities FRS 102 SORP.

Reference and Administrative Information

The Cleary Blackfriars Trust is a registered charity (registration number 297249). The Trustees, executive officers and principal address of the Charity are listed on page 1 together with particulars of the Charity’s professional advisers.

Structure Governance and Management

Organisation

The Trustees set the overall policy for running the Trust in accordance with its objects and for the public benefit. The Headmistress of The King’s School, Canterbury makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding educational matters and candidates for the Cleary Scholarships. The Clerk is responsible for the maintenance of the Blackfriars Building, for the day to day management of the Trust’s investments and for preparing the Trust’s accounts.

One Trustee is nominated by The Cleary Foundation and the Trustees of The King’s School, Canterbury may nominate other Trustees, one of whom is the Headmistress ex officio.

Investment powers

The investment powers are governed by the Trustees Act 2000. During the year, the Trust’s investments were managed by Sarasin & Partners LLP.

The investments are held as part of a collective pool administered by The King's School, Canterbury.

Objects, Aims, Objectives and Activities

With the objectives of the Charity the Trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, in particular to its supplementary public benefit guidance on advancing education.

The objectives of the Charity are:

Scholarships and bursaries

At their meeting on 14th November 2024, the Trustees awarded new Cleary Art Scholarships of £450 to seven pupils for each year, as long as they remain scholars. There were no travel scholarship awarded in 2024. An exemption from disclosing the names of those granted these awards has been taken to ensure compliance with GDPR requirements. These pupils will receive the first instalment of the award in this financial year and the second instalment in financial year ending 31 August 2026.

There was no nomination for the Trustees Award (£200) in this financial year.

There were four King’s School pupils, in receipt of Cleary Art Scholarships awarded in the financial year 31 August 2024, receiving £450 as the second instalment of their awards in this financial year.

Education and the Arts

The Trustees continued to maintain the Blackfriars Building as a centre for Art and Design for the pupils of The King's School, Canterbury, and during the School holidays as an exhibition centre for local artists.

Page 2

Annual Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

_____________

Connected charity

The Trust is considered to be a subsidiary of the charity “The Governors, The Head Master and the Lower Master of the King’s School of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury in the City of Canterbury” (registered charity number 307942) more commonly known as The King's School, Canterbury, by virtue of voting control, similar objects and common management.

Financial Review and Results for the Year

The net income for the year before investment gains was £24,843 (2024: net income £44,784). The Trust’s policy is to ensure that these resources are used firstly, to create and improve the facilities available to pupils and secondly, to enable these facilities to be shared with the Canterbury community when not in use by the pupils.

Investments

These are governed by the Trustees Act 2000. During the year, the Trust investments were managed by Sarasin & Partners LLP. The portfolio is invested in a mixture of gilts and equities so as to preserve capital in real terms and to provide a gross yield of at least 3% on capital value. This was not achieved (2.45%) during this financial year.

During the course of the year, the investments increased in capital value by 1.61% (2024: 11.70%). The Trustees remain confident that their investment policy is prudent and that adequate income yields will continue to be achieved in future years.

Reserves

The reserves of the charity are unrestricted. However the funds must be applied in accordance with the objects of the charity.

The Trustees are following policies intended to maintain the reserves available to fund scholarships and grants and also to ensure that amounts required to fund future foreseeable repairs are available.

The Trustees consider that the charity’s funds have adequate resources to meet its obligations.

Accounting and Reporting Responsibilities

Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the affairs of the charity and of its financial activities for that period. In preparing those financial statements the Trustees are required to:-

The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records, which are such as to disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with charity law. The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud or other irregularities.

Approved by the Trustees of The Cleary Blackfriars Trust on the and signed on its behalf by:

11 May 2026

Alistair Gould (May 11, 2026, 3:06pm) Alistair Gould Esq Chairman of the Trustees

Page 3

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Trustees of The Cleary Blackfriars Trust for the year ended 31st August 2025

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

_____________

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of the Cleary Blackfriars Trust (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31st August 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements, or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Page 4

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Trustees of The Cleary Blackfriars Trust for the year ended 31st August 2025

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

_____________

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of Trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of Trustees' responsibilities, the Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

We assessed the susceptibility of the charity’s financial statements to material misstatement, including

Page 5

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Trustees of The Cleary Blackfriars Trust

for the year ended 31st August 2025

_____________

Audit response to risks identified

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of noncompliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https:// www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity's trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

.
Alliotts LLP
Chartered Accountants
Statutory Auditor		 Alliotts
.........................
3 London Square
Cross Lanes
Guildford
Surrey GU1 1UJ
18 May 2026
Alliotts LLP (May 18, 2026, 9:39am)

Alliotts LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

Page 6

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 31[st] AUGUST 2025

_____________

Notes
INCOME FROM
Investments
Investment Income
2
Other
Rental income
Total Income
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitable Activities
Education and Arts
Total Expenditure
3
NET INCOME BEFORE INVESTMENT GAINS / (LOSS)
Investment gain / (loss)
5
Revaluation of Tangible Assets
4
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Fund balances at 1st September 2023
FUND BALANCES AT 31st August 2023
10		 2025 2024
£
24,975
18,034
43,009
18,166
18,166
24,843
5,686
-
30,529
879,507
910,036		 £
24,726
18,033
42,759
(2,025)
(2,025)
44,784
37,551
-
82,335
797,172
879,507

Amounts above relate to continuing activities. The notes on pages 9 to 12 form part of these accounts.

Page 7

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31[st] AUGUST 2025

_____________

Notes
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets
4
Investments
5
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
6
CREDITORS: due within one year
7
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL NET ASSETS
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
10		 250,000
250,000
358,503
352,818
608,503
602,818
306,897
282,381
306,897
282,381
(5,364)
(5,692)
301,533
276,689
910,036
879,507
910,036
879,507
2024
2025
£
£		 250,000
250,000
358,503
352,818
608,503
602,818
306,897
282,381
306,897
282,381
(5,364)
(5,692)
301,533
276,689
910,036
879,507
910,036
879,507
2024
2025
£
£
879,507
879,507

11 May 2026 The Financial Statement were approved by the Trustees of the Cleary Blackfriars Trust on the ………………………. and signed on their behalf by:

Alistair Gould (May 11, 2026, 3:06pm)

Alistair Gould Esq Chairman of the Trustees

Page 8

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

______________

1) Statement of Accounting Policies

a) Basis of accounting

The Cleary Blackfriars Trust is constituted under a Trust Deed dated 22nd June 1987 and is registered under charity number 297249. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the “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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS102. They are drawn up on the historical cost accounting basis except that investments and tangible assets held as fixed assets are carried at fair value. The accounts are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the Charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

b) Expenditure

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. The irrecoverable element of VAT is included with the item of expense to which it relates.

Governance costs are fully allocated to charitable activities, which is reflective of the overall charitable expenditure proportioned to charitable activities. The governance costs encompass the full costs of running the Trust, including internal and external audit, any legal advice for the Trustees and all costs complying with constitutional and statutory requirements, such as the of Trustee meetings and preparing statutory accounts and satisfying public accountability.

c) Tangible fixed assets

Freehold property – This comprises the Arts Centre and De La Pierre House (collectively known as the Blackfriars Monastery) and was valued via a desk-based valuation by Carter Jonas at £250,000 in August 2025. The valuation reflects the lease of the building to The King's School, Canterbury and the landlord’s responsibility for external and structural repairs. The original cost is unknown as the land was gifted to the Trust.

The Trustees have made the decision to undertake external valuations of the lease every five years. The next valuation will be due in 2026.

The Trustees have undertaken a fair value review of the fixed assets and have concluded that their market value is fairly represented by their carrying value within these financial statements.

d) Investments and investment income

Investments are included at closing mid-market value at the Balance Sheet date. Any gain or loss on revaluation is taken to the Statement of Financial Activities. Investment income is accounted for in the period in which the charity is entitled to receipt.

e) Grants and awards

Grants and awards are included as expenditure in the period for which the award is given.

f) Ultimate parent charity

By virtue of common control and administration, the Trust is considered to be a subsidiary charity to the charity known as The King's School, Canterbury.

Within the consolidated accounts prepared by the parent charity, the unrestricted funds of the Cleary Blackfriars Trust are shown as restricted, as they must be applied in accordance with the charitable objects of Cleary Blackfriars Trust.

Page 9

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

______________

g) Going concern

At the time of approving the accounts, the Trustees had a reasonable expectation that the Trust has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the accounts.

h) Financial Instruments

The Trust only holds basic financial instruments as defined in FRS102. The financial assets and liabilities of the Trust and their measurement basis are as follows:

Financial assets – Amounts due from the Trust’s Trustee are debt instruments measured at amortised cost as detailed in note 6.

Financial liabilities – Trade creditors, accruals and other creditors are financial instruments and are measured at amortised cost as detailed in note 7.

2) Investment income

3)
Expenditure
Trust Activity Expenditure includes:
Cleary Art Scholarships
Cleary Travel Award
Artists in Residence
Repairs to Blackfriars
Building Insurance
Governance Expenditure includes:
Auditors' remuneration
Total Expenditure
Interest on cash deposits held by The King's School
On listed investments		 2025
£
3,160
(600)
4,407
9,411
588
16,966
1,200
1,200
18,166
2025
£
16,348
8,627
24,975		 2024
£
(8,080)
900
3,537
-
470
2024
£
16,062
8,664
24,726
(3,173)
1,148
1,148
(2,025)

Cleary Art Scholarships awarded in the year ended 31[st] August 2025 £4,950 (2024: £3,652).

No Trustee received any remuneration or reimbursed expenses from the Charity (2024: nil).

Page 10

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

______________

4) Tangible fixed assets

Freehold Property
Value brought forward at 1st September 2024
Revalued in year
Value at 31st August 2025		 2025
2024
£
£
250,000
250,000
-
-
250,000
250,000

All of the fixed assets (including the freehold property) are used for the direct charitable purposes of the Trust.

5) Investments

6)
Debtors
7)
Creditors
Market Value at 1st September 2024
Unrealised gain /(loss) on revaluation
Market Value at 31st August 2025
Historic Cost
All investments are in Sarasin Alpha CIF for Endowments (Income Units)
Overseas investments:
United Kingdom investments:
Deposit held with The King's School, Canterbury
Prepayments and Accrued income
Accruals		 2025
2024
£
£
352,818
315,267
5,686
37,551
358,503
352,818
97,919
97,919
£
£
222,630
219,100
135,873
133,718
358,503
352,818
2025
2024
£
£
306,897
280,200
-
2,181
306,896
282,381
2025
2024
£
£
5,364
5,692
5,364
5,692

Page 11

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

THE CLEARY BLACKFRIARS TRUST

______________

8) Financial commitments

Financial commitments of £1,350 relates to 2[nd] year of awards to current pupils as at 31[st] August 2025 (2024: £1,800).

9) Staff numbers and costs

The average number of persons employed by the Trust during the year was nil (2024: nil). The wage cost for the Trust was nil (2024: nil).

10) Unrestricted Funds

General Fund

----- Start of picture text -----
Balance Balance
1st 31st
September Revaluation August
2024 Income Expenditure gains/(loss) 2025
£ £ £ £ £
879,507 43,009 (18,166) 5,686 910,036
879,507 43,009 (18,166) 5,686 910,036
----- End of picture text -----

11) Unrestricted Funds Prior Year

Designated reserves
General Fund		 Balance
1st
September
2023		 Income Expenditure Revaluation
gains/(loss)
Balance
31st
August
2024
£
797,172		 £
42,759		 £
2,025		 £
£
37,551
879,507
37,551
879,507
797,172 42,759 2,025

12) Related Parties

The Cleary Blackfriars Trust charity and The King’s School, Canterbury are related parties as disclosed on page 2 of the Trustees Report. There are no other related party transactions.

Page 12

Issuer

Alliotts LLP

Document generated Mon, 11th May 2026 10:44:15 BST

Document fingerprint f66d3ae5ea2cf0af5ef1fb63f1966dfc

Parties involved with this document

Document processed

Party + Fingerprint

Mon, 11th May 2026 15:06:42 BST Alistair Gould - Signer (7970bc975d2164924cafbdd58dbced57) Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:14 BST Alliotts LLP - Signer (979a5071145057f47918466ee9d740cc) Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:14 BST Alex Poynor - Copied In (ecadcb5297655971c8655128ab232701) Audit history log Date Action Mon, 11th May 2026 10:44:15 BST Envelope generated by Alliotts Guildford Support (94.228.44.8) Mon, 11th May 2026 10:44:15 BST Document generated with fingerprint b374ae0d25ecd72d4c86f0c03cd635fa (94.228.44.8) Mon, 11th May 2026 10:44:16 BST Document generated with fingerprint dff49c183b4927b67c2b735c9cbf3ef3 (94.228.44.8) Mon, 11th May 2026 10:48:17 BST Document generated with fingerprint f66d3ae5ea2cf0af5ef1fb63f1966dfc (94.228.44.8) Mon, 11th May 2026 10:53:28 BST Sent the envelope to Alistair Gould (alistair@helionixdesigns.co.uk) for signing (94.228.44.8) Mon, 11th May 2026 10:53:28 BST Document emailed to alistair@helionixdesigns.co.uk Mon, 11th May 2026 12:54:53 BST Alistair Gould opened the document email. (66.249.93.66) Mon, 11th May 2026 12:55:19 BST Alistair Gould opened the document email. (66.249.93.69) Mon, 11th May 2026 15:02:37 BST Alistair Gould opened the document email. (66.249.93.67) Mon, 11th May 2026 15:02:45 BST Alistair Gould viewed the envelope (145.224.65.191) Mon, 11th May 2026 15:06:43 BST Alistair Gould signed the envelope (145.224.65.191) Mon, 11th May 2026 15:06:43 BST Sent the envelope to Alliotts LLP (stephen.meredith@alliotts.com) for signing (145.224.65.191) Mon, 11th May 2026 15:06:43 BST Document emailed to stephen.meredith@alliotts.com Sat, 16th May 2026 10:45:02 BST Document emailed to stephen.meredith@alliotts.com Mon, 18th May 2026 9:38:47 BST Alliotts LLP viewed the envelope (94.228.44.8) Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:14 BST Alliotts LLP signed the envelope (94.228.44.8)

Sent the envelope to Alex Poynor (Alex.Poynor@alliotts.com) for signing

Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:14 BST

(94.228.44.8) Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:14 BST This envelope has been signed by all parties (94.228.44.8) Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:14 BST Signed document confirmation emailed to alistair@helionixdesigns.co.uk (94.228.44.8) Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:14 BST Signed document confirmation emailed to stephen.meredith@alliotts.com (94.228.44.8) Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:14 BST Signed document confirmation emailed to Alex.Poynor@alliotts.com (94.228.44.8) Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:14 BST Signed document confirmation emails have been sent to all parties. Document URL: https://api.signable.app/shareable/envelope?t=d28294e8-2f4d-43d9-9601-e 720bb5a0d49 (94.228.44.8) Mon, 18th May 2026 9:39:15 BST Document emailed to Alex.Poynor@alliotts.com