The White Oak Charitable Trust Charity registration No: 298781 Trustees' report and unaudited accounts
For the year ended 5 April 2025
The White Oak Charitable Trust
Legal and administrative information
| Founder | The Right Hon Mrs Mary Hazel Caridwen Czernin, Lady |
|---|---|
| Howard de Walden (deceased 13 July 2024) | |
| Trustees | The Right Hon Mrs Mary Hazel Caridwen Czernin, Lady |
| Howard de Walden (deceased 13 July 2024) | |
| The Hon Mrs Alexandra Mary Romana Kelly | |
| The Hon Mrs Isabelle Mary Benedicta Burnell | |
| Charity number | 298781 |
| Principal address | Flat 9 |
| Newton Court | |
| 53-59 Kensington Church Street | |
| London | |
| W8 4BD | |
| Accountants | S&W Partners LLP |
| 45 Gresham Street | |
| London | |
| EC2V 7BG | |
| Independent examiner | Julie Mutton FCA |
| S&W Audit | |
| Chartered Accountants | |
| 4th foor, Cumberland House | |
| 15-17 Cumberland Place | |
| Southampton | |
| Hampshire | |
| SO15 2BG | |
| Bankers | Coutts & Co |
| 440 Strand | |
| London | |
| WC2R 0QS | |
| Investment advisors | Vermeer Partners |
| 130 Jermyn Street | |
| London | |
| SW1Y 4UR |
The White Oak Charitable Trust
Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Trustees' report | 1 - 3 |
| Independent examiner's report | 4 |
| Statement of fnancial activities | 5 |
| Balance sheet | 6 |
| Notes to the accounts | 7 - 12 |
The White Oak Charitable Trust
Trustees' report for the year ended 5 April 2025
The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 5 April 2025.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 7 and 8 to the attached accounts and the recommendations of the 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).
Activities, specific objects and relevant policies
Objects and activities
The trustees hold the income and such part of the capital as they determine for such of the charitable objects, and to make donations to such charitable objects, as they decide having regard to any wishes of the founder.
The trustees may apply the income and capital of the trust to such charities and charitable purposes as the trustees, in their discretion, think appropriate, having regard to the founder's wish that the primary object of the charity is the relief of poverty and hardship.
The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit and, when reviewing the trust's aims and objects, managing the trust's assets and considering any applications for financial assistance.
Investment policy
The charity's assets have been invested with a bias towards income return, with investments managed on a risk averse basis.
The trustees regularly review the performance of all the charity's assets and the investment criteria will be regularly discussed by the trustees, with assistance from the investment advisors.
Achievements and performance
Grants
During the year ended 5 April 2025 the trustees made grants totalling £67,000 (2024 - £60,500), which are detailed in note 4 to the accounts. All grants were paid to institutions within the scope of the charitable objects.
Investments
During the year the main source of funding was investment income, arising from the portfolio of investments held at Vermeer Partners.
The trustees are satisfied with the performance of the charity's investments.
Related parties
There were no related party transactions during the year (2024: none).
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Trustees' report for the year ended 5 April 2025
Financial review
Results for the year
The financial activities are summarised on page 5 of the accounts. During the year, the trust had net expenditure, before net gains on investments, of £29,175 (2024 - £15,913) having made grants totalling £67,000 (2024 - £60,500).
Reserves policy
The trustees have reviewed the reserves of the trust and the forecast level of free reserves (those that are not restricted or designated) that will provide the trust with financial flexibility and provide a cushion against shortfalls in income, either planned or unanticipated. The level of free reserves at 5 April 2025 was £1,694,495 (2023 - £1,876,853). The trustees consider this level of free reserves satisfactory to meet annual donations to charities.
Plans for the future
The trustees will continue to make distributions to charities in England and Wales and elsewhere.
Governance, structure and management
Governance
The charity was established by a Declaration of Trust dated 29 June 1987 and is registered with the Charity Commission, Charity Registration Number 298781.
The trustees who served during the year were:
The Right Hon Mrs Mary Hazel Caridwen Czernin, Lady Howard de Walden (deceased 13 July 2024) The Hon Mrs Alexandra Mary Romana Kelly
The Hon Mrs Isabelle Mary Benedicta Burnell
The power of appointing new trustees is vested in the founder during her lifetime and the trustees thereafter.
When appointing new trustees, the founder will give full consideration to the trust's purpose and aims to ensure that they appoint individuals who understand the duties expected of them, and who will act in the best interests of the trust.
The trustees feel that their combined skill set is sufficient to ensure the efficient performance of the trust at this time and feel that, given the size and nature of the trust, a formal programme of training is not currently necessary, but they will continue to monitor the situation and will provide suitable training where circumstances arise.
All decisions affecting the management of the trust and its assets are taken by the trustees.
Structure and management reporting
The trustees are ultimately responsible for the policies, activities and assets of the charity. They are in regular and frequent contact to review the developments with regard to the charity, its activities and to make any important decisions. The trustees review the proposals for grants to be made and approve such grants as appropriate. When necessary, the trustees seek advice and support from the charity's professional advisors including investment managers and accountants.
Risk factors
The trustees have examined risks which the trust could face and confirm that systems have been established to enable steps to be taken to lessen these risks.
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Trustees' report for the year ended 5 April 2025
Trustees' responsibilities
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' report and the accounts in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable regulations). Under that law the trustees must not approve the accounts unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that year.
In preparing these accounts, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable United Kingdom Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the accounts; and
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prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. 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.
On behalf of the board of trustees
The Hon Mrs Alexandra Mary Romana Kelly
The Hon Mrs Alexandra Mary Romana Kelly
Trustee
Date: 30 January 2026
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Independent examiner's report
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The White Oak Charitable Trust for the year ended 5 April 2025 which comprise the Statement of financial activities, the Balance sheet and the notes to the accounts, including a summary of significant accounting policies.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner 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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of the 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.
Julie Mutton
Julie Mutton FCA
Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales S&W Audit Chartered Accountants 4th Floor, Cumberland House 15-17 Cumberland Place Southampton Hampshire SO15 2BG
Date: 30 January 2026
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Statement of financial activities for the year ended 5 April 2025
| Unrestricted Endowment funds funds Notes £ £ Income Investment income 2 67,566 - Total Income 67,566 - Expenditure Raising funds 24,804 - Charitable activities - grants 4 67,000 - Charitable activities - support costs 5 4,937 - Total expenditure 3 (96,741) - Net expenditure before (losses)/gains on investments (29,175) - Net (losses)/gains on investments (153,183) - Net (expenditure)/income and net movement in funds (182,358) - Fund balances brought forward at 6 April 2024 1,876,853 637,500 Fund balances carried forward at 5 April 2025 1,694,495 637,500 |
Total 2025 £ 67,566 67,566 24,804 67,000 4,937 (96,741) (29,175) (153,183) (182,358) 2,514,353 2,331,995 |
Total 2024 £ 72,509 72,509 22,835 60,500 5,087 (88,422) (15,913) 204,625 188,712 2,325,641 2,514,353 |
|---|---|---|
All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities.
The notes on pages 7 to 12 form part of the accounts.
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Balance sheet as at 5 April 2025
| Notes Fixed assets Investments 8 Current assets Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 9 Net current assets Net assets Income funds Unrestricted funds Endowment funds |
£ 62,555 62,555 (11,371) |
2025 £ 2,280,811 51,184 2,331,995 1,694,495 637,500 2,331,995 |
£ 95,967 95,967 (11,069) |
2024 £ 2,429,455 84,898 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,514,353 | ||||
| 1,876,853 637,500 |
||||
| 2,514,353 |
The accounts were approved and authorised for issue on 30 January 2026
and signed on its behalf by
The Hon Mrs Alexandra Mary Romana Kelly
The Hon Mrs Alexandra Mary Romana Kelly
Trustee
The notes on pages 7 to 12 form part of the accounts.
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 April 2025
1 Accounting policies
1.1 General information
The White Oak Charitable Trust is an unincorporated trust, registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales (No. 298781). The address of the registered office is Flat 9, Newton Court, 53-59 Kensington Church Street, London, W8 4BD.
1.2 Basis of preparation
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland ("FRS 102") and with the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102 issued in 2019. The accounts are also prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.
The trustees confirm that the charity is a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are recognised at transaction value.
The accounts are prepared on a going concern basis; there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
1.3 Fund accounting
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.
The endowment fund is a restricted fund, held primarily as fixed asset investments.
1.4 Functional currency
The accounts are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these accounts are rounded to the nearest £1.
1.5 Income
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of financial activities when the trust is legally entitled to the income, receipt is probable and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
Income tax recoverable in relation to investment income is recognised at the time the investment income is receivable.
1.6 Expenditure
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular activities they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of the resources.
1.7 Investments
Investments are stated at market value at the balance sheet date. Realised gains and losses on investments, calculated on the difference between the sale proceeds and their opening market value, are credited or charged to the Statement of financial activities in the year of gain or loss.
Unrealised gains and losses representing the movement in the market values during the year are credited or charged to the Statement of financial activities in the year of the gain or loss.
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 April 2025
1 Accounting policies
(Continued)
1.8 Grants paid
Donations granted are recognised in the year in which the award is formally approved, irrespective of the period covered by the donation.
1.9 Liabilities
Liabilities are recognised on the balance sheet as soon as a constructive obligation resulting from a past event can be reliably measured. Current liabilities represent those liabilities which are expected to be settled within the next 12 months from the balance sheet date.
2 Investment income
| UK investments Non-UK investments Expenditure Costs of raising funds Investment management fees Charitable activities Grants payable (note 4) Support costs (note 5) |
2025 £ 40,661 26,905 67,566 2025 £ 24,804 67,000 4,937 96,741 |
2024 £ 46,805 25,704 |
|---|---|---|
| 72,509 | ||
| 2024 £ 22,835 60,500 5,087 |
||
| 88,422 |
3 Expenditure
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 April 2025
4 Grants payable
| Grants to institutions: Alzheimer's Research UK Age UK Aid to the Church in Need Alzheimer's Research UK Apostleship of the Sea Arthritis Care Asthma UK Blood Cancer UK Bowel Disease Research Foundation Brainwave British Heart Foundation British Liver Trust CAFOD Canine Partners Cardinal Hume Centre Carer's Trust Caritas Anchor House Children with Cancer UK Children's Burns Trust Church of England Children's Society Coram Voice Crisis Dementia UK Diabetes UK Family Action Fire Fighters Charity Friends of the Elderly Friends of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham Headway Housing Justice Julia's House Liverpool FC Foundation Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust England Marie Curie Medicine Sans Frontieres Meningitis Now Mercy Ships MIND Missing People North London Hospice Pancreatic Research UK Parkinson's UK Carried forward |
2025 £ 1,000 1,000 2,000 - 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 - 1,000 - 1,500 1,000 1,000 2,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,500 - 1,000 1,000 1,000 - 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 500 1,000 1,000 40,000 |
2024 £ - 1,000 2,000 1,000 1,000 500 1,000 1,000 1,000 500 1,000 1,000 1,500 1,000 - 2,000 1,000 2,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 - 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 - 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 - 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 500 - 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 38,000 |
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 April 2025
4 Grants payable
(Continued)
| Brought forward Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) RNID RNLI Refuge Royal Humane Society Samaritans SENSE Siblings Together Smile Train St Elizabeth Centre St John's Hospice St Mungos St Wilfrid's Hospice Swinfen Telemedicine The Aldingbourne Trust The Cystic Fibrosis Trust The English Heritage Trust The Gurkha Welfare Trust The Listening Place The Little Sisters of The Poor The National Eye Research Centre The Passage The Percy Hedley Foundation The Stroke Association Time to Talk Tyndale Hospice At Home Unseen Us in a bus Velehrad Water Aid Wilfrid House |
40,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,500 500 1,000 1,000 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 - 1,000 1,000 - 500 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 - 2,000 500 1,000 1,000 500 1,000 1,000 - 67,000 |
38,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 - 500 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 500 1,000 - 1,000 - - 1,000 - 1,000 1,000 1,000 2,000 1,000 - 1,000 500 - - 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 60,500 |
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 April 2025
5 Support costs
| Accountancy fees Independent examiner's fees Bank Charges |
2025 2024 £ £ 3,398 3,710 1,515 1,377 24 - 4,937 5,087 |
|---|---|
All support costs are considered to be costs of governance.
Fees for accountancy and the independent examination are both paid to S&W Partners LLP and S&W Partners Audit Limited.
6 Trustees
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year (2024 - none).
7 Employees
There were no employees during the year (2024 - none).
8 Fixed asset investments
| Market value at 6 April 2024 Disposals, at opening market value Additions Net investment (losses)/gains Market value at 5 April 2025 Investments at market value comprised: OEICS UK equities UK interest bearing securities Overseas equities Material investments (greater than 5% of portfolio) WS Zennor INV FDS WS Zennor JPN EQ INC A Dis |
2025 £ 2,429,455 (362,278) 378,375 (164,741) 2,280,811 176,119 734,647 101,235 1,268,810 2,280,811 133,067 |
2024 £ 2,230,793 (331,443) 314,896 215,209 |
|---|---|---|
| 2,429,455 | ||
| 321,098 793,576 75,500 1,239,281 |
||
| 2,429,455 | ||
| 135,263 |
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The White Oak Charitable Trust
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 April 2025
9 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
| Creditors: amounts falling due within one year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Accountancy fees Independent examiner's fees Investment management fees |
2025 £ 3,641 1,518 6,212 11,371 |
2024 £ 3,711 1,449 5,909 |
| 11,069 |
10 Related parties
There were no related party transactions during the year (2024: none).
11 Endowment Fund
The Endowment Fund is held as capital and fully invested with Vermeer Partners in order to generate income and enable the trustees to further the aims and objects of the charity.
The cash invested in the Fund is £637,500 (2024 - £637,500).
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