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2025-04-05-accounts

THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 5 APRIL 2025

SOMERBYS LIMITED CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS 30 NELSON STREET LEICESTER LE1 7BA

THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

INDEX

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||||| |---|---|---|---| |Page| |Charity|Particulars|1| |Trustees’|Report|2-5| |Auditor’s|Report|6-8| |Statement|of|Financial Activities|9| |Balance|Sheet|10| |Notes|of the|Financial Statements|11-15|

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THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

REGISTERED CHARITY NO 326476

Trustees J.M. Waite
P. M. Wallace
Mrs H.L. Johnson
M.C. Morris (Chair)
N. J. Doggett
C. E. Rintoul
J.A. Riley
B. K. S. Patel
Secretary J.M. Rea
CharityAddress PO Box 59
Holsworthy
EX22 9BB
Solicitors BrowneJacobson LLP
MowbrayHouse
Castle Meadow Road
Nottingham
NG2 1B)
Auditor Somerbys Limited
Chartered Accountants
30 Nelson Street
Leicester
LE1 7BA
investment Advisers QuilterCheviot
One Kingsway
London
WC2B6AN

1

THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

The Trustees present their annual report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 5 April 2025.

Objectives and activities

The objective of the Foundation is to provide benefits for people with a learning disability and the Trustees identify projects, people and organisations which they wish to support within this remit.

This objective is achieved by providing funding to improve facilities and develop opportunities for a variety of activities, particularly skills training and employment.

Achievements and performance

During the year the Foundation has supported ten principal charities and made several smaller grants where a littte support can produce significant benefits. As a result, grants totalling £279,414 were made to 22 organisations and individuals, details of which are disclosed in the financial statements.

Capital and revenue grants have been made to enable these charities to establish new and varied activities, many including the provision of skills training for work placement, and the Trustees remain impressed by the innovation and agility shown by grantees in providing novel services.

The Trustees carry out due diligence on, and have made site visits where possible to, all the larger charities and continue to receive monitoring reports to gauge the effective use of our funding.

Financial review, investment policy and reserves

Our income for the year amounted to £276,824 (2024 - £253,433) of which the vast majority is income from our portfolio of investments. After grants and support costs, there was a deficit on income before losses/gains on investments of £12,246 (2024 surplus £278). Support costs increased slightly from £9,418 to £9,656 (3.5% of income, 2024: 3.7%).

There was a net loss on investments (net of management fees) of £477,400 as worldwide markets fell significantly during the final weeks of the financial year, reversing the net gain of £476,701 in the previous year.

The total value of the fund at 5 April 2025 was £7,749,880, a decrease of £524,472 from £8,274,352 in 2024; asa result of the small operating deficit and significant unrealised losses on our investments. The principal assets of the Foundation comprised listed and other investments of £7,535,367 and cash balances and deposits of £215,173 (2024: £7,987,160 and £272,759 respectively).

The investment policy of the Trustees is to generate a decent but reliable income to support our commitments to charities we support, while maintaining capital value through a diversified investment portfolio. Whilst this has been challenging in the current and recent environment the Trustees are overall pleased with the relative investment performance. The Trustees are however undertaking a periodic review of our investment manager’s performance in the role in accordance with good governance requirements. In conjunction with this review we are taking advice on whether we should change our investment strategy to focus on total return from the portfolio rather than setting an income target. We expect to finalise these reviews in the next couple of months.

The reserves policy of the Charity is to maintain free reserves (which are included within the unrestricted funds of the Charity) at a level which provides sufficient funds to meet ongoing operating expenditure. The adequacy of the reserves and liquidity is reviewed at least annually. By definition at 5 April 2025 free reserves amounted to £7,234,636 (2024: £7,764,072) of which cash amounted to £215,173 (2024 - £272,579).

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THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

Future plans

During the year the Trustees identified a small number of potentially suitable charities and invited them to submit funding proposals using the Foundation’s application form. Applications were then shortlisted and an assessment carried out. Once this was completed the Trustees selected applicants for possible funding from April 2025, and due diligence interviews were carried out with four such charities.

The applications from these organisations were approved on 20" January 2025.

It is very likely that there will be capacity to fund further projects for funding to commence from April 2026, and the Trustees are seeking applications from eligible charities proposing activities that meet the Foundation’s funding criteria.

Policies and procedures for grant making

The current policy of the Trustees is to approve grants to a level broadly consistent with its annual investment income after support and governance costs. However, since the Foundation’s assets are not permanently endowed the Trustees may, at their discretion, also distribute capital.

All grants must meet the Foundation’s principal objective of providing support for people with learning disabilities.

To achieve this policy, the Foundation makes grants to UK registered or exempt charities which provide services principally to adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities. This is an area where the Trustees consider there is considerable difficulty in achieving other public funding. Projects or services of an innovative nature are of particular interest to the Trustees.

Trustees accept applications for grants for both capital and revenue purposes.

The Trustees wish to ensure the most effective use of their limited funds and with this in mind their main support is generally made to a small number of relevant charities with an annual turnover of between £1m and £20m. Annual grants are usually made for up to three successive years, to ensure the most likely chance of sustainability once our support ends. These limits are altered at the Trustees’ discretion.

Organisations selected for grants are expected to report regularly, usually six monthly, on the progress and outcomes arising from the funding. Progress is measured against a set of performance criteria agreed with the grantee charity at the time of the grant. Final reports for the year are required by the end of March as any decision to extend the grant for the following year is subject to satisfactory performance.

The Foundation also makes smaller one-off grants through its small discretionary grants programme, the Townsend Discretionary Trust.

Support is also given to designated individuals where donations have previously been received accompanied by a letter of wishes in relation to those individuals.

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THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

Management and governance

The Foundation was established in the UK and is governed by a Trust Deed dated 5 December 1983 and by Deeds of Variation dated 1 March 2000 and 8 October 2019.

The Foundation is a registered Charity and has confirmed its charitable status with HM Revenue and Customs.

The current Trustees are listed on page 1. There were no changes in Trustees during the year:

The Trust Deed provides for a maximum of 12 Trustees. New trustees are identified and appointed by the existing Trustees.

The Trustees annually review the risks that the Foundation faces and, in their opinion, the main risk faced is in ensuring a sensible flow of investment income whilst maintainingthe capital of the Foundation for future income generation. This has been tested (successfully) during the Covid-19 pandemic. The risk is ameliorated by using professional investment advisers to manage a diversified investment portfolio; and by having amongst the trustees someone with specific skills related to investment management.

The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

The Trustees have reviewed their privacy and safeguarding policies.

It is the policy of the Foundation to accept legacies or gifts from individuals and to take into account any “Letters of Wishes” received from those individuals when distributing its funds. To this end it maintains a register of legacies and gifts received and of letters of wishes which relate to these. The Foundation does not, however, accept any formal conditions attached to any donations received.

The Trustees board, including its sub-committee, normally meets three times a year.

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Foundation and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the Foundation for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

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THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Foundation and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the Trust Deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Foundation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Auditor

The auditor, Somerbys Limited, has indicated its willingness to continue in office.

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On behalf of the Trustees
A171SY2A_'
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M. C. MORRIS
CHAIRMAN
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22 July 2025

5

THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of The Forbes Charitable Foundation for the year ended 5 April 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of 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 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 foundation’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 Trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Trustees’ annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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 audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material

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THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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.

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 Trustees responsibilities statement set out on page 4, the Trustees are responsible for the preparation of financial statements which 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 agoing concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the Charity or 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.

The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from error is considered to be low. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery,

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THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls.

In the context of the Forbes Charitable Foundation, we have not identified any specific laws and regulations other than general commercial laws and regulations such as: Charities Act 2011; Charity Commission guidance; and GDPR.

In response to the audit risks identified, we have undertaken the following procedures:

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Other matters

Your attention is drawn to the fact that the charity has prepared financial statements in accordance with "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) in preference to the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice issued on 1 April 2005 which is referred to in the extant regulations but has now been withdrawn.

This has been done in orderfor the financial statements to provide a true and fair view in accordance with current Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

Use of our report

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This report is made solely to the charity’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with regulations made under 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 its Trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have
formed.
SOMERBYS LIMITED
—— : Chartered Accountants
4( Cc Larotecf Statutory30 Nelson AuditorStreet
-
Date 28, Sal22th 202 g. LE17BALeicester
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Somerbys Limited is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006

8

THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

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||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Current & Prior|Financial|Year|Note|2025|2024| |£000|£000| |Income and|endowments from:| |Investments| |Bank interest~|gross|7|12| |Investment income — gross|270|241| |Total income|277|253| |Expenditure|on:| |Charitable|activity - Supporting people with| |learning disabilities| |Direct|charitable|expenditure|- grants|payable|2|279|244| |Support costs|3|8|8| |Governance|costs|2|1| |Total expenditure/cost|of grant making|289|253| |Net (loss)/income|before gains and|losses on|(12)|-| |investments| |Net gains/(losses)|on|investments|(477)|477| |Investment management fees|4|(35)|(33)| |Net income and|net movement|in funds|(524)|444| |Reconciliation|of funds| |Balance brought forward|on|6|April 2024|8,274|7,830| |Balance carried forward|at 5 April 2025|7,750|8,274| |All|Funds were|unrestricted|in|2025|and|2024.|

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The notes on pages 11 to 15 form part of these financial statements.

9

THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

BALANCE SHEET 5 APRIL 2025

Note 2025 2024
£000 £000
Fixed assets
Investments 5 7,535 7,987
Currentassets
Debtors 6 2 17
Cash at bank 216 273
218 290
Liabilities: amountfallingduewithinoneyear
Creditors 7 3 3
Netcurrentassets 215 287
Netassets 7,750 8,274
Funds
Unrestricted funds
Designatedfunds 8 515 510
General funds 8 7,235 7,764
7,750 8,274

The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 22 July 2025.

Signed on their behalf by:

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S71 CYA_
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M.C. MORRIS TRUSTEE

The notes on pages 11 to 15 form part of these financial statements.

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THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

1. Accounting policies

1.1. Basis of preparation The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and “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 (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019)”. The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS102.

The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.

The financial statements have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved following the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applying FRS 102 rather than the version of the Statement of Recommended Practice which is referred to in the Regulations but which has since been withdrawn.

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in the primary statements are rounded to the nearest £000.

The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated. There have been no changes to accounting estimates during the reporting period.

All income is recognised once the charity has legal entitlement to the income, any performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Grants payable to third parties are within the charitable objectives. Where unconditional grants are offered, this is accrued as soon as the recipient is notified of the grant, as this gives rise to a reasonable expectation that the recipient will receive the grants. Where grants are conditional relating to performance then the grant is only accrued when any unfulfilled conditions are outside of the control of the charity.

1.3 Support costs Support costs are those that assist the work of the charity but do not directly represent charitable activities and include office and governance costs. They are incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity. The support costs are directly attributed to the expenditure on charitable activities on a basis consistent with use of the resources.

11

THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

Short term debtors and creditors are measured at the transaction price.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of the designated funds is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

The charity undertakes its charitable activity of providing support to people with learning disabilities through grant making and awarded grants to the following:-

Organisations 2025 2024
Lifeworks (Bidwell Brook) 30,000 25,000
MKSnap 30,000 25,000
People in Action 30,000 -
SteppingStones 30,000 -
Interest Links Borders 28,427 23,425
RossendaleTrust 27,000 25,000
ChrysalisCumbria 25,000 -
Plymouth HighburyTrust 25,000 25,000
The Orpheus Centre 22,500 -
ASpark inthe Dark 3,000 -
Corbenic Camphill 3,000 -
Dancesyndrome 3,000 -
Happy&Healthy 3,000 -
Step by Step London 3,000 -
WirralMencap 3,000 -
TogetherOurCommunity 2,740 -
TheCrumbs Project 2,667 -
Disability Positive 2,080 -
MertonMencap 2,000 -

12

THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

Merseyside Tuesday 1,500 -
Open Minds 1,500 -
Us ina Bus 1,000 -
Bentilee Volunteers - 3,000
BrillAssociates - 2,735
Build Charity - 8,740
FAIR Ltd - 24,305
Freedom DayCentre - 1,500
GrowingCommunity - 1,950
Individuals - 2,000
Minstead Trust - 25,000
People Matters - 2,885
PROPS Bristol - 1,500
ReadingMencap - 1,420
StyleAcre - 20,000
Tikva - 1,000
Tower Project - 24,278
£279,414 £243,738
3 SupportCosts 2025 2024
Secretarialfees&expenses 5,730 6,069
Insurance 439 381
BankCharges 95 21
Trustees’ expenses 291 495
Subscriptions 387 376
Postage&stationery 403 99
Computercosts 45 245
Meetingcosts 593 250
£7,983 £7,936

None of the Trustees received any remuneration during the year. There was £291 reimbursement of expenses to one Trustees (2024: two Trustees £495). Support costs are all apportioned to the charitable activity.

4 Investment management fees

Investment management fees are charged and shown separately in the Statement of Financial Affairs rather than embedded in the value of investments, to give greater transparency.

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THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

5 Investments 2025 2024
Marketvalue at6April2024 7,987,160 7,139,297
Additions at cost 1,582,868 2,097,682
Disposals atcost (1,280,152) (1,434,797)
Movementonvaluation (754,509) 184,978
Marketvalue at5April2025 £7,535,367 £7,987,160
Historicalcost ordonatedvalue at5April2025 £7,274,850 £6,985,633
6 Debtors 2025 2024
Investmentincome receivable - 16,965
Prepayments 2,385 704
£2,385 £17,669
7 Creditors 2025 2024
Accruals £3,045 £3,237

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THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025

8 Funds reconciliation

Unrestricted Funds
At6April Income Expenditure Transfers Gains/ At5 April
2024 losses 2025
General funds 7,764,072 276,824 (75,969) (252,891) (477,400) 7,234,636
Designated 510,280 - (247,927) 252,891 - 515,244
funds
£8,274,352 £276,824 £323,896 - (£477,400) £7,749,880
At 6April Income Expenditure Transfers Gains/ At§April
2023 losses 2024
Generalfunds 7,477,216 253,433 (79,853) (363,425) 476,701 7,764,072
Designated 352,603 - (205,748) 363,425 - 510,280
funds
ee
£7,829,819 £253,433 (£285,601) - £476,701 £8,274,352

General funds

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated.

Designated funds

The unrestricted funds of the Foundation included grants amounting to £515,244 (2024: £510,280) earmarked for eight (2024: nine) charities.

9 Related Party Transactions

There were no related party transactions.

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