REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: SC010583
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 January 2026 for The John M Archer Charitable Trust
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
The John M Archer Charitable Trust
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Reportof the Trustees | 1 to 2 |
| Trustees Responsibilities | 3 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 4 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 5 |
| Balance Sheet | 6 |
| Notes to the FinancialStatements | 7 to 10 |
The John M Archer Charitable Trust
Report of the Trustees
for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 January 2026. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 7 and comply with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard (FRS102) applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
The Trust Funds are held for the following purposes as set out in the Trust Deed:
The continuing of the benevolence of the late John M Archer , Commander of the British Empire, Bachelor of Commerce, by donation of such sums as the Trustees shall deem desirable to local, national and international organisations of a charitable nature and in particular but without prejudice to the foregoing generality to those engaged in work devoted to:
(i) the prevention or relief of human suffering wherever situated
(ii) the welfare of the sick, distressed or afflicted wherever the need exists
(iii) the alleviation of want amongst people of all ages of all races and of all religious beliefs
(iv) the advancement of education
(v) the advancement of religious or missionary work
(vi) the advancement of medical or scientific research and discovery and
(vii) the preservation of Scottish heritage and the advancement of associated cultural activities.
Also, for the relief of poverty, want or hardship not only amongst particular classes in the community but also in individual circumstances which appear to the Trustees in their sole discretion to be individually deserving.
The Trustees review all applications for donations received. Approximately 26 donations are made annually. A number of other donations are made each year depending on circumstances.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
During the period charitable donations totaling £105,500 (2025: £103,300) were made. Included among the donations during the period were £6,000 to Mary’s Meals International, £6,000 to Prostate Scotland, £6,000 to St Columba’s Hospice, £6,000 to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, £6,000 to KRUK: Kidney Research UK, £6,000 to Earl Haig Fund (Scotland), £6,000 to Alzheimers UK, £6,000 to Liverpool & Broadgreen UH NHS: Macular Degeneration, £6,000 to Arthritis UK, £6,000 to Meningitis Research Foundation, £6,000 to Motor Neurone Disease Research (Euan MacDonald), £6,000 to The Trussell Trust, Edinburgh NE Foodbank, £5,000 to the Orkney Foodbank, £5,000 to the RNLI Kirkwall Lifeboat Refit, £5,000 to Pancreatic Cancer UK, £5,000 to Salvation Army and £5,000 to Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.
No other donations exceeded £2,000.
During the year donations were received of a share portfolio of £95,545 (2025: £150,052) from Gilbert Archer and £10,000 (2025: £10,000) was received from Tods of Orkney. The shares have been incorporated in the Rossie House portfolio and the other donation has been credited in full to the Charifund.
Income from invested funds amounted to £112,215 (2025: £104,038), made up of M&G £91,090 (2025: £86,175) and Rossie House £21,028 (2025: £17,771), plus interest of £97 (2025: £92). After payment of £105,500 charitable donations (2025: £103,300), and £5,117 expenses (2025: £4,586) and gains on investments of £331,621 (2025: gains on investments £193,297) there was a surplus of £438,764 (2025: surplus of £349,501) which has been transferred to the General and Distribution Accounts. Following this transfer the Distribution Account had a balance of £10,711 (2025: £5,376).
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The John M Archer Charitable Trust
Report of the Trustees
for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
Investment policy and objectives
The Trust's investment policy is to invest in Charifund, a UK quoted investment fund for charities and a share portfolio managed by Rossie House Investment Management.
Reserves policy
The Trust holds reserves to provide the funds to generate income to pay grants.
FUTURE PLANS
The trust will make donations in the future out of income.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes an unincorporated charity. The Trust was established under a Trust Deed dated 23 March 1969.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
New Trustees are appointed by the existing trustees. Their duties will be explained to them in full and they will also be given a copy of OSCR Guidance for Charity Trustees.
Organisational structure
The day to day running of the Trust is carried out by the Trustees.
Risk management
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the Trust and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
| RegisteredCharitynumber | SC010583 |
|---|---|
| Principal address | 10Broughton PlaceLane |
| Edinburgh, EHl 3RS | |
| Chair: | Mrs C Fraser |
| Trustees | Mr G B Archer |
| Mrs G B Archer (resigned Feb 2026) | |
| Ms I C Archer | |
| Mrs C Fraser | |
| Mr C A Smith (appointed Feb 2025) | |
| Secretary: | Ms S Moncur (resigned Apr 2025) |
| Ms I Archer (appointed Apr 2025) | |
| Independent Examiner | Sarah Hollis CA |
| Hollis Accounting Limited, 3 Melville Crescent | |
| Edinburgh, EH3 7HW |
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The John M Archer Trust
Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 January 2026
Trustees' Responsibilities in Relation to the Financial Statements
The charity trustees are responsible for preparing a trustees' annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in Scotland requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which show a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity, and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:
• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
• observe the method and principles in the applicable Charities SORP;
• make judgments 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;
• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operational existence.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which 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 the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). They are also responsible for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 21 April 2026 and signed on its behalf by:
C. Fraser
Mrs C Fraser
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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The John M Archer Charitable Trust SC010583
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 January 2026 set out on pages 5 to 10.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The charity's trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1)(a) to (c) of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under Section 44(1)(c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of the independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
-
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations; and
-
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with Regulation 8 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met; or
-
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Sarah Hollis
Sarah Hollis CA Hollis Accounting Limited 3 Melville Crescent EDINBURGH EH3 7HW
23/04/26
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The John M Archer Charitable Trust
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies Investment income Notes 2 3 Total EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds –investment management fees Charitable activities Donations 4 Governance costs Total Expenditure Net realised gains / (losses) on investments Net unrealised (losses) / gains on investments NET (EXPENDITURE)/ INCOME RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD |
2026 Unrestricted funds £ 105,545 112,215 217,760 3,737 105,500 1,380 110,617 (11,463) 343,084 438,764 2,247,819 2,686,583 |
2026 Unrestricted funds £ 105,545 112,215 217,760 3,737 105,500 1,380 110,617 (11,463) 343,084 438,764 2,247,819 2,686,583 |
2025 Total funds £ 160,052 104,038 264,090 3,266 103,300 1,320 107,886 24,485 168,812 349,501 1,898,318 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,247,819 |
CONTINUING OPERATIONS
All income and expenditure has arisen from continuing activities.
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The notes form part of these financial statements
The John M Archer Charitable Trust
Balance Sheet At 31 January 2026
| FIXED ASSETS Notes Investments 6 CURRENT ASSETS Cash at bank CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 7 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES NET ASSETS FUNDS 8 Unrestricted funds TOTAL FUNDS |
2026 2025 Total funds Total funds £ £ 2,673,711 2,239,572 14,252 9,567 (1,380) (1,320) |
2026 2025 Total funds Total funds £ £ 2,673,711 2,239,572 14,252 9,567 (1,380) (1,320) |
|---|---|---|
| 12,872 8,247 2,686,583 2,247,819 |
||
| 2,686,583 2,247,819 2,686,583 2,247,819 2,686,583 2,247,819 |
||
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 21 April 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:
C. Fraser
Mrs C Fraser
Page 6
The notes form part of these financial statements
The John M Archer Charitable Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of preparing the financial statements
The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with the exception of investments which are included at market value, as modified by the revaluation of certain assets.
Financial reporting standard 102 - reduced disclosure exemptions
The charity has taken advantage of the following disclosure exemption in preparing these financial statements, as permitted by FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland':
- the requirements of Section 7 Statement of Cash Flows.
Going Concern
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
Income
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably.
Expenditure
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings, they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the year end date are noted as a commitment but not accrued as expenditure.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
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The John M Archer Charitable Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
2. DONATIONS ANDLEGACIES
| Donations and associated gift aid (i) Donations in form of share portfolio (ii) Total donations |
2026 £ 10,000 95,545 105,545 |
2025 £ 10,000 150,052 |
|---|---|---|
| 160,052 |
- (i) The Trust received a donation of £10,000 (2025: £10,000) from Tods of Orkney Ltd, which has been credited to the general fund. Two of the Trustees of the Trust are Directors of Tods of Orkney Ltd.
(ii) The Trust received a donation of £95,545 (2025: £150,052) from a Trustee by transfer of shares managed by Rossie House Investment Management.
3. INVESTMENT INCOME
| Charifund investment income Rossie House managed portfolio dividend income Bank interest GRANTS PAYABLE Donations Grants to institutions are analysed as follows: Annual A Annual B Grants Special |
2026 £ 91,090 21,028 97 112,215 2026 £ 105,500 £ 7,000 500 72,000 26,000 105,500 |
2025 £ 86,175 17,771 92 |
2025 £ 86,175 17,771 92 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 104,038 2025 £ 103,300 |
|||
| £ 6,000 300 72,000 25,000 103,300 |
£ 6,000 300 72,000 25,000 |
4. GRANTS PAYABLE
5. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees ' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 January 2026 nor for the prior year.
Trustees' expenses
There were no trustees’ expenses paid for the year ended 31 January 2026 nor for prior year.
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The John M Archer Charitable Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
6. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS
| IXEDASSETINVESTMENTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Listed | Listed | |
| Investments | Investments | |
| 2026 | 2025 | |
| MARKET VALUE | £ | £ |
| At 1 February | 2,239,572 | 1,886,409 |
| Additions | 328,977 | 283,693 |
| Disposals | (226,459) | (123,827) |
| Revaluations | 331,621 | 193,297 |
| At 31 January | 2,673,711 | 2,239,572 |
| INVESTMENTS AT COST | 1,732,022 | 1,640,967 |
Units in Charifund (M & G) accounted for £1,727,042 (2025: £1,466,506) of the above Market Value. Number of Charifund units held 96,791.530 (2025: 96,177.599)
| 7. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Other creditors |
2026 £ 1,380 2025 £ 1,320 |
|---|---|
8. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
| Unrestricted Funds General Fund Distribution Account TOTAL FUNDS |
At 1.2.25 Net Movement in Funds At 31.1.26 2,242,443 433,429 2,675,872 5,376 5,335 10,711 2,247,819 438,764 2,686,583 |
|---|---|
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The John M Archer Charitable Trust Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
8. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
| Unrestrictedfunds General fund Distribution account TOTALFUNDS |
Income 105,545 112,215 217,760 |
Expenditure (3,737) (106,880) |
Gains and Movementin losses funds 331,621 433,429 - 5,335 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (110,617) | 331,621 438,764 |
The General fund represents capital which is held in order to provide income for distribution. Income from investments and expenditure on activities are accounted for in the Distribution account.
9. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES
Except as disclosed in note 2, there were no related party transactions for the year.
10. REMUNERATION OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
| Independent Examination and accounting | 2026 £ 1,380 |
2025 £ 1,320 |
|---|---|---|
11. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS – PRIOR YEAR (2025)
| Unrestricted Funds General Fund Distribution Fund TOTAL FUNDS Netmovementin funds,included in the aboveare as follows: Income Unrestrictedfunds General fund £ 160,052 Distribution account 104,038 TOTALFUNDS 264090 |
Unrestricted Funds General Fund Distribution Fund TOTAL FUNDS Netmovementin funds,included in the aboveare as follows: Income Unrestrictedfunds General fund £ 160,052 Distribution account 104,038 TOTALFUNDS 264090 |
Unrestricted Funds General Fund Distribution Fund TOTAL FUNDS Netmovementin funds,included in the aboveare as follows: Income Unrestrictedfunds General fund £ 160,052 Distribution account 104,038 TOTALFUNDS 264090 |
At 1.2.24 Net Movement in Funds At 31.1.25 1,892,360 350,083 2,242,443 5,958 (582) 5,376 1,898,318 349,501 2,247,819 Expenditures Gainsand Movementin losses funds £ (3,266) £ 193,297 £ 350,083 (104,620) - (582) |
At 1.2.24 Net Movement in Funds At 31.1.25 1,892,360 350,083 2,242,443 5,958 (582) 5,376 1,898,318 349,501 2,247,819 Expenditures Gainsand Movementin losses funds £ (3,266) £ 193,297 £ 350,083 (104,620) - (582) |
At 1.2.24 Net Movement in Funds At 31.1.25 1,892,360 350,083 2,242,443 5,958 (582) 5,376 1,898,318 349,501 2,247,819 Expenditures Gainsand Movementin losses funds £ (3,266) £ 193,297 £ 350,083 (104,620) - (582) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 264090 | (107,886) | 193,297 349,501 |
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
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