The trustees present their report and unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024.
The previous accounting period is from 30 September 2022 to 31 December 2023.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act 2006 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 (FRS 102)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016)
The charity's objects are, for the benefit of the public, 1) to relieve poverty, in particular but without limitation among recipients of the Legion D'Honneur and their partners, families and descendants: and 2) such other purpose which are exclusively charitable, under the laws of England and Wales, from time to time as the Trustee's see fit e.g. education, citizenship or community development, increase understanding of France in the UK and vice versa.
During the year the charity made a grant of £5,000 to L'Institut Francais du Royaume-Uni to support its initiative Francophonie on the Road to address the resource and training needs of primary and secondary schools located outside of London.
During the year ended 31 December 2024 the charity received donations of £11,800 to enable the charity to achieve its charitable objectives and to cover required expenditure.
At present the charity does not have a formal reserves policy as it relies on funding to cover charitable activities and required expenditure. Unrestricted reserves as at 31 December 2024 amounted to £4,994 (2023 - £10).
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and is constituted by a memorandum and articles of association. The company's registered charity number is 120063.
The charity's sole member is Legion D'Honneur UK Chapter Limited, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Any person who is willing to act as a trustee may be appointed to be a trustee by notice in writing from the sole member of the charity.
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. The sole member guarantees to contribute up to £1 in the event of a winding up.
A registry of directors interests was created on 28 May 2023 to record the trustees of the charitable trust who are also directors of the sole member.
In March 2024 a framework agreement was put in place with the sole member, a grant making policy was established and all trustees have signed a fit and proper person declaration.
All trustees of the charity are indemnified out of the assets of the charity in relation to any liability incurred in that capacity but only to the extent permitted by the Companies Act.
The company's current policy concerning the payment of trade creditors is to follow the CBI's Prompt Payers Code (copies are available from the CBI, Centre Point, 103 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DU).
The company's current policy concerning the payment of trade creditors is to:
settle the terms of payment with suppliers when agreeing the terms of each transaction;
ensure that suppliers are made aware of the terms of payment by inclusion of the relevant terms in contracts; and
pay in accordance with the company's contractual and other legal obligations.
No part of the income or property of the charity may be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise by way of profit to the member of the charity. This does not prevent any payment in good faith by the charity of reasonable and proper remuneration to the member for any goods or services supplied to the charity.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.
The trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the unaudited financial statements of Legion D'Honneur Charitable Trust (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
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 financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Legion D'Honneur Charitable Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 3rd Floor, 28 Austin Friars, London, EC2N 2QQ.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act 2006 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 (FRS 102)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
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 are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity 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 financial statements.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements, if any.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure includes all VAT that cannot be recovered.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Unrestricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Accountancy fees
Bank charges
Unrestricted funds
During the year the charity made a grant of £5,000 to L'Institut Francais du Royaume-Uni to support its initiative Francophonie on the Road to address the resource and training needs of primary and secondary schools located outside of London.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities..
During the year the charity received donations of £5,250 (2023 - £250) from its trustees.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The sole member of the charity undertakes to contribute to the assets of the charity in the event of the same being wound up during the time they are a trustee or within one year afterwards for payments of the debts and liabilities of the charity contracted before the time they cease to be a trustee, and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up the same such amount as may be required not exceeding £1 or equivalent.