The Trustees, who are also Directors of Tarporley War Memorial Hospital Trust (‘The Trust’ or ‘the Charity’) for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
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 governing document, 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)" (effective 1 January 2019).
Having created a stable foundation for the Charity as a landlord and grant-maker in the prior year, work began in earnest during 2024/25 to identify specific health and wellbeing initiatives that would benefit the local community. To this end, Trustees advertised available grant monies from April to June 2024, inviting applications from local organisations whose activities would help us advance our charitable aims. This campaign proved very successful, with the Trust awarding grants of over £120k (bringing total grant commitments for the year to c.£155k) to support 8 local organisations with a broad range of physical and mental health and wellbeing projects.
Later in the year, we launched “The Big Listening Event” to ask our local community about their health and wellbeing concerns and the services where they felt they would benefit most from enhanced support, beyond what the NHS already provides. The survey revealed some clear themes, including: the need for better mental health support; additional support for carers and those living with dementia; and improved access to health screenings. This has given the Charity a clear mandate for future fundraising, and Trustees are now focusing on how best to deliver against those needs.
Our strategic partner on site, the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (“CoCH”), remains responsible for developing clinical services at Tarporley War Memorial Hospital (TWMH) and renewed its lease agreement with the Charity in April 2025. We are delighted that this will ensure continuity of NHS service provision for a further 3 years. Working with other local health and social care providers, CoCH is gradually increasing the range and frequency of outpatient services available to support the rural population and continues to use the premises as a hub for teams providing care within the community.
Vision, Mission and Values
The Trust formally amended its Articles of Association in July 2024 to reflect its revised charitable objects, namely:
The advancement of health;
The relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health or disability.
Similarly, the Charity’s vision, mission and values and strategic objectives were reset.
OUR VISION – A community in which everyone has access to the health and social care services and support they need.
OUR MISSION – To benefit the health and wellbeing of the local community. We fund enhancements to services provided at TWMH or within the wider community, going above and beyond what the NHS provides.
OUR VALUES
Health & wellbeing - we are passionate about supporting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our community.
Community - is important to us. We want to make a real difference and offer the help and support people need, at the hospital premises, at home or elsewhere. We are happy to work in partnership with others to achieve our aims.
Caring - we care about what we do. We believe we can make a difference to those who need health and wellbeing care and support.
Openness and transparency – we want to understand how best we can help people who might need us; we are proactive and present in the community and value feedback and engagement.
a. To create a culture which enables our staff and stakeholders to thrive
We pride ourselves on our collaborative approach and continually seek feedback to help us shape our plans and understand local priorities. In September 2024, we carried out a community survey to learn more about where people felt they would benefit most from enhanced health and social care services. This has given the Charity a clear mandate for future fundraising and identified opportunities to build on our successful health and wellbeing initiatives, particularly in relation to mental health support and health screenings.
We value information sharing and continue to engage with new and existing partners to find ways in which we can support and complement each other to benefit the health and wellbeing of our community.
b. To engage openly and effectively with our community partners
Supported by our dedicated Community Engagement Lead, we have maintained a keen focus on strengthening our community ties and promoting the Trust’s mission and aims. Working closely with other community groups and like-minded charities has kept us in tune with local health and wellbeing needs and highlighted opportunities for us to add value through our grant funding and strategic partnerships.
Our connection to local shops and businesses, including through our own Vintage Charity Shop on the high street, has also helped us share key messages and afforded opportunities to collaborate on long-term initiatives, such as Dementia Friendly Tarporley, which aims to raise awareness and ensure those living with dementia are well supported within their local community.
We held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in October 2024 and once again invited our CoCH colleagues to provide an update on service developments and their future plans for Tarporley Hospital. We were also delighted to host many of our community partners and grant recipients to share details of their organisations’ important work and some of the health and wellbeing projects the Trust is proud to be supporting.
c. To enhance health and social care provision within our community
Going above and beyond what the NHS provides is an integral part of our mission and Trustees continue to be guided by this when seeking opportunities and awarding grants. The breadth of support we offer is also important to us and we were pleased to fund such a diverse range of physical and mental health and wellbeing initiatives during the year: from young people’s mental health workshops and Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) screenings to support for those living with dementia and their carers.
Our aim is also to enhance health and social care provision for our rural communities by helping to bring care and support closer to Tarporley and the surrounding areas. We have now provided grants to 11 different organisations and worked closely with many other local organisations to improve access to services within our community, including some at Tarporley Hospital itself.
d. To consolidate our financial sustainability
Although the Charity produced a planned net deficit in the reporting period, Trustees managed cashflow prudently and sought to maximise the return on all monies and investments held. Having conducted a full review of its policy on investments, cash and reserves during 2024, the Board felt it was appropriate to utilise some of the Charity’s reserves to optimise charitable activities while fundraising remained limited.
Nonetheless, the Board recognises that regular donations have been declining steadily since the change in operating model in late 2021, when the Charity itself ceased to provide clinical services on site. Therefore, Trustees also agreed to resume more active fundraising during 2025/26 and to test other fundraising opportunities to ensure that adequate reserve levels are maintained.
With this approach, we remain confident that the new operating arrangements have put the Charity on a firm financial footing for the future.
We have a duty to report on our charity’s public benefit under section four of the Charities Act 2011. We are confident that we meet the benefit requirement, having taken Charity Commission guidance into consideration. We have carried out our charitable purpose for the public benefit by using funds to support health and social care initiatives that benefit the health and wellbeing of the local community.
By the beginning of 2024/25, Trustees had clarified the Charity’s new role and focus shifted to identifying specific projects where we could add most value through our grants and strategic partnerships. From April to June we advertised grant monies available for local health and wellbeing initiatives that were aligned to our charitable aims. This generated strong interest from a diverse range of local organisations and projects.
Trustees followed a rigorous process when considering applications for funding, with the aim of enhancing both mental and physical health and wellbeing for people of all ages and reaching as much of our community as possible. We were delighted to award over £120k in grant funding to 8 new projects; this was in addition to funds already committed to support the Poppy Club (a dementia-friendly group for older members of our community) and a cardiac risk screening event for young people, both held at Tarporley Hospital.
The scope of health and wellbeing initiatives we provided grants for during the year included:
Young people’s mental health workshops, focused on managing anxiety – organised by Kelsall Wellbeing Hub.
Buddying and befriending services, including telephone support and in-person groups, run by Changing Lives Together.
Education sessions to support those providing palliative and end-of-life care, delivered by the End of Life Partnership.
Support for people living with dementia and their carers, including: The Poppy Club (launched in partnership with Eternity Care Services in late April 2024 in response to local feedback); OPAL’s Putting Carers First service; Purple Angel’s Dementia Campaign (providing free MP3 players); plus a series of dementia art classes, hosted at Kelsall Wellbeing Hub.
Tinnitus support – a monthly peer support group, led by the Deaf & Sensory Network.
Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) screenings – a weekend screening event for people aged 14-35.
Tarporley Social Circle – a new social group for adults with lived experience of disability and long-term health conditions, run by Disability Positive.
Additionally, we committed grant funding to a local sports club (Tarporley Victoria Junior Football Club) for their project to promote inclusion and support neurodiverse children, which they plan to implement in summer 2025. We were also pleased to co-fund Whitegate Station Community Group’s “SEN Friday” project, which helps local school children with special educational needs develop their confidence, independence and life skills.
Building on the success of these health and wellbeing initiatives, the Trust was keen to go further and to involve the community directly in shaping its future plans and priorities. In September 2024, we conducted a survey to discover where people felt they would benefit most from enhanced health and social care services, above and beyond what the NHS provides. This revealed several key themes and has helped crystallise our future fundraising priorities and the areas where we can add most value:
Mental health support, including young people and adults
Health screenings
Dementia/carer support
Fitness and wellbeing
During the year, we also worked closely with a network of local businesses (Tarporley Independent Traders) and the Purple Angel charity to implement our Dementia-Friendly Tarporley initiative. This is proving to be a great success, helping to raise awareness and ensuring people living with dementia are understood and well supported.
While the CoCH is responsible for developing all clinical services at Tarporley Hospital, we continue to work collaboratively to understand local needs and identify opportunities to increase the scope and frequency of services offered. As in previous years, we were joined by our CoCH colleagues at our AGM in October 2024 to share updates on services developments and listen to local views.
Usage of the Tarporley facilities continues to improve slowly, with some clinical services operating on a daily or weekly basis and others less frequently. As we write, the following NHS teams and outpatient services are currently operating at or from the premises:
Musculoskeletal (MSK) Physiotherapy
Obstetric & Gynae Physiotherapy
Community Paediatrics (includes Physiotherapy)
Consultant Led Paediatric Clinic
Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics (ASD and ADHD assessments)
Ultrasound
Community Midwife Clinic
Neurotherapy Services, including Speech & Language Therapy, Strength & Balance
Dietetics Services
Speech & Language Services
Dermatology
Care Community Team clinics:
- Podiatry
- Heart failure
- Leg ulcer
- Doppler
Starting Well Service, including Health Visitor Open Advice clinic
Talking Therapies
Rural Community Response Hub (Rapid Response, Hospital at Home, Community Health Support Team,
Care Community Team and CWAC Home Assessment Team)
Cheshire & Merseyside AAA screening programme
Future developments at Tarporley Hospital include:
Living Well Service – a mobile service which operates on a drop-in basis, providing health checks and mental
wellbeing support within the community
Clinic Research Unit
Diabetic Eye Screening
In addition to the above NHS services, several local organisations also run clubs and activities for the local community, some of whom received grant funding support from the Charity.
The Poppy Club by Eternity Care Services – a dementia-friendly social club
Tinnitus support group – organised by the Deaf and Sensory Network
Buddying and befriending group – hosted by Changing Lives Together
CPR and defibrillator training – free sessions delivered by Tarporley Community First Responders
There were no charity-led fundraising events or campaigns during the year, as Trustees continued to build their understanding of local health and social care priorities and considered how the Charity could best meet those needs. However, we still benefitted from income raised by the Vintage Charity Shop, which our community supported so generously through their donations and purchases. As always, we are so grateful to all the volunteers who give their time each week to welcome visitors and help make the shop such a success.
We were also fortunate to receive a number of donations throughout the year, including regular gifts, legacies and community fundraising.
The Trust produced a net deficit for the year ending 31st March 2025 of £125,760, compared with a 2024 surplus of £60,092. This was a planned deficit, reflecting the Board’s decision to award additional grants of c.£120k in a campaign to identify local health and wellbeing initiatives that would help the Trust advance its charitable aims.
Income
Since leasing the hospital premises to CoCH in April 2022, fundraising activities have remained limited while the Charity’s future role and fundraising priorities were being clarified. Therefore, rent was the Charity’s main source of income again this year. Total rent for the period amounted to £70,876 (2024: £67,518).
Expenditure
Costs increased significantly to £317,970 (2024: £168,072); however, this was mainly due to planned expenditure on grants. Staff costs amounted to £75,740 for the year (2024: £56,548) after employing an additional staff member.
The Charity awarded grant funding totalling £155,283, which was a significant increase on the previous year (2024: £17,490). This followed a proactive campaign to identify local health and wellbeing initiatives aligned with the Trust’s revised charitable aims and objectives.
Grant funding policy
The Trust considers applications from organisations (including charities, businesses and community projects) whose activities will help us further our charitable objects, namely: the advancement of health; and the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health or disability.
Before awarding a grant, Trustees must be confident that:
Funding the activity is within the Trust’s own charitable purposes.
Appropriate monitoring arrangements are in place to check that the funds are used as expected by the organisation that is being funded (with the grant terms confirmed and accepted in writing).
The decision to make the grant is recorded in the minutes of a Trustees’ meeting.
When making all decisions, Trustees are led by the 7 principles set out in Charity Commission guidance (CC27: Decision-making for trustees).
RESERVES AND INVESTMENTS
Reserves policy
Since May 2024, the minimum reserves sum has been set at £150k (to cover closure costs and other unforeseen circumstances) and the Charity aims to keep sufficient cash at hand to cover the cash requirements of the current year’s budget. Having successfully mitigated key operational and financial risks in recent years through its strategic partnership with a larger NHS organisation, the Board considers this lower reserves sum (previously £250k) to be prudent. Trustees will keep these levels under review to ensure spending on charitable activities is optimised.
The Board also completed a full review of its overall approach to managing investments during the year; this led to a change of provider in late 2024 to ensure the best fit for the Charity’s new operating model and future needs.
Investment performance
Investments are held at £570,725 (2024: £573,247). During the year we changed our investment management provider from J Brearley & Sons to Investec Wealth and Investment Limited (now part of Rathbones Group Plc.).
Risk management
The Board regularly assesses risks and opportunities so that risks are mitigated, and opportunities are maximised.
Since becoming a landlord and grant maker in 2022, the Charity has been back on a firm financial footing, and this has allowed Trustees to focus on ways of adding value through grants and strategic partnerships. The scope of perceived risks has changed accordingly, as the Board aims to understand health and wellbeing priorities within the community, and to ensure its future fundraising activities and decisions are led by those needs.
Trustees will keep their overall approach to risk under regular review to ensure that people resources, systems and processes remain effective but proportionate.
Having recently renewed our lease agreement with the CoCH for a further 3 years, Trustees are pleased that continuity of NHS service provision has been achieved, and we look forward to continuing our partnership approach. Our shared goal is to see the Tarporley facility thriving as a rural hub for health and social care services within the community, for many more years to come.
We intend to fund additional health and wellbeing initiatives in the coming year, particularly where potential gaps have been identified, and to continue developing our strategic partnerships. We also plan to invest in building our fundraising capabilities and to resume more active and targeted fundraising, which had been paused while the Charity underwent changes.
Recognising it may take time for fundraising income to increase, Trustees anticipate that net operating losses may occur this year. However, having taken our reserves policy and current reserve levels into consideration, we feel it is appropriate to optimise our charitable activities and are satisfied the Charity remains in a sound financial position.
Recruitment is ongoing for a new Communications Lead to help us engage the community in our charitable mission and to promote the health and wellbeing projects we support. Trustees are hopeful this will also facilitate future fundraising activities while alternative income streams and opportunities to offset the recent decline in regular giving are being explored.
Our recent community survey has given us a clear mandate for future funding decisions. We know what concerns people most and where they feel they would benefit most from enhanced health and social care services. Fortunately, we have already funded a number of projects which address some of these needs, including wellbeing initiatives and support for carers and those living with dementia. There are opportunities for us to do more, however, particularly in relation to mental health support and health screenings. We are now focused on identifying specific projects that will help us best meet those needs.
As always, our community engagement activities are key, and we will continue to listen carefully to our stakeholders to ensure our funding decisions reflect the community’s health and wellbeing priorities.
Governing document
The Tarporley War Memorial Hospital Trust is a company limited by guarantee by its Memorandum and Articles of Association incorporated on 22 January 1988 and amended by special resolution on 24 July 2024. It is a registered charity with the Charity Commission, dated 9 June 1988.
Any person who is appointed as a Trustee will automatically, by virtue of that appointment, become a Member. No person other than a Trustee may be admitted as a Member. There are currently 7 Members, each of whom agrees to contribute £1 in the event of the Trust winding up.
Legal and administrative information set out above forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements, including those appointed after the year end, were:
How the charity is managed
The Board meets quarterly in person, with a focus on strategic planning and decision making, and holds monthly online meetings in the intervening months to review progress on current activities.
A register of outside interests is maintained and any Trustee with an actual or perceived conflict of interest is excluded from decision making in any matter relating to that outside interest.
The Board also maintains a skills matrix and when areas of business or development arise on which the majority of Trustees feel inexperienced to advise, external expertise is either brought in temporarily or we seek to appoint an additional Trustee with the relevant skills, knowledge and experience.
During 2024/25, we advertised locally for new Trustees who could help us shape and deliver our future plans. Three Trustees were subsequently appointed in August 2024, October 2024 and January 2025.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
In accordance with its Articles of Association (amended by special resolution dated 17July 2024), the Charity has between three and twelve Trustees and Trustees become Members by virtue of their appointment as Trustees. Trustees are appointed for terms of three years and those who have served their term must retire at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM). However, Trustees who remain qualified may be reappointed for a maximum of three consecutive terms of office, subject to consent from at least 75% of the other Trustees.
Existing Trustees appoint other Trustees by proposing them in writing prior to the AGM or through an interview and appointment process conducted by more than one Trustee and ratified by the full Trust Board.
Organisational structure
Responsibility for the management of the Charity rests with the TWMH Board of Trustees. The Board continues to delegate some of its assurance functions and responsibility for day-to-day management of the Charity’s activities and landlord’s office to a small administrative team, which comprises two part-time members of staff. The Board also employs a manager for The Vintage Charity Shop, which raises funds to support the Trust’s activities, and retains a dedicated Community Engagement Officer to extend its reach within the community and gather feedback to inform future plans.
In addition, Trustees take advice from a range of professional advisers as and when required, including from accountants and legal advisers.
New Trustees are briefed on their legal obligations under charity and company law; the content of the Articles of Association; the Charity’s structure and decision-making process; recent financial performance; and the latest business plan. The induction also includes meeting other Trustees and the Charity’s administrative team.
The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Tarporley War Memorial Hospital Trust (the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the Charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 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. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
Since the Charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000, the independent examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ICAEW, which is one of the listed bodies.
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 Companies Act 2006.
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 Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements 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 financial statements 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.
Tarporley War Memorial Hospital Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 14 Park Road, Tarporley, Cheshire, CW6 0AP.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "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)". 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 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, modified to include the revaluation of investments at fair value. 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.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors 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.
Endowment funds, which arose from an undertaking by The Area Health Authority on the sale of land, represent those assets that must be held permanently by the Trust, principally investments. Income arising on the endowment funds can be used in accordance with the objects of the Trust and is transferred to be included in unrestricted income. Any capital gains or losses arising on the investments form part of the fund. Investment income and gains are allocated to the appropriate fund.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the Charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
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.
Raising funds includes all expenditure incurred by the charity to raise funds for its charitable purposes and includes costs of all fundraising activities, events and non-charitable trading.
Individual assets costing £150 or more are capitalised at cost in the year including any incidental expenses of acquisition
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred. Changes in fair value are recognised in other recognised gains and losses except to the extent that a gain reverses a loss previously recognised in net income expenditure, or a loss exceeds the accumulated gains recognised in equity; such gains and loss are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year.
The Charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the Charity's balance sheet when the Charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
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.
Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the Charity transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.
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.
As an exception to the usual requirements for financing transactions, as a public benefit entity, concessionary loans provided to the charity have been accounted for at the amount received adjusted for any impairment loss. This loan is disclosed in amounts falling due in greater than one year.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the Charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the Charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
Volunteers and donated services and facilities
The value of services provided by volunteers is not incorporated into these financial statements. Further details of the contribution made by volunteers can be found in the trustees' annual report.
During the year, the Charity awarded grants to a number of local organisations in support of its charitable objectives, with the aim of benefitting the health and wellbeing of the local community.
Grants were made following a formal application and review process, and recipients were selected based on alignment with the Charity’s strategic priorities and capacity to deliver measurable outcomes.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The key management personnel are considered to be the trustees, and their total remuneration was £nil (2024: £nil).
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Borrowings comprise a concessionary loan provided by the North West Regional Health Authority, issued in 2001, which is interest free and repayable after more than five years.
Upon repayment, the market value of the loan will be assessed and this will indicate the amount repayable by the Charity. However, the likelihood of this situation occurring is deemed to be unlikely and thus no interest has been accrued alongside this liability.
The loan is secured against the freehold property.
The Charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the Charity in an independently administered fund.
Endowment funds represent assets which must be held permanently by the Charity. Income arising on the endowment funds can be used in accordance with the objects of the Charity and is included as unrestricted income. Any capital gains or losses arising on the assets form part of the fund.
The investments listed above were previously held under an endowment fund. During the year, following a review and a change in investment advisor, the trustees resolved to reclassify the funds, which are no longer held as endowment.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
At the reporting end date the Charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
At the reporting end date the Charity had contracted with tenants for the following minimum lease payments:
It is inevitable that transactions will take place with trustees and organisations in which a trustee may have an interest. All such transactions are conducted in the ordinary course of business and are at arms length.
Trustees and their related enterprises made donations to the charity totalling £nil (2024: £17,000).