REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 04613979 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1105466

Report of the Trustees and

Unaudited Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

for

The Beauchamp Lodge Settlement

Page

Reference and Administrative Details

1

Report of the Trustees

2

to

5

Independent Examiner's Report

6

Statement of Financial Activities

7

Balance Sheet

8

to

9

Cash Flow Statement

10

Notes to the Financial Statements

11

to

20

TRUSTEES

Raka Begum (appointed 23.7.24)

Mark Bensted

Charles Middleton , Treasurer

Hilary Nightingale , Chair

Saeed Oluwadipe (appointed 23.4.24)

Angela Piddock , Vice Chair

Gaia Segal (resigned 29.10.24)

Eleanor Wyant

COMPANY SECRETARY

Simon Ryder

REGISTERED OFFICE

Studio 63

Great Western Studios

65 Alfred Road

London

W2 5EU

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER

04613979 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER

1105466

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Nichols & Co ( Accountancy ) Limited

Chartered Accountants

Unit 7

Mulberry Place

Pinnell Road

Eltham

London

SE9 6AR

SOLICITORS

SPB Law

Glade House

52-54 Carter Lane

London

EC4V 5EF

BANKERS

Unity Trust Bank plc

Four Brindleyplace

Birmingham

BR1 2JB

The Trustees submit their annual report and the financial statements of The Beauchamp Lodge Settlement for the year ended 31 March 2025. The Trustees confirm that the annual report and financial statements of the Charity comply with current statutory requirements, the requirements of the Charity's governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" (SORP FRS 102 Revised 2019).

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The management of the Charity is the responsibility of a Board of Trustees who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the constitution. Trustees are recruited according to their particular skills, knowledge and experience which are then matched to the needs of the Board of Trustees. When gaps in skills, knowledge and experience are identified new Trustees are sought to fill these gaps. Existing Trustees are encouraged to play an active part in recruiting new Trustees to the Board.

The Chief Executive, Simon Ryder, is accountable to the Trustees for the day-to-day management of the Charity. The other staff employed by the Charity are accountable to the Chief Executive.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The charity's vision, mission and values as follows:

Organisational Vision

A community where children, young people, and families are connected - to each other, to their neighbourhoods and to the environment we all share - so that they can thrive via a strong sense of place, of belonging and of the impact they can have on their world.

BLS Mission Statement

We do this via the exceptional learning and enrichment activities we offer on London's only Floating Classroom, and in green and open spaces along the city's waterways. Putting children, young people and families at the heart of the learning process, we encourage curiosity, delight in discovery and nurture a sense of connection with the natural world.

Values

In achieving the change we want to see in the world, we will be:

Ambitious

- For the children, young people and families we exist for and for what they are capable of.

- For the hope, agency, and determination to achieve positive environmental change that we can encourage amongst the communities we work with.

- For what we can do; a small organisation can have a big impact.

Enterprising

- We will generate our own income in support of our charitable mission through the commercial hire of the boat.

- We will use the autonomy this gives us, to extend what we do so that our activities are inclusive and accessible to all the children, young people and families we exist for.

Open

- To the ideas and insights of everyone we work with: children, young people, parents, families, teachers, practitioners, staff, trustees, partners, collaborators, funders.

- To diversity: of thinking, perspective, life experiences.

- To collaboration: good ideas can come from anywhere so we will work with others to achieve our vision.

- To change: we will keep what is good and seek out what is better.

Curious

- Learning, development, and growth starts with enquiry.

- Everyone is capable of enquiry: it is exploration, reflection, discovery, and it should never stop.

Tenacious

- We want everything we do to be brilliant, and we will do everything we can to make sure it is.

- We will honestly evaluate our performance - both appreciatively and critically - and act quickly where necessary to make things even better.

Compassionate

- To the children, young people, and families we exist for

- To our staff and volunteers

- To the environment we all share

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Delivering Public Benefit

The main activities we have undertaken in the 12 months to the end of March 2025 in furtherance of our mission and objectives are set out below.

Our charitable activities focus on the provision of fun, hands-on learning opportunities for people of all ages on board our Floating Classroom. All of these activities are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit.

The Trustees of BLS will continue to adhere to Charity Commission guidance on public benefit in deciding the activities the charity undertakes now and in the future.

Learning Activities

Over the 12 months in review, the Floating Classroom achieved the following:

- A total of 162 learning and enrichment sessions delivered.

- 118 (73% of the total delivered) were learning activities for primary schools and primary age children.

- 44 (27% of the total delivered) were out-of-school hours activities for children, young people, and adults.

- 2839 participants took part in these learning and enrichment activities over 482 delivery hours.

Compared to the previous year, these totals represent:

- 22% increase in number of sessions (2023-24: 133)

- 25% increase in unique participants (2264)

- 20% increase in delivery hours (400.5)

Several factors have contributed to an increase in both session and participant numbers in this period compared to 2023-24.

Demand for Education Programme trips from schools remains high, with significant proportions of the academic year oversubscribed. This demonstrates the continued appeal of this unique offer, as well as the ongoing success of the Lead Teacher in maintaining excellent standards for the development and delivery of activities. Some minor changes in the approach to programming these trips have increased flexibility, efficiency, and capacity, in particular offering afternoon slots (1pm-3pm) to schools on dates where a trip is already booked in the morning (10am-12pm).

Progress has also been made towards the charity's objective of delivering increased out-of-school hours provision for children, young people and families. The volume of these activities has increased by 100% (up from 22), while the proportion of total delivery has increased more modestly by 2% (up from 25%). As we approach the upper limits of the Floating Classroom's capacity for trips and sessions taking place during the school day, out-of-school activities remain the principal growth opportunity for programmes taking place on board the boat.

Commercial Boat Hire Activity - The Electric Barge

The Floating Classroom is marketed for commercial hire as The Electric Barge. In 2016, the charity established a trading subsidiary for these activities; its sole purpose is to generate income in support of our educational mission. All profit earned by the Electric Barge is donated to the "parent" charity.

The trading subsidiary - The Electric Barge Limited - has a two-person board of directors comprising the BLS Treasurer and the BLS Chief Executive. The day-to-day commercial activities are led by our Events Manager.

Our key objective for The Electric Barge in 2024-25 continued to be to increase income generated from the commercial hire of the boat. With that in mind, it is pleasing to report that turnover increased by 12% to £331,762, while operating expenditure grew by 15%, generating an operating profit of £18,322.

This is the highest level of commercial income The Electric Barge has ever achieved, surpassing the previous best recorded in 2019-20. It has been a long-term goal to return commercial earnings to pre-pandemic levels, so to achieve this now is a wonderful testimony to the enterprise and tenacity of the Events Team.

Asset Ownership

BLS owns the freehold on a four-storey property on Harrow Road, London W10.

The ground and first floors of the property are rented to an established local firm of family law solicitors. The lease agreement with the tenant was renewed for 6 years in August 2021.

A long-term leaseholder occupies the top floor flat of the property. BLS receives no rental income from the leaseholder, but does levy an annual service charge.

Over the course of the 12 months under review, significant defects were discovered in the rear canalside wall of the property. Repair work to address this is scheduled to take place in summer 2025.

Since March 2024, the BLS has owned the vessel, Beauchamp, on which all its core activities take place.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Since 2017 BLS has presented separate accounts for the charity and its subsidiary. This review addresses the performance of both entities.

The year under review - 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 - was the first year of the charity's 2024-27 Business Plan. After several years of working to one 12-month plan at a time during and in the aftermath of the pandemic, BLS was finally able to raise its sights and set more ambitious objectives for what we could achieve.

BLS finished 2024-25 with a surplus of £198,099, a sharp increase on that achieved in the year ending 31 March 2024. This is the result of various factors, including:

- A doubling in income from donations and legacies

- A 41% increase in grant income

- Continued strong earnings from the charity's trading subsidiary, The Electric Barge Limited.

- Maintaining firm control of costs as the charity's activities expanded and diversified.

It is particularly pleasing to report that the charity has secured long-term grants from John Lyon's Charity, Westminster Foundation (both five years), and the Julia Rausing Trust (three years). These provide much-needed stability for our work, including meeting the salary costs of critical posts such as the Programme Manager and Lead Teacher.

Grant income has also been instrumental in helping BLS to expand and diversify what it offers to children, young people, families and community groups. As a result, over the past 12 months we have delivered after-school puppet-making and performance clubs, a storytelling project, and in school holidays we have provided a wealth of learning and enrichment activities on the Floating Classroom and at other locations on / near London's waterways, including kayaking, forest school, and printmaking.

The Floating Classroom will celebrate its 25th birthday in 2026, so one of our funding priorities has been to secure grants to refresh the boat so that it is fit for the next quarter century. This has yielded some successes, and the boat will be undergoing an extensive refurbishment programme in the first three months of 2026 to ensure that it is more environmentally sustainable, accessible to all potential beneficiaries, and that it continues to be a welcoming, attractive and safe venue for all our activities.

Income earned from our social enterprise, The Electric Barge, continues to make a critical contribution towards the delivery of core charitable activities. We see scope for growth in this area, and over the past 12 months have invested resources in rebranding and in sowing the seeds for more active marketing of the boat as an events venue via social media in spring / summer 2025.

The stability of the organisation is reflected in the BLS balance sheet. With tangible assets bolstered by the inclusion of the value of the boat (having been donated by the Canal & River Trust), total organisational funds grew by 33.5% in the year ending 31 March 2025.

BLS continues to be financially stable, thriving as a provider of exceptional learning and enrichment experiences for children, young people and families, confident in our vision, mission and values, and looking to the future with ambition and intent.

RESERVES POLICY

Reserves are that part of a charity's unrestricted funds that are freely available to spend on any of the charity's purposes. BLS maintains free unrestricted reserves:

- to provide a level of working capital that protects the continuity of our core work

- to provide a level of funding for unexpected opportunities

- to provide cover for risks such as unforeseen expenditure or unanticipated loss of income.

Trustees will review the above criteria with reference to BLS's strategy and Annual Plan and determine the target level of free reserves to meet these criteria. Underpinning this, BLS's policy will be to maintain free unrestricted reserves equivalent to three months' running costs. Trustees will at times designate funds from free reserves for significant project costs or replacement of major assets. The BLS reserves policy has been determined in line with relevant Charity Commission guidance.

The charity has general fund reserves of £658,173 (2024: £260,690). The trustees consider the free reserves within the charity to be the unrestricted debtors and cash less unrestricted creditors, resulting in free unrestricted funds of £164,485 for the year (2024: £179,802). The trustees believe these reserves are sufficient to meet the needs of the charity. During the year, it was decided that the designated funds brought forward relating to property repairs of £199,384 were no longer required and therefore this balance was written back to the general fund.

RISK MANAGEMENT

The Trustees reviewed and updated the BLS risk register in October 2024. Where relevant, strategies and systems have been devised and implemented to minimise the possible impact of these risks.

STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

We, as the directors of the Company who held office at the date of approval of these financial statements as set out on page 1, each confirm, so far as we are aware, that:

- there is no relevant audit information of which the Company's auditors are unaware; and

- we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken as directors in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Company's auditors are aware of that information.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 28 October 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Hilary Nightingale - Trustee

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Beauchamp Lodge Settlement ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company 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 your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, 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:

1.	accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2.	the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3.	the accounts 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

4.

the accounts 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 accounts to be reached.

Steven Nichols FCA, CTA

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

Nichols & Co ( Accountancy ) Limited

Chartered Accountants

Unit 7

Mulberry Place

Pinnell Road

Eltham

London

SE9 6AR

28 October 2025

31.3.25

31.3.24

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

fund

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

2

379,821

-

379,821

177,719

Charitable activities

5

Grants

81,978

136,234

218,212

155,121

Income from schools, community groups and private hire

3

18,929

-

18,929

35,786

Investment income

4

26,791

-

26,791

24,250

Total

507,519

136,234

643,753

392,876

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

6

Staff costs

121,406

63,572

184,978

143,669

Freelance workers and professional fees

15,736

12,868

28,604

23,605

Repairs, maintenance and mooring costs

2,944

35,825

38,769

43,255

Boat insurance

10,518

-

10,518

10,938

Property and venue hire costs

14,055

13,669

27,724

6,732

Catering costs

4,596

1,440

6,036

4,243

Office costs

124,539

8,860

133,399

127,618

Other

15,626

-

15,626

7,250

Total

309,420

136,234

445,654

367,310

NET INCOME

198,099

-

198,099

25,566

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

589,802

-

589,802

564,236

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

787,901

-

787,901

589,802

31.3.25

31.3.24

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

fund

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

12

213,416

-

213,416

-

Investment property

13

410,000

-

410,000

410,000

623,416

-

623,416

410,000

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors

14

181,796

28,173

209,969

176,573

Cash at bank

44,261

116,752

161,013

101,790

226,057

144,925

370,982

278,363

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

15

(61,572

)

(144,925

)

(206,497

)

(98,561

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

164,485

-

164,485

179,802

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

787,901

-

787,901

589,802

NET ASSETS

787,901

-

787,901

589,802

FUNDS

16

Unrestricted funds:

General fund

658,173

260,690

Designated fund

-

199,384

Revaluation reserve

129,728

129,728

787,901

589,802

TOTAL FUNDS

787,901

589,802

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a)	ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)

preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 28 October 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:

Hilary Nightingale - Trustee

Charles Middleton - Trustee

Cash flows from operating activities

Cash generated from operations

18

281,757

1,165

Interest paid

-

(4,413

)

Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities

281,757

(3,248

)

Cash flows from investing activities

Purchase of tangible fixed assets

(223,850

)

-

Interest received

1,316

-

Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities

(222,534

)

-

Cash flows from financing activities

Loan repayments in year

-

(54,167

)

Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities

-

(54,167

)

Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period

59,223

(57,415

)

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period

101,790

159,205

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period

161,013

101,790

1.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

BASIS OF PREPARING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of the charitable company, 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) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

INCOME

Grant income is recognised in the period for which all incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the Charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.

Such income is only deferred when:

- The donor specifies that the grant or donation must only be used in future accounting periods; or

- The donor has imposed conditions which must be met before the Charity has unconditional entitlement.

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.

TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Plant and machinery

-

Straight line over 25 years

Fixtures and fittings

-

Straight line over 5 years

All assets costing more than £1,000 are capitalised.

INVESTMENT PROPERTY

Investments are stated at market value at the balance sheet date. The statement of financial activities includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluations and disposals throughout the year.

TAXATION

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

FUND ACCOUNTING

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

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

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds is charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

HIRE PURCHASE AND LEASING COMMITMENTS

Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.

PENSION COSTS AND OTHER POST-RETIREMENT BENEFITS

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

GOING CONCERN

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern. The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

2.	DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

31.3.25

31.3.24

£

£

Donations

379,821

177,719

3.	INCOME FROM SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY GROUPS AND PRIVATE HIRE

31.3.25

31.3.24

£

£

Educational income from school and community groups

18,929

35,786

4.	INVESTMENT INCOME

31.3.25

31.3.24

£

£

Rents received

25,475

24,250

Deposit account interest

1,316

-

26,791

24,250

5.	INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

Funds

Funds

Funds

Funds

31.3.25

31.3.25

31.3.25

31.3.24

£

£

£

£

Grants

81,978

136,234

218,212

155,121

81,978

136,234

218,212

155,121

6.	CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Support

Direct

costs (see

Costs

note 7)

Totals

£

£

£

Staff costs

184,978

-

184,978

Freelance workers and professional fees

28,604

-

28,604

Repairs, maintenance and mooring costs

38,769

-

38,769

Boat insurance

10,518

-

10,518

Property and venue hire costs

27,724

-

27,724

Catering costs

6,036

-

6,036

Office costs

16,123

117,276

133,399

312,752

117,276

430,028

7.	SUPPORT COSTS

Governance

Management

costs

Totals

£

£

£

Office costs

97,753

19,523

117,276

Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:

31.3.25

31.3.24

Office

Total

costs

activities

£

£

Trustees' remuneration etc

-

7

Admin staff costs

86,446

85,938

Website

419

931

Travel and subsistence

31

13

Insurance

2,191

1,232

Affiliation fees and training

1,187

1,249

Telephone

2,965

2,918

Postage and stationery

1,727

579

Sundry expenses

1,230

1,798

Computer costs

1,557

2,153

VAT disallowed

4,773

946

Professional fees

5,356

7,018

Accountancy

9,394

8,646

117,276

113,428

8.	NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

31.3.25

31.3.24

£

£

Depreciation - owned assets

10,434

-

Hire of plant and machinery

27,724

6,732

Other operating leases

12,359

10,124

9.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.

TRUSTEES' EXPENSES

31.3.25

31.3.24

£

£

Trustees' expenses

-

7

10.	STAFF COSTS

31.3.25

31.3.24

£

£

Wages and salaries

229,073

199,239

Social security costs

19,044

15,042

Pension Costs

5,201

4,109

253,318

218,390

The Charity employs a Chief Executive, Deputy CE and Programme Manager, Administrator, Lead Teacher, Events Manager, and Boat Operations Manager.

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

31.3.25

31.3.24

Average number of employees

6

6

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

11.	COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

funds

fund

funds

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

177,719

-

177,719

Charitable activities

Grants

80,530

74,591

155,121

Income from schools, community groups and private hire

35,786

-

35,786

Investment income

24,250

-

24,250

Total

318,285

74,591

392,876