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Registered number: 03148333
Charity number: 1052478
OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
UNAUDITED
TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
CONTENTS
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Reference and Administrative Details of the Charity, its Trustees and Advisers
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Independent Examiner's Report
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Statement of Financial Activities
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Notes to the Financial Statements
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Company registered number
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Charity registered number
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15 Great College Street
London
SW1P 3RX
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Haslers
Chartered Accountants
Old Station Road
Loughton
Essex
IG10 4PL
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Lloyds Bank PLC
Burgess Hill Branch
PO Box 1000
BX1 1LT
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
TRUSTEES' REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
The Trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of the Charity for the year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The annual report serves the purposes of both a Trustees' report and a directors' report under company law. The Trustees confirm that the annual report and financial statements of the charitable company comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the charitable company's governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2015) as amended by Update Bulletin 1 (effective January 2015).
Since the Charity qualifies as small under section 382 of the Companies Act 2006, the strategic report required of medium and large companies under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors' Report) Regulations 2013 has been omitted.
Objectives and activities
Ovingdean Hall Foundation, previously Ovingdean Hall School for Deaf Children, is a charity and grant-maker supporting education projects for deaf children and young people in England and Wales.
The charity's objects, as set out in its Charity Trust Deed, are to 'promote and further the education, including social and physical education, of children and young people with a hearing impairment.'
Ovingdean Hall School was incorporated in 1996 as a company limited by guarantee and the Memorandum and the Articles of Association were updated in 2001. The company changed its name in July 2012 and the Memorandum and Articles of Association were updated in 2012. The company is registered as a charity (number 1052478).
The charity is organised through a Board of Trustees. The Trustees for this period are listed in section 1.
Trustees are appointed by (and may be removed by) the Trustees of the Ewing Foundation (the ‘sister’ charity) and each appointment shall be for such length of term as they shall decide. This has been agreed at three years per term, and this process is reviewed annually. The Board of Trustees when complete consists of at least three and not more than seven individuals.
The Trustees meet as a Board four times a year to review its overall management and control, for which they are legally responsible. At Trustees’ meetings, the Trustees agree the broad strategy and areas of activity for the charity, including consideration of grant making, risk management, investments, reserve policies and operational procedures.
The day-to-day administration of grants and the processing and handling of applications prior to consideration by the Trustees is delegated to the 'Administrator of the Trustees'. The Administrator meets regularly with the Chair of the Trustees as well as attending all Trustee meetings. This arrangement continued digitally during this period.
To ensure there was a rigorous process of grant assessment, these sessions took place via Zoom, telephone calls and emails across the year, with in-person visits where appropriate.
Finally, the Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake. During the year, the charity's activities continued to focus on grant making to other charitable organisations in furtherance of its charitable objects.
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
Achievements and performance
As described in section 2, the charity's objects, as set out in its Charity Trust Deed, are to 'promote and further the education, including social and physical education, of children and young people with a hearing impairment.' The objectives remain appropriate for a ‘generic approach’ and allow for a high degree of flexible interpretation and application, which is carefully monitored.
During the year, Ovingdean Hall Foundation (OHF) supported a wide range of existing and new projects for deaf children and young people, as detailed in the summary in the next section. As with previous years, there was a wonderful spread of both activity and geography, with obvious benefits for deaf children and young people.
The Foundation continued to receive many enquiries for support and worked closely with potential applicants to ensure this is the most appropriate funding opportunity for them. If so, we then helped them to shape their application so they could be very clear about the outcomes for deaf children and young people. If successful, we also provided additional support to ensure their grant was ‘maximised’. This can mean putting them in touch with other organisations or signposting to further resources. We believe this approach helps extend the value of each and every grant, and feedback is extremely positive about this ‘personal’ approach.
Trustees scaled back grant making activity in the last year, while taking the opportunity to review the difference made with existing grants and considering the overall impact of the grants given over the last few years. The financial resources are reducing and Trustees felt this was an important moment to pause and think about the years ahead.
Whilst undertaking this review, the small grants programme remained open, with fantastic results. A small amount of funding has been considerable in terms of the benefits for deaf children and young people. We have continued to see an increase in motivated parents with personal experiences wanting to share their learning to benefit others, and we have been delighted to support them, and connect them with others.
The property (owned by the Foundation, but gifted to Hamilton Lodge School for their use on a ‘peppercorn rent’ basis) was returned to the Foundation during the year as pupil numbers reduced and it was no longer needed for their residential support. Following a review, Trustees decided to sell the property, so at the time of writing this report, the property was on the market. Depending on the price achieved, this will further extend the resources available, and Trustees will take this into consideration once a sale has been completed.
Trustees continued to invest in the education of future Qualified Teachers of Deaf children and young people (QToDs) providing scholarships and learning support to remove financial barriers for students and ensuring they have the best opportunity to pass their course and gain employment in the field. There continues to be a need for more specialist teachers and Trustees were pleased to continue to make an investment in this area. Further details are in the section below.
Finally, Trustees would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank their community of supporters for their continued loyalty and generosity. Over the course of the year, two newsletters were sent to supporters to let them know about OHF’s projects and communicate the immense value of their interest in the Foundation’s work. Their generosity and continued support enabled further grant giving in the year, and we were immensely grateful for that.
Below is a summary of the grants provided during the year, and the difference made.
Overall summary
During 2024-25, Ovingdean Hall Foundation (OHF) supported 24 education projects for deaf children and young people. In addition to supporting activities such as drama, music, sport and teacher training, OHF has received an increasing number of applications from youth clubs and, during 2024-25, it supported groups for
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
deaf children and young people in Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Northampton, Portsmouth, Walsall and York. Our growing investment in youth provision reflects both the need for, and the impact of, these groups. They serve to tackle isolation, boost confidence and bring deaf children and their families together is a warm and welcoming environment where the challenges they face are understood.
As detailed earlier, Trustees took the difficult but necessary decision during autumn 2024 to pause applications to their main grants programme from new charities. This hiatus has given Trustees the time and space to review their current grant making and consider how best to direct the Foundation’s resources to best achieve their aims. The small grants programme has remained open during this time.
Over the year, OHF has worked alongside its partner charity, Ewing Foundation. This relationship has extended to its grants recipients and in June 2024, Pilot Theatre, The School of Sexuality Education, Soundwaves Foundation, The Elizabeth Foundation and Toy Like Me all exhibited and/or delivered presentations at Ewing Foundation’s conference on supporting deaf children and young people with additional or complex needs. This event in central London provided grant recipients with the opportunity to share news of their services with a target audience of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People.
Grants awarded in 2024-2025
Trustees are pleased to report that Ovingdean Hall Foundation (OHF) has provided funding for the following projects in 2024-25.
Birmingham Institute for the Deaf (BID) Services – OHF supported BID Services’ youth provision for deaf children and young people in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.
BID’s youth services include a weekly club that offers 35-40 deaf children and young people activities such as arts and crafts, drama, sports and story time. BID also offer a holiday scheme, and highlights have included a trip to a Winter Wonderland and West Midlands Safari Park, and science and sports events. They also invite deaf presenters to the group to enhance their provision and promote deaf role models.
BID provides its members, aged 15-18 years, with the opportunity to take part in their Youth Leaders programme. Once trained, the Youth Leaders go on to support the club’s activities, while also developing their own skills and confidence.
‘Our OHF grant has made a key contribution toward the continuation of our Youth Provision in Birmingham,’ said Project Manager, Jorja Le Gallienne.
Con Powell Memorial Scholarships – This year, OHF awarded four Scholarships for teachers to train to become Qualified Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (QToDs). The Scholarships are managed on behalf of OHF by the British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (BATOD). Scholars also benefit from the support of deaf education professionals at our partner charity Ewing Foundation.
The Scholarships are named in honour of Con Powell, the first President of BATOD and the first Chief Executive Officer of Ewing Foundation.
Deafinitely Theatre – OHF supported Deafinitely’s popular Youth Theatre programme for deaf young people. The Youth Theatre is the only specialist, free of charge, deaf-led arts provision available to young people aged 14-21 in London and nationally.
Their 2024-2025 programme, which included workshops with guest theatre companies, culminated with participants creating and then performing a show in front of a full audience of family and friends in February 2025 at City Lit (the Centre for Deaf Education in London).
The charity also delivered a four-night residential summer school, their first since the pandemic. ‘This was a free opportunity for deaf young people to meet each other, develop their performance skills but also have access to fun social activities like swimming, archery, film nights and campfire experiences,’ said General Manager Sophie Flack.
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
In total, 230 deaf children and young people took part in the programme over the year.
Deaf-SELF – OHF continued its support of Deaf-SELF's play scheme, providing school holiday activities for Deaf children and young people in South London.
The play scheme, which is separated into groups for primary and secondary school-aged children, provides a range of outdoor activities and workshops. Some of the highlights of the past year have included trampolining, go-karting, football, paddle-boarding, and self-defence led by a Deaf martial arts instructor. There have also been trips to Catford Wanderers, Lewisham Fire Station and BSL-interpreted shows on board the Puppet Theatre Barge.
‘It has been an adventure-filled and eventful year with children and youths embracing the opportunity to socialise in British Sign Language, discover new things, and learn skills from incredible Deaf role models,’ said Asa Whicker, Funding and Development Officer at Deaf-SELF and its partner charity Remark! Community.
The group has also recently relocated to the centre of Catford where they hope improved access will allow them to provide more activities in central London. ‘We're so excited to see what events, activities and new faces this year has in store for us!’ said Asa.
The Elizabeth Foundation – OHF has continued its support of Let’s Listen and Talk (LL&T), The Elizabeth Foundation’s free online communication programme for deaf babies and young children.
LL&T now has 1,450 registered users, a combination of families and deaf education and healthcare professionals. During the year, LL&T was launched as an app for phones, offering a quick and convenient platform that can be accessed on the go. This new app enables both families and professionals to help babies and young children of all levels of deafness to learn to listen and communicate.
‘LL&T has been made possible by the generosity of Ovingdean Hall Foundation,’ said Julie Hughes, Chief Executive Officer of The Elizabeth Foundation. ‘The sheer reach and scope of the resource has been astonishing to us. We continue to work to improve the LL&T programme, making it a diverse tool that will meet the variety of needs for deaf children, their families and the professionals who support them.’
Funky Kids – OHF has continued its support of Funky Kids, a grassroots community group for deaf children and their families in Walsall. The group now has 480 members. Highlights from the year have included seaside trips to Llandudno and Barry Island, a picnic in the park, Star Wars and superheroes events, a foods-from-around-the-world day, and sports and arts and craft activities. Funky Kids also provides specific groups for toddlers and teenagers, and a pan-disability football club.
In addition to social activities, Funky Kids offers wider support to families, such as sharing donated clothes and toys, providing children’s lunches and helping teenage members into employment.
Funky Kids also provides a large allotment where families garden and grow vegetables together. ‘This has been fantastic for the teens,’ said founder Simone Carter. ‘They have been planting and growing, building and painting and learning new skills. It is great to see them connecting with nature and wildlife.’
Go Live Theatre Projects – During 2024-25, OHF supported Stage Seen activities delivered by Go Live Theatre Projects. The charity held a family day in October 2024, built around the musical Six. The day began with a pre-show workshop introducing the show’s central themes and characters, which was followed by a captioned showing of the musical.
In March 2025, Go Live took 15 deaf children and young people to a mid-week performance of Macbeth at The Globe, as part of the theatre’s Playing Shakespeare programme (Shakespeare’s plays adapted for young audiences) for schools and community groups. The Stage Seen day at The Globe included an interactive carousel of pre-show activities, including a drama workshop, and Question and Answer sessions with a BSL consultant/actor and the show’s creative team.
‘The young people at the Shakespeare's Globe Macbeth workshops I attended were very engaged and responsive,’ said Go Live’s Development Manager, Emily Standring. ‘I particularly appreciated how many d/Deaf theatre professionals were available throughout the event, giving tangible examples of the career
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
opportunities that the young people could explore.’
National Centre for Early Music – OHF has supporting the National Centre for Early Music’s I Can Play project, providing Saturday morning music lessons for deaf children in York. Trustees have also supported I Can Play Brass, a collaboration with the Shepherd Group Brass Band, which has seen the charity deliver weekly (during term time) brass music lessons to deaf children. Congratulations to I Can Play with Brass Roots for winning Band Project of the Year in the Brass Band England Awards in October 2024.
National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) – OHF is a sponsor stakeholder of NatSIP, a partnership of organisations working to improve outcomes for children and young people with sensory impairments. In 2024-2025, OHF made important contributions to their ongoing work.
NatSIP, together with University College London (UCL) and the Consortium for Research in Deaf Education (CRIDE), had been partners in a longitudinal project, led by Bob Denman from NatSIP. This was a collaborative longitudinal study of deaf children and young people, aiming to investigate relationships between pupil, provision and outcome variables.
The original study was designed to take place over a seven-year period, starting in the 2017-18 school year. By February 2022, the first three years of data collection had been finished, statistical analyses of the results completed, and a comprehensive report had been produced by Bob. Very sadly, Bob passed away in March 2022, and thus, the project was halted.
As it had not been possible to restart the project, Trustees agreed in March 2023 to a further grant to fund dissemination of the study’s findings to date for the benefit of professionals and for the public. In 2024-25, Carole Wood, an Education Advisor at OHF’s partner charity, Ewing Foundation, began interrogating the data with a view to producing a peer-reviewed article in due course.
Panathlon UK – OHF is an official partner of disability sports charity Panathlon UK. OHF’s grant in 2024-2025 supported a range of sporting opportunities for deaf children and young people, including ten-pin bowling, swimming and football. The charity delivered activities across the country, in-person and also online with Events Officer and former England Deaf Cricket International player James Dixon. Chief Operating Officer Tony Waymouth said that, ‘Deaf school sport would not be where it is without the support of OHF.’
‘Thank you for an absolutely wonderful Panathlon swimming event last week,’ one teacher said. ‘All of our pupils, staff and parents thoroughly enjoyed the well-organised and efficient competition and were still buzzing today!’
Pilot Theatre – OHF continued to support Pilot Theatre’s project to involve deaf young people in making theatre more accessible. The grant funded in-school workshops and theatre trips. The pre- and post-show workshops focused on language, characters and themes, and then each participant received a free ticket to watch the show at a local theatre. Pilot also provided free online resources so that the class could reinforce their learning by re-visiting topics and vocabulary.
Clare Prior, a Ewing Foundation Education Adviser and former Head of Service, described a recent Pilot visit to a school in North West England; ‘Our learners were able to explore the world of theatre and examine language, themes, plot and characterisation as well as ‘behind the scenes’ roles and responsibilities. This was an incredible project to be involved with, and one that significantly enriched our learners’ lives.’
Remark! Community - OHF has continued its support of Remark! Community, a youth club in London attended by about 30 deaf children and young people each week.
‘Remark! Community's Youth Club has enjoyed an incredible year throughout 2024-25, supporting Deaf teenagers aged 11-19 to achieve their full potential through BSL-led activities, skills-based workshops and trips every Wednesday evening,’ said Asa Whicker, Funding and Development Officer at Remark! Community and
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
its partner charity Deaf-SELF.
There have been special events, such as a photography project led by a professional photographer with BSL Level 6, a healthy eating workshop with a Deaf nutritionist, and cookery sessions at Mercato Metropolitano. Other highlights have included a range of sports, such as baseball, cricket, kayaking, a poetry workshop, a Christmas pantomime and a celebration of International Women’s Day.
School of Sexuality Education (SSE) – OHF has funded SSE’s project to develop contemporary and comprehensive Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) programmes for deaf learners. The charity helps schools to provide age-appropriate, inclusive and trauma-informed RSE programmes, promoting education as a means to prevent sexual violence, tackle taboos and social injustices, and create a safer and kinder environment for all young people.
During 2024-25, the charity continued to develop their workshops on subjects such as consent and relationships and puberty and anatomy. The workshops have all been scaffolded within a progressive programme relating to age range and language and learning needs, with support from QToDs at our partner charity Ewing Foundation.
In October 2024, SSE brought together a focus group of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People to help understand the challenges they face and their training needs. This led to the design and delivery of bespoke workshops, training and resources for communicating the core principles of RSE to deaf young people.
‘SSE has been working with Deaf consultants, a British Sign Language interpreter, a team of doctors, school teachers, including QToDs, and sexual violence prevention specialists to ensure we are meeting the needs of the community with sessions on puberty, body image, identity, consent and relationships,’ said their Chief Executive Officer, Dolly Padalia.
In March 2025, Dolly contributed an article about the project to BATOD magazine, letting more QToDs know about SSE’s specialised RSE for deaf young people.
Sound Waves Foundation (SWF) – SWF is small parent-led charity committed to improving inclusivity and accessibly for deaf children and young people by promoting the use of live captioning in classrooms. Following OHF’s support of a successful research pilot during 2022, OHF funded the expansion of live captioning to four schools in East Sussex, benefiting around 400 students (both hearing and deaf).
‘As a deaf child it definitely helped my ability to understand the teacher,’ said one pupil, while another child added that captioning, ‘helps me with my spelling.’
Initial qualitative research has been undertaken in two schools, and then reviewed by a panel of professionals, including OHF Trustee Lindsey Rousseau, and Clare Prior, an Education Advisor at Ewing Foundation. Further research into the outcomes of using speech-to-text Artificial Intelligence in classrooms will inform this project going forward.
The profile of the charity is growing. In October 2024, founders Nicola and Silvie gave a presentation about Action for Captions at BATOD North’s conference. They also promoted Sound Waves Foundation on the popular Deaf blog Limping Chicken on 31st March 2025.
Saturday Kids Zone – following a small grant in 2023-2024, OHF gave further support to Saturday Kids Zone (SKZ) to help them deliver their services for deaf children and young people and their families in the Portsmouth area.
SKZ was founded by Lindsey Piasco, who wanted her own children and other deaf children to benefit from the type of clubs she had attended when young.
After a successful launch in 2017, SKZ was forced to close during the pandemic. OHF’s helped the club to open to re-open in January 2024, with 34 families joining in the first year. The venue provides a place for children and their families to take part in activities and socialise together. The club offers arts and crafts, an area for toddlers, and a games room for teenagers.
In early 2025, a legacy given to OHF from a supporter in the Hampshire area was directed to Saturday Kids’
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
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Zone. ‘Thank you so much for thinking of Saturday Kids’ Zone when receiving this incredibly generous legacy,’ said Lindsey. ‘Our club is going from strength to strength, with new families joining every month!’
Sign School – OHF has supported Sign School, a community British Sign Language (BSL) school serving Cardiff and the surrounding areas. Founded by Siobhan Darien, the mother of a deaf child, this popular club delivers BSL lessons to children and their families. There are also play and arts and crafts activities led by Deaf youth workers, as well as sports and coaching activities with a qualified sports coach who is Deaf.
Highlights from the year have included first aid training, pottery, boxing, water rafting and science experiments.
Siobhan said: ‘As always at Sign School, we aim to raise expectations about what Deaf children can do. We also want to give them access to experiences whilst providing a BSL learning environment and surrounding them with members of the Deaf community. Children have really thrived in our sessions. We regularly have parents messaging us thank you after the sessions. Their children are going home from the sessions so happy, telling them what a great time they have had, and children are always asking when our next session is. We are so pleased that OHF’s support has helped us provide these important services to Deaf children in Wales.’
Over the year, Sign School has also received support from Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government, and Siobhan credits OHF’s grant with helping to develop these relationships; ‘Thanks to the platform given to us by the OHF grant, we have been able to show the Council and Government evidence that there is a need for what Sign School is providing to the underrepresented young Deaf community and their families.’
Toy Like Me – OHF has supported Toy Like Me, an arts and play non-profit that promotes positive representation of disability among children, their families and teachers, and the toy industry.
OHF has previously helped to fund Toy Like Me’s See It Be It, an interactive exhibition pack highlighting the variety of careers held by deaf adults. These packs were sent to schools, with pupils using tokens to select their favourite jobs, and also create and add images of their dream careers.
During summer 2024, Trustees agreed to provide match funding for Toy Like Me to turn See It Be It into a portable puzzle-based board game. Over the year, Toy Like Me have secured 80 new case studies celebrating the wide range of careers held by deaf people. When completed, they plan to share the game with Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People, helping them to show their young learners that if they see it, they can be it!
‘See It Be It promotes positive reinforcement and career role models, leading to increased self-esteem and confidence,’ said co-founder Karen Newell. ‘We want to show deaf children and their parents and teachers that there are deaf people in all types of jobs. We want deaf children to feel proud of who they are and see themselves represented.’
In addition, new partnerships were developed during the year:
Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK) – OHF has provided AVUK with training bursaries to increase the skills of professionals working with deaf children in Wales.
Auditory Verbal Therapy is a play-based approach to developing deaf children’s listening and communication. OHF’s grant will enable professionals already working with deaf children to train in Auditory Verbal therapy and enhance their skills in the development of listening and spoken language in babies and very young deaf children. It is hoped that 10 Welsh practitioners (Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People, speech and language specialists or audiologists) will train to the Foundation stage of Auditory Verbal therapy, with a further three progressing to the Advanced stage with view to achieving the full qualification.
In 2015, OHF became the first Foundation to support bursaries for professionals to train in Auditory Verbal therapy in the UK. ‘We have a proven track record of successfully supporting professionals across the UK thanks to OHF,’ said Sarah Henry, Senior Development Manager. ‘This new grant will draw on our experience of success and build on it to enable more families of deaf children to access Auditory Verbal therapy in Wales.’
Deafconnect – OHF has contributed toward Deafconnect’s youth support group to enable deaf children and young people to work on their mental wellbeing and resilience and to help them feel comfortable and confident
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with their deaf identity. The Northampton-based group, which meets each fortnight, provides a range of activities to help young people from across the area cope with their feelings and worries. These activities include creating wellbeing folders, listing positive attributes, cultivating self-compassion, and understanding and managing worry cycles. The group also takes part in mood-boosting activities such as sports, arts and crafts and mindfulness.
Lollipop – OHF has supported Lollipop’s Raising Aspirations project. The project delivers monthly term-time activities for 66 deaf children and young people based in York and North Yorkshire.
Highlights from the year have included bushcraft and archery, a family Christmas party, pizza making, trampolining and visits to an escape room and a chocolate factory.
They also took part in samba drumming workshops organised by another OHF-supported project I Can Play! (National Centre for Early Music). ‘These activities have provided social opportunities to reduce isolation and help develop positive self-identity,’ said Lollipop’s Service Manager, Heidi McCollin.
During the year, the charity was consulted by Joseph Rowntree Theatre and Rowntree Players to advise on communication support for deaf audience members, with nineteen Lollipop families then attending the theatre’s signed and captioned performance of Jack and The Beanstalk.
The charity celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2024, with one parent writing in their newsletter; ‘What an amazing charity! You have provided invaluable support from the very start. It was so helpful to meet other families with deaf children and we have formed friendships for life.’ Another parent added: ‘Thank you for 20 years of making happy occasions.’
OHF small grants scheme
OHF’s programme to provide grants for small organisations and individuals working with deaf children and young people entered its fourth year. With grants ranging from a few hundred pounds to £1,500, funding is available to support professional development such as accessing training, undertaking research, buying a resource or piece of equipment not available to applicants through their work. This process is not intended for projects where other funding should be available, for example, by schools, colleges or individuals providing activities under their statutory duty.
In 2024-25, small grants were awarded to Audiovisability to carry out research into music provision and employment opportunities for deaf children and young people, to Flare Wave Festival for an intergenerational arts project exploring the impact of hearing technology, and Coastline for activities at their deaf youth club in Scarborough. A small contribution was also given to a PhD student to support his research into the experiences of deaf young people who have accessed Deaf Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Trustees would like to take this opportunity to thank their community of supporters again for their loyalty and generosity, through their regular giving activity. In addition, an anonymous donation of £25,000 boosted our fundraising significantly. We were also grateful to receive a legacy from a kind supporter.
Trustees believe the current resources will last for a further 7-9 years, depending on the level of grant allocations in the years ahead, and the sale of our property. Therefore, they continued to monitor this situation very closely over this period, and continued to use a rigorous process of grant assessment and monitoring.
Financial review
Following a strategic review in the previous year, and as detailed in our last report, the Trustees recognised that the financial resources will soon deplete and the grant making will no longer be able to continue when that happens. Whilst a profit was recognised of £459,678, £700,000 of this related to the reintroduction of the investment property.
The Trustees believe the current resources will last for a further 7-9 years, depending on the level of grant allocations in the years ahead. Therefore, they will continue to monitor this situation very closely over this period.
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
Structure, governance and management
As detailed in section 2, Ovingdean Hall Foundation was previously Ovingdean Hall School for Deaf Children, and is a charity and grant-maker supporting education projects for deaf children and young people in England and Wales.
The charity's objects, as set out in its Charity Trust Deed, are to 'promote and further the education, including social and physical education, of children and young people with a hearing impairment.'
Ovingdean Hall School was incorporated in 1996 as a company limited by guarantee and the Memorandum and the Articles of Association were updated in 2001. The company changed its name in July 2012 and the Memorandum and Articles of Association were updated in 2012. The company is registered as a charity (number 1052478).
As detailed in section one, the charity is organised through a Board of Trustees. The Trustees are appointed by (and may be removed by) the Trustees of the Ewing Foundation and each appointment shall be for such length of term as they shall decide. Trustees are inducted into the working of the charity, including statutory and non-statutory information and procedures.
The Board of Trustees, when complete, consists of at least three and not more than seven individuals. The Trustees meet as a Board four times a year to review its overall management and control, for which they are legally responsible. At Trustees’ meetings, the Trustees agree the broad strategy and areas of activity for the charity, including consideration of grant making, risk management, investments, reserve policies and operational procedures. The day-to-day administration of grants and the processing and handling of applications prior to consideration by the Trustees is delegated to the 'Administrator of the Trustees'. The Administrator meets regularly with the Chair of the Trustees as well as attending all Trustee meetings.
The Trustees examine the major risks that the charity faces each financial year through their Trustee meetings. There are systems in place to monitor and control these risks in order to mitigate any impact that they may have on the charity. Risks are identified, assessed and controls established throughout the year. The key controls used by the charity include;
•Agendas and minutes for all Trustees' meetings
•Professional Consultants to advise Trustees as necessary
•Financial controls and management accounting
•Authorisation and approval levels
The main financial risk for consideration for the Trustees is to ensure they do not over commit in terms of their grant making activity whereby they do not have the funds to maintain the long- term day-to-day running of the charity. Through the risk management process, Trustees are satisfied that the major risks identified have been adequately mitigated.
It is recognised that systems can only provide reasonable but not absolute assurance that major risks have been adequately managed.
The Trustees are mindful of their duty of due diligence and have accordingly put in place a range of procedures and requirements for groups and organisations to follow when requesting grants. Trustees have established agreed criteria for eligibility for submitting grant applications including areas that they will not fund.
They have ensured that the application process gives a detailed overview of the project, including the purpose for which the grant is requested, who will benefit from the grant, a breakdown of costs and the way the project will meet the identified need.
Applications are then considered by the Trustees using the information from the application form and supporting mandatory information such as the applying organisation's trading accounts for the last financial
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year, forecast income and expenditure for the current financial year and their safeguarding policies and procedures.
Any applications that are requesting grants for large or unusual projects are also visited by an independent consultant representing Ovingdean Hall Foundation who then submits a report to the Trustees prior to Board's final decision.
Once an application has been successful, the project is monitored throughout its term by visits from an Ovingdean Hall Foundation representative and through stringent interim and end of project monitoring forms.
Finally, as detailed earlier in this report, Ovingdean Hall Foundation continued to be directly linked to The Ewing Foundation (www.ewing-foundation.org.uk) during this period, for the wider benefit of deaf children and young people.
Looking ahead
The Trustees will continue to pay close attention to the financial resources available to achieve the charity objects, as set out in the Charity Trust Deed.
Following their strategic review in the previous year, and as detailed in this report, they recognised the resources will soon deplete and the grant making will no longer be able to continue when that happens. Even with the expected property sale, Trustees are carefully considering the future of the Foundation, to ensure the maximum impact of the funding available. During the next period, and once the property sale is completed, they will carefully consider how to proceed.
In the meantime, Trustees agreed they will continue to use their robust methods of grant application and assessment (as described earlier in this report) to ensure they 'promote and further the education, including social and physical education, of children and young people with a hearing impairment', as set out in the Charity Trust Deed.
Trustees will also continue to offer ‘small grant’ funding for individuals, small groups and organisations in the year ahead, as described earlier in this report. They recognise a small amount can go a very long way for smaller groups and charities, and are very pleased to be able to continue to offer this support. Trustees would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Lindsey Rousseau for her continued support with this aspect of OHF grant giving.
Finally, Trustees recognised they will need to recruit new Trustees going forward. In the year, they identified the skills needed and explored this with suitable candidates. However, at the time of writing this report, they were still undertaking this work. This will be reported on in the next annual report.
Approved by order of the members of the board of Trustees on 4 December 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Ovingdean Hall Foundation ('the Charity')
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I report to the charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and Basis of Report
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As the Trustees of the Charity (and 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 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 accounts 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.
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Independent Examiner's Statement
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Since the Charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the 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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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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
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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)].
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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.
This report is made solely to the Charity's Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Charity's Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an Independent Examiner's Report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the Charity's Trustees as a body, for my work or for this report.
Signed: Dated: 4 December 2025
Laura Ambrose FCA
Haslers
Old Station Road
Loughton
Essex
IG10 4PL
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Net income/(expenditure) before net losses on investments
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Net losses on investments
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Net movement in funds before other recognised gains/(losses)
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Total funds brought forward
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Total funds carried forward
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The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
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The notes on pages 17 to 26 form part of these financial statements.
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
REGISTERED NUMBER: 03148333
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 31 MARCH 2025
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Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
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Total assets less current liabilities
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Net assets excluding pension asset
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
REGISTERED NUMBER: 03148333
BALANCE SHEET (CONTINUED)
AS AT 31 MARCH 2025
The Charity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of Companies Act 2006.
The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and preparation of financial statements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to entities subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees on 04 December 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
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The notes on pages 17 to 26 form part of these financial statements.
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
1.Accounting policies
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Basis of preparation of financial statements
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The financial statements 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), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Ovingdean Hall Foundation meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy.
All income is recognised once the Charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.
Grants are included in the Statement of Financial Activities on a receivable basis. The balance of income received for specific purposes but not expended during the period is shown in the relevant funds on the Balance Sheet. Where income is received in advance of entitlement of receipt, its recognition is deferred and included in creditors as deferred income. Where entitlement occurs before income is received, the income is accrued.
Income tax recoverable in relation to investment income is recognised at the time the investment income is receivable.
Other income is recognised in the period in which it is receivable and to the extent the goods have been provided or on completion of the service.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, 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 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. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Expenditure on 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.
Expenditure on charitable activities is incurred on directly undertaking the activities which further the Charity's objectives, as well as any associated support costs.
Grants payable are charged in the year when the offer is made except in those cases where the offer is conditional, such grants being recognised as expenditure when the conditions attaching are fulfilled. Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the year end are noted as a commitment, but not accrued as expenditure.
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
1.Accounting policies (continued)
All expenditure is inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the Charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the institution with whom the funds are deposited.
Fixed asset investments are a form of financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction cost and subsequently measured at fair value at the Balance Sheet date, unless the value cannot be measured reliably in which case it is measured at cost less impairment. Investment gains and losses, whether realised or unrealised, are combined and presented as ‘Gains/(Losses) on investments’ in the Statement of Financial Activities.
Unsold properties held for resale are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value, cost
includes ancillary expenses of the purchase.
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short-term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
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Liabilities and provisions
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Liabilities are recognised when there is an obligation at the Balance Sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably.
Liabilities are recognised at the amount that the Charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt or the amount it has received as advanced payments for the goods or services it must provide.
Provisions are measured at the best estimate of the amounts required to settle the obligation. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, the provision is based on the present value of those amounts, discounted at the pre-tax discount rate that reflects the risks specific to the liability. The unwinding of the discount is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities as a finance cost.
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
1.Accounting policies (continued)
The Charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Investment income, gains and losses are allocated to the appropriate fund.
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Income from donations and legacies
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
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Income from listed investments
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Grants to Institutions
2025
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
5.Analysis of grants (continued)
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The Charity has made the following material grants to institutions during the year:
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BATOD - Con Powell Scholarships
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School of Sexuality Education Ltd
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The York Early Music Foundation
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Small Grants under £2,000
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
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Analysis of expenditure by activities
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Grant funding of activities
2025
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Analysis of support costs
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Legal & professional expenses
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Investment management fees
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
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Trustees' remuneration and expenses
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During the year, no Trustees received any remuneration or other benefits (2024 - £NIL).
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During the year ended 31 March 2025, expenses totalling £266 were reimbursed or paid directly to the Trustees (2024 - £113).
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Material investments (greater than 5% of portfolio)
1,200 - Unilever - £55,320
12,000 - Edinburgh Investment Trust - £55,500
54,000 - International Public Partnership Ltd - £60,480
1,500 - Rio Tinto - £68,798
33,000 - Aberdeen Asia Smaller Co's - £57,800
450 - Findlay Park - £75,303
10,000 - Manchester & London Inv Trust - £41,860
71,000 - The Renewables Infrastructure Fund - £53,676
UK holdings comprised £654,076 (2024: £765,152) and overseas holdings comprised £164,824 (2024: £244,955)
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The charity purchased a freehold property in 2012 which was previously leased under a 99 year lease at a peppercorn rent to another charity. The freehold property has been handed back to the charity during this financial year and is currently on the market for sale. The property has been valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
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Prepayments and accrued income
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Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
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Accruals and deferred income
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Statement of funds - current year
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Balance at 1 April 2024
£
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Balance at 31 March 2025
£
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Statement of funds - prior year
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Balance at
1 April 2023
£
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Balance at
31 March 2024
£
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
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Summary of funds - current year
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Balance at 1 April 2024
£
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Balance at 31 March 2025
£
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Summary of funds - prior year
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Balance at
1 April 2023
£
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Balance at
31 March 2024
£
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OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
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Analysis of net assets between funds
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Analysis of net assets between funds - current year
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Creditors due within one year
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Analysis of net assets between funds - prior year
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Creditors due within one year
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Related party transactions
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During the period the charity paid a donation of £47,200 (2024: £47,200) to Ewing Foundation, a charity in which has the power to appoint the trustees of Ovingdean Hall Foundtion. There were no conditions attached to the donation. At the year end £NIL (2024: £170) was payable to Ewing Foundation.
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