The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 October 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, 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's objectives, as defined in its Articles of Association, are to advance the education of the pupils at Coopers Edge School, it being acknowledged that, in carrying out the Objects, the company must have regard to its obligation to promote community cohesion under the Education Acts.
The Coopers Edge Trust is a community-led organisation, which operates the new primary school and community centre in Coopers Edge. The trust aims to provide all members of the Coopers Edge community with opportunities to achieve their full potential. We want to provide all residents, regardless of their social background, with the opportunity to:
be healthy;
live in a safe community;
enjoy and achieve, through training and education available to all ages;
make a positive contribution to the community; and
achieve economic wellbeing.
Significant activities
The main areas of charitable activity can be broken down into four key streams:
community organising;
financial stability of residents;
development of health and well-being services; and
improved community engagement.
As a neighbourhood with low levels of social capital the charity's immediate activities are focused on creating opportunities to strengthen pro-social relationships between neighbours, whilst improving access to local services. Through community organising the Trust will promote resilience across the community by improving access to services and strengthening ties between friends, families and neighbours.
With 30% of social housing on the development, the Trust's intention is to provide workshops and services to give people them the skills and confidence to improve their chances of employment. The Trust hopes to encourage the growth of social enterprises, thus contributing to employment and neighbourhood prosperity.
The provision of health and well-being services includes workshops for a range of childcare issues. Furthermore, the trustees recognise the role sport can play in bringing people together so will also create opportunities for people of all ages to participate in sport and fitness activities.
Public benefit
In planning the charity's activities for the period, the trustees kept in mind the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. The focus of the charity's activities during the period, which explains the delivery by the charity of public benefit, is set out below under 'Achievement and performance' and above under 'Objectives and aims'.
Charitable activities
During the period there was continued development for The Coopers Edge Trust, following the restructure of activities and roles, the continuing success of our strategic partnership (with Deli Edge) and the streamlining of a number of centre activities we have continued our focus on the profitability of the centre which ensures the centre remains a viable self-funding operation and allows us to fund further community activities in the future.
We are particularly proud that the centre has continued to strengthen its ties with its existing community user base and is now used by an ever-growing section of the community, the Community Centre continues to be a real hub for the community.
What we achieved in the period:
posted a profit for the centre for the third year running
continued operation and development of the community centre including considerable maintenance activity
continued to work with key partner (Deli Edge) who manage the café
continued improvement of the financial position of the Trust
supported growth and development of the community
continued to support the growth and development of Coopers Edge School
furthered relationships with Upton St Leonards, Hucclecote and Brockworth Parish Councils
An area that we all wish to improve is the reach to community members who are childless or have adult children. These are the demographics who are currently under served by the centre.
Community Centre Performance
Over the past year the Community Centre has stayed financially stable, while continuing to be a community hub and providing a reasonably priced venue for events. This year we have delivered significant building works to keep the building and spaces in good working order while improving the usage.
These include:
Works to repair all issues in the Sports hall, resulted in hall being closed for a month.
Decoration and maintenance of both meeting rooms.
Storage racking for both storerooms
Refurbishment and maintenance of all toilets, including an additional baby change facility.
The partnership between the Centre and Deli Edge Café continues to grow and be of benefit to both, together we have improved the facilities as well as continuing to offer a warm and welcoming space to the community.
We have continued to support and engage with local people starting up new projects, as well as supporting our already large network of existing hirers. We have continued to support older adults without children with our partnership with The Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation. We hope to continue to grow these types of actions over the next year.
We have also continued with free community events, including our Annual Christmas event and the introduction of a new Halloween event.
We are now in a position of positive growth, good customer retention and are financially stable.
The results for the period are shown in the attached financial statements.
The Trustee Board has agreed that £10,000 of reserves should be held to support the next years planned activities. The Board consider that the Trust's reserves at 31 October 2025 are adequate.
Financial relationship with Coopers Edge School
For the purposes of clarity these financial statements do not record any transactions of Coopers Edge School, as the charity is not presently responsible for the running of the school.
What we hope to achieve in the next financial year:
continue to operate the centre at profit
work with the 3 parishes to continue to support youth provision
provide continuing support to the new allotment facilities being built in the community
work with Councils, developers and the community to ensure long term provision of community facilities and services in Coopers Edge
continue to support the growth and development of Coopers Edge School
empower the local community to develop their own resources and resilience, in order to grow as individuals and a community.
The charity is controlled by its governing document, the Articles of Association dated 14 October 2010, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
The Articles of Association have been amended by special resolutions on 19 June 2011 and 23 June 2011.
New trustees are appointed by their 'sponsoring' organisation (see below under 'organisational structure').
Organisational structure
Subject to any restrictions imposed by the Education Acts, membership of the Trust is open to any other individuals or organisations interested in promoting the Objects of the charity who:
are approved by the Trustees following the approval of the governing body of Coopers Edge Primary School; and
sign the register of members or consent in writing to become a member either personally or (in the case of an organisation) through an authorised representative.
The trustees of the charity are also directors of the company and under the company's constitution are known as members of the Trustee Board. The number of Trustees cannot be less than two or more than twelve.
The Trustee Board is currently made up of:
two Trustees appointed by local parish councils;
three Trustees appointed by the Coopers Edge Community Group; and
two Trustees appointed by the governing body of Coopers Edge Primary School.
Induction and training of new trustees
Trustees have a wide range of public and private sector expertise, including education, financial and sales and management skills. Where trustee training needs are identified, appropriate courses are provided.
Risk management
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities
The trustees (who are also the directors of The Coopers Edge Trust for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) including Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland"
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The Coopers Edge Trust (the charity) for the year ended 31 October 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.
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 Coopers Edge Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Coopers Edge School Typhoon Way, Brockworth, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL3 4DY, England.
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 financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
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.
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.
Trustees' expenses
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 October 2025 nor for the year ended 31 October 2024.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
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.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).