The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
The objects of the charity are laid down in the memorandum and articles of association.
The primary object of the charity is to provide specialised direct and indirect support for people with dementia.
The trustees' policy is to further the objects of the charity by ensuring that specialised care can be provided for people with dementia, that the SPECAL Centre can continue to develop as a centre of excellence, that family and friends of people with dementia can be trained and supported in delivering care and that care and health workers and others involved in the support of people with dementia can learn from and about the charity's specialised approach.
New trustees are inducted into their roles and responsibilities by the chairperson and the director and are provided with the latest annual report and financial statements. They will be given verbal instruction on the charity's administration, object and activities, organisation, financial procedures, equal opportunities and risk assessment and charity commission leaflet CC3 (a). The trustees take strategic decisions within a framework established by the trustees. The trustees, through the chairperson, manage and recruit other staff. Plans and policies were formulated by the trustees; the trustees make the planning and policy decisions. The skills mix of the board is reviewed annually.
Dr. Michael Philpot, formerly of the South London and Maudsley NHS trust, who was closely involved with the King’s College London preliminary research project, continues to advise the Trust on matters relating to evaluation and mentorship.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Contented Dementia Trust offers the potential for lifelong well-being for people who have dementia. The charity pays close attention to everyone involved with the person with dementia: working first with the younger generation in the family wherever possible, then spouses or partners, extended family members, friends and all associated care and health professionals. There is an increasing demand for SPECAL Master Practitioners who can lead this clinical work.
Contented Dementia Trust works primarily with the family to support their person with dementia through the application of the SPECAL method of managing dementia as soon as possible after medical diagnosis. The Trust has over thirty years of experience in developing and delivering a fully individualised transitional care programme which is family-led and disability-focussed. Over the past year the Trust has developed a Master Practitioner development pathway for professional training as defined within the various levels of professional accreditation: Junior, Senior and Master Practitioner and has established training links with health professionals working in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Spain and Portugal. The Trust has been significantly referenced in recently published 4th edition of Professor Ian Norman’s "The Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing: Principles and Practice", which is required reading for all mental health nurses; in the Dynamics of Dementia Communication (Professor Alison Wray); and in Yoga and Dementia (Amber Grosse), as well as in The New York Times and periodicals such as The New Yorker. It has presented to large numbers of multi-disciplinary staff including psychotherapists, occupational therapists, church groups, social clubs and societies, GPs, nurses, social prescribers, speech & language therapists and yoga teachers; it continues to respond positively to enquiries from around the world about the possibility of training overseas by personal visits and remote learning. Over the past year it has continued to collaborate with service providers in the statutory sector to bring greater dementia awareness to communities in various parts of the country.
The Contented Dementia Trust's area of operation continues to expand both at home and abroad, with extensive Master Practitioner training now under way.
Interest in the book "Contented Dementia", which describes the SPECAL method, continues; the rise in book sales has been sustained and interest in translation into languages other than English is growing: a revision of the current edition is work in progress. The "Understanding Dementia" DVD continues to sell well. The A5 booklet "Contented Dementia Trust: the SPECAL method" continues to increase its circulation in the UK and overseas. The SPECAL Photograph Album representation of memory, which uses an analogy to explain the experience of dementia from the perspective of the person with the condition, has attracted an increasing interest since it was first published in 2003; its core principle has been borne out by the research completed in collaboration with King's College London; a Joint Statement is published on both websites (www,kcl.ac.uk; www.contenteddementiatrust.org). The board chairperson, who is a recently retired director of Time Inc. (UK) Ltd has provided a strategic lead in many areas of the work of the Trust, resulting in a strengthened position in terms of collaboration with other organisations through a variety of dissemination channels at home and abroad.
During 2024-2025 it was becoming increasingly evident that the overall aim of the Trust to promote lifelong well-being for people with dementia lay in the availability across the UK and beyond of SPECAL Master Practitioners who are able to work alongside families gradually empowering them to act in a care management role for their person.
During the year now under review, one major innovation took place in April 2025 when the board of trustees unanimously approved the introduction of a SPECAL Master Practitioner Development programme. This programme positions at its heart the family-driven, disability-led model of SPECAL care known as the SPECAL method. This has long been an aspiration which has become a reality following the sale in 2024 of the Burford Hospital site. Several other areas of focus and expenditure connected to the programme include the a major redesign and build of the Trust’s website, further development of the SPECAL Academy as the training arm of the Trust, digitalisation and redaction of over thirty years of archived case histories, external accreditation for the SPECAL Master Practitioner Development syllabus and an increasing emphasis on professionals being introduced to the SPECAL approach through their contact with families already using the SPECAL method.
The Trust is investing in a safe exit strategy for its founder and current clinical lead. A critical component of this investment is the current consultancy service being supplied by Dr, Carlos del Nero, of Sao Paulo University, who is leading the download of the founder’s knowledge and skillset whilst extending the training of an existing cohort of Burford Practitioners to Master Practitioner level.
Considerable investment will be required to develop and promote the Academy’s professional training programme. The trustees fully understand the need to generate increased income going forward in order to continue to adapt and improve services and encourage additional funding from third-party sources for development and further research.
Public benefit
The trustees have referred to the guidelines contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing their aim and objectives and in planning the future activities. In particular the trustees consider how planned activity will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set. The achievements and performance of the Trust are shown in this report and the public are the direct beneficiary of those activities. As stated in the objects and activities the primary object of the charity is to provide specialised direct and indirect support for people with dementia which demonstrate the purpose and benefit to the public directly.
The Statement of Financial Activities is set out on page 8 of the financial statements.
Income has decreased by £54,602 in the year to 31 March 2026.
The statement of financial activities shows a net deficit for the year of £78,564 (2025: £77,593)
The company's unrestricted funds stand at £831,606 leaving available funds of £794,175 . Restricted funds stand at £6,522
A donation of £800,000 from the P.F. Charitable Trust was shown in the 2003-04 accounts as restricted income. This sum was used to acquire the freehold premises. The terms of the original charitable donation were that it had to be used to purchase The Old Hospital, Burford and that any future change of ownership of the building would be discussed and agreed in advance. This condition was duly honoured in advance of the sale in 2023 when it was agreed with the benefactors that the proceeds of sale would be put to excellent use in line with their original intention in relation to the preservation of a Centre of Excellence for the SPECAL method.
Funds available
As of 31 March 2026, the charity had available unrestricted funds of £831,606.
A proportion of the funds accruing from the sale of The Old Hospital have been used to cover the costs of moving from the Burford site and relocation to Bruern, with necessary adaptation of the new office space; legal fees in connection with the SPECAL Academy set-up; standardisation of training materials; updating of policies; employment of new staff; the filing and digitalisation of data.
Contented Dementia Trust, working through the SPECAL Academy, will continue to develop a portfolio of collaborative partnerships in order to demonstrate and deliver care, to train SPECAL Master Practitioners who re able to train both Junior and Senior Practitioner in the use of the SPECAL method and to publish findings in peer-reviewed journals of its specialised approach to the management of dementia, including an important focus on communication within the context of ageing and dementia. Contented Dementia Trust will press ahead with plans to maximise the benefits of advancing technology including AI with particular reference to developing and standardising its training programme and family work. The Trust will continue to move towards the expansion of sustainable funding mechanisms that will ensure its growth in providing direct support for those affected by dementia. Contented Dementia Trust will proactively identify opportunities to publish research-based evidence in order to enhance the credibility and reputation of the family-driven SPECAL care model and enable access to government funding.
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.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
The company was incorporated on 23 March 2001 under the name 'SPECAL' and commenced activities on 11 February 2002. Until this time, SPECAL's activities had been conducted through, and as a project of, the Oxfordshire branch of the Alzheimer's Society. Assets belonging to the SPECAL project were transferred to SPECAL when it became an independent company with charitable status.
SPECAL, in its capacity as a project of the Alzheimer's Society, had been based in Burford Community Hospital with its integrated NHS Nursing Development Unit since 1990; when the NHS withdrew all the Burford services in 2000 they planned they planned its commercial sale and potential demolition. This left SPECAL trying to raise £800,000 to acquire the hospital site while being allowed to remain on part of the site in the interim in order to continue its work on a temporary basis with a ‘24 hours’ notice to quit. Three years later, SPECAL was given notice to quit as the sale was by then imminent: late in the day, a single benefactor enabled SPECAL to buy The Old Hospital by making a donation of £800,000 to the charity for that purpose. Contracts were exchanged in March 2004, and SPECAL raised a further £40,000 in order to fit out and refurbish key parts of the building which had not been maintained by the NHS since 1997, when they decided to move towards closure.
In 2011 SPECAL was named Charity of the Year by International Publishing Corporation (IPC) Media and during the course of the year was supported by IPC to change the name of the charity to Contented Dementia Trust. As part of the re-branding process the term 'SPECAL method' was incorporated as the means whereby the charity achieves its aim of promoting lifelong well-being for people with dementia. In 2023 the Centre of Excellence was moved from Burford to Bruern, West Oxfordshire.
The Registered Charity and Company numbers and other related organisational aspects of the charity continue unchanged.
The governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association. In addition to an annual meeting, the trustees meet at regular intervals each year in order to ensure that they can make strategic plans and monitor the charity's activities on a regular basis.
The secretary has been responsible for co-ordinating the administration of the charitable company, for charitable company correspondence, financial monitoring and record maintenance, tax credit recovery from the Inland Revenue and maintaining financial records of the charity.
The trustees maintain a savings account with COIF, a short-term deposit account with Lloyds and a current account with online banking facilities; there are chequebook facilities for the current account. Two signatories are required for any cheque; signatories are the chairman and secretary. Any payments made must be within budgets that the trustees have approved. No signatory is allowed to sign a cheque payable to herself or to himself.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Contented Dementia Trust (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2026.
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 statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Contented Dementia Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Little Orchard, Broadwell, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 0UA, United Kingdom.
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” (“FRS 102”) 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)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention,[modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
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 are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Amortisation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Charitable Expenditure
Charitable Expenditure
Consultancy
Insurance
Advertising
Filming
Cleaning
Printing, stationery and computers
Telephone
Light, power and heat
Legal
Sundry
Accountancy
Rent and water
Bank charges
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year.
3 trustees were reimbursed travelling expenses totalling £275 (2025 - none reimbursed).
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
The Lena Taylor Memorial Fund provides support to families and professionals who would otherwise be unable to access the Trust’s training and coaching services.
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 (2025 - none).