ROYAL BENEVOLENT AND EDUCATIONAL FUND FOR WATERMEN AND LIGHTERMEN

Registered charity 1086890 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE ROYAL COTTAGE HOMES FOR WATERMEN, THE WATERMEN AND LIGHTERMEN CHARITIES

Provision of accommodation and relief of poverty for financial assistance for its principal beneficiaries.Education and training of its principal beneficiaries in river skills

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY ARE:(1) THE RELIEF OF THOSE PRINCIPAL BENEFICIARIES OF THE CHARITY IN NEED BY REASON OF AGE, ILL-HEALTH, DISABILITY, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR OTHER DISADVANTAGE BY:(A) THE PROVISION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE;(B) THE PROVISION OF ADVICE, GUIDANCE OR COUNSELLING;(C) THE PROVISION, OR ASSISTANCE WITH THE COST, OF ACCOMMODATION, INCLUDING NURSING OR CARE HOMES AND ANY OTHER FORM OF RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION APPROPRIATE TO THE NEEDS OF THE BENEFICIARIES; AND(D) SUCH OTHER CHARITABLE MEANS AS THE TRUSTEE SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE;(2) THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF THE PRINCIPAL AND OTHER BENEFICIARIES OF THE CHARITY INCLUDING EDUCATION IN SKILLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF INLAND AND ESTUARIAL WATERWAYS AND IN THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF THE COMPANY;(3) THE PROVISION OF ALMSHOUSE ACCOMMODATION FOR THE PRINCIPAL BENEFICIARIES OF THE CHARITY WHO ARE IN NEED, HARDSHIP OR DISTRESS.

Area of benefit: SEE CLAUSE 4 OF SCHEME

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Accommodation/housing · Amateur Sport · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Charity is able to meet its financial obligations and the Committee considers the finances to be sound. Per the trustees' report, the total funds for future use as at 30 June 2025 were £4,855,133, with unrestricted free reserves of £3,826,115. The Trustee is satisfied with the adequacy of reserves at this time, though notes potential future concerns regarding the age and condition of properties.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Accounts audited by Edmund Carr LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

• Complaints handling
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Internal risk management policy and procedures
• Investing charity funds policy and procedures
• Investment
• Paying staff
• Risk management
• Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
• Social media policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 30/06/2025)

Reported reserves equal ~65.1 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other trading activities (80% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.9% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

• Received assets from another charity (03/06/2013) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

• Graham Barnard · trustee of 1 other charity
• Sir David Hugh Wootton · trustee of 9 other charities
• THE COMPANY OF WATERMEN AND LIGHTERMEN OF THE RIVER THAMES

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Common questions