THE JOHN APTHORP CHARITY

Registered charity 1102472 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as SUMMARY LIMITED

Helping the young, the old, the disabled and the general community in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire . This is done by the awarding of grants to organisations. We do not accept applications for grants from individuals or for the benefit of persons not living in this geographical catchment area.

Objects

THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS (THE OBJECTS) ARE TO APPLY THE FUNDS OF THE CHARITY FOR SUCH EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE PURPOSES AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED.

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 · Disability · Amateur Sport · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Hertsmere, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£409k

Latest spending

£429k

Registered

2004

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted free reserves stood at £11,008,874, which the trustees confirmed met their policy target of maintaining funds to generate investment returns for annual grant targets. The charity reported a net deficit of £102,936 for the year, driven by grant awards exceeding investment income, though it remains solvent with significant asset backing.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: maintained at a level which will generate investment returns to meet annual grant allocation targets of £450,000 and ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised (reserves figure: £11.0m)

“It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds should be maintained at a level which will generate investment returns to meet annual grant allocation targets of £450,000 and ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised.” — page 4

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Myers Clark. 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.

Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Risk management
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Grant-making is its main activity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 05004498

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

APTHORP, Jennifer Claire Emma — director, appointed 13/10/2025on trustee list
ARNOLD, James John — director, appointed 13/10/2025on trustee list
EMPSON, Lucinda Alice — director, appointed 13/10/2025on trustee list
KILLEN, Elizabeth Juliet Apthorp — director, appointed 13/10/2025on trustee list
APTHORP, Christina Helen Jane, Dr — director, appointed 11/10/2021on trustee list
APTHORP, Duncan Mark — director, appointed 30/12/2003not on trustee list
APTHORP, Christina Helen Jane, Dr — secretary, appointed 17/08/2024

Official officers record.

Register events

Received assets from another charity (03/01/2013) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

KATE ARNOLD BSC HONSchair
DUNCAN MARK APTHORP MA CANTAB
Dr CHRISTINA APTHORP
Elizabeth Juliet Louisa KILLEN
James John Arnold
Jennifer Claire Emma Apthorp
Justin James Apthorp
Lucinda Alice Empson

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

Operates in: Bedford · Cambridgeshire · Central Bedfordshire · Hertfordshire · Luton

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£409k	£429k
31/12/2024	£402k	£592k
31/12/2023	£378k	£395k
31/12/2022	£475k	£339k
31/12/2021	£381k	£253k

Common questions

Is THE JOHN APTHORP CHARITY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted free reserves stood at £11,008,874, which the trustees confirmed met their policy target of maintaining funds to generate investment returns for annual grant targets. The charity reported a net deficit of £102,936 for the year, driven by grant awards exceeding investment income, though it remains solvent with significant asset backing. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Myers Clark.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE ANDOR CHARITABLE TRUST.

THE ANDOR CHARITABLE TRUST income £72k
JOHN ACKROYD CHARITABLE TRUST income £29k
JOHN A THOMPSON MEMORIAL TRUST income £444k
THE JONGEN CHARITABLE TRUST income £22.3m
THE ATHERTON TRUST income £39k
THE ANCHOR SOCIETY LTD income £115k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE JOHN APTHORP CHARITY	£409k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE ANDOR CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£72k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
JOHN ACKROYD CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£29k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
JOHN A THOMPSON MEMORIAL TRUST FY2025	£444k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE JONGEN CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£22.3m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE ATHERTON TRUST FY2026	£39k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.