THE ELDER TREE LIMITED (VOLUNTARY VISITING SERVICE)

Registered charity 1124248 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The Elder Tree provides an extensive support and befriending network for isolated and vulnerable older people resident in Plymouth.

Objects

TO RELIEVE ELDERLY PEOPLE RESIDENT IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS OF ST PETER AND WATER FRONT, SUTTON AND MOUNT GOULD, DRAKE PEVERELL, EFFORD AND GREENBANK, PARTS OF LAIRA, PLYMPTON, PLYMSTOCK AND OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. WHO ARE SICK, HOUSEBOUND, ISOLATED AND THOSE WITH DISABILITIES BY PROVIDING SERVICES OR FACILITIES CALCULATED TO RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF SUCH PERSONS.

Area of benefit: AREAS OF ST PETER AND WATER FRONT, SUTTON AND MOUNT GOULD, DRAKE PEVERELL, EFFORD AND GREENBANK, PARTS OF LAIRA, PLYMPTON, PLYMSTOCK AND OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.

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

Causes: The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Plymouth, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a surplus of £57,224 for the year, with total unrestricted reserves of £348,349. The accounts state that unrestricted funds are held to support three months of trading, with a view towards six months, indicating a prudent reserves position relative to the stated policy.

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

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). 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.

• Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
• Complaints handling
• Complaints policy and procedures
• Conflicting interests
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Internal risk management policy and procedures
• Paying staff
• Risk management
• Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
• Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
• Social media policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Volunteer management

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.

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

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

• Plymouth City Council — “Plymouth City Council” (source page)
• Lloyds Bank Foundation — “Lloyds Bank Foundation” (source page)
• Plymouth Argyle Community Trust — “Plymouth Argyle Community Trust” (source page)

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/05/2025)

Reported reserves equal ~4.8 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (98% 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: 4.3% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

• IRENE ELIZABETH TONKINchair
• Ann Elizabeth Harris
• DIANE MARY GAVIN
• Dr Amanda Jane Harry
• JANE PAWSON
• Joanne Beniston
• Paula Williams
• SALLY ANNE PARKES

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

Operates in: Plymouth City

Income and spending

Common questions

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with Plymouth Tree People.

• Plymouth Tree People income £148k
• HELPING OLDER PEOPLE NEW FOREST income £204k
• The Pear Tree Fund income £362k
• PLYMOUTH CHARITY TRUST income £558k
• THE LIVING TREE income £25k
• ANCIENT TREE FORUM income £156k

Side by side with its peers

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