THE BIRKETT-SMITH ANIMAL SANCTUARY

Registered charity 1152016 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BSAS · filing overdue (register status)

Animal sanctuary

Objects

FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING OF ANIMALS (IN PARTICULAR SMALL FARM AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS) IN NEED OF CARE AND ATTENTION BY REASON OF SICKNESS, INFIRMITY, MALTREATMENT, POOR CIRCUMSTANCES AND ILL USAGE BY PROVIDING A FACILITY FOR THEIR CARE AND TREATMENT ON A WHOLLY NON-PROFITABLE BASIS.

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

Causes: Animals · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£117k

Latest spending

£317k

Registered

2013

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that liabilities exceed assets by £120,924, resulting in negative unrestricted funds of £122,634. The trustees have determined that the charity is not a going concern and have decided to close the charity, with an orderly closure planned for November 2025.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Going concern: accounts NOT prepared on a going-concern basis (closing, merging or winding up)

“The charity is not considered to be a going concern. The assets have been valued as their recoverable amounts.” — page 8

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Ms Keys (trustee) owed the charity £52,517 at year-end, with interest charged at 2.25%. Ms Keys also withdrew funds and repaid charity expenditure, resulting in a net decrease in the loan.

“Ms Keys, trustee owed the charity £52,517 (2023 - £196,006) at 1 November 2024. This is disclosed in other debtors. The loan is repayable on demand and interest has been charged at 2.25%, being £2,729.” — page 14

“During the year, the charity paid rent of £15,320 (2023 - £15,780) to Ms E MacDonald, sister of Ms Keys. This the trustees believe to be below market value.” — page 14

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The charity paid rent of £15,320 to Ms E MacDonald, sister of trustee Ms Keys, which trustees believe is below market value.

“Ms Keys, trustee owed the charity £52,517 (2023 - £196,006) at 1 November 2024. This is disclosed in other debtors. The loan is repayable on demand and interest has been charged at 2.25%, being £2,729.” — page 14

“During the year, the charity paid rent of £15,320 (2023 - £15,780) to Ms E MacDonald, sister of Ms Keys. This the trustees believe to be below market value.” — page 14

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Governance: Independent examiner identified matters of concern regarding inadequate books and records.

“I have identified matters of concern in my report. The charity has failed to maintain adequate books and records during the year ended 1 November 2024, in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act.”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 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 policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Trustees · trustee networks

DAVID JOHN O BRIEN
JOY KEYS
Samantha Jane Bellamy

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

Operates in: Devon · Dorset · Somerset

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
01/11/2025	—	—
01/11/2024	£117k	£317k
01/11/2023	£364k	£421k
01/11/2022	£382k	£380k
01/11/2021	£328k	£310k

Common questions

Is THE BIRKETT-SMITH ANIMAL SANCTUARY financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that liabilities exceed assets by £120,924, resulting in negative unrestricted funds of £122,634. The trustees have determined that the charity is not a going concern and have decided to close the charity, with an orderly closure planned for November 2025. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.