THE WIXAMTREE TRUST

Registered charity 210089 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as H WHITBREAD CHARITABLE TRUST, HUMPHREY WHITBREAD'S FIRST CHARITABLE TRUST

The Trust focusses most of its support on organisations based in Bedfordshire or projects for the benefit of the people of that County. A small number of national charities with a focus on family social issues are also supported. Furthermore, the trustees are also sympathetic towards applications received from organistions of which the late Humphrey Whitbread was a benefactor.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£725k

Latest spending

£1.4m

Registered

1962

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net decrease in funds of £2,204,522 for the year ended 5 April 2025, primarily due to investment losses of £1,556,313. Total unrestricted reserves stood at £30,618,784, with free reserves in surplus at £436,173. The trustees confirmed the charity has adequate resources to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: a minimum of £100,000 available in free reserves (held: £436k)

“The Trustees’ policy is to aim to spend down towards their objective of a minimum of £100,000 available in free reserves, subject to review from time to time.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grants to SchoolReaders CIO

“Grants amounting to £25,000 were paid to SchoolReaders CIO. The partner of a trustee and sister-in-law of another trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a trustee of SchoolReaders CIO.” — page 24

“A Grant of £50,000 was paid to Fauna and Flora International. A trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a Vice Patron of this charity.” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grants to Fauna and Flora International

“Grants amounting to £25,000 were paid to SchoolReaders CIO. The partner of a trustee and sister-in-law of another trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a trustee of SchoolReaders CIO.” — page 24

“A Grant of £50,000 was paid to Fauna and Flora International. A trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a Vice Patron of this charity.” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grants to Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity

“Grants amounting to £25,000 were paid to SchoolReaders CIO. The partner of a trustee and sister-in-law of another trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a trustee of SchoolReaders CIO.” — page 24

“A Grant of £50,000 was paid to Fauna and Flora International. A trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a Vice Patron of this charity.” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grants to Autism Bedfordshire

“Grants amounting to £25,000 were paid to SchoolReaders CIO. The partner of a trustee and sister-in-law of another trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a trustee of SchoolReaders CIO.” — page 24

“A Grant of £50,000 was paid to Fauna and Flora International. A trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a Vice Patron of this charity.” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee expenses

“Grants amounting to £25,000 were paid to SchoolReaders CIO. The partner of a trustee and sister-in-law of another trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a trustee of SchoolReaders CIO.” — page 24

“A Grant of £50,000 was paid to Fauna and Flora International. A trustee of The Wixamtree Trust is a Vice Patron of this charity.” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Dunkley's. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 05/04/2025)

Total income

£725k

Total spending

£1.4m

Cost of raising funds

£220k

Reserves (reported)

£436k

Employees

0

Reported reserves equal ~3.8 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (97% 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: 30.4% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (24/02/2015) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

CHARLES EDWARD SAMUEL WHITBREADchair · trustee of 5 other charities
Arthur Julian George Polhill · trustee of 1 other charity
HARRY FRANCIS WHITBREAD · trustee of 1 other charity
Rupert Heseltine · trustee of 1 other charity
Victoria Rotheroe
Vinod Tailor · trustee of 1 other charity

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

Operates in: Bedford · Central Bedfordshire · Luton

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
05/04/2025	£725k	£1.4m
05/04/2024	£663k	£1.0m
05/04/2023	£543k	£1.2m
05/04/2022	£508k	£936k
05/04/2021	£694k	£1.2m

Common questions

Is THE WIXAMTREE TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net decrease in funds of £2,204,522 for the year ended 5 April 2025, primarily due to investment losses of £1,556,313. Total unrestricted reserves stood at £30,618,784, with free reserves in surplus at £436,173. The trustees confirmed the charity has adequate resources to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Dunkley's.

Who funds THE WIXAMTREE TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE WIXAMTREE TRUST as a grant recipient include UNSEEN (UK).

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
UNSEEN (UK)	FY2025	£22k	General

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with MRS B L ROBINSON'S CHARITABLE TRUST.

MRS B L ROBINSON'S CHARITABLE TRUST income £146k
THE BAY TREE CHARITABLE TRUST income £165k
THE WILLOW TREE TRUST income £184k
THE WILLIAMS CHARITABLE TRUST income £92k
CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUST income £443k
The Trust Foundation income £3.0m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE WIXAMTREE TRUST	£725k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
MRS B L ROBINSON'S CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£146k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE BAY TREE CHARITABLE TRUST FY2024	£165k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE WILLOW TREE TRUST FY2024	£184k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE WILLIAMS CHARITABLE TRUST FY2026	£92k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£443k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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