BISHOP SETH WARD ALMSHOUSE TRUST

Registered charity 240885 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BISHOP SETH WARD'S HOSPITAL, BISHOP WARD'S HOSPITAL, BUNTINGFORD ALMSHOUSE

The objective of the Bishop Seth Ward Almshouse Trust is to help house underprivileged mature adults in Buntingford, Hertfordshire. The Trust raises funds through the letting of endowment and investment properties to support the running and maintenance of the Almshouses.

Objects

FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF A HOSPITAL FOR 4 POOR MEN AND 4 POOR WOMEN, BEING WIDOWERS, WIDOWS, OR SUCH AS HAD NOT BEEN MARRIED; POOR PERSONS TO BE 60 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER AND OF GOOD REPUTE. TWO OF THE MEN AND TOW OF THE WOMEN ALWAYS TO BE SELECTED FORM THE INHABITANTS OF THE PARISH OF ASPENDEN, AND TOW OF THE MEN AND TWO OF THE WOMEN TO COME FROM THE PARISH OF LAYSTON. IF NONE SO QUALIFIED, INHABITANTS OF THE TOWN OF BUNTINGFORD. INMATES SHALL NOT HAVE OR BE WORTH TEN POUNDS OVER AND ABOVE THEIR WEARING APPAREL AND NECESSARY HOUSEHOLD GOODS, NOT ANY YEARLY INCOME OR PERSONAL ESTATE OF THAT VALUE.

Area of benefit: ANCIENT PARISH OF ASPENDEN AND LAYSTON, TOWN OF BUNTINGFORD

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

Causes: Accommodation/housing · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£108k

Latest spending

£49k

Registered

1965

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus of £65,424 for the year ended 31 December 2024, with unrestricted reserves totaling £587,634. The trustees confirm that resources are adequate to continue as a going concern, noting that budgeted income and expenditure are sufficient for the next 12 months. However, the trustees acknowledge that cash reserves are currently short of the estimated £500,000 target required for the replacement of the building's roof.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £588k; policy: cash reserves are still short of this target)

“The replacement of the roof of the building is estimated to be around £500,000 and cash reserves are still short of this target.”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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.

Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
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
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Property (HM Land Registry)

2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Trustees · trustee networks

Aubrey Holt
Douglas Colin Edward Wilson
Douglas Handy
Jeanette Dingley
Jon Paterson
Joyce Dobner
Kay Newland
Michael Sheppard
Michelle Hume
Rev Kirsty Wainwright

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

Operates in: Hertfordshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£108k	£49k
31/12/2023	£93k	£62k
31/12/2022	£83k	£36k
31/12/2021	£79k	£30k
31/12/2020	£81k	£26k

Common questions

Is BISHOP SETH WARD ALMSHOUSE TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus of £65,424 for the year ended 31 December 2024, with unrestricted reserves totaling £587,634. The trustees confirm that resources are adequate to continue as a going concern, noting that budgeted income and expenditure are sufficient for the next 12 months. However, the trustees acknowledge that cash reserves are currently short of the estimated £500,000 target required for the replacement of the building's roof. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£10k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with WIMBLEDON ENDOWED ALMSHOUSE CHARITY.

WIMBLEDON ENDOWED ALMSHOUSE CHARITY income £196k
THE ALMSHOUSES OF JOHN ISBURY AND JACOB HARDRETT income £103k
THE ABERFORD ALMSHOUSES income £177k
HENRY BURTON ALMSHOUSE CHARITY income £183k
WILLIAM LOVETT'S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY income £491k
THE JAMES LLOYD ALMSHOUSES income £233k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
BISHOP SETH WARD ALMSHOUSE TRUST	£108k	—	below	—	no doubt
WIMBLEDON ENDOWED ALMSHOUSE CHARITY FY2024	£196k	—	within	—	no doubt
THE ALMSHOUSES OF JOHN ISBURY AND JACOB HARDRETT FY2024	£103k	—	above	—	no doubt
THE ABERFORD ALMSHOUSES FY2025	£177k	—	above	—	no doubt
HENRY BURTON ALMSHOUSE CHARITY FY2025	£183k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
WILLIAM LOVETT'S ALMSHOUSE CHARITY FY2025	£491k	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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