THE ASSOCIATION FOR CULTURAL EXCHANGE LIMITED

Registered charity 279567 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as Stapleford Granary, THE ACE FOUNDATION

The Association provides study tours and courses; supports cultural exchange; promotes conferences, lectures, concerts, exhibitions, events, seminars and exchange visits of an educational nature; awards bursaries and scholarships and makes donations; supports education in history, music, art, architecture, design, literature, environmental studies, and theory of education.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£7.6m

Latest spending

£7.7m

Registered

1980

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Group's free reserves were £2,315,237 at year-end, which is in line with the trustees' upper target of £2,000,000. The trustees confirm that the Group has sufficient resources to support its public benefit activities and meet liabilities as they fall due, with no material uncertainties identified regarding going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: at least £1,000,000 (minimum 12 months support), with a desirable target of £2,000,000 (held: £2.3m)

“The trustees aim to maintain free reserves at a level and with such liquidity as to enable support to be provided to all elements of the Group for a minimum of 12 months. The trustees forecast this to be in the region of at least £1,000,000. They consider that it is desirable to hold £2,000,000 to provide significant resilience against most risks.” — page 11

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: Two trustees received fees and reimbursement of expenses in their capacity as tour directors totalling £53,083.

“During the year, two trustees (2024 - three) received fees and reimbursement of expenses in their capacity as tour directors totalling £53,083 (2024 - £29,628).” — page 38

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Charity recharged subsidiary ACE Cultural Tours Limited £46,000 for rent, heat, light and power.

“During the year, the Charity recharged its subsidiary, ACE Cultural Tours Limited, £46,000 (2024 £30,000) in respect of rent, heat, light and power expenses.” — page 51

“During the year, two trustees (2024 - three) received fees and reimbursement of expenses in their capacity as tour directors totalling £53,083 (2024 - £29,628).” — page 38

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Two trustees received £53,083 in fees and expense reimbursements for services as tour directors.

“During the year, the Charity recharged its subsidiary, ACE Cultural Tours Limited, £46,000 (2024 £30,000) in respect of rent, heat, light and power expenses.” — page 51

“During the year, two trustees (2024 - three) received fees and reimbursement of expenses in their capacity as tour directors totalling £53,083 (2024 - £29,628).” — page 38

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Charity recharged subsidiary Stapleford Granary Limited £15,500 for rent and utilities.

“During the year, the Charity recharged its subsidiary, ACE Cultural Tours Limited, £46,000 (2024 £30,000) in respect of rent, heat, light and power expenses.” — page 51

“During the year, two trustees (2024 - three) received fees and reimbursement of expenses in their capacity as tour directors totalling £53,083 (2024 - £29,628).” — page 38

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: ACE Cultural Tours made a Gift Aid donation of £444,690 to the Charity.

“During the year, the Charity recharged its subsidiary, ACE Cultural Tours Limited, £46,000 (2024 £30,000) in respect of rent, heat, light and power expenses.” — page 51

“During the year, two trustees (2024 - three) received fees and reimbursement of expenses in their capacity as tour directors totalling £53,083 (2024 - £29,628).” — page 38

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by PEM Audit Limited. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title 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.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income

£7.6m

Total spending

£7.7m

Cost of raising funds

£7.1m

Reserves (reported)

£7.4m

Employees

4

Reported reserves equal ~11.6 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other trading activities (96% 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: 93.1% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (09/05/2017) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Lesley Thompsonchair · trustee of 1 other charity
Chloe Shaw
IVOR JOHN ANTHONY HARRISON
Paul Jackson
Peter McPartland
Sue Grace

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£7.6m	£7.7m
31/12/2024	£7.5m	£7.4m
31/12/2023	£6.4m	£6.3m
31/12/2022	£4.6m	£4.4m
31/12/2021	£1.7m	£2.0m

Common questions

Is THE ASSOCIATION FOR CULTURAL EXCHANGE LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Group's free reserves were £2,315,237 at year-end, which is in line with the trustees' upper target of £2,000,000. The trustees confirm that the Group has sufficient resources to support its public benefit activities and meet liabilities as they fall due, with no material uncertainties identified regarding going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by PEM Audit Limited.

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 KATHLEEN HANNAY MEMORIAL CHARITY	1	£40k
MANCHESTER CITY GALLERIES TRUST	1	£36k
THE REED FOUNDATION	1	£34k
MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUND	1	£30k
THE FREELANDS FOUNDATION LIMITED	1	£26k
MAECENAS	1	£15k
NORFOLK AND NORWICH FESTIVAL TRUST	1	£7k
SIR HARRY PILKINGTON FUND	1	£4k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION, ARTS AND CULTURE.

THE FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION, ARTS AND CULTURE income £133k
NUR CULTURAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION income £344k
THE ENGLISH CONCERT income £1.4m
THE ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION income £215k
IN GOOD COMPANY LIMITED income £163k
THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC income £50.9m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE ASSOCIATION FOR CULTURAL EXCHANGE LIMITED	£7.6m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
THE FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION, ARTS AND CULTURE FY2025	£133k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
NUR CULTURAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION FY2025	£344k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ENGLISH CONCERT FY2025	£1.4m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION FY2025	£215k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
IN GOOD COMPANY LIMITED FY2025	£163k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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