THE DENYS EYRE BOWER BEQUEST

Registered charity 291203 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The primary objective of the Denys Eyre Bower Bequest is the preservation and maintenance of Chiddingstone Castle and its contents, including the collections of the late Denys Eyre Bower, in perpetuity for the benefit of the public.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£424k
Latest spending
£519k
Registered
1985
Accounts read
FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity's general funds were in a deficit of £988,573 at the end of the year, a position the trustees expect to remain for many years. To support operations, the charity's endowment funds have advanced funds to the general funds, creating interfund indebtedness. The trustees consider the charity to be in a sufficiently strong financial position to continue as a going concern despite rising energy costs and a depressed economic climate.

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

What the accounts disclose

Related-party transaction: Trustee Graham Dixon sells a book in the gift shop; £3.50 per copy is donated to the charity.
The non-fiction publication of ‘Do not be troubled’ is currently sold in the Chiddingstone Castle gift shop. This is authored by our trustee Graham Dixon. The book is sold at £8.50 with £3.50 being donated to the charity and remainder being paid to Graham Dixon. We sold 32 in 2023 and 31 in 2024. — page 33
The brother of Nancy Olden, trustee of the charity, was reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses totalling £nil (2023: £50) in connection with voluntary work carried out for the charity. — page 33
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee Nancy Olden's brother received reimbursement for voluntary work expenses.
The non-fiction publication of ‘Do not be troubled’ is currently sold in the Chiddingstone Castle gift shop. This is authored by our trustee Graham Dixon. The book is sold at £8.50 with £3.50 being donated to the charity and remainder being paid to Graham Dixon. We sold 32 in 2023 and 31 in 2024. — page 33
The brother of Nancy Olden, trustee of the charity, was reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses totalling £nil (2023: £50) in connection with voluntary work carried out for the charity. — page 33
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: One trustee received reimbursement for out-of-pocket travel expenses.
The non-fiction publication of ‘Do not be troubled’ is currently sold in the Chiddingstone Castle gift shop. This is authored by our trustee Graham Dixon. The book is sold at £8.50 with £3.50 being donated to the charity and remainder being paid to Graham Dixon. We sold 32 in 2023 and 31 in 2024. — page 33
The brother of Nancy Olden, trustee of the charity, was reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses totalling £nil (2023: £50) in connection with voluntary work carried out for the charity. — page 33
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Chiddingstone Castle Events Limited
Group accounts have not been prepared for the charity and its subsidiary company, Chiddingstone Castle Events Limited, as the group qualifies as a small group as defined by Financial Reporting Standards. — page 20
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2021)

Total income
£811k
Total spending
£388k
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
10

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 7.0 months; benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Kent

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2024£424k£519k
31/12/2023£394k£442k
31/12/2022£422k£385k
31/12/2021£811k£388k
31/12/2020£374k£358k

Common questions

Is THE DENYS EYRE BOWER BEQUEST financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity's general funds were in a deficit of £988,573 at the end of the year, a position the trustees expect to remain for many years. To support operations, the charity's endowment funds have advanced funds to the general funds, creating interfund indebtedness. The trustees consider the charity to be in a sufficiently strong financial position to continue as a going concern despite rising energy costs and a depressed economic climate. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP.

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund07/10/1997£75k"Chiddingstone Castle Stable Block - Repairs"

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 ARUNDEL CASTLE TRUSTEES LIMITED.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE DENYS EYRE BOWER BEQUEST£424k0unclearno doubt
ARUNDEL CASTLE TRUSTEES LIMITED FY2024£5.7munclearno doubt
LEEDS CASTLE FOUNDATION FY2025£12.7mbelowno doubt
WHITTINGTON CASTLE PRESERVATION TRUST FY2024£223k0unclearno doubt
Duke of Lancaster's Foundation FY2025£2.3m0aboveno doubt
PEMBROKE CASTLE TRUST FY2025£1.5m0aboveno doubt

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