BRANCASTER EDUCATIONAL AND ALMSHOUSE CHARITY

Registered charity 311128 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE ROBERT SMITH TRUST

Grants to schoolchildren and students resident in Brancaster, Deepdale, Thornham and Titchwell. Almshouse accommodation for elderly people with a residential qualification in above mentioned villages.

Objects

A) IN PROMOTING THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IN NEED OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WHO OR WHOSE PARENTS ARE INHABITANTS OF THE AREAS OF THE ANCIENT PARISHES OF BRANCASTER, BURNHAM DEEPDALE, THORNHAM OR TITCHWELL. B) IN OR TOWARDS PROVIDING SUCH SPECIAL BENEFITS OF ANY KIND NOT NORMALLY PROVIDED BY THE LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITY FOR ANY MAINTAINED SCHOOL IN ANY OF THE SAID AREAS AS MAY FROM TIME TO TIME BE AGREED BETWEEN THE TRUSTEES AND THE GOVERNORS OF THE SCHOOL CONCERNED AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THE SAID AUTHORITY. C) THE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ALMSHOUSES OF THE CHARITY. D) FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE ALMSHOUSES IN SUCH MANNER AS THE TRUSTEES THINK FIT.

Area of benefit: SEE OBJECTS

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

Causes: Education/training · Accommodation/housing · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that general reserves increased to £46,160, meeting the trustees' policy of retaining liquid funds equivalent to at least six months' expenditure. The charity holds significant fixed assets valued at £1,873,125 and has reduced its almshouse construction loan liability to £52,500. The independent examiner confirmed that accounting records were kept and financial statements accorded with those records.

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

What the accounts disclose

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.

• 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
• Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Register events

• Received assets from another charity (10/12/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

• Cyril Southerlandchair
• COLIN MITCHELL
• EDWARD GOULD
• Gary Bocking
• Jason Chase
• John Gregory
• SARAH BOCKING

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

Operates in: Norfolk

Income and spending

Common questions