THE WILLOW TRUST

Registered charity 328386 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The Willow Trust owns two purpose built boats operating on the Gloucester-Sharpness canal. During the course of a year 7,000 disabled and seriously ill children and adults spend a day on the fully wheelchair accessible boats. Nobody pays, facilities on board ensure even the most profoundly disabled person is able to enjoy a unique and inspiring day on the water away from their usual surroundings.

Objects

TO RELIEVE IN CASES OF NEED PERSONS SUFFERING FROM A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HANDICAP OR HANDICAPS FROM THE DISABILITIES ATTENDANT UPON SUCH HANDICAP BY THE PROVISION AND USE OF A BROAD BEAMED CANAL BOAT AS A RECUPERATIVE, EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL RESOURCE FOR THEM AND BY SUCH OTHER MEANS AS THE TRUST FROM TIME TO TIME THINKS FIT.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

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

Causes: The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Cotswold, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£218k

Latest spending

£242k

Registered

1989

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £17,544 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total funds from £852,129 to £834,585. Free reserves stood at £334,585, which the trustees consider adequate given the policy to maintain reserves for two years of operational costs. The independent examiner confirmed that the accounts comply with applicable regulations and no matters requiring attention were identified.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: two years of operational costs (held: £335k)

“The Trustee's policy is to maintain (if and wherever possible) sufficient reserves to meet the operational costs of the charity for a minimum of two years” — page 4

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Total donations and event income from trustees was £595.

“Total donations and event income from trustees was £595.” — page 17

Per its FY2025 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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
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
Paying staff
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
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 80
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 80
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 80
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 02430752 · Financial health read from its filings

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Rotary Club of Cotswold Tyndale — “Rotary Club of Cotswold Tyndale Thank you for your fabulous donation of £1,000” (source page)
Berkeley & District Skittles League — “Thank you to Berkeley & District Skittles League Thank you so much for the fabulous donation of £824.” (source page)
Gloucestershire Morris — “Thank you so much to Gloucestershire Morris who have so kindly given us £450.” (source page)
The Coventry BS — “The Coventry BS in Dursley Community Award Thank you for your tireless work to support us and for awarding us this wonderful community awa…” (source page)

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

SHUFFLEBOTHAM, Andrew — director, appointed 08/01/2025on trustee list
DAVIDSON, Jane Louise — director, appointed 28/06/2022on trustee list
MARSH, Victoria Jane — director, appointed 28/06/2022on trustee list
MERRY, Carl Richard — director, appointed 28/06/2022on trustee list
VESEY, Michele Jane — director, appointed 28/06/2022on trustee list
TURVEY, George Arthur — director, appointed 28/06/2022on trustee list
WOLFE MURRAY, Sophie — secretary, appointed 01/04/2021

Official officers record.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram · linkedin

Register events

Received assets from another charity (04/09/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (11/03/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (26/11/2021) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Andrew Shufflebothamchair
Carl Richard Merry
George Arthur Turvey
Jane Louise Davidson
Michele Jane Vesey
Victoria Jane Marsh

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

Operates in: Bristol City · Gloucestershire · Oxfordshire · Somerset · Warwickshire · Wiltshire · Worcestershire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£218k	£242k
31/12/2024	£226k	£248k
31/12/2023	£334k	£242k
31/12/2022	£214k	£241k
31/12/2021	£244k	£218k

Common questions

Is THE WILLOW TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £17,544 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total funds from £852,129 to £834,585. Free reserves stood at £334,585, which the trustees consider adequate given the policy to maintain reserves for two years of operational costs. The independent examiner confirmed that the accounts comply with applicable regulations and no matters requiring attention were identified. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds THE WILLOW TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE WILLOW TRUST as a grant recipient include THE BAND TRUST, THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY, THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE ASSOCIATION FOR DISABILITY, THE MARY HOMFRAY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE CHARLOTTE HEBER-PERCY CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE BAND TRUST	FY2023	£50k	Disabled
THE CHARLOTTE HEBER-PERCY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	Unverified read£20k
THE BAND TRUST	FY2024	Unverified read£15k	Disabled
THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY	FY2022	£12k	costs of providing canal holidays for disabled children and adults
THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE ASSOCIATION FOR DISABILITY	FY2025	£5k
THE MARY HOMFRAY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k
THE CHARLOTTE HEBER-PERCY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE GOSLING FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2023	£5k	Youth
THE CHARLOTTE HEBER-PERCY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£4k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£3k	Grant paid or payable
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£3k
THE BENHAM CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2023	£2k
THE GORDON GRAY TRUST	FY2024	£2k
THE BENHAM CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2024	£2k
THE GORDON GRAY TRUST	FY2023	£2k
THE BENHAM CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2022	£2k
THE GORDON GRAY TRUST	FY2022	£2k
THE GORDON GRAY TRUST	FY2025	£2k
THE LORD FARINGDON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£2k
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£2k
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£2k
MISSES BARRIE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2026	£1k
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
THE HASLUCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	Unverified read£1k
MISSES BARRIE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£1k
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
THE EDWARD AND DOROTHY CADBURY TRUST	FY2022	£1k	Community, Inclusion and Engagement
THE EDWARD AND DOROTHY CADBURY TRUST	FY2023	£1k	Community Projects and Engagement
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£1k
MISSES BARRIE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
THE HASLUCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
THE EDWARD AND DOROTHY CADBURY TRUST	FY2024	£1k	Community Inclusion and Engagement
THE LORD FARINGDON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£1k
DUMBRECK CHARITY	FY2023	£500	Care of the Elderly and Physically/Mentally Handicapped
DUMBRECK CHARITY	FY2026	£500	Care of the Elderly and Physically/Mentally Handicapped
DUMBRECK CHARITY	FY2024	£500	Care of the Elderly and Physically/Mentally Handicapped
EG FOUNDATION	FY2023	£500
DUMBRECK CHARITY	FY2025	£500	Care of the Elderly and Physically/Mentally Handicapped
THE MARY HOMFRAY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	amount not stated

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

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 GEOFF & FIONA SQUIRE FOUNDATION	2	£42k
THE LAWSON TRUST CIO	2	£35k
THE OAKDALE TRUST	2	£3k
HOLLYHOCK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£303k
THE TOMPKINS FOUNDATION	1	£100k
THE BARRY AND PEGGY HIGH FOUNDATION	1	£100k
Hilton UK Foundation	1	£80k
The A and J Charitable Trust	1	£54k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE WHEELYBOAT TRUST.

THE WHEELYBOAT TRUST income £209k
THE STOCKPORT CANAL BOAT TRUST FOR DISABLED PEOPLE income £64k
HEULWEN TRUST income £62k
WIRRAL COMMUNITY NARROWBOAT TRUST income £44k
WILTSHIRE AND BATH INDEPENDENT LIVING TRUST LTD income £149k
WALLINGFORD ACCESSIBLE BOAT CLUB income £50k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE WILLOW TRUST	£218k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE WHEELYBOAT TRUST FY2025	£209k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE STOCKPORT CANAL BOAT TRUST FOR DISABLED PEOPLE FY2025	£64k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
HEULWEN TRUST FY2024	£62k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
WIRRAL COMMUNITY NARROWBOAT TRUST FY2025	£44k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
WILTSHIRE AND BATH INDEPENDENT LIVING TRUST LTD FY2025	£149k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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