Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2009

A copy of the audited 2008/2009 annual report and financial statements is available in PDF format here.

1. Structure, governance and management

1.1 Governing document

Bristol Charities came into being as a result of the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835, when the trustees assumed responsibility for the administration of the charities that had formerly been under the control of the Corporation of Bristol. These consisted of:

• Three charities that offered ‘accommodation to the poor’; Trinity Hospital South, founded in 1395 and today known as Barstaple House, Trinity Hospital North (founded in 1411 and subsequently sold by the Trustees) and Foster’s Almshouse, (founded in 1485).
• Fifty-three non-educational charities, principally involved in ‘gifts to the poor’.
  They were classified as: loan money (15 charities); money and gifts to parish poor (11); provision of sermons (6); setting the poor to work (4); aid to poor prisoners (4); help to poor tradesmen (3); aid to almshouse poor (3); gifts to the blind (3); almshouses (2); aid for poor lying-in women (2).
• The endowment funds of three Schools, being the Free Grammar School (now known as Bristol Grammar School), The Red Maids’ School and Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital. With effect from September 2004, each of the three schools incorporated and the funds were transferred to those new incorporated bodies.

In the late nineteenth century the charity became known as “Bristol Municipal Charities” but in April 2002 the name of the body reverted to “Bristol Charities.” The change of name reflected the fact that the organization has, since the 1830s, assumed responsibility for additional charities and has developed new services within Bristol.

The current work of Bristol Charities is given below and the Bristol Charities website provides detailed information (www.bristolcharities.org.uk). The Trustees have identified a number of key charitable activities and these include the provision of almshouse accommodation, grant-giving and a range of services for older people. In particular the Trustees have identified the need to ensure that the charitable assets are put to best effect to meet the current needs of individuals in need within the city of Bristol. The Trustees have also recognized that the provision of services to charities located outside of Bristol, particularly almshouse charities, ensures that the knowledge and experience gained in Bristol can be shared with other charities, to the mutual benefit of those involved.

1.2 Current governance

In April 2005, Bristol Charities was incorporated, in the form of a company limited by guarantee, at which time the Trustees became directors of that company. The company “Bristol Charities” serves as sole trustee of the many charities under its control. The Memorandum and Articles of Association now serve as the governing documents of Bristol Charities, whereas each charity has its own charitable scheme, describing its objects.

1.3 Appointment of Trustees

The Nominations Committee, whose membership consists of the Chairman, Vice Chairman and the chairmen of the various committees, has developed a policy for the identification and recruitment of new Trustees. This involves the creation of a matrix of skills and experience required and this is considered in the context of the skills and experience of existing Trustees. The Trustees have agreed that the board of Trustees should consist of between 16 and 19 members. The Nominations Committee meets at least once a year, to review the contents of the matrix, in the light of the changing requirements of Bristol Charities, and anticipates those gaps in the matrix that may be created by retirement or operational changes. Potential Trustees are identified as follows:

• Candidates recommended by existing Trustees.
• Approaching other organizations for recommendations. By way of example, the Nominations Committee identified a need for a Trustee with an understanding of social policy, as it affects older people.
• Advertising in the local press.

All potential Trustees are provided with a comprehensive pack of information; annual accounts, Company governing documents, committee structure and the terms of reference, a history of the Charities, sample minutes, reports and budgets. They are also encouraged to consult our comprehensive website and invited to visit our offices and meet with the Chief Executive. All candidates are interviewed by the Chairman and at least one other member of the Nominations Committee. A curriculum vitae and report is then provided to all Trustees and the application is considered at a meeting of the board of Trustees.

Following a Trustee’s appointment, a full briefing is provided by the Chief Executive and new Trustees are encouraged to visit almshouses, day centres and other premises. Appointments to appropriate committees follow, once new Trustees have had an opportunity to observe Committee meetings.

Currently there is no limit to the period of time that a person may serve as a Trustee but the Trustees have embarked upon a review of that issue.

1.4 Organisation and structure

The strategy, long-term planning and monitoring of performance are the responsibility of the board of Trustees, which meets on a two monthly cycle. The implementation of the agreed strategy and the day-to-day management of Bristol Charities are delegated to the Chief Executive. In order to assist in the process of developing strategic matters, the Trustees hold an annual ‘Away Day’, which has proved to be an extremely valuable opportunity for the Trustees to review the role and governance of Bristol Charities, consider its current work and discuss its future objectives.

Trustee responsibility for the operational outputs of Bristol Charities is delegated to three main committees which meet on a regular basis, each chaired by a Trustee. Those committees are as follows;

• Services Committee
  This Committee is responsible for the residential accommodation and day services for older people. The Committee meets six times a year. The committee monitors performance against the plans and budgets and the minutes of its meetings, as with all committee minutes, are presented to the board of Trustees.
• Grants Committee
  The Committee is responsible for agreeing the criteria for grant-giving and reviewing the process for the grant-giving charities. The Committee meets twice a year.
• Assets and Finance Committee
  As at 31 March 2009 Bristol Charities had investments valued at over £11.72 million but these relate to 22 separate but subsidiary charities. The Assets and Finance Committee is responsible for reviewing the performance of these assets, including an assessment of risk, asset allocation, selection of professional advisers, agreeing and reviewing the Trustees’ investment policy, the setting of appropriate benchmarks and monitoring the performance of those advisers during the course of an annual review. The committee meets on a quarterly basis.
  
  The Committee has overall responsibility for all endowment and operational property and non-property investments and assets. In addition, it reviews the consolidated annual operating and capital project budgets, in the context of Bristol Charities’ strategic plans, in addition to the central management income and expenditure.

In addition there are committees which meet less frequently but have specific terms of reference. Those committees include the Nominations Committee, which is mentioned above, in addition to the following;

The Audit Committee is chaired by a Trustee who is a Chartered Accountant. It is responsible for the review of the external audit of the financial statements, the requirement for any internal audit projects and the review of risk management. The Audit Committee is also responsible, subject to Trustee confirmation for the appointment of the firms which conduct the external and internal audits.

The Trustees considered and agreed a risk management strategy at their meeting in March 2004 and since that time the Audit Committee has reviewed risk management on a regular basis. As agreed by Trustees, “major risks” are those risks that are assessed to have a high likelihood of occurring and would, if they occurred, have a severe impact on operational performance, achievement of aims and objectives or could damage the reputation of the charity. The last review was carried out in September 2009.

Trustees have therefore established a framework that allowed them to:

• identify the major risks that apply to Bristol Charities;
• make decisions about how to respond to these risks they face and
• make an appropriate statement regarding risk management in the trustees’ annual report.

In 2008/2009 the Committee considered reports from the internal auditors in respect of;

• ‘Follow-up’ report
  • The internal auditor confirmed that all the follow-up matters had been dealt with and they were able to report that all the issues listed in their report had been satisfactorily addressed.
• Management Accounting
  • The internal auditor stated that their report demonstrated a very satisfactory outcome and that Bristol Charities displayed the right approach to control.

Future internal audit

The internal auditor had presented a favourable report on the outcome of the internal audit work which they had carried out on behalf of Trustees since their appointment in the 2006/2007 financial year. They stated that since their appointment the internal auditors had examined all the main areas of risk or potential concern and that they were able to recommend that in future the Trustees should consider commissioning internal audit services on a ‘needs basis’, that is where particular capital projects or changes in personnel or systems required examination. They believed that this approach would lead to a better use of the resources available. This recommendation was accepted by the Audit Committee, which also agreed that certain areas, such as governance, should be subject to triennial or four-yearly reviews. This recommendation was subsequently accepted by the board of Trustees.

The Remuneration Committee has the responsibility for the review of the Chief Executive’s remuneration and that of other members of the senior management team.

The Chairman and Vice Chairman are appointed at the time of the Annual General Meeting of Bristol Charities with the term of the appointment to run until the next Annual General Meeting.

The Trustees undertook a ‘committee effectiveness’ review in the spring of 2008 and the new committee structure, which is described above, was introduced with effect from June 2008.
The Capital Projects Committee is convened when the Trustees embark upon a major building project and it meets, as required, to provide Trustees with the necessary assurances about the management of on-going and proposed capital construction projects.

2. Public benefit; as defined by the Charities Act 2006.

In reviewing the disparate work of the charities that form Bristol Charities, the Trustees can report that the two key principles that underpin ‘public benefit’ have been met;

• there is always an identifiable benefit or benefits and these are apparent from the contents of the Annual Report and are all related to the aims of the charities.
• there is a benefit to the public or a section of the public. The beneficiaries are appropriate as laid down by the aims of the various charities and there are no unreasonable restrictions. It is recognized that the trustees exercise a discretion in deciding upon who will benefit from the charities but that this is permissible under the aims and objects of the charities concerned and the beneficiaries constitute a ‘section of the public’ and therefore this is a reasonable exercise of that discretion.

The aims and objects of Bristol Charities are contained in the company’s memorandum of association. The Trustees confirm that they;

• ensure that they pursue the aims and objects of the various charities for the public benefit, as defined by the Charities Act 2006.
• have proper regard to the guidance published by the Charity Commission in respect of the subject of public benefit.
• confirm that this Annual Report provides sufficient information as to the ways in which the public benefit is achieved.

3. Objects and activities

Bristol Charities has four main areas of activity:

• Orchard Homes; a Registered Social Landlord, is primarily a provider of almshouse accommodation for older people. In 2008/2009 there were three active groups of almshouses, being Barstaple House, Perrett House and Red Cross Mews. A fourth almshouse, John Foster’s Almshouse, situated at Christmas Steps, was sold in 2007 and the proceeds of £1.7 million have been reinvested in the construction of the new John Foster’s Almshouse which is located in Crow Lane, Henbury, north Bristol. The Trustees are delighted that this late fifteenth century charitable endowment is being “reinvented” to provide the highest level of almshouse accommodation for older people in Bristol. This new almshouse, consisting of 18 flats, was completed in March 2009, (please see below.) Bengough’s House, a 40-bed registered residential care home, was closed in January 2008, in anticipation of the re-development of the site to create new “homes for life” almshouse flats for older people. Please see below for reference to the negotiations concerning the memorandum of understanding agreed with Bristol City Council in September 2008. That memorandum of understanding provided for a ‘site swap’ in which the City Council received Bengough’s House and, in exchange Bristol Charities received a site for a new almshouse and a sum of cash, equivalent to the value of the former care home.
  
  The trusteeship of another Bristol-based almshouse charity, The Manor Home for Elderly People was transferred to Bristol Charities with effect from 14 July 2008. Please see below for further details.
  
  Bristol Charities has also agreed to accept the transfer of the trusteeship of the Stokes Croft Almshouse Charity which is located in Redland, Bristol. The trustees of the Stokes Croft Almshouse Charity are in the process of applying for a scheme from the Charity Commission to put into effect the transfer.
• Grant giving. There are a number of grant giving charities but the main ones are ‘Relief in Need’, ‘Relief in Sickness’, the ‘Guild of the Handicapped’ and the ‘Miss Merchant Fund’. There are also a number of smaller charities. Grants are made primarily to individuals, mainly in the form of vouchers that are used to acquire specific goods, although the trustees have, in recent years, created a ‘retained ownership scheme’, whereby items such as electric wheelchairs and scooters are acquired for named individuals but the ownership is retained so that the items can be re-cycled if the original recipient no longer requires those items. In the year to 31 March 2009, the trustees awarded grants of £244,928 (£247,243 in 2007/2008) of which £140,195 (£134,654 in 2007/2008) consisted of grants to over 1,400 individuals.
• Day services. This activity mainly provides and manages day and other services for older people. The Trustees have managed the Beehive Centre in St. George, Bristol since September 2001 and they opened the Henbury Centre as a purpose built day centre in January 2005 and there are plans to develop other similar services for older people. The Trustees have pursued the idea of developing a network of day services for older people across Bristol but to be financially viable these plans are dependent upon Bristol City Council’s strategy, which has stated that it is not planning to fund such a service.
• Management and consultancy services for other charities. Bristol Charities has been working closely with the Haberdashers’ Company; one of the ‘Great Twelve’ City of London Livery Companies since 2005. The Haberdashers’ Company acts as trustee of the William Jones’s Almshouse Charity, with almshouses in Monmouth, South Wales and Newland, Forest of Dean. Bristol Charities was originally commissioned in July 2005 to carry out a research project, which subsequently resulted in Bristol Charities appointment as ‘development agent’ in July 2006. In January 2007 Bristol Charities assumed direct management responsibility for the William Jones’s Almshouse Charity, as part of the preparations for the proposed redevelopment of the Monmouth almshouse site. In preparation for that redevelopment, Monmouth residents have been temporarily relocated and the almshouse closed in May 2008, in advance of demolition and redevelopment.
  
  In addition, arrangements were put in place to sell the Newland almshouse, consisting of the almshouse building and the Lecturage (warden’s house). Offers have now been received in respect of those properties.
  
  St. Augustine’s Consulting Limited
  Trustees agreed that the consultancy work carried out by the Chief Executive should be brought within a separate trading entity and, after taking appropriate professional advice, St. Augustines Consulting Limited was formed in June 2006. There are two directors of the Company, one being a Trustee and one a non-Trustee. The directors meet to review the work carried out under the auspices of the Company and reports are regularly presented to Bristol Charities. The current and future work was reviewed by Trustees during the course of the 2008 Away day and at subsequent Trustee meetings. The income from St. Augustines Consulting Limited is transferred by means of ‘gift aid’ to Bristol Charities.

• Bristol Charities manages two other Bristol-based almshouse charities, on behalf of their respective boards of trustees. Those charities are the Bristol and Anchor Almshouse Charity, which has been managed since September 2001 and the Lady Haberfield’s Almshouse Charity, which has been managed since April 2002. In addition to the almshouse provision of the Bristol and Anchor Almshouse Charity the Trustees of Bristol Charities have had a contract with Bristol City Council to provide day services at the Beehive Centre since 2001.
• The Bristol Charities website; www.bristolcharities.org.uk provides a comprehensive record of the work of Bristol Charities and its history. The website is viewed as an important way of informing stakeholders, beneficiaries, potential benefactors and those with a general interest in the work of Bristol Charities.

4. Activities in 2008/2009

4.1 Construction of the new John Foster’s Almshouse, Crow Lane, Henbury

The potential benefits that would accrue from the acquisition of the out-dated clinic, which was adjacent to Bengough’s House, were first identified in 2001. Various attempts to acquire the site eventually proved successful and the site was acquired in August 2006. The planning consent provided for the construction of 18 almshouse flats for older people and, within the development, 250 m² of net lettable space for a new health clinic, for which the Primary Care Trust entered into a 25 year lease. Following demolition of the former health clinic in May 2007, construction work commenced in November 2007 and the new almshouse and health clinic were completed in March 2009, to time and, based on the information currently available, to budget (the final account has yet to be finalised).

4.2 The future of the Bengough’s House site, Crow Lane, Henbury

In May 2006 the Trustees decided that a feasibility study should be carried out in respect of the future of Bengough’s House and it was subsequently agreed, in November 2006, that the care home operation should be brought to an end. The Trustees had reviewed the viability of Bengough’s House, its facilities and the type of care that was provided. Bengough’s House was increasingly devoted to nursing care rather than the mix of residential and nursing beds that was originally envisaged. Trustees came to the conclusion that the use of Bengough’s House did not provide the type of provision that would be required by older people in future.

The care home operation ended in January 2008 and the trustees appointed architects to assist them in acquiring a planning consent for the redevelopment of the Bengough’s House site, to provide independent living almshouse flats for older people in need. During the course of 2008 the possibility of a ‘site swap’ with Bristol City Council was considered. The results of what appeared to be a successfully negotiated memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the City Council resulted in that document being signed by Trustees and the Cabinet on 4 September 2008. After some months of negotiation the City Council decided on 30 July 2009 not to proceed with the proposed site swap and the Trustees placed Bengough’s House on the open market at the end of August 2009. The sales proceeds will be reinvested in the construction of a 50 flat almshouse development and the Trustees have embarked upon a site search.

4.3 Developing day services
Bristol Charities currently provides a full range of day services at the Henbury Centre and at the Beehive Centre. It also facilitates a range of activities at the Summerhill Club in St. George, Bristol. A four year lease which was all that was available at the time, was obtained from the owners, Bristol City Council, in 2006. The four year lease allowed the members of the former club who were involved at the club to continue to utilize the building and it provides Bristol Charities with limited scope to use the building for other community purposes, within the constraints of that short-term lease. The current lease ends on 31 March 2010.

The Trustees have been endeavouring for some time to obtain an extended lease in respect of the Summerhill Club which would allow them to invest in the fabric of the 1971 building. £100,000 has been identified for these works if a lease is obtained. The Trustees’ aspiration has been made known to Cabinet members of Bristol City Council, ward councillors and City Council officers.

Projects in respect of other charities 

4.4 The Drapers’ Company

Founded over 600 years ago, the Drapers’ Company is one of the ‘Great Twelve’ Livery Companies of the City of London. The principal role of the Drapers’ Company today is the administration of the many Charitable Trusts that have been left in its care over the centuries and it acts as Trustee for three almshouse charities with some 200 residents. In March 2007 St. Augustines Consulting, as the consulting arm of Bristol Charities, was commissioned to report upon various aspects of the Company’s London-based almshouse provision and that work was completed successfully in November 2008.

4.5 The William Jones’s Almshouse Charity

The Haberdashers’ Company is trustee of the William Jones’s Almshouse Charity. As mentioned above, Bristol Charities has directly managed the William Jones’s Almshouse Charity since January 2007. By his will of 1615, William Jones, who originally came from Monmouth, made his fortune as a merchant venturer in Stade, near Hamburg. He went on to found almshouses at Monmouth and Newland. He appointed the Haberdashers’ Company as trustee and they have managed the almshouses since that time.

The current set of Monmouth almshouses dated back to 1961 and consisted of 20 bed-sits. It was apparent that the almshouses were not appropriate for the residents and Bristol Charities has been working with the Haberdashers’ company to redevelop the site, to include modern almshouse accommodation. It has been agreed that the trusteeship of William Jones’s Almshouse Charity will be transferred to Bristol Charities when a planning consent has been obtained in respect of the Monmouth site.

4.6 The Fishmongers’ Company; almshouse provision

The work for this Livery Company, with almshouses in Bray, Berkshire and Harrietsham, Kent commenced in February 2008. Various reports were presented to the Company’s governing body and St. Augustines Consulting Limited continues to advise the Company.

4.7 Joseph Neeld Almshouse Charity, Leigh Delamere, Wiltshire

Bristol Charities had been invited to advise the trustees of this charity due to a range of financial, management and property related problems that had been experienced by the charity over a number of years. Working with the Charity Commission, the trustees and their legal advisers it was agreed that the trusteeship of the charity would be transferred to Bristol Charities whilst preparations were made for the sale of the almshouse. The trusteeship was transferred on the basis of a Charity Commission Order dated 16 August 2007 and the almshouse building was sold in March 2008. The proceeds are being held by Bristol Charities whilst it explores the options for the reinvestment of the sale proceeds in almshouse provision in north Wiltshire.

5. Financial review, investment & reserves policy

Bristol Charities is financially strong, with reserves of approximately £20million. Regrettably in this financially difficult year our invested assets have declined in value and show a loss of £2.9million (a realised loss of £0.3million and unrealised losses of £2.6million). In the year the investments declined in value by 21.25%. This compares with a decline of 21.67% in the FT APCIMS Balanced Index which is a commonly used benchmark. Of the Unrestricted Reserves of £3.4million, £1.8million is held as a Designated Fund used towards the construction of the new John Foster’s Almshouse. The remaining £1.6million is General Unrestricted Funds, of which approximately £1.35 million is held in cash. Of the Restricted Reserves of £0.78million, nearly £0.44million is held in cash, which represents the undistributed balances from our grant giving activities. The almshouses operation generates a surplus and the policy of Trustees is that the accumulated surplus will be put towards the cost of new almshouse accommodation.

The central costs were well controlled, increasing at no more than RPI. These costs are allocated to the Charitable Activities, Grant Giving, Investment Management and the two other charities which we manage. By dint of careful management and with the ‘gift aided’ income from St Augustines Consulting Limited, Bristol Charities’ central management costs have created a surplus of £502,000 to date, of which £219,000 is tied up in fixed assets and the balance of £283,000, amounting to approximately nine months of the central management costs, is held as a reserve, which is in accordance with the Trustees’ policy.

Following an exhaustive selection process, culminating in a “beauty parade” held on 17 January 2008, two firms, Baring Asset Management and Smith &Williamson Investment Management Limited, were appointed to manage the non-property investments and each was allocated 50% of the portfolio. The members of the Assets and Finance Committee meet with each of the firms on an annual basis, to review their performance against agreed benchmarks.

The investment policy is for a balanced return with a medium level of risk. The Trustees seek to produce the optimum total return, commensurate with at least maintaining the capital value in line with inflation, as defined by the National Statistics. Each of the investment managers is instructed to generate, at the present time, a minimum spendable return of £150,000 per annum, with the value of the income generated to rise in line with average earnings.

Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements 

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). The financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the group and of the surplus or deficit of the group for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

a. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
b. make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
c. state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
d. prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. 

5. Future projects

5.1 The development of the Bengough’s House site, Crow Lane, Henbury

The Trustees have entered into negotiations with the City Council about the possibility of a ‘site swop’, whereby he City Council would acquire Bengough’s House. The Trustees would receive land or land and cash to the value of Bengough’s House. The Trustees would then develop almshouse accommodation on that site.

5.2 Development of the William Jones’ Almshouse site, Monmouth, South Wales

A joint venture arrangement with a private developer has been negotiated and it is the intention to submit a planning application in October 2008. It is anticipated that 26 independent-living “homes for life” almshouse flats for older people will be provided at Monmouth.

5.3 Developing services for older people

At their Away Day held in May 2008, Trustees agreed that an increasing proportion of the funds available from the grant-giving charities would be used to fund an additional day services centre. Efforts have been made, and are ongoing, to identify a suitable venue in the Shirehampton/Avonmouth areas.

It is proposed that Bristol Charities should pursue the proposal to create a ‘community hub’ for older people in that area. This would primarily be aimed at those older people who do not require the help of care assistants and are comparatively fit and independent. In particular, this would allow Bristol Charities an opportunity to consider the provision of services to those older people who would not qualify for local authority funded day services, who are socially isolated and for whom such exclusion is likely to cause or exacerbate physical and mental health problems.  

5.4 Further consultancy work on behalf of other charities, particularly almshouse charities.

Bristol Charities, through its consultancy arm, St. Augustines Consulting Limited, is already in discussions with a number of other leading almshouse charities, to provide consultancy and/or possible management services.

Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. 

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Trustees have elected to prepared the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). The financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the group and of the surplus or deficit of the group for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to: 

a. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

b. make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

c. state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and  

d. prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. 

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the group and the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and the group and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Statement as to disclosure of information to the auditor 

The Trustees who were in office on the date of approval of these financial statements have confirmed, as far as they are aware, that there is no relevant audit information of which the auditor is unaware. Each of the Trustees have confirmed that they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as Trustees in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that it has been communicated to the auditor.

Auditor

Baker Tilly UK Audit LLP has indicated its willingness to continue in office.  

A copy of the audited 2008/2009 annual report and financial statements is available in PDF format here.