2017 Annual Report & Accounts
Diocese of Westminster
Notes to the accounts – 31 December 2016
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School and academy building works
The Charity is the legal owner of properties comprising voluntary aided schools, academies and two independent schools within the diocese. As explained in the principal accounting policies these properties are valued at £nil for the purpose of these accounts. The responsibility for the improvement, extension and repair of the buildings lies with the governors. Grants towards such work are paid to the governors by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Local Education Authorities. As the governors are responsible for incurring such expenditure and receiving the associated grant income, this income and expenditure is not included in these accounts. However, the Charity is closely involved in providing practical assistance to Catholic schools and academies in the Diocese of Westminster and acts as an agent for the governing bodies in administering building contracts and recovering grants and contributions towards cost.
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The Charity acted as an agent for governors on school and academy building projects as summarised below:
Number of projects
2017 168
2016 209
Total amount spent
2017 £’000 21,848
2016 £’000 29,529
(24,267)
(23,870)
(2,419)
5,659
Amounts owing on contracts at 31 December (note 14)
2,046
837
Amounts recoverable from Department for Education, Local Education Authorities and contract advances (note 13)
1,293
2,361
Less: grants received Net governors’ (asset) liability
Connected charities and related party transactions
The Charity is connected to the following charities, both of which are the responsibility of the same Corporate Trustee, namely Westminster Roman Catholic Diocese Trustee. Westminster Ecclesiastical Education Fund is administered by the Central Finance Office of the Westminster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust and both of the connected charities have charitable objectives aligned to those of the Charity.
Charity Name
Charity Registration Number
Objectives
Westminster Ecclesiastical Education Fund
312528
The training of students for the priesthood.
Westminster Cathedral Choir School
1063761
The training of children in church choral music
Westminster Ecclesiastical Education Fund pays a management fee to Westminster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust based on the market value of its investment holdings in the Mutual Investment Fund (note 12) to cover the cost of administrative services provided by the Charity. During the year, the Charity awarded grants of £227,000 (2016 - £2.5million) to Westminster Ecclesiastical Education Fund and received income from the Westminster Cathedral Choir School related to the Friary of £203,000 (2016 - £147,000). No amounts were outstanding as at 31 December 2017. Throughout the year, the Trustees who are not members of the clergy attend Mass and other services and events within the Diocese of Westminster in their capacity as parishioners. In the course of doing so, they will contribute to the offertory and make other financial contributions. The nature of such giving means that it is not possible to quantify the amount donated to the Charity by its Trustees during any financial year. P A G E 88