## **CHURCH WOODS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Charity Registration No: 1000279** ## **Annual Report to 31[st] March 2022** ## **Trustees** Mrs J A Watchorn (Chairman) Mrs P A Bosley (Secretary) Mr M W Stoneham (Treasurer) Mr R Beale Rev S Corry Mr R A Hutchinson Mrs M A Richards Mr R Watchorn ## **Correspondence Address** 139 Hever Avenue, West Kingsdown TN15 6DT ## **Independent Examiner** Mrs K Johnston ## **Bankers** HSBC plc, Dartford, Kent DA1 1DG ## **Introduction** The Trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the charity and give their time freely and receive no remuneration or other financial benefits. The Trustees meet together as a committee six or more times a year and are responsible for all decisions taken in the relation to the management of the woods. Management is undertaken in accordance with a Countryside Stewardship Agreement with the Dept. for Environment & Rural Affairs which runs until 31 December 2025. Its purpose is to support the Charity in the maintenance of the woodland to support biodiversity, access and landscape value. The charity receives a grant from the Rural Payments Agency to facilitate this and a grant is also received from the West Kingsdown Parish Council. ## **Chairman’s report to the Annual General Meeting** Welcome and thank you all for coming to our Annual General Meeting. This Committee was set up for the purpose of removing the conifers, planted in the 1960s by the Forestry Commission, and returning the wood to a native broadleaved woodland and I am happy to say that we are well on the way to doing just that. It has been a busy year in which thinning and clearing and then re-planting has taken place. The work began well but in spite of putting up informative notices, anonymous hand written notes started to appear. At first, we and the contractors did not take them seriously but when they threatened the contractors with “final warning” South East Forest called the police and withdrew, saying they could not afford to risk the possible loss of their harvester. They had completed approximately 90% of the work but unfortunately that 10% included half the area we were to replant so only 400 trees were planted in March instead of the 800 planned. They seem to be doing well. Once more we have had a problem with motorbikes on the footpath near Westfield Cottages. Not satisfied with riding up and down they cut down a couple of small trees to ma ke a turning circle and then started digging to make a ramp. After several calls to the police an officer rang to say she would visit the site the next day. In spite of the storm, she must have done so because they have not been back since. In March we joined with the Parish Council in planting a tree in the burial ground in memory of David Diboll who pa55ed away last year. In April Bob Hutchinson kindly agreed to go on a chainsaw course, as David had done many years before. This has already proved useful as Bob was able to cut up some trees that had fallen across the path. Thank you, Bob, for going on the course and cutting up the trees. Our stall at this year's Fete raised £80.30. Thanks to Margaret and Royce for their help. Thanks to Katie Tennant who hold5 a licence, we are still taking part in the National Dormice Survey. In spite of a poor season last year, we finished on a high, finding 6 dormice on the last survey. This year we started well, f inding 4 on the first survey but, somewhat disappointingly, we did not find any last month. Weekly work parties continue. Tasks undertaken include path, pond and rubbish clearing and, of course, coppicing that took most of the winter months. Thanks go to Bob, Roger, Thelma, Martin, Margaret and Royce and to a new member of the group, Rei whojoined us a couple of months ago. I would like to thank Rev Sarah Corry for use of the Millennium Room, Pat Bosley for doing the Minutes and Kim Johnstone for auditing the accounts. Last but not least I would like to thank Martin Stoneham, our Trèasurer for keeping the books and especially this year for drafting the report to the Charity Commissioners. Mrs'J A Watchorn Chairman Church Woods Mana8ernent Committee Re8lStered Charity Number 1000279 ments Attount for th finan Recei ts and Pa ren l March 2022 021-2022 2020-2021 Cèsh at beginning of year RECEIPTS 1,680.19 2944.63 0.64 1.42 2600.00 30.00 0.00 0.00 iooo.00 0.00 1809.00 0.00 5440.42 Parish Council Grant Sundry Sales Craft Stall at Church Fair Reimbursement RPA Grant SE Forestry income Church Woods Trust Ireimbursèmentl Donations Total Income 2.600.00 0.00 107.50 0.00 2.858.29 21.938.16 0.00 135.00 27.639.59 PAYMENTS Tree Surgery Pond work5 0.00 0.00 o.oo 615.00 310.60 636.25 17.80 0.00 522.75 1,231.70 0.00 3780.50 0.00 0.00 275.QO 0.00 634.36 1775.00 0.00 0.00 Grass Cutting Equipment Insurance Bank charges & gther fees SD323 1 Westfield Gate Tree plantin8 Sundry Expenditure Church Woods Trust Ito be reimbursedl Total Expenditure Cash at year end 240. 6704.86 1680.19 3,334.LO 25.985.68 29.319.78 29,319.78 8385.05 8385.05 I have examined the receipts and payments in the accounts togetherwith the books. vouchers and bank statemènts as presented to me bythÈ Treasurer. Hoving discussed tny findings with the Treasurer in my opinion, the said accounts fairly state the financial transèctions of the Church Woods Mana8erMent Committee forthe period ended 31 M8rch 2022. Mrs K Johnstone Independent Examiner April 2022 M W Stoneham Hon FlnstRE CIHM MCIPS MCMI Treasurer 4LK-(" Mrs J051e Watchorn Chairman .C>+.2 Church Woods Mana8ernent Committee Re8lStered Charity Number 1000279 ments Attount for th finan Recei ts and Pa ren l March 2022 021-2022 2020-2021 Cèsh at beginning of year RECEIPTS 1,680.19 2944.63 0.64 1.42 2600.00 30.00 0.00 0.00 iooo.00 0.00 1809.00 0.00 5440.42 Parish Council Grant Sundry Sales Craft Stall at Church Fair Reimbursement RPA Grant SE Forestry income Church Woods Trust Ireimbursèmentl Donations Total Income 2.600.00 0.00 107.50 0.00 2.858.29 21.938.16 0.00 135.00 27.639.59 PAYMENTS Tree Surgery Pond work5 0.00 0.00 o.oo 615.00 310.60 636.25 17.80 0.00 522.75 1,231.70 0.00 3780.50 0.00 0.00 275.QO 0.00 634.36 1775.00 0.00 0.00 Grass Cutting Equipment Insurance Bank charges & gther fees SD323 1 Westfield Gate Tree plantin8 Sundry Expenditure Church Woods Trust Ito be reimbursedl Total Expenditure Cash at year end 240. 6704.86 1680.19 3,334.LO 25.985.68 29.319.78 29,319.78 8385.05 8385.05 I have examined the receipts and payments in the accounts togetherwith the books. vouchers and bank statemènts as presented to me bythÈ Treasurer. Hoving discussed tny findings with the Treasurer in my opinion, the said accounts fairly state the financial transèctions of the Church Woods Mana8erMent Committee forthe period ended 31 M8rch 2022. Mrs K Johnstone Independent Examiner April 2022 M W Stoneham Hon FlnstRE CIHM MCIPS MCMI Treasurer 4LK-(" Mrs J051e Watchorn Chairman .C>+.2