2025-11-30-accounts - Clean Rivers Trust

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Clean Rivers

Trust

Registered Charity No: 1037414

Annual Report

And

Accounts

30[th] November 2025

(1[st] December 2024 - 30[th] November 2025)

133 Main Street, Linton, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 6QA

Information.

This report is the legal annual report and accounts of Clean Rivers Trust, as lodged with, and submitted to the Charity Commission. Registered Charity Number 1037414. The Charity is based at 133 Main Street, Linton, Derbyshire DE12 6QA..

Founded 1990.

This document is produced and published using environmentally sustainable materials.

Legal and Administrative Information.

Trustees ; Rodney Gilmour, Peter Jones OBE, Laura Bishop, Lawrence van Kampen Brooks, Paul Southby, Dr Sally Little and Dr Matt Johnson.

Director : Professor Harvey Wood Dip AD, MA, PhD, FRSA, FRGS, FGS, FLS.

Trust Address : 133 Main Street, Linton, Swadlincote, Derrbyshire DE12 6QA Phone : 07885 422428

Web Site : www.cleanriverstrust.co.uk

Bankers.

Barclays Bank plc,

Santander,

Solicitors.

BrowneJacobson LLP, Mowbray House, Castle Meadow Road, Nottingham NG2 1BJ

Meetings.

The Trustees convened four times in the financial period 1[st] December 2023 to 30[th] November 2024.

Policies.

The Trust reviews its policies on a regular basis.

Current Policies:

COMPLAINTS POLICY CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY EMPLOYMENT POLICY VOLUNTEERING POLICY DISCRIMINATION POLICY EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY SAFEGUARDING POLICY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY MODERN ANTI SLAVERY POLICY Value for Money Projects Stakeholder Policy Education Policy Financial Policy

All our policies are audited in a rolling program to ensure best practise.

Fund Raising.

The Trust raises its own funds. It applies for funding from funding charities and other bodies.

Public Access to Activities Information.

The Trust publishes it’s quarterly activities report to the Trustees on its web site (www.cleanriverstrust.co.uk).

Directors Report.

This last year has been our busiest ever. It has also seen us move from Birmingham to our new location at Linton, Derbyshire. The move has been useful as we now have space for more research both in the open and in laboratory, greenhouse and workshop. The library has space to grow as well as having more space for users.

The Trust has been active across many parts of the UK responding to threats to the water environment as well as continuing to develop methods of removing and/or remediating pollutants such as pfas in both waste waters and potable supply.

The issues of abandoned metal mine waste streams, both from point sources such as the mines themselves and defuse sources such as spoil heaps has led to a number of field trials and other research regarding the effects of toxic metals on agricultural practices. It has also started to involve the development of new farming awareness including the examination of historic animal mortality data.

Natural treatment methods of metalliferous minewater is are said to be too expensive in land areas required or fiscally for government agencies to use without European grants or other top up funding from central government (EA. Minexchange Conference 12.11.2025. Cardiff). The Trust, having been aware of this for some time has been considering new approaches). The Trust in the 1990s did much to encourage natural methods of pollution remediation so fresh thinking and approaches to their use may be timely.

Our award-winning trial site in Derbyshire continues to demonstrate natural remediation of a totally damaged environment. The acidic tars are now soils to a considerable depth with no runoff or leaching from the site. The lake which only 3 years ago showed major fluctuations in pH is now stable, aquatic life has appeared naturally, fish are now established along with a remarkably fast establishment of a diverse flora on the surface of the water, This year ducks, geese and grebe have all nested around the shore, heron have been observed fishing. This site has been a success, but there is much more that needs to be done across this huge site. A paper will be published in 2026.

The minewater pollution of the Bransty Beck and Whitehaven Harbour in Cumbria has taken up much time and thought. We provided the Local MP and DEFRA with an options list with realistic costings which were agreed with by the government agencies. The government departments involved, Transport, Energy and DEFRA have agreed to fund the cheapest ‘pragmatic’ option (MRA 2025) of putting the waste out to the outer harbour beach where the tide will wash most away, diluting the acidity into the Irish Sea. A similar option was used in the 1970s by National Coal Board at Parton, 3km north of Whitehaven. The Mining Remediation Authority hope to bring consultants and an engineering company in during the next year to start the planning process.

The harbour at Whitehaven was clean for a short 6-week period whilst Network Rail surveyed their tunnel and source of the pollution. We introduced them to a specialist company who have mobile remediation kit available. Sadly, costs were cited as being prohibitive to use when the tunnel is not being worked on. Hopefully that might restart in December 2025 or January 2026.

Concern shown by local Speyside communities lead us to put forward their and our concerns regarding taking water from Speyside gravels to manufacture green hydrogen. The effects would have been environmentally dire for the river as a whole and disastrous for the lower section during times of low/no rainfall.

The Trust has supported research being carried out by Imperial College into the use of ceramic air pollution filters. This linking to work we undertook several years ago into using similar material in collecting pollutants from water. This further links with plans to collaborate with the University of Nottingham, to take these concepts further.

Over recent years, and especially since the pandemic we have observed a growing awareness and concern for rivers and streams. The signs of pollution, especially dead fish many people find distressing. The number of people contacting the Trust continues to grow annually. We always ensure the regulators are informed, we also endeavour to respond to people’s concerns and try to let them know the reason for such events. We are the only organisation who does this. Many of those contacting us are grateful that we have followed the incidents up and that we let them know why they occurred and what was done to stop recurrences.

As already mentioned above our work with pfas chemicals has taken a major move forward with a project in conjunction with University of Nottingham. A paper will be published in 2026 that will demonstrate a method of removing and destroying these chemicals rather than being discharge into the environment.

Our educational role links us to individual student requests and their projects from a thesis to projects for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme. Our interest in the arts has seen an essay on minewater pollution published in an exhibition catalogue of the work of Alicja Biala, published by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, Poland.

The year ahead is already shaping up to be an equally busy and fascinating one with new projects being brought forward. Each new year is exciting to contemplate.

Harvey Wood Director, 1[st] December 2025

Report of the Trustees.

The Trustees of Clean Rivers Trust are pleased to report on their governance of the charity for the last year. (2024 – 2025). The activities of the Trust over the last year are recorded in the Directors Report.

The Trustees met formally four times over the last year, but individual involvement was far more frequent.

The objects of the Trust being ‘to advance the education of the public by research and dissemination of any findings regarding the care of inland and estuarine waters and to benefit the environment of rivers and inland waters by the research and the implementation of such research findings.’ The Trustees ensure that the works that have been undertaken are in line with the registered aims and objectives of the Trust. The Clean Rivers Trust was founded as an organisation in 1990 and is governed by a Deed of Trust registered with the Charity Commission in 1994.

The Trustees are mindful that the Trust needs to demonstrate public benefit, ensuring funds received are used for the purposes that they are intended. The Trustees have adopted policies that are intended to ensure all works conducted are always both ethical and honest and regularly reviews them. The Trust does not lobby on behalf of any political, commercial, or ideological entity and has never done so.

The Trustees are pleased to report that the Trust continues to receive support from a wide range of experts and is able to call on specialists from most water, energy, engineering, mineral/mining, and conservation disciplines.

The Trustees continue to audit the activities of the Trust and at the present deem it to be operating in a satisfactory manner and in line with all areas of governance. The accounting is conducted according to directions of and as outlined by the Charity Commission.

The Trustees are aware of the need for a wide base of expertise and talent within the management structure of the organisation. The Trustees have expertise in many areas that are of considerable worth to Clean Rivers Trust and all are engaged in the work of the Trust.

The Trustees monitor where possible the satisfaction of those who contact the Trust for help or advice so ensuring that advice or support given is fit for purpose.

The finances of the Trust continued to be adequate over this last year which has allowed research and other activities which have been reported on in the Directors Report. The Trust has not spent any funds outside the UK in the last year.

As we enter our 36[th] year the Trustees are pleased to point out the continuing development of sustainable solutions to complex problems.

9[th] December 2025

Accounts.

The following section contain the receipts and payments accounts of Clean Rivers Trust, as set out by the Charity Commission in their letter of September 2015.

2025 2024 £ £ Receipts Unrestricted Grants and Donations 43,715 50,050 Restricted Grants and Donations 13,000 21,500 Fees 1,000 0 Gross income 57,715 71,550 Sales of assets/investments 0 0 Total Receipts 57,715 71,550

2025 2024

£ £ Payments

Rent/utilities/insurance 13,609 12,050

(Breakdown below)

Laboratory costs 3,015 4,184
• Field Work 15,128 11,250 • Education 4,004 4,080 • Materials 7,300 2,230 • Health and Safety 896 885 • Equipment 4703 1,268 • Research Assistance 3,720 5,799

Sub Total 65,195 48,729

Purchases of assets/investments 0 0

2025 2024 £ £ Cash funds at end of year In bank 1[st] December 33,676 41,556 Restricted Funds 400 0 Unrestricted Funds 33,676 41,556 Total available for Trust Purposes. 33,676 41,556 Research expenses due to the Trust under agreement with funder 0 0 Research fees due to Trust 0 0 Outstanding moneys owed by Trust 0 0

Notes:

Most donations of funding to the Trust were unrestricted. Those funds that were restricted being for works in Derbyshire, and Devon/Cornwall which were duly ringfenced.
There are no investment assets, nor were any investments sold or purchased during this accounting year.
No funds were used for projects outside the UK.
No funds have been received from outside the UK.
Research costs included the operation of the trust’s own laboratory, commercial laboratory analysis of water and other samples, health and safety arrangements, procurement of samples, growing media, tools, and other related items.
.

Independent Examiner’s Report.

To the Trustees of Clean Rivers Trust (Charity Registration Number 1037414).

This is the sixth year that I have examined the accounts of Clean Rivers Trust.

The accounts and report for the year ending 30[th] November 2025; set out on pages 7 – 10 of the Annual Report and Accounts of Clean Rivers Trust.

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

Responsibilities and basis I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts conducted under of report section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act and the Charity Commissions guidance for reporting and accounting 2016 as updated 14[th] June 2023, also the Act of 2022 that came into effect on the 27[th] November 2025.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to raise any issue.

I have no concerns and have come across no matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Howard Dodds

Examiner 3[rd] December 2025

Appendix.

Funders and Acknowledgements.

The following persons and organisations have contributed to the Trust to enable its work to develop. Each donor has been thanked either by email or letter. Some contributors wish to remain anonymous, others include: Robert Clutterbuck Charitable Trusts, CHK Foundation, MJ Camp Charitable Foundation, William Dean Trust, Mary Kinross Charitable Trust RG Hills Charitable Trust, GJW Turner Trust, Catherine Holden, Miss KM Harbinson Charitable Trust, Marsh Charitable Trust, Sackler Trust, Paul Bassham Charitable Trust, Sir Hugh and Lady Stevenson, Chapman Trust, Fort Foundation, Sabrina Sutherland Charitable Trust, Edward Cadbury Trust, Sir John and Lady Amery's Charitable Trust, Grimmitt Trust, Blakemore foundation, Anson Charitable Trust, Aylesford Charitable Trust, Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, HDH Wills Charitable Trust, CHK Foundation, Wilmcote Charitable Trust, Swire Trusts, Langdale Trust, The Lord Faringdon Charitable Trust and Lindeth Charitable Trust.

The Trust thank the many people who have contacted us over the last year telling us of pollution or other environmental problem. We acknowledge the help of staff from the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Mining Remediation Authority, DEFRA, and Natural England.

Individuals who have aided the Trust and helped in their particular specialist fields include: Nathan Coop, Sophie Annable, Hugh Price, Sean Jackson, Stephen Joynes, Mike Wood and Vic Johnson.