2025-03-31-accounts - Severnside Sirens Trust Limited

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SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED

Report and Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2024

Charity No: 1063224

Registered No 3348008

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

CONTENTS	PAGE
Legal and Administrative Information	1
Report of the Chairman	2
Report of the Trustees	3 – 5
Report of the Independent Examiner	6
Statement of Financial Activities	7
Balance Sheet	8 – 9
Notes forming part of the financial statements	10 – 12

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Constitution

Severnside Sirens Trust Limited is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. Charity Number: 1063224.

Directors and Trustees

The directors of the charitable company (“the charity”) are its Trustees for the purpose of charity law and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the Trustees. As set out in the Articles of Association the chairman of the Trustees is nominated by the Trustees.

The Trustees serving during the year and since the year end were as follows:-

Board of Trustees

Mrs R Knight Mr I Cameron Councillor D Alexander Councillor N Holland Councillor S Johnson

Independent Independent Bristol City Council North Somerset Council South Gloucestershire Council

Registered Office

108 High Street Portishead BRISTOL BS20 6AJ

Registered Number

3348008 (England and Wales)

Accountants

Brooking Ruse 108 High Street Portishead BRISTOL BS20 6AJ

Independent Examiner

Brooking Ruse 108 High Street Portishead BRISTOL BS20 6AJ

Bankers

HSBC Bank plc PO Box 120 49 Corn Street BRISTOL BS99 7PP

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

The Trustees met in June, September and December 2023 and in March 2024 to discuss the maintenance and updates required to the siren system.

During the past year, the relocation of Siren 8 from the former Astra Zeneca site in Avonmouth to the land owned by Severnside Distribution Park (Bristol) Management Limited has been completed.

A report was commissioned during the year from Federal Signal to provide full information on the necessary maintenance for each individual siren. All urgent updates were rectified swiftly and all other updates have now been completed.

I would like to convey my thanks to all members of the public who monitor each siren on monthly test day and report defects to the administration.

The existing and new Upper Tier COMAH sites have continued their support by contributing to the ongoing maintenance and running of the Trust and the majority of Lower Tier sites also willingly contribute as they also have a moral duty to warn and inform the public.

The Trust has welcomed Nicola Holland representing North Somerset Council and Simon Johnson representing South Gloucestershire Council as new Trustees for the year 2023/ 2024 and we thank them for their contribution so far.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Trustees for their support of the Severnside Sirens Trust and Victoria Bywater our Administrator for her work on behalf of the Trust. I look forward to working with the Trustees and our administration team over the coming year.

Reyna Knight Chairman to the Trustees

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

The Board of Trustees present their report together with the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Objects

The company was incorporated on 1 May 1997. The objects of the charity are the establishment of an early warning system and to assist government departments and local authorities in their provision of emergency services.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees who have served during the year are set out on page 1. Trustees are invited to join to either represent their local authority or their particular industry. Trustees retire by rotation and may stand for reappointment.

Investment Powers

Under the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the charity has the power to make any investments which the Trustees see fit.

Related Parties

The charity has a very close relationship with Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council, all of which have provided funding to enable the charity to carry out its charitable objectives.

Trustees’ Responsibilities in Relation to the Financial Statements

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity at the end of the financial year and of its surplus or deficit for the financial year. In doing so the Trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practices have been followed subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the accounts; and
Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 contd

The Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enables them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of The Trust and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The Trustees consider that the Independent Examiner has been provided with all relevant information.

Reserves Policy and Risk Management

The Trusts cash reserves should be maintained at a level sufficient to meet both the commitments to maintenance of the system and the administration costs for a period of twenty four months, which currently equates to approximately £62,000. This is the minimum amount of liquid funds that should be readily available.

This would meet funding for the period in the event of a significant drop in income from the funds provided by the local councils and COMAH sites after which it would be necessary to consider how the funding would be replaced, or activities changed.

Assets

The maintenance of the system is managed by a technically qualified sub-contractor according to a contract. The records of the system failures and maintenance are reviewed by the Trustees at the management meetings.

A reserves policy is in place, which ensures the availability of sufficient cash for the trust to operate for 24 months. Details of the SST reserves were last confirmed to the Trusts auditors in April 2018.

Management and Administration

The Trustees meet four times a year and discusses the administration, maintenance, funding, performance and improvements of the system

Full records are held of all details relating to performance of the system since November 2016.

SST is administered by an out-sourced administration company (Cooksley & Co Ltd) and a formal performance review by the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Trustees takes place annually.

Legislation and Regulation

A copy of the annual report, financial statements and statutory returns are filed as required on-line to the Charity Commission and Companies House.

All data and records kept by the Trust, relating to the business and individuals associated with providing the siren system, will not be passed to a third party without the approval of the relevant persons.

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 contd

Conflict of Interest

In order that all who have dealings with SST can have total confidence in the integrity of its decision-making process, all trustees and those involved in administering the Trust will strive to avoid any conflict of interests between the Trust and their own personal, professional and business interests. This includes avoiding actual, as well as perceived, conflicts of interest.

Conflicts of interest could arise if, for example, a Trustee has a business that may be engaged in providing services for the Trust on a commercial basis.

Upon appointment each Trustee will be expected to make the Board aware of interests, such as relationships, and posts held, that could potentially result in a conflict of interest. Such notification should be made in writing. It will be kept on file and should be updated as appropriate. Likewise, all Trustees are expected to make similar disclosure if during a meeting a matter arises which could involve a conflict between that Trustee’s interests and those of the Trust.

In such a case, the Trustee in question must accept that he/she may be asked to leave the room while the discussion takes place and may not be able to take part in the decision depending on the judgement of the other Trustees present at the time. Any such disclosure and the subsequent actions taken will be noted in the minutes.

This policy is meant to supplement good judgement. The Trustees should respect its spirit as well as its wording.

Independent Examiner

The criteria for requiring a statutory audit have relaxed, and the Trustees resolved to amend the Memorandum and Articles of Association to require an Independent Examination of the accounts. Brooking Ruse was duly appointed as Independent Examiner of these Financial Statements.

The above Report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime in Part 15 of Companies Act 2006.

Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

..................................... Reyna Knight Chairman

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

To the Trustees of Severnside Sirens Trust Limited

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of Severnside Sirens Trust (the Trust) for the year ended 31 March 2024, which are set out on pages 7 to 12.

Responsibilities and basis of report

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 2011 Act).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3) the accounts to not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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

.............................. Les Cox Brooking Ruse Chartered Accountants 108 High Street Portishead BRISTOL BS20 6AJ

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024	STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024	STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024	STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
		2024	2023
	Notes	£	£
Incoming Resources
Donations	2	71,568	60,292
Bank interest receivable		357	123
Total incoming resources
available for charitable application		71,925	60,415
Resources Expended
Charitable expenditure:
Direct costs	3	37,368	59,483
Administrative expenses	3	32,935	34,028
Total charitable expenditure
& total resources used		70,303	93,511
Movement in Total Funds for the year
Net Surplus/(Deficit) for the year		1,622	(33,096)
Fund balance brought forward		42,884	75,980
Fund balance carried forward		44,506	42,884

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All incoming resources expended derive from continuing activities.

The notes on pages 10 to 12 form part of these accounts.

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2024

Notes Fixed Assets Tangible Assets 4 Current Assets Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 5 Net Current Assets Total Assets less current liabilities Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds at 31 March 2024	2024 £ £ 5,510 40,076 1,080 38,996 44,506 44,506 44,506	2023 £ £ 11,020 32,944 1,080 31,864 42,884 42,884 42,884	2023 £ £ 11,020 32,944 1,080 31,864 42,884 42,884 42,884
			42,884
			42,884 42,884

The directors’ statements required by Sections 475(2) and (3) are shown on the following page which forms part of this balance sheet.

The notes on pages 10 to 12 form part of these accounts.

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2024 contd

In approving these financial statements as directors of the company we hereby confirm:

(a) that for the year stated above the company was entitled to the exemption conferred by Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006;
(b) that no notice has been deposited at the registered office of the company pursuant to Section 476 requesting that an audit be conducted for the year ended 31[st] December 2017; and
(c) that we acknowledge our responsibilities for:
(i) ensuring that the company keeps accounting records which comply with Section 386; and
(ii) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year and of its profit or loss for the year then ended in accordance with the requirements of Section 393 and which otherwise comply with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP.

The financial statements were approved by the Board on 13 June 2024 and signed on its behalf by

............................................ Reyna Knight Chairman

Registration number: 3348008

The notes on pages 10 to 12 form part of these accounts.

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of accounting

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended practice applicable to charities in preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) – (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Donations and grants

Income from donations and grants, including capital grants, is included within incoming resources.

Depreciation

Mechanical equipment is written off over its estimated useful life of 10 years. Electrical equipment is also written off over its estimated useful life of 10 years.

Resources expended

Resources expended are included in the Statement of Financial Activities on an accruals basis, inclusive of any VAT which cannot be recovered.

Fund accounting

Funds held by the charity are:

Restricted funds – These are fund that can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

2 DONATIONS

Local authority donations Corporate donations Total	2024 £ 23,646 47,922 71,568	2023 £ 23,646 36,646
		60,292

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 contd

3 CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE Direct Costs: Radio Licence Premises Costs Contract Costs Repairs & Maintenance Depreciation Administrative Costs: Stationery & Telephone Administrator’s Costs Legal & Professional Insurance Administration & Travel 4 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Cost or valuation: At 31 March 2023 Additions At 31 March 2024 Depreciation: At 31 March 2023 Provided during the year At 31 March 2024 Net book value: At 31 March 2024 At 31 March 2023 5 CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year Accruals	2024 £ 820 826 12,198 18,014 5,510 37,368 3,523 14,400 1,080 13,172 760 32,935 2024 £ 1,080	2023 £ 820 453 13,416 39,284 5,510
		59,483
		3,591 14,400 2,130 13,289 618
		34,028
		Plant & Equipment £ 312,920 -
		312,920
		301,900 5,510
		307,410
		5,510 11,020 2023 £ 1,080

SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 contd

6 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Under FRS 8 the company is required to disclose transactions between related parties. However, disclosure is not required as a result of an individual’s role in a government department. None of the trustees have a controlling interest in the organisations that they belong to, although the list below details which organisation each trustee represented during the year.

Mrs R Knight Independent Mr I Cameron Independent Councillor D Alexander Bristol City Council Councillor N Holland North Somerset Council Councillor S Johnson South Gloucestershire Council

None of the trustees received any expenses or remuneration from the charity during the year.

7 COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

The company is limited by guarantee and the members undertake to contribute an amount, not exceeding £10, to the charity’s assets in the event of a winding up whilst they are still a member, or within a year of them ceasing to be a member.

8 RESTRICTED FUND

Siren Fund Balance brought forward Surplus/(Deficit) for the financial year Balance carried forward	Year to 31 March 2024 £ 42,884 1,622 44,506	Year to 31 March 2023 £ 75,980 (33,096) 42,884