Wirral Environmental Network
(A company limited by guarantee)
Annual Report and Financial Statements Year Ended 31 March 2025 Company registration number: 3462312 Charity registration number: 1068306
“Working to reduce Wirral’s Carbon Footprint”
Wirral Environmental Network
Contents
| Contents | |
|---|---|
| Reference and Administrative Details | 3 |
| Trustees' Report | 4 to 6 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 7 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 8 |
| Balance Sheet | 9 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 10 to 14 |
Reference and Administrative Details
Trustees & Directors
D Brown
D Jones (Chair)
A Litherland
D Griffiths
C Rathe
C Shields
B Shoebridge
D Pye, Company Secretary
Other Officers
N Graham, Office Manager
P McHoul, Finance manager
Principal Office
Sandon Building
Falkland Road
Wallasey
Wirral
CH44 8ER
The charity is incorporated in England and Wales.
Company Registration Number 3462312 Charity Registration Number 1068306 Bankers Co-operative Bank Independent Examiner Ian Wright
The trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ending 31st March 2025.
Structure, Governance and Management
Page 3
Governing Document
The Charity – originally known as Wirral LA21 Network - is constituted as a Company limited by Guarantee and not having a share capital, and is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association incorporated 7 November 1997, amended by special resolution 21 August 2003 and by certificate of incorporation on change of name dated 31 October 2009.
The charity is registered with the Charities commissioners under charity number 1068306.
Appointment of trustees
As set out in the Articles of Association the trustees are approved at a General Meeting. There is no limit to the time a trustee may serve, although one third of trustees are expected to retire by rotation and be subject to reappointment. During the year, the trustees may appoint a person who is willing to act to be a trustee either to fill a vacancy or as an additional trustee. In this case, that person will hold office only until the next following annual general meeting and shall not be taken into account in determining the trustees who are to retire by rotation at the AGM. If not reappointed at such annual general meeting, the additional trustee(s) shall vacate office at the end of the AGM. There is a minimum of three Trustees but no maximum number. A simple process is in place to clarify trustee recruitment and induction, including interviews and references as necessary.
Trustee induction and training
The Chair of Trustees arranges an induction for new Trustees, including their legal obligations under charity and company law, the content of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Trustee committee and decision making processes, and minimum commitment expected from the new trustee. They also learn in situ about the organisation structure, business plan and recent financial performance of the charity. The new trustee will meet key team members and be provided with access to operational procedures. They are encouraged to attend appropriate events to gain greater knowledge of the charity’s activities and to help in the undertaking of their role.
Organisation
The Board of trustees oversees the charity and meets formally on a bi-monthly basis; however exceptional meetings on specific matters can be arranged as and when required. The Office Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the charity. The trustees are supplied with financial information bi-monthly together with updates on activity.
Page 4
Objectives and activities
Wirral Environmental Network (WEN) is a non-profit, non-party political coalition of individuals, groups and organisations, working together for a more sustainable society and the respect for nature and the environment. The aim of the organisation is to advance the education of the public about the preservation of our world’s natural environment, ecological sustainability, natural resource conservation, waste management, recycling and the principles of Fairtrade, within Wirral and the surrounding area.
WEN has delivered and continues to deliver training and projects such as WEN Crafters, WEN Reclaimers, Falkland Road Organic Gardeners, Green Hub @ St James Garden, WEN Flower Arranging, Re-use and Recycling Projects, Cool Communities, Climate Champions, Courses and workshops, the Mersey Green Map, E news & quarterly newsletter (Wirral Evergreen), website and information service.
The Trustees review WEN’s aims, objectives and activities at a planning workshop each year to ensure that we remain focused and have given due regard to public benefit when planning the charity’s activities.
Achievements and performance
This year, WEN has strengthened its role as a hub for environmental learning and action, expanding community engagement, membership, and impact. At our Seacombe-based Environmental Hub, we’ve enhanced facilities with a new craft gift shop, woodwork workshop, and expanded hireable spaces.
Despite setbacks like storm damage to our polytunnel, our team and volunteers ensured swift recovery and continued improvements, including new garden seating and a second polytunnel.
We delivered a rich programme of environmental education, from gardening and biodiversity workshops to creative sessions like willow weaving and wreath-making. We welcomed diverse groups —from Wirral Met College students to eco-school teachers—and hosted events for Big Green Week, City Nature Challenge, and Wirral Walking Festival. Our training extended to topics like climate change, composting, and upcycling, reaching new audiences and organisations such as Wirral Mencap.
Our Big Green List now includes over 420 local eco-groups, and our digital reach continues to grow, with Facebook content viewed over 30,000 times monthly. Projects like Clothes Swap Cafés and biodiversity improvements, supported by grants, have empowered communities to take sustainable action. We’re also developing an ‘eco-tool’ library for schools and groups.
None of this would be possible without our incredible volunteers and members, whose dedication fuels our mission. We’re proud to collaborate with over 30 community partners and supporters across the Wirral and beyond.
Year on year income has increased, partly due to significant increases in grants and donations. The expectation is that next year there will continue to be an increase in regular income and another yearon-year increase in delivering environment education and activity.
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Plans for future periods:
The Board of Trustees have produced a vision for WEN in 2030 and this provides direction to activities and decisions made within the team – for example in deciding which grant opportunities to pursue.
We continue to produce a business plan for the year ahead to help us focus our efforts, and then make this a part of our ongoing approach on an annual basis.
In the next year, WEN will be looking to apply for grants and funding again. A key focus will be to develop our long-term accommodation needs, to continue to look for possible accommodation options and to continue to embed risk management within our operating approach.
Risk management
The following risk areas have been identified as key to the organisation:
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Insolvency
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Loss of key staff
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Inadequate Governance
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Fail to meet Charity aims / scope creep
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IT failure
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Data loss/breach/GDPR
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Safeguarding & vulnerable people
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Health & Safety – incident
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Accommodation change (Falkland Rd)
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Asset management (loss/fraud).
Mitigation Strategy:
Risk areas have been prioritised and individual risks are a focus of trustee meetings, through the forward agenda for the year. This will continue to allow the Trustees and the WEN team to have a better articulated, common perception of the risks and mitigation actions.
Financial review:
The income for this accounting period amounted to £63,296 (previous year: £45,386) with the net profit of £3,607. The level of unrestricted funds stands at £26,917 which surpasses our minimum aim of retaining reserves of the equivalent of 12 months of overhead expenses (circa £10,000). We are outgrowing our current premises and so are building up unrestricted reserves for a planned premises project in 2026/2027.
Signed on behalf of the WEN Trustees by:
Page 6
23[rd] November 2025, Company Registration Number: 3462312
Page 7
Independent Examinerfs Report to the trustees of the Wirral Environmental Network (WEN) l rnpjrt on the of the the 31 2025 ¥trknh arn set (Art on pw8to12. Rwponsl1I1la •nd bAslB ol rnport hts the charity's tn&stees of the Company {8nd also Ils ¢fftctt¥5 forthe puww of ccThrAny you Companies Ilhe 2[ pd). HaviThJ satisfj myEdlthat the aC(unts of the CcwnFony are rK)t rEquired audited under Part 16 ofthe 20l Act and are eliqible for iThJeFThJent examinath)n. I ret in resFect of my examination of your ctharity's accwnts as ratri&l out under seclion 145 of the Charthes kt 2011 IlhB 2011 ACYI. secl• 145(5) Ibl ofthe 2011 ACL Independent •xamlnef• •t4t•m•nl Since the Companls gross dKJ n( exeAed £250,(XX) your examww need be 8 memljer of a iDJy t15 in 3ecthJn 145 of the 2011 ACL I confirm that l am qualif to urKlert2ke the 1. accounting *ve not kom in rwrtof the Comwry as requV ty 386 thfr 2C(6 or 3. the th) o)mpty with •X(nb.a rw4uirements 396 of the 20C6 Act oth than any Tequirementthat the rnnts a In and vhJKh 15 not a matter con$pJ¥ed ststement of Re¢wmended Pr&b¢e ts oUntIng and ier&xt"ng by charittes applKable to in the UK Republ of Ireland IFRS 1ff21. which altentI shouKI bè dr•wn in thi8 reFrfXt in othto enable a undernlanding ot the lan Wi•3hi W FCA Chartered Accounlant 15 Stretton Drive Southpc 22 NOtr2025 Page 8
(Including Income and Expenditure Account)
Page 9
st4tement ol FlnorKIAI Acthitks lor trk Year Entsd 31 March 2025 {Irrtludlw IrrtomÈ ar ExwndlturÈ Account) Rt&trLded Unrestrkknl IOne & eTrSyrtmentJ Ircffl: Dottjtiotis & le8knX Tr&litt8 & other %tiviti chayble &aivitbes lllVeSttYt 9.036 14,114 9,146 14,614 39,157 1,492 11,087 32,749 34Jl8 378 378 58 Total Income 34328 28J67 63295 45A86 EXFrltUre cfft: Charitible thxivitb Mtly1t ofthe dlty 27,9Tr) 9,845 19,471 2.473 47270 12J18 44,839 4,410 Total diti< 37,744 21,944 59&88 49249 Nèt 1ce}elrltUre 12116) 6,423 307 Pl63) Total thds brou8hi rithvd Nei OJ Total luThts ¢4rrkd lorKrd 33?44 27247 ' 108 33,778 60591 108 64,3Q6 64238 216 Al cl Ihg thalty$ Idi deir ttmlliluty opgran$ duw thè abovg pgiid Balance Sheet 31 March 2025 Page 10
For the financial year ending 31 March 2025 the charity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors' responsibilities:
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The members have not required the charity to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476; and
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The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
The financial statements on pages 8 to 9 were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on 23 November 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
23[rd] November 2025, Company Registration Number: 3462312
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Wirral Environmental Network
Notes to the Financial Statements
Year Ended 31 March 2025
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Wirral Environmental Network
Notes to the Financial Statements
Year Ended 31 March 2025
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Wirral Environmental Network
Notes to the Financial Statements
Year Ended 31 March 2025
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Wirral Environmental Network
Notes to the Financial Statements
Year Ended 31 March 2025
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Wirral Environmental Network
Notes to the Financial Statements
Year Ended 31 March 2025
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