Kingfishers Bridge Wetland Creation Trust Charity No: 107882
Trustees Report and Financial Statements for the Year ended 30 April 2021
Kingfishers Bridge Wetland Creation Trust
Reference and Administrative Details for the year ended 30 April 2021
Name: Kingfishers Bridge Wetland Creation Trust Charity Number: 1078882
Registered office: Mill House, Tower Road, Burnham Overy Staithe, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE31 8JB
Trustees:
W Garnett (Chairman, appointed 13/9/19) A Green (appointed 9/11/17) R Green (appointed 9/11/17) P Green (appointed 9/11/17) M Lawson (appointed 13/9/19) S Tomkins (appointed 9/11/17)
Independent Examiner:
Nicholas Russell ICAEW Moorgate Place London EC2R 6EA
History, structure, and governance
Since 1995 over 250 acres of farm land has been transformed into a variety of wetland and meadow habitats typical of the ancient Cambridgeshire Fens. This has enabled us to recreate many of the processes and variety that are present in natural ecosystems. Over the last 26 years this experimental and scientific approach to wildlife conservation has produced some exceptional habitats and exciting wildlife outcomes.
Initially conceived and owned by Andrew Green, the Kingfishers Bridge Nature Reserve employs a small wardening staff to manage, record and monitor wildlife throughout the year. Staff are employed by the owners to manage the Kingfishers Bridge Nature Reserve. Our operation - through advisors , staff and volunteers has enabled us to better understand influences on wildlife at all levels and so improve wetland conservation management in the Fens and beyond.
On 25 November 1999, The Kingfisher Bridge Wetland Creation Trust was established as a registered charity and is constituted under a trust deed dated 25th November 1999. The Trust’s principle role is to support The Kingfishers Bridge Nature Reserve management operations via grants. Trustees are approved by existing trustees, each of whom serve for 5 years, after which time they may put themselves forward for re-appointment. The trustees meet at least twice a year and meet less formally on a monthly basis. All trustees give of their time freely and no trustee remuneration was paid in the year.
T he Trust’s principle role is to support The Kingfishers Bridge Nature Reserve via grants. Excluding these grants, the Trust has very limited outgoings so there is no need for a policy on the holding of Reserves. Free reserves at the year end were £77,113 (2020 £1,380).
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Kingfishers Bridge Wetland Creation Trust
Report for the Trustees for the period ended 30 April 2021
The Trustees present this annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2021. The Trustees confirm that the annual report and financial statements comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the char ity’s governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019).
Objectives and activities
The Trust’s primary objective is to conserve and create a variety of wetland and wildlife habitats in the fens in order to conserve fenland wildlife for its own benefit � and for the public educational benefit that they bring to people.
In furtherance of that objective, the Trust seeks to promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment by promoting biological diversity ((including existing and rare species of plants, insects, birds and mammals), and to advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment.
The Trust’s principle role is to support The Kingfishers Bridge Nature Reserve via grants. These grants are made on the basis that the Reserve is being managed to conserve and create a wide variety of wetland and wildlife habitats in the Fens (including existing and rare species of plants, insects, birds and mammals) for the public educational benefit.
In support of the above, the management team will pursue the following:
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attract, retain and care for the greatest possible variety of flora and fauna;
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be a � wildlife first project � in which the majority of our resources are focused on providing a �wildscape� meaning optimal environments and habitats for thriving wildlife and excellence in the created landscape and habitat;
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innovate in approaches to conservation and habitat creation;
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monitor, record and evaluate outcomes;
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share and interact with related parties and organisations including communicating our strategies, outcomes (both successes and failures) as well as lessons learnt;
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encourage educational and scientific use of the reserve;
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provide controlled access to the public, including the disabled.
The Trustees are satisfied that the reserve has been managed in line with the objectives as detailed above.
The Trustees have complied with the duty to have due regard for public benefit as published by the Charities Commission. We highlight the outstanding outcomes in terms of the natural capital enhancements particularly biodiversity as well as the direct benefits to the public - whether it be the general public who visit in ever increasing numbers - or our ongoing liaisons with like-minded organisations.
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Kingfishers Bridge Wetland Creation Trust
Summary of achievements for the year ended April 2021 and plans for the future
Record Numbers of Visitors
Despite all the difficulties and disruptions brought by Covid, 2020 gave Kingfishers Bridge a new lease of life and an appetite to go boldly forward. We resolved to keep the Reserve open and we welcomed a large number of new visitors for the first time. It brought us much pleasure to see how our Reserve could be so restorative and provide a place of sanctuary to humans as well as wildlife. In 2020, we estimate that that in excess of 16,000 visited the Reserve and tentatively project close to 20,000 in 2021. The Trustees would like to thank James Moss, the manager of the Reserve, for leading the team through this extraordinary year and also for managing the huge growth in visitors. Our thanks also go to the dedicated team of wardens, volunteers and supporters of the Reserve without whom our vital work would be unable to continue.
A self-financing future
���� also marked the project’s ��[th] Anniversary and although we were unable to celebrate with Friends and supporters as planned, given the dramatic increase in the number of visitors, we used this milestone to embark on various new initiatives. With the generous support of the Titcomb Foundation, we have been able to make significant changes to enable us to welcome and accommodate more visitors as well as to encourage them to support the project; in time, the hope is that the project will become self-financing. The creation of additional car parking facilities, the introduction of The Wren Café, enabling visitors to enjoy refreshments onsite, the provision of guided tours and a bushcraft centre have been all part of this new drive to improve the visitor experience.
Above all, in keeping with our wildlife first ethos, we need to do all this whilst preserving the integrity of our ecosystems entailing a careful balance between visitor numbers and their impact on the wildlife particularly in sensitive areas. We have, therefore, created additional paths and routes along with upgraded signage to ensure that visitors are guided to less sensitive areas within the Reserve.
Events
Covid related rules prevented us from organising our regular rota of events such as our Liaison Days for conservation specialists, our Open Days held in August for families, and Friends days for those who support us financially and in other ways. We have, however, restarted these events in recent months as soon as Covid regulations have allowed.
Management of the Reserve
The management of the reserve’s habitats and infrastructure required an ongoing maintenance programme and refinements. A generous donation from The Linder Foundation was used to fund a much needed purchase of a � replacement second-hand tractor with its added power and functionality, this has boosted productivity significantly. The lake islands, which over the years had been subject to erosion from wind and waves, were reprofiled in the autumn of 2020 using an amphibious dredger. This was to ensure that the islands continue to provide the sanctuary for various ground nesting birds particularly gulls and waders; it was gratifying to see the number of Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns nesting on the islands rose dramatically in 2021. The new platform, built onto the top of the recently installed insulated hide on top of the mound, proved a major success.
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Kingfishers Bridge Wetland Creation Trust
Reed beds and water bodies: elvers return!
The European eel is a critically endangered species, and it was wonderful to discover during the year that elvers were naturally colonising the waterbodies at Kingfishers Bridge and a great reward for all our work to create mature habitats. Due to the height of the flood bank separating the lake from the River Cam and the primary water source for the reserve being from the quarry, it had been thought that the reserve was a closed system - and that the only eels in the reserve were those that we had been introduced to the site. However, the discovery of young elvers throughout the wetlands has proved a natural migration into the reserve from adjacent systems.
Monitoring:
This year’s (April 2021) breeding season was disrupted by a late frost in mid-April which caused all the Lapwing nests to be abandoned but thankfully both Lapwings and Redshanks re-laid. Overall we hosted 71 breeding � species on the site close to the record 75 recorded in 2020 but considerably higher than the tally recorded in the early years of the Reserve, which were around 50.
Building on the trial of new technology last year, thermal scopes have been used to find and monitor wader chicks and nests to better determine the nest fertility and chick survival of some of our most important breeding species.
Regular moth trapping using mercury vapour traps at night and pheromones during the day continued and has resulted in the recording of over 732 species on the reserve and this regular effort will eventually help build up long term trends in species. These insects are vital in the food chain of endangered wildlife.
Grazing
The livestock, including Long Horn and Highland cattle, Konik horses and Water Buffalo has allowed us to continue to manage habitats in a sustainable manner, maximising ecosystem variety and biodiversity.
Education programme
Based around our new classroom that we built last year, we now offer educational experiences for children from pre-school to sixth form and college. Whether school groups, youth groups or holiday activities, we give children the opportunity to learn and explore outdoors. The emphasis is on hands-on investigations, practical activities and fun in an outdoor setting.
Approved by the trustees on 16 November 2021 and signed on their behalf by
ANDREW GREEN (TRUSTEE)
WILLIAM GARNETT (CHAIRMAN)
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Kingfishers Bridge Wetland Creation Trust
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Kingfishers Bridge Wetland Creation Trust
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KINGFISHERS BRIDGE WETLAND CREATION TRUST
ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 APRIL 2021
KINGFISHERS BRIDGE WETLAND CREATION TRUST
STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 APRIL 2021
| INCOME: Donations: Donations without gift aid Donations with gift aid Visitor donations Tax: Claimed in year from gift aid payments EXPENSES: Grants Trustees' insurance Subscriptions Bank charges & interest Miscellaneous expense NET SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) for the year |
2021 48,966 79,300 0 128,266 20,200 148,466 71,800 824 35 75 -99 72,635 75,831 |
2020 12,328 30,600 1,314 44,242 9,448 53,690 52,020 664 0 31 0 52,715 975 |
2020 12,328 30,600 1,314 44,242 9,448 53,690 52,020 664 0 31 0 52,715 975 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 975 |
I confirm that this Statement of Income and Expenditure truly represents all transactions of the charity for the year.
W Garnett, Chairman
A Green, Trustee
KINGFISHERS BRIDGE WETLAND CREATION TRUST
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 30 APRIL 2021
| Bank balance and cash in hand Creditor (loan) Surplus retained Surplus/(deficit) for the year |
2021 77,113 77,113 0 1,282 75,831 77,113 |
2020 1,380 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,380 | ||
| 98 307 975 |
||
| 1,380 |
(HARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Sectlon A Independent Examlner'j Roport Report to the tru8t•0•l membèrs of :AJFIsHC (ZS GftIP(fC UETLAfv)ty ClzLfvfi Tfusr On account8 for the year ended 30 AF/.1 £oel Charlty no Ilf any Set out on pago8 I report to the truste8s on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (°the Trust") for the year ended 30 o 9 201 l. Responslblllties and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of basis of report the accounts in accordance wilh the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the 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 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)Ib) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi thal no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ") in connection with the examination which gives me Cause to telieve that in, any material respect.. accounting records We not kept in accordance wilh section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord 1th the accounting records I have no concems and have come across no other 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. ' Please delete the words in the brnckets if they do not apply. Independent examiner's statement Signed: Date: ltrlioIzoLI Name: ICtIOUftS PUSSFLL Rèlèvant profèsslonal qualificaOnI8) or body (If any): JLkCk) IER October 2018
Address: LotJDop) f Cztz ÉA S•ctlon Dl•clo•ur• Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examination of charity acGounts'. directions and guidanc for examiners). Glve here brlef detall8 of any items that tho examlner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018