OpenCharities

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

2021-12-31-accounts

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR 2021

The People, Landscape and Cultural Environment Education and Research Centre (PLACE)

----- Start of picture text -----
Tour of Scarborough, September 2021
[Richard Mallows]
----- End of picture text -----

CONTENTS

Legal and administrative information P. 2 Report of the Trustees P. 2 Statement of Financial Activities P. 8 Balance sheet P. 10 Notes to the accounts P. 11

1

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Registered Charity number: 1106814

Legal form: a Charitable Incorporated Organisation

Registered address: PLACE Office, York St John University, Lord Mayor’s Walk, York, YO31 7EX

Bankers: Co-operative Bank, PO Box 250, Delf House, Southway, Skelmersdale, WN8 6WT Virgin Money, 46 Coney Street, York, YO1 9NQ

Trustees: Joe Bailey (from May 2021) Linda Blenkinship (re-elected May 2021; died June 2021) Aileen Margery Bloomer (until May 2021)) David Hawtin (re-elected May 2021) Michael Francis Hopkinson (Treasurer) Philip Niall Mander Ann Hilary Moxon (until May 2021) Richard Myerscough (co-opted June 2021) Colin Speakman George Sheeran (Chair) Nancy Stedman (co-opted June 2021) Brian Walker (until May 2021)

Chief Executive: Margaret Ann Atherden

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD 1 JANUARY 2021 TO 31 DECEMBER 2021

The Trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the period to 31 December 2021. PLACE was originally incorporated as a company limited by guarantee on 29 March 2004 and registered with the Charity Commission on 17 November 2004. It became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 27 February 2020.

As stated in the charity’s constitution, its Objects are:

  1. To promote research into the people, landscape and cultural environment of Yorkshire and elsewhere and to disseminate the useful results for the benefit of the general public

  2. To advance the education of the public in the people and the natural and cultural heritage of Yorkshire and elsewhere.

Principal Activities Undertaken and Public Benefit

The charity sets out to achieve its charitable objects through sponsoring, facilitating or undertaking research, organising conferences on subjects relevant to the charity's objects, producing publications,

2

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

organising short courses and fieldtrips, and through partnership working. In accordance with S17(5) of the Charities Act 2011, Trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities. In particular, Trustees consider how the planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set. Members' fees are set at a nominal £5 per year in order to encourage the widest possible membership. Equal access is important to PLACE and nearly all activities are open to members and non-members.

The Covid 19 emergency continued to limit activities during 2021. Only two indoor events were held, the AGM and both short courses were held on-line, and other activities were held out of doors.

Research Projects

PLACE continued long-term monitoring of vegetation on May Moss on the North York Moors. Three visits were made: in June, July and August 2021. A news-sheet is produced each year, reporting progress with the research. Other research projects funded by PLACE continued, including Nancy Stedman’s research on the cumulative impact of roadside barn conversions in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Douglas Mitcham’s for the Quaker Field Project in Bainbridge. Roger Inman produced a report on the radiocarbon dates for the archaeological site at Easby Motte. PLACE also initiated a project for members called My Yorkshire Place , written and photographic contributions to which were published in the newsletter. The PLACE project on the re-purposing of de-commissioned telephone boxes continued and photographs were displayed on the website.

Outdoor Events

By late May it was possible to organise groups of up to 30 people for outdoor events. These proved so popular that some had to be repeated. The first was a walk in Hagg Wood, Dunnington, in May, led by Linda Maggs and attended by 22 people. In June and early July, two walks took place from Spofforth, led by Philip Mander. In July there was a fieldtrip to Swaledale, attended by 19 people and including visits to the Swaledale Museum and Surrender Mill. In August there were two visits to Westerdale and Kildale, led by Roger Inman. There were also two visits to the beaver enclosure in Cropton Forest, the first preceded by a walk around Cawthorne Roman Camps. In September, George Sheeran led a guided walk around Scarborough. Later in October, a small group of members had a walk from Ravenscar, led by Philip Mander. In November, Colin Speakman led a walk around Ilkley and the edge of Ilkley Moor. The final walk of the year took place in November, starting from Hovingham.

On-line Events

In February, Richard Darn gave a presentation via zoom on Dark Skies designations, which was attended by 30 people. PLACE ran two on-line short courses in 2021, both presented by Robert Wright via zoom. The first took place in the spring, entitled Castles, strongholds and fortified manor houses , and was attended by

3

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

over 50 people. The second took place in the autumn, entitled Holy Places of Anglo-Saxon Yorkshire , and was attended by 48 people.

The PLACE Annual General Meeting in May 2021 was also held via zoom, during the time when indoor gatherings were severely limited. The business motions and election of Trustees were carried out by proxy, to give all members the chance to vote, even if they were not able to attend the meeting on-line. At the AGM Aileen Bloomer, Hilary Moxon and Brian Walker stood down as trustees and did not seek re-election. Linda Blenkinship and David Hawtin stood down and were re-elected, although very sadly Linda died a few weeks later. Joe Bailey was elected as a trustee for the first time.

Indoor Events

Two events were held in-person in the autumn. The first was a visit to the new planetarium at Lime Tree Farm, Grewelthorpe, attended by nine people. The second was a pre-Christmas event in Bedern Hall, York, with a talk by Eileen White, entitled What the Shepherds Ate , which was attended by 31 people.

Publications and Communications

No new publications were produced in 2021. A new website, designed by Shane Murphy, was launched in the summer.

Three PLACE newsletters were sent out to members and partner organisations in 2021 and made available to all via the website. Most communications with members are now via e-mail but members without internet access receive hard copies.

Membership

Members are known as Friends of PLACE and pay a small annual subscription of £5.00. Membership is open to individuals and organisations. On 31 December 2021 there were 260 paid up members, including three who had paid before 31 December 2020 and 21 new members who joined in 2021. This represents an increase since 2020, partly as a result of recruitment for the short courses.

Independent researchers working on topics related to the charitable objects of PLACE are invited to become Fellows of PLACE . They pay the normal subscription and may participate in the PLACE Advisory Committee (see below). There were 17 Fellows on 31 December 2021, two of whom were currently coopted as trustees.

Partner Organisations

PLACE has established links with 25 partner organisations that have aims related to the people, landscape or cultural environment of Yorkshire. They are not required to be members of PLACE, to prevent any possible conflicts of interest. Two new partner organisations were welcomed in 2021: Friends of the Dales and The Yorkshire Society. A review of relationships with partner organisations will be carried out in 2022. Current partner organisations are:

4

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

Advisory Committee

Representatives of Partner Organisations, Fellows of PLACE, interested members and the PLACE Board meet as the PLACE Advisory Committee. This group is responsible for advising the Board on future research projects, publications and events. The Advisory Committee is chaired by the Chief Executive and its minutes are accepted by the Board of Trustees. The meeting planned for March 2021 was cancelled because of the Covid-19 restrictions. One meeting took place in October 2021.

Board of Trustees

PLACE is managed by a Board of Trustees, elected by vote from the membership of the Charity. In accordance with the constitution, one third of the Board normally retire by rotation each year. Four meetings of the Board were held in 2021: in January, March, June and October. The first two meetings were held on-line by zoom, owing to Covid-19 restrictions. The third was held in an outdoor venue; the fourth was held indoors.

Financial Review and Reserves Policy

All activities are undertaken from the general fund with the main sources of income in 2021 being from sales of books, members’ subscriptions and donations. The main items of expenditure were printing costs

5

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

for publications, printer cartridges and the newsletters, insurance and other office expenditure. Minor expenditure is handled through a petty cash account. Cash not required for immediate use has been placed in a Virgin Money account and interest rates achieved are monitored by the Treasurer and reported to the Trustees.

At the end of 2021 Free Reserves stood at £ 13,725 . The minimum financial reserve agreed by the Board is £3,000, which would allow commitments to research and publications to be fulfilled should general income reduce again in future. The level of reserves will be kept under review by the Trustees.

Trustees' Responsibilities

Charity Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity at the year end and of the Net Incoming Resources for the year then ended. In preparing these financial statements the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Health and Safety

Trustees are aware of their responsibilities in regard to Health and Safety and produce risk assessments for events, as approved by the charity’s insurance company. Participants are alerted to any anticipated hazards before each event. However, all PLACE members are adults and the primary responsibility rests with individuals for their own health and safety. PLACE has a Safeguarding Policy , agreed in 2020.

Data Protection

Trustees are mindful of the General Data Protection Regulation (2018). PLACE maintains a database of members, which is updated regularly and held securely. The minimal information supplied by members is used only for administrative purposes and is never shared with or sold to third parties. Information about data protection is communicated to members via the newsletter to ensure compliance with the GDPR.

6

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

Strategic Objectives

The last strategic plan ran out at the end of 2019 but has not yet been updated. A new strategic plan will be devised in 2022.

The following specific objectives for 2021 were agreed by the Board of Trustees in 2021:

The following specific objectives for 2022 were agreed by the Board of Trustees in March 2022:

7

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

People, Landscape and Cultural Environment, Education and Research Centre

Statement of Financial Activities

Including income and expenditure account

For the year ended 31 December 2021

Incoming Resources
Voluntary Income
Donations & Gift Aid
Friends Subscriptions
Incoming resources from
Charitable Objects
Conference/ Field trip Fees
Short Course Fees
Publications – Sales & Royalties
Investment Income – Bank interest
Total Incoming Resources
Resources Expended
Postage, stationery, newsletter and other office costs
Insurance
Trustee Travel expenses		 Notes
2021
2020
Total
Total
£
£
689
487
4
1,300
1,090
865
0
1,355
50
2,955
3775
10
51
7,174
5,453
669
582
360
345
6
0
0

8

PLACE

Registered charity number 1106814

Trustee training/Board expenses/AGM
Conference/ Field trip costs
Short Course Costs
Research Costs
Advertising/Publicity/website
Publication costs
Total Resources Expended
Net incoming/(outgoing) resources for the
year/movement in funds
Total funds brought forward
Total Funds carried forward		 7
 40
0
492
0
570
250
1,000
686
930
324
3,387
3,285
7,448
5,472
(274)
(19)
13,999
14,018
13,725
13,999

Note:

All activity is within the general objects of the charity and therefore within unrestricted funds.

There were no recognised gains or losses for 2021 and 2020 other than those included in the income and expenditure account. All activities derive from continuing operations.

.

9

Registered charity number 1106814

PLACE

Balance Sheet as at 31 December Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2021
Notes 2021 2020
£ £
Fixed Assets
Laptop 8 787 787
Depreciation on laptop (787) (787)
Website 2,500 0
Website Depreciation (833) 0
Total Fixed Assets 1,667 0
Current Assets
Book Stock 8 2,269 2,539
Debtors – Gift Aid 4 315 577
Debtors - prepaid insurance 288 284
Cash at bank & in hand 9,196 10,684
Total Current assets 12,068 14,264
Creditors: amounts falling due within one
year
Prepaid Subscriptions 4 (10) (15)
Short Course Fees owed 0 (250)
Total Creditors (10) (265)
Net Current Assets 12,058 13,999
Total Net Assets 13,725 13,999
Represented by:
Unrestricted funds 13,725 13,999
Fund balance 13,725 13,999

These financial statements were approved by the Trustees on the 17[th] March 2022 and are signed on their behalf by

Chair Date:

10

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

1. a. Accounting Policies

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. These financial statements have been prepared on an accruals basis in accordance with the Accounting & Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1[st] January 2015 as updated 2 February 2016) -(Charities SORP (FRS 102), The Charities Act 2011 and The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

b. Going Concern

The Trustees have prepared financial projections, taking into consideration the current economic climate and its potential impact on the sources of income and planned expenditure. Trustees have a reasonable expectation that adequate financial resources are available to enable the charity to continue in operational existence for at least the next 12 months, and have adequate contingency plans in the event that income streams are reduced. The accounts have therefore been prepared on the basis that the charity is a going concern.

c. Financial Instruments including cash and bank balances

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Cash held by the charity is included at the amount held and counted. Bank balances are shown at the amounts properly reconciled to the bank statements

d. Change of accounting policy/estimates

The accounts present a true and fair view and no changes have been made to the accounting policies adopted. No changes to accounting estimates have occurred in the reporting period. (3.46 FRS 102 SORP)

e. Offsetting

There has been no offsetting of assets and liabilities or income and expenditure, unless required or permitted by the FRS 102 SORP or FRS102

2. Organisation status

On the 27[th] February 2020 the company was registered by the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) retaining its charity registration number but ceasing its registration with Companies House as a limited Company. In the event of the CIO being wound up the members of the CIO have no liability to contribute to its assets and no personal liability for settling its debts and liabilities.

3. Funds

The Charity has only one fund a general unrestricted fund. All movements in the fund are fully disclosed in the Statement of Financial Activities.

11

PLACE

Registered charity number 1106814

4. Income and Expenditure.

Income has been included in the accounts when receivable. Subscriptions from new members received after 31[st] October in any year are applied to the following year and run to 31 December of that year. These have been deferred.

Gift Aid receivable is included in income when there is a valid declaration from the donor and is treated as an addition to the same fund as the original donation.

Expenditure has been classified according to the type of expenditure using natural classifications in accordance with paragraph 4.23 of the Charity SORP 2015 (FRS 102). No expenditure has been incurred during the year on generating funds.

5 . Employees and volunteers

The charity has no paid employees. The Charity currently has a governing board of 8 Trustees (two co-opted) all of whom are volunteers. The day to day running of the Charity is administered by its Chief Executive who is also unpaid. However, placing a monetary value on the contribution presents significant difficulties and makes it impractical for their contribution to be measured reliably for accounting purposes. Therefore, this contribution is not included as either income or expenditure in the accounts.

6. Transactions with Trustees

No Trustee received any remuneration. No Trustee claimed expenses during the year. (2020 £0)

  1. Research costs of £1,000 were expended during the year. This comprised a grant of £1,000 to Roger Inman for radiocarbon dates.

8. Fixed Assets and Stocks

The capitalisation limit for fixed assets has been set at £500. Depreciation of equipment and website costs is over three years.

Book stock consists of 340 publications comprising copies of Deep Dale, the Place book of Woodland Walks, Guide to the Wild Flowers of NE Yorkshire, The Changing Nature of Conservation, Challenges and Change in the Urban Environment, Canals, Plants & People, The Mosque in the City, The Place book of Winter Walks and Wildflowers on the Edge. Stock has been valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.

9. Debtors and Creditors

Full details of debtors and creditors are shown on the Balance Sheet.

12

PLACE Registered charity number 1106814

  1. Liability to taxation

As a registered charity the organisation is exempt from income and corporation tax falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that its income and gains are applied towards the charitable objects of the charity and for no other purpose. Value Added Tax is not recoverable by the charity and is therefore included in the relevant costs in the Statement of Financial Activities and the Balance Sheet.

  1. Winding up or dissolution of the charity

If upon winding up or dissolution of the charity there remain any assets after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, the assets represented by the accumulated fund shall be transferred to some other charitable body or bodies having similar objects to the charity.

13