2024-03-31-accounts

Doddington Hall Conservation Charity Annual Report Year Ending 31[st] March 2024

Governance

At a Special meeting in November 2023 the following was agreed/enacted:

• Revised objects and powers for the Charity and Variation to the Trust Deed, having been agreed by the Charity Commission, were adopted by the trustees

• A new Conflicts of Interest policy was adopted. A Conflict of Interest Register has been produced which will be updated at least annually

• A Property Committee was created consisting of Harry Buscall, Claire Brainerd and Mary Powell

• A collaboration / Framework Agreement was completed to formalise the partnership between Doddington Farms LLP and the Charity for delivery of the Wilder Connections project.

• Leases and Licenses for the land on which the Wilder Connections capital works will be completed

• were signed and registered with the Land Registery

• Three new trustees were appointed to reflect the increased activities and new areas of work of the Charity: Emma Tatlow, Jason O’Rourke and Lucy Hodson.

In addition to this in January 2024 Trustees agreed to apply to the Charity Commission to Incorporate the Charity in order to provide more robust Governance and to reflect the increased liabilities arising from the Wilder Connections project. Forsters were instructed to prepare work on the application.

Jason O’Donovan agreed to be Trustee responsible for Safeguarding and reviewed the

Safeguarding policy David Wright completed Safeguarding for Interview Training.

Wilder Connections

WILDER CONNECTIONS - aims to build on Doddington Farms LLP’s estate wide nature recovery project: Wilder Doddington, enhancing the ecological outcomes and realising the huge opportunities to build nature- based social and economic benefits on the back of the nature recovery. These opportunities arise thanks to Doddington’s location, footfall, reputation, experience and networks with local organisations.

In February 2023, having completed an 18 month Development Phase, funded Lottery Heritage Fund, the project team presented drafts of the full final application for the Wilder Connections project to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and hosted a visit from senior team members - feedback was extremely positive.

The full application was submitted in May 2023.

The expenditure on Development Phase work ran in line with the projected budget.

In September 2023 the National Lottery Heritage Fund confirmed a grant of £1.9m to the Doddington Hall Conservation Charity for the Wilder Connections project. The formal permission to start took many months to complete

Wilder Connections is being run by the Doddington Hall Conservation Charity in partnership with Doddington farms LLP. In order to ensure that the charity’s interests (and those of Lottery players and the Lottery Heritage Fund) are protected, the following agreements were adopted:

• Framework agreement between DHCC and Doddington Farms LLP

• 30 year leases and licences for capital spend and activities on Doddington Farms’ land

Wilder Connections activities completed

• Recruitment commenced for Engagement and Learning Lead (ELL) and the Conservation Advisor, trustees assisted in the interviews of the shortlisted candidates for the ELL. Both posts were filled by the end of the reporting period

• Work commenced to finalise the contracts for construction of the Wild House with the appointed contractors on a cost-plus basis as agreed by NLHF, with Doddington Farms underwriting any spend over the agreed budget.

• A tender process to appoint a Public Relations specialist was completed and a freelancer with extensive experience in the environmental sector was appointed

• The volunteer programme was able to continue after being cut-back during the unfunded period between the Development Phase and Delivery Phase of the Heritage Fund support

• Further grant applications were made to generate match-funding for Wilder Connections

Looking Forward

We anticipate the following happening in YE 31[st] March 2025:

• Application to Charity Commission for all the Charity’s assets and projects to be transferred to a new Doddington Charitable Incorporated Organisation with limited liability to ensure that governance and liability structures are aligned appropriately with the increased activities and budgets

• Continued work on raising match-funding for Wilder Connections

• School and community group visits to begin in earnest, using alternative facilities until Wild House complete

• Construction of new trails, awarding and commencement of the Interpretation tender to install interpretation, wayfinding, nature-connection and citizen science activities across the estate.

• Appointment and commencement of evaluators for Wilder Connections

• Appointment of contractor and commencement of construction of the Wild House

• Expansion of volunteer programme

• Further work fundraising for the digitisation and display of the Edwin Jarvis ceramics and antiquities collections and his astonishingly beautiful hand-illustrated catalogues of them at Doddington.

DODDINGTON CONVERSATION CHARITY

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2024

DODDINGTON CONVERSATION CHARITY

CLUB INFORMATION

Treasurer

Accountants

Claire Van Cleave Brainerd Fulbeck House Grantham NG32 3JR

ASAP Accountants & Business Advisors Ltd Room 206 Mercury House Business & Conference Centre Willoughton Drive Foxby Lane Business Park Gainsborough DN21 1DY

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF DODDINGTON CONVERSATION CHARITY

We report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2024 which are set out

on pages 3 to 4. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is our responsibility to:

• -examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act

• -follow the procedure laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and

• -state whether matters have come to my attention

Basis of Independent examiner's report

Our examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission.

An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records.

It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning

any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In connection with our examination, no matter has come to our attention:

1 Which gives us reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

• to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not

been met; or

2 to which, in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

ASAP Accountants & Business Advisors Ltd Room 206, Mercury House Business & Conference Centre Willoughton Drive Foxby Lane Business Park Gainsborough DN21 1DY

DODDINGTON CONVERSATION CHARITY

Reg No 1114539

Year Ended 31st March 2024

			2024		2023
		£	£	£	£
INCOME
Tapestry Rental Donations Grants		1,000 891		1,000 364
DFLLP Match Funding		55,530		142,508
		10,237		31,377
			67,658		175,24
					9
			67,658		175,249
EXPENDITURE
Legal fees		7,804		21,835
Consultancy		46,31		112,66
Wilder Connections Salaries			9		0
Equipment Depreciation		17,43 0		39,827 2,695
Professional			-		-
			159		-
			72,412		177,017
Surplus brought forward			7,32		9,09
Deficit for the year			3		1
			(4,754		(1,768
Surplus carried forward			2,569		7,323
Represented by:
	Current a/c		19		84,990
	Deposit a/c		49		48
	Fixed Assets		476		-
	Debtors		23,340		106,002
	Creditors		(21,315)		-183,717
			2,569		7,323

We confirm that we have examined the books, records and infrmation provided We declare that to the best of our knowledge and belief, these accounts give a true and fair view of Doddington Conversation Charity activities for the year ended 31st March 2024.

ASAP Accountants & Business Advisors Ltd Room 206, Mercury House Business & Conference Centre Willoughton Drive Foxby Lane Business Park Gainsborough DN21 1DY

Date : 7th October 2024

Claire Van Cleave Brainerd Fulbeck House Fulbeck House NG32 3JR

DODDINGTON HALL CONSERVATION CHARITY NOTES RE FINANCIAL

ACCOUNTS

TO 31 MARCH 2024

Profit & Loss 1. Income

		Year to	Year to Year to
INCOME March 2022 March 2023 March 2024 £1,000 £891.05 £40,948.70 £10,237.17 £8,586.05 £5,359.95 £390.76 £243.93 Tapestry £1,000 £1,000 Donations £643 £363.93 NLHF Grant £0 £125,508.01 RewildingBritain Grant £12,000.00 Grants other £5,000.00 DFLLP Match Funding £31,377.00 Grant due on Delivery Activity costs lottery Contribution due on Delivery Activity costs DFLLP Grant due on Delivery CAPITAL costs lottery Contribution due on Delivery CAPITAL costs DFLLP
Tapestry		£1,000
Donations		£643
NLHF Grant		£0
RewildingBritain Grant
Grants other
DFLLP Match Funding
Grant due on Delivery Activity costs lottery
Contribution due on Delivery Activity costs DFLLP
Grant due on Delivery CAPITAL costs lottery
Contribution due on Delivery CAPITAL costs DFLLP
Bank Interest		£0	£0
TOTAL		£1,643	£175,249 £67,658

• i. £1,000 – annual tapestry rent

• ii. £891.05 – donations received and uniform visits.

• iii. £40,948.70 – final NLHF claim made in September 2023 for Development phase

• iv. £10,237.17 – final Development phase contribution from DFLLP

• v. 13,946 - The income due from NLHF & DFLLP to cover the following “in year” costs claimed in the June 2024 NLHF claim:

• Ecospheric (Wild House) – 7,425

• Forsters (Legal Charge) - £4,554

• B. Wooley (QS) - £1,967

• vi. £634.69 - The income due from NLHF & DFLLP to cover the capital purchase of a computer

2. Expenditure

i. Development Phase Salaries - £17,430 – project NLHF Final Claim Costs

team salaries

Salaries	£17,43
	0
Activity	£30,50
costs Legal Fees	6 £3,25

ii. Development Phase £34,506 of which £4,000 (Heritage Insider) wasn’t eligible for NLHF funding - eligible – Activity costs predominantly consultancy relating to Wetter Better,

Evaluation, Trails etc.

covered by Rewilding Britain grant received in previous year .

iii. Delivery Phase - £11,813 – recruitment, Wild House design and initial activity expenditure.

• iv. Legal Fees of £15,354

• a. Development Phase £3,250 – legal costs relating to lease

• b. Delivery Phase £4,554 – legal fees relating to charge for Wild House c. General - £7,550 – legal fees relating to governance and

incorporation of charity – potentially recoverable from NLHF later

in project from contingency.

• v. Depreciation - £159 - computer

• vi. General - £770 – fees for accounts and subscriptions

Trading Expenditure 2023-24	Trading Expenditure 2023-24	Trading Expenditure 2023-24	Trading Expenditure 2023-24
			Salarie s	Legals	Prof fees	Activity	Deprn	Total
Development Phase			17,430	3,250		34,506		55,186
General Trading				7,550	700	70		8,320
DeliveryPhase				4,554		11,743	159	16,456
			**17,430 **	15,354	**700 **	46,319	**159 **	79,961

3. Trading Deficit

• i. As a result principally of the legal fees incurred, there was trading deficit in the year of £(12,304).

Balance Sheet 4. Capital

• i. Fees relating to the Wild House £9,867 have not been capitalised, but these may be in the future. A new computer (£635 was purchased during the year, depreciated at 25% reducing balance (£159).

5. Bank Accounts

• i. Balances include current and deposit accounts.

6. Debtors

• i. The funding from NLHF and DFLLP for the Delivery costs incurred to 31 March 2024 of £14,580.69 being Ecospheric £7,425; LCS £634.69; Forsters £4,554; and Brundell Wooley £1,967

• ii. The debtor of £6,000 (Rewilding Britain) as at 31 March 2023 has been collected through an adjustment to the DFLLP loan

• iii. The debtor of £5,000 (E. Agency) as at 31 March 2023 has been collected through an adjustment to the DFLLP loan

• iv. Tapestry rent carried forward

• v. VAT of £7,759 to be recovered

7. Creditors

• i. Creditors (£16,856) relate to the three Forsters fees for Wild House, governance and incorporation (£14,496) and the Brundell QS fee for the Wild House (£2,360)

8. DFLLP Loan

• i. The DFLLP loan includes both payments made on behalf of DHCC and unpaid invoices from DFLLP to DHCC for salaries.

• ii. At 31 March 2023, the loan consisted of principally payments on behalf of DHCC of £183,716. The £31,377 being DFLLP’s contribution to the project was included as a debtor at 31 March 2023. The net sum owing to DFLLP was therefore £152,340.

• iii. During the year to 31 March 2024, DFLLP made further payments on behalf of DHCC of £53,849 on Activity costs and £17,430 on salaries – total of £71,279

• iv. DHCC paid DFLLP £189,434.73 in the year to 31 March 2024 from grant

monies received from NLHF

• v. The final Development Phase contribution by DFLLP (20%) was £10,237 (20% of final claim costs of £51,186) which is deducted from the loan balance

• vi. The annual tapestry rent due to DHCC of £1,000 has been deducted from the loan

vii. The two opening debtors being Rewilding Britain £6,000 and Environment Agency £5,000 have been deducted from the loan.

DFLLP Loan	DFLLP Loan
Opening Net Loan 1.4.23			152,339. 80
Paid on behalf of DHCC			71,278.49
Payments from DHCC			- 189,434.7 3
2023/24 Contribution 20%			-10,237.17
2023/24 Tapestry rent			-1,000.00
Rewilding Britain Grant			-6,000.00
Environment Agency Grant			-5,000.00
Closing Loan 31.3.24			11,946.3 9