# **Annual Report & Accounts 2021**
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Connecting children with
the land that sustains us all
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## **President: The Duke of Westminster**
## **Vice Presidents:**
Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher Bt Sir Nicholas Bacon Bt Lord Boswell of Aynho DL W Butterfield Earl of Carnarvon
J M Carr-Ellison
J Knappett B Ed NPQH J Compton Lord Dear QPM T. Fanshawe
W J Henderson DL M Kendall W Kendall DL D Laing MA RIBA Hon. John Leigh-Pemberton Hon G E Lopes L V Lyle MA PGCE M Maclay DL H R Oliver-Bellasis FRAgS Dame Fiona Reynolds DBE E P Serjeant J Serjeant BA (Hons) ACA I N Tegner CA FRSA F Weston MA (Cantab)
## **Trustees:**
The Trustees who served the charity during the year were as follows: M A Bufton-McCoy B Phil, Cert Ed (Chair) (resigned January 2021) S D Bell BA (Hons) (Vice Chairman, appointed Chairman January 2021) J Brown BSc (Hons) PGCE T C M Fawcett BSc (Hons) R J Frossell G M H Mills DL
N. Partheeban BVM&S BSc(Hons) PGCert(DHH) PIAGrM R.Ani.Tech. FRSA MRCVS A J Stafford MA (Oxon)
## **Bankers:**
CAF Bank Ltd. 25 Kings Hill Ave, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19
## **Independent Examiner:**
Edmund Carr. LLP 146 New London Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0AW
## **Lawyers:**
Wrigleys Solicitors LLP 19 Cookridge Street, Leeds LS2 3AG
## **Chief Executive:**
J D Attenborough MA (Cantab) FRSA
Registered address:
Moulsham Mill, Parkway, Chelmsford CM2 7PX Tel:01258 608363
2 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
**The Country Trust is the leading national educational charity that connects children from areas of high social and economic disadvantage with the land that sustains us all**
# **Country Trust - Trustees’ Report**
## **During the 2021 calendar year:**
**We connected over 43,500 children with the land that sustains us all, across our Farm, Residential and Food Discovery programmes.**
**We undertook a strategic review, refreshing our vision, mission, organisational values, Theory of Change, and Impact Framework, and we developed a new 5 Year Plan.**
## **Our core values**
At The Country Trust..
- We believe you grow by learning from others.
- We think that the quality of our connections with others has an important effect on who we can be and what we can do.
- We are active participants in a world which inspires and sustains us.
## **Aspirational values – values that we want to demonstrate more consistently in our work**
- We aspire to be child-centred, no matter what our role is.
- We want everyone to know that their contribution is welcome and valued.
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Country Trust Annual Report 2021
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Overall aim
Country Trust aims to
empower children to be
Through food, farming and countryside experiences The confident, curious and create change in their lives and the world around them so that they, and society, can thrive
countryside
Long-term outcomes ...are more likely to choose to spend time outdoors and in the ...demonstrate a greater belief in their own agency ...are keener to try new things ...are more likely to pursue farming and the countryside ...are able to imagine a wider range of future possibilities and are more confident working towards them / informed choices on food, farming and the countryside ...gain confidence to offer broader pupil-led opportunities ...are more likely to make positive / informed choices on
hobbies or careers related to food, ...are more likely to make positive food, farming and the countryside
the countryside
what they have learnt
Intermediate outcomes world, particularly food, ...are more able to make
...have a better understanding of how to interact with the natural world around them ...are excited to use/discuss ...feel supported and more confident to try new things ...feel more curious about the farming and the countryside connections between their lives and food, farming and ...place greater value on real-world learning experiences ...feel more curious about how their lives connect to food, farming and the countryside
Young people who engage with the Country Trust Teachers who engage with the Country Trust Parents who engage with the Country Trust
Inputs / activities
Farm Discovery Food Discovery Countryside Residentials Farm in a Box (online, local and national)
Vision
their potential
children, irrespective to thrive and achieve
A fair, sustainable and
Problem of background, are able
inclusive society in which all
age negatively impacts
Poverty of opportunity and experience from an early health, wellbeing, and the likelihood of a successful adult life, and with it the ability to contribute to a thriving, sustainable society
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## **How the Charity’s activities deliver public benefit:**
In setting our programme each year we have regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. The Trustees always ensure that the programmes we undertake are in line with our charitable objectives and aims.
Our ambitious aims are that:
- **Every child should have the opportunity to visit a real working farm, to discover through first-hand experience where their food comes from.**
- **Every child should have the chance to discover connections between the food they eat, their own health and the health of the planet.**
- **Every child should have the opportunity to develop the confidence and curiosity to explore the living world.**
We use an evaluation framework to gather feedback on all the activities we offer. We collate and analyse the feedback and this then informs our programme design. Feedback from children, teachers and parents suggests that the Trust is achieving its goal of helping to improve the life chances of the children who take part in our programmes. We are in the unique position of being able to provide programmes which support teachers to re-engage children with learning and support
physical, emotional and social wellbeing. We can build food knowledge and food confidence, provide access to food and farming related climate learning and enable children to discover that they can be active participants. We can create connections between pupils, farmers and the natural world. We can speak up on relevant education, agriculture and food issues, taking the lead or supporting others.
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## **We deliver our mission through four programmes:**
• **Farm Discovery:** Visits to real working farms and estates are central to all our programmes. Thanks to our incredible hosts every year thousands of children gain in-depth, hands-on experiences of food and farming.
- **Food Discovery:** A tailored yearlong programme to fully immerse children in all
- aspects of growing, cooking, tasting and even selling food.
- **Farm in a Box:** The newest of our programmes, Farm in a Box is delivered to
- schools and is packed with hands-on experiences, investigations and activities.
- **Countryside Residentials:** 2-4 night stays in Yorkshire, Suffolk or Norfolk. Giving
- children the opportunity to be fully immersed in the wonders of the countryside.
All our programmes are designed to create moments that provoke curiosity, making learning irresistible. Children learn most deeply when they are following their natural curiosity as it places them at the centre of their learning[1] .
Giving children time, space and the tools to understand the world around them – whether its in their school grounds, a farm or the beach – allows children to discover for themselves the wonder and connectedness of life.
As so many of the children we work with have limited experiences, we ensure that new experiences are crafted carefully and consciously into our programmes.
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1 Pete Moorhouse, Curiosity www.birthto5matters.org.uk
## **How we support our beneficiaries**
Indicies of Multiple Deprivation Map (2019) Source: mapmaker.cdrc.ac.uk/
Where we work across all programmes
## **Who we support**
We work with children who experience disadvantage through:
- low family income
- being on the margins of, or excluded from, or refusing mainstream education
- SEN/D (Special Educational Needs/Disabilities) or SEMH needs (Social, Emotional
- or Mental Health)
- being looked-after children, or children in care
- having responsibilities as Young Carers
- having refugee or asylum seeker status.
10 **Country Trust Annual Report 2021**
## **Our operating context in 2021**
- Agricultural policy in the UK, including the role of access and education, was undergoing a fundamental review because of Brexit.
- Farmers were recognised as vital keyworkers (according to the EIT Food Trust Report Farmers are the most trusted group within the food sector[1] ).
- In a survey by Teach the Future, 68% children said they were interested in learning more about the environment and 69% teachers think there should be more teaching on this subject in schools[2] .
- In a British Medical Journal article Imperial College academics said that eco-anxiety “risks exacerbating health and social inequalities between those more or less vulnerable to these psychological impacts” and noted its disproportionate impact on children and young people[3] .
- Teachers were speaking out about the significant impact that confinement has had on children physically, emotionally, socially and educationally.
- The Nature Premium campaign was calling for funding for schools for every pupil to spend time in the natural world.
- Footballer Marcus Rashford brought the shocking levels of UK food poverty to wider attention.
- The National Food Strategy stated that ‘it is time to take food education seriously’ for the sake of our health, and the health of future generations.
> 2 What do the stats say? (teachthefuture.uk) 3 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/oct/06/eco-anxiety-fear-of-environmentaldoom-weighs-on-young-people
1 EIT_Food_Trust_Report_2020.pdf (eitfood.eu)
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## **The continuing impact of Covid**
_**“COVID-19 has given many people their first real insight into how others live and how unequal the United Kingdom is. On our TV screens, we have witnessed cramped living in poor quality, highrise accommodation where families sleep four to a room, with no outside space and no digital access.”[1]**_
The Legatum Institute estimates that an additional 700,000 people (including 120,000 children) have been plunged into hardship during the pandemic, bringing the number of people living in poverty to more than 15 million[2] . In a typical UK classroom, 30% of children live in poverty. Child poverty is associated with adverse developmental, health, educational and long-term social outcomes, including: poor physical health, mental health problems/ low sense of wellbeing, experience of stigma and bullying from peers, academic underachievement, . subsequent employment difficulties and social deprivation[3]
The impact of the pandemic on all children has been substantial, but the educational gap between disadvantaged children and their peers has been exacerbated and the ‘burgeoning chasm’[4] is only projected to grow: “Schools with a high percentage of children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) experienced decreases in scores approximately twice as severe as schools with a low percentage of FSM eligible children.[5] ”
- 1 State of the Nation 2020-21: Social Mobility in Great Britain (publishing.service.gov.uk) 2 UK Poverty Unit | Legatum Institute (li.com)
- 3 Child poverty – RCPCH – State of Child Health
- ’
- 4 Lockdown, poverty and the disadvantage gap | Childrens Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)
- 5 Best evidence on impact of Covid-19 on pupil attainment | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)
12 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
In addition to this, teachers report a wider range of issues resulting from the pandemic (and especially the subsequent school closures) that are affecting some of their pupils, these include: “reduced cognitive abilities (such as poor concentration, memory and stamina); lack of motivation and withdrawal; poor social skills and fractured friendships; lack of sleep; poor physical fitness, weight gain; and speech and language problems.”[1] Compounded by the cancellation or reduction in activities (whole school assemblies/ performances/ playtime) and experiences (external visits/ visitors etc) that go towards rectifying ‘social deprivation’ and improve their wellbeing and sense of security and community, these issues are predominantly being seen in those children living in disadvantage who may not have access to such opportunities elsewhere.
_“If you want to help children from working-class backgrounds, you have to teach them to read and write to prepare them for secondary school and for life, but you also have to give them access to that wider, richer curriculum. That is what will give them the foundations to be brave enough to make decisions, and confident enough to visit places that they may not otherwise have gone to.”[2]_
Covid continues to be present in schools causing staff shortages and cancellations of planned activities, as well as impacting on budgets. It also impacts the availability of our own team and farmer hosts. We are delighted to have Farm in a Box as an alternative to offer schools who have to cancel or postpone.
> 1 Recovering from Covid-19: What Pupils and Schools Need Now (nfer.ac.uk) ’ 2 Lockdown, poverty and the disadvantage gap | Childrens Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)
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## **Activities, achievements, performance and public benefit**
## **Our Reach - 2021 Calendar Year**
**We connected over 43,500 children with the land across our Farm, Residential and Food Discovery programmes.**
**36,200 teachers and pupils - 1400 classes - received our Farm in a Box Local and National programmes.**
**At least 100,000 hours (assumes 25,000 children spent 4 hours on activities, allows for nonparticipation in home-learning, and teachers ordering our national Boxes but not following through).**
14 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
**6,290 children on real working**
**farms - approximately 25,160 hours (assumes each child spends 4 hours on the farm. Includes residential and some Food Discovery children)**
**1,400 children experienced at least**
**one Food Discovery session (each child would normally have c.20 hours of Food Discovery, however the programme was very disrupted by Covid)**
**309 children spent between 3 and 5 days in the countryside on a Countryside Discovery Residential visit. Approximately 11,124 hours (assumes 3 x 12 hours days)**
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## **Our Impact**
## **Curiosity**
**Children who take part in our programmes better understand how to interact with the natural world around them. They feel more curious about the world particularly food, farming and the countryside.**
We want pupils to enjoy what they do with us. Enjoyment is key to irresistible learning[1] . Across our programmes, at least 88% of teachers report that their pupils’ interest in learning increases as a result of their enjoyment of the activities. We deliberately plan hands-on and sensory activities in all our programmes in order to give children the experience and tools to interact with the natural world, whether by touching, noticing or listening. For many children these are new skills which have to be learned, and then the child can explore at their own pace. This allows space and time for curiosity to develop and for children to experience wonder. This also allows for those children who struggle with formal classroom education to engage with learning.
Many children have not visited the countryside before and have little understanding of where food comes from. Visiting farms and the countryside is one way of introducing children to this world, and we do this in our Farm Discovery and Residential programmes. However, it is critical for all our futures that children see the relevance to their lives and can find connections on their doorstep.
Our Food Discovery and Farm in a Box programmes enable children to explore their own world through the lens of farming and nature and teachers tell us their pupils are more curious about and interested in food, farming and the countryside as a result.
1 Working in environments of enquiry - Mick Waters qca-1.pdf (sightlines-initiative.com)
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## **Theory of Change Pupil Outcomes**
**...have a better understanding of how to interact with the natural world around them**
**...feel more curious about the world, particuarly food, farming and the countryside**
**Intermediate Outcomes**
**...are excited to use/discuss what they have learnt**
**...are more able to make connections between their lives and food, farming and the countryside**
**... feel supported and more confident to try new things**
## **Country Trust Programmes**
**Farm in a Box Local Farm in a Box National Residentials Farm Discovery Food Discovery 99% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that pupils’ interest in learning increased through their enjoyment of the activities**
**All teachers agreed that reluctant learners had the opportunity to engage, with 93% strongly agreeing**
**88% of teachers reported in open text responses that their pupils had benefited from or particularly enjoyed the interactive/sensory nature of the Box**
**93% of teachers thought their pupils now felt more interested in farming and the countryside / natural world**
**87.5% of teachers said that most of their pupils had interacted with the natural world while on residential**
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## **Our Impact**
## **Confidence**
**Children who take part in our programmes are excited by what they have learnt, feel supported and more confident to try new things.**
We want children to feel confident to talk about and share what they are learning. We make an assumption that feeling excitement (or another positive feeling) will result in children wanting to share, use or talk about what they are finding out. It is this same excitement and passion that can result in a child discovering their own agency (a longer-term outcome). Coping with trying new things – whether food or experiences – is something which children get better at the more supported attempts they have. Enabling children to feel success (regardless of their enjoyment of the attempt) is an important part of helping them try new things.
Over 82% of children who have taken part in our programmes report that they have done something for the first time. These ‘firsts’ can vary: visiting the countryside, tasting a particular food, looking at or holding an insect, and staying away from home are all common firsts for many of the children who take part in our programmes. Each programme consciously builds and scaffolds these experiences, supporting children to find ways they can manage new challenges in the future.
Language and communication are critical skills. When children want to share their learning through talking to each other, and feel that they can ask adults like farmers and Country Trust Coordinators questions, we know that they have some confidence to pursue their interests. All programmes allow opportunities for pupils to learn new vocabulary and Coordinators build in time for focused discussion and exploring what questions pupils want to ask farmers or other knowledgeable adults.
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## **Theory of Change Pupil Outcomes**
**...have a better understanding of how to interact with the natural world around them**
**...feel more curious about the world, particuarly food, farming and the countryside**
**Intermediate Outcomes**
**...are excited to use/discuss what they have learnt**
**...are more able to make connections between their lives and food, farming and the countryside**
**... feel supported and more confident to try new things**
## **Country Trust Programmes**
**Farm in a Box Local Farm in a Box National Residentials Farm Discovery Food Discovery 86% of children said that they had done something for the first-time during Farm in a Box Local All teachers 93% of teachers said agreed that children that their pupils had gained confidence in been able to try new being outdoors and in things in a supported or the countryside scaffolded way**
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58% of pupils
said that they
wanted to
talk to their
families about
what they
had found
out in Food
Discovery
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**87.5% of teachers said most of their pupils wanted to talk about their learning while on the residential**
**19**
## **Our Impact**
## **Connections**
## **Children who take part in our programmes are more able to make connections between their lives and food, farming and the countryside.**
Many children (and adults) have little appreciation of the complicated journey of food from farm to fork. This results in little knowledge of what farms do and how important they are to our lives, and that our actions and choices can have an impact on our health. Understanding the real value of food (including the time, energy, knowledge and skill it takes to grow crops and rear animals) and how much all of us depend on farmers and farmers depend on nature is critical in understanding how interconnected the world is. All of our programmes are designed to enable children to explore these connections to a greater or lesser extent; and curiosity and confidence help to support this exploration.
Over 82% of teachers said that their pupils had a better understanding of where food comes from as a result of taking part in one of our programmes. For Farm in a Box, where the children have not yet visited a farm, 94% of teachers tell us that the activities enabled the children to be better prepared for a real farm visit.
The connections children make are not necessarily all about food and farming, but more a general connection to the natural world and how they can find this in their own lives.
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## **Theory of Change Pupil Outcomes**
**...have a better understanding of how to interact with the natural world around them**
**...feel more curious about the world, particuarly food, farming and the countryside**
**Intermediate Outcomes**
**...are excited to use/discuss what they have learnt**
**...are more able to make connections between their lives and food, farming and the countryside**
**... feel supported and more confident to try new things**
## **Country Trust Programmes**
**Farm in a Box Local Farm in a Box National Residentials Farm Discovery Food Discovery**
**98% of teachers agreed that children had a better understanding of how and where their food is produced and 84% strongly agreed**
**94% of teachers agreed that Farm in a Box Local enabled the children to be better prepared for a real farm visit**
**82% of teachers said that all or most of their pupils had a better understanding of where food comes from**
**100% of teachers said their pupils now understand more about where their food comes from**
**79% of children said that the residential experience would help them back at school**
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## **Our Impact**
## **Supporting Teachers**
**The Country Trust aims for teachers who work with us to place a greater value on real world learning experiences for their pupils and, longer term, to gain confidence in offering broader, pupil-led opportunities.**
Over the year we have delivered a small number of formal Continuing Professional Development training sessions for teachers, both in person and online. However, throughout all our programmes we aim to model real-world learning experiences and show the benefits of pupil-led learning.
90%-100% of teachers (depending on the programme) told us that they wanted to take their pupils outside to learn more often as a result of working with us, with 90% saying that they felt more confident in doing this because of Country Trust input. Over 96% of the teachers we worked with told us that they use elements of whichever programme they had received in their general classroom teaching. This ranged from using the class’s shared experiences to using particular techniques and tools in their own practice to referring back to the programme in a variety of other subjects.
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## **Theory of Change Teacher Outcomes**
**Intermediate Outcomes**
**...place greater value on real-world learning experiences**
## **Country Trust Programmes**
**Farm in a Box Local Farm in a Box National Residentials Farm Discovery Food Discovery**
**92% of teachers said they felt more confident in using the outdoors as a learning resource as a result of their visit**
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95% of teachers told us they
were more enthused to
take pupils outside to
learn as a result of
Farm in a Box
Local
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**86% of teachers agreed that taking part in Farm in a Box National had increased their confidence in running real-world learning activities**
**86% reported that they had started using gardening, cooking, tasting and the school grounds generally more often in their own teaching**
**All teachers agreed that the Residential experience made them think of ways they could link this to classroom working**
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## **Our Programmes - Farm Discovery**
Visits to real working farms and estates are central to all Country Trust programmes. Every year, we work with incredible farmers and estate managers to welcome thousands of disadvantaged children out into the countryside, to gain in-depth, hands-on experiences of food and farming. Working closely with our farmer hosts, group leaders and teachers, we tailor our Farm Discovery visits carefully to the needs of the class or group, providing engaging, immersive learning activities, empowering them to be curious, confident and find connections. We introduce children to crops and livestock, encourage them to question and explore food production and roles in agriculture and discover a new world that is intimately connected with their lives. Currently visits play a powerful role in supporting wellbeing too with many children not having been out on any sort of visit for two years.
## **The difference we make**
## **(analysis of 93 feedback forms – 82% return rate - from academic year 2020-21)**
## **Curiosity**
- All teachers agreed that the children’s enjoyment of the day increased their interest in learning with 96% strongly agreeing, 20 teachers (22%) mentioned enjoyment in their unprompted feedback alongside what their children had learnt.
- All teachers agreed that reluctant learners had the opportunity to engage with 93% strongly agreeing.
## **Confidence**
- All teachers agreed that children have gained confidence in being outdoors and in the countryside with 95% strongly agreeing.
- 98% of teachers reported that they felt more confident in using the outdoors as a learning resource as a result of their visit.
## **Connections**
- 98% of teachers agreed that children had a better understanding of how and where their food is produced and 84% strongly agreed. NB: not all of our farm visits focus on food production.
## **Organisation and delivery**
- 100% of Mainstream and 100% SEN teachers rated the communication and information received prior to the visit as very good or excellent.
- 100% of Mainstream and 100% SEN teachers rated the organisation and delivery on the day of the visit as very good or excellent.
- 100% of Mainstream and 100% SEN teachers rated the Health and Safety on the visit as very good or excellent.
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## **Our Programmes - Farm Discovery**
## **Our feedback**
“Everything was absolutely perfect, from being met on arrival, to being waved off” Ashley School
“We have had an amazing day. It has been extremely well organised and felt very safe. The day was tailored to our schools needs. Highly recommend.” Cottingley Academy
”So safe - very glad to be outdoors learning.” St Anne’s Primary
“Brilliant! Children learnt life lessons and enjoyed new experiences! The children are going home with lots of new information.” Middleton St Mary’s
‘What are the mushrooms? What do they do?’ Lime Academy Parnwell
“See that cow? We made butter from milk from a cow like that.” St Helen’s Primary
“The one who can’t concentrate at school has been
entranced.” Cottingley primary
“This is an experience our children would never usually get to have, living in the middle of Lowestoft with lots of children having no transport to get to the countryside.” Poplars Primary
“Great opportunity for class that the majority of have never before been to a farm or seen these animals. Has brought conversation and interest out of children who are otherwise quiet/uninterested. Also opportunity for lots of new information and knowledge.” GYPA
“What an experience - picking apples and drinking juice – brilliant” Child from Middleton St Mary’s
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## **Farm Discovery - Case Study**
## **“**
## **Myatt Garden Primary, Lewisham**
On 14th July 2021 27 Year 1 children from Myatt Garden Primary, Lewisham visited Torry Hill Farm. The children ran through the meadow and played tug of war. They found the remains of a hare and discussed what it had been eaten by - they found some buzzard poo nearby - quite the poo detectives! **They were fascinated to learn about the nature on the farm and how the farmer encourages it.** They had a tour of the farmyard and met the cows and learnt about their care and their purpose on the farm. They took turns to look at the beehives and learnt about how honey is made and how the farmer carefully looks after them. They visited the cherry orchard and stopped to pick cedar cones and look at the different trees. They loved picking cherries and were allowed to fill punnets to take home.
**“These trips benefit the children so much, most of whom have never been to a farm in the countryside before. Thank you to The Country Trust for organising and providing funding for these essential learning experiences which engage hard to reach children and families, and give even the most reluctant of learners a renewed interest in our curriculum, enrich their vocabulary and give them more of a sense of purpose in their writing.” - Teacher**
**“I am highly impressed with these trips and the children came back buzzing with excitement, using new vocabulary and with a renewed interest in our learning which had fed into their writing as well as our learning in science. Thank you so much!” - Teacher**
##
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## **Our Programmes - Food Discovery**
Our Food Discovery programmes fully immerse children in all aspects of growing, cooking, tasting and even selling food. Pupils learn how to prepare soil and how to plant, nurture and harvest seasonal vegetables and herbs. With our help, schools link Food Discovery to key curriculum ideas and discussion about the environment and the wider world. They are introduced to new and varied healthy foods and are given the opportunity to taste, to smell and to explore food in a safe, encouraging space. The children are introduced to cheap, healthy recipes and learn how to cook them, using the crops they have grown and other simple, nutritious ingredients. They visit local farms to see crops grown on a commercial scale, run a Playground market, where they use maths in a real-world context, and finally, prepare a Harvest Feast to be enjoyed with family, friends and farmers.
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## **The difference we make**
## **(analysis of feedback from 13 of 17 schools and 286 pupils who answered before and after questions - from academic year 2020-21)**
## **Curiosity**
- 100% of teachers reported that their pupils wanted to talk to each other about what they were learning
- 97% of teachers rated the programme as excellent in terms of pupil enjoyment (with 54% referring to it specifically in their feedback)
- 93% of teachers thought their pupils now felt more interested in farming and the countryside/natural world
- 80% of teachers reported that their pupils were talking to their families about what they had done in Food Discovery
## **Confidence**
- 77% of children (from 337 responses) said they had done something for the first time in gardening sessions.
- 72% of children said they had tasted something new during Food Discovery.
- 100% of teachers said their pupils were able to try new things in a supported scaffolded way
- 60% teachers said that taking part in Food Discovery had influenced their delivery, the majority reported now using gardening, cooking, tasting and the school grounds generally more often in their teaching
- 25% of children said their family made some of the Food Discovery recipes.
- 39% are helping at home with cooking sometimes as a result of Food Discovery.
## **Connections**
- 100% of teachers said their pupils now understand more about where their food comes from
- 86.6% of teachers thought their pupils now wanted to spend more time in the natural world
## **Organisation and delivery**
- 98.4% teachers rated the programme as excellent in terms of management and organisation
- 100% rated the programme as excellent in terms of Health and Safety.
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## **Our Programmes - Food Discovery**
## **Our feedback**
“Fantastic as always! The children have gained so much from FD. Thank you!” Will Turnpenny, Magdalen Gates
“This has been my favourite part of the year” child North Denes
“This links with our topic ‘Sow, grow and farm’ so it’s been invaluable. We will be expanding on the seasonality of food.” E Aitchison, Unity Primary Academy
“They are so different out here, they are learning in such a different way, I just love it and you see another side of them” Teacher, Unity Primary Academy, reported on Coordinator Session report
“So much can be taught outside. I’m going to use this growing area a lot next year to touch on different aspects of the curriculum - as they are quite a practical cohort.” Teacher, St Christophers
“Gained an interest in food origins and production and they want to know more!” Ms Rosiak, Brunswick Park Primary
“They have discovered a passion for the outdoors and nature, many of them have gone on to plant things at home as a result of the project.” Emma Alexander, Moreland Primary school
“self-esteem has improved, I can always refer back to the cooking and gardening sessions to provide children an image of what they ‘can do’ to act as a foundation of what they will be able to do with new activities.” Yumma Raihanna, St Paul’s Catholic Primary
30 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **Food Discovery - Case Study**
## **“ Magdalen Gates Primary, Norwich**
Despite lockdown, Year 4 students from Magdalen Gates Primary, Norwich enjoyed an Introduction session, a Food Quiz, x2 Cookery and x4 Gardening sessions during the school year 2020-21. **They learnt how to prepare the ingredients and cook a stir fry, Moroccan cous cous, pesto pasta with peas and beans (grown themselves), roast garlic and rosemary potatoes (also grown themselves) and lots more for the harvest feast.**
**They prepared the soil, planted seeds and tended to swiss chard, chickpeas, peas and broad beans and developed the confidence to taste lots of raw, fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables. They watched clips of chickpeas being grown at scale on Countryfile and discussed different crops grown in the UK and what they need to grow.** They planted their own chickpeas (given to them by an East Anglian chickpea farmer) to take home to grow, before tasting two different types of hummus and discussing what herbs had been added to each and how the flavour had been changed. They took part in nature art activities and painted coloured stones as markers for their beds and helped to revamp neglected areas of their school with plants. They enjoyed mindfulness activities and took the time to listen to the sounds, smells and feel of nature around them. Feedback has been excellent:
**“This kind of activity is incredibly important for these children, learning where their food comes from and tasting and growing healthy food. We really need to focus on recovery for children post covid, not just academically but emotional and physical recovery” - Headteacher**
**“A young girl whose parents are on a low income, there’s many siblings and she just doesn’t get as much nurture as she needs. Food Discovery has benefited her dramatically because she’d never even tasted raw vegetables before! She loved every aspect of the course.” Michelle Humphreys, Magdalen Gates Primary**
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## **Our Programmes - Countryside Residentials**
We have over 25 years’ experience of enabling children from disadvantaged areas of London, Yorkshire and Lancashire - many of whom would never leave the area where they live and go to school - to discover the wonders of the countryside. A typical trip will involve a two to four-night stay at a hostel or bunk barn, and children will explore forests, farms, rivers and the seaside. Schools integrate the residential into the children’s learning and personal development, and they eat well, learning and playing outside together. Natural habitats, managed landscapes and heritage attractions provide an exciting context for geography, science and history.
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## **The difference we make**
## **(analysis of feedback from 6 residentials and 3 run as a series of day visits - from academic year 2020-21)**
## **Curiosity**
- 100% teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that the pupils responded well to the activities that were provided.
- 75% referenced the particular value of CT staff to their overall enjoyment
- 100% of teachers said some or most pupils now feel more interested in farming and the countryside/ natural world (50% said ‘some’ as they don’t feel that the interest follows some children home)
- Pupil feedback - ‘what was the coolest thing you learnt’ was almost all farm and countryside focused.
## **Confidence**
- 100% teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that the pupils’ confidence improved
- 100% of teachers agreed that most pupils had been able to try new things in a supported way
- 100% teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that the teachers and other staff attending benefitted from the residential
- 100% teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that they would like to take their pupils outside for learning activities more often
- Pupil feedback - favourite things relating to confidence rated most highly- doing ‘something scary’, ‘trying a new thing’ ‘sense of achievement’
## **Connections**
- 100% teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that the Residential had made them think of ways that they could link the residential back to classroom working
## **Organisation and delivery**
- 100% said they would recommend a CT Residential
- 100%* of teachers rated the visit as very good or good for Organisation, Health and Safety, Support from CT Coordinator and Accommodation.
- 100% of Mainstream and 100% SEN teachers rated the organisation and delivery
- on the day of the visit as very good or excellent.
- 100% of Mainstream and 100% SEN teachers rated the Health and Safety on the visit as very good or excellent.
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## **Our Programmes - Countryside Residentials**
## **Our feedback**
“It benefited all of the children. They were ‘buzzing’ every day and when we came back. Even now they’re still so enthusiastic when we talk about the trip and all say they want to go back! Some are talking about visiting Burnsall, others want to go back to do Pony Trekking - even those who cried at first! None of our children had spent a night away from parents and the majority had never been to the countryside and loved being outside surrounded by nature. They all absorbed all of the facts and learning from Lee & Chris.’”
“Great life experience, out of London, confidence and independence.”
“It has benefitted with their wide experiences lots of them had never been to the countryside. They also grew in confidence and showed great resilience.”
“Pupils will have benefited greatly from the idea of staying away from home, gaining more independence, taking part in activities that they haven’t done before and might have thought they never would have. This visit would have taught a lot of children the value of the countryside and the world that is out there.”
“It has given them a sense of fun and normality in what has been a challenging year for them (COVID).”
“‘Using more opportunities for outdoor learning, knowing that students are more independent than what I thought” Teachers view on their own learning
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to walk three miles, but I did!” Child
“I thought the trip would be boring, but it was incredible” Child
34 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **Residentials - Case Study**
## **“ St Anne’s Primary, Keighley**
On 7-9th July Year 6 children from St Anne’s Primary, Keighley went on their Country Trust Residential to the Yorkshire Dales. The children travelled by minibus to Malham where they explored Janet’s Foss and Goredale Scar. They had lunch on the village green before taking the short walk to Malham Cove. After exploring they made the journey to Halton Gill Bunk Barn and settled in, before going on a walk along the valley and River Skirfare. **Lots of the children had never walked so far and were incredibly proud of themselves!**
On the second day the children visited Linton falls and took a walk along the River Wharfe. **They had lunch on the riverside and listened to the bird sounds and running water and did nature spotting. In the afternoon they visited Kilnsey Trout Farm, followed a nature trail and were delighted to meet the alpacas and goats, spot red squirrels, help feed the hens, learn about the resident bees and feed the large rainbow trout!**
After the farm they took a well-earned rest with an ice-cream on Grassington village green. On the last day the children took a tour of Ingleton cave at White Scar Caves- most of them hadn’t been into a cave before and though it was met with some nervousness, the children overcame their fears. Finally, they took the historic Settle-Carlisle train back home from Ribblehead.
##
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## **Our Programmes - Farm in a Box Local**
We surveyed our teachers during lockdown to find out what they felt was going to be needed as and when their pupils returned to school. Their priorities were clear - maths and literacy, but also emotional and physical wellbeing, language and communication, social skills, and time outdoors. We knew that farm visits could provide so much of the inspiration and opportunity that children desperately needed but that they would be a step too far for many schools for a while. And so, using a simple model from the Mulago Foundation to help us focus in on what we are really good at, what will have maximum impact for our beneficiaries and what will strengthen us for the future, we created a new programme called Farm in a Box.
The programme is farm- centred but designed to be delivered in school and helps children make connections between their lives and farming, enhancing the impact of a farm visit when it comes. For our Farm in a Box Local, our Coordinators work with the teachers and a farmer to create a tailored programme from a menu of activities, investigations and challenges focused on the chosen farm. Farmers star in an introductory video and a Zoom call at the end of the day. Language, communication and well-being are woven through. Our Farm in a Box Local Explorer Box presents farm-centred activities for EYFS and children with SEN/D, who love the accessible, multi-sensory nature of the Boxes. Evidence suggests that, for disadvantaged children, teachers are key to sustaining the impact of interventions like those offered by The Country Trust . We have been able to design Farm in a Box to strengthen this area of our practice through providing extension activities and continued contact with the farm and the Coordinator.
36 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
+ pHotos
## **Our Programmes - Farm in a Box Local**
## **The difference we make**
**(analysis of teacher feedback forms from 186 boxes, a return rate of 55% representing over 5000 pupils, and 1760 pupil feedback forms returned (about a third of participants))**
## **Pupils’ Curiosity**
- 98% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that those pupils who often are perceived to be ‘reluctant learners’ engaged with the activities.
- 99% agreed or strongly agreed that pupils’ interest in learning increased through their enjoyment of the activities.
- 10% reported (unprompted responses) that the observation tools learnt through FIAB meant that children were more curious and engaged with their own environments.
## **Pupils’ Confidence**
- 35% of teachers, in open comments, mentioned an impact on language and communication and always in connection with how excited the children were about what they were learning and doing.
- 86% of children said that they had done something for the first-time during Farm in a Box.
## **Pupils’ Connections**
- 86% agreement from teachers that Farm in a Box enabled their pupils to make a connection with a local farm despite not actually leaving their school.
- 94% of teachers agreed that Farm in a Box enabled the children to be better prepared for a real farm visit. Over 460 children wrote exactly what it was they were looking forward to seeing when they got.
38 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **Organisation and delivery**
- 97% of teachers gave the communication and planning a score of 5 or 6 (out of 6)
- 98% scored the health and safety support with a 5 or a 6
- 94% of teachers gave a score of 5 or 6 for the contents of the Box
- 93% of teachers gave a score of 5 or 6 for the ease of delivering the activities
- 92% scored the pitch and level of the video with a 5 or a 6.
## **Teachers’ Confidence**
- 95% of teachers (169 out of 178) told us that they were more enthused to do take their pupils outside to learn as a result of Farm in a Box. From the remaining 9 teachers, 3 stated that they already took their pupils outside as a priority in their learning.
- 90% of teachers said they were more confident in taking their pupils outside to learn.
- 99% of teachers said they would be drawing on Farm in a Box in their future
- teaching.
## **Our feedback**
“These children have so little enrichment in their lives that something as magical as this is so beneficial and as it is so hands-on they all benefited greatly. This has been a very challenging term and a big thank you because FIAB bought brightness into their lives…Thank you!” Sue Leach, Valley Primary
“By the time children are referred to us, they have usually faced significant barriers to learning, often resulting in them becoming disengaged with education and suffering with poor self-image. Opportunities like this are incredibly valuable in harnessing children’s curiosity and re-engaging them in learning about the world around us. Farm in a Box enabled all of our pupils to feel successful in their learning and helped to foster a positive and resilient attitude towards challenge.” Abby Steele, GUST School Ashington
**39**
## **Our Programmes - Farm in a Box Online**
Created in response to demand arising from Lockdown 3 in January 2021, FIAB Online is a pack of multi-sensory and farm-centred activities (with video content) designed for home learning and the classroom. The resources are sent to individual teachers by our Coordinator by email. We worked closely with teachers to ensure the elements of this programme are easily accessible for ALL children and make no assumptions about resources available at home or in school.
The programme includes video content enabling children to make virtual visits to several Country Trust farms across the country. They meet our amazing host farmers and their animals, see what they are growing and lots more. After the video the children take part in a quiz to see what they have discovered and can choose from a series of investigations, challenges, and hands-on activities from topics ‘Birds and Bird song’, ‘Food from Farms’ and ‘Signs of Life’. Feedback for this programme is very positive, however teachers were clear that there some children didn’t engage with home learning at all and so our numbers represent resources sent out rather than necessarily children actually participating. Farm in a Box Online remains a resource we can send quickly to schools if visits are cancelled at the last minute as a result of Covid.
## **The difference we make**
## **Curiosity**
- 100% teachers agreed that the children’s enjoyment of the experience increased their interest in learning, and all agreed with this statement, with 16 (48%) strongly agreeing.
- 100% teachers agreed that reluctant learners had had opportunities to engage, with 13 (39%) strongly agreeing.
## **Confidence**
- 97% agreed or strongly agreed that following the programme their children would be better prepared for a farm visit.
## **Connections**
- 100% teachers agreed that their pupils had been able to make connections between their world and the farmers world.
- 96% teachers said they would use the experience in future teaching
## **Our feedback**
“We adapted the activities slightly, but the resources were fantastic and the children really enjoyed exploring everything.” Kingsdown School
“Even the boys who are often reluctant to learn were the first to want to go outside and build a nest and had fun in the process” Cottingley Primary Academy
“They were very engaged in talking about what the farmers do, where they work, what they look after, what lives around them in the wild and why farmers are important.” The Beeches Community Primary School
“I will use the Make a Nest and Sounds Around Me activities as a basis for discussion, when I introduce children to life cycle of a bird and their habitats. Treasure Hunters and Story Tellers for future writing units (I loved this!).” St Lawrence’s Catholic Primary
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## **Case Study - Farm in a Box Online**
## **“**
## **St Lawrence’s Catholic Primary, Newcastle**
On 25th February 2021 30 Year 5 children from St Lawrence’s Catholic Primary school, Newcastle took part in a Farm in a Box Online. The children watched the farm video and then answered questions on what they’d seen. They discussed the plants shown and thought about the food that those crops went into and what they had eaten that week. **The teacher loved doing the ‘Treasure Hunters and Story Tellers’ activity with the children and is keen to use it in future writing units.**
The children enjoyed getting outside and collecting ‘treasure’ to use, naming and describing what they’d found. They then had to choose one and begin to tell a story about it, using descriptive words. They discussed the birds that they see in their gardens, parks and on the way to school and loved becoming a bird, gathering materials and making their own nests. Finally, they took time to be quiet and still and listen to the nature around them.
**“I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in FIAB online. The resources were very well prepared and easy to provide to children, so they could take part in activities at home. The children, who engaged regularly with home learning, benefited most from this experience. I am keen to repeat the activities once we are back in school with others. The children particularly enjoyed exploring the wildlife in their local area and I was wowed by some fantastic drawings of birds I’d received. Thank you for your support!” Teacher**
42 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
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## **Our Programmes - Farm in a Box National**
## **Funded by:**
Covid19 caused the cancellation of the 2020 Discover Warburtons Wheat Country Trust Farm Discovery programme, but also proved to be the spur to the most ambitious pilot project we have undertaken to date. Warburtons agreed that the funds already donated for the cancelled 2020 programme could be used by The Country Trust to develop a pilot Farm in a Box programme to be delivered at scale for around 100 schools, alongside the 2021 Discover Warburton’s Wheat farm visits. When it became apparent in early 2021 that a summer farm visit programme was unlikely to be possible, The Country Trust proposed that the 2021 funds be used to increase the scale of our ambition for the pilot to 400 Boxes, reaching over 10,000 children from areas of persistent disadvantage where we do not have a presence on the ground.
The activities were differentiated for Early Years / Special Educational Needs, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Teachers registered online in May, choosing which of the Boxes they wanted for their class (we were also able to accommodate mixed ability classes which emerged as a need), and one of two weeks in June for delivery. Every school that took part was also invited to join an hour-long live Zoom session with a farmer growing wheat for Warburtons. The live sessions were designed and scripted to give children the opportunity to ‘meet’ a real farmer, and a Warburtons Food Scientist, ask questions and be interactive. Over 3000 children took part in the live sessions with an age range of 3-11 (plus some older children with SEN/D).
44 Country Trust Impact Report 2021
## **The difference we make**
## **(analysis of feedback from 67 teachers/76 Boxes, return rate of 19%)**
## **Curiosity**
- 91% said that all or most of their pupils had wanted to talk to each other about what they were learning
- 88% reported in open text responses that their pupils had benefited from or particularly enjoyed the interactive/sensory nature of the Box
## **Confidence**
- 93% of pupils said they had done something for the first time
- 93% of teachers said that their pupils had been able to try new things in a supported or scaffolded way (gradually decreasing support)
- As a result of this Farm in a Box, 84% of teachers said they felt more confident in running ‘real-world’ learning activities and 90% said they wanted to take their pupils outside for learning activities more often
## **Connections**
- 82% of teachers said that all or most of their pupils better understood where food comes from
## **Organisation and delivery**
- 97% said the Box and its contents were good or very good
- 98% said the instructions on how to use the resources were good or very good
- 95.5 % said the activities were easy to use
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Discover Warbutons Wheat Farm in a Box was funded by:
**----- End of picture text -----**
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## **Our Programmes - Farm in a Box National**
**In partnership with:**
The complexities of global warming and the role that we can all play in taking action on climate change are challenging to understand for everyone. To help support Key Stage 2 pupils grasp this difficult subject, we developed Climate Action Farm in a Box in partnership with The Hiscox Foundation. The Box explored the subject through the lens of food and farming, bringing to life the impact of global warming on the food we eat, and how our food choices can contribute to climate change.
The Box was timed to arrive in schools during the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow. There were 10 hands-on activities in the Box and nearly all the resources needed to complete the activities were included. The activities were carefully sequenced so each new activity builds upon previous learning. To assist each activity 10 short films were produced, these were fronted and narrated by children aged between 7-11 years.
1000 Boxes were delivered to 620 schools across the first two weeks of November 2021, supporting c. 26,000 children in areas of the highest deprivation around the country.
Teachers and pupils were also invited to attend (virtually) a LIVE session, enabling children to meet and interact with a range of interesting people involved in farming and food production who are taking action for the climate. 247 classes attended this LIVE session on 12th November 2021.
46 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **Our feedback**
“We are creating a School Action Plan as a result of Climate Action Farm in a Box.” Heron Park Academy
“I love farm in a box. It makes the outside world real within the school environment.” Our Lady of Victories Catholic School
“Increased knowledge of climate change and farming and why it is relevant to them.” Teacher in Scunthorpe
“It makes what children think impossible, possible.” Heron Park Academy
“I feel it will give all students a greater understanding of how we can help the environment.” Broadfield Primary school
“All of the activities learnt us new and exciting things.” - Pupil
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## **Our Programmes - Farm in a Box National**
## **Our feedback**
“The video was good and engaged the children, they were able to use lots of connections to the science topic on plants and animals.” Ashwater Primary School
“The activity cards for the teachers were great. Simple to follow and easy to match up with the children’s learning. Just what teachers look for! Thank you” St Joseph’s Catholic School
“Farm in a box is an excellent resource. It takes out the thought process that goes into planning a session that some teachers may feel less confident about delivering. With everything there in one box with associated resources the sessions were easily delivered and accessed by all.” Our Lady of Victories Catholic School
“Willingness to try new things – some children had already decided that they didn’t like brown bread, but then liked it when they tried it.” Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School
“I think the awareness it has given them of where their food has come from and its connection with the natural world is invaluable and will be an important factor in helping them develop a concern for the environment the welfare of which, of course, is imperative for their own and future generations’ life chances ...” Isaac Newton Academy
“All the different activities in Farm in a Box have also helped them realise how interconnected things are.” St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School
“The box also offered the children the opportunity to see careers linked to science.” Bewley Primary School
48 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
**“Almost all of my pupils live in tower blocks or flats with little or no garden. They have learned valuable facts and skills participating in the activities in the Farm in a Box.”**
**Ivybridge Primary School**
## **Case Studies - Farm in a Box National**
**A teacher from Ark Primary School, Ilford told us..**
[Because of Covid] The children haven’t learnt all the important real-life lessons **“** they acquire from just being out and about. We haven’t taken them anywhere at all.
**Particularly for the younger children, I think they’ve missed out on gaining confidence, they’re not as independent because they’ve been at home more. They haven’t had the sensory experiences of seeing and touching and smelling and hearing things .**
The [Farm in a Box] introductory video was really good. They loved watching that. And that set a lovely context… They loved it, it was quite short, there was sort of music and lots of visuals and, and little sort of cartoony diagrams, showing things clearly, it was quite varied.
**The children certainly had a lot of fun. They loved trying to grind down the corn, and they love trying the bread. And I think it’s given them a better understanding because, for many children, I guess they think bread grows on trees or something.** So I think it has certainly made them more aware of the different processes. I think it was in the introductory video that it explained about corn, how it goes to the barn, then processed in a factory, then goes to the shops and bakeries. So I think it helps them have a clearer understanding of where it came from and a better appreciation of the natural world and a love for the environment. Because obviously, [food] is not made in a factory or a box, it’s come from a plant. So I think that all has been very helpful and very good.
I was totally impressed with all of it, it was so well thought through. I mean, everything was there, everything was so clear and easy just to pick up and teach from even if you haven’t really had much of a chance to look at it.
50 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **Our Programmes - Farm in a Box National**
## **A teacher from St Patrick’s School, Workington told us...**
**“** What we did find was, Farm in a Box opened up children’s minds to try different kinds of foods. And we’ve got a couple of children who are really quite picky eaters, to be honest with you, but they are actually now willing to try. It’s the progress that we’ve actually started in September, but I think it’s actually helped in the past few weeks [during the FIAB activities] seeing where food comes from.
**They’ve been asking lots of questions, which is really great for reception about food and about taste.** I’ve had lots of conversations about different kinds of foods and how they grow. And that links with how important the weather is and the climate is for the kinds of foods that you can grow. We are Reception and I was quite pleased with the reaction.
They all wondered about the different kinds of things he (the farmer) did on the farm, and the kinds of machinery that he had, **it kind of widened their worlds, that’s their curiosity, to widen their world, and to make them aware that these things out there exist.**
So that was the curiosity and the feeling the different textures that they felt in the field activity. They’re really curious about that. They’re curious about why bees do the waggle dance.
**We’ve got children trying food that they wouldn’t have tried before and curious about where it comes from. So I take that as a win. One parent has actually mentioned that their child is now trying lots of foods that they weren’t trying before.**
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## **Policy**
The Country Trust is speaking up to ensure food, farming and countryside opportunities and experiences are available to ALL children, especially persistently disadvantaged children. We know these opportunities offer the right balance of emotional, physical, social and educational development that will benefit children and are vitally important for the future of British agriculture, and for people and planet to thrive.
That’s why we want to see educational access to farms established as a standalone public good, worthy of public support in its own right, alongside other ‘public goods’ such as clean air, clean water etc. in the new Environmental Land Management Scheme. We have both led the charge, supported by 26 organisations and individuals, and lent our voice to others, for example Sustain, in their work to achieve this change.
And why, together with the Food Education Network, we are pushing for better and more food and agriculture education. After all, how we eat determines how the world is used and how we live. A key part of this is backing the ‘Eat and Learn’ recommendations in the National Food Strategy as part of the Food Education Network. We are asking Government to work across departments and take a creative approach to ensure we achieve the much-needed shift in food culture to create a sustainable, resilient food system that supports people to live healthy lives. We believe food and farming education is a vital thread that should be running through key strategies on health, education, agriculture and sustainability and climate change.
And why we are working to establish food, farming and countryside opportunities as part of a fair education for all children, ensuring no child’s future is limited by their socio-economic background, making the most of the opportunities our membership of the Fair Education Alliance presents. We support the call for a Nature Premium, as government funded, statutory requirement for schools to take children regularly into nature.
54 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
**Amplifying our message and strengthening the case for support**
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## **Plans for the future**
## **Strategic direction**
## **The Country Trust has recently finalised a 5 year plan, with a refreshed vision, mission, Theory of Change, and a new ambition to substantially increase the number of children we reach.**
The Plan has a new emphasis on measuring the difference we make and working with and through others. Covid 19 has proved to be a catalyst for change and we have developed new programmes which we hope will underpin our growth and impact. We also have a new sense of urgency as, not only have disadvantaged children been worst affected by Covid in terms of their educational development and their mental and physical fitness, but the number of children living in poverty has risen sharply as a result of the pandemic. We recognise that there is a need for many more farmers and growers to step forward to meet the demand and the need for farm-centred education, at a time when there is no guarantee that government support for educational access to farms will continue. There is also a need for teachers, particularly those working in disadvantaged areas, to be supported to access opportunities and experiences and to sustain the impact.
56 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **The pillars of our new Plan are:**
## **Growth**
5 year ambition - 120,000 children p.a. from disadvantaged backgrounds should be participating in our programmes or activities we facilitate.
- Up to a third in our core, face to face programmes. The majority of
those participating in our face-to-face core programmes will be from the most persistently disadvantaged areas of the country.
## **Diversification**
- A third through centralised provision (new models such as Farm in a Box National)
- A third through partnerships/franchise/network models
We will have established programmes to develop the capability of teachers, farmers and potentially parents too, with a particular focus on sustaining the impact of our activities.
## **Influence**
We will focus our effort on those policies that support our mission.
Opportunities and experiences, in particular food, farming and countryside opportunities will be recognised as a vital part of every child’s education.
## **Impact and Evaluation**
We will know the relative impact of each of our programmes and this will be clearly presented to teachers and funders.
Our evaluation framework may be being used by others.
We will have published the first research into the long-term impact of farm visits and how different contexts/approaches can influence that impact.
## **Infrastructure**
We will have the organisational structure to support and sustain the Plan. This is particularly important for IT.
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## **Plans for the future**
## **Reimagining Residentials**
We have seen children flourish thanks to extended quality time spent in the countryside, experiencing so many aspects of rural Suffolk, Norfolk and Yorkshire. However, our residential programme has developed organically and to a certain extent opportunistically over the last 27 years, and we now have a strong understanding of the moments that create the greatest impact. We want to embrace this learning and take bold steps towards ensuring that we make most effective use of a Country Trust residential to achieve our outcomes including enabling children to experience the Farm to Fork story.
## **Our objectives for reimagined Residentials moving forward are:**
- **To be able to offer more residentials.**
- **To be able to continue to offer a competitively low price so that schools and pupils are easily able to imagine accessing them.**
- **To be able to closely link each aspect of our residentials with the Theory of Change work CT has done this year and to our evaluation and impact framework.**
- **To be able to better support teachers and parents to ensure wrap around value and sustained impact.**
58 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **Fundraising Performance**
Income increased by 76.7% and expenditure increased by 75.1% in comparison to 2020 (to £992,527 and £966,950) as a result of an encouraging increase in activity levels after the impact of the pandemic throughout 2020. 50.4% of our income was unrestricted. £212,725 of donated income received in 2021 was deferred to 2022. A proportion of this relates to activity deferred because of the impact of Covid-19, the remainder is deferred because it relates to the planned delivery of activity in the spring and summer terms.
Covid further delayed our plans for investing our legacy income in support of our broader charitable objectives. However, our reserves position (fundamentally comprised of legacy income) gave us the confidence and the capacity to:
- Begin to grow our team of self-employed contractors in line with our 5 Year Plan
- Offer Farm in a Box to some schools in preparation for their farm visit, or as an alternative when visits were cancelled at short notice as a result of Covid.
- Offer more transport subsidies than ever before (relative to the scale of our visit programme) where the cost of coach travel was a barrier to participation.
- Continue to innovate around Farm in a Box
- Continue to review our existing programmes and train the team to ensure we kept pace with Covid-19 guidance.
## **Controls**
Financial management consists of the monthly preparation of management accounts that are distributed to all Trustees for review. Monthly forecasting enables Trustees to view the financial landscape ahead. Our mid-year review was mostly undertaken in September to ensure that we had as much understanding as possible of our operating context.
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CEO or Assistant Director authorisation is required for all payments; all payments made by the Charity over £5000 require dual authorisation with an authorised Trustee signatory. The charity had a successful Independent Examination (IE) in 2020 and Trustees chose an IE again for 2021.
The Charity has not yet implemented plans to start using a cash management platform for our unrestricted reserves owing to a lack of staff capacity and the continued very low level of interest rates during the year.
## **Reserves policy**
Trustees continued to operate a RAG approach to assessing reserves with a green zone between 4 and 6 months of operating reserves. Based on 2021 expenditure, this would indicate a reserves level of between approximately £322,316 and £483,475. Based on our 2022 expenditure budget, this would indicate reserves of between £600,000 and £900,000.
Overall reserves rose slightly from £747,141 to £772,718, within this unrestricted reserves decreased slightly from £727,076 to £686,314 including designated reserves, though a significant use of reserves had been planned pre-Covid (see ‘Performance’ above). At a time when more and more children are being left behind, made so much worse by the pandemic, we have launched an ambitious and urgent 5 Year Plan to connect many thousands more children with the land that sustains us all. We have therefore embarked on a material expansion, using some of our reserves as a foundation but also substantially increasing our fundraising. Our plans will result in a significant budget deficit but we have mechanisms in place to reduce the deficit should our monitoring indicate any cause for concern and our medium term intention is of course to return to at least a break even budget.
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## **Fundraising Performance**
## **The Board has adopted the Charity Governance Code and is working through the seven principles to ensure good governance.**
Legal and ethical fundraising remains a key objective of the Trustees, and they take their responsibilities with regard to proper fundraising practice very seriously. They are guided by the Charity Commission’s Charity fundraising: a guide to trustee duties (CC20 updated in 2016)) as well as the updated Charity Governance Code, and the Guidance Note from the Fundraising Regulator on New Reporting Requirements published October 2018 and updated in 2020, and the Covid fundraising guidance issued during 2021. The Country Trust is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and complies with the Code of Fundraising Practice.
In 2021, approximately 72% of our income came from charitable trusts and foundations, 13% from companies, 10% from individual donors (including legacies), and 5% from service users, primarily schools in the form of the balance of the cost of residential visits after our subsidy has been applied, or as a contribution from schools towards the cost of Food Discovery programmes. Service delivery was much reduced in 2021 because of the impact of Covid on programmes.
62 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **Donors to The Country Trust can be assured that:**
- Fundraising activity is included within the Trust’s Risk Register, which is reviewed at each Board meeting; a senior member of staff directly involved with fundraising is present at every Board meeting.
- The Charity does not make use of professional fundraisers or commercial participators.
- The Charity complies with the Fundraising Regulator’s voluntary regulation scheme.
- All fundraising is carried out by employed staff, managed by the CEO or Senior Managers who report to the CEO, or very occasionally by named volunteers working closely with the employed staff on our behalf, primarily networking with peers and friends. Some volunteers will fundraise in aid of The Country Trust and the Charity provides support for them on its website.
- The Charity did not receive any complaints about fundraising activities carried out by The Charity or someone acting on The Charity’s behalf but recognises it could improve the visibility of how to complain on its website.
- The Charity respects the privacy of the public, including the need to take special care with vulnerable people. Any mailing or emailing for fundraising purposes is in accordance with GDPR preferences. Public fundraising is through online fundraising platforms, or through static collection goblets and is carried out in accordance with the Code of Fundraising Practice. The Charity undertakes very little face to face fundraising and what is done is primarily by invitation.
The Charity will comply with requests issued by the Fundraising Preference Service. The Charity strives to maintain GDPR compliance and has registered with the ICO.
63
## **Fundraising Performance**
## **Principal funding sources**
As described above the Charity continues to derive most of its funding from grant making trusts. We continued to sustain a significant percentage of funding within multi-year agreements.
We are very grateful indeed for the support received from all our funders, and mention here those who have given permission for their support to be acknowledged in this report ;
**Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation, Ardian UK and the Ardian Foundation, The Ashden Trust, Bruno Schroder Trust, The CLA Charitable Trust, Lance Coates Charitable Trust, Ernest Cook Trust, The Girdlers’ Company, WA Handley Trust, The Hiscox Foundation, A Hume Country Clothing and Outfitters, The Joicey Trust, Sir James Knott Trust, The Lund Trust, The Mercers’ Company, The Rank Foundation, The Rothschild Foundation, The Steel Charitable Trust, The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation, Felix Thornley Cobbold Agricultural Trust, Warburtons Ltd, Westminster Foundation, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The Wheler Foundation.**
64 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
Although once again, we were unable to hold any events for our supporters to see our work at first hand during the year, the Charity continued to be shielded from the worst effects of Covid-19 on fundraising as it does not have a large public facing income stream, nor does it rely on trading income. The Trustees would like to particularly thank those Foundations, companies and individuals who provided extra funds during the year in recognition of the challenges we faced, as well as those who have continued to support us at a time when their own resources have been hard hit and demands have escalated. Particular thanks to the Bernard Sunley Foundation for their substantial gift to mark their 60th Anniversary. Thanks are also due to the Charity’s President and Vice Presidents for their support in identifying and making introductions to potential new funding sources.
## **Transport costs**
Requests for transport subsidies as a proportion of the number of farm visits delivered were significantly higher in 2021 than in 2019 as schools in the areas hardest hit by Covid were desperate to arrange visits for their children but were unable to ask parents for contributions. After adjusting for the lack of Warburton’s visits where all schools are eligible for a transport subsidy and taking into account the difference in the overall number of visits between the two years, claims were almost double.
65
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Structure**
The Country Trust was founded in 1978 and is registered with the Charity Commission under Charity Number 1122103. The Board of Trustees, President, Board of Vice Presidents, Chief Executive Officer, senior staff members and professional advisers are listed on page 1.
On the 23rd November 2007 the Country Trust was incorporated; it became a company limited by guarantee and not having share capital. On the 1st January 2008, the Charity commenced trading as an incorporated Charity. The Company number is 6436266 and the registered address is shown on page 1.
## **Governing document**
The Charity is governed by the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Country Trust Ltd.
## **Governing Body**
The structure of the Charity consists of a Board of Trustees and a Chief Executive supported by a Senior Leadership Team. The Board of Trustees is a self-appointing body and includes a good gender balance and a range of experience. Several Trustees have direct experience of our services either as teachers or active farmer hosts. Trustees with the relevant experience have particularly responsibility for Finance and Safeguarding and during 2021, for strategic planning. The Chief Executive reports directly to the Chair of Trustees and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Charity. The Charity is very fortunate to be supported by a President and Vice Presidents who are an advisory, networking and fundraising resource.
66 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **Recruitment and training of Trustees**
Trustees are recruited as and when required through advertising, personal recommendation and through the recommendation of third-party advisors according to the Board’s specifications concerning eligibility, personal competence, and specialist skills. Potential candidates are invited to apply and are interviewed by the Chair and at least one other Trustee. Successful applicants are co-opted to join the Board until their appointment is confirmed. The Chair of Trustees Anne Bufton-McCoy stepped down at the start of 2021 and Steve Bell was appointed as Chair. Trustees were encouraged to undertake training during 2021, however external formal training courses only resumed later in the year as a result of the pandemic.
## **Organisational management**
The Charity’s Trustees are legally responsible for the overall management and control of the Charity. The Board of Trustees meets at least four times a year to discuss and implement strategic issues, monitor income and expenditure, monitor risk, review and approve policies and approve annual budgets. There were more meetings in 2021 to progress strategic planning. The day to day running of the Charity is delegated to the Chief Executive, the Senior Leadership Team, staff and sessional staff, who report to the Board monthly and quarterly.
67
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Risk management**
**The Board of Trustees is responsible for the management of risks associated with the activities of the Charity. The Board refers to the Charity’s Risk Register at each meeting which is prepared and updated by the Chief Executive.**
## **The top 6 major risks identified and monitored in 2021 were:**
- Public Health Emergency – mitigated by: continued close monitoring of Government guidance, regular reviews of our health and safety and safeguarding guidance and training of our delivery team, open channels of communication with teachers and farmers.
- Education Funding cuts –mitigated by: continued focus on measuring and reporting on the relevance of our work including a new Impact Framework, working to influence policy, adapting our fundraising.
- Poor governance by the Board (key during CV19)– mitigated by: regular Board meetings, sub committees for finance and strategy, key decisions checked with external professionals eg insurers, accountants, funders.
- Major loss of farms to host visits – mitigated by: regular communication with hosts plus training webinar, active role in influencing agricultural policy re educational access, active recruitment of new hosts.
- Unsatisfactory fundraising – mitigated by: Annual budgets include risk analysis, monthly financial reports show progress against budget, ‘new’ spend is brought to the Board, detailed Mid-Year Review, active communication with our funders, new product development.
- Serious cyber security attack – mitigated by: moving to an inhouse team of two fulltime IT staff, new IT helpdesk, training, ongoing watch on cyber security issues, cloud storage across the organisation.
68 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
Risk Assessments are prepared by staff and self-employed sessional contractors for all activities led by the Charity. As a result of recommendations arising from our regular reviews of Health and Safety, the Charity now ensures that all our active host farmers have a Risk Assessment in place for Country Trust visits. These Risk Assessments are prepared, owned and managed by the host farmer but where required, support for the process including signposting to external industry guidance, is provided by the Charity. The Charity receives the help of professional advisors for risks associated with health and safety, safeguarding and employment practice. All our health and safety and safeguarding practices and processes were reviewed again in time for the start of the new academic year in the light of Covid-19 to ensure we were operating safely.
The Board of Trustees also has in place key controls for use by the Charity, such as formal agendas for meetings, comprehensive strategic planning and monthly management accounting, established lines of reporting, formal written policies and a review schedule, clear authorisation levels for all payments and a safeguarding policy which provides guidance for all on best safe practice for adults within an organisation working with children.
69
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Openness and accountability**
We strive to involve participants in programme design and the comprehensive feedback gathered from stakeholders during the year is constantly used to inform practice. Our annual evaluation reports are published online and publicised through social media and printed materials. We made some progress in making opportunities to listen to children’s voices in 2021 and have plans to continue this and understand the priorities of the communities we serve in 2022.
## **We adopted a new Position Statement at the end of 2021:**
**The Country Trust connects children with the land that sustains us all. We aim to foster an understanding of farming, food production and countryside management in all its many guises and raise awareness of the way in which we are all participants in agriculture through the food that we eat.**
**Country Trust visits and activities are structured to support the National Curriculum, personal development and wellbeing. Our carefully planned opportunities and experiences are designed to empower children to be curious, confident and create change in their lives and the world around them so that they, and society can thrive.**
**We do not consider ourselves to be a charity that campaigns for or against any particular form of farming or land management. However:**
- **We do seek to influence policy makers where this makes it more likely that we will achieve our mission. For example, for educational access to farms to be supported as a standalone public good, and for food and farming education to be a vital part of education, health, wellbeing, sustainability and food strategies.**
- **In the context of the climate emergency and rapid loss of biodiversity, we design our programmes to help children to understand the unique responsibilities that farmers and land managers have for soil health and biodiversity, stewardship of non-renewable resources and locking up carbon.**
**Our intention is that children will be in a better position to make informed decisions, understanding that their choices matter, and may be influential in the future shape of farming and the countryside.**
71
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Equality, Diversity and Inclusion**
We want our team and our programmes to better the reflect the amazing diversity of the children and the communities we serve and continue to take steps towards this. We have worked hard to try and promote recruitment opportunities through a wide range of networks and are exploring when and how we can support people to join us who may not have the formal qualifications or experience that we have required in the past. Diversity was the theme of our Annual Conference in February 2021 and working groups which arose from the conference continue to make progress. We are excited about the connections, creativity and inspiration that this is unlocking.
## **GDPR**
We use our database to extend our compliance with the GDPR regulations – subscription to Newsletters will now allow for double opt in as well as providing the usual ability to unsubscribe. We have implemented processes to remove data relating to recruitment for unsuccessful applicants after a specified time period.
## **Cybersecurity**
The IT Team is now staffed by two full-time employees. This has allowed us to step up activities relating to cybersecurity. All CT staff are now required to undertake Cybersecurity training from the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The CT is part of pilot monitoring programmes run by the NCSC to combat Mail and Web fraud. It is our intention to work towards the NCSC’s ‘Cyber Essentials’ certification. There were no serious issues in 2021.
72 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
## **Safeguarding**
Government guidance is clear that all organisations working with children, young people, families, parents and carers have particular responsibilities. At The Country Trust we recognise that the welfare of all children is paramount and that all children, regardless of ability or culture, have equal rights of protection. We have a duty of care when they are in our charge, and we will do everything we can to provide a safe and caring environment whilst they attend our activities. Our policy for child safeguarding is on our website and is reviewed annually by our Board of Trustees. The Country Trust is a member of SAFEcic, an umbrella organisation providing safeguarding training, advice and standards. All staff, volunteers and Trustees undertake safeguarding training and undergo DBS checks where this is permitted for their role.
Safeguarding is reviewed at the quarterly Board meetings. There was one safeguarding concern raised within 2021 relating to school staffing ratios. Trustees have continued to keep their safeguarding training up to date and keep abreast of any significant changes.
## **Health and Safety**
Our health and safety policy can be found on our website and is reviewed every two years. Following the last review, and a review of our policy in practice undertaken by Trustees, we strengthened our practice through making it a requirement that every active farmer host has an up-to-date Risk Assessment. Safeguarding, and Health and Safety reports of all disclosures, accidents, incidents and near misses and subsequent actions taken are brought to every Board meeting, preserving the appropriate confidentiality. ‘Lessons learned’ are shared with all staff/contractors as part of ongoing learning. Guidance for our delivery team was provided on the latest Covid requirements/best practice before the start of the autumn term and they receive regular updates as appropriate. Pre-visits to farms are mandatory for schools in order that proper Covid and other planning can be undertaken including understanding the particular needs of the children.
**The Trustees would like to thank everyone involved with The Country Trust – farmers, teachers, funders, our delivery team, staff, volunteers and everyone who has provided such magnificent support and encouragement during another challenging year.**
73
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Statement of compliance with prevailing laws and regulations**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and 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 published in October 2019.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies’ exemption.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on _____14th April 2022________
Signed on its behalf by ________Steve Bell ___________________
Steve Bell, Chair of Trustees
74 Country Trust Annual Report 2021
Accounts
## **The Country Trust**
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of The Country Trust ("the Company")**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 December 2021 which are set out on pages 77 to 93.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the charitable company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the charitable company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
Since the Company's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charitable company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or
4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
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.
Colin Andrew Barker FCA 146 New London Road Chelmsford Essex CM2 0AW
Date:.....14th April 2022........................
Page 76
## **The Country Trust**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2021 (Including Income and Expenditure Account and Other Comprehensive Income)**
|**Note**
**Income and Endowments from:**
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Investment income
5
Total income
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
6
Total expenditure
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
17|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
500,698
-
118
500,816
80,274
386,412
466,686
34,130
(74,892)
(40,762)
727,076
686,314|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
451,179
40,532
-
491,711
-
500,264
500,264
(8,553)
74,892
66,339
20,065
86,404|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
951,877
40,532
118
992,527
80,274
886,676
966,950
25,577
-
25,577
747,141
772,718|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
546,572
14,382
832|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||561,786|
|||||92,344
459,833|
|||||552,177|
|||||9,609
-|
|||||9,609
737,532|
|||||747,141|
All of the charity's activities derive from continuing operations during the above two periods.
Page 77
## **The Country Trust**
## **(Registration number: 6436266) Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2021**
|**Note**
**Fixed assets**
12
**Current assets**
Debtors
13
Cash at bank and in hand
14
**Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year**
15
**Net current assets**
**Net assets**
**Funds of the charity:**
**Restricted**
**Unrestricted funds**
General funds
Designated Funds
Total unrestricted funds
**Total funds**
17|**2021**
**£**
4,938
24,988
1,016,619
1,041,607
(273,827)
767,780
772,718
86,404
686,314
-
686,314
772,718|**2020**
**£**
3,760|
|---|---|---|
|||29,984
1,282,306|
|||1,312,290
(568,909)|
|||743,381|
|||747,141|
|||20,065|
|||577,076
150,000|
|||727,076|
|||747,141|
For the financial year ending 31 December 2021 the charity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors' responsibilities:
- 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
- The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to companies subject to the small companies regime within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements on pages 77 to 93 were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on .................... and signed on their behalf by:
.........................................
S D Bell BA (Hons) Trustee
Page 78
## **The Country Trust**
## **Statement of Cash Flows for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
|**Note**
**Cash flows from operating activities**
Net cash income
**Adjustments to cash flows from non-cash items**
Depreciation
Investment income
5
**Working capital adjustments**
Decrease in debtors
13
Increase in creditors
15
(Decrease)/increase in deferred income
Net cash flows from operating activities
**Cash flows from investing activities**
Interest receivable and similar income
5
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
12
Net cash flows from investing activities
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 December|**2021**
**£**
25,577
1,400
(118)
26,859
4,996
9,785
(304,867)
(263,227)
118
(2,578)
(2,460)
(265,687)
1,282,306
1,016,619|**2020**
**£**
9,609
1,254
(832)|
|---|---|---|
|||10,031
1,021
6,223
385,556|
|||402,831|
|||832
(236)|
|||596|
|||403,427
878,879|
|||1,282,306|
All of the cash flows are derived from continuing operations during the above two periods.
Page 79
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **1 Charity status**
The charity is limited by guarantee, incorporated in England & Wales, and consequently does not have share capital. Each of the trustees is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the charity in the event of liquidation.
## **2 Accounting policies**
## **Summary of significant accounting policies and key accounting estimates**
The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.
## **Statement of compliance**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and 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)) (issued in October 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis of preparation**
The Country Trust meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.
## **Going concern**
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern nor any significant areas of uncertainty that affect the carrying value of assets held by the charity.
## **Income and endowments**
All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of the income receivable can be measured reliably.
## _**Donations and legacies**_
All donated income and grants receivable are included in income on receipt except where the donor requires that the sum is to be treated as income in future accounting periods, in which case it is deferred. Where a donor has specified that a donation should be used for a particular purpose this is treated as restricted income.
## _**Grants receivable**_
Grants are recognised when the charity has an entitlement to the funds and any conditions linked to the grants have been met. Where performance conditions are attached to the grant and are yet to be met, the income is recognised as a liability and included on the balance sheet as deferred income to be released.
Page 80
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## _**Deferred income**_
Deferred income represents grants and service fees received in respect of visits and activities taking place after the year end. It also represents unrestricted income where that income relates to future periods.
## _**Investment income**_
Interest received is accounted for when the interest is credited on the Bank deposit accounts.
## _**Charitable activities**_
Income from charitable activities arises from educational visits and activities where schools or other partners fund all or a proportion of the costs incurred.
## **Expenditure**
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and includes VAT as the charity is not VAT registered. Governance costs are associated with the governance arrangements of the charity. Where expenditure is apportioned between charitable activities and support costs, this is done based on the portion that is applicable to the direct provision of educational visits and activities or the administration of the charity. In the case of staff costs, this is based on the time spent on charitable activities or administration.
## _**Raising funds**_
These are costs incurred in attracting voluntary income, the management of investments and those incurred in trading activities that raise funds.
## _**Charitable activities**_
Charitable activities comprise costs incurred in carrying out educational visits and activities to farms, estates and the wider countryside, and in schools.
## **Governance costs**
These include the costs attributable to the charity’s compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements, including audit, strategic management and trustees’s meetings and reimbursed expenses.
## **Taxation**
The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Individual fixed assets costing a significant amount are initially recorded at cost, less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.
Page 81
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **Depreciation and amortisation**
Depreciation is provided on tangible fixed assets so as to write off the cost or valuation, less any estimated residual value, over their expected useful economic life as follows:
## **Asset class**
Office equipment & software
## **Depreciation method and rate**
25% reducing balance
## **Trade debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due.
## **Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.
## **Trade creditors**
Creditors are recognised at their settlement amount.
## **Fund structure**
Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees's discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.
Designated funds are funds set aside by the trustees out of unrestricted funds for specific future purposes or projects.
Restricted income funds are those donated or received for use in a particular area or for specific purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose.
## **Pensions and other post retirement obligations**
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme which is a pension plan under which fixed contributions are paid into a pension fund and the charity has no legal or constructive obligation to pay further contributions even if the fund does not hold sufficient assets to pay all employees the benefits relating to employee service in the current and prior periods.
Contributions to defined contribution plans are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities when they are due. If contribution payments exceed the contribution due for service, the excess is recognised as a prepayment.
Page 82
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **Financial instruments**
## _**Classification**_
The charitable company only holds basic financial instruments as defined in FRS 102. The financial assets and financial liabilities of the charitable company and their measurement basis are as follows:
Financial assets - trade and other debtors are basic financial instruments and are debt instruments measured at amortised cost. Prepayments are not financial instruments.
Cash at bank - is classified as a basic financial instrument and is measured at face value.
Financial liabilities - trade creditors, accruals and other creditors are financial instruments, and are measured at amortised cost. Taxation and social security are not included in the financial instruments disclosure definition. Deferred income is not deemed to be a financial liability, as the cash settlement has already taken place and there is an obligation to deliver services rather than cash or another financial instrument.
## **3 Income from donations and legacies**
|Donations
Legacies
Charitable Trusts and grant making bodies
Job retention scheme grant
Donations
Charitable Trusts and grant making bodies
Job retention scheme grant|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
63,695
96,000
340,368
635
500,698
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
69,348
296,667
11,797
377,812|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
49,669
-
401,510
-
451,179
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
24,561
136,909
7,290
168,760|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
113,364
96,000
741,878
635|
|---|---|---|---|
||||951,877|
||||**Total**
**2020**
**£**
93,909
433,576
19,087|
||||546,572|
Page 83
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **4 Income from charitable activities**
|Countryside Discovery Residential Visits
Food Discovery
Farm Visits
Countryside Discovery Residential Visits
Food Discovery
**Investment income**
Interest receivable on bank deposits
Interest receivable on bank deposits|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
-
-
-
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
-
-
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
118
118
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
832
832|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
31,332
4,200
5,000
40,532
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
5,308
9,074
14,382
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
-
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
-|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
31,332
4,200
5,000|
|---|---|---|---|
||||40,532|
||||**Total**
**2020**
**£**
5,308
9,074|
||||14,382|
||||**Total**
**2021**
**£**
118|
||||118|
||||**Total**
**2020**
**£**
832|
||||832|
## **5 Investment income**
Page 84
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **6 Expenditure on charitable activities**
|**6**
**Expenditure on charitable activities**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Note**
Programmes - Transport
Programmes -
Accommodation
Expenses relating to visits
and activities
Self-employed
contractors
Staff mileage,
accommodation and
expenses
Volunteer mileage,
accommodation and
expenses
Staff costs
Allocated support costs
7
Governance costs
7|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
52
141
100,695
-
-
-
281,994
3,530
386,412|**Restricted**
**£**
22,213
24,628
106,921
301,764
24,758
439
-
19,541
-
500,264|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
22,213
24,680
107,062
402,459
24,758
439
-
301,535
3,530
886,676|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
3,147
3,705
10,169
227,677
13,290
27
20,959
178,099
2,760|
|||||459,833|
The expenditure analysed above includes governance costs of £3,530 (2020 - £2,760) which relate directly to charitable activities. See note 7 for further details.
Approximately 32% of transport costs relate to transport subsidies and the remainder are the cost of transport for residential visits.
All Country Trust programmes were brought to a halt in March 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Activity resumed at a greatly reduced level in September 2020.
Page 85
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **7 Analysis of governance and support costs**
## **Allocated support costs**
|Staff costs
Staff mileage, accommodation and
expenses
Volunteer mileage, accommodation and
expenses
Office costs
Computer and website costs
Promotion and publicity
Insurance
Recruitment and training
Subscriptions and sundry costs
Bank charges
Legal and professional fees
Annual conference
Trustee expenses
Depreciation
Consultancy|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
197,019
5,681
104
26,426
3,845
9,673
5,193
3,433
2,512
192
36
13,323
100
1,401
13,056
281,994|**Restricted**
**£**
-
-
-
-
1,014
-
-
4,057
70
-
-
-
-
-
14,400
19,541|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
197,019
5,681
104
26,426
4,859
9,673
5,193
7,490
2,582
192
36
13,323
100
1,401
27,456
301,535|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
106,270
3,900
76
21,205
2,114
5,570
3,875
9,452
2,586
120
1,582
18,715
360
1,254
1,020|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||178,099|
## **Governance costs**
|Independent examiner fees
Examination of the financial statements
Other fees paid to examiners|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
1,600
1,930
3,530|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
1,560
1,200|
|---|---|---|
|||2,760|
Page 86
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **8 Net incoming/outgoing resources**
Net incoming resources for the year include:
|Fees payable to independent examiner
Depreciation of fixed assets|**2021**
**£**
3,530
1,401|**2020**
**£**
2,760
1,254|
|---|---|---|
## **9 Trustees remuneration and expenses**
No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration from the charity during the year. No trustees have received any other benefits from the charity during the year.
During the year, no trustees were reimbursed for travel expenses (2020: £132 to 1 trustee).
## **10 Staff costs**
The aggregate payroll costs were as follows:
|**Staff costs during the year were:**
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs|**2021**
**£**
254,141
17,710
5,442
277,293|**2020**
**£**
201,372
13,941
4,260|
|---|---|---|
|||219,573|
The monthly average number of persons (including senior management team) employed by the charity during the year expressed by head count was as follows:
|Charitable activities
Support and administration|**2021**
**No**
1
9
10|**2020**
**No**
1
8|
|---|---|---|
|||9|
The average number of persons employed by the charity during the year expressed as full time equivalents was 7.1 (2020: 6.1).
10 (2020 - 9) of the above employees participated in the Defined Contribution Pension Schemes.
Page 87
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000 during the year.
The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £67,634 (2020 - £66,980).
## **11 Taxation**
The charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt from taxation.
## **12 Tangible fixed assets**
|**Cost**
At 1 January 2021
Additions
At 31 December 2021
**Depreciation**
At 1 January 2021
Charge for the year
At 31 December 2021
**Net book value**
At 31 December 2021
At 31 December 2020
**13 Debtors**
Trade debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income||**Office**
**equipment &**
**software**
**£**
9,896
2,578||**Total**
**£**
9,896
2,578
12,474
6,136
1,400
7,536
4,938
3,760
**2020**
**£**
-
29,757
227|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||12,474|||
|||6,136
1,400|||
|||7,536|||
|||4,938|||
|||3,760|||
|||**2021**
**£**
1,100
23,809
79
24,988|||
|||||29,984|
Page 88
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **14 Cash and cash equivalents**
|Cash at bank
**15 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Trade creditors
Other taxation and social security
Other creditors
Accruals
Deferred income
Deferred income at 1 January 2021
Resources deferred in the period
Amounts released from previous periods
Deferred income at year end|**2021**
**£**
1,016,619
**2021**
**£**
22,508
8,297
6,491
3,697
232,834
273,827
**2021**
**£**
537,701
225,061
(529,928)
232,834|**2020**
**£**
1,282,306|
|---|---|---|
|||**2020**
**£**
16,518
4,556
7,374
2,760
537,701|
|||568,909|
|||**2020**
**£**
152,143
537,701
(152,143)|
|||537,701|
## **16 Pension and other schemes**
## **Defined contribution pension scheme**
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The pension cost charge for the year represents contributions payable by the charity to the scheme and amounted to £5,442 (2020 - £4,260).
Page 89
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **17 Funds**
_**Current year:**_
|**Balance at 1**
**January 2021**
**£**
**_Unrestricted funds_**
General
577,076
**_Designated funds_**
i) Risk assessment
10,000
ii) Corporate fundraiser
120,000
iii) Strategic planning and
innovation
20,000
150,000
**Total Unrestricted**
727,076
**Restricted**
a) Residential
-
b) Food discovery
18,522
c) Farm visits
-
d) Country Trust Hampshire
1,543
**Total restricted**
20,065
**Total funds**
747,141|**Incoming**
**resources**
**£**
500,816
-
-
-
-
500,816
76,554
139,532
275,625
-
491,711
992,527|**Resources**
**expended**
**£**
(432,340)
(820)
(20,200)
(13,326)
(34,346)
(466,686)
(73,355)
(63,681)
(363,228)
-
(500,264)
(966,950)|**Transfers**
**£**
40,762
(9,180)
(99,800)
(6,674)
(115,654)
(74,892)
(1,521)
(9,647)
87,603
(1,543)
74,892
-|**Balance at**
**31 December**
**2021**
**£**
686,314
-
-
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||-|
|||||686,314|
|||||1,678
84,726
-
-|
|||||86,404|
|||||772,718|
Page 90
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## _**Prior year:**_
|**_Unrestricted funds_**
General
**_Designated funds_**
i) Risk assessment
ii) Corporate fundraiser
iii) Strategic planning and
innovation
**Total unrestricted funds**
**Restricted**
a) Residential
b) Food discovery
c) Farm visits
d) Country Trust Hampshire
**Total restricted funds**
**Total funds**|**Balance at 1**
**January**
**2020**
**£**
596,519
10,000
120,000
-
130,000
726,519
-
11,013
-
-
11,013
737,532|**Incoming**
**resources**
**£**
378,644
-
-
-
-
378,644
15,186
56,830
107,387
3,739
183,142
561,786|**Resources**
**expended**
**£**
(330,417)
-
-
-
-
(330,417)
(16,063)
(49,321)
(154,180)
(2,196)
(221,760)
(552,177)|**Transfers**
**£**
(67,670)
-
-
20,000
20,000
(47,670)
877
-
46,793
-
47,670
-|**Balance at**
**31**
**December**
**2020**
**£**
577,076
10,000
120,000
20,000|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||150,000|
||||||727,076|
||||||-
18,522
-
1,543|
||||||20,065|
||||||747,141|
The specific purposes for which the funds are to be applied are as follows:
## Restricted funds:
a) Funds to subsidise the cost of Countryside Discovery Residential visits enabling disadvantaged primary age children to experience food, farming and the countryside.
b) For teaching disadvantaged primary school children to grow & cook fresh produce, explore local farms, run playground markets & a harvest feast, and to train teachers in relevant elements of Learning Outside the Classroom. c) Funds relating to the provision of Farm and Countryside Discovery educational day visits bringing the working countryside to life for primary school children from disadvantaged areas, and now the Farm in a Box programme bringing farm centred, hands on, experiential learning into schools, groups and homes.
d) Provides for Farm and Countryside Discovery educational visits for primary school children to working farms and estates specifically in Hampshire and the surrounding counties.
## Designated funds:
i) The Trustees designated £10,000 from unrestricted funds for completing a host farm risk assessment process. ii) £120,000 was designated to fund a corporate fundraising role for three years. iii) £20,000 has been designated by the trustees to fund strategic planning and innovation.
Page 91
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
During the year, amounts were transferred out of each restricted fund to account for core cost recovery. An additional amount was transferred into the Farm Visits restricted fund from unrestricted funds to eliminate the deficit. The Country Trust Hampshire activity is to be included under Farm Discovery going forward, so the balance has been transferred.
The remaining balances of the three designated funds were transferred to unrestricted as the trustees consider that these amounts no longer apply to the charity's current circumstances.
## **18 Analysis of net assets between funds**
_**Current year:**_
|**_Current year:_**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
Total net assets|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
4,938
603,207
(71,831)
536,314|**Designated**
**funds**
**£**
-
150,000
-
150,000|**Restricted**
**£**
-
288,400
(201,996)
86,404|**Total funds at**
**31/12/2021**
**£**
4,938
1,041,607
(273,827)|
|||||772,718|
## _**Prior year:**_
|**_Prior year:_**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
Total net assets|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
3,760
861,623
(288,307)
577,076|**Designated**
**funds**
**£**
-
150,000
-
150,000|**Restricted**
**£**
-
300,667
(280,602)
20,065|**Total funds at**
**31/12/2020**
**£**
3,760
1,312,290
(568,909)|
|||||747,141|
## **19 Related party transactions**
There were no related party transactions in the year.
Page 92
## **The Country Trust**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2021**
## **20 Prior year Statement of Financial Activities**
|**Note**
**Income and Endowments from:**
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Investment income
5
Total income
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
6
Total expenditure
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
17|**Unrestricted**
**£**
377,812
-
832
378,644
92,344
238,073
330,417
48,227
(47,670)
557
726,519
727,076|**Restricted**
**£**
168,760
14,382
-
183,142
-
221,760
221,760
(38,618)
47,670
9,052
11,013
20,065|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
546,572
14,382
832|
|---|---|---|---|
||||561,786|
||||92,344
459,833|
||||552,177|
||||9,609
-|
||||9,609
737,532|
||||747,141|
Page 93
**To support our work visit: www.countrytrust.org.uk Registered charity no. 1122103 Head office: Moulsham Mill, Parkway, Chelmsford, Essex. CM2 7PX President: The Duke of Westminster**
**Country Trust** AnnualImpact **Report 2021**