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2022-12-31-accounts

(c) Cathy Lewis

WWW.SEA-CHANGERS.ORG.UK INFO@SEA-CHANGERS.ORG.UK 0300 102 0151 T: @BEASEACHANGER IG: @BEASEACHANGER

Sea-Changers Annual Report 2022

15 Station Road, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester, LE9 2EL

Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

Contents

Foreword 3
Who we are 4
Our objectives 5
Governance & management 6
2022 - The year in review 8
Financial review 16
Receipts and payments 18
Statement of assets and liabilities 19

2

Foreword

Every year, as Founders we challenge ourselves to take a step back and consider what we have achieved, as we put together this Annual Report. 2022 was a year to consolidate and to grow. Our income was higher than it has ever been and we were delighted that we could keep pace with that growth and extend the reach of our grants considerably.

Our Main Grants Fund goes from strength to strength and we are receiving more applications than ever and seeing a wider range of organisations and projects coming forward. Our Small Grants Fund has also been much in demand, allowing those projects that need only a small injection of cash to apply at any time, in order to get up and running with their ideas.

It was the third year of running the Bunzl Coastal Fountain Fund, which continues to make a massive impact around our coasts in reducing plastic pollution, as well as providing beachgoers with the option to refill.

2021 was the inaugural year for both the Innovation Fund and the Marine Conservation Social Fund. The grants allocated in that year really came to fruition in 2022 and we are delighted with what has been achieved.

Having been unable to meet in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Board finally came together in November 2022, with the help of the Sladen Butterfly Fund. Our fantastic Board Away Weekend allowed us to rebuild our sense of team and to reset our priorities.

By the end of 2022 we were busily recruiting new trustees to join our Board and we start 2023 with three new fantastic Board members, bringing vast experience and fresh ideas so that we can keep moving forward.

Helen Webb and Rachel Lopata

Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

3

Who we are

Sea-Changers is a unique charity run by a team of passionate sea-lovers, marine experts and conservation specialists.

Sea-Changers seeks to harness the commitment and passion of those who enjoy the UK’s coasts and waters to improve our seas, shores and wildlife, supporting everyone from grass-roots, local organisations to national, household-name charities, from Orkney to Alderney and all around the UK.

We believe that the best people to care for the UK's coasts and seas are the people who live, work and play there.

In the past eleven years, more than £350,000 has been raised and distributed to 300+ projects, involving practical actions like beach cleaning, but also educational activities and scientific research. Our grants enable local people to care for, and raise awareness about, the coastal environments they love.

Grants programmes we run include:

Main Grants Fund - awards grants of between £500 and £2,500 twice a year through an open application process.

Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

4

Our objectives

Our charitable purpose is to promote, for the benefit of the public, the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural marine environment and promote marine biodiversity. We are meeting this purpose by:

Sea-Changers arranges partnerships with a range of marine-connected and other commercial and philanthropic organisations. We develop a range of models of partnership in negotiation with individual partners to raise funds.

This funding is then distributed, in line with set criteria, to reputable and appropriate marine conservation and protection organisations throughout the UK.

To achieve our purpose, Sea-Changers has four priority actions within our business plan and under which all activities of the organisation fall:

To build the long-term sustainability of the charity.

Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

5

Governance & management

Type of governing document Sea-Changers was formed through the signing of a Trust Deed (our governing document) on the 10 December 2010, amended by deeds dated 23 April 2013, 18 March 2014 and 29 September 2021

We are managed by a Board of Trustees. The day-to-day operation of the charity’s work is undertaken by a team of volunteers, including the charity’s two co-founders. Whilst the charity has no paid employees, we do buy-in some support for the grants administration process on an ad hoc basis, using the services of a freelance, self-employed administrator.

"We exist to make marine conservation happen around the UK. We believe we have a unique role to play in enabling grassroots and fledgling projects to thrive and to grow. Many such projects have gone on to greater things, some becoming bigger entities than SeaChangers - nothing makes us more proud than that!"

Sarah Brown, Chair of Sea-Changers

6

Our trustees in 2022

Name Role Date appointed Other
trusteeships
Sarah Brown Chair 3rd May 2013
Lesley Fitt Trustee 7th September
2015
Beth Siddons Trustee 20th November
2017
Tanya Ferry Trustee 20th November
2017
Sue Holden Trustee 20th November
2017		 The Geographical
Association

Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

7

2022 - The Year in Review

Activities, achievements & performance

If 2021 was a year of recovery, post COVID, for Sea-Changers; 2022 was a year of consolidating that recovery and going on to achieve strong growth. Our total annual income almost doubled, as compared to the previous year, and the number of grants we were therefore able to give out, followed suit.

Our relatively small grants continue to offer something unique in the UK marine conservation landscape.

We remain in a unique position with our overview of the wide range of organisations working to protect and enhance the UK's coasts and seas. We also help groups and communities to make links together and encourage joined-up thinking in conservation work and activities.

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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

Main & Small Grants Funds 2022

In 2022 our main grants programme, which runs twice a year in Spring and Autumn, allocated over £50,000 in grants funding to 26 UK marine conservation projects. The projects we have funded are diverse and often focus on local communities, engaging them in conservation solutions that will positively change their local marine environment. Meanwhile our small grants fund, which is open all year round for applications of £500 or less, also allocated £6,670 to 15 different projects.

The sheer diversity of what we fund can make it challenging to summarise our impact in a given year and the true impact of these projects will only be fully clear when we receive their final evaluations, many months after funding is first received. Nevertheless, we are delighted to share just a flavour of where Sea-Changers grants have been going in 2022.

We have covered a lot of ground, funding projects all over the UK. We have funded work the length and breadth of the country - from the furthest Northern tip of the UK - supporting research into thornback rays in the Shetland Islands – to remote ocean clean-up work as far South as Isles of Scilly. And from West to East – supporting work engaging children in marine conservation in St Davids, West Wales and protecting threatened sea birds in the Humber estuary as well as engaging businesses in plastics reduction around the Thanet coast in the East.

Some key themes of the 2022 grants were:

Regeneration of marine habitats, for example:

Supporting threatened seabirds, for example :

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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

Main & Small Grants Funds 2022

E ngaging children and young people with the marine environment, for example:

Citizen science projects, for example:

Researching and monitoring threats to UK marine life, for example:

Taking direct action to clean up marine and coastal habitats, for example:

10

Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

The Innovation Fund

Outcomes from the 2021 Innovation Fund

Dorset Wildlife Trust were the very first recipients of the Sea-Changers’ Innovation Fund. The Fund aims to encourage and support new ideas, solutions and projects for marine conservation in the UK. The grant made in 2021 was for £2,000 towards the Dorset 3Deep Project.

Surveying underwater is like working in a dense fog – you can only see any detail or colour if you are very close to the seabed, generally within a metre. Using specialised software, it is possible to stitch together hundreds of overlapping seabed photographs to create an otherwise impossible to see widescale “aerial” view. The aim of this project was to apply this technique to monitor changes in fragile reef species within the Studland to Portland Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in Dorset.

The founding sponsor for the fund was MRT - a worldleading manufacturer of Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and marine safety equipment. The outputs from this innovative research provide a unique way to illustrate seabed dynamics and the habitats within the Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). The resultant 3D models, which are available to view online, provide a novel way to engage with stakeholders and the wider public. The project's evaluation report has now also been published.

The 2022 Innovation Fund

The Sea-Changers Innovation Fund in 2022 was supported by Liga and the William Grant Foundation with a further donation from a family trust. Applications were received by the end of October and a wide variety of innovative ideas were evaluated by our grants panel.

The projects supported represent a range of ideas and the nature of the innovation is varied. Some grants went towards innovative science, some were innovative applications of technology and some were innovative people engagement.

The list of projects supported can be found here. Details of the outcomes of these eight projects will be available for our 2023 Annual Report.

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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

The Marine Conservation Social Fund - Projects

The aim of this exciting new fund was to support socially beneficial marine conservation approaches and solutions. The fund total was £23,000 and this was made possible by a single donation to Sea-Changers. The first grants from this new programme (launched in late 2021) were awarded in 2022 to the following projects:

The Ocean Well Being project - Clean Ocean Sailing

The Ocean Well Being project brings together marine conservation and positive social outreach, offering individuals from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to participate in ocean clean-up missions.

Reusable period education to our Schools - Group for Recycling in Argyll and Bute (GRAB Trust)

This project supports Teachers at all 77 Schools in Argyll & Bute by providing free resource packs and accessible online training that will enable pupils to make informed choices about their health and their environmental impact.

Ocean Pathways - Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT)

Ocean Pathways integrates a year-long programme for 16–18-year-olds from diverse communities. Ten people were recruited from culturally and socially diverse backgrounds from communities around Plymouth.

A school period box - developed by the GRAB Trust

Trash and Treasure - Penparcau Wildlife Group The Trash and Treasure project aims to recruit volunteers from the community to visit the local beach to learn about its wildlife, take part in surveys to monitor a range of species, and to work together to remove litter from the strandline.

Blue Youth: Kickstarting the connection with marine conservation – Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)

WDC Shorewatch is a long-standing citizen science project gathering regular, specific data on cetacean presence and absence in Scotland. A main barrier to volunteering for young and disadvantaged communities is lack of transport and/or funds to get to volunteer locations. WDC want to make Shorewatch opportunities more accessible to 18 to 25 year olds within the Highlands and Islands including the Hebrides, North Coast and Moray Firth. They will run free events and transport options to improve accessibility to these opportunities.

Dee Estuary Wellbeing with Nature Project – Cheshire Wildlife Trust

A new structured and supported coastal volunteering programme designed to connect communities to their coastal wildlife, improve participant health and wellbeing. Delivery of two 6-week structured and supported Wellbeing with Nature volunteering programmes covering both the English and Welsh shores of the Dee Estuary for a total of 24 participants. The Conservation and Volunteering Officer will receive specialist training and be supported by a Wellbeing with Nature practitioner to ensure these programmes meet the needs of the participants and provide an enjoyable experience, for what for many will be their first time engaging with the Dee Estuary.

Young people learn citizen science with WDC

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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

The Marine Conservation Social Fund - Impact

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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

The Bunzl Coastal Fountain Fund

Sea-Changers awarded nine organisations grants from the 2022 Bunzl Coastal Water Fountain Fund. Since launching in 2020, the Sea-Changers Coastal Fountain Fund has enabled organisations based around the UK to install fountains in busy and/or environmentally important coastal locations. In 2022, grants were awarded to a range of organisations from Wildlife trusts, to District, Borough and Community Councils and the National Trust.

The locations of fountains installed so far through the programme are shown here (click on the map to review it in more detail):

“We know that our customers, suppliers and the societies in which our businesses operate around the world all want to find ways to protect our environment and to make better use of natural resources. That’s why we’re delighted to have supported the fund in 2021 and are looking forward to seeing more water bottle refill stations installed around the UK coast.” James Pitcher, Head of Sustainability, Bunzl plc

The fund aims to tackle the increasing problem of plastic bottles, left behind along the coast as marine litter, which damage the marine environment and the species that call it home. It is anticipated that the provision of the water refill stations will significantly reduce the numbers of non-reusable plastic drinks bottles on our beaches. In fact, research suggests that providing more free drinking water in public spaces could lead to a 65% reduction in the use of plastic water bottles.

The fund is being sponsored by the specialist international distribution and services group, Bunzl plc, who are supporting this work as part of their response to the plastic challenge. The issue remains widespread on UK beaches despite the rising awareness around the impact of single-use plastic.

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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

Partnerships

Our bespoke funding partnerships are developed to deliver against partners' corporate social responsibility themes. We enable partners to track the projects funded so that they can create employee and customer pride in their support for UK marine life.

Core to our fundraising model are our partnerships with a range of diverse businesses. We are grateful to all the amazing businesses that supported our grant giving work throughout 2021. The 2022 grant money came from Sea-Changers’ marine business partners, including:

Other donors to our Main Grant Fund in 2022 were:

““We wanted to support a charity directly promoting the UK’s beautiful coastline. SeaChangers is focused on practical solutions and that was exactly what we were looking for.” Simon Rolfe, Director, 10 International

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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

Financial Review

INCOME

Total Funds

During 2022 we received income from three main sources: personal donations, unrestricted business donations and fundraising activities undertaken by our supporters. Total income in 2022 was: £158,702 (2021: £79,371).

Sea-Changers also continues to generate income through mechanisms such as Amazon Smile and Give as you Live.

Restricted Funds

Sea-Changers’ purpose is to raise money for marine conservation projects through working with marine businesses. During the year 2022 we raised £68,010 (2021: £40,639) in restricted funds specifically for this use. Over time we have been moving away from partnerships that actively restrict our expenditure, however, the vast majority of our unrestricted income also goes towards marine conservation projects.

Pro Bono work / key volunteers

Much of our work is done through the generous donation of time and services by key volunteers, some of whom are supported to do this by their employers. This has included: Our Scientific Advisor - Dr. Helen Scales

Sea-Changers would also like to thank Sea-Changers' Grants Officer Rosy Carter who is remunerated for some of her work but certainly goes above and beyond, volunteering extra hours to keep our grants programmes running.

With thanks to our main funders in 2022

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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

Financial Review

EXPENDITURE

Administrative Costs

Total expenditure for administration by Sea-Changers during the year 2022 amounted to £14,627 (2021: £12,727). This covered administrative costs (insurance, travel and administration costs and purchase of merchandise and marketing materials). A further £1,186 (2021: £690) went towards the costs of governance.

Grants for Marine Conservation Work

In 2022 Sea-Changers dispersed grants totaling £130,277 (2021: £36,073). Sea-Changers’ purpose is to raise money for marine conservation projects through working with commercial partners. Depending on the nature of the agreement in place with a commercial partner, some of the money raised through these routes goes into our restricted fund and must, ultimately, be passed on to marine conservation projects, through grants; rather than being used for charity administrations, support or campaigns.

Money raised through other fundraising: through partnerships where no restriction has been agreed about how the money should be used; and / or personal donations direct to the charity (not via a business relationship or text donation) goes into our unrestricted fund and may be used for any purpose, including for governance and general administrative purposes.

Trustee remuneration and expenses

No remuneration was paid by Sea-Changers to any Trustees during 2022 (2021: nil). No Trustees received payments for expenses during 2022 (2021: nil).

OTHER NOTES

Reserves

Sea-Changers maintains a reserve of at least £7,500 at all times. This is held purely to allow for fluctuations in receipts / payments and to cover for unforeseen situations and requirements – i.e. as a small contingency fund.

Deficit

There was no deficit during the year.

Risks

Throughout the year, the Trustees continued to manage risks by reviewing key aspects of SeaChangers’ work, determining their likely impact and associated level of risk. These included: The need for funding to cover core costs;

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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Sèachangèrs Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period tr(xn rK¥a'. To 01101122 31112r22 Section A Receipts and payments UNestrlcted funds Restricted lurKIs ErKlthwrnnt Totsl fU￿lS La5ty•ar th• rr•si tolh• nMr•5t£ tot￿n•￿T•￿t th• n•ar•5t £ tot￿n•￿r•S1 A1 Recel ts Income Irom chants￿e aClN•es Inte￿$1 irom Ill ai D¢Maions and motel1￿￿J$ •,749 •.749 ,046 1,019 49,306 •1.944 110 148,gSJ Sub ioral(Gross irKome f AR) 90.692 1J8,702 79,371 A? Asset a￿1 Investnwrrt salès, Sub ioial Tol￿ re￿pts 90.692 68.010 1M.702 79.371 Carnpaign Costs Support Costs (S)%ernant¢ Costs ants gi4 700 13.927 1.116 67.986 700 13.927 908 11,821 690 36.074 82291 130.277 Sub toial •2291 146,091 49A90 A4 Asset a￿1 Investnwrrt rchases see tsNe Sub lotal 83.800 62.291 49.490 Net or￿cel1x$￿paYn￿nts) A5 Transfers bet￿￿n funds 6 Cash l￿d$ lastyear Cash fun<ts Ihls year end 6.89 6.719 12.611 29.881 62.413 69,30 $66 10.285 66.979 79.590 37.097 66,978 18

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Sarah Brown Trustee and Chair

Date: 28th August 2023

19

Registered Charity England and Wales No. 1142119 Scotland No. SCO43922

Charity Name No (if any) SeaChangers Receipts and payments accounts For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/01/22 31/12/22

CC16a

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts
Income from Charitable activities
8,749
Interest fromgift aid
-
Donations and miscellaneous
81,944
-
-
-
-
-
90,692
-
-
Sub total -
Total receipts 90,692
A3 Payments
Campaign Costs
700
Support Costs
13,927
Governance Costs
1,186
Grantsgiven
67,986
-
-
-
-
-
Sub total 83,800
-
-
Sub total -
Total payments 83,800
Net of receipts/(payments) 6,892
A5 Transfers between funds
-
A6 Cash funds last year end
62,413
Cash funds this year end 69,305
Unrestricted
funds
to the nearest £
Sub total(Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)		 to the nearest £
-
-
68,010
-
-
-
-
-
68,010
-
-
-
68,010
-
-
-
62,291
-
-
-
-
-
62,291
-
-
-
62,291
5,719
-
4,566
10,285
Restricted
funds		 to the nearest £
Endowment
funds		 Total funds
to the nearest £
8,749
-
149,953
-
-
-
-
-
158,702
-
-
-
158,702
700
13,927
1,186
130,277
-
-
-
-
-
146,091
-
-
-
146,091
12,611
-
66,979
79,590		 Last year
to the nearest £
- 8,749 29,046
- - 1,019
- 149,953 49,306
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- 158,702 79,371
- -
- - -
- - -
- 158,702 79,371
- 700 905
- 13,927 11,821
- 1,186 690
- 130,277 36,074
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- 146,091 49,490
- -
- -
- - -
- 146,091 49,490
5,719 - 12,611 29,881
- - - -
4,566 - 66,979 37,097
10,285 - 79,590 66,978

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B5 Liabilities
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees		 Details
Cash and balances at start of year
Surplus this year
Details
Details
Details
Details
Signature
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))		 to nearest £
to nearest £
62,413
4,566
6,892
5,719
-
-
69,305
10,285
OK
OK
to nearest £
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Print Name
Sarah Brown
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Fund to which
asset belongs
Fund to which
asset belongs
Fund to which
liability relates
Amount due
(optional)		 to nearest £
Endowment
funds
-
-
-
-
OK
to nearest £
Endowment
funds
-
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
When due (optional)
Date of approval
Sarah Brown 28th August 2023

CHARITY COMMISSION Independent examiner's FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES report on the accounts

Independent Examiner's Report

Section A

Report to the trustees/ I 31[st ] December 2022 On accounts for the year ended members of Sea Changers

Charity no 1142119 (if any)

Set out on pages 16-17 and in form CC16a 1

charity ("the Trust") for the year ended 31I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above[st ] December 2022. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act basis of report 2011 ("the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

~~2~~ Signed: l ~~.�~~[z] ~~i~~ Q· ~~� �-~~ ~~-<:~~ [--] ~~[-]~~ Date: I 28[th ] August 2023 Name: Simon Reiter ~~I~~ (if any): Address: Sunnyside, Ford Lane Langley CV37 OHN

Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):

October 2018

IER

1

Section B Disclosure Only com￿ete rf the examiner needs lo hwhI￿ht matters of COn￿rn (see CC32, Independent examination of chartty accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). In carrying out my examination I noted that the split of funds between restricted and unrestrided reported in the prior year (and therefore the opening balances for the review year) was incorrect. This was as a result of not transferring unrestricted funds to cover a deficit in a restricted fund. This lapse had b8en substantially corrected in the dratt accourrts for the review year and following discussions with you. the Trustees, MIr￿r amendments were made and rellected in the fin81 accounts. In the di9￿$910n$ we had li was clear that funds had been applied as intended by donors and that this was an error in record keeping. Furthemiore you identified that you have implemented a n8w accounting system in part to improve fund management as the complexty of the CIO incrnases. Glve h•re brief dètails of any Items that the examiner wishes to discloso. IER October 2018