## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
## From **05 September 2020** To **04 September 2021**
Charity name: **The Earth Community Trust**
Charity registration number: 1143660
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**1. TO PROMOTE THE CONSERVATION,**
**PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF**
**THE PHYSICAL AND NATURAL**
**ENVIRONMENT WITH PARTICULAR**
**REFERENCE TO PERMACULTURE AND**
**BIODYNAMICS PRINCIPLES, AND WITH**
**A VIEW TO HELPING PEOPLE CONNECT**
**WITH NATURE.**
**2. TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF**
**THE PUBLIC IN THE THEORY AND**
**PRACTICE OF HOLISTIC LIVING**
**HOLISTIC LIVING MEANS "A WAY OF**
**LIVING THAT RECOGNISES HUMAN**
**BEINGS AS BEING PART OF A GREATER**
**WHOLE"**|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**Earth Protector Communities is an**
**initiative that aims to bring the concept of**
**Earth Protectors into local communities**
**and encourages co-operation between**
**councils, businesses, schools and**
**members of the public.**|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**The charity trustees have had regard to**
**the Charity Commission’s guidance on**
**public benefit.**|
## **Achievements and Performance**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,|Para 1.20|**The work of Earth Protector Communities**
**(EPCs) in the period of the report**
**encompassed three distinct and**
**interrelated areas. Neighbourhood, Town,**
**National and wider.**|
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|identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.||**Neighbourhood**
**EPCs was the central driver in the**
**creation of the Trinity Rooms**
**Community Hub (TRCH), through which**
**many partnerships have been developed**
**and projects embarked upon. This**
**partnership of local organisations (see**
**https://stroudtrinityrooms.org/) is**
**working on projects to benefit the local**
**community, such as:**
**Local Food story: Cultivating a local**
**network of Stroud town community hubs**
**and**
**with the partnership of the Stroud**
**farmers market making fresh local**
**produce**
**available to those who can’t afford it. The**
**project has been very successful and**
**presents a model of good practice for**
**neighbouring and other towns.**
**The Base: Creating a Base for local**
**environmental organisations facilitating**
**information exchange and developing**
**new partnerships and ways of working**
**together.**
**Other Community Activities: Providing a**
**space for connection, training, dance,**
**celebration, grieving and other**
**community activities. Developing an**
**appropriate organisational structure to**
**successfully run the TRCH.**
**A lot of work has gone into creating an**
**independent vehicle that will ensure the**
**hub is always used to serve the**
**community as well as to raise funds for**
**the renovation of the building so that it**
**can house more activities such as**
**cooking and food preparation**
**workshops, health and wellbeing related**
**services and more.**
**Town**
**Continuing the work initiated in 2019 as**
**part of the Earth Protector Town pilot**
**programme in Stroud, EPCs has been**
**working in partnership with Stroud Town**
**Council, Transition Stroud, Stroud**
**Valleys Project, Stroud Nature and**
**Landwise organisations to develop a core**
**networking group - Stroud Town**
**Community Action Network for Climate**
**and Nature (STCAN).**
**Within this context we have been working**
**to develop STCAN into a centre for**
**promotion of local partnerships and**
**projects and community engagement. So**
**far this has led to the creation of issue**
**specific task groups, inviting other**
**organisations to cooperate on new and**|
|---|---|---|
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**existing projects to address the following areas: Nature & conservation: Protection of local ecosystems, education/awareness raising, Biodiversity Materials & waste: Repair, reuse, recycling, cyclical economy, waste swapping Energy & Transport: Solar panel schemes, training, cycle and other local distribution, car shares Local food: Grow your own support, seed bank, tool share, integrating local producers Communications: Public engagement and information sharing The project is ongoing and STCAN is evolving to find its place in the local scene of things. National/Wider EPCs has developed a theoretical model of an Earth Protector Town, stressing the need for a change in the legal environment to stop ongoing ecocide as well as the need for working together for regenerative community development. We are now working on a simplified EPT framework which can then be rolled out to other towns. Our experience with the pilot programme in Stroud, together with feedback from other towns that have made an EPT declaration and their experience is continually informing our work in this area.**
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## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**Our income was £53,052 and this was**
**made up almost entirely of donations and**
**GiftAid. The largest amount received**
**from any one individual was £20,000.00.**
**Most of our expenditure consisted of**
**paying freelancers for services such as**
**outreach, design and fundraising and**
**made up £28,170 of a total £55,869.**|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**We aim to hold a reserve of three times**
**our average monthly expenditure.**|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**£13,056**|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22||
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24||
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23||
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## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**Trust Deed**|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**Trust**|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**Trustees are appointed by current**
**trustees for a period of 3 years**|
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|The Earth Community Trust|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses||
|Registered charity number|1143660|
|Charity’s principal address|Trinity Rooms, Field Road, Stroud,GL5 2HZ|
|||
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## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||ManleyHopkinson||||
||Patricia Dickinson||||
||Karen Stokes|chair|||
||Ian Lawrie QC||||
||Ella-Jo Mehta||||
||Andrew Middleton||||
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## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
## **Director name**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year**
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## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
|Description of the assets
held in this capacity|We held £1290 as agent for other organisations, namely
£523 on behalf of Amazon Alliance, £60 for Stop Ecocide
and £707 on behalf of Wider Horizons.|
|---|---|
|Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects|All are involved with empowering individuals to take actions
in creating a better future for our planet and natural
environment.|
|Details of arrangements for
safe custody and
segregation of such assets
from the charity’s own assets|The funds are accounted for as separate restricted funds
and money due is paid out monthly or on request, avoiding
the build up of any large amounts that could be at risk.|
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
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Signature(s)
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**Full name(s)** Ella-Jo Mehta
**Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 31/12/2021
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## **Report to the trustees of The Earth Community Trust**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 4 September 2021 as set out in the following sections A and B.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act,
- to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act, and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner’s statement**
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:
- to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; and
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
have not been met; or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Patrick Morrello ACA Date: 15 / 08 / 2022 Third Sector Accountancy Limited Holyoake House Hanover Street Manchester M60 0AS
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Charity Name No (if any)
The Earth Community Trust 1143660
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 05/09/20 04/09/21
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Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations 22,331 20,052 - 42,383 66,549
Gift Aid 7,607 394 - 8,001 -
other 848 1,820 - 2,668 438
Sub total (Gross income for 30,786 22,266 - 53,052 66,987
AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
Jojo Mehta loan 4,000 - - 4,000 -
- - - - -
Sub total 4,000 - - 4,000 -
Total receipts 34,786 22,266 - 57,052 66,987
A3 Payments
Advertising 451 - 451 112
Bank charges 92 76 - 168 279
Freelancers 24,103 4,068 - 28,171 30,097
Insurance 279 - 279 259
Office Expenses 71 1,235 - 1,306 96
Partner Funding 15,864 15,864 22,186
Professional services 1,138 - 1,138 1,026
Phone 140 130 - 270 878
Purchases 696 696 754
Rent 6,131 400 6,531 1,155
Travel 125 - 125 125
Utilities - - 258
Website & Software 870 870 2,105
Sub total 33,400 22,469 - 55,869 59,330
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
overpayment (returned 18/09/21) 554 - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - 554 - 554 -
Total payments 33,400 23,023 - 56,423 59,330
Net of receipts/(payments) 1,386 - 757 - 629 7,657
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 11,671 4,907 - 16,578 8,921
Cash funds this year end 13,057 4,150 - 17,207 16,578
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
07/07/2022
1
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|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at**|**the end of the period**|**the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B1 Cash funds**|**Details**
overpayment (returned 18/09/21)
Bank account
CAF
Paypal
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**12,461**
**71**
**525**
**13,057**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**554**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**4,150**
**-**
**-**
**4,150**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|||||**-**|
||||||
|||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**|
There were no other assets or liabilities at the year end.
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
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Date of
Signature Print Name
approval
Ella-Jo Mehta 31/12/21
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CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
07/07/2022
2
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