## **Charity Registration Number: 1144788 Company Registration Number: 3907328 (England and Wales)**
## COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
TRUSTEES and DIRECTORS’ ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
## Reference and Administrative information
Charity name: Community Environmental Trust Charity registration number: 1144788 Company registration number: 3907328 Registered Office and 1 Whittle Croft operational address: Castle Vale Birmingham B35 6DN Charity contact details: Tel: 0121 747 3579 E-mail: info@environmentaltrust.org.uk Website:www.enviromentaltrust.org.uk Bankers: Lloyds Bank PLC 207 High St Erdington Birmingham B23 6SZ
## **Board of Trustees**
John Biddle – Chair (Director) Ifor Jones – Trustee Karen Frost – Trustee
Lynne Witkamp – Vice-Chair (Director) Alison Wilkes – Trustee Mary McManus -Trustee
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The Community Environmental Trust (CET) is the leading environmental charity within Castle Vale, working successfully for over 23 years empowering communities to protect and enhance their environment, its wildlife and habitat by delivering outdoor educational activities and providing volunteering opportunities. Through this the organisation continues to bring relevant matters to the attention of the public, media, politicians and Government agencies alike.
## Overview 2022-2023
2022-2023 had a very good start but ended with devastating news for the Trust, a member of staff going on long-term sickness due to a previously undetected health issue and the passing of a vibrant and valued member of staff on December 22. CET’s Project Officer and DofE Manager was a great role model and an inspiration to many young people he came across with. His work ethic, passion for the environment and determination to make a difference in young people’s lives was an example to us all. He is greatly missed.
From an operational point of view, CET managed to get all the projects going and offer continuity to volunteering programmes, adult interventions and school sessions. However, staff absences and recruitment left the Trust understaffed putting the organisation under pressure and in a strained situation. In addition, the dreadful loss left the team distressed and in a huge shock. Thank you to CET’s reliable, stable and healthy cashflow, there were no significant effects on the finances or general running of the Trust.
Employing new members of staff was very challenging. Jobs were advertised for several months on various platforms, social media and via partners but no applicants came forward. Eventually, three freelance were hired between January and March to cover the delivery of forest school sessions. In addition, a long-term volunteer with 9 years of experience doing early interventions in schools was employed to also cover additional sessions in schools.
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Until new members of staff were in place, all projects were run by the CE&CO and the Project Manager to minimise disruption and continue supporting service users during that period. In addition, the Project Manager had to continue with her MBA studies.
Similarly, to the previous year, two volunteers from Spain started an internship programme in January. The new additions provided invaluable support to the organisation in terms of project delivery and assistance with the office and finances. The new interns allowed the organisation to operate more efficiently and to share the workload.
## Aims and Objectives
## MAIN AREAS OF SERVICE PROVISION
1. Maintenance and creation of wildlife habitat in local urban green spaces.
2. Raising environmental awareness by providing activities and advice on environmental issues.
3. Providing opportunities for volunteering and training.
These services were designed to fit into the following categories:
_**Environmental Education**_ **:** Includes schools, local communities and other professionals (CET has been particularly strong in delivering environmental education by establishing and maintaining positive links with local schools).
_**Neighbourhood Management**_ **:** Improving the quality of life for residents by encouraging and supporting sustainable regeneration and development plans.
_**Community Development**_ : Participation of residents in the care of their environment, enabling them to gain new skills and experiences.
## **Objectives**
- The conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment for the public’s benefit.
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- To further benefit the residents of Birmingham without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, or political and other opinions. To advance the education in relation to the above and to provide facilities in the interest of social welfare, for recreation and leisure time occupation, with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.
- The advancement of using the environment as an educational tool, including but not exclusively for local children from local schools and young adults aged 18 – 25.
- The promotion of good health by providing or assisting in the provision of organised outdoor activities.
- Where it is for the protection of the environment, to provide or carry out maintenance or improvement of: Community Garden and any other public amenity
## Structure, Governance and Management
## **Governing Document**
The charity is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 14[th ] January 2000 and registered as a charity on 24[th ] November 2011.
It is governed by Articles of Association, having been amended following approval by the members at the AGM on 7[th ] November 2011. In the event of the company being wound up the members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.
## **Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees**
_The management of the Trust is vested in the Trustees who are elected by the membership and act in a voluntary capacity. In compliance with the Articles of Association at the next Annual General Meeting, which must be held no more than 15 months after the previous one, officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer) will be stepping down by rotation. All will be eligible to offer themselves for re-election._
_All Trustees are required to sign a Registration of Trustees and a Trustees' Code of Conduct. Business and conservation skills are well represented among the Trustees. To maintain this broad skills mix, the CET Board of Trustees undertakes an annual review of its effectiveness._
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_If skill gaps are identified, new Trustees are sought by open advertisement, or individuals are approached to offer themselves for election._
_Board meetings are held every 6-8 weeks to keep the Trustees fully informed of the progress of the projects and to ensure that staff are provided with support and strategic direction._
Due to the difficult circumstances, no AGM was held last year. John Biddle and Lynne Witkamp continued to be CET’s Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively. All our board members also continued in their roles as Trustees. CET’s Chair has however announced that he will only stand one more year as a chair.
There were 6 Trustees in post by 31[st ] March 2022. Three Trustees resigned last year, two of our long-standing trustees stepped down due to lack of time to commit to their roles and responsibilities; our youngest and newest recruitment left on the 17[th ] of October due to a change of job and moving to London. On the positive side, we recruited two new Trustees Mary MacManus and Alison Wilkes, they are bringing to the board expertise, knowledge and experience in school governance and management, and conservation and protection of the environment, respectively.
It is our aim to continue enriching and widening our Board’s cross-functional skill base. CET will also continue looking for a Treasurer who can support and assist the Project Manager with the financial aspects of the charity on a more regular basis. CET Board is also looking for a Trustee with a Human Resources background who could join the team and oversee organisational functions and provide support and advice managing employees.
## **Risk Management**
The Trustees actively review the major risks that the Charity faces when preparing and updating the strategic plan, however, detailed considerations of risk are delegated to the Project Manager. Risks are identified and assessed, and controls are established throughout the year, but a formal review of the charity’s risk management processes is undertaken on an annual basis.
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Risk is managed under the headings of financial sustainability, operations, governance and compliance with law and regulation. The charity has developed systems to monitor and control these risks to mitigate any impact they may present in future.
The investment policy is to hold most of its investments in a low-risk interest savings account. The reserves policy is to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds which equates to at least three months of unrestricted payments to cover emergencies that may arise from time to time.
Chair, Vice-Chair and Project Manager exercise careful control of costs by setting an annual budget and periodically reviewing progress against it.
## **Management Structure**
The Project Manager’s role is to ensure the long-term continuance and expansion of the services provided by the Trust and the successful delivery of environmental projects. The Project Manager oversees the overall management of the Trust, undertaking a wide range of jobs. These include raising funds, maintaining budgets, attending regular project meetings with the Neighbourhood Manager, increasing awareness of and improving the local environment through a range of activities and media, undertaking administrative work, overseeing the organisation’s strategic links and development. Since 2016, the Project Manager has also been responsible for CET’s payroll and invoice operations, bookkeeping, records of financial transactions, producing financial forecasts and creating budget reports every 6-8 weeks. The Project Manager also generates income by providing consultancy support to other organisation and delivering environmental, educational and conservation projects. The Project Manager receives support from the Project Coordinator, the Project Officer and the Community Engagement and Conservation Officer.
The Project Coordinator’s role is to deliver a wide range of environmental, educational and conservation projects in the local area by increasing awareness, understanding and support from residents, community groups, associations and local schools. The Project Coordinator also promotes environmental awareness and education across the local community, as well as creating and developing environmental initiatives. The Project Coordinator manages two main projects: Forest School Scheme and Youth Provision. She also attends meetings,
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writes bids and seeks funding for environmental activities with the youth group as well as coordinating and arranging work experience placements.
The Project Officer’s role is to deliver Forest Schools sessions, youth activities and manage the Duke of Edinburg (DofE) Project. The Project Officer works very closely with the Project Coordinator in the planning and delivery of youth activities. His role as DofE manager involves day-to-day operational activities of the DofE programme and being responsible for the delivery of the annual plan. Tasks include the delivery of volunteering sessions, recruiting and managing participants, monitoring progress of participants’ online logbooks, assessing participants’ reports and leading an expedition.
The Community Engagement and Conservation Officer (CE&CO) is a 3-year fixed-term position created thanks to HS2’s Community and Environment Fund (October 2020October 2023). Primarily, the CE&CO’s role is to engage with residents and stakeholders, to deliver conservation activities, workshops and events that will help attract new users to the area. During the summer months, their activities are moved to the community garden where the focus is on food growing. The role also involves planning and managing the Conservation Area sustainably and enhancing existing features that will help change the designation of the land to a Local Nature Reserve.
All members of staff are employed on a permanent and full-time basis, except the CE&CO who is on a 2-year fixed term. The Chair’s key role is to guide and support the organisation, assist with overall strategy and strategic direction and act as the line manager for the CET Project Manager. The Chair and the Project Manager are in contact weekly to ensure that the Project Manager receives the support needed.
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PROJECTS - Activities for Public Benefit
## _**EDUCATION (Services delivered to schools)**_
## **FOREST SCHOOLS**
_Forest Schools (FS) is an innovative educational approach of playing and learning that uses the environment as a tool to develop children’s personal, social and emotional skills. This includes engaging with children with additional support needs, particularly learners who demonstrate antisocial behaviour and/or other learning or socialising difficulties (ASD, ADHD)._
_Children, under the supervision of a qualified FS Practitioner, visit local woodland or stay on school grounds on a regular basis (2 hours a week) over an extended period (minimum of 6 weeks to a maximum of 32)._
_Through small achievable tasks in a stimulating environment, children are encouraged to be independent and enabled to build self-esteem and develop social and behaviour management skills._
_Forest School offers freedom to explore independently, which is vital if children are to learn to take responsibility for themselves and others. It also allows time to revisit past areas and experiences, to reflect upon and consolidate their learning. Forest school sessions are mainly child led, but activities are tailored to individual learning styles and linked to the school’s curriculum._
_The benefits of Forest Schools are the natural environment provides a wealth of opportunity and resources to expand children’s/young people’s learning, whilst building a sense of independence, high self-esteem and teamwork skills. It provides a stimulating experience where children can self-explore and use multiple senses, helping to develop children’s physical capabilities as well as learning acceptable boundaries of behaviour._
_All practitioners (and volunteers participating in the project) have current, enhanced DBS certificates. Practitioners also hold outdoor First Aid._
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Between April and July, CET delivered 12 sessions per week in 5 different educational institutions. In addition, 2 sessions per week were requested in June by Bramford Primary, a school based in Dudley whose head of school is the same as Chivenor. Even though it was a bit of the distance from Castle Vale, we agreed to offer a 6-week pilot in June/July before we committed to the full delivery of the programme in September 2022. Overall, CET engaged with a total of 360 children over that period.
||**Monday**|**Tuesday**|**Wednesday**|**Thursday**|**Friday**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**am**|Castle Vale|Castle Vale|Castle Vale|Castle Vale Nursery|Castle Vale|
||Nursery|Nursery|Nursery||Nursery|
|||Bramford|High Meadow|||
||||Community|||
||||School|||
|**pm**|High Meadow|Oasis|High Meadow|Oasis Academy|Birches|
||Community|Academy|Community|Short Heath|Green Junior|
||School|Short Heath|School|||
|||||Chivenor Primary||
|||Bramford||||
|**Forest Schools**|||
|---|---|---|
|**April 22 – July 22**|**Frequency**|**Beneficiaries**|
||||
|**High Meadow**|3|150|
||||
|**Chivenor**|1|20|
||||
|**Oasis Academy Short Heath**|2|60|
||||
|**Castle Vale Nursery**|5|70|
||||
|**Birches Green Junior**|1|30|
||||
|**Bramford Primary**|2|30|
||||
|**Total**|**14**|**360**|
||||
In addition, we continued with the after-school sessions in Castle Bromwich Junior and Greenwood delivering a total of 2 sessions per week. 40 children benefitted from this outdoor education sessions.
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|**After school sessions April 22- July 22**|**After school sessions April 22- July 22**|**After school sessions April 22- July 22**|
|---|---|---|
||||
||Frequency|Beneficiaries|
||||
|**Greenwood Academy**|1|10|
||||
|**Castle Bromwich Junior**|1|30|
||||
|**TOTAL**|**2**|**40**|
||||
The new academic year started in September 2022. It was with great sadness that we had to say goodbye to Birches Green Junior as they decided not to renew the contract and get a different company to deliver an outdoor education programme instead. As reported by the school, the cancellation of the programme was not a reflection of the service and support that CET has given them over the years but to changes in management and school outcomes. Birches Green Junior has been benefiting from the delivery of Forest School sessions since 2010; the Forest School programme was embedded in their school curriculum and the former Head Teacher was an exceptional advocate of the programme.
On the other hand, Chivenor Primary increased the number of sessions to 2 per week and we signed up a new contract with Bramford Primary. In addition, after-school sessions at Greenwood Academy and Castle Bromwich Junior continued.
Between September 2022 and March 2023, CET delivered 16 sessions per week in 7 different educational institutions, working with 702 children over that period.
||**Monday**|**Tuesday**|**Wednesday**|**Thursday**|**Friday**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**am**|Castle Vale|Castle Vale|Castle Vale Nursery|Castle Vale|Castle Vale|
||Nursery|Nursery||Nursery|Nursery|
||||High Meadow|||
||Bramford||Community School|||
|**pm**|High Meadow|Oasis|High Meadow|Oasis Academy||
||Community|Academy|Community School|Short Heath||
||School|Short Heath||||
||||Chivenor Primary||Chivenor|
||Bramford||||Primary|
|**After**||Castle|Greenwood|||
|**school**||Bromwich|Academy|||
|||Junior||||
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|**Forest Schools and after-school sessions**|**Forest Schools and after-school sessions**|**Forest Schools and after-school sessions**|
|---|---|---|
||||
|**September 22 – March 23**|**Frequency**|**Beneficiaries**|
||||
|**High Meadow**|3|360|
||||
|**Chivenor**|2|72|
||||
|**Oasis Academy Short Heath**|2|60|
||||
|**Castle Vale Nursery**|5|60|
||||
|**Bramford Primary**|2|120|
||||
|**Greenwood Academy**|1|15|
||||
|**Castle Bromwich Junior**|1|15|
||||
|**Total**|**16**|**702**|
||||
## _**TRAINING AND VOLUNTEERING**_
## **COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION**
_The Community Engagement and Conservation programme aims to engage with members of the community, residents and other organisations to transform their local area through conservation sessions. The focus is on the Castle Vale Conservation Area, the largest area of informal public open space in Castle Vale. Tasks would help to restore heritage and improve the quality, access and security of Castle Vale Conservation Area and other urban open spaces, whilst also reconnecting local people with their landscape. In addition, the improvements will make a significant contribution to the local environment by promoting and increasing biodiversity._
_Additionally, the project also aims to improve people’s mental and physical well-being (Social Prescribing), increase and promote diversity (outdoor events and workshops) and inspire future generations (formal/informal training)_
The Community Engagement and Conservation Officer Work has organised and delivered a wide range of activities, workshops, events and volunteering opportunities to actively engage with our local community and surrounding areas. The work included the following:
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- Bi-weekly volunteer sessions at the Community Garden between April and September totalling 45 sessions and amassing 304 volunteer hours over 6 months. 6-10 volunteers regularly attended sessions. A range of practical and educational tasks took place over the Spring and Summer months, helping to improve attendees’ knowledge, skills, and confidence. The focus of the volunteer sessions was centred around growing and self-sufficiency. A variety of fruits and vegetables were grown in an organic fashion, with the volunteers getting to harvest and consume clean and healthy food. Through this, volunteers were encouraged to try fruit and vegetables that they had never tried before and shown how to grow them in their own spaces too. In addition, volunteers also helped to propagate and plant native woodland wildflowers such as wood sorrel and wood speedwell in woodland sections within the Conservation Area.
- Bi-weekly volunteer sessions at the Castle Vale Conservation Area between October and March totalling 39 sessions and building up 223 volunteer hours over 6 months. The autumn and winter volunteer sessions aimed to make habitat improvements for both, nature and for people. A total of 134 native trees were planted. These have created an area of approximately 30 metres of hedge containing 104 trees in the conservation area and a copse with 30 trees so far in the adjoining landscape. In addition, sections of woodland were improved by removing dead trees/branches, crown lifting sections to let light in and creating dead hedges to provide safe corridor for wildlife. In Addition, path widening and maintenance was also carried out throughout the 6 months to make the area more accessible and improve safety.
- Delivery of weekly Wednesday well-being sessions:
- The CE&CO facilitated the delivery of 30 Tai Chi sessions at the allotments. Overall, the project benefited 8 separate individuals. Attendance was not as successful as we had anticipated, therefore sessions stopped in December. Nevertheless, those who came together in this safe and secure environment to take part in gentle exercise confirmed that the sessions helped them improve their health and wellbeing.
- A total of 49 Health and Wellbeing walks were delivered around the conservation area. Between 7-10 people have been attending the walks
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regularly. This has been an invaluable weekly activity that has helped to improve both the mental, physical and social wellbeing of the participants. Walks were enhanced by doing nature spotting and identifying species.
- 7 Corporate Responsibility Sessions were facilitated for various businesses. Their participation in our conservation and gardening projects has not only been a great contribution towards the improvement of our local environment, but also an important legacy for future generations. Their time and support have also helped us increase the impact of the charity and provide sustainable long-term support .
## **INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME – GLOBAL TRAINING**
_The CET internship programme is the result of an agreement between the charity and Global Training, a Spanish company funded by the Basque Government. The purpose of the programme is to provide a work placement of approximately 6 months for Spanish graduates. The programme is aimed at cross-border cooperation between Spain and the UK to provide an excellent chance of work experience abroad. Successful candidates are granted a scholarship for the duration of the placement._
In 2021, CET became a licensed sponsor under the charity immigration route. Last year we ran our second and successful internship programme. The work experience volunteering programme started in January22 and lasted until July 22. Between March and July, candidates provided invaluable support which also enriched their personal and professional experience.
The Project Assistant Intern supported the delivery of projects, activities and events. She has also led volunteers in gardening sessions, nature walks for adults and liaised with the tai-chi instructor. During the February half-term holidays, she organised and led workshops for young people. When not in projects, she supported the CE&CO with administrative tasks including designing event posters, CET leaflets, preparing an event calendar, designing activity programmes and attending meetings.
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The Admin and Finance Intern supported the Project Manager with financial and administrative tasks as well as carrying out a wide range of activities in the office. Some of the tasks included: updating cashbooks, helping to prepare financial updates and cashflow charts, dealing with telephone inquiries, sending and responding to emails, liaising with contractors visiting the premises and filing amongst others.
In November 22, 4 new candidates applied for the internship programme, including 3 for the Admin and Finance position. After an interviewing process, 2 people were shortlisted and they started the programme from January 23 until July 23. Alike to the previous year, the work provided by the interns has been very beneficial for the organisation and has provided invaluable work experience to the candidates hosted by the Trust.
_**COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (Projects and Activities provided to a wider audience)**_
## **VALE YOUTH GREEN ACTION (VYGA)**
_VYGA is an environmental youth provision for children/young people aged 8-14 which runs during the school holidays, including school half-terms and summer play schemes. Programmes are made up of projects, workshops, environmental/outdoor and educational activities and trips._
_VYGA encourages the older members (over-14’s) to get involved in assisting and leading the younger members in activities by incorporating their ideas when designing and producing the holiday play-scheme programmes and funding-bid applications. They are part of VYGA’s Young Leaders Scheme. The project also has a group of experienced regular volunteers who support the delivery of activities. All volunteers hold current enhanced DBS certificates._
_This project encourages the utilisation of local green spaces and resources in a sustainable way to provide opportunities for play, gaining environmental and practical knowledge/skills and it encourages an active and healthy lifestyle._
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Between April 2022 and March 2023, CET delivered 5-holiday schemes including one over the summer.
7 activities were offered in the Easter Holiday Programme, including a family event organised on Friday 8[th ] of April to support the Great British Spring Clean promoted by Keep Britain Tidy. The programme was codesigned with some of CET’s young leaders and the activities were well attended. 3 activities were organised and delivered during the May half-term, including gardening activities at the Community Garden, a trip to Sutton Park to learn about survival and bushcraft skills and a crafty session using natural materials.
|**VYGA**
**Number of**
**beneficiaries**|**VYGA**
**Number of**
**beneficiaries**|**Charge**|
|---|---|---|
||||
|**Easter Holidays 2022**|||
||||
|**Great British Spring Clean**|**N/A**|**FREE**|
||||
|**Recycling**|**7**|**£3**|
||||
|**Trip to Middleton Lakes**|**15**|**£5**|
||||
|**Easter Pinata**|**12**|**£3**|
||||
|**Minibeast hunt at Plantsbrook**|**14**|**£3**|
||||
|**Gardening**|**11**|**£3**|
||||
|**Trip: Farm**|**15**|**£10**|
||||
|**May Half-Term 2022**|||
||||
|**Gardening and Games**|**7**|**£3**|
||||
|**Survival skills at Sutton Park**|**8**|**£3**|
||||
|**Natural crafts**|**9**|**£3**|
||||
In the summer 2022, CET ran a full 3-week summer holiday scheme providing a total of 14 activities including trips, workshops and gardening sessions, engaging overall with a total of 182 children.
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|VYGA|**Number of beneficiaries**|**Charge**|
|---|---|---|
||||
|**Conservation**|**8**|**£3**|
||||
|**Walsall Arboretum**|**9**|**£5**|
||||
|**Bee homes**|**12**|**£3**|
||||
|**Arts & Crafts**|**11**|**£3**|
||||
|**Castle Vale Festival**|**14**|**£3**|
||||
|**Mini Bioblitz**|**13**|**£3**|
||||
|**Trip to Conkers**|**15**|**£10**|
||||
|**Woodwork**|**14**|**£3**|
||||
|**Archery**|**14**|**£3**|
||||
|**Trip to Dovedale**|**15**|**£10**|
||||
|**Woodlands Adventure**|**15**|**£15**|
||||
|**Outdoor cooking**|**13**|**£3**|
||||
|**Trip to Bradgate Deer Park**|**15**|**£5**|
||||
|**Picnic and Games**|**14**|**£3**|
||||
As mentioned at the beginning of the report, CET became understaffed in October. The CE&CO stepped in and took over the youth programme and organised a couple of activities for the young people in October and February half-term. Sadly, our 7 young leaders dropped out of the group to focus on their studies, work and DofE Gold award. Recruitment of new members didn’t start again until Summer 2023.
|**Half-Term October 2022**|**Half-Term October 2022**||
|---|---|---|
||||
|**Woodland management and Halloween Crafts**|**4**|**£3**|
||||
|**Litter Picking and seed planting**|**4**|**£3**|
||||
|**Christmas 2022**|||
||||
|**Christmas workshop**|**Family event**||
||||
|**February Half-Term 2023**|||
||||
|**Birdsongs and crafts**|**11**|**£3**|
||||
|**Scavenger Hunt and wildflower planting**|**7**|**£3**|
||||
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## **DUKE OF EDINBURGH (DofE)**
_Duke of Edinburgh is a youth award programme aimed at young people aged 14-25. As part of the programme, they must complete different sections that involve helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition. The award is about setting personal challenges and pushing personal boundaries._
Weekly volunteer sessions at the Community Garden started in February and continued until June with an average attendance of 5 young people. In April a new member from CET’s youth Group was signed up for the Bronze Award. In Addition, one of the existing members showed interest in doing more work with CET, leading to the submission of their name to become CET’s DofE Young Leader. They undertook the introduction training and will have future training on two aspects of the job role of DofE Leader. This will slowly train them up to adulthood so they can be a future DofE Leader and help run sessions and expeditions with CET. The DofE manager worked with the new Young Leader to recruit on social media that will appeal to the younger audience.
On the 17[th ] of June, CET was invited to be part of the Platinum Jubilee Walkway unveiling in Birmingham as part of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award party. The event was held at The Exchange Centenary Square. Our DofE manager had the opportunity to speak with HRH Prince Edward about our young people's hard work and achievements doing the DofE award. He also helped carry the plaque through the city centre to its permanent place in Victoria Square.
As part of the DofE programme, CET organised two expeditions in August. A bronze for our newer members and a silver expedition for the participants who did their bronze last year. Prior to the expedition participants had one day of camp craft training at the allotments, one day of navigation training in the office and around Shustoke Reservoir, and one day of expedition practice from the office to Kingsbury Water Park.
Bronze expedition was two days and one overnight camp setting off from our office on foot heading towards Kingsbury waterpark and further. 6 participants took part, 4 participants already had the bronze award but were using the experience as practice for their Silver and 2 young people were working towards their bronze award. The route was completed but
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due to an incident participants could not stay overnight. This didn’t allow them to fully complete their bronze award.
The silver route was much more taxing and took place in the Shropshire hills and the Long Mynd. This was three full days and two nights camping. 4 successful participants completed their Qualifying expedition and 1 completed their Practice expedition.
This was the first time that expeditions were run and organised solely by CET’s DofE’s Manager as last year’s funding allowed us to get support from Chase Training whilst he was finishing the training and qualifications required to lead groups in expeditions. The silver expedition was supported by another CET member of staff. After the expedition, the DofE manager signed off all their final sections of evidence and sent them to be verified. Out of 5 young people, 4 completed their entire Silver award and they were moved up to the Gold level.
## **COMMUNITY GARDEN**
_The Community Garden is situated in the Castle Vale Allotments. The aim of this project is to increase local community’s accessibility to gardening activities in a safe and friendly environment._
_It allows community groups to have access to the site to learn how to grow vegetables, it enables a wide range of educational-based activities, it helps to reduce social isolation and brings together different generations in an inspirational environment where knowledge can be shared and utilised._
Regular gardening and food growing sessions started in the garden in April and continued until October. Volunteers have attended sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, this has allowed them to participate in an enjoyable, healthy and social activity in a safe, outdoor environment, whilst developing knowledge and skills to grow food and flora. Their work has also helped maintain and develop the garden.
In addition, the site has benefited from the work carried out by 3 groups of corporate volunteers:
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- 20-06-22: A group of 15 volunteers from HS2 helped with a Community Garden makeover. The keen volunteers helped repaint the wooden shed, fixed the guttering, tidied up the polytunnel, created 2 new raised beds and helped with weeding the edible forest garden.
- 20-3-23: Bureau Veritas carried out various improvements both structurally and aesthetically that helped us to get the best use of the area. Activities included the following: weeding raised beds, painting garden features, clearing out the bug hotel, removing vegetation to create a wildflower meadow.
- 27-03-23: 12 members of staff from Palletline, continued with the work started by Bureau Veritas the week before. More garden features were repaired and painted, created two mini-meadows and a compound for deadwood and sorted out the ground beds and herb wheel by the polytunnel.
## **ALLOTMENTS**
An AGM was held on Saturday 8[th ] of October, the purpose of the meeting was the election of a new committee (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee Members), discuss current issues and remind plot holders of allotment rules. The Project Manager was re-elected as treasurer and will continue supporting the Allotments Association.
## **COMMUNITY ORCHARD**
_CET’s Community Orchard is managed in partnership with the Castle Vale Allotments and supported by Fruit & Nut Village and Slow Food. The orchard is located in the Castle Vale Allotments and it is split into three different areas. 29 fruit trees, including apple, pear, plum, damson and cherry, have been grown successfully on site._
A winter and summer fruit tree pruning workshops were delivered by Dr. Rob Tilling at the Community Orchard. A total of 15 participants attended and learned pruning techniques and general orchard care.
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## **CONSERVATION AREA and MEADOWS**
_Castle Vale Conservation Area (CVCA) is the largest area of informal public open space in Castle Vale. It is situated to the southeast of Castle Vale, around the allotments and the stable’s paddocks. The existing landscape consists of rough grassland with substantial woodland planting, fencing, a pond, a path system and seats._
_Castle Vale Meadows are at the centre of the Conservation Area. They were created in 2013 as a result of a successful partnership with Birmingham City Council, Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust (Nature Improvement Area Staff) and the University of Wolverhampton. The area used to be an unused, former paddock and it was transformed into a magnificent meadow using green hay from two ‘donor’ sites, Eades Meadow and Draycote Meadows, both Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) creating 9.7 acres of 2 new-species rich meadows._
_CVCA is owned by Birmingham City Council. However, the site has mainly been managed by CET, which informs and seeks permission from BCC before carrying out any activities. CET’s practical conservation management days complement BCC service plans for the area._
CET is continuing its work to protect the Conservation Area and to utilise it as part of its project programmes.
The CE&CO has been carrying out safety walks twice per week. As part of the conservation sessions various surveys have also been conducted to record current flora and fauna and work has been carried out to improve access and safety in the area. In March, he started a pilot to try reducing litter dropping in the area. 5 black bags were placed around the conservation area and emptied and replaced as it was needed. This will allow us to monitor the type of litter, quantities and areas where the future installation of bins would be more beneficial.
CET has worked closely with Sutton Park Senior Ranger and BCC Principal Ecologist/Arboriculturist to start the process of changing the designation of the Conservation Area to Local Nature Reserve. The first step was to define the boundaries of the area which will come under the new designation and the nomination, as it will influence the management plan that has to be produced for the site and clarify who would the
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management stakeholders be (those with a financial input or liability for the site and its management). The work also focused on understanding BCC’s priorities and green spaces strategy so it could be incorporated into the plan of action. The process included finding ownership of different pockets of land next to the Conservation Area. The CE&CO has already started the assessment of the Conservation Area using BCC’s Comprehensive Assessment Tool (CAT) for the maintenance and development of green spaces.
Several Corporate Volunteer days were arranged throughout the year to improve and enhance the Conservation Area. The work was chosen based on the CAT priorities.
- 20-05-22: a group of 15 people from PWC created a natural barrier in a stretch of a woodland running parallel to the train tracks, helped plant native woodland flora in a birch coppice and made solitary bee homes that were installed around the meadow.
- 17-03-23: A team 10 members of staff from Flomatik carried out litter picking activities around the Conservation Area collecting over 20 bags in 3 hours.
- 31-10-23: a small but mighty group of volunteers from HS2 undertook clearance work in the path that runs at the back of the stables into the Conservation Area. The path had become narrow and, in some places, completely overgrown. Volunteers cut vegetation to widen and reinstate the path making it safer and more accessible for pedestrians, horse riders and other users. The cut vegetation was used to create dead hedges on either side of the walkway.
To ensure the optimal cut and collection of the Castle Vale Meadow in that year and subsequent ones, the Project Manager met on-site with BCC officers. The successful meeting helped to improve communication moving forward and put in place processes to work closely in the future to ensure the best management and possible use of the hay.
Castle Vale Meadows were cut on the 11[th ] of July whilst still green. The green hay was used to enhance the 3 other meadows in the south of Birmingham: Manor Farm Park, Meadow Brook and Ley Hill. This was part of the BBCWT’s Natural Rivers and Green Corridors (NRGC) project, a three-year project to improve woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and watercourses along the River Rea and its tributaries in south-west Birmingham and the River Tame in West Birmingham.
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In addition, we were given the opportunity to enhance our current meadow with green hay from species-rich Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) meadow. BBCWT arranged the delivery of 6 green bales on Tuesday 26[th ] of July and hay was strewed across the two sites. Hay strewing is a traditional technique in which green hay is cut and baled from an existing species-rich meadow and transported to a new one where it will be spread to help with seed dropping. The green hay has helped enhance and create a more diverse meadow. 12 volunteers supported the session including 2 members of the green party, members from partner organisations (Castle Bromwich Gardens and Chester Road Station Adopters), CET trustee and local residents from Castle Vale, Erdington and Water Orton.
On the downside, there was a fire incident in the meadows in July. Emergency services were called into the area and 3 fire engines managed to keep it under control and stop it promptly. The area was assessed by the team and no irreparable damage happened. The cause of the fire is still unknown, although the extreme heat in the preceding days could have played a part.
## **FRIENDS OF PLANTSBROOK**
_Friends of Plantsbrook is a friend’s group whose aim is to protect, maintain and enhance Plantsbrook Local Nature Reserve for the benefit of wildlife, residents and other LNR users._
The group has continued to work independently with the support of the Project Manager.
## **CASTLE VALE STABLES**
_CET signed in 2016 a Head of Terms to lease the Castle Vale Stables and paddock land for 15 years to protect the land and ensure it remains paddock and green land. Since then, CET has been providing support to the Castle Vale Stables with administrative and financial tasks, including managing the expectations of the horse owners, managing the number of horses/ponies on the land, dealing with health and safety, insurance, horticultural maintenance and payment of business rates, utility bills and repairs. Castle Vale Pony Owners Association continues looking after the horses and managing the run of the stables._
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The stables faced several problems last year that CET helped with, these included mainly repair work and maintenance in the paddocks. CET organised two CSR sessions with Groundwork and our local contractors Lovell.
In April, a group of 13 people from carried out post and rail fencing. The volunteers fully reinstated a broken partition by erecting a 2-tier post and rail fencing between the retained paddock and ‘no man’s land.’ In addition, the group also removed young self-seeded trees and bramble within the paddock.
Furthermore, due to the pandemic and existing problems with the current tractor, an unmanageable large amount of manure was accumulating in one of the stables’ yards. With no resources available to move it to the allotments, manure kept piling up restricting access and raising safety issues. CET’s Project Manager spoke to Lovell’s Community Engagement Manager who arranged for three workers from the construction firm carrying out work at Lovell’s ‘The Point’ development to help on the day. Thanks to their support and the use of a mini-digger and 2 dumper trucks, several tones of manure were moved in one day from the stables to the allotments. In addition, workers helped horse owners clear vegetation from the edges of the stables and move old timber posts and rails.
## **CET PADDLE HUB (Minworth)**
_Minworth Bell Boating Hub is part of a wider project called Paddle Sport in Birmingham (PSiB), which is trying to create several community paddle hubs across the West Midlands Combined Authority with the aim to provide regular, sustainable and thriving paddle sports to different communities in deprived areas and with low opportunities in water sports activities._
In 2022, CET started looking for a suitable location for its paddle sports hub. A place was found by Caters Bridge in Minworth. Before deciding on the setting up of the hub, CET carried out a 12-month consultation in the area which involved regular engagement to establish quick links, connect with local groups and existing organisations to create and help facilitate a vision around opportunities for all.
The consultation underlined the lack of outdoor activities for people, families and young
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people in the area and created a unique opportunity to retain the focus on the local community and put the right interventions in place to level up communities.
Alongside the consultation, the Project Manager tried to find out land ownership of a strip of land situated between Cater’s Bridge and the Oaken Hayes estate. It took several months to find out who owned the land and what permissions were needed to set up a hub. As the project needed to progress, permission to install a container was also sought in two other nearby areas. In March 2022, permission was granted by The Boat Inn owners to use a small space within their car park for one year. In addition, Canal and River Trust also agreed to provide a key to access Cater’s Bridge safely.
Three funding applications were submitted throughout the year to purchase the necessary equipment and protective equipment to run the hub and deliver water activities. At the end of March, we received an email from Andy Train, Olympic canoeist, who is overseeing the Birmingham Paddle Sport project and has supported the creation process of CET hub, confirming that British Canoeing had approved the grant for our project.
Paddle equipment (kayaks and paddles) and buoyancy aids will be purchased in the upcoming months.
## PROJECTS – Other work
## _**COMMISSIONED WORK**_
## **RE-FUTURE COLLECTIVE**
Due to staff shortage, CET was only able to commit to the delivery of 4 sessions between April 22 and March 23. The sessions were aimed at young people from the Waterworks estate in Ladywood (ArtPad) and adults referred via social prescribing (Forms of Clouds). The work carried out included environmental workshops and therapeutical sessions (gardening and environmental art), respectively.
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## **THE PIONEER GROUP**
At the end of November, the Project Manager carried out a street cleanliness audit on behalf of The Pioneer Group. The survey provided a ‘snapshop’ of the types and sources of litter present and other elements affecting the quality of the environment including graffiti, fly-posting and fly-tipping. 130 transects were surveyed against a set of criteria agreed at the training provided by Keep Britain Tidy and a report was written and sent in February.
## **DRUIDS HEATH REGENERATION PROJECT** (Pioneer Group)
The Project Manager has continued supporting the consultation in Druids Heath in her capacity as a Resident Engagement Advisor. Part of the consultancy work commissioned by Birmingham City Council and done on behalf of Pioneer Group included the following: the creation of a portfolio of Druids Heath’s green spaces (land designations, TPO, local sites surveys and assessments), set up of stakeholders’ Green Spaces Group, assist in the process of dialogue with the local community and stakeholders, the organisation of several community events in April, June and August to inform and engage residents in the consultation process leading to the reveal of the Masterplan for the East Druids Heath.
In addition, CET has also been assisting with administrative tasks: preparing paperwork to comply with due diligence when delivering events, managing the budgets allocated for the community engagement events and communications, keeping track of expenditure (invoicing and refunds) and GDPR management. For this additional work, CET receives a management fee.
## **SAATHI HOUSE**
The Saathi House is a community organisation committed to supporting, empowering and upskilling women and young girls so they can lead independent lives and drive positive change in their communities. CET was commissioned for the delivery of sessions/workshops to improve and develop three outdoor spaces. The work was carried out by the Project Coordinator with the support of the Project Assistant Intern.
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The three areas were enhanced with very simple but effective environmental features that helped attract and protect wildlife, as well as green up some of the concreted areas of the garden. Features and techniques were chosen in terms of sustainability and low maintenance. Most importantly, the experiences and skillsets of the participants were also improved through the short but intense program of activities that was carried out. Participants were empowered and given the confidence to try something new, learn skills and succeed. The sessions also allowed them to interact with one another in an outdoor setting whilst connecting with nature.
## _**PARTNERSHIP WORK**_
- CET partnered up in May with the National Literacy Trust, a charity dedicated to raising literacy levels in the UK. CET registered as an Eco-Literacy Champion to support NLT’s Birmingham Stories project which aims to raise literacy levels and change the life stories of young people and adults across the city. We helped spread literacy awareness and promote reading amongst our service users and young people through our projects, especially through the Forest School Programme. In addition, we created an eco-library for everybody to use. The Ecobooks were purchased and donated by Birmingham Stories.
- CET hosted two Spanish teachers from the 8[th] -14[th ] of July as part of an Erasmus + Staff Mobility Programme. Erasmus + is a European programme that enables teachers to participate in short-term mobility projects to share good practices. The primary school teacher and Head Teacher came to the UK to gain a broader perspective on education, exchange knowledge and pick up good educational practices. They were particularly interested in a better understanding of how to use the local environment as an educational resource and to engage with diversity or tackle diversity inequalities. CET arranged a wide variety of activities for them including the following: shadowing of Forest School sessions, meetings with teaching staff and head teachers, visits to our sites (conservation areas and community garden) and meeting with other partners (Civic Square, Red Shed and Oasis Academy Foundry).
- The Project Manager has continued to support Birmingham Open Spaces Forum in her capacity as Treasurer and Trustee
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## _**TRAINING**_
Between April and March, the Project Manager continued her MBA studies completing successfully all her academic modules and the dissertation with ‘Distinction’. She now needs to complete the SLMDA, practical side of the MBA, which involves a 20-minute presentation in front of a panel of 3 members of the Chartered Management Institute. Her knowledge and skills will also be assessed with the following: 4,000 word project showcase, 650 ‘off-the-job’ logged hours and 10 personal reflections that demonstrate she has gained 79 new skills. Before doing the final exam she will have to take a Level 2 Functional Skills English exam.
Together Centre, a non-profit organisation of special needs professionals serving the community, delivered two training sessions on special needs for CET staff.
## _**WORK EXPERIENCE**_
CET has hosted 3 Sixth Form students during July. Students came from Greenwood Academy, Streetly Academy and Plantsbrook and supported the delivery of Forest School sessions and conservation/gardening tasks, including surveying species in the Conservation Area. One of the students has continued volunteering with the Trust afterwards.
## _**COMMUNITY EVENTS**_
- CET carried out a litter pick in the conservation area with volunteers and members of the public as part of Keep Britain Tidy’s Spring Clean campaign. Additionally, a cleanup at the allotments was arranged on the 1[st ] week of April, plot holders gathered all the rubbish and split it into green and general waste.
- At the end of April, CET took part in the City Nature Challenge, which is an annual competition between cities all over the world to see how many wild species their citizens can spot over a period of four days. To support the challenge CET was at Castle Vale Meadows recording species and helping to identify local flora and fauna. Two outdoor drop-in stations were set up to give advice, help and support those who took part whilst on their daily walk. The CE&CO led guided walks around the Castle
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Vale Meadow and showed the public how to identify and spot various species of insects and wildflowers. A total of 70 species were recorded on the day.
- 6 ‘Back to Nature’ sessions were delivered during the summer holidays. The sessions aim was for parents and young children to spend time connecting with nature, have fun participating in inspiring outdoor activities where they will learn about the environment. A total of 6 sessions were delivered and CET engaged with 10 different families.
- In July, CET was invited to participate in the Commonwealth Games Festival, a community celebration of Birmingham for hosting the Commonwealth Games. Castle Vale was chosen as one of the Games Festival sites and CET prepared and led a ‘make your own medal’ activity within the community tent. Participants decorated wooden disk to take home and to hang on a community tree.
- Participation in the ‘pop-up garden project’ created in Victoria Square. The project started on the 24[th ] of May when marigold seeds were sent to CET to grow them in CET’s raised beds and volunteer’s households. On the 2[nd ] of September the CE&CO took 9 participants to Victoria Square where they planted up the marigolds grown and nurtured at the community garden alongside other community groups. All participants were interviewed by an evaluator afterwards and given a gift voucher for taking part.
- In December CET organised a festive online family workshop to celebrate Christmas. The Family Christmas Decoration workshop was a great success, not only did we have great participation rates, but it also allowed us to see some of our regular families and offer a festive and relaxing session for parents and children to work together. CET staff collected the natural resources necessary for the workshop, made individual packs for the families, and arranged two days for families to come and pick up the packs from CET premises.
- A birdwatching walk around the Castle Vale Meadows was organised in January. 23 different species were identified in total including redwings, pied wagtail, mistle and song thrush, goldfinches and chaffinches, amongst others. The birds spotted on the day counted towards the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, which would help to increase understanding of the challenges faced by common garden birds and track how certain species have declined or recovered. 19 people attended the event and were taught how to identify birds using their calls and by visible features.
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- Lastly, CET hosted an event on the 8th of March to recognise and support International Women's Day. The community, volunteers and a local school came together to learn more about influential women in science and the environmental movement whilst walking around the Conservation Area.
## Financial review
Last financial year CET received grants from the following funders:
- £25,643 from Groundwork/HS2 to pay for the Community Engagement and Conservation Officer post and pay for some other costs associated to this project, such as mileage and tools.
- £2,880 from Thomas Dole to contribute towards staffing costs to plan, prepare and deliver a Youth Group Summer Programme 2022.
- £2,600 from Lovell, to support the delivery of an after-school programme at Greenwood Academy.
- £5,000 from Food Legends to support the production of locally grown food in the Community Garden and Orchard
- CET still benefited from some of the grants received in the previous financial year, such as DofE* and Tai-chi (BOSF) **.
* DofE is the budget holder for the funds granted last year, therefore no money was transferred to CET’s account.
** Payments to the Tai-chi instructor were done directly by BOSF. CET has only claimed refreshments offered to participants.
Half of the income generated last year came from the delivery of CET’s Forest School Programmes. CET received £77,620 (unrestricted funds) from participating schools. The income growth is due to the 9% increase applied to the cost of the programme to afford the cost-of-living increase.
£1460 was raised as part of CET’s youth provision activities. Sessions were charged at £3 to help generate a bit of become whilst allowing families to take part in affordable activities.
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Trips had different prices depending on the distance, entrance fee and length of the session.
Work commissioned by other organisations have earned CET the following:
- £522.99 for the delivery of eco-workshops for Re-Future
- £3,500 from the Saathi house for undertaking the training, evaluation and support in developing three outdoor areas.
- £14,781.68 from the Pioneer Group for the resident engagement work carried out in Druids Heath as part of the regeneration process.
- £2,500 from the Pioneer Group for carrying out an LEQ survey and audit, and producing a report about Castle Vale street cleanliness.
- £200 from Civic Square for the support delivering bell boating activities.
- £700 from Birmingham City University for the participation in the Graduate + week and delivery of workshops.
In addition, CET received the following donations:
- £550 through the delivery of CSR sessions
- £130 from Birmingham Open Spaces Forum for the monthly submission of volunteer data
- £135 was donated by the Bunce Long Mynd Camp towards DofE project
21-22 showed the importance of income diversification to help with the financial sustainability of the Trust, therefore in 22-23 the Trust has continued applying its new operating model which involved more bid writing and consultancy work to have a more balanced approach to income generation. Some of the projects included environmental audits, increase of commissioned sessions, consultancy support and incorporation of blue spaces in CET’s portfolio.
As part of the new strategy, sub-groups formed by staff and Trustees were created to focus on finance, educational projects and conservations projects. The educational project subgroup discussed different avenues to approach and engage with new schools which included: targeting specific National Curriculum topics (habitats, life cycles), assemblies (environment, mental well-being, resilience) or special events, such as tree planting or bird week. Trustees also highlighted the importance of a working website and requesting and
30
recording regular feedback from participants. The website still needs to be redone, but regular feedback has been conducted after every event and workshop to measure the impact of our projects and interventions.
With the help of the Head of Neighbourhood Fundraising, CET will continue applying for funding to support existing projects and the creation of new ones. Furthermore, with the support of partners and local businesses we will continue securing funding and work to ensure a stable and healthy cashflow.
Due to the financial constraints that schools are undergoing, CET will need to continue recruiting new schools interested in the Forest School programme and also offer afterschool activities. In addition, environmental workshops, gardening sessions and family learning days will continue to be offered to new partners, organisations and local companies to continue raising our profile.
## _**Reserves policy**_
As part of the Trust’s Reserves Policy, CET has been transferring £500 per month to a reserves account to ensure that main operations can continue for a period of at least three months and that redundancy costs are covered if funding difficulties arise. After April 2022, the transfer has been paused due to having reached an acceptable amount to cover what is stated in our Reserve’s policy. At the end of March 2023, the account held £41,126.44
The reserves policy is still kept under periodic review and reserves levels will be adjusted in the future as perceptions of risks and other factors change, e.g. school budget cuts, reduction of commissioned work.
## Funds held as a Custodian Trustee
CET does not hold funds as a Custodian Trustee.
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Future
CET will continue to enhance and improve urban green and blue spaces by delivering and developing existing and new projects, and by continuing to work with other organisations within and outside Castle Vale.
CET will also continue using its educational and youth programmes, including Forest School, Duke of Edinburgh and Vale Youth Action, as well as other structured activities to build and deepen the confidence and capability of our young people. Blue spaces have now been included in the activities portfolio and will help diversify income from next year.
CET’s Project Manager and Project Coordinator, with the support of the Board of Trustees, will continue to develop a strategic plan to ensure enough funds are received every year to continue with the work we do. Measures will continue to be put in place to reduce costs where possible, and new ways of generating income will be explored. More consultancy work will be done to ensure the generation of unrestricted funds.
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## Trustees Report (Including Directors Report)
## **Statement of Trustees responsibilities**
The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed,
- subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is
- inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
## **Approval**
The Trustee’s Report was approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by:
John Biddle - Chair of the Trustees Lynne Witkamp – Vice-Chair
Dated: 20/12/23
33
Independent Examiner’s Report
## **To the Trustees of Community Environmental Trust**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Community Environmental Trust for the year ending 31 March 2023 set out on pages 36 to 43.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (the 2006 Act).
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for an independent examination. I report in respect of the examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011Act.
## **Independent Examiner’s Statement**
I have completed mu examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
2. the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
3. the financial statements 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 financial statements 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 financial statements to be reached.
34
Andy Hopkins Birmingham Voluntary Service Council First Floor, Livery Place 35 Livery Street Birmingham B3 2PB
Dated: 19 December 2023
35
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
|**Notes**
**INCOMING**
**RESOURCES:**
**Incoming Resources**
**from charitable**
**activities**
Services - Project
Income
Grants Receivable
**Incoming Resources**
**from generated**
**funds**
Donations
Interest
**Total Incoming**
**Resources**
**RESOURCES**
**EXPENDED:**
Charitable
Expenditure
Bank Charges and
Taxation
**Total Resources**
**Expended**
**NET INCOMING**
**RESOURCES**
**RECONCILIATION OF**
**FUNDS**
**Total funds bought**
**forward**
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED**
**FORWARD**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
99,168
2,572
381
227
102,349
84,897
110
85,007
17,342
115,826
133,168|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
34,524
34,524
35,522
0
35,522
-998
998
0|**2023**
**Total**
**Funds**
**£**
99,168
37,096
381
227
136,873
120,419
110
120,529
16,344
116,824
133,168|**2022**
**Total**
**Funds**
**£**
51,820
53,018
2,368
10|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||107,216
112,034
96|
|||||112,130|
|||||-4,914
121,738|
|||||116,824|
The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.
36
## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2023**
|**BALANCE SHEET**
**AS AT 31 MARCH 2023**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Notes**
**Fixed Assets**
Tangible Assets
**4**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Debtors and Prepayments
Cash at bank and in hand
**CREDITORS**
Amounts falling due within one year
5
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT**
**LIABILITIES**
**FUNDS OF THE CHARITY**
Unrestricted funds - general Reserves
Restricted funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**|**2023**
**£**
0
1,723
156,190
157,912
24,744
133.168
133,168
133,168
0
**133,168**|**2022**
**£**
0
1,253
131,725
132,978
16,154
116,824
116,824|
|||115,826
998
**116,824**|
For the year ending 31 March 2023 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. No members have required the company to obtain an audit of the financial statements for the year ending 31 March 2023 in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on behalf of the board by:
John Biddle - Chair of the Trustees
Lynne Witkamp – Vice-Chair
Dated: 20/12/23
37
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023** 1. **Accounting Policies**
## **Accounting convention**
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The charity is a “Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
## **Going concern**
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis if accounting in preparing the financial statements.
## **Charitable funds**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives unless the funds have been designated for other purposes.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
## **Incoming resources**
These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when:
- The charity becomes legally entitled to the resources after any
- performance conditions have been met;
- The trustees are virtually certain that they will receive the
- resources; and
- The monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income is deferred when monies are received in **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
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## **YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## 1. **Accounting Policies (continued)**
advance relating to projects commencing after the financial year where the contract period is specified by the funder.
## **Resources expended**
Charitable activities includes all costs relating to general administration, which support the charitable purpose.
Grants offered subject to conditions, which have not been met at the year-end date are noted as a commitment, but not accrued as expenditure.
Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings that have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of the resources.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives, which is considered to be 4 years.
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year.
## **Incoming resources with related expenditure**
When incoming resources have related expenditure (as with fundraising or contract income) both are reported gross in the SOFA.
## **Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with bankers, other short term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
## **Financial instruments**
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 “Basic Financial Instruments” and Section 12 “Other Financial Issues” of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity’s balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
39
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## 1. **Accounting Policies (continued)**
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the assets and settle the liability simultaneously.
## _**Basic financial assets**_
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price, including transaction costs and are subsequently carries at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market value of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
## _**Basic financial liabilities**_
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
## _**De-recognition of financial liabilities**_
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
## **Pensions**
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable by the company to the fund for the year.
## 2. **Critical accounting estimates and judgements**
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
3. **Trustees** None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year (2022 - £nil).
40
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
|4.
**Staff costs**
Wages and salaries including
Social Security
Pension contributions|**2023**
**£**
74,436
17,758
4,245
96,439|**2022**
**£**
72,772
16,284
4,448|
|---|---|---|
|||
93,504|
The average number of administration employees during the year was 4 (2022 – 4), who did not earn more than £60,000 in either year. **Pension commitments**
The charitable company operates a defined contribution scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company and are independently administered. The pension cost charge above represents contributions payable by the charitable company to the fund. No contributions (2022 – nil) were payable to the fund at the balance sheet date.
## 5. **Financial instruments**
|5.
**Financial instruments**|||
|---|---|---|
||**2023**|**2022**|
||**£**|**£**|
|**Carrying amount of financial assets**|||
|Debt instruments measured at amortised|-|
-|
|cost|||
|**Carrying value of financial liabilities**|||
|Measured on amortised costs|-|
-|
41
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023** 6. **Tangible assets**
|**Plant and**
**Computer**
**Machinery**
**Equipment**
**Cost**
**£**
**£**
At 1 April 2022
16,137
6,205
Additions during the
year
0
0
At 31 March 2023
16,137
6,205
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2022
16,137
6,205
Charge for the year
0
0
At 31 March 2023
16,137
6,205
**Net Book Value**
At 31 March 2023
0
0
At 31 March 2022
0
0
7.
**Debtors**
8.
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
**Due within one year**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
Trade Debtors
0
0
Prepayments
1,723
1,253
Total Debtors
1,723
1,253
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
Tax and social security
949
3
Accruals
450
450
Deferred Income
23,345
15,701
23,798
16,154|**Plant and**
**Computer**
**Machinery**
**Equipment**
**Cost**
**£**
**£**
At 1 April 2022
16,137
6,205
Additions during the
year
0
0
At 31 March 2023
16,137
6,205
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2022
16,137
6,205
Charge for the year
0
0
At 31 March 2023
16,137
6,205
**Net Book Value**
At 31 March 2023
0
0
At 31 March 2022
0
0
7.
**Debtors**
8.
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
**Due within one year**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
Trade Debtors
0
0
Prepayments
1,723
1,253
Total Debtors
1,723
1,253
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
Tax and social security
949
3
Accruals
450
450
Deferred Income
23,345
15,701
23,798
16,154|**Totals**
**£**
22,342
0|
|---|---|---|
|||22,342
22,342
0|
|||22,342
0|
|||0|
||||
||
1,253||
||**one year**
**2022**
**£**
3
450
15,701||
||
16,154||
42
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## 9. **Funds**
The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes:
|**Project**
Unrestricted Reserves
Restricted Reserves
HS2
ENNS
NNS
Thomas Dole
Total Restricted
Reserves
Total Reserves|**Opening**
**Reserves**
**£**
115,826
0
0
998
0
998
116,824|**Incoming**
**£**
102,349
25,643
6,000
0
2,880
34,523
136.873|**Expenditure**
**£**
85,007
25,643
6,000
998
2,880
35,521
120,528|**Closing**
**Reserves**
**£**
133,168
0
0
0
0|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||0
133,168|
10. **Analysis of net assets between funds** Fund balances at 31 March 2023 and 31 March 2022 are represented by current assets/(liabilities).
43