2020-12-31-accounts - The Open Spaces Society

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

25a Bell Street, Henley-on-Thames RG9 2BA Email: hq@oss.org.uk Website: www.oss.org.uk Charity no 1144840 Registered in England and Wales, limited company no 7846516

THE OPEN SPACES SOCIETY Vice-presidents, officers, other trustees and staff 31 December 2020

Vice-presidents David (Lord) Clark Tony (Lord) Greaves Mike Clarke Richard Mabey Paul Clayden Ronald Smith Roger de Freitas

Chairman Chris Beney (F,G,L) (to July 2020) Phil Wadey (G,L) (from July 2020) Vice-chairman Phil Wadey (to Jul 2020) Graham Bathe (F,G) (from Jul 2020) Treasurer Steve Warr (F,G,L) Other trustees Stuart Bain (F) Simon Hunt (L) John Hall (L) Chris Meewezen (L) (to Nov 2020) Tara-Jane Sutcliffe (F) (from July 2020)

F = member finance committee

G = member general purposes committee

L = member legal committee

Staff

General secretary Kate Ashbrook Case officers Hugh Craddock Nicola Hodgson Commons re-registration officer Frances Kerner Financial administrator and company secretary Lucie Henwood Office manager Ellen Froggatt (to Sep 2020) Sarah Hacking (from Sep 2020) Office assistant Christine Hunter Digital marketing and content manager Nichola Finan

Bank:

Barclays Bank plc, Mid Thames Group, PO Box 1, Henley-on-Thames RG9 2AX

Solicitors:

Mercers, 50 New Street, Henley-on-Thames RG9 2BX. Richard Buxton, Office A, Dale’s Brewery, Gwydir St, Cambridge CB1 2LJ

Open Spaces Society Trustees’ report for 2020

Highlights of 2020

During the year we

helped our members protect 1,084 commons, greens, open spaces and paths under threat of loss—an unprecedented number, no doubt due to the pandemic
maintained and provided advice to a network of 39 local correspondents capable of acting in the protection of many more open spaces and paths
increased our membership by 131 to a total of 2,142
submitted applications to register 58 lost commons in the English pioneer areas (bringing our total number of applications to 78)
published charters for protecting and creating open spaces in England and Wales
were involved in three court cases to protect commons and paths
assisted members with queries about the registration of 90 greens
adapted our ways of working to address the restrictions arising from Covid-19.

Reference and administrative information

Registered charity name and number

The Open Spaces Society, registered number 1144840.

Registered company name and number

The Open Spaces Society, registered number 7846516.

Principal and registered office

25a Bell Street, Henley-on-Thames RG9 2BA

Names of trustees, advisers and staff

The trustees are listed above, together with details of advisers and the names of the staff.

Structure, governance and management

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, the memorandum and articles of association, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

The charity is the successor to the Commons, Open Spaces and Footpaths Preservation Society (registered charity number 214753), which was established by a trust deed dated 6 December 1963, originally having been founded in 1865. It was registered as a company limited by guarantee on 14 November 2011.

Recruitment and appointment of trustees

Trustees are appointed by the members of the company, in accordance with the memorandum and articles of association.

Related party disclosures

No transaction which would need to be disclosed has been notified by any trustee, in relation to the year, nor any balance outstanding from previous years.

Declarations of interest

An agenda item for recording these, if any be declared, appears on the agenda for each trustee meeting. The society’s insurers require a statement to be minuted at each meeting that the trustees are not aware of anything arising which might lead to a claim on the society’s indemnity policy.

Risk management statement

The society maintains a risk register which is regularly reviewed by trustees with practical precautions being implemented by officers and staff.

Public benefit statement

Section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 requires the charity trustees to comply with their duty to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties.

The trustees are mindful of this obligation and have been referring to the guidance when reviewing their aims and objectives and in planning their future activities. In particular, they have considered how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

Objectives and activities for the public benefit

Summary of the charity’s objects and strategy for achieving them

The objects of the society are campaigning to create and conserve common land, village greens, open spaces and rights of public access in town and country, in England and Wales. These objects are furthered both locally and nationally. The society is

building up a network of local correspondents who can make site visits where problems arise and submit appropriate representations regarding, for example, proposed changes to the public-path network. The society also secures the registering of new village greens and resists encroachments on common land.

At a national level the society’s unique expertise is its accumulated knowledge in the complicated case law and common law that apply to common land and its user rights. Bodies such as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Welsh Government, the National Trust, Natural England and Natural Resources Wales acknowledge the society’s primacy in this area. The society is a statutory consultee for applications for works on common land and for changes to public rights of way.

We are grateful to the following trusts and funds for donations and grants: Dennis Curry Charitable Trust, Moodie Charitable Trust, Mitchell Trust, Millennium Oak Trust.

It also endeavours to improve the law for the benefit of the public. By challenging unacceptable proposals—through the courts if necessary—and more generally by seeking media attention and lobbying parliament and local authorities, it protects places of beauty and interest and achieves better public access throughout England and Wales.

Achievements and performance, delivery of ublic benefit p

Summary of main achievements during the year

The main achievements during the year are listed below under headings which reflect the four main objects in our constitution.

1. To protect commons, greens and other open spaces

In this unprecedented year the society has helped with more cases than ever, as people discovered and valued their local paths and open spaces during the lockdowns. We responded to calls from members for advice on protection and management of at least 116 commons, 67 registered greens and 289 other open spaces. Many more cases and disputes came to us from consultations from official bodies, or were dealt with by our local correspondents.

During the summer we published our charters for open spaces in England and Wales, calling on government and local authorities to protect and create safe, good-quality open spaces close to people’s homes, and to rectify the inequality in open space provision. Our autumn appeal to members to support this work raised a magnificent £11,513.

We responded robustly to the government’s white paper on the future of English planning, arguing that it will lead to loss of open space and democracy.

This year we had project officer Frances Kerner working on the re-registration of commons, together with Landman consultants, funded by the generous legacy from

Jack Candy. Towards the end of the year, we increased our capacity by another two from Landman in order to meet the deadline of 31 December for the first seven pioneer areas (Blackburn with Darwen, Cornwall, Devon, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Kent and Lancashire). We hoped to persuade the environment minister John Gardiner to extend the deadline since record offices were closed and site inspections curtailed due to the pandemic, but he refused to do so. Nevertheless, we made 58 applications for lost land (with those made in 2018 and 2019 this brought our total to 78). During the year eight commons were added to the register in consequence of earlier applications, in Cornwall and Hertfordshire, but it is a slow process and it will be some time before the 2020 applications are considered by the authorities.

We intervened in high court action by Hampshire County Council regarding a plan by Blackbushe Airport Ltd to deregister part of Yateley Common in Hampshire; the case turns on the interpretation of ‘curtilage’. The council won, but the airport has appealed and the case will be heard in the court of appeal in 2021, with the society again supporting the council.

We supported our member, Downs for People, in its judicial review of a decision by the Downs Committee of Bristol’s Society of Merchant Venturers to allow continued parking on Durdham Downs by Bristol Zoo.

Applicants for works on, or exchange of, common land notified us of 72 cases. We raised objections to 30 of them.

Of the 55 statutory applications for works which were determined during the year, 21 were granted despite our objection. These included fencing on Crosby Ravensworth Common in Cumbria and Ugthorpe Common in North Yorkshire, and a football ground on Chippenham Mead village green in Monmouth.

Nine applications were rejected or withdrawn following our advice. Among others were the deregistration of part of Adversane village green in West Sussex with no exchange land offered; fencing on Warton Common in Lancashire in relation to the England Coast Path; and two similar applications, each subsequently withdrawn, to deregister part of Clyne Common near Swansea, providing inadequate exchange-land. The last inspired us to urge the environment minister, Leslie Griffiths, to introduce a fee for applications to deregister and exchange common land and village greens, but she declined to do so.

Our case officers remained active on Defra’s National Common Land Stakeholder Group, various Wildlife and Countryside Link working parties, and a planning group convened by the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

2. To protect and enhance public rights of way and public access The Henley office dealt with 472 requests for advice on paths and our local correspondents pursued many others. During lockdown we received a number of complaints about paths which had been obstructed or made unwelcoming with the excuse of Covid-19, and we followed these up with the authorities.

With the 2026 deadline for historic-path applications looming, we were frustrated that Defra called only one meeting of the stakeholder working group on unrecorded ways

(it had not met for two years) and little if any progress has been made to enable the Deregulation Act 2015 to be brought into effect.

Our local correspondents defended paths with considerable success. For example, Chris Meewezen helped to prevent the deletion of a path in the Todd valley near Kettleshulme in Cheshire East. Chris Smith made five applications for the addition of paths to the definitive map in East Sussex. Harry Scott saved a path at Berrington in Shropshire from inappropriate diversion.

Our judicial review of the confirmation of a diversion order at Rollright in Oxfordshire was heard in the high court in April 2020. We lost but obtained leave to appeal. After the year’s end the case was heard in the court of appeal; we lost again and the trustees agreed to seek permission to appeal to the supreme court. The case, which is of fundamental importance to our charitable objectives, tests the relationship between public enjoyment of a path and the private interests of landowners. We challenged the Department for Transport’s order to stop up public highway at Knowle Green, opposed by our Solihull correspondent Richard Lloyd. The department conceded and we settled out of court.

We opposed the government’s plans to make trespass a criminal offence, with no clarity as to where and how this will be applied. We feared that innocent trespass could be criminalised, having a potentially serious impact on people’s use and enjoyment of the countryside and open spaces.

In November the Agriculture Bill obtained royal assent. The society had promoted amendments, tabled by our vice-president Lord Greaves, to probe how agricultural payments will work for common land, but these remain unclear. We endeavoured to influence the application of environmental land management scheme payments in favour of access, and pressed for strong enforcement to ensure that farmers and landowners who abuse public paths forgo their grants.

With other user groups we joined discussions with the Country Land and Business Association and the National Farmers’ Union who want to make it easier to divert paths out of fields containing livestock. We argued that their proposals were excessive and unnecessary and were pleased when the environment minister John Gardiner refused to legislate on the matter.

Kate Ashbrook, Hugh Craddock and Beverley Penney served on three expert panels to advise the Welsh government on its access reform programme, and attended a number of meetings.

3. To secure the creation of new public paths and open spaces

We advised more than 90 members and other inquirers about claiming greens. We celebrated the registration of a number of greens: Freeman’s Wood in Lancashire (based on evidence of use), and the voluntary registrations of Whimbrel Green at Larkfield in Kent; land at Scorton in North Yorkshire, Freeman’s Meadow in Henleyon-Thames, and Coral Springs at Witney in Oxfordshire (won by our local correspondent in exchange for the withdrawal of his objection to the diversion of a blocked footpath).

4. To protect the beauty of the countryside We continued to work with other national organisations to press the government to implement the recommendations of the Glover Review on designated landscapes in England.

Organisational management

We established a Covid-19 working group of trustees to manage risk and ensure due diligence in the face of the challenges of the pandemic.

We now have 39 local correspondents; in 2020 we appointed Peter Berrecloth (London Borough of Barnet), Mike Clarke (Bedford Borough), Jack Jennings (Sutton Coldfield and North Warwickshire District), Peter Pollak (Market Harborough Borough in Leicestershire), Helen Slade (Isle of Wight) and Keith Yarwood (north Dorset).

We could not hold a physical annual general meeting but instead invited members to vote online or on forms and to ask questions. An impressive 142 members cast votes, and all the formalities were completed satisfactorily. We welcomed Tara-Jane Sutcliffe back to the board of trustees after her return to the UK, and we co-opted Stuart Bain and Simon Hunt for a further year. At the trustees’ meeting after the AGM Chris Beney stepped down as chairman after two years’ service, and Phil Wadey was elected in his place. Graham Bathe was elected vice-chairman.

Our office manager Ellen Froggatt retired after ten years with us. We are grateful to her for the significant impact she has made on our office processes, branding, marketing and digital presence. We welcomed Sarah Hacking as our new office manager in September.

We issued 42 press releases and published three editions of our magazine Open Space . Staff and local correspondents were interviewed at least six times on the radio and once on television. We published a video to promote legacies to the society and sent our legacy leaflet to every member. We continued to improve our website, updating and expanding our information sheets.

On 31 December, membership stood at 2142, a net increase of 131. We welcomed 353 new members and 52 rejoined members; 18 members died during the year and a further 256 lapsed. We mourned the death of our vice-president Paul Clayden on New Year’s Day.

Our dedicated staff, Kate Ashbrook, Hugh Craddock, Nichola Finan, Sarah Hacking, Lucie Henwood, Nicola Hodgson, Christine Hunter and Frances Kerner have had a busy year. We thank them warmly for their commitment and success in furthering the work of the society.

Financial review

Financial operations

Covid-19 has made 2020 a difficult year financially for many charities, with reports of curtailed fund-raising activity and difficulty attracting donations accompanied by big reductions in members for some high-profile membership-based conservation charities.

The society’s income was reduced because we only held one appeal, and the income from our investments also fell as companies cut or suspended dividends. In contrast, membership subscriptions held, with member numbers rising through the year. Legacies, which form an important part of our income, were up at £192,588.

Legacies recognised in 2020 Olive Entwistle, John Purdy, Ann Sayer, Richard Wyld

The Candy Fund has again been used to pay for the work on re-registration of commons, and this expenditure is shown in the restricted funds column of the Statement of Financial Activities. Activity increased as the 31 December 2020 deadline for applications in many pioneer areas approached, and expenditure on applications increased to £102,304 (2019 - £60,520).

Spending on legal costs increased in 2020 to just over £60,000 arising mostly from our high court challenge at Yateley Common and of a footpath diversion at Great Rollright. It also reflects the financial support we provided to members through the legal fund, including the judicial review at Durdham Downs in Bristol.

The increased spending on re-registration of commons and legal fees were the main contributors to the increase in the annual deficit (before investment gains and losses) to £96,522 (2019 - £30,723).

The uncertainty in financial markets relating to Covid-19 affected the value of our investment holdings, which decreased by £171,204 in the year. These losses, added to the operational deficit, take the full deficit for the year to £267,726 (2019 - £109,903 surplus).

Reserves policy

Strategic reserve fund: the society’s recurring revenue is not sufficient to meet all running costs so it is the policy of the trustees to maintain a strategic reserve fund sufficient to cover the expected net outgoings of the society for 48 months. Much of the spending to research applications to re-register commons has now been undertaken, so we anticipate a reduction in future deficits. Accordingly, we have reduced the value of the strategic reserve fund by £243,265 to £727,847 at 31 December 2020. The fund is invested for the benefit of the society but remains available to the trustees to transfer back to the general fund in case of need.

Our project activity has increased the number of applications being made in the name of the society. These are for both rights of way and re-registration of commons. In response, the trustees have added £270,000 to the applications reserve fund, set up in 2019, taking the reserve to £435,000.

Conclusion

What a year! The coronavirus pandemic certainly had an impact on everyone’s lives and activities. While we mourned the loss of family and friends, and regretted the curtailment of many normal day-to-day activities, the public found great value in places to walk or ride or simply enjoy as open spaces.

The Open Spaces Society has continued to champion paths and open spaces throughout the year. Despite the closure of archive offices, the work to record commons in the pioneer areas before their respective cut-off dates has resulted in land being registered as common, and hence having a right of access for walkers, and sometimes riders, with more applications awaiting determination. Many of our members have been making applications to record paths based on historical evidence before their cut-off date too.

As the report above shows, we have been strong in our defence of commons and paths, whether by reasoned arguments when consulted on proposals or though taking legal action where we feel that safeguards given by parliament are being avoided or misunderstood.

We still have a strong balance sheet despite the uncertainty in financial markets. This enables work in support of our charitable objectives to continue.

I should thank our staff, local correspondents and members, and all who have helped in support of the society and its activities. It gives me great pleasure to commend this report to our members.

Signed

Phil Wadey (chairman, on behalf of the trustees)

The Olen S ed Com an aces So¢le Number.. 07È46516 Re end ort to the Trustee5 of Theo ens I report to the charlty tiustees on my examlnation of the flnantlal statement5 of the company for the year ended 31 December 2020 set out oh pa8es nlne to slxteen. Responslbllltle5 and basls of r•port As the charlty's trustees of the company land also Iti dlrectors for the purposes of company lawl you are re5ponslble for the preparation of the flnanclal statements In accordance wlth the requlrements of the Companles Act 20061'the 21)J6 Act'l, Havlng satlslled myself thèt the Ilnanclal statements of the company are not requlred to be audlted under Pait 16 of the 2006 Act and are ell8ible lor Independent examlnatlon, I report in fespect ol my eyarnlnatlon ttl your charity's flnanclal statements as carried out under sectlon 145 01 the Charitles Act 2011 (the '2011 Act'l. In carrylng out mv éxamlnailon I have followed the Olrectlons 8iven by the Charity CommI$51on under sectlon 145ISllbl ol the 2011 Act. Ind•peDdent examlnér's report Slnce the company'5 8ros5 Incorne exceeded £250,C4JQ your examlner must bÈ a member ol a body Ilsted In sectlon 145 of the 2011 Act. I conflrm that l am quallfled to undertake the examlnatlon because l am a member of the In5tltute of Chaftered Accountant5 In England and Wales, whSch Is one ol the Ilsted bodlès. I have completed my exarnlnatlon. I conflrm that no matiers have com8 to my attentlon In connéctlon vjlth the oxamlnatlon 8lvln8 me cause to belleve,. a¢countln8 records were not kept In resPECt ol the company as requlred by sectlon 386 of the 2006 Act; or the flnanclal statements do not actord w5th those accountln8 records,, or the flnantlal statements do not comply wlth rhe ac¢ounllng requSrements of sectlon 396 01 the 2006 Act other than any requlrement that the flnanclal stateryient5 8Sve a 'true and falrf vlew whlch 15 not a matter consldered as part ol an independent examlnatSon,' or the flnanclal statements hève not been prepared In accordance wlth the methods and prlnclples of the statement ol Recoinmended practlce for accounting and reportlng t>y charltles lappllcable to charltles preparlnE rhelr Ilnanclal statements In accordance wlth the Flnanclal Reportln8 StÈndard appllcable In the UK and Republlt of Ireland (FR5 1021. I have no concerns 8nd have come across no other rnatters In conne¢tlon wlth the exarnlnatlon to whlch attentlon should be drawn in this report In order to enable a proper understandln8 01 the Ilnanclal statements to be reachèd. Nl¢holas M Smlth ACA, CTA Vlllafs Hayward LLP Chartered Accountants, Reglstered Audiiors and Chartered Tam Adv15èr5 Boston House HeTrley-on.Thames RG9 IDY Date.. .2021 Page 8

Theo tns Istered Com aces Soclet Re an Nurnber.. 07B46516 Statement ol Flnanclal Attlvltle$ Inclvdl Income and Ex endlture Accountl For the Yeai Ended 31 December 2020 Unrestrlcled funds Restrlcied funds Endowment funds Totsl funds 2020 Tot•1 funds 2019 Note Inme and er*dowmortts from,. Oonatlons1Snc. Gllt Aldl and legacles 220,343 220,343 J89,063 Charltable actlvltle5 Subscrlptions Appeols 76,234 15,195 76.234 15,19S 72,323 44,606 her tradlng 8ctlvitle5 Sole olpubllcotlon5 et¢. 6,ISJ 6,151 4,384 Investments 2S,429 23,688 1.126 50,243 58,232 Other lTh¢¢me 2,491 Total 343,360 23,688 1,126 368,174 371,099 Exp•ndIre on,. Ralslng funds Otherpubllcatlons costs 9S 95 29 stclJsalarle5 Premlses cost5 Admlnlsrrotlon costs Locul correspondents Open Space ondwebslle Othercosts Governunce costs 183,853 18,898 29,383 160 30,300 214,153 18,898 29,383 160 2W,SOI 15,048 35,134 178 20,102 120.139 10,691 13,379 109,217 7.405 13,379 181,221 7,405 io li 72,004 Total 362,390 102,304 464,694 401,822 GalnllLossl on Investment assets 12 164,4991 1101.8651 14,8401 1171,2041 140,626 Net Incomè I lexpensel 183,5291 1180,4811 13,7141 1267.7241 109,903 Transfers between funds 3,IC¥) 11,9741 11.1261 180,4291 1182,4SSI 14,8401 1267,7241 109.903 R•conclllatlon of funds: Total fund5 brought forward 1,448.880 526,614 Z7,900 2,003,394 1,693,491 Total lunds carrled forward 13 1.368.451 344,159 23,060 1,735,670 2,003,394 Pa8e 9

S1 465 .12.20 3L1119 Tantbble fix•d assets Investrntnts 7.069 815596 4,034 986,8(NJ 15 Tololfvedossets 822,665 99DM34 5.651 I,OCQ,788 20,389 Deor5 Flxed and shori thrrn dtposlls •th li nk ind In hiTh4 16 17 1,992 920,446 23,541 TotolLrentossets U•WIIII•i: •dltori: •rNuntsfallbni due tAihln oni Or 945.979 1.026,828 132.9741 {14,2fj81 e1¢wt £wetlI10bH11IéS) 913,005 1,012,560 Totsl net Ossets 1,735,670 2.CQ3394 The ldI olth• thifftv: Endowment 27,900 A¢itrkted Cretth Jonesfvnd Condyjund ilnr•stdctNI lurO5'. GeneralluftGI Slrotegk ieJeM Jvnd 40,437 a03,722 48,915 477.689 312,768 971.112 165.OLXI ?05.601 727,847 435,orKI 1,735,670 2m3,394 Totsl dwithyf¥ndi Th• charfiable rnpany ts ¢111 to empl10n from ¥wlli und•r 5gcU¢)n 477 01 th•Comwnlès Aci 2006 for the y¢•r •nded Ji fie(•Mbar 2020, The mernb•rs not rqulred thw Eh•rltible ¢omp•ny to obtsln •n audli d itsfln•ncl•l staiements kn the year end•d 31 DembEr 2020 In •¢¢ord•nc• vlih SettlDn 476 olihe Companles 3006. Tho trusteqs•Ckr1edle Iholr responslL4lltles for.. l•1 th•t th• ¢harltble ComnY keeps •cwUnlI iecoids whlth omply Secilons 386 ind 387 01 the CompJnleJ ki 2006 ond Ibl Ilnbnclal statements whlch 81¥• ? tf¥o lair of tht• ol •ff•lrs olth• dwritibl• camp•ny as at the end of •#ch fln•nrlal year •NI ol Its Sur$ oi denclt lor each flnandal ye&r in xcorthnce wlth the r•gulrem•nt5 01 Sectlons 394 •Thd 395 and whlch othen¥liè comply wlih the requlremeTrtsol th•COMp1 Act ?(KJ6 rp.latlne lo flnaTrclal slalement5. 50 lar as appllcable to the ¢h•dtsble companv. Tbest fknaDdal 51at•ments have been prepaitd In acwrdènce wilh thè spoclal prolI0n$ of Pail 15 01 the CompJnlEJ Aci 2W6 r•lallne ro small charllabie £ompanles and wlth ihe FID*nclal ReporLln8 si•nd¥fO appllc•llE In ihe UnSted KId0M arml Aepubll£ of Irelino IFAS 1021. fln•nd•l £t•tements were approvèd by th& 8oir an tts b•hill by. IT IS ApYknL.....-.... 2021 ond ww• iwed Dr P D Wadoy. Chalrm S M W•Tr-Treasurer Pa80 10

Theo Istered Com ens aces Soclet Number.. 07846516 Re an Notes to the fln8 For the Year Ended 31 December Z02Q clal statements ACCOUNTING POLICIES The principal atcountlng Pollcles adopted, judgement5 and key sources of estlmatlon for uncertalnty In the preparatlon of the flnanclal statements are as follows.. lal Bis15 of preparatlon The linanclal staiement5 have beÈn prepared In accordance with AccountlnE and Reportlng by Charltles.. Statement ol Recornmended Practice applicable to charitles preparing their accounts In accordance wlth the Flnanclal Reportlng Standard appllcable in the UK and Ropublic ol Ireland IFRS 1021- Icharltles SORP IFRS 10211, the Flnanclal Reportln8 Standard appllcable In the UK and Republic Of Ireland IFRS 1021 and the Companles Act 2LKI6. The Open Spaces Soclety meets the deflnlllon ol a publlc beneflt entity under FAS 102. A$5etS 8nd118bllltles are In1311¥ rècodnlsed at hlstorlcal cost or transactlon value unless otherwise slited In the relevant accountlng pollcy notelsl. Ibl Income reco8nltlon poll¢l•s Items ol Sncome are recoBnlsed and Included In the flnanclal 5tattments when all of the lollowln8 crlterla are met,. the charlty ha% entitlement ta the funds., any performance CDndlllons attached to the Itemlsl ol Income have bèen met or are lullv wlthln the control of rhe charlty; there 15 5ufflcleni certalnty that recelpt of the Incorne Is conslderéd probable, and the amount Gan be Ireasured rellably. Lei8£les For le8acles, entltlement15 taken as the earller ol.. the date on whlch the charlty Is aware that probate has been Branted., the estate has been flnallsed and noilflcatlon has been made by the executorlsl to the charSty that a dlstrlbutlon wlll be made., or when a dlstrlbution 1$ rèeelved from the estate. Receipt ol a legacy, In whole or In part, Is only c¢n5Idered probable when thè amount can be measured rellably and the charlty has been notlfled ol the executor's IntentSon to make a dlstrlbutloTh, oihèr voluntery Income Voluntary Income recelved by way of 5ubscrlptlon, donatlons 3nd appeals Is Included In the flnanclal statements when recelvable and thE amount con be measured rellably by the ch8rlty. Donated servlces The value of servlces provlded by volunteers has not been Included In these flnanclal statements. Interesi recelvjble Int8re5t on funds held on dep051t is Included when rtceivable and the amount can be mea.5ured rellably by the harlty,. th1$ Is normally upon notlllcatlon of the interest pald or p)yable by the bank. (¢1 Expondlture and Irrecoverable VAT Expenditure Is recognlsed onte there Is a le8al or constructlvè obllgatlon to make a payment to a thlrd party, it Is probable that 5ettlEment wlll be requlred and the amount of the obllgatSon can be measured réllably. Expendlturé is classified under the following actlvlty headln8S'. Expendtture on Charltable actlvltles comprise those costs Incurred by the charlty In the dellvery of Its actlvrtles and servlces for Ils benellclarles, It includes both costs that Can be allocated dlrectly to such actlvitles and those cost5 of an indirect nature nece55ary to support them. Governance costs Include those costs assoclated wlth the constltutlonal and statutory reoulrements ol the charlty and Include the1ndependent examlner's fee5 and costs Ilnked to the strategic mana8ement of the charlty. Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against ihe activity lor whlth the expendlture was Incurred. Page 11

Theo ens Re LKlstered Com an a¢es Soclet Number.. 07846516 otes to the Ilnanclal st te contlnue Fort Year Ended 31 December 2020 ents ACCOUNTING POLICIES Icontlnuedl Idl Flxed Assets Fixed assets lexcludln8 Investment51 are stated at cost les5 accumulated depreclatlon. Oepreclatlon Is provlded so as to wrlte off the asset over four years. Inve5trnent5 held as flxed assets are revalued at mld-market value at the balance sheet date and the 8aln or loss taken to the Statement of Flnanclal Actlvltle5. (•} Fund Accountln8 Generolfund Thls is an unrestrlcted fund whlch Is to be Invested lor the b@nellt of the society but remalns avallable tts the trustees to be used lor the object5 of the society or lor maklng allocatlons to the Strate6lc Reserve lund. stmteqlc Re&éThe Jund - Thls Is an unrestrlcted lund dèrlved from allocatlon5 from the General fund. It15 Ihe pollcy of the trustees to keep 48 months, reserve In thls ftsnd, so that It should hold sufflcSent to cover the 50clety's followlng 48 months, net out8olng5, and to allow lor an orderly closure of tht soelety thereafter, should thls become necessary. In line wlth this pollcy, the fund stood at £727,847 at 31 December 2020, Thls ltsnd Is to be Invested for the beneflt of the soclety bui remalns avallable to the trustees to transfer back to the General fund In case ol need. Appllcotlons Reserye Fund - this15 an unrestrlcted fuDd derlved liom allocatlons from the Geheril Fund, The funds wlthln thls re5erv8 are to be used to see throu8h to completlon appllcatlon5 tts reglster rlghts ol way or tommon land where the oppllcatlon has been made In the name of the Soclety. Some appllcatlons aré determlned qulckly and wlthout $16nlllcant cost, but for some there may be many years between Jn appllcatlon belng made and Its concluslon. The Trustées tonslder that It15 appropilate to hold a reserve for thls purpose 50 that protracled appllcatlons can be supported. Cr•tch Jones Jund The Income Irorn thls restrlcted fund may be used lor the oblects of the 50clety that would not normally be met from the GenerJl fund. Cundylund - Thls Is a restrlcted fund to be used only ftsr the general charltable purpose5 of the Opens Spaces Soclety. It Is not to be used lor adminlstratlve expenses. Bumtonfvnd. The Incorne from this fund is transferred to the soclety's Genéral tund. DONATIONS IINC, GIFT AIDI AND LEGACIES 31,12.20 31.12.19 Denatlons Legacles Glft Ald 9,530 121,380 192,588 26,027 18,225 41.656 220,343 189,063 APPEALS AND GIFT AID Funds ralsed by appeals ovor the year also generated related Income vla Gllt Ald. Donailons Appeal Glft Ald Total Lekal Fund Replenlshment IAutumn 20191 5avlnE Lockdown Space5 5,760 9,435 653 2,078 6,413 11,513 15,195 2,731 17,926 INCOME FROM OTHER TRADING AcfiviTIE5 51.12.10 31.12.19 Sales of publlcations Special projects and iralnln8 Trusts, royaltles, commIlOn etc. 1,455 871 1.000 2.513 4,696 6.ISI 4,384 Page 12

Theo ens acts Socl Istered coMY Nurnber.. 07846516 an Notes to the flnanclal statements contlnued For the Vear Ended 3IDeMber 2020 INVESTMENT INCOME 31.12.20 31.12,19 Llsted Inve5trnents Cash Investmènts 39,812 10,431 49,319 6,913 50,243 58,232 OTHER INCOME 31.IZ.20 31.12.19 Othei Income 2,491 Othèr Income comprises sundry recelpts unrelated to the opèratlons ol the charltv. STAFF SALARIES 31.12.20 31.12.19 Gross salarles Temporary starf s81grles Employer's Natlonal Insurance contrlbutlons Employer penslon contrlbutlons Recrultment costs 184,980 1,840 12,199 7,928 7,206 179,034 13,404 7,024 1,039 214,153 200,SOI Employees wlth emoluments exceedlng the Charlty Commlsslon reportln8 threshold of £60,000,. NII12019.' NIII The average number of full-tlme equlvalent employees In the year was slx12019.. Ilvèl PREMISES COSTS 3J,12,20 31.12.19 Rent Llght and heat Other Cleanlng Repalrs and malntenanc6 Insurance Ratès and water Consumables 7,81XI 1,268 628 1,481 6,023 694 902 102 7,8CM) 1,304 718 1,530 2,084 560 911 141 18,898 15,048 ADMINISTRATION COSTS 31,12,20 31.12.19 P05ta8e, telephone and 5tatlonerv IT ¢osts Travel and subslstence Prlntlng and photocopylng Costs of appeals lor fundlng Depreciatlon of tomputer equlpment Other Profe5slonal Indemnity insurance 8,241 9,165 1,985 3,690 2,097 1,909 1,205 1,091 8,885 8,363 6,109 4,074 4,251 951 1,420 1,081 29,383 35,134 Page 13

Theo ered Co ens aces So¢let Number.. 07846516 Notes to the Ilnanclal statements Contlnued For the Year Ended 31 December 2020 OTHER COSTS 31,12,20 31.12,19 Markellng Legal Costs Subscrlptlons Conferences and trainlng Don&tlon5 and Grants Legacy mallln8 to the Law Socletv gook5 and maps Common$ Re8lstratloD Project 3S,608 61,443 10,822 528 34.768 40.013 10,191 2,876 9S 800 16 67 32,129 72,004 181,221 120,139 li GOVERNANCE COSTS 31.12.20 31.12.19 Independent examlner's fees1Sncludlng taxatlon servlcesl AGM and trustees other prolesslonal fee5 5,634 918 853 4,861 S,249 581 7,405 10,691 12 GAINSIIL055ESI ON INVESTMENT ASSETS Unreallsed 8aln11105sI on revaluatlon of Investments 1171,2041 140,626 331-Z3r ij ANALYSIS OF FUNDS Openlng balance Net Incornel l¢xpendliurel Trinsl•rs Closlng ba1411¢• Unrestrfcted lund$ General fund StrateBlc reservè lund Appllcatlons reserve fund 312,768 971,112 165.000 183,5291 123,63SI 1243,2651 270.CQO 205,604 727,847 435.WJ Restrl¢ted fund$ Creech Jones luTrd Candy fund 48,925 477,689 16,S141 1173,9671 11,9741 40,437 303.722 Endowm•nl funds Buxton fund 21,s)0 13,7141 11.1261 23,060 2,003,394 1267.7241 1,735,670 Page 14

Theo ens Istered Com aces Soclet Number.. 07846516 an Notes to the flDanc!al statements Icontinued For the Year Endtrd 31 De 20 14 TANGIQLE FIXED ASSETS Ofllce equlpment Computer equlpment Totlll Cost At l Janu3ry 2020 Addltlons 015posals 10,170 701 39,321 4,243 49,491 4,944 Al 31 December 2020 10,871 43,564 54,435 Depreclutlon At l January 2020 Ctharge for the year 015P05als 9,798 178 35,659 1,731 45,457 1,909 At 310ecember 2020 9,976 37,390 47,366 Net book value at 3J December2020 895 6,174 7,069 Net book volue at 31 December2019 372 3,662 4,034 Is INVESTMENTS 2020 2019 AT MARKET VALUE I JANUARY Net Investment galn51llos5esl 986,800 1171,2041 846,174 140,626 AT MARKET VALUE 31 DECEMBER 815.S96 986,800 There wèrè no Investment assets outslde the UK. The Inve5tment$ are held primaflly to provlde aTh Investment rÈturn lor the Charitv. The hlstorlcal c05t of the above Investment5 at 31 December 2020 Is £720,34912019'. A720,3491 16 DEBTORS 2020 2019 Accrued Intome Legacles recelvable Professlonal Indemnlty Insuian¢e prepald I,ociJ 4,660 991 991 1,992 5.651 Page 15

Theo ens l$tered Com aces Soclet Nurnber.. 07B46516 Re Noies to ihe flnanclal statements contlnued For ihe Year Ended 31 DÈcember 2020 17 FIXED ANO SHORT TERM DEPOSITS 31.12.20 31.12.19 Aldermore 8ank @ond Hampshlre Trust Bank Cambrld8e & Countle5 Bank The Charlty Bank Shawbfook Bank NatIOnde Instant Savèr Unlted Trust Bank CAF Gold Account Natlonwlde Instant Saver Hod8e 8ank Fuiness @ulldln8 Soclety Alllca Bank 78,543 85,000 89.152 86,800 85,000 86,052 89.035 50.850 I5,10 85,0 85,000 85,OJ4 77,113 85.000 87,918 85,005 85,000 85,000 87,101 408,651 920.446 1,000,788 CREDITORS., AMOUNTS FALLING OUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 31.12.20 31.LZ.19 Tradq credlwrs Accruals Other taxes and soclal securlty costs Prov151Dn lor future costs 14,220 3,912 4,842 10,000 9,864 3,914 490 32,974 14,268 19 PARLIAMENT PIECE The $oclety owns ihls land In Kenllworth whleh15 lea5etl, under a 99-year lease, to Warwlck Olstrlct Coundl and mana8ed locally. No value has been placed on this land In these linallclal 5tatement5. 20 REMUNERATION OF TRUSTEES None of the trustees recelved any remuneratlon12019- nlll. An a8gre8ate of £36712019.. £1,223) wa5 relmbursed to four12019- four) tr115tees lor expenses Incuired In relatlon to the soclety's actlvltles, Includlng attendlng meetlngs andlor actlng as local coNespondentS. 21 COVID 19 Ihe coronavlrus pandernlc has 51gnlll£èntly dlsrupted Indlvldu31s' personal Ilves and bu51ne5ses' econornlc prospects In the UK and across the globe. The UK entered lockdowns in March 2020 and Novernber 2020 wlth a thlrd lockdown commencln8 early In January 2021. Whèn the country was not In lockdown restrlctlons on movement and 50clal dlstancln8 provisions remalned in place. The trustees have contlnued to prepare ihe flnanclal statements on a 8oln8 concem basls and the trustees deern thls to be approprlate. The trustees do not conslder that a materlal uncertalThty about the charlty's 8olng tontern status currently emlsts. In making this asse55ment the trustees have consldered the Ilkely tradlng cond1t105 for a perlod of twelve months from the date of approval of these Ilnanclal stètement5. Page 16