OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator. This document is also available as Markdown.

← Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity

2023-12-31-accounts

Shepreth Wlldllfe Conservatlon Charity Report and Unaudlted Accounts For the perlod Isi April 2023 to 3151 Decembei. 2023 SlIL'prL.IlI Wll(IlilL Cons¢Jly.Ition Lhariiy RL'xl&tL'I'L.d il)ai'lty nuniber 114S477

Shepreth Wlldllfe Conservatlon Charlty Charlty Informatlon Trustees Rebecca Wlllers Sally Willers Colin Taylor Jane Taylor leanelle Rlchards Mlke Hunter LSZ Dams Yvonne Morfln L5z Bennett Hannah Liniott IChaSrpersonl (Secretary) ITrea5urerl (Reslgned 20,06,20231 Independent Accountants Taylor & Co. Chartered Certifled Accountants The Sycamores 43 Knee5worih Street Royslon Hells SG8 SAB Buslness address and contact detèlls c/0, Shepieih WlldlSfe Park Station Road Shepreth Royston Herls SG8 GPZ Emall.. 5WCC she reihwlldlife ack.co.uk Re8lstered Charlty Numb•r 1145477 Bankers Lloyds TS8 The Cross 2 Melbourn Street Roy51on Herts SG8 9AB Governlng Document Con5tilutlon

Shepreth Wlldllle Conservatlon Charlty Reports and Accounts Contents Trustees Report i-io Statement of Trustees responsSbllltles li Independenl Examlner's Report 12-13 Sialement of Flnanclal Acilvliles 14 Balance Sheet 15 Notes 10 ihe Accounts 16.19

==> picture [126 x 114] intentionally omitted <==

SWCC Annual Report 2023

Report of the Trustees

Please note the reporting period of this Annual Report is for the duration of nine months only: 1[st] April 2023 – 31[st] December 2023. This was designed so the charity could continue reporting in the future January – December.

During the Twelve year (2023) of operation the Charity, Trustees and volunteers have undertaken work falling within the following:

  1. Raising funds through various means to donate to other charities whose aims are consistent with the Charity’s own, but have the local presence and expertise to achieve the Charity’s objectives.

  2. Management of the SWCC Hedgehog Hospital.

  3. Events successfully delivered: Easter Conservation Trail, Wildlife on Your Doorstep Campaign, Fossils Galore Event, Tiger Day, Clouded Leopard Day, Hedgehog Day, Lemur Day, Elephant Day, Maned Wolf Awareness Talk, Red Panda Day, Halloween, Raffle, Santa’s Grotto

  4. Recruitment and training of staff and volunteers to manage the hedgehog programme.

  5. Educating the general public about conservation projects supported by SWCC and the work of the SWCC Hedgehog Hospital

Achievements and Performance

1. The Board of Trustees

The Charity has continued to raise funds for a variety of conservation causes in line with its aims and objectives.

2. Donations

The Charity raised and made donations of funding and equipment to:

3. SWCC Hedgehog Hospital

The Charity raised the funds required to keep the Hedgehog Hospital running efficiently. In the 2023 nine month reporting period the hospital admitted 416 hedgehogs. The success of this reporting period is credit to the staffing team and volunteers who continue to work hard during to ensure that high standards of welfare were maintained throughout the year.

We would like to acknowledge Natasha Ennew and Kirstie Coddington for collating this data and producing this report on behalf of SWCC.

1

==> picture [126 x 115] intentionally omitted <==

SWCC Hedgehog Hospital Data

Reporting Period 01.04.23 – 31.12.23

Release Reason % View

==> picture [596 x 402] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
2%
2%
12%
Release
Death
Euthansia
50%
DOA
34%
In Care
Release Reason Count View
250
200
150
100
50
0
In Care DOA Total Release Total Death Total Unknown
Euthanasia exits
----- End of picture text -----

Release percentage has reached 50%, which is an outstanding achievement and easily surpasses the expected study outcome from Molony et al (2007); that concludes only 30 to 40% of wildlife casualties are successfully released back into the wild.

There are no unknown exits recorded this year. Accurate record keeping is instrumental in achieving this admission count picture. The Hospital Team have ensured files are completed, therefore we can accurately audit the hedgehog journey from their admittance to their destination. Only 11 hedgehogs are recorded as remaining in care from this reporting period. Euthanasia’s again remain higher than earlier years, due to changes in protocols; this ensures that no disabled hedgehogs are placed in secure gardens inhibiting their natural instincts.

2

Admission Reasons

==> picture [596 x 434] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Admission Reasons % View
2% 0%
0% 0%0% 0%
Injured
3%
3%
Out During the Day
6%
Underweight
7%
1%
Unknown
Orphan
18%
Other
Attack
60%
0% Trapped
0%
DOA
TBA
Admission Reasons Count View
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Out During the DayInjured UnderweightUnknown Orphan Other Attack Trapped DOAOther - Disturbed NestTBA Removed - Unsafe…Water Other - RingwormOther - Born into care
----- End of picture text -----

‘Out during the day,’ like previous reporting years, is the main reason identified as to why hedgehogs are admitted to our care. This is closely followed by orphans. The Hospital Team often educates the public via Facebook or Public Talks as to when is appropriate to intervene with nests that are assumed to have been abandoned or disturbed. This is to give the mother a chance to come back to nurse or move her young. Trapped Hedgehog admissions have doubled this year, and this would be a prudent topic to educate the public on ‘dangers in your garden’ via their communication channels.

At the point when the Admission Form needs re-printing, we will be looking to introduce a ‘final diagnosis’ field to our files to see if we can analyse the real reason they were admitted. For instance, a hedgehog found out during the day may, under further examination, be injured which is not initially visible and this would alter their admittance reason. New admission reasons were added last year which breakdown the ‘other’ category. This is an ongoing process; we will shortly be adding breathing difficulties and tick burden as admission categories on the data set. Again, this year, we have no unknown admission reasons, thanks to the scrupulous diligence of the Hospital Team.

We will also look at adding fields to quantify ecto-parasite burdens upon arrival, in order to analyse any patterns with likely death outcome or identify successful parasite treatments.

3

What If?

If we deduct the hedgehogs that we were never able to save like euthanasia’s, dead on arrival and those that pass within 48 hours of admittance (deemed unsavable as they are already in critical decline) the total release percentage will increase from 60% to 71%.

The Unsavable

The totals below show the numbers that have either passed within 48 hours of arrival, were euthanised, or were deceased upon arrival.

==> picture [596 x 314] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Death <2 68
Euthanasia<2 50
DOA 7
Total 125
Exit Reasons What If % View In Care
4%
Euthansia
0%
DOA
0%
Death
25%
Release
71%
Release Death Euthansia DOA In Care
----- End of picture text -----

In conjunction with the Hospital Manager and vet Elizabeth Church, we aim to review the deaths under 48 hrs to see if we can alter care plans and/or introduce new care plans. For instance, a protocol for treating suspected salmonella cases is in draft and will be reviewed and agreed shortly. The Hospital core manuals are also under review.

4

Gender Split Information

==> picture [596 x 249] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Gender Split Count
250
200
150
230
100 183
50
3 0
0
Male Female Not Sexed TBD
----- End of picture text -----

==> picture [596 x 268] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Gender split % View
1% 0%
Male
44% Female
55% Not Sexed
TBD
----- End of picture text -----

Unlike previous reporting years, this is the second year we have seen the gender gap trend towards more males being admitted into our care. Previous reporting periods have indicated almost a 50/50 split on gender. Only one hedgehog remained gender unidentified; the need for them to receive emergency veterinary care overtakes the need to record the gender in this instance.

We will be looking to report on how many males and females have been released to understand if there is a pattern emerging from our survival perspective.

5

Getting Me Home

==> picture [92 x 10] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
GET ME HOME
----- End of picture text -----

==> picture [7 x 7] intentionally omitted <==

==> picture [7 x 7] intentionally omitted <==

==> picture [259 x 170] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Home Same Sub Post Code Same Main Post Code
Outisde Area Incomplete Data
6%
34%
30%
15%
15%
----- End of picture text -----

Category Code Example
Home 1 Complete Post Code Match
Same Sub Postcode 2 i.e. CB21 to CB21
Same Main Postcode 3 i.e. CB to CB
Outside Main Postcode 4 i.e. CB to SG
Incomplete Data 5 unable to define

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society conclude that hedgehogs build a mental map of their home range to help better navigate their environment. Hedgehogs released from unknown sites face larger competition for resources and a greater risk of road mortality. They may also spread infectious diseases to new populations. Simply release a hedgehog where they will be most content, within its original home range.

However, it is not always possible to release back home for several reasons:

The Hospital Team strive to get the hedgehogs back home as swiftly as possible. For whatever reason, where this is not possible, or suitable, the nearest location to the home site is preferred to be used.

This view represents the release picture by Post Code view, unfortunately this does not show actual distance. For instance, a hedgehog released outside of the main postcode area CB1 to SG8 may only be a few miles away and is still suitable. We are looking at mapping software to better represent this view in the future. Mapping software is quite expensive, and we have been looking at free software; but they do have restrictions which make some of them unsuitable.

6

==> picture [596 x 241] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Release Postcode Count View
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
CB1 3LZ CB10 1PJ CB10 1TE CB11 3QJ CB21 5HD CB21 5JD CB22 3SR CB22 4RA CB23 2SH CB23 2SN CB23 2TR CB23 4LT CB23 6LD CB23 7XD CB23 7XT CB24 9JY CB25 0GB CB25 9JZ CB5 8RQ CB6 3AA CB8 0EU IP33 3RR MK43 8GB MK44 3JH PE19 7LQ PE27 6TH PE27 6TN PE28 0BZ PE28 4TJ PE28 5SG PE29 1HW PE29 2ED PE29 2YW SG18 8TT SG19 3EJ SG4 7AA SG5 1QZ SG6 3HF SG7 5HF SG8 0BD SG8 6JH SG9 9TD
----- End of picture text -----

This chart shows the number of Hedgehogs that have been released to a specific postcode; with the maximum number of six, per site, being recorded. Many sites rehome a single hedgehog. This view can be used to build into our release strategy to ensure that sites are not overpopulated. With the re-introduction of our ‘tagging project,’ in 2024/25, we will gain citizen science to see how our releases behave once released.

The Hospital Team have focused on postcode date capture at admission and release points; therefore, we only have 6% incomplete records vs 33% that we have reported in earlier years (2021-2022).

There is an opportunity for focus, this year, to reduce the number of hedgehogs that are released outside their area. It is noted that this may not always be feasible due to release sites not being available or prepared at the same time the hedgehog is ready to be released.

Note: This report will be updated to include our audit information and gender survival rates.

7

Report of the Trustees (continued)

3.1 Staffing

SWCC employs a Hospital Manager and three part-time Welfare Assistants. Volunteers are continually recruited and trained to maintain the hospital on a seven-day/week basis.

Alongside Shepreth Wildlife Park, SWCC employed a Conservation Officer to co-ordinate the community engagement programme and help develop the longer-term conservation strategies.

3.2 Release Programme

At the time of reporting , 216 were successfully released back into the wild. We would like to thank the Hospital staff, volunteers and Release Site Co-ordinator for this tremendous success.

3.3 Hedgehog Scientific Advisory Board (HSAB - Research)

The SWCC Hedgehog Hospital has continued to support student research projects by offering its data for desktop studies and assisting in research conducted at other institutions and in the field.

3.4 Hedgehog Helpline

SWCC staff man a hedgehog helpline.

4. Website

The SWCC website (www.swccharity.org) continued to be updated in 2023.

5. Fundraising

The committee continued to meet virtually to discuss grant applications and upcoming fundraising events. Regular fundraising event days took place during the year.

5.1 Grants

Grants were applied and received from:

5.2 Donations

Donations (over £500) were received from:

8

6. Media

The SWCC Hedgehog Hospital continued to receive good media coverage, and SWCC staff and volunteers maintain a successful social media presence.

The relationship with Eddy Temple-Morris, Virgin Radio DJ, continued with regular updates to listeners about the work of the charity live on his daily show.

7. Education

The Hedgehog Challenge badge was designed and created by 1[st] Swavesey Rainbows after an inspirational trip to Shepreth Wildlife Park in 2022. All profits from this badge will go to the SWCC Hedgehog Hospital.

An educational section was added to the website: http://www.swccharity.org

SWCC updated it’s ‘Guide to Hedgehogs’ which was mass reproduced. 1,000’s of copies have continued to be distributed, in addition to the PDF download from the SWCC website: https://swccharity.org/guide-to-helphedgehogs

The monthly awareness and conservation events, which ran on-site throughout 2023 to help highlight the work of SWCC and other conservation initiatives, took the form of invited speakers, workshops, and relevant educational games.

The 2022 promotional video of the history of the wildlife park and the work of the conservation charity and SWCC Hedgehog Hospital continued to be screened to the 100,000 visitors to the wildlife park in 2023 to help promote conservation awareness.

8. Community

Community plays a significant role in what we do, from training volunteers, assisting students with the research element of the hedgehog programme, to advising people on how to make their garden wildlife friendly.

We continued to work closely within the local community and with organised wildlife groups, to inspire and encourage citizen science programmes and enthuse young people to engage in wildlife and habitat restoration projects. Between them they also attended 29 pre-booked formal talks and events including school assembly talks, sustainability events, WI talks and uniform group events.

We would like to thank Liz, Judith and Terri for their time spent on this community engagement.

Report of the Trustees (Ends)

9

Shepreth Wlldllfe Conservatlon Charlty Report of the Twstees IcontSnuedl Flnanclal Revlew The financS0l accounts ère set out on pa8e5 14 - 19. The flnancial 5tèlemenl ha5 been prepared Implemeniln8 the Stalemenl of Recommended PraciSce for AccountlnB and Reporlln8 by Charllles Issued by Ihe Charity Commission for En8land and Wales lelfecllnB April 2005) and in accordance with Ihe Financial Reporting standard lor smaller Entities leffective january 20051. Ourlng the perlod Ihe principal SOUTces of fundbng were fundralsln8 and donailons. The Siatemenl of Flnanciel Actlvitles shows nel expendliure of £16,278 which deducted from reseryes brolsght forward of E74,829 make lolal Teserves of £58,551 al the year eT)d. The Restrlcted funds lolal £14,689 IHed8eho8s Nll, Red Pandas (272, Lemur £12, Elephanl E503, Charily Ball £23.088 and Shepreih Wildlife Park £20,814) whlch leaves free rese￿e5 01 £13.B62. The Trustees are sailsfled Ihat ihese re5eThes are 5ufflclent at the piesent tSme. Plans lor future years The Charlly expects lo Increase Its fund-raSsln8 and obtaSn B Tants to pay for the hospltals runnln8 C0515, employ staff and io allow11 lo conllnue to donate 10 other charSlles. This report was approved by the board of Trustees on 19, Septembei 2024, io

Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity

Statement of Trustees Responsibilities

Charity 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 Charity as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including Statement of Financial Activities, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the management committee should follow best practice and:

' . • Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

The Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report was approved by the Board ofTrustees on 19 [th ] September 2024 .

==> picture [125 x 43] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
.... [� ] ......... Chair
----- End of picture text -----

Shepreth Wlldllfe ConseNallon Charity Independent Examlnerfs Report Report of the Independent Examlner to the trustees on the Unaudlted accounts of the charlty for the perlod I" Apr512023 to 31" December 2024 I feport on Ihe accounts ol the company for the period 1° Aprll 2023 to 31" December 2024. which are set out on pages 14 to 19. Respectlve responslbllltle5 of trustees and examSnef The charily's trustees are responsible for Ihe preparation of accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for thi5 period under section 144 01 ihe Chari1Se5 Att 2011 (the Charltles Act) and that an independent examination 15 needed. The charity's gross Income dld not exceed £500,(KKJ although the charily's trustee5 have reqvesled that an independent examiner5 report is undertaken. l am qualified to undertake the examlnatlon by beln8 a qualified member of The Association of Chartered Certified Accounianis. Havin8 satisfied myself thal the charity is not subject to an audit under Charitles Commisslon law and Is ell8ible for Independeni exominalion. it 15 my responsibility lo: examine the accounts under se¢tton 145 of ihe Charitles Acl: to follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charily Commission (under section 145151(bl ol ihe Charilies Aci.. and to 51ate whether particulèr rnatlers have come to my attention. Basls of Independent examlnerfs staternent My examlnallon was conducted In accofdance with general direction5 glven by the Charity Commission. An examinalion includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charily and a ¢omparison of the accounts presented wlth those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual Items or dlsclosure5 in ihe accoun15 and seeking explanailons (rom the Ifustee5 conterning any such malters. The procedures undertaken do not provide B11 the evidence thal would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinton 15 given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair, view, and ihe report Is Ilmlted to those matter5 set out In the statement below. 12

Shepreth WIidiife Conservation Charity

Independent Examiner's Report (continued)

Independent Examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

  1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

  2. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act;

  3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the a,counting requirements o.f the Charities Act have not been met; or

  4. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

==> picture [122 x 54] intentionally omitted <==

Taylor & Co. Chartered Certified Accounts The Sycamores 43 Kneesworth Street Royston Herts SGS SAS

Date: 19'" September 2024

13

8h•pr•th Ilfjldllh Con••ThNtlon Chlrlty ¢h•rtty Numb•r, 1145477 B•lnÉ• ahw •• at 3IBt Q•c•rnb•r 202J 3111W2023 3110312013 IJ) 2J.481 26.401 Curr•nlA•••¢• C•ih al 8•nk and In hM¢S 36.729 40.L¥J1 $io¢k 3.29S 8unthy D•btorn 1.164 Pr•Pl￿•ll 2,S20 47 N•1 CwT•nl Toiol l•M Gurrenl Ll•bHIU• ,SJ1 74,&20 CF•diorn.' Jnounii ¢u• •4•ronè y•Ar N•t A•••l Fund• •fth• Ch4rtty VnrniirtL%od lun 13,682 30,4Q4 R••lrtql•d *Jndi'. M•dqohog• TIBorn R•d P•nd• 272 523 12 £1￿1￿￿1 Chirtty Bill 2),￿0 23.088 8heprelh Wl¢Jlff• P• 20.e14 YOMI Fund• 74 e29 15

Shepreth Wlldllfe Conservatlon Charltv Notes to the Accounts For the perlod I" Aprll 2023 to 3111 Decembtr 2023 Accountlng pollcles Ba515 of preparatlon of Hcrounts The Ilnanclal siatemen15 have been prepared in accordance with the FlnancSal Repoftlng Slandord5 for Smaller Entities IFRSSEI, effective April 2008, and all other appllcable standards, as modlfled by the Sialemenl of Recommended Practice for Accounting and Reborlln8 Issued by the Charity CommSssioner5 for England & Wales, elfective October 2005. The account5 have been drown up in accordance with the provisions of the Charities Aci and the Companles Act. The company has also taken advanta8e of the exemption Irb Fin3nclèl Reporting Standard No. I from the requlrement io produce a cash flow 51atement. The Chaflty is entirely dependent on donations, fundraisin8 and grants a5 a consequence Ihe 8oin8 concern basls Is also dependent on the conlinvation of donatlons, fundraSslnB and grants. The partlcvlar accountln8 pollcies adopied are set out below. Accountlng conventlon The nnanclal siaiemenls afe prepared, on a going concern basis, Ltnder the historical cost convention b5 modified by the revaluation of freehold land and buildln8s and fixed asset investments, Incomlng Resources Incomln8 resource5 ore accounted for on a recelvable basis deferred as descrlbed below where appropriate. Grants are all included in volunlary income on the SOFA. Recognltlon of Ilabllitles IlabllSiles are recognised on the accruals basi5 in accordance with normal a¢countin8 principle5, modified where necessary in accordance with the guidance 8iven in the Statoment of Recommended Praciice lor Accounllng and Reporting Sssued by the CharSiy Comm15s5oners for England & Wales. 16

Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity

Notes to the Accounts

For the period l" Aprll 2023 to 31" December 2023 (Continued)

Resources Expended

As specified by SORP (2005), adopted during the year, resources expended Includes all expenditure directly related to the objects of the charity and comprises the following:•

Costs of generating voluntary Income

The cost of generating voluntary Income comprises of an appropriate share of support costs associated with attracting and administering grants and donations received by the charity. '

Fundroising Costs

Fundraising costs comprise of goods and services obtained specifically for fund raising activities and events, and an appropriate share of the support costs.

Governance Costs

Governance costs represent expenditure Incurred In the general running of the charity and expenses incurred for compliance with charitable and statutory requirements, as well as an appropriate share of support costs.

Fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation.

Depreciation has been provided at the following rates In order to write off the assets (less their expected residual value) over their estimated useful economic lives.

A regular review of the likelihood of asset Impairment is undertaken.

Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment 25% straight line Leasehold Property Over 20 years

Taxation

As a registered charity, It is exempt from Income and corporation tax to the extent that its income and gains are applicable to charitable purposes only. Value Added Tax is not recoverable by the charity, and Is therefore Included In the relevant costs in the Statement of Financial Activities.

17

Sh¢pr¢th Wlldllle Conservatlon Charlty Note5 to the Account5 For the perlod 111 Aprll 2023 to 31" December 2023 (Contlnuedl Funds Stfucture poll£y The charSty malntalns a 8eneral unresiricied fund which represents funds whlch are expendable at Ihe discretion of the Irustees in furtherance of the object5 01 the charily. Such funds may be held in order to finance both workin8 capitol and capltal Investment. Restrirted funds have been provlded io the charity for panicular purposes, and 51 is the policy of the board of trustees lo carefully monilor ihe applicatlon of those funds in accordance with the restrictions placed upon them. There Is no formal policy on the allocalion of fund5 lo de￿gnated funds. There15 no fomal bollry of transfer betweén funds." Any proposed iransfei between funds would be considered In the particular circumstances. Wlndln8 up or d15s01uilon ol the charlty If upon winding up or dissolution of the charlty there remains any a5seis the satisfactlon of all debis and Ilabllilies the assets represented by Ihe reseryes shall be Iransferfed to some other charitable body or bodies having similar objects to the chafily. Tanglble Flxed A55ets leasehold Property Flxtures & Fltilngs Total Cost ai I" April 2023 Ai 31" December 2023 306 Depreciation at 1st April 2023 Char8e for the period Al 31" March 2023 35,569 32.263 3.306 Nei 8ook Value At 31" December 2023 Nll At 31" March 2023 401 Creditors: Amounts l•llln8 due wlthln one year 31.12.23 2023 31.03.23 2022 Sundry CreditorslAccruals 18

Shepreth Wlldllle Conservation Charlty Notes to ihe Accounts For ihe period 1>1 Aprll 2023 to 31 Oecember 2023 Icontlnuedl Leasln8 cornmltments The charity ha5 now negotlated a lease for 20 years wlth Ihe Wlldllfe Park. The rent due per annum will be El. Staff numbers The average number ol employees during the period undef review was 412023-31. 19