**A N N U A L R E P O R T A N D A C C O U N T S F O R T H E Y E A R E N D E D 3 1 M A R C H 2 0 2 4**
## **STORIES OF PEOPLE, LAND AND LEARNING**
**How we enable young people to flourish through connections to nature**
## **C O N T E N T S**
## **Flourish**
_Verb_ (SUCCEED) to grow or develop successfully (Cambridge English Dictionary)
As both a landowning organisation and an educational charity, we know we are naturally unique. We seek to create opportunities that help people flourish through connections to nature.
**Read on to see how we continue to nurture this vital work.**
|**REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL | HEADLINE ACHIEVEMENTS**|**REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL | HEADLINE ACHIEVEMENTS**|||**3**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**LEADING THE WAY | OUR CHAIR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE**||||**4**|
|**CHARITABLE ACTIVITY**||||**5**|
|**Our Approach**||**6**|**Cumbria/Lancashire hub highlights**|**8**|
|**OUTDOOR EDUCATORS**||||**10**|
|**Enriching Education**|—|**11**|**Outdoor Essentials Grants**|**15**|
|**Schools Field Work**||**13**|**The OWL Collaboration**|**17**|
|**Foundations for Outdoor Learning**
**OPENING OUTDOORS**||**14**||**21**|
|**Communities Programmes**||**22**|**Little Saplings**|**26**|
|**Outdoor Leaning Officer Grant**
**SKILLS FOR NATURE**||**25**||**27**|
|**Joe's story**||**29**|**Apprentices at Low Beckside Farm**|**31**|
|**Outdoor Futures Grant**||**30**|**Influencers Schemes**|**32**|
|**OUR LANDHOLDINGS**||||**35**|
|**Estate Management**||**37**|**Investing for the Future**|**44**|
|**Farming and the Environment**||**41**|||
|**TRUSTEES’ REPORT**||||**48**|
|**Financial Review**||**49**|**Statement of Financial Position - The Ernest Cook Trust |**||
||||**Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows**|**58**|
|**Accounts**||**54**|||
||||**Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements**|**59**|
|**Report of the Trustees | Independent Auditor’s Report**||**55**|||
||||**Legal and Administrative Details**|**70**|
|**Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities |**|||||
|**Consolidated Statement of Financial Position**||**57**|**Join us**|**71**|
## HEADLINE ACHIEVEMENTS
**1,233 Young people** experienced an Outdoor Week of Learning (OWL)* (1,059 2022/23)
## **£3.6M**
## **Reasons to be cheerful**
**CHARITABLE SPEND*** (£3.0M 2022/23)
**308 Green Influencers Scheme** events or engagements are estimated to have reached **41,000 people** (in the Scheme’s 3-year period, extended to July 2023)
**OF WHICH**
**£2.1M GRANT-FUNDING AWARDED*** (£1.9M 2022/23)
**Spending on Grants & Learning increased by 22%*** (on 2022/23)
The stories behind these headline figures bear witness to transformations made possible as we continue to leverage the value of our assets - our investments, landholdings and our growing team of people, together with carefully chosen partnerships that extend the reach and influence of our work.
**Emerging new generation of young farm tenants** on farms across our estates
## **1,138 TOTAL GRANTS AWARDED*** (903: 2022/23)
**£1M+ given to schools in Outdoor Essentials Grants** up to March 2024, since funding began in 2019
**£1.25M** total amount of funding directed to **Outdoor Learning Officer Grant** host organisations, since the start of the programme in 2020
## **161,000+**
## **School Support**
**22 Host Organisations** appointed to our Blue Influencers Scheme, helping young people impact blue spaces in their communities
## **CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE**
Over 161,000 children and young people benefitted from our Outdoor Learning opportunities this year (42,000+ 2022/23**)
**Engaged with 639 children** through the **CPAN** (Connecting People and Nature) project in our Cumbria/Lancashire hub*
## *In the year 2023/24
**2,930 individual children worked with**
**745**
**Energy efficient new build homes for rental** being added to our residential property portfolio
** the previous year’s figure used a conservative calculating methodology, this year’s figure reflects the actual number.
**sessions hosted at our sites from Cumbria to Dorset**
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at our sites from
worked with
Cumbria to Dorset Charitable Spend:
Growth & Ambition
100% of teachers who responded to our survey
said they would recommend an Outdoor Learning site visit £5M+
to their school colleagues (66 teachers were surveyed, 69.7% responded, in the period Sept 2023 - £3.6M 9,000HECTARES 25FARMS 480+TENANTS
July 2024). £3M 2029 across 9 estates in 6 counties best-practice, innovative land dwellings, land, woodland,
2023/24 (planned - management commercial
2022/23 including co- enterprises
funding)
Our landholdings
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Reasons to be cheerful | Headline achievements
OUR CHAIR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
## **Leading the way**
**There has never been a greater need for the work of The Ernest Cook Trust. Young people are facing overwhelming societal pressures, the education system is under fundamental review, and preventative healthcare, with a focus on mental health, has become a policy priority.**
The role of land is a national debate: food security, housing, biodiversity and renewable energy vie for attention but the social and educational purpose of land is rarely discussed.
Through our research and practice, we know that learning outdoors and being able to connect to nature are fundamental goods, capable of enabling young people to flourish. Through our grants and directlydelivered learning programmes we ensure increasing numbers of young people benefit; through our land, programmes and partnerships, we are building compelling evidence to influence others.
## **Headline figures**
In the last year we’ve increased our spending on Grants and Learning activities by 22% and we remain on-track to increase the spend on our charitable activities to £5M by 2029 (from £3M in 2022/23).
Farming sits at the heart of our organisation and we’ve been excited to welcome new agricultural apprentices
on our farm at Low Beckside and new farm tenants across our landholdings.
Sophie Iles has become the 7th farming generation of the Iles family in Gloucestershire, joining as tenant at Home Farm. Tom Darlington takes on Wilds Lodge Farm, Little Dalby for his dairy farming operation, with Tess Lincoln coming to the fore at East Farm, Little Dalby with succession on track from her grandfather Tony Reynolds. Together with our existing farm tenants, these represent a dynamic new generation of farming families caring for our land.
We’re proud to be introducing energy efficient new build homes to the residential market and to have a number of strategic capital projects across our estates, ensuring our property portfolio continues to deliver returns that support our ambitions for increased charitable spend.
Our Board of Trustees continues to flourish with two new Trustees (Rory Landman and Dr Zainab Kabba) appointed since June 2022. This ongoing succession planning ensures we continue to be equipped with the cross-section of skills required to support our ambitious growth plan.
Operationally our educational output is becoming more distinctive through place-based activities in regional hubs, while we continue to enjoy the freedom
to pilot new initiatives and research across the UK to support the foundations of our work.
## **Thank You**
Our thanks go to the #iwill Fund, The Dulverton Trust and The Aurora Trust, each of whose joint funding has supported the widening reach of our Grants and Learning programmes. We’ll continue to actively cultivate connections with like-minded organisations to maximise our charitable impact, reach and influence.
We are particularly indebted to: our growing staff team who make our work happen; Trustee Harry Henderson who is retiring from the Trust after 20 years of service and considered wisdom; our farm tenants - custodians of the majority of our 9,000 hectares of land - for their tireless work running such
progressive farm businesses. And finally, the Gollins family whose wonderful gift of Court Farm in Quenington will enable our organisation to continue to thrive as we 1 7, relocate to our ey new head office 4 there in 2025!
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Leading the way | Our Chair and Chief Executive
## **C H A R I TA B L E A C T I V I T Y**
CHARITABLE ACTIVITY
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Funding for
CHARITABLE ACTIVITY organisations
offering green skills
training for young
Funding for
people
organisations for
community-based
Our Approach youth-led environmental
social action
Increasing
projects
awareness and initial
experience of land-based
and environmental Outdoor
careers for Practitioners’
young people EXPERIENCE,WORK EducationNetwork
PLACEMENTS
With a charitable object of education, the Trust’s & CAREERS SKILLS
work is represented by our nature-inspired Learning INFORMATION FOR NATURE
Skills and leadership
Strategy infographic. opportunities for young
people to make positive
Centred around three strategic themes - Outdoor environmental change
Educators, Opening Outdoors, Skills
for Nature - programmes and activities
emerge offering a wide range of opportunities OUTDOORS OPENING
to help children and young people connect with Tackling barriers
nature, nurturing a lifelong journey of learning, to outdoor access NATURALLY
and participation CONNECTED
appreciation and respect for the outdoors. for young people TO NATURE
NATURE
NEXT
DOOR
COMMUNITY
LEADERS
We fund others GRA NT S U PPO RT
We fund and run our own programmes D I RE CT D E LI V E RY
We work to maximise impacts and RESEA RCH & A DVO CACY
promote better outcomes Funded immersive
Outdoor Weeks of
Learning (OWLs)
for young people at
Outdoor Learning
Centres
Outdoor
Learning training
for community
leaders
OUTDOOR
LEARNING
OFFICER
GRANT
Supporting
organisations
to employ
Outdoor
Learning
Officers
Support
package of Nature,
training, funding wellbeing
and sessions and conservation
for schools sessions for
pre-teens and
youth groups
Hands-on
Outdoor Learning
sessions for
students at our
woods, rivers
and farms
Guided, supported
and independent
volunteering
opportunities
Internally
certified / externally
accredited awards and
training opportunities
to build green skills
NATURE IN
YOUR STRIDE
INFLUENCERS
SCHEMES
ENRICHING
EDUCATION
FOUNDATIONS
FOR OUTDOOR
LEARNING
OUTDOOR
FUTURES
GRANT
Funding for
schools to help
remove barriers to
Outdoor Learning
OUTDOOR
EDUCATORS
Growing a fresh
approach to education
where nature
connection is at the
heart of learning
OUTDOOR
ESSENTIALS
GRANT
APPRENTICESHIPS
& TRAINEESHIPS
OPEN
Comprehensive
training providing
supported first steps
into environmental
careers
Equipping
teachers with
the skills needed
to take the Nature-based
school curriculum wellbeing sessions
outdoors for early years and
family support
groups
TRAINING &
CERTIFICATION
TEACHER
TRAINING
GRANT
THE OWL
COLLABORATION
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We fund and run our own programmes
Page 6
Our Approach
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## CHARITABLE ACTIVITY
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Our Values
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We focus our efforts in three specific geographical hubs to ensure the Trust develops meaningful, place-based programmes with a range of support available through our direct delivery, partnerships and grant funding in each region. The first of our strategic hub reviews will be completed in Gloucestershire, with the aim of identifying and understanding the area’s needs and the gaps in provision, which will in turn re-evaluate how we best utilise our assets across the region. Hub reviews will then be conducted for our Cumbria/Lancashire and Leicestershire hubs.
Alongside this geographical focus, we have programmes with projects happening throughout the UK, reflecting how the collaborative nature of our work extends its reach. Please take a look at our **online map** to see where we’re helping children and young people to flourish.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Geographical
hubs
any Cumbria / Lancashire
Leicestershire
Gloucestershire
C=
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**Working together and listening** CULTIVATING **deeply to** CONNECTIONS **create the conditions for people and places to**
**Nurturing trust and courage in ourselves and** FREEDOM **others to make** TO TRY **trying new things possible** ot **Making the most of the outdoors as a** PROGRESSIVE **place where** STEWARDSHIP **diversity can thrive** fi ©
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Our Approach
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
CHARITABLE ACTIVITY
## **Young people**
## **Cumbria/Lancashire hub highlights**
## **for 2023/24**
The diverse range of activities in our Cumbria/Lancashire hub reflect the diversity of the region – from remote Cumbrian fells to urban communities in Lancashire. Much of what we do here spans multiple themes of the Learning strategy, and so provides excellent case studies of how land can support learning, and why nature connection is so vital for everyone.
**Our work in Lancashire is centered around our partnership with the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, delivering targeted support through our schools and community programmes.**
**In Cumbria, the focus has been on Skills for Nature, strengthening Low Beckside Farm as a location to support hands-on learning opportunities for young people. Here, our partners include RSPB and Lowther.**
Vicki, Learning Operations Lead (Cumbria/Lancashire)
- **» Awarded the 1st Francis Stone Apprenticeship, named after one of the Trust’s longest serving farm tenants**
- **» 3 apprentices joined us at Low Beckside Farm, as part of Cumbria Connect Nature Friendly Farming Apprenticeship scheme, in partnership with RSPB and Lowther (more details on page 31)**
- **» Appointed Abbie, our 1st Outdoor Learning Trainee (based in Lancashire)**
- **» Exhibited at Green Skills/Careers Fairs at Myerscough College & Carlisle Skills Fair**
- **» Hosted Training opportunities to develop Skills for Nature at Low Beckside Farm**
- **» Hosted Ullswater Community College Level 2 Animal Care Students at Low Beckside Farm**
- **» Delivered an Outdoor Careers talk to 50 Y6 students at Lancaster Rylands School**
**» Hosted the Trust’s Blue Influencers Scheme** Launch **in Morecambe, and the Scheme’s Conference at Brathay in Cumbria**
Jon, our Francis Stone Apprentice at Low Beckside Farm
Apprentices at Low Beckside Farm, part of Cumbria Connect Nature Friendly Farming Apprenticeship scheme
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Abbie testing an accessible vehicle
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Cumbria/Lancashire hub highlights
## CHARITABLE ACTIVITY
## **CPAN**
## **Low Beckside Farm**
**(Connecting People and Nature)**
Partnered with Forest of Bowland National Landscape to deliver the CPAN project engaging with:
- **» 639 children**
- **» 5 schools (Foundations for Outdoor Learning programme)**
- **» 4 schools (Enriching Education programmes in partnership with Beat the Street & Burnley Leisure Trust)**
- **» 44 family sessions (including 42** Little Saplings **outdoor toddlers group - more details on page 26)**
- **» 12 HAF sessions (Holiday Activities and Food programme)**
- **» Community Leaders Training course in Burnley (7 participants, 5 completed)**
## **Connections**
- **»** University of Cumbria - planned field visits for Mapping Environmental Assets course & Upland Farming for Net Zero short courses at Low Beckside
- **»** Member of the steering group for the new Land and Nature Skills Service
- **»** Planted 2km hedges, laid 1km hedges
- Experimented with growing turnips to supplement sheep feed, reducing costs
- **»**
- Created 2 wood pastures & 1 orchard
- **»**
- Successful ‘inter-hub’ tupping season for Low Beckside Farm’s Gimmer hog with our Gimmer sheep while over-wintering at Home Farm in Gloucestershire
- **»**
- **»** Signed-up to Climate Farm Demo Project
- a. **Burnley, read** I **more here** ~~sec~~ s
**Some of the stories behind these headlines are featured in the following pages.**
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Cumbria/Lancashire hub highlights
SKILLS FOR NATURE **Skills and leadership opportunities for young people to make positive environmental change Hands-on Outdoor Learning sessions for students at our woods, rivers and farms** ENRICHING EDUCATION
## **O U T D O O R E D U C AT O R S**
**Education with nature connection at the heart of learning**
OPENING OUTDOORS OUTDOOR EDUCATORS
**Equipping teachers with the skills needed to take the school curriculum outdoors**
TEACHER TRAINING GRANT
**Tackling barriers to outdoor access and participation for young people Growing a fresh approach to education where nature connection is at the heart of learning**
FOUNDATIONS FOR OUTDOOR LEARNING
**Support package of training, funding and sessions for schools** OUTDOOR ESSENTIALS GRANT
THE OWL COLLABORATION
**Funding for schools to help remove barriers to Outdoor Learning**
**Funded immersive Outdoor Weeks of Learning (OWLs) for young people at Outdoor Learning Centres**
Outdoor Educators
OUTDOOR EDUCATORS
## **Enriching Education**
Our Enriching Education programmes support schools’ Outdoor Learning through access to the Trust’s learning locations – natural landscapes including woodlands, farms and rivers, on and beyond our landholdings. Our Outdoor Learning leaders deliver curriculum-focused sessions which support practical fieldwork and geographical and ecological skills and/or nurturing sessions in calming, safe spaces, allowing children and young people to experience freedom and independence in a way they can’t elsewhere.
## **Nature connection for schools**
A child’s formative years have an enormous impact on their lifelong environmental concern and nature connectedness. Our schools programmes therefore aim to build positive relationships between young people and natural spaces, enabling them to benefit from the strongly evidenced psychological impacts of time outdoors, increasing the likelihood of future pro-environmental behaviour.
We offer long-term support to the schools who need this most. We don’t charge for our service, and are constantly working to break down barriers to participation in Outdoor Learning, with two objectives:
- **» To increase schools’ ability to deliver the curriculum through Outdoor Learning**
- **» To support delivery for the schools and students in greatest need**
Our approach is to listen to the priorities and concerns of each school, then design Outdoor Learning activities and sessions to meet these needs.
We make Outdoor Learning a positive experience for everyone, which should become a key tool for schools, enhancing academic attainment, wellbeing and environmental engagement.
Page 11
Enriching Education
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
OUTDOOR EDUCATORS
**745**
individual sessions (563 2022/23)
## **During the academic year**
2023/24 we worked with **2,930 individual children** , through **745 sessions** at our sites from Cumbria to Dorset. Sessions included woodland, river, farm and Learning Workshop visits.
**70%**
of sessions for children scoring high on eligibility criteria (71% 2022/23)
Our support of schools is based on eligibility criteria including additional needs and community deprivation levels. **70% of sessions** were provided for children from schools or groups scoring highly against these criteria. We were also able to provide Outdoor Learning opportunities for children in schools on the doorstep of our landholdings.
**100%**
of teachers recommend our site visits (100% 2022/23)
100% of teachers who responded to our survey said they would recommend an Outdoor Learning site visit to their school colleagues (66 teachers were surveyed, 69.7% responded, in the period Sept 2023 - July 2024).
Page 12
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Enriching Education
**Most of them have never been to that part of the county and accessed those type of landscapes, so for some it was a truly great adventure.**
Teacher: Y10 Food and Nutrition farm visit
**We have a few very anxious children and yesterday you couldn't tell. They were getting involved, touching and stroking the animals, and getting involved with all the activities.**
Teacher: Infant School farm visit
**“We offer students a genuine ecological situation with a valid ecological question to be answered; the sessions we facilitate help them understand the point of ecology in the context of real-life conservation work.”**
Schools Lead
and expertise.
**“Science learned in the classroom comes to life in a way that helps give a deeper understanding. For some students, it sparks a real passion for the subject and is the catalyst to further studies beyond secondary school.”**
## **This has been the best day ever, in my whole life**
Reception class child: farm visit
**One of the quieter members of our class came alive outdoors searching for leaves. The puppets were a lovely touch. They thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and freedom to explore the beautiful nature.**
Teacher: Primary School woodland visit
**All of the children had a wonderful time, and they all were totally engaged throughout the visit. This is unusual for some as they can find it hard to focus in a 'sit down' learning environment.**
Teacher: Primary School farm visit
**Today was a fantastic experience for our children. There were plenty of WOW moments. One pupil who found it difficult to regulate himself managed to overcome his anxiety and ended up completing the activity independently and demonstrated great resilience.**
Teacher: Primary School local green space visit
**The students grew in confidence with their abilities in this new environment and thoroughly enjoyed the day.**
Teacher: Secondary SEND woodland visit
Page 13
Schools Field Work
## OUTDOOR EDUCATORS
## **Foundations for Outdoor Learning**
Our Foundations for Outdoor Learning programme is a comprehensive and long-term support package for schools that want to embed Outdoor Learning into their curriculum and practice. Support may include teacher CPD, school grounds advice and mentoring, and occurs primarily at school sites, with some supported visits to their local green spaces and the Trust’s Outdoor Learning locations, where possible.
This programme is particularly aimed at schools and groups with a high level of deprivation or need, where there is engagement at a senior level.
This programme is an important element of our Learning strategy, because we know that when a child’s day-to-day school experience has Outdoor Learning embedded within it, they will flourish, with improved:
- **» engagement in learning**
- **» mental and physical health and wellbeing**
- **» nature connection**
- **» care and concern for the environment**
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Foundations for Outdoor Learning
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
OUTDOOR EDUCATORS
## **Outdoor Essentials Grants**
**The small grant with the big impact**
This Grant is a £500 award to UK state-funded Primary, Secondary, and Special Schools to enable them to get their pupils learning outdoors.
**Since it was launched in 2019, 2,553 Grants have been awarded to schools, reaching 489,356 young people (figure as recorded in Grant applications, up to March 2024).**
This year (2023/24), we issued **739 Grants.**
From November 2023, we offered Secondary Schools a double award of £1,000 (2 x £500) to encourage more applications from this level of education setting.
The third round of the Outdoor Essentials Grant funding in 2023/2024 was generously matchfunded by The Aurora Trust, a grant making charity which is one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. The Aurora Trust’s primary focus is tackling climate change through its programme areas: connecting people with nature, sustainable farming, stopping deforestation, aligning financial markets with the Paris Agreement and energy efficiency. The Aurora Trust provided a grant of £99,000 to The Ernest Cook Trust (including £9,000 for administration).
As part of the Trust's place-based funding policy to embed Outdoor Learning, one of the three funded rounds of the Outdoor Essentials Grant in 2023-2024 focused on the geographical hub locations of Gloucestershire (including Bristol and Swindon), Cumbria/Lancashire and Leicestershire.
**The Trust has given over £1M to schools through the Outdoor Essentials Grant, since its launch in 2019 up to March 2024. More details here.**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
24% NATURE & NURTURE
(SCHOOL GROUNDS DEVELOPMENT)
WELLIES & WATERPROOFS
€
GRANT 47% TRANSPORT & TRAVEL
Type of Grant
9%
29%
8%
@
PRIMARY
—_——
SCHOOL
SECONDARY
Type of School
iN
SPECIAL
83%
**----- End of picture text -----**
**Just a really big thank you - it has improved our environment hugely which has had a very big, positive impact on our pupils.** Teacher
Outdoor Essentials Grants
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## OUTDOOR EDUCATORS
**The Outdoor Essentials Grant is offered to schools for three categories of use:**
**Nature & Nurture school grounds improvements**
**Transport & Travel transport costs to Outdoor Learning venues**
## **Wellies & Waterproofs outdoor clothing**
Giving schools a choice of how to spend the Grant allows them to address their particular barriers to accessing nature in the most effective way for them.
This has enabled children to go out in all weathers throughout the seasons, travel to places for new experiences, and engage positively with school – especially when it’s emotionally challenging for some pupils. Teachers also report changes to their teaching practices, taking on a whole school approach to getting outside.
**The Grant …has allowed us to widen access of our outdoor programmes to pupils in low SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) or Free School Meals categories which has been life changing for these young people.**
**Seeing 14 underprivileged children enjoy farm life without the need for electronics. Seeing them try things out of their comfort zone and having new experiences they will treasure forever.**
**EVERY pupil having access to real tools and equipment, not just ‘play’ versions means that we have been able to transform our forest into a real, working forest, that is now growing fruit and vegetables, as well as fruit trees.**
**Please keep offering these Grants to schools …Without this Grant we would not have been able to spare £500 to spend on these items. The benefits are far-reaching for these children.**
**I think it is so important that the children can see what outside looks like and how exciting it is. Also, what you can do by repurposing materials and upcycling - we live in such a throw away society and this is a way of learning new skills.**
The most valuable outcome of the Grant was that it allowed some of our most vulnerable pupils with really challenging lives to experience the joy of the seaside and enjoyment of the simple pleasures of building sandcastles – many of them had never seen the sea and were utterly thrilled to be able to paddle, splash and be care-free children.
Headteacher from Leicestershire
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Outdoor Essentials Grants
## OUTDOOR EDUCATORS & OPENING OUTDOORS
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Our Theory
of Change
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## **The OWL Collaboration**
**We fund immersive Outdoor Weeks of Learning (OWLs) at Outdoor Learning Centres for children and young people, giving them a unique opportunity to explore nature, while living and learning together.**
We believe every child should
experience an immersive week in nature – as a rite of passage, rather than a journey for the fortunate few.
**Our year in numbers...**
**(** AFL **1,233 62 SCHOOLS**
~~D~~ Wu **9 54%**
of participants were eligible for
**OUTDOOR**
## **YOUNG PEOPLE**
with high levels of need packed their waterproofs and positive spirits to embrace a week in the outdoors
**LEARNING** need packed their **PARTNERS** waterproofs and designed and positive spirits to delivered embrace a week in immersive and the outdoors challenging weeks (55: 2022/23) in the outdoors
rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in on an Outdoor Week of Learning (1,059: 2022/23)
**FREE SCHOOL MEALS**
(52%: 2022/23)
NZ % = **32% 46% 32 21** of participants of participants **SCHOOL SCHOOL** had **SPECIAL** were from **TRANSPORT TEACHER EDUCATIONAL MINORITISED GRANTS TRAINING NEEDS ETHNIC** (£37,100) **GRANTS GROUPS** (£23,333)
(34%: 2022/23) (30%: 2022/23)
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
The OWL Collaboration
OUTDOOR EDUCATORS & OPENING OUTDOORS
**THE OWL COLLABORATION**
## **Pupil outcomes**
OWLs take our children and young people off screens and into a week of challenging outdoor discovery, routine and teamwork. This year our evaluation told us that this results in **statistically significant improvements** in:
**Nature Connection** (Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale)
**Care and Concern for the Environment** (Custom Scale)
**Wellbeing** (Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Health Scale)
**Resilience** (GRIT scale)
**If I could give it a number out of 10, it would be 10!**
**It was the best! It was such a break from school. It was such a break from home…**
## **6 weeks on, teachers tells us that more pupils are… » showing positive environmental behaviours » dealing with problems well » engaging in their learning The children have a better sense of** O **themselves and what they can do,**
**The children have a better sense of themselves and what they can do, some have come back more resilient, others will try things they wouldn't have tried before.**
## **A Pathway to Personal Growth**
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||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|PUPIL|
|“I’ve slept|“Being|“It’s made|“I want to|“When I get|
|really well|outside|me feel free|remember|back to school,|
|here so I won’t|makes me|and all my|that I am|I will channel|
|be moody|push myself|anxiety has|useful.”|my inner|
|or angry.”|to the limit.”|disappeared.”|strength.”|
|vy|y|a|t|i|
|TEACHER|
|“Children|“In the first|“He shone|“This is so|“It’s just|
|have been|few days,|on the|purposeful.|phenomenal|
|eating greens|everything|second day|Every child|the impact this|
|because|was an|of farming|here feels like|week has on|
|they picked|too.”|they are here|the children!”|
|them!”|them.”|for a reason.”|
|Click to hear pupils and teachers testify|
|to the transformative power of an|
|immersive week in nature.|
|RN|
**----- End of picture text -----**
View our **Research Poster** , offering salient learnings from the first three years of the programme, as presented at the Nature Connection Conference at the University of Derby in June 2024.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
The OWL Collaboration
OUTDOOR EDUCATORS & OPENING OUTDOORS
## **THE OWL COLLABORATION**
## **School outcomes**
## **An OWL-inspired book for Barry, South Wales**
On receiving an OWL Outdoor Learning training grant, 60 children and 8 teachers from the Pencoedtre Learning Cluster worked with a local author to create ‘Muck & Magic’. The story is inspired by their OWL at Lower Treginnis with Farms for City Children and has helped them to reflect on everything they learnt during their week on the farm and apply it to their lives back at school.
As a result of sharing the book with more than 1,500 children across our schools, it has ignited a curiosity and love for Outdoor Learning. The pupils are currently working on developing their own garden to grow their own food and cook for their families and community.
Hannah Cogbill, Pencoedtre Learning Cluster, Barry
## **OWL mentors & an Eco Team in Bristol**
An Outdoor Week of Learning has become a popular part of the school calendar at City Academy, Bristol and in their third OWL year, the school decided to give some pupils the chance to develop their leadership skills and return to Shallowford Farm for the second time, as OWL mentors.
In addition, the school were supported with grants to help them embed their Outdoor Learning. Pupils from the School Eco Team have now created a wildlife pond, a hedgehog garden and are involved in tending the school’s community allotment.
We saw a big change. As the week progressed, the OWL mentors took on more responsibilities. We could step back and they were leading. We don’t have the opportunity for them to do that here. The teachers also develop skills that they are not able to at school. Now, the whole staff body wants to go!
Felicia Lazar, City Academy, Bristol
**We are grateful to The Dulverton Trust who support The OWL Collaboration, and to our Outdoor Learning partners:**
**Shall**
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
The OWL Collaboration
OUTDOOR EDUCATORS & OPENING OUTDOORS
**THE OWL COLLABORATION**
## **Network**
## **outcomes**
**Together we have…**
**»** Developed shared resources to improve programme accessibility
**»** Broadened expertise through joint training and Network-wide visits
**»** Amplified our collective voice through sharing evaluation
outcomes at webinars and events
## **Partner voices…**
**This is a fantastic programme and is growing in the opportunities and impact it is having.**
**On a day-to-day level, The Ernest Cook Trust have been extremely approachable, supportive and flexible.**
**OWL has helped us shape and strengthen our programme delivery through its provision and proactive, inclusive approach.**
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
The OWL Collaboration
**Funding for organisations for community-based youth-led environmental social action projects Outdoor Practitioners’ Education Network** SKILLS FOR NATURE **Skills and leadership opportunities for young people to make positive environmental change** OPENING OUTDOORS **Tackling barriers to outdoor access and participation for young people** COMMUNITY LEADERS **Funded immersive Outdoor Weeks of Learning (OWLs) for young people at Outdoor Learning Centres** OUTDOOR LEARNING OFFICER GRANT NATURALLY CONNECTED TO NATURE NATURE NEXT DOOR **Supporting organisations to employ Outdoor Learning Officers Nature, wellbeing and conservation sessions for pre-teens and youth groups Outdoor Learning training for community leaders Guided, supported and independent volunteering opportunities** NATURE IN YOUR STRIDE INFLUENCERS SCHEMES OUTDOOR EDUCATORS **Growing a fresh approach to education where nature connection is at the heart of learning** OPEN **Nature-based wellbeing sessions for early years and family support groups** THE OWL COLLABORATION
## **O P E N I N G O U T D O O R S**
**Tackling barriers to outdoor access and participation**
Opening Outdoors
OPENING OUTDOORS
## **Communities programmes**
The Trust continues to evolve its Communities programmes, with a particular focus on those facing challenging circumstances, and harder to reach young people who are not well represented in outdoor spaces and careers.
**We work to overcome barriers to participation and access to the outdoors, and use our landholdings to support Outdoor Learning.**
## **Supporting Biodiversity**
## **Boost for Biodiversity Orchard Restoration Project**
Working in partnership with CPRE Gloucestershire and Orchard Revival with funding from Severn Trent Water, we have been restoring the vital habitats at Halmore Orchard on our Slimbridge Estate in Gloucestershire, which supports a wide range of flora and fauna.
- **» 108 volunteer hours**
- **» 3.7 acres of derelict orchard restored - pruning, mistletoe removal, habitat creation**
- **» 1 acre of new orchard created**
Launched in January 2024, our
**Supported Volunteering** programme recognises that some young adults require additional support to participate in practical conservation volunteering roles. Through activities such as tree planting, site maintenance and habitat creation, young people gain technical skills, learn to problem solve and work as a team, while building confidence, self-esteem and friendships.
- **» Young adults have contributed 72 volunteering hours**
- **» 3 John Muir Awards achieved**
- **» 39 trees planted - 29 varieties of heritage apple**
- **» 1,167 metres of hedgerow surveyed**
- **» 14 bird boxes built and installed**
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Communities Programmes
## OPENING OUTDOORS
## **COMMUNITIES PROGRAMMES**
## **Supporting Carers**
An unpaid carer provides support or looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of frailty, physical or mental illness, addiction, or disability.
In Gloucestershire, we have approximately 52,000 carers with 7,000 young carers. *
**100 young carers attended nature wellbeing events in Gloucestershire, enabling them to connect with others with similar lived experience. As well as providing respite, they enable young carers to spend time with peers who understand their daily challenges and the impacts on their lives.**
* Carer Aware
**The sessions you run have been brilliant, you have made the sessions bespoke for young carers to support their emotional wellbeing during difficult times at home. We really appreciate the work that you do for us, we think it’s amazing, you guys are amazing and it really makes a difference to the young carers we support.**
**3 parent carers (parents with additional care responsibilities for a child) from Gloucestershire Parent Carers Forum attended naturebased activities on our Fairford Estate to support their wellbeing and provide inspiration for their own activities.**
**At Carers Rights Day in Fairford, Gloucestershire, we supported Gloucestershire Carers Hub, with the Department for Work & Pensions, Cotswold District Council and the NHS, promoting the role that nature connection can play for carers and the person they care for.**
Group Leader, Gloucestershire Young Carers
Communities
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## OPENING OUTDOORS
## **COMMUNITIES PROGRAMMES**
## **Supporting Wellbeing**
In 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for males and females aged between 5 - 34. 1 in 6 children aged 5 - 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in 2021. *
* YoungMinds, mental health charity
Many of the young people we aim to support have negative experiences of education and learning, closely associating it with failure, deeming it unobtainable. We offer a safe, welcoming and supporting environment, tailoring activities to strengthen the basic building blocks of wellbeing — confidence, resilience, self-esteem and trust (in themselves, others and the world around them), to support engagement in informal and non-formal learning.
**Our achievements can be aligned to the New Economics Foundation 5 Ways of Wellbeing. Activities here are from our Gloucestershire hub, for 2023/24:**
## **Give**
**232** volunteer hours at our Slimbridge (Halmore) and Fairford sites. Our supported volunteering programme, ‘Nature in Your Stride’ saw 6 young adults engaged in tree planting, coppicing, and habitat creation while gaining technical skills, identifying and managing hazards, following instructions, problem solving, and working as a team to build **Connect** confidence, self-esteem **91** and friendships.
**91** Young Carers connected at **Take Notice** and friendships. nature wellbeing events on our **17** neurodiverse young people sites and at community venues, took greater notice of the giving respite from their care natural surroundings around responsibilities, while building them, through participation in NEW ECONOMICS friendships with peers who have apple juicing and a national FOUNDATION similar life experiences, and so hedgerow survey. understand the daily challenges **5 WAYS OF** and the impacts on their lives. **WELLBEING Be Active Keep Learning 120** children took part in HAF In total **261** children, young (Holiday Activities and Food) people and young adults have events over the summer.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
In total 261 children, young
people and young adults have
taken part in Outdoor Learning
activities.
**----- End of picture text -----**
**Read Joe’s Story on page 29** - a great example of how we work to support young people across multiple programmes, from school to college and beyond.
Communities
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
OPENING OUTDOORS
## **Outdoor Learning Officer Grant**
**The Outdoor Learning Officer Grant supports charities and non-profit organisations who want to employ an Outdoor Learning Officer, prioritising those whose approach is to encourage young people to enjoy the outdoors and engage with nature. Through these inspirational role models, young people form lasting connections with nature, learning about land, food production and biodiversity which drives a healthy respect for their local environment and ongoing sustainable behaviour.**
The total amount of funding directed to host organisations since the start of the programme in 2020 is £1,284,301. This Grant is a three-year award, take a look at our online **map** to see where all our 40 funded Outdoor Learning Officer Grants are making a difference (figure correct at December 2024).
Our Outdoor Practitioners’ Education Network (OPEN) brought together funded Outdoor Learning Officers from across the UK at online and in-person events to help share skills, develop practice and foster mutual support.
Feedback has been very positive and we are looking forward to developing this Network further in consultation with funded partners across our regional hubs.
A further 10 Outdoor Learning Officer Grants were awarded in 2023/ 2024, with the offer increased to £20,000 per year for three years:
## **Cumbria/ Lancashire hub**
## **Gloucestershire Leicestershire hub hub**
- **» Cumbria » Avon Wildlife Trust » LEAF (Linking Wildlife Trust Environment » Cotswold National and Farming)**
- **» LESS Lancaster Landscape**
- **» ParkView4U**
- **» The Birch Collective**
- **» Severn Rivers Trust**
- **» Watchtree Nature Reserve**
- **» Tewkesbury Nature Reserve**
**A quick note to say thank you for yesterday. It was great to bring everyone together. They are an impressive bunch!**
**It was fantastic to meet such a dedicated and talented group of people. I feel we can all learn and grow together, and I am really looking forward to working with you! An inspiring day and I'm sure you will agree, massive thanks to The Ernest Cook Trust for organising and facilitating this!**
**I just wanted to send a heartfelt Thank You to you all for our brilliant day on Thursday. It was amazing to meet other people with the same role – we all have amazing knowledge but are all so different at the same time. I think sharing skills and knowledge is such a wonderful idea and I’m more than happy to collaborate with this. Thanks again and hope to have the chance to meet up with you all again!!**
Outdoor Leaning Officer Grant
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## OPENING OUTDOORS
## **Little Saplings**
Based on the Forest School ethos, the Little Saplings outdoor toddler group is designed to nurture independent play for toddlers (6 months – 5 years), while supporting parents and carers to reconnect with nature and improve their mental health and wellbeing.
Little Saplings is part of the CPAN project, delivered in partnership with Forest of Bowland National Landscape, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Sessions are led by one of our Outdoor Learning Officers.
Families attending the popular group in Pendle and Burnley, Lancashire were given a Little Saplings Explorer Kit - this goody bag included resources designed to help further their connection with nature in their local green spaces.
**This is something my little boy absolutely loves, as an opportunity to be outdoors to pick what interests him, develop their reading skills, their listening skills, also their curiosity when they're out and about digging.** Parent
**Outdoor play, whatever the weather – watch this video**
Little Saplings
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## **S K I L L S F O R N AT U R E**
**Skills and leadership opportunities for positive environmental change**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Funding for
organisations
offering green skills
training for young
Funding for
people
organisations for
community-based
youth-led environmental
social action
Increasing
projects
awareness and initial
experience of land-based
and environmental
careers for
young people WORK
EXPERIENCE,
PLACEMENTS
& CAREERS SKILLS
INFORMATION FOR NATURE
Skills and leadership
opportunities for young
people to make positive
environmental change
OPENING
OUTDOORS
Tackling barriers
to outdoor access
and participation
for young people
Internally
certified / externally
accredited awards and
training opportunities
to build green skills
Hands-on
Outdoor Learning
sessions for
students at our
woods, rivers
and farms
INFLUENCERS
SCHEMES
ENRICHING
EDUCATION
OUTDOOR
FUTURES
GRANT
OUTDOOR
EDUCATORS
Growing a fresh
approach to education
where nature
connection is at the
heart of learning
APPRENTICESHIPS
& TRAINEESHIPS
Comprehensive
training providing
supported first steps
into environmental
careers
TRAINING &
CERTIFICATION
**----- End of picture text -----**
Skills for Nature
SKILLS FOR NATURE
## **Equipping the future custodians of our landscapes**
Our Skills for Nature programmes and grant streams provide a wide range of opportunities for young people of all abilities, particularly those who face barriers to participation and employment in the outdoors, and young people who tend to flourish better outside the classroom.
The Trust’s landholdings offer a range of outdoor spaces and opportunities for learning, which we continue to leverage. Our Cumbria/Lancashire hub, home to our own Low Beckside Farm, is well-placed for this work and has strengthened its relationships with many external partners and organisations, while hosting apprentices and skills training events. These are summarised on page 8.
There is also a wealth of skills being learned by children and young people at our Learning Workshop in Fairford, and those who participate in Influencers Schemes across England.
‘Skills for Nature’ is about creating **green skills pathways** and leadership opportunities, offering practical ways for young people to contribute to environmental change while gaining a sense of agency and improved wellbeing in the process. Our programmes also help to address skills shortages in the land-based sector, equipping a future workforce with the knowledge, experience and skills needed to be the next custodians of our landscapes.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Skills for Nature
SKILLS FOR NATURE
## **Joe's story**
**Joe first attended the Trust’s Learning Workshop in Fairford through the Schools Programme for three years, when his confidence, skill level and social skills improved dramatically. Joe completed our Supervised, Competent and Independent Worker Awards and went on to do an internship at Abingdon & Witney College.**
Joe has since returned to The Ernest Cook Trust as a Supported Volunteer through our Communities Programme, to experience work as a volunteer and further develop his skills and passion for working outdoors.
I’ve done woodturning oe and wood shaving and learnt to weld for the first time. I’ve actually enjoyed all of it - everything!”
Joe
**'Shelldon’ – Joe’s turtle** : **sculpture**
**Joe receiving his Award certificates from Mary Riall, (Chair of Trustees) with Pete, our Outdoor Learning Officer who oversaw Joe’s Learning Workshop sessions**
**I wanted to express what a huge debt of gratitude our whole family owes to you and The Ernest Cook Trust.**
**Our son Joe has attended your sessions on Thursdays for the last three years with [Abingdon &] Witney College, and over that time we have seen his confidence grow and his whole personality mature. Joe has loved every one of the sessions, from learning about the various tools, making the beautiful bug houses and bird boxes, right through to the fabulous bench for Fresh Air Sculpture and of course Shelldon and the bird table from this year’s show.**
**Your kind, patient manner gave Joe the perfect base from which to believe he did have skills and could achieve things – so different to the classroom where Joe was always used to being the least able. Joe has proudly shown off every photo and told us stories of learning to weld, helping newer students to use the tools and having a laugh along the way.**
**The care and effort that goes into helping students like Joe cannot be underestimated, and we are so grateful to you and The Ernest Cook Trust team for making these sessions happen.**
**Joe is usually very quiet with visitors at home, preferring to stay in his room, however, since we were able to bring Shelldon home Joe is straight out to see visitors and explains to them all the stages he went through in creating Shelldon. It has really made a massive difference to him.**
Letter from Joe’s Mum
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Joe's story
SKILLS FOR NATURE
## **Outdoor Futures Grant**
## **The Trust awarded Outdoor Futures Grants to the following organisations in 2023/24:**
- **» QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust)** Master Thatcher Apprentice
- **» LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming)** Access to Farms Grant towards the dissemination of the Industry Code of Practice (ICOP)
- **» Small Woods Association** National Coppice Apprentices
**It has been an incredibly enriching year and my continued enjoyment in the work reinforces that this shift in career was a step in the right direction.”**
Nick, Coppice Apprentice
The following Grants are part of The Ernest Cook Trust’s Platinum Jubilee Award, first awarded in 2022 and awarding £15,000 per year for three years to support these apprenticeship and training schemes:
- **» National Hedgelaying Society** Training Events & Accreditation Scheme with LANTRA
- **» Dry Stone Walling Association** Dry Stone Walling Apprentice
**The Grant has provided greater opportunities for both the agriculture and education sectors, raising greater awareness of both the farmer and teacher versions of the ICOP**
Philip Adams, LEAF Education Manager
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Outdoor Futures Grant
SKILLS FOR NATURE
## **Apprentices at Low Beckside Farm**
Three apprentices joined us at Low Beckside Farm, as part of Cumbria Connect Nature Friendly Farming Apprenticeship scheme, in partnership with RSPB and Lowther.
Working collaboratively, this scheme empowers the next generation to become champions of conservation and lead the way to a sustainable future, propelling nature recovery into a promising career path.
Elli started her apprenticeship in October 2023. Her second placement was at Low Beckside Farm, where she thoroughly immersed herself in all aspects of farm life.
**“I wasn’t brought up in the countryside nor was I brought up around agriculture so this is all still really new to me. Learning how to plant trees, lay hedges, shear sheep, dry stone wall, environmental schemes, soil health, grazing patterns, lambing and animal care. This apprenticeship has offered me so much support, learning and guidance and the ability to try new things that I never thought I would be able to do! Gaining valuable experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”**
View ITV’s coverage of Elli and this scheme, as it rolled out across our partner’s sites.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Apprentices at Low Beckside Farm
SKILLS FOR NATURE & OPENING OUTDOORS
## **Influencers Schemes**
Our Influencers Schemes help young people (target age 10 – 14 yearolds) impact the environment through youth social action projects that benefit their communities, while helping them to create lasting and meaningful connections with nature.
The youth-led Green Influencers Scheme ran for three years until July 2023 and proved to be a successful model for the subsequent Blue Influencers Scheme, launched in September 2023, which helps young people address environmental concerns in their coastal, river and estuary communities – ‘blue’ spaces across England.
A comprehensive evaluation of the Green Influencers Scheme to measure impact and effectiveness was commissioned, which then became central to an online Dissemination & Celebration event, attended by leaders, practitioners and academics working in the youth charity sector and beyond. Speaking at the event, our Chief Executive, Ed Ikin shared this observation:
**“Being youth-led increases agency and the skills that the young people have in terms of delivery and gives far more compelling outcomes with a greater legacy.”**
Tasneem, who has been a Youth Advisory Board member since the launch of the Influencers Schemes, shared this reflection: “Children growing up with this connection to nature in a much more vibrant, interactive way is just amazing to think of, that’s my favourite outcome - the impact and the legacy that it’s bringing.”
This video tells the story of our Green Influencers Scheme and its impacts, please take a look
We invite you to **read** the **Green Influencers Scheme Evaluation Report** independently authored by Wavehill, which gives a fascinating insight into its work and impacts.
Influencers Schemes
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
SKILLS FOR NATURE & OPENING OUTDOORS
## **Influencers Schemes**
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We held our annual Influencers Schemes conference in March 2024 for Blue Mentors and Host Organisations. Designed to inform, inspire and motivate, the event featured a workshop by Dr Emma McKinley, a Senior Research Fellow at Cardiff University who has been commissioned by the Trust to research young people’s relationship with blue spaces. Speakers and workshop leaders also included #iwill Ambassador Phoebe Hanson, Kids Against Plastic founders Ella and Amy Meek and three members of Youth Ocean Network, a youth organisation of the Marine Conservation Society.
After the event, our Youth Leadership Programmes Manager shared some of her reflections, listen here ~~OO~~
Influencers Schemes
Page 33
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
SKILLS FOR NATURE & OPENING OUTDOORS
## **Blue Influencers Scheme**
**Unique projects are emerging from the Blue Influencers Scheme, including this video by Ocean City Influencers, a group established through** =& cuds Sx **Plymouth based host organisation, Take A Part.** AA
The Blue Influencers Scheme works in collaboration with Host Organisations across England, which can be found on this online ~~—~~ **map** .
**One of the aims of Influencers Schemes is to create a ‘ripple effect’ of social action, long after the life of the programme; with this in mind we asked our Youth Leadership Programmes Manager what she anticipated this might look like for the Influencers, listen to her response here:**
**PLAY VIDEO LINK**
This three-year Scheme is joint-funded by the #iwill Fund. The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £66M joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. The Ernest Cook Trust is acting as a match-funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.
**Follow us @BlueInfluencers to stay up to date with Blue Influencers Scheme activities across England.**
Influencers Schemes
Page 34
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
OUR
LANDHOLDINGS
## **9,000**
## **HECTARES**
across 9 estates in 6 counties
Building on our founder’s love of the countryside, we are committed to the progressive stewardship of our landholdings, ensuring that all activities support our vision for an environmentally engaged society with stronger connections to nature.
**The multiple values of our landholdings**
**As both a landowning organisation and charitable trust, we cover a lot of ground.**
## **25**
This unique breadth to our **FARMS** identity means that we must consider the multiple values best-practice, innovative of our landholdings - their land management economic, educational, cultural, social and environmental worth. Taking this carefully balanced view ensures that we make well-informed decisions around land-use, supporting a wide range of activities. Collectively, these provide vital sources **480+** of income to help sustain our **TENANTS** Outdoor Learning and grant dwellings, land, woodland, giving activities, and crucially, commercial enterprises meet our charitable object of education.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Our Landholdings
OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Estate Management**
## **Ongoing growth and creating opportunities**
**Active estate management dictates that we are constantly looking for new opportunities and ways to evolve and improve our income stream in support of the Trust’s charitable activities. While looking at the overall context of our estates, we also recognise that each area of land is unique, and so is evaluated based on its own attributes, while continually striving to work in harmony with the natural environment.**
We aspire to effect change, using our unique position to help shape the national debate around land, nature recovery and food security in this unprecedented era.
“Our task is to exemplify the role that land can play, to tell a meaningful story of how land can be managed, being long-term around supporting agriculture while thinking crucially about how land can transform lives.”
Ed Ikin, Chief Executive
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Estate Management
## OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Woodland Management**
Dealing with trees affected by ash dieback has become a major aspect of our Gloucestershire-based Conservation & Woodland Manager’s work, assisted by his team. The aim is to replace every tree lost with at least one, ideally two new trees, planted in areas of parkland and as replacement for hedgerow trees. Species being planted include rowan, crab apple and field maple, along with some English oak, selected for their ability to support wildlife with increased benefits for nature.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Farm, Cumbria ‘ i aX c
**----- End of picture text -----**
Tree planting of a different kind has been happening on our Hartwell Estate in Buckinghamshire, where native hardwoods and shrub species are helping to screen Whaddon Hill Farm from HS2, which now occupies land previously farmed by the Woodford family. The new planting provides a valuable wildlife corridor, connecting two established woodland blocks, and will provide a fantastic habitat to local ecology.
With approximately 50 acres of established woodland, our Cumbrian farm, Low Beckside, is home to conifer plantations and mixed species woodlands, including some ancient and veteran trees. Our woodland management plan features the creation of wood pastures and re-planting of mixed species in place of our plantations. We're working hard to reinstate hedgerows and recreate several traditional orchards. All this, with the aim of increasing biodiversity, creating shelter for our livestock and safeguarding our Outdoor Learning spaces for years to come. By the end of 2024 we will have planted 50,000 hedgerow plants/trees, which translates to approximately 6,800m of hedgerows.
## Read more about the work of our Foresters **here**
On our Home Estates, a scheme to replant cricket bat willow alongside the River Coln continues, supplying willow to leading cricket bat makers JS Wright & Sons – hear more about this **here** . (this audio was originally created for our in-house Founder’s day walk along the River Coln between Fairford and Quenington in Gloucestershire)
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Estate Management
OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship Grants**
Over 600 acres of land on our **Little Dalby Estate** in Leicestershire, together with 400 acres of Low Beckside Farm in Cumbria have been put into Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship, to support large-scale projects.
On our Little Dalby Estate the scheme is being implemented by the Trust in collaboration with our tenant farming businesses, in an effort to farm in tune with nature, mitigate climate change and help reduce the flood risk. The capital investment projects include:
- **»** Planting of 40 trees, 2km+ new hedging, 1km hedge restoration
- **»** Livestock drinking water system (10 troughs, 2,500m of piping)
- **»** 45 acres of flower-rich field margins and plots
- **»** 100 acres of arable converted to pasture, reducing soil erosion
- **»** 30 acres managed for habitat renewal
- **»** 18 acres of winter bird food planted to attract farmland birds
On **Low Beckside Farm** in Cumbria, projects for the scheme include:
- **»** Protecting and restoring peat forming processes on areas of existing peat, creation of 70 acres of fen
- **»** Protecting the SSSI upland meadows
- **»** Protecting the SSSI River Glenderamackin
- **»** Protecting purple moor grass & rush pasture habitat
- **»** Providing suitable habitat for Curlew & Snipe
- **»** Educational visits
Low Beckside is a Climate Farm Demo farm, along with Leafield Farm and Eastleach Downs Farm in Gloucestershire, and East Farm in Little Dalby, all part of a long-term European project to test and implement climate friendly farming methods, sharing learning across other farms. We are also piloting four desk-top models with farm tenants, exploring the potential for green social prescribing, carbon trading, biodiversity net gain and natural farm management.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Estate Management
OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **River Coln Catchment activities**
At the heart of the Trust’s Fairford Estate is an almost three-mile stretch of the River Coln and surrounding catchment. Since 2022, with grant funding from our partners at the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), we have significantly invested in a programme to restore an ecologically healthy and diverse catchment.
Hear more about the River Coln Catchment Plan from our Managing Agent:
The programme is a great example of effective river management, protecting and improving the environmental, educational and social offering. Learn more about the wider catchment area via these audio links, originally created for our in-house Founder’s Day walk along the River Coln upstream from Fairford to Quenington.
We invite you to listen to our Schools Lead explain why the River Coln in Gloucestershire is such a fascinating place for School River visits:
Learn more about the sensory activities we offer young people on the River Coln, as described by our Communities Lead:
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Estate Management
## OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Farming and the Environment**
**Our operational assets, collaborating to create learning opportunities on our land**
Our rural landholdings are living communities, homes to progressive tenanted farm businesses, residential tenants and small enterprises, while also serving as unique open-air ‘classrooms’ for our Outdoor Learning programmes.
## **Farm buildings that work**
At Milton Farm on our Fairford Estate, the problematic location of the original farmyard – down a narrow lane on the edge of the town - resulted in investment in the creation of a new farmyard off nearby Welsh Way, on the site of a disused building, already served by a farm track. This solution works for both the Trust and the farm tenant, freeing up the old yard for new opportunities, while future-proofing the new farmyard with space for expansion.
Listen to this fascinating audio from Tom Paton, farm tenant at Milton Farm, about living and farming in the Fairford area, originally produced for our in-house Founder’s Day walk:
Read how **robots have boosted diary output** on Slimbridge Farm in Gloucestershire
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Farming and the Environment
## OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Foraging at Little Dalby**
Tess and Tom Lincoln, farmers at East Farm on our Little Dalby Estate in Leicestershire, have teamed up with a full-time forager to offer foraging events on the farm, as part of a drive to share their passion to get people closer to farming, learn about food production and countryside management. The farm, which has been in a Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship scheme for the last ten years, is ideal for this venture, with its water meadows and woodland. The Lincolns have also joined the Government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive which pays farmers to undertake management practices that protect the environment, support food production and improve productivity.
## **Wildflower project, backed by Air Wick**
An ambitious project to restore a species-rich grassland to one of our farms, with the support of an air freshener maker, is bringing the sweet smell of conservation success to parts of the Little Dalby Estate.
The Ernest Cook Trust and farm tenant, Ben Barnes, teamed up with air freshener maker Air Wick, WWF and the Trent Rivers Trust to bring back flower-rich grassland appropriate for the local geography within the catchment of the River Soar. These wildflowers grow on less productive land close to the Leicestershire Round footpath, bringing visitors as well as pollinating insects to this wildflower sanctuary, which will help to restore some of the 97% of lowland wildflower meadows that have disappeared from the English countryside in the last 100 years.
We own 87 allotment plots across four of our estates. Read more about these **here** .
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Farming and the Environment
## OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Introducing a new generation of farmers**
We look forward to welcoming new farm tenants to The Ernest Cook Trust farming community. One is already well known to us – Sophie Iles, who is the 7th generation of her family to farm on our Home Estates. Sophie, who is currently finishing her Farm Business Management degree at Reading University is the new farm tenant at Home Farm on the Hatherop Estate, bringing energy, new ideas and an enthusiasm for Outdoor Learning to the role.
The new farm tenant at Wilds Lodge Farm in Little Dalby is 20year-old Tom Darlington, who is already a well-established dairyman on his family’s farm, which sits adjacent to Wilds Lodge.
Both were selected after a robust, comprehensive selection process, and join a growing new generation of innovative young farmers on the Trust’s farms.
**We are very proud of Hector, our Farmer at Low Beckside Farm in Cumbria, who was awarded the prestigious accolade of ‘Young Farmer of the Year 2024’ by the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs in November 2024.**
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Farming and the Environment
## OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Investing for the Future**
## **Development, investment and growth**
The Trust is an educational charity. However, like many private sector landed estates across the country, we are responding to the economic and legislative pressures placed upon rural property, our tenanted farm businesses, home occupiers and land users. We are committed to supporting the long-term vitality of our landholdings, through diversification and collaboration with existing tenants, exploring new social, environmental and financial opportunities.
Our long-term landholding decisions will be based on a continually evolving framework that ensures we are assessing the many land-use choices and opportunities.
We continue to direct significant expenditure on repairs and maintenance, as part of our long-term commitment to our property portfolio, across the
rural commercial, residential and agricultural sectors. The residential portfolio has been supplemented by new modern homes built directly by the Trust, while a small number of residential properties have been identified for sale as part of a programme of gradual modernisation across our property portfolio, in the interests of reducing our maintenance costs and improving environmental standards.
Progressive stewardship and sustainable growth of our landholdings will not be achieved without collaborating with key stakeholders and embracing change, ensuring they are conserved for the future prosperity of the communities where we work, and the core educational objectives of the Trust.
## **New Homes**
The Trust has added to its portfolio of residential property with five new-build homes in Fairford, a project overseen by our in-house professional team through our trading subsidiary, Mintglebe Ltd. These highly anticipated two- and three-bedroom homes have been named Fiennes Court in memory of the late Nathaniel Fiennes, Lord Saye and Sele, a former Trustee who served the Trust for many years, and sadly passed away in January 2024 aged 103.
While the properties have a relatively traditional outward appearance, they all boast strong, 21st century eco-friendly features, reflecting our commitment to responsible environmental stewardship. All are equipped with roof-mounted solar panels on the carports and have pre-installed cabling for EV charging points. The properties have been given the highest EPC ‘A’ rating for their energy efficiency, all exceed standard building insulation requirements and benefit from groundsource heat pumps. New tenants will move in to Fiennes Court in early 2025.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Investing for the Future
## OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Court Farm – our new head office**
Following the generous gift to the Trust of Court Farm, from the Gollins family, refurbishments of Court Farmhouse and Stables have been progressing at pace. We look forward to relocating the Trust’s head office operations in early 2025, bringing our specialist teams to Quenington, at the heart of our Home Estates in Gloucestershire.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Staff, Trustees and friends of the Trust at our
in-house Founder’s Day, celebrating Ernest,
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**----- End of picture text -----**
As with Fiennes Court, this refurbishment has been overseen by our own in-house professional team.
At our in-house Founder’s Day event in the grounds of Court Farm, Joanna Gollins, representing the Gollins family, made an impromptu speech, having toured the site and viewed the ongoing refurbishments:
“…we have, during the last five years continually congratulated ourselves on making the decision to give this to The Ernest Cook Trust. …And having seen this, I must say, I think it’s fantastic, it's absolutely beautiful what the architects and every one of you have done to this building.”
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Investing for the Future
## OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Developments**
On our Slimbridge Estate, the **Wisloe** project team continues to work with local partners to meet Stroud District Council's Local Plan ambitions. The project team is fully engaged in the Examination in Public planning process and remains committed to delivering a sustainable, high-quality community at Wisloe (c1,500 new homes). Meanwhile, work is underway to secure a development partner, who can build on the work of the project team and help take forward the site with investment and expertise.
The **South West Aylesbury** development in Buckinghamshire (c1,400 new homes) is still waiting on HS2 and the local planning circumstances before any further progress can be made. We will continue to work in collaboration with the joint landowners to have the site ready to market in 2025/2026. All stakeholders are working together to achieve this aim, as we look forward to developing this important site.
The sale of the freehold of **Hartwell House** and associated land in Buckinghamshire was agreed between The Ernest Cook Trust and the National Trust in April 2024. The National Trust already held a long-term leasehold interest in Hartwell House, a Grade 1 listed Jacobean and Georgian house, occupied with great sensitivity and care by Historic House Hotels. It is wonderful to know that through this merging of interests, the long and distinguished history of Hartwell House will continue to be in good hands and looked after in perpetuity by the National Trust.
## **North East Fairford**
In June 2024, the Trust completed the sale to Cala Homes (Cotswolds) of a prime site of 19 acres of land at NE Fairford with outline planning permission for 87 new homes.
It was important for us to find a house builder whose values align with our charitable mission. Cala Homes demonstrated a commitment to nature, green spaces and the local community well above and beyond its statutory requirements. The development design has been awarded a **Building with Nature accreditation** which ensures high-quality green infrastructure, integrating natural elements - such as bird and bat boxes, a community garden and allotments - to boost biodiversity and community wellbeing.
This is a significant step toward providing more housing options for the community, with 40% of these homes being affordable, making it easier for locals to rent or buy a place of their own.
Working closely with the Trust, Cala has designed a development that prioritises sustainability and community and Cala is now seeking to secure approval for the ‘Reserved Matters’ detail to enable an initial first phase of development to proceed in support of the Fairford Neighbourhood Plan (May 2023), which identifies a need for 80 new homes to be built by 2031.
For news on the Cala development of new homes at North East Fairford, please visit **calaplanning.co.uk/fairford/**
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Investing for the Future
OUR LANDHOLDINGS
## **Estate Matters Podcast**
## **Renewables**
## **Solar Farm**
In partnership with Innova Renewables Developments, work is due to start in 2025 installing solar panels on 19 hectares of farmland alongside Welsh Way, on the Fairford Estate in Gloucestershire.
The 13-megawatt solar farm will produce enough electricity to power approximately 2,700 homes and prevent around 2,000 tonnes of carbon from entering the atmosphere every year.
The scheme will also significantly increase biodiversity on the site, more than doubling the value of the land for wildlife with an estimated Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for habitat units of 115%.
The relatively low-quality farmland – classified as Grade 3b and 4 – had been used for growing wheat. Once the solar farm is installed grass will grow beneath the panels, offering the potential to graze sheep. The Ernest Cook Trust is leasing the land to solar developer Innova with both the Trust and the tenant benefiting from the arrangement. Innova will also provide a community benefit fund aimed at supporting local initiatives.
Creating the solar farm meets the priorities for the UK Government, which has committed to reaching net zero by 2050. In June 2019 Cotswold District Council declared a climate emergency and aims to make the district carbon neutral by 2030.
Listen to Michael Birnie, Property Director, and Sarah White, Head of Learning Programmes Development, speaking about the balance of funding charitable aims through land and property management. Click on the link on our Blog to listen to this fascinating conversation.
One of our farm tenants is already benefitting from solar panelling fitted to a farm building roof. Following the completion of roof replacement works at Leafield Farm on the Hatherop Estate in Gloucestershire, the Trust was able to install rooftop solar panelling to the grain store in works that were completed in March 2024.
The value of the energy generated will be shared, and is the first project of its kind for The Ernest Cook Trust. This collaboration has enabled the building to be improved and both parties to benefit from the energy generated.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Investing for the Future
## **T R U S T E E S ’ R E P O R T**
Trustees’ Report
TRUSTEES’ REPORT - FINANCIAL REVIEW
## **Financial Review**
The Trust has continued to expand and enhance its educational and learning initiatives.
Spending on Grants and Learning activities rose to £3,664,000 up from £3,013,000 in 2023 making an increase of 22% over the previous year.
Trustees have reviewed the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and are confident that the Trust’s objectives and goals align with the public benefit requirements outlined in the 2011 Charities Act. This Report highlights the Trust’s activities and demonstrates how they comply to the principles set out in the Act.
Specifically, it details the Trust’s expenditure of £3,664,000 on education and Outdoor Learning for the year 2023/24 with £2,096,000 of this allocated to grant funding. All our grants are evaluated to ensure they provide public benefit and serve a charitable purpose. Funding for these activities comes from the Trust’s estate income, external grants and financial investments.
Estates income fell marginally by 4% to £3,905,000 (2023: £4,076,000) during the year. The Trust continued to invest in estate works, with
expenditure of £4,009,000 (2023: £4,564,000) therefore resulting in a negative contribution of £104,000 compared to a negative contribution of £488,000 in the previous year. This was mainly due to a reduction in repair and support costs together with the adoption of a new methodology in relation to the cost allocations. The principle is that costs are shared according to benefit. This results in a more accurate allocation. The two-step calculation is: estate management costs are allocated to estates, followed by the allocation of corporate centre costs based on headcount.
The Trust’s financial investments generated an income of £1,245,000 (2023: £1,068,000), increasing in value by £2,733,000 in the year. The overall return from the Trust’s financial investments was 17% for the year (2023, -4.9%), which reflected the lesser turbulence in the financial markets. The Investment Managers have a mandate of achieving a return of 4% plus the increase in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) over the course of an economic cycle; this would be achieved by a change in asset allocation and equities to incorporate a global portfolio. This was increased from the previous target of 3% over CPI in 2024.
Since the Trust’s incorporation in 2012, the value of Investment properties on the Balance Sheet has evolved significantly. As of 31 March 2023, these properties were valued at £169,452,000, prior to re-statement.
During the year, the Trustees established a working group to evaluate the Trust’s property
valuation methods, considering various factors and concepts. The Investment Properties, which are held to generate income for the charity or provide operational value, have historically been valued at Investment Value rather than Historic Cost or Market Value.
The Trustees concluded that a revised valuation technique would improve the current method, offering a more reliable and comprehensible basis for making investment decisions and represent best practice.
This re-assessment of Investment property valuations brought a change in methodology from Investment Value to Open Market value transitioning to a more conventional method of valuation recognised across the landowning sector, resulting in an increase in the book value of our estates to £271,000.
**The Ernest Cook Trust has five significant items of expenditure:**
**THE GRANTS THAT WE MAKE**
**THE COSTS OF MANAGING THE ESTATES**
**THE COSTS OF PROVIDING LEARNING OUTDOORS**
**THE COSTS OF MANAGING OUR INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO**
**THE RUNNING EXPENSES OF THE ERNEST COOK TRUST (of which staff costs are the major component)**
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Financial Review
TRUSTEES’ REPORT - FINANCIAL REVIEW
## **Financial Review**
## **Reserves Policy**
The Trust has an Expendable Endowment, as such the risk of not having adequate reserves is judged by the Trustees to be low. Within this context, the Trustees’ policy is for the Trust to hold liquid assets equivalent to at least six months’ working capital, including grant commitments. The Expendable Endowment represents the Endowment of the Charity at 31 March 2024 at £312,830,000 (2023 re-stated, £295,096,000).
## **Fundraising Policy**
The Trustees are aware of their obligations under the Charities Act to report the charity’s fundraising policy. We engage with statutory funders, trusts and foundations to explore co-funding opportunities and raise income but do not engage in public fundraising or use commercial fundraisers. There have been no complaints or instances of non-compliance with any code (2023 none).
## **Remuneration Policy**
The Trust’s pay policy, pay structure and changes to employee terms and conditions are reviewed by the Remuneration Committee, which includes the Chair and one other Trustee, who then make recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The Chair of Trustees determines the salary and other benefit changes for the Chief Executive in conjunction with the Remuneration Committee.
The Trust’s Memorandum and Articles of Association authorise the payment of Trustees, in line with the founder’s wishes. A separate committee of independent experts convene to review the remuneration of Trustees from time to time.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Financial Review
TRUSTEES’ REPORT - FINANCIAL REVIEW
## **Financial Review**
## **Equity, Diversity and Inclusion**
The Ernest Cook Trust recognises the value of every individual and actively promotes equality of opportunity. It is a welcoming organisation where everyone is highly valued and where tolerance, honesty, cooperation and mutual respect for all are fostered.
The Trust firmly believes in equity of opportunity in employment. We are committed to developing policies, practices and procedures that promote this ensuring everyone receives equal treatment.
Some examples of where we ensure Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are:
- **»** Each stage of the recruitment process has been adapted to remove barriers and unconscious bias, including advertising roles with diverse listing such as Ethnic Jobsite and redacting personal information from CVs
- **»** Compliance with equal opportunities legislation and equity best practice
- **»** We are a participating organisation in the RACE report
## **Future Financial Performance**
The Trustees are aware of the continued impact from pressures and challenges posed by the uncertain nature of both global and domestic politics and its influence on the economic situation. The consequence of this uncertainty has been increased costs, with a potential to affect operations. To mitigate this, we continue to exercise careful management of our assets to maintain a balance between income and expenditure.
The Leadership team holds regular sessions to review their department’s ongoing financial performance against the annual budgets, whilst the Audit, Finance & Investment Committee further review this at their quarterly meetings.
## **Investments**
The Trust’s charitable activities are funded through returns from its investment portfolio, income from
its land and property, and external grants and donations. Our finance and investment policies aim to provide long-term stability and liquidity, ensuring the financing of our charitable activities while maintaining the real value of the endowment.
The Trust’s Investment Policy sets out the long-term investment objective, risk profile, strategic asset allocation and investment restrictions. It also includes our policies on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). The policy reflects a total-return objective considering all sources of return, allowing both income from the portfolio and the underlying capital to support charitable activities.
The Trustees have now established a policy on socially responsible investment and sustainability, aligned with the Trust’s aims and objectives.
Our Investment Managers are expected to adhere to this policy when making investment decisions, and to report on how ESG considerations have been applied in the selection and management of investments.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Financial Review
TRUSTEES’ REPORT - FINANCIAL REVIEW
## **Financial Review**
## **Risk**
The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the risks faced by the Trust. We regularly review these risks through our Leadership team, committees and the full Board of Trustees, utilising a comprehensive Risk Register. This identifies each risk, its potential severity and its likelihood of occurrence.
Risk Management is scrutinised by the Audit, Finance & Investment Committee, which reviews the Trust’s risk position, internal controls, compliance with relevant statutory and financial regulations, and the work of our external auditors. Risks are mitigated by:
- **»** Regularly reviewing internal policies
- **»** Ensuring adequate reporting procedures from operational to Board level
- **»** Providing relevant training across the organisation
- **»** Taking appropriate and timely professional advice
- **»** Ensuring the Trust is appropriately insured against risks
## **Principal Risks & Uncertainties**
**Financial** The Trust’s financial position is inevitably exposed to risks from the wider economy and national and global financial, policy and environmental developments; we keep these matters under continuous review.
With the recognised benefits for Outdoor Learning and growth in demand for our charitable activities, we continue to look at ways which will maximise future income, including the long- and mediumterm development of our investment assets to produce higher returns. The aim is to achieve this by both development and renovation of assets thereby enabling continued delivery of our charitable work; 2024 examples include new Fairford residential development Fiennes Court and a new agricultural-to-commercial development on the Slimbridge estate. The Trustees remain confident in the long-term resilience of our finances.
**Cyber Crime** In common with all charities, we remain acutely aware of the risks associated with increased global cyber-crime. Staff are regularly reminded of the risks and specific nature of these crimes as they develop. We foster a risk aware
culture within the organisation, which is crucial in mitigating this risk.
**Health & Safety** There is some risk associated with children and young people learning outdoors and with managing large, landed estates. We manage this risk through up-to-date Health & Safety procedures and risk assessments for all activities, high levels of staff awareness and training, and third-party assessments and advice.
**Safeguarding** Trustees have accountability to ensure the safeguarding of children, young people and adults at risk, and aim to protect from harm anyone that comes into contact with the Trust.
All Trustees and staff undertake regular safeguarding training. Our Senior Safeguarding Lead, a Trustee (Simon Eliot), works with our Designated Safeguarding Lead (Suzie Paton) and Deputy Safeguarding Leads to ensure that our policy is up to date and consistently upheld.
Everyone associated with the Trust is aware that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and the Trust follows safer recruitment guidelines.
**Operational Risk** This is mitigated through the regular reviews of activities and use of professional advisors. In our partnership work, we specifically mitigate risk by conducting thorough due diligence of any potential partners and drafting written partnership agreements.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Financial Review
TRUSTEES’ REPORT - FINANCIAL REVIEW
## **Financial Review**
**Governance** We are aware of the importance of good oversight of the Trust’s assets, management and charitable activities by the Board of Trustees. Our Trustee engagement remains at a high level, and we plan Trustee succession to ensure that the right mix of skills, experience, and expertise is maintained. The Trustees have appointed three Trustee-led committees to monitor specialist areas of activity. A transparent culture and open communication with the executive helps Trustees maintain thorough and up to date oversight of the organisation.
**Structure & Management** The Ernest Cook Trust was founded and endowed in 1952 by the late Ernest Edward Cook as an educational charity. The 1952 Deed of Trust was added to and amended in 1984, 1995 and 2006. The Trust was incorporated in 2012. The Directors of the Trust are also its Trustees for the purposes of charity law. Our Head Office is based on our Fairford Estate in Gloucestershire and will move to nearby Quenington early 2025. The Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales, number 1146629.
There are currently eight Trustees (November 2024), appointed for a five-year term and may serve a maximum of three terms.
New Trustees are provided with an induction programme and individual Trustee evaluations are conducted annually by the Chair. Training of Trustees is reviewed against individual training needs. The Trustees are paid under the terms of the Articles of Association to recognise the professional work they undertake of behalf of the Trust, over and above that normally expected of a charity Trustee.
Dr Ian Gambles rejoined the Board of Trustees in January 2024, with Dr Zainab Kabba being welcomed to the Board of Trustees in September 2024. Harry Henderson leaves the Board in December 2024 after 20 years’ service to Trust. The Trust’s financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March and meetings of the full Trustee Board are held quarterly. The three specific committees - Property, Learning, and Audit, Finance & Investment - meet regularly and each committee
has its own terms of reference, chaired by a Trustee, reporting back to the main Board. Trustees receive accounts, minutes of all committees and regular reports from the Chief Executive. Additionally, a Remuneration Committee of Trustees is convened at least once a year.
Matters requiring a decision by the Trustees are referred to them either at one of their meetings or by correspondence in between such meetings. The Trust is run on a day-to day basis by the Chief Executive, assisted by a team of staff including a Property Director; an Interim Head of Finance & Technical Services; Acting Director of Learning, Grants & Partnerships; HR Manager and Chief of Staff. In December 2023, Ed Ikin became Chief Executive, following an external recruitment. Ed was formerly Director of Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden and a member of Kew’s Executive Board.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Financial Review
ACCO
NTS
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
The Trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they 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 these financial statements, the directors are required to:
- » select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- » observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP (2019) FRS102
- » make judgements and accounting 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 unappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and 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. The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
In so far as the Trustees are aware:
- » there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and
- » the Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.
## **Auditor**
In preparing this report, the Trustees have taken advantage of the small companies exemptions provided by Section 415a of the Companies Act 2006.
On behalf of the Trustees:
> **M E Riall,** Wen
**M E Riall, Chair of Trustees**
12 December 2024
## **REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ERNEST COOK TRUST**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the consolidated financial statements of The Ernest Cook Trust (the 'parent') and its subsidiary (the ‘group’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, the Consolidated Balance Sheet, the Consolidated Cash Flow Statement and Notes to the Financial Statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been
applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- » give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and of the parent company’s affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
- » have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- » have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors responsibilities for the audit of the
consolidated financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In connection with our audit of the consolidated financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the consolidated financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information; we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
We have nothing to report in respect of this regard. the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you **Opinion on other matters prescribed by** where: **the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- » the Trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements is not appropriate; or
- » the information given in the Report of the Trustees for the financial year for which the consolidated financial statements are prepared is consistent with the consolidated financial statements; and statements; and
- » the Trustees have not disclosed in the consolidated financial statements any statements are prepared is consistent identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the with the consolidated financial statements; and group's ability to continue to adopt » the Report of the Trustees has the going concern basis of accounting been prepared in accordance with for a period of at least twelve months applicable legal requirements. from the date when the consolidated financial statements are authorised for issue.
## **Other information**
The Trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the consolidated financial statements and our Report of the Independent Auditors thereon.
Our opinion on the consolidated financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Report of the Trustees | Independent Auditor’s Report
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (CONTINUED)**
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Report of the Trustees.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- » adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- » The consolidated financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- » certain disclosures of Trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- » we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
- » the Trustees were not entitled to take advantage of the small companies exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Report of the Trustees.
## **Responsibilities of Trustees**
As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees Responsibilities, the Trustees (who are also the directors of the group for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true
and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the consolidated financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the group's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the group or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## **Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
- Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue a Report of the Independent Auditors that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these consolidated financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures
are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the charity and determined that the most significant are those covered by the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities (SORP 2019) and the Charities Act 2011 and Companies Act 2006.
The risks were discussed with the audit team and we remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit. We carried out specific procedures to address the risks identified. These included the following:
Reviewing minutes of Board meetings, reviewing any correspondence with the Charity Commission, agreeing the financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation, and enquiries of management and officers of the charitable group and a review of the risk management processes and procedures in place. We have also reviewed the procedures in place for the reporting of any incidents to the Trustee Board including serious incident reporting of these matters as necessary with the Charity Commission.
Management override: To address the risk of management override of controls, we carried out testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness. We reviewed systems and procedures to identify potential areas of management override risk. We also assessed management bias in relation to the accounting policies adopted and in determining significant accounting estimates.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not
detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to be aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occuring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at **www.frc.org. uk/auditorsresponsibilities** . This description forms part of our Report of the Independent Auditors.
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the group's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and to the charitable company's Trustees. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the group's members and its Trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the group and the group's members and Trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
## **Michael Cooper-Davis FCCA ACA (Senior Statutory Auditor)**
for and on behalf of Price Bailey LLP 3rd Floor, 24 Old Bond St Mayfair London W1S 4AP
> Date: 19 December 2024
Page 56
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Independent Auditor’s Report
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024**
## **CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION**
## **AT 31 MARCH 2024**
||||||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**||||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Unrestricted**
**funds**|**Endowment**
**funds**|**Restricted**
**funds**|**Total funds**|**Re-stated**
**Total funds**||||**Total funds**|**Re-stated**
**Total funds**||
||**Notes**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**||**Notes**||**£000**||**£000**|
|**INCOME FROM**|||||||**FIXED ASSETS**||||||
|Estate income
Charitable activities|2
4|3,905
-|-
-|-
483|3,905
483|4,076
82|Tangible assets
Investments|13
14||6,069
317,095|6,724
301,059||
|Investmentincome
Tradingincome|3
5|1,245
610|-
-|-
-|1,245
610|1,068
710||||**323,164**|**307,783**||
|**Total**||**5,760**|**-**|**483**|**6,243**|**5,936**|**CURRENT ASSETS**||||||
|**EXPENDITURE ON**|||||||Stocks|||1,130||636|
|Estate expenditure|6|4,009|-|-|4,009|4,564|Biological assets|||55||51|
|Grants and learning activities|7|2,354|-|1,310|3,664|3,013|Debtors: fallingdue within oneyear|16||2,075||2,355|
|Raisingfunds|||||||Cash at bank and in hand|||2,732||5,803|
|Investmentmanagementfees|10|223|-|-|223|243||||**5,992**||**8,845**|
|Bank interest and charges||374|-|-|374|492|**CREDITORS**||||||
|Other expenditure|||||||Amounts fallingdue within oneyear|17||(1,653)||(1,728)|
|Tradingexpenditure|5|592|-|-|592|620|||||||
|**Total**||**7,552**|**-**|**1,310**|**8,862**|**8,932**|**NET CURRENT ASSETS**|||**4,339**||**7,117**|
||||||||||||||
|**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
**BEFORE GAINS AND LOSSES**||**(1,792)**|**-**|**(827)**|**(2,619)**|**(2,996)**|**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES**|||**327,503**|**314,900**||
|Gain/(loss)on listed investments||-|2,733|-|2,733|(3,188)|||||||
|Gain on the disposal of
investment properties||-|1,167|-|1,167|1,514|Creditors: fallingdue after more than oneyear|18||(12,128)|(14,640)||
|Gain/(loss) on the revaluation of
investmentproperties||-|13,834|-|13,834|2,276|**NET ASSETS**|||**315,375**|**300,260**||
|**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
Transfers between funds
Netmovementin funds||**(1,792)**
(862)
(2,654)|**17,734**
-
17,734|**(827)**
862
35|**15,115**
-
15,115|**(2,394)**
-
(2,394)|**FUNDS**
Unrestricted funds|19||2,416||5,070|
|Revaluation||||||86,869|Restricted funds|||129||94|
||||||||Endowment funds|||312,830|295,096||
|**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**|||||||||||||
|Total funds brought forward (as
re-stated)||**5,037**|**208,227**|**127**|**213,391**|**215,785**|**TOTAL FUNDS**|||**315,375**|**300,260**||
|Prior Year Adjustment||**33**|**86,869**|**(33)**|**86,869**|**-**|The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small|||||The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small|
||||||||companies’ regime and in accordance with the provisions of FRS102.||companies’ regime and in accordance with the provisions of FRS102.||||
|**As re-stated**||**5,070**|**295,096**|**94**|**300,260**|**302,654**|The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 12 December 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:|The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 12 December 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:|||||
|**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED**|||||||||||||
|**FORWARD**
**2,416**
**312,830**
**129**
**315,375**
**300,260**
The accompanying accounting policies on pages 59 to 60 and notes on pages 61 to 69 form an integral part of these financial
statements. All activities are continuing and there are no recognised gains or losses for the period other than those recorded
in the Statement of Financial Activities above.
**M E Riall**
**Trustee**
~~NR~~|||||||||**I C Gambles**
**Trustee**
Jos||||
Page 57
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities | Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION – THE ERNEST COOK TRUST ONLY**
## **CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024**
## **AT 31 MARCH 2024**
|||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**Re-stated**|
|||**Total funds**|**Total funds**|
||**Notes**
**£000**||**£000**|
|**FIXED ASSETS**
Tangible assets|13|6,049|6,689|
|Investments in subsidiaries||425|425|
|Investments|15|317,095|301,059|
|||323,569|308,173|
|**CURRENT ASSETS**||||
|Debtors: fallingdue after more than oneyear||-||
|Debtors: fallingdue within oneyear|16|2,808|2,572|
|Cash at bank and in hand||2,581
5,389|5,660
8,232|
|**CREDITORS**||||
|Amounts falling due within one year|17|(1,489)|(1,521)|
|**NET CURRENT ASSETS**||**3,900**|**6,711**|
|**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES**||**327,469**|**314,884**|
|Creditors: fallingdue after more than oneyear|18|(12,128)|(14,640)|
|**NET ASSETS**||**315,341**|**300,244**|
|**FUNDS**||||
|Unrestricted funds:
Restricted funds||2,382
129|5,054
94|
|Endowment funds||312,830|295,096|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**||**315,341**|**300,244**|
|**The Ernest Cook Trust (Registered No. 07907411)**||||
|The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small
companies' regime and in accordance with the provisions of FRS102.||||
|The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 12 December 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:|The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 12 December 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:|||
|**M E Riall**
**Trustee**
Nese.|**I C Gambles**
**Trustee**
JEPE|||
|||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**Notes**|**£000**|**£000**|
|**Cash flows from operating activities**||||
|Cash generated from operations|1|(4,084)|(2,294)|
|Interest paid||-|-|
|**Net cash provided by operating activities**||(4,084)|(2,294)|
|**Cash flows from investing activities**||||
|Cash flows from investing activities||-|-|
|Purchase of tangible fixed assets||(324)|(210)|
|Purchase improvements tenanted estates||(1,387)|(427)|
|Sales proceeds from disposals of properties||3,046|694|
|Sales Proceeds from disposals of Tangible Assets||40|-|
|Dividends & interest from investments||1,245|1,069|
|Proceeds from sale of investments||7,552|10,498|
|Purchase of investments||(7,023)|(9,974)|
|**Net cash used in investing activities**||3,149|1,650|
|**Cash flows from financing activities**||||
|Loan repaid in year||(4,000)|-|
|Loan advance in year||1,500|-|
|**Net cash used in financing activities**||649|1,650|
|Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period||(3,435)|(644)|
|Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period||7,815|8,459|
|**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period**||**4,380**|**7,815**|
Page 58
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Statement of Financial Position - The Ernest Cook Trust | Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024**
## **RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES**
||**31.3.24**
**Total funds**|**31.3.23**
**Total funds**|
|---|---|---|
|**Net income for the reporting period (as per the Statement of Financial Activities)**
**Adjustments for:**
**Net movement in funds**
Depreciation charges|**£000**
15,115
121|**£000**
(2,394)
122|
|Unrealised losses/(gains) on investments|(16,567)|912|
|Stocks|(499)|(462)|
|Interest and dividends received|(1,245)|(1,068)|
|decrease in debtors|280|145|
|Increase/(decrease) in creditors|(88)|460|
|(Gains) on disposal of investment properties|(1,167)|-|
|(Proft) on sale of fxed assets|(34)|(9)|
|**Net cash provided by operations**
**ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS**|**(4,084)**
**Group**
**2024**|**(2,294)**
**Group**
**2023**|
|**Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash at bank and in hand
**Total cash and cash equivalents**|**£000**
4,380
**4,380**
**Group**
**2024**|**£000**
7,815
**7,815**
**Group**
**2023**|
|**Cash and cash equivalents comprise**
Cash at bank and in hand|**£000**
2,732|**£000**
5,803|
|Cash held in Investments|1,648|2,012|
|**Opening**
**Balance**
**Cash Flows**|**4,380**
**Other non-cash**
**changes**|**7,815**
**Closing Balance**|
|**Changes in net debt**
**£000**
**£000**
Cash and cash equivalents
7,815
(3,435)|**£000**
-|**£000**
4,380|
|Loans due over one year
(14,000)
2,500|-|(11,500)|
|**TOTAL NET DEBT**
**(6,185)**
**(935)**|**-**|**(7,120)**|
The Ernest Cook Trust is a public benefit future period, in which case they are entity and, as such, the financial planning deferred. process, including financial projections, has taken into consideration the current Income is recognised from the sale of freehold property at the date of the economic climate, and its potential exchange of contracts. Donations are impact on the various sources of income accounted for on a receivable basis. and planned expenditure. The Trustees consider that the Trust has adequate Trading income consists of group resources to continue in operational companies' harvest income, and basic existence for the foreseeable future. payments made by the Rural Payments Accordingly, they have adopted the going Agency. concern basis in preparing the Annual Harvest income is agreed under a Report and Accounts.
**NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024**
- **1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
- **1.1 BASIS OF PREPARING THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND ASSESSMENT OF GOING CONCERN**
Trading income consists of group companies' harvest income, and basic payments made by the Rural Payments Agency.
The consolidated financial statements concern basis in preparing the Annual of the charity, which is a public benefit Report and Accounts. entity under FRS 102, have been prepared **1.2 GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by **AND BASIS OF CONSOLIDATION** Charities: Statement of Recommended The financial statements consolidate Practice applicable to charities preparing the results of the charity and its wholly their accounts in accordance with the owned subsidiaries ECT Farms Ltd Financial Reporting Standard applicable (Company no. 01324410) and Mintglebe in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS Ltd (Company no. 01665074) on a line102) (effective 1 January 2015)', Financial by-line basis. Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK **1.3 INCOME** and Republic of Ireland' and the Charities All income is recognised once the Trust Act 2011. The financial statements have has entitlement to the income, it is been prepared under the historical cost probable that the income will be received convention, except for the modification and the amount of income receivable can to a fair value basis for investment be reliably measured. properties, freehold properties and listed investments as specified in the Income represents the total amount receivable by the Trust during the year for accounting policies below. rental of property, dividends, including The financial statements have been associated transitional relief, interest and prepared in GBP round thousands amounts under deeds of covenant due in accordance with Accounting and to the Trust. Reporting by Charities: Statement of Estate income from rental of property Recommended Practice applicable to is shown gross within income and the charities preparing their accounts in related estate expenditure is included accordance with the Financial Reporting within Activities in furtherance of the Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 charity’s objectives. Lease premiums received are amortised over the period January 2019) – (Charities SORP (2015)) of the lease. and the Companies Act 2006. The registered office is The Estate Office, Revenue grants are credited as income Fairford Park, Fairford, Gloucestershire when they are receivable provided GL7 4JH. The functional currency is £ conditions for receipt have been complied sterling. with, unless they relate to a specified
Harvest income is agreed under a contract with a contractor who provides services over the land. The income is recognised under an agreed proportion once the harvest has been collected and sold. Income is recognised in the year that the harvest takes place. Basic payments and other payments related to these are recognised on a calendar year basis in line with the calculation and submission of basic payment returns.
## **1.4 EXPENDITURE**
All income is recognised once the Trust has entitlement to the income, it is Expenditure is charged on an accruals probable that the income will be received basis and allocated to the relevant and the amount of income receivable can charitable activity. be reliably measured.
Employment costs are divided between enterprises based on the best estimate of the division of the time spent by each employee. Support costs are charged to the charitable activities on the basis of staff time.
Page 59
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **1.5 GRANTS PAYABLE**
Grants are included in the accounts once the grant has been approved by management and the details have been communicated to the grant recipient. Committed grants include grants communicated and approved but not paid to recipients at the balance sheet date.
## **1.6 INVESTMENTS**
Additions to investment properties include purchases of land and buildings and property development costs, and are included at valuation.
Assets held for investment purposes are shown in the financial statements at their value to the Trust at the balance sheet date. Traded securities are valued based on the latest market bid prices at the year-end.
The Companies Act 2006 requires all investment properties to be depreciated. However, the requirement conflicts with the generally accepted accounting principle. The Directors consider that to depreciate freehold buildings held for investment purposes would not give a true and fair view so they are not depreciated.
Property is held at market value (subject to tenancy) as a conventional methodology, supported by external expert valuations. Annually, a sample is assessed in detail, ensuring that over a five-year period all property is inspected to support the valuation, gauging any regional differences and allowing valuers to take account of the specific condition of the assets.
Realised surpluses or deficits on the disposal of investments are included in the Statement of Financial Activities and calculated based on the sale price
against the previously posted valuation. Unrealised surpluses or deficits on revaluation of investments, calculated on the year-end valuation in comparison to either the initial cost price or previous year-end valuation, are included in the Statement of Financial Activities.
## **1.7 FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS**
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value, which is at cost, with the exception of:
- » Investments are measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date.
- » Fixed assets are measured at cost less depreciation.
The investments note 14 details the historical cost of the investments and the unrealised gains to arrive at their fair value.
## **1.8 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
Expenditure on vehicles, plant & machinery and office equipment in excess of £3,500 is capitalised and written off on a straight line basis over either three or four years based on the useful economic life of the asset. Some more substantial fixtures & fittings are written off over 10 years. These assets are listed under ‘Other’ in the table of tangible fixed assets in note 13.
The freehold buildings held for use on a continuing basis by the Trust are depreciated over a straight line 50 years basis. During the year there has been a depreciation charge of £62,687 in the financial statements. The future residual
## **Restricted funds**
value is also sustained by regular maintenance and repair, which is charged to the statement of financial activities. These functional assets are subject to valuations and annual impairment reviews in the same way as for freehold land and buildings held for investment purposes.
Restricted funds are funds which have been restricted for specific purposes by the donor.
## **Designated unrestricted funds**
Designated funds are unrestricted funds which have been designated for specific purposes by the Trustees.
## **1.9 TAXATION**
## **Unrestricted funds**
The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.
This fund represents the cumulative net incoming resources of the Trust, before realised and unrealised gains and losses, since its foundation in 1952. The nature of this unrestricted fund enables the Trustees to apply this fund in the furtherance of the charity’s objectives.
## **1.10 DEBTORS**
Debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the Trustees to apply this fund in the the amount prepaid net of any trade furtherance of the charity’s objectives. discounts due. Accrued income and tax recoverable is included at the best **1.13 PENSION - DEFINED** estimate of the amounts receivable at the **CONTRIBUTION SCHEME** balance sheet date.
There are three Defined contribution schemes in place for employees. The pension costs charged in the year in respect of this scheme represent the amount of the contributions payable to the scheme in respect of the accounting period.
## **1.11 CREDITORS**
Creditors are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
## **1.14 TARGETED CONTRIBUTION SCHEME**
In the light of unsustainable increasing costs, the Trustees reviewed the pension provision for members of this scheme. As a result of this review and following advice from their pensions consultants, the Trustees decided to stop targeting a pension in respect of service after 1 April 2007; in respect of such future service, the employer’s contribution will be defined. The pension costs charged in the year in respect of this scheme represent the amount of contributions payable to the scheme in respect of the accounting period.
## **1.12 FUND ACCOUNTING**
## **Expendable Endowment fund**
The Expendable Endowment fund, previously referred to as the capital reserve in prior years, was established following the initial endowment of 14,462 acres received from the Founder of the Trust, Ernest Edward Cook, in 1952 when he founded The Ernest Cook Trust as an educational charity.
## **1.15 CRITICAL JUDGEMENTS AND ESTIMATES**
Preparation of the financial statements requires management to make significant judgements and estimates. The items in the financial statements where these judgements and estimates have been made include:
- » Depreciation – the Trust exercises judgement to determine useful lives and residual values for tangible fixed assets. The assets are depreciated down to their residual values over their estimated useful lives.
- » Properties – the value of properties owned by the Trust have been considered in relation to their value to the Trust and informed by current market conditions, actual transactions and offers made for sale and rental.
- » Support Costs – these have been allocated on a prudent approach (headcount) and according to those areas of the business that benefit.
Page 60
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **2 ESTATE INCOME**
|**2**
**ESTATE INCOME**|||
|---|---|---|
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
||**£000**|**£000**|
|Rents|**3,843**|3,867|
|Forestryincome|**14**|21|
|Countryside Stewardship& Othergrants|**4**|89|
|Other income|**44**|99|
||**3,905**|4,076|
All Estate income in the year was unrestricted (2023 - unrestricted)
## **3 INVESTMENT INCOME**
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|
||**£000**|**£000**|
|Dividends and distributions|**1,139**|1,051|
|Bank & other interest
**All investment income**|**106**
**1,245**|17
1,068|
All Investment income in the year was unrestricted (2023 - unrestricted)
## **4 INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|
||**£000**|**£000**|
|Blue Infuencers Scheme|**306**|-|
|The OWL Collaboration|**60**|60|
|Other|**117**|22|
||**483**|82|
All charitable activities income in the year was restricted (2023 - restricted)
Further detail on these schemes is explained in note 20.
## **5 INCOME EARNED FROM OTHER ACTIVITIES**
The subsidiary, ECT Farms Limited, which is wholly owned by the parent, is a registered company (No. 01324410). The summary financial performance of the subsidiary alone is:
|||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**£000**|**£000**|
||Total income|**610**|710|
||Total expenditure|**(561)**|(604)|
||**NET (EXPENDITURE)**|**49**|106|
## **The assets and liabilities of the subsidiary are:**
||Fixed assets|**21**|35|
|---|---|---|---|
||Current assets|**522**|769|
||Current liabilities|**(429)**|(739)|
||Long-term liabilities|**-**|-|
||**TOTAL NET ASSETS**|**113**|64|
The subsidiary, Mintglebe Limited, which is wholly owned by the parent, is a registered company (No. 01665074).
The summary financial performance of the subsidiary alone is:
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|
|Total income|**£000**
**0**|£000
-|
|Total expenditure|**(31)**|(16)|
|**NET (EXPENDITURE)**
**The assets and liabilities of the subsidiary are:**|**(31)**|(16)|
||||
|Fixed assets|**-**|-|
|Current assets|**1,165**|570|
|Current liabilities|**(819)**|(193)|
|Long-term liabilities|**-**|-|
|**TOTAL NET ASSETS**|**346**|377|
Page 61
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **6 ESTATE EXPENDITURE**
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|
||**£000**|**£000**|
|Repairs and renewals|**1,520**|1,948|
|Depreciation|**104**|100|
|Proft on disposal of assets|**(33)**|-|
|Rates|**39**|35|
|Insurance|**150**|153|
|Light and heat|**61**|76|
|Telephone|**8**|6|
|Estate wages andpension costs|**263**|230|
|Equipment and vehicle expenses|**48**|56|
|Legal fees|**249**|129|
|Otherprofessional fees|**341**|344|
|Sundryexpenses|**26**|39|
|Bad debts|**110**|157|
|Non recoverable VAT|69|48|
|Donations|**5**|12|
|**Support costs allocation (see note 9)**|**1,049**|1,231|
|**TOTAL**|**4,009**|4,564|
All estate expenditure in the year was unrestricted (2023 - unrestricted)
## **7 GRANTS AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES**
||**Restricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Total 2024**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|Educationalgrants|1,106|990|**2,096**|
|Grants salaries andpension costs|102|72|**174**|
|Ofce expenses and equipment|-|2|**2**|
|Grants seminars and conferences|19|-|**19**|
|Grants evaluation and research|50|-|**50**|
|Grants travel expenses|13|3|**16**|
|Grants Co-ordinator|-|-|**-**|
|Grants digital communications|17|4|**21**|
|Depreciation|-|2|**2**|
|Postage and telephone|-|6|**6**|
|Learningsalaries andpension costs|-|429|**429**|
|Learningexpenses and equipment|-|108|**108**|
|Administration costs|3|-|**3**|
|**Support costs allocation (see note 9)**|-|738|**738**|
|**TOTAL**|**1,310**|**2,354**|**3,664**|
## **7 (continued) GRANTS AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES**
## **PREVIOUS YEAR**
|**7**
**(continued) GRANTS AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES**
**PREVIOUS YEAR**||||
|---|---|---|---|
||**Restricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Total 2022**|
||**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|Educationalgrants|1,232|634|1,866|
|Grants salaries andpension costs|118|49|167|
|Ofce expenses and equipment|1|-|1|
|Grants seminars and conferences|10|-|10|
|Grants evaluation and research|53|-|53|
|Grants travel expenses|12|1|13|
|Grants Co-ordinator|-|-|-|
|Grants digital communications|21|-|21|
|Depreciation|-|4|4|
|Postage and telephone|-|4|4|
|Learningsalaries andpension costs|-|402|402|
|Learningexpenses and equipment|-|159|159|
|Administration costs|5|-|5|
|Support costs allocation|-|308|308|
|**TOTAL**|**1,452**|**1,561**|**3,013**|
## **8 GOVERNANCE COSTS**
|||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**£000**|**£000**|
||Salaries andpensions|**491**|406|
||Trustees' remuneration and expenses|**68**|81|
||Travellingand subsistence|**5**|2|
||Audit and accountancy|**30**|62|
||Legal fees|**-**|22|
||Otherprofessional fees|**26**|48|
||Equipment and vehicle expenses|**2**|4|
||Other expenses|**38**|6|
||**TOTAL**|**660**|631|
All governance costs in the year were unrestricted (2023 - unrestricted).
Page 62
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **9 SUPPORT COSTS**
||**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|
|**Establishment expenditure**|**£000**|**£000**|
|Light and heating|**12**|11|
|Depreciation|**5**|1|
|Insurance
**Administration expenditure**|**32**|32
44|
||**49**||
|Salaries andpension costs|**635**|529|
|Travellingand subsistence|**10**|12|
|Equipment and motor vehicles|**37**|8|
|Printingand stationery|**8**|21|
|Postage and telephone|**20**|14|
|Otherprofessional fees|**90**|44|
|Subscriptions|**16**|10|
|Governance costs(see note 8)|**660**|631|
|IT expenses|**132**|88|
|Sundries
**TOTAL SUPPORT COSTS**|**130**|138
1,495
1,539|
||**1,738**
**1,787**||
|**Allocation of support costs**|||
|Estate Expenditure|**1,049**|1,231|
|Grants & Learning Activities|**738**
**1,787**|308
1,539|
## **10 ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE**
|**10**
**ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE**||||
|---|---|---|---|
||**Staf costs**|**Depreciation**|**Other**
**Total**
**2024**|
|Investment management fees|**£000**
-|**£000**
-|**£000**
**£000**
223
**223**|
|Estate expenditure|889|106|3,014
**4,009**|
|Grants and Learningactivities|1,036|4|2,625
**3,665**|
|Tradingexpenditure|44|11|537
**592**
6,399
**8,489**
**Other**
**Total**
**2023**|
|**Total**
**PREVIOUS YEAR**|1,969
**Staf costs**|121
**Depreciation**||
|Investment management fees|**£000**
-|**£000**
-|**£000**
**£000**
243
**243**|
|Estate expenditure|978|101|3,485
**4,564**|
|Grants and Learningactivities|756|4|2,253
**3,013**|
|Tradingexpenditure|46|10|563
**619**
6,544
**8,439**|
|**Total**|1,780|115||
## **11 TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**
|**11**
**TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**|||
|---|---|---|
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
||**£000**|**£000**|
|Mr A W M Christie-Miller|-|15|
|Mr H M Henderson|10|10|
|Mr S F Eliot|10|10|
|Sir Bertie Ross|-|9|
|Mrs M E Riall|15|10|
|Ms J D Greenwood|10|10|
|Mr I W Pigott|10|6|
|Dr I C Gambles|3|4|
|Mr R B Landman
Expenses|8|-
**74**
7
**81**|
||**66**
2||
|**Total remuneration and expenses**|**68**||
## **Trustees' expenses**
Expense reimbursements paid to the Trustees during the year amounted to £2,158 (2023: £6,897). At the year-end an amount of £Nil (2023: £Nil) was owed to the Trustees. There is an authority in the Memorandum and Articles of Association to provide remuneration to Trustees.
Page 63
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **12 STAFF COSTS**
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|
||**£000**|**£000**|
|Wages and salaries|**1,608**|1,478|
|Social securitycosts|**148**|170|
|Other pension costs|**212**|132|
||**1,968**|1,780|
|**The average monthly number of full time equivalent employees during the year was as follows:**|**The average monthly number of full time equivalent employees during the year was as follows:**||
|---|---|---|
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|Maintenance of estates|**7**|8|
|Grants and Learningactivities|**20**|16|
|Management and administration|**18**|14|
||**45**|38|
|**The number of employees whose employee benefts (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £80,000 was:**|**The number of employees whose employee benefts (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £80,000 was:**||
|---|---|---|
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|£120,000 to £130,000|**1**|**1**|
|£80,000 to £90,000|**2**|**2**|
||**3**|**3**|
## **Key management personnel**
The total aggregate compensation (including pensions) due to key management personnel (Leadership team) in the year to 31 March 2024 was £654,225 (2023: £547,558)
## **13 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS (GROUP)**
|||||
|---|---|---|---|
||**Freehold land and**
**buildings**|**Other**|**Totals**|
|**COST**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|At 1 April 2023|6,614|1,008|7,622|
|Additions|272|52|324|
|Disposals|-|(93)|(93)|
|Transfer to Investmentproperties|(852)|-|(852)
**7,002**
898|
|**At 31 March 2024**
**DEPRECIATION**
At 1 April 2023|**6,034**
63|**967**
835||
|Charge foryear|62|59|121|
|Disposals|-|(87)|**(87)**
**932**
**6,069**|
|**At 31 March 2024**
**NET BOOK VALUE**
**At 31 March 2024**
**At 31 March 2023**
**TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS (PARENT)**|**125**
**5,909**
6,551
**Freehold land and**
**buildings**|**807**
**160**||
|||173|6,724|
|||**Other**|**Totals**|
|**COST**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|At 1 April 2023|6,614|963|7,577|
|Additions|272|49|321|
|Disposals||(84)|(84)|
|Transfer to Propertyinvestments|(852)||(852)
**6,962**
888|
|**At 31 March 2024**
**DEPRECIATION**
At 1 April 2023|**6,034**
63|**928**
825||
|Charge foryear|62|47|109|
|Disposals||(84)|**(84)**
**913**
**6,049**|
|**At 31 March 2024**
**NET BOOK VALUE**
**At 31 March 2024**
**At 31 March 2023**|**125**
**5,909**
6,551|**788**
**140**||
|||138|6,689|
Page 64
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **14 FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS (GROUP)**
|**2024**|**Investment**
**properties**|**Listed**
**investments**|
**Other**
**investments**|**2024 Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Cost or valuation**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|At 1 April 2023|256,322|42,726|2,011|**301,059**|
|Additions|1,387|7,023|-|**8,410**|
|Transfer from freehold land & buildings|852|-|-|**852**|
|Disposals|(1,879)|(7,551)|-|**(9,430)**|
|Cash movement|-|-|(363)|**(363)**|
|Total gain/(loss) on revaluation
**At 31 March 2024**|13,834
**270,516**|2,733
**44,931**|-
**1,648**|**16,567**
**317,095**|
|**At 31 March 2023**|256,322|42,726|2,011|301,059|
|Historical cost at 31 March 2024||39,352|1,648|41,000|
|**2023 - as Re-stated**|**Investment**
**properties**|**Listed**
**investments**|**Other**
**investments**|**2023 Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Cost or valuation**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|At 1 April 2022|167,421|46,438|2,575|**216,434**|
|Additions|427|9,974|-|**10,401**|
|Gifted asset|||-|**-**|
|Disposals|(671)|(10,498)|-|**(11,169)**|
|Cash movement|-|-|(564)|**(564)**|
|Total gain/(loss) on revaluation
**At 31 March 2023**|89,145
**256,322**|(3,188)
**42,726**|-
**2,011**|**85,957**
**301,059**|
|**At 31 March 2022**|167,421|46,438|2,575|216,434|
|Historical cost at 31 March 2023||38,934|2,011|40,945|
## **15 FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS (PARENT)**
|**2024**|**Investment**
**properties**|
**Listed**
**investments**|
**Other**
**investments**|
**2024 Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Cost or valuation**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|At 1 April 2023|256,322|42,726|2,436|**301,484**|
|Additions|1,387|7,023|-|**8,410**|
|Transfer from freehold land & buildings|852|||**852**|
|Disposals|(1,879)|(7,551)|-|**(9,430)**|
|Cash movement||-|(363)|**(363)**|
|Totalgain on revaluation|13,834|2,733|-|**16,567**
**317,520**|
|**At 31 March 2024**|**270,516**|**44,931**|**2,073**||
|Investment in subsidiaries|||425|**425**|
|Historical cost at 31 March 2024|**270,516**|**44,931**|**1,648**|**317,095**|
|||39352|2073|41425|
|**2023 - as Re-stated**|**Investment**
**properties**|**Listed**
**investments**|**Other**
**investments**|**2023 Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Cost or valuation**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|At 1 April 2022|167,421|46,438|2,575|**216,434**|
|Additions|427|9,974|425|**10,826**|
|Gifted asset|-|-|-|**-**|
|Disposals|(671)|(10,498)|-|**(11,169)**|
|Cash movement|-|-|(564)|**(564)**|
|Total gain/(loss) on revaluation|89,145|(3,188)|-|**85,957**
**301,484**|
|**At 31 March 2023**|**256,322**|**42,726**|**2,436**||
|Investment in subsidiaries|||425|**425**|
|Historical cost at 31 March 2023|**256,322**|**42,726**|**2,011**|**301,059**|
|||38,934|2,436|41,370|
During the year the Charity adopted to change its methodology of valuation from investment value to open market value. The Valuation was undertaken by professional valuers, as a result the opening values increased by £86,869,082. If the fixed asset investments had not been revalued they would have been included on the historical cost basis as £41,000,342 (2023: £40,945,000). It is not possible to determine the historical cost of the investment properties as many of them were settled by the founder in 1952.
Page 65
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
The Trust holds shares in each of its wholly owned subsidiaries, ECT Farms Limited and Mintglebe Limited.
## **Results are as stated:**
|**Name of company**|**ECT Farms Limited**|**Mintglebe Limited**|
|---|---|---|
|Countryof incorporation|United Kingdom|United Kingdom|
|% holding/control|100%|100%|
|No of shares held and value|100 shares at £1per share|425,100 shares at £1per share|
|Income 2024|610,096|-|
|Net Assets/(Liabilities)as at 31 March 2024|113,468|346,355|
|Income 2023|709,926|-|
|Net Assets/(Liabilities)as at 31 March 2023|64,434|377,293|
|Nature of business|Management of land held
for farming purposes|Design and build services to
The Ernest Cook Trust|
|**An analysis of the location of investments for t**
**2024**|**he Trust is as follows:**
**UK**|**Non-UK**|**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Investmentproperties|**£000**
270,515|**£000**|**£000**
270,515|**£000**
256,321|
|Listed investments|19,825|**25,106**|44,931|42,727|
|Other investments
**2023**|1,648
**291,988**|**25,106**|1,648
**317,094**|2,011
301,059|
||**UK**|**Non-UK**|**2023**|**2022**|
|**PRIOR YEAR**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|Investmentproperties|256,321||**256,321**|167,738|
|Listed investments|21,450|21,277|**42,727**|46,438|
|Other investments|2,011
**279,782**|**21,277**|**2,011**
**301,059**|2,575
216,751|
## **Listed and investments by fund type are as follows:**
||**Listed and investments by fund type are as follows:**|||
|---|---|---|---|
|||**2024**|**2023**|
||UK equities|**13%**|15%|
||Non-UK equities|**52%**|46%|
||Bonds|**14%**|12%|
||Alternatives|**17%**|22%|
||Cash|**4%**|5%|
|||**100%**|100%|
## **16 DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
|||**GROUP**|**GROUP**|**PARENT**|**PARENT**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|||**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
||Rents receivable|**944**|1,113|**944**|1,113|
||Other debtors and prepayments|**1,131**|1,242|**860**|785|
||Amounts due from group companies|**-**|-|**1,004**|674|
|||**2,075**|2,355|**2,808**|2,572|
## **17 CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
|||**GROUP**|**GROUP**|**PARENT**|**PARENT**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|||**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
||Other tax and social security|**61**|53|**61**|53|
||Pension creditor|**2**|4|**2**|4|
||Accruals|**535**|565|**371**|475|
||Other creditors|**823**|873|**823**|756|
||Deferred income|**232**|233|**232**|233|
|||**1,653**|1,728|**1,489**|1,521|
Page 66
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **18 CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR**
||**GROUP**|**GROUP**|**PARENT**|**PARENT**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
||**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|Bank loans and overdrafts|**11,500**|14,000|**11,500**|14,000|
|Deferred income|**628**|640|**628**|640|
||**12,128**|14,640|**12,128**|14,640|
A loan of £10,000,000 is secured on part of the Fairford and Hatherop Estates at a fixed interest rate of 3.51% repayable in 2036.
The remaining £1,500,000 is a loan advanced on 26 March 2024, this was repaid on 27 June 2024.
|**Deferred Income reconciliation:**|**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|---|---|---|
|Deferred income balance brought forward|**£000**
**873**|**£000**
912|
|
Income released in theyear|**(245)**|(272)|
|Income deferred
**Final total carried forward**
**Deferred income by period:**|**232**
**860**|233
873|
||**31.3.24**|**31.3.23**|
|Under 1year|**£000**
**232**|**£000**
233|
|Between 2 and 5years|**35**|35|
|Over 5 years
**TOTAL**|**593**
**860**|605
873|
## **19 FUNDS AND RESERVES**
|**2024**|**Opening**
**balance**|
**Income**|**Expenditure**|**Gain/(Loss)**|**Transfer**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|Unrestrictedgeneral funds|1,939|5,760|(6,032)||(862)|805|
|Designated funds|3,131|-|(1,520)|-||1,611|
|||||||**2,416**|
|**Total unrestricted funds**|**5,070**|**5,760**|**(7,552)**|**-**|**(862)**||
|**Endowment funds**|**295,096**|**-**|**-**|**17,734**|**-**|**312,830**|
|**Restricted funds**|||||||
|Green Infuencers Scheme|87|-|(174)|-|92|5|
|Blue Infuencers Scheme|-|306|(503)|-|306|109|
|The OWL Collaboration|-|60|(633)|-|573|-|
|Other restricted funds|7|117|-|-|(109)|15|
|**Total Restricted Funds**
**TOTAL FUNDS**|**94**
**300,260**|**483**
**6,243**|**(1,310)**
**(8,862)**|**-**
**17,734**|**862**
**-**|**129**
**315,375**|
|**2023 - Restated**|**Opening**
**balance**|
**Income**|**Expenditure**|**Gain/(Loss)**|**Transfer**|**Total**|
|Unrestrictedgeneral funds|**£000**
3,500|**£000**
5,854|**£000**
(5,390)|**£000**|**£000**
(2,025)|**£000**
1,939|
|Designated funds|3,565|-|(1,948)||1,514|3,131|
|||||||**5,070**|
|**Total unrestricted funds**|**7,065**|**5,854**|**(7,338)**|**-**|**(511)**||
|**Endowment funds**|**207,625**|**-**|**-**|**87,471**||**295,096**|
|**Restricted funds**|||||||
|Green Infuencers Scheme|1,077|-|(990)|-|-|87|
|The OWL Collaboration|-|60|(571)|-|511|-|
|Kickstart Scheme|13|-|(13)|-|-|-|
|Other restricted funds|5|22|(20)|-|-|7|
|**Total Restricted Funds**
**TOTAL FUNDS**|**1,095**
**215,785**|**82**
**5,936**|**(1,594)**
**(8,932)**|**-**
**87,471**|**511**
**-**|**94**
**300,260**|
Page 67
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **20 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS (CONTINUED)**
## **21 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS**
## **Designated funds**
The Ernest Cook Trust has a designated fund for repairs, maintenance and capital improvements on the estates. Designated funds for this purpose have been set relatively high as we work through a planned schedule of improvements to both the residential portfolio and agricultural holdings. Expenditure of £1,517,424 was incurred in the year. A transfer of £Nil was made from unrestricted funds to designated funds to meet future commitments, and a balance of £1,613,517 is carried forward.
## **Restricted funds – Green Influencers Scheme**
The Green Influencers Scheme helps young people to create connections with the natural environment and build valuable life skills while contributing to the local community through environmental action. The Scheme was developed by The Ernest Cook Trust in 2019 as a match-funded project with the #iwill Fund. The #iwill Fund was made possible thanks to £66M joint investment from the National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. Both the #iwill Fund and The Ernest Cook Trust provided £1.5million to the Green Influencers Scheme, resulting in a total of £3million spent over 3 years on youth environmental action. The Ernest Cook Trust acted as a match funder and awarded grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund to registered charities and non-profit organisations across England to employ Green Mentors to help young ‘Green Influencers' (10-14 year-olds) to create environmental projects in local schools, youth groups and communities.
||**2024**|**Restricted funds**|**Expendable**
**endowment**|**Designated funds**|**Unrestricted funds**|**Total 2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
||Tangible fxed
assets||3,331|-|2,738|**6,069**|
||Investments||309,499|7,596|-|**317,095**|
||Current assets|129|-|4,019|1,844|**5,992**|
||Current liabilities||-|-|(1,653)|**(1,652)**|
||Long-term liabilities||-|(10,000)|(2,128)|**(12,128)**|
||**TOTAL FUNDS**|**129**|**312,830**|**1,615**|**801**|**315,375**|
## **Restricted funds – Blue Influencers Scheme**
The Scheme was developed by The Ernest Cook Trust in 2022 as a match-funded project with the #iwill Fund.
The Blue Influencers Scheme is a youth-led programme focused on support for young people from schools and youth groups (target age 10-14 year-olds) in tackling environmental and climate issues on beaches, in seas, rivers and estuaries. Developed due to concerns raised by young people from coastal areas, this £2.26M programme is match funded with the #iwill Fund and supports 22 Host Organisations working in areas with high Multiple Deprivation Indices across England.
The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £66 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action oppertunities.
The Ernest Cook Trust is acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities.
## **Restricted funds – The OWL Collaboration**
Launched in 2020 The Owl Collaboration brings together schools, Outdoor Learning Centres and funders to develop and deliver new ways of teaching and the development of skills for learning outside the classroom. The Ernest Cook Trust provides funded places for disadvantaged pupils as well as funding to Outdoor Learning Centres. External funding for The OWL Collaboration of £60,000 was received in the year and our expenditure on The OWL Collaboration of £633,306 was met by a transfer of £573,306 from Unrestricted Funds.
||**2023 - as Re-stated**|**Restricted funds**|**Expendable**
**endowment**|**Designated funds**|**Unrestricted funds**|**Total 2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
||Tangible fxed
assets|-|3,331|-|3,393|**6,724**|
||Investments|-|291,765|9,294|-|**301,059**|
||Current assets|94|-|2,774|5,977|**8,845**|
||Current liabilities|-|-|-|(1,728)|**(1,728)**|
||Long-term liabilities|-|-|(10,000)|(4,640)|**(14,640)**|
||**TOTAL FUNDS**|**94**|**295,096**|**2,068**|**3,002**|**300,260**|
## **Other restricted funds - Outdoor Essentials Grant**
Qualifying primary and special schools can apply for a £500 grant, with £1,000 available for secondary schools. Priority is given to schools located in areas of high deprivation and/or with pupils living in challenging circumstances, as well as to schools which regard Outdoor Learning and environmental engagement as an important part of education. The February 2024 Outdoor Essentials Grants round was given an additional boost from the Aurora Trust, a grant-making charity and one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. The Aurora Trust generously match-funded the £90,000 put in by The Ernest Cook Trust, bringing the total for that round to £180,000.
Page 68
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
THE ERNEST COOK TRUST | ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## **26 COMMITMENTS UNDER OPERATING LEASES**
## **22 CAPITAL COMMITMENTS**
**At 31 March 2024 the Charity had future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as follows:**
There were no capital commitments as at 31 March 2024 or 31 March 2023.
## **23 PENSIONS**
## **Defined contribution schemes**
The Trust operates three defined contribution pension schemes for the benefit of employees. The assets of the schemes are administered by Trustees in funds independent from those of the Trust. Total contributions in the year were £207,171 (2023 £130,782) and at 31 March 2024 creditors relating to pensions totalled £2,350 (2023 £3,941).
## **24 ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET DEBT**
## **This note refers to the cash flow on page 8:**
|||**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**|
||Not later than 1 year|48|-|
||Later than 1 year and not later than 5 years|73|-|
|||**121**|**-**|
## **27 PRIOR YEAR ADJUSTMENT**
The Charity has made a prior year adjustment to reflect the change in valuation technique from investment value to open market value. This resulted in an increase in valuation of investment properties from £167,176,578 to £256,231,059.
||**Opening Balance**|**Cash Flows**|**Other non-cash**|**Closing balance**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**changes**||
||**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|**£000**|
|Cash and cash equivalents|7,958|(3,730)|-|4,228|
|Loans due over one year|(14,000)|2,500|-|(11,500)|
|**TOTAL NET DEBT**|**(6,042)**|**(1,230)**|**-**|**(7,272)**|
## **25 RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES**
During the year the charity operated bank accounts for the two subsidiaries and received funds and incurred costs on their behalf.
For ECT Farms Ltd the charity incurred costs of £529,030 (2023 £730,319) and received income of £152,285 (2023 £Nil). During the year ECT Farms Ltd repaid £500,000 to the Trust. At the year end The Ernest Cook Trust was owed £317,457 (2023 £487,373) by the subsidiary - the Trust owed the subsidiary £Nil (2023 £Nil).
For Mintglebe Ltd the charity incurred costs of £Nil (2023 £6,436). During the year the charity made a loan of £500,000 to its subsidiary Mintglebe Ltd. Interest will be charged at 4.5% per annum above the Bank of England base rate. The loan is repayable within two years of the loan being made. At the year end Mintglebe Ltd owed the charity £686,828 (2023 £186,828).
Mary Riall is a Trustee of The Ernest Cook Trust and is also a Trustee of Ufton Court Educational Trust, a registered charity. During the year The Ernest Cook Trust made a Grant to the Ufton Court Educational Trust amounting to £52,500 in support of their Outdoor Week of Learning (2023 £50,000).
There were no other related party transactions (2023 none).
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
## LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
The Ernest Cook Trust Legal and Administrative details for the year ended 31 March 2024
The Ernest Cook Trust Registered Company No. 07907411
Registered Charity No. 1146629
Mintglebe Limited Registered Company No. 01665074
ECT Farms Limited Registered Company No. 01324410
Registered Office and principal address:
THE ESTATE OFFICE FAIRFORD PARK FAIRFORD GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL7 4JH
## **Trustees**
**Mary E Riall** Chair
**Simon F Eliot**
**Dr Ian Gambles FCMA**
(July - November 2022, resumed January 2024)
**Jenefer D Greenwood OBE**
**Harry M Henderson DL**
**Dr Zainab Kabba** (appointed September 2024)
**Rory Landman** (appointed June 2023)
**Ian Pigott OBE DL**
**Leadership Team**
**Dr Victoria M Edwards OBE FRICS FAAV**
Chief Executive (October 2016 – October 2023)
**Dr Ian Gambles FCMA**
Interim Chief Executive (December 2022 – December 2023)
**Ed Ikin**
Chief Executive (appointed December 2023)
## **Emily M E Crawley**
Head of Learning Strategy & Delivery (to July 2024)
## **Steve Hatcher**
Director of Finance & Technical Services and Company Secretary (to July 2024)
**Linda Parsons FCCA**
Interim Head of Finance & Technical Services and Company Secretary (appointed July 2024)
**Suzie R Paton**
Acting Director of Learning, Grants & Partnerships
**Claire Puxley**
HR Manager (appointed to the Leadership Team February 2024)
**Sara B Rostant** Chief of Staff
**Committee Chairs**
**Audit, Finance & Investment**
**Dr Ian Gambles FCMA**
**Property**
**Jenefer D Greenwood OBE**
## **Advisors**
## **Banker**
National Westminster Bank plc 32 Market Place Cirencester Gloucestershire GL7 2NU
## **Solicitors**
Charles Russell Speechlys LLP Compass House Lypiatt Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL50 2QJ
Michelmores LLP Eagle Tower Montpellier Drive Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL50 1TA
## **Auditor**
Price Bailey LLP 3rd Floor, 24 Old Bond Street London W1S 4AP
## **Investment Adviser**
Cazenove Capital Management 1, London Wall Place London EC2Y 5AU
**Learning**
**Michael A Birnie MRICS FAAV**
Property Director
**Simon F Eliot**
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The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Legal and Administrative Details
## **Join us**
As both a landowning organisation and charitable trust, we cover a lot of ground. When joined by like-minded people from all walks of life, this journey becomes all the more fulfilling.
Our approach is always to be curious and open, welcoming all views.
**Could you be our future charity sector partner, Trustee, match funder, host organisation or influencing partner? Or perhaps your skill set suits a role within The Ernest Cook Trust?**
Our work is vital, challenging, and increasingly effective when done in partnership. We love connecting with people as much as we love connecting with nature, so please contact us to arrange a chat, and keep an eye on our website and socials for details of jobs at The Ernest Cook Trust.
**hello@ernestcooktrust.org.uk**
The Ernest Cook Trust | Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
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Join us
**Fairford Park, Fairford, Gloucestershire GL7 4JH Tel 01285 712492 Email hello@ernestcooktrust.org.uk Web www.ernestcooktrust.org.uk**
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