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2022-03-31-accounts

The Marlborough Downs:

Space for Nature

Tenth Annual Report

Dr Jemma Batten

Marlborough Downs Space for Nature Project Manager Black Sheep Countryside Management Jindabyne – Great Hinton – Wiltshire BA14 6BT

 07855 506112

 jemma.batten@blacksheepcountryside.co.uk

The Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farming Ltd

(A company limited by guarantee)

Report and Unaudited Financial Statements for the year to 31st March 2022

Company Number : 7907437 Registered Charity Number : 1147925

The Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farming Ltd.

(A company limited by guarantee)

The trustee board presents its directors’ report and unaudited financial statements for year to 31 March 2022.

ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS

Company Registered No : 7907437

Charity Registered No : 1147925

Principal Address: Jindabyne, Great Hinton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 6BT

Registered address: Jindabyne, Great Hinton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 6BT

Trustees that served during the period:

Project Management: Black Sheep Countryside Management – Lead Dr Jemma Batten

Independent Examiner

Helen Frost, HF Bookkeeping Plus, 1 Forest Hill Cottages, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3HN

Bank

Barclays Bath Branch, 4-5 Southgate Street, Bath BA1 1AQ

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The Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farming Ltd.

(A company limited by guarantee)

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEE BOARD

1. Chairman’s Introduction

We all live in a seemingly fast moving and ever changing world. No sooner do we start to look back on a shared Covid experience than our world is yet again rocked by world events with the issues and fallout from the war in the Ukraine and how this will affect our way of life.

We are all facing into an increasingly unstable economy and with a Government which at times seems distanced from the importance of maintaining a viable rural infrastructure. Ever more is the need to appreciate what the countryside can offer to society. Covid clearly demonstrated the importance of health and wellbeing and we as land managers are in a pivotal position to be able to deliver this to society.

The Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Partnership – the precursor to the national phenomena of Cluster Groups and Facilitated Groups, has started something that has the ability to deliver a whole plethora of sustainable and realistic benefits to society.

One is only as good as the people who work alongside us and yet again, we all owe a huge thanks to Dr Jemma Batten who has continued to drive us to ever higher heights. Her clear determination alongside her intrinsic knowledge of the countryside have helped to once again galvanise us into a collective body of farmers and land managers who desire to demonstrate the value of ecosystem services.

To aid Jemma, we have now employed a new event co-ordinator, Janinka Diviero, and between the pair of them it means that we are now far better placed to be able to deliver on a more diverse, attractive and accessible landscape.

There is a lot to look forward to, we have the ability to improve the quality of life of many people – and that is an enviable position to be, or as Shakespeare once said ‘One touch of nature makes the whole world kin’. The challenge is before us and we are now well setup to deliver on our collective aims and objectives.

Chris Musgrave Chair

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2. Structure, governance and management

Governing Document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 12 January 2012 in preparation for the potential success of a bid application submitted to Natural England, which was then awarded on March 2012, and registered as a charity on 3 July 2012. The company was

established as ‘The Marlborough Downs NIA’ under a standard Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £10. On 16th December 2015 the Charitable Company was renamed as ‘The Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farming’.

Organisational Structure

The Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farming charity has a board made up of farming and non-farming trustees and invited associates. Chris Musgrave is the chair of the charity board. The board delegates operational activities to two delivery groups: the Biodiversity and Landscape Group (previously Downland Species Group) and the Community Outreach Group (previously Habitats and Heritage Group).

Projects are a collaboration between the farmers of the Marlborough Downs (who are members of the Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farming charity), Black Sheep Countryside Management (responsible for project delivery), and various other stakeholders. Board meetings are run as project board meetings and for this purposes representatives from non-farming members and partner organisations have been co-opted to the board. They are:

Other key stakeholders may be invited to attend board meetings from time to time. All strategic decisions are taken at these properly constituted project board meetings. All agenda items are supported by board papers, which include a risk analysis and clear recommendations to be discussed and considered. The decisions are clearly minuted and these minutes with actions are circulated and made available to all members via the website.

Recruitment & Training

This is the tenth year of the charity and this report covers the year ended 31st March 2022. The charity continues with the same overall aim as in previous years. All bar one of the trustees are currently or have previously been farmers and represent the farming community in the Marlborough Downs area. Some have been on the board from the start of the charity and others have joined

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since. At the 2018 AGM it was agreed that non-farmer associate members should also be allowed to stand as trustees as long as the majority of the board remains as farmer members. No new trustees were appointed in the year to 31st March 2022.

The skills of the project board and their advisers are considered to be appropriate for the requirements of the charity’s objectives and have been able to meet the ever increasing challenging project targets over the year. Trustees are offered training to fill any further gaps identified and if required additional trustees with new skills would be recruited.

3. Financial Review

The majority of this year’s income was derived from a donation of £21,000 from the Bybrook Trust, another local charity which is in the process of closing down.

In addition, the charity was awarded a Farming in Protected Landscapes grant of £28,986.46 for community events and outreach activities from March 2022 to March 2024 (£1,710.00 for 2021-22; £14,180.46 for 2022-23; and £13,096 for 2023-24), and £6,000 was raised through member subscriptions to support Overheads.

Activities Income Spend Under/over-
spend
Community £2,786 £1,721 £1,065
Landscape £21,780 £4,691 £17,089
Overheads £7,006 £7,961 -£955
Total £31,571 £14,373 £17,199

Please note: All figures are rounded to the nearest £1

£32,281.71 of restricted funding was brought forward (Landscape).

Reserves Policy

The policy on reserves is accepted as being minimal as offices are virtual and all work is undertaken by volunteers or contractors. Generally, a reserve of £5,000 for unforeseen events is considered adequate as this could cover half a year’s management costs in an emergency plus one quarter’s scheduled community activities. As of 31 March 2022 we had £3,745 unrestricted funds in reserve which, with the FiPL grant covering community activities, is considered adequate for this year.

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Donations In Kind

In addition to the actual management of the budget, the charity benefits from items and services donated as ‘in kind’ . In previous years a significant contribution has come from a Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund grant received via Black Sheep Countryside Management. This grant expired at the end of 2020 and consequently this contribution in kind was not received during the year 2021-22. However, this did not result in any real detriment as, due to Covid-19 restrictions, we were unable to carry out many of our usual activities so the type of expenditure previously associated with this grant also dropped significantly this year.

There was also a range of contributions from pro bono staff time to support the project to donated items including seed, habitat management activities and free venue use. Additionally, volunteer time accounted for a high proportion of activities undertaken including project management time. However, the majority of this was not recorded due to the lack of reporting and paid support time to record and collate.

4. Funds held as custodian trustee on behalf of others

The trustees act as custodians and ultimately the controlling group of the funds held. This was limited during the year as explained above. Otherwise, no funds are held on behalf of others.

5. Public benefit statement

The Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farmers Ltd and Charity aims to deliver a more biodiverse, more attractive and more accessible landscape. Alongside these obvious, tangible benefits come a suite of gains that may be more difficult to quantify but are known collectively as ecosystem services. Such gains include improved water quality due to reduced agricultural inputs; a contribution towards the physical and mental health of residents and visitors through access to green spaces and fresh air; mitigation against climate change through building robust ecological networks; better crop pollination; support for a strong rural economy via agriculture, tourism and recreation; and the social, cultural and educational benefits that are a result of interaction with nature.

The partnership is driven by the fact that despite decades of conservation effort, many of our habitats and species are at best stable and at worst in decline and while most of the farmers in the area have long been involved in environmental schemes, we have shown that the farmer-led, bottom-up approach of this initiative can lead to far greater and more wide-reaching benefits as a result of the ‘ownership’ conferred on us by this project. We are also convinced that the potential for the long term

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delivery of this project is far higher than for others that rely upon financial incentives rather than personal commitment. We understand that a landscape-scale approach cannot succeed without widespread farmer involvement and we ensured that all farmers in the area had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the project.

As well as environmental and conservation benefits there is an emphasis on education of the public through volunteer activities to support the project as well as direct educational activities provided by the project. These activities are community based and work with existing groups so also promote community working and cohesion as groups and individuals are brought together with a common aim. We are working with local communities to encourage more involvement in the countryside and to promote greater awareness of landscape, wildlife and farming. We are keen to enthuse people about the countryside and get the non-farming community involved with activities on and about the Downs through events and activities, workshops and work parties. We are working to provide better public access and information to encourage people to enjoy and understand the landscape while improving their health and wellbeing.

Although a second year of restrictions due to Covid-19 has meant that face-to-face activities have been limited, we have seen that the relationships developed during the initial pilot project, both within the partnership and with external agencies and organisations, have continued, and the shared commitment to improving the nature of the Marlborough Downs is having a long-lasting impact upon the area.

6. Objectives and activities

The objectives as laid out for the Company in the initial incorporation document were:

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7. Achievements and performance Year 10 (April 2021 to March 2022)

Much of the charity’s work involves events, activities, face-to-face meetings, workshops and practical tasks so, like many organisations, our delivery was severely curtailed during 2021 and into early 2022 because of successive lockdowns or other restrictions on gatherings due to Covid-19. Even when restrictions were relaxed, people were cautious of meeting up, particularly those classed as vulnerable.

Going into the second year of Covid restrictions, people were also suffering from ‘Zoom fatigue’, having spent months conducting their business and social lives online, so even trying to keep things going remotely was difficult. Consequently, there isn’t a great deal to report for 2021-22 except behind-the-scenes work, though the project management team aimed to deliver on one activity per month and achieved as follows:

Month Meetings
Board
Delivery
Group		 Meetings
Board
Delivery
Group		 Funding
application		 Date and event Date and event Venue (and number
attending)
Apr ✓ B&L Countryside
Stewardship		 Space for Nature Reserve - habitat
creation and management		 6th Farmland birds Online (45)
May
Jun
Jul 1st Farm walk & picnic Reserve (24)
Aug ✓
Sep 14th Intro to regen farming Overtown Farm (28)
Oct ✓ 6th Seasonal Supper Marlborough (34)
8th FarmED visit Honeydale Farm (18)
Nov 4th ELMS workshop Broad Hinton (8)
25th Owl box workshop East Farm (7)
Dec 3rd Willow wreaths Avebury (12)
Jan ✓ FiPL
Feb COG 2nd & 9th Land App
training		 Online (19)
Mar B&L New event co-ordinator

More details can be found under the relevant objective headings that follow.

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OBJECTIVE 1 – To deliver evidence-based conservation activities on a landscape scale

1.1 Biodiversity tailoring

Detailed knowledge of what’s happening beyond individual farm boundaries enables us to deliver on a landscape scale.

1.1.1 Existing Stewardship agreements

The project management team continues to support members in their delivery of individual Environmental Stewardship (ES) and Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreements. At the beginning of 2022, these covered over 73% of the 9,824 hectares farmed by members which is significantly more than the national average (in 2020 just 20% of land in England was covered by an ES or CS agreement).

----- Start of picture text -----
Green – members’ holdings
Dark green – Stewardship agreements
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1.1.2 New Stewardship agreements

One higher and two mid tier applications were supported in 2021. The higher tier was a groundbreaking ‘wilding’ scheme, with the aim of creating a semi-natural mosaic of grassland, scrub, woodland, scrapes and watercourses. One of the mid tiers covered only the species-rich grassland on the holding with the idea being that the arable would be included in a separate application to be submitted in 2022. The final application was a very comprehensive scheme which included management for farmland birds (bird seed plots, unharvested and low input cereals, winter feeding)

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and pollinators (flower-rich margins and plots); hedge management; soil health (legume fallows); water quality (winter cover crops, arable reversion to unfertilised grassland, capital works).

All three applications were successful and agreements started on 1 January 2022.

In addition, two capital grants were achieved, one to plant 1,690 m of new hedgerow, and one to reduce the risk of diffuse pollution by covering a silage clamp.

1.1.3 Dissemination of best practice

In 2021 we received a donation from the Bybrook Trust which was made on condition that expenditure is restricted to activities:

We held two events to find out more about conservation farming (also known as regenerative agriculture). The first, in September 2021, was a day with Groundswell agronomist Richard Harding (28 attended), and the second a trip to FarmED in the Cotswolds (October 2021, 18 attended).

Soil health is an important element of regenerative agriculture and in August, we inspected the soil under a herbal ley that had been planted on really poor ground and were pleased to see that positive results had been achieved in a relatively short space of time.

In addition, we offered best practice workshops on

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The annual seasonal supper in October 2021 was the first time the membership had been able to meet up as a group since 2019, and included talks on permaculture principles and their relevance to conservation farming (Marlborough Permaculture Association), and on growing wildflowers as a business (Wildflower Turf)

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the usual number of farm visits carried out by the project director didn’t happen this year. Instead, members were kept informed of relevant online events such as webinars and talks, and we continue to add factsheets, management guidance and other information to the ‘information and guidance’ page on our website – www.spacefornature.net.

Additional ‘best practice’ activities associated with particular habitats and/or species are detailed under the relevant Objective headings below.

1.2 Supporting local conservation businesses

We continue to have excellent relationships with many local businesses and other organisations involved in farming, conservation, land management, and other countryside activities, and communicate and collaborate on an ad hoc basis. For example, we collaborated with another local charity, Action for the River Kennet, to submit an application for a grant to the Farming in Protective Landscape fund, administered by the North Wessex Downs AONB.

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OBJECTIVE 2 – To enable appropriate management of semi-natural wildlife habitat

2.1 Restoring Resilient Ecosystems

MDNEP members are contributing to the Restoring Resilient Ecosystems (RestREco) project, which is a collaboration between Cranfield University, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, University of

Stirling, National Trust and Forest Research. The aim is to determine the most efficient approaches to restore complex, multifunctional and resilient ecosystems, thus securing net environmental gain, and CEH are undertaking floral and invertebrate diversity surveys on seven chalk grassland restoration sites across the Marlborough Downs. Already some exciting results are emerging and we look forward to receiving feedback and updates as the project progresses.

2.2 Wildlife corridors and stepping stones

2.2.1 On-farm delivery

Another thing that Covid-19 hasn’t impacted upon is our ability to deliver high quality semi-natural habitat management across the Downs, and members continue to make hay, move animals around, and control weeds like ragwort in chalk grassland on their farms.

2.2.2 Space for Nature Reserve

Happily, work on the Reserve was not curtailed by Covid-19 and by spring 2022, ‘construction’ of the site was more or less complete. Two Herdwick sheep are doing a good job of keeping the establishing sward grazed down in a fenced area with a field shelter purchased by the charity. Over

the winter of 2021-22, all the trees and shrubs (including the hedge) that had been planted over the previous two years were inspected and replaced where necessary. We’ve built log and stone piles and a bug hotel and in July 2021, once Covid restrictions began to relax, we even

managed to hold our annual Summer Farm Walk and Picnic on the Reserve (24 attended) to

showcase the work undertaken so far to members and to award the 2021 Wildlife Champion Award.

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This went to Richard Broadhead, recently retired from Wiltshire Council, who had been a partner representative on the MDNEP board since the very early days.

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OBJECTIVE 3 – To consolidate populations of species of national and local importance

3.1 Space for Birds: Marlborough Downs farmland bird project

Matt Prior continues to co-ordinate our three-pronged approach to farmland bird conservation:

  1. Year-round feeding opportunities for adults and spring/summer insect food for chicks

  2. Nesting habitat

  3. Protection from predators where predation significantly threatens breeding success

Again, due to Covid-19 restrictions, not to mention a burst appendix at the beginning of the year, even Matt’s activities were constrained.

3.1.1 Feeding and foraging habitat

As in previous years, most of our members continue to provide overwinter stubbles, sown wild bird mixes and/or nectar mix plots via Stewardship agreements, and/or on a voluntary basis.

3.1.2 Supplementary feeding

Members continue to feed over 20 tonnes of seed annually to our farmland birds over winter, either scattered on the ground or through giant bird feeders purchased by the charity at a reduced rate.

3.1.3 Farmland bird events

As we were unable to hold our usual Spring Celebration in 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions, Matt Prior gave an online talk about the farmland bird programme (April 2021, 45 attended).

In early 2021 we had been approached by GWCT to join a project to provide barn owl nest boxes to our members. The boxes will be monitored during the breeding season, with feedback provided to farmers. Adult barn owls will be GPS-tracked to better understand their use of arable habitats for foraging and enable our members to see the effects of their conservation efforts. Having postponed a February 2021 workshop due to lockdown, we finally got to build ten boxes in November (7 attended), which have now been installed in barns and other suitable locations. We look forward to sharing the results of the GWCT monitoring programme at a later date.

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OBJECTIVE 4 – To offer a range of opportunities for people to engage with the landscape of the Marlborough Downs

OBJECTIVE 5 – To provide high quality access for all

OBJECTIVE 6 – To increase local and national awareness of the work, achievements and impact of the Space for Nature Project

4.1 Marlborough Downs SfN events and Volunteer Group

This was the aspect of our work most impacted by Covid-19 and we only held one public event during the year 2021-22, which was the ever-popular willow wreath weaving workshop (December 2021, 12 attended). Open Farm Sunday was once again cancelled, as were other events that were planned but never delivered because of ever-changing disease control restrictions.

4.2 Outreach

The one thing that Covid-19 couldn’t stop was our determination to take every opportunity to promote the project, our work, and the link between food, farming, landscape and wildlife. This year, due to lack of funding, this was largely social media based, via very active Facebook and Instagram accounts. Our daily posts of the landscape, nature and farm life of the Marlborough Downs reached almost 91,000 people on Facebook and over 7,600 on Instagram during the year to 31[st] March 2022. We try to make our posts informative and educational as well as attractive, and received many

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comments during lockdown about how much people looked forward to their daily fix of the Downs and how it lifted their spirits during successive lockdowns, quarantines and isolation periods.

4.3 Event co-ordinator

In January 2022 we were awarded a significant grant to promote public engagement with the landscape, wildlife and farming activities of the Marlborough Downs, and at the end of March our new event co-ordinator, Janinka Diverio, started working for the group.

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8. Progress Planned for future Years

Now that widespread vaccination means that Covid-19 restrictions are likely to be a thing of the past, we are looking forward to re-engaging fully with our two main audiences:

We are very excited to welcome our new event co-ordinator and already have ambitious plans for activities for families, special interest groups and the wider community, as well as ideas for new initiatives such as a regular Forest School programme.

We hope to finally start making full use of the Space for Nature Reserve as a valuable resource for education, demonstration and research, as well as somewhere to hold meetings and public events.

We have great hopes that we might be able to once again participate in the national event that is Open Farm Sunday, and welcome locals and visitors alike to come onto a farm and learn about how food is produced and how this impacts on the landscape and wildlife on the farm and beyond.

We are also looking forward to investigating the emerging world of regenerative agriculture via workshops, research, trials, and visits, and to sharing individual experiences both internally, with other members, but also to an external audience of anyone who might be interested to find out more about this new/old way of farming.

After two years of significant restrictions, hardship, isolation, and fear, we all hope that 2022 will be the year we get back to ‘normal’ and are able to once again enjoy simple pleasures like meeting up with neighbours to discuss how many lapwing nested on the farm this year; taking a farm walk with local school children to see the wildflowers; and getting together with members and friends of the charity for an evening of talks and updates, and a good old-fashioned, in-person Seasonal Supper event.

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Board Statement This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice- Accounting and Reporting by Charities (issued March 2005). In preparing this report, the Trustees have taken advantage of the small companies exemptions provided by section 419 (2) of the Companies Act 2006. It was approved by the trustee board on ovember 2022. Signed.. Christopher Musgrave Chair Date.. 7 November 2022

Independent Examiner's report to the Trustees of The Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farming Ltd {A Company limited by guarantee) I report on the accounts of the cornpany for the year ended 31st March 2022, which are set out on the lollowing pages. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The trustees (who are also the directors ol the company for the purposes of cornpany law) are responsible lor the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required lor this year under part 16 01 the 2006 Act and that an independent examination is needed. Having satisfied mysell that the charity is not subject to audit under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act., to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(bl of the Charities Act.. and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's report My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts. and the seeking of explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audtt and. consequently. no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a'true and fair view. and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examiner's statement In conneciion with my examination, no maierial matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in. any material respect.. accounting records are not kept in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.. or the accounts do not accord with such records., or the accounts do not comply with relevant accounting requirements under section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the accounts give a'true and fair, view which is not a maller considered as part of an independent examination.. or the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice). FRSIO2.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed.. Helen Frost HF Bookeeping Plus l Foresi Hill Cottages Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 3HN Date:

THE MARLBOROUGH DOWNS NATURE ENHANCEMENT FARMING LIMITED

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

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Unrestricted Restricted
funds funds Total Total
2022 2022 2022 2021
Notes £ £ £ £
Income from:
Donations and legacies 3 8,324 21,475 29,799 938
Charitable activities 4 722 1,050 1,772 9,136
Total income 9,046 22,525 31,571 10,074
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 5 1,935 - 1,935 639
Charitable activities 6 8,385 4,053 12,438 25,634
Total resources expended 10,320 4,053 14,373 26,273
Net income/expenditure for the year/
Net movement in funds (1,274) 18,472 17,198 (16,199)
Fund balances at 1 April 4,544 27,634 32,178 48,377
Fund balances at 31 March 3,270 46,106 49,376 32,178
----- End of picture text -----

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.

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THE MARLBOROUGH DOWNS NATURE ENHANCEMENT FARMING LIMITED BALANCE SHEET ASAf31 MARCH2021 2022 2021 Notes Current assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand 1.050 52.507 35.459 53.557 Creditors.. amounts falling due within one ye io 4.180 3282 Net current assets 49.376 32.178 Income funds Restri￿ed funds Unresill¢ted fLJnds 46,106 3.270 27.634 4.544 49.376 32.178 The company is entiiled to the exemption fvom the audit requirement contained in section 477 ot the Companies Act 2006. for the year ended 31 March 2022. The director5 acknowledge their re5ponsibilitlP5 lor ensuring thai Ihe charity keeps accouniing records which Comp wilh section 386 of the Act and for preparing financial siai8ments which give a true and lair view ol Ihe slate of affars ol the company as at the end ol Ihe financial year and ol its incoming resources and applicatitsn of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year In accordance wilh the requirements of sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the reqtjiremenis of the Companies Act 2006 relating 10 financial staiements. so far as appli¢abl8 to the company. The members have not required Ihe company to obtain an audit of Its financial s¢a¢ements for Ihe year in quesiion in accordanco with section 476. However. the accounts have been reviewed by the Independent examiner and. separately and indepen(Jently, compliance cheeked before SLJbmission to Companies House and the Charities Commission. These financial statement5 have been prepared in accordance wiih ihe Pfotrisions applicable to companies subjectihe the small companies regime. The financi emenis re approved by the Trustees on 12ih Juty 2022. MrCB sgrave Trustee Company Registration No. 07907437

THE MARLBOROUGH DOWNS NATURE ENHANCEMENT FARMING LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS AT 31 MARCH 2022

1 Accounting policies

Charity information

The Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farming Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Jindabyne, Great Hinton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 6BT.

1.1 Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Farming Ltd ("the company")’s Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and “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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The company has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2 Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

1.3 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives unless the funds have been designated for other purposes.

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are as follows:

Restricted fund Purposes Uses in 2021/22 Mobile bird hide; nest boxes; Creation of nature reserve Kilcreggan Trust grassland management Farmland bird project Nest boxes Bybrook Trust Conservation agriculture Farmer workshop; visit to FarmED Farming in Protected Landscapes Public event programme Planning events for 2022 Habitat management River restoration volunteer day Other restricted Winter bird seed None Ticket sales Visit to FarmED

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1.4 Incoming resources

Income is recognised when the company is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.

Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the company has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

Turnover is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable and represents amounts receivable for goods and services provided in the normal course of business.

1.5 Resources expended

Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the company to pay out resources.

This includes £945 for accounts preperation and examination. There are no costs for governance or trustee meetings or constitutional matters.

1.6 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

1.7 Financial instruments

The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ’Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the company's balance sheet when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

4

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

2 Critical accounting estimates and judgements

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

3
4
5		 Donations and legacies
2022
2022
£
£
Donations and gifts
8,324
21,475
8,324
21,475
Charitable activities
2022
£
Sales within charitable activities
-
Grants
1,050
Other income
722
1,772
Raising funds
2022
2022
£
£
Fundraising and publicity
Fundraising costs
1,935
-
1,935
-
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Charitable income
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds		 Total
Total
2022
2021
£
£
29,799
938
29,799
938
2021
£
9,136
-
-
9,136
Total
Total
2022
2021
£
£
1,935
639
1,935
639
Charitable income

5

6 Charitable activities Charitable expenditure Charitable expenditure
2022 2021
£ £
Habitat creation/management 1,926 12,375
Farmland bird programme 492 -
Community events 710 12
Workshops 540 -
Outreach/promotion/printing 102 388
Donated items and services - 9,136
Bank charges 1 -
Insurance 86 86
Office expenses 48 15
Meeting expenses 31 -
Employee travel 163 48
Share of governance costs (see note 7) 4,099
8,339		 22,060
3,574
Analysis by fund 12,438 25,634
Unrestricted funds 8,385 3,339
Restricted funds 4,053 22,295
7 Support costs 12,438
Governance costs		 25,634
Governance costs
Legal and professional 2022
£
7,394		 2021
£
2,974
Accountancy 945 600
Analysis by fund 8,339 3,574
Unrestricted funds 6,769 2,790
Restricted funds 1,570
8,339		 784
3,574

8 Trustees

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the company during the year.

9 Employees

There were no employees during the year.

10
Creditors
Amounts falling due within one year:
Trade creditors		 2022
£
4,180
4,180		 2021
£
3,282
3,282

6