2022-07-31-accounts

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Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date 01 08 2021 31 07 2022

From

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) Charity's principal address	ElmsWild	ElmsWild
	1152850
	Rose Cottage, School Road
	Elmswell
	Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
	Postcode	IP30 9EA

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
	Robert Victor Boardman	Treasurer
	MaryJo Feeney	Chair
	Keith Harvey
	John Ibbetson	Vice-Chair
	Maria Sol Indurain		To 25/04/2022
	Lisa Jane Pratt

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

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March 2012

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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Constitution (Foundation Model) Type of governing document Adopted 8 April 2013 (eg. trust deed, constitution)

Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted

• (eg. trust, association, company)

Appointed by existing Trustees Trustee selection methods

(eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

• policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;

• the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;

• relationship with any related parties;

• trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

ElmsWild has a Health & Safety policy and a Safeguarding policy, copies of which are given to all existing and new Trustees. Site risk assessments for the sites for which we are responsible and activity risk assessments are maintained. All are reviewed annually and circulated to all Trustees. Safety advice is given to all volunteers. Safeguarding training is undertaken by all Trustees.

ElmsWild is affiliated to the Green Light Trust.

• ElmsWild is a member of The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Community Action Suffolk.

• ElmsWild receives advice and support from Orchards East on matters relating to the community orchard.

All Trustees give their time voluntarily and received no remuneration or other benefits.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

• (1) To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in the parish of Elmswell, Suffolk, by the development of native species woodland, orchards and wildlife areas.

• (2) To advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment.

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March 2012

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Trustees planned and carried out the year’s activities having due regard for the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, which was discussed at trustee meetings.

Our activities included:

• Activities with people of all ages, including children from our local nursery and uniform groups, and joint activities with other community groups, including Elmswell Art Club and Stowmarket Eco Futures. This benefits people by providing opportunities for informal learning, encouraging people’s positive interaction with the natural environment, and for community cohesion.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

• Events open to the whole community (general work parties, willow cutting and distribution, litter picks, open wild gardens, wildflower meadow maintenance and creation). This benefits people by providing opportunities to learn and share new skills, and to enhance their local environment.

• Continuing development and maintenance of the community woodland and orchard at Lukeswood, wildlife area at Kiln Meadow, and new wildflower meadow at Town Field (keeping paths and rides open, maintaining trees and hedges, maintaining wildflower areas). This benefits people by providing open green space where they can walk, take healthy exercise, be close to nature, and share these experiences with children, families, and other community members. This is increasingly important in our expanding village where green space is becoming scarcer.

• Creating and improving wildlife habitats (hedgerows, trees, wildflower areas, grassland, ponds) and surveying local wildlife. This benefits people by providing opportunities to explore nature on their doorstep and contribute to its conservation.

• Maintaining and improving other local natural areas (e.g. public garden, mini wildflower meadows and scattered orchard). This benefits people by providing pleasant open/green spaces for recreation and enjoyment.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

The Trustees are very grateful for the contribution of volunteers who help maintain our wildlife and woodland sites and who also assist with community events and educational activities. In particular the Trustees would like to acknowledge:

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

• policy on grantmaking;

• policy programme related investment;

• contribution made by volunteers.

• Help received from volunteers from Anglian Water, who have assisted with conservation work at Kiln Meadow.

• The help and cooperation received from members of the Trefoil Guild towards community activities, and especially for keeping our first aid equipment up to date.

• The help and support received from the staff of Street Farm Nursery.

• Continuing advice and assistance given by members of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Suffolk Butterfly Conservation.

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March 2012

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Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

Educational activities

Members of ElmsWild continued to facilitate educational activities and visits by local groups and organisations, including Guides, Scouts, Elmswell Toddlers and Trefoil Guild. Regular visits to Lukeswood by children and staff from Street Farm Nursery Forest School continued; a Christmas party and graduation celebration were also held for children and parents at Lukeswood.

Community activities and events

Although Trustees decided to cancel Apple Day again due to uncertainty about government restrictions, we were nevertheless able to organise a variety of community activities, especially events associated with the Great Big Green Week in September 2021 (art exhibition in association with Elmswell Art Club, a wild garden open afternoon, seed scattering at Town Field, Forest School open morning, litter pick with Elmswell Scouts, distribution of packets of wildflower seeds, air quality action at the railway level crossing). We also held a willow cutting event and distributed bundles to members of the public who were interested in using willow for a variety of garden and craft projects. Trustees contributed an information stall at an Eco Fair organised by the Stowmarket Eco Futures group.

Wildlife/conservation activities

The annual cut and rake at Kiln Meadow was again carried out with the assistance of volunteers from Anglian Water. A new rotational mowing regime was started in the orchard (one quarter of the site per year) in order to protect and encourage overwintering invertebrates. Work started to establish a wildflower meadow at Town Field, using Yellow Rattle seed. Trustees were pleased to accept donations of trees at Lukeswood as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy scheme and the Mid Suffolk District Council Tree for Life project. Volunteers continued the programme of tree guard removal at Lukeswood in order to remove plastic from the environment. An extension was made to the willow bed along with a protective ‘fedge’.

Other achievements ElmsWild renewed for a further year the agreement with Elmswell Poor Lands charity to manage Town Field which is being developed as a wildflower meadow. Members of ElmsWild, along with other volunteers, have continued to maintain the Elmswell Memorial Garden and to keep it open for the local community to enjoy. Trustees were pleased to receive a generous donation from a local resident, which was used to provide a picnic bench at Lukeswood for use by the local community. Several new volunteers have been welcomed to the group. Occasional Saturday work parties have been started to allow volunteers who are unable to attend on weekdays to join in.

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March 2012

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Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

We hold £4606 at this year end and aim to hold at least £1000 to meet running costs and any unforeseen expenditure.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

Not applicable

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

• the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);

• how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;

• investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

Our main sources of income this year have been donations from local organisations and individuals, and the parish council.

The funds raised have gone towards:

• Basic running costs which allow us to keep our sites open for everyone to enjoy, including insurance.

• Maintaining/developing the woodland, orchards and wildspace, including the tools and equipment required to do this.

• Provision of equipment such as a picnic bench.

• Development of a new wildflower meadow at Town Field.

• Holding community events and activities

Section F Other optional information

The lifting of Coronavirus lockdowns has allowed work parties, visits and community events to recommence.

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)

Full name(s) Mary Jo Feeney Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair etc)

Date 09/05/2023

TAR

March 2012

5

&	d&			accounts	accounts
		Unrestricted funds	Restricted funds	Endowment funds	Totalfunds	Last year
		to the nearest €	to theneare$e	to the nearestt	to the nearestf	to the nearest{
					2,502	2,227
					115	90
						500
					2,677	2,817
A2Asset anainvestnrenfsaleq
A3	ts
		292
or1	& pr0lessional fees	150 111			?92 t50	218 150
	renance	1.17s			't11
					1.175	390
	Subfofat	1,728			t,728	753
A4Asset andinvestment
pyrghases,_{seetable)
Tools&eguipment		608
	Subfofa/	608
					2,336
		281
					281
		4,32a			4,325
		4,606			4,606

			Unrestricted		Restricted	EndowmEnt
i].1;1i,:[JL::r*::	[]eri;:,::i,		funds		funds	funds
			to nearestf,		tonear€stg	to neares!€
BiCashfunds	account & cash			HH
	Iota{caslrfunds			I	-lt	'l
	{agreebalances with receipts	and payments
		accsunt(s))
			Unrestricted		Restricted	Endowment
			funds		funds	funds
	Detalls		to nearest e		tonearestf	tonear€stf
82Other monetary assets
	iletails				Cost (optional)
B3lnvestment assets
	Betalls		Fund towhich		Gost {optional)	Currenl value
84 Assets retainedforthe	Land(6.6acres at Lukeswood)
charitfsown use	Trees planted
	Tools, equipment & storage
	Betalls
B5Liabilities
Signedbyone ortwotrusteeson behalf ofallthe trusiees	Signature		Print	Name
			MARY	FEENEY