Annual Report
September 2022 to September 2023
Reference and Administration Details
Charity Name: Ash Rescue Centre
Registered Charity Number: 1153339
Principal Address: Ash Rescue Centre, Ash Tree Farm, Dartmouth, TQ6 0LR
Charity Trustees who manage the charity:
Julie Tomkinson - Chair
Jenny Rogers - Treasurer
David Wilding
Craig Irons
Structure, Governance and Management
Type of govening document: Trust Deed adopted 6th August 2013 How the Charity is constituted: Charitable Trust
Trustee selection method: Trustees are appointed or reappointed every three years by a resolution of the trustees passed at a special meeting.
Objectives and Activities
Summary of objects of the Charity set out in the Governing Document:
To relieve the suffering of elderly equines and other animals by providing care, rehabilitation and a permanent sanctuary facility.
To provide people with learning opportunities in animal care and welfare matters through information sharing, volunteering and courses.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects:
In planning our activities for the year we kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit at our trustee meetings. Our main activities are as follows:
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Maintaining health and providing habitat enrichment for the animals in our care
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Inducting and retaining new volunteer team members including a regular group via the local Social Prescribing network
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•. Managing financial stability and continuing to improve working and
These activities benefit not only the animals in our care but the families, organisations and individuals that approach us for help. Horses come into our care from many different backgrounds: abandonment, homelessness due to owner’s death, rescues from cruelty/neglect cases.
We have seen an increase in need for wildlife rescue and rehabilitation from the local and wider community which has expanded our workload and experience over the past 12 months. Our volunteering opportunities provide people with a variety of ways to get involved and help, boosting self-esteem, combatting isolation, and encouraging social interaction while learning new skills and becoming part of a team.
We are extremely grateful to our volunteers and supporters; their help, support, donations and encouragement are the lifeblood of the charity.
ACTIVITIES AND PERFORMANCE
Summary of the main Achievements of the charity during the year:
– October December 2022
The first quarter of the year included an Autumn wedding and varied festive fundraising initiatives with our handmade festive wreaths being sold at markets and events around the area and our annual calendar and cards available through our online shop.
We held our first Mindfulness and Horses retreat with the ‘Rewild your Heart’ group, this proved to be very popular so we will hopefully be holding more in the future.
Our annual entry at the Stoke Fleming Christmas Tree Fair – ‘Birds of a feather’ brought together a huge collection of donated feathers ranging from eagle owls to kingfishers which was admired by everyone.
We help our first Table top sale in a local village hall and took pony Bean to visit a few local care homes.
We took on two new rescues in conjunction with The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, ex race horses Monty and Tamar.
– January March 2023
The year started with one of our hedges being layed by local rural Craftsman Bramble Oak.
In the New Year we released a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel who had both come in through Vets to be rehabilitated.
January saw another Ex race horse (Tigger) join us, this time through World Horse Welfare.
We had new concrete pads and new water troughs and pipes put in two fields, this now means all our fields have water access which is a huge help.
In February we had the brilliant teams from Force4Nature and Till The Coast Is Clear all here doing jobs around the farm, we cleared all the brambles from one of the wildflower meadows and dug up self seeded saplings and replanted in the hedges.
We had a new horse arrive called Winston who had spent most of his life on a tether, he has settled in well.
– April June 2023
April saw quite a few wildlife emergencies, we had a Roe deer, two Buzzards, three Swans join us, all were released happily after a few weeks spent in our care.
The Force4Nature team came back again in May to help plant over 1000 wildflower plugs over 3 different meadows.
All our staff and volunteers did their First Aid in the Workplace CPD.
We had the Barn Owl Trust come and kindly put up two new boxes and replace one of our old boxes for our resident Barn Owl and others who hopefully will move in.
We had a first sighting of a Hare on our land which has been a long time coming but hopefully they will make it their home now.
Our first Gull chick arrived on the 27th May and by the end of June we had over 100 of them.
In June we had our first wedding of the year and it was a big one with over 200 guests, it was a great event with everything locally sourced.
We had our Annual visit from Keith Evans our Equine dentist and his helpers Ian and Gemma getting all our horses done over 2 days. Only two needed sedation and extra work.
We had a few social prescribing events including a willow weaving course with Stone Willow and a Wildflower walk and talk, all were well attended and funded by South Hams Community Recovery Fund.
Lastly we held our Community Consultation day for our Planning application. This event gave neighbours, local groups and other interested parties a chance to view our plans and chat to our advisors about the amazing new facilites we are hoping to build here.
– July September 2023
The end of July saw us get the keys to our first Charity shop. We gave ourselves a week to get it painted and ready. With an amazing team of tradesmen and volunteers we did it and opened our doors on 8th August.
August saw us celebrate our 10 year anniversary with a new logo and branding brilliantly designed by Be Curious a local company who managed to capture all that Ash represents in the logo design.
We managed to cut 50 round bales of our own hay this year saving us over £1500, this means we have all the hay we need for the next 12 months.
We had a photoshoot with Largeaslife Photography who offered to take free pictures of our horses and wildlife, this has helped us with promotional shots and pictures for our Calendar.
In Summary
Opening our Charity shop has created a lot of links with local people, businesses and organisations; spreading awareness and knowledge of the charity and our work. We have had amazing donations, offers of help and people buying and supporting the Charity.
Our group of volunteers who joined us via the social prescribing network is a regular, reliable team. We now have more options for people to volunteer with us whether they like to help with the horses, wildlife, Charity shop, admin or people. Finances remain buoyant, and we continually seek areas to save money, raise funds and work more leanly.
Julie Tomkinson – Chair 30[th ] September 2023
ARC ASH RESCUE CENTRE- DARTMOUTH TREASURER'S ANNUAL REPORT- 2023 Asat 3010912022 0ty1012022T03010912023 011101202iT03DIo512023 s41301/2023 11841.C6 48.83& 51.7Q6.59 9.971.30 RECEIPTS PAYMENT5 8ANX BALANCE RÉCEIPTS 2023 PAYMEfiTS 35.117.50 4.S36.53 4.IY31.71 s.L1.1ts ADVERllSINÉ ANIMALWELFARE FUPID R51115 EVErirs 4.76&04 225.44 2391.19 11.34&38 2.563 18 2320 1,023.10 3.15S.49 57&O) HMRC GIFT AID 8ANK CHARGES ClIY50p INCOME (HARtFYSHOPCO FEeD/HAVLEDGE SYNDRA151NG cosrs FIELOI FARM LAND COSTS SEEDS INSURAIKE MEDNCOnS WASTE DLSP05AL 319.07 REP EQUIPMENT ANoMwNTENlCe SALARI£S 1,82S.45 io,ow.c 1.688.92 568.10 7.542.03 uTrnES SUBSCAIPTIONS ML5CELiANEOUS 4&836.84 51.706.59 PAEPAREO BY (PAINT Pl} DA FmBUR*I ISTGNI.. IPAIEI.. 151101Z3 CHECKED8Y(PRIMfNAM£I {OA1£1.. t
CHARITY COMMISSION I FOR ELAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustees LcsLui tsIV-,K£ On a¢couTrts forthe year , Si PErfAci 1013 Charftyno lif any) lif33S? Set out on pages I report to the Iru51ees on my examination of charty Dhe Trustl tthe year ended he ounts of the above Responslbiltties and basis of report As the ¢hariV5 truslees. you are respon&ble for the preparation ofthe accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Chatrties Act 2011 (Ihe Adl. I report in respeL# of my exaMIn)n of the Tnjst's accounts Carr oul under section 145 01 the 2011 Act and in caryirvJ out my examinK)n. I have follrywed all the applicable Dire(arons given by the Chanty Commiss LTrnder Settn 145{5)(b) of Act. Independent trhe chatty's gross income exceeded £250.000 and l am qualified to examinaVs statement undertakè the èxaminatitin ty befftg a qualified mber of linsert name of applicable1È5ted body1]. Delete I l rfnrt ap1¢)le I have compleled my eXAMinan. I confirm that no material matters have crne to my attentn in corine¢tion wrth the examinalton (otherthan that dtsdosed below I whT¢h gives me cause to betieve that in, any materiol respecl.. the L7ccounling efe nltt kert ffi a-(lIance wth sectn 130 of Ihe Chanties A(a: or the acry1$ did not accord wtu) the accountig records.. or the accounls did not compty with the applicable reqU1ments concerning the form and corrtent ol a¢t5 set (Mrt in the Charitie5 {ACcntS and Reports) Regulations 2LX)8 olherthan any requiremenl that the accounts give a Irue and view which is not a matter Considered as part an nde[}dent examinatm. I have no concems aTrJ have come aO$S no other matters in connection with the examination to whi( atterfK*n should be drawn in this report in orderto enable a wo derslandmg of the accounts to be reache - prease rad(etsrftheycts not 3y. Signed.- Relevart Professional qualifKationlsl or body IER Oct 2018
Iirany)- IdYÈss: IAW AccouDtancy Selee$ oa Lgision pa5gnionr iaMaiioi.'ntanti-.ro.uk Section B Disclosure Onty COMpte rfthe examiner needs to hKJhluhl material matters of cOrM (see CC32: Independent examInats" of tharity accounts.. dire(aiDns and guidance for e>zminw5). Give he brlef d*alls ol any items that the examinerwishes to dlsclose. IER Oct 2018