COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 07986475 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1154348
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust Company Limited by Guarantee Unaudited Financial Statements 31 March 2022
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
The Trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, present their report and the unaudited financial statement of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2022.
Reference and administrative details
Registered charity name: Bristol Avon Rivers Trust Charity registration number: 1154348 Company registration number: 07986475 Principal office and registered office: Unit 4, Corum 2 Corum Office Park Crown Way Warmley Bristol BS30 8FJ The Trustees: Mr R J Howlett resigned with effect from 26/04/21 Mr J B Hector resigned with effect from 26/07/21 Mr P Coleman-Smith Dr J Greaves Prof R Skeffington Mr D Atkin appointed on 08/11/21 Company Secretary: Mr P Coleman-Smith Accountants: Whittock Consulting Limited Unit 4, Corum 2 Corum Office Park, Crown Way Warmley, Bristol
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Structure, governance and management
a) Constitution
The Articles of Association remain unchanged.
b) Legal Structure
The Trust is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee governed by its memorandum and articles of association. The Trustees of the charity are also the directors of the company for the purposes of the Companies Act.
c) Trustees
The Trustees are responsible for the overall direction and charitable activities of the Trust and for ensuring the Trust complies with the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit.
d) Selection and appointment of Trustees
The introduction and recruitment of Trustees is by recommendation of existing Trustees and is made by personal contacts with other organisations or individuals with related environmental or river trust interests and appropriate skills. The Trust aims to maintain a broadly respected body of Trustees with sufficient experience to provide strong governance and add value to the Trust’s decision making.
e) Organisational structure
A formal delegation of powers has been developed and adopted to guide decision making. The Chief Executive Officer is in frequent contact with the Chair of the Trustees.
The Chairman of the Trustees attends monthly meetings with the Chief Executive Officer and key project managers and staff to ensure satisfactory progress is being made and subsequently reports monthly to the Board using key agreed metrics and topics.
f) Risk Management
The Trustees have established systems to mitigate risk appropriate to the size of the charity with a focus on Finance and Health & Safety. Processes and procedures are reviewed annually by the Trustees and annual refreshment of Health & Safety procedures takes place for all staff, Trustees and key volunteers. During the last year the Trustees have authorised expenditure to improve the Trust’s
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Data Protection capabilities and also centralised control of all documentation to avoid potential loss of Trust data and records.
Objectives and activities
a) Legal Purpose Charitable Objectives
The charitable objectives of the Trust set out in the Memorandum and articles of association are:
To conserve, protect, rehabilitate and improve rivers streams, watercourses and water impoundments of the catchments comprising the Bristol Avon and South Gloucestershire streams including adjacent estuarine areas, for the advancement of environmental protection or improvement for the benefit of the public.
To advance the education of the public or any association, institution, voluntary organisation, company, local authority or representative body in:
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a) The understanding of rivers, river corridors and river catchments including their fauna, biochemistry, economic or social activity and river management.
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b) The need for, and benefits of, conservation, protection, rehabilitation and improvement of aquatic environments.
The Trust’s objectives correspond with the charitable purposes of advancing environmental protection and the advancement of education as described in the Charities Act 2011. The Trust’s activities meet the two key principles of public benefit as follows:
Principle 1. There must be identifiable benefits which are clear, related to the aims and balanced against any detriment or harm.
Principle 2. The benefits must be appropriate to the aims and available to the public or section of the public and private benefits must be incidental.
The Trust’s work meets principle 1 through bringing about physical change to the rivers and streams with the catchment through improvement to in stream riparian habitat and by working with the formal catchment partnership to influence plans and strategies involving water quality within the catchment to ensure that environmental outcomes are represented within such plans. The Trust further works throughout the catchment to share these plans at local and community level. The Trust’s work aims to provide ecosystem services benefits to the public through improving water quality, preserving the habitat and food sources of endangered species, conserving the environment and providing education about the aquatic environment to community groups and schools.
The Trust’s work meets principle 2 through improving water quality and the natural environment for the benefit of all. These include users of water in home and business, leisure users, and communities who live by the river as well as schools and outreach organisations and volunteers using the river to improve levels of wellbeing in the community.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
b) Aims and Activities to Support Objectives
The Trust aims to protect, restore and enhance the rivers, streams and riparian habitat, within the Bristol Avon Catchment. It aims to achieve this by working at all levels from local projects to catchment wide initiatives and at all educational levels from primary schools to university, and through national initiatives such as run by the Riverfly Partnership and by Freshwaterwatch providing at all times that our mutual objectives are complementary. Our principal aims are described by the following activity headings.
Land Management
We aim to protect and restore rivers that have suffered damage or whose habitats are under threat. Activities range from restoring spawning gravels and improving fish passage to working with the farming community to improve soil management practices where these detrimentally affect our rivers and streams.
Education
We work with schools, universities and community groups to engage people with their river and help them learn about the challenge their rivers face in our modern world. We help groups play an active role in looking after their local river through projects and citizen science. We aim to influence local policy and plans using our local knowledge and through our membership of the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership and our relationships with other key agencies and utilities.
Partnership working
The nature of the Trust’s work is that partnership working and public engagement are essential to delivery. The Trust often works as a facilitator providing vision and finance for projects and bringing together the necessary skills from a range of other organisations. Partnerships are formed for a number of reasons – working at catchment level with the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership, or within an individual project where skills do not exist within the Trust.
The Trust has continued to be a member of the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership, a partnership set up to co-ordinate the efforts of multiple partners in improving water quality for the benefit of people and wildlife. The Trust contributes considerable in-kind contributions in time and through raising funds to support catchment partnership projects.
During 2021, the Trust accepted the invitation to become a board member of The West of England Nature Partnership (WENP), a partnership working to restore the natural environment in the West of England through embedding the value of nature in decision making across spatial planning, public health and economic development. WENP is the designated Local Nature Partnership (LNP) for the West of England (Bristol City, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath & North East Somerset). LNPs are a key commitment from the 2011 Government White Paper, The Natural Choice: Securing the Value of Nature, which recognised the need for a more joined-up approach to reverse the loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystems – which we all rely on – and to secure nature’s return to health. The Trust provides in-kind time to support strategic project development and offers a voice for freshwater.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Significant activities
The Trust has drawn funds from multiple sources during the year enabling it to lead a number of initiatives and partnership projects. Projects have covered a range of activities which have benefitted both the public and the environment.
As a Rivers Trust the projects which we are involved invariably fit around the four seasons. This means we plan them to fit in with what we expect to happen at those times, some of which are more predictable than others – spawning fish and nesting birds, but also seasonal farming activities such as planting and harvest. Weather is always a significant factor and has significant impacts and so flexibility is always built in to cater for rain and the occasional flood event. Much of our engagement and education work has a similar set of seasons – based around school terms and generally good weather. Volunteering drops sharply in wet and cold weather. The Trust, like so many other organisations has had to continue to adapt throughout the pandemic, to work in a newly determined
safe manner for staff, volunteers, stakeholders and public alike. The use of digital systems and remote working formed the norm for our team prior to the pandemic, but these platforms now form the norm for most. We have established new ways of working to continue to work effectively and interact with the public.
It is against this background that this report is written; the following enumerates some of the achievements from the last 12 months.
Over the past year the Trust has grown in size, knowledge and standing to become a respected leading player in environmental conservation across the Bristol Avon catchment.
The Trust’s work with landowners continues to develop which has become a major factor in the delivery of our Natural Flood Management schemes that ‘slow the flow’ and increase the time it takes rainwater to reach our rivers across the catchment, with a focus on the River Chew catchment. The Trust have also made a number of working relationships with landowners within both the Mendip and Cotswold AONB’s where project scopes have been developed to improve the habitat and water quality of watercourses. Several proposals have been submitted to the Farming in Protected Landscape grant programme, which forms part of the Government’s Agriculture Transition Plan to enable landowners to be ready for the move to the Environmental Land Management scheme in 2024.
The Trust has continued to build upon the foundations of the multi-stranded River Chew catchment project and this year has delivered habitat works including tree planting, wetland creation, and natural flood management, including woody debris dams, attenuation ponds and bunded scrapes in strategic locations throughout the Chew Valley, in places where the Trust has formed partnerships with landowners. This year we received support from volunteers supporting our delivery across the Bristol Avon, from tree planting to river litter picks, the Trust’s volunteers have played a vital role in protecting our local rivers and wildlife. The Trust anticipates that these programs will continue to expand as our work areas continue to grow through working with partners including Bristol Water, Environment Agency Water Environment Improvement Fund, Mendip Hills AONB who have financed elements of the project over a four-year period.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
The local stakeholder and landowner relationships the Trust has formed led to the Trust applying to the Green Recovery Challenge Fund for the River Chew Re-Connected project which comprises a
programme of physical riparian and floodplain restoration works, community engagement and an education package, including recruitment of a 12-month project funded River Chew Community Engagement Officer. The programme is currently underway and the Green Recovery Challenge Fund project-funded work will be completed by March 2023.
The Trust has also created a student placement for the first time, which provided the student with valuable experience of working in the conservation sector, whilst providing support to the Trust’s project delivery team. A further opportunity is planned for summer 2022 as a result of the mutual success that this position provided.
Landowner engagement has formed a significant part of the Trust’s work across the catchment this year, with a number of schemes being developed in the Little Avon, River Marden, Bristol Frome and Cam Brook catchments. The Trust continues to form new working relationships with local stakeholders, including local authorities, parish councils, AONB’s and community groups.
The Trust has continued to support its monitoring network in support of the Riverfly Partnership and had delivered a record number of training events this year. We now have over 100 volunteer sites across the Bristol Avon. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the training courses consisted of two parts this year: 1) an online theory element with a test and 2) a practical session on the river. The practical sessions were held at suitable locations within 5 river catchments: the Chew, Marden, Somerset Frome, Congresbury Yeo and Keward Brook, Wells. The Trust’s 2021 training sessions have resulted in monitoring on many new watercourses as well as extending the network of sites we had already established in some areas. In addition, the Trust has continued to deliver its Smart Rivers invertebrate monitoring to monitor the health of the Chew and has collected two seasons of data for the Congresbury Yeo. This programme was financed by Bristol Water and D’Oyly Carte.
The Trust delivered a weir removal on the River Marden, working with Calne Town Council and Bowood Estate. The project was financed by The Halpin Trust whose support we are incredibly grateful. The Trust will return to the Castlefields Park site to install river restoration techniques that will enhance river habitat during late Spring. Since the removal of the weir, the stretch of river leading to the weir has completely changed, gone is the silt to be replaced by riffles, gravel and some superb trouty pools. The Trust continues to work closely with Calne Town Council and is building a strong working relationship with Calne Without Town Council too. The Trust carried out a River Marden catchment walkover survey whereby current challenges and opportunities were identified and is now beginning to build upon the findings to develop plans for several river and riparian improvement schemes.
The Trust has also spoken at many virtual events across the catchment including schools, community organisations and with local angling organisations raising awareness of issues affecting the rivers and streams in their area.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
The Trust secured funding from the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership to lead the development of the Bristol Avon Fish Recovery Plan with the aim of working with partners to attract interest and stimulate additional support from partners to integrate this strategy into local and regional plans. The ambition would be to raise the profile of fish and aquatic life in natures recovery and secure funding to deliver improvements to our rivers to aid the natural recruitment and health of populations of fish across the Bristol Avon catchment.
The Trust will always work at a catchment scale and continue to influence river and land management to benefit the environment and local communities.
Achievements and Performance
The Trusts most notable achievement during the last year has been its successful application to Defra’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund (Round 2) to fund an 18-month River Chew Re-Connected project. The £40 million fund is supporting a range of nature conservation and recovery and nature-based solutions projects, which will contribute towards the Government’s wider 25 Year Environment Plan commitments. The Trust’s River Chew Reconnected project was one of 90 projects nationally that was successful in its application for funding (secured £97,700) during Round 2.
Trustees reviewed and led improvements to the Trusts policies, ensuring they remain up to date with regulation and operational experience and therefore appropriate for the work of the Trust.
Charitable activities
The Trust has continued to support its Riverfly monitoring network (over 100 sites) providing ongoing services to all volunteers verifying their data for use by the Riverfly Partnership network as well as providing them with newsletters and support where required. Further riverfly monitoring training has been provided and the Trust has bounced back with a record number of training events this year summarised to subscribers via the riverfly newsletter which is a marked achievement considering no events were carried out in the previous year due to restrictions put in place during the pandemic.
2021 also saw the delivery of the 6th Annual Bristol Avon Waterblitz with the Trust ensuring the citizen science project was delivered safely as lockdown restrictions eased. The data is displayed on the Trusts website via its visualisation tool. The Trust’s “Eel in the Classroom” project was delivered across three schools in the Chew Valley, engaging students about the life cycle of the critically endangered species and the pressures impacting freshwater environments.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Financial review
The Trust has followed Government guidelines throughout the year and continued to amend its safe working policy to ensure safety of staff and volunteers and the public. We will continue to operate in this way, as the country begins its recovery from the pandemic. As the Trust was able to show funders that it could adjust and adapt to restrictions throughout the year, their confidence in the Trust has increased resulting in a year where we have managed to increase reserves and develop a healthy pipeline of projects for future years.
Quarterly financial reviews have been carried by CEO working closely with the Trustees to ensure that the Trust maintained a strong delivery focus throughout the year. The Trust received contributions from its consultancy arm BART River Services Ltd which has aided diversification of income.
The use of Xero ensures that the financial management of the Trust is robust and controlled.
Whilst the funding and economic outlook all still appear to be extremely uncertain, the Trust has the advantage of significant contracted work for the coming year and a robust pipeline of work which we expect to be confirmed in the first half of next year. As a result, the Trust is confident it will continue to thrive.
The Trust is committed to using its reserves in pursuit of its charitable objectives and believes maintaining and growing its team are essential to that purpose.
The Trust’s policy on reserves is for them to be sufficient to meet the anticipated needs of the Trust as prudently determined by the Trustees. The Trustees believe that the Trust is well placed in this respect.
The attached accounts contain a provision for deferred income in relation to expenditure on projects where invoices have not yet been received.
Plans for future periods
The Trust will continue to adapt to new ways of working to remain delivering its objectives in a safe manner, and as we move further away from the grips of lockdown and Covid-19 restrictions, the future is looking bright, with a wide range of projects planned for next financial year. These include creation of a floodplain wetland in the Chew Valley, eDNA fish monitoring, several reach scale river habitat restoration programmes across the catchment, riverfly training events in the upper Avon and Little Avon catchments, SmartRivers, and invasive species control in the Chew Valley.
The Trust will remain a member of the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership and West of England Nature Partnership and seek to contribute both to strategic plans for the improvement of the Bristol Avon at catchment level and to partnership projects which may arise as a result. The Trust will continue to identify opportunities to provide education and advice regarding the river environment across the catchment to both schools and local community groups.
The Trust will continue its work on leading improvements on the River Chew and will make similar contributions on the Marden, Bristol Frome and Little Avon as well as other rivers within the catchment when opportunities present themselves.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Small company provisions
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.
The trustees’ annual report was approved and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by:
……………………………………….
Dr J Greaves
Chairman
31/08/2022 Date Signed …………………………………………
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
We report to the trustees on our examination of the financial statements of Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (‘the charity’) for the financial year ended 31 March 2022.
Responsibilities and Basis of Report
The trustees are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law and are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 and that an independent examination is needed. The charity’s gross income does not exceed £500,000. The Trustees feel it is prudent to have an independent examination and we are qualified to undertake this examination by being a practising member firm of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Having satisfied ourselves that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is our responsibility to;
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Examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act
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Follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act, and
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To state whether any matters have come to our attention
Independent Examiners’ Statement
We have completed our examination. We confirm that no matters have to come our attention in connection with the examination giving us cause to believe;
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1) Accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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2) The financial statements do not accord with those records; or
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3) The financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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4) The financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102 )
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
We 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 a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed ………………………………………..
Date Signed ……………………………….
Whittock Consulting Limited
Unit 4, Corum 2
Crown Way,
Warmley,
Bristol,
BS30 8FJ
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account)
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | 2021 Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | funds | funds | funds | funds | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Income and endowments from: | |||||
| Donations and legacies | 5 | 835 | - | 835 | 754 |
| Charitable activities | 6 | 7,871 | 340,462 | 348,333 | 205,801 |
| Other trading activities | 7 | - | 42,096 | 42,096 | 48,194 |
| Total | 8,706 | 382,558 | 391,264 | 254,749 | |
| Expenditure | |||||
| Expenditure on: | |||||
| Raising funds | - | - | - | - | |
| Charitable activities | 8 | 13,345 | 305,906 | 319,251 | 220,914 |
| Total | 13,345 | 305,906 | 319,251 | 220,914 | |
| Net income/(expenditure) and net | |||||
| movement in funds | (4,639) | 76,652 | 72,013 | 33,835 | |
| Reconciliation of funds: | |||||
| Total funds brought forward | 130,509 | - | 130,509 | 96,674 | |
| Total funds carried forward | 125,870 | 76,652 | 202,522 | 130,509 |
The statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All Income and Expenditure derive from continuing activities.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
| 2022 | 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Fixed assets | |||
| Tangible assets | 13 | 1,688 | 1,895 |
| 1,688 | 1,895 | ||
| Current assets | |||
| Debtors | 14 | 54,185 | 11,168 |
| Cash at bank and in hand | 311,411 | 239,990 | |
| 365,596 | 251,158 | ||
| - | - | ||
| Creditors: amounts falling due within one year | 15 | (138,762) | (82,544) |
| Net current assets | 226,834 | 168,614 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | 228,522 | 170,509 | |
| - | - | ||
| Creditors: amounts falling due after one year | 16 | (26,000) | (40,000) |
| Total net assets | 202,522 | 130,509 | |
| Funds of the Charity | |||
| Restricted funds | 76,652 | - | |
| Unrestricted funds | 125,870 | 130,509 | |
| Total charity funds | 19 | 202,522 | 130,509 |
For the year ending 31[st] March 2022 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors responsibilities:
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The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476;
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The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to company’s subject to the small companies' regime and in accordance with FRS 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland'.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue and are signed on behalf of the board by:
……………………………………….
Dr J Greaves
Chairman
31/08/2022 Date Signed …………………….
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
1. General information
The charity is a private company limited by guarantee, registered in England and a registered charity in England and Wales. The address of the registered office is Unit 4, Corum 2, Crown Way, Warmley, Bristol, BS30 8FJ.
2. Statement of Compliance
These financial statements have been prepared in compliance with the provisions of FRS 102, section 1A, The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland, the 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) (Charities SORP FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.
3. Accounting Policies
Debtors
Trade debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discounts offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid after taking account of any trade discounts due.
Basis of preparation
The accounts have been prepared on the historical cost basis.
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.
Going concern
There are no material uncertainties about the charities ability to continue.
Taxation
The Charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
Disclosure exemptions
The entity satisfies the criteria of being a qualifying entity as defined in FRS 102. As such advantage has been taken of the following disclosure exemptions available under paragraph 1.12 of FRS 102.
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a) No cash flow statement has been presented for the company.
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b) Disclosures in respect of financial instruments have not been presented.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Fund Accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees to further any of the charity’s purposes.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the Trustees for particular projects or commitments.
Restricted funds are subject to restrictions on their expenditure declared by the donor or through terms of an appeal, and fall into one of two sub-classes: restricted income funds or endowment funds.
Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when entitlement has passed to the charity; it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the charity and the amount can be reliable measured. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:
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Income from donations or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the gift, receipt is probable and its amount can be measured reliably.
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Legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and entitlement is established.
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Income from donated goods is measured at the fair value of the goods unless this is impractical to measure reliably, in which case the value is derived from the cost to the donor or the estimated value. Donated facilities and services are recognised in the accounts when received if the value can be reliably measured. No amounts are included for the contribution of general volunteers.
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Income from contracts for the supply of goods and services is recognised with the delivery of the contracted service. This is classified as unrestricted funds unless there is a contractual requirement for it to be spent on a particular purpose and returned if unspent, in which case it may be regarded as restricted.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Resources expended
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered and is classified under the headings of the statement of financial activities to which it relates.
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Expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of all fundraising activities, events, noncharitable trading activities, and the sale of donated goods.
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Expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries, including those support costs relating to governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
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Other expenditure includes all expenditure that is related to raising funds for the charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.
All costs are allocated to expenditure categories reflecting the use of resource. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs are apportioned between the activities they contribute to on a reasonable basis.
Tangible assets
Tangible assets are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently stated at cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment costs.
Depreciation
Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, less its residual value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows:
Plant and machinery - 25% straight line
Defined contribution plans
Contributions to defined contribution plans are recognised as an expense in the period in which the related service is provided.
4. Limited by guarantee
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust is a company limited by guarantee and accordingly does not have a share capital.
Every member of the company undertakes to contribute such amount as may be required not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charitable company in the event of its being wound up, or within one year after he or she ceases to be a member.
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Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
5. Donations and legacies
| Unrestricted Funds | Total 2022 |
Unrestricted |
Funds | Total 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 835 | 835 | 754 | 754 | |
| 6. Charitable activities income | |||||
| Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds | Total Funds 2022 |
|||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| Environment Agency | 97,903 | 97,903 | |||
| The Tree Council | 7,426 | 7,426 | |||
| National Heritage | 48,850 | 48,850 | |||
| D'Oyley Carte | 3,500 | 3,500 | |||
| Somerset County Council | 16,960 | 16,960 | |||
| The Halpin Trust | 65,000 | 65,000 | |||
| Bristol Airport Community Fund | 5,000 | 5,000 | |||
| Wild Trout Trust | 4,000 | 4,000 | |||
| Cotswold Conservation | Board | 12,750 | 12,750 | ||
| Avon Wildlife Trust | 7,000 | 7,000 | |||
| West of England Rural Network | 12,900 | 12,900 | |||
| Earthsong Foundation | 5,975 | 5,975 | |||
| National Grid | 20,000 | 20,000 | |||
| South Gloucestershire Council | 6,197 | 6,197 | |||
| Co-Op | 6,962 | 6,962 | |||
| Duchy of Cornwall | 3,760 | 3,760 | |||
| Ninevah | 2,500 | 2,500 | |||
| Calne Town Council | 3,855 | 3,855 | |||
| Tesco | 1,000 | 1,000 | |||
| Bristol Water | 5,824 | 5,824 | |||
| Sustainable Hive | 900 | 900 | |||
| Wiltshire Wildlife Trust | 2,200 | 2,200 | |||
| Other | 7,871 | 7,871 | |||
| 7,871 | 340,462 | 348,333 |
20
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report) Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Charitable Activities Income 2021
| Environmental Agency EU BART RS PPCL The Tree Council BACP CAOB Bath & N.E. Somerset Bristol Airport FWAG Avon Wildlife Trust Other |
Unrestricted Funds 30,462 30,462 |
Restricted Funds 40,094 32,750 - 19,450 15,517 12,680 10,250 10,000 10,000 7,500 7,000 10,098 175,339 |
Total Funds 2021 40,094 32,750 30,462 19,450 15,517 12,680 10,250 10,000 10,000 7,500 7,000 10,098 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 205,801 |
7. Other trading activities income
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Unrestricted | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2022 | Funds | 2021 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Fundraising events |
- | 42,096 | 42,096 | 48,194 | 48,194 |
21
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
8. Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type
| Bristol Frome WEIF River Chew WEIF BACP Fish Recovery Plan Little Avon delivery eDNA Newton Brook Caring for the Cam Mendip Hills Level Up Project Winford Tree Planting Chew Re-Connected Mink project BART Yeo farm engagement Chew Valley Farm nature based solutions Riverfly monitoring Bristol innovation fund business case development Marden weir removal Upper Avon & Little Avon surveys Little Avon headwaters study UWE Coastal Project Eel in the classroom 2022 Marden & Congresbury Yeo Water Quality Project eDNA Chew Regilbury Park Farm Other |
Unrestricted Funds £ 712 12,633 13,345 |
Restricted Funds £ 25,264 59,820 9,857 8,658 3,760 7,860 29,827 5,057 31,383 5,441 5,312 14,717 3,228 13,252 16,832 8,658 2,301 1,339 12,680 20,000 20,660 305,906 |
Total 2022 £ 25,264 59,820 9,857 8,658 3,760 7,860 29,827 5,057 31,383 5,441 5,312 14,717 3,228 13,252 16,832 8,658 2,301 1,339 12,680 20,000 20,660 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 319,251 |
22
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type 2021
| Chew WEIF Chew Catchment Congesbury Yeo Mink Control Winford Brook Little Avon Court Farm Tree Planting Winford & Upper Chew South Brook NFM Delivery Winford Brook Keynsham Memorial Park Weir Study SF Fisheries Wilder Waterways Others |
Unrestricted Funds £ - |
Restricted Funds £ 31,184 25,074 25,000 13,900 13,860 13,784 13,450 12,910 11,885 9,733 8,751 8,520 8,496 24,367 220,914 |
Total 2021 £ 31,184 25,074 25,000 13,900 13,860 13,784 13,450 12,910 11,885 9,733 8,751 8,520 8,496 24,367 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 220,914 |
9. Net (expenditure)/income
Net (expenditure)/income is stated after charging/(crediting):
| 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Depreciation of tangible fixed assets | 711 | 1,157 |
23
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
10. Independent examination fees
| Fees payable to the independent examiner for independent examination of the financial statements |
2022 £ 4,128 |
2021 £ 3,420 |
|---|---|---|
11. Staff costs
The total staff costs and employee benefits for the reporting period are analysed as follows:
| Wages and salaries Social security costs Employer contribution to pension plans |
2022 £ 171,540 11,863 4,966 188,369 |
2021 £ 125,747 7,393 3,227 |
|---|---|---|
| 136,367 |
The average head count of employees during the year was 11 (2021: 11). The average number of full-time equivalent employees during the year is analysed as follows:
| Trustees Employees |
2022 4 7 11 |
2021 5 6 |
|---|---|---|
| 11 |
No employee received benefits of more than £60,000 during the year (2021: £0).
24
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
12. Trustee remuneration and expenses
No remuneration or other benefits from employment with the charity were received by the trustees and no trustees’ expenses have been incurred.
13. Tangible Assets
| Cost As at 1 April 2021 Additions As at 31 March 2022 Depreciation As at 1 April 2021 Provided during the period As at 31 March 2022 Net Book Value As at 31 March 2022 As at 1 April 2021 |
Plant & Machinery £ 11,884 504 |
|---|---|
| 12,388 | |
| 9,989 711 |
|
| 10,700 | |
| 1,688 | |
| 1,895 |
14. Debtors
Due within one year
| Trade debtors Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors |
2022 £ 33,235 20,950 54,185 |
2021 £ - 11,076 92 |
|---|---|---|
| 11,168 |
25
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
15. Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year
| Other taxes and social security Other creditors Accruals and deferred income Bank Loans |
2022 £ 4,312 1,046 125,404 8,000 138,762 |
2021 £ 3,085 - 79,459 - |
|---|---|---|
| 82,544 |
16. Creditors: Amounts Falling After More Than One Year
| Bank Loans | 2022 £ 26,000 26,000 |
2021 £ 40,000 - |
|---|---|---|
| 40,000 |
17. Deferred income
Deferred income comprises of grants received from ongoing projects which have not been completed by the balance sheet date.
| 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Deferred income | 125,404 | 79,459 |
26
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors Report)
Year ending 31[st] March 2022
18. Pensions and other post-retirement benefits
Defined contribution plans
The amount recognised in income or expenditure as an expense in relation to defined contribution plan was £4,966 (2021: £3,227)
19. Analysis of charitable funds
| As | 1stApril 2021 | Income | Expenditure | At 31 March 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 130,509 | 391,264 | 319,251 | 202,522 |
20. Analysis of net assets between funds
| Tangible fixed assets Current assets Creditors less than 1 year Creditors more than 1 year Net Assets |
Unrestricted Funds £ 1,688 288,944 (138,762) (26,000) 125,870 |
Restricted Funds £ 76,652 76,652 |
Total Funds 2022 1,688 365,596 (138,762) (26,000) 202,522 |
Total Funds 2021 £ 1,895 251,158 (82,544) (40,000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 130,509 |
21. Related parties
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust own 100% Shareholding of BART River Services Ltd (BART RS).
27