OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator. This document is also available as Markdown.

2024-12-31-accounts

THE ALDE & ORE ASSOCIATION

Your Voice – Your Estuary

The Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts

for the year to 31st December 2024

The Association, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, exists to preserve for the public benefit the Alde, Ore and Butley rivers and their banks from Shingle Street to their tidal limits and such of the land adjoining them or upstream as may be considered to affect them, together with the features of beauty and or historic or public interest in that area .

Registered Charity No. 1154583

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

Report of the Trustees

The Trustees present their Report and the Accounts of the Charity for the year to 31st December 2024.

A. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS

The Alde and Ore Association Charity Registration No 1154583

Correspondence Address

19 Lee Road, Aldeburgh, IP15 5HG

Email address

info@aldeandore.org

Names of Charity Trustees

THE COMMITTEE at 31st December 2024

Officers Alison Andrews Chairman Bernadette Gilbert Treasurer

Other Trustees

Colin Chamberlain Legal Adviser Mark Goyder Outreach Keith Martin Planning, SCAR Roy Truman Butley Ferry Monica Allen Newsletter Editor

Co-opted members

Roger Baxter River Defence Committee Sholto Lindsay-Smith Marketing Kim Puttock Membership Secretary & Webmaster Susie Rixon Honorary Secretary (until 8 November 2024)

1

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

B. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The Alde and Ore Association (The Association) was founded in 1991. On 1st January 2014, the charitable status was changed to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which assumed all the assets and liabilities of The Association.

Organisational structure

The Charity Trustees constitute a committee which manages the affairs of the CIO and for that purpose exercises the powers of the CIO.

Recruitment and appointment of Trustees

Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting of The Association, in accordance with Clause 13 of the Constitution. One third of the Trustees must retire each year but are eligible for re-election, those to retire being the ones who have been longest in office.

C. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives

The objects of The Association are to preserve and protect for the public benefit the Alde, Ore and Butley rivers and their banks from Shingle Street to their tidal limits and such of the land adjoining them or upstream as may be considered to affect them together with the features of beauty and historic or public interest in the area.

We confirm that the Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.

Activities

The main activities undertaken towards achieving The Association’s objectives during the year have been to:

2

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

Contributions

Donations and legacies of £450 were received.

D. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

The role of The Association

The Association continued to work to achieve its aim to preserve the rivers and adjoining land which may affect the estuary for the public benefit. The Trustees continued to meet regularly, both in person and by Zoom and email correspondence. The Association seeks to keep track of proposals and ideas which may affect the estuary and its banks either positively or adversely, and to act in the interest of the continued life of the estuary. It provides a voice on the Alde and Ore Community Partnership (AOCP) and seeks to inform members of matters affecting the estuary overall. In carrying out its work to take care of the rivers and surrounding landscape to preserve their unique natural beauty, heritage and biodiversity, The Association has over the years, contributed significantly to the preservation, protection and enjoyment of the Alde, Ore and Butley rivers area.

The estuary needs the support and involvement of all who live and work in and visit the area, now more than ever.

Working with the Alde and Ore Community Partnership on the river defences

Sound river defences are an integral part of maintaining the homes, economy, recreation and environment with its large range of flora and fauna in the Alde and Ore area. Approval and a funding grant were announced in January 2023 for the First Phase of the work to improve the estuary embankments beginning in the Upper Alde Estuary which was to take four years once the preliminary preparatory work was completed.

During the year The Association has continued to work within the Alde and Ore Community Partnership and with the Alde and Ore Estuary Trust to seek to ensure that the preparatory plans for work starting on the ground in the spring of 2024 were on course and that the further work for the outline business case to secure permissions and a funding grant for Phase 2, the Lower Estuary, was progressed. A great deal was achieved in the form of necessary environmental and structural surveys and detailed designs taking account of these surveys and at the end of the year stock was being taken of what more needed to be done and revised costings.

The Association continued to keep members informed about the estuary plans through its newsletters and, where members have given permission to The Association to use their emails, via email.

Protection of the landscape

As part of The Association's role is to protect the landscape surrounding the estuary, we continue to monitor planning applications on a weekly basis. During 2024 we commented on two applications submitted in 2024. Firstly, an application for camping and other associated activities on the riverbank above Aldeburgh, which remains outstanding.

3

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

The second was for the expansion of the Iken Canoe business which we have been happy to support in principle subject to professional advice from Natural England on the levels of activity proposed. That too remains outstanding at end 2024. The East Suffolk Council Local Plan is due to be reviewed in 2025 and we are presently preparing our input into that review.

The Association also submitted a response to the East Suffolk Council consultation on the possibility of licencing commercial jet skis in the Deben, but that any decision would affect all similar areas within the East Suffolk boundaries. The hearing was in January 2025.

Water Quality Monitoring

The Association continues to support this members’-led initiative and has appointed a trustee with responsibility for this activity. The group numbers 25 volunteers who collect water samples from 15 locations in the Alde and Ore river basin on a weekly basis. Using standardised test methods, these samples are analysed for concentrations of bacteria (E. coli) and plant nutrients (nitrates and phosphates).

By reference to published data the health of the river system can be monitored, any anomalies investigated, and if necessary, reported to the relevant enforcement authority (e.g. Environment Agency).

During 2024, the water quality in the estuary measured at Snape, Slaughden and Orford has been reasonably consistent with the Environment Agency’s bathing water standard of Excellent. Persistent high levels of pollutants were detected in the vicinity of Gedgrave sewage treatment works. Working with both the Environment Agency and the water company concerned, an investigation was launched and a suspected source identified coming from an old part of plant infrastructure. In addition, the data has been shared with Natural England who have welcomed the co-operation and acknowledged the value of this work in their reporting of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).

With 2 1/4 full years of data at 31 December 2024, and the data continuing to be collected, work is in hand to chart data in an accessible form which is useful to stakeholders in the estuary including parish and town councils, yacht clubs and others. The main donors in 2024 towards the monitoring equipment costs were the Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscape’s Amenity and Accessibility Fund and the New Orford Town Trust, the remainder needed being met by the Association. Applications to other funders in 2025 and onwards are being made, the aim being if possible, to secure 70% of funding from other bodies and organisations with an interest in the monitoring of results.

Major infrastructure projects

The Association has continued to watch over the continuing succession of energy project proposals which are affecting this Suffolk coast area. The Association attends ‘open days’ and similar events given by the proposers and has submitted consultation responses where the estuary may be affected, but mostly the latest proposed routes avoid the estuary. Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of more of them will cause significant extra and large traffic on the roads and so affect access to and around the area and impact the local economy, discouraging people from coming to enjoy the area. The Association has joined in local organisation meetings and where appropriate has contributed to knowledge and thinking about the implications of the plans.

The Association was pleased that the chief objection it submitted, also shared by others in the area, to one part of proposals for the introduction of protection zones to encourage breeding Lesser Black-backed gulls was accepted and the site at Chantry, which is a popular walking area and so would be unsuitable for a breeding ground, was removed from the plans

4

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

River Defence Committee

The River Defence Team, under Roger Baxter, continued annual surveys along most parts of the river and reports were submitted to the Environment Agency.

We are very grateful to the volunteers for their time and effort in producing reports on the state of the river walls in the spring after the Spring Equinox which provide a regular update and a running benchmark on the state of the walls.

Enjoyment of the area

Thanks to the Bone family, The Association’s Annual Barbecue was held in early September, in the peaceful field overlooking Brick Dock and along the stretches of the river both east and westward with the amazing open skies, at high tide so some members came by boat. Salter and King again provided the excellent hog roast at cost so a donation could be made to the Alde and Ore Estuary Trust towards the funds to improve the river embankments to reduce flooding for future generations.

Unfortunately, because of lack of sufficient resources to organise walks, none took place and the Trustees focussed on the Annual Barbecue. Members are encouraged to come forward if they had a good walk they would like to share and organise a walk, as these walks are very popular.

Yet another year has passed without final decision from the Government on the route of the English Coastal Path (now nationally called the King Charles III England Coastal Path) route in our area, but once a decision is made there may be some new paths around the Butley River.

The Butley Ferry

In 2024 the Butley Ferry carried over 1,100 passengers and with the takings of over £3,897, these were close to the record season we had just after Covid lockdown. An urgent repair was made to the Gedgrave jetty which suffered from an unfortunate collision and suffered a broken piling. On the Capel side, some of the original, but now worm- eaten timbers, were also replaced. A different repair was needed when the mooring strop parted late in the season.

At the Ferrymen’s annual lunch, Mike Finney received a 10 years’ service certificate and Mike and Lydia Finney were jointly named ‘’Ferryman of the Year’’. As ever the skill of our ferrymen, their ability to assess how to deal with the tides and weather and their carpentry skills and the substantial time they devote to the ferry are much admired and appreciated.

Research commissioned

The major commission this year awarded to Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd (RPA) was the third in a series of a ten yearly study to assess the value of the estuary area and the qualities for which it is valued by residents, second homeowners, visitors and businesses. It was very positive that individual responses to surveys, completed mostly online, came from 735 individuals compared with 559 in the previous survey. This impressive level of response demonstrates how much the Alde and Ore estuary is valued. RPA’s assessment of these responses and official data about the area showed that total spending was slightly up on the previous 10 years, with some figures probably depressed by having to use base figures affected by the covid lockdown.

Overall, the economy of the Alde-Ore area is worth more than £130 million a year and additionally the value of agricultural production, dependent on the river walls either as farming land or for irrigation from the flood cells, was worth some £19 million in 2024. The plan is for RPA Ltd, which works closely with the East Suffolk Water Management Board in securing grants for improving the estuary embankment defences, to use this material to further the case.

5

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

In addition, the Association will use the material when highlighting the real concerns about the damage the several energy projects likely to be constructed through the area to the north but will affect access to it. The Association is very grateful to all who contributed to help make a well evidenced report.

Communication with members

The Annual General Meeting was held on 20[th] April 2024, 56 members attended and 14 sent in apologies. After the formal business, there was a discussion about the work on refreshing the work of The Association now restrictions on gatherings were lifted. After that the Water Monitoring team gave a lively presentation of what exactly water monitoring involved including the collection of samples and the results that were emerging. At the same time the work was set within the context of national concerns about water quality.

Two Newsletters were produced as usual. In keeping with the new approach, these were almost double the size of those a few years earlier and explored a wide range of history, wildlife, leisure and policies all relating to the unique estuary landscape. They continue to be produced on recycled paper.

Emails were sent on more urgent matters and to enable members and guests to join in events such as the Annual barbecue.

The website was kept up to date with links to organisations with shared interests. Planning for a new look to the website was started.

The Trustees’ work on promotion of The Association

These findings on the outcome of the survey on the work of The Association were discussed at the 2024 AGM. With over 200 responses, the general picture was that The Association was doing a good job on what was required. There were areas where more details might be followed up and when time allows there could be focus groups to do this. In particular, Trustees hoped to form two focus groups on the topics most strongly endorsed by members, namely a wildlife and environmental focus group, and a planning and policy focus group to take work forward, subject to work progressing as resources allowed. In practice the bulk of Trustees time during the current year necessarily focused on the organisation of the economic study of the Alde-Ore area and ensuring there was a good response in questionnaires completed. In fact as mentioned above, there were 730 responses compared with some 559 in the previous 10-year economic survey.

As promised work began on achieving a livelier, more flexible and attractive website and the results should begin to be shown in 2025.

E. FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Association has a Reserves Policy of building its reserves without significant increases in membership fees whilst continuing to maintain existing services to members.

The Association’s total Income to the 31[st] December 2024 was £55,520 (2023 £57,321) with expenditure for the year ended 31[st] December 2024 of £35,294 (2023: £29,236). The net income for the year was £20,226 (2023: £28,085).

The Association’s main source of income is its membership fees (there are currently over 2,000 members in total, including members enrolled by reason of their membership of the Aldeburgh Yacht Club).

The Association expects to have to use its reserves to employ consultants, advisers and possibly even contractors to ensure the objectives of The Association in preserving the Alde and Ore Estuary for the

6

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

benefit of the public are met. The Association might also give grants to other charitable organisations in order to achieve its aims.

Both unrestricted as well as restricted reserves of The Association are currently held in savings deposit accounts with CCLA and current accounts at Barclays Bank.

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

Members of The Association’s Committee are responsible for preparing the Charity’s annual report and financial statements in accordance with the law applicable to charities and UK Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law requires that the report and financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity.

In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the Constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees, for the purposes of charity law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report, are set out on page 1.

Approved by the Trustees on 30[th] October 2025

……………………………

Lady Andrews, OBE, Chair of the Trustees

7

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

Statement of financial activities for the year ending 31st December 2024

For general comments see Note 1.

Notes
Income
2
Membership fees and donations
Other Trading Activities
Investment income
Total Income
Expenditure
3
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total Expenditure
Net income/(expenditure)
Reconciliation of funds:
Fund balances brought forward
Net movement in funds
Fund balances carried forward
Unrestricted
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£
2024
Total funds
£
2023
Total funds
£
10,897
-
10,897
10,485
7,255
-
7.255
14,599
3,605
33,763
37,368
32,237
21,757
33,763
55,520
57,321
4,450
-
4,450
15,411
30,844
-
30,844
13,825
35,294
-
35,294
29,236
(13,537)
33,763
20,226
28,085
78,770
669,555
748,325
720,240
(13,537)
33,763
20,226
28,085
65,233
703,318
768,551
748,325

8

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

Balance sheet as at 31st December 2024

Unrestricted Restricted 2024 2023
Notes funds funds Total funds Total funds
£ £ £ £
Fixed Assets
Tangible assets - - - -
Intangible assets - - - -
Investments - - - -
Total Fixed Assets - - - -
Current Assets
Debtors - Interest earned 289 2,677 2,966 3,213
Accrued Income 4,352 - 4,352 -
Cash at bank and in hand 67,588 700,641 768,229 745,592
Total Current Assets 72,229 703,318 775,547 748,805
Liabilities and Credits
Due in less than a year 4 6,996 - 6,996 480
Net Assets 65,233 703,318 768,551 748,325

Approved by the Trustees on 30[th] October 2025

…………………………… …………

Lady Andrews, OBE Chair of the Trustees

9

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

The notes on pages 10 to 13 form part of these financial statements

1. Accounting Policies

Basis for preparing the financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.

In preparing the accounts, the trustees have considered whether in applying the accounting policies required by FRS 102 and the Charities SORP FRS 102 a restatement of comparative items was needed. No restatements were required.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

The Trustees have assessed that the charity is a going concern and that the accounts can be prepared on that basis. The Trustees have also given consideration to post balance sheet events and consider that the charity has sufficient reserved to be able to meet the planned expenditure and continue its activities throughout the next twelve months.

Fund accounting

The Charity has restricted income funds to account for situations where a donor requires that a donation must be spent on a particular purpose, or where funds have been raised for a particular purpose. All other funds are unrestricted.

Incoming resources

Annual memberships are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate. Memberships received in advance are deferred and included in creditors.

Legacies and donations are recognised once the Charity has entitlement to the resources, it is certain that the resources will be received, and the monetary value of grants can be measured with sufficient reliability. Legacies can be categorised as either pecuniary (specific cash amount) or residuary (share of an estate). Pecuniary legacies are recognised as receivable once probate has been granted and notification has been received. Residuary legacies are recognised as receivable once probate has been granted and where they can be measured reliably.

Income from sales of publications is recognised as earned as the related goods are provided.

Investment income is credited to income on the accrual’s basis, with daily accrual of interest calculated by reference to the distribution dates.

Resources Expended

All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required, and the amount of obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category.

Taxation

The Association is a registered charity, so there is no charge for taxation.

10

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

Notes to the accounts (continued)

2. Income
Income from membership fees and donations
Membership fees
Membership fees from Aldeburgh Yacht Club
Gift Aid Refund
Donations and legacies
Government Grants
Total income from membership fees and donations
Income from other trading activities
BBQ
Walks
Butley Ferry
Total income from other trading activities
Income from investments
Interest on cash deposits
Total income from investments
Total income
Unrestricted
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£
2024
Total funds
£
2023
Total funds
£
5,365
-
5,365
5,514
3,252
-
3,252
3,303
1,100
-
1,100
1,118
450
-
450
100
730
-
730
450
10,897
-
10,897
10,485
3,358
-
3,358
3,484
-
-
-
530
3,897
-
3,897
10,585
7,255
-
7,255
14,599
3,605
33,763
37,368
32,237
3,605
33,763
37,368
32,237
21,757
33,763
55,520
57,321

11

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

Notes to the accounts (continued)

3. Expenditure
Cost of raising funds
BBQ
Walks
Butley Ferry
Total cost of raising funds
Cost of Charitable Activities
Newsletter
Website costs
Postage/Stationary
Miscellaneous (photography competition)
Water Testing Program
Survey
Donations and grants by A&O
AGM
Independent Examination of Accounts
Insurance
Total cost of charitable activities
Total expenditure
Unrestricted
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£
2024
Total funds
£
2023
Total funds
£
2,362
-
2,362
2,527
-
-
-
100
2,088
-
2,088
12,784
4,450
-
4,450
15,411
4,693
-
4,693
6,775
178
-
178
494
145
-
145
79
186
-
186
726
2,167
-
2,167
1,337
18,551
-
18,551
-
1,000
-
1,000
1,215
2,999
-
2,999
2,321
510
-
510
480
415
-
415
398
30,844
-
30,844
13,825
35,294
-
35,294
29,236

12

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

Notes to the accounts (continued)

4. Liabilities
Liabilities
Survey
Butley Ferry
Donation to AOET
Examination of accounts
Total Liabilities
5. Funds
Restricted funds
David Andren Bequest
Total restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
General funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds
at 1 January
2024
£
Incoming
resources
£
669,555
33,763
At 31st
December 2024
£
At 31st
December 2023
£
4,986
-
500
-
1,000
-
510
480
6,996
480
Outgoing
resources
£
at 31 December
2024
£
-
703,318
669,555
33,763
-
703,318
78,770
21,757
35,294
65,233
78,770
21,757
35,294
65,233
748,325
55,520
35,294
768,551

Purpose of restricted funds

The bequest from David Andren has been described in the Accounts for the sake of identification as 'restricted funds’. They are held by The Association to be applied as The Association sees fit and The Association has determined it will do so having regard to the wishes expressed in David Andren’s will as follows: for the purposes of encouraging the community to help finance actions which will preserve the unique charm of the estuary, and in hope that the funds should be used to improve walls around Orford.

Purpose of general funds

General funds are those which are unrestricted and not designated for any other purpose. The balance on the general fund will be used to cover the excess of expenditure over incoming resources aims and mission.

Ultimate Controlling Party

The ultimate controlling party is the membership of the Charity.

13

Annual Report of the Alde and Ore Association including accounts for the year ending 31[st] December 2024

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE ALDE & ORE ASSOCIATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Alde & Ore Association for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As trustees of the Charity, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in any material respect:

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 a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Helen Rumsey FCA Ensors

Blyth House Rendham Road Saxmundham Suffolk IP17 1WA

Date:24th November 2025

14

www.aldeandore.org

Our website is updated with current news, Association events, AGM minutes and reports.

To enable us to send you news/events etc. without incurring expensive postage costs, please send your email address to: info@aldeandore.org

We also welcome your comments and ideas at this email address.