Annual Report of Bath & West Low Carbon Community Fund CIO
For the Year Ended 14 April 2022
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The trustees of the Bath & West Low Carbon Community Fund Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) present their Annual Report for the year ended 14 April 2022 and accounts and confirm that they comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
Our aims and powers
The objects of the CIO are set out in its constitution as:
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The promotion of the advancement of environmental protection or improvement and the prudent use of resources;
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The relief of poverty, including but not limited to the improvement of the conditions of life in socially and economically disadvantaged communities;
for the benefit of the public within Bath and the surrounding area.
The CIO has power to do anything that is calculated to further its objects or is conducive or incidental to doing so. The income and property of the CIO must be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects.
The CIO was entered on the Register of Charities on 15 April 2014 with registered charity number 1156710. This tax year of 2021/2022 was the eighth full year of operation of the CIO.
Governance
The CIO is overseen by a board of trustees. We now have nine trustees, who are:
| C. Sophie Hooper Lea, Chair of Trustees | Peter Capener |
|---|---|
| Pearl Slee, Treasurer | David Daniels |
| Simon Forsyth, Secretary | Leigh Fairbrother |
| Carole Bond | Sheila Gundry |
| Alastair Singleton |
Principal Office
Bath & West Low Carbon Community Fund CIO, The Guild Hub, Guildhall, High Street, Bath BA1 5EB
Bankers
Triodos Bank, Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AS
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How our activities deliver public benefit
Our activities deliver public benefit by funding local projects that target carbon reduction and/or fuel poverty. Examples of projects supported to date include local food production, energy efficiency improvements in community buildings, re-use and recycling projects, fuel poverty programmes, schools’ projects, water conservation, energy audits and energy advice among many other things. To be eligible for funding, project proposals must demonstrate that they promote environmental sustainability, low or zero use of energy and/or alleviate fuel poverty. Emphasis is on practical projects that lead to real community benefits.
Annual income
The CIO’s income derives predominantly from an annual grant from Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE), an Industrial and Provident Society established to develop and promote renewable and low carbon energy in the Bath and surrounding area. BWCE donates surplus income generated from its development to achieve the objects of the CIO. Further information on BWCE is available at www.bwce.coop.
During the period 15 April 2021 to 14 April 2022, the CIO received the sum of £35,000 from BWCE.
Our Activity
Our principal activity during the reporting period has been to invite bids for, promote, assess, award and monitor this year’s community grants.
We continue to be a member of the Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) third sector group 3SG and a signatory to their Compassionate Communities Charter. We spoke at and participated in a 3SG event on environmental funding in September 2021, helping local third sector organisations to understand what funding is available and how best to apply for it.
In May 2021, we became a new signatory to the Funder Commitment on Climate Change. As a signatory, we recognise the severity of the climate emergency and we aim to do everything we can to address the causes of climate change and support adaptation to its effects. We have signed up to the commitment in full and agreed to report publicly on our progress each year. See Appendix B for a report on our progress in 2021/22.
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During 2021/22 we have also been working on ways to encourage grant applications that tackle the issue of fuel poverty and affordable warmth with a particular focus on applications from deprived areas.
The CIO undertook a review of internal financial controls in 2018 and, given that its approach and activities have remained the same since that time, the CIO deems that the findings of that review still apply in 2021/22. The vast majority of the CIO’s income is managed by the Administrator (an audited charity) and the CIO has no paid employees, so the Trustees do not consider it necessary to appoint an internal auditor or set up an audit committee. Accounting records are kept of all transactions and the accounts comply with legal requirements. The accounts are formally approved by trustees each year and the CIO uses an independent examiner.
Engagement of an Administrator
The CIO decided to continue its engagement of a third-party charitable organisation, the Quartet Community Foundation (“the Administrator”) to administer and promote the 2021/22 round of grants – www.quartet.cf.org.uk. The CIO has engaged the Administrator for previous funding rounds and the organisation has a good track record of managing funds on behalf of individuals, companies, charitable trusts and statutory agencies. The Administrator makes grants to charitable groups in the West of England. An initial agreement was made in December 2014 for service provision and was continued by the trustees for eighth year in 2021/22. The Administrator received remuneration of £3,500, 10% of the funds handled, for the services it provided during the year.
Grant Making
During the reporting period, the CIO made grants to 11 projects. The selected projects are listed in full in Appendix A. It is a requirement of the grant that the beneficiary updates the CIO on progress in applying the grant. All projects are monitored by the CIO and/or the Administrator.
Grant Making Policy
The CIO invites proposals for grants from the community through an open and competitive process. The projects are evaluated by the trustees according to the following criteria: consistency with BWCE priorities as outlined above; value for money; the delivery capability of the proponent and proximity to BWCE sites.
The eligible beneficiaries of the grants can be a community, self-help or voluntary group, a community enterprise, a charity, or a local branch of a national charity. Applicants must
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demonstrate they wish to carry out a beneficial project in a local community in Bath or the surrounding area.
All grants are subject to the CIO’s conditions. The full documentation including the Fund Guidelines are available at http://www.bwce.coop/communityfund.
Financial Review
Quartet Foundation (on behalf of the CIO) disbursed £31,706 [2021: £33,300] during the reporting period to a total of 11 projects, listed in Appendix A.
Annual report, accounts and annual return
The CIO trustees consider they have complied with their administrative duties by preparing a basic set of accounts on the receipts and payment basis, which are available on request. The CIO trustees will file an annual return within 10 months of the annual return date, as required. The balance held at the bank as of 15 April 2022 was £1,623 [2021: £1,983].
Plans for Future Periods
As in previous years, in 2022/23 we will once again use the annual grant from BWCE and donations from BWCE members to fund local projects. We will continue to work with the Administrator to invite bids for, promote, assess, award and monitor community grants. Fuel poverty/affordable warmth continues to be a huge issue for local communities. We will continue to address this issue and the cost of living crisis facing so many households.
Trustees' responsibilities statement
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP [2015 (FRS 102)];
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and 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 trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the trustees at a trustee meeting on 14[th] September 2022, and signed on their behalf by:
C Sophie Hooper Lea Chair of CIO Trustees
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Appendix A: Grants Awarded 2021/2
£31,706 was awarded in 2021 to the following 11 community projects:
| Grant Application Name | Amount Awarded |
Project Description - Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Bath City Farm | £5,000.00 | Toward an air source heat pump and ventilation system for the new purpose-built community hub and cafe. |
| Bath Share & Repair | £1,801.00 | Toward the Carbon Footprint Project which will help younger children to understand how they can repair, reduce and reuse to reduce carbon emissions. |
| Carers Centre B&NES (Care Network) |
£4,000.00 | To create a food garden for carers to learn to grow food and to provide food for carers to increase sustainability and food security. |
| Compton Dando Community Association (Zero Carbon Compton) |
£1,500.00 | For Energy Efficiency surveys for households in Compton Dando, including social housing tenants. |
| Corston Community Orchard & Garden |
£1,880.00 | To establish a rainwater harvesting, storage and distribution system to ensure there is a sustainable and sufficient water supply so that the newly planted trees and hedging can thrive. |
| FACE - Families Acting on Climate Emergency |
£1,725.00 | Toward building the FACE community in schools and other settings across the B&NES area, and researching needs, opportunities, barriers and triggers for climate action amongst local families. |
| First Steps (Bath) | £1,800.00 | Towards the replacement of a boiler heating system with a sustainable alternative. |
| Freshford Village Memorial Hall |
£5,000.00 | To replace the hall's old oil-fired boiler, oil tank and controls with a highly thermally efficient air conditioning system. |
| Middle Ground Growers CIC | £4,000.00 | Toward the cost of building a solar-powered barn to power the group's farm - charging tools, delivery bikes and cold storage for crops. |
| Percy Community Centre | £1,000.00 | For additional insulation to enclose the parts of the community centre's boiler room infrastructure that are currently uninsulated. |
| Trowbridge Environmental Community Group |
£4,000.00 | Toward the cost of delivering four repair-and- reuse cafe community events during 2022, to encourage members of the public to become more engaged with their lifestyle choices and learn how they can live more sustainably. |
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Appendix B: Progress under the Funder Commitment on Climate Change 2021/22
We recognise the severity of the climate emergency and we aim to do everything we can to address the causes of climate change and support adaptation to its effects. We have signed up to the funder commitment in full and every year we will report publicly on our progress on the five goals listed below. We are committed to continuing to develop our practice, learning from others and sharing our learning.
Progress to date against the five goals of the Funder Commitment on Climate Change
1. Educate and learn
The first goal involves making opportunities for our trustees and stakeholders to learn more about the key causes and solutions of climate change. All of our nine trustees are committed to continuously learning about and acting on climate change and they also work professionally in climate, environment or another aspect of sustainability in addition to their contribution to the BWCE Fund.
We aim to educate stakeholders about climate change through our publicity and public engagement around our annual funding round, which supports local projects that target carbon reduction and/or fuel poverty. We engage with local organisations on climate issues and work with the local authority and other local funders to try to support one another and maximise our impact. For example, in September 2021 we spoke at and participated in an event on environmental funding that was organised by Bath-based third sector charity 3SG.
2. Commit Resources
The second goal is to commit resources to accelerate work that addresses the causes and impacts of climate change. Each year we receive an annual grant from BWCE and we use this grant to fund local projects. To be eligible for funding, project proposals must demonstrate that they promote environmental sustainability, low or zero use of energy and/or alleviate fuel poverty in a way that also includes environmental efficiency and/or environmental measures.
In the most recent funding round in 2021-22, we received £35,000 from BWCE and handed out 11 grants totalling £31,706. We have no paid staff and our trustees run the BWCE Fund with the help of Quartet Community Foundation, which administers the grant programme on our behalf. Our funding approach means that, each year, we commit all of our available resources to tackling climate change.
3. Integrate
The third goal is that, within all our existing programmes, priorities and processes, we will seek opportunities to contribute to a fair and lasting transition to a post
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carbon society, and to support adaptation to climate change impacts. Our income is provided by renewable energy cooperative BWCE and its members and the entire purpose of our fund is to support carbon reduction and climate education and awareness. As such, climate is integrated into how we are funded and everything that we do as an organisation.
4. Steward our investments for a post-carbon future
The fourth goal of the Funder Commitment on Climate Change is to steward investments. The BWCE Fund has no investments as we redistribute the funding that we receive each year from BWCE. We bank with Triodos Bank, a leader in ethical banking and sustainability and unspent grant funds are held by our administrator, Quartet Community Foundation, a fellow signatory to the Funder Commitment on Climate Change.
5. Decarbonise our operations
The fifth goal is to decarbonise our own operations. The BWCE Fund is a small, virtual organisation with no offices. We minimise printing and our meetings have been predominantly online in the past year. Our trustees, who run the fund, seek to minimise their own carbon emissions.
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Bath & West Low Carbon Community Fund CIO
Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 1[st] April 2022
| INCOME | 2021/22 |
|---|---|
| Donations/legacies | 0 |
| Investment income(bank interest) | 0.06 |
| Income from charitable activities | 0 |
| Grants | £35,000 |
| TOTAL | £35,000.06 |
| EXPENDITURE | 2021/22 |
| Administrator costs | £3,500 |
| Grants made | £31,500 |
| Bank charges | £0.30 |
| Otherprofessional fees | £25 |
| Independent examiner fee(for 2020/21) | £335 |
| TOTAL | £35,360.30 |
Balance sheet as at 1[st] April 2022
| CURRENT ASSETS | 2021/22 |
|---|---|
| Cash at hand and in bank | 1622.78 |
| Debtors | 0 |
| Net current assets(unrestricted funds) | 1622.78 |
| TOTAL | 1622.78 |
These financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 15th September 2022 and signed on behalf of the Trustees by
………………………………… C Sophie Hooper Lea Chair of CIO Trustees
Bath & West Low Carbon Community Fund CIO Notes to the accounts for the year ended 14th April 2021
(1) Principal Accounting Policies
The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below and have remained unchanged from the previous year.
The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below and have remained unchanged from the previous year.
(a) Basis of preparation The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) 2nd edition and the Charities Act 2011.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
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(b) Fund accounting
[i] Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
[ii]Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the Management Committee for particular purposes.
[iii] Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.
(c) Income
Income is included in the statement of financial activities when the charity
is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income.
[i] Income received by way of grants, donations and gifts and is included in full
in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity, are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant.
[ii] Donated services and facilities are included at the value to the charity where this can be quantified.
[iii]The value of services provided by volunteers has not been included in these accounts. [iv] Investment income is included when receivable.
[v]Income from charitable trading activity are accounted for when earned.
[vi]Income from grants, where related to performance and specific deliverables, are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance.
(d) Expenditure
Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered
[i]Costs of generating funds comprise the costs associated with attracting voluntary income and the costs of trading for fundraising purposes.
[ii] Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them [iii]All costs are allocated between the expenditure categories of the SoFA on a basis designed to reflect the use of the resource. Costs relating to a particular activity are allocated directly, others are apportioned on an appropriate basis.
Bath & West Low Carbon Community Fund CIO Notes to the accounts for the year ended 1[st] April 2022
(1) Principal Accounting Policies
[iv] Grants payable are made to third parties in furtherance of the objects of the charity. The details of the grants are included in the Trustees Report.
The charity makes donations to the Quartet Community Foundation who keeps the donations in a Restricted Fund to be spent as Bath & West Low Carbon Community Fund CIO decide. There is a balance at 1st April 2022 of £0 [2020: £0] held in the Restricted Fund on behalf of Bath & West Low Carbon Community Fund CIO.
We pay an administrative charge to the Quartet Community Foundation for administering the fund.
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Charity Name No (if any) Bath and West Low Carbon Community Fund CIO 1156710 Receipts and payments accounts For the period Period start Period end date To from 01/04/2021 01/04/2022
CC16a
Section A Receipts and payments
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 35,000.00 0.06 - - - - - - 35,000 - - - 35,000 35,000.00 335.00 0.00 25.00 0.10 - - - - 35,360 - - - 35,360 - 360 - 1,983 1,623 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ 35,000 0 - - - - - - 35,000 - - - 35,000 35,000 335 - 25 0 - - - - 35,360 - - - 35,360 - 360 |
Total funds to the nearest £ 35,000 0 - - - - - - 35,000 - - - 35,000 35,000 335 - 25 0 - - - - 35,360 - - - 35,360 - 360 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath and West Community Energy Limited 2021 CommunityFund |
35,000.00 | - - - - - - - - - |
35,000 | - | ||
| Gross Interest from 01/10/2021 to 31/10/2021 | 0.06 | 0 | - | |||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 35,000 | 35,000 | - | |||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). | ||||||
| - | - - - |
- | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | |||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
||||||
| - | 35,000 | - | ||||
| Quartet BWCE Fund | 35,000.00 | - - - - - - - - - - |
35,000 | - | ||
| Dick Maule BWCE Fund | 335.00 | 335 | - | |||
| Charges 01/11/2021 to 30/11/2021 | 0.00 | - | - | |||
| BANES 3SG 3SGMO51 | 25.00 | 25 | - | |||
| Charges 01/01/2022 to 31/01/2022 | 0.10 | 0 | - | |||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| **Sub total ** | 35,360 | 35,360 | - | |||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||
| - | - - - |
- | ||||
| - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | |||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
||||||
| - | 35,360 | - | ||||
| - 360 | - | - | - 360 |
- | ||
| - | - | - - |
- | - | ||
| 1,983 | - | 1,983 | - | |||
| 1,623 | - | - | 1,623 | - |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
06/10/2022
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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets |
Signature Details Details Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - Agreement Error OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Pearl Slee |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
| Pearl Slee | 6.10.22 | ||
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
06/10/2022
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Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Bath and West Low Carbon Community CIO
On accounts for the year 01/04/2022 Charity no 1156710 ended (if any) Set out on pages 1-2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 01 / 04 / 2022 .
- Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed: Date: 7/10/22 Name: Peter Andrews Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):
Address: 19 Maple Grove Bath BA2 3AF
October 2018
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IER
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
October 2018
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IER