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Annual Report
1[st ] January 2023 to 31[st] December 2023
Ecological Land Trust
Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Charity Number: 1158032
Registered Office: Unit 2, Wildgoose Space, 228 Mina Road, Bristol BS2 9YP
Trustees
O Rodker (chair)
L Beighton
H Westphely
Governance
Governing Document: Constitution
Date: 28[th] July 2014
The Ecological Land Trust has a relationship with the Ecological Land Cooperative (Community Benefit Society no. 30770R registered with the FCA under the Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014) and raises funds for environmental conservation work on the Cooperative’s small farm sites.
The Trust also receives funds on behalf of the Ecological Land Cooperative. These are held in the Ecological Land Trust’s bank account until they are drawn down by the cooperative.
Charitable Aims
“To promote sustainable development (as defined below) for the benefit of the public by:
a. the preservation, conservation and the protection of the environment and the prudent use of resources;
b. the promotion of sustainable means of achieving economic development and regeneration.
To advance the education of the public in subjects relating to sustainable development and the protection, enhancement and rehabilitation of the environment and to promote study and research in such subjects provided that the useful results of such study are disseminated to the public at large.
Sustainable Development means development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Activities
The Ecological Land Trust has been engaged in supporting the charitable work of the Ecological Land Cooperative to conserve and protect the natural environment.
The Trust continues to hold funds for the development of the Cooperative’s site in Cornwall due to begin in 2024.
The Trust received the donation of a farm in Carmarthenshire in June 2022 – Maesgwyn Isaf. The ongoing maintenance and management of this farm will be carried out by the Ecological Land Cooperative. There is a Tenancy at Will in place in which the Ecological Land Trust is the Landlord and the Ecological Land Cooperative is the Tenant. The Ecological Land Cooperative has full repairing and insuring liability of Maesgwyn Isaf.
In Autumn 2023, the Trust was chosen as the recipient of the gift of Ragmans Lane Farm in Gloucestershire. The Trust sought legal and financial advice from Third Sector Accountancy and Wrigleys Solicitors with regards to the tax implications of the farm donation for both the Trust and the donor. The transfer was to be completed after the year end.
There was further legal advice sought with regards to clarifying the relationship between the Trust and the Ecological Land Cooperative which was identified as a risk in the 2022 Annual Report. Following confirmation from HMRC it was agreed that the Trust could receive donations from individuals to contribute to the work of the Ecological Land Cooperative that aligns with the charitable objects of the Trust and could collect Gift Aid on any such donations.
Work was carried out towards the end of 2023 on a new website for the Trust which is due to be launched in 2024.
The Trustees had due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Achievements and Performance
The Ecological Land Trust was effective in its purpose of supporting the promotion of sustainable development as per its Objects. It did this by securely holding funds for the renovation of a farm; the development of a new farm and the carrying out of ecological surveys on existing farms. Each of these areas seek to support new entrants to ecological farming to gain affordable access to land and to ensure that ecological principles are upheld in farming practices.
Finances
An overview of the Ecological Land Trust’s financial transactions in the year to 31[st] December 2023 are as follows:
Donations £1,177
Expenditure £36,672
Remaining carried forward = £41,351
Money has been spent on site development and ecological surveys. The remaining unrestricted funds are expected to be spent on legal costs for the acquisition of Ragmans Lane Farm and will constitute the majority part of our expenses next year.
The Trust does not seek to hold funds in reserve at this time.
Risks
The Trust did not have any successful funding applications in 2023. In order to mitigate the risk of running out of funds, the Fundraiser of the Ecological Land Cooperative will submit funding applications on behalf of the Trust.
Signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees:
……………………………………………………….
Oli Rodker
15[th] October 2024
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Charity Name No (if any) Ecological Land Trust 1158032 Receipts and payments accounts
For the period Period start date from 1/1/2023
Period end date 12/31/2023
To
CC16a
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds
Total funds Last year
| Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts Donations 1,167 Grants - - - - - - - 1,167 - - Sub total - Total receipts 1,167 A3 Payments Distribution of Crowdfunds - Ecological surveys - Site development - - - - - - - Sub total - Farm donation - - Sub total - Total payments - Net of receipts/(payments) 1,167 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 9,775 Cash funds this year end 10,942 to the nearest £ Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ 10 - - - - - - - 10 - - - 10 27,952 5,000 3,720 - - - - - - 36,672 - - - 36,672 - 36,662 - 67,071 30,409 |
to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ 1,177 - - - - - - - 1,177 - - - 1,177 27,952 5,000 3,720 - - - - - - 36,672 - - - 36,672 - 35,495 - 76,846 41,351 |
to the nearest £ |
| - - - - - - - - - |
1,177 | 50,010 | ||
| - | 2,500 | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 1,177 | 52,510 | |||
| - - - |
- | - | ||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | 1,177 | 52,510 | ||
| - - - - - - - - - - |
27,952 | - | ||
| 5,000 | - | |||
| 3,720 | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 36,672 | - | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | ||||
| - | - | |||
| - | 36,672 | - | ||
| - 36,662 | - - - - |
- 35,495 | 52,510 | |
| - | - | - | ||
| 67,071 | 76,846 | 24,336 | ||
| 30,409 | 41,351 | 76,846 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Cash in bank Details Details Details Maesgwyn Isaf Farm Details Signature Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 10,942 30,409 - - - - 10,942 30,409 OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) General - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Oli Rodker Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| 500,000 | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
| Oli Rodker | 10/15/2024 | ||