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2021-12-31-accounts

Hazel Hill Trust

www.hazelhill.org.uk | Registered charity no: 1160691 |1st July 2022

Annual Report 2021

Charity No: 1160691

Company No: 9329522

Registered office:

C/o MARTIN & COMPANY ACCOUNTANTS 2 VICTORIA GROVE BRIDPORT DORSET DT6 3AA

Investment advisors: Holden and Partners, Investment, The Piano Works, 117 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3BX

Contents: Chair’s statement - 1 Trustees’ report - 2 Independent examiner’s report - Pg.16 Statement of financial activities - Pg. 17 Balance sheet - Pg. 18 Notes to accounts - Pg. 20 Income and expenditure account - Pg.25

The Hideaway, our new accommodation block at Hazel Hill Wood, is part funded by the New Forest Leader Grant scheme, part of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

Chair’s statement

2021 has been the second year in which our operations as a charity have been dominated by responding to the Coronavirus pandemic. It has also been a year that has emphasised the need for the work that we do, supporting frontline workers and bringing people back into connection with nature.

We were able to weather the first year of the pandemic in large part through grant funding that we were able to redirect towards covering core costs. In 2021, with those funding programmes finished, we have been much more reliant on bringing in our income from clients using the facilities at the wood. This in turn has been a process that has required careful management asit has not always been clear what groups would be able to return to the wood when.

To help respond to the changing operating environment we have restructured our staff to create a smaller, more agile team from which we can grow again when the financial situation permits. A significant development has been making our core team permanent members of staff. This move signals our commitment to them, and we hope will be the basis of creating a really strong team in the future.

Despite difficult operating conditions this year, we have been able to make a small contribution to our reserves, which helps us build our resilience as a charity. This feels like a big achievement, and I am grateful to our staff and volunteers, both past and present who have worked so hard this year to respond to the changing situation around us.

A major achievement for us has been the completion of the Hideaway, our new accommodation building which will enable us to bring in much larger groups to the wood, increasing our impact as a charity. Time in lockdown at the start of the year gave us the opportunity to complete the fitout of the building in time to welcome its first guests in July.

In July we began the process of Trustee recruitment and by November we had appointed five people incoming Trustees, four of which, at the time of writing, have taken up their roles as Trustees. Our Trustee board is looking strong once more and I am looking forward to working with all our Trustees to continue to strengthen the charity and grow the work that we do.

To shape the year ahead, we have set as our mission question ‘what if Hazel Hill became a centre of regenerative practice?’. The question challenges us, as we emerge from Covid and re-establish our operations, to think about how we can take all the good work that we have done as a charity and apply it to the emerging needs of the communities we serve. Through this lens we will be looking at two aspects of our work in particular: how we bring people into connection and relationship with nature; and how do we work as part of the wood ecosystem to provide for our human needs while enabling the wood to thrive.

The Trust is deeply grateful for the support it receives from the following people and organisations: Alan Heeks, New Forest District Council EU Leader, St James Place, Groundwork UK, Walter Guinness Charitable Trust and the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

Oliver Broadbent

Chair of Trustees.

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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The Report of the Trustees for the Year to 31st December 2021

Introduction to Hazel Hill Trust

Our vision is for Hazel Hill Wood to be a rich and thriving woodland where people can nourish their connection with the land, themselves and each other with the aim of developing personal resilience, well-being and a greater understanding of sustainable living.

Hazel Hill is a beautiful, secluded 70-acre wood and sustainable retreat education centre, seven miles from Salisbury. It has off-grid residential facilities for up to 38 visitors. Alan Heeks bought Hazel Hill Wood in 1987 and managed it as a non-profit education centre since 1992. He gifted it to Hazel Hill Trust, which became a registered charity in July 2015 and took over the ownership and operation of Hazel Hill Wood at that point.

Objects of the charity

The objects of the Charity as stated in the Articles of Association are:

Organisational vision

At the start of 2021, we updated the wording of our organisational vision in order to clarify what we are working together to achieve.

“Our vision is for Hazel Hill to be a rich and thriving woodland where people can nourish their connection with the land, themselves and each other, helping them to develop personal resilience, well-being and a greater understanding of living sustainably.”

Achievements in 2021

Woodland conservation

2021 was another unsettled year on the whole for humans, but a more settled one in terms of weather for wildlife. Everything we do at Hazel Hill supports the aim of ensuring that Hazel Hill is a rich and thriving woodland. It is through working in the wood, be it actively or reflectively, that we deliver our aims of improving resilience, wellbeing and understanding of sustainability.

In 2021 we continued to follow our Forestry and Conservation 10-year plan, which has the following conservation principles:

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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We see our achievements in woodland conservation work as follows:

Wildlife recording

Surveying wildlife at Hazel Hill Wood contributes to important scientific research and helps inform scientists, conservationists and others to take action to help wildlife. Changes in species distribution and abundance can act as indicators for environmental change - including climate change, habitat loss and habitat restoration. How do we know nature is in trouble in the UK and globally? Because of surveying and monitoring.

As well as contributing to national records, recording what wildlife we see and hear in the wood helps us to understand the impact of our work on the biodiversity of the woodland. There were no official wildlife records between 2009-2018. Establishing and increasing biological recording has been a key aim for us since 2018.

Year 2018 2019 2020* 2021
Records 182 345 121 229

*Lockdown rules restricted our ability to gather records

In February 2021 we set up a British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden BirdWatch survey, which was completed weekly by two volunteers. This provides valuable data to scientists and other conservationists to help understand how and why populations of garden birds and other wildlife are changing, and how we can help them.

In 2021 the bird nest box, butterfly, dormouse and fungus surveys continued, with a greater proportion completed by volunteers this year as the covid restrictions were made clearer. Although lockdowns were still a feature in 2021, it was clarified that work and volunteering that cannot be done from home could go ahead. This seemed sensible - volunteers benefited greatly from time in the wood, learning about wildlife, and the charity benefited from their time and energy. The bird nest box survey volunteers were rewarded with seeing tawny owl chicks up close!

After having to cancel in May 2020, we ran our 3rd annual BioBlitz in 2021. We recorded 164 species including 53 moth species, 65 plant species, 25 bird species and 7 mammal species.

Firecrest and goshawk were recorded for the first time, both rare bird species in the UK. Firecrest is the UK’s smallest bird, joint with goldcrest. Goshawk is a Schedule 1 species, and they are still persecuted and their nests are frequently robbed, so having them at Hazel Hill Wood is a privilege.

Dingy skipper was a new butterfly record for the site, a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Priority Species which is becoming increasingly rare. Not good for the species, but a good indicator that we are managing Hazel Hill Wood well.

Tawny owl chicks seen during nest box survey.

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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Regenerative ride management

As we reported last year, in 2020 we began a new zero-carbon approach to managing our glades and rides in a way that increases the range of habitats available to invertebrates. Glades are clearings within the wood and rides are linear open spaces (generally with paths in the middle) - they are both particularly rich in wildlife, and require active management.

Our new approach, as of 2020, is to go back to an older method of open-space management - scything. This is an example of a shift in woodland management practice that is maintaining high quality habitat, bringing people into contact with each other, and bringing people into contact with nature.

An alternative to this method would be to continue, or go back to, the previous management practice of an annual cut with a tractor, leaving cuttings on the ground. If we did this, over time the cuttings would increase the soil nutrient content and enable dominant plants like nettles, docks and coarse grasses to outcompete the wide range of other species which coexist here currently. Cutting the whole width every year, as was being done before, would also be bad management practice for glow worms, as they have a 2 year life cycle, so need areas left uncut for 2 years. The rotational cutting we now complete, cutting each area every 2-4 years, is a much more environmentally sensitive practice, and better for biodiversity.

Scything May 2021

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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Firewood management

All of our accommodation buildings at Hazel Hill Wood rely on wood burning stoves for heating and hot water. We have seven stoves in total. All our firewood is produced at the wood. In 2021 we began the journey of taking a more integrated approach to how we manage the buildings and how we work with the woodland. The most obvious manifestation of this is in the firewood supply: felling, cutting, splitting, stacking, seasoning, moving and finally burning in each of the buildings. Volunteers are now involved with every stage in the process, and many really enjoy these tasks, including the visible achievement that comes with it and knowing that they are contributing to something essential to the charity. Previously we have engaged contractors to do most of the process, who come in and do the job then leave, with very little connection to the wood and our community.

Felling - the first step in the process is felling trees using chainsaws. We choose which trees to fell partly by choosing which trees we want to keep. Felling other trees around them, particularly ones touching them, will help them to thrive.

Cutting - we cut logs to around 14 inches in length with a chainsaw (some shorter and some longer for different sized stoves/boilers).

Splitting - to create logs which will fit in the stoves and burn well, many need to be split. We’re currently using a combination of splitting by hand using an axe, and using an electric log splitting machine. As we have very limited electricity at Hazel Hill Wood, this machine is powered by a petrol generator.

Stacking and seasoning - this is a new part of our process – stacking split logs out in the sun and air where they season (dry out) in just a few months.

Moving - people power is currently our main method for moving logs. It’s hard work and satisfying! We use a large cart with 4 people, 2 pushing, 2 pulling and also wheelbarrows. Once the logs are seasoned, we move them to the log stores near the buildings. Under cover and out of the rain. One last journey into the buildings and then, finally, the logs make it into the wood-burning stoves and do their job of keeping our guests warm!

The management of a renewable supply of firewood is another example of a regenerative human-natural system that we can demonstrate here at Hazel Hill wood. Like using scything for ride maintenance, using our own firewood actually increases the labour we need to do at the wood, bringing people to the wood to collaborate with one another and bringing them into contact with the ecosystem. The question of how we fuel the buildings is also a great way to bring people who are visiting the wood for their own events into contact with the ecosystem, and to see how humans can work with natural resources to create abundance.

Creating firewood June 2021

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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Internal programmes

Internal programmes is the name we give to the activities and events that we facilitate ourselves to deliver the aims of the charity.

Volunteer Days

2021 was a hugely successful year for volunteering at Hazel Hill Wood - we now have a thriving community of volunteers. Volunteers are fundamental to our small charity, and volunteers gain from the time they spend with us. We were supported by a total of 72 volunteers, including 32 new volunteers.

Unlike other charities, we did not stop volunteer days during the lockdown in early 2021. We judged that the positive impact for volunteers and the wood outweighed the covid risk. People share that they volunteer at Hazel Hill Wood for their physical health, mental health, to support wildlife conservation, to learn new skills and to meet new people. We increased staff-led volunteer days, and introduced self-led volunteer days.

Overall volunteer numbers are still considerably lower than pre-pandemic, but many volunteers come regularly and spend more days at the wood, and this is really positive for them and the charity.

The range of tasks completed by volunteers has diversified - volunteers now support not only woodland management and wildlife surveys, but also building maintenance tasks. In September, we added an additional monthly volunteer day, the third Monday of each month, in addition to the first Friday. In October we ran Autumn Conservation Weekend - see more in our blog here. This year volunteers have helped us to complete:

Tree planting April 2021

Tree planting April 2021
2021 2020 2019 2018
Volunteers 72 54 138 183
Staff-led days 25 17 19 18
Self-led days 23 0 0 0
Total days
contributed		 248 154 250 213

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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Virtual nature connection during the third lockdown Jan-Mar 2021

We had planned an in-person event at the wood for late January called Birds of Hazel Hill Wood and how to be a good birdwatcher. With the announcement of the third lockdown, and following the success of our online activities in 2020, we decided to turn this into an online event and an unexpected 68 people booked on! In 2020, we had 10-23 people at each online event. We then followed up with another online event in February, Trees of Hazel Hill Wood and how to identify trees, with 42 tickets booked. These were both a huge success. We recorded the main part of the sessions and uploaded this to YouTube, allowing more people to access the recordings afterwards - Birds and Trees.

BioBlitz

A total of 52 people came to the BioBlitz this year, making it one of Hazel Hill Wood’s biggest events ever. We had fantastic support from 20 volunteers in 2 main roles – welcoming other attendees and leading wildlife activities.

Moth trap survey at BioBlitz 2021

Autumn Conservation Weekend

A total of 21 people took part this year’s Autumn Conservation Weekend - 17 adults and 4 children. Spending time in this magical woodland environment, helping to look after the trees and the wildlife and then unwinding in the evenings with songs and games around the campfire. As well as our usual conservation tasks, we also got to see some cool moths and fungi, thanks to our local wildlife

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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recorders! Salisbury and District Natural History Society found about 30 species of fungi. Longstanding volunteer Mary did an excellent job of planning not only delicious meals, but also reducing the carbon intensity of our food.

Jenny, a regular Autumn Conservation volunteer (and as of 2022 a trustee of HHT!), says:

“Despite the rain we all got stuck into maintaining the glade and paths through the NW Frontier on Saturday morning. I have a particular fondness for this area of the wood, and returning this autumn I was struck by how much it is starting to look like woodland again – I think the birch and douglas fir enjoyed the wet summer.”

Fungus foray at Autumn Conservation Weekend 2021

Bat and Glow Worm Night

On 29th July 2021, we celebrated the start of the school summer holidays with our Bat and Glow Worm Night, a nighttime safari looking for some of our nocturnal wildlife – bats and glow worms. We had a great time and were fully booked, with 30 people attending. We had lots of positive comments, people really enjoyed being out in the wood at night. We welcomed lots of new people to the wood, and welcomed back about half the group who had been before.

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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We obliged a special request for the talk to be available online and recorded this just before the event, using a similar format to the Birds and Trees event from the winter. This is available on YouTube.

Home education group

2021 saw the formation of a new home education group at Hazel Hill Wood. We ran a taster session in August followed by a 6 week block of half-day sessions from September with an autumn theme. This included bug hunting, pond dipping, sensory scavenger hunt and practical conservation tasks. The group have enjoyed their first seasonal block, and plan to continue through 2022 with a 6 week block in each season.

Bug hunting with home educating families September 2021

People living with dementia group We ran a day for men living with dementia and volunteers from Salisbury Rugby Club in August 2021. This was their first day out together away from their centre since the start of the pandemic. We did a wildlife walk and talk, pond dipping and a conservation task - raking up scything cuttings and clearing paths of overhanging brambles and branches. Then they enjoyed a campfire BBQ.

Wildlife and bushcraft sessions

We continued to utilise “Family and Friends” bookings, including via AirBnB, to make up for lost revenue from our usual group bookings cancelling. As a way of maximising the nature connection they experienced during their stay and also bringing in a bit more

money, we offered 2 hour Wildlife and bushcraft sessions. 5 groups booked this, and did activities including bug hunting, pond dipping, den building, woodland games, fire lighting and campfire cooking.

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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Family wildlife and bushcraft session August 2021

A big thank you to the following funders who helped us to sustain the Trust as well as to continue delivering our internal programmes during 2021: Alan Heeks, New Forest EU Leader Grant, Groundwork UK, St James Place Charitable Foundation, The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and the Walter Guinness Charitable Trust.

Partner organisations

We call the organisations that run events at the wood that help us to fulfil our charitable objectives ‘partner organisations. In 2021 we saw the gradual return of our partner clients, having been unable to run their events in 2020 due to Covid. Here is a brief description of the activities that our partner organisations delivered in support of our charitable aims.

Woodland Resilience Immersion - in this programme of activities, a regular fixture at Hazel Hill for several years, groups of frontline NHS doctors are brought together in the woods to think about what nourishes them, how nature can support them in the work and to get much-needed respite. This event helps us meet our vision of building resilience and wellbeing.

Natural Happiness - Led by Hazel Hill Wood founder, Alan Heeks, Natural Happiness events at the wood give participants the opportunity to draw on Alan’s Seven Seeds of Natural Happiness model to help them build their resilience and wellbeing.

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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Landscapes of Change - a retreat led by Marcos Frangos and Kirstin Irving that uses a constellation methodology to help people explore how they are experiencing change in the context of the climate and biodiversity crises. These events help people develop their resilience and wellbeing, and support a practice of deep listening to the wood.

Singing group - this year Clare Chitty returned to run her regular local singing group in the wood. This group has been running for decades, providing a regular opportunity for local people to come together, singing and celebrate the woodland.

Local church group community picnic - we were delighted to welcome a local clergy group to the wood for their annual picnic. We are always looking forward to ways to support local organisations so that they too can benefit from time in the woods.

Transitions weekend - this weekend, which we held in November, was a chance for leaders of many past programmes at Hazel Hill to come together to share what they have learnt from their events, teaching and time and the wood, and to pass this wisdom on to a new, incoming group of Trustees.

External clients

To fund our charitable activities, we let the wood and its facilities out to vetted organisations so that they can run their events. Many of our external clients run events related to wellbeing, for example, yoga retreats, meditation weekends, and meet ups for various groups who benefit from spending time together in the nourishing conditions of Hazel Hill Wood.

While our ability to open the wood to external clients dropped to almost zero in 2020, in 2021 we saw the gradual return of our regular external clients. Where we have had a gap in our bookings calendar we have continued to open our buildings to booking by small groups of families and friends, the income stream from which has supported the ongoing work of the charity. For many of these family and friends groups we have run nature and conservation activities to help them learn more about the ecosystem here at Hazel Hill.

Facilities improvements

Hideaway Completion

This year we completed and opened the Hideaway, our new accommodation building. With the Hideaway open we are now able to substantially increase the number of high-quality bedrooms we can offer visiting groups. The completion of the Hideaway represents a major development in the evolution of Hazel Hill Trust. The facilities mean that we can now welcome groups from a wider range of audiences. Larger groups mean we can now bring in higher revenue, helping to secure our longer-term financial position.

The building was funded with major donations from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and from Alan Heeks. The first groups used the Hideaway in July. Over the summer we continued a process of commissioning to get the heating systems working for the winter.

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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Power grid upgrade

To support the higher power demand from larger groups using the wood, we installed over 200m of armoured, underground cabling to connect all our buildings to a new power generator. When fully operational, this system will provide back-up power to all of our buildings.

Finance, governance and staffing

Public Benefit

The objects and organisational vision are set out in the Annual Report. We have considered the key principles of the Charity Commission’s general guidance about public benefit and have concluded that the Trust meets all the requirements

Governance

At the start of 2021 our trustees were Amrita Bhohi, Oliver Broadbent (Chair), Jake Farr, Alan Heeks , John Kingston, and Frances Wood. In September 2021 John Kingston stepped down as Trustee. We held as usual two in-person Trustee meetings and two online meetings to keep up-to-date with live issues.

In July 2021 the Trustees appointed a trustee recruitment committee to appoint find, interview and recommend potential new Trustees. At the November Trustee meeting the Trustees agreed to invite 5 candidates to trial period being a Trustee before being formally appointed in March 2022 should they wish to continue.

These five new recruits to our Trustee Board bring a wide range of experience that will great support the staff as we move to a more self-organising system of management in the charity. We are particularly pleased that our incoming Trustees come from a wide range of ages. The recruitment of this new group of Trustees is a major achievement for the charity and we are looking forward to working with the energy and insight that they will bring.

In November 2021 Alan Heeks led a transition weekend, continuing his hand-over to Oliver as head of the charity. At this event, Alan gathered people who over the last thirty years had helped to shape the formation of the charity. They shared their wisdom about Hazel Hill and we explored how to bring this knowledge in as we shape our future vision for the charity.

Staff Team

As our income has remained low due to the pandemic, we have implemented a new staffing strategy to allow us to have a smaller, more agile team, that in time we can grow again when the economy recovers. The main parts of this strategy are as follows:

In line with this strategy, sadly we had to say goodbye to our general manager Julie, who only joined the charity a year beforehand. We are grateful for the grace with which she has handled this difficult

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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period, prioritising the employment and wellbeing of others over her own position. We also said goodbye to our Facilities Supervisor, these responsibilities being taken on by remain core staff. Our caretaker John Bailey stepped down after ten years of service.

We appointed Charley Miller and Lauren Kearse as permanent members of staff, who, working with the Chair, have been responsible for coordinating the activities of the charity for most of the year. We are particularly grateful to Mary Acremen, our financial assistant, who has switched from a paid role to offering her services as a volunteer.

Volunteers

The role of volunteers in the operations of the charity has increased significantly in 2021. More staff time has been spent on supporting volunteers in 2021 compared to 2020. We have increased our provision of staff-led volunteer days and also introduced self-led volunteer days. This means we can achieve much more with limited staff time. Staff may be present on site or in touch remotely, and supporting as much as needed, with the overall task being completed without direct staff supervision. This has increased our capacity greatly, and volunteers who have chosen to do self-led tasks have enjoyed the greater level of responsibility and positive impact they have. In 2022 we plan to develop ways to further support and grow this important part of our charity.

Financial commentary

Our income for 2021 was £106k of which:

The significant increase in our charitable activities comes as we have been able to re-open our facilities following easing of lockdown restrictions.

The significant reduction in our grant income coincides with the completion of the Hideaway, but also follows the departure of our grant fund raiser who we have not been able to replace during the pandemic.

The decrease in the contribution from Alan is in line with the charity’s move away from its dependence on his funding.

Over three years our income has been a mixture of capital income for the Hideaway project and operational income. Taking out the capital income, the following table shows how our operational income has changed over recent years.

Year 2019 2020 2021
Income £170k £117k £106k

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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The dip in income in 2020 and 2021 can be largely attributed to the pandemic but also is a reflection of the time we have had to put in to completing the Hideaway, which has taken resources away from other income-raising activities. Now that the Hideaway is complete, we expect we can turn more attention to increasing charity revenue and activity.

Alan Heeks has pledged to continue to support the charity as major donor in the years ahead, and the Trustees continue to have a dialogue with him about how he wants to support the charity.

We end the year with an operating surplus of £32k, up from £24k at the end of 2021.

Reserves

Our reserves policy as of 1st February 2021 is as follows. Hazel Hill Trust will hold £30k in designated reserves, only to be used in exceptional circumstances, e.g. if Hazel Hill Trust winds down its operations. In addition, Hazel Hill Trust will hold sufficient cash reserves to meet any operational liabilities as they fall due.

Future plans

In 2022, we plan to appoint the 5 incoming Trustees if they are happy to join at the end of their trial period. With a bigger Trustee board, we will establish a system of working groups to support the operating team in decision making. During this period, Oliver will continue in his due role of Chair and supporting General Manager.

We have ambitious plans to make use of the new Hideaway facility, bringing back many of our partner organisations and clients who have not been able to come during the pandemic.

Framing our work for the year ahead is the mission question, ‘how could Hazel Hill Wood become a centre for regenerative practice?’. The aim of this question is to help us think about how we can draw together our work on connection to nature, conservation work, wellbeing and sustainability using the emergent language of today.

As we bring more people back to the wood, we plan to grow our staff team once more, and with it, the impact of the work that we can do as a charity.

Approved by the Trustees on: 20th September 2022

And signed on their behalf by: Oliver Broadbent, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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H3zel Hill Trust Registered Charity= 1160691. Comparhy limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address.. Martin & Co. Accountant5. 2 Victoria Grove. Bridport. Dorset DT6 3AA 15

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

16 Independent examiner’s report to the trustees
17 Statement of Financial Activities
18-19 Balance Sheet
20-24 Notes to the Financial Statements
25 Summary of Income and Expenditure

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HAZEL HILL TRUST INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR TO 31st DECEMBER 2021

CHARITY NUMBER 1160691

COMPANY NUMBER 9329522

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year to 31 December 2021 which are set out on pages 17 to 25

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees, 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 Trust’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 (other than that disclosed below) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

· the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or

· the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

· the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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.

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.

Disclosure

There was a one-time adjustment to accumulated depreciation on Fixed Assets. This adjustment totalled £40,743 and has been fully disclosed in note 7.

Tom Swayne, CGMA

131 Western Road, Hurstpierpoint, W. Sussex BN6 9SY

11 September 2022

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HAZEL HILL TRUST

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the year to 31st December 2021

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses in the year. All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.

The notes on pages 20 to 25 form part of these financial statements

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HAZEL HILL TRUST

BALANCE SHEET

at 31st DECEMBER 2021

The directors statements required by Section 475(2) and (3) are shown on the following page which forms part of this balance sheet.

The notes on pages 20 to 25 form part of these financial statements

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HAZEL HILL TRUST BALANCE SHEET (continued) at 31st DECEMBER 2021

DIRECTORS STATEMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTIONS 475(2) AND (3) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2021

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

For the year ending 31 December 2021 the company was entitled to the exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies

Directors’ responsibilities

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts

The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on and signed on its behalf by

Oliver Broadbent, Chair of Trustees

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HAZEL HILL TRUST Notes to the financial statements for the year to 31st December 2021

1. Accounting policies

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HAZEL HILL TRUST

Notes to the financial statements

for the year to 31st December 2021 (continued)

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HAZEL HILL TRUST

Notes to the financial statements for the year to 31st December 2021 (continued)

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HILL TRUST

Notes to the financial statements

for the year to 31st December 2021 (continued)

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HILL TRUST

Notes to the financial statements

for the year to 31st December 2021 (continued)

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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HAZEL HILL TRUST

SUMMARY OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR TO 31ST DECEMBER 2021

Hazel Hill Trust Registered Charity: 1160691. Company limited by guarantee no.9329522 Registered address: Martin & Co. Accountants, 2 Victoria Grove, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3AA

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