Treasurer’s Report for the year ended 30 June 2024
Summary
Financially this has been a quiet year for The Friends of Westcombe Woodlands. Reserves remain in good shape and we continue to draw down on the Grant from Backyard Nature (supported by Thames Water) to provide events on a seasonal basis for groups who do not normally access nature.
Our funds comprise two parts:
Restricted Funds the Friends. A list of these is given at the end of the Report along with their purposes.
Unrestricted Funds - which can be spent on any activities and are primarily used to run the Group.
Income and Expenditure
There was no income in the form of Restricted Funds. The main item of Expenditure continued to be Tree Surgery of £2,662 from the BPT Dowry.
Unrestricted Funds income primarily comprised Friends subscriptions of £670 and Honey Sales of £240 – much reduced due to a very poor harvest. However well-controlled costs meant that we still managed a small unrestricted surplus of £375.
Overall Reserves remained robust at £24,578, of which £7,730 are unrestricted.
The Statement of Income and Expenditure is attached.
Miles Storey Treasurer
Accounts for Year ended 30 June 2024
| Restricted | Unrestricted | 2023-4 | 2022-23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backyard BPT Seed to |
||||
| INCOME | Nature Dowry Tree |
|||
| Member Subscriptions Life Subscriptions Donations Received Events & Functions Grants Restricted Grants Honey Sales Books & Cards Gift Aid Bank Interest |
- - - |
670 150 102 216 128 - 240 - - - 1,506 |
670 150 102 216 128 - 240 - - - 1,506 |
625 150 68 532 750 3,800 827 4 - - |
| 6,756 | ||||
| EXPENDITURE | ||||
| Tree Surgery Repairs & Maintenance Rewilding Bid Costs Honey Costs Bee Project Seed to Tree Backyard Nature Volunteer & Open Day Costs Donations Made Printing & Stationary Society Subscriptions Website & IT Insurance Bank Charges Other |
2,662 540 128 2,662 540 128 |
236 195 - - 153 105 - 194 288 0 40 - 1,132 |
- 2,898 - 195 - - 540 - 281 105 - 194 288 0 40 - 4,462 |
3,499 50 250 195 102 - - - 207 178 40 95 218 10 - |
| 4,844 | ||||
| SURPLUS/DEFICIT | (2,662) (540) (128) |
375 | (2,956) | 1,912 |
| ACCUMULATED FUND | ||||
| brought forward Jun-23 | 16,251 3,800 128 |
7,355 | 27,534 | 25,622 |
| carried forward Jun-24 | 13,589 3,260 - |
7,730 | 24,578 | 27,534 |
| BALANCE SHEET | ||||
| Cash at Bank Prepayments Debtors Less Sundry Creditors (restricted) |
26,712 - - 26,712 2,134 24,578 |
27,534 - - |
||
| 27,534 | ||||
| - | ||||
| 27,534 |
Restricted Funds Purposes
BPT Dowry
The dowry isn’t for day to day running expenses, like membership costs, insurance premiums, tree inspections or minor fence or other repairs, but rather for capital projects. These might include such things as tree works, planting new trees, establishing pathways or new access points, major fence replacements – or whatever other capital projects the Friends decide on.
Seed To Tree
Grant from Greenwich Growth Fund for Schools projects. Now Closed.
Backyard Nature
To run events on a seasonal basis for groups who do not normally access nature
Background
The Friends of Westcombe Woodlands were formed in 2012 and became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2015 to enable us to enter into a 999 year lease with the Woodland Trust. This has the effect of a “free transfer” of the freehold of Westcombe Woodlands from Blackheath Preservation Trust to the Woodland Trust.
conservation, protection and improvement “ of the woods. We are doing this by following a management plan and by involving the local community including schools and organisations.