Treasurer’s Report for the year ended 30 June 2026
Summary
A quiet year financially compared to previously. Overall we had a Deficit of £2,921 compared to the prior year surplus of £13,069. As you will recall, last year we had over £15,000 of Grants received hence the surplus, and this year we spent some of those grants. The total funds thus reduced to £34,576.
Our funds comprise two parts:
Restricted Funds - those provided for specific purposes, not the general maintenance and running of 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
Main Points to note:
-
Unrestricted Funds surplus of £2,803 which included a one-off Gift Aid claim of £2,893 so there was an underlying deficit of £239.
-
Honey Sales generated a £699 profit on the year after a nil return last year.
-
We spent £5,724 of Grants from Restricted Funds divided between £2,060 of the OurSpace, £750 of NPT and the residual £76 from Veolia. In addition £3,664 of the BPT Dowry was spent on tree felling.
Overall Reserves therefore reduced from £37,647 to £34,576, of which £13,495 are unrestricted.
The Statement of Income and Expenditure is attached.
Miles Storey Treasurer
Accounts for Year ended 30 June 2026
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Restricted Unrestricted 2025-6 2024-5
BPT Our Space
NPT Veolia
INCOME Dowry Award
Member Subscriptions 575 575 515
- - -
Life Subscriptions
Donations Received - - 10,300
Events & Functions 439 439 758
Grants - - -
Restricted Grants - - 5,154
Honey Sales 1,734 1,734 -
Books & Cards 60 60 -
Gift Aid 2,893 2,893 -
Bank Interest - - -
- - - - 5,700 5,700 16,727
EXPENDITURE
Tree Surgery 2,838 1,430 750 76 - 5,094 -
Repairs & Maintenance 630 477 1,107 1,977
Professional Services - - 350
Honey Costs 1,035 1,035 -
Backyard Nature 150 150 -
Volunteer & Open Day Costs - - 148
Donations Made 192 192 370
Printing & Stationary - - 122
Society Subscriptions - - 40
Website & IT 636 636 334
Insurance 347 347 316
Bank Charges 18 18 1
Other 42 42 -
2,838 2,060 750 76 2,897 8,622 3,658
SURPLUS/DEFICIT (2,838) (2,060) (750) (76) 2,803 (2,921) 13,069
ACCUMULATED FUND
brought forward Jun-25 23,589 2,540 750 76 10,692 37,647 24,578
carried forward Jun-26 20,751 480 - - 13,495 34,726 37,647
BALANCE SHEET
Cash at Bank 34,918 37,647
- -
Prepayments
Debtors - -
34,918 37,647
Less Sundry Creditors (restricted) 192 -
34,726 37,647
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Restricted Funds Purposes
| BPT Dowry | The dowry is not intended for day to day running expenses i.e. |
|---|---|
| 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. | |
| NPT | Grant for Tree Management and to further the charitable |
| purpose of promoting the conservation, protection and | |
| improvement of the Westcombe Woodlands in 2025 | |
| Veolia | Grant for Planting in Westcombe Woodlands to improve |
| Biodiversity and Climate resilience | |
| Our Space Award | Grant towards Improving Biodiversity and Climate Resilience in |
| Westcombe Woodlands |
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.
The lease gives the Friends the long-term security to “promote for the public benefit, the 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.