2021-03-31-accounts - Pathmakers (CIO)

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Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date 1[st] April 2020 31 March 2021 To

From

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Pathmakers (CIO) Other names charity is known by ” in Norfolk (ICAT Norfolk) Registered charity number (if any) 1161475

Other names charity is known by[Previously known as “Improving Countryside Access Together ] ” in Norfolk (ICAT Norfolk)

Charity's principal address c/o Floor 6, County Hall Norwich Norfolk Postcode NR1 2SG

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
Simon Fowler	Chair		NLAF
Charles Auger	Treasurer		Pathmakers
Martin Sullivan	Trustee		Ex officio
Kate MacKenzie	Trustee		NLAF
Paul Cowley	Vice Chair		Pathmakers
John Jones	Trustee		Ex officio
Sarah	Abercrombie	Appointed 02/09/2020	NLAF

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address




Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) How the charity is constituted

Constitution (Foundation Model)

Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

(eg. trust, association, company)

Appointment by the Norfolk Local Access Forum (NLAF) (5 trustees) Trustee selection methods Direct appointment by Pathmakers (CIO) (1 trustee) (eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;
trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Pathmakers is the charitable arm of the Norfolk Local Access Forum (NLAF) a statutory forum with 22 members that advises Norfolk County Council and other organisations about making improvements to public access to land in Norfolk for outdoor recreation. a. Whilst the NLAF is an advisory body, Pathmakers as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation can directly address inequalities in the provision of countryside access opportunities by seeking funding for improvements.
b. The NLAF appoints 5 trustees to Pathmakers (nominated trustees) whist Pathmakers makes one direct trustee appointment (appointed trustees). There are 2 ex officio trustees: The Chair of the NLAF and Manager of Norfolk County Council Environment Team. Trustees are appointed for a 3 year term. (Three trustee posts are currently vacant.)
c. Pathmakers uses a ‘foundation’ model for its constitution which means the only voting members are its trustees
1. Policies and procedures. Pathmakers has the following policies a. Environment Policy (2019) b. Equality Policy (2019) c. Standing Financial Instructions (reviewed 2019) d. Sustainability Policy (2019) e. Interim Safeguarding Policy (2019) f. Draft Health and Safety Policy (2019) g. Employment – NCC secondment h. Employment – direct employment
1. These policies are reviewed an adopted annually, at the AGM 4. Pathmakers require trustees to sign an annual declaration of eligibility to act as trustees, also at the AGM
1. Trustee indemnity insurance is in place. Other insurance is arranged as required (by projects etc)
1. Minor changes to the governing documents were agreed during the year, and forwarded to the Charity Commission: • Clause 7.1.3 regarding ‘conflicts of interest
• Clause 15.2 regarding ‘terms for Chair’ • Clause 5.4 regarding ‘financial reserves’ • Clause 9.1 regarding ‘Continued professional development of trustees’

Section C Objectives and activities

Charitable purpose 1

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

For the public benefit the advancement of health and wellbeing of residents of and visitors to Norfolk and adjacent areas by promoting, raising awareness of, improving and creating countryside access for outdoor recreation in the area of Norfolk and adjacent areas Charitable purpose 2

For the public benefit the advancement of improvement to the environment in Norfolk and adjacent areas for the benefit of residents of, and visitors to Norfolk and adjacent areas by the promotion of, assisting and organising projects to conserve and improve the environment.

Pathmakers is the charitable arm of the Norfolk Local Access Forum (NLAF) a statutory committee which provide strategic advice and direction on improving recreational public access to the countryside.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

Pathmakers objectives continue to align with the Norfolk Access Improvement Plan, a 10 year vision to improve countryside access which was adopted and published by Norfolk County Council in March 2019.
Pathmakers mission is to make a lasting and worthwhile difference to the quality of public countryside access in Norfolk. To achieve this, Pathmakers works with local communities, landowners and other partners: (i) to develop projects that improve access locally; (ii) to generate or raise funds to invest in all-abilities access project to benefit all types of user (iii) to improve the biodiversity of the countryside paths or that can be accessed from the access network
Pathmakers delivers benefits for all but is particularly keen to reduce inequality by improving access to the countryside for: the elderly; those with young families; those with chronic health conditions including physical and mental disabilities.

We confirm that the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

Pathmakers trustees are all volunteers who give at last 8 hours per month to the work of the charity. In practice, this figure is often substantially more.

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

policy on grantmaking;
policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

Pathmakers activities to the year ending 31[st] March 2021:

As with the whole of national life, Pathmakers activities in this year were deeply impacted by the effects of the international COVID-19 pandemic.

This has resulted in delays on a number of fronts, but nevertheless Pathmakers has continued to make progress, using some of the time when on-the-ground project work was impossible to focus on internal structures, communications and marketing as part of the NLHF resilience ‘Paving the Way’ project work.

Governance and meetings

Between 1[st] April 2020 and 31[st] March 2021 Pathmakers held bimonthly virtual trustee meetings, online, as follows:
7th May 2020
23rd June 2020 (AGM)
2[nd] Sept 2020
11[th] Dec 2020
11[th] Feb Jan 2021
Other meetings were held by sub-groups pursuing specific areas of work, especially the communications plan.
Norfolk Local Access Forum (NLAF) meetings were suspended in the first part of 2020 due to national lockdown. A report of Pathmakers activities was given at the 2 meetings held, on 7 October 2020, and 20[th] January 2021.

Public benefit

Project Paving the Way (Heritage Lottery Fund HLF)
Work on this project continued throughout the year, with most effort devoted to an audience analysis and communication planning exercise.
Following a procurement exercise, ‘One Agency’ marketing consultancy were appointed to deliver the communications strategy and brand overhaul, and have provided online workshops for trustees to help them clarify future messages and key audiences for Pathmakers.
Part time administration support (0.2 FTE) seconded from Norfolk County Council continues.
Trustee time continues to be recorded as ‘in kind’ contribution towards the project
Project LIFTOFF LIFT (European Social Fund (ESF)
This project was successfully concluded in March 2020.

Section D Achievements and erformance p

University of East Anglia (UEA) School of History Collaboration

This project was usefully continued online, and flagship ‘virtual guided walk’ events took place during heritage Open Days in September 2020.
• Project material is available to view at www.pathwaystohistory.co.uk
Geovation fund awarded
After a delay during the lockdown period, work continues to develop a platform to host walks and gather data on walk activity with aims to improve people’s health and wellbeing through greater access to the outdoors.
Student Consultancy projects
No project took place under this heading in 2020, due to the universities’ shift to remote learning, and other pandemic disruption.
Training
Following the first Governance Training Workshop, in Jan 2020, the board felt that another approach was required, so rather than completing another such workshop in March, the focus was placed on individual strategies, starting with the Communications Plan.
• A half-day Brand Positioning workshop for Trustees was held 17/3/21, led by OneAgency.
Trustees
A new trustee, Sarah Abercrombie, previously involved with Pathmakers as an NCC employee, was recruited to the board in September 2020.
Three trustee vacancies remain. The trustees are actively considering how to recruit to these with a view to increasing diversity and representation on the board. This should include at least one more woman, and ideally someone of a different age group for the current group.
• Following the death of George Saunders, who was a wheelchair user, in 2019, the trustees are particularly keen to recruit a new trustee with similar expertise and experience in countywide access for people with disabilities.

Section E Financial review

A reserve of £10,000 was agreed previously

Brief statement of the

charity’s policy on reserves Details of any funds materially No funds are in deficit in deficit

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include Annual Financial Statement (2020 – 21) and Barclays Account Statement additional information, where appended relevant about:

the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Simon Fowler Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair etc) Date 10/06/2021