Cuckmere Haven SOS
Charity's principal address: The Sanctuary, Winton Street, Alfriston, East Sussex, BN26 5UL
Charity Commission Registration Number 1161529
Trustees' Annual Report
For the year ended 31 December 2024
Names of the charity trustees who managed the charity:
Trustee name Office Professor Michael Davies Chair Daniel de Belder Rodney Castleden MA MSC (Oxon) Crispin Freeman FCA Dr Caroline Lucas Appointed 15 January 2025 Sir Alan Moses Charles Peck
Structure, governance and management
The charity’s governing document is its constitution adopted 5 May 2015, and it is constituted as a charitable incorporated organisation. New trustees may be appointed to serve for a term of two years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. Each of the trustees shall retire at the end of their term of appointment but shall be eligible for re-appointment.
The trustees review the skills and competencies required for the board of trustees, and where a requirement is identified they initiate a recruitment process. New trustees receive training from the existing trustees. There is no formal training programme.
Dr Caroline Lucas, formerly MP for Brighton Pavilion, MEP, and leader of the Green Party, was appointed a trustee on 15 January 2025.
The charity holds its bank account with Barclays Bank Plc, and has a donation facility with CAF Donate.
Regular trustee meetings are held, and the trustees met five times during the year.
Objects and activities
The charity’s objects are to promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of the Cuckmere Haven west beach and cliffs.
When planning and carrying out their activities, the charity trustees have complied with the duty in section 4 of the 2011 Charities Act, to have due regard to Public Benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
The charity’s appointed chartered town planning consultancy, Whaleback Ltd, continued to liaise with South Downs Planning Authority on their response to the pre-application statement for the scheme to protect the eastern end of the Cuckmere Haven west beach and cliffs, and to liaise with the statutory consultees.
The charity’s website continued to attract donations from the public.
Cuckmere Haven SOS Charity number 1161529 Trustees' Annual Report
For the year ended 31 December 2024 Continued
Achievements and performance
The website has been maintained which has details of the history of the Cuckmere Haven area, the erosion problems, and an outline of the proposals for the protection of the west beach and cliffs. It includes a donation facility through CAF Donate. Donations during the year, including gift aid, were £25,113 from the general public, and income received from events during the year was £5,343. In addition, Seaford Town Council kindly made a grant to the charity of £171 from donations from the general public in the collecting box at Seaford Head Barn; Seaford Neighbourhood Watch kindly made a grant of £500; and the Jules & Cheryl Burns Trust kindly made a grant of £1,000. The trustees are most grateful for all these generous contributions.
The charity incurred professional fees of £9,186 on work on the design and reports required for the planning application and liaising with the planning authority and statutory consultees. Fundraising expenses were £1,249, publicity expenses £428, website costs £221, and bank charges and donation platform commission of £545. In accordance with section 189 of the Charities Act 2011 the charity purchased trustee indemnity insurance £622.
The surplus for the year was £19,904 which was added to the charity’s reserve.
No trustee received any remuneration or benefits.
Financial review
It is the reserves policy of the charity that funds will be built up to finance the protection scheme for the Cuckmere Haven west beach and cliffs. This is a large project and it is anticipated it will take time to achieve the necessary funding. At 31 December 2024 the charity held £53,092 in reserve for this purpose.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above and the receipts and payments accounts below.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature Michael Davies Full name Professor Michael C R Davies Position Chair Date 15 September 2025
Cuckmere Haven SOS
Charity number 1161529
Receipts & Payments Accounts
For Year to 31 December 2024
| Receipts and payments |
Unrestricted funds £ |
Designated funds £ |
Restricted funds Total funds £ £ |
|---|---|---|---|
Receipts Donations - non-gift aid Donations - gift-aided Gift aid tax recovery Event receipts Grants Other receipts Total Receipts Payments Conservation Fundraising Publicity Website Postage, stationery, computer Donation platform commission Insurance Bank charges Total Payments Net of receipts/(payments) Transfers between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this period end |
|||
| 6,941 | 0 | 0 6,941 |
|
| 16,142 | 0 | 0 16,142 |
|
| 2,030 | 0 | 0 2,030 |
|
| 5,343 | 0 | 0 5,343 |
|
| 1,671 | 0 | 0 1,671 |
|
| 28 | 0 | 0 28 |
|
| 32,155 | 0 | 0 32,155 |
|
| 9,186 | 0 | 0 9,186 |
|
| 1,249 428 221 |
0 | 0 1,249 |
|
| 0 | 0 428 |
||
| 0 | 0 221 |
||
| 0 | 0 | 0 0 |
|
| 414 622 131 |
0 | 0 414 |
|
| 0 | 0 622 |
||
| 0 | 0 131 |
||
| 12,251 19,904 0 33,188 |
0 0 0 0 |
0 12,251 |
|
| 0 19,904 0 0 0 33,188 |
|||
| 53,092 | 0 | 0 53,092 |
|
| Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | |||
| Unrestricted funds Designated funds £ £ Cash funds Bank accounts 53,092 0 Signed on behalf of all the trustees on 15 September 2025 |
Unrestricted funds Designated funds £ £ 53,092 0 |
||
Michael Davies
Professor Michael C R Davies
Cuckmere Haven SOS
Charity number 1161529 For Year to 31 December 2024
1 Accounting policies
Charity information
Cuckmere Haven SOS is a charitable incorporated organisation set up to meet the charitable objectives detailed in the Trustees' Report.
1.1 Accounting convention
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
2. Amounts owing to and by the charity at 31 December 2024
At 31 December 2024 the charity was owed, in respect of donations received up to that date, a gift aid tax refund of £2,250 and gift aid small donations scheme refund of £238. These amounts were both received on 28 July 2025.
The charity had no unpaid supplier invoices at 31 December 2024.
Cuckmere Haven SOS Charity number 1161529
Receipts & Payments Accounts
For Year to 31 December 2024
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Cuckmere Haven SOS
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Cuckmere Haven SOS ('the CIO') for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the CIO, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act).
I report in respect of my examination of the CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the CIO and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the CIO as required by section 130 of the 2011 Act;
-
or
2) the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Anthony Davy
Anthony T Davy ACA
The Chaise House West Street Alfriston BN26 5UX
Dated: 15[th] September 2025