Rwstered as a Chariry in England and Wales No 1162687 Registered as a Charity in Scotland No. SC046208 THE FRIENDS OF THE UNION CHAIN BRIDGE in the parishes of Hornclrff• {England) and Hutton (5totland) TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED 31" MARCH 2023 J F Hamilton. Honor4ry Treasurer E O CaTwthorn. Honorary Secretary The Friends of the Union Chain Bridge is a Charitable Incorporated Orghnisation conststu*d under the Ch3ritie5 Art 2011
TRUST INFORMATION ered Address Chain Bridge House, Horncliffq Ber+Yick-upon-Tweed TD15 2XT istered Chari Numbers 1162687 (England and Wales) SC046208 (Scotland) Truste Martha Veronica ANDREINS Christopher BAGLEE (retired 4° March 2023) Edward Oates CAHORN Thomas William COCKBURN (retired 3" July 2023) Elizabeth EDGERTON (represenung the interests of the Parish of Hutton) John Francis HAMILTON Rory HAMILTON (resigned 26° June 2023) Sadie HOLLAND (from 8° November 2023) Georginajean HOME ROBERTSON John David Nicholas HOME ROBERTSON (retired 4° March 2023) Robert Thomas de Ilumpton HUNTER (retired 6° June 2023) Carol JONES (from 13° September 2023) Stephen Kedwyn JONES Clive SIMPSON (from 4° March 2023) Ross WOODROW Ch dTru Robert T de P Hunter (to 6° June 2023) Martha Veronica Andrews (from 6 June 2023) Hono Secre Edward O Cavrfthom Chain Bridge House Horncl Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 2XT John F Hamilton I Woodside Park Horncliffe Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 2XH Bankers Barclays Bank plc Edinburgh Princes Street Branch Edinburgh EH2 2AN Inde ndent Examin J H Greenwood & Company Lodge, Castle Terrace. Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 INP
TRUSTEES. REPORT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED 31" MARCH 2023 The Trustees present their ReFttC and Financial Ststgnent for the financial year ended 31 tt March 2023. The provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) "Accounting and Reponlng by Charities" {March 2005) amended 2CN)8. is used in preparing this Annual Report and Financial StatemenL so far as it is applicable to the Trust's cir¢umsonce& The Friends of the Union Chain Bridge is a Charity registered in England and Wale5 and in Scotland and constituted as a Charitable InCorporad Organisa(ion (CIO) under a Constituoon dated the 4th May 2015. The conversion of the charitable trust into a CIO was approved at an Extraordinary Generdl Meeting of the members of the Charity held in the Village Hall. paOn on the 29th January 2015. The Conscitution Vfds amended at the Annual General Meeting in December 2021 to allow rhe Trustees to invite an approprlate org3ni53tion opernting in the parlshes of Horncliffe or Hutton to nominate a resident of the parish to represent the interests of the community of that parlsh on the CIO in the event of the inabiliry or failure of the Parish or Communlry Countil. as the case may be. to appoint a represenrative in tha¢ capacity. The objecrs ol the Trux are: l. To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation. prorLx¢ion and improvement of the physlcal, natural and man-made vironMent by womoting the historical and architec¢ural heritage of the Union Chain Bridge {"the Bridge") in the parishes of Homcliffe, Nonhumberland. England and Hutton, Beprtickshi Scotland and of the natural environment in which the Bridge is situared. 2. To advance the education of the public in parucular in relation to the history and architecture of the heritsge of ihe Bridge by developing public interest in the architectur4 history and heritage of the Bridge by means of publications. public lecture$ and exhibitions and co-operation with schools and other educational estsblishment5 and other tr*)dies and Societies. All the acuvities of the Trust to date have been in full accordance with the objects of the Charlty. Statem The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the tnjstees to prepare financial stxtement5 for each financiil year which grve a true and fair wew of the State of affairs of the Charfty and of the incoming sOUrceS and application of resources of the Charity for that period. In prep2rinE these financial statements. the rrustee5 are required to: select suitable accounting polKie5 and then apply them consisTrntty observe the methods and principle5 in the Charities SORP make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and pnjdent state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed. subject to any maorial dertureS disclosed and explained in the financial statements
prepare the financial StaentS on the going-concern basis unless Tt is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in ow2tn As the Charity Is, as yeL without investmenrs andlor investment income . the financial statement set out on page 5 is basic and the majority of the methods and principle5 set oui in the SORP are as yet inapplicable to the Charitls accounts. The trusttts are responsible for keeping proper aCC¢)unting records that disc105e with reasonable accurncy at any time the financval position of Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 (England and Wales) and the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) 2005 Act and R4ulations 2008 made under those Acts and the provisions of the Charity's Constitution daied 4th May 2015. They are also responsible for Safeguarding the assets of the Charlty and hence for taking reasonable 5p$ for the preventyon and detection of fraud and other irregu13ri¢ie5. The Constitutlon allows the Trustees to invest funds In any investment they think fil in thelr absoluts discretion. To dat4 they have not exercised their power to invest fijrtds. In September 2015. the Trustees under¢ook a baslc Risk Review. they continue to keep under review the major rlsks to which the Trust Is or is likely to be exposed and of t systems and checks to mitigate such risks arising from financial managemenL Invesunents. contracts etc. Trust property and the loss of service5 of Trust officers either temporarily or permanently. The Trustees have adopted a Business C¢)ntinuity Han to ensure the proper continuance of financial and se¢retarf21 services in this event licB By considering the operntion, achievements and perfonNnce and the finances of the Charity, the Trustees are satisfied that public benefit ha5 been provided in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities and Trustee Investment (S¢otland) 2005 Att and the gubdance provided by the Charity Commlssioners and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Meetln The Trustees meet in accordance with a meeting calendar. they met during the year under review on a monthly Cycle additional meetings arranged as required. Most of rheir Meeting5 were held remotely by mean5 of zoom or in hybrid fashion in person and with a zoom tscility. as VAS the case with the Annual General Meeting. The Charity's business is conducted in accordance with its Constitution. There is no formal committee structure but ad hiK committees and working group5 are appointed from time to time io deal with specific aspects of business delegated to them. The vast majority of business. however, is conducted by the fvll trustee body. December 2023
view of P Achieve nded31rt The Trustees continued to meet on a monthly basis throughout the year under review, albeit virtualty by means of zoom, and received regul¥ reports of the progress of the restoration proiect from their Chairnun. Robert Huntrr. vtho attended zoom meetings of the Projecr Board, comprising representatives of the two prinupal lo] authorities and Museums Northumberland as well as the Chairnian of the Friends. Although completion of the Bridge restoration projert had been expected during 2022. fdficAJS factors contributed to a delay in the production of replacement parts and their installacion in the reinstatement phase. as a result of which. at the end of the year {M2rch 31% 2023) although the Bridge and the peripheral works We virtually complete. it remained closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic and would not be re•opened until mid-April. Trustees. relations with the two c¢)ntracung authorities - Northumberland County Courhcil and Scottish Borders Council - and the main contractors - The Spencer Group- continued to be clos< co-operauve and revrdrding throughout the year. In anticipation of completion of the reswration, and with io the fulfilmeni of the Friends, prlnclpal objective, the Trustees began to consider the role of the durity'going forward" and the need to re. focus the Friends. artivities was discussed in detail at severnl meeting& the Trustees concluding that the development of a properly stnrnred archi comprising doojments assembled during the restoratlon work. the extensive photographic records accumulated during the contrnct through the almost daily presence of lim Gibson, commissioned by the FrieThls to make a comprehensive librdry of images and videa sundry acquisitions and accessi¢)ns. and the large archive of our late Patron Gordon Miller. accumulated over haw a century and donated to the FrieThls by his Estate, would be their primary concern. alongside a continuing educational outreath, including regular talk5 to local clubs and socletles. During the year. Trustees welcomed a numberof visitorsfrom the American Soclety of Civil Enyneers. co-sponsors of the prestigious International Historic Civil Engineerlng Landmark (IHCELI award, promoted by our Patron Prof Roland Paxton, and discussions continued to take place concerning the most appropriate locailon for the siting of the plaque on ccmpletion of the works. On a local level. the Friends donated {1 coyords the Horncliffe vilw platinum jubilee map, which includes reference5 to the lIage. and were pleased to receive a bequest of £20¢XI in the Will of the Lite Dr Michael Lowry of Bridge House. Trustees expressed conccrn to Scortith Borders Councll about the loss of the ancient traek leading from the riverside to Bridge House, and made rePSentatIOn% both dlrecdy and through the Scottish Rights of Way Society, for its reinslement on complerion of the works and acknowledgement of its ststus as a public right of way. Representations were a150 made concerning the lack of parking provision on the Scott15h side of the Bridge and inadequate 5i8hdines on the Bridge approach. The Bridge will form 3 Critical link in the proposed Tweed Trail. the long-distance footpath from Tweed's Well to the North Sea an ini(iative promoted by the Tweed Forum.. and the Trustees hope to be involved in proposals for the interpretation of the trail in the area of the Bridge. November 2023
THE FRIENDS OF THE UNION CHAIN BRIDGE BALANCE SHE AT 31 MARCH 2023 2022 2023 1.981 Fixed A55ets 1.981 2,310 Stock 2.234 55,678 Debtors 5,036 24.493 Cash: general funds 25,192 1,245 Cash: deslznated funds 50,795 83,725 82,257 nll Current Liabllltles nll 83,725 Net Current Assets 83,256 85,706 Total assets less current Ilabllltles 85.238 29,461 Unrestricted general fvnds 29,443 56,245 Desl8nated funds 55.795
THE FRIENDS OFTHE UNION CHAIN BRIDGE srATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCORPORATING THE INCOME ANO EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT OR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2023 2022 2023 15,481 Incoming resources 320,605 Resources expended (qv 58, 5101 6.009 1305,1241 Net movement In funds 14681 390,830 Total lund$ brought forward 85,706 85,706 Total lunds carried forward 85,237 The flnancl¥l statements were approved by the Trustees on..-...-.... and slgned on thelr behalf by: Martha Andrews {Chalr..-.
Notes to the Accounts l Accounting policies Charity inforniation The Friends of the Union Chain Bridge, a Chariry regisred in both England and Wales and Scotland. vras esrablished on 4th May 2015. to promotr for the benefit of the public the historical and architecturdl heritage of the Union Chain Bridge and to develop public intere5c in the architecture. history and heritage of the Bridge. l. l Accounting convention The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cos¢ convention. The Accounts (financial statements) have been prepared in accordance with the S¢atement of Recommended Practice.. Accounting and reporring by Chariue5 preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporring Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in the UK and Re These accounts have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 "The Financial Reporcing Srandard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" ("FRS 102,1, "Accounting and Reportyng by Charioes" the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applying FRS 102. the Charities Act 201 l. the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scorland) 2005 Acc and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice as it applies from l January 2019. The Charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 101 The accounts are prepared in sterling , which is the functional currency of the Charity. Monewy amounts in these financial statements are rounded ro the nearest £. 1.2 Change of Accounting Policy As the Charity obtained sponsorship for the refurbishment projec( it Carried a substantial income requiring it to use accrual accounting methods for the period between 2019 and 2022. With the disbursement of the fund5 and the reduction of gros5 income a reversion to the cash accounting methods previously used is now possible. Therefore the FY22123 brought forward position is srated in accrual terms while the carried forward position is given in cash accounting terms. The notable difference is thaL in accrual temis, stock and other assets are treated a5 current assets while in cash terms they are treated as past expenditure. Income from sales had to be netted against cost of sales and this 11 no longer be required. Future accounts will be presented in cash M}S unless, of course, the relevant legislation changes. Therefore the posioon being carried forwdrd for FY23124 is: Cash: general funds Cash: designated fund5 £25,192 £50.845 £76.037
1.3 Going Concern At the time of approving the account5. the trustee5 have a reasonable expecLition that the Charity has adequate resources to cononue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The (rustees continue to adopt the "going concern" basis of accountinz in preparing the accounts.. 1.4 Charitable fund5 unrestrlcd funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in funherance of their charitable objects unless the funds have been designated for other purposes. Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as co how they may be used. The Charity held no such restricted funds in the financial year to 31" March 2023. Designated funds are donation5 held by the Charity in respect of non-ststutory elements of the Union Bridge restoration contrdct 2019_2023 and are designated for transfer to Northumberland County Council in that connection. 1.5 Incomlng resources Income is recognised when the Charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been meE the amounts can be measured reliably, and ir is probable tha¢ income will be received. Cash donations are recognised on receipL Other donauons are recognised once the Charity has been notified of the donation. unless performance conditions require deferral of the amounL Income tax recoverable in rela¢ion to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenan¢ is recognised at the time of the donation. Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the Charity has been notified of an impending distribution. the amount is known. and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent a55eL 1.6 Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand. deposits held at call with banks, other short-tem) liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. 2023 2022 2 Members subscriptions 1.837 2.339
3 Donations 3,150 11,613 4 Other income 554 1,528 Investments The Charity holds no investments and there was no investment acvviry during the year. Employees There were no employees of the Charity during the year. 7 Bank and Dep051ts 2023 2022 Barclays Bank Busine55 Account 75.100 23.546 Barclays Bank Savings Account 795 2.145 Current Creditors and Debtors Debtors are the amounts ovRd to the Charity. They are measured on the ba515 of their recoverable amount Creditors are the amounts owed by the Chariry. They are measured at the amount the Chariry expects to have to pay to setde the debL Income from Investments There was no income from investments during the accounting period. l O Direct Charitable Expenditure No expenditure was incurred that vrds not for charitxble purpose5. I l Governance Costs No governance costs were incurred during the accountancy period. 12 Tru5tees' remuneration and Expenses No trustee received any expenses during the accountsncy period other than reimbursement for postages and printing costs incurred in the administration of the Charity. No remuneration directly or indirectly out of funds of the Charity was paid or payable for the year to any trustee or to any person or persons known to be connected wth them. An ex-gratsa payment of £1 00 was made to the Membership Secretary who is a member of the Chariry but not a Trustee.