Matthews Hall Fore Street Topsham EXETER EX3 0HF Registered Charity No 1162973
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 TO 31 AUGUST 2023
The Charity Commission requires all charities to submit an annual report containing details of a charity’s accounts, its management, how it has complied with the objects set out in its constitution and certain other specified information. Consequently, parts of this annual report, which covers the Trust’s Financial year to 31st August 2023, will replicate last year’s report. However, for new members the Annual Report gives a brief synopsis of how the Trust is managed as well as the report on our stewardship of the land during the year.
In February 2015, the Topsham Community Association and the Topsham Society jointly launched a public appeal to raise funds to buy the woodland and the fields behind the Goat Walk. Over £300,0000 was raised, the bid was successful and 6 acres of land between the Goat Walk and Bowling Green Road in Topsham, Devon was purchased for the benefit of the people of Topsham. In August of that year a Charitable Incorporated Organisation known as the Goat Walk Land Trust, established to own and manage the land, was registered with the Charity Commission. The Trust was established with the object, set out in its constitution, of “ the maintenance of the rural environment and heritage of the historic town of Topsham through the preservation and enhancement, without any permanent buildings, of the Goat Walk land for the quiet enjoyment and pleasure of the residents of Topsham and visiting members of the public at large ”.
The Trust’s constitution provides for seven trustees to hold office for three years although they may hold office for two further three-year periods. Two trustees, Frances Nieduszynska and Jeremy Rawlings, were appointed by the Topsham Society; and two, John Bradley and Christopher Buckingham, were appointed by the Topsham Community Association Ltd. This year Jeremy Rawlings has stepped down as a Trustee. Jeremy was one of the founder members of the group that worked so hard to buy the land, and has been a Trustee ever since. The Trustees and the people of Topsham owe him a great debt of gratitude for his part in securing the Goat Walk Land for Topsham. His place has been taken by Peter Gray nominated by the Community Association’s Topsham Society Planning Committee.
Three trustees are elected by the Trust’s members voting at the Annual General Meeting and each year one Trustee is required to retire. At last year’s AGM Roger Webster retired and Peter Gray, who had served three terms, was also required to stand down as an elected trustee. John Bryant was elected as a Trustee and Russell Osborn remained as the second elected Trustee. No other person stood to be elected by the members and a vacancy therefore occurred. The constitution allows for the Trustees to appoint a
Page 1
Trustee to fill any vacancy until the next AGM and Peter Gray was appointed. This year Russell Osborn is retiring as a Trustee. Russell has been a great support to the Board; we are very sad to see him retire and thank him on behalf of the Trust and its members for all his work over the past years.
In 2016 the Annual General Meeting approved an annual membership fee of ten pounds on the basis that this would cover the normal annual running costs of the Trust. This year, as anticipated, the cost of the maintenance of the land increased significantly and the Trust made a small loss. However, the Trustees have taken the view that although membership has reduced slightly, to 233, the current level of income as shown in the annual accounts annexed to this annual report is nevertheless appropriate. Taking into consideration our reserves and with some members increasing their donation, the Trustees for the seventh year have agreed that the basic annual fee will remain at £10. The Trustees are keen to attract as wide a membership as possible and believe that any increase could prove counterproductive. However, to keep the basic level at this low level and not deplete our reserves it will be necessary to increase our income and the Trust has, during the year registered with Paypal as a charity to enable donations to be made more easily. However, the Trustees have, once again, agreed to ask members to review their contributions and have suggested that a contribution of £15 would be appropriate.
The Trust was established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with a Membership Scheme which not only provides the income to fund the work of the Trust but also enables the community to become more involved in its organisation and governance. A Management Committee was set up by the Trust to deal with the dayto-day management of the land and the development of a long-term strategy to achieve the Trust’s aims and objectives; namely that the land should be accessible, sustainable, rural in nature, simple to manage and for the quiet enjoyment of all. Members are appointed to the Management Committee by the Trustees to whom they are responsible.
Once again the land has proved its value to the community by providing a place for quiet enjoyment of the countryside, with many visitors throughout the year. Our fields continue to be a joy to the people of Topsham and further afield, providing somewhere for quiet exercise, away from public roads. This was the object of the Trust when it was established, and it has been greatly appreciated by the community. The native trees and local varieties of apples which were planted at the start of the Trust are now established and have formed a natural extension of the woodland. The variety of wildflowers continues to increase; a second species of orchid being a notable newcomer.
Our problems with contractors not being available to cut the meadows have continued for another year. In order that the wildflowers are able to form viable seeds we need to wait until late summer to cut the grass. Unfortunately, this is often when the contractors are most busy cutting hay crops. The small size of our land and the reducing fertility mean that the hay crop is no longer sufficiently valuable for most agricultural contractors to undertake the work. At the beginning of the year of this report (autumn 2022), our contractor managed a late cut of the grass. However in 2023, by the time our usual contractor advised he was unable to cut the meadows, the long grass was too
Page 2
wet to cut or remove the crop. Experience over the past two years indicates that the Trust will not only have difficulty in arranging for the grass to be cut at the right time, but that this can only be done on a commercial basis, rather than in exchange for the crop, which we were able to do in earlier years.
Over the past years maintenance of our trees by tree surgeons has been undertaken regularly and they also check to see if any further work is required. Additionally, a full report on the trees was obtained last year and whilst regular inspection of our trees is recommended, no immediate surgery was required. As reported last year the large holm oak in the hedge between the two fields is suffering from a bracket fungus and will need some work in the near future. The elm trees in the northern hedge suffer from Dutch Elm Disease which will result in their demise in due course. Fortunately, new growth emerges from the substantial underground root system of the elms. The dead trees do not presently pose any danger but will be monitored. As a whole, the trees on our land are prospering and it is pleasing to report the substantial growth of the small whips planted as an extension to the wood in the first years of the Trust. Many of these are 15 feet (5m) or more which means that the path now passes through open woodland rather than across the meadow. The apple trees are also establishing and received pruning during the year to encourage their proper development. We are planning to thin some of the small saplings in the older wood to allow more light to the woodland floor.
There have been only a limited number of working parties needed this year; the thistles, ragwort and docks being much reduced after previous years’ efforts by volunteers. Most of our effort has concentrated on edging the path, restricting the encroachment of brambles from the hedges and the removal of barbed wire. During the year, a substantial donation from the Market House Trust has enabled the path to be renewed. Volunteers re-cut the edges and a new layer of aggregate was laid. A new compacted surface, which will complete the path, will be undertaken later in the year (completed in 2023).
The Trust has to date taken a cautious approach to alterations to the land. The objective of the Goat Walk Land Trust is to keep the land as rural fields with an area of woodland. Consequently, no significant changes were undertaken during the year.
The Trust is required as part of its annual return to the Charity Commission to include details of any serious incidents during the year. The Trustees are able to confirm that there have been no issues relating to fraud or financial crime; no unverified or suspicious donations; no significant financial losses; no safeguarding issues, nor any issues relating to terrorism or any other serious incidents. The Trust has no paid employees or advisors and does not make grants to individuals or other organisations.
This is a report of the Trust’s activities for the year to 31[st] August 2023. The woodland and meadows continue to thrive, and any changes will be gradual and consistent with the Trust’s objects and principles. The Trustees remain committed to keep the Goat Walk Land a place of quiet enjoyment for the people of Topsham and its visitors.
Chris Buckingham Chairman of the Trustees
Page 3
CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION REGISTERED NUMBER 1162973
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR YEAR ENDED 31/08/2023
| Restricted | Unrestricted | Total | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | Funds | 2021-22 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Incoming Resources | |||||
| Donations | 0 | 2886 | 2886 | 2925 | |
| Gift Aid | 0 | 592 | 592 | 589 | |
| Interest on Gift Aid (20/21) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| AGM bar surplus | 0 | 18 | 18 | 0 | |
| Wayleave payment | 0 | 88 | 88 | 86 | |
| Contribution to memorial stone | 0 | 700 | 700 | 0 | |
| Contribution to path repair | 0 | 1000 | 1000 | 0 | |
| Bank interest | 0 | 97 | 97 | 117 | |
| Total income | 0 | 5381 | 5381 | 3718 | |
| Resources Expended | |||||
| Web site | 0 | 195 | 195 | 184 | |
| Publicity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Charitable Activities | |||||
| Meadows | 0 | 2210 | 2210 | 390 | |
| Tools and materials | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Trees | 0 | 0 | 0 | 535 | |
| Memorial stone | 0 | 1848 | 1848 | 0 | |
| Path repair | 0 | 1194 | 1194 | 0 | |
| Insurance | 0 | 366 | 366 | 358 | |
| Bank charges | 0 | 60 | 60 | 93 | |
| Governance | |||||
| AGM | 0 | 62 | 62 | 0 | |
| Meetings room hire | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | |
| Total expenditure | 0 | 6022 | 6022 | 1560 | |
| ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ | |
| Loss 22-23 | |||||
| 0 | -641 | -641 | 2157 |
Page 4
Goat Walk Land Trust - Balance Sheet as at 31st August 2023
| Restricted | Unrestricted | Total | 2021-22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Fund | Funds | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Fixed Assets | ||||
| Community Land | ||||
| 300505 | 0 | 300505 | 300505 | |
| Current Assets | ||||
| Debtors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HMRC Gift Aid | 0 | 592 | 592 | 589 |
| Cash at CAF Bank | 0 | 2315 | 2315 | 2950 |
| Cash at Lloyds Bank | 0 | 8184 | 8184 | 8193 |
| Cash at Shawbrook Bank | 0 | 20000 | 20000 | 20000 |
| Liabilities | ||||
| None | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| _ | _ | ______ | __ | |
| Net Assets | ||||
| 300505 | 31091 | 331596 | 332237 | |
| The Funds of the Charity | ||||
| Funds B/F | 300505 | 31732 |
332237 | 330080 |
| 22-23 loss | 0 | -641 | -641 | 2157 |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | |
| Total Funds | 300505 | 31091 | 331596 | 332237 |
Page 5
GOATWALKLANIyfRUST CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examlner's Report Reportto th8 tru8tO0S On accounts for thè yèar •ndgd 3110812023 Charity no Ilf 8nyl 11629n S•t out on pag8$ 4and5 I reportto the tiustee5 on rny examination of the accounts of the atx)ve carity nhe Trust'l for the yearended 3110812023 Responsibililie$ and ba$1$ of r•port As the ¢harity's tru$tee$, yw afft respon5iUe foi the pieparation of the accounts in a¢¢ordance with the regulments Of the Charibes Act 2011 rtr I report in respect of my examination of the Tfusys ac¢ounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying cAJt my examination, I have follow8d all the applitAble Direstions gwen by the Charity Commi88ion under section 14515llbl of the Act. Ind•ndent examln•r's statement I have completed my examin8tion. I confim) that no rnaterial matters have come to my attention in ¢onne¢tlon wth the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material resped." the accounting records not kept in accordance wrth seckon 130 of the Chariti65 Act,. or th¢ a¢¢ounts did not accord with the accountlng records,. or the ac¢ount$ did not comply Mrith the applicabEe requirements concerning the fomi and content of aGcounts set out in the Charitie5 IAccounts and ReFX>rtsl Regulation¥ 2008 olher Ihan any requir8m8nt that the aecount8 glve 8 'true and fai vwiwhith is not a mattar onsidered as part of an Independent examination. I have no n¢emS and hav8 come across no other matters in connection with the exan7ination lo which attention shoukl be drawr) in thi8 report in ord8rto enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reathed. . Please del8t8 the words in the btaGkets ifth8y do notappty. Signed- D•t•". 0811112023 Name: Gaoffrey Wfilklnson Relevant pr010nal qu41ifiGatyonlsl or body Ilf any): IER Oct 2018 Page 6
GOATWALKLANIyfRUST Addr•u: 2 Tresillian Gardan8 Topsham EXer EX3 OBA Section B Disclosure Only complete rfthe examiner needs to highlight material Matters of ¢on¢em (see CC32, Independent examination of ¢harity accounts.. direction5 2nd guidance for examlnersl. Glvo here briof d8ts11s of any it#m$ thatthe examinèrwl•hM tr> dlscloso. IER Oct 2018 Page 7