Wootton Conservation Trust Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Charity No 1163549 Trustees Annual Report For the year ending 31 December 2025 Trustees: Philip Parker (Chair) David Fairweather (Treasurer) Edward Taylor Malcolm Barnicoat Marcus Brown Sarah Brown Address: c/o Yew Trees House, 32 Castle Road, Wootton OX20 1EG Wootton Conservation Trust CIO, Registered Charity 1163549 Trustees’ Report and Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 Page **2** of **5** ## **Objectives** Wootton Conservation Trust CIO (“WCT CIO” or “the CIO”) was established in 2015 by the Trustees of the Wootton Conservation Trust, registered charity 1070246 (“WCT” or “the original Trust”). The objectives of the CIO and the original Trust are to preserve and protect for the public benefit all forms of wildlife in the civil parish of Wootton, and to advance education of the public regarding wildlife and to increase understanding and appreciation of nature, its value and its conservation, in particular by the promotion of the evolution and enhancement of the landscape and the promotion of access to the land through provision of permissive paths, subject to certain restrictions. The CIO was established with the intention that the property and activities of the WCT Trust be transferred to the CIO, in order to simplify the administration of the charities, and in particular to allow the CIO to own the land directly, which is not possible for the original Trust as it is an unincorporated trust. On 30[th] September 2019 the trustees transferred the Trust’s property and activities to the CIO, since which time the CIO has taken over the activities of the Trust and the management of Wootton water meadows and adjacent limestone grassland. ## **Activities and Finances** In 2025 total income was £4,147 and expenditure was £6,951, resulting in a deficit for the year of £2,804. However £2,000 of the deficit relates to legal advice received relating to the Evenlode Landscape Recovery Project, which will be reimbursed by Defra – the money was paid in September but not yet reimbursed and as we account on a cash basis this creates a deficit in 2025 but will create a surplus in 2026. Excluding this item, deficit for the year was £804. Total funds held at bank were £6,464. This is the lowest year ending cash balance since 2020, but still looks reasonable in context of average annual expenditure of around £4,500. ## Income Income fell 21% to £4,147. Income consisted primarily of £3,283 from the RPA relating the HLS agreement. This was a decrease compared to 2024 as the flood damage compensation payment received in 2024 did not recur. Besides this, the Trust received £713 from WODC for the Community Orchard (the costs of which were incurred in 2024). Other donations / fundraising amounted to £150, which is a significant decrease on previous years. ## Expenditure The largest expenditure item was a repair to the bridge crossing the River Glyme in the Trusts land and to the riverbank near the bridge, undertaken by OCV. (£1,696). Other items included repairs to the ride on mower (£1,413), topping the fields (£1,215), information panel design (£336) and insurance (£291). As part of the process relating to the Evenlode Landscape Recovery Project (see below), the Trust incurred legal costs of £2,000 in 2025, however these were undertaken on the agreement that Defra would reimburse legal fees up to this amount. This reimbursement was not received in 2025 but is expected to be received in 2026. Wootton Conservation Trust CIO, Registered Charity 1163549 Trustees’ Report and Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 Page **3** of **5** ## Evenlode Landscape Recovery Project The Trust signed up to participate in the Evenlode Landscape Recovery Project (ELRP) on 16 October 2025. The ELRP is a flagship new environmental project signed between Defra and a project delivery company uniting a large number of farmers and landowners in the Evenlode river catchment area. Defra’s intention is that this replaces our HLS scheme (which otherwise has some years to run), although it is still unclear exactly the mechanism for this happening. We expect to receive our first payment from the ELR delivery company in April 2026. ## Reserves Current reserves of £6,464, which seem reasonable in context of average annual expenditure of around £4,500. The graphic information panel is expected to be installed (and paid for) in early 2026. Reserves have been falling over the last few years since the high point at the end of 2021 as expenditure has generally exceeded income. However, the Trustees are hopeful that income from the Evenlode Recovery Project will leave the Trust in a stronger financial position going forward. Approved by the Board of Trustees on 6 January 2026 and signed on its behalf by: David Fairweather (Treasurer) Wootton Conservation Trust CIO, Registered Charity 1163549 Trustees’ Report and Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 Page **4** of **5** ## **Receipts and Payments for the 12 months ended 31 December 2025** |Receipts – donatons and grants
Total receipts
Expenditure
Net income/(expenditure)
Other recognised gains/(losses)
Net movement in funds
Reconciliaton of funds:
Total cash funds last year end
Total cash funds this year end|**2025**
**2024**
Unrestricted
Funds
Unrestricted
Funds
£
£
4,147
5,255| |---|---| ||4,147
5,255
6,951
5,513| ||(2,804)
(268)
0
0| ||(2,804)
(268)
9,268
9,526| ||6,464
9,268| Wootton Conservation Trust CIO, Registered Charity 1163549 Trustees’ Report and Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 Page **5** of **5** ## **Balance Sheet Statement of Assets and Liabilities at the end of the period As at 31 December 2025** |Cash funds
Other monetary assets
Assets for the charity’s own use
Note 1
Liabilites
Total funds at this year end|**2025**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
6,464
9,268
0
0
0
0
0
0| |---|---| ||6,464
9,268| Approved by the Board of Trustees on 6 January 2026 and signed on its behalf by: Chairman Philip Parker Treasurer David Fairweather Notes 1. WCT owns the freehold to approximately 32 acres of land near the village of Wootton, Oxfordshire, comprising largely water meadows and adjacent limestone grassland. As this was transferred from the old Trust to the CIO for nil consideration and is intended to be held in perpetuity this land is carried at zero book value.