## **PETT LEVEL PRESERVATION TRUST** ## **TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** **01/09/20 – 31/08/21** ## **1.0 ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** **Charity Name** – Pett Level Preservation Trust (PLPT) ## **Charity Registration Number** - 1164637 **Address of the principal office** – The Edge, Toot Rock, Pett Level TN35 4EN ## **PLPT Trustees over the period of this report:** ||**Name**| |---|---| |1|Cliff Dean| |2|Zana Duthie| |3|Lois Hall| |4|John Newton| |5|Cedric James| |6|Martin King| |7|Paul King (resigned March 2021)| |8|Keith Swallow| |9|Annie Underwood (resigned March 2021)| |10|Paul Jordan| |11|Theresa Noutch| |12|Jo Mayne (appointed June 2021)| |13|Katrina Wingfield (appointed March 2021)| ## **2.0 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** The PLPT is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) The PLPT was constituted on 26[th] January 1974 by Deed of Trust. The Charity is managed by 11 trustees who meet quarterly. There is also a Friends of PLPT group which is an annual subscription-based organisation[1] . All Trustees are members of the Friends Group but the Friends Group has no powers of governance – it is a support group only. The PLPT does not employ staff. ## **Method for the recruitment and appointment of new trustees** – Candidates can approach any Trustee to express an interest, or apply in writing to the Chair. Candidates are recommended to a Trustees meeting by that Trustee or the Chair. The applicant’s suitability as a Trustee is discussed and if approved, a formal offer of becoming a Trustee is made to the candidate. Trustees are elected to particular posts (e.g. Chair, Treasurer etc.) on an open vote of Trustees held at one of the quarterly meetings. The PLPT operates within a maximum of 15 and minimum of 10 Trustees. **PLPT decision-making process** – overarching decisions are made at the quarterly meetings of the Trustees. Details of implementation are usually left to two or more officers with responsibility for that particular aspect of the Trusts work e.g. land management. > 1 It was agreed at the September 2017 Trustees meeting that Life subscription would no longer be offered except as an honorary title. ## **3.0 FINANCIAL REVIEW** All money raised by the Trust whether by fund raising, grant aid, membership fees from the Friends Group or any other means is spent on furthering the Trust’s activities, which are as follows PRESERVATION OF 24 ACRES OF LAND AT PETT LEVEL INCLUDING HABITAT DIVERSIFICATION THROUGH CLEARING SCRUB AND CARRYING OUT OTHER MAINTENANCE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC AND FOR GENERAL ACCESS ## **See Annex 1 Financial Statement** The PLPT policy is to retain a minimum of £5000 as a Reserve Fund. ## **4.0 PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT** The PLPT Trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties. ## **5.0 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** The objects of the PLPT are as follows (1) TO PRESERVE THE LAND AT PETT LEVEL OUTLINED AND ETCHED IN RED ON THE ATTACHED PLAN FOR THE PERMANENT BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC GENERALLY (2) TO PROMOTE THE BREEDING OF WILD BIRDS, ANIMALS AND INSECTS WHICH ARE HARMLESS, BEAUTIFUL OR LIKELY TO BECOME EXTINCT Part of the PLPT land is within the Pett Level Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and PLPT has an agreement with Natural England regarding the management of this particular area of land. ## **6.0 ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE** In the 12 months covered by this report (31 August 2020 to 31 August 2021) the PLPT: - Held three Trustee meetings (25 September 2020, 11 March 2021, 18 June 2021 December 2020 meeting cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions) - Two volunteer land management days resulting in c45 volunteer hours being contributed. - Employed contractors over c5 days to remove scrub, mow rough grassland with machinery and maintain public access. - Fitted secure gate to WW2 Gun Placement area and commenced conversion to bat roost. - Maintained notices denoting PLPT land ownership on gates and fences. - Produced a new Information Leaflet about the Trust’s land for distribution at local events and venues. - Maintained a website www.pettlevelpreservationtrust.org and Facebook account - Contributed articles to Pett Parish News and published an annual members newsletter. - Ran a stall at the Pett Village Flower Show - Held a very successful fund-raising garden party in July 2021. - Ran the third Pett Level Postcard children’s design competition - Raised £14,178 in memberships, fundraising, payments and donations towards key PLPT projects and management. - Liaised with EA over removal and deposition of silt from the Royal Military Canal. - Liaised with local residents and landowners regarding tree and land management. - • Liaised with adjoining landowners and neighbours regarding access, land management and other issues - See Activity Report in Annex 3 for further details. These activities contributed to the effective management of the PLPT estate including complying with requirements set by Natural England in regard to those areas of land that are designated as SSSI. Accordingly, it preserved and diversified the wildlife interest of the estate enhancing its benefit to local people and visitors to the area, and helping to raise their understanding of the importance of the area and its contribution to sustainability. This is a true and accurate record of the Trusts constitution and activities reviewed and approved by Trustees in December 2021. Zana Duthie Chair Lois Hall Treasurer ## **Annex 1 - Financial Statement** The accounts and financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes to the accounts and comply with: - The charity’s governing document; - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice; - the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (FRSSE) - the Charities Act 2011 - UK Generally Accepted Practice insofar as they apply to the charity and its Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements. ## **Finance Update** In total, over the September 2020 – September 2021 financial year, the Trust raised £14,178 through the generosity of our supporters, our fundraising activities and a substantial one-off windfall wayleave payment from Openreach. The Summer Garden Party did really well again this year, despite the weather, as did our postcard competition. Together, these fundraising activities generated £2870. Another £3966 was raised through Trust members’ annual subscriptions and through donations including from Estate Agents PCMA, Rush, Witt & Wilson and Philips & Stubbs. The Trust’s programme of grant applications met with some further success too. In 2020-21 the Trust received a grant from Little Cheyney Wind Farm towards producing Information Leaflets and the installation of bat boxes in the newly secured WW2 gun placement area. Our land management budget was supplemented by Year 2 of the £1000 per annum Grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation which will run for 5 years in total. The Trust incurred total expenditure of £7,221 over the year, primarily on routine land management activities including scrub clearance, mowing and maintaining pathways, but also covering the costs of fundraising activities and Trust administration. Managing the rising costs of maintaining the Trust land continues to be a challenge. The Trust began the new financial year in September 2021 with funds of £17,643, plus our £5,000 ‘reserve’ fund against future large and unexpected expenses. Reciepts& PwientsActourts ]1.01-1021 11646] 4444-21 74ts1 11604 PITr7 pi pr Tr•*lpii **Annex 2 Plan of PLPT Land Holding showing management compartments** ## **Annex 3 – PLPT Activity Report** ## **SEPTEMBER 2020** ## Compartment 1. Rake arisings from mowing. Cut sycamore. Cut back growth beside tarmac road. Build bonfire to burn when wind direction more favourable Compartment 3. Contractor employed to cut back and gather /remove arisings over 2 days ## **OCTOBER 2020** ## Compartment 4 Clearing re-growth round pond. Very wet weather, so ended early! Work parties in November and December cancelled due to uncertainty regarding Covid rules, and then Lock-down. We hope to start again in September 2021 ## **FEBRUARY 2021** Children’s postcard design competition launched ## **APRIL 2021** ## Compartments 2 and 3 Contractor employed to cut down Alexanders ## **MAY 2021** Children’s postcard design competition winner announced Annual Trust Newsletter printed & distributed ## **JULY 2021** PLPT stand at the Pett Village Flower Show Annual Garden Party held ## **AUGUST 2021** ## Compartments 4 and Marsham Brook Contractor employed to keep footpaths clear of vegetation Reciepts & Payments Accounts Year.. ao Name: ao Number. 3010812020 3110812021 Pett level P￿se￿tIOn Trust 1164637 Current Account Total Cash eninE balance5 Receipts 2020-21 Fundrai￿ng Pa ent5 Members& Donatlons Grants 10685 5019 15704 2871 4588 4020 2700 Bank Interest Recelptssubtotsl: Asset& Invt¥tment sales Recie tsTot4- 14179 14179 ents2020-21 CurrentAccou ReseThe Account Total Cash Funds In5urancÈcovÈr Adminc05ts Land man ement info & ubllcit costs 351 1306 1564 160 2269 rojLtts 1571 Subtotal Awt & Investm￿￿. Purcha5e5 Totsl PayTrents NetofRece t511paymentsl 7221 7221 6958 Balancesalthisyearend 17643 5021 22664 Assets & Liabilitie5 Other MDnÈta Assets Irive5tmeTrtAsset5 Thi5AnwalFha￿￿IS￿temeffl.. AtturdIe￿ refletts theacwunts fortheyear ConfKM5thateweT￿rtu￿Sffl￿dE 8hgThwith PLPTobie¢trie5 ssets'sretained for PLPT own use PLPT Twustees Name.. DebtsoutstarKJ￿secUred tharge onPLPT355ets NDoUtsta￿Ir¥ debts Sk% tu Potenbal b&bilty3￿¢¢*tr1￿Ith arry Outstandiry£uarnntees8￿ert No￿8￿eTh Sign Date.. RCA +4trléT