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2023-03-31-accounts

NENTHEAD MINES CONSERVATION SOCIETY

Charitable Incorporated Organisa�on Number 1166281

Nenthead Mines, Nenthead, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3PD

TRUSTEES REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT

APRIL 2022 TO MARCH 2023

CHARITABLE OBJECTIVES

The objects of the CIO are to advance the educa�on of the public about mining, quarrying and smel�ng at Nenthead and in the North Pennines by:

  1. Researching, restoring, maintaining, owning and exploring the historic and natural features rela�ng to mining, quarrying and smel�ng at Nenthead and adjacent mining areas.

  2. Encouraging and advoca�ng the conserva�on of the remains of the mining, quarrying and smel�ng industries; and conserva�on of the geological features and natural environment, both above and below ground level.

  3. Undertaking archaeology projects.

  4. Recording and archiving informa�on.

  5. Sharing available informa�on with the public.

GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Trustees 31 March 2023

Nick Green, David Gough, Andy Hopkirk, Anne Hopkirk, Karl Houseley, Peter Jackson, Allan Richardson, Rosemary Vidler

Other trustees co-opted during the year

None

Opera�on

The Charity was registered on 30[ th ] March 2016 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisa�on using the Chari�es Commission model document. The governing document is published on the Society’s website and is available from the principal office at Nenthead.

The members present at the mee�ng appoint trustees at the Annual General mee�ng of the Society by elec�on. The trustees may also appoint other Trustees during the year but their appointment is only valid un�l the next Annual General Mee�ng.

Trustees have held monthly online video conference mee�ngs during this year. Convenors of working groups who are not trustees are invited to a�end the monthly mee�ngs in a non-vo�ng capacity.

Trustees established a number of delegated Working Groups to handle the detail of regular opera�ons. Their objec�ve by this is to involve more people in discussions thereby promo�ng informed and �mely decision-making, and allowing trustees’ mee�ngs to be focussed on strategic decision-making. The groups are:

A Membership Commi�ee reviews and decides applica�ons for full or associate membership. Trustee Anne Hopkirk is the Membership Secretary.

A Coal Authority Sub-Commi�ee of the Board of Trustees has been established to provide a formal point of contact for liaison with The Coal Authority as it consults and considers op�ons for its mine water treatment scheme at Nenthead Mines. Trustee Karl Houseley has chaired this commi�ee.

The Treasurer maintains the accounts of the Charity and, in partnership with the Trustees, accepts and makes payments. Trustee David Gough is Treasurer.

The Trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Chari�es Commission.

The Trustees produce and review management policies to guide their decision making. The new/amended policies in this repor�ng period:

ACHIEVING THE CHARITABLE OBJECTIVES OF THE SOCIETY

REPORTS FROM THE WORKING GROUPS

Collec�ons Working Group (Convenor Sheila Barker)

This group manages the Society’s collec�ons of artefacts, minerals, maps and plans, photographs and documents.

All these have been catalogued and packed in suitable materials. They are stored in various loca�ons around the site.

Our aim is to scan the documents, maps, plans and photographs so members can have easy access to them via the website.

Conserva�on Working Group (Convenor Rosemary Vidler)

This group covers all aspects of complying with and maintaining the Scheduled and SSSI designa�ons of the site, including archaeological, nature (flora and fauna), and geological areas of specialist interest.

This year we have been looking at the Scheduled Ancient Monument consent process and how submissions by other working groups are recorded and reported. The Sec�on 17 repor�ng process, also in our remit, is ongoing.

This group advises the work of the Collec�ons Working Group. We also liaise with other working groups for work to be carried out, e.g. filling in potholes (Volunteers Working Group).

The High Level Stewardship scheme has been agreed for a further five years but, due to policy changes, no longer covers woodlands, i.e. Dowgang Hush. To enable us to carry out any future conserva�on work in the Hush or in other woodland areas, a Woodland Management Plan has been submi�ed to the Forestry Commission, who have oversight of this. We are wai�ng for a response to this.

A future project is the excava�ng of the area around Stagg Wheel pit and it is hoped that members will come and help with this.

Fundraising Working Group

This group was established following the AGM 2022 and discussion with interested members immediately a�er.

The group determined it would be loosely organised and task-oriented, only convening and working as needed for specific projects or other targeted funding requirements.

The Society has been fortunate in the repor�ng period to have found grant support for its projects needs via DEFRA’s Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme. As such, the group has not been asked to take on any tasks in this repor�ng period.

Infrastructure Working Group (Convenor Andy Hopkirk)

The Infrastructure Working Group has met fortnightly in the current repor�ng period and:

Member Experience Working Group (Convenor - vacant posi�on)

The group has been unable to progress its remit in the repor�ng period.

Schools Liaison Working Group (Convenor Sue Fowler)

This group was established following the AGM 2022 and discussion with interested members immediately a�er.

The group has been unable to progress its remit in the repor�ng period.

Site Working Group (Convenor Allan Richardson)

The group meets monthly online to discuss current and future ac�vi�es, and at other �mes ad hoc . Ac�vi�es vary from those we can just get on with, to those which require permission from Historic England or Natural England. The scope varies from minor repairs or maintenance to major building repairs using outside contractors, such as the rebuilding of the various roofs over Brewery Sha�.

English Heritage has been very helpful, both in turning round our Scheduled Monument Consents on a �mely basis and being a source of advice, though regre�ully not of money. There is always maintenance work and repairs to be carried out, though not as much as one might have expected on an old industrial site where everything was built cheaply as it was not expected to last.

The volunteers have worked hard over the past year, being kept in line by our volunteer Project Manager, Anne Hopkirk, who compared it to herding cats. Thanks go to all those who have helped over the past year, I look forward to working with you again over the next year.

There is always room for more volunteers with the Site Working Group.

Visitor Working Group (Convenor Joyce Jackson)

The group con�nues to manage the visitor experience by publicising and promo�ng visits to the site and coordina�ng members to help with the events. Over the last year there have been:

The working group is also developing a geology trail to support our Geo trips and other geology focussed group visits.

To support all of the above we have a group of 15 - 20 members who help on site and bring their skills, knowledge and enthusiasm.

PROJECTS WITH EXTERNAL FUNDING

The project started with a grant of £15,734 in December 2021 from the DEFRA Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.

The project’s objec�ve was to improve visitor access to/from the riverbed of the River Nent and adjacent geological features.

The new stone steps by the Smel�ng Mill and new steel installa�ons at Carrs Mine exit were finally completed in this repor�ng period in March 2023.

The project started with a grant of £4,824 in April 2022 from the DEFRA Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.

The project’s objec�ve was to prepare and submit a comprehensive Stage 2 project proposal detailing the works and the permissions and funding packages necessary to execute a full project.

The Stage 1 project was completed and a Stage 2 proposal duly submi�ed in February 2023.

In March 2023, the Stage 2 proposal that was the outcome of the Stage 1 project was successful and a grant of £75,579 was made from the DEFRA Farming in Protected Landscapes programme to execute the project.

The Society also benefited from a dona�on of £932 from the winding up of the Friends of the North Pennines which the trustees put up as match funding for this project.

It is an�cipated that the appointed contractors will begin the works in earnest in June 2023 to be completed over the summer. There will be no visitor access to the buildings while the work is in progress.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS

North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership

The Society is a member of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership (AONB).

The AONB manages and administers the DEFRA Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, within which the Society has been successful in compe��ve grant compe��ons (see above).

We are represented on the AONB’s Partnership, Geopark Advisory Group and Historic Environment Working Group by Trustee Peter Jackson.

Report from NMCS par�cipa�on in the NPAONB’s Geopark Advisory Grou p

The North Pennines underwent its latest periodic review of the UNESCO Global Geopark designa�on in summer 2022. This was successful and the next revalida�on of the designa�on is not un�l 2026. The evaluators made a posi�ve comment about the NMCS contribu�ons to the work of the Geopark. Trustee Peter Jackson a�ended during the evaluators visit in July 2022.

Report from NMCS par�cipa�on in the NPAONB’s Historic Environment Working Group (HEWG)

The HEWG met several �mes during the year. The HEWG is involved with the Land of Lead and Silver project (LOLAS) for which there is a separate report below. Otherwise, the HEWG has not been involved in any discussions about the mining landscapes.

Report from NMCS par�cipa�on in the NPAONB’s Land of Lead and Silver Project Advisory Group (LOLAS)

Funded by the Na�onal Lo�ery Heritage Fund and Historic England, the Land of Lead and Silver is a 16-month project development ac�vity (ending August 2023) that will lead into a final proposal to the same funding bodies for a follow-on four-year project.

The project focuses on lead mining heritage of the North Pennines, and on the skills required to record, conserve, maintain and interpret this heritage for future genera�ons.

The project includes a capital programme of works for heritage at risk, work to engage new audiences, training for volunteers and capacity building for the voluntary sector. It is possible that some of the buildings at Nenthead may be included in the project.

Trustee Peter Jackson was a member of the interview panel for the recruitment of the project manager in July 2022 and is a member of the Advisory Group that supports the project manager.

Historic England and Natural England

The majority of the Nenthead Mines site is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The site also contains one Site of Special Scien�fic Interest and our site boundary contacts another. As a consequence of these circumstances, we must obtain legal consents from one or both of Historic England and Natural England for many opera�ons on site.

Poten�al mine water treatment scheme at Nenthead Mines

The Coal Authority (CA) along with the Environment Agency (EA) have con�nued to undertake work on a water treatment scheme (the Scheme) aimed at reducing mine water pollu�on in the River Nent. The Scheme is mainly targe�ng the removal of dissolved metals arising from the Rampgill Mine and Capelcleugh Mine entrances. The CA, through its external consulta�on process, has now placed an indica�ve design for the Scheme in the public domain although a decision on whether to proceed further, i.e. the planning process etc., has not yet been announced by the CA.

NMCS is the registered landholder of the Nenthead Mine Complex and is responsible for the management of the site as a whole. As would be expected of any landholder NMCS has had regular contact with the CA in order to understand the implica�ons of the proposed Scheme should it proceed.

The NMCS Trustees’ view con�nues to be that the heritage and legal status of the mines should be protected and that access to the mines and the Nenthead site for leisure purposes should not be obstructed.

Although no final decision has been made by NMCS the Trustees are willing, subject to ul�mately reaching a sa�sfactory agreement, to allow the Scheme to proceed on the NMCS landholding.

Health and Safety Execu�ve

The opera�on of Carrs Mine requires that we comply with the law including the Mines Regula�ons 2014. We have maintained our working rela�onship with a Principal Mines Inspector of the HSE. We have appointed a volunteer Deputy Mine Manager (Member Colin Hindle) to support the volunteer Mine Manager (Trustee Peter Jackson).

Approved Mine Routes for Adventure Groups

We were members of a scheme that managed and financed an engineer’s report for certain routes into Smallcleugh and Rampgill Levels to allow their use by commercial Adventure Groups. Due to a review in progress by the Health and Safety Execu�ve, the scheme has not operated during this year and no expenditure has been required.

UK Cri�cal Minerals Intelligence Centre

The Bri�sh Geological Survey visited Carrs Mine in November 2022 as part of their field work for a report on the Poten�al for Cri�cal Raw Material Prospec�vity in the UK . The report was published by BGS - UK Cri�cal Minerals Intelligence Centre in April 2023.

Nenthead Community Projects

This group was established in order to support or lead community projects for the benefit of the Nenthead community. We have supported the work of the Group in establishing a memorial garden at the entrance to the village car park.

Others

We have con�nued our annual memberships of the Cumbria Local History Federa�on and the Na�onal Associa�on of Mining History Organisa�ons .

We maintained our annual membership of the Alston Moor Business Associa�on un�l its demise in October 2022.

ENCOURAGING AND DEVELOPING MEMBERSHIP AND VOLUNTEERING

The Society had 143 members + associates on 31 March 2023. (A total of 144 at the same �me last year).

We introduced a new membership so�ware package last year, called MemberMojo. It is specifically designed for small organisa�ons, and at an annual cost of £75 is more than £200 a year cheaper than the previous system. It also greatly simplifies the en�re process and is easy to maintain.

During the course of the last year, the Bri�sh Caving Associa�on clarified the posi�on of the two levels of insurance that they offer. As a result of this, the number of ac�ve members dropped from 125 on 31 March 2022 to 120 now, while the number of associates rose from 18 to 23.

The overall figures hide the fact that we regularly finish the renewal cycle with approximately 120 members and over the remaining months we gain about 25 new members - i.e. about 21% of our members do not renew their membership.

The Members Experience Working Group has been unable to progress its remit in the repor�ng period. This is a concern, not least in terms of developing and retaining new members as well as exis�ng.

We have introduced an occasional Newsle�er to members during this year which aims to keep members informed about volunteering opportuni�es. There were 45 issues of the Newsle�er during this year.

Most of the work on the Nenthead Mines site in the repor�ng period was carried out by volunteers organised through the various working groups. Volunteers contributed a recorded 6,725 hours in calendar year 2022, equa�ng to an effort-in-kind value of some £192,920 using the Heritage Lo�ery Fund’s volunteer �me-to-£ value conversion scale. Volunteers do not receive any payment for �me and travelling costs.

TREASURER'S REPORT

BUDGETS AND RESERVE POLICIES

The trustees’ reserves policy states:

“NMCS aims to maintain sufficient reserves to finance 12 months rou�ne opera�ng expenditure and an appropriate long-term programme of maintenance of the Nenthead Mines site.”

For the new financial year 2023-24, the trustees formally earmarked an amount of £7,700 as the Reserve and ins�tuted formal budgets for the Working Groups and other planned project expenditures in the year.

FINANCIAL REPORT 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023

FINANCIAL REPORT 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023 FINANCIAL REPORT 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023 FINANCIAL REPORT 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023 FINANCIAL REPORT 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2023 2022/23
INCOME Open Days' takings £ 6,249.24 Carrs Mine trip dona�ons, refreshments
Private Visit takings £ 2,184.04 Carrs Mine trip dona�ons, refreshments
Assay House Fees £ 2,196.00 Overnight stays in Assay House
Membership Fees £ 1,505.65 Membership & Associate fees
BCA Insurance £ 1,236.50 Members insurance collected on behalf BCA
Dona�ons £ 1,224.31 Dona�ons.except that shown in other income
Gi� Aid £ 395.98 From membership fees.
Books and Maps 264.38
Other Income £ 15,188.37 One-ofs -2 x £4,455.60 High Level Stewardship, Nenthead
Hydro £1,705.95, Grants £3,638.00, Special dona�on
£933.22 for Brewery Sha�
Total Income £ 30,444.47
EXPENDITURE Maintenance £ 7,001.94 All maintenance
Broadband Installa�on £ 937.12
Geology Steps £ 9,001.48 Purchase 2021-2022 paid 2022-23
Fire Insurance £ 1,894.22
Insurance £ 113.00 BCA insurance for the site
Members Insurance £ 1,236.50 Collected by NMCS but paid to BCA
U�li�es £ 4,786.72 Gas, Electricity, Mobile Phone, Broadband
Workshop £2,935.19 Repairs and hea�ng
Purchases re the late Chris
Buckinham dona�ons		 £111.66
Ofce expenses £180.00 Archive boxes and general sta�onary
Marke�ng £ 370.00 Leafets and Posters
Open Day expenses £ 266.33
Website £ 179.98 Hos�ng & Func�onality costs - annual
Other expenses £ 1,978.75 AGM, Book purchases, Subscrip�ons.
Total Expenditure £ 30,992.89
DEFICIT FOR
THE YEAR		 -£ 548.42 Signed of by typed signature:
David Gough, Treasurer 21st April 2023

Report approved by the Trustees, 9th May 2023.

Report signed off by typed signature:

Andy Hopkirk (trustee), for the trustees on 9th May 2023.

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Nenthead Mines Conservation Society.

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Nenthead Mines Conservation Society (the Society) for the year ended 31[st] March 2022

Responsibilities and basis of report

As charity trustees of the Society you are responsible for the preparation of accounts in accordance with the requirements of Charities Ac t 2011 (‘the Act’) .

I report in respect of my examination of the Society’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material 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 Society as required by section 130 of the 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 the report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to reached.

Signed: Chris Butler Date: 25[th] January 2023 Name: Mr Chris Butler F.M.A.A.T. Address: Butler & Gee Accountants 7 Newgate Barnard Castle Co Durham DL12 8NQ