2025-03-31-accounts

ANDOVER TREES UNITED

Registered Charity Number 1167574

Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

Principal address

Westcott Old Salisbury Road Abbotts Ann Andover SP11 7NH

Trustees

Wendy L Davis Daniel J Lobb Alex Marshall Susan Risdale Tim Rolt Elizabeth B Scrace (Treasurer)

Structure, governance and management

Andover Trees United became a registered charity on 9 June 2016. The charity is governed by its constitution dated 31 May 2016.

Trustee selection methods

Potential trustees are interviewed by the board of trustees. All trustees are appointed at the Annual General Meeting and serve for a period of up to one year. The board may co-opt people to serve as trustees until the next AGM.

Risk Management

The trustees are responsible for identifying and managing risks to the charity. The trustees consider that they have complied with the Charity Commission’s guidance on managing risk. When appropriate, systems or procedures are established to mitigate risks faced by the charity. Where risk cannot be eliminated the charity purchases insurance cover.

Public benefit

The trustees confirm that they have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission.

Organisational structure

The trustees meet monthly, with responsibility for day-to-day delivery of the charity’s activities delegated to a management team of volunteers, at least 3 of whom are trustees, who meet fortnightly.

Objectives and activities

The charity’s constitution sets out the objectives as:

• The conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment for the public benefit by the establishment and maintenance of woodland in Andover.

• The advancement of education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in Andover and the Test Valley area including by promoting the woodland as a means for the community to learn about wider environmental issues such as: sustainability, climate change, ecology and the mitigating need for trees.

The main activities during the year April 1[st] 2024 – March 31[st] 2025 were:

• Construction of the interior fixtures and fittings woodland classroom and community space continued, with many elements reaching completion; landscaping around The Cabin was the most significant activity. The renovation of a woodland management site office was started and is due to be completed May 2025.

• Sessions for young people of all ages were arranged over the year: Nature Explorers – school holiday sessions; Nature-Nurture – a year-long series of activities for Andover Young Carers group; a September Peace Day procession in collaboration with Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots UK; two Plant4thePlanet days training junior school-age children as Climate Justice Ambassadors were held in February and March and a number of evening meetings for Scouting and Guiding groups took place over summer 2024. (These activities enabled two of our youth team to gain the experience and confidence necessary for them to lead their own Nature Explorers sessions in 2025.) Two-to-five students from Harrow Way continued to join the Monday workday sessions across the year and three work experience days were arranged for thirty students from Andover College’s art department in February and March

• The annual tree planting weeks were arranged again this year at the Bury Hill nature reserve allowing participation by all schools in the Andover area in planting trees. 1000 children and young people aged 5-18 took part.

• Our erstwhile Youth Engagement Officer was trained as a Forest School Leader allowing weekly Forest School sessions to be offered to home-schooled children, with weekend sessions for other interested children. Sadly, these ceased in early March, following the resignation of the newly-trained staff member who had been running the sessions.

• Again, this year a group of archaeologists joined us for two weeks during June and July 2024 when they discovered more evidence of Bronze Age activity in the wood. The archaeologists provided sessions for both schools and adults to get involved.

• Craft workshops in mosaic making, woodwork and a variety of willow crafts were held in the Cabin. A number of volunteers joined singing workshops led by Jackie Oates followed by a concert in Harmony Woods, when we were joined by Whitchurch-based Mayfly Morris dancers.

• An ecology intern was appointed again for 2024-25, which allowed a detailed survey of the wildlife and plants in the Diamond Wood along with monthly citizen science days. Findings were presented to the general public at the Guildhall in February.

• Additional community engagement: We continued to contribute to Andover Vision, took part in town centre events, entered the Andover Carnival procession and, during late summer 2024, a survey of visitors to the woods allowed analysis of reasons for their visits as well as their awareness of Andover Trees United.

• In Spring 2025 planting of wildflower seeds started with the aim of creating a new wildflower meadow in the eastern side of the woods.

• Through both practical help in the woods and funding, the relationship with Andover-based businesses continued to grow.

Achievements and performance:

• During 2024-25 the charity continued to pursue its objective of establishing woodland in Andover with the planting of young trees. The school planting programme continued at the site within the Test Valley Borough Council Bury Hill nature reserve. Wildflower planting within Harmony Woods continued within the Habitats Trail and the newly-constructed Dragon Garden, designed and created (2023) in memory of Sandy Burnfield.

• Further opportunities for education in the natural environment continued with seven partnership schools, who reinstated their tree nurseries and participated in wildflower propagation and planting, and as part of the Nature-Nurture and Nature Explorer projects.

• As Nature and Community Officer with responsibility for children’s and young people’s learning in nature, Joanna Oliver-Hawkins completed her Forest Schools Leadership training in October 2024. For adults, training was given in the form of scything, wildflower propagation, tree planting and aftercare, citizen science activities, species identification and traditional green crafting.

• A survey of visitors to the wood has allowed analysis of the reasons for their visits and provides a base for planning future developments within the wood.

• The town centre allotment lease continued where, on a regular basis, volunteers are able to propagate wildflowers and nurture saplings for later transfer to woodland.

• As part of our developing woodland management for the whole of the Diamond Wood, which includes creating a further area of wildflower meadow in the eastern end of the wood, volunteers began planting wildflower seeds in March 2025 (to provide the many young plants needed to plant in this meadow during autumn 2025).

• Work on the woodland classroom and community space continued, largely being landscaping work to provide all-weather pathways and hardstanding around The Cabin.

• The renovation of a second-hand container to provide a woodland management site office was started in November, due for completion May 2025.

• Following the award of the King’s Award for Voluntary Service in November 2023, the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire Mr Nigel Atkinson Esq. visited 19[th] April 2024 to present the award and to formally open the Cabin. A celebration lunch was held which 70 volunteers, some with many years of service to the charity, attended.

• Collaborations with national and international environment groups – the Woodland Trust, Dr Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, youth-led UNEP Plant-for-the-Planet – continued.

• The development of strong relationships with local businesses and local authorities continued, in particular practical volunteering help, funding and other support from North Wessex Downs National Landscapes, Abel & Cole, the Coop, Jewsons, SimplyHealth, Stannah, Nationwide Building Society, Test Valley Borough Council and Hampshire County Council councillors. We were particularly grateful for significant donations from the Foresters Arms and from Andover Ladies Circle.

• Of the fundraising efforts undertaken during the year, a Supper and Auction of Promises evening, sponsored walk and Festive Draw organised by volunteers and supported by many local businesses and individuals were particularly successful.

• The Ecology Intern Programme continued with the appointment of a 4[th] successive intern.

• The two Nature and Community Officers, one full-time and one part-time, and one part-time Admin. Officer continued with delivery of the ‘Branching Out’ 2022-2027 strategy and in widening the scope of community activities which are available. This was made possible by the 2022-2027 National Lottery ‘Reaching Communities’ Grant.

• The strong community-led management team continued to work well.

Financial review

The incoming resources in 2024-25 amounted to £147,912 (2023-24 £104,340) and total resources expended amounted to £115228 (2023-24 £116,254) leading to an excess of income over expenditure for the year of £32,684 (2023-24 [deficit] -£11914).

The charity maintains one Unrestricted General Fund and five Unrestricted Designated Funds, and at 31 March 2025 fourteen Restricted Funds. The total funds balance was £102,313 of which the balance of Restricted Funds at 31 March 2025 was £79,552. No funds were in deficit at 31 March 2025 and sufficient funds are held to enable each fund to be applied in accordance with any restrictions.

Reserves policy

It is a recommendation from the Charities Commission that Reserves should be sufficient to cover a period long enough for the Charity to decide on a way forward should it lose its major funding.

Until March 2027, the reserves required by the charity to ensure the charity can continue for a minimum period of 6 months is £5000. This amount is required to ensure that free monies are available in each financial year to meet any reasonably foreseeable contingency.

After that time, for the charity to be able to continue at its current capacity for 6 months, free reserves would need to be £25,000. If this level of funding were to be unavailable or to appear unlikely, a re-evaluation of staffing levels would be undertaken by the Trustees. If this were to occur, it is anticipated that a minimum of £20,000 would be sufficient to allow the charity to continue with its main charitable aims, although at reduced levels, for 12 months.

The Trustees will take all necessary steps to ensure that at no time would it be possible for the cessation of one or more funding streams to present a challenge to the future of the organization that could not be managed so as to continue to provide a service.

In reviewing the potential costs that could arise should a significant reduction in income occur, the Trustees have determined that the current ‘free’ reserves of £10,000 should increase each year by £5000 to ensure that by March 2027 they stand at £20000. This is roughly equivalent to 4 months of the charity’s basic running costs at current staffing levels (1 full-time officer) or 12 months with reduced staffing levels (1 part-time support officer).

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

THANK YOU

The Trustees would also like to take this opportunity to formally thank all volunteers and supporters who have given generously of their time over the past 12 months and without whom few of the achievements described in this report would have been possible.

Signed on 4[th] September 2025 on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Wendy Davis Trustee

Andover Trees Unlted Recelpts and Payments Account For the year ended 31 March 2025 Charty No 1167574 2025 Totsl 2024 Total Unrestrlcted Restrfcted Income Local Authority grants Grants and donations Fundraising Other income Interest income 7350 9958 17106 3814 31640 77736 300 38990 87695 17406 3814 14400 74264 14891 750 35 104340 38228 109684 147912 Expendltuie Trees planting and site malntenance Envlronmental Studles Equlpment Small equipment Equlpment hire Stsff and Intern Volunteercosts Staff & volunteertralning Tran5POrt Youth Work Events Property runnlng costs Adminlstratlon & publlclty Insurance Vehlcle running costs Communlty cabin and landscaping Woodland site office 670 2901 3571 5424 1820 49 1820 62 ioio 13 57948 57948 1066 770 3789 4357 527 608 1497 2222 4586 14816 14452 59567 656 2450 3152 1886 1541 108 1015 3523 3489 30647 1066 770 3789 3305 527 1052 1497 2222 4586 14816 144S2 Fundralslng costs 3137 3137 1786 18690 96538 115228 116254 Excess of Income over expendlture 19538 13146 32684 -11914 Transfer betrNeen funds -2798 2798 Balance at l April 2024 6021 63608 69629 81543 Balan￿ at 31 March 2025 22761 79552 102313 69629 Cash at bank Cash in hand 22686 75 79552 102238 75 69487 142 22761 79552 102313 69629 The receipts and payments accountW35 approved by the Board of Trustees on 13 August 2025 and was signed on tts behalf by.. Wendy Davls Trustee Elizabeth Scrace Treasurer

Andover Trees United Statement of assets and liabilities At 31 March 2025 2025 Unrestricted Restricted Total 2024 Total Cash at bank Cash in hand 22686 75 79552 102238 75 102313 69487 142 69629 22761 79552 A55et5 retained for the charity'5 own use Buildings Community Cabin Site office Total cost 154299 14452 168751 154299 14452 168751 139483 139483 Equipment Motor vehicle 124 15210 15512 30722 15334 15512 30846 13514 15512 29026 124 Accounts receivable 6637 6637 2895 Current liabilities Suppliers NEST HMRC 330 235 176 621 1032 565 176 621 1362 450 265 505 1220 330

fndependent Examinerfs Report l Teport to the trustees of AndoverTrees United {charity No 1167574) on my examination of the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 set out on page l. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charitys trustees you are respon51ble for the preparation of the accounts In accordance wlth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. I report in respect of rny examlnation of the Charitys accounts carrled out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examlnatlon, I have followed all the applicable Directions glven by the Charlty Commission under section 14515){b) of the Act. Independent examlnerfs ststement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no materlal matters have come to my attention in connectlon with the examination which glve me cause to believe that in any material respect: the accounting records were not kept In accordance with section 130 of the Charltle5 Act; or the accounts dld not accord wlth the accountlng records," or the accounts did not cornply with the applicable requirements concernlnB the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requlrement that the accountsglve a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters In connection wlth the examination to whlch attentlon Should be drawn In the report in orderto enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Mrs E Giles 29 August 2025 Signed Date Mrs Emma Giles 8 Aster Court Floral Way Andover Hampshlre SPIO 3QD

Independent Exarnlnerfs RÉport I report to the trustees of AndoverTrees United {chaTIty No 1167574) on my examination of the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 set out on page l. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charIt￿5 trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance wlth the requirements of the Chartties Act 2011. I report in respect of my examination of the Charlty's accounts carrled out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carryin8 Out my examlnatlon. I have followed all the applicable Directions glven by the Charlty Commission under section 14515)(bl of the Act. Independent examlnerfs st*ement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in onnettlon with the examinatlon which glve me cause to believe that in any material respect: the accounting records were not kept In accordance with section 130 of the Charftles Act. or the accounts dld not accord with the accountlng records. or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concernln8 the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities {Accounts and Reports) Regulatlons 2008 other than any requlrement that the accountsglve a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examlnation. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters In connectlon wlth the examlnation to whlch attentlon should be drdwn In the report In orderto enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Mrs E Giles 29 Au8USt 2025 Signed Date Mrs Emma Giles 8 Aster Court Floral Way Andover Hatnp5hlre SPIO 3QD