Shropshire Hills AONB Trust Registered Charity Number 1168432
Unit 9 Drovers House, The Auction Yard, CRAVEN ARMS SY7 9BZ
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1[st] April 2021 to 31[st] March 2022
We will inspire people, organizations and businesses to be active In supporting the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and in helping to secure its beauty for the future.
Objectives
The Shropshire Hills AONB Trust is a charity dedicated to promoting the conservation of the natural beauty of the Shropshire Hills landscape. It supports activities which protect the wildlife and heritage of the Shropshire Hills area and which spread knowledge and understanding of the importance of the natural environment. An important aim is to encourage local people and organizations to become actively involved in caring for the countryside around them.
Governance
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by a constitution based on the ‘Foundation’ model and dated 21[st] July 2016. Its constitution allows it to have a total of eight Trustees four of whom are appointed by the Trustee group. The manager of the Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership is an ex officio Trustee and the Partnership may also nominate up to three other Trustees. Appointed Trustees serve three-year terms whereas nominated Trustees serve two-year terms. No Trustee may be appointed for more than three consecutive terms without a gap of at least one year.
Sarah Griffiths (an appointed Trustee) resigned during the year and George Chancellor (a nominated Trustee) stepped down because he had completed three two-year terms. He was subsequently co-opted as a non-voting volunteer and continued to act as Treasurer. Charles Edwards was nominated as a Trustee by the Partnership in December 2021. At the end of the financial year the Trustees were as follows:
Appointed Trustees: Anthony Morgan (chairman) Alastair Warrington Neil Willcox Nominated Trustees Veronica Cossons Charles Edwards Ex officio Trustee Phil Holden (secretary)
In addition to the Annual General Meeting there were two formal meetings during the year at which the Trustees reviewed the financial situation, made decisions about allocation of funding and determined matters of overall policy. The AONB Partnership team provided administrative support and the day-to-day work of the Trust was carried out by Trustees meeting as groups or as individuals together with support staff and outside persons as appropriate.
Financial review
The Trust’s income comes from subscriptions to the Friends of the Shropshire Hills scheme together with funds from other charitable bodies. The Trust is most grateful to those who donated money; in particular we thank the Millichope Foundation, P B Dumbell Charity Trust, individual donors and the many Friends of the Shropshire Hills. The majority of the Trust’s money is used in awarding grants from its Conservation Fund but it also receives donations to specific objectives such as the project to repair erosion damage to Caer Caradoc.
At the start of the year the bank balance was £30,776 and the total income during the year was £13,205. £10,922 was paid out to grant recipients whose projects had completed and £5,226 was carried forward to cover expected claims from projects still in progress. At the end of the year the Trust had a bank balance of £36,156 (including £9,743 relating to restricted funds.)
Achievements
Conservation Fund
At the start of the financial year several projects which had started in the previous year had not completed because of restrictions relating to the Covid-19 pandemic and were therefore carried over to the new year. Eight additional projects were awarded grants covering a variety of topics consistent with the Trust’s objectives. Trustees were pleased to be able to support a group in Bushmoor dedicated to restoring roadside verges so that they become wildlife corridors covered with wildflowers rather than barren strips of mown grass. The Trust first supported an initiative of this sort in 2017 and it has been pleasing to see how this has subsequently grown into the Restoring Shropshire’s Verges Project, a coordinated enterprise which has made an important and continuing impact on declining biodiversity. A grant of a similar nature was made to Hopton Castle Preservation Trust to reestablish native wildflowers and plant trees to replace the ancient oaks blown down in a gale the previous year.
The Trust is keen to support initiatives which encourage young people to learn more about the countryside; Lightfoot Enterprises was awarded money to enable pupils at Bishop’s Castle Community College to learn about good land management and carry out practical
sessions. Younger children were able to take part in awareness-raising activities as a result of an award to Branching Out, a Forest School operation near to Bucknell. Lower Bush Farm, which works with adults with learning difficulties and children with special educational needs was awarded support for the creation of a pollinator garden.
From a different perspective the Trust was able to assist groups that are aiming to achieve environmental improvement on a wider scale. Middle Marches Land Trust was helped with an ecological survey and bracken control on land at Norbury Hill which it recently purchased as part of its aim to improve the habitat for wildlife. Shropshire Ornithological Society received a grant to support the “Save our Curlew” initiative being carried out together with Stretton Community Wildlife Group. Different again was an award to Knighton Community Woodland Group so that they could purchase a charcoal retort. Interest in environmental management of local deciduous woodlands is growing and it is important that the woodland products generated are used in a sustainable way. Burning of brash from coppicing or scrub clearance releases stored carbon to no useful end and is polluting; a charcoal retort creates a material which can be used in barbecues and the like instead of imported charcoal.
Details of all the activities supported are presented on the Trust’s website www.shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk/help-to-look-after/shropshire-hills-aonbtrust/conservation-fund-projects.
Friends of the Shropshire Hills
The Friends scheme was originally established by the AONB Partnership in 2008 to celebrate the 50[th] anniversary of the AONB but with the creation of the Trust in 2016 it was agreed that the Friends should be seen to be supporting the Trust as well as the Partnership. Money arising from subscriptions is paid into the Trust but the administration of the scheme is shared.
Fix the Fort
Working with the AONB Partnership, the Trust’s Fix the Fort appeal has continued to bring in donations and towards the end of the year progress was being made with raising match funding from other sources to enable repair work on the ground to be commissioned.
Shuttle Bus
In 2021 the Shuttle Bus operated by the AONB Partnership returned to a more normal but shortened route after not operating in 2020. Over 2,000 passengers were carried and additional donations were received by the Trust to support the service in future years.
Accounts 2021-2022
Shropshire Hills AONB Trust
INCOME
EXPENDITURE
| Earthcare CF2122/7 160.00 £ Knighton Tree Allotments Trust CF2122/6 1,128.17 £ Janet Cobb CF2021/3 520.00 £ Middle Marches CLT CF2122/3 1,500.00 £ Hopton Castle Preservation Trust CF2122/4 504.06 £ A M Pettit Forest School CF2122/2 1,780.00 £ Knighton Tree Allotments Trust CF2122/6 165.58 £ Hopton Castle Preservation Trust CF2122/4 496.64 £ South Shropshire Youth Forum CF2021/10 1,492.00 £ |
|
|---|---|
| Grants 7,746.45 £ |
|
| D M Payroll Service (independent examiner) 80.00 £ |
|
| Operating Costs 80.00 £ |
|
| Total Expenditure 7,826.45 £ |
|
| Additional Expenditure Pertaining to financial year but paid post-April 1, 2022 Grants Lower Bush Farm CF2122/1 £2,000.00 Shropshire Ornithological Society CF2122/5 £1,000.00 Bushmoor Verges Group CF2122/7 £108.24 Lightfoot CF2122/8 £2,000.00 |
|
| £5,108.24 | |
| Pertaining to previous years but paid in the financial year Grants Janet Cobb CF2021/3 520.00 £ South Shropshire Youth Forum CF2021/10 1,492.00 £ |
|
| £2,012.00 | |
| Operating Costs - £ |
|
| Adjusted Total Expenditure 10,922.69 £ |
|
| Funds at Bank(1/4/21) 30,776.64 £ Funds at Bank(31/3/22) 36,156.00 £ Restricted Funds 9,743.43 £ Shuttles Supporters Scheme Carried over from 2020/21 0.31 -£ Income 2021/2022 552.06 £ Expenditure 2020/21 - £ Total 551.75 £ Caering for Caradoc Carried over from 2020/21 3,529.26 £ Income 2021/22 435.82 £ Total 3,965.08 £ Previous Years Grants Carried Over 5,226.60 £ Available Unrestricted Funds 26,412.57 £ |
Previous Years Grants Carried Over for Future Payment Bushmoor Verges Group CF2122/7 350.00 £ Lightfoot CF2021/4 885.50 £ Edgton Parish Meeting CF2021/3 480.00 £ Shropshire Ornithological Society CF2021/9 2,000.00 £ Curlew Country CF2021/2 1,511.10 £ |
| 5,226.60 £ |
|
| Available Unrestricted Funds 26,412.57 £ |
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Shropshire Hills AONB Trust Charity Number 1168432
This report is on the accounts of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] March 2022
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’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 as documented in their Guidance issued in September 2017.
It should be noted that an independent examination is not a statutory requirement as total income received is below £25,000, however it is recognised good practice.
Basis of independent examiner's statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with guidance given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records and bank records presented. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination and confirm that no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect :
Accounting records have not been kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act, Or, The accounts do not accord with those records; Or, The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning form and content as set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair 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 with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Susan Hackett
Signed …………………………….. Date 28 June 2022
Mrs SD Hackett Gonsal House Condover Shrewsbury Shropshire SY5 7EX