Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date
Period end date
From 01 10 2024
To 30 09 2025
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name Kingfisher Canoe Club Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1170349 Charity's principal address 16 Sandford Close Abingdon Oxfordshire Postcode OX14 2PX
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
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Dates acted if not for whole Name of person (or body) entitled
Trustee name Office (if any)
year to appoint trustee (if any)
1 Mark Walker Chairperson Members of the Charity
2 Tim Wilkes Secretary Members of the Charity
3 Andrew Pope Treasurer Members of the Charity
4 David Surman Youth Section Members of the Charity
Martin Wood Membership Members of the Charity
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Secretary
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15
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Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Type of adviser | Name | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) |
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Type of governing document
- (eg. trust deed, constitution)
Constitution
How the charity is constituted Charitable Incorporated Organisation
- (eg. trust, association, company)
Trustee selection methods
- (eg. appointed by, elected by)
Elected annually by members of the charity at the Annual General Meeting
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
Nothing relevant or additional to report in this section
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policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
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the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
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relationship with any related parties;
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trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objectives of the charity set out in its governing document
The objective of the CIO is the promotion of community participation in healthy recreation in particular by the provision of facilities and coaching for paddlesports for both adults and youth.
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Oct 2025
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Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)
The CIO provides opportunities to participate in most types of recreational paddlesport including white water kayaking at all levels of difficulty, canoeing and stand up paddle boarding, inland touring, sea touring, and freestyle. The club operates under the guidelines of the UK governing body Paddle UK (PUK), previously known as British Canoeing. In setting the CIO’s objectives and planning activities the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charities Commission’s public benefit guidance. The CIO is open to all and the annual membership fee is set so that the poor are not excluded. Concessionary rates are set for students and those not in work, but others facing hardship may also apply to the Committee for a Concessionary rate. All necessary equipment can be provided. Membership as at the end of the reporting period was made up of 60 Adult members (13 female / 46 / 1 not stated), 12 Concession Adult members (6 female / 6 male) and 35 Youth members (8 female / 26 male / 1 not stated). In addition there was 1 Non-paddling member with voting rights (non-paddling parents of Youth members are entitled to join and contribute to club decisions in this way). Non-members are encouraged to contact the club and discuss their paddling experience to determine whether they are able to join and immediately participate in club sessions or if they are better to first undertake a Beginner’s Course (PUK “Discover”), organised and provided by volunteer coaches with appropriate qualifications (PUK or equivalent) and experience. It is not mandatory though to join the club before or after a Discover course to participate in one. Three were run during the reporting period, plus one Discover “Refresher” Course, enabling 19 people to achieve the award. The trustees are aware that all forms of canoeing constitute “An assumed risk sport”. Risk of harm is managed through having a “Risk Assessment” and guidelines for all led trips. Experienced suitably qualified leaders and coaches risk assess conditions whenever club-led trips are organised. Additionally all committee members and session leaders are required to complete a basic safeguarding course and have a DBS check. Those working directly with the youth members are required to complete a more detailed safeguarding course. Coaches, session leaders and many members have suitable First Aid qualifications and the club supports these by arranging regular courses. The Charity Commission requires that for the period 2024/5 the club comment on “the impact of increased costs”. The club has seen increases in the costs of insurance, rates and pool hire and its coaches and leaders have also experienced increases in the costs of their qualifications and certifications. The club increased its Adult, Adult Concession and Youth Annual membership fees by £2.50 each to £52.50, £27.50 and £7.50 respectively to help offset some of these increases but did not increase the £5 per session fee for Youth members. In addition the cost of fuel, food and accommodation on trips has also increased, with these being passed on at cost to trip participants.
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Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
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policy on grantmaking;
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policy programme related investment;
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contribution made by volunteers.
All coaches and leaders are unpaid volunteers who pay their own membership fees. As such the charity has a fund available to assist members with the cost of coaching and other relevant development courses, which often cost several hundred pounds each. This fund was supplemented in 2024/5 with a grant from Paddle UK. During the period of reporting £531 was paid out in grants to members for coaching and development, which are linked to a pre-determined number of hours coaching or leadership commitment to the club.
Volunteers, together with the Trustees, make up a Management Committee. There are around 25 regularly active volunteers and many more occasional ones, without whose support the club would be unable to function. Apart from sitting on the Club Committee or coaching and leading sessions, volunteers this year have been responsible for activities that included supporting our website and communications; maintaining the club hut and grounds; ensuring equipment is fit for purpose; arranging addling trips and courses; liaising with Paddle UK, our insurers and others; documenting coaching and leadership qualifications and managing our finances, membership system and records.
As such the Trustees express their sincere thanks to all those who have helped.
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Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main Early Season Overview achievements of the charity The kayaking year began with an October trip to the River Dart and River during the year Exe for 30 members. A Cardiff White Water Course visit later that month offered further skill development whilst the year was concluded with the annual Mince Pie Paddle in December. Winter pool sessions at Radley College helped with rolling techniques and coach training, with 17 members attending each session. Further Trips & Events - Yorkshire Trip (March): 17 members paddled the Tees and Tyne rivers. - Tryweryn / DeeFest (May): 18 members developed white water skills at Tryweryn while others attended the DeeFest festival close by. - Symonds Yat Peer Paddle: 10 members practiced white water techniques. - Hire of Lee Valley Legacy Whitewater Course (June & Sept): Popular confidence-building events with 28 and 24 attendees respectively; 6 completed Olympic Course assessments. - Summer Solstice “Picnic Paddle” (June) - The annual “Blastathon” Freestyle Competition (June) was reconfigured as a “Flatathon” due to low water levels and safety restrictions preventing Abingdon Weir from being operated. - North Wales (July): White water training on Upper Tryweryn and Dee. - Supporting Abingdon Council’s Fun in the Park event (July) - Cardiff Whitewater Course (August): Challenging rapids for skill progression. - Supporting the Abingdon Marathon by running a water station (October) Weekly Paddling & Development - 26 Wednesday sessions with ~13 paddlers each. - Tuesday social paddles and Sunday outings including Wolvercote, Oxford backwaters, and St Patrick’s stream. - SUP sessions became a regular Thursday fixture. - Three Paddle UK Discover Courses introduced 19 new paddlers to the sport. - Litter pick paddles supported the Abibinit initiative. Youth Section Highlights - Annual presentation and awards evening in November. - 35 youth members attended 20 Monday sessions, totalling 238 attendances. - Several members joined a monthly Freestyle series organised by Kayakojacko on Buscot, Hurley and Boulters Weirs. - Activities included Swift Ditching, the Culham-one Way via “Fish Pass Falls”, Ock Slaloms, the “Ockathon” Freestyle Competition and various kayak polo and skills sessions. - Trips to Nene Whitewater Centre and Lee Valley Legacy and Olympic Whitewater Courses - 4 members attended the GB Freestyle Camp at the Holme Pierrepont headquarters of Paddle UK in Nottingham. Members Overseas Trips Several members of the club also undertook self / peer organised trips overseas, bringing back to the club their experience and enthusiasm for adventure. In 2024/5 these included paddling in Austria, Equador, France, Japan, Norway and Slovenia.
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Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the The trustees shall ensure the club maintains financial reserves so the charity’s policy on reserves club can withstand and survive unexpected expenditure loss of income. The target reserves are 2 years expected expenditure fixed overheads, such as insurance, rent and contribution to the site contingency fund. The club hut site lease places a duty on the club to: a) Clear the site on lease termination b) Replace the building at the end of its usable life
The site lease with the Environment Agency has a minimum term of 10 years. The club must be prepared to clear the site by February 2030 should the EA choose the exercise the break clause at this stage. The estimated cost to clear the site in 2020 would be £15k. The aim is to have this fund at this amount, annually adjusted by “Office of National Statistics CPIH Annual Rate 00:All Items 2015” figure for the preceding complete calendar year.
Details of any funds materially in deficit
As the club building is constructed from wood, no matter how well it is maintained it will deteriorate and require major refurbishment after around 20 years. If the EA does not exercise the lease break clause, the site contingency funds can also be used to pay for that refurbishment. The Site contingency fund will therefore be incremented at the same annual rate beyond the 2030 date to cater for site clearance and refurbishment, with a target amount of £50k over 20 years, annually adjusted in the same manner. There are no funds in deficit
Further financial review details (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:
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the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
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how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
The charity’s principal sources of funding are annual membership fees (Adult section), weekly session fees (Youth section) and fees paid to the club for courses. Nominal additional amounts are also received for use of club equipment on trips.
Revenue for organised trips and events also passes through the club but these are on an at-cost basis and such revenue is then used to pay for items such as accommodation (eg bunk houses), third-party training(eg first aid), food (eg Christmas Meal) or venue hire fees (eg Lee Valley Course).
- investment policy and objectives including any Significant items of expenditure in 2024/25 include replacement of 12 ethical investment policy buoyancy aids (£815) and the purchase of two second-hand but excellent adopted. condition kayaks (£840).
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Section F Other optional information
No additional information
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Tim Wilkes Full name(s) Mark Walker Position (eg Secretary, Chair Secretary Chair, etc) Date 05 November 2025
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Oct 2025
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Kingfisher Canoe Club 1170349 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period 10/1/2024 9/30/2025 To from
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds
Total funds Last year
| Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts Donation: General 605 Members' Subscriptions(Youth) 235 Members' Subscriptions(Adult) 3,253 Events & FundraisingIncome 1,049 Activity: Youth Attendance 1,082 Activity: Adult 4,121 Activity: Boat Hire 28 Activity: Pool fees 775 Activity: Course Fees 792 Governance: Deposit Received 15 Interest 968 Asset sales 80 Non PrimaryPurpose Income 350 13,353 - Sub total - Total receipts 13,353 A3 Payments Activity: Pool(inc Lifeguard) 696 Activity: 3rd Partycourseprovider 164 Activity: Equipment Maintenance 376 Activity: TrainingGrant 531 Activity: Misc 4,954 Events & FundraisingExpenditure 606 Governance: General Admin 3,489 Governance: Site Maintenance 235 Asset: Site Maintenance - Asset: Equipment 1,657 Asset: Governance - - - - Sub total 12,709 - - Sub total - Total payments 12,709 Net of receipts/(payments) 644 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 35,945 Cash funds this year end 36,589 to the nearest £ Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 602 602 |
to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ 605 235 3,253 1,049 1,082 4,121 28 775 792 15 968 80 350 13,353 - - - 13,353 696 164 376 531 4,954 606 3,489 235 - 1,657 - - - - 12,709 - - - 12,709 644 - 36,547 37,191 |
to the nearest £ |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
605 | 710 | ||
| 235 | 248 | |||
| 3,253 | 4,078 | |||
| 1,049 | 2,454 | |||
| 1,082 | 1,615 | |||
| 4,121 | 2,689 | |||
| 28 | 37 | |||
| 775 | 1,422 | |||
| 792 | 4,952 | |||
| 15 | 10 | |||
| 968 | 267 | |||
| 80 | 660 | |||
| 350 | - | |||
| 13,353 | 19,140 | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | ||||
| - | - | |||
| - | 13,353 | 19,140 | ||
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
696 | 1,470 | ||
| 164 | 3,960 | |||
| 376 | 192 | |||
| 531 | 778 | |||
| 4,954 | 3,032 | |||
| 606 | 1,602 | |||
| 3,489 | 1,565 | |||
| 235 | - | |||
| - | 1,428 | |||
| 1,657 | 2,333 | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 12,709 | 16,360 | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | ||||
| - | - | |||
| - | 12,709 | 16,360 | ||
| - | - - - - |
644 | 2,780 | |
| - | - | - | ||
| 602 | 36,547 | 33,767 | ||
| 602 | 37,191 | 36,547 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
Details Bank Current Account Bank Deposit Account Details None Details None Details None Details None Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ 8,772 27,816 - 36,589 OK to nearest £ - - - - - - Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates |
to nearest £ - 602 - 602 OK to nearest £ - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Restricted funds Restricted funds Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| OK | ||||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
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| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| When due (optional) |
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| None | - | |||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - |
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
| Signature | Print Name Andrew John Pope |
Date of approval |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew John Pope | ||