## **Ore Community Land Trust** Registered charity, number 1171507 **Trustee report and financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2021** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Page Contents
2 - 3 Trustees’ annual report
4 Receipts & payments account
5 Statement of assets & liabilities
6 Notes to the accounts
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Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507 ## Ore Community Land Trust ## **Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 30[th] April 2021** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Full Name Ore Community Land Trust
Registered charity number: 1171507
Principal address: C/O The Ore Centre, 455 Old London Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 5BH
Legal status: Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Trustees: James Breeds – Chair
Anthony Polain – Secretary
Rebecca Polain – Treasurer
Richard Street – Membership and Minutes
Gabriella Pettitt - Board Member
Ian Sier – Special Projects
Jo Walker – Volunteer Co-Ordinator
Bankers: Lloyds Bank, Hastings branch
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## **Governance and management** The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution and registered by the Charity Commission on 7 February 2017. The methods adopted for the recruitment and appointment of new trustees is laid down in the constitution. Potential trustees are interviewed and then asked to attend a trustee meeting as an observer. Trustees are appointed for a three-year term and retire at the Annual General meeting by rotation ## **Aims and objectives** TO FURTHER OR BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS OF HASTINGS AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, WITHOUT DISTINCTION OF SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, RACE OR OF POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS OR OTHER OPINIONS BY ASSOCIATING TOGETHER THE SAID RESIDENTS AND THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES, VOLUNTARY AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS IN A COMMON EFFORT TO ADVANCE EDUCATION AND TO PROVIDE FACILITIES IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR RECREATION AND LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION IN GREEN SPACES IN THE AREA OF BENEFIT, WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS. ## **Background** The group started in 2007 to act as a pressure group to prevent a local wood form being developed. This was successful, and following our intervention, the local council granted us some land in the wood as a community asset transfer. We embarked on a series of improvements and maintenance projects which are ongoing. 2 Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507 ## Ore Community Land Trust ## **Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 30[th] April 2021 – cont’d** ## **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit** The aim of the group is to protect, acquire and maintain land in the Speckled Wood, in the Ore Valley in Hastings. We work to create a community woodland for the people in Hastings to enjoy. We work with other organisations and recruit volunteers to manage and improve the woodland, and to develop projects such as footpaths, a greenway and a village green. Using our skills, knowledge and expertise we work with similar groups in Hastings to improve other green spaces to keep them available for the benefit of the people. We have acquired two pieces of land from the local council and have purchased a further three, all in Speckled Wood. We have purchased and installed two volunteer bases in the wood to store tools etc., and as a place for our volunteers to socialise and make drinks etc. The larger base has also been used as a venue for a limited number of public events. We have continued our programme of maintenance and have a team of regular volunteers. We produce a newsletter through the year to inform our members and the public and held a general meeting to update people. We are also in negotiation with the local council, Hastings Borough Council, regarding a number of plots in the lower Ore valley. If negotiations are successful, we anticipate these plots of land to be passed over to us along with an endowment of £250,000 for maintenance and management on behalf of the local community. We have conducted surveys on a number of occasions, to gauge public opinion and to learn for the future. We organised a public walk as part of the local Greenway project, and we liaise with other local voluntary groups on joint/mutually beneficial projects. The commencement of the lockdown period has seen a curtailment of our operations and cancellation of public events. Once the restrictions are eased, we intend to resume all such activities in line with Government guidelines. ## **Financial review** The organisation received £6,881 in income (2020: £19,442) and spent £15,538.15 (2020: £10,276) leaving a shortfall of -£8,656.34. Together with a brought forward balance of £16,168.56, the organisation takes forward into the next year a total of £7512.22of which £2,143.35is restricted funds. ## **The charity’s policy on reserves** The charity has no specific policy regarding the level of reserves. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees: Date: 06[th] February 2022 Signed Tony Polain, Secretary 3 Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507 ## Ore Community Land Trust ## Receipts & payments account for the year ended 30[th] April 2021 **----- Start of picture text -----**
2020 2021
Total Funds Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds
£ Note £ £ £
Receipts 1
15,000 Grant - Big Local - - -
3,417 Grant - Sussex Community - - -
Foundation
- Hastings Borough Council 4 1,796.00 1,796.00
- East Sussex County Council 4 2,288.50 2,288.50
1,005 Donations 2 - - -
20 Membership/ Public Donations 2 2,797.31 - 2,797.31
19,442 Total receipts 2,797.31 4,084.50 6,881.81
Payments
- - -
- - -
768 Insurance 3 - - -
- Independent Examination 60 - 60
185 Printing, stationery & post box 160 - 160
1330 Legal (Solicitor’s) Fees - 645.60 645.60
1137 Legal (vendor’s) Fees - 665.60 665.60
5000 Land Purchase 5 - 10,000.00 10,000.00
1,856 Equipment, repairs & renewals, labour - 4,006.95 4,006.95
10,276 Total Payments 220 15,318.15
15,538.15
9,166 Net receipts/(payments) 2,577.31 -11,233.65 -8,656.34
7,002 Cash funds at start of this period 2,791 13,377 16,168.56
16,168 Cash funds at end of this period 5,368.31 2,143.35 7512.22
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4 Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507 ## Ore Community Land Trust ## **Statement of assets and liabilities as at 30[th] April 2021** **----- Start of picture text -----**
2020 2021
£ Cash assets Note £
15,962.56 Lloyds bank account 7,286.22
206 Cash in hand 226
16,168.56 7512.22
Liabilities
- -
- -
16,168.56 7512.22
Represented by:
Funds b/f 16,168.56
Net surplus/deficit for period -8,656.34
7512.22
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These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by: Signed Dated: 6[th] February 2022 Rebecca Polain, Treasurer 5 Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507 ## Ore Community Land Trust ## **Notes to the accounts for the year ended 30[th] April 2021** ## **1. Receipts & payments accounts** Receipts and payments accounts are statements that summarise the movement of cash into and out of the charity during the financial year. In this context “cash” includes cash equivalents, for example, bank accounts where cash can be readily withdrawn to pay for debts as they become due. ## **2. Donations/ Membership** Previous accounts showed these as separate. However, due to the nature of membership and donations increasingly being paid online and no differentiation made, for example: via PayPal, these have been amalgamated. Therefore, these have arrived by the following methods. The latter two being schemes that people opt into online and a donation is made when they choose Ore Community Land Trust as their preferred charity, and subsequently shop with those companies. a) via cheque b) PayPal c) Amazon Smile d) Co-op Local Community Fund **3. Insurance** Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, certain extension schemes were set up to help charities with costs whilst they were largely inactive. Therefore, Zurich informed us that we need not renew in the 2020 to 2021 accounting year, and the insurance was renewed in the following accounting year. ## **4. Grants** East Sussex County Council awarded and paid the grant of £2288 from the Sussex Lund Fund. This was applied for our Woodland Enhancements project. The grant awarded and paid by Hastings Borough Council Foreshore Trust is for our Community Pathways, Bridges & Steps project. ||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total| |---|---|---|---| ||£|£|£| |East Sussex County Council|-|2288|2288| |Hastings Borough Council|-|1796|1796| |||**-------**|**------**| ||-|4084|4084| ## **5. Premises and staff** Ore Community Land Trust owns five plots of land in the Speckled Wood. These pieces of land have not all been valued, but the group puts an estimated value of £7,500 for the two community asset transfers from Hastings Borough Council who have confirmed that there is no reversionary interest. Ore Community Land Trust also owns two further plots of land, bought in 19/20 at a cost of £5,000 in total and a larger plot of land in 20/21 valued at £10,000. Ore Community Land Trust does not employ any staff. ## **6. Trustees’ remuneration** Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period. **7. Related party transactions** There were no related party transactions in the reporting year. **8. Glossary of terms** - Restricted funds: These are funds given to the charity, subject to specific restrictions set by the donor, but still within the general objects of the charity. 6