## Ore Community Land Trust
Registered charity, number 1171507
Trustee report and financial statements for the year ended 31[st] October 2023
|Page|Contents|
|---|---|
|2 - 3|Trustees’ annual report|
|4|Receipts & payments account|
|5|Statement of assets & liabilities|
|6
|Notes to the accounts|
Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507
## Ore Community Land Trust
## Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31[st] October 2023
Full Name
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: Peter Chowney – Chair Anthony Polain – Secretary Rebecca Polain – Treasurer Richard Street – Membership and Minutes Ian Sier – Special Projects Jo Walker – Volunteer Co-Ordinator Denise Ware - Trustee
Bankers: Lloyds Bank, Hastings branch
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.
Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31[st] October 2023 – cont’d
2
Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507
## Ore Community Land Trust
## 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 several 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 several occasions, to gauge public opinion and to learn for the future. We liaise with other local voluntary groups on joint/mutually beneficial projects.
The lockdown period restrictions were eased, and we have resumed all such activities in line with Government guidelines, as they were lifted.
## Financial review
The organisation received £8,985.03 in income (2022: £8318.30) and spent £6,445.02 (2022: £9,499.34) leaving a surplus of £2,540.01 Together with a brought forward balance of £6,330.62, the organisation takes forward into the next year a total of £8,870.63.
## 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: 14[th] April 2024
Signed
Tony Polain, Secretary
Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31[st] October 2023
3
Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507
## Ore Community Land Trust
|2022
Total Funds
£
Note
Receipts
1
1,045.00
Grant - Big Local
1,000
Grant – Chalk Cliff Trust
Foundation
200
Hastings Borough Council
2,288.50
East Sussex County Council
711.20
Refunds
3*
0
National Lottery Community Fund
4
0
Zurich Insurance claim
3a
0
Crowdfunder
3,073.60
Membership/ Donations
2|2022
Total Funds
£
Note
Receipts
1
1,045.00
Grant - Big Local
1,000
Grant – Chalk Cliff Trust
Foundation
200
Hastings Borough Council
2,288.50
East Sussex County Council
711.20
Refunds
3*
0
National Lottery Community Fund
4
0
Zurich Insurance claim
3a
0
Crowdfunder
3,073.60
Membership/ Donations
2|2023
Unrestricted Funds
Restricted Funds
Total Funds
£
£
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3,620.00
3,620.00
841.33
841.33
1,122.30
1,122.30
3,401.40
-
3,401.40|2023
Unrestricted Funds
Restricted Funds
Total Funds
£
£
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3,620.00
3,620.00
841.33
841.33
1,122.30
1,122.30
3,401.40
-
3,401.40|2023
Unrestricted Funds
Restricted Funds
Total Funds
£
£
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3,620.00
3,620.00
841.33
841.33
1,122.30
1,122.30
3,401.40
-
3,401.40|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|8,318.30|Total receipts|4,523.70|4,461.33|8,985.03|
|Payments
55
Venue Hire
1,552.27
Insurance
3
0
Training
533.30
Printing/ stationery
0
Catering
85.20
Web Hosting/ IT support/ Other IT
583.93
Forest School
6,689.64
Equipment, repairs & renewals, labour||-
-
-
137.50
-
137.50
409.18
-
409.18
-
100.00
100.00
216.25
-
216.25
30.16
-
30.16
436.24
-
436.24
-
2,372.55
2,372.55
189.99
2,553.15
2,743.14|||
|9,499.34|Total Payments|1,419.32|5,025.70|6,445.02|
|-1,181.04
Net receipts/(payments)
7,511.66
Cash funds at start of this period||3,104.38
-564.37
2,540.01
6,927.34
-596.72
6330.62|||
|6,330.62|Cash funds at end of thisperiod|10,031.72|-1,161.09
8,870.63||
Statement of assets and liabilities as of 31[st] October 2023
2022
2023
4
Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507
|
Net|Ore Community Land Trust
£
Cash assets
Note
£
6,105.18
Lloyds bank account
8,828.63
225.44
Cash in hand
42|Ore Community Land Trust
£
Cash assets
Note
£
6,105.18
Lloyds bank account
8,828.63
225.44
Cash in hand
42|Ore Community Land Trust
£
Cash assets
Note
£
6,105.18
Lloyds bank account
8,828.63
225.44
Cash in hand
42|
|---|---|---|---|
||6,330.62||8,870.63|
||Liabilities
-
-
-
-|||
||6,330.62||8,870.63|
||Represented by: Funds b/f
6,330.62
surplus/deficit for period
2,540.01|||
8,870.63
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
Signed Rebecca Polain, Treasurer
Dated: 14th April 2024
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31[st] October 2023
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.
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Ore Community Land Trust Registered charity number 1171507
## Ore Community Land Trust
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, with c), d) & e) 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, cash, and card payments (SumUp)
b) PayPal
c) Amazon Smile (scheme now ended)
d) Co-op Local Community Fund (scheme now ended)
e) Easy Fundraising
f) Hastings Borough Bonfire Society
3. Insurance
The change to the accounting year to end 31[st] October has meant that 2 payments had been made in the previous accounting period. A new, more accurate quote was made for our insurance in 2023 and it has been reduced by about £300pa.
3a) This was a payment from Zurich following theft and vandalism.
3*) This was a refund as we overpaid the solicitor during land purchases in the previous accounting period.
4. Grants
Unrestricted Restricted Total £ £ £
National Lottery Community Fund - 3,620.00 3,620.00
**- 3,620.00 3,620.00**
5. Premises and staff
Ore Community Land Trust owns five plots of land in 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. The three other plots were purchased from private individuals at a total purchase price of £15,000. Funding for these plots was provided by the Big Local. Two these plots are adjacent and house our portacabin.
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.
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