# **Information Pack for the 2024-25 Annual General Meeting**
## **Agenda**
||**Secton**|**Resolutons**|**Page**|
|---|---|---|---|
|1|Introducton||3|
|2|Minutes of the 20thNovember 2024 AGM|**Resoluton A**|4|
|3|Annual Report 2024/2025|**Resoluton B**|6|
|4|Annual Accounts for the period 1stApril 2024 to 31stMarch
2025|**Resoluton C**|11|
|5.1|Reappointment of Trustees from the period 1stApril 2024 to
31stMarch 2025|**Resoluton D1**|13|
|5.2|Reappointment of Trustees Retring by Rotaton|**Resoluton D2**|13|
|5.3|Reappointment of Trustees from 1stApril 2025 onwards|**Resoluton D3**|14|
|6|Approval of amendments to the Friends of Warnham Local
Nature Reserve Charitable Consttuton (see Annex 1)|**Resoluton E**|15|
|7|Minutes of the 22ndNovember 2023 AGM|**Resoluton F**|16|
|8|Annual Report 2023/2024|**Resoluton G**|18|
|9|Annual Accounts for the period 1stApril 2023 to 31stMarch
2024|**Resoluton H**|23|
|10.1|Reappointment of Trustees from the period 1stApril 2023 to
31stMarch 2024||25|
|10.2|Reappointment of Trustees Retring by Rotaton (2023 AGM)|**Resoluton I**|25|
|11|Any Other Business|||
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## **1. Introducton**
This Pack contains the necessary information for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve, including the Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 31[st] March 2025.
The AGM is to be held on Wednesday 10[th] December 2025 at the Visitor Centre of Warnham Local Nature Reserve and will start at 7:00pm.
## Background
The Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve (FoWLNR), charity number 1171924, is registered with The Charity Commission for England and Wales (The Charity Commission).
The principal address of the charity is at Warnham Local Nature Reserve, Warnham Road, Horsham RH12 2RA.
The objectives of the charity are:
to promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Warnham Local Nature Reserve, in particular but not exclusively by:
(a) advancing the education of the public about all aspects of the natural history of the reserve; and
(b) promoting biological diversity.
FoWLNR is governed by a formal Constitution and makes annual reports to The Charity Commission.
Warnham Local Nature Reserve is owned by Horsham District Council (HDC), and all volunteers of FoWLNR work closely with HDC staff, in particularly those from the Parks & Countryside Department who manage and maintain the Reserve.
The day-to-day management of FoWLNR is the responsibility of the Trustee Board which is ably supported by a dedicated group of other volunteers, some of whom sit on the Management Committee.
## Annual General Meetng
The Constitution requires that FoWLNR holds an AGM at intervals of not more than 15 months, and the last AGM was held on 20[th] November 2024.
This AGM is in respect of the period from 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025.
For completeness, additional resolutions are included for the period 1[st] April 2023 to 31[st] March 2024 as it was discovered post the AGM that the meeting was not quorate as required by our Constitution (i.e. there were insufficient members in attendance at the AGM as required by our Constitution).
We have introduced rules, effective from 21 August 2025, which now differentiate between those holding membership of FoWLNR as the result of purchasing an annual permit, referred to as Associate Members, and those who had separately purchased membership of FoWLNR, now referred to as Full Members. Guidance on the introduction of these rules was sought from a local law firm, specialising in the Charitable Sector. Only Full Members of FoWLNR can vote on the resolutions at the AGM, which are proposed by the Trustees as set out in the agenda.
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## **2. Minutes of the Previous Annual General Meetng**
## **Resoluton A**
## **Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve (FoWLNR)**
## **Annual General Meeting – 20[th] November 2024**
**7.00pm, the Visitors’ Centre, Warnham Local Nature Reserve**
## **Minutes**
## **In attendance:**
Sue Bailey, Eric Brown, Jill Brown, John Burrell, Heather Glenny, Taff Hammond, Hilary Harding, Diane Hellyer, Peter Hellyer, Neil Henry (T), Steve Kenward (T), Denise Knight (T), Debbie Ladds (T), John Morris, Andy Roberts (T), Viv Roberts, Andrea Saxton, Paul Shergold (T), David Simpson, Celia Strudley, Anya Topley (T), Simon Trenerry, Lyn Whale.
## (T) denotes Trustee
The Chairman advised that extensive background papers previously circulated with the calling notice for the AGM supported the resolutions now put before the AGM.
## **1. Apologies for absence.**
Stuart Card (T), Jake Everitt (T), Graham Matthews, Adam Schofield (T), Richard Symonds (T)
## **2. Resolution1: To approve the Minutes of the Previous AGM, held on 22/11/2023.**
The approval of the minutes was proposed by Paul Shergold, seconded by Viv Roberts and adopted by a majority show of hands.
## **3. Resolution 2: To adopt the Annual Report for the period 01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024.**
Following a summary of the Annual Report by SK, the adoption of the Annual Report was proposed by Viv Roberts, seconded by Heather Glenny and supported by a majority show of hands.
Thanks were expressed to all volunteers of FoWLNR and to Horsham District Council (HDC) staff, particularly those from the Parks & Countryside Team.
## **4. Resolution 3: To adopt the Annual Accounts for the period 01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024.**
Following a summary of the Accounts and financial position of FoWLNR, the adoption of the Accounts as reviewed by the Independent Examiner was proposed by Paul Shergold, seconded by Hilary Harding and supported by a majority show of hands.
The Independent Examiner and a member of FoWLNR has complimented the Finance Team on the clarity and presentation of their work and the Accounts.
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## **5. Resolution 4: To elect Trustee(s) retiring by rotation.**
As required by the Constitution, one third of Trustees must stand down each year. Those standing down in order of rotation were Steve Kenward, Denise Knight and Neil Henry.
Having decided not to stand for re-election, Steve was thanked for his contributions as Chair and as Trustee.
Denise Knight agreed to stand for re-election and was proposed by Viv Roberts, seconded by Paul Shergold and supported by a majority show of hands.
Neil Henry also agreed to stand for re-election and was proposed by Jill Brown, seconded by Hilary Harding and supported by a majority show of hands.
It was noted that:
- Graham Matthews had stood down as a Trustee effective from 20/11/2023 and would also be standing down as Editor of The Reedbed Newsletter in the New Year.
- Richard Symonds was standing down as a Trustee effective from 20[th] November 2024.
- Both were thanked for their service and contributions as Trustees and Volunteers.
## **6. Any Other Business.**
The was no Other Business
The Chairman (Steve Kenward) thanked members for attending the AGM and for their support of FoWLNR.
## **7.**
## **Guest Speaker & Presentation**
Keir Smith from Western Sussex Rivers Trust provided an illustrated presentation in relation to Water, Pollution & Challenges Faced in the Horsham District and beyond, which was well received.
## **Resolution A: Approve the Minutes of the Previous AGM held 20[th] November 2024**
**Proposer:**
## **Seconder:**
## **Vote of Eligible Members:**
5
## **3. Annual Report 2024/2025**
## **Resoluton B**
## **Introducton**
The year to March 2025 has been a good year for the Reserve.
Substantial progress was made with the planning for the Boardwalk project, with continued growth in our cash funds which will be needed to pay for the work required. During our financial year we were able to contribute over £28,000 towards various projects on the Reserve and had a total of 31,662 visitors, an increase from 29,784 in the previous year.
Highlights from the year included:
The new financial year began with our ever-popular Easter Trail Event run in conjunction with Horsham District Council (HDC). The event was once again educational, and wildlife themed which attracts a range of new visitors to the Reserve. A full calendar of events was run throughout the year ranging from talks, guided walks and children’s events. Our thanks go to all the volunteers involved in the planning and running of these events which are firmly part of the draw of the Reserve as a whole and in particular the Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve (FoWLNR).
A substantial upgrade to our ‘live footage’ project was finally launched in July 2025 with the initiation of the underwater camera and revamped feeder camera. The underwater cameras gives a fantastic insight into some of the lesser-known area of the Reserve and gives both families and the less physically able something to enjoy whilst in the Herons Rest café.
The charitable contribution to the Reserve was impressive in both monetary terms as well as changes to the site as a whole. This year saw us replace the Woodpecker Bridge with the first of several recycled plastic boardwalks. The project went smoothly, and the new bridge has stood the test of time so far in terms of wear and tear. We have had a lot of positive feedback to the new width of the structure and look forward to developing the next instalment of the gradual replacement of the timber structures around the Reserve. Following on from, this several changes were also made to the seating/picnic area at the Visitor Centre with the addition of more robust recycled plastic seating which included several tables with disabled access which was pleasing to achieve. It gives the café a smarter and more modern look which we hope you have all enjoyed.
Our last substantial project was the undertaking of the Willow Pollarding around the dipping ponds. This area has been an issue for the Warden team due to the difficulties in access for this section of the site, so the FoWLNR funding allowed us to appoint a suitable contractor to come in to complete the works in a safe and ecologically friendly manner.
There continues to be a strong and very positive relationship between FoWLNR and HDC with an updated Service Level Agreement [SLA] implemented from 1 April 2024. Regular partnership meetings took place between FoWLNR and HDC to review the SLA also providing the opportunity for broader discussion on matters impacting the Reserve. Whilst the SLA is the umbrella under which both the Friends and HDC work together, the Friends undoubtedly benefit from the positivity of the individual relationships involved and the support constantly available from the HDC Wardens team.
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During the year HDC continued to monitor nationwide proposals regarding “devolution” together with its potential impact on the Reserve. Unfortunately, much continues to be unknown at this stage as to how devolution will impact the organisation of local government in West Sussex. FoWLNR is working with Horsham Green Spaces, a special interest group, to ensure that there is a coordinated voice within the Horsham district to respond to developments surrounding devolution.
In April 2024 we started to offer complementary membership of FoWLNR to those purchasing annual permits. This had the desired effect of increasing the number of our members and consequently those that we could reach out to with volunteering opportunities and requests for support more generally. An unintended consequence of increasing the number of members through this process was that there needed to be a corresponding increase in the number attending our Annual General Meeting [AGM]. Post the 2024 AGM it was discovered that we did not have sufficient members in attendance which has meant additional papers have needed to be included in this AGM. To avoid the risk of not having sufficient attendees at future AGMs work has been undertaken to split our membership between those classified as Associate Members, where complimentary membership was offered and taken up, and Full Members who had separately purchased membership of FoWLNR. It is only Full Members that will have voting rights at our AGMs.
Financially the Charity ended the year in review, very strongly. This largely reflected the fact that the second phase of the Boardwalk replacement programme, whilst budgeted had not commenced. It is our intention that a significant amount of the Boardwalk will be replaced during the next financial year.
The Charity could not continue without the tireless work of the volunteers, the Trustees and the support of the HDC Countryside Warden team, for which as Chairman I am extremely grateful. My thanks go to all involved for their efforts and achievements on behalf of the Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve.
## Stuart Riley[1]
Stuart Riley,
Chair – Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve
> 1 Appointed as Chair and Trustee on 21 April 2025
7
## **Governance**
FoWLNR continued throughout the year to fulfil its obligations as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation that is registered with The Charity Commission.
The Trustees run the charity in line with the documented Constitution and Policies, and all aspects of the day-to-day operations were managed by the Trustees, and their designated function leads or teams.
On a quarterly basis, the Trustees and function heads met to review the performance of FoWLNR in line with its objectives, to develop strategic plans and to translate those into future operational goals.
The Trustees of FoWLNR for the period 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025 were:
- Chair: Steve Kenwood [resigned 20 • Secretary: Andrew Roberts November 2024]
- Ex-Officio: Jake Everitt [Acting Chair 20 November 2024 – 20 April 2025
- Neil Henry
- Debbie Ladds
- Paul Shergold
- Richard Symonds [Resigned 20 November 2024]
- Stuart Card
- Denise Knight
- Anya Topley [appointed 7 May 2024]
- Adam Schofield [appointed 30 April 2024]
Changes in the Trustee Group which took place after 31 March 2025:
- Stuart Riley [appointed as Chair 21 April 2025]
- Stuart Card [resigned 30 July 2025]
- Celia Strudley [appointed as Treasurer 30 July 2025)
The designated function heads or teams for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 were:
- Finance: Celia Strudley & Jill Brown
- Herons Rest Café: Lyn Whale
- Membership & social media: Viv Roberts
## **Promotng Educaton**
In line with our objective of advancing the education of the public about all aspects of the natural history of the Reserve, FoWLNR has:
- Hosted a variety of themed events at the Reserve and which targeted different audiences. These included Seasonal Walks, Pond Dipping, a Bat Walk, Bird Ringing, a Dawn Chorus Walk.
- Published a range of booklets that are available to the public for a small fee in the Herons Rest Café.
- Maintained seasonal wildflower information signs around the Reserve.
- Shared information about what could be seen on the Reserve during the different seasons, on the Notice Board in the Visitor Centre and on social media platforms.
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## **Visitor Experience[2]**
The Reserve continues to receive positive feedback from many of its visitors, either in person or via various online platforms.
Where any feedback was received via our social media presence including Warnham Reedbed Online, it was shared with the applicable function heads and HDC to identify any opportunities for improvement.
As of 31 March 2025, we had 2500 followers for Reedbed Online, 1100 followers on Facebook and 766 followers on Instagram. These sites continue to be popular with many excellent photographs being posted by our visitors.
## Funding
FoWLNR generates income in several different ways, including:
- from membership fees and donations.
- entry to events.
- sales in the Herons Rest café.
- a portion of the daily and annual permit fees received from HDC, and
- miscellaneous sales of booklets and donated items (such as books and puzzles) in the Visitor Centre.
We are very grateful to our members and to those who have made contributions to FoWLNR, who we wish to thank.
During the year we were able to contribute over £28,000 towards various projects at the Reserve, and the year ended with a healthy bank balance which will help us with the planned projects.
## **Reserves Policy**
To help ensure FoWLNR can operate as a financially stable charity, a Reserve Policy has been approved by Trustees. The Policy requires FoWLNR to maintain an amount at least equal to the annual administration expense plus the cost of 3 months food and drink purchases. FoWLNR met this requirement for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
> 2 Trip Advisor and Google reviews as at 29 October 2025.
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## **Volunteers**
Our dedicated volunteers have continued to generously donate their own time in support of FoWLNR and HDC, to ensure that Warnham Local Nature Reserve remains one of the leading visitor attractions in the Horsham District.
We wish to take this opportunity to thank them all for their contributions, which combine to make the Reserve the success that it is.
These volunteers contributed over 8100 hours in the year towards:
- the upkeep of the Reserve, including through keeping paths clear and the removal of invasive plant species,
- running the Herons Rest Café, which is open 363 days each year,
- running the successful Programme of Events on the Reserve,
- maintaining the Shelley Memorial Garden at the entrance to the Reserve,
- offering guidance to visitors on the Reserve, and
- running FoWLNR as a registered charity.
We are seeking additional volunteers to help us, and if you are interested in contributing to one of the areas above, please email fowlnr@gmail.com
## **Horsham District Council**
FoWLNR would like to thank HDC staff, and particularly their Parks & Countryside Team, who are always very supportive of our charity and with whom we have an excellent relationship.
**Resolution B – Adopt the Annual Report 2024/25**
**Proposer:**
**Seconder:**
**Vote of Eligible Members:**
10
## **4. Annual Accounts for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025**
## **Resoluton C**
## **Commentary**
The Annual Accounts of FoWLNR are shown on the next page. These were independently examined and approved on 5[th] November 2025 by Richard Hopkins who is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
Total funds of FoWLNR on 31st March 2025 amounted to £148,179 which included monies held as a General Reserve and those split between separate bank accounts, in part to attract a reasonable rate of interest but while also not exceeding the Financial Services Compensation limit of £85,000 for any single bank account.
While the total funds held by FoWLNR are healthy, the project to ultimately replace the boardwalks over the coming years will require these funds plus other substantial amounts which are to be raised over several years.
**Resolution C – Adopt the Annual Accounts for the period 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025**
**Proposer:**
**Seconder:**
**Vote of Eligible Members:**
11
## **Financial Summary: 2024-2025**
|**Financial Summary: 2024-2025**|**Financial Summary: 2024-2025**|**Financial Summary: 2024-2025**|**Financial Summary: 2024-2025**|**Financial Summary: 2024-2025**|**Financial Summary: 2024-2025**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**INCOME**||||**EXPENDITURE**||
|**Trading income**
Food, cold drinks & ices
Hot Drinks
Total food and drink
Goods
Events|£21,005
£28,354|||**Trading expenditure**
Food, cold drinks & ices
Hot Drinks
Total food and drink
Goods purchased for sale
Event Costs
Coffee machine rental and service
Till and card machine|£13,103
£5,868|
||£49,359||||£18,971|
||£752
£2,280||||£300
£842
£2,013
£3,591|
|**TOTAL TRADING INCOME***|**£52,391**|||**TOTAL TRADING EXPENDITURE**|**£25,717**|
|**Donations & other income**
HDC permit donations
Birdseed Donations
Donations & Bequests Rec'd
Friends membership
Artwork sales commission
Gift Aid Income
Income - Other|£31,681
£2,529
£2,248
£410
£309
£0
£1,975|||**Admin Expenditure**
Phone, internet, website, IT
Printing costs for volunteers
Volunteer events
Misc (including unassigned)
Organisational costs
Contingency 10%|£1,132
£7
£640
£1,302
£2,015|
|**TOTAL DONATIONS**|**£39,151**|||**TOTAL ADMIN EXPENDITURE**|**£5,096**|
|||||**Charitable Expenditure**
Bird food
Heron & nestbox cams
Walkways
Surveys & habitat management
Nest boxes
Visitor centre
Education
Other|£2,711
£7,441
£7,524
£4,210
£240
£5,317
£901
£314|
|||||**TOTAL CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE**|**£28,658**|
|||||||
|**TOTAL INCOME**|**£91,541**|||**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**|**£59,471**|
|||||||
|**SURPLUS**|**£32,071**|||||
|||||||
|**NET FUNDS**|**£148,179**|||||
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## **5.1 Reappointment of Trustees from the Period 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025**
## **Resoluton D1**
While the Trustees can approve mid-term appointments of new Trustees and subject to the total number of Trustees not exceeding 15, it is necessary to get these ratified by the members of the charity at the subsequent AGM.
The Trustees appointed Adam Schofield as Trustee on 30[th] April 2024 and Anya Topley as Trustee on 7[th] May 2024.
|**Resoluton D1a – to confrm the**
**reappointment of Adam Schofeld as Trustee**|**Resoluton D1b – to confrm the**
**reappointment of Anya Topley as Trustee**|
|---|---|
|**Proposer:**|**Proposer:**|
|**Seconder:**|**Seconder:**|
|**Vote of Eligible Members:**|**Vote of Eligible Members:**|
## **5.2 Reappointment of Trustees Retring by Rotaton**
## **Resoluton D2**
In order of rotation, it is necessary for one-third of the existing elected Trustees to stand down at an AGM, and they may seek reappointment. Of the 9 elected Trustees, this amounts to 3 of them.
The Trustees who are standing down by rotation and seeking reappointment are Debbie Ladds, Andrew Roberts and Paul Shergold.
The following Resolutions are to confirm the reappointment of Trustees:
|**Resoluton**|**Trustee**|**Proposer**|**Seconder**|**Vote of Eligible**
**Members**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**D2a**|**Debbie Ladds**||||
|**D2b**|**Andrew Roberts**||||
|**D2c**|**Paul Shergold**||||
For Debbie Ladds, Resolution D2a is intended to also cover her reappointment as Trustee at the 2024 AGM.
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## **5.3 Reappointment of Trustees From 1[st] April 2025 Onwards**
## **Resoluton D3**
|**Resoluton D3a – to confrm the**
**reappointment of Stuart Riley as Trustee &**
**Chair, efectve 21st April 2025**|**Resoluton D3b – to confrm the**
**reappointment of Celia Strudley as Trustee &**
**Treasurer, efectve 11th August 2025**|
|---|---|
|**Proposer:**|**Proposer:**|
|**Seconder:**|**Seconder:**|
|**Vote of Eligible Members:**|**Vote of Eligible Members:**|
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## **6. Approval of Amendments to the Charitable Consttuton**
## **Resoluton E**
At a meeting of trustees on 16 April 2025, it was resolved that the Constitution should be amended to allow proxy, postal and electronic voting and the use of electronic communications and/or the Charity’s website.
As a result of the legal advice received in relation to the introduction of Rules governing membership of the charity, the Trustees wish to make several other minor amendments to the Constitution.
In November 2023, the Charity Commission updated its template model constitutions to reflect changes introduced by the Charities Act 2022 and other related matters. While there is no requirement to urgently amend the Constitution, if other changes are being made to the Constitution, the Trustees consider it sensible to incorporate these changes at the same time.
The proposed amendments to the Constitution are as set out in Annex 1. This is issued as a separate document that comprises the whole Constitution and shows tracked changes for the proposed revisions, supported by comments that explain the rationale for change.
**Resolution E – To amend the Constitution as set out in Annex 1 Proposer: Seconder: Vote of Eligible Members:**
15
## **7. Minutes of the 2023 Annual General Meetng**
## **Resoluton F**
Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve (FoWLNR)
Annual General Meeting - 22[nd] November 2023
- 7.30pm, the Visitor Centre, Warnham Local Nature Reserve
## In attendance:
Eric Baker, Liz Bridges, Eric Brown, Jill Brown, Gill Clifton, Barry Clough, Hilary Harding, John Harriss, Diane Hellyer, Peter Hellyer, Neil Henry (T), Steve Kenward (T), Denise Knight (T), Denise Leach, Ruth Morgan, David Putland, Andy Roberts (T), Viv Roberts, Graham Rumsey, Andrea Saxton, Paul Shergold (T), Linda Slattery (T), Margaret Symonds, Richard Symonds (T), Lyn Whale.
## (T) denotes Trustee
The Chairman advised that extensive background papers previously circulated with the calling notice for the AGM supported the resolutions now put before the AGM.
1. Apologies for absence.
Celia Strudley
2. To approve the Minutes of the Previous AGM, held on 18th January 2023.
The minutes were proposed as accurate by Paul Shergold, seconded by Viv Roberts and adopted by a majority show of hands.
3. To adopt the Annual Report for the period 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023.
Following a summary of the Annual Report by SK, the adoption of the Annual Report was proposed by Richard Symonds & Neil Henry, seconded by Linda Slattery & Ruth Morgan and supported by a majority show of hands.
Thanks were expressed to all volunteers of FoWLNR and to Horsham District Council (HDC) staff, particularly those from the Parks & Countryside Team.
4. To adopt the Annual Accounts for the period 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023.
Following a summary of the Accounts and financial position of FoWLNR, the adoption of the Accounts as reviewed by the independent examiner for the period to 31[st] March 2023 was proposed by Paul Shergold, seconded by Viv Roberts & Linda Slattery and supported by a majority show of hands.
5. To elect Trustee(s) retiring by rotation.
Standing down in order of rotation were Paul Shergold, Linda Slattery and Richard Symonds.
Having decided not to stand for re-election, Linda was thanked for her service as a Trustee.
Paul Shergold agreed to stand for re-election, and was proposed by Eric Brown, seconded by Neil Henry and Hilary Harding and supported by a majority show of hands.
Richard Symonds also agreed to stand for re-election, and was proposed by Paul Shergold, seconded by Denise Knight and supported by a majority show of hands.
16
It was noted that Graham Matthews was also standing down as a Trustee effective from 22[nd] November 2023, and that this would be accounted for in the 2023/24 AGM.
6. Any other business.
- a. Hilary Manning enquired whether WLNR could be included on a public bus route.
While not definite, it was thought that HDC might be exploring a Hopper Service between points of interest in the town and which might include WLNR.
The Chairman (Steve Kenward) thanked members for attending the AGM and for their support for FoWLNR.
An illustrated presentation of Butterflies, the Warnham Butterfly Fields and the Wild About Warnham Project was then given by David Bridges.
**Resolution F: Approve the Minutes of the Previous AGM held 22[nd] November 2023**
**Proposer:**
**Seconder:**
**Vote of Eligible Members:**
17
## **8. Annual Report 2023 / 24**
## **Resoluton G**
## Introducton
The year to March 2024 has given us a period of stability, after the turbulence of previous years both nationally and within our Trustee group.
We have taken the opportunity to refresh, regroup, and prepare for future.
The year began with work being undertaken by FoWLNR to refresh the Herons Rest facility. Our original plans included creating a new kitchen layout, additional storage space, shelving, display facilities and furniture. In the event and with the promise of change inspired by Horsham District Council’s (HDC) plans for the building to be retro fitted to align with their eco requirements, our plans were reduced to a mere redecoration. This was achieved. The opportunity was taken to upgrade some of our café equipment and our till facilities. The changes suggested by HDC, were to be incorporated into a bigger plan for the Visitor Centre and a Friends working group was established to take on the planning tasks. These plans subsequently faced uncertainty given the difficulties of local authority financing, and FoWLNR may have to revisit the elements previously planned such as additional storage and display space and furniture.
An ongoing theme throughout the year has been to improve our systems, procedures and compliance, both with our partner HDC requirements outlined in our jointly signed Service Level Agreement (SLA) and the statutory requirements of the Charities Commission. Our work in these areas included a development of our financial processes, driven by the installation of a new till system, and new banking arrangements, in part due to the inability to communicate with our original bank. After a considerable period of investigation and professional advice, the Trustees were reassured FoWLNR had the correct operating structure, relative to its charitable status. FoWLNR’s awareness of its responsibilities to its volunteers was significantly heightened as was its at ude to risk, conflict of interest, assets, and lone working. I, and the Trustees are indebted to our colleagues responsible for the finance and secretarial aspects of the charities work for the efforts they have made and the improvements that have been achieved during the year.
The Service Level Agreement (SLA), referred to above was renewed at the end of the period and runs until 2027. Whilst the SLA is the umbrella under which both the Friends and HDC work together, the Friends undoubtedly benefit from the positivity of the individual relationships involved and the support constantly available from the HDC Wardens team.
During the year in question visitors to the Reserve totalled 29,784. Less than the previous year where we saw a post pandemic bounce, and reduced by the fact that we closed for a week in the Spring to achieve our redecoration. It remained a frustration that despite these numbers of visitors our Friends numbers remained low. A lack of Friends makes it difficult to attract new volunteers, reduces our ability to support the Warden’s work on the Reserve, and continue to deliver events. During the year plans were proposed to our partner HDC to increase Friends membership, and these plans were accepted and came into force in April 2024. We now have the potential to have a Friends membership equal to our annual permit visitors which can only be good for the Charity and its objectives going forward. The next task will be to increase the total number of visitors to the Reserve,
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and a project group in the following year will develop a communication strategy and programme to achieve additional visitor traffic.
Financially the Charity ended the year in review, very strongly. This largely reflected the fact that the Boardwalk replacement programme, whilst budgeted had not commenced. This was disappointing but the delays enabled a wide range of suppliers and contractors to be considered and drew a plan from HDC to match fund replacement work for the following five-year period. The combination of all of this should enable considerable amounts of boardwalk replacement throughout the Reserve in the years ahead.
The Charity could not continue without the tireless work of the volunteers, the Trustees and the support of the HDC Countryside Warden team, for which as Chairman I am extremely grateful. My thanks go to all involved for their efforts and achievements on behalf of the Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve.
## Steve Kenward
Steve Kenward,
Chair – Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve
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## Governance
FoWLNR continued throughout the year to fulfil its obligations as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation that is registered with The Charity Commission.
The Trustees run the charity in line with the documented Constitution and Policies, and all aspects of the day-to-day operations were managed by the Trustees and their designated function leads or teams.
On a quarterly basis, the Trustees and function heads met to review the performance of FoWLNR in line with its objectives, to develop strategic plans and to translate those into future operational goals.
The Trustees of FoWLNR for the period 1[st] April 2023 to 31[st] March 2024 were:
- Chair: Steve Kenward
- Ex-Officio: Jake Everitt
- Neil Henry
- Debbie Ladds
- Paul Shergold
- Secretary: Andrew Roberts
- Stuart Card
- Denise Knight
- Graham Matthews (retired 22[nd] November 2023)
- Richard Symonds
The designated function heads or teams for the same period were:
- Finance: Celia Strudley & Jill Brown
- Herons Rest Café: Lyn Whale
- Membership & Social Media: Viv Roberts
## Promotng Educaton
In line with our objective of advancing the education of the public about all aspects of the natural history of the Reserve, FoWLNR has:
- Hosted a variety of themed events at the Reserve and which targeted different audiences. These included Seasonal Walks, Wildflower & Tree Identification Walks, Pond Dipping, a Bat Walk, Bird Ringing, Dragonfly & Damsel Fly Walk, Young Birders Walk and Dawn Chorus Walk.
- Published a range of booklets that are available to the public for a small fee in the Herons Rest Café.
- Maintained seasonal wildflower information signs around the Reserve.
- Shared information about what could be seen on the Reserve during the different seasons, on the Notice Board in the Visitor Centre and on social media platforms.
20
## Visitor Experience
The Reserve continues to receive positive feedback from many of its visitors, either in person or via various online platforms.
A small number of visitors were unhappy or critical about elements of their visit. Where any such feedback was received, it was shared with the applicable function heads and HDC to identify any opportunities for improvement.
## Funding
FoWLNR generates income in a number of different ways, including:
- from membership fees and donations.
- entry to events.
- sales in the Herons Rest café.
- a portion of the daily and annual permit fees received from HDC, and
- miscellaneous sales of booklets and donated items (such as books and puzzles) in the Visitor Centre.
We are very grateful to our members and to those who have made contributions to FoWLNR, who we wish to thank.
During the year we were able to contribute over £21,000 towards various projects at the Reserve, and the year ended with a healthy bank balance which will help us with the planned projects.
## Volunteers
Our dedicated volunteers have continued to generously donate their own time in support of FoWLNR and HDC, to ensure that Warnham Local Nature Reserve remains one of the leading visitor attractions in the Horsham District.
We wish to take this opportunity to thank them all for their contributions, which combine to make the Reserve the success that it is.
21
These volunteers contributed over 8,400 hours in the year towards:
- the upkeep of the Reserve, including through keeping paths clear and the removal of invasive plant species,
- running the Herons Rest Café, which is open 363 days each year,
- running the successful Programme of Events on the Reserve,
- maintaining the Shelley Memorial Garden at the entrance to the Reserve,
- offering guidance to visitors on the Reserve, and
- running FoWLNR as a registered charity.
We are seeking additional volunteers to help us, and if you are interested in contributing to one of the areas above, please email fowlnr@gmail.com
## Horsham District Council
FoWLNR would like to thank HDC staff and in particular their Parks & Countryside Team, who are always very supportive of our charity and with whom we have an excellent relationship.
## **Resolution G – Adopt the Annual Report from 2023/24**
**Proposer:**
**Seconder:**
**Vote of Eligible Members:**
22
## **9. Annual Accounts for the Period 1[st] April 2023 to 31[st] March 2024**
## **Resoluton H**
## Commentary
The Annual Accounts of FoWLNR are shown on the next page. These were independently examined and approved on 10[th] October 2024 by Richard Hopkins who is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
Total funds of FoWLNR at 31st March 2024 amounted to £116,108.51 which included monies held as a General Reserve and those split between separate bank accounts, in part to attract a reasonable rate of interest but while also not exceeding the Financial Services Compensation limit of £85,000 for any single bank account.
While the total funds held by FoWLNR are healthy, the project to ultimately replace all of the boardwalks over the coming years will require these funds plus other substantial amounts which are to be raised over a number of years.
**Resolution H – Adopt the Annual Accounts for the period 1[st] April 2023 to 31[st] March 2024**
**Proposer: Seconder: Vote of Eligible Members:**
23
## **Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**
## **Annual Accounts 01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024**
|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||||
|**Annual Accounts 01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024**||||||||||
|||||||||||
||||**Income**|||||**Expenditure**||
||Café|||||Cafe||||
||Sales – Food & Cold||Drinks|£16,436.83||Purchases – Food||& Cold Drinks|£12,666.06|
||Sales – Hot Drinks|||£26,257.90||Purchases – Hot Drinks|||£04,901.50|
||Sales – Ice Cream|||£02,732.55||Purchases – Ice Cream|||£02,242.80|
||**Total Food & Drink Sales**|||**£45,427.28**||**Total Food & Drink Costs**|||**£19,810.36**|
|||||||||||
||Other Income|||||Admin Expenditure||||
||Friends Membership|||£01,024.50||Till & Card Machine|||£3,366.54|
||Sales – General|||£01,363.80||Cofee Machine|||£1,943.34|
||Events Income|||£04,432.30||Goods Purchased for Sale|||£0,731.69|
||Gif Aid Income|||£02,052.48||Event Costs|||£0,865.51|
||Income – Other|||£01,314.54||Phone,Internet,Website,IT|||£1,312.13|
||**Total Other Income**|||**£10,187.62**||PrintngSupplies|||£0,059.00|
|||||||Miscellaneous|||£1,499.32|
||Donatons|||||Organisatonal Costs|||£0,177.00|
||Artwork Sales Commission|||£00,194.97||Legal Fees|||£3,096.00|
||Donatons & Bequests|||£02,012.19||Volunteer Barbeque|||£0,702.72|
||HDC Permit Donatons|||£16,609.01||||||
||Birdseed Donatons|||£02,135.01||||||
||**Total Donatons**|||**£20,951.18**||**Total Admin Costs**|||**£13,753.25**|
|||||||||||
|||||||Charitable Expenditure||||
|||||||Bird Food|||£04,472.87|
|||||||Cameras|||£03,889.96|
|||||||Walkways|||£06,418.00|
|||||||Wildlife Surveys|||£01,132.73|
|||||||Visitor Centre|||£04,097.82|
|||||||Projects|||£01,316.00|
|||||||Educatonal Signage|||£00,009.00|
|||||||**Total Charitable Spend**|||**£21,336.38**|
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
||**Total Income**|||**£76,566.08**||**Total Expenditure**|||**£54,899.99**|
|||||||||||
||**Annual Accountng Balance**|||**£21,666.09**||||||
|||||||||||
||**Total Funds Held**|||**£116,108.51**||||||
|||||||||||
24
## **10.1 Reappointment of Trustees from the Period 1[st] April 2023 to 31[st] March 2024**
Debbie Ladds joined the Trustee group from 3[rd] February 2024.
Rather than have a separate resolution for her reappointment from the 2024 AGM, it is intended for Resolution D2a above to also cover this.
## **10.2 Reappointment of Trustees Retring By Rotaton**
## **Resoluton I**
The Trustees who stood down by rotation and sought reappointment at the 2024 AGM were Neil Henry and Denise Knight.
|**Resoluton Ia – to confrm the reappointment**
**of Neil Henry as Trustee**|**Resoluton Ib – to confrm the reappointment**
**of Denise Knight as Trustee**|
|---|---|
|**Proposer:**|**Proposer:**|
|**Seconder:**|**Seconder:**|
|**Vote of Eligible Members:**|**Vote of Eligible Members:**|
25
||**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**
**Financial Summary: 2024-2025**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**
**Financial Summary: 2024-2025**|**Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve**
**Financial Summary: 2024-2025**|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**INCOME**|**BUDGET**
**ACTUAL**
**EXPENDITURE**|||**BUDGET**
**ACTUAL**||
|||||||
||**TRADING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE**|||||
|**Food & drink**
Food, cold drinks & ices
£21,300
£21,005.08
Food, cold drinks & ices
£16,500
£13,102.56
Hot Drinks
£29,000
£28,354.22
Hot Drinks
£5,400
£5,868.20
Total food and drink
£50,300
£49,359.30
Total food and drink
£21,900
£18,970.76
Goods
£1,500
£751.80
Goods purchased for sale
£1,000
£300.00
Events
£4,800
£2,279.50
Event Costs
£1,000
£841.51
Coffee machine rental and service
£2,400
£2,012.83
Till and card machine
£3,700
£3,591.43||||£16,500
£13,102.56
£5,400
£5,868.20||
|||||£1,000
£300.00
£1,000
£841.51
£2,400
£2,012.83
£3,700
£3,591.43||
|**TOTAL TRADING INCOME***|**£56,600**
**£52,390.60**
**TOTAL TRADING EXPENDITURE**|||**£30,000**
**£25,716.53**||
|_*of which_|_£1,611 was recorded as income from non-charitable trading_|||||
||**OTHER INCOME AND ADMIN EXPENDITURE**|||||
|**Donations & other income**
HDC permit donations
Birdseed Donations
Donations & Bequests Rec'd
Friends membership
Artwork sales commission
Gift Aid Income
Income - Other|**Admin Expenditure**
£27,000
£31,680.99
Phone, internet, website, IT
£2,100
£2,528.50
Printing costs for volunteers
£2,000
£2,247.59
Volunteer events
£0
410
Misc (incl unassigned)
£200
£308.57
Organisational costs
£750
£0.00
Contingency 10%
£1,000
£1,975.19|||£1,500
£1,131.60
£300
£7.00
£1,000
£640.26
£1,500
£1,301.71
£1,000
£2,015.41
£1,340||
|**TOTAL DONATIONS**|**£33,050**
**£39,150.84**
**ADMIN EXPENDITURE**|||**£6,640**
**£5,095.98**||
|||||||
||**SUMMARY**|||||
|||||||
|**TOTAL INCOME**|**£89,650**
**£91,541.44**||**TRADING & ADMIN EXPENDITURE**|**£36,640**
**£30,812.51**||
|||||||
|**SURPLUS 2024-25 to date**
**£53,010**
**£60,728.93**|||**CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE**|**£100,718**
**£28,658.77**||
|||||||
|**Total funds 31st Mar 2025**
Treasurers account_(incl pending receipts)_
Savings account (reserve)
Unity bank
**Total of bank balances**
_Pending payments to HDC & artists_
_Netfunds_||£52,230.40
£20,416.86
£77,845.36
**£150,492.62**
_-£2,313.95_
_£148,178.67_|**_Funds reconciliation_**
_Total funds in bank 31st Mar 2024_
_Pending receipts & payments 31st Mar 2024_
_Net funds 31st Mar 2024_
_Income 2024-25_
_Expenditure 2024-25_
**_Netfunds 31st Mar 2025_**||_£116,668.26_
_-£559.75_|
||||||_£116,108.51_|
||||||_£91,541.44_
_-£59,471.28_|
||||||**_£148,178.67_**|
|_Notes:_
_Non-charitable trading is_
_2%_
_Pending transactions include till sales for which payment has not yet appeared in bank account, and money due to be transferred to HDC and_
_artistsfor whom we are acting as agents_
_of total income, which is well below the 25% limit for charities corporate tax exemption._||||||
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Thfj Frlwds ofwamlum Local Natur• R•seNa
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For tho rfod
from
To
0710412024
3110312025
Section A Receipts aiid payinents
Unrestrfcted
funds
Regtrlcted
lund•
Endowment
fund•
Totsl lundg
La8t year
tsth• n•llT•¢ £ toth• n*tE
toth• twr••t£
toth• n•wMte
toth• nMrn•t e
A1 Recelpt•
Salei-foo¢l, cc4d drinh and le
es- hot tSrink8
Mamb6r8hlp
Other •nd tyJmMlloTh
Yent•
on?
on¥
410
3.038
2.2BO
36,4S7
410
3,038
67
ross income
AR)
91,042
91.wd
8••t an
(800 lablo).
rotal ree8lpt8
91,S42
A3Po
monts
Pvrtheges for rewlo
Admin e
ndilury
ChHrtthbla
endhu
20,7t7
6.096
2B.869
28,717
13,763
21,338
28.869
Sub total
59.472
59.472
4,899
A4 A#i•t and Inv•*tm•nt
ètr table
Sub tot•1
59.472
89,472
Net ofrn¢glptW(yym•nts)
AS TranaTr between funds
A8 Cash fund• la8t year ond
Ca•h lunds th1* yur •nd
32.
118,34
16,340
1418.410
84.873
16.340
CCXX R1 9un