2025-10-31-accounts

RECEIPT AND PAYMENT ACCOUNTS for the year ended 31st October 2025

AND

BALANCE SHEET as at 31st October 2025

1

Kington Walks - Receipt and Payment Account for the year ended 31st October 2025

INCOME	2024-25
2024 Autumn Festival	80.16
Autumn Walks & Events	3,364.99
Sponsors (Casserole Evening & Walk Sponsors)	1,025
Kington Town Council Grants	0
Donations	100
Community Shop	1,321.26
T Shirt Sales	60
Sundry Income	5.54
Savings Account Interest	381.59
Administrator (refund)	100
Total Income	6,438.64

2

Kington Walks - Receipt and Payment Account for the year ended 31st October 2025

PAYMENTS	2024-25
2024 Autumn Festival	52.49
General Admin (Phone, Insurance, Administrator)	844.46
Sundry Expenses	201.82
Promotion & Advertising	185.00
Community Shop	230.00
Autumn Walk & Events	3,093.38
Website Expenses	555.99
Footpath Maintenance	565.73
Walking for Health	973.03
Donations Given (Heartstart, Longtown MR)	200.00
First Aid Kits	322.05
Scouts	110.88
Total Payments	7,334.83

3

Kington Walks - Balance Sheet as at 31st October 2025

For Financial Year 01/11/2024 to 31/10/2025	For Financial Year 01/11/2024 to 31/10/2025	For Financial Year 01/11/2024 to 31/10/2025
Total Income		6,438.54
Total Expenditure		7,334.83
Surplus/(Defcit) of Income over Expenditure		(896.29)
Carried over from last year		25,006.34
TOTAL at year end		24,110.05
Portfolio consists of:
Bank Account		7,086.38
Savings Account		17,023.67
TOTALS		24,110.05
of which the following is ring-fenced:
Andy Johnson Gift		0
Kingspan (for Scouts)		395.16
Co-op (for Walking for Health)		2,924.14

4

Kington Walks Annual Report

Charity Commission Number: 1172022

Email: [e-mail] Website: www.kingtonwalks.org.uk Period: 1[st] November 2024 to 31[st] October 2025

Charity Trustees:

Charity Trustees:
Trustee Name	Ofce	Dates
Ms Sarah Lee	Chair of Trustees	Fullperiod
Mr Paul Finch		Fullperiod
Mr Kevin Robinson		Full Period
Mrs Valerie Burden		Appointed 29 01 2025
Mrs Helen Yeomans		Appointed 29 01 2025

Management

This was the organisation’s ninth period as a charity where we continued to build a sustainable volunteer community and establish a base of funds to enable us to pursue the objectives of the charity.

The overarching governance document of the charity is the “CONSTITUTION OF A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION WITH VOTING MEMBERS OTHER THAN ITS CHARITY TRUSTEES” that is an edited and approved version of the Charity Commission’s standard document. A copy of this is available on request. The Constitution defines most of our processes including the appointment and election of Trustees.

The day to day running of Kington Walks is managed by our Committee of Members that meets on at least a monthly basis and has the remit to manage most decision making within the terms of the Constitution. Decisions required outside those terms are referred back to the Trustees. In addition, one or more sub-committees manage specific activities or events e.g. our annual walking festival. These sub-committees report back to the main committee on a monthly basis and in effect are concerned with organisational matters with all decisions affecting the charity passed back for approval by the main Committee of Members. There are Terms of Reference for these Committees.

Kington Walks has no formal relationship with any related parties.

Our risk management system is focused on the risks associated with walking activities and are governed by a risk management system that requires completion by all walk leaders. Kington Walks also has a safeguarding policy.

Objectives

• Kington Walks is a Charitable incorporated Organisation (CIO) with the following objectives: (1) to provide education on the benefits of walking on health and unity within a community;

• (2) to promote a healthy lifestyle by encouraging and enabling people to partake in regular walks as a form of exercise;

• (3) to advance the development of the community in Kington through organising and facilitating regular group walks in the area including but not limited to an annual walking festival; and

• (4) to promote the protection of the environment through use of sustainable methods of transport (such as buses and trains) to and from group walks

Primary Activities and Achievements for Period

The primary activity of Kington Walks since it was founded has been the establishment and development of two annual Kington Walking Festivals, taking place in April and September. The festivals continue to be a major priority but with our now sustainable group of volunteers and base of funds, Walking 4health and footpath maintenance have been added as regular ongoing commitments.

Kington Walks, a registered charity, comprises a group of charity trustees, a ‘Main Committee’ of volunteers that steers its work, and several groups of volunteers that either lead and back mark festival walks, lead and back mark Walking4health walks, carry out footpath maintenance or assist at activities and events, for example stewarding or staffing the pop-up walking festival office. Often individual volunteers are involved in more than one of these areas. The following report seeks to cover our main areas of activity as well as recognising and celebrating the contributions made over the year

Walking Festivals

It was decided, early in the year, not to hold the Spring Festival. This due in part to the Committee working on procedures and policy documents, to provide Kington Walks volunteers with more guidance and support, and in part because we were in the process of changing our Festival Organiser.

The Autumn Festival went ahead as per normal, but with a small reduction in the number of walks available. Apart from a rather damp Saturday, all the walks went ahead without any problems. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Evening events were not as busy as in previous years, but costs were covered, except for the room hire for the band. Disappointingly, participation in the photography competition was down on recent years.

We continue to be very appreciative of the crucial contribution made by our walk leaders. As some of our longstanding walk leaders step down, we recognise the importance of recruiting new walk leaders and are delighted to have welcomed several this year. Our thanks go to all our walk leaders, their back markers and other volunteers who helped us, not only during the festival, but throughout the year.

Website, Marketing and Sponsorship

Work continued throughout the year to improve our website and to make the website easier to use. As well as carrying all the information and the means of booking for the walking festivals, the website features pages for the photography competition, Kington Walking for Health, Footpaths around Kington, and information and links relating to the town. As part of this process of improvement, we changed the company we use for payment of walks and events etc. The new payment process has proved to be a significant improvement.

We have continued with sponsorship of our walks and our thanks to local businesses who support us. As well as supporting the festival financially, walk sponsorship strengthens our local partnerships and gives sponsors the opportunity to publicise and get involved with their walk. The photography competition prize was sponsored by Paramo, and the Casserole Evening by Tarmac.

Marketing analysis based on information provided by online bookings for the autumn festival shows that most bookings were return visits by previous festivalgoers; followed by word of mouth and social media.

Many thanks to our website manager, Andy Lauder.

Footpaths

The footpath maintenance team, of 9, has had another busy year. The team met 6 times and undertook 18 working days of between 2-4 hours each. As well as undertaking regular maintenance days, the team has continued to liaise with the Ramblers over maintenance of the Mortimer Trail. During the year 9 styles in disrepair were replaced by kissing gates; 4 styes repaired, one ditch crossing installed and one repaired plus circa one kilometre of undergrowth cleared.

One of our members continues to carry out the role as Footpath Officer for Kington and several surrounding parishes. Our system to allow walkers to report any faults directly through [e-mail], has been used regularly, either directly or via the Kington Tourist information Centre. All issues have been followed up, where possible directly by the Kington Walks footpath team, or where appropriate referred to Hereford County Council, and then monitored by Kington Walks.

Walking for Health

We are pleased to report that the Kington Walking for Health scheme continues to be well supported by 10 volunteer walk leaders and backmarkers and greatly appreciated by the participants, we now have 48 registered with the scheme. In addition to the weekly walks, there is a monthly social for our participants, which is always well attended. Individual feedback emphasises the benefits of the scheme to mental as well as physical health, for example to participants who had rarely left their own homes.

In addition to the weekly short walk on the Kington Recreation Ground, there is now a regular longer walk. As in previous years, the scheme took a short break during the winter months and returned in the spring.

We were fortunate enough to be selected as a chosen charity by the Co-Op community charity scheme. We received a generous charitable grant of £4,583 in November 2023. This continues to be of great assistance in maintaining and expanding the scheme.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS)

During the Spring of 2025, after a thorough and rigorous assessment, Kington Walks was nominated to receive this prestigious award. We were delighted to be informed in October, under strict embargo, that we were to receive the award, which is the equivalent to an MBE for voluntary service. The award would be announced as part of the King’s Birthday Honours, on November 14[th ] , 2025. Our press release, sent out under embargo in October 2025 is added to this report. This has been a very proud moment for all current and previous volunteers and a landmark in our organisation’s life. As can be seen from the press release, more events and celebrations are planned for the period of next year’s report. These will not only highlight and thank all for their contributions past and present, but also be a cause for celebration for our community in Kington and its surrounding area, and a great opportunity to attract new volunteers and participants.

Press Release: Kington Walks receives The King’s Award for Voluntary Service

As part of the King’s 2025 Birthday honours, Kington Walks, a registered charity run by a group of volunteers based in the town of Kington in Herefordshire, has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE. It marks a very significant achievement. Over 100 volunteers support Kington Walks in a variety of ways to enable visitors to the town and local people of all abilities to enjoy and benefit from walking.

Edward Harley CBE, Lord-Lieutenant for Herefordshire, said: ‘I am delighted that Kington Walks has been awarded this honour. It is wonderful that the Kington group of volunteers has enabled so many to enjoy and appreciate the great outdoors and the beauty of Herefordshire. The positive impact for the local community and visitors to the county have been immense’.

The award, announced on the birthday of His Majesty the King recognises the work of all Kington Walks volunteers in promoting walking for its benefits to health, pleasure and wellbeing, in the Kington area. Activities run by Kington Walks volunteers include two popular annual Kington Walking Festivals, bringing hundreds of visitors to the town, and a

weekly Walking for Health programme in partnership with Kington Medical Practice, providing group walks for local people to improve health, support recuperation and offer friendly company. Kington Walks volunteers also carry out regular maintenance of over 30 miles of the area’s local footpaths, improving accessibility and replacing broken stiles, gates and signs.

Since the group was founded in 2011, Kington Walks has succeeded in its aim to put the small market town of Kington on the Herefordshire-Powys border on the map as a Centre for Walking, benefitting the town’s hospitality and retail economy, and enhancing Kington’s unique character. Volunteers contribute in different ways, for example by leading and backmarking Kington Walking Festival walks in the glorious Herefordshire and Powys countryside, or as weekly Walking for Health leaders, or on working parties to fix the local footpaths. Strong community support also comes from local businesses, the Kington Chamber of Trade and Kington Town Council.

Chair of the Trustees of Kington Walks, Sarah Lee, said: ‘I am thrilled that our group’s work has been recognised nationally. This is a tribute to so much hard work and commitment over the years, sharing our love of walking and our wonderful local countryside with so many people. It is also a tribute to the community of our great little town where people from all walks of life have come together to make so much happen. We warmly invite Kington Walks volunteers past and present and all our local supporters and sponsors to join us on Saturday 29[th] November from 10.30am-2.00pm at Kington’s Market Hall to celebrate this wonderful honour. Expect refreshments, a big cake to be cut, and much more.’ In rural communities, where it can feel as though services are stretched, local voluntary initiatives can make a big difference. One Kington Walks volunteer commented, ‘When we first started the Walking4health scheme, I undertook a leaflet drop on foot to all 2500 houses in the Kington area. The response was amazing, walkers were joining our scheme both pre and post operative, some walkers just wanted to walk in the fresh air in a sociable setting. Sadly, two of our walkers had been unable to leave their homes during covid and had become very anxious about socialising. I am happy to say both walkers are now regular members.’

One member said, ‘Walking with you guys has transformed my life this year. It's given me the confidence and motivation to join other groups and activities. I've made friends and really filled my time with movement and fun. For once, I am not dreading the winter.’ Kington Walks is one of 231 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways dedicated volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Late Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. 2025 marks the third year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. Recipients are announced annually on 14th November, The King’s Birthday. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK. Representatives of Kington Walks will receive the award crystal and certificate from Mr Edward Harley, Lord-Lieutenant of Hereford in the coming months. In addition, two volunteers from Kington Walks will attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2026, along with other recipients of this year’s award.

To find out more about Kington Walks and how to get involved, visit www.kingtonwalks.org or get in touch on [e-mail]

Thanks

Thanks go to all who contributed to Kington Walks activities in the year ending October 2025. Kington Walks continues to depend on the willingness of its volunteers and local supporters and is extremely grateful to all of them for their commitment and generosity.

Financial Review

The accounts are available on the Charity Commission website.

For the period of this report the top level financial figures were:

Income	Expenditure	Surplus (defcits) for 2024	Surplus (defcits) overall
6,438.54	7,334.83	(896.29)	24,110.05

The 2024 accounts saw a higher than usual surplus, accounted for by ring-fenced grants and donations, in particular the Co-op grant of £4,583 and the donations to fund the scouts’ expeditions, where the expenditure was undertaken in the year commencing 1[st] November 2024. Income in 2025 was therefore more in line with that of years prior to 2024 but was additionally impacted by the absence of a Spring Festival, which will return in 2026.

Our policy is to maintain a reserve that covers the entire cost of our Annual Festival in case extreme weather conditions lead to us having to refund all walk related income. This is approximately £7,500.

Our principal sources of income are:

• Payment for walks at our walking festivals

• Sponsors

• Grants

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Sarah Lee, Chair of Trustees

21st August 2026