Chairmans report 2024
First thanks to all the trustees for all their work throughout the year. Geraldine as always continues to be a very efficient secretary, Sally our treasurer has had a much easier time sorting the accounts since we changed banks to Nat West. Ann continues waging war on Alexanders and stepping in to take the occasional meeting notes.
Marie now regularly supported by Jo continues to work with the primary school and John has been maintaining the website and managing the groups files on One Drive amongst many other things. Patricia has managed to keep the village updated every month as to what the group is doing and what’s been seen via the Warbler . Katharine is now looking after the Friends, keeping them up to date with events.
Two years ago, at this meeting we formed Wilder Wenhaston . This has completed a number of projects, involved 40+ people and is currently undertaking survey work on the river, monitoring the pollution and the wildlife and is extending its reach to the source of the Blyth at Laxfield and everywhere else in between. More information on the display board.
The breeding birds survey was carried out and thanks go to Barry and Gus for monitoring most of the 27 nest boxes, which produced 135 blue tits and 11 great tits. This was 70 young less than 2022 with weather being the determining factor. Barn owls bred in the box for the second time, producing 2 young very late in October but only one successfully fledged and tawny owls bred for the first time producing 2 young. A nestling blue tit ringed in one of the boxes was trapped by the Kessingland Ringing Group north of Lowestoft in January.
The meadow area is developing in Malsters, with a combination of seed, green hay and plug plants helping increase its diversity from what was a barley field in 2017. The annual cut took place in August.
The Copse pond which was restored in January 2023 is gradually recovering, newts returned within weeks and the aquatic plants are responding.
The AONB volunteer team carried out some more holly clearance, the show of bluebells this spring have shown how effective this work is. Sadly, ash die back is affecting most of the trees in Vicarage Grove and so two had to be felled adjacent to the foot path and this will be ongoing. The rest of the work has been managing the new trees and removing/replacing guards where needed.
The group has attended the various events in the village hall, the village show, bazaar and the Halesworth Climate Conference.
We held a Bioblitz in June, resulting in identifying 28 new species mainly plants and invertebrates and a fungi survey was carried out in October. All records go to SBIS Suffolk Biological Information Service. Another will take place this year on 13[th] July.
Vicarage Grove is now on the Ancient Woodland Register. Previously woods under 2ha were not recorded.
Various people have provided their services for free and Crispin Chalker, who did the pond restoration, moved all the felled timber off site for free.
Extra fruit trees were planted in the Merton Wood orchard and mulched with wood chip kindly supplied by 1[st] Cut tree surgeons.
The information board has been updated by Colin Edwards who did the original board and he carried out the work for no charge. Two new direction signs have also been installed.
Some of our volunteers have been involved in planting up more new woods in the village. Thanks to Mike and Trish Gower another wood has been planted, this time replacing a wood that was grubbed out in the 1960’s.
Finally, we hope to secure another piece of land later in the year.
Alan Miller
Blyth Woods Chair
May 2024
| Blyth Woods Categories income and expenses 1st April 2023 - Category Capital costs - restricted funds:Equipment and signage Capital costs - restricted funds:Plants and tmber Capital costs - restricted funds:Pond work Expenditure:Event costs inc Annual meetng - speakers, refreshments and foats Expenditure:Insurance Expenditure:Printng, postage, computer, website and statonery Expenditure:Sundry small items Income:Bank interest and compensaton Income:Friends - annual Income:Friends - lifetme Income:Gif Aid Income:Grants and donatons - unrestricted Income:Sale of cards and produce etc Total Wilder Wenhaston funds - rinfenced for their expenses Total |
31st March 2024 Expenses Income £285.53 £117.00 £4,700.00 £44.57 £177.86 £174.79 £17.00 £215.65 £50.00 £200.00 £784.32 £601.60 £139.70 £5,516.75 £1,991.27 £640.26 £830.71 |
|---|---|
| £6,157.01 £2,821.98 |
Bank Reconciliation Treasurers account
| Details Opening bank balance RECEIPTS TO DATE PAYMENTS TO DATE Less cheques unpresented now presented CLOSING BANK BALANCE |
Actual £22,163.62 £2,821.98 £6,157.01 £0.00 |
|---|---|
| £18,828.59 |
Notes
| Blyth WoodsCharityRegNo 1172343 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts and Payments Account Year ended 31st March 2024 | |||||||
| Unrestricted 2024 |
Restricted 2024 |
Total 2024 | Unrestricted 2023 |
Restricted 2023 |
Total 2023 | ||
| Income | |||||||
| Friends - annual | £50.00 | £50.00 | £24.00 | £24.00 | |||
| Friends - lifetme | £200.00 | £200.00 | £500.00 | £500.00 | |||
| Grants and donatons - restricted | £0.00 | £0.00 | £425.00 | £425.00 | |||
| Donatons - unrestricted | £601.60 | £601.60 | £359.26 | £359.26 | |||
| Sale of cards andproduce etc | £139.70 | £139.70 | £97.40 | £97.40 | |||
| Equipment | £0.00 | £0.00 | £348.00 | £348.00 | |||
| Events inc AGM - foats | £0.00 | £0.00 | £30.00 | £30.00 | |||
| Bank interest and compensaton | £215.65 | £215.65 | £120.69 | £120.69 | |||
| Gif Aid | £784.32 | £784.32 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||
| Wilder Wenhaston(ringfenced) | £830.71 | £830.71 | £500.00 | £500.00 | |||
| Total income | £1,991.27 | £830.71 | £2,821.98 | £1,131.35 | £1,273.00 | £2,404.35 | |
| Expenditure | |||||||
| Hall hire,afliaton fee and lof storage | £0.00 | £0.00 | £92.50 | £92.50 | |||
| Event costs inc AGM - Speakers,refreshments and foats | £44.57 | £44.57 | £91.20 | £91.20 | |||
| Insurance | £177.86 | £177.86 | £231.05 | £231.05 | |||
| Printng, postage,computer,website and statonery | £174.79 | £174.79 | £170.87 | £170.87 | |||
| Plants and tmber | £117.00 | £117.00 | £361.27 | £361.27 | |||
| Equipment | £285.53 | £285.53 | £696.00 | £696.00 | |||
| Sundrysmall items | £17.00 | £17.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||
| Accountancyfees | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||
| Pond work | £0.00 | £4,700.00 | £4,700.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||
| Wilder Wenhaston(ringfenced) | £640.26 | £640.26 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||
| Total expenditure | £414.22 | £5,742.79 | £6,157.01 | £585.62 | £1,057.27 | £1,642.89 | |
| Surplus(Defcit)of Income over expenditure | £1,577.05 | -£4,912.08 | -£3,335.03 | £545.73 | £215.73 | £761.46 | |
| Treasurers Bank balance brought forward | £10,858.62 | £11,305.00 | £22,163.62 | £6,125.89 | £15,276.27 | £21,402.16 | |
| Business Instant bank balance brought forward | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| Adjustment for expenditure from 2018 to 2021 from Unrestricted expenditure to Restricted expenditure for interpretaton board, pond work, trees and tmber, equipment and tools all covered by grants awarded. |
£0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £4,187.00 | -£4,187.00 | ||
| Total carried forward | £12,435.67 | £6,392.92 | £18,828.59 | £10,858.62 | £11,305.00 | £22,163.62 | |
| Bank balances carried forward | |||||||
| Treasurers bank balance(Lloyds) | £0.00 | £21,580.93 | |||||
| Current account bank balance(NatWest) | £3,613.41 | £0.00 | |||||
| Business bank Instant bank balance(Lloyds) | £0.00 | £582.69 | |||||
| Business Reserve account(NatWest) | £3,030.96 | £0.00 | |||||
| 35 DayLiquidityaccount(NatWest) | £12,184.22 | £0.00 | |||||
| Total carried forward | £18,828.59 | £22,163.62 | |||||
| Reserves Policy: | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |
| Wilder Wenhaston(ringfenced) | £690.45 | £690.45 | £500.00 | £500.00 | |||
| Pond Work in The Copse - invoice due | £0.00 | £0.00 | £5,000.00 | £5,000.00 | |||
| Professional fees for landpurchase | £3,000.00 | £3,000.00 | £3,000.00 | £3,000.00 | |||
| Informaton board - inprogress | £0.00 | £0.00 | £250.00 | £250.00 | |||
| Furtherplantngwork expected in 2024 | £5,000.00 | £5,000.00 | £0.00 | ||||
| Insurance | £150.00 | £150.00 | £150.00 | £150.00 | |||
| Events -planned | £250.00 | £250.00 | £250.00 | £250.00 | |||
| Maintenance - expected | £500.00 | £500.00 | £500.00 | £500.00 | |||
| Total | £900.00 | 8690.45 | £9,590.45 | £900.00 | £8,750.00 | £9,650.00 |
Blyth Woods Reg Charity No 1172343 Statement of Assets and Liabilities Year ended 31st March 2024
| Cash funds Treasurers Bank account (Lloyds) Current bank account (NatWest) Business Bank Instant account (Lloyds) Business Reserve account (NatWest) 35 Day Liquidity account Total Assets retained for the CIO's own use (at cost) Land known as Grove Piece, Wenhaston (including legal fees) Interpretaton board Land at Vicarage Grove (Litle Malsters), Wenhaston (including legal fees) Equipment and tools Total Liabilites Wilder Wenhaston funds held and ringfenced Work not yet invoiced Total |
2024 2023 £ £ 0.00 21,580.93 3,613.41 0.00 0.00 582.69 3,030.96 0.00 12,184.22 0.00 |
|---|---|
| 18,828.59 22,163.62 |
|
| £ £ 23,063.00 23,063.00 784.00 784.00 18,616.00 18,616.00 3,221.26 2,935.73 |
|
| 45,684.26 45,398.73 |
|
| £ £ 690.45 500.00 0.00 5,000.00 |
|
| 690.45 5,500.00 |
Accounts checked by Linda Hammond on ….................................................
Signed …..................................................................................................
Signed on behalf of the Trustees on ..........................................................
…....................................... …..................................................... Chair Alan Miller Treasurer Sally Amery