## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
## **From 01 April 2022 To 31 March 2023**
## **Charity name: Friends of the Marden Valley**
## **Charity registration number: 1173673**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|(1) To promote for the benefit of the public
conservation, protection and improvement of
the river Marden and its tributaries, from its
source to its confluence with the River Avon
(North East of Chippenham), together with its
surrounding habitats, its wildlife, both flora and
fauna of its catchment basin, and
(2) To advance the education of the public in
the conservation, protection, and improvement
of the physical and natural environment as well
as the history of the River Marden Valley.|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|Continued maintenance of the River Marden
and its tributaries in particular the Abberd Brook
area. Planted trees, installed brushwood berms,
cleaned up debris and litter from Wharf area.
Conducting and recording an active series of
on-line meetings and webinars.
Conducting surveys of wildlife in the area.
Prepared and issued a three-volume report on
the biodiversity of the valley.
Held a river day in Calne with well over 100
attendees.
Prepared a design for a Floating Island for the
Wharf area.
Commissioned videos of the valley and our
activities.|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|In planning, organizing and implementing all of
the activities of the charity the trustees have
had regard to the guidance issued by the
Charity Commission on public benefit and affirm
that the primary purpose of the charity is to
make the Marden Valley and its immediate
surroundings an amenity for the public.|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38||
|---|---|---|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|It is estimated that approximately 30 volunteers
contributed over 300 hours in total in the period.|
|Other|||
## **Achievements and Performance**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|The charity has achieved the following in this
period:
(1) Biodiversity and Environmental Research:
•
Prepared and issued the first
comprehensive study of the biodiversity
of the valley which has identified many
rare or locally rare species.
•
Conducted a specific survey regarding
water voles on Abberd brook providing
definitive evidence of a colony there.
These studies have already shaped Local
Neighbourhood Planning development.
(2) Education and Awareness Events
•
Held specific meetings (online and with
live audiences) to increase awareness
of the wildlife and habitats in the area,
•
Organised a river day in the town that
was attended by over 100 adults, and
about 50 children. A river blessing was
conducted by the local Bishop.
•
One trustee was interviewed by the
BBC news after an oil spill in the river to
increase the awareness of pollution and
contamination.
(3) Environmental Improvements
•
Tree planting,
•
Wildflower planting.
•
River clean-up and litter removal,
•
Flow improvements (berm installation)
These improvements have focussed on an
area that has a higher than average level of
deprivation indices.|
**Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against Para 1.41 objectives set
||||
|---|---|---|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|£7,477.16 of cash grants were raised in the
period. In addition, further support was obtained
in terms of materials and installation services
for information boards and plantings. Last year
a goal to increase private sector support was
set and in this period £2,500 of these grants
were from this sector.|
|Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41||
|Other|||
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|The charity increased its assets by £2,194 in
the period and reduced liabilities to £475
(supplier accounts payable).|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The charity has a policy to hold 10% of the
annual expenditure as a reserve to be prudent.
This would represent just under £500.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£500 are identified as reserves, although at the
end of the reporting period there was over
£5000 in the bank account, however, much of
this funding is allocated for project activities.|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22||
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24||
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23||
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|Approximately 1/3 of the funding in the period
was from private sector concerns and 2/3 from
the public sector.
Depending on the future mix of projects it is
expected that a similar mix of funding might
continue.|
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46||
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46||
|Other|||
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|CIO|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Appointed by trustees|
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction Para 1.51 and training of trustees The charity’s organisational structure and any wider Para 1.51 network with which the charity works Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties Other
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Friends of the Marden Valley|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|Friends of Abberd Brook|
|Registered charity number|1173673|
|Charity’s principal address|Flat 15
Castle House
Castle Street
Calne
SN11 0EY|
|||
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Robert
MacNaughton|Secretary|||
||Ian Leslie Thorn|Chair|||
||Tamzyn Long|Trustee|||
||Andrew Steven
Jones|Treasurer|||
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## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
## **Director name**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year**
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
|**Type of**|**Name**|**Address**|
|---|---|---|
|**adviser**|||
**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
## **Other optional information**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
|**Signature(s)**
**Full name(s)**
**Position (eg Secretary,**
**Chair, etc)**
**Date**|||
|---|---|---|
||Andrew Steven Jones|Ian Leslie Thorn|
||
Treasurer|Chair|
||24 April 2023||
||24 April 2023||
## Financial Statements
For
The Friends of the Marden Valley
Registered Charity Number 1173673
For the period 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023
## **Summary and notes to financial statements**
The charity received two grants from the private sector in the period.
The first was for £1,500 from Wessex Water Environmental Fund to conduct a survey of the European Vole population along Abberd Brook and to plant trees in the area. The work was conducted in the period and voles were photographed.
The second was for £1,000 from Selwood Housing to plant and make improvements to the environment. Work started on this project, but some funding remains for work in the next fiscal year.
The charity received four grants from the public sector local parishes, the Calne Town Council and Wiltshire Council for a total of £4,962 for a variety of projects including installation of information boards, holding a River Day, and participation at various local events to increase awareness of the environment.
The total expenditures in the period in support of all projects was £4,758.40. 40% of these expenditures were related to biodiversity and environmental research, 29% were in support of education and awareness and 23% related to projects that improved the environment such as tree planting. The remaining 8% was for liability insurance and software licenses.
Thus, there was a surplus of income over expenditure in the period of £2,718.76.
The account receivable of £931 is related to a grant from Wiltshire Council Area Board that was approved but had not been received by the end of period. The only liabilities are accounts payable to various suppliers which reduced by £524.27 in the period.
Overall, the net assets increased over the period from £3,215.23 to £5,933.99.
No trustees or related parties were funded by the charity and all expenditures were in accordance with the aims of the charity.
The trustees consider the charity is in a viable and in a financially sound position with assets exceeding anticipated expenditures.
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## **Financial Statement for Friends of the Marden Valley**
For the period 12 months ending 31 March 2023
## **Income Statement**
|**Income**
Wessex Water Environment Grant
Selwood Housing Grant
Subtotal Private Sector Grants
Bremhill Parish Grant
Calne Without Parish Grant
Calne Area Board (Wiltshire Council)
Calne Town Council Grant
Subtotal Public Sector Grants
Miscellaneous donatons
Total Income in Period
**Expenditures**
Biodiversity and Environmental Research
Educaton and Awareness events
Environmental Improvements
Insurance and General expenses
Total Expenditures in Period
Surplus of Income over Expenditures
**alance Sheet**
**Assets**
01/04/22
Bank Accounts
£ 4,215.23
Accounts Receivable
£ 0
Total Assets
£ 4,215.23
**Liabilites**
Accounts Payable
£ 1,000.00
Total Liabilites
£ 1,000.00
Net Assets
£ 3,215.23|**Income**
Wessex Water Environment Grant
Selwood Housing Grant
Subtotal Private Sector Grants
Bremhill Parish Grant
Calne Without Parish Grant
Calne Area Board (Wiltshire Council)
Calne Town Council Grant
Subtotal Public Sector Grants
Miscellaneous donatons
Total Income in Period
**Expenditures**
Biodiversity and Environmental Research
Educaton and Awareness events
Environmental Improvements
Insurance and General expenses
Total Expenditures in Period
Surplus of Income over Expenditures
**alance Sheet**
**Assets**
01/04/22
Bank Accounts
£ 4,215.23
Accounts Receivable
£ 0
Total Assets
£ 4,215.23
**Liabilites**
Accounts Payable
£ 1,000.00
Total Liabilites
£ 1,000.00
Net Assets
£ 3,215.23|Income
£ 1,500.00
£ 1,000.00|Expenditure
£ 1,886.97
£ 1,401.89
£ 1,090.20
£ 379.34|
|---|---|---|---|
|||£ 2,500.00
£ 250.00
£ 681.00
£ 931.00
£ 3,100.00||
|||£ 4,962.00
£ 15.16||
||£ 4,215.23
£ 1,000.00|£ 6,409.72
£ 2,194.49
£ 475.73
-£ 524.27||
||£ 1,000.00|£ 475.73
-£ 524.27||
||£ 3,215.23|£ 5,933.99
£ 2,718.76||
## **Balance Sheet**
Andrew S. Jones
Treasurer, Friends of The Marden Valley
24 April 2023
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