2025-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

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 (Northeast 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 and area adjacent to Calne. Planted trees, spring bulbs, cleaned up debris and litter. Conducting surveys of wildlife in the area. Using a water quality meter to establish the health of the river. Held a river day in Calne with well over 200 attendees. Constructed and tested a design for a Floating Island for the Wharf area and completed installation of a small trial piece. 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 anamenityforthe public.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
	Para 1.38
Policy on grant making
	Para 1.38

Policy on social investment including program related investment
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	It is estimated that approximately 30 volunteers contributed over 300 hours in total in the period.
Other		The charity works closely with other volunteer groups in the area that have similar objectives in particular the River Warriors, Clean up Calne and CARP.

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: • Continued survey and studies on the wildlife in the valley using e-DNA methods. Issued a final report on this topic • Continued to study the water quality of the river, as well as in the larger region. (2) Education and Awareness Events • Organised a river day in the town that was attended by over 200 adults, and about 50 children. (3) Environmental Improvements • Tree planting, • Spring bulb planting (~2500 bulbs) • Wildflower planting. • River clean-up and litter removal, 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 objectives set	Para 1.41
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	£5,061 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. Two years a goal to increase private sector support was set and in this period £1,900 of these grants were from this sector.
	Para1.41

Investment performance against objectives 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 net assets by £1,771 in the period due to timing of project expenses and grant receipts
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 as expenditures were particularly high in this period.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£500 are identified as reserves, although at the end of the reporting period there was over £7000 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 40% of the funding in the period was from private sector concerns and 60% from the public sector. Depending on the future mix of projects it is expected that a similar mix of funding might continue. However, it is anticipated that public sector support may be more difficult to secure in the future.
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	Future funding, in particular from the public sector might prove more difficult to obtain in the future.
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 and training of trustees	Para 1.51
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51
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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
	Robert MacNaughton	Secretary
	Ian Leslie Thorn	Chair
	Tamzyn Long	Trustee
	Andrew Steven Jones	Treasurer

– 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)|Signature(s)
yo|||| |Full name(s)|Full name(s)Andrew Steven Jones|Ian Leslie Thorn|Ian Leslie Thorn|| |Position (eg Secretary,|Treasurer||Chair|| |Chair, etc)||||| |||||| |Date2 September 2025|2 September 2025||||

Financial Statements

For

The Friends of the Marden Valley

Registered Charity Number 1173673

For the period 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025

Summary of activities and notes to financial statements

The charity received one grant from the private sector in the period and two grants from the public sector, the latter were both made by the Calne Town Council, which together with a small donation from the public comprised a total income for the period of £5,061.

During this period work on projects that were funded in the last fiscal year continued; including the holding of a River Day which was again well attended with over 200 participants including mayors of nearby towns.

Work continued to test the floating island concept. In particular, the structure was subjected to exceptional flow levels during winter river spate conditions and points for additional strengthening of the design were identified and incorporated into a modified design which was constructed and planted with a number of aquatic plants.

A project to measure the e-DNA (environmental DNA analyses) in the river was undertaken with successful results and the gaining of important learnings about these advanced biometric techniques. A long-term eel restocking program was also planned and funding secured. It is expected that this will be completed in the spring of 2026.

Monitoring of the river chemistry (for pollutants etc.) continued, and discussions were held with a Bath University research group to consider possible future research co-operation.

The total expenditure in the period in support of all projects was £3,289; of these expenditures £2,040 were related to biodiversity and environmental research, £422 were in support of education and awareness, and £326 were related to projects that improved the environment. The latter included a project that saw over two and a quarter thousand spring bulbs planted. The remaining £481 was for liability insurance and software licenses.

In the period income exceeded expenditure by £1,771 this is largely due to the mismatch in timing of project income and expenditures within the reporting period, note that in the last reporting period expenditure exceeded income by £1,001.

With respect to the balance sheet, at the end of the period, there were no accounts receivable and £699 of liabilities (accounts payable). Overall, the net assets increased over the period from £4,932 to £6,704. The charity notes that the great majority of these assets are earmarked for future project commitments and do not represent a large discretionary surplus.

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 to be in a viable and financially sound position with assets exceeding anticipated expenditures.

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Financial Report for Friends of the Marden Valley

Period 12 months ending 31 March 2025

Income Statement

Income Statement
	Income	Expenditure
Wessex Water Environment Grant	£ 1,900.00
Subtotal	£ 1,900.00
Council grants	£ 3,130.87
Donations from the public	£ 30.00
Total Income in Period	£ 5,060.87
Biodiversity and Environmental Research		£ 2,040.00
Education and Awareness events		£ 422.10
Environmental Improvements		£ 346.24
Insurance and misc. expenses		£ 480.68
Total Expenditures in period		£ 3,289.02
Net Income in Period	£ 1,771.85

Balance Sheet

	01/04/2024 31/03/2025	Change in period
Bank account	£ 5,234.30 £ 7,404.05	£ 2,169.75
Accounts Receivable	£ - £ -	£ -
Assets	£ 5,234.30 £ 7,404.05	£ 2,169.75
Accounts Payable	£ 302.00 £ 699.90	£ 397.90
Liabilities	£ 302.00 £ 699.90	£ 397.90
Net Assets	£ 4,932.30 £ 6,704.15	£ 1,771.85

Andrew S. Jones Treasurer, Friends of The Marden Valley

2 September 2025

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