## Natural Kirklees Charity number 1174259 Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 September 2024 ## Natural Kirklees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 September 2024 |**Contents**|**Page**| |---|---| |Trustees' report|2 to 4| |Examiner's report|5| |Receipts and payments account|6| |Statement of assets and liabilities|7| |Notes to the accounts|8 to 10| ## **Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO** 1 ## Natural Kirklees ## Trustees' report for the year ended 30 September 2024 ## **Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors** The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: **Name Position Dates** Edwin Day Chair Julie Hirst Treasurer Joan Vevers Secretary Christine Senior Phil Slater David Rudd Timothy Duke Kat Woolley Appointed 26 October 2022 Stefanie Rofke Appointed 26 October 2022 Stuart Taylor Appointed 9 November 2023 **Charity number** 1174259 Registered in England and Wales **Registered and principal address Bankers** The Depot Virgin Money Beaumont Park 40 New Street Huddersfield Huddersfield HD1 7AY HD1 2BT ## **Independent examiner** Sarah Coates MAAT **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO** Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW ## **Structure, governance and management** The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) association formed on 15 Aug 2017 and is governed by a constitution. ## **Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees** The trustees of the charity are appointed by the members at the AGM. 2 ## Natural Kirklees ## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 30 September 2024 ## **Objectives and activities** ## **The charity's objects** To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in Kirklees by promoting biological diversity. To advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment. ## **The charity's main activities** Umbrella organisation for volunteer groups in Kirklees promoting conservation and biodiversity. Providing free insurance and tool share for groups working on Kirklees green spaces. ## **Public benefit statement** In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular giving help and support to the 130 member volunteer groups who work tirelessly to improve their green space, hold events to raise funds and most importantly bring the local community together. When updating the member database in July 2024 the input from member groups identified they give in excess of 50,000 volunteer hours spent improving green spaces and looking after the environment. We continue to assist these groups providing advice and guidance on working practices, grants and opportunities to exchange experiences etc. ## **Achievements and performance** The past year has been more challenging than expected. Following Covid, we had, not only high hopes of a return to, perhaps a new normal, but one where we could expect the environmental volunteering sector to get back playing an important part in the parks and green spaces in Kirklees. However, as the year progressed we realised that fewer volunteers are coming forward and the local council finances, being in a difficult state have impacted their work in these areas. However, despite this we have received a grant to keep our finances secure and for which we are very grateful On a positive side our membership stands at 130 full and associate members and we provide public liability insurance to 96 of those member groups. This is by far the major benefit our members perceive of our services. We also continue to provide free garden maintenance tool hire to members from 2 locations in Wiltonand Beaumont Parks. We were also able to sponsor the countryside marquee at the Honley Show in June where we enabled 12 members to showcase their work and which was considered very successful by both participants and the show committee. We have also been able to fund aspects of a project at a council owned growing area, to enable members to grow their own plants this past season Our quarterly meeting of members have been very well attended with a number of guest speakers and we are actively involved in a research project in relation to Community Gardens, with Huddersfield University. While we maintain a web site directory of member groups and a lot of information and documents to help our members and signpost interested members of the public, our newsletter is now our main means of communication and reaches nearly 500 subscribers and is used to publicise events, fund raising opportunities, member activities and of course our own means of disseminating information. As our reputation continues to grow, we are now contacted by businesses and other third parties and we have been able to direct companies who want to provide opportunities for their staff to volunteer to various member groups, we also received free seed packets and one of the local Rotary Clubs donated 5000 purple crocus bulbs. This has certainly been our most active year in what remain difficult times. 3 ## Natural Kirklees ## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 30 September 2024 ## **Financial review** The net receipts for the year were £29,977, including net receipts of £1,542 on unrestricted funds and net receipts of £28,435 on restricted funds. ## **Reserves policy** The charity's free reserves, at the year end were £2,562. The ongoing support to members by way of providing public liability insurance is seen as the prime financial aspect of Natural Kirklees' role. Should the Council be in a position where they cannot provide adequate funding, Natural Kirklees is unlikely to be able to raise sufficient funds by other means. The trustees therefore aim to maintain reserves at a level which equates to two future years of charitable expenditure in relation to the provision of the public liability for members, the web site and general administration. The trustees consider that this level will provide sufficient funds to respond to the cost of the insurance for those members covered at the time of any failure of the agreement with the council and ensure that basic support and governance costs are covered. Approved by the board of trustees on 23/10/2024 Julie Hirst (Trustee) 4 ## Natural Kirklees ## Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Natural Kirklees I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 30 September 2024, which are set out on pages 6 to 10. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act'). I report in respect of my examination of the CIO's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. ## **Independent examiner's statement** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Charities Act; 2 the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Sarah Coates MAAT 04/11/2024 ## **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO** Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW 5 ## Natural Kirklees ## Receipts and payments account for the year ended 30 September 2024 |Notes
2024
Unrestricted
funds
£
**Receipts**
Grants
(2)
-
Bank interest
1,542
Grants returned
-
**Total receipts**
1,542
**Payments**
Insurance
-
Tool store
-
Website
-
Administration
-
Events and activities
-
Accounting
-
Small grants programme
(3)
-
**Total payments**
-
**Net receipts / (payments)**
1,542
**Fund balances brought forward**
1,020
**Fund balances carried forward**
(4)
2,562|2024
Restricted
funds
£
38,000
-
750
38,750
535
-
53
20
1,783
420
7,504
10,315
28,435
46,877
75,312|2024
Total
funds
£
38,000
1,542
750
40,292
535
-
53
20
1,783
420
7,504
10,315
29,977
47,897
77,874|2023
Total
funds
£
35,000
1,020
-
36,020
22,023
5,560
1,041
17
542
240
8,086
37,509
(1,489)
49,386
47,897| |---|---|---|---| 6 ## Natural Kirklees ## Statement of assets and liabilities |as at 30 September 2024
2024
Unrestricted
£
**Cash funds**
Cash at bank
2,562
**Total cash funds**
2,562|2024
Restricted
£
75,312
75,312|2024
Total
£
77,874
77,874|2023
Total
£
47,897
47,897| |---|---|---|---| |**Liabilities**
Accruals|2024
£
13,528
13,528| |---|---| The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 23/10/2024 Julie Hirst (Trustee) 7 ## Natural Kirklees ## Notes to the accounts ## for the year ended 30 September 2024 ## **1 Accounting policies** ## **Basis of accounting** The trustees have taken advantage of section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis. There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year. No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years. ## **Taxation** As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates. ## **Fund accounting** Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts. 8 ## Natural Kirklees ## Notes to the accounts continued for the year ended 30 September 2024 |**2 Grants**
Kirklees Council
Kirklees Council Peace Pit
**3 Grant making**
**Project or activity**
100 Miles of Hedgerow
Badger Sett Protection
Bee Habitat
Contemplation Area
East Bierley Village Preservation Society
Flower Borders
Friends of Cliffe House
Friends of Cowcliffe Recreation Area
Friends of Crow Nest Park
Friends of Honley Old Woods
Get Together Gardening
Golcar Lily Environment Group
Grange Moor Community Association
Growing Works
Huddersfield & District Badger Group
Keep Hecky Tidy
Knotweed Treetment
Lepton in Bloom
Lepton Village Preservation Society
Mirfield in Bloom
Peace garden
River Holme Connections
School Woodlands
Street Sign Planters
Top Pond Liner
Urban Tree Huggers
Village Gardens
Wildflowers on the River Colne
Total|2024
Unrestricted
funds
£
-
-
-|2024
Restricted
funds
£
33,000
5,000
38,000|2024
Total
funds
£
33,000
5,000
38,000
2024
Grants to
institutions
£
-
-
-
-
350
-
750
750
294
750
-
690
300
750
750
250
-
-
250
750
-
600
-
-
-
270
-
-
7,504|2023
Total
funds
£
35,000
-
35,000
2023
Grants to
institutions
£
320
750
588
750
-
750
-
-
-
-
430
-
-
-
-
-
500
500
-
-
748
-
600
500
750
-
750
150
8,086| |---|---|---|---|---| 9 ## Natural Kirklees ## Notes to the accounts continued ## for the year ended 30 September 2024 |**4 Restricted funds**
Kirklees Council
Kirklees Council Peace Pit
**Fund name**
Kirklees Council|Balance b/f
Incoming
Outgoing
Transfers
Balance c/f
£
£
£
£
£
46,877
33,750
9,725
-
70,902
-
5,000
590
-
4,410
46,877
38,750
10,315
-
75,312
**Purpose of restriction**
Towards the costs of insurance, tool share scheme, website, publicity and
promotional events. Also monies for distribution as part of a small grants
programme.| |---|---| Kirklees Council Peace Pit Towards the expenses an activities of the Peace Pit growing area. ## **Trustee expenses** No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year. ## **Trustee remuneration and benefits** No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year. |**Funds held as agent**
Balance b/f
£
Reap What You Sow (Kirklees)
-
-
**Fund name**
**Additional information**|Incoming
£
1,000
1,000|Outgoing
£
1,000
1,000|Balance c/f
£
-
-| |---|---|---|---| Reap What You Sow (Kirklees) Monies held for part of the year, as the group had no bank account. 10