Natural Kirklees
Charity number 1174259
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 30 September 2025
Natural Kirklees
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 September 2025
| 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
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Natural Kirklees
Trustees' report for the year ended 30 September 2025
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 Resigned 1 October 2024 Kat Woolley Resigned 16 October 2024 Stefanie Rofke Resigned 2 October 2025 Stuart Taylor Appointed 9 November 2023 Adrian Pitts Appointed 23 July 2025 Claire Howe Appointed 4 December 2024 Gill Young Appointed 4 December 2024
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
Simon Bostrom FCIE
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.
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Natural Kirklees
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 30 September 2025
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 seen some significant challenges resulting from the financial constraints on Kirklees Council in terms of the service delivery provided by the council’s Parks & Green Spaces team with significant reductions in staffing and hence activity provided in the green spaces within Kirklees. Our own volunteer resource issues were addressed by establishing 2 contracts for administration and technical support.
While this has incurred significant cost, it has enabled the charity to survive and recruit new trustees and provide both a succession plan and enabled us to maintain the additional services we provide above our core activities.
We continue to provide an extensive monthly newsletter and hold member meetings each quarter and have moved the hosting of our website to provide a more secure platform and while there is still work to be dome going forward to update the web site in terms of content, we have restabilised the basis as we enter the new financial year.
The public liability insurance facility we provide members has been renewed for a further year with 96 members availing themselves of £10m cover for their activities working in the green spaces.
We have extended our tool store facility offer of loans of gardening tools to beyond our membership to any group who hold public liability insurance and this enables schools etc. to borrow tools and litter picking equipment without the need to become associate members. The stores are located at Beaumont park and next to Bagshaw Museum in Wilton Park.
The highlights of the year included being entered in the Skipton Building Society local branch’s Community Giving Scheme and we were awarded £600 which in turn we passed to Friends of Norman Park who the trustees considered offered the best proposal to attract more visitors to the green space. We also held our own small grant scheme this year and awarded 11 member groups sums ranging from £100 to £750 for projects to improve the green spaces they work in.
In addition, we provided £300 for wild flowers in support of the project being sponsored by Keep Britain Tidy in Heckmondwike via the excellent work member group Keep Hecky Tidy undertake in this case to provide plants within the local area to improve the pride for the local community in the town. Unfortunately another group had a bridge damaged by vandalism and we provided £300 to assist in the repairs.
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Natural Kirklees
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 30 September 2025
Achievements and performance continued
Similar to 2024, we also sponsored the Countryside Marquee at the Honley Show providing local member groups to showcase the work their volunteers do in the local towns, villages, schools etc. The weather behaved itself and it proved an enjoyable and successful day. To balance our presence at events throughout the area we also provided the opportunity for the public to visit our tool store at Bagshaw Museum as part of the Heritage Days programme and offered to show the public how to sharpen their garden tools. We also received a sack of purple crocus bulbs thanks to Pennine Rotary in Huddersfield which were duly well received by groups throughout Kirklees.
Back in 2022, we attempted to launch a new constituted growing group at the council premises near Peace Pit in Huddersfield and working with the Council Volunteer Coordinators, Support to Recovery, Huddersfield University and the volunteers that attend the site each Monday we have finally achieved our ambition. Unfortunately, the site’s availability is uncertain but working with the council we would hope the group will continue even though it may have to relocate. The site provides the opportunity for member groups to grow their own plants on a community basis but equally important for volunteers to enjoy a quiet space to work, relax or socialise in a safe location. Natural Kirklees will fund the facility while funds allow or until the site facility is relocated.
Over the past year, we have been unable to impact and support member groups trying to get permission to undertake or achieve the work they do with the council over the past year, as well as we have in the past, we now have additional trustees and external contracts that should see us progress and prosper going forward. While the council remain under financial constraints the uncertainty and service delivery reshaping process is nearing an end and therefore we are as confident as we can be regarding our future support of the member groups for the tremendous work they do.
Financial review
The net payments for the year were £2,479, including net receipts of £763 on unrestricted funds and net payments of £3,242 on restricted funds.
Reserves policy
The charity's free reserves, at the year end were £3,325.
The ongoing support to members by way of providing public liability insurance is seen as the primary 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 a reserve at each year-end, which will enable the charity to enable us to continue to facilitate the payment for the public liability insurance policy plus the general and technical administration of the charity and hosting of our web site for a period of almost 3 years to the renewal date on 19th September 2028. We therefore intend to reserve a sum, equivalent to one additional year’s insurance plus the general and technical administration of the charity and hosting of our web site to 30th September 2027.
The cost for the coming financial year will be addressed within the annual budget but additionally a reserve will be held for this sum to ensure Natural Kirklees can not only pay its essential costs for the new financial year but additionally for an additional year (2026-7) and as such a reserve within restricted funds at 30 September 2025 will be held of £28,000.
Approved by the board of trustees on 6/11/2025
Julie Hirst (Trustee)
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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 2025, 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.
Simon Bostrom FCIE
6/11/2025
West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
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Natural Kirklees
Receipts and payments account for the year ended 30 September 2025
| Notes 2025 Unrestricted funds £ Receipts Grants (2) - Bank interest 763 Grants returned - Total receipts 763 Payments Insurance - Tool store - Website - Administration - Events and activities - Accounting - Small grants programme (3) - Total payments - Net receipts / (payments) 763 Fund balances brought forward 2,562 Fund balances carried forward (4) 3,325 |
2025 Restricted funds £ 33,600 - - 33,600 21,492 40 1,287 4,644 1,371 528 7,480 36,842 (3,242) 75,312 72,070 |
2025 Total funds £ 33,600 763 - 34,363 21,492 40 1,287 4,644 1,371 528 7,480 36,842 (2,479) 77,874 75,395 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
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Natural Kirklees
Statement of assets and liabilities
| as at 30 September 2025 2025 Unrestricted £ Cash funds Cash at bank 3,325 Total cash funds 3,325 Prepayments Prepayments Liabilities Accruals |
2025 Restricted £ 72,070 72,070 |
2025 Total £ 75,395 75,395 2025 £ 7,304 7,304 2025 £ 528 528 |
2024 Total £ 77,874 77,874 |
|---|---|---|---|
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 6/11/2025
Julie Hirst (Trustee)
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Natural Kirklees
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 30 September 2025
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.
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Natural Kirklees
Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 30 September 2025
| 2 Grants and donations Kirklees Council Third Sector Leaders Skipton Building Society 3 Grant making Project or activity ABWP Group Clayton West Millennium Trust Cleckheaton in Bloom Friends of Crow Nest Park Friends of Norman Park Friends of Rectory Park Golcar Lily Environment Group Huddersfield Woodscape Keep Hecky Tidy Kirkheaton Environment Trust Marsden Walkers are Welcome River Holme Connections Skelmanthorpe Comm Centre Stocksmoor Village Association Windy Bank Gardening Club East Bierley Village Preservation Society Friends of Cliffe House Friends of Cowcliffe Recreation Area Friends of Crow Nest Park Friends of Honley Old Woods Golcar Lily Environment Group Grange Moor Community Association Growing Works Huddersfield & District Badger Group Keep Hecky Tidy Lepton Village Preservation Society Mirfield in Bloom River Holme Connections Urban Tree Huggers Total |
2025 Unrestricted funds £ - - - - |
2025 Restricted funds £ 33,000 - 600 33,600 |
2025 Total funds £ 33,000 - 600 33,600 2025 Grants to institutions £ 100 600 550 500 600 750 680 300 300 100 750 600 300 600 750 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7,480 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Natural Kirklees
Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 30 September 2025
| 4 Restricted funds Kirklees Council Third Sector Leaders Skipton Building Society Fund name Kirklees Council Third Sector Leaders Skipton Building Society |
Balance b/f Incoming Outgoing Transfers Balance c/f £ £ £ £ £ 70,902 33,000 35,983 - 67,919 4,410 - 259 - 4,151 - 600 600 - - 75,312 33,600 36,842 - 72,070 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. Towards the expenses an activities of the Peace Pit growing area. To be awarded to a member group via application and vote by trustees. |
|---|---|
5 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.
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