Gwent Beekeepers CIO Registered Charity Number 1174746
Annual Report Year ending 30 September 2023
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Trustees Report
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Statement of Trustees responsibilities
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Independent examination
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Statement of financial activities
1. Trustees Report
The Trustees present their report and statement of financial activities for the year ended 30 September 2022.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with Charity policies and Articles of Association and Accounting and Reporting by Charities.
Objectves and Actvites
Meeting the Object of the Charity: Encouragement, improvement and advancement of beekeepers in the craft of beekeeping and promoting the importance of bees in the environment.
Shows and Demonstrations provide the opportunity to meet members of the public and talk to them about pollinators and how they can be supported in the natural environment. Members set up a stall with information and attended:
Usk open gardens
Usk Farmers Club Agricultural Show (won best stand in horticulture tent) Home School Group were given a talk and demonstration on bees at the Holden Apiary WBKA sponsored Microscope Day for Beekeepers
In addition, the charity provided 6 Taster sessions during the year, each with 12 to 14 attendees of the public being given the opportunity to learn about and handle live bees. Taster sessions encourage members of the public to be further involved in the art of beekeeping and to become beekeepers themselves.
Talks were given in the community to 3 Community Groups, 11 Primary Schools, a nursing home and a supported living centre for adults with learning disabilities. A training session was given to approximately 25 members to undertake these talks.
The Beginners Training Course is offered to members of the public, many who have attended taster sessions. The course includes 8 x 2hr weekly theory sessions as well as practical apiary sessions in the summer months. Once students are deemed competent by a senior beekeeper, they become beekeepers and look after a small number of bee colonies. New beekeepers are mentored by experienced members and are encouraged to organise local support groups to promote contact with other beekeepers. 30 people were trained in two training blocks. Additionally, 9 people were trained in a two-weekend immersion course.
BBKA Basic Assessment
Students are supported to develop the skills and are encouraged to take the BBKA Basic Assessment and receive certificate of competence in basic beekeeping.
Further Training
Beekeepers are encouraged to continue training with BBKA, taking modules to gain knowledge and inform their own beekeeping practice, leading to certification as qualified beekeepers and aspiring to Master Beekeeper level certification. An additional course in microscopy was held at the centre.
Winter lectures are offered to the members. Learning from technology used during the Covid lockdown, these lectures are offered over Zoom as well as face to face in the Apiary. Technology is also used to invite guest lecturers to present specialist talks from distant locations without incurring travel costs as well as reducing our carbon footprint.
Ongoing Support
Member beekeepers are invited to join WhatsApp groups that provide real time communication for asking questions and sharing information. The periodical GBKCIO newsletters are sent to all members providing information about issues and opportunities in beekeeping in our area.
Holden Apiary and Study Centre
The centre was completed during lockdown and is now fully used for training in beekeeping husbandry. The centre includes a lecture room, storage and workshop room, kitchen and accessible toilets. The kitchen was awarded a Food Hygiene rate of 5 and is used for honey extraction and bottling.
Facilities are available for members to use (for reasonable fees) to assist with their own honey extraction and general hygiene. The space is also available for hire to external groups that bring further expertise to keeping bees.
Future Plans – two areas for development
Disability Beekeeping
The charity has been successful with funding to purchase specialist equipment and set up a volunteer team to provide training that is fully accessible to people with disabilities. The study centre has a demonstration area for those who can’t wear a bee suit, observing safely through the patio doors.
Group Presentatons in the Apiary
The charity has also raised funds to build a gazebo within the apiary to enable children and young people as well as people with learning disabilities to watch bees in their environment.
2. Trustees Responsibilites
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards. Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
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Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to anhy material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
3. Independent Examinaton
There is no requirement to have the accounts independently examined or audited by the Charity Commission unless gross income is between £25,000 and £500,000 and an audit is needed where the gross income exceeds £500,000. Gross income in the financial year ending 30 September 2022 was £23,744 and an independent examination is not required legally or by the constitution.
However, an independent examination was carried out by Paul Graham Joyner. The report states that the accounts give a “true and fair” view and no material matters in connection with the examination were found:
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The accounting records are kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act;
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Accounts accord with the accounting records;
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The accounts comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities Regulations 2008.
4. Statement of Financial Actvites
| ; Gwent Beekeepers CIO |
; Gwent Beekeepers CIO |
; Gwent Beekeepers CIO |
; Gwent Beekeepers CIO |
No (if any) 1174746 |
No (if any) 1174746 |
CC16a |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts andpayments accounts | |||||||
| For the period from |
Period start date 01-Oct-22 |
To |
Period end date 30-Sep-23 |
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| Section A Receipts and | payments | ||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
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| GBKCIO Subs | £3,385 | - | - |
3,385 | 3,464 | ||
| BBKA subs | £4,467 | - | - |
4,467 | 5349 | ||
| Bee Disease Insurance | £825 | - | - |
825 | 897 | ||
| Magazine Subs | £554 | - | - |
554 | 619 | ||
| Donatons/Fundraising | £2,544 | - | - |
2,544 | 759 | ||
| Courses/ Events | £9,118 | - | 9,118 | 6111 | |||
| Product Sales | 2.838 | 2,838 | 1580 | ||||
| Prior year | - | - |
255 | ||||
| Miscellaneous | £12 | - | - |
12 | 208 | ||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
23,744 |
- | 23,744 | 19,242 | |||
| - | |||||||
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
| table). | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | ||||||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||||||
| - | - | - | |||||||||||
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| Sub total | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||||||
| Total receipts | 23,744 |
- | - | 23,744 | 19,242 | ||||||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||||||
| BBKA subs | £4,565 | - | 4,565 | 5394 | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||
| Bee Disease Insurance | £826 | - | 826 | 924 | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||
| Magazine Subs | £376 | - | 376 | 444 | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||
| Apiary | £6,185 | 6,185 | 5,459 | ||||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||
| Prior year | 15 | - | 15 | 742 | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||
| Courses/Events | £591 | 591 | 213 | ||||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||
| StudyCentre RunningCosts | £1,218 | 1,218 | 1,311 | ||||||||||
| Miscellaneous | £122 | - | 122 | 1,308 | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||
| Productpurchases | 2,385 | ||||||||||||
| Build Project | £475 | 475 | 3,712 | ||||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||||||
| - | |||||||||||||
| Sub total | - | 16,266 | 21,892 | ||||||||||
| 16,266 | - |
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - - - |
- | - | |||
| - | - | ||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
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16,266 |
- | 16.266 | 21,892 | ||
7,518 |
- |
7,518 | - - 2,650 |
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| - 23659 |
- |
- | - | ||
| 1,128 | 24,787 | 24,787 | |||
27,018 |
1,683 |
28,701 | 22,137 | ||
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
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| Categories B1 Cash funds |
Details Bank balance Petty cash Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 27,018 - 27,018 OK |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| 1,683 - |
- | ||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 1,683 | - | ||||
| OK | OK |
B2 Other monetary assets |
Details |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
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| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - |
Details[Fund to which asset belongs ] Cost (optional) Current value (optional)
| Details |
Fund to which as | set belongs | Cost (optional) |
Current value (optional) |
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Details |
Fund to which asset belongs | Cost (optional) |
Current value | |||||
| (optional) | ||||||||
| Land at Llanvair Kilgeddin | General | - | - | |||||
| Building at Holden Apiary and Study Centre | General | - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - |
B3 Investment assets
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
| - | - | |
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| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| Amount due (optional) |
When due (optional) |
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| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| Date of approval |
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| Wendy York | 14/5/2024 | |
| Peter Maloney | 14/5/2024 |