2021-04-05-accounts

Chair’s Annual Report for

Sutton Walls Conservation Group AGM 14[nd] September 2021

Sutton Walls Activity

Welcome to this year’s AGM,

Board changes

I’d like to formally welcome one of our new trustees, Martin Higgins who lives in Sutton St Nicholas and in a short space of time has already shown that he is an asset to the group and we hope that he has a lengthy stay with us.

I’d also like to thank Jane Keating for agreeing to stay for another term and continue in her role as secretary and I personally would like to thank her for all the administration and more that she has done during her term of office.

Since April last year we were successful in gaining a funding bid from Historic England for £12k to complete a Badger, Bat and Tree survey, a digital mapping of the whole site and for Geophysical surveys to be done on the top field, the outer west field and outer east field in order to see how we can proceed in the future in a sensitive manner. Funding has been rolled over to this financial year as we have only been able to do 2 of the 3 fields due to weather conditions, crops and equipment failures but this should be resolved in the coming few months.

We would like to thank Swift Ecology, Hereford Archaeology and Tiger Geo for their professional work and the ongoing assistance they have all give to us especially as we apply for further funding from Communities Landfill Trust which builds on the findings of our previous work.

Our Neighbours

The Farm Business Tenancy Agreement with local farmer Richard Andrews for the coming year has been approved. We have also been building a relationship with our adjoining farmers as we have needed to have access to their land to do our Geophysical surveys and we hope this relationship will develop further. Unfortunately we were unable to survey Mrs Watkins land as it is too steep and the wire fencing also affects the survey equipment.

Media and publicity

I, Judy Stevenson and Jez Bretherton did an interview with the BBC midlands today promoting the project and explaining the value of the project and its impact on future plans. There was also a radio interview and together with links posted onto our website by Mr Chris Thomas we have had increased interest in the project. We have also had regular

articles in the Sutton and Marden Parish magazines so that local people are aware of what we are doing and our achievements

The impact of Covid-19

Due to Covid we have been unable to do work parties but a few have been on the walls to trim the paths with hand tools and we are very grateful to the committee members and trustees who have helped to keep the paths clear and deal with overhanging foliage and fallen trees.

We have managed to work very well with Zoom and have been able to continue monthly meetings in the safety of our homes and move the project forward.

Opportunities

We hope to gain approval for our application to Communities Landfill Trust to allow us to clear the East Entrance and make it accessible for a possible future dig in the area but also to restore the site so that the outline of the Iron Age entrance is once more visible.

We also hope to make a bid to the Lottery Fund to deal with tree management so that diseased and dangerous trees can be mapped, assessed for habitats and then removed if they do not impact the ecology of the site.

We also wish to expand the operational plan created from our Conservation Management Plan so that we can map future projects and identify appropriate funding to achieve them.

I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to all the Trustees and Committee members who all do so much, each in your own way, that contributes a tremendous amount to the project and I look forward this year to having more face to face contact with everyone, more events more sharing of our findings and more fun. Have a good year.

Thank you

Anna Toon

Chair. Sutton Walls Conservation Group

Sutton Walls Conservation Group (a Charitable Incorporated Organisation), Charity number 1175194

Receipts and payments account for the year ended 5 April 2021

Notes Receipts Grants 1 Donations Miscellaneous income Sub-total Payments Legal and professional fees 2 Insurance 3 Miscellaneous expenses Sub-total Net of receipts/(payments) for year/period Cash funds at beginning of year/period Cash funds at end of year/period Statement of assets and liabilities at 5 April 2021	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total £ £ £ 0 8102 8102 905 0 905 0 0 0 905 8102 9007 -18 -7200 -7218 0 0 0 -245 0 -245 -263 -7200 -7463 642 902 1544 383 264 647 1025 1166 2191	Year ended 5 April 2020 £ 939 287 468 1694 -939 -564 -247 -1750 -56 703 647	17 Oct 2018 to 5 April 2019 £ 0 0 0 0 0 -179 -230 -409 -409	17 Oct 2017 to 16 Oct 2018 £ 4251 650 408 5309 -3301 -179 -717 -4197 1112
			1112	0
			703	1112

Cash funds Cash at bank and in hand Total cash funds	Total £ 2191 2191	5 April 2020 £ 647 647	5 April 2019 £ 703	5 April 2018 £ 1112
			703	1112

Notes

1. Historic England Repair Grant, for ecological, topographic and archaeological surveys

2. Swift Ecology, badger and bat surveys

3. No insurance premium was paid during the year as our insurer agreed to extend the period of cover by 3 months, in recognition of the curtailment of work party activity caused by the pandemic