| Trustees' Annual Report | Trustees' Annual Report | Trustees' Annual Report | Trustees' Annual Report | Trustees' Annual Report | for theperiod | for theperiod | for theperiod | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Period start date | To | Period end date | |||||
| 01 | 01 | 2023 | 31 | 12 | 2023 |
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name Durham Bird Club
Other names charity is known by
Registered charity number (if any) 1176232
| red charity number (if any) | 1176232 | |
|---|---|---|
| Charity's principal address | Rose Cottage, | |
| Old Quarrington | ||
| Durham | ||
| Postcode | DH6 5NN |
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 (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Kinghorn | Chair | |||
| Mark Harper | Treasurer | |||
| David Sowerbutts | ||||
| Michael Murphy | ||||
| Thomas Middleton | ||||
| Neil Parker | ||||
| Peter Bell | ||||
| Jackie Hamer | 1 November 2023 to 31 December 2023 |
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| Richard Cowen | Secretary | 2 August 2023 to 31 December 2023 |
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Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
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| Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) Type of adviser Name Address |
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) Type of adviser Name Address |
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) Type of adviser Name Address |
|---|---|---|
| Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) | ||
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
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Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution)[Constitution]
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How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company)[CIO]
Trustee selection methods (eg. appointed by, elected by)[Elected at AGM by members] Jackie Hamer was co-opted by the Trustees on 1 November 2023.
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
A Policy for distribution of Grants was proposed during 2023 but was not adopted until the beginning of 2024.
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policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
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the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
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relationship with any related parties;
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trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
(i) To advance the study of ornithology and public education in ornithology and related matters, in particular, working within the geographic area covered by Durham Bird Club, that is primarily the area of the historic county of Durham, bounded by the Rivers Tees and Tyne, together with the former Startforth Rural District of the North Riding of Yorkshire.
(ii) In furtherance of this, to - initiate research on the birds of the area and to publish the results
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of such research, to hold meetings for the readings of papers, showing of films, discussion of records and similar matters and to co-operate in national ornithological enquiries.
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educate members of the Club and of the public about birds by means of talks, outings, fieldwork and similar activities and to encourage public participation in the study of birds.
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promote the conservation of birds and their habitats.
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- work with other organisations sharing similar aims.
During 2023, the Club
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1) issued three issues of The Lek were published and circulated to members. The Lek can also be purchased by the public.
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2) Continued support was given to the Castle Lake Conservation Group to carry out conservation works at that site
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3) Wrote letters where appropriate in respect of Planning issues
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)
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4) Maintained records for its area and produced the Annual Ornithological Report
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5) Where possible, conducted surveys, mainly but not exclusively in conjunction with the British Trust for Ornithology
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6) made active use of Twitter to disseminate information. It also has maintained two well-used WhatsApp groups and a Facebook Group, open, subject to approval, to non-members of the Club on application. The Club's website also provides a route for members of the public to seek and receive information.
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7) Jointly with the Durham Group of RSPB, arranged talks for members of both organisations.
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8) Particularly through the Facebook page, has engaged in a number of activities to enhance habitats and nesting facilities for many species of birds.
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9) Led walks in conjunction with other organisations, such as ther Seascapes Initiative organinsed by the Wildlife Trust.
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
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The Trustees are grateful to the efforts of Susan Grey in producing The Lek and to Peter Bell and Neil Parker for producing the Annual Ornithological Report and to members who contributed articles or reports for both publications.
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
In addition, the Trustees are grateful to John Olley for continuing to carry out Conservation work particularly at Castle Lake. The Club is also grateful to members who have contributed to Social Media accounts.
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policy on grantmaking;
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policy programme related investment;
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contribution made by volunteers.
Section D Achievements and performance
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Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main The Charity has achieved a high standard with its publications of The Lek achievements of the charity and the Annual Ornithological Report. during the year Its work to seek to protect habitats, particularly in relation to planning issues, has continued to be recognised by RSPB.
Section E Financial review
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Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves
The Trustees remain concerned that, while the Club’s reserves are currently healthy, expenditure exceeds income. In order to help save costs, the number of issues of The Lek per year has stayed at 3 and members are encouraged to accept electronic versions. However, at this stage the matter is being kept under review and no further reductions in benefits are proposed.
Details of any funds materially in deficit
Further financial review details (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:
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the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
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how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
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investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.
Section F Other optional information
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s)[R Cowen] Full name(s) Richard Saywood Cowen Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Secretary etc) Date ………… 2024
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Registered Charity number 1176232
Treasurer Annual Report 2023
The Club recorded a deficit in 2023 of £87 on total income of £5,778. This compares to a deficit of £810 in 2022.
The annual income from membership subscriptions increased by £262, this increase was due to the removal of the reduced rate for over-65's. Gift aid on membership fees and donations increased by £46 to £280.
Following promotions to push sales of the Birds of Durham in the previous two years, income from the sale of the Birds of Durham decreased further with only 2 copies sold during the year bringing in £20 compared to £283 in 2022. Income from sales of other publications in 2022 was £202 compared to £166 in 2020.
Donations of £596 were received in the year, which was £489 higher than in 2022 and due to a one-off donation of £500 in recognition of survey work performed by a member.
Interest on bank savings increased by £112 to £209 as a result of improved interest rates on the savings account. Other sources of income were broadly comparable with 2022.
Total expenditure for the year was £5,865 which was £47 more than in 2022. This difference comprises of two main components, £949 postage costs for the 2021 and 2022 Annual Reports which both fell into 2023, whilst offsetting this in 2022 there was a £1,000 donation to Durham Wildlife Trust's Restoring the Durham Carr's project.
The cost of indoor meetings was £58 higher than in 2022 due to the use of more speakers that charged for talks in 2023. Maintenance and conservation costs for work at Caste Lake in 2022 of £236 did not recur in 2023. The majority of other expenditure was broadly in line with 2022.
| Mark Harper | |
|---|---|
| 3rdJanuary 2024 | |
| Bank Account Summary | £ |
| HSBC Current Acc. | 2,447 |
| Virgin Money Building Society Acc. | 37,268 |
| Total cash Funds | 39,715 |
Registered Charity number 1176232
Receipts and Payments Summary – Year-ended 31 December 2023
| Receipts Subscriptions Gift Aid 280 Publications Birds of Durham Other Sales Hide Keys Interest 209 Donations and Bequests Total Receipts (a) Payments Lek Indoor Meetings 83 Annual Report Maintenance Website Hide Keys Insurance Admin Storage Costs Conservation Donations to Conservation Groups Total Payments (b) Difference (a-b) |
2023 (£) 4,332 234 202 20 59 80 97 596 |
2022 (£) 4,070 46 166 283 28 23 112 107 |
Diff (£) 262 36 -263 31 57 489 770 85 144 -62 -13 23 0 916 0 -174 -930 47 723 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,778 1,490 25 1,794 0 158 59 496 1,715 0 0 70 5,865 |
5,008 1,405 58 1,650 62 171 36 496 799 0 174 1,000 |
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5818 |
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-87 |
-810 |