## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 7 Sept 2022 Period start date To 7 Sept 2023 Period end date** **Charity name: Castle Lake Conservation Group** ## **Charity registration number: 1177070** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP
reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes
of the charity as set out in
its governing document|Para 1.17|**1) To promote for the benefit of the**
**public the conservation, protection**
**and improvement of the physical and**
**natural environment by promoting**
**biological diversity of the area in**
**Bishop Middleham, County Durham**
**known as Castle Lake.**
**2) To advance the education of the**
**public in the conservation,**
**protection and improvement of the**
**physical and natural environment.**| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to
those purposes for the
public benefit, in
particular, the activities,
projects or services
identified in the accounts.|Para 1.17
and 1.19|**The Group continued to monitor the**
**site to maintain its quality as an**
**excellent habitat for birds,**
**particularly water birds. New**
**planting of trees, hedges and**
**reedbeds was carried out to pursue**
**this aim. However, owing to**
**excessive rainfall, some projects**
**have been delayed until the autumn**
.| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the
guidance issued by the
Charity Commission on
public benefit|Para 1.18|**The Trustees have had regard to the**
**guidance by tailoring activities and**
**objectives for the benefit of the**
**public.**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: SORP reference **N/A** |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|| |---|---|---| |Policy on social
investment including
program related
investment|Para 1.38|**N/A**| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|**As per the previous reporting period,**
**Volunteers in conjunction with**
**Durham Bird Club work on a regular**
**basis to keep the lake and its**
**surroundings in good order to**
**encourage and enrich its bio-**
**diversity.**
**Volunteers do not claim allowances**
**nor do they receive refunds for**
**expenditure.**
**(For information, moneys received**
**after the Financial Year ending 7**
**September 2023 have not all been**
**spent owing to adverse weather**
**conditions in 2024, and it has been**
**agreed that the monies can be spent**
**later in the year when it is hope the**
**weather will be better).**| |Other||| ## **Achievements and Performance** SORP reference |Summary of the main
achievements of the
charity, identifying the
difference the charity’s
work has made to the
circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any
wider benefits to society
as a whole.|Para 1.20|**The site continues to be an**
**important one for wildlife,**
**particularly birds. We believe that**
**work undertaken or planned during**
**this year have helped to improve**
**this.**
**We have also been considering**
**other options to manage the land**
**other than obtaining a lease.**|| |---|---|---|---| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Achievements against
objectives set|
Para 1.41|
**Progress has been made to maintain**
**the importance of this site.**
**Although this is after the Financial**
**Year ending 7 September 2023,**
**Durham County Council has**
**commenced work to establish its**
**Local Nature Recovery Strategy and**
**we anticipate that we will argue that**
**castle Lake could be a good site to**
**support any proposals. This will**
**follow on from arguments we have**
**made during this Financial Year.**| |---|---|---| |Performance of
fundraising activities
against objectives set|Para 1.41|**N/A**| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|**N/A**| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the
end of the period|Para 1.21|**As at 7 September 2023, the Club**
**held £5,719.11 in the Bank as**
**outlined in the accompanying**
**Financial Report**| |---|---|---| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Details of fund materially
in deficit|Para 1.24|**N/A**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a
going concern|Para 1.23|**N/A**| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
The charity’s principal
sources of funds
(including any
fundraising)|
Para 1.47|
**Existing funds have been retained**
**and, as outlined above, a grant was**
**obtained for fencing works as**
**outlined in the Financial Report.**| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|**N/A**| |A description of the
principal risks facing the
charity|Para 1.46|**N/A**| |Other||| **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing
document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**CIO Constitution**| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**CIO**| |Trustee selection
methods including details
of any constitutional
provisions e.g. election to
post or name of any
person or body entitled to
appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**Nothing has occurred this year in**
**this respect**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|
Para 1.51|
**The charity trustees will make**
**available to each new charity trustee,**
**on or before his or her first**
**appointment:**
**(a) a copy of the current**
**version of this constitution; and**
**(b) a copy of the CIO’s latest**
**Trustees’ Annual Report and**
**statement of accounts. And**
**c) draw their attention to**
**relevant CC guidance**| |---|---|---| |The charity’s
organisational structure
and any wider network
with which the charity
works|Para 1.51|**We have 7 trustees:**
**(1) Functions and duties of charity**
**trustees**
**The charity trustees shall manage**
**the affairs of the CIO and may for**
**that purpose exercise all the powers**
**of the CIO. It is the duty of each**
**charity trustee:**
**(a) to exercise their powers**
**and to perform their functions**
**in their capacity as a trustee of**
**the CIO in the way they decide**
**in good faith would be most**
**likely to further the purposes**
**of the CIO; and**
**(b) to exercise, in the**
**performance of those**
**functions, such care and skill**
**as is reasonable in the**
**circumstances having regard**| |||**in particular to:**
**(i) any special**
**knowledge or**
**experience that they**
**have or hold themselves**
**out as having; and,**
**(ii) if they act as a**
**charity trustee of the**
**CIO in the course of a**
**business or profession,**
**to any special**
**knowledge or**
**experience that it is**
**reasonable to expect of**
**a person acting in the**
**course of that kind of**
**business or profession.**| |---|---|---| |Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|**Although the Group is a distinct**
**organisation from Durham Bird Club,**
**it does seek to work in close**
**collaboration with it. Three of the**
**trustees are also members of the**
**Club and one is also a Bird Club**
**trustee. The Club has agreed to help**
**finance with payments for the lease if**
**(notwithstanding comments above)**
**this should in fact materialise.**| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|**Castle Lake Conservation Group**| |---|---| |Other name the charity
uses|**N/A**| |Registered charity number|**1177070**| |Charity’s principal address|**Mr. Richard Cowen**
**Rose Cottage,**
**Old Quarrington,**
**Co Durham DH6 5NN**| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**|**Name of person (or**
**body) entitled to appoint**
**trustee (if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Richard Cowen|||| ||Michele
MacCallam|Treasurer||| ||John Olley|||| ||Kim Baines|||| ||Nicola Dexter|||| ||Frederick Milton|||| ||HarveyNeve|||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity |**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**|| |---|---|---| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets N/A held in this capacity Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements N/A for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser** **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** **Declarations** **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** TRUSTEE nominated to **Secretary, Chair, etc)** perform this duty **Date** 27 June 2024 ## **CASTLE LAKE CONSERVATION GROUP** ## **FINANCIAL REPORT** **For the year ending 7 September 2023.** At the beginning of the Financial Year, the Group held £9199.11 in the Bank. It subsequently receive £8.00 for the sale of a key to the Bird Hide at Castle Lake and paid £3480.00 to L&G Plant Hire in respect of the construction of ponds at the site. On 13 February 2023, it received a grant of £1000.00 from the Trimdon Wind farm Grant which was used for fencing, the money being paid to J Davison on 6 June 2023. On 7 September 2023, the balance held by the Group in the Bank was 5,719.11 R Cowen 27 June 2024.