## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 7 Sept 2024 Period start date To 7 Sept 2025 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. Work carried**
**out has been the creation of a wide**
**channel to create further open water**
**and marsh, installation of 90m of**
**stock proof fencing, reed planting**
**(phragmites) with volunteers, hide**
**maintenance (volunteers) and**
**starting to work with Northumbrian**
**Water on a wildflower meadow**
**project which they will develop over**
**the next year (2026/7). This is on**
**land adjacent to the hide which will**
**require fence repair.**
.| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the
guidance issued by the|Para 1.18|**The Trustees have had regard to the**
**guidance by tailoring activities and**
**objectives for the benefit of the**
**public.**| Charity Commission on public benefit |**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:| |---|---|---| ||SORP
reference|| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|**N/A**| |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.**| |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 has helped to improve this.**
**Working towards a wildflower**
**meadow will further enhance the**
**site.**
**The Group also helped Durham Bird**
**Club celebrate its 50th year since its**
**inception, including providing some**
**attractions. This event was attended**
**by members of the public and**
**groups were taken to Castle Lake to**
**see what has been done and what**
**exists here.**| |---|---|---| **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.**
**Habitats have continued to be**
**improved which may in turn assist in**
**addressing the point made above. In**
**particular, further fencing was**
**installed to enable reed planting to**
**take place later in the year. The**
**creation of a channel will also**
**improve habitat here.**| |---|---|---| |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 2025, the Club**
**held £2723.62 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:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**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**| |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:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**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 Secretary,** TRUSTEE nominated to **Chair, etc)** perform this duty **Date** 16 June 2026 ## **CASTLE LAKE CONSERVATION GROUP** ## **FINANCIAL REPORT** ## **For the year ending 7 September 2025.** At the beginning of the Financial Year, the Group held £6,719.11 in the Bank. During the year money was spent for a display by DigVentures at the Durham Bird Club’s event to celebrate its 50 years since its inception. During the year, money was spent on fencing required around Castle Lake to help to protect vegetation there. It was also necessary to hire a digger. On 7 September 2025, the balance held by the Group in the Bank was £2723.62 R Cowen 16 June 2026.