C.E.O and Chairmans Report December 2024
2024 has been a great year for Redcar Coastwatch. Things started to happen around March. The chairman of the trustees unfortunately resigned due to external matters. I was then voted as chairman by the trustees. Also we had the resignation of the treasurer. Stan Whalley was voted in temporarily to the treasurer’s position.
In 2023 we were very fortunate to be awarded The Kings Award for Voluntary Service. in March 2024 the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire presented us with the certificate signed by His Majesty. This award is the equivalent to an MBE for the voluntary sector. It’s all thanks to the efforts of all the watchkeepers and the professional way the station is run.
Shortly after we received the Kings award we were awarded the Mayors Award for services to Redcar and the public, another great accolade for our station.
We started a campaign to recruit new watchkeepers. Keith Stockdale has been running with this and has put a lot of time and effort into recruiting and training several new watchkeepers. Its thanks to his work that we are managing to maintain our commitment to the MCA and our DFS
I would like to say thanks to our trustees for the sterling work they have done over the last year . To Ray our station manager, his knowledge of Redcar and the operation of our station and the MCA are next to none.
Tim Foley our secretary has over the last couple of years been doing a great job keeping the day to day running of the station as professional as ever.
Stan Whalley the treasurer has over many years been the instigator in most of the improved operations to the station and also successfully improving its finances Finally thank you to all watchkeepers old and new for your hard work and dedication to Redcar Coastwatch.
SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR OVER 25 YEARS
Registered Charity No. 1177709
Patrons: The Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, DL
David Jamilly (Theme Traders) ▬ Bob Fortune ▬ Redcar RNLI ▬ Cleveland Cascades Ltd www.coastwatchredcar.org
Trevor Smith
Trevor Smith. CEO Chairman Coastwatch Redcar
Thanks for a great year.
TREASURER REPORT
Have the accounts presented for year 31st March were prepared by former Treasurer John Finlay
On the 1 St June 2024 following the resignation of John Finlay as treasurer and member of the trustees, I took over the temporary role of treasurer for Coastwatch Redcar. My initial task was to update the Coastwatch bank account mandate to delete John Finlay and accommodate two new signatories. Both Trevor Smith’s and my data was submitted to the bank along with existing signatory Ray Preston. This transpired to be a bureaucratic nightmare as the original mandate was outdated, with a long-passed signatory still “active”. All this old, now incorrect data was with a former bank before a takeover by Virgin Money. It took almost a month of communications before final completion.
The next task was to open a Charity Savings Account to invest some of the legacy funds we had been bequeathed, this had been languishing in our current account for almost two years earning nothing. The bank was still using an old Governing Document from 1996 which they queried. I forwarded them our most recent
Constitution Document along with a supplementary document outlining current trustees. In August 2024 the investment account was finally opened and £20,000 was invested over a 12 month period at 4.5%. The bond matures on the 20 th August
2025 with the option of withdrawing interest and renewing a further bond. I contacted various companies who were supplying our energy, broadband &
SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR OVER 25 YEARS
Registered Charity No. 1177709
Patrons: The Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, DL
David Jamilly (Theme Traders) ▬ Bob Fortune ▬ Redcar RNLI ▬ Cleveland Cascades Ltd www.coastwatchredcar.org
telephone along with insurance brokers, funding organisations and maintenance contractors to change their contact details to myself. I became aware the broadband
monthly account appeared to be excessive however a simple phone call reduced this by over £200 annually.
In July 2024 I made an application to Tees Million (Tees Foundation) for funding
towards the cost of our hi-speed broadband and other service commitments. Also
£1,000 towards the cost of repairs to the false ceiling on the lower staircase. They
kindly granted us a total of £2,500.
Due to progressive medical issues I am reluctantly having to resign from the
temporary treasurer’s role as from the 30 th September 2024. I will however continue to seek funding grants for various projects
From 1 st October 2024 the Coastwatch finances will become a joint responsibility
between Trustees Trevor Smith, Tim Foley and Gordon Whalley.
In 2024 storm Ashley tore the weather station from our roof resulting in severe
damage to the unit. Cost of replacement and installation was almost half our annual
budget, so we decided not to replace it. All necessary weather information is
available to us via alternative platforms.
Gordon Whalley
SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR OVER 25 YEARS
Registered Charity No. 1177709
Patrons: The Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, DL
David Jamilly (Theme Traders) ▬ Bob Fortune ▬ Redcar RNLI ▬ Cleveland Cascades Ltd www.coastwatchredcar.org
CASTWATCH REDCAR ACCOUNTS 01/04/23 TO 31/03/24
INCOME EXPENDITURE Donations £867.21 Admin/stationery £362.46 From DJ £600.00 Power £989.65 Collecting Boxes £53.00 Comms £988.19 Bonus Ball £295.14 Repairs/renewals £4472.71 Caf/PayPal/Amazon / £400.00 Insurance £678.93 M bro Lotto/etc £521.17 Bank charges £48.44 Eon Refund £300.00 KAVS £852.70 Concert £1220.00 Lone Worker £242.00 Hartlelpool Coastwatch £13.60 Rates/water rates £232.29 Lottery Grant ££5950.00 SSG £60.00 TOTAL £10220.12 Concert expenses £74.95 Poppy wreath £25.00 New stairs £4596.00 TOTAL £13623.32
Balance at 01/04/23 £44143.75 Balance at 31/03/24 £40740.55
SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR OVER 25 YEARS
Registered Charity No. 1177709
Patrons: The Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, DL
David Jamilly (Theme Traders) ▬ Bob Fortune ▬ Redcar RNLI ▬ Cleveland Cascades Ltd www.coastwatchredcar.org