2021-03-31-accounts - Glamorgan Bird Club

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Glamorgan Bird Club CIO

- Trustees report April 2020 31st Mar 2021

Trustees

The 'Zoom' meetings we had to introduce have proved very successful and convenient for us. We started these in June 2020, and it ’ s likely that when things are 'back to normal', that we'll continue to use this platform some of the time as it removes the need for travel and there will be reduced venue hire and travel expense costs.

After being our Treasurer for more than 10 years, Anne Wilson is stepping down as a trustee. On behalf of the Membership and Trustees, I'd like to thank her for all her hard work, dealing with Auditors, the Bank, Insurance, the transition to a CIO, managing the NHLF grant for the Cardiff Bay Swift Tower, as well as day to day running of the club accounts. Thankfully, Ceri Jones, a previous committee member, has agreed to stand for election and to take on this post. Last May, Rebecca Carrington, our acting secretary, also left the Trustees - many thanks to her. We are still actively searching for her replacement so please apply if you'd like to join us.

Membership

Alan Rosney is our Membership Secretary. As of March 2021, there were 259 memberships. This is 41 less than last year. The Covid-19 pandemic has had an effect on renewals, so the Trustees agreed last year to be more flexible regarding late payment. Our initiative for giving free membership to under 21's will continue.

Venue

In March 2020 we were still able to use the Pyle Life Centre for our committee meetings, and Pencoed Welfare Hall for Club events, but since June 2020 all meetings have been conducted via Zoom.

Eastern Glamorgan Bird Report

John Wilson, with the help of the Eastern Glamorgan Recorder, Phil Bristow, and his team of section writers and proof readers, has produced the excellent 2019 Bird Report, and is now collating more than 100,000 records in preparation for the 2020 edition. Richard Smith, who has been photo editor of the Bird Report for many years, has stepped down this year. Tom Wright, one of our younger members, has taken up the challenge to continue his work. I'd like to formally thank Richard for his hard work and excellent contribution to the EGBR for the last 23 years.

Our informative and entertaining quarterly newsletter has continued to be produced by Alan Rosney, mainly online, due to the impact of the necessary and various lockdown restrictions making it difficult to access the company we use for printing. Thanks are also due to the many contributors.

Policies

These have been updated according to our schedule.

Our new Climate Change policy has been written by Rhos Williams, Strinda Davies, Rob Bradshaw and myself. One of the outcomes was that we should request a voluntary payment of £1 per person on our walks and field trips, towards our Carbon Offset yearly contribution, which is stated in the Policy. This is logged, and put into a separate account by the treasurer.
The Risk Assessment policy and the Health and Safety policy have been updated by Rhos Williams, Rob Bradshaw and Strinda Davies.
The Social Media policy and the Expenses policy have been updated by Strinda Davies.
A Social Inclusion Statement has been agreed and displayed on the Website.
A Donations & Sponsorship policy has been developed by Wayne Morris, Anne Wilson, Rob Bradshaw and Strinda Davies.

It is worth noting here that during this eventful period, no safeguarding concerns were reported.

Kenfig National Nature Reserve

Throughout the year the trustees have been very concerned about the future of KNNR and the impact on its birds due to the absence of a Reserve Warden. We have written to the Kenfig Corporation Trust (KCT) and requested a meeting to discuss those concerns and to offer help, advice and support for example with maintaining the Southern Hide. The Chair of the Trust has responded positively to our request for a meeting, but this is yet to be arranged. KCT, with advice from NRW, have recently appointed a Warden and a Reserve Manager. Four of the trustees had met with the new warden last week - this was a positive meeting and the feeling is that things will progress well with our involvement.

Publicity, Publications and Branding

We've found Social Media a good way to contact many of our members and this also attracts a lot of public interest.

Rhos Williams looks after our Twitter feed, with currently 1389 followers. While John Wilson and Alan Rosney post on Facebook, reaching 764 folk.

John Wilson ensures that the website is kept up to date and we are keen for the sightings page to be used more regularly.

Various items featuring our new club logo are available to buy from me, - badges, hats, caps, stickers, polo shirts etc. Details are on the website.

Conservation Projects

Cardiff Bay Swift Tower. Work still goes ahead with our partners-. the RSPB and the Cardiff Bay Harbour Authority, regarding maintenance. The call system has recently needed replacing and we are working to resolve this. Because publicity and education events have been postponed due to the pandemic, plans are being made to produce online education packs. So we are waiting with fingers crossed, hoping that swifts may find a nest site there this year!
Other Swift Projects. Monitoring of Swift boxes in various locations is going ahead. A very small number of nests has been identified by the Club in an estate in North Cornelly. We have been in touch with the local housing association who have been very interested and agreed to work with us to install swift boxes and we have secured support from the Bridgend Local Nature Partnership to enable this to happen in time for the 2021 breeding season.
Farm Feeding. The partnership with farmer John Evans at Ty’n-y-Caeau Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan and the Kenfig Ringing Group has continued, with GBC providing seed for winter feeding and for sowing the sacrificial crop.
Nest Boxes. Production has continued, with boxes for various species being built – e.g. Kestrel, Little Owl, Swift, Dipper, Tits etc.. A special mention must be made about the work of Club member Howard Driver, who during lock down has produced countless numbers of boxes of various kinds.
Willing For Willow Tits (WOS funded scheme). Wayne Morris has collated the results of the surveys and is at the stage of contacting landowners about conserving breeding habitat and supporting the breeding populations.. Because of the Covid-19 restrictions, this part of the project has been postponed, however Willow Tit boxes and rotted Birch logs are being made/collected. Thanks again to Howard Driver.
The Club continues its links with the local authorities through the Local Nature Partnerships and provides a free copy of the annual Bird Report to each of the County Ecologists.

30 years anniversary

Rob Bradshaw has written an excellent informative newsletter article on bird related changes in Eastern Glamorgan over the last 30 years, and more work has been done on producing PDF guides for the 30 best birding sites in Eastern Glamorgan project.

Walks, Field Trips, Events

Sadly as a consequence of the C-19 restrictions we have all faced, we weren't able to have our Big Birding Day.
Some socially - distanced walks and field trips took place when restrictions were eased last year, and the booking system we had to introduce to manage numbers attending, and enable us to track & trace , worked well.
Paul Denning, Alan Rosney, John Wilson and Wayne Morris, have produced another programme of walks, talks and field trips. The outings and live ‘ in person ’ indoor meetings will resume as soon as the relevant restrictions are lifted.
Folk have enjoyed our popular and inspirational 'Zoom' talks, arranged in lieu of physical indoor meetings, including 'The Re-introduction of Golden and Sea Eagles in Wales' by Sophie-Lee Williams, 'Birding In North Africa' by Paul Bowden, Birding in Thailand by John Wilson, The Lost Peatlands Project by Mike Shewring, and of course Edward Mayer's talk on Swifts, which attracted more than 60 participants. More of these are planned throughout the Spring/Summer.

Birding highlights

The pandemic has had a major impact on all of our lives not least our customary ability to travel wherever we please to watch birds, often alerted to their presence by other birders via social media. For many of us still able to enjoy it, birding in 2020 meant exploring and/or rediscovering our local area, accessible on foot as part of permitted daily exercise. Given these constraining circumstances some of our members ’ local birding turned up some good birds. The outstanding highlight has to be the male Montagu ’ s Harrier discovered in April at Ogmore by young Club member Tom Wright – the species was last seen in East Glamorgan in 1974. Also seen there was a fly-over Honey Buzzard in September. On the wildfowl front there were singles of Pink-footed and White-fronted Goose, Whooper Swan, Ring-necked Duck and Long-tailed Duck. Rare waders featured Avocet, Red-necked Phalarope and Grey Phalarope, and another amazing sight was 10 Cattle Egrets settling to roost in bushes at Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve in July.

Finally, I'd like to thank the Trustees and Volunteers for their continued commitment to this work throughout this very challenging year which brought with it stresses not experienced by any of us before. Our thoughts go out to all those whose lives have been affected by the very sad loss of family or friends.

We know that birding brings tremendous personal satisfaction and enjoyment and promotes wellbeing; we look forward to the times when we can once again experience this collectively.

Jean Haslam, Chair, for the Glamorgan Bird Club Trustees.

Glamorgan Bird Club CIO Income and Expenditure 01/04/20 to 31/3/21

2021
Restricted
2021
Unrestricted
£
£
Income
Subscriptions
3436
Willow Tit Grant (WOS)
0
Book sales
0
Merchandise sales
129
Nest Boxes
0
Donations and talks
912
GOS internet fee share
0
EGBR sales
11
Charity payments/gift aid
1622
Proceeds - BB day
0
Indoor meetings
0
Swift Project (WOS)
0
Bank interest
21
Swift Grant (HLF)
0
Green Offset
20
0
6151
Expenditure
EGBR
1065
Admin./Stationery
137
Internet
132
Postage
521
Farmland bird feeding
0
Newsletter
458
Merchandise
112
WOS fee x 2
100
Indoor meeting exp. (inc
Zoom fee)
156
Insurance
0
Atlas (+ Analytics)
60
Travel expenses
0
Other
0
Swift Grant (HLF)
309
Swift Expenses (GBC)
Willow Tit Project (WOS)
69
BBD Expenses
0
Donation/Sponsorships
Includes Farmland bird
feeding
1181
Stock used
50
309
4041
(Deficit)/Surplus
(£309)
£2110

2021
Total
2020
Restricted
2020
Unrestricted
2020
Total
£
£
£
£
3436
0
4075
4075
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
129
0
112
112
0
0
32
32
912
0
692
692
0
0
0
0
11
0
31
31
1622
0
23
23
0
0
181
181
0
0
321
321
0
0
0
0
21
0
47
47
0
21920
0
21920
20
0
0
0
6151
21920
5514
27434
1065
0
1478
1478
137
0
190
190
132
0
156
156
521
0
824
824
0
0
133
133
458
0
788
788
112
0
194
194
100
0
50
50
156
0
276
276
0
0
303
303
60
0
114
114
0
0
339
339
0
0
12
12
309
20098

20098
0
92
92
69
0
0
0
0
0
103
103
1181
0
200
200
50
4350
20098
5252
25350
£1801
£1822
£262
£2084

Glamorgan Bird Club CIO Balance Sheet 31/03/2021

2021 £ 600 110	2021 £ 710 39,884	2020 £ 650 3	2020 £ 653 38,140
450 39,434		276 37,864
13,739 0 2,110		0 13,390 349
	40,594		38,793
	15,849 24,745		13,739 25,054
25,054 0 (309)		0 23,324 1,730

	40,594		38,793