## **Glamorgan Bird Club CIO**
## **' Trustees Report April 2021 – 31st March 2022**
## **Trustees**
Zoom meetings have again proved successful and convenient and although we are back to some normality, we plan to have most of our future meetings via this platform.
Ceri Jones has taken on the task of Treasurer, dealing with the bank, auditors, insurers and managing the HLF grant for the Swift Tower, as well as the day to day running of the Club accounts.
We are still actively looking for a secretary. Mary Davis has kindly been able to take some of the minutes for us in 2021, while the rest of the tasks have been shared. Please apply if you'd like to join us.
After many years of service, Wayne Morris stepped down as a Trustee in March 2022. His expertise, persistence, and enthusiasm will be greatly missed. On behalf of the Trustees and members, I'd like to thank him for all his hard work.
We are very pleased that Mary Gallagher and John Western have agreed to stand for election at the 2022 AGM.
## **Charity Commission Public Benefit Statement**
GBC Trustees are aware of, and have regard to, the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance whenever we exercise our powers to make decisions on aspects of GBC activity to which the guidance is relevant.
This applies to all GBC conservation projects, production of the annual Eastern Glamorgan Bird Report and quarterly newsletter, field trips, KNNR walks, indoor and Zoom meetings, donations made and sponsorship given.
## **Venue**
All of our Trustees' Meetings and club events have taken place via Zoom so far this year. Going forward, we plan to have a combination of face to face and Zoom indoor talks where possible, to enable as many as possible to attend.
## **Eastern Glamorgan Bird Report – EGBR**
John Wilson, has once again produced the Bird Report and is now organising more than 130,000 records for the 2021 edition.
GBC is very proud of the EGBR, one of the most comprehensive in the country. The 2020 report, issued in December 2021, was the 59[th] edition and made interesting reading as the majority of records had been submitted during the pandemic.
John Wilson has been EGBR editor for 24 years, working with various team members from 1997 to 2000, and taking over solely in the role from 2005. In that time he has been ably supported by a willing team of volunteers, fulfilling a number of essential roles, e.g. collating weather records, writing up species summaries and proof reading. During 2021, John decided he would be taking a back seat from the EGBR in 2023, (but still continuing as a Trustee, Webmaster and Field Trip organiser) and since his announcement GBC trustees have been looking for someone, or a group of people, to replace him.
Grateful thanks are due from everyone to John for his huge contribution, and our search for his successor continues. As no-one has come forward so far, we have been considering alternative options for producing the report, but it might be that we won't be able to publish one next year.
The Trustees are also looking for more species summarisers and proof readers. We were very pleased that younger member Tom Wright took over as Photo Editor during 2021, from the late and sadly missed Richard Smith.
## **Newsletter**
Alan Rosney has continued to produce our much enjoyed quarterly newsletter. Although digital copies are sent to the majority of members, he has been able to send some printed copies in the last edition. It is planned that in future, and in line with our climate change policy, all copies will be digital. Many thanks to Alan.
## **Policies and Procedures**
These have been updated according to our schedule. There have been no safeguarding issues to address this year.
## **Kenfig National Nature Reserve**
We have met and established a good relationship with Chris Jones, the new warden. A sub-group has been formed to deal with any issues, in
particular the deterioration of the southern hide, mainly due to vandalism. Chris has raised funds, partly from donations and partly from the Reserve Trust, to buy wood for the renovation, which has been begun, carried out by Kenfig volunteers and our members.
## **Conservation Projects**
* Cardiff Bay Swift Tower. We're eagerly awaiting the return of the Swifts, hoping they may nest here this year. There has been a good sign, in that House Sparrows have been showing an interest. Regular meetings with our partners, RSPB Cymru and Cardiff Bay Harbour Authority, are still taking place with regard to maintenance, ongoing responsibility, and a planned 'Welcome Back the Swifts' event on 14[th] May 2022.
* Other Swift Projects. Monitoring of Swift boxes and known nesting sites in various locations is going ahead. Strinda Davies has headed a project on a housing estate in North Cornelly, working with the Valleys to Coast Housing Association and with Bridgend Local Nature Partnership paying for the cherry picker hire, six swift boxes built by GBC volunteer Howard Driver, were installed. We will be watching them closely.
* Farm Feeding. We've continued our partnership with Ty'n y Caeau Farm and the Kenfig Ringing Group, with GBC providing some of the seed for winter feeding. Notably, Yellowhammers, Reed Bunting and a welcome Cirl Bunting have been found there.
* Nest Boxes. Boxes for various species and logs for Willow Tit have been built and sourced by many of our members. Once again, a special mention goes to Howard Driver who has been unstinting in his efforts to make very many for the Club, often at short notice, including boxes for Dipper, Swift, Little Owl, Kestrel, Tawny Owl, Pied Flycatcher and Robin. These have been erected in various locations in woodland, farms, churches, schools and nature reserves. Thanks to all.
* Willing For Willow Tits. Led by Wayne Morris, and funded by WOS, the planning and installing part of the project has been completed. Birch logs and boxes have been placed in several suitable sites and now monitoring of these has commenced.
* Ty Tanglwyst Farm. We have renewed our contact with the farm, previously erected nest boxes have been monitored, and invited by Rhys Lougher, the farmer, a bird survey was conducted by a small group of members during the Big Farmland Bird Count 2022.
* Green Sandpiper Survey in the Vale of Glamorgan. Led by Dan JenkinsJones, and also involving Alan Rosney, this has been completed for this year, with 7 birds being found on the last survey
* Rookery Survey. Alongside a Welsh Ornithological Society survey, Dan
Jenkins-Jones and Ceri Jones have organised a GBC survey of active rookeries in our reporting area. There has been an excellent response to these surveys by GBC members, for which we are very grateful, and the surveys conclude in 2023.
## **Publicity, Promotions and Branding**
Our social media platforms have again proved popular and useful for giving information and promoting our activities. They also attract lots of wider public interest.
John Wilson and Alan Rosney post on Facebook. Total page followers are approximately 1,000, while each post reaches 100-400 people. Rhos Williams looks after our Twitter feed, with 1607 followers so far. John Wilson is also our Webmaster. There is lots of activity on our website, during 2021 there were 89,497 views, and 21,220 visits.
A new leaflet and banner are being printed.
Various items featuring the Club logo are available to order from myself, as GBC Chair: badges, car stickers, hats, caps, polo shirts and fleeces.
## **Walks, Field Trips and Indoor Talks**
Thankfully, Kenfig walks, led by Dave Carrington, and field trips, led by John Wilson and Alan Rosney, have been able to continue this year as restrictions eased. The first was in May 2021, with a KNNR walk on the 15[th] , and a trip to RSPB Dinas on the 22[nd] , when we had 10 participants. Further full day trips were held in June, August, September, November and December, then all months in 2022 to date, with a maximum of 21 participants. Various locations were visited, e.g. Whiteford Point on Gower, Newton Point, Porthcawl, the Forest Of Dean and Garwnant. Eight members were able to go on a socially-distanced Portland weekend, recording 92 species! We don't now need to book for Kenfig walks, but please contact John Wilson for booking on Field Trips.
Members, and some guests, have enjoyed our well-attended Zoom talks, including Mike Smart on Curlews, Urban Peregrines by Ed Drewitt, Tom Mabbett from Naturetrek showing us his favourite UK birding locations and an excellent wide-ranging presentation by Julian Hughes, well known naturalist and co-author and editor of 'The Birds of Wales', featuring research for the book and historical Welsh birding facts .
Paul Denning, Alan Rosney and John Wilson have produced a full programme of talks for 2022/23, some of which we plan to hold in person, together with walks and field trips for next year.
## **Membership**
Membership as of 31[st] March 2022 was 272, a slight increase on 2020/21. We actively strive to encourage young people to join the club and links have been made with the University of South Wales, Cardiff University and Pencoed College. A limited Youth Membership Survey was held and we continue to offer free membership to under 24's.
We have sadly lost three members this year.
Paul Marshman, David Fisher, a founder member, and Richard Smith, another founder member who had also been County Bird Recorder, GBC committee member, worked on the EGBR until very recently and has given us many talks on his birding travels around the world.
Our thoughts go to their families.
## **Honorary Membership**
In light of his unstinting efforts over many years in making and installing bird boxes, the Trustees are pleased to award Honorary membership to Howard Driver.
## **Birding highlights**
During the last year these have included Ring-necked Duck, Great White Egrets, Marsh Harriers and Red Crested Pochard at Kenfig NNR, and a Hoopoe at Sker.
Finally, as always, I'd like to thank the Trustees and volunteers for their work throughout the year.
## **Jean Haslam, Chair**
For the Glamorgan Bird Club Trustees
## **Glamorgan Bird Club CIO - Income and Expenditure for the Year Ended 31 March 2022**
|**Income**
Member Subscriptions
Donations
Gift Aid
Carbon Offset
Book/Bird Report Sales
Badges/Other Merchandise
Swift Projects
Interest Received
**Total**
**Expenditure**
Annual Bird Report
Newsletter
Postage
Badges/Other Merchandise
Stationery
Indoor/Zoom meetings
Cardiff Bay swift project
Design work
Websites
Gifts
Donation re Carbon Offset
Other donations
Affiliate memberships
Insurance
Seed - farmland feed crop
Bank charges
Other
**Total**
**(Deficit)/Surplus**|**2022**
**2022**
**2022**
**2021**
**2021**
**2021**
**Restricted**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**Restricted**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
-
3,599 3,599
-
3,436
3,436
-
842
842
-
912
912
-
-
-
-
1,622
1,622
-
257
257
-
20
20
-
20
20
-
11
11
-
24
24
-
129
129
-
20
20
-
-
-
-
4
4
-
21
21|
|---|---|
||-
4,767 4,767
-
6,151
6,151|
||-
945
945
-
1,065
1,065
-
139
139
-
458
458
-
398
398
-
521
521
-
20
20
-
162
162
-
26
26
-
137
137
-
223
223
-
156
156
915
-
915
309
-
309
-
125
125
-
-
-
-
230
230
-
192
192
-
111
111
-
-
-
-
290
290
-
-
-
-
850
850
-
1,014
1,014
-
115
115
-
100
100
-
602
602
-
-
-
-
134
134
-
167
167
-
30
30
-
-
-
-
92
92
-
69
69|
||915
4,331 5,246
309
4,041
4,350|
||-915
435
-480
-309
2,110
1,801|
## **Glamorgan Bird Club CIO - Balance Sheet 31 March 2022**
|Stock
Debtors - Membership Secretary
Cash at Bank - Current Account
Cash at Bank - Deposit Account
**Represented by:**
**Unrestricted Funds:**
Members' Fund brought forward
Surplus for the year
**Members' Fund carried forward**
**Restricted Funds:**
Swift Fund brought forward
(Deficit) for the year
**Swift Fund carried forward**
**Total Funds carried forward**|**31/03/22**
**£**
273
78|**31/03/22**
**£**
352
39,762
40,114
16,284
23,830
40,114|**31/03/21**
**£**
600
110|**31/03/21**
**£**
710
39,884|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||126
39,636||450
39,434||
||15,849
435||13,739
2,110||
|||||40,594|
|||||
15,849
24,745|
||24,745
- 915||25,054
- 309||
||||||
|||||40,594|