2021-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/04/20 Period start date To 31/03/2021 Period end date Charity name: Sustainable Sussex CIO Charity registration number: 1182997

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	Sustainable Sussex supports people who find accessing the workplace difficult through providing real-work experience and education on and around Sompting Estate. Our activities include gardening, building, carpentry, animal care, mindfulness, crafts and making value added products and selling them as part of our social enterprise Sussex Chilli Farm.
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	During the Covid Pandemic Sustainable Sussex took its obligations around the welfare of its volunteers and beneficiaries seriously and thus limited the activities and numbers of beneficiaries it engaged with during this particularly challenging reporting period. At the beginning of the reporting period and during government mandated restrictions, included stopping non-essential travel and contact between people, we had a minimal number of volunteers present on sites. The few people engaged allowed general maintenance and a low level of food production which was subsequently donated to local food banks and community projects benefitting those in need. The period of lower activity was extended due to the majority of beneficiaries requiring the use of public transport which was advised against by government. The charities’ early adoption of internal occupational health guidance at a time before public health advice was offered around the pandemic was demonstrated to be beneficial during this reporting period, almost certainly reducing infections of volunteers and beneficiaries, many of whom are vulnerable to Covid or live with elderly parents or carers.

		As soon as the vaccination program allowed the decision was made to engage the beneficiaries most at-risk of mental health problems or loneliness. We engaged people in growing vegetables, harvesting, maintaining equipment and working towards the creation of Sompting Community Farm, Nature Trail and Community Orchard. Sustainable Sussex maintained a program of public on-site walking tours of the community farm site during much of the reporting period. There was a reduction in charitable trading from the last reporting period from £2074 to Nil.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	The trustees found it challenging to match the charities’ previous level of public benefit during the reporting period while also considering the legal requirement that ‘a purpose cannot be a charitable purpose where any detriment or harm resulting from it outweighs the benefit’ as per guidance PB1. The trustees’ decisions to reduce numbers and the timings of beneficiary engagement were based on best practice in occupational health risk assessment and the knowledge and training of the charities’ health and safety lead, rather than necessarily following public health advice which was not appropriate, nor timed to be appropriate for occupational health decisions. To summarise, all decisions by trustees have been informed by Charity Commission guidance and taken into account when making operational decisions and the guidance has not been departed from.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment

Contribution made by Para 1.38 volunteers 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	Throughout the pandemic, the charity engaged various numbers of volunteers and beneficiaries who would otherwise have been alone in their homes or be otherwise disengaged. The ability to travel to the project from their homes, then take exercise by growing produce which was then going to a worthy cause, allowed them to engage in activities that were a benefit to their mental and physical health, even more so during the pandemic than at other times. Fresh produce was donated to beneficiaries and eaten at home, benefiting their health through nutritional value as well as the pride in eating something that they have produced. Sustainable Sussex partnered with The Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust (OART) and Sompting Estate’s EPIC Broadwater Brook Restoration Project. The partnership will bring existing volunteers onto the Community Farm site to share temporary volunteer facilities, co-funded by the three partners. Planning permission was granted for the facilities and funds applied for towards the project, which will include a car park, secure green-roofed cycle shelter, temporary office/tea room, workshop/tool store, composting toilet and solar electrical system. These facilities will allow greater community engagement and charitable activities for us over the 5-year permission granted.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: Achievements against Para 1.41 objectives set

Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41
Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	Sustainable Sussex has fared well during this reporting period, reducing or maintaining costs to a minimum while remaining operational and capable of delivering public benefit.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	No policy on holding reserves.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£2006
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	Not applicable
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	Not applicable
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	Not applicable

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
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:		Not applicable
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	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	Interview and majority vote

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’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51	Sustainable Sussex is a member of BH Community Works as well as partnering with the Sompting Community in The Countryside team.
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Sustainable Sussex
Other name the charity uses	Sussex Chilli Farm
Registered charity number	1182997
Charity’s principal address	Sompting Estate Office Middle Yard Barn Lambleys Lane Worthing BN14 9JX

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
	Liane Webb	Chair
	Ruth Kenward		22/01/2021
	Mike Tristram
	Gerard Cronin
	Keith Colin

– 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 Not applicable held in this capacity Name and objects of the Not applicable charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for Not applicable safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Additional information (optional) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Additional information (optional) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Additional information (optional) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
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) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date

	Sustainable Sussex CIO	Sustainable Sussex CIO	Sustainable Sussex CIO	1182997	1182997	1182997	CC16a
	For the period from	01/04/2020	To		31/03/2021
Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 997 - - - 8,400 - - 9,397 - - - 9,397 19 8,400 342 35 927 - 568 100 - - 10,391 - - - - 0 10,391 - (994) - 3,000 2,006	Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -		Total funds to the nearest £ 997 - - - 8,400 - - - 9,397 - - - 9,397 19 8,400 342 35 927 - 568 100 - - - - 10,391 - - - - - 10,391 - - 994		Last year to the nearest £
Donations from individuals	997						8,226
Donations from businesses	-						-
Charitable Trading	-						2,074
Grants	-						6,300
Project Payment	8,400						200
Fundraising	-						-
	-						-
							-
Sub total(Gross income for AR)	9,397						16,800
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-						-
	-						-
Sub total	-						-
Total receipts A3 Payments
							16,800
Advertising& Marketing	19						372
Consulting	8,400						8,225
Fuel - Minibus	342						840
Telephone & Internet	35						30
Insurance	927						1,254
Stationery and Computer	-						567
Accountancy	568						255
Costs of charitable activities	100						900
Building materials							3,625
Travel costs	-						2,335
Meeting costs	-						500
							-
**Sub total **	10,391						18,903
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
Farm equipment	-						2,907
Tools	-						1,497
IT equipment	-						147
Livestock	-						803
Sub total	0						5,354
Total payments Transfer from Sustainable Sussex Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end
							24,257
							10457
	(994)	-	-		- 994		3,000
	-	-	-		-		-
	3,000	-	-		3,000		-
	2,006	-	-		2,006		3,000

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B1 Cash funds	Signature Details Details Chipper Shredder Food Dehydrator Chainsaw and Chainsaw Mill Laptop Petrol Brushcutter Dye-Sub Printer & Media 36x16ft Polytunnel Power tools Details Total cash funds Details Details Tools and Hardware (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 2,006 - - - - 2,006 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) 1,930 799 867 522 675 294 1,549 1,270 294 Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Liane Webb Keith Colin	Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			OK
			Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			When due (optional)
			Date of approval
		Liane Webb
		Keith Colin