## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 01/04/2024 Period start date To 31/03/2025 Period end date**
## **Charity name: Kent Downs Trust**
## **Charity registration number: 1184737**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|Official purposes of the Kent Downs Trust:
1. To promote for the benefit of the public
the conservation, protection and
improvement of the physical, natural and
cultural environment of the Kent Downs
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) and its setting in particular but not
exclusively by:
I. Carrying out work to improve the
landscape, environment and built heritage;
Ii. Supporting traditional skills and
promoting all arts inspired by the Kent
Downs AONB and its setting.
2. To advance the education of the public
in particular in the conservation, protection
and enhancement of the physical,
scientific, natural and cultural environment
of the Kent Downs AONB and its setting.|
|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 Trustees have undertaken work
looking at the next steps for the Charity
after the unsuccessful attempts in the
previous year to raise funding through
grant applications.|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The Trustees have had regard to the
guidance issued by the Charity
Commission on public benefit. The main
activity has been to review what didn’t work
the previous year and regain focus on how
to research how best to meet the needs of
new and diverse audiences who might
benefit from its activities in the future. The
Kent Downs National Landscape (KDNL)
was supporting the Charity with some
dedicated time from a staff member who
was between projects, but unfortunately
this person left KDNL. To support their
ambition for the Charity the Trustees have
sought additional support and commitment|
from the Kent Downs National Landscape staff team. The Trustees remain committed to the Trust and its work and will continue their work
## **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 Para 1.38 Contribution made by 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|During this period, the Trust continue to
build on the consultants reports to try to
secure funding to secure the future of our
planned work. Using the ‘next steps’
guidance produced in 2022-23, a funding
bid was submitted in January 2025 to the
John Lewis Partnership for project funding
but this was unsuccessful.
Initial discussions for working with Kent
Funding For All – a local charity - are
underway and the plan for the next year
(2025-26) is to work with Kent Funding For
All which can support us to develop and
deliver our ambitions. The Trustees seek to
retain the Kent Downs Trust and remain
committed to it.
The plan is to register the charity for Gift
Aid and further pursue funds through both
donation and grant applications.|
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
**Additional information (optional)**
|Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41||
|---|---|---|
|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||
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The reserve held is a grant to enable the
continuing establishment phase of the
Trust. Work is continuing to seek further
funding to secure a financial footing for
future activities.|
|Amount of reservesheld|Para 1.22|£569|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22||
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24||
|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:
|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:|||
|---|---|---|
|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|**Appointed charity trustees**
(a)
Apart from the first charity
trustees, every appointed
trustee must be appointed
for a term of three years by a
resolution passed at a
properly convened meeting
of the charity trustees.
(b)
Trustees will be nominated in
line with the trustee
recruitment policy, in
selecting individuals for
appointment as appointed
charity trustees, the charity
trustees must have regard to
the skills, knowledge and
experience needed for the
effective administration of
the CIO.|
**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||
|Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51||
|Other|||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Kent Downs Trust|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses||
|Registered charitynumber|1184737|
|Charity’s principal address|Kent Downs AONB Unit
The Granary
Penstock Hall Farm
Brabourne
Ashford
KentTN25 5LL|
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## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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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 (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Caroline Arnold|Chair of Trustees|||
||Richard Haynes||||
||Paul Bristow||||
||Nick Johannsen||||
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## – 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 held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|
|---|---|---|
|**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|||
|Administrat
ive support|Lisa Monk-Jones|The Granary, Penstock Hall Farm, Brabourne, Ashford,
Kent, TN25 5LL|
|Administrat
ive support|Isabel Shaw|The Granary, Penstock Hall Farm, Brabourne, Ashford,
Kent, TN25 5LL|
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## **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**|||
|---|---|---|
||Caroline Arnold|Nick Johannsen|
||
Chair of Trustees|Ex Officio Trustee|
||31/01/26||
||31/01/26||
Receipts and Payments Account for Kent Downs Trust for the year ended 31st March 2025
|Dr|||CR|
|---|---|---|---|
|Receipts
Balance b/f
Cash in hand
Interest
Donations
Grant funding received
Earned income|£
569.00
£
-
£
1,393.66
£
-
£
-
£
-
£|Payments
Invoice payments
Trustee expenses
Administration expenses
Room hire
Bank charges
Balance c/d|£
-
£
-
£
-
£
-
£
0.20
£
1,962.46
£|
||1,962.66
£||1,962.66
£|
Signed and Agreed
Nick Johannsen
Trustee Kent Downs Trust 31/01/2026