Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date Day Month Year Day Month Year From 1 9 2021 To 31 8 2022
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name The Ewyas Harold Common Trust Other names charity is known by EHCT Registered charity number (if any) 1185140 Charity's principal address Springbank Ewyas Harold Postcode HR20JD
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 (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madeleine Bradley | Vice Chair | |||
| Martin Clayton | ||||
| Christiana Crouch | Treasurer | |||
| Caroline Hanks | ||||
| Peter Jinman | ||||
| LucyMorton | ||||
| Christopher Moughton |
From January 2022 | |||
| Andrew Nixon | Chair | |||
| Gillian Urch | ||||
| Susan Young | Secretary | |||
Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Constitution
Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted
- (eg. trust, association, company)
Trustees elected by membership at AGM Trustee selection methods
- (eg. appointed by, elected by)
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
During the reporting year the trustees have met on 11 occasions (all but 2 on Zoom). The AGM was held on 27.1.22 with 19 members present. Three trustees resigned, as required by our constitution, and were then reappointed. One additional trustee was appointed, bringing the total number of trustees up to 10.
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
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policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
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We have finalised policies in relation to risk assessment, procurement and
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adopted for the induction and training of trustees; fixed asset policy, contract agreements, safeguarding, conflicting interests and complaints. And we have developed an organisational risk register.
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• the charity’s organisational We have appointed a safeguarding officer who has undertaken NCVO structure and any wider training. network with which the charity A Multi Stakeholder Co-operative (The Ewyas Harold Common Water works;
A Multi Stakeholder Co-operative (The Ewyas Harold Common Water Society) was set up in January 2022 to run the water supply. The necessary land and infrastructure will be leased to this Society. This lease is currently under discussion.
- relationship with any related parties;
There are 61 paid members of the Trust. The web site is regularly updated and a Facebook page has been set up.
- trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
The purposes of the EHCT are set out in the constitution as follows: “To promote, for the benefit of the public, the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Ewyas Harold Common (“the Common ”) by:
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providing amenity space for the local community and promoting sustainable access
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managing the land to create and maintain biological diversity and to improve and maintain a traditional habitat for wildlife
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• maintaining the quantity and quality of the grazing, consistent with
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the other objects
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• advancing the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of the Common
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• protecting against any action which would be detrimental to overall objects or to the exercise of registered rights.”
| the other objects • advancing the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of the Common • protecting against any action which would be detrimental to overall objects or to the exercise of registered rights.” |
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|---|---|
| Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit) |
Environmental management There were about 7 volunteer working parties on the Common over the winter - mainly scrub clearance for the benefit of pearl bordered fritillary butterflies. In addition contractors were paid to carry out three days of reptile and amphibian management at a cost of £552. £693 was paid to 2 separate contractors for scrub clearance and £912 for bracken cutting in August. BPS claimants and Trust members have also undertaken bracken cutting at no cost to the Trust. Site meetings were held to discuss future plans with Natural England and management plans drawn up. The requirements of the Higher Level Stewardship have been maintained. Once again the Trust was invited to roll forward the HLS for another year and this was agreed. During the early summer a professional survey of the habitat for pearl bordered fritillaries was undertaken (at no cost to the Trust) by Wessex Environmental. This found the habitat to be excellent. They concluded that the current management is working exceptionally well and there is a wide range of suitable habitat. As a result of their recommendations we were able to agree to 2 gravid females being taken for captive breeding before being released at prepared sites for re-introduction on the Malvern Hills. The results of the dormouse monitoring undertaken in the summer of 2021 were also very encouraging with evidence of similar numbers to the previous survey in 2011. It was considered likely that they are more widespread than the fairly limited survey areas. A grant received from Herefordshire County Council (see below) enabled us to purchase equipment for use by the volunteer working parties, to pay for some brush cutting courses & to run some butterfly and plant identification workshops. Amenity Use The Common continues to be greatly used by the local community for recreation. A leaflet has been prepared, advertising the value of the Common and indicating how people can donate or help in other ways. This has been circulated in the village and at local events. The Trust put on a social event and picnic as a thank you to all those who had done work on the Common over the past year (including volunteers). One of the cattle grids to the Common was replaced and the others have been cleared out by volunteers. All the stiles on the edge of the Common have been assessed and are considered generally adequate. We believe that in all our activities we have complied with the duty in section 4 of the 2006 Act to have due regard to guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission. |
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
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You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
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policy on grantmaking;
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policy programme related investment;
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contribution made by volunteers.
Section D Achievements and performance
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Section D Achievements and erformance p
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
The Common continues to provide a welcome place for members of the public to walk and relax.
Even though the Common is a popular recreational venue the management undertaken by the Trust has maintained its value for wildlife. Habitat management has been praised by experts and the numbers of protected species have held their own.
The use of the Herefordshire Council grant to purchase equipment and training has helped to prepare the Trust for the future.
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| Signature(s) | S3'c_YC:+Lr\i |
|
|---|---|---|
| Full name(s) | R~t>vZJ5 i.i ul | suis=ani fil2:it(SEE-in ]c]LINq |
| Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) |
C t{ A ' a | secceTney |
| Date | i /-2 /2 3 |
CHARITY COMMISSIO FOR ENGLAND AND WAIE Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For1 p•rfod To 1.921 31.8.22 Section A Receipts and payments e10nt fund• nds fund• Total lunds Last y••r Ith• nthiM¥t£ n••MtÈ knth• rArn•t£ to lh• A1 R•¢•l Oon•t'ont M¢mbor81 071 87t 176 W81or ptymaM8 HI hw Lvel StwArdsh oi 4210 4677 133 46TT 133 Sub to(81(Gros$ income for AR) 10.204 lQ,302 A2 A¥Mt Ind Inv•#tm•nt Ml tabl• Sub tot•1 T1 r•cdpts 10214 10.302 A3Pa S01cOr In•uiaTrce EmryioDm•DW Contractorn Costs aaeo¢lated iu Trnlnlng 4P9 lise 1108 1.IM3 72 16 24 471 Hal Hire Equipm•nt BEnch elec1 ¢r•ts Sub tot•1 A4 As••t ind Inv••tm•nt purc¥, (••• labl•} Sub lot•1 8.320 Ll.320 8.743 Net 0frnc81pfp¥yfft#ntr) A5 Tr•nsf•rn b•twA•n funds A6 Cash funds $t y•ar •nd C•sh funds this ye•r end 1W9 3.366 Sjlo J,J66 SJ10 1,807 3,36 CCXX R1 aCcOts (SS)
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Endowrn•nt fvnd 4regorFeS Lktai4S fthd$ funds B1 Ca¥h fvnds &310 rotal Cash funds SJ10 fund fund¥ fvndl Details Fund 4BHtbek Cuir•ntv•lu• talls Co•t lop¥on• FUT41 whltth C¢xt B4 A•s¢ts ratslned forthe charW• u H•rdd Comrnon PumrA l•ltru¢lJr• r1• th FymttrvAh 86 Llabllltles Lo ned ty onè ort) trute¥ ofi behalfof am the true05 Date of rovll Print Name ikQ s.L.YoLLrt srtvv 2 z.zry CCXX R2 8ccounts ISS)