Charity Name: BIOGRAPHICAL ARBORETUM, LITTLE MESOPOTAMIA CIO
Charity Number: 1185818
Financial year end: 5 April 2025
Ref: AR24-CIO-REM-11a
ANNUAL REPORT April 2024- April 2025
The charity owns 12.5 acres which are managed for environmental benefit and to encourage biodiversity. A shed and 8 acres of grazing land within this land have been let for the grazing of sheep.
The land is between two rivers, in the centre of the Village of Beckermet in West Cumberland. Three properties adjoin the land, one of which is The White Mare Public House.
Trustees:
Dr Thomas Tuohy FSA
Philip Braithwaite
Yvonne Clarkson
Lilian Tuohy Main
Tenancy Termination
The tenant was given 12 months notice to quit and the tenancy was terminated on 31 March 2025.
Yvonne Clarkson advised on possible forms of a future tenancy (a Farm Business Tenancy is not appropriate) and Phil Braithwaite was assigned the role of negotiating with the Tenant, who wanted to buy the shed and the largest field, which was naturally refused, and no agreement could be reached about future grazing. The tenant had overgrazed and sheep had poached sections of the lands and he was unsympathetic to the aims of the BALM charity to encourage biodiversity and environmental improvement. An offer of the possibility of grazing with limited numbers of sheep and periods of grazing timings in the future was made.
Maintenance was carried by local farmers and arborists, in addition to PB, TT, LMT, and a volunteer neighbour Mark Jacques.
Visitors 57, advertising through Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Beckermet Parish Magazine.
White Mare wall collapse , Since December 2024 TT has sent several emails to Star pubs (Heineken) from BALM email requesting site visits and emphasizing Health & Safety implication for landlord , but no action has been taken to repair the wall. Instead workers have been sent to clear the narrow path between the property and BALM land, without any advance notice, and left a considerable mess of cut branches on BALM land. We have moved this alongside the collapsed wall to deter trespassers.
Funding for hedges . Cumbrian/Coastal Woodlands keep changing name and staff, who made site visits offering advice, but were unspecific about values of grants. On the suggestion of a local farmer, TT contacted Sandy Brown of Mitchells, Cockermouth, and a site visit with her assistant Joe Taylforth was made on 31 March, with TT and PB. There is no longer a minimum area for grants. Free PSI tests were recommended, together with no large flocks of sheep, but a few in autumn, or 5 small hairy cattle . We discussed grants for hay/wildflower meadows, but DEFRA funding was not yet operating. However funding for fencing and hedging is available and has been applied for.
BALM Accounts 2024-25
INCOME
P Braithwaite £ 1000 Kate Tuohy Main £ 2000 Y Clarkson £200 T Tuohy £1183 qualifying for Gift Aid………….. £4383 GADS (visitors) £285 sub total £4668
………. Way Leave £37 Rent £500 Gift Aid £1191.13 paid Dec 2025 sub total £1691
Total income £6359
EXPENDITURE
Insurance NFU £925 Ledgard £500 Robinson £1039 Noble £96 Ebay plants £161 Stationary £170 Total £2891 …………………………… Excess income over expenditure £3468 Bank Balance 1 April 2025 £8580