2022-12-31-accounts

Treez CIO (Charity number 1185908) (incorporation date 21/10/2019) ANNUAL ACCOUNTS for period from 01/01/2022 to 31/12/2022 Opening Balance £11,493.89 Income Donations £ 7,038.75 Grants received £ 3500.00 Bank interest £ 9.79 £10,548.54 £10,548.54 £22,042.43 Expenditure Fundraising expensesJust Giving subscription £ 216.00 Bank charges £ 106.00 Grants Zomba Treez £6,000.00 £6,322.00 £ 6,322.00 Surplus £15,720.43 Balance Sheet at 31 /12/21 at 31/12/22 Assets Cash at Bank £11,493.89 £15,720.43 Retained surplus £11,493.89 £15,720.43

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1[st] January 2022 to 31[st] December 2023

Charity name: Treez CIO

Charity registration number: 1185908

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	The advancement of environmental protection and improvement for the public benefit in Malawi by providing funding for locally managed reforestation projects.
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 charity’s activities are confined to raising funds and making grants to assist projects carried out by others in Malawi. During the period of this report the projects being supported in this way are those of Zomba TREEZ Ltd, a not for profit company recently formed in Malawi in an effort to protect and restore the once well forested area of the Zomba Plateau. Work for which grants have been given include new tree planting (and its subsequent maintenance), fire prevention and fire fighting.
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 from the Charity Commissioners on public benefit

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

	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	The grants that the CIO can make are necessarily dependent on the amount of donations received. The aim is for all donation income ultimately to be given as grants, apart from a minimal amount for expenses and a small working balance. An organisation seeking a grant must submit a costed proposal for a project in Malawi (and at least for the period covered by this report it must also be in the Zomba Plateau region). The organisation must hold a bank account in its name.

		Eligibility for a grant is then assessed against the following criteria: The proposal must be for community based tree planting initiatives that  Mobilise communities to tackle deforestation  Improve nutrition, food security, incomes and local livelihoods  Support communities’ rights to manage natural resources in a sustainable way  Mitigate the negative impacts of climate change  Preserve and promote indigenous knowledge of natural resource management The aim is to support organisations that are based within or close to their community, and which represent the interests of the local community, including women and vulnerable groups; and to help such community-based organisations build their capacity.
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	The charity has no paid employees. All its activities are carried out 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	Para 1.20		Some Background The Charity was formed as a result of the Trustees’ awareness of eforts being made in Malawi to reverse the degradation being sufered to the once well forested highland area of the Zomba Plateau. These eforts were at frst undertaken by individuals, in

benefits to society as a whole.			particular the proprietors of Zomba Forest Lodge. Then in 2016 a not for proft company was formed to facilitate the work. This was named Zomba TREEZ Ltd (using an acronym that stands for “The Reforestation of the Environment and Ecosystem of Zomba”). The Charity was formed to help raise funds outside of Malawi to help with the work being done by Zomba TREEZ and potentially other similar projects in Malawi. Why reforestation is needed in Malawi Malawi has one of the highest rates of fuelwood use in the world, with 97% of the population dependent on frewood or charcoal for home use. Fast population and increased pressure onfuelwood and charcoal demand, leading to the depletion of Malawi’s forest resources. In the last few decades, Malawi has lost over half of her forests. The loss of forests brings with it multiple issues. Some of the most pressing ones include the loss of potential forest-based income (fuelwood, timber, honey, wild foods); changes in microclimate, leading possibly to less precipitation in areas with high deforestation; threats to local water resources and overall land degradation due to disturbances like fres and soil erosion. Poverty is both cause and efect in this scenario; Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of per capita income, and the loss of forest resources is likely to disproportionately afect communities in and around forested areas that might already inhabit marginal lands Making a start in Zomba It is against the above backdrop that the current eforts are being made to protect and enhance the forest resources of the Zomba Forest Reserve. Zomba Forest Reserve encompasses Zomba Plateau, a massif rising to 2000m in southern Malawi. The plateau is the_only_source of water for the city of Zomba, the former colonial capital and now Malawi’s fourth largest city witha populationofaround100,000.

The plateau further gives rise to multiple streams and small rivers that are used for drinking water and irrigation by local communities all around the plateau. Zomba, and the country’s second largest city Blantyre (which is only an hour away), have placed rising pressure on Zomba Plateau’s forest resources; research has noted that urban areas depend heavily on charcoal (not locally collected firewood), meaning that the rising population of Zomba and Blantyre will continue using more and more charcoal. Zomba Plateau has lost vast amounts of its natural forest in the recent past. The existing forests have been ravaged by human-induced wildfires that are often set to get easier access to stands of trees deeper in the forest and to catch wildlife fleeing the fires. This has led to a vicious cycle of forest depletion, leading to loss of livelihoods, which in turns pressures communities to extract even more resources from the forest

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

Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41	In the year the Charity has raised donations of £7,038.75 and received a grant of £3,500. Using these funds; it has given £6,000 in grants to Zomba TREEZ. They have reported that with the help of this aid they have achieved the following: Water catchment areas- This, their first and most urgent project, was to create Water Catchment Conservation Corridors to protect vital water sauces by restoring mainly indigenous tree cover. Work on this has progressed well, through engaging with groups recruited from local communities. Each community group has been allotted a zone to manage and they are then paid on the basis of the number of trees and seedlings that are surviving in their zone at the end of a year. This includes not only planted seedlings, but also naturally regenerating trees. Community resource planting – Zomba TREEZ have continued to support planting within the local village communities, both to help the communities thrive and to relief pressure on the Forest Reserve for firewood and illegal timber felling. This planting has included creating woodlots of quick growing pines, eucalyptus and bamboo in order to provide a legal source of timber for building etc and firewood; establishing fruit tree

orchards to provide nutrition and generate income; and the planting of suitable trees around maize gardens to help nitrogen enrichment and reduce erosion (and over time be a further sustainable source of firewood). Seedling nurseries – Zomba TREEZ have continued to micro-finance the establishment of seedling nurseries within communities. They have also continued to sponsor the Zomba Tour Guides Association, in the creation of an indigenous tree seedling nursery on the top of the Plateau, using seeds gathered locally; and then raised in the correct conditions regarding altitude, climate and soil. The seedlings thus produced are being used to stock a particularly important Water Catchment Conservation Corridor along the Mulunguzi River (the main catchment for Zomba City). A further indigenous seedling nursery has recently been created, which serves as a visitor site and tourist attraction as well as furthering reforestation. Firefighting and prevention – Efforts in this high priority area have been very successful in 2022, with no serious fire damage occurring. At the forefront of these efforts have been 4 local village football teams, and their netball counterparts, who in return for sponsorship from Zomba TREEZ help in cutting and clearing firebreaks, patrolling during the dry season, and firefighting when necessary. The Tour Guides Association, as part of their sponsorship, also help with any firefighting (their knowledge and experience being much valued). Run4Reforestation – In September 2022 Zomba TREEZ were able again to organise this running event on the Zomba plateau. (They had been unable to do this in 2020 and 2021 because of covid, although virtual fund-raising runs and walks were done by individuals in various places round the world). The actual run this year was a big success both financially and in spreading the conservation message. And happily the virtual runs/walks took place as well. Indeed the majority of donations received by the UK Charity in the year arose from Run4Reforestation, one way or another. Performance of fundraising activities against objectives Para 1.41 set

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	Although income was considerably down on the previous year, the charity remained in a healthy financial position with a closing cash balance of £15,720
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	Funds are retained for the purpose of making future grants as needed
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£15,720 at the year end
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

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	Donations Grants An annual fund- raising event- the Run4Reforestation
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	A written Constitution adopted in August 2019
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	As a charitable incorporated organisation (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	The Constitution names the first trustees (who throughout the year remained the only trustees). It further provides that the CIO shall have a board of trustees comprising at least 3 persons; and that the Board may recruit new trustees. In selecting these the Board 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	As described elsewhere in this report the Charity is achieving its charitable objectives by providing funding to Zomba TREEZ Ltd in Malawi. That organisation was the Charity’s inspiration and so far has been the Charity’s only direct beneficiary.
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51	Three of the trustees are related to Thomas Inch who is a director of Zomba TREEZ Ltd (and also the proprietor of Zomba Forest Lodge). James Inch is Thomas’s father and Laura Coyle is his cousin. Ray Coyle is Laura’s husband. The fourth trustee, Selena Gleadow-Ware, is not related, but she has been a guest at Zomba Forest Lodge several times. The trustees are aware of the need to treat Zomba TREEZ Ltd as they would any other beneficiary and have required them to submit written, costed applications in accordance with the Charity’s grant making policy before making any funding available to them.
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Treez CIO
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number	1185908
Charity’s principal address	2 Underwood Cottages, The Coombe, Streetly-on Thames, RG8 9RA

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)
	Mr Raymond Coyle
	Mrs Laura Coyle
	Dr Selena Gleadow-Ware
	Mr James Inch

– 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)

Type of Name Address adviser

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