## North Tyne and Redesdale Red Squirrels ## **Trustees’ Annual Report 2024** North Tyne and Redesdale Red Squirrels Charity Reg: 1186568 Address: 4 Low Park, West Woodburn, Hexham., Northumberland, NE48 2SQ ## **Trustees:** Adrian Rawlins, 4 Low Park, West Woodburn, Hexham., Northumberland, NE48 2SQ Susan Underwood, 1 Hazel Cottages, Otterburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE19 1LL Philip Chard, Snuggygate, Noble St, Bellingham, Northumberland, NE48 2EE ## **Structure and Management** : The Group is administered by a Management Committee, which includes the Trustees and any group member who wishes to be attend a meeting. Decisions are taken by vote, as laid down by the constitution. Trustee selection to fill a vacancy is by majority vote at an AGM. Group members may also be co-opted onto the committee for s short period. ## **Objectives** North Tyne and Redesdale Red Squirrels (NT&RRS) works to promote the conservation of red squirrels in the North Tyne and Redesdale area, through fieldwork, public information, and cooperation with other groups with similar or related objectives. ## **Summary of Activities** Field work. By the end of 2024 we were unable to continue our monitoring on the Otterburn Ranges. This was mainly due to two main factors: loss of active volunteers due to ill health and changing personal circumstances; the increasing difficulty in accessing the woodlands due to storm damage and heavy rain, which made field work unsafe. New volunteers to help with this contractual work were not forthcoming despite one or two initial expressions of interest in doing squirrel work from people moving into the area. 2024 saw an increase in grey squirrel sightings, which had been low in recent years. This was a concern due to the lack of active volunteers. We responded where we could and were able to offer advice to those reporting sightings. Unfortunately, due to the remoteness of the area, it is not practical to draft in help from other areas, who are also struggling to look after their own patch. Development work to refine the oral fertility control and gene drive control for grey squirrels is ongoing, but the monitoring and trapping of grey squirrels will need to remain the main method of control for some time while other methods are being refined. We continue to have a presence on the Northern Red Squirrels web site and our own website, where the public can access information and contact details for anyone to get in touch if they would like to get involved or to report sightings, particularly of grey squirrels. Recruitment of active volunteers is a priority if the group is to be an effective force in the fight to control the grey squirrel population. However, we are a sparsely populated area with a rural economy, meaning that working-age people often have more than one job to make a living, leaving little time to engage in voluntary work. We have had some interest from people who have moved into the area, but this has been fleeting and despite initial enthusiasm, has not resulted in them becoming active volunteers. ## **Financial review** We are still financially viable and covered our costs for the year, which included insurance in anticipation of continued monitoring for the MOD. By the end of the year, we had been unable to attract additional volunteers to continue this work and had to turn down the offer of further funding. Expenditure was minimal as we were still using the equipment and food purchased in the previous financial year. _This document has been read and agreed by the following Trustees as being an accurate description of the Charity’s work over the year._ _A D Rawlins S Underwood P Chard_ _Dated 22md November 2025_ North Tyne and Redesdale Red Squirrels Year End 31-Dec-24 0.00 50.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Income R1 Membership R2 Donations R3 Sale of plants R4 Grants R5 Sale of feed Total 50.00 Expendlture P1 Stationery P2 Website hosting P3 Purchase of feed P4 Equipment P5 Purchase of sundries P6 Room hire P7 Publicity P8 Cost of sales P9 Insurance P10 Miscellaneous expens 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 48.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -307.84 0.00 Total 455.84 Receipts & Payments Account for the Financial Year Ended 31-Dec-24 Year End 31-Dec-24 To131 Last Year Total RECEIPTS Membership Donation5 Sale of plants Sale of fee(ler I trap food Grants 50 50 999 TOTAL RECEIPTS PAYMENTS Stationery Website hostlng Purchase of feedèr I trap food Purchase of sundriès Purchase of Equipment Room hire Publicity Travelling expenses Insurance -101 -210 -80 -30 48 -308 .356 -308 -729 TOTAL PAYMENTS NET RECEIPTS-PAYMENTS -306 370 Movements in Funds for the Financial Year Ended 31-Dec-24 Cash Assets rt'Fwd at 31￿8¢-2023 Receipts In P9riod Payments In P9riod Transfer& In Perlod C(fFwd at 31-Dec-24 Cash at Bank & in Hand Petty C8sh Bank, Current Account 4,141 4.141 -356 -356 3,835 3,835 InvestmenUDeposit Accounts Bank. Deposit Account Total Cash Assets Bt'Fwd Oeposlts hdrawals NetTransfers Cd'Fwd 4.141 3,835 Total Fund5 4.141 3,835 Statement of Assets & Llabllltles as at 31.De¢-24 Assets as at 31-Dec-24 Vnr9Strirt•d Fund5 Design¥ts Funds RBs¢rithd Funds Totsi #t 31.Dec44 DÈ$criptlon Value Cash Assets 3,835 3.835 Th8rmsl Imager 1146 other Mon8tary Assets Microscope 163 Investments Assets None Assets Retained for Own Use 1,309 1,309 Llabllltles None Total 1309 Note- The value of assets retained is ba58d on assets b8ing written off over 1 years.