2024-12-31-accounts

The Fourth Reserve Foundation (Registered CIO: 1186942) 2024 Trustee Annual Report

Date: April 2025 Authors: Anna Maria Cahalane, Tommy Radclyffe-Thomas

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Summary

The major changes in 2024 have been:

• The approval of 5-year strategies for the Fourth Reserve Foundation (FRF) and its fundraising activity

• A move of the charity website to a new platform and the introduction of a membership programme

• Ongoing biodiversity and facilities improvements at the Nature Reserve

• Submission of significant funding applications to the City Bridge Trust and the John Laing Foundation

• The departure and recruitment of trustees

Governance changes

In 2023, the FRF Board of Trustees approved and put in place an interim strategy covering a suite of changes including; new governance structures, trustee recruitment, paid managing agents, gathering and documentation of policies; website overhaul and the move of all accounts to the Co-Op Bank.

• In 2024 a 5-year strategy phase 2 document was approved. Of note within the document:

• The top priorities remain the maintenance of the reserve and the rescuing and restoring of other local wild spaces especially Gorne Wood.

• To seek partnerships and fundraising opportunities with community groups that would most benefit from access to our natural spaces with a focus on SEND and local arts.

• Promotion of an ecology-focused educational offering to local schools.

In addition to the overarching strategy a fundraising strategy was also approved in 2024. In summary this concluded that grants would continue to be the major source of funding and that the work of the FRF falls primarily into one of three categories:

• 1) infrastructure improvement projects at the existing nature reserve

• 2) community outreach/support initiatives

• 3) campaigning to save other wild spaces.

A list of all potential funders was created and using the aforementioned categories project proposals were drafted to support funding applications. In 2024 multiple funding applications were submitted in respect of potential infrastructure projects at the nature reserve. The majority of these have application decision dates pending in 2025.

At the end of 2023 the trustee board was made up of nine individuals. During 2024 three trustees stepped down. A recruitment process was initiated in late 2024 and three new trustees were appointed in December 2024. These changes also required updates to the co-signatories on the Co-Op bank accounts.

New Network Rail lease

The Buckthorne Nature Reserve’s 5-year license from Network Rail expired in 2022. A new 25-year lease, dependent upon the installation of safety fencing within the Reserve, was negotiated (with pro-bono legal support from Richard Buxton Solicitors) in 2024. Following several rounds of query and amendment we expect the lease to be fully signed off in early 2025, giving long-term security and a basis for further discussions and extensions to the Reserve.

Finances

FRF ended 2023 with assets of £123,539 of which £122,081 was ringfenced for the Gorne Wood campaign. During 2024 we raised £22,529 (of which £1,890 was for Gorne Wood) and spent £29,027 hence ending 2024 with assets of £117,040 (of which £115,071 was ringfenced for Gorne Wood)

Income

The Gorne Wood campaign was not actively raising funds during 2024, instead the ringfenced funds were held in a separate Co-Op Bank savings account. The interest from these savings forms the income of £1,890 attributed to the Gorne Wood campaign in 2024.

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The following were the other primary income sources in 2024:

• £7,186 – a second tranche of the Mayor’s Greening Fund for path and hedge improvements

• £1,000 – from Tesco Bags for Life to fund a new wildlife pond

• £998 – grant from CPRE to fund creation of hedgerows

• £11,453 – unrestricted donations from events, public donations, Lewisham Lottery, Amazon and corporate site hire charges

In December 2024 a new membership scheme was launched via the updated website in which members sign up to a regular monthly donation. By the end of 2024 this scheme had raised £58 (included within the unrestricted donations figure above).

Spending

In 2024 the key areas of spending were:

• £9,300 – on the managing agent for management of the Gorne Wood campaign, general nature reserve management, open day planning and hosting/ leading community groups on site. This was funded by a combination of Gorne Wood ringfenced funds, grants and unrestricted funds.

• £4,800 – on the production of a Phase 2 Gorne Wood business plan

• £5,525 – on professional fees for project management funded by project-specific grants

• £4,829 – on materials and plants

• £345 – on tools

• £459 – on rubbish clearance

• £820 – on new signage

2024 Projects completed

In addition to the highlights shown on the next page:

• Biodiversity improvements: new large wildlife pond; orchard restoration; new meadows; improved steps and paths; hedge laying; a fox rescue pen and rescued bird aviary.

• New security fencing installed by Network Rail along the entire South-East side of the Reserve.

• Gorne Wood Campaign – phase 2 business plan drafted. Multiple meetings held with council to progress CPO process. Lewisham Local Plan, which will give the site Metropolitan Open Land designation and protection, progressed to final stage sign off.

• Move of the FRF website from WordPress to Wix to make use of the improved functionality e.g. a membership programme and online sales of merchandise

Plans for 2025

• Biodiversity projects and facility improvements at the Reserve

• Continue the Gorne Wood campaign pushing for a CPO and developing back-up plans should the CPO stall or be unsuccessful.

• Continue to seek grant funding, especially to cover core costs

• Host four open days and continue our community engagement activities

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FOURTH RESERVE FOUNDATION (Charity number: 1186942) 2020

92 BUCKTHORNE ROAD, BROCKLEY, LONDON SE4 2DG

https://www.fourthreserve.org.uk

RECEIPTS Amazon Site Hire (Unrestricted) Direct donations Open day receipts Lewisham Local Lottery Merchandise sales Memberhsip scheme Gorne Wood Campaign direct donations Donations via Local Giving Gorne Wood Campaign donations via Local Giving Giftaid on Donations via Local Giving Gorne Wood Campaign funds ‐ deposit interest Refunds Criteo Mayors Greening Phase 1 (Orchard restoration) My Space (new pond) CPRE Hedgerows Orchard Grant Tesco Bags Grants and Donations Income from Fundraising Activities Other income TOTAL RECEIPTS PAYMENTS Gardener (Funded by CPRE Hedgegrows) Hedgelaying and Orchard: professional fees, tools and misc. costs Lead Gardener (Funded by Mayors Greening) Material & Plants Merchandise Open day supplies Rubbish Clearance Septimus ‐ Hedgeing (Funded by Mayprs Greening) Signage Site hire Tools Project & Maintenance Payments		2024 Restricted 1,890 7,187 998 1,000 11,075 0	2024 Restricted 1,890 7,187 998 1,000 11,075 0	2024 Restricted 1,890 7,187 998 1,000 11,075 0	2024 2024 2023 Unrestricted Total Total 0 72 4,683 4,683 270 1,435 1,435 70 1,282 1,282 917 298 298 362 397 397 0 58 58 0 0 9,190 2,848 2,848 2,497 0 58,129 453 453 10,629 1,890 58 0 244 0 674 7,187 7,207 0 1,500 998 0 0 325 1,000 0 11,454 22,529 92,143 0 0 0 0 0 0 0	2024 2024 2023 Unrestricted Total Total 0 72 4,683 4,683 270 1,435 1,435 70 1,282 1,282 917 298 298 362 397 397 0 58 58 0 0 9,190 2,848 2,848 2,497 0 58,129 453 453 10,629 1,890 58 0 244 0 674 7,187 7,207 0 1,500 998 0 0 325 1,000 0 11,454 22,529 92,143 0 0 0 0 0 0 0	2024 2024 2023 Unrestricted Total Total 0 72 4,683 4,683 270 1,435 1,435 70 1,282 1,282 917 298 298 362 397 397 0 58 58 0 0 9,190 2,848 2,848 2,497 0 58,129 453 453 10,629 1,890 58 0 244 0 674 7,187 7,207 0 1,500 998 0 0 325 1,000 0 11,454 22,529 92,143 0 0 0 0 0 0 0	2024 2024 2023 Unrestricted Total Total 0 72 4,683 4,683 270 1,435 1,435 70 1,282 1,282 917 298 298 362 397 397 0 58 58 0 0 9,190 2,848 2,848 2,497 0 58,129 453 453 10,629 1,890 58 0 244 0 674 7,187 7,207 0 1,500 998 0 0 325 1,000 0 11,454 22,529 92,143 0 0 0 0 0 0 0	2024 2024 2023 Unrestricted Total Total 0 72 4,683 4,683 270 1,435 1,435 70 1,282 1,282 917 298 298 362 397 397 0 58 58 0 0 9,190 2,848 2,848 2,497 0 58,129 453 453 10,629 1,890 58 0 244 0 674 7,187 7,207 0 1,500 998 0 0 325 1,000 0 11,454 22,529 92,143 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
			11,075			11,454		22,529	92,143
				450 800 2,879 4,275 64 8,468			1,951 117 544 460 820 833 282 5,007	450 0 800 4,830 117 544 460 4,275 820 833 346 13,475	584 8,389 800 0 0 1,316 820 0 467 0 0 12,626

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Postage on application grants Fundraising Payments Architect fees (Gorne Wood campaign) Business Plans (Gorne Wood campaign) Campaign costs (Gorne Wood) Local Giving Fee Managing Agent Subscriptions Administration Payments TOTAL PAYMENTS Net Receipts/(Payments) for the Year Add Cash Balance at 1st January CASH BALANCE at the END of the YEAR Donations (Local Giving & other) Gorne Wood Campaign Mayors Greening My Space Award Orchard Grant Tesco Bags for Life Unrestricted Charity Funds RESERVE FUNDS at the END of the YEAR		0 4,800 800 5,004 10,604	0 180 4,296 473 4,949
		19,072	9,956
	‐7,997 123,386
	115,389
	115,072 167 150
	115,389

NOTES:

The above cash balances represent the entirety of the Trust's assets and there were no liabilities at year‐end.

• Tommy Radclyffe Thomas Signed: Tommy Radclyffe-Thomas (May 12, 2025 13:27 GMT+1)

Date:

14/05/2025

Tommy Radclyffe‐Thomas ‐ Interim Honorary Treasurer

I have examined the above financial statements and certify that they agree with the Trust's records and documents as shown to me.

Signed:

Date:

11/05/2025

Ali Dezyanian FCCA (Chartered Certified Accountant) ‐ Independent Examiner

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