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2021-12-31-accounts

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Index to the Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

Page
Charity Information 1
Trustees’ Annual Report 2–5
Independent Examiner’s Report 6
Statement of Financial Activities 7
Balance Sheet 8
Notes to the Financial Statements 9–15

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Charity Information for the year ended 31 December 2021

Trustees

G Forrester A Mace S Montgomery I Nixon L Stevens

Principal Address

121 Cardigan Terrace Heaton Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 5HS

Charity Number 1189987 Primary Bankers CAF Bank

CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ

Independent Examiner

I D Renwick 6 Roman Avenue Chester le Street County Durham DH3 3PW

Page 1

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2021

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes to the accounts and comply with Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities.

Governing Document

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. It is governed in accordance with its constitution dated 9 June 2020 and associated Team Rules. Changes to these documents require a resolution either (a) passed by a 75% majority of votes cast at a General Meeting, or (b) agreed in writing by all members.

Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees

The Team normally has between five and nine Trustees although the number may fall as low as three. Five of the Trustees hold the following Team Officer posts: Chair, Team Leader, Treasurer, Secretary and Members' Representative.

The Trustees retire by rotation: one-third of their number retires at each Annual General Meeting with the exception of the first such meeting at which all Trustees retire. The vacancies arising are filled in accordance with the decision of the members at the Annual General Meeting.

Structure

The Team’s committee oversees the running of the Team. It comprises the Trustees and the Team’s Deputy Leaders with other Team officers being invited as required.

Officers are appointed to take responsibility for specific areas of the Team’s operations such as training, vehicles and various other categories of equipment. These officers, together with the Team’s incident controllers, Team Leader and Deputy Leaders comprise the Team’s Operations Group. This has overall responsibility for operations and reports regularly to the committee.

Objects

The objects of the Team, as set out in it its constitution are:

Activities

The Team is involved in the following activities:

In addition, the Team undertakes educational sessions related to safety in the outdoors as part of a preventative strategy.

Page 2

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2021

Achievements and Performance

During the reporting period, the Team was involved in 207 incidents compared to 150 in the 2020 calendar year. The Team expended 4,969 volunteer hours during the reporting period, an increase of about 5% over the previous calendar year.

Of the 207 recorded incidents, 111 required the active involvement of Team members as follows:

The remaining 96 recorded incidents involved Northumbria Police using PhoneFind in their efforts to locate missing persons.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions in force for much of 2021, the Team recorded a significant increase in activity: 51 rescues compared with 37 in 2020 and 39 searches compared with 23 in 2020 representing 38% and 70% increases respectively.

The Team took on 16 trainees in two cohorts during the period.

Future Developments

The Team intends to replace its oldest vehicle with a new response vehicle. The new vehicle, Curlew Foxtrot, is expected to be operational in the summer of 2022.

Further investments, including purchase of additional water rescue equipment, medical, comms & IT and winter rescue equipment, are planned.

The Trustees intend to initiate a review of the Team’s governance arrangements during 2022.

It is hoped that relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions will both reduce the complexity of operations and increase the fundraising activities that the Team can undertake.

Financial Review

This is the Team’s first Trustees’ Annual Report since changing its status to a CIO. As a result, there are no comparative figures for the previous financial period.

During the period the Team had total income of £113,194 and expenditure of £73,360 resulting in net income of £39,834. The COVID-19 pandemic continued to have an impact on the Team’s ability to raise funds from events. However, it was possible for one event, The Cheviots Challenge, to go ahead and this contributed £6,981 towards trading income.

The Team received grants totalling £44,662 mainly to be spent on replacing a vehicle and increasing the scope of other equipment.

The closing funds on 31 December 2021 were £316,534 (opening - £276,700). This comprised £37,538 of restricted funds, £271,708 of designated funds, including fixed assets, and £7,288 of unrestricted funds.

General Funds

These are unrestricted funds which have not been set aside for any particular purpose and are therefore also the free reserves. The Trustees regularly review the level of general funds with regard to forecast income and expenditure in detail over the next 12 months and at a coarser level over 5 years. This ensures that the Team is able to meet its objectives in the short and long terms.

Forecasts of income and expenditure are based on the Trustees’ past experience of fund raising and operating costs as well as planned investment expenditure.

Page 3

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2021

Restricted Funds

Funds that are donated to the Team for a specific purpose, typically grants, are identified as being restricted. Any expenditure in relation to the income is allocated to the fund. If a fund is intended for the purchase of a fixed asset, that asset is transferred to the designated Fixed Asset Reserve once it enters service.

Designated Funds

In order to manage the reserves as effectively as possible, the Team makes use of designated funds. While these are unrestricted funds, in the sense that there is no requirement to spend them for a particular purpose, they are nonetheless held for a specified purpose within the Team.

The Fixed Asset Reserve holds all the Team’s fixed assets and therefore matches their net asset value at any time. Since it is not in the form of cash, it doesn’t represent funds available for expenditure.

The Trustees Reserve is set aside to provide operating funds should the Team experience a significant fall in income. It is set at twice the level of the previous year’s expenditure, excluding depreciation, plus an amount that the Trustees believe to be prudent based on any forecast change in expenditure compared with the previous year.

The Vehicle Reserve is an amount set aside as a contribution towards future replacement of vehicles.

The Building Reserve is an amount set aside as a contribution towards construction of a permanent structure for storage of equipment and vehicles.

The Comms & IT Reserve is an amount set aside for improving digital radio communications within the Team’s operational area.

Investment Policy

The Trustees adopt a risk-averse approach to investment. The strategy is to hold sufficient liquid funds to cover short-term operational and investment needs in bank and instant-access building society accounts. Funds that are surplus to this requirement may be invested in fixed-term accounts with a higher yield.

The Trustees consider that investment in gilts, corporate bonds or equities would only be appropriate were the Team to be in receipt of an endowment. In such circumstances, the endowment would be invested with the aim of generating an income and long-term capital growth.

Safety and Risk Management

The Trustees actively review the major risks which the Team faces on a regular basis. They believe that maintaining reserves at current levels, combined with an annual review of insurance policies and the controls over key financial systems, will provide sufficient resources in the event of adverse conditions. The Trustees have also examined other operational and business risks faced by the Team and confirm that they have established systems to mitigate the significant risks.

Grant Making

The Team does not make grants to individuals or other organisations. However, it does share donations with other Mountain Rescue teams when it has received a donation from an individual who has been the subject of an incident and where those other teams have been involved in the incident.

Public Benefit Guidance

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duties in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the guidance published by the Charity Commission, including public benefit guidance.

Page 4

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended

31 December 2021

Trustees’ Responsibilities in Relation to the Financial Statements

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and, hence, taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approved by the Trustees on 10 October 2022 and signed on their behalf by

Andrew Mace Chairman

Page 5

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Independent Examiner’s Report for the year ended 31 December 2021

I report on the accounts for the CIO for the year ended 31 December 2021 which are set out on pages 7– 15.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year, under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act), and that an independent examiners report is needed.

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust"s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

I D Renwick 6 Roman Avenue Chester le Street County Durham DH3 3PW

Date: 6 October 2022

Page 6

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2021

Notes
INCOME
Donations and legacies
2
Other trading income
3
Investment income
4
Other income
Total income
EXPENDITURE
Charitable activities
5
Cost of raising funds
Total expenditure
Net income / (expenditure)
Transfers between funds
11
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
12		 2021
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
57,725
-
46,888
104,613
7,517
-
-
7,517
989
-
-
989
75
-
-
75
66,306
-
46,888
113,194
19,765
36,977
13,405
70,147
3,094
-
119
3,213
22,859
36,977
13,524
73,360
43,447
( 36,977 )
33,364
39,834
( 51,742 )
52,630
( 888 )
-
( 8,295 )
15,653
32,476
39,834
15,583
256,055
5,062
276,700
7,288
271,708
37,538
316,534		 2020
Total
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
276,700

All income and expenditure has arisen from continuing activities.

The £276,700 funds carried forward at 31 December 2020 were established by means of asset transfer from Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team, registered charity 511313, when the Team’s legal status changed to a CIO.

Page 7

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Balance Sheet as at

31 December 2021

Notes
Fixed Assets
Tangible fixed assets
7
Current Assets
Debtors
8
Short term investments
9
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Creditors and accruals
10
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
NET ASSETS
Funds
General funds
11
Designated funds
11
Restricted funds
11
Total funds carried forward
12		 31 Dec 2021
£
£
87,194
( 13,143 )
320
241,512
228,689
( 651 )
229,340
316,534
316,534
7,288
271,708
37,538
316,534		 31 Dec 2021
£
£
87,194
( 13,143 )
320
241,512
228,689
( 651 )
229,340
316,534
316,534
7,288
271,708
37,538
316,534		 31 Dec 2020
£
£

118,625
4,127
-
154,561
158,688
613

158,075

276,700

276,700

15,583

256,055

5,062

276,700		 31 Dec 2020
£
£

118,625
4,127
-
154,561
158,688
613

158,075

276,700

276,700

15,583

256,055

5,062

276,700
228,689
( 651 )		 158,688
613






229,340 158,075
316,534 276,700
316,534 276,700
7,288
271,708
37,538		 15,583
256,055
5,062
316,534 276,700

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

Approved by the Trustees on 10 October 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

Andrew Mace Trustee

Stephen Montgomery Trustee

Page 8

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

1. Accounting Policies

Statement of compliance

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011, and the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective I January 2015).

Basis of preparation

The Team meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.

Cash flow Statement

The Team opted to adopt Bulletin 1 for the SORP and therefore did not include a cash flow statement in these financial statements

Going concern

These financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The Trustees have considered the levels of funds held and the expected income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the Team to be able to continue as a going concern.

Fund accounting policy

Restricted funds are those donated for use in a particular area or for a specific purpose, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose. Designated funds are those set aside by the Trustees out of general funds for a specific purpose. Further details of the funds are in Note 6.

Income

Donations are recognised when the Team has been notified in writing of both the amount and settlement date. In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance by the Team before the Team is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the Team and it is probable that these conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.

Legacy gifts are recognised on a case by case basis following the grant of probate when the administrator/executor for the estate has communicated in writing both the amount and settlement date. In the event that the gift is in the form of an asset other than cash or a financial asset traded on a recognised stock exchange, recognition is subject to the value of the gift being reliably measured with a degree of reasonable accuracy and the title to the asset having been transferred to the Team.

Investment income is recognised on a receivable basis.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the Team to the expenditure. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category.

The Team is not VAT registered but, as a search and rescue charity, is able to reclaim VAT on nonbusiness expenditure. Expenditure and asset purchases are therefore recorded net of any reclaimable VAT.

Page 9

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the Team in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets costing £500 or more are initially recorded at cost. Depreciation is provided on tangible fixed assets so as to write off the cost or valuation, less any estimated residual value, over their expected useful economic life as follows:

Motor vehicles 7 years straight line Computers and IT equipment 3 years straight line All other equipment 5 years straight line

Trade Creditors

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if the Team does not have an unconditional right, at the end of the reporting period, to defer settlement of the creditor for at least twelve months after the reporting date. If there is an unconditional right to defer settlement for at least twelve months after the reporting date, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at the transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits.

2. Donations (including grants) and legacies

Donations
Collecting tins
Grants
Legacies
Gift Aid reclaimed		 2021
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
36,449
-
1,849
38,298
1,455
-
-
1,455
5,200
-
44,662
49,862
10,000
-
-
10,000
4,621
-
377
4,998
57,725
-
46,888
104,613		 2020
Total
£
-
-
-
-
-
-

The most significant grants awarded to the Team during the period included:

Page 10

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

3. Other trading income

Other trading income
Events
Merchandise
Investment income
Bank interest received		 2021
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
6,981
6,981
536
536
7,517
-
-
7,517
2021
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
989
-
-
989
989
-
-
989		 2020
Total
£
-
-
-
2020
Total
£
-
-

4. Investment income

5. Expenditure on Charitable Activities

Administration
Comms & IT
Donations shared with
others
Fuel
Insurance
Medical supplies
Team clothing
Technical equipment
Training
Vehicle maint / equipment
Water equipment
Depreciation
Vehicles
Comms & IT equipment
Other equipment
Total		 2021
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
1,032
-
-
1,032
3,987
637
1,274
5,898
4,571
-
-
4,571
708
-
1,939
2,647
3,901
-
-
3,901
42
2,468
-
2,510
428
-
3,372
3,800
499
290
871
1,660
448
386
704
1,538
2,186
1,148
245
3,579
1,963
617
5,000
7,580
-
8,487
-
8,487
-
4,881
-
4,881
-
18,063
-
18,063
19,765
36,977
13,405
70,147		 2020
Total
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Page 11

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

6. Trustee Remuneration and Expenses

No Trustees received any remuneration during the year.

Expenses paid to Trustees
Expenditure reimbursed to Trustees
Total		 2021
£
-
120
120		 2020
£
-
-
-

7. Tangible Fixed Assets

COST
At 1 January 2021
Additions
Disposals
At 31 December 2021
DEPRECIATION
At 1 January 2021
Charge for year
Eliminated on disposals
At 31 December 2021
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 December 2021
At 31 December 2020		 Motor
vehicles
£
165,154
-
-
165,154
117,975
8,487
-
126,462
38,692
47,179		 Comms and
IT
equipment
£
29,733
-
-
29,733
20,912
4,881
-
25,793
3,940
8,821		 Other
equipment
£
105,112
-
-
105,112
42,487
18,063
-
60,550
44,562
62,625		 Total
£
299,999
-
-
299,999
181,374
31,431
-
212,805
87,194
118,625

Page 12

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

8. Debtors

Debtors
Accrued income
Prepayments
VAT reclaimable
Payments received on account
Gift Aid due		 2021
£
3,532
415
-
( 18,000 )
910
( 13,143 )		 2020
£
-
410
2,777
-
940
4,127

The payment of £18,000 received on account is in respect of the proposed disposal of the Team’s oldest vehicle. At 31 December 2021, the disposal was agreed in principle but was subject to completion of transfer documentation and could not therefore be considered certain.

As a trust, the Team recorded expenditure gross and treated reclaimable VAT as income which gave rise to a VAT reclaimable debtor at 31 December 2020. There is no corresponding debtor at 31 December 2021 because the Team, as a CIO, now records expenditure net of reclaimable VAT.

9. Short term investments

Towards the end of the period, one of the Team’s collecting tins was found to contain a gold sovereign which was valued at £320. This was held as a short term investment pending its sale.

10. Creditors

Trade creditors
Accruals
VAT owed
Deferred income		 2021
£
( 1,228 )
-
( 2,056 )
2,633
( 651 )		 2020
£
( 342 )
-
-
955
613

The trade creditors balance is negative because payments made on account exceeded the sums owed to suppliers.

As a CIO, the Team records expenditure net of reclaimable VAT. The Team is not VAT-registered and there is therefore no VAT collected on sales. This results in a VAT owed creditor that will never be greater than £0. There is no corresponding creditor at 31 December 2020 because the Team, as a trust, recorded expenditure gross of reclaimable VAT and treated the reclaimed VAT as income.

Page 13

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

11. Fund Movements

Restricted
Avalanche equipment
Training
Water and technical equipment
Equipment for new trainees
Vehicle grants
Other funds
Designated
Trustees Reserve
Building Reserve
Comms & IT Reserve
Fixed Asset Reserve
Operational Development Fund
Vehicle Reserve
Other designated funds
General		 At 1 Dec
2021
£
-
-
-
-
-
5,062
5,062
72,914
-
31,872
118,625
-
29,513
3,131
256,055
15,583		 Incoming
Resources
£
3,000
5,000
13,000
3,388
21,000
1,500
46,888
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
66,306		 Outgoing
Resources
£
( 263 )
( 704 )
( 5,000 )
( 3,956 )
-
( 3,601 )
( 13,524 )
-
-
( 637 )
( 31,431 )
-
-
(4,909)
( 36,977 )
( 22,859 )		 Transfers
-
-
-
568
-
( 1,456 )
( 888 )
10,086
10,000
( 1,234 )
-
32,000
-
1,778
52,630
( 51,742 )		 At 31 Dec
2021
£
2,737
4,296
8,000
-
21,000
1,505
37,538
83,000
10,000
30,001
87,194
32,000
29,513
-
271,708
7,288

The Fixed Asset Reserve holds all the Team"s fixed assets and therefore matches their net asset value at any time. Since it is not in the form of cash, it doesn’t represent funds available for expenditure.

The Trustees Reserve is set aside to provide operating funds should the Team experience a significant fall in income. It is set at twice the level of the previous year"s expenditure, excluding depreciation, plus an amount that the Trustees believe to be prudent based on any forecast change in expenditure compared with the previous year.

The Vehicle Reserve is an amount set aside as a contribution towards future replacement of vehicles.

The Building Reserve is an amount set aside as a contribution towards construction of a permanent structure for storage of equipment and vehicles.

The Comms & IT Reserve is an amount set aside for improving digital radio communications within the Team’s operational area.

The transfer from general funds was to:

Page 14

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

The £888 net transfer from the restricted Other funds was made for the purpose of allocating funds to other purposes, some of which were not restricted. This was done with the approval from the relevant funding sources.

12. Net Assets by Fund

Net Assets by Fund
Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Total net assets		 At 31 December 2021
General
Designated
Restricted
£
£
£
-
87,194
-
7,939
184,514
37,538
( 651 )
-
-
7,288
271,708
37,538		 Total
£
87,194
229,991
( 651 )
316,534

13. Related Party Transactions

There have been no related party transactions during the period.

Page 15