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2024-12-31-accounts

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Index to the Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

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 9–14

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Charity Information for the year ended 31 December 2024

Trustees R Andrew S Montgomery A Wilson A.Jenkins (appointed 29/10/24) J.Pattison (appointed 29/10/24) A Mace (resigned 29/10/24) I Nixon (resigned 29/10/24) Registered Address South Park Eastburn Hexham NE46 1BS Charity Number 1189987 Primary Bankers CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ Independent Examiner Emma Locke Blackbird Business Solutions 38 Collingwood Street Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1JF

Page 1

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

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 (updated 24 October 2023) 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’s constitution as a CIO requires between three and nine Trustees and the Team operates normally with five Trustees. Four of the Trustees hold the following Team Officer posts: Chair, Team Leader, Treasurer and Secretary. Prior to July 2023, one of the Trustees held the Members’ Representative officer post. This association was removed by the members at a Special General Meeting to preclude the potential for any conflict of interest.

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 retired. 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:

Page 2

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

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

Achievements and Performance

During the reporting period, the Team was involved in 81 incidents compared to 77 in the 2023 calendar year. The Team expended 1,996 volunteer hours dealing with incidents during the reporting period.

The volunteer hours exclude the significant time spent liaising with other partner agencies, governance and management of the Team, training and fundraising. A further 8,065 hours were recorded in this regard.

It should be noted that 2024 was the first full year in which volunteer hours were recorded using the D4H tool. As a result of the finer granularity that D4H affords, volunteer hours are not directly comparable with previous years.

All of the recorded incidents required the active involvement of Team members. The incidents break down as follows:

In addition, PhoneFind, Mountain Rescue’s location app, was used 14 times, by Northumbria Police in their efforts to locate missing persons. This compares to 51 times the previous year.

Although the number of incidents and hours expended were both broadly in line with the previous calendar year, looking back to 2022, the trend is definitely upwards. The total number of rescues and searches still remains significantly below the levels seen during the COVID pandemic when visitor numbers to Northumberland were higher.

As in the previous year, and in accordance with the Team’s operational development plan, the Team purchased various items of equipment both to enable new capabilities and to replace equipment that was approaching the end of its service life. Examples include:

Future Developments

During the year, the Team was able to conduct the evaluation of dual-mode radios and a portable radio repeater which had been delayed from 2023. Dual-mode radios combine point-to-point radio and smartphone capabilities and should therefore provide better coverage than a radio alone in remote areas. While the evaluation confirmed improved coverage, there are still locations within the Team’s operational area in which communication is impossible. An attractive alternative would be to use a service which allows smartphones to access satellite broadband networks for voice, data and text communication. Such services have already been tested in some parts of the world and global rollout planning is in progress. The Team will therefore delay an investment decision until there is more clarity over when this service might be available in the UK.

The Team’s oldest vehicle, a Land Rover Defender 110 with callsign Curlew Delta, is now 13 years old. The cost of maintaining this vehicle is becoming significant and it needs to be replaced as soon as practicable. The Team has identified a suitable alternative and has been working on a final specification for this multifunction vehicle. The total cost of the base vehicle and the conversion to meet the Team’s requirements is

Page 3

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

estimated to be around £140,000 with final delivery expected in late 2026 or early 2027. Fundraising to support this purchase will commence in 2025.

As was anticipated, Iain Nixon stood down during 2024 as Team Leader after 10 years in the role. He continues to be an active team member remains a key member of the operational leadership group. His replacement, Jamie Pattison, was elected by the members at the 2024 AGM. Jamie spent 10 years previously as the Team’s Medical Officer and is a Winch Paramedic with the Coastguard.

Financial Review

During the period the Team had total income of £102,444 (2023 - £96,251) and expenditure of £99,043 (2023 - £120,217) resulting in net income of £3,401 (2023 – net expenditure of £22,467) before revaluation of investments. In addition to income and expenditure, there were unrealised gains on investments of £1,462 (2023 – unrealised gains of £1,500).

The Team received grants totalling £18,187 (2023 - £28,483) mainly to be spent on replacement waterproof clothing for team members, vehicle repairs and multi-agency and controller training.

The closing funds on 31 December 2023 were £319,687 (opening - £314,824). This comprised £2,960 (opening - £0) of restricted funds, £278,158 (opening - £291,568) of designated funds, including fixed assets, and £38,569 (opening - £23,256) 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.

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 tangible 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 the Team’s tangible 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. As a guide, the Trustees aim to set it at twice the level of the previous year’s operating expenditure excluding significant one-off costs, 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 Comms & IT Reserve is an amount set aside for improving digital radio communications within the Team’s operational area.

Investment Policy

The Trustees continue to adopt a risk-averse approach to investment. The strategy is to hold sufficient liquid funds to cover short-term operational and needs in bank and instant-access building society accounts. Cash that is intended for medium-term spending, such as investing in new equipment, is held in notice accounts with terms ranging from 1 to 3 months.

Page 4

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended

31 December 2024

The Trustees’ Reserve fund is invested in a mixture of structured products and unit trusts with the aim of protecting it from the effects of inflation over the longer term.

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.

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 8 September 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Stephen Montgomery Chairman

Page 5

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Independent Examiner’s Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

I report on the accounts for the CIO for the year ended 31 December 2024 which are set out on pages 7– 14.

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.

Emma Locke Blackbird Business Solutions 38 Collingwood Street Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1JF

Date: 25 September 2025

Page 6

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2024

Notes
INCOME
Donations and legacies
2
Other trading income
3
Investment income
4
Total income
EXPENDITURE
Charitable activities
5
Cost of raising funds
Total expenditure
Net gains/(losses) on investments
Net income / (expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
2024
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
58,321
12,167
10,320
80,808
15,468
-
-
15,468
6,168
-
-
6,168
79,957
12,167
10,320
102,444
47,132
38,853
7,262
93,247
5,698
-
98
5,796
52,830
38,853
7,360
99,043
-
1,462
-
1,462
27,127
( 25,224 )
2,960
4,863
( 11,814 )
11,814
-
-
15,313
( 13,410 )
2,960
4,863
23,256
291,568
-
314,824
38,569
278,158
2,960
319,687
2023
Total
£
79,440
13,698
3,112
96,250
113,772
6,444
120,216
1500
( 22,466 )
-
( 22,466 )
337,290
314,824

All income and expenditure has arisen from continuing activities.

Page 7

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Balance Sheet as at

31 December 2024

Notes
Fixed Assets
Tangible fixed assets
7
Long term investments
8
Current Assets
Debtors
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
31 Dec 2024
£
£
51,740
83,597
3,703
161,251
164,954
( 19,396 )
184,350
319,687
319,687
38,569
278,158
2,960
319,687
31 Dec 2024
£
£
51,740
83,597
3,703
161,251
164,954
( 19,396 )
184,350
319,687
319,687
38,569
278,158
2,960
319,687
31 Dec 2023
£
£

78,115

82,135
468
150,887
151,355
( 3,219 )

154,574

314,824

314,824

23,256

291,568

-

314,824
31 Dec 2023
£
£

78,115

82,135
468
150,887
151,355
( 3,219 )

154,574

314,824

314,824

23,256

291,568

-

314,824
164,954
( 19,396 )
151,355
( 3,219 )






184,350 154,574
319,687 314,824
319,687 314,824
38,569
278,158
2,960
23,256
291,568
-
319,687 314,824

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 8 September 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Paul Guy Trustee

Stephen Montgomery Trustee

Page 8

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

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 2019).

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 12.

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 2024

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:

ul 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
2024
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
51,993
-
4,185
56,178
1,119
-
-
1,119
-
12,167
6,020
18,187
-
-
-
-
5,209
-
115
5,324
58,321
12,167
10,320
80,808
2023
Total
£
45,902
1,273
28,483
-
3,782
79,440

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 2024

3. Other trading income

Events
Merchandise
2024
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
13,778
-
-
13,778
1,690
-
-
1,690
15,468
-
-
15,468
2023
Total
£
11,485
2,213
13,698

4. Investment income

Investment income
Bank interest received 2024
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
6,168
-
-
6,168
6,168
-
-
6,168
2023
Total
£
3,122
3,122

5. Expenditure on Charitable Activities

Administration
Comms & IT
Donations shared
Drones
Fuel
General equipment
Insurance
Medical supplies
Team clothing
Technical equipment
Training
Vehicle maint /
equipment
Water equipment
Depreciation
Vehicles
Comms & IT
Other equipment
Total
2024
General
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
3,032
-
-
3,032
7,024
3,751
-
10,775
180
-
2,969
3,149
1,269
-
-
1,269
2,923
4,153
-
7,076
2,686
129
3,394
6,209
5,104
-
458
5,562
2,184
1,297
-
3,481
450
261
441
1,152
1,241
2,679
-
3,920
16,278
-
-
16,278
4,407
208
-
4,615
354
-
-
354
-
15,870
-
15,870
-
-
-
-
-
10,505
-
10,505
47,132
38,853
7,262
93,247
2023
Total
£
12,070
6,295
62
1,434
4,865
10,744
4,442
11,116
244
2,561
13,253
6,780
10,033
15,826
181
13,866
113,772

Page 11

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

6. Trustee Remuneration and Expenses

No Trustees received any remuneration during the year.

Expenses paid to Trustees
Expenditure reimbursed to Trustees
2024
£
366
199
565
2023
£
62
116
178

7. Tangible Fixed Assets

COST
At 1 January 2024
Additions
Disposals
At 31 December 2024
DEPRECIATION
At 1 January 2024
Charge for year
Eliminated on disposals
At 31 December 2024
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 December 2024
At 31 December 2023
Motor
vehicles
£
156,208
-
-
156,208
92,868
15,870
-
108,738
47,470
63,340
Comms and
IT
equipment
£
24,738
-
-
24,738
24,738
-
-
24,738
-
-
Other
equipment
£
77,682
-
-
77,682
62,907
10,505
-
73,412
4,270
14,775
Total
£
258,628
-
-
258,628
180,513
26,375
-
206,888
51,740
78,115

Page 12

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

8. Investments Held as Fixed Assets

COST
At 1 January 2023
Additions
Disposals
Revaluation
At 31 December 2023
2024
£
82,135
-
-
1,462
83,597
2023
£
80,635
-
-
1,500
82,135

9. Debtors

Accrued income
Prepayments
Payments received on account
Gift Aid due
2024
£
-
3,591
-
112
3,703
2023
£
-
442
-
26
468

10. Creditors

Creditors
Trade creditors
Accruals
VAT owed
Deferred income
2024
£
( 16,914 )
510
( 2,992 )
-
( 19,396 )
2023
£
( 2,794 )
56
( 1,754 )
1,272
( 3,219)

Page 13

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

11. Fund Movements

Restricted
Alnwick Youth Hostel
Community Chest
Rothley Trust 2024
Search Dogs
Designated
Trustees’ Reserve
Comms & IT Reserve
Fixed Asset Reserve
Operational Development Fund
Vehicle Reserve
Other designated funds
General
At 1 Jan
2024
£
-
-
-
-
-
82,135
65,000
78,115
33,712
28,186
4,420
291,568
23,256
Incoming
Resources
£
500
4,520
1,003
4,297
10,320
-
-
-
-
-
12,167
12,167
79,957
Outgoing
Resources
£
( 500 )
( 3,334 )
-
( 3,526 )
( 7,360 )
1,462
( 906 )
( 26,375 )
( 7,420 )
-
( 4,152 )
(37,391)
( 52,830 )
Transfers
-
-
-
-
-
-
( 9,094 )
-
9,094
11,814
-
11,814
( 11,814 )
At 31 Dec
2024
£
-
1,186
1,003
771
2,960
83,597
55,000
51,740
35,386
40,000
12,435
278,158
38,569

The Fixed Asset Reserve holds the Team’s tangible 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. As a guide, the Trustees aim to set it at twice the level of the previous year’s operating expenditure excluding significant one-off costs, 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 Comms & IT Reserve is an amount set aside for improving digital radio communications within the Team’s operational area.

12. Net Assets by Fund

Tangible fixed assets
Long term investments
Current assets
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Total net assets
At 31 December 2024
General
Designated
Restricted
£
£
£
-
51,740
-
-
83,597
-
19,173
142,821
2,960
19,396
-
-
38,569
278,158
2,960
Total
£
51,740
83,597
164,954
19,396
319,687

13. Related Party Transactions

There have been no related party transactions during the period.

Page 14