Wild Things Rescue Ethical Rehabilitation Of British Wildlife Wild Things Rescue Annual Review 2022-2023
Objectives, activities and achievements
‘The objects of the CIO are: For the benefit of the public to relieve the suffering of animals, in particular native wildlife in need of care and attention and, in particular, to provide and maintain rescue homes or other facilities for the reception, care and treatment of such animals’
Wild Things Rescue has achieved the charity objectives by delivering a variety of services while working alongside members of the public, veterinary professionals and other organisations including: the police, the council and the RSPCA. We have worked hard to adapt our services to ensure that animals in distress are captured and treated promptly, as well as ensuring we alleviate the stress of members of the public. Within the period 29th June 2022 – 28[th] June 2023 we accepted approximately 900 animals. We saw a huge increase in demand for our services over the winter period. This is usually a much quieter time for us but we continued to see high admission rates through into November and December. The majority of our admissions during this time were hedgehogs but we also saw a big increase in birds of prey needing assistance during this time. The risks posed by Avian Influenza have been at the forefront of our minds, with periods where we were unable to admit birds to our centre. We continued to help a small number of birds who passed an Avian Flu assessment by veterinary professionals, however these were housed in quarantine with fosterers rather than kept at the centre.
The addition of our wildlife centre has been both hugely beneficial and hugely stressful. It has allowed us to significantly grow our volunteer base and we feel it has helped us to improve both training for volunteers and practices within the organisation. We have been able to provide on site training for other wildlife rehabilitators and veterinary professionals. We were thrilled to hold vet training in spring which saw 15 veterinary professionals undergo training by our vet Sarah. By being able to invite vets, RSPCA personnel and other rehabilitators into our centre we have been able to improve and strengthen relationships. The centre has, however, posed a few challenges and been a significant learning curve. The organisation has had to take on a much more business-like structure and we’ve worked hard with advisors to ensure our protocols and policies are appropriate and in place. The cost of running the centre has naturally been fairly significant but has been manageable. Another challenge we have faced has been having enough volunteers to cover seven days a week at the centre. A small proportion of the volunteer team have been extremely committed and worked hard to create a strong, reliable management team. Overall, we feel that the charity has benefitted from having a central base and agree that it has been beneficial both for volunteers and animals.
In January 2023 we signed a lease agreement for an additional six acres of land situated in Wood Enderby near Horncastle. This was due to the decline in health of the owner of our previous release site. We felt it was appropriate to take on a larger site to allow us to expand our facilities. The land, rented from Revesby Estates, has been used to provide large outdoor enclosures for a range of species including corvids, birds of prey and deer. We have faced some challenges moving enclosures from our old site to our new site due to the remote location of the previous site.
During the 2022-2023 period, we were successfully awarded a grant from LUSH, enabling us to buy rescue kits for our volunteers. We currently have over 40 transport volunteers who have undergone training in capture and containment. These volunteers have been an extremely valuable asset, especially in early 2023 when demand increased significantly due to changes in RSPCA collection protocols. We have also seen an increase in volunteers in other areas of the charity including at the centre, within our fundraising team and on our administration team. We have worked with local volunteer services and social prescribers to bring volunteers onboard. Wild Things Rescue was also lucky to be awarded a grant by Shine Lincolnshire to run sessions for people struggling with their mental health. These sessions have enabled us to better support individuals which has not only benefitted them tremendously, with increases in self worth, confidence and social skills, but also the charity as we have seen a much higher rate of volunteer retention since implementing these sessions. The charity would not be able to run as smoothly as it does if it wasn’t for our volunteers.
Financial Review
Wild Things Rescue has had a relatively strong year financially. In January 2023 we received a letter stating that we had received a legacy donation. Although this donation did not enter our account during the 2022-2023 period, it gave us a better sense of security and enabled us to plan the year much better. During some periods of the year we saw a big drop in donations, with the cost of living crisis being the main cause. We also changed our admission protocol, with all casualties being sent to veterinary practices first, rather than coming to the centre. This meant that we saw a drop in cash donations on admission. To combat this we increased our social media presence and tried to encourage followers to donate £2 a month, an amount that hopefully wouldn’t impact them, but would build up and be helpful for us. The fundraising team also attended a number of events, including Revesby Show, to raise both funds and awareness.
Although we have seen a drop in cash donations, we saw an increase in physical donations such as blankets, towels and food. This was incredibly helpful as our food costs have grown significantly. Due to the uncertainty of donations, we paired with our sister community interest company, Wilder Minds CIC to help raise funds. Wilder Minds runs community groups and training, donating the profits of these activities to Wild Things Rescue.
Wild Things Rescue has successfully secured a number of grants, which have helped towards staff wages, the rent of the centre and some equipment. Grants were provided by The National Lottery Awards For All Fund and Shine Lincolnshire. These grants have enabled us to improve the volunteer experience and ensure that we are able to provide support and volunteering opportunities for those who struggle with their mental health. These projects have enabled us to welcome people from all walks of life and build a stronger community. Lush also funded transport expenses for volunteer transporters including rescue kits and travel expenses.
Wild Things Rescue Financial Activities
July 2022 - June 2023
| Income Donations Grants Sales of Products Services Income Total Income Total Expenditures Accounting Advertising/Promotional Animal Feed Animal Medication Animal Supplements Animal Vet Bills Bank charges Building Rent & Rates Building repairs & maintenance Computer Costs Dues and Subscriptions Insurances Bank Interest Legal & Professional Services Phone Postage PPE Printing and Stationery Costs Raising funds Staff Wages Supplies Volunteer Expenses Volunteer Materials Volunteer Training Volunteer Travel Expenses Waste Disposal Total Expenditures Net Operating Income Net Income/(Expenditure) |
Total |
|---|---|
| 25,146.84 47,183.33 555.77 555.14 |
|
| £ 73,441.08 |
|
| £ 73,441.08 328.80 564.75 2,606.97 311.78 354.81 522.01 68.00 13,363.71 369.53 364.85 695.00 776.75 3.28 1,843.88 849.52 19.10 340.47 871.39 597.33 10,263.39 4,468.75 1,118.93 2,250.13 1,578.71 2,957.49 1,141.26 |
|
| £ 48,630.59 |
|
| £ 24,810.49 |
|
| £ 24,810.49 |
Sunday, Apr 28, 2024 11:13:34 am GMT+1 - Cash Basis
Structure, governance and management
Wild Things Rescue is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose only voting members are its charity trustees. The governing document is a memorandum and articles of association. These are available to trustees at any point. At our AGM this year we appointed a new trustee, Jody Raggo, who will also be our treasurer. He has vast experience in grant applications and accounting and will be an asset to the team.
Reference and administrative details
Wild Things Rescue (Charity number: 1190933) Registered address: 2 Tomlinson Close, Tattershall, Lincolnshire, LN4 4NH
Wild Things Rescue Balance Sheet
As of June 30, 2023
| Fixed Asset Tangible assets Animal Equipment Fixtures and Fittings Office Equipment Total Tangible assets Total Fixed Asset Cash at bank and in hand CafCash Account (3811) Total Cash at bank and in hand Current Assets Stock Asset Stock Asset / Inventory Total Current Assets Net current assets Net current assets (liabilities) Total assets less current liabilities Total net assets (liabilities) Charity funds Opening Balance Equity Retained Earnings Surplus/(Deficit) Total Charity funds |
Total |
|---|---|
| 3,217.43 13,015.07 429.98 |
|
| £ 16,662.48 | |
| £ 16,662.48 22,264.56 |
|
| £ 22,264.56 0.00 0.00 |
|
| £ 0.00 | |
| £ 22,264.56 | |
| £ 22,264.56 | |
| £ 38,927.04 | |
| £ 38,927.04 1,100.01 13,016.54 24,810.49 |
|
| £ 38,927.04 |
Sunday, Apr 28, 2024 11:07:11 am GMT+1 - Cash Basis
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Wild Things Rescue Trust
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Wild Things Rescue Trust (the Trust) for the year ended 30 June 2023.
Responsibilites and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in
accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the
Act; or
- the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Signed:
Nicholas John Lawson APFS Cert CII(FS)
Chartered Financial Planner
3[rd] May 2024