Barn Owl Legacy Trust - BOLT
Charity No: 1190997
Annual Report & Accounts 2023 - 2024
Trustees :
Keith Grant, Frances Jaine Ramsden Mark Pountney, Kevin Keatley, Matthew Twiggs, Marianne Bryan, Tony Hulatt.
Kingfisher on the Flo Pond - Sept 2023
The Barn Owl Legacy Trust (BOLT) was entered onto the Charity Register on 24th August 2020.
The aims of the charity are - To hold and manage habitat and to advance the conservation of wildlife, especially the Barn Owl and provide education on the links between humans and the natural world. To provide a safe environment for wildlife to flourish in a natural environment.
The charity has 7 Trustees. Tony Hulatt was appointed on 16th November 2023. The Trustees meet quarterly, and minutes of meetings are recorded.
On 31st March 2021, the transfer of 26 acres of land, known as the Lennon Legacy Project (LLP) at Waterleat, Ashburton in Devon, was made to BOLT by the Barn Owl Trust (BOT). The residue of the original legacy used to buy the LLP land in 2001 was transferred to BOLT on 10th June 2021.
BOLT Trustees have agreed with the Barn Owl Trust (BOT) that BOT will continue the day-to-day management of the land and provide regular reports to the Trustees of BOLT agreeing any major management changes in advance. Monthly updates are given in the Barn Owl Trust’s online Wildlife Diary (barnowltrust.org.uk/news-events/wildlife-diary/) and quarterly reports at BOLT Trustee’s meetings.
Throughout the past year, the LLP has remained a sanctuary for wildlife, with a diverse range of plant and animal life documented. Over the year we were treated to regular sightings of Kestrels, Sparrowhawks, Grey Herons and many other bird species. In September, we were delighted to have our suspicions confirmed that an Otter was indeed visiting our ponds when we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of it’s back end on the trail camera, swimming in the Flo Pond. Foxes and Badgers were seen in the Main Field and over December 2023 the trail camera was set up in the wild bird food crop where it captured some lovely images of a Fox and Badger foraging together for sunflower seeds. We were also excited to see a Kingfisher perched on the plank across to the island in the Flo Pond
Teal drake by the river Ashburn - March 2024
on 1st September 2023 and later that month we discovered a Barn Owl was using the Kestrel provision of the Wildlife Tower in North Park. In March 2024 we had our first ever recorded sighting of a Teal drake spotted on the Flo Pond with a group of Mandarin ducks.
Volunteers, organised by our Reserve and Volunteer Co-ordinator Harry Hingston, helped with various practical conservation tasks in the LLP nature reserve during the year such as pulling up brambles and thistles, clearing patches of Blackthorn and hedge-laying in the Orchard. We held 9 guided walks on the LLP during the year including Butterfly walks during the summer and Bird walks during the Winter. The wild bird food crop once more offered nourishment during the winter season for numerous bird species such as Goldfinches, Reed Buntings, Linnets, Stonechats, and Redwings.
During the financial year 2023-2024 all but one of the Trustee meetings were held on Zoom. The meeting in July was held in person.
Barn Owl Legacy Trust - BOLT As at 31st March 2024
| Balance Sheet Fixed Assets Tangible Assets Current Assets |
March 2024 60,094 46,703 106,207 |
March 2023 60,094 46,113 106,207 |
|---|---|---|
Barn Owl Legacy Trust - BOLT Receipts & Payments Account As at 31st March 2024
As at 31st March 2024 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Bank Interest Rent from BOT* Total income Funds brought forward Total carried forward |
March 2024 589 1 590 46,113 46,703 |
March 2023 238 1 239 45,874 |
| 46,113 |
* Barn Owl Trust
Badger caught on the trail camera - December 2023
Roe buck in the Bird Crop - April 2023
Volunteers Hedge-laying in the Orchard - Nov 2023
Goldfinch in the Bird Crop - November 2023
Sunflowers in the Bird Crop - August 2023