**CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY**
## CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY (CGPS):
Registered Charity 1192171
## ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
## FOR THE PERIOD
01/07/23 TO 30/06/24
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**CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY**
## Contents
|Reporting Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 3|
|---|
|1. Chair’s Report ..................................................................................................................................... 4|
|2. Objectives
5|
|3. Achievements ..................................................................................................................................... 6|
|4. Impact and Value ................................................................................................................................ 6|
|Capel Path Rangers (CPR).................................................................................................................... 6|
|Education............................................................................................................................................ 6|
|Wilding................................................................................................................................................ 8|
|Capel Allotments................................................................................................................................. 8|
|Save Capel Campaign.......................................................................................................................... 8|
|6. Other activities ................................................................................................................................... 9|
|Green Belt Public Awareness Campaign.............................................................................................. 9|
|7. Long Term Strategy ............................................................................................................................ 9|
|8. Statutory Information ......................................................................................................................... 9|
|9. Treasurer’s Report and Accounts .................................................................................................... 10|
|Appendix A
Independent Examiners Report................................................................................... 11|
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**CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY**
## Reporting Requirements
As our annual income did not exceed £25,000 this year, we are not required to have our accounts audited or independently examined. However, we have preferred to have our accounts again independently examined in the interests of open oversight. The duties of the independent examiner are quoted below.
_“The duty of the independent examiner is to give what is called ‘negative assurance’. After looking at the evidence the examiner reports whether or not certain matters “have come to my attention”. These include lack of accounting records and the failure of accounts to comply with the Charities Act. As well as scrutinising the accounts, the independent examiner may also help prepare the accounts in the format required and help prepare the trustees’ annual report._
_When choosing an independent examiner, you should make sure that he or she is fully independent of your charity and able to carry out a proper charity independent examination. An independent examiner may be, for example, a charity treasurer or finance worker, or an accountant from industry or the public sector. The key is that they must have a good understanding of charity finance and the law.”_
Our accounts for our Financial Year of 2023-2024 have been independently examined by Mr Andrew Wickham, a retired Chartered Accountant and Company Financial Director who reports that
_“I have reviewed the Accounts and I am satisfied they reconcile to the Bank Statements.”_
The examiner’s details and confirmation are to be found in Appendix A
This report is to be submitted within ten months of our year end, i.e. by 30th April 2025.
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**CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY**
## 1. Chair’s Report
The CGPS financial year of 2023-2024 was again a very successful one, raising over £16,000 this year compared to £1854 in 2022-2023 and £40,000 in 2021-2022. Donations were received from the local community, and these were all used to support the Charity’s objectives of protecting, using and educating about the Greenbelt in the Parish. Subsequently benefiting the local public. Projects continued to be supported by donations from the Charity include:
1. Youth Groups
- a. Brownies
- b. Capel Pre-school
- c. Capel Primary School
2. The Parish Allotments
3. Capel Path Rangers (CPR)
4. The Save Capel campaign to protect the Green Belt from over-development
These projects are reported on in more detail in this report below and on the CGPS website (https://www.capelgb.com/).
Capel Greenbelt Protection Society (CGPS) has now been running for over five years. It was originally formed in 2019 by residents of the small Parish of Capel near Tonbridge in Kent, who were concerned about inappropriate development of our Green Belt, and enhancing the use of, and education of, the countryside around the Parish. Capel is situated in combination of Metropolitan Green Belt and the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It provides a wonderful rural backdrop to life in the small community of around 900 dwellings and 2,400 residents.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council had included 2,400 new houses in West Capel (Tudeley) in their Local Plan for the period to 2038. The community’s support for our objectives has influenced the Inspector and convinced the council to drop this development from their plan for the immediate term. The situation is likely to reviewed in 5 years therefore this development may be included in the local plan in 10 years’ time. However, 2,160 new houses on flood plains on Green Belt between Five Oak Green and Paddock Wood remain in their revised, and submitted, Local Plan. We wait to see whether the Inspector believes these are justified.
The continuing concerns of the local community are
1. the pressures of modern life resulting in residents finding it more difficult to find the opportunity to take part in outdoor activities.
2. the threat of the Parish being swamped by new housing developments, as the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Draft Local Plan envisages putting 4,260 new dwellings out of a total of 8,500 in the plan (50 per cent) in this corner of the borough which makes up only 6.5 per cent of its area (21.5 sq.km out of 331.3 sq.km).
The Charity was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 5[th] November 2019 with a view to enable support of these concerns.
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**CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY**
## 2. Objectives
Our Charitable Objectives are primarily to protect our local Green Belt and educate and support the General Public to use the Green Belt for their benefit.
1. To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Capel Green Belt and High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
2. To advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Capel Green Belt and High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
We believe in
- the advancement of our local environmental protection and improvement
- conservation of our local flora, fauna and the local environment in these areas
- we want to do this through the promotion of sustainable development and biodiversity in our Parish
- including the promotion of recycling, flood defences, and sustainable waste management
- the advancement of community development
- supporting the local Youth Organisations in the parish of Capel
- sustainable urban and rural regeneration within the Parish of Capel
- through the promotion of volunteering for public benefit
- coordinating different, like-minded societies and organisations
- raising, and managing funds and donations for organisations that support our Society objectives
CGPS are involved in:
1. The promotion of the conservation, protection, and improvement of the physical and natural environment by supporting access and conservation projects and programmes that protect features of wildlife flora and fauna in the British countryside generally and responsible and sustainable use of these environments.
2. The education of the public in subjects pertaining to the conservation, protection, and enjoyment of the countryside.
Our development activities are presented as the WWW Programme – Wellness, Wilding and Walking, and will seek to encourage local people to make the best use of the countryside.
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## 3. Achievements
Since the charity’s initial reporting period, the charity has
1. raised Donations and successfully applied for Gift Aid from the HMRC
2. sponsored 5 local organisations (see section 5 below)
3. sponsored a local campaign for a full community review of the submitted Local Plan for Housing with the Government’s Inspector
4. participated as members of the Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan programme
## 4. Impact and Value
In its fourth full financial year, the impact of the charity has continued to be:
- to highlight the harm that would be done to the Green Belt if the TWBC plans are adopted
- to increase awareness of the value of the countryside and the ways it can be enjoyed
- to support local youth develop green areas in the parish
- to provide support to the Capel Path Rangers to encourage and enable walking for wellbeing.
## 5. Sponsored Organisations
## Capel Path Rangers (CPR)
An extensive network of footpaths is a feature of the Parish of Capel much appreciated by local residents and others who come to enjoy our countryside. The Capel Path Rangers have, for many years, worked with KCC Rights of Way to keep the paths open, well maintained and signposted. CGPS have helped CPR to extend their work by funding equipment for maintenance, and insurance for volunteers and the public.
## Education
In order to encourage and foster a long-term love for local green spaces, wildlife and the outdoors, CGPS is liaising with local schools and the youth groups within the Capel parish boundaries. Through these affiliations we continue to engage with early years and school age children, their teachers and parents. The National Curriculum has a focus on the natural environment and sustainable lifestyles. CGPS will support these local schools and youth groups by helping to deliver these elements of the national curriculum and other activities that will encourage use of the greenbelt countryside. CGPS will achieve this through financial support, expertise and other materials and resources.
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In 2023/24 :
- CGPS donated funds to Capel Primary School to fund the development of their “Forest School” initiative. Forest School enables children to learn about the environment, care and provide protection for our habitats and develop outdoor skills. The money given to the school by the charity has funded a teacher to become a qualified, Level 3, Forest school Instructor. In the current year, CGPS Trustees continue to gain updates from Capel School about the benefits of their Forest School. The Forest School teacher reports that all children have now had the chance to use the area and have enjoyed it greatly following the seasons. Activities have included making mini rafts, collecting hail stones and playing with water and identifying flora and fauna have taken place in all weathers. Bug homes have been built, exploration of where animals might hibernate, as well as use of the mud kitchen, campfire cooking and campfire songs.
- CGPS donated funds to Five Oak Green Brownies to help restore their raised flower bed in the corner of the recreation ground. The Brownies get a lot of pleasure from planting and growing their own plants, learning not just about gardening but also the environment, wildlife and insects attracted to this part of the recreation ground whilst also enjoying and appreciating nature and the outdoors. In addition to previously funded compost, tools, watering equipment, plants and bug houses, in the current year of this report, CGPS has made a further donation to the Brownies for them to add more water retentive material to the flower bed and replacement of water thirsty annuals with more perennial planting.
- We are working with Capel Pre-School. The school, catering for children aged 2-5 years, currently has a small private outdoor space and a large community area around the hall including the Community Orchard which is used to encourage and nurture the children’s love of the outside which in turn supports their health and well-being. The Pre-School staff report to the Trustees this year that the resources they have received have been really well explored and used. The children are now enjoying the natural world around them much more, especially in the garden. They are always outside with binoculars and magnifying glasses. Spiders and worms are often being ‘examined’. The children enjoyed the bird books especially the ones that make bird sounds and they love watching the birds come into the garden to feed. CGPS is providing further funding in 2024/25 for some rodent resistant bird feeders and bird food. Pre-School staff have assured CGPS of the sustainability of this project and the future provision of bird food for the feeders.
- As a fact finding mission, in May 2024 two Trustees, Hilary Andrews and Geoff Turner visited the local independent school’s Forest School. The Forest School, called Saplings, is a large, fenced off area within the school grounds. The area has benefitted from the resources available to develop ground management, fencing, construction of some of the wooden play and learning equipment. It has a permanent yurt (with wood fired stove) for shelter, specially constructed kitchen hut and toilet block hut. It is staffed by forest school trained staff. The children all have waterproof, warm overalls so that the area can be used in all weathers, which it is. The huge benefits for children in terms of environmental and ecological awareness, physical health and strength, mental health, resilience were stressed
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on the visit and the offer of further help, information and guidance about forest schools plus further visits should the other two schools in the Parish wish to see it for themselves. The Trustees will look at ways in 2024/25 of taking this forward in terms of the local state primary school and smaller Pre-school.
- Five Oak Green Community Gardening Group unveiled a new Information Board in the Worraker Community Orchard in August 2023. The Community Gardening Group have been able to carry out a lot of work in the orchard in the last year thanks to various fundraising activities of their own and a significant donation of funds from CGPS. New trees have been planted including a number of flowering cherries, older trees have had their name plates renewed. The interpretation board gives a huge amount of information spanning a description of the orchard, the fruit varieties within the orchard, the orchard year – season by season, and the wildlife that will be attracted to the area.
## Wilding
CGPS Trustees have engaged with a local farm manager regarding the new DEFRA Environmental Land Management Scheme. One of the farms in the Parish is a pilot site for this new scheme. We will continue to explore how wilding can be incorporated into the Parish as a way of enhancing the Greenbelt land.
## Capel Allotments
CGPS have supported the local Parish by supporting the local Parish Council with various projects that align with the Charity’s objectives.
CGPS continues to work with the local Capel Parish Council, and the Capel Parish Allotment Holders Association, to establish the requirements for equipment and to raise the standards of the local allotments. This cooperation is awaiting, in order to support, Capel Parish Council’s initiation of the planned provision of:
1. Enhanced Security solutions
2. Gardening equipment
3. Development of specific allotments for
- a. disabled people
- b. local schools
## Save Capel Campaign
CGPS has continued support of the local campaign called “Save Capel” - whose sole objective is to protect the Green Belt from over-development by building developers due to the local Borough
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Council’s draft Local Plan. Professional expertise has been successfully engaged by Save Capel in the continued legal, planning and environmental areas to assist in responding to the local Borough Council’s draft Local Plan. The Plan was subsequently reduced with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council eliminating an unsound Garden Village from their revised draft Plan.
## 6. Other activities
Green Belt Public Awareness Campaign
CGPS continues to publicise and promote the purposes of the charity and explain the activities that CGPS are involved in. Publicity is achieved through social media (Facebook), local publications, a presentation at the Annual Parish Meeting and through the CGPS website. This activity results in financial donations and pledges to the objectives of CGPS. Planning is underway to seek further publicity of the Charity in 2024/25 year by a holding a Photography Competition. This has been sponsored by a local Company.
The charity submitted hearing statements and attended the Independent Examination Hearings of the TWBC Local Plan, focusing on the harm that would be done to the Green Belt if it is adopted.
## 7. Long Term Strategy
CGPS believes that protecting the Green Belt in Capel is an important short-term objective. Once the status of this section of Green Belt has been secured the charity will concentrate on seeking donations and grants to sustain the CGPS WWW and Education Strategies for the benefit of the General Public. We will continue to seek grants and donations to sponsor local organisations increase public benefit from the use of the Green Belt particularly among the following groups:
1. School age children
2. Elderly
3. Dog walkers
4. Adults who may not otherwise enjoy the Greenbelt/countryside
## 8. Statutory Information
CGPS was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 5[th] November 2020, charity number 1192171.
The Registered Office is:
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**CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY**
3 Bank Farm Cottages Sherenden Lane Tudeley Tonbridge Kent, TN11 0PB
Full details are available at www. https://www.capelgb.com
The current Trustees are:
Chair Dr David Parrish Deputy Chair Konrad Legg Trustees Robert Assirati CBE Hilary Andrews Geoffrey Turner - newly appointed FY23/24 Sarah Coyler - newly appointed FY23/24
The charity’s bankers are:
HSBC UK 39 High Street Ashford Kent, TN24 8TG
## 9. Treasurer’s Report and Accounts
## **CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY**
02-Jul-24
|||l
|**FY 2022/23**|**FY 2023/24**||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|MANAGEM|NT ACCOUNTS|01-Ju-23
to
30-Jun-24|12 months ended|12 months ended||||
|**Opening balance**
**INCOME**
**EXPENDITURE**
**Closing bank bala**|||30th June 2023|30th June 2024||||
|||||**9,440.03**
**£**
16,275.64
£
500.00
£
16,775.64
£
5,789.08
£
418.25
£
6,207.33
£
10,568.31
£
**20,008.34**
**£**||||
||||**17,917.92**
**£**|||||
|||||||||
|||||||||
||||||type|credit|debit|
||||1,854.14
£||**bank fees Total**|-|-61.20|
||||-
£||**consultants Total**|-|-5,470.00|
||||||**donation Total**|14,204.46|0.00|
||**_Total income_**||1,854.14
£||**Gift Aid Total**|2,571.18|0.00|
||Save Capel Expenditure
CGPS Expenditure||||**marketing Total**|-|-651.13|
||||8,950.49
£||**memberships Total**|-|-25.00|
||||1,381.54
£||**Grand Total**|16,775.64|-6,207.33|
|||||||||
||**_Total Expenditure_**||10,332.03
£|||||
|||||||||
||**_Surplus/deficit_**||8,477.89
-£|||||
||**nce**|||||||
||||**9,440.03**
**£**|||||
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**CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY**
I confirm that this report and accounts are an accurate representation of the CGPS activities between 1[st] July 2023 and 30[th] June 2024
David Parrish Name: ……………………………………… Signature: ……………………………………… 16/12/24 Date: ……………………………………… 3 Bank Farm Cottages Adress: ……………………………………… Tudeley Tonbridge ……………………………………… TN11 0PB ………………………………………
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**CAPEL GREENBELT PROTECTION SOCIETY**
## Appendix A Independent Examiners Report
I report that the accounts for the period ended 30[th] June 2024were examined, without carrying out an audit, from the records supplied to me and the information and explanations given to me.
I am satisfied that they reconcile to the Bank Statements
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