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2025-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From: 1 April 2024 To: 31 March 2025

Charity name: Natural Cambridgeshire

Charity registration number: 1193040

Objectives and Activities

Objectives and Activities
SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document		 Para 1.17 From our Constitution, the object of Natural
Cambridgeshire is:
For the public benefit, the preservation,
conservation and protection of the
environment in particular but not exclusively
by (a) the advancement of biological diversity,
and (b) the promotion of sustainable
development in Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough.
Sustainable development means ‘development
which meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs’.
Summary of the main activities
in relation to those purposes
for the public benefit, in
particular, the activities,
projects or services identified
in the accounts.		 Para 1.17 and 1.19 Advocacy for the maintenance and
enhancement of biodiversity and for the
benefits it brings to public health and well-
being, climate change mitigation and
adaptation, cleaner air, improved water quality
and availability, healthier soils and flood risk
mitigation. Specifically in 2024/25, we:
•
Provided leadership and support for the
development of the Local Nature Recovery
Strategy (LNRS) for Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough, with our Director, Pamela
Abbott, continuing to Co-chair the LNRS
Steering Group alongside Cambridgeshire
County Council, and playing a key role as a
member of the core production team; other
trustees have provided expert input to the
process.
• Following the launch of the Cambridgeshire
and Peterborough Fund for Nature in
Autumn 2022 and the release of funds in
September 2024, we made our first loan to
a landscape project, Fleam Dyke Habitat
Bank in September 2024. In addition,with

the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, we disbursed 28 small grants for small-scale community-led nature projects between December 2024 and January 2025. • As part of our commitment to community health and well-being through nature, and in partnership with the Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT), we successfully delivered four fruit-tree grafting workshops, which formed the basis of a mini-campaign to stimulate a traditional orchard revival initiative across the county, including promoting the benefits of community orchards for biodiversity. • Continued to act as a strategic lead in discussions with the water sector to assist in resolving the water availability issues faced by our county; specifically, this included making the case for agricultural (non-public water supply); identifying, developing and lobbying for measures to ensure available funding for on-farm water storage; and ensuring that the fragility of the future or our lowland peat soils and the future of our chalk streams were front and central to discussions. • Continued to engage with local authorities via the Natural Environment Policy & Planning Forum, addressing Biodiversity Net Gain implementation, Local Plan cycles and major infrastructure projects including the proposed Chatteris Fens Reservoir, East West Rail, and water quality and availability issues. • We collated and published our annual ‘Actions for Nature in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’ report, which is a compilation of our Partners’ contributions to doubling nature over the preceding year. • With our wider public, we continued to convene our quarterly online Partnership Forum meetings, attracting up to 100 attendees at each Forum. • We continued to contribute, via our active participation as a partner or advisor, to key Cambridgeshire projects and initiatives, including the University of Cambridgeshire’s Centre for Landscape Restoration, the Fens 2100+ initiative, the Future Fens Integrated Adaptation project, the Fens Reservoir Stakeholder Group, Water Resources East (WRE) Strategic Advisory Group, the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Climate

Programme Board and the Cambridge
Conservation Forum.
• An extension to our funding enabled us to
commission a Communications and
Engagement Strategy and Action plan,
which we have begun to implement, and to
commission the development of a website
with a view to hosting a listing of potential
sites for BNG investment.
Statement confirming whether
the trustees have had regard
to the guidance issued by the
Charity Commission on public
benefit		 Para 1.18 As part of their commitment to the
organisation and their induction, trustees are
required to familiarise themselves with the
guidance issued by the Charity Commission on
public benefit. We continue to refine policies to
ensure that new trustees receive this guidance
as part of their induction process, and review
annually these policies. Our secretary trustee,
Dr Roger Mitchell, ensures good governance
practice is followed at all times.
In the 2024/25 reporting period no new
trustees joined and one resigned (Pippa
Heylings) on becoming a MP. At our Board’s
annual strategy away day in February 2025m
the organisation’s goals reviewed, including
ensuring public benefit of the activities we
undertake.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

SORP reference
Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Given the signing of a grant funding agreement
in 2024 which enabled us to provide grants and
loans to third parties, we developed a grant
and loan funding policy which was adopted by
our Board in October 2024.
Policy on social investment
including program related
investment		 Para 1.38 n/a
Contribution made by
volunteers		 Para 1.38 Much of the work of Natural Cambridgeshire is
achieved by and through volunteers, primarily
trustees and advisors, whose time, dedication
and commitment is much appreciated.
While we are not a direct delivery organisation,
and therefore not in the business of mobilising
conservation volunteers ourselves, many of our
grantees do mobilise the efforts of volunteers
in their improvements to green spaces within
parishes, urban communities and on other
nature sites. In the evaluation of our small
grants programme will are seeking information
about volunteer involvement inprojects,with a

view to ensuring these efforts are evaluated, acknowledged and celebrated. Other

Achievements and Performance

SORP reference
Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to the
circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a whole.		 Para 1.20 • Drawing on our extensive networks across
the county and working with
Cambridgeshire County Council in our co-
chairing role of the Local Nature Recovery
Strategy (LNRS) and as a member of the
core production team, our Director, Pamela
Abbott advised the technical expert
groupings (on which several trustees serve)
for the development of the priorities and
measures for our LNRS, including providing
data and reviewing mapping outputs, with
a view to informing actions for nature and
nature positive outcomes for communities.
• The Policy and Planning Forum, which is the
county-wide grouping we convene for local
authority planning and ecology officers,
environmental charities, farmer
representatives and community
organisations, met quarterly to exchange
information and share knowledge on policy
matters, including BNG implementation,
Local Plan cycles, water, and nature and
health. At our meeting in January 2025, we
conducted a review to seek feedback from
members with a view to informing Forum
programming for 2025, which included
supporting discussions that address the
joint issues of social and environmental
justice and ways to ensure developers
deliver their commitments for green spaces
and nature.
• We commissioned the development of a
website which will host a listing of potential
sites across the county for BNG investment,
screened through the filter of the LNRS and
Natural Cambridgeshire’s priority
landscapes.
• We signed an agreement with the
Cambridgeshire Community Foundation to
disburse Fund for Nature monies to
Communities via a small grants scheme. In
2024/25 we convened our second awards
panel and during December 2024 and
January 2025 disbursed grant funds
totalling £90k to 28 projects with notable
uptake in Fenland & Peterborough,where

local funding is limited. Beneficiaries included charities, councils, voluntary groups, churches, CICs, and a housing association. • Working with legal advisors we developed and finalised a model loan agreement to disburse Nature Fund monies for landscape-scale projects, awarding our first loan of £100k in September 2024. • A second call for projects was launched on in February 2025, including an online webinar promoting the funding opportunity and showcasing nature finance initiatives to farmers and landowners, to which over 50 people attended. • As part of our health and nature objective, we delivered 4 fruit-tree grafting workshops at 3 community sites engaging 32 community participants and launched a mini-campaign to stimulate a local orchards revival initiative, including promoting the biodiversity benefits of community orchard projects. • Regular quarterly online expert briefings were held (Partnership Forum) for the broader nature community on specialist subject areas relating to nature, biodiversity and landscape improvements. • We collated and emailed a weekly news digest of the latest international, national and local research, news and events relating the state of nature and the pressures of climate change to over 700 contacts across the county. • We continued to our membership of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Climate Programme Board. • We strengthened strategic relations with neighbouring Local Nature Partnerships, including signing letters to Ministers to encourage funding to support nature recovery activities, including the formation of an All Party Parliamentary Group for Nature Recovery, and sharing updates and information about our respective LNRSs to ensure join-up. • We participated in strategic projects including the Fenland Water Partnership that is developing the new Fens Reservoir National Infrastructure project, Fens 2100+, the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Landscape Restoration and Fenland SOIL. We also continued to champion water for agriculture within key strategic discussions, including with the Environment Agency, Anglian Water and Cambridge Water, and

more broadly in the community including a seminar for members of the Cambridge Conservation Forum. • We expanded our capacity through the creation of a new post of Executive Officer post, welcoming our new member of staff (0.8FTE) in January 2025. • We signed a Licence to Occupy with the Wildlife Trust BCN on 27 February 2025, which has enabled us to have access to office space for our executive team to work from for 3 days a week.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against Para 1.41 objectives set Performance of fundraising Para 1.41 activities against objectives set Investment performance Para 1.41 against objectives Other

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end of
the period		 Para 1.21 Financial Report on 2024-25 Year End Accounts
The accounts show total revenues of £662,784
and a surplus of £416,793. However, these
figures are masked by the first grant payment
of £500,000 from the CPCA to establish and
disburse the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Fund for Nature, and to a lesser extent by the
receipt of a transfer of funds of £11,650
relating to the Fens Biosphere from Cambridge
Acre, to be held in suspense pending decisions
on pursuit of the Biosphere concept.
The more “normal” activities of Natural
Cambridgeshire reflect the CPCA core funding
income of £120,000 and £126,246 of
administrative expenses, resulting in a deficit of
£7,900, but then obtaining income from
significant project work on the Local Nature
Recovery Strategy for the County Council,
delivering a surplus of £12,225. The resulting
combined “normal” surplus amounted to
£4,325.
In addition to this “normal” result, the charity
also managed two further significant activities
relating to the launch of the Cambridgeshire
and Peterborough Fund for Nature: first, the
disbursement of two tranches of community
grants, each amounting to £50,000,
administered through the Cambridge
Community Foundation, but evaluated and
awarded by Natural Cambridgeshire. Secondly,
we made our first investment of £100,000 by
way of a 7-year, interest free loan to the
Wildlife Trust to create a landscape scale
natural habitat at Fleam Dyke. The
administrative and legal costs relating to the
Fund were defrayed, as agreed with the CPCA.
The balance sheet at year end showed a cash
credit balance on the Office Account of
£98,181, £301,437 on the Fund for Nature, and
£11,030 on the Biosphere Account. In addition,
the loan to the Wildlife Trust is held as a
Current Asset. Total reserves of £472,468
reflect £400,000 of the Doubling Nature Fund
cash and loan assets. The “normal” reserves of
the charity of £72,468 at the year-end are
satisfactorily above the 4-month run down
horizon set byour reservespolicy.
Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held		 Para 1.22 Our reserves policy is based on a “rundown
horizon” of 4 months to cover outstanding
event costs and four months’ salary costs. The
current minimum reserves policy continues to
stand at £35,000.
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 Total reserves of £472,468 reflect £400,000 of
the Doubling Nature Fund cash and loan assets.
The “normal” reserves of the charity of
£72,468 at the year-end are satisfactorily
above the 4-month run down horizon set by
our reservespolicy.
Reasons for holding zero
reserves		 Para 1.22 N/A
Details of fund materially in
deficit		 Para 1.24 N/A
Explanation of any
uncertainties about the charity
continuing as a going concern		 Para 1.23 At present time, the charity’s running costs are
dependent upon gaining grants and contracts
from local authorities and partners to continue
its work.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources
of funds (including any
fundraising)		 Para 1.47 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined
Authority, Cambridgeshire County Council,
National Lottery Community Fund, and partner
donations.
Investment policy and
objectives including any social
investment policy adopted		 Para 1.46 N/A
A description of the principal
risks facing the charity		 Para 1.46 • Failure to attract income for ongoing
running costs.
• Reputational risk.
• Initiating projects which are not fully
funded.
• Key staff – for the reporting period the
organisation employed three part-time
officers. At the end of the financial year,
the three part-time officers equate to 2.4
FTE.
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)		 Para 1.25 The charity’s governing document is its
constitution, which sets out how it will operate
as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation
(Foundation Model).
How is the charity constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association,CIO)		 Para 1.25 The charity is constituted as a Charitable
Incorporated Organisation.
Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of any
person or body entitled to
appoint one or more trustees		 Para 1.25 Trustee appointments are made based on the
skills, knowledge and subject matter expertise
they can bring to the organisation, and/or the
body entitled to nominate a person to the
trustee board, as specified in our constitution.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees		 Para 1.51 Trustees when they are appointed are
requested to familiarise themselves with the
Charity Commission’s guidance:
Charity trustee: what’s involved
Conflicts of interest: a guide for charity
trustees
For Local Authority nominees:
Councillors’guide: to a council’s role as charity
trustee
Depending on an individual trustees skills,
knowledge and experience, briefings and
introductory meetings may be provided to fill
any knowledge gaps and to bring them up to
speed with the organisation’s business.
The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the charity
works		 Para 1.51 The generosity of local authorities and the
support of partner organisations has enabled
the trustees to retain one part-time co-
ordinator (0.8 FTE) a part-time director (0.6
FTE, moved to 0.8 FTE from January 2024) and
now a part-time executive officer (0.8 FTE)
The day-to-day business operations are
overseen by an Operations & Finance sub-
committee of the trustee board that report
into the Board, and programmes are steered by
a working groups, made up of relevant trustees
and officers, which also report to the Board.
While the charity itself is a convenor and
facilitator of networks and seen as a ‘key
nexus’ for the environment sector in
Cambridgeshire, it is also active in many other
networks within the county, including the
University of Cambridge’s Centre for Landscape
Regeneration, the Steering Group for the
development of a Local Nature Recovery
Strategyfor the area,a member of the
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Climate
Programme Board, Water Resources East
Advisory Board, Cambridge Conservation
Forum Committee and Fens for the Future.
Relationship with any related
parties		 Para 1.51 Nene Park Trust employ the three Natural
Cambridgeshire officers and provide human
resources and payroll servicesnon behalf of
Natural Cambridgeshire. Book-keeping
is outsourced to Balancing Act, an external
accounts service.
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charityname Natural Cambridgeshire
Other name the charityuses N/A
Registered charitynumber 1193040
Charity’s principal address For the reporting period the charity’s principal address was:
Ham Farm House
Ham Lane
Peterborough
PE2 5UU

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for
whole year		 Name of person (or body)
entitled to appoint trustee
(if any)
Richard Astle Business Sector
Martin Baker Environmental Charity
Matthew Bullock Treasurer Independent
Matthew Bradbury Country Park
Major Tim
Breitmeyer DL		 . National Farmers Union/
County Landowners
Association
Rebecca Britton Vice-Chair Business Sector
Prof Martin Doel CBE Chair Appointed 27 June 2023 Independent
Cllr Pippa Heylings Resigned March 2025 Local Authority
Professor Peter
Landshoff		 Independent/Partnership
Forum
Dr Roger Mitchell Secretary Independent/Partnership
Forum
Rachel Steward Independent
John Torlesse Defra Agency
Rob Wise National Farmers Union/
Country Landowners
Association

Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name None

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole
year
None
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held
in this capacity		 None
Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects		 N/A
Details of arrangements for
safe custody and segregation
of such assets from the
charity’s own assets		 N/A

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

ames and addresses of advisers (Optional information) ames and addresses of advisers (Optional information) ames and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of
adviser
Name
Address
Adrian Cannard Strategic Planning Manager, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
Combined Authority, 2nd Floor, Pathfinder House, St Mary's
Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3TN
James Littlewood CEO, Cambridge Past Present & Future,Wandlebury Ring, Gog
Magog Hills, Babraham, Cambridge CB22 3AE

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Pamela Abbott and Helen Dye

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

N/A

Other optional information

None

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)
Full name(s)
Position (eg Secretary, Chair,
etc)
Date
Dr Roger Mitchell


Trustee/Secretary
7thNovember 2024
7thNovember 2024

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A
Independent Examiner’s Report		 Section A
Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/
members of
On accounts for the year
ended
Set out on pages
Responsibilities and
basis of report		 Charity no
(if any)
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
Natural Cambridgeshire
31st March 2025
1193040
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (“the Trust”) for theperiod ended 31 March 2025.
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the
accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
(“the Act”).
1 - 17

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 I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement 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.

Signed:
Name:
Relevant professional
qualification(s) or body		 12/11/2025
Rebecca Coles
ACCA

Oct 2018

1

IER

(if any): Address: Newton Hall, Town Street, Newton, CB22 7ZE

Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of No matters of concern were identified during the independent examination. any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

Oct 2018

2

IER

Consolidated Revenue Account

Natural Cambridgeshire For the year ended 31 March 2025

Consolidated Revenue Account
Natural Cambridgeshire
For the year ended 31 March 2025
2025
Income
Local Authority Grants (unrestricted) 127,500.00
Project Grants (Restricted) 533,802.82
Bank Interest Received 1,481.23
Total Income 662,784.05
Direct Costs
Projects - Unrestricted 1,653.38
Projects - Restricted 102,775.05
Total Direct Costs 104,428.43
Gross Surplus 558,355.62
Administrative Costs
Advertising 14.34
Finance - Bank Charges 240.00
Office Costs - Computer/Software/Website 5,313.43
Office Costs - HD Laptop 113.76
Office Costs - HD & PA Expenses 3,647.10
Office Costs - HD Telephone 157.89
Office Costs - Supplies 740.00
Other Overheads - Insurance 1,374.87
Other Overheads - Magazine & Book Subscriptions 15.00
Hall Hire & Catering 1,798.90
Professionals - Accountancy Fees 2,084.40
Professionals - Consultant Fees 24,563.30
Professionals - Legal Fees 6,600.00
Salary Costs - Gross Wages & NI 100,342.33
Salary Costs - Recruitment Expenses 598.00
Admin Costs (Communities Fund) (7,000.00)
Westfield Health 539.28
Trustee Expenses 420.46
Total Administrative Costs 141,563.06
Operating Surplus 416,792.56

Operating Surplus

29 Sept 2025 Page 1 of 1

Consolidated Revenue Account Natural Cambridgeshire

Balance Sheet

Natural Cambridgeshire As at 31 March 2025

Balance Sheet
Natural Cambridgeshire
As at 31 March 2025		 Balance Sheet
Natural Cambridgeshire
As at 31 March 2025
31 MAR 2025
Current Assets
Cash at bank and in hand
DNF: Natural Cambridge
301,436.68
Natural Cambridgeshire
98,181.26
Other Savings: Natural Cambridge
11,030.73
Total Cash at bank and in hand
410,648.67
Accounts Receivable
7,500.00
Prepayments
127.20
Wildlife Trust DNF Loan Oct24
100,000.00
Total Current Assets
518,275.87
Creditors: amounts falling due withinone year
Accounts Payable
42,507.91
Accruals - Audit Fee
420.00
Accruals (Jul-Sept25 Wages)
2,880.00
Total Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
45,807.91
Net Current Assets (Liabilities)
472,467.96
Total Assets less Current Liabilities
472,467.96
Net Assets
472,467.96
Capital and Reserves
Accumulated Surplus Account
55,675.40
Current Year Earnings
416,792.56
Total Capital and Reserves
472,467.96

12 Nov 2025 Page 1 of 1

Balance Sheet Natural Cambridgeshire