Alton
Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date 01 Jan 2024 31 Dec 2024
From To
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name Our Tide
Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1195138
Charity's principal address Alton House
9 Copse Road CLEVEDON
Postcode BS21 7QN
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian John GRIBBEN |
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| James Kieran GELDART |
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| Iain David Blewett MAJOR |
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| Amy Elizabeth COLLINS |
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| SallyRachel HALL | ||||
Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
| Name | Dates acted if not for whole year | |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | ||
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address N/A
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
N/A
Our Tide Annual Report
FY2 (1 Jan 2024 – 31 Dec 2024)
1
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Constitution
Type of governing document
- (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)
How the charity is constituted
- (eg. trust, association, company)
New trustees to be appointed by a resolution passed by existing trustees Trustee selection methods
- (eg. appointed by, elected by)
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
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policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
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the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
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relationship with any related parties;
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trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Policies
Our Tide has existing policies as follows: Code of Conduct, Safeguarding, Recruitment, Anti-Bullying, Whistle Blowing and Volunteer Induction.
Risks
The primary risks are associated with safeguarding as holding workshops with young people is the primary activity. It is the responsibility of the Workshop Lead that a Risk Assessment is carried out and approved by a Trustee. The H&S Officer is in a support and advisory role.
Organisational Structure
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The Trustees agree objectives and activities with Project Leads and Managers who are in turn supported by Volunteers. Project Lead and Manager roles vary with requirements. At the time of writing, those in place are as follows:
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Project Leads: Workshops; Model kit; Tidal stream Demonstrator; Tidal range Demonstrator; Materials Consolidation. Managers: Secretary; H&S Officer; Volunteers; Communications; Schools Liaison; Fundraising.
Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
To advance the education of the public and in particular of young people in the region surrounding the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel by delivering workshops and on-line resources in the subjects of tidal power, the science of tidal power and its impact on the environment and the application of engineering in harnessing tidal energy.
Our Tide Annual Report
FY2 (1 Jan 2024 – 31 Dec 2024)
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OurTide has organised and delivered workshops for young people of secondary school age. Firstly, at Nailsea School in July 2024, for which there were approximately 60 student participants. Second, at Clevedon Sailing Club in November 2024, for which there were ~15 participants. These continued the programme of tidal energy themed STEM engagement workshops which OurTide has delivered to secondary school students since 2021. In addition, in October 2024, staff from Frazer-Nash Consultancy used OurTide resources to deliver a STEM workshop in collaboration with EqualEngineers for adults aspiring to return to a career in STEM. This workshop took place at Frazer-Nash offices in Leatherhead. Working with Clevedon Pier, Our Tide is aiming to design and install a working tidal turbine on the Pier, as a focal point for renewable energy in the community. In June/July 2024 we achieved a key milestone of measuring a month of tidal current data on the pier, with the help of Swansea University who allowed us to borrow £15k of measurement equipment free of charge. The data is used in our student workshops and is necessary to further progress the “turbine on the pier” concept. This high quality, professional standard measurement data allows accurate Summary of the main calculations of the real energy that may be extracted from the Clevedon activities undertaken for the Pier location. public benefit in relation to these objects (include within The collaboration with Swansea University and Clevedon Pier continued this section the statutory into Autumn 2024 and is ongoing. A group of final year engineering declaration that trustees have students from the university have the concept design of a tidal stream had regard to the guidance turbine for Clevedon Pier as their final year project, which is being issued by the Charity facilitated by Our Tide. Commission on public benefit) One of the main achievements of the year is in advocacy for the existing tidal lagoon at Oldbury to be considered as a demonstrator site for a tidal energy impoundment scheme. Towards this end, Our Tide organised initial contact and a meeting (which took place on 4 Sept 2024) between the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (OREC) and Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS). This is significant because OREC are prospecting for a suitable tidal energy impoundment scheme demonstrator site (and were previous unaware of the Oldbury lagoon) and NRS have responsibility for the Oldbury lagoon (and were previously unaware of its tidal energy potential). OurTide continue to advocate for the consideration of tidal energy in the Severn Estuary. Towards this end, OurTide provided a speaking slot and Q&A session at the inaugural “Green Shift Festival” held in Clevedon in April 2024. OurTide representatives also contributed to Transitions Clevedon and Clevedon Town Council meetings on environmental themes in November and December 2024. The trustees have had regard to the requirement on public benefit.
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
Our Tide Annual Report
FY2 (1 Jan 2024 – 31 Dec 2024)
3
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
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policy on grantmaking;
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policy programme related investment;
Our Tide is wholly staffed by volunteers – Trustees, Project Leads, Managers and all other staff make contributions according to their skills, interests and available time. Volunteering at OurTide is open to all. A particularly important team is the workshop delivery team. In each workshop the students meet different (usually) young professionals to guide them through the workshop activities. We encourage diversity in our workshop delivery teams so that the students can experience that diversity of personality and background which we believe is helpful in bringing to life STEM careers as genuine prospects – i.e. creating the circumstances where students may identify at some level with a professional scientist or engineer can broaden perspectives on career possibilities.
Our Tide does not make grants.
- contribution made by volunteers.
Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
Key milestones are arranged chronologically as follows:
| 1 Feb 2024 | “All hands”volunteers meeting, Clevedon Sailing Club |
|---|---|
| Feb 2024 | OurTide receive grant from Clevedon Community Bookshop Cooperative |
| April 2024 | OurTide contribute to Green Shift Festival |
| June/July2024 | TidalCurrentmeasurements at Clevedon Pier |
| July 2024 | Secondary School Student Workshop, Nailsea School |
| September 2024 | Oldbury lagoon meeting between OREC and NRS |
| October 2024 | STEM workshopwith EqualEngineers |
| October 2024 | Tidal turbine concept design project with Swansea University students begins |
| November 2024 | Secondary School Student Workshop, Clevedon Sailing Club |
| November 2024 | OurTide receive grant from Clevedon Town Council |
The most important achievements are the student workshops . As well as benefiting the student participants directly, they also leave us with a valuable set of resources (lesson plans, videos, presentations, technology kit, model tidal turbines, floating test rig) which will form the basis of future student workshops.
Key amongst our relationships going forward are that with: Clevedon Pier, Clevedon School, Swansea University, Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd., Nuvola Ltd. We end the year with confidence in our ability to continue to deliver student workshops, and with increased ambition to extend our outreach activities to including working tidal turbine demonstrations facilities.
Our Tide Annual Report
FY2 (1 Jan 2024 – 31 Dec 2024)
4
Section E Financial review
The charity has no policy on reserves since to date commitment to future Brief statement of the spending has been effectively zero. charity’s policy on reserves Details of any funds materially There are no funds materially in deficit. in deficit
Further financial review details (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:
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the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
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how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
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investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.
The charity’s primary source of funds to date has been from the Clevedon Community Bookshop’s Community Grant scheme. Two awards have been received of £500 to date and a third is pending. This has covered a substantial portion of the costs incurred in delivering the workshops. Recently the charity has also received a £500 grant award from Clevedon Town Council. Fundraising activity has been modest to date as the workshop costs are modest, and trustees have been pleased to fund shortfalls. It is noted that some interest-free loans from trustees are in place, and trustees are content that the charity does not guarantee their repayment. As the charity’s ambition increases, the needs for funds increases, and there will be increased fundraising effort going forward.
Our Tide has benefitted significantly from in-kind contribution in the form of free facility access, technology access, and expert time from Nuvola Ltd, coecreative Ltd, Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd, Clevedon Sailing Club, Clevedon School, and Clevedon Pier. The total estimated value exceeds £6,000.
Section F Other optional information
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) Brian Gribben Iain Major James Geldart Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Trustee etc) Signature(s) Full name(s) Amy Collins Sally Hall Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Trustee etc) Date 2 January 2025
Our Tide Annual Report
FY2 (1 Jan 2024 – 31 Dec 2024)
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| Income and Expenditure Account for period: 01 January 2024 to Item Amount Note Balance at bank b/f 296.80 [2] 500.00 [3] Clevedon Town Council 500.00 [4] Donations 11.00 Income total 1307.80 Income(£) Clevedon Community Bookshop Co-operative Community Fund |
31 December 2024 Expenditure(£) |
31 December 2024 Expenditure(£) |
|---|---|---|
| Item Amount Note |
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| Balance at bank b/f Clevedon Town Council Donations Income total Clevedon Community Bookshop Co-operative Community Fund |
2023 Workshop Costs 2024 Workshop Costs Annual Insurance Battery for velocimeter Expenditure total Balance at bank c/f |
28.91 [5] 217.46 241.20 264.00 [6],[7] 751.57 556.23 |
Notes
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[1] Our Tide was registered as a charity in England (Charity number: 1195138) on 12 July 2021 [2] OurTide moved its banking to Co-op bank during this period [3] This grant was awarded in February 2024 [4] This grant was awarded on 21 November 2024
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[5] This repays an interest free loan from a volunteer member as noted in previous FY accounts
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[6] As noted in previous FY accounts, a number of cost items has been covered by members and are noted here as interest free loans, total value £1,182.03. These will be repaid as funds allow.
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[7] £500.00 is the estimated value of assets - the replacement cost - held by Our Tide in the form of workshop materials and equipment.
Accounts approved by Our Tide Trustees on 9 January 2025:
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Signed Brian Gribben
Trustee
Signed Iain Major
Trustee
Signed Amy Collins
Trustee
Signed Sally Hall
Trustee
Signed James Geldart
Trustee
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