## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From** 07/12/2021 **To** 31/03/2023 **Charity name:** West Dorset Wilding **Charity registration number:** 1196964 ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes
of the charity as set out in
its governing document|Para 1.17|Theobjectsof the CIO are:
To promote for the benefit of the public the
conservation, protection and improvement of
the physical and natural environment by
promoting biological diversity and restoring
degraded ecological systems.
To advance the education of the public in
the conservation, protection and
improvement of the physical and natural
environment.| |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|Activitiesinclude:
To deliver environmental projects for the
benefit of the public;
To educate the general public, particularly
farmers and landowners, about the benefits
of natural process led ecosystem restoration,
though meetings, emails, online or other
activities;
To consult and discuss with the general
public about issues in nature conservation;
To undertake and disseminate research into
the nature of the Charity’s focus area;
To recruit members for the benefit of
education and fundraising;
To undertake fundraising for the delivery of
the above activities.| |||| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the
guidance issued by the
Charity Commission on
public benefit|Para 1.18|Trustees have had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity Commission on public
benefit, and have a standing item at board
meetings to remind them of their role and
function.| ## **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|West Dorset Wilding (WDW) was founded
in December 2021 by a group of Dorset
farmers, landowners and ecologists with a
shared vision for nature recovery in the Brit
catchment and beyond.
During the period of this report, we have
made excellent progress on a number of
fronts including membership, branding,
governance and financial plans, project
development, awareness raising and
fundraising. This has led to the
development of a broad portfolio of
projects during the period, all of which
focus initially on the Brit catchment in West
Dorset and are for wider public benefit with
regards to the conservation of nature.
1) Landscape scale change. The largest
and potentially most impactful of these
is the early development of theBrit
Catchment Recovery Project, which
intends to undertake large-scale
extensive ecosystem restoration across
the Brit catchment, focusing primarily on
riparian zones and adjoining areas for
habitat creation. We are doing this by
bringing together farmers, landowners,
NGOs and agencies into a single
project. This work will be developed
into a single Landscape Recovery
funding application later in 2023, which,
if successful, could be of benefit to the
whole catchment, if not wider.
2) Baseline. During this period, we were
awarded £13,000 funding from
Rewilding Britain to establish an
ecological and environmental baseline| for the catchment by looking at land cover, above ground carbon and bird diversity/abundance as an indicator for wider biodiversity. This money also paid for the membership and community engagement work set out below. 3) Beavers . We have undertaken research about the suitability of the catchment for a wild release of beavers. This involved habitat feasibility research, dam capacity mapping and social and cultural feasibility. We also prepared for a public consultation which took place in the subsequent period. This project was funded by an £8,000 grant from Natural England. 4) Community engagement . Our work in this area has been led by the development of a membership scheme to involve and inspire local people, and help them engage more deeply and frequently with nature. We have also started work on a community engagement strategy, in which target groups will include farmers, landowners, teens and young adults, and lowincome families. 5) Events . WDW held a successful wilding conference of 50 people in April 2022, and later a well-received launch event at Bridport Town Hall which was at full capacity and attended by over 100 people. The event illustrated the breadth and depth of local support for the objectives of West Dorset Wilding, and the concern shared by many about the perilous state of our natural environment. Overall, it has been a very productive first year, with several core projects underway and ambitious plans for a large scale Landscape Recovery bid. ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the
end of the period|Para 1.21|As a small new charity, the financial position
was solid at the end of the period. The
majority of funds remaining came from
restricted grants and related to work to be
completed in the next period. Securing
sufficient core costs over and above voting
member membership continues to be
challenging.| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|With no payroll staff, a two-week termination
clause on self-employed contracts and
negligible overheads, it was determined by
Trustees that sufficient reserves were needed
only to meet these items.
This figure was estimated at £2,000 and was
agreed within the period, then ratified at the
Trustees meeting of 5/9/23.| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|At the end of the financial year the surplus
was £16,575, of which £14,287 was
restricted. This left £2,288 as reserves, which
met the policy.| |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|The Trustees agreed that the charity can
continue to operate as a going concern.| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing
document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|CIO by Association| |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|Election at AGM or co-option, no
organisational appointments| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charityname|West Dorset Wilding| |---|---| |Other name the charity
uses|n/a| |Registered charitynumber|1196964| |Charity’s principal address|SYMONDSBURY ESTATE OFFICE
UNIT 6 MANOR YARD
MILL LANE
SYMONDSBURY
BRIDPORT
DT6 6HG| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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5
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee(if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Luke Montagu|Chair||| ||Nicholas Gray|Treasurer||| ||Arthur Crutchley|||| ||Philip Colfox|||| ||Tarsha Finney||9/12/22 to 31/3/23|| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** n/a Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity |**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|| |---|---|---| |n/a||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets n/a held in this capacity Name and objects of the n/a charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements n/a for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Additional information (optional)**
**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Additional information (optional)**
**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Additional information (optional)**
**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**| |---|---|---| |**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**||| |Accountant|Leigh Hansford|Coombe Hope Accountants| |||60 West Street| |||Bridport| |||Dorset| |||DT6 3QP| |||| |||| |||| |||| ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Samuel Rose – Executive Director (self-employed) ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details n/a ## **Other optional information** n/a ## **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)** Luke Montagu Philip Colfox **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 29/12/23 West Dorset Wilding Accounts st 7th December 2021 to 31 March 2023 Independent examiner's report to the Trustees of West Dorset wilding I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of West Dorset wilding for the Period ended 31st March 2023 Responsibilities and basis of Report As the charity trustees of West Dorset Wilding, 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 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 which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect" accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed Leigh Hansford - FCCA 8th August 2023 Coombe Hope Accountants 60 West Street Bridport Dorset DT6 3QP WEST DORSET WILDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT PERIOD FROM 7TH DECEMBER 2021 TO 31ST MARCH 2023 2023 Income Subscriptions - Voting Membership Subscriptions - Non voting Membership and linked donations Individual donations Corporate grants Sundry income 6,250 628 750 4,847 Restricted ro ect income Rewilding Britain Natural England 13,000 8,000 33,474 Expenditure Executive Director Support Work Postage & Stationery Phone & Internet Insurance Donor box fees Event costs Sundry expenditure 9,750 75 216 96 35 Restricted ro ect ex Rewilding Britain Natural England enditure 6,163 550 16,899 Surplus l (Defecit) for period 16,575 ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** **Report to the trustees/** Charity Name **members of** West Dorset Wilding **On accounts for the year** 31[st] March 2023 **Charity no** 1196964 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/03/2023. - **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** 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 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 (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or - the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. * _Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply._ **----- Start of picture text -----**
Date: 8 [th] August 2023
Signed:
Name: Leigh Hansford
Relevant professional FCCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
qualification(s) or body
(if any):
Address: 17 Stuart Way
Bridport
Dorset, DT6 4AU
**----- End of picture text -----**
**October 2018** 1 **IER** **Section B Disclosure** Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . **October 2018** 2 **IER**