Registered Charity No. 1197155
**Wildlife Friendly Otley Annual Report April 2022 - May 2023**
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
## **Contents**
|Foreword|Pages 3 — 4|
|---|---|
|The Trustees|Page 4|
|Campaigns|Page 5|
|CommunicaAons|Page 6|
|EducaAon|Page 7|
|Events|Page 8|
|Finance and Governance|Pages 9 — 10|
|Habitat RestoraAon|Page 11 — 12|
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
## **Foreword**
Wildlife Friendly Otley is a small local charity, established in October 2018.
Public interest in nature is high, with the big chariAes such as RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts aRracAng 2 million members, but BriAsh wildlife has sAll declined by more than half in the last 40-50 years and is under conAnuous threat. Locally we can see this decline first hand, it was this disconnect we hoped to address forming Wildlife Friendly Otley (WFO) and declaring Otley as the first wildlife friendly town.
By declaring Otley as the first wildlife friendly town, we can set an example of how towns can be rich in nature and wildlife; reversing some of the loss of nature on our own doorsteps. Whilst making Otley an even more aRracAve place to live, work and visit.
Our charitable objects are:
- To promote for the benefit of the public the conservaAon of the wildlife and wildlife habitats and protecAon and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Otley and the surrounding area.
- To advance the educaAon and appreciaAon of the public regarding the conservaAon,
- protecAon and improvement of the physical and natural environment.
The charity is governed by the board of trustees, all of whom are equally responsible and have a single vote in decision making. In the case of a Ae, the chair of the meeAng will cast the deciding vote.
The work of our charity is divided into six subcommiRees (see figure 1); Campaigns, CommunicaAons, EducaAon, Events, Finance & Governance and Habitat RestoraAon. The work of each subcommiRee for the past year will be described in the remainder of this report.
Thank you to our membership, which has grown significantly and stands at 212 members in May
**Figure 1** Structure of the charity.
2023. A high number of members now also volunteer, a special thank you to our volunteers, whose support is vital for the work we do. In order to ensure WFO maintains excellent communicaAon
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
with a growing membership and volunteer group Helen Hey, Trustee has taken the role of Membership Secretary from May 2023 which River Six previously undertook.
Helen Hey has communicated this change to the members and provided informaAon about WFO our conAnued compliance with GDPR legislaAon.
## **The Trustees**
As of May 2023, we have 12 trustees:
|**Andrew McKeon**|**Catherine Burton**|**Claire Blindell**|
|---|---|---|
|**Helen Hey**|**Jane Smith**|**Neil Grifn**|
|**Nic Shipp**|**Richard Askew**|**River Six**|
|**Rob Tindall**|**Sarah Shipp**|**Steve Heaton**|
Our schedule of meeAng as trustees is as follows;
**January General commiDee meeEng February No meeEng March General commiDee meeEng April No meeEng May Trustee meeEng June AGM July No meeEng August Trustee meeEng September No meeEng October General commiDee meeEng November Trustee meeEng December No meeEng**
The subcommiRees also meet as individual working groups regularly.
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
## **Campaigns**
As we are a campaigning organisaAon, most of what we do is a campaign; i.e. acAviAes designed to raise awareness about wildlife and encourage people and organisaAons to experience and enjoy it and consequently become more wildlife friendly. All the following subcommiRee reports on our acAviAes can be seen in that light. The task of this subcommiRee is to manage and coordinate current campaigns, including collaboraAons with other groups. Such as Feed the Birds, Otley Hedgehogs, Pledge Campaign.
## **The Nature Recovery Plan**
Currently one campaign stands out and that is highlighted by the recent decision by Otley Town Council (OTC) to declare a biodiversity emergency. This is a direct result of the work done by the Habitat RestoraAon subcommiRee. A Nature Recovery Plan for Otley has been prepared by the subcommiRee (view on our website) and has been adopted by OTC.
## **East of Otley Development Plan**
Acer fierce opposiAon by ourselves and many others who supported the East of Otley AcAon Group, the development plan for 750 houses and an outer relief road was withdrawn at the end of 2021 and we are sAll waiAng for the publicaAon of a much delayed new plan.
## **Weston Woods**
This year we have also been a part of forming a big collaboraAve group the Friends of Weston Woods with our partners Menston Area Nature Trust, Otley 2030, Wharfedale Naturalists Society, Climate AcAon Menston, Climate AcAon Ilkley, Addingham Environment Group and Yorkshire Rewilding Network — in order to insAgate a community buyout campaign to protect Weston Woods.
## **Pledge Campaign**
Efforts to encourage people to pledge to be more wildlife friendly conAnue. Recently we started to approach local businesses including the new Otley Garden Centre. We also gave presentaAon to Otley Chamber of Trade.
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
## **CommunicaEons**
This subcommiRee includes the management of press releases, social media and the website.
## **Press releases**
We have maintained an acAve presence in the tradiAonal media, as well as social media. There have been many press releases issued by the charity and published both in the local Wharfedale Observer and on social media.
Publicity for the 2022 Wildlife Arts FesAval was extensive in local and regional press.
Reports of the success of the Arts FesAval and the launch of the Nature Recovery Plan with Otley Nature Network were well covered in the December issue of Otley MaRers, which covers our acAviAes in each quarterly issue.
The launch of our Nature Recovery Plan got excellent coverage in the Wharfedale Observer and Yorkshire Post.
We made it to BBC Look North this year, with our involvement in the Save Weston Woods campaign.
## **Social media**
This year has seen a large amount of posiAve comments about the wildflower beds around town and in parAcular the four in Wharfemeadows Park. These posiAve reacAons were reported back to both Otley Council and Leeds CC Parks departments.
Our social media figures are as follows
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
## **EducaEon**
The purpose of the EducaAon subcommiRee is to establish and maintain working relaAonships with the Otley group of schools, promote onsite habitat management and organise adult educaAon opportuniAes.
## **All Saints Primary School**
Last summer (2022) our “Wonderful Wildlife Day,” was very posiAvely received, with the enAre school doing wildlife-related acAviAes all day, starAng with an assembly presented by our educaAon officer, Neil Griffin. We arranged for other visitors to be a part of the day, including the Yorkshire Dales River Trust and Prickly Pigs Hedgehog Rescue.
## **Pool Primary School**
This year the EducaAon commiRee expanded down the road to Pool, as well as tree planAng, we are planning a clean up and repair of their pond in the autumn this year..
## **Prince Henry’s Grammar School**
The students have been making bird boxes and we visited to advise where to best situate them, to maximise the chances of them being occupied. Their Eco-miRee also aRended and presented at the launch event of our Nature Recovery Plan on the 1 November 2022, alongside famous and renowned broadcaster and entomologist George McGavin.
We received funding from the Co-Op for the nest cams to be set up on the school grounds.
## **Westgate Primary School**
The students also benefiRed from a book-reading visit from children’s author Jeanne Willis as part of the wildlife arts fesAval.
## **Whartons Primary School**
A discussion and plan around creaAng a wetland like Addingham Primary’s in the school grounds has begun.
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
## **Events**
The purpose of this subcommiRee is to manage our calendar of events that we organise and parAcipate in. In 2022 we had stalls at the Otley Show, Otley Carnival, the Chevin Discovery Day and provided 4 wildlife walks for the Walking FesAval; all of which we are repeaAng in 2023, except the Otley Show.
## **Chevin Discovery Day 2022**
There was a lot of posiAve feedback from visitors, the art and music elements were successful addiAons this year. We were aided by the Duke of Edinburgh award students from Prince Henry’s. Just under 200 people aRended, mostly families with primary-aged kids — it was also more racially diverse this year — although not many older or disabled visitors.
Our own plants and cake sale was very popular, the feedback from our volunteers including providing a seat/drink/cake next year.
The success of last year has allowed us to plan big and beRer events this year, on Sunday 25th June.
## **Wildlife Arts FesEval 2022**
The fesAval was bigger and beRer last year, featuring presentaAons by 3 naAonally-known authors, one naAonally-known film-maker, 6 local creaAve groups, a further 15 arAsts and 8 photographers, 4 musicians, a well-being pracAAoner, and 3 workshops for people to get involved in.
With Leeds Inspired awarding us £1300 and the Wharfedale Naturalist Society awarding us £580, we were able to recruit: Simon Barnes, who opened the fesAval on Friday evening, Jeanne Willis who ran a workshop with the students at Westgate school, £580 grant from WNS), and Ian McCarthy returning with his new presentaAon “Howling With Wolves”. A “music inspired by nature” workshop (using natural sound samples) was also run by Richard Sabey at Woolpack. Otley Town Council also awrded the fesAval £400 from its community development fund.
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
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## **Finance and Governance**
This year has seen a big change in the board of trustees, we lost two associated with the Finance and Governance subcommiRee. Danny Hudson, long Ame treasurer and founding member stepped back as a trustee, we would all like to give her a special thanks for all the hard work she has put in (voluntarily!) over the years. A big thank you also to Chris Huby, who also stepped down, for his contribuAon.
Sarah Shipp took over as treasurer, supported by Nic Shipp.
The financial report is as follows;
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS**
## **For the period from 16/12/2021 to 31/03/2023**
|||Restricted|Unrestricted|
|---|---|---|---|
|Carried forward from 15/12/2021|£1990.4|£325.68|£1664.72|
|Receipts (SecAon A1)|£9020.46|||
|Receipts (SecAon A2)|£6043.02|||
|**Net**|**£4967.84**|||
|Bank (SecAon B1)|£4917.84|||
|PeRy cash (SecAon B2)|£50.00|||
||**£4967.84**|||
## **SecEon A1**
|**SecEon A1**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Receipts made up of:**|Restricted|Unrestricted|**Total**|
|DonaAons from individuals|£1300.00|£383.33|£1683.33|
|DonaAons from businesses|£250.00|£150.00|£400.00|
|Wildlife Arts FesAval 2022||||
|OTC/LCC (Leeds Inspired Grant)|£1570.00||£1570.00|
|Wharfedale Naturalists:||||
|wildfower seeds grant|£400.00||£400.00|
|Tesco; children’s gardening tools|£1000.00||£1000.00|
|Co-Op Funeralcare|£2129.86||£2129.86|
|Events takings|£1506.87|£330.40|£1837.27|
|**Total**|**£8156.73**|**£863.73**|**£9020.46**|
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
## **SecEon A2**
|**SecEon A2**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Payments made up of**|Restricted|Unrestricted|**Total**|
|Website||£408.58|£408.58|
|Bank charges||£10.40|£10.40|
|Events expenses|£1729.10|£900.09|£2629.19|
|Lush: Hedgehog highway;||||
|face plates for holes|£103.18|-13.18|£90.00|
|Barn owl boxes||||
|(Wharfedale Barn Owls)|£50.00|£140.00|£190.00|
|Wildlife for schools|£27.93||£27.93|
|Tesco; children’s gardening tools|£1000.00|-0.37|£999.63|
|StaAonary and prinAng|£45.00|£66.00|£111.00|
|Insurance||£157.00|£157.00|
|Habitat restoraAon|£1069.29|£350.00|£1419.29|
|**Totals**|£4024.50|£2018.52|**£6043.02**|
|Surplus in year ending 31/03/2023|£4132.23|-1154.79|£2977.44|
|Carried forward at 31/03/2023|£4457.91|£509.93|£4967.84|
## **SecEon B1**
## **Bank Account**
Opening balance at 16/12/2021 £1956.40 Receipts £9004.46 Payments -6043.02 £4917.84
## **SecEon B2**
## **PeDy Cash**
Opening balance at 16/12/2021 £34.00 Receipts £16.00 Payments 0.00 50.00
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
## **Habitat RestoraEon**
The purpose of this subcommiRee is simple habitat restoraAon. By working to create wildlife corridors throughout the town in order to enhance and restore our wildflower, insect and wider wildlife populaAons, whilst also improving connecAvity between habitats. We have successfully liaised with a number of businesses and insAtuAons in Otley, including the hospital, churches and others, to relax mowing on their land and allow the wildlife corridors to flourish. This subcommiRee also include the work we do to encourage wildlife friendly gardens, which themselves can become part of a meaningful wildlife corridor.
This year, acer 4 years of difficult lobbying, Leeds City Council (LCC) is starAng to bring about some changes in its management of Otley’s green spaces, including the flower seeding in Manor Garth Park.
Together with Otley2030 and Otley in Bloom, we saved the flower beds in Wharfemeadows Park from being grassed over, and have planted them with pollinator-friendly plants, which has proved very popular with the public. This is another important step in persuading LCC to re-evaluate their management of our green spaces.
Following a successful campaign of evidence and public support, Otley Town Council declared a biodiversity emergency, akin to their climate emergency.
This is an important step for our local council, as it implies that acAon must follow.
We published our Nature Recovery Plan for Otley, which OTC have adopted. This dynamic document highlights acAons to be taken in conjuncAon with OTC to restore biodiversity, including lobbying LCC to ban the use of herbicides, further habitat restoraAon, reducAon in light polluAon and other wildlife corridor iniAaAves such as our wildlife in gardens scheme.
Progress is slow, but in the right direcAon, and support for biodiversity restoraAon is swelling amongst the public and OTC.
We conAnuing to pursue the implementaAon of our Nature Recovery Plan with OTC. We have prepared a number of documents, including a management plan focussing on the creaAon of community orchards, to persuade LCC. Two community orchards were planted this year, with a further four planned for the coming autumn.
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Registered Charity No. 1197155
A programme of seeding various sites around town took place over the autumn, thanks to a generous donaAon from the Wharfedale Naturalist Society. We also received a very generous
donaAon of £1300 from the charity, Cash Bash Trash, which operates in Bermuda, removing trash from the ocean for which they are sponsored. The contact came via a WFO supporter, whose land we had previously seeded.
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|**WILDLIFE FRIENDLY OTLEY**|1990.40
9020.46
6043.02
**4967.84**
4917.84
50.00
**4967.84**
**Restricted**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
325.68
1664.72
1990.40
1300.00
383.33
1683.33
250.00
150.00
400.00
1570.00
1570.00
400.00
400.00
1000.00
1000.00
2129.86
2129.86
1506.87
330.40
1837.27
0.00
0.00
8156.73
863.73
9020.46
408.58
408.58
10.40
10.40
1729.10
900.09
2629.19
103.18
-13.18
90.00
50.00
140.00
190.00
27.93
27.93
1000.00
-0.37
999.63
45.00
66.00
111.00
157.00
157.00
1069.29
350.00
1419.29
4024.50
2018.52
6043.02
4132.23
-1154.79
2977.44
4457.91
509.93
**4967.84**
**4967.84**
1956.40
9004.46
-6043.02
4917.84
34.00
16.00
0.00
50.00
**4967.84**|
|---|---|
|||
|**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS**
**For the period from 16/12/2021 to 31/03/2023**||
|||
|Carried forward from 15/12/2021
Receipts (Section A1)
Payments (Section A2)|1990.40
9020.46
6043.02|
|**Net**|**4967.84**|
|||
|Bank (Section B1)
Petty cash (Section B2)|4917.84
50.00|
||**4967.84**|
|**Brought forward from year ended 15/12/2021**
**Section A1: Receipts made up of:**
Donations from individuals
Donations from businesses
Wildlife Arts Festival 2022 OTC/LCC (Leeds Inspired grant)
Wharfedale Naturalists: wildflower seeds grant
Tesco: gardening equipment for children
Co-op Funeralcare
Events takings
**Section A2: Payments made up of:**
Website
Bank charges
Events expenses
Lush: Hedgehog highway - face plates for hedgehog holes
Wildlife - direct support (barn owl boxes)
Wildlife for schools
Tesco: Blue token grant - children's gardening tools & equipment
Stationery & printing
Insurance
Habitat restoration
Surplus/(Deficit) in year ending 31/03/2023
Carried forward at 31/03/2023
**Made up of:**
**Section B1: Bank account:**
Opening balance at 16/12/2021
Receipts
Payments
**Section B2: Petty cash:**
Opening balance at 16/12/2021
Receipts
Payments||
## **Section B3: Notes to the accounts:**
Signature: Date: 03/05/2023
Sarah Shipp Treasurer, Wildlife Friendly Otley