2024-12-31-accounts

Charity number 1197159

FORD TO HUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

(Formerly known as Burndell Bridge Society until 1[st] May, 2023)

Annual Report and Accounts

31[st] December, 2024

FORD TO HUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2024 Page 1

FORD TO HUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY

(A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Report and Accounts

Contents

	Page
Charity information	3
Trustees’ Annual Report	4
Statement of Financial Activities	7
Notes to the Accounts	8

FORD TO HUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2024 Page 2

FORD TO HUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY

(A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Report of the Trustees for the year to 31[st] December, 2024

Members of the Trustee Board at 31[st] December, 2024

Chair Elaine Cordingley Secretary Richard Boulter Treasurer Denise Ramshaw Individual Member James Gadd Individual Member Andy Kuhler Individual Member Allen Misselbrook (Chair of Trustee Meetings) Individual Member Andrew Saunders

Independent Examiner (Not required as income under £ 25,000)

Bankers

Lloyds Bank plc Business Banking PO Box 1000 BX1 1LT

Registered Office per Charities Commission registration

c/o 31 Downview Close

Yapton Arundel West Sussex BN18 0LD ([e-mail])

Registered Charity Number

1197159

FORD TO HUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2024 Page 3

Report of the Trustees

The Trustee Board presents its report for its third reporting period of 12 months to 31[st] December, 2024.

Structure, Governance and Management

Ford to Hunston Canal Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, and was registered by the Charity Commission on 16 December, 2021. It has a Trustee Board comprising seven Trustees,who are ultimately accountable for the conduct of the organisation.

Ford to Hunston Canal Society’s Objects according to its Constitution are as follows:

• (1) To promote for the benefit of the public the preservation, restoration, improvement, enhancement, and maintenance of the historical and architectural heritage of the Portsmouth & Arundel Canal within the Arun and Chichester Districts of West Sussex;

• (2) To advance the education of the public in the history and architecture of the heritage of the Portsmouth & Arundel Canal working with local educational institutions to enhance the history of the Canal heritage in and around Yapton.

The delivery of these Objects is the responsibility of the existing seven Trustees, three of them concurrently acting as the Executive Committee of Ford to Hunston Canal Society through holding the three Executive positions of: Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.

FORD TO HUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2024 Page 4

Aims and Objectives

The “Aims” of the Ford to Hunston Canal Society with effect from 1[st] May, 2023, are:

• Aim 1 – to record information relating to the Ford to Hunston section of the Portsmouth and Arundel Navigation (“the canal”) and associated waterways;

• Aim 2 – to maintain access to the canal footpaths and restored remains;

• Aim 3 – to preserve, restore and maintain the line of the canal and features along it;

• Aim 4 – to support the establishment of a “Greenway” along the route of the Ford to Hunston Canal if it substantially preserves the line of the canal and the features along it.

These “Aims” are seen as fitting within the Constitution’s Objects as set out above, and agreed with the Charity Commission.

Activities and Achievements

In addition to the 2023 AGM held on 3[rd] June, 2024, there were 9 (2023: 6) Committee meetings held during the year.

The Society’s principal activities included lobbying on maintaining the line and features of the canal through addressing planning procedures and issues relating to Ford Landings (Ford Parish), and Charmans Field (North Mundham Parish).

6 (2023: 5) work days were held to maintain access to footpaths and restored remains, and further printing of its Walk leaflet were arranged. While 2 Signboards were replaced, no progress was made on siting a set of new signboards. Exhibitions on the Canal were held in Aldingbourne and Yapton, and a Heritage day contributed to at Yapton Anglican church.

Other highlights of the year included repairing a small portion of the parapet at Tack Lee Bridge, Yapton, and Guided Walks between Barnham and Ford, and around the Ford Landings site.

On administration, a new Bank Account was opened, a Sum-Up machine for FHCS activated, and a Committee WhatsApp group was streamlined to Committee members. On communications, Quarterly Newsletters were instituted and disseminated to Parish Councils. A Photo-opportunity was arranged with Barratts at Tack Lee Bridge, following a donation of £ 1,000 by Barratts to the Society.]

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Public benefit

In terms of our second Object, the education of the public on the heritage and history of the canal, our participation in exhibitions increased, this year including both Aldingbourne and Yapton.

Financial Review

The financial accounts for the period ending 31[st] December 2024 are set out on page 7. These show a surplus of £ 1,324 (2023: £ 297) comprising individual donations and revenue raised at Guided Walks, Exhibitions, and the sale of our Walking leaflet.

The Society’s insurance cover from Travellers Insurance Company Ltd includes public liability and professional indemnity insurance.

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The Trustees are required by law to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity as at the end of the financial year, and of the surplus or deficit of the Charity. In preparing those financial statements the Trustees are required to:

• Select suitable accounting principles and then apply them consistently;

• Observe the methods and principles in the Charities’ Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP);

• State whether the applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and

• Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue its work.

The trustees are also responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity, and which are sufficient to show and explain the Charity’s transactions and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006/Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, and the provision of Ford to Hunston Canal Society’s constitution.

The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report was approved by the Board of Trustees of Ford to Hunston Canal Society on 3[rd] April, 2025 and will be uploaded to the Charities Commission website in due course.

(Signed)

Elaine Cordingley (Chairman & Trustee)

FORD TO HUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2024 Page 6

Ford to Hunston Canal Society CIO

Statement of Financial Activities

Receipts & Payments Account for Period ending 31[st] December, 2024

Note		2024	2023
		£	£
Receipts	1
Membership Fees	2	150	90
Other Individual Donations		11
Donation from Friends of the Old Ford
to Hunston Canal	3	351
Corporate Donations	3	1,000
Income from Exhibitions & Guided Walks	4	108	306
Sale of Booklets	4	160
Estimated Gift Aid to be applied for from HMRC	5	-	25
Payments
Insurance & IWA subscription	6	257	(124)
Cost of Booklets, Printing, & Materials	7	199
Net Surplus/(Deficit)		£ 1,324 £	297
Statement of Assets and Liabilities	at 31st December, 2004
Cash Assets
Bank Accounts as at 31stDecember		2,881	1,557
Membership Fee for 2022 Accrued		-	15
Gift Aid to be applied for (HMRC)		-	325
TOTAL ASSETS		£ 2,881 £	1,897
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
Signed
Elaine Cordingley, Chair & Trustee
Dated 3rdApril, 2025

FORD TO HUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2024 Page 7

Notes to the Accounts for the Year ended 31[st] December, 2024

Ford to Hunston Canal Society CIO

Receipts & Payments Account for Period ending 31[st] December, 2024

1. Receipts & Payments accounts

Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Cash received and cash spent will include transactions through the CIO bank accounts.

2. Directors’ Donations

During the 2024 year, Annual Membership subscriptions of £ 15 each were typically donated by all Trustees and Committee Members.

3. Grants

No grants were received in 2024 from public authorities. A donation was provided from the Friends of the Old Ford to Hunston Canal to reflect the merging of that organisation with the Ford to Hunston Canal Society during the year.

4. Income

During the year income was received from sales of food and beverages, and branded hi-vis jackets, via Exhibitions and Guided Walks, and from the sale of the Society’s Walking Guide.

5. Gift Aid

In March, 2022 Burndell Bridge Society (now renamed as the Ford to Hunston Canal Society) applied for and successfully obtained an HMRC Charities Reference Number (ZD15917), which will be used to claim eligible Gift Aid payments in future. The Charity has up to 4 years to apply for this Gift Aid payments. Credit for these amounts due will be taken when received.

6. Trustees’ Remuneration & CIO Expenditure

Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period, and there was modest expenditure by the CIO during this first year on materials, insurance and printing, with other modest costs being covered by Directors and other supporters on a voluntary basis.

3[rd] April, 2025

………………………………………………………………………………………….

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