El Waterbird Welfare Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 Marth 2024 Charlty registration number 1198441 116 vJlthGrlJ 8b' El Waterbird Welfare Reference and Administrative Details For the year ended 31 March 2024 Tnjstees P Fjeffers S Crowther M P Jeffers E Donovan Registered office Flat I 26 Narrow Street London E14 8DQ Registered Charity number 1198441 HMRC Charities reference number ZD16748 El Waterbird Welfare Trustee￿ Report for the year erbded 31 March 2024 The Trustees present their report and income and expenditure statement for the year ended 31 March 2024. Strurture. governance and management ' Nature of goveming document The Charity was formed as a Charitable Incorporated Or8anisation {-CIO") on 30 March 2022 having been granted charitable status by the Charty Commissioners for England and Wales on that date. It is registered charity number 1198441. Recruitmen£ appointment and induction of Trustees The Trustees are of the opinion thatthey are sufficient in numberto administerthe Charitvs affairs at present, given its size and the nature of its activities. When additional or replacement Trustees are required, it is the responsibiltty of the existing/remaining Trustees to seek prospective appointees who are supporters of and in sympathy with the Charit(s objectives. Such persons will be sought from amongthe Charitws supporters and will need to be both willing and able to make a valid contribution to the objectives of the Charity and its ongoing work. New Trustees are gpien a "Charity Trustee Welcome Pacv based on the Charity Commissionerfs Guidance. Oryanisationolstructure The Trustees meet on a regular basis throughout the year {they met seven times during the year to 31 March 2024) and communicate on an ongoing basis via a dedicated WhatsApp account. All financial decisions are made by the Trustees as a group, with formal approval of all expenditure being required by at least two Trustees. The term of Offi￿ for MP Jeffers came to an end on 31 March 2024 and he was unanimously reappointed to continue as a trustee at the Trustee meeting on 18 March 2024. Risk assessment and management The Charity has a written risk policy which is revtewed at each meeting of the Trustees in relation to the risks associated with the operations of the Charity- The current activities of the Charity are not considered to carry risk. Public liabiltty insurance is taken out by the Trustees as required for running the fundraising market stall. Objectives and artivities Objects and aim5 of the Charity 05 Set out in its constitution are asfollows." To promote the conservation of biological diversity and the natural environment in London El and surrounding areas forthe public benefft by: l. Working to enable the wild waterbirds to thrive and survive in an urban environment: 2. Providing resources to facilitate rescue and rehabiliLition; 3. Enhancing habitat; and 4. Raising awareness in the local community. ObjertNes. strategies and artivities The Charity seeks to raise funds and awarenessto SUPPOrt the waterbirds of East London::,, and surrounding areas. It seeks to keep the state of the habitat occupied by the local waterbirds under review, liaising wtth local authorities and other bodies where necessary in order to facilitate and fund improvements where needed. The Charity also works in collaboration with other appropriate organisation5 {i.e. waterbird rescue. rehabilitation and veterinary organisationsl and seeks to raise funds to provide grants and equipment to support and facilitate the rescue and rehabilitation of injured, distressed and sick waterbirds. It maintains regular presence at local events and on social media to provide education and to raise awareness within the local community, in particular promoting kindness and responsible behaviour around wild bird Public benefit The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission guidance on providing a public benefrt. They are confident that the Charitrfs activities are in line with its charitable objettives and are achievingthe purposes ft)r which the Charity has been established. The Trustees have discussed the issue of public benefft and are confident that the breadth and scope of the work the Charity undertakes. as disclosed in this report, complies with Settion 17 of the Charities Att 2011 and has due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. Achievements and perforniance Fundrnising The Charity has had a very successful year in respect of fundraisin& with the Trustee5 continuing in their endeavours to raise moneyto support the running costs of the local Swan Ambulance, to purchase much needediescue equipment and to improve the habitat of the local waterbirds. Funds are primarily raised through donations of cash from members of the public and also from the sales of donated items. The Charity is regularly hosted bythe organisers of Wapping Docklands Market at Shadwell Basin who very kindly provide us with a market stall pitch for free. The Charity ran six fundraising market stalls (five at Shadwell Basin and one at York Rise} in the yearto 31 March 2024. The Charity also seeks to sell donated items of value through online platforms. such as Winted and Ziffit, and has a dedicated charity eBay account. td.= The location of Shadwell Basin market and its local waterbird population (including an established swan pair) provides an ideal settingfor awareness raising activity, with many visitors to the market stall coming to chat and seek advice regarding the local waterbirds. Storage space for donated items is very kindly donated by volunteers as is the cost (£36 per market dayl of hiring a gazeboforthe market stall. Donations are very kindly made by local waterbtrd supporters, many of whom have required assistsnce with waterbirds in the past, as well as visitors to the market stall. We also have an active FaceBook page which reports on the Charit￿S activtties. many of which are in collaboration wFth other wildlife and waterbird organisations. such as the Swan Santtuary and Swan & Waterbird Rescue Service. Eight EIWW -hi-vis" jackets were donated during the year, along with Christmas cards and notelets to sell on the market stall to raise funds. A volunteer designed the Christmas cards and notelets. J4) The Charity 15 registered underthe HM Revenue & Customs GiftAid scheme and keeps a record of cash donations qualifying for tax relief. The Charity is also registered under the PayPal Giving Fund through which it regularly receives donations. Disthbution oAFumls During the year, the Charity purchased much needed equipment includin8 an emergency ladder for the Swan Ambulance that was urgently needed to facilitate the complicated rescue of a swan with an injured wingtrapped at East India Dock The ladder has since been used in other emergencies. The Charity also purchased 18 specialist swan ￿scUe jackets {used for the transportation of injured swans) for the sV￿n Ambulance and also to distribute strategically to local volunteers to ensure ready availabilÈty in key locations where swan and goose rescue is likely to occur. These are bespoke pieces of equipment produced by Ratsey & Lapthorne (Cowes) Ltd and cost £90 each (although we managed to negotiate a discounted rate for bulk purchase). We also purchased an emergency buoyancy device {a second one was donated) to assist with local rescues. along with nets and long poles needed for rescues. Whilst the local Swan Ambulance itself is provided bythe Swan Sanctuary. the costs of running it are not and we continued to make grantstowards the running costs via Swan & Waterbird Rescue Service. We also made a grant to a local Swan Sanctuary volunteer towards the cost of a kayak which has since proved invaluable in local waterbird rescues. The Charty funded numerou5 Otherprojects. such as the provision of emer8ency rafts at Spirtt Quay, various nesting rafts at Shadwell Basin, the provision of hazard tape and flight diverters amongst other things {see under "Projects and activities" for more detail}. Pmjects and activities El Waterbird Welfare is not a rescue organisation but volunteers are often called upon to assist other wildlife organisations with waterbird rescues, often acting as first responders to shore up the safety of injured or displaced waterbirds and reporting back on rescue situations until an appropriately experienced/qualified rescuer can get to the scene. We continue to keep the local communrty updated on our activities via our FaceBook page which is regularly updated with news and awareness raising information. We continued to keep a constant eye throughout the year on the habitat occupied by the local waterbirds. liaising wrth local authorities and other bodies as appropriate to ensure the safety of and where possible the enhancement of the habttat of the local waterbirds. In particular: We were actively involved in the Wapping Greening Project, in respect of the installation of new floating reed beds and rafts at Spirit Quay. This involved liaising with Tower Hamlets Council Green Team regarding the design of the projectto ensure safety of the waterbirds, and also fielding a team of volunteers to help with the implementation and installation of the new floating platforms. There was a significant unexpected delay between the removal of the existing rafts and the installation of the new rafts, due local council funding issues. leaving the waterbirds at Spirit Quay vulnerable with little means to shelterduring the winter months. The Charity lobbied the local council regarding the delay in installing the new rafts and in the interim provided emergenry rdfts to protect the waterbirds over the winter months. Following the completion of the Wapping Greening Project. the emergency rafts were redeployed to other locations with waterbirds ur8ently in need of additional nestin8Jresting facilities. The summer broughtwith itthe usual large number of baby herring 8ulls falling prematurely from their nests on high buildings. We assisted with the rescue of and transportation of numerous young gulls to South Essex Wildlife Hospital {SEWHI, the cost of which was funded directly by volunteers. The Charity also contributed towards the provision of some boxes to safely transport the birds to SEWH. We liaised with Thames 21 regarding the floating rafts on the Limehouse Cut. It had been noted that netting had been left on the rafts when they were newly planted several years ago. In addttion to presenting a serious hazard with waterbirds becoming entangled in the nettin& rtwas also making it impossible for waterbirds to access the rafts, leaving the young exposed and vulnerable to predators and thus impossible for ducklings, cootlets and moorhen chicks to stJr4ive in that location. With permission and assistsnce from Thames 21. we undertook a project to remove the netting (which was no longer required forthe now mature plants) and install ramps to enable access for young waterbirds. We have been delighted to note that healthy number of ducklings survived into adulthood over the summer. In August 2023 we worked with Shadwell Basin Outdoor ActNity Centre ISBOAC) to provide a new swan raft after the resident swan pair nested on the Activity Centre's pontoon last year. disrupting the Centre's activities. We funded the cost of the new SW3n nesting raft which was installed with assistance from the Artivtty Centre. The raft was enthu5ia5tically received by the fdmily and their six cygnets. Unfortunately. the raft was seriously vandalised and broken beyond use shortly after it was installed. Emergency repairs were undertaken. and we took the opportunity to have the raft enlarged. We also worked with the local counctl and the Activity Centre to review the location of the raft to attempt to reduce the risk of further vandalism. The swan pair went on to produce five rygnets on the raft in May 2024. We installed hazard tape at Spirit Quay following reports of y￿erbirdS flying into the fencing protectingthe swan nest. We liaised with the East End Canoe Club regarding the suspension of goal post ropes across the Limehouse Cut, creating a potential flight hazard for local waterbirds. We funded flight diverters to suspend from the goal post ropesto make them more visible and thus less likely to cause serious harm to birds in flight. We Met with the Canary Wharf Environmental team to liaise regarding the design of the Eden Wharfprojectto ensure suitability for the local waterbirds. in particularthe use of netting around the floating plafft)rms used to protect the new plant grovrth but potentially hazardous to the waterbirds. It is hoped that this new development will provide much needed additional safe habitat for local waterbird We continued to build relationships with local Marinas. in particular Limehouse Marina and Poplar Marina with a viewto engaging in a joint projectto improvethe environment of the waterbirds occupyingthe marinas. There are plansto install new floating rafts to replacethe existing ones which are now dilapidated beyond repair. It is expected that this project will be completed in time ft)r the 2025 nesting Season. There is very little in the way of natural nesting material forthe waterbirds in the local area. We funded and supplied severdl bales of strawto various nesting sites in the local area. Volunteers assisted WFth numerous duckling rescues over the Springjearly summer where ducks had nested on buildings, boats and other unusual places, as well as acting as first responders for swans involved in territorials or mislandings. Other sundry projects included the provision of public information °dos and don't signs above swan nests; a campaign to'raise awareness of the importance of keeping dogs under control around waterbirds" arranging a litter pick at the swan nest on the Regenvs Canal: removing more hazardous netting from South Dock." organising the collection of unwanted bedding for use in the Swan Ambulance for transportation of birds; repairing the swan raft at Limehouse Marina. Trustees and volunteers also give their time and resources freely to assist in the collection. tran5POrtation and temporary housing of sick and injured birds to assist the rescue organisations that the Charity works with. Financial review The Trustees were pleased to note that a totsl of £4,683 was raised in the year against a target of £4.000. A surplus of £3,421 was brought fonvard from the year ended 31 March 2023 giving rise to available fijnds during the year of £8.104. A total of £6,749 was expended during the year leaving a cash balance at 31 March 2024 of £1.355. Policy on reserves 44q6tb *?p.i It has been the Trusteeg aim to ensure that funds raised are earmarked and expended on matters pertaining to its cause as soon as practicably possible. As a rule of thumb, it is the Trustees. aim to seek to retain a reserve of £500 in case of unforeseen emergencies such as the need for the provision of emergency equipment or urgent transportation of sick or injured birds in the absence of the availabiltty of a volunteer with a car. I ni L'ild :)? , eLICjI'A- ,19 ijnl bn> 91L..2i¥ Plans for future periods Aims and key objertivesforfvture periods The Trustees will continue to seek to raise fund5 and awareness through local events. We will continue to review local nesting sites and areas frequented by waterbirds wth a view to improving the environment forthem. The Trustees will continue to build relationships and networks with local authortties. businesses and other organisations to facilitate this. and will continue to contribute towards the cost of running the Swan Ambulance. YUi'ilP.r ) A:11 8n') L*) '.1'giv S v. ).2r., 'tsl ?r%£ Iti 37c: fJ19f, li641)h 4noy*d l)4., f: Jh* q)-,ry1 Ecil This report is approved by the Trustees of the Charity and signed on fts behalf P F Jeffers Trustee ISI 1120 lgvo xiil. )% jry4y pJ6f.t 018miJn ,41'.v.' Ibliui4 .-9 b9Jiyn i "21 bnG i botiul-. 'J(j .9 9?PFlThj ??.911?7ri4ir. Ae. -rLA) 6 . <.Iri fTKwe l*1* 6 *D.i,'In?'-I ,Il."",n) 79 Q-: j.m rixivom '.16) h9Jfl¢W.its lo rT 9t.1 1.&4}LJl r't?FfFFJ4:- ijo IR 6¢1, l)n il ii9rlJ ,q6 W&iV97 Ici)qbi}j -.t?fjt-: .1 j 9r, Gl 9rt:, b9bn9QX ",t.119V4 biitrDr)IslV J. .sOJ rt-'IsM I," L,:-b.-:¢ 76yY 6 OF ￿)oflA Y iJ?oqou2 El Waterbird Welfare Receipts and payments For the year ended 31 Marth 2024 ?'.p..I OM ?noiSÉ?otrJ 4id£41i Balance brought forvrard from l Aprfl 2023 t15ÉVa3 6 749 Iuq S i8W Irr.r. iul Surplus carried forward £1355 Ikl .itJq 'In¥ty I'ilT:3 biA ¥'!ri-: lJits4rp I fi£vI2 101 19tr,tyFI lfil] ,AJti FW2 )7 11. 9 br,r 2 ii&qyfs l&yO", ,.l.-* ,Ilc'.2 Jlil£ J '.¥ qn 19*17r,! )KJi116 J "6q 9aGli13c .Li El Waterbird Welfare Year ended 31 March 2024 Supporting notes to the accounts N) Note I Charitable donations Throughout the year donation5 totalling £1.563 were made underthe Gift Aid Scheme, qualifying for tsx relief. The relevant Gift Aid declarations were obtained from donors. Donations totslling £883 were made through the Chariws PayPal Giving Fund account. Note 2 Sales of donated ftems Donated items were sold throughout the year at local fundraising events Ishadwell Basin Market. York Rise) and also on-line through relevant platfornis such as Vinted and Ziffit. t, J'iy) 2024 2023 Note 3 Grants allocated in the period Swan and Waterbird Rescue Service Local Swan Sanctuary volunteer {AMI East End Polo Club {flight defenders for goal posts) Swan Support (registered charity) (replacement rescue kit) Hollow & Eagle Ponds (Al feeding programrne) Totsl 2,250 6CK) 70 1,500 595 200 Note 4 Funding of rescue equipment. supplies and rafts The following items were purchased in the year: It)T Equipment for Limehouse Cut habltat project Purchase of 18 bespoke swan rescue bags Emergency rope ladder for Swan Ambulance Buoyancy Aid Bales of strawfor nesting rafts Five duck/coot nesting rafts One swan raft (Shadwell Basin) Repairs and extension to swan raft Total 1.415 144 23 74 1,155 473 214 It should also be noted that other vltal items were 3150 donated during the year, including a newtable for the marketstall, the cost of a canopy for each market stall. three large bird carriers, a swan jacket, several netslpoles, duc￿Ing carriers and several sacks of waterbird pellets and food. Storage space for market stall stock was also donated by 3 volunteer and io the pitch at Shadwell Basin Saturday Market was donated free by the organisers of the market. Note 5 Public liability insurance The Trustees are required to take out public liability insurance to be able to participate at Shadwell Basin Market at a cost of £28.89 per market day. Note 6 Administrative expenses Domain name licence {info@elbvw.co.uk) PayPal admin charges izettle charges (market credit card machine) Total 2024 2023 26 17 20 £50 38 £64 The domain name lI￿nce was cancelled duringthe year and exchanged for a free Gmail account. li