2023-03-31-accounts

RE-BETCHWORTH CIO

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1 August 2022 to 31 March 2023

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RE-BETCHWORTH CIO

SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION

Registered as a Charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) Charity No. 1199899 on 1 August 2022

Trustees

Under their Constitution the activities of the CIO are co-ordinated by Trustees whose powers and responsibilities are defined in the Governing Document. The Trustees also decide on the general policy to be adopted in the pursuance of the objectives of the Charity. The following Trustees served throughout the period

Committee of Trustees

H A Edwards ( Chair) C.S.Benn J.G.Benn M.J.Higgins N.J.Jackson C.I.Peterken

Independent Examiner	Mrs C.E Braidwood FCA
	Lowood
	The Street, Betchworth
	Surrey
	RH3 7DJ
Bankers	National Westminster Bank plc
	14 High Street, Dorking
	Surrey
	RH4 1AX

RE-BETCHWORTH CIO

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

The Trustees present their report and the accounts for the period ended 31 March 2023.

STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing Document

The constitution of Re-Betchworth CIO was submitted to the Charity Commission and accepted as a registered CIO on 1 August 2022. The Charity Number is 1199899

Risk Management

The Trustees are responsible for the management of risks faced by the Charity. Procedures are in place to ensure risks are minimised.

Trustees

The trustees meet regularly to discuss rewilding and sustainable living projects and other matters connected with the Charitable objects. New trustees will be appointed as and when required so that the expertise of the trustees covers a broad base suitable for such a charity.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives

The objectives of the CIO are to promote the conservation, protection, and regeneration of the Natural environment for the benefit of the public in the area covered by Betchworth Parish Council and adjoining parishes and to help raise awareness of practices for a more sustainable future.

Public beneft

The trustees have complied with the requirement of the Charities Act 2011 to have regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charities Commission.

Volunteers

The Trustees are all volunteers and give freely of their time and expertise to the CIO. They all have extensive knowledge of the local area.

REVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE FOR THE PERIOD

Prior to the formation of the CIO several nature-enhancing projects in the village had been initiated by the core team who were subsequently appointed as the initial CIO Trustees. These included a rewilding scheme for a section of the village green, the assembly and installation of 120 bird boxes around the village, the start of a 3-year programme to revitalise the small village apple orchard and organising a Parish Council financed scheme to plant 70 trees to mark the late Queen’s jubilee.

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES (continued)

In the subsequent eight months of this first reporting period the Trustees organised the first, well supported, village communal Apple Press Day, ran a second apple tree pruning workshop and hosted a number of Zoom teach-ins on subjects ranging from water management, through heat pumps to

biodiversity enhancing schemes. And we linked with the ‘BugLife’ charity to pick up their nationwide B-line (biodiversity enhancing corridors) scheme.

Thanks to the welcoming attitude of a couple in the south of the village we were able to run trial sessions prior to the successful launch of a village Forest School on their land in April 2023.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

£5,985 was received in the period including grants of £4,800 from Betchworth Parish Council. The grants enabled the CIO to make good progress towards achieving its objectives during the period.

Direct Charitable expenditure totalled £4,739 creating a surplus for the year of £1,246.

The expenditure largely consisted of costs of setting up the Forest School, costs associated with the tree pruning workshops and the Apple Press Day, buying and supplying seed to encourage wide participation in the B-line scheme, and ensuring professional communications with our supporters.

RESERVES AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS

The reserves are felt to be sufficient for the moment to enable the CIO to continue with its activities. Future funding from grants is not guaranteed and activities must become at least self-funding as they become established, enabling any grant money received to be used to get new initiatives off the ground.

The Forest School was successfully launched in April 2023 and rapidly gained in popularity, and over 40 residents and businesses in the north of the village are supporting the B-Line biodiversity initiative. There are plans to extend down to the River Mole and beyond to the south of the village. Zoom talks and new workshops continue, and preparations are well underway for the second year Apple Press Day.

Work continues on attracting more villagers to join in the CIO’s activities, with a heavy emphasis on online communications, a quarterly digital magazine and nature videos.

TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCOUNTS

Charity law requires the trustees of the Association to prepare a receipts and payments account and a statement of liabilities for each financial year. In addition, the trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which are sufficient to show and explain the Charity’s transactions and to disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Association. They are

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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.

Approved by the Trustees on 19[th] September 2023 and signed on their behalf by: ……………………………… H Edwards

............................................. Chair of Trustees

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF

RE-BETCHWORTH CIO

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of Re - Betchworth CIO for the period year ended 31st March 2023

Responsibilities and basis of report

As Trustees 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 Trustees’ accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1. accounting records were not kept by the Trustees as required by section 130 of the Act; or

2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

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Signed ………………………………………. Date 19[th] September 2023

Mrs C.E.Braidwood FCA Chartered Accountant Lowood The Street, Betchworth Surrey RH3 7DJ

RE-BETCHWORTH CIO

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31ST MARCH 2023

RECEIPTS
Grants from Betchworth Parish Council	4,800
Income received from Apple Day	655
Pruning workshops	150
Income for attending the Forest School	380
	_
TOTAL RECEIPTS	£5,985
	_
PAYMENTS
Direct Charitable Expenditure
Costs for :
Forest School	1,071
Apple pressing day	1,004
Pruning workshops	270
Maintenance of ponds and water features	97
Wildfowers in connection with the B- line project	872
Equipment for various projects	312
Insurance	157
Fees for advice and help for apple day and water projects	150
Advertising, promotion including cost of Leafets and fyers	806
	_
TOTAL PAYMENTS	4,739
	_
Excess of Income over Expenditure for the period carried forward		1,156

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RE-BETCHWORTH CIO

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

AT 31ST March 2023

MONETARY ASSETS
Bank Balances
Current Account	£ 1,156
	______
Balance of General Fund at 31st March 2023	£1,156
	______
Approved by the Trustees on 19thSeptember 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

H Edwards ......................................... Chair of Trustees

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