2024-03-31-accounts - Curlew Recovery South Lakes

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Curlew Recovery South Lakes Annual Report 2023-2024

Registered Charity No 1201723 linktr.ee/curlewslakes curlewrecoverysl@gmail.com

Curlew Recovery South Lakes (CRSL) Highlights - 2023-24

 In the 2023 breeding season, CRSL monitored 18 pairs and recorded 4 or maybe 5 chicks fledge. This is not enough for a stable population but up from only 1 in previous years. It compares favourably with large professional run projects and the team’s knowledge and skills are growing each year.

 At the end of this reporting period, CRSL was awarded a significant grant from Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) to provide equipment and resources for habitat management and seasonal fieldworkers in recognition of the success of the work to date.

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Curlew Recovery South Lakes (CRSL) Background

 CRSL became a charity on 26 Jan 2023.

 It grew from the work of dedicated volunteers working in their local community to help curlew survive and thrive. The farming community and relationships between the group and the farmers have always been central to our work.

 CRSL is recognised as a leading volunteer-led curlew conservation programme, with operations centred on the Lyth Valley, and a growing network across South Lakes.

 CRSL continues to innovate and test novel technologies, having been one of the first to trial thermal drones in 2020 and 2021 and using Canvis for mapping in 2024.

A word from the Chair

I am pleased to share this report on the first full year for Curlew Recovery South Lakes.

The success of our small charity reflects the terrific support from local people, farmers, gamekeepers, donors, funders, volunteers, bird ringers and curlew experts. In 2023 we found more nests than ever, expanded our operations geographically and continued to test new conservation tools to secure better breeding success for our local curlew population.

Barny Sykes, Chair, Curlew Recovery South Lakes

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Barny Sykes, right with
Susannah Bleakley, Trustee. 4
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Conservation Activities

Core to our work is locating and fencing nests. Curlews breed in farmland and the nests are vulnerable to predation and can be damaged by agricultural operations. At the start of the season, we hold survey days to bring volunteers together and start the process of nest finding. Once nest are located, they are fenced with the permission of farmers. Nest cameras and thermal loggers are used for monitoring.

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When chicks hatch the chicks are ringed with professional bird ringers. In 2023 we used colour flags for the first time. Each family is then monitored by volunteers locating the birds from a distance each day.

2023 breeding season results

13 nests fenced
14 broods monitored
25 chicks hatched

 4 chicks fledged

Conservation Headlines

Strong community and volunteer support
Canvis used for mapping, citizen science (see page 8)
FiPL funded Scoping Report reviewed options for

conservation and gave strategic action plan

5 nests lost to predation before fencing leading to change
to ‘fence when found’ and not wait for full clutch
More nests found than ever before
Used trail cameras to identify predator presence
Dry weather created problem with some chicks failing to
hatch from hard shells
Monitored each curlew family every day
More chicks fledged than previous years.

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1 Use of Technology Canvis Mapping

 Canvis is an app-based mapping tool that we used in 2024 to allow anyone to share records of curlew sightings and where curlew had been heard. Early season this helped to map and pool records from the community and our fieldworkers. Thanks to Matt Sanderson of Furness Mapping Services for developing the interface for us pro bono.

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2 Use of Technology Audio Moths

Audio Moths are relatively low cost remote listening
devices that can be placed in the landscape and used for ecological research. David Jarrett from Durham University worked with us, using our field locations as part of his PhD research in acoustic monitoring of curlew alarm calls.
These recorded the following numbers of species:
Brigsteer Moss: 63 Species
• Levens Moss: 79 Species
• Crook: 71 Species

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David Jarratt
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Capacity Building Visits

 We were pleased to host visit from Patrick Laurie, Working for Waders; Clive White, Nidderdale; Ryan Burrell, Curlew Recovery Partnership, and Phil Miller, Bowland.

Engagement, raising awareness

 We were featured by Fiona Morley Patterson on ITV Border News, gained a following of over 1200 on Twitter, 250 on Facebook, invited to give 18 talks to community and farmer groups, and made regular reports in the local Parish News.

Farmland Curlew Award – Taylor family of Crook

 George and Emma Taylor and their sons Samuel, Charlie and Ben are a key part of our group. We were delighted that their work was recognised with the Farmland Curlew Award for the North of England.

Generous Friends – Thank you

Our success in finding nests meant that by May we were running out of nest fencing equipment. A huge thanks to Phil Miller, of RSPB Bowland who leant us a boot-load of kit.

Grants and Donations:

£3,796 from 20 individuals
£3,774 from
Underbarrow Parish Council
Helsington Parish Council
Morecambe Bay Facilitation Fund
Westmorland and Furness Council
Cumbria County Council
Notice of significant award from Farming
in Protected Landscapes (FiPL)

Financial Summary

Period Ended 31 March 2024

Receipts:

Receipts:
• Capital grants	£44,509
• Revenue grants	£8,160
• Donations	£7,570
Total receipts for the period: £60,239
Payments:
• Running costs	£8,284
Asset Purchases:
• Equipment costs	£49,638

Asset Purchases: • Equipment costs

Cash at bank at period end

£2,317

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Trustees – Curlew Recovery South Lakes

 The trustees for this period were: Barny Sykes, (Chair), Sue King and Susannah Bleakley (Joint Secretary), David Sharpe (Treasurer), Stephen Wilkinson and Richard Griffiths.

Curlew Recovery South Lakes (CRSL)

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Volunteers working in their community to help curlew survive and thrive.
Without this work, curlews will be lost as breeding birds in our landscape – the calls
of curlews will no longer echo through our valleys in Spring.
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linktr.ee/curlewslakes
Our sincere thanks to all the local people, farmers, gamekeepers, donors, curlewrecoverysl@gmail.com
funders, volunteers, bird ringers and curlew experts who support our work. Registered Charity No 1201723
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Curlew Recovery South Lakes Flnanclal Statements for the period ended 31 March 2024

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to Ihe trustsesl membern of Curlew Recovery South Lakes On accounts for tho p•rlod ended 31 March 2024 Charlty no (If any) 1201723 Sot out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trust.) for the period end8d 3110312024. Responslbllltles and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the pparatIOn basis of report of the a¢nts in ¥ccordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Act.). I report in spe of my examination of the Trust's accourrts carried out under Section 145 of th8 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)(b> of the Act. I hav8 completed my examination. I confimi 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 aG¢ordan¢e with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent oxamlnerfs statemenl I have no concems 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. Slgned: Date: 291,,1 Name: Christophar Brown Relevant professlonal quallficatlon(s) or body (If any): ICAEW Address: Ingalls, Libra House, Murley Moss Business Village, Kendal LA9 7RL IER October 2018

(NARITY Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For th? porfod from To Section A Receipts and payments Unr¢$lrl¢t•d funds RosIrf¢d funds Endowm•nt funds tolh• rwr09t£ Total funds Last y•ar to Ihé nÈir•#t £ tothtr n•ar•£ to th• n•amt£ A1 Rece FIPL c rants 44.509 8,160 FIPL revenu2 8,100 Donations. Grfl Aid Other soo 7.070 50D 7,070 Sub total(Gross income forARJ 7.57Q $1669 60.239 A2 Asset and Investment $ale•, see table. Sub total Totalreceipts 7.57D 52,669 eo,239 A3 Pa ments lll5UTallce Stns118qipmfjnl pu5555 siattonery. and otr expen$eg Consultancy tee5 Trdvel expon5B5 Room hir8 37B 378 12 ¢.757 120 6.757 422 17 211 17 Sub total 8,073 211 8,264 A4 A$sot and Inveslmont rchas•s s¢e tabl• ont and h4blt8t ectlon Sub total 09 5.129 ,fj3B 13,202 44,720 57.922 Net of receIpts/(yM8nts) AS Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash fvnds thls perfod end 5,63 7.949 2.317 &63 7.949 2,317 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds to n¢•rest £ Restrlcte(I funds Endowmènt fund5 iv n•amt£ Calegori05 Details to r•N8t£ B1 Cash funds Bank S.632 Tot81 cash fvnds 5,632 7,949

UttY•strlct•d funds R•strlct•d fund• Endowm8nt fund8 to nDar•st£ Details Prop Insursncg to l[••t£ 82 Other monetary amets 231 FIPL ¢apiial gtants re¢8fvabie 3.4SS FundtO7Athfich u60t CurrgTrtYalu Details Pundtowthlth a••t Currnniv•l Detai15 Equ1pmgnlg ha1 ptoiedbn B4 Assets retyined for the Charity's own us• Resmd Equlpm&rt and habllat ptec0 5,129 Fund tohl¢h Amrt9 Yh•n du •n•l Dètails Unrestri&od s5on by on8 orts¥o bustees on tsthl ola4 th& Irust88S Print Name SvJnalur8 Dats ol approval SYILg5 21.lii Izfr

Curlew Recovery South Lakes Flnanclal Statements for the period ended 31 March 2024