2025-06-01-accounts

Trustees Report & Financial Statements for the BVLR Charitable Incorporated Organisation Year ending June ‘25 Issued March ‘26

Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

Contents

1. Introduction

• a. Charity Information

• b. Risk Management

2. Delivering public benefit; our Achievements

• a. Events and Community Engagement

• b. Future projects and works

3. Finance Report

• a. Financial Activities

• b. Notes to the financial statements

• c. Receipts & Payments Balance Sheet

• d. Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

1. Introduction

The Bridge View Light Railway (BVLR) is a 7 1/4 inch gauge heritage-themed miniature railway running alongside the river Sowe in Baginton, near Coventry. Construction and operation is entirely by a group of enthusiasts and volunteers who welcome visitors to come and have a ride on our trains, discover our community project and to explore the grounds.

The trustees present their annual report with the financial statements of the charity for the period of 1[st] June 2024 to 1[st] June 2025, this being the second full financial year of charitable operation.

Accounts have prepared on a receipts and payments basis with the financial statements prepared in accordance with the charity’s constitution, applicable law and with respect to ‘The provision of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP, FRS 102 effective from January 2015).

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

Incorporation

The Charitable Incorporated Organisation [foundation model] was incorporated on the 24[th] April 2023 with the Charities Commission for England & Wales as number: 1202818.

Charity Names

• Bridge View Light Railway CIO

• Bridge View Light Railway - working name

• BVLR - a commonly used abbreviation

Trustees during this period in the order of Name, Role and Date of appointment:

1. Robert Richmond, Chair, 16[th] April 2023 - current

2. James Cobbett, Trustee & Honorary Secretary, 16[th] April 2023 - current

3. Steve Mackie, Trustee, 25[th] July 2024 - current

4. Peterson Cobbett, Trustee, 17[th] April 2023 – 6[th] August 2025

5. Simon Hayward, Trustee & Honorary Treasurer, 16[th] April 2023 - current

Principal Address:

Bridge View Light Railway, Mill Hill, Baginton, Warwickshire CV8 3AG

Objects as defined in section 3 of the Constitution:

The objects of the CIO are to advance public education in the subject of railways and railway engineering by the construction and operation of a miniature railway to utilise traditional railway practices.

Governance & Trustees

Our charity operates in accordance with our formal Constitution, supported by a range of policies and statements. These policies range from offering guidance, informing best practice or stipulating correct procedures that must be adhered to on a range of matters. Our policies are based upon recognised best practice and a mentality promoting

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

continuous improvement; the trustees recognising their content needs to be robust, workable and tailored to the nature of our work.

There were five trustees throughout the period, with a defined minimum of three and maximum of twelve, as selected by the trustees with regard to their skillsets, knowledge and experience to perform their duties.

Involvement and transparency by volunteers and interested parties is encouraged with hard-copies of reports and documents available from an information board onsite. Upon election trustees are personally given packs of all required documents and access to these electronically if requested. Volunteer attendance at AGMs is encouraged through a format of being an enjoyable social occasion in addition to conducting the required formal charity business.

Risk Management

The trustees have a duty to identify, assess and manage the risks to which the organisation may be exposed to and where practicable ensure appropriate controls are in place for financial, physical and reputational risks. The usual prerequisite financial controls, budgeting and authorising signatories are all in place.

The trustees recognise their duty of care in respect of the safety of all persons using our railway and venue. To ensure continued safety, risks are continually assessed, welfare standards maintained, and operating procedures are regularly reviewed and improved.

Day-to-day operation of the charity and railway through which we achieve our objects is governed by comprehensively-written railway operating procedures which alongside our policies are one of many ways to reduce operational risks. We educate volunteers and review their ability to undertake activities through an assessed 12-stage internal training programme which has since been improved to over twenty units to align with the national Proficiency Scheme provided by the 7¼’’ Gauge Society educating in the operation of railways. We are proud to encourage and demonstrate our high achievement rate in this scheme as it contributes to achievement of our objects.

Whilst our trains are smaller than that of Narrow and Standard-Gauge railway charities, robust safety systems and maintenance are still essential for continued operation, even during the winter months, as all carry passengers using similar engineering equipment.

We benefit from affiliations to several national federations and societies to share best practice, participate in formal training schemes and be informed of safeguarding and safety bulletins.

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

2. Delivering public benefit; our Achievements

During the period from July 2024 to June 2025, the BVLR successfully operated 19 public open days with trains operating. Of these, 7 were designated event days with varied educational themes. All open days provide a welcoming and engaging environment for members of our local community and those from further afield.

Public feedback has continued to identify visitors from South Warwickshire and North Oxfordshire in addition to our locality. It is concluded this is because of a limited provision of similar ground-level miniature railways open to the public in South Warwickshire; the nearest in this direction being near Evesham (25-30 miles away), Oxford (50) and Northampton (30).

Events and Community Engagement

Our charitable objects are primarily met through our events dedicated to railway history and engineering, with the foremost of these being part of the National Heritage Open Days scheme (HOD) with interpretation displays, museum artefacts, demonstrations and opportunities for visitors to get ‘hands-on’ with selected, safe, activities. The advertising support of HODs allows us to reach new audiences and those further afield.

In the third quarter of 2024, surveying visitors to our free entry HOD events suggested 85% of visitors on the day being new to our project having not visited previously. The usual minimum £1.50 donation for a train ride was waived to align with the inclusive ethos of HODs, allowing low-income families to benefit from a low-cost day out.

To promote the national event theme ‘Routes, Networks, Connections’ which is ideally suited to railways, we put on a special exhibition in our event marquee. The displays, interpretation panels and practical demonstrations consisted of real railway equipment collated and loaned by our supporters. there was a particular emphasis on now versus then, development and size comparison between standard-gauge (full size) railways and miniature scales.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, surrounding these craft days, we organised themed Halloween and Christmas events. Following input from local school Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) representatives our events were considerately arranged to promote inclusion for all visitors, especially young children and those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) where practicable. Halloween and Christmas ‘Santa Specials’ in particular promoting quality family time, storytelling and parent-child activities in addition to the usual railway activities offered. Such activities are in keeping with our ethos and commonplace at miniature and heritage railway attractions alike.

In the typically wintry first quarter of 2025 our focus shifted to railway maintenance and preparation, bringing volunteers together to undertake important tasks such as track

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

repairs and levelling. This inclusive initiative allowed volunteers, young people and individuals with SEND to learn maintenance skills at their own pace then when appropriate participate, fostering a sense of achievement and community spirit.

In the second quarter of the year, we reopened to the general public with family-focused community events during Easter educating on nature, sustainability and the environment around the railway. Additionally, on Father’s Day, we invited families to visit and offered complimentary rides for fathers, which was warmly appreciated.

Although concentrated around the spring period, we offer education and training opportunities for volunteers both working for our project and on their own related projects using our onsite workshop and test facilities. The topics of railway safety, maintenance and operations are core to our detailed training programme offered without charge to volunteers and supporters. Our training is delivered by industry-qualified or experienced volunteers using a variety of supervised practical, viva-voce and written assessments to suit individual needs. Learners benefit from transferrable skills due to the programmes basis on industry practices recognised by the HSE and national federations. Beneficiaries of such training have noted it’s an excellent source of hands-on CV employability experience for those seeking apprenticeship opportunities in the fields of engineering, transport, construction and customer service.

Through the Secretary, we are also registered to offer training and assessment for the national Proficiency Scheme provided by the 7¼’’ Gauge Society to educate in the operation of railways; this flexibility allows easier access to this qualification in addition to their own dates and assessment locations.

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

Future projects and works

Our main focus is to maintain and improve current facilities for the benefit of all, with attention paid to improving disability access in what is a predominantly unmade garden environment.

As volunteer availability permits, we’re designing and installing displays focused on specific aspects of our railway and railways in general. These will greatly assist in educating visitors on open days and also to offer insight to the railways operation for those enjoying the grounds whilst we’re closed and no volunteers present to directly engage with the public.

Other projects continue to include:

1. Improved railway signals and onsite telecoms, for safety critical communications.

2. Improved rolling stock storage, ventilation, battery handling and charging, identified in a recent risk assessment to reduce injury and prolong the lifespan of our rolling stock assets.

3. New water supply main to improve volunteer facilities and compliance with the ‘sixpack’ regulations.

4. Improve site electrical infrastructure and install energy-saving controls, therefore reducing reactive maintenance costs.

5. Reach out to funding sources and grant awarding bodies to support our work upon receipt of a new five-year site lease.

Feedback from volunteers has highlighted a shortfall in the sociability of volunteering at the project with a reduction in pre-arranged social events for volunteers. Railway operations require good teamwork and communication, essential for efficiency and safety, so any opportunities to improve this ethos reduce risk to the charity. Albeit not one of our charity objects, this inclusion is recognised to reduce loneliness and build confidence in volunteers of varying ages.

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

3. Finance Report (July 2024 - June 2025)

Financial Overview

Our primary sources of income during this period were:

• Donations

• The charity is grateful for a number of small donations received throughout the year. The donation boxes and our pre-loved stall continue to be successful. The charity benefits greatly from the involvement and enthusiastic support of its many volunteers, details of which are given in our annual report. In accordance with accounting standards, the economic contribution of general volunteers is not measured in the accounts.

• Donations for train rides

These funds were used to support the day-to-day running of the railway and to organise our community events. Our key expenses included:

• Insurance

• Buildings, infrastructure, track and train maintenance

• Rental payments to our landlord for the use of our site

Despite these costs, we have maintained a stable financial position while continuing to provide enriching visitor experiences. We remain grateful for the dedication of our volunteers and the generous support from visitors and public donations.

The trustees have established from risk-monitoring that we should continue to embrace our charitable objectives but must expand our efforts to recruit new volunteers for longterm stability and provision of work to achieve our objects.

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

Basis of Preparation

As detailed in the introduction, the accounts have been prepared in accordance with:

Accounts have prepared on a receipts and payments basis with the financial statements prepared in accordance with the charity’s constitution, applicable law and with respect to ‘The provision of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP, FRS 102 effective from January 2015).

The Charities Act 2011.

1. Accounting policies - These accounts have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis. Expenditure is inclusive of VAT.

2. Trustees - All trustees and volunteers are voluntary, unpaid staff. No remuneration or other benefits, except expenses defined above were paid to the charity’s trustees or people connected with them. Out of pocket expenses shown here are usually reimbursements for items purchased for direct use by the charity in scenarios where two-part authorisation BACS or Cheque are not accepted such as supermarkets, hardware or online retailers.

3. Food & drink (Subsistence) – Figures shown for this Natural Category are items purchased for consumption and use onsite, such as volunteer refreshments, cleaning products, office stationery and etcetera.

Change of Accounting Policy

The accounts present a true and fair view and no changes have been made in the accounting policies adopted in these notes.

Changes to Accounting Estimates

No changes to accounting estimates have occurred in the reporting period.

Material Prior Year Errors

No material prior year errors have been identified in the reporting period.

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

Tangible Fixed Assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life, all on a reducing balance:

• Electrical & Telecommunications Equipment – 20%

• Furniture, Fixtures & Buildings – 20%

• Rolling Stock, Locomotives and Carriages – 20%

• Tools, Plant Equipment – 20%

• Trackwork – 20%

• Other – 20%

Stocks

Stocks are valued at the lower of cost or net realisable value after making due allowances for obsolete and slow-moving items.

Cash at Bank and in Hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash, current account, and deposit accounts / fixed-term accounts with a maturity of twelve months or less from the date of opening where applicable.

Preparation of the Accounts on a Going Concern Basis

The Trustees have at the time of approving the financial statements a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

Receipts & Payments Balance Sheet

Receipts Charitable Activities Other Trading Activities Donations, Legacies and Grants Other Contributions Sub total Asset and investment sales None Sub total Total receipts Payments Cost Of Charitable Activities Marketing & Operations Volunteer Welfare Insurance & Safety Checks Utilities & Rent Plant & Machinery General Maintenance Signalling, Comms, Site Electrics Track Maintenance & Procurement Train Maintenance & Procurement Stock Purchases Sundry Expenses & Society or Federation Affiliations Sub total Asset and investment purchases None Sub total Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) Transfers between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds Total funds Last year to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ 6,882 - - 6,882 9,446 740 - - 740 625 1,098 - - 1,098 878 173 - - 173 385
	8,893 - - 8,893 11,334
	- - - - -
	- - - - -
	8,893 - - 8,893 11,334
	762 - - 762 473 398 - - 398 347 235 - - 235 120 1,270 - - 1,270 1,206 3,049 - - 3,049 2,841 469 - - 469 297 201 - - 201 625 1,103 - - 1,103 275 75 - - 75 498 203 - - 203 1,063 349 - - 349 601 73 - - 73 60
	8,187 - - 8,187 8,406
	- - - - -
	- - - - -
	8,187 - - 8,187 8,406
	706 - - 706 2,928
	- - - - -
	8,439 - - 8,437 5,511
	9,145 - - 9,143 8,439

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Bridge View Light Railway CIO Trustees Report & Financial Statements 2024-25

Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories Cash funds Other monetary assets Investment assets Assets retained for the charity’s own use Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Details Bank Account Petty / Cash Float	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 8,721 - 424 -	Endowment funds to nearest £ - -
	Total cash funds	9,145 -	-
	Details None Details None Details Buildings Electrical Equipment Fixtures, Buildings Furniture Model Carriage or Wagon Model Locomotive Motive Power, Rolling Stock Other Rolling Stock Telecommunications Equipment Tools, Plant Equipment Trackwork Retail Stock Details None Signature	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Unrestricted 464 Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - Print Name Robert J. Richmond James Cobbett	Endowment funds to nearest £ - Current value (optional) - Current value (optional) - 166 - - 1,812 1,922 371 27 - 154 543 - - When due (optional) Date of approval
		Robert J. Richmond	26thMarch ‘26
		James Cobbett	25thMarch ’26

This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf.

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