Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Charity name: WARSHIP HAZARDOUS PROJECT CIO Charity registration number: 1203039
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | The object of the Warship_Hazardous_ Project CIO is to provide an incorporated charity, with legal identity, to support: 1. The preservation and protection for the public benefit of the historic wreck site of Warship_Hazardous_ Prize(1706) and its archaeological heritage in Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex and conservation, storage, research, analysis, curation and display of artefacts recovered from the wreck site. 1.2. To advance education for the public benefit in the historical and archaeological significance of the historic wreck site of Warship Hazardous Prize(1706) in Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex and the artefacts recovered from the site and in the development of techniques for investigation, recording and monitoring underwater archaeological sites, especially by volunteer groups. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
Following establishment of the CIO as a legal entity and registered CIO in 2023, we have continued to undertake various activities to promote the CIO’s objectives as described above. In particular: (1) Support archaeological work on the wreck of Warship_Hazardous_ including fieldwork, archive and administration (2) Promote and facilitate public access to the archaeological site (access is controlled under the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973)) (3) Project outreach and dissemination about the wreck and archaeological project for public benefit. (4) Continued liaison with Historic England and the UK Receiver of Wreck on matters relating to the wreck site and its archive. (5) Continue liaison with, and representation on, various bodies working to raise awareness of maritime archaeology, and develop skills in the discipline. |
| (6) Continue to seek a future permanent home for the project archive and artefacts. |
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|---|---|---|
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | We confirm that the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | n/a – The CIO does not issue grants. Like most small charities, the CIO is finding it extremely challenging to secure any external funding. Presently its activities are largely supported by its volunteers, plus a small amount of funds inherited from the Warship Hazardous Project Group. |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | n/a |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | The CIO has no staff, only volunteer Trustees who support the work of the other volunteers who assist us in the archaeological work. |
| Other |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP referenc e |
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|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievement s of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstance s of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 |
(1) Support archaeological work on the wreck of Warship Hazardous including fieldwork, archive and administration The archaeological activity of the Warship_Hazardous_Project Group, which previously was a separate entity comprising a non- incorporated group of individuals, but which possessed no legal identity, has now been incorporated into the CIO to avoid any confusion and to allow all activity to be undertaken under the auspices of the CIO as a body with legal identity. As part of the incorporation, all funds held by the Warship_Hazardous_Project Group have been transferred to the CIO and so are reported in this and future CIO annual returns. This incorporation also overcomes some legal hurdles concerning the project archives and greatly facilitates prevention of dispersal of the project archive and artefacts, to preserve them for public benefit. A successful fieldwork season was undertaken on the wreck site (which lies underwater in 6-9m in Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex). Over the winter of 2023-2024, violent stormy conditions resulted in a structural collapse within the main site (where the ship ended up and the remains of the timber hull are found). One of the large iron cannon from the gundeck, which previously was located about 1m off the seabed and was held in place by iron corrosion products, broke away and fell into the hull. In doing so, it gave access to the rear of the surviving gundeck, which previously had been inaccessible. This allowed us to extend the forward gundeck excavation (2023) further aft. We did not complete the excavation in 2024, but progress was recorded by periodic photography, video and photogrammetry before backfilling the excavation with gravel bags to protect the timbers over winter 2024-2025. In total, 12 diving days were undertaken, representing 81 hours of underwater work. 24 artefacts were recovered during the season, across the various archaeological areas. These included sounding weights, brass dividers fittings and buckles, pewter spoons, leather, ceramics and cordage. All are undergoing passive conservation. A new wet store was constructed to securely hold artefacts undergoing passive conservation and artefacts transferred into it. The Warship Hazardous Project Group had previously held grant funding from Historic England for an agreed agenda of fieldwork. A formal closing report for this project was written by the CIO, submitted to Historic England and accepted, resulting in payment of the final instalment of grant funding. A new Project Design for future fieldwork was written, submitted to Historic England and accepted, resulting in re-issue of excavation permissions for the wreck site. The CIO continues to analyse, collate consolidate and archive the historical records of work on the designated wreck site of Warship _Hazardous._In particular, documentation on all artefacts recovered from the site has been curated, consolidated and cross referenced to the photograph collection. |
( 2) Promote and facilitate public access to the archaeological site Under good conditions, the archaeological site of Warship Hazardous provides an excellent training site for diving archaeology students and interested divers. A group of students from the University of Southampton were hosted on the site for 2 days, providing them with their first sea dives, first boat dives and first experience of a genuine underwater archaeological site. A new physical diver trail around the site was trialled with the students and will be further developed in 2025. Repeated attempts to run additional visits for groups of sports divers in association with The Nautical Archaeology Society’s “Protected Wreck Days” initiative (https://www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org/protected-wreckdays) were thwarted by weather conditions. (3) Continue project outreach and dissemination about the wreck and archaeological project for public benefit. Project outreach and dissemination was undertaken in a variety of ways including: • project web site (www.hazardousproject.info) which was updated and moved to a new hosting service under the CIO’s direct control. • social media (especially a series of “dig diaries” on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@pascoearchaeology1665/feat ured). • a talk and artefact handling session for Chichester and District Archaeological Society. • annual licensee report to Historic England and annual CIO report to the Charity Commission. (4) Continue liaison with Historic England and the Receiver of Wreck on matters relating to the wreck site and its archive. We have undertaken regular liaison with Historic England and the UK’s Receiver of Wreck, to progress resolution of outstanding legal matters concerning the project archive that resulted from the Warship Hazardous Project having no formal legal identity. (5) Continue liaison with, and representation on, various bodies working to raise awareness of, and develop skills in, maritime archaeology. The CIO, through its chair, continues to represent the wider community who work on the UK’s wreck heritage through membership of the committee and working groups of the Nautical Archaeology Society (https://www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org/), and the Protected Wreck Association (https://protectedwrecks.org.uk/), where we are able, through our experience on the designated wreck site, to offer information and guidance to those working on other heritage wreck sites. The CIO, through its chair, continues to act as a representative of the Protected Wreck Association on the UK’s Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee (https://jnapc.org/) where it is able,
through its experience on the designated wreck site, to assist the Committee in its deliberation, policy making, consultation responses and lobbying efforts. (6) Continue to seek a future permanent home for the project archive.
The CIO continues to explore options for a future permanent home for the entire project archive (documents and artefacts) in an accredited museum which would facilitate access for research and display. Dispersal of the archive is proscribed by the Annex to the UNESCO Convention on Underwater Cultural Heritage, which the UK Government follows, and whilst the CIO, as a legal entity, can hold title to the artefacts and hold them in trust to prevent dispersal, it is not in a realistic position to establish and run an accredited museum of its own.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | With the caveats that: (1) the CIO’s fieldwork aims and objectives are dependent on weather conditions being benign enough to allow safe diving from small boats, and underwater conditions being good enough to undertake archaeological work to the highest standards, (2) site changes resulting from natural forces mean that responsive-mode fieldwork often takes priority over preplanned activities, we believe that we have made positive progress on many fronts. We have continued site fieldwork, project outreach and dissemination and work on the artefacts and archive and we have successfully completed a Historic England- funded project and developed an ambitious Project Design for the next decade that Historic England has agreed to. . Where progress is slower than we would wish is in those areas where we are dependent on the actions of other agencies; in particular, in re-uniting the project artefacts as a complete assemblage, acquiring their title in trust for the public benefit and securing a permanent home for them in an accredited museum. |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | No specific formal fundraising activities were planned or undertaken in the reporting period. The new Project Design that has been accepted by Historic England for ongoing research and management of the archaeological site contains some work |
| packages which will require external funding once they are started. |
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|---|---|---|
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | n/a, none undertaken |
| Other: Relationship between CIO and WHPG |
During its first reporting period (2023-2024), the CIO maintained a separate identity, distinct from the group of volunteers who formed the Warship Hazardous Project Group (WHPG). From the start of the current reporting period, it was mutually- agreed to incorporate the WHPG and its activities into the CIO and to transfer the WHPG’s funds and bank account to the CIO. Those funds comprised a cash float which is used to pay for boat fuel, unrestricted funds in the bank account and restricted funds in the bank account (being the remainder of Historic England grant funding for project HE7210MAIN awarded to WHPG). Project HE7210MAIN was formally closed in February 2025, when the remaining restricted funds became unrestricted, though our intention is to still use them to finance those aims of project HE7210MAIN which remain to be completed. |
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | No specific formal fundraising activities were planned or undertaken in the reporting period. However, during the reporting period, we received the final (formal grant closure) payment from Historic England for project HE7210MAIN and a donation from Chichester and District Archaeology Society for a talk given. We also received regular small voluntary donations from members of the project team specifically to cover boat fuel costs. These kept the CIO in a healthy financial position with the funds needed to continue its work. Whilst some components of the work contained in our new Project Design agreed with Historic England will require funding at some future stage, we are not yet at that stage. |
|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Currently the CIO has no formal reserves policy or formal reserve level. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | No formal reserves are set / held |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | As a small, volunteer-run CIO with no premises or paid staff, it is not deemed necessary to hold a reserve - our funds exist to support our ongoing work. |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A - the CIO is run by volunteers, and its initial aims and objectives are not inherently financial in nature, although the CIO’s constitution does allow for such activity when relevant. |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | The principal risk to the CIO remains the backlog of uncleared droits in the Receiver of Wreck’s office (over a decade), which is outside of our control and if the Receiver declines to transfer title to artefacts to the CIO (though such eventuality is deemed unlikely as it would be in breach of salvage law under the Merchant Shipping Act). |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | N/A at this point in time, although the CIO’s constitution allows for such activity when relevant. Members of the project team are all unpaid volunteers who give regular, small donations to the CIO to cover boat fuel costs (break-even level). The CIO largely benefits from “in kind contributions” by members of the volunteer project team, who donate time and pay their own travel and diving costs (personal equipment, equipment servicing, air fills |
|---|---|---|
| etc.). Additionally, the CIO’s chair owns and maintains a rigid inflatable boat which is used by the diving team, free of charge, (annual value to the project of marina fees, insurance, servicing etc. are circa £4,800). When the new Project Design agreed with Historic England moves to objectives that require grant funding to support costs, the CIO will become responsible for fund raising to support this work. The principal source of funding for this will be through grants from heritage agencies and other sympathetic funders. |
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|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | N/A - it is unlikely that the CIO would ever hold sufficient funds to require an investment policy. |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | The CIO’s aims and objectives are not inherently financial in nature, although its constitution does allow for financial activities like fundraising activity when relevant. The chief risks to the CIO are: (1) cutbacks in government and other funding to support heritage through grants. This will restrict the CIO’s ability to record and analyse the wreck site for public benefit before nature destroys it. (2) if title to the artefact collection is not ultimately vested in the CIO. Should that situation arise, a primary objective of the CIO, namely, to be a legal entity to secure the future of the site archive and artefact collection for public benefit will cease, and the CIO will have a reduced function. |
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
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|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 |
Constitution approved by The Charity Commission |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Foundation model CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | For specific legal reasons described below, trustee selection for the CIO does not follow conventional practice. The Warship_Hazardous_Project COI was established specifically to support the team of volunteers who perform underwater archaeological work and historical research into the wreck of Warship_Hazardous Prize_ (1706). In particular, the CIO is a legally- recognised entity with the legal authority to own, hold, manage, promote, disseminate and secure the future of the project archive for public benefit. The wreck site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) (PoWA) and all work on the site is undertaken by volunteers under licence from the Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, managed through Historic England. The PoWA licence (annually renewed) appoints a principal licensee for the wreck site and Historic England nominates an archaeological advisor to oversee the project work. In order to fulfil legal obligations under the PoWA, the CIO constitution specifies that both of the following shall, at all times, be appointed as trustees, provided that they are otherwise eligible to be charity trustees and not prohibited by law from being so: • the person appointed under the PoWA (1973) or any successor legislation as the Principal Licensee of the Warship_Hazardous_Protected Wreck Site (as CIO Chair). • the person appointed under the PoWA (1973) or any successor legislation as the Nominated Archaeological Advisor for the Warship_Hazardous_Protected Wreck Site (as CIO Vice Chair). On retiring from these roles, the persons concerned shall be required to stand down as charity trustees but are free to stand again as general trustees and be appointed |
by the successor Principal Licensee and Nominated Archaeological Advisor and other trustees.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: Policies and procedures Para 1.51 adopted for the induction and training of trustees The charity’s organisational Para 1.51 structure and any wider network with which the charity works Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties Other
Reference and Administrative details
| Charityname | WARSHIP HAZARDOUS PROJECT CIO |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | n/a |
| Registered charity number | 1203039 |
| Charity’s principal address | Warship Hazardous Project CIO c/o Dr David Johnston, 15 Pointout Close, Southampton, SO16 7LS. |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr David Johnston | Chair | |||
| Dr Daniel Pascoe | Vice Chair | |||
| Mr Iain Grant | Trustee | |||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
| Description of the assets held in this capacity |
N/A |
|---|---|
| Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects |
N/A |
| Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets |
N/A |
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of adviser Name Address |
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| Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) | ||
| No staff |
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
N/A
Other optional information
N/A
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date |
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|---|---|---|
| Dr David A Johnston | ||
Chair |
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| 28/12/2025 | ||
| 28/12/2025 |
| WARSHIP HAZARDOUS PROJECT CIO | 1203039 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts andpayments accounts | CC16a | ||
| 4/1/2024 For the period from |
To | 3/31/2025 |
Section A Receipts and payments
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts 8,228 325 50 500 Donations from team to cover boat fuel 480 - - - 9,583 - - Sub total - Total receipts 9,583 A3 Payments boat fuel 469 website fees 293 - - - - - - - Sub total 762 - - Sub total - Total payments 762 Net of receipts/(payments) 8,821 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end - Cash funds this year end 8,821 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ Banked funds from Warship Hazardous Project Group Cash funds from Warship Hazardous Project Group Donation from Chichester and District Archaeological Society (for talkprovided) Closing payment from Historic England for grant HE7210MAIN Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Restricted funds |
to the nearest £ Endowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 8,228 325 50 500 480 - - - 9,583 - - - 9,583 469 293 - - - - - - - 762 - - - 762 8,821 - - 8,821 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| - - - - - - - - - |
8,228 | - | ||
| 325 | - | |||
| 50 | - | |||
| 500 | - | |||
| 480 | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 9,583 | - | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | 9,583 | - | ||
| - - - - - - - - - - |
469 | - | ||
| 293 | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 762 | - | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | ||||
| - | - | |||
| - | 762 | - | ||
| - | - - - - |
8,821 | - | |
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | 8,821 | - |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Bank Account Cash Details Details Details Details Signature Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 8,486 - 336 - - - 8,822 - Agreement Error OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Dr David A Johnston Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
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| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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| Dr David A Johnston | 12/28/2025 | ||