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2025-03-31-accounts

Charity registration number 1204411 (England and Wales)

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Trustees Thomas Gerald Agar
Anna Victoria Disley
Miki Yasha Lentin
Anisa Saleh
Stuart Macalister
Julia Rawlins
Bhavisha Kukadia-Moran
Scott McFarlane Liddell
Charity registration England and Wales 1204411
Independent examiner RMT Accountants & Business Advisors Ltd
Finchale House
Belmont Business Park
Durham
DH1 1TW

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

CONTENTS

Page
Chair's statement 1
Trustees' report 2 - 7
Independent examiner's report 8
Statement of financial activities 9
Balance sheet 10
Notes to the financial statements 11 - 14

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

CHAIR'S STATEMENT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

The hardest album for any new brand is its second. As the freedom, freshness and novelty of the first release recedes into the rear-view mirror, it is replaced by the hard graft of growth and increasing expectations from outside.

The challenges of the second year of any new charitable organisation are similar. The truly hard work has begun, as teams settle into a pattern of regular delivery, and attempt to drive towards a vision with consistency when the world around is changing. The day-to-day realities of funding applications, resource limitations, and time constraints, begin to bite. Dreams must be shaped by deliverability.

It is for this reason that I am immensely proud of our second year in operation. To have already begun to make a mark on communities in the north-east and beyond, to have delivered tangible outputs and impact towards our mission of engaging 8 million people in climate hope, is testament to the hard work, creativity and passion of our Director, Adam, and to the generosity and support of our partners and supporters, and the guidance of our Board of Trustees.

Our revenue growth from £11,000 in 2023/24 to £44,000 in 2024/25 is a leap in scale. We're delighted to have the confidence of funders like the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Tyne and Wear Community Foundation, alongside organisations who have commissioned our work - all of this within a hugely challenging economic context. This support has enabled us to work more closely with communities around the North East - questioning, challenging and co-creating ambitious climate hope work.

This year has underlined the importance and power of climate hope in stimulating real engagement, creativity, and play. Participants across our programme have told us that our way of working has made them feel heard, motivated, and actively involved in shaping the future. We are seeing these ideas and messages cutting through - this is our 2nd year that Threads in the Ground work has been covered in national media, including The Guardian, various BBC programmes and many more.

Our mission, never completely static but always our guide, has helped us to be responsive when possible, and firm and decisive when needed.

Our second album has been a pleasure to work on. We hope you like it.

.............................. Tom Agar Chair of the board of Trustees

Date: 11 March 2026

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Charities Act 2011, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (Effective 1 January 2019).

Objectives and activities

Threads in the Ground is a climate hope organisation. We unearth powerful stories to help more people be good ancestors.

Mission:

To help 8 million more people to think and talk about climate change in hopeful, playful ways by 2030.

Our Programme:

We build our work around a set of chosen themes, some of the main delivers of the climate and biodiversity cries, and fertile ground for storytelling and engagement.

Our programme themes are: Carbon heritage; Built environment; Food systems; and human connections to nature.

From these themes we have built a programme under 3 standards:

  1. Carbon heritage: creative projects and commissions which diversify understanding of our living carbo heritage - the cultures and systems humans have built around extraction and burning of fossil fuels.

  2. Food Futures: communal exploration and experimentation with the ideas and technology which are shaping the new food systems humans will build in our lifetimes.

  3. Mushroom Sculpt: communities and schools playing and sculpting with bio materials. They gain a deeper understanding of our connections to nature and the impact of the built environment.

Public benefit

The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Our Values

Good Ancestors: The climate crisis will play out for thousands of years. What we do (or don't do) right now will echo and echo, louder and louder for each generation that comes after us. This means we are powerful, and we are privileged. Let's honour that, let's be good ancestors.

Hopeful Action: Fear isn't a good motivator. People have lots of different drivers, different things they find rewarding. We can make climate action inspiring and accessible. that is the best way to mushroom climate action.

Creativity and playfulness are key: Creative work (books, theatre, music, art...) help us make sense of the world. We feel good art on a deeper level than thought. We can sit alongside people we disagree with, both enjoy and come away changed by it. Creative work will help us explore our climate futures.

Non-ego: The need to feel right, to win the argument, to get credit.... there are a lot of unhelpful (and very human!) emotions and drivers around climate work. We work at believing that Threads is the least important part of everything we do. We want the focus to be on communities we work with.

Long-term Commitment: When we offer to work with a community, we commit to a long-term relationship lasting many years. Proper impact takes time and care and collaboration.

Curiosity: We think that being Good Ancestors requires curiosity. Curiosity pointed at the difficult and uncomfortable stuff - including how we're doing, what we could be getting better at. All our best work and learning comes from the work that is curiosity.

Achievements and performance

Significant activities and achievements against objectives

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Progress towards our goal

We are guided by our goal to help 8 million more people to think and talk about climate change in hopeful, playful ways by 2030. This ranges from in-depth work with small groups and communities, right up to re-shaping our national narrative - this year has seen success in both. We have worked with 100s of participants across the region, and the work we have co-produced has been platformed to audiences of millions through national media outlets.

"It's been a real highlight working with Threads in the Ground through our regional work. Their approach to transitions - centred on climate hope, creativity and community - balances urgency with deep care. Their inclusive approach to bringing people with different perspectives together to explore what climate hope can mean has opened powerful new conversations across the region.

We're so grateful for their thought leadership, creativity and partnership in shaping hopeful futures for the North East"

"The imagination-expanding Threads in the Ground hosted a welcoming, open, engaging, nurturing and thoughtful workshop. They encouraged participants to design & share ideas about the sculptures shape, materials, purpose, social value & location. It was genuine community consultation at its best. A rare refreshing beast." - Katy, Mushroom Sculpt Participant

Mushroom Sculpt

Mushroom Sculpt is our programme of sculpture trails and installations grown from bio materials. We collaborate with schools and community groups to design and grow the mushroom sculpt pieces - each project is unique, exploring the stories and ideas that are important to its participants.

National Trust commission

Threads in the Ground has been commissioned by the National Trust to deliver a Mushroom Sculpt programme - testing the methodology in 3 different education settings: a specialist autism school, a primary school and Durham 6th Form. Each institution will design and grow their own sculpture trail, each to be hosted at a different National Trust site. The learning from the project will feed into the creation of a new set of NT / Threads co-branded digital resources.

Blackhall / No more Nowt Commission

No More Nowt commissioned us to run a series of workshops at Blackhall Community Centre to design and grow a mycelium installation in the centre garden. The participants created a miniature Blackhall village, which was gently nestled amongst the bushes by participants at a candle-lit evening.

Sunderland Culture House Commission

Culture House is a new £27m cultural hub in the city of Sunderland, and home to the city library. The new building is due to open in 2026. The CH team commissioned a series of artists and organisations to deliver work that would showcase the kind of cultural activity Culture House will host when open. Threads in the Ground were specifically invited to apply for this programme.

We were commissioned to run a series of public workshops in Sunderland to co-design a sculpture. The concept was for something made from 25 pieces, representing each of Sunderland's 25 electoral wards. The concept developed with community participants was for a sculpture representing a ring of railway sleepers, which will eventually be embedded in a community garden.

The Sculpture is due for completion in mid 2025.

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

We created the world's first fungal book shop, grown from bookshop waste. This was a collaboration between Threads in the Ground and lots of 'mushroom curious' members of the wonderful North East Community.

We were chatting with the manager of The Bound independent book shop in Whitley Bay. They told us that their small bookshop has to recycle 2 tonnes( 2 rhinos!) of waste cardboard boxes every month.

That left us thinking - how can we make this into a hopeful climate conversation - one that embraces the real life challenges of consumerism. Well, we'd built some stuff from mycelium mixed with hemp already. so could fungify some cardboard instead?

Cardboard is a brilliant material, and recycling is great. Way better than making things from new. But recycling isn't magic, it still has a cost. Pulping and reforming those 2 rhinos emits about 800kg of CO2. This is a good example of how climate action is complicated, and requires a total re-think of all systems, processes and technologies.

We have been collecting binned bookshop cardboard and collaborating with people around the region to grow and craft an immersive mycelial space where you can contemplate beautiful and hopeful ideas of climate change and action. The mushroom bookroom is a space to read, to think, to play, and to chat climate hope - our connections to nature; capitalism and waste; and the unique ancestral power we hold by being alive in this crucial climate moment.

The Mushroom Bookroom was visited by over 1,800 member of the public on it's opening weekend at the biscuit Factory. The structure is now available for loan and has appeared at the Booksellers Association Conference and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. We continue to design and grow additional shelves and features for this living structure.

Future Foods

Our Future Foods programme is a volunteer-led exploration of food futures. We work with volunteers to co-create public feasts and workshops, home meals, and discussion: all exploring the changing shape of our food systems.

The Future Foods project has been designed following our research and conversations with organisations including Sustainable Food Trust, WePlanet, Newcastle University and more.

Our first pilot of Future Foods was run in partnership with the Festival of Thrift. We worked with the Festival of Thrift to recruit 10 volunteers from across Teeside and the wider area. We ran a series of workshops and training days for the volunteers, introducing them to emerging ideas and discussions around sustainable food, and even took the for a rare tour at the Quorn factory in Billingham.

We then supported the volunteers to plan and host their own meals - most hosted in their homes, but some at community centres and a church hall. Each meal explored a different theme or idea of food sustainability. The volunteers were involved in designing engagement workshops hosted at their Festival of Thrift.

The workshop included Sustainable Sausage: participants use an array of ingredients to stuff their own sausage to take home and eat. Their options of protein include Quorn, beans, or... crickets; and Future Mocktail: participants created reimagined classic mocktails using abundant seasonal British ingredients such as brambles and courgette.

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Carbon Heritage

"Carbon Heritage" is more than billions of tonnes of coal our families have burnt into the atmosphere.

It's more than the generations of innovation and engineering, the train-tacks, engines, and wealth. It's the remembered feel of granda's callouses, the tobacco and dust smell. Its' the coal feel of the trumpet mouth-piece on your lips. It's the generations of campaigning and demonstration that built our civil rights.

It's more than that. It's what we inherit. It's what we're doing now, what we pass on. So what is your carbon heritage?

Threads in the Ground was invited to become the first ever "Artist residence" at Redhills - the pitmans parliament and home of the Durham Miner's Association. Redhills reopened in 2025 after 4 decades of lying dormant, and we were deeply privileged to have the opportunity to take time and space to explore ideas of Carbon Heritage and how Redhills can unearth and tell these stories.

Through the residency, our Director, Adam Cooper, spent time meeting and interviewing Redhills staff, board, and volunteers; retired mine workers and their families, academics, and members of the wider Redhills community.

From the residency we have developed the Ancestral Reverb project - an exploration of Carbon Heritage through sound and words. Drawings on archival recordings of the colliery brass bands, interviews with miners and their families, and digitally captured mine reverb. We plan to release the Ancestral Reverb sound piece in winter 2025.

Financial review

During the year we raised income of £43,785 (2024: £11,380) and spent £41,982 (2024: £7,971) on our work. This resulted in an unrestricted surplus for the year of £1,803 (2024: £3,409). The unrestricted reserves to carry forward into 2026 is £5,212.

We projected in 2023/24 that our income would dramatically rise year-on-year, with a mix of income from grants, commissions and earned income through product and event sales and training.

Our most significant grant income for 2024/25 was £15,000 from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and of £5,000 from the Tyne and Wear Community Foundation. We have very good relationships with both of these funders, so hope for their continued support.

We had a particularly strong year for commission income. With a commission of £10,000 from the National Trust, £8,000 from the Durham Miners' Association, and £5,000 from the Festival of Thrift. Unlike Grant income, it is far less likely that commissions are repeated. Though we expect to continue attracting commissions from new clients.

We will not quadruple income again in 2025-26. It is difficult to predict the timings of increased support from grant funders and larger commissioning opportunities, but based on conversations with funders and commissioning partners and our consistent national press interest we do predict Threads will reach a £100,000 income threshold around 2027.

The main financial risks of Threads in the Ground are our ability to consistently achieve fundraising targets. We are a micro-organisation currently, with no fixed core expenditure. This means failure to achieve fundraising targets results primarily in reduction or pause in project delivery. Our goal is to secure multi-year core funding to establish a regular staff team.

We have an ambitious plan for growth, and warm conversations with multiple significant funders.

Our financial processes and procedures will develop as the organisation grows, stewarded by Scott Liddell, Trustee.

Going concern

After making appropriate enquiries, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Reserves policy

Reserves are those funds not invested in fixed assets and designated to restricted funds. It is Charity Commission guidance on best practice that a reserves policy is reviewed annually in line with budget setting based on salary and accommodation overheads for a three-month period.

We are a young organisation which has not yet reached its stable size and model. we are working towards developing reserves of £8,000 - approximate level of funds required to maintain activity for 3 months.

Structure, governance and management

Threads in the Ground is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), first registered on 21 August 2023, and has a constitution as its governing document.

The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were: Thomas Gerald Agar Anna Victoria Disley Miki Yasha Lentin Anisa Saleh Stuart Macalister Julia Rawlins Bhavisha Kukadia-Moran Scott McFarlane Liddell

Recruitment and appointment of trustees

Our founding board of Trustees were recruited through a public campaign, stewarded by our founding Chair, Tom Agar, along with Director Adam Cooper, supported by Anna Disley of New Writing North.

The board of Trustees meets regularly. The Trustees are a highly skilled and experienced group from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Each Trustee has worked 1:1 with the Director on at least 1 initiative, ranging from support with project design, developing policies, fundraising, and establishing a communications plan. Board meetings are run digitally, with Trustees joining from across the UK And internationally.

The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

Thomas Gerald Agar

Chair of Trustees

11 March 2026

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Threads In The Ground CIO (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.

Independent examiner's statement

Your attention is drawn to the fact that the charity has prepared the financial statements in accordance with the relevant version of the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) in preference to the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice issued on 1 April 2005 which is referred to in the extant regulations but has now been withdrawn. I understand that this has been done in order for the financial statements to provide a true and fair view in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

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 financial statements to be reached.

David Holloway BA Hons FCA DChA

RMT Accountants & Business Advisors Ltd Finchale House Belmont Business Park Durham DH1 1TW

19 March 2026

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2025
Notes
£
£
Income from:
Charitable activities
2
23,785
20,000
Other trading activities
3
-
-
Total income
23,785
20,000
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
4
21,982
20,000
Total expenditure
21,982
20,000
Net income and movement in funds
1,803
-
Reconciliation of funds:
Fund balances at 1 April 2024
3,409
-
Fund balances at 31 March 2025
5,212
-		 Total
Unrestricted
funds
2025
2024
£
£
43,785
11,000
-
380
43,785
11,380
41,982
7,971
41,982
7,971
1,803
3,409
3,409
-
5,212
3,409		 Total
Unrestricted
funds
2025
2024
£
£
43,785
11,000
-
380
43,785
11,380
41,982
7,971
41,982
7,971
1,803
3,409
3,409
-
5,212
3,409
11,380
7,971
7,971
3,409
-
3,409

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

BALANCE SHEET

AS AT 31 MARCH 2025

2025
Notes
£
Current assets
Cash at bank and in hand
5,212
Net current assets
The funds of the charity
Unrestricted funds
10
The financial statements were approved by the trustees on 11 March 2026		 £
5,212
5,212
5,212		 2024
£
3,409		 £
3,409
3,409
3,409

Thomas Gerald Agar Chair of Trustees

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1 Accounting policies

Charity information

Threads In The Ground CIO is a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England and Wales.

1.1 Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Charities Act 2011, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (Effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The CIO was incorporated in August 2023, therefore the prior period is a shorter period as such the comparative amounts presented in the financial statements (including the related notes) are not entirely comparable

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared using the cash basis of accounting.

1.2 Going concern

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

1.3 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.

1.4 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

2 Income from charitable activities

Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2025
£
£
Climate hope
Grants
-
20,000
Commissions
23,785
-
23,785
20,000		 Total
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2024
2024
£
£
£
20,000
5,000
-
23,785
6,000
-
43,785
11,000
-		 Total
2024
£
5,000
6,000
11,000

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

2 Income from charitable activities (Continued)
Performance related grants analysis
Climate hope
2025
£
Joseph Rowntree Foundation 15,000
Community Foundation North East 5,000
20,000

3 Income from other trading activities

Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds funds
2025 2024
£ £
Earned income - 380
4 Expenditure on charitable activities
Climate Climate
hope hope
2025 2024
£ £
Direct costs
Staff costs 30,248 5,940
Creator costs 3,775 827
Materials 3,660 697
Equipment 677 -
Marketing and cummunications 723 -
Research 7 -
Travel 405 -
39,495 7,464
Share of support and governance costs (see note 5)
Support 2,487 507
41,982 7,971
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds 21,982 7,971
Restricted funds 20,000 -
41,982 7,971

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

5 Support costs allocated to activities

Insurance
IT and subscriptions
Other
Print
Training and development
Analysed between:
Climate hope		 2025
£
152
1,479
442
294
120
2,487
2,487		 2024
£
-
430
77
-
-
507
507

6 Trustees

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any expenses, remuneration or benefits from the charity during the current or prior year.

7 Employees

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

2025 2024
Number Number
Total - -
Employment costs 2025 2024
£ £
Consultants 30,248 5,940

No staff are employed within the CIO, costs are for consultants only.

There were no employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000.

8 Taxation

The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.

THREADS IN THE GROUND CIO

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

9 Restricted funds

The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.

At
Community Foundation North East
Joseph Rowntree Fund		 1 April
2024
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
At 31 March
2025
£
£
£
£
-
5,000
(5,000)
-
-
15,000
(15,000)
-
-
20,000
(20,000)
-

Community Foundation North East

The grant was receivable to cover directors salary costs.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The grant was receivable to cover project costs which will focus on R&D with miners and their families, understanding their carbon heritage past and supporting future action to support green transitions.

10 Unrestricted funds

The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.

At
General funds
Previous year:
At
General funds		 1 April
2024
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
At 31 March
2025
£
£
£
£
3,409
23,785
(21,982)
5,212
1 April
2023
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
At 31 March
2024
£
£
£
£
-
11,380
(7,971)
3,409

11 Related party transactions

There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).