**Trustees' Annual Report for the period** Period start date Period end date 03 11 2023 **T** 31 03 2025 **From o** **Section A Reference and administration details Charity name** Briars Field forest School and mindfulness for SEN **Other names charity is known by** N/A **Registered charity number (if any)** 1205569 **Charity's principal address** Eight Grindstone Handle Corner Knaphill, Woking Surrey **Postcode** GU21 2SD **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Dates acted if not for whole Name of person (or body) entitled
Trustee name Office (if any)
year to appoint trustee (if any)
1 Alexandra Turner Chair
2 Bruce Turner
3 Caroline Shrubb Treasurer
4 Laura Strutt Secretary
5 [Sally Wilkinson ]
Pinto
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**Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** **Name Dates acted if not for whole year** Page 1 ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of adviser Name Address** ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity�s trusts** Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed by a Trustee selection methods resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. (eg. appointed by, elected by) In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where As we work with vulnerable children and young people our safeguarding relevant, about: policy is integral to our operation. policies and procedures adopted for the induction and We have comprehensive risk Benefit Assessment procedures in place. training of trustees; We ask attending organisations to complete their own risk assessments the charity�s organisational and sign our memorandum of understanding structure and any wider network with which the charity works; relationship with any related parties; trustees� consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. Page 2 ## **Section C Objectives and activities** |**Summary of the objects of the**
**charity set out in its**
**governing document**
**Summary of the main**
**activities undertaken for the**
**public benefit in relation to**
**these objects (include within**
**this section the statutory**
**declaration that trustees have**
**had regard to the guidance**
**issued by the Charity**
**Commission on public**
**benefit)**|The objects of the CIO are:
To advance in life and relieve needs of children and young people with
special education needs or disabilities, through:
the provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the
interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life; and
the advancement of education for public benefit through the provision of
a forest school to enable access to increased opportunities for high
quality and varied educational experiences in the natural world.| |---|---| ||Briars Field Ethos is for young people with SEN needs to feel free to find
joy in new experiences in nature. We offer children and young people
aged between 2 and 21 years, that either have a diagnosis of SEN or are
in the process of receiving one, the opportunity to experience time to just
�be� in nature, experience outdoor and forest school activities and to
spend time in a safe outdoor space.
We try to offer the use of the field free so all children and young people
have the opportunity to attend regardless of financial situation.
to physical and mental health by offering access to a safe rural setting,
equipped with Forest School and Mindfulness facilities and activities that
suit our SEN client group. Our goal is to allow these children and young
people the opportunity to relax, feel brave, experience the outdoors, feel
free and just be in nature.
Our attendees can be on the autistic spectrum, have genetic disorders, a
range of physical disabilities or teenagers with social anxiety, often with
underlying diagnosis of ASD and PDA.
This client group are often restricted when out in public by embarrassed
or cautious parents so the activities in the field are set up so they can get
wet, muddy, be free to run, jump, climb, swing, read or just hide in the
den.
Severe anxiety is often one of the main symptoms of SEN conditions and
therefore familiarity within an environment plays a huge part in how
people with these conditions participate. Feeling safe in the environment
is essential which we achieve by ensuring the setup is always the same.
The changes a visit to Briars Field makes to a child or young person is
clearly beneficial witnessed by smiles and happy behaviour.
Briars Field caters for all children and young people with a disability or
SEND diagnosis in Surrey, or any child prepared to or able to travel to
us. We have over 200 children and young people each year. They come
in groups during school holidays from respite providers LinkAble and
White Lodge. Families come direct via a school or social service referral.
Surrey Care Trust wellbeing mentoring brings young people with social
anxiety. In term time we have classes from local special needs schools,
from Surrey A2E (access to education), Pond Meadow School, Woking
high School, Salesians School Chertsey and families that have children
not attending school.| Page 3 The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission�s general guidance on public benefit. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** We started out with all sessions are staffed by our wonderful trustees and volunteers. Their contribution of ideas, commitment, expertise and enthusiasm make Briars Field the success it is. Following its success we have started to work alongside freelancers to deliver sessions. You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about: - policy on grantmaking; - policy programme related investment; - contribution made by volunteers. Page 4 Section D Achievements and performance |**Summary of the main**
**achievements of the charity**
**during the year**|**Annual report November 2023 to March 2025**
**Christmas 2023**saw us offering 4 days of sessions for both White
Lodge and Link Able children. Extra sparkles all over the field and
fabulous Santa to give away gifts. Much enjoyed by all, volunteers
and 50 children and young people. Thanks to Children With
Special Needs Foundation Chobham who donated towards our
extra sparkles and lights!
**February half term 2024**
We opened to a rather soggy wet February half term but managed
to run all planned days. Two days LinkaAble with large groups of
both younger children and teens. Our 1:1 families and a group from
White Lodge. Lucky all of us as the actual rain held off and the
children and young people enjoyed much squelching in the mud!
**February to March Term time**saw us welcome Access 2
Education (A2E) weekly sessions for the first time. We saw huge
progress in people who attended. Despite the wind, rain and floods
they never missed a session.
Pond Meadow School, Bluebells Class, attended every Thursday
and were so brave in the cold and wet beaming and playing
making the most of the space to run and play. Lovely to see them
explore independently. From Summer Term Pond Meadow School
will send two key stage 1 classes weekly.
We now have 3 regular 1:1 families that attend weekly and all are
making great progress
**Easter Holidays April 2024**
We held 15 sessions over 10 days, approximately 40 children each
week so we are proud of our growing popularity. LinkAble brought
large groups of 16 or more and with their brilliant young staff
ensured there was a huge outdoor party atmosphere. Surrey Care
Trust teens enjoyed walking the ponies despite the rain and White
Lodge brought smaller groups who did some lovely crafts and
enjoyed the campfires. We were so lucky, despite the mud
underfoot, we stayed dry and enjoyed the intermittent sunshine.
**Summer Sunshine Finally in 2024!**
During Summer term time we were able to utilise the Screwfix
grant and install the pony area all weather surface, fence and new
equipmentplayequipment. Pond Meadow attended two sessions a| |---|---| Page 5 week, A2E joined us for Fridays. White Lodge Nursery attended for sessions, lovely to welcome them in the good weather. Summer holidays were busy with Link Able doing double sessions twice a week bringing us 15 children and young people in each group. White Lodge came once a week and Surrey Care Trust twice a week, plus family 1 to 1s. Approximately 70 children attended each week in the sunshine. ## **Autumn Term September 2024** In September 2024 we opened 3 days a week in term time with a variety of 1:1 families, Pond Meadow School. A2E continued using us as a hub on weekly, with one returning child and one new one. On hearing we were the recipient of a lottery grant we felt able to offer Pond Meadow additional days/time slots so they added an additional session for their key stage 2 children. We had on average 19 children a week ## **Autumn Half term 2024** We welcome a mixed kids and teens group from LinkAble approx 18 children and young people attended for one longer session. Several 1:1 families and a group of teens from Surrey Care Trust Wellbeing mentoring. ## **Autumn Term November and December 2024** We opened for the first time throughout the winter! We were delighted that Pond Meadow school started sending a third class a week. This was an additional 8 key stage 2 children attend weekly. It has been quite wonderful watching the children from Key stage 2 learn to be independent in our environment. They now run off the bus to their favourite activity, water play, mud kitchen, hammocks, slackline (some very impressive balancing- its hard!), ponies or tractors and spend their time happily despite some very challenging weather conditions. The mud and ice were a particularly enjoyed feature. Our A2E students developed skills to work with wood, a whittling knife and a bow saw. Well done to their improved confidence, bravery and commitment to try something new. This term saw an attendance total of 27 children a week. ## **Christmas 2024** We were so lucky to have a lovely bright if cold day on Monday 23rd December for LinkAble to bring groups both morning and afternoon for field fun with extra Christmas activities and gifts from Santa! Thank you to fabulous trustees and volunteers Ana Sally and Laura plus freelancers Tom and Anna. Which meant we were fully staffed and were able to have over 30 children between the two sessions. Page 6 ## **Spring Term 2025** Thanks to our Lottery Community Fund grant, how wonderful to now be running a full four days a week. We now have young people from years 7,8 and 9 who are EMBR (emotional based school refusers) coming from to local state secondary schools. Woking High School and The Salesians Chertsey. Each school attends for 2 and half hour sessions and involves a range of activities including some quite advanced woodwork, gardening and land maintenance, pony therapy, pony exercises and pony games and campfire cooking. Plus, importantly time to encourage communication with peers during relaxed hammock and crafts time. Our school coordinators report great progress in increased engagement with school and in increased attendance, so we are thrilled and will be expanding this provision throughout this next financial year. We also welcome a new school Chobham St Lawrence state primary who sends us one student at the moment. Plus, we continue to host A2E (Access to Education) sessions and three full classes from Pond Meadow school. Weekly term time attendees are now 39 children and young people. **Funding** We are grateful for a good year of donations, besides covering running costs we have added to our facilities providing water play equipment, much enjoyed by the 4- to 12-year-old attendees. We thank Richard Tear, Surrey County Councillor for donating from his Your Councillor Community Fund for this. Thanks to Bly Lawson charity who supported us in 2024 and 2025, we have also created a �risky play� area. There is new research that suggests risky play can help focus attention and the acceptance of authority by those with a diagnosis that makes this difficult. Our risky play element is created around two of our wonderful oak trees and our riverbank. We are finding it hugely benefits our children. Thanks to Children with Special Needs Chobham we have increased our wheelchair track, so the full field is now wheelchair accessible. Importantly in November we had a huge boost from the Community Fund for Surrey who enabled us to receive a significant amount of our running costs budget which will enable us to cover costs into the next financial year. Page 7 In Spring 2024 Screwfix Foundation gave us an incredible £5,000 grant to improve our facilities. We spent this on our pony therapy area creating an all-weather surface and games area that has meant we are able now to offer the pony handling and therapy the full year-round and as a direct result will now be a year-round facility. In November 2024 we were thrilled to receive a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund giving us support for the next two years securing our future and enabling us to open an extra day a week in term time to offer more schools the opportunity to attend, improving our facilities and hiring in a freelancer skilled in wood work and gardening to work with our very able secondary school attendees from Woking High and the Salesians Chertsey. ## **The Future - Moving Forward towards 2026** We aim to continue this pattern of attendance throughout the next year. Previously all sessions were staffed by our wonderful trustees and volunteers, and they continue to do so. However, due to our National Lottery Funding we have been lucky to be able to afford professional freelance help to deal with this increased workload and will continue to do so. In this reporting period the number of children attending per term time week has risen from 19 to 39 and we see with greatest joy the improvement in their confidence, skill set, engagement with peers, adults and life generally. Looking into our next year we are aiming to consolidate our rapid growth, take stock and plan for the future. All our attendees are booking return trips, so we remain very busy. We can expect approx. 300 children to visit us over the next year. |**Section E**
**Financial review**|**Section E**
**Financial review**| |---|---| |**Brief statement of the**
**charity�s policy on reserves**|| ||The CIO does not set out to create any reserve for any of its activities.| Page 8 Detsils of any funds materially in deficit Further financial review details {Optional infom)ationl You rnay choose to include additional information, where relevant about.. the Gharity's principal SoUr￿S of funds (including any fundraisingl., how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity", investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. During the period from 3rd November 2023 to 314 March 2025 total income was £50,105 of which £7,903 was unrestricted and £42,202 was re5tricled. During the period expenditure was £26,439. £6,206 of unreslricled expenditure and £20.233 of re51ricled expenditure. The accounts show a surplus of £23,666 made up of £1.638 of unrestricted fLJnds and £22,027 of restricted funds. Total ftinds of the Charity were £23,666 al the end of the period. These ftjnds will be ulilised in the coming year. Section F Other optional information Section G Declaration The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees, report above. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees Signaturelsl Full namels> Alexandra Turner Caroline Shrubb Position leg Secretary, Chair, Chair Treasurer Date 19th July 2025 Page 9 CHARITY COMMISSION .J FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustees Briars Figld forègt School and mindFulnge8 for SEN On accounts for the year ended Period 3rd November 2023 to 31# March 2025 Charity no (rfany) 1205569 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity Dhe Trusf) for the period ending from 3 November 2023 to 31st March 2025 Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 rthe A¢r). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's 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 14515)(b) of the Act. Independont examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in connection wth the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material resped.. the accounting records wérè not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act., or the accounts did not accord with the accourrting records; or the accounts (Jid not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the fomi and content of accounts sei out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any roquirèmgnt that the accounts give a Irue and fairf view vthich is not a matter onsKlered as part of an independent examination. I have no GOD￿rnS 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. aignea: 101612025 Name: John David Butler Relevant professional qualificatlonls) or body (If anyl: FCA - Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales Address: 109 Oak Tree Road. Knaphill Woking GU21 2SB Page 10 Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material Matt9.￿ nf r.f)nrpm (see CC32, Independent examination of chatrty accounts.. directions and guidan￿ for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examinerwishes to disclose. NOT APPLICABLE Page 11 **----- Start of picture text -----**
Charity Name No (if any)
BRIARS FIELD FOREST SCHOOL AND MINDFULNESS FO1205569
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
Period start date Period end date
For the period from 03-Nov-23 To 31-Mar-25
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest to the
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£ nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations 7,531 - - 7,531
Grants - 42,202 - 42,202
Bank Interest 186 - - 186
Sub total (Gross income for AR) 7,717 42,202 - 49,919 -
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 7,717 42,202 - 49,919 -
A3 Payments
Capital - 530 530
Crafts 455 1,061 - 1,516
Business 260 - - 260
Equipment 425 2,302 - 2,727
Food Campfire 125 225 - 350
Field Maintenance 1,655 10,841 12,496
Portaloo 390 1,770 - 2,160
Repairs & Maintenance 535 501 1,036
DBS - - -
Insurance 1,125 940 2,065
Training 172 - - 172
Website costs (hosting) 166 - - 166
Salaries 749 2,063 2,812
Accountancy and legal fees 150 - 150
Transfer between funds - - -
Sub total 6,206 20,233 - 26,439 -
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total payments 6,206 20,233 - 26,439 -
Net of receipts/(payments) 1,511 21,968 - 23,479 -
A5 Transfers between funds - 59 59 - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end - - - - -
Cash funds this year end 1,452 22,027 - 23,479 -
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Page 12 Section B Statement ol assets and liabilities at the end of tlie period unrostrlcted RestrfDted nds Emdovment nds CAtrgode9 to to 4r￿￿dCa￿h 027 Total cash funds 4D27 unre8t￿¢thd funds fund5 Detslls to￿arb￿*[ B2 Other monetary assets FundtOw￿ch Oet3i1s B3 Inve5kn¥ent assets FUnd1v￿l￿¢h Cunwrtv*l Detslls TrIDptional B4 A￿ts retalnpd for tho charity's 01￿ use Fundto whFrh Ampuntdu* Detall¥ 85 LiabllltlÈs signed by bÈhahofallthp Dateof 5ynaiur Pnnt Narne Alexandra Turner Gardine ShTubb