Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
For the period 03/11/23 to 31/03/2025
Charity name: Suffolk Tree Warden Network (STWN)
Charity registration number: 1205573
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | The objects of the CIO are: To promote for public benefit in the county of Suffolk the conservation, protection and improvement of the environment through planting, care, nurture and cultivation of new trees and hedgerows and safeguarding of the existing treescape, and by these actions, to contribute to Suffolk’s mitigation of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. |
| 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 |
We are an inclusive organisation and welcome membership and collaboration with those with protected characteristics. Community tree nurseries project. Volunteer members grow approximately 5,000 trees annually from local seed using peat free compost. These trees are given free of charge to planting projects across Suffolk. STWN supports a number of school-based tree nurseries. Orchard project.We work collaboratively |
with the Suffolk Traditional Orchard Group to graft, grow on and distribute orchard trees to orchard projects throughout Suffolk. Native black poplar project . Volunteer members record, grow and plant native black poplars to help ensure the survival of what is the UK’s rarest timber tree. Without human intervention this species may well become extinct as the environmental conditions needed for it to reproduce are very rare and fragmented. The project involves DNA testing to ensure our trees are not hybrids and collaboration with local organisations and a European organisation for mapping and conserving this species. Events. Suffolk Tree Warden Network (STWN) hosts events for members and the public including woodland walks, fungi I.D. walks, bat walks, presentations to interested community groups (e.g. gardening clubs). We attend events such as County shows, local fayres etc where we have a gazebo with trees, books, flyers and other materials on show which allows us to engage with members of the public. These interactions allow us to inform people of our work and become members if they wish, and importantly they can talk with us about concerns regarding trees they may have or their interest in trees.
Tree protection . Members proactively help to protect trees by reporting trees at risk ( from disease or human activities) to district arboricultural officers and/or the relevant council. Their continuous actions of being the eyes, ears and voices of trees has saved many trees from being unnecessarily lost. Members also help protect trees by recording them on databases such as the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory and mapping their parish's own trees.
Member engagement. As well as meeting at our various events we hold bimonthly
| online meetings. We also have a very active members WhatsApp group Alive in 5 project.A leaflet produced in collaboration with Suffolk County Council and the Woodland Trust to promote best practice for tree establishment in the first five years. Members Welcome pack.An online welcoming document that outlines a range of achievable activities and resources for new members which is in final development. (Available in print on request). Biannual Newsletter.An update on the Network’s projects and activities for members. Promoting the work of The Tree Council (TTC) with which we are affiliated. Circulation of TTC mailshots from the national Tree Warden Coordinator, participation in regional forums and online events, delivery of online training modules. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | The trustees meet quarterly to discuss issues and are supported by the leadership team (consisting of 9 volunteer members who support the trustees with the day to day running of the organisation. There is always at least one trustee present at leadership team meetings). The trustees and leadership team receive no remuneration, other than occasional reasonable expenses. The trustees act in good faith to help the network effectively achieve their charitable purposes. We review all our projects on a regular basis to learn from our experience and enhance their effectiveness. The trustees and leadership team have worked hard to build trusting relationships with the organisations, |
both statutory and non-statutory, with which we collaborate. We have developed a network of partner organisations which significantly benefits all the parties' outcomes. The trustees endeavour to purchase materials for its projects with sustainability in mind (e.g. peat free compost, recycled plastic pots, re use pots, biodegradable tree guards) to reduce any negative environmental impacts. The trustees show regard for public benefit by ensuring trees are both protected and planted to improve Suffolk’s treescape as described in the above activities. Not only does this provide public benefit by enhancing the natural environment for wellbeing and the many ecosystem services trees provide (e.g. increasing biodiversity, reducing air pollution, reducing run off from rainfall, improving soil health, stabilising soil, providing shade, reducing the island heat effect) these activities promote public engagement and opportunity for people to play an active role in improving their environment and engage socially with likeminded people if they wish. Whilst our members have priority, members of the public and community groups can receive free trees from our tree giveaway days for their planting projects, and also learn new skills, for example, through access to workshops on activities such as tree propagation, tree identification, grafting, pruning, and hedge laying. Trustees ensure that members are aware of the law regarding trees and that as volunteers they must not give advice on tree safety matters, but must pass these matters on to, or signpost people seeking advice to qualified arborists / arboricultural officers. Members are also made aware that trees can only be planted on land where the landowner has given permission and that there are no historical, ecological, or infrastructure constraints (e.g. overhead cables, underground utilities, nearby buildings, walls or monuments) above or underground or close to the
planting site that a tree could damage. We have established lead trustees for safeguarding, health and safety, and technology projects, to ensure that we carry out all reasonable measures to keep our members and the general public safe.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference |
||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | We do not make grants. |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | We are an entirely volunteer led charity with no employees. Therefore, all grants and donations received are used to purchase the services and materials needed to operate effectively to carry out the objectives in our governing document. |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | At the end of March 2025, STWN had 279 members, who volunteer at the grass roots community level within their parishes. This number continues to grow. Their activities may include championing their local trees, identifying trees at risk (from disease or human activity), seeking new planting locations, planting trees and hedgerows, collecting and planting seeds and developing home grown/community tree nurseries, helping their local councils with tree related matters, partaking in training sessions (e.g. grafting and hedge laying, arranging community activities including setting up woodland / tree walks, seed collecting and tree identification, tree surveys, promoting our work at local events, joining the leadership team to help steer the organisation, and offering trees to residents for planting in their town/parish. |
Other
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | Planting in the range of 30,00 to 35,000 trees across Suffolk annually via our tree nursery project and collaborations including with the Woodland Trust, The Tree Council, Suffolk County Council, Babergh Mid Suffolk District Council, and the Suffolk Traditional Orchard Group provides important social benefits and has a positive impact on the general public. Approximately 5,000 trees of Suffolk provenance have been grown by our members. 500 native black poplars have been planted and a new native black poplar clone bank established. It helps to increase Suffolk’s canopy cover and enhances all the ecosystem services trees provide and raises the profile of and public interest in trees. We have been successful in our application to register for Gift Aid. Membership participation in our STWN WhatsApp group has increased, facilitating an effective flow of information. 40 new members joined STWN in the period 03/11/23 – 31/03/25. Engagement with a wide range of organisations, including county, town and parish councils, schools, community and educational groups, and environmental/sustainability groups. The STWN Native Black Poplar project |
lead won the Suffolk County Council ‘Green Hero Award’ 2024.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | Financial sustainability.We have been successful in grant applications to ensure that we have the resources to operate for at least six months ahead. The trustees, under the guidance of the treasurer, monitor spending to reduce the financial risks to the organisation. |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
| Other | ||
| Financial Review | ||
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | The charity’s financial position is satisfactory. Financial assets = £18,235.00 Liabilities: £4,663.52 ringfenced for a project |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | No reserves held in this period. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | None |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | We have no employees nor contractual obligations |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 |
| None | ||
|---|---|---|
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | No known immediate concerns but longer- term financial sustainability is subject to future successful grant applications, the receipt of donations and associated and related actions to increase income. |
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 Investment policy and objectives including any N/A social investment policy adopted Para 1.46 A description of the principal risks facing the charity Para 1.46 Other
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
None | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Association Model Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | C.I.O. |
| 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 | Trustee selection methods are fully articulated in our governing document and have been robustly operationalised. More specifically: 13. Appointment of charity trustees (1) Elected charity trustees (a) At the first annual general meeting of the members of the CIO all the elected charity trustees shall retire from office; (b) At every subsequent annual general meeting of the members of the CIO, one-third of the elected charity trustees shall retire from office. If the number of elected charity trustees is not three or a multiple of three, then the number nearest to one-third shall retire from office, but if there is only one charity trustee, he or she shall retire; (c) The charity trustees to retire by rotation shall be those who have been longest in office since their last appointment or reappointment. If any trustees were last appointed or |
| reappointed on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot; (d) The vacancies so arising may be filled by the decision of the members at the annual general meeting; any vacancies not filled at the annual general meeting may be filled as provided in sub-clause (e) of this clause; (e) The members or the charity trustees may at any time decide to appoint a new charity trustee, whether in place of a charity trustee who has retired or been removed in accordance with clause 15 (Retirement and removal of charity trustees), or as an additional charity trustee, provided that the limit specified in clause 12(3) on the number of charity trustees would not as a result be exceeded; (f) A person so appointed by the members of the CIO shall retire in accordance with the provisions of sub-clauses (b) and (c) of this clause. A person so appointed by the charity trustees shall retire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting next following the date of his appointment, and shall not be counted for the purpose of determining which of the charity trustees is to retire by rotation at that meeting. (2) Ex officio charity trustee[s] The [insert role] for the time being (“the office holder”) shall automatically, by virtue of holding that office (“ex officio”), be a charity |
||
|---|---|---|
| trustee. | |
|---|---|
| If unwilling to act as a charity trustee, | |
| the office holder may: | |
| (a) before accepting appointment |
|
| as a charity trustee, give notice in | |
| writing to the trustees of his or her | |
| unwillingness to act in that capacity; | |
| or | |
| (b) after accepting appointment |
|
| as a charity trustee, resign under the | |
| provisions contained in clause 15 | |
| (Retirement and removal of charity | |
| trustees). | |
| The office of ex officio charity trustee | |
| will then remain vacant until the office | |
| holder ceases to hold office. | |
| (3) | Nominated Charity Trustee[s] |
| (a) insert name of appointing |
|
| body (“the appointing body”) may | |
| appoint 1 charity trustee. | |
| (b) Any appointment must be |
|
| made at a meeting held according to | |
| the ordinary practice of the | |
| appointing body. | |
| (c) Each appointment must be for |
|
| a term of 3 years. | |
| (d) The appointment will be |
|
| effective from the later of: |
(i) the date of the vacancy; or (ii) the date on which the CIO is informed of the appointment. (e) The person appointed need not be a member of the appointing body.
(f) A trustee appointed by the appointing body has the same duty under Clause 12(1) as the other charity trustees to act in the way he or she decides in good faith would be most likely to further the purposes of the CIO.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees Para 1.51
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the Para 1.51 charity works
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | |
|---|---|---|
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Suffolk Tree Warden Network |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | N/A |
| Registered charity number | 1205573 |
| Charity’s principal address | 34 St Marys Road Stowmarket Suffolk IP14 1LP |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Frost | Chair | As set out in s13 of the Governing document. |
||
| Feadora Morris | ||||
| Graham Pleasants | ||||
| Colin Lay | ||||
| Corporate trustees–names of the directors at the date the report was approved | Corporate trustees–names of the directors at the date the report was approved | Corporate trustees–names of the directors at the date the report was approved |
|---|---|---|
| Director name | None | |
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for whole year | |
|---|---|---|
| None |
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity None
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of Name Address adviser
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
None
Other optional information
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) Richard Kevin Frost Position (eg Chair Secretary, Chair, etc) Date 25th January 2026
SUFFOLK TREE WARDEN NETWORK
CHARITY NUMBER: 1205573
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD 03.11.23 TO 31ST MARCH 2025
| Balance brought forward at 03.11.23 Income TTC NRC Grant - Redgrave Park Anonymous Donation Y SCC Budget Receipts Mid Suffolk Council - 4 x locality budgets X Tree Giveaway Donations Sale of Trays and Root Trainers Various Donations M Muldoon - Donation Barnes Group - Donation Grafting Course Black Poplar Donations Wakelyns - Members Meeting Guards & Stakes Donations Presentation Donations Easyfundraising Potato Day - Donations Sale of Clothing Total Income Expenditure Materials Show Fees Great Barton Tree Giveaway Expenses Wakelyn Meeting Expenses Grafting Course Expenses IT Expenses Public Liability Insurance T W Kerry - 2 Fields Raised Beds Zoom Fees Stationery Venue Hire Anonymous Donation Spend Y Mid Suffolk Grant Spend X Storage Insurance Total Expenditure TTC NRC Grant - Redgrave Park Expenses Held on Redgrave Parks Account Balance carried forward at 31.03.25 13.04.25 SUMMARY Redgrave Park Locality Budget X Anonymous Donation Y STWN TOTAL |
£4,740.47 £7,103.45 £5,000.00 £3,135.43 £1,630.00 £1,589.11 £1,168.00 £535.10 £500.00 £500.00 £563.00 £710.00 £200.00 £175.00 £124.00 £45.75 £33.81 £50.00 £23,062.65 £27,803.12 £2,921.85 £981.20 £449.47 £360.00 £275.20 £506.58 £511.96 £250.00 £280.62 £299.66 £140.62 £90.00 £38.99 £22.04 £7,128.19 £7,103.45 £2,439.93 £2,439.93 £4,663.52 £18,235.00 £4,663.52 £1,591.01 £4,910.00 £7,070.47 £18,235.00 |
|---|---|