## **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||||
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|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||
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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**|
|---|---|