## **Annual Report and consolidated accounts** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 1
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** as at 31 March 2021
## **Directors and Trustees**
## **Trustees serving during the year are:**
Alastair Fitter Christine Packer David Counsell Gurdev Singh Hugh Williamson Joanna Webb Joanna Royle Louise Farnell Martin Randle Mike Cooke (to Apr 21) Paddy Hall Richard Tripp Rebecca Holdsworth (from Dec 20) Nick Perks (from Dec 20) Mick Armitage (from Dec 20)
## **Officers of the Trust President** Prof. Sir John Lawton
**Honorary Life Vice Presidents** Derrick Boatman Maurice Nethercoat
## **Reference and administrative details**
## **Yorkshire Wildlife Trust**
Charity number 210807 Company number 409650
## **Yorkshire Wildlife Services Limited**
Company number 9922108
## **Principal office**
1 St. George’s Place, York, YO24 1GN
## **Legal Advisors**
Harland & Co, 18 St Saviourgate, York, YO1 8NS
## **Auditors**
Saffery Champness LLP, Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors, Mitre House, North Park Road Harrogate, HG1 5RX
## **Bankers**
Barclays Bank plc, 1 Parliament Street, York, YO1 8SE
## **Patrons**
The Earl Peel Paul Sykes Stephen Martin
## **Chair of the Board**
Mike Cooke (to Dec 20) Joanna Webb (from Dec 20)
## **Company Secretary**
Richard Tripp (to Dec 20) Christine Packer (from Dec 20)
**Honorary Treasurer** Martin Randle
## **Directors of Yorkshire Wildlife Services Limited**
Peter Batchelor Christine Packer
**Chief Executive Officer** Rachael Bice
**Director of Finance** Peter Batchelor (to Feb 2021) Darren Tiffney (from Mar 2021)
**Director of Fundraising and Engagement** Amanda Spivack
## **Operations Directors**
Terry Smithson (to Feb 2021) Lisa Kerslake (to Feb 2021)
2 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
**The Trustees of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust are pleased to present their Annual Report and the Consolidated Audited Accounts for the year to 31st March 2021.**
## **OUR VISION**
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust works for a Yorkshire rich in wildlife, for the benefit of everyone, with more wildlife, more wild places and more people having a strong connection to nature.
We aim to reverse the decline in Yorkshire's wildlife on land and sea and inspire others to work with us to achieve this goal.
## **CHARITABLE OBJECTS**
The objects for which the Trust is established are:
n For the benefit of the public, to advance, promote and further the conservation, maintenance and protection of: wildlife and its habitats; places of natural beauty; places of zoological, botanical, geographical, archaeological or scientific interest; features of landscape with geological, physiographical, or amenity value in particular, but not exclusively, in ways that further biodiversity.
n To advance the education of the public in: the principles and practice of sustainable development; and the principles and practice of biodiversity conservation.
The Trustees also confirm that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties.
The annual report and the consolidated audited accounts are also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors’ report and accounts for Companies Act purposes.
The Trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act, have adopted the provisions of 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 (FRS102) (Effective 1 January 2015).
n To promote research in all branches of nature study and to publish the useful results thereof.
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (“YWT”) is a Charity registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales and a company limited by guarantee governed by its Articles of Association. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and the Companies Act 2006.
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 3
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
## **A message from our Chair of Trustees**
Dear Members,
After such a turbulent year it is a real pleasure to contribute to the Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 31 March 2021, as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which has reached its 75th year of existence.
I commend this report to you as a reflection of the magnificent effort which has been made for Yorkshire’s wildlife in the last year, through your support, as Members, volunteers and staff. This effort born from dedication to our cause and generosity of spirit has resulted in a very positive year for the Trust, with some key themes emerging.
**1.** Wildlife and nature matters to the residents and visitors, we are an important part of Yorkshire’s society which reflects the love and care for our wild places and species.
**2.** The Trust’s team can simultaneously handle pressures, make changes and deliver fantastic things for wildlife.
**3.** It is many people joining together which makes YWT special and effective.
We were relieved in such a difficult year we were able to make a modest surplus when at the beginning of the pandemic, we had good reason to be seriously concerned about the possible financial out-turn for the year and the longer-term implications for the Trust’s finances. While this is a good result, we need to remain cautious and prudent over the coming 12 months too, as it is clear not all the implications of the pandemic have yet worked through.
Therefore, you will see in the strategic report we have endeavoured to give you a sense of the year the Trust has experienced, some of the highs and the challenges as well as highlighting some particular successes we are proud of for our wildlife.
Our ability to pivot our work to reflect the changes we were all living through we hope will have a lasting legacy. The development of the Great Yorkshire Creature Count in this year has given us the foundation for annual engagement event to inspire more people to become interested in biological recording by providing an easy first step.
Reflecting on the necessity of evidence to inform our work has catalysed our team to start work on a State of Nature report for Yorkshire, which will be seeking
to finalise and share next year. A strong evidence base making the best of the long history of naturalist expertise across the county is something we are very keen to draw upon and add to as we look to the future for wildlife in Yorkshire.
We are acutely aware of the fast pace of change in the UK, around environmental issues, driven by the completion of the Brexit process, the pandemic and the ever-increasing awareness around biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change. Preparing the Trust to meet the demands, challenges and opportunities all of these changes create is something the Board and leadership team are in dialogue about. Our teams are rapidly responding to the opportunities whenever they can to enable us to channel increased funding to our wildlife on our reserves and across the uplands, woodlands, farmed environments, rivers, estuaries, and sea.
Thus, in this unusual year we have also refreshed and clarify our plans and priorities, which you will see as we look ahead in the strategic report and we will be redoubling our efforts to link up in partnership nationally, across the north and in iconic Yorkshire to do our best for the wildlife which resides and passes through here.
We look forward to working with all partners as restrictions lift during 2021/22 to allow public full enjoyment of nature, wildlife and their engagement with all those things in Yorkshire.
Within every year some colleagues, both long standing and recent leave the Trust and thank them for all their contributions and we wish them well, in their new endeavours.
I took over as Chair after last year’s AGM so, finally, I particularly want to thank Professor Mike Cooke CBE who was Chair through most of the year, and, for all his contribution prior to that, which helped to steer the Trust safely through the turbulent waters of the first lockdown.
My very best wishes to all in creating an even wilder, more iconic Yorkshire in future as we work to bring about nature’s recovery over the years ahead.
Jo Webb _Chair of Trustees_
4 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees - Strategic Report
## **Introduction**
These are our highlights from a year like no other. We adapted to the global crisis and together still delivered so much for Yorkshire’s wildlife and showing a strong, enduring organisation entering its 75th year.
Therefore, this year’s report takes a slightly different format. The last year has asked a lot of all of us and required us to think differently. We will take you through the year chronologically, setting out the financial impact the year has had and reflect on some of the themes and impacts from our experiences.
## **A year of challenge and change** Spring (April, May and June)
We began the year in national lock down, pivoting to enable as many staff as possible to work together but from home, defining what constituted essential work under the rules and individually trying to make sense of how our professional and personal lives could all be conducted online, under one roof.
Behind the scenes at the Trust, the team were working incredibly hard moving to home working, reprogramming and supporting people who couldn’t work, placing nearly 50% of staff on furlough. We also had a group of staff and volunteers who kept essential frontline works going including security and livestock checks.
For so many the abrupt change was a severe shock – with an imperative to urgently do as much as we all could to support each other and our brave frontline colleagues, the NHS and emergency services and those who keep essential services running.
Meanwhile, something amazing was happening outdoors. As our lives slowed down and quietened, our wildlife experienced a unique spring season with more space, less noise, cleaner air, less disturbance. Many more people noticed the brighter skies, louder bird song, more grass left to grow - overall nature became our companion in lock down, if and when we were lucky enough to have access to it.
It is important to reflect on the rarity of this time for wildlife; for some people it was a hugely challenging, harrowing time, while for others it was a welcome slower pace of life. For nature and wildlife it was breathing space from frenetic human lives which had created relentless pressure.
We recognised the need to rapidly increase our digital engagement to support people at home. Our first initiative was the Great Yorkshire Creature Count, which attracted more than 700 participants recording 13,600 observations around their homes in 24 hours. We were also delighted to record our highest ever number of participants in 30 Days Wild.
We received the incredibly welcome news that the Askham Bog planning appeal had been dismissed, meaning the damaging development had been stopped in large part to the Trust’s campaign alongside the City of York Council. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who generously supported the Bog throughout our campaign.
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 5
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees - Strategic Report
## **Summer** (July, August, September)
As lockdown eased and people could leave home, the respite nature had experienced was counter-balanced by a sudden surge of people in outdoor spaces.
Peoples’ appreciation of the outdoors and nature was wonderful to see. However, there were some less favourable consequences on our reserves where not all visitors realised how sensitive wildlife is to disturbance, especially from large gatherings, litter and fires. We are very grateful to the volunteers who stepped forward to be our ‘eyes and ears’ at this time. They helped us understand what was happening when we did not have our full team of staff available.
We have since developed this approach into a wildlife warden/steward role, to help give a friendly, guiding voice on the reserves to help visitors understand the wonder, beauty and function our wildlife plays as well as its sensitivities at different times of year.
During the summer months, following some adjustments to how they worked and travelled, our Peatlands Team were able to carry out surveying work. We surveyed an amazing 3,755 hectares of peatlands, completed restoration plans for 7,711 hectares of peatlands across 20 sites, and delivered restoration works on 3,113 hectares - that’s over 4,000 football pitches!
**----- Start of picture text -----**
DOM HINCHLEY
**----- End of picture text -----**
We tackled different invasive species on our rivers network. We treated 54.8km of riverbank and completed surveys along a further 49km of rivers, working with 64 amazing landowners keen to see native species thrive on their land.
Meanwhile, the breeding season was in full-swing and we were delighted by two significant events. After 30 years, a pair of little ringed plover fledged two chicks at Bolton-on-Swale Lake nature reserve. And, at our newest reserve Ripon City Wetlands, marsh harriers attempted to nest for the first time – however not progressing we think due to an immature male. Both truly joyous moments, when nature lets us know, we were getting something right.
## **Autumn** (October, November, December)
During the autumn months, much of our onsite work delivered directly by staff managed to find a new normal. The different Tier system restrictions across our region required regular review and revision of the offers we could make to visitors and volunteers. Again, we adapted and our team changed working practices repeatedly, doing their best to communicate to Members and volunteers about what we could and couldn’t offer. Thank you for your patience and support during this time.
Despite all efforts to keep infections low, by the end of October we returned to lockdown. This time, visits to green space were permitted for exercise. We made the wildlife and relaxing surroundings of Potteric Carr accessible to all Doncaster residents. We gifted complimentary access to the reserve during November and were thrilled that so many local people safely took up the offer. This resulted in 141 new memberships when we reopened fully.
In November the Trust hosted its first online AGM. We were very grateful to Dr Amir Khan who shared his enthusiasm for wildlife and boundless energy to inspire
us all to get outdoors, connect with nature and keep active. We were delighted that 213 of you joined us for that event and following the event another 608 people viewed the recording online.
Later in the winter, we heard our bid to the Government’s first round of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund had been successful, enabling us to embark on an 18 month programme of work to extend our oyster reintroduction and establish seagrass reintroduction at Spurn Point. This was a great endorsement for the ambitions and innovative work by the marine team and we will be delighted to report on our progress to re-establish this essential ecosystem feature, important for fish populations and carbon sequestration in future years.
Christmas was an unusual affair for so many people but we were pleased many of our staff could see their families briefly at such an important time of year. YWT took its traditional Christmas Party online too which gave us the chance to enjoy some downtime at the end of a tough year.
6 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees - Strategic Report
## **Winter** (January, February, March)
Following a brief release over Christmas, we entered another full national lockdown. We took a cautious approach and closed our visitors centres. These slowly reopened in line with Government guidance but not fully within 2020/21.
Heading towards year end, we prepare our fundraising campaigns, work on the ground continues through the winter and into spring, checking water levels in our wetlands, livestock across our land holdings and the lambing season comes around again.
The teams always continue to look for opportunities and during this time we received good news that the Garfield Weston Foundation had provided a substantial grant to boost our peatland work further. This was welcomed as we have also been involved in the formation of the Great North Bog initiative which we hope is going to create further influence to lever investment into our peatlands – one of the most critical actions we can take to reduce carbon emissions in the UK is to restore our precious peatlands.
During the last year we have been forming our newest partnership to bring our Wild Ingleborough ambition to life, more of which will be reported next year. Meanwhile one of our most longest standing partnerships at North Cave Wetlands continued to flourish.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
SHUTTERSTOCK
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
PIXABAY
**----- End of picture text -----**
Although sadly we did have to postpone our celebration of its 20 year anniversary. We are planning a bumper programme to ensure we do celebrate the remarkable success of the reserve, due in no small part to an enduring partnership with the Breedon Group, the Trust and the local volunteer group.
## **Repeated rapid response and resilience**
This year, we found new levels of resilience and capacity to respond to rapid change. Our teams planned and replanned our work repeatedly, we have communicated with our different audiences much more than normal to try to help everyone keep pace with the changes.
Our staff and volunteers worked incredibly hard and adjusted to the constant changes and not being allowed to do all of the work we had planned. Despite our volunteering programme being severely disrupted, our volunteers still managed to clock a huge 19,233 hours for wildlife! This is about 25% of an average year, and many volunteers were frustrated they couldn’t do more. We are delighted our volunteering survey results showed 96% of our volunteers would recommend volunteering at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, despite the disruption.
We have also been through some internal changes including in the senior leadership team and on the Trustee Board – each change brings an opportunity to look forward and to reflect.
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 7
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees - Strategic Report
## **Working for Wildlife**
During the critical spring season most of our teams were home based and work curtailed during the lockdown. Despite this we have still achieved some great successes for wildlife in addition to those listed above.
n We cared for over 1,500 hectares of grasslands, which support pollinators and a myriad of birds and mammals
n We managed 17 wetland sites – which are essential for rare birds such as bittern and avocet.
n The team at Spurn continued to support the reestablishment of oysters at Spurn, with the addition of the Highland cattle on the grassland areas to create better conditions for a rich variety of insects which also benefit bats, birds and small mammals.
Our marine team continued to monitor wildlife in the North Sea to inform our essential marine advocacy work to protect these populations from damaging human activities. In the last year minke whale, harbour porpoise and bottlenose dolphins have been recorded and 45 volunteers spent 474 hours carrying out 326 surveys.
n Our peatland teams are reporting more wildlife in the uplands with evidence of shorteared owls and otters inhabiting the recovering landscapes.
n We restored two new ponds across the Yorkshire Wolds and surveyed a further 14 to help us plan future restoration.
8 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees - Strategic Report
## **The financial impact in numbers**
We had to make some tough decisions to comply with the strict Government rules. We cancelled events, closed visitor facilities, and restricted volunteering. We furloughed staff and did not implement a planned pay-rise. These all had an impact on our finances, and income from sources which relied on visitors fell sharply:
**admissions retail education sales sales and school visits**
However, thanks to the loyalty of our supporters to wildlife and some quick work by our teams, reductions were mitigated by;
The generous support we have received along with some prudent decisions has resulted in a positive end of year position. The Trust finished the year with a general unrestricted surplus of £0.11m, increasing unrestricted reserves to £1.37m.
We anticipate the unrestricted surplus in this financial year to be eroded in the coming year as a result of works not undertaken due to Covid and an increased infrastructure spend due to an expected hybrid working environment.
We will need to progress carefully in this next year as the full impacts of the pandemic are yet to show in the economy and Government support remains in place at the time of writing. We will be reviewing our financial reserves levels to ensure we have long term resilience throughout the coming years.
**online individual Charity retail sales donations Membership**
**Generous emergency support from funders and the UK government**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
TOM MARSHALL
**----- End of picture text -----**
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 9
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees - Strategic Report
## **Digital pivot**
Constraint is often the catalyst for creativity and this year our teams showed this in spades as we moved to predominantly online working. Credit must go to our IT team who enabled everyone to work from home within a few days of lock down being announced. During the year, major system improvements have been made alongside supporting all of our team so that virtually all our digital work could be done remotely.
We recognised people still wanted to engage with our work and learn more about wildlife despite spending more time at home. Our communications team focused on keeping in touch with our members and supporters through a variety of channels sharing news and the wonders of wildlife. Our Living Seas team, created the Living Seas Live events to bring the wonders of the Yorkshire coast to homes all over Yorkshire. We also ensured we kept news on openings available to the public and our Covid information page was the most visited with 115,000 views.
## **Over the past year...**
New membership via the website increased to **1,100** in the year compared to 603 in 2019/20
**200%** increase in traffic to web from Twitter
**37%** increase in web traffic since March 2020 with 20% increase in visits to home page
**27%** increase on Google-driven traffic to web (people searching for us or our work)
Facebook remains our key channel, while Instagram is showing the fastest increase in engagement which is linked to our focus on increasing younger viewers - traffic from 18-24 year olds has gone up by 14%
Our website traffic gives us a good insight into which of our reserves are popular with visitors, and which subjects are motivating people to look for information, in the last year our other most popular
web pages included; Potteric Carr, Spurn, North Cave Wetlands, Moorlands Reserve, Brockadale, Staveley and Flamborough. Other areas of interest included our recruitment pages, those about birds of prey and volunteering. The Great Yorkshire Creature Count also created a particular peak of traffic in June.
## **We couldn’t have survived without your support**
Under the trials and tribulations of the last year, underlying themes have emerged which the Trust has been an incredibly grateful recipient of. Collaboration, team work and support enabled us to come through remarkable challenges. We are enormously grateful for the support our members, funders, volunteers and supporters have shown for the Trust’s work and staff in the last year.
We were able to pivot and change our working approach, adapting to new pressures, we moved online with events and activities thanks to emergency and public funding from the Heritage Emergency Fund provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Esmée Fairburn Foundation, which also helped us plan for future work. Finally, a word of thanks to our members and volunteers. Your unwavering support during a global crisis has helped us to keep going and we quite simply could not have done it without your help and faith in us.
## **Looking forward**
We are immensely proud of the resilience and support of the whole team through such a period of uncertainty and worry as we reacted and adapted to the crisis we all faced. Despite a year like no other when as a Trust we are also going through a period of transformation to be better prepared to face the nature and climate emergencies, whilst achieving so much for the wildlife, wild places and people of Yorkshire.
For the trust as an organisation we need to look across 2020/21 and 2021/22 together, there is some work which we still need to catch up upon, there are changes and learning which the pandemic has catalysed which need consolidating into permanent ways of working, and we want to make sure we keep our eyes on the future. There is unprecedented recognition we must do more to prevent catastrophic climate change and biodiversity collapse and we want to be ready to share our ideas and expertise to help nature recover as fast as possible.
Looking ahead we have an ambitious programme of work to deliver, shown below. We will be developing ourstrategic focus alongside our partners to ensure we put Yorkshire on the right track for 30% of land and sea to be positively managed for nature by 2030, to address the ecological and climate emergencies. We hope this will not be adversely impacted by the ongoing pandemic and will focus our attention on delivery in the most effective ways within Government guidance.
10 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees - Strategic Report
## **Our priorities in 2021/22**
Informed by our new strategy we have set out the priorities that we will focus on delivering to fulfil our overall ambition for a Wilder Yorkshire, under each of our five delivery themes during the coming year. Together they will put us in the best position to deliver more impact for wildlife across Yorkshire.
## **Wilder Yorkshire**
We want to be more ambitious for wildlife, increasing our influence and impact. This year we will boldly articulate our ambitions for Wilder Yorkshire – our call for the wild. This will focus our own actions and inspire others to take action too, we will do this by:
n Producing a State of Nature report for Yorkshire and expressing the key risks to and opportunities for wildlife to enable us to articulate the 30:30 Wilder Yorkshire vision highlighting long term, Yorkshire scale priorities and targets, considering species, habitats, ecosystems and nature-based solutions.
n Delivering our Marine Campaign to significantly increase awareness of and support for our marine work and to raise funds.
## **Restore and Grow Wild Places**
We own and manage some of the most remarkable havens for wildlife in Yorkshire. Our priorities for our core work on reserves and with our partners will be:
n Delivery of the Yorkshire peat programme and development of the Great North Bog Partnership.
n Delivery of marine species restoration projects and future vision for the Humber estuary.
n Delivery of outstanding visitor experiences at Spurn and Potteric and implementing our Wild to Wildest framework across a range of reserves.
n Delivering significant landscape restoration works at Stirley, Ingleborough and in Barnsley; and flood alleviation works across Aire, Calder and Went catchments.
## **Partner for a Wilder Yorkshire**
We are ambitious for wildlife and need others to be too, therefore our partnership work is critical to amplify our impact, our priorities will be to:
n Develop our partnerships with key local authorities, statutory and corporate partners.
n Play our part in major partnership networks – Local Nature Partnerships, Yorkshire Land Anchor Network, Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission, Catchment Partnership Network.
## **Create a Wilder Future**
Our influence must get to the right people with the right messages at the right time. Our impact will be enhanced by continuing to join up our work, developing as a data and knowledge rich organisation, and enhancing our reputation as an innovative Trust, this year we will focus on:
n Continuing to join up our engagement, education, and volunteering work into inspiring programmes and increasing our insight into our communities to inform our campaigns, programme development, communications and recruitment
n Collating and using our evidence base and innovative case studies to drive nature’s recovery and naturebased- solutions (with marine, peatland, farming, invasive species examples) and seek research and development investment.
## **Foster a One Trust culture**
There is a huge demand for our skills and expertise and our resources are limited, therefore, efficient and effective teamwork is necessary to spread our impact as far as we can, this year we will:
n Celebrate our 75th anniversary to showcase our collective experience and expertise.
n Deliver initiatives to support strategy, governance & leadership development
n Deliver a future wellbeing and resilience programme to support staff to recover and develop from impact of the pandemic. Continue to support staff wellbeing, resilience, and the move to modern working practices.
## **Financially Strong and Sustainable Trust**
We have grown significantly, as have the expectations upon us, to enable us to maintain and grow the Trust’s impact in a sustainable way, we must balance our costs and income with the quality and impact of our work, this year we will focus on:
n Achieving a balanced budget from a deficit forecast by fundraising, careful budgeting and financial management.
n Completing our carbon footprint assessment and produce our Carbon Emissions Reduction Plan.
## **Rachael Bice Chief Executive Officer**
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 11
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees - Strategic Report
## **COVID-19**
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the activities of the organisation since it took hold in the UK in March 2020, causing the sporadic closure of our gateway sites and reserves; inhibiting our ability to undertake ongoing projects, developing relationships with our supporters and engaging with the public in our events and workshops.
This impact was greatly mitigated through the determined efforts of our staff team coupled with the availability of Government funding programmes and the generous support of our members, donors and partners which placed us in a robust position to cope with many of the challenges presented and ensured our continued financial stability.
Thankfully many of our conservation activities both during and now subsequently were able to continue in a responsible and socially distanced manner and we look forward to safely reintroducing face-to-face engagement activity again very soon.
We also recognise that COVID-19 will potentially have a long-lasting effect on the way the Trust conducts its work. Our approach is one of cautios open-mindedness, conscious that solutions will require a creative approach, with the ethos of continuous improvement. This approach will be vital to the operational and financial health of the organisation.
We have updated the Trust’s principal risks and uncertainties below to reflect the expected impact of COVID-19 on the Trust during 21/22 reflecting on the effects during the 20/21 year.
## **Principal risks and uncertainties**
The Trustees regularly review the risks the charity face and where appropriate establish processes and procedures to mitigate those risks identified, including, where appropriate, putting in place insurance and setting aside financial reserves. The Trust’s principal risks and uncertainties are summarised as follows;
n Continuing disruption to delivery of our work programme from the necessity for staff in some circumstances to work from home, constant changes to Government guidance, the potential for additional localised outbreaks and future variants
n Risk of UK Government policy to reinvigorate the economy, not accounting for wildlife and environmental factors, instead favouring commercially focussed activity including housing development and large infrastructure plans to the detriment of wildlife.
n Financial systems change, the Trust are embarking on a full financial systems change operational in April 2022.
n The managing of 108 sites across Yorkshire and the potential impact of major disasters and adverse events at these sites, many resulting from the effects of climate change, in particular incidents of flooding and fire.
n Increased pressures on our nature reserves and their infrastructure, including anti-social behaviour, overcrowding and disturbance of wildlife indirectly resulting from COVID-19 limitations on people's movements.
n The occurrence of an event that threatens the reputational damage or integrity of the Trust.
n Sudden loss of key personnel or our head office communication and IT systems.
n Potential for overtrading with limited resource to deliver a large, diverse range of projects.
n Increased job market volatility, supply chain pressures and labour availability as a result of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
**The Board of Trustees approved the Strategic Report contained within the Annual Report as required by The Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Director's Report) Regulations 2013.**
n Significant social and economic consequences faced throughout the UK and within Yorkshire as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
n Systems breach/IT fraud/Cyber-crime; increased risk of data breaches, virus and malware attacks and sophisticated attempts at online financial crime
12 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
## **Financial Reserves Policy**
The Trust’s financial reserves policy is reviewed annually by the trustees. In setting the Trust’s reserve policy, the trustees consider various financial metrics and data, cash flow movements and working capital requirements, anticipated risks, fixed assets equity availability and material future commitments. The Trust’s key driver in setting its general unrestricted target is maintaining sufficient cash flow to allow it to continue to trade and to ensure it can fund the large number of projects for which grant funding is received in arrears, whilst at the same time not retaining large sums of money that could be put to use to support nature conservation in Yorkshire.
The Trust’s target level of general unrestricted reserves remained at £0.9m during 2020/21 with a minimum of 80% set for budgeting below which we should not fall. Since the year end, the recovery from the pandemic and the ensuing expansion and development of the Trust’s work suggests a significant increase in the target will be likely at the next formal review later in 2021.
At 31 March 2021, the Trust had total reserves of £15.9m including unrestricted, restricted, designated funds and fixed asset reserves. Of this, our unrestricted funds (including fixed assets and designated funds) totalled £4.18m, up £0.79m on prior year, with general unrestricted funds up £0.1m at £1.37m (2020: £1.27m).
General unrestricted funds represent available funds of the charity which trustees are free to use in accordance with the charitable objectives of the Trust. Funds used to purchase fixed assets, net of the Trust’s long term mortgage liability, are set aside as designated funds as these assets are not generally available for day-today operations of the Trust. These comprise primarily nature reserves, which are held as part of the charitable objectives of the Trust and cannot be readily sold, and also Trust premises and equipment which are required for us to operate effectively. These assets may from time to time be used to raise funding if it is in the best interest of the Trust to do so.
## **Investment Policy**
The Trust’s Articles of Association enable it to invest monies not immediately needed for its purposes in such investments deemed appropriate, subject to such conditions as may be required by law. While trustees have delegated authority for the management of investments to a Finance and Risk Committee and to fund managers, they retain ultimate responsibility for all matters relating to and affecting the Trust's investments.
The investment policy objectives are:
- n Investment objectivity and integrity
- n Preservation of real value of the Trust’s monetary assets
- n Optimisation of capital growth and income generated from the Trust’s monetary assets, with appropriate consideration and management of investment risk
- n Invest in an ethical manner, consistent with the Trust’s charitable status
- n Flexibility and accessibility of invested funds
During the financial year, the trustees continued to hold all Yorkshire Wildlife Trust investments within stocks, shares or funds in those investments that are subject to screening of an ethical nature and to ensure that no investments are made which are knowingly contrary to the objects of the Trust. All Trust investments are currently held in either CCLA COIF Ethical Investment Fund or the Eden Tree Amity Global Equity Fund.
It was pleasing to see the total unrealised losses of £0.03m in 19/20 reversed in this financial year with an overall gain on investments of £0.39m. The Trustees will continue to monitor market performance and the suitability of its investment options.
During the year, the Trust has also designated £0.65m of unrestricted funds in the Joyce Mary Mountain Fund, assisting YWT with strategic development and advocacy capacity.
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 13
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
## **Fundraising Disclosure**
In accordance with the Charities Act 2011, as amended in 2016, the Trust endeavours to adhere to the Code of Fundraising Practce governed by the Fundraising Regulator, and all relevant guidance published by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising including Treatng donors fairly. The Director of Fundraising and Engagement coordinates our fundraising activity to ensure the highest standards of fundraising practice. We did not receive any complaints in relation to fundraising in the year.
## **Our commitment to supporters**
Through our members' magazine, our website, events and activities and our other communications we will always tell you about how you are helping to make a difference for wildlife so you know how your money is being spent.
We strictly adhere to the Code of Fundraising Practice as defined by the Fundraising Regulator and follow all relevant guidance from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. All fundraisers representing us receive training so as to understand the standards we expect when they are speaking to members of the public on our behalf, to ensure a positive experience. We will always take action if others acting on our behalf fail to meet our high standards and we will never sell your data to anyone else or share it without consent or having a legitimate reason to do so. *
supporters regardless of sex, gender, race, religion or belief, age, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy/ maternity, sexual orientation or disability. The Trust has a dedicated group tasked with developing the approach to equality, diversity and inclusion.
## **Governing document**
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee, governed by its Articles of Association. It is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission. The Articles of Association were updated at the 2012 AGM.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The directors of the charitable company (the charity) are its trustees for the purposes of charity law and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the trustees. The Trust currently has 14 trustees. The trustees serving during the year are listed at the beginning of this report. Rachael Bice was Chief Executive throughout the year.
The Directors consider the trustees, the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Leadership Team together comprise the key management personnel of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the Trust on a day to day basis. The pay of the Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team is reviewed annually.
## **Trustee appointment, induction and training**
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has a procedure for handling complaints and we are committed to dealing with all complaints constructively, impartially and effectively. We will make every effort to ensure that all complaints receive a complete, accurate and timely response and no complaint is ever disregarded. If we cannot resolve a fundraising related complaint we will provide information about how to raise a complaint with the Fundraising Regulator.
In the year 2020/21, we received a total of 6 complaints, of which none were related to our fundraising activity.
## **Equality, Diversity and Inclusion**
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is committed to providing access and equality in its activities, across its nature reserves, as well as supporting equal opportunities and equal treatment for its staff, volunteers, members and
Trustees are elected by the members of the Trust at the Annual General Meeting for an initial period of 4 years and are then eligible to seek re-election for a further 4 year period. Trustees may from time to time co-opt an eligible person to fill a temporary vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting when the co-opted trustees can subsequently stand for election.
New trustees undergo an induction to brief them on their legal obligations under charity and company law, the content of the Articles of Association, the committee and decision making processes, the business plan and recent financial performance of the Trust. They are also invited to meet key employees and other trustees. New trustees attend an induction day, led by the Chief Executive and hold trustee feedback sessions each year with Chair of the Board of Trustees.
> *It is sometimes necessary for YWT to allow its carefully vetted suppliers to use supporter data to carry out work on our behalf, such as undertaking member satisfaction surveys or sending out mailings to our supporters. We may also sometimes have to share data in other circumstances, for example where there’s a legal requirement to do so. Please see our privacy policy on the website.
14 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
## **Organisation**
The Board of Trustees administers the charity and meets at least five times a year. The Finance and Risk Committee comprises a minimum of three trustees and up to two other members of the Trust who can be appointed by the Board, and meets at least four times a year. The Chief Executive is appointed by the trustees to manage the day to day operations of the charity. The trustees actively engage with the Chief Executive Officer and Directors, working collectively in development of organisational strategy.
Supporters groups operate to encourage, coordinate and focus the active participation and contribution of volunteers to the Trust’s projects and objectives at local level. Supporters groups are part of the Trust’s volunteer structure, reporting through staff, and may be formed around a specific project, site or community, a group of sites or wider geographic area, according to the interests of group members.
The Trust is an active member of The Wildlife Trusts. This is a national partnership of 46 independent Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) which operates throughout the UK. All the Wildlife Trusts contribute an annual levy to fund RSWT to provide advocacy and representation at a national level.
## **Trading Subsidiary**
Yorkshire Wildlife Services Limited (YWSL), a company registered in England, is a wholly owned trading subsidiary of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. YWSL commenced trading on 1 April 2016, with a view to generating funds on behalf of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for the furtherance of its charitable objectives and ensuring continued compliance with UK tax legislation. Profits generated by YWSL are generally distributed to the charity using gift aid. Further information is included in Notes 15 and 24 of the accounts.
## **Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities**
The trustees (who are also directors of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees Annual Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and the group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable group for that year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:
- n select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
- n observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP (FRS 102);
- n make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable UK accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
n prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue to operate.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and the group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In so far as the trustees are aware:
- n there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and
- n the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information;
- n at the time of approving the financial statements, the Trust has sufficient resources to continue to operate and there are no material uncertainties regarding the Trust’s ability to continue as a going concern.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
This statement is agreed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Board of Trustees
## **Joanna Webb, Chair 15th July 2021**
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 15
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
## Auditors Report
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of (the parent charitable company) Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for the year ended 31 March 2021 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet and the cash flow statement, and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- n give a true and fair view of the group and the parent charitable company’s state of affairs as at 31 March 2021 and of the group’s incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
- n have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- n have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events
or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the group or the parent charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## **Other information**
The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves.
If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- n the information given in the Trustees’ Annual Report which includes the Directors' Report including the Strategic Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- n the Trustees’ Annual Report which includes the Directors' Report including the Strategic Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
16 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Annual Report including the Strategic Report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- n adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent charitable company or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- n the parent charitable company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- n certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- n we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities set out on page 15, the trustees (who are also the directors of the parent charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of the financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the group’s and parent charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the group or the parent charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
We have been appointed as auditors under the Companies Act 2006 and report in accordance with regulations made under that Act.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance
about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud are detailed below.
**Identifying and assessing risks related to irregularities:** We assessed the susceptibility of the group and parent charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement and how fraud might occur, including through discussions with the trustees, discussions within our audit team planning meeting, updating our record of internal controls and ensuring these controls operated as intended. We evaluated possible incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements. We identified laws and regulations that are of significance in the context of the group and parent charitable company by discussions with trustees and updating our understanding of the sector in which the group and parent charitable company operates.
Laws and regulations of direct significance in the context of the charitable company include The Companies Act 2006, and guidance issued by the Charity Commission for England and Wales .
## **Audit response to risks identified:**
We considered the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items including a review of financial statement disclosures. We reviewed the parent charitable company’s records of breaches of laws and regulations, minutes of meetings and correspondence with relevant authorities to identify potential material misstatements arising. We discussed the parent charitable company’s policies and procedures for compliance with laws and regulations with members of management responsible for compliance.
During the planning meeting with the audit team, the engagement partner drew attention to the key areas which might involve non-compliance with laws and
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 17
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
regulations or fraud. We enquired of management whether they were aware of any instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations or knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud. We addressed the risk of fraud through management override of controls by testing the appropriateness of journal entries and identifying any significant transactions that were unusual or outside the normal course of business. We assessed whether judgements made in making accounting estimates gave rise to a possible indication of management bias. At the completion stage of the audit, the engagement partner’s review included ensuring that the team had approached their work with appropriate professional scepticism and thus the capacity to identify non- compliance with laws and regulations and fraud.
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed noncompliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the parent charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the parent charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the parent charitable company and the parent charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
## **Sally Appleton (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Saffery Champness LLP**
Chartered Accountants Statutory Auditors Date: 20/12/21
Mitre House, North Park Road, Harrogate, HG1 5RX
Saffery Champness LLP is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006
18 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
## **Yorkshire Wildlife Trust would like to thank all its corporate partners who have supported the Trust throughout the year.**
## **CORPORATE BENEFACTOR**
Yorkshire Water / Kelda Group
**GOLD** University of Leeds Jay-Be Wykeland Limited Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (EU) Ltd GB Railfreight Bio D Slingsby **SILVER** Tata Consultancy Services University of York Lifestyle Garden **BRONZE** Wienerberger Ltd Peppers Marquees Ltd North Wolds Printers Henry Boot Forest Holidays Inntravel Ltd Croda International Plc Consulo Financial Planning W Clifford Watts Ltd Beal Developments The Reed Boardall Group Ltd Read Family Group Xiros Ltd Syngenta Ltd Friendship Estates Ltd. Harland & Co Solicitors Evans Property Group Far ‘n’ Beyond Ltd Double Two Ltd Tennants Auctioneers Ltd
**SUPPORTERS** Schofield Sweeney Castle Howard Andrew Bennett Wildlife Photography Photography Beechfields Vine House Farm Original Cottages
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 19
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
## **Vote of Thanks for the year ended 31 March 2021 continued...**
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust would like to thank all its partners, supporters, major donors and Wildlife Guardians for their help with its work, many of whom are listed below. We would like to also give thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery and The National Lottery. Each year People’s Postcode Lottery, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund continually support Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, providing significant funding for our work.**
Aggregate Industries UK Ltd Aire Rivers Trust Arco Ark Display Graphics Artists for Painted Dogs Associated British Ports Barclays plc Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Barry Green Memorial Fund Bernard Sunley Foundation Biffa Award Biotope Bourne Leisure Bradford City Council Breedon Group Bridgeland Developments Limited British Dragonfly Society Butterfly Conservation Calder & Colne Rivers Trust Calderdale Council Canal and River Trust Castle Howard Estate Charlotte Schofield Child Dynamix City of York Council Community Foundation Limited CP Thackray Charitable Trust David Hudson Charitable Trust Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Don Catchment Partnership Don Catchment Rivers Trust Doncaster East Internal Drainage Board Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Double Two Durham County Council E.ON UK East Riding of Yorkshire Council East Yorkshire Rivers Trust Emily Weircroft Charitable Trust Endangered Landscapes Programme Environment Agency Esmée Fairbairn Foundation EUlife European Maritime and Fisheries Fund European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) FCC Communities Foundation Filey Bird Observatory Group Flamborough Bird Observatory
Friends of Lower Derwent Valley Friends of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Garfield Weston Foundation Garganey Trust GB Rail Freight Genr8 Give as You Live Green Future Building Green Leeds Greenhow Landscape & Biodiversity Enhancement Habitat Aid Ltd Harewood House Estate Harland and Co Solicitors Harlaxton Engineering Services Limited Harrogate Borough Council Help for Heroes High Batts Holderness Coast Fishing Industry Group Holderness Fisheries Local Action Group Howardian Hills AONB HSBC Bank plc Hull and East Riding Wildfowlers Association Hull City Council Humber Aquaculture Partnership Humberhead Levels NIA Partnership Icthius Charitable Trust IUCN Peatland John Lewis Plc Jonathan and Margaret Allison Jordans Cereals Joseph Nickerson Charitable Foundation Joyce Mary Mountain Will Trust Kirklees City Council Lab Centre Land Trust Leeds City Council Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Loch Lomond & the Trossachs NPA Marine Life Marine Management Organisation Master Pile McDonald’s Scarborough Micro Propagation Services Middlemarch Environmental Ltd Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Govt. Mountain Warehouse (Beverley) N Smith Charitable Settlement National Trust
20 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust** Report of the Board of Trustees
## **Vote of Thanks for the year ended 31 March 2021 continued...**
Natural England Nidderdale AONB Ninehundred Communications Group Limited Norfolk Wildlife Trust North Lincolnshire Council North Pennines AONB Partnership North York Moors National Park Authority North Yorkshire County Council Northern Electric PLC Northern Powergrid Northumberland Wildlife Trust Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Palimati Trust Patrick Turner Persimmon Homes Pro Tyre Probe (Hull) Ltd PwC Quadrature Climate Foundation River Hull Valley Drainage Heritage Robin and Sue Perutz Rotary Club of Harrogate Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Royal National Lifeboat Institution Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts Rural Payments Agency Samuel Storey Family Charitable Trust Sandbeck Park Scarborough Borough Council Scottish Natural Heritage Seafarers Hospital Society SeaGrown Ltd SeaWatch Foundation Selby District Council Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust South Holderness Countryside Society Spurn Bird Observatory Trust Spurn Migfest Stephen Martin Suffolk Wildlife Trust Tesco Bags of Help The Barker Charitable Trust Limited The Boatman Charitable Trust The Co-operative The Coulthurst Trust The Deep The Linden Charitable Trust The National Lottery Community Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund The Players of the People’s Postcode Lottery The Robert Fuller Gallery The Rotary Club of Doncaster The Shears Foundation The Tregoning Trust Tinsley Charitable Trust Treboom The Lower Ure Conservation Trust United Bank of Carbon University of Hull University of Leeds University of York Veolia Environmental Trust Vincent Wildlife Trust - Kevin O’Hara Vine House Farm Visit Hull and East Yorkshire Voluntary Action Barnsley Voluntary Action Kirklees Waitrose Limited Wakefield Metropolitan District Council Walker Morris LLP Welcome to Yorkshire West Beck Preservation Society West Yorkshire Combined Authority Wetwheels Yorkshire Wharfedale Naturalists Society Wildlife Guardians Wildlife Travel The Woodland Trust WWF - UK Xiros YHA Youth Hostels Association – Boggle Hole YMCA Barnsley York Civic Trust York Diocesan Board of Finance/Pybus trust York Ornithological Club Yorkshire & Clydesdale Bank Yorkshire Agricultural Society Yorkshire Coast Nature Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Partnership Yorkshire Farming and Wildlife Partnership Yorkshire Naturalists Union Yorkshire Water
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 21
22 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 23
24 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 25
26 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
## _**c. Income and Expenditure**_
- (i) Membership subscriptions are accounted for on a cash received basis.
- (ii) Income from legacies is recognised when the entitlement to the legacy is known with certainty, the value of the legacy receipt can be quantified with reasonable certainty and the timing of receipt is known with reasonable probability.
- (iii) Grants income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which it relates. Where a grant is restricted by the funder for use in a future period, its recognition is deferred until the charity becomes entitled to the resource. Grants in respect of specific projects are credited to a restricted fund, against which relevant expenditure is charged.
- (iv) Contractual income is recognised in the incoming resources in the Statement of Financial Activities to the extent that the charity has provided the related goods and/or services. Where such income is received in advance then the income is deferred until the charity becomes entitled to the resource.
- (v) Investment income and gains and losses on disposals are allocated on the basis of whether the funds invested are for restricted use or for general unrestricted purposes.
- (vi) Income from all other Trust activities is accounted for when it is receivable.
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 27
28 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 29
30 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 31
32 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 33
34 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 35
36 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 37
38 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 39
40 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
For full Restricted Fund analysis from 2019-20, please refer to Annual Report and Audited Accounts 2019-20
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 41
42 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 43
44 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 45
## Yorkshire Wildlife Trust NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS for the year ended 31 March 2021
|21. Cash flow analysis (cont'd)||2021|2020|
|---|---|---|---|
||Note|£|£|
|Analysis of cash and cash equivalents||||
|Cash in hand||5,341,564|2,694,604|
|Cash held for reinvestment||-|-|
|Accrued investment income||1,574|1,536|
|Overdraft||-|-|
|||5,343,138|2,696,141|
|Analysis of change in net funds / (debt)|Analysis of change in net funds / (debt)|1 April|Cash|31 March|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||2020|Flow|2021|
||Note|£|£|£|
|Cash at bank and in hand||2,694,604|2,646,960|5,341,564|
|Liquid resources||-|-|-|
|Debt due within one year|14|(48,976)|(1,898)|(50,875)|
|Debt due after one year|14|(550,220)|53,828|(496,392)|
|Net funds||2,095,408|2,698,889|4,794,297|
## 22. Analysis of Group Net Assets by fund
|||Unrestricted Funds|Unrestricted Funds|Restricted Funds|Restricted Funds||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||General &
Designated|Fixed Assets|Income|Fixed Assets|Total|
||Note|£|£|£|£|£|
|Tangible fixed assets||-|2,549,129|-|6,382,632|8,931,761|
|Investments||378,627|-|1,574,715|-|1,953,342|
|Cash at bank and in hand||1,662,853|-|3,678,711|-|5,341,564|
|Stock||98,016|-|-|-|98,016|
|Debtors||598,800|-|1,259,743|-|1,858,543|
|Current Liabilities||(613,776)|-|(1,157,338)|-|(1,771,115)|
|Creditors > 1 year||-|(496,392)|-|-|(496,392)|
|||2,124,519|2,052,737|5,355,832|6,382,632|15,915,720|
46 Annual Report and consolidated accounts | Year ended 31 March 2021
Year ended 31 March 2021 **| Annual Report and consolidated accounts** 47
48 **Annual Report and consolidated accounts |** Year ended 31 March 2021
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust 1 St. George’s Place York YO24 1GN Phone:** 01904 659570 **Email:** info@ywt.org.uk
**Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is registered in England no. 409650 and is a registered charity no. 210807. Registered Office: 1 St George’s Place, York, YO24 1GN**