CANGEN GORLLEWIN GWYNEDD WEST GWYNEDD BRANCH ADRODDIAD BLYNYDDOL 2024 ANNUAL REPORT Elusen Gofrestredig Rhif 226126 Registered Charity No ## WEST GWYNEDD ANNUAL REPORT 2024 ## INDEX ||page| |---|---| |Notice of Meeting and list of officers|1| |Agenda|2| |Letter from the Chairman|3| |Minutes of AGM 2024|5| |Treasurer's Report|8| |Financial Accounts|10| |Secretary’s Report|15| |Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre Report|16| |Inspectorate Report|17| March 2025 ## NOTICE OF BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2025 ## Dear Member We are again holding our AGM by means of a virtual format through Google Meet. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday, 28[th] April at 7:00 pm. To enable you to join the meeting we will need your e-mail address so that an invitation can be sent to you. I would be grateful if you could send your e-mail to enquiries@rspcawestgwynedd.org.uk as soon as possible if you are able to attend. Your e-mail address will be saved securely and used only for any relevant West Gwynedd Branch correspondence with you as a Branch member. **Your details will not be shared with any third parties** Mrs Freda Holme Hon. Branch Secretary Tel. 07900 597891 Arfaes, Llwyndyrys, Y Ffor, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, LL53 6NG *********************************************** ## HONORARY OFFICERS:- President – Robert Eaglestone Vice President – Margaret Eaglestone Chairman – Ann Rees Secretary – Freda Holme Treasurer – Alun Rees Branch Regional Representative – Alun Rees Deputy Regional Representative – Carl Lloyd Friends of Bryn-y-Maen Representative – Freda Holme ELECTED COMMITTEE/TRUSTEES Rachele Follini David Hibbert Patricia Hibbert Freda Holme Alexandra Latham Alun Rees Ann Rees Osian Richards CO-OPTED COMMITTEE/TRUSTEES Mair Jones Carl Lloyd ## STAFF Branch Partnership Manager – Donna Rogers ## **ACTION LINE** ## **0300 1234 999** - 1 - ## ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING To be held by Google Meet video conference 7:00 pm Monday, 28[th] April 2025 ## AGENDA - 1 Opening address and Chairman’s welcome - 2 Apologies for absence - 3 Approval of minutes of AGM 2024 - 4 Matters arising - 5 Financial Report - 6 Adoption of Auditors - 7 Branch Annual Report - 8 Election of Committee - 9 Inspectorate Report - 10 Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre Report - 11 Claire Blakey and Aimee Mason from RSPCA HQ Education Team – **“Tier 2 (Early Help & Support) and Tier 3 (Intervene & Resolve) Prevention and Education Activities”** - 12 Closing remarks - 2 - Cymdeithas Frenhinol Atal Creulondeb i Anifeiliaid Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig 226126 Registered Charity No. ## April 2025 Dear Fellow Members, Friends and Supporters, Welcome to RSPCA West Gwynedd’s Annual Report. 2024 was another busy year for the Branch as we strive to continue our work to help local animals and support our RSPCA Inspectors. 2024 was the bicentenary of the establishment of the RSPCA as an animal welfare charity and in those 200 years it has done so much to improve the lives of animals in homes, labs, farms and wildlife, including taking action that has resulted in changing more than 400 laws in England & Wales. However, animals are still facing ever-increasing challenges and without the help of all of us we are risking the prospect of animals’ lives getting worse, not better. It was with this concern in mind that, in 2024, the National RSPCA introduced the “For Every Kind” campaign with the aim of getting **everyone** in society involved in animal welfare. With this came a new modern branding and logo, hoping to attract the younger generation to engage with animal welfare and the RSPCA. An RSPCA Branch has existed in West Gwynedd for many years - Bangor Branch was established in 1877 and after a series of mergers and reorganisation became known as RSPCA West Gwynedd Branch in 1973. We too face the challenge of declining membership and failure to recruit new trustees and active volunteers, as do neighbouring Branches. During 2024, we held several meetings with other Branches across North Wales with a view to merging. We already collaborate to fund the operation of the North Wales Mobile Animal Welfare Clinic, originally established by Aberconwy Branch. By establishing co-funding, it enables the Mobile Clinic to offer reduced-cost veterinary treatment to pets owned by individuals on means-tested benefits, pension and low income at Bangor, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Caernarfon in our area, together with Amlwch, Llangefni, Llandudno, Deeside and Wrexham across neighbouring Branches. This has become a lifeline for many pet owners in these areas. Cangen Gorllewin Gwynedd West Gwynedd Branch Website: **https://www.rspca.org.uk/local/west-gwynedd-branch/aboutus** facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rspca.westgwyneddbranch Towards the end of 2024, West Gwynedd Branch took the decision that merging was not the best way forward for us currently. A momentous decision was taken, that for the first time ever, we would employ someone - as a Volunteer and Engagement Co-ordinator – on a 1-year contract. The aim is to raise the profile of the RSPCA in Gwynedd and the animal welfare work done by RSPCA West Gwynedd Branch. Hopefully, this person will recruit volunteers, members and trustees for the Branch who are willing to actively contribute to the Branch’s animal welfare activities. This decision was not taken lightly, as we have always taken pride in the fact that we were an entirely volunteer-led Branch and spent all money raised directly on animal welfare. However, without new blood and with the few of us actively involved getting older, drastic measures were considered necessary. We are hopeful that with an enthusiastic recruit it will kick-start the Branch again. My thanks, as always, go to our Pwllheli shop volunteers, Freda, Alexandra, Raquel and Patricia, my fellow trustees, the Inspectorate team, RSPCA Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre staff & volunteers, the Mobile Clinic team and Carl Lloyd for his continued endeavours in getting us pet food supplies for the Foodbanks we support. If you think you can help us in any way please contact us via Facebook, at enquiries@rspcawestgwynedd.org.uk or by phone on 01248 671304. We will continue to do all that we can to support the animals and to prevent cruelty, promote kindness and alleviate suffering of all animals. Thank you – Diolch yn fawr iawn. ## Ann Rees ## RSPCA WEST GWYNEDD BRANCH Minutes of Annual General Meeting Held by Google Meet video conferencing Monday, 22[nd] April 2024 at 7:00 pm Those present at the meeting are listed on page 7. 1 Chairman's Welcome Ann Rees welcomed everyone to the meeting and said that despite the declining membership, the Branch committee strives to continue the work to help local animals and support our RSPCA Inspectors. Freda and Alexandra have continued to keep the Pwllheli shop open to bring in much-needed funds and Alun and herself take most of the phone calls from pet owners requiring assistance with vet bills and advice. The cost of living continues to impact on animal welfare, and we've seen an increase in demand for dog and cat foods and requests for help with flea and worm treatment and vaccinations. It is a sad reflection of our times when pet owners can't even afford to pay for the basic needs of their animals. Luckily, we are still supporting the North Wales RSPCA Mobile Clinic that makes weekly visits to Bangor, Caernarfon and Blaenau Ffestiniog and can direct callers there for basic welfare treatment for their pets. The demand on the mobile clinic is sometimes overwhelming with vets Jim and Llinos having to extend their hours on site. Fortunately, Branch Trustee Carl Lloyd has continued to source pet food that is approaching the date when shops aren't willing to offer it for sale. This year I nominated Carl for an RSPCA Impact Award under the Rescue and Care Category, and I was delighted when Carl won the category and was awarded a certificate, a trophy and an invitation for him and a guest to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. Carl has said he will take his Mum with him to achieve ”serious Brownie points”! It is a well-deserved recognition of Carl's endeavours allowing our Branch to supply dog and cat food regularly to 7 Foodbanks in our area as well as providing cat food for people supporting feral cat populations and cats in Branch care. In addition, the food is distributed across North Wales and transported to three depots in South Wales, making this a Wales-wide scheme. Since our last AGM we've lost 3 true supporters. Richard Williams from Bangor was a committee member for some years and a stalwart collector during fundraising events at Pets at Home and Tesco, Bangor. Then we learned of the death of fellow trustee Rhianon Jones of Rhos Isaf, Caernarfon. Known locally as “The Cat Lady” she had at one time, over 20 cats as everyone locally knew that if a cat needed a home Rhianon would always take it in. At the time of her death only one 19-year-old cat remained. Fortunately, RSPCA Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre was able to take her in. Our third loss was the death of our Pwllheli shop landlord and Branch supporter, Paul Brett who lost his fight against heart disease. Paul was an eminent guitarist who would donate guitars to sell at our shop and he and his partner Michelle, a former West End performer, have held fundraising shows locally to raise funds for the Branch. Richard, Rhianon and Paul will be missed. Demand has increased for financial assistance to pay vet bills by pet owners, resulting in as many as 20 incoming telephone calls a day. In April 2023 we held the first meeting of the six North Wales Branches to discuss the future of the RSPCA across the region. Branch trustees, as well as members, are diminishing putting more pressure onto fewer people. We will be having further meetings this year with one possibility being mergers of Branches and employment of staff. David and Pat Hibbert, long-standing committee members, moved from Bangor to Ruthin this year. Luckily, they've chosen to stay with our Branch, meaning we now have 4 trustees living in Denbighshire – thank goodness for Google Meet! My thanks to our Inspectorate team, RSPCA Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre staff and volunteers, the Mobile Clinic and Gavin and Donna our Branch Partnership Team for their support. As always, my thanks go to all our committee members for all that they do for this Branch. If you think you can help us in any way please contact us via Facebook, at enquiries@rspcawestgwynedd.org.uk or by phone on 01248 671304. We will continue to do all that we can to support the animals and to prevent cruelty, promote kindness and alleviate suffering of all animals. Thank you – Diolch yn fawr iawn. ## 2 Apologies received are listed on page 7. 3 Minutes of AGM 2023 These were proposed by Carl Lloyd, seconded by Griff Thomas and accepted by the meeting ## 4 There were no matters arising ## 5 Financial Report Alun commenced his report by saying the total incoming resources for 2023 amounted to £91,651 (2022 - £94,525). Expenditure for the year amounted to £110,736 (2022 - £92,444). The largest single source of income was £46,188 from the House-to-House collections organised throughout England and Wales by the national RSPCA. The second largest source was £21,393 from our shop run by our dedicated and unpaid small group of volunteers led by Freda and Alexandra. Our investment income came to £10,404 for the year, up from - 5 - £8,280 in 2022. A £5,000 grant for the all-Wales pet food scheme “Paws, People, Planet” was received from HQ. The largest single source of expenditure was the £63,013 cost of vet bills and the £20,000 contribution towards the costs of running the mobile clinic, kindly managed by RSPCA Aberconwy Branch, providing veterinary advice and treatment to animals that are unlikely to be taken to ordinary vet practices. Thanks to all those who have helped us achieve these results in such a cost-effective manner, largely due to their willingness to work unpaid and submit claims only for actual out-of-pocket expenditure. I would also like to thank Laura Adams of W.J. Matthews & Son who has examined our accounts meticulously for the last 3 years and now also submits our VAT returns to HMRC. Alun's report was proposed by Griff Thomas, seconded by Osian Richards and accepted by the meeting. ## 6 Adoption of Auditors Alun proposed that the examiners Matthews & Son be retained. This was seconded by Griff Thomas and accepted by the meeting. 7 Branch Annual Report Although the Covid pandemic is now, hopefully, behind us we still have a cost-of-living crisis, possibly a recession. This causes many problems and a massive increase in the calls we receive for financial help with vet bills due to these rising sharply We still provide free neutering of cats and kittens above 6 months old and an amount of £100 for neutering female dogs and £70 for males. The RSPCA runs a joint scheme with the Cat's Protection for neutering pet cats which includes microchipping and costs the owner £5. At the end of the year, you may be aware of the problems caused with XL Bully dogs. The Branch, in the person of Alun Rees, has been involved in the problems of administration and some funding of costs to help the owners of these dogs. We still received, and are grateful for, donations of pet food from Morrisons during the year and also from members of the public who bring it into our charity shop in Pwllheli. The Branch shop is still open and trying to increase the takings although being manned by an ever-decreasing number of volunteers. Thanks to the few who help there. Referring to the shop our landlord, Paul Brett, died on 31[st] January 2024. He was a great animal lover and with his partner, Michelle Breeze, supported the Branch and shop and organised various fund-raising events over the years. He will be greatly missed. We also lost two friends during 2023, these were Richard Williams and Rhianon Jones. Richard was a past committee member who still helped with fundraising, and Rhianon was still a committee member until the time of her death. When she moved back to Wales more than 40 years ago, she was already an RSPCA member. She joined the West Gwynedd Branch and was Secretary of the Branch for several years. We shall miss them both. During the year various collection boxes were emptied, £2,035.07; donations received, £5,013.15. £63,013.61 was spent on vet costs and £8,222.90 on boarding. We still have the RSPCA mobile clinic visiting Bangor, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Caernarfon each week. This is now so busy that appointments at most venues are being booked weeks in advance. Several cat traps were loaned to members of the public as needed and Ann and Alun are still involved with some handson catching of various types of animals. The Branch is still receiving pet food which is sourced and distributed to various Branches in Wales by Carl Lloyd, a West Gwynedd Branch Trustee. Carl recently received an award from HQ for the work he puts into this venture, The food is delivered to numerous food banks in our area mainly by Ann and Alun Rees, Because of the shortage of volunteers and trustees on the committees of Branches in North Wales the Branches have been discussing mergers with each other to find ways of solving these problems., Nothing has yet been agreed for West Gwynedd and meetings will continue during 2024. We assure our members that all decisions will be taken with the best interests of the Branch at the heart of them. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved with the Branch and also the Inspectorate and the Animal Centre for their work during the year. ## 8 Election of Committee A virtual ballot took place and as all the proposals received 50% of the vote the following were elected to the Branch Committee:- Rachele Follini David Hibbert Patricia Hibbert Freda Holme Alexandra Latham Alun Rees Ann Rees Osian Richards ## 9 Inspectorate Report Chief Inspector Leanne Hardy started by saying that avian flu was still prevalent during 2023 and was affecting support from vets, volunteers and wildlife hospitals. The year had seen changes in the numbers of inspectors due to retirement etc. The Inspectorate office has now moved to the Animal Centre at Bryn-y-Maen which Leanne considers a positive step. The year also saw the introduction of the Care Contribution Fund (CCF) which will provide a financial contribution - 6 - towards the first 90 days of care of Inspectorate-generated animals signed over to RSPCA Branches. She then gave details of various cases dealt with by the Inspectorate during the year. She ended by saying how much they appreciated the help and support they get from volunteers, local Branches and animal centres. ## 10 Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre Report As Vicky Williams, Centre Manager, was unable to attend, the report was given by Amy C Chambers, Animal Care Supervisor. She commenced by saying 2023 had been another year full of variety with both centre and national changes taking place. The demand for animal spaces reached an all-time high and the team of volunteers completed an amazing 3,024 hours with May being the highest. We continue to remain incredibly grateful to all our volunteers for their commitment in supporting the centre and animals in our care. 710 animals entered the centre during 2023, the highest number for many years. 336 animals found new homes, 37 dogs, 87 cats, 41 rabbits and 171 other species which included fish, guinea pigs and mice. She thanked the Friends of Bryn-y-Maen and North Wales Branches for their continued support. ## 11 Talk by Gavin Bevan, Senior Branch Partnership Manager - ## “The RSPCA and its response to the XL Bully Ban” Gavin gave details starting with the Dangerous Dogs Act and saying that the RSPCA is not in favour of banning specific breeds, it should be done by behaviour etc. Dog's Trust, Blue Cross and SSPCA agree with us. Part of the problem with XL Bully dogs is the type of person who originally wanted these dogs and trained them to be nasty. He gave details of the steps the owner has to go through with the police and then have the dog neutered and muzzled when out in public places, The RSPCA is helping with the cost of the neutering. ## 12 Closing remarks Ann thanked everyone for attending and reminded them of the Bryn-y-Maen Dog Show on 19[th] May. The meeting closed at 9.00pm ## ATTENDANCE Members (11) Rachele Follini David Hibbert Pat Hibbert Freda Holme Alexandra Latham Vicky Potter Alun Rees Ann Rees Osian Richards Griff Thomas Mandy Thomas Staff Kieren Barlow, RSPCA C&C Manager Gavin Bevan, Snr. BPM Amy Chambers, RSPCA Animal Care Supervisor Melanie Froude, RSPCA ARO Sophie Griffiths, BPM Leanne Hardy, RSPCA Chief Insp. Carl Lloyd, RSPCA Aberconwy Manager Donna Rogers, BPM Friends and Guests Jon Francis, RSPCA Conwy Mair Eluned Jones ## APOLOGIES RECEIVED Sally Hyman, RSPCA Llys Nini Vicky Williams, RSPCA Animal Centre Manager - 7 - TREASURER'S REPORT & PRESENTATION OF ACCOUKtS 2024 The total incoming resources for the yw amounted to £106J71 (2023: £91.651) wilh Trade debtors of £5.868 {2023: £3,885). Expcndiwre in the year amounied to £105.587 (2023: £110,736) and a growth of £3.385 (2023: a gromh of £22.088) in the value of investments with curreni li8bilitie5 of £6,622 (2023.. £1.977). The allocation of the two shares of the-House to House- collections organised by RSPCA HQ fell from from £46.188 in 2023 to £21.816 due to only 15hare Eeing allocated after 12 years since merging with RSPCA Meirionnydd Branch in 2011. The wofits gained from the use of professional canva55ers are shared 50..50 be￿¢en HQ and each of the Br8n¢h¢s in existen¢¢ ot the time of the ¢ollection. Our shop at Pwllheli produced a slight decrease in income £21.393 in 2023 ￿ £19,517 in 2024. The shop takings wcrc also enhanc￿ by £480 from sale of rags (included in the £19.517 figure al)ove) and the £683 in the ¢ollection box plus 25•A Gift Aid (not included in the £19,517 figure). The Gift Aid scheme brought a welcome grand total return from HMRC of £708 (2023.. £815). £12,000 was refijnded from RSPCA Cymru Board L8 it had not been requir¢d at th¢ time and rK>I all Branches contributed that year. A surprise legacy of significam size was rttetv¢d from the 18te Mr Kenneth Harris of Clwt-y-Boni. £30,000 was received from his solicitors in De¢ember 2024 with 3% being deducted by HQ for administrative costs, leaving us with £29,1 fy). Due to the complexities of the will and the need for property to be sold, the remainder of the lewy is nol ¢xpected to be received before Spring 2025. Our investments continued io grow in value from £190.737 in 2023 to £194,122 in 2024 as well as sli8hily increased incom¢ over the year from £10.404 ￿ £10.916. The cost of vei bills redu¢ed slightly to £60.645 from £63,839 in 2023. Our contribution to the runnin8 of the shared North Wales Mobile Clinic came (0 £26.448 compared ￿ £20.235 in 2023. Reserves Policy The Branch Reserves Policy remains unchanged fr(￿ that 8ivM in the Annual Report of1997. This is to maintain a level of financial reserves th￿ will enable Ihc Branch to ertsure continuity of activities providing animal welfare 5UPPOrt and the ability ￿ adjusi in a measured way. to any 5ignificanl change in resources. Reserves are th05e fvnd5 which are freely available for genernl purposes and ore uncommitted. The trustees hav¢ ¢stsbli5hed a polity of holding reserves of unrestricted fvnds equivalent to two to Ihree years, ¢xpenditUTe. Based on our current expendinwe of £105,587 and lotal unrestricted balance (including income-geneming Inv¢5Un¢n￿) of £322,662 in the invesimeni and general fund& we have just over 3.0 years of reserve capital. though with projected yearvon-year increases in spending and the sub5tsnlial planned costs of supporting the mobil¢ ¢lini¢. this figure is closer 10 2.5 years. This policy therefove conforms to the regulations of expendabl¢ endowm¢nl in paragraph 16 of the Charity COMMI￿10n,$ guide to Charities. Reserve5 {CC19). namely: ..many charities wilh an expendable endowmeni depend on the income it produces to fwid core or ¢onlinuing a￿l￿tIes. EX￿￿Ing any of the endowment itself would reduce ihe income from it and might jeopardi5e some of those activiiies. The chariry would then either have to increase its income from other sourc¢s. or have to cut back its activities. The endowmerti cannot be regarded as free funds if a charity h85 that degree of dependence on income from it." This policy is subject to half-yearly review. Investment Policy On 31" D¢¢ember 2024 61% of our invesied fvnds ivere held in selected equitie4 bonds and gilts. no more than 8Yo in curreni accounts. and the 3 Iyo balance in fixed in*rest notice accounrfs). Future Plans Our major plan for the coming year is the continuation of the mobile clinic Service in Bangor. Blaenau and Caernarfon with the additional costs of the hub and clinic manager. An additional 2 vets now provide resilience and even fhe opportunity of exiending the current 3-day service to 4 or even 5 days. The costs io our Branch are expecied to be £55.000 per annum. plus an estimated £5,000 for additional referrals to veierinary practices in our area. In 2022 the North Wales collabordtion to distribute pet food approaching end of shelf-life lo animal rescues and pet owners on limited finances via food banks came to r¢alis81ion. The management of ihe logisti¢s involved rentsl of a warehouse facility in Mochdre. In 2024 we moved to a more accessible unit at Mochdre. The use of the mobil¢ ¢linic for delivery lo Blaenau Ffesiiniog> Bangor & Caernarfon in our Branch ensures no extra joumeys. Local volunteers then redistribu* it directly to foOdbar￿5 in Bangor. Bethesda. Blaenau Ffestinio& Caernarfon & Pwllheli Cats Protection withdrew their collaborative scheme wilh RSPCA in Wales. Our own freelsubsidised cat-neuteringscheme is available at all the vet practices in Gwyn¢dd. W¢ also run our own contributions lo subsidised neutering cosis of £70 per dog and £100 per bitch. Both schemes are subject to the ownerfs) being on means-l¢sted benefits or low income, or for rehomed feral and stray cats, and available while funds last. li 15 our intention lo continue to help in the payment of veterinary bills to owners on low income and un-owned animals and on requesL assistance with boardingl treatment of RSPCA Itisp¢clora* animals where no other funding is available. In December 2024. 5 of the North Wales Branches collaborated in employing an almoner for dealin8 with phone-calls and issuing vouchers to v¢t praciices. Heavily funded by Ehe legacy from Mr Kenneth Ha￿14 we are exploring ¢mploying a C￿ordinal0r for volunteer& members and fund-rising. We are continuing to investigate the prospect of more of the current RSPCA Branches in North Wales merging ￿ fomi one or more super-Branches. So far. RSPCA Abe￿onwY. RSPCA Wrexham Disiriet & Deeside. and RSPCA Montgomery and Radnorshire hav¢ merged under the name "RSPCA Aberconwy. Montgomeryshire & Wrexham Branch". RSPCA Ynys Mon and RSPCA West Gwynedd are at ihe early stages of discussing a merger. Alun T Rees Hon Branch Treasurer RSPCA WEST GWYNEDD BRANCH REGISTERED cHAR￿y NUMBER: 226126 RECEIIYS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUI FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 W J MATTHEWS & SON CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS 10 Imdependeht Examlntn, Rtport tts the MemberJ of RSPCA Wut Cwymedd Br*ncb I report to the trustee50n my exarninaiioTr of the accounts ofRSPCA West Gwyn¢dd Branth r(r the year ¢nd¢d 3 1st D￿eMber 2024, which are set on pages 12-14. Responsibilffitlu iTrd b*$ls of rwrt As the Charity trusttts you are resFKJnsibk for the of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Chariiies Aci 2011 ('the Aa.). I re￿r[ in respwt of my ¢x¥min¥iion of the Tn￿.5 accounts carried out under se￿10M 145 of the 2011 Aci and in carrying oui my examinaiion. I have folk)wed all the appli￿ble Directions 8iv¢n by the Chariry Commission under sedion 14515Xbl of the ?01 l Act. Indeptndtnf ex*Mlner'5 Stalemtnf I have comple￿ my exarnination. l th•t no M•￿11 m**rs hve come w my attention in cothnedion with ¢h¢ uarninalion whith 8ive5 me cause kn bdieve that in, any material re5p¢c¢: the I￿Ou￿(ln8 records were kept in aCL¥1rdm￿ with xciion 130 of the Ch•riiies A¢L or th¢ a¢¢ounts did noi accord with the accouniin8 retsjrds: the accounts did noi comply with the applietble requirernents ¢on¢ernin8 the fomi and ¢l￿tent of ￿counts ser in the Charities IA¢¢ounlS and Repons) Re8ulaiions 21108 other than •ny requiremeni that ihe accounts give *'lrue fair. view which is noi i m￿r cottsidered zs Part oran independeni examin•ti¢ffi. I h8ve no con¢¢ms have come Kross no other mattets in eonnertion with the exaMin￿10n to whieh tteniion Should be drawn in this report in onler to enabl¢ 4 proper undeNanding of the accounts to b¢ reKhed. Davld Chldley W. J. Mitthews & SoTr Chartered Accounf*ttts I I-IS Bridge &retL Caern*rfoD, Gwynedd. DAt¢d: ?2 /oy/)o25 RSPCA WEST GWYNEDD BRANCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ET4DED 315t DECEMBER 21124 Gen¢rAI D¢signot¢d Re5¢ri¢t¢d 2024 2023 Income: tX8QCL¢Y Regio￿11 Boatd re-imbursement Memb¢rship sub5c¥ipi¢ons Grants frorn HQ Froni Volts￿0ry &Jur¢ts Sundry don&i¢ons Gift aid 30.000 iiooo 129 4,023 30.000 12.000 129 4.323 148 5.1100 1.002 708 21.816 1.002 708 21.816 820 815 46,188 I￿ll$t ¢olltL*iotys 09.978 32.971 lllvutmenl In¢om¢'. Investh)eni income (Gr055) C￿1￿8 in ofcu¢nov¢ irtv¢Am¢nt 1336 13.260 10.41M 1.23$ 13.260 11.639 Ch*rlt*ble Tr•dlAg A¢tfvltlu: Do8 ¢olleeiion b)%e$ Charity Shop thkln8S VAT re￿nd 919 19.517 2,697 919 19.517 2,697 2,035 21.3S13 3,613 23,133 27.041 £106.071 £Joo EIOI371 £91,651 Dln¢t Cbirli•ble Eipendlturt: Coniribulion ￿ HQ Donailons Vcl¢rinary ¢os Adminiswaliv¢ fees Boarding Chariiy Shop ttni Charlty Shop heal gnd lighi Chariiy Shop tradc r¢fus¢ Shored almoncr scrvi¢¢ Mobilc Clinic s¢rvi¢c Mobile Clinic Telcpl RODM hlre Comi¢ Reliefofflcer's Trnv¢l Comi¢ R¢li¢fsiorthie uthli rethiol Support ￿ food bank InsuThn¢¢ SSI 26 36.067 900 1.380 9,880 748 SSI 26 60.645 900 1.580 9,880 748 5Jl 24.578 63.839 9,880 747 328 1.735 1.735 26.448 317 123 16,448 317 20,235 318 123 1.452 2.220 6.543 1,184 109,409 302 302 829 104,084 829 Other exptndllure: PostsBe and siaiioii¢ry Acwunian¢y R¢ppirs JAd Equipmeni ConJurn4bles 107 846 305 245 107 846 305 245 123 810 394 1,50J 1,327 Total payments £53,942 £51.343 £302 £105,587 £110,736 N¢1 iN¢ome I (¢xpertditu￿) fut Ihe year 52.129 (51,3431 19,0851 Tr4nsf¢rs between funds 15134SI SIJ43 Cth And bank bil#hccJ At 3111 Lknmber 2023 67,818 55.0Th) 122.818 141.903 A¢ 3111 December 2024 £68,602 £55,0(M) £123.602 £122.81¥ 12 RSPCA WEsf GWYNEDD BRANCH STATEME￿ OF ASSETS AND LIABILrri&s 31st DECEMBER 21124 2024 2023 Investtnents: SUTL Cgzenove Tharity Equity Value Fund A Incw¢ M&G Tharifiu 60,897 133225 60.897 129.840 £194.122 £190,737 BaDk and cash ￿lan￿5. Bank Deposit Investsneni A¢cou Bank Deposit Account Bank Curreni Acwunt PayPal Account Cash float 73.432 25.002 24.993 100 75 83,432 38.469 75 Totsl £123,6Q2 £121818 Gener￿ fitnds tksignated funds Restri¢red funds 68.602 55,0 67.818 55.000 £123,602 £122.818 Dob¢ors." Trade debfofs Legacics 5,868 135,(KJO £140J67 £3.885 Current Liabilities: Trad¢ cr¢ditws and awuals £6.622 £1.9ri Approved by ¢h¢ Br•n¢h CoMMit*¢¢ on ............... Dr. A. T. Rees HoThornry Treasurer .. xmd Si￿ed by 13 ILSPCA WE￿ GWYNEDD BRANCH ACCOUNTING POLICIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2•24 Restrlcted Funds During the ye4r the branth received a from h¢•4quartUs of £300 to supwl food banks with pet food. The totsl c05t VAS more than the grant rtteived and the additional arnount was fvThJed fiDm the general reserve. Deslgn•t¢d Funds A balance of £25,0￿1 was brou8ht forward from 2023 rri relation ￿ the ¢ai and do8 free neutering schetne. A total of £24.578 was spent during the year endin8 31 December 2024 leaving a bajance of £422. The Committee agrttd up this fEgure to give a balantt of £25,000 ￿ the year end. Of the £25.000. the membu5 of the committee have agre•J that £5JM)O of thts is kn be used for a fann cat neutering scheme in Dol8ellau. A sum of £30.000 had been dcsi8nated ￿ subsidise a mobile clinic rKovidinB ve*rinary seryi¢es and dvi¢e ￿ per owners in the Bangor. Caernarfon and Blaen•u Ffestinio8 ar￿. Thc balancc in the fund ar 31 December 2023 Th￿£30.000. A total of £26,765 was spenidurin8theyear ending 31 December 2024 leaving a balance of £3,235. The Committee agreed ￿ top up thi5 figure to give 4 balance of £30,000 the year end. Investments Th¢ investsnents are swed &markttvalve. No tntstees received any in the year. {20b-MLI Reimbursements m#de to trustees were as follows 2024 Cost No of trustees 2023 Cosi No of trustees Trav¢1 ¢05ts reimbursed Nil 14 RSPCA WEST GI*VNEDD BRANCJI SECREtARYS REPORT 2024 As you are all aware the cO￿-Of-llwIng increases have ¢aused many O)lems for people, especially those on low incomes and who have pcls. Apart fTom the rise in the price of food for them. the c05t of vet treatment ha5 increased drastically. This rneans that we are reeeiving far more calls for financial help with vet bills and requests for help with pet fo￿￿. At present we still have the rnoney to help with the bills and continue to supply 7 foLhJ banks in our area with both cat and do8 f(K)d. Pei food which is approaching its besi-befere date. is sourced by Carl Lloyd- a West Gwynedd Br8￿h Truslee. Shop5 are not allowed io sell such f¢)od Ewond this da*. so il woiild nonnally end up in land fill or incinerated. Ann and Alun Rees regularly deliver this to the food banks within the Branch are We still receive pei r￿d from Morrison's Caemarfon and cusiomers bringing il into the Pwllheli shop. Freshfields Animal Charity in Nebo a150 dona* some cat food pl￿5 dog focrfl given to th¢m even though they no longer rehome dogs ihere. During the yeftr we received £14215 in donation4 £918 from collection boxes and £29.100 as an interim payment from a lar8¢r legacy from th¢ lal¢ Mr K. Harri5. The Pwllheli shop is siill providing m￿￿-needed funds. bui this has reduced ovcr thc past few y¢ors, partly due lo cuswmerf shortage of money. Due to the m8ssivc increas¢ in the number of vouchers issued by the Brnnch li was d¢¢ided to join with Aberconwy Branch, (now merg¢d with Wrexham and Montgomery Radnorshire Brnn¢hes ) and Ynys Mon Branch io employ an Almoner, initiAlly on a yeaes witraci to deal with these. Since she commenced in December 2024 it appears to be successful and certainly means that our comminee membets who previously deali with ih¢5e calls, now hav¢ more time lo deal with other Branch mallers. As mentioned a( our AGM14si year we were considerin8 merging with othcr N. Wales BrarKhes l)ut have decided co g￿lt-￿l0ne and try to rnise the profile of the Branch and increase volun*ers and tn￿teeS by soon adverti5in8 for a Volunteer Recruitment Cl￿rdInat0r. on a 12-month contraci. We still have problems with feral cats in our area and cai irap5 or¢ loaned oui to the public who trap their ferals and we pay for ihe neuierin& They are ihen returned to where they came from. At￿ and Alun Rees also do lots of cat trapping when ihere are larger colonies of fernl and stray Cats and range far afield between Harlech and Bal8 in ihe south of our area and Caernarfon and Bangor al￿ in th¢ north. Ann and Alun Recs were still receiving Calls from owners of XL Bullies even though th¢ dwiline for registering these had al￿adY passed. These owners were advised ￿ conlact the Dog Liaison Officer with the Police. The problems were mainly because owners were not aware of the rnles and regulations as the relevant departments had poorly advertised it. The RSPCA and other charitie5 had done their bes¢ lo give berter infomlaiion. The RSPCA mobile Clinic is slill going lo Bangor. Blaenau Ffesiiniog and Caernarfon within our area and is busier ihan ever. This gives a MUC￿￿e¢ded subsidised service ￿ local animals and their owners. Most of the animal welfare done by the RSPCA is now cover¢d by volunteers in the Branches who do this in their'spare iime.- Thanks as always to ail our volunieers and the Irtspectorate and the Bryn&y-M&en Animal Centre for all that they do to make the life of animals better. 15 ## RSPCA BRYN-Y-MAEN ANIMAL CENTRE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT 2024 was a successful year for the centre with new employees and volunteers joining the team. We developed new working relationships with our colleagues at Manchester Animal Hospital and Stockport Rehoming Centre to best support our intake and rehoming opportunities for cats. Our cattery outruns experienced refurbishments, and the first double kennel was created, by joining two previous kennels into one and incorporating a hide space within it. The completed works have successfully supported the animals during their stays. We look forward to seeing further improvements around the centre soon. We welcomed Bonnie Jones into her Deputy Manager role, Siwan Brown and Ryan Cassar into Animal Care Assistant roles. Jodie Parfitt and Alicia Jones secured permanent Animal Care positions after joining the team in 2023 as apprentices. Hope Hover transferred into an Animal Rescue Officer role locally, we look forward to continuing to work with Hope. Our incredible team of volunteers committed over 2400 hours to supporting the centre, many of whom have now completed over six years with us. We welcomed eight new volunteers all are now completing weekly sessions within our Cattery and Small Animal Unit. Our local Openreach team have committed to supporting the centre with corporate volunteering days with five team members completing three full days already. Their focus has been supporting groundwork activities, and we look forward to expanding this opportunity further in the year ahead. We are incredibly grateful to the time and energy our volunteers continue to contribute to the centre and animals within our care. A total of 334 animals entered our care including 79 Dogs, 126 Cats, 39 Rabbits, 3 Chickens, 12 Guinea Pigs, 8 Small Animals, 67 Fish. We supported animals from across the country including increase in the networking of case and long-stay animals from regional centres to best support individual animals’ welfare and rehoming opportunities. A total 297 animals moved into adoptive homes including 42 Dogs , 123 Cats, 35 Rabbits, 3 Chickens , 12 Guinea Pigs, 15 Small Animals, 67 Fish. The team receives regular updates from our adopters and these happy ending stories are promoted through our social media channels. Our Friends of Bryn-y-Maen Dog Show raised over £3800 which is our highest recorded profit. Thank you to our Branch colleagues who supported us on the day and our Friends Committee who continue to make the Friends Group possible. We look forward to another successful **Dog Show on 18th May 2025** , we hope you can join us. Thank you to all our Branch colleagues who continue to enhance the lives of animals within North Wales and beyond. Thank you to Friends of Bryn-y-Maen and the North Wales Branches teams for your continued support and engagement during 2024. Your commitment and support to raise the profile and support the work of the centre and continue to improve the lives of animals is much appreciated. **Kind Regards** **Vicky Williams Centre Manager Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre** - 16 - ## North Wales RSPCA Inspectorate ANNUAL REPORT 2024 ## **Year in summary** 2024 was a very busy year indeed! Staff numbers dwindled further when Inspector Andy Broadbent left the Society to pursue a career in the clergy, however we gained four new AROs on the second and third training courses of the year. AROs Beth Newis, Hope Hover, Julia Dalgliesh and Seb Fabian joined the team covering both East and West sides of the group and into the Merseyside and Cheshire group. Inspector Jenny Anderton returned from maternity leave. North Wales now consists of two inspectors (one part time) and 6 full time AROs. Much of the second half of 2024 was focussed on field training the new staff and ensuring they are equipped sufficiently. Due to changes in our scope of service it has been challenging to keep the volunteers engaged, however Lyn Hughes based near Bryn-y-Maen has been kept busy. This is mainly due to her location and her ability to travel distances such as Stapeley Wildlife Hospital and beyond. The help and support volunteers provide is crucial to enabling the team to dedicate more time to animals most in need, the cruelty investigation work. We have continued to build good relationships with the team at the animal centre and have worked together on several projects throughout the year, including the annual dog show. In 2024, North Wales officers, which for the majority of the year consisted of 2 inspectors and 2 AROS, dealt with a total of 1,159 jobs. 140 of these were about intentional harm caused to animals, 208 were regarding animals left unattended and 556 were regarding neglect. The remaining work undertaken was the rescue and/or collection of trapped/abandoned/sick or injured wildlife or domesticated animals and birds. In addition, the team provided support for their colleagues over the border in Merseyside and Cheshire, adding to the overall figures by about 24%. ## **Court results** A man from Llanfairfechan was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to his daughter’s French bulldog by kicking and beating it so hard he broke one of its legs, which later had to be amputated. The male was given 9 months imprisonment which was suspended for a period of 12 months with the following requirements:- 1. 6-month Drug Rehabilitation Requirement. 2. Rehabilitation Activity Requirement of 15 days and 3. Program Requirement - 35 sessions. He was also given 28 days consecutive for a breach of bail which was suspended for 12 months. He was disqualified from keeping a dog under Section 34 for 3 years. No order for costs or compensation was made given his financial circumstances. A male from Mold pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a Jack Russell cross dog by throwing it in the air, causing a skull fracture and brain injury when the dog landed on concrete. Sadly, the dog was later put to sleep at the vets due to its injuries. The male was sentenced to 12 months community order, 180 hours unpaid work and 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. He was disqualified from keeping all animals for 6 years. Legal costs of £1,381.20 and Victim Surcharge of £114 were awarded. - 17 - ## **Other items of note** 2024 saw an opportunity to finally look at partnership work with the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service. It has been many years since we have been able to get them round the table. This will hopefully move forward in 2025. Partnership working is a key aspect of the organisational strategy and North Wales officers work hard at ensuring our network of partners are engaged and kept up to date with our scope of service. As always, the team and I would like to thank the Branches, volunteers and animal centre staff for their unwavering support. **Chief Inspector Leanne Hardy 783 North Wales Inspectorate RSPCA Cymru** - 18 -