CANGEN GORLLEWIN GWYNEDD WEST GWYNEDD BRANCH ADRODDIAD BLYNYDDOL 2025 ANNUAL REPORT Elusen Gofrestredig Rhif 226126 Registered Charity No ## WEST GWYNEDD ANNUAL REPORT 2025 ## INDEX ||Page| |---|---| |Notice of Meeting and list of officers|1| |Agenda|2| |Letter from the Chairman|3| |Minutes of AGM 2025|5| |Treasurer's Report|9| |Financial Accounts|12| |Secretary’s Report|17| |Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre Report|18| |Inspectorate Report|19| ## NOTICE OF BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2025 ## March 2026 Dear Member, You are invited to attend the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Branch which is to be held on **Monday 13[th] April 2026 at 7 p.m.** by Google Meet. To join the video meeting, use this link: https://meet.google.com/jmc-fbty-oej To join by phone instead, dial (GB) +44 20 3956 2177 and enter this PIN: 211 879 720# More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/jmc-fbty-oej?pin=4360036757525 Mrs Freda Holme; Hon. Branch Secretary Tel. 07900 597891 freda.holme@rspcawestgwynedd.org.uk _Arfaes_ , Llwyndyrys, Y Ffôr, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, LL53 6NG ## HONORARY OFFICERS President – Robert Eaglestone Chairman – Ann Rees Treasurer – Alun Rees Regional Board Representative - Alun Rees Deputy Regional Board Representative – Carl Lloyd Friends of Bryn-y-Maen Representative - Freda Holme Vice President – Margaret Eaglestone Secretary – Freda Holme ## ELECTED COMMITTEE/TRUSTEES Rachele Follini David Hibbert Freda Holme Mair Jones Alun Rees Ann Rees Patricia Hibbert Alexandra Latham Osian Richards ## CO-OPTED COMMITTEE/TRUSTEES Carl Lloyd ## STAFF Donna Rogers, Branch Partnership Manager ## **ACTION LINE – 0300 1234 999** - 1 - ## ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING To be held by Google Meet video conference 7pm Monday, 13[th] April 2026 ## AGENDA - 1 Opening Address and Chairman's welcome - 2 Apologies for absence - 3 Approval of minutes of AGM 2025 - 4 Matters arising - 5 Financial Report - 6 Adoption of Auditors - 7 Branch Annual Report - 8 Election of Committee - 9 Inspectorate Report - 10 RSPCA Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre Report - 11 Talk by Dan Rose, Clwyd Badger Group - **“Protecting Badgers in North Wales”** - 12 Closing Remarks - 2 - ## **RSPCA West Gwynedd Branch** 6 Tan y Buarth, Bethel, CAERNARFON, LL55 1UP Tel: 01248 671304 **https://www.rspca.org.uk/local/west-gwynedd-branch** Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig 226126 Registered Charity No. ## April 2026 Dear Fellow Members, Friends and Supporters, Welcome to RSPCA West Gwynedd’s Annual Report. 2025 was another busy year for the Branch as we strive to continue our work to help local animals and support our RSPCA Inspectors. In last year’s annual report, I said that our Branch had decided to employ a Volunteer and Engagement Co-ordinator on a 1-year contract to raise the profile of the RSPCA in Gwynedd and the animal welfare work done by the Branch. On January 1[st] this year, Luned Hughes started working for us and has brought with her a boost of refreshing enthusiasm. Luned speaks Welsh, which is important to promote our work in Gwynedd, where 64.4% of the population speak Welsh (2021 census) with some local communities having over 80% of their population being Welsh speakers. The RSPCA appears to have a reputation locally for being an English organisation and despite existing as a Branch here since 1877, it has been difficult to change attitudes. Hopefully, with Luned being able to give talks in both English and Welsh, as well as having a bilingual website and social media sites, it will encourage more local people to get involved. Luned has already started recruiting volunteers and getting involved with local groups and organisations and we are very glad to have her on board. Another major decision taken by the Branch in 2025 was to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). Whilst essentially remaining the same charity, incorporation means that there is Liability Protection: Trustees are not personally liable for the charity's debts or liabilities. It has always been difficult to find new trustees because of the personal liability responsibilities, and it is hoped that by doing this we may attract more trustees in the future. In addition, as a corporate body, the CIO can enter contracts, employ staff, and own assets in its own name. - ## **RSPCA West Gwynedd Branch** 6 Tan y Buarth, Bethel, CAERNARFON, LL55 1UP Tel: 01248 671304 **https://www.rspca.org.uk/local/west-gwynedd-branch** Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig 226126 Registered Charity No. With this CIO decision being made, we have also taken the decision that we will use RSPCA Gwynedd as a “working name” for our fundraising activities and Pwllheli shop rebranding. We took this decision as we think this is a truer reflection of the geographical area we cover as a branch. We’ve continued to do everything feasible to help animal welfare in Gwynedd. Increasing veterinary costs have meant pet owners having to make some very difficult decisions. With more modern facilities, equipment and expertise, vets can now offer far more treatment options, which unfortunately come at a cost. So many pets remain uninsured and our funds don’t allow us to offer substantial amounts of help. Having said that, we spent over £65,000 on helping with vet costs last year. We continue to help funding the operation of the North Wales Mobile Animal Welfare Clinic to visit Bangor, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Caernarfon weekly in our area and we still deliver donated pet food regularly to 6 Gwynedd Foodbanks. My thanks, as always, go to our Pwllheli shop volunteers, Freda, Alexandra, Pat and Raquel, my fellow trustees, the Inspectorate team, RSPCA Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre staff & volunteers and the Mobile Clinic team and our shared Branch Almoner Kelly . 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 via Google Meet Video Conference, Monday, 28[th] April 2025 Those present at the meeting are listed on page 8. 1 Chairman's Welcome Ann welcomed everyone to the meeting and then said that 2024 was the bicentenary of the establishment of the RSPCA as an animal welfare charity. She said that in those 200 years much had been done to improve the lives of animals in homes, labs, farms and wildlife and to change more than 400 laws in England and Wales. Animals are, however, still facing ever-increasing challenges and we risk the prospect of their lives getting worse not better. The National RSPCA introduced the “For Every Kind” campaign with the aim of getting **everyone** involved in the welfare of **all** animals. They introduced a new branding and logo which was hoped would attract the younger generation. An RSPCA Branch has existed in West Gwynedd, starting in Bangor, since 1877 and became known as RSPCA West Gwynedd Branch in 1973. We face declining membership and are failing to recruit new trustees and active volunteers. During 2024 we held meetings with other Branches across North Wales with a view to merging. We already collaborate to fund the operation of a mobile clinic which provides reduced-cost veterinary treatment to pets whose owners are on means-tested benefits, pension or low income. Towards the end of 2024 we decided that merging was not the way forward for West Gwynedd at present. We agreed that, for the first time ever, we would employ someone as a Volunteer and Engagement Co-ordinator on a 1-year contract. Hopefully this person will recruit volunteers, members and trustees for the Branch who are willing to actively contribute to our animal welfare activities. It was a difficult decision to make as we have always taken pride in that we were an entirely volunteer-led Branch that spent all its money on animal welfare. Without new blood and with less of us actively involved, due to age restrictions, drastic measures were deemed necessary to kick-start the Branch again. Thanks as always to our Pwllheli shop volunteers, my fellow trustees, the Inspectorate, Animal Centre staff & volunteers, the mobile clinic team and Carl Lloyd for his continued efforts in obtaining pet food to enable us to supply local food banks. ## 2 Apologies received are listed on page 8. 3 Approval of minutes of AGM 2025 These were proposed by Griff Thomas, seconded by Alun Rees, agreed unanimously and there were no abstentions. ## 4 There were no matters arising ## 5 Financial Report Alun commenced his report and said incoming resources for the year amounted to £106,371 with Trade debtors of £5,868 and expenditure was £105, 587. There was a growth of £3,385 in the value of investments with current liabilities of £6,622. The allocation of “House to House” collections organised by RSPCA HQ fell to £21,816 as only one share was allocated after 12 years receiving two shares following our merger with Meirionnydd Branch in 2011. - 5 - Our shop in Pwllheli produced a slight decrease in income to £19,517. £12,000 was refunded from RSPCA Cymru Board as it had not been required and not all Branches had contributed. A surprise legacy of significant size was received from the late Mr Kenneth Harris of Clwt-yBont. £30,000 was received in December 2024 with 3% being deducted by HQ for administrative costs, leaving us with £29,100. Due to the complexities of the will and the need for a property to be sold, the remainder of the legacy is not expected before Spring 2025. Our investments continued to grow in value to £294,122. The cost of vet bills reduced slightly to £60,645 and our contribution to the running costs of the shared North Wales Mobile Clinic rose to £26,448. Alun then gave details of our Reserves Policy, Investment Policy and Future Plans. The report was then proposed by Freda Holme, seconded by Griff Thomas, agreed unanimously and there were no abstentions. ## 6 Adoption of Auditors Alun proposed that the Auditors W. J. Matthews and Son be retained. This was seconded by Griff Thomas, agreed unanimously and there were no abstentions. ## 7 Branch Annual Report Freda commenced by saying that everyone was aware of the cost-of-living increases which have caused many problems for people especially those on low incomes who have pets. Apart from the rise in the price of food for them the cost of vet treatment has increased drastically. This means that we are receiving far more calls for financial help with vet bills and requests for help with pet food. At present we still have money to help with the bills and continue to supply 7 food banks in our area with both cat and dog food. Pet food, sourced by Carl Lloyd who is a West Gwynedd Branch Trustee, is nearly-out-of-date food that shops are not allowed to sell, and it would normally end up as land fill. Ann and Alun regularly deliver this to the food banks in our area. We still receive food from Morrison's, Caernarfon, customers bringing it into our Pwllheli shop and now from Freshfields Animal Charity in Nebo. During the year we received £14,215 in donations, £918 from collection boxes and £29,100 as an interim payment from a larger legacy from the late Mr K. Harris. The Pwllheli shop is still providing much-needed funds, but this has reduced over the last few years, partly due to customers' shortage of money. Due to the massive increase in the number of vouchers issued by the Branch it was decided to join with other N. Wales Branches to employ an Almoner, initially on a 1-year contract, to deal with these. Since she commenced in December 2024 it appears to be successful and means that our committee members who dealt with these calls now have more time to deal with other Branch items. As mentioned at our AGM last year we were considering merging with other N. Wales Branches but have decided to go-it-alone and try to raise the profile of the Branch and increase volunteers and trustees by advertising for a Volunteer Recruitment Co-ordinator on a 12-month contract. We still have problems with feral cats in our area and cat traps are loaned to the public who trap their ferals, we pay for neutering and they are then returned to where they came from. Ann and Alun also do lots of trapping where there are large colonies of feral cats and range far afield between Harlech, in the south of our area, and Caernarfon and Bangor in the north. Ann and Alun were still receiving calls from owners of XL Bullies even though the deadline - 6 - for registering these has already passed. These owners were advised to contact the Dog Liaison Officer with the Police. The problems were mainly because owners were not aware of the rules and regulations as it had been poorly advertised by the relevant departments, The RSPCA and other charities had done their best to give better information. The RSPCA mobile clinic is still going to Bangor, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Caernarfon and is busier than ever. It gives a much-needed service to local animals. Most of the animal welfare done by the RSPCA is now covered by Branch volunteers who do this in their “spare time”. Thanks as always to our volunteers, the Inspectorate and the Bryn-y-Maen animal centre for all they do to improve the life of animals. The report was proposed by Alun Rees, seconded by Griff Thomas, agreed unanimously and there were no abstentions. ## 8 Election of Committee A virtual ballot took place and as all the proposals received at least 50% of the vote the following were elected to the Branch committee:- David Hibbert Patricia Hibbert Freda Holme Mair Jones Alexandra Latham Alun Rees Ann Rees Osian Richards ## 9 Inspectorate Report. Chief Insp. Leanne Hardy said 2024 had been a very busy year. Staff numbers had dwindled further when Insp. Andy Broadbent left to pursue a career in the clergy. 4 new AROs were gained and one inspector returned from maternity leave. It had been challenging to keep our volunteers engaged but Lyn Hughes based near Bryn-yMaen has been kept busy travelling to Stapeley Wildlife Hospital and beyond. The Inspectorate has continued to build a good relationship with the team at the animal centre, and they have worked together on several projects during the year. She then gave details of some court cases and ended by saying that 2024 brought an opportunity to work in partnership with the N. Wales Fire and Rescue Service. She thanked the Branches, volunteers and animal centres for their unwavering support. ## 10 Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre Report The report was given by Amy Chambers who said 2024 had been a successful year for the centre with new employees and volunteers joining the team. New working relationships were developed with Manchester Animal Hospital and Stockport Rehoming Centre. The cattery and kennels received some refurbishment, and they are looking forward to further improvements at the centre. The volunteers committed over 2,400 hours to supporting the centre and we thank them for this. A total of 334 animals were taken into care including some from other parts of the country. 297 animals were rehomed and the centre receives regular updates from the adopters. The Friends of Bryn-y-Maen Dog Show raised over £3,800 and we thank our Branches who supported us on the day. Thanks to the Friends of Bryn-y-Maen and N. Wales Branches for their continued support and engagement during 2024. - 7 - ## 11 Talk by Claire Blakey, RSPCA Education Dept Ann introduced Claire and said she has been with the RSPCA for almost 14 years working in the education dept. Her background is within the Criminal Justice System where she worked for the Probation Service for many years. Claire has a particular interest in children, young people and adults who cause harm to animals and is currently the Senior Prevention Manager, managing the national RSPCA prevention and education team, which includes all national tier 1 activities (website, PEP) as well as the tier 2/3 work. Tonight, Claire will be concentrating mainly on Tier 2 (Help & Support) and Tier 3 (Intervene & Resolve). Claire gave a detailed talk on what her job entailed some of which included helping an animal to stay in the home, providing alternatives to prosecution, supporting children and young people who harm animals, working with schools. Sally Hyman gave various suggestions regarding the Welsh language and said she has some Power Point items in Welsh. Carl Lloyd said volunteers and Branches may be interested in working with Claire's team. Claire said they are working with Edinburgh University to check the efficiency of what they do. Claire then left the meeting. ## 12 Closing remarks Ann thanked everyone for attending the AGM. The meeting closed at 8.35pm. ## ATTENDANCE Members (9) Freda Holme David Hibbert Pat Hibbert Mair Jones Alexandra Latham Alun Rees Ann Rees Griff Thomas Mandy Thomas ## Staff & Friends Gavin Bevan, RSPCA Operations Manager for Risk Policy and Projects Claire Blakey, RSPCA Senior Prevention Manager and Guest Speaker Amy Chambers, RSPCA Bryn-y-Maen Animal Care Supervisor Rachele Follini, RSPCA West Gwynedd Branch Leanne Hardy, RSPCA Chief Inspector Donna Hutton, RSPCA Wales Board Representative Sally Hyman, RSPCA Llys Nini, Carl Lloyd, Aberconwy, Montgomery and Wrexham Branch Donna Rogers, Branch Support Manager ## APOLOGIES RECEIVED Mary Chipperfield Margaret Eaglestone Robert Eaglestone Catherine Head Lyn Williams Vicky Williams, RSPCA Animal Centre Manager - 8 - ## TREASURER’S REPORT & PRESENTATION OF ACCOUNTS 2025 The total incoming resources for the year amounted to £252,949 (2024: £106,371) with Trade debtors of £7,161 (2024: £5,868). Expenditure in the year amounted to £140,214 (2024: £105,587) and a growth of £23,085 (2024: a growth of £3,385) in the value of investments with current liabilities of £4,274 (2024: £6,622). The allocation of the share of the “House to House” collections organised by RSPCA HQ fell from £21,816 in 2024 to £20,519 in 2025 due to the continued fall-off of the donors. The profits gained from the use of professional canvassers are shared 50:50 between HQ and each of the Branches in existence at the time of the collection. Our shop at Pwllheli produced a slight increase in income from £19,517 in 2024 to £20,195 in 2025. The shop takings were also enhanced by £219 from sale of rags (included in the £20,195 figure above) and the £344 in the collection box plus 25% Gift Aid (not included in the £19,517 figure). The Gift Aid scheme brought a welcome grand total return from HMRC of £478 (2024: £708). A surprise legacy of significant size was received from the late Mr Kenneth Harris of Clwt-yBont. £30,000 was received from his solicitors in December 2024 with 3% being deducted by HQ for administrative costs, leaving us with £29,100. The second instalment of £50,000 was received in January 2025 with £1,500 deducted by HQ, and the remaining balance of £72,299 was received in April 2025 with £2,169 deducted by HQ for administration. This is the largest single legacy the Branch has ever received. Our investments changed in 2025 as Schroders decided to close all SUTL Cazenove Charity Equity accounts. As a result, we transferred £66,442 to our Lloyds Bank 95-day savings account with 3.01% interest. The income on investments and interest over the year rose from £10,916 to £14,677. The cost of vet bills reduced slightly to £59,182 from £60,645 in 2024. Our contribution to the running of the shared North Wales Mobile Clinic almost doubled to £52,438 compared to £26,448 in 2024. ## **Reserves Policy** The Branch Reserves Policy remains unchanged from that given in the Annual Report of 1997. This is to maintain a level of financial reserves that will enable the Branch to ensure continuity of activities providing animal welfare support and the ability to adjust, in a measured way, to any significant change in resources. Reserves are those funds which are freely available for general purposes and are uncommitted. The trustees have established a policy of holding reserves of unrestricted funds equivalent to two to three years’ expenditure. Based on our current expenditure of £140,214 and total unrestricted balance (including income-generating investments) of £392,647 in the investment and general funds, we have just under 3.0 years of reserve capital, though with projected yearon-year increases in spending and the substantial planned costs of supporting the mobile clinic and salary for our new Volunteer and Engagement Co-ordinator, this figure is closer to 2.5 years. - 9 - This policy therefore conforms to the regulations of expendable endowment in paragraph 16 of the Charity Commission’s guide to Charities’ Reserves (CC19), namely: “….many charities with an expendable endowment depend on the income it produces to fund core or continuing activities. Expending any of the endowment itself would reduce the income from it and might jeopardise some of those activities. The charity would then either have to increase its income from other sources, …. or must cut back its activities. The endowment cannot be regarded as free funds if a charity has that degree of dependence on income from it.” This policy is subject to half-yearly review. ## **Investment Policy** On 31[st] December 2025, 40% of our invested funds were held in selected equities, bonds and gilts, no more than 25% in current accounts, and the 35% balance in fixed interest notice account(s). ## **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 the opportunity of extending the current 3-day service to 4 or even 5 days. The costs to our Branch in 2026 are expected to be £50,000 per annum, plus an estimated £5,000 for additional referrals to veterinary practices in our area. In 2022 the North Wales collaboration to distribute pet food approaching end of shelf-life to animal rescues and pet owners on limited finances via food banks came to realisation. The management of the logistics involved rental of a warehouse facility in Mochdre. In 2024 we moved to a more accessible unit at Mochdre. The use of the mobile clinic for delivery to Blaenau Ffestiniog, Bangor & Caernarfon in our Branch ensures no extra journeys. Local volunteers then redistribute it directly to foodbanks in Bangor, Bethesda, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Caernarfon & Pwllheli Cats Protection withdrew their collaborative scheme with RSPCA in Wales. In 2026 we are planning to collaborate with Cats Protection and Freshfields to provide TNvR (Trap, Neuter, vaccinate and Return) services to control a colony of up to 20 cats at the Glan-y-Don industrial estate, and to provide residents on means-tested income to cat owners in the LL53 area. Our own free/subsidised cat-neutering scheme is available at all the vet practices in Gwynedd. We also run our own contributions to subsidised neutering costs of £70 per dog and £100 per bitch. Both schemes are subject to the owner(s) being on means-tested benefits or low income, or for rehomed feral and stray cats, and available while funds last. It is our intention to continue to help in the payment of veterinary bills to owners on low income and un-owned animals and on request, assistance with boarding / treatment of RSPCA Inspectorate animals where no other funding is available. - 10 - In December 2024, 5 of the North Wales Branches collaborated in employing an almoner for dealing with phone-calls and issuing vouchers to vet practices. This has proved effective throughout 2025 and so will continue through 2026. A big shout out to “our” ARO Julia Dalgleish for creating and managing our new eBay shop launched in December 2025. Heavily funded by the legacy from Mr Kenneth Harris, we have appointed a Co-ordinator for volunteers, members and fund-rising. Luned is proving to be very effective, and we are looking forward to continuing to work with her throughout 2026. Alun T Rees Hon Branch Treasurer - 11 - ## **RSPCA WEST GWYNEDD BRANCH** ## **REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 226126** **____________________________________________________________________** ## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025** **____________________________________________________________________** ## **W J MATTHEWS & SON CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS** 12 Independent Examiners, Report to the M¢mbers of RSPCA West Gwynedd Branch I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of RSPCA West Gwyn¢dd Branch for the year ended 3 1st December 2025. which are set out on pag¢s l4-16. Responsibilities and basis of report As the Charity trustees you are responsible for the pr¢paration of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission und¢r section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 ACL Independent examiner's statsment I have completed my ex&mAnation. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attenlion in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: the accounting records were not kept in acwrdance with section 130 of the Charities Act- or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records- or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the fornj and coniertts of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Report5) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and hav¢ come a¢ross no oth¢r matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report to enable a proper understhnding of the accounts to bc reached. David Chidley W. J. Matihews & Son Chartered Accounlants 11-15 Bridge Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd. Dated: q. 13 RSPCA WEST GWYNEDD BIL4NCH RECEirfs AP4D PA YMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31$t DECEMBER 2025 General De$igng¢ed Restrleted ZQLS 2124 Income: L¢gacÈes Regional Board r¢-imbur5ernent Men]bership subs¢riptions Foodbank (kant from HQ V¢Trlwiary &)Jrces Sundry dollalions Gift aid House to knu5e collection5 123299 123.299 30,(M)O 12.000 129 4,323 116 300 3(HJ 3.452 478 20.519 3,452 478 20.519 148.164 I,1￿2 708 21,816 69.978 Inv¢$lm¢n¢ in¢om¢ IGr055} Cashiti8 itt of irtVe8ttllertts 14,677 64,442 14.677 64,442 13,260 79.119 13.260 Cbgritable Tr8din% •¢liviti¢$: Dog ¢oll¢¢t¢on Ch*Tity SbDP Ip&in85 VAT Tefund 2.267 20,19J 3.204 2.267 20,195 3.204 919 19.S17 2.697 25.666 23.133 251649 30Q 252,949 106,371 Dlr¢tt Cth•rfl•bl¢ EipeDdituTe: Contributiott to HQ Donaiitrns Veterinary costs Adrninistrative f¢¢5 Boarding Charity Sbop rent Charity Shop he￿ and light Shared almontr servi¢¢ Mobile Clinic servicc Mobite Clinic tel¢pbone Room hif¢ Support ￿ foodb8nk InsuRn¢¢ Ballk and card Chargfs 551 5S1 551 26 60.645 900 1.580 9,880 748 1.735 26,448 317 123 302 829 34.330 3.669 1401 9,880 24.852 59.182 3.669 2.401 9,880 7.536 52.438 540 7.536 52,438 540 344 344 1.160 117 138.934 1,160 117 104,034 Other expeaditsre-. Postage and stationery A¢ts)utttaDCy Repairs aJ)d Equipment Conwtnablcs 49 882 32 317 49 882 32 317 107 846 305 245 1.280 1.503 Total p￿mellts 54,504 85,366 344 140.214 105.517 Nct inwme I lexpendibjre) for the y¢aT 198.145 185,366) 1441 11173J 784 Transf¢r5 ￿tween funds (152.4101 15IJ66 C*sh •nd balftntes Ai 31° DeceEnber 2024 68.602 55.000 123,602 122,818 Ai 31* Dccember 202J £114,337 £122,0110 £236,337 £123,602 14 RSPCA WEST GWYNEDD BRANCH STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES 31st DECEMBER 1025 2025 21J24 Mondory a￿ets. Inve5tmeDts: SUTL Cazenove Charity Equity Value Fund A In¢om¢ M&G Charifund 60,897 133,225 156,310 156.310 194,122 Bank and tgsh b•l8ncu: Bank D¢posit Investtneni Account Bank Deposit A¢¢ouni Bank Cll￿ent Accouni PayPal A¢¢ount Cash float 75.518 61.118 99.52S 73.432 25,002 loo 75 75 Tot*1 236.337 123,602 Gen¢r41 funds Designated funds R¢styi¢ied funds 114.337 122,000 68,602 55.000 236.337 123,602 Debtors: Trad¢ debwrs Legacies 7.161 5,868 I35,0￿) 7.161 140,867 CuTreDt Li*bllitl¢s: Trade cr¢ditors and accn]ais 4274 6.622 Approved by the BraDch Committee on .................. Dr. A. T. Rees Honorary Treasurer sign¢d by 15 **RSPCA WEST GWYNEDD BRANCH ACCOUNTING POLICIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2025** ## **Restricted Funds** During the year the branch received a grant from headquarters of £300 to support food banks with pet food. The total cost was more than the grant received, and the additional amount was funded from the general reserve. ## **Designated Funds** A balance of £25,000 was brought forward from 2024 in relation to the cat and dog free neutering scheme. A total of £24,852 was spent during the year ending 31 December 2025 leaving a balance of £148. The Committee agreed to top up this figure to give a balance of £25,000 at the year end. Of the £25,000, the members of the committee have agreed that £5,000 of this fund is to be used for a farm cat neutering scheme in Dolgellau. A sum of £55,000 has been designated to subsidise the mobile veterinary clinic serving the Bangor, Caernarfon and Blaenau Ffestiniog. At 31 December 2024, the balance in the fund was £30,000. Expenditure during the year amounted to £52,978 resulting in a deficit of £22,978. The Committee agreed to top up the fund by £77,978, leaving a balance of £55,000 at the year end. During the year, the charity started using the services of a paid Almoner. Expenditure for the year ended 31 December 2025 totalled £7,536. The trustees agreed that £12,000 should be designated to support future Almoner services. A significant legacy received during the year enabled the trustees to designate £30,000 towards the employment costs of a Volunteer and Engagement Co-ordinator, supporting the charity’s work and future development. ## **Investments** The investments are stated at market value. ## **Trustees** No trustees received any remuneration in the year. (2024 – NIL). Reimbursements made to trustees were as follows: |||2025||2024| |---|---|---|---|---| ||No of trustees|Cost|No of trustees|Cost| |Travel costs reimbursed|Nil|Nil|
Nil|£Nil| 16 ## RSPCA WEST GWYNEDD BRANCH SECRETARY'S REPORT 2025 As I mentioned in my report last year, vet prices are still rising, and some pet owners are finding it difficult to pay vet bills. Although there are increasing demands on our resources the Branch still helps with amounts towards costs but unfortunately, we do not give as much as we did. This is because we are not getting as much money in as we used to. Despite this we gave more than £65,000 towards vet costs in 2025. The almoner we employ in conjunction with other North Wales Branches is kept busy supplying vouchers for owners requesting help and dealing with enquiries. We also still have a big demand on the pet food we supply to the food banks in our area which is sourced by Carl Lloyd and delivered to the food banks by Ann and Alun Rees. We have a collection box for pet food in the Morrison's store in Caernarfon and receive donations also from customers in our Pwllheli charity shop and Freshfields. During the year we received £3,452 in donations, £478 from gift aid, £2,267 from collection boxes and £123,299 from legacies. Unfortunately, the charity shop in Pwllheli had reduced takings again but hopefully we will be trying to remedy this in 2026. The big problem in the area is feral cats, and Ann and Alun have been dealing with some very large colonies throughout the year. Dealing with them costs the Branch a fair amount of money as we pay the neutering costs and the cost of maintaining and purchasing the cat traps. People are quick to borrow traps from us when they need them but are not as quick at returning them to us. We still support the RSPCA Mobile Clinic which goes to Bangor, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Caernarfon and is always busy at these venues, being booked up several weeks in advance at some of them. We paid more than £52,000 in 2025 as our share of the running costs of the clinic. As Ann said in her opening address, starting from January 1[st] 2026, we have employed a Recruitment and Engagement Co-ordinator, Luned Hughes, who has already helped with volunteers in the shop and posters etc. She is very enthusiastic and media knowledgeable which for some of us oldies is very helpful. - 17 - ## RSPCA BRYN-Y-MAEN ANIMAL CENTRE 2025 ANNUAL REPORT 2025 was a positive year for the centre continuing to support the intake, rehabilitation and rehoming of a variety of animals who entered our care via our inspectorate colleagues. Our small animal unit provides emergency housing for a variety of species including Rats, Mice, Chinchilla, Gerbils, Rabbits and Guinea Pigs with two separate local properties having over a 100 small animals removed, we welcomed national branch support to accept some species to easy our onsite number we have now successfully found homes for all who remained the centre. Work started on the installation of newly designed walk-in cattery pod accommodation within our isolation cattery with the design hoping to be rolled out nationally soon. A decarbonisation project is due to start at the centre in early 2026, which will see us move to electric air source heat pumps for our small animal unit and main building . Our kennel block is due to have solar panels installed once the roof has been replaced. Jessica Nova left the organisation to start her role as rehabilitation coordinator with Sarah Heath's behavioural referral practice. Nathan Dawson left his maintenance role to start a new career with an engineering company. We wish them all the best with their future careers. Molly Powis and Holly Lloyd joined in two-year fixed term Apprentices Animal Care Assistant roles. Sinead Lewis joined as a part time Animal Care Assistant. CJ Barr joined us in a maintenance role; we look forward to supporting our new colleagues' careers into the future. Over 2300 hours have been committed by our amazing team of volunteers. We continue to be extremely grateful for their support and commitment to the centre. Our local Openreach team committed to three separate corporate volunteer days which included on the Friday ahead of the Dog Show which really helped us with the organisation and set up process. A total of 466 animals entered our care including 94 Dogs, 160 Cats, 32 Rabbits, 31 Guinea Pigs, 148 Small Animals, 1 Fish. A total 363 animals moved into adoptive homes which including 48 Dogs , 141 Cats, 29 Rabbits , 77 Small Animals, 68 Fish. Our Friends of Bryn-y-Maen Dog Show took place in May with over 50 dogs entering classes throughout the day. Over £2,700 was raised with several adoptions and fostering placement following on from the event. Thank you to all our branch colleagues who supported us on the day. Thank you to all our branch teams who continue to enhance the lives of animals within North Wales and beyond. **Kind Regards** **Vicky Williams Centre Manager Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre** - 18 - ## North Wales RSPCA Inspectorate ANNUAL REPORT 2025 ## **Year in summary** Another busy year for North Wales. New staff were getting to grips with the job and settling in, supported by the rest of the team. The new Animal Rescue Officers (AROs) are well on their way to completing their City and Guilds qualification. The case load increased compared to previous years and with only 1.6 inspectors, we needed to outsource some work to other teams for support. Unfortunately, our volunteer numbers dwindled. Plans are afoot to recruit and train up more in 2026. The role has now been expanded to cover more tasks that volunteers are able to take on and hopefully will increase engagement. Chief Leanne handed West Mercia back to Chief Thea as she returned from maternity. Due to our limited capacity, we were unable to take on much discretionary work during the year. Furthermore, the planned partnership work with North Wales Fire and Rescue Service had to be put on hold due to avian influenza. Most of our work centred around neglect (dogs, cats and equine), intentional cruelty (beatings) and multi-cat households. ## **Case outcomes and Court results** An adult written caution was served on an adult male in Dolgellau for neglecting two dogs that were found in an emaciated condition. The male showed remorse at the interview and signed both animals over at the first opportunity. An adult female was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a pony on Anglesey. She had failed to seek vet treatment for a substantial wound on the pony’s head. She was given a 6-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay costs. Due to the number of animals still in her care that were in reasonable condition at the time she did not receive a ban from the court. A man from Wrexham pleaded guilty to 3 offences of causing unnecessary suffering and 3 offences of failing to prevent unnecessary suffering to several horses. There were overgrown hooves, parasitic conditions, ulcers and respiratory conditions. All horses were signed over, and some sadly had to be euthanised on humane grounds. He received 16 weeks concurrent suspended sentence on each offence and 230 hours of unpaid work plus costs. He was banned from keeping horses for 10 years. ## **Stats for 2025** In 2025, North Wales officers dealt with 1,172 reported incidents. Slightly up on the previous year. On average, it took 22 days to resolve each incident. This was around the same length of time as the previous year. The team’s inspectors submitted 14 cases to prosecutions in 2025. 5 resulted in Adult Written Cautions being served, 3 went to court and were concluded with convictions and the remainder are all still in the court process going into 2026. ## **Other items of note** ARO Julia Dalgleish stepped up to a new role, liaising with the Branches across the region, giving much welcome digital support to West Gwynedd, creating and managing their online - 19 - shop and other fundraising ideas and suggestions. This has already raised over £1,000 for the Branch in the first few months. Chief Inspector Leanne Hardy completed her apprenticeship at level 5 diploma in leadership and management. This qualification is equivalent to a foundation degree and has already proved invaluable in understanding the organisation's strategic aims and enabled Leanne to support the team better when rolling out new policy and process. Toward the end of the year, we learned of our colleagues leaving in 2026 due to voluntary severance. A very difficult decision for all but the sacrifice of our colleagues has ensured the RSPCA can move forward in a much more sustainable position. We are very grateful to them. 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** - 20 -