## **Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited**
**A company limited by guarantee**
Report and financial statements For the year ended 31[st] March 2024
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Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited
Registered charity number: 259558
Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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|Contents|Page|
|---|---|
|Chairman’s annual report ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................|2|
|Report of the board of management .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................|3-19|
|Consolidated statement of financial activities ......................................................................................................................................................................................................|20-21|
|Consolidated and charity balance sheet ................................................................................................................................................................................................................|22|
|Consolidated cash flow statement ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................|23|
|Notes to the accounts ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................|24-45|
|Independent auditors’ report ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................|46-48|
|_Non-Statutory Notes_||
|Table of restricted funds ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................|49-50|
|Glossary of terms used ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................|51|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
The year started with a change as I took over as Chair of Trustees from Richard Higgs, who had completed his term as Trustee and Chair of the Trust. A big thank you to Richard for the all the great work he has done to steer the Trust through his leadership. I would also like to congratulate him on becoming a Vice President for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, enabling him to continue to act as an ambassador for our work.
Despite some challenging years following the pandemic, 2023 - 24 has seen the Trust continue to grow, although more slowly, in both members and volunteers. It has been especially exciting for me to see more people wanting to get involved with nature conservation and the environment. Our success in engaging more and more people really is vital as our natural world continues to suffer and the impacts of climate change are ever more visible to us and our wildlife. We need many more hands and voices to reverse the decline in nature and embrace the wellbeing benefits that it brings.
Our 2030 strategy goals remain unchanged in seeking 30% of the land in Staffordshire managed for wildlife and 1 in 4 people across the county involved in taking action for nature. We are making good progress in both these areas, but we still have much to do.
The transfer of 11 sites from Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to Staffordshire Wildlife Trust significantly expanded our reserves landholding. Scoping work was completed this year to develop restoration plans for each of these sites, allowing us to launch Nature in your Neighbourhood projects, which encourage communities to get
involved in caring for their local wild places. Helping people of all ages to discover the delights of nature is key – and our ever popular Wildchild Festival at the Wolseley Centre in August certainly ticked this box – with more than 1,200 attending to pond dip, bug hunt, make dens and try wild yoga!
We also celebrated the 10-year anniversary of managing The Roaches, where restoration of this precious peatland progresses well. Further habitat and species restoration projects are also soon to come on stream in the South West Peak in partnership with the Peak District National Park and the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
I have visited as many of our magnificent nature reserves as I can, each with its own unique features. They remain at the heart of what we do for nature. As an example, one of our reserves, Tucklesholme, has undergone some additional river re-profiling which has allowed the reserve to more naturally form part of a bigger flood plain habitat.
I was particularly pleased with the Transforming the Trent Valley (TTTV) project, which came to an end in 2023. The scheme and partnership successes include restoring and enhancing 129ha of priority habitat (equivalent to over 200 football pitches!), creating 31 ponds and scrapes and restoring 2km of rivers. We engaged 456 volunteers in 1,785 volunteer days, worked with 153 community groups, delivered 48 events, and worked with 2,594 children. This has been one of the largest projects the Trust has undertaken and has been a huge success thanks to everyone involved. The next phase of river restoration is being planned and future projects are in the pipeline.
Finally, earlier this year we saw the launch of a major new environmental policy: Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). The Trust has worked hard to support councils in implementing this new approach to planning, which is intended to leave the environment in a better state following development. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the delivery of BNG over the coming year to make sure it lives up to its promise and results in the best outcomes for nature. The Trust has also been instrumental in completing a Nature Recovery Network Map for every local authority, and these are now being adopted as part of the planning process in each of those authorities. They are central to the development of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy, mandated by the Environment Act 2021.
Stephen Smith Chair Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
The Board have pleasure in presenting their report together with the audited consolidated accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024. The Board 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 (FRS 102) (Effective 1 January 2019). The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the Companies Act 2006.
## Strategic report - Review of activities
In 2023/24, we continued to deliver against our 2030 strategy.
## Our 50-year vision in Staffordshire is for:
A thriving county with wildlife at its heart, which everyone enjoys, values and wants to play their part in protecting and improving.
## Our mission is to ensure that:
We protect and enhance the wildlife and wild places of Staffordshire and promote understanding, enjoyment and involvement in the natural world.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Our strategic goals are divided into four broad areas
Nature is in recovery in Staffordshire with abundant, diverse wildlife and healthy natural processes playing a valuable role in helping address local, national and global problems.
Connecting people in Staffordshire to nature; empowering our communities to take positive action for wildlife and the climate
Delivering a step change in funding for nature’s recovery
Running a successful organisation
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Nature is in recovery in Staffordshire with abundant, diverse wildlife and healthy natural processes playing a valuable role in helping address local, national and global problems.
## Impact measures
By 2030:
Nature will be in recovery – at least 30 per cent of land will be protected and managed for nature’s recovery.
We define ‘in recovery for nature’ as land:
- That is in an appropriate agri-environment scheme (or similar)
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- Where conservation management advice has been received and/or carried out and this has been documented e.g. a management/monitoring plan
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- That is designated as a Local Wildlife Site (via the Local Wildlife Sites system), and appropriately managed.
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- Wildlife will be abundant and diverse – the abundance of wildlife will increase significantly in every part of the county.
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- Staffordshire’s natural processes, ecological and carbon systems will be more intact and functioning significantly better on land and in freshwater.
## Our work covers five key themes:
## Contribute to the creation of a nature recovery network for England
This year we completed nature recovery opportunity mapping for Stoke-on-Trent. This means that after many meetings and much effort over the last two years, we have now completed a nature recovery map for all local authorities in the county, every element of which has, or is on the way to being, adopted by the respective local authority via the Local Plan process. This nature recovery map is fundamental to the implementation of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Staffordshire and Stoke, mandated by the 2021 Environment Act.
We produced a Plan for Nature for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) which received cross-party support at the Council’s Board Meeting in September. SMDC is the first of Staffordshire’s local authorities to produce a plan that embeds a series of objectives from the Environment Act as local priorities. These priorities included 30 per cent of land managed for nature by 2030, species recovery and the appropriate allocation of the new Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) policy for all their developments.
## Restore priority living landscapes within this network in Staffordshire
The Transforming the Trent Valley (TTTV) project came to an end after five years at the end of March 2024. Highlights included bringing in £562,000 of BNG money, restoring and enhancing 319 acres of priority habitat, creating 31 ponds and scrapes and restoring two kilometres of river channel. We added 17,996 biological records to Staffordshire Ecological Record and engaged 456 volunteers in 1,785 volunteer days (the equivalent of another 1.5 members of staff for the life of the scheme). We worked with 153 community groups, delivered 48 events, worked with 2,594 children and delivered training resulting in 15 City & Guilds qualifications and 70 John Muir Awards. Nearly 19 km of access paths have been improved for walking and cycling, 17 pillboxes converted, and 207 heritage surveys completed.
In the South West Peak District, working with the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA), we have been awarded two years’ development funding by the Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for our Morridge Hill Country Landscape Recovery Project. Working with at least 15 private and public landowners across 8,650 acres, we hope to put nature in recovery by creating bigger, better, and more connected natural landscapes. By developing novel income streams for family farms, we hope to increase local sustainable food production, alongside increasing the abundance of keynote species e.g. golden plover and water vole.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Manage and expand our nature reserves as a specific contribution to the nature recovery network
Our landholding now totals 4.927 acres, across 45 reserves in all parts of Staffordshire.
This includes 64 acres of heathland on Cannock Chase which we leased from Forestry England. The land forms a vital corridor between other designated land on the Chase. By restoring it, we will give key species access to a wider heathland habitat.
We also signed a lease on 42 acres of land near Warslow in the Peak District. The lease will allow us to carry out restoration of species-rich hay meadows, along with natural flood management work to address flash flooding and water quality issues in the catchment of Blake Brook.
## Protect and restore priority species
In the Churnet Valley, camera traps recorded pine marten at our Cotton Dell reserve. We are currently working with neighbouring woodland landowners to understand the size of the population and what can be done to safeguard it.
We continued our work to campaign against the badger cull and to vaccinate badgers against bovine TB across our reserves and the wider area. We received no external funding for this work and all our vaccination work relies on donations.
Work started on a water vole recovery project on the River Dove catchment working in partnership with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. In Staffordshire, the project will see specific habitat management work at known water vole sites including our Cecilly Brook Nature Reserve.
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5.2%*
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15
* 5.2% currently verified, rising to 19% if all protected land and land in agrienvironment schemes are included
## Restore natural processes and deliver naturebased solutions to mitigate climate change
Our new Transforming the Trent Headwaters feasibility project was awarded £250,000 in January by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project is delivered in partnership with Support Staffordshire and Staffordshire County Council and will explore the needs, opportunities and priorities for nature restoration, cultural and community projects around the headwaters of the Trent.
2023 saw the tenth anniversary of the Trust taking on the management of the Roaches in North Staffordshire. Further work has been completed to restore the rare and precious blanket bog habitat: 600 dams have been installed to hold back water and re-wet the peat and more than 100,000 sphagnum moss plugs planted. This species is another essential element in creating a healthy, carbon capturing peat bog.
We are increasingly seeing the impacts of climate change in more extreme weather impacting the management of our nature reserves. The wettest autumn on record impacted our ability to carry out essential management tasks outside of the bird breeding season on our wetland reserves, which were mostly inaccessible from October until April this year.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Connecting people in Staffordshire to nature; empowering our communities to take positive action for wildlife and the climate
## Impact measures
## By 2030:
- We will support people to make one million wildlife ‘connections’, including visiting reserves, joining an event or activity, visiting one of our shops or taking part in an online activity.
- We will encourage and support 1,000 wildlife champions who will lead actions for nature.
- One in four people in Staffordshire will take meaningful actions for wildlife.
## Our work covers five key themes:
## Nature connection
More than 1,500 people attended our Wildchild Festival, a highlight of the summer. Many of the participants were first time visitors to the event, so this was an excellent opportunity to make a positive impression and win their support for nature and the Trust for the long-term.
We were awarded a grant for almost £60k from the Masonic Charitable Foundation which will enable us to continue to develop our nature connection work in the Staffordshire Moorlands as we continue the legacy of the South West Peak Wildchild Project.
Since March 2022, we have worked with almost 40% of the schools in Staffordshire, many of which return to us year after year at our Learning Hub at the Wolseley Centre.
At The Wolseley Centre, we have installed signage and interpretation along the riverside and in the visitor centre itself. A fantastic new accessible path from the car park to the Learning Hub, outdoor classroom and tipis has also been created linking our main education facilities. Our education facilities which sit within our beautiful 26 acres nature reserve sets us apart as one of the best nature-based education and engagement facilities in the county.
## Nature for everyone
Our portfolio of health and well-being projects has grown over the last 12 months with a contract in place working with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as well as ongoing discussions with health organisations and universities. Our provision of Forest School-style nature connection opportunities supports young people accessing CAMHS services by providing ways to improve mental health and increase self esteem, self confidence and resilience. We attended a Sandpit event run by the Institute for Sustainable Futures to develop research ideas and potential joint funding bids with Keele University.
We continued to work with more young people through specific projects such as Wilder Youth, supporting young people to take action for nature and develop their own interests, skills and knowledge in the sector. Additionally, we have updated our policies and processes to make our volunteer opportunities more inclusive for young people.
Our Aiming High contract has been renewed for a further two years. This contract has been running for more than ten years and offers opportunities for children with special education needs and disabilities and their families to benefit from a connection with nature.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## People taking action
We saw the end of two long-standing projects this year, TTTV Wildchild and Green Influencers, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Ernest Cook Trust respectively, which connected children and young people to nature and supported them to mobilise to take independent action to protect and enhance wildlife.
Both projects leave a legacy of smaller funded projects and contacts with local schools and communities.
The Nextdoor Nature project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, continued in Stafford and recently won the national Prima magazine competition to rewild a wild space with 40% of the vote, a great win for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and our excellent work in Stafford.
In addition, the Nextdoor Nature project has been extended until September 2024, so we can continue to build on the positive stories coming out of the project and inspire more people to take action for nature.
We launched a new project called Wilder Neighbourhoods, funded by The Community Foundation for Staffordshire, based in Stoke-onTrent.
This project is focussed on generating volunteer opportunities for people who want to improve nature in their local neighbourhood, helping connect communities to each other (preventing loneliness) and the wider health benefits of nature.
Hodge Lane Conservation Group, part of our Wild about Tamworth project, celebrated their 20[th] anniversary this year.
This year was the first time we promoted the City Nature Challenge, a global collaboration of nature observations, in Staffordshire. Over four days 135 people made 3,955 observations of 810 different species. We were the eight best placed (out of 22) in the UK and 114th out of 482 in the world rankings.
## Advocate for a Wilder Future
We attended the Midlands Climate Expo and Sustainability Conference, hosting a roundtable discussion, taking part in a panel discussion and hosting a stand.
We developed and delivered bespoke training packages for local authorities to support their staff to improve how land is managed for nature.
A further two local authorities adopted our Nature Recovery Declarations, taking the total up to seven.
## Speak with a bold and confident voice
Our people continued to represent us well in the local and national media with news articles appearing in printed press, radio and national television. Media coverage included key pieces on the national State of Nature report, flooding, engagement events, Nextdoor Nature, Wilder Neighbourhoods, BNG and TTTV on Country File.
We improved our communications to members and supporters so they now receive more specific emails about events, ways to get involved and big news items. This is helping to keep people more engaged and we are seeing more responses and click throughs to our website and events.
We reinstated the Trust’s photography competition in summer 2023 (it hadn’t run since before Covid). It attracted high levels of interest and engagement with a thriving community of wildlife photographers of all ages in Staffordshire. This year’s competition attracted 159 entries.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Delivering a step change in funding for nature’s recovery
## Signs of success
By 2030:
The Trust will grow its revenue up to £10 million per annum by 2030 and 75 percent of our core operating costs will be provided from unrestricted income sources.
- Historic total annual income since 2010
- Target future income to 2030
## Our work covers four key themes:
Benefit from long-term finance available from new models such as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), natural flood management, carbon markets and green social prescribing
The Environment Act, Agriculture Act, Green Social Prescribing and new green financial investment instruments have created a range of innovative finance models that can potentially support our nature restoration work in Staffordshire. This year we made limited progress, exploring options to purchase land with support from the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) - the Wildlife Trust federation’s central coordinating charity - and Finance Earth. However, as yet, these have not led to any new land acquisitions.
We also launched our Staffordshire Net Gain web portal to highlight the county’s nature recovery network and identify potential donors and customers for BNG sites.
We continue to work closely with health sector colleagues to lever in funds to support our wellbeing work.
## Develop and deliver a strategic approach to fundraising from major donors, legacy-givers, businesses and smaller trusts
We appointed a new Fundraising Manager to help us raise funds for all our work, but in particular for unrestricted funds. Restricted funds are specifically allocated to projects and are legally bound to be spent in line with contractual obligations. Unrestricted income can be used for all other areas of the charity, particularly to continue work on our nature reserves, our educational activities and to keep our central supporting functions running.
We produced a new fundraising plan that allowed us to focus our efforts on our key priorities. Our Kickstart Nature's Recovery appeal raised more than £11,000 for our conservation work, but we continued to face challenges with funding.
As in previous years we worked closely with RSWT and other Wildlife Trusts on developing attractive offers for business and corporate partnerships that generate more income but also ensure we partner with the right companies who align with our missions and values.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Grow and diversify our membership, improving the member experience. Recruit more members from across the county via all channels
We migrated our membership data onto a new database, allowing us to be far more accurate with our figures, manage the data more effectively and in line with data protection rules.
Due to the cost-of-living crisis, our membership growth slowed in comparison to recent years, though we have managed some growth, which is positive in the context of the wider economy.
We are currently supported by just over 18,000 members, an increase of around 25% compared to five years ago.
As part of a trial project which looked at recruiting members digitally, we worked closely with Derbyshire, Cheshire and other Wildlife Trusts.
We had moderate success, but it didn’t prove to be as successful as our faceto-face recruitment.
We encouraged members to opt into receiving their membership magazines digitally this year which will allow us to reduce the use of paper and reduce emissions associated with printing, production and postage.
## Commercial activities
The Trading company ended the year strongly with overall net profits before tax and donations to the Trust at £127,000.
The profits are largely as a result of positive contributions from all areas, maintaining the momentum from last year. This was despite some particularly poor weather through the winter period, which traditionally has an effect on our visitor centres.
The café at Wolseley ended the year with a £55,000 profit, despite rising costs due to inflation.
Westport has managed to build on its profits this year, slowly re-establishing itself after some difficult trading conditions since the pandemic.
All three charity shops have provided valuable contributions to the overall commercial profits achieved, resulting in a combined success from all areas.
It is a credit to all staff involved that the trading arm has done so well in such difficult economic conditions.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Running a successful organisation
## Signs of Success
By 2030:
We will track our progress by monitoring:
- Our people’s level of engagement with the Trust by carrying out regular staff surveys and measuring response rate and staff satisfaction, with the aim of 90 per cent staff satisfaction.
- Our investment in training and development to match the skills needed for the future in line with our strategy.
- The number of volunteer hours recorded.
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- Our carbon emissions, with the aim of becoming net zero by 2030.
- Waste to landfill with the aim of zero waste to landfill by 2025.
- Compliance with all legislation for Data Protection, Charity Finance, Health and Safety and Safeguarding.
- Effective collaboration with partners and partnerships that reflect our social and ethical principles.
## Our work covers three key themes:
We will ensure we have a diverse, skilled, trained and supported workforce of staff and volunteers. We will foster an inclusive culture where people feel valued and respected
We developed an Organisation Development Strategy to ensure that all our staff and volunteers are supported and developed. Our focus this year has been on staff retention, staff satisfaction, succession planning, career development and learning and development.
Our second staff survey response rate was again excellent with 88% of staff responding. 79% of the staff who responded were satisfied with their role and work at the Trust.
We made strategic investments in IT equipment that meant we could combine fully remote and officebased work and we continued to look for ways to digitise our processes and systems.
Our volunteer teams continued to work on our nature reserves, in our shops and visitor centres, carrying out vital conservation work. Our volunteers are crucial to our work and we thank them for all their hard work and continued support.
We will identify and mitigate risk with effective practices. All our people will know how to follow our procedures and we will train and support staff and volunteers, so they are confident in applying them to their work
We delivered best practice in our Health and Safety, Safeguarding and Data Security procedures and have continued to offer training and support to staff and volunteers.
We will reduce our environmental impact through cumulative reductions in emissions and waste, changing the way we purchase goods and services
We completed our carbon footprint monitoring using data from 2022. We split out our land management emissions (primarily livestock grazing emissions) from the overall calculator, in line with other Wildlife Trusts to allow us to focus and prioritise on emissions savings elsewhere. Using this new tool, we assessed our annual carbon impact to be 221 tonnes CO2e of non-livestock emissions, up from a combined total of 539 tonnes in the previous year. This also excludes any impact of our land management work on carbon sequestration.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Priorities for 2024/25
Nature is in recovery in Staffordshire with abundant, diverse wildlife and healthy natural processes playing a valuable role in helping address local, national and global problems
We will start to deliver a number of new landscape-scale projects in the coming year.
Our £2.3 million Trent ReNew project, prioritising a selection of sites in Stafford and Stoke, will help renaturalise heavily modified watercourses such as Ford Green Brook, Fowlea Brook and the Rivers Sow and Penk. The project is funded by the Environment Agency.
Our Stafford Brooks project will undertake nature restoration work on seven sites across Stafford. The project has taken several years to develop and is funded
by the Highways Agency. We are also set to partner with the Environment Agency to submit a significant funding bid to align to our natural flood management work, and to complement the Stafford Brooks project. Following on from an extremely wet winter, we are hoping to access funding to continue to work with landowners further up in the catchment to introduce natural flood management in an attempt to reduce the impact of further flood events.
Our Trent Headwaters initiative is a feasibility project exploring the needs, opportunities and priorities for nature restoration projects in the Trent Headwaters. The focus is the Trent and and its tributaries which form the headwaters in Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. The project stands alone as a feasibility project, but the intention is to follow with a landscape scale partnership scheme delivering a suite of community, culture and nature projects.
Grazing cattle will return to our new leased land on Cannock Chase following major repairs to the boundary fence. The cattle, along with scrub and bracken control carried out by volunteers and contractors will see heathland restoration work on this key corridor linking Brindley Heath to the Sherbrook Valley.
At the former Rugeley Power Station, work will continue to transform 64 acres of land adjacent to the River Trent into a new wetland nature reserve. Restoration work on the former 18-hole golf course includes new ponds and connections to the river, new areas of species-rich grassland and woodland creation. New footpaths and stretches of boardwalk will connect to wildlife viewing areas in time for the reserve’s opening to the public in September 2025.
Peatland restoration work will continue on our upland reserves in the South West Peak District. The peatland rewetting on areas of Knotbury Common, Black Brook and the Roaches will reverse the drainage damage of the past and start the blanket bog restoration here, improving the area for wildlife as well as reducing the amount of carbon emissions from the degraded dry peat.
We are seeking funding for onsite infrastructure to deliver our beaver project in Newcastle Borough. The works will enable the release of a family group of up to six individuals to help us manage the reserve.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Connecting people in Staffordshire to nature; empowering our communities to take positive action for wildlife and the climate
We will deliver a new £750,000 Nature in your Neighbourhood project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. This will enable the Trust to trial more ways to connect with communities and landowners, including local authorities, to take sustained action for nature. It will also enable the Trust to work with Keele University and carry out research into the measurable value of community action in terms of carbon capture, biodiversity gain and wellbeing and nature connection improvements.
We will aim to increase our engagement with young people between the ages of 16-24, with the objective of building long-term connections with this influential age range. This will include exploring how we can best serve the young people in Staffordshire and support them to take their own action for nature. This may include development of a youth forum, training for employment opportunities or work experience. We will use funding provided by the Garfield Weston Foundation as well as using core funds to implement the work in this area.
We will continue to offer Forest School sessions to schools across the county, enabling young people to connect to nature to support their development and wellbeing, as well as offering Forest School training courses so that schools have the skills available to provide their own sessions throughout the academic year.
Our Wilder Neighbourhoods project, funded by The Community Foundation for Staffordshire, will continue throughout the year, providing opportunities for individuals to spend more time in nature, be more active, volunteer their time and connect more to others in their community. This will reduce loneliness and isolation; increase knowledge, skills and wellbeing and
support more engaged communities who feel a greater connection to the nature and wild places in Stoke-on-Trent.
We will continue to work with our well-established volunteer groups around the Tamworth area, through the continuation of the Wild About Tamworth project, funded by Tamworth Borough Council, and through a legacy project in celebration of Maurice Arnold, who kindly left a gift in his will to further the work in this area, which has enabled us to expand our work in Tamworth for several years.
We will continue to engage with community groups and the wider public to have meaningful conversations about nature which inspire people to take action for nature. This approach continues to empower communities through our Nextdoor Nature project and will remain a priority throughout the year.
We will continue our popular Wildchild programme of activities, bringing children and families closer to nature to inspire the long-term continuation of nature’s recovery. As in the previous year, we will offer events throughout the county on our own nature reserves and thirdparty sites where available, specifically in 2024/25 making use of the Staffordshire Moorland District Council sites that we now manage, increasing our presence in the north of the county.
We will prioritise our advocacy work with local politicians in order to make the case for nature restoration. In particular, we will prioritise our work around the General Election, focussing on constituencybased conversations with Prospective Parliamentary Candidates.
Communication and meaningful connection with our audiences remains critical to our success. We will continue to raise awareness of the nature
crisis, and our work, with Staffordshire’s varied communities. We’ll simultaneously strive to enthuse and inspire our members and engage audiences to continue to support the Trust, encouraging them to advocate for nature within their networks, whether that’s taking small individual actions or campaigning for change at a local or national level.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Delivering a step change in funding for nature’s recovery
We will ensure that we build capacity within the Trust to deliver BNG, positioning ourselves as a key provider and ensuring a sustainable financial model that we can capitalise on.
We will continue to build new relationships and develop funded projects with health sector partners to ensure nature is valued as part of the solution to improve health and wellbeing across the county.
We will develop a new fundraising strategy including a new approach to running successful, unrestricted appeals. In particular, we will also strengthen our relationships with Staffordshire businesses and look for ways in which they can contribute to nature’s recovery.
We will continue to invest in retaining and recruiting new members, and focus this year, in particular, on recruiting members via digital channels.
We will invest in our trading operations to grow our profitable businesses such as our cafes and charity shops, whilst also ensuring the trading operations return an acceptable level profits to the charity.
We will work with our main service suppliers to ensure we are getting the best value for money.
## Running a successful organisation
We will continue to develop a diverse, skilled and trained workforce of staff and volunteers. We will work to ensure that our staff are happy and satisfied in the workplace.
We will introduce a new digital staff work plan for everyone in the organisation in which personal work objectives, competencies, training and development needs are all included.
We will build our volunteer supporter base, increasing the ways in which people and communities can contribute to nature’s recovery.
In all areas of compliance, we will ensure we are not exposed to risk, and will support our volunteers and staff to increase knowledge in Safeguarding, Data Protection, Cyber Security, Financial management and Health and Safety.
We will continue to review and improve policies and procedures in order to maintain effectiveness and efficiency with minimal risk.
We will continue to reduce our environmental impact through cumulative reductions in emissions and waste, including changing the way we purchase goods and services.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Charitable structure and long-term objectives
## Registration and legal structure
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited is a charity registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales No. 259558 and is a company limited by guarantee No. 00959609.
During the year it had two wholly owned subsidiary companies: Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited (Company No. 3387233) and Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited (Company No.06775503). Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited did not trade during the year.
## Registered office
The Wolseley Centre
Wolseley Bridge Stafford ST17 0WT
## Charitable objects
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited is required by charity and company law to act within the objects of its Memorandum of Association, which are as follows:
## For the benefit of the public, to advance, promote and further the conservation, maintenance, restoration, regeneration 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.
## To advance the education of the public in:
- The principles and practice of sustainable development
- The principles and practice of biodiversity conservation.
To promote and undertake research in all areas of the natural world and to publish the useful results thereof.
This translates into the following aims that represent the Trust's mission statement:
“Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited's mission is to protect and enhance the wildlife and wild places of Staffordshire and to promote understanding, enjoyment and involvement in the natural world.”
## Organisation
The affairs of the Trust are managed by the Board of Management, who are the Trustees.
## Officers of the Trust:
The Trust will have the following Officers: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
The Trust's Articles of Association state that the minimum number of Trustees shall be nine (9) and (unless otherwise determined by ordinary resolution) the maximum number shall be fourteen (14).
At each annual general meeting all Trustees appointed at the Annual General Meeting four years previously must retire from office.
The Trust may by ordinary resolution at an Annual General Meeting appoint as a Trustee any member who is willing to act and who is either a Trustee retiring in accordance with the above mentioned circumstance and who has indicated a wish to be reappointed; or a member recommended by the Trustees; or a member in respect of whom the Trust has been given a notice, not less than fourteen (14) or more than thirty-five (35) clear days before the date of the meeting, which is signed by two members entitled to vote at the meeting; states that members’ intention to propose the election of the member in respect of whom the notice is given by the Trustee; is signed by the person who is to be proposed as a Trustee to show his or her willingness to act; contains the details that, if the person were to be appointed, the Trust would have to file at Companies House; The Trustees may at any time appoint a member who is willing to act to be a Trustee, but a Trustee so appointed must retire at the next Annual General Meeting.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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## REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
The appointment of a Trustee whether by the Trust in the Annual General Meeting or by the Trustees may not cause the number of Trustees to exceed any number fixed as the maximum number of Trustees.
A retiring Trustee who has been a Trustee for twelve (12) or more consecutive years may not be reappointed until at least one year after the date of his or her retirement.
## Members of the Board
The Trustees of the charity, who are also Members of the Board, who have held office in the year, were:
- Richard Higgs – Chair from 21 June 2015 until 1 May 2023 (re-elected Member from 7 November 2022; resigned on 1 May 2023)
- Stephen Smith – Chair from 1 May 2023 (Re-elected member from 23 September 2024)
- Paul Hackney – Secretary from 21 June 2015 (Re-elected member from 6 November 2023)
- Treasurer from 1 January 2016 (Re-elected member from 6 November 2023)
- Ian Downing
- Michael Walker - Re-elected Member from 6 November 2023; resigned 23 September 2024
- Re-elected Member from 18 November 2021
- Nicholas Young
- Philip Shore - Re-elected member from 7 November 2022
- Alison Glaisher - Re-elected member from 6 November 2023
- Re-elected member from 6 November 2023
- Elliott Lancaster Re-elected member from 6 November 2023 David Rogers - Re-elected member from 6 November 2023; resigned 23 September 2024
- Alana Wheat - Re-elected member from 23 September 2024
- Elected member from 6 November 2023
Sarah Houghton
- Elected member from 6 November 2023
Megan McCoy
- Alison Bowen - Appointed 30 January 2023; resigned 29 July 2023
## Induction and training of Board members
Trustees' skills are reviewed regularly to ensure that the balance is suitable. New Trustees are inducted into the charity by discussions between themselves and other Trustees, and members of staff, as opportunities arise. They are presented with background information and have access to the Charity Commission's website.
## Chief Executive
The day-to-day management of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited was delegated on 11 May 2015 to Mr Julian Woolford, Chief Executive.
## Links with other Charities
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, although an entirely independent charity, is part of The Wildlife Trusts’ federation and a member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT), itself an independent charity. Together, each of the 46 Wildlife Trusts act as a distributed local network and collective movement to tackle both local and UK-wide conservation issues. The Wildlife Trusts are one of the largest environmental charitable federations in the UK.
- Lucy Bickley - Appointed 24 June 2024; Elected member from 23 September 2024
## Share capital
The Board meets monthly except for May, August and December to review the work of the Trust. Physical meetings have been replaced with a hybrid method of meeting, where trustees will attend physically where practical and possible, but may attend via online conferencing methods when physically attending is not possible.
The maintenance of an annual plan with associated reporting of progress by staff will ensure that the Board are appraised of the charity's performance and can manage and control the charity's activities.
The Company does not have a share capital and is limited by guarantee.
## Financial review
This year's accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and the Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2019).
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Review of the year
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's financial position remained broadly stable during the year despite a lower than anticipated level of income and the consolidated unrestricted funds decreased to £2,338,000 (2023: £2,571,000) at the year end.
At 31 March 2024, the Trust’s free reserves stood at £218,000 (2023: £323,000). Free reserves are considered to be unrestricted funds that can be readily converted into cash if required, and as such are calculated as total reserves, less restricted funds, less the net book value of tangible fixed assets.
## Income
|Income||||
|---|---|---|---|
||Year Ended|Year Ended|Increase /|
||31 March|31 March|(Decrease)|
||2024|2023||
|Total income received in the year|6,940,000|5,034,000|1,906,000|
|Total income includes the following:||||
|Membership income|908,000|894,000|14,000|
|Legacy income|2,227,000|145,000|2,082,000|
|Income from charitable activities, grants and donations|3,687,000|3,939,000|(252,000)|
|Expenditure||||
||Year Ended|Year Ended|Increase /|
||31 March|31 March|(Decrease)|
||2024|2023||
|Total resources expended during the year|4,736,000|5,604,000|(868,000)|
|Total expenditure includes the following:||||
|Costs of raising funds|1,486,000|1,605,000|(119,000)|
## Policy and charity governance
## Governance
The Board should review its governance process on a four-year cycle, and is next due to review it in 2027. The governance was last reviewed in 2023; no recommendations arose that required an update to the governance statement and updated Articles of Association that were approved at the AGM in June 2015.
## Risk management
The Board recognises the risks faced by the Trust. The Board maintains a risk register which is reviewed and updated annually. The current risk register addresses Governance Risks, Operational Risks, Financial Risks, Compliance with Law and Regulation, and External Risks.
## Executive Remuneration
The Chief Executive and the Senior Leadership Team make up the key management personnel of the Trust. In the year ended 31 March 2024 the Senior Leadership Team comprised; Deputy Chief Executive, Two Joint Heads of Conservation Delivery, a Head of Engagement, Activism and Marketing, and a Head of HR and Support Services. In setting the remuneration of the Chief Executive and the senior leadership team, the Board have looked at the remuneration of their peers across The Wildlife Trusts, as well as the skills needed to carry out the roles to the benefit of the Trust. The total executive remuneration paid in the year ended 31 March 2024 was £305,000 (£304,000 in the year ended 31 March 2023).
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Financial reserves
The Board aims to maintain sufficient unrestricted general funds to maintain both sufficient working capital needs for its day to day operations, while also holding enough free reserves to anticipate future expenditure and risks, without holding back excessive funds that would otherwise be used for charitable purposes. The board consider that and range of acceptable free reserves should be between £350,000 to £750,000, backed up by a combined cash and investments value of at least £825,000. Where these target ranges are not met, the senior management team must present an action plan to rectify the situation to the board.
At 31 March 2024 the Board consider the consolidated unrestricted funds of the Trust to be £2,338,000. Where funds are required to facilitate specific projects over a number of years, the board may choose the designate some of the charity’s unrestricted funds to be used for charitable purposes. During a review of designated funds in 2023, the board concluded that all existing designated funds have now been incorporated into land management plans and are therefore unnecessary. As such, the charity currently holds no designated funds.
## Investment powers and policy
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited's Articles of Association enables it to invest monies not immediately needed for its purposes in such investments as may be thought fit, subject to conditions and consents required by law.
The Trust relies on a professional investment manager for the day-to-day management of the Trust's investment portfolio. On 23rd September 2002 the Board agreed to give the investment manager authority to manage the Trust's portfolio on a discretionary basis subject to the following conditions:
## _Choosing Investments_
The Trust's policy is to review the portfolio annually and instigate an annual meeting between the investment manager and a committee of trustees. This last occurred in February 2022. The suitability of the investments should not knowingly be in conflict with the Trust's Mission Statement 'To protect and enhance the wildlife and wild places of Staffordshire and to promote understanding, enjoyment and involvement in the natural world.' In 2019, the trustees went further than this and instructed the Trust’s investment manager to specifically seek out investments that fitted an explicit ethical criteria. The Trust's policy is to limit the risk attached to investments by requiring the investment manager to invest in a spread of assets including equities, gilts and cash, with the aim of achieving the best possible return while safeguarding the capital value.
## _Rate of Return_
The Trust sets the investment manager no specific rate of return to achieve other than that expected from a duly diligent professional investment manager. The investment performance will be compared with a suitable index on an annual basis.
## _Review_
The Trust will review the situation annually, or sooner if there is need. At least every three years the Trust will consider whether or not the investment manager has the appropriate knowledge and experience, is carrying out his work competently, and has regard to the suitability of each investment and category of investment. In 2009, a sub-committee of trustees received submissions from three investment management firms and decided to remain with the incumbent.
## Taxation
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited is a registered charity and can claim exemption from Corporation Tax on income and gains which are applied for charitable purposes under section 505, Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.
The subsidiary trading companies are subject to Corporation Tax. Whilst most of the surplus is donated to the Charity, the trading companies pay tax on that left to maintain and build up their working capital.
## Auditors
Dains Audit Limited were appointed as the Trust’s auditors at the Annual General Meeting on 6[th] November 2023.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Bankers
National Westminster Bank 75 High Street Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire ST5 1PP
## Solicitors
Keelys LLP 28 Dam Street Lichfield Staffordshire WS13 6AA
## Investment Advisors
Investec Wealth & Investment Limited 2 Gresham Street London EC2V 7QN
## Auditors
Dains Audit Limited Suite 2, Albion House 2 Etruria Office Village
Stoke-on-Trent ST1 5RQ
## Statement of the Board's responsibilities
The trustees (who are also directors of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ 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 period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
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.
## _Public benefit statement_
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
The Trust's public benefit is enshrined in its charitable objects as outlined on Page 3.
## _Statement as to disclosure of information to auditors_
The members of Board who were in office on the date of approval of these financial statements have confirmed, as far as they are aware, that there is no relevant audit information of which the auditors are unaware. Each of the members of Board have confirmed that they have taken all steps that they ought to have taken as members of Board in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that it has been communicated to the auditor.
The Report of the Board of Management, which includes the Strategic Report on pages 3 to 14, was approved by the Board on 6[th] September 2024 and signed on their behalf:
P Hackney Secretary
Date of Signing: 28[th] October 2024
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 19
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
|Note
Incoming and endowments from:
Donations and Legacies
2
Charitable Activities
3
Other Trading activities
4
Investment income
5
Other
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising Funds
6
Charitable activities
7
Total expenditure
8
Net gains/(losses) on investments
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Other recognised – gains/(losses):
Net movement in funds carried forward|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Unrestricted
Funds
£’000
999
498
1,084
67
11|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Restricted
Funds
£’000
2,256
1,973
12
-
40|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Endowment
Funds
£’000
-
-
-
-
-|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
Total Funds
Total Funds
£’000
£’000
3,255
1,201
2,471
2,859
1,096
918
67
17
51
39|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||2,659|4,281|-|6,940
5,034|
||1,486
1,507|-
1,743|-
-|1,486
1,605
3,250
3,999|
||2,993|1,743|-|4,736
5,604|
||(17)|-|-|(17)
(53)|
||(351)
118
-|2,538
(118)
-|-
-
-|2,187
(623)
-
-
-
-|
||(233)|2,420|-|2,187
(623)|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 20
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
|Note
Net movement in funds brought forward
Reconciliation of Funds:
Fund balances at 1 April (brought forward)
Fund balances at 31 March (carried forward)
18-20
The statement of financial activities contains all gains and losses for the year.|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Unrestricted
Funds
£’000
(233)
2,571|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Restricted
Funds
£’000
2,420
1,892|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Endowment
Funds
£’000
-
3,694|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
Total Funds
Total
£’000
£’000
2,187
(623)
8,157
8,780|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||2,338|4,312|3,694|10,344
8,157|
||||||
_The notes on pages 24 to 45 form part of these financial statements_
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 21
CONSOLIDATED AND CHARITY BALANCE SHEETS AS AT 31 MARCH 2024
|Note
Fixed Assets
Tangible assets
11
Heritage assets
12
Investments
13
Total fixed assets
Current assets
Stocks
Debtors
14
Investments
15
Cash at bank and in hand
Total current assets
Liabilities
Creditors: Amounts falling due within
one year
16
Net current assets
Creditors: Amounts falling due in more
than one year
17
Total net assets
The funds of the charity
Restricted Income Funds
18
Endowment Funds
20
Unrestricted Funds
19
Revaluation Reserve
Total funds|2024
2023
£'000
£'000
3,480
3,564
2,544
2,544
674
650
Group|2024
2023
£'000
£'000
3,480
3,564
2,544
2,544
674
650
Group|2024
2023
£'000
£'000
3,455
3,517
2,544
2,544
675
650
Charity|
|---|---|---|---|
||6,698|6,758|6,674
6,711|
||21
3,271
5
978|22
990
5
1,117|-
-
3,296
980
5
5
811
1,056|
||4,275
(615)|2,134
(712)|4,112
2,041
(442)
(599)|
||3,660
(14)|1,422
(23)|3,670
1,442
-
-|
||10,344|8,157|10,344
8,153|
||4,312
3,694|1,892
3,694|4,312
1,892
3,694
3,694|
||8,006
2,292
46|5,586
2,553
18|8,006
5,586
2,292
2,549
46
18|
||10,344|8,157|10,344
8,153|
As permitted by s408 Companies Act 2006, the charity has not presented its own SOFA.
The charity’s net income for the year was £2,160,000 These accounts were approved by the Board on 6[th] September 2024
S Smith P Hackney Chairman Secretary Date of Signing: 28[th] October 2024 Date of Signing: 28[th] October 2024
_The notes on pages 24 to 45 form part of these accounts_
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
|Note
Net cash inflow from operating
activities
28
Cash flows from investing activities
Investment income
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets
Purchase of fixed assets
Purchase of heritage assets
Proceeds from sale of investments
Purchase of investments
Net Cash provided by investing
Cash flows from financing activities
Repayments of borrowing
Net cash inflows from new borrowing
Net Cash used in financing activities
Change in cash and cash equivalents
in the reporting year
Cash and cash equivalents at the
beginning of the reporting year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end
of the reporting year
29|2024
£'000
-
-
(102)
-
198
(210)|2024
2023
2023
£'000
£'000
£'000
(14)
(625)
-
7
(267)
(83)
108
(125)
(114)
(360)
(11)
-
(10)
(11)
(138)
(996)
1,136
2,132
998
1,136|
|---|---|---|
||(10)
-||
||||
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 1. Accounting policies
## 1.1 Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, with the exception of listed investments which are included at their market value. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charity Commission Statement of Recommended Practice - 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 (effective 1 January 2019). The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £’000.
The Trustees confirm that the Charity is a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
1.2 Group Accounts The Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) and Balance Sheet consolidate the financial statements of the charity and its subsidiary undertakings. The results of the subsidiaries are consolidated on a line-by-line basis.
The charity has availed itself of Paragraph 4(1) of Schedule 1 of the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and adapted the Companies Act formats to reflect the special nature of the charity’s activities.
As most of the income from the subsidiary companies is transferred to the Trust the view taken is that there is no significant difference between the Group and Company figures. The subsidiaries are accounted for separately for management control purposes.
## 1.3 Going concern
Despite a large overall surplus in the financial year, the result is due to significant receipts of restricted funds, which are to be set aside for specific purposes.
The unrestricted loss reflects a difficult year under challenging economic conditions and has resulted in a level of freely available reserves being lower than deemed acceptable in the Trust's financial reserves policy.
Remedial action has been taken to address this through a programme of cost reductions, including a small number of redundancies. These cost reductions have resulted in more positive unrestricted results since implementation, and this, coupled with a large asset base and strong cash reserves, gives a strong indication that there are no longterm financial issues. As such, the board of trustees are confident that the going concern basis remains appropriate.
## 1.4 Fund Accounting - Unrestricted Funds
These funds can be used for any of the charity's purposes.
## 1.5 Restricted Income Funds
These funds have been given to the Trust for a particular purpose to be used in accordance with the wishes of the donor.
## 1.6 Endowment Funds
These funds have been given to the Trust for a particular purpose to be used in accordance with the wishes of the donor. The capital can generally not be realised.
## 1.7 Designated funds - Projects
These funds were set aside by the Trustees for specific projects. Many of these projects are partly funded with the unfunded element set aside from general funds.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 24
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 1.8 Income
Income from investments, Gift Aid and deeds of covenant are included gross, and are accounted for when receivable or the charity's right to it becomes legally enforceable. Provision has been made for Income Tax reclaimable at the year end.
Legacy income is included in the accounts when the amount due can be quantified with reasonable certainty and the timing of the receipt is known.
Incoming resources in the form of donated assets have been included in the SOFA at a reasonable estimate of their value, taking into account the market value of the assets and comments made by the donor.
Grants receivable are accounted for when there is sufficient information to enable the claim to be made or the claim has been made and there is clear indication to suggest the claim will be met.
## 1.9 Volunteer Help
The Trust receives support from a wide variety of volunteers. It is not practical to place a value on the time volunteered by all these persons, due to the variety of duties performed, the differences in time spent, and the sheer number of volunteers who gave of their time.
## 1.10 Membership Income
Membership income is taken to the Statement of Financial Activities over the life of the subscription, taking into account the type of membership involved.
## 1.11 Local Groups
The Local and Special Interest Groups are referred to in note 25. They hold up to £500 each. Their activities have not been included in the consolidated figures, other than by way of the contributions they make. They are autonomous in their operation. Larger groups are consolidated into the Trust’s accounts.
## 1.12 Expenditure
Indirect costs are allocated to the expenditure headings in the SOFA on the basis of the number of employees in each area of work.
Cost of Raising Funds consists of expenditure relating to appeals, communications requesting funds, applying for grants and other general publicity as part of fundraising together with associated support activities and cost of sales.
Administration and Support of charitable activities consists of those costs incurred in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity. These include the provision of the premises, personnel, information technology and audit fees.
1.13 Irrecoverable VAT The charity and its subsidiaries are partially exempt. Irrecoverable VAT is allocated to the appropriate cost categories.
## 1.14 Key Estimations and Judgements
The Trust has included estimates and judgements where appropriate and it is not possible to obtain fully accurate information at the time of preparation. Income is accrued on actual agreed amounts but may be subject to change in certain circumstances, such as when an agreed amount is valued in a foreign currency and payment is based on the exchange rate at that time. Legacies are recognised at the point that they are highly likely to be received. This may be several months or years before receipt, and therefore the recognition of income is based on what is known at the time the accounts are prepared. Recognition of fixed assets is generally based on the substance over form rule, for example in cases where the trust has an option to purchase a reserve that it is managing. At this point the purchase is highly likely and in substance the asset belongs to the Trust and therefore is recognised as an asset.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 25
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 1.15 Depreciation
Class of Asset Rate Freehold Buildings 2% Straight Line Land Not Depreciated Equipment 20% Straight Line Fixtures and Fittings 20% Straight Line Motor Vehicles 20% Reducing Balance Impermanent Structures 10% Straight Line Integral Plant & Fixtures 6.67% Reducing Balance Long-Term Infrastructure 4% Straight Line Leasehold Property Over the term of the lease
## 1.16 Heritage assets
The Charity’s objects include the conservation of nature for the purpose of study and research, and to educate the public in understanding and appreciation of nature, the awareness of its value and the need for its conservation. As such the Charity owns and maintains a number of nature reserves that fall into the definition of heritage assets in accordance with FRS 102. These assets have been capitalised at cost at the date of acquisition, and being land in nature have not been depreciated.
The costs of maintaining the heritage assets are expensed through the Statement of Financial Activities as incurred, as part of the Trust’s charitable activities.
## 1.17 Investments
Investments are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price. The statement of financial activities includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluation and disposals throughout the year.
The Trust does not acquire put options, derivatives or other complex financial instruments. The main form of financial risk faced by the charity is that of volatility in equity markets and investment markets due to wider economic conditions, the attitude of investors to investment risk, and changes in sentiment concerning equities and within particular sectors or sub sectors.
## 1.18 Stocks
Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value, where cost comprises of purchase price. There is no stock held by the charity. The Trading Company holds stock as stated in the balance sheet (note 22).
## 1.19 Pension Costs
The Trust operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. The costs of contributions are written off against incoming resources in the year they are payable. The assets of the scheme are held separately from the Trust in independently administered funds.
## 1.20 Finance and operating leases
The Trust has no finance leases. Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to income on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the lease asset are consumed.
## 1.21 Land and buildings
Nature Reserves are included at cost in the accounts as the Board are of the opinion that they are to be preserved long-term by the Trust. As regards the Buildings at Wolseley at 30 May 2006 these were valued for insurance purposes, in respect of re-building costs of £1,562,000, so the board believes the cost is a fair valuation. The Wolseley development of 2018/2019 included construction and related invoices at cost.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 26
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 1.22 Financial instruments
The Trust only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
## 1.23 Deferred income
Income is deferred in respect of projects that are timebound and recognised for the period in which the project is completed. Income is also deferred for membership subscriptions, where those subscriptions relate to a period after the end of the financial year.
## 2. Donations and Legacies
|Membership income
Grants and donations
Legacies|Unrestricted
£'000
908
79
12|Restricted
£'000
-
41
2,215|Endowment
£'000
-
-
-|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
908
894
120
162
2,227
145|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||999|2,256|-|3,255
1,201|
## 3. Charitable Activities
|Grants and Contracts|Unrestricted
£'000
498|Restricted
£'000
1,973|Endowment
£'000
-|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
2,471
2,859|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||498|1,973|-|2,471
2,859|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 27
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 4. Other Trading Activity
|Fundraising Events
Other
Shop Sales
Conference and Room Hire
Café Sales|Unrestricted
£'000
292
35
714
6
37|Restricted
£'000
-
-
-
12
-|Endowment
£'000
-
-
-
-
-|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
292
270
35
21
714
581
18
6
37
40|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||1,084|12|-|1,096
918|
## 5. Investment income
|Unrestricted
£'000
11
56|Restricted
£'000
-
-|Endowment
£'000
-
-|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
11
5
56
12|
|---|---|---|---|
## 6. Expenditure on raising funds
|Cafes
Charity Shops
Cost of Raising Donations
Event Costs
Trading Company Costs
Advertising / Direct Mail
Investment Management|Unrestricted
£'000
548
-
590
168
85
89
6|Restricted
£'000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Endowment
£'000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
548
671
-
-
590
520
168
59
85
227
89
121
6
7|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||1,486|-|-|1,486
1,605|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 28
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 7. Expenditure on charitable activities
|Education
Living Landscapes
Other Charitable Projects
Conservation Delivery
Other Charitable Projects
Conservation Delivery
Education
Living Landscapes|Unrestricted
£'000
747
555
39
166|Restricted
£'000
942
241
559
1|Endowment
£'000
-
-
-
-|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
1,689
1,649
796
1,274
598
922
167
154|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||1,507|1,743|-|3,250
3,999|
||Direct Costs
£'000
1,147
642
357
73|Grant Funding
£'000
-
-
-
-|Support
£'000
542
154
241
94|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
1,689
1,649
796
1,274
598
922
167
154|
||2,219|-|1,031|3,250
3,999|
## 8. Total expenditure
|Staff
Costs
Direct
Costs
£'000
£'000
1,007
363
-
-
756
391
564
79
171
187
43
-
2,541
1,020
Living Landscapes
Other Projects
Expenditure on raising funds
Investment management
Conservation Delivery
Education
Auditor's Remuneration
Depreciation
Amounts Payable Under Operating Leases
- Audit Services
Other Non-Audit Services|Staff
Costs
£'000
1,007
-
756
564
171
43|Direct
Costs
£'000
363
-
391
79
187
-|Other
Support
£'000
110
6
542
153
240
94|£'000
-
-
-
-
-
30
Governance|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
1,480
1,598
6
7
1,689
1,649
796
1,274
598
922
167
154
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||2,541|1,020|1,145|30|4,736
5,604|
||||||29
22
-
-
186
168
63
55|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 29
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Analysis of material support costs
|Senior Leadership & Finance
IT
Premises
HR & Volunteering
Governance|Raising
Funds
£'000
5
42
32
3
-|£'000
16
122
92
8
-
Conservation
Delivery|Education
£'000
8
64
48
4
-
|Other
Total
Basis of
Allocation
£'000
£'000
7
36
Per Capita
54
282
Per Capita
41
213
Per Capita
4
19
Per Capita
32
32
Actual
138
582|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||82|238|124||
## 9. Staff costs
|9. Staff costs||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Salaries and Wages
Social Security Costs
Other Pension Costs|Trust
£'000
1,793
153
186|Trading
£'000
371
14
24|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
2,164
2,204
167
179
210
208|
||2,132|409|2,541
2,591|
The average number of employees, analysed by function, was:
|Conservation
Education
Fundraising
Management and Administration
Subsidiaries|Trust
30
27
14
15
1|Trading
1
-
-
2
43|Year Ended
31 March
2024
Year Ended
31 March
2023
31
32
27
44
14
11
17
14
44
42|
|---|---|---|---|
||87|46|133
143|
We rely on volunteers to help in all aspects of our work particularly for practical conservation work, administration and fundraising.
## _Board and employee emoluments_
Members of the Board did not receive any remuneration or benefits in kind during the period.
Costs incurred by the Board on business amounted to £Nil (2023: £Nil). Total donations received from Members of the Board were immaterial. (2023: £Nil). Small amounts are received in respect of events but nothing over £1,000.
One employee received emoluments within the band of £80,000-£90,000 (2023: one within the band £80,000£90,000).
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 30
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## _Executive Remuneration_
The total executive remuneration paid in the year ended 31 March 2024 was £305,000 (year ended 31 March 2023: £304,000).
## _Average Headcount_
The average headcount in the group in the year ended 31 March 2024 was 133 (year ended 31 March 2023: 143), broken down as follows:
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust – 87 (2023: 100) Staffordshire Wildlife Trading – 46 (2023: 43).
## 10. Pension arrangements
The Trust operates a Group Personal Pension Scheme. Contributions to the scheme are charged to the accounts as they fall due. The Trust has set up a stakeholder pension plan, open to all employees, to cover those who do not wish to contribute to the Group Scheme, to which no employer’s contributions are made.
Pension costs are allocated between restricted and unrestricted funds on an actual cost basis relative to the employee’s staff costs. The allocation of support costs to activities is therefore as stated in note 8.
## 11. Tangible assets
|Group
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2023
Cost or Donated Value
At 01 April 2023
Additions
Disposals
Depreciation
At 01 April 2023
Charge for the Year
Eliminated on Disposals
Net Book Value|Freehold &
Leasehold
Land
£'000
377
-
-|Freehold
Buildings
£'000
3,944
57
-|Equipment
£'000
623
4
-|Motor
Vehicles
Total
£'000
£'000
234
5,178
41
102
-
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||377|4,001|627|275
5,280|
||71
21
-|953
102
-|451
43
-|139
1,614
20
186
-
-|
||92|1,055|494|159
1,800|
||285|2,946|133|116
3,480|
||306|2,991|172|95
3,564|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 31
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
|Charity
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2024
At 01 April 2023
At 31 March 2023
Cost or Donated Value
Additions
Net Book Value
At 31 March 2024
Disposals
Depreciation
At 01 April 2023
Charge for the Year
Eliminated on Disposals|Freehold &
Leasehold
Land
£'000
321
-
-|Freehold
Buildings
£'000
3,944
57
-|Equipment
£'000
478
-
-|Motor
Vehicles
Total
£'000
£'000
219
4,962
41
98
-
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||321|4,001|478|260
5,060|
||23
3
-|953
102
-|345
35
-|124
1,445
20
160
-
-|
||26|1,055|380|144
1,605|
||295|2,946|98|116
3,455|
||298|2,991|133|95
3,517|
The Trust acquired a 125-year lease at the Roaches on 1 May 2013. This has been included in freehold and leasehold land rather than as a heritage asset as the land is not owned by the Trust and is to be written off over the term of the lease.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 32
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 12. Heritage assets
The Trust’s nature reserves are held to advance the conservation objectives of the charity and therefore are recognised as Heritage assets. Such assets are central to the achievements of the Trust. Purchased heritage assets are included in the balance sheet at cost. Donated assets are only included in the balance sheet where a reliable valuation can be obtained at the date of donation.
The following nature reserves have been purchased or donated throughout the life of the Trust.
|Date
Reserve
1970-2000
Loynton Moss
1975
Castern Wood
1981-1996
Black Brook
1984
Doxey Marshes - Tillington Pasture
1987
Pasturefields
1987-2003
Brown End Quarry
1988
Doxey Marshes - Cadbury Pasture
1993
Doxey Marshes - Central Pastures
1993-1995
Rod Wood
1994
Weags Barn
1996
Colwich
1996
Black Firs and Cranberry Bog
1997
Doxey Marshes - Tillington Meadow
1997
Oakwood Pastures
1998
Hem Heath & Parrots Drumble
1999
Cotton Dell
1999
Doxey Marshes - Darling Pasture
1999-2000
Black Heath & Casey Bank
Pre-2000
Bateswood
2002
Newstead Wood
2002-2003
Thorswood
2004
Radford Meadows
2006
Croxall Lakes
2007
Brankley Pastures
2009
Highgate Common
2010
Black Brook
2013
Tucklesholme
2015
Shawside
2016
Nan's Wood
2016
Hazel Barrow
2017
Hem Heath - Wedgwood
2019
Knotbury Common
2019-2023
Gun Moor
2020
Craddock's Moss|Cost
£'000
138
16
201
5
32
4
28
1
45
53
4
4
52
39
21
88
65
99
5
9
186
122
9
304
-
31
339
88
25
108
10
79
256
78|
|---|---|
||2,544|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 33
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
In addition to the purchased or donated nature reserves, the following are being leased or rented at a nominal rental:
Allimore Green Common Land at Brown Spit Connecting Cannock Chase Land Georges Hayes Gentleshaw Common Harston Wood Jacksons Coppice and Marsh Side Farm Meadows Swineholes Wood
There are land management management agreements in place for the following:
Bleak House Biddulph Grange Country Park Biddulph Valley Way South Brough Park Fields Cecilly Brook LNR Hales Hall Pool Hoftens Cross Ladderedge Country Park Marshes Hill Common Land at Newpool Meadow Wetley Moor Common Whitemore LNR
Public access to the sites is generally unrestricted subject to health and safety, temporary operational or other restrictions such as within leases or conveyance documents.
## Five-year summary of heritage asset transactions
|Cost Carried Forward
Cost Bought Forward
Purchases in the Year|2024
£'000
2,544
-|2023
£'000
2,461
83|2022
£'000
2,450
11|2021
2019
£'000
£'000
2,372
2,131
78
241|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||2,544|2,544|2,461|2,450
2,372|
It is not practical to separately identify the amount spent on maintaining these assets as it is so integral to the general work of the Trust.
|13. Investments|||
|---|---|---|
||31 March|31 March|
|Quoted and Listed Investments|2024|2023|
|Group and Company|£'000|£'000|
|Quoted Investments|659|636|
|Cash Held as Part of Portfolio|15|14|
||674|650|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 34
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
The movement on quoted investments is as follows:
|The movement on quoted investments is as follows:||
|---|---|
|Market value as at 1 April 2023
Additions at cost
Disposals at Market Value Bought Forward
Unrealised Gains / (Losses)
Market Value at 31 March 2024
Historic Cost as 31 March 2024
Investments comprise:
Fixed Interest Securities
UK Equities
Overseas Equities
Property Funds
Other|31 March
2024
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
650
705
241
129
(224)
(131)
7
(53)|
||674
650|
||629
632|
||31 March
2024
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
161
120
156
148
268
235
18
19
56
114|
||659
636|
The following investments are considered to be material in the context of the value of the portfolio (over £33,000):
|Aberdeen UK Ethical Equity Instruments
Aegon Ethical Equity
Brown Advisory US Sustainable Growth
CT (UK) Responsible Global Equity
FP Wheb Sustainable Fund
Rlum Sustainable Leaders Trust
UK Government Bonds|31 March
2024
£'000
44
44
76
37
42
44
86|
|---|---|
||373|
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited owns the entire share capital (2 ordinary shares of £1) in its subsidiary, Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited (company no. 03387233), which is incorporated in England.
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited also owns the entire share capital (2 ordinary shares of £1) in its subsidiary, Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited (company no. 06775503), which is incorporated in England. Further details concerning the activities and assets of these companies is given in note 21.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 35
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 14. Debtors
|14. Debtors|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Group||Charity||
||31 March|31 March|31 March|31 March|
||2024|2023|2024|2023|
||£'000|£'000|£'000|£'000|
|Trade Debtors|363|220|355|217|
|Amounts Due from Subsidiary Companies|-|-|49|6|
|Other Debtors|-|-|-|-|
|Prepayments and Accrued Income|2,908|770|2,892|757|
||3,271|990|3,296|980|
|15. Investments – Current assets|||||
|Group and Company|||31 March|31 March|
||||2024|2023|
||||£'000|£'000|
|COIF Charities Deposit Fund at CCLA Investment Management Limited|||5|5|
||||5|5|
|16. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year|||||
|16. Creditors: Amounts falling due within|one year|one year|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Group||Charity||
||31 March|31 March|31 March|31 March|
||2024|2023|2024|2023|
||£'000|£'000|£'000|£'000|
|Trade Creditors|144|282|137|274|
|Other Creditors|28|31|16|19|
|Other Taxes and Social Security|113|113|111|110|
|Corporation Tax|4|3|-|-|
|Accruals and Deferred Income|326|283|178|196|
||615|712|442|599|
|Deferred income|||||
||||Group|Charity|
||||£'000|£'000|
|Balance at 1st April 2023|||64|72|
|Amount released to income received from charitable activities|||(64)|(72)|
|Amount deferred in the period|||113|108|
|Balance at 31st March 2024|||113|108|
Included within Accruals and Deferred Income is deferred income relating to membership subscriptions paid in advance and annual partnership payments to projects paid in advance.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 36
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 17. Creditors: Amounts falling due in more than one year
|Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan|31 March
2024
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
14
23
Group|31 March
2024
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
14
23
Group|31 March
2024
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
-
-
Charity|
|---|---|---|---|
||14|23|-
-|
## 18. Restricted funds – Projects
These funds have been set aside for specific projects. These projects may arise out of the Trust’s ongoing activities, or the Trust may be asked to carry out a specific task. Either way, at some stage in the project, grants and donations will have been received specific to that project. Therefore, once a project is commenced any funds allocated to it are restricted to that fund. It is anticipated that these funds will be used over the coming months and years as the expenditure for which these funds were raised is incurred. There are therefore many small funds and for the purposes of statutory reporting these have been grouped together under two main headings.
|Group and Company
Conservation Delivery
Living Landscapes
Education|Balance
01 Apr
2023
£'000
1,462
352
78|Incomings
3,278
836
167|Outgoings
(944)
(576)
(223)|Balance
Transfers
31 Mar
2024
£'000
(225)
3,571
95
707
12
34|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||1,892|4,281|(1,743)|(118)
4,312|
The following funds of £50,000 or more (individual or cumulative) were received in support of projects:
|Funder
Project
Trent ReNEW
Marchington Brook Natural Flood Management
Stafford Brooks
Claymills Water Industry Environment Programme
Severn Trent Water
Highways England
Environment Agency
Environment Agency
Know Your Neighbourhood
The Community Foundation for
Staffordshire
Severn Trent Water
Staffordshire County Council
Staffordshire Moorlands DC
Water Vole Recovery
Trent and Sow Washlands
Management of SMDC Nature Reserves|Amount
£'000
550
50
100
269
78
91
114
59|
|---|---|
||1,311|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 37
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has received funding of less than £50,000 during 2023-24 from the following funders:
|Action for Children|Aggregate Industries UK Ltd|Aiming High|
|---|---|---|
|Arts Council England|Brampton Museum|Central England Co-op|
|Cheshire Wildlife Trust|CPRE Staffordshire|The Community Foundation for Staffordshire|
|Defra|East Staffordshire Borough Council|Edward Cadbury Trust|
|Environment Agency|The Ernest Cook Trust|Hanson Quarry Products|
|Highways England|Historic England|The Ironmongers Foundation|
|J&O Lloyd Trust|Little Lives UK|The Masonic Charitable Foundation|
|Rolleston Parish Council|Rural Payments Agency|Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust|
|Rugeley Power Limited|Severn Trent Water Ltd|The Newt Conservation Partnership|
|Staffordshire County Council|Staffs Moorland District Council|National Lottery Heritage Fund|
|Stoke City Council|Statham Family Charitable Trust|Peak District National Park Authority|
|Support Staffordshire|Tamworth Borough Council|University Hospitals of North Midlands|
|Tarmac Trading Limited|Tesco|Top Cashback|
|The Wildlife Trust for|||
|Birmingham & Black Country|||
## 19. Unrestricted funds
These funds have been set aside for projects that are not fully funded by restricted income. Any unspent funds will be spent over the coming years as the expenditure for which these funds have been set aside is incurred.
|General Funds
Total Unrestricted Funds
Designated Funds - Projects
- Conservation Delivery|Balance
01 Apr
2023
£'000
-|Incomings
-|Outgoings
-|Balance
Transfers
31 Mar
2024
£'000
-
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||-
2,571|-
2,642|-
(2,993)|-
-
118
2,338|
||2,571|2,642|(2,993)|118
2,338|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 38
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 20. Endowment Funds
These are funds which will have arisen from an Appeal, or from a specific donation, or from grants. The funds have been used to acquire the sites operated and the headquarters. There are also donations of fixed assets which have been valued, and the valuation placed here.
|Group and Company
Black Brook
The Roaches
Black Firs
Black Heath
Brankley
Brown End Quarry
Casey Bank
Hem Heath
Highgate Common
Loynton Moss
Oakwood Pastures
Nan's Wood
Newstead
Pasturefields
Radford
Rod Wood
Shawside
Thorswood
Tucklesholme
Weag's Barn
Westport Undercroft
Wolseley Gatehouse
Wolseley HQ
Castern Wood
Gun Moor
Hazel Barrow
Colwich Brickworks
Cotton Dell
Croxall
Doxey Marshes
Loynton: Shooting Rights|Balance
01 Apr
2023
£'000
198
273
4
34
304
4
63
4
4
87
7
138
220
108
18
220
44
137
39
25
10
22
122
45
88
96
285
52
76
154
813|Incomings
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Outgoings
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Balance
Transfers
31 Mar
2024
£'000
-
198
-
273
-
4
-
34
-
304
-
4
-
63
-
4
-
4
-
87
-
7
-
138
-
220
-
108
-
18
-
220
-
44
-
137
-
39
-
25
-
10
-
22
-
122
-
45
-
88
-
96
-
285
-
52
-
76
-
154
-
813|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||3,694|-|-|-
3,694|
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 39
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 21. Trading companies
## Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited
The following activities are carried out by ‘Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited’:
- Running a Visitor Centre, café, retail shop and conference facilities at the Trust's Headquarters at Wolseley Bridge
- Operation of a cafe and conference facilities at Westport Lake Visitor Centre in Burslem.
- Running three charity shops across the county, selling mainly donated goods.
- An online shop which sells retail goods especially in the run up to Christmas
Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited entered into no sales or purchases with any of the other members of the group in the year. At the period end Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited owed £48,873 (2023: £5,722) to its parent company. This debt is made up of payments and receipts that have been received and paid by suppliers to/from the wrong group member, as well as liabilities arising under group arrangements.
The statutory income statement and statement of financial position of Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited were as follows:
## Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited Income Statement
Year ended 31 March 2024
|Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited
ncome Statement
Year ended 31 March 2024||
|---|---|
|Turnover
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Operating profit
Taxation
Gift aid to parent charity
Administrative expenses
Profit before taxation
(Loss)/Profit for the financial year
Total comprehensive income for the year
Interest receivable and similar income
Interest payable and similar expenses|Year
Ended 31
March
2024
Year
Ended 31
March
2023
£'000
£'000
1,065
946
(677)
(658)|
||388
288
(261)
(218)|
||127
70
2
1
(1)
(1)|
||128
70
(4)
(3)|
||124
67
(125)
(69)|
||(1)
(2)|
A gift aid payment of £125,000 (2023 - £69,000) was made by the subsidiary to the parent charity.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 40
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited Statement of Financial Position As at 31 March 2024
|Long term liabilities
Cash at bank and in hand
Property, Plant and Equipment
Current assets
Stock and Work in Progress
Trade and other receivables
Fixed assets
Current Liabilities
Net current liabilities
Total Equity
Total assets less current liabilities
Equity
Called up share capital
Retained Earnings|2024
£'000
21
23
166|2024
2023
2023
£'000
£'000
£'000
27
47
22
17
59
98
(120)
(12)
(22)
(14)
(23)
1
2
-
-
1
2
1
2|
|---|---|---|
||210
(222)||
||||
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 41
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited
The principal activity of Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited was that of providing environmental consultancy services. This company ceased trading on 30 September 2015.
Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited entered into no sales or purchases with any of the other members of the group in the year.
At the year end Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited owed £Nil (2023: £Nil) to its parent company.
Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited remained dormant throughout the year ended 31 March 2024.
## Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited Statement of financial position As at 31 March 2024
|Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited
Statement of financial position
As at 31 March 2024|||
|---|---|---|
|Equity
Called up share capital
Retained Earnings
Total Equity
Total assets less current liabilities
Current assets
Cash at bank and in hand
Current Liabilities
Net current assets
Property, Plant and Equipment
Fixed assets|2024
£'000
1|2024
2023
2023
£'000
£'000
£'000
-
-
1
1
-
1
1
1
1
-
-
1
1
1
1|
||1
-||
||||
Both Staffordshire Wildlife Trading Limited and Staffordshire Ecological Services Limited are wholly owned subsidiaries of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 42
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 22. Analysis of net assets between funds
|22. Analysis of net assets between funds|22. Analysis of net assets between funds|||
|---|---|---|---|
|Unrestricted
£'000
1,802
344
674
21
374
(331)
5
(537)
(14)
2,338
46
Heritage assets
Current liabilities
Revaluation reserve included within long-term
investments
Long term liability
Total net assets
Tangible fixed assets
Short-term investments
Long-term investments
Stock and work in progress
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand||Total
Projects
Capital
£'000
£'000
£'000
184
1,494
3,480
-
2,200
2,544
-
-
674
-
-
21
2,897
-
3,271
1,309
-
978
-
-
5
(78)
-
(615)
-
-
(14)
Restricted||
||2,338|4,312|3,694
10,344|
||46|-|-
46|
## 23. Members guarantee
The liability of each member is limited to £1.
## 24. Local and special interest groups
Within the overall operation of the Trust there exists some 20 local and special interest groups. These local and special interest groups are autonomous, and responsible for their own financial matters. They organise their own fundraising activities, cover their own running costs, and make contributions to the Trust as and when funds are available. Their results have not been incorporated within these figures. An exception to this is the special interest group, Barn Owl Action Group, which is a larger operation than other local and special interest groups. In the case of this, the group’s operations have been included as a restricted fund within the Trust’s financial statements.
## 25. Contingent liabilities
There are certain covenants in respect of projects and sites which require that if the land is sold any funding would be returned to the funder. Land and buildings can be viewed as permanent assets of the Trust and have not been acquired for onward selling. It is therefore unlikely that these covenants will ever be breached and a liability incurred.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 43
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 26. Financial instruments
|26. Financial instruments|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Group||Charity||
||31 March|31 March|31 March|31 March|
||2024|2023|2024|2023|
||£'000|£'000|£'000|£'000|
|Financial Assets|||||
|Financial assets measured at fair value through profit or|680|655|680|655|
|loss|||||
|Financial assets that are debt instruments measured at|3,182|2,057|3,225|1,994|
|amortised cost|||||
||3,862|2,712|3,905|2,649|
|Financial Liabilities|||||
|Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost|489|740|334|603|
|Financial assets measured at fair value through income and expenditure comprise investments.|||||
|Financial assets that are debt instruments measured at amortised cost comprise trade debtors, amounts owed|||||
|group undertakings, other debtors and accrued income.|||||
|Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost comprise trade creditors, amounts|||owed to group undertakin||
|taxation and social security, other creditors and accruals.|||||
|27. Commitments under operating leases.|||||
|At 31 March 2024 the charity had non-cancellable commitments under||operating leases which fall||due as follows|
||Land and|Buildings|Other||
||Year Ended|Year Ended|Year Ended|
Year Ended|
||31 March|31 March|31 March|31 March|
||2024|2023|2024|2023|
||£'000|£'000|£'000|£'000|
|Within 1 year|37|44|5|5|
|Within 2-5 years|30|39|1|6|
||67|83|6|11|
Financial assets measured at fair value through income and expenditure comprise investments.
Financial assets that are debt instruments measured at amortised cost comprise trade debtors, amounts owed by group undertakings, other debtors and accrued income.
Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost comprise trade creditors, amounts owed to group undertakings, taxation and social security, other creditors and accruals.
## 27. Commitments under operating leases.
At 31 March 2024 the charity had non-cancellable commitments under operating leases which fall due as follows:
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 44
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## 28. Reconciliation of cash inflow from operating activities
|Unrealised gains on investments
Profit for the financial year
Depreciation
(Profit) / Loss on disposal
Interest paid
Investment income
Taxation
Increase / (decrease) in trade creditors
Net cash flow from operating activities
Decrease / (increase) in trade and other debtors
Decrease / (increase) in stock
29. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
Cash at bank and in hand
Cash held as part of investment portfolio
Cash on short term deposit|31 March
2024
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
2,187
(623)
186
168
(28)
59
45
(8)
1
1
(28)
(4)
(2)
1
(2,281)
(455)
1
-
(95)
236|
|---|---|
||(14)
(625)|
||31 March
2024
31 March
2023
£'000
£'000
978
1,117
5
5
15
14|
||998
1,136|
## 30. Related party transactions
There are no related party transactions that require disclosure under FRS 102.
## 31. Post balance sheet events
In September 2024 the charity was informed of a kind legacy gift from Miss Jean Norman, anticipated to be of a value of £71,000. Miss Norman passed away in 2021 and the gift is to be issued to the Trust on once the estate has been finalised. This amount has not been recognised as income in this financial year as the Trust were not informed of the gift before the end of the year.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 45
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT TO THE MEMBERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited (the “parent charitable company”) and its subsidiaries (the ‘group’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the consolidated and parent Statement of Financial Activities, the consolidated and parent Balance Sheet, the consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of 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).
This report is made solely to the charity’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 charity’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 charity’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
- In our opinion, the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the group and of the parent charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of the group and parent’s charity’s income and expenditure for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice;
- **-** have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011.
## 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 group and parent 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
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you where:
- the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or
- the trustees have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the group and charity’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
## 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.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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 audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 46
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT TO THE MEMBERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the trustees’ report, incorporating the directors’ report prepared for the purposes of company law for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with The financial statements; and
- the trustees’ report, incorporating the directors’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Annual Report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate and proper 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
- the parent charitable company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not obtained all the information and explanations necessary for the purposes of our audit.
## Responsibilities of the trustees
As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out on page 19 the trustees (who are also the directors of the 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 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 and charity’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 charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
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.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
The extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above and on the Financial Reporting Council’s website, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 47
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT TO THE MEMBERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
We obtain and update our understanding of the entity, its activities, its control environment, and likely future developments, including in relation to the legal and regulatory framework applicable and how the entity is complying with that framework. Based on this understanding, we identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. This includes consideration of the risk of acts by the entity that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud. In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud, we designed procedures which included:
- Enquiry of management and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims as well as actual, suspected and alleged fraud.
- Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.
- Assessing the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations considered to have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the company through enquiry and inspection.
- Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Performing audit work over the risk of management bias and override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for indicators of potential bias.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://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 Charity’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 Charity’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 Charity’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Simon Hawkins (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Dains Audit Limited Suite 2, Albion House 2 Etruria Office Village Stoke-on-Trent ST1 5RQ
Date: 28[th] October 2024
Dains Audit Limited is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 48
APPENDIX – GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Restricted Fund Income and Balances
|Balance
01 Apr
2023
£'000
139
2
7
-
2
15
29
13
22
21
33
44
46
7
56
10
14
240
2
43
12
164
52
(3)
220
-
18
3
1,211
116
-
268
-
5
389
Transforming the Trent Valley
Trent ReNEW
Wilder Churnet
Water Vole Recovery
Weir Work
Conservation - Large Landscape Projects
Stoke and Urban Newcastle
Transforming the Trent Headwaters
Rugeley Power Station
Stafford Brooks
Staffordshire Moorlands DC sites
Trent Vale / Headwaters
Gentleshaw Common
Georges Hayes
Highgate
Local Records Centre
Mammal Group
Action for Invertebrates
Badger Vaccinations
Barn Owl Action Group
Basic Payment Scheme
Beavers
Bleak House
Branston Leas
Catchment Based Approach (CaBa)
Central Rivers Initiative
Churnet Valley Pine Martens
Conservation Delivery Projects
Natural Flood Management
Postcode Climate Challenge
Croxall Lakes Restoration
Claymills and Marchington
Crayfish in Crisis
Faciliation Funds
Trent & Sow|Balance
01 Apr
2023
£'000
139
2
7
-
2
15
29
13
22
21
33
44
46
7
56
10
14
240
2
43
12
164
52
(3)
220
-
18
3|Incomings
33
-
-
52
-
28
1
15
6
-
320
13
11
15
-
-
-
100
-
-
-
6
100
115
-
78
-
130|Outgoings
(29)
(1)
-
-
-
(20)
(15)
(28)
-
(4)
(133)
(8)
(21)
(4)
(47)
(4)
-
(120)
-
-
(12)
(29)
(62)
(119)
(63)
(48)
(3)
(146)|Balance
Transfers
31 Mar
2024
£'000
(24)
119
-
1
-
7
(52)
-
-
2
-
23
(7)
8
-
-
-
28
(11)
6
-
220
-
49
-
36
-
18
-
9
-
6
-
14
-
220
-
2
-
43
-
-
(24)
117
(60)
30
-
(7)
(19)
138
-
30
-
15
14
1|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||1,211|1,023|(916)|(183)
1,135|
|||-
-
268
550
18|(15)
-
(522)
-
(39)|-
101
19
19
37
51
(14)
536
16
-|
||389|836|(576)|58
707|
This page does not form part of the statutory accounts on which the auditors have reported.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 49
APPENDIX – GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Restricted Fund Income and Balances Continued
|Wilder Stoke, Wilder Newcastle
Wilder Youth
Nature in your Neighbourhood
Team Wilder
Legacy with Education Restriction
Legacies with Conservation Restrictions
Total Restricted Funds
Education
Capital Equipment
Green Influencer
Know Your Neighbourhood
Masonic Foundation Wildchild
Wild About Tamworth
Wildchild
Wildchild Festival
Other restricted projects
Living Legacy with Geographic Restriction
New Minibus Appeal|Balance
01 Apr
2023
£'000
16
-
-
-
5
6
-
27
18
5|Incomings
-
59
19
-
39
15
2
22
-
12|Outgoings
(16)
(59)
(3)
-
(39)
(21)
-
(53)
(18)
(14)|Balance
Transfers
31 Mar
2024
£'000
-
-
-
-
-
16
-
-
-
5
8
8
-
2
4
-
-
-
-
3|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||77|168|(223)|12
34|
||150
-
25
40
-|-
2,215
-
-
39|(27)
-
(1)
-
-|41
164
-
2,215
(7)
17
-
40
(39)
-|
||215|2,254|(28)|(5)
2,436|
||1,892|4,281|(1,743)|(118)
4,312|
This page does not form part of the statutory accounts on which the auditors have reported.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 50
APPENDIX – GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
## Acronyms which may have been used within the financial statements
|AGM|Annual General Meeting|
|---|---|
|BNG|Biodiversity Net Gain|
|CaBA|Catchment Based Approach (Partnership for River Catchments)|
|CEO|Chief Executive Officer|
|CIN|Children in Need|
|CVLLP|Churnet Valley Living Landscape Partnership|
|DEFRA|Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|
|FRC|Financial Reporting Council|
|FRS|Financial Reporting Standard|
|GDPR|General Data Protection Regulation|
|GRCF|Green Recovery Challenge Fund|
|HLF|Heritage Lottery Fund (Now National Lottery Heritage Fund)|
|HS2|High Speed 2|
|ISA|International Standards on Auditing|
|LEI|Landscape Enhancement Initiative|
|LNR|Local Nature Reserve|
|LNRS|Local Nature Recovery Strategy|
|NFM|Natural Flood Management|
|NLHF|National Lottery Heritage Fund (formerly Heritage Lottery Fund)|
|NRN|Nature Recovery Networks|
|RSWT|The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts|
|SAC|Special Area of Conservation|
|SER|Staffordshire Ecological Record|
|SMDC|Staffordshire Moorlands District Council|
|SOFA|Statement of Financial Activities|
|SORP|Statement of Recommended Practice (for Charity Reporting)|
|SSSI|A Site of Special Scientific Interest|
|SUNLL|Stoke and Urban Newcastle Living Landscape|
|SUNRISE|Stoke and Urban Newcastle: Rediscovering its Secret Environments|
|SWP|South West Peak|
|SWT|Staffordshire Wildlife Trust|
|TTTV|Transforming the Trent Valley|
|TTTH|Transforming the Trent Headwaters|
|TVWP|Tame Valley Wetlands Partnership|
|WEG|Water Environment Grant|
|WSWN|Wilder Stoke, Wilder Newcastle|
This page does not form part of the statutory accounts on which the auditors have reported.
Looking After Staffordshire's Wildlife Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited Registered charity number: 259558 Company Number (England and Wales): 00959609
Page | 51