This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Company no. 04965522 Charity no. 293190

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum Report and Audited Financial Statements 31 December 2024

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Reference and administrative details

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Company number 04965522 Charity number 293190 Registered office and The Great Oak Hall operational address Westonbirt, The National Arboretum Tetbury Gloucestershire GL8 8QS Trustees Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report, and the subcommittees on which they served, were as follows:

S Addadahine (appointed 1 May 2024) M Ballard (appointed 5 February 2025) S Bryars, Joint Vice Chair (appointed 1 May 2024) 1 O Forster 1 N Frost 2 P Isherwood, Joint Vice Chair 2 N Sachdev (resigned 2 October 2024) 1,2,3 M Smith, Treasurer and Chair (Chair from 4 December 2024) 1,2,3 S Troupe 1 C Walker (resigned 5 February 2025) 1,2,3 R Walker 3 A Woods (resigned 23 February 2024) 1 Committees to the board Chairperson 1. Finance and risk panel M Smith 2. Enterprise board N Frost 3. Human resources R Walker The Chair of Trustees has an ex-officio appointment on all committees. Senior leadership team The management of FoWA is overseen by a senior leadership team employed by the Trust during the year. This comprised as follows: E Griffiths Chief Executive H Turner Finance Director Bankers Lloyds Bank PLC CAF Bank Ltd 14 Castle Street 25 Kings Hill Avenue Cirencester West Malling Gloucestershire Kent GL7 1QJ ME19 4JQ CCLA Investment Management Ltd 80 Cheapside London EC2V 6DZ

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Reference and administrative details

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Auditors

Godfrey Wilson Limited Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Chair's statement

For the year ended 31 December 2024

2024 was a year of growth and renewed momentum for the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum. Against a challenging backdrop for visitor attractions, we were proud to achieve an 8.3% increase in membership—ending the year with 38,000 members. This turnaround reflects the success of our refreshed membership strategy and our focus on re-engaging former members.

Our fundraising also gathered pace, with £265,000 secured through external grants and trusts to support key projects such as the Silk Wood Community Planting, Play, and Accessibility. In total, the Charity awarded £372,000 in new grants for Arboretum projects, with an additional £335,000 paid towards previously committed projects. We were especially pleased to see the continued impact of our Community Grant Giving Fund, helping to make Westonbirt more accessible for community groups.

A further £762,000 was paid to Forestry England for Arboretum Access Rights, directly supporting site operations and ensuring our members continue to enjoy free access to this special place.

Our trading subsidiary, the Shop, had a successful year—offering new, locally sourced ranges and enhancing the visitor experience, all while promoting membership and contributing valuable income to the site.

Collaboration with Forestry England remains central to our work. We’ve strengthened partnerships at both local and national levels, working together on shared priorities in fundraising, marketing, and long-term planning. As we look ahead to our 40th anniversary in 2025, we’re excited to celebrate our impact and thank all those who’ve contributed to the Charity’s journey.

This year also saw changes to our Board of Trustees. We thank Alaana Woods, Neil Sachdev, and Christian Walker for their service and welcome new trustees Sam Addadahine and Sarah Bryars. Following Christian’s resignation in December, I stepped into the role of Chair, supported by Paul Isherwood and Sarah Bryars as joint Vice-Chairs.

Finally, and most importantly, thank you to our Members and Supporters. Your loyalty, generosity, and belief in the Arboretum’s future continue to inspire everything we do.

Martyn Smith - Chair of the Board of Trustees

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Reference and administrative information set out on pages 1 and 2 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (effective from January 2019).

About the charity

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum (the Arboretum) is the location for a historic, Victorian picturesque landscape and internationally important tree and shrub collection that is managed by Forestry England with support from us, the on-site charity. The nearly 15,000 labelled specimens come from Britain, China, North America, Japan, Chile and other temperate climates.

The Arboretum covers 600 acres and consists of three main areas: the Old Arboretum is a carefully designed landscape dating from the 1850s offering beautiful vistas, stately avenues and trees from around the world; Silk Wood is an ancient, semi-natural woodland which has exotic planting throughout its landscape; and the Downs is Grade 1 registered and hosts species-rich grassland.

The Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum is a local charity with approximately 38k members. Our mission is to further the public enjoyment and knowledge of Westonbirt Arboretum and to secure its sustainable future.

The Charity was established in 1985 by a small group of enthusiasts who were committed to the preservation and development of this unique landscape. The Charity works closely with Forestry England to support their aspirations for the long-term development of the Arboretum.

The Charity has a dual legal status as a registered company regulated under company law, and as a registered Charity regulated under Charity law. It is governed for public benefit by the Trustee Board according to the Charity’s Articles. The strategic direction and development of the Charity is managed by the Trustee Board, alongside an established Finance and Risk Committee providing additional financial control. The day-to-day operation of the Charity is delegated to the Chief Executive and staff team.

The Charity is committed to good governance and good practice in fundraising, having voluntarily chosen to follow the Code of Fundraising Practice (as overseen by the Fundraising Regulator) and the Charity Governance Code (as endorsed by the Charity Commission).

Structure, governance and management Governing document

The governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association incorporated on 17 November 2003, as amended by special resolutions in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2018.

The Friends is a membership and fundraising organisation for Westonbirt, The National Arboretum and as of 31 December 2024 we had 37,904 Members. The Board is accountable to the Charity Commission as a registered Charity.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Recruitment and appointment of Trustees

Trustees are recruited following a skills audit of Board members to ensure that the Board has the right mix of skills and experience. The services of a recruitment consultant may be used to recruit new Trustees. Trustees are required to retire from office following the completion of their term of office at 3 years, serving a maximum of three terms of office (9 years in total). There is an induction process to support new Trustees, set out in the Trustee policy, including meetings with key staff and stakeholders and offers training and development opportunities.

The Board meets at least five times during the year. There are also three subcommittees: an Enterprise Board and a Finance and Risk Panel, which meet four to five times per year. Additionally, there is a Human Resources Panel which is convened when needed.

The Trustees have continued to keep the Charity governance needs and the diversity of the Board under review. The Trustees are responsible for staff pay, benefits and terms and conditions. Detailed oversight of finance is delegated specifically to the elected Treasurer who works closely with the Finance Director and keeps the Board informed. With the appointment of the current Treasurer to the position of Chair, an additional Trustee with finance experience will be appointed in early 2025. The Board is also currently recruiting with an aim of appointing the maximum number of 12 Trustees - specific skill sets having been identified as legal, fundraising and retail expertise.

Risk management

Risk is managed through a risk management register and detailed policy; this is reviewed by the CEO alongside a Trustee with specialist expertise in risk management who reports to the full Board. Major risks are reviewed annually by the full Board and are kept under review on a quarterly basis by the Finance and Risk Panel. The Board monitors impact, probability, mitigations taken and identifies any additional action required. Key potential risks facing The Friends that require careful monitoring include the impact of any major changes in membership recruitment and retention which is often influenced by the current economic climate. Other risks monitored are cyber security and data protection, staff turnover and the relationship with Forestry England who run the site.

Organisational structure

Day-to-day responsibility for operations of The Friends is delegated to the full-time employed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and, through them, to the staff team. The Friends is also a fully paid member of the Fundraising Regulator and are committed to good practice in fundraising.

The Board works closely with the CEO to set the strategic direction of The Friends, as well as working with key stakeholders such as Forestry England. This has been demonstrated through the Forestry England Director being invited to report to the Board as a guest at Board meetings on performance and developments of the Arboretum on a quarterly basis.

Related parties

Forestry England is the site manager of the Arboretum and the major beneficiary of our grant giving. To this end, The Friends has in place a partnership agreement that is signed off by the Board of Trustees and Forestry England senior management. We have a grant policy in place with a transparent process for application and awarding of grants against our charitable objectives and criteria set in the policy. In awarding grants, the recipient (including Forestry England) are bound by the terms of those grants to provide impact reporting and we monitor the completion of projects against these terms.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Pay policy for key management staff

The Trustees consider that the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Management comprise the Key Management personnel of the Charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating on a day-to-day basis. All Trustees give their time freely and no Trustee received remuneration or other benefit from their work in the year. Details of Trustees’ expenses are disclosed in note 11 to the accounts.

The pay for the Chief Executive Officer and all staff is reviewed by the Board of Trustees annually. The pay review includes a 3rd-party benchmarking against both the voluntary sector and visitor attractions.

Aims, objectives and activities

Objectives

The Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum aims to further public enjoyment and knowledge of the Arboretum’s world-renowned tree collection and to secure its sustainable future. It does this by engaging, informing and increasing its membership and also by giving financial and practical support to the management and development of Westonbirt, The National Arboretum and, in particular, by:

providing support to the National Arboretum at Westonbirt in promoting public understanding of the critical role of trees to the environment and society;
providing support for the Arboretum’s research and education in all fields relating to trees;
providing support for the conservation, maintenance and development of the unique tree collection and historic landscape for future generations;
providing funds to enhance the public’s experience at the Arboretum;
acting as an advocate for the Arboretum, promoting its values and the need for continuing funding;
providing support to the Arboretum by cultivating the Charity’s relationship with its members so as to encourage long-term relationships and fundraising opportunities;
promoting opportunities for access and participation to a diverse range of public individuals and groups; and
providing funds for such other charitable purposes as will further the work of the Arboretum.

Strategies

In December 2019, a new vision for the Arboretum as a whole was launched by Forestry England entitled ‘Our Place in a Changing World’, which focusses on responding to the environmental and human challenges we face over the next 10 years as the climate and society changes. The vision is for the Arboretum to be A world leader in trees, inspiring people through conservation, education and participation.

2024 saw the charity work on an interim 1-year strategy for development and growth, having identified some key areas to test, resolve and develop through the work completed in 2023 and in the context of having built the team and relationship with Forestry England, since the appointment of the current CEO in August 2022. The strategy has been driven by a focus on the following priorities with the overall aim of supporting the Arboretum and the shared Ten-Year Vision, as detailed below:

contributing to the Arboretum Development Masterplan and improving the collaborative culture;
raising funds for the delivery of Arboretum Development projects;
increasing membership and retention of members; and
▪ increasing stakeholder engagement and growing the charity profile.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

The Board and staff have spent time revisiting the Charity purpose, organisational values and reviewing the effectiveness and impact achieved to date then setting the interim strategy for 2024. This work has been carried out in consultation with the Board of Trustees, all staff at the Friends and through stakeholder engagement, including our partners at Forestry England and drawing on feedback from Members.

The latter part of 2024 enabled us opportunity to reflect on this progress and outcomes of these tactics have informed a strategy that will run from 2025 through to the beginning of 2030.

Public benefit

The Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum provides several public benefits, primarily focused on supporting the arboretum itself. This is made possible through fundraising and generating income through membership and retail. With this income we support, enable and facilitate the following, primarily through our strong partnership and collaboration with Forestry England who manage the site.

Conservation and Preservation: The Charity contributes to the conservation and preservation efforts of Westonbirt Arboretum, ensuring that the diverse collection of trees and plants are maintained for future generations to enjoy.

Education and Outreach: The Charity payment to Forestry England for members to access the site contributes to the running cost of the educational programs, workshops, and guided tours to schools and the public, promoting environmental awareness and appreciation for nature.

Access and Enjoyment: The Charity works to improve access to the Arboretum, making it more enjoyable and accessible for visitors of all ages and abilities.

Research and Development: Funding from the Charity supports research initiatives aimed at better understanding tree species, ecosystems, and environmental sustainability, seed collection and conservation efforts.

Community Engagement: Through grants the Charity supports the facilitation of community events, volunteer opportunities, and membership engagement, fostering a sense of belonging and stewardship among supporters of both the Charity itself and Forestry England, Westonbirt.

Overall, the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum plays a crucial role in enhancing the Arboretum's value as a public resource, both ecologically and recreationally.

Achievements and performance

During the year, the Friend’s main operations fell into the following areas:

Membership
Retail
Fundraising
Charitable Activities and Impact

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Membership

As a membership organisation, the Friends relies on the lifeblood of our membership income, enabling us to raise charitable funds to meet our charitable objectives in support of Westonbirt Arboretum. Increase in membership numbers directly impacts the level of Arboretum Access Rights Payments the Friends makes to the Arboretum: greater membership numbers result in a greater level of financial support for the Arboretum through further grant giving. This has been a strong year for membership growth as a result of our pivot in marketing activity, testing incentives and improving or increasing our communication to members. We ended the year with 37,904 members, an increase of 8.3% YoY, and the Supporter Engagement and Servicing Team have worked hard to process and service the membership increase in applications.

Of our 38k members at the end of the year, 78% of those memberships were eligible for Gift Aid. This resulted in membership income of £1,528k (including Gift Aid).

Member feedback:

“Such a lovely space to bring our little one, space to roam, play outside, splash in puddles and just be outdoors!” Jack Greenaway

“I have been given a year's membership as a 70th birthday present. Living in the local area, I am looking forward to visiting several times during this year”. Mary Anne Fitch

“I belong to the Nordic Walking Group exercising in the arboretum, watching the changes each season brings, just makes me feel so good. Nature at its best – providing fun, friendship and fitness”. Mrs Josephine Gale

“I love Westonbirt for the peace and calm with the trees. I have chronic health conditions and always feel better after visiting. Thank you so much”. Anonymous

Magazine

The member magazine plays a pivotal role in the promotion and education of the work that is undertaken, serving as a key channel for showcasing the Charity's impact and inspiring member engagement with the Arboretum.

Members receive comprehensive membership benefits whilst sitting inside the permissible Gift Aid threshold, such as shopping discounts with partner organisations and entry to partner gardens, newsletters and ‘behind the scenes’ updates. Examples of which can be found on our website blog section: The Friends Blogs

Our Members have played a vital role support the Arboretum since the Charity was established in 1985 and continue to be pivotal in securing the site’s sustainable future for generations to come and we are truly grateful for their ongoing loyalty and support.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Arboretum Access Rights Payment (the AARP)

The AARP payment is the payment the Charity makes to Forestry England to secure access for its Members. This money contributes to the operational management of the site. This includes:

conservation and tree management work including collection and landscape management, propagation activity, dendrology, survey and inventory work, and volunteer, student and work experience;
education, learning and interpretation, including enabling schools to use the Arboretum to support the learning of their pupils and supporting visitors’ understanding of the importance of trees in general, and Westonbirt in particular, as well as widening access from underrepresented audiences;
volunteer participation support; and
improving accessibility to the Arboretum, including the funding and maintenance of mobility scooters.

The 2024 AARP payment was £762,342.

Retail

The Buying and Retail Manager has worked to rationalise the staffing in the Shop to ensure efficient use of resources and affordability. An Assistant Retail Manager was appointed in January 2024 as well as one other permanent role with the remainder of the staff team employed on a casual basis. We now have a committed and enthusiastic team working well to ensure the shop remains an attractive and friendly retail experience for visitors on site. We have continued to develop the variety of products available, purchasing from artisan makers and, where possible, from local suppliers as well as increasing the amount of Westonbirt-own merchandise. During 2024 we secured a license to sell alcohol, allowing us to diversify into a new range of products which have proven to be very popular with customers. Overall, The Charity has sought to follow an ethical approach in its buying strategy, sourcing British produce and merchandise locally whenever possible.

As a result of this combination of efforts we have seen an improvement in shop performance in 2024 and we are positive that with the improved systems, more favourable lease terms, increased promotion and desirable products, we will see a further improvement in performance in 2025. With the Charity running the retail, we can provide Forestry England with an onsite shop that reflects the Arboretum well and provides the Charity with profits to then award as grants to Forestry England and others in support of the Arboretum.

Fundraising

Fundraising in 2024 has comprised a mixed income portfolio of individual donations and grants from trusts and foundations. The fundraising has been targeting areas of need in the Arboretum such as the community planting projects, development of the provision of play, tree conservation and improving accessibility. We continue to offer routes for individuals to support the Arboretum through our popular Leaves of Life memorial sculpture, Support A Square, bench sponsorship and legacy. During 2024, the income from fundraising totalled £292k, exceeding budget expectations (see note 3 of the accounts for further details).

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Acknowledgement of support

We, and the Westonbirt Forestry England team, are extremely grateful to the following funders for their support via grants in 2024:

The Ammco Trust
Bruce Wake Charitable Trust
Cotswolds National Landscape
Douglas Arter Foundation
D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
The Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust
The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust
J and M Britton Charitable Trust
The John Horseman Trust
Julia Rausing Trust
Miller Knoll
The Summerfield Charitable Trust
The Swire Charitable Trust

All fundraising activities are undertaken in line with the Fundraising Regulator guidelines, of which we are a paid member.

Charitable activity and impact

In addition to external fundraising, we have been able to contribute to the site through our own grant giving as a result of generating surplus through membership and retail income.

During the year, we continued to monitor our grants awarded and the impact of this funding through impact reports provided by beneficiaries. More details of these projects can be found on our website: https://www.the Friends.org.uk/our-cause/what-we-do/projects/

During 2024, the Charity paid £335k in respect of previously awarded grants. The Charity also awarded new grants totalling £372k in the year, however, during the year an adjustment of £115k was made in relation to underspent and early-end grant commitments made in prior years, reducing the overall grant commitments recognised in the year to £257k (see note 8 of the accounts for further details).

In line with the joint vision for the site, we have fundraised and awarded grants under the following categories:

Conservation

Westonbirt Tree Conservation Manager - The Charity previously funded the 3-year appointment of a Forestry England employed Tree Conservation Officer, whose appointment started in April 2023, and to contribute to the cost of associated tree research trips and seed collections. This grant came to an end in 2024 due to the Tree Conservation Manager being successfully appointed to the Arboretum Curator. The vacant Tree Conservation Manager post is being recruited to in early 2025 and we are hoping to support this appointment by awarding a new grant in support of this role during 2025. The Charity will also fundraise externally in support of this important role and work. https://www.the Friends.org.uk/blog/a-maple-odyssey-in-greece

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Trainee-Student Arborist - The Charity made a commitment to support a 3-year programme offering a trainee student arborist a Forestry England fixed term contract, to work with the Westonbirt Arboretum Tree Team.

The Trainee-Student Arborist not only assists the Forestry England, Westonbirt Tree Team each year with the essential conservation, maintenance and development of the living tree collection and historic landscape, but it enables new entrants into the field of arboriculture to learn key skills and adopt the highest industry standards, at a time when trees and woodlands have never been more important.

“The first six months of my year as Student Arborist at Westonbirt has flown by in a blur of leaves, woodchip, machines and smiling faces. Needless to say, it’s been fantastic, and I’ve learned an enormous amount, not only about the practical skills and understanding of arboriculture in the Arboretum but also about the interlinking of the different teams and stakeholders, as well as the key role that the Friends play in facilitating the magic happening. The last month has been exciting, planting up new specimens and imagining what I might see when I come back in 30 years. I’m really looking forward to being as useful as possible over the next few months, as well as asking as many questions as I can before my time runs out. I remain incredibly grateful to the Friends for this unbelievable opportunity (and had no hesitation in renewing the family membership last month!) and I hope to see you out amongst the trees” . Jonathan Wordsworth - Student Arborist.

The Charity is proud to be supporting the development of the workforce trained in the specialist skills required for looking after the nationally important tree collection, here at Westonbirt and we continue to fundraise for this ongoing need.

Coppice Apprentice - This grant was to provide tools and training costs/top-up to the salary of a Coppice Apprentice, over a two-year period, who has been recruited through the Small Woodlands Association Apprentice Scheme. From January 2023, she has worked on the Westonbirt Coppice Restoration Project. The Coppice Restoration Program is virtually unique in the UK and provides an important opportunity to educate the public on the benefits of woodland management. The coppice workers frequently interact informally with members of the public and more formally with visiting groups.

“With Naomi's apprenticeship drawing to a close, we're really pleased to thank The Friends for their generous contribution to its funding. The cost of training and of tools is a considerable demand on someone setting up in the coppice business, so to have this covered has been a real boon. And now that she's set-up, she should be seen working away in Silkwood for years to come!” Brian Williamson – Coppice Manager.

Education

Westonbirt Interpretation Projects - A grant was awarded to Forestry England to update on site interpretation to support the vision in strengthening the connection between visitors and trees. The funding has been used to design and purchase tree plinths to highlight 40 key specimens. The grant was completed in April 2024, and the site is now enjoying a range of updated signage across both Silk Wood and the Old Arboretum. These signs are providing education and context regarding some of our world-renowned trees.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

University of the West of England PhD Student - The Charity awarded a grant of up to £25,000 across four years to part-fund a PhD research project. This is a collaboration with the University of West England (UWE) with 25% funding from The Charity, the residual 75% funded by UWE. The research builds on work carried out at the Arboretum in 2020-21 by a UWE MSc student and will provide an indepth survey of the current and potential future threats to Tilia in the UK. The research aims to improve our understanding of the health of an important parkland tree species, and the partnership strengthens the link between academic institutions and Westonbirt, the National Arboretum. The grant is ongoing up to 4 years.

https://www.the Friends.org.uk/blog/protecting-tilia-trees-how-members-are-helping-to-research-treediseases

“Helene is coming to the end of the second year of her PhD and has met the objectives we set out in terms of the project. We sampled several sites extensively last year and extracted DNA for a community analysis of the lesions. The DNA has been sequenced and we received the raw data back last week. Helene also conducted a pilot inoculation trial with Tilia saplings in readiness for a larger trial in her third year. In addition, Helene has started to write up several of her chapters for her thesis” . Dr Carrie Brady - Senior Lecturer in Genomics/PGR Tutor, University of the West of England.

Welcome Building Display – This is a grant to support the creation of mobile information displays in the Welcome building as part of a package of measures to improve the use and ambience of the public area of the Welcome Building, providing educational information on the Arboretum offer. https://www.the Friends.org.uk/blog/westonbirts-iconic-welcome-building-celebrates-10-years

Participation

Community Engagement Program - This grant was awarded to fund the appointment of a Forestry England employed Community Co-ordinator over 2 years to March 2025, having previously been funded for the preceding two years. The post holder co-curates/develops activities in response to the specific needs of the individuals and community groups they work with. Through 2024, this role has enabled a range of community groups, schools and young people to engage in education, participation and to support conservation efforts in the Arboretum. The Forestry England community team are often working with participants who have complex needs and wouldn't otherwise be able to engage in the outdoors in this way. The Charity continues to fundraise to cover this commitment and ensure the long-term sustainability of the post given the economic restraints faced by Forestry England.

“The Community Engagement Programme (CEP) was created 10 years ago to connect with local communities and develop the opportunities on offer, so they can take advantage of the park's health and wellbeing benefits. A focal point of the CEP now is engaging vulnerable and disadvantaged young people to engage with outdoor activities inspired by nature, to build confidence and resilience and improve quality of life. Through a diverse educational programme of onsite and outreach activities, we expect to see an improvement in participants’ mental wellbeing and physical health”. Mandy Leivers – Forestry England Community Coordinator

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Westonbirt Wilder Play – A multi-year grant to support the funding of the development of the provision of Play at Westonbirt Arboretum – Phase 1 was completed in August 2024. The Charity has been instrumental in supporting the requirement of the site to improve and update the play provision offered to visitors as we recognise the appeal of the play provision to families with young children and are also conscious of the importance of outdoor play in the development of healthy minds and bodies. We continue to fundraise externally towards this longer-term project to develop play further at Westonbirt Arboretum. https://www.the Friends.org.uk/blog/westonbirts-brand-new-play-areas-where-families-and-natureconnect

The Friends Community Grant Giving Fund is designed to enable individuals, and particularly those who would otherwise struggle to access the site, to be able to afford the costs of entry, travel and refreshments, as well as engagement in Forestry England activities. We continue to fundraise towards the Community Grant Giving Fund to enable us to support further community organisations and individuals.

During 2024 we supported 2 community groups to access the Arboretum. The Friendship Cafe brought groups to explore the Arboretum, and we funded the screening of a film entitled ‘Unreflected Reflections’ which shared the story of pioneers of the Muslim community in Gloucester. Avon Needs Trees also received funding for transport costs and access which enabled them to bring a number of groups to complete outdoor education and tree planting. https://www.the Friends.org.uk/blog/whats-in-a-story-unreflected-reflections-the-biography-ofcommunity

“Woodland Skills participants are exploring different roles in forestry and gaining greater understanding of different types of work they can do and different organisations they can approach for employment or training. The project is still in the early stages, we are expecting participants to begin applying for jobs, apprenticeships and training in spring 2025. The days were really enjoyable, and everyone got a lot out of them, thank you for the support with transport and refreshment costs that enabled this to happen. ” Debs Hoy, Green Skills Coordinator – Avon Needs Trees.

Accessibility

Westonbirt Sustainable Transport Feasibility Study – A project focusing on both public transport and improving access for all to nature and Westonbirt, through a jointly commissioned research piece informing strategy development. This partnership includes working with Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership, WWT, National Trust and Cotswold National Landscape. The output of which was developing a joint approach to marketing the Robin Bus service. https://www.the Friends.org.uk/blog/the-robin-bus-enhancing-accessibility-at-westonbirt-arboretum

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Whole Site Diversity and Inclusion Training - Our mission was to support the staff at Westonbirt to connect people with trees to improve the quality of life. Visitors need to feel welcomed and understood to be able to gain the wider benefits the site and experience has to offer. Following an Access Audit of the site completed by Inclusion Gloucestershire – it was highlighted that we could improve accessibility and engagement for visitors through the development and delivery of a site wide training on Customer & Culture. The funding helped to deliver:

4 workshops on inclusion delivered Spring 2024 to approximately 60 site-based staff;
4 videos filmed in December 2024 to be available to existing Forestry and the Friends staff, staff of business partners, volunteers and as induction material for new starters and customer facing event staff, covering the following areas:
Neurodiversity;
Customer welcome;
o Strategic context; and o Case studies.

National Forestry England colleagues were also invited to the workshops and the video assets shared with them to enable wider learning and sharing of best practice for accessibility.

Picnic Benches - In response to the Access Audit completed by Inclusion Gloucestershire, Forestry England identified the need to improve and replace the picnic tables across the site – ensuring accessibility for wheelchair users and other needs of visitors and also to be in keeping with the heritage and conservation of the site. This is an ongoing programme of renewal and upgrade which will run into 2025, the Charity will continue to fundraise toward the cost of this project.

Wheelchairs and Mobility Scooters – providing for free public use. The Charity continues to fundraise for this this equipment which is so necessary in ensuring access to the Arboretum.

“The scooter was brilliant, saved us so much time and energy not having to push, we have seen so much more of the arboretum” – Mr Barton

Priorities for 2025 - Looking ahead

During 2025, we plan to continue to focus on building our partnership and collaboration with Forestry England staff to deliver the best possible outcomes for the Arboretum. In addition to this we will continue to ensure we are operating as efficiently and effectively as we can as a charity. Joint planning for the future enables the Charity to target its activities on having the best possible outcomes for the site through our grant making activity and efforts through fundraising. We will also continue to focus on providing a positive visitor experience through the development of the retail offer which will not only enables us to redirect profits from retail toward the site’s development but also provides an opportunity to promote the Charity and its impact and engage with Members or encourage new membership sign up.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

We intend to focus our attention on the key charitable objectives of fundraising and membership growth and retention so as to achieve our primary objectives: preserve, develop and provide access to the Arboretum. We will do this by further implementation of our marketing strategy which will include new initiatives to retain Members’ engagement and also to acquire new Members as well as concentrate efforts on providing a high-quality membership service that is supported by efficient IT systems. We will also continue to develop our fundraising efforts, celebrating the impact of the Charity over the last 40 years and thanking previous donors and developing major giving as a fundraising resource. In turn, this will allow us to continue to undertake grant giving (to the community and Forestry England). Supporting the exciting development projects being delivered by Forestry England, presents an opportunity to grow our profile and fundraising capability, ensuring we can maximise our impact as a Charity on the sustainability and development of the beautiful site that is Westonbirt Arboretum and its globally important tree collection.

We are grateful to all those individuals and organisations that have supported our work through financial and in-kind support. These include individual donors, charitable trusts and grant-making organisations and others who offer support through their expertise or services.

Westonbirt Forestry England Volunteers supporting The Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum (The Friends)

The volunteers at Westonbirt are managed by Forestry England and they have a team of over 300 dedicated volunteers who provide essential contributions to the site. The Charity is extremely grateful to be able to work with Forestry England and their volunteers to promote the Charity, membership and fundraising on site. The Charity works in close partnership with the Welcome Building volunteers and Tree Guides in particular, who support the Charity by promoting membership and further giving opportunities to day visitors and Members alike and provide sign-up support for those taking up membership.

The Friend’s Membership Team continue to work closely with Forestry England’s Visitor Services team to keep the volunteers up to date by providing regular training and eNews. This ensures they have the information needed to support the Friend’s work. The Charity is grateful for everything volunteers do in support of the Friend’s activities and membership sales, and for the exceptional management and training provided to volunteers by the onsite Forestry England team.

Our Patron and Ambassador

The Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum are privileged to continue to enjoy the support of our Royal Patron HM The Queen and our Ambassador the Honourable Beth Rothschild. We are most grateful for your ongoing commitment.

Investments

Investment policy

The Charity’s investment policy is reviewed from time to time and amended when necessary. The investment policy in place during 2024 was conservative, limiting investments to deposits with high quality counterparts and investments in CCLA’s money market fund. The Trustees reviewed the policy during the year and, in light of the current economic and political climate, have considered that continuing to adopt this investment policy remains appropriate.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Financial review

Going concern

After making appropriate enquires, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and do not anticipate that there are any circumstances that are likely to arise leading to a significant reduction in the Charity’s ongoing income streams or ability to continue to operate. The Charity is in a strong financial position with healthy reserves. The Trustees have approved the 2025 budget and the performance of the Charity, to date, which is in line with the financial plan.

Results

After accounting for net grant expenditure totalling £28,595 (2023: £216,118), the Charity made a consolidated unrestricted surplus of £176,030 (2023: deficit of £67,818). This surplus was added to the brought forward reserves of £630,185 (2023: £698,003) to give carried forward unrestricted funds of £806,215 (2023: 630,185) at the year end.

After accounting for grant expenditure totalling £228,160 (2023: £10,000), the Charity made a consolidated restricted funds loss of £22,164 (2023: loss of £146,637). This movement in funds was deducted from the brought forward reserves of £156,637 (2023: £10,000) to give carried forward restricted funds of £134,473 (2023: £156,637) at the year end.

Across all funds the Charity made a consolidated surplus of £153,866 (2023: £78,819) which was added to the brought forward reserves of £786,822 (2023: £708,003) to give carried forward reserves of £940,688 (2023: £786,822) at the year end.

Reserves policy

The Charity held reserves of £940,688 (2023: £786,822) at the year end. Of these funds, £406,215 (2023: £234,592) were designated funds, £134,473 (2023: £156,637) were restricted and £400,000 (2023: £395,593) were held as general reserves. The Charity’s reserves policy is that the general reserves held by the Charity should be a minimum of 3 months running costs, including salary costs. After stripping out exceptional costs, grant expenditure, depreciation, donated facility costs and costs of goods sold relating to the Shop, the Charity’s annual expenditure was £1.6m which equates to £400k. As such, the Trustees feel that the funds held as general reserves are at the correct level.

Free reserves of the funds that are not otherwise restricted or designated and which are not invested in tangible fixed assets, as such, the Charity’s free reserves equate to the balance of the general funds less fixed assets so at the year end, the Charity held free reserves of £359,415 (2023: £341,582). The Trustees have reviewed the funds held by the Charity at the year end and are content that the Charity is holding an appropriate level of reserves, in accordance with the reserves policy.

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees (who are also directors of the charity 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, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

The trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the group and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the net income or expenditure, of the charity and the group for the year. In preparing those 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 accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and the group and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and the group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the trustees are aware:

there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and
the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Auditors

Godfrey Wilson Limited were re-appointed as auditors to the group and parent charity during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.

Approved by the trustees on 14 May 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Martyn Smith - Chair of Trustees

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum (the 'parent charity') and its subsidiary (the 'group') for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the consolidated statement of financial activities, consolidated and parent charity balance sheets, consolidated statement of cash flows and the related 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 the Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the group and parent charity's affairs as at 31 December 2024 and of the group's incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group and parent charity 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 the provisions available for small entities, in the circumstances set out in note 10 to the financial statements, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the group and parent charity financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the group and parent charity 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.

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

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.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinion 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 for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the trustees’ 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 the parent charity and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ 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 accounting records have not been kept by the parent charity, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us;
the parent charity financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns;
certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made;
we have not obtained all the information and explanations necessary for the purposes of our audit; or
▪the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

Responsibilities of the trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out in the trustees’ report, the trustees 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 they 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 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.

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Our 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.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The procedures we carried out and the extent to which they are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, are detailed below:

(1) We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the charity operates in, and assessed the risk of non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Throughout the audit, we remained alert to possible indications of non-compliance.

(2) We reviewed the charity’s policies and procedures in relation to:

identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations, and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;
detecting and responding to the risk of fraud, and whether they were aware of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud; and
designing and implementing internal controls to mitigate the risk of non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud.

(3) We inspected the minutes of trustee meetings.

(4) We enquired about any non-routine communication with regulators and reviewed any reports made to them.

(5) We reviewed the financial statement disclosures and assessed their compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

(6) We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected transactions or balances that may indicate a risk of material fraud or error.

(7) We assessed the risk of fraud through management override of controls and carried out procedures to address this risk. Our procedures included:

▪testing the appropriateness of journal entries;
▪assessing judgements and accounting estimates for potential bias;
▪reviewing related party transactions; and
▪testing transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.

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. Irregularities that arise due to fraud can be even harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

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.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charityʼs 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 charityʼs members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditorʼs 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 charityʼs members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Date: 14 May 2025

Rob Wilson FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of:

GODFREY WILSON LIMITED

Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Consolidated statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Restricted Unrestricted Note £ £ Income from: Donations and legacies 3 265,606 26,133 Charitable activities 4 - 1,528,011 Other trading activities 5 - 526,707 Investments - 55,779 Other - 198 Total income 265,606 2,136,828 Expenditure on: Raising funds - 602,704 Charitable activities 228,160 1,417,704 Total expenditure 7 228,160 2,020,408 Net income 37,446 116,420 Transfers between funds (59,610) 59,610 Net movement in funds 10 (22,164) 176,030 Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward 156,637 630,185 Total funds carried forward 134,473 806,215	2024 Total £ 291,739 1,528,011 526,707 55,779 198 2,402,434 602,704 1,645,864 2,248,568 153,866 - 153,866 786,822 940,688	2023 Total £ 242,513 1,436,608 491,399 34,195 181
		2,204,896
		552,261 1,573,816
		2,126,077
		78,819 -
		78,819 708,003
		786,822

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 23 to the accounts.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Consolidated balance sheets

As at 31 December 2024

As at 31 December 2024
Note Fixed assets Intangible assets 13 Tangible assets 14 Investments Current assets Stocks 17 Debtors 18 Cash at bank and in hand Liabilities 19 Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities 20 Net assets 22 Funds 23 Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Designated funds General funds Total charity funds Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year Creditors: amounts falling due after more than 1 year	The group 2024 £ 2,535 38,050 -	The group 2023 £ 6,258 47,753 -	The charity 2024 £ 2,377 25,771 1,000	The charity 2023 £ 4,185 35,374 1,000
	40,585	54,011	29,148	40,559
	49,884 122,611 2,060,581	54,828 108,047 1,930,524	- 282,991 1,896,771	8,820 270,771 1,780,753
	2,233,076 (1,224,499)	2,093,399 (1,199,117)	2,179,762 (1,159,748)	2,060,344 (1,148,203)
	1,008,577	894,282	1,020,014	912,141
	1,049,162 (108,474)	948,293 (161,471)	1,049,162 (108,474)	952,700 (161,471)
	940,688	786,822	940,688	791,229
	134,473 406,215 400,000	156,637 234,592 395,593	134,473 406,215 400,000	156,637 234,592 400,000
	940,688	786,822	940,688	791,229

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.

Approved by the trustees on 14 May 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Martyn Smith - Chair of Trustees

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Consolidated statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Cash used in operating activities: Net movement in funds Adjustments for: Depreciation charges Amortisation charges Dividends, interest and rents from investments Decrease in stock (Increase) / decrease in debtors Decrease in creditors Net cash provided by operating activities Cash flows from investing activities: Dividends, interest and rents from investments Purchase of tangible fixed assets Net cash provided by investing activities Increase in cash and cash equivalents in the year Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	2024 £ 153,866 19,361 3,723 (55,779) 4,944 (14,564) (27,615) 83,936 55,779 (9,658) 46,121 130,057 1,930,524 2,060,581	2023 £ 78,819 18,632 3,721 (34,195) 972 11,433 (22,763)
		56,619
		34,195 (18,222)
		15,973
		72,592 1,857,932
		1,930,524

The charity has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Accounting policies

a) Basis of preparation

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. The registered office address is The Great Oak Hall, Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QS.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities in preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

b) Group accounts

These financial statements consolidate the results of the charitable company and its whollyowned (controlled) subsidiary on a line by line basis. Transactions and balances between the charitable company and its subsidiary have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements. Balances between the two companies are disclosed in the notes of the charitable company's balance sheet. A separate statement of financial activities, or income and expenditure account, for the charitable company itself is not presented because the charitable company has taken advantage of the exemptions afforded by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006.

c) Going concern basis of accounting

The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charitable company is able to continue as a going concern, which the trustees consider appropriate having regard to the current level of unrestricted reserves. There are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.

d) Income

Income is recognised when the charitable company has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charitable company has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

d) Income

For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charitable company is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the Trust that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charitable company has been notified of the executor's intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charitable company, or the charitable company is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.

Income received in advance of provision of membership subscriptions is deferred until criteria for income recognition are met.

e) Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charitable company: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

f) Funds accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charitable company. Designated funds are unrestricted of the charitable company which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particularly areas of the charitable company's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charitable company.

g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

h) Allocation of support costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charitable company but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charitable company, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charitable company's activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities based on the number of people employed within fundraising as follows:

loyed within fundraising as follows:
	2024	2023
Raising funds	4.1%	4.3%
Charitable activities	95.9%	95.7%

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

i) Grants payable

Grants which have been authorised and paid are included as expenditure in the Statement of Financial Activities. Grants which have been authorised but not yet paid are accrued in the balance sheet and are included within creditors falling due within one year or after one year (as appropriate).

j) Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

Leasehold improvements 5% straight line Fixtures and fittings 20% straight line IT assets 10% - 33% straight line

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £500.

k) Intangible fixed assets

Intangible fixed assets are amortised at rates calculated to write off the assets on a straight line basis over their estimated useful economic lives. Impairment of intangible assets is reviewed where circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an assets may not be fully recoverable. Amortisation is provided at the following rates:

Computer software 20% straight line Goodwill 20% straight line

l) Investment in subsidiaries

The charitable company has one wholly owned subsidiary, Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum Enterprises Limited, (registered company number 12410907). The subsidiary is used for nonprimary purpose trading activities. The subsidiary undertaking is valued at cost less any cumulative impairment losses in the charitable company's accounts.

m) Stock

Stock is included at the lower of cost or net realisable value. Donated items of stock are recognised at fair value which is the amount the charitable company would have been willing to pay for the items on the open market.

n) Debtors

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.

o) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

p) Creditors

Creditors and provisions are recognised where there is 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.

q) Financial instruments

The charitable company 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 recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

r) Pension costs

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. There are no further liabilities other than that already recognised in the SOFA.

s) Accounting estimates and key judgements

In the application of the charitable company's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are depreciation as described in note j above and amortisation as described in note k above.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

2. Prior period comparatives: statement of financial activities

Income from: Donations and legacies Charitable activities Other trading activities Investments Other Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds Charitable activities Total expenditure 3. Income from donations and legacies Grants: The Summerfield Charitable Trust The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust Samuel William Farmer Trust Julia Rausing Trust The Swire Charitable Trust J and M Britton Charitable Trust The John Horseman Trust The Ammco Trust Miller Knoll The Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust Bruce Wake Charitable Trust Douglas Arter Foundation Cotswolds National Landscape Individual donations Donated facilities Total income from donations and legacies Net income / (expenditure) and net movement in funds	Restricted £ £ 156,637 85,876 - 1,436,608 - 491,399 - 34,195 - 181 156,637 2,048,259 - 552,261 10,000 1,563,816 10,000 2,116,077 146,637 (67,818) Restricted £ £ 10,000 - 5,000 - 5,000 - 133,000 - 30,000 - 5,000 - 60,000 - 500 - 8,138 - 3,000 - 5,000 - 500 - 468 - - 14,883 - 11,250 265,606 26,133 Unrestricted Unrestricted	2023 Total £ 242,513 1,436,608 491,399 34,195 181
		2,204,896
		552,261 1,573,816
		2,126,077
		78,819
		2024 Total £ 10,000 5,000 5,000 133,000 30,000 5,000 60,000 500 8,138 3,000 5,000 500 468 14,883 11,250
		291,739

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

3. Income from donations and legacies (continued) Prior period comparative

Grants: The John Horseman Trust Garfield Weston The Swire Charitable Trust Barnwood Trust Miller Knoll The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Individual donations Legacies Donated facilities Total income from donations and legacies 4. Income from charitable activities Membership subscriptions	Restricted £ £ 60,000 - 50,000 - 30,000 - - 18,179 13,637 - 3,000 - - 37,407 - 19,040 - 11,250 156,637 85,876 2024 £ 1,528,011 Unrestricted	2023 Total £ 60,000 50,000 30,000 18,179 13,637 3,000 37,407 19,040 11,250
		242,513
		2023 £ 1,436,608

All income from charitable activities in the current and prior year was unrestricted.

5. Income from other trading activities

Income from other trading activities
Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum Enterprises Letting fees and commission relating to the Great Oak Hall Total income from other trading activities	2024 £ 517,157 9,550 526,707	2023 £ 484,223 7,176
		491,399

All income from other trading activities in the current and prior year was unrestricted.

6. Government grants

The charitable company does not receive government grants.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

7. Total expenditure

Total expenditure
Arboretum access rights Grant expenditure (note 8) Staff costs (note 11) Staff recruitment and development Other staff expenditure Fundraising costs Donated facilities - office space Membership activities Westonbirt magazine costs Depreciation and amortisation Governance Telephone Rates Utilities Insurance Printing, postage and stationery General maintenance Information technology Marketing Miscellaneous expenses Bank charges Professional and accounting services Write back of over-provision Corporation tax Sub-total Total expenditure FoWAE trading costs, excluding wages and depreciation/amortisation Allocation of support and governance costs	Raising funds £ - - 238,739 - - 325,131 14,501 5,625 - - 6,844 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 590,840 11,864 602,704	Charitable activities £ 762,342 256,755 178,260 - - - - 5,625 96,590 70,462 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1,370,034 275,830 1,645,864	Support and governance costs £ - - 144,548 4,009 4,080 - - - - - 16,238 15,147 3,660 1,283 3,279 10,858 2,275 2,083 75,961 57 2,686 3,207 13,121 (15,915) 1,117 287,694 (287,694) -	2024 Total £ 762,342 256,755 561,547 4,009 4,080 325,131 14,501 11,250 96,590 70,462 23,082 15,147 3,660 1,283 3,279 10,858 2,275 2,083 75,961 57 2,686 3,207 13,121 (15,915) 1,117
				2,248,568 -
				2,248,568

Total governance costs in 2024 were £17,857 (2023: £29,335).

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

7. Total expenditure (continued) Prior period comparative

Arboretum access rights Grant expenditure (note 8) Staff costs (note 11) Staff recruitment and development Other staff expenditure Fundraising costs The Great Oak Hall expenses Donated facilities - office space Membership activities Westonbirt magazine costs Depreciation and amortisation Governance Telephone Rates Utilities Insurance Printing, postage and stationery General maintenance Information technology Miscellaneous expenses Bank charges Professional and accounting services Exceptional item Sub-total Total expenditure FoWAE trading costs, excluding wages and depreciation/amortisation Allocation of support and governance costs	Raising funds £ - - 194,374 - - 315,842 15,390 70 5,625 - - 6,413 - - - - - - - - - - - - 537,714 14,547 552,261	Charitable activities £ 718,718 226,118 176,805 - - - - - 5,625 58,490 65,603 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1,251,359 322,457 1,573,816	Support and governance costs £ - - 125,117 4,480 4,698 - - - - - - 15,940 29,335 2,395 1,085 7,000 9,742 1,184 2,727 72,266 2,281 3,229 10,380 45,145 337,004 (337,004) -	2023 Total £ 718,718 226,118 496,296 4,480 4,698 315,842 15,390 70 11,250 58,490 65,603 22,353 29,335 2,395 1,085 7,000 9,742 1,184 2,727 72,266 2,281 3,229 10,380 45,145
				2,126,077 -
				2,126,077

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

8. Grants payable

During the year, 7 (2023: 7) new grants were awarded to Forestry England to further the development of the Arboretum.

Total grants committed to during the year were as follows:

Grants payable to Forestry England were for the following projects: Play Project Replacement Shuttle Bus Silk Wood Regeneration Project Manager Silk Wood Community Planting Project Other projects < £10,000 Total grants payable to Forestry England Underspends from commitments made in prior years: Westonbirt Tree Conservation Management Community Shelter Other projects < £10,000 Total grants payable after amendments Grants commitments Grant commitments brought forward Grants committed during the period Grants written back during the period Grants paid during the period Grant commitments carried forward	2024 2023 £ £ 103,140 187,500 - 26,000 67,250 - 147,760 - 53,505 12,618 371,655 226,118 (85,000) - (11,448) - (18,452) - 256,755 226,118 2024 2023 £ £ 498,929 570,461 371,655 226,118 (114,900) - (335,166) (297,650) 420,518 498,929 The group The group	2024 2023 £ £ 103,140 187,500 - 26,000 67,250 - 147,760 - 53,505 12,618 371,655 226,118 (85,000) - (11,448) - (18,452) - 256,755 226,118 2024 2023 £ £ 498,929 570,461 371,655 226,118 (114,900) - (335,166) (297,650) 420,518 498,929 The group The group
		498,929

9. Grants commitments

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

10. Net movement in funds

Net movement in funds
This is stated after charging:	The group
	2024	2023
	£	£
Depreciation and amortisation	23,084	22,353
Trustees' remuneration	Nil	Nil
Trustees' reimbursed expenses	Nil	252
Auditors' remuneration (excluding VAT):
Statutory audit	10,800	8,900
Other services	700	350

In 2023, two trustees were reimbursed £252 for travel expenses (2024: nil).

In common with other charities of our size and nature we use our auditors to assist with the preparation of the financial statements and to prepare and submit returns to the tax authorities.

11. Staff costs and numbers

Staff costs were as follows:

Salaries and wages Social security costs Pension costs	2024 2023 £ £ 495,662 429,411 28,400 25,436 37,485 41,449 561,547 496,296 The group	2024 2023 £ £ 388,673 334,822 22,524 21,216 31,986 34,788 443,183 390,826 The charity

No employees earned more than £60,000 during the current year and prior year.

The key management personnel of the charitable company comprise the Trustees and Chief Executive Officer. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £75,132 (2023: £71,116).

During the year, redundancy payments totalling £4,564 were paid to five employees (2023: Nil). No amounts were outstanding at year end.

Average number of employees	2024 2023 # # 24 23 The group	2024 2023 # # 12 14 The charity

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

12. Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes. The subsidiary company distributes any available profits to the charity. The corporation tax charge arising from non-distributable reserves was £1,117 in 2024 (2023: £nil).

13. Intangible fixed assets Group

Intangible fixed assets Group
Cost At 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024 Amortisation At 1 January 2024 Charge for the year At 31 December 2024 Net book value At 31 December 2024 At 31 December 2023 Charity Cost At 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024 Amortisation At 1 January 2024 Charge for the year At 31 December 2024 Net book value At 31 December 2024 At 31 December 2023	£ 9,042 4,857 1,809 6,666 2,376 4,185 Computer software	£ 9,567 7,494 1,914 9,408 159 2,073 Goodwill	Total £ 18,609
			12,351 3,723
			16,074
			2,535
			6,258
			£ 9,042 Computer software
			4,857 1,808
			6,665
			2,377
			4,185

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

14. Tangible fixed assets Group

Tangible fixed assets Group
£ Cost At 1 January 2024 33,518 Additions in year - At 31 December 2024 33,518 Depreciation At 1 January 2024 24,907 Charge for the year 1,676 At 31 December 2024 26,583 Net book value At 31 December 2024 6,935 At 31 December 2023 8,611 Charity Leasehold improvements	£ 57,435 4,832 62,267 39,377 7,230 46,607 15,660 18,058 Fixtures and fittings	£ 95,262 4,826 100,088 74,178 10,455 84,633 15,455 21,084 Computer equipment	Total £ 186,215 9,658
			195,873
			138,462 19,361
			157,823
			38,050
			47,753

Charity
£ Cost At 1 January 2024 33,518 Additions in year - At 31 December 2024 33,518 Depreciation At 1 January 2024 24,907 Charge for the year 1676 At 31 December 2024 26,583 Net book value At 31 December 2024 6,935 At 31 December 2023 8,611 Leasehold improvements	£ 20,559 - 20,559 13,365 3320 16,685 3,874 7,194 Fixtures and fittings	£ 90,760 4,826 95,586 71,191 9433 80,624 14,962 19,569 Computer equipment	Total £ 144,837 4,826
			149,663
			109,463 14,429
			123,892
			25,771
			35,374

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

15. Subsidiary undertakings Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum Enterprises Limited

The purpose of the wholly owned subsidiary (Company No. 12410907) is to manage the shop at Westonbirt Arboretum.

Turnover Cost of sales Gross profit Other operating income Administrative expenses Operating profit Interest payable Profit on ordinary activities Corporation tax Gift aid to parent undertaking Profit for financial year The aggregate of the assets, liabilities and funds was: Assets Liabilities Funds	2024 £ 517,063 (289,300) 227,763 93 (184,821) 43,035 (9,602) 33,433 (1,117) (27,909) 4,407 2024 £ 232,060 (231,060) 1,000	2023 £ 484,222 (267,308)
		216,914 - (182,736)
		34,178 (10,236)
		23,942 - -
		23,942
		2023 £ 216,912 (220,319)
		(3,407)

16. Parent charity

The parent charity's gross income and the results for the year are disclosed as follows:

Gross income Results for the year	2024 £ 1,946,572 149,459	2023 £ 1,753,229 (5,204)

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

17.
Stock
2024
2023
£
£
Finished goods and goods for resale
49,884
54,828
18.
Debtors
2024
2023
£
£
Trade debtors
2,938
5,863
Prepayments
43,921
39,327
Accrued income
75,752
62,857
Amounts owed by group undertakings
-
-
122,611
108,047
19.
Creditors : amounts due within 1 year
2024
2023
£
£
Trade creditors
57,894
17,020
Grants payable (note 9)
312,044
337,458
Accruals
49,633
37,437
Corporation tax
1,117
-
Other taxation and social security
68,287
174,742
Deferred income (note 21)
734,573
631,985
Other creditors
951
475
1,224,499
1,199,117
20.
Creditors : amounts due in more than 1 year
2024
2023
£
£
Grants payable (note 9)
108,474
161,471
The group
The group
The group
The group

2024
2023
£
£
-
8,820
2024
2023
£
£
2,938
5,863
41,508
37,261
72,262
58,243
166,283
169,404
282,991
270,771
2024
2023
£
£
30,926
3,503
312,044
337,458
41,772
26,030
-
-
40,433
149,227
734,573
631,985
-
-
1,159,748
1,148,203
2024
2023
£
£
108,474
161,471
The charity
The charity
The charity
The charity

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

21. Deferred income

At 1 January 2024 Deferred during the year Released during the year At 31 December 2024	2024 2023 £ £ 631,985 622,788 734,573 631,985 (631,985) (622,788) 734,573 631,985 The group	2024 2023 £ £ 631,985 622,788 734,573 631,985 (631,985) (622,788) 734,573 631,985 The charity	2024 2023 £ £ 631,985 622,788 734,573 631,985 (631,985) (622,788) 734,573 631,985 The charity
			631,985

Deferred income relates to membership subscriptions which were purchased during 2024 but for which the membership period ends in the following financial year.

22. Analysis of net assets between funds

Tangible fixed assets Intangible fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities Non-current liabilities Net assets at 31 December 2024 Prior year comparative Tangible fixed assets Intangible fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities Non-current liabilities Net assets at 31 December 2023	£ - - 277,897 (143,424) - 134,473 £ - - 206,637 (50,000) - 156,637 Restricted funds Restricted funds	£ - - 718,259 (312,044) - 406,215 £ - - 240,842 (6,250) - 234,592 Designated funds Designated funds	£ 38,050 2,535 1,236,920 (769,031) (108,474) 400,000 £ 47,753 6,258 1,645,920 (1,142,867) (161,471) 395,593 General funds General funds	Total Funds £ 38,050 2,535 2,233,076 (1,224,499) (108,474)
				940,688
				Total Funds £ 47,753 6,258 2,093,399 (1,199,117) (161,471)
				786,822

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

At 1 January 2024 £ 156,637 - - - - - 156,637 179,592 30,000 25,000 -	Income £ 241,138 9,000 5,000 5,000 468 5,000 265,606 - - - -	£ (228,160) - - - - - (228,160) (12,240) (27,149) (2,356) - Expenditure	£ (35,142) (9,000) (5,000) (5,000) (468) (5,000) (59,610) 179,863 27,149 (17,644) 24,000 Transfers between funds	£ 134,473 - - - - - At 31 December 2024
				134,473
				347,215 30,000 5,000 24,000
234,592 400,000 (4,407) 395,593 630,185 786,822	- 1,619,671 517,157 2,136,828 2,136,828 2,402,434	(41,745) (1,620,146) (358,517) (1,978,663) (2,020,408) (2,248,568)	213,368 475 (154,233) (153,758) 59,610 -	406,215
				400,000 -
				400,000
				806,215
				940,688

Purposes of restricted funds

Silk Wood Community Funding for this project will bring together community groups to Woodland Project replant Silk Wood, and will provide an accessible space for people to enjoy the wellbeing benefits of nature for generations to come. The funders are:

The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust The John Horseman Trust The Swire Charitable Trust Garfield Weston Julia Rausing Trust Miller Knoll The Summerfield Charitable Trust

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

23. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds (continued)

Access

Funding for mobility scooters, wheelchairs and picnic benches. The funders are: The Ammco Trust The Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust Bruce Wake Charitable Trust Douglas Arter Foundation

Tree Conservation Funding from The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust for a student arborist.

Play Phase 1 Funding from Samuel William Farmer Trust towards the development of a new play area.

Neurodivergence

Funding from Cotswolds National Landscape for customer and culture training for the whole site from a neurodivergent perspective.

Community Engagement Funding from J and M Britton Charitable Trust towards community engagement role delivering FE community projects.

Purpose of designated funds

Arboretum This fund seeks to raise funds for operational and revenue needs to Development Fund promote the sustainability and development of the arboretum.

Small Grants Fund This is a discretionary grant fund for applications valued at less than £10,000, awarded by the CEO in conjunction with approval of at least one Trustee.

Community Grant This fund has been created to enable grants to be awarded, at the Giving Fund discretion of the CEO, to support accessibility to the Arboretum for community groups that would otherwise struggle to gain access to site, afford entry costs, travel, refreshment and engagement in Forestry England activities.

Grant for site rates This fund has been created for next year's contribution to FE for site rates.

Transfers

A transfer has been made from the Arboretum Development Fund to general funds, to bring the balance up to £400,000.

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

23. Movements in funds (continued) Prior year comparative

Restricted funds Core Costs Total restricted funds Unrestricted funds Designated funds: Small Grants Fund Total designated funds General funds FOWA Enterprises Total general funds Total unrestricted funds Total funds Silk Wood Community Woodland Project Arboretum Development Fund Community Grant Giving Fund	At 1 January 2023 £ 10,000 - 10,000 271,352 30,000 25,000 326,352 400,000 (28,349) 371,651 698,003 708,003	Income £ - 156,637 156,637 - - - - 1,564,036 484,223 2,048,259 2,048,259 2,204,896	£ (10,000) - (10,000) - (12,618) - (12,618) (1,643,178) (460,281) (2,103,459) (2,116,077) (2,126,077) Expenditure	£ - - - (91,760) 12,618 - (79,142) Transfers between funds	£ - 156,637 At 31 December 2023
					156,637
					179,592 30,000 25,000
					234,592
				79,142 - 79,142 - -	400,000 (4,407)
					395,593
					630,185
					786,822

24. Related party transactions

The group has a close relationship with Forestry England.

The Arboretum is managed by Forestry England. Membership of the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum follows payment of a prescribed fee. Members are entitled to visit the Arboretum during the opening hours without having to pay an entrance fee to Forestry England. Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum purchase access rights for its members from Forestry England. The cost for the current year was £762,342 (2023: £718,718).

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum is the parent charity of Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum Enterprises Limited (company registration no. 12410907). Three of the trustees of the Charity serve on the Board of the trading company. The Charity operates payroll and manages transactions on behalf of the company. During the year, the Charity charged £23,784 for management fees (2023: £22,320) and £9,602 for interest on the intercompany loan (2023: £10,236). At year end, £166,283 was owed to the Charity (2023: £169,404), which includes a loan of £125,000 (2023: £155,000).

2024-12-31-accounts

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum Report and Audited Financial Statements 31 December 2024

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Reference and administrative details

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Reference and administrative details

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Auditors

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Chair's statement

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Martyn Smith - Chair of the Board of Trustees

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

About the charity

Structure, governance and management Governing document

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Recruitment and appointment of Trustees

Risk management

Organisational structure

Related parties

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Pay policy for key management staff

Aims, objectives and activities

Objectives

Strategies

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Public benefit

Achievements and performance

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Membership

Member feedback:

Magazine

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Arboretum Access Rights Payment (the AARP)

Retail

Fundraising

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Acknowledgement of support

Charitable activity and impact

Conservation

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Education

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Participation

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Accessibility

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Priorities for 2025 - Looking ahead

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Westonbirt Forestry England Volunteers supporting The Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum (The Friends)

Our Patron and Ambassador

Investments

Investment policy

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 December 2024