2022-03-31-accounts

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Annual Report

For the period 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

THE WILDLIFE TRUST FOR BIRMINGHAM AND THE BLACK COUNTRY LTD Registered Company No. 01650938 Registered Charity No. 513615

M ARBLED WHITE BUTTERFLY, PORTWAY HILL

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BOARDWALK REPAIRS AT
MOSELEY BOG & JOY'S WOOD
LOCAL NATURE RESERVE
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Page

		Pag
Chair	and CEO report	3
2021 -	2022 in Numbers	4
Successes and Highlights		6
1.	Report of the Trustees (including the Strategic Report)
	1.1 Structure, Governance and Management	8
	1.2 Objectives and Activities	11
	1.3 Summary of the year	12
	1.4 Looking ahead	16
	1.5 Financial review	19
2.	Independent Auditors Report	21
3.	Statement of Financial Activities	23
4.	Balance Sheet	24
5.	Cash Flow Statement	25
6.	Notes to the Cash Flow Statement	26
7.	Notes to the Financial Statements	27
8.	Thank you	39

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LISA PINNEY AND DELIA GARRATT
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Chair and CEO Report

With the support of members, funders, partners and Trustees we have successfully navigated the challenges presented by the pandemic. We have been heartened by the renewed sense of the value of the natural environment and a greater appreciation for the green and wild spaces on people’s doorsteps.

staff, Trustees and partners for their work in developing the strategy and excited to launch and deliver it.

comments on the policies of the plan, as well as on over 150 site allocations.

The Trust has been keen to support a green recovery from the pandemic, to restore nature and tackle climate change, and the support of our local groups and volunteers has been crucial as we restarted many of our work programmes at our sites and across the region this year.

2022 sees the end of the Trust’s current 5-year strategy for a Greener Future, Work is underway to better understand which was launched in 2017. We have our current supporters, and to consider achieved a great deal during this time, how we extend our reach, ensuring but we are clear that there is much that everyone feels welcome and more we need to do to stop and reverse able to contribute to environmental nature’s decline. Our wild spaces are action across Birmingham and the increasingly fragmented and wildlife is Black Country. Work to build a new getting squeezed out. People have been Environmental Centre at EcoPark will be increasingly disconnected from nature, key in helping us achieve this, as will our and we are acutely aware that in parts engagement programmes with schools of our region there is real inequality of and community groups. access to nature.

Our new Green Recovery Challenge Fund project, Love Your River Stour has seen us deliver conservation and engagement work along the catchment of the River Stour, a strategic priority landscape and a vital wildlife corridor in the west. This year vital work has also been delivered in the east along the wildlife corridor that is the River Cole.

This year we were delighted to welcome Developing our new strategy – A Wilder our first Young Ambassador, Shaan Birmingham and the Black Country Dulay whose passion and commitment 2022-2030 - has not only given us the to the work of the Trust is much opportunity to think about how we build appreciated. Shaan is clear that as on all that has been achieved to date, individuals, we can make small changes but also to consider how we nurture the that will lead to big changes for our growing awareness of the enormous environment and our climate. Together, environmental challenges we face as we know we can do even more. a society, as well as consider how we can respond to the climate emergency. The next decade is crucial and the Trust is clear of the vital role it has to play in helping people everywhere to start taking meaningful action on the Lisa Pinney MBE Dr Delia Garratt ecological crisis. We are grateful to our

This year we have carried out critical work which will support our vision of a wilder Birmingham and Black Country for generations to come. Our Draft Black Country Local Nature Recovery Map and Strategy Approach report demonstrates to planners where the most valuable sites and landscapes for wildlife are, and is being used to inform where new housing and employment land will be allocated. In addition, the Trust published a comprehensive response to the draft Black Country Plan providing detailed

Lisa Pinney MBE Dr Delia Garratt Chair of Trustees Chief Executive

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

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2021 – 2022
in Numbers
1,131
hectares
raising
Area of land worked
over on or where we
provided advice £1,055
£22,000
raised in general fundraising Over 300 donors
raised more than
£11,000
for infrastructure improvements 71
at Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood
Planning
Nature Reserve
applications 140
reviewed and
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responded to
Wild Experience Days
1,114
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our events
3,534
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1,114
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our events
4 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022
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Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

2021 – 2022 Successes & Highlights

RIVER RESTORATION OFFICERS SALLY AND DAVID

work to restore another important river corridor, the River Cole. As part of the Love Your River Cole project two new wetland areas were created and planted by volunteers with a diverse mix of native wetland plant species, whilst 3.7 hectares of grassland was enhanced through the seeding of wildflower species including Ragged Robin, Great Burnet, Field Scabious and Yellow Rattle. The enhanced habitats will provide foraging and breeding sites for a range of birds and invertebrates associated with wetland and marshy grassland habitats in river corridors, whilst the construction of a new 230 metre path and installation of a new interpretation board has made it possible for local residents to benefit from their improved local wildlife.

Goal 1: Space for nature is protected, restored, created and valued nature

In June we secured a grant of £249,700 from the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund for our Love Your River Stour project. The recovery of the River Stour catchment is a long-term strategic priority for the Wildlife Trust, and the project builds on our Salmon in the Stour work which we have been delivering since 2017.

The Friends of Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood Nature Reserve worked with the Wildlife Trust to run a fundraising campaign for the site which raised over £23,000 from public donations and grants. These funds have enabled the construction of new paths, repairs to the boardwalks, the design and installation of new interpretation signs, and resurfacing of the car park. Working with our group of dedicated volunteers much of this activity has begun and will be completed in 2022-23.

Love Your River Stour has enabled the recruitment of a new team of five staff and trainees, and will see the ecological enhancement of four areas of local green space, as well as a range of engagement and education activities including regular volunteering opportunities, family events, Level 1 training for young people, ‘Stour Rangers’ sessions with local schools and ‘Wild Experience Days’ with local businesses.

At Glebe Farm Recreational Ground in east Birmingham we continued our

ECORECORD'S 30TH BIRTHDAY

Level 1 training courses in Tools Use and Surveying as an Open College Network West Midlands training centre. 94 participants, the majority aged 16-25, successfully completed these courses.

Goal 2: Everyone is connected to nature

Colleagues and supporters joined us and other environmental charities on 6th November 2021 for a Global Day of Action during COP26, with a peaceful walk through Birmingham City Centre calling for nature to play a role in the climate crisis.

Through the Nature Friendly Schools programme funded by Defra, we worked with a further 12 primary schools in disadvantaged areas, supporting teachers to embed outdoor learning across the curriculum, increasing their pupils' access to local wild spaces and improving school grounds to make them better places for wildlife.

We led Birmingham and the Black Country's second annual entry in the global citizen science challenge, City Nature Challenge. Despite fewer participants than in 2020, over 200 individuals made 12,687 wildlife observations of 1,211 different species over a four day period in Birmingham and the Black Country! Overall, for the number of observations, Birmingham and the Black Country ranked 1st in UK, 4th in Europe and 31st in the world.

Our third cohort of five Natural Prospects trainees completed their Level 2 Diplomas, alongside four from the Love Your River Cole project – funded respectively by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

With funding from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, National Express and Cadent Foundations, we delivered 10

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COLLEAGUES ATTENDING GLOBAL
DAY OF ACTION WALK FOR COP26
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Goal 3: The natural environment is at the heart of planning, policy and decision-making

Goal 4: We are an effective organisation

A total of 177 people took part in Wild Walk Week in October 2021 alongside our colleague-led walks and raised £1,055. Colleagues Jake Williams and Gareth Morgan took on an epic 90km triathlon challenge and thanks to donations from supporters, family and friends raised £1,050.

Our work to influence where and how new homes are built is critical to our vision of a future Birmingham and the Black Country which has more wildlife, more wild spaces and more people with a strong connection to the natural world. We believe that strategic planning must be informed by evidence which identifies where the most valuable sites for wildlife are, and in 2021-22 we provided the four Black Country local authorities further evidence to inform the Black Country Plan. Our Draft Black Country Local Nature Recovery Map and Strategy Approach report demonstrates to planners where the most valuable sites and landscapes for wildlife are, and is being used to inform where new housing and employment land will be allocated.

a strong connection to the natural world. Businesses generated over £29,000 income We believe that strategic planning must from Wild Experience Days, business be informed by evidence which identifies membership and business partnerships. where the most valuable sites for wildlife As social distancing restrictions eased, we are, and in 2021-22 we provided the four saw a return to businesses booking Wild Black Country local authorities further Experience Days with 140 people from five evidence to inform the Black Country businesses joining us on Poly Roger urban Plan. Our Draft Black Country Local canal safaris and supporting with habitat Nature Recovery Map and Strategy creation projects at our Nature Reserves Approach report demonstrates to and project sites. Bronze business planners where the most valuable sites members Wienerberger renewed their and landscapes for wildlife are, and is membership for a third year, Schofield being used to inform where new housing Lothian renewed their Silver business and employment land will be allocated. membership for a second year and SCC re-joined as Bronze business members. EcoRecord - the Local Environmental We were also joined by Kennedys Law Records Centre for Birmingham and as Bronze business members. Partners the Black Country - turned 30 during included Hogan Lovells who raised over 2021. Established in 1991 with the aim £15,000 in the second year of a three-year to collate, store and make available partnership, birdseed producer Vine information on all aspects of wildlife House Farm who donated over £2,600, and habitats in Birmingham and the Fleming Verandas who donated over Black Country, EcoRecord has been and £500 and Severn Trent whose £2,000 remains critical in helping to protect sponsorship supported our Wild Walk wildlife, informing our understanding Week fundraiser. of the landscape and in targeting where work for nature’s recovery will have the most impact.

COLLEAGUES FROM HOGAN LOVELLS MAKING FESTIVE WREATHS

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

6 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

1. Report of The Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2022

Council has pleasure in presenting its report together with the audited accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022. Council has adopted the provisions of the Charities SORP (FRS102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to Charities preparing their Accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (effective 1 January 2019) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

1.1. Structure, Governance and Management

Trustees

Registered Company No: 01650938 (England and Wales)

N Crombie (resigned 15/01/2022) M Knight (resigned 15/01/2022) A Taylor (resigned 15/01/2022) I C Trueman (resigned 15/01/2022) P W Beardmore (appointed 01/12/2018) A Bright (appointed 01/12/2018) L C Pinney MBE (appointed 21/07/2020) J D Larner (appointed 16/01/2021)

Registered Charity No: 513615

Registered Address: 42 Norman Street, Birmingham, B18 7EP

Company Secretary: EF Mooney

Key Management Personnel

R J Mallender (appointed 16/01/2021 and resigned 08/11/2021)

Chief Executive: Dr Delia Garratt

D H McLellan (appointed 16/01/2021) E F Mooney (appointed 16/01/2021) A Wayro (appointed 16/01/2021) D P Green (appointed 16/01/2021) L Besenyei (appointed 16/01/2021)

Head of Conservation: Simon Atkinson

Head of Education and Engagement: Gareth Morgan

Head of Fundraising and

Communication: Emma Thompson

Interim Head of Finance: Ian Holmes

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VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTING
GROWING LOCAL FLORA
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Organisational structure

The overall responsibility for the charity lies with the Trustee Directors who have delegated the day to day management of the charity to the Chief Executive. The Trustee Directors meet regularly to agree strategy, review progress, review financial information, and discuss policy issues. To facilitate effective operation, the Chief Executive has delegated authority within Terms of Reference approved by the Trustees for some operational matters, including finance.

The Wildlife Trust is governed by an elected Council and is therefore directly accountable to the members of the charity.

The Articles of Association gives Council the powers to:

(i) Administer the affairs of the Charity

(ii) Exercise all the powers of the Charity

(iii) Determine the policy of the Charity.

The Council formally delegates certain functions and responsibilities to two committees which deal with specific policy and organisational issues.

The day-to-day management of the Charity's affairs is the responsibility of the Chief Executive who is accountable exclusively to the Council for achieving, via the Business Plan, the Wildlife Trust's aims and for complying with Council policies. A team of professionally trained staff report to the Chief Executive.

Governing document

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country is one of 46 independent charities, which form a national partnership - The Wildlife Trusts through the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. Collectively we manage 2,300 nature reserves covering 102,500 hectares of land for wildlife and for people, inspiring 13 million visits to wildlife sites. Together we have 849,584 members. The Trust's family membership is also part of the national environment club, Wildlife Watch, which provides projects for members and affiliated schools, involving them directly with environmental Issues.

The Trust is a registered charity (No. 513615) and a company limited by guarantee (No. 1650938).

The Trust was established in 1980 to protect our local natural heritage and encourage people to engage, enjoy and get involved with the natural environment. We are a membership organisation, governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Work is carried out by a staff team of 28 individuals (at 31 March 2022) 22 full time equivalent posts. During the year the Trust had 9 funded trainees who completed their traineeship in March 2022. The Trust could not achieve the impacts we do without the commitment and hard work of a large number of volunteers.

In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding 50p.

Wider network and related parties

The Trust is affiliated to The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT), a registered charity that acts as an umbrella group for county Wildlife Trusts and provides assistance and coordination of activities and campaigning at a UK Level.

Recruitment and appointment of new Trustees

A Council of voluntary Trustees is responsible for the overall governance of the Trust. The Trust's Council is elected from the membership in accordance with its governing documents at the Annual General Meeting: Trustees are either co-opted during the year or elected at the Annual General Meeting. Co-opted Trustees must stand for election at the Annual General Meeting immediately following their appointment. Council may co-opt additional members from time to time as it sees fit. Trustees are also Directors of the Company limited by guarantee.

Induction and training of new Trustees

The Trustee is provided with copies of the charity's key documents, including its Memorandum and Articles of Association, Governance Handbook, latest Annual Report and Accounts, minutes of recent Council meetings, Policy documents and further information on the role and responsibilities of Charity Trustees. New Trustees are required to confirm that they have studied these documents and raised any queries or obtained further information which they may need.

Following election or co-option of a Trustee, the Chair will introduce a new Trustee at their first meeting of Council. They will also participate in a formal induction process to familiarise them with the extent and nature of the Trust's operations. After election at the Annual General Meeting Trustees serve for a period of three years and may be elected for a further period of three years.

Developments in Charity Law and

Practice are monitored and important developments are brought to the notice of Trustees by the Executive.

The relationship between staff and Trustees is crucial to the Trust's continuing success. Trustees bring a range of skills and experience to the responsibilities of the role which requires them to have an understanding of all aspects of the Trust's work. Trustees meet four times a year where they review strategy and operational performance, ratify policies and agree budgets.

Key management remuneration

None of the Trustees receive remuneration or benefit for their work with the group and charity. Any connection between Trustees and any company the Trust works with is disclosed to the Council. Financial details of which are disclosed in note 7.9 to the accounts.

Risk management

The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.

Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of a Risk Register and Risk Management Policy, reviewed annually by Trustees. Procedures are also in place to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation, policies and procedures including frequent audit of health and safety protocol. We take every effort to minimise our environmental impacts and intend to work towards full environmental impact assessments and audits.

External risks are analysed and attempts made to mitigate or plan for them where possible. Currently identified external risks include (in no particular order) the impact of public sector funding cuts, recent negative fundraising media stories, climate change and globalisation, and the increasing pressures and competing demands for land use for housing, transportation and economic regeneration purposes.

The Trustees have examined the principal areas of the charity's operations and considered the major risks which may arise in each of these areas. In the opinion of the Trustees the charity has established resources and review systems which under normal conditions, should allow the risks identified by them to be mitigated to an acceptable level in its day to day operations.

8 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The Trustees (who are also the directors of The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and The Black Country for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period.

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ECOPARK CLASSROOM
IN DEVELOPMENT
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In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

Disclosure of information to auditors

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the Charily SORP;
So far as the Trustees are aware, there is no relevant information (as defined by Section 418 of the Companies Act 2006) of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware, and each Trustee has taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as a Trustee in order to make them aware of any audit information and to establish that the charitable company's auditors are aware of that information.
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

The auditors, Luckmans Duckett Parker Limited, will be proposed for reappointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

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

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LOCAL COMMUNITY LITTER PICKING AT
SMESTOW VALLEY LOCAL NATURE RESERVE
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Public benefit

2. To advance the education of the public in:

1.2 Objectives and Activities

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country exists to promote the care and protection of the environment and therefore provides a clear public benefit. The Trust's philosophy is based on the belief that the natural world deserves conserving for its own sake and, since this is widely perceived to be a worthy aim of public policy, it may fairly be regarded as a benefit to the public at large. However, the public benefits provided by The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country go much further.

v. the principles and practice of sustainable development;

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country Limited is required by charity and company law to act within the objects of its Memorandum of Association, which are as follows:

vi. the principles and practice of biodiversity conservation; in particular, but not exclusively, in urban areas.

We launched our five-year strategy for 2017 - 2022, A Greener Future, in November 2016.

Objectives

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country's objectives are:

Our Vision is for Birmingham and the Black Country to have more wildlife, more wild places and more people with a strong connection to the natural world every year.

1. For the benefit of the public, to advance, promote and further the conservation maintenance study and protection of:

Firstly, our nature reserves are used by the public. At most sites information and interpretation is provided to visitors.

Secondly, our education programmes are aimed at schools, colleges, adult groups and the wider public.

Our Strategic Goals are:

i. wildlife and its habitats;
Space for nature is protected, restored, created and valued.
ii. places of natural beauty;

Thirdly, our information gathering and provision of expert advice and opinion to local authorities and others helps to ensure that planning decisions are made on a rational basis taking full account of the public benefit of wildlife.

iii. places of zoological, botanical, geographical, archaeological or scientific interest;
Everyone is connected to nature.
The natural environment is at the heart of planning, policy and decision-making.
iv. features of landscape with geological, physiographical, or amenity value; in particular, but not exclusively, in ways that further biodiversity.
We are an effective organisation

Fourthly the involvement of many volunteers in our work provides an outlet for altruistic endeavour, which is of special benefit to those involved as well as delivering benefits to the wider public.

In shaping our objectives for the year and planning our activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit, including the guidance 'public benefit: running a charity' (PB2).

10 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

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TYSELEY WEIR AFTER TYSELEY WEIR BEFORE
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preventing the movement of fish and natural river processes for many decades. We also worked with partners including Sanctus and Dynamic Rivers to finalise designs for the removal of a much larger weir in the nearby Ackers site, and for a river naturalisation project at Heybarnes Recreational Ground. These works are planned to go ahead in 2022 through a project led by the University of Birmingham.

Landscape-scale nature conservation

1.3 Summary of the Year

Each year the Trust produces a detailed Business Plan which determines the activities to be carried out during the year. Results are monitored throughout the year with regular reports being produced for Trust Council. The main headlines for 2021-22 are as follows:

The delivery of our partnership work with Birmingham City Council and the Environment Agency on the Natural Rivers and Green Corridors project picked-up again following a partial hiatus in 2020-21. The Wildlife Trust’s role in the project is to deliver a large number of small interventions across open spaces along the Bourne Brook and Merritt’s Brook in south-west Birmingham. These include the planting of the larval foodplants of butterflies found only in low numbers in the area - such as fritillaries, green hairstreak and brimstone, the planting of woodland wildflowers grown through our Growing Local Flora project, and the installation of barn and tawny owl boxes.

At Glebe Farm Recreational Ground in east Birmingham we continued our work to restore another important river corridor, the River Cole. As part of the Love Your River Cole project two new wetland areas were created and planted by volunteers with a diverse mix of native wetland plant species, whilst 3.7 hectares of grassland was enhanced through the seeding of wildflower species including Ragged Robin, Great Burnet, Field Scabious and Yellow Rattle

Goal 1: Space for nature is protected, restored, created and valued nature

The last year has seen an increase in the Trust’s nature conservation work as we emerged from the lockdowns of 2020-21, secured significant new funding and expanded our team of dedicated colleagues.

Further upstream on the River Cole in Tyseley our partnership project with the Environment Agency saw us remove a large concrete weir which had been

Another of the Wildlife Trust’s strategic priority landscapes is the historic heathlands of the Walsall green belt. This area which forms a critical link between Cannock Chase and Sutton Park, and holds the potential to be restored to support vibrant populations of species such as reptiles, nightjar and rare solitary bees. During 2021-22 we entered into a new partnership with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Walsall Council, Lichfield District Council, Natural England and the Environment Agency under the name Purple Horizons. The partnership is in the early stages but already during the year a number of heathland restoration projects have taken place at sites like Barr Beacon and Shire Oak Park; whilst a vision, objectives and priority actions have been agreed.

Nature Reserves

During 2021-22 we created and recruited to the new role of Senior Reserves Officer. This new role will ensure that our valuable sites and the Friends groups and volunteers on which they depend will be given the support they need.

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WILDFLOWER MEADOW AT DEER'S
LEAP WOOD NATURE RESERVE
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Work has also been completed at our Turner’s Wood nature reserve in Pelsall. Funding provided by Natural England through the Purple Horizons project has seen woodland management take place, a new hedgerow planted, owl and bat boxes installed, and the design and installation of a new interpretation sign.

The Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve secured funding for a range of important ecological surveys which the Wildlife Trust have undertaken to inform the new site management plan. Regular volunteer days have also been ongoing with work undertaken on important habitats such as wet woodland and hedgerows, and bird boxes being installed.

At Deer’s Leap Wood in west Birmingham the volunteer group, Friends and local residents’ association have continued providing regular support in managing the site; with the brook, ponds, hedgerows and woodlands being enhanced during the year, as well as regular maintenance of fences, paths and litter picks.

Esmée Fairbairn Funding

The continued funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has enabled us to deliver 32 biodiversity improvement projects across Birmingham and the Black Country, as well as supporting our planning work, our Volunteer Coordinator post and digital engagement. Additional funding from the foundation through their Funding Plus programme also enabled us to complete our Ecological Services Strategy.

12 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Goal 2: Everyone is connected to nature

Volunteers

We would like to thank the volunteers who have supported the Trust’s work throughout the pandemic, their support has been particularly vital as we returned to our normal activities. Despite all in-person activity being postponed we received 335 new volunteer registrations and volunteers committed 5,304 hours to support our work.

Education and Engagement

The new Environmental Centre at EcoPark is on track for completion in early 2022. The new building will enhance the experience of schools, youth groups and other community organisations visiting the site. New programmes including Health and Wellbeing in Nature, Nature Tots and a range of family activities have been established at EcoPark to complement a similar programme at the Centre of the Earth site in Winson Green.

Through the Nature Friendly Schools programme funded by Defra, we worked with a further 12 primary schools in disadvantaged areas, supporting teachers to embed outdoor leaning across the curriculum, increasing their pupils' access to local wild spaces and improving school grounds to make them better places for wildlife.

With funding from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, National Express and Cadent Foundations, we delivered 10 Level 1 training courses in Tools Use and Surveying as an Open College Network West Midlands training centre. 94 participants, the majority aged 16-25, successfully completed these courses.

Communications

Our 2020 Audience Research survey

provided very useful insights into the thoughts and interests of our audience, including our members. The results of the survey were shared in our autumn 2021 member magazine. We learned that under 25s were our least represented audience segment, so to improve this we launched an account on Instagram, more popular with younger audiences, and increased our programmes for 16-25 year olds. The surveys also reassuringly revealed just how much value our audience place on our work for habitat creation and protecting wildlife.

digital events; over the course of the year over 130 people booked places at our 4 digital events.

We featured in a total of 27 media articles / interviews including 2 radio and 4 television appearances including BBC Midlands Today covering the City Nature Challenge and BBC Radio WM covering our Wild Walk Week fundraiser.

Colleagues and supporters joined with other environmental charities on 6th November 2021 for a Global Day of Action during COP26, with a peaceful walk through Birmingham City Centre calling for nature to play a role in the climate crisis.

We continued to grow our reach during 2021-2022, with our e-newsletter subscriptions increasing from 7,798 to 8,509 and increasing Facebook audience by 9%, Twitter audience by 7% and LinkedIn audience by 48%. The number of people taking part in 30 Days Wild locally also grew from 2,700 in 2020 to 2,889 in 2021.

Alongside a national re-brand we took on the refreshed badger logo and branding and began to roll this out across our digital and print communications and media. We were also delighted to welcome our first ever young ambassador Shaan Dulay.

We enhanced the content in our quarterly member’s magazine by including articles from guest writers and interviewing a range of people for the 'My Wild Life' articles from Trustees and trainees to award winning photographers. We also added a members’ page to share member’s questions and photographs.

Whilst in-person activities and events began to return, we continued to deliver

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NATURAL PROSPECTS COHORT 3
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Goal 3: The natural environment is at the heart of planning, policy and decision-making

In addition to providing evidence, the Trust submitted and published for our supporters a 66 page comprehensive response to the draft Black Country Plan in October 2021. In this we provided detailed comments on the policies of the plan, as well as comments on over 150 site allocations.

We provided advice to over 80 landowners and managers on how to protect existing wildlife and enhance habitats for the benefit of a wide range of species. We also responded to 71 planning applications.

EcoRecord - the Local Environmental Records Centre for Birmingham and the Black Country - turned 30 during 2021. Established in 1991 with the aim to collate, store and make available information on all aspects of wildlife and habitats in Birmingham and the Black Country, EcoRecord has been and remains critical in helping to protect wildlife, informing our understanding of the landscape and in targeting where work for nature’s recovery will have the most impact.

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EMPLOYEES ON A WILD
EXPERIENCE DAY
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Income from businesses also grew, with over £29,000 income generated from Wild Experience Days, business membership and business partnerships. As social distancing restrictions eased, we saw a return of businesses booking Wild Experience Days with 140 people from five businesses joining us on Poly Roger urban canal safaris and supporting with habitat creation projects at our Nature Reserves and project sites. Bronze business members Wienerberger renewed their membership for a third year, Schofield Lothian renewed their silver business membership for a second year and SCC re-joined as bronze business members. We were also joined by Kennedys Law as bronze business members. Partners included Hogan Lovells who raised over £15,000 in the second year of a three-year partnership, birdseed producer Vine House Farm who donated over £2,600, Fleming Verandas who donated over £500 and Severn Trent whose £2,000 sponsorship supported our Wild Walk Week fundraiser.

Goal 4: We are an effective organisation

We drew on learning from the previous year and continued to develop costeffective methods of fundraising including membership recruitment through digital methods, including via The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts’ website. As a result, online membership grew by 16.5% from the previous year. Membership income remained stable and we continue to be grateful for the support of our members. Overall we recruited 455 new members and membership grew by 2% compared to the previous year.

During this year we also delivered a range of fundraising initiatives, inspiring supporters and colleagues to take part in challenges or donate to appeals via static donation boxes, online donations and through platforms such as JustGiving and text donations, raising over £22,000 in general donations. Over 300 donors supported the public fundraising appeal to support infrastructure improvements at Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood Nature Reserve with the total raised exceeding £11,000.

We continued to promote legacy giving with a campaign centred around Remember a Charity Week in September 2021 which included radio and newspaper adverts and a direct marketing campaign encouraging supporters to pledge a gift in their Will. During the course of the year, we received 65 visits to our Guardian Angel online will-writing service platform, with 10 wills started, 3 completed and 1 supporter pledging £14,000 in their will. We raised almost £6,000 in legacy giving and in-memory giving income.

A total of 177 people took part in Wild Walk Week in October 2021 alongside our colleague-led walks and raised £1,055. Colleagues Jake Williams and Gareth Morgan took on an epic 90km triathlon challenge and thanks to sponsors from supporters, family and friends raised £1,050.

In addition to income for project-focused grants, we also secured £15,000 in unrestricted grant income, supporting our legacy giving campaign and investments in fundraising.

14 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

WILD WALK WEEK 2021

Goal 1: Nature is in recovery, with 1.4 Looking ahead abundant, diverse We will be revising the Trust's wildlife across organisational strategy, setting out our ambitions up to 2030. We will launch this Birmingham and in early 2022. Building on the work of recent years, the new strategy - A Wilder recent years, the new strategy - A Wilder the Black Country

We will be revising the Trust's organisational strategy, setting out our ambitions up to 2030. We will launch this in early 2022. Building on the work of recent years, the new strategy - A Wilder recent years, the new strategy - A Wilder Birmingham and the Black Country 2022-2030 - will set out 3 goals with ambitious supporting targets to ensure nature is in recovery across Birmingham and the Black Country by 2030. To begin to deliver against our revised strategy next year will see us focus on the following activities:

Love Your River Stour will deliver nature recovery projects at sites including Stambermill and Riverside House in Dudley, and Smestow Valley in Wolverhampton. This will see new flower-rich meadows created, woodlands diversified, hedgerows planted, ponds excavated and watercourses restored. There will be ongoing engagement with our supporters and local communities through events, activities and education sessions.

With funding from the Environment Agency we will design and create a new channel on the River Stour near Wollaston to bypass an historic weir, opening up of over 40 km of the Stour and its tributary the Smestow Brook to long-distance fish migration for the first time in several hundred years.

Our funding priorities will closely align with our new 2022-2030 strategy and we will apply for funding to continue Love Your River Stour beyond 2022-23, to begin to achieve significant impact in the Walsall heathlands area, and to deliver further nature recovery projects across Birmingham and the Black Country.

Our nature reserves remain a priority for the Wildlife Trust and we will continue to raise funds for habitat enhancements and infrastructure for our visitors such as paths and signage. Our new strategy identifies the acquisition of new nature reserves as a priority, and we will be undertaking early work to identify both potential sites and long-term funding for these.

focused programme drawing on the

We will pilot our Natural Curriculum

Goal 2: People are taking action for nature and the climate across Birmingham and the Black Country

community organising approach of the Wildlife Trusts’ Team Wilder initiative. Through this, we will support young people to develop and implement their ideas for local environmental projects and campaigning. We will continue to increase the number of people we connect with through social media and campaigns, increase and improve our digital content, particularly targeted at younger audiences, and recruit another ambassador. All of these actions will be with the purpose of inspiring people to take action for nature, whether through practical actions or fundraising.

approach to helping schools embed their outdoor learning provision, working in at least four local primary schools. We will secure and deliver further contracts for the improvement of school grounds or other community spaces for the benefit of people and wildlife. We will continue our Level 1 training courses in Tools Use, Surveying, Woodwork and Coppicing, delivering at least eight programmes in new parts of Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley. We will seek funding to sustain the successful Natural Prospects traineeship programme into the future.

We will continue to nurture the growing school and community use of EcoPark and Centre of the Earth, forging links within the local communities of Small Heath and Winson Green respectively to help people connect with nature. We will further develop EcoPark with facilities such as a new Green Woodworking Zone and workshop, forest garden and pergola and enhance Centre of the Earth with further capital improvements.

New partnership projects will include the Birmingham City of Nature initiative that will initially focus on Bordesley and Highgate, and support for Birmingham Settlement on their site next to Edgbaston Reservoir.

We will train volunteers to support us at in-person events to build engagement and help to develop fundraising and membership recruitment growth. We will deliver a photography competition to inspire our audience to connect with nature and celebrate the rich biodiversity of our local wild spaces.

We will build on our successful track record of youth engagement and training activity to offer a youth

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GROWING LOCAL FLORA AT CENTRE OF THE EARTH
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16 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Goal 3: Nature is playing a central and valued role in helping to address local and global problems

The Environment Act came into force in November 2021 and with that the mandatory requirement for the production of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).

It is the Wildlife Trust’s aim that we will play a leading role in producing the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and in the partnerships that will implement it. Building on the work we have undertaken in 2021-22 on the Draft Black Country Local Nature Recovery Map and Strategy Approach, we will work closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority (the LNRS responsible authority) to ensure the most appropriate data and analysis of this is undertaken in the creation of the LNRS, and that a strategy that can be delivered by the widest range of partners is created.

The work we have undertaken in 202122 on our ecological services strategy identified Biodiversity Net Gain as a key area where there are opportunities for the Wildlife Trust to increase the delivery of our work for nature’s recovery. During 2022-23 we will further develop our understanding of how BNG will be put into practice and of how the Trust can most effectively invest our efforts in securing income and delivery of biodiversity gain.

In our 2022-30 strategy the Wildlife Trust have identified the delivery of naturebased solutions as key to addressing the climate and ecological crises. During the coming year we will continue to develop and seek funding to undertake projects that deliver benefits not only for biodiversity, but that also help to reduce, mitigate and reverse other issues including pollution, flooding, the impacts of climate change and poor mental health.

One of the first nature-based solutions projects that we will be delivering is M5 Clean Rivers, part of the new Network for Nature programme being undertaken by National Highways and The Wildlife Trusts. In 2021 the Trust entered secured funding to investigate the extent and type of pollution that enters the headwaters of the River Stour and Bourne Brook as run-off from the M5 motorway. During 2022-23 we will produce detailed designs for naturebased solutions (wetlands) to mitigate this pollution, with the wetlands being constructed the following year.

to recruit more members, doubling the number of new members we recruited in the previous year. We will increase the number of individuals involved in fundraising activities, encouraging donors with the propensity to do so, to increase their donations and we will provide new and improved fundraising initiatives. We will continue to celebrate our members through initiatives such as member-only events to encourage longterm support.

Through pro-active engagement activities, including networking and webinars, we will increase our outreach to prospective business supporters, and increase engagement with existing business supporters to maximize fundraising opportunities via the business directly and through employee support.

In order to help us deliver our conservation and education work, we will continue to grow our unrestricted income by investing in resources in the Fundraising and Communications department. Through an innovative digital membership recruitment pilot, alongside five other Wildlife Trusts and with funding from The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, we will create high quality, engaging content on social media

Unrestricted income will also grow threefold through applications for unrestricted grants to support our core activities.

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COMMUNITY APPLE PESSING AT ECOPARK
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LEVEL 1 GREEN WOODWORKING COURSE AT ECOPARK
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1.5 Financial Review

Financial Position

Trust income is split between unrestricted and restricted funds. Unrestricted income represents money raised or given to support the Trust's achievement of core charitable aims. Membership, donations, general fundraising, and some charitable trust donations were given as unrestricted income.

Restricted income is given for a specific purpose with clear outputs to be achieved. Restricted income for this period includes National Prospects funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Nature Friendly Schools Funding, and several Environmental Projects.

Total income has increased to £1,738,533 (2021: £1,332,182). The Trust has invested in membership as an essential income stream that enables us to deliver core charitable aims that are not always possible to fund through restricted income such as our work to protect nature through the planning system.

Membership accounts for 14% (2021: 18%) of the Trust's income and the Business Plan sets out how this will grow in coming years. Unrestricted income (including membership) is 36% (2021: 59%) of total income.

Reserves policy

Trustees keep the reserves of the Trust under regular review. In previous years, these have been limited by the Charity's funds available. Having regard to the increasing scale of the Trust's operations and Covid uncertainties, in 2020 the Trustees set a reserves policy to aim at reserves equivalent to nine month's core operating costs, equating to approximately £500,000. Such reserves would be held in case of any sudden decline in income or unexpected cost or risk exposure, and to ensure that the commitments to meet contractual obligations to staff, premises and funding partners can be met.

After the designated fund of £207,157 (2021: £504,452) and revaluation reserve of £59,239 (2021: £59,239), the Trustees have met this aim with current unrestricted reserves standing at £1,161,912 at 31 March 2022 (2021: £511,605).

18 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

The Trustees continue to be mindful of the requirement to operate within tight financial constraints.

General reserves represent free unrestricted funds that are available to spend at the discretion of the Trustees. Some have already been designated as noted above. Within the general reserve are funds tied up in fixed assets which are not readily disposable, hence not liquid funds that can be spent straightaway. This amount would be equivalent to the net book value of the land and buildings as these assets have been secured for use within the charity for the long term.

Whilst there can be uncertainty in relation to the timing and amount of charitable grants and receipts, the Trustee Directors believe that the Trust's record of obtaining further funding will continue, albeit, with uncertainties as to when cash actually becomes available.

The amount of restricted reserves at 31 March 2022 is £436,435 (2021: £344,902).

Principal risks and uncertainties

The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.

External risks are analysed, and attempts made to mitigate or plan for them where possible. Currently identified external risks include (in no order) the impact of public sector funding cuts, recent negative fundraising media stories, climate change and globalisation, and the increasing pressures and competing demands for land use for housing, transportation and economic regeneration purposes.

The Trustees have examined the principal areas of the charity's

operations and considered the major risks which may arise in each of these areas. In the opinion of the Trustees the charity has established resources and review systems which under normal conditions, should allow the risks identified by them to be mitigated to an acceptable level in its day to day operations.

Principal Funding Sources

Income

The Trust's income increased to £1,738,533 (2021: £1,332,182), major headings are explained below:

Membership, donations, legacies - Contains income from our members, donations given at events and through our presence in the community and legacies
Charitable activities - Projects and services delivered in Birmingham & Black Country in line with the Trusts' aims and objectives.
Trading & Other income - Includes Royalties received, interest income, hire income and rental income.

One of the biggest challenges for the Trust over the next few years will be to diversify our unrestricted income sources to provide resilience to the organisation. The other focus will be to increase the donations and legacies received by the Trust. Compared to other Wildlife Trusts nationally we achieve similar levels of funding through grants but are not performing as well in encouraging corporate partners and legacy donations. We will learn from our sister Trusts to improve our performance in these areas. We know we need to do more to secure our membership which is explained below.

Expenditure

The Trust's expenditure increased to £1,293,988 (2021: £1,049,085), major headings are explained below:

Charitable Activity - This covers our staffing costs and direct project costs to deliver projects and services so as to meet our charitable aims and objectives.
We are now responsible for our own membership recruitment. Other costs include recruitment through the Join Anywhere scheme via other Wildlife Trusts, online membership recruitment as well as production of membership magazines throughout the year.
Overheads - These are the running costs to maintain our sites and headquarters covering areas such as rent, rates, gas, electric, telephones and insurance.
Pensions - Royal London manage all pension funds on behalf of the staff members. The Trust contributes 7% in addition to staff contributions.

Every penny we receive is spent on achieving our charitable aims. Overheads include rents for our sites, running our office and insurance to ensure we are a responsible and sustainable organisation.

Report of the Trustees, incorporating a strategic report, approved by order of the board of Trustees, as the company directors, on 9 August 2022 and signed on the board's behalf by:

J D Larner - Trustee

2. Independent Auditors Report

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

Opinion

Conclusions relating to going concern

We have audited the financial statements of The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and The Black Country (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2022 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

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 charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

the information given in the Report of the Trustees for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

the Report of the Trustees has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In our opinion the financial statements:

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

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Report of the Trustees.

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2022 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our Report of the Independent Auditors thereon.

have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other • information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form • of assurance conclusion thereon. In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in • doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our • knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.

have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

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 Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

the trustees were not entitled to take advantage of the small companies exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Report of the Trustees.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees

20 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

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 charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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 a Report of the Independent Auditors 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.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

Enquiring of management and employees, including obtaining and reviewing supporting documentation, concerning the charity's policies and procedures relating 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 risks of fraud and whether they were aware of any actual, suspected, or alleged fraud and.
The internal controls established to mitigate risk relating to fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations.
We identified areas of law and regulation that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the financial statements from our general commercial and sector experience, discussions

with management (as required by auditing standards) and discussed with management the policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations. All identified laws and regulations were communicated throughout the audit team, and they remained alert to any indications of noncompliance throughout the audit.

The most significant considerations for the charitable company were as follows:-

• The Charity is subject to laws and regulations that affect the financial statements which include financial reporting legislation (namely The Companies Act 2006), taxation legislation and the Charities Act. We assessed the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures concerning items recorded in the financial statements.

The charity is also subject to other operational laws and regulations where the consequences of noncompliance could have material effect on the amounts or disclosures in the financial statements through imposing fines or withdrawal of funding contracts. Areas where this would have an effect include health and safety, Bribery Act 2010, employment law, data protections and child protection legislation (DBS checks for staff and volunteers).

Auditing standards limit the audit procedures to identifying non-compliance of these laws and regulations to enquiry of management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if there is any. Therefore, if a breach of operational regulations is not disclosed to us or evident from relevant correspondence, an audit will not detect the breach.

To identify risk of material misstatement due to fraud, we carried out discussions amongst the audit team to assess areas where and how fraud might occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators. The following areas were identified :-

Management override of controls through the posting of inappropriate accounting entries or journals
We do not believe there is a fraud risk relating the revenue recognition as the revenue is straightforward, with limited opportunity for manipulation.
We did not identify any additional fraud risks.

We tested the appropriateness of accounting journals and other adjustments made in the accounts preparation based on a risk criteria.

Owing to the inherent limitation of the audit , there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed noncompliance with laws and regulation is from the events and transaction reflected in the financial statement, the less likely in the inherently limited procedure required by auditing standards would identify it. In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of nondetection of fraud, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. Our audit procedures are designed to detect material misstatement. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance or fraud and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

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 Report of the Independent Auditors.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' 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 charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Mark Spafford FCCA ACA (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of

Luckmans Duckett Parker Limited Chartered Accountants Statutory Auditors 1110 Elliott Court, Herald Avenue, Coventry Business Park, Coventry, West Midlands CV5 6UB

Date: 26/08/2022

3. Statement of Financial Activities

Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Notes £ £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 2 312,022 - Charitable activities Conservation, Engagement and Infuence 3 305,878 1,117,718 Other income 2,915 - Total 620,815 1,117,718 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 4 - 29,605 Charitable activities Conservation, Engagement and Infuence 5 487,066 777,317 Total 487,066 806,922 NET INCOME 133,749 310,796 Transfers between funds 17 £219,264 (219,264) Net movement in funds 353,013 91,532 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 1,075,296 344,902 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 1,428,309 436,434	2022 2021 Total Total funds funds £ £ 312,022 281,571 1,423,596 973,916 2,915 76,695 1,738,533 1,332,182 29,605 24,324 1,264,383 1,024,761 1,293,988 1,049,085 444,545 283,097 - - 444,545 283,097 1,420,198 1,137,101 1,864,743 1,420,198	2021 Total funds £ 281,571 973,916 76,695

22 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

4. Balance Sheet March 2022

Notes FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 11 Heritage assets 12 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 13 Cash at bank and in hand CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 14 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES NET ASSETS FUNDS Unrestricted funds 17 Restricted funds TOTAL FUNDS	2022 2021 £ £ 517,224 42,402 79,762 79,762 596,986 122,164 986,078 492,979 584,732 1,009,134 1,570,810 1,502,113 (303,053) (204,079) 1,267,757 1,298,034 1,864,743 1,420,198 1,864,743 1,420,198 1,428,308 1,075,296 436,435 344,902 1,864,743 1,420,198	2021 £ 42,402 79,762
		122,164 492,979 1,009,134
		1,420,198

5. Cash flow statement for the year ended 31 March 2022

Notes Cash fows from operating activities Cash generated from operations 1 Net cash provided by operating activities Cash fows from investing activities Purchase of tangible fxed assets Net cash used in investing activities Cash fows from fnancing activities Loan repayments in year Net cash provided by/(used in) fnancing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period	2022 £ 73,845 73,845 (498,247) (498,247) - - (424,402) 1,009,134 584,732	2021 £ 349,490
		349,490
		(4,089)
		(4,089)
		(7,918)
		(7,918)
		337,483
		671,651
		1,009,134

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 9th August 2022 and were signed on its behalf by:

J D Larner - Trustee

THE WILDLIFE TRUST FOR BIRMINGHAM AND THE BLACK COUNTRY LTD Registered Company No. 01650938

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

6. Notes to the cash flow statement for the year ended 31 March 2021

1. Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating activities

1. Reconciliation of net income to net cash fow from operating activities
2022 £ Net income for the reporting period (as per the Statement of Financial Activities) 444,545 Adjustments for: Depreciation charges 23,425 Decrease/(increase) in debtors (493,099) Increase in creditors 98,974 Net cash provided by operations 73,845	2021 £ 283,097 21,357 19,568 25,468
	349,490

2. Analysis of changes in net funds

Net cash Cash at bank and in hand Total	At 1.4.21 Cash fow At 31.3.22 £ £ £ 1,009,134 (424,402) 584,732 1,009,134 (424,402) 584,732 1,009,134 (424,402) 584,732

7. Notes to the Financial Statements

7.1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of certain assets.

Income is generally recognised on a receivable basis, being when the charity is entitled to receive the money and is reported gross of related expenditure, where the amount is reasonably certain and when there is adequate certainty of receipt of monies. The specific bases used are as follows:

Voluntary income includes members subscriptions, donations (including related gift aid tax) legacies and grants of a general nature.

Income from trading activities includes income earned from fundraising events and trading activities to raise funds for the charity
Contractual income is recorded when receivable.
Grants received during the year which relate to the following financial year are carried forward in creditors.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis, meaning that the cost is identified as a liability awaiting payment, based on the date of the event, rather than the point that cash is paid. The expenditure is allocated to the appropriate cost heading in the financial statements.

Costs of generating funds relate
to expenditure incurred in raising voluntary income and fundraising trading costs.
Charitable activities' expenditure relates to expenditure on meeting the charitable objects. This includes materials and bought in services, staff costs, information systems, communications, rented accommodation and general management directly chargeable to projects, thereby covering both internal costs and external charges for such costs. Such costs incurred internally are apportioned to projects based on direct staffing levels.
Governance costs are associated with the governance arrangements of the charitable company and relate to the professional costs of running the charity.

26 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Support costs including staff costs, information systems, communications, office accommodation and general management, are fully apportioned to other cost categories, and are primarily based on direct staffing levels.

• Membership recruitment costs, where an agency charges the trust a fee based on the first years membership income for recruitment of new members, are charged to the accounts over a period of 10 months. Surplus new income is therefore only recognised in the accounts after this period has ended and this policy is viewed as being prudent.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Short leasehold property - 4% on cost Fixtures and fittings - 25% straight line

Expenditure on fixtures, fittings and general office equipment purchased by the charity for projects is currently written off in the year in which the expenditure is incurred, expenditure incurred for administration purposes is capitalised and depreciated as stated above.

Heritage assets

Land, classified as heritage assets, had previously been included in the accounts at cost. The Trustees value the assets every 5 years (a change from the previous annual approach) as this provides more relevant information on the activities and assets held by the charity.

Where information on the cost or valuation of heritage assets is not available or the cost of providing such information significantly outweighs any benefit to the users of the accounts then heritage assets are not recognised on the balance sheet.

Acquisitions only arise when donated to the charity or if it is believed that they will further the charity’s objectives.

Full details of original cost can be found in note 8 to the accounts.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

The charity is partially exempt for VAT. VAT that is irrecoverable due to the partial exemption are allocated to the appropriate cost categories and funds.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the Trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes or as suggested in a letter of wishes.

The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Hire purchase and leasing commitments

Payments under an arrangement which is in substance of a rental nature (operating leases) are charged in the financial statements as incurred.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The trust makes payments of employers contributions into independently administered money purchase pension policies for qualifying employees. Pension costs are charged in the financial statements on an accruals basis.

Basic financial instruments

Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

7.2 DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

Donations Legacies	2022 £ 310,228 1,794 312,022	2021 £ 280,571 1,000
		281,571

7.3 INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
2022 2021 Conservation, Engagement and Total Infuence activities £ £ Conservation & Wildlife 1,423,596 973,916

7.4 RAISING FUNDS

Raising donations and legacies Raising voluntary income costs	2022 2021 £ £ 29,605 24,324
7.5 CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS
Conservation, Engagement and Infuence	Direct Support costs Costs (see note 6) £ £ 1,151,576 112,807	Totals £ 1,264,383
7.6 SUPPORT COSTS

Governance Management costs £ £ Conservation, Engagement and Infuence 86,285 26,522		Totals £ 112,807

28 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

7.7 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

Auditing of accounts Depreciation - owned assets Hire of plant and machinery Other operating leases	2022 £ 5,901 23,425 1,260 4,153	2021 £ 7,850 21,357 1,468 2,254

7.8 Trustees' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no Trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2022 nor for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Trustees' expenses

There were no Trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2022 nor for the year ended 31 March 2021.

7.9 STAFF COSTS

7.9 STAFF COSTS
Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs	2022 £ 621,568 49,960 35,188 706,716	2021 £ 515,010 43,141 32,151
		590,302

7.10 COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted Restricted funds funds £ £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 281,571 - Charitable activities Conservation, Engagement and Infuence 431,254 542,662 Other income 76,695 - Total 789,520 542,662 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 24,324 - Charitable activities Conservation, Engagement and Infuence 571,150 453,611 Total 595,474 453,611 NET INCOME 194,046 89,051 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 881,250 255,851 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 1,075,296 344,902	Total funds £ 281,571 973,916 76,695
	1,332,182 24,324 1,024,761
	1,049,085
	283,097 1,137,101
	1,420,198

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

	2022	2021
Direct charitable work	28	20
Administrative	2	2
	30	22
The number of employees whose employee benefts (excluding employer pension costs) exc
	2022	2021
£60,001 - £70,000	1	-

The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:

The key management personnel, the senior management team, received total employee benefits in the year of £204,834 (2021 - £222,983). The key management personnel comprise the Chief Executive Officer, Head of Finance & Resources, Head of Education & Engagement, Head of Conservation and Head of Fundraising & Communications.

30 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022 31

7.11 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Short Fixtures leasehold property and fttings £ £ COST At 1 April 2021 195,038 82,069 Additions 485,280 12,967 At 31 March 2022 680,318 95,036 DEPRECIATION At 1 April 2021 164,045 70,660 Charge for year 15,497 7,928 At 31 March 2022 179,542 78,588 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2022 500,776 16,448 At 31 March 2021 30,993 11,409	Totals £ 277,107 498,247
	775,354
	234,705 23,425
	258,130
	517,224
	42,402

The Centre Of The Earth is built on land which is leased from Birmingham City Council on a twenty five year lease from 24 March 1998. The net book value as at 31 December 1997 is being written off over the term of the lease by equal annual instalments.

7.12 HERITAGE ASSETS

MARKET VALUE At 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2022 At 31 March 2021	Total £ 79,762
	79,762
	79,762

7.13 DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

Trade debtors Prepayments Accrued income	2022 £ 569,705 1,109 415,264 986,078	2021 £ 468,562 24,417 -
		492,979

7.14 CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

Trade creditors Social security and other taxes Other creditors Deferred income Accrued expenses Deferred income Deferred income at 1st April 2021 Released from previous years Income deferred in the year Deferred income at 31st March 2022	2022 £ 486 53,483 17,436 6,000 225,648 303,053 2022 £ 12,546 (12,546) 6,000 6,000	2021 £ 127,521 29,998 16,751 12,546 17,263
		204,079
		2021 £ 19,500 (19,500) 12,546
		12,546

Deferred income relates to grant income deferred to future periods as the income received relates specifically to the 2022/23 accounting period.

If the Land had not been revalued it would have been included in the accounts at the following historical cost totally £20,523. This is broken down to £10,523 being the amount paid for land and £10,000 being the value of land donated. There has been no change to these values in the last five years.

7.15. LEASING AGREEMENTS

Heritage assets consist of land at Portway Hill, Pelsall Common Spinney (Turner's Wood) and Deer's Leap Wood.

Minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases fall due as follows:

Such land that has been acquired or donated to the charity is managed and preserved in accordance with the charity's objectives for wildlife and their habitat. Access to such land is available to the general public.

Other heritage assets may be purchased by, or donated to the charity, as and when circumstances permit. The number of acquisitions in the last 5 years is nil.

The Trustees have obtained a desktop valuation by an independent valuer in an attempt to understand the open market value of the heritage assets. Based on the work done, the Trustees do not believe the valuation of the Heritage assets at £79,762 is materially different from the open market value of these assets. The Trustees feel no adjustment to the revaluation is required.

Within one year Between one and fve years In more than fve years	2022 £ 3,950 8,600 10,750 23,300	2021 £ 7,976 10,761 12,900
		31,637

32 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

7.16 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

7.17 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

7.16 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS	BETWEEN FUNDS				7.17 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
			2022	2021	Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Total
	funds	funds	funds	funds		Incoming	Resources	Movement
	£	£	£	£		resources	expended	in funds
Fixed assets	596,986	-	596,986	122,164		£	£	£
Current assets	1,133,883	436,927	1,570,810	1,502,113	Unrestricted funds
Current liabilities	(302,561)	(492)	(303,053)	(204,079)	General fund	620,815	(487,067)	133,748
	1,428,308	436,435	1,864,743	1,420,198	Restricted funds
					Catchment (Western Park)	-	(18,400)	(18,400)
					Natural Rivers & Green Corridors	18,531	(19,023)	(492)
					Natural Prospects HLF	73,672	(75,095)	(1,423)
7.17 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS					Other awards Veolia Grant	9,554 15,000	(15,983) -	(6,429) 15,000
					Birmingham LNP	-	(4,442)	(4,442)
		Net	Transfers		National Express	1	(15,001)	(15,000)
		movement	between	At	Reaching Communities	128,702	(62,774)	65,928
	At 1.4.21	in funds	funds	31.3.22	Salmon in the Stour (19-20 Dunelm Weir)	-	(7,243)	(7,243)
	£	£	£	£	River Cole Collaboration	(9,333)	(25,608)	(34,941)
Unrestricted funds					Severn Trent Resilience Funding	-	(6,681)	(6,681)
General fund	511,605	133,748	516,559	1,161,912	Carbon Reduction Strategy	-	(7,853)	(7,853)
Designated Fund	504,452	-	(297,295)	207,157	Nature Friendly Schools	68,157	(101,857)	(33,700)
Revaluation Reserve	59,239	-	-	59,239	Cadent Foundation Natural Connections	-	(32,670)	(32,670)
					Green Recovery Challenge Fund	124,850	(82,198)	42,652
	1,075,296	133,748	219,264	1,428,308	Lyric Programme	206,032	(206,032)	-
					Innovation Fund	12,279	(9,311)	2,968
Restricted funds					Network for Nature M5 Clean Rivers	14,191	(14,191)	-
Catchment (Western Park)	18,400	(18,400)	-	-	Smestow Catchment (Environment Agency)	20,000	(5,211)	14,789
Natural Rivers & Green Corridors	-	(492)	-	(492)	Stourton Castle Bypass	250,000	(1,920)	248,080
Natural Prospects HLF	1,423	(1,423)	-	-	Purple Horizons	80,082	(80,082)	-
Other awards	16,079	(6,429)	(9,650)	-	EcoPark Development (HS2)	75,000	-	75,000
Veolia Grant	59,785	15,000	(74,785)	-	Stourton Castle Design (Environment Agency)	31,000	(15,346)	15,654
Birmingham LNP	4,442	(4,442)	-	-
Sedley Beacon Enforcement						1,117,718	(806,921)	310,797
Undertaking	-	-	30,000	30,000
South Stafordshire Water	13,594	-	-	13,594	TOTAL FUNDS	1,738,533	(1,293,988)	444,545

7.16 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS	7.16 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS	7.16 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
Unrestricted Restricted funds funds £ £ Fixed assets 596,986 - Current assets 1,133,883 436,927 Current liabilities (302,561) (492) 1,428,308 436,435			2022 Total funds £ 596,986 1,570,810 (303,053) 1,864,743
7.17 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Unrestricted funds General fund Designated Fund Revaluation Reserve Restricted funds Catchment (Western Park) Natural Rivers & Green Corridors Natural Prospects HLF Other awards Veolia Grant Birmingham LNP Sedley Beacon Enforcement Undertaking South Stafordshire Water	Net Transfers movement between At At 1.4.21 in funds funds 31.3.22 £ £ £ £ 511,605 133,748 516,559 1,161,912 504,452 - (297,295) 207,157 59,239 - - 59,239 1,075,296 133,748 219,264 1,428,308 18,400 (18,400) - - - (492) - (492) 1,423 (1,423) - - 16,079 (6,429) (9,650) - 59,785 15,000 (74,785) - 4,442 (4,442) - - - - 30,000 30,000 13,594 - - 13,594
National Express Reaching Communities Salmon in the Stour (19-20 - Dunelm Weir) River Cole Collaboration Severn Trent Resilience Funding Carbon Reduction Strategy Nature Friendly Schools Cadent Foundation - Natural Connections Green Recovery Challenge Fund Innovation Fund Smestow Catchment (Environment Agency) Stourton Castle Bypass EcoPark Development (HS2) Stourton Castle Desgin (Environment Agency) TOTAL FUNDS	15,000 60,743 2,825 34,941 25,000 20,000 40,000 32,670 - - - - - - 344,902 1,420,198	(15,000) 65,928 (7,243) (34,941) (6,681) (7,853) (33,700) (32,670) 42,652 2,968 14,789 248,080 75,000 15,654 310,797 444,545	- (95,000) 17,318 - - (12,147) - - - - - - (75,000) - (219,264) -	- 31,671 12,900 - 18,319 - 6,300 - 42,652 2,968 14,789 248,080 - 15,654 436,435
				1,864,743

34 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022 35

7.17 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

7.17. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Comparatives for movement in funds Unrestricted funds General fund Designated Fund Revaluation Reserve Restricted funds Catchment (Western Park) Salmon in the Stour (18-19) River Cole Natural Prospects HLF Other awards Veolia Grant Birmingham LNP South Stafordshire Water National Express Reaching Communities Salmon in the Stour (19-20 - Dunelm Weir) River Cole Collaboration Severn Trent Resilience Funding Carbon Reduction Strategy Nature Friendly Schools Cadent Foundation - Natural Connections TOTAL FUNDS	Net movement At 1.4.20 in funds £ £ 498,461 13,144 323,550 180,902 59,239 - 881,250 194,046 23,400 (5,000) 6,528 (6,528) 69,000 (69,000) - 1,423 15,250 829 57,785 2,000 - 4,442 13,594 - 15,000 - 33,794 26,949 21,500 (18,675) - 34,941 - 25,000 - 20,000 - 40,000 - 32,670 255,851 89,051 1,137,101 283,097	Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming Resources Movement resources expended in funds £ £ £ Unrestricted funds General fund 608,618 (595,474) 13,144 Designated Fund 180,902 - 180,902 789,520 (595,474) 194,046 Restricted funds Catchment (Western Park) - (5,000) (5,000) Salmon in the Stour (18-19) - (6,528) (6,528) Natural Rivers & Green Corridors 10,779 (10,779) - River Cole - (69,000) (69,000) Natural Prospects HLF 69,038 (67,615) 1,423 Other awards 31,000 (30,171) 829 Veolia Grant 2,000 - 2,000 Birmingham LNP 21,000 (16,558) 4,442 Reaching Communities 34,440 (7,491) 26,949 Salmon in the Stour (19-20 - Dunelm Weir) - (18,675) (18,675) River Cole Collaboration 56,000 (21,059) 34,941 Biodiversity SLAs 25,000 (25,000) - Severn Trent Resilience Funding 25,000 - 25,000 EcoRecord 42,001 (42,001) - Carbon Reduction Strategy 20,000 - 20,000 Nature Friendly Schools 173,734 (133,734) 40,000 Cadent Foundation - Natural Connections 32,670 - 32,670 542,662 (453,611) 89,051 TOTAL FUNDS 1,332,182 (1,049,085) 283,097 At 31.3.21 £ 511,605 504,452 59,239 1,075,296 18,400 - - 1,423 16,079 59,785 4,442 13,594 15,000 60,743 2,825 34,941 25,000 20,000 40,000 32,670 344,902 1,420,198	Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming Resources Movement resources expended in funds £ £ £ Unrestricted funds General fund 608,618 (595,474) 13,144 Designated Fund 180,902 - 180,902 789,520 (595,474) 194,046 Restricted funds Catchment (Western Park) - (5,000) (5,000) Salmon in the Stour (18-19) - (6,528) (6,528) Natural Rivers & Green Corridors 10,779 (10,779) - River Cole - (69,000) (69,000) Natural Prospects HLF 69,038 (67,615) 1,423 Other awards 31,000 (30,171) 829 Veolia Grant 2,000 - 2,000 Birmingham LNP 21,000 (16,558) 4,442 Reaching Communities 34,440 (7,491) 26,949 Salmon in the Stour (19-20 - Dunelm Weir) - (18,675) (18,675) River Cole Collaboration 56,000 (21,059) 34,941 Biodiversity SLAs 25,000 (25,000) - Severn Trent Resilience Funding 25,000 - 25,000 EcoRecord 42,001 (42,001) - Carbon Reduction Strategy 20,000 - 20,000 Nature Friendly Schools 173,734 (133,734) 40,000 Cadent Foundation - Natural Connections 32,670 - 32,670 542,662 (453,611) 89,051 TOTAL FUNDS 1,332,182 (1,049,085) 283,097 At 31.3.21 £ 511,605 504,452 59,239 1,075,296 18,400 - - 1,423 16,079 59,785 4,442 13,594 15,000 60,743 2,825 34,941 25,000 20,000 40,000 32,670 344,902 1,420,198
			283,097

Transfers are made between Restricted and Unrestricted Funds at the time the specific restrictions have been fulfilled.

The designated fund of £207,157 (2021: £504,452) relates to the balance of funds received in the accounts for the year to 31 March 2022 remaining unspent designated by the Trustees for use on our commitments post year end. This sum relates to the Project Completion Fund.

General reserves represent free unrestricted funds that are available to spend at the discretion of the Trustees. Within the general reserve are funds relating to fixed assets held which are not readily disposable and are intended to be held for the long term, hence not liquid funds that can be spent straightaway. This amount is equivalent to the net book value of the land and buildings as these assets have been secured for use within the charity for the long term.

The restricted fund represents monies receivable for projects which can only be spent on their respective activities as imposed by the donor or grant making body.

The Trustees confirm that all restricted fund balances at the year end have subsequently been spent or will be spent in the forthcoming financial year.

More detailed disclosure on description nature and purpose of the funds, reasons for restrictions etc are listed below:-

36 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Conservation

People and Wildlife

7.18 RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

HLF skills for the Future - delivery of the Natural Prospects trainee programme

Restricted Funds for the Trust's conservation work delivery against Goal 1 and includes

The Trust is affiliated to The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT), a registered charity that acts as an umbrella group for county wildlife trusts, and provides assistance and co-ordination of activities and campaigning at a UK level. An annual contribution is payable to RSWT amounting to £10,890 (2021: £9,740).

Managing our Nature Reserves (many smaller awards)
Nature Friendly Schools - Nature England Funding delivered by RSWT to help teachers run outdoor learning classes.
Improving spaces for nature through the Nature Improvement Area
Funding from "Reaching Communities" Community Lottery Fund to help build a community hub at at EcoPark.
Ecological surveys (Environment agency and other smaller awards)
Development of water catchment improvement works along the River Stour (Salmon in the Stour and Severn Trent Resilience Project)

The Trust also purchased publications and other sundries from RSWT amounting to £7,322 (2021 - £7,322), with £nil (2021 - £nil) owed to RSWT at the year end. Sales made to RSWT were £2,616 (2021: £4,595) and amounts owed by RSWT were £1,380 at the year end (2021: £nil).

EcoPark

Cadent Foundation - Natural Connections - to deliver nature wellbeing courses to people at risk of isolation.
Natural Rivers project will improve woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and watercourses along the River Rea and its tributaries in south-west Birmingham and the River Tame in west Birmingham. (Natural Rivers)

Resources

River Cole Partnership with the Environment Agency for the restoration and naturalisation 940 m of urban river catchments (River Cole and River Cole Collaboration Funds)

• Carbon Reductions Strategy Funding - to complete a Carbon reduction and activity plan.

----- Start of picture text -----
TRAINING COURSE AT CENTRE OF THE EARTH
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8. Thank you We couldn’t have done it without you

Our work for nature's recovery is possible thanks to our wonderful members, donors, volunteers, funders and businesses partners - Thank you for all your support - you are all wildlife heroes!

Community Groups

Project Partners

Business Supporters

The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts Birmingham City Council Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council City of Wolverhampton Council Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Natural England Riverside House Environment Agency National Highways Wetland Engineering JBA Consulting Dynamic Rivers Sanctus Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Warwickshire Wildlife Trust University of Birmingham Sandyfields Ltd.

Deers Leap Residents Association Friends of Deer's Leap Wood Friends of Dawberry Fields Friends of Hill Hook Friends of Moseley Bog & Joy's Wood Friends of Rowley Hills

Nick Groves Vine House Farm Hogan Lovells Fleming Verandas Severn Trent Water WSP Arup

University of Birmingham Vegan Society Cadent Gas Leaflovers IM Properties

Schools

Barcroft Primary School Chivenor Primary School Conway Primary School Corpus Christi Primary School North Walsall Academy Oasis Academy Barford Oasis Academy Foundry Oasis Academy Woodview Rookery Primary School Somerville Primary School St Giles Primary School Timberley Primary School Selly Oak Trust School Chandos Primary School St Patricks Primary School Fairway Primary School Chandos Primary School Hawbush Primary School Bantock Primary School St Edmunds Primary School Our Lady & St Rose of Lima Primary School Fallings Park Primary School Hillstone Primary School Chilwell Croft Primary School St Mary’s Primary School Nelson Mandela Primary School

Funders

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation National Lottery Heritage Fund Cadent Foundation

People's Postcode Lottery Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts Saintbury Charitable Trust Roughley Charitable Trust National Express Foundation Cooperative Foundation Greener Recovery Challenge Fund National Lottery Community Fund National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund Veolia Environmental Fund High Speed Two Community and Environmental Fund Joyce Farley Education Trust 29th May 1961 Trust Patrick Trust CB & HH Taylor 1984 Trust Cole Charitable Trust Secombe Trust Charles Brotherton Trust Arts Council Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust GJW Turner Limoges Charitable Trust Neighbourly - Seeds of Change

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation

Staffordshire Ecological Record Parkview Clinic

Heart of Birmingham Vocational College Princes Trust

SAMPAD

Birmingham Settlement Birmingham City of Nature Alliance Footsteps

The Active Well-being Society Tandem Consulting McCarthys Lucas Architects

Business Members

SCC International (Bronze) Wienerberger (Bronze) Schofield Lothian (Silver) Kennedys Law (Bronze)

Active Donation Box Venues

Paul's Florist, West Bromwich EcoManiax, Stourbridge Bantock Park Tea Room, Wolverhampton

Significant thanks to our major funders

38 Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

Annual Report | 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022

@WTBBC @WTBBC @bbcwildlifetrust BBCWildlifeTrust Registered Charity No: 513615 Registered Company No: 01650938 (England and Wales) Registered Address: 42 Norman Street, Birmingham, B18 7EP

CANADA GEESE, COTTERILLS LANE RECREATION GROUND

Annual Report

Contents

Chair and CEO Report

2021 – 2022 Successes & Highlights

1. Report of The Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2022

1.1. Structure, Governance and Management

Trustees

Key Management Personnel

Organisational structure

Governing document

Wider network and related parties

Recruitment and appointment of new Trustees

Induction and training of new Trustees

Developments in Charity Law and

Key management remuneration

Risk management

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

Disclosure of information to auditors

Public benefit

2. To advance the education of the public in:

1.2 Objectives and Activities

Objectives

Our Strategic Goals are:

Landscape-scale nature conservation

1.3 Summary of the Year

Nature Reserves

Esmée Fairbairn Funding

Goal 2: Everyone is connected to nature

Volunteers

Education and Engagement

Communications

Goal 3: Nature is playing a central and valued role in helping to address local and global problems

Financial Position

Reserves policy

Principal risks and uncertainties

Principal Funding Sources

Income

Expenditure

2. Independent Auditors Report

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

Opinion

Conclusions relating to going concern

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

Other information

Basis for opinion

Responsibilities of trustees

Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Use of our report

3. Statement of Financial Activities

4. Balance Sheet March 2022

5. Cash flow statement for the year ended 31 March 2022

6. Notes to the cash flow statement for the year ended 31 March 2021

1. Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating activities

2. Analysis of changes in net funds

7. Notes to the Financial Statements

7.1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

Income

Expenditure

Tangible fixed assets

Heritage assets

Taxation

Fund accounting

Hire purchase and leasing commitments

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

Basic financial instruments

7.2 DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

7.4 RAISING FUNDS

7.7 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

7.8 Trustees' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

Trustees' expenses

7.9 STAFF COSTS

7.10 COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

7.11 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

7.12 HERITAGE ASSETS

7.13 DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

7.14 CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR