# **WOOLSTON EYES CONSERVATION GROUP ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
Reference and administrative details
Name of charity: Woolston Eyes Conservation Group Charity registration number: 700362 Mailing address: WECG, 9 Lynton Gardens, Appleton, Warrington WA4 5ED Website: www.woolstoneyes.com Independent examiner: Steve Williams, 90 Edward Gardens, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4QT
## **Trustees, Officers and Group Members**
The Woolston Eyes Conservation Group is a charity registered with the UK Charity Commission (no. 700362). It was formed with an agreed constitution in 1978.
WECG is managed by a committee which comprises up to 12 members who elect trustees and officers at an Annual General Meeting
B Ankers Chairman and Trustee D Bowman Vice-chairman and Trustee B Martin Recorder and Trustee D Spencer Treasurer and Secretary J Blundell Committee Member D Hackett Committee Member J Haddock Committee Member S Haddock Committee Member A Mansfield Committee Member D Owen Committee Member H Wynn Committee Member
## **Objectives and Activities**
The purpose of the Woolston Eyes Conservation Group (WECG) is to maintain and enhance the environment of the Woolston Eyes deposit grounds which are owned and managed by Peel Holdings/Manchester Ship Canal Company (the owners). The deposit grounds are classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
WECG’s main activities are:
1. Habitat Management:
Woolston Eyes SSSI is a nationally important site for its breeding bird assemblage of lowland open waters and their margins, including nationally important numbers of Black-necked Grebe, Gadwall and Pochard. Approximately 25% of the UK population of Black-necked Grebes breed at Woolston. In addition to its ornithological interest, Woolston Eyes is also Cheshire’s premier butterfly site with large numbers of wider countryside species occurring along with notable assemblages of common amphibians.
## 2. Data Collection
## 3.
4. The members and permit holders collect data on the fauna and flora of the site by:
5.
- Monthly Wetland Bird Surveys from September to April
- Breeding Bird Surveys between March and July.
- Bird ringing on Deposit Beds 1 and 3 carried out throughout the year by members of the Merseyside Ringing Group.
- Regular surveys of butterflies and dragonflies.
- Occasional surveys of other flora and fauna types, such as moths, beetles, wildflowers and fungi
The data collected is used by the WECG to guide habitat management activity and by Natural England when re-designation of the SSSI status occurs. It also informs the relationship with the owners to ensure that the quality of the habitat is maintained.
6. Visitor Access
The WECG facilitate access to the Reserve by managing a permit system on behalf of the owners. We also provide facilities so that visitors can observe and enjoy the wildlife.
7.
Permit holders pay an annual fee for access to the Reserve of £15 per annum for an individual permit and £25 per annum for a family permit.
8.
## ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
## Habitat management
The highlight of the year has been the completion of work, funded by Natural England, on No.4 bed to create a major new wetland. Both cells are filling with water and the new habitat is already attracting a large number of birds. Even before the work was complete several species of wader bred/attempted to breed on the raised islands. The wetland also attracted some very scarce species including White-tailed Plover (the first record in Cheshire), Penduline Tit (the second Cheshire record) and Temminck’s Stint.
None of the above could have been achieved without the help of so many people and organisations. First and foremost, our thanks must go to Peel Ports and Peel
Holdings, without whose consent and support Woolston Eyes as a Nature Reserve simply would not exist. In addition, we are very grateful for the unstinting technical support and advice we have received from the RSPB and NE, which have played a major part in delivering the improvements to the habitat we have seen in recent years.
In addition to these new developments a large amount of the more routine habitat management work has taken place throughout the year which has focused on reed restoration, tree coppicing and maintenance of our grasslands. This work is carried out by RSPB wardens funded by WECG.
## Annual Report
We published a report on the fauna and flora recorded on the Reserve in 2021. We are very grateful to wildlife artist Colin Woolfe who illustrates our front cover; this year’s painting was of one of pair of Marsh Harriers and celebrated the first time the species had bred on the Reserve. The report for 2022 sightings is currently in preparation and will be published in 2023.
Fauna and flora reports from previous years can be found via our website www.woolstoneyes.com. In addition, all the data collected on birds, butterflies and dragonflies are entered into RECORD, a biodiversity information system serving Cheshire, Halton, Warrington and Wirral.
## Visitor Access
There was a continuing strong demand for permit sales and approximately 750 permits were sold this year. We are grateful to our permit holders, whose positive support we greatly value and whose permit fees help to fund the habitat management work and provision of visitor facilities, which are at the centre of our committee’s activities.
With the lifting of all COVID restrictions we were able to welcome visiting groups back to the Reserve We have strong demand for group visits by organisations such as bird clubs, RSPB groups and the U3A.
A new viewing platform, partially funded by Natural England, was constructed on No.4 bed and allows visitors panoramic views of the newly created wetland.
## FINANCIAL RESULTS
In 2022 £20,676 was raised from the sale of permits including Gift Aid compared to £20,786 in 2021. reflecting the continuing support from our permit holders.
£128,1149 was received from our Countryside Stewardship capital grant for the completion of the new wetland on No.4 bed. Additionally, Countryside Stewardship grants, totalling £35,447 were received for habitat management
work on No.3 and No.4 beds. A grant of £9,000 was also received from Natural England as a contribution towards the construction of the new platform on No.4 bed.
The major expenses during the year have been costs of the RSPB wardening services which amount to approximately £40,000 and the contractor costs for the development of No.4 bed which total £108,000. Other significant expenditures have been the No.4 bed platform (total cost £25,475 including the contribution from Natural England), ~£4,000 on a campaign of Giant Hogweed spraying on No.4 bed and the purchase of an ISO container (£3,000) for the storage of equipment on No,4 bed.
The accounts show that we remain in a sound financial position. At the end of 2022 we have £165,831 cash in the bank. We owe an estimated £119,000 to the RSPB for their services between 2016 to 2022 and allowing for this and other accruals, we have surplus funds of approximately £46,831 at the end of 2022.This is an decrease from 2021 when our surplus was £67,000, reflecting the significant one-off expenditures which have occurred in 2022.
The groups policy is to hold a surplus of at least £20k which would be intended to deal with any significant unplanned expenditure on our equipment or hides. As the committee comprises all volunteers our financial commitments are relatively small and the committee considers a £20k surplus sufficient to cover any financial risk.
## **B Ankers Chairman**
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Woolston Eyes Conservation Group No 700362
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 01/01/2022 31/12/2022
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Gift Aid 3,418 - - 3,418 3,168
Permits, etc. 18,865 - - 18,865 19,140
Donations 1,261 - - 1,261 487
Misc 189 - - 189 210
Rural Payment Agency - 35,447 - 35,447 31,422
No.4 Bed Wetland Development Phase 2 - 128,114 - 128,114 307,080
Countryside Stewardship Grant
NE grant for No.4 platform - 9,000 - 9,000 -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 23,733 ] 172,561 - 196,294 361,507
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 23,733 172,561 - 196,294 361,507
A3 Payments
Admin & Insurance 5,861 - - 5,861 4,831
Reserve Management 15,246 - - 15,246 3,812
Bird Food 1,574 - - 1,574 1,472
Miscellaneous Expenses 852 - - 852 177
No.4 Bed Phase 2 - 108,000 - 108,000 218,513
No.4 Bed Platform 16,745 9,000 - 25,745 -
RSPB wardening fees - 47,000 - 47,000 -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ 40,278 ] 164,000 - 204,278 228,805
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 40,278 164,000 - 204,278 228,805
Net of receipts/(payments) - 16,545 8,561 - - 7,984 132,702
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 79,901 93,914 - 173,815 41,113
Cash funds this year end 63,356 102,475 - 165,831 173,815
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
22/02/2023
1
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at**|**the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**|Signature
Amount due to the RSPB for waerdening
services
**Details**
**Details**
Hides
Storage Units
Enviroloo
Tractor
Miscellaneous Equipment
Current
Countryside Stewardship
Savings
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**5,249**
**-**
**-**
**3,599**
**58,107**
**98,876**
**63,356**
**102,475**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
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**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
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**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
Restricted
andUnrestricted
**119,000**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
B Ankers|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
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||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
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**Current value**
**(optional)**
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**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
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**-**
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**-**
**-**
**-**
**When due**
**(optional)**
Date of
approval
22/02/2023|
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
22/02/2023
2
In
Grou
en
n8ervatl
I report to the trnstees on ry examination of the ac£(nts of Ihe Vtrbolston Eyes ConseNation
Group for the year ended 31 December 2022
bllltles and
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As the (*arity trustees of the Trust you are rèsponsibkn for the prnparalk>n of the ac1)nts in
accorfance with Ihe requlremènts of thè ChaFltles A(* 2011(Ih8 Acf).
I report in rosped of nry examination of the Twsfs aoJ)unts Tried out undor section 145 of the
2011 Act and in carylng out ry examlnatlon I have foMob%*d all the applKabb8 Dlrectlons glven
by tha Chanty Commi88k)n under seth) 145(5Xb) of Ihe Ad.
Inde
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I have corweted examlnallon. I conllnn that no matertal matters ha comè to nry afteniion
In o)nne