## **WOOLSTON EYES CONSERVATION GROUP** ## **ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS** **YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** Reference and administrative details Name of charity: Woolston Eyes Conservation Group Charity registration number: 700362 Mailing address: WECG, 91 Myddleton Lane, Winwick, Warrington WA2 8LR Website: www.woolstoneyes.com Independent examiner: Tom Coyne, WatkinsonBlack , 1st Floor 264 Manchester Road, Warrington, WA1 3RB ## **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. After over 44 years as Chair of the WECG Brian Ankers has retired from the committee. Brian was instrumental in the founding of the WECG and together with Brian Martin and David Bowman developed the Reserve into one of the premier wildlife sites in the north west of England. Our new Chair is David Bowman. Brian Martin has also stepped down as Recorder but remains on the committee as a Trustee. Dan Owen is the group’s new Recorder WECG is managed by a committee which comprises up to 12 members who elect trustees and officers at an Annual General Meeting D Bowman Chairperson and Trustee B Martin Trustee D Owen Recorder D Spencer Treasurer and Secretary J Blundell Website and Permit Manager D Hackett Committee Member J Haddock Committee Member S Haddock Committee Member A Mansfield 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 The members and permit holders collect data on the fauna and flora of the site by: - 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. ## 3. 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. Permit holders pay an annual fee for access to the Reserve of £20 per annum for an individual permit and £30 per annum for a family permit. ## ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE ## Habitat management Work on developing the wet woodland on No.4 has been completed this year Over the past 25 years there had been no management of this woodland largely due to the lack of access and difficult terrain therein. The group were fortunate in receiving a capital grant from Natural England to develop the woodland. The work has involved raising the height of the access track and installing two new sluices in order to flood and control the water level in the woodland. Areas of the woodland were also coppiced and large areas have been sprayed to remove Giant Hogweed. The aim is to create a mixed age (but scrub dominated), diverse scrubby wet woodland with rides, a significant deadwood component, a graded edge into surrounding fen habitat and open areas with rank grasses, nettles and bramble thickets. Last year we reported we had received a grant of nearly £100,000, from the national Species Recovery Programme. The fund, which is administered by Natural England, has been created to try and halt the decline in some of the nation’s most important species. For us, it’s our critically important Willow Tits. In 2024 the money was used to employ a contractor to coppice 54 hectares of woodland and scrub across the Reserve, turning back the succession to mature woodland. The work also involved the control of invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam and Giant Hogweed. In addition to this new development 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 2023. We are very grateful to wildlife artist Colin Woolfe who illustrates our front cover; this year’s painting was of a Pochard family. In 2023, the Reserve held 4.2% of the United Kingdom breeding population with only two other wetlands in the country supporting more breeding pairs than Woolston. The report for 2024 sightings is currently in preparation and will be published in 2025. 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 700 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. ## FINANCIAL RESULTS In 2024 £18,477 was raised from the sale of permits and reports compared to £20,362 in 2023 reflecting a decrease in the number of permit holders. We had a significant increase in our Countryside Stewardship annual revenue grants in 2024 which now total £68,186 due to increase in the RPA payment rates, up from £36,535 in 2023. We also received £54,500 from Natural England for the Willow Tit Species Recovery Project and a Countryside Stewardship capital grant of £36,720 for the creation of the wet woodland on No.4 bed. The major expense during the year has been the cost of the RSPB wardening service which amounts to approximately £55,000. The only other significant, non-routine expenditure has been our contribution to the purchase of an ATV by the RSPB (£5,000). The accounts show that we remain in a sound financial position. At the end of 2024 we had £146,762 cash in the bank. We owe an estimated £170,000 to the RSPB for their services between 2016 to 2024 band. A payment from the RPA of £51,120 was outstanding. Similarly £19,500 was outstanding from the Natural England for the Willow Tit project. Accounting for these liabilities and future income we had surplus funds of approximately £47,000 at the end of 2024. This is an increase from 2023 when our surplus was £29,189, reflecting the significant rise in RPA grants. The group’s policy is to hold a surplus of at least £20,000 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. David Spencer, Treasurer CHARITY COMMISSION FOR INGLANO AND WALES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For th• p•rlod Ifom 0110112024 3111212024 Sectlon A Receipts and pa ments Unrnstrlcted lund• Restrfct•d funds Endowment funds to Ih n••r••l £ Total lunda Ai y•ar to £ io nw••i £ ¢0 ¢h• Th•w•it £ A1 Rttol 18 J,656 11.4T7 1.915 070 3,656 11.477 1,915 870 3.alj 20.362 1.2B4 Pp.IrrllN. nlc. Misc RPA ND.3 bod and No.4 tOOP •Mual MvtYW• 11,830 11.130 11.830 FIPA Nc* 4 WoiiAr*l rov•nuo RPA No.4 thi Woo¥lJTrJ annua5 rnver￿ 21,816 21,18S 7,90J 7.91) Pl> 41 Bprt Wol Cx>¥otOO¢MNI C¥MJ¢il sk10 SI¢Y*wrd$h 1141 Gr*it Troclp% Iloco¥ J•,720 30.720 NES J4,$00 .aoo 2.513 3.595 3, 184 2.513 Sub lotal(Gmss income lorAR) 27,2J1 131919 ieo.150 44.075 A2 Amèt and Invostment 841•3, 8•• table Sub total Tolal recelpls 27,231 132.919 1eo,150 44.075 A3Pa ments 943 5.610 )1,574 Floservp MAnag8rmni Ird Pcrt)J 8.STJ 16 2.109 4 w.1 CApii#l Wth6 SrM)tlo% R(tr.nvnry CAplt•l RSP8 wgrdonln fetss Hnk ChAr 38.72D 74.000 74,000 15S 155 21J Sub total 17.240 160.720 177.980 40.654 A4 As18t and Inve*tmenl purchases. {see tablo) Sub tolal rotalpayments 17.240 100.720 177,•10 40,664 Nel of receipis/(paymentsJ A5 Tran8lers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash lunds thls year end 9,991 21,801 17.810 3.421 50.267 114,305 164,572 165,831 60,258 86.504 146.762 109.252 CCXX R1 actounts (ssi 021041202S Section B Statement of assets and liablllties at the end of the perlod Unroslnctcd funds Rostrictod lunds Endowiiiont lunds lo TrD•r••t £ Afr Th Calugorl Oelalla lo rn•rMI £ 81 Cash fundi Qirnnl kcTrJni> 2.2J1 53 SAvkng Acc(wnl8 58,027 84,451 Total cash funds 60,258 86,S04 Unr•Jlrl¢t lund• lo M•r•*l £ R•slrfcted lunds Endowmenl fund• lo r•••t••l £ B2 (Xhor monetary a880ts Oulil&Th1kig RPA poyftwity IN 2024 $1.120 0￿111•nI1￿9 Spoclos Rec￿Ory Payn 19.300 Amd 19 wNch •i••l Cwr•rt v•1 83 Inve8tmenl asset8 Fw41 to whleh •*#•t lJ*t•l +¥dMIPJ•llcrfrrfSIorng0 Co•1 IWlon* Cwr•rt v•1 1oMI B4 A88ets relalned for Iho charlty's own use 31.Jg5 Siowago iknlt• Env*oto) FLffXt lo whlch npt.Ill.- Arsyxjnl io tho Rspa lor w￿￿On B5 Lt8bililios 170,011 andLkni•lrkt•d S￿n￿d by orllw Irts81883 on beherf of all Iho triisiees Print N8n Dale ol 8pwov&I 0910112025 CLXX R2 attounts (SS) 0210412025 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examlnerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of Woolston Eyes COnSe￿allOn Group On accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024 Charlty no (if any) 700362 Set out on pages (rtmenknf lo kndtsde ihe page nvmbvfts of addit￿￿￿1 5httels1 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (-the Trust") for the year ended 3111212024. Responsibllities and As Ihe charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act.). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination. I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5}(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that In, any material respect". accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's ststement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: 3110312025 Name: Thomas Coyne Relevant professional qualification(s) or body lif any): I MAAT. CFAB (ICAEIV) Address: WatkinsonBlack, 1st Floor. 264 Manchester Road Warrington, Cheshire, WA13RB WatklnsonBlack lrt Floor. 264 U Jr