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2025-03-31-accounts

Cleeve Common Trust

Charitable Purposes in Connection with Cleeve Hill Common

Charity No. 900131

Report and Financial Statements for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

Contents:
Trustees’ Report 2
Independent Examiner’s Report 9
Statement of Financial Activities 11
Balance Sheet 12
Notes to the Financial Statements 13

Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


Trustees Report for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

The Trustees present their report and financial statements for the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Objectives

The objectives of the Charity are:

Activities

Public Benefit. When planning activities for the year the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Land Management . The Trust facilitates the use of the Common by commoners with grazing rights on the 1965 Register of Common Land for register Unit CL20. It also manages Unit CL293 on which there are no grazing rights.

Conservation. The Trust undertakes conservation in accordance with its agreement with Natural England to preserve the natural environment of the Common, so that future generations will enjoy at least the same sense of space and tranquillity, with the diversity of plant and animal life, as do today's visitors. These activities have included:

Outdoor Recreation.

• The Trust seeks to promote physical health and mental well-being by enabling recreational use of the Common by myriad users including walkers, runners, cyclists, horse riders, dog walkers, golfers and kite flyers. A significant extension to access has been achieved this year, through completion of a trail for users of mobility scooters. Visitor numbers maintain their upward trend, suggesting that the benefits of outdoor recreation continue to be valued.

Education. The Trust was able to mount a full programme of events for families and adult groups on the Common, all of which were well-supported. We hosted several visits by school year groups and continued to offer educational input.

Commercial. The following commercial activities have taken place:


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


Golf Course . Cotswold Hub Company, the owners of the Golf Club, continue to improve the standard of the course and organised several high-profile events. The golf licence fee of £28,000 is an important contribution to the Trust’s income.

Car Parking. Cotswold Hub Company also collects the daily parking charges for both the Golf Club and Quarry car parks. The Trust’s pro rata share of the fees, after deduction of costs, was £5,734.

Professional Dog Walking. The Trust issued 9 licences to professional dog walkers, resulting in income of £1,430.

Contribution of Volunteers. Volunteers have significantly contributed to the work of the Charity as:

Work Parties. Monthly volunteer work parties, under the direction of the Conservation Officer, are well attended and provide valuable practical support, particularly in clearance of scrub from areas that cannot be accessed with machinery and other tasks such as gate replacement and waymarking.

Events Volunteers. Event volunteers supported the Community Engagement Officer in the delivery of family events throughout the year.

Voluntary Wardens . Volunteer wardens continued to visit the Common regularly to assist the rangers by checking livestock and boundaries, picking up litter, reporting antisocial activities and engaging with visitors.

Achievements and Performance

Management

Ranger Service. The Charity’s ranger service has provided 7 day a week cover in order to manage livestock; carry out conservation work and maintain infrastructure; and engage with visitors. A new Ranger appointed to the team has settled in well.

Emergency Response. During the year, the rangers responded to a number of emergencies involving members of the public; and they maintained a sound working relationship with the police and other emergency services to provide local knowledge and on-the-spot assistance.

Health & Safety. Ongoing work to fully embed recording and monitoring of H&S processes into daily work practices is progressing well. Lone working on the Common was identified as one of the most significant risks and mitigations, including a buddy system, are now operating.


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


Grazing Rights. The Trust supports the traditional rights of commoners to graze stock on the Common by ensuring that the land is securely fenced and by monitoring sheep and lambs for signs of illness or injury. A long section of boundary fence was replaced during the period.

National Grid Visual Impact Provision in the Cotswolds. National Grid are developing plans to remove up to 20 pylons and around 7 kilometres of overhead high-voltage line from the landscape, replacing it with electricity cables buried underground. The aim is to transform views along the Cotswold Way National Trail, as well as those from Belas Knap, the Winchcombe Way and Cleeve Common. The route crosses a narrow part of the Common. The Trust has been working with National Grid to address access and conservation issues arising from this major project.

Conservation

Countryside Stewardship Agreement . The Trust continued to deliver its obligations under its Countryside Stewardship Agreement. The results from grassland monitoring show that the Common is still under-grazed in places when measured against the indicators of success but there are signs of improvement in some areas.

Cattle. The Trust’s herd of cattle stood at between 21 and 25 Belted Galloways for the reporting period. The herd retained TB–free status throughout. The NoFence system of GPS-based virtual paddocks continues to be a great help in targeting areas for grazing whilst keeping the Common free of electric fencing.

Sheep. The Rangers provided support to two Commoners who exercised their rights to graze sheep on the Common and a local farmer who was invited to turn out sheep on the Common to boost grazing numbers. In the early part of the season the weather was wet with cold nights, causing the loss of many animals. This led to the removal of all sheep in late May until the return of low numbers in midJune. There were also more losses than usual later in the year which was attributed to magnesium deficiency probably due to the wet weather. Magnesium supplements were given which seemed to help the situation.

Heathland Management. Grazing and gorse cutting were carried out in the heathland parts of the Common to maintain open conditions for heather and other heathland plants.

Scrub Management . The Rangers, contractors and volunteers undertook scrub clearance during the winter in line with the Countryside Stewardship Agreement. Follow-up work was done on previously cut areas to help return them to grassland.

Flora and Fauna.


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


Archaeology. Gloucestershire Archaeology carried out a dig at the site of the Old Grandstand on the site of the original Cheltenham Racecourse, with permission from Natural England. Foundations and various small artefacts were found and recorded before the turf was replaced. The work sparked a lot of positive public interest, and a further dig is planned for later in 2025.

Community Engagement

Accessible Trail. We were awarded two grants this financial year to support our ambitions to create a ‘Tramper Trail’ on Cleeve Common. The aim of this project was to make the Trail more accessible to those with physical disabilities, those who have English as an additional language and those with young children, or simply new to the area and would like an easy route to start exploring the Common. The first grant from the Cotswolds National Landscapes’ Access for All fund paid for: landscaping of the route, benches, signage and way markingl; an online and printed guide; and an audio guide (available in three languages). The second grant from Gloucestershire County Council’s Thriving Communities Fund paid for a two-year mobility scooter hire scheme through Countryside Mobility.

CCT Events. The Trust offered a full programme of 15 public events for adults and families, with most selling out. We tested some new events including art-based activities with local artists, which allowed us to share the Common with a new audience. We also ran two events, in partnership with the Cotswolds National Landscape, for families through the Friendship Cafe, which is based in Gloucester. Most of the women and children who came on these trips had never visited the Common before.

Halifax Memorial Dedication. A ceremony to dedicate the Halifax Memorial to the memory of the seven crew members, who lost their lives in a crash on 26 August 1944 took place on the 80[th] anniversary. The event was organised by the Cheltenham branch of the RAF Association. Some 200 people gathered at the memorial on the hilltop for a moving ceremony, which included a piper, a bugler and a low-level fly-past by an RAF A400M transport aircraft. The ceremony was followed by a reception at the Golf Clubhouse for guests, including more than 40 relatives of the deceased men from Canada, the US and the UK. This moving event was reported on regional TV and in the local press.

CCT Membership. Following launch of a membership scheme in July 2023, the number of members grew to around 400 during this year, where it appears to have stabilised. Membership is not only a valuable source of income for the Trust, but also a way of engaging more closely with local people who are regular visitors to the Common.

Memorial Programme. We were able to start accepting plaques for the second Memorial Wall in late spring. Twenty-four plaques were installed during this reporting period, a number swelled by a backlog of requests from the previous year. The Programme continues to be highly valued as a way of remembering loved ones.

Social Media & Communications. Our Facebook page now has over 5000 followers, which generally brings good engagement with our posts. We make use of other local Facebook Groups to push out high importance news to reach an even larger (targeted) audience. Instagram followers also continue to grow and currently stand at 1400. We made the decision to close our X (Twitter) account this year. We still produce a seasonal e-newsletter which goes out to a self-selecting membership of around 350 people, and we continue to contribute to local Parish newsletters.

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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


Reference and Administrative Details

Trustees

Name Representing Date
appointed
Date
resigned
Colonel(Ret’d)PhilipA Robson(Chair) Lord of the Manor
Mrs Bryony Scott Representative of Lord of the
Manor
Mrs Sylvia Hughes Bishops Cleeve Parish Council
Mr Alan Robinson Bishops Cleeve Parish Council
Mr Robert Stayt Bishops Cleeve Parish Council
Miss Sarah West (Vice Chair) Woodmancote Parish Council
Mr Brian Howell Woodmancote Parish Council 18 Jul 24
Mrs Marilyn Harris Southam Parish Council
Mr Robert Torrington Southam Parish Council
Mr Simon Wheeler Cheltenham Borough Council
Dr David Willingham Cheltenham Borough Council 24 Jul 24
Mr Louis Savage Cheltenham Borough Council 9 Jul 24
Mr Cathal Lynch Cheltenham Borough Council 24 Jul 24
Miss Julie Sankey Cheltenham Borough Council 24 Jul 24 29 Sep 25

Advisers

Cllr Cheryl Agg. Representing Tewkesbury Borough Council Mr Peter Lightfoot – resigned 28 July 2025

Clerk

Mr Michael Bates

Principal Office

Parish Office, Church Road, Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, GL52 8LR

Independent Examiners

PBT Accountancy, Suite 1, The Business Centre, Innsworth Technology Park, Innsworth, Gloucester,GL3 1DL

Bankers

Lloyds Bank plc, 130 High Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1EG

Solicitors

Christopher Davidson Solicitors LLP, 2-3 Oriel Terrace, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, GL50 1XP

Structure, Governance and Management

The body of Conservators which manages Cleeve Common was established by Act of Parliament, The Commons Regulation (Cleeve) Provisional Order Confirmation Act (1890). The Charity, Charitable Purposes in Connection with Cleeve Hill Common (No, 900131), is an unincorporated association


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


registered on 14 September 1989, which took the Act as its governing document. The working name of the Charity was changed to Cleeve Common Trust in June 2017.

All Trustees are appointed by local Borough and Parish Councils in accordance with the 1890 Act with the exception of Col (Retired) P A Robson, who has a place on the Board of Trustees by virtue of being a Lord of the Manor[1] , and Mrs B Scott, who is the representative of a Lord of the Manor. In addition, the Board co-opts advisers, who are not trustees of the Charity; these are Cllr C Agg and, formerly, Mr P Lightfoot.

The Trust contracts with a clerk, a ranger service, a conservation officer and a community engagement officer to deliver its activities. The Clerk administers the Charity on behalf of the Trust and liaises with official bodies, local residents, councillors, landowners, farmers and users of the Common.

Financial Review

The Trustees met regularly to consider the Charity’s activities in order to ensure that it was properly meeting its stated objectives and to consider ways in which it could improve its governance and outputs.

Funding

The principal sources of funding for the Charity for this period were:

The total incoming resources to the Trust amounted to £331,840. Total expenditure amounted to £185,371. The value of investments held by the Trust fell by £8,013, due to market uncertainty over US tariffs, but has since recovered.

Reserves

The Charity’s reserves comprise net current assets (excluding restricted or designated funds) plus investment assets. We aim for the undesignated assets to cover routine expenditure of the Charity for at least three years in order to continue its charitable and conservation activities should income fall short of expectations.

The balance regarded as free reserves as at 31 March 2025 was £545,888. In addition, the Charity held £142,761 in designated funds, set up to cover expenditure that will not be covered by anticipated income over the next 3 years; a further £53,670 is tied up in tangible fixed assets and livestock.

1 There are Lords of the Manor for Southam and Bishop’s Cleeve.


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


The primary purpose of the Charity is conservation which, by its very nature, is undertaken with a longterm view. Consequently, reserves need to be able to support activities into the medium term, in order to allow for any plans to be adjusted.

The level of reserves takes account of anticipated future income and its volatility, the environment, the risks faced by the Charity and the levels of known liabilities. The reserves are intended to provide for contingencies, to absorb setbacks, to mitigate risks and to be able to take advantage of change and opportunities.

The Trustees consider the financial position at 31 March 2025 to be very sound.

Risk Management

The Trust maintains a risk register, which is reviewed regularly by the Board and Executive group. Mitigations are in place against the major risks. Our overall risk profile continues to improve, although we still carry significant risks on staffing and funding, where there is little scope for mitigation.

Staffing. The very small size of the Charity’s core Workforce (amounting to 3.25 full time equivalent posts) means that it is critically dependent on a few key individuals. Nevertheless, the risk level has been lowered through recruitment in 2025 of a Business Manager to support the Clerk, and back-up for the regular Ranger team by bringing in additional personnel and contractors if necessary.

Finance . The following financial risks have been identified:

Health & Safety . Further progress has been made to embed a comprehensive H&S system, with risk assessments for standard tasks and a robust monitor and review process to ensure that the objectives set out in the top-level H&S policy are being met in practice. This work is ongoing.

Data Protection. Although the Trust holds only a minimal amount of personal information, rarely extending beyond individuals’ contact details, Trustees are conscious of the requirements of GDPR and have appropriate safeguards in place. The wider issues of integrity and availability of information have been addressed through the use of cloud storage and careful control of access permissions.

Approved by the Trustees on 3 January 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

P A Robson

Colonel (Retired) P A Robson Chairman


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees

Introduction

We have conducted an independent examination of the financial statements of Cleeve Common Trust for the year ended 31 March 2025. Our examination was limited to the procedures described in this report and does not constitute an audit.

Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The Charity's Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). The Charity's Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

Scope of the Examination

Our examination focused on the following key areas:

Examination Procedures

During our examination, we:

  1. Reviewed the financial statements prepared by the charity’s finance team.

  2. Tested a sample of income and expenditure transactions for accuracy and completeness.

  3. Assessed the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting.

  4. Reviewed bank statements, invoices, receipts, and other supporting documentation.

  5. Examined prior year accounting documents for any significant financial changes.

  6. Discussed the financials with key personnel responsible for financial matters.

Findings

Based on our examination, the following key findings were noted:

  1. Income and Expenditure

  2. The Charity's income for the year amounted to £331,841 primarily from grants, donations, and licensing activities.

  3. Expenditure totalled £185,732, with the majority allocated to charity activities and expenses.

  4. There was deficit totalling £8,013 from CCLA listed investments in the investment account.

  5. Internal Controls

  6. Overall, internal controls related to financial transactions were found to be adequate.

  7. • There was a small element of miscoding but this is to be expected.


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


3. Compliance

Independent Examiner's Statement

In conclusion, our independent examination of Cleeve Common Trust financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025, found no material misstatements.

We have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed:

Victoria Summersby

Accountant PBT Accountancy

27 October 2025

Company Registration No: 10428592. Registered Office: Suite 1 The Business Centre, Innsworth Technology Park, Innsworth, Gloucester,GL3 1DL, United Kingdom. Registered in England


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2025

Incoming Resources
Donations
Charitable activities
Bank interest received
Other income
Total Incoming Resources
Resources Expended
Charitable activities
Charity management
Loss of disposal of asset
Total Resources Expended
Net expended resources
Gains/(losses) on
investments
Surplus for the Financial
year
Total funds brought
forward
Transfer between funds
Total funds carried
forward
Unrestricted Funds
24,105
299,085
2,877
5,774
Designated
Funds
Designated
Funds
Total 2025
24,105
299,085
2,877
5,774
Total 2024
9,181
125,541
2,971
1,115
Total 2023
10,260
162,327
670
169
331,840 331,840 138,808 173,426
172,428
12,926
17
172,428
12,926
17
138,865
13,846
165,613
13,257
185,371 185,371 152,711 178,870
146,470 146,470 (13,903) (5,444)
(8,013) (8,013) 36,014 (2,854)
138,457 138,457 22,111 (8,298)
448,861
12,239
155,000
(12,239)
603,861 581,750 590,048
599,557 142,761 742,318 603,861 581,750

No Restricted Funds were received nor expended in this period


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


Balance Sheet 31 March 2025

Fixed assets
Tangible assets
Investments
Total Fixed Assets
Current assets
Livestock
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Current account
Deposit accounts
Cash
Total Current Assets
Current liabilities
Creditors due within one year
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Represented by:
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Net funds
2025
2024
2023
32,788
43,348
56,314
395,363
403,376
367,676
428,151
446,724
423,990
20,882
17,482
14,900
222,343
4,351
18,316
9,665
28,015
7,983
71,012
113,191
117,220
148 34 41
324,051
163,073
158,460
9,884
5,936
700
314,167
157,137
157,760
742,318
603,861
581,750
-
-
-
742,318
603,861
581,750
742,318
603,861
581,750

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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

1 Accounting Policies

Basis of Accounting. The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities, the Charities Act and relevant accounting standards.

Change in Basis of Accounting. There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year.

Changes to Previous Accounts. No changes have been made to accounts for previous years.

Tangible Fixed Assets for use by Charity. These are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year and are shown on the balance sheet at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is calculated to write off the cost of the fixed assets on a reducing balance basis at the rate of 25% per annum.

Listed Investments. Listed Investments are shown on the balance sheet at their mid-market value.

Livestock. Livestock are valued at the lower of cost or net realisable value.

Recognition of Incoming Resources. These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:

Incoming Resources with Related Expenditure. Where incoming resources have related expenditure the incoming resources and related expenditure are reported gross in the SoFA.

Grants and Donations. Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources.

Investment Income. Investment income is included in the SoFA when receivable.

Liability Recognition. Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources.


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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


2 Incoming Resources

Donations Individual donations 1,489
Organisation donations 2,808
Memorial programme 19,160
Cheltenham Lottery 648
Charitable activities *Countryside Stewardship 214,928
Delinked payments (BPS) 10,247
Council grant 4,238
Capital grant 18,407
Golf course licence fees 28,000
Wayleaves 54
Media licences 2,000
Horse riding licences 2,094
Dog walking licences 1,430
Gift Aid 4,938
CCT Membership 10,760
Charge for events 1,989
Bank interest Bank interest income 2,877
Other income Car parking fees 5,734
Miscellaneous income 40

*2024 comparisons are not available due to changes in the accounting system. The most material difference is the increase in Countryside Stewardship, which was £69,438 in 2024

3 Expenditure

Charitable activities Staffing 97,620
Professional consultancy 150
Utilities 2,665
Maintenance 15,771
Vehicles 11,401
Livestock 7,777
Projects 24,724
Education and information 1,104
Depreciation 10,933
Miscellaneous 284
Charity
management Staffing 8,247
Accountancy 1,140
Insurance (non-vehicle) 1,548
IT, phone and office 875
Miscellaneous 1,115

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Cleeve Common Trust Annual Report 2024-25


4 Designated funds

Vehicles and machinery 97,000
Conservation projects 17,365
Infrastructure project 8,396
Governance 20,000
Total 142,761

[End of report]

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