2023-03-31-annual-return - Ballinderry Rivers Trust

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Trustees’ Report

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

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Children from Dunamore Primary School doing River Studies
through Ballinderry Rivers Trust’s Education Programme
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Registered with the charity commission for Northern Ireland NIC103694 Registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC103694 Company number NI605894 – Company number NI605894 – Patron: Joe MahonPatron: Joe Mahon

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Registered Charity number: NIC 103694 HMRC Charities number: XT318

Ballinderry Rivers Trust

Registered number: NI 605894 (Northern Ireland)

Trustees’ report For the period ended 31[st] March 2023

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31

MARCH 2023 .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Company/Charity registered name ..................................................................................................................................................6 Company Registered Number ..........................................................................................................................................................6 Charity Registration Number ...........................................................................................................................................................6 Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs Charities number ..................................................................................................................6 Registered office ..............................................................................................................................................................................6 Trustees as of March 2023 ...............................................................................................................................................................6 Other Trustees in the year to March 2023 .......................................................................................................................................6 Observers to the Board in the year to March 2023 .........................................................................................................................6 Patron ...............................................................................................................................................................................................6 Secretary ..........................................................................................................................................................................................6 Company/Charity Employees ...........................................................................................................................................................7 Advisors ............................................................................................................................................................................................7 Independent accountants ............................................................................................................................................................7 Auditors ........................................................................................................................................................................................7 Bankers .........................................................................................................................................................................................7 Solicitors .......................................................................................................................................................................................7 Insurers.........................................................................................................................................................................................7 Public, Employers, Officers & Directors, and Professional Indemnity .........................................................................................7 Contents .......................................................................................................................................................................................7

TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 ........................................................................................................... 8 Structure, governance, and management .......................................................................................................................................8 a. Constitution ..............................................................................................................................................................................8 b. Method of appointment or election of Trustees .....................................................................................................................8 c. Policies adopted for the induction and training of Trustees ....................................................................................................9 d. Organisational structure and decision-making ........................................................................................................................9 Executive Officers .........................................................................................................................................................................9 Employees ....................................................................................................................................................................................9 e. Related party relationships ......................................................................................................................................................9 f. Risk management ....................................................................................................................................................................10 Purpose, Public Benefit, Aims and Objectives ................................................................................................................................10 a. Purpose...................................................................................................................................................................................10 Environmental protection and improvement ............................................................................................................................10 Education ...................................................................................................................................................................................10 b. Public Benefit statement ........................................................................................................................................................11 Environmental protection and improvement ............................................................................................................................11

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Education ...................................................................................................................................................................................11 Assessment of Harm arising from the Trust’s Purpose ..............................................................................................................11 Assessment of Direct Private Benefit arising from the Trust’s Purpose ....................................................................................12 c. Aims ........................................................................................................................................................................................12 d. Objectives for achieving wider public benefit ........................................................................................................................13 Trustees Report on Activities in the year to March 2023 ..............................................................................................................14 a. Core activities .........................................................................................................................................................................14 Supporting and Helping the Development of Local River Interest Groups ................................................................................14 Mentoring Young People and Life-long Learners .......................................................................................................................14 Learning and Outreach for young people and life-long learners ................................................................................................14 Rivers and Fisheries Internships .................................................................................................................................................15 Volunteering Opportunities .......................................................................................................................................................15 b. Project Activities.....................................................................................................................................................................16 Landscape-scale Initiatives for Nature Conservation (LINC) Project ..........................................................................................16 c. Grant making policies .............................................................................................................................................................21 Achievements and performance ....................................................................................................................................................21 a. Going Concern ........................................................................................................................................................................21 b. Review of activities.................................................................................................................................................................21 Core activities .............................................................................................................................................................................21 Project activities .........................................................................................................................................................................22 c. Investment policy and performance ......................................................................................................................................24 Financial review ..............................................................................................................................................................................25 a. Reserves policy .......................................................................................................................................................................25 b. Principal funding ....................................................................................................................................................................26 Income ........................................................................................................................................................................................26 Expenditure ................................................................................................................................................................................26 Balance sheet .............................................................................................................................................................................26 Plans for the future ........................................................................................................................................................................27 a. Future developments .............................................................................................................................................................27 Core activities .............................................................................................................................................................................27 Project activities .........................................................................................................................................................................28 Trustees' responsibilities statement ..............................................................................................................................................29 Disclosure of information to reporting accountants ......................................................................................................................30 REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST........................................... 31 Opinion ...........................................................................................................................................................................................31 Basis for opinion .............................................................................................................................................................................31 Conclusions relating to going concern ...........................................................................................................................................31 Other information ..........................................................................................................................................................................32 Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 ..............................................................................................32

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Matters on which we are required to report by exception ...........................................................................................................32
Responsibilities of trustees ............................................................................................................................................................33
Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements...............................................................................................33
Further information regarding the scope of our responsibilities as auditor ..................................................................................33
Other Matter – Opening Balances & Comparatives ..........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Use of our report ............................................................................................................................................................................34
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 ............................................................................................ 35
Balance Sheet 31 March 2023............................................................................................................................................................... 36
Cash Flow Statement for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 ............................................................................................................... 37
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 ........................................................................................ 38
1. Other restricted funds ...........................................................................................................................................................38
2. Accounting policies ...............................................................................................................................................................38
Basis of preparing the financial statements ...............................................................................................................................38
Income........................................................................................................................................................................................38
Expenditure ................................................................................................................................................................................38
Tangible fixed assets ..................................................................................................................................................................38
Taxation ......................................................................................................................................................................................38
Fund accounting .........................................................................................................................................................................39
Statement of compliance ...........................................................................................................................................................39
3. Donations and legacies .........................................................................................................................................................39
4. Charitable activities costs .....................................................................................................................................................40
5. Support costs ........................................................................................................................................................................40
6. Net income/(expenditure) ....................................................................................................................................................40
7. Trustees' remuneration and benefits ...................................................................................................................................40
Trustees' expenses .....................................................................................................................................................................40
8. Staff costs ..............................................................................................................................................................................40
9. Comparatives for the statement of financial activities .........................................................................................................41
10. Debtors .............................................................................................................................................................................41
11. Cash at bank and in hand..................................................................................................................................................41
12. Tangible fixed assets .........................................................................................................................................................42
13. Debtors: amounts falling due within one year .................................................................................................................42
14. Cash at bank .....................................................................................................................................................................42
15. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year ...............................................................................................................42
16. Loans .................................................................................................................................................................................43
17. Movement in funds ..........................................................................................................................................................43
Comparatives for movement in funds .......................................................................................................................................43
17. Movement in funds - continued .......................................................................................................................................44
18. Related party disclosures ..................................................................................................................................................45
19. Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating activities .........................................................................45

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

20. Analysis of changes in net funds .......................................................................................................................................45
21. Status ................................................................................................................................................................................45
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 ............................................................................ 46
Support costs..................................................................................................................................................................................46
Analysis of Movements Between Funds for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 .............................................................................. 47
Analysis of Net assets between funds ............................................................................................................................................47
Analysis of movement of funds ......................................................................................................................................................47
Schedule of Resources Expended for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 ......................................................................................... 48

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Company/Charity registered name

Ballinderry Rivers Trust

Company Registered Number

NI605894

Charity Registration Number

NIC103694

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs Charities number

XT318

Registered office

213a Orritor Road, Cookstown, County Tyrone, BT80 9NB Northern Ireland

Trustees as of March 2023

Mr S Aspinall Ms P Campbell Mr L Cassidy MBE Mrs L Fawthrop Mr D Ferguson Mr R Graham Treasurer Mrs S Graham Miss V Graham Chairperson Dr P Mac Cana Dr R Mellon Vice-Chairperson

Other Trustees in the year to March 2023

Mrs S Graham (Retired in-year – 15.02.23)

Observers to the Board in the year to March 2023

Mr M Mellon Mr S Mac Nia

Patron

Mr J Mahon Patron Secretary Mrs L Fawthrop Secretary

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST (A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Company/Charity Employees

Mr M Horton MBE BSc (Hons) MSc MIFM Chief Executive Mr E Devlin BSc (Hons) Farm Advisor Miss J Johnston B Ed. Education & Outreach Officer Mrs H Kennedy Officer Manager Miss R McEldowney BSc (Hons) Agriculture & Land Manager Mr S McGill BSc (Hons) Farm Advisor Mr F Mitchell Conservation and Breeding Programmes Manager Mr P Mitchell Conservation and Breeding Programmes Officer

Advisors

Independent accountants

RTJ Ross & Co., 44 Molesworth Street, Cookstown, County Tyrone, BT80 8PA

Auditors

Corr and Corr Chartered Accountants, 2nd Floor, The Cornmill, Lineside, B520, Coalisland, Dungannon BT71 4LP

Bankers

Ulster Bank, 20 William Street, Cookstown, County Tyrone, BT80 8ND

Solicitors

Millar, Shear and Black, 40 Molesworth Street, Cookstown, County Tyrone, BT80 8PH

Insurers

Public, Employers, Officers & Directors, and Professional Indemnity

MEAD Sport & Leisure Ltd, PO BOX 1035, Smallburgh, Stalham, Norwich, NR12 9ZL

NFU Mutual, LCC House, 1 Lissan Road, Cookstown, BT80 8EN

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

The Trustees present their report along with the financial statements of Ballinderry Rivers Trust (the charitable company) for the year ended 31 March 2023. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in Note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the company’s Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006, Part 8 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008, other applicable law and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), FRS102 and with the financial reporting standards applicable to charities preparing their accounts.

This is the second year the Trust has required a fully independent audit in accordance with the thresholds set in the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and the outcome of this audit is presented here.

Structure, governance, and management

a. Constitution

The Trust is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee, governed by its Articles of Association. The Articles of Association were updated:

in 2011 to align with the Companies Act 2006.
in 2012 when the organisation changed its name from Ballinderry River Enhancement Association to Ballinderry Rivers Trust; and
in 2014, when the Trust extended its geographical area of charitable interest.

Subject to the Articles of Association, membership is open to any individual or organisation.

b. Method of appointment or election of Trustees

The governing body of the Trust is the Board of Trustees, which comprises not less than 3 and no more than 20 Trustees. The Board comprises founding members of the Trust, these members having been retired, re-nominated, and subsequently re-elected at the AGM, pursuant to Articles 23 and 24, and Trustees invited to join the Board by the members.

One-fifth, or if the number on the Board is not a multiple of 5, then the nearest to one-fifth, of the Trustees must retire by rotation annually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The recruitment of Trustees is by communication with the Members. Subject to the Articles, selection is based on environmental or specific rivers trust interest, expertise in environmental or other relevant matters, general experience of charities and company/charity regulatory integrity, with the over-riding objective of maintaining a broadly representative body, strong on governance and ability to add value.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

c. Policies adopted for the induction and training of Trustees

Newly appointed Trustees are given access to the Trust’s digital file sharing and communication platform – Basecamp, which contains the governing documents of the Trust, the responsibilities of Company Directors and Charity Trustees, contact details of all other Trustees and copies of minutes, discussion papers and management accounts for all meetings preceding their appointment.

Each new Trustee also receives an induction session with the Chief Executive of the Trust.

The Board meets formally six times per year, but there is frequent consultation with Trustees, individually and as groups, outside formal meetings.

d. Organisational structure and decision-making

The Board has confirmed that the Trust should adopt best practice in accordance with the advice and guidance of its reporting accountants, RTJ Ross & Co, and its umbrella body, The Rivers Trust. The Board has adopted ‘The Code of Good Governance’ for charities in Northern Ireland

(http://www.diycommitteeguide.org/introducing-code) and The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s ‘Running Your Charity’ guidance (https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/charity-essentials/runningyour-charity-guidance/) as its guiding principles of best practice and effective governance.

Executive Officers

At the end of 2022/2023, the Executive Officers of the Trust were:

Mr M Horton MBE BSc (Hons) MSc MIFM Chief Executive Mrs H Kennedy Office Manager Miss R McEldowney BSc (Hons) Agriculture & Land Manager

Employees

At the end of 2022/2023, the employees of the Trust were:

e. Related party relationships

The Trust works closely with The Rivers Trust (the umbrella body for the river trust movement in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland) and other charities and organisations. However, all relationships are conducted on an arms’ length basis.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

f. Risk management

As a small, incorporated charity, there is no legal requirement to undertake a formal Annual Risk Management Review, however, the Trustees recognise the need to identify and, as far as is practically possible, eliminate risk at source. Therefore, as a matter of adopting best practices, the Trustees have resolved to utilise the guidance provided by The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland in it ‘Running your Charity’ document.

The Trustees encourage the executive officers to adopt innovative approaches in developing the Trust, to promote leadership and initiative, and to make real and significant contributions to environmental improvements. This ethos is supported by good governance, prudent financial control, sustainability, and a culture of mutual trust.

The Trust maintains Public and Employers’ Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance cover as well as Trustees’ ‘Officers and Directors’ indemnity insurance; however, the Trustees consider insurance cover to be the measure of last resort.

Purpose, Public Benefit, Aims and Objectives

a. Purpose

The purpose (objects) of the Trust is twofold: -

Environmental protection and improvement

To conserve, protect, rehabilitate, and improve the rivers, streams, watercourses and water impoundments in the geographical areas known as:

the Ballinderry River catchment in the Counties of Tyrone and Londonderry/Derry;
the Salterstown River catchment in County Londonderry/Derry;
all the watercourses entering the western shore of Lough Neagh between, but not including the mouths of the Blackwater and Moyola Rivers;
Lough Neagh;
and, to a lesser extent, areas within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland;
For the advancement of environmental protection or improvement for the benefit of the public.

Education

To advance the education of the public, or any association, institution, voluntary organisation, company, local authority, administrative or governmental agency or public body or representative body in: -

The understanding of rivers, river corridors and river catchments, including their fauna, flora, biodiversity, economic or social activity, and river catchment management.
The need for, and benefits of, conservation, protection, rehabilitation, and improvement of aquatic environments.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

b. Public Benefit statement

Environmental protection and improvement

The direct benefits for the public which flow from the charity’s purpose of environmental protection and improvement are improved water quality and freshwater habitats in rivers and loughs in the Trust’s area, providing a healthier freshwater environment with greater social, economic and environmental value, and; healthy populations of water-dependant flora and fauna which are an important part of the public’s local natural heritage, and the conservation and protection of these species for future generations to enjoy.

These benefits are evidenced through survey work undertaken by the Trust to determine the condition of water quality, habitat, or species populations, before, during and after conservation or rehabilitation works are carried out; as a measure of success and achieving the Trust’s aims. Environmental improvements undertaken by the Trust are also incidentally evidenced through Statutory monitoring and reporting, undertaken by Government Departments, and by academic institutions as part of research projects. This provides a level of independent assessment of the Trust’s work.

Education

The direct benefits which flow from the purpose of education are increased public awareness of our rivers and loughs and the roles the public can play in their protection; upskilled members of the public in river survey and conservation techniques that give the public an opportunity to play a key role in the protection of the environment and; the provision of dedicated education resources and support to schools and education providers, allowing freshwater topics to be fully integrated into education provision in all schools in the Trust area.

These benefits are evidenced through the number of students, community groups and individuals participating in education/information and training events organised by the Trust, the uptake and usage of education resources, the usage of the Trust’s River School, and feedback from participants, education providers and group leaders.

Assessment of Harm arising from the Trust’s Purpose

Environmental improvement work, undertaken by the Trust, may cause localised disturbance to wildlife and the immediate river environment, however, the Trust utilise best practice, evidence-based, river conversation and rehabilitation methods, which include the mitigation of environmental impact. The Trust also works closely with Statutory Agencies, responsible for the regulation and protection of the environment, ensuring that its work is undertaken to the highest standard and in line with regulatory requirements. The impacts of any works carried out by the Trust are always minimal and are far outweighed by the benefits for which the work is being undertaken.

The purpose of our charity does not pose any harm to environmental education.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Assessment of Direct Private Benefit arising from the Trust’s Purpose

The purposes of the charity are not intended for any direct private benefits.

Incidental private benefit may arise for landowners on whose land the Trust has undertaken work, which has led to an improvement in the environment; to recreational users of the rivers and loughs due to improved water quality and increased biodiversity value, to the local tourism sector which supports these activities, and to those who receive training through the Trust which may allow them to privately benefit from these skills acquired, however, these benefits are an unavoidable and necessary consequence of the charity fulfilling its purposes.

c. Aims

To deliver its purpose for wider public benefit, Ballinderry Rivers Trust aims to conserve, protect, and improve the rivers and loughs of the Ballinderry River system, Lough Neagh, the Lough’s western-shore streams, and their wildlife, for the benefit of the public and the wider environment.

To achieve this, we strive to:

Work in partnership with local communities, landowners, river and environmental interest groups, businesses, education providers and statutory agencies to ensure that all our projects are sustainable, evidence-based, and utilise the invaluable knowledge, experience and skills that exist in our community.
Improve the health of the rivers and loughs in the Trust’s area through water quality and habitat improvement projects.
Conserve and protect locally and globally threatened freshwater species and habitats.
Provide volunteer and training opportunities for the public; helping the Trust to deliver its work and upskilling the public with transferable knowledge and skills.
Educate the community on the importance of the freshwater environment and the role they can play in its protection.
Support and undertake research to further our understanding of the freshwater environment.
Improve river and lough recreation and access opportunities that allow the public to enjoy our freshwater environment in an environmentally sensitive way, bring benefits to the public, the environment, and the local economy.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

d. Objectives for achieving wider public benefit

The Trust’s strategy for achieving its objects and aims is twofold:

Through its core activities:
a. The Trust acts as the umbrella organisation for river interest groups operating in the Trust’s area of charitable interest. Its policy is to support the development of, and build capacity in, these organisations helping to deliver the Trust’s objects and provide wider public benefit to its work.
b. the Trust provides mentoring in the further development of young people and life-long learners in the field of river conservation & management and land management, benefitting the environment and the wider public.
c. The Trust provides volunteering opportunities, helping the Trust to deliver its objects, and providing wider public benefit to its work.
Through its project activities:
a. The Trust pursues mainly public grant funded opportunities to promote, develop and deliver, practical solutions to environmental issues, for public benefit and to educate the community on the importance of the freshwater environment.

In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidance published by The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland relating to wider public benefit for the’ Advancement of environmental protection or improvement’ and the ‘Advancement of education’.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Trustees Report on Activities in the year to March 2023

a. Core activities

Supporting and Helping the Development of Local River Interest Groups

The Trust continued to provide support to river interest groups in the Trust’s area of charitable interest.

River Interest Groups, affiliated (as described in Article 10) with the Trust during the reporting period were:

Ballinderry Bridge Angling Club
Coagh Angling Club
Kingsbridge Angling Club
Mid-Ulster Angling Club

The Trust continued to operate on the principles of partnership working and consent, providing, where requested, specialist support in project planning and the provision of training and volunteering opportunities to the groups and their members as required, but played no part in the governance of these groups.

Each affiliated group may nominate one representative to sit on the Board of Trustees of the Trust, subject to Article 6 of the Trusts’ governing document, ensuring that the Trust maintains a governance structure that is representative of local interests. In the reporting period, all named groups maintained a member on the Board of Trustees.

Mentoring Young People and Life-long Learners

Learning and Outreach for young people and life-long learners

The Trust provides learning and outreach opportunities through our Trust’s River School and Conservation Breeding Centre, Trust-led field trips to demonstration sites in the Ballinderry River system and the Trust providing outreach talks to groups.

In October and November 2022, we have hosted a half-day seminar and field trip for Queens University Belfast students studying for a Master’s degree (MSc) Conservation Biology and Ecology and Ulster University Coleraine students studying a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Biology, respectively. In total, 59 students heard a presentation about the Trust’s long-running conservation breeding and reintroduction programme for the endangered freshwater pearl mussel, catchment conservation measures and the ecology of the species, as well as a tour of the Trust’s conservation breeding centre and a field visit to a local farm to see conservation measures in-situ.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Rivers and Fisheries Internships

For the fourth year the Trust delivered a Rivers and Fisheries Internship, which focuses on freshwater ecological survey techniques and in-channel and riparian habitat restoration.

The aim of the internship is to provide structured and purposeful long-term placements (up to 12 months) for up to two students per year, studying a relevant degree at Queens University or Ulster University. The aim is for the students to learn in a work environment while achieving learning outcomes as part of their academic courses. Knowledge, skills, and ideas are transferred between the Trust and the students with the aim of developing both the students, and the capability of the Trust to deliver its charitable objectives.

In June 2022, the Trust concluded a Rivers and Fisheries Internship for Queens University student, Mr Jack McKee who had been on placement with the trust since September 2021.

During the reporting period Mr McKee carried out a range of work supporting existing Trust project delivery and developing new initiatives, including:

Undertaking ecological surveys including salmonid fish populations by electrofishing and freshwater pearl mussel surveys using bathyscopes.
Fisheries habitat assessment and recommendations for improvements to salmonids habitat.
Peatland habitat assessment.
Data collation, analysis, reporting and mapping for use in catchment project planning and project reporting to partners and funders.
Use of a drone to capture project and survey imagery and production of short films to promote the work of the Trust.
Assisting in education talks and visits at the Trust’s River School, Conservation Breeding Centre at demonstration sites throughout the Trust’s area.

During 2022, the Trust introduced a new internship opportunity – Agriculture & Land Management Internship. This internship focuses on land assessment for identifying pressures on the water environment and its wildlife arising from agriculture and land management practices, and planning and implementing appropriate nature-based and engineered mitigations.

In March 2023, the Trust undertook a recruitment exercise for 2023-24 candidates for the internships.

Volunteering Opportunities

The Trust resumed the provision of volunteering opportunities for members of the public, following the relaxation of Covid-19 social distancing measures. The Trusts volunteering opportunities provide transferable skills and knowledge to participants whilst helping the Trust to achieve its objectives in a cost and time efficient manner.

During this period (2022-23), volunteers collectively contributed 434 hours of in-kind time with a combined monetary value of £7,428 (based on Heritage Lottery Fund benchmark day rates for Unskilled [£50], Skilled [£150] and Professional [£350] volunteers).

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST (A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

b. Project Activities

Landscape-scale Initiatives for Nature Conservation (LINC) Project

Name	Landscape-scale Initiatives for Nature Conservation (LINC) Project	Landscape-scale Initiatives for Nature Conservation (LINC) Project
Period	1stApril 2022 – 31stMarch 2023 (Year 4)
Type	Habitat Improvement/Water Quality Improvement/Education
Project Partners	The Rivers Trust
	Ulster University (Coleraine)
Project funder/s	Northern Ireland Environment Agency
	(Environment Fund)	£78,215
	Northern Ireland Environment Agency
	(Environment Fund – in-year funds)	£113,455
	Ballinderry Rivers Trust (own funds)	£2,929
	DAERA pilot Sustainable Catchment Project
	(Green Growth Fund)	£554,058
	Landowners	£194,725
Other contributions	Volunteer Time	£7,428
Overall value		£950,810

LINC is a four-year project (2019-2023) that seeks to address conservation and water quality challenges across the Ballinderry River catchment that are preventing it from achieving European targets for biodiversity, conservation, and water quality. The year 2022-2023 was the last year of this project.

The project aimed to:

Bring 40% of the Upper Ballinderry River Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under favourable conservation management.
Undertake actions that contribute to achieving ‘good’ water quality status in two subcatchments of the Ballinderry River that currently have ‘poor’ or ‘bad’ water quality.
Monitor the success of water quality improvement measures and reintroductions of freshwater pearl mussel undertaken in previous projects.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Develop Ballinderry Rivers Trust as a hub for Northern Ireland's rivers trusts by providing a support service and coordinate strategic environmental engagement to help them deliver their charitable objects for the benefit of rivers & the wider public.

The Trust continued working with local landowners to undertaking actions that would help bring the Upper Ballinderry River Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under favourable conservation management and achieve ‘good’ water quality status. In the year 2022-2023 this included:

Working with an additional 30 landowners on their farms to look at what actions can be taken to reduce the risk of damage to the river from agriculture, through the creation of a Water and Environment Management Plan for each farm and implementation of measures through a Waterfriendly Farming Scheme, designed for the Trust’s area.
Continued control of over 4.5 square kilometres of invasive Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed along the Upper Ballinderry River SAC at its tributaries.
Continuing to manage the Trust’s Ballinderry Freshwater Pearl Mussel Conservation Breeding Programme and releasing a further 200 young mussels to the river.
Completing the development of the Upper Ballinderry River SAC Conservation Management Plan, which will outline the necessary conservation measures required to support the protected species and water quality of the site.
Providing a support service and coordinated strategic environmental engagement for Northern Ireland's rivers trusts to help them deliver their charitable objects for the benefit of rivers & the wider public.

During the reporting period the Trust also took part in the pilot Sustainable Catchment Project (SCP), funded by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs through the Green Growth Fund, and administered by The Rivers Trust. Through this fund the Trust was able to significantly increase the impact of its Water-friendly Farming Scheme, to benefit water quality and wildlife, by being able to commit significant funds for on-farm water quality protection measures and levering additional landowner contributions towards the cost of measures.

The Trust undertook monitoring of the impact of interventions, implemented through this and previous projects, for the protection of SAC features and water quality protection and improvement. This includes:

Annual condition monitoring of released freshwater pearl mussels at eight release sites in the Upper Ballinderry River.
Annual electrofishing at 30 sites across the Ballinderry River catchment to assess the condition of the trout and salmon populations in the catchment.
Monitoring the amount and type of silt coming down the river using time-integrated suspended sediment sampling to monitor impact of interventions and for critical silt source area mapping in the catchment.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST (A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

During the year, the Trust was awarded additional in-year funding, and was able to complete the following:

Employ an additional Agricultural Advisor for the delivery on on-farm surveys, whole farm water protection plans and implementation of water protection measures on farms.
Employ a new Conservation Programmes Assistant to support the freshwater pearl mussel conservation bereding and restoration programme.
Deliver additional on-farm water quality protection measures through the Trust’s Water-friendly Farming Scheme.
Undertake a freshwater pearl mussel population assessment of the Owenkillew and Owenreagh Rivers
Reinstatement and refurbishment of the ‘Glen Walk’ at the Trust’s Conservation Breeding Centre and River School.
Host an all-Ireland conference for rivers trusts on the island of Ireland.

The LINC Project is being delivered in partnership with:

The LINC project is funded by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, an Agency within the Department for Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs, through the Environment Fund (EF) Strategic Strand 201922/23.

The Sustainable Catchment Project (SCP), is funded by the Department for Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs, under its Green Growth programme.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST (A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Water Innovation Network - Win Win solutions for water friendly farming (2020-2023)

Name	Water Innovation Network - Win Win solutions	for water friendly
	farming (2020-2023)
Period	7thOctober 2020 – 30thSeptember 2023
Type	Water Quality Improvement/Education
Project Partners	Water Innovation Network
Project funder/s	European Innovation Programme (EIP),
	Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme
	(NIRDP) jointly funded by the European
	Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
	and the Department of Agriculture, Environment
	and Rural Affairs (DAERA).	£27,312
Other contributions	None	£0
Overall value		£27,312
		(of £120,000 total
		project value)

This project aims to address the issues that water management on farms poses to the farm business and wider environment and highlight the opportunities that can be generated for both farm businesses and environment.

The project’s Water Innovation Network will develop innovative and integrated win-win solutions for our rivers and our farmers, using nature-based, productive, solutions, that protect the water environment whilst maintaining and improving productivity/profitability of the farm business. These solutions will be accessible, affordable, easily integrated into the farming business, generate win-win benefits and will be scalable to the 2,586 dairy farms and 19,587 beef/sheep farms in Northern Ireland. We will widely disseminate the findings of the project by establishing Water-friendly Innovation Network (WIN-win) Demonstration Farms in the Ballinderry River catchment and run farmer-to-farmer and expert-to-farmer workshops on-site. We will promote the project and knowledge sharing through the Trust’s and a dedicated project website and social media channels.

The project is funded by the European Innovation Programme (EIP). The EIP scheme is part of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme (NIRDP) and is jointly funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST (A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Our Rivers (2022-2024)

Name Our Rivers Period 7thOctober 2022 – 30thSeptember 2024 Type Water Quality Improvement/Education Project Partners Lissan House Trust Project funder/s Garfield Weston Other contributions None Overall value	£9,962 £0
	£9,962 (of £140,000 total project value)

The ‘Our Rivers’ project has two main objectives:

Design and implementation of a multi-facetted freshwater education programme aimed primarily at Key Stage 2, providing both class and field-based options for learning about our rivers and loughs.
Coordination of a range of volunteer initiatives aimed at increasing participation in recording and environmental monitoring through citizen science.

This project aims to reinvigorate and further grow our education and outreach impact through development and delivery a new, exciting, engaging, and integrated freshwater learning, outreach, and citizen science experience, aimed at increasing environmental awareness about our water environment and involvement of the public in direct conservation activity.

The project strives to establish the Ballinderry River catchment as Northern Ireland’s ‘Freshwater Education and Engagement Hub’, at the fore of ‘hand-on’ environmental engagement and accessible to all. The project will provide the freshwater education support and opportunities that our local schools are so eager for us to deliver for them and be able to meet the demand in an effective, impactful, and sustainable way. We will also provide high quality, meaningful, and fulfilling freshwater volunteering and citizen science opportunities for the public who have a renewed appetite and interest in their local environment.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST (A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

c. Grant making policies

The Trust does not provide grants to other bodies.

Achievements and performance

a. Going Concern

After making appropriate enquiries and due consideration, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Trust has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

b. Review of activities

Core activities

In 2022/23, we said we would:

Continue to act as the umbrella organisation for river interest groups operating in the Trust’s area.
Continue to provide mentoring in the further development of young people and life-long learners in the field of river conservation & management and land management, benefitting the environment and the wider public.
Continue to provide volunteering opportunities, both formal (e.g., internships, work placements) and informal (on-off events), helping the Trust to deliver its objectives and providing wider public benefit through its work.
Recognise the contribution that volunteers make.
Promote the work of the Trust and how the Trust achieves its charitable objectives through: o Website
Social Media
PR and Communications
Events
Deliver training to the Board of Trustees and staff to continually improve the Trust’s reach to beneficiaries, impact on charitable objectives and overall effectiveness in achieving its aims.
Publish a 5-year strategic business plan for the Trust which includes key performance indicators.
Increase the Trust’s staff resource in line with planned delivery of the Trust’s charitable objectives over the next five years. This will include but is not limited to:
Education and Outreach Officer
Conservation & Biodiversity Manager (Freshwater Pearl Mussel specialist)
Farm Advisor
Continue to undertake cost saving measures in the Trust to ensure services/utilities the Trust receives are best value for money.
Further develop good governance in the Charity.
Maintain Robust Rating for financial control from the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, demonstrating the Trust operates financial controls comparable to the Department.
Continue to develop further policies and protocols, in line with best practice governance of the Trust and the requirements of The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST (A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

During 2022/23 we:

Continued to act as the umbrella organisation for river interest groups operating in the Trust’s area and supported these groups on the river through the continued provision of recreational access and habitat restoration/protection projects.
Continued to provide mentoring in the further development of young people and life-long learners in the field of river conservation & management and land management through the Trust’s Rivers and Fisheries Internship Programme.
Provided structuring volunteering through intern placement students, through the trusts activities which included a range of skilled duties.
Secured funds to recognises the role of volunteers in the Trust through volunteer appreciation events.
Promoted the work of the Trust and how the Trust achieves its charitable objectives through social media, supported by a new Social Media Strategy for the Trust.
Provided ongoing ‘good governance’ information, guidance and leadership to the Board of Trustees and staff to continually improve the Trust’s reach to beneficiaries, impact on charitable objectives and overall effectiveness in achieving its aims.
Commenced work on the development of key performance indicators for the Trust’s 5-year strategic business plan.
Continued to undertake cost saving measures in the Trust to ensure services/utilities the Trust receives are best value for money.
Further developed Good Governance in the Charity including updating the Trust’s various policies and procedures.
Maintained a Robust Rating for financial control from the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, demonstrating the Trust operates financial controls comparable to the Department.
Continued to develop further policies and protocols, in line with best practice governance of the Trust and the requirements of The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

In addition, the Trust maintained the access created through the Ardtrea to Drapersfield Walkway Project, including controlling the growth and spread of Giant Hogweed ( Heracleum mantegazzianum ) which poses a health risk to access users and an environmental risk to the river and biodiversity.

Project activities

In 2022/23, we said we would:

Complete the Landscape-scale Initiatives for Nature Conservation (LINC) Project by delivering the fourth and final year of the project.
Deliver the Win Win Solutions for Water-friendly Farming Project.
Continue to run the Trust’s Conservation Breeding Centre for freshwater pearl mussel and whiteclawed crayfish.
Secure additional funding for on-farm interventions targeted at improving water and habitat quality.
Offer non-regulatory water-friendly farming advice in a new part of the Trust’s operational area.
Expand the Water-friendly Farming Scheme into other parts of the Trust’s operational area.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST (A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Organise and deliver on-farm demonstration events, promoting best practice in agriculture for the protection of the freshwater environment.
Reinvigorate (post-Covid) the Trusts education and outreach programme River School for the education of the community and as a resource for use by the community.
Continue to plan for, devise and deliver projects that improve water quality and habitat in the rivers and loughs in the Trust area.
Link the Trust with the iCatch Network, hosted by The Rivers Trust.
Establish Ballinderry Rivers Trust as a hub trust for other rivers trusts in Northern Ireland, providing mentoring and coordinating training and peer-to-peer learning and support.
Host an all-Ireland rivers trust conference/seminar, in partnership with The Rivers Trust.
Identify opportunities for collaborative projects with neighbouring rivers trusts or like-minded organisations, providing mutual environmental benefit and wider public benefit to our work.
Pursue Corporate support/sponsorship opportunities.
Pursue funding opportunities through UK and international grant giving bodies and trusts to deliver the aims and objectives of the Trust.

In 2022/23 we:

Completed the fourth and final year of the Landscape-scale Initiatives for Nature Conservation project.
Continued to deliver the Win Win Solutions for Water-friendly Farming Project.
Continued to run the Trust’s Conservation Breeding Centre for freshwater pearl mussel and whiteclawed crayfish.
Secured additional funding for on-farm interventions targeted at improving water and habitat quality.
Offered non-regulatory water-friendly farming advice in the Salterstown catchment for the first time.
Expanded the Water-friendly Farming Scheme to the Salterstown catchment for the first time.
Organised and delivered a series of on-farm demonstration events through the WIN WIN project, promoting best practice in agriculture for the protection of the freshwater environment.
Secured funding for the ‘Our Rivers’ education and outreach programme and employed a full-time dedicated Learning and Outreach Officer to reinvigorate and further grow the Trusts education and outreach programme.
Developed an new 5-year project focusing on water quality and habitat improvement, including landscape scale nature conservation and water protection measures, peatland restoration and climate resilience. This project was submitted to NIEA for consideration under its call for projects under its Environment Fund 2023 – 2028. The project, called ‘ResiRiver 2030’ was successful in securing funding and will commence in April 2023.
Linked the Trust with the iCatch Network, hosted by The Rivers Trust, and supported other rivers trusts in Northern Ireland linking with the network too.
Established Ballinderry Rivers Trust as a hub trust for other rivers trusts in Northern Ireland, providing mentoring and coordinating training and peer-to-peer learning and support.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Planned and hosted the first All-Ireland Rivers Trust Conference, in partnership with The Rivers Trust, in Mullingar in March 2023. The event was attended by representatives of rivers trusts from across the island of Ireland, as well as representatives from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Ireland’s Local Authority Waters Programme (LAPWRO).
Worked with the River Blackwater Catchment to ensure ours and its bids to the NIEA Environment Fund 2023 – 2028 call were complimentary and provided opportunities for collaboration.
Pursued Corporate support/sponsorship opportunities.
Pursued funding opportunities through UK and international grant giving bodies and trusts to deliver the aims and objectives of the Trust.

c. Investment policy and performance

The Trust has insufficient uncommitted funds to consider long-term investments, and a detailed review of performance and performance targets is not required. The Trust’s investment policy currently is to keep any surplus liquid funds in short-term deposits, which are low risk. Any investment beyond short-term deposits is required to be supported by independent professional advice, at which point the Trustees will consider ethical investment issues and direction.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Financial review

a. Reserves policy

It is the aim of the Trustees to generate a level of reserves sufficient to carry out the objects of the Trust on a steady and stable basis. The Trustees have therefore resolved to hold surplus liquid funds in short term deposits that can be accessed readily.

In determining the level of reserves to be held the Trustees have considered the income generating streams of the organisation, from the selling of services, public donations and restricted project funding alongside the running costs which will be financed through restricted funds, match funding arrangements, and the organisation’s general funds.

The Board has therefore resolved to hold sufficient reserves to respond to any unexpected difficulties in securing restricted funding and to meet contractual obligations to staff including the provision of redundancy payments should the Trust be forced to close.

Based upon the levels of expenditure in the financial year, it was agreed that £145,500 would be held in reserve.

The trustees wanted to ensure that sufficient reserves were available to respond to any unexpected difficulties in securing restricted funding.

To bridge any potential shortfall in income and to allow sufficient time for additional income to be secured £145,500 would cover 6 months running costs of £24,000 and salaries of £121,500. Although contractual notice periods of staff would cost £31,000, the trustees agreed that staffing numbers should be retained at the current level, as any reduction would significantly reduce the Trusts ability to deliver on its purposes.

Contractual obligations to staff include the provision of redundancy payments. Should the Trust be forced to close current redundancy costs would be £32,713. Further contractual obligation with suppliers would cost £2,000.

The trustees further agreed that surplus funds beyond the amount to be held in reserve could be used for the benefit of the Trust.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

b. Principal funding

Income

In 2022/2023, total incoming resources were £960,981 (2021/22: £619,374).

The Trust was fortunate enough to receive support during the year from several sources, including:

Department for Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme (NIRDP) and Green Growth Fund.
European Innovation Programme (EIP), part of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme (NIRDP) which is jointly funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
Garfield Weston Foundation.
Northern Ireland Environment Agency’s (NIEA) Environment Fund Strategic Strand 2019-22/23, including two offers of additional in-year funding.

Expenditure

Total expenditure for 2022/2023 was £855,432 (2021/22: £560,920).

Balance sheet

The Trust was in a reasonably healthy financial position at year-end, with net assets of £241,049 (2021/22: £135,500)

The Board confirms that since the year-end, it is not aware of any events that would have a material detrimental impact on its position.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Plans for the future

a. Future developments

Core activities

In 2023/24, we plan to:

Continue to act as the umbrella organisation for river interest groups operating in the Trust’s area.
Continue to provide mentoring in the further development of young people and life-long learners in the field of river conservation & management and land management, benefitting the environment and the wider public.
Continue to provide volunteering opportunities, both formal (e.g., internships, work placements) and informal (on-off events), helping the Trust to deliver its objectives and providing wider public benefit through its work.
Recognise the contribution that volunteers make.
Promote the work of the Trust and how the Trust achieves its charitable objectives through:
Website
Social Media
PR and Communications
Events
Deliver training to the Board of Trustees and staff to continually improve the Trust’s reach to beneficiaries, impact on charitable objectives and overall effectiveness in achieving its aims.
Publish a 5-year strategic business plan for the Trust which includes key performance indicators.
Continue to undertake cost saving measures in the Trust to ensure services/utilities the Trust receives are best value for money.
Further develop good governance in the Charity.
Maintain Robust Rating for financial control from the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, demonstrating the Trust operates financial controls comparable to the Department.
Continue to develop further policies and protocols, in line with best practice governance of the Trust and the requirements of The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST (A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Project activities

In 2023/24, we plan to:

Deliver the first year of the ResiRiver 2030 project, funded by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency’s Environment Fund 2023 – 2028, including:
Identify and secure peatland restoration pilot sites in the upper Ballinderry River catchment.
o Explore the development of a pilot Results-based Payments Scheme for landowners undertaking environmental stewardship.
Offer non-regulatory water-friendly farming advice to landowners in the Upper Ballinderry River SAC and the Aghaveagh catchment.
Undertake fisheries and habitat assessments across the Trust’s area.
Continue to control Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed in the Upper Ballinderry River SAC catchment.
Convene and coordinate a multi-agency working group on the management of the Upper Ballinderry River SAC.
Deliver the Our Rivers Project, funded by the Garfield Weston Foundation, including:
Establish an outdoor classroom at, and in partnership with Lissan House Trust.
Design and install educational interpretation panels at Lissan House Trust.
Develop and trial a ‘source to mouth’ rivers study targeted at GCSE students, as well as the supporting resources.
Deliver Trout in the Classroom in up to 6 schools in the Trust’s area.
Run a river ‘Summer Scheme’ open to children and families in the area.
Attend a local fair/event with our mobile education display.
Complete the delivery of the Win Win Solutions for Water-friendly Farming Project and produce an end of project report and short film.
Continue to run the Trust’s Conservation Breeding Centre for freshwater pearl mussel and whiteclawed crayfish, including:
Releasing up to 200 juvenile freshwater pearl mussel to the Ballinderry River SAC.
Refurbish the Trust’s White-clawed Crayfish education/observation tank.
Continue to offer non-regulatory water-friendly farming advice to landowners in the Salterstown catchment.
Secure additional funding for on-farm interventions targeted at improving water and habitat quality.
Organise and deliver on-farm demonstration events, promoting best practice in agriculture for the protection of the freshwater environment.
Continue to plan for, devise and deliver projects that improve water quality and habitat in the rivers and loughs in the Trust area.
Further develop Ballinderry Rivers Trust as a hub trust for other rivers trusts in Northern Ireland, providing mentoring and coordinating training and peer-to-peer learning and support, including:
Providing training to other rivers trusts in NI
Coordinate the iCatch Network for NI and link with other groups in Ireland.
Host the second All-Ireland rivers trust conference/seminar, in partnership with The Rivers Trust.
Identify opportunities for collaborative projects with neighbouring rivers trusts or like-minded organisations, providing mutual environmental benefit and wider public benefit to our work.
Pursue Corporate support/sponsorship opportunities.
Pursue funding opportunities through UK and international grant giving bodies and trusts to deliver the aims and objectives of the Trust.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Trustees' responsibilities statement

The Trustees (who are also directors of Ballinderry Rivers Trust for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing this Trustees' Report, and independent accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company and charity 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 the group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, of the charitable group for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether the Charities SORP (effective January 2015) in accordance with FRS 102 has been followed;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable group will continue in operation.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and 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 the group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Disclosure of information to reporting accountants

Each of the persons who are Trustees at the time when this Trustees' report is approved has confirmed that:

so far as that Trustee is aware, there is no relevant information of which the charity’s reporting accountant are unaware, and
the Trustee has taken all the steps that ought to have been taken as a Trustee in order to be aware of any information needed by the charity’s reporting accountants in connection with preparing their report and to establish that the charitable group's auditors are aware of that information.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 12[th] December 2023 and signed on their behalf, by:

................................................ Miss Victoria Graham Chairperson/Trustee

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Ballinderry Rivers Trust (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2023 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, including FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

In our opinion the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2023 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.

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.

Conclusions relating to going concern

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

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the 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.

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

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

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.

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.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

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

the information given in the 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 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.

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:

adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
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
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
The trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies exemption in preparing the Trustee’ Annual Report.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the Trustees' Responsibilities Statement, 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 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.

Auditor’s 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.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.

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

There is inherent difficulty in detecting irregularities during audit. However effectiveness of entities controls, the nature and extent of the audit procedures performed, gives us confidence in detecting irregularities.

Further information regarding the scope of our responsibilities as auditor

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the charitable company's internal control.
Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Conclude on the appropriateness of the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our Report of the Independent Auditors to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our Report of the Independent Auditors. However, future events or conditions may cause the charitable company's to cease to continue as a going concern.
Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

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.

Brendan Corr (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Corr & Corr Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor 2nd Floor, The Cornmill Coalisland, Co. Tyrone N. Ireland BT71 4LP

Date: 12[th] December 2023

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2023

The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognized in the financial year.

All income and expenditure relate to continuing activities.

The notes form part of these financial statements

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Balance Sheet 31 March 2023

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to small companies within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 12[th] December 2023 and were signed on its behalf by:

............................................. V R Graham - Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Cash Flow Statement for the Year Ended 31 March 2023

The notes form part of these financial statements

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023

1. Other restricted funds

The closing balance breakdown of the 'Other Restricted Funds' totalling £95,619 in NOTE 17.

2. Accounting policies

Basis of preparing the financial statements

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.

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.

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.

Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost or at valuation, less accumulated depreciation. The charge to depreciation is calculated to write off the original cost or valuation of tangible fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives as follows:

Plant and machinery - 10% Straight line

Taxation

No current or deferred taxation arises as the company has been granted charitable exemption. Irrecoverable valued added tax is expenses as incurred.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

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.

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

Statement of compliance

The financial statements of the company for the year ended 31 March 2023 have been prepared on the going concern basis and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)" and FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland".

3. Donations and legacies

Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

4. Charitable activities costs

5. Support costs

6. Net income/(expenditure)

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

7. Trustees' remuneration and benefits

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2023 nor for the year ended 31 March 2022.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2023 nor for the year ended 31 March 2022.

8. Staff costs

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

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

9. Comparatives for the statement of financial activities

10. Debtors

Debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due. Income recognised by the company from government agencies and other co-founders, but not yet received at year end is included in debtors.

11. Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand comprises cash on deposit at banks requiring less than three months' notice of withdrawal.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

12. Tangible fixed assets

13. Debtors: amounts falling due within one year

14. Cash at bank

15. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

16. Loans

An analysis of the maturity of loans is given below:

17. Movement in funds

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Comparatives for movement in funds

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

17. Movement in funds - continued

Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:

A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

18. Related party disclosures

Ballinderry Rivers Trust works alongside River Care Ltd, a company with a separate board comprised of some members who are also trustees of Ballinderry Rivers Trust. The transactions between the two companies relate to a quarterly recharge for office costs of £1,508. The lease on the premises used by both companies is held by BREA Ltd. The following balance was owed to River Care Limited at the year-end:

Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating activities

20. Analysis of changes in net funds

21. Status

The company is limited by guarantee not having a share capital.

The liability of the members is limited.

Every member of the company undertakes to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up while they are members, or within one year thereafter, for the payment of the debts and liabilities of the company contracted before they ceased to be members and the costs, changes and expenses of winding up, and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributors among themselves, such amount as may be required not exceeding £1.

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2023

Support costs

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Analysis of Movements Between Funds for the Year Ended 31 March 2023

Analysis of Net assets between funds

Analysis of movement of funds

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)

Schedule of Resources Expended for the Year Ended 31 March 2023

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

BALLINDERRY RIVERS TRUST

(A Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a share capital)