Accounts for the Year ended March 31st 2025
Receipts & Payments Account
| Current Year | Previous Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Receipts | (to nearest £) | (to nearest £) |
| EF grant funding | £ 117,532 | £ 88,300 |
| Conference income | £ 1,938 | £ - |
| Bank interest | £ 678 | £ 606 |
| TOTAL RECEIPTS | £ 120,148 | £ 88,906 |
| Payments | ||
| Conferences & workshops | £ 4,897 | £ - |
| Staff costs & sub-contractors | £ 32,578 | £ 56,680 |
| Of�ice & overheads (websites, hosting, storage) | £ 5,057 | £ 2,312 |
| Insurances | £ 1,358 | £ 1,358 |
| Equipment | £ 9,358 | £ 13,716 |
| Travel & Volunteer costs | £ 4,607 | £ 2,702 |
| Other | £ - | £ 25 |
| TOTAL PAYMENTS | £ 57,855 | £ 77,240 |
| Net surplus/(de�icit) | £ 62,293 | £ 11,666 |
| Openingfunds | £ 42,983 | £ 31,317 |
| TOTAL FUNDS AT YEAR END | £ 105,276 | £ 42,983 |
| Cash at bank (31st March) | £ 102,841 | £ 42,013 |
| Assets cost | £ 2,435 | £ 970 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | £ 105,276 | £ 42,983 |
| Asset register (>£500 per individual item). | ||
| No of Items: | 2 | 1 |
| Item Description (Telescope) | £ 970 | £ 970 |
| Item Description (2 x laptops) | £ 1,465 |
Signed by Trustees:
Dr Eimear Rooney Mr Paul Larmor
Dr Marc Ruddock
11
Notes to the Accounts
Restricted Funds
- The group held no speci�ically restricted funds during the year and where funds are restricted for usage these are clearly identi�iable and traceable.
Trustees' Expenses
-
No expenses were paid to any of the Trustees during the year except to reimburse them for purchases made on behalf of the group.
-
In line with the reporting and noti�ication to Charity Commission Northern Ireland, (under Charities Act 2011 a single Trustee i.e. a minority of the Trustees (1 of 4; 25%) were paid to complete work on behalf of the group (ER) as the Raptor Of�icer
Trustees' Indemnity Insurance
- No charitable funds have been used to purchase insurance to indemnify the Trustees against the consequences of any neglect or default on their part. The group had in place the necessary insurance policies for the operation of the group through the nominated broker.
Accounting Policies
-
Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 permits a charity to prepare a receipts and payments account and a statement of assets and liabilities where gross income in the �inancial year does not exceed £250,000, therefore receipts and payments accounts and a statement of assets and liabilities has been prepared and presented for the year ended March 31st 2025.
-
Bank interest is included separately and identi�iably as income parameter.
-
All income, including grants and investments is recorded when received to the bank account.
-
• All expenditure is recorded when paid from the bank account.
-
Gift aid reclaimable on donations is included in the amounts of income once received.
-
All transactions are process by online banking and no cheques have been issued or received during the reporting period.
Basis of Valuations
- Valuations have been provided for assets held for functional use; where possible the brand new purchase price/replacement cost is given. If this is not readily available a second-hand purchase price is given.
Independent Examination
- In the year ended March 31[st] 2025, gross income did not exceeded £250,000 and therefore, in accordance with the sections 144 & 145 of the Charities Act 2011 an independent examination is required and this scrutiny was duly conducted (see Independent Examiners Report).
Payments not cleared at bank at 31[st] March 2025
-
At 31[st] March 2025 there were no payments issued which had not cleared at the bank.
-
At 31[st] March 2025 there were no payments received which had not cleared at the bank.
Approved and adopted by a meeting of the Trustees on January 31[st] 2026
Dr Eimear Rooney Mr Paul Larmor Dr Marc Ruddock
12
Administrative Details
Charity Name
The Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group also known as NIRSG.
Charity Number
Registered Charity in England & Wales, No .1064103 Castle Archdale Countryside Centre 346 Killadeas Road, Irvinestown Co. Fermanagh, BT94 1PP
Charity Trustees as of March 31[st] 2025
Dr Eimear Rooney Mr Paul Larmor Dr Marc Ruddock
Other Charity Trustees in the year to March 31[st] 2025
There were no other Trustees during the reporting year Trustees all indicated their willingness to serve for a further term and have identi�ied the aspiration for recruiting, and nominations are always open for, additional trustees for the future.
Patrons as of March 31[st] 2025
There are no appointed patrons or honorary members.
Banking
Santander Business Banking Operations Sunderland, SR43 4FW
Insurance Broker & Underwriter
We’reSure Motor, Home & Business Insurance Unit C, Carrowreagh Business Park Dundonald, BT16 1QQ
East Kent Underwriting Limited (EKU). 2nd Floor, Knightrider Chambers 12 Knightrider Street Maidstone, Kent ME15 6LP
13
Structure, Governance, and Management
The Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group, founded in 1991, is a network of voluntary raptor �ieldworkers who monitor and record the fortunes of birds of prey across Northern Ireland. We collect information by visiting known raptor breeding and wintering sites each year to check for occupancy and to record the status, distribution and breeding success of each species. We also visit previously un-surveyed areas to search for and to document new sites.
We promote and encourage the conservation of Northern Ireland’s raptors by working in partnership with many others including landowners, statutory agencies, industry, academic researchers, educators, raptor rehabilitators and non-governmental organisations. The species we monitor include peregrine falcon, hen harrier, buzzard, merlin, kestrel, sparrowhawk, goshawk, red kite, white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, barn owl, long-eared owl, short-eared owl, marsh harrier, hobby, honey buzzard and osprey.
The Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group comprises skilled volunteer raptor workers that operate to study, research, survey and monitor raptors (birds of prey) across Northern Ireland and to encourage the conservation of raptors in Northern Ireland and elsewhere. In addition the group aim to provide information on breeding raptors to relevant statutory and non-statutory bodies in Northern Ireland and to raise the awareness and pro�ile of all native raptor species and the issues facing them. The group and its expert volunteers aim to inform and assist the protection and wildlife agency and the police regarding suspected illegal persecution of raptors and to collaborate with other researchers and research organisations to develop our raptor research and monitoring programmes.
The NIRSG understand that the public bene�it criteria apply to our activities which include (i) the advancement of environmental protection or improvement since the data collected by volunteers are utilised to inform conservation management at various spatial and temporal scales for statutory, non-statutory and the wider public and through the wider conservation and protection of raptors through our training, outreach, events, advice, education, surveys, reporting and research activities; and for (ii) the advancement of animal welfare through best practice, advice, reporting and research in particular the expertise of volunteers in the detection, prevention and reporting of raptor crimes and the groups participation in the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime (PAW NI) and production of strategic mapping and analytical research and publications on the awareness of illegal raptor killing and crimes that occur in Northern Ireland.
These efforts can be demonstrated through the extensive efforts of volunteers in survey, monitoring, analysis, education, training, reporting and ultimately in conservation of birds of prey and through building an enduring mechanism and network of citizen-scientists to protect raptors for current and future generations alongside providing volunteers the tools, skills, support and education and �ield skills to optimise the raptor network and conserve these protected species for all members of all communities and all parts of society to enjoy the natural heritage of birds of prey.
The work of the NIRSG bene�its the range of raptor (bird of prey) species that occur in Northern Ireland and also bene�its the volunteers who monitor these species across Northern Ireland. The general public also bene�its from wider awareness and understanding during any outreach activities. Volunteers may bene�it from increase access to the countryside and recreational activities generating wider physical and mental health bene�its.
14
The charity’s purposes (‘the purposes’) are:
-
to study, research, survey and monitor raptors (birds of prey) across Northern Ireland
-
to encourage the conservation of raptors in Northern Ireland and elsewhere
-
to provide information on breeding raptors to relevant statutory and non-statutory bodies in Northern Ireland
-
to raise the awareness and pro�ile of all native raptor species and the issues facing them
-
to inform and assist the protection and wildlife agency and the police regarding suspected illegal persecution of raptors
-
to collaborate with other researchers and research organisations to develop our raptor research and monitoring programmes
The NIRSG is an unincorporated association and is governed by a constitution. The Group is managed by the Management Committee which consists of volunteer Trustees. A minority of trustees also hold of�ices within the group. The Trustees are in regular contact with one another via email and phone and met regularly during the year to 31[st] March 2025. In relation to payments the Trustees only make payments when two, or more, Trustees approve the payment. Payments are made only by online banking from a single bank account. Full members, who do not pay a subscription fee, are afforded voting rights. Applications for Full membership are considered by Trustees via email following referee checks also conducted via email. The Annual Report and Statement of Accounts are prepared and approved by the Trustees and then presented to the members at an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Typically, the terms and conditions of grant-aid funding received, which funds the activity of the group set the work plan of the group and the associated spending in delivering the purposes.
15