Arkaig Community Forest
Scottish Charity Number SC045209
Annual Report and Financial Statements
For the year ended 31st March 2025

Triiste•s' Annual %èport
Forlhe ye4iendtd 3tst Marth 2025
The Iru51ee5 have k4easure ￿ we5elltin8 thelr rEp4Yitogether wrth thefinancial 5talement5 forUEye¥ended 31st March 2025.
Reference AdMIn￿r•tr+t Infornw
Ch•rlty Nim•
Arkaigcomrnunty Forest
Address
•nkèrs
Bank of kotknd, 62 ￿lSh Street. Fort William. In*&ErnessShife. PH33
IndepenQent Examiner
dunrary Alt￿￿ Lochabef. An ChrKhaid. Clay8an Road. Fort William, PH33 6PH
ArkaiE Community Forest is a Scottish Charitab* Inccwrated o￿an[satIOn ISOOI set up on 4th November 2014 ard is bound by ￿(5(0n5t￿On.
Appoknimènt oltru5t**s
The people seThin8 on ihe L￿ard are referred to asCIKHtiry Tru51eek ￿ maxwnurn number diharity trustees i$ 12, the mlnlmum 15 4 rnade up of
members who T￿et the ell￿bilIty Criteria. A will rw)t k ¢hgibk for etecrion or apwntmentio the board tjnless he/she is a member of the
oi£anisatKJn and meelsihe ciiteria for trAMrd members. ie al resident of Achnacarry, bl regdenl of Bunarknt& cl resmlent of CIurne5, dl re51dent ol
anywhe￿ else within the PH444EL PH44 4EJ, p￿34 4EQ Ptr13a 7P0 definal rMNcode area& At each Annual Generol Meeting IAGMI, the rnembers
may elect any member to be a chanty trustee. The Board may at anytime apr￿in1 any to bè 3 Charty trustee. pThkled that he/5he fltsthe
crSterla for eliglbillry. Ai each AGM. onethird of the (harty truMee5 rnusr ￿lIe from offKe may be re-eletieil.
(￿ri¢¥blE
11 tts support and promote sunalnable comrnunitydè¥elDpment. whÈrè'svsrdinablÈ devÈkimnt' mearns deveknpment whlch meets the needs of thè
present wlthoui Comprom1￿￿£ Ihe abllrty of fvttjre generatlonsto meet ihelr own needs.
21 to own and rnana8e community tènd and associated assets forthè benefit of the c(#))munlty ar#J the wblic In general.
31 to restore and protert the natural ermronment of the area. and in partI￿13T to restore and enhance the nathe woodLind hatitats and other serT¥-
naturnl habilats and ass￿18ted flora and fauna of ihe area.
41 to Sup￿￿ enh*￿t the untSer5t6ndin8 6nd ￿terPretat￿l￿ of the enmironment, history. (uhure aTrJ heritsge of the area.
51 to iFnprove the aicess. arDentty reueational ¥alue dthe afea_
61 to encouiage the a¢Jvancernent ol la￿l-trased eaucation. trainin& and personal dewelopmènt.
71 to prOM￿e and wellbein&
Page2of8

11 do anything which Is calcukiied io lurtner its purposes or or intirlental io 50.
213ccept subscriptions, grant5. donalion51 4ifts. le8acie5 and endwment of all kind5 anLI to disiiibute ihese In xcordance with the purposes.
31 invest 4ny funds vthith ale n(rt immediately required for the attIwt￿ ol the orga￿lsation in any5uth investments as may be consrfjered
appropriate Including the 3CqUiSition, creaknon 3nd develo￿}ent of ary bU￿￿essa￿l to disp(6e ol, and vary such InTrrtmer5ts
41 ¢￿ate. acquire or developappropriate t￿5+n￿$t$ in kee￿nE wllh the purwse5 of the organLsation.
51 Èmploy, contr3rt wlth. tr3in and pay such stafl Iwheiher ernpltyed ty self-empknyedl as are considered apprwiate for the w)pw condutt ol the
rposes of ttte orEanlsatlon.
No part of the Income or property of org3nis•lKn may be paid or translerred Idirectly or indirect￿￿ lo the members- either In course of the
organisaiion's existenceoron IJ￿50￿10n- exiepl wherelhs in dirett furtheran￿ of the or8anisation's charitable purpose
See Chalrman's Report and Tre?511Tef'5 Repvl
FiDon
Total Incorne in the year was £122.151. Expenditure forthe ￿me ￿riod was £144,745 resultlng In a cl £2L593. Regwves aiyear end were
E66,074 made up of E29.622 of unretriaed funds and E36,452 of ￿ttr￿ed fun¢s
R*stmi Polky
There Is requirement in the w5tilytvnto ￿ld any rtserNts hO￿tr the tru#ees re￿nISe t￿t it is ad￿￿ble ta retaln 3 worth ol
nomial rurynin8 costs In order to meet cc¥nrnrtrnentsand io cover any ￿￿perted expefiditure.
Pl•w forfuitsre ￿l￿Dd
Sèè Chairman's Report aod Tfeasijrer's Report
There are no exemptions from dtscfosur¥.
Funds held M ¢￿tod￿An trustee on behall ol othEW5
There are no lur¥Js held a5 IU5toOian tr¥stee M behaff of Ixhers.
This wa5 apNoved by the trustees 011
29th. Ortober,2025.
aist October. av
Pa8e3ofB

Ark4i8 Communtty Forest
Seottiih Charity Number SC1145X
Independeni ex•minee• the inM*es on the un•udi¢ed of Community Foff•L
I report on the accoun1$ of the SCIO ￿ tht ytsr tndtd 31$t Mi atch a)25 whKh Are set out on py 5 to &
Re¥ptefiwt rt•pon*l>ilitits of tru•tet *ftd indtptttdent ex#mintr
ch41ity'$ Ttustees are re$ponwble fot the pieFr4rntion of the accounts in gccoth with temts of the Ch*iitie$ Ttustee
Investment (Scotl*nLI Act 2(X)5 and the Ch￿'t1¢$ Accoun18 (ScotlanLI RwJl*tion$ 2(A￿. The charity tr￿*tec$ consider th*t the
audit reguiremeni of ReyJation Iql) Id) of tht Accounts Reylafions does not apFJy. li i% rny EL4ponshJ]iry to examine the
4ccounts 43 rtquwed undet sec¢ion 4411) (c) of the Act 4rd to $T*ie wheth m•ttus 14ve come to my attention.
B*ii8 of ind¢￿Ad¢￿t ¢x*rnin¢e¥ stst¢m¢nt
My examination is C￿rIed out in acCord￿(C wilh key￿ation I l of the Charities Accounts Iscodand) Re￿￿•t￿)r￿4 2QY). An
examinaiion includes a review of the accryjnung records kept by the chanty and a cornpanson of the aCc￿jnI$ prL$enied with those
recotd$. li al$0 indudes con$Hkrdtion of any unusual iienL* or thdosures kn the accoun1$. and seeks explanations from the trusttts
conccmxng any such rnatteis. The procedurts undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would bt tequited in an auth"t. and
conseguent]y I do nvt e¥p￿S an auth't opJnx>n on the ￿¢W givcn by the accol￿1%
Independent tx•mintes Statement
In £ouTsc of my txaminath)T4 no matter hgs come to my It￿tIon.
which ￿v¢S ryasonable rgwt to that in aDy rspeu the xcquircrnents..
' to keep Accounting records •ccordwc wilh Section 44(1) (•) of the 2￿5 Act and Reydation 4 of the 21
Accounts Rtgu]aiion$. and
. to pzepare accounts w￿.Ch accord wilh the attounting reco￿5 ￿mI con¥ty with RtyJatitin 9 of the 2CO6
Accounts Regulations
h4v¢ not been mtt. oz
2 to Whic￿ IA my opitiion.atteniioft$hould Et dz*wn in otder to enable a proper urM4etststiding of the iccount$ to
bt rttched
D2t¢'
31 10 2025
loluntsry A£tKm L4)ch*ber
Atj Drochai(L Clagwi Rold
Fort iXTdliam
PH33 6PH
VOLUNTAfeY ACTION LOCtrIABES1
Page4018

Arkaig Communiry FoT¢$t
Receipts aDd PayTnen15 A¢counts
For ihe y¢ar ended 3151 March 2025
Scottish Charity NuJDbeT SC045209
Year to
Year io
Ye4t to
Year to
2015
2025
2025
2024
Uttrestiicted
Resiricted
Totsi
Toial
Incoming Eesources
Note
Grdnis and Donations
Cyranrs
l)()i)AtiuTi)
89.683
3LN)
91,683
?95
109.133
819
495
Bgjxk ititerest received
Incoming Resources frow GetseAied Fullds
Incoffte fur Sen"Ices
Ilctii'itres for ReAeratin% fi]nds
Incom￿% resnurces from th￿l￿ble acti%utyes
i¥ceJ]aneou$ Income
4,950
1,701
1.916
1,412
39
io
6.049
6.049
Otber Income
'I'rec N'ursery
l)eei Lardet
General Incoffle
11,258
5,207
2209
5.207
2.2(
Total Receipts
27.668
94,483
115,020
Resources expended
ABC. Expen&'DJre
Staff Cusrs
I'olunteer Co-Or(bnAtor
In5ur3ncc
Iniernet & Web$ite
Sundries
%ubsCriPtions
'I'raJniAR Cobt
K.'cltare Unrt
Fltcthaty
profession￿ Fees
In5pirin% Scot]and
DeL'r Latder EKpense5
C.ommurttN. F_I'￿tS / .Ictttitie$
Fore$i.Sch￿]
Narurescot NRF Protect
Gusach Restoratiun (Moss¥ P.arth}
I'l. / Electnca] Cquwment
Ei-enr /_4crriiry COSES
Wotkshops
(-()mmwJitt. Lxch2n
Natii'c I'ree Nursers" / Plant Pw)agatson
"rtet Nlursen. l.'"xpenses
fa]8r Panel Costs
3.9(19
7.949
762
13.(KKI
5,151
Ll,762
1063
1.171
2.063
1,171
1,838
2.169
1.402
55
55
1.506
1.922
L054
3,409
5JlO
1.9L?
1.054
387
878
4.0
1.109
5JlO
1.451
1.451
47.571
$0,640
277
39,913
47,571
50.640
981
628
250
250
1,437
.437
756
31711
3J13
3J13
4.125
Governance Cosi$
Independenr Examinatt¢)n
Total Payments
-lJ.599
1 ?4.146
144,745
99,109
PageSof8

AJk¥ig Community Forest
Re¢cip￿ atsd P*)menr8 Aeeounr8
For the year ended 3tsr Ma¥ch 2025
Scottisb Charity Number SC045209
Year io
Year
Yev to
Year io
2025
2025
2025
Tot*l
.SuTpluslO)efiail lor the >eEr btfore trAn5f¢rs
Tran5fcts bmvttn fwds
7.070
6,701
129,663>
16,701>
P2.593)
15.912
SuTplu$l(Ikficii) foT itstyear
IA-_,fl
Siaiemeni of Ba]*nces- *6 at 31s1 M￿ch 2025
Openin8 cash at b•nk •ud in ts￿a
15.852
72,816
72,756
.4dd Incom¢
94.483
121151
210.818
144.74S
I1i.O
187,176
99.109
20.599
6.701
124.146
(6,7011
I'ransfer$
Closing exgb ￿ bank And io ts￿1
36,45?
66,074
8B,667
B•uk and Casb BAl*orcs
Tr¢*sU￿r,5.1rr￿￿Ir (ACF)
"Irexsurer$.4cCot￿t (INI
C)uT>taAdthg IA*n¢nts
Uts[andts￿ l.'heques
Perrb. Cash
29,622
55,792
10.282
79,766
8,￿1
10.282
11&12
Siped on behalf ofall Trustte$'.
Date: 31sL October, 2025
PaRe6of8

A¥k•r£ Communlty Forest
5cottlsh Charlty NumberX045209
Note$ io the accounts
Forthe yearended 31st March 2025
l Basi5 of Accounting
These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in aU0rdan￿ with the Ch3rities & Trustee
Investment (Scotlandl Act 2￿5 and the Charities Accounts Iscotkndl Regulations 2￿6 las èmendedl.
2 Nature and purFmt of funds
Unrestricted funds are those that may be usetl at the discretion of the trustee5 in lurtherdrKe of the objetts of the charty.
The trustees ma*ntain a single unrestricted fund the dari¢Trday runniThgof the SCIO.
Restricted funds may oTrly be used for specrfic purposes. Resiiictions afi* when spe(ilied by the dOnOI orwhen lunds a
raised lor speufic purp05e5.
3 Related party transactions
No remunefaiion was paid to the trLtstee5 or any connetted persons Ilurin8 the year12024.. £NILI.
4 Grants
Unre51ritttd
Fund5
Rertii¢ted Fynds Tffjal 2025
Totsl 2024
720
26,128
750
ABC Communtty Benefit Fund
Nature Restoration Fund
Community Learning Exchange
Scottish Natural Heritage
Highlands & Islands Clirnate Hub
Rotary Club of Lochaber
Community Woodlands Ass(&iation
Mossy Earth Ltd
The Swire Charitable Trust
InspirinRScotland
Logan Air
Foundation Scotland
King Charles Charitable Fund
48.370
48.370
725
.50.1
13,IKK)
4Q4tM)
4Q4Cf
4.124
913
913
89,683
91,683
109.133
5 DO￿tiOnS
unrestr￿ed
Aestrbcted Fund5 Total 2025
3[
3CI)
d95
795
Tot•1 2024
Arnold Clark
Misc Donations
495
495
819
819
6 Transfers be￿en funds
£6.701 was transferred from restricted fund5 to unre5trKted funds dije to changes tn the delivery of the Projetts ès #g￿ed
ljy fviidri>.12024. E9,8861.
7 r)D¥ernahte Costs
Unrestrx-ted
Funds
Restiitted Funds Totsl 2025
150
150
Total 1024
Independent Examlnation
Iso
150
8 Intome for 5er4ices
Unrestrkted
Funds
Restricted Funds Total 2025
T4x¥I 2014
1.701
IncoTne for Servi￿5
Volunteer Co-ordinator
450
4.5
4.9SO
450
4,5(K)
1,701
PaKe?of8

9 Activitie5forgeneratlry fvnds
Fynds
Restritted Funds Totsl 2025
70ts12024
1.916
1,916
Venison Incorne
10 Gross recelpts fnjm thr¢harhable
aCt$￿tIeS
Woodland Trust- Rental Income
Welfare Uiilt Hire
FurK15
Restricted Fund5 Total 2025 Total 2024
1.2(A)
lJ75
4.2(K)
649
6,049
4.2
649
6.049
Event Incorne
37
1,412
11 Unrestricted Funds
At tst Apr
2024
15.852
15,852
At 31st
March 2025
29,622
29.622
InwmlnB
27.668
27.668
ou￿01
Trnnrfe
Unrestricted Funds
120,$991
120.$991
6,701
6,701
12 Re￿rIcted Funds
At 1st
2024
At 3tst
Ma￿h 2025
Incomin8 Ou¢%01
Transft
12,8921
ABC Community 8enefit Furyj
Nature Restoration Fun
Communrty Learning Exchange
HighlaTrds & Islands Uimate Hub
Rotary Club of Lochaber
Community Woodlands Assock*￿Tr
Gusach Restoration
The Swire Charitsble Trust
MOWI Scotland
SSE Renewables
Inspiring Scotland
Logan Air
Volunteer Co-OrdinatOf
Other Event Income
Arnold Clark
Foundation Scotland
2.892
17A791
33
78
31X)
18
so.co)
13.ClXI
19
48.370
147.5711
I7,0￿)
1331
78
1181
150.6401
113.IXKJI
39.760
1191
13,3031
6.49)
4.124
13.4C¢JI
14.1251
15,1511
3.082
4.5(K)
16SiI
437
14371
3C#J
913
36.452
913
94,483
72.816
1124,1461
16,7011
A8C Communtty Benefit Fund- Cost Plan for Community Facility& Tree Nursery
Nature Restorat￿n Fund- Restoration of Landscapes
Community Learning Exchange- Tree Nurseries Projett
Scottish Natural Heritage- Loch Arkai8 Pinewoods. Landscape Scale Native Woodland RestoratioTh
Highlands & Islands Climate Hub l Rotary Club ol lochèber / Community Woodland Association /Arnold Clark- commun￿ Events & Actlvltles
Mossy Earth Ltd- Gusach Restoration
The Swire Charitable Trust-staff Costs
MOW1 s(￿land- IT l ElectrKal Equipment
SSE Renewables- Natwe Tree Nursery and Plant Propawion Unlt
Inspiring Scotland- Resiliertt Community Forest Project
LoÉan Air- Solar Panels
Woodland Trust- Loch Arkai8 Pinewoods, La￿*stOpe SCO￿ Native Woodland Restoration
Woodland Trust- Volunteer Ctrordrn•or
Page8of8

ARKAIG
Arkaig Community Forest
Chair's Report 2024125
This year has s￿n a lot of changes at ACF. Firstly we said goodbye t
to
whom we are very grateful for all the hard work, dedication and in
s given to
ACF from the start and particularly as thair for two yeats. Also to
who has
been supportive of ACF from the start and made our relationship with ￿￿[ L)Oth enjoyable
and productive. He has been instrumental in facilitating the collaboration with Achnacarry
Estate and FLS leading to the foimation of the Beo Airceig landscape restoration project
and allowing all of us to explore opportunities we may not have thought possible. We wish
them both well in their new ventures and hope they will not be strangers to Arkaig.
Conversely we are pleased to welcome
as new wr estate manager for Loch
Arkaig and look forward to working with
erasc
ose
y, all going well so far.
At the start ofthis year, before ￿ left, we realised that ACF had become too much for a
small voluntary board to manage, with three employees and all the various projects. We
decided to use our free reserves to employ a part time operations manager to oversee
everything. Fortunately we also received a grant from SSE to begin the redevelopment of
the Forest School which allowed us to create a full time position with two da
s allocated to
this and 3 to runnin9 everything else. So, on the 20th March we welcomed
2nd
he has been a very busy man since then.
There have been other changes within ACF too with ￿ taking on the deer laider as
well as development until April, since when she has been solely committed as Deer larder
manager.
nt from tree nursery assistant to volunteer coordinatoi and we
welcomed
as seasonal tree nursery assistsnl in March. Meanwhil
rernains as our green-fingered tree nursery managei, producing good numbers of high
quality trees.
There were changes in board roles too with
stepping int•llole as chair.
For some time it had been apparent that the core aiea ofACF membership, Clunes,
Achnacarry and Bunarkaig - the two postcode area required for the community buy out of
Loch Arkaig Pine Forest, was too small a communty to support such a big project and
other adjacent postcodes were just as much part of the wider landscape area, such as
Gairlochy and Glen Loy. In March we had an EGM to include these Iwo extra postcodes.
which was unanimously aC￿pted.
oming back as treasurer and myself
Visits
Our suc￿Ssful collaborative working with wr, and more recently Beo Alr￿1g has brought
a lot attention to ACF and we receive many requests for visits and studies, including:
Pinewood Conference and Pinewood managers meeb'ng
Scottish Forestry
Directors of SF & ENFOR
Minister for Agriculture - Jim Fairley
BBC Landward
Oxford UnNersty
Cambridge University

ARKAIG
Deer Larder
The deer larder operation has grown and been strengthened over the past year as a small
venison producing business, producing high quality sustainable meat for the local
community as part of the managernent of deer numbers in Glen Mallie and the Gusach on
both ACF and Woodland Trust land. We have had a dedicated deer larder manager
employed 2 days a week since April 2025, working on marketing, deliveries,
communications, finan￿ and the health and safety of the deer larder. A contracted butcher
works in the larder up to 4 days per month. We have also trained up a volunteer butcher to
increase our capacty as well as develop communty skills. The larder also hosted visits
from 10 different groups or individuals interested in learning about its operation. Sales
have increased and diversified as we have forged good relationships with new customers
within the local community, restaurants and shops, generating ex￿lIent feedback. We
have also tested and developed new products such as burgers, sausages and different
cuts. There is great potential to continue expanding the operation, sales and community
reach of the larder.
Tree Nurse
This continues to do well, in diffieuh
to drought thanks to the hard work o
has been commented on by many visitors, including
Trees sold winter 24r25 - 17,000
Volunteer events - 12, including, botanical surveys, br￿dIng bird surveys, tree ID.
tree care, seed collecting
Volunteer hours - 763, including UHI
Staff training - Knoydart tree nursery
orchard
Shed completed April
Professional advi￿ and support from
provided by wr
LAM project proposal - montane spp
Scot Gov Health inspection passed.
UKISG inspection passed
extremes of weather from flooding
The excellent quality of the trees
of Scottish Forestry.
d 2wk work placement.
Corrour Estate willow
Thanks to wr for providing funding for professional support from Andy and Pete.
Volunteer Coordination
Volunteer coordinator -
has now been working as volunteer coordinator for over
a year now and has managed to negotiate all the difficulties of combining ￿ and ACF
volunteering here in Loch Arkaig Pine forest in one pla￿. Having spent the winter getting
all the policies in place we now have an exciting programme of volunteer activities and
events and an expanding group of dedicated volunteers. Highlights include a bioblitz in the
oakwood, a women's rainforest well-being day with the Scottish Rainforest Education
centre, Greenwood working workshop and a wood ant survey in the Gusach.
erations Mana
er
It was decided that ACF was becoming too rnuch for a small voluntary board to manage
properly and before
resigned he suggested we pool resources to employ an
operations manager.
o In February we advertised and were surprised by the hi
of applicants, making it a difficult choice but we are more than happy with
Iiality

ARKAIG
fact hard to imagine how we coped before. Since he started he has over hauled our health
and safety policies
and procedures, got to grips with HR, made contact with the whole communty, partners
and stakeholders, and become a part the community himself. He was wamed before
starting
have to deal wrth the media and wtthin the first month he'd spent a
day with
translocating ants, chatted with
nd been asked for a
message for a minister. He also had a Beo Airceig mee
Ing In
ne
Irs
week and
voIui?teered to take the minutes. A successful funding bid, submitted at very short notice by
o a community climate change resilience find (CLLD) has meant that we are able to
start looking into the flooding around the tree nursery and Clunes forestry houses and also
addressing the possible issue of wild fires.
Landsca
Restoratlon
Ard Noi8 (Blue Green Conservation) completed the felling of the lodgepole pine
in Ard Nois by the end of Spring. This completes the first (paKI for) phase of the Mossy
Earth project but this will continue to be monitored by drone imagery. Isla still to complete
the first post work filming.
In the summer peatland restoration work was undertaken on the boggier areas, - blocking
drains, turning 01 flattening stumps and smoothing. This was done as part of Peatland
Action project.
Ant translocation - as part of the NRF project aim to translocate wood ants from the
areas cleared of non native conifers to better habitat with pines. We undertook a trial this
summer translocating part of a large nest in Ard Nois. This seems to have been successful
but we'll only know after the winter if they've suNived. A survey of all nests at Ard Nois was
also done after the non native removal.
Glen Mallie - the ATV track at Glen Mallie was due to be done by end March but
Naturescot have allowed us to put it into this winter with sorne extra funding. This will join
up with the Achnacarry track to create a circular route which will be useful for stalkers and
walkers.
Forest School
Having suc￿SsfUllY secured funding from SSE for the development phase of the new
forest school and workshop we have sent out biiefs to three architectural praCtI￿S to
tender for this phase and bring it to the point of construction. We have now re￿iVed two of
those and will be considering them.
In the mean time the existing Forest school has been renovated to make it habitable until
such times as the new one is started. Re-cladding, painting and general refurbishment all
carried out mainly by
or which everyone is extremew grateful.
Thanks
A big thanks to our secretary.
not just for being an extremely efficient
secretary and keeping the board on track but also for his invaluable practical work. He
designed and helped build the tree nursery shed, renovated the forest school and instslled
hot waterl He also saved another load of venison with his generator, during the recent
power cut.

ARKAIG
Thanks to our treasurer for keeping a tight rein on finan￿S, making sense of it all, putting
up with me and not giving up. Thank you their support this year, your
input has been invaluable and every minute spaied is appreciated.
Thanks also to ￿I￿rArkalg site manager, for all his help this year. Despite
havin
a huge work load this year, having to manage the site alone between April and July
after
left. he has always tried to make time forACF and to include us in decisions.
Heh
aged all the partnership working with tact and patien￿ and his measured
eloquence wrth important visitors is impressive. In fact we are grateful to Woodland Trust
Scotland for their continuing support, for recognising the Importan￿ of our partnership to
both parties.
Thank you to all our staff too for all their hard wom( and dedication over the year especially
given uncertainties with funding. We aim to provide a good working environment so thanks
for putting up with the cieaky old forest school and the frustrations which arise from
working with a communty group.
October 2025

ACF Treasurer's Report 2024125
In the year to the end of March 2025 Arkaig Community Forest received over £122k in income
but spent over £144k, leaving a paper Loss of some £22k. In reality, this is because various grant
funds were received on bloc in the previous financial year (particularly sums from Mossy Earth,
The Swire Trust, Logan Air) but spent in the 24125 year. meaning that our restricted fund reserve
was drawn upon. Staff costs aside, which were almost entirely grant funded. the Deer Larder
made a small loss of £142 on a turnover of £5207. whilst the Tree Nursery made a surplus of
£7944 on a turnover of £11258. These, together with further revenue of £9203 from donations,
event funding and services more than off set the £11260 spent on general running costs.
The combined bank balance of ACF and Tree Nursery accounts at 31103125 was £66048. Of this.
£36452 was held in restricted funds (i.e. earmarked specifically for st8ff wages andlor project
spend), whilst unrestricted reserves stood at £29622. The TN account has subsequently been
closed to allowfor ease of accounting. A bank balance of £55111 was available as of 5110125.
We would like to thank various grant awarding bodies for income received in 24125, without
whom our work could not continue. These include:
Naturescot (over £48k towards staff costs from the Beo Airceig Nature Restoration Fund INRF)
project, administered bywoodland Trust Scotland. WTSI,
Mossy Earth (£40.4kfor the Gusach restoration project).
King Charles Charitable Fund (£2k for general running costs).
wrs1£4500 forthe joint Volunteer Co-ordinator position).
Foundation Scotland1£912 for events) and
Arnold Clark (£300 for events).
The decision was tsken early in 2025 to employ an Operations Manager {OM} to streamline the
management ofACF. This has been partly funded from reserves and part from a 2-year grant
from SSE (received in April 25}. The latter also provides funds to take the development of a new
Forest School and Workshop to the construction phase and allows development of further
funding streams to allow this. The OM position relies on further funding being found for the next
financi81 year, as does that of other staff members. We currently have three major funding
applications in the pipeline, to the Scottish Power Community Fund, a second phase of NRF
funding and a major long-term application to the Heritsge Lottery Fund, the latter two
applications in partnership with Beo Airceig. Other partnership applications for a Wee Trees
project with Loch Abar Mor and a dragonfly pool creation project with British Dragonfly Society
are also In the pipeline. In the unlikely event that we are unsuccessful In attraciing any of ihe
main funding strearns, however, we would have to ieconsider current operations and staff
levels. At current levels of spend we should be abLe to maintain full staffing levels for only a
further three months from April 2026.
In the first six months of the current financial year. we have been able to complete some major
projects. notably the Gusach restoration, buil(Jing of a Tree Nursery shed 8nd the relurbishment
of the existing Forest School, the latter two works largelythanks to
ur current
reserve remains healthy. end the future looks bright 8s long as we work hard to atrra-tturther
funding. The work of ACF and the Arkaig Pinewood Project alongwith partners WTS is being

increasingly recognised nationally and held as an exemplar for other nature restoration projects,
so we are optimistic that ACF will continue to be supported.
Thanks are also due to Voluntary Action Lochabeifor auditing and approvingthe 2024125
accounts.
ACF Treasurer 5110125