Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group
Annual Report for the Financial Year ended 31 July 2025
Charity Name: Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group (BCCPRG) Scottish Charity Number: SC052675
Principal Office: 96 Cook Road, Balloch, Alexandria, G838DN
1. Mission and Charitable Purposes
Mission Statement:
To help make Balloch Castle Country Park (BCCP) a place to live well, enjoy the environment, and learn how to protect life on Earth. The BCCPRG works with stakeholders and park users to restore nature, heritage, and recreational assets, and explore income-generating opportunities, with a focus on health, biodiversity, and tackling global warming.
Charitable Purposes
The purposes of the charity as set out in the constitution are to advance education, citizenship, community development, arts, heritage, sports, environmental protection, and provision of recreational facilities at BCCP. The group focuses on restoring the park’s nature and infrastructure to meet the Scottish Government's climate and biodiversity targets.
2. Governance and Structure
Trustees and Key Management Personnel: During the year the following served as Trustees of BCCPRG Sally Page (Chair) Audrey Baird (Vice Chair) Gillian Clark (Secretary) Matt Buckland (Treasurer) Cara Thom
Structure:
The BCCPRG is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). Trustees are responsible for governance, strategic oversight, and ensuring the charity complies with its charitable purposes.
3. Activities and Achievements
Key Activities in 2025:
Partnership Development:
We continued to work with West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) and other stakeholders, progressing towards the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between WDC and the Regeneration Group. Meetings between WDC and the Regeneration Group are now quarterly.
We have an Action Plan that gives us a framework for projects, grant funding possibilities and deadline for completion of projects. This will be part of the MoU.
Work has started on the formation of a Strategic Delivery Group; they will form a shared vision for Balloch Park to make it sustainable for the future and help to make that happen.
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Charity Name: Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group (BCCPRG) Scottish Charity Number: SC052675 Annual report for the Financial Year ended 31 July 2025
Pursuit of partnership support from the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
Engagement and Outreach:
The Regeneration Group continue to walk the Park with all those who have influence and interest. We walked the Park with Councillor Jonathan McColl and Ross Greer MSP.
The Regeneration Group gave a presentation to the Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development (IRED) Committee of West Dunbartonshire Council.
The Regeneration initiated a fundraising raising event to sell Christmas Trees — these were from harvested Sitka spruce, an invasive species growing widely in Balloch Park.
We took a stand at the Balloch 10K event on the Moss o’ Balloch to engage with members of the public, to highlight the abundant nature within Balloch Park and garner support for the work of the Regeneration Group.
Our AGM was held in September 2024; it was well supported.
Collaboration:
The Regeneration Group contributes articles about our work in Balloch Park to the Community Advertiser.
We met with Callender Community Trust and Killin Development Trust to learn from them about their extensive community activities and volunteering programmes.
The Regeneration Group are contributing towards the Local Place Plan for Balloch and Haldane.
Clydesider Heritage Project co-ordinator spoke at our September meeting.
Meeting held with King’s Foundation and tour of skills workshops at Dumfries House.
Fraser MacLaurin has developed a Balloch Park App and shared his knowledge with the group.
Completed Community Projects:
A grant of £2,601 was received from Sustrans. We engaged an artist and working with local children, also children from Children’s Hospice Across Scotland (CHAS) a series for nature themed flags have been designed and now hang from lampposts on Drymen Road and the Main Avenue of the Park.
A Grant of £2,000 was received from the Strathleven Foundation to erect information boards detailing the work of other local groups who have connections to Balloch Park. These boards will be installed in April 2026.
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Charity Name: Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group (BCCPRG) Scottish Charity Number: SC052675
Annual report for the Financial Year ended 31 July 2025
Work started on a Community Engagement Art Project with local children, to help them get closer to nature.
Strengthening the Regeneration Group Skills
We now have an experienced !T volunteer who has boosted our public outreach through more regular and professional posts on Facebook and the establishing of an Instagram account. Posts frequently reach + 7,000.
We welcomed Cara as a new Trustee. Cara will update our website and maintain a list of current funding opportunities.
We have been assessing methods of raising funds from public contribution, this is on-going, we have to be licensed by WDC in order to accept donations.
We attended the Heritage Lottery Fund webinar.
Future Plans.
Signing of Memorandum of Understanding with WDC.
Application to Heritage Lottery Fund to develop a Master Plan, employ a Project Manager and if possible, a part-time Community Engagement Officer.
Support WDC’s nature restoration programme to eradicate the non-native invasive species. Encourage action to deliver on the updated Woodland Management Plan.
Build on established links with Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment.
Commemorate the Park being in public ownership for 110 years on 1st July 2026.
We remain committed to maintaining and enhancing Balloch Park for both the local community and the wider public, ensuring the Park’s legacy for future generations.
Acknowledgements.
We thank all our volunteers, partners and donors for their continued support. We thank West Dunbartonshire Council and lan Bain for facilitating our partnership meetings. We are grateful to West Dunbartonshire Council for supporting the insurance and legal aspects of our work.
4. Financial Summary
During the year the organisation generated a surplus of £1,885.05 which has been transferred to reserves leaving a balance of £3,434.28. This surplus is carried forward into the next financial year ensuring that we can continue to fund ongoing projects and initiatives.
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Charity Name: Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group (BCCPRG) Scottish Charity Number: SC052675 Annual report for the Financial Year ended 31 July 2025
5. Financial Review and Independent Examination
The charity's financial records are maintained in accordance with the regulations under the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005. Our accounts are subject to an independent examination by a qualified examiner.
Signed by:
Sally Fage
Sally Page Chair, Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group Date: 15" April 2026
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Charity Name: Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group (BCCPRG) Scottish Charity Number: SC052675 Annual report for the Financial Year ended 31 July 2025
Independent Examiner’s Report
| report on the accounts of Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group (BCCPRG) for the financial year ended 31st July 2025. This examination has been carried out under section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.
Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). It is my responsibility to examine these accounts and report whether they have been prepared in accordance with the relevant legal requirements.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report
My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not constitute a full audit and consequently, | do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention that gives me reasonable cause to believe that:
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e Proper accounting records have not been kept, in accordance with Section 44(1)(c) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations.
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e The accounts do not agree with those records. e The receipts and payments accounts do not comply with the relevant Regulations.
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| have no concerns that should be drawn to the attention of readers to better understand the accounts. Additionally, | have found no evidence of:
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e Any material expenditure or actions not in accordance with the purposes of the charity.
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e Information being withheld from me as an independent examiner. e Any material differences between the accounts and the annual report prepared by the charity trustees.
Signature:Name: DavidoneTaylor Address: Auchenlarich, Gartocharn Date: 15 April 2026 Professional Qualifications (if applicable): ACA ICAEW
This report is provided to the charity trustees for submission to OSCR as part of the charity's annual reporting obligations.
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Charity Name: Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group (BCCPRG) Scottish Charity Number: SC052675
Annual report for the Financial Year ended 31 July 2025
| Financial Statement to 31 July | Financial Statement to 31 July | Financial Statement to 31 July | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Restricted Unrestricted |
Total | Total | ||
| Income | ||||
| Grants | £4,601.00 | £0.00 | £4,601.00 | £450.00 |
| Donations | £0.00 | £254.80 | £254.80 | £0.00 |
| Other | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Total income | £4.601.00 | £254.80 | £4,855.80 | £450.00 |
| Expenditure | ||||
| Consultation fees | £2,601.00 | £0.50 | £2,601.50 | £0.00 |
| Administration costs | £0.00 | £292.20 | £292.20 | £64.53 |
| Subscriptions | £0.00 | £77.05 | £77.05 | £59.72 |
| Printing | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £49.00 |
| Total expenditure | £2,601.00 | £369.75 | £2,970.75 | £173.25 |
| Total income less expenditure | £2,000.00 | (£114.95) | £1,885.05 | £276.75 |
| Opening balance | £0.00 | £1,549.23 | £1,549.23 | £1,272.48 |
| Closing balance | £2,000.00 | £1,434.28 | £3,434.28 | £1,549.23 |
| Represented by | ||||
| Cashatbank | £2,000.00 | £1.434.28 | £3,434.28 | £1,549.23 |
Approved on behalf of the Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group the financial statement set out above disclosing a surplus of £1,885.05 in respect of the year ended 31 July 2025.
Signed: Matt Buckland
Name: Matt Buckland Designation: Treasurer
Date: 15 April 2026
Notes to the Accounts
1. Grants:
No grants were paid out by the charity.
2. Trustee Remuneration:
No remuneration was paid out to a charity trustee.
3. Trustee Expenses:
The following expenses were paid out to trustees: o Audrey Baird : £41.65 for travel expenses
4, Other Information:
During the year BCCPRG received a grant of £2,601 from Sustrans for undertaking a community art project (Flags) and a grant of £2,000 from the Strathleven Foundation for undertaking a project to install interpretation in the Castle
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