Orkney Nature Festival
rustees, Annual Report
JJ
N A T U K E
FESTIV AI
Refernnc• and Administrative Infomiallon
Orkney Nature Festival
Registered charity number, SC053793
Principal address.. 4 Norsemgn, Finstown, Ortney, KW17 2NY
Email.. ortne
natUfeSt8l
outlook.com
1Olebsite'. htt S..//0ne natiif8festival.co.uk
Facebook.. htt s:IlMYbV.fats0Ok.C0MI0rkne NatureFestiV21
Instagram.. htt .I1v.1nSta
ram.comlorkno naturefestivall
Charity Trustees
Trustees serving during the period:
Tom Hadley- Chair (Appointed 2011112024)
Megan Taylor- Secretary {AppDinted 3011112024)
Leah Hunter- Treasurer (Appointed 3011112024)
H8nry Memmott- Trustee (Appointed 3011112024)
Alice Toepntz- Trustee (Appointed 3011112024}
Martin Greaves- Twstee (Appointed 0311012025)
Gemma M8cDonal& Trustee (Appointed 0311012025)
Forèword from the Chalr
This reporting period, covering 20 November 2024 to 30 November 2025. marks a significant
stage in the development of Orkney Nature Festival as our first year as an OSCR registered
Charrty. The Feslival continues to provide a platform for people to connect wtth Orkney's
exceptional natural environment, while celebrating the deep links beeen nature, culture,
science and community.
Over the year, the Festival has delivered a varied and inclusive programme that has
engaged residents and visitors alike. Activities have supported leaming, creativity and
environmental awareness, while encouraging peopl8 of all ages to explore the outdoors and
develop a stronger sense of stewardship for the natural vrfd.
The Trustees are grateful to the many speakers, artists, partners and supporters whos8
8nthusiasm and generosity have made the Festival possible. Despite ongoing challenge$
faced by the voluntary sector, including funding pressures and limited capacity, the
organisation has continued to grow in confidence and ambition.
As we look to the future, Orkney Nature Festival remains ¢ommrtled to delivering public
benefit through accessible, environmentally responsible events that celebrate Orkney's
nature and insplre positive action to protect it.
Objectives and Actlvltles
Orkney Nature Festival exists to celebrate, explore and protect Orkney's natural environment
through events, education and communrty engagement. Our charitable purposes. as set out
in our ¢onstitLrtion, are:
1. Thè advancement of education around nature and ¢onseNation in Orkney, lo
improve a¢SSIbIlity to the ouidoors and to foster appreciation and protection for
wildlrfe wrthin the community.
2. The advancement of the arts, heritage, culture and science through deeper
appreciation of Orkney's natural heritage, and engagement wrth local artists,
historians and natural scientists.
3. The advancement of envlronmental protoction and improvement throughout
Orkney by encouraging people to engage with, and develop a deeper understanding
of, their natural environment and the impacts they have upon it, and by connecting
people with other local charities and organisations that share these aims.
During the reporting period, the Trustees have ensured that all Festival activity delivered
clear public benefrt and directly furthered these charitable purposes.
Our activities during the year can be grouped into the following key areas..
Delivery of the annual Od(ney Nature Festival programme
Education, learning and communty engagement
Arts, culture and heritage engagement rooted in nature
Partnerships and ¢ollaboratton
Organisational development and govemance
Festlval Programme arKI Events
The Orkney Natu Festival took place in May and featured a varied programme of talks,
walks, workshops, exhibitions and family-friendly activities. Events were delivered across
multiple locations. both indoors and outdoors, aThJ aimed to appeal to a wide range of ages
and interests.
Highlight$ from the programme included..
A wildlife of Orkney talk by Raymond Besant
Guided walks and wildlrfe watching hosted by organisations and individuals such as
the RSPB, Tim Dean, Species on the Edge, Wild Orkney Walks, Orkney Fiehj Club,
SeaSearGh Scotland to mention but a few.
Creative Events hosted by No251 Orkney Creative Hub, INestside Cinema,
Moonshine Candle Makers and Robin Palmer Ceramics.
As ever, many of the events above were family friendly but some highlights from Ihe
family programrne included Rockpooling and the Shoogly Pencil Club. With the
Island Games beiNJ hosted in Orknèy 2025 we hosted a brilliant event in schools
from all of the islands attending the games giving them the opportunrty to share
posters about the amazing native wildlife where they live. This was very well re¢eiv8d
with submissicns from 12 different islands nations. You can view the submissions
here htt :Ilonf2025.wixsite.comlcollab.
Attendance levels were encouraging. with strong local partiapation alorKJsid8 Vlsltors to
Orkney. Feedback from participants indicated high levels of satisfaction and a strong
appreciation for the breadth and quality of the programme.
Educatlon and Communlty Engagement
Education and engagement remain ntral to the Festival's mission. During the year.
activities were designed to..
Increase understanding of Orkney's wildlrfe, landscapes and seascapes
Prornote environmental awareness and dimate literacy
Encourage active participation in nature and the outdoors
The Festival worked with schools, community groups and partner organisations to deliver
accessible and indusive opportunrties for leaming. Particular emphasis was placed on
informal leaming, storyielling, and direct eXperienS in nature.
With the Intemational Island Games 2025 taking place in the Orkney Islands, we used this
as an opportunrty to tap into the buzz around the communrty. and expand the reach of the
Orkney Nature Festival beyond the island's shores. A collaborative projeGI was launch8d, in
which all students in schools within one of the Islands who was going to b8 repres8nted at
the Intemational Island Games was asked to create a poster celebrating native flora and
fauna species. The were Submissions from 12 different island nations (Aland, Falkland
Islands, Faroe Islands, Gozo, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Isle of Wighl, Jersey, Orkney,
Saaremaa, Sh8tland and the Weslem Isles), totalling over 300 different posters. These were
collated on a specially created website, which was launched during the Orkney Nature
Festival 2025 (over 2.5CQ page views have been recorded on this).
Throughout the Intemational Island Games 2025 (12-18th July 2025), an exhibition of some
of these submissions frorn each island was created in a window on the High Street of
KirlThvall, allowing even more people to view the works.
Partnershlps and Collaboralion
Collaboration 1$ essential to the success of Orkney Nature Festival. During the reporting
Period, we worked with a wide range of partners, including..
Local environmental and conservation organisations
Artists, writers and creative practitioners
R8searchers and educators
Community groups and venues
These partnerships enhanced the Festival programme, avoided duplication of efft)rt. and
helped strengthen the vitder environmental network within Orkney.
This year the Orkney Nature Festival partnered with 28 differ8nt organisations to deliver 50
events throughout the festNal.
Fundralslng and Financial Support
Income during the year was generated through a combination of..
Ticketed events
Sale of branded goods
In-klnd support
The Trustees are grateful to all supporters whose contributions made the Festival possible.
In-kind support, including venue use, speaker time and volunteer input, continues to be
vital part of the Festival's delivery.
Governance, Structure and Management
Orkney Nature Festival is governed by a Board of TNstees who are responsible for the
strategic direction and oversight of the charity. The Board met regulady during the year to
review activities, finances and risk.
The charity operates under a constitution and maintains appropriate policias, including=
Firbancial managemerrt
Conflicts of interest
Safeguarding
Heah and safety
Confid8ntiality
Environmental
Financial management
Recruitment
The Festival is entirely volunteer-led, with Trustees and volunteers contributing significant
time and expertise.
Achievgmonts and Performance
Key achievements during the reporting peritsj include:
Successful delivery of the annual Orkney Nature Festival
Grovrth in audience reach and community participation
Strengthening of partnerships wth local and national organisations
Continued promotion of Orkney's natural heritage and environmental issues
FinanGial Review
The Trustees have continued to manage the charity's finances prudently. Expenditure during
the year focused on direct Festival delivery, including event costs, marketing, Insuran and
adminislration.
The charity ended th8 r8POrtiNJ P8riod in a stable financial powtion, enabling planning for
future Festivals while maintaining a cautious approach in light of wider economic uncertainty.
Below are the excerpts from our financial statement submitted to OSCR. In the 2024-2025
period we received income from main Sources, an event that we hosted during the 2025
festival and through the sale or merchandise, some of which was through 59 Degrees North
wfiere they sell clothing to merchandise on our behalf. The second was direct sales of
calendars that we produced late in 2025.
Income
£135
£221
TrBding income
Ch8ritable acti1*e$
Don*ions
Grants
Our expenditure was split acr05s charitable activities such as paying for venue hire and
websit8 upkeep costs. The expenditu in the trading Gosls wa5 relating to the initial
purchase of the printed calendars that we were then able to sell.
Expenditure
E83
£97
£0
TradSngcogtg
Fundralslng costs
Ch8ritable 8¢tiwti88
Governance
RryeS Policy
The Trustee5 aim to maintain reserves sufficient to meet short-lemi commitments and
prcwide resilience against unforeseen costs. Given the event-based nature of the charity,
reserves are kept under regular review.
Plans for tho Future
In the corning year. Ort(ney Nature Festival aims to..
Continue developing a high-quality, inclusive Festival programme
Expand educational and outreach activiti8S
stren9then long-term funding and sustainability
Deepen engagement wth local communtties and partners
Declaration
Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
Name:
Role: Chair
Date:
126
## **APPENDIX 3**
|**Report to the**
**trustees/members of**
**Registered charity**
**number**
**On the accounts of the**
**charity for the period**
**Set out on pages**
**Respective**
**responsibilities of**
**trustees and examiner**
**Basis of independent**
**examiner’s statement**
**Independent examiner’s**
**statement**
**Signed**:**
**Name:**
**Relevant professional**
**qualification(s) or body**
**(if any):**
**Address:**|**Independent examiner’s report on the accounts**
**V2**|**Independent examiner’s report on the accounts**
**V2**|**Independent examiner’s report on the accounts**
**V2**|**Independent examiner’s report on the accounts**
**V2**|**Independent examiner’s report on the accounts**
**V2**|**Independent examiner’s report on the accounts**
**V2**|**Independent examiner’s report on the accounts**
**V2**|**Independent examiner’s report on the accounts**
**V2**|**Independent examiner’s report on the accounts**
**V2**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Charity name
Orkney Nature Festival (ONF)|||||||||
||**SC**
053793|||||||||
||Period start date|||||Period end date||||
||Day|Month|Year|||Day||Month|Year|
||20|11|2024|**to**||30||11|2025|
|||||||||(remember to include the page
numbers of additional sheets)
10-11||
|||||||||||
||The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance
with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) 2005 Act and the
Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The charity trustees
consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the Accounts Regulations
does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section
44(1) (c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.|||||||||
||My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts
Regulations. 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 seeks
explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken
do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, I do
not express an audit opinion on the viewgiven bythe accounts.|||||||||
||In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention
1.
which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the
requirements:
•
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and
Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and
•
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with
Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations
have not been met, or
2.
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached.|||||||||
||A St||||**Date:**||10/06/26|||
||nne acey|||||||||
|||||||||||
||Voluntary Action Orkney|||||||||
||6 Bridge Street
|||||||||
||Kirkwall
|||||||||
||Orkney KW15 1HR|||||||||
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Orkney Nature Festival (ONF)
SC053793
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date Period end date
For the period Day Month Year to Day Month Year
from
20 11 2024 30 11 2025
Section A Statement of receipts and payments
Expendable Permanent
Unrestricted Total funds Total funds last
Restricted funds endowment endowment
funds current period period
funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations - - - - - -
Legacies - - - - - -
Grants - - - - - -
Gross trading receipts 239 - - - 239 -
Income from investments other than
land and buildings - - - - - -
Rents from land & buildings - - - - - -
Gross receipts from other charitable
activities 135 - - - 135 -
- -
A1 Sub total 374 - - - 374 -
A2 Receipts from asset &
investment sales
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets - - - - - -
Proceeds from sale of investments - - - - - -
A2 Sub total - - - - - -
Total receipts 374 - - - 374 -
A3 Payments
Expenses for fundraising activities - - - - - -
Gross trading payments 97 - - - 97 -
Investment management costs - - - - - -
Payments relating directly to charitable
activities 83 - - - 83 -
Grants and donations - - - - - -
Governance costs: - - - - - -
Audit / independent examination - - - - - -
Preparation of annual accounts - - - - - -
Legal costs - - - - - -
- -
A3 Sub total 181 - - - 181 -
A4 Payments relating to asset and
investment movements
Purchases of fixed assets - - - - - -
Purchase of investments - - - - - -
A4 Sub total - - - - - -
Total payments 181 - - - 181 -
Net receipts / (payments) 194 - - - - - - - 194 - -
A5 Transfers to / (from) funds - - - - - -
Surplus / (deficit) for year
194 - - - 194 -
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Section B Statement of balances**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Unrestricted Expendable Permanent Total current
Categories Details funds Restricted funds endowment funds endowment funds period Total last period
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds Cash and bank balances at start of year - - - - -
Surplus / (deficit) shown on receipts and 194 - 194
payments account
-
-
Cash and bank balances at end of year 194 - - - 194 -
(Agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s)) - - - -
Fund to which asset belongs Market valuation Last year
Details
to nearest £ to nearest £
B2 Investments None
Total - -
Details Fund to which asset belongs Cost (if available) Current value (if available) Last year
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B3 Other assets None
Total - - -
Details Fund to which liability relates Amount due Last year
to nearest £ to nearest £
B4 Liabilities None
Total - -
Details Fund to which liability relates Amount due (estimate) Last year
to nearest £ to nearest £
B5 Contingent liabilities None
Total - -
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of
approval
Thomas Hadley 2.6.26
**----- End of picture text -----**