Annual Report and Accounts 2015 - Country Trust€¦ · THE COUNTRY TRUST COMPANY LIMITED BY...

Annual Report and Accounts 2015

COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER : 6436266

THE COUNTRY TRUST

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FORYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2015

Chelmsford

Essex

CM2 0AW

Charity Number : 1122103

Edmund Carr LLP

Chartered Accountants

146 New London Road

This version of our Annual Report and Accounts does not contain any signatures in order to prevent the risk of fraud if the signatures are copied.

THE COUNTRY TRUST


FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2015

CONTENTS PAGE

Company information 1

Trustees' annual report 2

Independent Auditor's report to the Trustees 10

Statement of financial activities 12

Balance sheet 13

Notes to the financial statements 14

THE COUNTRY TRUST


COMPANY INFORMATION


Charity Number 1122103

Company Number 6436266

Registered Office Moulsham Mill, Parkway, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 7PX

President The Duke of Westminster KG CB CVO OBE TD CD DL

Vice Presidents Sir Theodore Agnew DL Hon. John Leigh-Pemberton

T Argent Hon. G E Lopes

Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher Bt H R Oliver-Bellasis FRAgS

Sir Nicholas Bacon Bt E P Serjeant

Lord Boswell of Aynho R N Swarbrick CBE DL

W Butterfield J R Stanford

Earl of Carnarvon I N Tegner

J M Carr-Ellison J Tice DL

Lord Dear QPM D T U Watson

D Laing

The Trustees The Trustees who served the charity during the year were as follows:

T Fanshawe (Chair)

J Brown

J Coles

T Fawcett Appointed 29th April 2015

N J Ford BA, MRICS

H Mills DL Appointed 29th April 2015

J Serjeant ACA

A Bufton-McCoy (co-opted)

W J Henderson Resigned 29th April 2015

M Maclay Resigned 29th April 2015

Chief Executive J Attenborough

Assistant Director D Thompson

Bankers CAF Bank Ltd

Kings Hill Ave, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19

Scottish Widows Bank Plc

67 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8YJ

Auditor Edmund Carr LLP, Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor

146 New London Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0AW

Solicitors Wrigleys Solicitors LLP, 19 Cookridge Street, Leeds LS2 3AG

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THE COUNTRY TRUST


TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT


Reference and Administrative Details

The Country Trust was founded in 1978 and is registered with the Charity Commission under Charity

Number 1122103. The Board of Trustees, President and Board of Vice Presidents, Chief Executive

Officer, senior staff members and professional advisers are given on page 1.

Objectives and activities

Charitable objectives

Our vision: Every child understands farming and the countryside, and how our food is produced through

high quality learning experiences.

Our mission: To bring food, farming and the countryside alive for disadvantaged children, sharing

knowledge, igniting curiosity and broadening horizons

Since 1978 the Country Trust has been quietly changing lives. Every year, we make it possible for

hundreds of volunteer farmers and landowners to welcome thousands of disadvantaged children from all

backgrounds and faiths onto their farms to share their passion for food, farming and the countryside.

With our help, our farmer hosts are able to provide hands on learning, answer questions, give unique

access to crops and livestock, enrich classroom learning, and help children who struggle in the classroom

to shine.

One in four children in the UK live in poverty. There is a direct correlation between growing up in a low

income family and poor early vocabulary skills, lower achievements at school, and ultimately lower

future earnings, as well as health issues such as stress and diabetes. Low incomes and family stress mean

that children often miss out on the experiences that enrich our lives – day trips, holidays, meeting new

people, eating well, playing in green space and fresh air. In inner city and urban areas, and increasingly

in coastal towns and some rural areas too, many primary schools have an above average number of

children from low income families. This is where we work – from Lowestoft to Liverpool, Tyne and

Wear to Tower Hamlets - because this is where the need is greatest. We also work with other children

experiencing disadvantage, such as children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

As an important first step in our strategic development we have clarified our intended outcomes as

being:

• Children, their parent helpers and teachers are more knowledgeable and more aware of food, farming

and the countryside.

• More farmers are able to share their love and passion for what they do.

• Children are more engaged with formal education as a result of increased ‘real world’ and interactive

learning experiences.

• Children are better able to make informed decisions about the food that they eat.

• Children feel more responsible for their own and the wider environment.

• Children have more opportunities to develop and display non-cognitive skills, to experience patience,

wonder and success.

• Children feel more at home in the countryside and greenspace.

• More teachers see the potential of countryside as a learning resource and feel more confident to use it

to enhance their teaching.

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THE COUNTRY TRUST


TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (continued)


We address poverty of opportunity. We help around 25,000 children annually to learn and grow through

three connected strands; Farm Discovery day visits to real working farms, Countryside Discovery

Residential trips and year-long Food Discovery programmes exploring every aspect of growing,

cooking and even selling food.

We help children to build a rich bank of experiences to draw on for language, literacy and personal

development. Raising aspirations and increasing opportunities is acknowledged by the government as a

route out of poverty.

We address community cohesion ‘It cannot be right...that people can grow up and go to school and

hardly ever come into meaningful contact with people from other backgrounds and faiths. That doesn’t

foster a sense of shared belonging and understanding – it can drive people apart’ David Cameron 20

July 2015. A significant percentage of the children we work with would be highly unlikely ever to go

beyond their immediate neighbourhood, and community, without the Country Trust. We work with

schools in areas of concern for radicalisation, and through an innovative partnership with MADE, a

Muslim social and environmental action group, with Islamic faith schools. Monowara Gani Head of

Programmes for MADE said ‘Our countryside is a national treasure and nothing brings communities

together more than our shared understanding of what we all treasure.”

We fundraise to ensure that Farm Discovery visits are provided at no cost to schools, residential trips are

subsidised and to enable schools to access one year of the Food Discovery programme at no cost. Many

schools recognise the value of this work by continuing to fund the Food Discovery scheme from their

own school budget share.

Exceptional developments

The Country Trust was delighted to receive a substantial and transformational three year grant towards

the development of the charity from the Westminster Foundation. Already this grant:

• Has enabled the expansion of the central team from two part-time roles to five, including a

Fundraising Manager, Finance Manager and a Head of Marketing and Communications.

• Has given us the capacity to improve our financial management and to begin to grow our income so

that we can transform more children’s lives.

• Has enabled us to refresh our statement of purpose, including how we express that through our visual

identity.

In the coming year, it will allow the CEO to focus on strategic planning and organisational management

and development.

Principal activities for the year 2015

Review of achievements and performance for the year 2015

We have made exciting progress in 2015 including making three internal appointments of staff to lead

our three key areas of work – Farm Discovery, Countryside Discovery residentials and Food Discovery.

This injection of time, energy and expertise is particularly focused on quality, safety, and impact.

We have also undertaken major reviews of our Health and Safety, Safeguarding and Volunteering

policies and practices.

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We have moved to online accounting, and cloud based communication, document storage and sharing

facilities. We are very grateful to have received £8,000 of software donations from Microsoft through tt-

exchange.

Our aim has been to maintain the number of children we work with, whilst also focusing on the quality

and impact of our activities and programmes.

Activities

“Worth a week in the classroom” Class teacher, Newcastle

The Country Trust is currently active in eleven areas of England and Wales linked to major conurbations

and areas of coastal or rural deprivation: these include London, Hampshire, the Home Counties, East

Anglia, East Midlands, West Midlands, North Wales, Manchester, Liverpool, Yorkshire and

Northumberland.

Across the Trust’s three main strands of work we are very proud to report the following achievements:

Farm and Countryside Discovery Visits – 17,961 children benefitted from visits to farms, estates and

other rural enterprises, which enabled their teachers to enhance the curriculum through access to high

quality real life examples and opportunities. A further 3,000 children enjoyed interactive workshops

with farmers visiting their schools as part of our winter programme, stimulating their thinking and

starting the learning journey which often continues with a farm visit in the spring or summer. 3,648

children participated in educational workshops and activities associated with Agricultural Shows,

primarily in Hampshire, where in addition 415 children with Special Educational Needs took part in

Countryside Adventure Days. The majority of children taking part in this range of activities were

between 5 and 11 years old.

Countryside Discovery Residential Visits – Residential visits offer children aged 9-11 years the

opportunity to become immersed in life in an environment which is different from their own. The

Country Trust works closely with teachers to ensure that the visits support and enhance the curriculum

and maximise the opportunities for children to experience different aspects of food, farming and the

countryside. In 2015, 883 children took part in residential trips to Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey and

Yorkshire. Each residential visit lasts between 2-5 days depending on locations and the needs of the

school.

Food Discovery – in the academic year 2014/15, 860 children took part in Food Discovery Programmes,

the majority lasting a full academic year. Children, (teachers, and parent helpers) are involved in

growing, cooking, farm visits, playground markets, food hero workshops and harvest feasts. This year

saw the Food Discovery model evolve to enable large primary schools to participate, with up to 120

children taking part in a carousel model. Cut down models were also devised for schools who wanted to

focus on just cooking or growing, along with the farm visits.

A Food Discovery programme for Teacher Continuing Professional Development was devised and

piloted to enable teachers to deliver some or all elements of the programme themselves.

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Evaluation

Over the last four years round 8,000 children in over 70 primary schools have taken part in full or part-

year Food Discovery programmes. The funding that has been associated with the programme has enabled

us to make significant progress with evaluation. We are now sharing this learning across the other strands

of our work, and hope to make significant progress with evaluation in 2016.

Recent evaluation (2015) of the Food Discovery programme shows that children learn new skills and

grow in confidence, at school and in their home lives. Children feel enormous pride taking a meal that

they have cooked home for the family. After the programme, 69% of children went on to cook one or

more Food Discovery recipes at home. Their food confidence grows through the year, with the majority

saying that they particularly enjoyed tasting new foods, a huge step forward for some children who really

fear new tastes and textures and have very limited diets as a result. As one child in Manchester said in a

thank you note to our Coordinator ‘Thank you Vicki for teaching me that trying new things is not so

bad’.

Having learnt new growing and gardening skills through the programme, 63% of children are confident

that they could grow something at home. They report that they loved 'being outside’, ‘learning about

creatures’, ‘harvesting’ and ‘getting their hands dirty’. They report ‘feeling happy’ when gardening

(remembering that some of the children will have chaotic and stressful home lives and an important part

of children’s mental health is to be able to recall times when they felt happy and positive about

themselves). Teachers were delighted that every child could take part in the programmes, and that for

some children attendance improved, and parental engagement increased. They also noticed that children

learnt a sense of responsibility and agency ‘if I water a plant it lives, but if I don’t look after it, it looks

really poorly and might die’.

Volunteers

The Country Trust relies heavily on the support and dedication of volunteers: as hosts for visits,

supporting Country Trust visits and activities, and providing expert support and guidance to staff. The

Charity is fortunate to have the support of around 700 such volunteers who collectively donated in the

region of 5,500 hours in 2015. The Board of Trustees would like to take this opportunity to thank all the

volunteers for their commitment and support, without which the Trust could not accomplish its work.

Fundraising performance

Income increased from £426,117 to £537,311 of which 30% was unrestricted. A further £205,153 of

income received in 2015 was deferred to 2016 for activity taking place in the second half of the academic

year.

Financial Review

An important focus for the year was to start to rebuild The Charity’s reserves. Reserves rose from

£101,788 to £142,980. Unrestricted reserves rose from £22,897 to £85,791. Expenditure was carefully

monitored and controlled, with some activity programmes initially limited. As a result, despite an

increased central team, expenditure only rose from £466,668 to £496,119.

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Financial management consists of the monthly preparation of management accounts that are distributed

to all Trustees for review. All payments made by the Charity over £2,000 require dual authorisation.

Whilst the income of the Charity is below the new threshold that makes it a requirement, Trustees have

opted for a full audit, with new auditors, as part of the strategic review of the Charity’s operations.

Whilst the Charity considers that sound management, strong central administration, and adequate

capacity to fundraise and raise the profile of the Country Trust fundamentally underpin successful

delivery of the Charity’s objectives, it continues to strive for a lean and efficient operation.

Reserves policy

The Charity’s reserves policy is to have unrestricted funds available for three months’ operating costs.

This would indicate a reserves level of approximately £125,000. At the end of 2015 the unrestricted

reserve level was £85,791, up from £22,897. The Charity will strive in 2016 to continue to increase the

level of unrestricted reserves towards the target level.

Principal funding sources

The Charity continues to derive the majority of its funding from grant making trusts, with a significant

proportion also earned from schools in the delivery of programmes such as Food Discovery and in the

contributions received from schools towards their Residential visits. A target within the Strategic Plan is

to increase the percentage of funding committed for more than one year, in order to support longer term

planning. A target of 20% for 2015 was achieved.

We would like to acknowledge the support received from all our funders, but mention specifically

Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation, Sir John Cass Foundation, The Dulverton Trust, The

Freemasons’ Grand Charity, The Eranda Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Norwich

Town Close Estate Charity, Lance Coates Charitable Trust, Postcode Community Trust,

Westminster Foundation and Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

Fundraising practice

The Trustees take their responsibilities with regard to proper fundraising practice very seriously and have

considered the review of fundraising self-regulation published in September 2015 and have read the

Charity Commission’s Guidance on Fundraising Practice. As a small charity, and one which currently

operates very little public facing fundraising, the Country Trust is not yet registered with the Fundraising

Regulator. However, the Charity complies with the Code of Fundraising Practice, fundraising activity is

included within the Trust’s Risk Register, which is reviewed at each Board meeting, and senior staff

directly involved with fundraising are present at every Board meeting.

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THE COUNTRY TRUST




Plans for the future

In 2016 our focus will be on the strategic development of our infrastructure to support the long term

development of our organisation and our capacity.

• We plan to continue to consolidate our practices and improve our infrastructure in 2016 but also hope

to grow our activity, sharing knowledge with and igniting the curiosity of many more children.

• We will broaden our income base in 2016 working to a fundraising plan focused on the sustainable

development of the Country Trust.

• We plan to build on the successful evaluation undertaken in our Food Discovery programme and

develop this within all our programmes. Our goal is to improve continually the quality, relevance and

impact of our work.

• We will continue to contribute to initiatives and partnerships within our sector, such as Countryside

Classroom, in order to make the importance of food, farming and countryside education more visible

and audible.

• We will work creatively with organisations within and outside of our sector in order to minimise

duplication and bring positive benefit to more disadvantaged children.

Structure, Governance and Management

Structure

On the 23rd November 2007 the Country Trust was incorporated and became a company limited by

guarantee and not having share capital. On the 1st January 2008, the Charity commenced trading as an

incorporated Charity. The Company number is 6436266 and the registered address is shown on page 1.

Governing document

The Charity is governed by the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Country Trust Ltd.

Governing Body

The structure of the Charity consists of a Board of Trustees, a Chief Executive supported by a Senior

Leadership Team, and a non-executive President and Board of Vice Presidents. The Board of Trustees is

a self-appointing body. The Chief Executive reports directly to the Chair of Trustees and is responsible

for the day-to-day running of the Charity. The President and Board of Vice Presidents has no executive

power and operates as an advisory, networking and fundraising resource.

Recruitment and training of Trustees

Trustees are recruited as and when required through personal recommendation and through the

recommendation of third party advisors according to the Board’s specifications concerning eligibility,

personal competence, and specialist skills. Potential candidates are invited to apply and are interviewed

by the Chair and at least one other Trustee. Successful applicants are co-opted to join the Board until the

AGM when their appointment is confirmed. Training and induction for Trustees is currently under

review.

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THE COUNTRY TRUST




Organisational management

The Charity’s Trustees are legally responsible for the overall management and control of the Charity.

The Board of Trustees meets four times a year to discuss and implement strategic issues, monitor income

and expenditure, monitor risk, review and approve policies and approve annual budgets. The day to day

running of the Charity is delegated to the Chief Executive, who is supported by the Assistant Director,

Senior Leadership Team, staff and sessional staff, and reports to the Board monthly and quarterly.

Hampshire Country Learning, now known as the Country Trust Hampshire, is managed as part of the

Country Trust.

Risk management

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the management of risks associated with the activities of the

Charity. The Board refers to the Charity’s Risk Register at each meeting. The Risk Register is prepared

and updated by the Chief Executive. Risk Assessments are prepared by staff and self-employed sessional

contractors for all activities and the Charity receives the help of professional advisors for risks associated

with health and safety, safeguarding and employment practice.

The Board of Trustees also has in place key controls for use by the Charity, such as formal agendas for

meetings, comprehensive strategic planning and monthly management accounting, established lines of

reporting, formal written policies, clear authorisation levels for all payments and a safeguarding policy

which provides guidance for all on best safe practice for adults within an organisation working with

children.

Strategy

A new Strategic Plan 2015-17 was approved by the Board of Trustees in December 2014. The plan

charts a course through consolidation to growth. In this plan period, The Country Trust aims to:

• Offer more, relevant, high quality, educational experiences, safely and consistently.

• Develop a sustainable and diverse funding base of active and well-informed supporters.

• Strengthen the infrastructure of our organisation and improve the evaluation of our outcomes.

• Forge powerful partnerships that greatly extend our capacity to meet our objectives.

• Influence the educational, political and social landscape to support our vision.

How the Charity’s activities deliver public benefit

The Trustees are confident that the activities of the Trust fulfil the requirements set out in the Charity

Commission’s guidance on Charities and Public Benefit, to which they have had due regard. Most of the

Charity’s activities focus on the education of children experiencing disadvantage, whether economic,

social or educational and are undertaken to further the charitable objectives of the Trust for the public

benefit.

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THE COUNTRY TRUST




Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The trustees (who are also directors of The Country Trust for the purposes of company law) are

responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with

applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted

Accounting Practice).

Company 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 of the incoming resources and

application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company 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 judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material

departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that

the charitable company will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable

accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company 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 hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and

detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the trustees are aware:

• there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and

• the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any

relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.

Statement of compliance with prevailing laws and regulations

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes

to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and

Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities

preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities

published on 16 July 2014.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the

small companies exemption.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 2nd June 2016 and signed on its behalf by:

T FANSHAWE J SERJEANT ACA

Chair of Trustees Trustee

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THE COUNTRY TRUST


INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES


We have audited the financial statements of The Country Trust for the year ended 31 December 2015

which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet and the related notes. The

financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and Financial

Reporting Standards for Smaller Entities (effective January 2015) (United Kingdom Generally Accepted

Accounting Practice applicable to smaller entities).

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s trustees, 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 trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s 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 trustees as a body, for our audit

work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and auditor

As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities set out on page 9, 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.

Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with

applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to

comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s (APB’s) Ethical Standards for Auditors.

Scope of the audit of the financial statements

An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements

sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement,

whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are

appropriate to the charitable company’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately

disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the trustees; and the overall

presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all the financial and non-financial

information in the Trustees’ Annual Report to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial

statements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect based on, or materially

inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by us in the course of performing the audit. If we become

aware of any apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our

report.

Opinion on financial statements

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 December 2015, 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 (applicable to smaller entities); and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

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INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES (continued)


Other matter

The financial statements of The Country Trust for the year ended 31 December 2014, were audited by

another auditor who expressed an unmodified opinion on those statements on 20 May 2015.

Opinion on other matter prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion the information given in the Trustees’ Annual Report for the financial year for which the

financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

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 directors' report and take

advantage of the small companies exemption from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

Colin Andrew Barker (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of Edmund Carr LLP, Statutory Auditor

146 New London Road

Chelmsford

2nd June 2016 Essex

CM2 0AW

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THE COUNTRY TRUST


STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING INCOME AND

EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT)


Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds

Funds Funds 2015 2014

Note £ £ £ £

Income from:

Donations and grants 2 159,911 246,687 406,598 326,684

Charitable activities:

Educational visits and activities 4 - 130,111 130,111 99,100

Investments 3 602 - 602 333

Total income 160,513 376,798 537,311 426,117

Expenditure on:

Charitable activities:

Educational visits and activities 5 97,203 398,916 496,119 466,668

Total expenditure 97,203 398,916 496,119 466,668

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) 63,310 ( 22,118) 41,192 ( 40,551)

Transfers between funds ( 416) 416 - -

NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 62,894 ( 21,702) 41,192 ( 40,551)

Balances brought forward 22,897 78,891 101,788 142,339

Balances carried forward 85,791 57,189 142,980 101,788

The notes on pages 14 to 21 form part of these financial statements.

The charity has no recognised gains or losses other than the results for the

period as set out above.

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THE COUNTRY TRUST


BALANCE SHEET

31 DECEMBER 2015

Note £ £ £ £

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets 11 2,111 93

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors 12 45,819 12,550

Cash at bank 325,383 113,113

371,202 125,663

CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within

one year 13 (230,333) (23,968)

NET CURRENT ASSETS 140,869 101,695

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES /

NET ASSETS 142,980 101,788

FUNDS

Unrestricted funds 85,791 22,897

Restricted funds 14 57,189 78,891

TOTAL CHARITY FUNDS 142,980 101,788

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions for small

companies under Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the Financial Reporting Standard for

Smaller Entities (effective January 2015).

These financial statements were approved by the Trustees on the 2nd June 2016 and are signed

on their behalf by:

T FANSHAWE J SERJEANT ACA

Chair of Trustees Trustee

Company Registration Number: 6436266

2015 2014

The notes on pages 14 to 21 form part of these financial statements.

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THE COUNTRY TRUST


NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparation

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and in accordance with the

Financial Reporting Standards for Small Entities (effective January 2015), the Charities Act and the

Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2015), UK

Accounting Standards and the Companies Act 2006.

Income

Donations and Grants

All donated income and grants receivable are included in income on receipt except where the donor

requires that the sum is to be treated as income in future accounting periods, in which case it is deferred.

Where a donor has specified that a donation should be used for a particular purpose this is treated as

restricted income.

Charitable Activities

Income from charitable activities arises from educational visits and activities where schools or other

partners fund all or a proportion of the costs incurred.

Deferred Income

Deferred income represents grants and service fees received in respect of visits and activities taking place

after the year end. It also represents unrestricted income where that income relates to future periods.

Investment Income

Interest received is accounted for when the interest is credited on the Bank deposit accounts.

Expenditure

Charitable Activities

Charitable activities comprise costs incurred in carrying out educational visits and activities to farms,

estates and the wider countryside, and in schools.

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and includes VAT as the charity is not VAT

registered. Governance costs are associated with the governance arrangements of the charity.

Where expenditure is apportioned between charitable activities and support costs, this is done based

on the portion that is applicable to the direct provision of educational visits and activities or the

administration of the charity.

Debtors and creditors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due. Creditors are recognised at their

settlement amount.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

Fixed Assets and Depreciation

Fixed assets are shown at historical cost.

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of an asset over its useful economic life by the

reducing balance method:

Computer equipment & software 25%

Fixtures & office equipment 25%

Fund Accounting

The unrestricted funds consist of funds which the charity may use for its purpose at its discretion.

The restricted funds are those where the donor has imposed restriction on the use of the funds. Details of

the funds and the restrictions are shown under note 14.

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2. DONATIONS AND GRANTS



£ £ £ £

Charitable Trusts and grant making bodies 133,033 190,701 323,734 266,917

Donations 26,878 55,986 82,864 59,767

159,911 246,687 406,598 326,684

3. INVESTMENT INCOME

All of the charity's investment income arises from interest bearing deposit accounts.

4. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES



£ £ £ £

Countryside Discovery Residential Visits - 85,886 85,886 90,150

Food Discovery - 35,106 35,106 8,950

Farm Visits - 9,119 9,119 -

- 130,111 130,111 99,100

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5. ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES



£ £ £ £

Programmes - Transport - 34,339 34,339 38,877

Programmes - Accommodation - 65,788 65,788 72,661

Expenses relating to visits and activities - 25,293 25,293 26,619

Self-employed contractors - 126,771 126,771 107,296

Wages, salaries and NI - 46,647 46,647 74,826

Staff mileage, accommodation and expenses - 23,883 23,883 33,589

Volunteer mileage, accommodation and expenses - 1,071 1,071 525

Support costs (note 6) 97,203 71,164 168,367 108,722

Governance costs (note 7) - 3,960 3,960 3,553

97,203 398,916 496,119 466,668

6. ANALYSIS OF SUPPORT COSTS



£ £ £ £

Wages, salaries and NI 75,905 31,450 107,355 76,700

Staff mileage, accommodation and expenses 4,775 3,834 8,609 -

Volunteer mileage, accommodation and expenses 40 - 40 -

Office costs 3,297 19,857 23,154 15,223

Computer and website costs 81 1,454 1,535 1,288

Advertising and publicity 767 3,962 4,729 3,600

Insurance 1,955 182 2,137 1,646

Recruitment and training 195 3,185 3,380 3,950

Subscriptions and sundry costs 177 8 185 973

Bank charges 14 - 14 28

Legal and professional fees 2,133 7,146 9,279 3,794

Annual meeting and report 7,315 - 7,315 864

Trustee expenses 234 86 320 64

Depreciation and disposal of fixed assets 315 - 315 592

97,203 71,164 168,367 108,722

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THE COUNTRY TRUST




7. GOVERNANCE COSTS



£ £ £ £

Accounts preparation - 1,000 1,000 1,000

Auditor's fee - 2,960 2,960 2,553

Fees payable to current auditor - 3,960 3,960 -

Fees payable to previous auditor - - - 3,553

- 3,960 3,960 3,553

8. NET INCOME FOR THE YEAR

Total Funds Total Funds

2015 2014

This is stated after charging: £ £

Depreciation 315 91

Auditor's remuneration 3,960 3,553

9. ANALYSIS OF STAFF COSTS

Total staff costs were as follows: 2015 2014

£ £

Wages & salaries 143,211 141,011

Social security costs 10,791 10,515

Pension costs - -

154,002 151,526

No employee received remuneration of more than £60,000 during the period.

None of the Trustees were paid any remuneration by the charity during the period.

Trustees are reimbursed reasonable expenses incurred when acting on behalf of the company.

Expenses totalling £91 (2014: £64) were reimbursed to 1 Trustee during the period for travel costs

incurred.

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THE COUNTRY TRUST




10. STAFF NUMBERS

The average number of employees during the year, calculated on the basis of full-time equivalents, was

3.8 (2014: 4) staff.

The average monthly head count, including part time staff, was 6.3 staff (2014: 10) and analysed by

function was as follows:

2015 2014

Number Number

Charitable activities 3.3 8.0

Support and administration 3.0 2.0

6.3 10.0

11. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETSComputer Furniture

equipment & office

& software equipment Total

£ £ £

COST

As at 1 January 2015 - 1,280 1,280

Additions 1,631 702 2,333

At 31 December 2015 1,631 1,982 3,613

DEPRECIATION

As at 1 January 2015 - 1,187 1,187

Charge for the period 238 77 315

At 31 December 2015 238 1,264 1,502

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 December 2015 1,393 718 2,111

As at 1 January 2015 - 93 93

12. DEBTORS

2015 2014

£ £

Trade debtors 27,134 -

Prepayments and accrued income 18,685 12,550

45,819 12,550

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THE COUNTRY TRUST




13. CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year

2015 2014

£ £

Trade creditors 12,564 551

Accruals and deferred income 215,091 21,843

Taxes and social security 2,678 1,574

230,333 23,968

Deferred income relates to grants and service fees received in respect of visits and activities that took

place after the year end as well as ongoing core costs that were incurred after the year end. All deferred

income brought forward was released in the current year.

14. RESTRICTED FUNDS

Balance at Balance at

01/01/2015 Incoming Outgoing Transfers 31/12/2015

£ £ £ £ £

a) Residential 22,716 93,706 (121,605) 5,183 -

b) Food discovery 16,250 56,625 (63,642) (7,609) 1,624

c) Farm visits 600 77,364 (84,744) 6,780 -

d) Country Trust Hampshire* 39,325 49,303 (56,371) (3,938) 28,319

e) Duke of Westminster - 99,800 (72,554) - 27,246

78,891 376,798 (398,916) 416 57,189

*formerly known as Hampshire Country Learning

a) Funds to subsidise the cost of Countryside Discovery Residential visits enabling disadvantaged primary

age children to experience food, farming and the countryside.

b) Funds for teaching disadvantaged primary school children to grow and cook fresh produce, to explore

local farms, run playground markets and a harvest feast, and also to train teachers in relevant elements

of Learning Outside the Classroom.

c) Funds relating to the provision of Farm and Countryside Discovery educational day visits bringing the

working countryside to life for primary school children from disadvantaged areas.

d) Provides for Farm and Countryside Discovery educational visits for primary school children to

working farms and estates specifically in Hampshire and the surrounding counties.

e) Funds provided by the Westminster Foundation for the provision of a small central team supporting

the development of the charity.

The transfers represent amounts transferred from unrestricted funds to eliminate year end deficits on

restricted funds. Transfers to unrestricted funds represent a portion of staff time in relevant areas of the

business being for central costs.

Movement in resources:

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THE COUNTRY TRUST




18. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS (between restricted and unrestricted funds)

Tangible Other net

fixed assets assets Total

£ £ £

Restricted - 57,189 57,189

Unrestricted 2,111 83,680 85,791

2,111 140,869 142,980

19. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

There were no related party transactions during the year.

20. COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

Every member of the company undertakes to contribute to the assets of the Company in the event of

the same being wound up during the time he/she is a member, or within one year afterwards, for the

payments of the debts and liabilities of the company contracted before the time at which he/she ceases

to be a member and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up the same, and for the

adjustments of the rights of the contributors among themselves such amount as may be required not

exceeding one pound.

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