The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
During the year, as with the previous accounting year, the charity made a small surplus. This was aided due to the continuing membership income being received along with the tight control over expenditure that have been maintained. The charity is continuing its objectives and is looking to continue its ECOS editions.
Through the year ECOS produced various forms of content in the usual range of categories. A report on Compassion in World Farming’s Extinction or Regeneration conference, three in-depth articles, six personal reflections under the heading “thoughts from influential conservationists …” seventeen book reviews and one edition of “A Moment’s Thought” by regular contributor Peter Shirley.
The resulting winning articles of the Student Competition 2022 were published during 2023; two Undergraduate winners and one Postgraduate winner. BANC continues to foster links with further education.
Key topics covered amongst the feature articles included an examination of ‘guerrilla rewilding’, biodiversity off-setting and wildfire.
During the year, Tom Dwight and Gavin Saunders ceased to be trustees and directors and the Digital Editor Beth Gerrard resigned. We welcomed Alice Johnstone-Burt as the new Digital Editor and we are working on recruiting new trustees and directors to bring greater diversity and new perspectives to BANC and ECOS.
It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six month’s expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year.
Currently the reserves of the charity exceed the stated Reserves Policy and the trustees are content with the overall financial position.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee on 1 June 1987 and was registered as a charity on 5 November 1987.
The charity is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The business of the charity is conducted by its Council. The Council consists of the officers of the Association and not more than seven members of the Association and not more than four members to be co-opted by the Council. The officers consist of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. All such offices are honorary. The officers stand for re-election every year at the Annual General Meeting.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
The charity appoints trustees on the basis of their long standing association with the organisation, interests in conservation and with a preference for people with some experience of running charitable organisations. The charity continues to look to recruit new trustees.
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
In order to assist you to fulfil your duties under the Companies Act 2006, we have prepared for your approval the financial statements of The British Association of Nature Conservationists for the year ended 31 December 2023, which comprise the statement of financial activities and the related notes from the charity’s accounting records and from information and explanations you have given us.
As a practising member firm of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, we are subject to its ethical and other professional requirements which are detailed at https://www.icaew.com/regulation.
This report is made to the charity's trustees, as a body, in accordance with the terms of our engagement letter dated 28 June 2022. Our work has been undertaken solely to prepare for your approval the financial statements of The British Association of Nature Conservationists and state those matters that we have agreed to state to the charity's trustees, as a body, in this report in accordance with ICAEW Technical Release 07/16 AAF. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than The British Association of Nature Conservationists and the charity's trustees as a body, for our work or for this report.
It is your duty to ensure that The British Association of Nature Conservationists has kept adequate accounting records and to prepare statutory financial statements that give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and deficit of The British Association of Nature Conservationists. You consider that The British Association of Nature Conservationists is exempt from the statutory audit requirement for the year, and is not required to obtain an independent examiner's report.
We have not been instructed to carry out an audit or a review of the financial statements of The British Association of Nature Conservationists. For this reason, we have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the accounting records or information and explanations you have given to us and we do not, therefore, express any opinion on the statutory financial statements.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The British Association of Nature Conservationists is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 32 Old Coach Road, Bulford, Salisbury, SP4 9DA.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Membership subscriptions
Development Officer fees
IT Costs
Contributor costs
Royalty and copyright costs
Legal and professional costs
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxationof Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2022 - none).