The members, who are also directors of the Charity for the purposes of the Companies Act present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with 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 2015)”.
The charity's objects are specifically restricted to promotion for the benefit of the public of the advancement of education, the promotion of sustainable development and biological diversity, the advancement of rural regeneration and the conservation, maintenance, improvement and protection of the physical, natural and built environment of the Causeway Coast and Glens. The policies adopted in furtherance of these objects are as follows and there has been no change in these during the year.
to advance the education of the public or any local or statutory authority in the principles and practice of conservation, and the conservation and protection of wildlife and marine life in an effort to encourage conservation;
to advance, promote, preserve and further the conservation maintenance and protection of features of the landscape in the area of benefit with geographical, historic, physiographical or amenity value and to enhance their contribution to existing environmental amenities in the area of benefit for the public benefit;
to advance the education of the public in subjects relating to sustainable development and the protection, management, enhancement and rehabilitation of the environment and to encourage and promote study and research in such subjects provided that the useful results of such study are disseminated to the general public;
to advance any other exclusively charitable purpose as the directors, may from time to time, decide in accordance with the law of charity.
The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
The direct benefits that flow from CCGHT’s purposes are:
Habitat protection and enhancement through measures including establishing habitat management plans, controlling invasive species and addressing the risk of wild fires.
Protection of native species such as the red squirrel and native woodlands.
Improved public access to the area and mitigation of the impact of increased visitor numbers through engagement with landowners and the building, maintenance and promotion of paths.
Restoration of the built heritage through the repair of the historic stonewalls and other historic structures and monuments in the area.
Securing of the living heritage of the area for future generations through the collection and collation of heritage material.
Sharing of the heritage of the area for the education and enjoyment of the public through events, publications, exhibitions, training courses and volunteering opportunities.
The above will lead to protection of cultural values, heritage and the environment for future generations; enhanced appreciation and enjoyment of the area; increased social and economic well-being of local communities; conservation and enhancement of the special qualities of the Causeway Coast and Glens for current and future generations; development of outdoor skills and active lifestyles.
Our activities are designed to enhance and protect the environment and contribute to well-being. Any potential harms are outweighed by the benefits and alleviated through respecting the rights of all stakeholders, managing access, reducing wildfires and controlling invasive species.
The beneficiaries of the work of the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust are:
The local population in terms of improved access, heritage events and interpretation and development of outdoor skills and active lifestyles.
The general public including out of state visitors in terms of the conservation of the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty as a public asset, improved access to enjoy the area and enhanced appreciation and enjoyment of the area through providing information on the living heritage, flora and fauna.
Local landowners through the control of unwanted access and the safeguarding of boundaries and livestock through the building and repair of paths, stiles and bridges. Local landowners receive a private benefit through the control of unwanted access and the safeguarding of boundaries and livestock.
There are no private benefits to any other individuals connected with the organisation other than the payment of salaries to staff which is a necessary requirement in order to provide our services and therefore incidental to the carrying out of our purpose.
2024-25 has proven to be a memorable year for CCGHT; a year of achievement as well as a year of challenges. CCGHT entered the 2nd year of its 5-year funding cycle under DAERA’s Environment Fund. This allows the Trust to undertake its core activities relating to the management of the 3 AONBs in the area and the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site. This year CCGHT formally assumed the additional responsibility from DAERA for the management of the Rathlin Environmental Forum.
CCGHTs biggest ever project, the Binevenagh Landscape Partnership Scheme, received a 2-year extension from the main funders, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and will now continue until September 2027. The Trust is also grateful for the continued support for the Scheme from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, the Loughs Agency, the National Trust, the Woodland Trust and others.
The Trust also received core support from CCGBC to undertake a combination of environmental and sustainable tourism activities. Unfortunately for the first time in over 20 years no funding was received from Tourism Northern Ireland. Coupled with the lack of funding from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council financial management remained a significant challenge.
In order to reduce reliance on public sector grants and to help ease the funding situation in future years the Trust established a subsidiary trading company to provide a focus for its non-core enterprise activities which will include oversight of the Magilligan Tree Nursery. This has become an important part of the Trust’s work in partnership with HMP Magilligan. This project received generous support from the Dormant Accounts Fund administered by Charities Lottery.
Perhaps the highest profile event of the year was the Trust’s announcement that it has assumed responsibility for the ongoing management of the Dark Hedges. A Dark Hedges Management Forum has been established under CCGHT leadership, which will develop a masterplan and a management plan for the site to include the exploration of funding opportunities. Prior to taking a formal lead, through the transfer of responsibilities of the former Dark Hedges Preservation Trust and a lease agreement with the landowners, CCGHT carried out preventative and emergency work at the site to ensure visitor safety and following storm damage. The Trust recognises the finite life of the attraction but is committed to providing the best possible experience at the location for as long as possible.
This year CCGHT hosted the 3rd international Économusée conference as part of its ongoing management of the Économusée network in the region. The conference in Ballycastle attracted participants from all parts of Canada, Norway, Ireland and Northern Ireland and included visits to all 11 Northern Irish artisan workshops.
In March the Board of CCGHT agreed a new strategy which refocused the activities of the organisation along the themes of delivering a high-quality programme of protected landscape management; inspiring local communities; and conserving and enhancing the natural built and cultural heritage of our area.
From a strategic perspective the Trust has continued its work on the development of a new UNESCO Global Geopark for County Antrim as well as to lay the groundwork Northern Ireland’s first UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve to act as a lasting legacy for the Binevenagh LPS. Significant groundwork has been laid relating to participation in a number of EU funded PEACEPLUS projects in the fields of managing coastal change, provision of access and improving environmental awareness which are all expected to come on stream in the next financial year.
This year saw the appointment of Geoff Nuttall as the Antrim Coast and Glens and Marine Project Manager. Geoff has also been appointed, on behalf of CCGHT, as the Chair of Landscapes NI, the partnership body promoting all aspects of sustainable protected landscape management. Conor Johnston was appointed as the Trust’s Communications Officer replacing Portia Woods. This post, as well as that of Fundraising Manager, has been generously funded through Heritage Lottery’s CRESI programme.
At Board level Edward Mason has been appointed as the National Trust’s representative replacing Max Bryant and Cllr John Wisener was appointed to replace Cllr Darryl Wilson, one of the 4 CCGBC representatives.
CCGHT expenditure exceeded £1m in 2024-25 for the first time (£1.088m). With 16 members of staff the organisation was at its largest to date. 6 members of the team were 100% funded through lottery schemes with the remainder being funded from a combination of sources, particularly the Environment Fund. Direct staff costs reached £620k. Income at £758k meant an operating deficit of £310k. The deficit was due, amongst other things, to delays in the capital elements of the Binevenagh Project for which an apportionment charge was expected, no funding arriving from TNI or M&EABC. Included in the deficit was also an allocation carried forward from the previous year. The deficit was managed by using existing resources held by the Trust.
The Charity regularly reviews its policy on risk. The main risks to the Charity are associated with being adequately funded to continue with its main objectives. The Charity is heavily dependent on grants from DAERA each year, with DAERA being the biggest individual funder with a grant of £357,649.
The net deficit for the year to 31 March 2025 was £310,285 (2024: net surplus of £209,652).
The organisation has assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and is satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee. Causeway Coast and Glens is governed by a memorandum and articles of association. the company is recognised as a charity by HMRC (Charity Number: 106064).
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:
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.
CCGHT is a public/private/ voluntary sector partnership set up in 2002 and managed by a Board of 13 Trustees who are familiar with and have knowledge and regard to the Charity Commission NI’s Public Benefit requirements. Representation on the Board includes the local councils, voluntary sector bodies, tourism, government, farming and community organisations. With a small core staff and time bound project staff the Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust is led by the Chief Executive Officer in the small North Antrim village of Armoy.
The Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust (CCGHT) has no statutory powers and as such seeks to influence and work in partnership with a range of statutory and other bodies to achieve its aims, purposes and objectives. In addition to influencing strategic direction, CCGHT secures and distributes funding to assist in the implementation and delivery of its own objectives. It supports the development of strategies and the delivery of programmes and plans, which aim to ensure the long-term benefit of the area and to balance this with current economic development in a sustainable manner.
CCGHT has responsibility for a large area of Northern Ireland covering two council areas – Causeway Coast & Glens and Mid & East Antrim Borough Councils. It includes three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty - Binevenagh, Causeway Coast (including the Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site) and Antrim Coast and Glens (including Rathlin Island). It also includes several Ramsar sites, which all have international importance for their bird life alongside many Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Areas of Special Scientific Interest.
In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that IDS Chartered Accountants LLP be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.
The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust Limited (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
the information given in the Trustees' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared, which includes the directors' report prepared for the purposes of company law, is consistent with the financial statements; and
the directors' report included within the Trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors' report included within the Trustees' report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which 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; or
the Trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemptions in preparing the Trustees' report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
As explained more fully in the statement of Trustees' responsibilities, the Trustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:
we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charity through discussions with members and other management and from our commercial knowledge and experience of the sector;
we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of members and inspecting legal correspondence.
We assessed the susceptibility of the charity's financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:
making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud;
considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations; and
performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
reviewing journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
assessing whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias;
investigating the rationale behind any significant or unusual transactions.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:
agreeing financial statements disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
reading the minutes of meetings of those board of members;
enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims;
reviewing legal correspondence.
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the members and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
This report is made solely to the company’s members, 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 company’s members 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 company and the company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Grants received
Core income
Investment income
Expenditure of restricted grant income
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in Northern Ireland. The registered office is The Old Bank, 27 Main Street, ARMOY, Co Antrim, BT53 8SL.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's memorandum, 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 charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 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, modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
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 or grantors 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.
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. where costs cannot be directly attributed top particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with use of the resources. Premises overheads have been allocated on a floor area basis and other overheads have been allocated on the basis of the head count.
Fund raising costs are those incurred in seeking voluntary contributions and do not include the costs of disseminating information in support of the charitable activities. Support costs are those costs incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity and include project management carried out at Headquarters. Management and administration costs are incurred in connection with administration of the charity and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.
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.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
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.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
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.
Expenditure of restricted grant income
ENE Project
BLPS
NIEA Natural Heritage Grant
Other projects
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.