The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025.
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 charitable company's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" 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)".
The charitable company's principal objectives, as set out in its Memorandum of Association, is to maintain, preserve and improve the herd of white cattle (commonly known as the "Chillingham Wild Cattle") in their natural surroundings in Chillingham Park, Northumberland, and to keep and maintain the same in their indigenous conditions, and in particular maintain their purity of breeding free from any admixture of extraneous blood. There have been no changes in the objectives during the year.
The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charitable company should undertake.
Chairman’s Report for the Year Ending 31 December 2025
The past year has been one of steady, well‑managed progress across the Park. Despite a wet and windy winter, the herd came through in reasonable condition, with mortality remaining within normal expectations. Hay stocks were well handled, with feeding beginning at Christmas and lasting comfortably to the end of March. Spring conditions quickly improved, allowing feeding to cease and the cattle to move onto fresh grass, with very few losses in February and March and early calves doing well.
Calving was strong throughout the year, with 25 calves born, all but one thriving, and only a handful of natural losses. The herd has therefore remained stable and in generally excellent condition.
Wildlife management continued to be a significant focus. Early in the year, squirrel damage was noted in several woodland areas, giving context to the intensive control effort that followed. By autumn, 67 grey squirrels had been removed, supported by new LANTRA‑approved training for Rick Waddington. Deer management remained active throughout, with the cull progressing from January onwards and an updated Deer Management Plan agreed later in the year.
Infrastructure and machinery challenges were addressed promptly. Roadside ditches and tracks were repaired early in the season, and although the Land Rover failed midsummer, it was subsequently repaired along with the power‑steering system. Bracken control was notably successful, with crushed areas showing clear improvement over topped areas.
Visitor engagement and education have continued to grow. Strong early‑season bookings, monthly newsletters generating donations, and refreshed marketing materials set the tone for a successful year. Long walking tours, private visits and merchandise all performed well, while Ellie Waddington’s initiative and the development of Wildling Woods and expanded children’s outdoor learning programmes proved exceptionally popular.
This year also saw the completion of a full review of the Articles of the Association, culminating in the adoption of the revised Articles at the AGM — a significant step in ensuring our governance remains robust, clear and fit for purpose.
On 31.12.2023 there are 118 cattle with 17 calves, 51 bulls and 50 cows and heifers.
On 31.12.2024 there are 124 cattle with 23 calves, 49 bulls and 52 cows and heifers.
On 31.12.2025 there are 135 cattle with 24 calves, 58 bulls and 53 cows and heifers.
My thanks go to the Wardens, Ellie and Rick Waddington, Denene Crossley and Park Manager Angus Collingwood‑Cameron for their commitment, as well as the Board of Trustees for their continued support.
Finally, I would like to record our sincere thanks to Terence Pardoe for his dedicated Chairmanship over the past three years. His thoughtful leadership, commitment to the Association and support for the team have been greatly appreciated by all.
The Association ends 2025 in a strong position to continue its vital work of protecting and interpreting this unique herd and landscape.
Herd numbers
The total size of the herd at 31 December 2025 was 135 animals, as follows:
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Calves Bulls | 24 58 |
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Cows and heifers | 53 |
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Total | 135 |
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The Reserve Herd
These animals are Crown property and their management is completely separate from that of the Chillingham herd. On their last count the herd number was at 32 animals.
Membership
On 18 June 2025 there were 438 members of the Association.
Public benefit
The Association will continue to be mindful of the Public Benefit. The main benefit being the maintenance of the unique herd of wild white cattle and the access of the public to them.
Financial report
This will be available at the AGM and an electronic or postal copy will be sent upon request.
Investment powers
The Association has the power to invest in or upon such investments, securities or property as it may think fit, subject to the Trustee Act 2000.
The financial results of the Association are detailed in the Statement of Financial Activities on page 6 and in notes to the accounts on pages 9 to 23.
The Association had net assets of £1,278,992 as at 31 December 2025 (2024: £1,171,600) as detailed by the Balance Sheet on page 8, and also in the notes to the accounts.
The principal funding sources and expenditure for the year under review are detailed on page 6 and in the notes to the accounts. This has supported the key objectives described on page 1.
Reserves
The Trustees have reviewed the reserves of the Association in relation to current and future requirements, and consider the levels held to be adequate to allow the Association to continue to meet its charitable objectives.
Risk review
The Trustees have continued to review the major risks to the Association and have established systems to mitigate these. The main risks considered are disease in the cattle, fire and storm damage and accident to members of staff. Specifically, the genetic resource represented by the herd is also protected by the maintenance of a reserve herd.
The Association is a registered company number 00351689 under the Companies Act 2006 and registered charity number 221071. It was incorporated on 11 April 1939 and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association which were revised in 2004 and amended by special resolution on 11 July 2025.
Trustees
The day to day running of the Association is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. Trustees serve for terms of three years, their appointments being made and confirmed at the annual general meeting. On expiry of their respective terms they are eligible for re-election.
The Trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year were:
The appointment of new Trustees is on the recommendation of existing Trustees.
None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the Association. All of the Trustees are members of the Association and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The Trustees, who are also the directors of Chillingham Wild Cattle Association Limited for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare accounts 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 year.
In preparing these accounts, 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 accounts; and
- prepare the accounts 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 accounts 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.
Exemptions
This report is prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Chillingham Wild Cattle Association Limited (the charitable company) for the year ended 31 December 2025.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charitable company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charitable company’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
Since the charitable company’s gross income exceeded £250,000, the independent examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charitable company as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no other concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Chillingham Wild Cattle Association Limited is a private charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is The Warden's Cottage, Chillingham, Alnwick, NE66 5NP.
None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the Association. All of the Trustees are members of the Association and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charitable company's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" 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)". The charitable company is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charitable company 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 charitable company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified to include the revaluation of certain financial instruments at fair value. 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 charitable company 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 Board of Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
Restricted funds must be applied in accordance with the specific purpose for which they were raised. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the fund.
Where restricted funds are endowment funds, these are separately identified in the accounts.
Designated funds comprise funds which have been set aside at the discretion of the Trustees for specific purposes. The purposes and uses of the designated funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charitable company 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.
Resources expended are allocated to direct charitable expenditure, costs of generating funds, or other expenditure and shown under appropriate headings.
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.
Tangible fixed assets are capitalised at cost, where the purchase price exceeds £200.
Fixed assets are used in direct furtherance of the charity's objects. The depreciation on property improvements is split between the revenue reserve fund and the Ian Bennett Memorial fund, to match the depreciation to the funding used to provide the asset.
Fixed assets are reviewed by the Trustees for impairment and written down to their recoverable value.
Although Companies Act requires annual depreciation of fixed assets, there is no provision in the financial statements for depreciation of Chillingham Park land and buildings. The buildings are maintained to a high standard to prevent deterioration. The estimated residual value of the buildings are, at current prices, not less than their book value. The trustees therefore believe that the policy of not providing depreciation is necessary for the accounts to give a true and fair view.
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.
At each reporting end date, the charitable company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the stocks to their present location and condition. Items held for distribution at no or nominal consideration are measured the lower of replacement cost and cost.
Net realisable value is the estimated selling price less all estimated costs of completion and costs to be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution.
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 charitable company 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 charitable company's balance sheet when the charitable company 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.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charitable company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
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 charitable company 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.
Taxation
The company is a registered charity and has exemption from U.K. direct taxation. Accordingly there are no taxation effects to be illustrated in respect of gains, either realised or unrealised, arising on investments.
Tax is reclaimed on New Gift Aid donations made by individuals, who sign the appropriate declaration. The amount reclaimed is included within donations in incoming resources and disclosed separately in the notes to the financial statements.
In the application of the charitable company’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.
Donations have been received from individuals, trusts and foundations during the year.
Professional fees
ECC - Embryo collection fees
Motor expenses
Goods for resale
Work done
Repairs and cleaning
Insurance
Printing, stationery, postage and telephone
Advertising and marketing
General administration expenses
Bank charges
Accountancy
Professional fees
ECC - Embryo collection fees
Motor expenses
Goods for resale
Work done
Repairs and cleaning
Insurance
Printing, stationery, postage and telephone
Advertising and marketing
General administration expenses
Bank charges
Accountancy
Funds of the Association have been used to provide indemnity insurance to protect the charitable company and its Trustees against the consequences of any neglect or default.
The cost of the policy was £469 for the year (2024: £447).
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charitable company is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund.
Endowment funds represent assets which must be held permanently by the charitable company. Income arising on the endowment funds can be used in accordance with the objects of the charitable company and is included as unrestricted income. Any capital gains or losses arising on the assets form part of the fund.
The Park Purchase and Improvement Appeal Fund is a restricted endowment fund into which donations raised to purchase the park and finance future improvements to the park are paid.
The income funds of the charitable company include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes:
The Life Membership Fund is a restricted fund, into which subscriptions from life members are paid. The balance of this Fund therefore represents the accumulated life membership subscriptions that are available for application toward charitable activities.
The Education and Staff Costs Fund is a restricted fund, into which donations raised to pay for future educational project costs and staff costs, are paid.
The Bandstand Fund is a restricted fund, into which donations raised to pay for the renovation of the Bandstand, are paid.
The income funds of the charitable company include the following designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes. These funds are material to the charitable company's activities made up as follows:
The Chillingham book fund relates to the production of a book about Chillingham in Northumberland.
The development fund is a fund specifically set aside for the development of the Park representing the value of investments held. The transfer received from the unrestricted fund represents the balance of additions and disposals made to the portfolio during the year from the general reserve. The investment income from this fund is lodged in the general revenue reserve fund and used for the benefit of the Association.
The General (& Ian Bennet) Unrestricted Revenue Reserve represents the operating income and expenditure of the Association.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year, further to those concerning the charitable company's Trustees as detailed under note 10 (2024: None).