This has been a year of partnership and collaboration across every area of Keep Wales Tidy’s work, as well as a year in which the charity has navigated a financial landscape which has been challenging across the whole Welsh third sector. We had a deliberate focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, recognising that ensuring nature, green spaces and volunteering are easily available to every community in Wales requires ambition and partnership across the whole of the Welsh environmental sector.
Through careful planning and disciplined management, we have emerged from the period in a strong position, but with clear-eyed recognition of the uncertainty that lies ahead through the 2026 Senedd elections and the funding decisions that will follow.
Three components define the year.
The first is empowerment of young people. Our Youth Board continues to have a key role in shaping our strategic direction. Through the Eco-Schools programme, this year Wales became the first country in the world to meet UNESCO’s Green Education Partnership target. An award from the Moondance Foundation, for Eco-Tots Cymru, will allow us to extend our environmental programme to nurseries.
The second is tackling litter at source and a decisive shift towards systems thinking. Our most recent LEAMS street survey revealed that more than a third of urban areas in Wales continue to suffer unacceptable levels of litter, with D-grade streets (the lowest rating possible), having surged by 286%. Against this backdrop, the charity has taken a more active role in the design of the systems that shape environmental outcomes at national scale. Our work on the Welsh Deposit Return Scheme, Extended Producer Responsibility and the development of a refreshed national litter methodology marks, a maturing of Keep Wales Tidy’s policy role, complementing our long-standing community and volunteer work.
The third is financial resilience. We cannot achieve our objectives without diversifying our income sources and maintaining healthy reserves. The wider funding environment for the third sector in Wales remains tight and we have not been exempt from that pressure.
This year we saw a meaningful diversification of our income sources. Total income for the year was £6,603,503 (2025: £6,492,493). Alongside continued investment in Local Places for Nature, the Welsh Government Local Environment Quality and Policy grant, EcoSchools and Green Flag, we secured close to £1m from the Moondance Foundation for Eco-Tots Cymru and further new income for Roots of Resilience and Rubbish Behaviours. The Eco-Tots Cymru award in particular represents a significant step in our long-standing goal of broadening our funder base beyond Welsh Government.
Through active financial management, a disciplined approach to cost and close partnership with our funders, we have ended the year with a headline surplus of £968,377 - the great majority of which is restricted income carried forward to support delivery of the new Moondance-funded Eco-Tots Cymru programme over the next four years. The charity ended the year with net assets of £3.04m and the investment portfolio in good standing under its new manager. The Board and senior team are, however, alert to the uncertainty that lies ahead, particularly with the Senedd elections in May 2026 and the implications for Welsh Government investment in environmental and community work from 2027 onwards.
We would like to thank our trustees, our Youth Board, the senior management team, our staff, our funders and partners and the thousands of volunteers and community groups whose commitment makes this work possible. The achievements set out in this report are theirs as much as ours.
Year in numbers
A summary of the scale of Keep Wales Tidy’s work during the 2025–26 financial year. Specific outturn figures to be confirmed at year-end.
• Volunteers and groups engaged in cleanups and community action events in 20,284 locations across Wales,
• 365,025 kg of litter removed from Welsh beaches, rivers, parks and neighbourhoods (based on an average of 1 bag = 5kg),
• 249 active Litter Picking Hubs operating across Wales,
• 229 Litter Free Zones being run by businesses and organisations across Wales,
• 356 garden packages to support community groups through Local Places for Nature,
• 1,008 schools engaged through the Eco-Schools programme,
• Eco-Tots Cymru launched, supported by close to £1m from the Moondance Foundation, extending environmental education into Welsh nurseries for the first time,
• 315 sites awarded the Green Flag, including a record number of community-led sites,
• 48 beaches awarded the Blue Flag, Green Coast or Seaside Award,
• Wales became the first country in the world to meet UNESCO’s Green Education Partnership target, with half of all schools holding environmental accreditation, and
• Total income of £6,603,503 (2025: £6,492,493), with charitable activities income growing by over 40%.
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026.
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 company's governing document, 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).
Keep Wales Tidy’s charitable objects are the protection and improvement of the environment for the benefit of the public in Wales. Our vision is a beautiful Wales cared for and enjoyed by everyone.
Our current strategy, Beautiful Wales 2022–2030, sets out four strategic pillars through which we pursue this vision. We will:
Eradicate litter and waste, including through the transition to a circular economy in Wales.
Create and restore green spaces that are accessible to every community.
Set standards for environmental excellence through our award schemes.
Empower young people to lead on environment and climate.
These pillars are underpinned by our values: Passionate, Together, Bold, Inspiring, and Responsible. They are expressed through an All-Wales approach delivered in partnership with Welsh Government, all 22 Welsh local authorities, community groups, volunteers, schools, and the wider third and private sectors.
Public Benefit
The trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in planning the charity’s activities for the year, and remain satisfied that the work undertaken during the year delivered clear public benefit to the people and places of Wales, consistent with the charity’s objects. This report is structured to provide evidence of delivery against each of the four Beautiful Wales strategic pillars.
Strategic context and operating environment
This year has been shaped by three significant forces in our operating environment.
Welsh Government policy leadership on circular economy issues has accelerated. The planned introduction of a Welsh Deposit Return Scheme, the transition to Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, and renewed focus on litter and Local Environment Quality have created opportunities for Keep Wales Tidy to contribute expertise, evidence and constructive challenge at the heart of policy design. The forthcoming DRS, which includes glass and prioritises reuse, is a particularly significant step, and we welcome the ambition and leadership shown by Welsh Government, while continuing to advocate for the long-term commitment and resources needed to match that ambition.
At the same time, the scale of the underlying challenge remains stark. Our most recent LEAMS street survey found that more than a third of urban areas in Wales continue to suffer from unacceptable levels of litter, and the number of streets graded D, the lowest cleanliness rating, has increased by 286%. These data confirm our conviction that piecemeal interventions are no longer sufficient. The issues we face are systemic, and they require systemic solutions: bringing together government, businesses, schools, communities and the third sector to rethink how we care for our public spaces and natural environment.
The third sector funding environment in Wales has remained tight. Many of our peers have faced difficult decisions about scale, staffing and service delivery. We have been clear-eyed that the same pressures apply to us, and the 2026 Senedd elections introduce further uncertainty about the medium-term funding picture for environmental and community work. These considerations are reflected in our reserves position, our risk assessment and our strategic plans, as set out later in this report.
Public and community appetite for environmental action remains strong. Demand for our volunteering programmes, green space support and education work has continued to grow, and we have worked to meet that demand while safeguarding quality, delivery and staff wellbeing.
The year has seen meaningful growth across all four Beautiful Wales strategic pillars. The sections that follow set out the most significant achievements against each pillar, the equity, diversity and inclusion work that cuts across them, and the policy and systems contribution that has grown materially during the year.
Eradicating litter and waste
Caru Cymru, our All-Wales partnership with every Welsh local authority, has continued as the national framework for volunteer-led environmental action. During the year we supported volunteers and groups taking part across 20,284 locations, removing 365,025 kg of litter from beaches, rivers, parks and neighbourhoods across Wales. We now have 249 active Litter Picking Hubs and 229 Litter Free Zones across the country, making Caru Cymru one of the largest and most sustained volunteer movements of its kind anywhere in the UK.
A particular highlight of the year was achieving a Guinness World Record for the biggest-ever river clean-up, held simultaneously at multiple locations across Wales. The event brought together thousands of volunteers and demonstrated both the scale of public concern about our environment and the capacity of coordinated community action to respond to it.
Spring Clean Cymru continued to act as our flagship spring campaign, mobilising volunteers and schools in communities across Wales. Our annual LEAMS litter survey continued to provide robust, long-term evidence on the state of Welsh streets, informing our advocacy with Welsh Government and local authorities and underpinning the national litter methodology work described in the policy section below.
During the year we also secured funding for Rubbish Behaviours, a new research partnership with Cardiff University examining how to tackle negative online behaviour relating to litter and the wider public realm. The programme will help us understand the digital drivers of attitudes and behaviours that shape what happens on the ground, and will inform both our campaigning work and the wider evidence base on behaviour change.
Creating and restoring green spaces
Local Places for Nature has been our most significant growth area this year. Grant income under the Welsh Government Local Places for Nature programme was £2,809,217 (2025: £3,513,368), reflecting substantial additional investment by Welsh Government. Through the programme we supported community groups to create 391 community gardens, including edible plots, outdoor classrooms, pollinator-friendly havens, and urban food-growing spaces. A deliberate focus has been placed on communities that have traditionally enjoyed less support, including delivery with refugee community groups in Cardiff Bay, with housing association tenants, and in urban and peri-urban areas that suffer from lack of accessible green space.
Alongside this programmatic work, the charity secured funding during the year for Roots of Resilience, a new strand designed to nurture the community groups on which much of our delivery depends. The programme recognises that the long-term sustainability of community-led environmental action depends on the resilience of the groups themselves, and that targeted support for governance, capacity and confidence is at least as important as the physical work on the ground.
Setting standards for environmental excellence
Keep Wales Tidy manages a suite of international and national award schemes that recognise excellence in the management of parks, beaches and tourism destinations. As the Wales member of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), we are responsible for delivering Eco-Schools, Green Flag, Blue Flag, Green Key and Young Reporters for the Environment across Wales.
The Green Flag Award recognises well-managed parks and green spaces. During the year, 315 parks and green spaces across Wales flew the Green Flag, including a record number of community-led sites, reflecting growing pride of place and grassroots ownership of local environmental quality. Grant income from Welsh Government in support of Green Flag for Parks decreased to £73,767 (2025: £84,065).
Our coast awards, including Blue Flag, Green Coast and the Seaside Award, continued to recognise Welsh beaches that meet the highest international and national standards for beach management and environmental stewardship. We continue to work with Welsh Government and local authorities to strengthen the use of these standards as key performance indicators for environmental excellence.
Empowering young people
Education for sustainability has been a particular growth area this year. The Eco-Schools programme, funded by Welsh Government, has continued to work with 1,008 schools across Wales, supporting students and staff to embed environmental thinking across the curriculum and into everyday school life.
A genuine high point of the year was the milestone of Wales becoming the first country in the world to meet UNESCO’s Green Education Partnership target, with half of all Welsh schools now holding environmental accreditation through Eco-Schools. This is a national achievement of international significance and one that every pupil, teacher, school and supporter has contributed to.
During the year we also launched Eco-Tots Cymru, a bespoke environmental programme designed and delivered for Welsh nurseries, made possible by close to £1m of funding from the Moondance Foundation. Eco-Tots Cymru extends the principles and practice of Eco-Schools into the early years and represents a significant new strand in the charity’s education portfolio. The programme launched in September 2025 and will run over the four financial years from 2025–26 onwards. It also represents a meaningful step in the charity’s long-standing strategic goal of diversifying our funder base beyond Welsh Government alone.
Climate Challenge Cymru has been another high point. The programme has brought young people, teachers and communities together to explore the climate and nature emergency in ways that are locally rooted, rigorously grounded and action focused. The response from participants has been outstanding, and we see Climate Challenge Cymru as a model for how environmental education can combine scientific rigour, cultural relevance and learner agency.
Our Youth Board of ten exceptional young people has continued to challenge our assumptions, shape our work and bring new ideas to the table. Through the Youth Board we are building a generation of environmental leaders and, just as importantly, ensuring that Keep Wales Tidy itself remains responsive to the people whose futures are most directly at stake in our work.
Equity, diversity and inclusion
Ensuring that nature, green spaces and volunteering opportunities are genuinely available to all communities in Wales remains a core commitment, and one that cuts across every Beautiful Wales strategic pillar. Our approach aligns with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act and our commitment to the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan and is reflected in our status as a Living Wage employer, a Mindful Employer, and a Zero Racism Wales signatory.
Across the wider organisation, we have continued to embed equity, diversity and inclusion in programme design, workforce development and governance. The year ahead will see a further step up, with an intentional shift toward a sector-wide approach. The trustees recognise that the barriers to participation in environmental action are not Keep Wales Tidy’s to solve alone, and that ambition shared across the Welsh environmental sector will be more effective than any single organisation’s initiative.
Policy, systems and national influence
This year has seen a decisive step forward in the depth and range of Keep Wales Tidy’s policy work. Alongside our direct delivery, we have taken a more active role in shaping the systems that determine environmental outcomes at national scale. Three workstreams stand out.
Welsh Deposit Return Scheme: we contributed substantively to the design and development of the Welsh DRS, including detailed input on scheme architecture, glass inclusion, reuse integration, and the operational implications for local authorities and the third sector. The Chief Executive has represented the charity at Welsh Government DRS Forums and engaged extensively across industry, policy and community stakeholders.
Extended Producer Responsibility: we have engaged with the implementation of EPR for packaging, including the implications for litter outcomes, local authority finances, and the future shape of Local Environment Quality funding in Wales. EPR and DRS together provide the foundations for a meaningful shift in how Wales tackles waste, and we have been active in making the case for that shift to be followed through with resources and delivery capacity.
National litter methodology: working with Welsh Government and partners, we have contributed to the development of a refreshed national litter methodology. The new approach marks a significant shift toward systems thinking across Local Environment Quality issues, moving beyond presence-absence measurement to a richer understanding of the drivers, patterns and consequences of litter across different environments. This will provide a stronger evidence base for future policy and delivery decisions.
Taken together, these workstreams represent a maturing of Keep Wales Tidy’s policy role. The trustees welcome this development and see it as a natural extension of the charity’s mission to create the conditions for a cleaner, greener Wales at scale.
Impact report
Keep Wales Tidy’s work is, in substance, about creating change in the environment, in communities, and in the systems that shape Welsh Local Environment Quality. A structured impact statement is the appropriate way to account for that work to our beneficiaries, funders and the wider public.
We have structured our impact reporting around four outcome domains, aligned with the Beautiful Wales strategic pillars and the charity’s systems-level contribution.
Cleaner, safer and more cared-for neighbourhoods
Through Caru Cymru, our 249 Litter Picking Hubs, 229 Litter Free Zones, our volunteer action programmes and our partnership with every Welsh local authority, we contributed to 365,025 kg of litter being removed from Welsh neighbourhoods, beaches and waterways during the year. Beyond the quantitative outcome, volunteer-led action creates civic value that is harder to measure but no less real: stronger community cohesion, increased pride of place, and a visible demonstration that action is possible.
Nature-rich, well-loved green spaces accessible to every community
Through Local Places for Nature, Long Forest, Tiny Forest, Green Flag and our wider green space portfolio, we supported 391 community groups to create, restore or enhance green spaces across Wales, with a record number of community-led Green Flag sites. We have continued to prioritise access for communities facing the greatest barriers to nature, including through deliberate delivery in inner-city, refugee, housing association and peri-urban settings. The new Roots of Resilience programme will deepen our investment in the long-term capacity of the community groups on which this work depends.
A next generation equipped to lead on environment and climate
Through Eco-Schools, Eco-Tots Cymru, Climate Challenge Cymru and the Youth Board, we supported young people in 1,028 schools and nurseries to engage with environmental and climate action. Wales’s achievement in being first in the world to meet UNESCO’s Green Education Partnership target is the headline outcome of this domain, and one that represents decades of sustained, patient work. The launch of Eco-Tots Cymru in 2026 extends our reach into the early years for the first time.
Systems-level change
Our policy contributions on Welsh Deposit Return Scheme design, Extended Producer Responsibility, and the new national litter methodology represent a different kind of impact: slower to measure and harder to attribute, but potentially significant at national scale. The trustees judge that this dimension of our work has grown materially this year, and that Keep Wales Tidy’s voice in national conversations about circular economy, Local Environment Quality and the future of Welsh environmental delivery is now among the clearest and most consistent in the sector.
Volunteer contribution
Volunteers are central to Keep Wales Tidy’s mission and to the delivery of almost every area of our work.
During the year, Keep Wales Tidy worked with litterpicking volunteers, in over 20,284 locations, contributing an estimated 106,522 volunteer hours to helping the local environment. This contribution spans every local authority area in Wales and includes our 249 Litter Picking Hubs, 229 Litter Free Zones, Spring Clean Cymru, Local Places for Nature community gardens, and Eco-Schools.
Volunteers contribute more than their time. They bring local knowledge, relationships with place, and the civic energy on which our mission depends. The trustees wish to record their gratitude to every volunteer, community leader and group organiser who has given their time and commitment this year.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting
Keep Wales Tidy’s charitable mission is, in substance, an environmental and social mission. Nonetheless, the trustees consider it appropriate to set out how the charity manages its own environmental, social and governance practices.
Environmental
As an environmental charity, we hold ourselves to a high standard in the management of our own environmental footprint. Our internal policy for spend is reuse, refurbish, recycle first. Day-to-day practice includes choosing virtual meetings over travel, using a sustainable hosting provider for our website, sourcing refurbished electrical and office equipment where possible, using local products and suppliers where possible. All staff have the option to work from home, reducing unnecessary travel to office locations. The charity’s investments, now managed by RBC Brewin Dolphin following a review during the year, are held in line with an ethical investment policy aligned with the charity’s mission.
Social
Our social practice spans workforce, volunteers and the communities we serve. Keep Wales Tidy holds Investors in People Gold accreditation and is a Living Wage employer, a Mindful Employer, and a Zero Racism Wales signatory. We have continued to invest in neurodivergent-inclusive working practices, line management development and staff wellbeing. Externally, we have continued to prioritise access to our programmes for communities facing the greatest barriers to environmental participation and intend to deepen this through a sector-wide EDI approach in the year ahead, in line with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act and the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan.
Governance
Governance arrangements are set out in detail in the Structure, governance and management section of this report. The Board maintains an active risk register, formally reviewed biannually and regularly revisited at Board meeting. Keep Wales Tidy holds Cyber Essentials accreditation, reflecting our commitment to information security. The Board is satisfied that the charity’s governance framework is proportionate to its size, complexity and risk profile, and is kept under active review.
The charity’s total income for the year was £6,603,503 (2025: £6,492,493), with total expenditure of £5,650,381 (2025: £6,459,697). The headline in-year result was a surplus of £968,377 (2025: surplus of £67,169). At the year end, total funds stood at £3,044,820 (2025: £2,076,443), comprising unrestricted general funds of £726,133, designated funds of £1,050,000, and restricted funds of £1,268,687. Net assets at the year end exceed £3m.
The headline surplus figure is materially elevated by the income recognition treatment of the Eco-Tots Cymru grant from the Moondance Foundation, set out in detail below, which falls entirely into 2025–26 for accounting purposes but supports programme delivery over four financial years.
Stripping out the income received in this year for expenditure in future years (£962,083 Eco-Tots, Roots of Resilience and Rubbish Behaviours received), the underlying operating result was a modest surplus of approximately £6,294. The trustees consider both views to be relevant: the headline figure reflects the financial statements, and the underlying figure provides a clearer sense of the operating performance of the charity in the year.
Income growth has been driven principally by continued and additional investment in Local Places for Nature, the Welsh Government Local Environment Quality and Policy grant, the Eco-Schools programme, Long Forest, Green Flag for Parks, and the performance of our Green Key and associated commercial activities. The income mix remains predominantly restricted to specific programmes, but has become materially more diversified during the year, with significant new income from sources outside Welsh Government — most notably the Moondance Foundation’s investment in Eco-Tots Cymru.
Eco-Tots Cymru received funding of £998,983 from the Moondance Foundation during the year for a bespoke environmental programme for Welsh nurseries that launched in September 2025. The grant has no performance-related conditions and meets the general income recognition criteria of entitlement, probability and measurement; the full amount has therefore been recognised in these financial statements, notwithstanding that the related expenditure will be incurred across four financial years. The restricted funds are ring-fenced within dedicated Flagstone accounts, alongside a £250,000 drawdown from the (now closed) Edentree investment account, to ensure the programme is fully resourced over its delivery period.
Further new income was secured during the year for Roots of Resilience, supporting the long-term capacity of community groups, and for Rubbish Behaviours, a research partnership with Cardiff University focused on tackling negative online behaviour relating to litter and the public realm. These projects further extend the diversification of the charity’s income base and have helped build organisational resilience and flexibility for strategic investment in our future priorities.
Earned income from our commercial and traded activities, including Green Key and associated services, remained an important component of the charity’s income mix at £626,504 (2025: £545,296). This unrestricted income is particularly valuable, supporting investment in charitable objectives that would not otherwise be possible within restricted funding, and providing a degree of financial resilience against shifts in the grant landscape.
Expenditure
Total expenditure on charitable activities was £5,650,381 (2025: £6,459,697). Total staff costs across direct charitable, governance and administrative functions were £3,193,390 (2025: £3,358,591), comprising £2,741,416 directly allocated to programme delivery and £451,974 within central overheads. The marginal year-on-year reduction in total staff costs reflects, in part, increased direct allocation of staff resource to externally funded programmes; the charity employed an average of 76 staff during the year (2025: 83). The trustees note that staff numbers and average length of service have continued to grow over recent years, and this is reflected in the reserves position set out below.
Investments
The Board reviewed the suitability of its investment management arrangements during the year and, having concluded that a closer alignment with the charity’s mission and ways of working was achievable, transferred the portfolio from Edentree Investment Management to RBC Brewin Dolphin. The investment account with Edentree has been closed, with £250,000 drawn down to support the Eco-Tots Cymru ring-fence (see above) and the balance transferred to RBC Brewin Dolphin. The investment portfolio held with RBC Brewin Dolphin stood at £1,205,357 at the year-end (2025: £1,410,399, held with Edentree).
An investment gain on disposal of £88,464 and a revaluation loss of £73,209 were recorded during the year. Interest and dividends received during the year totalled £58,805 (2025: £70,036). The charity also holds cash balances across The Co-operative Bank, NatWest, Nationwide, Monmouthshire Building Society, and Flagstone, providing both liquidity and a prudent spread of counterparty risk.
Legacies and social investments
The charity did not receive material legacy income during the year (2025: none). No social investments are held. Should the charity receive material legacy income or make social investments in future years, these will be accounted for and disclosed in line with the Charities SORP.
Pension arrangements
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme with Scottish Widows. Contributions during the year amounted to £301,149 (2025: £324,056). There were no amounts outstanding at the year end. The charity does not participate in any defined benefit scheme, and accordingly there are no material defined benefit pension liabilities or assets to disclose under the Charities SORP.
Financial outlook and uncertainty
While the year-end financial position is sound, the trustees wish to highlight the significant uncertainty attached to the period ahead. The 2026 Senedd elections, taking place in May 2026, introduce an unusual degree of unpredictability into the Welsh Government funding environment, on which a substantial proportion of the charity’s income depends. The shape of any new administration’s environmental, circular economy and community priorities, and the scale of associated investment, will have material implications for Keep Wales Tidy from 2027 onward.
In response, the senior management team and Board have undertaken detailed scenario planning, maintained strong relationships with Welsh Government officials across relevant portfolios, and pursued active diversification of our funding base, of which the Moondance Foundation’s investment in Eco-Tots Cymru is the most material recent example. The trustees are satisfied that the charity enters this period of uncertainty in a resilient position but remain vigilant to the risks it presents. The reserves position discussed below reflects this assessment.
Going concern
The trustees have assessed the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of not less than twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements.
In making this assessment, the trustees have considered the charity’s current financial position, contracted and indicative future income (including Welsh Government grant commitments for Local Places for Nature, Eco-Schools, LEQ and Policy, and Green Flag, and the multi-year Moondance Foundation funding for Eco-Tots Cymru), the level of free and designated reserves, contractual and grant commitments, cash and liquid investment balances, and the risks set out in the Principal risks and uncertainties section of this report, including the uncertainty associated with the 2026 Senedd elections.
On the basis of this assessment, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis. The trustees will continue to monitor the position actively through the period of political and funding transition and are prepared to take early action should the outlook deteriorate materially.
Reserves Policy
The trustees have reviewed the charity’s reserves policy during the year. The charity’s policy remains to hold unrestricted reserves sufficient to cover at least three months’ core operating costs. Designated funds have also been reviewed by the Board during the last twelve months, and the allocation between them rebalanced; the two core areas of working capital and strategic development have been maintained, but the split between them has changed.
Total designated funds at the year-end stood at £1,050,000 (2025: £1,050,000), comprising:
Working capital and orderly wind-down reserve of £750,000. This reserve serves a dual purpose: it provides the charity with at least three months of working capital in the ordinary course of business, and it provides a prudent provision for the people and property costs that would be incurred in an orderly wind-down of the charity should it ever cease operations. The reserve will be increased from £750,000 to £900,000 because staff numbers have grown since the designation was agreed and average length of service has increased, raising the potential cost of an orderly wind-down. While the charity no longer holds a long-term lease, it does retain annual commitments for office space in Cardiff, desk space in Pembrokeshire, and storage facilities across Wales used to hold tools, equipment and marketing materials. The trustees see no indication that the wind-down element of this fund will be required in the foreseeable future but consider it prudent to maintain the provision at this level.
Strategic development fund of £300,000. This fund supports the charity’s capacity to invest in new and innovative areas, in particular to strengthen the charity’s position in the commercial arena and respond to new challenges and opportunities. The trustees have agreed to reduce this to £150,000 from April 2026 for increase in the Working capital and orderly wind-down reserve.
Free unrestricted reserves at the year end were £726,133 (2025: £701,243), exclusive of the designated reserves above.
The majority of the charity’s income is restricted for specific projects and programmes, and is typically expected to be fully spent by the end of quarter four in line with funding agreements. Small underspends are occasionally carried forward where this is allowable. The most material exception this year is the Eco-Tots Cymru grant of £998,983 from the Moondance Foundation, the whole of which has been recognised as income in 2025–26 but will be spent across four financial years. The restricted income is ring-fenced in dedicated Flagstone bank accounts, alongside a £250,000 drawdown from the now-closed Edentree investment account, as described in the Financial review.
The trustees note that a digital transformation programme is planned for 2026–27 to address the risk associated with legacy systems (see Principal risks and uncertainties). The costs of this programme have been incorporated into the 2026–27 budget and, where possible, allocated to the relevant funding streams. While the procurement process for this work has been carefully managed, there is a small risk that additional funds may be required to complete the work, and the strategic development fund may be partially drawn on in 2026–27 should that prove necessary.
In reviewing the reserves policy this year, the trustees have given particular consideration to the financial uncertainty associated with the period around the 2026 Senedd elections. The Board considers that the current level of total reserves is appropriate given current and foreseeable risks, and provides the charity with a meaningful capacity to manage funding transitions, protect essential delivery capacity, and sustain investment in strategic priorities through a period of heightened uncertainty. The Board will keep the policy under active review and is prepared to adjust it should the risk environment change materially.
Principle risks and uncertainties
The Board maintains a comprehensive risk register, formally reviewed biannually by the Audit and Risk Committee and regularly revisited at Board meetings. The most significant risks currently faced by the charity, and the mitigations in place, are:
Funding concentration and political uncertainty: a material proportion of the charity’s income is derived from Welsh Government grants. The 2026 Senedd elections introduce heightened uncertainty about future funding settlements and about Welsh Government environmental and community priorities from 2027 onwards. Mitigation: active scenario planning, sustained engagement with officials across relevant portfolios, continued funder diversification (of which the Moondance Foundation award is the most significant recent example), and continued investment in commercial income streams.
Digital systems and information security: a number of the charity’s core digital systems are ageing, with elements no longer supported by their suppliers. This creates risks of system failure and of weakening information security. Mitigation: a planned digital transformation programme in 2026–27 (see Plans for the future), Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation, ongoing investment in ICT infrastructure, and continued staff awareness training.
Digital transformation delivery risk: the 2026–27 digital transformation programme is the principal mitigation for the digital systems risk above, but is itself dependent on employee and external stakeholder engagement to deliver the cultural and operational change required. A failure of engagement, or an inability to embed new ways of working, could materially reduce the benefits of the programme. Mitigation: structured change management, early and continued stakeholder engagement, careful procurement, and active Board oversight, supported where necessary by drawdown of the strategic development reserve.
Workforce pressures: sustained growth places demands on staff wellbeing and capacity, and average length of service is increasing. Mitigation: continued investment in training, line management, neurodivergent-inclusive working practices, and our Investors in People Gold framework.
Policy transition risk: changes to Welsh Deposit Return Scheme and Extended Producer Responsibility implementation timelines or design may affect the assumptions underpinning our policy and operational work. Mitigation: close engagement with Welsh Government, UK Government and scheme designers to track these developments.
Inflation and cost pressures: general cost inflation continues to affect delivery budgets, particularly for community-led work delivered through grant programmes with fixed ceilings. Mitigation: active budget control and renegotiation of supplier arrangements where appropriate.
Mitigations are in place for all identified risks, with regular oversight by the Audit and Risk Committee. Where appropriate, the charity also invests in internal systems, insurance, and expert advice to ensure risks are proportionately managed.
Looking forward, the charity’s strategic priorities for the coming year, grounded in the Beautiful Wales 2022–2030 strategy, are:
To sustain and extend the growth achieved this year across green spaces, education and community action, with a particular focus on Climate Challenge Cymru and Local Places for Nature, and to embed the new Eco-Tots Cymru, Roots of Resilience and Rubbish Behaviours programmes.
To consolidate our policy role by seeing through the next phase of Welsh Deposit Return Scheme, Extended Producer Responsibility and the new national litter methodology, and by continuing to advocate for a genuinely systems-level approach to Local Environment Quality.
To deepen our equity, diversity and inclusion work through a sector-wide approach, working in partnership with peers across the Welsh environmental sector.
To strengthen the role of the Youth Board and ensure young voices continue to shape our direction, consolidating Wales’s position as an international leader in environmental education following the UNESCO milestone.
To deliver the digital transformation programme planned for 2026–27, modernising the charity’s core systems, strengthening information security, and enabling more effective delivery, while managing the change and engagement risks associated with a programme of this scale.
To actively manage the financial uncertainty associated with the 2026 Senedd elections and their aftermath, through scenario planning, continued funder diversification and disciplined cost management, ensuring that the charity enters the next political cycle with delivery capacity intact.
Governing document
Keep Wales Tidy is incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee and governed by Articles of Association last amended by a special resolution of the Board of Trustees on 21 February 2024.
From 1972 to 31 May 2000, the organisation operated as part of the Keep Britain Tidy Campaign. From 1 April 2000 to 23 September 2007, it operated under the name of Environmental Campaigns Cymru. A special resolution changed the name to Keep Wales Tidy on 24 September 2007.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
The Articles of Association provide for between 3 and 14 Trustees, who are the Directors of the Company. Trustees serve for a maximum term of three years but may be appointed to serve two further terms of not more than three years each. Appointment is by election at the Annual General Meeting during September each year.
Before inviting nominations, the Trustees review their skills to try to attract members with relevant experience and other skills to the Board. The Chair and Executive Officers are appointed by the Trustees from among their number. Each newly appointed Trustee completes a declaration of interest that is reviewed annually thereafter.
Induction and training of new trustees
New trustees receive an induction pack which includes the Memorandum and Articles of Association, Charity Commission leaflet CC3 (The Essential Trustee), a description of the structure, organisation and staffing of the company, and details of the charity’s professional advisors. Trustees are encouraged to attend relevant training, and additional governance training is provided by the charity’s professional advisors as required
Board and committee of arrangements
The Board convenes at least four times each year and holds an additional strategic planning and training day. The trustees have delegated day-to-day management of the organisation to the Chief Executive, who reports on performance against the strategic and operational priorities approved by the Board
The Board oversees performance through a range of standing committees, including Audit, Policy, Remuneration and Commercial. Trustees also participate in periodic deep-dive sessions on specific areas of the charity’s work to inform strategic direction and risk oversight. Policies, the GDPR register and the risk register are reviewed regularly.
A number of staff-led operational groups also operate across the organisation, to which trustees are invited to contribute. These include the Net Zero Group and the EDI, Staff Consultation and Wellbeing groups.
The Youth Board of ten young people operates alongside the trustee Board and contributes to strategic direction and programme development.
Key management personnel and pay policy
The Chief Executive has responsibility for planning, developing and implementing the charity’s services and strategies within the policies and protocols set by the trustees, for ensuring that the staff team is recruited and supported to deliver Keep Wales Tidy’s mission, and for safeguarding the charity’s values. The People and Finance Director, who is also the Company Secretary, has operational responsibility for Finance, Human Resources and ICT, and reports via the Treasurer and Audit Committee on the financial position of the organisation. Management reports are prepared quarterly.
The remuneration of key management personnel is reviewed annually by the Board alongside a general review of all staff salaries, taking into account the scale and complexity of responsibilities, comparable sector data for charities of similar size operating in the region, and the charity’s financial position. Total remuneration for the four members of the key management personnel was £324,235 (2025: £329,503). As a Living Wage employer, we apply the real Living Wage across the workforce.
Related parties and wider network
Keep Wales Tidy works in close partnership with Welsh Government across multiple portfolios, with all 22 Welsh local authorities, with WCVA, with Wales Environment Link, and with a wide range of funders and sector partners. We are the Wales member of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Details of related party transactions are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Reference and administrative details
Registered Company number
04011164 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity number
1082058
Registered office
Spark
Maindy Road
Cardiff
Wales CF24 4HQ
Trustees and Directors
Mr Andrew Stumpf - Chair
Ms Luisa Pastore - Vice Chair
Mr David King MBE - Treasurer
Ms Lesley Babb
Mr Essex Havard - resigned 23 September 2025
Ms Gwenan Jenkins-Jones - resigned 28 May 2025
Mr Mike Leeson
Ms Rebekah Stone
Ms Alana Smith
Ms Ceri Davies
Mr Lloyd Harris
Ms Sharon Pascoe - appointed 23 September 2025
Mr Benjamin Rwizbuka - appointed 23 September 2025
Ms Jennifer Rudd - appointed 23 September 2025
Mr Stephen Williams - resigned 23 September 2025
Company Secretary
Mrs. Philipa McGrath
Auditors
Azets Audit Services
Epsilon House
Gloucester Business Park
Gloucester
GL3 4AD
Accreditations and memberships
Keep Wales Tidy holds Investors in People Gold accreditation, is a Living Wage employer, a Mindful Employer, a Zero Racism Wales signatory, and holds Cyber Essentials accreditation. We are the Wales member of the international Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), with responsibility for delivering Eco-Schools, Green Flag Award, Blue Flag, Green Key, and Young Reporters for the Environment across Wales.
Bankers
Cooperative Bank Plc
PO Box 101
1 Balloon Street
Manchester
M60 4EP
Monmouthshire Building Society
John Frost Square
Newport
NP20 1PX
Nationwide
47/48 Regent Street
Swindon
SN1 1JS
NatWest
250 Bishopsgate
London
EC2M 4AA
Flagstone
1st Floor Clareville House
26-27 Oxendon Street
London
SW1Y 4EL
Solicitors
Geldards LLP
4 Capital Quarter
Tyndall Street
Cardiff
CF10 4BZ
Investment Managers
RBC Brewin Dolphin
Central Square
Cardiff
CF10 1FS
Edentree Investment Management
24 Monument Street
London
EC3R 8AJ
Key Management Personnel: Senior Management Team
Chief Executive | Owen Derbyshire |
People and Finance Director | Philippa McGrath |
Deputy Chief Executive Communications Director | Louise Tambini Joanna Golley |
In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that Azets Audit Services be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of Keep Wales Tidy for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' 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 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 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; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the 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 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 company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Keep Wales Tidy (the ‘company’) for the year ended 31 March 2026 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows 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 company 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 company’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 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.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees' report; or
sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
As explained more fully in the statement of trustees' responsibilities, the trustees, who are also the directors of the company 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 company’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.
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.
Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above and on the Financial Reporting Council’s website, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.
We obtain and update our understanding of the entity, its activities, its control environment, and likely future developments, including in relation to the legal and regulatory framework applicable and how the entity is complying with that framework. Based on this understanding, we identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. This includes consideration of the risk of acts by the entity that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud, we designed procedures which included:
Enquiry of management and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims as well as actual, suspected and alleged fraud;
Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;
Assessing the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations considered to have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the entity through enquiry and inspection;
Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
Performing audit work over the risk of management bias and override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for indicators of potential bias.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’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 charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Azets Audit Services is eligible for appointment as auditor of the company by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Keep Wales Tidy is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Spark, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, Wales.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the company'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 company is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. 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 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 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 expendable at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity; the fund comprises the accumulated surpluses and deficits of unrestricted income and expenditure.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which have been set aside to fund particular future activities of the charity.
Restricted funds are those where the donor has imposed restrictions on the use of the funds that are binding. Income arising on restricted funds and expenditure incurred in respect of these funds are reflected through the Statement of Financial Activities.
Funds are transferred from restricted to unrestricted when the initial restrictions no longer apply. If any restricted fund falls into deficit, transfers are made from unrestricted reserves to cover the additional expenditure.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the 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.
In the case of performance related grants, income must only be recognised to the extent that the charity has provided the specified goods or services as entitlement to the grant and only occurs when the performance related conditions are met. Capital grants are credited to the statement of financial activities as and when receivable and depreciation charged is offset against the grant income, in a restricted fund.
Earned income is recognised when the service is provided.
Sponsorship income is recognised in the period to which the sponsorship takes place. Any amounts received in advance are deferred.
Interest on funds is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid by the bank.
Dividend income is recognised in the period to which it relates.
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.
Resources expended are included in the Statement of Financial Activities on an accruals basis, inclusive of any VAT which cannot be recovered. Certain expenditure is directly attributable to the specific activities and has been included in those cost categories. Certain other costs, which are attributable to more than one activity, are apportioned across cost categories on the basis of head count on each activity.
Governance costs
Governance costs include the external audit costs and costs associated with the board meetings of the company, including trustees' expenses.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Capital expenditure will be defined as:
Any single piece of equipment, costing £2,500 or more (exc. VAT) that has an estimated economic / operational life of more than 3 years.
Any fixtures and fittings costing £2,500 or more (exc. VAT) that have an estimated economic / operational life of more than 3 years.
Expenditure of a capital nature will be recorded on the KWT Asset Register.
If an item is purchased via grant funding and depreciation would preclude claiming the item, then the item will not be capitalised.
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.
At each reporting end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible 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).
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 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 company's balance sheet when the 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.
Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.
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 company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
As a registered charity, Keep Wales Tidy is entitled to the exemption from taxation in respect of income and capital gains received with sections 478-489 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 and section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects purposes only.
Provisions are recognised when the company has a legal or constructive present obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that the company will be required to settle that obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.
The amount recognised as a provision is the best estimate of the consideration required to settle the present obligation at the reporting end date, taking into account the risks and uncertainties surrounding the obligation. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, the amount expected to be required to settle the obligation is recognised at present value. When a provision is measured at present value, the unwinding of the discount is recognised as a finance cost in net income/(expenditure) in the period in which it arises.
The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.
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 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.
Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged as an expense on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease.
In the application of the 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.
There is nothing to report in this regard.
None of the trustees have been paid remuneration or have received other benefits from an employment with the charity.
During the year, no (2025: 1) trustee(s) were reimbursed (2025: £59) for travel and subsistence costs.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
Redundancy and termination payments totalling £20,460 were made in the reporting period. This payment related to four employees, comprising a payment in lieu of notice (PILON) and other contractual termination entitlements.
The payment was made in accordance with the terms of the individual’s employment contract and relevant employment legislation. No further payments or benefits are due in respect of this termination.
Key management personnel
During the year the total remuneration (including gross salary, employer's national insurance contributions and employer's pension contributions) totalled £324,235 (2025: £329,503) for 4 employees (2025: 4 employees).
Contributions totaling £18,075 (2025: £18,075) were made to defined contribution pension schemes on behalf of employees whose emoluments exceed £60,000.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
All assets of the company are secured by fixed and floating charges relating to a bank debenture.
All assets of the company are secured by fixed and floating charges relating to a bank debenture.
All assets of the company are secured by fixed and floating charges relating to a bank debenture.
All assets of the company are secured by fixed and floating charges relating to a bank debenture.
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company 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.
Local Places for Nature
Local Places for Nature is part of a wider Welsh Government 'Local Places for Nature' fund, committed to creating, restoring and enhancing nature 'on your doorstep'.
The fund aims to create, restore and enhance green spaces across Wales. Community and volunteer groups can apply for starter packages to create pollinator, fruit and herb on urban gardens. Community based organisations can apply for development packages to build a growing or wildlife garden.
Community Projects
Ongoing projects to improve the environment of Wales, through community involvement.
Education (Eco-Schools) funded by Welsh Government
To support sustainable development in schools.
Future Community Development
Investment to ensure continuation of community work.
WG Core Grant - LEQ and Policy Development
Our local environmental objectives included three elements: community, sustainability and policy. We provided practical support to individual volunteers, groups and partner organisations; we put measures in place to make community interventions more self-sustaining; we gathered evidence on local environmental quality and played an important role in the development of Welsh Government policy and implementation.
Green Flag for Parks funded by Welsh Government
The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world. The award scheme, run by Keep Wales Tidy in Wales is part funded by Welsh Government.
Education Grant Funding (formerly Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) projects)
Funding for various small projects in the education sector.
Urban Long Forest Delivery - National Lottery Heritage Fund
Urban Long Forest aims to protect and improve the quality of urban hedgerows in 4 counties of Wales.
Green Careers - National Lottery Community Fund
Inclusive Pathways to Green Employment aims to empower young people with disabilities and from ethnic minority communities in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea by providing them with opportunities to secure green careers.
EcoTots project
Eco-Tots is a programme for childcare settings working with children under 5. It provides resources and activities to engage young children in learning about nature and the environment and discovering a love for the natural world. We also provide resources to support activities at home with parents and families to help further a connection with nature.
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.
The designated working capital reserves fund has been set up to ensure the charity always has access to three months working capital.
A strategic business development fund has been put in place to enable the charity to develop and make the most of new opportunities.
There were no further disclosable related party transactions during the year (2025 - none).
At the reporting end date the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
The company had no material debt during the year.