Finance Score: 2
Governance Score: 1
Support Score: 11
  • Strong growth: +2
  • No PartB
  • Narrow trustee age band: -2
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Large volunteers +3
  • Grant maker support: +8
Overall GiG Score: 14 ?

OPEN COUNTRY 

We seek to enable people with any disability to access the countryside. We have a countryside activities programme, a range of publications, and offer advice on improving countryside access for all.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
  • There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
  • There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
  • The Board appears to be dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • The Board has little diversity in terms of age
  • Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial issues to consider:

  • A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/03/23£432£382£50n/an/an/an/an/a135
31/03/22£318£297£21n/an/an/an/an/a120
31/03/21£277£267£10n/an/an/an/an/a90
31/03/20£341£268£74n/an/an/an/an/a135
31/03/19£233£218£15n/an/an/an/an/a125
31/03/18£196£202£-6£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/17£193£156£37£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/16£210£144£66£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/15£181£145£36£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/14£152£142£10£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/13£166£132£34£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/12£103£107£-3£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/11£101£103£-2£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/10£110£90£20£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/09£76£85£-9£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/08£92£77£15£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/07£80£78£2£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/06£70£61£9£0£0£0n/a00

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000
Established: 19 years

www.opencountry.org.uk

info@opencountry.org.uk

01423507227

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseInstagramX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Amateur Sport
  • Disability
  • Environment/Conservation/Heritage
GiG Classification
  • Community services
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides human resources
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • City Of Wakefield, City Of York, Leeds City, North Yorkshire,
Who it helps
  • Elderly/Old People
  • Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
  • People With Disabilities
Who works here?
  • Unknown number of employees
  • 135 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
National Lottery Community Fund£316,205
DCMS£24,212
Two Ridings Community Foundation£17,790
The Shears Foundation£11,000
Nova Wakefield£8,000
Leeds Community Foundation£6,092
The Grocers' Charity£4,421
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
The Shears Foundation - Open country
£5,500 22/01/2024
Open Country #OutThereTogether
Nova Wakefield - Grant to Open Country
£8,000 23/05/2023
A contribution towards a new Wheelchair Accessible Minibus for Open Country Service Users to allow us to continue to offer our full program of activities to address the needs of the Wakefield ....more
The Shears Foundation - Open country
£5,500 12/01/2023
Open Country #OutThereTogether
Two Ridings Community Foundation - Breakfree pack for York
£4,913 27/04/2022
Funding to create "Breakfree" Packs, which will provide independent walkers with any form of disability wanting to access sites in and around the City of York, with the vital information ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Wild About Wakefield
£297,651 24/03/2022
The funding will help to enable disabled people to use the countryside as a conduit for exercise and outdoor activities. The project will provide activities that for the most part combine physical ....more
Two Ridings Community Foundation - Selby Wheelers and Walkers
£10,000 09/03/2022
Funding to establish a walking group and tandem cycling group for people with disabilties.
National Lottery Community Fund - Wheelchair Accessible Minibus for Open Country
£9,500 04/02/2022
The funding will be used to purchase a new wheelchair accessible minibus to replace their previous minibus. The project aims to enable adults with disabilities access outdoor countryside activities ....more
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust - Open Country - 01/07/21
£1,500 28/07/2021
Core Funding
Two Ridings Community Foundation - Disabled Walking Club
£2,877 26/07/2021
Funding for running costs for an accessible walking group.
The Grocers' Charity - 2021 - Open Country
£4,421 24/03/2021
Towards project costs to fund a Countryside Activities Officer for 6 months, tools, materials and volunteer expenses. 25 adults with learning differences and mental ill-health will take part in ....more
Leeds Community Foundation - Grant to Open Country
£964 22/12/2020
2
Grant to Open Country
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£24,212 11/08/2020
"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more
Sport England - Toyota Parasport Fund - Cycling
£3,050 09/07/2020
35
Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled Toyota Parasport Fund - Cycling. This project is a Cycling project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a ....more
Leeds Community Foundation - Covid-19
£5,128 05/05/2020
Grant to Open Country
National Lottery Community Fund - Disabled Adventure Weekends
£9,054 22/11/2019
6
The funding will be used to run four adventure weekends for people with disabilities. The project aims to build confidence, self-esteem and also reduce social isolation.
National Lottery Community Fund - Spring into Cycling!
£9,674 27/09/2018
12
The group will expand their disability tandem cycling provision. The project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of local people.
Sport England - Wakefield Tandem Club for People with Disabilities
£6,094 17/01/2018
7
Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled Wakefield Tandem Club for People with Disabilities. This project is a Cycling project, with a focus on ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (7)
Current Trustees appointed

Age Range of Trustees: 52-70
  • JAYNE EYRE Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Health, Safety & Compliance
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 17/12/2004, number: 1107331
  • Registered at Companies House on 16/06/2004, number: 05155859
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
18 returns made; all on time
Main office

OPEN COUNTRY
Community House
46 East Parade
HARROGATE
HG1 5LT

Objectives

(A) TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEIR CARERS WITHOUT DISTINCTION OF SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, RACE OR OF POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS OR OTHER OPINIONS BY FACILITATING SUCH PERSONS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE WITH THE OBJECTS OF IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE OF SUCH PERSONS.(B) TO PROMOTE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INTO THE TREATMENT AND CARE OF DISABLED PEOPLE, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY FOCUSING ON DISABLED ACCESS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED. IN PRACTICE YORKSHIRE.

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase
Authorised officials of this charity can add information to this page (including a Donate Now button) for no cost

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