Finance Score: 5

Governance Score: 6

Support Score: 3

Strong growth: +2
Fundraising costs low: +3

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3

Grant maker support: +3

Overall GiG Score: 14

FOREST OF AVON TRUST

Tree & woodland charity for Bristol, Avon & around. Runs woodland activities for adults with learning disabilities, people with mental health needs & people with dementia; works with schools to support outdoor learning; offers accredited Forest School training & Inset Days; advises on and supports woodland planting & management. The Trust also directly manages a community woodland.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and dynamic in terms of composition

Established: 16 years

www.forestofavontrust.org

alex.stone@forestofavontrust.org

01179633383

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

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		£1,033	£1,086	£-53	£19	£476	£476	5.3	8	175
31/03/22		£920	£833	£87	£6	£531	£430	6.2	6	50
31/03/21		£370	£236	£135	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	10
31/03/20		£264	£183	£81	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	22
31/03/19		£150	£157	£-7	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	6
31/03/18		£180	£176	£4	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/17		£369	£223	£146	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/16	*	£154	£142	£12	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/15		£100	£138	£-39	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/14		£124	£104	£20	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/13	*	£132	£120	£12	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/12		£161	£137	£24	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/11		£139	£116	£24	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/10		£83	£42	£41	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/09?	*	£8	£4	£4	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/05/08	*	£8	£4	£4	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 1.8%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 1.7%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 71%
Liabilities/Income: 115%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 100%
Reserves/Spending: 5.3 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 5 months
Quick Ratio: 0.6

Asset Split ?

Listed activities

Arts/Culture/Heritage/Science
Disability
Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training
Environment/Conservation/Heritage
Recreation

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides services

Where it operates

Bath And North East Somerset, Bristol City, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
Other Defined Groups
People With Disabilities
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

8 employees
175 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.

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Forest of Avon Trust
£4,953	29/02/2024 12	Toward a woodland wellbeing group in Brinsham Park, Yate, supporting people with dementia and their carers.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Forest of Avon Trust
£250	19/02/2024	As requested by the donor towards the work of creating community forests across the region and the country for the wellbeing of local people and the environment.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Forest of Avon Trust
£1,000	06/05/2021	As requested by the donor to help deliver the benefits of trees & woodlands to as many people as possible in Bristol & Avon.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Forest of Avon Trust
£3,123	29/11/2017	We want to provide a programme of local woodland activities for people with learning disabilities, benefitting their health and well-being.
Quartet Community Foundation - 6 week Forest School woodland/ countryside activity programme for 10 Adults with Learning Disabilities.
£2,500	22/11/2017 5	To provide a 6 week Forest School programme for 10 people with learning disabilities in Splatt’s Abbey Wood in South Gloucestershire.
Quartet Community Foundation - 6 week Forest School woodland/ countryside activity programme for 10 Adults with Learning Disabilities
£2,500	10/08/2016 6	Toward the cost of a 6 week Forest School programme for 10 people with learning disabilities in local woodland.
OVO Foundation - OVO Gives Back - 2016-2017
£20,000	09/08/2016	This grant was used to train people to undertake conservation work in their local area to improve Bristol’s woodland.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (11)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Based on 10/11 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 29-79

ALISTER RANKINE Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Forester & Arboriculturalist

ANDREW MARTIN MCLAUGHLIN Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Service Director

CHRIS BLOOR Appointed: 2014, Occupation: Teacher

CHARLES DAVIES Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Solicitor

CHARLES GILES CLARKE Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Company Director

JAMES JOSEPH MAYER Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Director

MATTHEW RICHARD JOSEPH JONES Appointed: 2018, Occupation: University Lecturer

NIGEL LESLIE HOWE Appointed: 2007, Occupation: Company Owner Howe Associates

PAMELA MARGARET GILDER Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Retired

ROBERT BERNAYS Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Company Director, Other trusteeships: THE ALMSHOUSES OR HOSPITAL OF MISS ANN BEARPACKER, MRS G B TRUST, J AND M BRITTON CHARITABLE TRUST, THE AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE COMMUNITY TRUST, BERNAYS CHARITABLE TRUST, COLSTON'S SCHOOL FOUNDATION, KATHERINE'S COCK A DOODLE - 'DO!' TRUST,

SARA BLACKMORE Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Director

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 15/01/2008, number: 1122314
Registered at Companies House on 18/05/2007, number: 06252763

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
Investing charity funds 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

16 returns made; AR16: 46 days late, AR13: 1 days late, AR09: 248 days late, AR08: 120 days late,

Main office

STUDIO 3
FIRST FLOOR
UTILITY HOUSE
3 YORK COURT UPPER YORK STREET
BRISTOL

Objectives

TO PROMOTE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC THE CONSERVATION, PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE PHYSICAL AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WITHIN THE FOREST OF AVON, IN PARTICULAR BY:A) PROVIDING, CONSERVING, PROTECTING AND IMPROVING WOODLANDS;B) DELIVERING EDUCATION, TRAINING, VOLUNTEERING AND OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDING THE ARTS, WHICH ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN CONSERVING, PROTECTING, IMPROVING, USING AND UNDERSTANDING WOODLANDS AND THE WIDER PHYSICAL AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT;C) IMPROVING DERELICT LAND AND HARMFUL SITES; AND TO PROVIDE OR ASSIST IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR RECREATION OR OTHER LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, IN PARTICULAR BY MAINTAINING, IMPROVING AND PROVIDING RECREATION AND LEISURE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE FOREST OF AVON.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED.

Data Sources