Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
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Charity number: SC031554 MURTON TRUST FOR EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT (SCOTTISH CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) UNAUDITED TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020 MURTON TRUST FOR EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT (SCOTTISH CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) CONTENTS Page Reference and administrative details of the Charity, its Trustees and advisers 1 Trustees' report 2 - 6 Independent examiner's report 7 Statement of financial activities 8 Balance sheet 9 Notes to the financial statements 10 - 26 MURTON TRUST FOR EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT (SCOTTISH CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020 Trustees Charity registered number SC031554 Principal office Arbroath Road Forfar Angus DD8 2RZ Accountants EQ Accountants LLP Chartered accountants Westby 64 West High Street Forfar Angus DD8 1BJ Investment Managers Adam and Company Investment Management Ltd 25 St Andrew Square Edinburgh EH2 1AF Solicitors Turcan Connell Princess Exchange 1 Earl Grey Street Edinburgh EH3 9EE Page 1 MURTON TRUST FOR EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT (SCOTTISH CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020 The Trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of the Murton Trust for Education and the Environment (The SCIO) for the year 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. Objectives and activities a. Policies and objectives The specific aims of Murton are: • To provide educational opportunities that encourages learning and developing skills for life. • To maintain and establish a thriving nature reserve that encourages access to the outdoors. • To maintain and develop a strong connection with our community through leadership, our work and on our site. • To effectively run a visitor farm and tearoom on our site that offers a recreational and leisure facility and generates income to support our educational work. Mission statement To provide a unique environment in which children, young people and adults can learn and develop skills for life. The vision Murton wishes to enrich people’s lives by using our site to its full potential. We can offer our unique environment as an educational tool that has a positive impact on all ages. We aim to be a thriving and sustainable charity valued in the community and recognised nationally. b. Activities undertaken to achieve objectives The SCIO meets its dual educational and environmental objectives by providing a vocational training centre for young people aged 14 to 19. While our courses are open to all, we especially provide for young people otherwise likely to leave school without qualifications. Murton provides a very different experience to traditional school providing placements for school pupils across Angus and allows pupils to earn SQA qualifications as well as self-esteem. We also work with a small number of young people who have been excluded from school or have left without qualifications. These post school trainees study for National Certificates in land-based industries. They are with us for a year with the ultimate goal of going into employment, further training or education. Management of the Reserve requires attention to wildlife, habitat changes, paths and the visitor experience and our trainees and students assist with all aspects. We maintain a work ethic of quality, pride and respect and the result can be seen in the high standard of craftsmanship on display around the reserve. The SCIO employs five full time and twelve part time staff. We have a small but growing team of dedicated volunteers who assist with certain aspects of the grounds work on the reserve and caring for the animals on the farm. Page 2 MURTON TRUST FOR EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT (SCOTTISH CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020 Achievements and performance a. Main achievements of the Charity Murton was heavily impacted by Covid-19 and the subsequent restrictions put in place. We were completely closed for the last three months of the financial year. All staff were retained and we thank them for their support during our closure. Murton actively sought and was successful in receiving funds from government support schemes and grant giving organisations, both to support our own organisation but also for the wider benefit of the Angus community. The educational work of the Trust allows all participants and particularly young people to thrive and succeed in an enjoyable and beautiful outdoor environment. Regardless of the reason for visiting, we promote the benefits of being active, learning new practical skills and striving for personal development in all that we offer. The majority of our educational opportunities are for young people aged between 14 and 19. In addition, this year saw a significant increase in visitors to our outdoor spaces and those that attended our organised events and activities on site. We continue to increase opportunities for families to learn together. All organised opportunities on site focus on the importance of a basic education and the importance of life long learning. We strive to connect families and individuals with nature and many found solace in the tranquility of our natural spaces. Our nature reserve was the perfect place to reaffirm a love for nature or to take first steps in understanding the natural beauty around us. When volunteers and school students visit our site, they help our skilled and qualified staff to maintain and enhance our nature reserve to the highest standard for all our visitors. The events and activities carried out on our site encourages an appreciation of the outdoors and ensures children, young people and adults will learn and develop skills for life. Murton wishes to enrich people’s lives by using our site to its full potential. We can only do this by engaging with our community. We offer activities and events, all delivered in a safe environment dependent on the needs of our community. For the first time, 2020 saw us successfully apply for community support grants and lead and deliver these new projects across Angus. We were able to directly support small community groups and charities, increase community capacity and encourage a connected and supportive network of similar minded organisations. As an established organisation, situated centrally in Angus we realise the importance of supporting community organisations and groups in our region. We strive to connect, inspire and be positive about the potential Angus has to be a great place to live, work and visit. We manage our thriving nature reserve, visitor farm and tearoom set in 100 acres for the benefit of our community. All the work we do ensures that we enrich people’s lives by experiencing the outdoors. Over the last 5 years Murton has worked hard to ensure that we have invested in our facilities and provide what our community needs in a recreational and leisure facility. As a fair weather site we lost 3 months of our peak 2020 trading season. Despite these trading difficulties, we remain determined to succeed as a visitor attraction in Angus. We strive to use Murton’s land to its full potential, we can offer our unique environment as an educational tool that has a positive impact on all ages. We are ready for the new challenges of 2020 and on to 2021 and believe we can meet our goals and support our community. For full details of the impact of our charity please see our Impact Report published each calendar year. Page 3 MURTON TRUST FOR EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT (SCOTTISH CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020 Achievements and performance (continued) b. Investment policy and performance The investment portfolio is managed on a discretionary mandate basis with consideration to return against risk and the investing time horizon. The portfolio is invested and actively managed to achieve a balanced return from income and capital growth, invested across a range of asset classes, with the majority invested in the equity market. The portfolio is measured against a bespoke benchmark and is considered suitable for investors with a medium risk tolerance and an investment time horizon of at least 8 years. The Trustees meet with the investment manager at least once per annum to ensure the ongoing suitability of the investment portfolio. The Trustees receive a quarterly investment report detailing the portfolio valuation and investment performance, portfolio holdings and asset allocation, transaction reports and costs and charges. The portfolio has seen a divestment for the period under review, helping to fund major projects undertaken by Murton Trust for Education and the Environment, such as the tearoom extension. The investment portfolio was fully liquidated in late 2019 with the cash transfer meeting certain liabilities that Murton Trust endured as a result of poor weather conditions hitting revenue. The Board of Murton Trust would like to take this opportunity to thank Adam & Company Investment Limited for the professional investment service provided over the years. Financial review a. Going concern After making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis can be found in the accounting policies. b. Reserves policy Unrestricted funds at 30 June 2020 were £64,776 (2019: £133,472). These include a designated capital fund of £0 (2019: £36,263). The general fund at the period end amounted to £64,776 (2019: £97,209) . Restricted funds at 30 June 2020 were £174,970 (2019: £122,814) and are detailed in note 17. They represent the investments in buildings, plant and machinery, the funding of wage costs, and specific grants for support of the education programme and the preservation of the habitat.