Ulster Wildlife Annual Report 2013 - 2014

Ulster Wildlife – Annual Report & Accounts | 2013 - 2014 1

ULSTER WILDLIFEANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2013/14

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Contents

Page

Directors’ Report ....................................................................................................4Vision, Mission & Goals ........................................................................................6Governance .............................................................................................................8Goal One - Inspire People to Champion Wildlife and Value Nature ...................................11

Discovery & Learning ..........................................................................................................12ParkLife ...................................................................................................................................13Love our Living Seas ...........................................................................................................14Wildlife Watch ......................................................................................................................15Growing Together ................................................................................................................16North Down & Ards Biodiversity Awareness Project ................................................. 17Volunteering ..........................................................................................................................18

Goal Two - Protect and Restore Habitats and Ecosystems throughPractical Action and Research ............................................................................19

Nature Reserves ...................................................................................................................20Living Seas Community Engagement ............................................................................24Urban Biodiversity................................................................................................................25Be There for Barn Owls ......................................................................................................26Shore Thing Project .............................................................................................................27

Goal Three - Standing up for Nature by Influencing Government Policy ............................... 29

Our Influencing Work ..........................................................................................................30Badgers & Bovine TB .......................................................................................................... 31Planning Bill ...........................................................................................................................32CAP Reform ...........................................................................................................................33Marine Protection ................................................................................................................34

Goal Four - Promote Health & Well-being through enjoyment ................................................ of the Natural Environment .................................................................................... 35

Natural World Challenge ....................................................................................................36Access on Nature Reserves ..............................................................................................38

Goal Five - Grow our Success and Extend our Reach ............................................................ 39

Our Members & Supporters .............................................................................................40Developing Projects .............................................................................................................42Organisational Development .............................................................................................43Landfill Communities Fund................................................................................................44

Future Focus ............................................................................................................. 47Financial Overview .................................................................................................. 48Accounts & Financial Statements ......................................................................... 49

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Directors’ ReportA word from our Chairman & Chief Executive

At this event, the Environment Minister announced the beginning of a 5 year Strategic Partnership with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and this has proved invaluable enabling the two organisations to work more closely together to protect and enhance our natural heritage.

The benefits of partnership working have become increasingly evident over the last 12 months and we recognise that we cannot achieve our vision and mission alone. Ulster Wildlife has worked in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, funders, corporate bodies and environmental NGOs making a difference to our natural heritage. We hope to build on this foundation, extending the scope and diversity of our activities while moving forward. One of the great things about the Wildlife Trust network across the UK is that each local organisation really belongs to its members, being a charity in its own right. Individual Trusts understand the landscapes and seascapes within their area and the hopes and priorities of local people, making the charity uniquely responsive to local conservation needs. We have a distinct and trusted knowledge of the nature, ecology and culture of Northern Ireland and are increasingly becoming the ‘go to’ organisation for advice and guidance whether for individuals, funders or other stakeholders.

Our aim is to involve people from all walks of life and we believe that experiences with nature should be fun and exciting as well as informative. During the year we provided educational sessions for thousands of school children in the outdoor classrooms provided by our local parks, nature reserves, beaches and other wild places, inspiring them to understand that nature matters. We also provided a programme of nature based events across Northern Ireland and environmental activity sessions for adults with learning disabilities which have proved very successful and rewarding for all concerned.

One of our principal goals in Ulster Wildlife is to ensure that the value of nature is taken into account in political and economic decision-making processes. During 2013-14 we provided input into issues such as the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, badgers and bovine TB, the Planning Bill, the Marine Bill and many other environmental issues of concern. This investment of time has paid dividends and delivered positive outcomes that would otherwise not have been achieved.

In the Spring, we were delighted to introduce local chef, writer and broadcaster Jenny Bristow as our new voluntary Ambassador. Jenny’s role as an Ambassador will see her lending her support and profile to champion the work of Ulster Wildlife to raise awareness of environmental issues that affect all of us living in Northern Ireland.

We would like to put on record a very sincere thank you to all those who have contributed to the success of Ulster Wildlife during 2013-14. Our Council Members continue to provide strategic direction and governance for the charity and are always very generous with their time and expertise. Very sadly, during 13/14 two of Ulster Wildlife’s long standing supporters and previous Council Members passed away -

2013-14 has been an eventful year for Ulster Wildlife. In April we launched our Corporate Strategy ‘Wildlife in Trust’ at Hillsborough Castle, highlighting the work of the charity to create living landscapes and secure living seas.

Ulster Wildlife’s Ambassador -

Jenny Bristow


Pat Boaden (left), our past Chairman and Tom McClelland (right), our past Chairman and Vice-Chairman. Their support over the years has been invaluable and their contribution will be greatly missed. However, the legacy of their work with the charity will live on for many years to come.

The commitment, passion, integrity and technical expertise of the Ulster Wildlife staff team is also a key factor in maximising the impact of the charity. We would like to recognise their contribution and were delighted to welcome a number of new and talented members during the year.

The contribution of our volunteers is very much appreciated and makes a significant difference for wildlife in Northern Ireland. During the past year, we had the pleasure of hosting three full time volunteers from the European Voluntary Service. A wide range of casual volunteers have also assisted with our work in many different ways and we would like to thank each and every one for their contribution.

Finally we would like to thank our members for their continuing support as this makes the work of the charity possible. We had the opportunity to meet many wildlife enthusiasts at local events, the AGM and the launch of the Living Seas film in Titanic Belfast. We hope all our members get a sense of satisfaction from being part of the Wildlife Trust family, helping us to work towards keeping ‘Wildlife in Trust’.

Jennifer FultonCEO

Silver-washed Fritillary on Knapweed at Glenarm Nature Reserve

Roy RamsayChairman

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Vision, Mission & Goals

Ulster Wildlife’s Charitable Objects as set out in its current Articles of Association are -

(1) The advancement of environmental protection and improvement, in particular the conservation of all aspects of Northern Ireland and its adjacent areas’ wildlife, biodiversity, geodiversity and associated natural beauty for the benefit of present and future generations by:

(a) safeguarding and enhancing natural biodiversity and geodiversity through the management of nature reserves (however entitled or however established);

(b) practising, advocating, encouraging, influencing, advising and campaigning for best conservation practice involving land, sea and freshwater management practice in ways that favour biodiversity, geodiversity, ecosystem health and sustainable development;

(c) undertaking practical and direct action, independently or in partnership, to protect threatened habitats, sites of geodiversity significance and wild places, at local, national or international levels on or in water, land and adjacent seas;

(d) taking account of other aspects of the natural heritage on which wildlife is dependent or to which it contributes, including landforms and landscapes;

(e) improving the quality of life of people through supporting a biodiversity and geodiversity-led approach to the management and design of the built environment;

(f) in discharging its duties as a Distributive Environmental Body in the administration of the Landfill Communities Fund, the work of the Trust shall not be for the benefit of landfill site operators who may contribute to the Trust and claim credit under the Landfill Communities Fund. Nor shall it be for the benefit of contributing third parties, as defined in the landfill tax regulations. The funds will be distributed as set out in the regulator’s (Entrust) guidance.

(2) The advancement of education by raising the public’s awareness and knowledge of all aspects

of Northern Ireland’s, and where relevant to its adjacent areas’, biodiversity and geodiversity and promoting, undertaking and co-operating in research into, and gathering and sharing information on, these topics.

We have recently completed a review of the Articles of Association and the new version will be tabled at the 2014 AGM for approval. Our new corporate strategy ‘Wildlife in Trust’ was launched in April 2013 and delivery has been ongoing since this date. Our vision, mission, strategic themes and strategic goals (which are linked to our Charitable Objects) are illustrated on the right.

The scope of responsibility for Ulster Wildlife is governed by its charitable objects and purposes.


Progress towards achieving our goals are set out in the subsequent pages.

STRATEGICTHEMES

Our work will be delivered through the themes of Living Landscapes &

Living Seas.

Living Landscapes is about conservation of natural spaces that is bigger, better and more joined up.

Living Seas is about ensuring that we protect the seas so that marine life can thrive, from the depths of the ocean to the coastal shallows.

Living Landscapes and Living Seas aim to secure environments that are: resilient and adapting well to the changing climate; support sustainable food production; promote biodiversity within healthy functioning ecosystems; and build places where people understand, value, respect and work with nature.

STRATEGIC GOALS1. Inspire people to champion wildlife and value nature

2. Protect and restore habitats and ecosystems through practical action and research

3. Stand up for nature by influencing government policy

4. Promote health and well-being through enjoyment of the natural environment

5. Grow our success and extend our reach

VISIONA healthy, well cared for

natural environment which contributes to enjoyment, quality of life, prosperity, health and well-being.

MISSIONWe are a local charity that champions native wildlife. We work with local people

to secure space for nature in our countryside,

towns, coastlines and seas.

Living Landscapes & Seas - Strangford Lough at sunset © P Gregg

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GovernanceThe charity is governed by a Board of Directors (Council) comprised of up to 16 members, nominated and elected from the membership of the organisation.

Council Members are elected at the AGM each year to serve up to an eight year term. At the AGM at least one-quarter of the Council must retire, and unless they have served for eight consecutive years, are eligible for re-election. Details of the serving Council Members for 2013/14 can be found below. Letters below Council Members names represent the sub-committees which they sit on.

Roy Ramsay(Appointed to Council for eight years from 5 September 2012)

R, G

CHAIRMAN

Joe Furphy OBE(Chairman to 17 September 2013) (Reappointed for two years from

17 September 2013)R, G, E

VICE CHAIRMAN

Graham Fitzgerald(Appointed for eight years from

17 September 2013) R, F

HONORARYTREASURER

Peter Archdale(Appointed for eight years from

17 September 2013)

E

COUNCIL MEMBER

Duggie Anderson(Appointed for eight years from

28 September 2011)

G

COUNCIL MEMBER

Peter McCloskey(Resigned from Council on 17

September 2013)

R

COUNCIL MEMBER

Lucinda Blakiston Houston

(Reappointed for four years from 5 September 2012)

E

COUNCIL MEMBER

Bob Brown OBE(Appointed for eight years from

29 September 2010)

E

COUNCIL MEMBER

Ken Brundle(Appointed for eight years from

17 September 2013)

F

COUNCIL MEMBER

Philip Lennon(Appointed for eight years from

28 September 2011)

R

COUNCIL MEMBER

Jim Kitchen(Appointed for eight years from

5 September 2012)

COUNCIL MEMBER

Margaret Finlay(Reappointed for one year from

17 September 2013)

G

COUNCIL MEMBER

Edith Finlay(Appointed for eight years from

28 September 2011)

E

COUNCIL MEMBER

Ben Matson(Appointed for eight years from

5 September 2012)

G

COUNCIL MEMBER

Jim McAdam OBE(Appointed for eight years from

29 September 2010)

COUNCIL MEMBER

Tom McClelland(Stood Down on

17 September 2013)

COUNCIL MEMBER

Doris Noe(Appointed for eight years from

5 September 2012)

E

COUNCIL MEMBER


During 2013/14 the governance sub-structure of the charity was reviewed and this is illustrated in the diagram below. This governance framework is designed to ensure that we are an accountable, effective and efficient charity and to manage risk at a reasonable level.

Changes to the CouncilThere were a number of changes to the Ulster Wildlife Council during 2013/14.

In line with the Articles of Association, having served an 8-year term, Tom McClelland stood down from Council on 17 September 2013. Tom’s support has been invaluable over the years, especially in relation to securing a new location for Ulster Wildlife’s offices.

Peter McCloskey, Honorary Treasurer resigned from Council following a 7 year term and Graham Fitzgerald was elected Honorary Treasurer on the same date. We would like to thank Peter for his hard work, dedication and commitment during his time as Honorary Treasurer.

Joe Furphy stood down as Chairman and was elected Vice-Chairman on 17 September 2013 and Roy Ramsay was elected as Chairman on the same date.

Risk and ControlUlster Wildlife’s approach to risk management is proactive, with regular reviews carried out at various levels within the organisation. The Board of Ulster Wildlife reviews risks to which the charity is exposed through the Risk Register and Risk Management Strategy ensuring appropriate controls, systems and procedures are in place.

Ulster Wildlife Council

ResourcesCommittee (R)

GovernanceCommittee (G)

EnvironmentCommittee (E)

FundraisingCommittee (F)

Governance Sub-committee Structure

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Making habitat piles in the ParkLife Project


GOAL ONEINSPIRE PEOPLE TO CHAMPION WILDLIFE AND VALUE NATURE

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Discovery & Learning

Throughout the year we ran Eco-Clubs at Mossley Mill in Newtownabbey and at Holy Cross Boys School in Belfast. These weekend and after-schools sessions gave the attendees the chance to learn more about nature in their local area and the opportunity to learn through hands-on, fun and creative activities. We also ran two summer schemes in Newtownabbey in 2013/14; one in Mossley Mill and the other a cross-community scheme in partnership with Monkstown and Whiteabbey Community Associations. Again these week-long programmes gave the attendees the opportunity to delve deeper into their local areas and to gain an appreciation of the wildlife they can find right on their doorstep.

Ulster Wildlife also offered a programme of one-off discovery sessions that schools and groups booked directly with us during 2013/14. These included ‘Minibeast Safari’ workshops, ‘Birds & Bird Feeders’ workshops, ‘Homes for Wildlife’ workshops and adult talks on Wildlife Gardening, Barn Owls and our local Sealife.

We also worked with Bombardier Aerospace in their ‘The Flight Experience’ Programme. Ulster Wildlife is one of a

number of partners that Bombardier works with to deliver this innovative programme, with the key objectives to encourage pupils to consider STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects as exciting and creative processes of discovery and invention, and to inspire and inform them about possible career choices in these subject areas. Ulster Wildlife delivers the ‘Flight in Nature’ element of this programme - which focuses on how different species use flight and how scientists and engineers have looked to nature in the designing of planes and other flying machines.

Another area of delivery for the Discovery and Learning Team is the programme of family-friendly public events at Delamont Country Park near Killyleagh and Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor. Events delivered in 2013/14 included Squirrel Walks and Bat Nights at Delamont, and Nature Recyclers and a Halloween Walk at Kilbroney. These events are enjoyable for all the family, teach people about nature in a fun way and encourage people to get active in the outdoors.

Ulster Wildlife believes that in order to protect NI’s diverse landscapes and seas, and secure a future rich in wildlife, we must invest resources into engaging people with nature and especially educating and inspiring the next generation to value and understand the natural environment.

Funders: Bombardier Foundation, Newtownabbey Borough Council, Down District Council.

Making a Mini-beast Hotel at Monkstown Summer Scheme


ParkLife

This innovative project continued to work with children in both the formal and informal education sectors. Individual classes and whole school groups have participated in the project, encouraging teachers to use the green spaces of Belfast City Council Parks as outdoor classrooms, also promoting health and well being through increased physical activity.

Children from Primary Schools close to BCC Parks participated in seasonal sessions and undertook fun and engaging activities focusing on a number of nature related topics such as mini-beasts, birds, leaves and seeds. Ulster Wildlife staff also kept track of the children’s physical activity through the use of pedometers.

ParkLife, by its very nature, encourages children to become more active as they walk around their local park. Over time they become more connected to the park and the nature it contains and this activity continues through repeat visits. During the sessions, children are encouraged to increase the level of physical activity they undertake to maintain a healthy life, i.e. walking on average 12,000 steps each day. They can then understand the importance a short walk around a park can have on reaching this target.

Ulster Wildlife continued to provide Saturday Eco-Clubs in four parks in Belfast;

• Woodvale • Ormeau • Falls • Victoria / Tommy Patton Park.

Children aged 7-12 attend, although younger family members also join us with parental supervision. The workshops provide the children with a great opportunity to get outdoors, learn about their park, its wildlife, and to have fun and make new friends from their local community.

The project also worked with Belfast City Council Parks’ staff, providing training and support to assist them to develop the skills to assume roles as educational facilitators in the future.

New for the project in 2013/14 was an element called the ParkLife Challenge, which was used to encourage schools and classes to go out and use their local BCC park in as many ways and as many times as possible over the Autumn and Winter Terms.

Our ParkLife Officer delivered assembly talks promoting the Outdoor Classroom. This focused upon key messages of: parks are Outdoor Classrooms; parks being good for us and good for a healthy life; things that people can do and see in the parks over the seasons; and how parks have changed over the years.

Each class was challenged to visit their local park at least once with their teacher over a period of 30 school days and they were provided with a wall chart to record their visits. This approach encouraged around 900 children to get out and use their local parks over this period.

During 2013/14, Ulster Wildlife staff and guides completed the second year of the Parklife Project (previously known as ‘Watch this Space’) in partnership with Belfast City Council (BCC).

Funder: Belfast City Council.

Putting up bird feeders in Ormeau Park

Junior Park Rangers with Ulster Wildlife Staff

at Victoria Park

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Love our Living Seas

At the beginning of the year, we completed work on our new ‘Living Seas of Northern Ireland’ Film. We held a very successful launch on 26 June 2013 in Titanic Belfast. This film takes viewers on a journey around the coast of Northern Ireland meeting some of our key species, habitats and people along the way. The film, together with a new interactive online map of our coastline and its marine life, has become part of Titanic Belfast’s exhibition and educational resources through their Oceanic Education Centre and has also been made available to other visitor attractions, schools and groups. The film is now available to watch on our website. There are two versions - a three minute taster and the full-length seventeen minute version. Both are available on DVD from the Ulster Wildlife Office.

To support these online media tools, we also produced a ‘ Love our Living Seas’ booklet which highlights the range of amazing sealife living around our coasts and visiting our seas.

Another element of our Living Seas awareness work in 2013-14 was our Living Seas Photographic Competition, sponsored by Black & Lizars and Nikon. We had some incredible entries and fantastic media coverage of the competition.

The winning photographs were put on display at Titanic Belfast in the Andrews Gallery for Marine Week 2013 and then were taken on a tour of local galleries around the country in the subsequent months.

As part of our ‘Love Our Living Seas’ awareness campaign we also ran lots of events and activities over the summer months to engage people with our local sea life. Highlights included Rock Pool Rambles at Groomsport and Annalong and BBC Summer of Wildlife at Castleward, as well as events during Marine Week, such as the Rathlin Maritime Festival, and a Fossil Hunt at Waterloo Bay.

We also ran two wildlife watching boat trips in the summer of 2013 – one around Dundrum Bay and the other around our Isle of Muck Nature Reserve and the Maidens.

In 2013/14, Ulster Wildlife developed a number of awareness raising tools and engaged with people all around our coastline to encourage them to dip below the surface of our seas and find out why they are worth protecting.

Funders: MPA Fighting Fund, Titanic Belfast, Crown Estate, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Joe Furphy, Jade Berman and Bob Brown from Ulster Wildlife

with Tim Husbands, CEO of Titanic Belfast and Terry A’Hearn,

CEO of NIEA at our Living Seas film launch, Titanic Belfast.

Cushion starfish found at the Groomsport Rockpool Ramble


Wildlife Watch encourages and nurtures young people’s interest in wildlife and the environment by creating learning opportunities, and inspiring personal participation and celebration.

During the year, Wildlife Watch members receive quarterly mailings which are filled with information, quizzes and activities to get young people engaged with nature. There is also a new series of awards that Wildlife Watch members can work towards to encourage action and to recognise and reward members’ environmental activity and achievements.

Another element of Wildlife Watch is Wildlife Watch Groups. Wildlife Watch Groups are run by teams of adult volunteers supported by a member of Ulster Wildlife staff. In the groups, which usually meet once a month for children aged between 7 and 14, children get to know and enjoy their local area – for example through fungus forays or tree games; and care for their local area by doing things like organising litter picks or helping to restore ponds. They may also participate in projects recording species and monitoring the environment. Together, these activities enable them to build personal and social skills and knowledge whilst developing a positive relationship with their local environment.

At present Ulster Wildlife supports two local Wildlife Watch Groups – one in Lisburn and one in east Belfast (Bloomfield Group) and in 13/14 worked towards the establishment of a third group on the North Coast. The Bloomfield Wildlife Watch Group, which meets in Orangefield Park in Belfast, has two sessions a month; one for junior members (7-11 years) and one for senior members (12-16 years).

In September 2013, around 30 parents and children enjoyed an action packed evening at Tom McClelland’s farm. They began by chopping up a fallen ash tree, then went to look at otter spraints at the river. Later, they gathered windfall apples which they fed to the cattle and as darkness approached they went on a bat walk and finished the evening with a bonfire to relax and unwind. In January 2014 they hosted their annual Winter Bird Day in Orangefield Park.

They made bird feeders from recycled materials and then helped bird ringing experts catch and record birds caught in the park. The senior group visited their local Tesco’s superstore for a behind the scenes look at what they are doing to protect the environment. They also took a closer look at urban foxes and camouflage in the Spring meetings.

The Lisburn Wildlife Watch Group meets in Knockmore Primary School each month. Over the 2013/14 year, the groups had talks on the Red Kite from RSPB, and they got creative with natural materials (flowers, leaves and twigs) to make beautiful jewellery and wrist bands. The group learned all about nature’s recycling system, how mini beasts and fungi and bacteria are useful decomposers of both plants and animals and they made a mural focusing on their local living landscape. In 2013/14 they had their first batch of award winners, with 12 members of the Lisburn Wildlife Watch Group achieving their Hedgehog Award.

Wildlife WatchWildlife Watch is the junior branch of The Wildlife Trusts aimed at 7-14 year olds and at the 31 March 2014, Ulster Wildlife had 3,018 registered Wildlife Watch members.

Members of the Lisburn Wildlife Watch Group

receiving their Hedgehog Awards

Bird Ringing at the Bloomfield Wildlife Watch

Group Bird Day at Orangefield Park

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Growing Together

Delivered in late winter/early Spring 2014, it brought together 150 schoolchildren and senior citizens from Belcoo, Garrison, Kesh and Derrygonnelly to create mini wildflower meadows and share stories, songs and superstitions about Fermanagh’s meadows.

The Growing Together Project saw children plant wildflower seeds which were then germinated and plug planted into their school grounds, whilst listening to older people in the area recall memories of meadows and the wildlife associated with them. The children also gathered tales from their grandparents and wrote poems and stories about what wildflower meadows mean to them.

A ‘Big Lunch’ was held at the end of the project to help strengthen community ties and to bring everyone together to celebrate the wildlife and cultural heritage of Fermanagh’s meadows.

Thanks go to our partners Ecoseeds for all their hard work and project supporters Translink, Asda Enniskillen, Garrison Parish Church, Lakeland Community Care, TACT, Saddlers Restaurant Enniskillen, and storyteller Eamon Keenan.

The project helped to educate and enthuse young and old about the value of our wildflower meadows, by sharing and learning from one another, as well as creating colourful outdoor classrooms.

The learning from this project will help to inform the engagement elements of the Save our Magnificent Meadows Project.

As a precursor to the Save our Magnificent Meadows Project which is starting in Summer 2014, Ulster Wildlife secured funding from the NGO Challenge Fund for the Growing Together Project.

Funder: NGO Challenge Fund 2014

Celebrating the Growing Together

Project at the ‘Big Lunch’

Pupils from Kesh Primary School

preparing wildflower seeds

Inter-generational folklore discussion


Ulster Wildlife sits on the Partnership Group for the North Down & Ards Local Biodiversity Action Plan. This plans sets out how the two Councils will enhance and promote biodiversity within their respective areas.

One of the objectives of the Action Plan is to raise awareness of biodiversity and to inspire people to take action. To support this objective Ulster Wildlife delivered the North Down & Ards Biodiversity Awareness Project in late winter/early spring 2014.

The project had two main thrusts – the first was raising awareness of local biodiversity with schoolchildren within the Boroughs and the second was establishing a nature-themed room in North Down Museum in Bangor to engage their visitors.

Our Discovery and Learning Team delivered ‘biodiversity assemblies’ to over 30 schools in the area, providing them with a bird feeding starter kit, bird boxes, and a range of species id posters. We talked to the children about the basics of biodiversity and also specifically tailored the talks to the key species and habitats found within the North Down & Ards Biodiversity Action Plan.

Schoolchildren were also encouraged to use the posters to record the local wildlife they see over the coming year and to feed this back to us.

The nature room in the museum was fitted out with new biodiversity information panels and interactive games and activities. There are also ‘Young Explorer’ backpacks that visitors can borrow to help them explore the beautiful Castle Park.

This project has been a great way to help spread the word about the importance of biodiversity within the local areas and will lead to additional nature-themed engagement in the future to build on what has been done so far.

Biodiversity Awareness at Westwinds Primary School

Biodiversity Awareness Session at Castle

Gardens Primary School

Biodiversity Awareness at Rockport School

North Down & ArdsBiodiversity Awareness Project

Funder: NGO Challenge Fund 2014 Biodiversity Room in North Down Museum

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Volunteering

The main area for volunteering is practical ‘hands on’ work on our nature reserves with volunteers helping our staff all year round, in all weathers. As well as the local people who give up their free time to help us in our nature reserve management activities we also act as a Host Organisation in the European Voluntary Service Scheme, hosting volunteers on full-time placements, for one year at a time, from all over Europe.

Our Living Seas Team has also provided a range of volunteering opportunities, in the form of short-term and longer-term placements – with volunteers getting involved in policy work, awareness raising events and projects and in research.

In recent years, we have increased the range of volunteering opportunities available across the organisation and have received extremely welcome support in our fundraising and engagement activities, as well as administrative support in the office and assistance with species-focused projects.

In 2013/14 we reviewed our volunteer support materials and started the process of attaining the ‘Investor in Volunteers’ charter mark.

Our volunteers help us make a difference and extend our reach. We could not achieve the results we do without the support of these enthusiastic and committed people bringing their fresh ideas and energy to our work. We thank all our volunteers for their contribution in 2013/14.

We do not have enough space in this publication to list all our volunteers individually, but below are just a few of the dedicated volunteers who have given their time to support our work in 2013/14:

Ulster Wildlife continues to provide volunteering opportunities across the organisation and receives support from a number of skilled and dedicated volunteers.

Ezechiele Squarcina - Nature Reserves Volunteer, Italy

Danica Nugent - Green Infrastructure Volunteer, Keady, Co. Armagh David Gibson -

Fundraising & Events Volunteer, Belfast

Belén Lopez Ruiz (Spain) & Laura Sailer (Germany) Nature Reserves Volunteers Conor Bush, Living Seas

Volunteer, Newtownards, Co. Down

Ramón Arribas - Nature Reserves Volunteer, Spain

Trish Harper - Nature Reserves Volunteer, Bangor - Co. Down

Natasha Sale - Office Volunteer, Lisburn - Co. Down


GOAL TWOPROTECT AND RESTORE HABITATS AND ECOSYSTEMS THROUGH PRACTICAL ACTION AND RESEARCH

Marsh Fritillary on Meadow Buttercup © A Lewis

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Nature Reserves

Ballynahone Bog RestorationOver 25 years ago, Ballynahone Bog, near Maghera, was acquired by a turf extraction company who dug 13kms of drains to harvest peat, partially drying out this extensive bog habitat - one of the best examples of its kind in Northern Ireland. Following a hydrological survey carried out in early 2013, funding from the NGO Challenge Fund 2014 allowed us to purchase and install 100 plastic-piling dams across the bog. Ballynahone Bog is one of the most important wetland sites in Northern Ireland and this restoration work is vital to help protect the health of the bog and the array of unique wildlife it supports. We are working closely with Queen’s University Belfast to monitor the success of the project and its effects on the bog’s ecology and plant life.

Further damming works on this site are planned over the coming months as funding is secured.

A student project investigating the effects of lead shot contamination on the bog has also been carried out and the findings are to be reported back in 2014.

During 2013/14, Ulster Wildlife continued to manage a suite of nature reserves across Northern Ireland for the benefit of wildlife and local people.

Dam installation on Ballynahone Bog

The Nature Reserves Team, with the support of a group of dedicated volunteers, worked throughout the year carrying out conservation management activities. These included, access management such as fencing, path maintenance, strimming, litter lifts and species and habitat monitoring.

The habitats found across our nature reserves require constant physical management. A wide range of activities take place, from rush-cutting at Slievenacloy and dune slack mowing at the Umbra, to scrub removal at Milford Cutting and bracken control at Inishargy. All of these measures are targeted at maintaining habitats for the protection of biodiversity in Northern Ireland.

Ongoing work continues across several of our reserves to combat the threat posed to native wildlife by invasive species. These include: Japanese knotweed control at Balloo and Bog Meadows, Himalayan balsam control at Glendun, Milford Cutting and Moyola Waterfoot, sea buckthorn at the Umbra and the removal of Himalayan honeysuckle at Straidkilly.

Bog Meadows Nature Reserve in Belfast


Balloo Wetland Hydrological StudyA hydrological survey of Balloo Wetland in Bangor was carried out in early 2014, with funding from the NGO Challenge Fund 2014.

Encroachment of invasive species and siltation have become a problem on this nature reserve and we were able to employ a hydrological expert to carry out an analysis of the causes and make recommendations for improvements/changes to the site’s layout. This will help us improve this nature reserve for wildlife and the many local people who regularly visit this urban wetland site.

Bog Meadows Swift Tower and Environmental Enhancement ProjectA swift tower was installed on one of the islands at Bog Meadows to provide a new breeding location for this highly threatened bird species. The tower was erected through funding from the Belfast Hills Partnership via the NGO Challenge Fund. During 2013/14 we also secured funding from the Alpha Programme to begin a programme of enhancement works on Bog Meadows – the works will improve the access, grazing infrastructure and overall appearance of the site.

Cattle will return to traditionally graze the meadows, encouraging the growth of wildflowers which will attract a wide range of insects, birds and mammals. Other works include new fencing, upgrades to paths, bridges, view points and signage, a new access point at Broadway Roundabout, which will enable direct access for the local communities from both sides of the Donegall Road, as well as improvements to the entrance and car park area. Works will be completed during the 2014/15 year.

Wood Cranesbill Translocation ProjectIn Northern Ireland, the striking pink-purple plant, wood cranesbill, is restricted to the Glenarm Glen, but due to changes in land management it now occurs only in a handful of protected sites. Ulster Wildlife’s Feystown Nature Reserve is one of these sites, boasting the largest cranesbill colony in Northern Ireland.

In an effort to spread the species back into the area, wood cranesbill plants were raised from seed and translocated to a nearby site at Drumcrow Rd. under licence from NIEA. We would like to thank the landowners for permission to use their field and help in increasing the distribution of this extremely rare species. It is early days to see whether this species will spread but the translocation area will be monitored annually, with the aim of additional areas being planted in the coming years.

Funders: Northern Ireland Environment Agency; Department of Agriculture & Rural Development; Landfill Communities Fund; Alpha Programme; North Down Borough Council, NGO Challenge Fund 2014.

Balloo Wetland Nature

Reserve in Bangor

Swift Tower installation at

Bog Meadows Nature Reserve

Wood cranesbill at Feystown

22

Surveys and MonitoringA wide range of surveys are carried out across our nature reserves every year – the results inform us of the progress of our management work and allow us to feed into national programmes which provide general trends across the UK and Ireland.

Floral surveys across our nature reserves in 2013 included:

• Milford Cutting Orchid Survey – an important site for marsh helleborine orchid

• Dune Slack Monitoring at the Umbra – one of our longest running surveys

• Bog Rosemary Survey at Ballynahone Bog – one of the rarest plants on our reserves

• Wood Cranesbill Survey at Feystown – one of only 3 sites for this species in Northern Ireland.

Mammal SurveysSeveral camera traps were employed at a number of our nature reserves this year:

• Cottage Farm – regular sightings of otters, badgers and a sika deer

• Balloo Wetland – otters and foxes

• Straidkilly - 7 species of mammal were recorded - Wood Mouse, Stoat, Badger, Fox, Pine Marten, Red Squirrel and Grey Squirrel.

Work will continue across all our sites in the coming years, with a range of projects planned to improve the sites for native wildlife and, where appropriate, for visitors. Visit our website to find out more about these special places.

Butterflies and MothsThe butterfly transect at Slievenacloy continues to be walked each year by our volunteers and in 2013 we were pleased to start a new butterfly transect at Ballynahone Bog.

The Marsh Fritillary butterfly at Inishargy Bog is isolated as the only colony on the Ards Peninsula and the most easterly in Northern Ireland. A survey of the adults was carried out and two Marsh Fritillaries were recorded on the nature reserve; no larva were found on the follow-up survey, but the species can still be found on adjacent land.

Interesting moths recorded across our nature reserves during 2013/14 included:

• The micro-moth Ancylis unguicella – 1st record for Co. Londonderry

• Slender Brindle – recorded at Glenarm during National Moth Night 2013

• Scarce Crimson and Gold recorded again at the Umbra

• Lampronia pubicornis at the Umbra – the only known site in Northern Ireland

• Marsh Pug at the Umbra – only three known sites in Northern Ireland

Nature Reserves

Dune grassland habitat at the

Umbra Nature Reserve

Pine Marten © K Franz

Scarce Crimson & Gold Moth at

Umbra Nature Reserve


Bird SurveysBird survey work included Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS) at Slievenacloy and Ballynahone Bog to monitor the populations of key species such as meadow pipit and skylark. A survey of the heronry close to Ballynahone Bog was also carried out and details were forwarded on to the British Trust for Ornithology.

Isle of Muck is the third largest seabird colony in Northern Ireland – an important breeding place for a range of species such as black guillemot, guillemot, razorbill, fulmar and kittiwake. All species remained relatively stable across a ten year average – guillemot numbers dropped from their 2012 peak but this is not necessarily a cause for alarm. Works are planned for the nature reserve in 2014/15 with the aim of increasing seabird numbers on the island.

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Seabird Counts - Isle of Muck (2001-13)

Fulmar AOS

Kittiwake AON

Guillemot IND

Razorbill IND

Kittiwake on Nest © R Bowler

Guillemots on cliff at Isle of Muck Nature Reserve

Key: AOS - Apparently Occupied Site, AON - Apparently Occupied Nest, IND - Individuals

Living Seas Community Engagement

24

We have experienced high levels of interest and support from local communities who wish to do more to engage people with the sea and celebrate the wealth of resource that we have on our shores. This work with local communities is essential in building grassroots support and demonstrating community goodwill towards protection of areas of our sea.

The first year of the Community Engagement project was largely focused on raising general knowledge levels of the local seas with the aim that the outcome would lead to exploring -> learning -> inspiring -> protecting. The second year moved into a new phase where we focused more on community consultation and engagement in specific areas. This allowed us to identify four areas (in South Down, East Antrim, North Down and North Antrim) where we have gauged particularly strong local support and where there is potential to develop voluntary community-led marine protected areas.

In 2013/14, our Living Seas Community Engagement Officer developed relationships and partnerships with relevant stakeholders in each local area and ran a number of talks, walks, surveys, and schools sessions as initial engagement opportunities. Through the project we also continued to work alongside our corporate partners, such as Titanic Belfast, and built relationships with other key statutory agencies such as Loughs Agency and DOE Marine Division.

Another key element of work in 2013/14 was undertaking audience research in summer 2013 into how local people value the coast (500 surveys completed across Northern Ireland). This has helped to identify barriers for practical action, eg a lack of regular engagement with local coasts/seas was determined from the research, particularly within the 18-29 year old age group.

Next year’s work on this project will focus on further community consultation and engagement in our four areas of focus to ensure a community-led approach. We will gather all available scientific/ecological data, cultural and heritage information about potential voluntary MPA sites, and identify further research projects / information needs. We will also provide opportunities for communities to learn from others including groups from outside of Northern Ireland in relation to community-led voluntary MPAs and their development.

*MPAs are a primary mechanism for protecting life at sea. They are “any areas of intertidal or subtidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment” (IUCN international definition)

The main aim of our Living Seas Community Engagement Project is to raise awareness of the importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)* for marine conservation and to support local communities to work towards setting up Voluntary Marine Protected Areas around our coastline. 2013/14 was the second year of delivery on this project.

Funder: Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Shoreline Survey with

Glenarm Wildlife Group

Seaweed Study at Groomsport

with Glenlola Collegiate students


Urban Biodiversity

Our Living Landscapes Team spent time during the year researching and developing their expertise in relation to green infrastructure and ecological urbanism. In essence these terms relate to how we can incorporate nature and wildlife into our urban planning and designs to help provide homes and food for wildlife and also to improve the health & well-being of urban dwellers.

During 2013/14 Ulster Wildlife became one of the partners in a Wildlife Trusts-wide project application to establish an Urban Conservation Best-Practice network across the UK, which can share information on the best ways to engage people in urban areas and to improve our towns and cities for wildlife. This project will also allow us to carry out pilot projects in urban areas to test different ways of working.

Ulster Wildlife also worked with the Forum for Alternative Belfast during the year, supporting the mapping of green-field and brown-field sites in the city, which will lead to future projects in these areas. Our Living Landscapes Manager spoke at the Forum’s Summer School which focused on trees in Belfast and how the greenways on the edges of the city can connect through the inner and centre city in a coherent way that helps connect city neighbourhoods.

We also provided a response to the Belfast City Master Plan consultation – emphasising the need for landscape-scale projects in our towns and cities, promoting wildlife corridors and connectivity within our urban landscape.

We also provided advice and support to a number of businesses during the year on how they can manage their land and surroundings to improve biodiversity.

As well as working in the countryside, Ulster Wildlife has a long history of promoting wildlife conservation in urban areas and this work continued in 2013/14.

Urban greening © P Hobson

Planting wildflowers with Depaul at their Mater Dei housing project which provides supported accommodation for homeless families

Seal in River Lagan © R Surgenor

Colin Eagleson (AES) with Conor McKinney

(Ulster Wildlife) at AES Environment Awareness Day

26

The project started in June 2013 and has five main aims:• Increase the availability of foraging habitat for barn owls.

• Increase baseline knowledge of barn owl distribution and abundance throughout NI.

• Identify and map barn owl nest and roost sites across NI.

• Raise awareness of the barn owl as part of our natural heritage and its conservation needs.

• Build capacity for local action through a network of community-led barn owl groups.

The project focuses on Counties Armagh, Derry/Londonderry and Tyrone, building on the work started in Co. Down in the pilot year. Year One of the Project focused on Co. Armagh and Co. Down.

Some of the key activities in year one included – • Working with landowners to provide advice on

habitat management and provision of barn owl nest boxes in suitable locations.

• Publicising the barn owl and asking for the public to contact us with sightings - there were 29 confirmed sightings from across NI. These sightings have been mapped and this information will be used to help inform the 2014 summer survey. Known nest/roost sites have also been mapped and surveyed.

• 15 community talks have been delivered to approximately 230 people. We also received support from the Southern Regional College, who had their joinery students help make barn owl boxes for the project.

• Working with communities in south Armagh providing information events and nestbox building workshops. Through these events key individuals have been identified who have an interest in taking forward local barn owl conservation work.

Next year this work will continue in other areas to improve our knowledge of barn owl locations in Northern Ireland so that we can target specific conservation measures in these areas. We have been supported in the project by a number of dedicated volunteers who act as our eyes and ears on the ground across the countryside.Barn owl © M Holland

Barn owl box construction by

Southern Regional College joinery students

Be There for Barn OwlsFollowing on from our successful one-year pilot project in 2012/13 jointly funded by NIEA and through donations from our members, we were delighted to secure funding from HLF for a three-year barn owl conservation project called ‘Be There for Barn Owls’.

Funder: Heritage Lottery Fund

Barn owl talk at Cope Primary School, Loughall


Shore Thing Project

The project gives A Level/Higher students and voluntary groups the opportunity to take part in real science to help monitor the impact of rising sea temperatures on our rocky shore species.

The project encourages students and local communities to monitor their local rocky shore for climate change indicators and non-native species. The survey protocols have been designed so that volunteer recorders can make a significant contribution to our knowledge of marine biodiversity and the impacts of climate change.

The aim of The Shore Thing project is to generate records of marine wildlife by facilitating surveys at sites around the British Isles, and to make the results available to all online. In addition, it aims to raise awareness of marine conservation amongst the participants and the wider community.

Previous research by the Marine Biological Association has shown strong evidence that recent climate change has resulted in changes in the abundance, population structure and biogeographic ranges of a number of intertidal indicator species.

Ulster Wildlife has been funded by the Peter de Haan Trust since March 2012 to help deliver the scheme in Northern Ireland.

This ‘citizen science’ approach involves groups of secondary school children or community groups carrying out a survey of a rocky shoreline and recording and submitting their results online.

Ulster Wildlife staff and guides run 20 sessions a year with a mixture of schools and community groups and have also delivered training sessions for others within the sector eg Local Biodiversity Officers, teachers and other Environmental NGO staff – so that they can lead Shore Thing surveys in their areas without our direct input.

The Shore Thing sessions involve a general rock pool ramble to explore the rocky shore and a 20 minute timed species search for 22 specific species selected as either climate change indicators or non-native species.

In 2013/14 surveys were carried out around our coastline in areas including Ballyhornan, Rossglass, Portaferry, Groomsport, Carrickfergus, Whitehead, Ballygally and Portrush. A further 20 surveys are to be delivered in 2014/15.

Ulster Wildlife is pleased to be supporting this project which is building a valuable dataset that will help to build a picture of the present state of UK rocky shores and measure change in the future.

The Shore Thing is an initiative led by the Marine Biological Association, which works with schools and community groups to collect information on the marine life of rocky shores around the UK.

Funder: Peter de Haan Trust

Shore Thing survey with members of Glenarm Wildlife Group

Shore Thing session with

St Mary’s School, Downpatrick

28

Strangford Lough © Mike Hartwell


GOAL THREESTANDING UP FOR NATURE BY INFLUENCING GOVERNMENT POLICY

30

Our Influencing Work

This has involved a significant investment of staff time by Ulster Wildlife and we would like to thank our local politicians for taking the time to listen to our concerns.

The on-going impact of the economic recession accompanied by central government budget cuts has resulted in a challenging and complex business environment for politicians. We have actively sought balance within decision making processes, encouraging a long-term view to protect our natural heritage which also underpins sustainable development, health and well being.

Our advocacy and influencing work with politicians, decision makers and policy makers focuses on getting a better deal for the environment by contributing to emerging government policy, and raising awareness of biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural capital.

Given the diversity of policy issues it is not possible to cover the full range of our work in this report; however some examples are outlined in this section.

During 2013/14, the legislative and policy context has continued to evolve with issues such as the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, bovine TB and badgers, the controversial Planning Bill and development of the Biodiversity Strategy for Northern Ireland.

Parliament Buildings, Stormont


Badgers & Bovine TB

This approach has proved extremely costly and caused a huge public backlash. There is also a lack of confidence amongst the scientific community that long-term positive results will be achieved in terms of reducing the incidence of bTB.

In Northern Ireland, Ulster Wildlife has been part of a stakeholder group feeding in to the development of alternative control strategies for the disease, both in cattle and badgers. This has resulted in the Test-Vaccinate-Remove (TVR) study which has the potential to reduce the disease of this very debilitating condition amongst both badger and cattle populations.

The Test-Vaccinate-Remove study, which will be run by DARD, involves: setting humane traps to capture badgers; taking samples (blood, faecal and tracheal); testing for bovine TB using the Brock Spat Field Test; micro-chipping and vaccinating against bovine TB; or where they test positive, removing the badger following euthanasia. It follows on from a badger sett survey in the Banbridge area in 2013 which found a high density

of around 0.9 setts per km2. Scientific models predict that TVR could reduce cattle TB if small-scale culling of infected badgers does not disrupt the remaining badgers in the social group causing them to move around more.

TVR is a five year project; however, throughout the first year 2014/15, it will purely focus on establishing the initial level of TB within the badger population and ensuring that all badgers caught and tested are vaccinated, i.e. there will be no culling of infected badgers in year one.

There is considerable interest in this TB control strategy from other regions of the UK, the RoI and the EU. If successful, the approach could provide a valuable tool to complement other control measures including biosecurity and restrictions on cattle movements.

Ulster Wildlife will be closely monitoring the TVR Project to ensure that wildlife interests are protected.

The issue of badgers and bovine TB has proved very controversial in England as the government there has moved ahead with pilot schemes in Gloucestershire and Somerset involving large-scale culling of badgers through indiscriminate shooting.

Badger © A Mason

32

Planning Bill

Whilst there is widespread agreement that our planning system needs to be reformed, the legislation tabled at the NI Assembly was certainly not viewed as an improvement by most, but rather a retrograde step with very limited rights of appeal.

The planning system should act on behalf of us all to ensure that any development is in “the public interest.” There are a range of factors that planners take into account in weighing this up to reach a determination – economic, social and environmental issues – taking a long term view to safeguard Northern Ireland’s assets for future generations. Obviously it is going to be difficult to get agreement on how we balance all the issues, but legislation should attempt to achieve a sense of proportion between these objectives.

Together with a range of other organisations, Ulster Wildlife supported the ‘Amend the Bill’ campaign to call for politicians to make changes to deliver a better planning system for everyone. Consultations have continued throughout the year and we are hopeful that the end result will truly deliver sustainable growth and development, promoting economic growth without causing long term environmental damage.

Planning law isn’t something that usually causes excitement amongst the general public, but within the Planning Bill, published during January 2013, were clauses that resulted in considerable consternation across NI, causing several months of work for the eNGO sector.

Belfast from Belfast Hills © JFM images


CAP Reform

The Policy and associated legal framework is delegated to Member States to implement at a regional level, DARD being the managing authority within NI.

Over the last decade, agri-environment schemes have proved to be an important incentive rewarding farmers and landowners for their role as custodians of the countryside, encouraging positive management of sensitive habitats, species and landscape features.

During 2013-14, this was a major focus of our policy and advocacy work, inputting into the development process, meeting politicians and government officials at NI and EU level and responding to consultations stressing the need to balance economic and environmental interests within the new NI Rural Development Programme (NIRDP) 2013 – 2020. This is currently the only major funding stream available to farmers and landowners to address issues such as biodiversity, eco-system services, water quality and climate change in the wider countryside. It is also important in underpinning the marketing strap line of ‘clean and green’ for the agri-food and tourism sectors within Northern Ireland.

Following the outcome of the Judicial Review between DFP and DARD in December 2013 and the resulting zero percent transfer of funds from Pillar 1 (support payments to active farmers) to Pillar 2 (NIRDP), the future for agri-environment schemes looked bleak. However in June 2014 following lobbying by the eNGO sector, the NI Assembly came to an agreement that maintained the budget for delivery of environmental outcomes.

This was welcome news as Northern Ireland’s habitats and species continue to decline, both in extent and condition. Many species, such as salmon, hen harrier, Irish Hare, cuckoo, corncrake, fresh water pearl mussel and red squirrel are endangered or under threat. The agri-environment programme is one of the most important tools in conserving our habitats and species. Targeted action to reverse this loss is essential with sufficient funds available to enable farmers to help endangered wildlife and restore natural habitats.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) implements a system of support payments to farmers and landowners across the EU, also funding rural development initiatives including agri-environment schemes. © Antrim Lens

© SLLP

© JA Welsh

© JA Welsh

34

Marine Protection

After many years of tireless effort by the Northern Ireland Marine Task Force (NIMTF), of which Ulster Wildlife is a lead partner, we now have a Northern Ireland Marine Act (2013) – brought into force in September 2013. This new legislation is important as it underpins Northern Ireland’s contribution to achieving the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive goal of our seas being in Good Environmental Status by the year 2020.

The Marine Act allows the Government to prepare a Marine Plan in order to aid the decision-making processes around how our seas are used. The Marine Plan is our chance to improve how we manage the sea, making space for us and nature.

During 2013/14 Ulster Wildlife created ‘Living Seas County Guides’ for Northern Ireland in order to provide a useful tool to brief our decision makers on the wildlife found in and around our local seas. These guides also clarify what is already happening around our shores and potential changes in the future which are locally relevant and that can feed into the Marine Plan. You can download these guides on our website.

The Marine Act gives the Department of Environment the power to create Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), which are a type of marine protected area. These protected areas, if sited correctly, have the potential to help restore and protect a range of nationally important species, habitats, and geological features. The MCZs, along with other types of Marine Protected areas in Northern Irish waters will form a network across Northern Ireland and the UK, as a connected network works better than single sites on their own.

Our focus for 2014/15 will include influencing the designation and management objectives of MCZs,

based on findings from a report on this subject commissioned by the NIMTF and carried out by researchers at the University of Hull in 2013/14.

Ulster Wildlife organised a successful conference with the British Trust for Ornithology on Measuring and Monitoring Marine Biodiversity Offshore (MAMBO) which brought together over 70 key stakeholders to discuss the gaps in marine data needs around Northern Ireland in order to support the marine spatial planning and marine protection designation process. This was sponsored by AFBI, APEM Ltd, DOE Marine Division, Loughs Agency, NIEA and North Down Borough Council. The final report with key outcomes and recommendations is available on our website.

Ulster Wildlife has continued to campaign to make sure that Strangford Lough is properly protected. Our complaint to the European Union in relation to the inadequate protection of the horse mussel (Modiolus modiolus) reefs was upheld. We have been working with the Government and key stakeholders on the Modiolus Restoration Plan Working Group in order to ensure that our key asks are fulfilled. So far, there is both a ranger and fisheries officer in place to look after the Lough, a researcher has been hired through Queen’s University to help the group understand the best ways of restoring the reefs and a non-disturbance zone has been put into place in order to protect the remaining horse mussels and give them a chance to recover. Ulster Wildlife is pleased that Government is making progress towards the key asks and looks forward to seeing development in relation to the Pot Fishing Management Plan, which has not yet been fulfilled but is planned for implementation by DARD in 2014.

A lot has happened over the last year in relation to our Living Seas campaign work.

Harbour Porpoise © F Graner

Undredged Modiolus Reef © B Picton

GOAL FOURPROMOTE HEALTH & WELL-BEING THROUGH ENJOYMENT OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Guided walk on a Nature Reserve © Z Bird

36

Natural World Challenge

Caring Breaks delivers respite breaks for family carers in the Belfast area by providing activities for their sons and daughters with a learning disability.

This five-year Big Lottery Funded project started in 2010, and goes from strength to strength. Caring Breaks is the lead organisation in the project and works in partnership with Ulster Wildlife to raise awareness of nature and protection of the environment both for adults with a learning disability and their family carers. The project provides the opportunity for Caring Breaks’ clients to discover a whole range of new activities and to experience the natural world in ways that others in the wider community perhaps take for granted.

This project has shown us that nature-based activities can be used to improve people’s social inclusion, health, well-being, confidence and self-esteem. The outcomes for the carers and the participants have been very powerful and has led to impact beyond what had been anticipated, for everyone involved.

Over the last four years the range of activities we offer has grown. In 2013/14 we ran a series of seasonal workshops for Caring Breaks’ clients. In April and May 2013 we ran a series of 10 Spring Walks in Stormont Estate where participants learned about the wildlife found there and also made bird feeders to take home.

In July and August 2013 we ran 10 Beach Art and Rockpool Rambles sessions at Crawfordsburn Country Park where clients competed to make the best wildlife beach sculpture and also got up close to some of the inhabitants of the local rockpools. In November and December 2013 we ran another 10 sessions, this time focusing on autumn crafts where the clients learned about Autumn wildlife and made scarecrows for their allotment.

2013/14 was the fourth year of our partnership project with Caring Breaks – called the Natural World Challenge.

Funder: Big Lottery Fund

Caring Breaks Spring Walk, Stormont Estate

Caring Breaks’ Clients with their Autumn Scarecrows

Beach Art at Crawfordsburn


A new development in the project in 2013 was the establishment of a Caring Breaks Allotment in Dundonald. Ulster Wildlife guides worked with clients to clear and set up the site and grow a whole host of vegetables over the autumn and spring months. Leeks, onions, radishes, celery, beetroot and swedes were all grown successfully and the flowers and bulbs planted by the clients gave a beautiful display in the Spring.

The strawberry patch was well protected by a scarecrow built by one of the Carers and the strawberries were plentiful. The clients also tended to their small herb garden which includes chives, mint, oregano, parsley and thyme. A variety of fruit bushes were also planted; blueberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, but it’s early days yet for signs of fruit on these. Clients were able to take the fruits of their labour home to share with their families. This has proved a hugely popular addition to the project and will continue to be developed into the future.

Watering plants at the allotment in

Dundonald

Caring Breaks’ Clients working at the allotment in Dundonald

38

Access on Nature Reserves

Ulster Wildlife plays a part in providing opportunities for people to engage with nature and make use of the outdoors through our suite of nature reserves.

While not all of our nature reserves are publicly accessible, where possible we are providing and working to improve our provision of outdoor spaces for people to walk, play and relax in.

In 2013, with support through Belfast Hills Partnership’s Landscape Partnership Scheme, several sections of paths were upgraded on our Slievenacloy Nature Reserve. We also upgraded paths in our Balloo Woodland Nature Reserve in Bangor, through funding from the ‘Action for Biodiversity’ INTERREG Project.

In addition, we secured funding from the Alpha Programme for a significant environmental enhancement project at Bog Meadows Nature Reserve which will commence in summer 2014, and will improve and upgrade paths, bridges, and access points.

We also aim to provide opportunities for people to get active on our nature reserves while learning about wildlife through a programme of public events across our sites each year.

We ran 11 public events on our nature reserves in 2013/14, which ranged from Wild Plant Forays at Glenarm, Moth & Butterfly Walks at the Umbra, Secrets of the Bog Walk at Ballynahone Bog, and Woodland and Butterfly Walk at Cottage Farm to Himalayan Balsam Bashing at Moyola Waterfoot, Wetland Wildlife Safaris at Bog Meadows and Bat Night at Balloo.

These events provided the opportunity for people to learn more about these special sites, their history and their wildlife while also getting ‘green exercise’ in the great outdoors.

Society is becoming increasingly aware of the health and well-being benefits of being out in the natural environment.

Moth Trapping event at Umbra Nature Reserve

Food Foray walk at Glenarm Nature

Reserve with Forage Ireland

Upgraded paths at Balloo

Woodland Nature ReserveFeed the Birds Event at Balloo Woodland Nature Reserve


GOAL FIVEGROW OUR SUCCESS AND EXTEND OUR REACH

Guided Walks at 2013 Members Day at Ulster Folk Museum

40

Our Members & Supporters

The support of our members is vital and the securing of new members, as well as retaining our existing supporters, is an ongoing objective for Ulster Wildlife. We work on behalf of our members and aim to ensure that we make a real impact for the natural environment.

Membership 2013/14Ulster Wildlife ended the 2013/14 period with 11,748 members (5482 memberships). This represented a small decrease in total numbers in comparison to the previous year. This can be attributed to the continued economic downturn and similar small decreases have been reported by other Wildlife Trusts and within the charity sector generally.

Ulster Wildlife continues to strive to increase member numbers through diversifying the channels through which people can join us, as well as ensuring we provide excellent levels of customer service to our members.

Members are regularly updated on our work, campaigns and events during the year via ‘The Irish Hare’ magazine. Social media (Facebook and Twitter) and our regular eNewsletters provide additional channels for us to engage with both current and potential members. The use and scope of these mediums has continued to increase in 2013/14.

Members are kept up to date on our programme of events and are exclusively invited to selected events during the year. Many of our long standing members joined us at the Corporate Strategy launch at Hillsborough Castle on 25 April 2013 and our Living

Seas Film Launch at Titanic Belfast in June 2013. This provided a great opportunity for our members and supporters to hear about our future plans.

Member FeedbackIn 2013, we undertook our biennial membership survey. As in previous years, overall satisfaction rates were very high with 98% of respondents indicating that they were either satisfied or highly satisfied with their membership. Encouragingly, 95% indicated that they would be likely to stay with Ulster Wildlife for the next three years. Suggestions for improvement coming out of the survey are incorporated into future member servicing plans.

“It’s great to know your organisation is making a real difference for wildlife”Ulster Wildlife Member Survey feedback.

“Membership package is excellent in terms of quality and value for money” Ulster Wildlife Member Survey feedback.

“An excellent local charity” Ulster Wildlife Member Survey feedback.

In order to deliver practical action for wildlife we need to raise funds and continue to grow our supporter base.

Ulster Wildlife engagement and membership

promotion at Stormont Family Fun Day

Ulster Wildlife members at Corporate

Strategy Launch – Hillsborough Castle

To find out more on how to support our work, please visit our website www.ulsterwildlife.org


Corporate Membership & Support

During the year we continued to work in partnership with a range of businesses and organisations in Northern Ireland – from small family companies to major multinationals. We developed new and existing relationships with companies through corporate membership (see below), as well as welcoming ‘in-kind’ support for our work to protect local wildlife and wild spaces, with organisations such as IKEA.

Corporate Members 2013/14Platinum

AES (Kilroot & Ballylumford) Ltd

Gold

Bombardier Aerospace

Silver

CES Quarry Products Ltd

Bronze

Belfast Harbour CommissionersDenman International LtdLafarge Cement

Standard

City Hotel DerryColliers InternationalDaly’s GarageGael Force RenewablesHenderson Group LtdPeninsula Print & Design LtdTitanic Belfast

Ulster Wildlife also received donations during the year from a variety of other sources including one-off donations, through the ‘Give As You Earn’ scheme, from gifts in lieu of flowers following a bereavement and through gifts left in a person’s will.

We would like to say thank you to all of our members and donors for their continued support. We could not make the difference we do without your help.

Stephen McDougall & Gerald Doyle from CES Quarry

Products Ltd – Silver Corporate Member

Gary Withers from Peninsula Print & Design and

Emily Hall from IKEA, who supported our ‘Feed the

Birds’ fundraiser

Lucy Marsden from AES (Kilroot & Ballylumford) Ltd

– Platinum Corporate Member

Jonathan King from Denman International Ltd – Bronze Corporate Member

42

Two projects which took up a significant proportion of development time during 2013/14 were the Save Our Magnificent Meadows Project and the Skills for Living Landscapes and Seas Project.

We received confirmation of funding for the Save our Magnificent Meadows project in Spring 2014. This project, which will be funded in Northern Ireland by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Northern Ireland Environment Agency, will start in summer 2014 and will work to transform the fortunes of our vanishing wildflower grasslands.

This is a UK-wide partnership project – led by Plantlife, with Ulster Wildlife taking the role of Northern Ireland lead partner - that is taking emergency action to conserve our remaining species-rich meadows and grasslands, as well as engaging the public about their heritage.

The Northern Ireland element of the Save Our Magnificent Meadows project focuses on purple moor grass and rush pastures, and lowland meadows in Fermanagh and Tyrone.

The Skills for Living Landscapes and Seas project, for which funding was confirmed in March 2014, will involve Ulster Wildlife offering eighteen, 12-month training placements over three years to provide practical, hands-on natural heritage skills encompassing both land and seas based skills. Trainees will develop a wide range of skills ranging from specialist site and species management, wildlife identification, hedgelaying, and community engagement. The placements will provide trainees with the skills needed to develop a career in the natural heritage sector.

The project is funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘Skills for the Future’ Programme which funds work-based training in a wide range of skills that are needed to look after our natural heritage. HLF give grants to organisations that can demonstrate a skills shortage and are able to plan and develop a new training programme and to recruit, train and pay trainees new to the sector.

We’d like to thank all our funders and partners in 2013/14 for their continued support: AFBI, Alpha Programme, APEM Ltd., Belfast City Council, Big Lottery Fund, Bombardier Aerospace Foundation, Crown Estate, DOE Marine Division, Enkalon Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Heritage Lottery Fund, Landfill Communities Fund, Loughs Agency, MPA Fighting Fund, Newry & Mourne District Council, Newtownabbey Borough Council, North Down Borough Council, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, NGO Challenge Fund, Peter de Haan Trust, RSWT, Titanic Belfast and Tubney Charitable Trust.

Hay Meadow © L Schofield

Developing ProjectsDuring the 2013/14 financial year, Ulster Wildlife continued to develop new projects and make applications to grant making bodies and charitable trusts for new initiatives.

Skills for Living Landscapes and Seas project will support 18 trainees over three years


Organisational Development

Ulster Wildlife has a commitment to continuous improvement in terms of our organisational practices and several areas of organisational development were progressed in 2013/14. This development work will also ensure that Ulster Wildlife is well prepared in terms of compliance, for registration with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland as we approach our registration date.

Development of Organisational Policies and Procedures

During 2013/14 all the organisation’s HR policies and procedures were reviewed, along with the development of a ‘Learning and Development Strategy’ for staff. We also began the process of reviewing and improving the framework for Performance Review and Management for our employees.

A review of Health and Safety policies and procedures was undertaken during the year, identifying opportunities for further improvements that will be implemented in the 2014/15 year.

We began the process of developing a 5-year rolling financial plan for the organisation, which sets out the

resources required to deliver on our Strategic Plan, identifying any funding gaps so that we can consider ways to resource the charity to an appropriate level. This will enable us to maximise our impact and make a difference for the environment.

Relocation of Ulster Wildlife Offices

For the last several years, Ulster Wildlife has been investigating alternative locations for our main office as the lease on our current premises in Crossgar expires in 2017 and our current accommodation is no longer fit for purpose.

Following several years of searching for suitable and affordable properties, Ulster Wildlife completed the purchase of a new office building off Heron Road in the Belfast Harbour Estate in December 2013. The building is currently an empty shell, and it is anticipated that a fit-out will be completed in 2014/15. Staff should be relocating to the new premises in early 2015.

This new building will provide a secure base for Ulster Wildlife for the future.

Ulster Wildlife has a dedicated and skilled group of staff who work together to make an impact for local wildlife, ensuring that all statutory obligations are met and that we operate best practice in all areas of our work.

Ulster Wildlife staff at Corporate Strategy Launch –

Hillsborough Castle

44

Landfill Communities Fund

Omagh Riverside Walk & Cycle Path (Object D - Public Amenity)

The completion of Phase Two of a riverside walk and cycle path alongside the River Strule on former Ministry of Defence lands in the town centre of Omagh. The path links communities from a number of local estates with the town centre and opens up access to areas of land which have been inaccessible to previous generations. The river corridor has not been subject to construction along its banks and provides a natural resource, rich with wildlife, for recreational purposes.

Ulster Wildlife continues to administer the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) and since 1997 we have helped distribute over £8.5m to more than 500 community and environmental projects across Northern Ireland.

The Government introduced tax on landfill waste in 1996 to encourage a reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill and to promote more environmentally sustainable methods of waste management. The LCF is an innovative tax credit scheme enabling Landfill Operators (LOs) to contribute monies from their landfill tax liability to fund projects that create benefits for the natural, built and social environments and improve the lives of communities living near landfill sites. Ulster Wildlife is registered as a ‘Distributive Environmental Body’ with ENTRUST - the government appointed regulator of the scheme, and is therefore authorised to distribute monies on behalf of Landfill Operators.

Six main themes of work (referred to as “objects”) can be undertaken with Landfill Communities Fund monies. Projects funded through Ulster Wildlife fall mainly under the public amenity, conservation of biodiversity and restoration of buildings of religious or historical interest categories.

During the year from April 2013 to March 2014, 15 new projects were registered by Ulster Wildlife to a total value of over £0.5m and funds of circa £1m were paid out to projects.

Projects completed in 2013/14 included:

Omagh Riverside Walk and Cycle Path ©

Omagh District Council


Grassland habitat restoration projects at Oxford Island Nature Reserve, Silverwood Meadows and Craigavon Lakes (Object DA - Conservation of Biodiversity)

These projects involved clearing low fertility grassland and provision of fencing, gates and cattle crush facilities to allow for conservation grazing by rare breeds such as Moiled cattle. Work also included seeding of brush harvested wildflowers from other parts of the nature reserves.

Tullylish Linen Watch Houses Restoration(Object E - Restoration of Buildings of Religious or Historical Interest)

Led by the Follies Trust, two stone-built linen watch houses overlooking former linen bleaching greens near Banbridge were repaired and restored with help from the LCF. Research indicates that there were originally six of these structures in the locality and their purpose was to stop theft of what was once a valuable commodity.

A third tower was removed from the area and reconstructed in the Ulster Folk Museum some years ago, where it does not have the benefit of the context of the linen industry along the River Bann. The project was also supported by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and has secured the future of important local industrial heritage features. By providing public access, it also enables the local community to engage with an important aspect of its history.

River Clady – Stiles and Footbridges Project(Object D - Public Amenity)

This project led by Clady and District Angling Club, has provided members of the public with safe access along the banks of the River Clady for both walking and angling. New stiles and footbridges were provided as well as repairs along the full length of the river from the joining of its two main tributaries (Grillagh and Knockoneill rivers) to its junction with the river Bann.

Restored linen watch house at Tullylish, Banbridge

River Clady Stiles and Footbridges ProjectMoiled Cattle in meadows © Craigavon Borough Council

46

FUTURE FOCUS


We have worked hard to develop and grow our role as Northern Ireland’s leading local nature conservation charity and to lay the groundwork for future action to help maximise our contribution to protecting and enhancing Northern Ireland’s natural heritage.

To deliver on our charitable objects, a number of new initiatives are underway or in the development phase. This includes conservation projects to help save our Red Squirrels; enhance the Barn Owl population; projects to restore areas of species rich grassland in Fermanagh and Tyrone; a scoping study to identify technical support needs for designated sites in Northern Ireland; and we also hope to expand our environmental education service provision.

During 2014-15, we will also be introducing a new Heritage Skills Programme for Living Landscapes and Living Seas, as outlined on page 42.

Alongside this project portfolio, we will continue to fulfil our core charitable purpose by managing our network of nature reserves across Northern Ireland. These are special places for wildlife and each is managed specifically for the species that reside there. This includes sites such as Ballynahone Bog, the species rich grasslands of Slievenacloy in the Belfast Hills and the ancient woodland at Glenarm. All have unique features that require specialist management.

In preparation for registration with the Charity Commission, the review of our governance systems, processes and structures will continue. A new version of the Articles of Association will be presented at the 2014 AGM for consideration and ratification by members. A scheme of delegation is being developed to streamline decision making processes and make best use of the considerable expertise that exists within the Council. This review process will continue throughout the coming year to ensure that the charity demonstrates best practice in governance and maximises value for money in terms of the public benefit that it provides.

2014 will also be a landmark year for Ulster Wildlife as we refurbish and relocate to our new office in Harbour View within Belfast Harbour Estate. We have been very fortunate in having the use of our current buildings at Tobar Mhuire in Crossgar for many years and we would like to thank the staff at the Monastery for their support and wish them well as they convert the courtyard to accommodation for their new silent retreat.

The vital role that Ulster Wildlife plays within Northern Ireland is evident. Our role as an environmental NGO is to find practical solutions to environmental problems, demonstrating how nature works and inspiring people and local communities to value and take action for our local wildlife and wild places. This is only possible with the continuing support of our members and volunteers.

Looking forward, 2014-15 will be another challenging and exciting year where Ulster Wildlife will consolidate on the progress achieved during the last 12 months.

Red squirrel © E Neep

COMMERCIAL PROPERTYCONSULTANTSThe Metro Building

6-9 Donegall Square SouthBelfast BT1 5JA

Tel: 028 9027 0000Fax: 028 9027 0011

E-mail: [email protected] www.osborneking.com

OsborneKing 028 9027 0000

www.osborneking.com

SH

OW

RO

OM

/ O

FF

ICE

FOR SALE / TO LETEXCELLENT SHOWROOM & OFFICE

WITH DEDICATED ON SITECAR PARKING

C. 407.83 SQ.M. (C. 4,390 SQ.FT.)CAPABLE OF SUB DIVISION

UNIT 5 HARBOUR VIEWHERON ROAD

SYDENHAM BUSINESS PARKBELFAST

Ulster Wildlife’s new premises, Heron Road, Belfast

£533

£382

£80

£25

£688

£89

Income y/e 31 Mar 14 £'000

Grants

Membership & Donations

Investment Income

Other Income

Landfill Tax Contributions

Outreach & Learning

£533

£382

£80

£25

£688

£89


Grants


Investment Income

Other Income


Outreach & Learning

£533

£382

£80

£25

£688

£89


Grants


Investment Income

Other Income


Outreach & Learning

48

Financial OverviewThe income and expenditure for Ulster Wildlife is split between restricted funds, which are funds received from funders for specific projects, and unrestricted funds, which are funds received from funders, members and other sources to be allocated to all areas of the Trust’s operations. Unrestricted Income for the year ended 31 March 2014 amounted to £900k (to include charges transferred from restricted funds to cover the cost of managing individual projects), which is an increase of 12% compared to the same period last year. Unrestricted expenditure increased by 13% and amounted to £866k, giving a net surplus for the year of £35k, largely due to a delay in relocation and slippage in staff salaries due to temporary staffing gaps.

This surplus has been transferred to the Balance Sheet to provide funding for future activities and to safeguard the future of Ulster Wildlife.

Ulster Wildlife has an objective to set aside reserves representing approximately six months of payroll and establishment costs which currently amounts to approximately £260k. The balance on the Financial Reserves General Fund at 31 March 2014 is £323k with a further £230k in a Designated Building Fund.

Restricted income of £964k and restricted expenditure of £1368k (to include management charges) gives a net deficit of £404k for the year. This is mainly a result of expenditure on projects funded by the landfill tax credit scheme where the monies have been received in prior years and distributed during 2013/14 resulting in a net outflow of funds. Summary Balance Sheet at 31 March 2014

£’000

Fixed Assets 719

Net Current Assets 2643

Capital Grants (360)

3002

Restricted Funds 2448

Unrestricted Funds 553

Life Membership Fund 1

3002

£554

£201

£212

£1094

£106

Expenditure y/e 31 Mar 14 £'000

Conservation & NatureReserve Management

Membership Services &Communications Activities

Premises & GovernanceCosts

Landfill CommunitiesFund

Outreach & Learning

£554

£201

£212

£1094

£106






Outreach & Learning

£554

£201

£212

£1094

£106






Outreach & Learning


Accounts & Financial StatementsReference and Administrative Information

Charity Registration Number XN45269 Company Registration Number NI12711 Registered Office 3 New Line Crossgar Co. Down BT30 9EP Auditors DNT Chartered Accountants Ormeau House 91-97 Ormeau Road Belfast BT7 1SH Bankers Danske Bank 58 Market Street Downpatrick Co Down BT30 6LX Ulster Bank Ltd. 11-16 Donegall Square West Belfast BT1 5UB Solicitors Edwards & Co. 28 Hill Street Belfast BT1 2LA

50

Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities for the year ended 31 March 2014 The directors are responsible for preparing the Directors’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that year. In preparing these financial statements the directors are required to: - select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently,

- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent,

- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to

presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to 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. In so far as the directors are aware: - there is no relevant audit information (information needed by the company’s auditors in

connection with preparing their report) of which the company’s auditors are unaware, and

- the directors have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the companys auditors are aware of that information.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime. DNT Chartered Accountants are deemed to be reappointed in accordance with Section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006. This report was approved by the Board on 4 September 2014 and signed on its behalf by Jennifer FultonSecretary


We have audited the annexed financial statements which comprise of the Directors’ Report, Statement of Financial Activities, Income and Expenditure Account, Balance Sheet and the related notes. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities, the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities and under the historical cost convention and the accounting policies set out therein.

This report is made solely to the Trust’s members as a body, in accordance with Section 449 of the Companies Act (2006). Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Trust’s members 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 Trust and its members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions formed.

Respective responsibilities of directors and auditorsThe Trust’s directors are responsible for the preparation of financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). It is our responsibility to form an independent opinion, based on our audit (which is carried out in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland)), on those statements and to report our opinion to you.

We report to you our opinion as to whether the financial statements give a true and fair view, are properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act (2006) and are consistent with the Directors’ Annual Report. We also report to you if, in our opinion, the Trust has not kept proper accounting records or if we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

We read the Directors’ Annual Report and consider the implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements within it.

Basis of opinionWe conducted our audit in accordance with Auditing Standards issued by the Auditing Practices Board. An audit includes examination, on a test basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. It also includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgements made by the directors in the preparation of the financial statements, and whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Trust’s circumstances, consistently applied and adequately disclosed.

We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all the information and explanations which we considered necessary in order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error.In forming our opinion we also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the financial statements.

OpinionIn our opinion the financial statements, which are consistent with the Directors’ Annual Report, give a true and fair view, in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, of the state of affairs of the Trust as at 31 March 2014 and of its surplus for the year then ended and have been properly prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act (2006).

Mike Nangle (senior statutory auditor)For and on behalf of DNT Chartered Accountants91-97 Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 1SH

Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of the Ulster Wildlife Trust

52

NotesGeneral

FundRestricted

Fund

2014Total

Funds

2013Total

FundsINCOMING RESOURCES £ £ £ £Incoming Resources from Generated FundsVoluntary IncomeCentral government grants 257,279 7,953 265,232 194,870Legacies 1,000 0 1,000 5,000Other grants 2 84,252 183,798 268,050 149,951Membership contributions 295,091 0 295,091 296,777Income tax refunds 69,934 0 69,934 70,787Corporate support 10,875 0 10,875 10,867Gifts and donations 5,204 150 5,354 1,904Investment IncomeInterest received 3 55,171 24,382 79,554 83,469

778,806 216,283 995,089 813,625Incoming resources from Charitable ActivitiesManagement Agreements - Central Government 0 0 15,000Outreach & Learning Activity 30,377 59,031 89,408 48,835Landfill contributions received 4 0 688,200 688,200 494,767Other income 5 25,246 0 25,246 35,959

55,623 747,231 802,854 594,561

TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 834,429 963,514 1,797,943 1,408,186

RESOURCES EXPENDEDCosts of Generating FundsCosts of Generating Voluntary Income Membership services and recruitment 6 201,029 92 201,121 199,135Charitable Activities Landfill environmental projects 4 27,964 1,066,402 1,094,368 650,323 Net deficit/(surplus) of farming activities 7 0 (7,761) (7,761) 5,242 Depreciation 8,13 2,749 16,815 19,564 13,240 Premises & Governance Costs 9 185,465 0 185,465 160,725 Nature Conservation 387,828 173,725 561,553 505,863 Environmental Education 53,870 52,147 106,017 96,437 Bank interest and charges 3,184 0 3,184 2,949Governance Costs Auditors’ remuneration 3,720 0 3,720 3,960TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 865,809 1,301,420 2,167,229 1,637,874

Net (outgoing) resourcesfor the year before transfers (31,380) (337,906) (369,286) (229,688)

Transfer between funds 11 66,046 (66,046) 0 0

Net incoming/(outgoing) resourcesbefore other recognised gains/losses 34,666 (403,952) (369,286) (229,688)

NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 34,666 (403,952) (369,286) (229,688)

Funds brought forward at 1 April 2013 517,980 2,852,509 3,370,489 3,600,177FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD AT 31 MARCH 2014 552,646 2,448,557 3,001,203 3,370,489

Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2014


NotesGeneral

FundsRestricted

Funds

2014Total

Funds

2013Total

Funds

£ £ £ £

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets 13 213,816 505,315 719,131 564,880

213,816 505,315 719,131 564,880

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors 14 279,147 10,911 290,058 136,648

Cash at bank and in hand 190,625 2,299,923 2,490,548 3,151,389

469,772 2,310,834 2,780,606 3,288,037

CURRENT LIABILITIES

Creditors 15 124,546 12,585 137,131 110,085

NET CURRENT ASSETS 345,226 2,298,249 2,643,475 3,177,952

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT

LIABILITIES 559,042 2,803,564 3,362,606 3,742,832

CREDITORS due in more than 1 year

Capital Grants 16 5,876 355,007 360,883 371,823

553,166 2,448,557 3,001,723 3,371,009

RESERVES

General & Designated Fund 17 552,646 0 552,646 517,980

Life Membership Fund 520 0 520 520

Restricted Funds 18 0 2,448,557 2,448,557 2,852,509

553,166 2,448,557 3,001,723 3,371,009

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The financial statements were approved by the board on 4 September 2014 and signed on its behalf by

Roy Ramsay Graham FitzgeraldChairman Honorary Treasurer

Balance Sheet at 31 March 2014

54

1 Accounting Policies

The Trust prepares its financial statements on the historical cost basis of accounting except for the revaluation of certain land represented by nature reserves. Restricted fund assets are valued at acquisition value where such valuation is available. Glendun farm and dwelling house are included at probate value. Unrestricted income and expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis while restricted income and expenditure is accounted for on a cash basis. Funds are held as Restricted or Unrestricted funds. Unrestricted funds are further reallocated between General funds and Designated funds (note 17). Transfers between funds are explained in Note 11. Capital grants received are released to the Income and Expenditure Account in line with depreciation on the relevant assets.

Other grants are recognised in the income and expenditure account to the extent that the corresponding expenditure has been incurred.

The Trust has taken advantage of the exemption in FRS1 from the requirement to prepare a cash flow statement because it is a small company.

The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities, relevant accounting standards and the Companies Act (2006).

Operating lease payments are charged to Income and Expenditure Account as they are paid.

Fixed Assets are capitalised and written off over the period of their useful lives as follows:

Land not depreciatedBuildings 10% straight-lineEquipment 15% straight lineComputers 15% straight lineVehicles - cars and vans 15% straight line

Commission paid to membership recruiters is written off in full in the year that it is incurred,

2 Other Grants

Notes to the Accounts - Year ended 31 March 2014

General Restricted General Restricted Funds Funds Funds Funds 2014 2014 2013 2013 £ £ £ £Capital grant credit 16,815 12,324Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts 15,556Esmée Fairbairn Foundation 97,736 96,328NGO Challenge Fund 35,045 Tubney Charitable Trust 25,840 (7,594) 22,240 0HLF 7,200 71,543 0 0Other 16,167 5,298 3,503

84,252 183,798 25,743 124,208

3 Interest received Interest received in Restricted Funds is the interest earned on the funds held prior to disbursement, mainly

Landfill Tax Credits. Interest received in General Funds is that which is used to fund expenditure on Ulster Wildlife Trust registered landfill project sites and bank interest earned on general cash balances.


4 Landfill environmental projects General Restricted General Restricted Funds Funds Funds Funds 2014 2014 2013 2013 £ £ £ £Landfill contributions received 688,200 494,767 688,200 494,767

Expenditure Entrust administration fee 13,764 9,895Direct project expenditure 1,022,638 613,013Direct Costs 27,964 30,000 27,415 27,964 1,066,402 27,415 622,908

5 Other Income General General Funds Funds 2014 2013 £ £ Consultancy 15,200 15,800 Sundry income 10,046 20,159 25,246 35,959 6 Membership services and recruitment General Restricted General Restricted Funds Funds Funds Funds 2014 2014 2013 2013 £ £ £ £Fundraising & Membership servicing 162,077 92 158,650 0Membership recruitment costs 38,952 40,485 0 201,029 92 199,135 0

7 Restricted funds - farming activities

Restricted Restricted Funds Funds 2014 2013Income £ £ Department of Agriculture and Rural Development grants 7,842 7,039Conacre letting & other income 0 2,000 7,842 9,039 Direct Expenditure - excluding Management Charges Repairs and running costs 81 14,281

Net surplus/(deficit) of farming activities 7,761 (5,242)

56

8 Depreciation General Restricted General Restricted Funds Funds Funds Funds 2014 2014 2013 2013 £ £ £ £Motor vehicles 1,976 4,022 659 0Equipment 773 1,122 258 653Buildings 0 11,671 0 11,670 2,749 16,815 917 12,323

9 Premises & Governance Costs General General Funds Funds 2014 2013 £ £ Premises costs 24,680 27,608 Postage,printing & stationery 8,595 8,239 Salaries 102,157 85,113 Staff travel and vehicle costs 2,582 3,464 Legal Fees 1,140 882 Professional fees 17,875 5,905 Staff recruitment 0 1,239 Council Costs 3,961 3,698 Sundry expenditure 5,696 4,874 Information Technology 7,479 7,403 Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts contribution 11,300 12,300 185,465 160,725 Governance & Establishment costs relate to all departments including Conservation, Nature Reserves Management and Outreach & Learning. 10 Staff Costs 2014 2013 £ £Salaries and wages 595,900 521,757Social Security Costs 50,733 46,348Pension Contributions 13,748 9,733 660,381 577,838 No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000. The average number of employees during the year, calculated on the basis of full time equivalents, was 25. (2013- 22). The Trust does not operate a pension scheme for its employees but administers a stakeholder pension scheme.and matches employee contributions to the scheme at a maximum rate of 4% of salary.


11 Transfer between Funds 2014 2013 £ £Landfill management charges 36,735 47,720Project management charges 26,333 29,508Management of farm at Glendun 2,978 2,975 66,046 80,203 12 Council remuneration and related party transactions No members of council received any remuneration during the year. Travel and subsistence costs amounting to £695 (2013-£1633) were reimbursed to 3 (2013-6) members of council. 13 Fixed Assets Nature Land & Motor Equipment Reserves Buildings Vehicles & Computers TOTALCOST OR VALUATION £ £ £ £ £At 1 April 2013 349,372 341,569 47,157 154,799 892,897Additions 0 162,062 0 11,754 173,816Disposals 0 0 0 0 0At 31 March 2014 349,372 503,631 47,157 166,553 1,066,713 DEPRECIATION At 1 April 2013 0 166,077 21,752 140,189 328,018Charge for year 0 11,671 5,998 1,895 19,564Disposals 0 0 0 0 0At 31 March 2014 0 177,748 27,750 142,084 347,582 NBV at 31 March 2014 349,372 325,883 19,407 24,469 719,131including restricted assets of 309,372 163,821 19,407 12,715 505,315 Glendun farm has been included at probate value of £150,000.This complies with guidance issued for the preparation of the Accounts within the SORP for Charities.

14 Debtors General Restricted General Restricted Funds Funds Funds Funds 2014 2014 2013 2013 £ £ £ £Debtors and prepayments 11,809 10,911 45,469 5,489Grants 215,440 0 69,068 0Tax refunds due 51,898 0 16,622 0 279,147 10,911 131,159 5,489 15 Creditors falling due within one year General Restricted General Restricted Funds Funds Funds Funds 2014 2014 2013 2013 £ £ £ £Sundry creditors and accrued expenditure 124,546 12,585 80,730 29,355 124,546 12,585 80,730 29,355

58

16 Creditors falling due after more than 1 year General Restricted General Restricted Funds Funds Funds Funds 2014 2014 2013 2013 £ £Capital grants 5,876 355,007 0 371,823 5,876 355,007 0 371,823

17 Movement on unrestricted funds General Designated Total Funds Building Funds Fund £ £ £Balance at 1 April 2013 317,980 200,000 517,980Surplus for the year 34,666 0 34,666Transfer between funds (30,000) 30,000 0Balance at 31 March 2014 322,646 230,000 552,646 A designated fund has been established for funds which will be used specifically for the provision of new offices. 18 Movement on restricted funds Restricted Restricted Funds Funds 2014 2013 £ £Opening balance 2,852,509 3,121,602Net expenditure for the year (403,952) (269,093)

Closing balance 2,448,557 2,852,509 Some funders pay in advance and other funders issue payment only after the expenditure has been incurred. The movement on restricted funds in any year is a result of timing differences between receipts of grants for restricted projects and the related expenditure which has not yet been incurred, or the timing difference between expenditure being incurred and the funders issuing the grant. 19 Taxation As a charity, Ulster Wildlife Trust is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the Trust.

20 Company Status Ulster Wildlife Trust Limited is a private company limited by guarantee and consequently does not have share capital. Each of the members is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the company in the event of liquidation.


60

For further information, visit www.ulsterwildlife.orgor E-mail: [email protected]

Ulster Wildlife is the operating name of Ulster Wildlife Trust. The Ulster Wildlife Trust is a charity recognised by HM Revenue & Customs No. XN45269 and a company incorporated in NI, limited by guarantee, NI. 12711.

Cover Image – Bumblebee © D Deboo; Inside Cover - Catching bugs on the beach © S McEwan Lyon; Inside Back Cover – Irish hare © P Scullion; Back Cover - Common Dolphins © J O’Brien

t @UlsterWildlife

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Documents

Ulster Wildlife Annual Report 2013 - 2014