Annual Review and Financial Report 2006/07

Chair's Report

This has been an intensely busy year for the Friends of the Ochils. The main activity, as for the past two years, has been our involvement with the planning applications for wind farms and the Beauly–Denny power line. Stuart Dean, our Vice Chair, put an enormous amount of time and effort into participating on our behalf in the Public Local Inquiries into the Mellock Hill, Snowgoat Glen, Little Law and Lochelbank wind farm applications. We owe him a huge vote of thanks. We won three of these, and Mellock Hill, Snowgoat Glen and Little Law were all turned down; but very much to our regret Lochelbank wind farm, near Glenfarg, at the eastern end of the Ochils, was approved.

We were also greatly saddened when Clackmannanshire Council approved the application to construct a wind farm at Burnfoot Hill, just a mile to the north of Ben Cleuch, and in full view of its summit and ridges. The votes went on party lines, with the Labour members approving the application, and other parties voting against. A number of members of Friends of the Ochils were able to address the meeting, but it was not enough to persuade the majority party.

I myself continue to work on behalf of the Friends, and Stirling Before Pylons, in preparing for the Beauly–Denny power line public inquiry. The Stirling session of this will take place between 20^th November and 20^th December, Tuesdays to Fridays, in the Golden Lion Hotel, King Street, Stirling, from about 9.30am to about 5pm each day. Members are urged to attend on one or more days, to demonstrate the degree of interest in the power line issues that we know exists in the local area.

The Friends of the Ochils has been invited on a number of occasions to give interviews to local radio station Central FM on the wind farm and power line issues, and we are increasingly often contacted for comment by the local press, so our public profile is gradually growing.

In June we were pleased to be able to organise a public meeting with the access officers from Perth & Kinross, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils, to discuss the Core Paths initiative. The meeting helped considerably in clarifying the purpose of this initiative. The three officers were in broad agreement that:

(i) Hill paths will not in general be designated as part of the Core Paths networks – these will principally be paths that go through, around or between settlements;

(ii) There is no intention to use the designation of Core Paths as a way of restricting the right of general access to the outdoors, and

(iii) Where hill paths may be designated Core, there could be a need for appropriately discreet signposts to mark the precise points of departure, but there would be no attempt to waymark the route across the hills.

Most recently, Friends of the Ochils has been invited to join the Ochils Landscape Partnership. This has been set up to develop, by next April, a detailed application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a range of initiatives in the Ochils and Hillfoots, in Clackmannanshire and Stirling. It is a pleasure to be participating in a positive development like this, after having had to put so much effort into resisting negative developments across so much of the Ochils.

Finally, we have been invited to write a series of short articles on popular walks in the Ochils for the Alloa Advertiser, but are not yet sure if we can resource this. Perhaps a member could help?

There are also a number of changes to the Friends of the Ochils committee to report. David Gordon is finally stepping down from the Committee, due to pressures of work; we owe him a huge vote of thanks for all the work he has done over many years as Treasurer, Secretary and Membership Secretary. At the time of writing, we are urgently seeking one or more replacements for him. Dave Hewitt is also stepping down from the Newsletter Editor post, after nine years and 18 editions of the newsletter – again, a very big “thank you” is due to him. We are fortunate to have been able to persuade a talented young journalist, Catherine Kilgour to take over from Dave, and extend a warm welcome to her. More recruits to the Committee would be made very welcome.

Committee (Trustees) for 2006/07

			Year of initial election	Current period of office
President Rennie McOwan	Stirling		n/a	n/a
Chair Nicki Baker	Logie	01786 833399 nicki.baker@btinternet.com	2005	2005-08
Vice-Chair Stuart Dean	Dollar	01259 781551 spdean@lineone.net	2005	2005-08
Treasurer, Membership, Governance David Gordon	38 Anchorscross, Dunblane, FK15 9JW (address for FotO in Scottish Charity Register)	01786 823745 david.kathryn@btinternet.com	1995	2004-07
Ian Buchanan	Alva	01259 760482	2003	2006-09
Dave Hewitt	Cambuskenneth	01786 450047 bencleuch@googlemail.com	1998	2004-07
Robin Kelsall	Blairlogie	01259 761303 rakelsall@tiscali.co.uk	1994	2006-09
Catherine Kilgour	Logie	01786 460231 catkilgour@care2.com	Co-opted July 2007
Dave Prentice	Tibbermore, Perth	01738 583345 dave_prentice@btinternet.com	2002	2005-08

We gratefully acknowledge the assistance provided by a number of other members.

Purpose and Governance

The objects for which Friends of the Ochils was established are identified in the Constitution (last amended November 2006):

a] To promote and conserve the landscape, natural beauty and wildlife of the Ochils, and to protect the historical and social character of the surrounding communities.

b] To encourage consistent implementation of good planning policies appropriate to the other objects of the Association.

c] To support responsible and well behaved public access to the Ochils consistent with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

d] To promote appropriate study of and research into relevant fields of interest pertaining to the Ochils and its local communities, and to promote dissemination of the results of such study and research.

Committee members are elected from the membership for a 3-year period. Nominations are sought through the Newsletter and at the AGM. The Committee members constitute the Trustees with responsibility for governance consistent with Scottish charity law and regulations. Policy and strategy are agreed at regular Committee meetings: five were held in 2006/07. Within agreed strategic frameworks, operational discretion is delegated to specific Committee members leading on particular activities.

Membership Report

Membership increased for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 189 individual members. Renewal rates are high – over 90% in 2006/07.

Membership at 31 August

	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Honorary Life	-	-	-	1	1	1	1	1
Life #	16	14	13	14	15	15	14	17
Family	28	27	27	25	30	32	34	34
Individual	44	46	44	44	50	57	61	61
Concession	39	41	39	38	40	39	42	42
(Total personal)*	(154)	(154)	(149)	(145)	(164)	(175)	(185)	(189)
Community	6	6	6	6	7	5	7	7
Corporate	1	1	1	-	-	-	-

* Family counted as two members

# Life membership numbers for previous years restated on discovery of a systematic omission of one member.

The accounting period runs from 1 September to 31 August. The table overleaf shows income and expenditure during the year 2006/07 and the year end position. The annual accounts are independently examined and were approved for 2006/07 without qualification.

Income for the year was £3,824.78. This was boosted tremendously by the generous response to an appeal for funds, producing a figure for donations of £1930, boosted further by many of the donations being eligible for Gift Aid, boosting our normal Gift Aid receipts substantially. Gift Aid was also slightly increased because of changes to the rules regarding timing of Gift Aid claims. This meant we claimed for a slightly longer period than usual, bringing our claims better into line with our financial year rather than, as formerly, the HM Customs and Revenue tax year.

Expenditure was increased at £2,341.42, but this was still lower than had been anticipated because costs relating to the proposed Sherrifmuir pylon line and wind turbine planning applications were much lower than expected. We changed website managers, refreshed the website and changed to a more meaningful website address name. This increased costs, partly as a one-off and partly on an ongoing basis. General administration costs were substantial because of a major stationery order. Excluding this, administration costs were £130, attributable to membership-related and general postage and to AGM hall hire.

There was an unexpected surplus of £1,483.36 for the year. Reserves thus increased to £4,688.75. A formal policy on reserves was adopted by the Committee on 15 January 2007 which requires that a minimum of £500 be maintained.

Some administrative changes to our banking operations were made during the year. The Standard Life Bank (SLB) accounts were brought together into a 10-day notice internet account, paying 5.3% gross in August 2007. Other, higher paying, accounts have been investigated during the year but either are not available to charities or would restrict speed or ease of access. Funds in the SLB account can only be transferred to/from the Bank of Scotland account, and either of the Treasurer and Chair can authorise transfers. For the Bank of Scotland account, the Treasurer can act alone in signing cheques below £200. Cheques of greater value must be signed by any two of the Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer.

Finance Report

Accounts for year 1 September 2006 to 31 August 2007 (1)

			2006/07		2005/06
INCOME
		Subscriptions	1159.50		740.00
		Donations	1930.00		781.04
		Gift Aid	604.14		84.19
		Bank interest	131.14		115.64
			3824.78		1720.87
EXPENDITURE
	On charitable objects
		Landscape campaigning	698.54	(2)	1423.64
		Publicity: newsletter and Annual Review	391.28		302.24
		Publicity: website	489.38		120.00
	On administration
		General administration	762.22		66.33
		Other	-		30.00
			2341.42		1942.21

SURPLUS (DEFICIT) FOR YEAR			1483.36		(221.34)
		ADD balance at 31 August 2005	3205.39		3426.73
BALANCE AT 31 AUGUST 2006			4688.75		3205.39

REPRESENTED BY
		Bank of Scotland current account	1174.06	(3)	316.53
		Standard Life Bank 10-day community account	3514.69		-
		Standard Life Bank instant access account	-		1888.86
		Standard Life Bank 15-month bond	-		1000.00

NET ASSETS (4)			4688.75		3205.39

Notes to accounts

(1) Accounts are prepared on an income and expenditure basis.

(2) Includes one cheque for £142.69 not presented by 31/8/07.

(3) Bank statement balance at 31/8/07 was £1316.75 pending presentation of cheque (see note 2).

(4) FotO owns a Reflecta Classic slide projector and Sopar projection screen (bought Aug 2000, cost £190). Both are treated as having nil current value.

· No remuneration was paid to any Committee member or any relative of a Committee member.

· Expenses are paid to Committee members only in respect of verifiable costs incurred on behalf of FotO.

For and on behalf of the Committee,

Dr David S Gordon (Treasurer)

Independent examiner,

Dr Brian Jamieson, Blairlogie

28 Sep 2007