ANNUAL REPORT For 2013/2014

Transcription

1 ANNUAL REPORT For 2013/2014 Scottish Charity No SC024418

2 The grounds of Newbattle Abbey College proved perfect for our afternoon excursions 2

3 BRISC Annual General Meeting for the year 2013/2014 To be held on Saturday 4 October 2014 At Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park HQ, Carrochan, Balloch at 12.00am Agenda: 1. Apologies for absence 2. Minutes of the 2012/13 AGM held on 26 October 2013 at Newbattle Abbey College, Dalkeith 3. Chairman s Report for 2013/ Annual Accounts and Treasurer s Report for Memberships and subscriptions 6. Election of Honorary Officers and Council for 2014/ Any other business 3

4 Minutes of BRISC AGM for the year 2011/12 held on Saturday 26 October 2013 at at Newbattle Abbey College, Dalkeith New and existing members were welcomed to the conference and AGM Apologies: Richard Sutcliffe Present: Brian Boag, Gordon Corbet, Liam Templeton, Anne-Marie Smout, Chris Smout, Sarah Eno, Lindsay Bamforth, Mike Beard, Adrian Sumner, Barbara Sumner, Patrick Milne-Home, Richard Weddle, Louisa Maddison, Jonathan Willet, Graeme Wilson, Natalie Harmsworth, Steve Hannah, Christine Johnston, Jackie Stewart, Mark Pollitt, David Lampard, Glenn Roberts, Duncan Davidson, Kenneth Watt, Ro Scott, Keith Bland, Jim Thompson. The minutes of the 2012/2013 AGM were accepted without change Proposed: Anne-Marie Smout, Seconded: Graeme Wilson Chairmans report (printed and circulated in advance also available at: ) We have seven bursaries for 2014, and hope for more in the future to be sponsored by organisations such as SEPA. The data-scoping project will be tendered by the end of the financial year. Highland Biological Recording Group (HBRG) have repaid the loan to them for the production of their Mammal Atlas. Membership and Finances were reported: We have 102 individual members, 32 corporate members There has been a problem with Standing Orders which is still being resolved Finances remain healthy, with future payments including bursaries and the data scoping project. Committee members: Gill Dowse and Claire Seymour have stepped down from the committee thanks to them for all their input over the past few years. Sarah Eno (newsletter co-editor) has joined the committee. Election of all committee members was proposed by Mike Beard, seconded by Chris Smout. 4

5 BRISC s Conference 2013 was held at Newbattle Abbey College Delegates gather in the College drawing room where proceedings took place Stephen Moran talked about Philip Entwistle s amazing collections and recording 5

6 There was plenty of opportunity for a chat at lunch time Prizes in the raffle were of the highest quality 6

7 BRISC Chairman s Report. November 2012 to October Overall BRISC is continuing along in a steady fashion. There has been less activity this year due to projects maturing or being completed. The Highland Biological Recording Group grant for their Mammal Atlas has been paid back in full and the mobilisation and verification of the late Philip Entwistle s records have been almost completed. The Newsletter continues to be produced regularly and to a high quality, with Sarah Eno having produced the July 2014 issue entirely on her own. It is hoped that she will eventually take over from Anne-Marie Smout as the Editor/ Editrix. Thanks to both of them for their hard work. As ever the committee would welcome new members to bring their enthusiasm and ideas. AGM BRISC had a very successful AGM at Newbattle Abbey College in Dalkeith last year. Thanks go to the staff of The Wildlife Information Centre who helped organise the event. Aside from issues with the acoustics and the PA system it went exceptionally well, and hundreds of new records were collected on the field trips in the afternoon. Our trip to Balloch this year has a lot to live up to. BRISC Committee. By the time you will have read this the committee will have met three times this year. The main topics of discussion have been SBIF (more later), the projects we have been funding or acting as banker for, and the Annual Conference. It was decided that both the Scottish National Parks would be contacted by a formal letter from the Committee to ask what their policies and actions were to support volunteer biological recording and ensure good data management within our two National Parks. As the National Park designation is an exemplar of best practice, we wanted to know just what was going on. The answers to the letters will be examined, and a letter to the Environment Secretary will be drafted, asking for his views seeing there are issues that the responses from the National Parks have raised. This will be done after the independence referendum. Scottish Biodiversity Information Forum (SBIF) SBIF went through a somewhat worrying time in the spring, when it looked like the funding for the coordinator's post would finish, just when 7

8 the whole endeavour was starting to get going. SBIF has taken a while to gain momentum, but it has to be said that it was starting from the bottom of a hill. The Committee took the decision that it would put its money where its mouth was and stump up 1000 a year for three years to encourage other match-funders to come on board. SNH have made a grant offer for three years, conditional on match-funding being a significant contribution to the overall grant which is only correct, as it is a collective effort across many organisations. We sincerely hope that there will be good news to report on from SBIF in the next annual report. See the website [ The structure of SBIF has changed, with a Management Group created to manage the coordinator, and a Steering Group with a broader membership brought into existence to discuss the issues affecting SBIF. BRISC will be joining the Steering Group. Bursaries There were over 30 applicants for seven bursary places in 2014, with four of the bursaries being funded by Glasgow Natural History Society and one by an anonymous donor. We are keen to continue the bursaries, and also to encourage more organisations to contribute a small sum to expand the number of bursaries we can offer. National Forum for Biological Recording (NFBR). I have attended one meeting this year, and the Forum (not Federation as it was) is working to build a bigger voice for biological recording in England. The stumbling block is a lack of Committee time in order to get the ball rolling, with funding bids and project management. However, they are moving forward, and they have a big committee, so I am sure things will happen but perhaps not quite at the scale or pace that some may want. See their website [ for details. Membership/ Finances. Our membership is fairly static, but we are trying to get new members by offering a student membership of 5. This will be put to the AGM for a vote. Our finances are again fairly static with our income and expenditure for core tasks roughly in balance, but our overall capital is declining due to the Bursaries and SBIF contribution. 8

9 Other News. BRISC has been invited to join the Scottish expansion of the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) project, see [ ], It is very worth having a look at the surveys and materials they have produced. Previously they only operated in England but now, with further Big Lottery Funding, they have moved into Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I look forward to seeing you at the Headquarters of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park on the 4th of October. We hope to hold our next conference in the Cairngorms National Park. As you may have remembered from last year s report, I said I was standing down. No replacement has been forthcoming, and if no-one appears at the AGM then I will reluctantly stay on for another year, but this will be the last one. So please, if you would like to be the next Chairman or Chairwoman of BRISC please do come and speak to me at the conference. Finally thanks to all the committee who give their time, energy and expertise to BRSIC. Jonathan Willet Chairman of BRISC. September Jonathan welcomes delegates to the conference at Newbattle Abbey College in

10 Membership Report for 2013/2014. The membership year runs from 1 April to 31 March. At year end 31 March 2014, we had 108 individual members with a net gain of three during the year. We also had 31 corporate members. Members will be aware of the banking problems that we experienced in These were reflected in a lower membership income than expected because of standing order payments not being made. The problems continued during 2013 and are still unresolved at the time of writing (August 2014). In addition to that, some standard memberships appeared to lapse during the year as well. So although we have a healthy membership on paper, there remain a number of issues to be resolved around subscription payments. Further efforts will be made before the end of this year to contact all affected members and reach a conclusion. As was the case last year, the situation is reflected in the membership subscription figures shown in the Treasurer s report. Duncan Davidson Membership Secretary 10

11 Treasurer s Report for Treasurer s Report for 2013 (1 January 31 December) Opening Balance at 1 January , Income Expenditure Membership Subscriptions Conference & AGM Conference Bookings Subscriptions Donations Newsletter Sales Members Expenses HBRG Loan Final Repayment Bursaries Digitisation Project Digitisation Project Totals Closing Balance at 31 December , Notes: - There is a surplus of more than 2,000. This is due in the main to the balance in the Digitisation Project funding and to apparently low conference costs. - Membership subscriptions are well down because of banking issues that are still to be resolved. - Highland Biological Recording Group (HBRG) Loan repayment is the final repayment of the loan given in 2011 to help with the mammal Atlas publication. - Digitisation Project BRISC is managing the finances of the project on behalf of HBRG. - Conference costs are low. A balance of 1,350 for Newbattle Abbey College was paid in January 2014 and will appear in next year s report. - Subscription payments include NFBR conference fees as well as membership. Duncan Davidson, Treasurer 11

12 Receipts and Payments Accounts Comparison 1. Receipts Membership Subscriptions Conference Bookings Donations Sales Project Admin/Loan Repay Gift Aid Bank Account Interest Payments Conference Costs Subscriptions Newsletter Members Expenses Website Costs Data Protection Registration Miscellaneous Bank Account Tax deducted Excess of Receipts over Payments (0.34) (430.62) (279.44) (526.47) (1,353.94)

13 Admiring the magnificent old Sweet Chestnut in the park How many armfuls does it take to measure this old tree? 13

14 BRISC Committee Members as of January 2014 Jonathan Willet, Chair elected chair 2011 Tel: Craig Macadam, Deputy Chair re-elected 2013 Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust Balallan House, 24 Allan Park Stirling, FK8 2QG Tel [Craig.MacAdam@Buglife.org.uk] Duncan Davidson, Treasurer & Membership Secretary re-elected Pitcorthie Drive, Dunfermline, Fife, KY11 8BJ Tel [membership@brisc.org.uk] Louisa Maddison, Secretary re-elected 2013 Countryside Ranger, Countryside and Greenspace Service, Calderglen CountryPark, Strathaven Rd, East Kilbride, G75 0QZ Tel: Direct Line: [briscsecretary@live.co.uk] Andy Wakelin, Website Manager re-elected 2013 Tel [webmaster@brisc.org.uk] Anne-Marie Smout, Editor Ex Officio Upper flat Chesterhill, Shore Road, Anstruther, Fife, KY10 3DZ Tel , [anne-marie@smout.org] Sarah Eno, Co-Editor elected 2013 Edenhope, Yarrow, Selkirk, TD7 5JY [saraheno@riseup.net] 14

15 David Lampard (corresponding member) re-elected 2012 McManus Galleries & Museum Albert Square, Meadowside Dundee, DD1 1DA Tel Patrick Milne Home, re-elected 2012 Tel fax Glenn Roberts re-elected 2012 NESBReC Co-ordinator North East Scotland Biological Records Centre (NESBReC) Specialist Services Team, Aberdeenshire Council, Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen, AB16 5GB Tel Claire Seymour SNH representative SNH. Policy and Advice Officer / Data Manager Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NW Tel [claire.seymour@snh.gov.uk] Richard Weddle re-elected Glasgow Museum Biological Records Centre 200 Nitshill Road, Glasgow, G53 7NN [biological.records@csglasgow.org] Graeme Wilson elected 2012 Centre Manager, The Wildlife Information Centre Caretaker s Cottage, Vogrie Country Park, Nr Gorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4NU Tel [graeme@wildlifeinformation.co.uk] 15

16 The conference Market Hall at Newbattle Abbey College was very attractive BRISC (Biological Recording in Scotland) is a voluntary body with Scottish Charity status. Our stated objectives are to advance the education of the public about biological diversity and to promote for the benefit of the public the conservation of the environment. Specific objectives are To promote the effective gathering and use of biological data and other related information as a means to develop an understanding of Scotland s biodiversity and contribute to the conservation of the natural heritage of Scotland. To stimulate biological recording in Scotland through promotion of a network of area-based local records centres and recording groups. To represent the interests of those records centres, recording groups and individual recorders to other organisations. To promote co-ordination/co-operation between and training of individuals and organisations with an interest in biological recording. To promote the adoption of good practice and minimum standards of biological recording and the accreditation of records centres. 16