Annual Review 2022/23 Registered Scottish Charity No. SC025837
Overview from Stuart Housden, Chair
We approached the year with more optimism but world affairs, increased business costs and the slower return of tourists to pre COVID levels continues to present a challenging financial environment. Whilst these pressures constrain our ability to invest further in our Visitor Centre, we were still able to enhance our activity programmes for the benefit of nature and people.
I am grateful to our team who strive to ensure that everyone interacting with us has a better understanding of the health of our marine environment and how to support its recovery.
We are immensely grateful to all our members, individual supporters and funders who so generously support what we do. Now, more than ever, seabirds and our marine environment need our help.
Conservation
Headline news was around the devasting impact that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) had on seabird colonies across the world, especially Great skua and Northern gannets. We led on many media reports about the disease and forged new science collaborations to better understand its impact on seabirds.
We continued to raise awareness of the actions required to reduce wider pressures, such as fisheries, on Scotland’s seabirds and undertook biosecurity and habitat management on seabird islands in the Firth of Forth.
We also presented our views on the worrying scale of offshore renewables that will challenge seabird conservation efforts in the Firth of Forth and Tay.
As a seagrass community lead for Restoration Forth we were pleased to see momentum developing as preparations for sowing the first seeds around the Firth of Forth were completed.
Seagrass meadows we hope can thrive again!
Education
Our education and outreach activities gathered more pace as the demand for in person sessions re-started.
We appointed a new education officer who initiated a review of our resources and activities; helping to establish clearer links with formal education priorities and key stakeholders.
We maintained our presence at science and community festivals and engaged with schools in different parts of Scotland around these trips. The mobile version of our underwater virtual reality brought a fresh dimension to this engagement.
Our programme of Live Science Shows continued to be very popular; helping to raise awareness of topical marine environmental issues through interactive and fun performances.
Communities
Our partnership approach with a local mental health organisation supported a programme of wellbeing walks in nature with positive feedback from participants. Take up of our beach clean loan equipment and participation in social beach cleans continued to be good and helps contribute to good environmental quality for beach users and wildlife.
Experience
Although our wildlife boat (landing) experiences were disrupted by HPAI we continued to have a good level of engagement with people in our familyorientated Centre and through our annual Marine festival.
Different event and exhibit formats, both nature-based and of a more social type, are being trialled to increase our audience reach and support a dialogue about the recovery of our seas.
Looking Ahead To 2023
We know the coming year will continue to have its challenges. Despite these our shared vision, sense of purpose and committed team will be focused on increasing the reach and impact of our activities. Partnership working – locally and nationally - is at the heart of all that we do.
Habitat conservation management and biosecurity for seabird islands in the Firth of Forth will continue and we will strengthen our science collaborations. We are excited that seagrass seeding will take place around the Firth of Forth and a seagrass processing unit will be established in North Berwick.
Alongside the core of our informal and outdoor education support we will trial a new Junior Marine Science programme and launch a junior membership scheme to increase engagement.
Plans include new exhibits for our Discovery Experience to turn more of a spotlight on climate change and fisheries impacts and design plans for a refurbishment of our wildlife theatre. Investing in our Centre will also help support a growth in our events programme and improve facilities for a range of stakeholders.
We also need to diversify our income, build our membership and connect with new communities and organisations.
The challenges faced by nature are great and the need for more urgent action is real. We thank everyone for their continued support – we could not do what we do without it.
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Summarised financial information
The information on this page has been compiled using the full audited financial statements, a copy of which may be obtained on request from the Scottish Seabird Centre, The Harbour, North Berwick. The purpose of this information is to provide a summary account of the activities of the group.
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2023 2022 £ £ Income Admissions (incl. Gift Aid donation) 119,503 73,594 Other Discovery Experience Income 1,470 1,037 Membership (incl Gift Aid donation) 42,191 44,931 Catering and hospitality 412,786 308,343 Retail 218,272 146,382 Revenue & education fundraising, donations 393,238 459,336 Boat income 351,924 316,217 Other income 99,732 119,378 1,639,116 1,469,218 Purchases 230,384 143,019 Expenditure Salaries, wages and contract staff 753,720 644,122 Catering expenditure 7,448 8,560 Education 2,288 477 Administration 167,195 103,755 Insurance 34,182 29,217 Utilities 64,191 38,137 Marketing 34,306 23,794 Membership expenses 380 683 Fundraising resources 50,155 46,915 Discovery Experience 16,564 15,358 Boat trip expenditure 272,829 246,303 Bass Rock levy -Professional fees 21,672 18,684 Other expenditure 1,435 1,278 Bad debt write off -Non-recoverable VAT 5,989 4,311 Bank int & chgs 12,428 10,695 1,444,782 1,192,289 Group net surplus/(deficit) before depreciation and capital grants (36,050) 133,910 Capital grants received 24,349 35,239 Depreciation (136,526) (173,968) Net Surplus / (Deficit) (148,227) (4,820) Capital expenditure 26,900 94,732
With thanks Trustees and Key Management
We are grateful for the vital support we have received from many Trusts, companies and other organisations. In particular to this year’s supporters (year ending 31.01.23) including:
AEB Charitable Trust
Baillie Gifford
Big Give Donors
Cirrus Logic International UK
Cruden Foundation Ltd
East Lothian Council
EventScotland: National Events Programme
Garfield Weston Foundation
Geoffrey Clark Charitable Trust
Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust
Hamish and Doris Crichton Charitable Trust
Hugh Fraser Foundation
In memorium and legacy donors
J & JR Wilson Trust
John Lewis
Mackintosh Foundation
Marjorie Coote Animal Charity Trust
MEB Charitable Trust
National Lottery Community Fund
New Park Educational Trust
Nimar Charitable Trust
North Berwick Trust
Path Trust
Sandra Charitable Trust
Scottish Enterprise
Sea Changers
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE)
Scottish Seabird Centre Friends and Members
Scottish Seabird Centre Volunteers
St Mary’s Charity
Sylvia Aitkin Charitable Trust
Tay Charitable Trust
Viridor Credits Environmental Company
VisitScotland
Whitley Animal Protection Trust
William Grant Foundation
William Haddon Charitable Trust
Zoological Society of Hertfordshire
We would also like to thank the many individuals who have donated money and time, who remain anonymous, but who know we are grateful.
In line with the governance of the charity a number of longstanding trustees retired during the course of the year and the process for new appointments, in line with the new strategic direction and skills audit progressed.
Trustees
Stuart D Housden Chair, OBE
Chris Arnold
Dr Stephen Breslin
Elizabeth Eckles (Resigned 31 July 2023)
Charlotte Hopkins (Resigned 11 April 2023)
Kim Kjaerside (Joined 19 January 2023)
Dr Richard Lilley (Resigned 31 July 2023)
Hamish MacAndrew (Retired 31 July 2023)
Heather McFarlane (Joined 19 January 2023)
Diana Murray CBE (Retired 30 June 2022)
Professor David Paterson
Neil Stoddart (Joined 28 June 2023)
Phil Taylor
Tessa Quinn
Professor Steven Votier
Biographies online at www.seabird.org
Lindsays WS Company Secretary
Key Management
Susan Davies
Chief Executive
Helen McDonald
Finance Manager
Jess Thompson
Marketing Manager
Charlotte Bray Fundraising Manager (Resigned 27 April 23)
Dora Roden
Project Manager
Fiona Unsworth Business Support Officer
Jill Dryburgh Business Support Officer (Retired 28 April 23)
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Cover image credits (clockwise from top): © Lyle Boyle, © Emily Burton, © Emily Burton, © Chris Jones - Scottish Wildlife Trust, © Helen Pugh, © Chris Wallbank