New Forest CDA’s financial activities over past year

This is the Treasurer’s report by New Forest CDA committee member Richard Deakin. It was first published in the CDA’s annual report for 2024/25.

The year began with a requirement to pay what I thought was the last invoice associated with the encroachment case, which had fortuitously arrived at a conclusion.

An additional small invoice then came to light, which will show in the 2025 accounts. This should be the final expenditure for what has been an enormous total expense, and perhaps we also should breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn’t much worse.

As I reported last year, we are indebted to those organisations who provided significant financial support.

While thanking other organisations for their support, it is appropriate to mention that during the year the Association, in conjunction with the Honorary Vet, ran a trial cattle vaccination initiative.

We must thank the New Forest Trust for reimbursing us for all costs. The Trust also kindly offered to sponsor an extension of the Salt Lick road safety initiative, with those costs appearing in the accounts for next year.

Fundraising activities, mostly run by the Young Commoners, and of course involving the New Forest Show, generated a little less profit this year.

This was largely due to the need to purchase a new set of brands, signs, and Association clothing – an investment which should stand us in good stead for a few years and hopefully generate more future income. We must always remember that all fundraising is only possible because so many give generously of their time.

The association has now firmly embraced paperless internet banking. Bills are now paid online while a significant number of subscriptions are paid by standing orders or BACs.

Machines and Artificial Intelligence do the majority of the work, saving postage, paper, bank employee time and reducing the need to travel to a real live bank. The latter benefit being fortunate as there are now few bank branches, and their hours are uncertain.

In light of this efficiency move, I find it somewhat ironic, that January of 2025 brought a letter from the bank indicating that our account was to be renamed as a “Community” account, and that henceforth banking charges would be applicable.

Such charges have not been incurred for routine business, for the last 25 years, during which time we were not doing the work ourselves. Nevertheless, I would encourage as many members as are able to join the paperless world when paying subscriptions.

Richard Deakin, New Forest CDA treasurer