The Thames Basin Heaths Joint Strategic Partnership Board met to consider the financial position of their Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) Project, as well as receiving an update on the project itself. The Board also considered an update from the SAMM Project’s Investment Working Group on the investments made by the project.

Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Project

The most significant report presented to the Board for consideration was an update on the Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Project’s activities and achievements since their previous meeting in July. The report provided an update on the Project’s progress on wardening, access to Special Protection Area land, communications, Heathland Hounds, education, and SPA and SANGs monitoring. The report included the staffing update that Zoe Shorter had been temporarily promoted to Project Manager, replacing Ruth Shelton who had received a promotion within Natural England, and Kay Fletcher, who was previously a year-round warden, has received a temporary promotion to Senior Warden. The report included the following information about the wardening of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA):

During the mid-September to February season, we cover 5 days a week, and from March to mid-September we work 7 days per week from 07.00 to 19:00 (daylight permitting).

The report also provided an update on the project's work on education, noting:

Our Amazing Heathlands is a heathland-focused schools programme, run by Michael Jones - our Education & Engagement Officer. The aim of the programme is to meaningfully connect school children and their teachers to wildlife and their local heathlands through fun and engaging curriculum-linked activities.

The report also detailed the ongoing work of the Heathland Hounds scheme:

The private Facebook group has 1,785 members as of 13th November 2024. Between July and mid-November, Heathland Hounds ran 6 branded pop-ups across the SPA where we have engaged with 193 dog owners and handed out 431 leaflets in our Doggy Goody Bags.

Thames Basin Heaths Financial Statement

The board were asked to note the financial position of the Strategic Access Management and Monitoring project. The report included the projection that the final position for 2024/25 would be a Net income of £2.72 million. The report noted that £2.5 million was held in the Maintenance Fund and a total of £21.4 million was held in the Endowment Fund - £13.8 million in investments and £7.6 million as a cash balance.

Update on behalf of the Investment Working Group

The Board were asked to note the investments made by the Strategic Access Management and Monitoring project. The report confirmed that Councillor Jonathan Glen, Councillor Adam Bermange and Councillor Marc Brunel-Walker were the current members of the Investment Working Group. The report included the information that Arlingclose are the Board’s independently appointed financial advisors:

At the JSPB meeting on 21 September 2018, the JSPB appointed Arlingclose as independent financial advisors to the board.

Finally, the Board were asked to note the requirements and practical implications surrounding investment decisions:

As the JSPB is not a separate legal entity, investments are made by the Administrative Body on the JSPB’s behalf. However, investment decisions made by the JSPB are solely at its own risk and the Administrative Body accepts no responsibility for the decisions made. Furthermore, there are certain requirements and practical implications and limitations arising from this arrangement that must be given due regard before any investments can be made, these are set out in Appendix 4.