Over the past year myself and the rest of the WBCT accounts team have been working hard to look again at the way we keep track of the Trust’s finances.

Peter WilkinsonMy name is Peter Wilkinson and I became a member of the Trust in the summer of 2019 and soon after took on the role of Head of Accounts. As a qualified accountant, most of my career has been spent managing the finances of large companies in the automotive, FMCG and public transport sectors. This work has taken me north to Birmingham, west to Cardiff & Swansea, and as far east as Abu Dhabi and Oman (a beautiful country by the way!). I currently spend most of my time in Muscat, Oman (working remotely on the WBCT accounts of course) but I plan to finish here in the spring and permanently return to the UK. However, my true ‘home’ for the past 21 years has been in Wanborough, on the outskirts of Swindon, with wife Lesley and children Tom and Eleanor (who have long since flown the nest).

I first became aware of the WBCT from events like the Wanborough Show and immediately thought it was a great project – a nice slice of history (I’m a big history buff), but maintaining & building a public asset of great value for today and for the future. Also, having worked away from home so much, it is perfect now to be able to work on helping to deliver a truly local project and – as a bonus! – getting to enjoy the company of like-minded and committed people within the Trust.

Over the past 18 months the WBCT Accounts team has been concentrating on doing the simple things right:-

  • Keeping the accounts up to date, paying our valued suppliers promptly

  • Producing accurate monthly accounts for the Executive team, making sure we are absolutely clear about our financial health - particularly important over the difficult past 8 months

  • Developing a team of people who understand the Trust’s accounts, sharing the load in keeping things on track, and building resilience (my favourite word when describing how we want to develop the Trust’s finances!)

  • Working with the 6 WBCT Branches, making sure HQ and local activities are in step

  • Keeping the Trust legal, meeting all compliance requirements with the authorities

  • Making sure there are no financial surprises lurking around the corner

For me personally it has also been a new challenge – getting to grips with Sage 50 and learning the skills needed to be able to successfully contribute in the charitable world.

All these things may not sound super exciting – and maybe that’s a little bit true! – but with these basics in place we are in a strong position to take the Trust forwards into what we all hope will be a positive post-Covid19 world. Having financial stability means we know we can pay the bills for our existing commitments, allowing us to run the trust on a day-to-day basis and keep the already restored canal and towpaths in good shape. But maybe more important, it gives us the confidence to start implementing more ambitious plans and driving forward with some of the exciting new restoration and development projects that have been stalled for a while.

There are still plenty of improvements to be made in the way we manage the finances of the Trust, and we are always looking for new ‘talent’ to help us along. If you like the sound of what we are trying to achieve and you think you can help us, please get in touch!

Finally, a quick thank you to Rod, Nancy, Rachel, Keith, Steve, Oliver, Keith (another one!), Vic & Graham in the existing Accounts team both within the branches and at HQ who have all played their part keeping us moving forward.

Peter Wilkinson