FRIENDS OF THE CENTRE (known as REEP)
RCN 1000998
Trustees� and Director�s Report For the year ended 31[st] December 2020
The �ea� began a� REEP�� ���al b��� �ace �i�h ga�den �ch�la�� f��m S�ain and M���cc� being hosted on the Isles of Scilly for the third round of the REEP McLaren Scholarship. REEP also met with its gardening associates in Spain to discuss the fourth round of the scholarship, planned to take place at Coto de Nuestra Señora del Carmen , an historic garden in �he Ca��illa � Le�n �egi�n� Feb��a�� al�� �a� �he c�n�in�ed de�el��men� �f ��� �f REEP�� gardening project in Morocco: the Foyer de Jeunes Filles in Marrakesh , where a team of volunteers joined the girls to develop a working kitchen garden, and an embryonic Shakespeare Garden and club at a University in Fez. Although Covid-19 had an obvious and severe impact on travel and organised group activities in Morocco and Spain, REEP was able to refocus onto developing its supporting online materials, especially its language learning resource, English Through Gardening . Themed resources for use at home were developed throughout the year.
1. REEP McLAREN SCHOLARSHIP
A Spanish gardener and a Moroccan landscape architect were welcomed at the Tresco Abbey Gardens in January 2020 and spent two weeks working with the Abbe��� ga�den �eam� The mic�� -climate on Tresco, unusual and important, holds many clues about plant links with Africa and Spain. It was especially rewarding that part of the garden was designed many years ago by Carey Duncan, the Rabat-based land�ca�e a�chi�ec� �h� �������� man� �f REEP�� ���jec�� in M���cc��
In February, REEP visited Madrid to plan the fourth round of the REEP McLaren Scholarship. This is to be based at one of the last extant 19[th] century new romantic gardens in Spain, located on part of the Camino de Santiago route. The focus will be �he �e����a�i�n �f �he hi����ic �Engli�h Ga�den�� The �i�e a lso has potential for performance and art space. The original timing of autumn 2020 has had to be postponed but planning is ongoing and will involve historical research.
2. LE FOYER DE JEUNE FILLES, MARRAKESH
- In February, REEP organised its sixth collaborat i�n a� Le F��e� de Je�ne Fille�� a gi�l�� boarding house in Marrakesh for young women from mountain areas who would not otherwise be able to undertake secondary education. This was the largest event yet in the gardening project with the Foyer, with a key aim of creating a working kitchen garden within the grounds. As well as completing the construction and filling of raised beds, first crops were planted for boarders to harvest in the spring and summer months.
Th���gh REEP�� l�ng��anding �ela�i�n�hi� �i�h the National Trust (NT) and other supporting organisations, six garden volunteers were released from NT Fenton House Garden and Blicking Estate, together with Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens and Carey Duncan Design in Rabat, to work with the boarders to complete the garden and teach gardening skills. Enriching the team were a Moroccan professor of English
and a �lan� ec�l�g� e��e��� REEP�� ed�ca�i�n in�e�n deli�e�ed ga�den c�af� -based activities to teach the girls English Through Gardening.
The event was a r e���nding ��cce��� �he REEP �eam gained in�igh� in�� g���ing in an arid climate and a different culture, while the Foyer boarders were happy with their new garden and skills. Another important aspect of the project was the establishment of a gardening club to look after the garden. This involved weekly lessons of English, gardening and crafts delivered by Professor Fatima Bouabdelli (formerly of Cadi Ayyad University, where our original garden had been made).
Sadly Covid-19 caused the Foyer to close when girls were sent back to their villages at short notice. It is unlikely that the garden will have survived but the skills have been learnt and REEP hopes to be able to grow the project back post-pandemic.
3. SHAKESPEARE GARDENS
This project celebrates the shared history, patterns and planting of England and Morocco and has been a key theme for several years, including the creation of the Anglo- M���ccan Shake��ea�e Ga�den a� Ma��ake�h Uni�e��i�� and REEP�� ga�den a� Chelsea in 2015. At Fez, REEP was approached by a professor of English at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University to create a new Shakespeare Garden and Gardening Club at the Faculty of Letters, which met several times. The launch of the garden was to coincide with Shakes �ea�e�� bi��hda� and �� incl�de a Shore-to-Shore style celebration, competitions for students about the environment and links to the Fez Festival of Sacred Music. Although the pandemic meant this had to be cancelled, REEP is still in regular touch with the Professor of English who intends to reignite the project once a more normal pattern of travel and communication can be established.
4. ENGLISH THROUGH GARDENING (ETG)
While �he �andemic ca��ed m��� �f REEP�� �h��ical ���jec�� �� be ����ended� i� provided an opportunity in other ways. REEP already had deep roots in providing online activities and resources relating to gardening, the environment and faiths. The rest of 2020 saw the publication of a series of ETG materials suitable for young people at home and abroad. These included:
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Weekl� c�af� �����ial� de�igned �� �each Engli�h and �� b��aden ���ng �e��le�� understanding of gardens in a fun and engaging way. Tutorials feature video instruction and a supporting worksheet.
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An Easter resource pack of garden and faith-based activities including, e.g., acrostic poems, information and egg hunts (April 2020).
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A �Shake��ea�e Celeb�a�i�n� f�ll �f ac�i�i�ie� �ela�ed �� Shake��ea�e�� ga�den�� plants, life and language (May 2020).
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A �Rainb�� Ga�den�� �e����ce in h�n��� �f �he NHS� �i�h activities about colour and its use in gardens around the world (June 2020).
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�The B��� ab��� Bee�� �e����ce �i�h ac�i�i�ie� �� �each �ha� bee� a�e e��en�ial �� plant life and how to look after them (August 2020).
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�Wa�e� in Ga�den��� a �e����ce e��l��ing h ow water is important to plants and how to water them well, together with learning about the role of water in different style of historic garden (November 2020).
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A Spice Advent Calendar examining the botany and international usage of 24 important culinary spices, including recipes, crafts and language activities (December 2020).
All these resources are still available on the REEP website.
Once again, REEP would like to thank the two Trusts that so generously continue to support and enable its work. It would also like to express gratitude to the wide network of friends, advisors and organisations in Britain, Morocco and Spain who volunteered their time and expertise to make the projects happen. They fill REEP with eagerness and enthusiasm for the resurgence of its practical projects as life and work return to normal.
For further details of our projects see:
https://www.reepinfo.org https://www.englishthroughgardening.org https://www.facebook.com/REEPeducation/ https://www.instagram.com/reep_faithsandgardens/
Signed
Paul Willcox Chair of Trustees, REEP
26[th] October 2021
FRIENDS OF THE CENTRE (also known as REEP) Registered Charity No. 1000998
Summary Accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2020
| INCOME EXPENDITURE REEP McLaren Scholarship 6946 English Through Gardening Project 18698 Marrakesh Gardens 15624 Website 11631 Social Media 6782 Fundraising, Administration & Office Expenses 1454 Other events eg Gardeners' World Live exhibition/conferences - TOTAL EXPENDITURE Surplus (-deficit) Cash Position Opening cash position Surplus (-deficit) for the year Closing cash position Cash & Deposits Bank COIF Charity Funds |
INCOME EXPENDITURE REEP McLaren Scholarship 6946 English Through Gardening Project 18698 Marrakesh Gardens 15624 Website 11631 Social Media 6782 Fundraising, Administration & Office Expenses 1454 Other events eg Gardeners' World Live exhibition/conferences - TOTAL EXPENDITURE Surplus (-deficit) Cash Position Opening cash position Surplus (-deficit) for the year Closing cash position Cash & Deposits Bank COIF Charity Funds |
2020 £ 85470 61135 24335 1380 24335 25715 25665 50 25715 |
3749 14217 21249 6761 3941 1685 15154 |
2019 £ 45024 66756 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (21732) | ||||
| 23112 (21732) |
||||
| 1380 | ||||
| 1330 50 |
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| 1380 |
NOTES
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The charity was registered with the Charity Commission with effect from 30[th] April 1993.
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The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
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The charity holds no assets other than a bank account with Natwest and a holding balance on a CCLA account. There has been no activity on the COIF account in 2020.
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The charity continues to rely greatly on the time effort, office space and equipment give freely by its supporters, including the Director. This cannot be quantified easily so is not represented here.
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustoosl members of FRIENDS OF THE CENTRE (ALSO KNOWN AS REEP) On accounts for the year ended 31S1 December 2020 Charity no (rf any) 1000998 Sot out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trust.) for the year ended 3111212020. Rosponsibllitlos and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation ba815 of report of the accounts in accordance the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Dir8Ctions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5Xb) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come lo my attention in connection with the examination which 9ives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting rewrds Independent examiner's statement I have rn concems and have come across no other matters in connection vrith thè examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of th8 accounts to be reached. ' Please delete Ihe words in Ihe brackels if they do not apply. Slgned: Dato: 25th Oclob6r 2021 Name: JOY ANGELA HOYLE Relevant professional qualification{s) or body {if any): FCA., CTA. Addr08S: WOOThON FARM. PENCOMBE. BROMYARD, HEREFORDSHIRE, HR7 4RR IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32. Independent examination of charity accounts: diredions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief dotalls of any items thal the examiner wishes to dDsclose. IER October 2018