AGM Report Audited Accounts 2024-2025 Registered Office: Community by Nature 40-42 Hertford Road Bootle L20 7DH Tel.. 0151933 2363 Company Limited by Guarantee No: 3030362 Registered Charity Number: 1050226 Website: www.cornmuni nature.or .uk Email.. info@communitybynature.org.uk Aim: The charities main aim is to improve the health, wellbeing and life chances of people and communities experiencing significant disadvantage in Sefton and across Liverpool City Region through community learning and suppori, play and forest school. Significant Activities: In order to achieve our aim we offer.. Community training and support activities including youth activities Play and forest school sessions, events and programmes for children and young people Play and forest school training and support Background: Community by Nature (formerly Sefton Play Council) was established in March 1995 with the original aim of providing play support, training and resources for community groups working with children and young people in areas of disadvantage. Contents Staff i ng Structu re Committee Members Chair Persons Report CEO Report Key Services Recent Work and Future Vision Audited Accounts 2024/25 Il) Chair Persons Annual Report 2025 Welcome to our Annual General Meeting for 2025. We over the past year we have focused on community outreach, to offer further support to hard to reach residents. Through this we have further embedded ourselves as an integral part of our local community as a trusted hub of support. We had a tough start to the year in accessing funding with many funding amounts being reduced due to unprecedented demand however as we look to the coming 12 months we remain stable and secure, and on behalf of the Board, I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to everybody involved. I would like to thank our funders for their support through the year in particular PH Holt, the Steve Morgan Foundation, The National Lottery, Sefton Council whose ongoing funding has been instrumental in ensuring our sustainability, as well as enabling us to offer crucial support services to our community. We celebrated our 30th Birthday as a Charity this year- milestone we are all very proud of. I woulld like to thank our staff, volunteers, community members, service users and my fellow trustees for their commitment and support for our charity over the years, I would like to thank all our visitors, learners, and the whole local community. We have done some amazing work with local children, whether its providing food and activities during school holidays, or the amazing Christmas with Santa days. All the group5 that attend our centre help make it what it is, a trusted hub of support for everyone in the community. I would also like to sincerely thank our volunteers whose support is invaluable as our centre continues to develop and adapt to meet to local need through these challenging times. l am also very grateful to my fellow Board colleagues, who committed substantial time and energy to Community By Nature during the past year. It is much appreciated by all. This year we sadly lost two valued committee members and friends John Webb and Rita Knight. We are forever grateful for their hard work and committement to the charity and they will always be sadly missed a5 colleague and friends. Finally, Community By Nature is growing stronger all the time, due to our amazing staff team led by our CEO Kate Jameson. You all do a great jobl Thank you- Jim Brett CEOS Annual Report 2025 We celebrated our 30th Birthday as a Charity this year- marking the event with a summer party with the community, all our partners and supporters. Reaching this amazing milestone is testament to the hard work, determination and commitment from all staff. volunteers and trustees of our charity over the years. We look forward to the next 30 yearsl We faced a challenging start to the year financially with limited funding and reserves however with with hard work, determination and help from our partners and supporters we managed to rebuild and quickly get back on track. We continue thrive as a trusted community hub providing essential and critical support for the most vulnerable people in our community who are living in food and fuel poverty as the cost-of-living crisis continues. Our hol iday provision, play activities/trips out with a healthy meal for local vulnerable child ren has been hugely successful with families reporting this as a lifeline as they struggle to afford food a nd activities for thei r children in the holidays. Given the ongoing prevalence of food and experiential poverty for children in our neighbourhood, we have continued our increased offer of afterschool play and youth provision, facilitating activities, trips out and a healthy meal on additional term time eveni ngs and weekends. We continue to facilitate our weekly welcome space sessions offering wellbeing workshops mindfulne5s/meditation, gentle exercise, advice keeping warm/reducinE bills and nutricioijs lunches for adultcommunity members. We continue to offer an ongoing range of community activities including community learning programmes, Social groups for residents experincing loneilness and isoation and struggling with mental health, large family events, afterschool clubs, youth groups, residentials, parent and toddlergroups, social group for young adult5 Wlth disabilities to develop skills and build in confidence and resilience. Given the current financial climate and demand we continue to find funding more scarce and increasingly diff icult to access. This year we received funding from PH Holt, the Steve Morgan Foundation, Burbo Bank, Lottery, Sefton Council, Violence Reduction Partnership for our community activity for all ages. All these funding streams are invaluable to us. Following the release of our UMU research report demonstrating the significant impact our forest school/outdoor learning projects have on young peoples, confidencelresilience, aspirations and life chances, we have seen a huge increase in demand for our forest school provsion and training which is a valuable source of income. I would like to thank all our staff and volunteers for their hard work over the pastyear and for remaining committed and focused in challenging times. I would like to thank our committee for their valued advice and support over the past 12 months. We sadly lost two valued committee members and friends this year- John Webb and Rita Knight. This is a huge10s5 to our Charity and to us all personally. Their committment, hard work and advice and friendship is missed by us all every day, Embedded in the heart of the local community our community centre is a hive of activity and e55ential support which is hugely valued, respected and trusted by community members of all ages. We look at the future with optimism and enthusiasm a5 we expand our services and our reach. Kate Jameson- CEO. What we offer..... Community Activities Community by Nature ICBNI offer5 a range of services and support for the local community including out of school play and f orest school sessions and residentials for children, youth clubs, large community open days, parent and toddler play sessions, youth groups for youn£ people with disabilities, craft and social clubs, family dine time, community warm hub social groups, a walking club, trips & outings, community gardening and growing, joinery and maintenance and one pot cooking groups. As the cost-of-living crisis continues we offer essential and critical support services (food, clothingl to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our community. All our activities and support services are led by community need. During school holidays, we provide a full-time programme of play activities and trips out with a healthy meal at each session for local vulnerable children. Reacting to the rise In food and experiential poverty for children in our neighbourhood, we have increased our afterschool play and youth provision, offering activities, trips out and food on additional term time evenings and weekend5. Tralnlng Community by Nature offers a progresslon route for training from Introductory community learning and play, forest school and youth programmes through to the National Open College Network INOCNI Level 1, 2 and 3 Nationally Accredited Forest Leaders Awards. We can also offer the John Muir Environmental Award5 which are nationally accredited awards focused on basic environmental and conservation skills and knowledge and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. We have centre approval through NOCN for Certih'cate in Skills for Employment and Professional Development - tailor made introductory learning programmes with flexibility to incorporate forest tool use, building camp fire5 and outdoor cooking, woodland crafts, building rope Structures etc. The forest school experience5 we facilitate offer risk and challenge, capturing the interest and motivation of children and young people. Our forest school sessions can be held on or off Site, at one of Dur chosen local woodland venues. 5essionslprogrammes are available all year round for children from 3 years up to 16 years. We can offer one off taster sessions or a forest school programme. We currently work in partnership with primary and secondary schools delivering forest school programmes across Liverpool City Region. Residentials We also offer forest school and outdoor play residentials for children and young people, heSd at a fantastic woodland setting in the Northwest, with log cabin accommodation and in the countryside n Skipton, in a large cottage situated in acres of woodland and green space. Tearn Building We offer team building workshops and residentials for workplaces. Our team bullding exercises are based around forest school activities and include building fire5, Outdoor cooking, rope structures, shelter bui Iding and more. Our team building workshop5/residentials are held in one of our fantastic woodland outreach venues. All of our team building work5hop5/residentials are tailored to meet the needs of the or8anisation. Room Hlre We have a large community room and13rge training room and outdoor 5paceAvailable for hire for meetings, training etc. at a very competitive rate. Our work over the past year.... We celebrated our 30th Birthday as a Charity this year- marking the event with a summer party with the community, all our partners and supporters. This is an amazing milestone which is testament to the hard work, determination and commitment from all staff. volunteers and trustees of our charity over the years. With continued demand for essential and critlC31 community services (food and clothing) as the cost- of-living crisis continues, the past 12 months have been busy and challenging. We have facilitated food/activity programme5 during all school holiday5 for vulnerable children in our community funded by Sefton Councils Healthy Activities Fund, providing a 2-course meal, play activities and trip5 out for up to 50 children who attend daily. all of which have been hugely successful. Activities included forest play, dry ski slopes, mobile zoo and trips to Knowsley Safari Park, climbing wall, Christmas Pantomime in Liverpool and much more. In response to the rise in food and experiential poverty for children in our nelghbourhood, we increased our afterschool play and youth provision, offering activities, trips out with healthy meals on additional term time evenings and weekends and now off er family dine events. As part of our essential services, we facilitated a weekly welcome hub offering a hot m eal and a warm welcoming space for our vulnerable community members to meet. At our welcome space hub, community members participated in preparin& cooking and enjoying a one pot nutritlous hot meal as well as accessing support and advice on health and wellbeing Imindfulnesslmeditation gentle exercise) and finances (budgeting, benefits, saving energy) agaln supporting our community through the cost-of-living crisis. Our Communlty Centre continues to thrive with a rarbge of comrnunity activities for vulnerable community members including soclal groups for residents experiencing loneliness and isolation, those struggling with mental health issues with activities including craft, cooking, Joinery, gardening and knltting groups. We also continue to offer large community events, out of school and hollday clubs, youth groups, weekend residentials for children, parent and toddler groups, social group for young adults with disabilities. Last year we facilitated four forest school/outdoor play residentials for vulnerable children and young people from our community who would not otherwise have gone on holiday. Staying in the countryside in Skipton, in a large cottage situated in acres of woodland and Ereen space, children enjoyed Swimming in the outdoor pool and looking after farm animals on 51te, waterfall trails as well as forest school activities. We continue to work in partnership with other local support services Ilndependence Initiatives, local youth and community provision, Early Help Team51 facilitating cornmunity SUPPOrt activity, comm unity learning and confidence building programmes as well a5 social groups and tri ps out, Feedback demonstrated this support has had immense impact on social and emotional wellbeinE. We have a large bank of community volunteers including some fantastic young mentors who Support U5 to plan and facilitate community activities and events. Our young mentors participate at al I levels in the Charity including at Trustee level. Our Aim5 for 2026 To continue to develop community attivity and services at our centre in partnership with local residents according to current need and expand the reach of our charity To conti nue to seek opportunities for long term sustainability particularly by applyi ng for larger scale, longer term funding for creative community support services. To expand our capacity to deliver forest school provision and training includinE our level 3 forest school training programme, developing forest schoo5 skills workshops To review our vision, aims and objectives and our constitutlon/memorandum to reflect developments in vision, aims and objectives REGIST£RTr.D COIVIPANY NUIWBER: 03030362 (Ellgland 8nd Wales) REGISTERED CIIARITI, NUMBER: 1050226 orf of Ilic Tntstees and Una.i!diled Finaiicial s.tatements for tlie Year Ended 31 m.ll￿1L2Q2& mitcd V & R AccounlaLKy Sciviccs Limited CIMrtered Certified Accountants Croptoii House Three Tuns Lan¢ Forn)by Merseyside L37 4AQ .Qoiiiiiiiiiiil By_Natuit Limitcd Coiiteiits of t1￿ Financial Statements tor Ilie Yeai. Elided 31 Maicb 2025 Page Rci)ort i)f the Tni%tees liideyeiidcIil Exainin¢es R¢porL Stateinent of Financial Activiti Ejalance Sh¢et Nol¢s lo Ilie Financial Slaieiiicnls. 9 to 15 Detailed si8tei)iei)i of Fiiiancial A¢livit&es 16 to 17 Con)iiiiini By_NalLire Liii)ited Ici!oi'l ofiiie TLUStc&s_ ror ilie Yeai. F.iided 31 Marcli 2025 Tlie tl'LlStees wlio Are also dircctois of Ihe cl)ariry for ilie piityos¢s of tlie Coi)Ipanies Act 2006. present tlieir Itport will) the fiiiaiicial 8taleniet]Is of the cliai'ily for th¢ yCAr ended 31 March 2025. The tt'wstecs have adopted tlie pi'ovisioiis of Accoui)ling ¢1nd R¢pDI'linL by Cliaritics.. Siatemenl of ReLoinmended Pi?cticc 8ppli¢able to cliai'ities prepai-ing Ilieil accoiii)Is in accorddiice witli the Fiiiaiicial Reporting Standa171 applicable in Ille UK and Republic of. Ti'elaiid (FRS 102) (cffeclive l Jaiiuaiy 2019). oBJr,CTIVLI S AND ACTIVI'I'IES Objectives Jiid 2inis The CliariW.s nthin aiin is to eiihance ihc ivellbeing and life chances of children aiid adults in of depi'ivatioi) iii Scfioii aiid sun'ounding local aurhorilies by eiieouragtng pariicipalioii iii cominunily lurniiig and suppoi'l, play ftnd foiESt sehool. SiEnificAnt Rctlvltles Tlie Charity stiives lo achicve its aiiii by providing the following 5eiyices.' Coi)utturtity training an(15UPPOrt aclivilies includiiig yOLiih actlvilics. Play aiid forest school sessi0rn8. evenls aiid pro8rdn￿7￿ for cliildrei) and young pcople: Play aiid foi&st scliool Ii'aining and suppoi*' Tlie Irustccs liave releri'cd to Ilie giiidancc coiitained in ihc Charity Coii)missi(Mi's gei)a?18uidai)cc on i)ublic bci)cfii wl)en reviewing ils aii))s iuid objectives. Volunteei's 'riie cl)ai'iry is Srdleful for the effoils of ils volLiiiiccr% wl)o atr involvcd in all seivicc Im'ovisioii. It is esliniated tliat ovei. 2,000 volutileei. liours w¢i'e pruvided during Ille yeai.. The ¢l)ai'ily orfei's Irainii)g 811d piD8ressivii oppoilui)ilics to voliii)teeis. P&g¢ I B Nalui'e Liniiled Rcpoi't of Il)e Tiu.. tees for ihe Yeai" F.nded 31 Marcli 2025 ACIIICI fvIENT AND PERFORLIi4NCE Cliai'itable activities 2025 iiiai'ked oui- 30th Birtl)day as a charity and reaching this aii)azing 11)il&stone is teslaineiil to the Ilgrd woi'k, deleiminalion and coniinitinent froin all stafT. volunte￿3 and tiustccs of our charity over the yea)3. Wc look foiward lo tile iiekt 30 ye&1rsl We faccd a challu)bring yeai. fit)ancially witli limited fiiiiding which depleied our i"cseives, l)owevei' WLtli willi I￿l'd woi'k, deiei'inin#liuii allil Iielp fiDiii oui. p￿rti1¢￿ aiid support￿3 wc bavc inaiiagcd lo rcbuild and quickly gct l)a¢k oji track. We coiitiiiiie lo Iliriv¢ as a (I'usled coniiiiunily liub providiiig Li%ei)lial aiid critical siippoi1 for Ilic tl)ost vuliierable i)eople iii oui. coininiinity wlio Al'e liviiig in food and fi￿1 i)ovcrty as tl)e cosl-of-living crisis continue%. Our liolid¢ly l)rovision, play a¢livitie51trips oul iviih a hcaltliy ITical for Ii)L&l vulnerable cliildi'cii lias b¢¢i) Iiugcly siicc¢ssful willi faii)ilics rci)nitiiig this as a lifelinc as Ihcy stiugg1e to affoi'd food aiid a¢livities foi Ilieii. cliildrei) li) Ilie liolidays. Given Il)e ot)goiiig p1'e￿Ience of food and experiential poverty tor cliildirn iii our neigliboiirl)ood, we have contii)iied oui. iiicreased offer of aft¢iNcliool play and youtli pruvisiun, facilitaiu)£ aclivilies, ti'ips out ai)d a l)ealtliy meal on addiLioiial tci'in linie evenings aiid weckends. We coiiliiiiie lo faeiliiale oiir iveekly welcoine space sessions offcrii)g wcIIIKii)E Wl)I'ksliops Inindfiilncsslmcdiialion, genile ex¢rcise. 8dvic¢ kccpiiig wannlreducing bills and niitrilious lui)ches fui. aduli coiiunuiiily illcmbei's. Wc ¢ontii)ue to ot'fei. an ongoing rniigc of cominiiiiity aclivities includii)g coinmiii)ily leai'niiig i)I'ogi'aniiiies, sacik)I groups for iesidenl.s expcrieiicing lonelirte￿ and isolation aiid sliuggling wilh Inenlal Iiealili. large f&iiiily evei)Is, ftersLliool cllibs, youili byroLlI)s, Irsid¢i)lials, pairnl and toddlcr groiips. 50Li#I foi. yoiiiig ddii118 iyiili di%Hbililies lo develop skills and bLiild in coi)lidence and rcsilience. Given ilie curi'enl financial clinthte and demand we eoiiliniie lfi fiiKI fiinding Inor¢ scarce aild increasingly difficiili to ac¢¢ss. Tliis year we received fviidiiig firjm Setloii CVS. PH Holi, Ihe Srcvc Morgai) fouiidatlOi1, Nalional Lottciyj I.IAb, Seflon Council, Coi)iinui)ity Foundalion, (iwaiiiscape, Asda dlLd FullNinely Spoils Managcinent towards our ¢on)IMiiiiity &clivilie% for all ages. All Iliesc ￿nding %lieanis Are iiivaluRble lo lis. rollowAng Ilie release of our LJMU reseHrcli i'epoi'l deEnonslrating tlic significaiil iiiipacl our forcsl sc5ioolloiitdooi' Icyliming pi'oj¢¢ls 118vc on young peoples, confidcncclr¢silieiice, 8sI)iraiions and life cl)arice8, we l)ave .%een a liiige inci'ease in deiiiand fur oui. forest scliool provision and traiiiiiig ivl)ieh is a valuabl¢ soui'ce of incoine. I woiild like lo (liai)k llll ()ui' staff ai)d voliiiilccrs for tlieir Ii&rd work over ilie past ycai. and for reniaii)iiig coi)Iii)iiied and tocused in cliallcnging liznes. I would likc l() tliank our cvinniiltee foi. Iheir valucd advice and supi)OLX ovei. Il)e pasi 12 IMonilL8. We sadly losl hvo voliicd coininitlee i?ieinbets 81)d fricjids iliis year Joliii Webb and Rila ICiii&rhi. I'liis i& a Iiugyc loss lo oiir Charity and to us all peiEonally. Tli¢ir coiniiiiln)enL llaid work al￿ advice aiid friei)dsliip is niissed by lis all evely day. Eiiil*dded iii tl)e heart of Ihc lrtal coiniiiunily oiir conii)IUi1ity cciitre 15 a hiiie of aclivity and c8sei)tial supporl wliicli is liugcly valiied, rispccled and Imsted by conin)unity incinbe15 of all ages. We look #t tl)e tlllure ivith oplimisin aiid entliusiasm 46 wc ¢xpaiid our services aiid uur reach. FINANCIAI. REVIF.IV PriiiclpHI fiilldiiig 50UTCCS Tli¢ priiicii)al fitnding suurces are graiits froiii exlemal fuiidiiig bodies, local autliorities dnd associatcd local govcimincnt ageiicics tOLTcilici' with income geiiei'alcd fiDin i)lay and forest sch￿] provisioii. coiiiiiiiiility siippoit s¢tvi¢cs, ti?ii)iiig, rooin liii'e ai)d oilier eliaritxble #Ltivilies. Page 2 Coiiin)unil B Nalui'e l.ii)iiled ort of Ihtt TIuS￿¢S for tlie Yeal r.nded.11 ma￿1] 2025 FIIYANCIAL Rfi vifi.W Reserv&s p()licy Tlie tl"UStees l)Ilve revieived the resetvcs of the cl)ariry. Uni-esti'ieted Resei'ves,, a) lo provide ful￿% wliicli Can be deS]￿￿led to.%pecific projccts lo d)able these projccts lo be undertaken 8181)ort noiicc., i)d b) to cover adiniiiisliation liind raisiiig and suppoil cosls witi)out which Ilie d)aiily could not fui)ction. Tl)e IiustcLs eonsidei" il pyiidenl that iiDresti'icled res¢ivcs shoiild be siiffi¢icnl a) to avoid the neces.sity ol-reles lo Ille finan¢ig1 stat¢Jiithils. Pciisioii cn4ts aiid otliei. post-i-etlreiiient l)enefits l-Ii¢ Lhyril