Registered Charity Number: 1069865
Friends of the Porter Valley
Annual report and unaudited financial statements
For the year ended 31 August 2024
Friends of the Porter Valley
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Legal and administrative details | 1 |
| Trustees’ annual report | 2 - 4 |
| Independent examiner's report | 5 |
| Receipts and payments accounts | 6 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 7 |
| Notes to the accounts | 8 |
Friends of the Porter Valley Legal and administrative information
Charity number 1069865
Other names the charity is known by:
FOPV
Executive Committee (Trustees)
Committee member since
Ann Le Sage Chair before 2000 Glynis Jones Secretary November 2005 Lyndon Porter Treasurer 2 November 2021 Les Greenwood before 2000 Mike Halliwell October 2016 Glyn Mansell November 2017 Robert Peck 2 November 2021 David Young before 2000
Principal Address
25 Endcliffe Rise Road Sheffield S11 8RU
Accountants
Seven Hills Accountants Limited 57 Burton Street Sheffield S6 2HH
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Friends of the Porter Valley Trustees’ annual report For the year ended 31 August 2024
The Trustees present this Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Charity for the year ended 31 August 2024
Objectives, activities and public benefit
The charity’s object is to promote the conservation, protection and restoration, for public benefit, of the natural and physical environment within the Porter Valley, Sheffield.
Our vision is to conserve, protect and restore the ecology, landscape and cultural heritage of the Porter and Mayfield Valleys for the enjoyment of all and the benefit of future generations.
FOPV is the charitable community group which looks after the parks in Sheffield lying along the Porter Brook. We aim to conserve and restore the beautiful features and industrial heritage of this 4 km long linear valley which links the Peak District to the urban areas of South West Sheffield.
In setting the objectives and planning the activities the Trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. No activities have taken place that do not comply with these objectives.
Structure, governance and management
The charity is governed by its constitution adopted 21 March 1995, and became a registered charity in June 1998. Friends of the Porter Valley’s Executive Committee runs the day-to-day activities of the charity. There is a lead Trustee responsible for each key activity (Shepherd Wheel; Forge Dam Playground; Forge Dam rejuvenation; Bingham Park etc), and Trustees contribute to other activities according to their expertise and availability e.g. running community events. The committee meets monthly. A Subcommittee exists to manage the active and successful Bingham Park Community Group. All activities are carried out by unpaid volunteers and there are no paid staff or premises. A finance policy with associated practical procedures specific to activities is in place.
Activities during the Financial year 2023/2024 to protect the environment for current users and future generations to enjoy
Support for the environment : We adopted an all embracing “Nature Recovery” title for our many and various activities in support of the environment including the work of our Nature Recorders, photographers, new River Rangers (in partnership with the Sheaf and Porter Trust) and conservation volunteers. More heavily trampled sections of Bingham Park / Whiteley Woods were reseeded and planted thanks to bio-diversity grants from local Council wards. The regular conservation work mornings continued, and new volunteers joined. The teams constructed dead hedges, installed post and rope fencing to protect renovated areas, repaired footpaths, cleared blocked drains and created wildflower areas to support wildlife. Trustees met with our leads on Nature Recording and botany to discuss concerns about species loss, climate change, water quality, trespass and damaging behaviours and ways to protect and improve the environment. The 12 monthly walks were again geared to nature, environment and biodiversity. 2 wildlife night cameras with solar panels were purchased and installed in key locations.
Cross city partnerships in support of Nature Recovery : Activities with General Cemetery, Sheaf and Porter, Sheffield Botanical Gardens and Whirlow Park Trusts increased. Trustees took it in turns to represent us at the regular cross city Waterways and Parks group meetings.
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Friends of the Porter Valley Trustees’ annual report - continued For the year ended 31 August 2024
Member numbers: 820 at 31 August 2024.
Community events: We ran the annual Easter Duck Race again in Endcliffe Park and raised £11,000 for a metal artwork to replace the iconic wooden “TOAD” in Endcliffe Park (see below). There were very successful Christmas activities over November and December 2023
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2 evening wreathmaking workshops with the public,
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1 whole day event for the public to buy our handmade Christmas wreaths and crafts,
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6 pop up sales at Forge Dam and a community afternoon with Christmas music at Forge Dam.
Money raised from wreaths, cards, 2024 Calendars, etc. went towards the Forge Dam Playground. We participated in the Sheffield Heritage Fair in January and Sheffield Tree Fair in May 2024.
Fundraising for restoration and improvement projects (for each of which there is a restricted fund)
Forge Dam Restoration: The leak on the spillway detected in 2022 remains unresolved. The effects which became evident in 2023 have worsened and we are still waiting for Sheffield Council to appoint an expert to assess repair options. We continue to hold reserve funds for the penstock installation and monitor the situation. Members and the public are very concerned. The river flows uncontrolled through the spillway, water spurts through the spillway stone façade, the water level drops during extended dry periods and exposes all the remaining silt and the green training wall.
Forge Dam Playground: Thanks to £1,400 from previous Committee member Flora Owen’s funeral collection we paid for a repaint and repair on the main climbing frame and an extended set of new swings with extra accessibility items. Hopes for a total revamp in an extended footprint had to be shelved because of short staffing in the Council dept and slow fundraising. So we improved piecemeal….. some tired but usable equipment had a new lease of life, we increased capacity to meet the demand from younger age groups, and introduced items for disabled children in order to meet the most urgent requests in the 2022 consultation .
Bingham Park: the Community Group (BPCG) installed the Adventure Trail for under 8s in spring 2024, funded by a £10,000 donation from local employer Loadhog received in the previous year. The plan for a mini skate board park shaped up, and a grant from the Sheffield City Council Ecclesall Ward pot secured netting round a revamped tennis court for family play, ball games, cycle training etc . FoPV adopted a subcommittee policy to clarify the respective roles of FoPV and BPCG .
The heritage water mill Shepherd Wheel continued to attract over 20,000 visitors a year. Our weekend running was strengthened with new volunteers but our engineering partner the Sheffield Museums Trust cut out Bank Holiday openings because of staff shortages. The Museums Trust remedied issues identified in the review of the 10-year management plan and FoPV used the reserve fund to pay for materials and a special hoist to instal a reconstructed wooden drive drum, to replace exhausted keys and padlocks, and to renovate or replace external Noticeboards. Incidents procedures, Safeguarding training and the Volunteers Handbook were all reviewed and improvements started. The tripartite partnership continues strong but our partner has a skills shortage.
Endcliffe Park: A replacement for the iconic wooden (but disintegrating) "TOAD" Artwork will be installed in 24/25. The wax maquette has been completed ready for the creation of the full-size model which will go to the foundry for casting. Greystones school has worked on words to engrave, and information has been posted on Facebook, Newsletter to members etc. We are grateful to Flora Owen’s family for a further donation of £380.
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Friends of the Porter Valley Trustees’ annual report - continued For the year ended 31 August 2024
Presentations and Talks: 3 Talks were provided at Open Meetings for Members. The Chair lead 2 walks, and gave 4 talks to outside organisations about the Porter Valley and the charity’s objectives and activities. 4 Newsletters went to Members and 5 Update emails
Communications, Website and other IT developments: We continued to build up capability in this area. 2023/24 saw a further increase in use of Facebook to communicate with the public and to advertise events. Followers were 3.9 thousand at 31 August 2024. What’s App groups worked particularly well for Shepherd Wheel volunteers, the Nature Recorders, photographers, River Rangers and FoPV Trustees.
Volunteer hours across all activities amounted to 6000.
Future plans
We will continue to focus on environmental concerns, (especially given the problem of water quality with silt deposition from the Forge Dam leak and CSO overflows), drive ahead the Bingham Park mini
skateboard Park, respond to the worn verges and green space, and instal the Endcliffe Park metal “TOAD” Artwork.
Reserves policy
The charity adopted a Reserves policy in July 2022. Trustees find £5,000 more than sufficient to meet forseeable and essential costs. We have no salary or premises costs and the finances are stable.
Unrestricted cash reserves at 31 August 2024 were £44,529.
Declaration
16 October 2024
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ annual report above on ___ and signed on behalf of the trustees by:
Ala Sage Ann Le Sage Chair
……………………………………………….
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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Friends of the Porter Valley (“the Charity”)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 August 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: _______ oct Z ugtige Sarah Lightfoot, FCA DChA Seven Hills Accountants Limited 57 Burton Street Sheffield S6 2HH
Dated: _______ 17 October 2024
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Friends of the Porter Valley Receipts & payments account For the year ended 31 August 2024
| Notes Receipts Grants 2 Membership Subscriptions Donations Gift aid claimed Legacies Fundraising and sales Consultancy support and evaluation report Bank Interest Total receipts Payments Fundraising and sales costs Forge Dam project Forge Dam playground project Bingham Park project Shepherds wheel costs Shepherds wheel school grants Conservation costs Printing and stationery IT costs Insurance Travel costs Meeting costs Bank charges Accountancy and Independent examination fees Total payments Net receipts/(payments) Transfers 3 Net movement after transfers Cash funds brought forward Cash funds carried forward |
Unrestricted funds £ - 5,735 590 3,681 2,314 3,884 - 3,727 19,931 822 - - - - - 1,074 364 857 548 - 518 542 594 5,319 14,612 (563) 14,049 30,480 44,529 |
Restricted funds £ 13,500 - 6,507 28,972 - 18,061 - - 67,040 1,191 - 32,758 41,380 4,549 600 3,165 - - - - - - - 83,643 (16,603) 563 (16,040) 101,714 85,674 |
Total 2024 £ 13,500 5,735 7,097 32,653 2,314 21,945 - 3,727 86,971 2,013 - 32,758 41,380 4,549 600 4,239 364 857 548 - 518 542 594 88,962 (1,991) - (1,991) 132,194 130,203 |
Unrestricted funds £ - 5,698 2,145 390 - 1,665 - 844 10,742 673 - - - - - 4,428 531 220 579 147 588 383 564 8,113 2,629 (3,143) (514) 30,994 30,480 |
Restricted funds £ 4,207 - 14,819 372 - 13,386 3,000 24 35,808 705 3,000 669 - - 500 2,213 - - - - - - - 7,087 28,721 3,143 31,864 69,850 101,714 |
Total 2023 £ 4,207 5,698 16,964 762 - 15,051 3,000 868 46,550 1,378 3,000 669 - - 500 6,641 531 220 579 147 588 383 564 15,200 31,350 - 31,350 100,844 132,194 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Friends of the Porter Valley Statement of assets and liabilities As at 31 August 2024
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | funds | 2024 | Funds | funds | 2023 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Cash assets | ||||||
| Current account | 44,529 | 85,674 | 130,203 | 1,759 | 130,435 | 132,194 |
| 44,529 | 85,674 | 130,203 | 1,759 | 130,435 | 132,194 |
Assets retained for the charity's own use
Assets retained have not been given a value - these comprise event and maintenance equipment
Debtors
| Debtors | |
|---|---|
| Fund Gift aid Unrestricted Gift aid Forge Dam playground Gift aid Bingham Park Gift aid Forge Dam |
2024 2023 £ £ 1,286 3,679 230 - - 2,954 - 25,000 |
| 1,516 31,633 |
|
| Liabilities Accountancy and Independent Examination fees Unrestricted |
2024 2023 £ £ 720 594 |
| 720 594 |
16 October 2024 Approved by the board of trustees on ______ and signed on their behalf by:
AaaSage Ann Le Sage Chair
………………………………………………..
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Friends of the Porter Valley Notes to the accounts For the year ended 31 August 2024
1 Notes on the preparation of the accounts
Receipts and payments accounts are statements that summarise the movement of cash into and out of the charity during the financial year. In this context "cash" includes cash equivalents, for example, bank accounts where cash can be readily withdrawn to pay for debts as they become due.
Unrestricted funds comprise of general funds and designated funds. General funds are expendable at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objectives of charity.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the accounts.
2 Grants
| Sheffield City Council - grants and LAC Restricted funds Forge Dam restoration Shepherd Wheel Bingham Park Forge Dam playground LAC Grant Endcliffe Park Toad |
Unrestricted funds £ - - |
Restricted funds £ 13,500 13,500 Brought Forward £ 28,663 20,640 31,750 18,409 2,252 - 101,714 |
Total 2024 £ 13,500 13,500 Receipts £ 25,797 2,180 9,913 16,076 1,000 12,074 67,040 |
Unrestricted fund £ - - Payments £ - (6,181) (41,380) (32,773) (2,633) (676) (83,643) |
Restricted funds £ 4,207 4,207 Transfers £ - - 51 - - 512 563 |
Total 2023 £ 4,207 4,207 Carried Forward £ 54,460 16,639 334 1,712 619 11,910 85,674 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 Restricted funds
Details of the main restricted projects can be found in the Trustees' annual report.
| Bingham Park | £563 was transferred from general funds in February 2024 as a general fund contribution | £563 was transferred from general funds in February 2024 as a general fund contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Prior year comparison | Brought £512 underspend of the SCC grant given towards reallocated to the Endcliffe Park Toad. tuwards the remaining cost of the agility trail. |
Carried Bingham Park play equipment has been |
| Forge Dam restoration | Forward Receipts £ £ 28,345 3,318 |
Payments Transfers Forward £ £ £ (3,000) - 28,663 |
| Shepherd Wheel | 18,872 2,268 |
(500) - 20,640 |
| Bingham Park | 18,027 10,838 |
(258) 3,143 31,750 |
| Forge Dam playground | 4,606 15,177 |
(1,374) - 18,409 |
| LAC Grant | - 4,207 |
(1,955) - 2,252 |
| 69,850 35,808 |
(7,087) 3,143 101,714 |
4 Trustees' remuneration
The trustees were not paid or received any benefits from employment with the charity. No trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity neither were they reimbursed expenses during the year.
5 Related party transactions
There were no related party transactions to report during the financial year.
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