Martineau Gardens
Report and Financial Statements
Registered number 4273209
31 March 2025
Legal and administrative information
Status
Martineau Gardens is a charitable company limited by guarantee and a registered charity governed by its memorandum and articles of association. The company was incorporated on 20 August 2001 and registered as a charity on 7 June 2002 (charity number 1092364).
Trustees
Mr T Bruton (Chair)
Mr P Arnold Mr T Walkling Mrs L Hensel (resigned on 23[rd] July 2025) Mr P Townley MBE Mrs F Simmonds Ms C Powell Ms K Tatlow Ms E Payne (appointed on 2[nd] November 2024)
Secretary
Ms J Fryer
Registered Office
27 Priory Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7UG
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Martineau Gardens
Company No. 4273209
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025 (incorporating the Directors’ report)
The Trustees, who are also directors of the charitable company for the purposes of the Companies Act, present their report for the financial year ended 31 March 2025.
Review of financial results and future developments
Martineau Gardens continues to generate public benefit through its main activities, namely Therapeutic Horticulture and visits from schools, groups and the public, providing opportunities to learn about plants, biodiversity and food growing.
During this financial year, outgoing resources have exceeded incoming resources by £2,487. There was a £(6,446) reduction in restricted funds and a £3,959 increase in unrestricted funds in the year. Overall net assets at the year-end were £70,866.
The year to March 2025 has been challenging for fundraising and the charity has also seen the impact of increased staff costs, cost of living increases and reduced donations.
The primary focus of our income generation activities continues to be on securing funding for our running costs alongside plans to replace the current Mollie Martineau building in the near future, to provide a warmer and more welcoming space for staff and volunteers.
We continue to work to diversify funding through the generation of sales, an increased events programme and exploring new funding opportunities working with new and existing client groups.
Reserves Policy
The Charity has agreed the level of reserves, that is, those funds that are freely available that the Charity ought to retain for the unexpected and for future investment. The Charity aims that cash or borrowing facilities are available to cover three months of normal unrestricted expenditure which now amounts to approximately £23,000 and year end unrestricted cash amounted to £25,000. The Charity considers that in the current economic conditions, it would be prudent to maintain a higher than normal level of cash until future operating conditions become clearer. In future years, higher levels of funds may be retained to support our further refurbishment plans.
Funds held as custodian trustee on behalf of others
The Charity does not hold any funds as custodian trustee on behalf of others.
Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees have given consideration to the Charity Commission guidance and the Charity Act 2011 with regards to public benefit.
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Martineau Gardens Company No. 4273209
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025 (incorporating the Directors’ report)
Independent examiners
The trustees have appointed Birmingham Voluntary Services Council (BVSC) to carry out an independent examination of these accounts.
By order of the Trustees:
Tim Bruton (Chair)
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Martineau Gardens Company No. 4273209
Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Notes Incoming resources Grants Environmental Education Sales and Events Donations Building development and Gates Membership Bank interest Total incoming resources Resources expended Charitable expenditure 2 Therapeutic horticulture service delivery Other therapeutic horticulture costs Environmental Education Other service delivery Premises and overheads Public engagement Building development, Gates and depreciation Other expenditure Cost of sales Total resources expended Transfer of funds Net movement in funds Total funds at start of year Total funds at end of year |
Unrestricted Funds £ 35,969 - 36,404 17,915 - 5,363 1,119 |
Restricted Funds £ 115,262 30,858 - - - - - |
Total Funds 2025 £ 151,231 30,858 36,404 17,915 - 5,363 1,119 |
Total Funds 2024 £ 116,168 10,833 36,637 25,014 1,677 5,456 779 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96,770 | 146,120 |
242,890 |
196,564 |
|
- - - (8,491) (40,221) (37,825) - (6,274) |
(107,104) - (39,772) - - - (5,690) - |
(107,104) - (39,772) (8,491) (40,221) (37,825) (5,690) (6,274) |
(88,830) (1,430) (27,103) - (37,970) (39,976) (5,135) (16,327) |
|
| (92,811) | (152,566) |
(245,377) |
(216,771) |
|
| - | - |
- |
- |
|
| 3,959 21,073 |
(6,446) 52,280 |
(2,487) 73,353 |
(20,207) 93,560 |
|
| 25,032 | 45,834 |
70,866 |
73,353 |
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Martineau Gardens Company No. 4273209
Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | £ | £ | |
| Tangible fixed assets | 3 | 10,388 | 13,984 |
| Current assets | |||
| Cash at bank and in hand | 4 | 82,934 | 76,708 |
| Debtors | 5 | 725 | 605 |
| 83,659 | 77,313 | ||
| Creditors falling due in one year | 6 | (23,181) | (17,944) |
| Net current assets | 60,478 | 59,369 | |
| Net assets | 70,866 | 73,353 | |
| Unrestricted funds | 25,032 | 21,073 | |
| Restricted funds | 7 | 35,446 | 38,296 |
| Fixed asset fund | 10,388 | 13,984 | |
| Total funds | 70,866 | 73,353 |
For the year ended 31 March 2025, the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.
There were no related party transactions in the current or prior period.
No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibility for:
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Ensuring the company keeps accounting records which comply with section 386; and
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Preparing accounts which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of its financial year and of its profit and loss for the financial year in accordance with section 393 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act relating to accounts so far as applicable to the company.
Approved by the trustees on 1[st] November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Tim Bruton (Chair)
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Martineau Gardens Company No. 4273209
Notes to the accounts
1. Accounting Policies
Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16[th] July 2014 and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and republic of Ireland (FRS102) and the Charities Act 2011 and the UK Generally accepted Practices it applies from 1 January 2015.The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
Capitalisation and depreciation of tangible assets
All assets costing more than £200 are capitalised, including, where applicable, irrecoverable VAT. No depreciation is charged in the year of acquisition. The cost of these assets is then written off by equal annual instalments over their expected useful life as follows:
Equipment: 3-10 years
Incoming resources
Grants are generally recognised in full in the Statement of Financial Activities, in the year in which they are receivable. Grants received which support future charitable activity are deferred.
Statutory income, sales and donations are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable.
Resources expended
Resources expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred.
Restricted funds
Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund.
Unrestricted funds
Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources receivable or generated for the objects of the charity without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.
2. Staff costs
Staff costs were as follows:
| Wages and salaries Social security costs Pensions Total funds |
2025 £ 101,834 12,558 2,286 |
2024 £ 114,233 9,509 1,944 |
|---|---|---|
| 116,678 | 125,686 |
Within the Statement of Financial Activities wages and salaries are allocated to the category of expenditure to which they relate.
The average weekly number of employees during the year, calculated on the basis of full time equivalents, was as follows:
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Project co-ordinators and management | 5 | 5 |
No trustees receive any remuneration or benefits, no trustee expenses were paid and no staff earn over £60 , 000
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Martineau Gardens
Company No. 4273209
Notes to the accounts
3. Tangible fixed assets
| Cost At 1 April 2024 Additions Disposals At 31 March 2025 Depreciation At 1 April 2024 Charge for the year Disposals At 31 March 2025 Net book value At 31 March 2024 At 31 March 2025 4. Cash at bank and in hand Cash at bank 5. Debtors Trade debtors 6. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year Trade creditors Provision Deferred revenue |
2025 £ 82,934 |
Equipment £ 53,285 - - 53,285 39,301 3,596 - 42,897 13,984 10,388 2024 £ 76,708 76,708 2024 £ 605 2024 £ 335 4,584 13,025 17,944 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82,934 | ||||
| 2025 £ 725 |
||||
| 2025 £ 156 - 23,025 |
||||
| 23,181 |
Deferred revenue represents grants and statutory income received in the year that relates to the future periods. Provision relates to obligation for building demolition in future periods.
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Martineau Gardens Company No. 4273209
Notes to the accounts
7. Restricted Funds
| Opening balance Income for the year Expenditure Transfers Closing balance |
Therapeutic Horticulture Building Funds Charitable Services Other Total - 8,671 - 29,625 38,296 104,262 - 41,858 - 146,120 (107,104) (2,094) (39,772) - (148,970) 2,842 - - (2,842) - |
|---|---|
| - 6,577 2,086 26,783 35,446 |
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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Martineau Gardens
I report on the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner:
The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met; or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
..................................... Andy Hopkins Independent Examiner
BVSC – Accountancy Services Latham House, 33-34 Paradise Street, Birmingham, B1 2AJ
25 September 2025