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2022-03-31-accounts

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park Annual report and accounts For the year ended 31 March 2022

ww.fothcp.org Registered Charity No. 1107136 Registered Company No. 5233566

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Contents

From the Chair of the Board of Trustees 4

From the Cemetery Park Manager 6 Mission and Values 7 Strategic Reports 8 Nature & Conservation 8

Biodiversity 8 Heritage 10

Community & Partners 11

The Future 12 Statutory Information 14 Financial Statements 18

London in Bloom Awards 2021

Green Flag Awards 2021

Large Conservation – Gold Heritage Park/Garden of the Year – Gold Large Cemetery - Gold

Community Winner

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From the Interim Chair of the Board of Trustees

and history of the Cemetery Park alive. I’d like to particularly thank and recognise Fran Humber, who has stepped down as Chair of the Board, for her huge contributions to the FoTHCP over her tenure, and especially against the additional challenges that the pandemic has brought. Fran’s guidance and drive has directly contributed to the FoTHCP being so well placed to take on new projects such as delivering the Conservation Management Plan.

ike many, we had been hopeful that the pandemic would disappear, but sadly L the challenges continued. Fortunately, we had weathered last year’s challenges well and we have emerged from this period in a strong position.

I’m incredibly thankful to the staff, volunteers, partners and all who have continued to support the FoTHCP. It is not an exaggeration that these contributions are critical to the survival of our organisation. As events and volunteering were resumed and ceased in line with regulations, many worked hard to keep the site management up to scratch and continued with online events to continue to connect with and inspire the community. I’d like to say a special thank you to Terry Lyle for freely sharing his experience and knowledge, and to Diane Kendall for being a driving force in keeping the heritage

The pandemic has vividly highlighted to me the value that Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park has for so many in the local area. Tower Hamlets has one of the highest population densities in the country with a housing mix skewed towards flats with minimal green space. Many visitors have shared with me that the Cemetery Park was a lifeline for them during these turbulent times; allowing

them to escape to a green space where they can enjoy a brief moment of respite. For me, this makes the hard work of the FoTHCP so worthwhile and I know that many of our staff and volunteers feel the same way.

We have also developed and stewarded additional sites in the area including Fairfoot Road pocket park. Such spaces give us new ways to connect with the wider local community, and provide essential corridors for non-human populations to survive and thrive. The main historic Cemetery Park site remains our top focus, and we have begun efforts to develop our Conservation Management Plan (CMP), a really important milestone in our stewardship of the site. The CMP will allow us to be better able to document, celebrate and share the inherent heritage of the site – from its monuments and pathways to its stories. We’ve been especially pleased to see such high levels of interest and engagement from the local community and stakeholders in this major initiative.

Like many in the community, we were all incredibly saddened at the death of Ranjith Kankanamalage in the Cemetery Park in August. The site was closed for over two weeks

as the police conducted their investigations. I was proud of all staff and volunteers who worked to reassure the community at this very difficult time. We remain committed to making the site a welcoming and safe space for all in our community.

Sadly the pandemic has impeded our ticketed events calendar and the number of corporate groups we could welcome, which has had an impact on revenues. The ongoing forecast for many small charities such as ours has somewhat improved, but we are working hard to ‘catch up’. We also acknowledge that amid the wider landscape there is increased competition for funding. The inflationary pressures experienced at the moment, may also make cost control challenging. Accordingly, we are thankful for the financial and in-kind support we have been given by so many donors, fundraisers and organisations.

We very much look forward to ‘what’s next’ for the site we all love so much.

Toby

Interim Chair of the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

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From the Cemetery Park Manager

National Heritage Lottery Funding for Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (THCP), secured by the FoTHCP. The FoTHCP have subsequently sought additional support, including from The Pilgrim Trust and its own reserves.

t will come as no surprise to anyone that the past year has still been very I challenging for those involved in managing and maintaining the Cemetery Park. I am immensely proud of how everyone has risen to this challenge - from developing new ways of working and keeping in touch, to maintaining support where needed. Everyone has done their best to keep a sense of community and to combat the isolation all of us have felt at some time or other during the past year.

Michelle, our Community Outreach Co-ordinator who ran our Nature & Us programme, left us in July 2021 and went on to a social prescribing role. Her three years with us were extremely fruitful and we’re grateful to all the new links and partners we made because of her. She’ll be missed and we wish her well in her future endeavours.

April 2021 saw many restrictions being eased. As people’s lives returned to ‘normal’ we saw a slight drop in the use of the Cemetery Park for the first time since the start of the pandemic. In line with government guidance, we were able to increase the number of community volunteering sessions we offered and also welcome some corporate groups back. These (very-welcome!) sets of hands allowed us to catch up on and improve the care of the Cemetery Park beyond the ‘essentials’ we’d been able to cover with a reduced team. In particular, we welcomed many corporate volunteer teams in Autumn who contributed to the site care before activities were again ceased as the Omicron variant struck.

The grant we were awarded by Tower Hamlets Council in 2020 to develop the small area of derelict land to the south-east of the Cemetery Park continues. Two years into the Fairfoot Woods project, we see the site is maturing into a very pleasant place. It’s well used by local residents and visitors and we’ve received much positive feedback. In 2022 we will add a new footpath and gateway into the site, as well as seating, signage and bins. These additional green spaces outside of the historic Cemetery Park walls, including the Ackroyd Drive Greenlink, form part of a valuable green corridor heading east out to the Lea Valley, supporting wider conservation and bio-diversity efforts.

The Hands-on Heritage volunteering sessions have proved to be very popular, along with a new calendar of activities with a heritage and history theme, showing there is strong interest in these topics as well as the more conservation and nature-focused activities. Beyond these, our Heritage Officer, Claire, has led the exciting development of our very-first Conservation Management Plan. This has involved extensive consultation with community, park users and stakeholders to inform short- and long-term projects. The CMP will help the FoTHCP to better document and understand the existing heritage within the site, establish a framework for future work within the site, and improve our visitor and community offering and experience. It was originally commissioned as part of

During the peak of the pandemic, we continued to host nature focused online events offering the possibility to the public to explore the park and how its flora changes through the seasons. Into 2022, and as concerns around coronavirus have eased, we have carefully increased our calendar of events and activities. We are looking forward to welcoming new and familiar visitors to the site as we continue to share the fascinating heritage and nature of the Cemetery Park.

See you there!

Ken Cemetery Park Manager

Mission & Values

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (“Friends”, “FoTHCP”)

Our Values

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park offers everyone a breathing space in the heart of East London. This woodland cemetery is a unique place of transformation: a people’s cemetery, a sanctuary for humans as well as nature, a place for festivals, field studies and forest schools. Always changing with the seasons, it is rooted in the history of ordinary people, a place of rich heritage that is full of possibilities and freedom for all.

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Growth

We endeavour to ensure that everyone can benefit from the Cemetery Park and have the opportunity to grow as a person.

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is an award-winning local charity working to protect, preserve and care for the Cemetery Park. Founded in 1990, our skilled staff and volunteers across nature and heritage bring energy, knowledge and vision to the shape and future of the site for the benefit of all who use it.

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Freedom

We champion the possibilities offered by the Cemetery Park to support learning, nature and heritage.

We are the custodians who seek to protect, commemorate and share the history of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and maintain and develop it for enjoyment, remembrance and learning for everyone. We aim to improve London’s natural environment; public engagement and understanding of its local history; support local health and wellbeing; and build social cohesion.

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Friendship

We work in friendship with our staff, volunteers and the wider community.

Each year we provide hundreds of free activities and volunteer opportunities for the benefit of the local community.

Our Mission

4 Openness

We work to install an ethos of freedom in the Cemetery Park as a people-centric charity, exploring history, improving mental wellbeing and managing the woodland and meadows in as light a way as possible.

We feel that the Cemetery Park and charity should be accessible to everyone.

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Strategic Reports

Nature & Conservation

Biodiversity

We’re thankful for the efforts and expertise of Mark Patterson, Gino Brignoli and Edward Milner in surveying solitary bees, beetles, spiders and other small creatures. Biodiversity is an important indicator of the health of the site, and we are mindful that our actions can have a very real impact on the populations that we share the site with.

The historic space within the Cemetery Park walls has become a haven for nature and conservation, and many of the visitors and event participants marvel at the ‘sanctuary’ feel within the site. The Conservation Management Plan also documents the historic planting and tree lines within the Cemetery Park and will be a useful reference point for the FoTHCP. We have also worked to coppice the self-sown sycamores, several of which have supplied the materials for the new green woodworking courses, and to reinstate a wider diversity of trees. We will also be looking at light and the tree canopy, in particular its support or detriment to bio diversity. This will be particularly important as we monitor and respond to the impact of the Bow Gasworks development which we expect to block natural light within the Cemetery Park.

We acknowledge that our research can only ‘scratch the surface’, and is limited to the hours that our observers can work (and indeed them being in the right place at the right time). We also struggle to research the canopy levels of the woodlands. That said, we are excited to have made a number of notable discoveries including some species seen for the first time within the site (or indeed London).

Butterflies are by far the most studied and most readily observed insects. But even larger and more conspicuous butterflies are only recorded if there’s an observer. For instance, Silver-washed Fritillaries were recorded every year from 2005 to the present day, with the exception of 2016. We can be quite sure they were present in 2016 and that males and females found each other, as they are equipped to do so.

In addition to the main Cemetery Park site, we have continued to develop Ackroyd Drive and Fairfoot Woods as two additional spaces for residents and the local community to enjoy nature. In 2021, we secured a small additional grant that will enable us to extend the green corridor up to the Lea Valley and provide numerous ‘pocket park’ spaces to encourage biodiversity. We also planted a new wildflower meadow at Shandy Park with the support of Groundwork, which continues on from the great work begun as part of the Nature & Us project.

On the other hand, we were incredibly excited by a ‘needle-in-a-haystack’ discovery in April 2021. The strange insect in a half-curled leaf turned out to be a rather rare species of UK-native sawfly, whose larvae feed on honeysuckle. Neither of the two UK species had ever been recorded in the London area, and sawfly expert, Andrew Green, identified it as Abia aenea (Honeysuckle Sawfly), which is the nationally scarcer of these two species. Such a find strongly suggests that we have a population, and it’s part of a wider London population, but they remain elusive.

Our plans for the development of the Cemetery Park were curtailed a little by the ongoing impact of the pandemic, but we continued to be on top of seasonal planting, coppicing, and reducing the volume of the more dominant/invasive species in order to encourage more diversity.

In the plant world, summer 2021 produced the fifth Pyramid Orchid we’ve ever seen in the Park. Orchid seeds are minute, often a million per gram. They can be blown great distances, need great good fortune to survive and mature, and take years to flower.

Sawflies are in the insect order Hymenoptera, whose more familiar members are bees,

wasps and ants. We’ve seen a few species of sawfly in the Park but there are certainly many more we have not encountered. The most readily found are the larvae of Allantus cistus, which often defoliate the small wild rose bushes in early summer.

Throughout 2021, 1997 spiders were collected by pitfall-traps, representing 60 species, with a further 8 species identified by search and sweep-nets. These numbers are almost identical to the prior year in terms of numbers and numbers of species. Yet again, the total count of pioneer spiders continues to fall, which is an excellent sign of the ecological health of the Cemetery Park. As habitats mature species richness increases, so therefore pioneer species numbers would be expected to reduce. A full report on the results of 13 years of pitfall-trapping spiders from 2009 to 2021 will appear in the upcoming edition of the London Naturalist .

This year three species of spider were added to the list, although of these only one was really new. A single female of the tiny orange six-eyed spider Oonops pulcher was trapped at Lodge Graves in May 2021. This species is easily overlooked and is probably substantially under-recorded with only 9 localities recorded in the London/Middlesex area, and none of these west of Hammersmith. Pholcus phalangioides , the ‘Daddy-long-legs-spider’ is common indoors, especially throughout the Soanes Centre(!), though is only recorded officially for the first time in 2021. Lastly, the tiny hunter spider, Micaria micans , was recorded: previously it was thought that Micaria specimens recorded were the

common M. pulicaria as the species are difficult to differentiate, but new indicators have been published and careful examination of specimens from various London sites has revealed that they are all M. micans .

The spider fauna of London is changing quite rapidly and other new finds are likely to turn up: Anyphaena numida , a third species of buzzing spider first recorded in Britain in 2017 has been spreading rapidly and is already recorded from seven London sites – but not, so far in the Cemetery Park.

Sadly we report that the beetle recording has ceased owing to the serious illness of Norman Heal. We hope his health improves, and we hope to resume our studies. One new beetle species was found – a small brown jewel beetle, Agrilus cuprescens , a new arrival in Britain first recorded in 2008 and confirmed by Dr. Brian Levey at the National Museum of Wales.

As part of the by-catch in the pitfall traps, centipedes are now being separated and sent to an expert for identification. Although none of those caught so far are particularly uncommon, so far 8 different species have been found in the Cemetery Park, including two species of the tiny Lithobius , another small delicate species Schendyla nemorensis , as well as several larger centipedes of the genera Geophilus and Lithobius . Both sexes of the longest British centipede Haplophilus subterraneus (up to 7 cm) have been trapped, and another more delicate long species Henia vesuviana . Some other very small centipedes have been seen but not yet caught and this list is likely to grow.

Some new invertebrate groups have been added to informal surveys over the last year including millipedes and mirid bugs. Over 27 survey days I recorded 236 invertebrate species the majority of which were Diptera (true flies) comprising 24% of all recorded species. These were closely followed by Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants) at 20%, Hemiptera (true bugs) at 16%, and Coleoptera (beetles) at 13%. THCP remains an excellent site for Rambur’s Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas sexmaculatus which first arrived in Britain in 2011 and the nationally scarce Large Scabious Mining Bee Andrena hattorfian a. On 18 July I recorded the first record of the nationally rare flat-footed fly Agathomyia collini in Tower Hamlets and the vice county of Middlesex in Sanctuary Wood.

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Community & Partners

Heritage

the USA, Canada, Peru, India, Bangladesh, Somalia and across Europe.

It has been a busy year for heritage within the Cemetery Park. The newly-created Heritage Officer staff role has enabled us to support a stronger calendar of heritage-focused events and brings in new expertise into the site. Despite some restrictions on our activities due to Covid, we have still hosted over 40 heritage events and activities over the year. Over 700 people joined events in-person from guided tours, information sessions and creative heritage crafts workshops. We attracted a diverse range of participants including students and academics (UCL History Society, Society of Genealogists), schools and youth groups, older people’s groups and LGBT family groups. We also welcomed attendees from

Our online events also proved popular, with up to 100 participants at each, and attracted a similarly broad range of attendees. Topics of interest range from the history of the Cemetery Park to family history workshops, and an academic discussion on death and Victorian culture.

We also launched a new ‘Hands-On Heritage’ volunteering group which has welcomed around 80 people from the local community who have worked within the Cemetery Park site, helped to reveal ivy-covered monuments - some of which have not been seen for over 20 years, recorded grave inscriptions for

family enquiries, and supported surveys of our historic landscape and significant monuments. These volunteers are also contributing to new tours and significant stories emerging from the site.

The Heritage research team have also continued to meet at least monthly, collectively contributing over 1,000 hours of volunteer time. The team met either online or in hybrid meetings as COVID-19 restrictions allowed, contending with restricted access to archive and record offices.

In September we celebrated the 180th Anniversary of the Cemetery Park (to the day). Sadly these celebrations were rather more subdued than the 170th owing to ongoing restrictions, but we were nonetheless pleased to mark the occasion as part of the Londonwide Open House 2021.

In November we joined a 2-day virtual conference, hosted by the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe: Cemetourism: Cemeteries with Stories to Tell . It was heartening to share insights, perspectives and challenges with cemeteries across Europe, and to learn more about visitor experience and tourism within these historic sites.

As the 2020 Remembrance Service had been cancelled due to the pandemic, our 2021 service had special significance. We were delighted to welcome back Trustees, local Councillors, Cadets from the 24 Cadet Detachment (The Rifles), Scouts from 4th and 23rd Poplar, as well as members of the local community. We would like to give special thanks to Reverend Peter Turner, who kindly stepped in at the last minute to take the service.

Looking to the future of heritage within the Cemetery Park, in addition to continuing to build on our volunteering and events programmes, we have been hard at work putting together our first Conservation Management Plan (CMP). The CMP marks the start of an exciting new chapter for our organisation with opportunities to both safeguard and reinvigorate the site for future generations and better celebrate both heritage and nature within the site. The CMP will inform our work for the next 30 years, spanning restoration, preservation and new initiatives.

Visitors

We are pleased that as the pandemic eased, we have been able to welcome visitors and the community back into the Cemetery Park and our additional sites. We have also managed to restart volunteering and launch some new events and volunteering opportunities. This is so important as:

We are especially committed to diversity, openness and inclusion, and are proud that our events and activities reflect this. We are also embedding this as a key component of the Conservation Management Plan, particularly around physical and virtual accessibility. We are also eager to host free / affordable events where possible so that there are no barriers to participation.

Volunteers

As a small organisation, we simply could not survive without the efforts of our volunteers. From opening or closing the gates to litterpicking, from seasonal planting to coppicing and clearing, and from heritage grave enquiries to nature monitoring, with everything else in between, we are appreciative for all these efforts. We are also eager to ensure that volunteers can learn new skills and benefit from an increased sense of community when they are on site.

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Corporates

We were able to welcome corporate volunteering groups back into the site to help us ‘catch up’ on some of the work which was disrupted due to the pandemic as well as kick-start some new projects. Some highlights include:

Copy to come:

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Donors & Fundraising

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Members

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The Future

The next year holds great promise for the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park; along with the prospect of a lot of hard work!

Our plans for the next year include:

Conservation & nature

Heritage & history

People & community

Governance

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Statutory information

Trustee vacancies are advertised externally unless there are specific skills FoTHCP are looking for. On occasion, the trustees may identify and approach individuals thought to have the right skills and invite their application to the Board. New Trustees are formally appointed at the AGM. The trustees may appoint Patrons or other honorary postholders of the Charity. Such postholders are honorary only and carry no vote or other rights.

Structure, governance and management The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (FoTHCP) is a company limited by guarantee (registered company number 5233566) and is a charity registered in England and Wales (1107136) regulated by the Charity Commission. It is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Frances Humber, defined in the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The company has 340 members whose liability, in the event of the company being wound up, is limited to £1.00 each. Membership of the company is governed in accordance with regulations within our articles as agreed by the trustees. The day-to-day running of the Charity is the responsibility of the Cemetery Park Manager and the Trustees.

Risk management

FoTHCP’s approach to risk management is proactive and integrated into dayto-day working. The charity maintains a register of risks (governance, operational, financial, environmental) and maintains mitigation controls and contingency plans. Items from the risk register are reviewed quarterly by the board.

Trustees

The Trustees set the strategic direction and ensure the Charity achieves its objectives. The Trustees oversee governance and are responsible for upholding the Charity’s values. The Charity’s governance complies with the Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector, and other best practice guidelines published by the Charity Commission. It has delegated many operational responsibilities for the Charity’s activities to the staff and the Trustees provide advice, guidance and support on an ongoing basis. The Board of Trustees is comprised of 11 Trustees as of 30th March 2022 and met four times during the year. It is also supported by a group of trustees and volunteers who support with fundraising, policy updates, research and other organisational activities.

Public benefit

The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives, and in implementing current and planning future activities. The Trustees have considered this matter and concluded:

Recruitment and appointment of members and trustees

The Board of Trustees must comprise at least 2 trustees and are elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Elected Trustees serve for a three-year term and are eligible to stand for a second three-year term, after which they must retire for a minimum of one term.

£189,511 (2020: £162,662) which has slightly increased due to the addition of a fourth staff member. Expenditure was also kept to a minimum where possible due to unknown likelihood of being able to replace lost income. Our key concern is to continue to be able to maintain our staff levels, which has increased our visibility across the borough, brought new skills to FoTHCP, and increased awareness of both the Cemetery Park and FoTHCP.

Trustees

The Trustees who served during the reporting period were:

Toby Sibley (Chair) Fran Humber (Chair) Terry Lyle (Vice Chair) Louise Robinsone (Vice Chair) Jasmina Negrini Karen Baxter Colin Wiseman (Treasurer) Marilyn Baltutis Diane Kendall Doreen Kendall Sigrid Werner Sally Randall Guy Mitchell Diane Gibb

Results of the year

The results of the period and financial position of the charity are shown in the financial statements. The Statement of Financial Activities shows net expenditure for the year of £49,283 and a total of £197,215 being carried forward (of which £108,024 is unrestricted). Tangible fixed assets for use by the charity Fixed assets are set out in Note 9 to the accounts.

Financial review

Total income for the year amounted to £238,794 (2020: £221,796). There was a slight increase from 2020 due to a number of successful grants to emergency Covid-19 funds as well as our Crowdfunding efforts. This year we had to rely more heavily on grants and individual donations to replace lost income streams from corporate group donations and event income. Total expenditure for the year amounted to

Reserves policy

The charity receives a modest Service Level Agreement from London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The rest of the costs of the Cemetery Park are covered by the FoTHCP’ fundraising via charitable activities and grants.

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FoTHCP have calculated a minimum target of £92,045 as follows:

The support costs of the FoTHCP are pared to the minimum and the costs of maintaining the site are very carefully managed. The charity’s method of estimating the appropriate level of reserves is aimed at protecting the continuity of the core work. In doing so, the trustees consider: (a) risk to income from grants, voluntary donations and fees in an uncertain financial climate; (b) ability to meet replacement costs of essential equipment; (c) ability to finance immediate opportunity.

Core operating costs (6 months) £80,045 Contingency costs (3 months) £12,000 Total: £92,045

The current unrestricted reserves stand at £108,024 so we are currently meeting our reserve requirement. Given the uncertainty of funding and income in the next financial year, it is likely our reserves will be reduced and not exceed our target within a few months. However, the optimum level of reserves is reviewed on an ongoing basis and at minimum once a year and may increase next year due to additional staff members and increasing operating costs.

The charity aims to maintain unrestricted reserves of up to six months of core costs (staff, overheads that would maintain core activities) and three months of contingency costs (critical activities that can not be stopped).

Statement of trustee responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Under company law the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company and of the income resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charitable company

In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

• Select suitable accounting policies and then

apply them consistently;

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees confirm that:

Independent examiner

The Independent Examiner, Anthony Armstrong FCA of Armstrong & Co, has indicated his willingness to be proposed for reappointment. This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Park 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 30th September 2021.

And signed on behalf of the Trustees by: Toby Sibley Chair of the Board of Trustees

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Financial statements

AT The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

(A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

I report on the accounts of The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park for the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, which are set out on pages 26 to 36.

This report is made solely to the trustees as a body in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and regulations made under section 154 of that Act. My examination has been undertaken so that I might state to the trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the trustees as a body, for my examination, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

As described on pages 22 - 23, 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 charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the the Charities Act and that an independent examination is needed.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

b) to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and

Basis of independent examiner's statement

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 the 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 which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

FS The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

(A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Statement of Financial Activities

incorporating the income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 March 2022

Notes
Income from:
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Investments
5
Other income
6
Total income
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
7
Total expenditure
Net income/(expenditure) for the year
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
13
Total funds carried forward
13		 2022
2021
Total Funds
Total Funds
£
£
140,664
185,500
71,477
52,919
36
83
-
292
212,177
238,794
199,837
189,511
199,837
189,511
12,340
49,283
12,340
49,283
197,215
147,932
209,555
197,215
Unrestricted
~~Funds~~		 Restricted
~~Funds~~		 Endowment
~~Funds~~
£
73,065
71,477
36
-		 £
67,599
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-
-
144,578 67,599 -
107,630 92,207 -
107,630 92,207 -
36,948 (24,608) -
36,948
108,024		 (24,608)
89,191		 -
-
144,972 64,583 -

All incoming resources and resources expended are derived from continuing activities. The statement of financial activities incorporates an income and expenditure account. The accompanying accounting policies and notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

I 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.

Anthony Armstrong FCA, Independent Examiner of Armstrong & Co Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor

4a Printing House Yard Hackney Road London E2 7PR

Dated: 5 September 2022

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The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Statement of Financial Postion

as at 31 March 2022

Notes
Current assets:
Debtors
10
Cash at bank and In hand
11
Total current assets
12
Net current assets/(liabilities)
Total net assets
The funds of the charity:
Restricted funds
15
Unrestricted funds
15
Total charity funds
17
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year		 £
£
£
£
15,167
3,167
200,933
231,002
216,100
234,169
6,545
36,954
209,555
197,215
209,555
197,215
64,583
89,191
144,972
108,024
209,555
197,215
31 March 2022
31 March 2021		 £
£
£
£
15,167
3,167
200,933
231,002
216,100
234,169
6,545
36,954
209,555
197,215
209,555
197,215
64,583
89,191
144,972
108,024
209,555
197,215
31 March 2022
31 March 2021
£
15,167
200,933		 £
197,215
216,100
6,545
197,215
89,191
108,024
197,215

The directors are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 and that no member or members have requested an audit pursuant to section 476 of the Act.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for:

(i) ensuring that the company keeps proper accounting records which comply with Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and

(ii) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of the financial year and of its surplus or deficit for the financial year in accordance with the requirements of Section 394 and 395 of the Companies Act 2006, and which otherwise comply with the requirements of this act relating to accounts, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and with the Financial Reporting Standard 102.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 5 September 2022 and signed on its behalf by:

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Statement of Cash Flows

for the year ended 31 March 2022

Notes
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities
1
Cash flows from investing activities:
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period
2
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period
2
Notes to the Cash Flow Statement
1)
Adjustments for:
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities
2)
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
Cash in hand
Total cash and cash equivalents
Reconciliation of net income/(expenditure) to net cash flow from
operating activities
Net income/(expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the statement of financial
activities)		 2022
£
(30,105)
36
36
(30,069)
231,002
200,933
2022
£
12,340
(36)
(12,000)
(30,409)
(30,105)
2022
£
200,933
200,933		 2021
£
66,704
83
83
66,787
164,215
231,002
2021
£
49,283
(83)
1,931
15,578
66,704
2021
£
231,002
231,002

Toby Sibley Chair of Trustees

The notes on pages 31 to 35 form part of these accounts.

20

21

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

(A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Accounting Policies

for the year ended 31 March 2022

Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with:

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

(A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Accounting Policies

for the year ended 31 March 2022

Tangible Fixed Assets

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Computer equipment - 25% on cost Furniture & fixtures - 20% on cost

Public benefit entity

The charitable company meets the defination of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

Going concern

The charity's income is mainly derived from non self-generated sources, such as grants, service level agreements and other governmental or NGO sources. The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the likelihood that this support will continue,and accordingly, the accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis.

F The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

(A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022

Income recognition

Income is recognised when the company has a contractual or other right to its receipt, it is probable that the income will be received and that the amount can be measured reliably. Income with conditions attached to its receipt is recognised when those conditions have been fulfilled.

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

Expenditure recognition

Expenditure is accrued as soon as a liability is considered probable, and the amount of obligation can be measured reliably. The charity is not registered for VAT and accordingly expenditure includes VAT where appropriate.

Expenditure included in Raising Funds includes amounts incurred in obtaining grants and other donations.

Charitable expenditure includes those costs expended in fulfilling the charity’s principal objects, as outlined in the Report of the Trustees. These include grants payable, governance costs and an apportionment of support costs.

Costs are allocated directly to projects where they can be identified as relating solely to that project. Other costs are allocated between the funds based on staff time spent on the fund activities or other appropriate criteria.

Deferred income

Income received which is contractually or otherwise not expendable until a future period is deferred to the period in which it meets the criteria for income recognition.

Restricted Funds

Restricted funds are to be used for specified purposes as laid down by the funder. Direct and support expenditure which meets these criteria are identified to the fund together with a fair allocation of other costs.

The incoming resources and surplus are attributable to the principal activities of the charity.

2
Net incoming resources
Net incoming resources are stated after charging:
Independent Examiner's fees - reporting service
Independent Examiner's fees - other services
Trustees' emoluments
Emoluments include salaries, fees, bonuses, expense allowances and estimated non-cash benefits
a voluntary capacity and do not receive payment for their services.		 2022
2021
£
£
1,600
1,440
624
480
-
-
receivable. All trustees serve in		 2021
£
1,440
480
-
3
Income from donations and legacies
Donations - individuals
Crowdfunding
Donations - organisations
Grants
Hosting - general
4
Income from charitable activities
Membership - individuals
LBTH SLA
Course Fees
Corporate days
5
Income from investments
Interest received
6
Other other income
Other income		 Unrestricted
£
26,208
11,118
11,894
10,885
12,960		 Restricted
£
-
-
-
67,599
-
67,599
Restricted
£
-
-
-
-
-
Restricted
£
-
-
Restricted
£
-
-		 2022
Total
£
26,208
11,118
11,894
78,484
12,960
140,664
2022
Total
£
4,149
31,900
23,748
11,680
71,477
2022
Total
£
36
36
2022
Total
£
-
-		 2021
Total
£
26,332
41,390
3,794
110,344
3,640
73,065 185,500
Unrestricted
£
4,149
31,900
23,748
11,680		 2021
Total
£
4,808
31,900
10,867
5,344
71,477 52,919
Unrestricted
£
36		 2021
Total
£
83
36 83
Unrestricted
£
-		 2021
Total
£
292
- 292

22

23

F The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

(A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2022

7
Expenditure on charitable activities
Repairs & maintenance
Park access devel & maint
Lodge
Plants
Tools & accessories
Volunteers - hospitality
Events
Green waste
Teaching materials
Biodiversity professionals
Publicity - general
Heritage
Staff costs
Recuitment & training
Soanes office space
Provision for bad debts
Legal and professional fees
Office running costs
Insurance - other
Interest paid
Bank charges
Accountancy fees		 Unrestricted
£
127
8,639
699
3,374
470
611
6,234
-
13
3,052
94
5,982
63,291
458
5,000
-
8,218
(2,630)
1,188
82
204
2,524		 Restricted
£
-
7,192
-
2,885
190
-
625
480
-
-
16
11
57,080
-
-
-
7,262
16,466
-
-
-
-
92,207		 2022
2021
Total
Total
£
£
127
614
15,831
15,478
699
8,825
6,259
2,000
660
1,915
611
427
6,859
4,166
480
3,589
13
-
3,052
2,962
110
675
5,993
(270)
120,371
119,796
458
531
5,000
5,000
-
(1,440)
15,480
8,996
13,836
13,006
1,188
1,049
82
-
204
112
2,524
2,080
199,837
189,511
107,630
8
Staff costs
Staff salaries
Staff social security
Staff pensions
Average number of employees during the year was:		 2022
£
109,651
7,064
3,657
120,371
4		 2021
£
109,444
6,759
3,593
119,796
4

No remuneration was paid to any Trustee or their associates for services as a trustee during the year ended 31 March 2022 nor to 31 March 2021.

Employees paid in excess of £60,000 during the current year and previous year:
9
Tangible fixed assets
Tangible 1
Tangible 2
Church
improveme
£
£
£
Cost
As at 1 April 2021
-
-
-
As at 31 March 2022
-
-
-
Depreciation
As at 1 April 2021
-
-
-
As at 31 March 2022
-
-
-
Net book value
As at 31 March 2022
-
-
-
As at 31 March 2021
-
-
-		 Computer
equipment
£
5,597
5,597
5,597
5,597
-
-		 None
Furniture &
fixtures
£
727
727
727
727
-
-		 None
Total
£
6,324
6,324
6,324
6,324
-
-

F The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

(A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2022

**for ** the year ended 31 March 2022
10
11
12
13
14
**15 **		 Debtors: amounts falling due within one year
Operating debtors
Staff loans
Prepayments
Bank and cash in hand
CAF reserve account
CAF current account
PayPal account
Petty Cash
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
PAYE/NIC
Pensions
Accruals
Deferred income
The funds of the charity: current year
Restricted funds
Restricted income funds
Unrestricted funds
General funds
The funds of the charity: prior year
Restricted funds
Restricted income funds
Unrestricted funds
General funds
Restricted funds: current period
Cheshire Community
CMS Social Impact
Cultural Recovery fund
D'Oyly Carte
East End Emergency
Fairfoot
Heritage Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
London Dock community
Ocean regeneration
Radcliffe Trust
Small grants
TFL
Tower Hill Trust
Tree of Hope		 Opening
balance
£
89,191
108,024		 Resources
arising
£
67,599
144,578		 Resources
utilised
£
(92,207)
(107,630)
(199,837)
Resources
utilised
£
(47,160)
(142,351)
(189,511)
Resources
expended
£
5,478
-
8,400
3,500
-
22,949
34,023
-
2,715
3,500
78
2,980
4,604
1,980
2,000
92,207		 2022
£
12,168
2,797
202
15,167
2022
£
194,169
4,940
1,475
349
200,933
2022
£
-
1,890
4,655
-
6,545
Other
movements
£
-
-
-
Other
movements
£
796
(796)
-
Transfers &
gains/(losses)
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 2021
£
2,988
2
177
3,167
2021
£
224,899
4,124
1,541
438
231,002
2021
£
14,220
2,151
12,608
7,975
36,954
Closing
balance
£
64,583
144,972
197,215 212,177 209,555
Opening
balance
£
69,111
78,821		 Resources
arising
£
66,444
172,350		 Closing
balance
£
89,191
108,024
147,932 238,794 197,215
Opening
balance
£
5,478
-
-
-
595
34,120
31,692
3,028
2,715
-
-
2,980
4,604
1,980
2,000		 Incoming
resources
£
-
2,500
12,200
3,500
3,984
35,000
-
-
-
3,500
6,915
-
-
-
-		 Closing
balance
£
-
2,500
3,800
-
4,579
46,170
(2,331)
3,028
-
-
6,837
-
-
-
-
89,191 67,599 64,583

24

25

F The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

(A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2022

16 Restricted funds: prior period
Cheshire Community
East End Emergency
Fairfoot
Groundwork
Heritage Emergency
Heritage Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
London Dock community
Small grants
TFL
Tower Hill Trust
Tree of Hope
Veolia		 Opening
balance
£
-
-
-
4,064
-
49,130
3,028
-
5,000
4,910
1,980
-
999
 Incoming
resources
£
5,478
1,228
35,000
-
18,600
-
-
2,715
-
-
-
2,000
1,423
 Resources
expended
£
-
633
774
4,244
18,600
17,438
-
-
2,020
306
-
-
3,144
47,160		 Transfers &
gains/(losses)
Closing
balance
£
£
-
5,478
-
595
(106)
34,120
180
-
-
-
-
31,692
-
3,028
-
2,715
-
2,980
-
4,604
-
1,980
-
2,000
722
-
796
89,191
69,111 66,444

Restricted funds (continued)

Projects financed by restricted funds are supported by unrestricted funding where necessary. This occurs where the funding is in arrears or the incidence of expenditure on the project occurs disproportionately at the beginning of the project compared to the income flows. Where restricted projects end the year with a deficit, this is met by after year-end restricted income or transfers from unrestricted funds.

Cheshire Community To care and improve Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and other vital greenspaces in the borough
to improve local health and wellbeing, the local environment, understanding of the area’s history
and community cohesion, through twice monthly nature-based sessions such as therapeutic
gardening and nature walks.
CMS Social Impact To create a customer management system via Salesforce.
Cultural Recovery fund Staff and event costs to help replace lost revenue.
D'Oyly Carte Funds to support our therapeutic programme.
East End Emergency Covid emergency funding to support additional equipment and PPE costs to allow our work to
continue.
Fairfoot Improving Fairfoot Road greenspace for the local community and biodiversity.
Groundwork Improvements to Shandy Park through removal of tarmac and planting of bulbs and wildflowers,
supported by educational events and activities for the community.
Heritage Emergency Covid emergency funding to support our organisation's survival of the pandemic and allow us to
continue workingwith the community.
Heritage Fund To hire a Heritage Officer to develop a community-led conservation, management and
maintenance plan for Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park over 2 years. In doing so, the heritage of
THCP will be accessible to a wider range ofpeople.
Heritage Lottery Fund Funds to support research into the lives of the 204 service personnel who lost their lives during
World War One and are recorded on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission War
Memorial inside the Park.
London Dock community Nature based summer programme for young people.
Ocean regeneration Funds to create a new wildflower meadow in Shandy Park.
Radcliffe Trust Funds to provide greenwood working courses for disadvantaged communities.
Small grants Establishing an "Elder Trees" community group for the over 60s for two-hour sessions, once per
week (37 in total). Sessions would include activities such as sit-and-sense, walk-and-talk,
nature crafts, wild foods, planting and bird spotting.
TFL Finding Your Feet: exploring Mile End, step by step’ is a ten-week project designed to
encourage inactive and reluctant walkers living in the Mile End neighbourhood – primarily the
Ocean Estate, Leopold Estate and East End Homes – to walk more regularly and confidently.
Tower Hill Trust Funds to support infrastructure and facilities development in the Cemetery Park, supported by
training opportunities for partner Grounded Ecotherapy, and volunteering opportunities. Funds
for the Wild Homes project, improving habitats and providing training in countryside skills.
Funds forgrass cutting.
Tree of Hope Collaboration with Pavement2Catwalk to create a recycled art installation that will represent a
tree of hope with the local community.

F The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (A Charity Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 5233566)

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2022

17
**18 **		 Veolia Funds for the improvement of meadow areas of Tower Hamlets
Meadows and Ackroyd Drive includingtrainingopportunities for		 Funds for the improvement of meadow areas of Tower Hamlets
Meadows and Ackroyd Drive includingtrainingopportunities for		 Funds for the improvement of meadow areas of Tower Hamlets
Meadows and Ackroyd Drive includingtrainingopportunities for		 Funds for the improvement of meadow areas of Tower Hamlets
Meadows and Ackroyd Drive includingtrainingopportunities for		 Cemetery Park, Scrapyard
volunteers.		 Cemetery Park, Scrapyard
volunteers.
Net assets attributable to funds: current period
Current assets
Current liabilities
Net assets represented by funds
Net assets attributable to funds: prior period
Current assets
Current liabilities
Net assets represented by funds		 General
funds
151,517
(6,545)		 Designated
funds
£
-
-		 Restricted
funds
£
64,583
-
64,583
Restricted
funds
£
97,166
(7,975)
89,191		 Endowment
funds
£
-
-
-
Endowment
funds
£
-
-
-		 Total
£
216,100
(6,545)
144,972 - 209,555
General
funds
137,003
(28,979)		 Designated
funds
£
-
-		 Total
£
234,169
(36,954)
108,024 - 197,215

19 Taxation The company is a registered charity. Accordingly, it is exempt from taxation in respect of income and capital gains to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.

20 Post balance sheet events There were no significant post balance sheet events.

The charity contributes to employees defined contribution stakeholder pension schemes. The assets of the schemes are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.

2022 2021 The unpaid contributions outstanding at the year end were: £ 1,890 £ 2,151

22 Contingent liabilities The charitable company had no material contingent liabilities at 31 March 2022 nor at 31 March 2021.

25 Gifts in kind and volunteers During the year the charitable company benefited from unpaid work performed by volunteers.

26 Major funders In accordance with Section 37 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 the following grants and their purpose is confirmed:

Funder Project name / Purpose of London Borough of Tower Hamlets Park maintenance and litter picking £ 31,900

The company is limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The guarantors liability in the event the company is wound up is restricted to a maximum of £1 each.

26

27

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

The Soanes Centre Southern Grove Mile End, London E3 4PX

Tel: 020 8983 1277 Email: contact@fothcp.org

© 2021