ANNUAL REPORT OF BIDDULPH IN BLOOM 2023124 The registered and only name is Biddulph in Bloom The Registered Charity No is 1109447 The Registered Address for Charity purposes is Biddulph Town Hall High Street Biddulph ST8 6AR Trustees: Chairperson: Lesley Drumrn Vice Chairperson: Helen Wilshaw Honorary Treasurer.. Katharina Archer Honorary Secretary: Sarah Bradley Our Constitution was adopted on the 22nd January 1998 and our Model Constitution was taken from the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers for Affiliated Groups. We have been members of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers for Affiliated Groups since 1991. The Trustees may make any member a Trustee to fill a vacancy that arises, that Trustee would then be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting. Members if they wish to be a Trustee would be considered by the Executive Committee and the outcome determined by a majority vote. The entire Executive stands down annually at our Annual General Meeting and are then re- elected by the membership. In January 2018 we adopted a change to our Constitution, but this was rejected by the Charity Commission. At our AGM on 29th January 2020 our original constitution and the clause regarding assets was unanimously readopted with no objections or dissentions. At our AGM on 11th January 2023 the membership unanimously elected Lesley Drumm as Chair, Sarah Bradley as Honorary Secretary and Katharina Archer as Honorary Treasurer. Also, Joan Tyndall, was elected Vice-chair by the membership; however, she later resigned from this posrtion. At a special meeting on 2nd June 2023 Helen Roberts was then elected Vice-chair by membership to hold office until the next AGM. During 2023 three of our trustees resigned, Wendy Rowley, Jean Nixon and Geoff Tyndall. Sarah Bradley was appointed as a Trustee at an extraordinary meeting on 26th July 2023. Helen Wilshaw was co-opted as a Trustee and her appointment was ratified at the AGM on 1Ph January 2024. At the last AGM the membership acknowledged the retirement of our Patron, Judge David Fletcher, and unanimously elected Lesley Drumm as Chair, Helen Wilshaw as Vice-chair, Sarah Bradley as Honorary Secretary and Katharina Archer as Honorary Treasurer. The Charity and its management have remained in a stable position throughout the year apart from changes to the position of Vice-chair.
Financial Review The Charity usually keeps a small reserve; however, due to financial pressures on our communty with the increase in mortgage rates and inflation, the Charity felt it wise to be prudent with expenditure in 2022. Despite the hardships encountered by our communty we still received generous donations and support throughout 2022 and, therefore, we ended the year with a larger carry forward and started our financial year from February 2023 with a balance of approximately £40,000 in our main account. A significant proportion of the cary forward was from donations that were dedicated to a memorial Health and Wellbeing Garden in honour of our Founder, Hilda Sheldon. The Memorial Garden is still in the planning stage, and we are waiting for agreement from Town, District and County Councils on the use of some land for the project. The Charity also holds a Legacy Fund of approximately £35,000, from which a significant proportion has been set aside for maintenance work on the land we were grfted from Your Housing. This land has been used by the Charity for several years but requires a significant amount of work to provide adequate aCsS to vehicles and to make the land suitsble for planting and general use. For this financial year our Legacy account is held be the Hanley Economic Building Society and we opened an account with the Cooperative Bank in July 2023 to hold our main funds that are used for the day-to-day management of the Charity. Most Df our funding, particularly from grants, is used to purchase materials and equipment to meet the aims of the Charrty. some of these funds are used to pay self*mployed help to manage the heavy work that our volunteers are unable to do and for specialist advice. We do not employ any staff. The Honorary Treasurer, Katharina Archer, manages the finanS on a day-to-day bases and reports back to the Chair and the Trustees to ensure that the objectives set by trustees are met. BK Plus (Chartered Certified Accountants), Tunstall Road, Biddulph will undertake the examination of our accounts for this year. Trustees are aware of their responsibilities and obligations, and although they have not undertaken any formal training set by the Charity, they are trained in a diverse range of subject areas from previous and current employment. Trustees work hard to keep up to date with any new legislation and publications that are required to fulfil their role to a high standard. Policies and, Health and Safety risk assessments are carried out where necessary and updated annually or earlier rf required. All volunteers re5Ve a copy of the Health and Safety rules and sign to confirm reipt and acknowledgement. Training is undertaken ad hoc where neSSary and all volunteers adhere to instructions to ensure their safety. The Chaiity is also compliant with data protection requirements. The Charity's objectives are to conserve the environment mainly using volunteers for the benefit of the public and to encourage the public in the practice of conservation. The Charity encourages the local community to value its assets such as trees, shrubs, garden areas, seats and benches. The local community appreciate and respect the work of the Charty, and this is reflected in the feedback both in person and through social media. Our volUntrS dedicate thousands of hours each year to achieve the aims and objectNes of the Charity, which include keeping our local
environment tidy and free of rubbish through targeted rna1ntenan such as litter picking, weeding our streets and garden areas, planning and maintaining floral displays. We have a programme of tree planting and in 2022 we introduced wild meadow areas to encourage the conservation and sustainability of local wildlife habitats. This year our objective was stability and, therefore, most of our expenditure has been used to maintain existing projects and deliver our twi-Year1Y planting schemes that decorate the town. Successes During 2023 we have held fijndraising events such as Pancake Day, our Open Gardens and Cuppa and a Cake. These events are appreciated by the local community and give our citizens the opportunity to get together in lebratiOn of the Charity and its objectives. Unfortunately, we have not entered the Heart of England In Bloom competition this year, as our gardening volunteers have depleted, but we have maintained all our projects to a high standard and continued our renovation of seats, benches and planters, and our programme of tree planting. The Charity has also joined forces with a local primary school to deliver a programme of bulb planting that will bloom in spring 2024. We have also enhanced our social media presence with the help of Helen Wilshaw, to engage the local communty and encourage more volunteers to keep the Charity going for future generations. We have also set up WhatsApp groups for our volunteer gardeners to communicate any arrangements to meet up, planned works or to vote on day-to-day decisions, and a Trustee group to discuss matters when it is not convenient to meet up physically. All our online resources are supported by other methods of communication for those of our volunteers and members that do not wish to use the intemet. Our final project was the development of the Charity's website, which has now been published on the internet. The Charty continues to provide a beautiful, clean and environmentally safe pla for its local communty. Objectives for Next Year The Charity's objectives next year are to maintain the status quo, focus on the renovation of our land, progress the memorial project and encourage the appointrnent of more volunteers. At the end of this financial year, we cary forward the sum of approximately £46,500 in our main account and £36,300 in our Legacy account. A significant amount of the cary fOard is funds raised towards our Memorial Garden project. After consultation with the donorfs family, we also aim to start using our Legacy fund for the renovation of our land and the purchase of some IT equipment in the coming financial year. Written by the Honorary Treasurer of Biddulph in Bloom - Katharina Archer Signed: Date 2P September 2024
Charity No. 1109447 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS For the year 1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024 2023 R¢G8lpt$ 2024 Payfflents 2024 37.794.83 Bence at0110W3 13J82.94 Bance al01ffj2tt3 runts S4.6.2 40.676.19 157.C#) InswatKe 157.00 200.00 1.S28.90 Legal fees Gyani Md.. 41.172.QO Bkldulrth Trmn GOTr1 200.] 7.635.M fian15 1.365.79 & repairs I4.3(.92 1.946.9S slalfs Moorlands D.C. GrwFiS Slams m(ndS D.C. 2,(k)O.QO S.M.D.C- l Lawso 450.00 S.M.D.C- J Rfern 520.00 S.M D.C- T Hal 18.387. Help.Weriry & Hea%yW •niers and baskeL% 5.542.80 W8r 15.082.50 Lwycosis IreslriE1 fuDdsl PLant5 Git15 donalTr5.. 6.021.00 klerrtorial Grfts Aocoaches W$Sh Jean Jackson & S.265.67 Busness S PTriale Donal1D5 2520 2.750.¢X) Trees & Shn 3t&oo 2fy).00 165x81 504.40 228.21 130.Tl SialiTrrnry 28thrM) SunthieF 232.4 Ev£nig- Events". Pke Day (en Gard I2() & d)ai 1.465.th1 PantÈ Day 3,1fj2,80 Opets Garden 546.08 Cuppa. cAk8 & thal 198&74 6.00 226170 54&Q7 25.$5 365 43 Inteie5l Re51ncièd fund5 arAwnl 47.87 Interesl Cuirenl accaunl 749.07 GM A 1651QO Peiiye&sh Reslncied funds Curr1 150.00 26,212.24 46,376.8) 157.01 34.W.24 BaJwK #131101124 40.676.19 aE31101124 111.84?.61 117.157.& 111,812.67 ToLqI 117,157.g6
BIDDULPH IN BLOOM STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2024 General Account Monetary Assets Current Account Restricted Fund Account Petty cash 46,377 36,312 150 82,839 Prepayments 3,000 Llabllltles Accountancy 300 Non Monetary Assets For use by the charity and belonging to the General Purposes Fund Street furniture (including sculpture. seats and planters) Various small hand twls Water Bowser Restricted Funds The restricted funds are monies received to be used for the purchase of perennial plants. trees and shrubs to replenish damaged slock and costs for new projects Signed.. Mrs K. H. Archer Dated..
BIDDULPH IN BLOOM YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2024 ANNUAL GENERAL ACCOUNT
Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees of Biddulph in Bloom I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Biddulph in Bloom for the year ended 31 January 2024, which are set out on pages 2 to 3. Responslbllllies and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requiremenls of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Direclions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5){b) of the 2011 Act. Independent examinerfs 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 thal in any material respect.. 1. accounting records were not kepl in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records,. or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning ihe form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 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 underslanding of the accounts lo be reached. Signed: Dated . 'k NJ¢.. 20 LK¥ K R Salt FCCA Independent Examiner BK Plus Llmited Chartered Certified Accountants Adventure Place Hanley Stoke on Trent Staffordshire ST13AF