Friends of Middleton Park
Charity number 1112043
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
Friends of Middleton Park
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Trustees' report | 2 to 4 |
| Receipts and payments account | 5 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 6 |
| Notes to the accounts | 7 to 8 |
Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO
1
Friends of Middleton Park
Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2025
Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors
The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: Name Position Dates
Position Dates Alan Shaw Chair Rachel Darton Secretary Frances Jones Treasurer Kim Groves Gayle Graham Jill Wildman Julie Gill Susan Cook
Resigned November 2024
Appointed 19 September 2023 Appointed 19 November 2024 Appointed 19 November 2024
Charity number
1112043
Registered in England and Wales
Registered and principal address
Bankers
Tenants Hall Virgin Money Acre Close 1 The Penny Hill Centre Middleton Church Street Leeds Hunslet, Leeds LS10 4HX LS10 2AP
Accountants West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
Structure, governance and management
The charity is governed by a constitution adopted on 19 July 2005, as amended 18 October 2005.
Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees
The trustees of the charity are appointed by the trustees at a duly convened meeting.
2
Friends of Middleton Park
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
Objectives and activities
The charity's objects
To promote the preservation, restoration, maintenance and improvement of Middleton Park and Middleton Woods for the benefit of the public, in co-operation with its management and staff.
To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Middleton and its surrounding areas by associating the local authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants in a common effort to provide or assist in the provision of facilities in the interest of social welfare for recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
The charity's main activities
The Friends organise a programme of Summer events in the park and occasional working parties in the park and woodland. We work in partnership with Wade's Charity (who own much of the park) and Leeds City Council (who maintain it).
Public benefit statement
In setting our objectives and planning our activities our trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular sport and recreation, environmental improvement, conservation and heritage.
Achievements and performance
We ran a programme of events to encourage people to come and enjoy the Park, all free, thanks to our funders and the money we raise ourselves collecting subscriptions and donations.
Our programme included regular walks, brass bands, children’s holiday play sessions, plus a number of bigger events. Oddsocks came with their very own version of Julius Caesar, saying as ever that Middleton Park is their favourite venue. We are proud to bring such a professional performance to an audience who would not usually go the theatre. The Great Middleton Park Show was a lovely event, too, showcasing local talent and skills.
The Friends have continued to work with Wade's Charity and the council to create the tree trail of specimen trees, with a leaflet guide still in the pipeline.
We work closely with Tracey Fulton, who runs the cafe at week-ends and on bank holidays. This is a service that is much appreciated by the public, and by the Friends. Tracey runs a regular tombola and donates the profits to the Friends. Thank you, Tracey!
The trustees, steering group and our volunteers are at the heart of all our work, and the group is constantly on the look out for new members and volunteers.
Thanks go to all the trustees, members of the steering group and other volunteers for all your hard work; to our local councillors for all your support; to LCC Parks & Countryside; and to our funders – LCC for our Wellbeing grant; White Rose and Land Securities. We also had money from New Forest Village group who closed down for lack of support, a salutary lesson in how important it is to maintain our membership.
3
Friends of Middleton Park
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
Financial review
The net payments for the year were £6,941, all on unrestricted funds.
Reserves policy
The charity's free reserves, at the year end were £7,475.
The trustees have reassessed the charity’s ability to continue for at least 12 months from the date that the accounts are approved and conclude that no material uncertainties exist that cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to meet its liabilities as they fall due. We have prepared a budget for 2025-26. We aim to carry forward between £7,000 and £11,000 each year, which represents half the cost of our usual programme of events plus our running costs. This is to enable us to run a limited programme of events for a year if our grant funding dried up. We do not hold any money for other organisations.
Approved by the board of trustees on 18/11/2025
Frances Jones (Trustee)
4
Friends of Middleton Park
Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Notes 2025 Unrestricted funds £ Receipts Grants and donations (2) 2,947 Sales and fees 1,730 Show and oddsocks income 1,128 Fundraising - Memberships 329 Gift aid 180 Total receipts 6,314 Payments Administration 270 Advertising and publicity 915 Events and activities 4,625 Independent examination 528 Insurance 516 Room hire 410 Produce show expense 5,891 Merchandise - Memberships and subscriptions 100 Sundry expenses - Total payments 13,255 Net (payments) (6,941) Fund balances brought forward 14,416 Fund balances carried forward (3) 7,475 |
2025 Restricted funds £ 4,530 - - - - - 4,530 - - 950 - - - 3,580 - - - 4,530 - - - |
2025 Total funds £ 7,477 1,730 1,128 - 329 180 10,844 270 915 5,575 528 516 410 9,471 - 100 - 17,785 (6,941) 14,416 7,475 |
2024 Total funds £ 10,786 1,876 1,925 170 545 - 15,302 105 951 6,692 315 397 470 6,196 150 40 670 15,986 (684) 15,100 14,416 |
|---|---|---|---|
5
Friends of Middleton Park
Statement of assets and liabilities
| as at 31 March 2025 2025 Unrestricted £ Cash funds Cash at bank 7,475 Total cash funds 7,475 Prepayments Prepayments Liabilities Accruals |
2025 Restricted £ - - |
2025 Total £ 7,475 7,475 2025 £ 215 215 2025 £ 564 564 |
2024 Total £ 14,416 14,416 |
|---|---|---|---|
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 18/11/2025
Frances Jones (Trustee)
6
Friends of Middleton Park
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2025
1 Accounting policies
Basis of accounting
The trustees have taken advantage of section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis.
There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year.
No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.
Taxation
As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.
7
Friends of Middleton Park
Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 31 March 2025
| 2 Grants and donations 2025 2025 Unrestricted Restricted funds funds £ £ LCC Inner South Community Committee - 2,530 Charities Aid Foundation - 2,000 Connect Together - - Leeds Culture Trust - - Wades - - Other donations 2,947 - 2,947 4,530 3 Restricted funds Balance b/f Incoming Outgoing £ £ £ Wellbeing - 2,530 2,530 Landsec Futures Community - 2,000 2,000 - 4,530 4,530 Fund name Purpose of restriction Wellbeing Landsec Futures Community Towards summer programme events. Towards summer programme events. |
2025 Total funds £ 2,530 2,000 - - - 2,947 7,477 Transfers £ - - - |
2024 Total funds £ 3,609 - 3,120 300 3,000 757 10,786 Balance c/f £ - - - |
|---|---|---|
4 Related party transactions
Trustee expenses
No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.
Trustee remuneration and benefits
No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.
8