## Annual Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31December 2020 +2021 **Charity Name:** Hyndburn Green Spaces Forum **Charity Registration Number:** 1145700 **Entrust Number** EB136023 **Registered Office:** c/o Hyndburn Borough Council, Willows lane Depot, Accrington BB5 0RT Page | 1 **Trustees:** Ms Cath Holmes Chair Ann Warrington Vice Chair Ms Kimberley Whitehead Secretary Mr Gavin Crossley Treasurer **Authority Liaison:** Mr Paul Cox Portfolio Holder for Parks & Leisure Mr Craig Haraben Deputy Director of Environmental Services Mrs Shirley Parkinson Parks Liaison Officer **Website:** WWW.hyndburngreenspaces.co.uk **Email;** chair@hyndburngreenspaces.co.uk ## **Message from the Chair,** Covid 19 has had a devastating effect on families, our health service and our economy, but one thing it has shown us is the importance of good quality open spaces to people’s health and well-being. As a charity we have been one of the lucky ones, having no paid staff our everyday running costs are very low. The services we provide are often in partnership with other organisation and are predominately capital based. Consequently we were able to continue in between lockdowns with ongoing construction projects. During this difficult time we sadly lost our longest serving Trustee Sheila Mcvan, who stepped down in 2019 as Vice Chair, who passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones. Some of our member charity groups have not been so lucky and are now facing the daunting task of rebuilding their user bases and financial reserves, the forum will do everything it can to support these groups through this difficult time. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Incredible Edibles and the authorities’ parks department for coming to the rescue of Rhyddings Kitchen Garden and the Friends of Rhyddings Park, when they lost the staff provided by a partner organisation. This enabled them to continue to delivery their Heritage Lottery project, by working together to find new ways of delivering their services. A project which grows from strength to strength and is a credit to everyone involved. Due to the lack of activity during 2020 we have decided to combine last year’s annual report with this years as we look forward to rebuilding our communities. Page | 2 We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Hyndburn Borough Council in particular the Parks department, who advise and support us. Our volunteers and community groups who do so much to improve facilities for residents, and the funders whose generosity enables us to make community dreams into realities. ## **Our aims and objectives** ## **Purpose and vision** Our charity’s purpose is set out in the objects in our constitution: ## **For the benefit of the inhabitants of the Borough of Hyndburn, Lancashire and the surrounding area to;** Provide or assist in the provision of facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupation in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving their conditions of life for the inhabitants of the area of benefit without distinction of sex, or of political, religious or other opinions in particular but not exclusively by the preservation, promotion, support, assistance and improvement of all green spaces within the Borough of Hyndburn. Our vision is to empower our communities and promote social action, so every resident has a voice and access to free, high quality open spaces. ## **Ensuring our work delivers our aims.** The Forum works to a project plan approved in principle at the meetings. Proposed projects are discussed with the Deputy Director of Environmental services to prioritise strategic need. The community can also approach the Forum for help with a project that they feel would benefit their community. These project proposals are then reviewed by Forum members to assess community value and whether the proposed project would meet our objectives. All projects undertaken under the Forum’s umbrella are evaluated at the end of the construction/delivery phase to look at the benefits that they have brought to the community. ## **Structure, Governance and Management** ## **Governing Document** The organisation is a charity established under a constitution adopted 18 January 2011 Revised in February 2019 to enable meetings to be virtual when circumstances make it necessary. ## **Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees** Under requirements of our constitution, the trustees are elected to serve for a period of 12 months after which they must be re-elected at the next Annual General Meeting. They can put themselves forward, or be nominated. Page | 3 The nomination must be seconded by another Forum member. In 2020 we were unable to undertake the annual general meeting, A virtual meeting agreed for all trustees to remain in their current posts until the AGM in 2022, to avoid further disruption. All Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. ## **The Trustees in 2020/21 are** : Chair – Ms Cath Holmes Vice Chair – Ann Warrington Secretary Kimberley Whitehead Treasurer - Mr Gavin Crossley ## **- Forum Member Group Representatives.** Member Groups are composed entirely of volunteers from the local areas. We value the local knowledge that they bring to our charity and the hours they spend on helping us meet our aims and objectives. We recognise the importance of their roles within our charity and have nominated them for various awards over the years. Each member group can appoint two representatives to attend the bi- monthly forum meetings on behalf of their organisation. Each member group is entitled to one vote on any issue and project submission. Each affiliated member group must be a community not for profit organisation, legally constituted with their own constitution and bank account. Member groups can choose to adopt the Forum policies (Health & Safety, Child Protection etc.). ## **How our activities deliver public benefit** Covid 19 has shown how vital good quality free to use open green spaces are for our mental and physical health. Hyndburn is a Borough where the majority of the housing stock is terraces without gardens front or back, making our open spaces, parks and recreation grounds all the more precious. All our charitable activities focus on engaging with the 81,000 residents of Hyndburn inspiring them to take a more active role / ownership of the open space and leisure facilities within their community. We use Parks and Recreational activities as the mechanism for delivering the following social benefits. _Increase Physical Activity – improved community health by:_ - Providing freely accessible play/sports facilities of a good quality, based on the 3 Free’s – Free of charge – Free to come and go - Free to choose - Providing opportunities to take part in practical environmental events. - Encourage community food growing projects. Page | 4 _Increased Biodiversity & Access to Nature - improved environmental understanding and its links to well-being by:_ - Improving access for everyone to some of Hyndburn’s green spaces. - Creating learning opportunities for residents to get close to and learn about nature. - Improving biodiversity within the Borough to attract more wildlife to its parks & open spaces. - Providing training and workshops to undertake wildlife surveys. - _Improved Community Cohesion – Improving family and community relationships by:_ - Providing free opportunities, which allow differing communities to connect and interact with each other around a positive similar aim. - Good quality, open space and free leisure facilities enables the most vulnerable families to spend quality time together. - Encouraging all to value and appreciate others views, whilst creating strong positive friendships, work practices and forming interest clubs, event days and sharing this within our Borough and beyond. _Capacity building within the community - Improved skills and community ownership by:_ - Giving residents the confidence that they can make a difference within their community. - Providing a mechanism for residents to have a voice. - Including opportunities to learn new life skills. ## **The Charity is continuing to seek funding to improve the following facilities:** - To replace one of the old Tennis courts at Lowerfold Park with a Multigames Unit and improve the play-ground by adding more inclusive equipment. ( This is now scheduled to commence construction in 2022) - To install a Musa games/fitness area at Cutwood Park. - To increase the amount of community engagement within parks by the appointment of two community engagement officers. - Provide a multi-use games area for the Huncoat area. - Provide a visitors centre for Peel Park the Largest Nature Reserve in Lancashire. - Help the Hyndburn Parents and Carers group to raise the funds necessary to build a very special Public SEND Playground for young people with Special Educational Needs. - Knuzden Rec improvements with a new playground and Muga. Many of the projects above are carried over from a previous year/s. Consultation and fundraising is still ongoing. _Once again our activities have been varied within the community_ Page | 5 ## **Training** There have been no training events organised this year by the forum, but groups were made aware of a training opportunities organised by Lancashire County Council on governance structures. ## **The Future** We will continue to: - Work with member groups and partners on improving the Borough’s biodiversity and wildlife habitats. - Increase the level of community engagement taking place within Parks and Open Spaces, through increased events and activities. - We will continue to work with the community and local authority to improve the remaining parks to Green Flag standard. - We will work in partnership to improve the play/ sport and leisure provision within the Borough. ## **Financial Information** ## **Principal Funding Sources** Funding secured by the Forum is often on behalf of a community group and is project specific. Our day to day operational costs are currently at zero thanks to the generosity of the Trustees who do not take any remuneration from the charity and the generous support from Hyndburn Borough Council in the form of a free room for meetings or training courses, secretarial minute support, photocopying. The Forum also tries to be as paper free as possible corresponding 90 % of the time electronically. This allows us to use every penny raised by the Forum to meet our aims and objectives. The Forum accounts run from the 1 January to 31December each year. In addition to the funds, the Forum has raised directly, the Forum has supported many of its members groups to secure funding for their individual projects over the last few years. ## **The Year in View** ## **Milnshaw Park** The old pavilion was a converted shelter, which had been bricked in offering little in the way of facilities. The new Pavilion which was made possible by funding from Sport England and Newground Together. Page | 6 We began the construction in early 2019, and had several stops and starts due to covid, but we are pleased to say that the facility was able to be open towards the end of 2021. This purpose built pavilion offers disabled access and a space for a variety of activities The Milnshaw Bowling teams love their new pavilion and the community love the new activities it can hold like bike maintenance and outreach sporting activities. Over the last couple of years the forum has worked with the Friends of Milnshaw to make huge improvements to the park by the introduction of cricket, basketball, football, kabaddi, and tennis along with improvements to the bowling facilities. We were then approached by the younger community for some cycling/ bmx facilities having been inspired by the Olympics so the group set about talking to the parks department and specialist designers to raise the funds for a pump track. Page | 7 Funding to make this possible came from the Lancashire Environment Fund, British Cycling “places to ride fund” and Lancashire County Councils “connecting East Lancashire Fund”. The facility was designed by Velo solutions to be suitable for both beginners and more experienced riders. ## **Mercer Park** Local children in Clayton were thrilled when their long awaited dream of a new skate park finally started to take shape. Two years after the initial consultation on the design of the new facility, saw the old skateboard equipment removed and replaced with a larger facility catering for all abilities and suitable not just for skateboards but cycles. Although we were not able to have an official opening, the young people watched with excitement as notices on the fences counted down to it being open. The skate park has become a very popular destination for local young people. Page | 8 HYNDBURN GREEN SPACE5 FORUM INCOME AND EXPENDITURE Hyndburn Year endlng 31st December 2021 Green INCOME Balance blf Jan 21 £17,441.95 HGSF Newground together fund Newground together Lanc8shirÈ Environment fund Transfer from Paypal £3,250 milnshaw £500 milnshaw I pavilionl £30,000 I milnshaw pump track I £656.43 Income 2021 Closing Balance £ 34,406.43 EXPENDITURE HGSF Hyndburn Borough Council £3,250.00 ExpendSture closing balance £3250.00 Cash In Bank balance 48,598.38 Rlng Fencedl held in trust Of which £14,964.05 is ring fenced for Play4UZ2 IPUI Paypal Acc for Play4 Uz 2 transferred to main account balance £656.43 transferred to main Statement Itotal resekved £15.620.481 Ring fenced Milnshaw Pavilion £1,250 + £500 Ring Fenced Milnshaw pump trackl £30.000 Balance carrfed fotward to £48.598.38 1st January 2022 1£ 15.620.481+1£1,75 +1£30,0001 committed funds Forum Dlsposable Incomel Reserve5 f 1227.90 si8netra￿... Pagel 9 Page | 10 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts ••* Sectlon A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Hyndburn Green Spaces Forum On accounts forthe year Onded 3111212021 Charlty no lif any} 1145700 Set out on pages I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ( the Trust ) for the year gnded 3111012023 Responsibilities and As the charity Iruslee5 of the Trust, you are responsSble for the preparation basis of rgport of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {"the A¢l"l. I report in respect of my ex8mination of tho Trust's accounts carried oul under section 145 of th8 2011 Act and In carrying out my examination, I have fallowed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515}Ib) of th8 Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matt8rs have come lo my altention lolher than that disclosed below,) in connection with the examination whlch give8 me ¢ause to believe that in, any malerlal respect.. accounting records wère not kepl in a￿OrdanCe with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not ac￿r￿ with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other rnalters in connectlon with the examination lo which allenlion shoLJld be drawn in ord8r to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be re3Ghed. Please delet6 the words in Ihe braGkets rf Ihey do not apply. Slgned: Dale: 0210212024 Nam8: Mr Noordad AZSZ BA(Hons) MSC ACA Relevant professional qualificatlon{81 or body (if any): ICAEW- 1434202 Address: Scailcliffe House Ormerod Street Accringlon, Lancashire, BB5 OPF IER October 2018 Sectlon B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight matters of concern (sea CC32, Independent examination of charlly accounts.. dlrectlon& and guidance for examiners). Give here brief detalls of any items that the examinerwishe8 to disclose. IER October 2018