## **FRIENDS OF JERUSALEM BOTANICAL GARDENS** 

**TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2022** 

**Charity Reg. No.  1151347** 

**2018** 

**TAR** 

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||**Trustees' Annual Report**|**Trustees' Annual Report**|**Trustees' Annual Report**|**Trustees' Annual Report**|**Trustees' Annual Report**|**for theperiod**|**for theperiod**|**for theperiod**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**From**|Period start date|||**To**|Period end date|||
|||Day<br>01|Month<br>January|Year<br>2022||Day<br>31|Month<br>December|Year<br>2022|



## Section A                        Reference and administration details 

**Charity name** Friends of Jerusalem Botanical Gardens 

**Other names charity is known by** Friends of JBG 

**Registered charity number (if any)** 1151347 

**Charity's principal address** 

100 Green Lane Edgware Middx **Postcode** HA8 8EJ 

## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** 

|1 <br>2 <br>3 <br>4 <br>5 <br>6<br>7<br>8<br>9<br>10<br>11<br>12<br>13<br>14<br>15<br>16<br>17<br>18<br>19<br>20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**<br>**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**<br>**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Aaron Bertelsen|Co-Chair|||
||Jill Kowal|Co-Chair|||
||Malcolm Goldstein||Until 31.10.2022||
||Brandon George||||
||Linda Smith||From 01.03.2022||
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||**Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)**||||
||**Name**||**Dates acted if not for whole year**||
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## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** 

**Type of adviser Name Address** 

## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** 

Barbara Sherling – Operations Manager 

## **Section B              Structure, governance and management** 

## **Description of the charity’s trusts** 

Constitution 

Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Election by the Board of Trustees Trustee selection methods 

(eg. appointed by, elected by) 

## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** 

Reviewing the structure of the Board with the aim of creating opportunities You **may choose** to include to appoint new Trustees with particular skills to advance the charity’s additional information, where activities. relevant, about:  policies and procedures The Friends of Jerusalem Botanical Gardens (JBG) continued its adopted for the induction and membership of the NCVO in order to be kept aware of current training of trustees; governance, organisational and charity best practice and to access training. 

- the charity’s organisational structure and any wider Work alongside the CEO and senior staff members of the Jerusalem 

- network with which the charity Botanical Gardens; the Israel-based Friends of Jerusalem Botanical 

- works; Gardens and two of the Trustees of the UK Friends represent the UK 

- relationship with any related Friends on the international advisory panel of the Board of the JBG. 

- relationship with any related parties; 

- The Trustees have adopted the following policies and procedures: Conflict 

- trustees’ consideration of of Interests; Data Protection, Equality and Diversity; Grievance; Privacy, 

- major risks and the system Register of Interests, and a Reserves Policy. The Trustees continue to 

- and procedures to manage review the financial position of the charity regularly. 

- them. 

## **Section C                    Objectives and activities** 

**Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document** 

To advance the education of the public on Israel's biodiversity, plant conservation and cultural uses of plants, in particular but not exclusively by supporting the work of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. 

This is achieved by supporting the Gardens in: 

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**Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)** 

 its cross-cultural education of school-age children in Jerusalem;  its social action and environmental outreach programme which aims to engage disaffected and disadvantaged members of the community through working with plants; and  by offering qualified gardeners the opportunity to extend their education through learning about Israel’s biodiversity etc.  Online talks given via Zoom on botanical aspects and, in the UK, talks by the Operations Manager to various communal organisations. The Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in the undertaking of all their activities. In 2022, the work of the charity began to return to normal, following the effects of Covid-19. Israel lifted its travel restrictions and Liam Cannon from Eire (who had been awarded a nursery propagation internship in 2019) was safely able to travel there.  Liam spent six months at the JBG before returning to Eire to continue his career. Gabrielle Schatz from the USA was also awarded an internship which was terminated by mutual agreement in July after 3 months.  The circumstances were reviewed informally in case lessons could be learned for future interns. In the autumn three new interns began in Jerusalem.  Eyup-Emri Karakeci from Germany was awarded a three-month internship as he had already been accepted for a Masters’ programme.  As well as being a passionate botanist, he was a talented watercolourist who produced some botanical illustrations for the Scientific Director. The Tropical Conservatory internship was awarded to Sam Slotin, an American who had emigrated to Israel.  His internship began at the end of August 2022 and he intends to stay for 12 months. The final internship in 2022 was awarded to Ezile Tyutwana from South Africa whose arrival in November was delayed due to industrial action at Israel’s Consulates when no visas were issued.  He also hopes to stay for 12 months. The Friends continued to seek opportunities to continue their aims of informing about plants and the environment and in 2022 this was achieved by:  The final ticketed zoom talk (following the series in 2021) was given in March by horticulturist Andrew Luke, who spoke about his experiences of plant collecting in Vietnam;  In June a visit was arranged to the private Malverleys Garden near Newbury with a tour by its talented head gardener, Mat Reece. Trustee and alumnus Aaron Bertelsen explained his experiences on the internship program and it was a successful day. Although the online talks in 2021 had been very successful, by 2022 the demand for online talks had waned and is the reason that only one was booked with Andrew Luke took place. 

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In December, a Co-Chair and the Operations Manager began a review of the Friends’ social media and information goals with the Executive Director of Strategic Development at the JBG.  The Trustees are aware that COVID 19 and time have had an effect on membership and efforts are being made to make the charity more attractive online to a worldwide audience. The Friends thank supporters and acknowledge the donations from individuals which have supported our projects in 2022. 

## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** 

|<br>You**may choose**to include<br>further statements, where<br>relevant, about:<br><br>policy on grant-making;<br><br>policy programme related<br>investment;<br><br>contribution made by<br>volunteers.|<br>**Grant-making**<br>The policy in awarding internships as part of our International Horticultural<br>Internship Programme is to select students who are most likely to benefit<br>from the education and experience provided at the Gardens.  Candidates<br>apply using a standardised form and their experience and qualifications<br>are assessed.  Short-listed candidates are then interviewed by a panel to<br>assess their suitability to the conditions and lifestyle in Israel and to<br>identify what they wish to gain from the experience and how to achieve<br>their aims.<br>The policy of grant-making to the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens involves<br>identifying those areas which most effectively meet the UK Friends’<br>objectives.  In 2022 a grant was allotted towards accommodation for the<br>interns.<br>**Volunteers**<br>Help from our members continues to be of crucial importance to the<br>Friends. Involving volunteers continues to be an on-going area of<br>development as the Trustees recognise that volunteering is a key element<br>of the charity’s sustainability and diversity.|
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|Section D|Achievements and performance|
|Wo<br>**Summary of the main**<br>**achievements of the charity**<br>**during the year**|Five interns were sponsored of whom one was able to complete an<br>internship offered before the beginning of COVID-19.<br>The charity continues to be in a stable fiscal position.|
|**Section E**|**Financial review**|
|**Brief statement of the**<br>**charity’s policy on reserves**||
||The Trustees take seriously their fiscal responsibility to ensure that the<br>charity is sustainable.  A reserves policy was adopted which states that<br>funds which have not been designated for specific use should be<br>maintained at a level equivalent to six months’ expenditure.<br>The Trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the<br>event of a significant drop in income, they will be able to continue the<br>charity’s current activities while consideration is given to the way in which<br>additional funds may be raised. The Trustees recognise that many<br>charities only operate on a 3-month policy.  They are satisfied that the<br>reserves more than meet the requirements to maintain the charity as an<br>ongoing concern.  The charity has no contracts which could not be met<br>by its current reserves.|



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**Details of any funds materially in deficit** 

There are no deficits. 

## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** 

You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant about: 

- the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); 

- how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; 

- investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. 

A donation from a UK-based charitable trust provides the charity with its main source of funds.  Its largest expenditures are the salary of the Operations Manager and expenses associated with the International Horticultural Internship Programme.  These expenditures are funded by donations and fundraising events, as highlighted in Section C above and bequests.  The Trustees recognise that a generous bequest from the estate of Mrs Philippa Rakusen enables the Internship Programme to continue. 

## **Investment** 

The charity is financially cautious, maintaining only a current account and an interest-paying savings account. 

## **Section F                     Other optional information** 

The Trustees will continue to seek opportunities to strengthen the Friends of Jerusalem Botanical Gardens’ Board; develop its programmes in response to its on-going objectives and review the day-to-day activities to optimise the charity’s future. 

## **Section G                    Declaration** 

**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** 

**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** 

**Signature(s) Full name(s)** Aaron Kaen Bertelsen **Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc)** Co-Chair **Date** 20 September 2023 

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FRIENDS OF JERUSALEM BOTANICAL GARDENS
statement of Financial Aclivities - Year Ended 31st December 2022
Unrestricted Restricted
Funds
Funds
Total
Funds
YIE 31.12.21
Total Fund
, Notes
Income and endowmonts from:
Membership subscriptions
Donations and legacies
Fund Raising
Other tradin9 activiknes
Interest Received
1,395
19.535
813
1,395
19,535
813
40
16
Total
21.783
21,783
22,809
Expenditure on:
Raising ftjnds
Charitable activib'es
other
15
286
24,414
15,030
15,030
Total
39,459
39,459
34,967
{Net expenditure)
-17,676
-17,676
-12,158
Net movoment in funds
-17,676
-12,158
Total funds brought forward
136.020
11.095
147,115
159,273
Total funds carried foThYard
118.344
11.,095
129,439
147,115

FRIENDS OF JERUSALEM BOTANICAL GARDENS
Notes to the Accounts- Year Ended 31st December 2022
Restricted Fund Donations
YIE 31.12.21
Total
Restricted
Unrestricted
Total
Craps CT
.General dorTr8tions
16.000
16,000
2,013
3.535,
19,535
19,535
18.013
Fund liaising a¢tivthes
Income
YIE 31.12.21
Talks
'Visit
600
813
600
798
15
3 Icharitablo Activities
Unrestri¢tgd Restricted
Total
YIE 31.12.21
Internships
Apartment
19,414
5.000,
24,414
19,414
5.000
24.414
11.416
5.000
16.4
iothgr Expenses
31.12.22
31.12.21
Salaries & NIC
Travel
Bank charges
Computer expenses
Subscriptions-NCVOIBGCI
Insuran
Web sile costs
IAccounlancy fees
Office expenses
Telephone & broadband
13,500
9101
35
294
169
42
203
36
70
15,030
18,265
'.Tolal Funds al 31 st December 2022 are represented by the followng".
i Bank Current account
'. Bank Deposil account
135.197
137,197
Less.'Accruals
129,439