Dale Farm Trust Financial Statement and Annual Report for the Year ended 31st March 2025
Dale Farm Trust Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year ended 31st March 2025 Charity No: 1156516
The address of the Trust is;
51 Oldfield Rd, Heswall, Wirral CH60 6SN
Governing Document; The charity is governed by its Trust Deed
Structure
The Trust consists of 10 Trustees
James Lester (Chair) Wendy McKeown (Vice- Chair) Ian Johnson (Secretary) Madeleine O’Rourke (Treasurer) Bernd Heerwagen Jean Scott Robert Winterson Allie Abraham Arne Muller Caroline Fenna
Charity Structure, Management and Trustee Recruitment
Dale Farm is situated at the edge of Heswall Dales on the Wirral Peninsula and can be accessed from Oldfield Road in Heswall. Dale Farm is a Vocational Service and run as a partnership between Wirral Council and Dale Farm Trust.
Dale Farm provides daytime opportunities for adults with a variety of learning disabilities in a real work environment. The people we support at Dale Farm develop existing and learn new skills in all aspects of horticulture.
The Board of the Trust meets regularly and receives reports on financial activity over the intervening period. The accounts are updated monthly with a detailed breakdown of income and expenditure. The Farm Manager and Team Leader attend each meeting and report on key events and anything else pertinent to the Trust.
The Trust holds an annual general meeting which is open to the public, staff of the Farm, volunteers and the people we support at which the
accounts of the Trust are made available and the work of the Trust and Farm are discussed.
The Trust’s Rules and Policies, including financial regulations were last updated in May 2025 and approved by the Board.
Objects and Activities
The Trust objectives are
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The relief of those in need in particular but not exclusively by assisting in the treatment and care of persons suffering from mental or physical illness of any description or in need of rehabilitation as a result of such illness, by the provision of facilities for work and recreation.
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to promote for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Wirral and surrounding area, the provision of facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving conditions of life of said inhabitants.
The Trust achieves its objectives by supporting Dale Farm financially and through the work of 26 volunteers, some of whom are also Trustees.
All aspects of horticulture are used to create a working environment in which people can participate. We grow organic fruit and vegetables in the fields and polytunnels and keep bees. We sell our fruit, vegetables and honey in our farm shop which is open to the public every weekday and from Bluebelles Tea Rooms in Wallasey and the Courtyard Café in Royden Park. We also sell bagged compost and split, seasoned logs and wood chippings.
We operate a professional woodwork workshop which gives the people we support an opportunity to gain skills in all aspects of woodworking and carpentry, producing good quality items for sale and undertake commissions for woodwork items.
In the craft workshop people that attend Dale Farm produce a variety of craft items with help from a professional tutor, which we sell at our Summer and Winter plant sales.
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Achievements and Performance
In 2024/25 the Farm held plant sales at Christmas and in the Spring. Both events help promote the Farm as well as generating an income of £3,000.
An extensive programme of statutory training was provided by Wirral Council to volunteers covering first aid, fire safety, safeguarding, manual handling and health and safety. Additional training is also being offered on the use of machinery and working at height.
During the year three talks were given on horticultural topics attended by staff and volunteers.
The Development Group continued to meet regularly throughout the year helping to coordinate the works of the Farm as did the Service Users committee.
Work around the Farm included resurfacing of pathways, new seating and picnic benches, improvements to the sensory garden and repairs to the watering system.
Financial report
The Trust ended 2024/25 in a strong financial position with an income of £40,000 and donations of over £6,000.
The main source of income is sales of manure which totalled £22,500. There has been a significant reduction in the supply of wood for logs and bark which brought in £3,000 in 2024/25
The year-end accounts for 2024/25 are attached to this report.
Many thanks again to our Treasurer, Maddy O’Rourke who has ensured that our accounts are kept in good order and submitted regular reports to the Farm Board and to Suanne Price who keeps a daily check on income and expenditure.
Declaration
There have been no serious incidents or matters that should have been brought to the attention of the Charity Commission.
The Trustees have approved this report and the financial statement which follows.
J Lester
Chair of the Trustees, June 2025
Dale Farm Trust
Registered Charity Trust Number 1156516
51 Oldfield Road, Heswall, Wirral CH60 6SN
Tel 01516665190
Receipts and Payments for the year ended 31 March 2025
Receipts 2024/25 2023/24 £ £ Gross income 37960 37917 Donations 6056 8258 Total Receipts 44016 46175 Payments Total 38131 55717 Receipts/Payments 5885 -9542 Cash Funds 56675 50790 Cash Funds HSBC amenity account 55504 49522 Cash Account 1068 1183 Petty Cash Float 103 85 Total Cash Fund 56675 50790
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of AL£ FARM On accounts for the year ended Charity no (if any) 1156SIL Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended Responsibilities and As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with 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 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)(b) of the Act. Independent he charittys gross income exceeded £250.000 and l am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [insert name of applicable listed body]l- Delete [ ] if not applicable. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ") in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect,: the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act" or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records. or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the 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 understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): IER October 2018