2025-12-31-accounts

Sustainable Community Gardening to Educate and Improve Wellbeing

20 ANNUAL 25 REPORT

Financial Statements and Trustees’ Report

1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025

www.communigrow.org.uk Charity No. 1159534

Our Trustees

Contents

03 Chair’s Introduction 04 About Communigrow 06 Highlights

08 The Field School

Caroline Pearce, Chair Georgia Bozekova David Field+ Paul Jones++ Elizabeth Lockwood Martin Long, Finance Trustee++ Nathan Omane, Finance Trustee* Alan Piper Dr Rebecca Prince Natasha Stille

12 Work with Adults

16 Volunteering

18 Sustainability 19 Fundraising

21 Future Plans

22 Governance

24 Financial Statements

Site Address

Communigrow via NIAB site off New Road, East Malling Kent, ME19 6DD

what3words ///glance.callers.squish

Independent Examiners

Perrys Audit Limited, Chartered Accountants Churchdown Chambers Bordyke Tonbridge, TN9 1NR

Website & Email

www.communigrow.org.uk [e-mail]

Charity Number

1159534

appointed January 2025 *appointed December 2025 +resigned June 2025 ++resigned December 2025

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Chair’s Introduction

It is with great pleasure that I introduce Communigrow’s 2025 report and accounts for a year of significant achievements and on which we can look back with pride.

Our work is about teaching people how to grow food in a sustainable way. A key focus therefore is on teaching children and young people about growing fresh food, about healthy diets and how to cook what they grow through our Field to Fork programme. We want to help them to realise the positive benefits that this brings which is so important in an age of easily accessible unhealthy and processed food. Our beneficiaries include local schools, children and young people with special education needs, home educated children and families.

Since gardening activities have proven physical and mental health benefits, we are also ideally placed to provide opportunities for adult beneficiaries to participate in our therapeutic gardening programmes, all within a local community setting.

Sustainability is a common thread woven through all we do: not only in the way we practice horticulture and in our teaching in the Field School, but also in how we operate our site. In 2025 our staff achieved Carbon Literacy Certification and we are now an accredited training provider offering this training to others.

We are constantly striving to improve our services and activities and to reach more people to support and in 2025 we achieved some significant milestones.

We appointed our first Horticulture Apprentice, offering training to a young person embarking on his career in horticulture, and a School Outreach Lead to engage local schools.

We are proud to have again received external endorsements of our work. This includes our first

national award - the Community Award in the Adobe Express Your Innovation competition run by The Telegraph Media Group.

One of our objectives is to diversify our income streams and ensure the charity’s financial sustainability. Whilst our charitable activities, social enterprise activities and events generate income, a large part of our income comes from grants, donations and sponsorship.

What of our plans for 2026? The Field School will continue to welcome students from SEND schools and colleges but with greatly enhanced kitchen facilities for the Field to Fork sessions. We also have a full programme of whole class day visits from local schools, expanding on last year’s numbers.

A new woodland area adjacent to our existing site will provide additional space for the Field School and give us a dedicated area for therapeutic gardening with a refurbished container providing the indoor space. All of which means that we will have even better facilities to offer which will make an even greater difference to beneficiaries.

Our horticultural side is to expand with more areas under production and for teaching. Mindful of how important a flourishing and healthy ecosystem is, we will be improving our wildflower meadow and wildlife areas and expanding our pond.

We would not be able to do what we do without our volunteers who bring a wealth of skills and experience to Communigrow. Nor would we be able to do so without our hardworking and dedicated staff on whom so much of the success of Communigrow depends. Therefore, I finish with my sincere thanks to volunteers, staff and to my fellow Trustees for all they do for the continued success of Communigrow.

Caroline Pearce

Chair of the Board of Trustees

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About Communigrow

Sustainable Community Gardening to Educate and Improve Wellbeing

Communigrow is a sustainable food education charity providing a vital link between sustainable horticulture and community health. We operate from our Community Garden in East Malling and across communities in Kent and Medway. We teach children, young people and adults how to grow naturally produced food using sustainable methods.

Our aim is also to make a lasting difference to mental and physical health through Therapeutic Gardening and to create a sense of belonging through outdoor community activities.

Communigrow’s beneficiaries include children and young people with special education needs, local schools, people from under-resourced communities, young carers, adults with health conditions, older adults experiencing social isolation, veterans and emergency services workers and people coping with bereavement.

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Increase in unique beneficiary numbers 1248
1078
921
614
443
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
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Communigrow is a fantastic, hidden gem, in my own parish of East Malling. Their work highlights the benefits of sustainable food production to our physical and mental wellbeing, whilst keeping in harmony with the natural environment. Their field school is a beautiful outdoor learning environment for children and young people, of all abilities, to enjoy hands-on learning opportunities.

Amidst an emerging world of global shortages, where food security is a vital part of the national agenda, Communigrow offers essential learning and guidance to communities and individuals.

Helen Grant, MP for Maidstone and Malling

MP Helen Grant visits Communigrow, July 2025

In 2025, we are very proud to have supported 1,248 people to lead healthier and happier lives in our green and inclusive community charity.

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Public Benefit

Communigrow Theory of Change

As a charity we have a responsibility to provide a public benefit. Our operations are governed by a robust Theory of Change, adopted in 2022, which ensures that our programmes are measured against six core pillars: physical, educational, psychological, social, and economic wellbeing. Through rigorous KPI monitoring we can review and improve the effectiveness of our programmes delivering the best return on investment for our community.

The impact of our work reaches beyond our primary beneficiaries to associated families, carers and wider communities, including local authorities and other partners. Our evidence-based model of social and therapeutic gardening is recognised by the NHS and UK Government as part of the solution for mental and physical healthcare.

2025 Highlights

All staff achieved In addition we became an accredited training provider with the Carbon Literacy Project to help other organisations reduce their carbon footprint.

Improved our SEND provision with our Young Roots group for young adults with additional needs.

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2025 Highlights

Appointed our first apprentice, Logan, who went on to win Kent Life Magazine’s Young Gardener of the Year.

Received two awards at the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Community Awards. Outstanding Community Group and Environmental contribution.

Increased our Therapeutic Gardening offer for adults, with our new Garden Gate bereavement group and Time Out group for veterans and emergency services workers in addition to our existing Gardening to Feel Great group.

The Communibees

Introduced two hives of bees to our garden and produced 120 jars of our own honey for sale in the community.

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The Field School

The Field School encompasses our educational and therapeutic work with young people. By prioritising an inclusive atmosphere, our experienced tutors ensure that all participants - including those with neurodiversity or complex needs - find a sense of belonging at Communigrow. Through practical learning and nature-based activities, we help our learners grow in confidence and enjoy the benefits that come with spending time in nature.

Field to Fork

A standout feature of our curriculum are our ‘Field to Fork’ workshops. Completing the loop of food education by using vegetables grown and harvested at Communigrow, young learners enjoy outdoor cookery; working together to create nutritious dishes that develop more adventurous palates and an enjoyment of fresh, healthy food.

In 2025 this was much enhanced with the addition of a dedicated outdoor Field Kitchen. Looking ahead to early 2026 we plan to install solar panels on the roof of the Field Kitchen to power our appliances - integrating environmental stewardship directly into the student experience.

Local Schools

Searching for minibeasts in the wildflower meadow

2025 saw exceptional interest in our educational day trips, reflecting a rising demand for high-quality, outdoor-based learning. We increased the number of participating schools from three in 2024 to eleven in 2025, with a high rate of re-bookings already secured for 2026.

Our whole-class visits are carefully designed to complement the Key Stage 1 and 2 National Curriculum, providing tangible, real-world applications for Science, Design & Technology (DT), Geography, and Sustainability. As well as looking at plant life cycles, bespoke sessions for each school include options such as pond dipping and preparing dishes from vegetables harvested on site.

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14 [School Partnerships.]
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What a truly amazing day! From pond dipping to preparing and cooking food outdoors, every part of the day was thoughtfully planned and beautifully delivered.

Students from Grow 19 College making soup in the kitchen

Kent Family Hub visit

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Special Schools and SEND

Communigrow remains an important partner to local SEND schools and colleges, providing purposeful outdoor learning experiences that foster confidence, communication, and vocational readiness. We are proud to host weekly Field School sessions for Five Acre Wood School, Bower Grove School and Grow 19 College.

Our curriculum is highly individualised, offering a diverse range of horticultural and site-management tasks - from propagation and bulb planting to basic maintenance skills and woodchip path construction. Beyond technical skills, activities are designed to develop communication and social interaction. Students are supported to engage with the wider Communigrow community through active roles, such as preparing and serving soup to celebrate the official opening of our Field Kitchen.

Weeding the pizza bed with Field School volunteer Ann

In addition, we continue to deliver weekly gardening enrichment sessions at The Rosewood School, supporting students navigating complex medical, mental health or physical challenges, many of whom are also socially disadvantaged as a result of periods of absence from education.

Ready for action with students from Five Acre Wood School

137 sessions for children & young people with SEND

The group of our pupils that come to your onsite provision each week at Communigrow are having a fantastic time.

It was such a delight to talk with a pupil who I know has extreme eating anxieties and to hear that he had made pumpkin pancakes, let alone eaten, them was astonishing!

Your team are so passionate and enthusiastic which has really filtered down to our school.

Thank you for all your efforts.

In July 2025, we furthered this impact by providing supportive work experience placements for 29 pupils from The Rosewood School.

Maz Cleave, Head Teacher, Bower Grove School Special School for children and young people aged 4-16

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The gardening makes me feel more relaxed. I always feel better being outside.

A Space for Growth Toby’s Story*

Toby’s story illustrates the profound impact of social and therapeutic horticulture on neurodivergent young adults.

When Toby first joined Communigrow for weekly sessions with his SEND college, his ADHD, autism and significant mental health struggles made teamwork and instruction difficult to navigate. High levels of anxiety led to inconsistent engagement; he found it hard to take direction, could challenge staff instructions and always felt that he ‘knew best’. Toby would either throw himself completely into physical tasks - often to the point of over exertion - or be very reluctant to get involved.

The Intervention:

Through the consistent, calm rhythm of the Field School garden, Toby has undergone a great change. He is able to focus for longer periods on activities such as transplanting seedlings - a task requiring a level of patience and fine-motor focus that once seemed out of reach. During the weekly sessions our staff encouraged Toby to "check in" with his emotions.

By learning to voice his feelings and to take genuine pride in his work, Toby has moved from a place of defence to one of cooperative teamwork. Tasks like propagation and site maintenance provided a structured yet flexible framework for him to practise focus and cooperation.

The growth in these key social and communication skills - teamwork, emotional regulation, and accountability - has prepared him for his next milestone at College: a peoplefacing vocational role.

In Toby’s Words:

"I’m not doing very well today. I’ve just got out of the wrong side of the bed," Toby shared with our Field School Manager, Naomi, during a particularly low morning.

However, after a few hours tending to the wildlife area, the shift was visible. "It’s been really good. I feel really chill. The gardening makes me feel more relaxed... I always feel better being outside."

*names have been changed

Home Education

Our Home Education programme provides a dynamic, outdoor learning environment for learners aged 4 to 16 to gain practical food growing skills and learn about nature and the environment through a programme of study that incorporates Science, Food Technology, Sustainability and Geography. In addition we provide basic carpentry sessions for older students.

Beyond the academic benefits, these sessions are an opportunity for peer-to-peer communication and collaborative problem-solving, helping learners develop the social confidence and teamwork skills essential for their future pathways.

Family Workshops

In 2025 we delivered 20 affordable family workshops at weekends and in school holidays including our ‘Get Set, Grow!’ Saturday workshops. These sessions offer a rare opportunity for intergenerational learning, where families step away from digital distractions and into the natural world, gaining practical skills to grow food at home and learning how to care for the environment.

Community Outreach

East Malling remains a top two priority area for Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, with governmental Indices of Deprivation data identifying parts of East Malling as among the 16% most income-deprived in England. We take pride in delivering high-impact, nature-based interventions where they are needed most in this community.

This includes hosting free nature based activities and cookery for children alongside the Community Pantry at the East Malling Centre, a local partner charity. In 2025 we also ran weekly subsidised Communigrow Tots sessions here, using naturebased tasks to encourage physical activity, healthy eating and a love of nature in toddlers.

Workshops for Partner Charities

Our collaboration with partner charities Space 2 Be Me, IMAGO, and Involve Kent highlights the important role Communigrow plays in the wider community. This year, we hosted 9 ‘Field to Fork’ workshops specifically designed for young people navigating the challenges of additional needs or the responsibilities of being a young carer. These sessions allow participants to step away from daily pressures, enjoy time with others and benefit from the restorative power of nature. The young people harvest and prepare a communal meal with produce grown in the garden and always enjoy ending the session with a game of welly wanging!

Family workshop with local residents

Getting outside is so good for the children, otherwise they are just on screens or watching TV!

They’re also far more interested in eating vegetables and trying new food at home, having grown, harvested and cooked their own veg at Communigrow.

Field to Fork session with Families from Involve Connect, a group for neurodivergent young people

Parent at Get Set, Grow!

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Therapeutic Gardening for Adults

Backed by research from the NHS and the Royal Horticultural Society, gardening interventions are proven to deliver accessible and cost effective psychological and physiological health benefits. Collective food-growing has additional positive effects in generating community engagement and our programmes for adults are especially effective for those experiencing social isolation.

In 2025 we added three new gardening groups for adults in response to needs in our local area.

Gardening to Feel Great

With funding from Involve Kent, this year we helped 25 people aged 55+ or who have health conditions improve their mental and physical wellbeing, boost their confidence and combat social isolation. Participants meet new people in a friendly and relaxed outdoor environment and take part in gardening activities, promoting physical activity to suit all abilities and social connection.

Garden Gate Bereavement Group

Following a successful crowdfunding campaign in late 2024, Communigrow launched its Bereavement Support Group at the start of the year. Recognising that grief can often be a solitary experience, we designed this programme to offer a community-based pathway toward healing. Led by our qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor, the group offers purposeful horticultural activities working alongside others who share a similar experience. The programme demonstrates the unique power of "Green Therapy": providing a safe space where conversation and healing can grow naturally alongside the plants.

Young Roots enjoying a sunny December day in the garden

In the colder months the group takes part in nature based crafts in our heated yurt.

Gardening to feel Great - a supportive community preventing lonliness with winter crafts in the yurt

Young Roots

Thanks to funding from the UK Government’s People and Skills Fund via Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, our Young Roots group provides supported volunteering opportunities for younger adults who require greater support. This may be because they have mild-moderate learning difficulties, are neurodivergent with support needs, may be socially anxious or have other mental health concerns or who have little or no experience of work or volunteering. The group helps young adults become more physically active, improve their confidence, social skills and mental wellbeing, as well as developing skills that can help them access the workplace. Most importantly group members are part of a supportive and inclusive community.

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It’s been a lifesaver Alice’s Story*

I’ve loved all the activities, particularly building the dead hedge together - it was so creative and satisfying, like putting together a jigsaw.

Alice, who has physical and mental health conditions including EDS, FND, chronic fatigue syndrome, neurodivergence, anxiety and depression, was initially referred to Communigrow’s Gardening to Feel Great group by another local charity that had been supporting her.

Alice told us, “I have nothing but praise for the team at Communigrow. Everyone is so warm and friendly, and I have been treated with such kindness. It’s been a life saver really; the thing I look forward to each week.

I’ve built a group of friends at Communigrow which has made me feel like a human again. Just things like having the Christmas dinner together or having a coffee in the breaks is really important. I never get invited to things normally and have been made to feel different, excluded and lazy because of my disabilities in the past. This group is the opposite of that.

I was brought up in the countryside, but I was beginning to feel trapped by my health issues. Being outside in this safe space is just heartwarming for me - a real freeing experience. It was just such a relief when I first joined.

There is so much give and take in the group - you speak, you listen, you are listened to. It’s disability friendly, you go at your own pace and focus on what you can do.”

*names have been changed

Time Out

Supported by the UK Government’s People and Skills Fund, Communigrow delivered a specialised programme of Therapeutic Gardening sessions in 2025, designed for veterans and emergency services personnel. This initiative supported 26 individuals, providing a vital sanctuary for those navigating the long-term impacts of service, including veterans managing PTSD following deployments in Afghanistan.

The success of this programme is evidenced by its lasting legacy. We were pleased to support veterans at the nearby Royal British Veterans Enterprise Village build their own allotment, which was inspired by their sessions at Communigrow. Furthermore, our partnership with Larkfield Fire Station has provided frontline crews with a quiet space for reflection and decompression, following the intensity of challenging shifts.

Larkfield Fire Crew taking some Time Out in our Sensory Garden

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Signing The Armed Forces Covenant with Deputy Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling, Cllr Chris Brown, Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Dave Davis, and Royal British Veterans Enterprise Engagement Manager, Kerry Locke.

Vicky’s Story

“Joining the Time Out group at Communigrow has hugely helped with my recovery of PTSD after I was medically discharged from the army in 2019.

Having a place like Communigrow to go to every week has been fantastic. I have really taken a lot from attending the community.

Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. It's a safe place to go that gives you a sense of achievement - you can do as much or as little as you like, there is no pressure which is great.

Just sitting having a cup of tea and chat is great for my health; I’ve really noticed a difference, thank you.”

Moving On

Communigrow provides unique ‘moving on’ opportunities for beneficiaries attending Therapeutic Gardening groups. Participants often move on to become committed Communigrow volunteers, making a long term commitment to both their health and to being part of our team.

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Hope after bereavement Chrissie’s Story

Communigrow gives hope, self belief, peace, encouragement, joy and laughter.

“I was introduced to Communigrow by my husband Jeff's Cancer Care Support Assistant, Jo. After Jeff lost his brave battle, Jo always stayed in contact. Jo knew I would find sitting in a room for counselling too painful and she contacted me to say she had come across Communigrow.

Communigrow has given me a large part of my life back. It has taught me to have courage, the realisation that bereavement albeit a painful, lonely place can be shared openly with other friends you meet along the way in the Communigrow community.

My life changed from that point on. I arrived at Communigrow full of anxiety, but desperate to find not only some peace, but the courage to step out and hopefully to find a way forward. I was greeted with kindness and reassurance, given a guided tour around the most beautiful hidden oasis and met some of the hardworking team.

For the first time in months after Jeff's passing and being in an almost robotic state putting one foot in front of the other, I felt peace. I took a deep breath and I knew immediately that Communigrow would help me find my way - that's now an understatement.

Communigrow, and my friends from the group, gave me the self belief and courage to go on a short trip on my own recently and I have even booked another short trip for next year.

The Communigrow Team must never be underestimated in all the hardwork, compassion, patience, nurturing they freely and unconditionally give for the entire community of all ages which surround us. They give hope, self belief, peace, encouragement, joy and laughter for all of us on our individual onward journeys.

Thank you so much for giving me my life back.”

Volunteering

Volunteers are the vital force that sustains Communigrow’s mission. In 2025, we were supported by a dedicated cohort of 82 regular volunteers across all operational areas, further boosted by 120 corporate volunteers who contributed to specific projects. This collective generosity represents a staggering economic value of £115,033 - a contribution that enables us to redirect vital funds toward our beneficiary programmes.

Our volunteers bring a wealth of professional experience and enthusiasm that enriches our team. In return for their support we provide a welcoming and inclusive experience, with dedicated volunteering events, opportunities to acquire new skills, make friends and of course enjoy unlimited cups of tea!

6,690 Number of volunteer hours donated to Communigrow

£115,033 Estimated monetary value of these volunteer hours

202

People who supported Communigrow by donating their time

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New regular volunteers welcomed in 2025

Celebrating five years of volunteering with Chris and Anne

A landmark moment in our 2025 calendar was the celebration of Volunteers’ Week in June, where we were privileged to present long-service awards to five remarkable individuals who have dedicated five years to our growth.

Communigrow’s achievements this year are a testament to the passion of our volunteers; we wholeheartedly thank them for their vital role in our growth and sustainability.

Horticultural volunteers planting brassicas

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Volunteering at Communigrow Ian’s Story

“I approached Communigrow when I made the decision to retire and immediately I was met with great enthusiasm, signing up to volunteer regularly on Fridays. What really appealed was the social side of volunteering, the sense of being able to give something back and the opportunity to enhance my knowledge of horticulture. Certainly the community element is a big part of volunteering, particularly when retired, having been used to working in a team in a large organisation, in a customer facing role.

Communigrow offers the perfect environment really. For those who just want peace and quiet or an escape, the environment allows that, but also allows important social interaction, if desired, while working on tasks and during the coffee breaks.

It’s comforting to be in a space where you have other people to talk to if you need it and I can see why it’s so beneficial for the bereavement group and wellbeing groups to come here.

I’ve been mentoring a young man with additional needs. It is great seeing him blossom from someone who was fairly quiet at the start to someone who is happy interacting with the group and has a great sense of humour. I’ve been so impressed with his horticultural knowledge and how keen he is now to finish the tasks we work on. It’s a very rewarding part of volunteering at Communigrow - seeing people from all backgrounds, age groups, with different needs, abilities and skills working together and flourishing in a community.

The way Communigrow has developed in recent years in terms of the improvements to the site and gardens makes me feel proud that I’m part of that and it makes me feel like I want to do more.

Immediately after retirement I faced a particularly challenging family situation and having somewhere to come and feel at ease with nature, to be able to enjoy the company of others was actually very therapeutic.

It’s a lovely space - magical at times.”

It’s a really rewarding part of volunteering at Communigrow - seeing people from all backgrounds, age groups, with different needs, abilities and skills working together and flourishing in a community.

Sustainabilit y

Environmental sustainability at Communigrow is not only a key teaching pillar, it is also integral to our organisational values. Communigrow provides space to learn about sustainable food growing.

Carbon Literacy Training

Rain water harvesting 4,000 litres water storage

Our staff and many volunteers took part in Carbon Literacy Training with the Carbon Literacy Project, achieving Carbon Literate Certification.

We are now an accredited training provider to other businesses and organisations.

Solar Power

We are off grid with 30 solar panels and we no longer use fossil fuel powered equipment.

Award Winning

In 2025 we won the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Environmental Contribution Award and the Wilder Kent Gold Award.

Composting toilets

26 varities of veg

All proudly chemical free.

eliminate water use and reduce strain on sewage systems.

Malling Repair Cafe

In 2025 we hosted the Malling Repair Cafe at Communigrow giving household items a new life and preventing them from going to landfill.

Bee Hives

Companion planting helps pollination and is a natural form of pest control.

‘No dig’ approach protects soil health, improves drainage and prevents carbon release from the soil.

Our Communibees produce honey and are excellent pollinators.

Composting

We use a wide range of composing techniques and teach these to others.

Wildlife habitats

such as wildflower meadows, log piles, insect hotels and dead hedges encourage pollinators and other invertebrates to thrive and our wildlife ponds are a haven for frogs, newts, toads and beetles.

Native hedgerows increase biodiversity by providing food and shelter to invertebrates, birds and mammals.

Fundraising

The generosity of our funders and supporters has enabled us to achieve the following substantial progress in the development of our charitable aims. In particular, we were fortunate to receive £91,000 of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, part of a 5 years funding award totalling £275,000, to expand our services and support our operating costs and implement our medium term priority of improved financial stability and reduced grant reliance.

Deliver skills and Therapeutic Gardening sessions to 1,248 children, young people and adults - a 16% increase on 2024.

• Establish three new Therapeutic Gardening groups for adult beneficiaries.

• Appoint a Horticultural Apprentice, providing a career opportunity for a young person.

• Employ a Schools Outreach Lead to increase the number of schools we work with.

• Install a dedicated Field Kitchen to improve our field to fork offering.

• Build a new Field Shelter near our pond to support our school visits experience.

• Increase our growing area with a new propagation polytunnel.

• Expand our programmes to reach new communities through partnerships established with local house builders and social housing providers.

• Help cover core staffing costs and the running of the charity.

We are very grateful to all of our organisations for the support they have provided this year.

• Barratt Redrow Foundation The Chapman Charitable Trust The CLA Charitable Trust Clarion Futures The Cobtree Charity Trust The Cole Charitable Trust East Malling and Larkfield Parish Council

• East Malling Picnic in the Park East Malling Trust The Finnis Scott Foundation The Garfield Weston Foundation The Henry Smith Foundation Involve Kent The Kenora Charitable Foundation Kings Hill Rotary Club The Lawson Trust The Leigh Trust Malling Lions McCrone Charitable Trust

• The National Lottery Community Fund

• The Philip & Connie Phillips Foundation Retirement Villages Group South Park Community Coffee Morning Tesco Cooking for All Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Tongswood Chamber Choir Warburtons Community Fund

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Fundraising

Corporate Partners

In addition to income from trusts and foundations, corporate partners provide both inkind and direct support that helps to reduce our reliance on grant funding.

These partnerships are often mutually beneficial, helping our corporate friends to achieve their social and environmental aims.

Great fun being had at Perrys Charity Golf Day

In particular, we are hugely appreciative of the support we have received from:

Long term supporters, Perrys Chartered Accountants, who held their third Charity Golf Day in aid of Communigrow, and also supported us with a volunteering day. The funds raised from this will help provide solar panels for our Field Kitchen.

Fielder Filter Systems, who generously funded our Field Kitchen and Get Set Grow family workshops, while also donating their time with two volunteering days at Communigrow.

Team from Fileder jet washng out yurt carpet in the sun

Local B-Corp Scrummi, who sponsored our Open Day, kept us stocked up with their compostable hand towels and worked hard on our overgrown pumpkin patch.

• We are also very grateful to: Adobe Express Apogee Corporation Atwood Benefits UK Limited B&Q Aylesford Balance with SJ Baxter Storey Belu Bridgewood Manor Hotel CWB Property Limited East Malling Trust Great Comp Gardens Kent Case Management Kent Wood Flooring Kings Hill Management Kingswood Group New Earth Solutions NIAB Schroders Sharpe Pritchard Shipbourne Farmers Market Sinclair & Rush Telegraph Media Group Tesco Lunsford Park and West Malling The Swan West Malling

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Plans for 2026

The Field School

Horticulture

Continue to expand our Schools Visits offer, increasing the number of children that visit Communigrow to develop their knowledge of how food is grown, to understand the importance of healthy eating, engage more in physical outdoor activities and connect with nature and the outdoor world.

Achieve the LOtC Quality Badge - Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.

Create a woodland area to allow us to bring our Communigrow Tots sessions on site.

Therapeutic Gardening & Community Engagement

Appoint a dedicated Therapeutic Gardener to lead our Therapeutic Gardening sessions for adults.

in response to customer demand and with the benefit of new growing areas, grow new types and varieties of vegetables.

Using hydroponics as a different growing technique, establish a dedicated polytunnel for growing chillies and peppers.

Improve the wildflower meadow and wildlife area by creating a natural boundary with dead hedges and traditional gate entrance.

Plant lavender beds to encourage pollinators and support our Therapeutic Gardening activities.

Work more closely with educational establishments to provide horticultural work skills with, for example, Hadlow College.

Environment

Deliver a Health Intervention gardening group for adults with hypertension or type 2 diabetes, working with local GPs and other health care providers.

Expand our Carbon Literacy Training courses, allowing us to help more external partners reduce their carbon footprint.

Create a dedicated indoor wellbeing space with a wellbeing garden area for our Therapeutic Gardening groups.

Partner with local leisure trust tmactive to reach more beneficiaries.

Increase our wildlife habitats by adding more dead hedges, resowing the wildflower meadow, planting more trees and enlarging the wildlife pond area.

Install 8 solar panels to power our Field Kitchen.

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Governance & Organisational Structure

Communigrow is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation incorporated in 2014 and is governed by its constitution.

Leadership and Management

The board of trustees manage the affairs of the charity. They meet every other month and are responsible for the charity’s activities, for monitoring progress and policies, developing the charity’s strategy and for risk management. The trustees recognise that they are required to meet the objects of the charity and provide a public benefit. In making their decisions, they follow the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. We are very fortunate in having a skilled and active board of trustees who are passionately committed to Communigrow and its work. In January 2025, we added to our board of trustees with the appointment of Natasha Stille with PR, marketing and communication skills, Georgia Bozekova, an HR professional and until December 2025, Paul Jones with charity fundraising skills. In addition, the board of trustees is supported by a full-time Operations Manager and also a Field School Manager, Head Community Gardener, Development Manager and a Community Engagement consultant.

When recruiting trustees, the board of trustees identifies any skills gaps and looks for individuals who can provide expertise and leadership and is seeking to recruit a fundraising trustee. The principal means of recruiting new trustees is by public advertisement of the role. Under the charity’s constitution, trustees are appointed for a fixed three year term (or such lesser period as the trustees decide) and are then eligible for reelection for up to two further three year terms. There is an induction programme for new trustees and all trustees undertake training.

Major Risks Statement

The trustees have assessed the major risks of the charity including, governance, operations, financial and external risks. They are satisfied that systems and procedures are in place to mitigate the major risks.

Review of Financial Position

The income of the charity for 2025 was £256,873 (2024: £174,915) and expenditure was £207,682 (2024: £197,550). Total funds as at 31 st December 2025 were £260,803 (2024: £211,612) of which £219,502 (2024: £156,399) were restricted funds and £41,301 (2024: £55,213) were unrestricted funds with year-end bank balance of £267,878 (2024: £156,399). The trustees consider this a satisfactory position for the charity to be in. The charity has invested £14,450 during the year (2024: £12,824) in facilities at the field to improve visitor experience.

Reserves Policy

The charity needs reserves to enable it to progress to completing both its long term projects and its current activities and fluctuations in receipts and payments. The trustees consider that £40,000 of unrestricted funds should be held in reserve, this is the estimated amount needed to allow for an orderly closure of the charity should this ever be necessary. The level has also been set to take account of the following:

1. Contingency: unexpected expenditure in the event of an emergency;

2. Cash-flow: situations where a bill has to be paid before the money to cover it has been received;

3. Commitment: a commitment to expenditure which cannot be covered by the annual income.

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Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with the applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that year.

In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping sufficient accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable it to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of its constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Trustees Caroline Pearce, Chair Georgia Bozekova David Field+ Paul Jones++ Elizabeth Lockwood Martin Long, Finance Trustee++ Nathan Omane, Finance Trustee* Alan Piper Dr Rebecca Prince Natasha Stille

Registered Address

Hazel Hall Church Road West Peckham Kent ME18 5JL

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above.

Signed: Date: 21/04/2026

Caroline Pearce, Chair

appointed January 2025 *appointed December 2025 +resigned June 2025 ++resigned December 2025

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The notes on page 26-32 form part of the Financial Statements

24

These financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 21st April 2026 and signed on their behalf by: Caroline Pearce

Signed: Date: 21/04/2026

The notes on page 26-32 form part of the Financial Statements

25

The notes on page 26-32 form part of the Financial Statements

26

The notes on page 26-32 form part of the Financial Statements

27

Accruals and deferred income

The notes on page 26-32 form part of the Financial Statements

28

The notes on page 26-32 form part of the Financial Statements

29

The notes on page 26-32 form part of the Financial Statements

30

The notes on page 26-32 form part of the Financial Statements

31

The notes on page 26-32 form part of the Financial Statements

32

INDEPENDENT EXAMJNER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF COMMU￿[CRow Independent exAmlner's report to the trustees of Communlgrow. I report io the trustee5 on my examination of the accounts of Communigrow (the Charity) for the year ¢nded 31 December 2025 which are set out on pages 24 to 32. Rcsponslbllllle$ ond bAsi$ of report As lh¢ Charitys trusttts you ar¢ Tesponsible for the prepardtion of the accounis in accordance with the requiremenls of the Chaiiti¢$ Act 2011 I'the Aci,). I report in respect of rny examination of ihe Charity's accourtts rried out under section 145 of the 201 l Aci and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Chority Commission under section 14515)Ib) of the A¢t. Indepcndent exAmlner's $talem¢nl The ¢harity's gTOS5 income exceeded £250.000 8nd l am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of The Instiiute of Chartered Accounlants of England and W21¢s. I have compleied my examinaiion. I confirm that no moi¢rial matters hav¢ ¢om¢ to my attention in connection with the examination givin8 me cause to believe that in Any maierial respecl.. l. accounting r¢¢ords were not kept in respect of the Chority as required by sertion 130 of the A¢t' or 2. lh¢ accounls do not accord with those records,. or 3. tlic llccounls do not ¢omply with ihc applicable req111￿MentS concerning th¢ fomj and conleni of accounis sei out in tlie Chariiies (Accounis and Reports) Regulalions 2008 other il)an ony requirem¢nt Ihal thc accounts give a 'true and fair view which is not o mailer consider¢d as part of an independeni exaininalion. I h8ve no ctsncems and have come across no otheT matters in conne¢tion willi the ¢i8mination to whi¢h attention should be drawn in lhis report in order to enable a proper und¢rstanding of the a¢counts to be reached. Dominle PAeAn ACA Perry5 Audlt Limltcd Churchdown Chambers Bordyke Tonbridee TN9 INR Date: Oq IOC (Lozc.