Wheatley Playing Field Trust Registered Charity: Number 1162945
Financial Statements for the period ended 31 March 2025
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| 1-7 | Trustees Report |
| 8 | Statement of Financial Activities |
| 9 | Balance Sheet |
| 10-11 | Notes to the Financial Statements |
| 12 | Independent Examiners Report |
The Parish Office The Merry Bells 89 High Street Wheatley Oxford OX33 1XP
WHEATLEY PLAYING FIELD TRUST
Annual Report of the trustees for the period ending 31[st] March 2025
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the period ended 31 March 2025. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2015).
Wheatley Playing Field Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation that was incorporated on 31[st] July 2015 with the registered charity number 1162945.
OUR AIMS
The promotion of community participation in healthy recreation and the advancement of education for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of Wheatley and the neighbouring community by the provision of facilities, including a pavilion and changing rooms, for playing rugby, football, cricket, tennis and netball in the first instant and to develop facilities for other sports and pastimes.
OUR OBJECTIVES
The charity’s objectives are the provision and maintenance of the pavilions and playing fields for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Wheatley and its neighbouring community without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for sport and for other forms of recreation and leisure time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
The Wheatley Parish Council Playing Field at Holton is a well-established resource based in Oxfordshire, approximately 5 miles east of the city of Oxford. For 42 years, from 1973, the playing field was subject to a joint user agreement and was funded by both the Wheatley Parish Council and Oxfordshire County Council. Since taking over the management of the playing field on 1[st] September 2015, the Trust has continued throughout this year to take steps to maintain the quality of the playing surfaces whilst continuing the recovery of users from the coronavirus pandemic.
The facilities comprise two pavilions, a clubhouse, numerous football pitches to suit most age groups, rugby pitches, a first-class artificial cricket wicket and tennis courts. There are markings and facilities for two netball courts and additional provisions for athletics during the summer for the local school. One grass pitch has floodlights for training.
REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Trustees make regular visits to inspect the buildings and grounds under the terms of essential maintenance. During the year regular flushing of water systems was carried out and the annual boiler and fire extinguisher servicing together with fire alarm testing maintained. Learning from last years’ experience, and after a long period of inactivity over the summer, the water systems in both pavilions were drained, cleaned, disinfected and re-tested before users were allowed to use showers. Two floodlights were replaced over the training pitch.
The wettest winter and spring saw more games cancelled than ever before and for some reason a multitude of molehills encroaching onto several pitches. It took several weeks to quell the activity. The shallow mole runs are liable to sinking causing possible turned ankles.
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Wheatley Youth Cricket Club was again unable to deliver the All-Stars programme in the summer for 5-8 year olds due to lack of volunteers and the cost of insurance for a small number. The only cricket played was by Wheatley Park School.
Having just entered a team into a local league, netball ceased to run at Wheatley due to other demands on volunteers.
Wheatley FC continued to expand to cover all ages from minis to U15 teams and the men’s side moving to playing on Saturdays. By the end of the season, we again had eight different soccer pitches marked out and hosted some 800 young players in the tournament in May. Some of the growth was partly due to neighbouring villages losing access to their local facilities.
Wheatley Oaks FC continued to provide football to women over 30 and held another successful tournament in June 2024.
After several years of planning, weekly walking football sessions commenced thanks to a grant from our local councillor. Although played on a Friday afternoon, we are conscious that by moving to an evening a wider age group might join in.
Wheatley Rugby Club fielded one regular team due to lack of players at the start of the season. A number of regular players had become unavailable due to career changes, injury or departure to university. However, by sharing players with clubs in similar situations, a second team was able to play a couple of fixtures. Wheatley Rugby Club maintains and uses the converted cricket tea area gym, with weights and rowing and cycling machines.
All winter sports clubs train in the evenings between July and May, such that every night Monday to Thursday and sometimes Friday is fully booked. Several match funded grants enabled us to purchase and install charging points for portable floodlights to enable sessions to overlap and take place away from the heavily used training pitch.
Community tennis was made available between Easter and September.
Oxfordshire Play Association in conjunction with Wheatley Parish Council hosted a community play and activities day.
The trustees continue to maintain a website www.wheatleyplayingfieldtrust.co.uk that explains what the Trust does, invites comment and contains contact information. The website contains a calendar of bookings and local team fixtures and was updated regularly during the year.
All of the Trust documents, correspondence, meeting minutes and details of bookings are backed up onto an online account that can be accessed by any trustee so that records are safeguarded from loss on personal computers. The Trust is registered with the ICO under GDPR. The Trust has CCTV round the buildings and updates its registration with the ICO annually.
The principal users of Wheatley playing fields continue to be education, football, cricket, rugby and tennis. Club tennis has folded and club cricket now play at other facilities. This year main users were Wheatley Park School (approx 1000 students), Wheatley Rugby Club (55 members and an additional second team), Wheatley FC running teams from minis to U15 plus 1 adult men’s team, Wheatley Oaks FC running women’s over 30’s football and 50 registered community tennis players. Eight soccer pitches, one full size, one youth size, two 9v9 size, three 7v7 size and one 5v5 size, one rugby pitch and a floodlit training pitch were maintained for all users. The pitch on the school site was marked for junior football included in these totals. Training grids were used predominantly by Wheatley Park School and mini soccer. In the summer the fields were marked for athletics and tarmac courts used for netball and then community tennis from Easter until late summer.
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The user management group comprising, school, rugby and football clubs chaired by a trustee to empower the major users to agree shared use of the changing rooms and clubhouse did not meet.
Throughout the year, the Trust was able to maintain the level of maintenance to the level previously carried out and was able to do all the works felt necessary to sustain the fields at the previous standard. The training pitch was top dressed in April and all the pitches decompacted and weed sprayed. Having converted the cricket square into a first-class all-weather strip, we were able to again reconfigure football pitches to account for the larger sies needed for older age groups. The conifers on the east and south side of the tennis courts were topped to fence level.
All of the required work to trees on Trust land was completed in school holidays. The pollarding of poplar trees on Wheatley Parish Council land eventually took place during the Easter break.
The volatility of gas and electricity prices on the open market and our contract ending in February 2025 had meant a substantial increase in running costs. We managed to renew electricity contracts again with no standing charge, from February 2025 for two years, and renewed new gas contracts for just one year.
GDPR
The trustees continue to evaluate the Trust’s data use and retention policy and develop a data protection policy following the guidelines of the ICO’s self-assessment toolkit. The policy is published on our website and data retention notices applied to any communication requesting personal information. The Trust evaluates its situation and renewed registration with the ICO under GDPR including an extension to cover the CCTV.
ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES
The trustees recognise that, because of their structure, the existing buildings are extremely poor users of energy, with all controls manually operated. All light fittings are LED and both pavilion boilers fitted with time controls on heating and hot water. Discussion took place with Wheatley Parish Council which eventually agreed to pay £3000 towards installing a basic heating system in the lower pavilion. With lining of the inner walls, decommissioning of one large hot water tank, the Trust spent some £20,000 on energy saving improvements.
As part of water saving, all urinals were converted to waterless systems.
Two electric meters were changed to smart meters, although the field meter remains dumb for some reason not explained by our supplier
Along the north boundary Wheatley Parish Council planted more tree and hedge saplings donated by the Woodland Trust. Unfortunately, high winds saw most of the protective sleeves blown away with the saplings.
FUTURE PLANS
The Trust continues a schedule of grounds improvements to attract other sports back to Holton. The improvements will need significant funding. The Trust has made submissions to the latest Playing Pitch Strategy being prepared for SODC that has registered the poor condition of grounds and the need for improvement. It was disappointing to see the draft report did not reflect our comments and was totally inaccurate in counting our pitches.
Wheatley Parish Council sought advice and concluded it was not feasible to fund replacement buildings as agreed in the lease. However, it has commissioned drainage and building surveys to determine what repairs need to be done to keep the buildings serviceable of the near future,
The financial mitigation for loss of pitches at Oxford Brookes University was largely set out in a Section 106 document accompanying the planning appeal, but
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discussions between Wheatley Parish Council and SODC regarding funding for new buildings suggest that the money offset will go elsewhere. However, Sport England and the RFU have secured a future promise of substantial 106 money from a large development within the catchment area.
FINANCES
With a lease, the Trust now reinvests the income from users in the facilities and is now able to seek outside money for improvements.
The Trust subscribes to and maintains an online accounting system. This allows all of financial records to be stored in the cloud and not on any individual’s personal computer.
Income is derived from the charges levied on users of the facilities. Expenditure of this user income has been on ground maintenance, utility bills, upkeep of buildings, but not repairs that are the responsibility of Wheatley Parish Council. Public money by way of grants was invested in the facilities this year on floodlighting upgrades.
No expenditure was paid by way of salary. No trustee received any financial reimbursement for goods or services provided. Users were encouraged to clean changing rooms by way of a “cleaning” discount on pitch hire.
The surplus of income over expenditure at 31[st] March 2024 was used in the spring to improve maintenance on the pitches and to decompact all pitches. One set of showers in the lower pavilion was decommissioned and the space offered to Wheatley FC as storage. The roof spaces of both pavilions were cleared of old equipment, gazebos and furniture left insitu when the lease started.
The trustees successfully applied for a 100% rebate from SODC on Business Rates.
The Trust successfully applied for and received an SODC and OCC councillor grants to facilitate walking sports. Grants from the previous financial period together with the grant from SODC period fully drawn down over the summer in purchasing mobile floodlights and additional goals for the development of youth football.
Substantial compensation was awarded by financial ombudsman against Barclay’s action in removing access to our funds for 14 days following their moving the Trust to new account.
DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF FINANCES
The agreement with Wheatley Park School that annual charges would be invoiced over three terms and pro-rata to the facilities provided in any month continued.
Wheatley Park School and Wheatley Rugby Club have both signed long term user agreements with the Trust.
At present, finances are being maintained at sufficient level to meet envisaged outgoings. The trustees are aware that any users ceasing to use the facilities need to be replaced by an equal or greater source of income.
RESERVES AND FINANCIAL HEALTH
The pandemic proved the trust had sufficient reserves to protect it from any loss of income for four months which it considers a sufficient minimum. Ideally the trust needs to maintain reserves that relate to 6 months of controlled expenditure without income. All of the income to date has been allocated for reinvestment in the facilities at Holton. The budgeted summer expenditure for 2025 will reduce reserves to target.
INVESTMENT POLICY AND PERFORMANCE
The Trust has no investment policy at this stage and has no plans for the future.
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OUR ETHOS STRATEGY AND POLICIES
The Wheatley Playing Field Trust seeks to advance the wellbeing of the inhabitants of Wheatley and the surrounding area by encouraging participation of all sections of the community in sport and recreation. To achieve this, the Trust will seek every opportunity to improve the current facilities.
By consulting with the community and reporting this feedback, the Trust aims to help develop new facilities to increase participation in sport and recreation.
The Trust has continued to work closely with Wheatley Parish Council in its project to replace the current pavilions. Although the project would be funded by Wheatley Parish Council, the design and functions must be able to be maintained within the Trust’s funding and objectives. However, this project has now been postponed.
ACCESS POLICY
The Wheatley Playing Field Trust works to ensure that all the inhabitants of Wheatley and the neighbouring community have access to local outdoor space for organise sport and activities. The charity strives to promote active lifestyles through the protection and promotion of the playing fields and encourages participation from all age groups, ethnicity and ability.
EDUCATION LINKS
The trustees regularly meet with the school to ensure that all the facilities are available to enable the school to fulfil its Physical Education curriculum. We have achieved a greater understanding of the school’s needs and are able to respond rapidly to changes and requests.
The Trust seeks to encourage ever-closer ties between the school and other sporting bodies to promote opportunities for coaching, greater participation and other educational opportunities in sport and recreation.
PROMOTING HIGH STANDARDS
The Trust, by working closely with the school, clubs and other users, encourages and nurtures the highest standards in sport and associated management of the facilities for the overall well-being and satisfaction of all who use the playing fields.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The trustees met four times face to face during the year and held several action group meetings electronically as allowed in the governing document and as permitted under Government regulations.
CHARITY TRUSTEES
A number of trustee retirements and appointments were made during the year.
Paul Adrian Eric Willmott was reappointed trustee until 31st July 2026 Richard Charles Cosier was reappointed trustee until 31[st] July 2027 Graham James Davies was reappointed trustee 9th February 2028 Penelope Corinne Willmott was reappointed trustee until 31[st] July 2027 Michelle Legg resigned as trustee in January 2025 Douglas Lamont was appointed by the other trustees until 31[st] July 2025 Peter Ramsdale was appointed from the Parish Council in July until 5[th] July 2025 Anthony Shepherd was appointed by WPC in February until 3[rd] March 2029
The option for Wheatley Park School to promote a trustee is ongoing. The trustees are also aware of the need to regenerate the Trust with younger members, but as will all local charities, the concept of volunteering is hard pressed by work and family demands.
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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT
| Chairman | Records and admin | Manage maintenance of the facilities | Bookings and income | Keeping and preparing accounts | Development Strategy f0r the site | External funding opportunities | User Group coordination | Inspect facilities and report dilapidations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Willmott | | | | | | | | | |
| Anthony Shepherd | | | | ||||||
| Peter Ramsdale | | | | | |||||
| Graham Davies | | | | | | ||||
| Penny Willmott | | | | ||||||
| Richard Cosier | | | | | | | |||
| Doug Lamont | | | |
OTHER RELATIONSHIPS
Wheatley Playing Field Trust maintains membership of Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association and the Grounds Management Association to benefit from professional advice. One trustee maintains membership of the RFU Grounds’ Management Group. Our independent examiner Robert Minty will be unable to continue due to ill health
RISK MANAGEMENT
In April 2015 the trustees carried out a condition survey of existing facilities and playing fields to highlight threats to the Trust by pre-existing conditions. This condition survey was presented to Wheatley Parish Council, the landowner, to form part of the lease as landlord’s defects. Legal advice was sought that WPC has liability for those buildings until new pavilions are built according to the lease. The Trustees understand that Wheatley Parish Council also received confirmation from their solicitors that the lease and liability for historic repairs was valid. The trustees work with WPC to update the risk and dilapidations.
The trustees regularly review the documents handed over with the lease. Wheatley Park School, being the largest user and also responsible for young persons, are consulted about specific risk and safeguarding policies with regard to their use of the fields.
TRUSTEE RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING
One trustee continues to hold an enhanced DBS check through rugby and cricket.
It was agreed that the pandemic highlighted the risk to the Trust operations if one trustee was severely incapacitated, so proposals for an additional trustee would be sought. The Trust had risen to 8 trustees, but the resignation of Tina Flannery and the reluctance of the school to nominate a replacement means we are back to 7 trustees.
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Contact detall8 for the tru•t www.whcatlcyplayingfieldtrust.co.uk admiry4wheatleyplayin8Geldtrust.co.uk PROFE8810NAL ADVI8ER8 Banker• Barclays Bank UK PLC. icester LE87 2BB lo8uran¢e broker Towergate PO Box 257 Wymondham NR18 8DR 8olleltor dllr1 the perlod Geoffrey Bryant and Company 54 High Street Eton 6BL Independent Ex1•t Karen Crawford ICAEW Chapps Fannhou8e, Slaughterford Mill, Slaughterford. Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8RJ. Thi8 report wa8 approved at a meeting of the Tru8tee8 on l 24>Lr ChainrAan
Wheatley Playing Field Trust Charity No. 1162945 Statement of Financial Activities for the period ended 31 March 2025
| Income and Endowments from Voluntary Income Other grants - SODC grant towards new goals - SODC grant towards portable lights - SODC grant towards walking football - Oxfordshire CC grant for mobile floodlights - Wheatley PC contribution to heating repairs Income from charitable activities Hire of facilities to Wheatley Park school Facility hire - Rugby Football Other Other income Total Income and Endowments Expenditure on Field maintenance Sports equipment Repairs Rent Water Insurances Heat and light (net of user contributions) Waste disposal Water storage clean and test Professional fees Subsciptions Bad Debts Other Depreciation Total Expenditure Net Income/(expenditure) for the year General reserves brought forward General reserves carried forward |
2025 2024 Unrestricted Restricted Total Total £ £ £ £ 3,521 2,226 1,700 1,700 786 3,000 44,447 44,447 45,127 1,570 1,570 1,650 7,108 7,108 5,428 817 817 1,227 594 594 54,536 1,700 56,236 62,965 38,887 38,887 27,259 37 88 125 697 5,625 5,625 13,821 10 10 10 508 508 707 6,216 6,216 5,516 4,247 4,247 7,916 621 621 177 2,352 2,352 2,352 180 72 72 229 - 986 986 1,685 3,236 3,195 6,431 5,759 62,797 3,283 66,080 66,308 (8,261) (1,583) (9,844) (3,343) 48,049 10,283 58,332 61,675 39,788 8,700 48,488 58,332 |
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Wheatley PlAyig Fleld Trust Chllrity 1162K$ Balanee Sheet #s at 31 Mareb 2025 21125 2024 Note Filed A55¢ts Sport5 equipment 13.074 11,025 Current Assets D¢btors Cash in hand and at bank 6.231 31,311 7221 43.289 37J42 (2.128) 50,510 (3,2031 eredltorn falllng du¢ withiD one year Net ¢urrent aJ8¢ts 35.414 47.307 Net Assets 48.488 58.332 Unrestrltted funds Unrestricted reserves 39.788 48.049 Restricted resetves 8,7 10,283 48,488 58.332 Th¢5¢ fi[wl01 stat¢ments were approved by the Management Committee on 1¢ P AE Wilnbjtt Chairnja R C Cosier Treasurer
3. Tangible Fixed Assets
| Cost Cost at 1 April 2024 Additions Cost at 31 March 2025 Accumulated depreciation Accumulated depreciatioin to 1 April 2024 Charge for the year Accumulated depreciation to 31 March 2025 Net book value at 31 March 2025 Net book value at 31 March 2024 |
Sports Equipment £ 26,062 8,480 34,542 15,037 6,431 21,468 13,074 11,025 |
Total £ 26,062 8,480 34,542 15,037 6,431 21,468 13,074 11,025 |
|---|---|---|
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Wheatley Playing Field Trust
Charity No. 1162945
Notes on the Financial Statements for the Year ended 31 March 2025
4. Creditors
| Income in advance Other creditors 5. Restricted Funds South Oxfordshire District Council Netball lighting New cricket pitch Everyones active New goals Portable lights Walking football Oxfordshire County Council - Floodlight extension Oxfordshire County Council - mobile floodlighting 6. Analysis of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 March 2025 Tangible fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities |
Balance at 1/4/2024 £ - 1,875 750 3,521 2,226 - 1,125 786 10,283 |
2025 2024 £ £ 0 1,075 2,128 2,128 2,128 3,203 Income ExpenditureBalance at 31/3/2025 £ £ £ - (625) 1,250 (250) 500 (880) 2,641 (557) 1,669 1,612 (403) 1,209 88 (88) - (281) 844 (199) 587 1,700 (3,283) 8,700 Unrestricted Restricted Total £ £ £ 4,374 8,700 13,074 37,542 - 37,542 (2,128) - (2,128) 39,788 8,700 48,488 |
|---|---|---|
7. Capital Commitments
As at 31 March 2025 trustees had not made any capital commitments.
As at 31 March 2024 trustees had made a commitment to purchase new goals at a cost of £1,845 and portable floodlights costing £5,088.
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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Wheatley Playing Fields Trust
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Wheatley Playing Fields Trust for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 1 to 12.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act;
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to follow the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matter in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Name: Karen Crawford Relevant professional qualification or body: ICAEW Address: Chapps Farmhouse, Slaughterford Mill, Slaughterford, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8RJ.
Date: 24.09.25
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