THE CHURCHILL AND BLAKEDOWN VILLAGES TRUST Report of tTlStee forthe yeaitnded 31A Mar¢h2025 The Parish Council as Trustee wesents ieport for rhe yearended 31" March 2025 Reference and administrative informatw) Chafity Name The Churchill and Blakedown WillagesTrust Charity registratft ntsmber 1163029 Or8anisation type Charitable Incofporated OrganisatK)n Governifig document FoundatiDn CIO, Aegiltered 06 Aug 2015 Registered Office CIOThe crktothe Parish coun1, crk totheTrust Louise Harrts, 18 Wind5 PoinL HaKY, worcestershi DY9 OPN Auditortothe Trust George Powell FCC4- Powell & Assotiates, 28-29 New Road, Kidderniinster, DYIO IAF Banker5 ro iheTrust Uoyd5 Bank pk. 25 Gresbam StreÈt. london EC2V 7HN. StruLuretgovernante m•nagement The Trust has a sole corporate Trustee Ithe Parish Cvuncill and ha5adopted Standing Orders paralLel to those of the Parish Council. cou1110r$S1t •sa rnaybagement committeeto represent the Parish CoLJn¢il as Trusteè. Mana8ementcommillee The mernbersof Parish Councll of Chrth141 and Blakedown Our purp05e,aim5¥thd •ble¢ The purpose of the(harily is io benefiithe redents of the Parish of Churchill and Blakedown a5 Set out In the EoverningdocumeTrt registered the CharitiesCommissK)n as summari5ed below.. To promote Such chaTitiesand Iharitable purpos accordlng to the lawsof England and Blakedown, in partitular but not exclusively. purposes concerned with recreation. conservation artd lotal heritage. What afe our pem)itted attwities inthe Parish? Genetal Charitable PurpDses • EnvironmentitonservatK)nlHerita8e RecrEation Who can benefit? • The General Publiclmarskind How do we dplwerourobFrtNe5? PrOVe BuildlngSlFacilitSIopen space Our aim is w4ppprove thewellbeing of residents in the ParÈh ihrough general charitable purpose5, includinE Pr1%aftd malnrainingfacilities. and to 5UPPOrtother parish organisationswhlch do the same.
The primaryfocus of oyyworkdurfngiheyear The Tru5Vs main current arti¥ily is io hold and manage the reconstructed formerchurchill and Blakedown Signal Boxas è coinmunity aet on a long lease from ihe Parish Council a5 a k>cally listed heritage asset. The site wa5 maintained Bnd 5upervksed bythe HisriCal Societyduringihe yearin accordance with the OccLJpation reEment dated 24, Octr>ber2024. After the busine55 interruption caused bythE Covid pandemi¢. April 2024 to March 2025 wa5 thethird full yeartrf operation fortht Signal Box. with the p055ibility of continuiDg to seek rEgular bookings and patterns of use. Throughoutthe yeai the Historical Society has been veryeffective in continuing to open the Box on two o¢¢asions in every month forcoffee fflornin85 which aimed w inform visitors aboutthe story of the Signal Bo stimulate interest in Ihe history of the locality, encoura8e local use of the fa¢ilityaDd r%ular bookings. and ar rhe same time provide a wekoTning and supportive environment.The5ignal Box also hosied prwate bookin85foroiher eveThr%throughout the yearahhou8h it has seen a decrease in the number of private bookins5 fflainty duÈ to a weekty userceasingt0orate. The VillagesTrust I Parish Council losi a key member under tragiccircumstans duringtheyear but hi5 pa55ion for the Signal Box lives on in those who have taken over his rok aschairman of Ihe Sygnal Box careiakergroup, the Historical Socty. We inrend to dedicate the newwildlife garden atthe Signal Boxto him and havE a 5ummergrand openin8 in late Sumrner of 2025. The Wildlife Garden devèlopmentcommenced in Ottober 2024 and involved the removal of an old piece of fake grass, dY48in8 Out and removal of concrete and imwrting 16 tonnes of tOP5oil. We hid new benc5 and planters built. a bee post put in and hedgeho8 arches cut out Of the fence gravel boards. We planted over IIK> native plart5 and reteived donations from a loral garden centre. 70% of the project cost5forthi5 was funded Natural Neor, 3 loca1 grant fflakin8 lnltlate funded by Worcestershire Couniycouncil and Worce5ter5hireWildlife Trusr. The remaining 30%was funded bytheTrust itself. We intend to ¢onrinue this project into 2Q25126 with more planti bird bvxes, a bat box and a hedgehog house being installed and an Interptatts panel supplied to inform local passers-by of the Earden'sflora and fauna. There was an increase utility charge5 in theyear malnlydue the installation of two new Wi-Fi controlle(I heater5 being inalled so that we could operatea warm spatr dtsringthe Winter. This was ¥vell attended and wasfunded largely by the bcal Norman Dawson Trust both ia term50f the supply and installation of the heater5, a contribution towards the ener8Y COSt5afid some insulation works. We also replaced an old. unfrt for purpose wooden flooring on the fir5tfloor with a new engineered wood ftoorin6 thattomplements the environment ni. this wasa150funded by the lot31 Norman Dawson Trutt. During the year in(ome to thèTrusttotslled £5576.32 and outgoingswereÉ64C6.80, showing deficit of £830.48. TTrust has nocreditors and its Reserves balance taken forward ifito 25126 15 £6890.24. The year Saw the cb5ure of the Trust'5 CAFaccount and the opening of è new Lloyds Bank Trea5urersAccont so that banking can be carried out locallythroughthe branch and via the post oifice counter. How ouraumtlesdellver publicbenefft The Trust seeksto invOe the public in its lotal heritage bycontinuingto hold and presetve the S*nal Box forcommunity use. tt50therwwers remain available. Plans forfuture period5 The comrriittee are planDin8 to continuewith the Wildlife Garden proiettand the oppnin6 of it in the mernoryof the latejim IA the kite summer of 2025. Itwill a150 seekoirt fU¥IngforIhe redecoratK)n ofthe Signal 80x.
Hnand re¥lew TheTrust h45 its own banktngfacilities. Signed on behaof the s by.. Date 24° Ju*)e, 2025 IClerktoThe Churchill and Wakedown Villages Trust)
Recelpts4 PaymentAccount202412025 £1.0. 4553.66 Fl5. £168.70 £1fj65Q Banta5 00 É6D. 1.062.04 £696.a6 £439.OQ E17067 £12&00 TeiephOnE&CommunlCalOnS 00 rd.Cé7D 12 MiscBl&ncous&Consuma ptoleOrtalFeès imlsements EOJJD £3,Q8785 NErKUSDEFrr1 £6.89XE4 £9,931.91 .00 .211.19 RESER5 OpenIn8Bal NelsuiDsI{DPtl¢ltTrfwtre É8S4Y.7S -É1229.WJ 4830A8 'ThNpll%A5SO¢ialas Lld 28-29 Rtsvd Kiddenin51. Wor¢$ DYI0 IAF 015D268926 ThÈl.Ir#mUngoninÈTwsttookpceoTh20ffj712016 Accoumsatsdlttd SiiThed.- Audltor ClorktoW0TrSI