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2023-03-31-accounts

Contents

Trustees Report.................….....................................................….............................................................…....1 Independent Examiner’s Report........................................................................….......................................17 Statement of Financial Activity.............................................................................................................…...18 Balance Sheet.......................................................….................................................…....…......…....................19 Notes to Financial Statements...................................................................................................................20

Bethnal Green Nature Reserve Annual Report 2023

The Bethnal Green Nature Reserve Trust (BGNRT) was formally recognised as a registered charity (1166648) on April 20[th] 2016. The charity has grown out of an informal Friends of Bethnal Green Nature Reserve that had been in existence since 2014.

Governance

Trustees overseeing governance for the Nature Reserve include Sajida Malik (Chair), Gwen Wright (Treasurer), Adelaide Bannerman, Glenda Trew, Neil Davidson.

Staffing for 2023 include Edward Simpson, Ingrid Chen, Shilpi Choudhury, CJ Jude, Shumaisa Khan, Judith Stanley, Izzy Johnston, Abel Daniel, Claire Chatelet, Michael Smythe.

Education & Learning

Our 2023 partners include Rangers Kindergarten, Stephen Hawkings and Oaklands School. We also host our own outdoor learning sessions under the name of Forest Fridays across the year.

Rangers Kindergarten

By Jo Gilks

9am – 1pm Monday & Tuesday, Rangers Kindergarten: Rangers is a local kindergarten specialising in outdoor education for children aged 2 – 8 years. Their weekly sessions instil a deep connection and confidence with the natural world.

In 2023 the Rangers children have been learning about the different trees at the nature reserve as part of the ‘forests from seed’ project. This has involved focussing on the attributes of different tree each week, learning how to identify leaves, seeds, and bark. Connecting children with folk law, edible and medicinal properties.

Rangers have learnt about the Elder, Hazel, Linden, Horse Chestnut, Hawthorn, Rowan, Sycamore, Butchers Broom, Oak, Ivy, Cherry, Field Maple, Juniper, and Holly. The children have searched for these in the nature reserve, and we have plotted some of them on our map using the Celtic Ogham (tree alphabet). Some of our recent activity highlights have included tie dying with berries, making Linden cordage, shelling, and crushing acorns to make flour, Hawthorn ketchup, Rowan berry tea, and using autumn leaves to make mandalas and winter wreaths.

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Photos by Jo Gilks

Stephen Hawking School

9am – 1pm Thursday, Stephen Hawking School: Stephen Hawking School is dedicated to raising the standard of educational achievement for children between the ages of 2 and 11 years with profound, multiple, and severe learning, health, and care needs. In 2023 Stephen Hawking School have held weekly nature connection sessions for the children with observing ponds and wetlands being the favourite activity each week. While sitting next to the ponds the children learnt about the many birds, insects and animals that call the Nature Reserve home.

These observations contribute to our identification and surveying, providing useful data for the nature reserve management plan. Stephen Hawking School will continue their weekly engagement with the Reserve into 2024 and beyond.

Forest Friday By Ingrid Chen

4pm – 6pm Friday, Forest Friday: Forest Fridays is a free, weekly after school club run by the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve Trust. Forest Fridays is for local children aged 4 – 11 years, encouraging them to explore and connect with the wonders of nature on their very own doorstep.

We started our 2023 Forest Friday sessions in February half term and ran through to the end of November. Our aim is to enable families to enjoy and care for the woodland, with all the benefits to health and wellbeing that entails. Forest Friday is particularly aimed at welcoming our closest neighbours to the reserve, especially those who may be less confident about woodland activities

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and/or have little access to outside space, many of whom still don’t know how to get into the reserve or maybe even that it is a nature reserve.

With that in mind, we simplified our program somewhat and ran most Fridays, including the school holidays, making it easier for people to know when they can visit. As much as possible, we aim to join in with care of the site, so this has included pond care & rainwater harvesting, care of the fungi farm, spreading woodchip & weeding amongst other fun and useful activities, lots of observation, some plant ID and a few games too.

We did expand our staff pool & our increase staffing level so that we could continue to operate a drop-in system and welcome all comers, rather than require booking. We continue to update and improve our safeguarding knowledge and procedures. A special congratulations to Shilpi Choudhury who has completed Level 3 FS training in 2023.

We now have 3 Forest School leaders on the team, plus the site manager, who joins us regularly, and other collaborators who have helped us run specific events. Higher staffing levels have been great for keeping the gate open more often and having more conversations with local families. A side benefit we’re hoping to develop is that we’re providing some insight to visiting parents & carers into employment in outdoor education, and hopefully some encouragement as our various staff has very different backgrounds and routes to co-running our sessions and different ‘day jobs’.

In the summer and autumn of 2023 Forest Friday had a regular presence on Saturday, our public opening day, offering accessible and creative family activities.

This year we took part in the local Tenants and Residents Association’s fun-days, ran our own fun day and hosted a special Halloween evening campfire, which was new this year and was well received. In 2024 we will look to bring more people into the staff pool and running more fun-day-type-events, all being well with funding and staffing.

Forest Friday is generously supported by Postcode Neighbourhood Trust .

Oaklands Secondary School

Oaklands secondary school occupies the old Raines Foundation building neighbouring the Nature Reserve. Oaklands caters for young people aged 13 – 18 years from the local area. Our education collaboration continued into 2023 with the geography department researching the complex biodiversity found across the site. Student research primarily focused on the relationship between the meadow and wetlands, including the meadows and medicine garden. Local volunteers were also asked to participate in a survey, capturing data on local understanding and connection with biodiversity within the Nature Reserve. The research will be shared with the local community in 2024.

In addition to school groups, we also hosted regular field trips with universities across the year. Our academic partners include Central Saint Martins, Royal College of Arts, University of East London, Chelsea School of Art, and Kingston University, all participated in day long workshops exploring the intersection of ecology, climate, and arts research.

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Mobile Apothecary

In 2023 the Mobile Apothecary continued delivering high quality plant-based remedies to the residents of Bethnal Green across the year. Our Street service took place 7pm – 8pm, on the last Sunday. We serve outside the Bethnal Green tube station, alongside Refugee Community Kitchen (RCK). RCK provide hot vegetarian meals each week.

In 2023 the Mobile Apothecary served roughly 30 people each evening, with 70% return attendees accessing our service on any given night. The regularity of the service ensured locals could build meaningful relationships with the street service team and the products we offer. In 2023 the service provided the following remedies: good skin balm, decongestant rub, muscle & joint rub, immune support vinegar, cough syrup, hand sanitiser and epsom-salts deodorant. This year also saw the launch of a dedicated website, providing accessible information including our street service schedule, medicine making events and ingredient lists for each of our available products.

www.MobileApothecary.org.uk

In addition to the Street Service our team of volunteers delivered monthly medicine making workshops in the neighbouring Community Centre, sourcing most of our fresh herbs from the Phytology medicine garden and/or local shops found on Bethnal Green Road. In 2024 the Mobile Apothecary will continue hosting monthly medicine making and street distribution for our neighbourhood.

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----- Start of picture text -----
HEALS
ON WHEELS
Can free plant t’s just before 7pm on the last Sunday of July and I’m standing at the corner of Bethnal organisation that provides free meals. From here on, there is a steady stream of people arriving to the plant-based remedies, his eyes light up and he starts talking excitedly about a plant that grows
medicine transform IGreen Road in East London. I’m here to observe ask for advice and gratefully take what they need. everywhere locally and is commonly used in his
our healthcare system? Mobile Apothecary at work. A cargo bike is being unpacked and transformed into a sturdy table, on process, a response to the growing numbers of Setting up the Mobile Apothecary was an organic home country of Morocco for prostate problems – ‘it makes the men strong!’ But, he says quizzically,
Herbologist Maya top of which sits baskets laden with various herbal salves, ointments and tonics and a giant flask of unhoused people in the area, Michael Smythe tells me. He is one of a collective of project co-founders, no one seems to use it here. After asking for a description of the plant, I tell him it sounds like
Thomas heads into nourishing nettle tea. A sandwich board placed a as well as of Phytology, an urban physic garden stinging nettle, and point to the cup of steaming tea
the community with few paces away announces, ‘free herbal medicine to support community health’. and nature reserve in Bethnal Green. He says this is a local venture in every sense: the products are he’s just been handed. His eyes widen and he insists that we fill up his flask before he leaves. We’ve found
Mobile Apothecary, carefully considered and aimed at meeting the most Mobile Apothecary’s remedies are practical, made by local volunteers knowledgeable in the art of plant medicine and have been made with plants connection (to place and to each other) through a plant that is familiar to us both but culturally and
a roaming project immediate needs of the people they are providing either grown at Phytology or responsibly foraged in historically has been valued in different ways.
sharing herbs with for. Namely, but by no means exclusively, those with limited access to accommodation and quality areas such as Victoria Park around the corner or, in the case of some spices, procured from one of the and the ethics surrounding it. As an educator, I I’ve often tussled with the nature of my work
those in need healthcare. There is a soothing antibacterial skin nearby Bangladeshi and Turkish shops. Ingredients spend my time teaching people about the benefits
balm for minor injuries, deodorant, hand sanitiser, such as daisies and comfrey (both important for of plants which for millennia have been our
a salve for achy joints and muscles and an immune bruises, aches and skin repair) are such common primary medicines. Striking the balance between
system boost tonic. plants they make the stark point that healthcare paid workshops and free community programmes
People start to arrive before setup is complete. could easily be accessible and available to all, if is not always straightforward, especially when
The first customer accepts the mineral-rich tea we only had the knowledge. bills need to be paid. Ideologically speaking,
and picks out some muscle and joint balm before One man comes over from the refugee kitchen the knowledge I have should be available to
Photography Isabelle Rose Povey heading to the Refugee Community Kitchen, a sister and asks what it’s all about. When he’s told about everybody: if we all have a better understanding
78 natural wonders natural wonders 79
----- End of picture text -----

HEALS ON WHEELS

Bloom Magazine - featuring Mobile Apothecary

London National Park City

In 2023 the London National Park City (LNPC) commenced a year-long collaboration aimed at nurturing and recording local knowledge of community led land stewardship. This took the form of multiple knowledge exchange sessions. The research was attended by volunteers from both Bethnal Green Nature Reserve and London National Park City, exploring themes centred around urban ecosystem caretaking. The group explored ways to share knowledge, co-authoring a collection of land care guides based on the participants lived experience.

Some of the themes include ‘how to become a caretaker’, ‘how to care for caretakers’, ‘a guide on non-intervention vs intervention forestry work’, ‘how to coppice’, ‘how to understand the symbiotic relationship between birds and trees’, ‘how to encourage children’s curiosity in nature’ and ‘a user’s guide for icky jobs’. Over the winter months we will test the usability of the various guides, editing

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and adjusting the content to ensure they are accessible for future caretakers of the Nature Reserve. A collection of these guides will be published on our website in 2024.

The Bethnal Green Nature Reserve would like to extend gratitude to Floree Zama-Neagra, Becky Lyons, the London National Park City team and Timberland. Everyone’s generosity with time, ideas and resources have been seminal in realising this work.

This project was generously supported by Timberland & London National Park City .

Misery

In 2023 Misery commenced a year-long residency at Bethnal Green Nature Reserve. Misery is a mental health collective centring healing for queer / trans / non-binary black people and people of colour.

Photos courtesy of Misery

Misery hosted monthly workshops on the first Saturday of each month (May – December). These sessions engaged participants with knowledge sharing centred around ecology, social justice and medicine making. Some of the sessions includes decolonising cyanotype photography, medicinal honey making, herbal remedies for heart health and nervous system medicines.

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The workshops ran between 12-3pm, with an optional open hour from 3-4pm for socialising, exploring the Nature Reserve, sharing readings or other offerings, and winding down together.

Nourish Yourself

Poet Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan and Visual Artist Alaa Alsaraji hosted a series of creative activities rooted in connection to the natural world and thinking about how this impacts our wellbeing. Alongside making, participants learned about the artists’ own paths into their creative practices and careers, including how they use creativity to connect with communities and aid them to express themselves for a myriad of outcomes.

Photo courtesy of the V&A

The workshop took place over two weekends in June and was aimed at young people aged 16-24 years. This residency was produced by V&A East as part of the V&A Upstart Creative Careers Festival 2023.

Praxis

Praxis is an award-winning human rights charity fighting for migrant rights since 1983. They give advice, provide support, and campaign so that migrants and refugees in the UK can live with safety, dignity, and respect. In the spring and summer of 2023 Praxis hosted weekly health and wellbeing session for women at the Nature Reserve. The Nature Reserve provided a quiet and safe place to exercise, build social connections and weekly access to the medicine garden and wider site ecologies.

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Mission Practice

In 2023 our local GP Surgery, Mission Practice, continued weekly site care including watering the medicine garden and mushroom farm. The sessions are facilitated by the Social Prescribing team, encouraging the practice staff to nurture one another, while caring for the Nature Reserve over the hotter months.

Photo courtesy of Hackney Herbal

Hackney Herbal Nature Club

Hackney Herbal Nature Club is a weekly session bringing people and nature together in a welcoming, supportive, social, and safe place. The sessions will focus on spending time with others in nature and takes place at their garden in Hackney Wick as well as exploring local green spaces in and around the East End. The club visited the Nature Reserve in summer, autumn, and winter, focusing on mushroom ecologies and woodland land care in times of climate change.

University of East London

The university of East London commenced yearlong research project exploring how the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve aligns with contemporary sustainable development goals (SDG). The research team specifically researched our weekly volunteering opportunities, the Mobile Apothecary, Forest Friday and the Misery workshops.

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At the end of 2023, the researchers present the Trust with areas that can be highlighted within the SDG framework, aiming to guide our work with the SDGs, which offer numerous benefits such as:

Community Ecology

By Edward Simpson

The 2023 ecology programme has been shaped by our 2021 and 2022 stakeholder-led programming, taking the form of weekly ecology walks, talks and workshops exploring the Nature Reserve designed and led by the people who help care for the space.

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The programme explored various themes including birds, trees, mycelium, wetlands, and the medicine garden. These sessions were free and advertised across the local estates via diy posters. We look to build upon this weekly knowledge sharing and engaging local communities in 2024 by holding community led sessions each Saturday May till September.

During 2023 we held over 30 volunteer sessions where people were able to come and learn more about the nature reserve and how to care for it. As well as nurturing the plant and wildlife of BGNR the volunteers keep the site a safe and welcoming place for everyone who visits. Lots of our keyholding volunteers also come outside of these organised sessions to continue this vital work. It is always great to visit and see that someone has popped by and picked up litter or has been shovelling woodchip out of hours.

This year we decided to keep the sessions running once a month over the winter dormancy period as there was a lot of energy and enthusiasm to continue following on from the previous year's mushroom farm project. This decision really benefited the reserve as well as providing continuity for our community.

Early spring saw a transformation of the forest floor. We built up mulch piles of organic material to improve the soil quality and as our volunteers returned to weekly sessions we planted 232 bulbs, plug plants and saplings. To increase biodiversity this planting introduced 26 new species to the nature reserve. The selection of the plants came from our community’s collective knowledge of which plants should thrive in a woodland habitat. The spring of 2024 should see all this work culminate as these new species start to thrive.

Lots of learning came through patient observations of the work done over the last couple of years. The pond continued to thrive and teach us how best we can care for it. Last year the pond was dense in vegetation and plant diversity but observationally there were less birds and mammals interacting with it. Over 2024 we will keep some areas of the pond clear in order to provide habitats that support both wildlife and plant life.

As a community we spent a lot of time with the mushroom farm, we had the first glimmers of successful growth with wine caps and turkey tail mushrooms appearing. Everyone is still really excited about this project and embracing its mycelial pace. We’ve been thinking of ways to keep people engaged and in autumn we welcomed back Able from last year's internship to run a workshop on oyster mushroom inoculation which introduced new people to the project.

We experimented with the ancient technique of hedge laying as a way of managing some of our trees. An incision is made at the base of a small tree and then folded over so that it continues to grow

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horizontally. This creates a very dense habitat that is great for wildlife, especially nesting birds. When done at the edge of the reserve it has a secondary function of letting in more light without removing the trees. We experimented around the Billboard area and it has worked very well, creating a healthy hedgerow, bringing more light to the meadow and increasing the visibility of the billboard. Now we know that this is a viable form of woodland management for the reserve we will continue this practise in 2024.

The wildflower meadow had its second year in bloom, the first year was full of annuals such as poppies, cornflowers, and corn marigolds. This year saw the biannual plants thrive, like the mini teasels for the first time. Alongside these new plants lots of the classic BGNR plants like mallow and comfrey started to appear. Although these plants are great, we wanted this meadow area to support a different variety of plant species. I have developed a management plan to experiment with different ways of caring for the meadow and keep it a biodiverse habitat. Volunteers cut back the meadow in autumn, leaving some areas for wildlife refuge, then scattered it with new wildflower seeds ready for the spring.

This project was generously supported by Postcode Neighbourhood Trust and Chapman Trust .

Knitters Circle

In 2023 a group of regular volunteers formed the Knitters group, a weekly meet up for all ages where knitting, basket weaving, and other craft bases skills are exchanged. The knitters met most Saturdays beside the Nature Reserve pond across spring and summer, moving into the local Bethnal Green library in winter.

Food Growing Hub

In 2023 the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve received funding to develop a food growing space opposite the Nature Reserve entrance. The project aims to offer residents with space and resources to grow food locally, while connecting with the Nature Reserve resources and opportunities.

Tower Hamlets Homes have granted a five-year lease for the land located on the corner of Middleton St & Pundersons Gardens. The project will evolve over a twelve-month period, working closely with the Teesadale & Holybush Tenants and Residents Association.

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We hope the food growing hub becomes a much-loved resource for the local communities, while also encouraging greater curiosity and engagement with the Nature Reserve, especially for individuals currently underrepresented at the Reserve.

This project is generously supported by Groundworks London & Tower Hamlets Homes .

Billboard Commissions

Farzana Khan

Farzana Khan was artist in residence at the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve during 2022, and part of, ‘ We Speak In Tongues About The Thing(s) We Love’ programme curated by Adelaide Bannerman for the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve. From 1st February till 31st June 2023 Farzana exhibited her largescale artwork titled ‘We Extend Ourselves Towards Each Other’s Aliveness’.

The billboard quote originates from writing Farzana made and shared during her residency, which explored, what grief, loss, and trauma is, and how the process of healing can lead to understanding ’aliveness’ – the state of being alive. What does that mean to us as individuals and communities?

Aliveness is more than being physically present, it’s a generative approach and feeling that pulsates, and reaches deeply, amongst beings. ‘We Extend Ourselves Towards Each Other's Aliveness’, invites us to consider what it means to access and offer each other life during times of multiple and cascading losses of many kinds. How do we commit to our own and each other’s aliveness whilst honouring grief, practices of liberation and survival.

This project is part of ‘ We Speak In Tongues About The Things We Love’ generously supported by Arts Council England .

Polly Townsend

Polly Townsend’s billboard is inspired by her 2023 experience as Artist in Residence in the Antarctic. The billboard work uses acrylic and watercolour paint, both long-standing mediums in the painting tradition. Acrylic, a plastic polymer mix, is used to form the ocean backdrop of the painting. The iceberg is painted in watercolour; mixed with the water collected off the Western Antarctic ice shelf.

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Over a three-month period, the iceberg painting will degrade, changing colour and shape due to exposure to the elements (rain, sun, wind). The work raises questions of value, impermanence, and connection. As the world's largest and most distant wilderness melts, what is the link with our local community? What is the role of the City of London, whose skyscrapers look down on the billboard, and which continues to finance multi-billion-pound fossil fuel investments? These contribute to an accelerating destabilisation of the polar regions that regulate the Earth's climate. The work connects two ecosystems: 10,000 miles apart, one 10 billion times larger than the other, yet interdependent and equally miraculous.

Supported by the Friends of Scott Polar Research Institute .

Website

In 2023 the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve launched a new and improved website www.bethnalgreennaturereserve.org. The website replaced the previous www.phytology.org.uk site, transitioning to centre the Nature Reserve as the core project overseeing the day-to-day management of the Nature Reserve. The new website features a much-improved archiving and search system, helping to make our work more accessible.

Governance

A Board level incident regarding a Trustees code of conduct was triggered in May 2023, impacting the Trust delivering aspects of our public programme between June-August. The incident was addressed by the Board with the support from Personology (Human Resources) and Howard Kennedy (legal service). The Charity Commission & ICO were informed at the time and are satisfied with the Boards processes and protocols. A full statement will be available once the Board have concluded their investigations.

In 2023 the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve commenced an internal review of our governance structures and policies guiding our day-to-day work with the generous support of Law Works and the legal team at Inmarsat.

This work includes making the existing policies more accessible, prioritising plan-speak by removing unnecessary jargon, along with removing past systems that are no longer fit for purpose as our organisation evolves. The Board are also producing new policies to guide our work, including an antiracism policy and statement, recruitment policies, service level agreements for site partner

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organisations and a more extensive keyholder handbook. To ensure transparency and accessibility the Board will be publishing all our governing documents on the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve website in the spring of 2024.

In 2023 the Board and site team re-assessed the Nature Reserves constitution and charitable objectives. The Board have proposed a new set of objects that include our ongoing work addressing community health, biodiversity and more profoundly advocating for non-human populations that rely on the Nature Reserve. The new constitution also reduces the time a Trustee can serve (maximum of x2 terms) and enhances the vetting and recruitment process for governors. The new constitution will also introduce the ‘associate’ scheme, a non-legal governance role for stakeholders to participate in Board decision making. Associates will be involved in overseeing our work in areas such as mental wellbeing, ecology, cultural programming, and allocation of financial resources. The new constitution will be voted on at our AGM and integrated into our work across 2024 and beyond.

Compost Loo with A View By CJ

We all know the compost loo at Bethnal Green Nature Reserve is the best loo in London. Volunteering to oversee the taking care of it is a continuous win, win. It helps the community and helps stabilise and ground me.

For this I want to express my gratitude to the people who made it a reality - without them there would be no compost loo - and to the people in the community who let me get on with it while respecting my differences and needs.

Behind the scenes

There is a lot more to maintaining the compost loo than basic cleaning and filling up the water tank.

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Weekly, the compost loo is de-cobwebbed. Although there are numerous species of spider in residence at the compost loo, it is not a structure for spiders to dominate. It is a structure for many species to share including the human species - which many forget is as much a part of nature as any other species and who is in desperate need of compassion than is generally given to this species.

If spiders were left to their own devices they would cover the compost loo structure in webs. Unregulated; it would look like a scene from Miss Haversham’s room in Great Expectations. Clearing cobwebs and making the compost loo hospitable for all species is essential.

Trixie

There is a big - by British standards - spider in the compost loo who I named Trixie. She likes to get cosy behind the insect drawings or in one of the pieces of pottery on the lower shelf behind the Dada urinal. She often makes me jump and I suspect she makes a lot of the other spiders jump, also as she is much bigger than most of the other species of spider resident.

Changing rooms

Each week there is often something new the community has left in the compost loo and each week I include it as part of the ongoing organic makeover.

Much, much more goes on

I did an exercise on Christmas Eve called what do you see in the compost loo for this piece of writing. Here is what I saw and what goes on inside the wooden walls:

Information, Activism, Education, Lost Property, a reminder of being in the urban East End of London, artwork cherished and exhibited, recycling, repurposing and reusing many street found objects, little things found and loved, statements, values, community contributions, communications, crafts, ornaments, object d’art, designs, plans, gardening items, woodwork, a bicycle wheel repurposed, bird feathers, a divine nest, sculptures, art projects, cleaning tools which are repurposed items normally discarded, quotes, motivational sayings, smiley faces, sticks for drying gloves, homemade soaps and perfumes, signposting, photography, pottery, Dada art, zines, drawings, First Aid, Fire Safety, important Information about the site, eco calendar, LGBT + badge, poetry, sawdust donated freely from a local business, recycled toilet roll, and much, much more.

Keeping on top of all these elements is the sort of productivity which is usually hidden and taken for granted. Not anymore, I am making it visible!

Suggestion for the community

The next time you have to visit the compost loo you might want to look around and guess how many items have been found on the street and repurposed?

What is your favourite? My latest favourite - I have too much going on in my brain to have one favourite - is the umbrella handle which is great for all sorts of cleaning and maintenance jobs as well as being a walking stick for when my hips and knees are playing up.

Finance & Admin

The net deficit for the year amounted to £23,251 (2022: surplus of £25,568). Total restricted funds are at £21,004 for the year (2022: £29,925), with general reserves (unrestricted and designated funds) now standing at £9,957 (2022: £24,287) with total funds at 31 March 2023 being £30,961 (2022: £54,212).

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We would also like to thank our funders who have enabled us to carry out our work throughout a turbulent time. Our gratitude goes to Necessity, Mayor of London, Groundworks, Arts Council England, Postcode Neighbourhood Trust, Awards For All and Foyle Foundation.

Bethnal Green Nature Reserve - Aims & Aspirations 2024

Trustees report for the financial year ending 2022/2023.

This report was approved by the Trustees at the 2023 Annual General Meeting held on 23[rd] January 2024 and signed by:

Sajida Malik Chair, Bethnal Green Nature Reserve Trust Charity No. 1166648

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Independent Examiner’s report to the Trustees of Bethnal Green Nature Reserve Trust I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of Bethnal Green Nature Reserve Trust (the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the Trustees of the Charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (the 2006 Act).

Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the Charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

  2. financial statements do not accord with those records; or

  3. the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or

  4. the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

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.

Hakim Oreagba

4 Hertford Walk London DA17 5JW 23 January 2024

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Charity Name: Bethnal Green CharityNo 1166648
Nature Reserve Trust CompanyNo
Annual accounts for theperiod
Period start
date
01/04/2022		 To 31/03/2023
Section A Statement of financial activ ities (including
summary income and expenditure account)
Charity Name: Bethnal Green
Nature Reserve Trust		 Charity Name: Bethnal Green
Nature Reserve Trust		 CharityNo 1166648
CompanyNo
Annual accounts for theperiod
Period start
date		 01/04/2022 To 31/03/2023
Section A Statement of financial activ ities (including
summary income and expenditure account)
Guidance Note
Recommended categories by
activity
Income (Note 3)		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
income
funds
Total funds
Prior year
funds
£
£
£
£
F01
F02
F04
F05
Income and endowments from:
S01
S02
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities		 20,000 45,658 65,658 63,484
5,088 - 5,088 28,370
S07
Total		 25,088 45,658 70,746 91,854
Expenditure (Notes 6)
Expenditure on:
S09
Charitable activities		 33,133 58,650 91,783 66,190
S11
Other		 2,214 - 2,214 96
S12
Total		 35,347 58,650 93,997 66,286
S13
Net income/(expenditure)
before tax for the reporting
period		 (10,259) (12,992) (23,251) 25,568
Tax pay able
S14
/(
p
)		 - - - -
S15



tax before inv estment
gains/(losses)		 (10,259) (12,992) (23,251) 25,568
Net gains/(losses) on
investments
S16		 - - - -
S17
Net income/(expenditure)		 (10,259) (12,992) (23,251) 25,568
S22
Net movement in funds		 (10,259) (12,992) (23,251) 25,568
Reconciliation of
funds:
S23
Total funds brought forw ard		 20,216 33,996 54,212 28,644
S24
Total funds carried forward		 9,957 21,004 30,961 54,212

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Section B Balance sheet

Section B Balance sheet Section B Balance sheet
Guidance Note
Unrestricted
funds
£
Current assets
Section B Balance sheet
Restricted
income
funds
£		 Total this
year
£		 Total last
year
£
Stocks (Note 18)
B06		 - - - -
Debtors (Note 19)
B07		 - 4,900 4,900 -
Cash at bank and in hand (Note 24)
B09		 26,361 25,636 51,997 84,512
Total current assets
B10		 26,361 30,536 56,897 84,512
Creditors: amounts falling due
within one year (Note 20)
B11		 300 25,636 25,936 30,300
Net current assets/(liabilities)
B12		 26,061 4,900 30,961 54,212
Total assets less current liabilities
B13		 26,061 4,900 30,961 54,212
Total net assets or liabilities
B16		 26,061 4,900 30,961 54,212
Funds of the Charity
Endowment funds (Note 27)
B17
Restricted income funds (Note 27)
B18
Unrestricted funds
B19
Revaluation reserve
B20
Fair value reserve
B21		 - -
21,004
9,957
-		 -
21,004 29,925
9,957 24,287
-
Total funds
B22		 9,957 21,004 30,961 54,212

The company was entitled to exemption from audit under s477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP.

Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of Date of
all the trustees Signature Print Name approval
dd/mm/yyyy
Sajida Malik 23/01/2024
Company Registration No. (England and Wales) 1166648

19

Note 1 Basis of preparation

1.1 Basis of accounting

These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with:

• and with
• and with		 ü the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities
preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard
applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014
the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of
Ireland (FRS 102)
ü

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.*

1.2 Going concern

If there are material uncertainties related to events or conditions that cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern, please provide the following details or state "Not applicable", if appropriate:

An explanation as to those factors that The trustees are of the view that unrestricted reserves to support the conclusion that the charity is a fund charitable activities are adequate to continue in going concern; operational existence for the foreseeable future and is therefore a going concern

1.3 Change of accounting policy

The accounts present a true and fair view and no changes have been made to the accounting policies adopted in note { }.

Yes a * -Tick as appropriate No ü

1.4 Changes to accounting estimates

No changes to accounting estimates have occurred in the reporting period (3.46 FRS102 SO RP).

Yes a * -Tick as appropriate No ü

1.5 Material prior year errors

No material prior year error have been identified in the reporting period (3.47 FRS102 SO RP).

Yes a * -Tick as appropriate No ü

20

Note 2 Accounting policies

2.2 INCOME

Recognition of income
Grants with performance
conditions
2.4 ASSET S
Debtors (including trade debtors and loans receivable) are measured on initial
recognition at settlement amount after any trade discounts or amount advanced by
the charity. Subsequently, they are measured at the cash or other consideration
expected to be received.
The charity accounts for basic financial instruments on initial recognition as per
paragraph 10.7 FRS102 SO RP. Subsequent measurement is as per paragraphs
11.17 to 11.19, FRS102 SO RP.
Where the charity gives a grant with conditions for its payment being a specific level
of service or output to be provided, such grants are only recognised in the SoFA once
the recipient of the grant has provided the specified service or output.
Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the general income
recognition criteria are met (5.10 to 5.12 FRS102 SO RP).
There has been no offsetting of assets and liabilities, or income and expenses, unless
required or permitted by the FRS 102 SO RP or FRS 102.
Offsetting
Grants and donations
Deferred income
No material item of deferred income has been included in the accounts.
Government grants
The charity has received government grants in the reporting period
These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:
·the charity becomes entitled to the resources;
·it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources;
·the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
In the case of performance related grants, income must only be recognised to the
extent that the charity has provided the specified goods or services as entitlement to
the grant only occurs when the performance related conditions are met (5.16 FRS 102
SO RP).
Debtors
The charity has incurred expenditure on support costs.
Liability recognition
Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or
constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of
the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
Grants payable without
performance conditions
Provisions for liabilities
A liability is measured on recognition at its historical cost and then subsequently
measured at the best estimate of the amount required to settle the obligation at the
reporting date
Basic financial
instruments
Governance and
support costs
Creditors
2.3 EXPENDIT URE AND LIABILIT IES
Support costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost
categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources, eg allocating property
costs by floor areas, or per capita, staff costs by the time spent and other costs by
their usage.
Support costs have been allocated between governance costs and other support.
Governance costs comprise all costs involving public accountability of the charity and
its compliance with regulation and good practice.
The charity has creditors which are measured at settlement amounts less any trade
discounts
Support costs
Where there are no conditions attaching to the grant that enables the donor charity to
realistically avoid the commitment, a liability for the full funding obligation must be
recognised.		 Yes
No
N/a*		 Yes
No
N/a*		 Yes
No
N/a*
a ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
ü a ü
Yes
No
N/a*
a ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
a ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
ü ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
ü ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
a ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
ü ü a
Yes
No
N/a*
ü ü a
Yes
No
N/a*
a ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
ü ü a
Yes
No
N/a*
a ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
ü ü a
Yes
No
N/a*
a ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
a ü ü
Yes
No
N/a*
a ü ü

21

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 3 Income
Analysis of income		 Income
Analysis of income		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowmen
t funds
Total funds
Prior year
£
£
Donations
and
legacies:		 Donations and gifts - - - - -
General grants provided by
government/other charities		 20,000 45,658 - 65,658 63,484
Total 20,000 45,658 - 65,658 63,484
Charitable
activ ities:
Charitable activities 5,088 - - 5,088 25,000
Donations - - - 3,370
Total 5,088 - - 5,088 28,370
Total - - - - -
TO TAL INCO ME 25,088 45,658 - 70,746 91,854
Expenditure o
Note 6		 n charitable activ ities:
Expenditure
Analysis		 Unrestri
funds		 cted

Restricted
income
funds
Total funds
Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
income
funds
Total funds
£
This year
Last year
Freelance Fees - - - 13,748 31,435 45,183
Professional fees 300 - 300 300 - 300
Project Costs 32,833 58,650 91,483 5,763 4,865 10,628
O ther - Materials - 4,882 5,197 10,079
Total expenditure on charitable
activ ities		 33,133 58,650 91,783 24,693 41,497 66,190
Other
Insurance 1,170 - 1,170 - - -
Bank Charges 72 72 96 - 96
Maintenance 972 972 - - -
- - - -
Total other expenditure 2,214 - 2,214 96 - 96
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 35,347 58,650 93,997 24,789 41,497 66,286

22

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 19 Debtors and prepayments

19.1 Analysis of debtors

Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income		 This year
£		 Last year
£
- -
4,900.0 -
O ther debtors - -
Total 4,900.0 -

Note 20 Creditors and accruals

20.1 Analysis of creditors

20.1 Analysis of creditors
Amounts falling due
within one year		 Amounts falling due
after more than one year
Accruals and deferred income This year
£		 Last year
£		 This year
£		 Last year
£
25,936 30,300 - -
Total 25,936 30,300 - -

20.2 Deferred income

20.2 Deferred income 20.2 Deferred income
Please explain the reasons why income is
deferred.
Movement in deferred income account
Balance at the start of the reporting period
Amounts added in current period
Amounts released to income from prev ious periods
£10,000 from Charities
Trust
£15,635 - G roundwork
Please complete this note if the charity has deferred
income
This year
This year Last year
£10,000 from Charities
Trust
£15,635 - G roundwork		 £10,000 from Charities
Trust
£10,000 from Raine's
Foundation
£10,000 from A4A
Ecology
All restricted for 2023/24
periods
This year
£		 Last year
£
30,000 9,777
15,636 30,000
(20,000) (9,777)
Balance at the end of the reporting period 25,636 30,000

23

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 24 Cash at bank and in hand

Note 24 Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and on hand Thisyear Lastyear
£ £
51,997 84,511
Total 51,997 84,511

Note 27 Charity funds

27.1 Details of material funds held and movements during the CURRENT reporting period

Fund names Type PE,
EE R or
**UR ***		 Purpose and
Restrictions		 Fund
balances
brought
forward		 Income Expenditure Transfers Fund
balances
carried
forward
£ £ £ £ £
Timberland R 4,800 (2,400) - 2,400
ArtsCouncil E ngland R 22,476 3,798 (24,037) - 2,237
Raines Foundation R 10,000 (9,181) - 819
Awards for All R Gardenproject 7,203 10,000 (15,311) - 1,892
NinevehTrust R 1,702 - (1,702) - -
Postcode Society R 932 17,060 (4,336) - 13,656
Cityof London R 1,683 (1,683) - -
SHE D UR Myceliumproject 15,000 (13,141) 1,859
Foyle Foundation UR Gardenproject 5,000 (2,461) 2,539
O ther unrestricted income UR Charitable activities 2,114 5,088 (6,117) 1,085
TRIO DO S BANK UK UR Shed 18,102 (13,628) 4,474
Total Funds as per balance sheet 54,212
 70,746 (93,997) - 30,961

Note 27 Charity funds

27.2 Details of material funds held and movements during the 27.2 Details of material funds held and movements during the 27.2 Details of material funds held and movements during the PREVIOUS reporting period PREVIOUS reporting period PREVIOUS reporting period PREVIOUS reporting period PREVIOUS reporting period PREVIOUS reporting period
Fund names Type PE, EE
**R or UR ***
Purpose and
Restrictions		 Fund
balances
brought
forward
£		 Income
£		 Expenditure
£		 Transfers
£		 G ains and
losses
£		 Fund
balances
carried
forward
£
Awards for All R Gardenproject 692 10,000 (3,489) - - 7,203
Groundwork UK R 7246 7,525 (17,457) 2,686 - -
Arts Council R - 34,182 (11,706) - - 22,476
Postcode Neighbourhood R - 9,777 (8,845) - 932
Nineveh Trust R - 2,000 (298) - 1,702
Cityof London UR 20706 150 (16,487) (2,686) 1,683
SHE D UR Shed - 25,000 (6,898) - 18,102
Sajida Forest Scho KANTINE UR Charitable activities - 3,000 (1,049) - 1,951
National Medical UR Charitable activities - 150 (56) - 94
Donation UR Charitable activities 70 70
Total Funds as per balance sheet 28,644 91,854 (66,286) - - 54,212

24