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2023-03-31-accounts

SORP reference
Summary
the charity
governing		 ofthe purposes of
as set out in its
document		 Para 1.17 We exist to: 1.promote the conservation,
protection
and improvement
ofthe
environment,
including
Streatham
Common,
the Rookery and the Streatham
Memorial
Garden; 2.advance the education
ofthe
public in the areas ofthe charity's
operation;
3.promote the provision ofsafe facilities,
including
children*s
play areas, nature
reserves, community
events and gardening
spaces,
in the interests of social welfare.
Summary
ofthe main
activities
in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit,
in particular,
the
activities, projects or services
identified
in the accounts.		 Para 1.17and
1.19		 In 2022-23 FoSC's activities supported
the
purposes
above. Activity continued
gradually
to increase following the Covid-19 Pandemic
FoSC continued to work with Streatham
Common
Co-operative
(SCCoop) to raise
funds which have been/will
be spent on
improvements
to the Rookery Garden e.g.
purchase of plants.
Fund raising
included
business
sponsorship.
FoSC also worked
with Lambeth
Council on
the wider Common,
discussing
requirements
for maintenance
and other enhancements.
The centre-piece of FoSC's efforts was
intended
to be Wind Day for kite flying
in
September,
but this was cancelled as a made
of respect following the death of HM the
Queen.
Other events included
open-air Shakespeare
and a fun Dog Show.
FoSC also ran a small number of natural
history walks around the Common. Some
were on its own account and some jointly
with Lambeth
Council.
Conservation
volunteering
took place. There		 Conservation
volunteering
took place. There
was work with SCCoop on horticulture
in the
Rookery. Conservation
measures
were also
undertaken
in the woods e.g. improving
paths and efforts to reduce erosion. FoSC
members
also contributed
to tree planting		 to
reduce water logging.
FoSC continued
to provide a regular
newsletter,
Common
Knowledge,
to its
members.
Statement confirming Para 1.18 The Trustees
have had regard to the public
whether the trustees have benefit
in the activities above. Promoting
had regard to the guidance improvements
to the Common
and Rookery
issued by the Charity is likely to enhance the public's
enjoyment		 of
Commission
on public
benefit.		 those spaces. The Trustees see public
benefit as central to FoSC's
ur ose.
You ma choose t o include f urther statements
SORP referee ce
Policy on grant making Para 1.38
Policy on social investment
including program related Para 1.38
investment
Contribution
made		 by
volunteers Para 1.38
Other

SORP referen ce
Summary of the main o
has been able to support
new planting
achievements of the charity, in the Rookery Garden and environmental
identifying
the
charity's work		 difference the
has made to		 Para 1.20 improvements,
especially
in the Streatham
Common woods.
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider lt has also engaged
Lambeth
Council to
benefits to society as a effect various repairs to the Common
which
whole. benefited
all users and helped protect its
Environment
e.g.a long standing
water leak
in the Rookery Garden.
It continues to
engage the Council on concerns such as the
future of the old car park, old road and
placement of large bins.
FoSC's trustees
and officers have reverted
to meeting
regularly
in person
following
the
Covid-19 Pandemic.

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements
against
objectives set Para 1.41
Performance
of fundraising
activities against objectives
set Para 1.41
Investment
performance
against objectives
Para 1.41
Other

Financia Financia Financia l Review l Review l Review l Review
Review of the charity's Para 1.21 Friends of Streatham
Common
is in a
financial
position
ofthe period		 at the end healthy
financial
position.
Itcan cover its
normal
running
expenses
from regular
income such as membership
fees, which		 are
adjusted
from time to time. Fundraising
is
used to pay for improvements
to the
Common
/ Rookery orto support
public
events.
Statement explaining t e Para .22 Unrestncte
eserves are
el
pnncipally		 to
policy for holding reserves support
improvements
on the Common
and
stating why they are held to cover basic running
expenses.
Restricted
Reserves arise are from donations
which		 are
specifically
held to spend on projects with
Streatham
Common
Co-operative
(SCCoop)* in pursuit of shared purposes.
These include
planting,
maintenance
and
restoration
in the Rookery Garden. SCCoop
will undertake
work on behalf ofthe Friends
as active manager
of the Rookery.
'SCCoop, full name Streatham
Common
Community
Operations
Limited,
is an Industrial
and Provident
Society for the Benefit of the
Community
which
has an agreement
with
Lambeth
Council to undertake
the management
of, and gardening
in, the Rookery.
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 Total funds held at the year-end
were
f59873.
Reasons for holding zero Para 1.22 N/A
reserves
Details of fund materially in Para 124 N/A
deficit
Explanation of any Para 1.23 N/A
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern
The charity's
principal		 In 2022-23 the largest single source offunds
sources of funds (including was a donation off12,000from Douglas 8
any fundraising) Para 1.47 Gordon, estate agents.
Investment
policy and
objectives including
any
social investment
policy
adopted		 Para 1.46
A description
ofthe principal
risks facing the charity
Para 1.46
Other

Description
of charity's		 Description
of charity's
trusts:
Type of governing
document		 Para 1.25 Association
Constitution
How isthe charity Para 1.25 Charity Incorporated
Organisation
constituted?
Trustee selection methods Para 1.25 Trustees are elected by members
ofthe
including details of any Friends of Streatham
Common at its Annual
constitutional
provisions		 e.g. General Meeting. The Trustees
may co-opt
election to post or name of to fill vacancies,
but such appointments		 must
any person or body entitled be confirmed at the subsequent
AGM.
to appoint
one or more
trustees
Additional
information		 (optional)
You ma choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training oftrustees Para 1.51
The charity's
organisational		 The Trustees
delegate
day to day
structure and any wider responsibility
for FoSCto an executive
network with which the committee.
Most ofthe trustees are active
charity works Para 1.51 members ofthe Committee.
As noted above, FoSC works closely with
Relationship
with any related		 Streatham
Common
Co-operative
(SCCoop)
parties Para 1.51 in pursuit
of shared objectives. SCCoop,		 as
manager ofthe Rookery Garden, undertakes
work on behalf ofthe Friends e.g. planting
and maintenance.
FoSC makes frequent
donations
to SCCoop in support ofthe
latter's work
in the Rookery and indeed the
majority of FoSC's spending
is through
SCCoop.
Other

Charity name Friends of Streatham Common
Othernamethechari uses FoSCorthe Friends
Registered
charity		 number 1166961
Charity's
principal		 address 48 Strathbrook
Road,		 Streatham, London, SW163AY

Trustee name ONce (ifany) Dates
year		 acted ifnot for whole Name ofperson
body) entitled to
a
oint trustee		 Name ofperson
body) entitled to
a
oint trustee		 Name ofperson
body) entitled to
a
oint trustee		 (or
ifa
Tracey Jean Williamson Chair AGM
Harriet Blacklay Retired 29 June 2022 AGM
Nicholas Cattermole Treasurer AGM
Caroline
Anne Hewitt		 AGM
David Jonathan Malley Secretary AGM
Peter Newmark AGM
Michael Robinson AGM
Anne Hamilton Appointed
29 June 2022.		 AGM
10 NB At the 2023 AGM on 28June, Tracey Williamson
Caroline
Hewitt was elected Chair. Nick Cattermole
aTrustee. Richard Payne was elected as a Trustee		 retired as Chair, continuing
as a Trustee.
retired as Treasurer,
but was re-elected as
and as Treasurer.
Anne Hamilton
resigned
as aTrustee.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

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FOR ENGLANO
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FOR ENGLANO
ANO WALES		 gHAgl Ty qpglI/ilgglpN
FOR ENGLANO
ANO WALES		 gHAgl Ty qpglI/ilgglpN
FOR ENGLANO
ANO WALES		 gHAgl Ty qpglI/ilgglpN
FOR ENGLANO
ANO WALES		 Receipts and
Fnends ofStraatham
Common		 Receipts and
Fnends ofStraatham
Common		 payments payments 1166061
accounts		 1166061
accounts		 CC16a
Forthe period 01-Apr-22 To 31tViar-23
from
~ ~ ~ ~ r
Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Endowment
funds		 Total funds Last year
to the nearest
s		 tothe nearest R to the nearest k to the nearest t. to the nearest R
A1 Recei
Mamba rshi 2744 2744 2921
Events 730 1 27
Donations 1 529 25552 27 081 10 22
Bank Interest 01 01
Common Knowi e
Roundi
to ross )ncome r 5004 25552 30 646 23775
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(seetable).
Sub total
Total receipts 5,094 25,552 30,646 23,775
A3 Payments
Environmental		 Im ovements 10049
Event
Common		 nses
Knowled		 e 880 880 1129
'I 003
Insurance
Administration		 nses 729 72$
Pa
al/WorldPa		 Char es 525 525 805
Donations
Roundi
sub total 3,1 6 ,3 0 13. 1
A4 Asset and investment
purchases,
(seetable)
Sub total
Total payments 3,126 44,194 47,320 13„917
Net ofreceipts/(payments) 1,068 18,642 16,674 0,858
A5 Transfers between funds
A6 Cash funds last year end 30,036 45,611 76,547 66,680
Cash t'unds this year end 32,0 26,060 50,873 76,547
~ 0 r ~ ~ e a t ~ ~
~		 ~ ~ e
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
to nearest f to nearest f to nearest f
81Cash funds Llloyds Bank Current Account T,400
Uloyds Bank Deposit Account 21,051 26,969
PayPel 4,161
Cash in Hand 272
Total cash funds 32,904 26,969
(agree balances with receipts and payments
scccunt(s))
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Detaiis to nearest f to nearest f to nearestf
82Other monetary assets
Details Fund towhich
asset baton s		 G t( ~ l) Gunent value
o
a
83Investment assets
Fund towhich
asset belon s		 Goat (optional) Current value
84Assets retained forthe
charity's own use
Fund towhich Amount due When due
Details liabil relates tiona I
85Uabilities
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf ofall the trustees		 Signature Print Name Date of
a
roval
Caroline
Hewitt, Chair		 23-24
Nick Cattermole, Treasurer,
22-23
Independent
Examiner's
Report on the
Accounts
Report tothe trustees/members of Friends OfStreatham
Common
On accounts for the year ended 31"March 202$
Setout on pages 1-3
Respective responsibilities
and examiner		 oftrustees The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year
(under section 43(2) ofthe Charities Act 1993(the Act)) and that an
independent
examination
is needed. It is my responsibility
to:
~ examine the accounts (under section 43of the Act),
~tofollow the procedures
laid down in the General Directions given by
the Charity Commission
(under section 43(7)(b) ofthe Act), and
~tostate whether
particular
matters
have come to my attention.
Basis ofindependent examiner's report My examination
was carried out in accordance with the General
Directions given by the Charity Commission.
An examination
includes a
review ofthe accounting
records kept by the charity and a comparison of
the accounts presented
with those records. Italso 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 the course ofmy examination,
no matter has come to my attention:
1.Which gives me reasonable
cause to believe that in, any material
respect, the requirements:
~to keep accounting
records in accordance with section 41ofthe Act;
and
~to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting
records and
comply
with the accounting
requirements
ofthe 1993Act
have not been met; or
2.Towhich,
in my opinion, attention
should be drawn
in order to enable
a proper understanding
ofthe accounts to be reached.
Signed: Date:
30'"January 2024
Name: Dr Kevin Riley
Relevant professional qualification(s) or n/a
body (ifany).
Address: 12Braxted Park
London
SW163DW
Only complete
ifthe examiner needs ta highlight
particular
problems
Give here brief details of issues that As in previous years, a final copy ofthe Trustees'
Annual
Report was not
the examiner wishes to disclose. available at this time. The Accounts reviewed are those as seen by the
Trustees and as presented tothe Annual General Meeting.
The reasonableness
ofany significant
estimates orjudgments
that have
been made in preparing the Accounts has been assessed and accepted.
The Treasurer
has provided
all necessary documentation
in electronic and
physical form, supported
by face-to-face discussion.
I believe that
I have
been provided
with sufficient information
to be able to come to a
reasonable
view ofthe accounts.
In my view the accounts are consistent
with the available documentation
and soappear to offer a reasonable
view ofthe financial position ofthe Friends ofStreatham
Common.
At the beginning
gi end ofthe year Cash-In-Hand
is counted
&recorded
by the Treasurer. Of necessity,
I was unable to verify these figures.
However, the value ofE272 is consistent
with the Accounts and at the
same time not material.
It is noticeable that funds on deposit have been maintained
at E48,020
forthe last three years. This corresponds to 181'K of average expenditure
over this same period. It is perhaps worth reviewing
policy on the
appropriate
level offinancial
reserves requiring to be held.
Overall, general project activity has remained
steady, but at a lower level
than pre-Covid pandemic.
Unrestricted
receipts ofE5094are largely
unchanged
from the previous year's E5,123,but remain
well short ofthe
E9,169of pre-pandemic
2019-2020.Similarly, the expenditure
ofE3,126
on unrestricted
activities
in 2022-2023 was marginally
lower than the
figure ofE3,868for 2021-2022, but is still substantially
lower than the
E5,030Of2019-2020.Nevertheless,
in a worst-case scenario with no
future external funding,
it appears that the Charity would be able to
continue
raising sufficient funds tosupport
its core programme
of
Unrestricted
activities.
The use of Restricted
Funds for activities
in support ofthe charities'
objectives has substantially
increased
in the current year. Income forthe
current and past years in support ofactivities underpinned
by these funds
was E25,552,E18652,E27,288. Expenditure
from these funds was
E44,194,E10,049and E14,675 respectively.
Clearly, coinciding with the
termination
ofthe DgiG contract, opportunities
have been taken to
greatly increase the level offunding for qualifying
projects in the current
year.
Overall, there appears to have been no adverse change
in financial
risk
over the past year. However, there have recently been cases ofbanks
withdrawing
banking facilities from charities, causing them to be unable
to operate. This seems to have been due to issues relating to the
provision of up-to-date
information
on customer accounts as part of
banks' regulatory
obligations.
It would be prudent to confirm that all
relevant
and current information
is in place with Lloyds Bank, and to
consider whether,
under these circumstances,
the charity could continue
to operate its PayPal account as an emergency
current account, if
necessa