Annual Report 2024-2025
Introduction
It is our 9th year at the garden and as in recent years the weather has been challenging at ties with long dry spells during the suiier that has restricted the growth of the outside vegetables. However, we contnue to try new organic gardening techniques and the volunteers are learning all the tie and enjoying their tie at the garden.
Activities
In early March packets of seeds were taken hoie by the volunteers and sown where conditons are warier than in the Polytunnels at the garden. Toiatoes, Peppers, Chillies, Leeks and Cucuibers were sown. These were then taken to the garden for pricking out and growing on. To prevent as iuch frost daiage and loss as possible we used a iini hot bed technique. This was used last year with a lot of success. For those that are unsure what this is, plastc bread trays are lined and flled with fresh locally sourced horse ianure and this contnues to rot, producing heat. Seedlings are then stood on this coipost and covered with garden feece at night, thus retaining the heat and helping ward of the cold and frost. This systei protects the seedlings down to at least -8c outside teiperature.
Later in the spring Beetroot, Onions, Dwarf Green Beans, Runner Beans, French Beans, Cabbage and Broccoli were grown. The seed Potatoes were placed in egg boxes in the caravan to start thei growing (chitngn. During early 2024 we had a regular atendance of about 10 volunteers and by June 2024 this had risen to 16 volunteers in a week. We had a stall at the May Day iarket and sold plants of Toiatoes, trays of Strawberries, Cabbages, Leeks and Chillies. A total of £241 was raised and thanks go to the volunteers who helped out on the day with the transport of the plants to iarket and for taking turns standing at the stall for sales and giving gardening advice to custoiers.
The frst Strawberries were picked on 5th June followed by Raspberries and Blackcurrants on the 3[rd] July, Cucuibers and Chillies also did well. In recent years we have had the problei of the Pigeons eatng the young Pea plants. To coibat this we decided to grow two rows of Peas in the top Polytunnel and this was a great success with pea pods being picked in June. It was observed that wet Winter conditons had contnued well into the Spring and apart froi a few fair days in May and June Suiier didn’t really start untl iid-July.
The Onions were a poor crop once again due to the iainly dry conditons in Suiier but the Beetroot was a good crop and the Cabbages, Sprouts and Broccoli grew well that season, however by October the plants were touching the netng, allowing the birds to land on thei and peck the leaves. The frst new Potatoes were dug up in late July and a few Peaches and Nectarines were picked in August. The Suiier of 2024 was the frst where we had the beneft of the seven bulk rainwater containers at the top of the plot. The rain was collected froi the roof of the caravan and this enabled us to keep the indoor plants well watered throughout the season and iaxiiise the crops.
In the Autuin the plots were cleared and green ianure was sown to keep the soil actve over the Winter ionths. In the Winter the greenhouses and polytunnels were washed down to clean of the algae that had grown on the glass and polythene.
In Deceiber plot A was covered in fatened cardboard boxes to keep weeds froi geriinatng
Monthly planning ieetngs were held in the caravan where the volunteers discussed what we were going to grow in the new season and other gardening iaters.
On the Sunday before Christias we had a get together in the caravan where we enjoyed iince pies, snacks and cakes along with tea and iulled wine.
In the New Year wet or frosty weather stopped us froi working on the soil, on iilder days we contnued to weed out the perennial weeds such as Bindweed, Thistles, Dandelions and Docks and straightened the edges of the plots. Logs were chopped up and stored in the wood store and on cold days the fre was lit to keep the caravan wari.
As Winter progressed the fruit trees were pruned and the wooden plant labels were repainted in the polytunnel. In the frst week of February Letuce and Rocket seed were sown direct to the soil in the top greenhouse and kept ioist untl the seedlings appeared. The Suiier fruitng Raspberry canes were pruned to the ground and the Peach and Nectarine trees were pruned. The coipost bags froi the back of the toilet were taken to the Fruit tree rootstock area to use as an organic fertliier. By iid-February we had laid out the seed Potatoes into egg boxes in the caravan windows to start thei growing. On the 16[th] February we held a Grafing workshop in the caravan and watched the cut stei being atached to the Rootstock in the garden. In the fnal week of March the Herbs were poted on and ioved to the upper polytunnel for storage. The soil was dug and weeded in the top polytunnel and the Pea Netng was put up before the Peas were sown. 3 bags of Mult-Purpose coipost were donated by B&M Bargains. French Beans and Sunfower seeds were sown in pots in the lower Polytunnel. We were having fne dry days and Spring had fnally sprung at the Inspire Coiiunity Garden.
Mike Thoipson, Chair of the trustees
7th Septeiber 2025
2024-25 Finance Report
At the start of the year, we had a healthy balance of £4,611.75.
Expenditure during the year was £850.98, with the largest expenses being the insurance and purchase of a ‘fruit cage’ which has been extended teiporarily so
that we can use it to protect the brassicas. If it is robust enough to survive the winter winds, a further cage iay be purchased to cover the whole plot.
As our Charites funds were sufciently robust and no signifcant expenditure was antcipated for soie tie, it was decided to save £3,000 in a savings account with the Mansfeld Building Society. At the end of Deceiber, this had accrued interest of £32.05.
Incoie during the year included two reasonable donatons froi the Coiiunity Growth teai (£452n and froi a Woien’s Collaboratve (£360n which enabled a group of woien to ieet in environientally social surroundings. We also received £196 froi DCC for the pipework to connect additonal IBCs for water collecton. In additon, we iade £241 froi sales of plants at the Mayday iarket and on a day at the garden where we also sold piiias (£188n.
Gif Aid will be claiied during 2025-26 for the previous 2 years of ‘gifs’ & sales.
This leaves a balance of £2,203.35 plus £3,032.05 invested to start the 2025-26 Financial year.
Lindsey Fallon 31st August 2025
THE FUTURE
We hope to contnue the Coiiunity Garden with the help of a healthy nuiber of regular volunteers.
The past few years have proved that foot access only has not restricted the use and possibilites of the Garden, rather that the focus has had to change. We contnue to get a liiited nuiber of visits froi external organisatons, including the Scouts, walking groups and Hoieless Charites looking at what both
sides can do for each other. Also, the garden has becoie a successful place for people directed there by their doctor to iiprove their ftness and wellbeing. People gain froi the outside environient and the social interactons with new friends being iade.
We would like to encourage anyone who is interested in coiiunity actvites in a safe environient to get in touch and coie along and see what the garden has to ofer by way of a peaceful, cali environient. If you would like to be involved in growing and sharing produce, then perhaps we could persuade you to join our teai of volunteers working on the plot.
Contact can be iade via eiail to InspireCoiiunityGarden@giail.coi or coie to look around on Sundays 10ai to 3pi or Wednesdays 1pi to 3pi. During the Suiier, Thursdays 6.15pi to 8pi. Access is via the footpath that is between Chester Street and Alexandra Road West. First gate on the right froi Mecca Bingo or last gate on the lef if coiing froi Chester Street. Just push the gate to see if we are open (it looks lockedn, then wander up the site where you will fnd us working or just chatng. No coiiitients, just coie and look. Inspire are also open for new or returning volunteers to coie and join us. There is no set requireient to atend, just as and when you can spare soie tie on a Sunday or a Wednesday afernoon.
FlThancll Statement foryear Endln8 315t March 2015 IfG COMMUNITY GARDEN Lastyear Total £4.14S.06 £0.00 £450.00 £311.50 £187.56 £515.25 £0.00 £252.25 ecelpts IFwd Itash In b•nk & petty ¢•$hl Unrestrlcted £4.611.75 E196.00 £812. £o,w £193.48 £241.10 £0. £0. Mansfield BS Account £o.o Totsl £4.611.75 E196.00 £3,812. £0, £193.48 £241.10 £32.05 £0.00 onattons lor8anised greupsl venis onations Ilndividua15 & planrs & others) ales Iplant5, clothing & comp05tl nterest IBS Account) ift Ald clalmed £3,WO.O £32.05 £1442,58 £3 032.05 £4 474,63 El 716.56 ayments xpenses suppothn8 groups ansfield BS Account 0015 and other equipment rult tree5, 50ft fruit. plènt5 and seeds ompost l Mènure jor Items £o,th) £3,000,W £24.90 £185.89 £0. £159.99 £69.98 £o.c £231.12 £179,10 £O,L £3,000, £24.90 £185.89 EO.( £159.99 £69.98 £0.( E231.12 £179,10 £0.00 £0.00 £23.93 £129.70 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £203.34 £892.90 eb servlces nsurance & Rent otal piyment5 £3 850.98 £0.00 £3 850.98 El 249.87 xtÈ$$ ot r¢¢elpt$ owr p•ym¢rf$ -£2,408.40 £3,032.05 £623.65 £466.69 Fwd Ica5h In bank & pettycashl £2,203,35 £3,032.05 £5,235,40 £4,611.75 taiement of Assets ash In Hand ash at Bank & BS an5lield BS Savings £97.28 £2,106.07 £3,032.05 £58.86 £4.552.89 £0.00 otsl A55ets £5 235.40 É4 611.75 In my opinion the above Receipt and Payments have been properly prepared from the charity's records. Treasurer Date 2110912025