Hackney Tree People (Registered charity, number 1168716) Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Page | Contents |
|---|---|
| 2 - 3 | Trustees’ annual report |
| 4 | Independent examiner’s report |
| 5 | Receipts & payments account |
| 6 | Statement of assets & liabilities |
| 7- 8 | Notes to the accounts |
Hackney Tree People Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 March 2025
Full name Hackney Tree People
Other names by which the charity is known Hackney Community Tree Nursery Tree Musketeers
Organisation type Charitable incorporated organisation
Registered charity number 1168716
Principal address
155 Chatsworth Road, London, E5 0LA
Trustees Christine Kings, Chair Francisco Marcelo White Yuti Gada, Treasurer, from 05/06/2024 Neil Sinden, from 28/09/2024 Natalie Sutton Peter Burke, from 28/09/2024 Emmanuel de Lange, from 28/09/2024 Annie Chipchase, until 28/09/2024 Sarah Lo, until 28/09/2024 Felicity Jones, until 28/09/2024
Independent examiner
John O’Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL
Governance and management
The charity is operated under the rules of its CIO constitution adopted 10 August 2016.
Hackney Tree people is governed by its Board of Trustees. There are currently seven trustees, board meetings take place approximately every 12 weeks. New Trustees are recruited from being volunteers they are proposed and seconded by existing Trustees. Voting is by a secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting.
In accordance with the constitution which states that at the annual general meeting of the members of the CIO one third of the charity trustees shall retire from office, the longest serving trustees may resign but have the option to show their willingness to continue with their duties and may be re-elected.
Membership of the CIO is open to anyone who is interested in furthering its purposes and who, by applying for membership, has indicated their agreement to become a member and acceptance of the duty of members. Only individuals are eligible to be members of the charity.
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Hackney Tree People
Objectives and activities
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1) For the public benefit, to promote improvement of the physical and natural environment, and public health, in particular but not exclusively by the growing, care and conservation of trees, and other activities related to trees, mainly but not exclusively in the London Borough of Hackney;
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2) The advancement of education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment, mainly but not exclusively in the London Borough of Hackney, in particular but not exclusively by the provision of workshops on woodland management and tree coppicing and felling.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit
Within the year, HTP organised multiple community tree planting sessions on Hackney Downs, Stoke Newington Common, Well Street Common, Allens Gardens, Millfields park, Springfield park and Stonebridge gardens. HTP continues to maintain previously planted trees within the Hackney area.
In the autumn of last year, we set up an engagement project with a class from Clapton Park Children’s Centre. The aims included connecting children with trees in their environment and providing knowledge and awareness of trees and their life cycle. A learning session on trees was followed up with whip planting on the Main Marsh.
Public benefit statement
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
Summary of the main achievements during the period
HTP continue to upgrade and improve the tree nursery. As a part of HTP’s five-year strategy, a part-time paid administrator has been taken on to streamline the administration and improve the productivity.
Financial review
The HTP have had a satisfactory year with plenty of activity. Installation of an automatic irrigation system saw the income and expenditure to be increased and net receipts under pressure.
The charity’s policy on reserves
HTP has a reserves policy of 6 months of its operating costs. The reserves policy is reviewed as and when required.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signed ______ Date _ Christine Kings, Trustee
26/9/2025
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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Hackney Tree People for the year ended 31 March 2025
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Hackney Tree People (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Signed ____ Date _______ BE 26/09/2025 John O’Brien MSc, FAIA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus
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Hackney Tree People Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 March 2025
| 2024 Total Unrestricted Funds Funds £ Note £ Receipts 19266 Grants & donations 2 10400 - Events & activities 895 11800 Consultancy work - 11250 School projects income - 639 Tree sales 1800 20 T shirt sales 28 53 Calendar sales - 107 Bank interest 78 300 Miscellaneous 496 43435 Total receipts 13697 Payments 5090 Horticultural supplies 2995 3466 Tree nursery site maintenance 1507 - Irrigation project - 2379 Vehicle maintenance 1337 1867 Equipment, repairs & renewals 342 870 Insurance (vehicle & site/activities) 860 363 Volunteer provisions 442 13314 Events & activities 1243 222 Website & social media 187 927 Publications & membership 259 605 Administration 936 804 Training (first aid & other) 615 456 Professional fees 1568 10944 Consultancy - 60 Bank charges 60 959 Sundry payments 2645 42326 Total payments 14996 1109 Net receipts/(payments) (1299) 52179 Cash funds at start of this period 53288 - Transfers between funds (20070) 53288 Cash funds at end of this period 31919 |
Restricted Funds £ 26923 - - - - - - - - 26923 - - 42743 - - - - - - - 1750 - 2500 - - - 46993 (20070) - 20070 - |
2025 Total Funds £ 37323 895 - - 1800 28 - 78 496 |
|---|---|---|
| 40620 | ||
| 2995 1507 42743 1337 342 860 442 1243 187 259 2686 615 4068 - 60 2645 |
||
| 61989 | ||
| (21369) 53288 - |
||
| 31919 |
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Hackney Tree People Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2025
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | Cash assets | £ |
| 53284 | Bank accounts | 31919 |
| 4 | Cash in hand | - |
| 53288 | 31919 | |
| Other monetary assets | ||
| 277 | Prepayments - Insurance | 100 |
| - | Debtor - Grant from London Borough of Hackney | 15000 |
| 277 | 15100 | |
| Assets retained for the charity’s own use | ||
| General equipment. | ||
| Liabilities | ||
| (504) | Creditors - Independent examination | (522) |
| - | Creditors - Administration | (861) |
| (504) | (1383) |
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by: Signed _ ____ Date 26/09/2025_
_ _ _ _ Yuti Gada, Trustee
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Hackney Tree People Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
1. Receipts & payments accounts
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
2. Grants & donations
| London Borough of Hackney Forestry Commission The Lancashire Foundation Southwark Cathedral Sundry grants & donations |
Unrestricted Restricted £ £ - 4250 - 22673 5000 - 2400 - 3000 - 10400 26923 |
Total £ 4250 22673 5000 2400 3000 |
|---|---|---|
| 37323 |
3. Funds analysis
| Restricted funds Irrigation project Attaching labels Unrestricted funds General fund |
Opening balance £ - - - 53288 53288 |
Receipts (Payments) £ £ 22673 (42743) 4250 (4250) 26923 (46993) 13697 (14996) 13697 (14996) |
Transfers £ 20070 - 20070 (20070) (20070) |
Closing balance £ - - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||
| 31919 | ||||
| 31919 |
The irrigation project was funded by the forestry commission, the expenditure exceeded the grant income and so the transfer represents the amount of unrestricted funds needed to cover the full costs.
The attaching labels project was funded by the London Borough of Hackney and was for the tagging of trees, this funding was all spent in the year.
4. Trustees’ remuneration
- Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period.
5. Related party transactions
- There were no related party transactions in this period.
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Hackney Tree People
6. Glossary of terms
Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.
Prepayments: These are services that the charity has paid for in advance, but not used during the accounting period.
Restricted funds: These are funds given to the charity, subject to specific restrictions set by the donor, but still within the general objects of the charity.
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