Deanshanger Allotments v NO T696i2
Deanshanger Allotments CIO
Trustees Annual Report
Reporting period 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024
Trustees : Jane Beedell (Chair) Sadie Scott Natasha Beedell
Objectives of the Charity
Deanshanger Allotments is a CIO registered on 11th October 2016 by John and Jane Beedell. The board has a maximum of three trustees who manage the CIO on a day to day basis. The objective of the CIO is to improve the conditions of life, specifically the provision of facilities for allotment gardening, for the inhabitants of Deanshanger and the surrounding area.
Financial performance during 2023
In summary, the Section 106 Grant received from Redrow on 14th February 2019 comprised:
Allotment Work Contribution : £25,000.00 Allotment Maintenance Contribution : £21,636.36
TOTAL £46,636.36
The total spent so far of the £25,000 Allotment Work Contribution is £20,557, leaving £4,443 available for further work that may be required, such as removing stones dug from plots.
This year £58 was paid to West Northants Council from the Allotment Maintenance Contribution for a green waste bin collection service for Northfields site. £2,000 maintenance cost was paid to DAA for 2023 and 2024, which is used for the annual mowing contract for the main track at Northfields Allotment Site. This is fully receipted and at the agreed amount of £1,000 per year. The total spent to date is £5,279.03 of the £21,636.36 Allotment Maintenance Contribution, leaving a balance of £16,357.33 in the Allotment Maintenance Contribution Grant.
The total balance in the bank account at the end of 2024 was £20,798.89.
2024 - Summary
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Quite a few plot holders at Northfields made a decision to leave their plots at the start of 2024. Most cited the reason as having insufficient time to spend on their allotment now that they had to go back to the office. Many had to take on new or additional roles to cope with the cost of living crisis.
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Climate change continued to be evident in the weather pattern. Extreme cold, extended periods of heavy rainfall and extreme heat and dry conditions in the Summer made allotment gardening challenging.
Operational activities and achievements 2024
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West Northants Council increased the cost of the green bin for Northfields to £58 annually. This bin is provided primarily for waste from the community areas such as prunings from the orchard or hedges. This £58 charge was paid from the Allotment Maintenance Contribution budget.
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An overgrown hedge composed of leylandi trees planted only a foot away from our chainlink fence was obstructing our track at Church Lane. This was successfully cut back to prevent any further damage to the chain link fence, but the overhang from six foot high and beyond was untouched to ensure that no damage was incurred to the neighbour’s trees.
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The wooden boundary fence at Church Lane was falling down as a result of the neighbour’s adjacent ivy fence growing into our fence. This was successfully pruned to reveal a path between it and the fence. Concrete spurs were then cemented into the ground next to the fence posts, and secured to the post with screws to hold the fence in the upright position. The area now looks very well maintained and the fence is now strong and upright.
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The additional water butt at our Puxley Road site was plumbed in next to the central water butt at the start of the growing season to reduce the need to queue for water during hot dry weather.
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The neighbours at Church Lane site appear to be under the impression that they have the right to enter our site through their private gates whenever they wish, even though they are not plot holders. This will require a legal intervention next year as otherwise there could be grounds for claiming a permanent right of access over our land.
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The full utilisation enjoyed at our Church Lane and Puxley Road sites during the pandemic has inevitably not been fully sustained as plot holders have resumed their previous work and social routines, and had to cope with the cost of living crisis and climate change.
Objectives and operational plans for the future across the sites
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The main objective is to maximise utilisation across all our sites. In addition to maximising income, this reduces the maintenance workload for Deanshanger Allotment Association in mowing and strimming the paths of spare plots as it is the responsibility of every plot holder to mow the paths around their allotment(s). In the past, the site caretaking team at each site would work on a volunteer basis to maintain their site, but there are now only a few plot holders willing to help so the use of contract labour is increasing. This is increasing maintenance costs.
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Once the current Chairman of DAA decides to retire, there is likely to be an appetite to separate the sites, with a different allotment association at each site. The current Chairman of DAA has been in the role for 11 years and the workload for a central management team that has responsibility for all three of its sites is a heavy one within Deanshanger Allotment Association, with a total of over 100 plots and their plot holders to manage.
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This would necessitate the drawing up of a draft lease agreement for each site, to be agreed between the Charity Trustees and each new management team. The current Chairman of DAA is also Chair of Trustees for the Charity, so this has not been necessary to date. The main purpose of a lease agreement would be to ensure that each new association’s management teams are aware of their responsibilities in
protecting the security of the land and its boundaries, keeping its hedges trimmed, paying its water bills and maintaining the land in a fertile condition.
- This is likely to be required in the future as all the sites become fully occupied.
Public benefit - achievements
Allotment gardening provides significant mental health benefits, good aerobic exercise and helps combat loneliness. This was important during the pandemic lockdowns as social distancing was easily achieved and the many other benefits enjoyed continue to be appreciated. These include:
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being out in the fresh air
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enjoying a more healthy lifestyle
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acquiring new skills and knowledge
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Gaining a sense of achievement
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enjoying fresh produce free of chemicals
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meeting like-minded people
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making new friends
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enjoying contact with nature.
Northfields’ Allotment site attracted new plot holders not only from the adjacent estate but from all over the village of Deanshanger during the pandemic. This facilitated the development of a new community of residents who were able to witness first hand the development of the new site and to be the first gardeners to grow their own food on their plots. This also further integrated those living on the new estate into the rest of the village and forged new friendship links based on common interests. We hope that as the site becomes more fully occupied in the future and plots become more mature, all plot holders will be encouraged to help maintain the site and take an active role in the site caretaking team.
Plans for the future for public benefit
In the future we hope to be in a position to offer the opportunity to suitable local organisations / groups to advise and assist with building some raised beds for wheelchair access on a reserved area near the car park, so that village residents with mobility issues can also be afforded the opportunity to grow their own fruit and vegetables and enjoy being part of this new community of gardeners.
In the event of additional homes being built in the village in the future as a result of the Government’s focus on increasing home building, our Northfields site will be able to offer new residents a choice of plots within walking distance of their homes.
Jane Beedell on behalf of all the trustees of Deanshanger Allotments Registered Charity No 1169612
Registered address: 18A The Green, Deanshanger, Milton Keynes, MK19 6HL
20/08/25
| Deanshanger Allotments | Deanshanger Allotments | Deanshanger Allotments | Deanshanger Allotments | Deanshanger Allotments | 1169612 | 1169612 | 1169612 | 1169612 | |||||
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| Receipts andpayments accounts | |||||||||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments to the nearest £ For the period from Unrestricted funds ~~ee~~ |
1-Jan-24 Restricted funds to the nearest £ ~~ee ~~ |
To to the nearest £ Endowment funds ~~ee~~ |
31-Dec-24 Total funds to the nearest £ ~~ee~~ |
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| A1 Receipts | |||||||||||||
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| ~~Sub total(Gross income for AR)~~ | - ~~(Gross income for AR)~~ |
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| - - - - - - - - ~~Sub total~~- - - - Total receipt~~s~~ - - - - (see table). ~~————~~ |
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| A3 Payments | |||||||||||||
| Deanshaner Allotment Association | 2,000 | - | - | 2,000 | |||||||||
| West Northamptonsire Council(green bin) | 58 | - | - | 58 | |||||||||
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| Sub total 2,058 | - | - | 2,058 | ||||||||||
| - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - Total payments 2,058 - - 2,058 A4 Asset and investment ~~—————~~ |
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| Net of receipts/(payments) - 2,058 - A5 Transfers between funds - - A6 Cash funds last year end 22,857 - Cash funds this year end 20,799 - ~~SSSS~~ |
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- 2,058 - 22,857 20,799 ~~=~~ |
08/28/2025
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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
Details Details Details Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Land at Puxley Road, Church Lane and Northfields Perimeter chain link fencing, Gates, two water butts, wheelbarrow and shed at ~~Northfields site~~ |
to nearest £ 20,799 - - 20,799 OK to nearest £ - - - - - - Endowment Endowment Unrestricted Unrestricted funds Fund to which asset ~~belongs~~ Fund to which asset ~~belongs~~ Fund to which |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
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| Restricted funds to nearest £ |
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| Cost(optional) | |||
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| Amount due | |||
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08/28/2025
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Signed by one or two trustees on
| Signature | Print Name |
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| Jane Beedell |
08/28/2025
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CC16a
Last year to the nearest £
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55 - - - - - - - 55
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55 - 55 - 22,912 22,857
08/28/2025
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Endowment
to nearest £ - - - -
OK
Endowment funds
to nearest £
Current value ~~(optional)~~ - - - - -
Current value ~~(optional)~~ - - - - - - - - -
When due
08/28/2025
5
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Date of
approval
8/21/2025
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08/28/2025
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