è Hawbush ommunity Gardens Trustees Report The Trustees present their report together with the finanaal statements of the char¥ty for the year ended 31A December 2022 Organisational strutture Hawbush Community Gardens is a constituted as a CIO- Foundation. Charity Registration 1170413 Address Bull Street Brierley Hill West Midlands DFY5 3NQ Trustees Ken Smith Chair Michelle Betteridge Secretary Trevor Counley Serena Craigie David Hadley Tim Gallier Objectives and Activities To promote for the benefrt of the inhabitants of Brierley Hill IDY51 and surrounding areas the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement. financial hardship or social and economic circumstance5 or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of lrfe of the said inhabitants.
To further such other purF)ose5 as are exclusively charitable purposes under the laws of England and Wales as the Trustees from time to time decide. Main Activities During 2022 acttvities and operations have continued to gain momentum in numbers of people visiting, attending group artivities and our regular Hawbu5h Family Afternoons. In the latter part of the year, interest in the gardens increased Significantly within the Hawbush and Brierley Hill Communities and more widely, as a result of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service IQAVSI, the Queens Green Canopy Award and through our contact with other community groups and local forLFms. This interest was refletted in estimated attendance numbers,. total hours for 2022 recorded at 13,882 (cf. 7.450 for 20211, representing on aveiage 37.4 hrs/d3y120.4 hrs/day for 20211. An estimated total of 205 HCG volunteers. assisted with attivities during the year,. also an estimate of 215 EKHO Clcllntegrated Plus volunteers and referrals. During 2022. a total of seven family events were held, including a HAF Christmas eventi joint with Harrfs Café. The events consistently well attended with very positive feedback from attending families- a pre-registration booking procedure Is r7ecessary to ensure attendance numbers are restricted to within manageable levels. for the volunteers we have available. Since early March, the mother and toddler support group, Mom's Mindful Hub has been running. Nature Stay and P13y is aimed at mothers and their families. The group has a focus on mental wellbeing and aims to promote connection between both parent and child and parent to parent through child led play and nature-based activities. The primary target audience is mothers who are facing mental health challenges and social isolation. Weekly attendance varies with the weather, but sometimes over 15 families represented. Interest and popularity of the group has increased during the year and they reiVed recognition in Dudley CVS Spotlight Awards, November 2022. Dudley CVS Integrated Plus and EKHO CIC volunteers have continued to run the Friday support group throughout the year, with on average 10 adults attending and 10 volunteer staff (allotment project). Later in the year. a Wednesday session init13ted. a closed group for more vulnerable adults, with an average of 10 clients each week. The woodland space, through EKHO and IP volunteers has made a considerable contribution to both community engagement and the profile of Hawbush Garden5 throughoutthe year, with craft activities organised at the family events during the year. The EKHO group have also linked with other community groups to run/support workshops with natural and sustainable craft activities. Two very successful "Woodland Folk evenings" were also organised, with food, fellowship and Singing around the bonfire, with over 30 attendin& many new to Hawbush Gardens. Further progress was made in the development of the sensory garden (therapeutic horticulture projettl,. the aim to provide gardening activity and OT support for those with limited mobility, for whom there is limited provision at present. The music group, organised by Integrated Plus. has continued to meet in the community building, Wednesday pm.
Achievements and Performance Renovation work on the large pond Ibegun in autumn/winter 20211. progressed well following re-lining and channelling of the spring water inflow, with some landscaping around the margins. The pond has become, both an attractive feature and a powerful draw for wildlife,. with a range of bird specie5. aquatic plants and supporting a thriving population of newts, frogs. dragon flies and many other insects. The recently established lavender bed is attractive to bees and other pollinating insects. A local bee-keeper has continued to make regular visits to manage the hives located in the main orchard. In August. with the help of the bee=keeper. we were able to harvest our second batch of "Hawbush Honew. In 2022 over 7 litres of honey were collected and sold in small jars,. in total 33 jars, which were very popular with volunteers. visitors and local residents and sold without any promotional effort, raising a total of £165. Following some hard work by young volunteers from Princes Trust and the High Oak Community Projett. an attrattive clearing has been created on the raised area overlooking the art garden and woodland to NE and picnic area to SW. This site was chosen by the family of a former Hawbush resident for a memorial bench and, also. for the Queens Jubilee Green Canopy plantin& the latter in the presence of WM Deputy Lieutenant, Mayor of Dudley. Mike Wood IMPI and Cllr Adam Davies. A special tree was also be planted in this location in memory of Sheridan Jones, Tcf Connect Projett, who sadly died of COVID in December, 2021. A5 part of the original vision for Hawbush Gardens, we have continued to supply freshly grown fruit and vegetables to the Black Country Foodbank and some families in the community,. in 2022, a total of 241kg of produce Ipotatoes. tomatoes. cucumbers, vegetables and fruit). Based on feedback from groups and records of events held throughout the year, an estimate of the number of people in the community impatted Ipositivelyl by the work of the volunteer5 and COTTrmunitygroups on Hawbush Gardens has been drawn together, as follows.. HCG volunteers- 205 EKHO referrals & volunteers- 215 Family events- estimated 50 families- 2(K) Mom'5 Mindful Hub including children - ItKJ Tcf Connect Projert- 15 Plot holder5 & families- 40 Pens Meadow students-40 Dudley YJS rep. - 20 Gardens in community- 10 Foodbank lindirectl- 30 Hence a TOTAL= 875 lapprox.) The Queens Award for Voluntary Serwce, was announced on 2r4June, anniversary ofThe Queen's Coronation. The Celebration of The Queen's Award was held at the Birmingham Hippodrome, 30th October 2022. A 8la5s fronted display case has been made for the crystal and mounted in the Community Buildin& alongside the QAVS Certificate, personally signed by Her Majesty.
Financial Review Principal sources of income included receipts from Allotment Fees. tyonations, Grants and Hire Charges which are used to sustain the availability of the facilities for the benefit of the community. Policy on reserves The policy agreed by the tnjstees is to aim to hold in unrestritted reserves not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets Ithe 'free' reserves) sufficient to cover the general overhead expenses and salary costs not specifically funded by extemal agencies, for a period of six months. At this level. the trustees feel that they would be able to continue the current activities of the charity in the event of a significant drop in funding. It would then be necessary to consider how the funding would be replaced or attivities changed. The amount of 'free' reserves at 315t December 2022 amounted to £6610 which equates to 33.35 months. Trustee5' responsibillties in relation to the financial ststements Law applicable to charities in England and Wales quireS the tTUStees to ppare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity's financial activities during the year and of it5 financial position at the end of the year. In preparing those financial statements. the trustees are required to: selert suitable accounting policies and then appty them consistently- make judgments and estimates that arè reasonable and prudent,- stste whether applicable accounting standards and stateMets of recommended prartice have been followed subject to any departures dtsdosed and explained in the financial statements,. and Prepa the financial statements on the Boing concem basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity wrll continue in business. The trustees a responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with aSonable acturary at any timè the financial position of the tharity and enable them to ensure that the financial 5taternents toniply with the Ch3fitlgs Act 1993. They are alx> responsible for safeguarding the zsset5 of the charity and hence for taking reasonable Steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Approved by th trustees on 05 /09125 and signed on their behalf by Ken Smith Chairman of the Board of Trustees
HAWBUSH COMMUNfTY GARDENS Cash in hand a$ at 31st Decembgr 2021 £5293.49 Year to 31st December 2022 INCOME Plots Fee Sales Donations Room Hire Sund 203 2012 560 TOTAL INCOME 3695.00 EXPENDITURE HB Proect Maintenance Gardens Ullilies Sochil Cha Sund 402.59 1185.88 258.61 es 63.6 467.56 TOTAL EXPENSES 2378.24 Cash in hand as at 31 Dec 2022 6610.25