Hawbush ommunity Gardens Trustees Report TheTrustses present their r•Fk)rttogether wrth th• frwrKralsiatementsof the ch•rity forth• y•ar ended 31° December 2023 OrganlsatEonal structuré Hawbush Community Gardens is a conststuted as a CIO- Foundation. Charity Registration 1170413 Address Bull Street Brierley Hill West Midlands DFY5 3NQ TTu5tees Ken Smith Chair Michelle Betteridge Secretsry 1ftesned 1° February 20241 John Merrick Erika Keshelya DaMd Hadley Jason Bloomer Oblecilves aThl Actl¥ltles To promote for the beftefft of the inhabitants of BneTley Hill (DY5) and surrounding areas the provision of lacililie5 for recreation or other leisure time ocCUtion of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth. age. infirmity or disablement. financial hardship or social and economic circumrtances or for the publi¢ èt large in the intsrests of social welfr4Te and with the object of improving thecondition of life of the said inhabwiants.
To further such other purposes as are exdusively charitsble purposes under the laws of England and Wales as the Tntstee5 from b.me to time decide. Maln Acthfioes It is clear that, through reputstion and increasing links and contscts in the communty, the reath and impact of Hawbush Communrty Gardens contsnue to grow- especially so. over the lasttwo years. Interest in the gardens is refiected in ests"mated attendance numbers and logging of on-site hour5. These data have continued to show increasire interest in allotment plots following COVID lockdown and. also by gn)up attendance as well as 4lunteer numbers. Data summarised here for 2023. show totsl a total of 11,8(X) w)lunteer hours for 2023 (cf. 13,662 for 20221. Overall on-srte hours, for 2023. were 32.3 hrslday. During 2023, a total attendance of 342 llUnteerS were estimated from the numbers recorded via the on-site Vrk k*ging. Not a completely attuTrte estr.mate but an indication of the interest, attendance and engagement Allovnnce for the large number1381 of volunteers from the community attending the two litter picking day51 33 ACC 4t)lunteers WI assisted across the 5 family afternwns,. 30 from Pens Meadow khool Istsff & students). 20 from Oudley College Istsff & students). co. 25 from Dudley Stroke Association and a large number1>501 of EHKO°regulars", with those referrals who worked a5 K)lunteers: the estimates Stlll indicate a valuable input durfng the year of almost 150 NDlunteers, even though some le.g. work experience, CVS tsster volunteers, or YJ5 younqstersl will have attended only for one day. We still value their contribution and hope they have been irnpacted positi.vely by their experience. During 2023, a total of fve family events were held, with a Community Family picnic scheduled for late August unfortunately carKelled due to wet weather. The events consistently well ttended, with all family knckets booked within a couple of hours of posts'n8. WayS very posltive feedback from attending famIls. wetl organised and supported by a great team of volunteers IACC, EKHO, HCGI. The summer event IITh Aug) VAS organised dunng the ACC/CITC Mission week, wrth about 12 young people from "Mission" helping wtth set-up. running activits'es and clearing up. Since early March, the mother and toddler support group, Mom's Mindful Hub has been iunnln8. wlth Increased numbers. Nature Stay and Play Is almed at mothers and thelr families. The group has a focus on mentsl wellbeing and aims to promote connection between both parent and Child and parent to parent through child led ptay and nature-based acts"vities. The group had taken over the wdcant allotment plot adjacent to the"Art Garden" paddock. an addikn'onal interest for some of the moms and older thildren. A winter break tsken from end of November unkn'l a planned re-start the sprin8. Through the woodland space. EKHO CIC have linked with otherojmmunity groups to runlsupport workshops with natural and sustsinable craft activities. EKHO al corth.nued to njn the Friday support 5es5ions for the s(xial prescribing refeTra15 and on behalf of Dudley CVS Integrated Plus. A Home Educatr"on Group lage range l(k171 was run from September. actiwtr'es including craw green and cookn'n& Hot plant-based meal and drinks included. The Eroup v5 privatefy funded by participant payments and had a hbgh proportion of additional physicallSEN needs. Subsequently. another group lage range 3- 6 alld 7- 91 launched due to demand. Tutor led activth.es indude craftl green and cooking for higher age group, with self-led play and craft provided for younger age group.
We are pleased and excited to reportthe neartompletion of the EKHO sensory. Wellbeing Garden, with a well-attended, official "opening event" held 24, September. the result of great vision. snIficant ambition. some innovab"¥e planning by one of the EKHO director5 and much hard work by a dedicated team of lunteerS. We look foThvard to the practical lISab0n of this vision in helping the vulnefable gTOUP Wrth sevwety restrKted mobility towards improved physical health and wellbeing. In the WdIand, the roundhouse shelter now completed, bfor a raised coverldome over the centre vent and some vmterproofing. The shelter now in regular use for groups and ath"vities. A temp(Yary tsrpaulin coNw over the outdoor ¥vcdwnrking vrkshoP now allowing rnnge of craft and cooking activities to Tun on a regular basis. The substsntial 3ccumulatr.on of vRste & Tubbish of all kinds. a major problem along the site margins, was completely cleared through the orrdni2ation oftwo very successful"¢ommunity Iltter pitk"/rubbish remowdl events in March. Our thanks are due atso to Dudley Council for organi5in8 remowdl from the site, by several truck loads. As part of the original vision for Hawbush Gardens, have contlnued to supply freshly grown fruit and veg. in season Ipotstoes, tomatoes. cucumbe, vegetables. fruitl,. donations in 2023. were 435k8. Over the 7 years. 2017 to 2023 inclusive. a totsl of 1.75 tonnes of fresh produce have been donated to Foodbank and local famili4 an average of 250kg per year. Flnandal Revlew Principal sources of income induded receipts from Allotment Fees. Donations, Grnnts and Hire Charges which are used to sustsin the availability of the facilities for the benefit of the Community. Pollcy on reserb The policy agreed by the trustees is to aim to hold in unrestn'cted reserves not committed or invested In tsngible fixed assets lthe'free. reserves) sufficient to cover the general overhead expenses and salary costs not specffically funded by external aqencies. for o period of six months. At this level. the trustees feel that they would be able to continue the Current ath"vi'es 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 actiwties ¢hanged. The amount of'free. reserves at 31" December 2023 •mourted to £6201 vJhKh equates to 10.35 months. Trustees. responslblllties In reliw ts the Iln•)dal $tern Law applKablt to charrknes in Ernd and Wales requires the trLth$ to prEpare financral statements foreach financial yearwhich give a true and tsirvw of the charivs financki1)ttNities durin8 the year rKI of tts finarKval position ot the end of the year. In preparttw those financkil statements, the trustees are reiuired to: sl•¢t s*Jitsblt acc0uni1 kieS and then apply thom CorlStentI¥. make judgments and esttmates that arè reasonable and prLxlent.
stste WhetrappIlCab1e accountir siarmlards and statsm•ntsof recommnded praci1 h been followed subje¢t to aryy departures dixktsed 3nd explained in the financpl statements,. and prepare the finatal statements on the plrytoncem basis unEts5 it inapproprlèts to presu thatthe croty will continue irÈ bu"n•s5. The trustees a reSpIle for keepirv4 a¢countlT¥ records whKh dtsclose with reasonable accurncy at nyt5me the financial posilion of the ckarity arnl enable them to ensum that the financml staternents comply with the Charthes Art 1993. are also rnspOrtsib for safeguardiF¥ the assets of the ¢harity and hence for taklng reasonabl• st•ps furthe preventicffi detection otfraud and other trregulariti•s. Approved by the trustees on arKI $wd on thelrbeholf by: 8 'lUILÈ Ken knlth Ch•lrm•n d the Board of Trustees
Hawbush Comuntty Gardens Statèment of Flnanclal P£tivllieg For the period from 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023 tdalfw 131.72 131.r 2,012llM) Ih40Th) 243 665.11 7.185 7.18SAI 7.1 7.185A) 2,37824 1.31&76 IM&78 102s 6M1O25 6.61025 6M1025 114FthwZL4 1(k&l an) 1
at 31M212022 31M2f2023 Curronl assets 8M1025 8J)128 201.28 6,610.25 l ¥urp*M Id•ftcltl 6,610.25 R•Mrve¥ 14Ce.9n 8M1025 81025 Totsl R•wrv•• 201a8 .61025 620?28 &610.25 Td W025 pq lit25•nl P¥ 1 d1
Total G8wrnl D•¥lgnal•d hstrkaod Thls ar tast 8 Doniitsh• •nd hgacL•s 131.T2 131.72 2ml(K) osx).Gft Ilonatlon• 19g•cki•Totals 131.r 131.73 2,01?0 fromch8rlt•bl• a¢tlvlO•• 4.5CO. Incom• frornch•rttbl• athlU•• Tot•l• 980 5.980.00 1.41400 Othr tr•dlng 16511 Olh•r tradlng avrtl Totall 243.00 Inv••tnnt¥ Tot Oth•r Incom Oth•r Incon Tot•lA 77U3 6,77613 1695.00 Expondltur• ¢)n: Ralslng fvnd• Rabllng funds Tots EXndhur0 on ch•rlt•bh acd¥lU•• 21XK).(kn Ewfv&Tc 5W27 10JJ 12 27 10J) 89712 1,185A8 259 20%)-L1ti¢s 2021-h? 25Bfi1 45454 15.40 15.40 e3 EKp•ndlturo on charltabl• Gll¥lllw¥ Tol 7.185.80 7.185.80 2,37824
Total Ggn•ral RBslAtl•d E¥MltyTrnt Th1$ sar Last ar Olhgr •xpgndltur• Oth•t •Mpondlluf• Totth 7.185AO 7,185AO 2J7824