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 1ftes￿ned 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 ocCU￿tion 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 4￿lunteer 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 V￿rk 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 famIl￿s. 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 v￿5 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. s￿nIficant 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 W￿dIand, the roundhouse shelter now completed, b￿for 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 v￿rkshoP 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 rel*iw ts the Iln•)dal $￿tern*
Law applKablt to charrknes in Er*nd and Wales requires the trLth$ to prEpare financral statements
foreach financial yearwhich give a true and tsirv*w 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:
s*l•¢t s*Jitsblt acc0uni1￿ ￿kieS and then apply thom Cor￿lStentI¥.
make judgments and esttmates that arè reasonable and prLxlent.

stste Whet￿rappIlCab1e 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 fina￿tal statements on the plrytoncem basis unEts5 it ￿ inapproprlèts to
presu￿￿ thatthe c￿roty will continue irÈ bu*"n•s5.
The trustees a￿ reSp￿I￿le 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 $w￿d 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
8￿1025
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￿
Don*iitsh• •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•rtt*bl• athlU•• Tot•l•
980
5.980.00 1.4140￿0
Othr tr•dlng
16511
Olh•r tradlng a￿vrt￿l Totall
243.00
Inv••tn*nt¥ Tot
Oth•r Incom
Oth•r Incon* Tot•lA
77U3
6,77613 1695.00
Expondltur• ¢)n:
Ralslng fvnd•
Rabllng funds Tots
EX￿ndhur0 on ch•rlt•bh acd¥lU••
21XK).(kn Ewfv&Tc
5W27
10JJ
12
27
10J)
89712
1,185A8
259
20%)-L￿1ti¢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¥Mlty*Trnt Th1$ s*ar Last ￿ar
Olhgr •xpgndltur•
Oth•t •Mpondlluf• Totth
7.185AO
7,185AO 2J7824