## **Friends of Middleton on Sea Pond & Green Charity (No. 1170594)** ## **Chairman's Annual Report to be presented at the AGM on 3[rd] December 2025** And so another year has flown by. With the efforts of the volunteers who attend the regular Saturday morning work parties and the huge support we get from the local community who donate and attend our fundraising events the village Pond & Green continues to flourish in a well kept but natural looking way. The spring bulbs and plants looked spectacular this year and were followed by plenty of wild flowers throughout the summer. Dragon and damsel flies were attracted to the pond and ducks and a heron were in regular attendance. Despite the drought summer the pond managed to hold onto enough water to enable the wildlife to complete their life cycles thanks to the de-silting that took place in 2020. Evidenced by the number of people who come and peacefully sit or watch for wildlife or the little children who rush expectantly in the hopes the ducks have flown in, this little community asset is much loved and appreciated by a great many. A large crowd attended our Carols by the Pond event last December thanks to the Vicar and Church Choir, mulled wine & mince pies. For a few weeks over Christmas the trees were beautifully lit up in the evenings including a new Christmas Tree purchased from and planted by Arundel Arboretum on the eastern side of the Green. This year our community events kicked off with the annual Spring fund raising morning in May when the Green was decorated with flags and bunting to commemorate the 80[th] anniversary of VE day. The morning raised over £1,200. Our second main fundraising event of the year - a quiz night held in the Village hall in October, was a first for the committee and turned out to be a huge success raising £800. A fun evening enjoyed by all which I am sure will be worth repeating. As usual Poppies adorned the trees to mark Armistice Day after which it was soon time to put the Christmas lights up again. So as the last of the Autumn leaves are swept up and the Christmas lights start to twinkle I would like to thank everyone who has made the above possible. Too many names to mention but you know who you are. There is one person however who goes over and above. In addition to organizing and overseeing the Saturday work parties, he is the one who plants the spring bulbs and plants, cuts the grass, is the one up a ladder putting up bunting/poppies/Christmas lights and so it goes on. A big thank you to Don Faircloth for his dedication and hard work and to The Friends of Middleton- on-Sea Pond & Green Charity Trustees & Committee. Nicky Mills Chair of the Trustees. December 2025 2024 2025 Accounts Friends of Middleton- on- Sea Pond & Green Charity Charity No 1170594 Income and Expenditure Account for the year ending 5th April 2025 Note 1 2024 2025 2023 2024 General Fund General Fund Income Parish Council Funding Donations including Gift Aid Fund Raisin8 1,500.00 350.00 125.58 2,000.00 729.36 1,037.78 1,975.58 3,767.14 Expenditure Insurance Secretarial Honorarium Legal and Professional Printing, Stationery and Postage Site Maintenance Brown Bins Tree lighting Plants & Bulbs (Note l) Lawnmower and Equipment Tree Maintenance 384.60 120.00 384.60 100.00 750.00 178.90 350.71 1,156.20 172.18 370.24 1,450.00 1,090.00 Page I 2024 2025 Accounts General Garden & Pond Maintenance 143.95 3,784.36 464.55 3,331.57 Excess of income over lexpenditure)(Note 2) (1,808.78) 435.57 as at 5th April 2025 Assets 2024 2025 2023 2024 Current Assets Cash at bank Cash in hand 6,064.12 27.85 7,818.07 60.20 Total Assets 6,091.97 7,878.27 Liabilities Current Liabilities Accrued Expenses Capital and Resenies General Reserrfes 2,091.97 3878.27 Sinking Fund Reserve 4,000.00 4,000.00 6,091.97 7,878.27 Page 2 2024 2025 Accounts Notes to the accounts Note 1. Note 2. Change of the financial year end to the end of the tax year April 5th from May 3151 Includes the cost of the Christmas Tree of £715 Robin Lush Honorary Treasurer Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts of the Frtends of Mlddleton-on-sea Pond and Green Charity No 1170594 for the year ended Aprll 5th 2025 My examination was carried out in accordan￿ with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examinats'on included a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also included considerats'on of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the eviden￿ that would be required for an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fairf view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. In connection wrth my examination, no material matters have come to my attention, which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect, the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act, the accounts did not accord with the accounting ￿cOrdS or did not comply with the applicable requirements set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have come across no other matters in conneckn'on 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.. Iq" FEE[￿￿￿￿ 202£ Independent Examiner Page 3