Annual Report 2023 -2024
Chair’s Introduction
I am pleased to present the annual accounts for Nurture Through Nature for the year ending 31[st] March 2024. This year has been a period of transition for our charity as we say thank you to Drew Hardy who stood down as chair at the start of 2024, Drew supported the charity from its inception and made a significant contribution during this time. I am delighted to have been appointed as the current chair and I look forward to bringing my experience and perspective to our organisation in order to support the mission.
Challenges in Fundraising
One of the ongoing challenges we face is fundraising. The economic climate has made it increasingly difficult to secure the necessary funds to support our initiatives. Despite these challenges, our team has shown remarkable resilience and creativity in finding new ways to raise money. We continue to promote our work and are actively seeking new opportunities to ensure we can sustain and expand our vital work.
Ambitions for Growth
Looking ahead, we are committed to growing our output of fresh produce for food banks. The demand for food support continues to rise, and we are determined to meet this need by increasing our production. Our dedicated volunteers and community partners are at the heart of this effort, and together, we are confident that we can make a significant impact on food poverty in our region.
Thank you for your continued support and belief in our mission. Together, we can nurture a healthier, more sustainable future for all.
Summary of the Main Achievements of the Charity for the Year APRIL 2023 to MARCH 2024
-
This year we ran 2 volunteer growing sessions a week from April to mid-December and then from February to March.
-
Sessions were attended by an average of six volunteers a session though Friday sessions remain more popular.
-
We received funding from Sussex Community Foundation and by The National Lottery Awards for All.
-
A big change this year was the resignation of Drew Hardy in October 2023 . Drew had chaired the organisation since it began in 2017. Drew led the organisation with clarity and compassion and also provided expertise on pollutants and toxins on those occasions when we took on clearing rubbish from new allotments. We are very grateful for Drew’s leadership during those years.
-
In December 2023 we welcomed our new Chair of Trustees, Luke Ashby. Luke had been a volunteer so understood the organisation and what we do. Luke’s professional background is in governance.
-
We continued welcoming University of Brighton students on 30 hour community placement via our links with the university’s Active Student team. Long term placements such as these allow the volunteers to learn and develop gardening skills and some also assist in the planning and supervision of the plot.This year we hosted 3 students.
-
In September 2023 we were invited to talk to the Brighton and Hove Allotment Holders Federation of (BHAF). BHAF is an entirely voluntary group that works to represent and further the interests of plot holders so we were happy to tell them about what we do. The talk was well received andBHAF has been looking at ways to encourage other allotment sites to use the same model to grow fresh food for food banks.
-
In March 2024, we attended the Mayor’s reception for food growing groups. The reception was arranged by Councillor Jacqui O’Quinn, the outgoing mayor, as she had a particular connection with the city’s growing groups. The event celebrated the range and extent of food growing in the city and the contribution they make to health and wellbeing.
-
In addition to donating vegetables that we have
-
grown , we also collect surplus crops from fellow plot holders to reduce food waste and this year we began using a decommissioned fridge as a donation point so that people can donate when we are not available.
● We continued to donate most of our produce to the City Food Bank and the Real Junk FoodProject.
- A few words about the context in which we work. Brighton may seem like a prosperous city however a Brighton and Hove Food Partnership report produced in October 2023 noted that 6,441 people in the city rely on emergency food services every week , equivalent to 2.3% of the population and and (increase of 25% since 2021. And that our regional level of food poverty is slightly higher than the national average at 11.3 - Overall, 59% of all households believe that they will have to cut back on food bills to pay their utility bills going forward. BAME people and students are increasingly affected
https://bhfood.org.uk/no-end-in-sight-as-food-poverty-continues-to-soar-in-brighton-andhove/
Some of our wonderful volunteers.
NURTURE THROUGH NATURE Charlty Numb•r: 1171526 R•e•ipts and Payments Accounts For tho Y•or End•d 31 March 2024 FuNI• Fw FdI Fund• Ymr 27,200 27.455 5.7&1 Fo¢0 420 187 743 134 Rw 167 rr Cut• 1J4 210 8,281 18.231 15.010 Tat•l P•>Tn•n 18331 1&010 1448 19,517 19,517 7,312 C••h Funds Th1• Y••r End 11,236 ,757
NURTURE THROUGH NATURE Charlty Number. 1171526 Rocelpts and Payments Accounts For th• Y•ar End•d 31 March 2024 B 3IA•m•nt ol A•••t• •nd Llablllil•• •• •t 31 IA•reh 2024 FuDd• Cwh Fwd• 6.155 S.081 Tot•1 Ca•h Fund• 11,236 ry4 41• Pwnnpl Commun H 518 518 FwwJ• lo TuL££ fviaAsE 24.q.zL