2022-01-20-accounts - Friends Of Gosforth Central Park

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date Day Month Year Day Month Year From 21st January 2021 To 20th January 2022

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name

Friends of Gosforth Central Park

Other names charity is known by

Registered charity number (if any) 11718862

Charity's principal address c/o 56, Moor Road North, Newcastle upon Tyne Postcode NE3 1AB

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
	E.Bray
	T.Crook
	R.French	Treasurer
	A.Gillard	Chair
	K.Graham	Secretary
	N.Perry
	J.Van der Linden
	K.Vickers
	S.Wootten

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

TAR

March 2012

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Constitution

Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted

(eg. trust, association, company)

Trustees are elected at the AGM from nominations received from Trustee selection methods Members; one third of Trustees retire each year but are eligible for re(eg. appointed by, elected by) election

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;

The community organisation “Friends of Gosforth Central Park” was set up in March 2013 and was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, with the same name, on 2 March 2017.

On 1 April 2019, most parks in Newcastle upon Tyne, including Gosforth Central Park, were leased by the City Council for 125 years to an organisation now known as Urban Green Newcastle, a charitable organisation, which has taken overall responsibility.

The trustees of this organisation have worked in cooperation with Urban Green Newcastle, in particular to work in accordance with government guidance concerning volunteering during the Covid pandemic and under a licence from Urban Green.

trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

Section C Objectives and activities

The objectives of the CIO are for the benefit of the inhabitants of Newcastle upon Tyne to provide or assist in the provision of facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupation in the interest of social Summary of the objects of the welfare with the object of improving the conditions of life for the charity set out in its inhabitants, in particular but not exclusively by the preservation, governing document promotion, support, assistance and improvement of Gosforth Central Park,

TAR

March 2012

When planning activities, trustees have considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and the specific objects of this CIO.

The CIO organises and guides the work of volunteers, most of whom are members of the CIO.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

This work in Gosforth Central Park involves the maintenance and improvement of the Park, including routine tasks such as litter picking, and the care for plants and shrubs, flower beds and planters; other activities have included further development of a Wildlife Area and for the area of a former bowling green.

In terms of reaching out to the community, our Events programme was still suspended during and following Covid restrictions but links have been developed with a local Middle School.

The numbers of members and volunteer workers have been maintained, with several new volunteers.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

We are all volunteers.

Trustees, elected from and by the membership, assume the overall management of the CIO, including finances, liaison with Urban Green Newcastle and the organisation of volunteer activities.

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

policy on grantmaking;
policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

TAR

March 2012

Section D Achievements and erformance p

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

Trustees’ Review of 2021

Another year of Covid, but volunteering continued throughout to keep the Park in good condition and improve it.

As ever, our activities are dependent on the loyalty and hard work of our volunteers. As an indicator of our achievements, Friends of Gosforth Central Park was again awarded ‘Outstanding’ in the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ category.

Our main work is carried out in our Monday work sessions, by a pool of around thirty-five regular volunteers, with an average attendance of 22. Being able to work outdoors and socially distanced, Covid has not significantly impacted our numbers and we have welcomed several new volunteers who have become regular attenders. Access into the Hut is still restricted but in the last few months we have felt able to resume having the social benefits of our coffee breaks – but outside the Hut.

It is difficult to put a figure on actual hours worked; whilst the basic work session is two hours from 10.00 to 12.00, many volunteers start work at around 09.30 and three or four at around 9 a.m. And there are some who regularly keep working beyond midday.

Additionally, a number of volunteers work in and for the park outside the main Monday sessions. Many volunteers make significant and substantial contributions, including:

Watering during dry spells
Tending young saplings and new planting
Providing emergency response to graffiti, vandalism and other damage. We have set up an “Out of Hours” WhatsApp group to help with this
Repairing and maintaining tools and other equipment
Preparatory work for construction and improvements
Litter picking. Some of our Monday litter pickers come out at other times when they see the need. In the summer months, that can be quite a lot. Additionally, groups of parents and a number of individuals litter pick, independent of the Friends
Nurturing plants at home ready for transfer to the park
Engaging with school kids and basketball players to encourage more responsible use of the park
Supporting visiting school study activities
Special interest group meetings e.g. the Plants Group
Preparation and support for the annual Remembrance Sunday service and parade
Liaising with Urban Green Newcastle
Communicating with the FOGCP membership and posting on Facebook
Updating Risk Assessments
Financial planning and management
Handling donations, Gift Aid and Standing Orders

TAR

March 2012

Section D Achievements and erformance p

Work planning and organisation of the weekly Monday sessions
Preparation and submission of plans, funding bids, requests for permissions, etc.
FOGCP is managed by nine Trustees. There have been 8 Trustees’ meetings during the year, as well as the AGM in March 2021, all by Zoom

The Friends continue to work in collaboration with, and under licence from, Urban Green Newcastle (UGN). This includes working to a set of agreed risk assessments, incorporating changing government guidelines. UGN support in the Park has been provided by Ranger Graham Park and we are very grateful for all he has done. Graham did an excellent repair to the side of the Ladies Pavilion and UGN have funded expert repairs of the wall behind the Bulman Club and the steps down from the raised area; we were pleased to be able to improve the tennis nets, thanks to UGN who passed on to us nets donated by the Garden Village Tennis Club.

We are still anxious that Urban Green makes progress with consideration of the future of the Bulman Club and the Quiet Area and also with the need to resurface the tennis and basketball courts.

A major task for the Monday volunteers is keeping the park tidy and in good order by sweeping paths, picking litter, weeding, scrubbing benches and so on. The development and maintenance of flower beds and planters is led by our Plants Group, with a subgroup looking after the park’s trees and shrubs. Work in 2021 has included a significant overhaul of the herbaceous borders, and the reinvention of two struggling flower beds to become Prairie Beds, cutting down on our use of seasonal bedding plants. We continue with the improvement of soil in the Park, using our own compost and leaf mould; autumn leaf collecting is a major activity! We have undertaken some fairly drastic pruning and reshaping of the shrubberies to the north of the Bulman Club, around the War Memorial and along the St Nicholas Avenue path. In the Bulman Club area, we have planted, largely donated, shade-tolerant plants and put down paving stones to help integrate the area into the Park with more accessible routes.

The redundant Ladies Bowling Green - or Quiet Area as we now call it - is still a work in progress. Early in the year we planted the east border with lots of native saplings to join the donated apple trees. We have also started a tree nursery bed in this sector. The self-seeded shrub growth in the bowling green ditch has been severely cut back as a first step to developing a hedge on three sides of the green. A mixed flower bed is proposed for the outer north border. Development of the old bowling green itself is problematic. It is mainly used by parents with young children who welcome an enclosed safe area to play, and by after-school children meeting in large groups or playing football. In informal discussion, UGN have considered ideas such as community use - - for the pavilion and a mini orchard on part of the green but the

TAR

March 2012

Section D Achievements and erformance p

soil is very poor and would need substantial improvement.

A Council lawnmower destroyed a newly planted row of shrubs in the Woodland Walk, but subsequent planting of low herbage has much improved this difficult path side.

In the Wildlife Area, natural fencing around seeded and planted beds has helped combat the loss of plants and habitats through trampling, and the pond now benefits from a pipe we have constructed to take rainwater collected from the roof of Gosforth Memorial Medical Centre. A section of the Wildlife Area is left uncut in order to encourage invertebrates and to provide a year-round supply of food for birds; bird feeders are regularly stocked.

The willow tunnel and willow screen had their annual overhaul at the end of the year. Much of the willow is simply cut back, but it starts with the painstaking process of weaving in as much of the new growth as possible in order to strengthen the structures. Harvested withies are made good use of for natural fencing around the park.

Construction projects this year have included hand carved wood Prairie Bed and Quiet Area signs, three new compost bins built at home by one of our volunteers and assembled on site in the Quiet Area, two new benches, and the piped water feed for the pond already mentioned. A number of new paths for children have been laid through the Memorial shrubberies in order to limit wear and tear. There is also a plan to install a water butt to collect rainwater from the Ladies Pavilion roof.

The park got off fairly lightly from Storm Arwen in November. Cypress trees in Mario’s bed adopted a lean but remained rooted and have now been roped upright. A Thorn tree in the Memorial shrubbery suffered significant damage; it has been made safe but will need careful attention if it is to survive. The storm left us with excessive quantities of fallen twigs and branches which eventually will be chipped by UGN and put to good use carpeting the willow tunnel and paths through the shrubberies, and under picnic tables.

An extensive period of vandalism was the one big negative of the year. Arson was a citywide phenomenon through the early summer. In Gosforth Central Park there were a number of incidents involving the burning of wheelie bins and their contents up to four at a time. Of the many small fires, one had been fueled by wood cladding from the Ladies Pavilion. Another fire was lit on the step to the volunteers’ hut. Vandals also broke down one of the Quiet Area gates and the door to the male bowlers’ toilets and smashed washbasins, toilets, mirrors and pictures. An increased Community Police presence made some impact and the worst of the behaviour faded. Occasionally, graffiti can need prompt removal.

Because of the pandemic, there were no organised events this year - which is a great miss. We did, though, host several study visits for a group of pupils and their teachers from Gosforth Central

TAR

March 2012

Section D Achievements and erformance p

Middle School. The school plan more sessions in the park for 2022. We also arranged a tour of the trees in the Park for the Women’s Institute.

As ever, we are grateful to those who support the park and the Friends through donations including by Gift-aided Standing Orders, cash in our “flower pot” on Mondays, and lots of cakes and biscuits. We have also received some quite substantial donations of plants. In these times of poor public funding, we rely on such generosity.

The covid pandemic of 2020 encouraged many people to make use of their local parks. In GCP visitor numbers increased substantially. Whilst lockdown numbers may not have been sustained at that level through 2021, the park is a much busier place than it used to be. A trip to the park, meeting up with friends, taking the dog for a walk or just passing through on the way to somewhere else has become a significant feature of the day for many local people.

And, of course, we volunteers benefit greatly from the pleasure of working in the park and the voiced and unvoiced appreciation of park users.

Our AGM will be held in March 2022, almost certainly by Zoom and all Members will be invited to take part.

TAR

March 2012

Section E Financial review

The Charity up dated its reserve policy for 2022/23 having reviewed its Brief statement of the policy for 2021/22. The policy follows the guidance outlined in Annex 1 to charity’s policy on reserves CC19 as appropriate for small charities. A broadly balanced budget was set but contingency reserves were held for each of the main subgroups - Wildlife, Plant Group and Equipment Group and a small reserve was held to finance any small developments agreed with Urban Green Newcastle (UGN) as the Charity undertakes its work under licence from UGN. Reserves are held within the accumulated fund to replace any equipment that should break and residual funds are held as “free” reserves. Details of any funds materially Not applicable in deficit Further financial review details (Optional information) The main income stream continues to be from regular donations from You may choose to include members by Standing Order, donations by the public via our “flowerpot” additional information, where donation box at our regular work sessions and in 2021/22 the Charity relevant about: claimed Gift Aid from eligible donors and under the small donations  the charity’s principal scheme. sources of funds (including any fundraising);  how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;  investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)

Full name(s) Allan Aitken Gillard

Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair etc)

TAR

March 2012

Date 22 September 2022 TAR March 2012

Charity Name No (if any) Friends of Gosforth Central Park Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 21/02/2021 20/01/2022

Section A Receipts and payments

A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 1,909 302 - - - - - - 2,211 - - - 2,211 377 76 181 134 - 61 55 76 - 960 - - - 960 1,251 - 6,598 7,849	Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Total funds to the nearest £ 1,909 302 - - - - - - 2,211 - - - 2,211 377 76 181 134 - 61 55 76 - 960 - - - 960 1,251	Last year to the nearest £
Donations	1,909				1,198
Gift Aid	302				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	2,211				1,198

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-
	-				-
*Sub total*	-				-
*Total receipts* A3 Payments
					1,198

Tools and tool maintenance	377				1,117
Plants,shrubs and fertilisers	76				424
Site maintenance	181				261
Insurance	134				134
Publicity	-				10
Wildlife area	61				346
Miscellaneous	55				76
Safetyequipment	76				-
	-				-
**Sub total **	960				2,368

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
	-
	-
**Sub total **	-				-
*Total payments* *Net of receipts/(payments)* A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year end*
					2,368

	1,251	-	-	1,251	- 1,170
	-	-	-	-	-
	6,598	-	-	6,598	-
	7,849	-	-	7,849	- 1,170

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

22/09/2022

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Signature R.D.French Details Details Details Details *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 7,849 - - - - - 7,849 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Roger David French	Endowment funds to nearest £
		-
		-
		-
		-
		OK
		Endowment funds to nearest £
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		Current value (optional)
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		Current value (optional)
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		When due (optional)






		Date of approval
R.D.French	Roger David French	20/09/2022

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

22/09/2022