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2020-12-31-accounts

KING HENRY S WALK garden Annual Report 2021

SECTION A: REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS

Friends of King Henry’s Walk Garden

Registered Charity no 1173019

Trustees

Philomine Wales (Chair) Annabel Goulding (Treasurer/Vice Chair) Fiona Kirk (Secretary) David Harrison Jenny Morgan Nicola Freshwater Amanda Hall – stepped down January 2021

Management committee

Philomine Wales (Chair) Kirsty Slarke (Vice Chair from March 2020) Annabel Goulding (Treasurer/until March Vice Chair) Fiona Kirk (Secretary) Andy Parkinson David Harrison Elizabeth Ward - stepped down October 2020 Jenny Morgan Laurie Evans Peter Clarke Suzanne Brayley - stepped down March 2021

Address

11C King Henry’s Walk London N1 4NX

Website: www.khwgarden.org.uk Email: info@khwgarden.org.uk Facebook: King Henry’s Walk Garden Twitter: @khwgarden Instagram : @khwgarden

Cover images: the four seasons in the garden - Photos by Judith Palmer

SECTION B: STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Friends of King Henry’s Walk Garden is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Association) governed under its Constitution.

Trustees up to a maximum of seven are elected by members at Annual General Meeting. The Board of Trustees may co-opt others as needed to fill vacancies or skills gaps until the next Meeting.

New trustees undergo an induction on their legal obligations under charity law, the content of the Constitution, the committee and decision-making processes, the budget and financial performance of the charity

The Board of Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to such risks

SECTION C: OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The charity’s objectives are set out in its Constitution:

To these ends King Henry’s Walk Garden organises an annual programme of workshops and events as well as ongoing maintenance of the site.

Please note that during 2020 the exceptional circumstances the pandemic has affected the charity’s ability to run the annual programme of workshops and events.

The Board of Trustees have had due regard to the public benefit and taken the Charities Commission guidance into account when making decisions for which it is relevant.

SECTION D: ACHEIVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE:

Chair’s Report

Welcome and Overview

March 2020 - March 2021 has been an incredibly tough year for all of us, with many of us struggling to keep going, feeling anxious and isolated. But Covid has also thrown into sharp relief the power of community and the importance of green space for mental wellbeing, making us value even more than ever the peaceful oasis that is KHWG.

People

Unfortunately, external pressures have reduced the membership of both the Trustee and the Management Committees.

In January 2021, Amanda stepped down as a Trustee, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Amanda for all her contributions as a Trustee over the years.

Liz and Suzanne have both stepped down from the Management Committee. A special thank you to Liz who for over 10 years managed the duty rotas and the events plans (allocating the various jobs to the volunteers) with amazing good humour, even when people cancelled at short notice. Suzanne contributed to our workshop programme for 3 years, something we hope to revive as soon as we are able. Thank you to you both.

All current Trustees and Members of the Management Committee confirmed that they were willing to stand for re-election in 2021. As it was not possible to hold the AGM due to the Pandemic, the current officers remain in post. We have a number of vacancies for new members to join both committees, and always need help in non-committee roles, so please do get in touch if you are able to volunteer.

Last year we listed the range of different roles the members of the Management Committee (and other garden members) take on, to ensure the smooth running of the garden. It is worth repeating. It’s an impressive amount of work. We have some specialist teams, working in the Greenhouse, caring for the bees, fruit tree maintenance, organising our workshops, and masterminding the annual events. Also organising the Duty rota, publishing our quarterly Newsletter and monthly Bulletin, organising the monthly workdays, as well as overseeing maintenance, finances, and membership, organising manure for plots, keeping the clay oven running, and much else.

All of the committee members are volunteers and do all of the above, and more, in their spare time. They are all brilliant and the garden could not function without their dedication. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for the great work they do, and also the many other volunteers, who help make the garden what it is, and my apologies to those not named in person.

Again especial thanks to our site manager Andy, for his huge dedication and enthusiasm in ensuring the infrastructure of the garden remains in good shape, organising teams of volunteers to perform Herculean tasks. The bridge and decking are now looking brilliant, with new balustrading being next project. I must also thank our local councillors, and especially Jenny Kay, for supporting us with this work.

Thanks also are due to Annabel who has managed our accounts with forensic accuracy, allowing us to have confidence in both our short term financial security and longer term project planning for renewal of infrastructure and improvement. To Alison who works with Jenny in the greenhouse to produce plants for sale and for the garden. Jenny also edits (and frequently writes the majority of) the quarterly Newsletter, which has received many compliments over the past year for its positive and uplifting content.

The Bee team (Fiona and Hannah) whose hard work looks after the bees, providing honey for sale and much more; the Fruit tree team (Becky and Peter); Judith who manages KHWG’s social media presence and has posted uplifting images of the garden throughout the year; and Clare who ensures all the garden’s bird feeders are kept filled. Last but by no means least, Nicola and Andy for continuing to run the workdays, always with a delicious cake bake-off, and also to everyone who regularly turn up in all weathers, to ensure the garden is looking its best. Forgive any omissions, it is the contributions by all members that make the garden a real community - thank you!

It is with much sadness we remember Terrance Sweeny and Michael Woolley, both of whom died during 2020. Terrance was a founder member of the garden, and many will remember how much in later days, he enjoyed seating at the circular bench appreciating the peace of the garden. Michael was fundamental in advising on and caring for the fruit trees, which are such a feature of the garden. They will both be missed, but the legacy of their major contributions to the garden remain.

Infrastructure and Maintenance

We had already started to tackle the major project of rebuilding the bridge and pathway round the wildlife pond, including replacing the decking, both of which needed attention after 11-12 years. This has continued during 2020 with the main focus on replacing the pond balustrades with the handsome oak railings now in place, providing a long term, sustainable structure.

We have also managed to start on works to improve accessibility around the garden. We previously commissioned an audit of the garden, identifying areas which needed to be addressed to meet Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements. Our aim is to consider this as part of any works that are needed. The toilet has been upgraded, as was the entry keypad - both location and ease of use.

We also managed to refurbish the classroom over the summer, making some changes to improve the working arrangements, as well as carrying out essential repairs.

Education

The Garden Classroom ran the following activities at the garden when it was possible to do so:

Weekly visits by The Children’s House School were not able to go ahead under coronavirus restrictions in place at the garden.

The preschool group connected with St Paul’s Steiner School were able to hold an early evening lantern walk through the woodland for St Martin’s Day on 5 November.

Workshops

We were able to run our garden Bird Watch in January with Islington Parks Ranger, Fiona CardyMacKenzie. Our workshop programme was then completely curtailed by the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

Annual Events

Again due to the pandemic, we had to cancel the AGM, and members’ day events, and were unable to hold any of our three annual fund raisers. Other annual activities, such as our bio blitz, and the much enjoyed strawberry tea also had to be cancelled.

Membership

Membership remained stable, at the end of December 2020, with 71 plots taken, 2 were out of use due to fox activity, and one was retained for the bees. We had 130 keyholders, and there were 34 names on the waiting list for plots.

Our plot holders include a school and 2 churches, with 6 containers tended by TGC as part of their education programme with older children from Samuel Rhodes School.

The garden was closed to the public for the duration of each national lockdown to comply with COVID restrictions. Only 8 out of 12 of the monthly workdays were able to take place, with none during March to June inclusive due to COVID. We were able to hold workdays with strict protocols in place July to December.

Objectives

We set ourselves the following objectives to be achieved in 2020 :

Philomine Wales

Chair

March 2021

SECTION E: FINANCIAL REVIEW

The charity’s policy is to maintain reserves at a level sufficient to enable normal activities to continue for a period of up to 12 months should a shortfall in income occur and also to take account of contingencies that may arise.

Its policy is to hold surplus funds in an interest-bearing account with a UK bank or building society. Key criteria in selection are ethical investment, low risk with fair rate of return and ease of access.

The annual receipts and payments account, statement of assets and liabilities plus reserves are given on the following pages.

King Henry's Walk Garden Registered Charity 1173019

Receipts and Payments Account for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2020

Receipts and Payments Account
for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2020
£
£
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
RECEIPTS
Building Hire
240
Education
821
Events
-
Donations
192
Grants
3,591
Interest
103
Membership
3,640
Workshops
-
Sales
3,793
Community Projects
-
TOTAL RECEIPTS
PAYMENTS
Running costs:
Accessibility
548
Administration
1,283
Building Hire
560
Events
-
Grants
3,491
Workshops
83
Bees
1,182
Manure/compost
770
Bird Food
222
Community Projects
-
Maintenance General
71
Plants
343
Security
56
Tools
154
Training
-
Website Hosting & Development
8
Total running costs
Total capital items
TOTAL PAYMENTS
NET EXPENDITURE		 £
Total
Funds
12,379
8,212
12,884
21,096
(8,717)

Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 December 2020

CASH FUNDS
Bank balance brought forward
12,974
Bank balance as at 31 December
Deposit balances brought forward
30,027
Deposit balances as at 31 December
TOTAL FUNDS
ASSETS RETAINED FOR OWN USE
Land and Building
Garden structures
Fixtures and fittings
Equipment
Tools
Stocks
4,155

30,133
34,287
LIABILITIES
Woodland conservation
For signature by the Treasurer on behalf of the
trustees
Name: Date

Reserves

2021 2020 Increase /
(decrease)		 %
Unrestricted Funds Reserves 15,287 15,501 (214) (1.4)
Restricted Funds
Designated Funds
- building/site fund
- conservation/development fund		 12,000
7,000		 20,000
7,500		 (8,000)
(500)		 (4.0)
(6.6)
Total Funds 34,287 43,001 (8,001) (18.6)

The Garden should hold in reserve up to 10 months’ general operating costs which equates to £10,000 for the year. This would allow the opportunity to continue activities while identifying ways in which further funds might be raised. Additional reserves at the level of general maintenance costs for 2 years (£5,000) should be retained to cover unforeseen needs over that period. Current reserves equal £15,287, which represents a surplus of £287.

Designated funds will be used as follows

Additional funds will be needed to meet costs which are not part of planned maintenance work

The reserves will be monitored during the year at the monthly management committee and biannual trustee board meetings. In addition, the policy will be reviewed annually as part of the financial accounting and budgeting processes.

SECTION F: FURTHER INFORMATION

2020 in summary

Number of plots allocated at 31 December 2020: 71 Number of key holders at 31 December 2020: 130 Number on waiting list at 31 December 2020: 34

Seasonal events

All cancelled due to the pandemic

Affiliated events

All cancelled due to the pandemic

Awards

Islington in Bloom: cancelled due to the pandemic Green Flag: Community Award

RHS Its your Neighbourhood: cancelled due to the pandemic

Workshops

1 (approx. 15 attendees with social distancing) (no others organised due to pandemic)

Volunteer hours worked (estimated)

Committee: 3,750 (estimated on the basis of 5 committee members working an average of 10 hours per week; 5 committee members working an average of 5 hours per week)

Weekend openings and duty rota: 350 (estimate of duty rota, reduced time during lock down)

Events: 0

Workshops: 5

Volunteer workdays: 240

TOTAL (Approx) 3,995

Grant funding

A £3,990 grant was awarded by Comic Relief Community Fund to run Little Explorers in association with The Garden Classroom

SECTION G: DECLARATION

The Board of Trustees declare that they have approved the annual report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signatures(s)

Full name(s)

Position(s)

Date