Summary Trustees’ Annual Report for the period From January 2020 To December 2020
Charity name: Walk the Loop
Charity registration number: 1173103
Objectives and Activities
Summary of the purposes of the charity:
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The advancement of education for the public benefit by providing services for children and young people (particularly age 0-8) that promote their holistic development (including physical, cognitive, social and emotional) through experiential learning outside the classroom at sites of natural beauty or of special interest on or near the London Loop
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To act as a resource for disadvantaged children and parent-carers living in the London area who are excluded from society, or parts of society, owing to their social and economic circumstances, by providing recreational and leisure time services with a view to improving the conditions of life of such persons and helping them gain new skills.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts .
While contending with the challenges posed by COVID-19, we remained committed to providing opportunities for beneficiaries to engage with nature through walking, discovery trails, scavenger hunts and related arts and crafts activities. Our work on the front-line was curtailed, however, owing to lockdown restrictions.
Events on the Ground:
Early in the year, we were able to run an event in January and two half-term events in February.
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January Event: 4[th] Jan - Hope for 2020, inspired by “When I Coloured the World”
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February Events: 20[th] Feb - Nature Asleep; 21[st] February - Winter Patterns
In the week beginning 16th March 2020, we put a halt to plans for further outdoor activities as full lockdown restrictions came into force.
Continued Communication Online
We sought to emphasise how nature can bring solace through continued communication online (email, newsletter, Facebook), encouraging people to go outdoors where possible and experience the wonder of nature as the seasons shift. We provided regular updates about the beauty of nature passing while pointing out how there is so much to capture of nature indoors through arts and crafts, science, poetry and books. In our website blog, we provided tips and advice about the benefits of walking in nature. https://walktheloop.org.uk/2020/04/08/health-walks-for-children-during-lockdown/
Summer Activities
Over the summer, we dedicated time to supporting the Hornbeam Lodge at Pimp Hall Nature Reserve where we run most of our events. We helped ensure the lodge was given a full clear and clean so that it would be COVID-19 ready when restrictions on using indoor spaces might be lifted.
We also applied for National Lottery Community Funding to be able to support families who might be struggling with the impact of the pandemic. Our application turned out to be successful, leading us to embark on a project Nature and You to run from late September 2021 to late March 2022.
Nature and You
Our project outline was to: run twelve events for small socially distanced groups at Pimp Hall Nature Reserve in Chingford, engaging them with nature through trails and arts and crafts; to share online and in local hubs some four discovery packs. By the time we completed our interim review in December 2020, we had:
- run three events in Pimp Hall Nature Reserve:
October Events - 29[th] , 30[th] , 31[st] October - Nature Trail: Name that Tree with Outdoor Arts and Crafts. We linked the events to the Big Green Draw Festival #Climate of Change.
- created one discovery pack: Just One Leaf , shared with families at the events. It can now be downloaded from our website on www.walktheloop.org.uk/resources
Working Together
As well as working with the Friends of Pimp Hall Nature Reserve and staff from the Hornbeam Learning Lodge, we took on a self-employed lead facilitator - a forest school specialist. Two volunteers played an invaluable role in helping to meet and greet participants and ensure COVID-19 guidance was followed. One other volunteer / trustee oversaw events.
Achievements and Performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.
We found ourselves having to be creative and resourceful in order to rise to the challenges of COVID-19. On the one hand, this meant developing our online approach and resources and improving our website so as to stay in regular contact with beneficiaries. On the other hand, it meant reconsidering how we ran events on the ground so as to ensure health and safety, taking COVID-19 guidelines into account.
For our October events, we planned carefully and took time in advance to put up COVID secure signage, set up the trail and work out how best to meet and greet participants, ensuring they registered with us appropriately. Using the entrance of the Hornbeam Lodge with access to a regularly sanitized toilet helped. Families showed one another mutual respect, staying in their bubbles while roaming free at their own pace and in their own time. The tasks we set on our trail and for our art activity could be adapted both to very little children just engaging with the world around and older children. Families were happy to adapt to changeable weather except for the second half of our session on 31[st] October when there was a downpour.
Participants included some 63 individuals over the 3 sessions (25 adults and 38 children up to age 9), nearly all from E4 (the local area). They were stimulated and engaged and able to take away new learning about leaves and trees. We were able to show families the discovery pack and how to experiment with it in their own time.
Some feedback from events:
“It is so good to have opportunities to get out into nature and do something together.”
“We had a wonderful time.”
“My children have had fun.”
“I have learned the difference between a hornbeam and a beech today.”
“We can enjoy our time outdoors in the rain.”
Financial Review
At the close of 2020, our charity has some £8.409 in the accounts as outlined in our income and expenditure statement. This includes reserves of £3,000 that provide a safety net for any unexpected eventualities or emergencies.
Sources of funds and fundraising
We have offered events for free, inviting donations and support in kind. We have also collaborated with other like-minded organisations and individuals, sharing ideas, facilities and resources so as to be able to keep focus on a positive way forward.
In September 2021 we were awarded the sum of £3474 for our successful application for National Lottery Community Funding. This was restricted to the Nature and You Project.
Risk management
In the early months of 2021, we will focus on following through our commitment to the Nature and You Project while adapting to COVID-19 developments. We will continue to improve online communication through our website and social media. We will also take time to review our situation and set out a strategy for 2022-2025 so as to build up resilience and flexibility as we move on.
Structure, Governance and Management
We are a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) under the name of Walk the Loop and have a constitution whose only voting members are its charity trustees.
The constitution details our trustee selection methods, which are also outlined in our Trustee Recruitment Policy.
Names and Addresses of our Current Management Committee (Trustees)
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Ms Olivia Lowe 23 Queensbury Founder
Ardmore Lane
Buckhurst Hill
IG9 5RY
Ms Emine Osman 22 Broxbourne Avenue, Treasurer
South Woodford,
London
E18 1QG
Ms Saika Alam 1 Horsley Road Chair: Legal support
Chingford
London
E4 7HX
Mr. Steven Price 23 Grove Park Safeguarding
Wanstead
London
E11 2DN
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Names and Addresses of our Advisers (educational)
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Lori Shearer 6 Woodside Road Previous primary school
teacher
Woodford Green
Essex
IG8 OTR
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Reference and Administration Details
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Charity name Walk the Loop
Other name the charity
uses
Registered charity 1173103
number
Charity’s principal FLAT 23
address BLOCK A
ARDMORE LANE
BUCKHURST HILL
ESSEX
Tel: 07983 996373
Email: info@walktheloop.org.uk
Website: www.walktheloop.org.uk
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Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees Signature(s) Full name(s) Olivia Ann Margaret Emine Osman Lowe
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Position (eg
Secretary, Chair,
etc) Founder Treasurer
Signature(s)
Full name(s) Saika Alam
Steven Price
Position (eg
Secretary, Chair, Chair Safeguarding
etc)
Date 13 [th] October 2021
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Walk the Loop Income and Expenditure 2020 - January - December
| Month (2020) | Income £ | Expenditure £ | Category | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 474 | HR specialist support on a volunteering strategy and policy | ||
| February | 0 | 116.48 | resources and materials | ||
| March | 49.1 | 18.43 | donations; expenses | ||
| April | 0 | 0 | |||
| May | 0 | 0 | |||
| June | 0 | 0 | |||
| July | 0 | 0 | |||
| August | 0 | 0 | |||
| September | 0 | 0 | |||
| October | 3474 | 0 | The National Lottery Community Fund | ||
| November | 0 | 0 | |||
| December | 0 | 382.93 |
| Total Income 2020 | 3523.1 |
|---|---|
| Total Expenditure | |
| 2020 | 991.84 |
| Total Balance 2020 | 2,531.26 |
| Total Overal Balance | |
| for 2019 | 5,877.74 |
Total Overall Balance for 2020
8,409.00
EMINE OSMAN
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- 2021