2021-12-31-accounts

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Summary Trustees’ Annual Report for the period From January 2021 To December 2021

Charity name: Walk the Loop

Charity registration number: 1173103

Objectives and Activities

Summary of the purposes of the charity:

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
2 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 .

2021 continued to be marked by COVID-19 adjustments and adaptations. This did not prevent us from being proactive.

Our focus over the early months was on the Nature and You Project we embarked on in October 2020 thanks to funding received from the National Lottery to support families who might be struggling with the impact of the pandemic.

The original 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 and created one discovery pack.

In the early months of 2021, COVID-19 restrictions meant that we were not able to run face to face events as planned. Instead, we set up trails that could stay up

over a monthly or six-weekly period for families to follow at their own time and pace. The purpose of these was to help lift their spirits and engage their interest in what nature had to offer at a time of collective sadness. With this in mind, we set up a: Valentine Trail over February and a Bird Trail for March-April.

We also continued with a newsletter, our website and our online presence using such platforms as Facebook while developing a further discovery pack on the theme of Light and Darkness.

From April through spring and summer we followed in the spirit of our Nature and You Project. We were able to run face to face events again while continuing with the creation of two more discovery packs on the themes of Birds on the Wing and Just one Flower and keeping current COVID-19 guidelines foremost in our mind with appropriate adjustments.

Events on the Ground

Open events at the reserve included Birds Nesting on 17[th] and 24[th] April as well as a Butterfly and Insect Trail – Now you See Them, Now you Don’t on 4[th] and 5[th] June with accompanying arts and crafts. We left the trail up for families to enjoy over the weeks to come. On 10[th] October we participated in a Shroom Sunday event.

A rise in cases of the Omicron COVID-19 virus led us to put a hold to events on the ground for the rest of the year.

Adopt a Wildflower Patch Sessions – Summer Pilot Project

We agreed with the Friends of Pimp Hall Nature Reserve to adopt a wildflower patch at the reserve which families could look after and nurture over the months to come in order to encourage wildlife particularly bees. This ran from 26[th] July to September 24[th ] with some five events . Our plan was to pilot this with a view to developing the project further over 2022-2023.

Working Together

As in previous years, we worked closely with the Friends of Pimp Hall Nature Reserve and staff from the Hornbeam Learning Lodge where we hire indoor space to complement outdoor activities especially in wet weather. We also took on a self-employed coordinator, a herbalist and a forest school specialist to help, particularly with our Adopt a Wildflower Patch Project. We further worked in partnership with Kids’ Kitchen on 26[th] April, 4[th] and 5[th] June as well as the London Fungus Network on Shroom Sunday in October. Volunteers played an invaluable role in planning and running our open events, bringing enthusiasm and creativity to the mix.

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 stayed true to the commitments we made in our application for the Nature and You Project but had to go beyond the original end date owing to COVID-19

restrictions. We now have four discovery packs that can be downloaded from our website: www.walktheloop.org.uk/resources as well as three trails for families to follow at their own time and pace. These can be set up in a range of locations.

When possible, we ran face to face events (in spring, summer and early autumn). Careful planning helped ensure we were appropriately set up for the event so that families could engage in activities with a good free flow in their own separate bubbles or joining up with other families and friends when COVID19 guidelines allowed. They found the activities informative and engaging. The materials and resources helped them learn and be creative

We piloted an Adopt a Wildflower Patch project from July to September which we plan to develop further over the year to come. Families reacted positively to our explanation as to the purpose of our project and made some offers to take part in it on an ongoing basis. We kept note of their details. There was a lovely atmosphere, partly due to people being able to come together in what they felt was a safe environment

Some Feedback on our Events

“Thank you for organising this thoughtful and inspiring Valentines Trail. It was a wonderful wander around the reserve in sunshine, following the clues and enjoying the early Spring surprises. Wonderful.

“I took my two boys (6,9) around for a spring explore on Sunday. They absolutely loved hunting for birds and bees. Lovely.”

“It was brilliant, simple and relaxed but with plenty for the kids to do at their own pace. My children are 18 months and 3 years old and they both had a great time exploring the trail and the activities. My older daughter loved seeing the caterpillars in the jars and they both enjoyed playing with the magnifying glasses. This was our first time at the nature reserve and I really liked how it feels safe and gives children the chance to run around and enjoy nature.”

“Very well organised. Friendly and welcoming staff. Lots of outdoor stimulation and a fun trail to engage with nature.”

“A fun easy way to learn about nature. We collected things to put in our bug hotel and then decorated it. There was lots of help and extra activities.”

Financial Review

At the close of 2021, our charity has some £5,032 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 ensured we spent the restricted funds provided to us by the National Lottery on activities carried out in the spirit of our Nature and You Project . In addition, we offered events for free, inviting donations and support in kind. We also collaborated with other like-minded organisations and individuals so as to be able to keep focus on a positive way forward.

Late in the year we carried out some additional fundraising activities with a Winter Craft Stall at Bedford House in Buckhurst Hill and by leading some six walks for the Hornbeam Centre based in Walthamstow. These activities helped raise funds for the charity as is recorded in our monthly accounts.

On October 30th we submitted a full application to the Emergence Foundation to take out Adopt a Wildflower Patch pilot sessions further and run a Nurture and Grow Project from February to October 2022. Confirmation that our application has been successful was given to us in January 2022.

Risk management

In the early months of 2022, we will focus on developing our Nurture and Grow Project while adapting to COVID-19 developments if need be. We will continue to run open universal events alongside, particularly at half-term and in the holidays. We will develop online communication through our website and social media. We will also take time to review our situation and set out a strategy for 2023-2025 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)

----- Start of picture text -----
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
----- End of picture text -----

Names and Addresses of our Advisers (educational)

Previous primary school

Lori Shearer

6 Woodside Road

Woodford Green teacher Essex IG8 OTR

Reference and Administration Details

----- Start of picture text -----
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
----- End of picture text -----

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 Lowe Emine Osman Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Founder Treasurer
	Founder	Treasurer

Signature(s) Full name(s) Saika Alam Steven Price Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Chair Safeguarding

Date 31.10.22

Walk the Loop Income and Expenditure - 2021 -

Month (2021)
January	0	211.85
February	0	120
March	0	567.23
April	0	947.23
May	0	120
June	10	203.91
July	2.5	0
August	0	323.56
September	0	800
October	180	0
November	100	274.82
December	94.28	641.6

Total Income 2020	386.5
Total Expenditure
2020	4,090.20
Total Balance 2020	-3,703.70
Total Overall Balance
for 2022	8,409.00
Total Overall Balance
for 2021	5.032.81

EMINE OSMAN

27.10.2021