2022-01-31-accounts

Grow for Life Charity Number: 1173914

Trustees' Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year ended 31 January 2022

Grow for Life Trustees report for the year ended 31 January 2022

Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors

The trustees during the financial period and up to and including the date the report was approved were:

	Trustee Name	Office(if any)	Appointed	Re-elected
1:	Martin Geake	Chairperson	24 July 2017	7 July 2021
2:	Phillip Blacker		24 July 2017	24 June 2020
3:	Denise Weikert		16 May 2019
4:	Dr Alex Eldridge		20 November 2019
5:	Dr Peg Bavin Butler		7 July 2021
6.	Ted Litchfield		7 July 2021

Charity number

The charity was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, number 1173914, on 24 July 2017.

Registered and principal address

8, The Tyning

Bath

BA2 6AL

Names & Address of Bank

	Name	Address & Postcode
Bank:	Lloyds Bank	47 Milsom Street , Bath, BA1 1DN

Trustees report for the year ended 31 January 2022

Grow for Life

Structure, governance and management

The charity is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and is governed by a constitution adopted on 24 July 2017.

Trustees determine the strategy and policy of the charity. When staff are appointed they report to the board of trustees. Trustees must have an active commitment to the objects of the charity. The board of trustees selects and appoints new trustees who are chosen for their expertise. Trustees are all required to read the Charity Commission’s guidelines on the role of charitable trustees and also to familiarise themselves with the charity’s work on the ground.

The trustees have the pleasure of presenting the accounts for the year ending 31 January 2022 with comparison for the year ended 31 January 2021.

Objectives and activities

Grow for Life (GFL) was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in July 2017. The charity's objects are to assist in the treatment and care of persons suffering from ill health, particularly but not exclusively mental illness of any description, or those who are in need of rehabilitation as a result of such illness, in Bath and the surrounding areas, by the provision of therapeutic gardening and horticulture.

Summary of the Main Activities Undertaken for the Public Benefit in Relation to the Charity's Objects

Grow for Life provides therapeutic gardening for people struggling with life, especially those suffering with depression and/or anxiety conditions. Working outdoors in a garden is enjoyable and productive and gives trainees a sense of wellbeing and achievement. The charity aims to increase the confidence and self-esteem of its trainees equipping them with gardening and social skills, thereby providing a potential route into employment or meaningful activity.

We work in teams with trainees participating weekly in a morning or an afternoon session. The hosts of the private gardens where we work make the teams welcome and agree what tasks are to be undertaken. We make the sessions informative, fun and safe.

GFL historically has worked in both private and public gardens. In 2021/ 22 GFL has worked primarily in the Bath Parks and Nurseries since Covid19 regulations have restricted working in private or care home gardens for much of the year. During the year GFL also reached agreement with the Duchy of Cornwall to take on a lease on an abandoned walled garden in Newton St Loe and has started on restoration work. This garden will be a key resource in enabling GFL to expand its activities and reach more trainees.

Statutory Declaration

The trustees declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the commission in exercising their powers or duties.

Trustees report for the year ended 31 January 2022

Grow for Life

Summary of the Main Achievements

GFL completed a second and third City & Guilds course in practical horticulture in partnership with a local social enterprise, Grow Yourself, and Bath Parks Dept. Sessions took place in Park’s glass houses and nurseries. 16 trainees completed the course successfully.

GFL also worked with 18 trainees in a larger gardening group, primarily base at the Botanical Gardens in Victoria Park. In addition, a further 6 joined a gardening group set up in partnership with St Philips and St James Church, Odd Down. A further 14 were referred but never engaged with GFL.

The charity’s model of training and practical experience for people affected by low confidence, anxiety, depression or isolation has proved highly effective. Working in small groups, trainees are taught horticultural skills and gain experience of gardening in a variety of settings and at the same time learn social skills to help them overcome isolation and build relationships. Regular reviews with trainees revealed the following impact: 96% reported that their mental health and confidence had improved and 50% reported that it had improved a lot. Improved mental health and increased confidence has led to trainees being able to commit to training or further education, take up work experience opportunities, engage with job coaches, or apply for jobs. As a result, of the 40 trainees GFL worked with during 2021, 16 have achieved City & Guilds qualifications in practical horticulture, 8 have taken part in work experience, 7 have secured part-time or full-time work, and one has started an open university course.

Group sessions were led by at least two garden leads. All our garden leads have attended mental health first aid training courses and three have attended courses run by Thrive UK, the leading social therapeutic horticulture organisation in the UK. GFL has a brilliant and enthusiastic team of part-time staff and volunteers. 19 volunteers worked for GFL and contributed an estimated 900 hours in the year. Some of these volunteers have worked with the gardening groups, others have worked on starting restoration of the Walled Garden and yet others have helped with fundraising and admin tasks.

GFL’s profile in Bath increased thanks to its partnership with Parks which has led to wider recognition of the value of our work. Our Operations Manager has developed a profile within Bath’s health care sector and referrals are steadily increasing.

Financial review

Income for the year 2021/22 was £49,906 (£15,832 2020/21), the majority of which was individual donations. £16,350 of income was raised for the Walled Garden Project. Expenditure for the year was £36,056 (£20,376 2020/21) which was all unrestricted expenditure. GFL’s main costs were for the part-time employment of staff.

Policy on Reserves

At the period end, it is holding just over £31k in free reserves. The Charity’s policy on reserves is to generate and maintain a balance which is sufficient to preserve the financial viability of the Charity in the event that unforeseen and/or unavoidable circumstance precipitate a shortterm fall in its income. At the current time the trustees consider this to be a minimum of six months expenditure.

Grow for Life

Trustees report for the year ended 31 January 2022

Particulars of Any Outstanding Guarantee Given by Grow for Life

There are no outstanding guarantees given by GFL

Particulars of Any Outstanding Debt

We owed pension contribution of £ 96.

Signed on behalf of the board of trustees: Signed: ME Geake

Name …. M E Geake

Date: ... 6 July 2022

Grow for Life Receipt and payment account For the Year to 31 January 2022

		Year	to January 2022	to January 2022	Year to January 2021	Year to January 2021	Year to January 2021
		Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
		funds	funds	funds	funds	funds	funds
	Note	£	£	£	£	£	£
Receipts
	2	33,556	16,350	49,906	15,832	0	15,832
Donations and grants
		33,556	16,350	49,906	15,832	0	15,832
Total receipts
Payments
Charitable activities
Activities relating to the
	3	36,056	0	36,056	2,389	17,986	20,375
work of the charity
		36,056	0	36,056	2,389	17,986	20,375
Total payments
		(2,500)	16,350	13,850	13,443	(17,986)	(4,543)
Net receipts/ (payments)
		33,409	0	33,409	19,966	17,986	37,952
Cash funds at start of period
		30,909	16,350	47,259	33,409	0	33,409
CASH AT THE END OF THE YEAR

Grow for Life Statement of assets and liabilities As at 31 January 2022

						2022			2021
					Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
				Note	funds	funds	funds	funds	funds	funds
					£	£	£	£	£	£
CASH FUNDS
Cash at bank and in hand				6	30,909	16,350	47,259	33,409	0	33,409
					30,909	16,350	47,259	33,409	0	33,409
OTHER MONETARY ASSETS
Due on Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme								500		500
Due from invoices					2,188	0	2,188	320	0	320
Due on Gift aid					75	1,165	1,240	1,550	0	1,550
OTHER MONETARY ASSETS					2,263	1,165	3,428	2,370	0	2,370
LIABILITIES					96	0	96	43	0	43
					ME Geake
Signed on behalf of trustees
Name					M E Geake
					6 July 2022
Date

Grow for Life Notes to the accounts For the Year ended 31 January 2022

1 Accounting policies

Basis of accounting

The trustees have taken advantage of section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis.

The comparisons are for the year ended 31 January 2021.

Taxation

As a registered charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.

Grants

Grants are recognised on receipt from the grant making body.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.

Grow for Life Notes to the accounts

For the Year ended 31 January 2022

2 Grants and donations

	Year ended January 2022			Year ended January 2021
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
	900	-	900	-	-	-
Gardening services and training
	1,000		1,000	1,676		1,676
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
	31,656	16,350	48,006	14,156	-	14,156
Voluntary donations and other trust donations
						15,832
Total	33,556	16,350	49,906	15,832	-

3 Payments - Charitable activities

	Year ended January 2022			Year ended January 2021
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
Salaries	31,934	0	31,934	2,389	15,609	17,998
Training	778	0	778		720	720
Insurance	729	0	729		691	691
Marketing and Website	1,926	0	1,926		489	489
Tools and other costs	689	0	689		477	477
Total	36,056	0	36,056	2,389	17,986	20,375

Grow for Life Notes to the accounts For the Year ended 31 January 2022

4 Trustees expenses and remuneration

No trustee received any expenses or remuneration during this year or the previous period.

5 Related party transactions

£773.75 was paid to Martin Geake’s adult daughter for copywriting and designing of website. The other trustees assessed that the amount paid was less than what would have been charged on an arm’s length basis externally therefore this represented best value for the charity.

6 Restricted and unrestricted reserves

	Brought forward as	Income	Expenditure	Carry forward as at 31 January 2022
	at 1 February 2021
	0	16,350	0	16,350
Walled Garden
	0	16,350	0	16,350
Total restricted reserves
	33,409	33,556	36,056	30,909
Unrestricted reserves
	33,409	49,906	36,056	47,259
Total Reserves/ Cash

During the year, Grow for Life have fundraised for a new project called the Walled Garden. The fundraising occurred at the end of financial year and the project started in new financial year hence there is no expenditure in the current year.

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Grow For Life

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 January 2022.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

2. the accounts do not accord with those records[; or

3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination][1] .

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Matthew George Small FCA ICAEW Berkeley Hall Marshall Limited 6 Charlotte Street

Bath BA1 2NE

6 July 2022

1 Delete if preparing receipts and payments accounts.