## Annual Report to AGM September 2022 

Despite the everything that has been going on in the wilder world things in the gardens have continued with volunteers continuing to attend every week to work in the gardens, weeding, harvesting crops and planting. Visitor numbers have remained high, as reflected in the donations made from plant, produce and book sales. In addition new members have helped increased the income from subscriptions. 

Building work around the gardens continues and we have been grateful for everyone's patience during the disruption. It is worth reminding everyone that we are the gardeners and not the developers and as such have no influence over what is being built. We do not own the gardens but rather look after them for the community. Nonetheless the developer has always done their best to accommodate our requests and we are grateful to them and their site team for the support they have given us during potentially difficult times. 

Various construction projects have been undertaken around the site by the Friends. This year we have carried out essential repairs to the Glasshouse roof to address leaks and rotting timber. There is still more work to the fabric of the Glasshouse before we can get on with upgrading the kitchen area. The accounts reflect the need to keep funds in reserve to ensure this essential work can be completed. Elsewhere the Auricula Theatre has had a major overhaul, improvements and additions have been made to the seating areas in the lower gardens where a new shed has been constructed. Fencing has been erected around the rear entrance to the Icehouse but some repairs are still required to the stonework before supervised visits can be reintroduced. 

Trees continue to be a concern although the gardens did not suffer much damage during the various storms. The condition of the Waterloo Beech is an ongoing concern and its condition is being kept under observation. Some trees still need to be removed but several new trees have been planted. In particular a special oak tree which was planted to commemorate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. In June, Burton Manor Gardens, along with three other gardens in the village, participated in the National Open Garden Scheme and helped raise over £4000 for the Garden Scheme charities. 

The Burton Manor Bowmen, who have used the grounds at Burton Manor for their archery meetings, have notified the Friends that they have taken the difficult decision 



to move their meetings to Delamere. We will be sad to see them go but understand the reasons for their decision. 

The Trustees realise that the scheduling of the Annual General Meetings have resulted in delays in submitting our annual return to the Charity Commission. It was agreed at the AGM in 2019 to move the date of the meeting from January to March to avoid some of the problems encountered with completing the accounts after yearend. It was not possible to hold the meeting as planned in March 2020 and a virtual AGM was held in July 2020. The subsequent challenges experienced during the Covid pandemic and lockdowns resulted in a hastily arranged AGM in September 2021, where it was agreed that the next AGM would be within 12months. 

However this schedule does not help us in fulfilling the requirements for submission of our annual return to the CC. Nor does it make much sense, in terms of good governance, to delay consideration of the accounts (year-end November) until the following September. The Trustees have therefore agreed to hold the next AGM earlier in 2023 - ideally March. This should allow time for the completion of the accounts after the year end (November 2022) whilst ensuring that there is not too much of a delay in reporting to the Charity Commission. 




## **Accounts for the year ended 30[th] November 2021 Receipts and Payments** 

## **Receipts** 

|**Receipts**||
|---|---|
|Subscriptions|987|
|Small Business Rate Relief|0|
|CWAC Grant|8335|
|Donations|251|
|Rent|3000|
|HMRC GiftAid|67|
|Bank interest|6|
|Teas and books|1090|
|Plants andgardening|2835|
|Room hire|175|
|Courses and events|1744|
|Pens|0|
|BMRC – research and internet|0|
|||
|**Total income**|**18490**|



## **Payments** 

|**Payments**||
|---|---|
|Insurance|426|
|Glasshouse repairs|4250|
|Repairs and renewals|188|
|Cleaning|474|
|Stationery& computer consumables|236|
|Accountancyfees|150|
|Cateringandgeneral|116|
|Courses and events|1622|
|Gardeningsupplies|1488|
|Fire extinguisher maintenance|54|
|Buildingmaterials|559|
|Equipment|2990|
|Sundryitems/office/phone|702|
|||
|**Total expenditure**|**13260**|
|||
|**Surplus of income for theyear**|**5230**|





## **Movements within the total funds for the year** 

## **Funds as at 30[th] November 2021** 

|**Funds as at 30th November 2021**||
|---|---|
|Barclays deposit account|60974|
|Barclays current account|4547|
|HSBC current account(closed)|0|
|PettyCash float|159|
||**65680**|
|Less aacrual accountancyfee|-150|
|||
|**Total funds as at 30th November 2021**|**65530**|
|||