RIVER OAKS CHARITY ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2024 – MARCH 2025
Trustee Update
We have 9 trustees as of 31.03.2025. During the year Mike Thwaite kindly agreed to step up as Chair and Pat Kennick took over as the main point of contact for Charity Commission purposes.
Pond Area Update
Terry Jones raised concerns that gardener was having trouble mowing certain areas around the sides of the pond due to the increasing slope as the banks have settled over the years. After a review of the situation and further discussion we decided to take no further action as this point, and will consider additional sympathetic landscaping work in the future should maintenance of the affected areas prove impossible with the aid of grant funding.
During the year the pond fountain stopped working, Martin Foster and Mike Thwaite managed to get it working again, and the lights were replaced as well. There were some concerns that the water level in the pond keeps dropping, Mike bought and installed a device to help auto control the water level.
A family of ducks came to stay with us for the spring and summer, they proved to be a talking point amongst residents and encouraged lots of new visitors to the pond.
Defibrillator
After an incident on the field with a visitor who suffered a cardiac episode, we became aware of the need for a defibrillator on the estate. A fundraising campaign and grant application were launched led by Heather Thwaite and Vicky Hughes started discussions with the Oliver King Foundation. The brick electricity cupboard by the pond was chosen as the best site for the equipment. The cost of the equipment was £2100 including training for up to 12 volunteers. Councillor Dave Antrobus gave us a substantial contribution from his community fund to help us achieve the target.
On the 1[st] December the training was held with the OKF and the defibrillator handed over, a very good example of ROC creating community.
Woodland Area Update
We were advised by an arborist that to preserve the health of the trees in the woods we should try and cut back the ivy growth on the trunks, which a small team managed successfully over a few months.
The Forest School that began with Laura last year continues to grow in popularity during school holidays, volunteers have continued to work on clearance and improvement of the area used by the children, thanks to Judy Dyer for her lead on this. Judy also made contact with a local company who provided wood chippings for the forest school area as the ground was becoming muddy and eroded.
In February 2025 the Forestry Commission approved the Woodland Management plan submitted last year, trustees will look at the implications of this and next steps throughout 2025. Thanks go to Martin Foster for his perseverance with the FC.
Clean up days were held on 11[th] May, 28[th] September and 2[nd] March attendance ranged from 6 trustees and volunteers up to 15 with the focus on cutting back tree ivy, clearing pathways and overhanging bushes and brambles together with litter picking.
Wild Flower Meadow
We decided this year not to actively manage the WFM but wait and see what regrowth comes up without intervention.
Play Area
We held 2 clean up sessions in the play area to ensure it remains a safe and welcoming place for families. The annual RoSPA inspection threw up a few minor issues the main one being the trip hazard presented by shrinking and lifting of some of the soft surfaces. Contact was made with the company who installed the flooring but they were unwilling to help fix the problem. We will continue to monitor the situation and take further action when required.
Unfortunately, the play area continues to be a focus for anti-social behaviour in the area, one of the 2 picnic benches suffered fire damage, some of which was repaired by a volunteer.
The mound in the play area continues to present a challenge from both a safety and maintenance point of view, we plan to address this in 2025. Thanks to Mike Thwaite for his work contacting contractors and getting prices. The plan is to seed the area once the mound has gone and plant a tree in keeping with our environmental ethos.
Events
On October 31[st] we had the annual Halloween competition with prizes for the best 3 decorated houses and gardens. In Spring we held an Easter event on 29[th] March 2024. This annual EEH this year was switched to an Easter egg trail as the usual site for the hunt was too muddy. Once again, the event was well attended and all the children came away with an Easter Egg.
The Summer Event we had planned for 6[th] July was cancelled due to bad weather, it being an outdoor event. We did still hold a raffle which raised over £200 for the charity.
We held our annual Christmas event on Saturday 7[th] December, with pizza and drinks, the evening was well attended and appreciated by the local community. Santa was there again and the children were each given a selection box. We organised some
festive drinks hampers with contributions from residents and raffled them off before the event to raise funds for the charity.
Finance and Fundraising
Our key recurrent (year-on-year) expenses in 2024/25 included £1,915 on ongoing maintenance of the pond area, £1,031 on insurance, £739 on Sam Ibbotson’s modest expenses for the grass cuts (significantly more affordable than previous costs), and £538 on energy.
Our key one-off costs included £1,066 on new pond fountain parts and lights, and £2,170 on installation and training for our new defibrillator (£1,700 of which was kindly funded by the Council, as above).
Key income included £2,433 from a multi-year Gift Aid claim undertaken in this period, and £1,583 raised from our July fundraising event (raffle etc).
The balance in our general fund/reserves was healthy as at 31[st] March 2025, with £9,148 available. The sum of £2,672 also remained in our Wild Flower Meadow fund, to pay for future WFM (and aligned) expenses.
Thank you to all local supporters who donate either regularly or as a one-off to enable the charity to continue fulfilling its objectives.
Future Plans
During 2025/26 we aim to start drawing up a plan for implementing the recommendations of the Woodland Management Plan.
We will also continue to reach out to other communities and groups in the area to help support the work of the charity.
Storage continues to be as issue as we do not have any premises. Currently we own very little in the way of tools and equipment to help maintain and improve the estate and Trustees agree that it would be good to have some secure storage to house these.
Anti-social behaviour is an ever-present problem. Residents are quick to clamp down on groups who gather around the pond or play area and report it to the police, but we cannot keep an eye on everything, the woods in particular. Next year we will consider options to address this.
And finally….
Big thanks to all our supporters and volunteers and the resources they provide without which we would not be able to continue and build on the work of the charity. Trustees would like to thank Sam Ibbotson for his tireless work cutting the extensive meadow land around the estate.
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of haritv NLirii River Oaks Charity On accounts for the year ended 31st March 2025 Charity no (if any) 1175908 Set out on pages 1and2 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31st March 2025. Responslbilities and As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (°the Act.). I report in respect of my examination of the chaiity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Independent examiner's statement Signed: Date: 30th November 2025 Name: Mr Keri J H Owen Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 15 Handley Court Liverpool L19 3QS Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). IER October 2018
Give here brlef detalls of any Items that the examlner wlshes to dlsclose. NONE. IER October 2018
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Rlver Oaks Charfty Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from To 0110412024 3110312025 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestrlcted funds to the nearest Restrlcted funds Endowment funds to the nearest £ Total funds Last year to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ A1 Receipts General donations Donations box Defibrillator Fountain Raffle & Summer event Fundraising Gift Aid Amazon Pond dearan 6,320 17 6,320 17 2,097 750 1,582 226 2,433 8,136 104 750 1,582 226 2,433 42 4,630 Sub total (Gross income for AR) 13,425 13,158 10,578 2,847 A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). Sub total Total receipts 10,578 2,847 13.425 13.158 A3 Payments Garden & pond maintenance Fields maintenan Defibnllator Fountain Wildflower meadow Woods & trees maintenance Events & fundraising Pnnting & postsge Energy Insuran Equipment Website Regulatory fees Sundry other expenses Play area Pond derance 1,915 1,915 2.406 2,097 750 739 2.097 750 739 4,800 4,252 289 185 260 951 302 20 538 1,031 73 56 35 45 116 302 20 538 1.031 73 56 35 45 153 57 37 90 4,778 Sub total 4,131 3,623 7,754 20,345 A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see tsble Sub total Total payments 4,131 3,623 7,754 20,345 Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfer8 between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 6,447 776 5,671 7,187 2,701 9,148 3,448 2,672 6,149 11,820 13,336 6,149 CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 0711212025
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Re8trlcted fund8 to nearest £ Endowment funds to nearest £ gories Unrestrlcted funds to nearest £ B1 Cash funds B8nk current account 9,148 2,672 Total cash funds 9,148 (agree balances with recelpts and P8ymenlS account(s)) 2,672 Unrestrlcted funds to nearest £ Restricted funds to nearest £ Endowment funds to nearest £ Details B2 Other monetary assets Details Fund to which asset belon Cost (optional) Current value tional B3 Investment assets Current value tional Details Fund to which asset belon Cost (optional) B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use Fund to which relates Amount due tional When due tional Details B5 Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of roval ?/izZz CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 0711212025