Knowle Park
TRUST
Trustees Annual Report
and Financial Statements
Report Period
1st April 2023 to 31" March 2024
RST0- RD2
Administrative Information
Charfty Name: Knowle P3rk Trust
Re8lStered Charity No.: 1176590
Prlncipal Charlty Address- Sundial House. 20 High Street, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8AE
Banker5: Metro Bank, One Southampton Row, London, WCIE SHA
Independent Examinèr: Oakwood Business Consultants, Unit 3, The Dairy, Tilehurst Farm Offices, East
Shalford Lane, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 8AE
Type of Governing Document: Charltable Incorporated Oryanis3tion ICIOI Foundation Constitution
Organlsatlon5 Purposes I'objects'l.. The objects of the CIO are the provision and maintenance of areas of
open space and public p3rks for the benefit of the local inhÈbitants of Cranleigh in the county of Surrey and
the SLErrounding area5 in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the conditions of life
for the said inhabitants. The CIO will carry out its purposes by providing and maintaining a new area of
parkland and public open space for use by member5 of the public.
Note: The Knowle Park 51tè comprises 22.80ha156.34 acresl and is situated south of thé built-up area of
Cranleigh's village centre Knowle Lane.
Trustees: The following have served as truste during this reporting period:
Chalrnian..
Trustees..
Martin Bamford
09.01.2018 to date
Andrea 8amford
11.11,2023 to date
Lucy Boatswain
09.01.2018 to date
Timothy Crowe
09.01.2018 to date
Rosemary French OBE 11.11.2023 to date
Nicolaas Vrijland
09.01.2018 to 11.11.2023
jeffrey Wood
09.01.2018 to date
Statement of Tru5tees' Responsibilitie5
Thè Trustees are respon51ble for preparing the Trustees. Annual Report and the Financial Statements In
accordance with applicable law, FRS 102 (Financial Reporting St3ndard51 and SORP 201515tatement of
Recommended Practice).
The law applicable to charitie5 in En813nd & Wales requires the trustees to prepare Financial Statements foi
each financial year which give a true ancl fair view of the state of èffairs tsf the charity and of the incoming
resoL5fEes and application of resources of the charityforthat period. In prEparing these Financial Stètements,
the trustees are required tD'.
al Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently.
bl Observe the methods and principle5 in the current Charities Stat£m@nt of Recommended Practice
ISORPI.
cl Make Judgments and estlmates that are reasonablè 3nd prudent.
dl State whether applicable accounting 5tandèrds have been ftsllowed, subject to any material
departures disc105ed and explained in the Financial Statements.
el Prepare the Financial Statements on an accruals basis.
TheTrustees are responsible for keepingsufficientatcounting CordS that disclose with reasonable accuracy
at any time the financial posffcion of the charty and enable them to ensu that the Finan¢lal Statemellt5
comply with the Charities Act, Charity Reporting and Accounting Guidance, and the provisions of the trust
deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the tharity and hence for taking reasonable
steps forthe prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Trust is further responsible for employing staff to undertake kèy roles pursuant to the administratian of
the trust and the upkeep of its land and propèrties. RemunèratiOF) will be calculated and reviewed annually
with reference to employee expeTience/qualifications, inflationJprl indices, local comparators. and
performance monitored through annual reviews condutted by Trustees.
Note.. There were no staff employed by the trust during this reporting period but please note the disclosure
relating to> property valu8tion5 at the end of the Financial Statement.
Recruitment and Appointment of New Trustees
Trustees were originally selected for d2monstrating their early support for the projett and ¢ommitment
towards seeing it delivered. Following the opèning of the Park on 27 May 2D23, two new Trustees have
been appointed bringing additional skills and experience, in particular skills to Champion one or more of the
key a5petts ncited in'Public BÈnÈfits' below.
Trustees are requirÈd to retire attheirthlrd Annual General Meeting folltswingtheir election or appointment
but are eligible for r&Èlection or re-appointment.
The selettion of future trustees will be deterniined by their suitsbility to champion one or more of the key
aspetts Noted in 'Public Benefits. bÉlow, or to provide needed skills and expertise.
Public Benefft
KPT benefits visitorsfrtsm Cranleigh andfurther afield by providingthem with a free open spacèforrecreation
nd lèisure pursuits. The space is a150 Used to host public events, coneèrtg, sport activities and similar events
providin8 further enjoyment and lèisure opportuntties for the benefit tsf the general public
In deciding whatevents mayor may not be hosted atthe parkthetrustees wtll carefully considerthe potential
benefit of the event to the genèral public in the surrounding area and weigh that up against any short-term
limitation the event may place on access to all or part of the park
KPT is committed to protetting this unique landscape and improving its flora. fauna and wildlife habitats.
The Trust will carefully bal8n¢e this with its Use as aft amènity and recreation resource for Cranleigh and
surrounding areas and develop close ties wtth the community by foeusing on six key aspects of local
importance
Culture
Ecology
Educatio
Heritage
Recreation
Wellbeing
Links will be forged with local societies, groups, institutions and Initiatives to ensure that all of the benefits
and opportunities that the park can afford arè realisÈd.
Objectives and Activities
The objectives of Knowle Park Trust IKPTI are the provi5iDn and maintenance of areas of open space 3nd
public parks for the benefit of the local inhabitants of Cranleigh in the county of Surrey and the surrounding
area5 in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said
inhabitants.
KPT carries out its purposes by providing and maintaining a new area of park13nd and public open space for
Use by members of the public, comprising 22.80ha156.34 acres) situated on Knowle Lane, Cr3nleigh. Thè
land was donat2d to the Trust by a local business manlphilanthropist and is held in perpetuity by the Trust
for thè benefit cif Cranlèigh resldents.
Organisational Structure
TheTru5tees have delegated the day-to-day operation of the Parkto a parttime Park Manager. He Is assisted
by around 50 volunteers, inclijding several of the Trustees.
Risk Management
The Trustees are awar2 of the major strategic and operatio>nal risk5 which the Charity faces and have put in
place systems to identify those risks in a Risk Register which is regularly examined and updated, to mitigate
the company'5 exposure to them, as far as possible in a small org3nisation.
Further pollcies are in place
Anti Corruption & Bribery, Complaints, Equality & Diversity, Ethical, Lost
Childr2n & Vulnerable Adults, Modern Slavcry, Privacy & GDPR and Safeguarding. These are reviewed bythe
Trustees annually tsr when an incident arises, if earlier.
Funding
KPT'S activlties are funded from several source5 in addition to donations and sponsorshlp. The principal
source5 are from the rental income of three apartments owned by the Trust. by parking fee incotTEe from the
car park and from sales commission frorn the Kiosks plus some income from events and performances.
Future Events
General 3cce55 to thp parkland will b& available to the public free of charge. The trustees may from tlme to
tlme decide to h05t events at the park where an entry f¢e is charged. In hosting any such events the trustees
will carefully consider the impatt of the event on access to the parkland. When setting a ticket price the
trustees will carefully balance the neèd to raise money from the event in order to fund the maintenance of
the park agaill5t th2 need to ensure that the event is affordable to a5 wide 3 group c)f the parkland users,
local residents and visitors as possible.
Review of the year
The new Knowle Park wa5 hand2d to the Trust by the contractors Ground Control in May, 2023 after 10 years
in development, of which alm()st 2 years was spent in building work after delay5 incurred by the pandemic.
During the development of the project the nation31 footpath 392 that crosses the park between Knowle thne
and Alfold Road remained opèn and accessible to the public. After i&mov31 of safety fencing, the Pork was
opened to the public c>n 27, May 2023, free to use. 24 hours a day.
The summer of 2023 proved to be extremely hot and dry which made it difficultfor many of the newly planted
hedge5, trees and plants to survive despite every effort to water them and a number were lost. However,
under the construction contract many were replaced by the contractor within the defects liabillty period.
Donatiolls of 5000 hedgerow whips from Surrey County Council and 20m whips frgm Alllanz enabled
additional areas to be planted including a wildlife corridor from north to south.
The Parys walks and trails, meadows and picnic areas wère immediately used, by w31ker5. picnickèrs, the
young, the elderly and the less ablèd. The appreciation of the public for this new free leisure facility w35
often repeated by vislt0TS and residents alike both on soclal media and throLfgh word of mouth- Tiustees and
the Park M3nagerwere regularly stopped to be thanked. The feedback isthat Knowle Country Park has been
'adopted' by the community as theirs which is thÈ greatest of compliments.
The Sk CranlÈigh parkrun and walk restarted in September 2023 bringing around 200 adult runners every
Saturday and around 70lunitsr park runners on Sunday mornings. Although Challenging with its steep hill the
Cranleigh parkrun is one of the most popular in the area.
Dueto the newness of the Park and the vulnerability of many of its young plants and newly planted rThe3dows
and gras5 amphitheatre. thÉ Trustees reluctantly decided not to hold any performance events during this
fjnancial year. It provÈd to be the correct decision.
After one ol thè UK'S hottest summÈr5 Dn record, the winter of 2023 and the spring of 2024 proved to be
very wet The newly laid self-binding gravèl paths proved incapable of absorbing and sh¢dding the
downpours. After considerable discussion with the contrattor, who were still within their defects liability
period, repairs wère made in conjunttion urith a ditch-digging incentive made possible with the help of many
voILtnteers.
The Trustees are indèbted to the commitment of its volunteèr workforce. many of whom are very recent
residènts to Cranleigh and neighbours of the Park. During the year volunteers dug ditches. planted whlps,
cleared the osier bed of fallen Wood and weeded relèntlessly amollgst many othertasks. The high standard
of maintenante seen in the Park is directly attributable ttstheir valuable time and efforts. In the forthcoming
months a detailed Park Management Plan wll be drawn-up that will provide a clearèr program of seasonal
works and dlverse projects towards which volunteers can choose to participate.
ltiosks
Although not in the orlginal plan, KPTwas approached by an lee cream vendor and a coffee véndorto locate
tèmporary sales kiosks in the Park. The Trustees considered this idea and decidÈd to trial it. The Moooh Icè
Cream and Heartworks Cc>ffee Kiosks have proved very popular throughout the year. A sm311 commission
was nègotiated which h85 added to thè Park's finances.
Playground
There are two playgrounds differenti3ted by agè for younger and older children. Families regularly picnic
within the playground while the children play Dn equipment made of wood designed to fit in well with the
natural look of the park.
The Lake
The Lake has been designed to attrart wildlife and entourage the growth of natural watèr plants, with a
pebble b2ach where visitors can admire the view and get c105e to the water. Entering thè lak2 whether by
a human or domesticateLf animal is forbidden because of the disturbance to flora, kuna and fowl and the
danger to persons getting into trouble. This has proved to be a difficult mè8gÈ for some visitor5 whose
dog5 enterthe lake, and for some adults and children who try ttstake a dip. Further signs have been ererted
nd the messagè 15 being constantly shared on social medi3 that entering the lÈkè or Littlemead brook is
forbidden
Amphltheètrè
Thè grass Amphitheatre up the hill was not used for performances during this year. However. the Trusteos
were pleased to see such large numbers of picknicker5 and kmilies assembling to enjoy the view.
Public Convenlen¢es
Thè WC block has three open-to-all toilets and one 'Changing Places, facility for people with disabilities that
incorpor3tes additional feature5. They are opened at7am and closèd around 6pm in the summer and earlier
in the darker winter months. Cranleigh is very short Df public toilets and those at Knowle Park are of the
highest quality in the village.
Car Park
While the Park is accessible 24 hour5 a day, the 60 space car park is closed between 8pm and 6am, as advised
by the planning authorities fDr security reasons. If vehicles weie tnistak@nly parked during those hours.
despite the many signs advertising opening htrurs, the drivers received fines from the Operator Euro Car
Parks. For the first couple of months fines were waived while visitor5 became usèd to the parkinE hours.
Although controversial at first, visitors soon got Used tD the parking rules and any controversy settled down,
The car park has proved popular because it15 cheaper th2n others in the village and because it ha5 10 elertric
charging point5, and S parking spaces for people with disabilities. However, the Trustees are pleased to note
that 3 large number of visitor5 have walked or cycled to the PBrk.
Disruptive Behaviour
Th2re have been a few occasions of di5ruptlve behaviour. For example lake1ifebuoys being thrown into the
lake, graffiti in the toilèts, littering, not picking up dog excrement and noisy groups of young people 3t late
hours. In the north c>f the park Inorth of the public footpath 3931 dogs must be kept on a lead while they can
roam free In the south of the park 31bÈit under the close control of their owner5.
The mc>st common disruptlon to visitors Is when dogs are let off the leash in the prohibited area5 alarming
children, adults and the wildlife protected areas. This continues to be a problem despite èdditional signage
but, on a positlve note, the instances have reduced considerably.
Summary
The opening of the park had been eagerly antitipated for such a long time and It was wonderful to see it
finally complete after several years of trials and tribulations. Thanks must go to all those who 5UPPOrted the
project thrtsugh all its stages of development, to all those who support it now, and m(>st importantly to Nick
Vrijland without whose vision and dedication none of it would have come tts fruition.
Financial Statements
Retained Profit for the year ended 31" March 2023=
Rètained Profit forthe year ended 31" March 2024=
£985,263
£979,851
Cash at Bank at i"April 2023.. £31,943
Ch at Bank at 31" Mèrch 2024.. £23.317
Income and Expenditure
The accc)unts for 2023-2024 show a deficit of £5,412. While this will bè regarded as unacceptsble in
subsequent years it is, however. accepted that in the inaugural year that a number of 'start up. and
'mobilisation' costs have been incurred that will not arise in the future. For instance, the kiosks required
hard Standing for access to their frontage5 and other enabling works were associated with their
commis510ning. Yo015 were purchased for volunteers to use and several Sundry items nèèdèd to be
purchased that wÈrÈ beyond the scope of the construction contract. With almost a complete year of
accounts now available the Trust will be in a position tts calculate a budget for the 2024-2025 year that will
be rigorously adhered to. mindful that fvnds must also be saved to build 3 resèrve fund.
Detai15 of Income and èxpenditure can be found later in this report.
Frxed Assets and Valuation
Valuations for the 3 propertiÈg gifted to the trust wère prepared at Marth 2022 market values. These are
summari5ed as follows..
Flat 2 (plot 651 AcèrAvenue- 2 Bedroom Ground Floor Apartment with garden and parking £320,000.
Flat 3 Iplot 661 Acer Avenue- 2 Bedroom First Floor Apartmcnt with balcony and parking- £310.000.
Flat 4 Iplot 671 Acer Avenue- 2 Bedroom Ground Floor Apartment with garden and parking £320,000.
The total value of fixed assets on 31" Marth 2023 was £9SO,000. The next valuation will be conducted In
March 2025.
DÉsdosure: valuation was carried out by Crowes Estate Agents Ltd, and the Principal of that firm is Tim
Crowe, a Trustee of Knowle Park Trust. Crowes Estate Agents Ltd also sejve as the letting agents forthe three
properties.
ReseNes Policv
The Tnjst will strive to maintain a polity whereby there 15 at least Six months of unrestricted funds available
to cover situations as they may arise from time to time,. these are effectively 'reserves'. We firmly believe
that as a charity wè must have the aim of being in existence in perpetuity- that we should not allow tsur
reserves to fall belowthesix months expenditure threshold recommended as the normal minimum guideline.
In November 2023 8 savings account Iwith interest) was set up with Shawbrook Bank through the Charities
Aid Foundation ICAFI in the form of a CAF 60 Day N¢tice Account. In March 2024 £7.053 had been saved.
Trustees, responsibilitles in relatlon to the financial statements
Law applicable to charities in England and Wales require the trustees to prepare financial statements for
each year financi31 which give a true and fair view of the charity's financial activities during the year and of
its financial position at the end of each year. In preparing those financial staternents, the trustees are
required to..
Select iuitable accounting policies and then apply them con515tently.
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
State whether applicable 3Ctounting standard5 and statements of recommended practTees have
been followed subject to any d&partures disclosed and explained in the financial statements,. and
prepared the financial st3tements on the going concern basis unless it Is inappropriate to presume
that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with r2asonèble accuracy at any
time the flnancial position of the charity and enable them to @nsure that the financial statements corrplv
with the Charities Aet 1993. They are a150 responsible for safeguarding th& 8ssets tsf the charity and hence
for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detectioll tsf fraud and other irregularities. Thi5 report ha5
been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part IS of the Companies Act 2006 relating to
smaS1 companies,
Approved by the Trustees on 7th Odober 2024 and signed on Its behalf by-
Martln Bamford (Knuwle Park Trust Chairman
Datè
**KNOWLE PARK TRUST CIO**
**ACCOUNTS**
**CHARITY NO: 1176590**
## **For the Year Ended 31st March 2024**
Page 1 of 8
**KNOWLE PARK TRUST CIO**
## **CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **For the Year Ended 31st March 2024**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Contents Page|**2**|
|CIO Information|**3**|
|Profit and Loss Account|**4**|
|Balance Sheet|**5**|
|Fixed Asset Breakdown|**6**|
|Creditors and Debtors|**7**|
|Expense Analysis|**8**|
Page 2 of 8
**KNOWLE PARK TRUST CIO**
## **CHARITY INFORMATION**
## **For the Year Ended 31st March 2024**
TRUSTEES Bamford, Martin Wood, Jeffrey Crowe, Timothy Boatswain, Lucy Appointed 11/11/23 Bamford, Andrea Appointed 11/11/23 French, Rosemary OBE PRINCIPAL ADDRESS Sundial House 20 High Street Cranleigh Surrey GU6 8AE CHARITY NUMBER 1176590 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Oakwood Business Consultants Unit 3, The Dairy Tilehouse Farm Offices East Shalford Lane Guildford, Surrey GU4 8AE
Page 3 of 8
**KNOWLE PARK TRUST CIO**
## **PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT**
## **For the Year Ended 31st March 2024**
||**Notes**|**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**|
|**INCOME**||||
|Rental||45,230|47,460|
|Donations/Gifts||11,219|950,600|
|Grants||-|5,000|
|Operating||28,787|-|
|Interest||53|-|
|**Gross Profit**||**85,289**|**1,003,060**|
|Expenses||90,701|20,640|
|**Net Profit**||**-5,412**|**982,420**|
|Profit Brought Forward||985,263|2,843|
|**RETAINED PROFIT CARRIED FORWARD**||**979,851**|**985,263**|
Page 4 of 8
**KNOWLE PARK TRUST CIO**
## **BALANCE SHEET**
## **For the Year Ended 31st March 2024**
||**2023**
**2024**|**2023**
**2024**|**2023**
**2024**|**2023**
**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Notes**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Fixed Assets**
Property, Plant & Equipment
Land
**Current Assets**|956,419||950,000||
|Debtors
Cash at Bank
Stock
**Current Liabilities**|1,290
23,317||4,100
31,943||
||24,607||36,043||
|Creditors
Loans
Accruals
Net Current Assets
**Capital and Reserves**||1,175||780|
||23,432|1,175|35,263|780|
|||**979,851**||**985,263**|
Page 5 of 8
**KNOWLE PARK TRUST CIO**
## **FIXED ASSET BREAKDOWN**
## **For the Year Ended 31st March 2024**
|**Tangible Fixed Assets**|**Property**|**P&M**|**F&F**|**Totals**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Value|||||
|At 1.04.23|950,000|||**950,000**|
|Additions||1,798|6,228|**8,026**|
|Disposals||||**0**|
|**Total**|**950,000**|**1,798**|**6,228**|**958,026**|
|Depreciation|||||
|Charge for year||360|1247|**1607**|
|**Net Book Value**|||||
|**At 31.03.24**|**950,000**|**1,438**|**4,981**|**956,419**|
## **Depreciation Policy**
Plant & Machinery (P&M) and Fixtures & Fittings (F&F) are depreciated on a 20% straight line basis. Where this basis is not suitable for the type of Fixed Assets subject, an acceptable alternative method will be applied.
Property Assets are subject to a revaluation in March 2025.
Page 6 of 8
**KNOWLE PARK TRUST CIO**
## **CREDITORS AND DEBTORS**
## **For the Year Ended 31st March 2024**
|**Creditors**
**Amounts falling within one year**
Trade Creditors
Loans
Accruals and deferred income
**Total**
**Debtors**
**Amounts falling withing one year**
Trade Debtors
Prepayments
**Total**|**2024**|
|---|---|
||**£**
-
-
1,175|
||**1,175**|
||**2024**|
||**£**
1,290
-|
||1,290|
Page 7 of 8
**KNOWLE PARK TRUST CIO**
## **EXPENSE ANALYSIS**
## **For the Year Ended 31st March 2024**
||**2024**
**£**|
|---|---|
|**Property Costs;**
Agent Fees & Service Charges
Repairs & Maintenance
Other
**Park Costs;**
Secreterial & Admin
Utilities (incl Water)
Advertising & PR
Events & Fundraising
Cleaning
General Expenses
Staff Costs (Training/Clothing)
Repairs & Renewals
Site Development & Maintenance
Waste Removal
Vehicle Running Costs
**Overheads;**
Bank Fees
Insurance
Consulting
Depreciation
Accountancy
**Total**|7,690
791
-
107
10,547
2,437
544
6,739
1,349
693
7,528
41,176
3,012
548
1
4,607
150
1,607
1,175|
||**90,701**|
Page 8 of 8
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's report on the
accounts
Section A
Independènt Examine$ Report '..
Report to the trusteesl
members of
OLKJLL frusF CIO
Si" H(L¥th 2J324
On accounts for the year
ended
Charity no
(if any)
1116590
Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charityllhe Trust") for the year ended
Responsibiltles and
basis of report
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the
accounts in accordance with the reqUIrnents of the Charities Act 2011
I'lhe Acf).
I report in respect of my examinaton of the Trust's accounts C3rried out
under section 145 0* the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145151{bl of the Act.
Independent he charitvs gross income exeded £250.000 and l am qualified to
examinerfs statement undertake the examination by being 8 qualtfied member of linsert nam6 of
applicable listed bodyn. Delete I l rfnot applicable.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have
come to my attention in connection wth the examination (other than that
disclosed below") which gives me cause to believe that in, any matorial
respe(*"
the 2CCOUnting records were not kept in accordance with section 130
of the Charth2s Act., or
the accounts did not a¢cord with the accounling records,. or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements
conceming the fom and content of a