## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From: 01/10/22 Period start date To: 30/09/23 Period end date** **Charity name: FRIENDS OF RIDLEY PARK (FORP)** **Charity registration number: 1177588** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**FORP was set up to:**
•
**help the inhabitants of Blyth and**
**its surrounding area by providing**
**or assisting in the provision of**
**facilities for recreation and other**
**leisure time occupation.**
•
**improve the conditions of life for**
**the inhabitants in the area of**
**benefit by the preservation,**
**promotion, support, assistance**
**and improvement of Ridley Park.**| |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.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**Park entrance project received funding**
**from:**
•
One Lottery
•
Public donations
•
Pavilion hire donations
•
Easy Fundraising
•
Amazon Smile
**Park improvements – disabled access**
**picnic bench**
•
Northumberland County Council
grant
•
Public donation
**Nature related activities:**
•
ASDA funding for biodiversity
projects
•
Successfully applied for September
2022 – September 2023 Co-op
community funding scheme for
biodiversity projects
•
Northumberland Day bat walk
•
Bird screen maintenance
•
Bulb planting
•
Nest box audit| |||•
Light gardening
•
Litter picking
•
RSPB Birdwatch survey
•
Northumberland in Bloom award
ceremony
•
Green Flag Judges visit
**Heritage:**
•
Bill & Ben mascots
•
FORP CONNECT newsletters
•
Coronation Day window display
**Public Engagement**
•
Public library display
•
Pride of Pace Blyth town exhibition
•
_Revitatlising our Estuaries_
exhibition with Groundworks
•
Women’s Institute talk
•
Blyth Culture Network & Blythfest
window display
•
Blyth Town Carnival parade
•
Blyth Library Green Living Day
•
Northumberland County Council
“Love your Park’ promotion
**Training/awards:**
•
ERIC wildlife recording training
•
Christmas tree – seasons of the
park, 1stprize in community
competition
•
Green Flag award| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The trustees have observed the
Commission’s statutory guidance on public
benefit to improve facilities and activities
within Ridley Park.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|Treasurer: 4 hours weekly (192 hours)
Secretary: 4 hours weekly (192 hours)
Trustee: 20 hours| Accounts auditor: 8 hours Weekly Jobs in the Park: 384 hours per year Community event attendance: 70 hours Total for year: 866 hours Other ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |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.|Para 1.20|During this financial year FORP received
final approval for the balance of funding
of £26,000 for the park entrance project
from Northumberland County Council.
FORP fundraising efforts have continued to
build up and ring fence a maintenance
fund for this project which will
substantially enhance and promote the
park to the community.
A grant of £500 was received from the
Northumberland County Council to buy a
picnic bench made of recycled materials
with wheelchair access. This will replace a
wooden picnic table which was vandalised
and will reinstate an amenity to park
users.
Other achievements relied on volunteer
time and minimal or no financial input
from FORP. Members bring a positive
presence to the park to improve the park
for all the community. Some members
work together on creative projects, while
others are active on engagement with
groups in the wider community:
•
JOBS IN THE PARK (weekly session)
_-_384 hours of volunteer time: litter
picking, deadheading roses, bird-
screen and pavilion maintenance,
light gardening, window displays,
nest box audit and report. Bill &
Ben change themes throughout the
year.
•
FORP CONNECT – 7 digital editions
of the newsletter were produced to
help charity trustees stay in touch,| - especially those with an underlying health condition, living alone or socially isolated. The newsletter started during COVID-19 and is considered a valuable archive resource for FORP. - • BILL & BEN FORP MASCOTS: volunteers took them to the King’s Coronation event and Blyth Town Carnival Parade - • REVITALISING OUR ESTUARIES PROJECT collaboration with Groundworks North-East involved planting wildflower plugs in the park and a public exhibition was held in the pavilion. - • CREATIVE PROJECT - Christmas tree and decorations were handmade for the annual tree festival. FORP won 1[st] prize in 2022. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against Para 1.41
objectives set
Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives Para 1.41
set
Investment performance Para 1.41
against objectives
Other
**----- End of picture text -----**
## Financial Review |Financial Review||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|Following on from COVID 19, expenditure
has been carefully monitored. Use of the
pavilion has generated a welcome increase
in income this year.| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|Friends of Ridley Park aim to hold £1000 in
reserves as this will ensure we can cover
our Public Liability insurance costs.| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£1000.00| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Appointed by Charity Trustees of Friends
of Ridley Park| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |||| |---|---|---| |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|Safeguarding Policy
GDPR Policy
Health & Safety Policy
Equal Opportunities Policy
Volunteer Policy| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|| |Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Friends of Ridley Park| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|| |Registered charitynumber|1177588| |Charity’s principal address|4 Park View
Blyth
NE24 3AY| ||| **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Fiona Gibson|Chair||Trustees of Friends of Ridley
Park| ||Gerald Wallace|Vice Chair||Trustees of Friends of Ridley
Park| ||Stu Olley|||Trustees of Friends of Ridley
Park| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**| |---|---|---| |**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**||| |||| ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **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)**
**Position (eg Secretary,**
**Chair, etc)**
**Date**||| |---|---|---| ||Fiona Mary Gibson|| ||

Trustee|| ||24 January 2024|| ||24 January 2024|| FRIENDS OF RIDLEY PARK Wensleydale Terrace, Blyth, NE24 3HF Charit Commission Number- 1177588 Statement of Accounts For the Year Ended 30 September 2023 FRIENOS OF RIDLEY PARK Chan comm￿s1on N 77 RECEIPTS & PAYMENfs ACCOUNT- YEAR ENDED 30TH SEPTEMBER 2023 Total Fun 22 26.663.59 RECEIPTS F4lembei&hl Fees 21.Cl) Donatrons CollectiODS Donations- GeDeral Donations- Pavilion Use Donations- One Lottery Priies 19.19 442. 630.ry) 421.68 1.5J2.87 Grant5 & Award Asda Green Token Scheme NoTlhurDbErland CoL4nty Council m￿rO@ranT Other A Amazon 5mle Receipt5 Easy Fuftdraising Receipts One Lottery fiiket St￿% Refunds 50.63 8&31 1.2OJ.Tr) 1.336.94 TOTAL REC Iv RIN THE YEAR 3.770.81 30.434.40 PAYMEM ellarte￿5 Prr* Insur¥ce. Combined p￿ NCC- Gamins Licence for One Lottery Cbri5tffjas Tree DecoratlOD5 New Lock and Keys National Garden Tokens- Gilts 'Bill & 8en' Photographs Notice Board Materia 350.47 20.(K) 13.99 37.co its).co 25.0 553.% BiTd Screen & Nest Boxes Pro ert Bird Screen- 8Yd Food Bird Screen- Maintenance Cosis 85.76 75.0) Ifil.76 TOTAL PAID DURING THE YEAR 714.72 Tot31 Funds ar 3Cth Se ember 2023 29.719.68 30.434.40 FRIENDS OF RIDLEY PARK 775 STATEMENTOF MEMBER'S FUNDS ASAT 30TH SEPTEMBER 2023 Ass￿$ & UablllEles Asset5 Caslt at Bank & In Hand". BaLHnce at Uoyds Bank Cash in Hand 29.634.66 85.02 Total Assets 29.719.68 Deferred Income.. Blyrh Town Council Grant JoiceyTrust Grant I5,C￿.(￿l 5,CQO. 120.OCO.ODI 9.719.68 Represented By'.- Member's Fvfid Miscellaneous Project Park Entrance Project rd Screen & Nest 8oxe5 Project Nature Project Seating Project 631.31 7,580.48 207.89 4rh).oo 9CKJ.00 9,719.68 Nt**s FQRP rereived ¥ C¢nwnun1Ty￿PPJrtfy8W*fEX5.iWfvL¥n BtyThT¢yim CtyJntsi¢* 29th M¥th 2021. Tr*grihfw*soft¥ed t•vardsThe Park Eniiance Pioifftwih Ehepro¥oo thai ¢fftJin(onthlityisberf befryeihEfunds wweeRpJided." thtrnwn (wdrtity7b*neihat iht remaiDingfundsb2rai5ed tocampleletbe project. The [(￿lI10r￿ &ttathedtothegrant hawe. asat Iheyear-end date. not yetbeen met. c(￿e￿￿￿tIY.thl51nl0￿rntlstreèIÈd4$ Defetted InciMnea53t ￿ 5eptember1023a5therei5apo5￿￿lrtythatrt ￿￿￿tha￿e fob2 repaid t061vth Twn Ciwncil FORPreceived aGraniof£S.(￿fr￿￿ ThEJI￿[eVTl￿5tcffj 4thMty1012. The￿￿t ￿￿O￿ve￿t(￿ards1ht Park Inlran¢tProje¢t ￿th the PfOVi50 that tertaincon