Cross Green - Growing Together
Charity number 1178267
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 March 2023
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Group's logo
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Cross Green - Growing Together
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2023
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Trustees' report | 2 to 4 |
| Examiner's report | 5 |
| Receipts and payments account | 6 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 7 |
| Notes to the accounts | 8 to 9 |
Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO
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Cross Green - Growing Together
Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2023
Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors
The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: Name Position Dates
Jean Copley Chair Walter Lewis Treasurer Resigned 12th July 2023 Mary Brennan Trustee Gillian Lofthouse Secretary Resigned 5th February 2023 Fr. Darren Percival Trustee Charity number 1178267 Registered in England and Wales
Charity number
Registered and principal address
Bankers
9 Cross Green Crescent Cooperative Bank Leeds PO Box 250 LS9 0DD Skelmerdale WN8 6WT
Independent examiner
Sarah Coates MAAT
West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
Structure, governance and management
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) association formed on 8th May 2018 and is governed by a constitution.
Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees
The trustees of the charity are appointed by the members at the AGM.
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Cross Green - Growing Together Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2023
Objectives and activities
The charity's objects
To further or benefit the residents of Cross Green and neighbouring wards in the metropolitan district of Leeds, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.
In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, the trustees shall have power:
To establish or secure the establishment of a community centre and to maintain or manage or co-operate with any statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre for activities promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above objects.
Public benefit statement
In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular both ‘Advancement of Education’ and ‘Other Purposes Beneficial To Society’, specifically improvement and engagement with the local environment.
Achievements and performance
The main achievement during this year was to further develop our existing Community Garden utilising unused land to create a beautiful, productive and safe space for the Community of Cross Green to help celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. During this financial year we received £30,250 of the two year National Lottery Platinum Jubilee Grant (a total of £50K was awarded, the remainder to be received during 2023/24 year). Hyde Park Source were commissioned to undertake the Design and Build element of the work which included creating outside learning areas/seating and building and installing more planters – the ‘Jubilee Garden’ was formally opened by the West Yorkshire Deputy Lieutenant on Saturday 4th June 2022 as part of a Jubilee Garden Party attended by over 140 members of the local community.
This funded also enabled us to fund a temporary project manager who has spent this year supporting us to put supporting paperwork and systems in place to help with the on-going sustainability of Cross Green Growing Together as well as undertaking consultation and establishing new activities. These have been around cooking and eating together and an Afterschool Club was started this year as well as adult batch cooking sessions which have been introduced to support those affected by the cost of living crisis. We have received initial positive feedback about these new sessions and we will carry these on with the Jubilee funding into the next financial year as well as complete the final phase of the garden development.
Over 1,700 volunteer hours were spent working on the Community Garden throughout the year, producing fruit and vegetables that were shared with the community and also donated to St. Hilda’s Church/Community Unity who provide food support for those in need in the Cross Green area.
We were awarded £3,333 Anchor Connecting Communities Fund, managed by Leeds Community Foundation to pay for a range of activities to bring the community together around food and this work was carried out by a range of local organisations including Project Hope, St. Hilda’s Church and Community Unity. This included:
Intergenerational activities at the Cross Green Community Hub involving 38 local children and 28 local adults who enjoyed chatting and eating together and building bridges with the younger and older generation.
3 family fun days were delivered at different local venues attended by 277 children and 157 adults bringing together local families from different backgrounds
15 people from the local community came together on Christmas day for a meal who would otherwise have been alone/not able to have a meal
26 volunteers were involved in the delivery of these activities and the funding also contributed towards Christmas food hampers to local families in need.
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Cross Green - Growing Together
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2023
Achievements and performance continued
During this year we spent the £1,000 of Hey Neighbour Funding (carried forward from 21/22) to support volunteers undertaking their activities; this included travel expenses, refreshments, equipment and waterproof/protective clothing in different sizes.
This funding supported a total of 2,366 hours of volunteering throughout the year.
Healthy Holidays Capital Grant Funds, managed by Leeds Community Foundation, which was awarded in 21/22 was carried forward in the amount of £2,097.82. This was fully spent early on in this financial year on capital items to support the learning experience of children on Healthy Holidays programmes that are delivered at the Cross Green Community Gardens and Hub by Hyde Park Source. Items purchased included a Fridge/Freezer, mud kitchen and play resources and an outside stove for cooking. 40 children took part in Healthy Holidays activities during this financial year.
(£9,868.70 of Healthy Holidays Grant Funding was carried forward into 22/23 for activities that were delivered between Sept 21 and February 22 – Hyde Park Source invoiced us for this work during the 22/23 financial year – this invoice was for £8,718.70 as £1,150 was for the use of the Cross Green Community Garden and Hub for the delivery of this activity)
Awarded £1,166 grant from R.E.R.F to improve sustainability of the garden for the installation of water butts and manure bays – the majority of this work and expenditure was completed in this financial year; the work was fully completed end April 2023 and the grant was received in the 23/24 financial year.
Awarded £500 from Leeds City Council, inner East Community Committee Well Being Fund, small grants to pay for a coach for 16 individuals involved in either volunteering or attending groups at Cross Green Community Garden to go for a day trip to Scarborough – many of those attending had not been out of Leeds since the pandemic and had become socially isolated.
Spent the final part of the grant from Leeds Fund Kitchen Equipment that was carried forward from 21/22 (£348.40) this included a wide range of items that are helping to support the delivery of the children’s afterschool cook and eat sessions and also the adult batch cooking sessions and includes sets of colour coded chopping boards, child friendly knives and resources for baking.
Financial review
The net payments for the year were £12,625, including net payments of £854 on unrestricted funds and net payments of £11,771 on restricted funds.
Reserves policy
The charity's free reserves, at the year end were £3,197.
A minimum of 6 months running costs and a budget to remove building on site if lease/ licence ends. A target of between £1,500 - £3,000 in unrestricted funds will be kept in reserves.
Any other unrestricted funds above the £3,000 amount will be allocated in to an annual budget.
Approved by the board of trustees on 17/10/2023
Darren Percival (Trustee)
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Cross Green - Growing Together
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Cross Green - Growing Together
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 March 2023, which are set out on pages 6 to 9.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the CIO 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 CIO's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. 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 Charities Act; 2 the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Sarah Coates MAAT
20/11/2023
West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
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Cross Green - Growing Together Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 March 2023
| Notes 2023 Unrestricted funds £ Receipts Grants and donations (2) 190 Facilities hire 2,195 Total receipts 2,385 Payments Garden landscaping and redevelopment 1,192 Garden plants and shrubs 377 Garden repairs and maintenance 324 Hub repairs and maintenance 478 Volunteers costs 13 Insurance 144 Administration and minor equipment 42 Equipment - Utilities - Events and activities - Marketing and website 200 Project management costs - Programme delivery costs 119 Independent examination 350 Total payments 3,239 Net receipts / (payments) (854) Fund balances brought forward 4,051 Fund balances carried forward (3) 3,197 |
2023 Restricted funds £ 34,083 - 34,083 14,266 - 546 - 454 - 348 170 - 2,763 280 3,013 24,014 - 45,854 (11,771) 13,315 1,544 |
2023 Total funds £ 34,273 2,195 36,468 15,458 377 870 478 467 144 390 170 - 2,763 480 3,013 24,133 350 49,093 (12,625) 17,366 4,741 |
2022 Total funds £ 22,150 - 22,150 9,088 875 - - 144 67 2,052 194 17,131 - - - - 29,551 (7,401) 24,767 17,366 |
|---|---|---|---|
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Cross Green - Growing Together Statement of assets and liabilities
| as at 31 March 2023 2023 Unrestricted £ Cash funds Cash at bank 3,194 Cash in hand 5 Total cash funds 3,197 Debtors and prepayments Debtors Assets retained for the charity's own use Zanussi electric cooker x2 Under counter fridge Gala Gazebo Tent Fridge Freezer Ramp Mud Kitchen TV and stand Liabilities Creditors Accruals |
2023 Restricted £ 1,544 - 1,544 |
2023 Total £ 4,738 5 4,741 2023 £ 1,166 1,166 2023 £ 993 368 1,361 |
2022 Total £ 17,361 5 17,366 |
|---|---|---|---|
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 17/10/2023
Darren Percival (Trustee)
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Cross Green - Growing Together
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2023
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.
There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year.
No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.
Taxation
As a 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.
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.
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Cross Green - Growing Together
Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 31 March 2023
| 2 Grants and donations Leeds Community Foundation (LCF) Hey Neighbours Platinum Jubilee Grant LCF Anchor Connecting Communities LCC Wellbeing Grant Other donations 3 Restricted funds Balance b/f £ 348 LCF Healthy Holidays 1 2,869 LCF Healthy Holidays 2 7,000 LCF Healthy Holidays 3 2,098 Hey Neighbours 1,000 Platinum Jubilee Grant - - LCC Wellbeing Grant - 13,315 LCF Anchor Connecting Communities Leeds Fund Kitchen |
2023 Unrestricted funds £ - - - - - 190 190 Incoming £ - - - - - 30,250 3,333 500 34,083 |
2023 Restricted funds £ - - 30,250 3,333 500 - 34,083 Outgoing £ 348 2,869 5,850 2,098 1,000 29,856 3,333 500 45,854 |
2023 Total funds £ - - 30,250 3,333 500 190 34,273 Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - |
2022 Total funds £ 21,150 1,000 - - - - 22,150 Balance c/f £ - - 1,150 - - 394 - - 1,544 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund name
Leeds Fund Kitchen LCF Healthy Holidays 1 LCF Healthy Holidays 2 LCF Healthy Holidays 3 Hey Neighbours
Platinum Jubilee Grant
LCF Anchor Connecting Communities LCC Wellbeing Grant
Purpose of restriction
Towards the costs of a new kitchen.
Towards the costs of supporting children during the school holidays. Towards the costs of additional healthy holidays delivery. Towards the costs of capital equipment for the group. Towards the costs of the community garden, including travel and refreshments for volunteers.
Towards a development programme for garden facilities and a part time project officer. Towards the costs of a range of activities including food to bring the community together. Towards the cost of a coach for a day trip to Scarborough for 16 people.
4 Related party transactions
Trustee expenses
No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.
Trustee remuneration and benefits
No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.
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