REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1179312
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- A ‘Summer 2023’ Outdoor Pot – pelargonium, white bedding begonias, and ivy beside the war memorial.
[Front cover image: The Friends bringing large bags of compost and large quantities of water to the park during the hot summer of 2023 – before access to the water supply at the new Centre was made possible, in September 2023.]
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The Board of Trustees 4 The Charity 5 Chair’s Introduction 6 Overall Progress 8 Good Governance, Organisation & Delivery 10 Sustainable Funding & Finance 13 Volunteering 14 Practical Action in the Park 17 Structured Education / Training 24 Engagement & Influencing 26 Grant-Aiders to be Thanked 27 Summary of Accounts FY 2023-2024 28
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Our Current Board of Trustees
Twelve (maximum) Trustees are allowed under our current Constitution. There were 10 Trustees at the beginning, and then 9 at the end of Financial Year (FY):
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Eira Hughes: Trustee (from 6 February 2018) – Chair
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Richard Trefor Jones: Trustee (from 6 February 2018) – Communities Secretary, and Quartermaster
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Mike Antony Bunting: Trustee (from 6 February 2018) – General Secretary
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Hilary Preece: Trustee (from 22 March 2019) & Vice-Chair, and Director of Finance
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• Helen Hayes: Trustee (from 20 September 2020) – Data Lead
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John Atkinson: Trustee (from 23 September 2021) – Wildlife Recorder
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Mary Considine: Trustee (from 23 September 2021) – Education Lead
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John Chadwick: Trustee (from 16 September 2023) - Operations Manager
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Prudence Jane Delaney: Trustee (from 16 September 2023) - Biodiversity Lead.
The current 9 Trustees in post produced this Report. Their short biographies appear at the end of this Report.
Meetings: Trustees met during FY 2023-24 on - 26 April, 20 June, 19 July, 30 August, 27 September in 2023; and, on 6 March 2024. We also met on 7 February 2024 to review our approach to Health & Safety.
Changes in the Board of Trustees during FY 2023-2024
Dr. Nia Hughes, a Trustee (from 22 March 2019 until 6 March 2024), our Minutes Secretary and adviser on marketing for several years, had to resign due to ill-health. Sadly, Nia passed away on 11 April 2024. There were no other changes during the FY 2023-24, other than some shifting in roles.
Recruiting New Trustees
Under our Constitution: Trustees must be signed-up Friends/Members with voting rights. Before an AGM, we firstly ascertain which of the current Trustees wish to continue. Trustees are appointed or re-appointed, annually, at an Annual General Meeting (AGM), and the Board has to have between 3 and 12 Trustees. Roles for our Trustees are decided after discussion by the AGM-appointed Board of Trustees (soon after the AGM). We periodically invite Friends, via email, to self-nominate themselves as potential Trustees, during the year, for the AGM to consider. We can also recruit/coopt a couple of extra new Trustees between AGMs.
Independent Auditor
Our auditor for FY 2023-24 was Phillip Hughes ACA. We thank him for his guidance.
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‘FRIENDS OF BAILEY HILL – FFRINDIAU BRYN Y BEILI’ (FoBH-FfByB)
The Charity
FoBH-FfByB is an independent body, formed on 6 February 2018. It became a registered charity (No. 1179312), on 24 July 2018. It is a charitable incorporated organisation (a ‘CIO’) set up as an ‘association’, whereby the wider membership, and not just the founding trustees, have voting rights.
Our Charitable Objects
o “To promote for the inhabitants of Mold, Flintshire and the surrounding area the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation at Bailey Hill for the public at large - in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of life of residents and visitors.
o To promote for the public benefit the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment at Bailey Hill - by promoting biological diversity and to respect the history of the site, its special landscape features and status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM).
o To advance the education of the public - by promoting opportunities within Bailey Hill for learning about the heritage of the public park and the natural environment through structured training and educational programmes.”
Official Addresses
Post: FoBH/FfByB (General Secretary), ‘Rivendell’, Denbigh Road, Mold. CH7 1BL
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Bailey-Hill-1442020782754561/
Email: fobhmold@btinternet.com
Tel: 07835 40 40 97
Our Financial Year - runs from April 6th – to April 5th.
Relevant Roles
Bank: Lloyds Bank
Solicitors: Llewellyn-Jones, Mold.
Independent Examiner of Accounts: Phillip Hughes ACA (February 2021 onwards).
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THE FINANCIAL YEAR (FY) 2023-24 REPORT
It is an honour to present the Friends’ sixth Annual Report.
The charity finally agreed after many months of negotiation a User Agreement (UA) with MTC, in early September 2023, to allow us to use the new Centre on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the year.
The Green Flag status for the park which was sustained in 2023 challenges us annually to achieve tangible year-by-year improvement. During FY 2023-24, two big steps forward were made by:
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(i) the Friends – as we created a Composting Station using reclaimed timber on the Inner Bailey, which will supply compost for the two dozen beds in the Park in the years ahead; and
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(ii) the County Council - providing a new children’s play area on the Outer Bailey, to create an interesting place for smaller children to play.
There are now 127 members of the charity. Thank you all for your continuing support. Special thanks must go to all our very active volunteers, who turn out around the year to help keep the park looking welcoming and well-tended. We currently have a dozen regular active volunteers. We really need more of you now to come forward to help us physically to sustain the Friends’ programme and commitments over the next few years.
So, the emphasis in FY 2024-25 will need to be on encouraging current and new Friends to become active volunteers when they can spare some time to help us in the Park. We assemble a team at Bailey Hill, 10am every Saturday morning , to do a bit of tidying and other tasks in the park. Do please join us then, when you have a Saturday morning to spare, to learn more and lend a hand occasionally. Fresh air, gentle exercise, and the camaraderie of working together to achieve a common end, can be a great tonic.
We remain focussed on encouraging further improvements in the park as resources allow – to improve it as a recreational leisure facility and to conserve it as a biodiverse public park and ancient monument.
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In the year ahead we will be consolidating our efforts – making more extensive use of the access to the new Centre, adding a few plants to drier spots in the Beds, and ensuring that the Perimeter Path (which provides an excellent route for dog-walkers) remains attractive and useable.
Eira Hughes DipLA, MCD, MRTPI (ret’d), CMLI (ret’d) July 2024
During 2023-2024, there was a real focus on building a new Composting Station in the park. We had agreed with FCC to locate it in a secluded, largely invisible spot on the Inner Bailey. To avoid disturbing any underground archaeology, it had to be built as a heavy raft structure – resting on the ground, relying on its own rigidity and dead-weight for stability. This required a lot of timber, much of which was second-hand pallets donated by Helen Hayes, and a nearby well-known country park, reinforced with timbers we acquired locally. Stain had to be applied to some of the older timbers after repairs. Morton & Jones (builders of the new play area) kindly allowed us to use their site compound to store materials safely on the site. Building the composting station was a very big task for the Friends and it required lots of extra sessions in the Park. John Chadwick – our new operations Manager – led this project and was ably supported by Trefor Jones and others to get it built, stained and finished.
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Creating a High-Quality Park at Bailey Hill
Creating a fine, high-quality public park remains as always ‘what it is all about’ for the Friends of Bailey Hill.
The Significant Contribution of the Friends
Very significant hours of effort were invested again by Friends in the effort to improve the Park during FY 2023-2024 (our sixth financial year).
We continued to work tripartitely - with FCC and MTC - to forge an understanding on how the Bailey Hill work should roll forwards strategically.
Following on from the Tripartite Partnership’s
HLF Plus Project, ‘Revealing Bailey Hill / Mold Castle’
During FY 2023-2024, the Partnership work was focused on ensuring strong and effective follow-on to the formal project. Much discussion focused on the following:
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ensuring that the Friends would have frequent access to the toolstore, facilities, water supply, etc. at the new Bailey Hill Centre (leased by FCC to MTC) as originally envisaged
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considering the priorities for the future
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discussing with our partners their scope for supporting the Centre and other activity therein and in the park over the next few years and the longer term
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liaising with FCC especially on its basic maintenance work in the Park
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meeting with FCC and MTC frequently to address and resolve any issues.
What did we achieve during FY 2023-2024?
In FY 2023-24, our Trustees contributed to tripartite partnership work (with FCC and MTC) as follows -
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❖ We attended 9 meetings with FCC and MTC – on Bailey Hill business.
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❖ We commented, from the Friends’ perspective, on relevant technical and administrative documents needed to progress matters tripartitely
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❖ We were involved in a review of the tripartite programme for managing and volunteering at Bailey Hill
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❖ We were offered a three-year licence for working in the park by FCC – which will run through to mid-August 2026
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❖ We secured a 12 month licence to allow us to use the new Centre (leased to MTC) on Thursdays and Saturdays to support our volunteering in the park,
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plus use of the toolstore, and incidental facilities (with FCC covering the cost of our water and electricity use) – which we signed on 5 September 2023.
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❖ We agreed some streamlining and updating of the tripartite M&MPlan - which still includes the agreed recipes for improving each of the Park’s ‘Landscape Character Areas’ (LCA 1-7).
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❖ We provided a schedule explaining ‘who does what’ in each Bed and corner of the park, as requested by the 2023 Green Flag inspectors to support the 2024 application being made by FCC.
NEXT: during 2024-25, we will:
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renew the User Agreement with MTC to access the new Centre to ensure a more acceptable ‘quality of experience’ for all the voluntary gardening and wildlife work done regularly in the Park by the Friends
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help ensure continued Green Flag status for the whole Park annually, up to 2029-30
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do what we can to help secure the future of the new Centre as a vital and viable facility in the Park.
GREEN FLAG STATUS:
Green Flag status is applied for by FCC. It is a requirement of the HLF grant process that it be retained for 7 years by FCC. A first Green Flag was awarded in 2021. Green Flag status was secured again in 2022, and one after an Inspection on 25 May 2023 in which FoBH-FfByB was involved. Another has been awarded for 2024.
The Green Flag on the new flagpole, viewed from the Decking where we displayed autumn flowering pots.
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The Importance of Good Governance
We had a very busy year again, and focussed on making progress on all fronts steadily, well and safely.
Our Independence as a Charity
We continued to cherish and maintain our independence of thought and action as a charity, and a strong focus on our three formal ‘charitable objects’, in accordance with official guidance issued by the Charity Commission (CC); and, as guided, from the start, by the Flintshire Local Voluntary Council (FLVC).
What did we achieve during FY 2023-24?
In FY 2023-2024, we had our busiest year yet: as we -
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arranged and held our 5th Annual General Meeting, at St David’s Church Hall, Mold
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made our 5th Annual Return to the Charity Commission
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held 6 formal meetings of the full Board of Trustees (32[nd] > 38th TM)
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organised and ran 11 Small Team Sessions (STS) on Saturday mornings in the Park
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organised and ran a further 46 Mini-Team Visits (in the intervening weekends) in order to tend our Outdoor Pots Display and to do additional planting and tidying jobs in the Park; and, several of those evolved into substantial ‘Extra Work’ sessions over and above the normal routine weekend visits (to make up for several cancellations due to spells of cold, icy weather).
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also organised weekly visits to the new Bailey Hill Centre – to tend the Friends’ Indoor Plants Display at the Centre at times of the week convenient for Friends and the Bailey Hill Project Officer (MTC’s lead officer at the new Bailey Hill Centre).
And, we made good progress on these matters -
- Putting our case for the charity to have regular access to the new Centre to support our practical sessions and training activities; and, the scope for a formal User Agreement for Friends to use the toolstore, toilet, kitchen, and information board, etc.– as long promised to Friends and in accord with the guiding VISION document for the Centre (which accompanied the original
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grant-aid application to NHLF for Lottery monies, and other grants, from February 2018 onwards).
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Training and Development of our Trustees: we held a seminar for trustees on Health & Safety policy and practice (on 7 February 2024) to enable more trustees to take on the role of leading practical session on site, with confidence.
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Monitoring Safety Standards – we worked in the Park without sustaining any significant accidents (and noted any near misses and/or ‘lessons to be learned’ as we went).
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Maintained our Annual Log / a Record of Our Practical Work in the Park – to report our progress on practical work, consistently, and to inform partners, funders and key contacts. .
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Keeping other Friends informed on our progress – via Facebook / emails / information offered to the local press – especially the local Welsh-language paper ‘Papur Fama’.
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Researching charity databases to identify a number of charities which might be able to assist us financially with small grants for specific purposes or otherwise.
NEXT, during 2024-25:
DELIVERY: We will continue to deliver a programme of weekly visits to check our Pots and the Park, with one session a month to tackle a wider range of tasks.
COMMUNICATIONS: Our website development is moving forward slowly: it is being assembled - and in parallel we will update our Communications Policy.
| FY 2023-2024 |
FRIENDS’ MAIN EVENTS - ORGANISED & DELIVERED -in all 58 practical sessions, plus 1 other event |
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| Start of FY > 6th April 2023 |
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| 7 April | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 74)in the Park | |
| 15 April | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 75)in the Park | |
| 22 April | √ | Small Team Session (STS 32)in the Park | |
| 29 April | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 76)in the Park | |
| 3 May | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 77)in the Park | |
| 6 May | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 78)in the Park | |
| 13 May | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 79)in the Park | |
| 20 May | √ | Small Team Session (STS 33)in the Park | |
| 27 May | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 80)in the Park | |
| 3 June | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 81)in the Park |
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| 7 June | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 82)in the Park |
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| 10 June | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 83)in the Park |
| 17 June | √ | Small Team Session (STS 34)in the Park |
| 24 June | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 84)in the Park |
| 1 July | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 85)in the Park |
| 8 July | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 86)in the Park |
| 15 July | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 87)in the Park |
| 22 July | √ | Small Team Session (STS 35)in the Park |
| 27 July | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 88)in the Park |
| 29 July | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 89)in the Park |
| 2 August | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 90)in the Park |
| 5 August | x | MTV cancelled due to heavy rain |
| 12 August | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 91)in the Park |
| 19 August | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 92)in the Park |
| 26 August | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 93)in the Park |
| 2 September | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 94)in the Park |
| 9 September | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 95)in the Park |
| 9 September | √ | 5th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING- Held at St. David’s Church Hall, Mold |
| 16 September | √ | Small Team Session (STS 36)in the Park |
| 23 September | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 96)in the Park |
| 30 September | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 97)in the Park |
| 7 October | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 98)in the Park |
| 14 October | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 99)in the Park |
| 21 October | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 100)in the Park |
| 28 October | √ | Small Team Session (STS 37)in the Park |
| 4 November | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 101)in the Park |
| 11 November | √ | Small Team Session (STS 38)in the Park |
| 18 November | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 102)in the Park |
| 25 November | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 103)in the Park |
| 2 December | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 104)in the Park |
| 9 December | √ | Small Team Session (STS 39)in the Park |
| 16 December | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 105)in the Park |
| 23 December | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 106)in the Park |
| 30 December | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 107)in the Park |
| 2024 | ||
| 6 January | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 108)in the Park |
| 14 January | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 109)in the Park |
| 20 January | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 110)in the Park |
| 27 January | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 111)in the Park |
| 3 February | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 112)in the Park |
| 9 February | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 113)in the Park |
| 10 February | √ | Small Team Session (STS 40)in the Park |
| 17 February | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 114)in the Park |
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| _24 February _ | x | MTV cancelled due to heavy frost/ice. |
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| 1 March | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 115)in the Park |
| 2 March | √ | Small Team Session (STS 41)in the Park |
| 9 March | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 117)in the Park |
| 15 March | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 118)in the Park |
| 16 March | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 119)in the Park |
| 22 March | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 120)in the Park(compost station build) |
| 23 March | √ | Small Team Session (STS 42)in the Park |
| 30 March | √ | Mini-Team Visit(MTV 121)in the Park |
| End of FY – 5th April 2024 |
Raising Funds for the Future
The Charity has no regular income stream. It relies solely on seeking donations, fundraising locally and securing small grants, plus gift-aid. During the financial year we maintained a steady position, financially.
What did we achieve during FY 2023-2024?
During FY 2023-24:
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❖ We concentrated on making the most of the monies gathered in over the previous years.
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❖ We were successful in attracting one small grant from the J A Gillett Foundation Trust.
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❖ We continued to place our Red Charity Pots in various businesses around Mold.
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❖ The Charity is registered with HMRC to receive Gift Aid under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme and is able to claim this from donations made to us via the Red Charity Pots.
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❖ Trustees and our keen volunteers continued to donate plants, materials, as well as meeting various minor office supplies, home-office running cost, transport costs (for plant sourcing) – which cumulatively must be worth several hundred pounds over the course of the financial year.
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❖ We decided against organising coffee mornings or other social events during FY 2023-24 – as local people remained a bit cautious about attending such events, post the Covid pandemic.
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❖ We approached various larger local businesses, seeking general donations, but that has only led to one positive response so far.
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ASSETS: The Charity does not hold property of its own. Its only assets include tools and equipment to undertake volunteer work in the Park, plus bird, bat and hedgehog boxes placed in the Park (with the kind permission of FCC): and, the plants it acquires or grows from seed or cuttings.
STATUS: the powers of the charity as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation may be used, perhaps, in the future.
NEXT, during 2024-25:
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We will seek a few new grants for specific projects, and to support our annual running costs.
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Use our Red Charity Pots [Note: we currently have 5 pots in situ. Local businesses report less use being made of cash nowadays.]
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We will consider other fundraising events which are compatible with the continued health and wellbeing of our Trustees and volunteers.
Gifting Time
The charity has no employees. Our Trustees give very generously indeed of their time for running the charity, and engaging with other bodies.
No Trustees’ expenses were claimed or paid during FY 2023-24. The Trustees and other Friends are not employees, and did not accept any remuneration or other benefits. They act as unpaid practical volunteers, gifting time to the charity’s work.
What did we achieve in FY 2023-2024?
During FY 2023-24, interest in our charitable work increased, and we -
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❖ were pleased to achieve a membership level of 127 Members
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❖ had several highly active regular volunteers - currently c.12.
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❖ connected with all the Members, via email, the Chair’s Updates, and maintained a Quarterly Log – an illustrated record on all the work done in the Park by Friends
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❖ managed to plan and deliver significant progress in improving the Park further, with our strong team of keen and committed volunteers organising our volunteering events
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❖ secured on 5 September 2023 a formal User Agreement with MTC to allow us to use – on Saturdays and Thursdays - the toolstore, water supply, information board, toilet, and other facilities at the new Centre (as long promised) – which provides scope for delivering a better experience of volunteering in the park for older volunteers in particular.
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❖ tested the flexibility of our FCC licence by doing a number of sessions in the park on days other than Saturdays and Thursdays – in order to make progress on the Composting Station in particular.
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❖ continued the rota system to ensure there would always be a minimum of 2 volunteers working together on intervening Saturday morning Mini-Team Visits, to tend our Outdoor Pots Display, year-round: plus other small tasks – which we used for doing ‘extra tasks’ frequently during the year.
NEXT: during 2024-25, we will:
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endeavour to ensure continuation of our formal User Agreement with MTC to allow us to use the loo, toolstore, water supply, information board and other facilities at the new Centre
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▪ continue with a busy programme of practical sessions in the Park and other events
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▪ ensure more of our most regular volunteers receive training in relevant subjects
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▪ continue to do sensitive minor improvements in the wider Park - with input of advice from FCC Countryside Management and Biodiversity officers, and the North Wales Wildlife Trust (NWWT) as required
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▪ maintain planted Beds in the Park as agreed with FCC - especially the Friends’ Bed (Bed 18), the Hydrangeas Bed (Bed 19) and other areas (of Bed 6 etc.) planted-up by the Friends, plus general care (fertilising/weeding/clipping/bulbplanting) in the other Beds, if and as resources allow ▪ plan, prepare and manage seasonal flower pots (to be placed on the decking
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and flanking the Cenotaph as agreed with HDD), generally 4 pots (and sometimes 6 or 8 for greater seasonal effect)
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▪ support FCC/Aura and the Bailey Hill Project Officer’s efforts to interpret the ancient monument, and to make good use of the revamped Park and the new Centre
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▪ do minor improvements (e.g. for the benefit of the less able, if possible, to the Perimeter Path) to the extent our licence, risk assessment and insurance will allow
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▪ invite and encourage more of the Members to become active volunteers.
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HISTORY: Many of the Friends have also been involved in the Bailey Hill Project in another capacity - as History Research Volunteers, Poetry Volunteers, Guided Tours Volunteers, and Visitor Volunteers (under the Bailey Hill Project Officer’s direction, under MTC’s Insurance and risk assessment, and its own licence from FCC Estates. Others have helped with the archaeological digs in the past few years. So, people who are Members of FoBH-FfByB are heavily invested in understanding and improving the Park and presenting it to the public.
ARCHAEOLOGY: Please note that FoBH-FfByB/FCC/MTC still await sight of a full/final reports upon the various studies commissioned by FCC/Aura from Durham University, Cardiff University and other experts, on the various unexpected archaeological finds unearthed during the construction works and other contracts in the last few years: and, the further site exploration works done thereafter on the two baileys. We anticipate that some of the smaller finds will be displayed in the new Centre in due course. Announcements on these matters are now expected (from FCC/Aura) in the autumn of 2024.
A lighter task – checking, watering/feeding and replacing plants for the Indoor Plant Display.
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Getting things done - to enhance the Park.
The Charity has no regular income stream. It relies solely on seeking donations, fundraising locally and securing small grants, plus gift-aid. During the financial year we maintained a steady position, financially.
A. HABITATS WORK IN THE PARK
This year was a year in which we had to take stock, given that many trees across the park had been felled. We kept an eye on the c.25 bird-boxes, and know that a few will need replacing next winter (in FY 2024-25).
B. PARK & GARDENS WORK IN THE PARK
It was a very busy year for us in the park …
Examples:
The frost-damaged hebes in Bed 1 and 2 were spruced up in early summer – with all the dead parts pruned and some compost added to Bed 1 - by Graham, and Mary.
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Friends’ replacement planting – Mary adding new grey-foliage artemisia plants to Bed 2.
Friends adding old daffodils Thalia (1916) and Geranium (1930) and ferns to the shady ‘Square Bed’.
We carried an enormous amount of water to the park - weekly - to keep plants alive in what was a pretty hot summer.
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The original plants having given up, we added tough liriope plants to the rock-hard soil in Bed 7, and mulched them, and watered them assiduously to get them established.
Friends’ Outdoor Pot – Summer 2023
Gwyneth and Graham added Crocosmia ‘George Davison’ (for autumn colour) to Bed 18.
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We tackled the weed growth on the Perimeter Path (East) again. Since FCC ended using weedkillers on paths in the park, keeping the path along the eastern boundary useable has become a major challenge.
Accessing the water supply at the new Centre for the first time – in the autumn of 2023.
We tidied the overgrown ‘nib’, and added King Alfred (1899) and Magnet (1908) daffodils.
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A winter task: preparing the site for the Composting Station – a nettle and bramble patch.
Autumn trimming - hedge between Bed 18 (the ‘Friends’ Bed’) and Bed 19 (the ‘Hydrangeas Bed’).
Weeding and tidying our outdoor pots – before Remembrance Day.
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David adding Christmas decorations to the outdoor pots
Building the Composting Station – bit by bit – using reclaimed wood (90%) > and the work nearing completion by the end of FY 2023-24.
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The three ugly old metal bins - kindly removed for us by Morton & Jones Ltd. Many thanks to them!
What did we achieve in FY 2023-2024?
During FY 2023-24, we:
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❖ did very extensive and quite physical work within the Park (over 58 practical sessions)
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❖ established a Composting Station in a well-hidden area on the Inner Bailey
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❖ continued to develop the skills of all our regular volunteers
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❖ helped to retain Green Flag status for the Park
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❖ added more new plants as per the M&MPlan and LCA 1-7 ‘planting recipes’
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❖ planted various wildflowers and nurtured more off-site for the Park
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❖ attended and managed all our Indoor Pots in the Centre weekly
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❖ added a few more types of heritage daffodil to the Beds
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❖ added herbaceous plants to provide a bit more autumn colour in the Beds
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❖ managed all the Outdoor Pots, at the Entrance, weekly – changing them seasonally
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❖ ensured all the practical work done was in accordance with our FCC licence (and any subsequent small permissions given by FCC staff)
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❖ respected the now significantly increased archaeological significance of the Mold Castle site
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❖ were delighted to take up Morton & Jones’ kind offer to clear the three old, rather ugly, metal bins from the Park - as a charitable ‘good faith’ gesture.
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NEXT: during 2024-2025, we will be:
- completing our planting programme across the Park - adding seedling rowans to the Outer Slopes as planned
- continuing to make small improvements to help sustain Green Flag standards of tidiness and beauty
- improve the state of the Perimeter Path
- improve the woodlands as natural / wildlife habitat (through small selective interventions).
We hope to persuade FCC to tackle a few tricky small safety issues remaining as and when their resources allow to improve the Wooden Steps and deal with the scarring on the Motte.
We will continue to take into account the plants favoured by Edward Kemp (18171891) - the famous landscape gardener who advised the Mold Local Board in 1871, on what might best grace the Park, after it came into public hands in 1870/71. We will also respect the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust (WHGT)’s suggestions and its keen interest in this aspect of the Park’s history.
We will continue to help maintain the new planting areas in the new Numbered Beds (1-24) - and adjacent areas – in order to augment FCC’s usual, regular, basic maintenance work in the Park.
We remain committed to doing our part - as promised - to deliver the Park's longerterm tripartite M&M Plan, through discussion with and joint action with FCC and MTC.
Education – is part of our remit as an independent charity.
The anticipated MTC push to attract new volunteers for training did not come to pass during FY 2023-24 – but we hope there may be scope to make progress on that ere long. In the meantime, we will develop the understanding and skills of any new volunteers who may wish to join the Friends and help us in the Park.
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What did we achieve in FY 2023-2024?
During FY 2023-24, we:
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❖ continued to teach new volunteers further skills - on what is involved in caring for Beds, Pots, Indoor plants, etc. in a public park, to a good ‘parks’ standard
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❖ ensured that the new volunteers were integrated into the Friends’ regular volunteers team and had a chance to contribute to all aspects of the Friends’ practical ‘parks and gardens’ work in the Park and to help with the charity’s wider set of tasks.
NEXT: during 2024-25 –
We will consider updating our training lecture modules to suit a further batch of new volunteers.
New Volunteer Maureen helping us to add more ‘February Gold’ daffodils to the Beds.
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Networking with and persuading others
The Trustees continued to devote much time to creating positive relationships with other agencies, as well as doing our utmost to be effective and reliable partners within the tripartite partnership.
What did we achieve in FY 2023-2024?
During FY 2023-24, we continued to engage effectively with, and respect the advice of:
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❖ FCC and MTC, and Aura (who look after leisure/libraries/heritage for FCC) – we attended 10 meetings for the Bailey Hill Partnership Board (including two in respect of the new play area, and one to resolve more strategic issues).
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❖ Local historians: we continued to maintain close contact with local historians and researchers – and Kevin Matthias kindly gave an illustrated talk about local history and Bailey Hill at our 5th AGM in mid-September 2023. Many thanks go to him for an entertaining and informative lecture.
We made much use of:
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❖ Facebook – using our FoBH Facebook Page, we continued to draw attention to good-practice exemplar small parks and gardens with strong historic interest, as well as presenting aspects of our work and relevant information, bilingually (to engage effectively with the local population and Welsh learners). We currently have c. 773 followers on our bilingual FoBH Facebook Page > see > https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Bailey-Hill-1442020782754561/
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❖ Papur Fama –providing several short articles to the Welsh-language local community paper to inform and interest the local community of Welsh speakers and learners about our work on Bailey Hill.
NEXT: during 2023-2024, we will sustain and develop the key relationships, and we hope to complete our website.
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We thank, in respect of FY 2023-2024:
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❖ ‘J. A. Gillett Foundation Trust’ – for its unexpected but very welcome grant to us; and,
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❖ Morton & Jones Ltd – whose kind gesture (removing the 3 three old metal bins, free of charge) saved the charity a great deal of money.
We also wish to thank, again:
Woodland Trust – whose dozen seedling native trees donated, were planted in the Park during 2022, with the rest to be planted later in 2024.
Welsh Historic Gardens Trust - whose earlier grant-aid has helped to pay for the old shrub roses and hydrangeas now blooming in the main Beds.
Cruach Trust – who’s earlier £100 towards our native bluebell swathe on the Outer Bailey demonstrated a good show of native bluebells on the Outer Bailey in the Spring of 2022, 2023, and 2024 – and FCC grass-cutters made sure they were allowed to bloom and disperse seed before the grass was cut back.
Heritage Lottery Fund, and its supporters – for supporting the tripartite partnership (‘Friends of Bailey Hill / Flintshire County Council / Mold Town Council) work by enabling FCC to draw down significant special package of project monies from the Heritage Lottery Fund, plus Welsh Government (‘TAIS grant’), Cadwyn Clwyd, Landfill Funds, etc. to upgrade the Bailey Hill Park (from 2019 through to March 2023).
Trustees / Members – who funded or gifted various tools (a ladder, drill, etc.) and/or other materials to help the Friends.
Agapanthus pots - in their second year, bloomed well.
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SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTS 06/04/2023 TO 05/04/2024
£ INCOME £ EXPENDITURE
| INCOME : DONATIONS : Red Pots (1) Cash Donatons GRANTS : JA Gillet Foundaton Trust GIFT-AID – GASD (2) AMAZON SMILE (3) TOTAL EXPENDITURE : Insurance Donaton (Speaker at AGM) Compostng Bins Equipment/tools/bird & bat boxes Plants & compost TOTAL Defcit for the year |
£ 0.00 £ 142.54 £ 40.00 £ 500.00 £ 57.37 £ 26.62 £ 766.53 £ 693.67 |
£ 306.14 £ 40.00 £ 297.78 £ 180.42 £ 635.86 |
|---|---|---|
| £1,460.20 |
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BALANCE SHEET 5 April 2024 5 April 2023
| Bank/cash balance Net Assets Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Total Funds |
£4,891.77 £4,891.77 £1,712.09 £3,179.68 £4,891.77 |
£5,585.44 £5,585.44 £2,818.66 £2,766.78 £5,585.44 |
|---|---|---|
Status – FoBH/FfByB is a Registered Charity since 24 July 2018 – Registered Charity No 1179312
Notes:
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(1) Red Pots – these are collection pots placed in local businesses around Mold. They are emptied and monies banked on a regular basis through the financial year.
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(2) Gift-Aid – Applications are made to HMRC for Gift-Aid on donations within the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme.
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(3) Amazon Smile – the Charity is registered with Amazon Smile where the Charity is nominated to receive cashback on nominated sales. This scheme has now closed.
This STATEMENT is based on the accounts up to 5 April 2024, which were checked at the Charity’s Financial SubCommittee on 24 April 2024.
Note: The FY 2023-24 Independent Examiner’s report (dated 21 June 2024) on these accounts, is appended below.
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Independent exarninerf5 ieport to the twrtees of Friend5 of Baiky Hill I report io the trustees on my examination of the account5 of the Friends of Bal Hill trust (the Trusil for the year ended S April 2024. Re$ponslbilities and basls ol report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of accounts In accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 20111'the Arfl. I report in respect of my examination of the Tru5V5 accounts carried out under seCtn 145 of the 2011 Act and in carryin8 Out rny examination I have followed all the applicable DirectionsgNen by the Charity Commission under sertion 14515llbl ol the Act. Independent examlnerfs statement I have cornpleied my exarnination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination gwing me cause to believe that in any material respeu.. accountin8 rècords were not kept respect of the Tnt as required by sertn 130 of the Act,. or the accounts do ftot accord with those records- or the accounts do not cornply with the applicable requirements concerning thè form and content ol accounts set out in the Charities IAccouThts and Reportsl Re8ulations 2C other than any requirement that the accounts 8Ne a 'true and fair view whKh is Mt a matter eonsidered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across Tho other matters In tonnECtion with the exarninatn to which attention should be drawn in thi5 report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 518ned.. Name.. Philip Hughe5 Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional tdits lil any1= ACA Imember of the Institute ol Chartered Accountants in England and Walesl Address.. Llangoed, Ruthln Road. Mold. CH7 IQQ Date.. 21" June 2024 30
In alphabetical order >
ATKINSON, John (Trustee): John’s career has focussed on purchasing and procurement functions within the nuclear energy generation industry, nationally and internationally. He was chartered in purchasing and supply. He has skills in planning and organising: and report-writing skills. He is also very interested in local history, especially prehistory and archaeology (including working as a volunteer for CPAT on their recent digs on Bailey Hill). He is also a keen amateur ornithologist. He was for many years a junior football team coach (and a committee member) for Mold Alex Juniors. He is currently learning Welsh.
BUNTING, Michael Antony (Trustee, and General Secretary): a retired Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and for the last 10 years of his career, he was a Company Director and ran Rivendell Enterprises Ltd providing consultancy services to the electricity supply industry in the UK and also Europe. Much experience of project management, quality control systems, and health and safety matters. Well-versed in the use of computer spreadsheets and project planning. Experience of working for a local church and other local bodies.
CHADWICK, John (Trustee, and Operations Manager) : is an environmental scientist by background: he specialised in animal parasitology and livestock husbandry in the UK. He was Principal Scientist and then head of Environmental Science (with responsibility for 30 scientific experts) at the Health and Safety Executive’s headquarters in Bootle and York, focussing on environmental toxicology issues. Since retiring, he has become a very active volunteer in North Wales. He is skilled in coppicing, hedge-laying, habitat conservation and lime mortaring: and, he has extensive experience of small-scale wildlife conservation work. Currently, he is monitoring several sites for otter activity to inform Cardiff University’s periodic otter survey. He is a regular volunteer on gardening and wildlife tasks for FoBH-FfByB in Mold. He is also a keen gardener, and explorer of North Wales.
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CONSIDINE, Mary (Trustee, Lead on Education): Mary was a college lecturer at Deeside College for many years, teaching essential literacy and numeracy to adults and older teenagers. She now works part-time for Coleg Cambria, supporting groups of students with learning disabilities. She has a BA in Business Studies and a postgraduate certificate in education. Her experience also includes working in administrative officer roles for civil service departments in London; and she was previously a nursery teacher and nanny. Originally from Limerick, she has a keen interest in history, playing the piano, having fun with the family, and travelling. She can speak Irish and French.
DELANEY, Prudence Jane (Trustee, and Wildlife/Biodiversity Lead): Pru worked for the National Health Service for 30 years. Her career started locally with nursery nursing, then dealing with patients with learning difficulties, before focussing on a wide range of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation services, notably for ten years at the Charing Cross Hospital in London. Since retiring, she has been a very active volunteer in many local conservation and restoration projects with the North Wales Wildlife Trust on NWWT reserves. She had completed many courses for volunteers, and is very knowledgeable on insects and birds. She collects data for the UK BMS Butterfly Monitoring scheme at Aberduna Maeshafn, Flintshire. She is also a regular volunteer for FoBH-FfByB on gardening and wildlife at Bailey Hill park in Mold. She is also able to speak Welsh.
HUGHES, Eira (Trustee, and Chair): retired former regeneration specialist, town planner, and landscape architect. Ran her own consultancy firm for 10 years, and was a CABE/Design Council (England) Enabler on planning/design/ landscape issues. That followed a series of Director-level, senior management posts, managing large teams, revenue and capital budgets - in local government, the civil service and nondepartmental bodies in England and Wales. Has prepared and delivered £MM projects and programmes. Much experience of policy development on sustainability, environmental issues, and conservation; also, of managing ‘streetscene’ services, a sports/leisure stadium, and many parks, including several Green Flag parks. Amenity gardening skills. Fluent in Welsh.
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JONES, Richard Trefor (Trustee, Communities Secretary, and Quartermaster): retired former teacher of geography and biology; a trustee of several local charities and experience of being a Treasurer to several small charities. Assists the ‘Mold Spring Clean’ initiative, and the Daniel Owen Festival. Translator for FoBH’s bilingual notices, official correspondence, and newsletters. Fluent in Welsh.
PREECE, Hilary (Trustee, Vice-Chair, and Director of Finance): retired after a long and varied career in a major UK clearing bank working mostly in North Wales and the north of England. Shortly after retirement Hilary moved back to North Wales, now living in Mold. She is a passionate dog lover and enjoys dog training, gardening, baking, protecting local wildlife and local history.
Note: the late Dr. Nia Hughes (1955-2024) was a Trustee through most of FY 2023-24. She resigned her Trusteeship on 6 March 2024 due to ill-heath: and, that resignation was duly reported to the Charity Commission, as required for the public record on the charity’s trustees.
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This Report is signed and dated by the Chair on behalf of the current Board of Trustees by:
Eira Hughes (Chair/Cadeirydd)
31 JULY 2024
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