Trustee Annual Report Year end 2022
Charity number 1179411
Contents
Trustee Annual Report ................................................................................................................. 1 Year end 2022 ............................................................................................................................. 1 Reference and Administrative Information ............................................................................ 3 Board of Trustees .................................................................................................................. 3 Our Aims and objectives ....................................................................................................... 3 Purposes and Aims ............................................................................................................... 3 Ensuring our work delivers our aims ..................................................................................... 3 Our organisational structure .................................................................................................. 4 The focus of our work ............................................................................................................ 4 Who used and benefited from our services? ......................................................................... 4 Principal Funding Sources .................................................................................................... 5 Future funding ....................................................................................................................... 5 Plans for Future Periods ........................................................................................................ 5 Business planning ................................................................................................................. 6 Structure, Governance and Management ............................................................................. 6 Trustee Induction and Training .............................................................................................. 6 Policies .................................................................................................................................. 6 Reserves ............................................................................................................................... 6
Reference and Administrative Information
Charity Name: Friends of Margam Park
Charity registration number: 1179411
Registered Office and operational address: Margam Park, Margam SA13 2TJ
Board of Trustees
Mr Tony Barrett Chairperson for a period of two years
Mrs Suzanne Barrett Secretary for a period of two years
Mrs Tracy Robbins Treasurer for a period of two years
Mrs Doreen Nash, Vice Chair for a period of two years
Mr Peter Lindsay for a period of two years
Mrs Roswitha Carruthers for a period of two years
Mrs Andrea Kennedy for a period of two years
Ms Lisa Roberts (stood down July 2022)
Mr Max Beaumont (stood down February 2022)
Ms Beverley Carver (stood down August 2022)
Our Aims and objectives
Purposes and Aims
To provide or assist in the provision of facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupation in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving the conditions of life of the public in Neath Port Talbot and the surrounding area by the preservation, promotion, support, assistance, and improvement of Margam Country Park.
Ensuring our work delivers our aims
We will review our aims, objectives, and activities each year. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous 12 months. The review looks at the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people we are set up to help. The review also helps us ensure our aim, objectives and activities remained focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aim and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.
Our organisational structure
Our group has a tremendous capacity for growth; however, growth will not be achieved while we remain one tightknit group. The members within our group have a wide and diverse range of skills that they are able to bring to the friends of Margam Park. We aim to utilise the skills within certain areas of the group.
Our group structure is as follows:
Figure 1 Updated Group Structure
The focus of our work
Our main objectives for the year will continue to be the promotion and wellbeing of Margam Country Park.
We have continued to adapt our range of walks and tours offered to park visitors to try to offer something different. All our walks and tours are advertised via our website and shared widely on all social media platforms.
We recognised that coming out of the pandemic visitors were longing to spend quality time outdoors again and so our main focus was organising walks and tours that would benefit the mental health and wellbeing of park visitors and our volunteers as well.
Who used and benefited from our services?
Many people from the immediate community of Neath Port Talbot have benefited from our community service as well as visitors travelling to the park from further afield. Thanks to funding received we were able to deliver 24 archaeology workshops across primary schools in the local area, educating children of the importance of Capel Mair and local archaeology.
Principal Funding Sources
As we have been able to return to a near normal level of activity coupled with the opening of the Turbine House in April, we have made a steady income from donations received and continue to make income from our shop, located in the turbine house. We also received substantial funding via the Rural Development Team at NPTBC to carry out a feasibility study at Capel Mair.
Future funding
To make the park more accessible for visitors with disabilities we recognise the need and importance to increase the number of tramper scooters available to use on site from one to at least three. These scooters cost around £7,500 each new and even £2,000 for a tenyear-old model.
Plans for Future Periods
We understand the mental health benefits that walking in the surroundings of the park can bring. This is more important now for us as a group and we aim to assist as many of the public as possible with providing arranged tours for all, including specialist tours for those with mobility difficulties and those that use mobility scooters.
Horticultural activities - we are also looking at bringing in as many volunteers as possible as well as opening the activity to the general community. We are looking at restoring the orchards as well as maintaining the park grounds.
Current and anticipated projects include:
Community Orchard - working with other charities and the local community to restore the orchards and benefit from the produce. We partnered Margam Park on this Heritage lottery fund submission and was successful with a £50k bid. This fund goes directly to the park for equipment, resources et cetera.
Alpaca’s – Since July a team of members have been assisting the parks estates team to feed and settle the animals into their new home. To help them settle and get used to the public they are fed twice a day but can be visited in between to socialise with them.
Electric Bike Tours – NPT PASS has run via, Eventbrite, a series of sessions on e-bikes to visitors. A few of our members have assisted on these tours as guides, offering participants a bit of history and heritage along the routes. These have gone down really well, and we may be asked to participate in future planned tours.
We would like to be able to offer community outreach transport to enable visitors to visit the park who perhaps would not normally be able to visit, due to health or circumstances. We would require funding to purchase an adapted minibus and a couple of volunteers would receive training to operate the equipment. The vehicle could be used on a daily basis assisting visitors at the park getting to and from the Castle.
Business planning
Ideas and activities are in place, but dates and timelines cannot be given. We will be looking to our members, for ideas and suggestions moving forward although the main focus will remain as the development of Margam Country Park.
Structure, Governance and Management
All members of the Trustee Board give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity.
All trustees are subject to the ‘Trustee Code of Conduct’ as is published on our website.
Trustee Induction and Training
Most trustees are already familiar with the practical work of the charity, new Trustees will be given guidance. We also rely on the guidance given by the Charity commission The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do.
Policies
All policies are on our new digital newsletter for all members to view. These can be requested in different formats and languages if requested. The policies include:
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✓ Grievance
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✓ Trustee duty of care
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✓ Guidance on Public Benefit
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✓ Equal opportunities
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✓ Safeguarding
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✓ Lone working
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✓ Volunteer agreements
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✓ Data protection
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✓ Reserves
We have also ensured that at least one volunteer working within a small group of volunteers will be DBS checked.
Reserves
Our reserves remain at £15,000.00.
FRIENDS OF MARGAM PARK
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 1[ST] AUGUST 2021 TO THE 31[st ] JULY 2022
RECEIPTS
CASH IN BANK 1[ST] AUGUST 2021
| Community Account |
2,340.43 | 2,340.43 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Premium Account |
32,076.56 | ||
| Petty Cash Float | 191.00 | ||
| 34,607.99 | |||
| Membership Fees | 664.86 | ||
| Donations | 1,844.83 | ||
| Sale of merchandise |
2,803.77 | ||
| Sales of FoMP uniform | 1,051.68 | ||
| Funding Received | 12,648.00 | ||
| Turbine House Refunds |
149.46 | ||
| Transferred from | |||
| 18,963.14 | |||
| LESS PAYMENTS | |||
| WIFI & Broadband (BB) | 540.04 | ||
| IT, Office Equipment & Stationery (IT) | |||
| 1,645.80 | |||
| Merchandise (MER) | 1,084.87 | ||
| Miscellaneous (MIS) | 670.10 | ||
| MS Subscriptions, Website and Software | (MSO) | 528.00 | |
| Postal Charges (PAS) | 77.70 | ||
| Turbine House Visitor Centre (TUR) | 7,364.91 | ||
| Portaloo Hire (PTH) | 288.00 | ||
| Twyn Yr Hydd Project | 435.23 | ||
| PPE | 16.30 | ||
| Craft Supplies | 446.95 | ||
| Purchase of FoMP Uniform | 1,483.00 | ||
| Courtyard Room | 153.74 | ||
| Insurance | 196.00 |
| Printing Projects Willow Horse Training Room Hire Transport CASH IN BANK 31st July 2022 Community Account Business Premium Account Petty Cash Float |
1,394.69 19,003.18 20,397.87 |
309.44 16,274.03 235.03 250.00 340.00 160.00 32,179.14 |
|---|---|---|