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Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust Charity Number 1180729
Annual Report From 6/4/2023 to 5/4/2024
Principal Address: 3 Church Lane Langar Nottinghamshire NG13 9HG
Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust, Trustees’ Report for the period ending 5[th] April 2024
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Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust
Fourth Trustees’ Report For the period ending 5[th] April 2024
The Trustees present their report and receipts and payments accounts for the period of 6[th ] April 2023 to 5[th] April 2024.
Trustees
Mr Jason Richard Ernest Mordan, Chair Dr Glyn Stephan Green, Treasurer Dr Tamsin Victoria Alice McMillan, Secretary Mr Andrew Ashley Wimble
Structure, governance and management
The Trust was constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and registered with the Charity Commission on 16[th] November 2018.
Appointment of Trustees
The Trust has a policy for the recruitment of Trustees. Nominations are considered from any source, but any potential Trustee would be expected to bring specific skills and/or experience to the Trust. In selecting new Trustees, the Trust follows the guidance laid down by the Charity Commission.
Induction and training of Trustees
New Trustees are briefed on their legal obligations under Charity Law, the content of the Constitution of the Trust and recent trustees’ annual report and financial information of the Trust.
Volunteers
Volunteers, some who are members and others who are not, make a contribution to the Trust, including Trustees who devote many hours organising events for the benefit of our supporters, and contributing to its conservation work.
Risk management
Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust Trustees have assessed the major risks to which they believe the Trust is exposed and are satisfied that systems have been established to mitigate against them. The Trust has appropriate public liability insurance arranged through the national association: the Gardens Trust.
Public benefit
The Trustees of Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust accept the need to have regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. They recognise that it is their responsibility to ensure that the benefits are realised in Nottinghamshire by promoting all
Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust, Trustees’ Report for the period ending 5[th] April 2024
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aspects of historic designed landscapes both within the membership of the Trust and the wider community.
Charitable objectives
To advance the education of the public on matters concerned with the heritage, protection, conservation and enhancement of historic parks, gardens and other designated landscapes of Nottinghamshire for the benefit of the general public and to promote research into the heritage of such parks, gardens and other designated landscapes of Nottinghamshire, ensuring the useful results of such research are disseminated to the public.
Main Activities
As a small group of volunteers, the Trust’s events-organising capacity is relatively restricted. Until further volunteers can be recruited, we accept this limitation, organising only a small number of events ourselves, but achieving our charitable objectives by sharing invitations to other appropriate events (particularly from the Gardens Trust and other County Gardens Trusts [CGTs]) with our mailing list; being active on social media; responding to planning applications in order to conserve historic parks, gardens and other designed landscapes; and, during this period, taking part in a research project for volunteers, organised with the Gardens Trust.
Main achievements and performance
Events
- Helped to organise and run a Heritage Open Day with the Friends of Wollaton Walled Garden, Wollaton Hall, Nottingham, on 12[th] September. Spoke to numerous people about NGT and encouraged them to take part in a self-guided tour and quiz of the Walled Garden, designed jointly with the Friends.
Support for other conservation/heritage activities:
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Had an online meeting on 16[th] June with Sarah Greaves, Heritage Buddies Coordinator at Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service, about social prescribing. NGT does not, currently, have the infrastructure for this, but it is something we may be able to take part in, in future.
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Advertised to our members:
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the Ancient Tree Forum’s visit to Bradgate Park, in July.
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Rock Cemetery, Nottingham’s Halloween cemetery tour.
Other activities:
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We invested a large amount of time this year into planning and taking part in ‘Nottinghamshire’s Garden Story’ – a joint research and recording training project for new volunteers in Notts, instigated by the national Gardens Trust, under their
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‘Volunteers Save Space!’ project, which was part-funded by Historic England.
- We ran outreach events to engage people with the project and sign up volunteers, including:
Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust, Trustees’ Report for the period ending 5[th] April 2024
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On 6[th] April, a joint, family-friendly event with the Gardens Trust at Sutton Lawn, a public park in Sutton in Ashfield, to introduce the site’s heritage to its users and to promote the project.
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On 13[th] May, a stall at a “Hands on Heritage” local history fair at Mansfield Library, with hands-on activities – pot decorating, a display of historic park postcards etc. Over the two events, we talked to around 60 adults and completed the plantpot activity with 59 children.
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Volunteers, and others from CGTs across the country, attended 7 training webinars, on how to research and record historic designed landscapes and share the results online. The 9 project volunteers also attended in-person training sessions at Nottinghamshire Archives and Holme Pierrepont Hall.
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They undertook research into the landscapes of Ossington Hall; Bestwood Country Park; London Road Cemetery, Newark; Clifton “Central” Flower Park; Rockley Memorial Park, Radcliffe on Trent; Norwood Park; Racecourse Recreation Ground, Mansfield; and Langar Hall. The finished reports will deposited with the Nottinghamshire Historic Environment Record.
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On 22[nd] March, we ran “Exploring Sutton Lawn”, a session for older people who attended a regular, local memory café, including a guided tour of the park by our Chair, and a memories and old images discussion session. There were 13 attendees, including a photography teacher and student from the local college.
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The project concluded in May 2024, though the majority of it was undertaken during the year covered by this report.
Planning consultations and conservation:
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In collaboration with the national Gardens Trust, Nottinghamshire GT has responded (including ‘no comments’ responses) to approx. 20 planning applications/consultations which could affect Registered designed landscapes, as well as some affecting undesignated landscapes, including:
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➢ Thoresby Park (Grade I)
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➢ Clumber Park (Grade I):
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telecoms mast
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installation of large oil lank & pipework Clumber Cottage and Little Cottage.
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conservation & Repair works to Clumber Bridge grade II* with associated landscape improvements.
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➢ Annesley Hall (Grade II*)
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➢ Newstead Abbey (Grade II*)
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➢ Clifton Hall (Grade II) – Scoping request for gravel extraction.
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➢ Flintham Hall (Grade II)
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➢ Brackenhurst, Southwell - undesignated but on County HER.
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This type of work is a major part of our contribution to the conservation of historic parks and gardens in the county and also supports the national Gardens Trust’s role as statutory consultee in relation to planning applications which affect the designed historic landscape.
Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust, Trustees’ Report for the period ending 5[th] April 2024
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Financial review
On 5th April 2024 the charity held cash funds totalling £2334, comprising £2018 in unrestricted funds and £316 in restricted funds. These unrestricted and restricted funds are held in order to maintain the activities of the charity.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity's Trustees on 3[rd] February 2024:
Mr Jason Mordan (Chair)
Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust, Trustees’ Report for the period ending 5[th] April 2024
| Charity Name | No (if any) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust | 1180729 | ||
| Receipts andpayments accounts | CC16a | ||
| Period start date 06/04/23 For the period from |
To Period end date 05/04/24 |
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts PayPal GivingFund UK 1 GT Project Funding - - - - - - - 1 - - Sub total - Total receipts 1 A3 Payments Website - Insurance and GT membership - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - Sub total - Total payments - Net of receipts/(payments) 1 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 2,017 Cash funds this year end 2,018 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ - 325 - - - - - - 325 - - - 325 - 339 - - - - - - - 339 - - - 339 - 14 - 330 316 Restricted funds |
to the nearest £ Endowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 1 325 - - - - - - 326 - - - 326 - 339 - - - - - - - 339 - - - 339 - 13 - 2,347 2,334 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| - | 1 | 590 | ||
| - | 325 | 9 | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | 326 | 600 | ||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | 326 | 600 | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | 339 | 339 | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | 339 | 339 | ||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | 339 | 339 | ||
| - 14 | - | - 13 | 261 | |
| - | - | - | - | |
| 330 | - | 2,347 | 2,086 | |
| 316 | - | 2,334 | 2,347 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Co-operative Bank PayPal Details Details Details Details Domain & Website (2022-24) Friends of University Park (2022 event) Signature Signed by G S Green (Trustee) Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 2,008 316 10 - - - 2,018 316 OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Restricted 87 Unrestricted 50 - - - Print Name G S Green Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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| Signed by G S Green (Trustee) | G S Green | 03/02/25 |