## Annual Report & Accounts 

## 2020-2021 


Charitable Incorporated Organisation Foundation Model Constitution 



## Contents 

|Report|3|
|---|---|
|Mission|3|
|Strategic Aims|3|
|Main Activities|4|
|Engagement|4|
|Infrastructure|5|
|Planting|6|
|Grants|6|
|Trustees|7|
|Accounts|8|



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## Report 

## Mission 

To advance the arts, horticulture and ecology for the public benefit, through the provision for community participation, educational workshops and public displays. 

To develop the capacity and skills of local communities to engage with nature through creative design, contribute to environmental regeneration, food sufficiency, wellbeing and employment. 

## Strategic Aims 

## Greenaleigh Community Garden 

Establishing a base to provide: 

- a community resource for growing food, herbs, teas, and flowers 

- a nursery for community planting e.g. gardens, local centre entrances/play areas and public green spaces 

- an innovative space to experiment with growing and utilising natural materials for construction/design/craft/art works 

- education, skills and training - to build on local horticultural/design/construction/art/craft expertise and support school/community education and training 

- a base for producing public art works, research, debate, raising awareness and developing a more sustainable, regenerative community. 



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## Main Activities 

Great strides have been made in engaging volunteers, fund raising and establishing the garden infrastructure. 

## Engagement 

Thanks to funders a part-time, Creative Project Manager (15 hrs/week) and a Horticulturalist (7.5 hrs/week) were contracted for two consecutive six month periods, July to December 2020 and January to July 2021. 

Covid-19 restrictions led to a boost in engagement. Occupying three plots, the garden allowed volunteers to observe social distancing guidance and provided a place to combat isolation, enjoy outdoor activity,  transform the abandoned plots into a community garden and learn new horticultural and landscaping skills. 

47 volunteers clocked up an inspiring average of 37 hours a week. Participation, word of - mouth, Facebook and web site pages led to three families, a group of young people and two individuals taking up plots on the Greenaleigh Road Allotment site. 

Volunteers varied widely in age and demographic backgrounds. They included home schooled children and young people, participants with caring responsibilities, long term health conditions, and people who felt isolated from their community and would otherwise have been at work. 

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## Infrastructure 

Volunteers, trustees and contractors made light work of the infrastructure by sharing skills and humour. 

Particular gratitude goes to young Bobby Crosbee, who wielded 3’x2’ slabs to help lay the main path and shed base area for wheelchair access. Locally sourced potting sheds, delayed due to Covid-19, were finally delivered and erected, September 2020. 

Up-cycled pallets were transformed into compost bins. 

The poly-tunnel base proved tricky, a couple of false starts lent new meaning to ‘level up, not down’. Success was achieved with the help of Bill’s trusty Ferguson Plough, levelling the ground across the width and working with the gradient along the length. Slabs and oak sleepers finally won out to make a durable base to attach the frame. 

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## Planting 

Edible planting included three cherry trees and an apple tree. Two neglected apple trees, originally cordoned, have been pruned to bring them back to health. A variety of fruit bushes and rhubarb will be ready for harvesting next year. Other produce includes onions, garlic, beans, pumpkins, potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillo, chard and cavolo nero. 

Encouraged by an exchange of recipes and culinary advice, volunteers and the local family centre, GBNFC at The Chinnbrook Centre, made good use of the produce. Non-hybrid seeds were collected and stored. 

Apart from producing food for human consumption, garden management aims to improve habitat for wild life.. Hedge roses and hazel have been added to existing bramble, wild plum and other inherited border vegetation. Additional border planting will take place autumn/ spring 2021/22. 

Soil fertility is maintained by using green manures and composting. Areas of the garden used for social gatherings and workshops are stimmed when necessary. Bramble suckers and some bind weed have been removed, for the time-being they are otherwise in their natural state. 

## Grants 

- Birmingham Municipal Charities -  £2,722 Project title -  Greenaleigh Community Garden 

   - Duration -  unspecified 

   - Received January 2020, spending from April 2020. Restricted funding for two small potting sheds (sourced locally from Earlswood Garden & Landscape Centre), pond, volunteer refreshments. 

- Awards For All -  £9,975 

   - Project title -  Greenaleigh Community Garden Set Up 

   - Duration -  1st July 2020 - 30th June 2021 

   - Restricted funding for: part-time Creative Project Manager and Horticulturalist, volunteer open sessions, plot rental, insurance (public liability, sheds and equipment), marketing, office materials, tools and gloves, plants, seeds and polytunnel (12ft x 35ft). 

- Severn Trent Community Fund -  £9,963 

   - Project title -  Greenaleigh Community Garden - Water Harvesting and Infrastructure Duration - 12th October 2020 - 11th October 2021 

   - Restricted funding for: part-time Creative Project Manager and Horticulturalist, volunteer open sessions and training, polytunnel guttering, water storage, seating, raised beds, green shed roofs with integrated workshop cover and water harvesting features, border planting. 

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## Trustees 

Adam Atkins - landscape architect and arboriculturist 

Simon Bell - writer, book publishing, retired senior lecturer at the School of Art and Design, Coventry University 

John Little - Grass Roof Company partner, Green Roof Shelters director 

Jennifer Parkinson - engineer, Greenaleigh Road Allotment plot holder, experienced food grower 

Aimee Postle - business consultant, visiting lecturer at Birmingham City University, University of Wolverhampton 

Phil Stokes - ecologist, horticulturist, Greenaleigh  Road Allotment plot holder 

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## Accounts 

## Summary 

## 6th April 2020 - 5th April 2021 

## Full accounts are available on request, play.ground@mail.com 

|Running Costs/<br>Project|Opening<br>Balance|Income|Items £250 +|Total Spend|Closing Balance|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|PlayGround|35|145<br>(Insurance, budget<br>transfer from<br>Awards For All)||0|180|
|Birmingham<br>Municipal<br>Charities<br>(grant restricted)|2,722||£2,354.46<br>Potting Sheds|2,545|177|
|Awards For All<br>(grant restricted)||9,957<br>-145<br>(budget transfer to<br>PlayGROUND)<br>-425<br>(end of project<br>budget transfer)|£4,320<br>Project Manager<br>£1,722<br>Horticulturalist<br>£2,072<br>Polytunnel<br>£425<br>End of Project<br>Transfer|9,387<br>(9,957 including<br>transfers)|0|
|Severn Trent<br>(grant restricted)||9,963<br>425<br>(budget transfer<br>from Awards For All)|<br>£1,440<br>Project Manager<br>£504<br>Horticulturalist<br>£536<br>Sleepers|<br>2,565|7,823|
||£<br>2,757|£<br>19,920||£<br>14,497|£<br>8,180|



24/01/2022 Date…………….…………………                                       Signed on behalf of all trustees ………………………….……………………………… 

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