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2024-04-05-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity

For the Year Ended 5th April 2024

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Trustees’ Annual Report 2023/24

Period Start Date: 6th April 2023 Period End Date: 5th April 2024

Reference & Administration Details

Charity Name: Park Yoga
Registered charity number: 1183253
Charity’s principal address: 6 Crown Square, Poundbury, DORCHESTER,
Dorset, DT1 3EN

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity:

Trustee name Role Appointed Resigned
Sibyl Ann King 3rd May 2019
Cathrine Farrer 3rd May 2019 20thJuly 2024
Lisa Upchurch Chair 2nd April 2020
Sharon McHugh 26th January 2023
Daniel King 26th January 2023
Nilesh Pattani 25thJanuary 2024

Names of advisors:

Type of advisor Type of advisor Name
Charity Adviser Martin Cooke
ame of chief executive or names of senior staff members:
Name Role Appointed Resigned
Leanda Lee Director 18th September 2023 5thJanuary 2024
Cathrine Mitchell Director 1stOctober 2024

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members:

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Structure, Governance and Management

Description of the charity’s trusts:

Type of governing document: Constitution – based on the Charity
Commission’s model governing document for
Foundation Charitable Incorporated
Organisations, ie: where the Trustees are the
only Members of the charity.
How the charity is constituted: Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Trustee selection methods: There must be at least three charity trustees.
If the number falls below this minimum, the
remaining trustee or trustees may act only to
call a meeting of the charity trustees, or
appoint a new charity trustee.
The maximum number of charity trustees is 12.
The charity trustees may not appoint any
charity trustee if as a result the number of
charity trustees would exceed the maximum.
Apart from the first charity trustees, every
trustee must be appointed for a term of three
years by a resolution passed at a properly
convened meeting of the charity trustees.
In appointing Trustees due consideration is
given to ensuring that the Trustees have,
between them, the skills and experience
necessary to manage the charity effectively
and in accordance with charity law.
There are currently no formal induction and
training policies for Trustees.
Risk management system: A comprehensive Risk Register.

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Objectives and Activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document:

To improve the health and wellbeing of the public by providing free yoga session in an open space for the public benefit. The beneficiaries will extend to those living throughout the UK regardless of age, disability, gender or ethnicity.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects:

Park Yoga provides free park yoga outdoors in public parks and spaces in the UK. The sessions are open to all to attend, regardless of experience, age, or gender.

Park Yoga runs for one hour on Sunday mornings, between May and September. The charity works in partnership with local organisations, including Town Councils, Local Authorities, Local Active Partnerships, Natural England, parks and instructors to bring Park Yoga to local communities, particularly those with residents who are likely to benefit most from the inclusive and welcoming atmosphere of Park Yoga. The Park Yoga Head Office team provide advice and guidance to both the host venues and yoga instructors, including training and on-going support throughout the season. The Head Office support also includes providing marketing and communication activities alongside our host venues and instructors, this involves both localised and main social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and a centralised website and the issuing of press releases.

In 2023 Park Yoga expanded to deliver at 32 park locations, with 9 new venues including one in Northwest England (Burnley) for the first time.

Policy on grant making:

The Trustees consider requests from our partner host organisations providing activities for public benefit. Criteria for selection include capability of the organisation, suitability of the site, location (what other Park Yoga provision is there in the area), the number of potential beneficiaries, the need within the catchment for the provision of free sessions, the level of support (including financial) that is available from the host organisation to support the service and the availability of funds within Park Yoga.

The Trustees consider requests from sites according to the Venue Selection criteria which is communicated to potential sites for them to consider and provide input before a decision is made.

In 2023 18 of the 32 locations were supported with grant funding from Park Yoga, with 16 of these contributions being £500 per venue. One venue received £1,400 and a final venue received £140.

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Public Benefit Statement

Statutory declaration:

The Trustees of Park Yoga confirm that they have paid due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

Plans for Future Periods

Park Yoga continues to regularly receive expressions of interest from new venues through site owners, interested persons and instructors. Trustees and staff will work through the list and target new venues where there is community interest and a recognised need.

Building on the success of previous years with its partners, in 2024 Park Yoga hopes to increase its reach to close to 50 venues with an aim of having approximately 3,000 participants each week, and a total of 60,000 participants over the summer.

Following a pilot in 2023, during the 2024 season Park Yoga will be rolling out contactless donation machines at all its venues. We hope this will diversify the fundraising mix for Park Yoga to ensure longer term financial sustainability.

An on-going concern for the Trustees is Park Yoga’s future sustainable financial position. We had hoped our recently appointed Director (in September 2023) would support Trustees to develop and activate an income generation strategy, however unfortunately they resigned in January 2024 and the position is currently vacant. As such, the Trustees will closely monitor our financial position during the 2024 season while recruiting a new Director.

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Achievements and Performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year:

Park Yoga runs for one hour on Sunday mornings, between May and September. In 2023, Park Yoga expanded to deliver at 32 venues predominately across the Southwest and South-Central England, as well as one venue in Burnley, Northwest England. Park Yoga is a registered charity funded through donations and grant giving trusts and foundations.

Over the 20-week season, 616 sessions were delivered, an average of 19 sessions per venues, with cancelled sessions typically due to poor weather. Average weekly attendances range from 31 in Ilfracombe to 175 in Poole; with 23 of the 32 venues having an average attendance of over 50 participants per week. The number of overall attendances increased by 70% compared to 2022.

Park Yoga has continued to successfully bring in new audiences, and encourage repeat attendance. 51% of survey respondents had never taken part in Park Yoga before the 2023 season, and 69% took part in 6 or more sessions. This is an

increase of 25% compared to 2022. Repeat attendance is an indicator of how much people enjoy Park Yoga, but more importantly, the more regularly and frequently people attend, the more likely they are to develop positive habits around participating in physical activity.

Furthermore, we know Park Yoga is targeting some of the people who need it most. 21% of participants classified themselves as either inactive or not very active, and there is considerable scope to increase this percentage.

Unfortunately three venues stopped delivering Park Yoga in 2023. Trustees will closely monitor if and when venues stop operating to understand their and our reasonings for doing so.

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Impact on Participants

An annual survey carried out by an independent evaluator captured data and comments around the impact on participants of Park Yoga.

Satisfaction rates are extremely high, with 99% satisfied overall, 98% enjoying yoga and 89% agreeing that their yoga skills have improved.

“It is a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning – a real feel-good experience.”

One of the most cited benefits of taking part in Park Yoga is the sense of community it instills in participants as well as the potential longer-term impact of park Yoga.

“It’s such a positive experience and most definitely brings the community together.”

“I have been invited to join a women' s running club as a result of friendships made at Park Yoga”

“I've invited more than 10 people, all of who came and enjoyed it. We formed a habit of going to park yoga, then getting a coffee in the pub or cafe in the park afterwards. We 'd go for a walk in the park. We could easily spend half a day in the park.”

Yoga has a number of health benefits, including strength, flexibility, bone health, posture, balance and mobility. The survey results show that, as result of taking part in Park Yoga:

“Park yoga has had immense benefits for my mental health and fitness. I feel much less anxious and much more motivated. Park yoga has become a crucial part of my weekly routine and has given me the confidence to engage more in other local initiatives such as theatre and netball which again has increased my overall fitness and energy levels. It has been fantastic.”

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There is a strong evidence base showing the benefits of access to greenspace and in particular outdoor exercise on wellbeing and mental health. Park Yoga provides an opportunity to connect to nature in a meaningful way, by helping people relax, be mindful and therefore take more notice of the sights and sounds that surround them. This is reflected in the survey results which shows that as a result of taking part in Park Yoga:

“Park Yoga has been wonderful. It has made me make time and put myself first. One morning practicing outside with like-minded people has changed my life, my perspectives on life and my priorities.”

“I had a lady just this last session who told me that she had lost her husband in the summer and Park Yoga had given her a sense of purpose each week...she was crying it was very moving.”

Donations and grants

During 2023 we piloted using contactless donation units at five venues to discover whether participants would like the ease of donating on site. Previously participants had either donated online or via our registration process that was used in 2021 because of Covid-19.

Our contactless donation units were well received with £3,945 donations collected, an average of nearly £500 per venue, as although five donation units were issued only four were used. This trial has given us the confidence to expand the units to all venues during 2024.

Online donations in 2023 rose by 80% to £6,527, with venues receiving on average of £204 each. This is an increase of nearly £65 per venue compared to the 2022 season.

Although our participants recognise the need for donations and are happy to donate when they can afford to, for many (85%) the fact that Park Yoga is free is a

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key motivator for taking part.

The Trustees would like to thank The Fine Family Foundation and the Local Postcode Trust for the grant funding they provided this season. Thanks also to one of our founding Trustees, Alice King, who ran the London Marathon on behalf of Park Yoga, raising over £1,000, with more funds to follow in the next financial year.

Conclusions

Park Yoga has continued to grow and expand, and was successfully delivered at 32 venues, including 9 new locations with one in Northwest England (Burnley) for the first time.

Satisfaction rates and the impact on participants’ health and wellbeing continues to be significant; Park Yoga has provided people with an opportunity to take part in physical activity and people are reporting improvements in their physical activity levels, happiness and overall health as a result.

The strengths of Park Yoga remain unaffected despite the current societal challenges including the cost-of-living-crisis. It remains inclusive, accessible, free, offers excellent quality yoga instruction by skilled and personable teachers and offers a different experience to indoor classes by enabling people to better connect to nature.

Park Yoga has continued to introduce new audiences to yoga and local parks. As a result of Park Yoga, more people are using their local parks and many are joining yoga classes in their local communities. The vast majority of participants and partners are keen to continue next year.

Park Yoga has two significant challenges for the future:

We are living in an environment where mental and physical health is declining, social isolation is rising, and the cost-of-living crisis is affecting our disposable income. Park Yoga is continuing to demonstrate the difference it can make to communities to support these issues.

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Financial Review

Details:

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on
reserves:		 The Charity aims to have 3 – 6 months of
operating costs as reserves within unrestricted
funds.
Details of any funds materially in deficit: The Charity has no funds which are materially
in deficit.
Principle sources of funding: Grant funding from the Fine Family Foundation
and Local Postcode Trust as well as donations
from participants.
How expenditure has supported the key The significant expenditure has been staff
objectives: costs and contributions to venues to deliver
sessions. Contributions to venues cover
instructor costs and equipment for the
sessions. Other costs include insurance,
marketing, office, IT, evaluation, postage and
uniform.
Remuneration of Trustees: All Trustees act in a voluntary capacity and
receive no remuneration or other material
benefits from their services to the Charity.
Out-of-pocket expenses necessarily and
reasonably incurred by Trustees in promoting
the purposes of the Charity are reimbursed at
cost.
Funds Held as Custodian Trustee on Behalf of None.
Others:
Any significant events that have affected the
financial performance:		 None.
Financial position of the charity during the Park Yoga’s current resources from grant
reporting period: funding and donations are more than
sufficient to meets its outgoings for the next
year.
The charity operated at a £2,185 surplus
during 2023/24.
Park Yoga will carry forward total funds of
£48,180 including £28,712 in restricted
funding and £19,468 in unrestricted funding
reserves.
In 2024/25 the charity will use our funding on
charity sustainability projects and staff costs
and are forecasting a significant reduction in
funds being brought forward.

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Statement of Financial Activity Statement of Financial ACtI￿tieS {Income & Expense) 6th AprS12023 - 5th Aprll 2024 PARK YOGA Unrestrlcted Restrlcted Total Prlor Year Income IncoffE from Donations & Legacles 37,086 £ 19,9LK) £ 56,986 £ 73,175 Incon￿ from Trading Activities 736 736 £ 556 Investment Income 107 107 £ 55 Total income 37,929 £ 19,9(Xl E 57,829 £ 73,787 Expenses Charitable Activities 26,812 £ 28,510 £ 55,322 £ 33,T11 Trading Activities Total expenses 323 323 £ 462 27.135 £ 28.510 £ 55.645 £ 34,233 Net Resource Alovement 10,794 -E 8,610 E 2,185 £ 39,554 Net hlovement in Funds 10.794 -£ 8.610 £ 2.185 £ 39.554 Total Funds br￿ght Forward Total Funds Carried FoThiard .674 £ 37.321 £ 45.995 £ 6.441 19.468 E 28.712 E 48,180 £ 45.995 11 of 15

Balance Sheet As at April 5, 2024 5 Apr 2024 5 Apr 2023 Cu￿ent Assets Sto(*s 1.127 1.450 Debtors 9,043 Cash At Bank And In Hand 63,074 37,627 Trading Credit(Ks -158 Other Creditor5 -15.864 -2.125 Net Assets 48.180 45,995 Funds & Reserves Restricted Funds 28.712 37.321 Unrestricled General Funds 19.468 8.674 Funds Provid•d 48,180 4S,99S 12of 15

Notes to the Financial Statements for Year Ending 5[th] April 2023

1. Basis of Accounting

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued October 2019 and with the Charities Act 2011.

Park Yoga meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

Going Concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

Prior Year Errors

There are no material prior year errors.

2. Accounting Policies

Recognition of income

Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity is entitled to the income, it is more likely than not that income will be received and when the value can be measured with sufficient reliability. Donations – donated funds from individuals, accounted for when received. Grants – accounted for when received. Other Trading Activities – from sales of goods

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty. All costs are allocated to a particular account code/heading with other costs of the same category for scrutiny by the trustees.

Stock

Stock is valued at the lower of cost price or net realisable value. Value is determined using the first-in, first-out principal (FIFO).

3. Trustees and Related Parties

None of the trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from an employment with their charity or a related entity. None of the Trustees have received expenses payments. There have been no related party transactions in the reporting period.

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Independent Examiner report CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLANO AND WALES Independent examlnerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Rèport to thè trustees Park YcAJa On accounts for the year ended Aw'l 2024 Charity no (if any) 1183253 Set out on pages 10t015 I rewt to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the TnJst-) for the year ended 0510412024. Responslbllltles and basis of report As charilys trustees, you are res￿nSIble for the preparation of the accounis in aCuXda￿ requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Acr). I rewi in resFed of my examination of the Trusfs accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in Gqrying out my examination. I have folbwed all the apF4icable Directions gN8n by the Chanty Commission under sectson 145(5){b) of ihe Ad. Indapendent I have no concems and have come across no <Aher matters in (x)nr￿dion examlnerfs statèment with the examination to whith attenb'on shoukj be drawn in this reFQrt in order lo ena￿8 a proper underslaThJing of the accounts to te reached. Slgned: 18th October 2024 Jacqudine Gilmore MICB PM.Drp Relevaffl professlonal qualffication(s) or body (If anyl: ICB Address: 10 Summerfands Yeov BA213AL 14of 15

Declaration

The Trustees declare that they have approved the above Annual Report and Statement of Financial Activity.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

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