Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1/1/23 To 31/12/23
Charity name: Irvine Road Community Orchard Charity registration number: 1183649
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To promote, for the benefit of the public, the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of the Irvine Road Orchard, Colchester |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
To fulfil its purpose, the charity will restore, manage, promote and celebrate this ancient orchard and its wildlife for the public benefit. Our aim is to engage the community in achieving its purpose and to rely on volunteers to undertake a range of activities including – site management, fundraising, education, community engagement, fruit harvesting, and communication. The CIO was registered in May 2019 in anticipation of taking on a fifty year lease for the Orchard. We expected to take on the lease in early 2020 but Brexit and Covid19 slowed building on the part of the Orchard allocated for development, and the lease was not enacted until 20/5/21. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Statutory Declaration The IRCO Trustees consider that they have complied with their duty under Section 4 of the 2006 Act to have due regard to guidance published by the Commission on charitable purposes and public benefit. |
Additional information (optional)
SORP reference We do not intend to award grants. Para 1.38 Policy on grant making We do not envisage having funds to make
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | investments but have chosen our bank (co-op) based on its ethical credentials. |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | IRCO is run entirely by volunteers with an estimated annual contribution in 2023 of over 665 hours_:_ Notes: 272 Site management 318 Governance, fundraising, comms 75 Events |
| Other |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | We completed our major fundraising effort during 2023, hitting the £45k target required to extend our lease of the Orchard to 999 years. We raised £41k in grants from Colchester City Council, the Tudwick Foundation, the Essex Community Foundation and the Postcode Lottery Donations with more local sources (eg the open days, quizzes, street sales, street party and personal donations) ensuring we have sufficient funds to complete the purchase whilst still leaving financial reserves at a healthy level. We expect to complete the signing of the new lease in 2024. We ran a fruit tree pruning course and a fungi foray, each for the second time. We held two open day type events but had to cancel the planned fruit pressing day due to a lack of fruit which we ascribed to the weather over the summer. Work parties continued throughout the year where the highlights were using a loaned chipper to recycle material generated on-site and the installation of an owl box made by community volunteers. During the year, we kept people informed of the state of play through the Residents’ Association (newsletter, emails, noticeboard and Facebook page) and via the Orchard Facebook page. We used these to advertise for new Trustees who we appointed early in 2024. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 |
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|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | We raised £46149 during the year and incurred expenditure of £5123 leaving our financial reserves at £44802 at the end of the year with £40,500 earmarked for concluding the extension of the lease on the Orchard |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | We will need to maintain financial reserves but do not expect our normal running costs to be greater than £1k per annum. We could run the operation, for a time, on considerably less if we had to. We will also fundraise for specific projects we wish to run. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £44,802.00 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 |
We would expect to raise funds through voluntary donations through events (sometimes in partnership with the Residents' Association) corporate sponsorship and donations grants |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | 1) We have yet to ascertain, beyond doubt, the long-term appetite of the community to get engaged in supporting and managing the Orchard – but evidence so far suggests that this risk is unlikely to materialise. 2) All the uncertainties and risks associated with land ownership – trespass, neighbourhood disputes, vandalism. The active engagement of the new residents abutting the Orchard has minimised this risk. 3) There is always a risk that the current landowner changes his current collaborative approach and looks to find ways to break the lease, returning the site to his control, or sells the land to someone who does likewise. |
Securing the 999 year lease will reduce this risk. Maintaining the relationship with him will continue to be important for the Trustees to pay attention to Other
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
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|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution (based on the foundation model of a CIO) |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | We are constituted as a CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | The Irvine Road Area Residents’ Association may appoint four charity trustees. Each appointment must be for a term of three years. The charity trustees can appoint three trustees for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. |
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
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Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 |
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| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | None |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charityname | Irvine Road Community Orchard |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | |
| Registered charitynumber | 1183649 |
| Charity’s principal address | 17 Irvine Road Colchester Essex CO3 3TS |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| trustees charity |
who manage the | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
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| 1 | Shaun Thomas | Chair | |
| 2 | Simon Amstutz | ||
| 3 | Sarah Jane Carter | ||
| 4 | Katherine Sandercock | Treasurer | |
| 5 | Gavin Sandercock | ||
| 6 | Willi Otto Emrich | ||
| 7 | Victoria Thomas | Secretary | |
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– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
| Irvine Road CommunityOrchard 1183649 Receipts andpayments accounts To Period end date 01/01/23 31/12/23 For the period from |
Irvine Road CommunityOrchard 1183649 Receipts andpayments accounts To Period end date 01/01/23 31/12/23 For the period from |
Irvine Road CommunityOrchard 1183649 Receipts andpayments accounts To Period end date 01/01/23 31/12/23 For the period from |
Irvine Road CommunityOrchard 1183649 Receipts andpayments accounts To Period end date 01/01/23 31/12/23 For the period from |
CC16a | |
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| For the period from |
01/01/23 | To | Period end date 31/12/23 |
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| Section A Receipts and payments Utitd |
Rtitd | Edt | |||
| A1 Receipts Grants Fundraisingvia localgiving fundraisingother egopen days/sales - - ~~Sub total~~- Total receipts - A3 Payments Insurance Workshopinvoice Orchard sundries(boxes,trees etc) website fees and design Legal fees Sub total - - Sub total - Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end nresrce funds to the nearest £ ~~Sub total~~~~(Gross income for AR)~~ (see table). A4 Asset and investment |
to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - esrce funds |
to the nearest £ nowmen funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 41,000 1,920 3,229 46 149 - - - 46 149 156 150 137 180 4,500 - - - 5,123 - - - 5,123 41,026 3,776 44 802 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
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| 41,000 | - | ||||
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| 1,920 | - | ||||
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| 3,229 | - | ||||
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| 46 149 | 1,267 | ||||
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| - | 46 149 | 1,267 | |||
| - - - - - - - - - - |
156 | - | |||
| 150 | - | ||||
| 137 | - | ||||
| 180 | - | ||||
| 4,500 | - | ||||
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| 5,123 | 464 | ||||
| - - - |
- | ||||
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| 5,123 | 464 | ||||
| 41,026 | 803 | ||||
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| 3,776 | 2,973 | ||||
| 44 802 | 3,776 |
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | |
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| 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 |
Details Details Details Details Details Signature Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - 44 802 #VALUE! OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Kate Sandercock 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 |
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| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| When due (optional) |
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| Date of ~~l~~ |
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| Kate Sandercock | 25/06/2024 ~~approva~~ |
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