Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1/1/25 To 31/12/25 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 50 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 initial lease was not enacted until 20/5/21. In 2023, we raised £45k to purchase a new 999 year lease that took effect on 8 August 2024. |
| 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
| Policy on grant making | Policy on grant making | Policy on grant making | Policy on grant making |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | We do not envisage having funds to make 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 2025 of over 830 hours_:_ Notes: 264 Site management 434 Governance, fundraising, comms 136 Events |
|
| Other |
Achievements and Performance
----- Start of picture text -----
SORP reference
We ran our second Wassail in January and an
----- End of picture text -----
| Achievements and Performance | Achievements and Performance | Achievements and Performance |
|---|---|---|
| SORP reference | ||
| We ran our second Wassail in January and an | ||
| 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 | Apple Blossom Open Day in April – both were well attended. The Wassail was enhanced by the performances and participation of AnnieMation, a local Clog Morris group. The fruit pressing in September was a welcome success - lots of fruit, perhaps due to the Wassail!, lots of attendees and the sun shone. We hosted more visits to the Orchard by a local junior school as part of their Forest Schools programme and we hope these will continue. We also hosted a stand at a local event celebrating Essex Orchards. Our third fungi foray in October revealed further new species in the Orchard. We ran our third tree pruning course and work parties continued throughout the year where the highlights were using a loaned chipper to recycle material generated on-site; building a couple of “dead” hedges to increase the range of wildlife habitats; and removing considerable amounts of bramble, ivy and a large sycamore. We also secured a grant of £1920 from the National Lottery community Fund to revise the Management Plan which will be undertaken in 2026. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Para 1.41
----- Start of picture text -----
Achievements against
objectives set
Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives Para 1.41
set
Investment performance Para 1.41
against objectives
Other
----- End of picture text -----
Financial Review
----- Start of picture text -----
Review of the charity’s Para 1.21 We raised £2709 during the year and incurred
financial position at the end expenditure of £657. As a result, our financial
of the period reserves ended the year at £3893. We plan to
spend £1920 of our reserves on a new
management plan during 2026.
Statement explaining the Para 1.22 We will need to maintain financial reserves but
policy for holding reserves do not expect our normal running costs to be
stating why they are held 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 £3893
Reasons for holding zero Para 1.22
reserves
Details of fund materially in Para 1.24
deficit
Explanation of any Para 1.23
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern
----- End of picture text -----
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
We expect to raise funds through voluntary donations through events (sometimes in partnership with the Residents' Association) corporate sponsorship and donations grants |
|
|---|---|---|
| Para 1.47 | ||
| 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 has reduced 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: |
||
|---|---|---|
| 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:
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | ||
| 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
----- Start of picture text -----
Charity name Irvine Road Community Orchard
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number 1183649
Charity’s principal address 17 Irvine Road
Colchester
Essex
CO3 3TS
----- End of picture text -----
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
----- Start of picture text -----
Dates acted
Trustee name Office (if any)
if not for whole year
1Shaun Thomas Chair
2Wayne Bennison
3Nicholas Binns
4Katherine Sandercock Treasurer
5Gavin Sandercock
6Willi Otto Emrich
7Victoria Thomas Secretary
8Sarah Jane Carter
9Simon Amstutz
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
----- End of picture text -----
– 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
----- Start of picture text -----
Irvine Road Community Orchard 1183649
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the period Period end date
To
from 01/01/25 31/12/25
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Endowment
Restricted funds Total funds Last year
funds funds
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
Grants 1,920
-
Fundraising donations 480
-
Open days 309
-
-
-
Sub total (Gross income for
1,263
AR) 2709
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - -
Total receipts - - - 2709 1,263
A3 Payments
Insurance - - 168
Workshop invoices - - 214
Orchard sundries (boxes, trees etc) - - 240
Website fees and design - - 35
- -
- -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - 657 44,225
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total payments 657
Net of receipts/(payments) 2,051
A5 Transfers between funds - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 1,842
Cash funds this year end 3,893
----- End of picture text -----
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
18/05/2026
1
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at | the end of the period | the end of the period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities |
Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Details Details Details Signature |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - OK Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - OK Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Kate Sandercock |
Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - |
| - | ||||
| OK | ||||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - - When due (optional) Date of approval 19/05/2026 |
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
18/05/2026
2