FRIENDS OF FISHPOND PARK PANTEG CHARITY REGISTRATION NO. 1184066
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 1[st] November 2020 to 31[st] OCTOBER 2021
Purposes of the Charity
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1) To advance the facilities and maintenance of the Fishpond Park Panteg for the benefit and enjoyment of the public at large
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2) To raise funds to further this aim whilst not engaging in any taxable permanent trading activity and must comply with any relevant statutory regulations.
Summary of the main activities
The ongoing maintenance and improvement of all areas of the park. This includes planting shrubs, annuals and perennials in the numerous beds. We keep costs down by purchasing seeds and plug plants. Some of our more green fingered members bring them on in their own greenhouses and allotments and transport to the park when ready for planting. Any plants surplus to requirements are sold to the general public . Many people donate empty hanging baskets and containers to us which we plant up and sell at a good profit. The park is enclosed by hedging. The outside is cut annually by the Council but our members take care of the inside. This task alone keeps us busy at certain times of the year. We have purchased a wood chipper that enables us to reduce the green waste that is collected by the Council and also provide mulch for some of the borders.
There is a brick pavilion in the grounds which we use as our base and for storage. However, it became clear to us that we needed extra storage. We decided a metal storage container would provide the space and security we needed and after successfully obtaining the relevant planning permission the container was purchased and covered with wooden cladding as required by the planning consent. A few of our members worked on the inside to provide the shelving etc that we needed.
We create a lot of green waste which is collected by the Local Authority. We decided to build a large compost area to produce compost for our own use in the park and also reduce the amount of waste collected by the Council.
A major fundraising event is our family Fun Day and Dog Show which usually takes place in July and attended by several hundred people. This type of event has not been possible during the pandemic but in July 21 we
did hold the dog show and plant sale. This was a much smaller event but thankfully still generated much needed funds for our charity.
The park is noted for the fish pond but this needs constant attention to ensure the wellbeing of the fish. To that end we have had to purchase a new pump at considerable cost.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA )continue to provide professional tennis coaching sessions for children. Outside of these sessions, the courts are available to members of the public free of charge.
The LTA together with Torfaen County Borough Council provided funds to cover the full cost of resurfacing the tennis courts. This funding was paid into our bank account to be paid, by us, directly to the contractors.
We hope that our status as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) will enable us to secure funding to make further improvements. It has already enabled us to negotiate with Torfaen County Borough Council with regard to us leasing the park and the brick pavilion. This has taken longer than anticipated (partly due to the pandemic) but we are advised that arrangements are progressing.
The Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Achievements and Performance
The main achievement is probably the fact that as a group we are still going strong and as determined as ever to work together to maintain and improve the facilities in this park for the benefit of the community. The pandemic continued to impact on our work as a group during this period but some of our volunteers carried on working alone to ensure the park didn’t decline. The park attracts lots of visitors and we receive many compliments and words of appreciation. Our Facebook page is testimony to our achievements.
When the group started in 2016 there had been a lot of anti-social behaviour, drug use and vandalism by youths in the park. I am pleased to report that such incidents are now very rare and this is probably because the park is being cared for, used and more appreciated.
We are pleased that our hard work in the park has been recognised by Keep Wales Tidy and we have been awarded a Green Flag each year since 2016.
Financial Review
At the end of this reporting period (31[st] October 2021) the charity is in a good financial position. We have £15, 195. Although this is slightly down
on the same period last year we paid out significant sums on agreed expenditure (which includes the storage container and ancillary works to meet planning requirements).
The pump and filter for the fish pond is positioned inside the pavilion building and we have been advised that the distance from the pond is the cause of the issues we have keeping the water in good condition for the fish. Once the lease is secured we hope to reposition the pump and filter in the ground adjacent to the pond. This will be costly but since the fish pond is such a feature in the park we believe it should be done.
We hope a lease will enable us to apply for more substantial funding so that we will be able to finance some of the more expensive work needed in the park e.g. resurfacing of the tarmac paths which are in a very poor state.
Structure, Governance and Management
Governing document - Constitution We are a CIO Trustees are appointed at our AGM. By election.
On behalf of the Charity’s Trustees
Wendy Carol Woods Position: Treasurer Date: 11[th] August 2022
FRIENDS OF FISHPOND PARK PANTEG
REGISTRATION NO. 1184066
RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS FOR THE PERIOD 1st NOVEMBER 2020 t
| A1 RECEIPTS | |
|---|---|
| Donations from Public | 465 |
| Plant sales | 3600 |
| Tea & veg sales | 689 |
| Members standing orders | 291 |
| Donations from Organisations | 6336 |
| Dog Show Income | 121 |
| Sale of Refreshments | 323 |
| Total income in period | 11825 |
| A3 PAYMENTS | |
| General expenditure | 166 |
| Expenditure for Dog Show/ Plant Sale | 139 |
| Insurance | 95 |
| Fish Food | 47 |
| Expenses for Container | 4401 |
| Expenses for Compost Enclosure | 579 |
| Pump for Fish Pond | 520 |
| Tools and general maintenance | 954 |
| Plants & Shrubs | 321 |
| Resurface Tennis Courts | 6271 |
| Total expenditure in period | 13493 |
| NET INCOME FOR PERIOD | -1668 |
| The total funds held at 31st October 202 | £15,195 |
| * Donations from Organisations as follows | |
|---|---|
| Co op Community Fund | 2161 |
| Ward Councillors | 400 |
| Community Councillors | 800 |
| CAF ( Charities Aid Foundation) | 504 |
| Torfaen CBC for tennis court work | 2471 |
| Total | 6336 |
** For Information The full cost of £6271 to resurface the tennis courts has bee
in full by Torfaen CBC. £3800 held at 31st October 2020 plus amount of £2471 as shown above - received this period
tro 31 OCTOBER 2021 sn covered
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