Arlington Garden Association Charity Number: 1184194
Trustees' Annual Report & Financial Statements for the Period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021
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August 2022
Arlington Garden Association Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements for the Financial Period from 01-Jan-2021 to 31-Dec-2021
Reference & Administration Details
Charity Details:
Name(s): Arlington Garden Association Number: 1184194 Address: c/o Garden Flat, 4 Arlington Villas, Bristol, BS8 2ED
Names of the Charity Trustees who Manage the Charity
Caroline Dix Chair of Trustees Richard Barnes Trustee Keith Rodgerson Trustee Nicholas Sargent Trustee
Names of Trustees for the Charity
Nil
Names & Addresses of Advisors
Role Name Address Bank Lloyds Bank Blackheath, London Independent Nil Examiner
Names of Senior Staff with Delegated Responsibilities
Name Role Nil
Structure, Governance & Management
Description of the Charity's Trusts
Type of Governing Document:
Constitution
How the Charity is Constituted:
Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Trustee Selection Methods:
Informal Selection: volunteer trustees from the local community who have an interest in meeting the objects of the Charity. Volunteers who meet specific gaps in knowledge and expertise of existing trustees are particularly sought.
How New Trustees are Inducted and Trained:
All new Trustees will be provided with a copy of the Constitution, the most recent Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements and minutes of recent Trustees meetings.
Charity Commission Documentation will also be provided to ensure the role and responsibility of the Trustee is fully understood.
Additional Governance Issues
Nil.
Objects
Arlington Garden Association exists to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Arlington Garden for the benefit of the local community and visitors through trustee led volunteer maintenance sessions and fundraising for restoration activity.
In addition the Association seeks to provide facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation for the public benefit by providing an area for use as a community garden for individuals in Clifton East, Bristol and the surrounding area, who have need of such facilities with the object of improving the condition of life of the local community.
The Association provides opportunities for community garden volunteers to learn about horticulture in and around the community garden.
Statutory Declaration on Public Benefit
The trustees declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties.
Executive Summary
9 formal volunteering sessions and 1 fundraising event have taken place over the course of 2021, fewer than normal due to the restrictions in early 2021, at least half of the volunteer sessions were limited to 6 people due to CV-19 rules. These volunteer sessions were all organised to meet the objectives of the charity; that is to improve the state of Arlington Garden as a community space for leisure and recreation of local residents and visitors.
Activities, Achievements & Performance
Objectives of the charity.
During 2021 the Association set out to continue delivering iterative improvements in the state of the Garden. in order to provide improving quality recreation and leisure space for the local community in a garden context; this is particularly important as many local residents do not have access to their own garden. The Garden has not been formally maintained for over 70 years (since WW2) and, although foreboding at times, it has remained accessible to the public since at least this time; the garden had also become a spot for flytipping, recreational drug users and rough sleepers to the concern of local residents; no other organisation is currently undertaking any maintenance of the Garden.
In addition the Association has sought to undertake fundraising events in order to increase available funding. The fundraising activity enables the Association to purchase plants and tools for use in the Garden to enable us to continue to make improvements.
Activities undertaken . The Garden improvements are undertaken through volunteer sessions held once a month on the site. Each volunteer session lasts for c. 1 hour, although many volunteers choose to give more of their time with the average volunteer staying for 90minutes.
The iterative improvements over 2021 have included planting a number of trees including a morello cherry and a Czar plum tree in the east end of the garden, along with 2 camelia and 2 rhododendron in an attempt to bring colour and life to this dark shady area of the garden. An Amelanchier (June Berry
shrub) has also been planted in the west garden flower beds. We continued to seed the grassed area to help maintain and thicken the grass under the shade of the trees.
A single fundraising event was held in the garden co-incident with the Green Squares and Secret Garden event, with a BBQ, cake sale and support from the Bristol Improv Theatre to do games, whilst this only raised a small amount it was a great day for all involved.
The Rotary Club of Clifton donated 500 crocus bulbs which were planted during the November and December volunteer sessions. A small oak sapling was also donated to the garden by Bristol Tree Forum, this was very small (less than 1 foot tall) so is currently planted in a pot to grow it to a size suitable for planning out in the garden.
Unfortunately deliberate vandalism was experienced for the first time in the garden with the morello cherry tree and the oak planted in 2020 were cleanly cut off in October 2021; this was a sad moment for all involved in maintaining the garden. The weeping ash stump that had been a key architectural feature of the garden sadly fell in the large storm in December 2021, this was also a very sad moment for all who enjoy the garden as to be made safe it was required to be logged, these logs have been left in the garden to provide an environment for wildlife.
Away from specific charitable activity we were able to offer use of the Garden to support a small local business to deliver workshops during covid, and additionally the local Church was also able to hold their Easter Service in the Garden in the beaming sunshine.
All Charity activity takes place on the Garden site at Arlington Villas.
Outcomes . The activity has enabled a recreation and leisure space within this densely populated residential area in the context of a garden space. The Garden is open for the public benefit at all times, although unlit in hours of darkness. The fundraising events are held over the summer months to enable maximum participation and have raised a sum of money to enable the Association to undertake further meaningful work in the next period. The garden having open space and a grassed area has been specifically beneficial for the local community during the Coronavirus lockdown, especially as most properties locally are in flats and have no outside space.
Fundraising . Due to the Covid-19 restrictions we held a single fundraising event in 2021 using the Green Squares and Secret Gardens event to also host a fundraising BBQ and cake sale.
Grants Awarded . Nil.
Contributions of Volunteers . Between 2 and 4 of the trustees lead each volunteer session with usual attendance from the local community of about 6-10 additional volunteers ranging in age from 7-75, in addition to the trustees, during the CV-19 restrictions volunteer numbers were severely limited with often only 4 able to attend. Each session is programmed for 60 minutes, although the majority of volunteers will attend for at least 90minutes, with some staying for up to 120 mins. These volunteers undertake gardening activity.
In addition the Trustees spent a cumulative 10-15 hours a month undertaking additional gardening activity in the Garden to ensure all required work is carried out. Approximately 15 hours have been spent by volunteers undertaking the administration requirements of the Charity, this has been focussed around developing the paperwork to support an application for the Garden to become a Town Green.
The beneficiaries of the Associations activities are all those who walk by, or chose to spend time in the Garden; in the main this will be local residents and those who are working locally, and will be of all ages. The fundraising events had a wider audience with Residents’ Associations invited, and the wider panBristol draw of the Clifton Green Squares and Secret Gardens event.
Financial Review
Statement of the Charity's Policy on Reserves
The Association currently operates with a no reserves policy; this will be reviewed in the next period.
Due to the nature of the charitable undertakings there are not foreseen to be any unplanned outgoings (the Association does not own the land which it maintains nor does it own or lease any buildings or employ staff); therefore contingency is not deemed necessary at this stage. All commitments (expenditure) are managed according to income received and that which has accrued from previous periods is applicable and therefore cash-flow is maintained; any surplus at the end of the period will be committed as soon as is practicable enabling future commitments. The no reserves policy should therefore not impact or force the closure of the charity.
Details of Any Funds Materially in Deficit
The Trustees declare that the charity had no funds which were materially in deficit at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
State of the Charity’s Finances
The Associations main income source is from annual fundraising events, and then through memberships and donations by local residents and business who support the aims.
The main areas of expenditure are on waste removal, gardening tools and plants/trees/seed used within the Garden by volunteers.
Restricted Funds
Nil.
Designated Funds
There are no designated funds.
Particulars of Any Outstanding Guarantee Given by the Charity
The Trustees declare that the charity has given no guarantee where potential liability is outstanding at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
Particulars of Any Outstanding Debt
The Trustees declare that the charity has no outstanding debts which are secured by an express charge on any of the assets of the charity at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the above report and authorised that it be signed on their behalf.
Arlington Garden Association Registered Charilabk Incated organlsatK. No". 1184194 Receipts & Payments Accounts For the Financial Year Ending 31 December 2021 Prepared Octot)er 2022
2(1211231 AGA Accounts FINAL 2311or2022 10.-39 Statement of Financial Activity, Financial Year Ended 314>ec-21 Curreni Finan¢ial Year. Unrestrd Restticted Last Year Total Total INCOMING RESOURCES Donations & legacies Charitable activities Other trading actlvltles Investments Separate material items of interest Other 830 830 295 295 295 TOTAL INCOME RESOURCES EXPENDED Ralslng funds Charitable activities Support costs Separate material items of interest other 295 -24 -559 -24 -559 -199 -782 -199 -782 TOTAL EXPENDITURE Net income.expenditure befort gains/losses on investments Net gainsllosses on investments NET INCOME-EXPEDITURE 343 343 295 343 343 295 Extraordinary Items Transfers Between Funds other recognised gainsllosses NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 343 343 295 Reconclllatlon of Net FundPFlnanEIIPfearlllPNDIEIPP Current Finan¢ial Year. Unrestrd Resrricted Last Year Total 3.351 Total 3.351 Net Furlds Brought Forward Movement After Transfers Total Funds Carried Forward 3,351 3.351 Cash Funds e¢eipt$ in Period •yment$ in Per)d rans er$ in Period 01 Jan-21 31.De¢-21 Cash at 8ank & in Hand Bank, Currenl Account Cash Account PayPal Account Bank, Deposrt Account Total Cash Funds Debtors lun¢ed lft¢ome} Creditors fjjnreconciled Expendilure} Net Cash Funds 2,977 1.125 -733 3.368 2,977 1.125 -733 3,368 2.977 3,368 Non-cash Funds Bt'Fwd at lJ1Jan-19 Additions in Period Disposals in Period DepilRevals in Period Cd'Fwd at 31.Dec-19 Agsetg Investments 375 150 -199 326 Total Non-cash Funds 375 150 -199 326 Total Funds (Net) 3,351 3,694
20211231 AGA Accounts FINAL 2311ord022 10.-39 Balance Sheet as at 31-Dec-21 Current Financial Year. UnTestrd Reslncted Total £ Last Year Assets Tangible assets Other assets Stocks Investments rotal Non-cash Assets Total £ 375 326 326 326 326 375 Cash Cash at bank and in hand Debtors Creditors {Due within one yr} Net Cash 3,368 3,368 2,977 3.368 3,368 3,694 2.977 rotal assets less cuent liabilities 3.694 3.351 Total Fixed Assets Total Current Assets Net Current Assets 326 3,368 3,368 326 3,368 3,368 375 2,977 2_977 Allocation of Funds General Fund Net Payments In Advanco Designated Funds Total Unrestricted Funds Restrlcted Funds Total Restrlcted Funds Total Funds 3,694 3.351 3,694 3.351 Money Owed to the Charity {other MonetaryAssets} Grft Aid claim Other Money Owed by the Charity {Liabilities} Independent Examination Fee Other Current Funds 3,694 3,351