# **Arlington Garden Association Charity Number: 1184194** # **Trustees' Annual Report & Financial Statements for the Period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022** _._ October 2023 # **Arlington Garden Association Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements for the Financial Period from 01-Jan-2022 to 31-Dec-2022** # **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** 12 formal volunteering sessions and 1 fundraising event have taken place over the course of 2022, this was the first time since the 2020 Covid lockdowns that all volunteering sessions were able to be held and when they were held there were no restrictions on numbers. 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 2022 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 75 years (since WW2) and, although foreboding at times, it has remained accessible to the public since at least this time. The garden had 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 2022 have been reduced due to the amount of improvements made in previous years that require time to mature. We continue to seed the grassed area to help maintain and thicken the grass under the shade of the trees. A single fundraising event was held this year with the garden being open to take part in the Clifon Open Garden event, this raised over £250 as a share of ticket sales for the overarching event. The small oak sapling donated in 2021 by Bristol Tree Forum continues to grow and mature in a pot to enable it to get to a size suitable for planning out in the garden. Away from specific charitable activity we were able to offer use of the Garden to support a small local business to deliver outdoor workshops, and additionally the local Church continues to hold some events in the garden, including a carols by candelight event for the local residents. 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 continues to be beneficial for the local community as most properties in the vicinity are in flats and have no outside space. **Fundraising** . 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** . Arlington Garden Association was awarded Community Infrastructure Levy funding for path and entrance improvements in 2022 after an application was made on its behalf by the local residents’ association (Oakfield Residents’ Association). The monies for this will not be given directly to the garden within this financial year and works are due to be completed by Bristol Parks in 23/24. Any funding requirement in addition to the CIL award to deliver the works will be required to be provided by the Association. **Contributions of Volunteers** . Between 2 and 4 of the trustees lead each volunteer session with usual attendance from the local community of about 4-6 additional volunteers ranging in age from 7-75, in addition to the trustees; it appears that the restrictions of the covid lockdowns have had a longer term implication to being able to attract volunteers. 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 trustees on a voluntary basis 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. This application has been stymied due to the potential legal costs associated with it being beyond the means of the charity. 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 event had a wider audience with Residents’ Associations invited, and the wider panBristol draw of the Clifton Open Gardens event. ## **Financial Review** ## **Statement of the Charity's Policy on Reserves** The Association continues to operate 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. The Association notes the Community Infrastructure Levy grant that has been made by Bristol City Council, and that the monies will be held by them in order to cover the costs of the work. ## **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 Charitable Incorporated Organisalion, No.. 1184194 Receipts & Payments Accounts For the Financial Year Ending 31 December 2022 Prepar&J October 2022 30221237 AGA Accounts 221ior2023 09.'28 statement of Financial Activity, Financial Year Ended 31-Dec-22 Curreni Finan¢ial Year. Unrestrd Restricted Last Y¢ar Total ror81 INCOMING RESOURCES Donations & legacies Charitable activities other trading activities Investments Separate material items of interest Other 488 1,181 1.181 1. 181 TOTAL INCOME 1,181 RESOURCES EXPENDED Raising fund3 Charitable activities Support costs Separate materlal Items of Interest other -545 -732 -545 -732 -172 -172 TOTAL EXPENDITURE Net income-expenditure before g￿ns/10SseS on InVestn￿nts 220 220 1,181 Net gainsllosses on investments NET INCOME-EXPEDITURE 220 220 1,181 Extraordinary Items Transfers Between Funds other recognised gainsllosses NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 220 220 1,181 Reconciliation of Net Fund•Financial Year IIPJ14)LIEV22 Curreni Financial Year, Unresird Restricted Last Year Totsl 3.694 Total Nel Funds Brought Forward Movement Aftei Transfers Total Funds Carried Forward 3.694 220 3,694 220 3,694 Cash Funds ai 01Jan-21 eceipis in Petiod aymenis in Petiod roi)$ ers in Peiiod ai 31.t*.22 Cash at Bank & in Hand Bank. Currenl Accounl Cash Account PayPal Account Bank. Dewsil Accounl Total Cash Funds Debtors lun￿GOnG11ed In¢on*} Creditors lUn￿O￿lled Expendilure} Net Cash Funds 3,368 1,669 -1.277 3,760 3,368 1.669 -1.277 3,760 3,368 Bt'Fwd 01Jan-19 3,760 Non-cash Funds Addlilons in Period Diswsals in Petiod DeprlReval$ in Petiod Cd'Fwd ai 31.Dec.19 Assets Investments 326 -172 1S4 Total Non-cash Funds 326 -172 154 Total Funds (Net) 3,694 3,914 20321231 AGA Accounts 22nord023 09.'28 Balance Sheet as at 31-DecQ2 Current Financial Year, Unresifd Reslncled Total £ 154 154 Last Year Assets Tangible assets Other assets Stocks Investments Total Non-cash Assets Total £ 326 154 154 326 Cash Cash at bank and in hand Debtors Creditors {Due witlpin one yr} Net Cash 3,760 3.760 3,368 3,760 3,760 3, 368 Total assets less current liabilities 3,914 3,914 3,694 Total Fixed Assets Total Current Assets Net Current Assets 154 3,760 3.760 326 3, 368 3368 3.760 3.760 Allocation of Funds General Fund Net Payments in Advance Designated Funds Total Unrestrlcted Funds Restricted Funds Total Restricted Funds Total Funds 3,914 3,694 3,914 3,694 Money Owed to the Charity {Other Alonetary Assets} Grfl Ai(J claim other Money Owed by the Charity {Liabilities} Independent Examinabon Fee other Currènt Funds 3,914 3,694