Friends of Yeovil Country Park -supporting ondhelping to mointoin Yeovil Country Pi7rk in conjunction with the Countryside Teom" Reference: FOYCP04042025 Dated: 04 April 2025 Friends of Yeovil Country Park Trustees Annual Report for the Year ending 31 December 2024 Table of Contents Reference and administrative information Trustees Report Accounts Objectives and activities Summary of main achievements during the year Key plans for the future Reserves policy Risk DBS Report approval Friends of Yeo*il Coiinlry Park CIO RebylStered Cliaritrv No". 1185579 Yeoiiil Country Park Centre. Brnnswick Street. Yeoiijl. B.420 1 QZ
Trustees annual report forthe Year ended 31 December 2024 Reference and administrative information The reference and administrative infomation forms part of this report. Cha rity name Friends of Yeovil Country Park CIO Icharitsble Incorporated Organisationl Registered Charity number Charity No: 1185579 Registered l October 2019 Principal and operational address Yeovil Country Park, Brunswick Street, Yeovil BA20 IQZ Trustees The Trustee5 who served during this period in alphabetical order are a5 follows: Amanda Card- Treasurer Gary Cashmore- Chairman Nicholas Hill o Edward Sadler o Al ison Suter Constitution Friends of Yeovil Country Park CIO was registered on l October 2019. The Constitution for the Friends of Yeovil Country Park CIO has been reviewed and we can confirm that Issue 3 remai ns the current version. document Reference.. FoYCP28042019 Issue 3. Trustees Report Friends of Yeovil Country Park report and financial statement as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation ICIOI for the Charitys fifth period ended 31 December 2024. We remain a group with five Trustees, and together with the Members successfully managed the organisation over the year. That included a considerable administrative task as a result of the owners hip and management of the Country Park changing from a unitary council to a town council. The TNstees will continue to look for new members with suitsble skills that can complement the work that we undertake. We will always consider those with the appropriate experience and qualifications for the role of Trustee in our team. Our thanks to all of the Trustees, Members and Volunteers who generously gave thei r time and experknse over the year to achieve the goals of the Cha rity. They are our most valuable asset. Friends of Yeoi'il Coiintry Park CIO RecTlStered Charitv No." 1185579 I'eoi'il Couiiirj Park Ceiilre, t3rui)Sl¢k Siiyet, I'eoi'il. BA20 1 QZ Page 2
Trustees annual report forthe Year ended 31 December 2024 Over the period we held six meetings and an AGM. Adhoc reviews We also held. There was much activity in the Country Park and visitor attendance increased notably and may have been stimulated by the completion of the updated children'5 play zone. A tree was planted in March in memory of our much appreciated Trustee James (Jim) Fison. He left a generous donation for the Friends and this will be put to good use. The risk identitied in the last report conceming Somerset Unitary Council and the potentia l irnpact to the Country Park materialised. Fortunately, Yeovil Town Council stepped in and negotiated a takeover for the Country Park. The impl ication of this for the Friends was that the agreements and procedures that were in place with Somerset Council had to be revised and agreed with Yeovil Town Council. As a group we have now completed all the essential changes required and documents and new policies have been set in place. We continue to check and review all our documentation over the year. The transfer to Yeovil Town Council ownership will provide more localised focus, especially with Yeovil Country Park being in the unique situation of sharing boundaries within the Yeovil Town area. One of the impacts of the change was that we ended up funding the Green Flag entry as we have been supporhng this as a group over many years and wanted to ensure continuity, recognising the value this award brings to the Country Park, Cha rity and public. The Park continues to achieve Green Flag recognition status and it was awarded to the Park again in the year. We continue to enter the RHS Pride in Parks award, application in May and judgi ng in September. Over the years we have achieved 5 star recognition and this award recognizes all the work that the Park Rangers achieve but importantly the vol unteer base supporknng the Park. Forest School development and promotion.. the area has been expanded with help from volunteer days from Yeovilton. with funding from Friends for paths, fencing and security. Forest School activities are a theme the Friends are keen to develop as we are now in a position to engage with more of the community who will benefit from lea rning about the countryside. The April Spring Trail was a great day for all involved. The weather wasn't great a nd there was plenty of mud, but It was brill iant to see some 442 parents and children enjoying themselves. Lots of positive feedback was received from the public. We were able to secure support from local supermarkets Tesco and Morrisons, of donated confectionery which was handed out on completion of the Trail. Friends of Yeoi'il Coiintry Park CIO RecTlStered Charitv No." 1185579 I'eoi'il Couiiirj Park Ceiilre, t3rui)Sl¢k Siiyet, I'eoi'il. BA20 1 QZ Page 3
Trustees annual report forthe Year ended 31 December 2024 We attended and supported the Yeovil Town Super Saturday event held in September, with the aim of adverhsing the Country Park. We shared a stand with the Countryside Tea m ma king bi rd boxes for children to decorate. September saw a new event, Autumnal Apples and Somerset Scything in one of the orchards of the Park. This was enjoyed by lots of famil ies. October witnessed the traditional Hallowe'en Trail, one of our major events. This attracted large numbers of the public, with over 1,500 in attendance and some of the longest queues ever for this yearly event. We received great feedback a nd some new visitors to the Park as well. Ninesprings Café, Rangers workshop and office celebrated its 10 years of opening i n October, a special occasion as the founder Chairma n of the Friends group and the original Country Park volunteer Robin MacKay was a ble to come a long and parknci pate. The Cafe has become the hub of the Country Park and is a base for al I the Park volunteers who help keep it in such great condition. During November a funding opportunity was identified to us by Spark Somerset and we applied for a grant with the Prime Foundation to enhance the Forest School area for teaching experience in the outdoors. Just before our year end we hea rd that we had been successful in our application. We are very grateful to the Prime Foundation for supporknng our cause and we will use the grant to support the Forest School sessions and can now purchase essentia I materials, safety equipment and a weatherproof canopy. ensuring that the learning and fun can continue uninterrupted, rain or shine. Friends of Yeovil Country Pa rk remai ns a n active going concem. Accounts The accounts are checked at each of the Friends regular meetings a nd feed the year end position. The final year end statement is reviewed and approved by the Trustees. The detailed Accounts are included below. We had a pproxi mately 10 volunteers, excluding Trustees. Income and Spending Accounting perrod l January 2024 to 31 December 2024 and the financial controls for the period of this report were reviewed by the Members and Trustees at meetings held throughout the yea r. The accounts include funds and commitments from 31 December 2023 accounts. These amounted to £17,020.65 Friends of Yeoi'il Coiintry Park CIO RecTlStered Charitv No." 1185579 I'eoi'il Couiiirj Park Ceiilre, t3rui)Sl¢k Siiyet, I'eoi'il. BA20 1 QZ Page 4
Trustees annual report forthe Year ended 31 December 2024 Funds generated principa l income,. Our two principal events, namely the Spring and Hallowe'en trails, were both successful, with the Spring Tra il generating a n i ncome of £766.28, an increase of 50°A from the previous year due principally to increased numbers attending. The Hallowe'en Trail generated an i ncome of £2,021.85, an increase of 23% from the previous year and aga in due to an increased number of attendees. Friends penci I sa les accounted for another £236.50 Public donations received £118.72 and for dog biscuits £277.39, totaling £396.11 There were generous donations from people that had close association with the Friends with legacy donations amounting to £1,110.47 The above together with other sundry items are detailed in the on the accounts sheet. In total, recei pts for the year amounted to £4,946.36 Key spending was for- The first Lantern and Wassail event incurred set up expenditure of £178.51 Spring Trail expenses amounted to £220.14, for purchase of props and confectionery for handing out to participants. Support was received from our sponsors Asda, Morrisons and Tesco. Hallowe'en Trail expenses £92.35 were lower this year as last yearfs expenditure restocked many of the equipment props and we received support with confectionery donations from our sponsors Asda, Morrisons and Tesco who continued to support the local community. The newly developed and expanded Forest School area has accounted for £1,903.41 of expenditure for materia Is and equipment. Google domain name yearly expenditure of £10.00 Miscellaneous items for the year a mounted to £929.63 of which costs for some of the larger items i ncluded, Friends feather Flag £119.98, Green Flag entry £424.00, RHS Southwest in Bloom entry £30.00 and an Apple Press and Pulper £132.99 Together with other costs the total expenditure for the year amounted to £3,457.16 Friends of Yeoi'il Coiintry Park CIO RecTlStered Charitv No." 1185579 I'eoi'il Couiiirj Park Ceiilre, t3rui)Sl¢k Siiyet, I'eoi'il. BA20 1 QZ Page 5
Trustees annual report forthe Year ended 31 December 2024 Accounts summary sheet; Friends of Yeovil Country Park Racèlpts and Payments Account and Statement of Balanc8s for thè yèar ènding 31st Dèeembér 2024 Receipts Tesco Bags of Help Post Code Lottery Award Sales of KnittedlHandmadè ltsms Sponsorship Public Donations Super Saturday Pencil Sales SSDC reimbursements Grants Dog Biscuits Donations Post Gard S8leslDonalions Halloween Calendar Sales Sale of Photographi¢ Prints Spring Trail Wellness Event Wessex Water Grant Asda - GrÈén Giving Tokèns Other Grants Wassail Income Legacy Other Income Payments Purchases SSDC Invoices Misc Expgnses Spring Trail Expenses Purchases for Park Calendar Printing Aclivits'es Park Yoga Halloween Expenses Google Domain Cost Wassail Event Event Pencil Purchases SeedslPlant Bank Payment Charges Forest School 0.00 o.oo 929.63 220.14 100.00 o.oo 0.00 0.00 92.35 10.00 178.51 0.00 o.oo 23.12 1,903.41 118.72 236.50 2T7.39 37.60 2.021.85 766 28 107.41 1,110.47 74.15 Total Receipts 4,946.36 Total Payments Excess of ReiptS over Paymenis 3.457.16 1,489.20 4,946.36 4,946.36 RESERVE FUND Balance al start of year 1st Jan 2024 REPRESENTED BY: Balance al Bank 31112124 Current Account Old Current Account New Dep051t Aw(>unt Cash in hand of Treasurer (Café safel Credits yet to be on statement ChU0S land Debit Card) not on statern 17.020.65 0.00 18,270.62 0.08 40.00 199.15 o.oo 18,509.85 Excess of Re¢eipls over Payments 1,489.20 Balance to dale 18,509.85 Amanda Card, Honorary Treasurer Friends of Yeoi'il Coiintry Park CIO RecTlStered Charitv No." 1185579 I'eoi'il Couiiirj Park Ceiilre, t3rui)Sl¢k Siiyet, I'eoi'il. BA20 1 QZ Page 6
Trustees annual report forthe Year ended 31 December 2024 Objectives and activities Fundraising opportunities. We continue to identify sponsors who we can work with to improve the Park facilities and have applied INovemberl to the Prime Foundation Trust smal I grants for outdoor activities delivered to families with vulnera ble children. We applied to Woodward Trust in April for help with delivering Forest School sessions but were unsuccessful in our application. A key objective going forward is to deliver more educational activities in the Country Park. We continue to hold regular Friends group meetings to review plans and ideas, matching funds and exploring opportunities to further enhance the faci lities and events for the public. Summary of main achievements during the year Our main achievements for the year are with the Spring and Hallowe'en trail events. Both attract large numbers of families and continue to be popular events i n the local area. The Forest School has continued to be developed with Friends funding and a generous donation from a member who lost her husband (He was a Trustee of the Friendsl and was passionate about gethng a facility for children to experience the outdoors with classroom learning experiences. A nami ng event was held and the area is now known as 'Robi ns Willow" a nd is being well used by the community. Key plans for the future Working with the Countryside Team, we are looking to promote and develop an area of the Park as a growing hub that will engage the local community. The area is currently left to fallow and has seen antisocial behaviour. We will be lending our support to hel p this initiative; We will continue in conjunction with the Countryside Team to run the well esta blished key public events, namely the Spring Trail and Hallowe'en Trai I,. Esta blishing a Friends website, mentioned last year had to be put on hold due to all of the admi nistration requi red for the Park ownershi p changes,. Review the possibility of getling Park Yoga back at the Park- Exploring new fundra ising and sponsorship opportunities. Friends of Yeoi'il Coiintry Park CIO RecTlStered Charitv No." 1185579 I'eoi'il Couiiirj Park Ceiilre, t3rui)Sl¢k Siiyet, I'eoi'il. BA20 1 QZ Page 7
Trustees annual report forthe Year ended 31 December 2024 Reserves policy Our reseNes policy is to retai n a worki ng capita I to cover costs incurred prior to income being received; cover unforeseen events,. project overrun costs; etc. The a mount is set at £2,500 unallocated reserves. Risk Funding opportunitie5 are increasingly harder to identify in the current economic climate. We are reliant on help with this funding and delivery of f uture projects could be impacted. Inflation continues to be a challenge for family expenditure and the ability to attend events in the Park where a charge is levied, which means there is more pressure on seeking/generating funding in order for events to have a lower charge or be free to attend Ifor the community). DBS This was reviewed over the year and the current roles remain essentially the sa me. No action was required for this financial year, since the original guidance was obtained from DBS. We currently have no Trustees, Members or Volunteers who are in roles that are eligible. Report approval Report approved by the seNing Trustees of Friends of Yeovil Country Pa rk. Signed on behalf of the Trustees,. Gary Cashmore Amanda Card Position: Trustee - Chairman Position.. Trustee - Treasurer Date.. 04 April 2025 Date: 04 April 2025 Friends of Yeoi'il Coiintry Park CIO RecTlStered Charitv No." 1185579 I'eoi'il Couiiirj Park Ceiilre, t3rui)Sl¢k Siiyet, I'eoi'il. BA20 1 QZ Page 8