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2021-04-05-accounts

KIRKHAM STREET FIELD COMMUNITY TRUST TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 5 APRIL 2021

Charity registered number: 1185712

KIRKHAM STREET FIELD COMMUNITY TRUST CONTENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 5 APRIL 2021

Page
Administrative details 1
Trustees’ Annual Report 2
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees See covering Form IER
Financial Statements 8
Notes to the Financial Statements 9

KIRKHAM STREET FIELD COMMUNITY TRUST ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Charity registration number 1185712

Principal Office

Riverside Pesters Lane Somerton Somerset TA11 7AB

Email

info@kirkhamstreetfield.org.uk

Website

www.kirkhamstreetfield.org.uk

Independent Examiner

Lindsey Wright MAAT ACA Accounting Angels (SW) Ltd Walker House Market Place Somerton Somerset TA11 7LX

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KIRKHAM STREET FIELD COMMUNITY TRUST Trustees’ Annual Report for the period ended 5 April 2021

Kirkham Street Field Community Trust (the Trust) was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation by the Charity Commission in England and Wales on 9 October 2019. The trustees opted to extend the accounting period to 5 April 2021. Accordingly, the financial statements cover the period from 9 October 2019 to 5 April 2021.

Objectives and activities

The Trust’s objective, as stated in its constitution, is

To preserve Kirkham Street Field as an amenity green space located within the town, including its environmental benefits; in order to provide facilities for informal recreation and other leisure-time occupation in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving the conditions of life for the Community of Somerton

The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Kirkham Street Field (the Field) is situated close to the conservation area in the old market town of Somerton, Somerset. The Field was used as a school playing field until spring 2021 when the school relocated to new premises in the west of the town. Prior to being a school playing field it was used as the town cricket ground and before that for travelling fairs. The Field covers about 1.5 acres and is owned by Somerset County Council (SCC) who had budgeted to sell it to developers to provide some of the funds required for the construction of the new school.

In February 2019, following a public consultation about the new school, Somerton Town Council (STC) received a letter from a member of the public asking whether it agreed that the Field represented ‘the best, and possibly the last, chance to create a new public park in Somerton’. STC agreed to take action and decided the project to save the Field for the community should be a community lead project. A community action group was formed under the leadership of Margaret Chambers, a former STC councillor and an environmental campaigner. STC also applied to South Somerset District Council (SSDC) to register the Field as an Asset of Community Value.

The action group arranged several well attended public meetings that established there was widespread community support for saving the Field for the community. This was confirmed by a Public Consultation in April 2019 carried out by delivering a leaflet to all of the approximately 2,300 households in Somerton. 550 responses were received of which 500 were in favour of the idea of establishing a community park. This is a high response rate for such surveys and a very high response in favour of a community park.

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KIRKHAM STREET FIELD COMMUNITY TRUST Trustees’ Annual Report for the period ended 5 April 2021

That a community park is needed is supported by the SSDC infrastructure delivery plan update document in 2016 that identified a shortfall of 3 acres in the provision of informal open green space in Somerton.

Based on the Public Consultation the trustees consider the potential benefits of the Trust’s objective to be:-

These benefits are sought for all the community and will be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 2010.

The Field was added to the SSDC register of Assets of Community Value on 16 April 2019. The registration expires on 16 April 2024. This status requires SCC to give notice to SSDC when it decides to sell the Field. If notice is given it triggers the community right to bid for the Field. If the community expresses a wish to bid it then has 6 months in which to raise funds and develop a bid. After that period SCC is free to sell the property. The right to bid does not oblige SCC to accept the bid. Up to the date of this report SCC has not given SSDC notice of an intention to sell.

Rather than wait for the community right to bid procedure to be triggered, the action group entered into discussions with SCC about the possibility of purchasing the Field for the community. The outcome was that SCC set a price of £750,000 for a community purchase. The action group agreed to set up a charity to purchase the Field and SCC allowed a year for the community to raise the purchase price starting from the date the charity was established. The charity established is the Trust which was registered on 9 October 2019.

By October 2020 the Trust had been unable to raise sufficient funds to make a bid. Fundraising efforts were severely curtailed by the Covid restrictions that started in early 2020 and have only recently ended. The momentum that had been built in 2019 faded as lockdowns and health concerns took priority. In view of this the Trust asked SCC for an extension of the October deadline. SCC extended the deadline to 31 December 2020 and also said it would be willing to consider an offer for part of the Field. By 31 December 2020 the Trust had not raised sufficient funds to make an offer for a sufficiently large part of, or the whole of, the Field. SCC declined to extend its offer beyond 31 December 2020.

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KIRKHAM STREET FIELD COMMUNITY TRUST Trustees’ Annual Report for the period ended 5 April 2021

Fundraising

The action group raised funds to cover the expenses of the campaign to save the Field. Once the Trust had opened a bank account the remaining funds held by the action group of £2,296 were donated to the Trust and have been treated as unrestricted funds.

The Trust then sought donations and grants for the purchase of the Field. It was clear that the amount raised might not be sufficient to purchase the Field. In that eventuality the Trust has undertaken to repay donations made for land purchase.

Fundraising efforts were aimed at

A website, kirkhamstreetfield.org.uk, was set up to provide details of the project, reach a wider audience and encourage donations. Locally, the Trust communicates with the public through the STC magazine that is distributed monthly to all households in Somerton, through local newspapers and through posters and leaflets at pick up points around the town.

Given the population of Somerton is about 4,500 raising £750,000 is a big challenge. The trustees are very grateful for all donations received, small and large.

A few wealthy individuals have offered to provide funds totalling £55,000 when we get nearer the target of £750,000. The trustees are very grateful for these offers but unfortunately are not yet in a position to take them up.

A campaign to raise funds from local businesses was modestly successful. Again, the trustees are very grateful for all donations received.

Applications were made for grants from STC and SSDC. In July 2020 STC granted £25,000 conditional on a sale agreement having been secured with SCC. In April 2021 SSDC granted £12,500 conditional on the project having been completed. An application to SCC (via STC) for a £65,000 Climate Change Emergency Fund grant was declined.

Our research into grant making organisations showed that, for land already owned, there are opportunities to obtain grants for the provision of new facilities and the refurbishment of existing facilities. However, such grants do not extend to land purchase. A notable exception was the National Lottery Community Fund. Our application of £100,000 was well received but eventually turned down in April 2020. One factor cited by the Lottery was the urgent need for them to support their existing projects which were facing financial challenges due to Covid.

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KIRKHAM STREET FIELD COMMUNITY TRUST Trustees’ Annual Report for the period ended 5 April 2021

A few local grant makers were willing to make smaller grants that would ‘take us over the line’ once we were getting close to the £750,000 target but the Trust is not yet in a position to apply for these grants.

Design

The Trust has prepared designs for a community park guided by the information obtained in the Public Consultation of April 2019 and with expert assistance. These were circulated to every household in the town and residents invited to discuss them at an exhibition event in September 2020. Broad support was expressed for the main design ideas.

Possible route to save two thirds of the Field

In January 2021 the Trust was approached by a ‘not for profit’ organisation that wishes to explore developing about a third of the Field and to create a community park on the remaining two thirds of the Field. Since then, they have been assessing the feasibility of this idea with professional advisers. SCC has informally indicated that it would be willing to consider this approach if it is supported by the community.

Two public meetings were held in the afternoon and evening of 17 February 2022 at which the ‘not for profit’ organisation presented their ideas to the community. These were attended by a total of some 80 people including our local MP and the Chair of STC. Workshops are planned soon, open to all, to involve the community in exploring ideas and designs for the project.

The trustees are confident this is a serious proposal that deserves detailed consideration and they are in regular contact with the ‘not for profit’ organisation. Over the next year it should become clear whether there is sufficient public support for this route and whether it is a viable alternative to the Trust’s approach to date.

The role the Trust could play if this idea were to go ahead will become clearer as a detailed plan that has community support is developed.

Financial review

At 5 April 2021 the Trust held £31,587 of funds restricted to land purchase and £2,264 of unrestricted funds. The restricted funds are held in an instant access deposit account and the unrestricted funds in a current account. Both accounts are with Unity Trust Bank. The Trust does not hold any investments.

If the Trust does not purchase the Field it has undertaken to repay the land purchase donations.

Structure, governance and management

The constitution of the Trust is the Charitable Incorporated Organisation ‘Foundation’ model which means the trustees and the members are the same people.

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Appointed Resigned Role
John Dippie 1 January 2021
Maureen Fletcher Initial trustee
Judith Hurley Initial trustee Secretary
Gillian Locke Initial trustee * Treasurer
Suzanne Standen Initial trustee
Margaret Chambers Initial trustee 1 october 2021 Chairperson
Andrew Foyne Initial trustee 31 December 2020 Deputy chairperson
Jasmine Brain Initial trustee 21 September 2021

KIRKHAM STREET FIELD COMMUNITY TRUST Independent Examiner’s Report For the period ended 5 April 2021

See covering Form IER.

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U nrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds
£ ££
Receipts
Donations for land purchase 31,554 31,554
Donations for running costs 1,927
Donation from the Save Kirkham Street
Field Community Action Group
Bank interest received
Total receipts
Payments
Printing
Insurance
Advertising
Website costs
Events
Bank charges
Total payments 1,959 1,959
Net of receipts/(payments) 2,264 31,587 33,851
Cash funds at the start of the period
Cash funds at the end of the period 31,587 33,851

Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds
£ ££
Cash at bank 2,249 31,587 33,836
Cash in hand 15 15
2,264 31,587 33,851

For the period ended 5 April 2021

KIRKHAM STREET FIELD COMMUNITY TRUST Financial Statements

Notes on the Financial Statements

1. These financial statements have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.

2. Kirkham Street Field Community Trust (‘the Trust’) is not registered for VAT and accordingly costs include VAT where applicable.

3. The Trust has not given any guarantees nor granted any security over its assets.

4. The restricted funds represent amounts raised for the intended purchase of the Kirkham Street Field. Should the Trust be unable to purchase the Field it has undertaken to repay these donations.

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