2023-03-31-accounts

COMMUNITY TRANSFORM CIO, No: 1186368 Trustees’ Annual Report Reporting on the period April 2022 to March 2023

The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity Community Transform, charity number 1186368, for the year ended 31st March 2023.

COMMUNITY TRANSFORM (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE ORGANISATION, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st March 2023

The name of the charity is Community Transform. The CIO has established schemes known as Community Grow and Play Street Bucks.

Trustees

Dr David Charles Furze (Chair) Nicolas Richard Singeisen Dr John Moorcroft Walton John Garnier Richards

Charity registered number

1186368

Principle Office

Community Transform CIO Westwood 44 Westwood Green, Cookham, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 9DE Telephone: [phone] Mobile: [phone] Email address: [e-mail]

Signature

Name: Dr Dave Furze – Chair of Trustees

Signature:

Date: 23[rd] April 2024

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] March 2023

Contents

This report has the following sections:

1. Charity Objectives, Legal Structure and Ethos

• a. Charity Objectives

• b. Our Mission: What we aim to do

• b. Changes to the legal structure of Community Transform – a transition of responsibility

• c. Community Transform Ethos:

2. Charity Activities

a. Public Benefit

• b. There are three distinct project areas

• 1) Community Grow Network

• 2) Company CSR Employee Teams

• 3) Play Street Bucks

3. Charity Achievements and Performance

a. In Aylesbury

• (1) Aylesbury Station Platform Flower Beds Revamp and Friends of Aylesbury Station Group

(2) Kingsbrook New Community Development

• (3) Community Food Growing Network

• (a) The Storehouse Community Garden

• (b ) St Peter’s Community Garden, Quarrendon

• (c) At Healthy Living Centre

• (d) The Hampden Gardens

• (e) Bearbrook Community Orchard and Garden

• (f) The Bierton Community Allotment

b. In High Wycombe

• (1) Sierra Road Community Allotment

• (2) Play Streets in Harlow Road

c. In County-wide and National Networks

(1) Play Streets Bucks Steering Group

(2) Other Local Networks and Groups

a) The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB), Integrated Care System. BOD ICS

• (b ) Faith Groups – Bucks-wide Faith Forum

COMMUNITY TRANSFORM (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] March 2023

1. Charity Objectives, Legal Structure and Ethos

a. Charity Objectives

The Charity Commission recognise our charitable objectives as:

COMMUNITY TRANSFORM IS A COMMUNITY CAPACITY-BUILDING CHARITY BASED ON ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION.

We work with beneficiaries:

……to develop the capacity and skills of the members of the socially and economically disadvantaged communities in Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas, in such a way that they are better able to identify, help meet their needs, and participate more fully in society.

b. Our Mission: What we aim to do:

Community Transform has the strapline “Transforming lives, Transforming communities”. As a social purpose organisation, we base our work on the principles of community development (ref 1) and social transformation. At the heart of what we do is to take a relational, bottom-up approach with both individuals and communities. Focusing on creating positive social change and improving the wellbeing of the communities.

c. Changes to the legal structure of Community Transform – a transition of responsibility

Our charity status was confirmed by the Charity Commission on 15th November 2019, with charity number 1186368. The responsibility for all project activity, contracts, assets, and strategy, which previously had been delivered by the social enterprise Community Transform (2017) Ltd, company number 7712998, was transferred to the charity, officially taking effect at the beginning of April 2020. This was also the time when the charity began to receive grants and sign contracts to deliver services and projects.

Historically, the organisation's project work was mainly located in the High Wycombe area under Community Transform (2017) Ltd. However, we have always held a longer-term aim to work across other parts of Buckinghamshire. This aim has been realised in part by developing our work in Aylesbury, working in partnership with the Aylesbury Garden Town (AGT) team and other projects during the last 3 years. Over this time, we have also extended our involvement in county-wide networks and initiatives.

d. Community Transform Ethos:

Community Development, The work of Community Transform is based on the community development principles set out by the International Association of Community Development, IACD. Community development is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline concerned with the organisation, education and empowerment of people within their communities, and the IACD is the global multi-disciplinary network for those who work in this field. The IACD is accredited by the U.N. and has members across the world.

5 Ways to Wellbeing, Community Transform recognises the 5 ways to wellbeing principles – connect, give, take notice, keep learning and be active, in the way it works. (ref 2)

Community Transform is a charitable Incorporated Organisation - a social purpose organisation, based on the principles of community development and social

transformation. It takes a relational, bottom-up approach to working with individuals and communities. We focus on creating positive social change and improving the wellbeing of communities.

Positve Social Change, PSC , is found to be most effective when the three mechanisms of change are present; these are 1) motivation, 2) capacity, and 3) opportunity. The road to empowerment touches all three of these drivers. Taking a person-centred approach means listening to local people’s views and opinions, giving them decision-making power on all things that affect them, and developing relationships and trust; all of these are vital elements.

2. Charity Activities (For a full history of Community Transform, see the previous Charity Report April 2021)

a. Public Benefit

The Trustees seek to ensure that the activities of the CIO meet ‘Public Benefit’ tests in accordance with the Charity Commission guidance. In particular, the Trustees have regard to the Objectives of the CIO, as set out in the Constitution, and how proposed activities will further these. Trustees also judge proposed activities in line with the requirement that they should be beneficial to the public, or a sufficient section of the public.

The Trustees, having reviewed the objectives and activities of the Trust, have given due consideration to Charity Commission Guidance on safeguarding and public benefit. We are satisfied that the Trust’s business is properly conducted for the public benefit.

The work of the charity in Buckinghamshire has always had two interlocking aspects – local projects in certain areas, particularly areas of deprivation and involvement in County-wide initiatives, networks and strategic groups. Local projects over the last 4 years have been focused on Aylesbury, through our contract to work with Aylesbury Garden Town, AGT (Buckinghamshire Council). The AGT-funded contract finished at the end of May 2022. However, the projects continued to be supported by us, where this has been possible. Also note that our other local work in High Wycombe has continued.

The county-wide initiatives/networks have involved the Public Health Physical Activity Strategy Group, Community Boards, Play Street Steering Group, BOB Health Alliance and the councils' flagship ‘Opportunity Bucks’ programme, the local approach to ‘Levelling Up’. This initiative focuses on 10 wards in Buckinghamshire, across 3 settlement areas where people are experiencing the most hardship. (see www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-and-safety/opportunity-bucks/)

b. There are three distinct project areas that the charity focuses on:

• 1) Community Grow Network - using local green spaces as a tool to engage with residents and improve theirwellbing and the public realm.

• 2) Company CSR Employee Teams – using the resources of the employees of local companies for the benefit of communities and working with VCSE organisations

• 3) Play Street Bucks – supporting short & regular resident-led street closures to facilitate social capacity building where residents in a neighbourhood can interact, and children can play outdoors safely.

In the Achievements and Performance section below, the Trustees set out how we have moved forward in these areas of activity during the review period – April 2022 to March 2023.

3. Charity Achievements and Performance

• a. In Aylesbury – Working as part of the Aylesbury Garden Town Team, AGT. The purpose of the Community Stakeholder Partnership Programme, CSPP, was to put local people at the heart of the wide-reaching AGT program. It embodies the principle of Community Stewardship (a key focus of Garden Communities – See The Town and Country Planning Association, TCPA website, www.tcpa.org.uk ). TheTCPA promote giving people the chance to take greater ownership of the

area where they live. The council received Garden Town Status from the Conservative government in 2017. The initial phase involved listening and planning. In 2019, the next phase we secured the contract to work more closely with local stakeholders, including the Town council, parish councils, VCFSE sector, community representatives and residents. We developed a grant scheme for local people to encourage engagement in partnership projects to improve & enhance the garden town. A key strategic reason for the government granting Garden Town Status was to encourage a greater sense of pride and place.

Two very controversial planning decisions were due to impact the town and the surrounding countryside communities. 1) Building 16,000 new homes. In addition to the initial AGT funding, further £172 million, through the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), was offered to see the council partner up with Homes England to enable the building of homes, roads and schools stretching to 2035.The development surrounding the western and southern edges of the town. 2) The second very large infrastructure project HS2 railway line, will pass within less than a mile of the town border, with disruption for years to come.

In the final phase of the 3-year contract (2019 to 2023) and for the months beyond, we hve focused on 4 key project areas: Aylesbury Railway Station, Community Development in the Kingsbrook New Community, establishing the Bucks Playstreet project and Community Food Growing Network initiatives.

(1) Renovating large platorm fower beds at Aylesbury Staton and establishing a staton adopton group of volunteers in associaton with Chiltern Rail – to be called the Friends of Aylesbury Staton.: Greening/improving the station has been a continuing focus of the AGT Community Program, to make it a more vibrant and welcoming key arrival point for the town. Previously, we have worked closely with Chiltern Railways and other community partners to give the roundabout outside a facelift, constructing high-raising planters, hanging baskets and eye-catching murals reflecting a range of Aylesbury-centric themes – para-olympic games, the history of the town, the surrounding countryside, and culture. One mural features a scheme to create an 18 km orbital park around Aylesbury called the Aylesbury Gardenway. This will provide a green corridor and accessible radial walking, cycling and wheeling connections around Aylesbury.

We led a community project to revamp the three pairs of large flower bed areas on the two separate platforms, which have been neglected and become unsightly. Work experience students from Pebble Brook School and a team from Community Payback helped to clear the beds. We collaborated with local partners to establish a design brief that requires minimal maintenance going forward, which will help form the first impression that visitors have on arriving in Aylesbury and also provide a welcome home for regular travellers. Structured Growth Garden Design provided three distinctive designs, one for each pair of beds. 1) A Gravel Garden with Japanese influences, 2) Wildflower Meadow with native fruit trees and 3) An Evergreen Garden, including rosemary, pine and box-leaf holly .

The Friends volunteer group has been established, and they are helping to tend the plants and green spaces going forward. They have added flower planters at ticket office entrances and a large ‘Tranquil Herb Planter’ for passengers to take a sprig of herb for their journey home.

(2) Kingsbrook New Community Development: As part of our commitment to support new community development in AGT, along with encouraging community stewardship, we worked with Kingsbrook Parish Council to establish a community food-growing initiative. The development incorporates a large area allocated for allotment use and a portion of this will be used by the Parish Council for community food growing, working with several partners including the scouts and local church, as well as AGT. We shared insight and experience gained through establishing a network of community food-growing projects across the town. The Parish Council have taken this forward independently.

(3) Community Food Growing Network: There are now 7 AGT Community Food Growing Projects established in the last 3 years. We have worked with our partners to ensure there is a sustainability strategy with each one, with funding and ongoing development support. Positive links have been made with VCS organisations to incorporate the use of the sites by small groups of clients in their programmes (PACE, Whiteleaf Centre, Talkback, Pebble Brook School, Healthy Living Centre).

(a) The Storehouse Community Garden is part of the Grow It Cook It Eat It Public Health program based at the Vineyard Church. Separate from the AGT contract, the charity has funding for the role of ‘Expert Gardener’, to develop a garden area and establish a group of volunteers. Regular support has been provided by the Community Payback team. A lot of work has been necessary to turn what was a derelict building site into a fruitful community garden. There is outreach work to the surrounding housing, and we have established regular sessions with volunteers. The associated Foodbank clients are a potential source of volunteers.

(b ) St Peter’s Community Garden, Quarrendon, started in March 2019, now has after-school activities and new work is due to start with with Aylesbury Youth Action. This was the first community garden to be developed in the town and is in its 3rd season. There is funding for a Garden Facilitator to support the local volunteers.

Garden PICNIC IN THE COMMUNITYGARDEN Brlng an afternoon tea plcnlc and join oth**.for'Picnic In The Garden, .Au9USt

(c) At Healthy Living Centre in Walton Court, there are now two gardening groups for volunteers linking directly with clients attending activities at the Centre and Nursery. The future of this garden is uncertain as a new leaseholder has not been agreed, which means we have temporarily stopped the sessions.

(d) The Hampden Gardens site , in partnership with Vale of Aylesbury Housing, VAHT, was enlarged this year. Regular involvement with residents and activity days in school holidays.

(e) Bearbrook Community Orchard and Garden , this neglected site, located in Prebendal Farm, was identified as requiring an overhaul to become a community focal point and resource. Over twenty fruit trees were planted on the site, and three large planters were located there. A meeting with potential partners, including owners VAHT, residents, local schools and the Chiltern Society, was held in January. VAHT are now supporting this project and Hampton Gardens projects independently of the charity.

(f) The Bierton Community Allotment acquired a neighbouring plot to double its growing area. The volunteer group has increased greatly in size. It is now a self-sustaining group.

(g) St Mary’s Churchyard Youth Project - This project focuses on the development of a memorial garden on the church grounds, intending to help combat community safety issues and bring together residents and young people, in partnership with the Church and Aylesbury Youth Action. The emphasis is to give a safe place to sit and reflect, and remember loved ones and will be open to anyone visiting or passing through the graveyard, creating an other destination point linking the town’s squares with the Old Town conservation area.

Aylesbury in Bloom Competition: We entered four of the gardens in our Community Grow Network into this annual competition in both the Community Garden and Community Edible Garden categories. They gained Silver-gilt awards for two and Gold Awards for the other two gardens. The St. Peter's Community Garden was also awarded the overall Best Garden Award - Cup.

b. In High Wycombe

(1) Sierra Road Community Allotment: The community allotment in Sierra Road, High Wycombe, has been cultivated since 2017. It was our original Community Grow project. In the past year, it has been maintained by a small group of volunteers. However, the work there has now been suspended since August 2021 because the boundary fence, which is made of large poles, became unstable rotting at their base and falling into the site, causing a safety risk to volunteers. The resolution of the situation has taken many months of discussion between the Wycombe District Council, the developer of the housing estate, Berkeley Homes, and the Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association, MTVH. At the time of writing this report, the matter has still not been resolved.

(2) Play Street events started in Bucks on Sierra Road, High Wycombe, in 2018, and the Harlow Road events were used as a location for one of the two pilots required for Transport for Bucks to approve Play Streets approval across the county. We have supported three further events in Harlow Road this year. A fourth Play Streets event Location was supported to take place in Layters Ave, Chalfont St Peter. The first event was in October 2022.

The photos are of the Harlow Road Play Street event in September 2022.

c. In County-wide and National Networks

(1) Play Streets Bucks Steering Group: Following two successful pilots in October 2021, we worked closely with Transport for Bucks to gain sign-off from the Service Director for Highways and Technical Services and key Cabinet representatives to roll out the scheme in Bucks (May 2022). There is now an established application process through the BC website (www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-andsafety/helping-your-community/organise-a-play-streets-session).

We have set up a Play Streets Bucks Steering Group of key partners including TfB, Public Health, an independent Play Therapy social enterprise, Leap Mk and Bucks, Buck Council Schools and Bucks Council Community Boards to help promote Play Streets as an initiative which has many benefits, including encouraging physical activity, tackling social isolation and creating community cohesion.

We have developed a Facebook page to promote, inform and support residents interested in setting up a group in their street. We were able to support a new Play Street location in Chalfont St Peter in October and another in High Wycombe to run three over the year. No agreement has been made between Public Health and the charity regarding a grant to provide Play Streets Activator for Buckinghamshire, with a focus on the 10 Opportunity Bucks areas. Discussions are ongoing.

We work closely with the national body Playing Out UK CIC (htps://playingout.net/) is a parent and resident-led movement restoring children’s freedom to play out in the streets and spaces where they live, for their health, happiness and sense of belonging.

(2) Opportunity Bucks was the Council’s local partnership approach to levelling up, working in partnership across the county to improve outcomes for people who were experiencing the most hardship. “Outcomes for people across the county were, on average, good. Income was above the national average, educational attainment was high, and the proportion of people claiming out of work benefits was low.

However, the county averages masked the challenges that some people in some specific parts of the county were facing. 10 Ward areas had been identified where outcomes were substantially worse for residents, with more people in these Wards claiming benefits, having worse health outcomes, experiencing higher crime and having limited opportunities. The Council’s aim, through the Opportunity Bucks programme, was to ensure that everyone in the county had the opportunity to succeed, that we grow together as a place and that nobody was left behind. “

Opportunity Bucks presents the charity with an opportunity to work in partnership across the county since the CIO shares the same geographic areas of concern as the program.

(3) Other Local Networks and Groups

• a. The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB), Integrated Care System. BOD ICS is our local ICS. The CIO has been involved in the formation of this network. It has four main aims: 1) Improve outcomes in population health, 2) Tackle inequalities in health outcomes, experience and patient access, 3) Enhance productivity and value for money, 4) Help the NHS support broader social and economic development.

• b. Faith Groups – we have been involved in discussions to help establish the Bucks Forum Faiths. W e have facilitated a similar group some years ago for High Wycombe Faith Leaders. But this group will be a county-wide group. We are also assisting the Oxford Diocese Ecological department, where ther is a church looking to start a community garden space and work towards a Net Zero church building.

• c. Also with the North Aylesbury Resource Network, NARN. Also working closely with the voluntary sector groups Talkback, Aylesbury Youth Action AYA, Social Prescribing Networks, Pace, and the Local Buckinghamshire Community Boards.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 23[rd] April 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Signatures

Dr Dave Furze Chair of Trustees

Dr John Walton

COMMUNITY TRANSFORM CIO Charity Number: 1186368

ACCOUNTS

Year ended 31 March 2022

The charity was incorporated on 15 November 2019 and its activities started on 21 February 2020

Community Transform cio 44 Westwood Green Cookham Maidenhead Berkshire SL6 9DE

COMMUNITY TRANSFORM CIO Charity Number: 1186368 The Charity was incorporated on 15 November 2019 and its actvtes started on 21 February 2020 RECEIPTS and PAYMENTS ACCOUNT Year ended 31 March 2023 RECEIPTS Contributons received towards communty events: Buckinghamshire Council Global Feedback Locality The Rothschild Foundaton Chiltern Railways Other income: Bank Interest Total Income PAYMENTS Management Expenses Bank Charges Liability Insurance - Note 1 Projects Expences Project Costs Project expences Total Outgoings SURPLUS OF RECEIPTS Apportoned: Management Fund (10% of contract funding - Management expenses) Co-ordinator's Fund Restricted Funds		10,276.11 - - - 250.00 1.00 - - -	Year ye 2023 £ 10526.11 122.77 10648.88 1.00 - 1.00 10,647.88	36,059.26 - - - - 2.30 441.42 - -	Year ye2022 £ 36,059.26 15.31 36,074.57 443.72 - 443.72 35,630.85	20,128.03 2,100.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 - 2.00 - - -	Period ye 2021 £
							32228.03
							7.47
							32,235.50
							2.00
							-
							2.00
							32,233.50
		946.85 9,329.26 1,195.00		3,475.60 32,583.66 945.00		3,214.75 28,068.28 945.00 32,228.03
		11,471.11		37,004.26
BALANCE SHEET At 31 March 2023 Bank Balance Unrestricted Fund Management Fund brought forward 10% of some contract funding Banking: Interest - charges Management expenses) for the year/period Designated - Co-ordinator's Fund brought forward for the year/period Restricted Funds 1 Project expences fund 1 brought forward for the year/period 2 Friends of Aylesbury Railway Staton, FARS Grp, brought forward - from Chiltern Railways for the year/period		6,267.41 946.85 121.77 - 60,651.94 9,329.26 945.00 - - 250.00 Total	78,512.23 7,336.03 69,981.20 945.00 250.00 78,512.23	3,220.22 3,475.60 13.01 - 441.42 28,068.28 32,583.66 945.00 - Total	67,864.35 6,267.41 60,651.94 945.00 67,864.35 -	- 3,214.75 5.47 - - 28,068.28 - 945.00 Total	32,233.50
							3,220.22
							28,068.28
							945.00
							32,233.50

Notes

1. In July 2020, July 2022 and July 2024 Liability insurance was paid by the associate organisation Community Transform (2017) Limited

Signed Dr DC Furze - Trustee ........................................................... Nicolas Singeisen - Trustee …....….....................................................

Date …............................................................