## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period:** Period start date 1 Decemb Period end date 30 November 2022 Decemb 2021 er **From** **To** ## Section A Reference and administration details **Charity name** Midlands Parks Forum **Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any)** 1186863 **Charity's principal address** 186 Alcester Road South Kings Heath Birmingham **Postcode B14 6DE** ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** **----- Start of picture text -----**
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Dates acted if not for
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whole year
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1 Liz Stuffins Chairperson Existing Trustees
2 James Dymond Vice Chairperson “
3 Sam Village “
4 Ishrat Karimi Fini “
5 Angela Lewis “
6 Richard Hunt Treasurer “
7 James Cairncross Appointed 28.10.22 “
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## **Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** **Name Dates acted if not for whole year** March **2012** **TAR** 1 ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of adviser Name Address** Independent Graham Jones 7 Albion St, Dudley DY5 3EE examination Dudley CVS ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Alison Bate, Partnership Manager **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) The appointment of founding trustees was made following an Trustee selection methods open meeting of all Midlands Parks Forum subscribers. The (eg. appointed by, elected by) trustees were all nominated and seconded at the inaugural meeting. The appointment of additional trustees was made following open advertisements via our newsletters, expression of interest were submitted and interview followed. ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant, about: - policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees; - the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works; - relationship with any related parties; - trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. Two new Trustees were appointed as part of succession planning, following a recruitment process in Autumn 2021. The two new trustees undertook online training and had an induction with the Partnership Manager. Two trustees ended their terms of office in October 2022. The organisation continues to develop partnerships with green space organisations and value the support of non-voting volunteers from the green space sector. A successful conference was held with representatives from Natural England, University of Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham City Councils and The Historic Coventry Trust. An online seminar with Natural England and APSE was also held on Biodiversity Net Gain. The trustees have continued to undertake an annual Risk Management Assessment, to ensure that risks are minimised and mitigated or closed where possible. The risks include:  Financial Management, Payroll, Income Policy, Budgeting March **2012** **TAR** 2 Policy and Controls, Accounting and Audit. A Business Continuity Plan is being developed to mitigate any risks associated with the daily management of the organisation. ## **Section C Objectives and activities** 1. To provide and enhance, and / or assist in the provision and enhancement of, the physical and natural environment for the use and enjoyment of the public in the area of benefit (including, but without limitation, the provision and maintenance of facilities and equipment, and the promotion of biodiversity) and shall include but is not limited to public parks, gardens, landscaped areas, woodland, playing fields, playgrounds, nature reserves and recreational spaces; 2. To advance the education of the public in the area of benefit **Summary of the objects** including (but without limitation) with regards to the **of the charity set out in** horticulture, arboriculture, ecology, geology, archaeology, **its governing document** sustainability, heritage and local history; and 3. To provide or assist in the provision of facilities, for recreation and other leisure time occupation in the interests of social welfare, with the object of improving the conditions of life of the public by the improvement of parks and green open spaces in the area of benefit. In furtherance of these, the charity will provide an umbrella group for other interested organisations. In these objects, the area of benefit means the local authority areas within the East and West Midlands. **Summary of the main** All our trustees have completed a statutory declaration that **activities undertaken for** they are eligible to stand as trustees. **the public benefit in relation to these objects** Our charity’s public benefit is: **(include within this section the statutory** What: **declaration that trustees**  General Charitable Purposes **have had regard to the**  Education and training **guidance issued by the**  Environment, conservation and heritage **Charity Commission on**  Recreation **public benefit)**  Other charitable purposes Who  Other charities or voluntary bodies  Other defined groups  The general public/mankind How  Provide services  Provide advocacy, advice and information  Act as an umbrella or resource body Where Operate in England A range of learning and training activities have taken place to March **2012** **TAR** 3 enhance the environment for the public. A total of 10 online and in person events took place throughout the year which are free for subscribers. In addition, an annual conference encouraged wide participation from the sector with 104 delegates. A new skills and competencies framework was commissioned which identified over 60 skills and competencies required to manage green space. the organisation focuses on delivering learning opportunities within the framework, to ensure the best outcomes for parks and green spaces. These have included: ## **Webinars/online** - Mental Health Awareness Training – LANTRA - Allotment State of the Market Survey – APSE - The Southwark Allotment Guarantee – Southwark Borough Council - Rugby Borough Council Allotment Case Study - Role of Allotment Site Representatives: The National Allotment Society - Equality in Play – Make Space for Girls - Community Green Grants – West Midlands Greener Together - West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit - Play Inclusivity and Accessibility – Play England  Technician qualifications/apprenticeship – the Landscape Institute - The role of parks in nature’s recovery – Ian Jelley, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust - DICE Training – Diversity Inclusion, Cohesion and Equality -Directory for Social Change - Seminar on Biodiversity Net Gain with Natural England and APSE ## **Learning Visits:** - State of UK Parks 2021 - Worcester Natural Networks – improving biodiversity in rivers, waysides, verges and meadows – Worcester City Council - Green Social Prescribing – Natural England - Natural Flood Management – Forestry Commission - Urban Buzz Project – Grassland Strategy – Leicester City Council - Saving the Saffron Brook – Leicester City Council - Saltwells National Nature Reserve, Past Present and Future, Dudley Council. - Community Green Space Management – Training Day at St Ann’s Allotments, Nottingham - Trees and Woodland Day with The Tree Council at Bradgate Park, Leics. - Parks for People and Green Heritage Visit to Victoria Park Stafford, Stafford Borough Council - Management and organisation of commercial, environmental and social aspects of Nene Park, Peterborough – the Nene Park Trust **Conference:** March **2012** **TAR** 4 The Secret of Successful Parks Partnerships Partnerships and collaborations with speakers and workshops in November 2022, Midlands Arts Centre The information gained from these learning opportunities has enabled participants to transfer the knowledge, skills and learning from the topics covered into their parks and green spaces. It has enabled members to understand and react promptly to implement management techniques related to the management of parks POST-Covid, and to understand the complex processes related to The Environment Act and Biodiversity Net Gain which will be embedded in legislation in 2023. A range of learning topics has been provided to enable members to better manage the land in their locality for nature, including carbon reduction, and opportunities to increase biodiversity, such as creating naturalistic planting, green corridors for nature, and sharing information on how members have created natural flood management, slowing the flow for people and wildlife. Other webinars and training focused on community green space management, including allotments and community gardens. All the presentations and recordings from the above are freely available to download from the web site, which received over 32,000 visits during the 12 months. The organisation issued 12 newsletters and frequent bulletins to our members which included funding information, policy, guidance, best practice and green space vacancies. Twitter and Linkedin accounts are used to share information, and help raise skills, knowledge and network in green spaces. Successful funding applications were made to British Tourism, Arnold Clark, Postcode Lottery, The Blakemore Foundation, Cobb Charitable Trust and The Co-operative Bank. Sponsorship was also received from T H White. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** March **2012** **TAR** 5 You **may choose** to include The contribution made by volunteers during the year has been a further statements, where vital part of our third year as a charity, through sharing relevant, about: expertise, hosting learning events, and contributing towards the learning of peers. - policy on grantmaking; - policy programme related investment; - Volunteering from Trustees and non-trustees totalled over 658 hours which generated around £57,400 of in-kind support. - contribution made by volunteers. ## Section D Achievements and performance March **2012** **TAR** 6 Section D Achievements and performance **Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year** The organisation continues to sustain a blended income from the following:  Earned income: membership and conference income  Sponsorship  External funding: funding bodies, such as national lottery, grants and foundations. Our success has enabled us to place a modest sum into savings reserves. We provide a service to all members, including Monthly Newsletters and bulletins Webinars with a range of partners including Green Flag, National Allotment Association, Association of Play Industries, Natural England, The Tree Council, and a wide range of other organisations to share best practice. (Average webinar attendance was 24). Free training on Mental Health resilience and Diversity, Inclusion, Cohesion and Equality. A Conference with academia, local authorities, sharing best practice on partnerships and collaborations. We also provide a service to the wider green space community, with all presentations and recordings are free to access on our web site, which aids learning in the wider sector. ## Evaluating our work All of our in person learning events, webinars and conferences are evaluated to enable us to continually tailor learning to meet the needs of our members. Our learning events achieved during this period achieved a scoring of 4.2 (with 5 being excellent and 4 being very good). Over 305 green space practitioners attended learning events during this period. Our annual conference scored an overall satisfaction of 4.55 (with 5 being excellent and 4 being very good). ## **Section E Financial review** March **2012** **TAR** 7 ## **Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves** The charity’s reserves policy requires unrestricted funding to cover six months of costs, which the charity holds. ## **Details of any funds materially in deficit** ## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant about: - the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); - how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; - investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. The principal sources of funding have been - British Tourism £2400 - Arnold Clark £1000  Postcode Lottery £500  The Blakemore Foundation £100  The Cobb Charitable Trust 1000 - The Co-operative Bank £1000 Total £6000 Earned Income - Annual membership fees - Conference Fees  Training Activities - Sponsorship of Conference - Sponsorship of Learning Visit All expenditure during 2021/22 has been targeted towards improving the skills and competencies required by members, to enable them to better manage and develop their green spaces for public benefit, and towards the green space sector as a whole – with biodiversity and green heritage a key focus. The key priorities of learning identified are heritage, biodiversity/climate change, community and volunteering and identifying sources of income/commercial opportunities. In addition, sharing information on inequality of provision, and campaigning for increased resources for parks. Gaining skills and knowledge in these areas enable green space practitioners to replicate learning from peers enabling them to improve parks and green space facilities within their local area. Having a supportive network of learning from green space sector practitioners enables costs to be kept at a minimum. The charity has selected an ethical banking organisation, which supports community activities. The charity directly employs a part time member of staff and a small amount of additional administration to manage annual membership processes. The employee is home-working which eliminates all overheads. ## **Section F Other optional information** March **2012** **TAR** 8 ## **Section G Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s) Full name(s)** LIZ Stuffins **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 4th May 2023 March **2012** **TAR** 9 MIDLANDS PARKS FORUM REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1186863 ACCOUNTS TH YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2022 MIDLANDS PARKS FORUM REGISTERED CHARif( NO. 1186863 Inde endent Examinerfs Re ort I report on the attached accounts of Midlands Parks Forum for the year ended 30th November 2022. Respective responsibilities of trustses and examiner As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts", you consider that the audit requirement of section 144{2) of Ihe Charities Act 2011 does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charty Commission under section 145(5){b) of the 2011 Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examinerfs report My examination was carried out in accordan￿ with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that woukl be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examlner's ststement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to Gomply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met. or 2. To which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the a￿OUnts to be reached. ACCOUNTANT DUDLEY CVS 7 ALBION STREET BRIERLEY HILL DY5 3EE 27th April 2023 MIDLANDS PARKS FORUM REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1186863 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH NOVEMBER 2022 TOTAL 2021 INCOME TOTAL NLRH Grant National Lottery- Community Green Spaces William A Cadbury Grant Other Grants Memberships Traininglconference Income Sponsorship 9,760 10,000 10,000 4,500 18,384 13,926 6,000 6,000 20,517 20.517 7.096 7.096 772 772 TOTAL INCOME 34.385 34,385 66,570 EXPENDITURE Salary Costs Travelling Expenses Insuran Training, Mentoring. Conference Fees Printing, Stationery, Advertising Telephone and Postage Repairs and Renewals Evaluation/Research Fees Professional Fees Paypal Fees Sundries 6,450 41 18.975 25.425 449 490 278 278 5,825 7,584 426 426 61 61 23,010 74 532 9,318 361 30 221 8,584 770 1,759 1.224 510 69 29 1.224 510 69 29 350 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 8,250 27,846 36,096 43,250 Net Surplusl-Deficit for the Year Balance at 30th November 2021 -8,250 6,539 8,250 55,747 63,997 23,320 40,677 Reserves at 30th November 2022 62,286 62,286 63.997 PalDLANDS PARKS FORUM REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1186863 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES TH AS AT 30 NOVEMBER 2022 2021 CURRENT ASSErs Bank Current Account CAF Deposit Account 42,286 20,000 63,997 62,286 63,997 Represented by . Income & Expenditure Account: Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds 8,250 55,747 62,286 62,286 63,997 NB: Restricted Funds above are all In r•sp•¢t of the National Lottery Community Green Spaces GranL Approved by the Management Committee on 27th Aprll 2023 and signed on their behalf: MIDLANDS PARKS FORUM REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1186863 ACCOUNTS TH YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2022 MIDLANDS PARKS FORUM REGISTERED CHARif( NO. 1186863 Inde endent Examinerfs Re ort I report on the attached accounts of Midlands Parks Forum for the year ended 30th November 2022. Respective responsibilities of trustses and examiner As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts", you consider that the audit requirement of section 144{2) of Ihe Charities Act 2011 does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charty Commission under section 145(5){b) of the 2011 Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examinerfs report My examination was carried out in accordan￿ with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that woukl be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examlner's ststement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to Gomply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met. or 2. To which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the a￿OUnts to be reached. ACCOUNTANT DUDLEY CVS 7 ALBION STREET BRIERLEY HILL DY5 3EE 27th April 2023 MIDLANDS PARKS FORUM REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1186863 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH NOVEMBER 2022 TOTAL 2021 INCOME TOTAL NLRH Grant National Lottery- Community Green Spaces William A Cadbury Grant Other Grants Memberships Traininglconference Income Sponsorship 9,760 10,000 10,000 4,500 18,384 13,926 6,000 6,000 20,517 20.517 7.096 7.096 772 772 TOTAL INCOME 34.385 34,385 66,570 EXPENDITURE Salary Costs Travelling Expenses Insuran Training, Mentoring. Conference Fees Printing, Stationery, Advertising Telephone and Postage Repairs and Renewals Evaluation/Research Fees Professional Fees Paypal Fees Sundries 6,450 41 18.975 25.425 449 490 278 278 5,825 7,584 426 426 61 61 23,010 74 532 9,318 361 30 221 8,584 770 1,759 1.224 510 69 29 1.224 510 69 29 350 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 8,250 27,846 36,096 43,250 Net Surplusl-Deficit for the Year Balance at 30th November 2021 -8,250 6,539 8,250 55,747 63,997 23,320 40,677 Reserves at 30th November 2022 62,286 62,286 63.997 PalDLANDS PARKS FORUM REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1186863 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES TH AS AT 30 NOVEMBER 2022 2021 CURRENT ASSErs Bank Current Account CAF Deposit Account 42,286 20,000 63,997 62,286 63,997 Represented by . Income & Expenditure Account: Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds 8,250 55,747 62,286 62,286 63,997 NB: Restricted Funds above are all In r•sp•¢t of the National Lottery Community Green Spaces GranL Approved by the Management Committee on 27th Aprll 2023 and signed on their behalf: