FAWDON AND COXLODGE TOGETHER
TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022
Charity Number: 1187736 Website: https://sites.google.com/view/fawdoncoxlodgecommunity/ Facebook: @fawdonandcoxlodgetogether
Email: fawdonandcoxlodgetogether@gmail.com
The trustees of the charity present their report and the financial statements for the period ended 31 March 2022.
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Charity Number: 1187736
The principal office of the CIO is in England at 3 Bloomsbury Court, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4LW
TRUSTEES
The trustees serving during the year and since the year end were as follows: Thea Ravasi (Chairperson) David Alan Faulkner (Secretary/Treasurer) Ann Marie Nicol
BANKERS
Barclays Bank Percy Street Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4QL
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The charity’s purpose as set out in the objects contained in the Constitution is: To further or benefit the residents of Fawdon and Coxlodge and the neighbourhood, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Fawdon and Coxlodge Together (referred to in this report as FACT) is a charity in England, registered on 4 February 2020 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), whose only voting members are its trustees. The charity is governed by its Constitution dated 6 December 2018 and amended on 21 January 2020. The Charity number is 1187736.
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Since mid-2017, interested parties had been meeting informally to develop and pursue a project called “Fawdon and Coxlodge – Past Present and Future”. In late 2018 it was decided to create a constitution for the group under the name ‘Fawdon and Coxlodge Together’, trustees were appointed, and a bank account was opened in February 2019. It was then decided to apply to the Charity Commission for registration as a CIO and adopt the ‘Foundation’ model constitution.
The Board of Trustees meet as a committee every two months, together with other non-trustee members acting as advisers, to administer the charity and review strategy and future activities. Additional meetings are held as and when necessary, and any urgent business is dealt with by electronic means between the trustees and the other members of the committee, and otherwise by consultation between the trustees.
The charity has no paid officers, nor any office accommodation of its own.
The charity’s financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the organisation’s Constitution and the Accounting and Reporting by Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (FRS102).
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE DURING THE YEAR
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in Section 4 of the Charities Act 2011, to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing FACT’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities and how the planned activities would contribute to the aims and objectives they had set.
The Newcastle Community Asset Trust, which runs Fawdon Community Centre kindly provided us with two large planting boxes; these were installed at Fawdon Shopping Centre in early summer, with help from Coxlodge Allotments and Cowells who donated flowers, shrubs and fertiliser.
We were able to put on the long-planned heritage walk around our local “treasures” on August Bank Holiday Monday 2021, which, despite poor weather, was well-supported and enjoyed by local people. The event included an knowledge/observation quiz, with prizes, some of which were kindly donated by the Gosforth branch of ASDA. Our appreciation goes to The Jubilee public house for letting us set up stall in their carpark, and to the local organisations that allowed us to affix information sheets outside their premises.
We took the initiative to organise a Christmas community party, with stalls, entertainment and food, at Fawdon Community Centre in December, generously supported again by ASDA, and wellattended.
The Jubilee Road signage for the Coxlodge Community Centre has long been a public eyesore. We sought the agreement of the City Council, of Coxlodge Community Association and of the Gosforth and Coxlodge Bowling Club to create new signage. The Bowling Club introduced us to one of their sponsors, City Signs, who did the artwork, construction and installation and we were able to secure the greater part of the funding from Coxlodge Community Association, with FACT paying the balance.
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Fawdon and Coxlodge Together manages the grant funding from the Community Foundation for Tyne and Wear on behalf of the local Friendship Choir. The choir was still operating via online sessions from April 2021 until resuming in-person sessions at Fawdon Community Centre in September 2021, and continuing on a fortnightly basis since. The numbers attending and singing have gradually risen closer to the numbers achieved before the onset of Covid-19. In November 2021, the Community Foundation paid FACT the second £750 instalment of its committed £1500.
Following the winding up of Fawdon Coxlodge District History Society, FACT - working with Fawdon Community Library - has to some extent taken on the role of researching and promoting the history and heritage of our local area. Two online presentations were made during the year, one on the history of Fawdon House (now The Northumbrian Piper public house, Red House Farm) and its occupants over almost two centuries, and the other about Fawdon-born coal miner turned writer of humorous poems, Marshall Cresswell, and his adventures in Borneo in the 1850s. A current project in the planning is the history of the chocolate company Nestlé (formerly Rowntree) in Fawdon over its 60 years - sadly this year confirming its closure.
The volunteer litter picking team that had been operating since 2018 continues on a monthly basis. We had flagged up our interest to Newcastle City Council in contributing to the planned improvement of Fawdon Park; we participated in the consultation programme of the Council in March 2022 and shared with the Council the results of the consultation work that we had developed ourselves from December 2021. We await the final investment plans for the park
We are pleased that the number of followers of FACT on Facebook now exceeds 600 - this is a very satisfying level of interest and support for an organisation with such a relatively limited geographical catchment area. We use Facebook to promote not only our own projects but the activities of other groups in our community who share our objectives.
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
During the year, the Trustees have examined the risks to which the Association is exposed. Currently, we carry only a small reserve and trustees would wish to work towards a policy whereby funds could be held in reserve at the level of approximately six months of unrestricted expenditure. However, it is our intention that we continue to organise much of our activity by working with and through other organisations in our community, or on projects that we will take forward only if grant funding is found. At the time of this report. we are holding £1800 in reserve to fund new interpretation boards for the Northumberland Wildlife Trust in St Nicholas Park, Coxlodge.
APPRECIATION
The trustees wish to record their appreciation of the time given by non-trustee members of the management committee, and of the support of those organisations and individuals with whom FACT works in partnership.
DECLARATION
I declare, in my capacity of Trustee of the charity, that the trustees have approved the report above at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 21 June 2022 and have authorised me to sign it on their behalf.
(Signature) (Name) David Faulkner
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(Date) 27 June 2022
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES a¥ don and Coxlod e To eihei 187736 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from To Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds Reslricled funds Endowment funds Total funds Lasi year lo the nearest to ihe nearesl to the neaiest lo the nearest to ihe neaiesl A1 Receipts Grants Piivale donations Positive balance brought forward Iwom revious ar Income From choiw members 750 750 2.0110 750 25 2.0011 570 985 390 644 550 644 550 ASDA Sub toial(Gro&s income ft)r ARJ 2.415 2.514 4.929 1.165 A2 Asset and investment ¥ale¥,18ee table). Sub ioTrI Total receipts 2.415 2.514 4.929 1.165 A3 Paymenls Choir Leadei l••s Hall hiie Chiisimas Paiiy ¢osis Treasurè Hunt priie5 570 236 570 236 180 75 75 Sub total 75 1.517 1.592 180 A4 Asset and investment purcha¥es, (see tabkl Sub ioTrI zzzz 75 1.517 1.592 80 Nei of receiptsl(paymentsJ ASTransfer8 between fund8 A6 Cash fund8 last year end Cash funds this year end 2.340 997 3.337 985 2.340 997 3.337 985
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestrted fund8 Restricted nds Endowmeiit funds oo haresi £ Cateoories Detai18 lo neaiest £ to Theave51 £ B1 Cash funds 2.437 90• Total cash funds 2.437 900 4¢co¥Mr 11 Unrestrbcted funds lo neaiest £ Regtricted funds to TreaiesQ £ Endowment funds Qo nearesl £ Details FuThd io ¥hie aSSt belon Cost lion41 CurrèTht valu• tioThal Details B3 Inveslmenl assels Fur•d io ¥hi¢h asset beloTr Cost lion41 Deiails tioTral B4 Assets relained for the "charrty's own use to ¥hith wel4les Res¢ii¢led Choir Arnowffti due lioThal Vhefft due tioTral 01 May 2022 DrT.iiIs Choii costs B5 Liabilities 276 Coniribuiion to stynage Coxlodge CC Unrèsiricted 126 01 May 2022 Signed by one or two trustees on behalf ol allihe ¢iuslees Date of approval 21 June 2022 Print Name David Faulkner