Clwity Numttr 1188060
FRIENDS OF BROOMHILL
friendsolbnKtyMhilLo￿llk
Registered off￿e:
69 BroJDPton Farm Road
Roch¢st¢r. Ken4 TrIE2 3QX
Annual Report & Accounts 2024
for the ptriod of l April 2(P23 to 31 March 21ll4
prepared by Susan Fletcher, Treasurer
17th May 2024
Introduetion
The Friends of Broomhill ("foB") are dedicated to the improvement and enrichment of Br<M)mhill Park
situated in Strood, KenL ME2 3NB. The FOB own the Old Orchart a nine-acre woodland site. adjacent to
the Park which was purch&sed IOT £45,000 in May 2018. This area w&$ PUTclwed with donation5 from th¢
general public. companies and match funding from Medway Council. This purchase has enabled us to preserve
the woodland from development for all time. Our volunteers assist maintaining both the Park and the
Old Orchard by litter picking, general scrub clearing, bulb planting and maiThkning the pathways.
Trustees
David Park (Secretary)
Louise Hubbard (Trustee)
May Draper (Chair)
John LawTenson (Trnstee)
Susan Fletcher cfreasurer & Membership Secretary) Andrew Millsom {l'n￿ee)
Barbard Harrison (Trustee)
Colin Pearson (Grants Officer)
Danielle Haughey (Communications Officer)
Bank
CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue. Kings Hill, West Malling. ME19 4TA.
Our account with National Westm1￿er Bank PIC w&$ closed following a transfer of the balance to CM Bank
on 10 November 2023.
Struelure
The FOB Were inaugurated in May 2007. registered as a charity in 2013, and became a charitable incorporated
organisation (CIO) with charity numkr 1188060 in February 2020. We are governed by our Constitution
dated February 2020 which does not allow us to sell the Old Orchard. If the FOB were to dissolve at any time,
this land would be giftcd to another Tn￿t to be protected for all time. We have therefore listed the Old Orchard
in our Accounts with a historic value of £45.000. Following the appointment of two new Trust¢es from our
membership. our Board h&5 increased from seven to nine Trustees. The Board meets six times per year to
rcvicw and plan futurc activitics. ova5cc finances and deal with any ongoing matters. OUT membership
¢UTrently stands at 127 members.

Public beDefit
The Trust¢es conftrm that they have Compli￿ with the duty to have regard to public benefit guid&nce
published by the Charities Commission in defrrmining the activities undertaken by the Ch￿tty. The Trustees
understand the charity's PUTposes as set out in our constitutio￿ they plan what the charity will do, aTe able to
explain how the activities support its PUTPOSes. and understand how the charity benefits tbe gcneral public. To
underpin these activitie4 the FOB have public liability insurance.
We have 18 volunteers who regularly att¢nd on task days. There are many benefits of volunteering- improves
physical and mental health. more social Contact by meeting new people, CODnection to the local community
and a ￿at sense of achievemenL
We also work with the Further Education stl￿ents and staff from Abbey Court CommuDity Special Foundation
School. This is a special school for pupils between the ages of 3-19 with severe and Profound l&qrning
difficulties. We meet for an hour aweek duriDg terni time and cally out tasks such as litter picking and footyath
cl¢aring.
The FOB held four free events for children during school holidays. We are very grateful to Medway Council
and the King Arthurs Drive Residents Association for their genero￿% fiujding. Funding received covered the
full cost of these events which were well attended and drew a lot of people to Broornhill.
Aivards Achieved
We were delighted to recesve a Silver in the Kent Wildlife Trust Wilder Kent Awards, which is a reflection
of the hard work our volunteers contribute towards improving the habitat and environment for both our
con)munity and wildlife. We ar¢ very proud that BT(K>mhill Park once again received the Green Flag Award
for the twelfth consecutive year, and we were also presented with a RHS South East in Bloom Award in th¢
Community Gardening Category.
Income
Our total income has incre&s¢d from £1,108.63 in 2022123 to £16,252.44 in 2023124.
We were delighted to be awarded Ihree grants totslling £14,710.00 for three separate projects:
The Kent Community Foundation award¢d us £8,750.00 fron] The Lower Thames Crossing
Community Fund for impTovements to the entrances to the Old Orchard from the Park. We were
extrernely pleased to receive this funding which enabled us to provide safer access the use of
tter surfaces. handrails and steps on steep slopes. Our volunteers have been continuing the work at
some of the other entrances into the Old Orcbard.
Our successfill application to Orchard Community Energy resulted in the FOB receiving funding of
£4.960.00 to create community pocket orchards in The Old Orchard. We are very grateful for this
money which h&s been ring-fenced for this exciting projecL Work will commence later in 2024 and
hopefully be completed by the end of 2025" and
Medway Councillor Zoe van Dyke kindly donated £l:000 from her ward grant which will be used for
tree planting in th¢ p￿k. Thi5 mon¢y has bccn r￿S-f¢nrCd for ihis proje¢t with the planting TO be
undertaken after completion of the work at the top of Broomhill Park.
membership numkrs have remained fairly consistent with renewals ongoing thr()ughout the year. We
are very grateful to members who have madc a donation with their subscriptions which totalled £238.34 in
2023124. Three separate claims were made to HMRC for Gift Aid in respect of subscriptions and donations
received between the period of 9 Match 20?2 10 31 December 2023. The FOB received three payments of
£49.65. £141.21 and £75.41 Tespectively which amounted to a total of£266.27 received for Gift Aid during
2023124.

We have a150 received additional illcome througb our signing up to Easyfimdrdising, a free fillthaising
plarforn] where retsilers send us a free donation b&sed on the amount the shopper spends and with no extra
Cost to the shopw. We are v¢ry grnteful to our MernE￿TS who ate ￿Ing Easyfundraising for their online
shopping. We have so far received two quarterly payments totalling £176.81.
Expenditure
Our exp¢nditure has increased from £5.635.52 in 2022123 to £10,493.96 in 2023124. £9,322.36 of this
expenditure w&s in relation to tmprovements to the entrances into the Old Orchard from the Park for which
we received a grdnt of £8.750.00. The decrease in our expenditUTe on planting in the Old Orchard from
£519.57 in 2021Q3 to £39.90 in 2023124 was partly due to our successful application to I Dig Trees who
kindly gave us a donation of150 Dativ¢ trees.
Our aims gnd plans for 2024r25
We are looking forward to commencing the work to create community pocket Orchards within the Old Orclwd
area at Bn)otDhill. This is an amazing opp)rtunity for us to plant fruit trees which will provide food for the
community as well as boosting the habilat for wildlife. We have sourced 26 apple. pear and plum vaTieties
with Kentish connections. These pocket orchards, together with our recent planting of 150 native species of
trees, will add to the diversity of the Old Orchard to improve the area for birds, butterfiies and insects.
In July 2023, Hillstone Homes began the development of the area around the communications mast at the top
of Gorse Road. The area had Evn o￿Tred by Southern Water and contained two underground res¢rvoirs. The
infilled res¢rvoirs will be landscaped to create an open area with a path networl benches and a n¢w viewpoint
which will look over the Thames and Medway. Completion is anticipated to be early 2025, after which the
FOB will be offered the cbance to own and maintsin the aTe&
Four detached houses ar¢ being constNcted by HIllS￿￿e Homes on the South West corner of the site between
Gorse Road and the allotments. ivhilst this is outside of Broomhill ParL we have followed the planning
process for many yeaT8 to ensure the best outcome for Park users.
Conclusio
Following our successthl applicatio￿% for grants. we are very pleased to say that our totaI cash at bank has
incre&sed from £19,439.67 in 2022123 to £25,198.15 in 2023124. The complelion of the projects will greatly
improve the area for the enjoyment of all and also provide a vital habitat for wildlife.
Many thanks to all our members and hard-WO￿lng volunteers for their continued support.
Susan Fletcher
Treasurer
on behalf of the Trustees of
The Friends of Broomhill

FIUEIYDS OF BROOMHILL
ANNUAL FINAYICIAL REPORT. I APRIL 21n3 TO 31 ￿lARCH 2024
2022-2023
202>2024
STATEME￿ OF FINANCIAL ACTivrriES
Income
Grants
Easyfundraising
HMRC Gift Aid
Orchard expenditure refund
Subs¢riptions {net)
Donations from members (net)
KADAR (King Arthurs Drive Association) donation for event
CLIFARA (Cliffe Active Reti￿rnent) donation
CAF Bank interest
Medway Council donation for funding events
14710.00
176.81
266.27
58.80
481.01
238.34
75.00
541.28
264.42
75.00
50.(M)
27.93
150.00
1108.63
46.21
200.00
16252.44
Totsl 1￿come
Eipenditsre
Orchard improvements
Events
Website
CAF Bank fees
AGM costs
Stationery
Tools & Equipment
Sundries
Refreshments
Planting (orchard)
Signage (orchard)
Insurdnce (orchard)
Engravcd brick seat (orchard)
Build a Bug House eveni and repaits (orchard)
Make Wildflower Seed Eggs Easter cvent (Orchard)
Build a Bird Box evenl (park)
First aid supplies
Donation to Kent Wildlife TrL￿r (in memory of G. MaytunL a member)
Total Eipenditsr¢
Ex¢ess ofineome over expenditsre
9322.36
213.03
127.73
60.00
40.00
21.99
166.19
113.26
72.00
63.29
52.89
174.22
3.50
83.88
519.57
701.60
402.22
2951.24
297.19
79.69
11.17
52.30
57.50
5635.52
452&89
79.89
39.90
16.80
402.22
3.85
10493.96
575&48
BALANCE SHEET
Cash at Bank
Balance brought foTward
Excess of Income over Expenditure
23966.56
4526.89
19439.67
19439.67
5758.48
2519&15
Total eA$h
Balanee at 31103ll024
represented by:
CAF Bank
NaÈW¢st Current Account
C&sh held by PayPat and Just Givtng
Balance Ca￿le￿ forward to next finandal year
19226.79
145.18
67.70
19439.67
25097.17
0.00
100.98
25198.15
CurrÈDt Assets
Old Orchard (historic value)
Tools
450(KI.00
250.00
45250.00
45000.00
350.(M)
45350.00
Total CurY¢n¢ Assets
Current Liabilities
0.00

2022-2023 INCOME
£150.00
£27.93
£541.28
£389.42_-
Subscriptions • Donations
CAF Bank interest * Medway Council fundlng
2023-2024 INCOME
£176.81 £58.80 £481.01 £313.34 £46.21
£266.27
£200.OQ
£14,710.00
Subscriptions
F Bank Interest
Grants
Easyfundralsln8
Oonations
Medway Council fundin8
Gift Aid
Orchard cost refund
2022-2023 EXPENDITURE £113.26
£388.05
£52 30 £57.50 £52.89 E174.22
£83.88
£3.50
£72.00
£63.29
£4,S74.63
WebsSte
CAF fees
Sundries
First aid
Stationerv
AGM
Refreshrnents
Donatlon to Kwr
Tools
Old Orchard
Event5
2023-2024 EXPENDITURE
£213.03
£3.85
£127.73
£21.99
£60.00
£79.89
£166.19
£40.00
£9,781.28
Web51te
CAF fees
Refreshments
Stationery
AGM
Events
Tools
Old Orchard
First Aid