Chairs Report for Swad in Bloom – April 1[st] 2022 – March 31[st] 2023
Another great year for Swad in Bloom. While we have contended with a changing trustee base we have developed in many areas. We have taken on many new tasks one of which being a new location for our “community tree” this is something we intend to help us increase our volunteer base to ensure that we have enough man power to help us in the other areas of the charity. And as Chair I would like to thank everyone who is involved with the community tree. We were able to increase our links with Oaklands Village as we have started to locate our tree here. We have also started a craft club wherein we have had many new volunteers from in and outside of Oaklands being able to help with this project. We have continued to do our Monthly stalls in Swadlincote to great outcomes. We have also started to do “quiz nights” in where we have volunteers come along for a social while raising that all important money for doing tasks.
Within the year we were able to continue our links with SDDC, these have been ever getting stronger due to us helping with multiple tasks around the town. This has meant we have been able to start making a huge impact to Swadlincote town centre and surrounding areas, meaning our volunteer base is on the rise. We have kept our strong link with Cadley Hill View Care Home with continuing to ensure we have our monthly meetings here; this then means that we are able to be in the middle of the town to increase attendees. Within the care home we have been able to attend a couple of their “fayres” where in which we interact with the community and increase our brand awareness.
W have been able to increase our links with Sharpes Pottery Museum where we have our tooling shed located this has been a great location and we thank the owners of the site gratefully as it means we are able to have our tools right where we need them increasing how much we are able to do. We have increased how many tools we have with a lot of the tools now being “ergonomic” to help less able-bodied people to participate, we thank the Swadlincote Fire station for their contribution of £200 for us to be able to buy these tools.
Another major task has been again to try and increase volunteer base, we have found we have increased brand awareness and hopefully many more volunteers will follow this, we have also found we are starting to branch out to different demographics to ensure we are going to be able to continue our projects but also to make that community wide impact.
The Trustee base has changed since last report and now stands as: Luke Cox - Chair, Peter Harrison – Secretary, Angie Griffin – Treasurer, Bal Purewal – Trustee, Sue Wheat – Trustee, Jane German – Trustee. As Chair I would like to thank everyone involved with the charity as this year has been very effective and hopefully next year will be the same.
Luke Cox, Chair, Swad In Bloom, January 2024
Swad In Bloom Annual Financial Return from 01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023 for the Charities Commission
Opening balance 01/04/22 709.32
Income
Stalls 536.61 Amazon Smile 30.87 Wreath Workshops Donations Bee talk and teas 39.00 Festival of Leisure 438.30 Autumn Fair 251.50 David Randall Open Garden 352.00 Grant from National Forest 400.00 Sales of honey and blankets 175.74 Total income 2438.06
150.00 64.04
Expenditure
Bee talk fee 54.00 Insurance & Printing 300.10 Bank charges 73.10 AMR Delivery Festival of Leisure 120.00
Prizes for Sunflower Competition 20.00 Beekeeping course for Alex 157.50 New Shed and fittings 514.80 AMR to build the shed 120.00 Ist Phase Morrisons bed supplies 536.70 Total expenditure 1896.20
Opening balance + income – expenditure = 1251.18
Balance at bank on 31/03/22
1251.18