Birmingham Tree People
Charity Number: 1190536
{Charitable Incorporated Organisation}
Trustees' Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
16th October 2025
Reference & Administration Details
| Charity name: | Birmingham Tree People |
|---|---|
| Charity number: | 1190536 |
| Charity's operating address: | Kings Heath Park House |
| Kings Heath Park | |
| Vicarage Road | |
| Birmingham | |
| B14 7TQ |
Names of the Charity Trustees who Manage the Charity
| Trustee Name | Office (if any) | Appointed | Retired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonia Clark | Trustee | 23 July2020 | 22 October 2025 |
| 2 | Stephen Watson | Trustee | 23 July2020 | 20 February2025 |
| 3 | Simon Needle | Trustee | 23 July2020 | 20 February2025 |
| 4 | Nina Griffiths | Trustee | 02 Feb 2021 | |
| 5 | Deanne Brettle | Trustee | 21 Oct 2021 | |
| 6 | James Tucker | Trustee | 15 Feb 2023 | |
| 7 | Ian McDermott | Trustee | 27 April 2023 | 20 February2025 |
| 8 | Julianne Statham | Trustee | 18 January 2024 | |
| 9 | Lawrence Weston | Trustee | 18 January2024 | |
| 10 | Samantha Dobbie | Trustee | 21 November 2024 |
Names & Addresses of Advisors
Name Address & Postcode Bank: Lloyds Bank, Box 1, BX1 1LT
Structure, Governance & Management
Description of the Charity's Trusts
Type of Governing Constitution Document: How the Charity is Charitable Incorporated Organisation Constituted:
Trustee Selection Methods: Trustees are elected at a Trustees meeting. Local people who regularly attend BTP urban forest volunteer training are considered.
How New Trustees are Prospective trustees are asked to attend a meeting before Inducted and Trained: they commit. They meet with the Chair who explains the history and the role of the charity.
Objectives & Activities
Summary of the Objects of the Charity as set out in its Governing Document
Birmingham Tree People aims to plant, promote and protect trees in Birmingham. We provide free monthly training and organise tree planting activities. We are also a registered training centre for the Skills Education Group Level 2 in Arboriculture.
Summary of the Main Activities Undertaken for the Public Benefit in Relation to the Charity's Objects
What the charity does: Education/training Environment/conservation/heritage.
Who the charity helps: People in Birmingham.
How the charity helps: Provides Advocacy/advice/information.
Where the charity operates: Birmingham.
Achievements & Performance
Statutory Declaration
The trustees declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the commission in exercising their powers or duties.
Summary of the Main Achievements of the Charity for the Year – Chair's Report
Birmingham TreePeople has worked on several large projects this year and has successfully secured National Lottery core funding for the organisation.
The Urban Forest Accelerator project with Birmingham City Council and the National Trust the employment of an engagement worker and support from a communications contractor. This project finished in September 2024 after meeting its targets and delivering high quality engagement work in Alum Rock, Bromford and Nechells. Work was completed with local schools and relationships built with local organisations by the engagement worker, Katy Hawkins. A monthly newsletter was circulated to supporters and the website and social media channels were refreshed and updated frequently.
The Benjamin Zephaniah Legacy Forest at Burbury Park was the result of a member of Benjamin’s family contacting BTP about possible tree planting. With support from the City Council, particularly Pat Whyte, local community groups, the Benjamin Zephaniah Family Legacy Group and Benjamin’s widow, Qian, funding was raised through crowdfunding and sponsorship to plant 65 trees. Community events were organised and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through Birmingham City Council. A poetry competition was also organised by the Communications Worker, Charley McDermott, which attracted over 80 poems. Of these, 65 were selected to be attached to the trees. Events were run with poets and to celebrate the poetry and the trees.
Our Trustee, Ian McDermott, organised a joint conference with Trees for Cities to bring together tree volunteers from around the country to celebrate Tree Cities of the World. This will lead to greater national information sharing and joint working.
In July 2024, the charity’s application to the National Lottery was successful which enabled the charity to appoint an Operations Manager and to continue to employ the engagement worker and contract with the communications worker. The new part time Operations Manager, Matt Cox, joined the charity in November 2024. This three-year funding enables the charity to consolidate its work and develop a plan for fundraising and projects.
In addition to the tree planting in the Benjamin Zephaniah Legacy Forest which included 12 orchard trees, there was planting in Newtown and Alum Rock funded by Trees for Cities. Some of these plantings took place in land owned by community groups and in empty street tree pits. There were fruit trees planted with community groups as part of our Orchard project,
co-ordinated by trustee Lawrence Weston, who is also working on an Orchard Strategy for the city. The Treemembrance project was co-ordinated by trustee Julianne Statham and planted 7 memorial trees in parks in the city.
The WMCA Community Environment Fund awarded the charity a grant for our street tree survey project. This enabled volunteers to be given £2 per tree to cover expenses and to increase the amount of training sessions delivered by trustee Nina Griffiths. In total, 3,000 street trees have now been surveyed and researchers have started to analyse the data.
The Level 2 Arboriculture course finished in December 2024, and it is anticipated that 5 students will complete in 2025.
Monthly training has been run during the year on Pests and Diseases with Ian McDermott, Bournville Trees through Time with Yanhui Shi, Role of urban tree volunteers with Ian McDermott, Tree Biology parts 1 and 2 with Tonia Clark, a Pest and Disease walk in Handsworth Park with Tonia Clark.
Work has also been started on the Tree Board by trustee Dee Brettle. This will co-ordinate tree work in the city.
In February 2025, 3 of the founding trustees stepped down due to personal changes in circumstances; new jobs and relocations. Ian MacDermott, Simon Needle and Steve Watson will be missed for their immense arboricultural knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment. Tonia Clark will step down once a new Treasurer has been appointed.
For a small charity, there has been substantial activity undertaken this year to plant, protect and promote trees in the city.
Financial Review
Brief Statement of the Charity's Policy on Reserves
The charity aims to build up small reserves of 3 month’s running costs to enable the payment of redundancy costs to our employees if these should be required. The reserves will also help to cover any funding gaps to enable the employees to be continuously employed.
Details of Any Funds Materially in Deficit
None
Statutory Notes to the Accounts
1. Particulars of Any Outstanding Guarantee Given by the CIO
None
2. Particulars of Any Outstanding Debt
The trustees are considering returning the donation from the Arconic Foundation of £19351.15 due to the reputational risk that it poses to the charity.
3. Receipts & payments accounts
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
4. Grants & donations
| 4. Grants & donations | |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| NGED | 5,307.68 |
| WMCA CEF grant | 12,764.90 |
| One Tree Planted | 18,681.83 |
| National Trust (UFA) | 25,987.06 |
| Birmingham City Council City of Nature | 10,000.00 |
| AMPA Foundation | 500.00 |
| Birmingham City Council UKSPF | 11,461.00 |
| Donations for BZ Forest | 5,306.92 |
| Trees for Cities | 46,724.00 |
| National Lottery | 57,220.00 |
| Birmingham City Council Brum Breathes (Daisy Farm Park) | 2,100.00 |
| Heart of England Foundation | 1,121.49 |
| Tree Council | 1,271.16 |
| Birmingham Inter. Community Fund | 861.29 |
| Arconic Foundation | 19,351.15 |
| Total | 218,658.48 |
5. Creditors
| 5. Creditors | |
|---|---|
| Independent examination fee | £350.00 |
| Birmingham City Council | £8,775.00 |
Return of Arconic grant £19,351.15 Total £28,476.15
6. Trustees’ remuneration
The following trustees were paid for professional work:
Lawrence Weston: expenses £280 and professional fees £3,410.44 Nina Griffiths: professional fees £5,750 Deanne Brettle: expenses £1,786.45
7. Glossary of terms
Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.
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): Deanne Brettle
Position(s): Trustee Date: 16th October 2025
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| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowme nt funds |
||||||
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | ||||||||
| B1 Cash funds | Lloyds bank | 75,791 | 58,246 | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||
| Total cash funds | 75,791 | 58,246 | - | |||||||
| (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
OK | OK | OK | |||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowme nt funds |
||||||||
| Details | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | |||||||
| B2 Other monetary assets |
- | |||||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) |
Current value (optional) |
|||||||
| B3 Investment assets | - | - | ||||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) |
Current value (optional) |
|||||||
| B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
- | - | ||||||||
| Details | Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
When due (optional) |
|||||||
| B5 Liabilities | Birmingham City Council tree planting costs |
Unrestricted funds |
8775 | 30 Jun 2025 | ||||||
| Arconic - return of grant | Restricted funds |
19315 | 30 Jun 2025 | |||||||
| Independent examination fee | Unrestricted funds |
350 | 30 Sept 2025 | |||||||
1190536
Birmingham Tree People
Receipts and payments accounts 01 April 2024 31 March 2025 To
For the period from
CC16a
Section A Receipts and payments
| Birmingham Tree People 1190536 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Section A Receipts and payments |
Birmingham Tree People 1190536 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Section A Receipts and payments |
Birmingham Tree People 1190536 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Section A Receipts and payments |
Birmingham Tree People 1190536 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Section A Receipts and payments |
Birmingham Tree People 1190536 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Section A Receipts and payments |
Birmingham Tree People 1190536 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Section A Receipts and payments |
Birmingham Tree People 1190536 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Section A Receipts and payments |
Birmingham Tree People 1190536 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Section A Receipts and payments |
Birmingham Tree People 1190536 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 01 April 2024 To 31 March 2025 Section A Receipts and payments |
CC16a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ A1 Receipts |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|||||
| Birmingham City Council UKSPF | - 5,000- |
- -- |
- 5,000- |
||||||
| Spacehive - BZ forest | - 12,377- |
- -- |
- 12,377- |
- -- |
|||||
| itree survey | - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 40,500- |
|||||
| Tree planting funding | - 50,145- |
- -- |
- 50,145- |
- 12,810- |
|||||
| Trees for Cities | - 39,920- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 39,920- |
- 6,804- |
||||
| Birmingham City of Nature | - 10,000- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 10,000- |
|||||
| National Lottery | - 57,220- |
- -- |
- 57,220- |
||||||
| WMCA CEF | - 12,765- |
- -- |
- 12,765- |
||||||
| Brum Breathes | - 2,100- |
- -- |
- 2,100- |
||||||
| Conferences | - 5,200- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 5,200- |
|||||
| Treemembrance | - 3,000- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 3,000- |
- 750- |
||||
| donations to BTP | - 1,644- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 1,644- |
- 230- |
||||
| National Trust UFA | - 25,987- |
- -- |
- 25,987- |
- 20,535- |
|||||
| Arb2 course fees | - 550- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 550- |
- 2,395- |
||||
| TreePlotter | - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 3,000- |
|||||
| Orchard project | - -- |
- 3,254- |
- -- |
- 3,254- |
- -- |
||||
| Sub total - 110,459- A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
- 110,459- |
- 118,703- |
- -- |
- 229,162- |
- 87,024- |
||||
| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
||||||
| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
|||||
| Sub total- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
||||
| Total receipts - 110,459- A3 Payments |
|||||||||
| - 110,459- |
- 118,703- |
- -- |
- 229,162- |
- 87,024- |
|||||
| staff payments | - -- |
- -- |
- 1,694- |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
10/23/2025
1
| National Lottery | - | 23,778- | - | 23,778- | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| itree survey | - | -- | - | 31,360- | |||||||||||||||||
| Tree planting project | - | 41,557- | - | 41,557- | - | 21,104- | |||||||||||||||
| WMCA CEF | - | 651- | - | 12,765- | - | 13,416- | |||||||||||||||
| National Trust UFA | - | 22,170- | - | 22,170- | - | 24,654- | |||||||||||||||
| Skills Educ Group | - | 780- | - | -- | - | 780- | - | 1,405- | |||||||||||||
| Birmingham City Council UKSPF | - | 1,465- | - | 5,000- | - | -- | - | 6,465- | |||||||||||||
| Brum Breathes | - | 1,092- | - | 1,092- | |||||||||||||||||
| website service | - | -- | - | -- | - | 760- | |||||||||||||||
| Treeplotter software | - | 8,250- | - | -- | - | 8,250- | - | 4,200- | |||||||||||||
| Treemembrance | - | 769- | - | 769- | - | 87- | |||||||||||||||
| accountancy fee | - | -- | - | -- | - | 943- | |||||||||||||||
| Marketing | - | -- | - | 250- | |||||||||||||||||
| insurance | - | -- | - | -- | - | 348- | |||||||||||||||
| Conferences | - | 5,534- | - | 5,534- | |||||||||||||||||
| Orchard project | - | 3,254- | - | 3,254- | |||||||||||||||||
| Administration | - | 946- | - | 946- | |||||||||||||||||
| Spacehive - BZ forest | - | -- | - | 109- | - | -- | - | 109- | |||||||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | 59,952- | - | 68,168- | - | -- | - | 128,120- | - | 86,805- |
| **Sub total ** | - | 59,952- | - | 68,168- | - | -- | - | 128,120- | - | 86,805- | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| **Total payments ** | - | 59,952- | - | 68,168- | - | -- | - | 128,120- | - | 86,805- | ||||||||||
| **Net of receipts/(payments) ** | - | 50,507- | - | 50,535- | - | -- | - | 101,042- | - | 219- | ||||||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | - | 25,284- | - | 7,711- | - | -- | - | 32,995- | - | 32,776- | ||||||||||
| **Cash funds this year end ** | - | 75,791- | - | 58,246- | - | -- | - | 134,037- | - | 32,995- |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories | Details | Unrestricted | Restricted funds | Restricted funds | Endowment | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | |||||||||
| B1 | Cash funds | Lloyds bank | - | 75,791- | - | 58,246- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- |
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
10/23/2025
2
| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities |
Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Details Details |
- 75,791- |
- 58,246- |
- -- |
||||
| OK | ||||||||
| Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - -- Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - -- Cost (optional) - -- - -- - -- Cost (optional) - -- - -- - -- - -- |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
||||||
| - -- |
||||||||
| - -- |
||||||||
| - -- |
||||||||
| Current value (optional) |
||||||||
| - -- |
||||||||
| - -- |
||||||||
| - -- |
||||||||
| Current value (optional) |
||||||||
| - -- |
- -- |
|||||||
| - -- |
- -- |
|||||||
| - -- |
- -- |
|||||||
| - -- |
- -- |
|||||||
| - -- |
- -- |
|||||||
| When due |
||||||||
| Birmingham City Council tree planting costs | ( ) 30 June 2025 |
|||||||
| Arconic - return of grant | 30 June 2025 | |||||||
| Independent examination fee | 30 September 2025 | |||||||
CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
10/23/2025
3
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Signed by one or two trustees on behalf Signature Print Name Date of approval
----- End of picture text -----
CCXX R4 accounts (SS)
10/23/2025
4
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
| Section A | Independent Examiner’s Report | Independent Examiner’s Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report to the trustees/ |
Birmingham Tree People | ||||
| members of | |||||
| On accounts | From 01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025 | Charity no (if | 11905366 | ||
| for the period | any) | ||||
| Set out on pages |
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the period from 01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025.
| I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for th period from 01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025. |
|
|---|---|
| Responsibilitie | As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in |
| s and basis of | accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). |
| report | |
| I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of | |
| the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions | |
| given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. | |
| Independent | I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention |
| examiner's | in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material |
| statement | respect: |
| ● accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or |
|
| ● the accounts do not accord with the accounting records |
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
| Signed: Name: Address: |
|
|---|---|
| Andrew Hopkins | |
| BVSC AccountingServices | |
| Latham House, 33-34 Paradise Street | |
| Birmingham B1 2AJ |
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