2024-01-31-accounts

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1190656

Report of the Trustees and

Unaudited Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

for

Ashwood Charitable Trust

Ashwood Charitable Trust

Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

	Page
Report of the Trustees	1 to 4
Independent Examiner's Report	5
Statement of Financial Activities	6
Balance Sheet	7
Notes to the Financial Statements	8 to 10

Ashwood Charitable Trust

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st January 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The trusts purposes are:

a) the encouragement and improvement of the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches b) to advance such charitable purposes as the trustees see fit from time to time by making grants to other charities

Significant activities

In order to encourage and improve the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches the charity will arrange lectures which are open to the public and provide training grants and mentoring to targeted individuals.

The charity will use any further donations received to provide financial grants to such horticulture and other charities as the trustees see fit each year.

Public benefit

The benefits of the lectures will be to increase the horticultural knowledge, skills and capabilities of individual attendees and more widely through the attendees' practice and sharing with others.

By providing training grants and mentoring to targeted individuals the charity will enable talented individuals to pursue and thrive in horticultural careers, benefiting both those individuals and also the field of horticulture. Discussions are taking place with Great Dixter in East Sussex with regard to a joint student sponsorship scheme and with a potential donor.

The charity will also seek to help other worthwhile causes in achieving their purposes by giving grants to UK registered horticultural and other charities.

Grantmaking

Grants may be provided to individuals for the purposes of horticultural training.

All other grants the charity makes will be UK-registered horticultural and other charities, which are known and supported by the trustees, carefully selected on the basis of need, effectiveness and the charity's available funds each year.

In terms of other charities, the charity currently has a preference for local or national charities with an emphasis on research and/or palliative care. This could include charities providing facilities for care and well-being such as emergency services, local hospices and schools providing facilities for those with disabilities or learning difficulties. Priority would be given to those where funding by government or local authorities is inadequate or totally absent.

Page 1

Ashwood Charitable Trust

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Charitable activities

Around five years ago, John Massey's head gardener Adam Greathead, died in his sleep. He was 27 years old. It was a tragic loss of a very talented horticulturalist with a great future ahead of him. In order to keep his memory alive, John created a new area of his garden which he called Adam's garden. A few years later, John decided that more could be done to honour Adam's short life. One of the aims of the Ashwood Charitable Trust is to advance the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches, so the trustees established the Adam Greathead award.

This annual award began in February 2023 and offers a budding horticulturalist the opportunity to work and learn in two well renowned gardens, namely John's Garden at Ashwood and Great Dixter in East Sussex. the former home and garden of the late Christopher Lloyd.

The Great Dixter Charitable Trust was not in a position to pay the living wage of this student so this was to be funded through the Adam Greathead Award, although Dixter could offer the necessary accommodation without charge. The award also funded any deficit on the accommodation over and above the students own contribution of £50 per week during the six months that the student was at John's Garden. The Adam Greathead Award funds were raised through lectures, events and visits held by the current head gardener, Nigel Hopes. The award also received a substantial donation of £5,000 from Felix Apelbe in order to help fund the first student. After allowing for the salary at Great Dixter and a small excess on the accommodation, the award was left with a small deficit which has been subsequently cleared through additional funds in the current year. The award raised £11,797.39 during the year, leaving a deficit after expenses of £434.46.

The first Student, Matthew Padbury, has now successfully completed his year on this award and has been asked to stay on at Great Dixter for up to twelve months and then he plans to travel to Japan to work on the Millennium Forest project there. He was an excellent student and this award has given him the knowledge and skills to forge a very successful horticulture career.

The Ashwood Charitable Trust also raises money to help local charities through their annual Charity of the year project. Funds raised through the Saturday of John's Garden from February until early December were donated to this charity. A new charity is selected each year by the trustees from all the applications received during the year.

For 2023, the charity selected was Action Heart, based in Russell's Hall Hospital in Dudley, This charity offers programmes to rehabilitate patient's who have suffered a heart attack or stroke and aims to restore them to an active life style and enable them to return to work. They offer facilities and programmes that are not available through the NHS and which usually last twelve months. A total of £23,365.50 was raised for Action Heart during the year.

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Ashwood Charitable Trust

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

FUTURE PLANS

In February 2024, a new student has begun her time on the Adam Greathead Award, it is hoped to offer a further student a place in September. This is caused by the decision to move application deadline from 31st October to 21st August each year to match the academic year. The trustees feel this will encourage more applications as only nine were received this year compared with seventeen the previous year. Looking into the future, a new student should start each September but if funds can be secured, we would like to have two students annually. With this in mind, other sources of income will be researched.

The Income from garden openings in 2024 will be split on a 50/50 basis so that both a local charity and the Adam Greathead Award will receive equal funding. The charity for 2024 has been selected and is Newlife, a charity for disabled children based on Cannock in Staffordshire. They provide equipment and advice which is not supplied through the NHS.

Full details of John's Garden, the Charity of the Year and the Adam Greathead award can be found on the Ashwood Nurseries website - www.ashwoodnurseries.com

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document

The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and is governed by the CIO Foundation Constitution

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The initial trustees comprised four individuals who had knowledge of horticulture or other expertise beneficial to the trust. The initial trustees were appointed for terms between 2 and 5 year.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number

1190656

Principal address

Ashwood Lower Lane Ashwood Kingswinford West Midlands DY6 OAE

Trustees

P D Baulk N A Westwood Ms K P Gilbert C J Cartwright

C J Cartwright was reappointed as a trustee on 28 July 2023 and Ms K P Gilbert was reappointed as a trustee on 19 July 2024.

Page 3

Ashwood Charitable Trust

Report of the Trustees

for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Independent Examiner H Crumpton MAAT Neil Westwood & Co. Chartered Accountants 101 Dixons Green Road Dudley West Midlands DY2 7DJ

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 7th October 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

P D Baulk - Trustee

Page 4

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Ashwood Charitable Trust

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Ashwood Charitable Trust

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Ashwood Charitable Trust (the Trust) for the year ended 31st January 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the Act; or

2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

H Crumpton MAAT

Neil Westwood & Co. 101 Dixons Green Road Dudley West Midlands DY2 7DJ

7th October 2024

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Ashwood Charitable Trust

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

2024 Unrestricted fund Notes £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 35,163 EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities Donations to charities 35,597 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (434) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward - TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD (434)	2023 Total funds £ 26,895
	26,895
	- -
	-

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 6

Ashwood Charitable Trust

Balance Sheet 31st January 2024

		2024	2023
		Unrestricted	Total
		fund	funds
	Notes	£	£
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year	4	(434)		-
NET CURRENT
ASSETS/(LIABILITIES)		(434)		-
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES		(434)		-
NET ASSETS		(434)		-
FUNDS	5
Unrestricted funds		(434)		-
TOTAL FUNDS		(434)		-

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 7th October 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:

N A Westwood - Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 7

Ashwood Charitable Trust Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the year end date are noted as a commitment but not accrued as expenditure.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

continued...

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Ashwood Charitable Trust Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

2. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31st January 2024 nor for the year ended 31st January 2023.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31st January 2024 nor for the year ended 31st January 2023.

3. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL	ACTIVITIES
	Unrestricted
	fund
	£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies	26,895
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitable activities
Donations to charities	26,895
NET INCOME	-
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED
FORWARD	-

continued...

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Ashwood Charitable Trust

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31st January 2024

4. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

					2024	2023
					£	£
	Other creditors				434	-
5.	MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
					Net
					movement	At
		At 1.2.23			in funds	31.1.24
			£		£	£
	Unrestricted funds
	General fund			-	(434)	(434)
	TOTAL FUNDS			-	(434)	(434)
	Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
		Incoming			Resources	Movement
		resources			expended	in funds
			£		£	£
	Unrestricted funds
	General fund	35,163			(35,597)	(434)
	TOTAL FUNDS	35,163			(35,597)	(434)

6. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31st January 2024.

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