Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1[st] September 2023 To 31[st] August 2024
Charity name: Archbishop’s Park Community Trust
Charity registration number: 1191222
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | Promote for the benefit of the public the conservation protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Archbishop’s Park. Advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in Archbishop’s Park Promote social inclusion for the public benefit by working with people in North Lambeth who are socially excluded on the grounds of unemployment; financial hardship; youth or old age; ill health (physical or mental); substance abuse or dependency including alcohol and drugs; homelessness, or discrimination. To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Archbishop’s Park. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
Key beneficiaries: local residents, NHS referrals, older school children from Platanos Academy and agency referrals Delivered 46 gardening club sessions supporting local residents and vulnerable adults Hosted 8 gardening sessions via Roots and Shoots Horticultural College supporting school children struggling with mainstream |
| education. Started improvements to the pond area by creating a variety of hibernaculum for amphibians The gardening club received 8 new volunteers, 12 students and 28 corporate volunteers and offered around 1,600 volunteer hours of effort Ran a further 11 well-being sessions for over 65s plus a summer party for 36 people with the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre promoting healthier living and social inclusion Delivered training events including fruit tree pruning and teaching participants how to support amphibians in our pond. Winner of Green Flag (16th) and third London in Bloom Gold Award Started preparatory work to commission a sculpture Made a variety preserves from home grown produce and honey from our apiary to raise funds |
||
|---|---|---|
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Yes |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference |
||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | Our volunteers, students and corporate volunteers provided over 1,600 hours of support |
Other
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference |
||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Archbishop’s Park. We ran 46 gardening club sessions and with volunteers including local residents, referrals from the NHS and Mind and 5 students via Roots and Shoots (an environmental college supporting barriers to learning), who attended Platanos Academy. General improvements have been made to a number of existing gardens such as the Woodland Walk where the main pathway has been re-mulched with improvements to the planting by adding new species. Following a joint grant application to Re-Wild London, our Trust has worked since March with the London Borough of Lambeth to improve the park’s bio-diversity by supporting the high and unusual number of amphibians, created a large bog garden and improved the three strips of natural planting which now have large bug hotels for wildlife. This work will be completed by March 25. The routine maintenance has taken the bulk of volunteer time and includes leaf collection, pruning, applying coats of wood protection to the numerous seats and structures. More herbs and wildflowers were planted to improve the biodiversity and physical appeal of the park and we continue to make our own compost. To advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in Archbishop’s Park The gardening club sessions welcomed 8 new volunteers, 5 new students and 28 corporate volunteers all of whom helped plant, prune and tidy. With support from Awards For All, Changing Lives and the City Bridge Trust, we continued the work of our gardening club whose participants provided a minimum of 1,600 volunteer hours and 1100 hours from the 2 sessional staff and 5 students attending work experience. |
We completed 8 weekly work experience sessions to 5 students from Platanos School who were struggling with mainstream education. The focus was on the following key skills: team working, using gardening tools, timekeeping and task completion. We also provided work experience for 4 students at DLD College nearby and hosted a weekend volunteering event for 25 of their students who helped plant bulbs and collect leaves. We welcomed a new volunteer apiarist who is part of our weekly garden club and he will be looking after the bees ahead of our new plans to upgrade the apiary/orchard areas We also ran another joint project with Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre offering 11 well-being sessions for over 65s. This was funded by Awards For All and each session supported 10 residents and included a walk around the park, followed by a health-related activity relating to nature included making paper flowers and scented hand cream. To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by working with people in North Lambeth who are socially excluded on the grounds of unemployment; financial hardship ; youth or old age; ill health (physical or mental); substance abuse or dependency including alcohol and drugs; homelessness, or discrimination. We continued to promote social inclusion by widely advertising via fliers, the park noticeboard, our website, NHS agencies within Lambeth and Southwark, Thames Reach (homeless) and word of mouth. In December the Gardening Club visited the Chelsea Physic Garden to see the gardens and handicraft fete. This year we won another London in Bloom (gold) and our 16th Green Flag marking community involvement in the public realm.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 |
|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | The main grant providers were Awards For All (Lottery), Lambeth Social Fund (Changing Lives) and City Bridge Trust. The Trust has stable finances to fund 2 p/t sessional staff and deliver a weekly gardening club plus related activities. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Monies are set on reserve to ensure 1 year of operating costs and items which are difficult to fund via grant applications |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | n/a |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | n/a |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | n/a |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | Awards For All, City Bridge Trust and the Lambeth Social Fund. |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | The organisation is facing a likely move within the next year as part of a 10 year development plan along Royal Street. We will move from our current location to another area within the park. It will involve the creation of a new space for its container (club house) plus a new area for tool storage, both of which will require planning permission and support from a number of external parties. We are currently discussing the lease. |
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Trust |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Appointed by existing trustees |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 |
|
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Archbishop’s Park Community Trust |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | |
| Registered charity number | 1191222 |
| Charity’s principal address | c/o Lambeth Landscapes Archbishop’s Park Carlisle Lane SE1 7LE |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helen Lees | (Chair) | |||
| Tim Hollins | ||||
| Matt Brownlee | ||||
| David Tootill | ||||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of Name Address adviser
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) Helen Barbara Lees Position (eg Secretary, Chair of Trustees Chair, etc)
Date 11.11.24
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Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ members of
Charity Name
On accounts for the year ended Charity no (if any)
Set out on pages
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
Responsibilities and basis of report
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended DD / MM / YYYY .
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 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 examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material 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. * Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed:
Date: Name:
Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):
1
October 2018
IER
Address:
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
2
October 2018
IER