Speen Allotment Association CIO
Charity Number 1191276
Speen Allotment Association (SAA) became a CIO on 14 September 2020. This report covers the period from that date to 31 December 2021 as the SAA’s reporting year is to 31 December.
Objectives and activities
To further or benefit the residents of the parish of Speen, Newbury, Berkshire and the surrounding area, without distinction of gender, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious, or other opinions by providing allotment facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreational leisure time occupation with the objective of improving their conditions of life.
Public benefit
The Trustees are made aware of the Constitution and the three Charity Commission guideline documents on public benefit PB1, PB2 and PB3.
Trustees
Alan Foley – Chair Nichola (Nicky) Jenkins – Secretary Colin Mansell – Treasurer Martin Wiltshire Lynne Roberts John Headland Jonathan Fitch
Governance
Since the SAA CIO was formed two of the original founding Trustees have resigned and were replaced at the CIO’s AGM held in September 2021.
The CIO constitution is that of an association with voting members other than the trustees. The Board of Trustees is elected by the members and comprise the CIO’s management team.
Each Trustee is made aware of the contents of the charity’s constitution and their terms of office, holding their posts for at least two years before retiring and offering themselves for re-election.
Background
Prior to becoming a CIO, the SAA was an unincorporated association of members with a group of volunteer members comprising a Management Committee. The SAA has been on the same site for over 100 years and has rented the site from Sir Richard Sutton Limited (SRSL), the landlord. There are approximately 50 allotments within the site curtilage.
The change of status to a CIO was made necessary by a decision of the SRSL to include the allotment site in a package of land to become a housing development. The land is within
both a local area of outstanding natural interest and conservation area. It is also within the site of the second Battle of Newbury (October 1644).
After protracted lobbying and with support from the Speen Parish Council and residents, SRSL withdrew the allotment site from the housing development package. A new 70-year lease was negotiated and SAA’s legal adviser agreed that becoming a CIO was imperative. The CIO was registered with the Charity Commission with effect from 14 September 2020.
As a consequence of the new lease, eight allotments were given up to SRSL to become part of the housing development and a new area of land bordering the original site was made available to the SAA as compensation and to provide new replacement allotments.
The SAA was notified by SRSL that it sold the land package to David Wilson Homes in December 2021.
The allotments benefit from a small natural supply of water that runs through the site to the river Lambourn. This supply tends to dry up during prolonged hot weather such as we have encountered in recent years. Due to the uncertainty about the possible adverse effects the housing development might have on the natural water supply SRSL agreed during the lease negotiations to install a mains water supply at no cost to the SAA. SRSL also made a financial contribution to the SAA to cover the ongoing costs associated with the new water supply and to compensate the SAA for fruit trees that had to be removed from the allotment plots given up.
SRSL also provided new sheds to replace those that had been situated on the surrendered plots.
The Trustees continue to monitor the housing development progress in terms of compliance with the associated planning consent which contains references to the allotments.
Activities and achievements
Notwithstanding the impact of Covid and the intrusive works undertaken by SRSL to install protective metal fencing along the southern and western borders of the site and the mains water supply, the Trustees have tried to operate on a ‘Service as usual’ basis throughout the period of this report.
Seven new allotments were measured, marked and made available to members, and all but two were taken up. One member who is an apiarist moved his beehives onto one of the new plots.
Two of the new sheds are for members’ use. One houses equipment and smaller hand tools whilst the other, the First Aid kit and other paraphernalia for general use.
The terms of the lease prevent us from selling produce on-site and Covid restrictions prevented us from running our annual BBQ for members and invited guests. We were able to participate in the local annual Speen Fete where we had a stall with produce donated by our members. Money from the stall and the sale of raffle tickets provided us with a small amount of additional income.
The Trustees met on a number of occasions taking account of social distancing rules and were able to discuss strategies for replacing the removed trees and for introducing plans to create areas for new hedging, trees and wildflowers to encourage biodiversity.
The Trustees took time to review its Rules & Regulations document to get away from prescriptive measures to ones that are perceived as Guidance and which include roles and responsibilities of Trustees and members. Members are encouraged to harvest as much water as possible and those members with sheds have been busy fitting guttering.
The contribution from SRSL for the water and tree-replacement projects has provided more work for the Trustees in terms of drawing up a reserves policy and procedures for monitoring expenditure under both headings.
Throughout the reporting period membership has been consistent. The Secretary has managed the Waiting List exceptionally well and been able to meet prospective members on site, respecting Covid’s social distancing rules. It is pleasing to see that some members are encouraging their friends to help, thereby promoting our core objective.
Financial Review
The change of legal status to a CIO meant a change of bank accounts and this was accomplished with a few difficulties caused mainly by the limitations arising from the Covid lockdowns. Also, due to the nature of the lease SRSL requires the charity to have a more wide-ranging insurance policy. This has been achieved but has added to the charity’s costs.
The SAA’s primary source of income is allotment rents and traditionally this is paid in cash at the AGM held in March. As the AGM was not possible members were asked to pay electronically and the exercise proved successful, after one or two glitches. Six members are not connected to the internet and so other members, as friends, offered to pay other’s using their own online facilities for which we were grateful. Additionally, some of the new sheds are rented by members who each pay a small annual rent. The rent is placed on reserve for shed maintenance or repairs.
Annually, SAA provides access to a supply of farmyard manure but in 2020 the supply came after the CIO was set up so two years data are included in the latest Receipts and Payments account.
The Trustees budget to make a small annual surplus whilst trying to maintain rent levels that are noticeably lower than the Town Council’s; the latter includes water supplies. SAA’s use of mains water is going to be on an ‘as & when necessary’ basis, with a recharging policy that will be fine-tuned as and when the facility needs to be used. This will ensure that water costs are kept to a minimum.
The Treasurer prepares an annual budget ahead of the AGM and this is used by the Trustees to determine whether or not any increase will be necessary. Rent levels are voted on by members at the time of an AGM and increases take effect from the following year.
Refundable deposits for new members were introduced when the CIO started to cover the costs involved in restoring to a reasonable standard any plots given up where no work had been undertaken. This initiative has been well-received and is working well.
The CIO now has a reserves policy and provides members with a Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Reserves are earmarked separately for Tree and Water projects, sheds, refundable deposits and a general fund.
The accounts show that the CIO made a small surplus over the reporting period in line with previous years and expectations.
| Charity Name Speen Allotment Association CIO |
Charity Name Speen Allotment Association CIO |
Charity Name Speen Allotment Association CIO |
No (if any) 1191276 |
No (if any) 1191276 |
No (if any) 1191276 |
CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
Period start date 14/09/2020 |
To | Period end date 31/12/2021 |
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| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 80 695 - - 363 458 20 - - 1,616 - - - 1,616 316 189 261 132 87 385 - - 106 1,476 - - - 1,476 140 - - 140 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - 225 80 - - - 1,931 2,236 - - - 2,236 - - - - - - 15 9 - 24 - - - 24 2,212 - - 2,212 |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 80 695 225 80 363 458 20 1,931 3,852 - - - 3,852 316 189 261 132 87 385 15 9 106 1,500 - - - 1,500 2,352 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
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| Membershipfees | 80 | 64 | |||||
| Allotment rents | 695 | 719 | |||||
| Refundable deposits | - | 75 | |||||
| Shed rents | - | - | |||||
| Fundraising | 363 | - | |||||
| Manure | 458 | - | |||||
| Donations | 20 | 8 | |||||
| NWB interest | - | 2 | |||||
| SRSL one-off contribution | - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
1,616 | 868 | |||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
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| - | |||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||||
| 868 | |||||||
Insurance |
316 | - | |||||
| Rent | 189 | - | |||||
| Site maintenance | 261 | - | |||||
| Administration | 132 | - | |||||
| Equipment service | 87 | - | |||||
| Manure | 385 | - | |||||
| Treeproject | - | - | |||||
| Waterproject | - | - | |||||
| Othemniscellaneous expenditure | 106 | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 1,476 | - | |||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
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| - | |||||||
| - | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | |||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
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| - | |||||||
| 140 | 2,212 | - | 2,352 | 868 | |||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||
| 140 | 2,212 | - | 2,352 | 868 |
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at | the end of the period | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) General fund Refundable deposits Shed rents Details Tree project Water project Details Details Sheds Signature |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 2,299 - 956 950 - 275 - 80 2,299 2,261 Agreement Error Agreement Error Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Restricted 600 - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Colin Mansell |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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| Colin Mansell | 28/03/2022 | ||