2024-12-31-accounts

Speen Allotment Associa/on CIO Charity Number 1191276 Trustees Annual Report 2024

Speen Allotment Associa/on (SAA) became a CIO on 14 September 2020. This is the charity’s annual report covering the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.

Objec/ves

To further or benefit the residents of the parish of Speen, Newbury, Berkshire and the surrounding area, without dis/nc/on of gender, sexual orienta/on, race or of poli/cal, religious or other opinions, by providing allotment facili/es in the interests of social welfare for recrea/onal leisure /me occupa/on with the objec/ve of improving their healthy lifestyle choices, including physical and mental well-being.

Public beneft

The Trustees are made aware of the Cons/tu/on and the three Charity Commission guideline documents on public benefit PB1, PB2 and PB3.

Trustees

John Headland – Chair Nicola (Nicky) Jenkins – Secretary Colin Mansell – Treasurer Mar/n Wiltshire Lynne Roberts Jonathan Fitch

Governance

The CIO cons/tu/on is that of an associa/on with vo/ng members other than the Trustees. The Board of Trustees is elected by the members and comprises the CIO’s management team. The Cons/tu/on provides for up to nine (9) Trustees. We have three vacancies.

Each Trustee is made aware of the contents of the charity’s cons/tu/on and their terms of office, holding their posts for at least two years before re/ring and offering themselves for re-elec/on.

SAACIO Trustees meet formally on a quarterly basis at minuted mee/ngs. Individually, Trustees are involved informally in dealing with day-to-day issues on site that arise that affect members.

Background

SAA has a 70-year lease on the land at Sta/on Road, Speen, Newbury.

The land bordering the allotments on its southern and western sides is now owned by David Wilson Homes (DWH) who are currently pursuing various planning applica/ons with West

Berkshire Council (WBC) to deliver a major housing development that will have implica/ons for the allotments and its members.

Throughout 2024 the Trustees monitored planning applica/ons submi_ed by DWH and made representa/ons where appropriate to DWH, Speen Parish Council and WBC. At the /me of wri/ng this report the Trustees are aware that all planning applica/ons have been granted and designated outline planning consent. The building works are now in full flow. The Trustees are monitoring how DWH is complying with relevant planning condi/ons par/cularly those that have both direct and indirect implica/ons for the allotments/ members.

The Trustees recognise that some planning and development issues require further clarifica/on, namely:

• the, as yet undeveloped, emergency access road (EVAR) adjoining our southern border;

• the state of the trees overhanging the EVAR and our site;

• designa/on of the strip of land adjacent to out western border;

• Sta/on Road access to our main gate;

• security and the placement of bollards on the EVAR;

• the impact building work will have in terms of building dust etc ingress;

• poten/al changes to the flow of water into our site, and;

• the possibility of bus stop development on Sta/on Road which will, in effect, remove members’ ability to park alongside our site.

Trustees a_ended mee/ngs of the Speen Parish Council’s Planning Commi_ee, WBC and made representa/ons on behalf of the SAA members regarding the adverse impact the proposed parking would have.

During the prolonged dry spells in 2024 the Trustees had to use the mains water supply by introducing quan//es of water into the exis/ng water infrastructure. This proved to be an extremely onerous task. As a result, the Trustees sought advice from local contractors to iden/fy a method of integra/ng the mains water supply into the exis/ng infrastructure without losing water to the river whilst minimising the cost to members. A project outline was developed but unfortunately it proved difficult to obtain quotes from contractors in /me to commence the planned work ahead of the 2024 ‘growing season’.

I’m pleased to report the project was successfully completed in 2024 and we have now completed the ini/al phase of water supply improvement by adding a mains water feed into the main header tank to ensure tanks are full in periods of drought. In addi/on new water storage tanks have been installed across the site to maximise the impact of access to water.

Ac/vi/es and achievements

The past year has seen us make strides forward on several fronts and, despite the weather doing its best to challenge us, it was a good year overall for SAACIO trustees and members, as par/ally evidenced by the annual plot judging, with some excellent ‘allotmenteering’ across the site. Indeed:

• Our membership remained stable with all pilots fully allocated and a healthy wai/ng list in place. This ensured good con/nuity, not to men/on the delight of new members of all ages joining our associa/on;

• Our annual events proved popular once again with welcome contribu/ons from members for the Speen Fete, BBQ, food bank and working par/es;

• Our major spend was our water project in 2024, which as a result gave rise to a deficit of around £60 for the repor/ng period. Detail is included as part of the Trustees’ a_ached accoun/ng reports;

• Plot fees and shed rental costs remained stable covering the repor/ng period;

• We extended the raffle /cket alloca/on to 1,000 /ckets in 2024 and approximately £650 was made, before costs, as a result of our efforts. This fund-raising vehicle remained an invaluable income stream;

• We presented prize winners cups for best plot, runner up and best newcomer at our summer BBQ alongside the raffle /cket draw. The weather complied and a great /me was had by all! Thanks to all who made it happen as well as the generous raffle dona/ons from neighbouring businesses and individuals;

• Trustees met on a number of occasions and were able to discuss strategies for maintaining the site, with one eye con/nuously on the housing development. To achieve these objec/ves the Trustees again successfully applied to Greenham Trust’s Tree Project;

• Members con/nued to harvest as much water as possible and most members with sheds have now fi_ed gu_ering. Storing harvested water remained a priority, as it will in the future;

• We con/nued to maintain posi/ve rela/ons with Speen Parish Council and other local Councillors. In future we will apply for grant aid to assist with any agreed improvements.

• Throughout the summer the Trustees encouraged Members to donate their surplus produce to the West Berkshire Food Bank. Deliveries were made to the food bank each Monday.

• The Secretary has managed the wai/ng list very effec/vely this year by, yet again, generously giving her /me in order to meet prospec/ve members on site whenever appropriate. It is pleasing to see that some members are encouraging their friends to help, thereby promo/ng our core objec/ve.

Brief Financial Notes

The SAA’s primary sources of income con/nue to be allotment rents and Membership fees. Alterna/ve, on-line methods of payment, introduced directly as a result of Covid, have con/nued and it is pleasing that Members have accepted these arrangements wholeheartedly.

Annually, SAA provides access to a supply of compost/manure purchased at favourable. Inn 2024 a supplier delivered some 250 (80ltr) bags of compost and all were pleased with the quality.

The Trustees’ budget aimed to break-even, whilst trying to maintain rent levels that are no/ceably lower than the Town Council’s; the la_er includes water supplies.

Mains water was used when necessary in periods of drought. The Trustees arranged for the mains supply to feed into the exis/ng infrastructure and took regular meter readings for cost monitoring purposes. As yet no charges to members have been levied and the costs con/nue to be monitored.

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 /me 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 ini/a/ve has been well-received and is working well.

The CIO now has a reserves policy and provides members with a Statement of Assets and Liabili/es. 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 loss over the repor/ng period in line with previous years and expecta/ons.

John Headland

SAACIO

n Allotment Association CIO 1191276 Receipts and pa￿ents accounts CC16a For the period 0110112024 To 31112r2024 Section A Receipts and payments un￿strICted funds Restricted Endowment fvnds funds to the wrest to the nearest to the ngarnst Total funds Last yèar tothe neargst £ A1 Recei Membershi fees Ailolmenl rents Refvndable de Shed rents Fundraisin Manurelcom Donations Other NWB interest 175 175 1,081 275 80 1.168 1.901 22 156 1.009 200 80 697 28 sits 275 80 net ost 1.168 1.901 89 89 68 AR) 4,465 355 4.820 2.240 A2 Asset Investm8nt sales. {sgè tabl¥}. Total recelpts 355 A3Pa ments Insurance Rent Com ostlmanure Tree ro ect Fundraisin costs Site maintenance Water usa Water stsndin cha BBQ ui 355 103 2.280 103 2.280 103 224 224 1.460 87 56 120 151 86 118 45 72 180 239 83 87 56 120 es ment service ment urchase Admin Other miscellaneous nditure 189 189 118 Sub total A4 As$ot and Investment urchase$ seo tsble Sub totsl Net of recwpts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end

Section B Statement of assèts and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted fund5 to nearest £ 4.061 Restricted funds to nearest £ Endowment funds to nearest £ Catsgorfes Details B1 Cash fvnd$ General fund Water projec Tr￿ proie¢l Refundable deposits Shed rents 450 825 240 1,51S Total cash funds 4.061 [dyleV LldlcIll￿O *¢iiii I￿1V and payments accountls)) Unrestricted R8slrf¢ted funds fund$ lo nearest £ to nearest £ Endowment funds to nearest £ Details B2 Other monetsry assets Fund to which ass•t belon Cost loptionall Current value (optional) Details 83 Investmont assets Fund to which assot belon Resth"cted Cost loptionall 600 Current value {optional> Details Sheds B4 Assets retsined for the ¢harity's own use Fund to Amount due which liabilty {optional) rela Ythen due {optionall Detsils BS Liabilities Signed by one or tsvo tnjstees on behalf of all the trustees Date of roval Signature Print Name Colin Mansell 2810312025 John Headland 2810312025