## **FUTURE GARDENERS TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT** The Trustees of Future Gardeners (FG) have pleasure in presenting their first Report and Accounts covering the eighteen month period 5[th] October 2020 to 5[th] April 2022. ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** ## **Registered Charity number** 1191623 ## **Registered office** Ingrams Ingrams Green Midhurst GU29 0LJ ## **Trustees** Rex Thornborough (Chair) Dr Heather Barrett-Mold OBE Stephen Bernhard Richard Capewell Helen Firminger (joined April 2021) Helen Potts Michael Fitt OBE Paul Rochford The Master of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners 5 October 2020 – July 2021 De Heather Barrett-Mold OBE July 2021 – 5 April 2022 P E Waine Esq ## **Bankers** The Cooperative Bank Account number 67252406 Sort Code 08-92-99 ## **Overview** FG was set up as a charity to support and fund the Future Gardeners Project, currently run in partnership with the Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST - reg Charity no 1085454) and the Royal Parks Guild. FG will provide dedicated fundraising and strategy development to focus the efforts previously provided through The Worshipful Company of Gardeners, (WCoG), a City of London Livery Company. WCoG remains a fundraising partner. Due to the interruption of the pandemic, the transition of operations from the WCoG to the new charity was delayed. Whilst the charity was unable to set up its own bank account and fundraising function, this was delivered through WCoG and the Future Gardeners Project continued in operation through support from WCoG and in particular its hard working members who currently form the core of the new charity's trustees. Details can be found in the Future Gardeners Yearly reports available at www.bost.org.uk and www.gardenerscompany.org.uk. ## **Objectives** The charity objective is the advancement for the public benefit of education and training in horticulture by making available, either directly or through others, education and training to enhance capabilities, competences, skills and understanding in horticulture. ## **Structure Governance and Management** The charity is a CIO. Its governing document was agreed with the CC on 5[th] October 2020 based on the standard template. Members of the Operational Management Group, who began the initiative, agreed to form the new Board of Trustees following the establishment of FG as a registered charity. Additional trustees were appointed from The Royal Parks Guild and Gardeners Company. Now, and in line with CC governance, additional trustees are appointed following a rigorous selection process and approval by the existing Board of Trustees. Other trustees are being sought to supplement talents and broaden the available skillsets. The trustees are represented by four of their number on the Operational Management Group, which advises and steers the project’s day-to day operation and helps to make links towards provision of meaningful work experience. Operational delivery in Bankside is the legal responsibility of BOST. Certificates are awarded through the partnership with WCoG and City and Guilds and the Master of WCoG and other members are invited to attend and speak at the certificate award ceremonies. The charity itself has no staff. All those involved do so in a purely voluntary capacity. ## **Public benefit** The trustees have complied with the duty in Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission. All activities described in this report have been undertaken for public benefit and in pursuit of the charity’s objectives. ## **Activities,** The Future Gardeners programme is a pre-apprenticeship and pre-work horticultural training programme for those who have been long term unemployed or faced challenges in their lives and who would benefit from gaining confidence and skills and the opportunity of training and employment. The current role of FG the charity is to raise funds for the provision of schemes, in partnership with BOST and WCoG, or in the future other appropriate delivery partners, to promote, establish and develop the model of provision, and to support in such ways as are timely and appropriate the delivery of training though, for example, facilitating visits, speakers, work experience and other activities to enhance the learning experience of trainees. ## **Achievements.** The establishment of the charity was delayed by the pandemic, whilst the work of the Scheme in helping students through training at BOST continued when allowed by the pandemic restrictions in place at the time, with funding provided on a 50/50basis by WCoG and BOST. The success of the scheme has been that since inception, some 80% of those completing the courses have gained employment in the Horticultural sector where there is generally a shortage of labour. Specific achievements of the new charity itself include, - Trustees Strategy Day at which a future vision was proposed, along with immediate organisational priorities around communications, governance, and finance, in order to fully function and deliver the maximum benefit for its beneficiaries. - The setting up of the necessary bank accounts in the name of the charity, and other administration necessary for the future conduct of charity business - Involvement of the Chair of trustees and three other trustees as regular members of the Operational Management Group, which continued to steer and advise the scheme at BOST during a period of particular difficulty due to the pandemic - Close involvement with the WCoG, its associated Charity Board, and its members which enabled the continuation of funding of the scheme run at BOST. Participation in specific fundraising events. - Attracting the involvement of other charities and sources in the funding of this excellent project. ## **Risks** The trustees consider the greatest risk to the charity lies in the possible failure to attract donations, a risk that is mitigated by active contact with donors, the continuing support of the WCoG, and the principle that a course will not be started with a delivery partner unless funds have been identified. It should be noted that the majority of operational risks, including the employment of staff, are born by the delivery partner, BOST. ## **Financial review.** For most of the period the charity existed in ’shadow’ form and there were few transactions given the problems of dealing with the Bank running the legacy account inherited from WCoG and the time spent and difficulties involved in setting up a replacement account. Our accounts show income and expenditure over the relevant period. It is anticipated that in the next accounting period the charity will show income and expenditure in the order of £50.000.00. ## **Reserves** It is the intention of the charity to build up reserves of the equivalent of six months of normal funding commitments. R M Thornborough Chair of Trustees 25/01/2023 ## **Future Gardeners - Charity Num Receipts and p 05 October 2020 - 05 April 2022** Bank Opening Balance 5/10/2020 from Gardeners' Company Charity. ## Donations Received |Donations Received|| |---|---| |Shm Productions re Henrietta Moore|£ 1,000.00| |Charles Rutherfoorde|£ 290.00| |James Seymour|£ 75.00| |deposit ref 100025|£ 10,000.00| |Bartlett Trees|£ 2,500.00| |S Quinton-Smith|£ 290.00| |Cedriane de Boucard|£ 200.00| |Cook & Butler M Visockiene|£ 290.00| |R Nevill|£ 75.00| |P Gooding|£ 75.00| |William Somers|£ 500.00| |F Leslie|£ 100.00| |C F S Hall|£ 50.00| |H Pearson|£ 500.00| |P M Hornsby|£ 75.00| |Mrs C Sheckter|£ 290.00| |Miss D M Robertshaw|£ 50.00| |Doreen Mitchell|£ 75.00| |HMRC Charities|£ 3,281.25| |Horlock Ed Tst|£ 10,000.00| |Payments Made|| |BOST (Bankside Open Spaces Trust)|-£ 62,212.37| Closing Bank Balance 5/4/2022 ## **mber 1191623 payments accounts** £ 53,164.55 £ 29,716.25 -£ 62,212.37 £ 20,668.43 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report J.kn , Report to the trusteesl members of Future Gardeners On accounts for the year ended 051041222 Charity no lif any} 1191623 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trusl") for the year ended Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the account5 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 all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)Ib) of the Art. Independent I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act., or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records", or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and conlent of accounts set out in the Charitiès {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 concems and have come across no olher 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. Signed: Date: 30.01 2023 Name: Relevant professional qualification{s} or body {if any): rc.CA Address: NJ cOT*lI P.L.D 2cJ VtL-ttrtDi CIG SS e ¢r IER Oct 2018 Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern {see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Glve here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018 Future Gardeners - Charity Number 1191623 Receipts and payments accounts 05 October 2020 - 05 April 2022 Bank Openlng Balance 511012020 from Gardeners, Company Charity. 53.164.55 L)onètions Received Shm Productlons re Henrietta Moore Charle5 Rutherfoorde lamesseymour depDSit rEf IOfy)25 BartlettTrees S QuintorFSmith Cedriane de 8oucard Cuok & Butler M Visockiene R Nevlll £ i,t)00.00 290.IMJ 75.00 E 10.000.00 E 2,500. 290.IX) 200.00 290.00 75. FJ. P 6oodin8 William Sorner5 F Le51ie 75.00 soo.00 loo.00 S0.(X> H Pear50n 500.00 75.(M) O.(N) 50.(M) P M Hornsby Mrsc Sheckter Mlss D M Robertshaw Doreen Mitchell HMRC Charities Hedock Ed Tst 75.(M) £ 3,281.25 £ io,(x)o.(x) 29,716.25 Pa ments Made B05TIBankyde Open 5pace5 Trust) -£ 61212.87 62,212.37 Closlng eank Balance 51412022 20.668.43