## **FUTURE GARDENERS TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT** The Trustees of Future Gardeners (FG) have pleasure in presenting their Report and Accounts covering the year 5th April 2022 to 5[th] April 2023. ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** Registered Charity number 1191623 ## **Registered Office** PO Box 79415 London N7 1HD ## **Trustees** Rex Thornborough (Chair) Dr Heather Barrett-Mold OBE Stephen Bernhard Helen Firminger (joined April 2021) Helen Potts Michael Fitt OBE Paul Rochford Rachel Frankel Andrew Gardner The Master of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners April – July 2022 - P E Waine Esq July 2022 – April 2023 J Gilbert 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 Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST - reg Charity no 1085454) and the Royal Parks Guild (RPG). 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. 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 and formed on 5th October 2020 based on the standard template. The Board of Trustees has been altered over the year, 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 provides links for the 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 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 maitenance 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 - 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.** The 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 remains the intention of the charity to build up over time reserves of the equivalent of six months of normal funding commitments. ## **R M Thornborough Chair of Trustees** ## **Receipts and paym** Bank Opening Balance 05/04/2022 |**Donations Received**|| |---|---| |G Craufurd|£ 355.00| |Potts - MatchFunds|£ 1,000.00| |CHARITIES TRUST|£ 15,000.00| |THORNBOR RM|£ 1,032.00| |ROCHFORD JOS GDN|£ 5,000.00| |ROYAL PARKS GUILD|£ 3,000.00| |CAF2301241807CF|£ 225.00| |CAF2301303881CF|£ 100.00| |CAF2302032037CF|£ 9,800.00| |000000 CREDIT|£ 570.25| |DUGDALE-BRADLE J &|£ 750.00| |CAF2303091874CF|£ 100.00| |PAYPAL CODE 6108|£ 0.01| |**Payments Made**|| |Cheque BOST|-£ 20,668.43| |Cheque 200001|-£ 25,000.00| |Cheque 200002|-£ 9,525.72| Closing Bank Balance 05/04/2023 ## **ments accounts** £ 20,668.43 Charities Aid Foundation " " Donations Funeral Keith Way Charities Aid Foundation £ 36,932.26 BOST BOST - -£ 55,194.15 - £ 2,406.54 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Chariiy Naine Future Gardeners On accounts for the year ended 0510412023 Charity no (if any) 1191623 Set out on pages Iremember lo Indude the page numbers ol additio￿￿1 sheets) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {llhe Trust") for the year ended i) l ivlibi i Y i ?"" Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 1"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. I have completed my exarnination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below") in conneclion with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with sedion 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in orderto enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: 13.02.2024 Name: Karen Gatward Relevant professional qualification{sl or body (if any): FCCA Address: 49 Northfield Road Waltham Cross EN8 7RF IER October 2018 Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (seé CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). GIV8 here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018 Receipts and payments accounts Bank Opening Balance 0510412022 20,668.43 Donations Received G Craufurd Potts - MatchFund5 CHARITIES TRUST THORNBOR RM ROCHFORDJOS GDN ROYAL PARKS GUILD Charities Aid Foundation Charities Aid Foundation Charities Aid Foundation Donations Funeral Keith Way DUGDALE-BRADLE I & Charltles Aid Foundation PAYPAL CODE 6108 355.00 £ 1,000.00 £ 15,000.00 £ 1,032.00 £ 5,000.00 £ 3,000.00 225.00 loo.00 £ 9,800.00 570.25 750.00 loo.00 o.oi 36,932.26 ments Made Cheque BOST Cheqije BOST Cheque BOST -£ 20.668.43 -£ 25.000.00 -£ 9,525.72 55,194.15 Closing Bank Balance 0510412023 2,406.54