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2025-09-30-accounts

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1196372

FRUIT & NUT VILLAGE

Unaudited Annual Report and Financial Statements Year Ended

30 September 2025

CONTENTS

Page
Reference and administrative information 2
Report of the Trustees 3 to 9
Independent Examiner's Report 10
Statement of Financial Activities 11
Balance Sheet 12
Notes to the Financial Statements 13 to 17

1

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered office

130 Westfield Road Edgbaston Birmingham B15 3JQ

Current Trustees

E Hamnett (Chair) D Edmonds A Connock (Resigned 8 April 2026) M Grocutt (Appointed 5 November 2025) S Hansraj (Appointed 5 November 2025)

Registered Charity number and Constitution

  1. The Charity has been constituted as a Charitable Interest Organisation.

Independent Examiner

Andrew Hopkins BVSC Accountancy Services Latham House 33-34 Paradise Street Birmingham B1 2AJ

Bankers

Unity Trust Bank PO Box 7193 Planetary Road Willenhall WV1 9D

2

TRUSTEES REPORT YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

The trustees present their report and unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.

TRUSTEES

The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the unaudited financial statements were:

E Hamnett (Chair) D Edmonds A Connock (Resigned 8 April 2026) M Grocutt (Appointed 5 November 2025) S Hansraj (Appointed 5 November 2025)

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The Memorandum and Articles of Association govern the charity together with the policies made by the trustees.

Fruit & Nut Village is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission on 2 November 2021. Our constitution is a Foundation model where the Trustees are also the Members.

We have a registered constitution which states that we are governed by a structure of volunteer trustees (also known as Board members) Board members are legally responsible for the charity and meet a minimum of 4 times a year (including committee meetings).

Methods of appointment or election of Trustees

Trustees can be appointed by the Board of Trustees, subject to confirmation at the next Annual General Meeting or nominated and elected at an Annual General Meeting.

Organisational structure and decision-making policies

The Board of Trustees meets a number of times throughout the year to oversee the charity’s strategy, finance and legal obligations.

The Executive Board meets more frequently and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Charity including idea acquisition, projects, fundraising, website and social media, and networking and collaboration. The Executive Board reports to the Board of Trustees. Day-to-day management of the CIO is delegated to the staff members led by the Project Coordinator.

Risk management

A risk register has been established with regular reporting by the Executive Board to the Board of Trustees.

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TRUSTEES REPORT YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

Objectives of the CIO

Methods of engagement

As a CIO we have sought funding from a range of sources in order to deliver our objectives from a range of different Birmingham locations. Income levels have varied between different sources, with our largest income streams being Lottery Reaching Communities where our application was granted in November 2025 to help fund our core costs during our growth phase, Hall Green Neighbourhood Network Scheme to work across Balsall Heath with residents aged over 50 or 18-49 with a specific need, Selly Oak Neighbourhood Network Scheme to deliver work with over-55s and Severn Trent Water to work broadly across the community in Stirchley. Friends of The Earth supported us in our Balsall Heath work by funding a Postcode Gardener role in the neighbourhood. Significantly, we have received income for delivering propagation workshops in the community with Midlands Art Centre and Birmingham Hippodrome and we have delivered fruit tree care sessions to Community Environment Trust, Friends of Edgbaston Reservoir and Incredible Surplus. We seek to include all- comers to our activities, therefore, even when targeted at certain sectors of the community we will ideally allow other individuals to take part in the work we carry out. Working across three different, non-contiguous, neighbourhoods of Birmingham we expect that our volunteers will involve themselves in their local neighbourhood. We do, however, have a certain level of “cross pollination”, whereby volunteers attend work sessions in neighbourhoods where they do not live or work. We also, often, have people attending work sessions, community events and work days who are not from one of our focus neighbourhoods. We reach out to people in many ways, including through conversations with passers-by on-site during work sessions, through door-knocking campaigns, through our social media platforms, our neighbourhood WhatsApp groups and posters, we continue to target people as potential volunteers when we meet them casually and to request referrals from social care workers. Word-of-mouth plays a significant role for us in bringing new interest to the project. Our monthly Bulletin is at the core of our outreach and network creation and this serves to keep people interested, engaged and informed about our activities. We have a YouTube channel that has been added to over the years. There continues to be no expectation on a session attendee to carry out physical work. Attendees regularly choose to attend just to watch or to enjoy a hot drink and a biscuit with us.

Activities carried out

Fruit & Nut Village (FNV) has experienced a year of remarkable growth in activity, deepened community engagement and strengthened organisational maturity. What began in 2017 as a single model forest garden has now evolved into a citywide network of orchards, forest gardens and perennial food-growing spaces that bring people together, improve wellbeing and enhance biodiversity. The organisation’s founding vision — “our communities grow, and are surrounded by abundant, perennial food” — continues to guide every aspect of its work.

FNV is a charity that is not only planting trees, but also cultivating relationships, confidence, skills and long-term community resilience. With three fully established Fruit & Nut Villages in the Birmingham suburbs of Stirchley, Balsall Heath and Druids Heath and two more emerging in Billesley and Lozells, the organisation is now a significant contributor to Birmingham’s green and social infrastructure.

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TRUSTEES REPORT YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

1. Scale and Reach of the Year’s Work

The past year has been the busiest and most productive in FNV’s history. The organisation now supports:

  1. 80+ growing spaces across Birmingham

2. 10 forest gardens

  1. 953 trees under active care

4. 353 workshops and sessions per year

5. 3,471 session attendances , averaging 67 per week

These numbers reflect not only operational expansion but also the success of new staffing, improved systems and the strengthening of partnerships. The onboarding of new staff in December 2024, including the charity’s first Communications Officer, immediately improved internal processes such as monthly bulletin scheduling and timesheet recording. The positive impact of this new funding was felt immediately in terms of saved time and value of collected data.

The year was also marked by a significant increase in public visibility. FNV appeared on Radio West Midlands, ITV News, Unity Radio and in the BBC Good Food Magazine, where the organisation was profiled as a “Climate Hero”. Staff were invited to speak at national conferences, including the Growing Together Conference at the University of Sussex and the Health Creation Alliance’s annual conference in Manchester. These opportunities reflect FNV’s growing reputation as a leader in community-led perennial food growing.

2. Major Events and Community Celebrations

Seasonal, cultural and interfaith events remain central to FNV’s approach, helping to bring people together in joyful, inclusive ways.

Stirchley Wassail

The Stirchley Wassail was one of the year’s standout events, attracting over 200 people on the procession alone. Six partner stalls, Morris dancing, music, crafts and a lively band of Wassailers created a vibrant winter celebration. The event brought much joy to those creating it and to those taking part in it.

Balsall Heath Wassail

A smaller but musically, more rich event, featuring drummers and solo performers, helped strengthen local engagement in this diverse neighbourhood.

Tu B’Shvat – The Jewish Celebration of the Tree

More than 40 participants planted fruit trees in Calthorpe Park, accompanied by speakers from three faiths. The event exemplified FNV’s commitment to interfaith collaboration and community cohesion.

Interfaith Picnic

Held at the newly named Interfaith Orchard in Balsall Heath, this event brought together 55 people to share food, stories and music in a welcoming outdoor setting.

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TRUSTEES REPORT YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

Summer Solstice at Pebble Mill Forest Garden

Over 60 people attended an evening of poetry, storytelling, picnics and croquet, set within a beautifully well-kept forest garden.

Halloween and Seasonal Events

Stirchley’s Halloween Party drew 68 attendees, while Druids Heath hosted a Sewa Day, seed ball workshops and NHS Learning Disability taster sessions.

These events demonstrate FNV’s ability to blend horticulture with culture, creating spaces where people feel connected, valued and inspired.

3. Work Across the Villages

Stirchley: The Flagship Village

Stirchley remains at the heart of FNV’s work, with, over the year:

(36) 2,682 attendances

(37) 22 orchards and 5 forest gardens

Kingdom Forest Garden continues to be a beloved community hub, with Monday morning “Start the Week” sessions regularly attracting 10–20 participants. Volunteers describe the space as a place of connection, routine and emotional support. One volunteer said: “It is a place where you can lose yourself in nature for a while.”

Stirchley’s partnerships remain strong and diverse, including collaborations with Loaf bakery who provide free bread for outdoor work sessions, National Lottery who provide core funding, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, National Trust, Incredible Surplus and local artists. The year also saw the revival of “lost sites”, new volunteer recruitment, and support for individuals facing significant personal challenges, including cancer treatment, dementia, caregiving and unemployment.

Balsall Heath: A Diverse and Expanding Village

Balsall Heath is FNV’s most culturally diverse area of work. The FNV work here has produced:

The neighbourhood saw deep engagement with asylum seekers from Syria, Sudan and Ukraine, many of whom attended sessions for months at a time. Partnerships with Apna Ghar, Friends Of The Earth, ANAWIM, MECC Trust, Saheli Hub, Sparkhill Park Friends and local mosques and synagogues helped FNV reach broadly into local communities and to support interfaith and intercultural collaboration.

The creation of an Eco-Mosque forest garden and the development of the Interfaith Orchard were major achievements here. With National Trust support, including funding and inclusion in the Blossom Project map, FNV's profile has further strengthened in the neighbourhood.

Druids Heath: Growing Roots in a Deprived Area

Druids Heath continues to develop steadily, with, this year:

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TRUSTEES REPORT YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

The area has benefited from strong partnerships with Birmingham Open Spaces Forum, Spearhead Trust, NHS Learning Disability teams and Immanuel Church. Activities such as grafting workshops, seed ball making, corporate volunteering and homeschool sessions have helped broaden participation.

Accessibility improvements, including easy-read instructions, sensory activities and a pop-up toilet have made sessions more inclusive. There is a high level of emotional significance to these small gestures, such as the sharing dandelion cordial made from flowers picked on-site.

Emerging Villages and New Areas

FNV’s influence is spreading into Billesley, Lozells, Castle Vale, Edgbaston, Stechford and East Birmingham. Highlights of work in these areas this year include:

These activities lay the foundation for future Fruit & Nut Villages and demonstrate the scalability of the model.

4. Organisational Learning and Development

This year saw significant internal development, reflecting a charity that is maturing and preparing for long-term sustainability.

Key improvements include:

We strongly recognise the importance of listening, adapting and building relationships and we note that these practices have deepened our impact across our active Birmingham suburbs.

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TRUSTEES REPORT YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

5. Volunteers: Stories of Impact

The volunteer section is one of the most powerful aspects of our work. Volunteers regularly report to us:

One volunteer said: “The work is hard but also very rewarding… best of all you make really good friends and improve your mental state.”

A second said: “I have learned so much and feel part of something bigger.”

These stories show that FNV is as much a wellbeing organisation as it is a green-spaces, plants-based organisation.

6. Partnerships

FNV now works with over 60 partner organisations , including:

Partnerships have been essential to our model, informing and propelling Fruit & Nut Village’s work to creating a strong, green network.

7. Conclusions

FNV has experienced a year of growth, resilience-building and deepened community connection. The organisation has strengthened its systems, expanded its reach and supported volunteers through profound personal challenges. It has also contributed to national conversations on urban horticulture and community food growing. FNV is now a trusted, resilient and forward-looking organisation , ready to scale its model across Birmingham and beyond.

8

TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

FINANCIAL REVIEW

During the year the charity has sustained its income with grants and donations giving the charity an income of £94,653. Expenditure has been spread over the charity’s direct spending on projects and support costs. All of these activities were accommodated within an expenditure of £87,279.

RESERVE POLICY

The charity's approach to reserves is grounded in an analysis of its income sources, including their respective risk profiles, alongside planned initiatives and fixed financial obligations within the broader operational risk landscape. Trustee meetings and the Annual General Meeting serve as the formal venues for debating and documenting any adjustments or designations regarding these reserves.

The current strategy aims to maintain a reserve balance covering roughly six months of operating costs taking into account inflationary pressures. To ensure continued relevance, the trustees intend to evaluate this policy against the charity's upcoming strategic objectives.

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES

Law applicable to Charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees follow best practice and:

that the charity will continue in business.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD :

E Hamnett(Chair)

30 June 2026

9

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF FRUIT & NUT VILLAGE

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Fruit & Nut Village for the year ending 30 September 2025, which are set out on pages 11 to 17.

This report is made solely to the Charity’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. My independent examination work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Charity’s Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an Independent Examiner’s Report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the Charity’s Trustees as a body, for my independent examination work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.

Respective Responsibilities of the Trustees and Examiner

The Charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and the seeking of explanations from you as Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently, no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Andrew Hopkins BVSC Accountancy Services Latham House 33-34 Paradise Street Birmingham B1 2AJ

30 June 2026

10

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

Note
Income from;
Charitable activities
Grants and Donations
3
Total income
Charitable activities
Charitable expenditure
4
Total charitable
expenditure
Net income for the year/Net
movement in funds
Opening fund balance
Closing fund balances		 Unrestricted
funds
2025
£
26,184
26,184
______
30,622
30,622
(4,438)
38,926
34,488		 Restricted
funds
2025
£
68,469
68,469
_____
56,657
56,657
11,812
-
11,812		 Total
Total
2025
2024
£
£
94,653
93,777
94,653
___
93,777
_
87,279
72,787
87,279
72,787
7,374
20,990
38,926
17,936
46,300
38,926

11

BALANCE SHEET

AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

Notes
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
8
Cash at bank and in hand
CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN
ONE YEAR
9
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES
FUNDS
Unrestricted funds
Restricted
TOTAL FUNDS
10		 2025
£
905
49,761
50,666
(4,366)
46,300
46,300
34,488
11,812

46,300
 2024
£
-
39,646
39,646
(720)
38,926

38,926

38,926
-
__
38,926
____

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 30 June 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

E Hamnett (Chair)

12

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

1.

2.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included on the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Goods donated are recognised when the sale of these items occurs.

Resources expended

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND JUDGEMENTS

In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the year in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that year, or in the year of the revision and future years where the revision affects both current and future years

13

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

3. DONATIONS AND GRANTS

Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
2025
2025
£
£
Reaching Communities
National lottery
-
-
68,469
-
Donations
7,004
-
National Trust
3,000
-
Veolia
1,700
-
Greensquare Accord
-
-
Conservation Education
-
-
Severn Trent Water
2,633
-
Birmingham City Council
7,847
-
Friends of the Earth Trust
4,000
-
26,184
68,469
4.
EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES ANALYSIS
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
2025
2025
£
£
Staff costs (Note 7)
14,667
45,654
Orchard and gardens
General office costs
13,224
1,896
10,523
-
Insurance
764
-
Bank charges
71
-
Examination fee
-
480
30,622
56,657		 Total
2025
£
68,469
-
7,004
3,000
1,700
-
-
2,633
7,847
4,000
94,653
Total
2025
£
60,321
23,747
1,896
764
71
480
87,279		 Total
2024
£
-
19,763
14,280
-
-
14,824
-
23,695
7,015
14,200
_

93,777
_
Total
2024
£
24,000
38,332
8,899
764
72
720
_
72,787
_

14

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

5. EXPENDITURE ANALYSIS ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

Direct
cost
s
£
Expenditure on
charitable activities
60,302
Support costs
Wages and salaries
(Note 7)
General office
Accounting and
other professional
fees
Bank charges
Insurance
Governance costs
Independent examination		 Support
costs
£
26,497
23,766
1,896
71
764
26,497
-
__		 Governance
costs
£
480
-
-
-
-
-
-
480
____		 2025
Total
£
2024
Total
£
87,279
72,787
23,766
12,000
1,896
8,899
71
72
764
764
26,497
21,735
480
__
720
_

15

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

6. TRUSTEES

Remuneration and benefits

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year. Mr A Connock incurred expenses on behalf of the charity amounting to £211(2024 £345) which were reimbursed to him in the year.

The other trustees (or any persons connected with them) received £Nil (2024 £16) in expenses from the charity during the year. These relate principally to the reimbursement of costs for attendance at Board meetings and expenses incurred on behalf of the charity.

7. EMPLOYEES

2025 2024
£ £
Wages and salaries 58,955 24,000
Social security costs _ -
Pension 1,366 -
______ _
60,321 24,000
______ _
Employee costs are allocated as follows:
Unrestricted Funds 14,667 24,000
Restricted Funds 45,654 _
______ ______
60,321 24,000
______ ______

The average number of employees during the year was 3 (2024 1). No employee received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

There is a volume of willing volunteers who help the charity in its activities. It is not possible to estimate their total numbers.

16

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

8. DEBTORS
2025 2024
£ £
Trade debtors 905 -
______ _
905 -
______ _
9. CREDITORS AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
2025 2024
£ £
Trade creditors 796 -
Pension 2,370 -
Accruals 1,200 720
_ __
4,366 720
_ __
10. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
2025 2025 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Current Assets 35,208 15,458 50,666 39,646
Creditors amounts due (720) (3,646) (4,366) (720)
within one year ______
34,488 11,812 46,300 38,926
Net Assets ______

11. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

To mitigate rising marketplace costs driven by high transportation expenses, the charity sourced perennial plants from Let's Grow Together, a CIC owned by project coordinator Dr. R. Tilling. These supplies amounted to £877 in the current year (2024 £1,560).

17