2024-04-05-accounts - Trees For Bermondsey

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 06 April 2023 Period start date To 05 April 2024 Period end date

Charity name: Trees for Bermondsey

Charity registration number: 1196737

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	1.’To promote the conservation protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment for the public benefit, in particular by the planting of trees and other plants on streets and in publicly accessible spaces within the London borough of Southwark and in particular the wards around Bermondsey to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change and urban overheating, encourage biodiversity and improve air and water quality’. 2. ‘To advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment including by promoting tree planting as a means for the public to learn about wider environmental issues such as: sustainability, climate change, ecology and the mitigating need for trees’. 3. ‘For the public benefit to promote the physical enhancement and beautification of streets and publicly accessible spaces around Bermondsey and the wider borough of Southwark as the trustees shall

		determine, by the planting of trees and securing their guardianship’.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	Main activities and projects carried out during the reporting period included: 1. Transformation of Shuttleworth Park Having fund-raised over several years and being awarded a London Mayor’s Grow Back Greener award, we were delighted to finally start work on reviving the park, refurbishing the playground and creating a more welcoming and nature- friendly space for all. Working with Southwark Council’s tree officers, in early April 2023, the first trees were planted. Four beautiful Japanese “Snow Goose” cherry trees (Umineko) were planted at the edge of the playground and two large circular areas were depaved in the brick pathways where we added a pair of Amelanchier x Lamarckii, the delicately white-flowered “Juneberry” or “Snowy Mesphilus”. Landscape Designer, Anna Hwang Colligan, who was instrumental in the success of the Octopus Garden (see report 4.) planned the park and playground with Trees for Bermondsey. Starting with the run-down and broken playground, we commissioned Playfix, a firm specialising in restoring old playground equipment and surfacing. With the accumulated Cleaner, Greener, Safer funds raised by local residents over several years, we were able to not only refurbish and repair but improve

the playground with zinging colours and new surfaces. From being a sad and neglected space, barely played in by children, it has become a hugely popular playground. Parents have said that their children think they have a “brand new playground”. Two plant beds, “Vesica piscis”, were completely taken over by overgrown New Zealand Flax which offered no biodiversity value and little variation. It was decided as part of the plans, to remove all the plants, but before doing so we commissioned artist, Monica Heeran to use the leaves to make beautiful woven hurdles to protect the new planting. Monica also ran a free weaving workshop for adults and children on the Blue marketplace teaching traditional techniques used by the Maori people to create everything from roofs to boats. We were extremely grateful to Highways contractor FM Conway who stepped in to work pro-bono with us for the heavy and expensive work of removing large amounts of iron railings to open up the park’s picnic area and entrance. They also dug two rain gardens at the southern end of the park and laid stepping stones of salvaged York stone across the picnic area. They even fitted a set of refurbished bicycle racks at the entrance to the park, so visitors have a safe place to leave their cycles. Working with Bermondsey firm, Sterling Landscapes, and Bankside Open Spaces Trust’s Green Hub Co-ordinator, in Autumn 2023 we began an ambitious transformation of the planting in the park. Works included de-turfing the northeastern, eastern and western

edges of the park to create woodland edge meadows of wildflowers and bulbs and creating a mediterranean themed bed in the eastern “vesica piscis” using droughttolerant, pollinator-friendly shrubs and plants. A contrasting British native species bed was created in the western “vesica piscis” including yew, hawthorn and guelder rose for structure and a wide variety of bulbs and plants producing attractive seedheads, as well as flowers, to encourage more small birds into the park. We also planted up the two circular depaved areas of path and added two standard native hawthorns and a pair of large multi-stemmed Field maple and a Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) to the six other standard trees already planted in the early spring. At the Southwark Park Road entrance, the beds were doubled in size to make way for trees and shrubs as well as hundreds of UK and European plants, bulbs and seeds which will provide a welcoming visual display of colour and greenery for visitors to the park and more forage and shelter for birds and pollinators. At our planting days, local residents of all ages came together to sow thousands of perennial wildflower seeds and spring bulbs to create meadow edges along two sides of the park. Thanks to the Blue Bermondsey BID and BOST, we ran a scarecrow-making workshop on the Blue marketplace as part of the annual “Greening the Blue” event. Despite torrential rain, enough children attended to

produce two magnificent scarecrows which stood guard over the seeds in the two meadow edges, long enough to keep Shuttleworth Park’s many resident pigeons at bay. A small group of regular volunteers started to form around the park during the year, which we hope to grow over the coming years as our efforts start to bear fruit. With help from Sterling Landscapes, BOST and the Blue Bermondsey BID, Trees for Bermondsey has agreed to take on looking after the park for three years from January 2024. The council contractor will continue to keep paths clear and bins emptied and a mowing map has been agreed, meaning that most grassed areas of the park will be left to grow long with potential to hand scythe once a year in early autumn, optimising conditions for wild plants and grasses to thrive. 2. Tree-planting campaign – replacing and increasing tree canopy cover – Blue Anchor Lane One of Trees for Bermondsey’s earliest campaigns, led by our Vice-chair, was to replace the old silver birch trees which had a been felled in recent years on Blue Anchor Lane and to replace the fence with a native species hedge. In March 2024, after five years of fund-raising and campaigning, we were rewarded, at last, with a beautiful beech hedge and 48 stunning street trees, not only down Blue Anchor Lane, but also on Bombay Street and along Southwark Park Road

through the Blue. Overseen by Southwark Council’s tree officers and the new Tree-planting and Ecology officer, the council’s contractor - the Street Tree - did an exemplary job of planting and protecting the new heavystandard trees. We were able to have input on the choice of trees and tree officers specified an inspiring array of different species, providing diversity, mitigation against climate change and contributing to the green corridor between Shuttleworth Park and the Rouel Road Estate and beyond. Species planted include disease resistant elm, hornbeam, lime, Tulip tree, Black pine, American black walnut, magnolia, Japanese cherry, hop hornbeam, Ginkgo and some unusual and stunning Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica). Over the same period that Trees for Bermondsey had been campaigning for trees to be planted along Blue Anchor Lane, the Blue Bermondsey BID and local residents had been working with Southwark Council to install a pocket park at the junction with St James’s Rd which had been closed to through traffic, turning a dangerous cut-through into a quiet, pedestrian and cyclefriendly street. Previously undiscovered utilities were making it difficult to install the park and plans had to be changed to leave a much greater area paved than had been planned. Although one large and several smaller planters were able to be included, the community were disappointed to be told that trees

could not be planted because of a large sewage pipe and electrical cables running just below the surface. Trees for Bermondsey were able to negotiate with tree officers to engineer four big tree pits so that larger tree species could be included in the scheme after all. We were also asked to advise on species for the planters and raingarden and worked with Southwark Nature Action Volunteers on a list which would be predominantly UK and European species and cultivars, addressing both climate change and creating conditions to optimise biodiversity. The street is unrecognisable from before and we are excited to see how the planting and all the interesting trees will mature over the years. Persistence has most certainly paid off in the case of Blue Anchor Lane with all its challenges! 3. Care and improvements to the Rouel Estate Community Orchard and the Joy Slide Orchard The Rouel Estate Community Orchard was conceived, designed and planted in 2021 – 2022 by around 60 local adult and child volunteers and was a collaboration between Trees for Bermondsey, the Rouel Blue Garden Club and Southwark Council’s Tree Section, with generous help and advice from the Orchard Project and London National Park City. 24 fruit trees were planted and 135 metres of fruiting hedgerow was added to surround and protect the orchard.

In this reporting year, we were excited to receive a very rare apple tree. The Cellini came into being in about 1828 in Vauxhall and was grown around London in the 19[th] century. It is not commonly available to buy now, but on the advice of our Orchard Project mentor, we were able to ask the specialist nursery “Keeper’s” to custom graft it for us and after an 18 month wait, it was finally delivered to us in December 2023. Sadly, some of the tree cages and even the young trees themselves had been damaged by people using them to train their dogs, and so council tree officers agreed that we would work with tree-planting contractor, the Street Tree, to recage all the trees and protect our precious, new Cellini. A regular group of volunteers has formed who litterpick, prune, weed, water, mulch and generally keep an eye on both orchards. New young members have joined and we are learning important orcharding skills from our brilliant orchard mentor, Lesley Wertheimer. A small area of woodland to the south-west of the orchard was being fly-tipped and attracting anti-social behaviour so Trees for Bermondsey asked the Housing and Tree Officers if the area could be included within the orchard boundary. This request was immediately approved and council contractors extended the fence to bring it within the boundary. We are excited to have this new habitat to develop for wildlife. The Joy Slide orchard was planted in March 2022 with help from Southwark’s tree officers and larger, standard and heavy standard trees were chosen for

this space rather than the maiden one or 2-year-old trees planted by Trees for Bermondsey in the Rouel Community orchard, so we were excited to have our first harvest of medlars from the Joy Slide orchard and one of the volunteers made some delicious medlar cheese. We should have many more as well as other fruit like persimmon, fig and quince in years to come as the trees mature. We have the beginnings of a third orchard on the Slippers Place Estate where we planted an apricot and two apple trees with the food pantry, Love North Southwark’s volunteers. A cherry and a Victoria plum tree are on order for planting in the Autumn. 4. Hedge-planting in public spaces has been an important activity since Trees for Bermondsey’s inception. It helped Trees for Bermondsey open a positive dialogue with Southwark Council around tree-planting and was a simple way to raise awareness and bring people together to create greener neighbourhoods. In this reporting period, we extended and added hedges for wildlife across Bermondsey. With Southwark tree planting and ecology officers, we helped the food pantry, Love North Southwark and residents of Slippers Place plant nearly 100 metres of native species hedge on the Slippers Place Estate. Another 30 metres was added to the existing 135 metres of fruiting hedge in the Rouel Estate Community Orchard planted in 2021 - 23. The Conservation Volunteers and Sterling Landscapes gave us 30

rowan and 30 sweet briar to gap fill. As part of our transformation of Shuttleworth Park we added a single strand hedge to the circular playground to soften the railings in an otherwise exposed space, and new species to the hedge we had planted in previous years with Galleywall Nature Reserve. A total of 400 native species hedge whips were planted by volunteers with help from contractor, Sterling Landscapes.’ By April 2024, the total number of tree whips planted by Trees for Bermondsey in public places was over 4000. In addition, thanks to our amazing volunteers, we carried out the important tasks of mulching and maintenance pruning on hedges planted in previous years. The fruiting hegde in the Rouel Est Community orchard has grown so well that we have been able to harvest elderflowers and one of the orchard volunteers made bottles of delicious cordial. 5. In late May 2023 we celebrated the first anniversary of the Octopus Garden with a party thrown by our friends and partner, Sterling Landscapes, who had provided many hours of help planting the garden and then transporting water by cargo bike during the drought of summer 2022. The garden glowed with colour in the early evening sun and buzzed with pollinators attracted to the thousands of flowering wild plants. The idea of the Octopus Garden was conceived during the Covid pandemic and became a rare positive consequence of the days of lockdown and the discovery of the importance of green space

and being in the open air for health and well-being. An unloved, grey, polluted and flytipped street corner was taken and transformed into a lush, green oasis, equally welcoming for birds and pollinators as it is for its human visitors. Trees for Bermondsey brought together local residents to form “The Octopus Gardeners”. Funding was secured from Southwark’s Cleaner, Greener Safer scheme and the London Mayor’s Grow Back Greener fund to de-pave 120 square metres on the corner of Dunton Road and Lynton Road. Volunteers planted thousands of native species plants to encourage biodiversity. 100 native trees were included to create hedging to protect the garden from traffic pollution and noise. Existing uncomfortable metal seating was upcycled using timber from end-of-life street trees and a large mosaic birdbath was commissioned to invite more birdlife to the garden. The Octopus Garden was a highly successful collaboration with the council, their Highways Contractor, FM Conway Ltd, Southwark Nature Volunteers (SNAV), Trees for Bermondsey and many others who generously gave their time and brought skills to this exciting project. Work which had started in Spring 2022 was continued through 2023 and into 2024 with the Octopus Gardeners adding new plants and bulbs and meeting for regular sessions to maintain the paths and birdbath and keep it litter-free. It is used by many visitors: from children on their way home from school, to shoppers stopping for a welcome break on the long walk up Dunton Road. It already feels

		as though the garden has always been there!
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	All projects and activities approved by the Trustees and undertaken by Trees for Bermondsey have been for the public benefit. The charity is entirely volunteer-led and run, and all projects and activities undertaken are accessible and available to all. As can be seen in the “Summary of main activities” above, all projects are located in the public spaces of Bermondsey for the benefit of everyone who lives in, works or visits the area. In addition to the activities and projects listed previously, the Trustees have raised funds for and organised free workshops and events which attracted hundreds of participants and volunteers over the reporting period. These included: • Tree and hedge-planting days in parks and on estates • The planting of thousands of bulbs, seeds and other plants with adult and child volunteers in Shuttleworth Park • Helping the Rouel Blue Garden Club create wildflower meadows on rubble mounds on the Rouel Road Estate with the Butterfly Conservation Trust • Planting and maintenance days in the Octopus street-garden • Maintenance days and events such as mulching and pruning under the instruction of volunteer Orchard Project mentor, Lesley Wertheimer. • “Harakeke” and Scarecrow-making workshops on the Blue Marketplace in collaboration with the Blue BermondseyBID,BigLocal Works

	and Bankside Open Spaces Trust
	and participation in the annual
	Greening the Blue event
•	Guided walks
•	Participating in the London Mayor’s
	Community Weekend with family
	story-telling sessions and picnics in
	Southwark Park and Rouel Estate
	Community Orchard
•	Organising a free bat walk with local
	experts John and Janet Cadera
•	Taking a stall at the Bermondsey
	Street Festival where Trustees gave
	out information about Trees for
	Bermondsey, gathered new
	members and sold our newly
	designed “Tree Hugger” T shirt
	(thanks to Derek Hayn for the very
	cool design!)
•	The Bermondsey Wassail, which
	was held for a second year with the
	help and generosity of the Orchard
	Project and National Park City
	rangers. A new Green Man and
	friends performed on the Blue
	Marketplace while Trees for
	Bermondsey and the Rouel Blue
	Garden Club oversaw lantern and
	crown-making with “Illuminate
	Bermondsey” organiser, Frog
	Morris. The Green Man led a
	lantern-lit procession through the
	streets of Bermondsey to the Rouel
	Estate Community Orchard where
	everyone joined in the ancient
	tradition of Wassailing the apple-
	trees with songs, instrument-playing
	and mulled cider.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

SORP reference

	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	N/A


Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38	N/A
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	As noted previously, Trees for Bermondsey is entirely volunteer-led and run and we try to set an example and use best practise in everything we do, e.g. it is always exciting when we have new projects, but it is important to ensure successful establishment with regular maintenance, whether it is pruning, watering or repairing fences and cages. Trees for Bermondsey’s volunteers make everything the charity does possible. Although grants and donations mean we can pay outside providers for some services, day-to-day running and activities are entirely dependent on the goodwill and generosity of our wonderful volunteers. In this reporting period, as well as running WhatsApp groups for different projects e.g. The Octopus Gardeners and Orchard Group, we set up a wider Trees for Bermondsey volunteer group which we can call on for all our projects and activities. As we add more sites and projects, so our pool of volunteers grows. For larger events such as hedge and tree planting we call on our wider group, which stood at approximately 180 subscribers at end of the reporting period. Our growing social media following (Twitter and Instagram) means we can tap into around 2500 followers when we want to call on larger numbers of people to volunteer or attend events e.g. the annual Bermondsey Wassail.

		Partners and friends such as the Southwark Nature Action Volunteers, Southwark Park Association 1869 and Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Litterati are other important sources of volunteers. We have not yet taken advantage of the offer of corporate volunteers made by our Bankside Open Spaces Trust green hub co-ordinator, Barney Gilks, but we know that this possibility is available if we need it. Our regular groups of volunteers are vital for taking care of our greenspaces, new trees and plants and we do not take them for granted.
Other		• Leanne Werner of CIC, Wilder, was appointed Trustee in June 2023, bringing a wealth of experience in local government and environmental knowledge to the Board. Thanks to Leanne, Trees for Bermondsey was invited to join the Southwark Biodiversity Partnership, formed of council ecology officers and representatives from Southwark’s environmental and conservation groups. The SBP meets quarterly to discuss environmental matters and update each other on projects as well as finding ways to improve and promote biodiversity in the borough. • From our early days Trees for Bermondsey has often partnered with Southwark Nature Action Volunteers on campaigns and projects. During this reporting period we campaigned with them to ban the dangerous herbicide Glyphosate, from streets and estates in Southwark (it is already banned in parks). Together we took the Chair of the Environment Scrutiny committee to meet officers in Lambeth on a walkabout, where Glyphosate is already no longer used. In Bermondsey, the Rouel Blue Garden Club and Trees for

Bermondsey had also succeeded in working with grounds maintenance officers to discontinue its use across the Rouel Rd Estate and other estates in the north of the borough. After our visit to Lambeth, we welcomed the Environment Scrutiny Committee to visit the Octopus Garden, which is entirely planted with native species, and the Rouel Rd Estate where a herbicide-free integrated programme of weed control has been successfully trialled by officers since 2021. We were delighted that two members of Southwark Nature Action Volunteers were then invited onto the Scrutiny Committee to gather evidence on important environmental matters for the borough and contribute to the report which will be due in late 2024. • During this reporting period, Trees for Bermondsey began an ambitious plan for a 0.5 kilometre North Bermondsey Nature Corridor, connecting the two SINCs (Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation) of St James’s Church and Southwark Park via a series of diverse habitat stepping stones through three estates (Keeton’s, Four Squares and Kirby/Slippers Place) Southwark Council’s ecologists are working with SNAV and others to plot a network of green corridors throughout the borough. Trees for Bermondsey has their support and we will be working with them to find funding to complete different phases of the plan over the next few years. The first phase “The Moreton Gate Nature Garden” should be completed in 2024 – 25. • Trees for Bermondsey’s Chair continued as co-optee on the management committee of friends’ group, Southwark Park Association 1869. As well as advising on tree matters generally, we helped select a tree to be planted in honour of King Charles’ 70[th] birthday – an Acer “Princeton Gold”, a beautiful

golden maple which we had on good authority was one of the King’s favourites. Despite being planted on the wettest ever November day, there was a good turn-out and the tree has thrived!

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	The planting of trees and plants, the creation of new green space and the improvement to existing ones, provide many important eco-system services for the benefit of the human and wildlife populations of Bermondsey and the wider community of Southwark. Research has proven that proximity to trees and greenspace has a positive effect on physical and mental wellbeing and community cohesion. The geographical area Trees for Bermondsey is active in has some of the lowest tree-canopy in London, highest deprivation and worst access to green space. We include below some of the feedback we collected from members of the community and colleagues involved in the Shuttleworth Park transformation: “Planting in Shuttleworth Park was a hopeful and joyful experience. People of all ages and backgrounds carrying little packets of seeds and bulbs and pressing them into the earth. We were working together to rebuild the park as a place for the community to sit, play and exercise, and making this grey corner of Bermondsey a beautiful habitat again. In the depths of winter, the work we did together was an important reminder that Springwill return and the flowers we

planted will bloom, that we can care for the world around us and for each other.” (Volunteer) “Shuttleworth Park looks completely transformed. With the removal of the excessive layers of railings which previously cluttered the park’s interior, a space which felt restrictive and downtrodden now feels expansive and welcoming. New trees and hedging planted across the site promise interest and important habitat, and the newly depaved tree pits at the heart of the park make a very attractive focal point. Complementing these, the new perimeter wildflower meadows and planting schemes of the central beds will look stunning as they come into their own in the spring.” (Bankside Open Spaces Trust – Green Hub Co-ordinator) “As manager of the Blue Bermondsey Business Improvement District, I have been working with Trees for Bermondsey since 2019 after finding out about their great work helping make our streets and spaces greener whilst improving areas that have been neglected and in need of TLC. It has been a very rewarding experience for me personally to be part of the process from the beginning and witness the absolute commitment and selfless dedication of the individuals involved, whilst contributing in their own small way to addressing the climate crisis, creating awareness through associated workshops and activities for local people to give input and become involved. This has proven that empowering and supporting individuals to act and initiate change is a true and valid pathway towards a better, greener, and safer future for us all.”

(Blue Bermondsey BID Manager and Greening the Blue partner) An example of the difference the charity’s work has made to its beneficiaries over the reporting period is shown below: Shuttleworth Park was a run-down, underused, urban park and playground in the Blue, South Bermondsey. The park was originally designed pre-WWII by Bermondsey’s much-loved Mayor, leading social reformer and early environmentalist, Ada Salter, and laid out after her death. In response to a public consultation held in early 2023, Trees for Bermondsey promised to bring it back to the centre of the community. We would start by repairing and reviving the children’s playground and continue the transformation by creating a nature-filled oasis at the heart of the area, introducing a wide variety of perennial plants and native flowers attractive to pollinators, making it come alive with colour, sounds and fragrance. Rich, diverse habitats would encourage birds and wildlife into the park, making it become an engaging place to spend time and connect to nature. The park would be transformed into a welcoming, green space to pass time whether in play, exercise or simple relaxation. To make the vision reality: Through Southwark Council, Trees for Bermondsey commissioned specialist playground repair contractor, Playfix, to repair equipment and replace the worn out safety surface. Railings, seats and play equipment were all repainted in bright, contrasting colours. From being avoided by children and parents, Shuttleworth Park has become the most popular playground in the area. 88 metres of railings were removed

The park was full of depressing blue metal railings. We worked with Southwark’s Highway’s contractor, FM Conway, and removed a total of 88 metres of railings, opening up the main entrance and the circular picnic area, making the park feel more welcoming and less enclosed. Railings have been replaced with trees, shrubs and plants creating softer lines as well as habitat for birds and other wildlife. 420 trees, shrubs and hedging whips were planted We worked with Southwark’s Tree Section, Sterling Landscapes, BOST and many volunteers to plant 20 different species of tree. Following consultation with the council’s ecologist, these were mostly native species including spindle, alder, holly, wayfaring tree, yew, guelder rose, hawthorn, wild privet, juniper, hornbeam, to name just a few. 13 heavy-standard trees were added: Strawberry Tree, Field Maple, Hawthorn, Japanese flowering cherries and Serviceberry, which have made an immediate impact. We gap-filled 65 metres on the south side and added a new 70 metre hedge to the playground, as well as clumps of hedge/shrubs along the north and eastern edges to shield out the effects of polluting and noisy traffic. 30m2 of raingardens were excavated in the south end of the park creating new habitat as well as drainage and enabling planting of species not suited to the rest of the park. 32m2 of hard surface was de-paved Two circular areas in the centre of the park were de-paved to create extra-large treepits with room to underplant the serviceberry trees planted in Spring. In time the Serviceberries will provide dappled

shade and delicate pink blossom in early spring and are already a focal point. 350m2 native wildflower meadows were created Volunteers sowed 1650 grams of 36 different species of perennial wildflower and grasses and planted over 2000 bulbs including English bluebell, aconite, anemone, cyclamen and snow-drop. 200m2 of beds were planted The dominant phormium plants in all the existing beds were removed and 75 different species and 1000s of individual plants and bulbs were then added. Trees for Bermondsey does not simply organise one-off events but encourages and works with the community to care for their trees and greenspaces. This brings neighbours together and has engendered a collective sense of pride in the local environment.

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Achievements against Please see above sections and below. The charity objectives set fulfilled and exceeded objectives set. Para 1.41

Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	Trees for Bermondsey had 100% success rate in grants and awards applied for with Southwark Council’s Cleaner Greener Safer and Devolved Highways funds, and for the first time we applied for and were awarded a grant from the Neighbourhood Fund to cover activities and events such as the Bermondsey Wassail and school workshops for 2024 - 25 Cleaner, Greener, Safer funds will be used on items and services needed in the Rouel Estate Orchard such as signage and fencing also, planting and services in Shuttleworth Park Devolved Highways funds will be used for raingardens on streets working with the Highways Dept to mitigate against flooding and create biodiversity Our application to the London Mayor’s Rewild London Fund for the North Bermondsey Nature Corridor was sadly unsuccessful. Feedback praised our public engagement in the project but the fund was oversubscribed and they were looking for flagship projects such as the beaver introduction in Ealing. Fortunately, council ecology and climate change officers have picked up the project and will fund and help us manage the first phase which we hope to carry out in 2024 – 25. Our unrestricted expenses were mostly covered by T shirt sales and private donations through our Paypal account including a generous Standing Order
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41	N/A

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	During the reporting period Trees for Bermondsey had a total income of £22281.04 comprised of £433.64 unrestricted funds and £21847.40 restricted funds. Net income was -£21537.19 after expenditure. (See Financial Statement attached to this document) Trees for Bermondsey has no current liabilities.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	The target reserve level is set at twelve months of operating expenses, adjusted according to our specific operational needs and risk assessment outcomes. Currently this would be £650. This amount would be sufficient to cover the annual running costs of the charity should there be no other unrestricted income in that financial year.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	As of 5thApril 2024, we have £9049.83 in reserves.
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	N/A Reserves held.
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	Trees for Bermondsey has no material deficit.
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	We have no financial uncertainties about the Charity continuing as a going concern for the next 12 months. The Charity is run solely by volunteers and as such has no high fixed costs. Any annual expenses can thus be kept to a minimum and be funded if needed by reserve fund which is held for the coming financial year.

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The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	Most funds are restricted for specific purposes e.g. from grants or awards from the GLA (Grow Back Greener) and Southwark Council (Cleaner Greener Safer, Neighbourhood Fund) Unrestricted funding such as that raised from Paypal Donations and subscriptions is important for maintaining reserves for day- to-day costs such as public liability insurance and internet fees. A large part of our work is dependent on in- kind benefits provided by partners such as Southwark Council’s Tree and Parks Sections e.g. provision of trees, hedging whips and mulch. Highways contractor FM Conway provided de-paving, paving, railing-removal, earthworks and bike racks for the Shuttleworth Park project. Big Local Works and the Blue Bermondsey BID provided market stalls and meeting facilities for the Shuttlewoth Park/Greening the Blue projects. Bankside Open Spaces Trust generously provides us with horticultural advice, training, plants and tools Others are listed under “relationships with any related parties.”
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	N/A
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	The trustees maintain a risk register to log and assess the charity’s principal risks. Our top two risks refer to maintaining a sustainable financial position; and succession planning for trustees.

Other Nla 25

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Constitution
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	CIO
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Potential trustees are invited to apply by existing trustees. Appointment to the Board is made by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees.

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Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51	New trustees are provided with induction material (background information, The Essential Trustee (CC3), the constitution, and policy documents). New trustees are formally inducted in a meeting of current Board of Trustees.
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51	N/A
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51	As a volunteer-run charity, teamwork is key to Trees for Bermondsey’s success and none of our work would be possible without collaboration with a multitude of partners and friends some of whom are shown below: Southwark Council – working closely with Trees, Ecology and Parks teams who provide services as well as trees, hedge

whips and mulch for projects. The Cleaner, Greener, Safer scheme provides matchfunding and useful funds to kick-start new projects. Greater London Authority – awarded a generous Grow Back Greener grant for the transformation of Shuttleworth Park. A successful application to the Mayor’s Weekend fund enabled activities like storytelling, guided-walks and picnics to take place in the orchards and other locations in Bermondsey. The Blue Bermondsey Business Improvement District (BID) – generous support and advice and partners in the Greening the Blue coalition, help with space on the Blue marketplace for activities and work-shops Bankside Open Spaces Trust – their dedicated Green Hub Co-ordinator for South Bermondsey provides invaluable time and help to Trees for Bermondsey and the Greening the Blue project in the form of expert horticultural advice, public engagement, training, tools and plants. Southwark Nature Action Volunteers – partners and friends of Trees for Bermondsey who provide ecological advice and volunteers. Greening the Blue – coalition of environmental groups in South Bermondsey including Big Local Works, the Blue Bermondsey BID, Trees for Bermondsey, Southwark Park Association 1869, Friends of Galleywall Nature Reserve and others, promoting greening of the area and holding annual Greening the Blue event Rouel Blue Garden Club – Partners and friends of Trees for Bermondsey, collaborators on the Rouel Estate Community Orchard, wildflower mounds

		and other local projects e.g. the Bermondsey Wassail The Orchard Project – Orchard Project volunteer mentor, Lesley Wertheimer, has collaborated on the orchards and advises and gives hands-on help to Trees for Bermondsey with orchard-related matters London National Park City – ranger Lesley Wertheimer (Also Orchard project mentor – see above) collaborated on all aspects of the Rouel Estate Community and Joy Slide Orchards. Other rangers took part in the Bermondsey Wassail, including dressing up as the Green Man! The Octopus Gardeners – group of local residents and Trees for Bermondsey volunteers who care for the Octopus Garden Southwark Park Association 1869 – Trees for Bermondsey help liaise with the council and collaborate and advise on tree-matters related to Southwark Park Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Litterati - partners and friends of Trees for Bermondsey keeping our greenspaces and tree-pits clean and litter-free Local businesses providing pro-bono services and support: FM Conway, Sterling Landscapes Ltd, Crol & Co, WeWork
Other		N/A

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Trees for Bermondsey
Other name the charity uses	N/A
Registered charity number	1196737
Charity’s principal address	107 Grange Road London SE1 3BW

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
Sarah Vaughan	Chair		FoundingTrustee
Robert Hutchinson	Treasurer		FoundingTrustee
Andrew Readman	Vice-Chair		FoundingTrustee
Katherine Hayes	Secretary		FoundingTrustee
Leanne Werner	None	From 23/06/2023	Appointed Trustee

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name N/A

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name	Dates acted if not for whole year
N/A

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity	N/A
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects	N/A
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets	N/A

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
Independent Examiner for Trees for Bermondsey accounts	Irfan Masood	64 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 0AS
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
N/A

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

N/A

Other optional information

N/A

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date
	Sarah Vaughan
	Chair
	04/02/2025
	04/02/2025

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