## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 06 April 2024 Period start date To 05 April 2025 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| 1 |||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. Our transformation of
Shuttleworth Park continued with
generous help from Bankside
Open Spaces Trust’s Green Hub
in the form of expert horticultural
advice, plants and tools.
We continued our work on
reviving the park, and creating a
more welcoming and nature-
friendly space for all.
Southwark Council’s tree officers
supplied us with four beautiful
Japanese “Snow Goose” cherry
trees (Umineko) for the
refurbished playground in April
2023 and they didn’t disappoint,
coming into flower in April 2024
and providing the most beautiful
white blossom quickly covered in
both wild and honey bees.
Amelanchier x Lamarckii, the
delicately white-flowered
“Juneberry” or “Snowy
Mesphilus” planted in 2023 in
the two large circular areas
which we depaved in the brick
pathways burst into flower a few
weeks later with native
Hawthorn trees (Crataegus
monogyna) marking the
entrance to the picnic area
providing important forage for
pollinators followed by cascades
of berries for the wood pigeons
and blackbirds in the autumn.
Residents’ bid for Cleaner,
Greener, Safer funds was
successful so we were in a
position to add to the thousands
of bulbs and plants already
planted in the previous year,
continuing to work with
Bermondsey-based sustainable| 2 gardening firm Sterling Landscapes who share Trees for Bermondsey’s belief of working with biodiversity to create new green spaces and enhance existing urban green spaces for all. At our planting days, local residents again came together to sow thousands of perennial wildflower seeds, plug plants and spring bulbs to reinforce the new meadow edge planting from the previous reporting period. Thanks to Southwark Council’s tree-planting and ecology officer and BOST’s Green-hub coordinator 75 new trees were made available for us to plant. Species of note included Arbutus unedo, Taxus baccata, Euonymus europea as well as more common park and woodland shrubs and trees such as Corylus avellana, Viburnum opulus, Ilex aquifolium and Acer campestre. Because there is no water source in the park, irrigation has been challenging. The council’s Tree Section had two 1000-litre IBCs installed which have to be filled by contractors. Several times, the contractors did not fill the tanks on time and Sterliing were forced to bring in water in jerricans by cargo-bike. Most planting survived, but areas of dry shade were difficult to keep sufficiently watered by hand. The council has a policy of “no water” in parks and taps have been disconnected which means it is challenging to establish new planting, even using drought- 3 tolerant species. Through working with council ecology officers and the Southwark Biodiversity Partnership, we hope to influence parks management to change this policy to enable more planting and ecology projects in the smaller parks of the borough In early autumn, with help from BOST’s green hub coordinator we held a scything session with volunteers. Scything once a year is the best way to optimise conditions for wild plants and grasses to thrive, encouraging more pollinators, birds and other wildlife to the park. 2. 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. Since then three more fruit trees have been added as well as perennial wildflowers including native wild daffodils, primroses, snowdrops and cowslips and 30 metres of hedging. An exciting addition to the orchard this reporting year was a wildlife pond built with the help of charity, Froglife, as part of their London Blue Chain project, creating sixty ponds in public spaces across five boroughs in 4 South London over two years to provide connections for amphibians and invertebrates. Frogs and dragonflies moved in almost immediately. In this reporting year, we continued to care for and add to the orchard during volunteer events such as pruning days. A regular group of volunteers has formed who litterpick, prune, weed, water, mulch and generally keep an eye on both orchards. Our amazing Orchard Project mentor, Lesley Wertheimer, continues to provide instruction in orcharding skills. This year we were able to sample elderflower cordial and sloe gin made from the hedgerow fruit by one of our volunteers. Environmental studies Masters student, Lucy Houliston, made a week-long survey of bumblebee and beetle activity for her thesis which centres around urban orchards. We were delighted to hear that “our” orchard had more activity and species than others she had surveyed so far. She cited the fact that the Rouel Estate orchard is left mainly unmown, providing ideal conditions for many different species of invertebrate. We were surprised to hear that nearly all the other orchards she had visited were kept “neat and tidy” with councils insisting on mowing them throughout spring and summer. Lucy returned in a different role in September as one of the managers of the bat Conservation Trust’s Nightwatch project, giving a fascinating talk to a mix of adults and excited children at Big Local Works on 5 the different bats to be found in London, followed by a walk to the orchard where we were delighted to see Common pipistrelles hunting for moths at dusk. There was one negative among the many positive and exciting developments in the orchard: more and more dog walkers (very few of them from the estate) were using the orchard for exercising dogs off-lead and by February 2025 the ground had become muddy and compacted and covered in large amounts of excrement to the point that volunteers were no longer prepared to work in the orchard. As someone said, it was “stomach-churning”. The Wassail was going to take place in a few weeks, so reluctantly, we padlocked the gates so that the ground and trees could recover and until a solution could be found. 3. 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. During National Tree Week in late November 2024, at the suggestion of local residents, we made our first incursion into Southwark Park in partnership with the Southwark Park Association 1869. With help from the council’s tree planting and ecology officer planted over 6 100 metres of mixed native species hedge along the northeast edge. A fantastic turnout of 25 volunteers made short work of planting it and Southwark’s mayor, Cllr Naima Ali even turned up to give us a hand! By April 2025, the total number of trees and hedge whips planted by Trees for Bermondsey in public places was nearly 5000. In addition, thanks to our amazing volunteers, we carried out the important tasks of mulching and maintenance pruning on hedges planted in previous years e.g. in Spa Gardens. The fruiting hedge in the Rouel Est Community orchard has grown so well that we have been able to harvest elderflowers, sloes and wild plums and one of the orchard volunteers made bottles of delicious cordial for a secomd year which was drunk at the annual orchard picnic. 4. In this reporting period we were excited to embark on our latest project: the first phase of the North Bermondsey Green Corridor. The idea is to link borough SINC (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation) Southwark Park to local SINC, St James’s Churchyard 0.5 km away via the Kirby, Four Squares and Keetons estates. Phase 1 was a tarmacked triangle covered in flytipping filled with large puddles when it rained. We decided to name the site the Moreton Gate Nature Garden as it sits between the Kirby and Slippers Place Estates in front of one of Southwark Park’s entrances, Moreton Gate. The project was instigated by Kirby 7 Estate residents who approached Trees for Bermondsey for help. Having missed out on funding from the London Mayor’s Rewild London fund, we were delighted that the council agreed to back the first phase from the Southwark Biodiversity Fund. Working with Southwark Ecology Officer, Holly Weber, as joint project manager and Anna Hwang Colligan of Southwark Nature Action Volunteers (SNAV) as designer, we set up stall onsite on a Saturday morning in October to gauge feedback to the plans and visualisations. No one needed persuading that the space would be improved by our interventions! The nature garden will be an extension of the park, bringing biodiversity and a new green space into the estates. The whole space of about 75 square metres will be depaved to around 600mm, keeping and protecting existing trees, then low fertility soil brought in and seeded with a perennial native wildflower and grasses mix. As with our previous depaving projects - Octopus Garden and Shuttleworth Park - Highways contractor FM Conway stepped in to depave and bring soil from another site in the south of the borough. A corner of the site will still need to be used for recycling, so a concrete base is included and a new Metrostor bin shelter with a sedum roof added. Planting consists of mainly native and drought resistant species requiring minimum maintenance after an initial establishment period. Fortunately, as the garden is in proximity to the Slippers Place Estate, a tap is available to provide essential irrigation for the first spring/summer. TfB 8 were successful in a request for Cleaner Greener Safer funding for additional features such as reclaimed York stone slabs for the entrances at each end of the garden and cast iron arches for climbers (hop, honeysuckle and rambling rose). The whole space will be designed and planted to optimise biodiversity – hedges, trees, shrubs, wildflowers and native grasses for pollinators, birds and other wildlife and the CGS award will also cover the cost of installing a graphic interpretation board explaining the transformation and species likely to be attracted to the garden. It was a long time in the waiting, but in February 2025 Conway’s broke ground and work continued through March, with planting days to be scheduled in April with residents and volunteers. With our previous collaborators, local sustainable gardeners, Sterling Landscapes, taking care of planting and looking after the nature garden over the first couple of years, we feel confident that it will thrive for both people and nature. 5. A Tree for Ada In 2022 we celebrated the centenary of Ada Salter becoming Mayor of Bermondsey and her husband, Dr Alfred Salter becoming MP. We wanted to mark the occasion by planting a tree in Tanner St Park near where Ada and Alfred planted a Tree of Heaven at the playground’s opening in the 1920s. We knew a Tree of Heaven would be out of the question as they are now listed as an invasive species, so better late than never, we conferred with author and street tree 9 |||aficionado, Paul Wood, and with
Joe Arrowsmith, Southwark’s
Tree-planting officer to choose a
suitable species. Joe came up
with the perfect tree for the 21st
century: the Heartnut tree
(Juglans ailantifolia), a
magnificent Japanese walnut
with a passing resemblance to
the Tree of heaven, said to be
Ada’s favourite tree. The tree
was planted just in time for
Southwark’s celebration during
National Tree Week of the
planting of the100,000th tree in
the borough.
The original tree had a circular
seat around it, remembered by
older locals, so we applied
successfully for CGS funds from
London Bridge and West
Bermondsey ward to have a new
seat made in 2025 – 26.
6. The Tree of Life – in 2022 we
saved a wonderful old Black
poplar from being chipped and
burned. Fallen and Felled
removed the tree and seasoned
the resulting timber at their yard
for 18 months, some of which
we bought back to be made into
seats for Rouel Blue Garden
club’s community garden, just a
stone’s throw from where the old
tree had stood. A summer party
was held in honour of the
beautiful new seats which were
installed under the garden’s
pergola. The Tree of Life project
perfectly illustrated the circular
economy, meaning that carbon
is held in the seats for years to
come, instead of going up in
smoke.| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity|Para 1.18|All projects and activities approved by the
Trustees and undertaken by Trees for
Bermondsey have been for the public
benefit.| 10 |Commission on public
benefit||The charity is entirely volunteer-led and run,
and all projects and activities undertaken
are as accessible as possible, free of
charge 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 those who
live in, work in or visit the area.
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
•
With landscape designer, Yoni
Carnice, we started to propagate
our own wildflowers for planting
around Bermondsey
•
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.
•
Collaboration with the Blue
Bermondsey BID, Big Local Works
and Bankside Open Spaces Trust
and participation in the annual
Greening the Blue event
•
The South London Botanical
Institute approached us to contribute
an event to their programme and we
were delighted to oblige with a
guided tour of our main projects in
Bermondsey in the early summer
•
We ran story-telling sessions and a
children’s picnic in the orchard with
author and performer, Bernadette
Russell, including with a class of
SEN children
•
Two art workshops were completed
with St James’s school students to
helpdesign motifs for the Rouel| |---|---|---| 11 ||Community Orchard’s new| |---|---| ||interpretation board and map| |•|Our Chair became a bat| ||Conservation Trust Nightwatch| ||project local coordinator monitoring| ||bat activity in Bermondsey and| ||organising a talk and walk with bat| ||experts from the trust in| ||collaboration with Big Local Works| |•|The Bermondsey Wassail, which| ||was held for a third year with the| ||help and generosity of the Orchard| ||Project and London National Park| ||City rangers. The 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. Folk group Jijomaro| ||performed to an appreciative| ||audience on the Blue Market Place| ||and accompanied The Green Man| ||in 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**|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|N/A| ||Para 1.38|| 12 |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment||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, Trees for
Bermondsey volunteer group, which we can
call on for all our projects and activities,
grew to 60 members. As we add more sites
and projects, so our pool of volunteers
grows. For larger events such as the
Wassail and hedge and tree planting we
call on our wider group, which stood at
approximately 240 subscribers at end of the
reporting period. We opened a new
BlueSky account with a view to cutting
down our presence on Twitter and grew our
Instagram following meaning we can tap
into around 3000 followers when we want
to call on larger numbers of people to
volunteer or attend events e.g. the
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.
As members of BOST’s Green Hub
community, we exchange helpand ideas| 13 and took part in events organised by coordinator, Barney, like tool sharpening and pond building workshops. 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. • Trees for Bermondsey continued to be part of the Southwark Other 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 and our chair continues to sit on their committee and contribute to projects • Trees for Bermondsey’s Chair continued as co-optee on the management committee of friends’ group, Southwark Park Association 1869. This year we worked with SPA1869 to plant a 100 metre native species hedge in the park. ## **Achievements and Performance** **SORP reference** 14 |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.
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.
Please refer to Paras 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19
for information and main achievements.| |---|---|---| |||| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: 15 |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|Please see above sections and below. The charity
fulfilled and exceeded objectives set.| |---|---|---| |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 Neighbourhoods
Fund schemes
Cleaner, Greener, Safer funds will be used on items
and services needed for Moreton Gate Nature Garden
such as signage, stone and metal structures; also,
planting and gardening services in Shuttleworth Park
Applications for grants from Veolia and London
National Park City were both successful and used
towards projects in the Rouel Estate Community
Orchard including the new wildlife pond and our
wildflower propagation project which will provide
plants for public sites around Bermondsey.
Council ecology and climate change officers funded
the Moreton Gate Nature Garden via Southwark’s
Biodiversity Fund which began in February and will be
completed in 2025.
Match-funding for the Moreton Gate Nature Garden
was provided pro bono by FM Conway who depaved
and provided soil for the new garden as well as the
CGS award listed above.
Our unrestricted expenses were mostly covered by T
shirt sales and private donations through our Paypal
account including a generous Standing Order. Unused
stone off-cuts were sold to boost unrestricted funds.| 16 Investment performance N/A against objectives Para 1.41 17 ## **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
£11636.47 comprised of £744.08
unrestricted funds and £10892.39 restricted
funds.
Net income was £2503.19 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 2025, we have £11913 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.| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: Most funds are restricted for specific purposes e.g. from grants or awards from 18 |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|Southwark Council (Cleaner Greener Safer,
Neighbourhood Fund) and in this reporting
period Veolia and two grants from London
National Park City.
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.
In addition to funds from grants recorded in
our accounts, we also receive funding
provided as awards and jointly project-
managed with Southwark Council.
Both the Rouel Estate Community Orchard
and the Moreton Gate Nature Garden
(Southwark Biodiversity Fund) were funded
in this way in 2024 – 25.
Highways contractor FM Conway provided
de-paving, paving, railing-removal,
earthworks and bike racks for the
Shuttleworth Park project pro bono and
provided depaving, repaving and soil for
the Moreton Gate Nature Garden.
Big Local Works and the Blue Bermondsey
BID provided market stalls and meeting
facilities for the Shuttleworth Park/Greening
the Blue projects.
Bankside Open Spaces Trust generously
provided us with horticultural advice,
training, plants and tools
Others are listed under “relationships with
any related parties.”| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any||N/A| 19 |social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|| |---|---|---| |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||N/a| 20 ## **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.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |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| 21 whips and mulch for projects. The Cleaner, Greener, Safer scheme provides matchfunding and useful funds to kick-start new projects. The Neighbourhood Fund provides funds for workshops and events. Greater London Authority – awarded a generous Grow Back Greener grant for the transformation of Shuttleworth Park (2023) and the Octopus Garden (2022). St James’s C of E Primary School adjoins the Rouel Estate Community Orchard and had gates installed to access the orchard directly from the school playground to open it up as an outside classroom and activities area. Children have helped work on designs for an interpretation board to be installed in 2025 – 26. Trees for Bermondsey works closely with St James’s School on nature and storytelling projects. 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 Big Local Works – provide support for workshops and meeting space and facilities 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 22 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 Divya Hariramani (Fruity Walks) is working on an interpretation board for the Joy Slide Orchard funded by CGS The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) at Stave Hill provide ad hoc advice The charity, Froglife, worked with us to install a wildlife pond in the Rouel Estate 23 Community Orchard during the reporting period as part of the London Blue Chain project. 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** |1
2
3
4
5|**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| |||||| 24 – 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||| 25 ## **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 26 ## **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|| ||08/10/2025|| ||08/10/2025|| 27 TREE5 FOR BERMOND5EY Rei15tertd Charity no. 1196737 I￿¢￿e & Eypendituio Account. ¥earQw24to0￿25 Income GeTreTal- Generil- SaleolWlefFa15 GenEral- sub￿riPl10￿ Granl. Nei8hbOurhwJFund 144.(* 3W2.38 Grant. Shullleworth GTrnl. Orthard T&tal4ltome 1.450i 11,636 47 Exptndltu CGSTroeDf Llft Treeseatirthiknti 1364 32930 NEiihbourhoodFund StoryTdli Fwtsle Pnntw¥ 70(X) 43L 2020 61450 8at Walk RefreshrwAs Otsopusi)tiOPUi 150.0) 116.95 0￿h¥dOi[h￿d 331.45 P•dkxk Shuttloworth hr* La￿1$¢ Unrertrlcteo It15UTanr Vltbsrte paY￿1F￿5 143.15 4S6 T¢Jtsl 9.133aB NEt Income SQ3.19 Balanr¢5bHf.Ye¥(W14tD0S¥15 Currintkn*ts Jl.n3.50 139 52 Pett¥(a5h 7ot•lCurrtnt Assyts 11.913.02 NetASS•ts ILgIJ.01 Re5pNu CIF In(orne & ExpnditurtA((tyJntknlF 54-2025 2.503 19 11.91J.QZ We rovethe abtsyt accounts and confirm thilwe have made ivailab￿a11rdtvIfi[ re(oids•nd inforniationfwlheir Prwaiaiion 7ozr Tiustpejl An¥ Dale 28 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts 5ECtlon A Independenl ExamSner'5 Report Report to the trusteesl I rnernber5 of TREES FOR 8ERMONDSEY On acGoiints for the year . 5" APRIL 2025 endgd hanty no Ilf any) 1196737 Set out on pages I I report to the Irustee$ on my exafflinalion of the aCc(￿niS of the above charity 1.the TfusI'I for the year ended 0510412025. Responsibilities and As the ¢harrty Irusta8s of the Trust. you are r85ponsible for th8 preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the r8quirerDenl$ of th8 Charities Act 2011 Ilhe Aci") I report In respect of my examination of the Trust's accoun15 camed out n6er section 14$ 01 the 2011 Acl and in carrying oul my examination, I have followed the 3pplicable Qireclions given by the Ch8rily Commission under section 1451Sllbl of the Acl. I have completed my examination. I confimi Ihal no material matters have Cofne lo tny attention lolher than that disclosed below"I In connection ¥wth the examination give5 tne Gaust lo believe that in. any malenal respeci accounling records were not kept in a¢¢ordance vrfilh section 130 of the A¢1 or Ihe actounis do nol accord with the accounting records Independent èxaminèr's statemènt I have no ¢oneÈrns and have Come across no other matter5 in connection with the ex8minalion lo which 8llenlion should be drawn in ordÈr lo enable a proper understanding of Ihe account5 to be reached Please delete rhe words in Ihe bra¢ke15 ilthey do not apply. Sl9nod.. Dat¢.. 0811012025 Name.. Irfan M8sood Relevznl professional qualificationlsl or body ACCA Addrt$$'. 64 Southwark Bridge Road. London, SE1 OAS SÈ¢tion B DisG105ure Only complete Sf the ex3miner need5 to highlight matters ol concern (see CC32, Indep&ndenl examination of charity accounts". di￿¢110115 and guidanc8 for 8xaminersl. IER October 2018 29 Dièi10sure 0￿Y wmpletty eyamw rwthlD tww n*iw¥d {889 IX31 amu*rs1. 0ty ttomB thaith¢ •xgmlnerwl8hu io IA IER ¢J¢lob•r2410 30