Parncombe Communlty Garden
Charlty number 1198491
Famcombe
Community
Garden
Grv*1￿% CoTnnwnlty Wellbei
Annual report and Accounts 31st March 2025
Charit¢s principal address.,
Summers Road
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 3BF
Trustees:
Helen Farmer (Chalr)
Dr Martin Brunet
Deepa Cralg
Dr Karen Jones
19dm
Alms and Objectlves
Farncombe Community Garden is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The charitable
objectives are stated in its constitution: _
To providefacilitie5for recreation or other leisure time occupation by providing an areofvr use
os a community 9ardenfor individuols in Forncombe and the surrounding oreo who hove need
of such focilities by reoson of their youth. oge. infirmity or disoblement, finoncial hord5hip or
social (Jnd economic circumstances orfor the public ot lorge in the interests of Social welfore
ond with the objert of improving the condition of life of the said inhGbitontS.
Ib6018
Farncombe Community Garden is an ambitious projectwhich aimstobringthe local communlty
together in the creation of a vibrant, beautiful, productive, and wildlife-frlendly garden. It will
be inclusNe to all, seeking to share the health and well-bein8 benefits of the outdoors,
connertin8 people more dosely to the natural world on our doorstep and encouraging
community cohesion as individuals of all ages and backgrounds work tO8ether towards a
common goal.
)id
Vision and Misslon
The project vision is to establish a working community 8'arden withln Farncombe for all the local
residents to benefit from, whether it is through taking up gardening for the first time to ald
recoveryfrom a physical or mental health problem, finding purpose by volunteering in support
FARNCOMBE COMMUNtTYGARDENANNUAL REPORT ANDACCOUNTS MARCH 2025

Famcombe Community Garden
Charity number 1198491
of the project. enjoying passing on a passion for gardening to others, or in education a5 people
of all ages are encouraged to learn about horticulture and the importance of encouraging and
supporting wildlife in an urban environment.
In planning the charity's artivities the trustees have regarded the guidance Issued by the Charlty
Commission on public benefit.
Organ15atlonal Structure
As well as the four trustees to oversee and give strateglc direction to the projecL there is
management team who meet regularly consisting of 6 volunteers with different areas of
expertlse.
The garden is run entirely by volunteers, who donate their time, skills and expertise to make
the garden a welcomin& beautiful space for everyone to enjoy and learn from. We are very
grateful for their support and commitment without which the garden would not exist.
Achievements and performance
The third year of the charity continued to be productive and transformative, both in terms of
the site and also in promotin8 the garden to a wider audience, Over 100 different people have
visited the garden over the past year and we are also increasing our numbers of regular visitors.
Durlng the third year of the charity the key activities were as follows: _
• Eretting a buildin& the Lambert Lodge, named in memoryof a long-serving local dlstrict
nurse. The addition of the building will provide a warm spa￿ for people in the colder
months. extend the range of artivities we can offer, and provlde Income opportunities
to help fund the garden's attivities;
Developing 8rowin8 areas by Installlng more raised beds. preparing space for a cut
flower garden, and adding an espalier walkformed with fruit trees:
Developing a pond area to benefit wildlife and provide other opportunities for people
to interact with and appreciate nature.
Creating a fire pit area with seating to extend the opportunltles for social attivities.
Hosting Broadwater School's bee hives on the site to support their educational
programme and our wildlife.
Corbtinuing to promote the garden through local fairs, articles, talks and events so that
numbers of visitors and regular volunteers continues to increase.
Increasing our regular 8ardenin8 sessions to 3 per week year-round, with 4 sessions
duringthe summer.
Holdingoursecond open daywhich attrarted 289 people includingfamiliesand the Ioc31
Mayors.
Our key achievements were as follow:_
We continued our out-readi activities and extended our links with local organisations including
local uniform groups, local schools, the Surrey Youth Justice Service, National Autism Soaety,
FARNCOMBECOMMUNrrYGARDEN ANMLIALREPOIIT ANDAccouKfs MARCH 2025

Èarncombe Community Garden
Charity number 1198491
Learning Spaces, Meath Epilepsy Charity. The garden was also used for forest-bathing sessions
for unpaid carers, throu8h an initiative by Roots for the Future. Through these partnerships we
ensured thatsome of the mostvulnerable people in the local area are aC￿ssing and benefiting
from the garden. One example is someone who previously did not 80 Out at all, but now attends
a weekly garden session after encouragement from their family. Another example, is someone
with autism who couldn't find a suitable 'fit' elsewhere for volunteering activities, who is now
a regular visitor and expresses their enthusiasm for the projett.
We also continued to promote volunteering and continued to host a number of Duke of
Edinburgh student volunteers.
The building has been the most significant addition to the garden and was completed in
March 2025 by Nordic Room. This space has been designed with accessibility in mind, and will
allow us to have a warm, sheltered space to offer our visitors. We are grateful for the public
support we received for thi5 projert, and for the grant fundin8from Your Fund Surrey plus a
donation from the Broadwater Lodge care home, whlch enabled thi5 amazing space to be
realised. The prominence of the building has helped to raise our publlc profile, and wlll
certainly help to increase our visitor numbers, and the scope of what we can do.
We also won '8est Communlty Garden, In the Godalmin8 In Bloom awards in 2024.
We conducted our second survey of garden attendees in Sprin8 2025. Respondents ranged in
age group, gender and employment status.
People responded that they are learnin8 new gardenin8 skills and that the garden is a good
source of knowledge. The survey highlighted that people want to know more about future plans
and progress on projects. Activities around creative projects were also Suggested.
Future Plans
Over the next year our aims are to achieve the following:
Finish developing the wildlife pond;
Develop the wood-working area and associated workshop5 to offer different learning
opportunities for people to engage with the garden;
Try and ensure thatthe garden is used most days durlng the week and that the building
Is fully utlllsed and supports our charltable objectives.
Continue to work toward5 making the site accessible for all- install more seating around
the slte, and provlde clear signage;
Continue to develop the annual plan of activities for the garden;
Continue to develop links with other local charities, 5chods and Servi￿5, and involve
the wider community through workshop5 and events.
Continue to evidence the impact of what we do, evaluating and continually improving.
Challenges may Indude:
Trying to ensure a wide ran8e of people can access the garden - this will be helped by
developing our partner5hip5;
FARNCOMBE COMMUNt¥YGARDENANNUAL REPORT ANDACCOUNTS MARCII 2025

Farncombe Community Garden
Charity number 1198491
the successful recrultment and retention of Lead Volunteers $0 that we can malntaln
and extend our opening;
• Ensuring that the necessary skillslexpertise is available to meet high needs
groups/individuals- this may mean employin8 a qualified professional, and volunteer
training.
Financial Review
The charlty re￿IVed grants from the Your Fund Surrey grants programme which was supported
by Cllr Penny Rivers; and donations from the DennSngburg Centre, Gorringes Funeral Directors
and Waltrose.
We also received fruit tree donations from the Surrey County Council Tree Grant scheme for
the espalier walk. The garden also benefitted from volunteer time, plants and seeds from
Network Rail and Octavius and their staff.
,fP.
We have been fortunate to receive wonderful support from local or8anisations, including
Squires through their 'Love where you live, scheme.
Donations were also received from individuals through varlous initiatives. induding a sponsored
walk undertaken by a volunteer, a quiz night, plant sales and a wreath-making workshop.
The garden has managed to bulld up unrestricted reserves to cover runnlng costs for at'least 6
months.
This report was approved by the trustees on Idfi Ils and signed on thelr behalf by:
Helen Farmer
(Chair of Trustees)
YIE
FARNCOMBE COMMUNITYGAROENANNUAL REPORT ANDACCOUNTSMARCH 2025

Farn¢ombe Community Garden
Charlty number 1198491
FARNCOMBE COMMUNrrY GARDEN
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE FARNCOMBE COMMUNrrY GARDEN
report lo the trustees on my exarnination of the finan¢ial st*emenls of Famcombe Crmrnunity garden
{the charity) for the period to 1 April 2024 10 31 Marth 2025 as sgt out on pages 6 to 7.
Responllbllltles and ba81$ of roPQrt
The charity's trustees are responsible for the prepardtion of the financial statements. The Charity's
trustees cx>n¥idor an audit is not required for this financial period under section 144(2) of the Chaiitigs
Act 2011 {the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
11 is my reSE￿nSIbl1￿Y lo:
Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
To follow the p￿CedureS[81d down in the genernl Directlons given by th8 Charfty Commission
under section 14515Mb) of the 2011 Act.. and
To state whether partiwlar matters have come to my attention.
8asls of Independont oxamln•rf roport
My examination was carrred (yjt in accordance with the general Direclions given by the Charity
Commission. An examination includes a review of the accountlng records kept by the Charity and 8
compari50n of the accounts presented with those records. It also indudes consideratim of any unusua5
Items or disdo$ure$ In the accx)unts. and seeking explanatlon$ from you as Iruslees conceming such
matters. The procedu￿$ undertaken do not provide all the evldence that would be required in an audit
and cOnsequen￿Y no opinion 1$ given a$ to whether the a￿nts present a 'true and fair. and the report
Is limited to thoge matters Set out in the statement bel(M.
Independent examlnerfs statement
In ccmnection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention..
{1)
Whtch gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any matertal respect the requirements:
to keep accounting records in acci)rdanc* with section 130 of the 2011 Act. and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting reo)rds and compty with the
accounting Tequirernents of the 2011 Act have not been mel.. or
to which, in rny opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached.
(2>
P I Vlckemian FCA
Practising Ac¢ountsnt
318 Nightingale Road
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 2HP
FARNCOM8E COMMUNITYGARDEN ANNUAL REPORT ANDACCOUNTS MARCH 2025

Famcombe Community Garden
Charity number 1198491
Y••r * Jtsi 2025
1024
Grlrts
47.931
J,tsi
lQl57
599
10.756
10t3,2￿1
443
Ft¥xkaislry t*rts
B4r* Internst
443
167
b￿ld11¥s/
I￿(￿17
2Q036
15fj6
196>
,5.783
9,146
Pl•nrI￿ Other l*eal
FiY#Jr•lslry cc6t%
A(knlrdstratlthi mafknlry and Ir6mrK•
775
2.520
775
3.310
IW74
225
9Nld
t4..1￿ 3,931
41832
J4$
St•t•mM¢ al￿￿ts and U•bkn at 31st M1￿h 2025
Cash at ba
U,345
11.596
JJA
J45
2J2
T¢tsl
Th• no*¥ on p•y 7 partofth•M #Tr•nd￿ •tht•monts.
ov•d tyth• tru¥ts•S on Iclgl i&" And *n•d on th•lr IMts•lfty.
In6;n
FARNCOhrtBE COMMUNITY&4RDENANNUALREFORT A140AcCOUNTS￿RCH 2025

Farncornbe Community Garden
Charity number 1198491
Notes to the Flnanclal slatoments
3111 Mar¢h 2025
1. Flxed assets
Assets are only capilalised when future income or cost reduction from their ao]uisition can be
idontified. Sundry 9quipment is writtgn off in the year of acquisitKJn.
In the year the Garden acquired a Community Building which will enhance existing and in¢rgo¥e the
facilities.
Cost of Buikding lexduding FAanning,(Thstruct￿ and servKes)
84,050
Postux* Sorl¢tyTnJt
IL555)
Cthhmwaty IL¥
1271
,117,0101
4364
14,45¥
iii
W4ltw. 8r•rt
Pml
IL8931
Dor4tkffi5 Irom s•rwiiath & F4art5
IL2111
Yryr kn•y
3WJ
(ir*
15.7(
ioj
1ts5,OWI
Crynposi Td
27
12
IL2111
1114Ji
14.4531
iii
Un5ivlfl
ILS551
I8￿1
&651
FARNCOMBE COMMUNITYGARDENANNVAL REPORT ANDACCOUNTSMARCH 2025

Farncombe Community Garden
Charity number 1198491
3. Refated Party TTansactlons
In the year, Trustees made donations of £34212024.. £100).
4. Glfts In Klnd
In the year, goods receNed or services pfovKled lo the garden with a value of £300 were provided to
the garden free of charge.
#11
FARNCOMBE COMMVNITYGARDENANNUALREPORT ANDACCOUNTS hA4RCH 2025