2025-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From Period start date To Period end date Charity name: FRIENDS OF THE DELL PARK CHEPSTOW

Charity registration number:

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	1. PLAY.The opportunity to experience outdoor play is essential for our children. They need to run, jump, slide, climb, spin fast, swing high, duck low and defend their castle. They need a focal point to meet their friends, their own space, they need a playground to inspire and excite them, a playground they can be proud of. The present day Dell park in Chepstow is outdated, uninspiring, and could be so much more. Our goal is to provide that space for our children, their parents and the wider community. 2. FOR ALL. All children have the right to play according to article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our playground should be accessible for all ages and provide inclusive play opportunities so that children with a learning, physical or sensory impairment can play alongside their peers. 3. CHEPSTOW. Imagine a destination park! Why should our children have to travel to Newport, Cardiff or Bristol to find a great place to play? Wouldn’t it be fantastic if families travelled into Chepstow to use our playground, to see the castle and museum and buy souvenirs to remember their visit in our local shops. 4. COMMUNITYled, and community focused. FDPC aims to involve and work

		with the local community, and relevant organisations in the design, fundraising, planning events and the continuing development of the Dell Park. We have been working hard doing the above to be able to get started with the final project goals, consulting with the community, promoting the project and working with County and Local Councils to get the project through.
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	The group have been working closely in partnership with Monmouthshire County Council (MonCC) as they are the leaseholder of the park area. We have negotiated grants to be ring fenced within their capital and also ringfenced money to go to the project’s aims from Chepstow Local Council. Regular meetings with each council to work on the Lottery grant. MonCC submitted a National Lottery bid on behalf of FDPC. We worked with various stakeholders to plan, develop and write the bid for our project. The bid application was successful and monies were awarded in October 2024. Monies will be received by Mon CC. We have attended various local events to promote the project, consult with the community and connect with other stakeholders who may be able to help with the project. We have worked with the park designer to communicate the wishes of the community into the final designs and layout of the park. We have worked in partnership with MonCC to help drive this project forward and hope soon to break ground with the project in Spring 2025.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance	Para 1.18	Trustees have clearly defined roles and are aware of their responsibilities. The group is well established since 2017 and officers are

	issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit		elected through AGM process. Meetings are held monthly to Bi monthly,and are minuted. Trustees receive communication via email from the charity commission to keep up to date with relevant information and legislation.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	As MonCC are the main applicants we do not have policy responsibilities.
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38
Other

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	Since the group was established, our primary objective has been to create a destination play park in Chepstow while raising awareness of the need for its redevelopment. Through partnerships with Chepstow Town Council and Monmouthshire County Council (MonCC), we have successfully raised over £225,000. This includes £100,000 pledged by Chepstow Town Council and £25,000 from Monmouthshire County Council (MonCC). In partnership with an officer from MonCC, we successfully secured an additional £100,000 through a lottery funding bid. Engaging with the community to raise awareness and gather input on their vision for the park was central to securing the lottery funding award. The community’s input has been instrumental in shaping the park’s design. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2025, with the main park area expected to be completed by autumn 2025. Achieving this milestone has involved overcoming significant challenges, including negotiating leaseholds and ensuring the park’s development respects the historical environment in which it is situated. The team has collaborated closely with play architects, CADW, and archaeological survey firms to ensure the park’s design avoids damaging historical features while enhancing understanding of the area’s heritage. The resulting park design seamlessly integrates the history and heritage of our area.

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

Achievements against Para 1.41

objectives set
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	Fundraising activities for the project have primarily focused on partnerships with local and county governments, resulting in commitments totaling over £225,000. This includes £100,000 pledged by Chepstow Town Council, £25,000 from Monmouthshire County Council (MonCC), and an additional £100,000 secured through a successful lottery funding bid written in collaboration with MonCC officers. While the community group has led the effort to advocate for the park’s redevelopment, the funds remain under the stewardship of local and county councils, as the group is not the leaseholder of the land. The monies have been ring-fenced by the councils to ensure they are allocated exclusively to this project. This arrangement reflects a strategic and transparent approach to managing public funds while allowing the community to remain central to the vision and design of the project. To complement these efforts, we have also launched a crowdfunding campaign to support additional features for the park. Currently, the funds raised via the crowdfunding platform total £1011 but these are not in our accounts at this time. These monies are earmarked for the purchase and installation of a bank slide as a unique feature of the park, planned for Phase 2 of the project. This initiative demonstrates our ongoing commitment to enhancing the park’s offerings while maintaining community involvement in shaping its future. The original fundraising target was to secure sufficient capital to cover the park’s primary redevelopment costs, and this goal has largely been achieved through these partnerships. However, navigating this process required addressing challenges, such as negotiating financial agreements with councils and ensuring the funding aligned with broader government priorities. The success of these efforts demonstrates the effectiveness of the group’s collaborative approach and highlights the importance of strong relationships with government bodies in achieving community-driven goals.

Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41	We have all worked hard to invest our time and volunteering time to drive this project forward. We are meeting our objectives and aims and this is driving us closer to our goal. We have successfully gained support of the Local and County Council (who are the leaseholders of the project) to get them on board with the project with us.
Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	in the bank - £2071.03 being held in crowd funding site - £1287
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	NA
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	NA
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	NA
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	NA

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	The principal way of funding for phrase 2 of the project is via crowd funding. The crowd funding has been advertised on site of the park grounds, online and at events that we attend. We have currently not withdrawn any monies off the crowdfunding as that is currently live. The crowd funding account (which is not in our bank account yet) is £1287 We are aiming to raise a total of £70k. As the leaseholder of the park grounds, MonCC have been obtaining the grants with our assistance, but we do not hold the monies.
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	None

None A description of the principal risks facing the charity Para 1.46 Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Trust Deed
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	Election

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
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51

Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Friends of the Dell Park Chepstow
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number	1199411
Charity’s principal address	51 Woolpitch Wood Chepstow Monmouthshire NP166DR

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 (if any)
Victoria Burston Yates	Chair
Suzanne Moore Osley	Vice Chair/ Treasurer
Karen Chadwick	Fundingofficer
Rebecca Balloch	Communication lead
Clare Adams	Volunteer

1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0

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

Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

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

Additional information (optional) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

	Type of adviser Name Address	Type of adviser Name Address	Type of adviser Name Address
	Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

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

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) V. Burston-Yates Full name(s) Victoria Burston-Yates Position (eg Chair Secretary, Chair, etc) Date 17.01.25