## **FRIENDS OF CHAPEL STREET CEMETERY**
## Chapel Street, Eccleshill, Bradford Charity Reg. 1201823
The Trustees are pleased to present their first annual report together with its annual accounts for the year ending 31[st] March 2024.
The Trustees aims are to restore, repair and preserve the cemetery in a way that allows families and the general public to pay their respects to the people buried in the cemetery and to promote it as a place of historic interest and beauty for the public benefit.
Our volunteer work sessions have taken place throughout the year on at least two days per week. On behalf of the Trustees I would like to thank all of them for their support and for turning up in all weathers-without your help the cemetery would not be looking so well cared for and welcoming.
We commemorated the 200[th] anniversary of the opening of the cemetery last October and an open day was held in celebration. The event was well attended by 50-60 people, residents, friends, church officials from the United Reform Church and two past Lord Mayors of Bradford. The Rev J Kissack gave a short speech before the “Blessing” of the cemetery. A sundial was unveiled to mark the occasion. Whilst some visitors ventured off to explore the cemetery others enjoyed a cup of tea and home-made cakes. In all it was a very successful event, many visitors not knowing what to expect were astonished at the amount of work the “Friends” had achieved in such a short time.
An opportunity arose for us to purchase the cemetery as without ownership any control over the future of the cemetery was in jeopardy. In order to pay for the legal fees, we opened a Go Fund Me account and the response and generosity from local residents, friends and organisations enabled us to go ahead with the purchase of the cemetery. A massive thank you to all those who donated.
On the 15[th] March 2024 the “Friends of Chapel Street Cemetery” became the new owners of the cemetery and the Trustees are looking forward to a brighter and secure future to progress their aims and ideas.
Fund raising has continued throughout the year from tombola and table top sales at the local community centre to selling knitted animals containing a chocolate egg or sweets. We also received a grant from the Bradford Council Authority towards maintenance costs.
At our last Trustees meeting we decided on the amount to be held for our Charities Reserve Fund. This would be the surplus money that was collected by public donations for the payment of the legal costs relating to the purchase of the cemetery. This money will only be used if an emergency occurs or if the Charity has insufficient funds available to fulfil required expenditures for the coming year as per our Reserves Policy.
The Trustees have many ideas for the next year of which is applying to the Heritage Lottery for funding. We are hopeful that by 2025 all graves will have been uncovered and tidied with markers placed on those with no names.
Philip Thackray Chairman
## **FRIENDS OF CHAPEL STREET CEMETERY**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FROM 03/02/23 TO 31/03/24**
|**RECEIPTS**
DONATIONS
DONATIONS
GO FUND ME
SALES
FUND RAISE
GRANT
C.W.G.C.
SUNDRIES -REFUND
**PURCHASES**
MATERIALS
CONSULTANCY
PRINTING
LEGAL
SUBSCRIPTION
INSURANCE
OTHER EXPENSES
CEMETERY
**TOTAL**
OPENING BALANCE 03/02/23
BANK BALANCE AT 31/03/24
**CASH**
**RECEIPTS**
DONATIONS
121
FUND RAISE
117
**238**
**PURCHASES**
MATERIALS
68
**68**
**TOTAL**
**170**
OPENING BALANCE 03/02/23 -
**BALANCE AT 31/03/24**
**170**
|**UNRESTRICTED**
1732
250
790
40
150
**2962**
141
150
137
10
157
259
**854**
**2108**|**RESTRICTED**
3983
1642
495
**6120**
495
2824
1
**3320**
**2800**
**£**|**TOTAL**|**TOTAL**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||
|1732
3983
1642
250
790
495
40
150
**9082**
636
150
137
2824
10
157
259
1
**4174**
**4908**
**834**
**5742**|