## **FRIENDS OF CHAPEL STREET CEMETERY**
## Chapel Street, Eccleshill, Bradford Charity Reg. 1201823
The Trustees are pleased to present their third years annual report together with its annual accounts for the year ending 31/03/26.
The Trustees aims are to restore, repair and to 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.
Over the past year the Charity has had an exceptionally busy and productive period, marked by major restoration work, ongoing maintenance and improvements to the cemeteries facilities, all contributing directly to the preservation of an important historic community space.
In May we marked the 80[th] Anniversary of VE Day by placing poppies on the cemetery gate and adding a garland of poppies to the two CWGC war graves in the cemetery. It was our way of honouring all those who lost their lives in the war and ensuring their sacrifice is remembered.
A significant focus of the year was the construction of the inner retaining wall beneath the embankment. While builders worked on this project, other volunteers continued with the day to day care of the cemetery, ensuring the cemetery remained safe, tidy and welcoming for visitors. Work progressed steadily through last spring and into summer when the wall was finally completed. To mark this milestone, volunteers gathered for a small celebration of a fish and chip lunch. A commemorative plaque was fitted to the wall in recognition of this achievement.
Once the walling work was finished, work was focused on the old pathway that once led to the former Sunday School. Volunteers cleared accumulated stone and rubble away to prepare the ground for seeding. Our garden team planted a wide range of plants and bulbs along the embankment, helping to enhance biodiversity and create a colourful view point for those walking along Chapel Walk.
The wall on the top section of the cemetery had been vandalised years ago and although part of it had been repaired, it became another job for the volunteer builders. Thankfully this was completed before winter. A long standing issue we had was the lack of a permanent home for our tools and equipment. With the wall projects complete, the volunteer builders erected a small storage shed, just big enough for our tools and materials. Once this was completed the volunteer builders focused on repairing some of the damaged headstone in the cemetery.
We also attended to the much needed repairs of the cemetery gates, now 203 years old. This required a specialist company and we were able to find a local company to complete the works. The works were completed to a high standard, preserving an important historic feature for the next 203 years.
As most of the volunteers time as been taken up with assisting the builders with the wall building, we have not been able to do as much fundraising as we would have liked. We have had a steady flow of donations throughout the year and have been able to claim money back through Gift Aid.
We also received a grant from Bradford Metropolitan District Council which provided us with a much needed new mower.
None of this work would have been possible without the commitment of our volunteers, who turn out in all weathers to care for the cemetery. Their dedication has made this a safe and attractive place for the community. We have seen an increase in visitors this year, not just from local residents but also visitors travelling from afar, seeking family graves or researching their family history.
The Trustees and Volunteers are looking forward to another successful year, but hoping not as busy as this years.
## **FRIENDS OF CHAPEL STREET CEMETERY**
## **CHARITY NO. 1201823**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FROM 01/04/25 TO 31/03/26**
|**RECEIPTS**
DONATIONS
GIVING FUND
FUNDRAISE
GIFT AID
GRANT
REFUND
**PURCHASES**
GRAVEYARDPROJECT
VOLUNTEER EXPENSES
GARDEN MATERIALS
MATERIALS
MAINTENANCE/REPAIRS
EQUIPMENT
STATIONERY
INSURANCE
SUBSCRIPTION
DONATIONS
REFRESHMENTS
MISCELLANEOUS
BANK CHARGES
**TOTAL**
**BALANCE AT 01/04/25**
**BALANCE AT 31/03/26**|**UNRESTRICTED**
£ 2,375.86
£ 135.40
£ 169.60
£ 557.07
£ 25.00
**£ 3,262.93**
£ 1,577.21
£ 331.00
£ 189.04
£ 162.18
£ 807.60
£ 38.96
£ 83.14
£ 155.68
£ 20.00
£ 50.00
£ 104.20
£ 324.57
£ 9.00
**£ 3,852.58**
**-£ 589.65**|**RESTRICTED**
£ 399.00
**£ 399.00**
**£ 399.00**|**TOTAL**
£ 2,375.86
£ 135.40
£ 169.60
£ 557.07
£ 25.00
**£ 3,661.93**
£ 1,577.21
£ 331.00
£ 189.04
£ 162.18
£ 807.60
£ 38.96
£ 83.14
£ 155.68
£ 20.00
£ 50.00
£ 104.20
£ 324.57
£ 9.00
**£ 3,852.58**
**-£ 190.65**
**£ 5,847.06**
**£ 5,656.41**|
|---|---|---|---|
## **PETTY CASH RECEIPTS**
DONATIONS £ 220.85 **£ 220.85**
## **PURCHASES**
|MATERIALS|£ 123.32|
|---|---|
|GARDEN MATERIALS|£ 59.50|
|EQUIPMENT|£ 10.00|
|PETROL/OIL|£ 27.48|
|STATIONERY|£ 2.98|
|VOLUNTEER EXPENSES|£ 71.95|
|MISCELLANEOUS|£ 5.99|
||**£ 291.22**|
|**TOTAL**|**-£ 70.37**|
|**BALANCE AT 01/04/25**|**£ 103.76**|
|**BALANCE AT 31/03/26**|**£ 33.39**|
## **SAVINGS ACCOUNT – METRO BANK**
|**OPENING BALANCE**||**£ 2,808.90**|
|---|---|---|
|04/01/25 INTEREST|£ 2.03||
|05/01/25 “|£ 1.96||
|06/01/25 “|£ 2.03||
|07/01/25 “|£ 1.97||
|08/01/25 “|£ 2.03||
|09/01/25 “|£ 2.04||
|10/01/25 “|£ 1.97||
|11/01/25 “|£ 2.04||
|12/01/25 “|£ 1.97||
|01/01/26 “|£ 2.04||
|02/01/26 “|£ 2.04||
|03/01/26 “|£ 1.85||
|**TOTAL**|**£ 23.97**|**£ 2,808.90**|
|**BALANCE AT 31/03/26**|**£ 2,832.87**||