FRIENDS OF SANDFORD PARK sandtordpark +r Sends uk/ 2023-24ANNUAL REPORTTO THE CHARITYCOMMISSION 1. REFERENCE &ADMINisfRATIVE DEfAILS The Friends ol Sandford Parks {FOSP) is a Charit8ble Incorporated Organisation ICIOI that was registered on 22 May2023, and its registered charity number Is 1203191. Thls report cover8 the accounting period from 22 May 2023 until 31 August 2024. FOSP'S registered address and principal office address is: 4 BeLgravia Court, 116 London Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. GL52 6HJ The current FOSPTrustees are: Richard Dominic Dickenswooley-chair, appointed 22 May2023 Anne Evans OBE. MA-Wice Chair, appointed 22 May2023 Celia Mary Macnab, appointed 22 May2023 Kenneth Charles Lynton Ross. CC Contact appointed 22 May 2023 NigelGilhead. appointed 24July2023 lan Alexandefjohnstone. Treasurerappointed 14 October 2024. Barbara May served as a trustee from July 2023 until March 2024.
- sfRUCTURE. GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMEMr The Friends of Sandford Park IFOSP) was e$tab'shed as an unincorporated membership group in 2014. The members conductfund raising. litter picking and park maintenance activities. FOSP liaises with Cheltenham Borough Council and campaigns to preserve and enhance the Parks'facilities. With revenue exceeding £5.000. it became necessaryto registerthe organisation as a charity and, in May 2023, FOSP was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation {ClO). FOSP is an independent CIO and is governed by a constitution that closelyfollows the Charity Commission's Model Constitution fora CIO wtth 8 Voting membership ('Association Model Constitution'l. General Meetings forthe membership are held qU8rterly, and the trustees meet everyfourto sixweeks to manage the charity's activrties. The Constitution requires a minimum of fourtrustees. In August 2024, FOSP'S membership included 74 subscribing members and 11 honorary members. FOSP has no 8mpioye8s and does not own or lease any land or buildings. FOSP'S 8ssetS are limited to cash funds plus materials and equipment. Thetotalvalue ofthe materials and equipment is less that £200. As FOSP'S gross income is less than £500,000, the charity's accounts have been prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis and have been subjected to an independent examination.
- OBJECTIVES AND ACTivrriES General FOSP'S Obj8Ctlves are for the benefit of the inhabitants of Cheltenham and the surrounding area ("the area Ot benefit") to provide or assist in the provision of facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupation in the interests of socialwelfare with the object of improvingtheir conditions of tife forthe inh8bitants of the area of benefit in particular but not exclusively bythe preserrfation. promotion. support, assistance and Improvement of Sandford Parks. FOSP raises fundsfor Park infr8Structure such as lighting. exercise equipment, seating and table tennis tables. We al80 raisefundsfor planting and horticultural restoration. Our members helpwith park maintenance and conduct regular litter picking. We are currently campaigningto raisefunds for installing heritage infomiation signs and for upgradingthe Sandford Park playground. FOSP liaise closelywith the Cheltenham Borough Council {CBC) who own and manage the Sandford Parks.
2023-24 Activities The Friends of Sandford Parks (FOSP) has experienced a successful 2023-24financial year. Our membership numbers have increased, as have our local helperswho volunteerfor monthly gardening and forfortnightly litter picking. Our Ioc81 community has expressed thanks and pride in the care of their two local parks. FOSP has raised its profile through regular newsletters and social media, resulting in being a respected voice in the community. It is one ofthe four chosen charities to contribute to and benefit from the Cheltenham Mayor's fundraising. Since May 2023, we have se8n the installation of Phase One Fitness equipment. consisting of four items of outdoor exercise equipment. This phase was secured via 8 grant of £2,000 from the CBC Coronation fund and £4,770 from the funds that Were transferred from the FOSP Membership Group tothe FOSP CIO in May 2023. The success of Phase One was followed by furtherfundraisingfor PhaseTwo, bringing in additionalfunds of £7.087 which purchased additional mobility and wheelchair accessible items. We wish to express our particularthanks to the Gloucestershire Disability Fund and to Cheltenham Round Table forth8ir grants of £2.500 and £3.200. FOSP provided a further £1.386 usingthe surplus from our2022Jubile8 Jolly event. We Tesponded to a community request, conducted careful research and applied for funds to enable the'safer Sandford. lighting project to take place. The award of a grant tor £13.000 from the Cheltenham Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy Fund 2023 was matched by a grant of £13,000 forsaferstreets from the Office of the Police Crime Commissioner IOPCCI plus a contribution of £3,000 from Gloucestershire County Council IGCCI. The result is six new streetlightswhich line pathways and make the park routes safer afterdark. Afurther grant of £7,400 was awarded from GCC'S Build Back Better fund forthe installation of security bollard8 at park entrances. These became important after Several incursions by tr8veller8 who had taken up residence in Sandford Park. Ourthanks also go to the Jockeyclub's Gold Cup 100 Fund for £2,000 for new park seats and to Cheltenham North Rotary Club fortheir £800 donation towards seating. Cheltenham North Rotary Club also donated purple crocus bulbsvthich were planted by pupils of Stjohn's School in the autumn of 2023. More were added last autumn as part of Rotary's campaign to eradicate polio across the world. FOSP is one ofthe Mayorof Cheltenham's (2024-25) charities and 88 such, is involving our members In several activities. A large music event in the p8rkwas held in September 2024 but some ofthe revenue and expendtture relates to this financialyear. Similarly, an event involving Dame Prue Leith is led by FOSP butwill be reported next year. It has been an active period forthe Friends of Sandford Parks and marks ourfirst accountingyear as a regTStered charity. Ouraim is to enhance opportunitiesfor all our
local community, regardless of age and ability. in orderthat they may benefit from local resources. We are proud to be achievingthese aims and bringingadded value to our local community. 4. ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCE Duringthe 15-month accounting period. we applied for and received restricted grants totalling £30,900. Our other receipts totalled £8,834. We contributed £33.560 to five separate projects within the Sanford Parks. In May 2023. we received £6,758 as the balance of funds from the FOSP Membership Group and at the end of the accounting period we had a balance of £4.797, including £394 in our general account. During this financial period. our subscribing membership increased from 64 to 74. Our members completed numerous litter picks. monthly park maintenance activities and duringthe last three months, they were involved in preparingforthe Mu8ic event that was held in Sandford Park (East) on 8 September 2024. In 2023, Sandford Parks secured a national Green Flag award, and a new flagpole w8S erected in early 2025. We now hope to workwith Cheltenham Borough Councilto secure Green Heritage status in 2025. 5. FINANCIAL REVIEW The total receipts for the accounting period up to 31# August amounted to £39,734. This figure includes restricted funds totalling£38.575 and £1,159 in unrestricted funds. Included within these figures are £6,157 in restricted and £601 in unrestricted funds received in May2023 from the prevlous FOSP Membership Group. The tot81 expenditure amounted to É34,937. including £33,560 of restricted funds that contributed to five projects within the Parks. £611 of restricted funds were used for fundraising expenses and £766 of unrestricted funds were spent on publicity and administrative expense8. Cash funds at the end of the financialyearamounted to £.4797. This figure is comprised of £4,404 in restricted funds and £394 in unrestricted funds. FOSP seeks to ensure that membership subscriptions are sufficient to cover our general and marketing costs. However. for this financialyearoursubscription income was £448, and our total unrestricted costs amounted to £766. Our Reserves Policy is to ensure thatthere are sufficient unrestricted funds to cover general and marketing costs for at least six months. TheTrustees considerthai a
reserve of £200 is sufficientforthis purpose. Expenditure on charitsble projects is always limited to the restricted fund that have been received. 6. FUNDS HELD AS CUSTODIAN TRusfEES ON BEHALF OF OTHERS Each charity project is separately accounted for. and the pertinent details are as follows: Exerclse Equlpment Project- Phase I In May 2023. we received restricted funds for this project from the previous FOSP Membership Group in the sum of £6.157. These funds were comprised of £3.357 raised from the Jubilee Jolly event held in June 2022. a surplus of £1.800 from theirTable Tennls project and £1,000 in private donations. In July 2023, we also received 8 grant of £2,000 from CBC'S Coronation Fund. In September 2023, four items of outdoor exercise equipment were installed in Sandford Park (East) at a cost of £6,770. leaving a balance of £1,387 to help fund Phase 11 of this project. Safer Sandford Lighting Project In August 2023, were athqsed that FOSP'S grant application to the Cheltenham Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy {CIL} Fund had been successfuL FOSP were awarded £13,000 tOW8rds the Safer Sandtord Lights'ng project. This project resulted from several years of campaigning for impre0 'gfvting within the park and involved the installation of six new lights. The instsllation work w88 carried out by Gloucestershire County Council {GCC) in March 2024 at a total cost of about £29,000. To avoid liability insurance costs. th8 FOSP awardfunds were held in trust by CBC until payment was made to GCC in April 2024. Securlty BoUard8 Project Due to the intNsion of unauthorised caravan campers wbthin San(Iford PaFk (East), 8 project for installing additional security bollards was quickly arranged and FOSP received a successful grant application from the CBC'S Build Back Better fund in the sum of £7.400 in February 2024. This amount was paid to CBC after they had completed the instslL8tion work in March 2024. Exercise Equipment Project- Phase11 Phase11 of this project involved the instalLation of four addrtional items of outdoor exercise equipment, the of which are designed for disabled users. The contract cost for installingthis equipment amounted to £7.829. A total of £7.087 vS raised by FOSP for this phase of the project. This sum is comprised of a grant of £2.500 from the Gloucestershire Disability Fund,
a grant of £3.200 from Cheltenh8m Round Table (CRTI and £690 from the residual funds from Phase l. CBC paid the balance of the invoiced costs in the sum of £742. The CRT grant was paid directly to CBC. In December 2024, FOSP'S remaining bance of Phase I funds, in the sum of £697, was paid to CBC as a contribLrtion towards the cost of providing signs for usage instnjctions and donor recognition. Park Bench Project In J8nuary 2024, we received an £800 grantfrom Cheltenham Rotary and in May 2024 we received a don8tion of £2.000 from the Jockeyclub's Gold Cup 100 fund. Th8S8 sums will be used to payfortwo wooden park benches thatwere installed in Sandford Park (Westl by CBC in late 2024. 7. PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT The purpose of FOSP is to help ensure thatthe Sanford Park8 retain their amentyvalue forthe health 8nd benefit of park users and other inter8Sted members of the public. Membership of FOSP does not provide any privileges other than wh8t is 8V8ilable to the public. Based upon the Charity Commissions Guidance document (PB11, the Trustees believe that FOSP has complied with section 4 of the 2006 Charities Act. Signed on behalf of the FOSP Trustee8 . Kenneth C L Ross Trustee Dated: lan Ajohnstone Trustee & TreasureT Dated:
CHARITY COMM15510N FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES FWENDS OF SANDFORD PARKS (FOSPI Receipts and payments accounts CC16a 22th1ty.23 To 31-A-24 Section A Receipts and payments fur$ funth funds Total fund• Lasty8ar 10 th• n••r••t £ A1 Recelpts Funds transferred Irun Memberslm Gr Donatsoro anis. LoGal Aulhthiti Grants. OlhBr Chadl (Sr8Trts-QherOr9ankialion$ MUc+ Fundr•i8iNJ Evelll M•ntrs' SubscTppbDns 6,151 6.758 110 22,400 8.500 2,0 1,518 448 Sub total (Gross income forARJ A2 A••et and Inv8stm•nt •41u. (••• None Sub total Tot* recelpts 38.675 ?9.734 A3P mants Qonvral & Matheling Eyn Clwrity Prohth Pay11 Fur¥Jiai81 Event Website E 33.560 011 n8•s Sub totsl 7¢6 ¥171 34,937 A4 A•••t and Inv••knont purchu••, (J tsbl$ Sub total Totalpaym•nts 7M 34.171 34,937 Net ofr6cWpts/(payMtsJ AS Transf•r8 b•iw••n funds A6 Cash lunds last y¢ar end Cash funds thls y••r end 4.797 4797 Dated 20 Ou. 2024 FOSP 202>24A(counts for CCAnnual Retum June 2025
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Restrl¢t•d funds to nearnt£ Endowm•nl fun(ts b) rt¥8sl£ Bl Cash funLts Mujw Ent Fj Bth FuThJ T¢) cash funds 394 Endowm•nt fvnd• lund8 fund• Dots1 to r•Aar•Bt£ B2 Other monotary asJ•t8 Fund iolh Curr•nt valve tloNI Details Co•llOpllrI1} B3 Invo•tm•nt a88ets Fuhd towhleb wyenl YUl D•tsl Ca¥t IWOMII B4 A889ts rntslngd for tho chafftf• own u80 Dotsil• Fd to thl¢b IVkn•n du• onal 1•7 86 Llabllltl 907 2Q SvJn•d by om or trustee• ffof4th• Dalo of roval SvJnatsJi¢ PTlnl Name KCLR roth C L ROBB 041C¢12026 Lgn A Johnslone lan A Johnslona 0410612025 Dated 20 Oct. 2024 FOSP 202>24 Accourfsfor CC Annual Return June 2025
Independent examiner's report to the trustees ot The Friends of S8ndft>rd Park$ (FOSP) I report to the trustees on my examination ofthe accounts of The Friends of Sandford Parks (FOSPI for the year ended 31 August 2025. Re8ponslbiliti88 and basls of report As the charity trustees of FOSP you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 20111'theAct'). I report In respect of myexamination ofthe Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 ofthe 2011 Act and in carrying out myexamination I have followed allthe applicable Directions given bythe Charity Commission under section 145(5)Ibl ofthe Act. Independent examlner's statsment I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matter8 h8ve come to my attention in connection with the ex8minatlon giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of theTrust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the account8 do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to hich attention Should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper und8rs din he accounts to be reached. Signed: Name: C1&T1 . Relevant professional qualification or membership of profession81 bodies {if any): Address: 23 J L49 QJ4T¥4 A C4 ÉLF4. G Los 7(*& Date: