2024-12-31-accounts - Grow Lewisham

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

GROW LEWISHAM TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 2024

1[ST] January 2024 to 31[st] December 2024

Charity name: Grow Lewisham

Charity Registration Number: 1206030

1. Objectives and Activities

1.1 Summary of the purposes of the charity

To work towards all Lewisham residents and surrounding areas having access to regenerative urban growing spaces within their local areas.
To support the local and wider community by providing the skills and resources they need to support themselves and those in need to grow and share their knowledge of growing practices.
To provide fresh organic sustainable food to those most in need and who suffer from food poverty through linking up with community food providers e.g. food banks/ community kitchens.
To develop and increase regenerative urban growing to mitigate the effects of climate change through local production, reduced food miles, soil regeneration and increased biodiversity.
To work with partners to build a network that connects with existing food and growing groups to make a sustainable borough wide food system.
To promote community cohesion and mutual aid within the borough of Lewisham.

1.2 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.

The main activities of Grow Lewisham during 2024 have been:

Maintaining The Plot Community Garden
Supporting the Herbal Plot and other community growing spaces
Supporting and taking an active role in the Lewisham Food Growing Network
Recruiting and supporting volunteers
Campaigning for the ‘Right to Grow’ and to stop the use of herbicides / pesticides in Lewisham
Fundraising
Working with local partners and communities to promote local food growing
Running free workshops and events thereby increasing skills and supporting further activities
Becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with the Charity Commission and setting up required systems and policies, including improving our financial systems.
Creating a new community orchard space
Producing and delivering fresh produce to Lewisham Foodbanks

1.3 Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit

The Trustees have regarded the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

1.4 Additional information

Contribution made by volunteers:

Volunteers are involved across all of Grow Lewisham’s activities from the individual growing sites to the Steering Group. Whilst we keep records of numbers of volunteers attending sessions and activities we don’t at present record the numbers of hours monthly / annually that are contributed.

2. Achievements and Performance

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.

During 2024 Grow Lewisham achieved the following:

● The Plot

Holding workshops, regular gardening sessions and social events. Made links with Lewisham foodbank and grew and donated over 70kg of food crops. Connecting with local residents offering personal or communal growing space . We are increasing biodiversity with the renovated pond and are a partner of the London Blue Chain Project run by Froglife.

● The Orchard

We have started the preparations for the community orchard at the end of the Oldstead road allotment site. The plans were agreed. flood management and clearing took place and pathways agreed. Planting will take place in Autumn 25

● The Herbal Plot

The Herbal Plot involved residents and volunteers and has links with the sensory garden at Lewisham Hospital. It has extended further to incorporate an orchard area and more growing spaces around the carpark. Julian has completed a course with the Orchard Project, and has made further connections with local groups and organisations.

● Bridgehouse Gardens

Bridgehouse Gardens has grown into a forest garden, running regular gardening sessions for the local community. It has completed work on an outdoor classroom. BHG is working towards becoming independent of GL.

● Staffing and Volunteers

We employed two part time Lead Gardeners and a Project Manager with funding from the National Lottery - this extends until the end of 2025 giving us the opportunity to plan ahead. Based on the success and learning from this we are working on applications for further funding to increase the hours and duration of the posts. We were able to arrange and pay local practitioners to run free workshops over the sites. Workshops were attended by between 13 and 40 people per session.

● Working with local people, groups, communities and organisations

We have made links with the local community at the Plot, including The Queens Walking Group, local residents and the Oldstead Road Allotment Group, enabling us to consult on fruit trees and ideas for the Orchard. We are working with Lewisham Local on the Food Growing Network, linking different growing groups and organisations in the borough. We advised The National Trust on a community growing project at Sayes Court in Deptford, working with Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network, and have worked with artists, including featuring in a high profile exhibition at the Hayward Gallery focused on the environmental and climate crisis.

● Building a borough wide food growing network

We have been working with Lewisham Local to build a borough wide food growing network, connecting different growing groups together to share events, workshops, resources and best practice. We help support the quarterly network meetings that take place at different locations across the borough.

● Initiating and supporting campaigns

We have been involved in initiating and supporting the Right to Grow in Lewisham - coordinating and sharing ideas with other London Boroughs and Capital Growth. We have started mapping the borough to find suitable places and are working with LL. the food network and Lewisham councillors to push this forward and increase accessibility to Food Growing in the borough. We are supporting a campaign to ban the use of glyphosates by Glendale / LBL.

● Fundraising

We successfully secured National Lottery funding to recruit paid workers - a Project Manager and 2 Lead Gardeners. We were funded to build a new shed, providing paid carpentry workshops free to volunteers. We also started work on the outdoor kitchen.

The activities of Grow Lewisham have benefited Lewisham residents in the following ways:

Offering free accessible food and growing related activities, workshops and events
Providing free healthy organic food to volunteers and visitors
Increasing and sharing skills related to food
Activating and improving public green spaces
Working in partnership with other groups and organisations in order to maximise reach and benefit
Providing volunteering opportunities
Providing fresh produce to the most needy Lewisham residents.
Providing paid work opportunities
Providing activities and spaces that are welcoming and bring people together
Bringing resources into the Borough through fundraising.

3. Financial Review

See separate report – to be added here for submission to the Charity Commission

Annual Financial Statements

31 December 2024

Charity number 1206030

----- Start of picture text -----
Charity Name No (if any)
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
Period start Period end
For the date date
To
period from
1/1/2024 31/12/2024
----- End of picture text -----

Section A Receipts and payments

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts	Unrestric ted funds to the nearest £ 20 20 40 - -	Restricte d funds to the nearest £	Endowmen t funds to the nearest £	Total funds to the nearest £	Last year to the nearest £
Groundwork London		5,000	-	5,000	15,000
Lewisham Local			-	-	4,820
Metropolitan Parks and Gardens Association			-	-	1,013
National Lottery		19,640	-	19,640
Lewisham Homes			-	-
Transition Network		4,992	-	4,992
LB Lewisham			-	-
Donations		300		300	54
The Merchant Taylo Kathleen Faragher		1,770		1,770
	20			20
Teggin J T	20		-	20
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	40	31,702	-	31,742	20,887

A2 Asset and investment sales,(see table).
None in eitheryear	-	-	-	-	-

*Sub total*	-	-	-	-	-

Total receipts

31,742 20,887

31,702

A3 Payments

A3 Payments
Project management (Bridgehouse Gardens and GrowingNetwork)	115 50 142 359 - 35 42 8	600	-	600	13,810
Project management		1,722	-	1,722
Buildingmaterials		9	-	9	4,645
Coordinator role		300	-	300	4,413
Events		296	-	296	3,698
Workshop delivery		2,158		2,273	3,621
Leadgrower		1,275		1,275	2,475
Compost		293		343	641
Administrative		1,144		1,286	368
Seeds and plants		82		82	359
Insurance				359	303
Miscellaneous		-		-	83
Field trip		-		-	44
Fixed assets - bike		-	-	-	-
Rent		-	-	-	-
Fixed assets		-	-	-	-
Tools			-	35	-
Repairs		-	-	-	-
Transport		-	-	-	-
Garden sessions		300	-	300	-
Materials		401	-	401	-
Materials/refreshments		1,012	-	1,012	-
Refreshments		5	-	47	-
Workshop		1,323	-	1,323	-
Workshopmaterials			-	8	-
Workshop BHG		525	-	525	-
Workshops		552	-	552	-
*Sub total* A4 Asset and investment purchases,(see table)	751 -	11,997	- -	- 12,748	- 34,460
	- - - 751
Grow Lewisham bike		-	-	-
Herbal Plot infrastructure		-	-	-
*Sub total* *Total payments*		-	-	-	-
		11,997	-	12,748	34,460
*Net of* *receipts/(payments)* - 711 A5 Transfers between funds -
		19,705	-	18,994	- 13,573
		-	-	-	-

A6 Cash funds last
year end	1,745		3,254	-	4,999	18,545
*Cash funds this year*
*end*	1,034	0	22,959	-	23,993	4,972
Section B Statement of
assets and liabilities at
the end of theperiod

A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year* *end*	1,745		3,254	-	4,999	18,545
	1,034	0	22,959	-	23,993	4,972
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of theperiod
Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets	Details			Unrestricte d funds to nearest £	Restricted funds to nearest £	Endowme nt funds to nearest £
	Grow Lewisham bank account			1,034	22,960	-
				-	-	-
				-	-	-
	*Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details*			1,034	22,960	-
				OK	Agreement Error	OK
				Unrestricte d funds to nearest £	Restricted funds to nearest £	Endowme nt funds to nearest £
	None.			-	-	-
				-	-	-
				-	-	-
				-	-	-
				-	-	-
				-	-	-
	Details			Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional)	Current value (optional)
	None.				-	-
					-	-
					-	-
					-	-
					-	-
	Details			Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional)	Current value (optional)

B4 Assets retained	Grow Lewisham bike	Restricted		3,361	-
for the charity’s own	Herbal Plot infrastructure	Restricted		459	-
use
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
		Fund to		Amount due	When due
		which liability		(optional)	(optional)
	Details	relates
B5 Liabilities	None.			-
				-
				-
				-
				-
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Signature	Print	Name		Date of approval
	K Shipp	Kathryb Shipp			4/4/2025
	I Slater	Imogen Slater			4/4/25

Charity Name Receipts and payments accounts

No (if any)

Period start date Period end date 1/1/2024 To 31/12/2024

CC16a

For the period from

Unrestricted funds to the nearest £

Restricted Endowment funds funds Total funds

to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £

A1 Receipts

A1 Receipts
Groundwork London	5,000			-	5,000
Lewisham Local				-	-
Metropolitan Parks and Gardens Association				-	-
National Lottery		19,640		-	19,640
Lewisham Homes				-	-
Transition Network		4,992		-	4,992
LB Lewisham				-	-
Donations		300			300
The Merchant Taylo	1,770				1,770
Kathleen Faragher	20				20
Teggin J T *Sub total(Gross income*	20			-	20
*for AR)*	6,810	24,932		-	31,742
~~A2 Asset and investment~~
sales, (see table).
None in eitheryear	-	-		-	-
	-	-		-	-
*Sub total*	-	-		-	-

*Total receipts*	6,810	24,932	-		31,742

A3 Payments

Project management(Bridgehouse Gardens and Growi	Project management(Bridgehouse Gardens and Growi	N 600	-	600
Project management		1,722	-	1,722
Buildingmaterials		9	-	9
Coordinator role		300	-	300
Events		296	-	296
Workshopdelivery	115	2,158		2,273
Leadgrower		1,275		1,275
Compost	50	293		343
Administrative	142	1,144		1,286

Seeds andplants			82	82			82
Insurance	359						359
Miscellaneous			-				-
Field trip	-		-				-
Fixed assets - bike			-		-		-
Rent			-		-		-
Fixed assets			-		-		-
Tools	35				-		35
Repairs			-		-		-
Transport			-		-		-
Garden sessions			300		-		300
Materials					-		401
Materials/refreshments			1,012		-		1,012
Refreshments	42		5		-		47
Workshop			1,323		-		1,323
Workshopmaterials	8				-		8
WorkshopBHG			525		-		525
Workshops			552		-		552
*Sub total*	751	-	11,997	-	-	-	12,748
Grow Lewisham bike - Herbal Plot infrastructure *Sub total* - *Total payments* 751 *Net of receipts/(payments)* 6,059 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 1,745 *Cash funds this year end* 7,804 0 A4 Asset and investment ~~purchases, (see table)~~			- - - 11,997 12,935 - 3,254 16,189		- - - - - - - -
							-
							-
							-

							12,748

	6,059		12,935		-		18,994
	-		-		-		-
	1,745		3,254		-		4,999
	7,804	0	16,189		-		23,993

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the pe Categories Details Unrestricted Restricted to nearest £funds to nearest £funds B1 Cash funds Grow Lewisham bank account 7,804 16,190 - - - - Total cash funds 7,804 ~~Agreement~~ 16,190 (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) OK Error Unrestricted Restricted funds funds

to nearest £

B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use	Details None. Details None. Details Grow Lewisham bike Herbal Plot infrastructure Details None.	to nearest £ - - - - - - Restricted Restricted Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which ~~liability relates~~	to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Cost(optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Cost(optional)
			3,361
			459
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Amount due
			- ~~(optional)~~
			-
			-
			-
			-

Signed byone or two trustees	Signature	Print Name
~~on behalf of all the trustees~~

The account for the year 2024 shows a positive financial outcome and a continuo grown in activity. A compared with £20,887 in the previous year 2023 it shows an increase of 52%.This raise suggest m £19,640 and the transition network £4,992.

Total expenditure decreased significantly from £34,460 to £12,748, reflecting lower project and mate were completed in the previous period.

As a result, the Organization achieved a net surplus of £18,994, healthy result and improved reserve The year end cash balance increased from £4,999 to £23,993, showing improved liquidity and good tricted funds for specific project, and £7,804 represents unrestricted funds available for general use.

Grow Lewisham Charity holds no liabilities at the end of the financial year, and all income and expen for accuracy.

Overall, the figures indicate a healthy financial position with good prospects for continuing operations

Last year to the nearest £

15,000 4,820 1,013 54 20,887

20,887

13,810 4,645 4,413 3,698 3,621 2,475 641 368

359 303 83 44 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34,460

34,460 -13,573 - 18,545 4,972

riod Endowment to nearest £funds - - - - OK Endowment funds

to nearest £

Current value (optional)

Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - -

When due ~~(optional)~~

~~Date of~~ approval 9/1/2025

As the table above shows Gross income of £31,742, ainly due to the income received from National Lottery

erial costs during the year as several major projects

es.

financial managment of this, £16,189 relates to res-

nditure have been checked against underlying record