Wrexham Community Gardeners
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
www.wrexhamcommunitygardeners.org
Registered Charity no. 1206584
WELCOME TO OUR ANNUAL REVIEW OF 2024
This report marks the end of our first year which has been both exciting and inspiring.
The Plan
Our idea was very simple. We wanted to improve the courtyards and gardens at Wrexham Maelor Hospital for the benefit of all patients, staff and visitors. We were aware of the many proven benefits of green spaces around hospitals but also of the restrictions on the finances of hospitals making the cost of providing these prohibitive and we hoped that as community group we could make a difference.
We Registered as a Charity
We started the year by successfully registering with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with three trustees and, having met with twenty-five diverse members of the local community who expressed an interest in getting involved, we awaited a contract with Betsi Cadwalladr University Health Board (BCUHB) that would allow us to begin work.
We Applied For Funding
We were fortunately successful in applying for a number of funds which helped us acquire the tools and equipment essential to our task.
We Began Work
On Saturday June 1st we gathered in the hospital gardens for the first time under the guidance of a professional gardener, who had volunteered to help us, to begin the arduous task of weeding. The weather on that day was kind and a total of twelve volunteers came to help. Thus began our year of gardening.
WE PLAN & WE GROW
Throughout 2024 we have continued to progress by recruiting more volunteers and during the year a total of 48 people volunteered with us .
We have also begun to develop a community garden on a piece of land within the hospital grounds to allow us to grow and propagate plants for the hospital gardens and to grow vegetables for distribution within the community.
As we move into 2025 we look forward with confidence.
Our plans include exploring how we can make room for nature within the hospital grounds to increase biodiversity.
We also plan to hold events to promote our work and make more people aware of the opportunities to volunteer with us.
After planting more than 12,000 bulbs and 4,000 plants we are excited to see the difference during Spring and Summer and hope we may be successful participants in next year’s Wales in Bloom.
But what is most important to us is the pleasure and benefits the gardens will bring to everyone.
TREASURER’S REPORT
In our first year we have been fortunate to attract sufficient funding to support all the work that we had planned. This funding has also allowed us to purchase tools and equipment which will allow us to be suitably equipped for the long term.
We have succeeded in keeping our revenue costs low consisting only of our public liability insurance and these costs have been covered through sales of donated plants and other items.
We currently have two bank accounts with Lloyds but the first one will be closed once we are confident that all payments to it are completed. We are expecting a refund of funds for planting paid for that is now unsuitable and these funds will be used to purchase alternative plants.
With two additional funding bids being recently approved with a total of £23,000, and with a current invitation to apply for a further £30,000, income for the work we plan in 2025 is assured. This along with the promise of continued donations of plants from M&S to sell along with plans to grow plants for sale we are confident that any costs not covered by funding will be covered by income from these sales. In 2024 we have achieved an income of almost £3,000 through these sales alone.
Our end of year accounts have been prepared for us by Blue Stone Accountancy.
Wrexham Community Gardeners
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Financial Statements
For the Year Ended
30th November 2024
Wrexham Community Gardeners Income and Expenditure Accounts For the Year Ended 30th November 2024
| Receipts Donations Moondance Foundation PACT SPF 3 Counties Card Sales Plant Sales Table Sales Payments Purchases non restricted SPF Expenses PACT Expenses 3 Counties Expenses Small Tools unrestricted Volunteer Expenses Advertising Repairs and Renewals Equipment Hire Printing, Postage and Stationary Insurance Entertainment Accountancy Miscellaneous |
2024 Restricted £ 0 0 2,467 24,310 1,449 0 0 0 |
Unrestricted £ 715 1,331 0 0 0 133 108 2170 4,457 1,496 0 0 0 192 137 38 567 167 479 327 201 394 6 |
Total £ 1,496 23,745 2,514 1,446 192 137 38 567 167 479 327 201 394 6 715 1,331 2,467 24,310 1,449 133 108 2170 32,683 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28226 | |||
| 0 23,745 2,514 1,446 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 , |
|||
| 27,705 | 4,004 | 31,709 | |
| 521 | 453 | 974 |
Surplus/Deficit for the year
Wrexham Community Gardeners Legal and Administrative Information For the Year Ended 30th November 2024
Trustees:
Ruth Marianna Tesdale (Chair) (Appointed 29.12.23) Margaret Diaper (Appointed 29.12.23) Joshua Michael Collo (Appointed 12.2.24) Elaine Jennings (Appointed 19.2.24) Joshua Alexander Jones (Appointed 22.2.24) Mat Rhys-Roberts (Appointed 11.5.24) Stephen Allan Jones (Appointed 11.10.24)
Charity Number : 1206584 Address: 1 Oak Meadows Tanyfron Wrexham L11 5TH Accountant: Blue Stone Accountants Penventon Mill Treviskey Lanner Redruth TR16 6AS
Bankers: Lloyds Bank Plc
Wrexham Community Gardeners
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
For the Year Ended 30th November 2024
| 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |||
| Assets: | ||||
| Lloyds Treasurer First Account | 21,353 | |||
| Lloyds Treasurer Second Account | 15 | |||
| 21,368 | ||||
| Liabilities: | ||||
| Deferred Income | 20,000 | |||
| Accruals | 394 | |||
| 20,394 | ||||
| Assets less Liabilities | 974 | |||
| Represented By: | ||||
| Balance b/fwd | 0 | |||
| Net surplus for the Year | 974 | 974 |
Accounts Approved by _ Ru _ th _ M _ T _ es _ d _ al _ e ( _ De _ c _ 18 _ , _ 20 _ 24 _ 1 _ 2: _ 33 _ G _ M _ T) _____
Date
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