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2021-12-31-accounts

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

CONTENTS Page
Charity Information 2
Annual Trustees’ Report 3-8
Statement of Financial Activities 9
Balance Sheet 10
Notes to the Financial Statements 11-15
Independent Examiner’s Report 16

Registered Charity No. 208080

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Hardy Plant Society

Report & Financial Statements 2021

CHARITY INFORMATION

Trustees Sally Adams Karen Gimson Lynne Hackett Peter Howard Tricia Newton Heather Farquhar From September 2021 Graham Farquhar From September 2021 Catherine Part Anna Peacock To September 2021 Keith Scott Chairman Jan Vaughan To September 2021 Pamela Clark From September 2021 Vice Chairman Pamela Clark To September 2021 Hon. Treasurer Stuart Senior Joint Hon. Helen Curtis Secretary Linda Hall From November 2021 Office Manager Clare Powell

Charity Registration No. 208080 VAT Registration No. 472-9285-14

Registered Office 3 Basepoint Business Centre, Crab Apple Way, EVESHAM, WR11 1GP Haines Watts Worcester Limited, Independent 6 Abbey Lane Court, Abbey Lane, Examiner EVESHAM, WR11 4BY

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

The Trustees present their Annual Report and the Financial Statements of the Society for the year ended 31 December 2021 in compliance with current statutory requirements and the charity’s governing documents.

Status

The Society is registered by the Charity Commission as a charity (number 208080) and operates under the provisions of a Constitution approved by AGM on 26/03/2011 and amended at AGMs on 30/03/2019 and 31/07/2020.

The objects for which the Society was established are to:

Trustees

The Society is managed by a committee of Trustees comprising up to twelve members each elected for a period of four years, plus any co-opted members and, additionally, four officers who are elected annually.

Activities

Introduction

The continued restrictions of the Covid pandemic presented many challenges for The Hardy Plant Society. However, as the year progressed, and lockdown restrictions eased, Local and Special Interest Groups put tentative toes in the water in re-establishing in-person meetings, albeit with restricted numbers. Most continued to use Zoom technology for members’ and committee meetings. Sadly, two groups, Correspondents and Half Hardy closed at the end of the year due to dwindling numbers and lack of volunteers to become Officers.

Yet again, the in-person national AGM was cancelled and was held online, this year in August for the first time following an agreed date change, away from the previous Spring meetings. Our President, Roy Lancaster, took part and gave an energizing talk on the joy of studying plants even when restricted to his local area.

Most noteworthy was the continued delivery of all national Society services and members’ benefits during the year and thanks are due to Office Staff, Trustees, and Postholders for their continued commitment.

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The Office Systems upgrade continued. The national and local websites provided information on activities and online meetings, while the Newsletter and Cornucopia continued to update members on what was happening around the country. The Journal is held in high regard by all for the quality of its writing and for its photography. The Publications programme continued with the updating and republishing of the Euphorbia booklet: a new booklet on Paeonies is promised for 2022. The Seed Distribution Scheme found innovative and safe ways to collate seed donations, record them, and organize distribution to fulfil members’ orders. Remaining seed was donated to schools, community groups, and charities. The Bursary scheme received almost no applications as educational studies continued to be disrupted and travel plans were cancelled. The Conservation Scheme was able to have an in-person meeting, thus facilitating the distribution of plants to the various local conservation schemes.

There was a significant change to the role of Hon. Secretary. It was split into two distinct functions – one supporting the Office and the other supporting the Trustees. It was intended, by this change, to manage the often heavy workload more effectively and to be less burdensome on any one individual. For the first time the Society appointed a Librarian/Archivist to take the lead in managing the Society’s documents, particularly the disparate and dispersed historical records.

The Society continued to monitor any impact on membership numbers during the pandemic and proposes an analysis of the situation in the early months of 2022.

The Office

The new office systems, installed in 2020, have enabled remote working and our Administrator, Clare Powell, was able to answer membership enquiries, provide mailing lists and perform many key tasks while working from home when the office closed during lockdowns. The financial system, Xero, works well, but more work is required to embed the member management system Infoodle. Initially, some data transferred from the old system did not provide reports in the correct format for HMRC, but, after lengthy data cleansing, this has now been rectified. A process mapping exercise continues; it is hoped that this will clarify and streamline office processes and will provide the basis for an office manual in 2022.

We have purchased a second computer screen for dual screen working. The old printer broke down at a crucial time while Clare was processing orders for the seed distribution scheme; a reconditioned printer contract has been negotiated at a more favourable rate.

HPS Journal

In recent issues, an effort has been made to improve the images, mainly by making them bigger! As ever, the editor never knows whether enough material will come in the door in time for publication. But the new feature on Garden writing seems to have proved popular, so he will carry on with that. Feedback from members, although limited, has generally been favourable.

Sadly, Cathy Rollinson, who has very kindly and expertly proof-read all the Journal articles up until now, is stepping back due to an increasing workload elsewhere. Luckily, Alison Tracy, who has helped Marion Jay in the past with the Cornucopia, has offered her expertise. And the Journal continues to benefit from fact checking par excellence from Charles Quest-Ritson.

Finally, HPS’s very own rising star, Nadine Mitschunas, HPS blogger, crack photographer and winner of the BBC Gardeners’ World ‘Garden of the Year’ award for her allotment, has written in greater detail about some of her favourite plants in the upcoming issue. Something to look forward to.

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Newsletter

Production of the society’s long-standing newsletter – albeit in its new format – continued unabated in 2021. Pagination rose from 36 pages in the February edition to 40 pages for the July and November publications. Several local groups across England, Wales and Scotland now contribute regularly.

External support for prizes for the new regular competition was gained from Cranesbill Nurseries in Walsall, Niwaki secateurs, RHS award-winning Hardy’s Cottage Plants in Hampshire and Bressingham Books. Entries have more than doubled since the featured debuted in 2020. Coverage of many of the society’s services continues and, during 2021, included a detailed look at the Kenneth Black Bursary Scheme, the society’s Ranunculaceae Group, the growth of the society’s Photo Library and the nine booklets produced over the last decade or so, covering a wide range of perennials – which resulted in a surge in orders.

Throughout the last 18 months, exquisite front-cover pictures have been supplied by Shropshire HPS member and keen photographer Marian Goody, to whom a debt of gratitude is owed.

Booklets

Sales of booklets have been good over the last year. The feature in the February Newsletter was very helpful in reminding members of the range of topics we cover. During the spring 2021 Don Witton updated his booklet on Euphorbias and this was republished in early summer with new information and many more excellent photographs. Similarly, during the Autumn Gail Harland updated the peonies booklet and this will be available in the new year, again with many more beautiful photographs. Gail also submitted a proposal to the Trustees for a new booklet on Snowdrops. The proposal was accepted, and work has begun.

Cornucopia

Cornucopia subscriptions have increased slightly, despite the price rise in 2020. The printing process for the magazine will be put out to tender in 2022, as the Editor has announced her intention to step down later this year.

A few hundred extra copies of each issue of Cornucopia are usually printed to hand out at HPS shows and exhibitions, but the pandemic has caused many of those events to be cancelled and recently it has been difficult to gauge how many surplus copies to print each time. That figure is still under consideration. As extra copies are very expensive to print it is preferable to have too many rather than too few, but not so many that they bung up vital shelf space in the HPS Office.

The dynamics of Local Group newsletters has changed since the pandemic began. Some groups ceased to produce newsletters altogether, preferring to send out basic news via email bulletins. Others did the opposite, encouraging their members to write on a regular basis, creating a rich vein of material for future issues of Cornucopia in the process.

Seed Distribution

The seed distribution scheme has largely returned to pre-Covid arrangements. There were fewer donations this year, but it was pleasing to note an increase in the number of new donors. The phytosanitary certification has not deterred two of our members from the US, who have been willing to pay for their certificates in order to receive HPS seed. Certification for seeds to Europe is not due to come in to force until March and so will not affect this year’s scheme.

The focus for the coming year will be to devise ways of promoting Seed Distribution to a wider audience and to encourage more members to engage with the scheme either as donors or with seed ordering.

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Conservation

The Conservation Scheme was able to hold a face-to-face meeting in 2021, something not possible in 2020. Local group co-ordinators were able to exchange plants, thus ensuring distribution of plants across the country, helping to keep rarer cultivars available. Talks were given to two local groups not currently involved in the scheme to raise awareness and interest. At least one of the groups is now going to start their own local team of conservation growers. Members are kept informed of conservation activities through articles in the HPS journal, on the national HPS website and the Conservation Facebook page.

Shows & Events

The unpredictability of circumstances around lockdowns and restrictions meant that virtually no shows were planned by organisers in which HPS members could participate. Arrangements were put in hand for an Annual Lecture Day and AGM, but at the point where they needed to be confirmed, there was too much uncertainty concerning travel from different parts of the country, whether hotels would be open for those needing overnight accommodation and how the event could be organised with social distancing requirements. Disappointingly for all concerned, the decision was taken to cancel the event and hold a virtual AGM instead.

Website

In another year affected by the Covid-19 pandemic the HPS website has been invaluable in keeping members and the public up to date with happenings and cancellations. In addition, we have two regular monthly blogs by members and other ad-hoc items.

There were some 40 on-line talks organised by various groups listed on a page created for that purpose, so that the talks were open to other groups and the public: there are already six on-line talks listed for 2022.

The Kenneth Black Bursary Scheme

During 2021 the Bursary the scheme continued to suffer from a shortage of applications due to the pandemic. Seven awards were made totalling £4,750 (£8,960 in 2020) but this well down on a ‘normal’ year e.g. £22,318 in 2019. The fund was augmented by the generosity of the Correspondents and Half Hardy groups which closed this year. Their final bank balances of £3,390 in total were transferred to the scheme.

Finance

Financial outcome 2021

2021 was very much like the previous year from a financial point of view with the pandemic again limiting our normal discretionary expenditure: the shows and bursaries budgets were again significantly underspent. But the extensive use of Zoom meant that the travel costs associated with our normal round of Trustee, Postholder and Group Secretaries meetings continued to be reduced. The Conservation Group managed one face-to-face meeting in the year.

The fall in subscription income by 5% in 2020 was followed in 2021 by a further decline of 10%: this continues to be a matter of concern.

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Report & Financial Statements 2021

----- Start of picture text -----
HPS Subscription Income
£100,000
£90,000 £89,862 £88,675 £90,628 £91,483 £88,098 £83,436
£80,000 £74,734
£70,000
£60,000
£50,000
£40,000
£30,000
£20,000
£10,000
£0
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
----- End of picture text -----

As the 2020 report suggested, received wisdom was that people spent more time in their gardens during lockdown and enjoyed the physical and mental health benefits of so doing and therefore, an increase, rather than a decline, in membership might have been expected. The lack of events, both nationally and locally, may have been a contributing factor. Work will be done in 2022 to assess the impact of the pandemic on membership.

Like last year, we benefitted from a buoyant stock market. Our overall surplus was £40,008 of which £30,062 was due to the gain in the value of our investments. So, pandemic notwithstanding, the Society remains in sound financial shape and we look forward to spending our money on our charitable objects as soon as the ‘new normal’ allows in 2022.

Investment policy

The Society’s approach to financial matters, and investments in particular, is one of extreme prudence given the current (and likely future) volatility of equity markets, the very low interest rates on deposit accounts and low returns on bonds. For this reason, the Society chooses to keep approximately half of its funds as cash (in current and deposit accounts). The remainder is in fixed interest bonds and equities.

Reserves policy

The cash flows of the Society are generally positive. Membership subscriptions are received at the beginning of the year and these, with the prior year Gift Aid payment already banked, cover the operating costs of the Society. Nonetheless, the Trustees have decided that it should set a level of reserves to cover unforeseeable expenditure such as might be incurred in the very unlikely event of the Society closing down or membership declining very rapidly, or an uninsured claim being made against the Society. A level of £50,000 has been set.

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Report & Financial Statements 2021

Future Plans

The Society’s priorities for the year ahead are, subject to the constraints imposed by the pandemic, to:

Trustees’ Responsibilities

Under charity law the Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each year which show a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. The Trustees are also required to act in accordance with the Constitution of the Society and to take such steps as are reasonable to safeguard the assets of the Society and to prevent and to detect fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees:

Pamela Clark, Chairman

Date: 10 May 2022

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Statement of Financial Activities

Note
INCOME
Income from generated funds:
- Voluntary income
2
- Activities for generating funds
3
Income from charitable activities
4
Investment income
TOTAL
EXPENDITURE
Costs of generating voluntary
income
5
Charitable activities
6
Governance costs
7
Other resources expended
8
Bursaries etc.
9
TOTAL
Net Gain on investment
Net Income for the year
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Funds B/F at 1 January 2021
TOTAL FUNDS C/F at 31 December
2021		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
84,816
5,621
11,473
3,205
105,115
42,568
51,592
840
251
-
95,251
19,502
29,366
29,366
357,676
387,042		 Designated
Funds
£
3,390
1,735
5,125
5,043
5,043
10,560
10,642
10,642
193,662
204,304		 2021
Total
Funds
£
88,206
5,621
11,473
4,940
110,240
42,568
51,592
840
251
5,043
100,294
30,062
40,008
40,008
551,338
591,346		 2020
Total
Funds
£
95,389
4,870
8,331
6,764
115,354
47,981
46,036
2,239
787
9,266
106,309
25,110
34,155
34,155
517,183
551,338

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Balance Sheet

2021 2020 Note Fixed assets 11 348 348 Current assets Bank balances 290,980 274,029 Investments at cost 12 314,834 284,773 Debtors & prepayments 13 7,227 6,948 Stock (booklets) 6,621 5,329 619,662 571,079 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 14 (28,577) (20,089) Net current assets 591,085 550,990 Total assets less current liabilities 591,346 551,338 Financed by: General fund 15 387,043 357,676 Bursary fund 15 204,303 193,662 591,346 551,338

The accounts were approved by the Trustees on 10 May 2022.

Pamela Clark Stuart Senior Chairman Treasurer

The notes on pages 11 to 15 form part of these financial statements.

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Notes to the Accounts

1 Accounting policies

1.1 Basis of preparation:

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) FRS102.

There have been no changes to the funds held as a result of this change in accounting standards.

The accounts have been prepared on an accruals basis as they have been in previous years.

1.2 Incoming resources

Subscriptions are accounted for net of VAT and are accounted for in the year to which they relate.

Donations are accounted for gross when received.

Investment income is based on the interest receivable for the year.

Sundry sales are accounted for net of VAT and are recognised when they are invoiced.

Advertising income is accounted for net of VAT and is recognised when invoiced.

1.3 Resources expended

Costs are allocated between costs of generating funds and charitable expenditure according to the nature of the cost.

1.4 Fixed Assets and depreciation

Fixed assets for charity use are capitalised at cost, they are stated in the accounts at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is calculated to write off the cost of the fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives on an individual basis.

Office equipment: 25% Reducing balance Computer equipment: 3 years straight line

1.5 Investments

Investments are included in the accounts at their market value.

1.6 Stock

Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.

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2021 2021 2020
£ £
Unrestricted Designated
Unrestricted
funds Funds Funds
2 Voluntary income
Subscriptions 74,734 0
83,436
Donations
- General 490 968
- Half Hardy Group 0 1,608
0
- Correspondents Group 0 1,782
0
Gift Aid 10,985
84,816 3,390
95,389
In 2021 both the Half Hardy and the Correspondents Groups closed. They donated
their closing bank balances to the Bursary Fund.
3 Activities for generating funds
Advertising 3,060 598
Booklets 2,561 4,272
5,621 4,870
4 Incoming resources from charitable
activities
Seed distribution 6,142 5,201
Cornucopia 5,354 3,078
Enamel badges 27 52
AGM/ALD (50) 0
11,473 8,331
5 Costs of generating voluntary income
Administration services 19,650 19,969
Legal & professional 2,609 3,004
Office rent, heat & light 7,390 7,320
Printing, postage & telephone 3,626 4,827
Meetings 66 138
Insurance 3,875 3,495
Publicity 0 2,105
Depreciation of equipment 87 116
Bank charges 867 781
New systems project 1,236 2,564
Process modelling 452 0
Software & IT support 2,710 3,662
42,568 47,981

The average number of employees during the year was 1. There are no employees who received total employee benefits of more than £60,000.

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Charitable activities
Journal costs
Newsletter costs
Cornucopia costs
Booklet costs
Seed distribution expenses
Historic seed expenses adjustment
AGM/ALD expenses
Conservation
Group support
Shows & Events
Banners
Website
7
Governance costs
Trustees’ meetings
Independent examination
8
Other resources expended -
unrestricted
Sundry expenses
9
Other resources expended -
designated
Bursaries awarded
Photo competition prizes
10
Trustees		 2021
20,524
12,426
3,085
2,669
7,406
0
3,301
1,233
0
0
0
948
51,592
40
800
840
251
251
4,750
293
5,043		 2020
18,333
12,906
2,608
544
7,113
2,675
665
50
50
72
108
912
46,036
1,464
775
2,239
787
787
8,960
306
9,266

None of the Trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year but one of them was reimbursed a total of £40 for travelling expenses (2020 £1,205).

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11 Tangible fixed assets

Office Computers
Equipment
Cost b/f
7,122
11,964
Additions
0
0
Cost c/f
7,122
11,964
Depreciation b/f
6,774
11,964
Charge for the year
87
0
Depreciation c/f
6,861
11,964
Net book value 31.12.21
261
0
Net book value 31.12.20
348
0
13
Investments
Skipton Building Society
1 yr 0.55% bond
St James Place
Equities
CCLA COIF Charities Global Equity Income Fund
Investment income during the year was made up of:
Interest (unrestricted, general)
Interest (unrestricted, designated)
14
Debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors
15
Creditors
VAT
Trade creditors
Other creditors
Subscriptions & seed in advance		 Office Computers
Equipment
7,122
11,964
0
0







2021
70,246
94,651
149,937		 Total
19,086
0
7,122
11,964		 19,086
6,774
11,964
87
0		 18,738
87
6,861
11,964		 18,825
261
0		 261
348
0		 348
2020
69,978
85,347
129,448
314,834 284,773
3,205
1,735		 2020
5,940
1,008
4,940
2021
6,323
904
7,227 6,948
2021
(516)
(37)
1,472
27,659		 2020
(1,249)
(52)
2,189
19,201
28,577 20,089

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16
Reserves
Fund Movements
Unrestricted general
Unrestricted designated		 01.01.21
Incoming
Outgoing
Gains &
31.12.21
B/F
Resources
Resources
Losses
C/F
357,677
105,115
95,251
19,502
387,043
193,661
1,735
1,653
10,560
204,303
551,338
106,850
96,904
30,062
591,346

The unrestricted designated fund relates to the Society's Bursary and Project Support Fund. This fund arose as a generous legacy from the estate of Mr Kenneth Black who was a gardener with Enfield Council in North London.

The trustees decided that this fund should not be used for the administration of the Society but that it should be invested and the interest used to support special projects. There are two types of Bursary: one for college or university students and one for people in horticultural employment.

Funding may be awarded to projects of any sort which fit within the charitable objects of the Society and may be made to individuals or groups. More information is available on the Society's web site http://www.hardy-plant.org.uk/ and applications are made via the Bursary co-ordinator.

Reserves are
represented by:
Fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities		 Unrestricted
General
261
415,359
(28,577)
387,043		 Unrestricted
Designated
-
204,303
-
204,304		 Total
261
619,662
(28,577)
591,346

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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Hardy Plant Society

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2021 which are set out on pages 9 to 15.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner's report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

  1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

  2. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and

  3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act

have not been met; or

  1. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

James Howard FCCA ACA

Haines Watts Worcester Limited 6 Abbey Lane Court, Abbey Lane EVESHAM, WR11 4BY

28 April 2022

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