## **Trustees Report St Mary’s Sports Ground Registered Charity No 251254 Report for year ending 31 December 2021** WHO WE ARE: St Mary’s Sports Ground (The Ground) is in Musgrave Road, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7. The Trustees of St Mary’s Sports Ground in place throughout the year were Richard Green (Chair and Treasurer), Kieron May, and Gillian Bevan, (Secretary). New Trustees can be appointed by the existing Trustees, except that the current incumbent of St Mary’s Church may at any time claim to be a Trustee. Current practice is that Trustees (at least initially) must have some connection with the Church, and their appointments are notified to the Parochial Church Council of St Mary’s Spring Grove (the PCC). Our Governing Document, a Trust Deed dated 1929, as amended in the Deed of Revocation dated 20/12/1966, states that: “The Trustees shall hold and use the said hereditements and premises including any building or buildings already erected or to be erected thereon for the religious and other charitable purposes of the Church of England in the Parish of Spring Grove in the County of Greater London.” WHAT WE ARE: While the Ground and pavilion remain freely available for religious use by the parish if required, this has not been taken up for some time and over the years, the Ground has become more of a “local amenity”. While many of the Ground’s users do live within the parish, others live outside it. (NB It should be remembered that in 1929, there were few, if any, houses in Wood Lane (marking the eastern border of the Ground and still the parish boundary) and none, further east, in the Northumberland Estate, so in April 2021, the Trustees sought and obtained consent from the PCC to enable us to officially look, within limits, beyond the original parish boundary). The Ground itself comprises two main parts: a playing field, which has an invisible border with the field of the Isleworthians sports club to the south. This part of the Ground is large enough to accommodate a football pitch, with small grassed areas, trees and bushes at the margins. The second part comprises three (rare) clay tennis courts, a vintage wooden pavilion and storage. For security, the tennis courts and pavilion are isolated from the main Ground and the tennis courts can be isolated from the pavilion, enabling hire of the pavilion as a separate entity if required. OUR INCOME: The main sources of regular income for the Ground are: rent from the Isleworthians for the use of the field for football or cricket; tennis subscriptions (the tennis section is LTA affiliated) and match fees; and (mainly) donations from local residents in response to an annual appeal in the immediate area. Many of these supporters are neighbours backing onto the Ground but some simply want to preserve this increasing rare local green space, whether they use the Ground for recreation or not. Collectively, these Page 1 of 3 are our supporters, our “Ground Members”. Main regular areas of expenditure are utilities and services, insurance, court and other tennis expenses, maintenance and upkeep of the Ground generally. It should be noted that in 2021 the tennis section benefitted from Covid related business interruption grants of over £19,000, inflating the reported gross income significantly from “normal” previous levels. In most years, income and expenditure are close to each other but where surplus funds are available, these are retained for contingencies and emergencies that may arise. OUR SUPPORT: Members of the Tennis section play a vital role in the general running and administration of the Ground in addition to their “club” responsibilities. While the section has a number of members, most of the main work inevitably falls to a small core team to arrange or carry tasks out themselves, and we are indebted to them all for this support. In particular, both Susan Casey and Jane Ross play significant roles for the Trustees and we wish to thank them for it. OUR GROUND USERS: During 2021, with continuing lockdowns, the importance of open spaces remained of great importance to the general public. This, and the effect of the coded gate lock installed at the turn of the year resulted in an increase of those willing to pay for access to the Ground. An “entrance fee” was introduced, with Gift Aid only possible where a supporter’s donation exceeded the fee. There have been no objections to this introduction, with many supporters donating well in excess of the fee. From a usual number of 30 supporters in previous years, numbers rose to 87 in 2021, providing an income from that source of £2175 (an average contribution of £25). The large majority of supporters “gift aided” their donations for which a claim has yet to be made. Further significant changes stemming from the “Covid Years” are the greater use of email communication and over half of supporters’ payment were made electronically. Approximately one quarter of our supporters live outside the parish, but usually within a few hundred metres of the boundary. There are promising signs that this surge in interest has continued into 2022. Overall, in 2021, the tennis section had a successful year with a pleasing increase in membership and their USP of good quality real clay courts. OUR GROUND: The improved security of the gate has seen a dramatic fall in levels of dumping and antisocial behaviour on the Ground and a complete absence during 2021, of “campers”. We have, and continue to maintain a good relationship with the Isleworthians, who, as part of their rent, maintain the pitches and surrounding ground in a good state and many users comment how good it has looked. We hope that it can stay that way, and the resumed regular input from the Community Payback Team will play an important part in this. The Trustees play their part Page 2 of 3 - in June, some essential work was carried out on a small group of poplar trees, to reduce their height and bulk. So 2021 was a good year for the Sports Ground, it has remained available for use throughout lockdowns etc (unlike some local park and areas), and continues to provide for the benefit of the local community, a green space for recreation, exercise, responsible dog walking and a small meeting space for club, family and other gatherings. It is available for use by local uniform groups – cubs (who have used it regularly), scouts, brownies etc - should they so wish. It also provides further space for structured sport including tennis, football and cricket, for use by local and the wider population directly through the tennis section, and indirectly to a large number of children and adult players through the Isleworthians’ use of the Ground throughout the year. ## **The Trustees** ## **Richard Green, Kieron May, Gillian Bevan. 6 October 2022** Page 3 of 3 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGIAND AND WALES Receipts and payments accounts For the period from To Section A Receipts and ments UnFestri¢ted nd5 to the I￿ar Restricted funds En(lowment funds to nBare*£ Total funds Last yèar A1 Recei to thk na?￿1£ iothp wrnste trlthè nearnJt£ Sub totsl(Gross income forAR) A2 A$5et and Investment 5alo&. st& table . Sub tota Total rKelp A3Pa mènts Sub to A4 Ass•t and lrniestrn¢nt urcha8eS geè tsb Sub tota Total payments Net of rew"pts/fpayments) A5 Transfer8 between funds A6 Cash funds last ygar end Cash funds this year en Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricte(I funits Restricted funds Endowment funds B1 Cash funds to nea￿5$ £ to nè*rn&t£ to [￿arest£ Total cash funds Un￿1Cted Restricied fund$ funds EndowTnent funds ¢uvY•nt value lonal belc Fund iowhlch ••*•t Colt l*)pllon•ll ¢urrnnt v•luo 84 A¥sets retalned for the charlty's own uso F￿d tO7*thl¢h felaies AM¢￿￿1 du• ional Wh*n duo B5 Llabllltles SvJned by one or tr￿lee9 on Wair of all the trustees Sigrgtu Print Name Dale of approval Qie4AQQ G LéaJ lo (HARITY (OMMISSION FOR ENGLANO ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustaesl members of St Mary's Sports Ground Accounts On accounts for the year ended 31 Oecember 2021 Charity no (rfany) 251254 Sot out on pages One and Two I report to the trustees on my eXaMinat￿n of the accounts of the above charity fthe Trusf) for the year ended Re8pon$lbllities and basis of report As the thantvs tNstees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan￿ with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Acr). l ￿pOrt in respect of my examinatton of the Trust's accounts carried out under s8dion 145 of the 2011 Ac# and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission urKler section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Ind•pandent trhe charity's gross income exceeded £25.000 and l am qualified to examiner's statsmont undertake the examination by being a quallfied memb8r of The Association of Chartered and Certiffftl Accountants I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attents'on in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below") whid) gives me ouse to beliove Ihat in, any material respect.. the aco)untirvJ records were not kept in acmply with Ihe applicable requirements conceming the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities (ACQ￿UntS and Reports) Regulations 2C(J8 other than any requI￿rnent that the accounts give a Yrue arKI fairf view vthich is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no COn￿mS and have come across no other matters in con￿ctIon with the examinatM)n to which attention should be dra¥4m in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reathed. . Please delete the words in Ihe btackets rfthey do not apply. Signed: Date: 28 October 2022 Name: Christopher K G Chia Relevant professional qualification(s) or body Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (Fellow) (Retired) IER Oct 2018 lif any): Address: The Adelphi. London VK2N &AU Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of Gon￿rn (see CC32. Indep8ndent examination of tharity acrounts.. directions and guidan￿ for examiners). Glve hern brlef detalls of any itsms that the examiner wishes to disclo￿. NIA IER Oct 2018