The Wiltshire Gardens Trust Registered Charity No. 292628
Annual Report and Accounts
Year ended 31 December 2022
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR 2022
The trustees present their report along with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2022. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on page 6 and comply with the charity's trust deed and applicable law.
The membership at the end of the year stood at 247, which is a healthy increase.
The Council saw the following changes during the year:
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Nicholas Hunloke has stood down as President and our deep gratitude and thanks go to Nicky and his wife Lady Kate, for all that they have done over the supreme number of years that they have been involved with the Trust. Lady Lucy Garton has taken on this role. Lucy is a dendrologist and keen gardener.
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Sean Magee has stepped down as Vice Chairman after many, many years both on the Events Committee and the Council. Sean’s unfailing support, knowledge of Wiltshire gardens and his work in relation to the Harris Bequest has been much appreciated by the Trust and our grateful thanks to him for everything that he has done.
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John d’Arcy is due to stand down as Journal Editor, a role he has fulfilled since the outset. He will remain as Botanical Advisor, which is wonderful because his plant knowledge is second to none. We thank John for his enormous contribution thus far to the success of the Journal.
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Gareth Slater has resigned from the Council – citing his age – 93 years – as the reason. The surveys produced by Gareth are testament to the dedication he has shown over many years and again we are deeply grateful for all beautiful drawings, lovingly produced and his in depth knowledge of Wiltshire gardens.
Projects supported in 2022: The trust again supported Horatio’s Garden in Salisbury with their Garden Therapy sessions; another Swindon Women’s Aid project and Twigs in relation to the beautiful, long awaited workshop in their therapy garden in Swindon.
Surveys: Hazel Fox, a garden designer, has taken on leading the survey team and has helped Gareth Slater collate all papers and surveys into the History Centre in Chippenham. This has been an enormous task but a very worthwhile achievement in securing these records in a safe place for posterity.
Planning: There were no major planning issues which required input from the Trust although Patricia Rowell continues to do an excellent job in checking all applications weekly and looking into any that she believes need our attention.
Events, Lectures and Garden Visits: The Events Committee, led by Alexandra Gray, once again arranged a very varied and interesting programme. All events have been very well supported and the Committee, with a number of new members, goes from strength to strength.
The Giving Team: Victoria Nye and her team have worked at providing an excellent framework for the way forward with regard to donations; seeking out projects that fulfil the aims and objectives of the Trust, within Wiltshire.
Website. The website is increasingly being accessed for details of events and general information of the Trust and improvements are continued to be made. We have successfully moved our membership systems online such that it is now easier to join, renew and change member details. We have also successfully used an online booking system for events and garden visits, which has proved very successful and cost effective.
The Aims and Objectives of the Wiltshire Gardens Trust
The objects for which the Trust is established as are follows:
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A. To promote the education of the public, on matters connected with the arts and sciences which relate to garden land.
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B. To preserve enhance and re-create for the education and enjoyment of the public whatever garden land may exist or have existed in and around Wiltshire.
We seek to achieve this in the following ways:
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To survey, record and conserve Wiltshire gardens, and thereby create a wealth of information on Wiltshire gardening.
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To seek to ensure the conservation of important gardens that may be threatened and to help new owners.
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To support Wiltshire garden-owners, and speak for garden owners in public matters that affect their interests.
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To promote the use of gardens as an educational resource.
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To cooperate with and assist in the restoration, re-creation, maintenance or management of garden land by making available advice and information and technical and financial assistance.
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To support the work of Plant Heritage and the National Collections in Wiltshire.
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To support garden or gardening related projects of charities within Wiltshire, including, but not limited to, those with an emphasis on gardening as therapy.
For Members we seek:
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To assist the development of your gardening knowledge and advance the traditional knowledge, experience and skills in both young and old alike, by way of garden visits, lectures and our Journal.
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To provide an information exchange for gardeners: a focus for information and a channel of communication between organisations concerned with gardening in Wiltshire.
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To save and distribute uncommon garden plants, help to secure their propagation and ensure their continued existence.
The WGT is an affiliated member of The Gardens Trusts.
Reserves Policy
The trustees have established a policy under which unrestricted funds held by the charity should be equivalent to between 9 and 12 months expenditure. This will ensure reasonable stability in the Trust’s programme against any likely short term fluctuations in revenue or expenditure commitments.
Investment Policy
The Harris bequest was received in 2022 and was invested in the COIF Ethical Investment Fund, in order to preserve capital and create a return for the Trust to use as appropriate. This policy is kept under review.
Risk Review
The trustees have conducted their own review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed and made provisions to mitigate those risks.
Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements
Law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the charity’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Mrs Rhyddian Roper Chairman October 2023
Wiltshire Gardens Trust Accounts 1st January 2022 - 31st December 2022
| Receipts Subscriptions Donations - (Harris bequest 2021) Interest & Tax Refunds Journal Adverts Events - lectures & day visits Payments Administration The Gardens Trust (m'ship + ins.) Plant Heritage (m'ship + donation) Journal Charitable Grants Events - lectures & day visits Miscellaneous Net Income/Deficit Balance Sheet Reserves 1 Jan Net Income/Expenditure Reserves 31 Dec CAF 60-day deposit Barclays Premium COIF Ethical Fund Current Account Total |
2022 6,533 £ - £ 1,455 £ 30 £ 9,039 £ 17,057 £ 1,173 £ 528 £ 750 £ 1,696 £ 3,737 £ 5,984 £ - £ 13,868 £ 3,189 £ 306,161 £ 3,189 £ 309,350 £ 26,000 £ 10,094 £ £140,000 133,256 £ 309,350 £ |
2021 4,549 £ 294,073 £ 904 £ 441 £ 2,800 £ |
|---|---|---|
| 302,768 £ 547 £ 582 £ 710 £ 1,098 £ 4,550 £ 1,713 £ - £ |
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| 9,199 £ |
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| 293,569 £ |
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| 12,593 £ 293,569 £ |
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| 306,161 £ |
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| 150,000 £ 150,000 £ 6,161 £ |
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| 306,161 £ |
Outstanding inc: None known Outstanding exp: Events costs as incurred
Printed 8-Jan-23
Tooding CCOUNTS EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE www.goodiDga¢¢ount8.co.uk Report to the membet8 Ot The Wiltshirc Gxrdens TtU5t On accounts for the year ended: 31 December 2022 Respective responsibilitie8 of The Treaswer as appointed by Wiltshire Gatdcns ttustee8 and eXaMir Trust ts tesponsible for the prepgTrtion of the accounts. The Trust consider that in-depth audit is not required for this year and that a thotough independent examination is n¢¢ded. It is my tesponsibility to: ex#n)ine the accounts. confittn that the figutcs ptesent a tmc and f2ir view of the Position. to state whether particu]ar MAttS have come ro my attention. BasiB of indepetsdent examinerfs My examination was catiied out in ACCOtdance with genenl statement ditections given by tbe The Wdtshir¢ Gardens 'ITht and Accountancy Bodies. An cxamination indudes a review of the accounting records kept by the Trust and a cvmpatison of thc accounts ptesented with those tceords. It also indudes consideration of any unusual items ot disdosures the accounts and seeking cxp12nitions from the Treasutct conceming any such mattets. The procedures undertaken do not provAde all the evidertce that would be requited in an audiL and consequcndy no opinion is given as to whethet the accounts prcscnt a'true and fairf view 2nd the teport is Jimitrd to those matters set out in the statement bclow. P•rtneTS.' FTFm1FthB kiti (itMidiii¥ BSEFCA Cpmpafiy No.- Iiihw 1-1.11) Aegiste0 In ÉDgiind and Wales as-. lyLM?diii4 ArciWiJt4 I Astred OIIK. )4 Waniiiii%lci Wesibiiry-. Wili%liir¢. 1SAI.l Jpr. ICAEW CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
Independent examinet 8 In connection with my examinatio no rnatt has comc to statement tny *ttention: which gives me ieasonable cause to bclicve that in, any material Icspect. the tequiremeftt$: to keep accounting reco5 in accordance with regular accounting ptocedures. to PrePe accounts which accord with the accounting tecords and comply with the necessary accounting tequirements of the The Wiltshite Gardens Tntst. have not been met. ot 2 to which. in my opinion, attention should bc dtawn in order to enable a propct understandirAg of d)e accounts to be reached. which would give rise to any cortccrn in re]ation the full disclosutc of all finallci mattcts in rd2tion to the The Wiltshire Gardens TnL Signed: h&c(xU Date: 12 Aptil 2023 Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body: ICAEW Addre88: Gooding Accounts Ltd 24 Warminster Road, Westbury Wiltshitc BA13 3PE