## 2024/25 Annual Report and Accounts 

Garden Organic (registered as The Henry Doubleday Research Association) 

Report and Consolidated Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2025 


Registered as a Charity in England and Wales (No. 298104) and Scotland (No. SC046767) . Registered Company No. 02188402 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

## Contents 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Foreword 3<br>Trustees’ report<br>Chief Executive’s welcome 4<br>Objectives and activities 5<br>Achievements and performance<br>Enabling and engaging people in organic growing 7<br>Conserving important plant genetic material 9<br>Supporting communities to take positive environmental action 11<br>Research and citizen science 12<br>Growing and diversifying our membership 13<br>Being a good organisation to work for and with 14<br>Plans for future periods 15<br>Financial review and results for the year<br>Financial review 16<br>Structure, governance and management 18<br>Statement of trustees’ responsibilities 20<br>Reference and administrative details 21<br>Independent auditor’s report to the trustees and members 22<br>Financial statements<br>Consolidated statement of financial activities 25<br>Consolidated and charity balance sheets 26<br>Consolidated cashflow statement 27<br>28<br>Notes to the financial statements<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


The trustees of Garden Organic ("the Charity") are called the Board of Trustees. 

They present their annual report for the year ended 31 March 2025, together with the audited financial statements for that year. 

'Garden Organic' was adopted in October 2005 as the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association. 

Garden Organic is a registered Charity in England and Wales (298104) and Scotland (SC046767) and a company (02188402) limited by guarantee. 

Cover photo - credit Gavin Dickson 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 


## FOREword 

From Angela Wright Chair of Garden Organicʼs Board of Trustees 

The Heritage Seed Library is supported by a further 200 volunteers who, alongside our team at HQ, have provided us with our highest number of varieties yet for the December 2024 seed list, with over 26,000 packets distributed. I was thrilled when our volunteer Seed Guardians were recognised in the Community Inspiration Awards, 2024. 

Over the course of my first year as Chair of the Board of Trustees the charity has shown a continued commitment to deliver education and awareness of organic growing and composting, seed conservation and community involvement across the UK. 

Our demonstration and training is continually being developed to show ways domestic and professional gardeners can succeed in organic growing. 2024 saw new partners and new members through our gates attending training, National Gardens Scheme and members open days. 

Our members and supporters have been so generous this year, donating to appeals and adding extra to their membership subscriptions. We’ve had an outstanding amount of support from legacies and are so grateful to all those who plan to remember us in their will. The charity continues to need to find resources to meet rising overheads as well as meeting our pension liability. 

Garden Organic now houses three National Collections, with Calendula now growing alongside Comfrey and the Heritage Vegetable Collection. Our team has identified some critically endangered varieties within this cohort of plants. 

On behalf of all our Trustees, I want to express sincere thanks to all staff, volunteers, members, donors, funders and partners who donate their time, expertise and money towards our mission.  We could not achieve the impact we do without this. 

Our demonstration garden at Ryton is one of many areas of our work enhanced by loyal and skilled volunteers. We are so grateful to all the volunteers who work alongside our staff – we have teams of community volunteers all around the country giving their time to show people how to compost and sharing their knowledge of organic growing. 


Angela Wright Chair of Trustees 

## ABOUT Garden Organic 

Our vision is for a healthy and sustainable world that has embraced organic growing. To achieve our vision, we strive to grow and nurture a healthy and sustainable charity. 

Through campaigning, advice, community work and research, our aim is to get everyone growing ‘the organic way’. We inspire individuals, communities and the next generation to use innovative organic practices. Underpinning this is our mission to grow a movement that takes practical action to conserve seeds, nurture soil and wildlife, and reduce waste. 

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## welcome 

From Fiona Taylor Chief Executive of Garden Organic 

During the extra-long period that this annual report documents we had a number of significant achievements. 

In April 2024 we published our research report ‘Every Garden Matters’.  This marked our 65th Birthday year (20232024) and set out an evidence-based case for boosting backyard biodiversity. 

The Heritage Seed Library, after another record-breaking year of seed harvests, was awarded a two-year grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to conduct a seed search with communities and institutions across the Midlands. 

The aim is to increase our collection, conserving those varieties for future generations that matter to people now. The Heritage Seed Library’s mission has also been recognised by the Garfield Weston Foundation, who have supported with a generous grant to help us develop future strategy for greater impact. 

Our work with other universities gained traction during this year. We are working with Warwick University’s Genetic Resources Unit to grow out vegetable seeds with heritage interest that are in their cold store. Our partnership with Coventry University has led to a multiyear project researching how people can source food locally, funded by the UKRI’s Economic & Social Research Council. 

These and other relationships have been part of fulfilling our aim of underscoring our research credibility and history. Our dedicated science team has been seeking new opportunities to ensure that organic growing and seed saving are central to our research strand, with particular reference to changing climate conditions. 

We launched our Growing Partners initiative, aiming to have growing spaces of all types and sizes showcasing organic and sustainable gardening practices, with an emphasis on showing people how to grow food. We hope in time to connect our members and wider supporters with Growing Partners in their own area. During the year we re-entered the National Gardens Scheme with Ryton Organic Gardens back in the ‘Yellow Book’ for two open days. 

We have continued to campaign against the use of pesticides and peat and have joined forces with others including the Wildlife Trusts, the Women’s Institute and Incredible Edible to share positive actions that we can all take in our gardens to mitigate against extreme weather events and longer-term climate changes. 

Our community-based projects are thriving. 350+ volunteers have been busy supporting their schools, workplaces and neighbourhoods to take steps towards more environmentally-friendly activities in the garden and beyond. This way of working, led by and in collaboration with communities forms the backbone of our work moving forward. 

The charity is in a good position after successes in generating income through appeals, partnership projects and major grants.  Our profile has grown and our research this year shows our reputation is strong.  There is so much need for positive environmental action in today’s world, and we look forward to building on all that we have achieved between January 2024 and March 2025. 


Fiona Taylor Chief Executive 

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“I love being part of Garden Organic, it is a perfect addition to what I thrive on and adds to my knowledge.” 

Garden Organic member & volunteer 

## objectives and activities 

Garden Organic promotes organic growing and composting, conserves rare seed and conducts scientific research. 

Organic practice is the fastest way to maintain and build soil health and allow insect and microbiological life forms to be restored in all growing spaces. 

- Research into and the study of organic methods and principles of horticulture and agriculture and the dissemination of the useful results thereof; 

Garden Organic seeks to halt biodiversity loss by championing our five key Principles of Organic Gardening: 

   - The advancement of awareness and knowledge of ecosystems and our impact on them by demonstrating the value of organic methods on a broad education front, both in the United Kingdom and overseas; 

- 1.Build and maintain soil health 2.Encourage biodiversity 

- 3.Use resources responsibly 

- 4.Avoid using harmful chemicals 

   - The preservation and protection of the charity’s property at Ryton Gardens (and/or such other properties as the company may manage or acquire) and the conservation of the wildlife thereon as a centre or centres for scientific research into the practical application of organic methods of agriculture and horticulture and their influence on the wildlife using the property as their natural habitat and to make the same available for inspection and study by members of the public. 

- 5.Maintain a healthy growing area 

## OBJECTIVES 

Our objectives are to evidence and distribute our knowledge of organic gardening to our members, to community groups, to domestic and larger scale growers and to decision makers. 

We know that organic gardening benefits both environmental and human health and so we seek to influence and inform people’s growing choices and practices. 

In addition, we hold three national plant collections, including the National Collection of Heritage Vegetables. We aim to ensure as many varieties as possible are distributed to and grown in garden and allotment settings via our Heritage Seed Library. 

## MAIN ACTIVITIES 

Garden Organic supports individuals to grow in their own homes, gardens and communities. 

We demonstrate the positive difference organic growers make in supporting biodiversity. 

## PRINCIPAL OBJECTS 

Advance education and science for the public benefit by: 

The improvement of scientific and practical horticulture and agriculture in all their branches through the application of organic methods and principles; 

We aim to grow a movement of people and organisations that take practical action to conserve seeds, nurture soil, reduce waste, share organic gardening know-how and join us in campaigning for organic growing methods to the benefit of nature and humanity. 

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“[Garden Organic has] given direction, validation and inspiration to the way I instinctively wanted to garden.” 

Garden Organic member 

Garden Organic prides itself on its innovative work with individuals and communities ensuring all are able to realise the benefits of organic gardening and growing. 

We share practical knowledge about organic gardening which generates health, well-being and environmental benefits to a wide audience. 

Our activities fall broadly into three areas: i) campaigning and publicity, ii) science and research (including seed conservation) iii) demonstration of organic growing and composting through demonstration gardens, training and community projects. 

As a membership organisation, over a quarter of our annual income is received from membership subscriptions. This income is used to fund our work through our agreed strategy and operational activities. 

We are supported by our members, who take part in research through our citizen science programme, conducting experiments in their own growing spaces and supplying data back to the charity. Many of our members also support our campaigning work. 

We work collaboratively with a wide range of partner organisations across the voluntary, public and private sectors. 

## VOLUNTEERS 

Garden Organic is fortunate to have the support of a large number of volunteers who help the charity to achieve its goals. 

We are extremely grateful to our hundreds of Seed Guardians, gardeners, researchers, administration and community volunteers. 

Our model is dependent on demonstration - to show people how - and our volunteers bring this to life in numerous ways. 

## PUBLIC BENEFIT 

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

When reviewing annual performance progress against the agreed business plan, the trustees considered the range of beneficiaries that Garden Organic works with: our members, supporters and the numerous individuals reached through our charitable activities. 

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"One never stops learning and, whilst an experienced gardener, I love to receive new ideas and try them out. Garden Organic is one of my sources of essential information.” 

Garden Organic member 


## **2,655** 

workshop, webinar and event attendees 

## **4.9 / 5 STARS** 

from tour attendees 

## Enabling and engaging people in organic growing 

The more people we support with organic growing skills, the more nature will thrive under their care. 

We shared advice from this report, including practical actions all growers can take, throughout our activities. We were pleased that it was picked up in a number of national press outlets, widening our reach significantly. 

## EVERY GARDEN MATTERS 

In spring 2024 we published ‘Every Garden Matters – a blueprint for boosting backyard biodiversity’. 

This report collates the latest data and studies on biodiversity loss, and demonstrates that simple actions in backyards, balconies and allotments can have a major impact on the worrying drop in wildlife populations. 

## STANDING UP FOR NATURE 

We influence on our supporters’ behalf within groups such as the Pesticide Collaboration and the Peat Free Partnership. This year we engaged in campaigning against the use of peat in horticulture and supporting a pesticide ban in public spaces. 

The report identified a number of key findings: 

- Gardens don’t need to be big to be beneficial - 85% of the total nectar produced across a city is provided by small urban gardens. 

As a member of the European network Let's Liberate Diversity, the Heritage Seed Library participated at the annual Forum, which took place during the International Gathering ‘Sow Your Resistance’ in Antibes, France. 

- The greater range of plants you can pack into your garden the better for wildlife density and soil health. 

The event brought together 500 participants from all over the world - stakeholders dedicated to agrobiodiversity and seed systems - for knowledge sharing, network building, and collaborative action. 

- Well-managed vegetable gardens have a similar soil biological quality to a forest. Soil quality and carbon content in allotments is better than in surrounding farmland. 

- Green manures and organic mulches can enhance soil organic matter, protect the soil and reduce run off. These practices can also reduce the density of pests and protect crops from damage more successfully than using toxic pesticides. 

## ORGANIC GROWING TRAINING 

Our strength is in providing practical advice, training and demonstration, equipping growers with skills to adopt organic practices in their own space. 

Between January ‘24 and March ‘25 we engaged with 2,655 participants at workshops, webinars, events and a new series of online ‘Organic Basics’ talks for amateur growers. 

- Above ground invertebrates are more abundant under native or near-native plants, and indigenous birds are more successful in breeding in gardens with higher levels of native plants. 

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“[Garden Organic] has helped me to take my first steps in growing fruit and veg, while knowing that what I am growing is natural and safe to eat” 

Garden Organic member 


**120,000** 

growers supported on social media 


**203,052** podcast listens 


**THIRTEEN** compost demo sites available 

## Enabling AND engaging people in organic growinG 

We increased our professional training, working with organisations including HM Prison & Probation Land Management Service, Flagship Housing Group, English Heritage, the British Library, and YMCA Heart of England. 

power of the Yellow Book to promote organic growing. 

We continued supplying produce to the Salvation Army, along with advice for their own growing space. 

SHARING ADVICE 

## DEMONSTRATION ACROSS THE UK 

For those based further afield we’ve been working on ways to showcase organic and sustainable growing. 

Our email, social media, podcast, press, and website engagement remains strong – our social media alone reached nearly 120,000 growers. Practical guidance is welcomed and forms a valuable way for us to encourage positive environmental action 

We have launched a network of new Growing Partners, including Nunnington Hall (Yorkshire) and Nanty-Bedd (Brecon Beacons). 

As well as our own audience, we continue to write for other publications, including Grow Your Own and Kitchen Garden magazines. This helps us reach growers who may not otherwise engage with our information. 

These locations all show some or all of our Principles of Organic Growing, giving members and organic growers sources of inspiration across the UK. We plan on growing this network as much as we can in coming months. 

We also support growers on a one-toone basis. We responded to 1,000 enquiries on subjects including pests, herbicide contamination, and organic food growing. Slugs were, as ever, a popular topic of conversation! 

We’ve increased the number of Compost Demonstration sites available to visit, with 13 now established. Each shows a range of working composting bins, with trained volunteers on hand to provide advice at various points throughout the year. 

## RYTON ORGANIC GARDENS 

We develop our demonstration garden continually. This year we added a rain garden, showing how water run-off can be managed at small-scale. 

We took our message out to large public events including Scone Palace Garden Fair, The Royal Welsh Show and BBC Gardeners’ World Live. 

We also added more flowers to the vegetable beds, attracting beneficial creatures and blurring the traditional food/ornamental divide. 

This garden brought to life the findings of our ‘Every Garden Matters’ report, showing simple ways to put the advice into action at home. We were thrilled with the feedback from show visitors, who expressed how practical and achievable our garden was - exactly what we set out to demonstrate. 

We love welcoming visitors to the garden. Alongside open days, we joined the National Gardens Scheme, hosting 130+ visitors over two days, using the 

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“The Heritage Seed Library has provided me with some 

of the best varieties I have ever come across.” 

Heritage Seed Library member 


**26,441** packets of seed distributed to members 

**SIXTEEN** rediscovered varieties added to the Collection 


**813 VARIETIES** protected within the Collection 

## CONSERVING IMPORTANT PLANT GENETIC MATERIAL 

The Heritage Seed Library stands as the last defence for many of the UKʼs heritage and heirloom vegetable varieties. 

## SAFEGUARDING VARIETIES 

## NATIONAL COLLECTIONS 

The Heritage Seed Library has continued to go from strength to strength.  By the end of the year, we had completed 32 growing assessments resulting in 16 vegetable varieties being accepted into the collection. 

We were successful in securing the National Calendula Collection, Garden Organic’s third official Collection alongside Comfrey (Symphytu   and the _(Symphytum)_ National Heritage Vegetable Collection. 

We were especially delighted and relieved in equal measure to complete the conservation of Wiam cabbage, which started with extremely fragile seed in 2023. Despite small plant numbers and a significant aphid attack in the summer, we achieved a healthy seed harvest which we plan to share with members in future seed lists. 

The new Collection includes the rare _Calendula suffruticosa                 maritima,_ subsp. which has been listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. 

INNOVATION IN SEED PRODUCTION As the Heritage Seed Library approaches its 50th anniversary, innovation has never been so important. Challenged by weather extremes, we do all we can to improve our likelihood of successful harvests. 

We were pleased to be able to relinquish responsibility for Queensland Blue Squash, now re-registered for sale. This represents the ultimate success – thanks to conservation under the Heritage Seed Library, this variety is now widely available for growers once more. 

This year, we experimented with using tuning forks to help pollinate tomatoes. These mimic the natural vibrations of bees – ‘buzz pollination’ – which assists the release of pollen from the flowerhead. 

We took the decision to rehome our multiplier onion collection. After consultation, we were delighted to collaborate with Incredible Vegetables, specialists in perennial plant conservation, who plan to make the varieties more widely available to growers again. These changes take the total Collection up to 813 varieties. 

A small trial in 2024 proved promising, with ‘tuned’ blooms producing both larger fruit and more seeds per fruit. We plan to replicate this on a larger scale in 2025. 

## SEED DISTRIBUTION 

For the third year in a row, and despite a strong slug appearance, the total harvest exceeded 100,000 packetsworth of seed, with a record 173 heritage varieties covered thanks to the combined efforts of the team and our amazing volunteer Seed Guardians. 

The 2024-25 seed list was a bumper edition of 171 varieties and while all seed, whether from our volunteers or at our HQ, is grown with adherence to our organic principles, we were able to offer the highest number of certified organic choices ever at 84 varieties. 

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“It has been a great experience to be a Seed Guardian, now more than ever 

when plant diversity & adaptability are 

so very important as the world's 

climate changes. To contribute to this resource is a wonderful thing.” 

Heritage Seed Library volunteer 

## CONSERVING IMPORTANT PLANT GENETIC MATERIAL 

4,500 members requested seed, resulting in a total of 26,441 packets distributed, each one hand harvested, packed and dispatched by our highly skilled team of staff and volunteers. 

We have a raft of great initiatives planned for this project through the 2025/26 growing season. 

## CELEBRATING SEED GUARDIANS 

In September we were delighted that our volunteers scooped an ‘Environment Champion Award’ for their work protecting rare vegetables seeds. The Seed Guardians were announced as winners in the community category of the Community Inspiration Awards, 2024. 

## LOCAL SEED SEARCH 

The end of the year brought the outstanding news that we were successful in a bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

We are delighted to have secured funding for ‘Sowing Your Seeds – heritage crops for a resilient future’ a two-year project to find, conserve and share varieties in communities across the Midlands, along with the stories of the people behind them, and their culinary and cultural significance. 

The award recognises an individual or organisation that makes positive improvements to the environment. The group were commended for the way their work gives people the agency to grow, save and develop biodiversity and edible heirlooms of the future. 

By the start of the 2025 growing season, we secured 14 seed samples as part of the project, including varieties provided by the UK Vegetable Genebank at Warwick University, and precious heirlooms from growers in the Midlands. 

The smooth running of the Heritage Seed Library depends on support from volunteer Seed Guardians, and those who help us grow, save and pack seeds at Ryton. Our heartfelt thanks to each and every one. 


## CASE STUDY 

Since 2017, at a small garden-share in Elgin, Northeast Scotland, and in raised beds at home, Dorothy Allen has been saving and sharing seeds for the Heritage Seed Library. She’s currently looking after ‘Panther’ peas. _“Being a volunteer of a UK-wide group of people who enjoy growing_ “ _and eating older varieties of fruit and veg keeps my interest in what I grow. I look forward to giving back more seeds than I get and hope that they will be passed on to someone else to enjoy. I think it’s so important we keep growing older varieties  for biodiversity and adaptability for a changing climate.  Plus, they taste really good!”_ 

**100,000+** packets of seed grown at Ryton & by volunteers 

## **171 VARIETIES** 

made available to members 

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“[Since volunteering with Garden Organic] I no longer consider non-organic options to deal with problems.” 

Garden Organic volunteer 


**350 VOLUNTEERS** supporting projects across the UK 


**1,250** online home composting course participants 

**4,564** hours of community volunteering 

## SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES TO TAKE positive ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION 

Our community projects and on-the-ground support has a huge impact encouraging local people to make a difference in their area. 

We also ran more than 20 school composting workshops in Shropshire and Telford as part of the Schools Food Web Project. Children were given the opportunity to learn about the importance of composting, reducing food waste, and challenged to do more of this in their school environment. 

## HOME COMPOSTING 

Our community-based projects share the positive environmental messages of home composting, organic growing, and reducing food waste. We achieve this in several ways, but our greatest impact comes from 350+ locally based volunteers each with a passion to share organic principles. 

## PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND 

Community volunteers recorded a total of 4,564 hours and over 17,000 conversations. We also provided over 1,250 residents with home composting training via online courses. 

We became a partner for the Grow Cook Eat project, funded by Public Health England. Through this we supported 10 community growing spaces, embedding growing, cooking and healthy eating programs across West Northamptonshire. 

In 2024 we delivered projects in Cumbria, Shropshire, Suffolk, Leicestershire, Norfolk, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, North Somerset, Buckinghamshire, Rugby, West Northamptonshire, East London, Hampshire, and the North East. This work is funded by waste service providers, local government and charity partners. 

## GREENING HAMPSHIRE 

We continued supporting the National Lottery funded Greening Campaign, working with 20 Hampshire communities to take positive climate action. We have expanded our support to provide seed saving and waste prevention advice. 

This project is an fantastic example of how one person can drive change from their community up. It is truly inspirational to be a part of. 

## GROWING IN SCHOOLS 

We provided resources to schools through partnerships with Trees for Cities’ Edible Playgrounds project and the Local School Nature Grants programme, led by Learning Through Landscapes. 

## TENANT ENGAGEMENT 

In 2024 we launched a partnership with Flagship Housing, offering initiatives that give tenants and staff the opportunity to make better use their green spaces, maximising their value for people and biodiversity. This included the supply of ‘Get Growing’ kits to new homeowners, plus group workshops and establishing community growing spaces. 

In 2024 we sent out organic growing and cooking packs to over 100 schools and provided access to an online course and webinars to help school professionals and volunteers incorporate growing into the curriculum and school life. 

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“I wouldn't understand rotation, soil health, composting and so many other things without you.” Garden Organic member 



**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
1,600<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


experiment and survey participants 


## **SEVEN** 

experiments and surveys conducted 

## Research and citizen science 

Our founder, Lawrence D. Hills was an avid researcher whose legacy can be seen year after year through our citizen science work. 

where best to direct our work. By repeating them we can track changes and the impact we’re having. We will continue to share findings online and via The Organic Way magazine. 

## CITIZEN SCIENCE 

In 2024 we ran experiments with our members, alongside surveys to a wider audience. Overall, 1,600+ growers took part - a record participation for recent years - including those who helped shape our experiments via a citizen science action group. 

## RESEARCH 

In Autumn 2024 we launched a fouryear project, Procurement for Good, in partnership with Coventry University’s Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), Social Farms and Gardens and the Open Food Network. 

We ran three in-depth experiments, including one exploring whether companion planting can reduce allium leaf miner. This was designed via an online session, with an introduction from entomologist, Prof. Rosemary Collier, OBE, of Warwick University. 

This project, funded by the Research Council, focuses on developing local approaches to public sector food procurement. 

Results showed that larger companion plants slightly reduced the incidence of the pest but they also reduced yield, so further work is needed to improve the technique. 

So far, we have been developing a public food procurement implementation plan with four Food Hub partners: 

We also ran an experiment to assess achocha as an alternative to traditional glasshouse and imported crops, and a study into the spread and awareness of beet leaf miner. 

- Galloway Food Hub, Scotland Cultivate Food Hub, Newtown, Wales Cambridge Organic Better Food Shed in London 

Results will be shared on our website, in The Organic Way and more widely throughout the year. 

We were also involved in a six-month pilot project, ‘Co-creating Citizen Science for Reducing Plastic Contamination of Soil in Community Food Growing Spaces’, led by CAWR. 

Accompanying this work, we surveyed four topics: 

- 1.How allium leaf miner has spread since our last survey in 2017 

The project, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, aimed to address concerns and challenges of plastics in soils within community growing sites. 

- 2.Attitude, tolerance and knowledge of weeds 

- 3.How gardeners support biodiverity 4.How crops grew in 2024 

A series of public workshops gave us an understanding of the current situation, and helped identify research methods that engaged growers in the subject. 

These surveys offer us a snapshot across a range of subjects, helping to inform 

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“I have been a member for over 40 years. Membership 

has been consistently useful, keeping me up to date with ideas and practices I use all the time.” 

Garden Organic member 


**14,128** Garden Organic members 


**799** members completed our survey 


**3,735** new memberships started 

## Growing and diversifying our membership 

Our members are at the heart of our charity, and their unwavering support continues to keep our mission alive. 

## MEMBER SUPPORT 

our new strategy. If you have any thoughts to share, please get in touch at any point 

At the end of the 2024/5 financial year, we had 21,418 memberships, held by a total of 14,128 members. Of these, 7,500 hold both Garden Organic and Heritage Seed Library memberships, and 80 are group members. 

## DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT 

As digital technologies develop, we look to find new ways to engage and interact with members and supporters. 

This is a net decrease over the year of 2%. However, thanks to the loyalty of our existing members - who stayed with us through a membership subscription increase  - and some 3,700 new memberships through the period, our income has grown. 

We have shifted several administrative mailings to email, supported by online renewal on our website. This helps to keep our costs down, and gives members flexibility to manage their membership in the most convenient way for them. 

However, we still offer a personal service for those who prefer it. We set great store in looking after our supporters, and encourage people to call or email to ask questions and share views. We particularly enjoy hearing the trials and triumphs that each new growing seasons brings. 

While there are many benefits to gain from membership, many members generously support our cause with additional donations on top of their membership fees and extend this generosity further to our appeals throughout the year. 

We are incredibly grateful for this support – thank you. We will be looking at our membership offer in 2025 to see how we can develop it to meet the needs of growers today and in the future. 

## HELPING US GROW 

Many supporters help spread the word about our work and emphasise the importance of organic growing where they live. 

## MEMBER BENEFITS 

Several places around the UK, from Norwich to mid-Wales, and Bristol to Edinburgh are membership hotspots, helped by active volunteer members and groups who spread the word in their neighbourhoods. 

In Summer 2024 we ended our relationship with The Organic Gardening Catalogue. This has been replaced by member discounts with a number of new partners, including Tamar Organics, The Wildlife Community and Evengreener. 

We are always delighted to see new members join based on a personal recommendation, so thank you for all who are helping us to grow in this way. 

## MEMBER FEEDBACK 

In early 2025 we ran a survey on all aspects of our work. This showed that our advice, campaigning and the Heritage Seed Library remain our most valued activities. 

We have a selection of posters and leaflets to help with this – please do get in touch if you’d like to request any. 

Feedback is invaluable and helped shape 

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## being a good organisation to work for and with 

The hard work and dedication of our team is the reason we can achieve so much in terms of impact and influence. 

“I would like to thank Garden Organic staff members for the warm welcome and encouragement always shown to volunteer gardeners.” Garden Organic volunteer 

## SUPPORTING OUR TEAM 

Looking after our employees continues to be a top priority for the organisation. 

Throughout the past year we have reviewed and updated our policies and procedures, to support the team and align with the values and mission of Garden Organic. 

This coincides with the introduction of a new HR platform and a quarterly review process, where employees can discuss their role as well as work-life balance, aspirations, goals and wellbeing. 

Following this, and by demonstrating our commitment to creating a workplace that promotes employee health and wellbeing, we were awarded the ‘Thrive at Work, workplace wellbeing silver award’, stepping up from the previously awarded bronze level. 

We are also proud to be a Real Living Wage employer, have continued our accreditations as a Disability Confident Employer and are signed up to the Mental Health Charter for Employers. 

We value the views of our employees and know that we can learn and grow by listening to each other. 

We gather feedback from staff via monthly updates, workshops, staff days, anonymous Q&As and surveys, and have introduced a working group to action requests and responses. 

This is reviewed quarterly with short, medium and long-term actions identified. So far, we have redesigned our internal weekly newsletter, scheduled management training, created a uniform policy, and planned social activities. 

## OUR WIDER TEAM 

In addition to our paid staff, we are greatly supported by nearly 600 volunteers across the range of our activities, from our volunteer Board of Trustees to our Master Composters out and about in their communities. 

We also depend on 20 associates, who act on our behalf to further our mission. We are indebted to all those who work with us. 

## CASE STUDY 

_“This year I took on management of our National Collection of_ “ _Calendula. It has been an area of professional growth for me as it gave me a project of my own in an area that I am passionate about. I am deeply interested in herbalism and the history of the connection between herbs, growing methods and the women who traditionally tended these gardens, as well as exploring calendula’s herbal properties and preparation methods.”_ 

Sophie Atkins, Heritage Seed Library Horticulturalist 

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**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 


“It gives me huge pleasure to feel there is an area of my life which gives me the opportunity to make a difference to nature.” 

Garden Organic member 

## Plans for future periods 

As we embark on a new five-year business plan, organic growing is more important than ever for the health of our environment. 

This annual report marks the conclusion of the three-year business plan put in place at the start of 2022. We are now looking ahead to delivering against our five-year strategy. 

- Expanding our community engagement, including our Growing Partners, and adding Members Days around the country, hosted where possible by Growing Partners. 

The five strategic priorities for 20252030 are: 

   - Building on our flourishing relationships with universities to further research into overcoming challenges of biodiversity loss, food growing and local food security mitigating against climate change. 

- 1.To engage and equip people with organic food growing, seed saving and composting skills. 

- 2.To conserve and share organic vegetable seeds for future generations. 

   - Taking our message further to younger and future generations, and trialling new models and ideas to engage and enable the widest possible distribution of positive actions that growers can take. 

- 3.To determine the best possible contemporary horticultural practice. 

- 4.To attract widest possible support for the cause. 

- 5.To deliver long-term business sustainability to underpin impact and income targets. 

Our work needs to continue in partnership, and our aim throughout the next five years is to maximise key stakeholder relationships to enable the greatest possible impact. 

New and developing initiatives include: 

- Developing a new digital training course, fronted by former BBC Blue Peter Gardener, Chris Collins, offering a series of modules which add up to a certificate in organic methods suitable for professional and amateur horticulturalists. 

We will review and improve our impact framework, ensuring our aims are concurrent with societal needs. 

Our mission is always to speak to both gardeners and professional horticulturalists, and we aim to be the ‘go-to’ for pragmatic evidence-based advice and expertise for organic growing in harmony with nature. 

- Expanding our Heritage Seed Library, raising profile through our 50th Birthday and securing professional operator status with APHA and actively contributing to the UK Plant Genetic Resources Group, made up of food gene banks throughout the UK. 

Our ‘golden thread’ will be food – organic food growing, access to local food, composting food waste and conserving the genetic diversity of our food. 

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**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

## financial review 

2024-2025 was an extended 15-month financial year for the charity, due to changing our year end from December 31st to March 31st. This period also marked the end of the three year business plan, set in 2022. 

We ended the year with a surplus of £874,245 improving the position at the end of 2023 of a £29,153 surplus before actuarial movements on our defined pension scheme. Aside from normal debtors there are no thirdparty loans or long-term debts. 

This gives us an exceptionally strong starting point for our new strategic plan 2025-30 which will be launched in autumn 2025. 

## INCOME 

During Jan 2024-March 25 our income increased to £3.2M (2023 - £2.05M over 12 months).  This increase was not only due to the additional three months in the financial year but also because we received legacy income of over £1M during that period.  We are extremely grateful for the loyalty shown to HDRA/Garden Organic by those who have remembered us in their wills. 

In addition, on the operational side, we saw our investment in people and systems made at the start of the 2022-25 business plan come to fruition with increases in commercial contracts, charitable and research grants. 

Our sustainable income drive, initiated back in December 2023, led us to marketing new services, raising our membership subscription fees and trialling new fundraising methods. This marked a step change in our ways of working and we ended the year in March 2025 with a strong portfolio of charity and research grants, together with increased donations through appeals and individual giving. 

## ASSETS 

This year we saw realised and unrealised profit on our fixed investments, held with LGT Wealth, of £16,123 (2023: £66,032). 

This is lower than last year because, due to market volatility and world events, we decided it was more prudent to lodge the majority of our legacy income in the safer liquidity fund rather than the investment portfolio. The liquidity fund adds interest of 4.61% at the time of writing.  Our year end investment balances were £1,767,259 which includes both main portfolio of £445,397 and liquidity portfolio of £1,321,863. 

Our fixed assets of £502,169 and current assets of 1,692,481 (which includes all the cash in our liquidity fund) total £2.2M. The accounting policies, under which the financial results are prepared, are included in note 1 to the accounts. 

## LIABILITIES 

Moving onto our liabilities, our creditors have increased by £128k mainly due to advance payments of £87K we have received from National Lottery Heritage Fund and £29K from Rugby Borough Council.  These will materialise in the coming months as we continue delivery of these projects. 

Our unrestricted funds balance at the end of the year is £1,276,584 – significantly increased from 2023 when this was £196,629. This is after payments towards our defined benefit pension scheme. The charity has agreed a payment schedule with the trustees of the pension scheme to 2034, and we believe that the payments for this liability can be met out of future income streams, although it is noted this puts significant pressure on the annual budgeted expenditure. The payments for this liability increase 5% each January with the portfolio being revalued every three years. 

## EXPENDITURE 

Our expenditure £2.3M (2023 - £2M) has increased because of the additional quarter, however compared with average expenditure for 2023, savings of over £200k were made as a result of operational efficiencies and tight budget control. 

Financial market conditions remain very challenging during 2024-25. We have been fortunate to have significant cash flow receipts in form of legacies. 

## OPERATIONS 

Our staff complement was reduced from 32 (in 2023) to 31 full time equivalent employees. With new projects starting, this is set to increase again, marking a period of growth for the charity. However, like all charities, we are facing rising costs, including the rise in employers National Insurance. We must continue to make sure our 

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**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

## financial review 

pay keeps pace with cost-of-living increases so this year the board agreed an increase to pay for all staff below director level. 

the longer-term interests of the charity is critical given the rapidly changing operating environment and market volatility. Further information on our investment holdings can be found in note 11 to the accounts. 

## UNRESTRICTED RESERVES 

Reserves are needed to bridge the gap between the spending and receiving of resources over time. They also enable the charity to cover unplanned emergency expenditure and to fund activities that would not happen otherwise. 

The trustees annually review the charity's reserves policy and agree that a general reserve of £500,000 is required, which is approximately equal to three months unrestricted, non-trading expenditure, since we believe this would usually be sufficient to cover any emergency requirements. 

To meet the reserves requirements above, the charity must consider its available funds. The charity uses the Charity Commission guidance and calculates these available funds by taking its unrestricted, undesignated funds and excluding its fixed asset investments then adding back its pension liability. This means at 31st March 2025, the charity had available funds of £1,273,187 (2023 - £162,636) to meet its reserves. 

Trustees are aware that by using the above formula they have now sufficient available funds to meet the reserves policy, a significant milestone for the charity. 

## RESTRICTED RESERVES 

At the end of the year, we held restricted reserves of £1,885 (2023 - £5,772), which are not available for general use, but are put aside for specific projects. During the year, we continued to run our restricted activities to further the charity’s work in a variety of projects whilst developing opportunities for new funding. 

## INVESTMENTS 

Garden Organic has an investment portfolio managed by LGT Wealth (formerly abrdn). The Investment Committee is made up of four trustees and meets quarterly. The performance is benchmarked against those held in similar ethical portfolios. Regular calls are set up between the Investment Committee and the charity’s investment fund manager at LGT Wealth. The whole Board of Trustees monitors future plans for the investment portfolio. Adopting a pragmatic approach in 

## FUNDRAISING 

Garden Organic is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and as such follows its rules regarding charity fundraising. We ensure that any fundraising from the public, including from our members and supporters, is transparent and responsible. We have processes in place to ensure our fundraising is not overly intrusive and does not put potential donors under undue pressure, particularly those who may be more vulnerable. All fundraising is carried out by our own employees – we do not use third parties to raise funds on our behalf. We monitor and review our fundraising methods and can confirm that we received no complaints in 2024-25. 

We take a prudent approach to fundraising. During this 15-month financial period, the fundraising team consisted of one dedicated staff member (Fundraising Coordinator) who was supported by managers and staff on a matrix management basis, to cover grant applications, individual giving and fundraising administration. The amount listed in this year’s accounts under ‘Raising Funds’ includes a proportion of costs for activities such as membership administration, publicity and trading. 

There is undoubtedly more competition in fundraising, but we have been taking and acting on external advice to position ourselves well in this market. 

## PENSIONS 

Garden Organic offers a defined contribution pension scheme to all of its employees. We previously offered our staff a multi-employer defined benefit pension scheme, which closed to future accrual in 2008. This scheme is in deficit, with our financial liability reflected on the balance sheet. Further details can be found in note 17 to the accounts. This liability was revalued in December 2024 and the year-end report restated accordingly. 

## GOING CONCERN 

At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have reviewed future plans and believe they have sufficient resources to continue as a going concern. Therefore, the financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. 

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**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

## structure, governance and management 

Garden Organic is governed by its Articles of Association. These were updated in 2021 and adopted by members on 17th September 2021. Garden Organic is a company limited by guarantee. 

- Vice-Chair: David Robinson (appointed 23.02.24 - resigned 27.02.25 to take up directorship of our trading arm, Organic Enterprises Ltd.) 

- Treasurer: Keith Arrowsmith 

- Joe McIndoe 

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall governance of the charity. 

## BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Trustees are elected by the membership or co-opted by the Board, where a skills gap is identified. The total number of trustees may not exceed 11 and each may serve a maximum of three terms of office, with each term being for a period of three years. All trustees must be members of Garden Organic. There is an annual invitation to the membership to put themselves forward to join the Board of Trustees. 

New trustees undergo an induction process, meeting fellow trustees and senior members of staff. Relevant information on the charity, the role of a trustee and other background information that is considered useful by the Chair and Chief Executive is shared. 

To ensure the charity is run in line with best practice, our Chair belongs to the Association of Chairs, our Treasurer to the Honorary Treasurers Forum and our Chief Executive to the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations. 

The Board of Trustees meets formally at least four times a year, to discuss the strategic plan, to consider performance and policies and to manage the overall governance of the charity. Topics discussed during the year included finance, strategy, risk, governance, performance, impact, income generation, policies, the following year’s budget and the business plan. 

The trustees who served during the period up to the date of this report are as follows: 

Chair: Angela Wright (appointed Chair 23.02.24) 

- Interim Co- Chair: Mark Mitchell (appointed 10.05.23 to 23.02.24) 

- Interim Co-Chair: David Robinson (appointed 10.05.23 to 23.02.24) 

- Vice-Chair: Adam Alexander (resigned 05.06.24 after serving full term of office) 

- Vice-Chair: Mark Mitchell (appointed 23.02.24) 

- Rhiannon Davies Catherine Dawson Leslie Robinson (appointed 05.06.24) Nadia Mazza (appointed 19.07.24) David Bond (appointed 27.02.25) John Varney (appointed 27.02.25) Caroline Bosher (appointed 27.02.25) Nicola Hope (resigned 27.02.25) 

- Amanda Sandford (resigned 05.06.24) Rachel Paddon (resigned 23.02.24) 

## EXECUTIVE TEAM 

The Board of Trustees works closely with the Chief Executive and Executive Team to ensure the charity is managed effectively. The Chief Executive is responsible for the day-to-day management of the charity and for implementing policies agreed by the Board of Trustees. The Executive Directors assist the Chief Executive and meet regularly through the year. 

The Executive Team who served during the period up to the date of this report are as follows: 

- Fiona Taylor, Chief Executive 

- Rizwan Ali, Dir. of Finance and Corporate Resources Hannah Bolger, Dir. of Membership, Marketing and Communications 

- Colette Bond, Dir. of Communities 

- Bruce Pearce, Dir. of Horticultural Science (retired 

- 28.02.25, continues as freelance part-time Associate Director) 

## STAFF 

Garden Organic aims to be an organisation where people feel part of a team and work together for a shared purpose. Staff meetings are held regularly, with reports from the Executive and Management Teams on matters both strategic and financial, and with updates from colleagues, information on relevant topical horticultural issues and as well as health and well-being information. 

Garden Organic supports equal opportunities and has a policy of recruitment and promotion on the basis of aptitude and ability without discrimination. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and endeavour to make our sites as accessible as possible. 

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## structure, governance and management 

## PAY POLICY FOR KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL 

The Board of Trustees and the Executive Team make up the key management personnel of the charity. They are responsible for directing and controlling, running and operating the charity. 

## FINANCE COMMITTEE 

The Finance Committee is responsible for overseeing and reviewing all financial aspects of the charity’s activities, including its operational and strategic plans, to ensure its short and long term viability. 

All trustees give their time freely and no trustee received remuneration in the year. Details of their expenses are disclosed in note 9 to the accounts. 

The Board of Trustees approve the overall salary policy. They set the pay for the Chief Executive and work with the Chief Executive to set the salaries of the Executive Team. They benchmark salaries and benefits against pay levels for roles in similar organisations, adjusting for any variation in the level of responsibility within the role. 

## GROUP STRUCUTRE 

The charity has a wholly owned subsidiary, Organic Enterprises Limited. The subsidiary carries out trading activities to raise funds which it gift aids to the charity, and during the financial period it made an operating profit of £9,368 (2023: ££16,938). 

The charity has another wholly owned subsidiary, Garden Organic Limited. This is a dormant company.  Other than the subsidiary companies, the charity does not have any other related parties and therefore has no related party transactions to disclose. 

## COMMITTEES AND SUBSIDIARY BOARDS 

The Board of Trustees delegates the exercise of certain powers in connection with the management and administration of the charity as set out below. Regular reporting to the Board of Trustees controls this. The full Board of Trustees makes all significant decisions on recommendations from committees and working groups. 

## INVESTMENT COMMITEE 

The Investment Committee is responsible for overseeing the external investment manager and reviewing the charity’s investment performance. This committee is made up of the trustees on the Finance Committee, 

## AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE 

The Audit and Risk Committee is responsible for overseeing and reviewing the effectiveness of the governance, internal control, risk management and compliance systems, as well as liaising with the external auditors independently from management. 

## ORGANIC ENTERPRISES LIMITED BOARD 

The Organic Enterprises Limited Board is made up of trustees, Executive Team members and independent directors. This board acts “at arm’s length” from the charity. It is responsible for overseeing the charity’s commercial and trading activities with the aim of generating a profit to be gift aided to charity. 

## COMMERCIAL COMMITTEE 

This committee is made up of the same Trustees who sit on The Organic Enterprises Board and advises the charity in commercial matters. 

## GARDEN ORGANIC LIMITED BOARD 

Garden Organic Limited’s Board is made up of one Trustee. Since this company does not trade, its Board meets only once per year. 

## RISK MANAGEMENT 

Each committee comprises trustees who are independent of the management and free from any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board of Trustees, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgement as members of the committee. 

The Board of Trustees, working with the Senior Management Team, oversee the charity’s risk management. Risk registers are maintained across the charity to monitor risk and, where possible, to identify mitigating actions to reduce the impact of adverse events. 

## ORGANIC HORTICULTURE COMMITEE 

The Organic Horticulture Committee advises on science and research, the Heritage Seed Library, organic growing demonstration, advice and community outreach. 

These registers include strategic, operational and project risks such as income generation, expenditure budgets, legal compliance, cyber security and external communications. Risks are evaluated and scored for likelihood, financial impact, reputational impact and 

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## structure, governance and management 

management tolerance, and mitigating actions are put in place. With highest-scoring and strategic risks reviewed quarterly by the Audit and Risk Committee and biannually by the Board of Trustees. 

and as budgets allow. We update our website to be the expert source of on-line organic horticultural advice. We apply our ethics policy to review any potential new relationships with donors, suppliers and partners. 

This work identifies strategic risks which the charity is managing. These include financial risks, such as the reduction in the charity’s income and increasing costs. 

We are focusing on our income generation activities and identifying potential alternative sources of sustainable income. We are continuing to closely monitor our financial results against our budgets, with the aim that our expenditure is kept in line with our income. 

## CHARITY GOVERNANCE CODE 

The Board of Trustees follows the Charity Governance Code, which sets out the principles and recommended good practice for effective governance in charities. The board is looking to improve diversity in its trustee recruitment process which has yielded some younger board members and a wide range of experience and skills. The charity regularly updates its governing documents, policies and descriptions for trustee roles. 

The most significant non-financial risks facing the charity are those that potentially impact our reputation. We communicate with our members and wider supporters using both traditional and digital media as appropriate 

## AUDITORS 

A resolution to authorise the Board of Trustees to appoint auditors and fix their remuneration will be proposed at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. 

## statement of trustees’ responsibility 

The trustees (who are also directors of Garden Organic for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for the year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: 

- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

- observe the methods and principles in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP (FRS 102)); 

- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation. 

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. 

In so far as the trustees are aware: 

- there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and 

- the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information. 

This report has been prepared in accordance with the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP (FRS 102)). 

By Order of the Board of Trustees 


Angela Wright, Chair of Trustees Date: 04/09/25 

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## reference & administrative details 

The following details are current at the date of signing the accounts: 

Chief Executive: Fiona Taylor 

Executive Directors: 

Patron: His Majesty The King 

President: Professor Tim Lang, PhD, FFPH 

Vice-presidents: 

- Thelma Barlow Raymond Blanc OBE Jane Davidson Susan Hampshire Pam Whittle OBE 

- Colette Bond (Director of Communities) Rizwan Ali (Director of Finance & Corporate Resources) 

- Hannah Bolger (Director of Membership, Marketing and Communications) 

Registration Numbers: 

Charity Commission in England & Wales 298104 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator SC046767 Companies House 02188402 

- The Board of Trustees: Angela Wright (Chair) Joe McIndoe (Vice-Chair) Mark Mitchell (Vice-Chair) Keith Arrowsmith (Treasurer) Rhiannon Davies Catherine Dawson Leslie Robinson Nadia Mazza Caroline Bosher John Varney David Bond 

Registered office: Ryton Organic Gardens, Ryton on Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3LG 

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**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 


## **Opinion** 

We have audited the financial statements of Garden Organic (the ‘parent charitable company’) and its subsidiaries (the 'group') for the period ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, the Consolidated and Charitable Parent Company Balance Sheet, the Consolidated Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies.  The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

In our opinion the financial statements: 

- give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and parent charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2025, and of the group’s incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended; 

- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and 

- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. 

## **Basis for opinion** 

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group and parent charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.  We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. 

## **Conclusions relating to going concern** 

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. 

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the group’s or parent charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. 

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. 

## **Other information** 

The other information comprises the information included in the trustees annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. 

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material 

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**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 


misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. 

We have nothing to report in this regard. 

## **Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006** 

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: 

- the information given in the trustees' report incorporating the directors’ report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and 

- the directors’ report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. 

## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception** 

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and parent charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report. 

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: 

- adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent charitable company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or 

- the parent charitable company’s financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or 

- certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or 

- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or 

- the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies’ regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the directors’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report. 

## **Responsibilities of trustees** 

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the parent charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. 

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the groups and parent charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the group or parent charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 

## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements** 

We have been appointed auditor under the Companies Act 2006 and report in accordance with this Act. Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise 

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**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 


from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. 

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below: 

- Enquiry of management and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims as well as actual, suspected and alleged fraud; 

- Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance; 

- Assessing the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations considered to have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the company through enquiry and inspection; 

- Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations; 

- Performing audit work over the risk of management bias and override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for indicators of potential bias. 

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation.  This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation. 

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/Our-Work/Audit/Audit-and-assurance/Standards-and-guidance/Standards-andguidance-for-auditors/Auditors-responsibilities-for-audit/Description-of-auditors-responsibilities-foraudit.aspx. This description forms part of our auditor’s report. 

## **Use of our report** 

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members and its trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose.  To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body and the charitable company’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. 


John Howard (Senior Statutory Auditor) 

For and on behalf of Azets Audit Services, Statutory Auditors, 2nd Floor, Regis House, 45 King William Street, London, EC4R 9AN 

## Date: 4 September 2025 

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**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

## Company Number 02188402 

|**Notes**<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**Total Funds**<br>**2024-25**<br>**15 Months**<br>**2024-25**<br>**15 Months**<br>**2024-25**<br>**15 Months**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>Income from<br>Donations, Membership and legacies<br>**3**<br>2,706,402<br>-<br>2,706,402<br>Charitable activities<br>**4**<br>406,791<br>19,436<br>426,227<br>Other trading activities<br>**5**<br>32,863<br>-<br>32,863<br>Investments<br>46,096<br>-<br>46,096<br>Other income<br>4,614<br>-<br>4,614<br>Total<br>**3,196,766**<br>**19,436**<br>**3,216,202**<br>Expenditure<br>Raising funds<br>**6**<br>877,881<br>-<br>877,881<br>Charitable activities<br>**7**<br>1,456,876<br>23,323<br>1,480,199<br>____________<br>Total<br>**2,334,757**<br>**23,323**<br>**2,358,080**<br>____________<br>____________<br>____________<br>Net Income/(Expenditure)<br>**862,009**<br>**(3,887)**<br>**858,122**<br>Transfers between funds<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>____________<br>____________<br>____________<br>Net movement in funds<br>**862,009**<br>**(3,887)**<br>**858,122**<br>Net gains on investments<br>**11**<br>16,123<br>-<br>16,123<br>____________<br>____________<br>____________<br>**878,132**<br>**(3,887)**<br>**874,245**<br>Actuarial gain on defined benefit<br>pension schemes<br>**17**<br>201,823<br>-<br>201,823<br>____________<br>____________<br>____________<br>**1,079,955**<br>**(3,887)**<br>**1,076,068**<br>Reconciliation of funds<br>Total funds brought forward<br>196,629<br>5,772<br>202,401<br>____________<br>____________<br>____________<br>Total funds carried forward<br>**18**<br>**1,276,584**<br>**1,885**<br>**1,278,469**<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________|**Total Funds**|**Total Funds**|
|---|---|---|
||**2023**<br>**12 Months**<br>**£**<br>1,673,855<br>305,867<br>43,257<br>21,343<br>8,468<br>**2,052,790**<br>726,241<br>1,363,428<br>**2,089,669**<br>____________<br>**(36,879)**<br>**-**<br>____________<br>**(36,879)**<br>66,032<br>____________<br>**29,153**<br>-<br>____________<br>**29,153**<br>173,248<br>____________<br>**202,401**<br>________________<br>________________||
||||



All of the results are from continuing activities and include all gains and losses recognised in this period and last year. 

Unrealised gains on investments have been included in the statement of financial activities as required by the Statement of 

Recommended Practice “Accounting and Reporting by Charities”. 

The surplus for the period for Companies Act purposes comprises the net incoming resources for the period plus realised gains of £18,483 (2023: £64,568) on investments and was £1,073,708 (2023: £27,689). 

The notes on pages 28 to 44 form part of these financial statements. 

25 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 



**2024/5 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

## For the period ended 31 March 2025 

## Company Number 02188402 

|||||**Group**||**Charity**|**Charity**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**2024-25**||**2023**|**2024-25**|**2023**|
||||**15 Months**||**12 Months**|**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
|||**_Notes_**|**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Fixed assets**||||||||
|**Tangible fixed**|**assets**|**_10_**|57,581||128,301|57,581|128,301|
|**Investments**||**_11_**|1,767,259||690,730|1,767,268|690,739|
||||________________||________________|________________|________________|
||||1,824,840||819,031|1,824,849|819,040|
||||________________||________________|________________|________________|
|**Current assets**||||||||
|**Debtors**||**_13_**|104,104||117,175|113,472|128,221|
|**Cash at bank and in hand**|||257,189||365,485|247,844|351,952|
||||________________||________________|________________|________________|
||||361,293||482,660|361,316|480,173|
||||________________||________________|________________|________________|
|**Creditors:**|**Amounts**|||||||
|**falling due within one**||**_14_**|(421,068)||(320,738)|(421,100)|(318,260)|
|**year**||||||||
||||________________||________________|________________|________________|
|**Net current assets**|||(59,775)||161,922|(59,784)|161,913|
||||________________||________________|________________|________________|
|**Total assets less current**||||||||
|**Liabilities**|||1,765,065||980,953|1,765,065|980,953|
|**Creditors:**|**Amounts**|||||||
|**falling due after more**||**_15_**|(44,596)||(40,729)|(44,596)|(40,729)|
|**than one year**||||||||
|**Provisions for liabilities**||**_17_**|(442,000)||(737,823)|(442,000)|(737,823)|
||||________________||________________|________________|________________|
|**Net assets**|||**1,278,469**||**202,401**|**1,278,469**|**202,401**|
||||________________||________________|________________|________________|
|**Reserves**||**_18_**||||||
|**Restricted funds**|||1,885||5,772|1,885|5,772|
|**Unrestricted funds:**||||||||
|**- other charitable funds**|||1,276,584||196,629|1,276,584|196,629|
||||________________||________________|________________|________________|
||||**1,278,469**||**202,401**|**1,278,469**|**202,401**|



The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 4th September 2025 and signed on their behalf by:- 


## Keith Arrowsmith 

## Honorary Treasurer 

The notes on pages 28 to 44 form part of these financial statements. 

26 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

|||**2024-25**|**2023**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**15 Months**|**12 Months**||
||**Notes**|**£**|**£**||
|**Cash flows from operating activities**|||||
|Net cash provided by operating activities|**19**|906,014|(96,980)||
|||________________|________________||
|**Cash flows from investing activities**|||||
|Interest income||46,096|21,343||
|Purchase of tangible fixed assets||-|(12,343)||
|Proceeds from sale of investments||499,767|362,004||
|Purchase of investments||(1,553,404)|(40,345)||
|||________________|________________||
|||(1,007,541)|330,659||
|||________________|________________||
|**Change in cash and cash equivalents in the period**||**(101,527)**|**233,679**||
|Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of period||374,323|140,644||
|||________________|________________||
|**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period**||**272,796**|**374,323**||
||||||
||||||
|**Analysis of cash and cash equivalents**||**31 December**|**31 December**||
|||**2024-25**|**2023**||
|||**15 Months**|**12 Months**||
|||**£**|**£**||
|Cash in hand and in hand - Bank Accounts||257,189|284,399||
|Cash in hand and in hand - Liquidity Funds||-|81,086||
|||________________|________________||
|||257,189|365,485||
|Cash held in investments.||15,607|8,838||
|||________________|________________||
|**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period**||**272,796**|**374,323**||



The notes on pages 28 to 44 form part of these financial statements. 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

27 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

## **1. Accounting policies** 

## **a) General information and basis of preparation** 

Garden Organic (Registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) is a charitable company limited by guarantee in the United Kingdom. In the event of the Charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £10 per member of the Charity. The address of the registered office is Ryton Organic gardens, Ryton on Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3LG.  The nature of the Charity’s operations and principal activities are given within the Trustees’ Annual Report. This year charity has changed year end date from 31 December to 31 March 2025 and therefore for this year only charity has 15-month period. 

The Charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the  Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and Charities  and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005. 

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value.  The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the Charity. 

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below.  These policies have been consistently applied to all periods presented unless otherwise stated. 

## **b) Basis of consolidation** 

These financial statements consolidate the results of the Charity and its wholly owned subsidiaries Organic Enterprises Limited and Garden Organic Limited on a line-by-line basis in accordance with FRS 102 section 9 and the SORP (FRS 102) section 24. 

Details of the subsidiaries are given in note 12 of the financial statements. 

A separate statement of financial activities for the charitable company has not been present because the charitable company has taken advantage of the exemption afforded by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006. 

## **c) Going concern** 

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that no material uncertainties exist. The trustees have considered the level of funds held and expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the charitable company to be able to continue as a going concern. 

## **d) Funds** 

Restricted funds – these are funds that can only be used for specific restricted purposes within the objects of the Charity.  Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. 

Unrestricted general funds – these are funds that can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the Trustees. 

Designated funds – these are funds that have been set aside by the trustees for purposes. 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

28 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

## **e) Income** 

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the Charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. 

Membership subscriptions are accounted for on an accruals basis providing an allowance for deferred income for subscriptions received in advance. 

Legacy income has been accounted for based on cash received, or where receipt of written confirmation of the Charity’s entitlement to a legacy has provided certainty of receipt. 

Income from grants, including capital grants, is included in incoming resources when these are receivable unless entitlement is conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the Charity.  Where donors impose conditions that must be met before the Charity has unconditional entitlement, the income is deferred and not included in incoming resources until the pre-conditions for use have been met. 

Donations are accounted for when received and treated according to the donor’s wishes.  Donated facilities are included at the value to the Charity where this can be quantified, and a third party is bearing the cost.  No amounts are included in the financial statements for services donated by volunteers. 

## **f)** 

## **Expenditure** 

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis.  Any irrecoverable element of VAT is included with the item of expense to which it relates. 

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the Charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries.  It includes both costs allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them. 

Governance costs are those incurred in connection with administration of the Charity and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements. 

## **g)** 

## **Tangible Fixed Assets** 

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. 

Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, other than freehold land, at rates calculated to write off the cost or valuation, less estimated residual value, of each asset evenly over its expected useful life, or lease period if shorter, as follows: - 

Fixtures and fittings 20% straight line Website 25% straight line 

Assets are only capitalised if cost is greater than £1,000. 

## **h)** 

## **Fixed asset investments** 

Investments held as fixed assets are stated at market value at the balance sheet date.  The Statement of Financial Activities includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluations and disposals throughout the period. 

## **i)** 

## **Debtors** 

Other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid. 

## **j) Cash at bank and in hand** 

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar accounts. 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

29 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

## **k) Creditors** 

Creditors are recognised when there is a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. 

Other creditors and accruals are recognised at their settlement amount due. 

## **l) Loans and borrowings** 

Loans and borrowings are initially recognised at the transaction price including transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method, less impairment. If an arrangement constitutes a finance transaction it is measured at present value. 

## **m) Pension costs** 

During the period, the Charity contributed to a defined contribution stakeholder scheme available to all.  The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in independently managed funds.  The pension costs charge represents contributions payable by the Charity to the funds. 

The Charity also contributed to a multi-employer defined benefit pension scheme for certain individuals.  This scheme was closed to future accruals on 31 December 2008.  See note 17. 

## **n) Taxation** 

The charitable company is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes.  Accordingly, the charitable company is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part II Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes. 

## **o) Finance and operating leases** 

Assets obtained under hire purchase contracts and finance leases are capitalised as tangible assets and depreciated over the shorter of the lease term and their useful lives.  Obligations under such agreements are included in creditors net of the finance charge allocated to future periods.  The finance element of the rental payment is charged to the profit and loss account on a straight-line basis. 

Rentals under operating leases are charged against income on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease. 

## **p) Judgement and key sources of estimation uncertainty** 

The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumption about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experiences and other factors that are considered relevant. 

## **Accounting estimates and assumptions** 

- (i) _Multi-employer defined benefit pension scheme._ 

The Charity has an obligation to pay a deficit funding arrangement in respect of the multi-employer defined benefit pension scheme. The deficit is calculated based on an actuarial estimation of the liability and the principal assumptions are included in note 17.  The present value of the obligation depends on a number of factors including the RPI rate and the discount rate on corporate bonds. This deficit is valued very three years. 

- (ii) _Useful economic lives of tangible assets_ 

The annual depreciation charge of tangible assets is sensitive to changes in the estimated useful economic lives and residual values of the assets. The useful economic lives and residual values are re-assessed annually. They are amended when necessary to reflect current estimates, based on technological advancement, future investments, economic utilisation, and the physical condition of the assets. See note 10 for the carrying amount of the fixed assets and note 1(g) for the useful economic lives for each class of assets. 

30 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

|**2.**|**Net income/(expenditure) for the period:**||||**2024-25**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||||||**£**|**£**|
||**This is stated after charging:**||||||
||Depreciation on owned tangible fixed assets||||70,720|53,484|
||Operating lease rentals – Plant and machinery||||2,022|1,618|
||Auditors’ remuneration - audit services (Charity: £12,000)||||12,000|11,500|
||-Other services||||4,000|989|
||(over)/Under provision in prior periods|||||4,864|
|**3**.|**Income from Donations, Membership and**|**Legacies**|||||
||||||**Total**|**Total**|
|||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**||**Funds**|**Funds**|
|||**Funds**|**Funds**||**2024-25**|**2023**|
||||||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
|||**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**|
||Donations and gifts|300,553||-|300,553|174,517|
||Legacies|1,446,385||-|1,446,385|827,576|
||Membership|758,299||-|758,299|558,643|
||Gift aid recovery|201,165||-|201,165|113,119|
|||____________|____________||____________|____________|
|||**2,706,402**||**-**|**2,706,402**|**1,673,855**|



In 2023, all of the income from donations, memberships and legacies was attributable to the unrestricted funds. 

31 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

## **4. Income from Charitable Activities** 

|||||||**Total**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Unrestricted**||**Restricted**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
|||||**Funds**|**Funds**|**2024-25**|**2023**|
|||||||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
|||||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Fees for gardening projects|||________________|30,127|-|30,127|82,033|
|Government|and|public|authority|366,664|-|366,664|216,167|
|payments||||||||
|Charitable grants||||10,000|19,436|29,436|7,667|
|||||________________|________________|________<br>________________|________________|
|||||**406,791**|**19,436**|**426,227**|**305,867**|



In 2023, £269,222 of the charitable activities income was attributable to the unrestricted fund and £36,645 was attributable to the restricted funds. 

## **5. Income from Other Trading Activities** 

|**Income from Other Trading Activities**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Total**|**Total**|
||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**2024-25**|**2023**|
||||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Income from trading activities|27,113|-|27,113|39,957|
|Sponsorship|5,750|-|5,750|3,300|
||________________||________________|________________|
|||-|||
||**32,863**|-|**32,863**|**43,257**|
|**Expenditure on Raising Funds**|||||
||**Activities**|**Support**|**Total**|**Total**|
||**undertaken**|**costs**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
||**directly**|**(Note 8)**|**2024-25**|**2023**|
||||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|- Membership|368,079|115,006|483,085|454,539|
|- Fundraising and publicity|168,703|197,483|366,186|239,770|
|- Other trading activities|18,596|10,014|28,610|31,932|
||________________|________________|________________|________________|
||**555,378**|**322,503**|**877,881**|**726,241**|



## **6. Expenditure on Raising Funds** 

In 2023, £382,581of the expenditure on raising funds was related to the activities undertaken directly, all of this was attributed to unrestricted funds and £343,660 was related to the support costs. 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

32 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

|**7.**|**Expenditure on Charitable**|**Activities**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Activities**|**Support**|**Total Funds**|**Total Funds**|
||||**undertaken**|**costs**|**2024-25**|**2023**|
||||**directly**|**(Note 8)**|**18 Months**|**12 Months**|
||||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
||- Education and training||506,697|82,505|589,202|642,913|
||- Heritage Seed Library||481,259|82,755|564,014|437,502|
||- Research||30,848|17,731|48,579|85,923|
||- Ryton Gardens||213,114|41,967|255,081|197,090|
||||________________|________________|________________|________________|
||||**1,231,918**|**224,958**|**1,456,876**|**1,363,428**|
|**8.**|**Analysis of Support Costs**||||||
|||**Governance**|**IT & Human**|**Premises**|**Total**|**Total**|
|||**& Finance**|**Resources**||**Support**|**Support**|
||||||**costs**|**costs**|
||||||**2024-25**|**2023**|
||||||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
||- Membership|79,544|23,165|12,297|115,006|139,876|
||- Fundraising and publicity|168,169|23,165|6,149|197,483|185,156|
||- Other trading activities|3,865|-|6,149|10,014|18,628|
||- Education and training|-|57,911|24,594|82,505|74,612|
||- Heritage Seed Library|4,968|34,747|43,040|82,755|72,465|
||- Research|-|11,582|6,149|17,731|16,014|
||- Ryton Gardens|-|17,373|24,594|41,967|37,671|
|||________________|________________|________________|________________|________________|
|||**256,546**|**167,943**|**122,972**|**547,461**|**544,422**|



## **Basis of Apportionment of Support Costs** 

- Governance and Finance costs are apportioned based on income levels. 

- IT and Human Resources costs are apportioned pro rata based on staff headcount. 

- Premises costs are apportioned pro rata based on the usage of the grounds/offices. 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

33 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

|**9.**<br>**Analysis of Trustee and Staff Remuneration**<br>**2024-25**<br>**15 Months**<br>**2023**<br>**12 Months**<br>**The aggregate payroll costs were:**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>Wages and salaries<br>1,281,610<br>1,085,268<br>Social security costs<br>106,256<br>90,477<br>Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension scheme<br>93,035<br>77,266<br>Operating costs of defined benefit pension scheme<br>85,474<br>31,632<br>__________<br>__________ <br>**1,566,375**<br>**1,284,643**<br>__________<br>__________ <br>The average number of staff employed by the group during the financial period amounted to:<br>**No.**<br>**No.**<br>Total number of staff:<br>Raising Funds<br>1<br>2<br>Charitable Activities<br>32<br>27<br>Support Staff<br>10<br>11<br>_________<br>__________ <br>43<br>40<br>__________|**9.**<br>**Analysis of Trustee and Staff Remuneration**<br>**2024-25**<br>**15 Months**<br>**2023**<br>**12 Months**<br>**The aggregate payroll costs were:**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>Wages and salaries<br>1,281,610<br>1,085,268<br>Social security costs<br>106,256<br>90,477<br>Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension scheme<br>93,035<br>77,266<br>Operating costs of defined benefit pension scheme<br>85,474<br>31,632<br>__________<br>__________ <br>**1,566,375**<br>**1,284,643**<br>__________<br>__________ <br>The average number of staff employed by the group during the financial period amounted to:<br>**No.**<br>**No.**<br>Total number of staff:<br>Raising Funds<br>1<br>2<br>Charitable Activities<br>32<br>27<br>Support Staff<br>10<br>11<br>_________<br>__________ <br>43<br>40<br>__________|**9.**<br>**Analysis of Trustee and Staff Remuneration**<br>**2024-25**<br>**15 Months**<br>**2023**<br>**12 Months**<br>**The aggregate payroll costs were:**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>Wages and salaries<br>1,281,610<br>1,085,268<br>Social security costs<br>106,256<br>90,477<br>Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension scheme<br>93,035<br>77,266<br>Operating costs of defined benefit pension scheme<br>85,474<br>31,632<br>__________<br>__________ <br>**1,566,375**<br>**1,284,643**<br>__________<br>__________ <br>The average number of staff employed by the group during the financial period amounted to:<br>**No.**<br>**No.**<br>Total number of staff:<br>Raising Funds<br>1<br>2<br>Charitable Activities<br>32<br>27<br>Support Staff<br>10<br>11<br>_________<br>__________ <br>43<br>40<br>__________|
|---|---|---|
||1|2|
||32|27|
||10|11|
||_________|__________|
||43|40|
|||__________|



The Trustees received no remuneration during the period under review.  Travelling, subsistence and accommodation expenses were reimbursed to 2 Trustees totalling £361 (2023: £752 to 3 Trustees). 

During the period, one employee received total emoluments over £70,001 (2023 one over £70,001).  In period 2024-25 (15 months), pension contributions relating to this employee of £6,000 (2023: £5,867) were paid into the auto enrolment pension scheme and nil into the historic defined pension contribution scheme. 

The key management personnel of the Charity comprise the Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Team as noted on page 18.  The total employee benefits of the key management personnel for 15 months period were £407,053 (2023: £329,934). 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

34 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

## **10. Tangible Fixed Assets** 

|**Fixtures &**<br>**Fittings**<br>**Website**<br> <br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**Group and Charity**<br>**Cost or Valuation**<br>At 1 January 2024<br>268,747<br>88,254<br>Additions<br>-<br>-<br>At 31 March 2025<br>268,747<br>88,254<br>**Depreciation**<br>At 1 January 2024<br>204,962<br>23,738<br>Depreciation charge<br>43,141<br>27,579<br>At 31 March 2025<br>248,103<br>51,317<br>**Net Book Value**<br>**31 March 2025**<br>**20,644**<br>**36,937**<br>31 December 2023<br>63,785<br>64,516<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________|**Total**<br>**£**<br>357,001<br>-<br>357,001<br>228,700<br>70,720<br>299,420<br>**57,581**<br>128,301<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________|
|---|---|



35 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

|**11.**|**Investments**|||
|---|---|---|---|
|||**2024-25**|**2023**|
|||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**Investments managed by Investment Manager**|**£**|**£**|
||**Market Value**|||
||At 1 January 2024|682,182|937,519|
||Additions|1,553,404|40,345|
||Disposals at opening market value|(500,057)|(362,004)|
||Realised and unrealised profit on investments|16,123|66,032|
|||________________|________________|
|||1,751,652|681,892|
||Cash held by Investment Manager|15,607|8,838|
|||________________|________________|
||**At 31 March 2025**|1,767,259|690,730|



The additions/disposals figures above include an initial investment into the cash liquidity fund. 

The historical cost of the investment portfolio (including cash) at 31 March 2024-25 was £1,756,317 (2023 - £656,741 

All the investments are held primarily to provide an investment return for the charity. 

||**2024-25**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|
||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**£**|**£**|
|**Fixed asset investment split**|||
|Equities|197,506|478,932|
|Fixed Interest – UK|146,094|99,224|
|Property|10,136|17,696|
|Alternatives|38,138|79,478|
|Sterling Liquidity Funds|1,359,778|6,562|
||________________|________________|
||1,751,652|681,892|
|Cash held by Investment Manager|15,607|8,838|
||________________|________________|
||1,767,259|690,730|



Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

36 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

The following investments comprise of more than 5% of the value of the total portfolio: 

||**Market**|**% of**|**Market**|**% of**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Value**|**Portfolio**|**Value**|**Portfolio**|
||**(2024-25)**||(**2023)**||
|ABR LIQ FUND (LUX) SICAV STER L1 GBP|1,317,850|74.57%|||
|DIS|||||
|(Liquidity Fund)|||77,938|10.99%|
|ASI Ethical Corp BD (UK Corporate Bonds)|||39,273|5.54%|
|Microsoft Corp Com|||||



## **Investments in Group Undertakings** 

|**Investments in Group Undertakings**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Group**|||**Charity**|||
||**2024-25**|**2023**||**2024-**|**2023**||
|||||**25**|||
||**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**||
|Shares in group undertakings|**-**||**-  **|**9**||**9**|



## **12. Net income from the subsidiary trading activities** 

Organic Enterprises Limited is a 100% subsidiary with company number 0178247 whose registered office is Ryton Organic Gardens, Ryton On Dunsmore, Coventry, West Midlands, CV8 3LG. It has a share capital of £2. This company has not traded during the period of review. 

The results for this subsidiary were as follows: 

|The results for this subsidiary were as follows:|||
|---|---|---|
||**2024-25**|**2023**|
||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**£**|**£**|
|**Profit and Loss account**|||
|Turnover|26|8|
|Cost of sales|-|-|
||____________|____________|
|Gross profit/(loss)|26|8|
|Other income|19,658|28,642|
|Administrative and other expenses|(10,316)|(11,712)|
||____________|____________|
|Net profit prior to gift aid to the Charity|**9,368**|**16,938**|
|Net assets at 31 March 2025|**7**|**7**|



Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

37 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

Garden Organic Limited is a 100% subsidiary with company number 07269077 and registered office at Ryton Organic Gardens, Ryton On Dunsmore, Coventry, West Midlands, CV8 3LG.  It has a share capital of £2.  This company has not traded during the period under review. 

|**Investments in group undertakings comprise:**|||**£**||**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Organic Enterprises Limited|||7||7|
|Garden Organic Limited|||2||2|
||||____________||____________|
||||**9**||**9**|
|**Debtors**||||||
||**Group**||**Charity**|||
||**2024-25**|**2023**|**2024-25**||**2023**|
||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|**15 Months**|**12**|**Months**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**||**£**|
|Trade debtors|54,456|57,277|54,456||51,385|
|Amount owed from group undertakings|-|-|9,368||16,938|
|Other debtors|38,395|43,706|38,395||43,706|
|Prepayments|11,253|16,192|11,253||16,192|
||________________|________________|________________|________________||
||**104,104**|**117,175**|**113,472**|**128,221**||



## **13. Debtors** 

## **14. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year** 

||**Group**|**Group**|**Charity**|**Charity**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**2024-25**|**2023**|**2024-25**|**2023**|
||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Trade creditors|27,511|41,773|27,541|41,794|
|Amount owed to group undertakings|-|-|2|2|
|Other taxation and social security|36,920|34,080|36,920|32,479|
|Other creditors|10,100|10,100|10,100|10,100|
|Accruals and deferred income (note 15)|346,537|234,785|346,537|233,885|
||________________|________________|________________|________________|
||**421,068**|**320,738**|**421,100**|**318,260**|



38 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

|**15.**<br>**Deferred income**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
|Deferred income at 1 January 2024|239,578||||
|Released during period|(527,175)||||
|Deferred in 2024-25|652,455||||
||________________||||
|Deferred income at 31 March 2025|**364,858**||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
||**Group**<br>**Charity**||||
|**2024-25**<br>**15 Months**<br>**2023**<br>**12 Months**<br>**2024-25**<br>**15 Months**<br>**2023**<br>**12 Months**|||||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
||||||
|Deferred income due within one year|320,262|198,849|320,262|198,849|
|Deferred income due after more than one<br>year|44,596|40,729|44,596|40,729|
||________________|________________|________________|________________|
||**364,858**|**239,578**|**364,858**|**239,578**|
||||||



## **16. Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year** 

|||**Group**|**Group**||**Charity**|**Charity**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**2024-25**||**2023**|**2024-25**|**2023**|
|||**15 Months**|**12**|**Months**|**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
|||**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Accruals and deferred income (note|15)|44,596||40,729|44,596|40,729|
|||________________||________________|________________|________________|
|||**44,596**||**40,729**|**44,596**|**40,729**|



## **17. Pension Schemes** 

## _Defined Benefit Scheme_ 

Garden Organic together with its subsidiary, Organic Enterprises Limited, and other institutions participate in the Mercury Provident Pension Scheme.  The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of Garden Organic, being managed by the Mercury Provident Pension Scheme trustee. 

On 1 September 2020, Garden Organic’s share of assets and liabilities within the scheme were segregated from those of other employers and are now being managed in a separate, stand alone, section – the HDRA Section of the Mercury Provident Pension Scheme (the Scheme). 

The scheme was revalued in December 2024 and the value restated in the 2023 Annual return.  This valuation is undertaken every three years with the next due in December 2027. 

Pension benefits are linked to the members’ final pensionable salaries and service at their retirement (or date of leaving if earlier).  The Trustee of the Scheme is responsible for running the Scheme in accordance with the Scheme’s Trust Deed and Rules.  The Trustee is required to act in the best interests of the beneficiaries of the Scheme. 

There are two categories of Scheme members: 

- Deferred members: members who have left pensionable service with benefits which have yet to come into payment. 

- Pensioner members: members in receipt of pension. 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

39 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

## Future Funding Obligation 

The Trustee is required to carry out an actuarial valuation every three years.  An actuarial valuation of the Scheme was performed by the Scheme Actuary for the Trustee as at 29 December 2024.  This valuation results are still awaiting to reveal a funding shortfall based on triennial valuation. However, FRS102 valuation as of 31[st] March 2025 is used for this period calculation. 

The Charity agreed with the Trustee to pay contributions each month towards clearing the shortfall by 30 June 2034.  Contributions will increase annually by 5% on each 1 January. 

However, the Charity’s contribution requirement will be reassessed once the results of the formal actuarial valuation being carried out for the Scheme as at 29 December 2024 are known. 

The total cost recognised in the period was as follows: 

|The total cost recognised in the period was as follows:|||
|---|---|---|
||**2024-25**|**2023**|
||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**£**|**£**|
|Contributions paid|181,000|136,218|
|Administrative expenses|(48,000)|(32,173)|
|Settlements in respect of orphan debt|-|-|
|Net interest|(39,000)|(37,559)|
||________________|________________|
|Recognised in net income/expenditure|**94,000**|**66,486**|
||________________|________________|
|Pension revaluation|201,823|-|
||________________|________________|
|Recognised in other gains/losses|**201,823**|**66,486**|
||________________|________________|
|Total cost recognised|**295,823**|**(66,486)**|



Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

40 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

Amounts recognised in the balance sheet are as follows: 

|Amounts recognised in the balance sheet are as follows:|||
|---|---|---|
||**2024-25**|**2023**|
||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**£**|**£**|
|Market value of assets held at 31 March 2025|1,604,000|2,197,000|
|Liabilities to members at 31 March 2025|(2,046,000)|(3,059,000)|
|2022 change in movement|-|57,691|
|2023 change in movement|-|66,486|
||________________|________________|
|Deficit|**(442,000)**|**(737,823)**|



## _Defined Contribution Scheme_ 

Garden Organic also makes contributions to a defined contribution stakeholder scheme.  The pension cost charged to the financial statements in the period in respect of this scheme was £94,000 (2023: £ 66,486).  At the end of the period there were no outstanding contributions payable (2023: £nil). The next formal valuation of the scheme is due 29 December 2027. 

## **18. Reserves** 

||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
|||**(note 21)**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|
||______________|_____________|______________|
|Fund balances at 31 December 2023|196,629|5,772|202,401|
|Surplus/(deficit) for period|1,079,955|(3,887)|1,076,068|
||______________|_____________|______________|
|**Fund balances at 31 March 2025**|**1,276,584**|**1,885**|**1,278,469**|



Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

41 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

|**19.**<br>**Reconciliation of net income/expenditure to net cash flow from operating activities**<br>**2024-25**<br>**15 Months**<br>**£**<br>Net income for reporting period (as per the statement of financial activities)<br>874,245<br>**Adjustments for:**<br>Depreciation<br>70,720<br>(Gains)/losses on investments<br>(16,123)<br>Interest received<br>(46,096)<br>Decrease in debtors<br>13,071<br>Increase in creditors<br>104,197<br>(Decrease) in defined benefit pension scheme liability<br>(94,000)<br>_____________<br>**Net cash provided by operating activities**<br>**(906,014)**<br>**20.**<br>**Restricted funds – current period**<br>**Balance at**<br>**1 January**<br>**2024**<br>**Movement in Resources**<br>**&**<br>**Transfers**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**Projects:**<br>Social Therapeutic Horticulture<br>1,519<br>-<br>-<br>Heritage Fund-Sowing your seeds<br>-<br>307<br>(307)<br>Tyfi Dyfi Project<br>265<br>-<br>-<br>The National Lottery Community Fund<br>3,988<br>19,129<br>(23,016)<br>**Total restricted funds**<br>**5,772**<br>**19,436**<br>**(23,323)**<br>**21.**<br>**Restricted funds – prior period**<br>**Balance at**<br>**1 January**<br>**2023**<br>**Movement in Resources**<br>**&**<br>**Transfers**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**Projects:**<br>Social Therapeutic Horticulture<br>2,031<br>-<br>(512)<br>Edible Gardens<br>-<br>4,213<br>(4,213)<br>Tyfi Dyfi Project<br>7,640<br>24,765<br>(32,140)<br>The National Lottery Community Fund<br>7,667<br>(3,679)<br>Children in Need<br>6,529<br>-<br>(6,529)<br>**Total restricted funds**<br>**16,200**<br>**36,645**<br>**(47,073)**<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________<br>________________|**2023**<br>**12 Months**<br>**£**<br>29,153<br>53,484<br>(66,032)<br>(21,343)<br>29,728<br>(55,484)<br>(66,486)<br>______________<br>**(96,980)**<br>**Balance at**<br>**31 March**<br>**2025**<br>**£**<br>1,519<br>-<br>265<br>101<br>**1,885**<br>**Balance at**<br>**31 December**<br>**2023**<br>**£**<br>1,519<br>-<br>265<br>3,988<br>-<br>**5,772**<br>________________<br>________________|
|---|---|



Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

42 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

## **Projects:** 

## The National Lottery Community Fund 

The Greening Campaign tackles climate change at a community level where everyone is invited, and everyone has a role to play in making their community more resilient to future challenges. Garden Organic supports communities to grow their own food, highlighting the benefits of eating locally grown organic produce, and to take steps to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill. 

## Sowing your Seeds: Heritage Crops for a Resilient Future 

A two-year project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, to find, conserve and share heirloom vegetable seeds in Midlands communities. 

## Social Therapeutic Horticulture 

A project looking at how we can use organic horticulture to improve different people’s lives, including carers and young people. 

## Edible Playgrounds 

A partnership with Trees for Cities, encouraging children to grow and eat more fruit and vegetables by providing purpose built veg plots and providing training and advice. 

## Tyfu Dyfi Project 

A multi-partner project running in mid-Wales funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government, demonstrating how communities can be involved with their local food systems. 

43 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

For the period ended 31 March 2025 

Company Number 02188402 

## **22. Analysis of net assets between funds** 

|**Analysis of net assets between funds**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**||**Total**|**Total**|
||**Funds**|**Funds**||**Funds**|**Funds**|
|||||**2024-25**|**2023**|
|||||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**|
|Fund balances at 31 March 2025||||||
|are represented by:||||||
|Tangible fixed assets|57,581||-|57,581|128,301|
|Investments|1,767,259||-|1,767,259|690,730|
|Current assets|359,408|1,885||361,293|482,660|
|Current liabilities|(421,068)||-|(421,068)|(320,738)|
|Creditors amount falling due after||||||
|more than one year|(44,596)||-|(44,596)|(40,729)|
|Provisions for liabilities|(442,000)||-|(442,000)|(737,823)|
||________________|________________||________________|________________|
|**Total net assets**|**1,276,584**|**1,885**<br>-||**1,278,49**|**202,401**|



## **23. Operating lease commitments** 

At 31 March 2025 the total future minimum lease payments for the Group under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows: 

|s follows:|||
|---|---|---|
||**2024-25**|**2023**|
||**15 Months**|**12 Months**|
||**£**|**£**|
|Expiry:|||
|Within one year|1,618|1,618|
|Between one and five years|2,428|4,450|
||______________|______________|
||**4,046**|**6,068**|



## **24. Capital commitments** 

There were capital commitments of £nil (2023: £nil) at the period end. 

## **25. Related Party Transactions** 

There are no related party transactions during the period (2023: £nil). 

Garden Organic (registered as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) Annual Report and Accounts, 2024/25 

44 



**2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** 

## With grateful thanks 

We are deeply grateful to all the organisations, grant givers and individuals who support us - especially our regular donors, those who respond to our appeals, and our volunteers, members, and supporters. Your efforts, including fundraising through garden openings, seed swaps and gardening group events, make a significant difference to the impact we have. We also hold a huge debt of thanks to those who remember the charity in their will and through in memory donations. 

## the following organisations funded our work in 2024/25: 

GOVERNMENT Ministry of Justice HM Prison & Probation Service 

LOCAL AUTHORITIES Buckinghamshire Council Cumberland Council East London Waste Authority Essex County Council Gloucestershire County Council Leicestershire County Council Norfolk County Council North Somerset Council Rugby Borough Council Shropshire Council Suffolk County Council Westmorland and Furness Council Worcestershire County Council West Northamptonshire Council 

ACADEMIC/RESEARCH Natural Environment Research Council UKRI Economic and Social Research Council 

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS Duke of Portland Charitable Trust Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust Fisherbeck Charitable Trust Finnis Scott Foundation Garfield Weston Foundation Kaye Pemberton Charitable Trust Rowlands Trust The Anson Trust The National Lottery Community Fund (in partnership with The Greening Campaign project) The National Lottery Heritage Fund The Organic Family Foundation The Reed Foundation and The Big Give The Saintbury Trust The Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust The William Dean Countryside & Educational Trust 

## CORPORATE SUPPORTERS 

Andermatt Buckinghamshire Nursery BVG Group Evengreener Hedges Direct HotBin Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons Melcourt Industries Pro Grow River Street Events Rolawn Steenbergs Tamar Organics The Doyle Collection The Wildlife Community Veolia Vinceremos Wines Viridian Nutrition Wier Agency Wool Pots Yeo Valley 

## OTHER FUNDERS 

Caldmore Community Garden Community Rail Network English Heritage Trust Flagship Housing Group Hope Centre, Northampton (Public Health England) Learning Through Landscapes Plant Heritage UK Shropshire Good Food Partnership Sizzle / Enrich the Earth Trees for Cities The Gaia Foundation’s Seed Sovereignty Programme YMCA (Heart of England) 


Garden Organic, Ryton Organic Gardens, Wolston Lane, Coventry, CV8 3LG membership@gardenorganic.org.uk  |  Tel: 024 7630 8210 

Garden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association. Registered Charity in England and Wales (no. 298194) and Scotland (SC046767) 

