Edinburgh Garden Partners Annual report and accounts Year end: 31st March 2025 Edinburgh Garden Partners Annual report for the year ended 31st March 2025 Board of trustees and administration details Edinburgh Garden Partners (EGP) wa5 Qstablished as a company limited by guarantee and recognised as a charity in Scotland (No. SC042164} on 11th March 2011.11 converted to a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 141h De￿mber 2015 and is governed by its consth'tution. The address of the principal office of the charity is Causewayside House, 160 Causewayside, Edinburgh, EH9 1PR. The structure of the charty consists of the charity trustees, who are also the organisation's onl members and comprise the or anisation's board. The current chari trustees ar also served as charity trustees during the year 1 April 2024 to 31" March 2025. The board may at any time appoint new trustees and at each AGM trustees stand down but may be re*Jecled. The objects of the charity The charity's obtsectives. as set out in its constitution are". to advance the health of the community through promoting and enabling gardening activiltes in the local area and the growing and CAJnsumption of IC￿al and organic food., to advance citizenship and community development through volunteer gardenng and other volunteer opportunities in line with our objectives,. to promote environmental protection and improvement through the promotion of sustainable and environmentally friendly methods of gardening., to relieve those in ne8d by reason of age, ill-health. disability or other disadvantsge, through helping them to maintain and Gultivate their gardens, andlor enabling them to participate in and gain frorn the therapeutic benefits of gardening.. and, to advance the education cf the public in horticulture and related environmental issues. Our strategy EGP has a clear vision, which was reaffirnied in a strategy review in 2022: °We strive for sustainable, connected Gommunities, where everyone lives well and has space to grow.. Our work aims to strenglhen communities by creating relationships be￿een people who want a space to grow and those who have garden space to share. We connect people of different ages, a￿1￿les. and backgrounds to build a shared gardening movement through the exchange of skills, knowledge, and life experience. Edinburgh Garden Partners Annual report for the year ended 31st March 2025 Work to underpin the strategy is guided by our values.. We are Incluslvo and strive to bring people together in a spirit of shared endeavour. We are nurturfng of gardens, of relationships and of ourselves. We are open to new ideas, new ways of working, and in the way we communicate. We are collaborative and believe that our organisation, partnerships and communities are stronger when we work together. Vde are rnSOu￿0fUI in our gardens and in our organisation, making the most of what we have and sharing our time, knowtedge and skills. We care about tho environment and are ¢ommrtted to promoting sustainable practices and respect for our planet. A strategy review is planned for the Autumn of 2025. Summary of actlvlties from the year EGP continues to be motivated by strengthening our connections to each other and enhancing our relationship with food and nature. This year we have delivered activty across fwe separate workstreams which have helped us to deliver our mission. 1) Sustain our garden partnorships. nurturing the breadth and quality of relatlonshlps between owners and volunteors within these. and build a bank of evidence for this. Sustaining and nurturing our garden partnerships is the core of our work at EGP. Over the year, we have seen a steady level of partnerships maintained with ¢.40 active partnerships in place at any one time. Over the course of the year. we have supported 50 volunteers and 42 garden owners. Our annual volunteer surrfey shows that people value being part of EGP, and are positive about the work we do.. "It can be a difficult task to approach partnerships with both care, kindness and an awareness of the necessity of boundaries. I feel that EGP support and guidance is exemplary in this regard, both deeply considerate and professional"; 'The garden is 8 gmwing space but also a meeting of worfds. Without the garden, it would be much more difficult for me (a foreigner w'th a fvnny accent) to establish a n7eaningful connection with the community our garden is a part of. In summer, it makes me smile to see people admiring the flowering garden when smoking out of their flat window- it's the small things I value most."" Edinburgh Garden Partners Annual report for the year ended 31st March 2025 "18njoy hearing my g8rdgn own9rfs stories of herpast and about the local area. It makes me feel more connected to the area, even though Im not onginally from theré" 2) Develop further opportunltl88 for people to contrlbute to and collaborate wlth EGP. Incroa8lng volunt••r capaclty and strongthenlng partnorshlp8. We have ¢ontinued to organise an additional programme of activities for volunteers to be involved with over the course of the year. This has included.. Organising multiple "SOS days" where teams of volunteers clear a particularly problematic garden space together Seed swaps to mark the beginning of the growing season A sketching day at Granton Walled Garden WFth artist 5 training sessions delivered by the Royal Botanic Gardens (Edinburgh) for EGP volunteers A kombucha making workshop hosted by one of our volunteers Group visits to communty gardens or public gardens around the crty including Saughton Park. Lauriston Farm, garden and ￿ garden Wreath making wort(shop (annual end of the growing season event) "How to build your own planter. session with Edinburgh Tool Library Tour of the National Galleries of So?tland IcK)king at plants and gardens in Scoth'sh painting with curator By arranging additional activities, we have built new connections with a number of groups across the city and, folk)wing posltive feedback from attendees, we hope to repeat events in the next year. We have also had some big success on social media this year, reaching new audiences on Facebook and Linkedln, far beyond our usual reach. 3) Prlorltlse bulldlng dlverslty In our communlty and •ncouraglng people of all dlfferent ages, abllltlos and backgrounds to got involved wlth our worfc. EGP is working across a number of area5 to reduce barriers to inclusion in our work and to increase diversity in our garden sharing community. This year we have developed our Equality, Diversty and Inclusion {EDI) poI￿Y and updated our budget to include an "access fund" for any volunteer who needs support for basic gardening equipment to get involved in our work. We have also seen the first year of our "EDI commitment" being built into our volunteer and garden owner induction Pro￿$$eS - this has been met with positive feedbad(. Edinburgh Garden Partners Annual report for the year ended 31. March 2025 From a project perspective, updates from the year have included.. Delivering a project with Milan, an organisation who work with older members of the South Asian community. to develop a growing space at their centre. EGP volunteers built raised beds alongside Milan setvice users and staff and volunteers from SRUC. We also ran a planning and planting session with their lunch club. Meeting with Feniks to explore how we can share our volunteer programme with Polish speakers. Feniks have kindly translated our leaflets into Polish and shared them in their monthly newsletter. We have already connected with one volunteer through this outreach. 4) Share and promote the EGP model wlth others. and dov8lop ideas for expanding the scopo of ourwork. in line wlth our key values and mission. It has been a busy year for EGP in temis of sharing and promots'ng the EGP model. We have offered support for organisations interested in setting up garden sharing in their local area, and also built further connections with other local organisations which have flexed the scope of our work in new and interesting ways. This has included: Hosting multiple skill sharing sessions with interested organisations across Scotland, the rest of the UK (and beyond!). Our support for the MAXwell Centre in Dundee has been particularly fwitful as the team there has had a successful first year, supporting 5 garden partnerships. Sending out our information pack about the EGP garden sharing model to interested parties. Receiving referrals from Community Link Workers based in different GP practices across the city, and from Senior Housing Officers at different housing associations too. Attending the ECCAN Spring Assembly and joining the network as a member. In the next year we hope to continue to grow these connections and see how new projects can develop, in line with our key values and mission. 5) Build further r88iliance into EGP- Including the background processes, governance structures and flnances - to ensur6 the organisatlon Is equlpped to deal with change. We know that the continuing Suc￿sS of EGP is built on the people we have involved - staff, volunteers and trustees. This year our Project Coordinator is on maternity leave and we have successfully recruited for maternity cover with a new Assistant Community Coordinator starting in November 2024. We are delighted how our Community Coordinator has stepped up to fill parts of the Project Coordinator role, and how the new team are working together. In addition to changes to the staff team, we have also Edinburgh Garden Partners Annual report for the year ended 31st March 2025 recruited a new trustee. Each appointment has brought new ideas and energy into the EGP community, further strengthening tho organisation. We are grateful to our funders who make our woth possible including the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, Vegware Community Fund, Christina Mary Hendrie Trust, People's Postcode Twst and R25 Fur￿, administered by FourKlation Scotland. Our fundraising commrttee has also had a successful year, securing funds from 3 new funders. and we were also grateful to receive donalions from a launch event for a publication about Scottish poet and gardener, osted by an EGP volunteer and ECA lecturer. Investment in the staff and truslee team is crFti¢al for our success and this year vrfe have been pleased to support training for staff and trustees in safeguarding, fiTSt aid and befriending. We have also made changes to our volunteer induction processes in advance of forthcoming changes to the PVG scheme in Scotland. Accounts The accounts have b*n compiled on a receipts and payments basis. At the yaar-end cash reserves stood at £76,995, of which £66,213 were unrestricted funds. It is the trustees, policy to maintain sufficient reserves to meet future planned activity and to cover administrative costs. At the end of the year this had been achieved. Approved by the Trustees on 12th August 2025 and signed on their behalf by Ben Parker {Convenerl Signature.. Independent Examiner's Report to the Board of Trustees of Edinburgh Gardon Partnors I report on the 8c£ounts of the charty for the year ended 31* March 2025, set cKJt on pages 7 to10. Respectlve responsibllities of trustees and examiner The tharity's Trustees are responsiiye for the preparatlon of the accounts in accordance with the tenns of the Charities and TTUStee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the char￿e$ Aco)unls (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The Trustees ¢xinsider that the 8udit Tequirement of Regulation 10{1) (d) of the Accounts Regulations does not appty. It is my responsibility to examine the akxounls as required under seclion 44(1) (c) of Ihe Act and to State whether particular matters have ￿me to my attention. Basls of Indèpendent examlnèVts sL1tement My examination is carried out in accordan￿ with Regulation 11 of the Charilies Accounts {Scotland) Regulations 2006 las amended). An examinatlon indudes a review of the accounting Te(x)rds k8Pt by the charty and a comparison of the accounts presented wilh those records. It also indudes consideration of any unusual items or disdosures in the aGcount8 and seeks explanations from the trustees conceming any suth matters. The procedures undertaken do rK)t provide all the evKlence that vK)uld be required in an audit, and ￿nsequentlY I do not exprnss ￿ audrt opinion on tho view given by the accounts. Indepondent examlnefs statement In the course of my examination, no matter has ￿me to rny attention 1. which gives reasonable ¢ause to believe that in any material respect the requirements.. . to keep accounting records in a(ThrdanGe with Section 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations (as amended). and . to prepare accounts which acrord with the accounting records and o)mFty wilh Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations (as arnended} have nol been met, or 2. to which, in my opinion. attention thould be dr8wn Fn order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be rexhad. Edinburgh Garden Partners Receipts Ydnd Payments Account Year ending 31 March 2025 Unrt5trieted RtstTl¢t¢d Funds Funds To¢#1 Unrestrieted Restrl¢ted Funds Funds Totsl Fund$ 2025 Funds No¢e 2025 2024 2024 2024 Donations> grants & legacies Donations Grant Funding Total donalions 401 401 74 74 43.300 43,701 21.571 21.571 64,871 65,272 1.800 1,874 53,368 53,368 55.168 55.242 l Recei 43,701 21,571 65,272 1.874 53,368 55.242 Costs of generating funds Charitsble activities ,470 57,809 800 59,279 800 540 45,957 968 46,925 46,497 968 Govemance costs 1,470 58,609 60.079 540 47,465 Other costs 198 47,123 198 TotA .470 58.609 60,079 540 47,663 Exeess of Receipts ov¢r Payments for the y¢ar before transfers 42,231 (37,038) 5,193 1,334 6,245 7,579 Transf¢r5 Ex¢¢s5 of Receipts over Pxym¢Trts for the y¢*r 42.231 {37,038) 5.193 1.334 6245 7.579 Edinburgh Garden P8rtners Statement of Balances At 31 March 2025 SC042164 Ilnnstrieted Reslricled Funds 202. Tot•1 Unrestricted Restrict¢d Funds Furtdy Tot41 FuThds Funds FuDdJ 2024 2024 2024 Note Bank & C*sh B#l#tt¢e$ Bank & deposii balaD¢¢s brought forward 23,982 47,820 71,802 22,648 41.575 64223 Movement in yur: Excess of Recei￿$ over PAym¢nts for the year 42.231 (37.038) 5,193 .334 6,245 7,579 Bank & CAJh balaThe¢$ ¢8rrled f•rw*rd 66313 10,782 76,99.5 23,982 47020 71,802 808 808 468 468 Other Assets Payn)11 costs Independent examinati(In 206 206 960 Y60 800 1.166 81K The not¢s on pag¢s 9 and 10 fomi an inlegral part of th¢￿ 4cwunts. The accounts weTe Hpproved by the truskes on 12th August 2025 For and on behalf of all the trustees Edinburgh Garden Partntrs Notes to the Accounts Year ending 31 March 2025 untiTr Thcse accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance wih the Charities and Truste¢ Inv¢stm¢nt (Scotland) Act 2005 and th¢ Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulalions 2006 (as amend¢d). l. Trn$t¢e ReM￿neratIon *nd Rel*ted Pgrty Tr*nsacti4>ns The members of the board of trustees did not reeeive an), r¢muneration in either y¢ar or reimbursement of expenses {2024: £20 - one trust¢¢ for conference fee). 2. Fund movement At 01.0424 At Income £xpendilure Tr*n$f¢r$ 31.03.25 UnTt5tricted fvnds G¢n¢ral Fund Total unrestrickd funds 23,982 23,982 43,701 43,701 11,470 (1.470 66,213 66.213 R¢5¢TÈCt¢d Funds Edinburgh Integration Joint Bvard NattoDal tAJttery Totsl regtra¢lcd funds 6,747 21,571 {17,536) 41,073 58.609 10.782 47,820 21,571 10.782 Tot*1 funds 71.802 65 272 60.079 76,995 cled Funds Restricted fundg arc those Mthich are EEqUtred to b¢ used tor a specific PUTPOSe. Edinburgh Inlegrdtion Bourd-fvnding ¢0 develop and a piojeel wilh BAME coinmuniÉEes in partnership wilh Nelworking Services ¢JKdoihe relevuni opganisalions. The National Lottery Community Fund- Jmprovtng Livey.. FNnding io allow the charity lo coiinue working towurds ihe kÉy mission lo reducg loneliness and social isolaiion in Edinburgh ihrotsgh building relatio￿shIpS belween garden owpFer5 and volunleers who ort lookMgfor space io grow. Unrestritt d Ge￿