## **DRAFT** ## DUNKELD AND BIRNAM COMMUNITY GROWING SC042496 Also known as DUNKELD AND BIRNAM@THE FIELD ## 13th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ## The Duchess Anne Dunkeld FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1st, 2024 ## SECRETARY’S REPORT ## 1 INTRODUCTION This has been our thirteen year of growing vegetables but has been the fourteenth year we have all been working together to grow food organically locally for the people of Dunkeld and Birnam. As ever, we have had a dedicated team of volunteers, variable numbers at times because of the weather and holidays We have gained some new working members whose skills and enthusiasm are much appreciated. We have also missed some regular volunteers who have not been around this year for a number of reasons and we look forward to welcoming them back. It has meant that we have not only grown wonderful produce throughout the season but also the field has looked superb. And the produce, it looks and tastes good as ever. We have many people who have skills that we have become to rely on during the year from planning, designing, purchasing, organising, and planting. David Bee will cover all this in his report. It generally has been successful but as ever there have been challenges especially the weather, which has been unpredictable again. We had another variable year with some extremes of weather with very warm days followed by very cold days. However, I will deal with some of the boring but essential organisational details, ## 2 THE ORGANISATION We are a Scottish Charitable Incorporation Organisation (SCIO) and it is useful to remind ourselves of our Charitable Objectives. - To advance citizenship and community development by encouraging cooperation and mutual support to produce food organically for local consumption in a changing economic and physical environment - To achieve this by managing a sustainable and environmentally responsible growing project for the benefit of all - To promote education within in the community in organic food growing, care and harvest and distribution and ensure a better understanding of the connections between what we eat and how it is produced, delivered and prepared. We still have much work to do to meet all these objectives but we see it all as a long term project which evolves in a flexible manner and allows us all to learn as we go along. The constitution is available for any members who which to see it. At the present time, the Trustees meet regularly (in the open air at the field and then with the colder weather inside) to oversee activities on and off the field and set the general direction but we are increasingly realising that we need to do more to involve members and volunteers and are looking at ways in which we can do this. We would particularly like to thank for her superb work in keeping the Instagram page updated. But there is always more we can do to listen and learn. We have had some useful suggestions for improvements and are always open to suggestions. ## 3 THE TRUSTEES As SCIO we are required to have trustees who are responsible for running the Organisation and managing its assets. From 1[st] November 2023 there were 9 Trustees elected at the AGM. At the following Trustees Meeting the following officers were agreed. It should be noted that John Grove was elected a Trustee at the 2023 AGM but resigned the next day. ## 4. MEMBERS Members are a key part of the field, and we would like to thank you all for being here this evening. Each member can contribute in many different ways, and we are delighted that so many of you have decided to join and take a role, from supporter through buying and using the produce, to active volunteering and selling at our stalls. The many hours spent in the field really do make a difference. Our members are our strength and we would like to thank each and every one of you for your participation. We have also been lucky to welcome some new active members who certainly have youth on their side and have joined in with much enthusiasm ## 5 PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS WHO HAVE HELPED US. We have been lucky enough to have several different groups and individuals over and above our core group who have helped out and every little bit of help has made a big difference. Here are just some of the people who have helped out. and for their wonderful vintage tractors and equipment. Also, the time they have devoted to ploughing and harvesting and giving advice advice to us. Birnam Arts for the Tuesday stalls. The Church for use of space outside the Duchess Anne for the Saturday stall. And for our AGM and Harvest supper. The Bridge and Atholl Quair for regularly publishing our articles. Dunkeld and Birnam in Bloom for their support Dunkeld and Birnam Orchard And last but no means least those who have given us anonymous donations. ## 6. OTHER RELEVANT ACTIVITIES We have received visits from other similar organisations through out Scotland. We have an a Facebook page thanks to the efforts of Sally Small and website thanks to John Small. We would welcome people who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about IT to help us with our social media presence as mentioned earlier. ## 7. KEY ACTIONS. The following actions have been undertaken during 2022 and have hopefully kept us on the straight and narrow - The lease –We have continued with our lease with the Soil Association for 3.2 Acres. The rest of the field will continue to be leased to the horse owners and we would like them for their support and all the horse dung! - The Buildings –We have 4 buildings, a general purpose shed, a machinery and produce storage shed and 3 polytunnels. In addition we have three storage sheds. - Insurances- We have taken out a number of insurances for public liability, product liability, volunteers, and capital equipment - We review Notifiable events and Safeguarding on a monthly basis - Risk Assessments-we have carried out a risk assessments - Health and Safety – we have a Health and Safety Policy. - Child Protection- we have continued to implement our child protection policy - Completed all our OSCR reports. ## 8 THE GROWING All this preparatory work was to allow us to grow and sell produce and so much has been achieved here. I will not cover this in any detail as it is in the Chairs report but I have been so impressed by what has been achieved literally on the ground. It is impressive and the food is fantastic. ## 9. THE FUTURE. I have really enjoyed my time in the field and behind the scenes and there is a time when you begin to plan for the future. A key element of this is succession planning for Trustees and it is essential for the future of the field that we begin to put into place people with the key skills and abilities. These will be different from the attributes that people involved in the setting up of the field had. I have been Secretary since the beginning and now is the time to plan for the future . I would therefore like to stand down as secretary at the AGM in 2025. But if elected would like to continue as a Trustee. This should give time for the field to find a suitable person with the right skills (mine are not IT and word processsing!) A year should be sufficient for this to happen. ## 10. THANK YOU It is not possible to list everyone who has helped us in so many ways but without you and all our volunteers nothing like this could have happened. I am sure there are omissions in this report but it has been a particularly active, enjoyable, but challenging year and it is difficult to document everything! But from a personal point of view, yet again I would particularly like to thank all my fellow trustees. Each has individually contributed so much. I am constantly amazed by how much gets done behind the scenes and at the field. It is rare to go to the field and not see the results of someone’s hard work. It can be hard work but also fun and friendly. The end result, wonderful fresh food which tastes fantastic available for all locally has made it very worthwhile. Food from the field to your plate on the same day with no food miles, no fertilisers; it is tasty and looks so good. Thank you to each and every one of you, it has been a good journey so far, we continue to learn, and I look forward to the future Secretary Dunkeld and Birnam Community Growing November 2024 APPENDIX 3 oscr Offl¢e oflhe Scotttsh Charlty Regulator Independent examiners report on the accounts Report to Ihe trust¢eshnembers of Dunkekl & CoThThnty Gftmwig Reol8l•red charfty 8C 042496 n￿)thr On the accounts of th• charity for the wriod Per￿￿ start dale Period end dale 31 2126 Set out on pag•s I b) 6 R••pectfve The charity's Irustees a￿ responsitle for the preparati￿ of the a(xounts kn accordance Mapon￿bI1rtw of with the tenrts ofthe Ch8r*ies and Trustee In%*slft*nt (Scotland) 2005 Ad the trusttss and •xaminer Chariiies Accounts (Scoiland) Regub8tMin$ 2Cth. Tre r#￿171Y Irustees eonswJEr Ihal the audit requyement of R&Julation 10(1) (d) 01 the A(YA)unls ReaulatN)ns does not apply. It is my Trsponsits"bty lo exan￿e Ihe accounts as ￿]uired under sec1￿n 44(1) (c) ol the Ad and to stste whelher part¥wlar matters have to my attentlon. Basis of independent My exaN*￿1)n k5 carried out in acGordan¢e wilh Regulation 11 of the ChA Tkie5 examinerfs slatement Accounts (Scotland) Regulat￿n5 2006. An examints.on ￿C1￿leS a of the acc(MJntino records kept by the (*arty and a C4)rnpwisM of the acxounts present&J wlth trK)se reeords. M also Ythes ttrtbJenti(bn of any uThJsual rfienb of disclosu￿$ Mi the 8cctsJnts and seeks eXp￿nat￿lS from the trustees c￿l￿Ming any 5￿kn mattets. The procedures und￿8￿￿ do not tYoN•Je all the e¥vJence that woukl be r4ul￿d in an a￿Jit and, cOnseq￿￿1y. I do no¢ exk¥ess an a￿￿1 opul￿n on the accounts. Independent eMmIn￿S In the t￿[SC of my exam8llon. no matter has ￿met0 my attention lotherthan Ihat sratunent dksclJsed on the alta(*￿1 pggel whKh gi¥ES rn? reasona￿e cause to thal In rnalerlal respect the requitnents.. to keep act￿￿￿ recotds in ￿￿%)rdan￿ ¥rith se(IkJn 44(1) (a) ofthe 2005 Act and ReoLdslb)n 4 oflhe 2006 Accfjunts Regulalions. and lo Wep8￿ 8Ctwnis which ac¢))rd wth the accwrting re¢onts aNI Convy w6th Reoulatp)n 9 ofthe 2LTh)6 A(xounts Regulalions have nol been met. or 2. to which, ITr rny opinion. attenlion should be drawn Thi OTrler lo enable a prO￿r Signed: Name: Relevant professlonal qLMIIfica11om(s) or body (if any): Address: 'FIDw Ihè*Nd&in Ihe br APPENDIX 3 Disclosure section Onty e£¥nWeté rf the 8%3ffifter needs lo h￿11￿1 matèrial wlkns. Glv• here brf•f of any Items that tho examiner wishes to disclose oscr Dunkeld & Blrnam Communlty G￿￿Ing Recel and ents accounts SC 042496 212s %pr.lin n A Statenièrit of receipts .Ind pa yrTier'lS Totsi L*t rr•niwrK¥ A1 Il•c l>oMtio G￿$$tra￿Th landJThY buddi R•nlskn & bu 70B Tf 241 GrosStr￿Ing p*yNw** 220 L•yl eosts Clhor 078 Pui¢ha86srffttèJ ASS PuJchis•ol m¥•skn*r 74 A5 Tran•ferAlo l (fvwl l￿d$ APPÉN)X? Dunkeld & Birnam Commun ¢.Iioi'. U S1.IteniL 11 i ol bal31)-"c's SC 042496 Totw I p•tIDd t)EtsiI5 Bl fvnd¥ 14MI 82 68Other•sxrs l•r4¥*£ ,10312rf APPENM2 Dunk•ld & Bknam Comnwnlty fThlng Sectioii C Notes to the Accoui)ts SC 042498 C1 Nabjre pwp08e fw•d$ (rntry be st•ted Type ol activty ￿ proiecl SIJPIKJrted C2 Qr¥A Td•l Authoril¥ undÈi whKh p•d Nature ol Telaiionshy Nalwe ol transact •Thd GOnneG1￿ povwn• C8 Other h*omwfj•n OSIXI ac¢owts 3101251 Dunw & Blrnam Communlty Gmlng SC 04249e Ildditional kn4W%rfree•Jpts&id T¢rti 32S 1,ST1 fund4 T• IrY•Junce T•iii 1•5 SC 042496 ¢711 6A4Y all s*•JW Il*ithr•*nd pu