**CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: SC049118** # **Victoria Park Community Trust Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended** # **31 March 2025** ## **Victoria Park Community Trust** ## **Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025** ||**Page**| |---|---| |Trustees' annual report|**1**| |Independent examiner's report to the trustees|**6**| |Statement of Receipts and Payments|**7**| |Statement of Balances|**8**| |Notes to the Accounts|**9**| **2024/25 VPCT Accounts** ## **Victoria Park Community Trust** ## **Trustees' Annual Report Year ended 31 March 2025** The trustees present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year and the independent examiner’s report for the year ended 31 March 2025. ## **Reference and administrative details** **Registered charity name** Victoria Park Community Trust **Charity registration number** SC049118 **Principal office.** 113 Norse Road Glasgow G14 9EQ The trustees who served during the year and at the date of approval of the accounts, unless otherwise stated, were: **Independent examiner** **2024/25 VPCT Accounts** **- 1 -** ## **Victoria Park Community Trust** ## **Trustees' Annual Report** _**(continued)**_ **Year ended 31 March 2025** ## **Structure, governance and management** The charity is an unincorporated SCIO and its purposes and administration arrangements are set out in its constitution. It is a registered charity number SC049118 The constitution provides for up to 10 individual persons representing a member organisation and elected as Charity Trustees by the full members, plus up to three individual persons coopted to ensure a spread of skills and experience within the board. New members are made aware of their responsibilities and are given a copy of the previous year's accounts and a copy of the Charity Commission leaflet "The Essential Trustee: What You Need to Know". The members meet regularly with the treasurer to monitor the finances of the Society and the administration of the Society is carried out by the secretary. ## **Objectives and activities** The objectives of the charity are to advance community development and regeneration, advance and protect heritage, provide recreational and leisure activities and promote and encourage environmental protection, improvement and conservation of Victoria Park in Glasgow’s West End. As part of this process we seek to promote constructive engagement between our member organisations for the mutual benefit of these and the wider community. ## **Achievements and performance - Chair’s Report** This has been another positive year for VPCT with a number of projects having been completed, a highly successful fundraising campaign mounted to raise money following the damage caused by Storm Eowyn and continued ongoing engagement with the local primary schools. The Trust has welcomed two new member organisations this year: - Sunny Cycles, a cycling charity which operates free led rides out of the park 3 days per week; and - Junior Park Run which host an event every Sunday morning attracting over 100 participants. The Trust now has 13 member organisations. During the course of the year Michael Herrigan re-joined the Board as the Trustee representing Scotstoun Community Council, became the Trustee representing the Fossil Grove Trust and resigned as Jordanhill Community Council Trustee, with his role taken on by . resigned in October having served as a Trustee and Treasurer since the inception of VPCT. The Trustees thank him for his very great contribution to the work of the Trust over many years. His role as Trustee representing Broomhill Community Council was taken over by . His role as Treasurer was taken on by , the FoVP representative. Successful projects this year include: - The purchase and planting of 30 new specimen trees to replace those lost during Storm Eowyn which ripped through the park in January. The Trust opened up a public **2024/25 VPCT Accounts** **- 2 -** ## **Victoria Park Community Trust** ## **Trustees' Annual Report** _**(continued)**_ **Year ended 31 March 2025** fundraiser and raised over £6,000 in just over a month. The money was used to purchase the supply and delivery of the trees, wooden stakes, compost and tools for the project. In addition, the monies were used to engage the services of specialist wood carving artists to re-purpose some of the fallen trees into sculptural pieces as well as tables and chairs for an outdoor classroom for school visits. - The purchase and installation of a useful storage container with monies from an Area Partnership grant. It is located near the tennis courts, and stores the tools and equipment used on a regular basis by volunteers working in the park. - Repainting the outside of the toilet block by a local artist who has produced photorealistic murals of wildfowl on all sides. This was funded by a direct grant from Glasgow City Council (GCC) and has proved extremely popular. - The construction of 3 large insect hotels in the biodiversity garden as part of the ongoing work in this area. This was funded by an Area Partnership award. - The 6 raised planters in the bowling greens were cleared out and fully replanted with new shrubs using a grant from Volunteering Matters Action Earth. - Buying 3 small insect hotels using a grant from Volunteering Matters Action Earth. - The purchase of a gazebo, a table and chairs for use at events and festivals, funded from an Area Partnership award. - The installation of two lectern information boards for the biodiversity garden and the expressway planting, funded by an Area Partnership Award and a BUPA grant. - A start has been made on re-vitalising the Arboretum, with a grant from the Mushroom Trust which allows for the fabrication of a new gate to improve access to this area. - Work has started on preparing a Tree Trail for the park which includes identifying and labelling some of the more interesting specimen trees. Special botanical labels will be purchased using monies from an Area Partnership Award. - Purchase of some much needed tools for use by volunteers in their work across the park. This was made possible by a grant from the Chestnut Fund. - The Trust continues to provide advice and input to the ongoing proposals to improve the basketball courts which is being led by Glasgow Life. This project involves extending the court area to incorporate 2 basketball and 2 tennis courts, new surfacing and lining, new nets and posts and a new footpath access. The Trust attends the monthly working group meetings, and it is hoped that the work will be completed in 2025. The Trust has organised, provided volunteers or paid for several events in the park during the year including: - The Spring into Summer public consultation event in June in collaboration with Glasgow Ecotrust. This event was used to give members of the public an update on the work of the Trust. The event was also attended by 3 of the Community Councils and was supported by musical acts, Knightswood Model Boat Club, GCC Parks Rangers Service and the police and fire service. - The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain Family Fun Day in August which the Trust helped to organise and manage. The Trust continues to work with the local primary school. Events have included the children helping to construct the insect hotels, learning sessions about fruit in the orchard and the importance of soils and art in the park events, led by a local artist. The Trust has held monthly Trustees meetings throughout the year including the quarterly full Member Group Meetings. These meetings are now held in the Buffs Club at no charge. There **2024/25 VPCT Accounts** **- 3 -** ## **Victoria Park Community Trust** ## **Trustees' Annual Report** _**(continued)**_ **Year ended 31 March 2025** are many subgroup working meetings held between the main Trustee meetings in order to progress the planning and implementation of projects and events. An arts strategy for the park is being developed, with (Trustee) leading on it. She has made great progress in establishing relationships with artists and community groups. The Trust organised one corporate volunteer event in July 2024, inviting 12 volunteers from the Engineering company AECOM to plant some shrubs in the planters in the bowling green area and to help clear some existing paths of debris. As noted last year, a significant proportion of the funds received by VPCT have been granted by GCC. There is an increasing need to seek more of the funding from the private sector. In addition, there remains an ongoing need to find a secure source of revenue funding to support the work and running costs of the Trust. A subgroup has been established to develop a strategy for more pro-active engagement with private sector businesses that may lend support financially or by benefits in kind. VPCT would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of the volunteers from Friends of Victoria Park at all the planting and other events which have been organised during the year. The Trustees continue to be concerned over the poor functioning of the Participation Agreement with GCC. The Trust will continue to push very hard to achieve better communication and collaboration from the Council over the coming year. Finally, we would like to thank the Council’s Parks Department staff for their support, particularly with the tree planting project and for their work in maintaining and enhancing this beautiful park. ## **Financial review and Policy on reserves** The Trust received grants and donations totalling £19,639 and spent £20,583 on various activities, including toilet block repainting, planting trees and shrubs and buying a container for tools. This left a balance of funds of £7,946 at the year end Reserves at 31 March 2025 stood at £7,946 of which £7,791 are restricted and £155 unrestricted. The Trust needs to attract secure sources of unrestricted funding and has very limited capacity to absorb overspending on projects. ## **Policy on Reserves** Apart from the expenditure from restricted funds, the charity seeks to minimise unrestricted expenses, essentially insurance and the website. These expenses amounted to £420 in the year. Ideally the trustees would like to hold sufficient reserves to cover one year’s unrestricted expenditure. As the unrestricted funds were £155 at the year end this has not been achieved but the Trustees are seeking to raise additional funding to build up the unrestricted reserves. All the restricted funds carried forward are allocated to projects in 2025/26. The major outstanding project relates to donations received to replace the trees uprooted by Storm Eowyn and a related art project using some of the fallen timber. The Trust will also be improving access to the arboretum, providing activities for young people in the park, creating a tree trail and is running an art project for all pupils at a local primary school **2024/25 VPCT Accounts** **- 4 -** Victoria Park Community Trust Trustees, Annual Report (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Tru3tee8' re8pon8ibilities 8tstement The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the finanaal position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities and Trustees Investments (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charity Accounts {Scotland} Regulations 2006, and the provisions ofthe Trust Deed. They are also responsible for saf8guarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The IrLlglepq' 2nntial report was approved and signpd on behalf of the board of trusiees by= 2024125 VPCT Accounts Victoria Park Community Trust Independent Examinerfs Report to the Trustees of Victoria Park Community Trust Year ended 31 March 2025 I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Victoria Park Community Trust registered charity number SC049118 ('the charÉty') set out on pages 7 to 10 for the year ended 31 March 2025. Responslbilities and basis of report The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotlandl 2005 Act and the Charib'es Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The charty trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10{1) (d) of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1) l of the Act and to stste whether particular matters have come to my attention. Independent examinerfs ststement My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charty and a comparison of the accounts presented wrth thos8 records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the trustees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audrt and, consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. In the counse of my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that In any rnaterial respect the requirernents.. to keep accounting records in accordance with sectlon 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and to prepare accounts which accord with Ihe accounting records and comply with Regulation g of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or 2. to Wh￿h, in my opinlon, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Relevant Professional Body: Instilute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland 2024125 VPCT Accounts ## **Victoria Park Community Trust** ## **Statement of Receipts and Payments 31 March 2025** |Note
**Receipts:**
Donations
Grants Received
4
**Total receipts**

**Payments:**
Charitable Activities
5
Governance Costs
**Total payments**

**Surplus (deficit) for the year**|Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
Total
Funds
Total
2025
2025
2025
2024
415
0
415
255
0
19,224
19,224
18,655| |---|---| ||415
19,224
19,639
18,910
420
20,163
20,583
10,494
0
0
0
0| ||420
20,163
20,583
10,494| ||(5)
(939)
(944) 8,416| **The notes on pages 9 to 10 form part of these financial statements.** **2024/25 VPCT Accounts - 7 -** Victoria Park Community Trust Statement of Balances 31 March 2025 Funds Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds 2025 2025 Total 2025 Total 2024 Note Cash and Bank at start of the year Surplus (deficit) for the year Cash and Bank 8t the end of the year 160 (51 8,730 1939) 8,890 (944) 474 8,416 155 7,791 7,946 8,890 These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on October 2025, and are signed on behalf of the board by.. 2024125 VPCT Accounts ## **Victoria Park Community Trust** ## **Notes to the Accounts 31 March 2025** ## **1. General information** The charity is a registered charity in Scotland and is unincorporated. The address of the principal office is 113 Norse Road, Glasgow, G14 9EQ. ## **2. Trustee Remuneration** No remuneration was paid to Trustees in the year (2024: nil). Trustees are reimbursed for any expenditure they may incur on behalf of the Trust’ ## **3. Accounting policies** ## **Basis of preparation** The financial statements have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis. ## **4. Grants Received** The Trust received various grants and donations totalling £19,639 in the period - a full status of income and expenditure is listed below. ## **Restricted Funds** |||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Restricted Funds**|**Balance at**
**31/3/24**|**Grants**
**Received**|**Expenditure**|**Balance at**
**31/3/25**| |Scottish Towns|419|97|516|0| |GCC 1/6/23|121|121|132|110| |GCC Toilet Block
3/7/23|6,000||6,000|0| |GCC Go Cycling|25||25|0| |GCC Growing Fund|600||600|0| |GCC Oct 23|457||457|0| |Volunteering Matters 2
grants in Feb 2025|29|494|494|29| |Groundworks|1,079|241|1,268|52| |Whiteinch & Scotstoun
Housing Assoc||1,500|41|1,459| |GCC 6/24||1,211|1,211|0| |Chestnut Fund||488|481|7| |GCC Container||4,000|3,994|6| **2024/25 VPCT Accounts - 9 -** ## **Victoria Park Community Trust** ## **Notes to the Accounts 31 March 2025** |**es to the Accounts**
**arch 2025**||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |||||| |Mushroom Trust||2,500||2,500| |Endrick Trust||1,500|750|750| |GCC tree trail||500||500| |Replacement tree fund||5,672|2,778|2,894| |Repair Oswald Clock||900|1,416|-516| |**Total**|**8,730**|**19,224**|**20,163**|**7,791**| |**Unrestricted Funds**|**Balance at**
**31/3/24**|**Income**|**Expenditure**|**Balance at**
**31/3/24**| |Donations and events|160|415|420|155| |**Total**|**160**|**415**|**420**|**155**| A) Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding ## **5. Administration Expenditure** There was no administration expenditure in the period. ## **6. Liabilities** The Trust expects to fully spend almost of the unspent balances noted above in 2025/26. **2024/25 VPCT Accounts - 10 -**