The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2024.
Trustees
Prof P Waldron (Chair)
Dr D Davies (Treasurer)
Mrs S Seery
Mr T Greenwood
Trustees in post at 31 August 2024:
Prof P Waldron (Chair), Dr D Davies (Treasurer), Mrs S Seery, Mr T Greenwood
Senior Management Team
Mr M Willer - Schools' Project Lead
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006 and "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)" (effective 1 January 2019).
Purposes and Aims
Our Charity’s purposes as set out in the objects contained in the company’s memorandum of association are: restricted specifically only for the public benefit to advance the education of the public, in particular but not exclusively young people under the age of 25 years, in environmental awareness and sustainable living, in particular but not exclusively through the establishment and development of school allotment projects.
Ensuring our work delivers our aims
We review our aims, objectives and activities regularly. These reviews look at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work. The reviews look at the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people we are set up to help. The reviews also help us ensure our aim, objectives and activities remained focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aim and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the Trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.
The focus of our work
It is the vision of The Papillon Project that children and young people in secondary schools across Norfolk along with their teachers, support staff, parents and members of their schools’ wider community will be inspired to lead more sustainable, ethical and healthier lives and to be more aware and respectful of the environment.
The creation of School Allotments
This is our fifth year of operation. We delivered our Transformative Programme this year to three new schools in the Great Yarmouth area and created three new school allotments at Cliff Park Ormiston Academy, East Norfolk Sixth Form and Caister Academy. We also had two new schools, Wymondham High Academy and Hobart School join our DIY Programme too. In total, The Papillon Project supported 34 schools during the 2023-24 academic year.
With the exception of the intensive and regular support that the Transformative Programme provides, various levels of support were given to schools that followed the DIY Programme throughout the 2023-24 academic year.
Support was provided for the vast majority of these schools by local volunteers on a regular (weekly) basis with Papillon Project staff visiting less frequently (every three-weeks) depending on how much a school needed support. How much support a school was given throughout 2023-24 was therefore determined by our internal ‘traffic light’ system which would therefore determine which seasonal rota (autumn; winter; spring; summer) a school would be on and, indeed, for how long.
The frequency of support for schools is based on the following colour-coded system:
Red: Indicates serious concerns, such as a school not using the allotment or struggling with upkeep. This requires weekly visits for about six weeks to prevent project failure.
Amber: Indicates a school needs extra support to maintain momentum (e.g., falling behind in the growing season, changes in staff, or lack of local volunteers). This results in weekly visits for a few weeks.
Green: Indicates the school is performing well with sufficient local support and regular participation. This requires one visit every three weeks.
Extra support could be given to significantly increase additional participation. If a school had an influx of additional young people coming to participate at large project, and to such an extent that school staff and charity volunteers are unable to independently manage themselves, charity staff would be sent to help lead sessions on a regular (weekly) basis. This could range from Duke of Edinburgh volunteers to facilitating entire year group programmes. Charity staff attendance makes the impossible, possible. This extra support would only be encouraged and offered at a green school who already successfully follow the charity’s DIY programme.
Heading into the next academic year (2024-25), 25 of schools are green, 7 are amber and 2 are red.
The work that charity staff carried out at all of these schools was incredibly varied from simultaneously helping with the general upkeep of projects, to running sessions as part of their visit to a project, to checking in with volunteers and link teachers, to solely help projects with maintenance during school holidays.
All charity staff are required to have at least one meeting with every headteacher, from each school, once a year, and ideally twice, between September and February (end and beginning of the growing season).
Charity Staff
The Papillon Project, like the previous academic year, employed four staff to form the Charity’s ‘Schools’ Team’. This group consists of a Schools’ Project Lead (SPL), two Deputy Schools’ Project Leads (DSPL) and an Assistant Schools’ Project Lead (ASPL) who continues to complete their apprenticeship with us and in collaboration with New Suffolk College. The Schools’ Team have continued to visit schools throughout the academic year using four main operational ‘seasonal’ rotas (autumn; winter; spring; summer) to guide school staff throughout the academic year.
We are pleased to continue employing Poppy Kirby as our Assistant Schools' Project Lead, who is currently completing a Level 2 apprenticeship in horticulture. Our partnership with Apprenticeship Norfolk and New Suffolk College remains strong, with both organizations providing exceptional support. In recognition of her achievements, Poppy was awarded Horticulture, Landscape & Environmental Apprentice of the Year and named Runner-Up Apprentice of the Year by New Suffolk College in February 2024. Additionally, she received a Highly Commended award for her ‘Contribution to Green Apprenticeships in Norfolk’ from Apprenticeship Norfolk.
Poppy’s appearance in a series of short films continues to be used by Apprenticeship Norfolk to promote apprenticeships in Norfolk. This therefore continues help promote The Papillon Project as a credible organisation and highlighted how we are well set up to take on an apprentice. As we have found this year, having an apprentice remains a brilliant way to extend our charitable work and help more young people by providing them with an employment opportunity.
We’ve been extremely fortunate to have Alice Metcalfe, our outgoing Schools’ Project Assistant, working with The Papillon Project this academic year. Alice has been a wonderful addition to the Schools’ Team and started her internship, via the University of Birmingham, with us back in September where she worked alongside other charity staff in schools. Here she was able to get a very good sense of our charitable work in schools and, since Spring, has worked on an academic study which has certainly helped to confirm that our charitable work is, without question, making a big impact on the lives of young people. Alice conducted a survey with over hundred young people which, undoubtably, shows that young people are benefiting from their ‘allotment experience’.
The Papillon Support Team comprises key individuals who are unpaid volunteers and includes members of the Events Committee, who meet monthly and plan events during the year, an Administrator, Marketing volunteers and others who support the Charity.
Volunteers are absolutely essential to the success of our charitable work, both in schools and at public events. During the 2023-24 period, we were fortunate to have around fifty dedicated volunteers, who primarily supported our efforts in schools, with some also assisting at events or contributing in both areas. Interest in volunteering has remained steady, with many individuals either signing up through our website or expressing interest in person. While a small number of volunteers will not be continuing into the next academic year, our volunteer retention remains strong. However, there continues to be a pressing need for additional local support, particularly in schools across West and East Norfolk, where volunteer numbers are still lower than required, as was the case last academic year.
During the 2023-24 academic year, approximately 60 volunteers gave up 8250 hours of their time to support our charitable work.
We also continue to work with our three charity Patrons: Sir Nicholas Bacon OBE DL; Richard Powell OBE and David Holmgren. Our Patrons continue to help promote the work of the charity and open up new opportunities and connections to support us.
Safeguarding
For the academic year 2023-24, The Papillon Project’s safeguarding team consisted of the following members:
• Matt Willer (SPL): Designated Safeguarding Lead;
• Harriet Watson (DSPL): Alternative Designated Safeguarding Lead;
• Graeme Tolley (DSPL): Alternative Designated Safeguarding Lead;
• Tom Greenwood (Trustee): Trustee with safeguarding responsibilities.
There was only one recorded safeguarding concern made by a volunteer at Aylsham High School dated 07/09/23. The volunteer correctly followed our safeguarding procedure and the concern/disclosure was reported to both the school and to us. No further action was required. Tom Greenwood, Trustee with safeguarding responsibilities (TSR) was also immediately notified. Only the DSL and the TSR continue to have access to the charity’s safeguarding email account (safeguarding@thepapillonproject.com).
If there is a safeguarding concern involving a member of The Papillon Project’s safeguarding team, a disclosure can be made to Peter Waldron, Chair of Trustees. The decision to recruit any new volunteers is the responsibility of the SPL or a DSPL who follow the charity’s clear safe-recruitment procedure. The training provision that staff completed was done externally via the Norfolk Safeguarding Partnership, including PREVENT training (via Home Office), but all staff and volunteers (including Trustees), completed the charity’s internal safeguarding training course, completed our online ‘Showing a Safeguarding Understanding’ (SASU) form and read Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2022). However, the majority of volunteers completed an individual school’s safeguarding training course. These volunteers were then asked to complete a Prior Safeguarding Training Confirmation form. All staff, Trustees and volunteers’ details were entered onto The Papillon Project’s Single Central Record (SCR).
Additional Allotment Activities.
Our additional charitable work consists of the following components which operate alongside the core of the charity’s work to enrich the ‘allotment experience’ for young people and help make this experience more doable and more inspirational for link teachers too:
Additional Allotment Activities - Continued
The Butterfly Effect (schools’ support network). Our schools’ support network, ‘The Butterfly Effect’, was used multiple times this year as a way of connecting schools together and by sharing all-important resources. Charity staff, who are collectively connected to every school, act as the ‘telephone exchange’ encouraging sharing to take place such as seed and plant swaps along with other resources that were exchanged or donated too. This helps to save the Charity money, but more importantly, it shows cooperation and kindness between schools and helps to prevent projects running entirely in isolation. There is certainly more scope to develop this component of the charity’s core charitable work in schools, but it’s a question of time for charity staff, and indeed school staff, to enable a more active support network throughout Norfolk.
The YES Award (Young Environmental Stewardship) is an award that The Papillon Project has created to celebrate any young person who goes above and beyond to help inspire their school to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Nominations come from either school staff or charity staff or charity volunteers. Nominations were low compared to last year, but twenty young people were awarded the YES Award by the Charity.
International Exchange Programme. Despite our best efforts, the International Exchange Programme (IEP) team, has not been able to source enough new material during the recent (2023-24) academic year from schools that we are connected to from around the world. As a result, we will be recommending that International Exchange Programme be suspended until further notice. It could be a project that we rekindle in the years to come. However, material that has been collected over the years will be used in the creation of our new impact days which will be planned come July 2025.
Noticing Nature Programme Papillon Project staff delivered ‘Noticing Nature’ impact days in three schools in July this year King’s Lynn Academy, Alysham High School and Thorpe St Andrews School. Collectively, our specifically designed mindfulness activities (a. sensory map; b. finding patterns; c. allotment tours) were delivered to approximately 800 young people. There was interest from other schools, but the decision to deliver the impact days to these schools was based on the size of the project (which needs to be large enough to cater for groups of 30 students every hour) and also schools where it was agreed by Papillon Project staff that delivering an impact day would create greater awareness of the existence of a school’s allotment and therefore boost future participation.
Papillon Project staff reflected that July continues to be the ideal month of the academic year to deliver Noticing Nature impact days. We have received very positive feedback from link teachers who observed the impact days themselves and charity staff felt strongly that the vast majority of young people positively engaged with activities. We also discovered that the impact days made it possible for entire year groups to visit their school allotment which, in most cases, was for the very first time. The Noticing Nature impact days significantly helped to promote school allotments to huge audiences and encourage future participation too.
SALT (School Allotment Leadership Training) We successfully ran all four School Allotment Leadership Training (SALT) courses in this academic year and in different schools from last year (City Academy Norwich, Reepham High School & College and Old Buckenham High School and also included a virtual SALT course that was provided for adults working with young people and gardening outside of Norfolk. We had a total of 25 adults attend these courses which consisted of an equal mix of serving charity volunteers, link teachers and other interested adults who work with young people.
Online Resources Our online resources, which can be found via the Charity’s website, continue to be a way that we can extent our knowledge, experience and enthusiasm. There is scope to create more online resources about relevant topics that we hope will support adults involved with school gardening. Since September 2023 to August 2024, there were 668 visits to this specific page, compared to 398 in the same time frame, academic year. This gives a very good indication that our online resources continue to be viewed, downloaded and therefore of interest to people. This webpage also contains past editions of The Kaleidoscope and other published articles linked to The Papillon Project.
Additional Allotment Activities - Continued
The Kaleidoscope Linked to our online resources is our biannual schools focused magazine: The Kaleidoscope. This publication is purposely created before the growing season in the spring (May) and also at the end of the growing season in early autumn (by October half-term) and can be viewed via the charity’s website. Each Kaleidoscope contains helpful seasonal advice to schools who are gardening with young people and has also continued guest articles written by well-known gardening figures such as Frances Tophill from BBC Gardeners’ World. The Kaleidoscope also serves to celebrate inspirational examples of school allotments from around Norfolk and also gives an opportunity, via ‘Volunteer Voices’ for charity volunteers to share their experiences too. The Kaleidoscope is communicated directly to all link teachers, headteachers and volunteers and also via social media too. Analysis from our website page shows that since in May 2023, when The Kaleidoscope was made available on our website, we had 798 visitors to this specific page. Accessing the online version of The Kaleidoscope is always through the website which is clearly communicated when promoted on social media. The content of every edition of The Kaleidoscope is guided by the SPL but created and edited physically by volunteer editors.
Our Cocoon Boxes. Our ‘Cocoon Boxes’ were created and distributed to all 20 schools that requested them this academic year. Like every year, these ‘Cocoon Boxes’ were donated to schools after the Easter break to inspire and encourage schools to get going with the growing season. Secondary schools are very busy places, so the ‘Cocoon Boxes’ help to guarantee a positive start to the growing season as link teachers often find it difficult to find time to think about pre-growing season preparation. Cocoon Boxes also serve as a resource for volunteers who work at schools on a regular basis and include a collection of plug plants (which the charity grows) seeds and a second-hand gardening book. The physical box or container is always something that is upcycled to set a good example. This year, like last year it was cardboard fruit and vegetable boxes, but also donated buckets full of donated compost too. Cocoon Boxes were created by charity staff during the February half-term and distributed to all schools that requested one during early March.
The Butterfly Boost. The Schools’ Team developed the idea this academic year to support schools further into the growing season and understanding that the cocoon boxes only helped to get the growing season underway, more help was needed for schools to make 2024 more successful for growing. The notion was to get a small group of schools, that were local to each other (Aylsham High School; Reepham High School & College; Litcham School and Dereham Neatherd High School), to grow a significant number of different plants that could be shared and planted out after the May half-term. All schools involved in this pilot responded and engaged positively to this ‘Butterfly Boost’ pilot which was a success and will be expanded to all schools during the 2024-25 academic year.
We also successfully engaged with other organisations such as The Sainsbury Laboratory and the Salle Estate (walled garden) who grew plants and donated them for Papillon Project staff to then gift to schools who we felt needed them. This was also a success in helping other schools through the latter part of the growing season (after May half-term) who were not part of the school focused pilot.
Public Events. In 2023/2024 we were once again invited to participate in various public events:
Science Festival at East Norfolk Sixth Form - Wednesday 21 February;
The Great Big Earth Week, Quakers Meeting House, Norwich - Saturday 8th June;
The Royal Norfolk Show - Wednesday 28th to Thursday 29th June;
Norwich Green Care Festival at The Walled Garden in Little Plumstead - Sunday 28th July;
The Aylsham Show - Monday 26th August;
Celebrating Nature: St Edmund Church, Acle - Sunday 8th September.
We celebrated five years of charitable work at Raveningham Gardens’ beautiful walled gardens following an invitation from Sir Nicholas and Lady Bacon.
Our Pap Up Shop, making and selling recycled items, is popular at public events. We accept donated old tools for our Tool Bank which our volunteers repair and restore to be given to schools who request them.
Additional Allotment Activities - Continued
Public talks and presentations
Another vital way we continue to share the work of The Papillon Project is through delivering talks and presentations across Norfolk. These are often requested by organizations, particularly those focused on gardening or environmental causes, but are also strategically planned as part of our outreach efforts to raise awareness in specific areas of the county. These talks play a key role in our charity’s ‘growing help’ model, which aims to recruit volunteers and build community support. The majority of presentations this academic year were delivered by the Schools' Project Lead, with all funds raised from these talks being generously donated back to The Papillon Project, helping to further our mission and extend our impact in local communities.
Communications overview. External communications, and how the charity is represented publicly, remains a key component of how we express our charitable work. Our own communications continue to be expressed through the following mediums:
Social media: This medium is used on a daily basis to share updates about our work in schools sharing key developments and successes and to celebrate the efforts of young people. It’s currently the most effective way of communicating our charitable work. Social media is also used to show the scale of our operations across the county as we always link/tag schools into any social media posts that we create. We occasional use social media to join in with key events (e.g. 'hastagnationalallotmentsweek or hashtag earthday) which can also help to promote the charity. We also use social media to broadcast news about public events that we are either leading ourselves or events that we attend with other organisations (e.g. Royal Norfolk Show). When we post a feature on one social media platform, this same feature is also communicated on all our other social media platforms. A list, along with a current number of followers (including some high-profile individuals, such as Charles Dowding, who follow us and occasionally publicly support us via their own social media channels) is listed below:
September 2023:
Twitter: 1,340 followers
Instagram: 1,318 followers
Facebook: 722 followers
Linkedin: 100 followers
September 2024:
Twitter: 1,401 followers
Instagram: 1,542 followers
Facebook: 836 followers
Linkedin: 232 followers
Our website: This continues to be the charity’s ‘online show room’ which people use to learn more about what we do as a charity. The website is updated regularly with pictures and key information about our charitable work in schools and also important milestones via notable recognitions and also our events. Along with occasional correspondence via social media, our website continues to be the main door from which interest, questions and offers of help flow through. All correspondences, via the website, are directed to the charity’s main email account: info@thepapillonproject.com.
Environmental Benefits
We create allotments using organic methods and simple, sustainable technologies. Many of the materials we use for construction are upcycled items that would otherwise end up in landfill, such as wooden pallets and old baths. This approach challenges perceptions of "rubbish" by transforming discarded items into something useful and valuable. Through these allotments, many schools have also started to reconsider the value of their peripheral spaces and the impact they can have on local wildlife. As a result, there has been a noticeable increase in biodiversity, with more birds, insects, and other wildlife appearing. While we believe research in this area would be beneficial, we currently lack a volunteer to coordinate this effort.
Every aspect of our charity’s work is mindful of its environmental impact. We teach students about composting, water conservation, and sustainability, and we ensure that our fundraising merchandise reflects these values. For example, we have a parent volunteer with expertise in building water pumps using simple technologies, and another volunteer with an interest in alternative building methods. Our range of merchandise is made by volunteers using upcycled or sustainable materials, offering a hands-on way for the local community to engage with our work and learn practical sustainability practices.
Looking to the future, our goal is to create a formal environmental policy that will ensure these sustainable practices continue to be integrated into all aspects of our charity’s work.
The HUB
We have established our Charity Base in a suite of rooms generously provided by one of the schools we work with, at no cost to us. This reflects the school’s genuine appreciation of the work we are doing. The space is a significant opportunity for the charity, offering a dedicated office where our Schools’ Project Lead can meet with contacts, hold meetings, conduct training, and manage administrative tasks.
Looking ahead, we plan to use this space to strengthen our connection with the local community, particularly young people. We aim to offer advice and support on topics such as growing food and sustainability, fostering greater engagement and learning in these areas.
Achievements and performance
An assessment of the impact of our charitable work. It’s impossible to measure preciously the impact, and the number of young lives that we have impacted, but it’s certain, as a direct result of our efforts, that we, as was the case during the previous academic year (2022-23) have positively impacted the lives of over 1000 young people of all ages and abilities during the 2023-24 academic year. This figure is produced on the approximate number of young people who we know, at an operational level, are participating in their school allotment and also from the multiple, whole year group, impact days that we delivered towards the latter part of the academic year.
How do we know if young people are gaining that all-important positive experience? We receive regular feedback, often orally, from our link teachers, and sometimes headteachers and also parents (via social media), that their young people are enjoying participating in allotment-based activities. Some of this feedback will be communicated formally in but another brilliant way to highlight, and indeed celebrate, the positive impact of the charity’s work this academic year is through an academic study that was organised and led by an undergraduate student from the University of Birmingham, Alice Metcalfe. Alice, with the support of charity staff, surveyed 119 young people from across multiple Norfolk schools. The results of the survey were as followed:
• 90% agreed that the allotment has provided a space for them to experience nature.
• 91% agreed that their mood improves after visiting the allotment
• 72% agreed that visiting the allotment has made them feel more positive about school.
• 89% felt proud of their work at the allotment.
It’s certainly very clear that these results strongly suggest that the school allotments that we help to create and development are indeed a positive place for young people and one that highlights how the ‘allotment experience’ is helping young people to connect with nature, to feel better about themselves and their time at school. These results also strongly suggest that spending time at school allotments helps to boost self-esteem. It’s certain therefore that the majority of young people are enjoying themselves and gaining that all-important positive experience.
Achievements and performance - Continued
However, despite the positive experiences that are being gained, it was clear from Alice’s research project that young people’s general understanding of horticultural, especially terminology, needs to be improved. Papillon Project staff are confident that young people are learning a great deal about growing food, but it would be sensible to check what young people really understand more regularly in future.
Why do young people get involved? It’s never always clear why a young person decides to participate in activities based at their school allotment, but we know for sure that it can be for one or more of the reasons below. This is based on what we learn, at an operational level, from the young people themselves and when we ask them “what made you decide to get involved?”. This is also based on what we know the schools themselves do to engage young people with the projects that we support.
1) Genuine love of gardening, the outdoors and the environment itself often because their parents or grandparents do it.
2) Their friend(s) attend, so they decide to also participate.
3) School is boring and it gives them something to do that interests them.
4) Eco-anxiety and the very real fear and concern that young people’s future has been compromised as the environmental crisis such as climate change are causing irreversible damage resulting disasters such as ecological collapse of habitats and major food shortages. Learning to grow food, at a school allotment, we know can give some young people hope.
5) Mental health and wellbeing issues not linked to eco-anxiety
6) School is impossible or extremely difficult. We often see young people attending a school allotment during the lunch break, not necessarily to garden, but to enjoy a peaceful and safe place to have their lunch with other young people; to boost their confidence so to speak. Our charity staff and volunteers who greatly help young people who feel this way to feel safe, welcome and valued. Aiding social education, and helping to improve ‘talkability’ with adults, something that happens every day at a school allotment.
7) Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE): there were a good number of young people, approximately 50, who engaged with their school allotment because they wanted to completed their volunteer or skills section. Sometimes, this is because they already like or know gardening, but sometimes this is because of convenience as most DofE volunteering at a school allotment either takes place during lunchtimes or after school.
8) Scheduled activities led by the school or the charity (e.g. ASDAN courses, GCSE environmental science courses, ‘Care of the Countryside’, enrichment programmes), where participating at a school allotment is a timetabled lesson.
9) Spontaneous visits led by classroom teachers who visit their school allotment to utilise the project to help teach their class something relevant to what they are teaching in their indoor classroom. This only tends to happen if a school has been successful at communicating their project internally and putting projects in a room booking system.
10) Impact days (Noticing Nature or Learning about Agriculture) that The Papillon Project instigates and leads on the day involving hundreds of young people visiting their school allotment during over the course of one or two school days.
Ofsted reports Our impact, and not for the first time, has featured positively in an official Ofsted report. An example is from an Ofsted inspection that took place during the last academic year at City Academy Norwich. One of the Ofsted inspections was encouraged by the school to visit the school allotment which we helped to create and lead sessions alongside school staff. This certainly highlights, as an example, that our charitable work is having a positive impact on how a school is viewed by Ofsted.
Our termly magazine, The Buddleia, keeps our volunteers, supporters and funders up-to-date with the charity’s work.
Achievements and performance - Continued
How our activities deliver public benefit
Our main activities and who we try to help are described below.
How the Charity benefits the school community
As in previous years, we continue to work closely with schools who are licensed to provide the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award scheme to young people. Overall, there are still only a small number of schools this year that utilised their school allotments to help young people achieve their bronze or silver awards via the volunteering or skills section of these awards. However, participation was high in these schools (Cliff Park Ormiston Academy is a key example of this) that did engage their DofE candidates with working at their school allotment. There were approximately 40-50 young people who engaged with their school allotment through the Duke of Edinburgh Award at their school. However, successfully completion of the award is up to individual young people and their school’s DofE manager. Charity staff continue to complete multiple assessor reports to sign off a young person for either completing their skill or volunteering section at their school allotment.
How the Charity benefits the wider community
A key way we support schools in creating and maintaining allotments is by fostering connections with local communities. This includes partnering with local businesses, farmers, greengrocers, gardeners, and retired tradespeople, all of whom play a vital role in sustaining these projects. These connections not only help ensure the longevity of the school allotments but also inspire local residents to grow their own food, reduce chemical use in their gardens, and become more involved in their communities.
For many retired individuals, the unemployed, or those with skills and resources to share, collaborating with schools offers a meaningful way to contribute. Publicity through our events is one effective method we use to recruit more volunteers.
This year, the Trustees' primary aim has been to maintain sufficient funds in the charity's bank accounts to ensure financial security for our staff. While we have not been able to meet the proposed budget, the addition of new staff members has significantly boosted the charity's momentum. With their support, we are continuously applying for new grants, which will help secure the resources needed to sustain and expand our work in the coming year. Despite financial challenges, the dedication and hard work of our team give us confidence in our ability to continue making a positive impact.
Principal Funding Sources
During this year we have been fortunate in receiving funding from The Travel Chapter for materials and equipment £3,000, Norfolk Community Trust for work in new schools in North Norfolk, Community of All Hallows £5,000 towards salaries, the Clan Trust towards administration costs £5,000, Norwich Freemen £10,000 and The Bacon Foundation £10,000. Other grants received together with general donations and gifts have enabled the charity to continue to run in a secure fashion. We continue to be very grateful for support from NILE (Norwich Institute for Language Education).
Investment Policy
Currently, the Trustees feel that funds may still be needed in the short term, so are not placing any funding into long term investment.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees wish to build reserves to cover the main costs of staffing and core business costs for two years.
Plans for Future Periods
As we approach the 2024-25 academic year, we are excited to announce our plans for continuing to support the schools already involved in our DIY Programme. After reflecting on the progress we've made over the last five years, we have decided to focus on consolidating and strengthening our impact across the 32 schools currently participating.
In the coming academic year, we will not be taking on any new schools through our Transformative Programme. Instead, we are dedicating our sixth year to ensuring that every one of these schools is fully supported, and that the achievements we have made together are fully embedded and sustainable.
Our priority is to build on the strong foundations we've created, reinforcing the progress that has been made, and ensuring that all participating schools are able to continue benefiting from the tailored support, resources, and expertise we've provided. We believe that by focusing on this consolidation phase, we will be able to deliver even more meaningful and lasting impact for these schools, their staff, and their students.
Governing Document
The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 23 August 2019 and registered as a charity on 6 May 2020. The company was established under Articles of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.
Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees
The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the company’s Articles are known as members of the Trustees. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the members of the Trustees are elected to serve for a period of three years after which they must be re-elected.
All members of the Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the Charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the Charity are set out in note 6 to the accounts.
Initially the Board of Trustees was formed from four individuals with an interest and experience in the Charity’s aims as set out in the Articles. We are very aware of the need to have a broad but relevant set of skills within the board. Where we see a gap in our skills, individuals are approached to offer themselves for election to the Board, often from the pool of volunteers already involved in the Charity. It is very important we feel to have members of the Board with hands on experience of the work of the Charity. Where we see the need, we will be recruiting outside of the pool of volunteers by advertising. We hope this will bring fresh eyes and objectivity, as well as maintaining our legal responsibilities, for example in areas of employment, safeguarding or health and safety. At present we feel the Board represents the Charity well in terms of skills and experience, but in an effort to maintain the broad mix we have an audit of Trustee skills at our annual review. It is very important to us that the Board represents the diverse world we live in; at present we are achieving this in some aspects but will continue to be proactive in our recruitment of trustees to meet this aim.
Trustee Induction and Training
To ensure all the correct legal obligations are met and that we make it a smooth and welcoming experience for the prospective trustee, we have a Trustee Checklist. This becomes active from first contact with a prospective trustee. Each step of the process is logged, from sending information about becoming a trustee to their registration, and any legal obligations of either party. As part of the induction, it is felt essential for a trustee not familiar with the allotments to visit and speak with the volunteers, teachers and students.
Once the trustee has been appointed by the Board a ‘Welcome’ pack is sent which includes a number of key documents including:
A letter of appointment
Articles of Association
Past minutes
Recent financial statements
CC3 Trustee Doc from the Charity Commission
The Charity’s complete set of policies
Trustee Declaration form to be signed
Trustee agreement form to be signed
Schools’ Project Lead reports
In addition, there are regular reviews of skills and training is offered where there is a need.
Risk Management
The Trustees have conducted a review of the major risks to which the Charity is exposed. A risk register has been established and is updated at least annually. Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the Charity faces. Significant external risks to funding have led to the development of a strategic plan which will allow for the diversification of funding and activities. Internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of staff, volunteers, clients and visitors to schools. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the Charity.
Organisational Structure
The Papillon Project has a Board of Trustees currently with four members who meet monthly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the Charity. At present the Board’s members come from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the Charity.
A scheme of delegation is in place and day to day responsibility for the provision of the services rests with the Schools’ Project Lead, who is responsible for ensuring that the Charity delivers the services specified and that key performance indicators are met. There are teams of volunteers responsible for helping the Trustees and Schools’ Project Lead with administration, fundraising, organisation of fundraising events and on-site school allotment work.
Responsibilities of the Trustees
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees should follow best practice and:
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is not appropriate to assume that the company will continue on that basis
The Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985. The Trustees 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.
Members of the Trustees
Members of the Trustees, who are directors for the purpose of company law and trustees for the purpose of charity law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out on page 1. In accordance with company law, as the company’s directors, we certify that:
so far as we are aware, there is no relevant information of which the company’s Independent Examiner is unaware
as the directors of the company we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant accounting information and to establish that the Charity’s Independent Examiner is aware of that information.
Independent Examiner
Mervyn Clarke FCCA of Baker Clarke FDV Limited was re-appointed as the charitable company’s independent examiner following from his previous appointment.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (issued in March 2005) and in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII of the Companies Act 1985 relating to small entities.
The Trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The Papillon Project for the year ended 31 August 2024.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
Investments
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The Papillon Project is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 25 Station Road, Reepham, Norfolk, NR10 4LF.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "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)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the Charity is entitled to, and virtually certain to receive, the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following policies are applied to particular categories of income:
Voluntary income is received by way of grants, donations and gifts and is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the Charity, are recognised when the Charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant.
Donated services and facilities are included at the value to the Charity where this can be quantified. The value of services provided by volunteers has not been included in these accounts.
Clothing and other items donated for resale through the Charity’s shop are included as incoming resources within activities for generating funds when they are sold.
Incoming resources from charitable trading activity are accounted for when earned.
Incoming resources from grants, where related to performance and specific deliverables, are accounted for as the Charity earns the right to consideration by its performance.
Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates:
Costs of generating funds comprise the costs associated with attracting voluntary income and the costs of trading for fundraising purposes including the Charity’s shop.
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the Charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the Charity and include the audit fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the Charity.
All costs are allocated between the expenditure categories of the Statement of Financial Affairs on a basis designed to reflect the use of the resource. Costs relating to a particular activity are allocated directly, others are apportioned on an appropriate basis e.g. floor areas, per capita or estimated usage as set out in Note 6.
The Charity has no Fixed Assets.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Grants
Donations received over £500:
Unrestricted
Fundraising Project: August 2023 Pap Leeky fundraiser £984
Richard Powell £3,950
Grants:
Unrestricted
The Pennycress Trust £2,000
Charles Littlewood Hill Trust £1,000
Norwich Freemen's Charity £10,000
Bacon Foundation £10,000
Jarrold Trust £500
Norwich Institute of Language Education £3,265
Restricted
Community of All Hallows £5,000 (Salaries)
The Travel Chapter £3,000 (equipment and materials)
Norfolk Community Trust £4,000 (new school allotments in North Norfolk)
Clan Trust £5,000 (Administration costs and schools materials)
Masonic Garden Club £900 (Great Yarmouth Area Schools)
Aylsham Show £350 (Equipment)
PapUp Shop
Public & Charitable Events
PapUp Shop
Public & Charitable Events
Sale of goods
PapUp Shop Income £41
Clothing and other items donated for resale through the Charity’s shop are included as incoming resources within activities for generating funds when they are sold.
Public Events
There were various small events throughout the year, total income £135
Total of schools’ donations to further the charitable activities £3,423
Charitable Expenditure
Charitable Expenditure
PapUp Shop
Public Events
Charitable Activities
Governance costs include: Web/email costs £1,893 Insurance £469, DBS checks/courses £539, PP&S £135, Bank charges £48 and Misc £133. |
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No members of the Trustees received any remuneration during the year. No Trustee or other person related to the Charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the Charity during the year.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.