The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2024.
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).
The charity’s principle aim is to develop services that will benefit disadvantaged people and the environment by promoting community wellbeing through inclusive, creative, and environmental programmes. This is achieved by delivering a variety of participatory activities that foster connection, creativity, and community engagement.
Our key objectives for the year were:
To increase community participation in our regular programmes;
To increase our provision by obtaining grants and funding;
To raise awareness of the charity’s work through public-facing events.
Ecoworks runs a community garden consisting of nine plots at St Ann's Allotments, located within one of the most deprived wards in Nottingham. A range of activities take place at the gardens with a focus on supporting adults experiencing social exclusion, mental ill health and/poor economic deprivation. Activities at the garden sites include growing, harvesting, cooking and eating seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables, eco-build and garden maintenance, wildlife habitat management and willow craft. Activities are openly accessible to local residents and those referred through health organisations, particularly those who would directly benefit from being active outdoors, take part in social and community activity and access support from our staff through a 'green care' programme.
Open Day
A major highlight of the year was our Open Day in August, which drew a large number of visitors and significantly raised the charity’s profile. The event showcased our programmes, spaces, and the strength of our community spirit.
A 'pay what you can' community meal, prepared and served by our sessional staff and regular volunteers, was a central feature, promoting inclusivity and shared experience. The newly completed Lightbulb Studio hosted live art demonstrations by local artist Julian Bray, adding a creative highlight to the day.
Visitors also enjoyed wood carving demonstrations by Adam Wise of Wise of the Woods, a former garden volunteer whose personal story of transformation through volunteering added depth to the event.
Children engaged in hands-on model painting, coordinated by our trustees, who also ran stalls selling homemade cakes and preserves, pre-loved clothes, and bric-a-brac. These activities contributed both to the welcoming atmosphere and to fundraising success.
A visitor to the gardens on the Open Day said, “It was wonderful to be welcomed into this magical garden; to play, learn about and share food. I learnt a lot about the plants and was inspired to add some to my own allotment, the staff were really knowledgeable. The art-making was a fun (and unexpected) addition. And the food…oh my gosh… amazing food, clearly prepared with love. At the end of the visit I felt full and well nourished of body, soul and mind.”
Regular and Special Programmes
Throughout the year, the charity has continued to host a variety of sessions at our community gardens, fostering skills development, wellbeing, and community connection.
Willaxation, our popular willow weaving sessions, ran 22 times with 56 participants, creating beautiful hand-crafted goods, some of which were sold at local outlets and the open day.
Dig and Dinner was expanded to two sessions per week following funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery. We delivered 101 sessions with 847 volunteer attendances, over double from 2023.
We welcomed guest groups such as wild.NG, who delivered engaging talks on Hawthorn May and Stinging Nettles. Midlands Skillshare hosted a course entitled 'Supporting Well-being Through Volunteering.'
We continued development of our Forage Ring project, funded by Severn Trent, using the space for educational sessions on foraging and plant use; a standout event was the Mycosia course, held in our mushroom garden, which was very well attended and received excellent feedback.
Ecoworks’ in house fundraiser, Paul, has continued to be successful in identifying sources of funding and has secured a further £22,000 of grants in this financial year, including a large grant from Awards 4 All of £19,500, which together with the grants awarded at the end of FY22-23 has meant that the charity started the year on a very secure financial footing and was able to increase its charitable activities. A large grant was awarded by The People's Postcode lottery at the end of the financial year for the Dig and Dinner project. Donations and fundraising increased by 50% from £2,000 in FY2023 to £3,000 in FY2024, largely due to the success of the Open Day in August 2024.
The income above has supported Ecoworks throughout the year with a charitable spend of just under £35,000 and overhead costs of just under £4,000. The bulk of the expenditure, as always, is on sessional workers who continue to run activities at the gardens.
At the start of the financial year total funds of < £35,000 was brought forward from 2023. Total funds of < £22,500 are being carried forward to 2024-25. Reserves remain lower than desired at £3,700, which is a further decrease on the balance brought forward last year of £4,200. The board is actively trying to increase the reserves, so that the agreed 2 years' is held by the end of FY25.
Ecoworks’ policy is to maintain sufficient reserves to cover two years' core costs (all the costs of running the site not including the staffing costs), which is reviewed annually at the AGM.
Principle risks and uncertainties
Ecoworks is heavily dependent on grants to be able to deliver its charitable objectives and so the main financial risk is not being able to secure sufficient grant income to maintain core costs as well as core activities.
Our main objective this year is to obtain enough funding to reach and maintain the desired 2 years’ core costs, whilst also continuing to provide the current 2 sessions a week for Dig and Dinner and to maintain the bi monthly Willaxation sessions.
We intend to hold 2 open days in the year, building on the success of the last one, to raise the profile of the charity and increase awareness of the gardens, thus attracting donations and funding from attendees to boost the core cost reserves.
We also wish to strengthen our volunteer infrastructure and community partnerships and would like to be able to fund a volunteer coordinator role to further help the more vulnerable members of our community.
The board has identified a need for trustees who have a background within mental health provision and anyone who would be able to assist with writing bids/ fundraising.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It is operated under the rules of its memorandum and articles of association dated November 1992 and most recently amended in May 2013. It has no share capital and the liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £1.
The charity is governed by a board of trustees who meet regularly to oversee strategic direction and ensure good governance. Day-to-day operations are managed by sessional workers supported by volunteers.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
When a need for additional members with particular skills and expertise on our board is identified through discussion at board meetings, we advertise for new trustee positions through NCVS and their volunteer job listings, through newsletters of our own and partner organisations, through social media and through word of mouth/ email within our network of past and present volunteers, staff and participants.
The trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Ecoworks (Nottingham) Limited (the charity) for the year ended 30 September 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.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Ecoworks (Nottingham) Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is c/o St. Ann's Allotments Visitor Centre, 121 Ransom Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG3 3LH, England.
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 charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
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, [modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value]. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
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.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
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 and donations
Sales of goods and services
Communications
Insurance
IT
Office costs and stationery
Professional fees and accountancy
Project materials
Rent and rates
Sessional workers
Volunteers
Bank charges
Fees and subscriptions
Repairs and renewals
Course tutors
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.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2023 - none).