The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026.
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, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" 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)".
The objects of the Trust are the promotion for the public benefit of urban or rural regeneration in areas of social and economic deprivation (in particular, the South Sefton area).
Regenerus delivers its objectives through four main areas:
Community
Culture
Enterprise
Skills
The staff and board assess new project ideas against these four areas to ensure we remain aligned to our purposes and aims.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
1. Community
1.1 Context
Regenerus works across South Sefton, mainly investing our energy in Linacre and Derby wards which are ranked amongst the 5% most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. The cost-of- living crisis, resulting in increases in food and fuel poverty, together with the stress experienced by members of our communities, can have a significant impact on health and well-being. Regenerus seeks ways to contribute solutions to these challenges, listening to local people to co-design activities and working in collaboration with local organisations.
1.2 Taking Root in Bootle
Taking Root in Bootle improves health and well-being through the delivery of community-led environmental actions, enhancing local places & spaces in collaboration with communities, social enterprises, the public, private and academic sectors.
The Taking Root network connects residents, community growing, food and health projects, Green Sefton (Sefton MBC), Hugh Baird College, Sefton Foodbank Network and the Asda Community Champion.
Taking Root supports existing groups and works with new ones to establish community gardens, encouraging residents to learn new skills and grow their own flowers, fruit and vegetables. We link our members to share resources, knowledge and expertise and connect people across neighbourhoods.
In addition, collective activities under the Taking Root umbrella, such as greening Bootle’s streets bring together volunteers from our member groups, adding value to their work. We encourage our community to think about the positive impact of growing on health and well-being, and how they are helping to contribute to carbon capture to reduce air pollution as part of climate action.
1.3 RHS In Bloom 2025
Coordinated by Taking Root in Bootle, our RHS Urban Community entry brings together local growing groups and residents, Sefton Council and local businesses to green up our town. The Bootle entry follows a judges’ route to visit all the In Your Neighbourhood entries, so the Taking Root Friday Tidy team brings together volunteers from the different community gardens every Friday morning to create green corridors and maintain environmental features which add biodiversity and colour to our town. This includes tending the street planters along Washington Parade, Stanley Road and the entrance to the Asda underpass and sites at Ash St Memorial Garden, Wordsworth Street (borders & rubble wildflower meadow) and Bianca Street, and maintaining wildflower plots at Peter Mahon Way, Asda, Peel Road Park, Poets Park and Gray St/Peel Road corner.
The Taking Root Friday Tidy team completed community street greening activities throughout the year and went into overdrive litter picking, weeding and tidying as we approached judging day on 29 July.
This year saw Bootle’s 6th North West in Bloom entry and we were delighted to receive our third consecutive gold award in the Urban Community category, making it a hat trick.
1.4 Community Transition Fund - Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
The fund has supported Taking Root in Bootle community growing activities throughout 2025-2026.
The Taking Root volunteers work hard all year round, as one of them said: “It’s important to keep the place clean, having litter in the streets attracts more litter. I’d like to feel that our joined-up working is making a difference”. Being part of a team of volunteers reinforces this feeling of making a difference, as another of our volunteers told us, “The best part is being part of the community; it feels great to have improved a space in our neighbourhood and by our homes. Visibility in the community attracts more help and support, and changes mind sets about greening”. It’s encouraging that sometimes local residents will come and join the team when they see them and one chap who did this said that 'this was the best day ever' as they love litter picking. In recognition of their hard work and commitment, the team received a Community Diamond Award from Asda.
Adding more environmental features
Working together with Green Sefton, we continue to build Bootle’s mosaic of urban wildflower meadows.
In April 2025, we introduced 4 wildflower plots in the Marsh Lane field entrance to North Park with the help of children from All Saints Catholic Primary School, along with a substrate plot at the entrance to The Gateway Community Cafe, using a growing medium combining recycled local rubble (MOT), sand, peat free compost and biochar, an amazing substance which draws and stores carbon from the atmosphere (every kilogram used sequesters around three kilograms of carbon), to demonstrate how wildflowers can thrive in low nutrient substrates. The MOT was donated by Dowhigh Ltd, who also delivered at no cost as part of their social value objectives.
In Autumn we topped up the seed at the meadow at Peter Mahon Way meadow, the 4 plots in North Park and Peel Road Park, with the help of volunteers and 48 schoolchildren and 4 teachers from All Saints Catholic Primary School. Once established, Peter Mahon Way will produce Bootle’s own wildflower seed to top up existing meadows and create new ones.
We added more spring bulbs in Peel Road Park, the Gray Street/Peel Road Street corner, Wordsworth Street and in the street planters, inviting children from All Saints Catholic Primary School and Thomas Gray Primary School to come along to help. We also replaced a number of the Western Red Cedar trees, which had died off in the existing planters along Washington Parade, by the underpass and on Stanley Road by Ash Street.
Education and awareness raising
We aim to raise an awareness of the importance of biodiversity and environmental improvements. We have installed pollinator friendly information signs at Poets Park and Peel Road Park, highlighting the importance of biodiversity and the environment, and including wildflower ID information so visitors can try to spot the different varieties in the meadows.
The Director of the National Wildflower Centre led 2 ecology walks, the first for a community group of 12 participants and the second for 26 children and 4 teachers from Thomas Gray Primary School, following a Q & A session in the classroom.
To support educational experiences, we produced wildflower plant identification leaflets, which are available in local community-based organisations, as well as being distributed to our ecology walk participants
Creating connections
Group trips mean that volunteers from different groups spend time together, meeting new people and getting to know each other. We organised 3 outings this year, damson picking and apple picking at Speke Hall, and a day out to Botanic Gardens and a nursery. Trips offer the opportunity to learn more about growing, gardening and the environment, whilst getting out of Bootle for a day out, enjoying new experiences and seeing new places always leaves participants feeling inspired and energised.
We organise Get Togethers for our community growers twice a year, inviting along speakers to share their expertise to promote learning. Strength comes through connectivity, and to encourage this we make sure to include lots of time for people to chat, which always results in fruitful connections, from sharing resources such as seeds and cuttings, to members identifying plans for joint projects.
1.5 Environmental Improvements Fund
The Charity manages this grant fund on behalf of Linacre Ward Councillors at Sefton Council, investing Section 106 funds to encourage local residents to get together and apply for up to £1,000 to clean up “grot spots”, revitalising and brightening up our local streets and spaces.
2. Culture
2.1 Beautifying Bootle
Taking Root in Bootle continue to work with our group of volunteers to maintain the mosaic of urban wildflower meadows and the planters which help to green Bootle’s urban streets, bringing nature to the doorstep of our residents, adding beauty, colour and biodiversity.
2.2 Heritage Lottery Fund
This pilot project aimed to test the effectiveness of engaging residents in heritage/environmental actions rooted in the local area, employing co-design and co-production approaches. We successfully delivered a variety of activities combining local history research and creative writing with environment improvements, leading to the co-creation of 3 nature-based heritage installations to address climate change in the Poets Streets neighbourhood.
The project was completed with the painting of 26 bollards around the 5 entrances (3 gates, 2 alley way accesses) to Poets Park which were all in a state of disrepair. It was all about vibrant colours and flowers, as people told us they wanted something that would brighten up the area even in winter. Participants also selected the community poems, and some lines from poetry penned by the poets after which the streets are named to be included in the artworks.
With expert advice from the University of Liverpool GroundsWell project (see below), our evaluation captured the impact of improving urban green spaces on health and well-being, and our understanding of what works and what doesn’t work so well, to refine our approach, and employing a range of communication approaches we also produced a social impact video to share the story of the project.
3. Skills
3.1 Nature in Linacre (Community Led Research)
Groundswell (a partnership between the Universities of Liverpool, Edinburgh and Belfast funded by UKPRP (Prevention Research Partnership), is a 5 year programme which aims to identify and implement actions to maximise health and wellbeing benefits from urban green and blue spaces (UGBS) such as parks, community gardens, canals and rivers).
With support from the GroundsWell Innovation Fund, we have completed a community led environmental appraisal of Linacre ward, Bootle to understand the relationship the community has with the natural environment and deliver a collaborative, local and comprehensive:
‘natural capital’ benefits assessment
mapping exercise for Linacre Ward
Action Plan
Our community were at the heart of this research as we investigated how people in Linacre ward, Bootle interact with nature and the benefits natural spaces bring to people’s lives.
Co-designed and co-produced by 6 community researchers, Nature in Linacre draws on history and maps the existing environmental landscape. Our interactive ArcGIS maps, developed by the GroundsWell team, provide an accessible way to explore how place, environment, and health are connected.
Completing the report, the collection of insights reflects local people’s perspectives of existing natural capital in the area and presents their ideas of what more can be done, meaning our community have shaped the plan for environmental improvements going forward.
Read the report here: https://tinyurl.com/2wfedmax
4. Enterprise
4.1 Investment Centre
One of the existing tenants has taken on additional office space, and we have gained a new tenant bringing occupancy rates the Investment Centre to 78%.
During the year, the charitable company received income of £377,092 (2025 - £375,033). This income arose from rent and service charge income long with grants for specific projects for both the current and previous year.
The expenditure incurred in the year was £348,880 (2025 - £367,605). This all relates to charitable activities and is inclusive of support and governance costs.
In the year ended 31 March 2026 the charitable company incurred a surplus of £28,212 (2025 - surplus of 7,428).
The principal funding sources during the year were as follows:
| £ |
The Investment Centre | 343,414 |
Grant income - Heritage Lottery Grant income - SMBC Grant income - GroundsWell Innovation Fund Grant income - Community Power Fund
| 8,938 10,500 11,734 1,000 |
It is South Sefton Development Trust's policy to build and maintain reserves of more than 12 months of the core operating costs (£150,000). The Trust entered the year with £63,267 in unrestricted funds in reserves which, at the end of the year, amounted to £92,797.
Governing document
South Sefton Development Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee (Company no 5147976), incorporated on 8th June 2004 and registered as a charity (no 1126270) on 13th October 2008. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and it is governed by its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up, members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.
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:
The Directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, one third of the Directors must retire by rotation, after which they may stand for re-election.
The Board of Trustees regularly review the skills mix of Board members to identify any skills gaps and actively seek to recruit new Board members who bring the relevant skills to. Recruitment is through relevant forums wherever possible, or by approach to individuals.
The Charity benefits from its Board of Trustees who contribute relevant experience from a wide variety of backgrounds, including: finance, marketing and organisational management, from the public, private and social economy sectors, and local knowledge of South Sefton. Trustees contribute commercial experience, expertise across all business disciplines and knowledge of the community and social economy sector.
Trustees are presented with an induction pack when they first take office, this outlines the roles and responsibilities they face as company directors and charity trustees, together with the aims and objectives of the Trust. We undertake an individual needs audit, and provide additional training for individual trustees should it be required.
The Trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of South Sefton Development Trust (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2026.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 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. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000, the independent examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ACCA, which is one of the listed bodies.
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 Companies Act 2006.
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 Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements 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 financial statements 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.
South Sefton Development Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 2nd Floor, The Investment Centre, 375 Stanley Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 3EF, United Kingdom.
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" 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)". 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.
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.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
Investment property, which is property held to earn rentals and/or for capital appreciation, is initially recognised at cost, which includes the purchase cost and any directly attributable expenditure. Subsequently it is measured at fair value at the reporting end date. The surplus or deficit on revaluation is recognised in profit or loss.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
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 charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
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.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
Irrecoverable VAT
All resources expended are classified under the activity headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of resources expended for which it was incurred.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The fair value of the investment property has been arrived at on the basis of a valuation carried out at 31st March 2022 by ASL Chartered Surveyors, who are not connected with the charity. The valuation was made on an open market value basis by reference to market evidence of transaction prices for similar properties. The historic cost of the property is £1,468,260.
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
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. They also comprise of a revaluation reserve with a balance of £396,280 (2024: £396,280).
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2025 - none).
The Charity is a public benefit entity and is limited by guarantee Incorporated in England and Wales. In the event of winding up the company, each member is required to contribute £1.
The registered office is The Investment Centre, 375 Stanley Road, Bootle, Merseyside L20 3EF