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Legal Structure
The Friends of Holland Park (“The Friends”) is a registered charity (registration number
281348) governed by its constitution and rules. The constitution (with the exception of the
clauses relating to Objects, Dissolution and Amendments) can only be amended in relation to
the charity’s name and application of income and property by the assent of not less than two
thirds of the members present at a general meeting and in relation to the remainder of the
constitution by the assent of a majority of members present at a general meeting.
The president is Sir Angus Stirling.
The trustees who held office since 1 January 2009 were:
R D N Hopkins (chairman)
N J W Brockmann
D Newberry (from 19 January 2010)
K E Hall
D A Jeffreys (treasurer)
P Kennard-Bent (to 1 April 2009)
A Musso (to 1 April 2009)
J E Puritz
A M Walker
R M Wood (secretary)
C L Wynne (died 2 July 2009)
Objects and Policies
The objects of the Charity are for the public benefit to secure the preservation, protection and
improvement of Holland Park as a place of historical and ecological interest and beauty; to
promote the conservation of the natural plant, animal and bird life of the Park and, in
particular, its retention as a natural woodland habitat for wildlife; and to educate the public
in the history, natural history and other aspects of the Park.
Management and Organisation
The officers of the charity are the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The officers and
committee are elected by members at the AGM. The trustees do not receive any
remuneration or benefits from and no staff are employed by the charity.
Review of Activities and Achievements during the Year
The Friends’ wish to have the forecourt of Holland House opened to the public moved yet a
little closer following The Royal Borough’s successful work to conserve the remains of
Holland House, which was completed in spring 2009. A planning condition imposed on
Opera Holland Park required the forecourt to be landscaped after the opera season ended in
September. However, little progress had been made on site by the end of the year.
An appropriate lighting system to illuminate the conserved ceramic tiles under the cafeteria
arches was sourced, installed and paid for during the year. However, efforts in seeking the
design and production of wall hangings for use in the cafeteria to reduce noise levels again
proved fruitless. The agreed donation of equipment and educational aids to The Ecology
Centre was completed early this year.
The owners of the Commonwealth Institute site on the Park’s southern boundary applied for
and were eventually granted approval for their proposed scheme of redevelopment despite
strong local and national opposition, including that of The Friends.
The provision of children’s toilets adjacent to the Adventure Playground remains an
unresolved issue.
The twenty-seventh Annual Art Exhibition in March was supported by 85 artists, whose sales'
commissions and entry fees raised £1,400 for the Friends. This was a considerable
improvement on the previous year and a good result in the prevailing economic climate.
Other fundraising and social events for members included two illustrated talks: ’The Birds of
Bray’ in February and ‘A House Reborn’ in October.
The Friends again co-operated with Park management to run a Holland Park Open Day in
June. Also during the summer, The Friends reinstated a ‘Pimm’s in the Park’ party, which
was held in the grounds of the Youth Hostel. The annual Christmas Concert was again given
by the Tallis Chamber Choir.
The Friends’ AGM was held on 1 April. The Friends’ Committee met on six occasions and
four issues of the newsletter were produced during the year. The Friends were represented at
each of the bi-monthly Holland Park Liaison Committee meetings and at The Royal
Borough's three Holland Park Advisory Group meetings. The chairman was also invited by
the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Environmental Management and Leisure to attend one
of his regular meetings with Officers. Good relations are the norm between the Council and
The Friends with general agreement over objectives for the Park.
Future Developments in 2010
The Friends will continue to monitor the Royal Borough's plans for the Park and any planning
proposals, which in the opinion of the Trustees may adversely affect the Park and the
public’s enjoyment of it. If the Borough’s approved plans to redevelop Holland Park School
do go ahead, The Friends will seek to achieve improvements to the residential block once a
developer has been appointed.
It is fully expected that this year, when the opera season is over, the terraced area in front of
the House will be landscaped, and hopefully opened to the public, though there are some
safety and security issues to be resolved.
Providing the necessary approvals can be obtained, it is hoped that an alternative approach to
designing and producing the proposed wall hangings for the cafeteria will make better
progress this year. Plans are also afoot to have two new benches designed and presented to
the Park and there is the possibility of work being done on a couple of new publications.
The annual Art Exhibition will run as usual this year and in addition to the normal February
and October events for members the reinstated ‘Pimm’s in the Park’ party will be repeated in
July. The annual Christmas Concert will take place in December to round off the year.
The Trustees consider that the present resources of the Charity are adequate to meet its
obligations.
Risk Management
A comprehensive review of the risks faced by the Charity was undertaken and the trustees
believe that, where possible, measures are in place to reduce or mitigate the risks identified.
Reserves Policy
The trustees consider that the Charity should hold a minimum reserve equivalent to 50% of
annual expenditure to ensure that the quarterly newsletter can continue and other necessary
expenditure paid if due to unforeseen circumstances the projected income is not received.
Any reserves in excess of this are held pending expenditure on, or donations towards,
projects related to the Park in accordance with the Charity’s objects.
The Charity currently has substantial reserves because:
· Park projects, which the Charity has indicated a willingness to support, have not yet
received final approval from The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
· Projects, which the Charity has definitely committed to fund, have not yet been
completed.
If all these commitments and indications are fulfilled, a substantial proportion of the reserves
would be expended.
Trustees’ Responsibilities
Charity Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. In
preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:
· select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
· make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
· state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material
departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
· prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to
presume that the Charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with
reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to
ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993. They are also
responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps
for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Nicholas Hopkins (chairman)
10 March 2010
Download Accounts for 2009
Download Notes to the Accounts for 2009
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