Finance Score: 2

Governance Score: 3

Support Score: 11

Strong growth: +2
No PartB

Dynamic board: +3

Large volunteers +3
Grant maker support: +8

Overall GiG Score: 16

COMMUNIGROW

COMMUNIGROW organises practical field sessions for schools and other groups to learn about responsible food farming using environmentally friendly methodology. We grow produce and offer hands-on experience of propagation, maintenance, harvesting, cooking and eating. Vegetables grown are distributed to local communities to promote health and well being through access to locally grown fresh food.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers
The Board appears to be dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data

Established: 9 years

www.communigrow.org.uk

caroline.pearce@communigrow.org.uk

07415749193

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E	Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/12/22	£258	£159	£98	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	124
31/12/21	£127	£105	£22	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	89
31/12/20	£114	£95	£19	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	35
31/12/19	£109	£66	£43	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	31
31/12/18	£41	£42	£0	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	11
31/12/17	£33	£21	£11	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/16	£33	£21	£12	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/15	£17	£9	£7	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Listed activities

Education/Training
Environment/Conservation/Heritage
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides human resources
Provides services

Where it operates

East Sussex, Kent, Medway, Surrey, West Sussex,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
People With Disabilities
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
124 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years

National Lottery Community Fund	£135,000
Lloyds Bank Foundation	£28,080
Garfield Weston Foundation	£22,500
Henry Smith Charity	£10,000
DCMS	£3,300
The Foyle Foundation	£3,000
Co-Operative Group	£2,667

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Communigrow
£2,667	21/10/2023	Our community garden allows people to flourish in confidence, wellbeing and skills. We would like to take sessions to local schools, teaching food growing skills and healthy eating to children.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Multi-Year Grant (2 Years) award
£15,000	28/01/2022	Growing and expanding education and skills support - a whole community project
National Lottery Community Fund - A green space for growing our communities
£135,000	10/09/2021	The funding will cover core staffing costs that will enable the organisation to significantly increase the number and diversity of the service users they support. Communigrow are a horticulture based ....more The funding will cover core staffing costs that will enable the organisation to significantly increase the number and diversity of the service users they support. Communigrow are a horticulture based charity providing education skills development work experience and personal development opportunities and activities for disadvantaged young people and adults from West Kent. The organisation will no extend its offer of support to an increased number and diversity of the region’s most disadvantaged and marginalised people in partnership with other carefully selected agencies.
DCMS - DCMS VSCE CMC Covid Funding
£3,300	01/10/2020	"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more "The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Variation grant to Communigrow
£13,080	23/07/2020	Grant to Communigrow meeting the additional costs of adapting services, premises or implementing other safety measures in response to the Covid pandemic.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£7,500	29/05/2020	Green Spaces Learning Opportunities for All
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Communigrow
£10,000	19/03/2020 12	towards one year's salary of an Assistant Community Gardener and a Educational Coordinator at a project working with vulnerable and disadvantaged adults and young people
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to Communigrow
£15,000	26/06/2019 12	The grant will help to support the charity to address areas identified in their strategic and business planning which focus on fundraising and income generation strategy, volunteer recruitment, ....more The grant will help to support the charity to address areas identified in their strategic and business planning which focus on fundraising and income generation strategy, volunteer recruitment, management and retention and monitooing and evaluation.
The Foyle Foundation - Small Grants
£3,000	25/04/2019	towards core costs in 2019
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£5,000	16/05/2018	Expanding opportunities for diverse communities facing disadvantage
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Communigrow
£13,000	14/03/2018 24	towards two years' salary of a Volunteer Coordinator and Community Gardener for a project in Kent working with disabled adults and young people

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (5)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

ALAN PIPER Appointed: 2016

ANTHONY BLACKMAN Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Dispensing Optician, Other trusteeships: KENT ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND, CARERS' SUPPORT EAST KENT, ASSOCIATION OF CHAIRS, THE ROAD SAFETY TRUST,

CAROLINE PEARCE (Chair) Appointed: 2019

DAVID FIELD Appointed: 2021

MARTIN LONG Appointed: 2022

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 08/12/2014, number: 1159534

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Complaints handling
Conflicting interests
Risk management
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Volunteer management

Filing Record

8 returns made; all on time

Main office

Hazel Hall
Church Road
West Peckham
MAIDSTONE
Kent
ME18 5JL

Objectives

TO PROMOTE AND ADVANCE EDUCATION IN RESPONSIBLE FOOD FARMING ACTIVITIES FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO DIRECTLY LINK WITH FARMING AND TO RECONNECT WITH WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM AND HOW TO ENJOY LOCAL, HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE FOOD.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources