Is the Baswich & Bromley Garden Project a legally constituted charity?
Yes. The project falls under the umbrella fund of the South Staffordshire Community & Mental Health Charitable Fund & Other Related Charities.
Does this mean that my donation would go to the NHS?
These charitable funds are administered by South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust. The charitable funds are, however, run quite separately from the day to day finances of the Trust. The Trust, for instance, runs a separate bank account for charitable funds.
How do I know that my donation won’t be spent on helping out NHS finances?
NHS organisations follow the relevant legislation and guidance issued by the Charity Commission. This means that we are only allowed to use charitable funds to support the objectives of the relevant charity.
Is there independent verification that my donation will be spent only on this project?
Yes. The Trust’s external auditors are the internationally-known accountants, KPMG. Part of their responsibilities are to audit the charitable funds and to ensure that the funds have been used in line with the objectives of the individual charities.
Does the Trust publish a set of accounts relating to its charitable funds?
Yes. Copies can be obtained from Marianne Linnell, Chief Accountant, South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust, (see below for her email address).
How do I know that my donation will be spent wisely?
An important element of gaining ‘value for money’ is to invite tenders from a number of firms that have relevant experience. This has been done.
Is the NHS contributing anything to this project?
The NHS must be very careful in how it uses taxpayers’ money. This generally means that it cannot subsidize charitable projects. However, the Trust has identified ways that it may legitimately support the project. There may be some elements of the project which can be fairly defined as ongoing maintenance of the Trust’s properties and estate. If possible, therefore, the Trust will pay for this element of the project.
What will happen if there is any surplus in the fund once the project has been completed?
If there is a surplus at the end of the project this will be used to support the ongoing maintenance of the garden.
What about ongoing maintenance costs?
The Trust has agreed to pay for any ongoing costs if there is no surplus left in the fund at the end of the project.
And finally – if you have any further questions….
Please contact either Marianne Linnell, Chief Accountant, or Rupert Davies, Deputy Director of Finance, at South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust. Their email addresses are:-
Marianne.linnell@ssh-tr.nhs.uk; Rupert.davies@ssh-tr.nhs.uk
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