Mile Road Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Association: Charity Commission decision
Published 16 December 2013
Applies to England and Wales
© Crown copyright 2013
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This case was considered in Decision Review, following our formal rejection of the application on the basis that we were not satisfied that the Association was charitable.
Following a review of the information provided with the application, additional subsequent information provided by the applicants and proposed amendments to the objects, we have concluded that the Association, when it amends its objects will be established for exclusively charitable purposes within the descriptions of purposes in section 3(1) of the Charities Act 2011 and for the public benefit. It is therefore entitled to be registered on the Register of Charities under section 29 of the Charities Act 2011.
The Review considered whether the provision of allotments by the Association is charitable under the Recreational Charities Act 1958. The organisation provides allotments to members at reasonable annual rents, with concessionary rates for elderly people, unemployed people and people on low incomes.
The membership of the organisation is open to all and the allocation of allotment plots is to the next person on the waiting list on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. The Association also supports a community plot for use by non members.
We were satisfied that working an allotment plot can be a form of healthy recreation. The organisation has therefore been invited to amend their objects to reflect a clear charitable purpose, with a view to entering the organisation onto the Register of Charities.