The Friends of Wimbledon Park (FOWP) became a registered charity (1211838) on 23rd January 2025, which offers benefits such as limited liability for members, improved fundraising capabilities, discounts on fees from some organisations, and tax advantages including VAT relief on donations and grants, plus eligibility for reduced (5%) or zero VAT rates on certain goods and services.
This requires the dissolution of the unincorporated Friends of Wimbledon Park.
➢ Trustees and Governance: The organization currently has 3 trustees and aims to increase this number to 5 or 7 to ensure a balanced governance structure for the new charitable incorporated organization (CIO).
➢ Objectives and Activities: The charity’s objectives include conserving and enhancing Wimbledon Park, promoting recreational use, encouraging community involvement, and supporting educational activities related to horticulture and biodiversity.
➢ Financial and Operational Changes: Under the new structure, members may be required to pay reasonable fees, and the trustees are considering moving to annual payments using direct debits in order to streamline the membership renewals process. There will be minimal changes to FOWP’s operations.
We will work on the changes so that everything is prepared for a smooth handover once the decision is taken at the Special Meeting on 4th March 2026 at 4pm.
Comment can be made on our website contact form: www.friendsofwimbledonpark.org/contact
Regards from Trustees
Brian Flasck, Nick Steiner, Martin Sumpton
