TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 1[st] APRIL 2021 – 31st MARCH 2022
A LOCAL CHARITY SUPPORTING LOCAL PEOPLE IN NEED
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1110984
CHARITABLE PURPOSE: The relief of poverty for people in need who reside in Lincolnshire, through the provision of furniture and food.
ABOUT US
Furnichurch is a registered charity, founded in 2005 in Mablethorpe by a group of local Christians in order to help people in need in our community, initially through the provision of items of furniture and later, food, in response to requests. In 2011 we expanded our business into Skegness where we remained for six years serving the coastal strip but it was difficult finding committed volunteers and the condition of the warehouse there was deteriorating rapidly so we decided to close our operation in April 2017. We now work solely out of our Mablethorpe warehouse in Victoria Road focusing on the LN 12 area but we continue to respond to referrals along the coastal strip as it is an area of high deprivation.
WHAT WE DO
-
Supply and deliver furniture free of charge to those who are in desperate need
-
Supply good quality second-hand furniture to people on low incomes in return for a modest donation.
-
Supply food parcels which provide a week’s food for people who are facing financial hardship.
-
Offer a free collection service for surplus furniture
-
Act as a referral point to other services that can assist our clients
-
Supply sleeping bags to street homeless
-
Supply hygiene packs, baby packs and pet food when necessary
– FURNITURE 1st April 2021 31[st] March 2022
As you may remember, our income from donations given in exchange for furniture during the previous financial year ( April 2020 – March 2021) amounted only to £17,710 as the furniture side of our business was closed for six months as a result of government restrictions during lockdown. Although the situation has improved considerably over this past year, our income on furniture has still been well below pre Covid levels as can be seen when comparing these figures:
2017 – 2018 2018 – 2019 2019 - 2020
Furniture donations
£51,014 £45,175 £43,631.40
Our income on donations for furniture almost doubled in this last financial year ( 2021 – 2022) amounting to £35,186.00 but we still have a long way to go to make up for lost ground. With the new challenges we are all facing now, due to increased energy prices and the cost of living crisis, the situation will be extremely challenging for the foreseeable future.
We did have one or two good months earlier in the year – April, June and July, but business has been variable. September, October and November were again quite good and we almost covered our costs but the winter months have been very lean and especially the last few months of the financial year.
Nevertheless, we have been able to help a number of people throughout the year by supplying them with free furniture - in some cases, we were given a small donation for our services (some were ex homeless, others had recently moved to this area from another part of the country, others were moving out of their current accommodation) and every week, we give away some sofas or other items completely free of charge.
Our many local supporters have enabled us to keep going with their donations or financial contributions and as we have mentioned elsewhere, we have again received some wonderfully generous grants.
A full financial report is attached to this Trustees’ report for which we are most grateful to our Treasurer, Mr Earl Dunton.
----- Start of picture text -----
FOOD LARDER
----- End of picture text -----
Councillor Tony Howard receiving a grant of £1000 on behalf of Furnichurch at the grand opening of the new Tesco store in Mablethorpe in October 2021.
We were delighted to be awarded a grant of £1000 from Tesco for the Food Larder which helped us a great deal over the busy Christmas period. Coastal Community Challenge helped us out once again in November with another generous grant of £1000. We had also benefited in April 2021 from Phase 2 of the Lincolnshire Emergency Assistance Scheme when we received a further grant of £5000 for the Food Larder. Mablethorpe and Sutton Town Council gave us a grant of £5,000 from their Community Resilience Fund for the Food Larder on 19 July. In addition, Arnold Clark awarded us £2500 on 31December 2021. We would like to say huge thanks to all our funders for their most generous support.
We have continued to receive wonderful local support too from our supermarkets - Lidl, the Co – Op and Tesco and also from local churches, schools and individuals who supply us with very generous donations of food and other goods. More people now contribute financially to the Food Larder on a regular basis. This support has enabled us to continue to help an increasing number of needy families and individuals in the LN12 area through the provision of food parcels which provide three meals a day for a week and for extra items such as hygiene packs, baby packs and pet food as required. In December 2021, again with the help of our friends at the Lincolnshire Community Foundation, we
became members of FareShare in order to reduce our costs which means we have been able to make some savings and at the same time supply a wider range of products to our service users including more fresh fruit and vegetables. In March 2022, one anonymous donor gave us £1500 towards our payments to FareShare.
From April 2021 till the end of March 2022: Total number of meals 38, 990 meals
Extras: 126 hygiene packs, 13 baby packs , 26 packs of pet food - total cost £1,475 Total cost of extras and meals £31,599
This helped 1,385 people, a lower number than during the pandemic ( 1,593 ) as at that time, most people were confined to their homes during the lockdown periods. During lockdown, we provided food parcels providing 3 meals a day for 10 days but in October 2021 when the situation became more normal, we reduced the size of our parcels in order to lower costs and from that time, we have provided parcels which supply 3 meals a day for seven days, hence the fact that the total number of meals is also lower than previously.
To all those who continue to support us in any way, we are most grateful and we could not continue our vital work in the community without your help.
ACHIEVEMENTS
1 Thanks to the generous support and grants we have continued to receive, we managed to fulfil our charitable purpose of providing local people in financial hardship with substantial food parcels and extra items such as hygiene packs baby packs and pet food when required. We have also continued to supply good quality second hand furniture to local people in return for a modest donation and every week, we offer a number of items completely free of charge.
2 We managed to find a secretary for our charity in October 2021 at the AGM
3 We have reduced our costs a little by reducing the size of our parcels and by signing up for FareShare.
4 We have now set up a contract with Sum Up which enables card payments.
OBJECTIVES FOR NEXT YEAR
1 To continue to put our finances on a more secure footing so that we can continue to support local people in desperate need, especially as we now have a cost of living crisis.
2 To obtain funding in order to be able to employ a part time warehouse supervisor from next February.
3 To find another chair of trustees and more volunteers to ensure the continuation of our work into the future.
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT
After the incredibly difficult year we all had last year, hopes were high that the Coronavirus would soon be brought under control, that life would soon be back to normal and that the situation would improve greatly but somehow or other, that is not the reality that we are experiencing. We are still trying to stabilise our finances after Covid and other challenges have now arisen and with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on 24 February 2022, which has exacerbated the already difficult economic situation, we now seem poised on the brink of a period in our history which could prove to be just as costly and life threatening as the Coronavirus itself. Many of our service users are finding life increasingly difficult as energy prices soar and the cost of living continues to rise.
Furnichurch has had another challenging year but once again, thanks to the unwavering support we receive locally, we have survived. Through Lincolnshire Community Foundation, we became aware of Anglian Water’s Positive Difference Fund and after applying to them for help with overheads, we received a grant of £5000 at the end of April 2021. In June, thanks to some extra funding we received through the Household Support Fund, we were able to purchase more food for the larder and to support 3 families who use prepayment meters for their electricity. With that same Fund, we also purchased a new fridge freezer for a housebound couple who are clinically very vulnerable. Over the past few years, Coastal Community Challenge have been exceedingly generous to us and in July 2021, they gave us another enormous grant of £10,200 to help give us greater financial stability after Covid.
It is my great privilege every year at the AGM to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout the year in any way, whether as individuals, churches, funders or other businesses and organisations with whom we work. We really do appreciate everything you do for us. I would also like to thank once again all our volunteers, trustees and in particular the manager of Furnichurch, Michael Collins, together with Nigel Fereday, our former part time Warehouse Supervisor, for their dedication and flexibility and all the extra hours they put in to ensure that those who need help receive it. To all who support our efforts in any way, thank you so much for helping us achieve our charitable purpose once again in an increasingly challenging environment.
Like many other charities in our country, until the economy grows again, Furnichurch will have to rely more and more on grants (as we have had to do throughout the pandemic ) to be able to continue to offer the kind of services our community needs.
A couple of months ago now, a former service user whom we had not seen for a long time turned up out of the blue looking like a completely different person – happy, healthy and capable. She said how much our support and prayers had meant to her at a time when she was in a very dark place and had no hope for the future and she insisted on giving us a financial donation. Many people recently have been in tears when asking for help and they don’t know where to turn but together, we are still making a difference to their lives.
I am convinced that with your continuing generosity and support, Furnichurch will still be able to provide practical help and hope for the future to those who are in need in our local community for many years to come. Thank you so very much to each and every one of you.
Dorothea McMillan ( Chair of Trustees ).
TRUSTEES’ STATEMENT OF PUBLIC BENEFIT
Furnichurch operates mainly in the LN12 area in and around Mablethorpe and the coastal strip of Lincolnshire, between Mablethorpe and Skegness. This is an area of high deprivation where there is widespread unemployment and concerns about health and well being, low income, food shortage, transport and facilities. The services we deliver provide a practical short term solution to the deprivation that many people in our area experience. We work together with a number of agencies who refer people to us for both food and furniture and in response we deliver good quality second-hand furniture and/or food parcels to those in need. Where people are referred to us or in desperate need, we provide our service free of charge although sometimes, people choose to make a small donation towards our work.
As our furniture is second-hand, there remains a very slight risk of injury to the client but we make basic checks prior to delivery to see if anything is faulty thus minimising that risk. As we receive a number of electric recliner chairs these days, we ensure they are PAT tested before being passed on to the public. We try to reduce other potential risks by not supplying any second-hand electrical goods and all items must have a flame retardant label attached where appropriate.
RESERVES POLICY
We aim to hold a minimum of £20,000 and a maximum of £30,000 at year end, as in a downturn or an emergency, we need to be able to cover our overheads and any unforeseen costs for at least three months. We also run an expensive vehicle which may require major repairs and we employ two people, one of whom is part time. At year end our closing balance ( and Balance at Bank on 31st March 2022 ) was £29,005.05.
GOVERNANCE
The charity is run by five trustees and the work is carried out day to day by a team of volunteers who are under the direction of one paid manager, Michael Collins and a paid part time Warehouse Supervisor. The trustees are elected at the AGM by the members of the Charity. No trustee receives remuneration for this role. Sharon Harper stood down as trustee in July and Tom Mountain at the AGM
AGM CHARITY DETAILS This was held on Thursday 28 October 2021 . Name: Furnichurch Dorothea McMillan ( Chair ) Charity Registration NO: 1110984 Earl Dunton ( Treasurer ) Date of registration: 23 August 2005 Christine Collins Address: 97A Victoria Road Chris Lilley Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire Ann Briggs LN12 2AL ( co-opted 25 April 22 ) Telephone 01507 477007 Furnichurch@btconnect.com
Furnichurch Statement of Income and Expenditure 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022
Opening Balance
£ 24,161.75
Income
Food Larder £ 29,325.00 Furnichurch £ 51,847.00 Less Refunds £ (445.00) £ 51,402.00 Total Income £ 80,727.00 Expenditure Combined £ 75,883.70 Plus Surplus for the year £ 4,843.30 Closing Balance £ 29,005.05
Closing Balance
Reconciliation
Balance at Bank at 31st March 2022
| Food Larder | £ | 2,640.06 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnichurch | £ | 26,540.22 | ||
| £ | 29,180.28 | |||
| Plus Cash in Hand (Furnichurch) | £ | - | ||
| Sub Total | £ | 29,180.28 | ||
| Less uncleared payments (Food Larder) | £ | 15.40 | ||
| £ | 33.40 | |||
| £ | 91.08 | |||
| £ | 35.35 | |||
| £ | 175.23 | |||
| Total | ||||
| £ | 29,005.05 |
Income
Prev Year
| Through | the | Food Larder | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | £ | 9,325.00 | £ | 9,550.00 | ||||||
| Other Income | £ | - | £ | - | ||||||
| £ | 9,325.00 | £ | 9,550.00 | |||||||
| Grants | 1 | £ | 20,000.00 | £ | 16,250.00 | |||||
| £ | 20,000.00 | |||||||||
| Total Food Larder Income | £ | 29,325.00 | £ | 25,800.00 | ||||||
| Through | Furnichurch | |||||||||
| Donations | for Furniture | £ | 35,186.00 | £ | 17,710.00 | |||||
| Refunds | 2 | £ | (445.00) | £ | (350.00) | |||||
| £ | 34,741.00 | £ | 17,360.00 | |||||||
| Donations | for Delivery | £ | 295.00 | £ | 200.00 | |||||
| Clientelle Gifts | £ | 964.00 | £ | 195.00 | ||||||
| £ | 36,000.00 | £ | 17,755.00 | |||||||
| Gifts | £ | 1,995.00 | £ | 5,405.00 | ||||||
| Other Income | £ | 7.00 | £ | 2,550.00 | ||||||
| £ | 2,002.00 | |||||||||
| Grants | 3 | £ | 13,400.00 | |||||||
| £ | 13,400.00 | £ | 31,250.00 | |||||||
| Total Furnichurch Income | £ | 51,402.00 | £ | 56,960.00 | ||||||
| Total Income | £ | 80,727.00 | £ | 82,760.00 |
Expenditure
Prev Year
Furnichurch and Food Larder Combined
| Building | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | £ | 6,360.00 | £ | 6,360.00 | |||
| £ | 6,360.00 | £ | 6,360.00 | ||||
| Utilities | |||||||
| Electricity | £ | 413.51 | £ | 406.38 | |||
| Gas | £ | 414.21 | £ | 394.74 | |||
| Water | £ | 48.00 | £ | 224.00 | |||
| Phone and Internet | £ | 665.98 | £ | 628.75 | |||
| Waste | £ | - | £ | - | |||
| £ | 1,541.70 | £ | 1,653.87 | ||||
| Salaries | |||||||
| Wages | £ | 24,223.12 | £ | 27,886.34 | |||
| PAYE | £ | 6,426.44 | £ | 2,825.15 | |||
| Pensions | £ | 1,125.02 | £ | 1,038.48 | |||
| £ | 31,774.58 | £ | 31,749.97 | ||||
| Deliveries & Collections | |||||||
| Fuel | £ | 2,385.44 | £ | 1,350.10 | |||
| Tax | £ | 275.00 | £ | 265.00 | |||
| Servicing | £ | 1,673.08 | £ | 1,035.60 | |||
| Insurance | £ | 482.81 | £ | 414.77 | |||
| Outsourcing | 4 | £ | - | £ | 164.00 | ||
| Other | £ | 902.00 | £ | 227.28 | |||
| £ | 5,718.33 | £ | 3,456.75 | ||||
| Serving the Community | |||||||
| Groceries | £ | 28,380.14 | £ | 31,866.91 | |||
| Kitchenware | £ | - | £ | - | |||
| Electricals | £ | - | £ | - | |||
| Bedding | £ | - | £ | - | |||
| Energy | £ | 110.00 | £ | - | |||
| Furniture | £ | - | £ | - | |||
| White Goods | £ | 474.95 | £ | - | |||
| Other | £ | 52.00 | £ | 351.87 | |||
| £ | 29,017.09 | £ | 32,218.78 | ||||
| Office | |||||||
| Insurance | £ | 501.41 | £ | 741.46 | |||
| Stationery | £ | 50.79 | £ | 128.59 | |||
| Sundries | £ | 244.80 | £ | 207.70 | |||
| £ | 797.00 | £ | 1,077.75 | ||||
| Miscellaneous | 5 | £ | 675.00 | £ | 9,750.00 | ||
| £ | 675.00 | £ | 9,750.00 | ||||
| Total Expenditure | £ | 75,883.70 | £ | 86,267.12 |
Restricted Giving
New Vehicle
Apr-21 Opening Balance £ 577.72 Aug-21 Van Signage £ (229.17) Jan-22 Van Signage £ (45.89) Mar-22 Extra Parts £ (302.66) £ (577.72) £ 577.72 Balance Carried Forward £ -
Statement of Assets
For the year ended 31st March 2022
| Assets | Notes | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | Restricted | Total | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles | 6 | £ | 6,545.00 | £ | 6,545.00 £ | 9,350.00 | ||
| Office Equipe | 7 | £ | 117.61 | £ | 117.61 £ | 168.02 | ||
| £ | 6,662.61 | £ | 6,662.61 £ | 9,518.02 | ||||
| Cash | Food Larder | £ | 2,640.06 | £ | - | £ | 2,640.06 £ | 913.26 |
| Furnichurch | £ | 26,540.22 | £ | - | £ | 26,540.22 £ | 23,248.49 | |
| Total Assets | £ | 35,842.89 | £ | - | £ | 35,842.89 £ | 33,679.77 | |
| Liabilities | ||||||||
| Total Liabilities | ||||||||
| Net Assets | £ | 35,842.89 | £ | - | £ | 35,842.89 £ | 33,679.77 | |
| Funds | Notes | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | 2021 | |||
| Brought Forward | £ | 33,102.05 | £ | 577.72 | £ | 33,679.77 £ | 30,760.18 | |
| Surplus/(deficit) for the year | £ | 5,421.02 | £ | (577.72) | £ | 4,843.30 £ | (3,507.12) | |
| Asset Adjustment | £ | (2,855.41) | £ | (2,855.41) £ | 3,426.71 | |||
| Transfer between Funds | ||||||||
| Funds carried | Forward | £ | 35,667.66 | £ | - | £ | 35,667.66 £ | 30,679.77 |
Notes
1 Food Larder Grants
EDLC Winter Payments £2,200
Mablethorpe & Sutton Town Council - £5,000 Bishop Grossette Emergency Fund - £5,000
CCC £1,000 Tesco £1,000 Arnold Clark Autom £2,500 Lincolnshire Com £1,500
£1,800 Transferred from Main Account for Grant paid in previous year's accounts
2 From returns of unwanted furniture
3 Furnichurch Grants
Lincolnshire COM Big Local Fund £10,200 Lincolnshire Com - AW Positive Fund - £5,000
(£-1,800 from previous year for Foodlarder - See above)
4 Outsourcing relates to the hire of a third party/vehicle for delivery and collections; this year whilst our van was in for repairs.
5 Miscellany
Signage for new van £275.00 Independent Examiner's fee - £400
6 Vehicle Assets Adjustment of £2,805 to show depreciation of 30% for the year.
7 Office Equipment Assets Adjustment of £50.41 to show depreciation of 30% for the year.
FURNICHURCH
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF FURNICHURCH FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2022
I report on the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2022.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
As a charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirement of section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 43(7)(b) of the Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
-
Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirement to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Act, and
-
to prepare the accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met; or
-
To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Mrs Sara M Cooper Member of Institute of Certified Bookkeepers
SC Bookkeeping Services
Howard House
Old Trusthrope Road Sutton on Sea Lincs LN12 2LL
Date: 26th October 2022