TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Providing food for people who are unable to afford to eat properly without support
www.foodshare.charity
Financial Statement for the year ended 31 March 2025
Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Charity information | 3 |
| Trustees' report | 4-8 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 9 |
| Balance sheet | 10 |
| Notes to the accounts | 11-16 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 17-18 |
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Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
CHARITY INFORMATION
| TRUSTEES | Lester Tanner (Chair) |
|---|---|
| Debbie Gee | |
| Nigel Cohen (Secretary) | |
| FOUNDER PATRON | Sue Brett BEM |
| REGISTERED NAME | Foodshare |
| REGISTERED OFFICE | Chalk Pit Nursery |
| Chalk Pit Lane | |
| Burnham, Bucks | |
| SL1 8NH | |
| REGISTERED CHARITY NO | 1142868 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | e: info@foodshare.charity |
| w: www.foodshare.charity | |
| BANKERS | Unity Trust Bank, Birmingham B1 2JB |
| HSBC, Maidenhead, SL6 1JQ | |
| Metro Bank, Slough, SL1 3TA | |
| INDEPENDENT EXAMINER | Anna Chapman FCA |
| Chapman Worth Limited | |
| Unit 2 The Old Estate Yard | |
| High Street, East Hendred | |
| OX12 8JY |
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Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year to 31 March 2025. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 2 to the accounts and comply with the charity’s trust deed, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective 1 January 2019.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
The Charity was set up by Deed of Trust on 12 July 2011. Its reference and administrative details are set out on page 3.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing Document
The Charity is a Trust, governed by a Trust Deed dated 12 July 2011.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
Under the Deed, one third of the trustees must retire by rotation every year and are immediately eligible to be reappointed by the remaining trustees.
Risk Management
The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
OBJECTIVES
Objectives and Aims
The principal objectives of the Charity are to promote and protect the physical and mental health and wellbeing of people who are homeless, elderly, living in poverty, who have a drug or alcohol dependency or who are in some other way socially or economically disadvantaged in Berkshire or Buckinghamshire.
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Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
We continue to provide food for people who are in poverty or in other forms of physical or mental distress. During the year, we separated the Burnham foodbank into an independent charity, Burnham Care & Share. We donated all our restricted funds for Burnham to the new charity.
The charity's activities include:
a) People who are homeless
- We provide sandwiches and cooked breakfasts for an average of 15 people twice a week for people who are homeless or otherwise disadvantaged
b) People who are in food poverty
-
Food Hub : We provided fresh and non-perishable food to people who are unable properly to feed themselves or their families every day. We distribute the food through three channels to reflect the very different needs of the people we help. We have a membership shop which allows people to pay a modest amount for their food, where they can afford to do so. We have a traditional foodbank which is set out using a supermarket format to allow choice. And we deliver food directly to people who are not able to leave home and who have no one who can collect their food for them. During the year, we distributed food to 860 people in and around Maidenhead, providing around 130,000 meals at an estimated value of around £520,000. We also distributed food to around 100 people in and around Burnham at an estimated value of around £29,000. The majority of food we distributed came from food donations. During the year, we spent around £36,200 on food.
-
Fruit and Vegetables : We include fresh fruit and vegetables in the food we distribute from the Nicholson Centre.
-
Schools Support : We provide food support to several schools directly, and to their families in need of support. We also provide deodorants and sanitary pads/tampons and other supplies of personal hygiene for teenagers. This provided invaluable support for children who would otherwise be without access to this most basic need.
-
Holiday Hunger : During the school holidays, we provide additional food for families with school children to make up the meals they would get during term time.
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Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
- Community Meals : We provide occasional meals for people living in poverty in the community. This year, all the food for community meals was donated.
c) Other
-
Other Charities : We work with other charities in Maidenhead to provide additional support for people in poverty. During the year, we have worked with and provided support for the Brett Foundation (general needs), Citizens Advice (financial support) and the Samaritans (mental health).
-
Loneliness : We are running a campaign to address loneliness by strengthening our sense of community in Maidenhead. During the year, we worked on two projects to try to reach more people who need food support but who feel too embarrassed or humiliated to ask for help.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The Statement of Financial Activities is set out on page 9 and Balance Sheet on page 10.
Reserves policy
The Trustees have a policy to retain sufficient reserves to meeting anticipated expenditure and other outgoings for the coming year after taking account of forecasts of income levels they believe to be reasonably assured. We aim to have sufficient reserves to allow us to buy food for the demand for food we project for the coming six months, in addition to reserves for specific initiatives either planned or being considered.
We operate from premises in Maidenhead, the main area of which is due for redevelopment in the foreseeable future. As explained in a note below, the Trustees have used the majority of the property fund to purchase a long leasehold in Maidenhead from which to run the food hub.
Reserves
As at 31 March 2025, we had unrestricted general reserves of £32,332 (2024: £25,100) and unrestricted designated property reserve of £131,607 (2024: £884,132). We had restricted reserves of £87 (2024: £80,213), making a total of £164,026 (2024: £989,445).
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Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
PROPERTY
We currently distribute food from our food hub at the Nicholson Centre. Last year, we were notified that we will need to leave the premises in the near future.
We have now created a new charity, Foodshare CIO. The charity has acquired a 30year lease in Reform Road, Maidenhead and will take over distribution of food during 2025. Foodshare will continue to raise funds to support people unable to afford to eat properly. Once Foodshare CIO takes over distribution of food from the new premises, Foodshare will donate vouchers for food from Foodshare CIO to people unable to afford the cost of food.
During the year, we made grants of £901,359 to Foodshare CIO to purchase and refurbish the lease on the condition it is used to further the objectives of Foodshare. At present, the trustees of Foodshare CIO are the same as the trustees of Foodshare.
RISK ASSESSMENT
The Trustees have carried out a risk assessment during the year and are satisfied that the systems are in place commensurate to the level of risks.
There are six major risks which the Trustees have identified.
We do not receive regular financial support from any organisation or government body. We continually review our finances. We avoid high profile or aggressive fund raising activities, seeking instead a large numbers of small donors to protect us against over-dependence on a single source of income.
Almost all support for Foodshare comes from unpaid volunteers. We do not have the same level of control over volunteers as staff. We regularly monitor our procedures to mitigate the risk of breach of legal obligations due to lack of awareness, or lack of control of our volunteers. At present, the legal environment does not compare the potential risk to the health and safety of people who are helped by Foodshare with the probable risk of their not being helped. The Trustees are continually balancing the needs of the people we help with the legal risks associated with helping people in poverty.
It is difficult to evaluate the degree of poverty of everyone we help. We take great care to establish that people we help are in need of help, either by gaining first hand knowledge of their circumstances, or by working with local charities and government
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Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
bodies who have first hand knowledge of people requesting help. Our primary control is to work with around 60 different organisations who refer people to us for help. Each organisation has direct contact with the everyone they refer to us, and are best place to judge their needs. We occasionally provide food directly to people in cases of immediate need, where we assess there is not enough time for the request through to be processed through the normal channels.
We comply with all health and safety requirements relating to food hygiene. Our procedures are inspected regularly. All our cooks are required to reach minimum food hygiene standards/qualifications. As with all organisations that prepare or provide food, we have a number of procedures in place to identify and mitigate the risk of unfit food being distributed.
The costs of distributing food have grown as space in Maidenhead has become more limited. The risks to the operations of the charity have grown commensurately. With the imminent closure of the rent-free Nicholson Centre, from where food is currently distributed, the Trustees decided to the separate the low-risk activities of fundraising and general support for people in poverty from the higher-risk activities involved in distribution of food. When we move from our current premises, all food distribution activities will be carried out through a separate charitable limited liability company.
VALUES-BASED CHARITY
We are a values based charity. That means we based our activities on explicit values. Our values have been developed with input from our entire base of volunteers, recipients and Trustees. Our values are listed on our website.
Our defining ethos is that we treat everyone with whom we engage with unconditional respect, kindness and compassion.
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 5 June 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Lester Tanner Chair
Page 8
Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Notes Incoming resources Income and endowments from: Donations and Legacies 3 Other trading activities Interest Resources expended Expenditure on charitable activities Charitable activities 4 Other trading activities 4 Governance 5 Support costs 5 Net Movement in Funds Reconciliation of Funds Total funds brought forward Net Movement in Funds Reserve Transfers Total funds carried forward |
Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ £ 156,947 27,750 52,828 237,525 248,432 9,492 - - 9,492 9,342 - 3,700 2,250 5,950 32,057 |
|---|---|
| 166,439 31,450 55,078 252,967 289,831 |
|
| 35,123 901,359 134,634 1,071,116 54,238 3,752 - - 3,752 10,120 35 - - 35 2 2,913 - 570 3,483 17,468 |
|
| 41,823 901,359 135,204 1,078,386 81,828 |
|
| 124,616 (869,909) (80,126) (825,419) 208,003 |
|
| 25,100 884,132 80,213 989,445 781,442 124,616 (869,909) (80,126) (825,419) 208,003 (117,384) 117,384 - - |
|
| 32,332 131,607 87 164,026 989,445 |
The notes on pages 11 to 16 form part of these financial statements.
Page 9
Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | Total | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Funds | Funds | Funds | Funds | Funds | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Current Assets | ||||||
| Debtors | 8 | 836 | - | - | 836 | 667 |
| Cash at bank | 32,296 | 131,607 | 87 | 163,990 | 989,578 | |
| Total current assets | 33,132 | 131,607 | 87 | 164,826 | 990,245 | |
| Creditors:Amounts falling | ||||||
| due within one year | 9 | 800 | - | - | 800 | 800 |
| Total net assets | 32,332 | 131,607 | 87 | 164,026 | 989,445 | |
| Funds of the Charity | ||||||
| Funds | 10 | 32,332 | 131,607 | 87 | 164,026 | 989,445 |
The notes on pages 11 to 16 form part of these Financial Statements.
The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 5 June 2025.
Lester Tanner Nigel Cohen Chair Trustee
Page 10
Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
1. BASIS OF ACCOUNTING
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS102.
These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant notes to these accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective 1 January 2019 and with the Charities Act 2011. The charity has taken advantage of the provision in the SORP for charities applying FRS102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in Stirling, the functional currency of the charity in UK pounds. Monetary amounts are rounded to the nearest £1.
2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The accounts present a true and fair view, and the accounting policies adopted are those outlined below.
Recognition of income
These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources.
Grants and donations
Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the general income recognition criteria are met.
Tax reclaims on donations
Gift Aid receivable is included in income when there is a valid declaration from the donor. Any Gift Aid amount recovered on a donation is considered to be part of that gift and is treated as an addition to the same fund as the initial donation unless the donor or the terms of the appeal have specified otherwise.
Restricted funds
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
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Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
3. ANALYSIS OF INCOME
Income for the year comprised:
| Donations Trading Activities Interest Total income |
Total Total Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ £ 156,947 27,750 52,828 237,525 248,432 9,492 - - 9,492 9,342 - 3,700 2,250 5,950 32,057 |
|---|---|
| 166,439 31,450 55,078 252,967 289,831 |
4. CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE
Charitable expenditure for the year comprised:
| Direct Charitable Outgoings Charitable activities Food Support Schools Support Homeless Support Other trading activities Food shop |
Totals Totals Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ £ 33,803 901,359 134,259 1,069,421 53,730 1,320 - - 1,320 46 - - 375 375 462 |
|---|---|
| 35,123 901,359 134,634 1,071,116 54,238 3,752 - - 3,752 10,120 |
|
| 38,875 901,359 134,634 1,074,868 64,358 |
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Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
4. CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE (cont)
| Analysis of Charitable Outgoings Non-Perishable Food Fruit and Vegetables Food Vouchers Equipment Electricity Personal Care Items Payroll Costs Computer Expenses Telephone Printing, Postage and Stationery Credit Card Charges Grants Foodshare CIO Burnham Care & Share Brett Foundation (Homelessness) Total |
Totals Totals Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ £ 15,461 - 12,216 27,677 26,954 4,972 - - 4,972 4,939 100 - 3,435 3,535 3,360 4,435 - - 4,435 12,152 9,166 - - 9,166 5,941 195 - 1,058 1,253 297 1,350 - - 1,350 6,712 1,823 - - 1,823 1,678 710 - - 710 765 217 - - 217 846 446 - - 446 252 |
|---|---|
| 38,875 - 16,709 55,584 63,896 - 901,359 - 901,359 - - - 117,550 117,550 - - - 375 375 462 |
|
| 38,875 901,359 134,634 1,074,868 64,358 |
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Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
5. ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE
Expenditure for the year comprised:
| Total | Total | Total | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| Governance | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Statutory fees | 35 | - | - | 35 | 2 | |||
| 35 | - | - | 35 | 2 | ||||
| Support costs | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Interest, bank and credit card charges | 270 | - | 118 | 388 | 450 | |||
| Accountant’s Review | 960 | - | - | 960 | 918 | |||
| Book-keeping and Accounting | 518 | - | - | 518 | 848 | |||
| Legal and Professional | 28 | - | - | 28 | 14,185 | |||
| Insurance | 1,137 | - | 452 | 1,589 | 1,044 | |||
| Advertising | - | - | - | - | 23 | |||
| 2,913 | - | 570 | 3,483 | 17,468 |
6. DETAILS OF CERTAIN ITEMS OF EXPENDITURE
| Accountants Fees Book-keeping services Fee for the independent examination of the accounts |
Total Total Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ £ 960 - - 960 918 518 - - 518 848 1,478 - - 1,478 1,766 |
|---|---|
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Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
7. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2025 (2024: £nil).
During the year, the charity commissioned Digital Glacier to upgrade the charity’s computer system that managed the Foodbank. The company is one in which our trustee Nigel Cohen’s daughter has an interest. During the year, the charity paid maintenance fees of £1,280 (2024: £1,200) to the company, which was charged at a 50% discount on its normal rates. Nigel Cohen was not involved in any of the discussions with Digital Glacier about the decision about whether to use the charity or about the rates charged and obtains no personal benefit from this contract.
8 DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS
| Tax and and social security Gift Aid |
Total Total Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2025 2024 £ £ - - 121 836 836 546 |
|---|---|
| 836 - - 836 667 |
9. CREDITORS AND ACCRUALS
| Accruals and deferred income | Total Total Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ £ 800 - - 800 800 |
|---|---|
| 800 - - 800 800 |
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Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
10. RESTRICTED FUNDS
| Total funds brought forward Net Movement in Funds Reserve Transfers Total funds carried forward Analysis of Restricted Funds |
Total Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2025 £ £ £ £ 25,100 884,132 80,213 989,445 124,616 (869,909) (80,126) (825,419) (117,384) 117,384 - |
|---|---|
| 32,332 131,607 87 164,026 |
|
| Donations Interest Food Food Vouchers Equipment Personal Care Items Insurance Bank Charges Grants Movement in the year Reserves brought forward Reserves transfers in the year Reserves carried forward |
Burnham Homeless Care & Share Shelter Total £ £ £ 52,390 438 52,828 2,250 - 2,250 |
|---|---|
| 54,640 438 55,078 |
|
| 12,216 - 12,216 3,435 - 3,435 - - - 1,058 - 1,058 452 - 452 118 - 118 117,550 375 117,925 |
|
| 134,829 375 135,204 |
|
| (80,189) 63 (80,126) 80,189 24 80,213 - - - |
|
| - 87 87 |
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Independent Examiner’s Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
I report on the Trustees’ Report, Accounts and Notes of the Trust for the year ended 31st. March 2025 as set out on pages 9 - 16.
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Independent Examiner
The charity’s Trustees are responsible for preparing the accounts. The charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to :
-
Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Charities Act
-
Follow the procedures laid down in general directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Charities Act and
-
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 the Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
(i) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
(ii) the accounts do not accord with those records; or
-
(iii) the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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Independent Examiner’s Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Anna Chapman FCA Chapman Worth Limited Unit 2 The Old Estate Yard High Street, East Hendred OX12 8JY
11 June 2025
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