Basford, Bestwood & Bulwell Foodbank Registered Charity Number 1153963
Trustees Report
April 2022 to March 2023
Basford, Bestwood & Bulwell Foodbank (working name Bestwood & Bulwell Foodbank) is an unincorporated association governed by a constitution adopted on 19[th] March 2013.
Our charitable purpose is the prevention or relief of poverty which we do through the distribution of food and essential items to people in crisis within the City and County of Nottingham.
We are part of the Trussell Trust network of foodbanks and our principal place of operations is St. Philip’s Church, Knights Close, Top Valley, Nottingham. NG5 9AJ.
In accordance with the constitution, Trustees are appointed or reappointed annually at the Annual General Meeting.
The Trustees for the period covered by this report were Ms. Adele Brooksbank, Mr. John Gregory (Greg) Cowley BEM (Chair), Rev. Christine Little & Mr. Peter Newbold.
All trustees gave their time voluntarily and received no remuneration or other benefits.
The Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by The Charities Commission on public benefit and are satisfied that the charities operation continues to satisfy those criteria.
Report on Activities
This has been another challenging year as the cost of living crisis has really started to take hold.
Throughout the period we have retained a strong core of volunteers without whom is would simply not be possible to operate at the level needed to keep pace with the demand we have seen.
We have always attempted to help clients address the underlying issues which cause them to seek help from our charity and to that end we were able to secure grant funding which has allowed us to formalise our work with Bestwood Advice Centre and base an Advice Worker at our Bestwood base two afternoons per week. This facility has been used extensively and in the first full year of operation has successfully assisted clients to secure additional benefits totalling £240,766.
We have also received some funding from Nottingham City Council through the Household Support Fund which has allowed us to top up some of our food stocks.
Regrettably, demand for our service continues to grow, to the extent that we have opened a second distribution centre which operates one day a week out of St. Mary’s Church in Bulwell. In total this year we have provided food parcels of ten meals each to 5,162 people. This is 1,444 more than last year, an increase of 39% which required an additional 6,231 kilograms of food.
The cost of living crisis has not only increased the demand for our services, it has also impacted donations received. The level of donations has not returned to pre-pandemic levels and we have had to use monies received via the household support fund to shore up a number of staples.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
John Gregory Cowley Chair of Trustees 18[th] November 2023
Accounts to 31 March 2023
Bestwood & Bulwell Food Bank
| GENERAL FUND INCOME Donations Donations via Virgin Giving/CAF TESCO donation based on food collection Gift Aid GENERAL FUND TOTAL INCOME EXPENDITURE Payments to Trussell Trust Food Purchases Health & Safety Employee costs Salary & Pension Agency fees Volunteer Support Insurance Contribution towards centre running costs Telephone Post & Stationary Warehouse costs Legal Costs Energy Support via Bestwood Advice Centre Equipment purchased GENERAL FUND TOTAL EXPENDITURE Excess of income over expenditure RESTRICTED FUNDS Computer Equipment/Debt Support Income Expenditure Debt Support via Bestwood Advice Centre Deficit of income over expenditure |
Year to 31 Mar 2023 94117 7132 101249 3742 622 105613 0 54075 0 20365 0 20365 76 518 2500 510 560 429 35 0 0 79068 26545 |
Year to 31 Mar 2023 94117 7132 101249 3742 622 105613 0 54075 0 20365 0 20365 76 518 2500 510 560 429 35 0 0 79068 26545 |
|---|---|---|
| 20365 0 |
||
| 105613 0 54075 0 20365 76 518 2500 510 560 429 35 0 0 |
||
| 79068 | ||
| 26545 | ||
| 17098 0 |
||
| 17406 | ||
| -308 | ||
As at 31 Mar 2023
As at 31 Mar 2022
REPRESENTED BY
| Cash at bank General Fund as 1 April 2022 Add surplus on General fund GENERAL FUND AT 31 Mar 2023 Restricted Funds as 1 April 2022 Deficit on Restricted fund RESTRICTED FUND AT 31 Mar 2023 TOTAL ALL FUNDS |
51820 26545 |
91365 | 47435 4385 |
65128 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91365 | 65128 | ||||
78365 13000 |
51820 13308 |
||||
| 13308 -308 |
2633 10675 |
||||
| 91365 | 65128 | ||||
Notes to Accounts
Not all of our activities are cash based, we had the following transaction in the period.
| Kilograms | £ Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Food held in store at 1 April 2022 | 13717 | 23045 |
| Food donated or purchased by Foodbank during the year | 48125 | 80850 |
| Food given out by Foodbank during the | ||
| year | 38624 | 64888 |
| Food held in store at 31 March 2023 | 21218 | 35646 |
Food is valued at an average price of £1.68 per Kg.
Food purchased and food held in store includes food paid for but not physically delivered to the foodbank at 31 March 2023.
Policy on Reserves
It is the policy of Bestwood & Bulwell Foodbank to hold in General Reserve a sum of not less than 50% of the general expenditure of the current financial year. As at 31 March 2021 Bestwood & Bulwell Foodbank held in General Reserve £51820 a figure in
excess of the minimum requirement of this policy of £16072
Independent Examiners report to the Trustees of the Bestwood and Bulwell Food Bank I report on the Financial Statements for the year ended 31" March 2023 Respertive Responsibilities of the Trustees and the Ex3mlner As members of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the Financial Statements. You have requested that an independent examination is carried out. It is my responsibility to issue this report on those Financial Statements. Basis of this report I have examined the accounts kept by the Trustees and agreed those to the Financial Ststements and the bank account statements. I have traced all items of expenditure back to supporting documentation. I have agreed the calculation of the value of food donations and other gifts. I have reconciled the bank account at the end of the accounting period. I have (eIved your assurances that the grants received during the period are not restricted. Independent Examiners Statement In connection with my examination, no matter has tome to my attention 11 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements To keep atcountinE records To prepare Financial Statements have not been met,. or 21 which in my opinion. Attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached M P Powditch ACA 11 Gerrard Close Arnold Nottingham NG5 9QL 17 September 2023