ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT SEPTEMBER 2020 FOR THE GLEADLESS VALLEY FOOD BANK
Trustees: Carole Baker
Graham Carpendale
Henry Ohakah
Management Group: John Stevenson
Sue Law
Dave Roberts Teresa Griffin Janet Wild Joanna Wood
Food bank Address:Gleadless Valley Methodist Church
Blackstock Road
Gleadless
Sheffield
S14 1FT
Web site: www.gleadlessvalley.foodbank.org.uk
General Enquires: info@gleadlessvalley.foodbank.org
Telephone No.: 0114 253 0315
Reference and Administrative information
This is the eighth annual Trustees report for the Gleadless Valley Food bank, based at the Gleadless Valley Methodist Church, Blackstock Road, Sheffield.
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Annual Trustees Report September 2020
The area is recognised as one that has a high proportion of families and individuals who for various reasons are in need of food to help in feeding themselves and their families.
The doors were opened in October 2012. Since then the Food Bank has regularly distributed bags of food every single week throughout the year. Food is distributed based upon a distributor referral model voucher system. This ensures that qualified social care professionals can target the food to those with needs.
The foodbank continues to see an increased and sustained need as a result of the continuing poor economic situation and Government cutbacks in benefits, causing added pressure on families, added to this we have had the shutdown due to covid. This meant we had to change the way we worked, between March and September we handed food parcels out at the door where as previously we have given clients refreshments and attempted to signpost them to get help enabling them to lift themselves out of poverty and the need for foodbanks.
The foodbank volunteers have also found covid very restrictive as many are of the age where they needed to self isolate, we have continued on a reduced number of inexperienced younger volunteers.
The foodbank has a solid admin team composed of volunteers to cope with the level of enquiry demand and admin workload.
The volunteers have missed the social side of meeting during lockdown and usually we have prepared food around Christmas for them which this year we were unable to do.
The grant funding from Sheffield City Council for an onsite Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) is in its sixth year, but again this could only operate prior to lockdown which was a great loss to a large number of clients.
The sessions on Friday are effectively supervised by a person within the management group. Prior to lockdown they would be supported by 10-12 volunteers but after we operated with a much smaller group of volunteers attempting to keep everyone safe
The volunteers split between front and back office. Visibly there are volunteers who help with client food assignment, guidance and support and behind the scenes duties include packing of clients food, the weighing and stocking of new donations and the admin team as mentioned above. Clients’ needs are not only met from a food distribution point of view but if requested spiritual help and guidance is also available. During the pandemic we could only meet the need for food.
Structure Governance and management
The governing document is the Trust Deed, duly signed on the 26[th] March 2012 and the application for charity status was made in November 2013. The Trustees are
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Annual Trustees Report September 2020
chosen from members of the church communities who were initially involved in the formation of the Food bank. The same principal for recruitment has been adopted when positions have become available.
Objectives and Activities
The purpose stated from the object in the Trust Deed document is as follows:
“Establishing and running a Food bank to provide food and related support to people in need, hardship, distress or poverty in Gleadless Valley and the surrounding area in such ways as the Trustees from time to time see fit”
We subscribe to the Trussell Trust and they were helpful when we set up the Food bank’; revising operational policies and providing information and training. Due to this tie we have had dedicated organized food collection days at the local Tesco and other local supermarkets. These collections have greatly helped to restock the shelves and on occasions allowed us to re-distribute surplus items to other Food banks in need of stocks.
The people using the Food bank are referred by care professionals such as doctors and social workers, the Citizens Advice Bureau, carers centres, local forums and Council Housing Service. They are given vouchers and visit the Food bank to receive a 3 day pack of food, The Food bank is open each Friday from 12:30 for a two hour period.
The Food bank is made up of volunteers, a management group and Trustees drawn from the 17 churches in the surrounding community who are involved with the Food bank. This helps with understanding the needs of all the people we serve in the area. Since opening as a Food bank in October 2012, there has been a steady increase in users. When we opened it was thought the need would only last for five years but here we are in year eight with no end in site because of this we embarked on a building project to improve storage and working conditions this took much longer than anticipated because we had to stop for a time due to the pandemic.
Achievements and Performance
The benefits we bring to the local community can be seen from the records that we keep in a database.
Summary of information at 30th September 2020 for 2019/20:
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Children fed: 1985
-
Adults fed: 1745
-
Total fed: 3730
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Donations out other: 2,839.09 kg
This years continued success of the foodbank has allowed food to be donated to other food banks, and others such as Foodcycle and in house breakfast/lunch clubs .We have also been able to have a ‘Help yourself ‘ section of foods with short dates and fresh bread fruit and veg that was a success in this period.
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Annual Trustees Report September 2020
The donations of food from organizations such as Tesco, Waitrose, Aldi, Greggs, M & S, Sainsbury’s, local schools and churches and private donations show recognition of the work we are doing in the area. This close working relationship that continues to grow with local groups has established the Food bank as a great source of relief to many people in the area. During lockdown we have also received many more monetary donations from individuals supporting the ongoing work. This has been a very difficult and challenging year in which we have lost some key volunteers and others have had to self isolate our main priority through this period has been to make sure no one went without food and we have to thank the small team that kept us operating through the lockdown and continue to do so through the pandemic.
Low income, benefit changes or benefit delays and make up most of the reasons why the vouchers are distributed a total of 1319 vouchers. Majority of vouchers are distributed in the Gleadless Valley ward, with the rest of the vouchers shared across approximately 20 other wards.
Financial Review
The latest Income and expenditure statement to 30[th] September 2020 shows income of £100169.56 for the year, expenditure of £59174.06 and a closing balance of £55906.32 as shown below.
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Income and Expenditure to 30th Budget
September 2020
Income
Balance Brought Forward 14910.8
2
Grants 23196.0
0
Churches 1409.02
Private Donations 8936.96
Tesco Top up 6198.05
Other Donations & Fundraising 19657.6
6
Donation for Kitchen 16000.0
00
Virgin Money 23271.8
7
Donation Danny’s Place 1500.00
115080.3
8
Expenditure
Office, Warehouse/Distribution 5200.00 6500
Centre
Admin/Telephone 841.49 1500
Trussell 360.00 360
Insurance 285.88 350
Stationery and Postage 64.76 200
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Annual Trustees Report September 2020
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Sundry 705.22
Transport costs 1543.27 2000
Equipment Warehouse 579.70 250
Equipment Office 1000
Building 34077.2
2
Van Purchase 4800.00
Wages 10166.5 15000.
2 00
Danny’s Place 550.00
Contingency 1700
Total 59174.0 28860
6
Balance at Bank 55756.3
2
Cash in Hand 150.00
115080.
38
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Independent Examiner’s Report
My examination was carried out in accordance with 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.
I believe the accounts give a true and fair report of the activities of the charity, and no matter has come to my attention to cause concern in either the keeping of records or the preparation of the accounts
J. Howard & Co
Trustee Report Prepared by the Gleadless Valley Food Bank Trustees
Carole Baker Graham Carpendale Rev Henry Ohakah
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Annual Trustees Report September 2020
Annual Trustees Report September 2020
Annual Trustees Report September 2020