2021-09-30-accounts - Gleadless Valley Foodbank

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ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT SEPTEMBER 2021 FOR THE GLEADLESS VALLEY FOOD BANK

Trustees: Carole Baker

Graham Carpendale

Lisa Quarmby

Management Group: John Stevenson

Sue Law Dave Roberts Teresa Griffin Janet Wild Debbie Ellis

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

Annual Trustees Report September 2021

This is the Ninth annual Trustees report for the Gleadless Valley Food bank, based at the Gleadless Valley Methodist Church, Blackstock Road, Sheffield.

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. During this year because of lockdowns we changed to a doorstep delivery system in an attempt to protect our volunteers and to save our clients having to queue outside making it obvious to everyone around that they were having to collect food parcels.

The foodbank volunteers have continued to be a younger inexperienced group as the older volunteers are still self isolating as they belong to a very vulnerable group through age or illness

The foodbank has a solid admin team composed of volunteers and staff 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.

We have been unable to reinstate the presence of the Citizens Advise Bureau which is sadly missed, This and been able to get people back into the church and offer hospitality is something we are looking forward to once we are clear of the need to lockdown. During this year we have continued with the building project between lockdowns to give a better working environment for our volunteers when they can all return to the building. We have also received a donation to allow us to upgrade the kitchen facilities which will enable us to provide cooking tuition once we can operate without restrictions.[1]

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 normally would help with client food assignment, guidance and support and behind

Annual Trustees Report September 2021

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 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. Trussell Trust continues to guide and give training and support when needed.

The people using the Food bank are referred by care professionals such as doctors and social workers, the Citizens Advice Bureau, care centers, local forums and Council Housing Service. They are given vouchers and visit the Food bank to receive a minimum of 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 we are still here and needed with no end in sight

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 2021 for 20/21:

Annual Trustees Report September 2021

Children fed: 1357
Adults fed: 2318
Total fed: 3675

This years continued success of the foodbank has allowed food to be donated to other food banks, we have also been able to have a ‘Help yourself section of foods with short dates and fresh bread fruit and veg that is placed outside the church for anyone to take which means we are helping to feed extra people on a daily basis this was found to be much appreciated in the area.

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 1657 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 2021 shows income of £72970.96 for the year, expenditure of £52817.04 and a closing balance of £76060.24 as shown below.

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Income
Grant S2 Covid 4069.45
Churches 3490.30
Private Donations 8487.85
Other Donations & 6365.18
Fundraising
Tesco Top Up 3271.20
Donation (kitchen) 6000.00
Virgin Money 24339.41
Philidelphia Legacy 9091.00
Co-op 1087.05
Making a Difference Locally 1783.45
Gift Aid 4706.07
Paypal Giving 280.00
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Annual Trustees Report September 2021

----- Start of picture text -----
72970.96
Expenditure
Office, Warehouse, Dist. 5200.00
Centre
Admin/Telephone 863.87
Trussell Trust 360.00
Insurance 285.88
Stationery & Postage 73.80
Sundry 846.50
Transport & Motor Costs 3478.29
Equipment Warehouse 752.65
Danny’s Place 30.00
Training 510.80
Building (incl. kitchen) 15818.78
Wages 20373.97
Container 1820.00
Skips Waste Disposal 2402.50
52817.04
Balance Brought Forward 55906.32
Net Surplus 20153.92
76060.24
Represented by
Balance at Bank 75910.24
Cash in Hand 150.00
76060.24
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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