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2021-03-31-accounts

Bassetlaw Food Bank (Registered charity, number 1154703) Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021

Page Contents
2 - 5 Trustees’ annual report
6 Independent examiner’s report
7 Receipts & payments account
8 Statement of assets & liabilities
9 - 10 Notes to the accounts

Bassetlaw Food Bank Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 March 2021

Full name Bassetlaw Food Bank

Registered charity number 1154703

Principal address 78 Lowtown Street, Worksop, S80 2JR

Trustees

Cllr. Kevin Dukes, Chair, from 12/01/21 Rev. David Bean Kathy Cowbrough Robert Lamb Karen Whitlam, from 14/01/20 Dr. Andrew Crossland, from 09/03/21 Rory Palmer, until 11/05/21 Anne Taylor, until 12/01/21 Moraq Turner, until 12/01/21 Catherine Burn, until 7/05/21 Liz Hobson, until 12/01/21 Lucy Binch, until 09/06/20

Independent examiner

John O’Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL

Governance and management

The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution adopted 23[rd] April 2013 and most recently amended 17[th] June 2015.

The recruitment and appointment of new trustees is through an application / nomination form. Then the Chair meets with possible trustee and reports back to the Board. The applicant is then invited to observe a meeting. The Board makes a decision after they have left.

Objectives and activities

To relieve financial hardship and to promote and preserve good health amongst the general public in the Bassetlaw District by the provision of funds, food, goods and services of any kind as deemed appropriate by the trustees.

Public benefit statement

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.

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Bassetlaw Food Bank

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit

Bassetlaw Food Bank's main activity is to distribute emergency food parcels to those experiencing food insecurity. This is accomplished by collecting food donations from the general public, organisations & businesses in as many ways as possible.

The staff, volunteers & trustees use many publicity streams including local press, social media and public speaking opportunities to educate the local population in the need to support those living in our area who are suffering through food poverty.

Food & toiletries are collected from many collection points across the district in churches, local businesses, schools, supermarkets etc. (or dropped off by the public directly at our centre) and taken to the CSL centre where the donations are sorted. Parcels containing enough food & toiletries for seven days are put together (varying sizes for a single person, couple or family).

Clients who are in need are referred to the Food Bank by our referral agents who are working with the client in other ways to alleviate their immediate problems. All of our referral agents sign a comprehensive agreement to ensure that our service is not misused.

As a local charity we can only give out in parcels what is donated in by the public, but we are constantly evaluating our stock levels and the current need. The CSL centre is open Mondays to Fridays 10am - 4pm.

Parcels are then taken by volunteer driver and delivered out to service users by 6pm each day.

As our criteria is that we are providing an emergency service for those who are experiencing Food Insecurity, we are supporting individuals and families who would otherwise be unable to feed themselves, or who have so little income that they have to choose between food, fuel or housing costs, risking homelessness and ill health.

By providing a food parcel to those who are in such need, it allows other agencies (our referral agencies) the time to find support in other ways for these clients.

Our activities help to give individuals and families who are in need enough food to keep them reasonably well nourished for a few days, staving off health issues associated with malnourishment.

Summary of the main achievements during the period

From 2020 - 2021 Bassetlaw Food Bank has seen a lot of changes, on top of settling in to a new operating model in the ever changing environment of the pandemic. Demand rose again and donations, while remaining strong, did not see the same rise as the previous year.

In November Robert Garland started as the new Food Bank Manager, and in April Ellen Ryan started as Assistant Manager. This is the first time in the charity’s history that there have been two full time members of staff and this is allowing additional

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Bassetlaw Food Bank

capacity to launch new schemes and work on increasing the charities fundraising and revenue.

Between June 2019 and May 2021 BFB supported 6,947 people. Clients continue to use the council number when requesting a food parcel, and we work with a number of referral agencies to ensure those experiencing food insecurity are also being supported in other areas that may be affecting their situation.

We continue to stress that we are proving a service for those in crisis and work hard to avoid clients relying on this service and not working with other agencies to change their financial situation. This still continues to be difficult.

Emergency Food Parcels continue to be made to last seven days, rather than the pre-pandemic three day parcels, and are still delivered to service users by volunteers, to avoid users having to travel in. We found this to be particularly useful where service users were having to isolate for one reason or another during the height of the pandemic.

BFB secured funding this year to trial a subsidised Fruit & Veg' Box scheme for 6 months, with spaces for 50 households on the scheme. Boxes will cost users £3 and have around £15 worth of fresh produce in, which will be delivered to their door every other week for the life of the trial.

Additionally, BFB are looking at increasing fundraising activities by starting an online charity shop and standing at car boots and markets selling donated goods.

Financial review

The Charity relies totally on grants and donations, financially & of food, but also "in kind" donations. Grants & financial donations are used for all other financial commitments such as utilities, insurance, IT & stationery, volunteers expenses & staff costs.

During this year we have increased our staff provision as demand for our services has increased by so much and we are now in a financial position to do this.

When funding is given for a specific purpose the Trustees ensure that it is only spent for that purpose.

Wherever possible, any property related work that is needed on our two centres is done by volunteers, or donated by local businesses.

All members of the public who donate into the charity either financially or by dropping food off at the centres are thanked, and social media is used constantly to show the charities appreciation for all donations of food.

As we look to the future, which is very unclear at the moment, we are planning to continue to adapt operations in a safe and appropriate way, as the situation and the needs of the community of Bassetlaw changes.

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Bassetlaw Food Bank

We are building resources, keeping social media streams open and applying for funding to enable us to do this in the best way possible, and as flexibly as is needed.

The charity’s policy on reserves

Our reserves policy is to hold 6 months operating costs plus the amount required to pay staff redundancy should that be required in reserve. We have sufficient in our general fund at present to cover this.

Financial risks

As we are totally dependent on donations & grant funding, if this were to cease then the charity would have to think seriously about winding up.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Signed ______ Date _ Cllr. Kevin Dukes, Trustee

5

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Bassetlaw Food Bank for the year ended 31 March 2021

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Bassetlaw Food Bank (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

Signed ____ Date _______ John O’Brien MSc, FCCA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus

6

Bassetlaw Food Bank Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 March 2021

2020
Total
Unrestricted
Funds
Funds
£
Note
£
Receipts
30921
Grants & donations
2
116621
30921
Total receipts
116621
Payments
95
Activities
-
60
Bank charges
69
1341
Communications
1388
938
Computer & consumables
438
2215
Equipment
653
-
Food shopping costs
-
300
Independent examination fee
300
876
Insurance
904
398
Maintenance
288
550
Office expenses
437
395
Professional fees
1333
-
Room hire
-
18365
Salaries, NI & pension
15461
817
Staff travel
334
1991
Utilities
964
784
Volunteer expenses
-
29125
Total payments
22569
1796
Net receipts/(payments)
94052
44454
Cash funds at start of this period
43019
46250
Cash funds at end of this period
137071
Restricted
Funds
£
29462
29462
-
-
-
750
-
8246
-
-
-
-
-
3500
1962
-
-
4208
18666
10796
3231
14027
2021
Total
Funds
£
146083
146083
-
69
1388
1188
653
8246
300
904
288
437
1333
3500
17423
334
964
4208
41235
104848
46250
151098

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Bassetlaw Food Bank Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2021

2020
£
Cash assets
Note
46066
Bank accounts
184
Cash in hand
46250
Other monetary assets
36
Prepayment - Insurance
36
Assets retained for the charity’s own use
General equipment and computers.
Liabilities
(1676)
Creditors
3
(1676)
2021
£
150735
363
151098
37
37
(1986)
(1986)

These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:

Signed _____ Dated _____ Cllr. Kevin Dukes, Trustee

8

Bassetlaw Food Bank Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021

1. Receipts & payments accounts

Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.

2. Grants & donations

B & M
Bassetlaw Citizens Advice
Bassetlaw District Council
Bauer Radio
Charities Foundation
Countryside Properties
Dogmates Ltd
Duke of Portland Charitable Trust
Groundwork UK
Just Giving
Manor Farm
Nottinghamshire Community Foundation
Nottinghamshire County Council
Sundry grants & donations
Unrestricted
£
-
-
41700
-
1313
5000
4500
7000
-
24108
-
-
-
33000
116621
Restricted
£
1500
1962
-
1750
-
-
-
-
1250
-
1000
12000
10000
-
29462
Total
£
1500
1962
41700
1750
1313
5000
4500
7000
1250
24108
1000
12000
10000
33000
146083

3. Creditors

Independent examination fee
Salaries, NI & pension (HMRC)
Utilities
£
420
1501
65
1986

4. Trustees’ remuneration

Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period.

5. Related party transactions

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Bassetlaw Food Bank

6. Funds analysis

Restricted funds
Volunteers & stock replenishment
B & M Covid
Energy referral
Cash for Kids
Co-op NET COVID Appeal
Manor Farm
NCC Covid (Fruit Boxes)
Notts Community Foundation
IT - Tesco Bags of Help
Covid - Tesco Bags of Help
Unrestricted funds
General fund
Opening
balance
£
3231
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Receipts (Payments)
£
£
-
(2942)
1500
(1500)
1962
(1962)
1750
-
2000
(706)
1000
(306)
10000
-
10000
(10000)
750
(750)
500
(500)
Receipts (Payments)
£
£
-
(2942)
1500
(1500)
1962
(1962)
1750
-
2000
(706)
1000
(306)
10000
-
10000
(10000)
750
(750)
500
(500)
Closing
balance
£
289
-
-
1750
1294
694
10000
-
-
-
3231
43019
43019
29462
116621
116621
(18666)
(22569)
(22569)
14027
137071
137071

The specific purposes for which the restricted fund are to be applied are as follows:

Volunteers & stock replenishment – grant from Worksop Charities for volunteer expenses and stock replenishment.

B & M Covid, Cash for Kids, Manor Farm & Covid Tesco Bags of Help – to buy products for emergency food parcels.

Energy referral – funding from Bassetlaw Citizens Advice for training costs associated with the setting up of energy referral.

Co-op NET Covid Appeal, Notts Community Foundation – to buy products for emergency food parcels, volunteer expenses and room hire.

NCC Covid (Fruit Boxes) – subsidised fruit & veg boxes.

IT – Tesco Bags of Help – IT support & website.

7. Glossary of terms

Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.

Prepayments: These are services that the charity has paid for in advance, but not used during the accounting period.

Restricted funds: These are funds given to the charity, subject to specific restrictions set by the donor, but still within the general objects of the charity.

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