Annual review for the year ending 31 March 2021
How many people did Nourish feed last year?
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Nourish Community Foodbank
Charity Number 1154716 Registered Company Number 8303764
Board of Trustees
Paul Haines (Co-Chair) Olga Johnson (Co-Chair) Peter Wooster (Hon Treasurer) Adrian Tofts Carol Wilson Sue Smith Christopher Leaning Viv Packer Simon Reader (from October 2020) Nicola Hill (from October 2020) Simon Vincent (from November 2020)
Administrative Information
Postal Address:
YMCA, 14-18 Goods Station Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2BL Food Collection and Storage: Big Yellow Storage, Longfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3UE
Registered Office:
Thomson, Snell and Passmore LLP, Heathervale House, 2-4 Vale Avenue, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1DJ
Bankers:
NatWest Bank, 89 Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1QJ Metro Bank PLC, 2 & 4 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2TB
Accounts certified by:
Deeks Evans, 3 Boyne Park, Tunbridge Wells TN4 8EN
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How we deliver public benefit
Nourish was founded in 2012 as a volunteer-led charity and company limited by guarantee. Since then, we have grown rapidly, and we are now providing an average of 2,810 meals each week to 312 people. Our remit is simple: to provide a three-day emergency supply of non-perishable food to those in crisis.
Since 2012, we have seen the need for Nourish increase for several reasons:
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There is increased demand
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We have expanded our geographic reach, from Tunbridge Wells town initially, to include the wider boroughs and South Tonbridge, together with the surrounding areas
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We have substantially increased our network of referring agencies.
This has been done with the aim of ensuring we achieve our mission, which is: “No one need be hungry across the borough of Tunbridge Wells, South Tonbridge and the surrounding areas”.
However, 2020 – 2021 has been an exceptional and anomalous year. The worldwide Covid-19 pandemic meant we saw a sudden increase in demand for our service from the end of March 2020, and the need has remained high, with many of our clients requiring support beyond the 12 parcels per year emergency support.
Referral process
We work on a strict referral-only basis from many agencies including health professionals, social workers, family liaison officers, housing support workers, keyworkers, police, voluntary agencies, such as CAB and Age UK TW, and community referrers. They make the decision regarding eligibility for a Nourish food bag (called ‘food parcel’ from March 2021). The need for referral to Nourish is usually caused by a complex combination of events. These include benefits delays, debt, unemployment, illness and, increasingly, domestic abuse or the impact of Universal Credit and, this year, the Covid-19 pandemic.
We work collaboratively with these referral organisations and, in doing so, this permits us to refer clients for additional support and advice, to help them alleviate their temporary financial hardship and move forward with their lives. This also enables us to better understand the impact of these issues and to monitor the longer-term social impact. Nourish is increasingly being asked to form part of case-study teams that consider the wider issues affecting individuals.
It is important to us that our referring agencies abide by our policy to make no distinction based on sex, age, ethnicity or political, religious or other opinions, so that we can meet local needs, challenge social exclusion and deliver an effective and much-needed community service. By working in partnership with other local foodbanks and those across Kent, we can ensure we are following best practice and are responsive in identifying pockets of unmet need.
As the country went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, we saw demand rise rapidly. At its peak we saw a 100% increase. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council set up a Covid Response Committee, which included our Operations Manager, to help lead and coordinate services and delivery to residents during the pandemic, in supporting those in crisis and dealing with an anticipated increase in demand for help. Our staff and volunteers at Nourish went ‘above and beyond’ to support those affected – many of whom had seen their situation change overnight and had never had to consider using a foodbank before. The Charity was also overwhelmed by support and donations (both financial and physical) from the local community, which helped Nourish ensure it could fulfil every referral.
Our Food Bags (‘Parcels’ from 2021)
A Nourish food bag contains sufficient non-perishable food to enable clients to make three meals a day for three days. It typically contains the following, (although this varies to accommodate specific dietary preferences, such as vegetarian/vegan and dietary intolerances/allergies such as gluten, dairy or nuts and religious dietary restrictions):
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| Soup | Beans | Potatoes | Vegetables and tomatoes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish | Pulses | Cereal/porridge | Pasta and sauce |
| Rice and sauce | Household items | Toiletries and toilet rolls | Long-life milk |
| Fruitjuice | Treat items | Babyfood(as appropriate) | Pet Food(as appropriate) |
Our service
Each week, our volunteer packers make up food bags in the warehouse, as requested by our referral agencies. A quite unique point in the Nourish service is that these food bags are delivered to the homes of people in crisis by our volunteer drivers, rather than asking people to pick up their food from a central point. This enables us to ensure confidentiality (particularly important when providing support to victims of domestic violence), reduce operating costs and eliminate the need for clients to carry several heavy bags of food. As our geographic reach has expanded, having one central collection point would no longer be a feasible means of providing our service. Having this delivery system in place allowed Nourish to move seamlessly to a non-contact process during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our storage and warehouse operations and office space
Our grateful thanks go to Big Yellow Self Storage, Tunbridge Wells, who continued to allow us to be incredibly flexible with our storage solutions. During this time, it has become necessary to take steps towards expanding our warehouse facilities further in order to accommodate the increase in donations and the requirement to bulk buy food to help support all those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In terms of office space, we continued to use rooms at St Philip’s Church, but, as indicated above, it became clear, a year into the pandemic, that Nourish had expanded sufficiently to require a bigger, stand-alone warehouse space that could also house the office on-site. This would also allow for more efficiency. The hunt for a suitable space commenced at the end of 2020.
Our van continues to be essential to our operations and is used daily to collect food donations from all our public donation points, local schools, churches and businesses. During the pandemic, it has also allowed us to restrict certain donation drop-offs, opting for socially-distanced collections instead.
Our staff
The staff base has, this year, remained, as ever, small but efficient. During the reporting period, Nourish have continued to employ, on a contractual basis, a full-time Operations Manager, a part-time Operations Assistant and part-time Warehouse Manager. In 2020, a Finance Assistant was added to the team. This has allowed the Charity to continue to provide the high level of service on which we pride ourselves.
Our volunteers
Nourish has over 50 active volunteers, (including the Trustees themselves), with all drivers DBS-checked. They undertake a wide variety of roles including administration, stock management, packing and delivering food parcels providing IT support and, in non-COVID times, assisting at fundraising events. We are pleased that this variety of roles provides our volunteers with opportunities to acquire and develop new skills that they can then transfer into other volunteer roles and paid employment. Regular monthly meetings mean that there is very much a ‘Team Nourish’ spirit.
As Government letters landed on doormats in March 2020, a significant percentage of Nourish volunteers were told to shield or were stood down due to being in vulnerable groups. We pass on our huge thanks to Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club and Tunbridge Wells Scouts, who offered DBS-checked drivers to help us maintain the ever-increasing demand
Our impact
Although set up to meet a short-term need, we know, from anecdotal follow-up from clients, that our food bags help people to get back on track and pull themselves out of financial hardship. Quantifying this is difficult, despite the growing awareness and acceptance of foodbanks as a common part of everyday life. Even in wealthy areas such as Tunbridge Wells, the shame clients feel at having to turn to us for support does not diminish, and they are reluctant to provide identifiable data about themselves for Nourish to track ongoing benefits.
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We continue to hope that there will be time when we are no longer needed, but unfortunately, given these annual figures and the increased pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to plan for year-on-year increases in demand.
Review of the year
Chairs’ message
When looking back over the 2020-2021 year, it still astonishes me that there is so much compassion and generosity in our local area. In an unprecedented year, we saw demand for our services increase dramatically, as more and more people fell into short-term crisis. We were only able to respond to this increased level of help due to the amazing work of our staff and volunteers, and all our supporters. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you – we could not have done it without your help.
As we entered the second week of the first national lockdown, there was still a mixed feeling of fear and hesitation, with the unknown hovering over all of us. Yet our wonderful team of volunteers carried on, as they always have. With some of our volunteers shielding, local organisations stepped in to help, and the volunteers from Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club, Tunbridge Wells Scouts and Childrensalon were amazing!
Referrals jumped and we saw several months of elevated need. When all our donation stations suddenly closed, and with supermarkets harder to access, people in the amazing community in which we live started donating money – an exceptional amount of money - and we quickly adapted to buying food from wholesalers, with the funds we received. This continued throughout 2002-2021. Having a regular income stream became incredibly important for Nourish to bulk-buy stock necessary to provide provisions for those in need.
In June, after several months of lockdown and high numbers of referrals, we received the incredible news that Nourish had been awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service. I am so pleased that our wonderful volunteers were recognised for their contribution to our community through this fantastic award. Even though we could not celebrate in person, we plan to do so once lockdown restrictions are lifted. The award was just the boost our depleted team of volunteers needed to keep going!
Throughout the year, as restrictions and lockdowns prevented fundraising activities from taking place in person, it was amazing to see so many supporters switch to virtual events to raise funds. That may be one positive COVID change we can take forward for the future, to create new opportunities for people to donate to Nourish. I must give a special mention to one of our supporters. Childrensalon have supported Nourish for many years with food donations, financial support, fundraising events. It has also helped to provide volunteers in our units sorting donations, and as drivers delivering food bags – even in the snow! In October 2020, they donated substantial proceeds from a huge Black Friday sale. Everyone at Nourish was completely overwhelmed. Thank you to Childrensalon once again for your incredible support. This donation will be used to fund major changes for Nourish as we move forward!
Providing food for 16,238 people during the pandemic – more than we have ever done before - appals me but makes me so proud of our team at Nourish and thankful to all our supporters who make it happen. Unfortunately, the pandemic has shown just how easy it can be to fall into short-term crisis; COVID has shown that it could happen to any of us. During this time, it has been necessary to support people over a longer period, and we have seen the number of people needing only a single referral drop to just 14% (from 28%), with most clients needing help for around four weeks.
One of the hardest things we have had to manage is the shocking increase in referrals resulting from domestic abuse. With a year-on-year increase in referrals of over 300%, (as against an overall increase of 32%), the impact of lockdowns and people being stuck in their homes has taken its toll. Domestic abuse has, for the first time, become
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Nourish’s top reason for requiring a food bag, accounting for 1,989 referrals, or 35% of our total. Often, it is not just one person who is affected when domestic abuse happens and on average, each referral supports at least one child too. Furthermore, these referrals frequently relate to clients who have had to be moved from their former homes from elsewhere in the country, supported by local refuges and charities.
I would particularly like to offer special thanks to Olga Johnson who stepped down as my Co-Chair at the end of March 2021, (becoming Honorary President of Nourish from April 2021). Olga co-founded Nourish Community Foodbank in 2012, with the aim of delivering healthy food bags to those in crisis in our community. She helped to steer the Charity through a huge growth trajectory, and on behalf of the other Trustees, volunteers and staff I would like to say how grateful we are to her. Her vision, compassion and determination has allowed for so many people to receive help and support over the years and she was later recognised with an MBE in 2021 for this and her other considerable charitable work.
That Nourish has been able to support so many people since it was founded, and is able to be so effective in responding to this need, is tribute to the generosity of the many volunteers, companies, organisations and individual donors that provide support. Together we are making a real difference to those in crisis.
Thank you so much.
Paul Haines
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Operations Manager’s message
I have been at the helm of Nourish for the last 7 years and we have seen some testing times. Running a foodbank on a normal basis has its challenges, and I am incredibly proud of my team for always rising to each new trial we face, to meet the needs of those in crisis.
2020 was, however, a whole new ball game! Within three weeks of the country going into lockdown, our referrals had doubled, and our volunteers had reduced by a third, with having to self-isolate and safeguard themselves. Not the best conditions to get a restful night’s sleep, but the support that Nourish received from the community shone through again, this time from our local rugby club, TWRFC, and from our lovely Scout and Beaver leaders, who all responded to my cries for help.
Nourish has always done home delivery of our food bags, (renamed ‘food parcels’ later in 2021), to cover a wide geographic area in a discreet way, with no-one else needing to know a food bag is required. To safeguard our clients, our drivers are all DBS-checked, which means that simply getting someone to volunteer as a driver is not as quick and straightforward as it sounds. The rugby coaches and those that lead youth groups follow the same safeguarding processes, and being already ‘checked’, their help has been invaluable in helping us to continue through this busy year.
We upped our standard delivery days from three to five days and have continued to do this throughout the past year. This has been one of the most challenging times for Nourish, but I am proud to say we have maintained our promise to not let anyone go hungry and have been able to fulfil every single referral.
Amid this extra work, there have been some outstanding highlights. Winning the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was huge recognition for the Nourish team, and I had the immense pleasure of presenting some commemorative pins, on a socially distanced basis, to our volunteers, both at home and those working throughout the pandemic. It also became clear, in the early stages, of the pandemic that we had outgrown the Big Yellow storage facility, and the ‘warehouse project’, which had been on the Charity’s “wish list” for many years, started to become a reality. As we began to prepare to move all aspects of Nourish under one roof, we anticipated that this would make a huge difference to our working environment in 21/22. This is, and will be, a huge milestone for a small charity. It also reflects the reality that foodbanks, and Nourish in particular, have become a part of the everyday fabric of our community.
This year for me is all about thanks to everyone who donates a tin of food, a pound or an hour of their time; to the ones who follow or share a Facebook post or tweet support; to those who hold events in aid of Nourish; to those who run miles to raise funds. I thank you, on behalf of the clients who eat a meal because of you, who realise that people care because of you, and I sleep better at night knowing I have the support to be able to fulfil every referral that crosses my desk.
Thank you.
Dawn Stanford
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Our services
In the year April 1[st] 2020 - March 31[st] 2021, Nourish Community Foodbank provided three days of emergency food supply for 16,238 people, compared with 10,141 the previous year. This represents a 60% increase in the number of Nourish clients.
146,142 meals were provided by Nourish which represents a 60% increase on last year.
Nourish received a fantastic 57.3 tonnes of food donations over the year. We are very pleased to be working in partnership with ASDA, Sainsbury’s and TESCO who, with the help of their customers, regularly donate food.
At the end of March 2020, once most of our donation points were inaccessible, due to the lockdown, we had to quickly adapt and purchase food to maintain the necessary stock levels to continue our service. This was only possible due to the incredible generosity of people in the local community, who immediately thought of others in need, and our financial donations increased dramatically.
Thank you to everyone that donated in 2020-2021.
Of the 16,238 people receiving a three-day emergency food bag supply, 46% were children under 18.
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5,710 separate referrals were made to us, with just 14% of our clients needing only one food bag, the lowest figure ever, because a larger number of clients required help over a longer period. Some 32% of our referrals were for people using our service three times or less (a maximum of nine days food supply over the course of a year), as against 58% of referrals last year. This is due to more complex cases and clients needing to be supported for a longer period, with most cases needing four weeks of provisions.
Most of our clients have a short-term crisis, with 86% receiving six or fewer food bags . Nourish actively works with referral agencies and signposts onwards to help solve the underlying issues causing the crisis.
Reasons for referral
There are multiple reasons why people are referred for short-term crisis support. Unemployment/redundancy, debt problems and benefit changes have historically made up a large majority of cases. During 2020-2021, we have seen a large increase in referrals for victims of domestic abuse.
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Referral Agencies
During 2020-2021, our referral base fell to 91 frontline referral agencies across Tunbridge Wells and South Tonbridge, due to the pandemic. They made a total of 5,710 referrals to Nourish. Aside from the notable increase in referrals for domestic abuse, increasing numbers of referrals were seen from doctors’ surgeries, mental health organisations, the early intervention team and Local Authority Services.
Nourish continued to maintain a high profile within Tunbridge Wells and South Tonbridge during 2020-2021, as a key organisation working in the preventative fields. In March 2020 we became part of the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Covid Response Group .
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The impact of Nourish
Behind every one of these statistics is a story. They are all different. The following are just some of the stories from people we have helped this past year. Please note, all names have been changed to preserve their anonymity.
Jane and Tom’s story
Jane and Tom both worked for the same restaurant. For all their working life they had both worked full-time, and had recently bought a nice house, which they were in the process of renovating, when the pandemic hit. As they were both furloughed, it wasn’t so bad, and the upside was they would be able to take a few weeks to get ahead on the decorating at home. They used their small amount of savings to bridge the gap in the reduction in both their wages.
By the end of April, things were a lot tougher, and the prospect of not being back at work that month meant the last of the savings were gone. Jane rang TWBC to see what additional help they could get in the way of Council Tax benefit.
The Council referred them to us for some help while they determined what extra benefit they were entitled to. We supported them for four
weeks with food parcels, and Jane spoke to Dawn about other agencies that could help them deal with the reduction in household budget.
Dawn said “Crosslight was my first port of call and they helped Jane and Tom to deal with creditors, to get interest frozen, consolidate some debts and to work on the new household income,” .
That wasn’t the end of it unfortunately. News that the restaurant would not be reopening hit the couple in the first week of June, and they were referred back to Nourish, by Crosslight for a further four weeks of support, while the new crisis was being dealt with. “Both Jane and Tom had to face the prospect of searching for work, like so many others while the country was in lockdown and finding a job when there isn’t anything available became a new concern for all of us”
Sam’s story
Sam is a mobile hairdresser. She works around her children, with school and clubs etc, and has been selfemployed along with her husband for the last few years. Normally, it’s enough to manage bills with just a little bit left over. Then the country shut down. With Sam unable to work for months and husband also struggling with reduced self-employed income, (despite working increased hours), this put a massive strain on both the family and the finances. Home-schooling four children and providing meals and snacks during the day was not helping to stretch the finances further to bridge the gap of no income.
After a few months the credit cards were ‘maxed out’ and
all the savings were used up. Things were getting bleaker by the day. Sam was referred to us by her housing association, who were in regular contact regarding the rent arrears she was building up, by running a little short every month.
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We supported Sam and her family for six weeks, while she was helped by the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Crosslight, to sort her debts and to access the Self-employment Income Support Scheme for her and her husband. “We had so many people referred, who had worked hard and never thought they would need our help,” says Dawn. “It just shows that many more people are living close to the breadline than we think, in such an affluent area. COVID has shone a light on the hidden poverty risk in our town - one that could affect any one of us with a simple change of circumstance.”
Emma’s story
Emma and her son fled domestic violence. Although it was a long-standing problem, being in a flat together for prolonged periods with a young child meant Emma reached a tipping point, where she was too concerned for her safety, and that of her child, to stay any longer. They were moved to a safe but very rural location overnight, and she had to keep her location secret from her friends and family so she couldn’t be tracked down. It was extremely isolating for both her and her son, and being finally safe, suddenly did not seem like a better option. Emma was struggling to feed herself and her young son. Her initial referral came from the local council, and it just said: “Only five nappies left, and Emma has not eaten for two days as there is nothing left”.,
Dawn, with her years of experience, knows that, every now and then, a referral can come in that she can glance at and just know there is more support needed. “Those two lines on that referral hit me and I knew we needed to make Emma’s delivery the same day. We always respond as fast as we can to an emergency referral, but I made sure that I would take the delivery myself so I could speak to Emma face-to-face to see what else Nourish could do.”
Dawn drove out to Emma that afternoon with bags full of food, nappies, toiletries, treats and some fresh vegetables and fruit. “Her face, when she saw me unloading the bags, and the utter relief, showed exactly the feeling we aim to provide here at Nourish.”
Emma had been taking her young son to nursery by bus, but being out in a rural village, with no car, was a little trickier and more expensive than she had expected, and it took up the remaining funds she had. She was trying to set up her new home from scratch again, and it was all getting on top of her,. Dawn helped Emma access the Kent Support and Assistance Service (KSAS), which gives grants for home essentials and she also got in touch with Nourish’s charity contact at Childrensalon, who was able to provide a coat for the toddler.
Emma was supported for 10 weeks in total, but often complex issues like hers can take more than a few weeks to sort. Thanks to Dawn’s help, Emma was given a grant by KSAS, moved her son to a closer nursery, claimed all the benefits she was entitled to and accessed some domestic violence support. “The last week of delivering to her was a far cry from the first, and really showed the difference food bags make to clients at their most desperate times. It’s so much more than a food bag- we deliver hope and kindness that can take people like Emma towards a whole new future and a new life for her son. ”
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Annie’s story
Annie contracted COVID early in the pandemic. She was an active 67-year-old with a part-time job, still very much enjoying driving and volunteering locally with her local church.
Although she recovered from COVID, she still wasn’t back to her normal self when she returned to work. However, it became more and more of a struggle as the weeks went on. She had to reduce her hours and dipped into her small savings to cover her bills and essentials.
As the weeks started to turn into months, Annie was still suffering from the after-effects of COVID, well past the summer. It was clear she would have to give up her job, which put her under real financial pressure. Her church referred Annie for some food parcel support, as they noticed that she was looking unwell, and she had mentioned to others that she couldn't use her car, as she couldn't afford to run it. Annie was very reluctant to ask for help but the vicar knew that Nourish had access to additional sources of support. We could provide more than a food parcel.
We contacted local company, ‘Cook’, for some meals to get her started and linked Annie with a specialist advisor from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, to look at any other additional benefits she could claim. At the same time, we received a duplicate referral from her GP, who was also worried about Annie’s health.
Dawn says: “This just confirmed to me that Annie really did need some support before things got worse. Our six weeks of support gave Annie the breathing space and the replacement nutrition to give her the strength to look at the finances and to complete paperwork to claim some additional help. It’s hard to deal with a crisis when your health is affected, and you are not getting the nutrition you need to function. It also shows the impact of COVID lasts longer than just the infection, as we have seen time and time again this past year.”
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A year of Nourish fundraising
Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Nourish was overwhelmed by the support offered to us by our local community. Whilst events were put on hold and collection points closed for periods during the lockdowns, our supporters continued to rally to support us, and never failed to amaze us with their generosity, ingenuity and compassion. In the year 2020-2021, we saw demand grow by over 150% at its peak, and it is thanks to our community that we never once had to turn someone in need away. We are privileged to have said ‘thank you’ to so many incredible people. Here are just a few of the highlights:
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The hugely talented songwriter Graham Kendrick fundraised for us with his song “ A Little Love ”. The Nourish Board of trustees and volunteers even released their own version too!
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Childrensalon continued to support us with food purchases, and the incredible duo of Gracie and Phil shopped for us in fancy dress each week, lifting the spirits of all who saw them
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Ethan raised a whopping £600 bike riding, as part of the 2.6 challenge
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The Wixley family , who had run 550km between them in 4 weeks to raise money for three local foodbanks, delivered the food that they had purchased for Nourish beneficiaries
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Masks from The Soroptomists , NHS Tonbridge Sewing Collective and TW Scrubbers went out in client food bags
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Hamish and the members of TWRFC ran 4,825km and raised an incredible £2800 for us
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RVP/British Land/Literacy Trust donated 300 books and activity packs and Craft’d donated craft packs to be sent to beneficiaries
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The incredible staff, parents and pupils at The Judd School raised £2,300 through a ‘Non-uniform at home ‘Day
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Skinners’ School raised £509 for Nourish
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The Friends of Marlborough House and the School Trust donated £2,000
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Sam Payne ran the Virtual London Marathon for us raising over £400
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Harvest saw a flood of food and cash donations from schools, clubs and places of worship, which were so needed as supplies were running low
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The Guinea Pub quiz, when permitted between lockdowns, continued to prove popular and raised over £200
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Your Easy Fundraising online purchases and UK Online Giving support raised over £200
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Places of Worship within our community collectively raised over £2,400 for Nourish
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The community driven ‘ Lend a Hand Appeal’ run by TWBC donated over £3,400 to us
During the year we have seen a substantial increase in regular monthly donations, which has significantly increased our financial security. Thank you to everyone who donates to us in this way. These donations have allowed us to supplement the food donations we were given, by buying food at wholesale prices.
Our grateful thanks go to all those individuals, organisations, businesses, places of worship, clubs and schools who helped us to support those in emergency crisis in our community.
A year of corporate support and trust & grant donations
Everyone at Nourish is so incredibly grateful to all those who have supported us in 2020-2021. Your generosity is inspirational, and we are delighted that you continue to support us with donations of food, money, time and facilities, such as renting premises printing, storage, collection points and general encouragement. Our special thanks go to our funders and supporters below:
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Nourish Grants for 2020-2021
| Nourish Grants for 2020-2021 | Nourish Grants for 2020-2021 | Nourish Grants for 2020-2021 |
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| TUNBRIDGE WELLS BOROUGH COUNCIL |
The Trustees would like to thankTunbridge Wells Borough Councilfor making a grant to the charity to help with running costs. |
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| CHILDRENSALON CHARITABLE FUND |
Nourish continued to receive incredible support in 2020-2021 from theChildrensalon Charitable Fund. The regular monthly donations enabled us to feel confident we could plan for the months ahead and the additional funding helped us to weather the increase in demand from the pandemic. Thankyou so much. |
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| THE NATIONAL LOTTERY COMMUNITY FUND |
Thank you to theNational Lottery Community Fundfor a grant of £5,000 to Nourish in 2020- 2021. The grant helped us deliver food bags to people in need in our community. |
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| DON HANSON CHARITABLE TRUST |
The Trustees wish to thank theDon Hanson Charitable Trustfor the £6,250 grant awarded to help us create a new website and cover marketing resource, to help raise awareness of our cause in 2020-2021. |
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| THE MARTELLO FUND | Thanks to The Martello Fund for the £3,000 grant awarded in 2020-21 to support our core costs. |
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| THE MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION |
Thank you toThe Masonic Charitable Foundation which awarded a grant of £2,095 to Nourish for 2020-2021. The grant helped pay towards core costs and ensured we delivered our charitable activities |
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| THE DOROTHY WHARTON TRUST |
Thank you to TheDorothy Wharton Trustwhich awarded a grant of £2,000.00 to Nourish for 2020- 2021. The grant helped to cover our operating costs. |
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| THE DULVERTON TRUST FUND |
Thank you toThe Dulverton Trust Fundthrough Kent Community Foundation, which awarded a grant of £5,000.00 to Nourish for 2020/2021. The grant helped to pay towards core storage costs and ensured we can deliver our charitable activities. |
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| THE PETTERIDGE FUND | Thank you toThe Petteridge Fund,through Kent Community Foundation, which awarded a grant of £10,000.00 to Nourish for 2020-2021. The grant helped to pay towards core storage costs and ensured we can deliver our charitable activities. |
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| SIR THOMAS SMYTHE’S CHARITY |
Thank you to theSir Thomas Smythe's Charityfor their grant of £1,000, which helped fund our fuel and van hire charges. |
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| THE RADDON FUND | Thank you toThe Raddon Fund,through Kent Community Foundation, which awarded a grant of £5,000.00 to Nourish for 2020-2021. The grant helped to pay towards core costs and ensured we can deliver our charitable activities |
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| KENT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION |
Thank you toKent Community Foundationwhich awarded grants totalling £10,000 from the Coronavirus emergency fund to Nourish for 2020- 2021. The grant helped to pay towards food and storage costs and ensured we can deliver our charitable activities. |
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| HIGH HILDEN FUND | Thank you to theHigh Hilden Fund,through Kent Community Foundation, for their amazing multi- year grant, starting in 2020 and lasting for 3 years. The grant helped to pay towards storage, van, food and staff costs and ensure we can deliver our charitable activities. |
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| THE BROOK TRUST FUND FOR KENT |
Thank you toThe Brook Trust Fund for Kent, through Kent Community Foundation, which awarded a grant of £2,090 to Nourish for 2020- 2021. The funds helped pay towards essential storage and van hire. |
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| THE TONBRIDGE LIONS TRUST |
Thank you to The Tonbridge Lions Trust for the grants totalling £400 in 2020-2021 which contributed to the core costs of running Nourish. |
| Corporate Support in 2020-2021 | Corporate Support in 2020-2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| BIG YELLOW SELF STORAGE |
We continued to use theBig Yellow Self Storage Companyin Tunbridge Wells to collect, store and sort our donated items. They provided us with free and discounted storage space and the staff team are always helpful. |
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| WEST KENT YMCA WAREHOUSE |
Nourish would like to thank theYMCA warehouse for providing us with a central Tunbridge Wellspostal address. |
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| DEEKS EVANS CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS |
Many thanks toDeeks Evanswho continue to undertake the independent financial examination of our accounts at no cost. |
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| MAXIPAY ACCOUNTING SERVICES |
We would like to say thank you toMaxipay Accounting Services,which has been a regular food donor since 2014. |
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| CHILDRENSALON | Childrensalonhas continued to support Nourish throughout 2020-2021 and have really got under the skin of what we do. The employees and management always support us. Thank you to Childrensalonfor all thatyou do for Nourish. |
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| ROYAL VICTORIA PLACE & BRITISH LAND |
Thank you toRoyal Victoria Placeand toBritish Landfor their continued support of Nourish year on year. |
|
|---|---|---|
| INFINITY GROUP | Nourish is extremely grateful to the fantastic team atInfinity Groupwho again provided us with free IT support in 2020-2021. |
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| ALBION FINE FOODS | Albion Fine Foodswere an incredible support to Nourish through 2020-2021. Helping us source food when supply was limited and donating financially to help support us at our peak times. Thankyou. |
|
| MASLINS CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS |
Maslinsgave us a very substantial donation in 2020-2021 and continue to regularly contribute on a monthly basis. Regular income helps us plan in advance. |
|
| COUNTRYSIDE PROPERTIES |
We would like to thankCountryside Properties for their generous gifts of food and monetary donations to support as demand peaked and we needed extra support. Thankyou. |
|
| NFU MUTUAL | Thank youNFU Mutualfor your generous donation in 2020-2021. |
|
| FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL |
We want to thankFidelity Internationalfor their donation to support us in 2020-2021. |
|
| AXA HEALTH | AXA-Healthkindly made a donation to help support Nourish in 2020-2021 – thank you. |
|
| BNP PARIBAS | We would like to say a huge thank you toBNP Paribasfor your generous donation to Nourish. |
|
| SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL |
Thank you to theSoroptimistsfor their kind donation during 2020-2021. |
|
| THE GRAND CHARITY (FREEMASONS) |
We would like to say thank you to the Freemasons Grand Charityfor their donation to Nourish this year. |
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| MASONIC LODGES | To theTunbridge WellsandWest KentLodges, we say a huge thank you for your donations. |
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| THE PERRY FUND | Thank you to thePerry Fundfor your generous donation to Nourish via Stewardship. |
|
| DAVID COVER & SONS | ToCovers, we would like to say thank you for your donation to Nourish this year |
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| GOLDMAN SACHS | Thank you for your match-fundingGoldman Sachsin 2020-2021. |
|
|---|---|---|
| LYSANDER PR | We would like to thankLysander PRfor their donation to Nourish in 2020-2021. |
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| RASTER VISION LTD | Thank you toRaster Vision Ltdfor your kind donation in 2020-2021. |
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| CRIPPS PEMBERTON GREENISH |
We would like to thankCripps Pemberton Greenishfor your support in 2020-2021. |
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| COMMOTION GROUP | Thank you toThe Commotion Groupfor supporting Nourish this year. |
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| THE BELL – TICEHURST | We would like to thankThe Bell in Ticehurstfor your ongoing support of Nourish and for raising funds allyear for us. |
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| DAGAN SERVICES LTD | Thank you,Dagan Servicesfor your continued support of Nourish year on year. |
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| GINGERMAY PR | We would like to thankGingermay PRfor your kind donation this year. |
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| SHARP MINDS PR | Thanks toSharp Minds PRfor their support in 2020-2021. |
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| LUMIERE | A thank you toLumierefor their support to Nourish. |
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| SAINSBURYS | Thank you toSainsbury’sfor your incredibly generous donation to Nourish. |
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| ASDA | Thank you toAsdafor your ongoing support of Nourish. |
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| JOHN LEWIS | We would like to say thank you toJohn Lewisfor your donation to Nourish this year. |
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| YO JIMBO FILMS | Thank you toYo Jimbo Filmsfor the animation work during 2020-2021. Jim once again lent his animation skills to help us tell the story of some of our beneficiaries who had been affected by the Covid19pandemic. Thank You! |
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|---|---|---|
| COLLEY RAINE & ASSOCIATES |
Colley Raine & Associatesare employed by Nourish to support our fundraising, marketing and social media, raising awareness around everything Nourish does. The team also gave their time pro-bono as delivery drivers at the height of the pandemic and give us a fantastic charity discount, which equated to 406 hours of free work duringtheyear! |
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Food donations
Nourish would like to say thank you to our amazing food donors. Without your donations we could not support those in crisis. Thanks go to our corporate partners, who maintain our collection points or who donate close-to-date supplies.
| Public Donation Points 2020-2021 | Public Donation Points 2020-2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sainsburys Linden Park Sainsburys Tonbridge |
Lloyds bank Tonbridge Lloyds bank Tunbridge Wells |
||
| Asda Tunbridge Wells | Hunni Homes | ||
| Tesco Superstore Pembury Tesco Metro Tesco St. Johns |
NatWest Tunbridge Wells | ||
| Christ Church Tunbridge Wells |
The Superfood Company Tunbridge Wells |
| Nourish Community Foodbank - Food and provisions donated in 2020-2021. All weights in Kg. | Nourish Community Foodbank - Food and provisions donated in 2020-2021. All weights in Kg. | Nourish Community Foodbank - Food and provisions donated in 2020-2021. All weights in Kg. | Nourish Community Foodbank - Food and provisions donated in 2020-2021. All weights in Kg. | Nourish Community Foodbank - Food and provisions donated in 2020-2021. All weights in Kg. | Nourish Community Foodbank - Food and provisions donated in 2020-2021. All weights in Kg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex 2.6 challenge | 600.00 | Marlborough School | 180.25 | St James After School Club | 191.30 |
| All Saints Langton Green | 408.75 | Maxipay | 1,658.05 | St James School | 256.00 |
| Amazon | 227.65 | Molyneux Park | 134.75 | St Johns Primary | 428.60 |
| Asda | 4,616.80 | NatWest Bank Tunbridge Wells | 9.85 | St Johns Yard/Shuffle House | 73.30 |
| Banner Farm Street Collection | 193.90 | Nuffield Health | 96.60 | St Lukes | 94.50 |
| Ben Chapelard | 163.00 | Oakley School | 85.60 | St Matthews School | 372.95 |
| Bicycle Bakery | 42.90 | Pickering Charity | 1,000.00 | St Pauls Rusthall | 12.90 |
| Bidborough Primary School | 185.60 | Ravenswood Avenue | 145.45 | St Peters & St Pauls Wadhurst | 62.40 |
| Bidfood | 2,000.00 | Rebecca Crinnon | 1,650.70 | St Peters Primary | 349.55 |
| Bishops Down Primary | 92.10 | Rosehill | 250.40 | St Theodores Cranbrook | 347.10 |
| Broadwater Scouts | 50.20 | Rotary Club | 322.90 | Temple Grove | 89.50 |
| Byng Road | 200.09 | Round Table | 3,847.65 | Tesco Pembury | 4,987.60 |
| Childrens Salon | 1,500.10 | RSPCA | 104.20 | Tesco Town Centre | 1,622.00 |
| Claremont Primary | 633.00 | Sacred Heart Church Wadhurst | 96.80 | Ticehurst School | 477.70 |
| Council/Government Boxes | 383.40 | Sacred Heart School | 250.75 | Tonbridge Girls Grammar | 900.00 |
| Country Food | 500.40 | Sainsbury's St Johns | 31.40 | Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar | 495.80 |
| Energie Fitness | 28.75 | Sainsbury's Tonbridge | 2,156.44 | Tunbridge Wells Grammar for Boys | 201.00 |
| Holmewood House | 1,347.50 | Sainsbury's Tunbridge Wells | 15,400.12 | Tunbridge Wells Hospital | 364.80 |
| Hunni Homes JVIP | 153.65 | Searchpress | 173.05 | Tunbridge Wells Lib Dems | 380.00 |
| Hygiene Bank | 20.00 | Skinners Grammar | 18.10 | TW Scouts | 34.20 |
| Janis Smith | 167.35 | Skinners Kent Academy | 600.00 | TWBC | 678.40 |
| Jarvis Investment | 48.90 | Soroptomists | 111.70 | Waitrose | 70.00 |
| John Lewis | 22.50 | Southborough Primary | 300.45 | Weald of Kent | 192.00 |
| Kilndown Village | 112.20 | Speldhurst School | 49.70 | Wincanton | 300.00 |
| King Charles Martyr | 8.90 | St Dunstans | 861.40 | Wood & Pilcher | 330.50 |
| Lloyds Bank Tonbridge | 48.75 | St Gregorys School | 628.40 | Woodlands School | 74.60 |
| Total | 57,307.80 |
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Financial Summary 2020-2021
Financial donations
Regular donations enable us to predict future cash flows and plan for the years ahead. Thank you to everyone who supports us with a regular donation. Thank you also to everyone who has given a one-off donation enabling us to pay for core costs and charitable activities and thus to provide emergency food bags to people in crisis.
Income 2020-2021
Expenditure 2020-2021
21
Nourlsh Communlty Foodbank Ltd Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 I to the chartty trustees on my eXarnIn of the accounts ol the C£Knpary fof year enLled 31" March 2021. As the chèrlrfs trustees of the Compary (and also tts dIreCt for the wrposth of mpanY law) you ire responslbk lor the preparatlon ol the aCCOUfts m •ccwthhCé wth the requirements of Cumwniya Act 2LTh I'the 2Cm Arfl. Havln8 satisfied nwll thit xcouhu rf the corn ar? t rEqukYd iv L •(Kllied eT Part IG of the 26 Act •nd •re eliGibk for Irthper•dent ex•minatb•n. I r•port In respert of my •Yaminxtlrn of yo tharilV% arrtiunts as carried out under section 145 of the Chjrities Act 2011 Ilhe 2011 ACYI. In ¢arrylftz out rny examlnatkjn I have follmd the Direction5 8Nen ty the Charlty Commlssknn sertion 14515) Ib) of the 2011 Act. Since the Companrfs Iross iKome exceeded £250AXWJ your exlilhéf must M a mernbEr of a buty115ted In sectlun 145 ul Ihe 1011 kL I ronfirm th•t l im qu•lrfd to underrokc the CmInation beÉaus• l am • mernb•f of Th In5tituk of Ch•rtered Acrnk>nt•nts In E14nd and Wales, whkh Is one of the Itsted bodles. I h•¥e tompleted my wfflinatKm. I conllrm that no matter5 hrn cryne w my attentkm In l. CntIr records kept in respect of tt 45 r•wred by s•£tknn 386 of the 26 3. the not wrth the accotiry r•quirem•nts of se¢tk•n 396 ot the 21X• Act other than any requiremerf that the accounts Ove • •)d falr vlew wlmth is not • mètter as part of an indépèndèm ex•mlnitk)n: or 4. the K¢ounts have Tt been prepared In accorthnce the methods ar prt of thé St•térnér of Recommended Pr&Ie for unti[4 and rep)rtm8 ty ch•ritie5 lapplicabk to charit5 prepari their •Gwynts In •cwrd•nr• wlth the Stsndard appllcable In the UK and Repubk of IrelarY IFRS 1021]. I h•ve tK• concern5 •nd hknt con auoss otlw matters in connertion wrth the examination to whlch attention shad be drwn kn thi5 rewt 6n tydef kn erwble • wop•r Understar1 of the a¢counts to be reached. $4Tr•d: f6 October 2021 22
Nourlsh Communlty Foodbank Ltd Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 STATEMENT OF FlA•J4UAc1iWfS Iorn• & •xp•rnlhurn Incomiw resources qenernted fiw415 Inote 31 vear Year 2020121 2019120 Volufftary thcrme Ev•nts fpr funth Totsl 426.761 42 469.S84 lo6.41 576m4 165,325 I(.W S33.ISI 141,4¥Y k45ourc•s expend (Note5 &71 Co510181tiiVa ¥vluiil•ry IrKu CrIt•ble a¢tl¥lt Govefnanca acllvltbos Equlpment 26363 186,157 26.365 12,235 242,747 110.386 617 56Ag0 Totsl 214.564 $6/4YJ 271.054 123,238 Plet lrwrnlrfloutro1j rv4OUfcesl 255.020 50AU1 305.020 42, Funds Funds carrfed forward 2.168 122,168 2020nl 2019120 Fix•d ass•t & Inv•s¥nMnts (not• 8 & 9) Current assets Debtors lThxe 10) 16,779 16,n9 25.(XX) 50.COJ 387.7 95.339 50,Cal 429,539 124,168 123ll) 12.cK(II 28A29 Cash at bank 337.760 379,539 T47ts1 njrrent •55et> Credltors fall1 wttlun one ye•f (note 11} Net current assets Vnrestrirted lunds Warehouse reserve Reserve ft)r cessation of artknt6es (note 131 Aeserve for fiJndin8 shorrtsll (nofe J3) Fynth ftr th• Gharity A9,6RA 50XOJ 60.(MX) I27.5 31AKI 60,168 127,SC<I 23
Nourlsh Community Foodbank Ltd Accounts for the year ended 31° March 2021 For th• y•ar tndln8 31 k4•rrh ?O?I thp rnmpany was erttIt to exéfflptkn) from •udlt under sectlon 477 of the Cwipanks Aa 2CQ6 rel4tiTha to small companie5. Directorn. re¥>on$lbilrt. QtIOn In actordance With 5ertion 476, respeci to xcowiiry KUnts, sle¢1 to the vnall ¢4xnp•nl•s' wim•. gGned tyi ljthall of all the trnstees SIGNATURE DATE i%- Iktokn 2021 24
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS These •¢counts have been prepared on the b•sls of hirtorfc cost In KCOfdaKe 4th Accountlrq ar Ileporti by Lhant- 5tstement of IlecOn VractKe {SUIIV 21XiTr): and wrth the chare$ ACL These xcountlr4 polku Iw ljeen applied by charliy 01 Th15e v¢ indud•d in th• gat•rn•rt ol FHwKi•I Actl¥lkn ISOFA) Wn. the tru5tetS virtualty certain th•y will rKeiv• th• r•sourc•s; Md •nd p•rfrnnr• delivered. In klnd Glfts in klnd are for at • reasonth estimate of t•r Val w t tharlty of the rnnt ac1 re•lised. The cost d &¥wted 1¢1 is lrfluded In the SOFA •x to Ixhy dwlltrrq to •ccwJt•ly. Grfts ift kind for sale or distrltmrtbon ire Incknled In the •$ 8Kts whefi SO thstftbuw ty tt ¢ty. Gilts in klrKI for dwrlty are irKluded lfi the SOFA as IrKomi Don•t•d These are only IndLthI In resources {wlth an equaleft1 anw)unt In resources exwndèdl Wre the benellt to the charlty is fasonab qu•ntlfi•bl•. mur•bI• •fKI m•t•rf•l. Th• Val plxed on these re50wru15 Th? lue of any WunThry help r•c•W li nor Ibvjuthd In thé •e¢ouhts but In¥O•th IKome Is Included In tt* accounts recefvatsle. Inv•rt yln• •nd Thks IK11 any or loss on the 1¢ of •nd any pln or loss rDUlu frryn IrnY5tmEM5 tt> mlrkvt Val at thE ei¥J of t wir. 25
chriry to pay out rvAJu tosu of tr pr•Nr•iion Ind ex•ffllMtMm of %t•iuUYy acco the costs oftrLL4tee meetlr45 and c05t of arry a4k• W tTUSt••s on w4•marKt or constltutknal rywner5 Wlwe ch•rlty ¥e> • y•nt with coN¥tlon> for its belry a sp•dfic lthl of Mrvk• rjr trj bp wed. S lrnnts are +)thi reccqni5ed in the SOFA orKe the redplert ol the stsff costs the time spent other costs by th•r usw. T•rW• flx•d w•ts Fixed •s%ets are CalIs¢d rf tl*rf be used tr mtye th•n on• r. and cost ar lea5r £S(Kl. 1020121 2019120 I(6,41 aKJ,013 5,618 41.089 42I23 ss.its) lTrkind dOnlarts ol stora8e 5,618 Évents Awanls oth 1019120 4S246 56,617 8.523 F•gd syppty lio•d pwth•¥ed, stowo •nd 156,552 9.692 Legal fees period 11.•. •syets at o¥er £S(Xl per item) 26
U W20 Trade credlto ru4115 diml Iwxne Total 1351 615 names Fw)d b•lance5 IoMi lances forward K•rtt Martello Fund The Brook Tfwl h Plilden Fund io.c The P•won Trust Natal lottery (mun Dorothy Wharton Trust Tonbrl L09 Trurt 'r Thomas Gr•ht lsklnnors) Children's Sal Fund Grant 18m) £50A4) chart$ xtlvltles In the evert th•t the dwlty lor any re•s¢)n Ms to bt ¥rt>und up. The'(e55•tlon reser¥e'15 Calcu 1$ 3 monihs of the armual operntlr CO An adthtbonal £40.? has been reserved tD cover rent for ri1 the lex• b Jsslv reJtTre for • Yundtw Jhortf•lV has been prnbithd in Ihc IW of an Intte•sed risk that Sncome m•y bo sl8nitk&ntly feduced in 21122. The Yundlrq shortl4Y h•5 been set to refiert the buted skwtf*ll bn Income over expeThllture fof 21m. durlng the perlod. 27
Trustees personal message
The Trustees of Nourish Community Foodbank wish to record thanks to all those supporting Nourish in its achievements of 2020/2021. They are grateful for the continued and dedicated loyalty of all supporters to the staff and clients of the organization, particularly during such a challenging year.
Structure, Governance and Management
The organisation is a charity and company limited by guarantee, incorporated 22 November 2012 and registered as a charity 24 November 2013. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association, which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.
The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law.
All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. No expenses were claimed from the charity during this period. Trustees met at least monthly during the period to 31 March 2021.
The membership of the Board of trustees is intended to reflect the knowledge and skills required to manage a local food bank, and new trustees are invited to join, as necessary areas of expertise are identified by regular board skills audits. Potential new trustees are interviewed and briefed by the Co-chairs and invited to attend board meetings as observers, before joining the Nourish Board.
The charity had no employees during the reporting period but continued to contract two freelance managers, a finance assistant and a warehouse manager, who worked with over 30 volunteers to manage food collection and distribution, referrals and administration.
We regularly update our operations handbooks, induction, training and arrangements for meetings (for trustees and all other volunteers) to reflect the current and planned growth of Nourish and good practice for a charity of this size.
The charity relies on grants and donations to fund its work, which are liable to fluctuation from year to year. Principal financial management policies will be found in the notes to the financial statements, which are available on request.
Trustees regard the careful and responsible management of the charity’s resources as a primary responsibility.
Covid-19 Update
Covid-19 had an unprecedented impact on the number of people needing Nourish’s services. We had a 60% increase in referrals over the year, particularly during the period when the Government was establishing the Furlough Scheme. We worked in partnership with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s COVID Response Team to make sure that no one in crisis went without food during this difficult time.
Health & Safety
Keeping our staff and volunteers safe is a priority for Nourish.
We had over 2000 sq. feet of storage space, during the reporting period, spread across five units at the Big Yellow Self Storage . We reduced the size of the volunteer team who could be in the unit at any time, in order to implement social distancing measures. All volunteers wore gloves, used hand sanitisers and wiped down communal workspaces before and after each shift. Access to washing facilities was also available. Nobody was asked to work at the unit if they felt uncomfortable or were in a higher risk group.
Our drivers operate a contactless delivery service and clients are advised in advance that a driver will be making a delivery on that day between certain times.
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