CHAIRMAN’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES – DEC 2021
Introduction
Citizens Advice (CA)
Back in October the Food Bank was invited to take part in a Webinar organised by CA into the impact of the removal of the Universal Credit uplift. A number of local agencies and councillors ‘attended’ the event which was a useful opportunity for me to explain not only the strains put on our Food Bank by increased demand, but also the importance of all agencies working together to deal with clients holistically and prevent long term dependency. The event was jointly badged by CA and BSFB and was a good way to raise our profile – including within CA itself.
Blessing event
On 11[th] November, Rev Gill came along to our small blessing event held to mark and celebrate the opening of our refurbished Food Bank. As well as volunteers and Trustees it was nice to see former colleagues who enjoyed looking around the new area.
Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN)
More and more Foodbanks are experimenting with food vouchers as an alternative to ‘giving a box of food’ in order to give the client more freedom of choice. Where Foodbanks are giving food items they tend to give more than three days’ supply, and many have adopted a more relaxed view of returning clients. A minority have entered into agreements to be provided with surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, but most IFAN members are not happy with food poverty and food waste issues being conflated. All feel taken for granted by the Government!
Indie Community Awards
We attended the Indie Community Awards evening at South Mill Arts centre on 18[th] November. The Food Bank had been short listed for the Charity Champion award, and although this eventually went to CA, we received a ‘highly commended’ award!
Meeting with Harlow
On 1[st] December we met with representatives of Harlow Foodbank – our first liaison meeting since before the pandemic. They explained that Harlow Foodbank was, like us, having to cope with a significant increase in demand (and had been throughout the pandemic). This and reduced
donation of food items (currently down 40% from pre-pandemic amounts) has depleted stock levels at the Storehouse to the extent that they have been looking at joining the Fareshare scheme which would allow them to collect free food items from Fareshare. They asked us if we would be willing, in principle, to make a contribution towards Harlow’s additional costs to guarantee future food supplies for us.
I met them again in late December when delivering donations to the Storehouse, and they indicated that donation levels over the pre Christmas period had been so good that the ‘pressure was off’ for the time being and as a consequence Harlow had no plans to join the Fareshare scheme at the moment (although it remains an option for the future).
Refurbishment latest
Despite Trustees sterling efforts at applying pressure to the contractor, so far our attempts to get them to finish the job by installing an extraction fan in the extension area has not been successful.
One complicating issue is our plan to improve access to the Tesco car park via the fire door. Here the delay is not due to contractors but the Church’s proposal to replace the fire door and frame – which has been slowed down by the possible presence of asbestos board!
Bill Macdonald,
BSFB Chairman
| Charity Name | N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop's Stortford Food Bank | Bishop's Stortford Food Bank | 11 | ||
| Receipts and payments acco | ||||
| Period start date To Apr 1, 20 Section A Receipts and payments For the period from ~~—~~ |
||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Restricted Endowment |
||
| funds | funds | funds | ||
| to the nearest £ |
to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ to the nearest £ |
||
| A1 Receipts | ||||
| Donations Gift aid Refunds |
116,003 - 608 |
- - - |
- - - - - - |
|
| - | - | - - |
||
| - | - | - - |
||
| - | - | - - |
||
| - | - | - - |
||
| - - - 116,611 - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - Total receipts 116,611 - - Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). —~~——~~ |
||||
| A3 Payments | ||||
| Direct costs of donations made Payments to Harlow Food Bank |
18,195 4,200 |
- - |
- - - - |
|
| Contributions to other agencies General office costs Staff costs |
26,354 3,618 15,966 |
- - - |
- - - - - - |
|
| Rent Insurance Accountancy services |
- 406 161 |
- - - |
- - - - - - |
|
| Bank fees 69 Sundry - - - Sub total 68,969 - - Printers 165 - - - - - Sub total 165 - - Total payments 69,134 - - A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) —~~———~~ |
||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end |
47,477 - - - - - 36,349 - - ~~——~~ |
——— |
Cash funds this year end 83,826 - -
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of
| Unrestricted | ||
|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | funds |
| B1 Cash funds | Cash at bank Cash in hand Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ 83,752 74 - 83,826 OK |
| Unrestricted | ||
| funds | ||
| B2 Other monetary assets | Details | to nearest £ - - - - - - |
| Fund to which | ||
| B3 Investment assets | Details | asset belongs Fund to which |
| B4 Assets retained for the | Details Printers acquired in year |
Unrestricted asset belongs |
| charity’s own use | Fund to which | |
| B5 Liabilities | Details | liability relates |
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print N
o (if any) 154800
ounts
CC16a
Period end date
Mar 30, 21
Total funds
Last year
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
----- Start of picture text -----
116,003 27,667
- 810
608 -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
116,611 28,477
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
-
- -
- -
116,611 28,477
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
18,195 1,417
4,200 2,900
26,354 -
3,618 933
15,966 10,762
- 450
406 -
161 -
69
- 2,500
68,969 18,962
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
165
-
165 -
69,134 18,962
47,477 9,515
- -
36,349 -
----- End of picture text -----
the period
----- Start of picture text -----
Restricted Endowment
funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £
- -
- -
- -
- -
OK OK
Restricted Endowment
funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Current value
Cost (optional)
(optional)
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Current value
Cost (optional)
(optional)
165 -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Amount due When due
(optional) (optional)
-
-
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
-
-
-
Date of
Name
approval
----- End of picture text -----
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examlner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Bishop's Stortford Food Bank On accounts for the year ended 31 $1 March 2021 Charity no lif any) 1154800 Set out on pages Attached 2 pag8s- Receipts and Payments Accounts I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {'the Trust") for Ihe year ended 31103 12021. As the charity tru51ees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in aGcordance with the requiremenls of the Charities Act 2011 1.the Act ). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable DireGlions given by the Charity Commis5i0n under section 14515)(b) of the AGI. I have completed my examination. l ¢onfirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination {otk8r4AaF¥that disGI06e81O} which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which allenlion should be drawn in order lo enable proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Rèsponsibilities and basls of report Independent examiner's Statement Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: 2010112022 Name: MhYII< blLLI RNJ FQC A - Movmkxw l)J 0301£tO Relevant professional qualificationls) or body (if any)". Address: 5 Ducketts Wharf, South Street Bishop's Stortford, Herts, CM23 3AR IER October 2018
Sectlon B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of conrn (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examinerwishes to disclose. IER October 2018