CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Blshop's Stortford Foodbank 1154800 Receipts and payments accounts For the period from CC16a 01- r-24 To 31-Mar-25 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted fund8 Restricted funds to th• near•st £ to the nèarnst £ Endowment funds Total funds Last yr A1 Receipts Donations Reimbursement {dit costs) Bank interest Grants received to the near1 £ to tho n•are8t £ to the nearest £ 80.378 80.378 76,613 9,315 411 1.030 1.125 15.000 1,030 16.125 tota ross income ARJ 15.(10 97,534 A2 Asset and investment sales. (see table}. 06,339 rotal receipts A3Pa ments Fuel support costs Food voucher costs Food parcel costs Other support costs Adviser project costs Contributions to other a General office eosts Training costs Staff Gosls Insurance Professional servi Bank fees Premises 8.329 25,205 21.035 8.329 25.205 21.035 16.924 39,590 26,281 349 2,500 1.000 4.088 1,250 109 enttes 10.511 11.761 109 2,963 144 29.216 549 144 1,596 27.620 S49 22,711 $34 913 60 1,027 115.978 60 Sub total 88,130 11550 100.679 A4 Asset and investment urchases see tsble Sub total 88.130 12.550 1(Kl.679 115,978 Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 3.146 29.639 88,960 91.410 94,55 CCXX R1 a¢¢ounts ISS) 2010112026
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories B1 Cash funds Deiails Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nèarest £ Endowment funds to neare8t £ Cash * bank 88.894 Total cash funds 88,960 ats)Wsll Unrestricted funds to nèarest £ 2.225 Restricted funds tt> n•arest £ Endowment funds to nèarest £ B2 Other monetary assets Details SU[rk vouctE B3 Investment assets Details Fund to Tthich asset bèlon eost loptlontll Curr•nt value tional B4 Assets retained for the charity'8 own use Detsils Fc*)d st(Kks Inol valued} Fund to Tfflthich asset bglon Unrestric Cost loptionall Current val lional Office epuipnEnl aThJ fvmiture Irk)t valwi unstrICted B5 Liabillties Details Fund to which relates Amount duè o tronal Whèn (lu• Signed by one or trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Pnnt Name Date of roval TA1CHLLL CCXX R2 accounts ISS} 2IY0112028
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Trustses, Annual Report Period covered by report: From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 Charity name: Bishop's Stortford Food Bank Charity address: The Methodist Church, 34b South Street, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 3AZ Charity registration number: 1154800 Objectives and Activities: The Bishop's Stortford Food Bank's ("the Food Bank") charitable objectives are: The pventIOn or relief of poverty in Hertfordshire and Essex in particular, but not exclusively, by providing emergency food supplies and related provisions to individuals in need and to charities or other organisations worting to prevent or relieve poverty. In fulfilling our charitable objectives, the Food Bank's main activity during the year was the distribution of food, household essentials and supermarket vouchers to individuals and families in need of support in Bishop's Stortford and the surrounding area. Food parcels of long shelf-life food are provided from donated and, where necessary, purchased food. Throughout the year we continued to partner with Harlow Food Bank to collect, sort and warehouse donations. We are also able to provide clients with supermarket vouchers to enable the purchase of fresh food, toiletries and household goods and to enable agency and choice. In addition, during the year the Food Bank also Provided assistan to households in fuel povety by purchasing credit on the card or key of the client's pre-payment gaslelectricity meter Continued a collaborative project with Citizen's Advice East Hertfordshire to provide access to a dedicated Food Bank Adviser to support Food Bank clients with issues including debt, benefits, budgeting and signposting to other services. Clients are referred to the Food Bank by local partner agencies. In addition, Clients may self-refer for their first food parcel and are signposted to other agencies or to the Food Bank Adviser where further support is indicated. Food can either be collected in person or delivered by a team of volunteer drivers. The Food Bank also maintained a stock of emergency food boxes which can be provided by other agencies in the community outside of our opening hours.
The Trustees take into account the commission's public benefit guidance when making any relevant decision. Achievements and Perfonnance: During the twelve months covered by this report the Food Bank supported 1 ,343 referrals for food support (1,466 23124) and 118 referrals for fuel support (241 23124). While this represented a decrease to the prior year's record levels of demand the Food Bank is continuing to see high levels of demand when considered in a longer-temi context. While the core focus of the Food Bank has been on short tenn relief for those in food crisis, Trustees have a longer-tem strategic goal to do more to support clients to prevent and resolve the issues that result in food povety. We were pleased to extend our project with Citizen's Advice East Herts to provide a dedicated adviser for Food Bank clients. The project aims to bridge the gap between the Food Bank's frontline support and Citizen's Advice expertise and specialist advice. By providing a dedicated adviser physically based in the Food Bank for one day a week we can work together to build trusted professional and client relationships in order to reach and help those clients who may struggle to engage with or access support. We are grateful to the Hertfordshire Community Foundation and to Community Alliance Broxbourne and East Herts for the grants reIVed to support this project. The Food Bank has continued to maintain its profile in the community, our relationships with schools, churches, community groups and individuals are vital to the support we provide. Our slogan of "Give Help, Get Help" emphasises our role as a conduit for the community to support for each other. and the donation of food items. financial support and hours of work by dedicated volunteers has continued to allow us to meet the need of households requiring our assistan. Financial Review of the Year: Trustees prepare receipts and payments accounts. Receipts only reflect monetary receipts and do not include a valuation for food or other goods donated nor the many hours of time provided by our team of volunteers. Without these donations our costs would increase considerably. Other than grant reIptS, monetary receipts are almost exclusively from donations by individuals, community groups and local businesses. Trustees continue to be humbled by the local community's response to the need for our seNices. Receipts in the year ended March 2025 were £97,534 (£86,339 - 23124). Receipts for the year included £16,125 of grant income (£nil- 23124), of which £14,510 was restricted for the Food Bank Adviser project costs. We would like to thank Herts Community Foundation and Community Alliance Broxbourne and East Herts for their support with this project. A further £490 was received from Community Alliance Broxboume and East Herts in respect of Trustee and Volunteer training and support. The grants were received for costs incurred between 1 September 2024 and 31
August 2025 and a restricted reserve of £2.450 has been carried forward to the 25126 year end when it is expected to have been fully spent. Direct costs of support fell as a result of the decreased demand, total expenditure for the year was £100.679 (£115,978- 23124) Overall, the year to 31 March 2025 saw net expenditure of £3,146 (net expenditure of £29,639 23124) with reserves at 31 March 2024 standing at £91,410 (£94,556 at 31 March 2024). Trustees have a policy of maintaining approximately one year's regular expenditure in reserve. Reserves at the year end represented 91 % of the year's total expenditure. Trustees have a very prudent approach to investment of surplus fvnds. Cash not required for day-to-day operations is put on interest bearing deposit. Structure, Governance and Management: The Food Bank is established as a CIO under a constitution document and is govemed by a Board of Trustees who hold formal meetings as required, but at least every three months. The Trustees have appointed a Chair. Treasurer, Secretary and a Community Ambassador. At the date of signing this report the position of Secretary was vacant. New Trustees are appointed by the existing Trustees under the terms of the constitution and are appointed on the basis of their background, interests, experien and expertise, as well as their commitment to the Food Bank, its values and charitable objectives. New Trustees re1ve an informal induction including meeting with the Chair and other Trustees. Trustees attend meetings and may work in sub-groups set up to consider specific areas of policy I strategy. As we are a small charity with limited resources, Trustees also assist directly by contributing to a number of operational and promotional activities in line with their skills and experien. Trustees acting during the year and at the date of approval of this report: Bill Macdonald (Chair to January 2025) Jim Tatchell (Treasurer to January 2025, Chair from January 2024 Jane Towns (Community Ambassador) Alison Jones lan Williams (Term ended October 2025, Secretary, from January 2024 Louise Taub (Secretary, to January 2025) Gillian Turner (freasurer, from January 2025) Hana Hainsby (Resigned December 2024) Keith Irvine (appointed September 2025) Lucinda Boon (appointed June 2025)
During the period covered by this report, the Food Bank employed two part time members of stsff - a Manager and an Assistant Manager- to manage the operational activities of the Food Bank. Trustees would like to recognise the fantastic job that our staff do and the very real impact that their work has. The heart of the Food Bank is our dedicated and hard-working volunteers who do so much to support our clients and our community. There would be no Bishop's Stortford Food Bank without them. Signed on Behalf of the Trustees Jim Tatchell Chair Date 2J/, l L6
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of amE Bishop's Stortford Food Bank On accounts for the year ended 31st March 2025 Charity no (if any) 1154800 Set out on pages Attached 2 pages - Receipts and Payments Accounts Iremember Its include the page nJmbers of - Idi.:It)-,.al sheE,.. I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trusy,) for the year ended 31st March 2025. As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act.). Responsibilities and basis of report I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5){b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (otheFth dFsGIa. 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 conceming 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. Independent examiner's statement I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of Ihe accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in th8 brackets rf they do not apply. Signed: Dats: 2010112026 Name: Jeremy Fozzard Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): I LAIA CÉA I IK i£b Address: 5 Ducketts Wharf, South Street Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3AR IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018