2023-12-31-accounts - Caterham Foodbank

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4, Beechwood Road Caterham Surrey CR3 6NA 07523 983122 www.caterham.foodbank.org.uk info@caterham.foodbank.org.uk

CATERHAM FOODBANK TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR YEAR TO 31 DECEMBER 2023

OUR AIMS AND PURPOSES:

Caterham Foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust network of foodbanks and together we provide emergency food and associated support to people trapped in food poverty. The twelve months of this reporting period saw a continued rise in the numbers of people using the foodbank, with the residual effects of the Coronavirus pandemic continuing to have a considerable impact on the number of people using our services. As in previous years, the primary reasons for people coming to the foodbank were a mixture of low income, benefit changes/delays and unexpected life events including long-term health and personal issues. In the course of this reporting year, we fulfilled 1837 food vouchers, each voucher providing a minimum of three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food to those in difficulty. Our data for 2023 show that thanks to the hard work and commitment of our staff and volunteers, we were able to provide food for 5167 people (2903 adults and 2264 children).

During this period we were able to return to our in-person contact with clients, and have referred users to various agencies who offer help in their current situation by providing additional support, with an ultimate aim of ensuring they will not need to use foodbanks in the future. Users have been signposted to Job Clubs, Citizens Advice Bureau, Budget Planning, Debt and other Counselling Services as appropriate.

OUR OBJECTS AND ACTIVITIES:

The electric Foodbank van purchased in 2022 continued to prove its vital worth for collections of donations from local supermarkets and for delivering goods to the distribution centres. Given the everincreasing amounts of both donations into our warehouse, and deliveries from it to our food centres - this has proved a very timely investment.

We have also been able to fund the presence of an experienced Citizens’ Advice colleague at our two busiest food centres, though a restricted grant received from Trussell Trust for this purpose - as part of a joint national scheme. This has been instrumental in signposting users to the various agencies and benefits available to people on low income and those reliant on state benefits, as well as those dealing with the ongoing problems of debt. The presence of this advisor has been greatly welcomed by our users, with their services in constant demand at all sessions.

In the course of the year under review, our warehouse records showed total stock inward of 41,727 kg and stock outward of 39,708 kg. The total number of vouchers received was 1837, which represents a total of 5167 people fed – an increase of 38% on 2022.

Another challenge for early 2023 was to recruit a new Project Manager and Operations Manager, following the decision of their long-standing predecessors in late 2022 to step down from those positions. The same decision was also taken by the then Honorary Treasurer. The search for replacements for the management staff and treasurer, who had been in position for many years, represented a demanding task for the Trustees. The positions were advertised and the interviewing procedure was successful in appointing new candidates to both roles, who were able to take up their positions after a handover period as scheduled by the end of April 2023. The Trustees are grateful that this process was completed with minimum disruption to our services.

Despite the long shadow caused by the pandemic, we have again benefitted from the extraordinary generosity of our local community. It has been gratifying to see the selfless support of so many people in Caterham and across Tandridge District, who have again responded to the needs of the poorer members of our society with such heartwarming and selfless willingness to donate food and money. The thanks of the Trustees go to each and every one of these vital donors.

We are also grateful for the continuing support of the local Rotary clubs and particularly the renewed generosity of the COGS Lions Club for their donation to help fund again in 2023 the supply of Christmas hampers to recipients.

PLANS FOR 2024

We were able to continue to run 3 distribution centres on different days each week at Caterham Baptist Church, Oakhall Church (both in Caterham) and King’s Church in Oxted. We are now offering fresh produce at the busier Caterham venues in addition to the tinned and dried foods already provided. This is proving popular with users and is a cost-effective addition to our offering.

We propose to continue our funded relationship with Citizens Advice in light of the demand for their service, through the financial inclusion grant received from the Trussell Trust. Helping people to cope with the burden of debt and the complexities of the benefits system remains a key component in our long-term aim of removing the need for foodbanks in line with the Trussell Trust’s strategic plan.

The continuing problem of fuel poverty has also been in the forefront of our thinking for the reporting year. With the rapid increase in energy prices, ever more people are confronted with the harrowing decision of eating or heating and we feel that helping them is part of the wider role of the Foodbank. Our trial project in conjunction with the Fuel Bank charity, which provides energy top-up vouchers to people at immediate risk of disconnection from gas and electricity supply, successfully continued throughout 2023. The Trustees recognise the generous support from Fuel Bank at national level in supplementing our own funds available for this service to clients.

FINANCES

The attached financial report shows that we had a total income of £82,668, which has helped us to carry forward a surplus for the year of £5,497. Under Trussell Trust rules, we are required to hold sufficient funds to cover 6 months of running costs, which our current financial status readily covers. Our finances are therefore in sufficiently robust health to enable us to fund our plans for the coming year.

VOLUNTEERS

Our thanks go as ever to our wonderful and hugely valued volunteers, without whom none of our services would be possible – whether in the public eye or behind the scenes. We are grateful not only for their ongoing commitment, but also for the way in which they have responded so willingly to all the residual demands imposed post-pandemic. The past couple of years have produced unexpected and specific challenges in their duties – and significant growth in our operations - and their response in coping with the added difficulties has been magnificent.

We are also grateful for the willingness of Caterham Baptist Church, Oakhall Church and King’s Church Oxted for allowing the use of their premises gratis, which has benefitted the Foodbank so greatly in terms of the resultant financial savings, and access into the communities we serve.

And finally, we are as ever thankful for the generosity of our local community in Caterham and across Tandridge District, so freely given by those who have contributed to our stocks of food, which has enabled us to oversee a throughput of over 41 tonnes of stock over this year. This is an inspiring reflection of the open-hearted spirit of our local community in responding to the needs of the less fortunate among us.

DECLARATIONS

Trustees in office in 2023 :

John Lord (Chair)

John Edward Baldwin

Stephen Martin Bidwell

Simon Quincey

Ronald Francis White

Gemma Zarembski (joined July)

David Stritch (resigned July)

The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s Trustees:

Name: Gemma Zarembski Position: Chair of Trustees Date: 17.10.2024

Independent Examinels Report to the Trustees of the Caterham Food Bank (Reglstered Charity Number 11553301 ST I report on my examination of the accounts of Caterham Food Bank for the year ended 31 December 2023. Responslbllltles and basls of report As the Charity's Trustees you are responsible for the prepardtion of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 20111'the Actrl. I report in respect of my examination of the Charitys accounts Iwhich aTe attschedl carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carryin8 Out my examination I have followed the applicable Directions 8iven by the Charity Commission under section 14515}Ibl of the ACL Independent Examlner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or the accounts do not accord with those record5. I h¥ve no concerns and have come across no other matters in connertion 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. David R Ling FCA Chartered Accountant 36a Chaldon Common Road Chaldon Surrey CR3 5DB 24- April 2024 6,7

CATERHAM FOOD BANK IRe8iStered Charity Number 11553301 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENfs FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 2023 2022 GENERAL FUND: RECEIPTS: Donations.. Corporat• Individuals Vla CAF Just Givlnl Surrey CC Grant Bank Int•rest 26,146 17554 4,325 20,124 28,779 11,520 5,854 23,839 12,5 170 19 82,586 2,206 Glft Ald 1,849 84,792 PAYMENTS: OPERATING COSTS Staff ¢osts Warehouse: Refurbishment •nd set up Rent Chr15tmas Hampers Food purchases Fuel B•nk (net of donatlon r•Ce*d of £2.LM)O) Van operating costs Insurances Other operatlng costs 37,944 22,019 877 5,921 7.788 6.991 1.429 2.929 449 3,973 1.576 438 1.973 74.728 40,303 EQVIPMENT PURCHASES Van Oth•r 17,328 602 2A43 2M3 17,930 EXCESS OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMEKfs FOR THE YEAR 5,497 26.559