## Pontefract Food Bank
Charity number 1155552
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 August 2023
## Pontefract Food Bank
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 August 2023
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees' report|2 to 4|
|Examiner's report|5|
|Receipts and payments account|6|
|Statement of assets and liabilities|7|
|Notes to the accounts|8 to 9|
## **Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
1
## Pontefract Food Bank
## Trustees' report for the year ended 31 August 2023
## **Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors**
The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: **Name Position**
Mark Foy Chair Gary Byrne Treasurer Ann Harris Sharon Devlin Brenda Lee Wayne Clarida
## **Charity number**
**Charity number** 1155552 **Registered and principal address Bankers** Central Methodist Church Yorkshire Bank Newgate Ropergate Pontefract Pontefract WF8 1NB WF8 1LQ
Registered in England and Wales
## **Independent examiner**
E J Beverley FCCA **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO** Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
## **Structure, governance and management**
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) foundation formed on 29 January 2014 and is governed by a constitution as amended on 31 January 2021.
## **Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees**
The trustees are appointed at a properly convened meeting of the trustees.
## **Objectives and activities**
## **The charity's objects**
The prevention and relief of poverty in Pontefract and surrounding area, particularly but not exclusively by providing emergency food supplies to individuals and families in need, and signposting people to appropriate agencies.
## **The charity's main activities**
The provision of a foodbank in Pontefract.
## **Public benefit statement**
In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular the prevention or relief of poverty.
2
## Pontefract Food Bank
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2023
## **Achievements and performance**
Chair's report
I am Chair of the Board of Trustees of Pontefract Foodbank and this is my second annual report.
During this period we have made substantial changes to our services and operations. From October 2022 we have partnered with experts to offer financial advice to our clients, alongside the provision of food parcels. During the period we have grown the partner delivered financial advice from 1 session per week to 3 sessions per week, each offering a variety of services. The advice we facilitate is primarily related to benefits and debt, but can also cover many other topics that can have an impact on a clients ability to sustain themselves financially. Our objective in starting these new financial services was to help our clients achieve a situation where they no longer need the support of a foodbank.
These new financial services are provided in partnership with Citizens Advice Wakefield, and are provided to clients in the convenient town centre location of St Giles church in Pontefract. Funding for these services is provided by The Trussell Trust, via a grant covering three local foodbanks; Pontefract, Knottingley and Normanton.
In addition to maintaining our food parcel delivery model, we also now give our clients the opportunity to collect their food parcels at one of the St Giles sessions. In addition to the convenience this provides to some clients it also facilitates the social contacts that many of our clients can benefit from.
These changes have only been possible due to the ongoing enthusiasm and hard work of our trustees and volunteers. I cannot thank them enough for their dedication and selfless energy.
We remain hugely grateful for the extraordinary generosity of our local community, who make regular donations of food and money, and who also give generously during the special food collection events that we run throughout the year.
During this year Pontefract Foodbank fulfilled 825 requests for food support which included helping 1228 adults and 715 children. In total the Foodbank distributed nearly 13,000 kg of food and other items. This is an increase of about 30% on the previous year.
In the first year of facilitating financial advice to our clients we provided advice to 228 clients and helped them secure financial improvements of £92,950, largely from benefit related improvements.
The full Board now consists of myself (Mark Foy), Ann Harris, Brenda Lee, Sharon Devlin, Gary Byrne and Wayne Clarida. Each of them work extremely hard on their individual areas of responsibility, and make an inspiring and highly collaborative team to work with.
With our volunteers and our trustees we have a great team, all working together for the benefit of our community.
We also highly value our affiliation to the Trussell Trust, benefitting from best practice guidance for running a foodbank and from this period grant funding and guidance for the provision of our financial advice services. Without the support of the Trussell Trust we would be a much less effective operation.
In summary it’s been another busy year during which the generosity of our volunteers and community has allowed us to continue to provide help to those in need, now including financial advice in addition to food. We’re well placed in terms of volunteers and funding to continue this into next year, and will continue to explore other ways of supporting our clients.
I’m very proud to be associated with this team, and to play a small part in providing this help to those in need.
Mark Foy
3
## Pontefract Food Bank
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2023
## **Financial review**
The net receipts for the year were £21,641, including net receipts of £20,256 on unrestricted funds and net receipts of £1,385 on restricted funds after transfers.
## **Reserves policy**
The charity's free reserves, at the year end were £85,170.
The trustees aim to maintain free reserves in unrestricted funds at a level which equates to approximately twelve months of current unrestricted charitable expenditure, £12,000. The trustees consider that alongside the likely ongoing acquisition of grants and donations this is a sufficient level of reserves necessary to maintain the foodbank operations.
We currently conduct all aspects of running the foodbank with volunteers only, we have no employees. It may become necessary for us to employ a project manager or operational coordinator. In support of this possible outcome we will maintain a reserve of £30,000.
We currently operate out of premises which are subject to no formal lease arrangement or rent. If the generosity of our benefactors changes it may become necessary for us to move to premises that are subject to a formal lease and rent arrangement. In support of this possible outcome we will maintain a reserve of £10,000.
This results in us needing to hold a total of £52,000 in reserves. As at financial year end (2022/23) we had unrestricted reserves of approximately £85,000.
For so long as the charity has reserves above this level of £52,000 the trustees have agreed to rely on the generosity of existing and new donors drawn to support the charity through local and national awareness of the need for its services rather than to campaign actively for funds.
The trustees will review our Reserves Policy at least annually.
Approved by the board of trustees on 20/05/2024
Mark Foy (Trustee)
4
## Pontefract Food Bank
## Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Pontefract Food Bank
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 August 2023, which are set out on pages 6 to 9.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the CIO 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 CIO's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. 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 material 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 Charities Act; 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.
E J Beverley FCCA
20/05/2024
## **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
5
## Pontefract Food Bank
## Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 August 2023
|Notes
2023
Unrestricted
funds
£
**Receipts**
Grants and donations
(2)
22,692
Bank Interest
799
**Total receipts**
23,491
**Payments**
Food and stock procurement
412
Volunteer expenses
129
Rent and rates
579
Utilities
53
Insurance
-
Repairs and maintenance
32
Memberships and subscriptions
35
Photocopier charges
-
Other project delivery costs
195
Accountancy
300
Donations to other providers
1,500
**Total payments**
3,235
**Net receipts / (payments)**
20,256
**Fund balances brought forward**
64,914
**Fund balances carried forward**
(3)
85,170|2023
Restricted
funds
£
9,462
-
9,462
5,519
24
1,436
507
591
-
-
-
-
-
-
8,077
1,385
283
1,668|2023
Total
funds
£
32,154
799
32,953
5,931
153
2,015
560
591
32
35
-
195
300
1,500
11,312
21,641
65,197
86,838|2022
Total
funds
£
17,057
156
17,213
3,767
479
-
342
536
336
35
207
184
300
1,500
7,686
9,527
55,670
65,197|
|---|---|---|---|
6
## Pontefract Food Bank
## Statement of assets and liabilities
|as at 31 August 2023
2023
Unrestricted
£
**Cash funds**
Cash at bank
84,953
Cash in hand
217
**Total cash funds**
85,170
**Debtors and prepayments**
Prepayments
**Assets retained for the charity's own use**
Shipping Container for Food Storage
**Liabilities**
Accruals|2023
Restricted
£
1,668
-
1,668|2023
Total
£
86,621
217
86,838
2023
£
173
173
2023
£
397
397|2022
Total
£
64,980
217
65,197|
|---|---|---|---|
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 20/05/2024
Mark Foy (Trustee)
7
## Pontefract Food Bank
## Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 August 2023
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Basis of accounting**
The trustees have taken advantage of section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis.
There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year.
No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.
## **Taxation**
As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.
8
## Pontefract Food Bank
## Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 August 2023
|**2 Grants and donations**
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Tesco
The Trussell Trust
Knottingley Food Bank
Crossroads Truck and Bus
Donations
**3 Restricted funds**
Balance b/f
£
Knottingley Foodbank
-
Trussell Trust Winter Support
-
WMDC Household Support
-
WMDC Emergency Assistance
283
283|2023
Unrestricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-
2,093
20,599
22,692
Incoming
£
3,104
5,000
1,358
-
9,462|2023
Restricted
funds
£
1,358
-
5,000
3,104
-
-
9,462
Outgoing
£
1,436
5,000
1,358
283
8,077|2023
Total
funds
£
1,358
-
5,000
3,104
2,093
20,599
32,154
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-|2022
Total
funds
£
3,000
1,407
-
-
-
12,650
17,057
Balance c/f
£
1,668
-
-
-
1,668|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## **Fund name**
Knottingley Foodbank
## **Purpose of restriction**
Funding to support all (non Citizens Advice Wakefield) costs associated with delivering the Financial Inclusion services.
Trussell Trust Winter Support
WMDC Household Support
WMDC Emergency Assistance
To provide support to households, who would otherwise struggle to buy food or pay essential utility bills or meet other essential living costs or housing costs (in exceptional cases of genuine emergency), to help them with significantly rising living costs
Assistance in supporting individuals struggling to afford food and other essentials.
## **4 Related party transactions**
## **Trustee expenses**
No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.
## **Trustee remuneration and benefits**
No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.
9