2024-12-31-accounts

SHERBORNE FOOD BANK

Minutes of the Trustee Meeting held at 7pm on 12 December 2024 At Digby Hall

Present: Simon Bate SB (Trustee & Risk) Sally Baxter SLB (Trustee & Depot Manager) Margaret Crossman (Trustee) Rev Jim Edie (Trustee & Partnerships) David Kemp DK (Trustee & Chair) Anne Charlotte McDermid (Trustee) Charles Sweet CS (Trustee & Safeguarding) Alex Williams AW (Minutes Secretary & Grants)

1. Welcome and Apologies - apologies were received from Amanda Loram. The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. Minutes of the previous meeting - the minutes of the previous meeting held on 12 September were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

3 . Governance

• a. Chair’s report – Governance over 2024 had been strong with a solid structure of 8 Trustees, 4 Exec members, one ambassador and 2 mentors. New policies have been added to fill gaps including the reserves and risk policy. It has also been agreed to hold re-elections in the Spring to ensure no-one feels taken for granted. JE queried whether a fire risk assessment had been done – DK confirmed that Wessex Fire & Security do an annual service of the fire extinguishers. Current demand is at around 38 households per week, an increase since a low of 24 in May, and expected to rise slightly over Christmas. The review and reduction of delivery content has helped control and reduce expenditure. Current bank holdings are at approximately £135k. DK expressed his thanks to ACMD and Sally for their smart buying and review of packages. The depot was running smoothly with new storage and cages in place. Harvest Festival donations were particularly large this year including a large donation from Sherborne Prep School. Queen Camel GP Surgery and SHARES have recently been added as new referral agencies. DK had meetings planned with Harbour Vale School and the Rendezvous in January. In 2024 we had greater engagement with local businesses such as Hunts and Thales, and DK was planning to meet with Valmeira in the New Year. He had also recently engaged with Wincanton, Gillingham, Yeovil and Castle Cary food banks to make sure there were no gaps in coverage.

• b. New Trustee – Amanda Loram has now received an appropriate DBS check.

• c. Risk – SB had circulated the risk matrix and had updated it by removing health and safety as it was no longer a current risk. Sally queried whether heavy lifting at the depot was an issue that should be considered. Bill Butters assistance with the fork-lift should

reduce this risk but SB suggested that an additional moving trolley, or perhaps the loan of a supermarket trolley would assist with moving heavy bags and loading into cars.

• d. Exec meeting – the notes from the 28[th] November exec board meeting had been circulated. The goods handling signage had been put up since the meeting. CG had confirmed that the Hendy grant was now at 95% spent.

• e. Sarah Kempson stand in – it was agreed that a stand in for Sarah should be sought for when she is unavailable

• f. SFB boundaries – DK reported he has spoken with all local foodbanks in the surrounding area to ensure there is no gap in service. Our current service area reaches North as far as Galhampton and South to Cerne Abbas, West to Yeovil and East to Henstridge.

• g. Data privacy – DK mentioned there were new Government regulations in relation to data privacy but had asserted that we would not qualify for compliance.

Actions:

1. An occasional stand-in for Sarah Kempson to be sought . DK

4. Depot

• a. Depot manager’s report – Sally reported that the new storage cages were now in use and had made the stock rotation process more robust. Packing teams were working well and ensuring oldest stocks are used first. More shelving would be helpful on the mezzanine – this would be purchased from Screwfix. The issues with electricity caused by changing over to the new supplier have now been resolved.

• The delivery to SHARES works well and has been a useful way of passing on nonstandard items received in Harvest Festival donations. There is now a shelf for each organisation at the depot for collection of non-standard items to be passed on. The Christmas boxes have all been packed and additional items from collections will be added next week before delivery. Boxes contain basic food items as well as Christmas items such as gravy and biscuits. These boxes go to singles and couples, as the donations organised by the Sherborne primary schools cover the families with children. JE explained that this project had been started by Dave Burley at Sherborne Primary and had now been extended to 5 schools. Supporters have raised £15k which covers the costs of a box of basics plus a £60 voucher which can be spent at local shops. Sally said that the school holiday bags had been successful and these contained lunch items as a holiday replacement to free school lunches – given to families with school age children during the holidays.

The Thales volunteer that helps on Thursdays is working out well. Dikes were starting a scheme in January where customers can swap their store loyalty points for donations to the food bank – these would be offered at a discounted price as they don’t want to profit from food bank purchases using the points.

The November bridge event had been a success and raised nearly £3k. The event lunch had been catered by Sally and ACMD and friends. A second bridge fundraiser would take place on 13[th] February.

The shortage of carrier bags had been resolved and were now being supplied by Sainsburys and Iceland.

• b. Wifi – Sally is investigating installation costs. DK highlighted the fact that we cannot run an office from the depot or we will become liable for VAT on rent.

• c. Depot manager replacement – Sally announced that she would be travelling from April and would be stepping down as Depot Manager and Trustee for the foreseeable future. DK asked Sally to help the Trustees by producing a one-page task list for the role so that we could recruit and/or split the role as necessary. DK expressed thanks to Sally for all her hard work on behalf of Trustees.

Actions

1. Additional shelving to be purchased for the mezzanine – Sally

2. WIFI installation quotes - Sally

3. One page manager task list - Sally

4. Recruitment of replacement for Sally – DK

5. Communications

• a. Events and activities – DK shared an extensive list of activities taking place in December which is appended to these minutes. [ TO BE ADDED]

• b. Sainsburys ‘grab rack’ – this is ready to go and LM is actioning

• c. MP visit – Edward Morello MP is visiting the depot on 18[th] January, time tbc. Trustees are invited to attend. ( Now scheduled for 25[th] January )

• d. Sherborne Times – an article is being planned for the February edition.

• e. Gryphon Kitchen – (for information only) DK gave an update on the project which had now been funded and opened.

Actions:

1. LM liaising with Sainsburys on new ‘grab rack’

2. Trustees invited to attend the MP depot visit on 25th Jan.

6. Finance

• a. Report – a report had been circulated prior to the meeting and approved by the meeting. As of today there is approximately £134k in the combined accounts. Income increased in the last quarter.

• b. Investment – DK has met with Amanda Loram to discuss investing food bank funds. They are considering CAF investments and also looking to seek pro bono tax advice as any income on investments may be taxable. We will also need to look to the future at the bigger picture and consider how funds can be spent most effectively. ACMD queried whether we should consider collaborating on a new Fareshare initiative. DK suggested that we put this on the agenda for the next meeting – he will ask all Trustees to review and consider the constitution and discuss our purpose in order to identify new ideas for spending the funds. He also mentioned that in August 2025 we will need to start discussions with the depot landlord regarding rolling on the lease.

• c. Grants – we have recently received two further grants from Dorset Council.

Actions:

1. DK/AL to present proposals for investing funds at next meeting

2. Trustees to review the Constitution ahead of the spending discussion at the next meeting and advise DK of options in advance for collation.

7. Referral agencies -

• a. Harbour Vale School – JE/DK will meet with them on 16 January.

• b. The Rendezvous – DK meeting Helena da Silva Wood on 14 January.

• c. Queen Camel medical centre – we’ve had our first referral from QC, we will accept referrals from them for addresses South of the A303.

Actions:

1. JE/DK to meet HVS on 26 Jan

2. DK to meet Helena da Silva Wood on 14 Jan

8. Institutional Clients – JE has recently taken on the role of Trustee for Partnerships. He already has good relationships with the schools but will touch base with Tinneys, Future Roots and Harbour Vale School soon. JE discussed with Ian Bartle regarding Thornfield, Yetminster and Bradford Abbas schools as whether they should be included as institutional clients. Deprivation rates, particularly in Yetminster are at higher levels than in Sherborne. Ian Bartle can put numbers and a case for support together for us so we can consider providing free breakfasts and further food-related support. JE said we could look at feeder schools for the Gryphon as an indication of whether to support and he will gather figures in advance of the March meeting for discussion by trustees.

AW queried whether JE would be using the Partnership's e-mail address - he said he'd prefer to use his current e-mail addresses but redirect emails from this address instead.

Actions:

1. JE to speak with Tinneys, Future Roots and Harbour Vale School

2. JE to present to next Trustees meeting regarding extending support to other Sherborne area schools

3. JE to forward Partnerships email account to his existing accounts.

9. Demand – this has increased to 42 households per week. We can expect demand to increase over Christmas in line with previous years

10. Volunteering – now have around 90 volunteers including a new weekly volunteer from Thales. DK is putting together 2 separate volunteering proposals – one for regular depot or driving support, a second for one-off support e.g. the Communifit Christmas run

11. AOB

a.. Fareshare - JE updated the Trustees regarding Fareshare. There were now two larders in Sherborne serving 25-28 families per week. Fareshare is supported locally by HAND (Helping Across North Dorset). They are also promoting credit union support through Wessex Community Bank in the local area. They are trying to provide an alternative to payday loans and leaflets are available at the weekly larders. They are also developing a scheme to teach financial management in schools, starting with a pilot at the Gryphon.

b. Vale Pantry – they now have a large depot and provide walk-in services including advice. They are also developing a workshop to teach financial management for young people.

c. Community Fridge – MC reported that the community fridge is finally up and running at the Pod on Cheap Street. This is open one day a week and local businesses donate their surplus food.

.

12. Dates of 2025 meetings:

Exec board	Trustees
6 March	20 March
5 June	19 June
4 September	18 September
27 November	11 December

ANNEX – DECEMBER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

DATE	CONTACT	ACTIVITY	BY
4	Magna Housing	Donation of £500	Liz Murray
5	Sherborne Business Awards	Awarded Community Benefit Award for 2ndyear	Liz Murray & Cathie Graham
5	Mogers Drewett	Reception - with funding and produce collection bin	David Kemp
10	Johnsons-Stalbridge	Quarterly charity award of £500	Dennis Finch
	Dike & Son	National award of £1000 credited	Dennis Finch
11	Sherborne Prep School	Food donation & Depot Visit	Margaret & John Crossman
12	Sherborne Connect	Care Home food donation	Anne Charlotte McDermid
15	Street Market	Monthly Cheap Street pitch	Liz Murray
	Communifit Run	Annual Xmas event for SFB	Cathie Graham
16	Sherborne Abbey	Carol Service reader	John Crossman
18	Battens	Xmas donation of £500	David Kemp & Liz Murray
23	Emergency Clients	Xmas box delivery	Depot teams

£ 100,812.69

SHERBORNE FOOD BANK – 31 December 2024

OPENING BALANCE 1st January 2024

RECEIPTS

Standing Orders 10,881.00 Donations - one off 84,370.39 * Justgiving 19,711.58 Bank Interest 91.66 115,054.63 EXPENDITURE Food/Supplies Purchases - 29,062.09 Supporting other agencies/organisations - 16,533.32 New Depot - 17,338.17 Bank Charges - 60.00 Admin Expenses Phone/Email Services - 928.40 Mileage/Fuel - 189.86 Website & other fees - 1,462.14 Trustee Expenses - 81.56 Stationery - 532.20 Equipment - 87.68 Hall Hire - 103.75 Insurance - 864.33 Volunteer Event - 855.88 - 5,105.80 - 68,099.38

CLOSING BALANCE 31 December 2024

£ 147,767.94

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CAF Bank balance on 31 December 2024 75,532.96 Less expenses to clear 656.33 76,189.29 NAT WEST Bank balance on 31 December 2024 71,578.65

£ 147,767.94

• £4512.00 Restricted to buying depot equipment & toiletries (Hendy Foundation) - £4,375.03 spent todate, leaving £136.97

Income - Jan -Dec 2024

	S/O	One Offs	Justgiving	Bank Int	Totals
Jan	815.50	12,967.07	3,606.86		17,389.43
Feb	1,010.50	2,615.00	1,346.70		4,972.20
Mar	953.50	4,791.25	1,378.42	21.23	7,144.40
Apr	913.50	1,794.17	1,759.12		4,466.79
May	863.50	2,846.61	1,227.85		4,937.96
Jun	833.50	13,154.93	2,049.30	20.97	16,058.70
Jul	1,013.50	2,661.10	1,389.79		5,064.39
Aug	863.50	450.00	1,012.24		2,325.74
Sep	913.50	3,208.24	1,275.90	23.39	5,421.03
Oct	863.50	1,775.23	1,673.85		4,312.58
Nov	913.50	19,135.39	1,487.51		21,536.40
Dec	923.50	18,971.40	1,504.04	26.07	21,425.01
	10,881.00	84,370.39	19,711.58	91.66	115,054.63

Expenditure - Jan - Dec 2024

	Supplies	Agencies	Depot	Bank Fee	Expenses	Totals
Jan	4,673.83 -	1,240.00 -	1,171.26 -	5.00 -	66.28 -	7,156.37 -
Feb	3,339.24 -	1,240.00 -	1,261.46 -	5.00 -	929.35 -	6,775.05 -
Mar	3,882.48 -	1,000.00 -	1,171.26 -	5.00 -	135.04 -	6,193.78 -
Apr	3,747.34 -	1,000.00 -	1,877.72 -	5.00 -	438.41 -	7,068.47 -
May	3,786.66 -	1,000.00 -	1,463.00 -	5.00 -	223.24 -	6,477.90 -
Jun	1,669.84 -	1,000.00 -	1,171.26 -	5.00 -	834.68 -	4,680.78 -
Jul	2,354.28 -	1,000.00 -	1,258.31 -	5.00 -	1,284.78 -	5,902.37 -
Aug	1,542.09 -	1,280.00 -	1,338.03 -	5.00 -	119.40 -	4,284.52 -
Sep	764.43 -	7,773.32 -	1,292.62 -	5.00 -	195.42 -	10,030.79 -
Oct	600.46 -	-	2,759.38 -	5.00 -	312.67 -	3,677.51 -
Nov	1,411.00 -	-	1,396.43 -	5.00 -	284.73 -	3,097.16 -
Dec	1,290.44 -	-	1,177.44 -	5.00 -	281.80 -	2,754.68 -
	29,062.09 -	16,533.32 -	17,338.17 -	60.00 -	5,105.80 -	68,099.38 -

Volunteer Event In 1000.00 Out -855.88 £ 144.12

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to tha trustaasl mombers of $14EL6c)ArJ E 2prtNiK On account8 for tha year ended Charity no (If any) i/Sts tsSI Set out on page8 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (°th8 Trust") ft)r the year ended Rgsponsibilities and As the Gharity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation ba8[8 of report of the accounts in accordan￿ with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report in ￿SpeCt 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 applirAble Dlrections given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters hav8 come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ") in connection with the examination 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 record8 Independent examinerfs Statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. . Please delete the w0￿S in the brackets if they do not 8ppIy. Slgned; Date: Nam•: i 0￿J[￿> Qo Ralovant profossional quallficatlonls) or body lif any): Address: k)E +Eifi(kT 9 LFI4 IER October 2018

Soction B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Indep8ndent examination of charity accounts.. dir8Ctions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief detsils of any Items that the examiner wishos to di8close. IER October 2018