2021-12-31-accounts

Lichfield foodbank

Annual Report for the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

Contents

	Page
1. Introduction	3
2. The need	4
3. Highlights of the year	4
3.1. Food collections	4
3.2. Food and non-food distribution	5
3.3. Ongoing support	6
3.4. Volunteers	6
3.5. Supporters	6
3.6. Distribution centres	6
3.7. Governance	6
4. Chair of Trustee’s report	7
5. Treasurer’s report	8
Summary of accounts	10

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

1. Introduction

• 1.1 Foodbanks provide emergency food, collected from the local community, to local people in crisis. Lichfield foodbank was launched in late March 2014. It was developed under the auspices of Churches Together in Lichfield and is part of the national foodbank network seeded by the Trussell Trust.

• 1.2 Lichfield foodbank became a charity in its own right operating as a charitable incorporated organisation in June 2015. This paper identifies the work undertaken during our financial year from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.

• 1.3 The charity’s name is Lichfield foodbank and has been entered onto the Register of Charities with the Registered Charity Number of 1162359.

• 1.4 The registered address of the charity is Lichfield foodbank, Wade Street Church Office, Frog Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6HS.

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

2. The Need

• 2.1 The district of Lichfield has a population of circa 104,000. As well as the City of Lichfield, the district includes the town of Burntwood which is served by the Cannock and district foodbank. The area served by Lichfield foodbank is a relatively affluent area but it does contain some pockets of deprivation. Financial crises can impact on anyone, not just those in the most deprived areas or on income related benefits.

• 2.2 Nationally, the need for foodbanks has grown significantly in recent years. The need for a foodbank in Lichfield was identified from information provided by foodbanks in neighbouring areas that residents of Lichfield had needed to call upon them for assistance in times of crisis. In 2021 Lichfield foodbank fulfilled well over three times as many vouchers as in 2016 and although we saw a slight decrease in numbers compared to 2020, a 47% increase was recorded versus 2019, much of which was due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The growth in the number of people approaching Lichfield foodbank for help confirms that there is an ongoing need to have a foodbank in Lichfield.

• 2.3 Demand, in terms of individuals fed, decreased by 4% compared to 2020 but increased by 89% compared to 2019. We have only been able to feed so many people because of the support we have received from individuals, groups, streets and roads across the city and surrounding villages, plus local churches, businesses and the supermarkets Tesco, Morrison’s, Waitrose and Central England Cooperative.

3. Highlights of the Year

3.1 Food Collections

• Three supermarket collections were held during 2021 generating a total of 6.1 tonnes of food. We have been warmly welcomed during 2021 and previous years by Tesco, Waitrose, Morrison's and Central England Co-operative stores in Lichfield and would like to thank their staff for their co-operation on collection days.

• Tesco also supported our food drives at their stores with an uplift on the value of the food collected. In 2021 this amounted to £2,198.91 which was paid into our bank account via the Trussell Trust.

• A network of 30 foodbank collection points is well established in churches, schools, shops, businesses and other local organisations. Contributions are also being delivered to the foodbank distribution centres during opening times.

• In all, during 2021, Lichfield foodbank collected 60.7 tonnes of food which is 6% lower than in 2020 but 40% higher than in 2019.

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

• We are very grateful to all of the schools, churches and community organisations that supported our 'Harvest' appeal. We received nearly ten times as much food as in 2020, making Harvest 2021 the fourth highest total in the eight years of our existence - a remarkable figure (4.4 tonnes) in view of this ongoing pandemic and some interruption in schools.

3.2 Food and Non-Food Distribution

• The growth of our food distribution continued during the year. The foodbank’s clients receive a parcel of three days’ worth of nutritionally balanced, nonperishable food following referral by an agency. By the end of 2021, we had 35 agencies registered to issue Lichfield foodbank vouchers. The operation of the foodbank relies on the co-operation of these agencies and we appreciate their support and involvement.

• A total of 1,638 vouchers were fulfilled during 2021 providing three days worth of food to 2,660 adults and 2,182 children. This is slightly lower than in 2020 but significantly higher than the 1,582 adults and 982 children fed during 2019.

• Throughout the year, we included vouchers in the food parcels to allow our clients to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables from Riley's greengrocers and bread from Hindley's bakery, both located in the city centre. During the year, a total of 6,137 x £5 fruit/vegetable vouchers and 3,421 x £2.35 bread vouchers were redeemed and we would like to formally thank Mark Riley and Duncan Hindley and their staff for their fantastic support.

• For families with children under 5 years of age, we also provided a £10 Boots voucher to enable essential toiletry items be purchased. During the year, we provided a total of 810 x £10 vouchers.

• In July, we held a "back to school" initiative where we provided school children from families in need with essential items such as pencils, pens, maths sets and calculators for their return to school after the summer holidays. In addition to items donated, we spent a total of £5,017 on this initiative.

• In the run up to Christmas, we assembled and distributed 600 special Christmas food parcels each containing over 20 items, to foodbank clients in addition to the normal food parcels. This was a 9% increase over the previous year and a significant logistical exercise in itself which was much appreciated by our clients.

• In these Christmas parcels, we included an additional fruit/vegetable, bread and Boots voucher and also a voucher to collect a tray of meat from Walter Smith butchers. We would like to formally thank the manager of Walter Smith's in Lichfield for his support. We also assembled separate children's and toddler's bags where we provided such items as a WH Smith voucher, a book as well as appropriate food.

• In addition to distributing food to clients locally, the generosity of the people of Lichfield in donating food enabled us to support other charities in the area

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

which provide food to people in crisis. The four major charities supported in 2021 were: Burton Salvation Army, which received 9.6 tonnes; ASHA (asylum seekers support) in Stoke on Trent 5.4 tonnes; Elias Mattu foodbank (Wolverhampton) 0.7 tonnes and Cannock and district foodbank 0.7 tonnes.

• In all during 2021, Lichfield foodbank and other local charities distributed 62.7 tonnes of food which is slightly less than 2020 but an increase of over 55% compared to 2019.

3.3 Ongoing Support

Each foodbank distribution centre maintains an agency database and manual for use in signposting a client to additional support.

3.4 Volunteers

• Lichfield foodbank is a volunteer run organisation; we do not have any paid staff. 237 volunteers helped to operate the project in 2021.

• There are teams of regular volunteers staffing the warehouse and distribution centres and conveying food to and from our warehouse. Many of our volunteers use their own vehicles to carry food to and from our warehouse, which means we can operate without the expense of having our own van, as many other foodbanks have to do. There are a large number of volunteers involved in the supermarket collections. We thank all our volunteers for their ongoing commitment.

3.5 Supporters

• We continue to be delighted by the level of support, both financial and in kind, that the project has received. We are grateful to all those who have enabled the foodbank to operate as it does.

• Our thanks go to our other supporters, namely Life Church, Lichfield, Wade Street Church, Lichfield and Curborough Community Centre for hosting the distribution sessions and for providing office support and for food collections; Saxon Hill Academy for providing the premises for our warehouse and container, plus the support of staff and students; Tesco in Lichfield and nationally; Morrison’s in Lichfield and nationally; Waitrose in Lichfield and nationally; Central England Co-operative in Lichfield for accommodating our collection baskets and their direct donations; King Edward V1 and John Taylor High schools; St Michael's church and Le Rêve Bar all of which collected or gave at least 1% of our food donations.

3.6 Distribution Centres

There are operational distribution centres at Life Church, Netherstowe, Wade Street Church, Frog Lane and at Curborough Community Centre which opened on

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

26 July 2021. We are grateful to our partners who allow us to use their premises to run these distribution centres without charge.

3.7 Governance

• The purposes of the charity are defined in the constitution as follows:

“to relieve persons in Lichfield and the surrounding areas that are in financial hardship in such ways as the trustees from time to time think fit, in particular, but not exclusively by: a) providing emergency food, essential toiletries and household items to individuals and families in need and/or for distribution by charities or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty and: b) such other means, including (but not limited to) the provision of support or signposting to relevant information and other advisory services.”

• Lichfield foodbank was granted formal charity status as a charitable incorporated organisation on 23 June 2015. It is constituted under the Foundation Model which means that its only voting members are the Trustees.

• At the start of 2021, the Board of Trustees consisted of 5 members who are the clergy of three of the churches within Lichfield, namely; Rev. Steve Speight (Chairman of Trustees), Rev. Rod Clark and Rev. Ian Hayter plus Mr Robert Welfare and Mrs. Ann Schwarzenbach. Mr Welfare resigned during the year and has since been replaced by Mr Peter Westwood who was appointed on 26 April 2021.

• The Trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers and duties.

• The Trustees are supported by an Executive Working Group whose role is to ensure that the foodbank operates smoothly with good governance, to report to and support the Board of Trustees and to keep volunteers, clients and partner organisations appropriately informed.

4. Chair's Report

2021 has been another very challenging year for ourselves at Lichfield Foodbank. The systems and routines that are well established are now running brilliantly. The reason they run so well is that we have an amazing team of volunteers both visible and behind the scenes that make it all work. We have no one employed to run any area of the foodbank, although a few small expenses are paid out. This means that everyone working in the warehouse, driving around delivering supplies, collecting food at supermarkets and working in our three distribution centres do so as a contribution to the city and community that they live in. They do this with a smile on their faces and a commitment to delivering the best service that we can. This past year we have added one more distribution centre to the current two. Curborough Community Centre now

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

opens on a Monday which means there are now four days a week when we are open to the public.

I want to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to our volunteers whether it’s a couple of hours dealing with the public or many hours in administration, training and organisation.

Rev. Steve Speight – Chairman of the Trustees of Lichfield foodbank

5. Treasurer's Report

• 5.1 In 2021 we received very generous monetary donations of £63,364.55 which was 12.5% less than 2020 but 4 times higher than in 2019. Included within this figure is £2,199 in top-up payments received from Tesco following our supermarket collections and other public food donations at the store. Prior to June 2020, these payments were in proportion to the amount of food donated at the Lichfield Tesco Extra store alone but since then, payments are in proportion to food donated at Tesco stores throughout the country and divided up between all Trussell Trust franchised foodbanks. We are grateful to all those who purchase food at all our supermarket collection points and donate it to the foodbank.

• 5.2 We received some extremely generous donations from individuals and organisations during the period with many being four figure sums, for which we are extremely grateful. Organisations that we would like to formally thank for their tremendous support in this way are:

• St John's Church, Shenstone

• LWS Advisory Ltd., Shenstone

• Rotary Club Lichfield St Chad

• Elias Ashmole Lodge, Tamworth

• Lichfield Gospel Choir

• Shenstone Evening WI

• Lichfield Golf and Country Club

• Autosmart International, Shenstone

• NEU Staffordshire District

• Specsavers Finance

• Lichfield Cathedral Guild of Stewards

• Maple Hayes Hall School

• T by the C, Shenstone

• Geze UK Ltd

• Carroll Consulting Ltd

together with dozens of individual donors whose donations often amounted to three or even four figure sums.

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

• 5.3 By the end of 2021, we had 35 donors who had committed to regular payments via a standing order mandate. This was up from 29 donors at the end of 2020.

• 5.3 We are registered as a charity for tax purposes and are able to claim a further 25% of the value of the donation via the Government's Gift Aid scheme. A Gift Aid payment of £3,327.89 was received during 2021.

• 5.4 Lichfield foodbank remains on a sound financial footing, is well placed to consolidate and develop its work going forward and will continue to manage its money responsibly. We have a policy in place to hold a reserve of £10,000. This is based on holding a minimum of 12 months’ expenditure to guard against uncertainties in income. At the same time, it provides assurance that the charity would be viable in the short to medium term if it became necessary to pay rent for warehousing or distribution centres in the future.

• 5.5 At the end of 2021, the foodbank had assets in the bank and cash in hand of £57,319.79 which is 5% higher than at the end of 2020 and a trading surplus during the year of £2,690.37.

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

A Summary of the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021 is shown below

LICHFIELD FOODBANK

RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR PERIOD 1 JANUARY - 31 DECEMBER 2021

INCOME		2021		2020
Donations	1	63,364.55		72,414.32
Grants		240.00		1,000.00
Fund Raising		324.40		0.00
Bank Interest		0.00		0.00
Gift Aid		3,327.89		1,543.58
TOTAL INCOME			67,256.84		74,957.90
EXPENDITURE
Food Purchases	2	45,272.99		26,777.11
Volunteer Expenses		1,771.78		1,618.61
Volunteer Training		0.00		0.00
Trussell Trust Franchise	3	0.00		0.00
Insurance		389.65	4	0.00
Bank Charges		0.00		0.00
Telephone, printing, postage and stationery		920.42		561.26
Equipment Purchases		658.17		365.28
Equipment Maintenance		0.00		0.00
Accommodation		0.00		0.00
Non-food Purchases	5	15,553.46		5,067.71
Charitable Donations		0.00	6	1,530.00
TOTAL EXPENDITURE			64,566.47		35,919.97
SURPLUS (DEFICIT)			2,690.37		39,037.93

Notes to the Accounts

Note 1 - excludes food donations

Note 2 - excludes donated food Note 3 - the Trussell Trust's franchise fee was waived in both 2020 and 2021 Note 4 - three additional months provided FOC which took the renewal date into 2021 Note 5 - non-food purchases included essential items such as toiletries, nappies, etc. Note 6 - in lieu of food donated in previous years due to the Covid-19 pandemic

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

LICHFIELD FOODBANK

BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2021

	31/12/2021		31/12/2020
ASSETS
Cash at bank and in hand
Bank	56,984.39		54,391.30
Cash in hand	326.64		208.12
Vouchers	8.76		30.00
		57,319.79		54,629.42
LIABILITIES
Creditors		0.00		0.00
NET ASSETS		57,319.79		54,629.42
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
Balance 31/12/2020		54,629.42		15,591.49
surplus (deficit)		2,690.37		39,037.93
Balance 31/12/2021		57,319.79		54,629.42

EXAMINER'S REPORT

I have examined the above Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2021 and the annexed Receipts and Payment Account for the period ending on that date and certify them to be in accordance with the books, records and information supplied to me.

Signed by: J J Shanahan, FMCA, CGMA, 27 January 2022

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Lichfield foodbank: charity number 1162359

LICHFIELD FOODBANK

RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR PERIOD 1 JANUARY - 31 DECEMBER 2021

INCOME		2021		2020
Donations	1	63,364.55		72,414.32
Grants		240.00		1,000.00
Fund Raising		324.40		0.00
Bank Interest		0.00		0.00
Gift Aid		3,327.89		1,543.58
TOTAL INCOME			67,256.84
EXPENDITURE
Food Purchases	2	45,272.99		26,777.11
Volunteer Expenses		1,771.78		1,618.61
Volunteer Training		0.00		0.00
Trussell Trust Franchise	3	0.00		0.00
Insurance		389.65	4	0.00
Bank Charges		0.00		0.00
Telephone, printing, postage and stationery		920.42		561.26
Equipment Purchases		658.17		365.28
Equipment Maintenance		0.00		0.00
Accommodation		0.00		0.00
Non-food Purchases	5	15,553.46		5,067.71
Charitable Donations		0.00	6	1,530.00
TOTAL EXPENDITURE			64,566.47
SURPLUS (DEFICIT)			2,690.37

Notes to the Accounts

Note 1 - excludes food donations Note 2 - excludes donated food Note 3 - the Trussell Trust's franchise fee was waived in both 2020 and 2021 Note 4 - three additional months provided FOC which took the renewal date into 2021 Note 5 - non-food purchases included essential items such as toiletries, nappies, etc. Note 6 - in lieu of food donated in previous years due to the Covid-19 pandemic

LICHFIELD FOODBANK

	BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2021
	12/31/2021	12/31/2020
ASSETS
Cash at bank and in hand
Bank	56,984.39	54,391.30
Cash in hand	326.64	208.12
Vouchers	8.76	30.00
	57,319.79
LIABILITIES
Creditors	0.00
NET ASSETS	57,319.79
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
Balance 31/12/2020	54,629.42
surplus (defcit)	2,690.37
Balance 31/12/2021	57,319.79

EXAMINER'S REPORT

I have examined the above Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2021 and the annexed Re and Payment Account for the period ending on that date and certify them to be in accordance with the books, records and information supplied to me.

Signed by: J J Shanahan, FMCA, CGMA, 27 January 2022

74,957.90 35,919.97 39,037.93

54,629.42

0.00

54,629.42

15,591.49 39,037.93 54,629.42

eceipts

LICHFIELD FOODBANK BAL4NCE SHE￿ AT 31 DECEMBER 2021 3111212021 31/1212020 Cash at bank and in hand Bank Cash in hand Vouchers 56.984.39 326.64 8.76 54,391.30 208.12 30.00 57,319.79 54.629.42 LIABILITIES Creditors NE[ ASSErs 57.319.79 54,629.42 INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT Balance 31/12/2020 surplus Ideficitl 54,629.42 2,690.37 15,591.49 39,037.93 8alance 3111212021 57,319.79 54,629.42 EXAMINER'S REPORT I have examined the above Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2021 and the annexed Receipts and Payment Account for the period ending on that date and ￿rtify them to be in accordance with the books, records and information supplied to me. Signed by- FcM4, CGMA.