- Message from our chair of trustees
Over the 12 months in question, faced with an unprecedented pandemic, as a Foodbank, we wondered whether we could stay open, whether donations would dry up, whether we have to offer reduced amounts of food. The reality was none of that happened. Our staff and volunteers worked fantastically hard to ensure that we could continue to provide food and help to those who needed it. We found new sources of food, especially the generosity of Tescos, we found new sources of income - in terms of grants - we found new volunteers who wanted to use their time to help, and we did not have to close any distribution centre or reduce any size of food parcel.
At every level of our operation, we have a wonderful group of people who are committed to our vision of being a source of help to those in need and making sure no one in our community goes hungry. The Foodbank is its volunteers, whether serving in the warehouse, or one of our distribution centres, or picking up food from a collection point. The Foodbank is also the result of the generosity of our local community who donate food to share with others in the community.
The Foodbank is an expression of solidarity with one another, a recognition that everyone should have the basics in life. For those of us with a Christian faith in the Foodbank, we understand this as an expression of the Kingdom of God, in which we are called to love our neighbour as ourselves.
As the year ended, we have begun to ask new questions about how we continue to do what we do, but also to take steps to develop the service we offer in new ways.
Andy Goodliff, Chair of Trustees
- Message from project manager
To say that the last year has been challenging, would be an understatement. In January 2020, we were still recovering from our busiest period that we’ve had so far. From Harvest to Christmas, is a manic time for Southend Foodbank. Donations and guest numbers always rise. The pressure of increasing heating bills, the pressure on people to spend on other things for Christmas also weighs heavily on those who are just about making ends meet.
In January 2020, we were planning on how to increase our fundraising and ramp up our community involvement. We wanted to give people different opportunities to volunteer and show them how they can make a meaningful contribution to ending the need for foodbanks. With that in mind, we had our first Action Day in March 2020. By the end of March, we were in lockdown.
As with the rest of the country, we were presented with new challenges. During this period, we were blessed with donations from our community, volunteers who stepped in for those who were shielding, monetary donations from church trusts, grant
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foundations and corporate donations from supermarkets. In the midst of so much uncertainty, the community of Southend and Rochford gathered together to help those less fortunate.
Eastwood Distribution Centre became our 8th centre in January 2021. Based at Eastwood Baptist Church, they helped widen the circle of support in Southend and Rochford reaching more people in need.
As well as being a time of upheaval, it was also a time when generosity and community spirit outweighed lesser impulses.
Our volunteers put others before themselves in serving and helped us to remain open. Foodbanks are often called the fourth emergency service and it was evident during this time.
To all those who gave money and time and organisational help, those who drove for us, and packed boxes, our staff who worked many more hours organising and leading and taking ‘phone calls from desperate people, thank you! Reaching out to those in need would not have been possible without every hour that you gave!
Thank you! Natasha Copus, Project manager
3. Our vision and mission
Our vision is to reduce hunger and alleviate poverty in Southend and Rochford. We do this through distributing food at our eight centres in Southend and Rochford. The food that we distribute is collected from community donations – people donate food at supermarkets, churches and during Covid; parking lots and on their doorsteps.
We also want to reduce the need for foodbanks. We work with referral agencies who work directly with the community. As part of the work they do, they issue vouchers to help people in crisis. Our guests then bring the vouchers to one of our centres where we fulfil them. Our aim is for them to work with agencies such as Citizens Advice, Christians Against Poverty and other agencies that can help their circumstances.
As part of the Trussell Trust network of foodbanks, all this data is collated and goes to making real changes in policy that will help people.
4. Our trustees
Our trustees have diverse skills and wisdom that they bring to leading the foodbank. As well as the skills they bring to our board, they also represent the churches we hold our centres at.
Andy Goodliff, our chair of trustees Richard Sapsted, Hawkwell Baptist Tom Vernon, Earls Hall Baptist Steve Dalley, Ferndale Baptist
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Melanie Venables, Shoebury and Thorpe Bay Baptist Church (STBBC) Sharon Watkins, Eastwood Baptist John Honeyands, Sacred Heart and St John Fisher
6. Our volunteers
We have over 100 volunteers who give their time, energy and compassion. We have teams volunteering in our warehouse three times a week (four in peak times like Harvest and Christmas), teams run by our amazing co-ordinators in each of our eight distribution centres, a team of drivers for each of those centres that deliver the parcels from the warehouse to the centre, and drivers who pick up from churches, schools and supermarkets to bring to our warehouse. We also have ad hoc volunteers who volunteer at our supermarket collections. We also have a team behind the scenes who volunteer by staffing our info inbox, organise drivers, co-ordinate our referral agencies and vouchers, oversee recruitment and our fundraising co-ordinator who supports the foodbank in so many ways. Without these volunteers, we would have to close. We are so grateful for everyone who gives of their time.
In February 2021, we undertook a survey of our volunteers using Peakon. These were some of the comments:
Quotes from our volunteers:
“It feels good when we have a busy morning packing food boxes, as I know they are going to directly to support some struggling with food poverty.”
“Changes people's lives by supporting then with food, but listening and signposting are just as important. When appropriate we also pray for people.”
“Great being part of a team who are giving back to the community, worthwhile, challenging great team and leadership.”
“Working in the Foodbank is very rewarding. Well supported, friendly and well organised.” “It's very rewarding, the people you work alongside are great too!” “I love the fact that I am giving hungry people food, directly.”
On asked if they felt like they were making a difference, one volunteer said this: “Food signposting listening prayer loving our guests.”
Some of the comments were challenging, but these are also useful and we see it as an opportunity to make changes and improvements. A lot of the comments were about not knowing the overall vision of the foodbank apart from the day-to-day activities. This led, amongst other things, to the trustees, staff and volunteers sharing their vision for the foodbank, which led to us renewing our vision later in 2021 and being able to share that with volunteers.
7. warehouse report
During the period of this Report the Warehouse avoided any outbreak of Covid cases and was able to stay fully open and functional throughout. Early strict Covid protocol procedures were introduced and steps were taken to reduce the number of day teams and volunteers
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in the warehouse at any one time. The downside of this was that it put increased pressure on the Warehouse Coordinator who was present throughout.
As part of our volunteer care, a WhatsApp Group was established to keep all volunteers, active and shielding, informed of developments but also for the Warehouse Coordinator to maintain a dialogue to help any volunteer struggling during lockdown. It also meant when restrictions were lifted we were able to welcome back some volunteers into safe roles
As noted elsewhere the need for food support rose considerably during this period. However early mitigation work was put into place to asses stock levels, identify emerging product shortages and revise the pick lists in the event of a complete fall-off in donations. Thankfully this was not needed but remains as a fall back position should circumstances change.
The generosity of donors and national campaigns lead by Tescos and Morrisons resulted in a significant increase in donations that eventually lead to the Warehouse having to take possession of 3 lock-up facilities at SafeStore leading to temporary stock management issues and the need for the long-term hire of a van to cope with frequent stock rotation placing further strain on the Warehouse teams.
Simon Carter Warehouse Co-ordinator
8. Special projects
Christmas 2020
We usually add a bag of Christmas extras to our usual emergency food parcel, due to the amount of food we received, we decided to reach out to our school referral agencies so that they could give a bag of basics and extras to their families who are struggling.
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Video showing the parcels: https://www.facebook.com/southendfoodbank/videos/868383457305891
Quote:
The school delivered a parcel for a family that was isolating. We received a text from the recipient.
good evening hope I'm messaging the right place .. a food parcel was delivered to my home today ( we are isolating as my daughter has Corona ) and I'd just like to say thank you so much we are super grateful totally unexpected but so lovely merry Christmas to you all and thank you again xx
Easter 2021
We knew that families were still facing huge difficulties feeding their children during the school holidays. We reached out to schools again and we had a huge response. We supplied 414 bags of basics to 23 schools in Southend and Rochford, including Easter eggs!
Feedback from one of our schools who received Easter bags.
‘They were amazing and such a help for our families.
We continue to offer FoodBank parcels to our families so this is not something that has gone away.
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During that even more difficult time for our families I know these parcels made such a difference.
If you are able to offer this again, please count us in.
Best wishes, Sam
Sam Nash
Home School Liaison/Deputy Safeguarding Lead
St. Nicholas School
Southend-on-Sea
Essex
SS2 4RL
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9. Covid response
In March 2020, our team got together to make contingency plans. We looked at options if we didn’t get any further donations as certain items were becoming scarce. Other decisions included making sure that our more vulnerable volunteers were shielding, volunteers were working in bubbles so that Covid would not spread among all our volunteers. This took place at our warehouse and the distribution centres.
We temporarily closed one of our quieter distribution centres so that volunteers could be deployed at the busier ones. Belle Vue Distribution Centre opened once a week for a longer session instead of twice a week. Our Ferndale distribution centre was closed and Steve Dalley, the minister and co-ordinator from Ferndale moved back to Belle Vue DC to run the operation there.
We changed the way we operated to a ‘take-away’ service. As more agencies had moved onto issuing e-vouchers, this became a more standard way of operating. Guests could give the volunteers their unique number and this was exchanged for food parcels.
Volunteers and guests adapted to the changes.
Special thanks go to Chalkwell Junior School who produced face shields for volunteers.
We also trialled the use of Banquet during this time. Banquet is an online donation platform where supporters could donate to them and they arrange wholesale purchases of the food we needed. Our community was as generous as ever, but as we were now receiving a large amount of food from Tesco directly, we decided to stop our subscription with them.
Our community responded in such a generous and selfless way. Leigh Tin Team was one such community response who donated food to us.
‘Leigh Tin Team was the inspiration of a local teenager who, in April 2020, asked his mum (a teacher):
“What is the point of everyone standing on their doorstep clapping? Maybe we should ask them to put a tin of food on their wall and we could go along the road and collect them for the Foodbank once everyone has gone back inside.”
Before long the idea had spread with collectors in over 50 roads - north and south of the London Rd. and from Hadleigh borders to Chalkwell.
Collectors sign up through the LTT website and receive a briefing ‘blurb’ and leaflets for their neighbours. Once they do their collection (weekly during the first lockdown in Spring/Summer 2020, now monthly) they decide which local foodbank to donate to; unfortunately there is a need for an ever-increasing amount of donations. Something that started as an emergency response to an international pandemic has become a sad fact of everyday life for too many in our local Southend community. Thankfully, people who are able to across Leigh (and in Thorpe Bay and Shoebury Tin Teams too) are supporting those experiencing food poverty/insecurity in our city.’
STBBC, one of our distribution centre venues, also saw the need and responded. When the pandemic struck and the lockdown began we heard from lots of people in our community keen to donate to the foodbank and support our community. We'd met some of
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Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Charity in England & Wales (no. 1163160)
Financial accounts
for the year 1[st] May 2020 — 30[th] April 2021
SOUTHEND FOODBANK CIO FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 APRIL 2021 £s
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Receipts
Income was £55,959 higher than the previous year — at £142,803. Grants made up c.13% of total income, amounting to £18,834. This represents a significant decrease on last year (when grants made up almost half of income). However, several large donations were made to the Foodbank over the course of the year: many donations of £1,000 or more were received and the use of the Paypal and Facebook giving funds contributed over £23,000 to income. 40% of income was driven by donations under £1,000.
Payments
Expenditure also increased against the previous year — by £40,252 to £74,979. The main areas of increase were in Rent (up £19,080 from leasing a larger space to accommodate an increased size of operations, including the lease of several containers at an off-site storage facility), salaries (up £6,747 — most due to the employment of a warehouse co-ordinator), Fabric and Equipment (up £5,010 – from fitting-out this larger space with shelving etc.) and Food (up £5,355). Increases to expenditure in these four areas accounted for c.90% of the overall increase in payments. Salaries and Wages accounted for 33% of overall expenditure; Rent and Utility payments for 31%.
Funds
Many of the grants received in the previous financial year were restricted to a specific purpose; below is a summary of how these funds have been used over the past year:
| Restricted funds | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Project manager salary fund | 0 | 10,555 |
| Kitchenette fund | 610 | 610 |
| Clothing fund | 57 | 277 |
| Shed fund | 1,140 | 5,500 |
| Food fund | 1,125 | 0 |
Additionally, three restricted funds were set-up and depleted fully within the current financial year (Warehouse co-ordinator fund: £3,868.80; Storage fund: £3,840.62).
| Unrestricted funds | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Reserves | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| General fund | 112,070 | 30,237 |
Within the unrestricted fund, an amount of £25,000 is held in reserve, in accordance with the Reserve Policy. In total £137,070 was held in unrestricted funds at the close of the financial year; £2,932 was held in restricted funds.
Matthew Belcher, FIA Treasurer
SOUTHEND FOODBANK CIO
FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 APRIL 2021
£s
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
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Basis of accounts : these accounts have been prepared on a ‘receipts and payments’ basis and accord with Sections 132-166, Charities Act (CA 2011) for an E&W CIO
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Approval of accounts : these accounts meet the threshold at which an independent examination is required in addition to approval by the Trustees.
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Guarantees and disclosures : the trustees confirm, in accordance with Charitable Incorporated Organisation (General) Regulations 2012, that at year end the CIO did not have any outstanding guarantees to third parties nor any debts secured on assets of the CIO.
The financial statement relating to the year ending 30 April 2021 are as approved by the Trustees.
Date: Date:
Signed: (Chair) Signed: (Treasurer)
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND MD WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of 5 HfA 6orb0 6AfJY On accounts for the year ended Charity no {rf any) AP/LiU [IL3ILo Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe TNst"I for the year ended 301 6120 LK. As the chartys tNslees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance wth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (°the Acr) I report in resped of my examination of the Trusys accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515)(b) of the Act Responsibilities and basis of report examlnerfs statement I have coryleted my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection wth the examination latheF dG10*v1ch gives me cause to believe that in, any material respeci". the accounting records not kept in accordance section 130 of the Charities Act.. or the accounts did not accord wth the accounting records,. or the accounts did not compty with the applicable requirernenls concerning the form and content of accounts sel out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement Ihal the accounts give a Irue and fairf view thich 1$ not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come aosS no other matters in connection Vlith the examination to vknich attention should be dra in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be rea¢hed. . Please delete the words in the brackets rfthey do not apply. Date: Signed: ZL21 Name: Cb41,U PCOL Relevant professional qvalifi¢ationls) or body ACMA , Cc-th IER Oct 2018
(rf any): Address: £si Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matenal matters of concern (see CC32. Independent examination of chanty accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018