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2023-04-30-accounts

Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Charity in England & Wales (no. 1163160)

Annual report

for the year

—

30[th] April 2023

Trustee report 1 May 2022 – 30 April 2023

Contents:

  1. Introduction

  2. Message from Chair of Trustees

  3. Message from the project manager

  4. Our vision and mission

  5. Our trustees

  6. Our volunteers

  7. Highlights

  8. The year in pictures

  9. Infograph of the year in review

1. Introduction

This Annual Report presents a review of year 1st May 2022 to 30th April 2023, reporting on achievements, performance and impact, including financial performance and financial position to demonstrate the trustees’ stewardship and management of charitable funds.

The trustees and staff of Southend Foodbank wish to express their deep appreciation of the contribution made by volunteers, staff and donors, without which, no achievements would have been possible. The trustees are confident that, by their stewardship and management of charitable funds, Southend Foodbank continues to meet the requirements around public benefit as defined by the Charity Commission.

  1. Message from the chair of trustees

As a charity we continue to be rooted and established upon the teaching and life of Jesus. Our four values of Compassion, Justice, Community and Dignity are built upon Jesus' own way of life. For those who are part of the Foodbank and who are Christians, we see God’s Kingdom at work in what we do. We seek to serve those who are hungry, and those who are in need to the best of our ability. We seek to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. We are so grateful for all our staff and volunteers, whether they have faith in Jesus or not. They make it possible to fulfil our goal, to Help Local People in Crisis.

In this past year we have been serving people who are struggling with the national cost of living crisis, and increased fuel bills. Because of the diligence of our staff and volunteers, and the generosity of our community, and the grants that we have been able to secure, we have just been able to keep up with the sharp increase in demand that we have seen. In one year, we have seen access to Southend Foodbank jump 64.6%. The previous year had seen a step of 43% - and that felt massive at the time.

We have continued to provide 3 days of emergency food across 8 locations, and have provided signposting to additional services, and enabled a member of the Citizens Advice team to be available at 4 of our busiest distribution centres. Our campaigns coordinator has been raising awareness of food poverty in the wider community through news reports, both printed and on radio, as well as through social media. We have successfully appointed new staff in key roles, to enable us to do our best for our local community in and around Southend. I am so grateful to all those who help, from volunteers, to employees, to trustees. There is so much faithful and passionate dedication to Southend Foodbank, and so much hunger to help within our team; it is a privilege to be part of it.

As we move into a new year, the financial indications show that this coming year may see even greater need and greater access to our services. Yet we trust that in all this, we would be a light that shines in our community, a light that brings hope to those who are in crisis.

Tom Vernon Chair of Trustees

  1. Message from project manager

Meeting the sharp increase in the number of foodbank parcels requires Herculean efforts from the warehouse staff and volunteers, distribution centre volunteers and their co-ordinators, increased demand on drivers and staff. If we had to look at the increase at the beginning of the year and see how much we would have to do by the end of it, it would be daunting and feel impossible, but the team meets the demand. I’m so grateful for the group of people who make all this possible.

The increase in the number of parcels couldn’t be realised without the support of the community, the tireless work of the volunteers and staff and the funding from grants and donors. Thank you for providing food for those who need it.

I also want to thank God for His provision and grace that He provides.

Natasha Copus, Project manager

4. Our vision and mission

Our vision is to reduce hunger and alleviate financial hardship among people living in Southend and Rochford.

We do this by providing emergency food, essential toiletries and household items to individuals and families in need. We will also provide signposting to relevant information and other advisory services. We will provide these services with a Christian ethos, supported by churches within Southend and Rochford.

The food that we distribute is collected from our community donations – people donate food at supermarkets, churches, schools and group collections. Increasingly, we are buying food to supplement what the community can give us. This is made possible due to monetary donations, fundraising and grants that we apply for.

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.

The role of signposting co-ordinator was made possible through Trussell Trust funding and will spearhead the inclusion of signposting in our distribution centres.

5. 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. Tom Vernon, Earls Hall Baptist, Chair of Trustees Richard Sapsted, Hawkwell Baptist Melanie Venables, Shoebury and Thorpe Bay Baptist Church Kim Wright, Eastwood Baptist Helen Wall, St Saviours, Westcliff Matt Belcher, Belle Vue Baptist, Treasurer

6. Our volunteers

We have over 150 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, fundraising co-ordinator and supermarket coordinator. Without these volunteers, we would have to close. We are so grateful for everyone who gives their time.

7. highlights

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Financial accounts for the year 1st May 2022 30thApril 2023

Ini iinle IrKTr&Ted *I￿111¢an11Y (by £142.102) on the prevlous year- at £245.800. General donatlons made up c7596 of totsl lTrcome. amountlnR to £192k Thls represents an Increase on last year: other Income (m35nly ¢rnnts) wa4 flai >￿Ar￿n.year. Wlihln the general donatlons. the Foodbank recelved several larKe one-off glfts- I￿lUdIng.. £41k from Chubb, £15k from Southend Chrlstlan Fellowshlp and £5,300 from The Big Glve. Addit￿nalty, several grant appllcattnns were rnade th15 year for deslgnated fundlng- Sncluding: a financial Ind￿SIon grant (£ 12k) to contlnuc fundlng CltSzens' Advlce support at the d15tr1but5on centres: a bursary {£9.Sk) for contsnued work In Organlslng and L4)cal Moblllsatlon: and several grants to cover food costs Expenditure also Increased sl8nlficantly 4galn5t the prevlous year- by £78JOZ to £191,497. There were three prlnaple areas of Increase.. salarles & wages as staff hours were Increased to match the need for food parcels; fabric & equlpmenc for whlch a sizeable investment In new shelvlng and food crates was made; and food as the rise In need for parcels meant the Foodbank was unable to make enough from food donations (as had htstorically been the case) and Instead Increasingly needed to supplement these with cash purchases of Salaries and Wages accounted for 30% of overall expenditure: Rent and Utllity payments for 12%; Food purchases for 32%. Man}, of the grants received In the prevlous finandal year (and In earller periods) were restricted to a specific purp)se: below is a summary of how these funds have been used over the past year: •• Building fund Kitchenette fund Clothing fvnd Financial Inclusion-2021 Flnandal Induslon-2023 (£12.084 rec. 18/01) OLM-2022 2,649 10.697 OLM-2023 (£11.210 rec. 13/04) 10.280 SEFI 1.000 SEF2 1,000 Slgnp05tlng cTrordlnator (£9.360 rec. 22/05/23") (780) We5tcliff Baptist Church Fuel Bank (£200 rec 03/02) 200 Southend Association food grant (£8,000 rec. 14/07) JJH Rauslng f(x)d/energy grant (£6,880 rec. 06/02) SSmon Harris McDonald's grant (£420 rec. 28/03) 34.751 35.411 610 610 57 1.440 112 1,000 1.000 General fund Reserves 109,986 55.291 25,000 25.000 Wlthln the unrestrlcted fund, an amount of £25,000 Is held In reserve. In accordance wlth the Reserve Policy. These reserves ensure that the Foodbank can contlnue operating (purchasing food, paying staff etc.) for a perlod In the event Income falls sharply. In total £134,986 was held In unrestrlcted funds at the close of the finandal year; £49,822 way held In restrlcted funds.

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NOTESTO THEAccouNrs BKIS of acrounts: these accounts have been prepared on a 'receipts and payments, basis and accord iiyith Section$ 132-166, Charitfes Act (CA 2011) for an E&W CIO Approval of Kcounts: these accounts meet the threshold at which an independent examination is required in addltion to approval by the Trustees. 2. Guarantees and dLsdosures: the trustees confirm. In accordance with Charitable Incorporated Organi.%ation (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 finandal statement relatlngto the year elldlng 30Aprtl 2023 are &$ approved by the TnLStee& (Cbatr) Dkn: 17/02/2024

SOUTHEND FOODBANK CIO – Independent Examination – 2022/23

FILE NOTE

I have completed my independent examination of the Southend Foodbank CIO accounts for the year ended 30[th] April 2023.

No material matters have come to my attention and I am satisfied that they represent a ‘true and fair’ view of the accounting period under examination.

Inspection of Accounting Records and Analytical Review

I conducted a visual inspection of the accounting records held on the Xero Accounting Software to ensure that the values shown on the financial statement of the accounts matched the electronic register.

I performed trend analysis which highlighted some major variable movements in Donations, both month-on-month and compared to prior year. There were also significant movements, compared to prior year, for Food and Salaries. Following a more detailed review of the underlying transactions, I am comfortable that they have been recorded accurately and categorised appropriately.

Sample Testing of Transactions

I sample tested a selection of transactions detailed below and was satisfied that the entries matched back to the source documentation.

Treasurer’s Account

24/05/2022 £2450.27 Morrisons
13/06/2022 £117.80 Amazon
24/06/2022 £59.99 Amazon
24/08/2022 £4230.79 Stewardship
07/09/2022 £38.60 Peter Gladstone
07/09/2022 £40.84 Peter Gladstone
12/10/2022 £1460.88 Mol*Topregal UK Ltd
13/10/2022 £210.00 Myles Hire
20/10/2022 £210.00 Myles Hire
27/10/2022 £210.00 Myles Hire
08/11/2022 £61.92 N Copus
15/11/2022 £40.35 Cassandra Camp
17/11/2022 £41064.14 Chubb USA
05/12/2022 £35.47 Amazon
05/12/2022 £35.47 Amazon
05/12/2022 £35.47 Amazon
05/12/2022 £35.47 Amazon
11/01/2023 £1063.95 HMRC Charities
18/01/2023 £14500.80 Trussell Trust
06/02/2023 £881.25 HMRC Charities
28/02/2023 £755.15 ASDA
20/03/2023 £12084.00 Southend On Sea GU
13/04/2023 £13095.00 Trussell Trust
13/04/2023 £870.40 Baptist Insurance
19/04/2023 £15000.00 SCF
25/04/2023 £9048.07 Morrisons
PayPal
20/09/2022 £1108.80 Bigdug Ltd
20/10/2022 £997.92 Bigdug Ltd
03/02/2023 £847.00 Currys Group Ltd
20/04/2023 £11860.26 ToteBox

Observations and Recommendations

Bank Account - The balance on the Treasurer’s Account is consistently over £100k each month. It is worth considering transferring some funds into a deposit account, such as a 7-day notice account, which can pay c.2.5% interest per annum.

HMRC - There were two receipts from HMRC Charities in Jan/Feb 2023.

I have never come across HMRC ‘donating’ money before, so suggest contacting them to ascertain if the receipts were for Gift Aid or something else.

Mileage Claims - There is inconsistency with the rates paid for mileage claims which I believe should be addressed. P Gladstone is being paid 40p per mile whereas N Copus is being paid 45p per mile. There may be others but these are the sample transactions that I tested.

The CIO can agree whatever rate it sees fit but the maximum is 45p per mile to avoid a taxable benefit arising on the claimant.

Furthermore, I notice that whilst the claim form used by P Gladstone is in Excel , all the inputs are in text format so the calculations are done manually which could lead to errors when calculating the total to claim. I recommend updating the Excel to a standard format with automatic calculations which all volunteers/workers can use.

Salaries & Wages – I am aware that Stewardship run your payroll and was able to match up their confirmation letters to amounts posted in the ledger. However, it is common to have records somewhere, albeit not necessarily directly recorded in the main ledger, of the individual salary payments so they can be inspected as part of the independent examination. I would recommend that this is put in place for future accounting periods.

Melvin R Pool, ACMA, CGMA