## **Chair of Trustees Report** 

## **Autumn 2019- Autumn 2020** 

In the autumn of 2019, the Foodbank began a difficult time as our manager, Carole Grey, announced that she was 


leaving, after many years of loyal service. This began a busy time for the trustees as we worked to appoint a successor to Carole by the spring of 2020. With Carole’s help we put together a job description and advertised the voluntary post across the town. We were looking for someone enthusiastic and passionate about working with volunteers and serving the community, as well as someone with strong skills in management, co-ordination of volunteers and administration.  We were fortunate to have a number of good applications and interviews took place in late January. Christmas was a great success once again, it was busy with a huge number of donations, including from a local butcher, which enabled us to really serve clients well. We were also able to continue providing winter fuel to those who were struggling and this was something that Carole was very passionate about. 

2020 began with the appointment of new manger Annette Medhurst. The trustees made plans to hold our first AGM, and this was planned for late spring – unfortunately it was never able to happen as COVID-19 hit. The pandemic meant that as Annette started, she not only had to learn the ropes of the Foodbank ‘in normal times’ but work quickly to adapt to an ever-changing and unprecedented situation. The trustees supported where they could, and Annette had the unfailing support of assistant manager Jan, but still it was a steep learning curve and made for a stressful time for Annette – which she coped with incredibly well – and systems were quickly in place to enable to Foodbank to keep running effectively and safely. Changes to Foodbank processes during the months of lockdown 2020 included things such as extra opening hours, fewer volunteers, electronic referrals, new partnerships with other community groups set up to help those in need during the pandemic, and a temporary delivery service to clients. Spring figures of clients of the Foodbank were up 300% compared with 2019. Needless to say, the trustees were pleased and relieved to have managed to appoint Annette as manager before the spring, and certainly satisfied that she was a fantastic appointment given her response to such exceptional circumstances! 

Another challenging issue for the trustees in 2020 was that our lease for our building would expire in winter 2020 and so much of the year was spent attempting to secure a new lease, as well as exploring various alternative options for a venue for the Foodbank. There are certainly many positives to the current location, including its position in the centre of town and therefore easy access for clients. But we were also aware of its drawbacks including lack of parking and limited size which means that we need to hire a storage unit for some of our donations. 

Trustees were pleased that our finances during this period improved and remained very healthy, despite challenging times. Whilst we were uncomfortable to be sitting on too much 



money, and discussed ways in which we might spend it to improve the Foodbank and its service to the community, whilst the uncertainties around premises continued we felt that it was sensible to have plenty of reserves for 2020. 

In spring 2020 we appointed new trustee Andrew Reaney who became known to the Foodbank through his company – Andrew led the community volunteering efforts at British Gas where 3,500 colleagues supported volunteering across foodbanks. Andrew has experience as a trustee of other local charities and brings valuable skills from his various roles across large multi-national companies.  In October 2020, the trustees appointed trustee Helen Craig as vice-chair and she will take over as chair for a year whilst current chair Hannah Higginson is on maternity leave. 

## **Hannah Higginson** 

## **Chair of Trustees, Wokingham Foodbank** 

**December 2020** 



**Wokingham Food Bank: Summary of Receipts and Payments for year 01/09/2019 to 31/08/202** 

## **Receipts and Payments** 

## Income 

|Local giving|£49,523.39||
|---|---|---|
|Regular donations|£4,960.50||
|Lottery funding|£10,000.00||
|Berks Community Foundation|£5,000.00||
|CAF|£5,540.99||
|Gift Aid|£1,755.62||
|Cotswolde Fayre|£8,385.75||
|Other one off donations(e.g. churches)|£39,766.82||
|Total||£124,933.07|
|Expenditure|||
|Rent|£14,000.04||
|Storage|£7,252.39||
|Winter fuel|£3,691.00||
|Petty cash|£264.09||
|Insurance|£1,040.00||
|Other operatingexpenses|£7,569.73||
|Total||£33,817.25|
||||
|Net income from operations||£91,115.82|



## **Movements in funds** 

||Bank|Bank|Petty cash|
|---|---|---|---|
||account 1|account 2|fund|
|Openingbalance 01/09/2019|£49,361.41|£3,375.25|£28.22|
|Income|£109,927.32|£13,225.75||
|Expenditure|-£28,153.63||-£264.09|
|Inter fund transfers: bank 1 to petty cash|-£300.00||£300.00|
|Inter fund transfers: bank 1 to bank 2|-£5,000.00|£5,000.00||
|Inter fund transfers: bank 2 to bank 1|£5,000.00|-£5,000.00||
|Inter fund transfers: bank 2 to winter fuel fund||-£4,090.00||
|Inter fund transfers: winter fuel fund to bank 2||£449.00||
|Inter fund transfers: B&M cash fund to petty cash|||£71.47|
|Closingbalance 31/08/2020|£130,835.10|£12,960.00|£135.60|



**Balance Sheet @ 31 August 2020** 



## Assets 

Cash at bank £143,795.10 Petty cash £135.60 Winter fuel fund 

£143,930.70 

## Liabilities 

£0.00 

## Equity 

Reserves 

£143,930.70 



**20** 

|Winter fuel|B&M petty|Total|
|---|---|---|
|fund|cash fund||
|£50.00|£0.00|**£52,814.88**|
||£1,780.00|**£124,933.07**|
|-£3,691.00|-£1,708.53|**-£33,817.25**|
|||**£0.00**|
|||**£0.00**|
|||**£0.00**|
|£4,090.00||**£0.00**|
|-£449.00||**£0.00**|
||-£71.47|**£0.00**|
|£0.00|£0.00|**£143,930.70**|






## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** 

**Section A** 

**Independent Examiner’s Report** 

**Report to the trustees/** Charity Name **members of** Wokingham Food Bank 

**On accounts for the year** 31/08/2020 **ended Set out on pages** 

**Charity no (if any)** 

(remember  to include the page numbers of additional sheets) 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended **DD / MM / YYYY** 31/08/2020 . 

**Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). 

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. 

**Independent** I have completed my examination.  I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** 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 records 

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 a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

* _Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply._ 

**Signed: Name:** Robert Thrower **Relevant professional** FCCA **qualification(s) or body (if any):** 

**Date:** 08/12/2020 

> **Address:** 39 Grosvenor Road, Staines, Middlesex, TW182RN 

**October 2018** 

1 

**IER** 



**Section B Disclosure** 

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). 

**Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . 

**October 2018** 

2 

**IER**