HEREFORD FOODBANK ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2025 Charity No. 1170826 Company No. CE009433 (England and Wales) TIVE MMARY FTHI IVIT TI.QN AN ADMIN DE TEST NAN IAL TAT NT Foreword to the Annual Re ort The trustees present their report with the fin8nciBI 9tBtemenis of ihe ch8rity for the year ended 31 December 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statemeni of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicabL8 in th8 UK Republic of1¥8land IFF¢S 10211?ff8¢t4v¢ 1 January 20191. Since beeominE B Charitable Incorporated OTganisation ICIOI in 2016, we have seen an 8396 increase in referrals for food parcel8-an alaTming indicator of the steady rise in food poverty across our community. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis is having a profound impact. Bnd we Bre seeing more people turning to the food bank for the first time. The Hereford Food Bank 18 b¢¢oming one of the county's primary safety nets with a growing responsibility to keep going. Duiing 2025 we sUPPOrted over 5000 people thiough 2192 food parcel ref8Frals. This rosponsibility becoming more difficult 88 the c08t of food for Parcels has increased. We ore also providlng 18rger parcels, particularly in response to growing demand trom working families. The8e combined pre88UTeB have led to a significant risa in ouy opefating ¢osts. Daspita these challenge8, the food bank continues to attr8etg8n&rous donations and vitalgrantfunding, enabling us to sustain this essential service. Thig IS & testament to the dedic8tion of our management team, volunteers. and board of tNstees but m08t of all, it reflects the incredible gen$r¢$ity of OUT 10¢81 community, who donate both food and fund8 to en3ure that no one in need goeBWlthout. Hereford Food Bank runs on an extraordinary gift of time. OveT 6500volLJnteei hours in 2025 from over 90 people givinE over 500 hours every month. The Food bank 8imply could not function without oui amazing volLJnteer8. From coUectinE donations at supèrmorket3 to sorting food and delivering emergency porcels. their tlieless ¢ommitment makes everyrhing we do posslble. While thesè are difficult times, we remairb confidelll in the strength of our response. Our dedicated volunteeis and supportive community are the foundation of our workin helping localpeople in ciisi8 Wlth practicaltemporary help whilst they iegain support and st8bility. Marle Rosenthal. Chalr of the Board of Trustees li li During 2025, Hereford Food Bank continued to respond to significant levels of need across the community. While demand has remained sirnilaT to the previous year, we continue to see eompl8x rèferrals involving familie8, working households, and individuals experiencino multiple challenges. We hBve continued to dÈvÉlop ourcommunity Navigation Service io ensure thatwe not only provide emergency food but also help peopla accass longer-term support through sEnposting or referringto support agencie8 wrthin OUT Community. Despite any challenges we continue to piovide 7.d8y erT7eYgency food parcels. ensuring housaholds have sufficient food during times of crisis. During 2025, the Food Bank's 100 dedicated volunteer8, and team of staff worked hard to provide nearly 107,000 meals for 5085 people in need. During 2025 Hereford Foodbonk Distributed 2,Iq2 7 day emergency parcels Provided enough food for nearly107,000 meds HOW 4 totd of 5085 po(gkn w1￿h kncbjdad, 3.287 adult8 ￿￿1798 chddren Connected175 people with the 6uppor* they needed through our Community Navigator Project Spent £60, 000 on food Issued 221 vouchers for gJperrrtrk•t Received an estlmated £q2,000 worth of donated food and wider essentlals What the or anisation doe Our Vision The provision of food parcel8 to those recipients deemed to be in emergency need. arising from, for example, homelessness. psychiatric breakdown or delayed benelii payments. We do not wish to create dependence 8nd we workon the premi￿ that thè Food 88nk is intended to help individu8Lsor fomiliès ov8rthè crisis untilthèy ¢an 8UPPOrtthemselves, SlEnposting to additional support where needad. Our m8in 8im 15 to continue to provide food Orvouchers and basic toiletries to people in need. To achieve this, we need a set of objectives with clear goal8. OurAims and Objectives Our objectives are.. To continue to develop the rnodel to provide 8 SU8t8in8bLe SOUFce of income and m8n8ge expgnditure To value our volunteer base To developworkingoriBngementS Wilh otheragencies to tryto alleviatefood poverryatsour¢e and reduce the need for amergency aid To ensuie a Safe, hYgIen￿ worklng environment To erhsure thatthe 7-day emergency food parcels include healthy and nutritious food that people will eat. Our Activities Hereford Food Bank operates through a reforral-based system. Partneragencies, churches, healrh professionals and social workers issue vouchers. enabling ¥eeipient$ to receiv¢ a seven-doy emergen¢yfooO paicel. The chBrity employs a manager and a small stsff team, supported by a dedicated group ofvolunteers. A delivery van and small team of voluntoer drivers ènable homé deliveries. which grè critical in è largely rural area where transport poverty can be a significBnt barrier to accessing 8eFvice8. Food parcels are provided for up to a moximum ¢f Seveft doy¥. Qr thè ¢qutvalent in food voueh¢r¥. dep?nding on need. In additiorb to food, parcels also include essential items such as personal hygiene products. During2025 we re¢eived HSF funding which enabled us to provide slowcookers and miciowavestothose in need to reduce energy bills. Refe¥r8ls 8re received ffom case workers, social workars, NHS staff and other og¢n¢i¢$, after which an appropriate food parcel is prepared. However. due tothe current economic eifcumstAneès. during 2025Trustees have ¢ontlnuod to altow individuals experiencing hardship to receive an inrtial food parcel without the néad tor referral. The Food Bank also provides information to thg residents of Harefordshire &nd th8 surrounding areas to improve understanding ofthe concept and impact of poverty. The Food Bank maintains good worknng rÈl8tionghips with referling agencies and other food providers by attending meetings and distributing information about it5 Operation on a regular basis. Public benef it The charity is a public benefit entity. The trustees have complied with their statutory duty to h8ve due regard to the guidance on public benofit published bythe ChaTityCommission in decidingwhat acttvitiesthe charity should undertBk&. and how those activities are made available to the public. The charity's main actwity undertaken for the public benefit in relation to its ch4ritable objects during the year, wag the provision of emergencyfood parcels. These seivice8 in accordance with the charlty's objects are typically restrScted to those located withln ihe eountyof Hèrèfordshire 8nd SLJrroundlng arèas. Thls Is largèlytorlogistlc8l ieasons, butalso bacausèthetrLtst8ès believe thBtthe charity is meeting a particular demand for8uch 8eryice8, which is not met by other OTgani8ation3 in tha araa. The 8eNices are free atthe pointof rFeed, although certain services are funded by8 re¢harEe to the local8uthority, in older to COV8r the costs of providing thg service, and to maintain quality. Summar of this Year's activities In 2025, Hereford Food Bank experienced 3ignilicant trends in both referr81 aetivity and donation patterns. The highest number of feferrals occurred in De¢emb•r and M#y. 8Ligning with well documented periods of financial stress; namely the holiday season and the lead-up to summer. These se8sonal pressur8s oftèn lead to heightened dem4nd for ewnergency food $upport as familiÈs contend with increased household expanses. Volunteers OLEr volunteers remain 8t the heart of Hereford Food Bsnk and duYlnE 2025 we rec¥uired 8dditional volLsnteers to lun our eaTly evening shift to help workingfamilies access the food Vank outside of office hours. By the end of 2025 we had.. Total volunteers.. 92 New volunteers reciuit8d-. 13 Volunteer recorded hours: 6,500 Volunteers support all aspects of the food bank including- Sorting donations Packing parcels Meeting iecipient8 Admini8tration Warehouse support Supermarket Drives and collections Delivering Parcels Leading teams Meeting Ongoing Community Need Ouring 2025. Hereford Food Bank contlnued to see 8ignilicant and sustained demand foi emergency food support. Over the course of the year. we supported 5,085 people through 2,192 food parcel referrals, Providing vital safety net for individuals and families faclng financial hardship. This level of demand remaÉns consistent with 2024. demonstrating that despite changes in the wider economic landscape. many people in QUT community continue to experience fin¥n¢ial insocurity require emergen 8UPPOrt. In totol, Hereford Food Bank Providèd an Éstimated 106,533 meats during 2025. 8nsurSng individualsand families had access to nutritious food during times of crisis. As In previous years, dem8nd fluctuated throughout the year. with a clear incregse duiing the winter month$. The number of people supported rose significantly in Novombar And Decembèr. with both month5 $88iThg 552 people supported, among the hlghest levels recorded during the year. This se8son&l rise rertects the additlonal pressures faced by hou8eholds during colder months, including: Increased enerBy costs Higher household bllls Christmas and school holiday expense8 Reduced working hours for some sectors january also remained a particuL8rly busy period. with 516 people 5LlPPOrted. highlighting the ongoing financial strain many households face following the Christmas p8riod. Whi18 demand dipped slightly duiing thè summer months. the reduction wa8 modest. dèmonstrating that need rèmains presentthroughout the year. ratherlhan bglng limited to seasonal peak8. Familias with children continue to represent a 8ignifi¢ant proportion of those accessing support. During 2025. 1,798 Children we¥e supported through food bonk PFOViSIOn. Thè number of children supported increased tOW8rds the end of the year, with December seeing the highe8t numberof children 8UPPOfted12051. Thhs trend reflects the additionalpressures on families duringwintermonths, p8rtieuLBrLywhen balancing heating costs. school expense8 and Christmas. Ensuring that 7-day emergency food parcels remain nutritlOUS and suitable for tamilies remains a key prioiity for Hereford Food Bank. Flexible Support Through Vouchers In addiiion to emergency food parcels. Hereford Food Bank provided 221 food shopping only vouchers. wilh a toial value of £17.135 during 2025. Voucher 8UPPOrt allow5 the food bank to respond flexiblyto individual needs, including-. SituaiSons where food paTceLs may not be appropriate for exBmpLe no èecess io cookingfaciiitie8. Encouragingly Low Repeat Referrals Ropeat referrals remained low during 2025. with only 142 refÈir8Ls exceeding three vl81ts. rèpresenting Approximately of total referrals. This is an encouraging indicator that the food bank continues to provlde short-tefm crisis support. while working alongside r8fgiial partnef8 8nd local services to help indivldu81s address Ut)derlying ¢h81lengg8 and move foFward. Continuingto Support Our Community The datafrom 2025 hlghlightsthe continued importanc4 of Hereford Food 8ankwithin the Ioc8lcommunity. While demand remAins high, the food b8nk continues to respond effectively, ensuring that individuals and familie8 ieceive timely, compassionate and PTaCtical supportwhen they need it most. Th8 ongoing gener08ity of donoi$. volunteer8 and partneTS ha$ made it possible to provide ovar 107,000 meals, support over 5,000 peopte, and continue offering hope and stability durlng difficult times. Looknng ahead, Hereford Food Bank 13 locused on enhencing engagement wirh recipients and developing deeper understonding of both their needsand the r88sonsfor accessingfood support. Ourcommunity Nfjvigator project has continued to grow trom strength to strength, with g total of 175 people ieferred or signposted to additional support services. During 2025. Herèford Food Bank intiofluced a new early evening volunteer team to bettér meet the needs of working familles who are unable to access support during standard dayiime hours. Despite some challenges in donation volum8s, iargeting most needed food enabled the Food BBnk to respond effectively to need. Summary of Statistics TofAL IIEFEAIALS foLKl&slTrbJlMtyMoThih2025 10 Future Plans Looking ahead, Herefoid Food Bank is focused on enhancing its engagement wlth ie¢lpi$nis. deepenlng understandingoftheir needs, and reasonsforaccessingfood support. This include3 ongolngefforts to 8trengthen SIEr￿ost1￿￿ for further support to prevent repeat refeirais. Despite some challenges in donation volumes, targeting most needed food enabled the Food Bank to re8pond affectivelyto nead. Donation and Communit Su ort THANK YOU TO OUR FANTASfic COMM UNITY We would like to extand Ouf sln¢¢r¢ thonk$ to thg loc$1 eommunity for thèir gsnerous lin8nci818nd food donations. Hereford Food Bank would not axist without the continued support of our volunteers, donors, churches, busine55es. schooL8. refer¥al partners and trustees. Your silPPOrt ensures that we can continkje PTovidingvital help to those facing hardship. Despite the ri8lnE cost of living, the comTnunity continued to show remarkable generosity. Donations were received through a variety ot sources. including donation baskets in local sup$rm8rk¢ts and shops. suparmgrket drives, Tegular donoTS such as Avaro Foods and Cherries and Berries, and individuals kindly dropping off food item8. Donated food ieceived through supermarket collection point8. HaNe8t Festival. ChYi8tmas Advent. Easter collections and supermarket drives was estimBted to have a value of E92,000. In addition to food donations, financial contributions during 2025 totalled £103,681, with a further £6,626 Feceived through GiftAid. This Tepresent8 a decrease from 2024, when donations totalled £126,816 with £16,436 in Gift Aid. While ihis rèduction reflects wider èeonomic préssures, we remain in¢￿diblY 8ppre¢iative for the continued generosity of our supporters. In respon88 to ongoing cost of living ch811enge8, Hereford Food Bank al80 received £161,253 from thé Government Household Support Fund. administered by Herefordshire Council. This funding has been vital in helpingus respond to increased demand and provide additional suppoitto thoseexperiencingfinancial hardship. We are 8lsa extYem¢Lythankful forthe ChTiStmas and Easter treats provlded by the ¢ommunlty. These thoughttul contributions allowed us to include seasonal items within our food parcels during the festive periods, bringing &ddStloftal comfort to famili88 and indÉvidu8ls durirbg difficult times. Your continued support is deeply appreciated and plays a vital role in the success of ourwor 12 The trustees review the reserves policy annually, in the light of future pian8, and on the basis of the most recent 8ccounts information. They aim to maint8in a level of reseNes sufficient to enable the charity to take advantage (rf nèw opportunities. and to cover the expeetÈd and unexpe¢ted costs of pursuing its objectives during periods of reduced funding. Due to the current economic uncertainties, the trustees consider thatthe required reserves level should be between 6 and 9 months of normal expenditure. In addition to thi3, the trustees aim to maintain re8eNe of £81.000 to coverthe charity's liabilitiesthat would arise if it were to cea8e to operate. At 31 December 2025, the charity's unre8tricted reserves stood at £694,119 12024- £647,4221, which was equivalent to 24 month812024- 25 monthl of normal expenditure. The charity'8 reserves currently exceed the r89&Nes policy hawever.. tha future of the chArity's income souicas is not guaranread And therefore the trustees feel that the cuNent lev81 of reserves held is appfopriato. Structure overnance and Mana ement Governing document The chgrity was established as a Charitable Incorporat8d Organisation ICIOI on 130ecember 2016 and 18 governed by its constitution (amended 22 October 20191. Recruitment and appointment of new trustees Appointment of trustees is by majority elecrion of the board of trustees in generBI session. New tfustees undefgo formol induction process duiing which they ar¢ Eiven ¥ broad outline of the charity's policies and procedures. They are ai80 given a copy ofthe charity'8 coristitution land any 8m•ndment8 madè to rtl. and È copy of its lategt annuol roport and 8tatement of account8. They are exp?cted to lamili8Tise thèmselves wiih the details of formal trustee responsibilities os laid down in charity taw. Undèr thè charity's constitutional provisions. tiustees seNe for 8 maximLÈrn period of three years, after vvhich tirne they ceastr to hold office. but may bè reoppointed by th• ljoard of trustees at a subsequent g6ner81 meeting. Organisational structure The trustees exercise over811 control of the org8ni8ation through attendancè at regular management team meetin£s. Tho trustees omploy a Manager and a Deputy Managerfor the Food Bank, who controlthe d￿-tO-daY operation5. A managementteam, which includes four of the Trustees, meet regularty throughout the year. Charity Details Name.. The Hereford Food Bank Address: 41 Monkmoor Street. Hgreyord. HR1 2DX Telephone Number- 01432 607011 Email: manager@herefordfoodbank.co.uk W¢b3ite= VW.neTeTofaTooaDanK.CO. K li Registered Company number CE009433 (England and Wales) Registered Charity number 1170826 Registered off ice 41 Monkmoor Street Hereford HR12DX Trustees Maria Rosenthol Ichairl Mlke Wllkinson Fion8 Jones (resigned March 20261 Susan Ewart Kate Stephen8 Iresignedl Charlie Daw Suz8nne Hunte¥ (appointed Ociober 20251 Independent Examiner Thorne WidgeryAccountancy Ltd 2 WyèvBlè Business Paik Kings Acre Herefo¥d HR47BS Banker CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue KiThgs Hill Wèst Malling Kent ME194JQ United Trust Bank Limited 1 Ropemaker Street London EC2Y9AW The Charity Bank Limited Fos5e House 182 High Stre6t Tonbridgo TN918E Monmouthshire Building Society John Frost Square Newport NP20 1 PX 17 June 2026 ADDroved by order of the boord of trustees on ............................................. and signed on its behglf by: M Fl¢)$eniPh￿- Tiusle 15 Inde endent Examiner's Re The Hereford Food Bank ort to the Trustees of Independent examinei's reportto tholrusteos olThe Hereford Food Bank Imhe Charity'l I report to the charity trustees on my examinetion of the accounts of The Heieford Food Bank for the ye8r ended 31 December 2025. R•sponslblUt5ès and basls of report As thè charity's trusteès of the Trust you are Yesponsible lor the preparation of the accounts in Aecoidanttè wlth the rèquir8m8nts of tha Charities Act 20111'the Act'l. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all appli¢8ble Directions givan by the Charity Commission under Section 14515llbl of the Act. Ind•pènd8nt ￿minar.$ st8t•m•nt Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250.000 your examiner must be a member ol a listed body. I can confirm th8t l am qualified to underrake th8 examination because l am a member ofihe Association of Chartèred Certified Accountants. which is one of the listed bodies. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attontion in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe- accounting records were not kept in respèct of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the A¢t- ¢r the accounts do not accord with those records.. or Ihe occcunts do not comply with the applicable requirements ¢onc8rning the form and content ol accounts Set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement th8t the accounts give 8 true and fair view which is not 8 m8rteT considered as p8it of an independant examination. I have no ¢on¢erns and have come across no other matter8 in connection with the examinaiion to which attention should be drawn in this report in older to en8ble a proper urbderstanding of the accounts to be ieachet1. Lisa We8ver FCCA The Association of Chartored Certified Aecountants Thorne Widgery Accountancy Ltd Chartered Accountants 2 Wyevale Busines5 Park Kings Acre Hereford Harafordshire HR47BS D8te'. 17 Juno 2026 16 Statement of Financial Activities Al 31.12.25 Total funds 31.12.24 Total runds Unrestricted Restfi¢te