Uttlesford Foodbank
Registered Charity Number 1176230 Registered in England and Wales
Annual Report and Statement of Accounts
1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 2 Objective, Purposes and Activities ...................................................................................................... 2 Chairman’s Report ................................................................................................................................. 3 Director’s Report .................................................................................................................................... 4 Volunteer Coordinator’s Report .......................................................................................................... 6 Project Manager’s Report .................................................................................................................... 7 Usage and Statistics ............................................................................................................................... 9 Appendix A ............................................................................................................................................ 16 Appendix B ............................................................................................................................................ 16
1 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Introduction
This Annual Report provides a review of the year from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 and reports on achievements, performance and impact together with a summary of our financial performance and financial situation so as to demonstrate the Trustees’ stewardship and management of charitable funds.
Firstly the Trustees of Uttlesford Foodbank would like toextend their deep appreciation of the incredible contribution made by staff, volunteers and donors without whom our work and achievements would not be possible.
The Trustees are confident that their stewardship and management of charitable funds is such that the Uttlesford Foodbank continues to meet the requirements around public benefit as defined by the Charity Commission. Interested parties are invited to contact us for a detailed account of the way in which the charity meets these objectives by requesting our policy document.
Objective, Purposes and Activities
Uttlesford Foodbank’s objective is to relieve persons in Uttlesford and the surrounding area who are in financial hardship in such ways as the Trustees from time to time think fit, in particular, but not exclusively by:
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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
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Such other means, including (but not limited to) the provision of support or signposting to relevant information and other advisory services.
We achieve this by distributing parcels containing food and other essential items to last, on average, seven days. We also distribute food vouchers either to augment the food parcels provided or to provide immediate relief to those individuals identified as being in urgent need of support.
2 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Chairman’s Report
I took up the role of Chair of Trustees in May of this year and discovered an organisation that had overcome the challenges of the recent Covid pandemic by adapting its whole operation. Having worked with companies in the private sector who struggled and often failed to meet those demands, I was greatly impressed with what had been achieved. This I immediately understood would not have been possible without the involvement of some very exceptional people; it was not until I became more involved over the coming months that I fully realised just how exceptional.
The cost-of-living crisis took hold during the spring, and it was very clear that our client group would be greatly affected by this turn of events. With increased cost of fuel and motoring expenses it was not realistic to expect clients to collect from our different outlets. Funds were raised to strengthen the delivery service that had been implemented during Covid and a delivery van was purchased using those funds.
Demand for our support has increased across the whole district and it has become increasingly clear that our existing premises in Saffron Walden and elsewhere are not large enough to cope with the volume of food and other essentials needed for storing and processing and larger premises are required. The work of the Uttlesford Clothing Bank is closely aligned with our own and for some time they have been looking for a permanent home, ideally sharing premises with us. To meet both these objectives negotiations are now underway to find larger premises in Saffron Walden.
Alongside this, we have worked hard to strengthen the infrastructure at both our depots in Dunmow and Stansted. Identifying and resourcing the need in the south of the district is one of our highest priorities for the coming year.
The staff and volunteers have been outstanding and adapted to this latest crisis with exceptional thought and professionalism. Throughout my long and varied management career I have never before seen such absolute dedication to serving clients and I would like to take this opportunity to register my sincere thanks and that of my fellow trustees to all those involved.
Richard Porch
Chair of Trustees
3 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Director’s Report
The last year has been defined by the level of increased need for our services and by changes at the foodbank. We said goodbye to our Chair Ross MacKenzie, and welcomed a new Chair Richard Porch, fresh off his tour of duty as Mayor of Saffron Walden. We welcomed Des Ashton, as our newly appointed Advocacy and Campaigns officer, a post fully funded by Trussell Trust. We also said goodbye to Steph Maxwell, our project coordinator and created a new post of Operations Manager. Katy Mendes-Day took up the role shortly before Christmas 2022.
Big changes lie ahead for us. On April 1[st] we signed a lease on a new warehouse, this will more than double the size of our current warehouse and no more stairs! Ramp access to the warehouse means that vehicles will be able to drive right up to the doors, this will make it far easier for our volunteers who are both delivering donations and collecting parcels for clients. A lot of building work is required to make the space work for our needs as it was previously a bathroom showroom.
As an organisation we have become more diverse in our operations, with Des coming on board this has allowed us to think about outreach in different ways. Because we have maintained our delivery model we have to be more innovative in how we reach clients who need further support. Towards the end of this year we started our first community cook club. There are many projects out there aiming to provide cookery skills but we went about it a bit differently and although it’s early days it seems to be paying off and as ever, it’s the unintended consequences which reap the biggest rewards.
Tesco national collections were one of our biggest success stories this year. Fully staffed for the first time since COVID we participated in two collections, in July and December at both Great Dunmow and Walden stores. The unmanned collections the previous year we collected just over 600 kg, this year with manned collections we got over 8 tonnes of food so more than 10 times the previous year. The summer collection is especially important for us as it comes at a time when donations are slowing down across the board.
Referral agencies, pre-Covid we worked with on average 20- 25 agencies, this has now increased to nearly 70 services. Uttlesford Citizens Advice (UCA) is still our largest referrer, with nearly 50% of all referrals coming via UCA. We have seen a marked increase in referrals from community mental health teams and schools. The increase in funding for social prescribers means we are seeing more
4 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
referrals via them but there is work to be done to ensure clients coming via that route are getting sufficient input from relevant professional agencies.
Towards the end of the year, we secured funding via Trussell to appoint a debt advisor at UCA. The funding is for three years and will fully fund a trained debt advisor full time to work with UFB clients. As part of the financial inclusion strand at Trussell, this project will be clearly measured on its financial outcomes for our clients. We are very excited about the strengthening of bonds between ourselves and UCA.
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Sources of stock - includes donations and purchased (kg)
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Purchased
Individual Purcha
Schools
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Community groups
Churches
Corporat
Schools es Bulk Food
Charities
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Supermarkets groups R
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5 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Volunteer Coordinator’s Report
The foodbank has 131 volunteers, which is a similar number to last year, but now includes a team in Takeley. We now have more admin volunteers including those helping with finance, data processing, social media, supporting the manager and the volunteer coordinator.
Some volunteers are involved in more than one team. The teams comprise:
Trustees 6
Admin 9
Campaigns and community outreach 10
Saffron Walden Warehouse 74
Saffron Walden Drivers 28
Saffron Walden County High School elective students 4
Dunmow team 7
Stansted team 8
Takeley team 6
All volunteers are included in the Trussel Trust Assemble, their web-based Management System. This gives volunteers access to a wide range of training courses. All volunteers are required to do a Safeguarding course.
This year we have recruited more adults with additional support needs. This provides an opportunity for work experience and to make a valuable contribution to the local community as well as enriching our volunteer team.
Our volunteers continue to be an inspiration. They give their time for free with care, kindness and commitment and it is valued and appreciated. We couldn’t run the foodbank without the volunteers and we wouldn’t want to.
Lesley Murdoch
Volunteer Coordinator
6 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Project Manager’s Report
I joined the Foodbank as a volunteer in April 2020, just after the commencement of lockdown, initially as a client delivery driver, adding on warehouse shifts a little later and finally becoming a member of the parcel prep team. This varied volunteer experience proved to be an incredibly useful induction to the operation of the Foodbank and the issues that our clients face. I was happy to be presented with the opportunity to work for the Foodbank as an employee in December 2022 on a temporary contract to support Sophie and then employed permanently as Operations Manager in February 2023, being able to build on the experience gained during the preceding 3 months to take over a significant amount of the day-to-day operations from Sophie.
We are only as strong and successful as our volunteer team and building a strong relationship with them was a high priority from the outset; I believe I’ve been successful in embedding myself within the organisation and becoming the point of reference for the operation of the Foodbank. Familiarising myself with the common issues our clients face, which both directly and indirectly contribute towards their need for our support, has, and continues to be, an interesting and grounding journey, and one which both Sophie and Des’ experience has significantly contributed to.
There have been significant changes and challenges during the year; in April we moved from our old premises into a new, bigger, warehouse. Although this was within the same building, the logistics of moving all our stock and equipment, whilst maintaining the same level of service, took meticulous planning and the coordination and management of a large amount of dedicated volunteers skilfully handled by Lesley. The end result being that we are able to accept more donations and sort/store accordingly, allowing us to respond to the increasing need for our service in the district, whilst creating an environment conducive to an organised and productive work space for both staff and volunteers.
As reflected in the figures, demand for our service has risen, whilst donations have fallen. Although the cost-of-living crisis is predicted to ease in 2024, with inflation returning to “normal levels” in late 2025, the pandemic and current crisis has pushed many into a cycle of debt out of which they are struggling to climb. Charitable donations are often one of the first things people cut back on when
7 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
reviewing their budget, and we suspect that even those who didn’t initially feel the financial impact of the crisis are doing so now and decisions to cut back on charitable spending are being made.
Looking forward into 2023/24 we will be addressing the issues surrounding supply and demand, along with the increasing overheads of the organisation in the following ways:
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Implementing targeted donation comms at our supermarket donation points with low stock items being listed in shop entrances, the aim being to reduce the need to use funds to top up stock.
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Streamlining our grant application process, ensuring that quantitative and qualitative data and statements are up to date and available to be used.
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Building closer relationships with churches, schools and community groups in Uttlesford, putting the Foodbank at the forefront of decision makers’ minds when determining how to direct their fundraising activities.
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Putting processes in place to ensure that all Foodbank clients who have not been referred by Uttlesford Citizens Advice (UCA) receive support from our financial inclusion team based within UCA, the aim being to increase money in pockets and reduce the need for repeated use of the Foodbank.
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Reviewing comms and publicity (online and face-to-face).
Another ongoing challenge is both awareness of the availability of our service and, also, the need for a Foodbank within a district which is perceived to be affluent. We will be exploring ideas of how to best engage with both our current referral partners and identify new ones (the latter being supported by Frontline), as well as increasing our visibility in the district and communications with local and national government representatives to ensure that they are aware of the level of need in their ward and constituency.
Operationally 2023/24 will be a busy year. We are aiming to reopen the warehouse to clients by the end of March 2024, we have the sourcing of a space in Takeley to house our new Takeley Team and we continue to review our internal risks, processes, documentation and file management ensuring that all roles and significant responsibilities are recorded to achieve business continuity. Our staff numbers have also recently increased, which comes hand in hand with additional people
8 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
management responsibilities – with the support of our HR Trustee, Gemma Copping, I will be looking at formalising our HR processes further.
Last, but in no way least, the departure of Sophie will be hard felt across every area of the organisation. Although her exit is a daunting prospect, I feel confident that with the team of Des, Lesley and myself, along with the recent recruitment of a Bookkeeper and Assistant Foodbank Manager, and with the support of the Board of Trustees, we will be in a good position to address the challenges that lie ahead, and further develop the organisation to better support our clients.
Katy Mendes-Day
Operations Manager
Usage and Statistics
During the year I stepped into the role of Advocacy & Campaigns Officer for Uttlesford Foodbank. This role is funded by the Trussell Trust and I am one of a group of around 60 Local Organisers who fulfil similar roles in different network foodbanks across the country.
The role of Local Organisers is to bring forward the views and voices of those with lived experience of poverty. There is a focus on reducing stigma and prejudice, building better communities, strengthening routes to help and challenging policy and protocols which impact on those on low income. The various activities and initiatives undertaken by Local Organisers can be be summarised as: changing minds, changing communities and changing policy.
9 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Projects & Initiatives
2022/23 was a busy first year, and a number of projects were launched:
Worrying About Money Leaflet – working with a range of community partners, we produced a ‘cash first’ leaflet which focuses on sign-posting local routes to help in Uttlesford.
A ‘cash first’ approach is intended to put more money in pockets and minimise the impact of debt and low income which can come about when someone’s circumstances change. The WAM leaflet has been a huge success and has been distributed through partners such as UDC, Citizens Advice and Mind across the entire District. The Walden Local supported us to distribute 12,000 hard copies across Saffron Walden and surrounding villages. Schools, churches and family groups all received copies, and they
continue to be distributed in our food parcels to clients. This leaflet has helped cut through the challenges faced by many who live in a rural district, joining the dots to practical and pragmatic support when they need it most.
Using Data To Change Minds & Call For New Ways Of Thinking – our foodbank captures anonymised background data which helps us to track and monitor the demand for our services. We know that pre-pandemic we issued around 600 parcels a year. During the pandemic, this increased to c. 1160, rising to 1670 parcels in 2022/23. At the same time, we have been able to track the positive impact that Cost Of Living payments issued by the government had on foodbank use, temporarily reducing the number of food parcels required in our community. Despite this, we have still seen an almost 50% increase in demand for our services. The national average increase across national foodbanks is 37%. So, part of our campaign and advocacy work has focused on raising awareness at District and County
Council levels that the rate of increase in need in Uttlesford is greater than in other areas across the country.
10 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Attending Panels & Forums To Influence Decision Making – A large part of the Advocacy & Campaigns activity involves attending local panels, meetings and forums to ensure that the experiences and views of those who are living in poverty feed into and influence decision making. These include the Health & Wellbeing Board, the Employment, Economy & Skills Committee and the Local Partnership Group. Additionally, we sit on the local panel for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which decides and oversees spending of ‘levelling up’ money (c. £1M) across Uttlesford 2022-2025. Again, in all of these sessions, our data forms a key part of discussions.
Building A Data-Led Approach – While we have access to our own data, we have also worked to sit this alongside other data that builds a picture of what’s happening across Uttlesford. We know, for example, that Universal Credit and Disability feature heavily in the background causes of foodbank use. By creating graphical presentations which show this correlation, we have enhanced our reputation as a key strategic partner in the District. A number of partners now come to us asking to use our data to inform their work and support bids for funding and investment.
11 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
12 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Raising Awareness Of Poverty – Uttlesford is often regarded as a ‘wealthy’ district, and poverty is very often hidden. Drawing on our data, we have strengthened our relationships with Councillors and Council Officers and we are regularly invited to contribute to Parish Council AGMs and other meetings across the District. This has allowed us to ‘lift the lid’ on what we know is happening on the ground, and build support for the broader Trussell Trust aim to reduce and even end the need for foodbanks in the UK. We have also been able to challenge common misconceptions that people may have around poverty. One of the key metrics which often surprises people is the prevalence of child poverty in Uttlesford, and the fact that this is very often in working families:
13 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Over time, we have been able to work with our clients and gain their confidence to share stories
which highlight their experiences. These stories have added huge value to our work to highlight the difficult choices and challenges faced by many across our district:
Community Engagement & Outreach - During late 2022 and early 2023 a number of hubs and warm spaces opened up across the district, in response to the emerging Cost Of Living Crisis. As well as providing a safe and warm space to spend time, it became clear that low income and poverty were also key drivers of social isolation. Building on that, our foodbank team formed a plan to create a Community Cook Club which would look to bring people together under the banner of ‘healthy
14 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
budget eating’ while also helping new friendships and connections to form. Our first Cook Club is planned for May 2023 and we are excited to see how this develops as an initiative.
Looking forward to 2023/24
We hope that 2023/24 will see us building on the good work that has been started during 2022/23. I have undertaken much of the work in my formal role, and the next step is to build a team of volunteers who will help build the capacity of the various individual projects. This is a new venture for our foodbank and it opens up exciting opportunities to channel the different skills and interests of our wider volunteer team. We know that difficult times lie ahead for many people across our district, and we will continue to offer practical support to help them through this. We will also continue to raise awareness of the voices of lived experience, pushing for longer term change to put more money in pockets and reduce the factors that drive the need for foodbanks.
Des Ashton
Advocacy and Campaigns Officer
15 Uttlesford Foodbank (Registered Charity Number 1176230) Registered in England and Wales
Uttlesford Foodbank Profit and loss account 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023
| Donations Regular donors Corporate Community Churches Schools One-offs Councillors Fundraising Charities Online platforms Virgin Net income CAF Amazon Smile Local Giving Corporate Giving Charitable Trust Trussell Tesco top up Advocacy grant FI Grant Winter Grant Small grants Volunteers (fils cafe) Bequest Refunds Interest on deposit account Gross unrestricted/restricted Gross receipts Payments Admin costs Office Phone stationery |
2022/2023 Unrestricted Restricted funds £21,335.00 £15,723.19 £17,017.83 £7,984.77 £0.00 £11,578.27 £6,131.50 £3,800.00 £83,570.56 £0.00 £16,050.00 £120.75 £65,338.37 £135.20 £1,247.43 £82,891.75 £5,954.14 £30.30 £40,934.00 £5,000.00 £5,954.14 £45,964.30 £10,575.39 £514.00 £11,354.09 £3,024.14 £282.13 £14,660.36 £11,089.39 |
2021/2022 Unrestricted Restricted funds £10,897.18 £7,813.98 £2,025.00 £4,004.82 £82.50 £6,140.50 £1,553.00 £32,516.98 £21,431.14 £7,379.70 £85.30 £15,677.86 £0.00 £44,574.00 £3,511.00 £39,030.45 £3,511.00 £39,030.45 £129.08 £4.92 |
2021/2022 Unrestricted Restricted funds £10,897.18 £7,813.98 £2,025.00 £4,004.82 £82.50 £6,140.50 £1,553.00 £32,516.98 £21,431.14 £7,379.70 £85.30 £15,677.86 £0.00 £44,574.00 £3,511.00 £39,030.45 £3,511.00 £39,030.45 £129.08 £4.92 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £187,076.81 £57,053.69 |
£80,735.98 £39,030.45 |
||
| £244,130.50 Unrestricted Restricted £5,190.11 £328.20 |
£119,766.43 Unrestricted Restricted £1,446.21 £303.96 £158.25 |
£119,766.43 |
Uttlesford Foodbank Profit and loss account 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023
| 2022/2023 | 2022/2023 | 2021/2022 | 2021/2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | |
| funds | funds | |||
| Overheads | ||||
| Rent | £11,799.92 | £9,397.94 | ||
| Insurance | £243.43 | £243.43 | ||
| Warehouse | £4,714.38 | £3,924.16 | ||
| Building | £6,321.60 | |||
| TT fee | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||
| Lock-ups | £2,500.00 | £850.00 | ||
| Covid | ||||
| Cleaners | £0.00 | £2,190.00 | ||
| Mileage | £2,136.15 | £2,270.93 | ||
| PPE | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||
| Grant Payments | ||||
| Grant - utilities | £180.00 | £1,226.75 | ||
| direct grant | £569.24 | £372.88 | ||
| Rotary/SFU/UFB | £932.00 | |||
| Campaign Grant | ||||
| Campaign salary | £13,867.38 | £1,369.02 | ||
| Campign laptop | £646.80 | |||
| Campign software | £79.99 | £81.98 | ||
| Pension | £50.70 | |||
| Campaign Assets | £1,306.99 | |||
| Campaign expenses | £92.40 | |||
| Cook Club | ||||
| Slow cookers | £391.80 | |||
| Stock | £713.76 | |||
| Misc | ||||
| GDPR | £369.99 | |||
| Publicity | £57.00 | |||
| livery | £597.96 | £602.40 | ||
| Fundraising | £70.99 | |||
| Staff | ||||
| Pension | £2,522.34 | £1,105.97 | £1,658.95 | |
| Salary | £12,826.83 | £5,059.70 | £7,589.54 | |
| Payroll | £540.00 | £190.08 | £285.12 | |
| HMRC | £2,590.74 | £1,030.92 | £1,546.38 | |
| travel & expenses | £84.60 | |||
| Depots |
| Uttlesford Foodbank Profit and loss account 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 2022/2023 Unrestricted Restricted funds |
Uttlesford Foodbank Profit and loss account 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 2022/2023 Unrestricted Restricted funds |
2021/2022 Unrestricted Restricted funds |
2021/2022 Unrestricted Restricted funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunmow Stansted Food FFVS Stock christmas Volunteers volunteers dbs training Fils Van Purchase Diesel Signwriting Upkeep Insurance Vehicle tax Banking & finance Sum-up fee returned cheque Local Giving Fee Total expenses Net income Current - Deposit account Interest on deposit account Net income to cash account Assets as at 31st March 2023 Cash Current accout Deposit account Food vouchers Computing Laptop Printer Van |
£19,046.00 £21,276.98 £1,631.80 £1,164.30 £216.00 £15.00 £429.35 £18,388.80 £211.84 £150.00 £20.00 £4,206.49 £290.00 £19.20 £300.00 £96.00 |
£10.94 £0.00 £13,100.00 £8,881.05 £6,000.00 £1,134.80 £2,349.90 £311.00 £300.00 £651.91 £96.00 |
|
| £121,269.86 £15,776.11 £137,045.97 £107,084.53 £155,000.00 £282.13 -£48,197.60 £91,185.61 £205,288.05 £2,000.00 £500.00 £2,000.00 £16,500.00 £317,473.66 |
£57,433.36 £20,447.90 |
||
| £77,881.26 £41,885.17 £139,383.21 £50,005.92 £650.00 £200.00 £190,239.13 |
£77,881.26 | ||
| £41,885.17 |
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the truste8sI members of uttlesford Foodbank On accounts for the year ended 31" March 2023 Charity no (if any) 1176230 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trust.) for the year ended 3110312023. Responsibilities and As the chanty trustees of the Trust, you are responsib for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {'the ACV). 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. I have completed my examination. I confim) that no material matters have come to my attention in Gonnection with the examination which gives me cause lo 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. Independent examine5 statement I have no ConMS and have come across no other matters in connection wtth the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: 10th January 2024 Name: David Smith OBE Relevant professional qualification{s) or body {if any): Fellow of Institute of Directors Fellow of British Computer Society Graduate Conversion Module to Chartered Accountancy (1989, EY) Address: 5 Adams Court Saffron Walden Essex. CB114DZ
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of conrn (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts= directions and guidan for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examinerwishes to disclose. DisclosL5re: My wife, Jenny Smith. was a volunteer for Uttlesford Foodbank during the financial year ended 31° March 2023. Examination findings: No material matters of conGem have arisen. The documentation for expenditure rtems has continued to improve year on year. There were no missing vouchers for expenditure in this audit. l understand a digital accounting system (Liberty) was implemented in April 2023. It was not relied upon to produce the FY22 Accounts or provide accounting records evidence. As such the system was not included in the scope for this audit. It will be a valuable tool for the operation of the Foodbank and for future audTts. My thanks to Sophie Durlacher and her team for the excellent record keeping over the period. Recommendations.. Review the decision to rely purely on the bank statement as documentation of donations by the public outside of those via online plaffomis. The previous practice of acknowledging the donation to the individual also provided a side benefit of creating an audit trail for those receipts. I fully a¢pt that this income type is relatively small element of the Foodbank's total funding and the Trustees may decide that it is proportionate to rely on the bank statement transaction. It would be desirable to have more timely processing of Gift Aid income from HMRC for future financials years. l understand that action is already underway to claim for the last four years, and that the Liberty accounting system offers functionality to assist for future years. The Trustees should create a Financial Governance Policy to document how the Board will enact their scrutiny of the finanrEs. The existing excellent financial controls documentation updated in June 2023 could be incorporated in this new document. Restricted Income which is received in financial year but spent in the following year should be recognised as a note to the Accounts. This will make more transparent the diligent action being taken to ensure it is appropriately spent and that the financial reseNes in the Deposit Account are purely Unrestricted Funds. Update on FY21 report recommendations for working practices improvements.. Recommendations were all in place for FY22. However, the recommendation relating to documenting donations from the public outside of those via online platforms was discontinued mid-year by a new Treasured appointed in FY22 (who has since left}.
uttleslord Ffy)dbank Profit and loss account oV0412022- 3110312023 2022Iz023 Unrestrlrted Restrkkni 2021Iz022 Unrestrirted Rertricled fvnd5 Donations Regular donors Corporate Comrnunity Churches Schools oneff$ Cguncillors Fundraisin8 Charlties £21.335.(K) £15,723.19 E17.017.83 £7,984.77 £o.c¢) £11,578.27 £10.897.18 £7.813.98 E2.025. £4,(NJ4.82 £82.50 £6,140.50 £1.553.Cil E6,131.50 £3.8W.(K) .570.56 £W16.98 Onllne plarforms Vlr8in Net intt*me CAF Amazon Smlle Local Givin8 Corporate GIn8 £o.c•) É16.050.C E120.75 £65.338.37 E135.20 £1.247.43 £82.891.75 £21,431.14 £7,379.70 £85.30 £15,677.86 £0.00 £4474) Tfussell Tesco top up Aovoc3CV 8rant Fl Grant Winter Grant £5.954.14 £3,511.ClJ £30.30 40,934.Lkl £S.LKQ.Q) £39,030.45 £J9030.45 Small grants Volunteers Ilils cafe) 8equest Refunds Inte$t on deposit account £10.575.39 £514.C#) £11,354.C8 £3,024.14 £282.13 £.36 £129.08 £4.92 £11,08939 Gr055 unrestritted1StT1cted Gross receipts £187.076.81 £57,053.69 £244,130.50 £80.735.98 £39.030.45 £119,766.43 Payments Admln sts Office Phone stationery Unrertrirted Rertrict¢d £5.190.11 £328.20 £1.446.21 £303.96 E158.25
Uttle5ford Foodbank Prollt and loss a(couN 011/2022- 3110312023 202212023 UnrestrKted 2021Iz022 Unrestfkted Re5trl¢ted fvnd5 erhead5 Rent funds £11.799.92 £243.43 £4,714.38 £6.321. £o.TrJ £2,5.c Insurance Warehouse 8uildin8 fee Lock-ups £9.397.94 £243.43 £3,924.16 Eo.c £8SO. Covld Cleaners Mileage PPE £o.c £2,136.15 £0. £2,19].C £2,270.93 EO.C Grant Payments Éi*).crfJ £569.24 dSrect grant RotarylSFUIUFB £1,226.75 £372.88 E932.C¥) Campalgn Grant Campaign salary Campign laptop Carnpign software Pension Campaign Assets Carnpal8n expense5 £13,867.38 É1.369.02 E646.80 £81.98 £50.70 £1,.99 £92.40 Cook Club Slow cookers Stock 91.80 13.76 M15C GDPR £369.99 £57.00 £602.40 livery FundraisinB 97.96 £Th99 stsff Pension Salary Payroll HMRC travel & expenses £2522.34 £12,826.83 £540.C £2.590.74 £1.105.97 £5.059.70 £190.08 £1.030.92 £L6S8.95 Q85.12 .38 Depgts
Uttlesford Foodbank Pmfit and loss accourrt oV0412022- 3110312023 2022noi3 Unre51rirted Re5trKted fur5 202112022 UnrestActed Re5trl(ted funds Dunmow Stansted EIO.94 £o.oJ Food É19,046.TrJ £21.276.98 £1.631.80 £13.1(Ll.(J) £8.881.05 Stock christmas £6,1.c1) £1.134.80 Volunteers volunteers £1,164.30 £216.C £15.( £2,349. £311.C¢) £3(.1)) dbs £429.3S Van Purchase Dlesel Signwritlng Upkeep lfjsurance Veh5cle tax £18.388.80 £211.B4 £150.C#) E20.C £4,206.49 £2.) Banklng & Ilnan<e 5um-up lee returneil cheque Local Givlng Fee É19.20 £3CiI. £96.CK) £IZl,269.86 É651.91 £96.(X) £57A33.36 E15,776.11 £137,045.97 E20,447.90 £77,881.26 Total expense5 Net income Current. Deposit accoynt Interest on deposii account Net Income to ¢ash a£wynt £107 084.53 £155,(ts).C £282.13 -£48,197.60 £41,885.17 A55ets as at 315t March 2023 Cash Current accout Dep951t account Food vouchers Cornputing Laptop Printer Van £91,IB5.61 £205.288.05 £2,C.( £139,383.21 £50.DJ5.92 £650.¢XI £2.00 É2,¢)Y).iJ) £16.51x).) £317,473.66 Iy bjknl l*ia l 4)ILr . £190.239.13
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the truste8sI members of uttlesford Foodbank On accounts for the year ended 31" March 2023 Charity no (if any) 1176230 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trust.) for the year ended 3110312023. Responsibilities and As the chanty trustees of the Trust, you are responsib for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {'the ACV). 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. I have completed my examination. I confim) that no material matters have come to my attention in Gonnection with the examination which gives me cause lo 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. Independent examine5 statement I have no ConMS and have come across no other matters in connection wtth the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: 10th January 2024 Name: David Smith OBE Relevant professional qualification{s) or body {if any): Fellow of Institute of Directors Fellow of British Computer Society Graduate Conversion Module to Chartered Accountancy (1989, EY) Address: 5 Adams Court Saffron Walden Essex. CB114DZ
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of conrn (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts= directions and guidan for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examinerwishes to disclose. DisclosL5re: My wife, Jenny Smith. was a volunteer for Uttlesford Foodbank during the financial year ended 31° March 2023. Examination findings: No material matters of conGem have arisen. The documentation for expenditure rtems has continued to improve year on year. There were no missing vouchers for expenditure in this audit. l understand a digital accounting system (Liberty) was implemented in April 2023. It was not relied upon to produce the FY22 Accounts or provide accounting records evidence. As such the system was not included in the scope for this audit. It will be a valuable tool for the operation of the Foodbank and for future audTts. My thanks to Sophie Durlacher and her team for the excellent record keeping over the period. Recommendations.. Review the decision to rely purely on the bank statement as documentation of donations by the public outside of those via online plaffomis. The previous practice of acknowledging the donation to the individual also provided a side benefit of creating an audit trail for those receipts. I fully a¢pt that this income type is relatively small element of the Foodbank's total funding and the Trustees may decide that it is proportionate to rely on the bank statement transaction. It would be desirable to have more timely processing of Gift Aid income from HMRC for future financials years. l understand that action is already underway to claim for the last four years, and that the Liberty accounting system offers functionality to assist for future years. The Trustees should create a Financial Governance Policy to document how the Board will enact their scrutiny of the finanrEs. The existing excellent financial controls documentation updated in June 2023 could be incorporated in this new document. Restricted Income which is received in financial year but spent in the following year should be recognised as a note to the Accounts. This will make more transparent the diligent action being taken to ensure it is appropriately spent and that the financial reseNes in the Deposit Account are purely Unrestricted Funds. Update on FY21 report recommendations for working practices improvements.. Recommendations were all in place for FY22. However, the recommendation relating to documenting donations from the public outside of those via online platforms was discontinued mid-year by a new Treasured appointed in FY22 (who has since left}.