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Truro Foodbank – Chair’s Report for the Year - 1 January to 31 December 2024

Truro Foodbank is a charity based in the Truro area and operating under the umbrella of the Trussell. Our principles and those of Trussell are shaped and guided by Christian principles to meet the needs of our neighbours in poverty.

Our Vision

Our vision is not only to meet the immediate needs of those who are hungry by provision of food, but to address the causes of poverty by provision of advice and assistance.

This reflects the Vision of Trussell which is “to end the need for foodbanks in the UK”.

Our Values

Our values are the fundamental driving principles that encapsulate the passion and motivation for our work. They have strong roots in Christian teaching and practice, whilst also being accessible and meaningful for people, whatever their background.

Compassion: We stand in solidarity with people locally that need our help. We put their wellbeing above everything else. We always uphold and protect their dignity.
Justice: We are motivated by a desire to see a more just society in the Truro area. It’s not right that anyone is facing hunger and poverty. Everyone should have enough income to afford the essentials.
Community: We believe we share the responsibility to support one another in our community, and more broadly to work with other foodbanks both locally and nationally. To create change, we must work together for a fairer society.
Dignity: We believe that every individual person matters and has innate worth. We seek to meet our customers’ needs regardless of background. We seek to address each person’s need for material provision, and just as importantly the need for self-worth.

As last year, we continue to experience a reduction in the donation of food items through supermarkets and direct giving. We have seen an increase in the donation of money. Need over the last 12 months has not increased, but has remained largely static: As previously, we continue to feed customers at high levels. We continue to buy food direct from supermarkets and wholesalers to meet specific food item needs. Customers are able to choose which items they require so that we are providing food that individuals want.

Staff

Out staff team remains unchanged at present.

Charity no. 1176281. Registered in England and Wales

Truro Foodbank – Chair’s Report for the Year - 1 January to 31 December 2024

Volunteers

As in previous years, our volunteers remain absolutely essential and we could not operate without their hard work and dedication. We are fundamentally a volunteer run organisation, with the roles of our staff largely focussed on organising such a large group of willing volunteers.

Premises

Our premises in Threemilestone continue to meet our current needs. We are actively looking for suitable affordable premises that we could purchase, to include more space to meet customers so that we can provide confidential benefits advice. There are very few premises available and we have not yet found something suitable. In the meantime, our rented premises meet our needs very well.

Finances

Despite the need to spend increasing amounts on purchasing food, our income still exceeds our regular outgoings. The provision of food is core to our objectives, and the trustees remain committed to funding the purchase of as much food as is required to stop our customers going hungry.

It also remains the case that in order to meet the needs of customers we have overheads including staff and accommodation costs.

We continue to hold a significant amount of capital with a hope to be able to buy our own premises. That capital is treated as a designated reserve fund.

Policies

We continue to review policies on a timely basis to ensure that they meet the needs of the organisation, and that they reflect current best practice.

Jo Stone

Chair of Trustees

Charity no. 1176281. Registered in England and Wales

TRURO FOODBANK TRURO CORNWALL

CHARITY NUMBER 1176281 REGISTERED IN ENGLAND AND WALES

THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

BALME KITCHEN & PEARCE LTD

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS 25 LEMON STREET TRURO CORNWALL

Truro Foodbank - Accounts for the Year - 1st January to 31st December 2024

TRURO FOODBANK

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR TO 31 DECEMBER 2024

Unit 15b Threemilestone Industrial Estate TRURO TR4 9LD

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1176281

The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Trustees:

The following Trustees have served during the year:

Jonathan Paul Stone Wendy Elizabeth Joy Vincent John Malcolm Henderson (To 30 October 2024) Donna Rosemarie Bryant Rowley Surridge Roger Paul Chilman (To 24 April 2024) Rev. Jill Edwards Elaine Parsons (To 31 July 2024) William Francis Haines Independent Examiner: T J Dawson FCA Balme Kitchen & Pearce Ltd Chartered Accountants 25 Lemon Street TRURO Cornwall TR1 2LS Bankers: The Co-operative Bank PLC PO BOX 101 1 Balloon Street Manchester M60 4EP

Governing Document

The Truro Foodbank is constituted by CIO – FOUNDATION Registered 14 December 2017

Objects and Organisation

1) The prevention or relief of poverty in Truro and surrounding neighbourhoods by providing items and services to individuals in need, and to charities or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty, in such ways as the trustees think fit. In furtherance of these objects, to supply to beneficiaries, either directly or through agency partners approved by the Trustees, food boxes containing primarily tinned or dried foods, ensuring a healthy balanced and nutritious diet, sufficient for up to three days. 2) to engage in any other activities consistent with the primary purpose of the charity including, but not limited to, the provision of counselling and other advisory services.

Charity no. 1176281 (Registered in England and Wales)

Truro Foodbank - Accounts for the Year - 1st January to 31st December 2024

Truro Foodbank - AGM – 28[th] January 2025 – Treasurer’s Report

In light of the ongoing cost of living crisis and the potential need to make plans for purchasing premises it is good to see that the bank balance has increased in 2023 from £222,656 to £351,143 and in 2024 to £414,718.

60% is now held in a Flagstone account which gives the opportunity of splitting it between various banks to take advantage of the maximum FSCS protection and to get better rates of interest than are available direct. There is currently £240K invested across three, 12 month fixed interest, accounts giving an annual return of nearly 4% with the maturity dates spread across the year.

In order to set budgets based on knowledge of what is regular income the regular and irregular receipts have been separated. A draft budget for 2025 has been prepared.

A large proportion of the income is still coming from the CAF 'button' on the website. On these donations any Gift Aid comes direct with the payments. This currently provides 74 regular monthly donations totalling £2,600.

There are 50 regular donations direct to the TFB account, including those from two churches, totalling £1,960, including Gift Aid where applicable.

Overall this gives us a monthly income from regular donations of £4,560. This is slightly down on last year.

In addition to personal donations, schools, businesses and churches have been particularly generous in the lead up to Christmas and various organisations and groups have held fundraising events.

There has been a decrease in the donations from Tesco which are based on the quantity of food donated through their stores, this reflects the reduced quantity of those donations. Interest is mainly that which has been received from the maturing of two of the Flagstone accounts during the year.

The grant from Cornwall Community Fund (for fuel vouchers) has been fully used. The Sembrador grant (for food) partially remains for use in 2025.

The grants for Tara from Citizens Advice, for the Truro Local Organiser post and Real Farming Trust for Twinning are all partially used (see the allocated funds at the base of the figures for the remaining balances).

The 2023 figure from ASH is the return of the previously given, but unused, grant.

The equipment includes the purchase of the fridge and lighting electricals.

The ‘office expenses’ total includes office sundries, volunteer refreshments for Tesco special collection days, Independent Examiner fee (2 years), Volunteer Evening and a contribution to ASH for office use.

TLO expenses, and paid for by the Trussell grant, include printing, Cornwall Business Fair stand and Rewind radio adverts for the RLW campaign.

The twinning expenses, and paid for by the RFT grant, include the gazebo, catering for TFB / Soul Farm joint events and plants for the community planting event.

Charity no. 1176281 (Registered in England and Wales)

Truro Foodbank - Accounts for the Year - 1st January to 31st December 2024

The van expenses include repairs, vehicle insurance, tax and fuel.

Mileage has reduced as almost all mileage is now done by the van or paid to staff with their salary and not separated in these accounts.

The mobile phone monthly costs have reduced from the end of 2023.

The wages have increased due to the inclusion of a full year of the TLO post and due to additional hours to cover the increase in workload, dealing with “mousegate” and pay increases.

The FI payments to CA represent a full year of provision of advice sessions.

The premises costs include not only a full year’s rental but also the materials required for vermin-proofing, the payments to Rentakil and the skip hire to remove the ‘debris’. Electricity is for a full year.

Insurance remains the same as last year.

Rates and water show a small refund on the previous year’s payments.

Fuel vouchers, financed in part by the Cornwall Community Fund, increased last year but have now been largely replaced by assistance from Community Energy Plus.

As last year the purchase of groceries has become a regular necessity.

The provision of Fruit & Veg and Meat vouchers has largely been replaced by fresh produce from Soul Farm and the use of the freezer.

As noted above some of the Financial Inclusion grant for Tara from Citizens Advice (45%), for the Truro Local Organiser post (25%) and Real Farming Trust for Twinning (41%) remain as funds allocated for these purposes.

In order to plan for the replacement of the van at some point in the future a further £2,000 has been added to the van 'sinking fund'.

Charity no. 1176281 (Registered in England and Wales)

Truro Foodbank - Accounts for the Year - 1st January to 31st December 2024

TRURO FOODBANK

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF TRURO FOODBANK

I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2024, which are set out on pages 5/6.

RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER

The Charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (the act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: -

Examine the accounts (under section 145 of the act);
To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the act and
To state whether particular matters have come to our attention.

BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that;
proper accounting records are kept (in accordance with section 130 of the Act) and;
accounts are prepared which agree with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act; or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

T J Dawson FCA Balme Kitchen & Pearce Ltd Chartered Accountants 25 Lemon Street TRURO Cornwall TR1 2LS

Date:

Charity no. 1176281 (Registered in England and Wales)

Truro Foodbank - Accounts for the Year - 1st January to 31st December 2024

Bank balance brought forward	2024	2023
	351,143	222,656

Direct donations -gift aid claimable(regular)	14,948	15,244
Direct donations -gift aid claimable(one-off)	600	1,596
Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme	779	2,503
GA Claimed	4,800	4,358
Direct donations -gift aid not claimable(regular)	2,770	3,730
Direct donations -gift aid not claimable(one-off)	12,660	10,021
Charities Aid Foundation 'button'(regular)	31,226	31,135
Charities Aid Foundation 'button'(one-off)	12,755	29,093
Fundraisingevents	8,977	10,185
Schools/Businesses/Churches(regular)	2,080	3,200
Schools/Businesses/Churches(one-off)	25,113	28,983
Tesco donation	3,674	6,375
Interest	4,710	45
Grants - Cornwall CommunityFund/Sembrador	3,115	4,900
Grants - Financial Inclusion for Citizens Advice	38,920	21,599
Grants - Truro Local Organiser	20,731	22,528
Grants - Real FarmingTrust for Twinning	11,939	4,732
Returned Grant for ASH Kitchen	0	37,500
Total Income
	199,796	237,727

Trussell Trust	360	360
Equipment	1,466	1,860
Office	4,589	1,065
Truro Local Organiser misc expenses	3,220	241
Twinningmisc expenses	3,076	692
Van expenses	2,236	3,851
Mileage	28	572
Mobilephone	550	800
Wages(includingTLO and twinning)	64,958	55,957
Financial inclusion to Citizens Advice	17,515	11,962
Water	-40	158
Workman/VickeryHolman/Threemilestone	25,488	12,453
Electricity	2,312	555
Insurance	586	586
Rates	-193	330
Fuel	0	1,660
Equipment for cookingetc	0	179
Groceries	9,578	10,131
Fruit & Vegand Meat Vouchers	490	5,830
Total Expenditure
	136,221	109,242

Charity no. 1176281 (Registered in England and Wales)

Truro Foodbank - Accounts for the Year - 1st January to 31st December 2024

Excess of Income Over Expenditure Bank balance carried forward Funds Specifically Allocated Sembrador Fund	Excess of Income Over Expenditure Bank balance carried forward Funds Specifically Allocated Sembrador Fund	63,575	128,487

		414,718	351,143


		1,000
	Van(Sinkingfund)	10,000	8,000
Financial inclusiongrant for Citizens Advice		9,730	9,638
Grant for Truro Local Organiser		5,183	5,632
Twinning grant from Real FarmingTrust		1,270	1,957
General Reserve
		387,535	325,916

These accounts were approved by the Trustees on 28/01/2025 and were signed on their behalf by Wendy Vincent