Trustees ‘Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024
Reference and Administrative Details
Charity Name: The Baby Bank
Registered Charity Number: 1179580
Charity’s Principal Address:
Unit 2A Tectonic Place Holyport Road SL6 2YE
Structure, Governance and Management
The Baby Bank was constituted as a CIO and registered with the Charity Commission on 17[th] August 2018. The charity’s governing document is that of a CIO where only the Trustees are voting members.
Trustees are recruited through adverts placed locally, on social media and through trustee recruitment websites. Trustees are appointed after a successful interview and after trustee board approval and appropriate Safeguarding checks.
Name of Trustees who managed the charity during the period of this report:
| Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
|---|---|---|
| Amy Elizabeth Spencer Tisi |
Chair | Chair until Nov 2024 |
| Ellen Duke | Appointed 09.09.24 | |
| Charlotte-Louise Frances Ann Weaver |
Appointed 09.09.24 | |
| Margaret Moffat | Appointed 09.09.24 | |
| James Dalrymple-Smith | Chair | Chair from Nov 2024 |
| Dr Evelyn Patricia Kirkwood |
Secretary |
Non Board Member Treasurer: Jo Caffrey
1
Names of Chief Executives
Rebecca Mistry and Lauren Hall
Objectives and Activities
The prevention or relief of poverty in local UK communities (near Windsor and Maidenhead) by providing grants, services, and items to individuals in need and/or charities or organizations working to prevent and relieve poverty.
Main Activities
The Baby Bank collates new and preloved items for families in need in the Berkshire and surrounding areas. Families are usually referred by a variety of professionals who work directly with the families .
Public benefit
The Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Contribution made by volunteers
The Baby Bank has a roster of 45 regular volunteers who support the charity's work through a range of tasks. This includes accepting donated items, sorting items, preparing referrals, and supporting events such as quizzes, Christmas fairs, and other fundraisers. These regular volunteers give an average of 3 hours per week, totalling 6480 hours in 2024.
In 2024, the charity benefited from the support of Corporate Social Responsibility teams from local companies such as Centrica. These volunteers gave 2492 hours at a notional value of £29,904 to the charity.
Achievements and Performance
Review of 2024
Demand for the service continued to increase during 2024 and was the busiest year to date. Demand for basic items is still extremely high. In 2024 6219 individuals received support from the charity. ( 5822 in 2023, a 7% increase )
2
Further statistics demonstrate the impact of The Baby Bank in 2024:
-
1400 Pyjama Packs were gifted at Christmas.
-
600 Christmas Gifts made children’s holiday special.
-
435 uniform referrals helped children succeed at school.
-
661 Refugee families were provided with essentials.
-
1866 moses baskets, cots and beds were given out to ensure babies and children had a safe place to sleep- a 14% increase on 2023.
Since The Baby Bank started back in 2015, the charity has supported over 40,000 individuals in the local community, providing them with over 250,000 items of clothing, baby equipment, and other essential goods.
Trustee Recruitment
One of the charity’s key focuses in 2024 was to strengthen governance by recruiting to the Trustee board. In September, after a thorough recruitment process, three new Trustees joined The Baby Bank. Charlotte Weaver, Ellen Duke, and Margaret Moffat bring a wealth of skills, including finance, legal, and lived experience.
THE BABY BANK TRUSTEES SEPT 2024
Co-founder turned Trustee, Amy Tisi handed over the role of Chair to James Dalrymple Smith in November after 7 years, having seen the charity through the early days of registration, growth, several changes in storage location, and various changes to the Trustees. The Trustee Board is excited to work together to take the charity into its tenth year and beyond.
3
Fundraising Events
As well as donations and fundraising events such as attending Christmas Fairs and fetes, in 2024, The Baby Bank put more of a focus on self-run fundraising events. A hugely popular quiz night and raffle was held in May at Windsor and Eton FC, raising just over £2000.
Another initiative that continued to be popular in 2024 was the sale of flowers donated by local Florist, Lavender Green. One volunteer held regular sales at their house, which brought in substantial cash that the charity could use to purchase items such as nappies, new mattresses and new branded uniform items.
Pop-up uniform sales, a World Book Day Swap, and Halloween costume sales were held at the storage facility, helping to raise funds and reduce waste by encouraging the reuse of clothing among a wider audience.
Volunteers and friends of the charity kindly participated in sponsored events on behalf of The Baby Bank, for example, running the Windsor Half Marathon.
While the charity's focus remained on re-gifting pre-loved items and reducing waste, sometimes new items are essential, and a successful Amazon Wishlist was well-supported.
The Baby Bank has developed good partnerships with organisations such as Morrisons, Tesco, Mattel, and local businesses like School Days Direct and Goyal’s Uniform.
Co-CEO Rebecca Mistry continues to achieve excellent results in applying for grants for The Baby Bank, and during 2024, the charity was supported by a number of funds, including The Prince Philip Trust and the Berkshire Community Fund.
FLOWER SALES RAISED FUNDS FOR THE BABY BANK IN 2024
4
Kings Award for Voluntary Service
In November 2024, The Baby Bank was one of the recipients of the Kings Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).
The charity was thrilled to have been nominated by members of the community, and after a rigorous assessment process, the award was announced. The CEOs, Trustees, and volunteers attended a ceremony in Newbury to receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, Andrew Try.
----- Start of picture text -----
CO-CEOS, TRUSTEES AND VOLUNTEERS COLLECT THE KAVS
----- End of picture text -----
ITV’s Lorraine Kelly kicked off her ‘Big Baby Bank Appeal’ by visiting The Baby Bank HQ in Holyport with her TV crew. The publicity generated was valuable to the charity and further highlighted the work of baby banks across the UK.
In December, the RBWM Mayor’s Christmas Dinner was held in support of The Baby Bank, and guests gathered at Windsor Guildhall. The charity was pleased to accept a cheque for £4000 after the successful event.
5
Financial Review
Income and Expenditure during the year
In the 2024 reporting period, The Baby Bank received £169,094 in grants, donations, and sales activities. This was an increase of 8% on the previous year (2022: £156,146).
There was an increase in charitable activities, such as fundraising through flower sales in 2024.
Total expenditure during the year was £117,775 (2023: £105,121)
This was the third full year with paid employees and third year with rent costs. Employees received a pay increase of 3% in line with inflation.
The Baby Bank expenditure is predominantly used to respond to requests by support workers to provide for our families in need of essentials, where preloved items cannot be sourced. For example, new mattresses or double buggies.
Donations-in-kind are not reflected in the income or expenditure within our financial statements but represent a significant additional donation stream and route for fulfilling our referral needs.
Summary of movement of restricted and unrestricted funds
On 31 December 2024, The Baby Bank reported unrestricted funds of £160,566 and restricted funds of £55,248, representing total funds at year end of £215,814.
Reserves
The Baby Bank is not reliant upon one single event, donation, or grant nor committed to any single significant expense.
2024 was the third of a three-year rent lease agreement, so the charity held reserves representing 12 months of rent and associated costs.
The Baby Bank has two part-time employees and holds reserves representing 6 months’ salary and associated costs.
6
Future Plans
In 2025, the charity plans to celebrate its tenth birthday with several events.
The Trustees’ focus will be on bedding in the new Trustees and building good working relationships as a leadership team.
The lease on The Baby Bank HQ in Holyport will expire in August 2025, and work is already underway to seek an extension or identify alternative premises.
The Trustees believe that there is an opportunity to recruit one further trustee with HR experience to the board, and the recruitment process will continue.
Statement of responsibilities of the Trustees
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
-
Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
-
Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP.
-
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
-
State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
-
Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets
7
of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Declarations
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above.
and signed on their behalf by
J Dalrymple- Smith
James Dalrymple-Smith: Chair of Trustees
8
| Baby Bank Windsor |
Baby Bank Windsor |
Baby Bank Windsor |
1179580 | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts and payments accounts | |||||
| For the period from |
1st January 2024 | To | 31st December 2024 | ||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| Donations | 84,286 | 84,286 | 62,794 | ||
| restricted funds | 71,231 | 71,231 | 67,089 | ||
| Charitable activities | 13,577 | 13,577 | 6,867 | ||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
97,863 |
71,231 | - | 169,094 | 136,750 |
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||
| 97,863 | 71,231 | - | 169,094 | 136,750 | |
Charitable activities |
26,905 | 26,905 | 28,854 | ||
| Website | 820 | 820 | 577 | ||
| Other | 1,543 | 1,543 | 1,875 | ||
| Rent | 10,000 | 25,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | |
| Insurance | 1,268 | 1,268 | 1,558 | ||
| Staff costs | 42,103 | 5,000 | 47,103 | 32,967 | |
| IT costs | 155 | 155 | 60 | ||
| Travel | 32 | 32 | 38 | ||
| Heat light power | 4,949 | 4,949 | 4,192 | ||
| **Sub total ** | 60,870 | 56,905 | - | 117,775 | 105,121 |
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end Funds restated between Unrestricte |
|||||
| 60,870 | 56,905 | - | 117,775 | 105,121 | |
| 36,993 | 14,326 | - | 51,319 | 31,629 | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| 123,573 | 40,922 | - | 164,495 | 132,866 | |
| 160,566 | 55,248 | - | 215,814 | 164,495 | |
| d/Restricted | 82,947 - |
||||
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at | the end of the period | ||||
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities |
Details | Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|
| Cash at Bank | 160,566 | 55,248 | |||
| rounding | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details |
160,566 | 55,248 | - | ||
| OK | OK | OK | |||
| Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| Details | Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
When due (optional) |
||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| Signature | Prin | t Name | |||
| Date of approval |
|||||
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ members of
Charity Name The Baby Bank 31 December 2024 1179580
On accounts for the year ended Charity no (if any) Set out on pages
A- Receipts and payments, and B – assets and liabilities
Responsibilities and basis of report
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/12/2024.
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation 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 examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have 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:
Date:
20/05/2025
1
IER
October
2018
Name:
Julie Turk
Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):
ICAEW - ACA
Address:
4 Bartlemy Close
Newbury Berkshire RG14 6LE
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 . N/A
2
IER
October
2018