## **Bags of Blessings** (Registered charity, number 1182290) **Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
|**Page**|**Contents**|
|---|---|
|2 - 4|Trustees’ annual report|
|5|Independent examiner’s report|
|6|Receipts & payments account|
|7|Statement of assets & liabilities|
|8 - 9|Notes to the accounts|
## **Bags of Blessings Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 March 2022**
**Full name** Bags of Blessings
**Organisation type** Charitable incorporated organisation
## **Registered charity number** 1182290
## **Principal address**
c/o 137 Standhill Road, Carlton, Nottingham, NG4 1JT
## **Trustees**
Christine Shuter, Chair Lakmali Scott, Secretary Debbie Jackson, Treasurer Joanne Tolley, until 04/09/21
## **Independent examiner**
John O’Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL
## **Governance and management**
The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution adopted 4 March 2019.
After a suitable period of volunteering, suitable candidates of new trustees are invited to join the Board. We have an application form to be completed and references are taken up before the board consider each application.
## **Objectives and activities**
The prevention or relief of poverty in Nottinghamshire by providing items to charities or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.
Public appeals are made for suitable books and gifts for 0-16 year old children, which are grouped into age and gender groups, wrapped, packed and distributed to underprivileged children via food banks and other agencies.
## **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit**
The relief of poverty by providing gifts at certain times of the year, which otherwise would have put undue financial pressure on parents and carers.
## **Public benefit statement**
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
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## **Bags of Blessings**
## **Summary of the main achievements during the period**
After starting 2021 with the successful distribution of Lockdown Activity Packs, Windowsill Growing Kits and Easter Craft Packs, we moved into our new financial year with a donation from Rotary to fill personal care packs for women and teenagers in crisis. We have so far distributed 200 packs, with 50 in stock and items ready to fill another 250.
As usual, during the school summer holidays we filled and distributed activity bags to encourage children to play outside. A Breakfast Club at one local church made a request for 200 bags and offered a donation to cover a portion of our costs. They paid £2 for each bag, which contained a reading book, colouring book or writing pad, age-appropriate stationery and an outdoor game or toy. 500 packs in total were distributed over the first four weeks of the holidays.
Thanks to a donation from Monarch Education Furniture, we were able to provide 200 Back to School Stationery sets to KS1 and KS2 children who were on free school meals.
During the summer we attended 3 Summer Fairs in an effort to raise awareness and we held a Summer Fair of our own to raise funds. We took extra precautions to make sure that we were Covid safe at all times.
A grant from the Co-op Community Fund enabled us to buy the items we needed to complete the activity packs, back to school packs, Christmas and Easter bags in the age groups where donations did not meet demand. We were also able to purchase a laptop and printer.
We were successful in our bid for rent, insurance and furnishings from Peoples Postcode Places Trust, with an award of £20k. This, along with a £10k donation from L’Oréal gave us the financial security to start our search for new premises and we found the excellent unit we now occupy at a rent of £10k pa (paid monthly!) and moved in, after a 2 week rent free period for decorating, on 1[st] October on a two-year lease. We hope to be able to remain working at this unit in the long term.
We were successful in our bid for a donation of racking and desks from Collecteco. The value of 12 bays of heavy-duty racking, 12 desks, a filing cabinet, storage cabinet, assorted chairs and a microwave far outweighed the cost of delivery, storage and then delivery to the new premises. They have since donated chairs to complete the furnishing of our new unit. Plans are in place to complete the decoration of our training room so that we can offer it for the use of local groups.
We started the Christmas campaign in earnest when we moved in and, in a very short time had recruited more volunteers so that we could open for 5 sessions per week. More collection points came on board and, with their help, and invaluable assistance from guides and scouts we could take on more agencies, including two more Framework units in Mansfield, and succeeded in distributing gifts and bags for 1,485 children; an increase of 16% on last year.
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## **Bags of Blessings**
Easter 2022 saw the distribution of 450 Easter activity kits, containing a craft kit, reading book, as always, stationery and, of course, an Easter egg. Extra eggs were distributed for siblings of those receiving activity packs.
With the momentum we have gained we feel confident in taking on more food banks for 2022 - locations and numbers to be decided by the Trustees.
We also hope to make good use of the upstairs room at the back of the building for the benefit of local children.
## **Financial review**
With the grants from L'Oreal and Postcode Places Trust our finances look healthy and we can look forward to long-term working in our new premises. We still have some residue from the Co-op Fund to start our campaigns for 2022.
## **The charity’s policy on reserves**
Our reserves policy is to initially ensure that we have enough to pay our rent for the rest of the 2-year lease (currently 1 year and 6 months at £833 per month, i.e. £14,994), thereafter on a rolling lease we will ensure that we always have reserves for 6 months’ rent.
## **Acknowledgments**
We are lucky to have the support of our local community, and enjoy the patronage of a band of strong and dedicated collectors in local schools, churches and businesses. We have found that, as word spreads of our work, more businesses are pledging ongoing assistance, through fundraising, collecting and promotion of our cause. We are especially grateful to one Nottinghamshire County Councillor who granted us £1,000 to be used for the benefit of local children in the coming year. The Atrium Bar and Kitchen is another supporter who gifted us the ticket sales of their Christmas markets, totalling £715. Both were unsolicited donations and are used here as examples of the confidence given to us by the wider community.
Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our charity and we are proud to have such committed individuals who are always ready to step up to the challenges we set them. As with every charity, we would not be able to function as we do without their loyalty and devotion to underprivileged young people in Nottingham. We sincerely value every one of them and every hour that they give to our cause is appreciated more than we can say.
## Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signed _____________________________________________ Date __________ 23.05.22 Christine Shuter, Trustee
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## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Bags of Blessings for the year ended 31 March 2022**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Bags of Blessings (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2022.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the charity 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all 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 matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed _________________________ Date ______________________ 26/05/2022 John O’Brien MSc, FCCA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus
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## **Bags of Blessings Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 March 2022**
|_2021_
Total
**Unrestricted**
Funds
**Funds**
£
**Note**
**£**
**Receipts**
-
Fundraising
1707
6079
Grants & donations
**2**
15046
-
Rent repayments
2400
-
Sundry receipts
79
6079
**Total receipts**
**19232**
**Payments**
2184
Charitable activities
1018
-
Equipment, repairs & renewals
46
65
Fixed assets
-
-
Fundraising costs
310
-
Insurance
275
197
Phone, postage & internet
218
-
Premises, repairs & maintenance
-
66
Printing, stationery & computer
439
-
Rent
7200
422
Running costs
9
-
Sundry payments
10
2934
**Total payments**
**9525**
3145
**Net receipts/(payments)**
9707
1476
Cash funds at start of this period
1305
4621
**Cash funds at end of this period**
**11012**|**_2022_**
**Restricted**
**Total**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
-
1707
24731
39777
-
2400
-
79
**24731**
**43963**
4982
6000
855
901
-
-
-
310
213
488
-
218
447
447
35
474
5833
13033
1017
1026
-
10
**13382**
**22907**
11349
21056
3316
4621
**14665**
**25677**|
|---|---|
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## **Bags of Blessings Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2022**
|_2021_
£
**Cash assets**
**Note**
4498
Bank accounts
123
Cash in hand
4621
**Other monetary assets**
-
Debtors
**4**
-
**Assets retained for the charity’s own use**
General equipment.
**Liabilities**
-
Creditors - Independent examination fee
-|**_2022_**
**£**
25568
109|
|---|---|
||**25677**|
||5283|
||**5283**|
||(420)|
||**(420)**|
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
23/05/2022 Signed ___________________________________ Dated ___________ Debbie Jackson, Trustee
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## **Bags of Blessings Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **1. Receipts & payments accounts**
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
## **2. Grants & donations**
|Postcode Places Trust
Co-op Community Fund
Tesco Bags of Help
L'Oréal Luxe Charity Committee
Sundry grants & donations
Anonymous donation
Nottinghamshire County Council|**Unrestricted**
**£**
-
-
-
10000
2546
1500
1000
**15046**|**Restricted**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
19996
19996
4035
4035
700
700
-
10000
-
2546
-
1500
-
1000
**24731**
**39777**|
|---|---|---|
## **3. Funds analysis**
|**Restricted funds**
Postcode Places Trust - rent & running costs
Co-op - activity packs & equipment
Rotary Club of Sherwood Sunrisers - care packs
Tesco Bags of Help - bags
**Unrestricted funds**
General|**Opening**
**balance**
**£**
-
1916
1400
-
**3316**
1305
**1305**|**Receipts (Payments)**
**£**
**£**
19996
(8201)
4035
(3473)
-
(1008)
700
(700)
**24731**
**(13382)**
19232
(9525)
**19232**
**(9525)**|**Closing**
**balance**
**£**
11795
2478
392
-|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**14665**|
||||11012|
||||**11012**|
## **4. Debtors**
|Capital Care Investments - rent repayments
Sundry income
Prepayment: Insurance
Prepayment: Phone, postage & internet|**£**
4800
10
414
59|
|---|---|
||**5283**|
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## **Bags of Blessings**
## **5. Trustees’ remuneration**
Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period.
## **6. Glossary of terms**
**Creditors:** These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.
**Debtors:** These are amounts owed to the charity, but not received in the accounting period.
**Prepayments:** These are services that the charity has paid for in advance, but not used during the accounting period.
**Restricted funds:** These are funds given to the charity, subject to specific restrictions set by the donor, but still within the general objects of the charity.
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