Bags of Blessings (Registered charity, number 1182290) Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 Page Contents Trustees, annual report Independent examiner's report Receipts & payments account Statement of assets & liabilities Notes to the accounts 9-10 capLUS COMMUNITY ACCOUNTING Bags of Blessings Trustees, annual report for the year ended 31 March 2024 Full name Bags of Blessings Organisation type Charitable incorporated organisation Registered charity number 1182290 Principal address clo 137 Standhill Road. Carlton, Nottingham, NG4 1 JT Trustees Christine Shuter, Chair Debbie Jackson, Treasurer Michelle Heckford, Catherine Stones Lauren Gunn, until 18.7.24 Independent examiner John O'Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham. NG15GL Governance and management The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution adopted 4 March 2019. We advertise specific roles and volunteers who are interested and capable are invited to apply to become a trustee. At the first trustees meeting after an application we discuss the merits of the applicant and then take a vote. 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. We provide bags of gifts to young people. from birth to 18 years of age at Christmas, plus activity bags to children from 4 to 11 years at Easter and during school Summer holidays. We work with a homeless charity to provide clothing, equipment and toys for children from birth to 4 years and items of equipment not suitable for our bags are donated to the same homeless charity. We collect clothing for a clothing bank and have the means and contacts to equip families who are experiencing extreme difficulties. We also provide hygiene items to food banks. All of this is done through public appeal, with collection boxes being placed in the community at Christmas and donors approaching us through our social media. Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit By providing items for disadvantaged families, we are able to relieve them of the stress of having to buy these items. Good mental health is always an issue and our activities, as well as helping with meagre budgets, bring reassurance that the items donated through the kindness of strangers gives beneficiaries Ihe knowledge that they are seen and cared about. Bags of Blessings 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,. Summary of the main achievements during the period The start of the accounting period in April 2023 saw us pack and deliver 600 Easter Activity Packs. Each containing Easter themed toys or craft activities, stationery, a reading book and an Easter egg. They were aimed at children from 4 to 11 years and were delivered mostly to food banks, but also included a Malawian group of families. We repeated this exercise in July, when we packed 600 similar bags, with two outdoor toys instead of Easter items. As always, a reading book and stationery were included in the bag. L'oreal have supported Bags of Blessings since our first campaign and we were approached by them during the summer, where they offered to fill bags with hygiene items during their Citizen Day in July and deliver 2,000 lo us to be distribuled at our discretion. All of these packs were delivered to food banks and homeless charilies within one week. Our Hygiene Hub continues to deliver personal and household hygiene items to our food bank clients. This Hub has become an integral part of our charitable giving, using funds specifically awarded to buy hygiene items. We continue to donate to the charity, Around Again, which is managed under the umbrella of our biggest homeless charity, Framework. We have been pleased to pass on many items of clothing, nursery apparatus and toys for children from birth up to 4 years and enjoy an ongoing relationship with them throughout the year. We continue to collect items of household linen and clothing for our clothing bank friends, Sharewear, receiving many donations, especially around Christmas time and one of our food bank clients also received items of warm clothing and footwear from us over the winter period, when we learned that they frequently receive visits from homeless men. Our fundraising efforts with our Summer Fair and an Autumn Fashion Show raised £1,387 which went towards our Christmas Campaign. Also, stall holders, rents for our 2024 spring Fair, paid during the 2023124 financial period yielded £358. We continue to engage with young people, encouraging them to learn about food poverty and homelessness through volunteering with us. We believe Ihat when they engage firsl hand in our charitable endeavours they will carry their experiences Ihrough into later life and foster a caring and compassionate atlitude amongst their peers. In August we attended a youth event, where 430 young people between the ages of 13 and 18 years packed 900 stationery packs for distribution al Christmas and 900 personal hygiene packs for our food bank clients. Following that, in November and December we took our bags of toys to five Police Cadets units and two Guides groups. These young people joyfully wrapped over 3,000 individual items in more than 600 bags and will be doing the same for us this year. For the first Bags of Blessings time we had the support of two colleges, where students collected and wrapped many gifts to go into our Christmas bags. With the help of all these young people. plus the many businesses. schools and churches throughout Nottingham who have toys collection boxes on their premises, we succeeded in packing and distributing 1,993 bags of gifts at Christmas, the vast majority of which were donated items. As always, the bags contained 3 toys, stationery and colouring items, seasonal confectionery and a signed Christmas card. We find that we are receiving more referrals for family packs around Christmas time and are happy to be able to provide Christmas gifts for entire families, including wherever possible. a few luxury Christmas food items. Financial review We started the year with an opening balance of £14,715 and fundraising events and grants and donations yielded another £8,550, which enabled us to fund Easter and Summer Activity bags and to meet the shortfall in donations. Thanks to an award of £9,166 from The National Lotlery Community Fund and £12,780 from Postcode Places Trust we were able to meet our obligations wilh rent, insurances and general maintenance of our premises and ended the year with a balance of £27,594, which gave us a healthy start to the year 2024125. With a healthy financial position, we were able to meet all of our challenges this year. Financial risk We have no significant financial risk - our priority is to pay the rent and tailor activities to suit the funds we have at the time. As the majority of our work is the result of public donation, we work according to our financial position at the time, with our only ongoing obligation being rent and running costs. The charity's policy on reserves Our policy is to hold six months rent for our premises and when those reserves are needed we will start to wind up the charity. Acknowledgments Our volunteers and trustees are the beating heart of our charity and we would not be able to continue without their dedication and generosity of their time. This year we have been supported by more local offices of national businesses. Turner & Townsend, Boots, BJSS and we are grateful to John Lewis for both a £2,000 donation and also a generous donation of Easter eggs from their distribution department. We have appreciated the support that we have received from L'oreal since our first campaign in 2018. In summer 2023 they donated 2,000 hygiene packs of exceptional quality which we were able to deliver to disadvantaged families throughout Nottingham via our network of food bank contacts. Bags of Blessings We are indebted to Nottinghamshire Constabulary, Nottingham College and The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latterday Saints for their continued support throughout the year. The young people in their organisations cheerfully and enthusiastically support us in a variety of ways. We have a network of collection points throughout Nottingham, which grows year on year. We are approached by businesses and individuals who see what we do and want to support our work. Without these contacts we would not be able to grow as we do. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees.. Signed Christine Shuter, Trustee Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Bags of Blessings for the year ended 31 March 2024 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Bags of Blessings (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2024. 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 conneclion with Ihe examination giving me cause to believe thal 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 John O'BrienThSc, FCCA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus Date 0110912024 Bags of Blessings Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 March 2024 2023 Total 2024 Total Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds Funds Funds Note Receipts Fundraising Grants and donations Rent repayments Sundry receipts Total receipts 2062 3133 2400 105 7699 1426 18423 1915 32 21796 1426 29589 1915 32 32962 11166 11166 Payments Charitable actiwties Equipment, repairs & renewals Fundraising costs Insurarce Phone, postage & intemet Premises, repairs & rna1ntena￿e Printing, stationery& compLrter Rent & se￿iceS Legal & professional Sundry payTnents Totsl payments 5937 603 485 383 122 6687 452 218 368 241 12 111 4364 559 268 13280 970 7657 452 218 368 241 12 111 10197 559 268 20083 309 10325 420 77 18661 5833 6803 {10962} 25677 Net receiptsl(payments) Cash funds at start ofthis period Transfers between futKIs Cash funds at end of this period 8516 14029 4363 686 686 4363 12879 14715 14715 23231 27594 Bags of Blessings Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2024 2023 2024 Cash assets Bank accounts Cash in hand Note 14586 129 14715 27540 54 27594 Other monetary assets Debtors Prepayments 2263 371 371 2263 Assets retsined for the charity's own use General equipment. Liabilities Creditors- Legal & professional 444 (444) 480 480 These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by.. Signed D Debbie Jackson, Trustee Dated 1610812024 Bags of Blessings Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 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 Unrestricted Restricted Total Postcode Places Trust National Lottery Community Fund Abbirie John Lewis Sundry grants & donations 12780 12780 9166 2000 2000 3643 29589 9166 2000 2000 3643 18423 11166 3. Funds analysis Opening Receipts (Payments) Transfers balance clo￿n9 balance Restricted funds Hygiene Hub Rent and njnning costs Postcode Places Trust 2000 9166 (970) (5833) 1030 3333 686 686 686 11166 4363 6803 686 Unrestricted funds General 14029 14029 21796 21796 13280 13280 686 686 23231 23231 The transfer from the Postcode Places Trust fund to the General fund reflects the release of any restrictions on the use of these funds. Bags of Blessings 4. Prepayments Insurance Phone, postage & internet 292 79 371 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. 10