## The Hive Cornwall
Charity number: 1187981
# **TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## Contents
|Heading|Page|
|---|---|
|Reference and administrative information|1|
|Trustees' report|2|
|Independent examiners report to the trustees|5|
|Statement of financial activities|6|
|Balance sheet|8|
|Statement of Cashflows|9|
|Notes to the financial statements|10|
## Reference and Administrative Information
Charity name The Hive Cornwall CIO Registered Charity number 1187981
Registered Company number CE020717
Registered address 3 St Clements Vean, Tregolls Road, Truro TR1 1RN Cornwall
## Trustees serving in the period
Matthew Thomson
Barbara Rounsevell MBE
Amber Duddridge
## Independent Examiners
Swell Accounting & Business Solutions Trevelga Court Newquay Cornwall TR7 3AD
Bankers
The Co-operative Bank P.O. Box 250 Skelmersdale Lancashire WN8 6WT
1
The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## Trustees Report
## Structure, Governance and Management
The Charity was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 14[th] February 2020 and has no paid staff, operating solely through volunteers.
## Charitable Objects
The charity’s founding purpose was to gather surplus (waste) food and distribute it at no cost to disadvantaged families, and to organisations serving them; processing the food to extend its life as appropriate. The charity has registered the following charitable objects with the Charity Commission:
- General Charitable Purposes
- Education/training
- The Prevention and Relief Of Poverty
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- Economic/community Development/employment
## to help:
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- People with Disabilities
- Other Charities or Voluntary Bodies
- Other Defined Groups
## Acknowledgements
Trustees would like to thank staff and volunteers of our principal community partners CHAOS Cornwall CIC, Growing Links CIC, Fentenfenna Farm CIC and Liskeard & Looe Foodbank for supporting Hive Cornwall’s objects throughout the year. Thanks also to the Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum Food Access Alliance and Sustainable Food Cornwall for their support and encouragement.
Outside of the core Hive Cornwall partnership, the charity depended on cooperation with an ecosystem of over 30 voluntary, community and social enterprise groups across Cornwall, including Transformation CPR and DISC Newquay who were notable for the large amounts of food they were able to distribute effectively, often at very short notice. The Hive Cornwall is profoundly grateful to all in this network, while regretting the closure of vital community organisations such as DISC due to the challenging circumstances affecting all those working in community food.
## Activities and Achievements
The Hive Cornwall’s main operational activities in the year were the collection and redistribution of food surplus otherwise destined to become waste, although the volumes of such food available to the charity for collection and distribution fell again this year. Trustees attribute this to the growing
2
The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
importance of FareShare in Cornwall and changes in the wholesale arrangements of the suppliers on which the Hive Cornwall has traditionally depended. Through the year the Hive Cornwall worked directly with 3 regular volunteers to collect and redistribute an average of 1 pallet of food once a month through the year, supplying around 10 tonnes of food to 20 community groups serving upwards of 4000 people on a regular basis. With the charity’s own direct impact reduced, trustees resolved to use its resources to support social purpose partners whose activities aligned with the Hive Cornwall’s objects, donating grant funds to Fentenfenna Farm CIC to support its hub and logistics operations, and vehicles to Growing Links CIC, Liskeard and Looe Foodbank and to Fentenfenna Farm CIC.
In keeping with our name and founding spirit, The Hive Cornwall trustees recognise their responsibility to ensure the charity works effectively as part of Cornwall’s food system. The Hive Cornwall will thrive only if it works in harmony with the businesses, organisations, communities and other stakeholders who between them comprise Cornwall’s food system. To that end, The Hive Cornwall continued to support the Sustainable Food Cornwall Partnership in its work with partners and the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust and Cornwall Council to explore opportunities to bring more local sustainable food into their standard procurement practice. Trustees provided small grants and social investment to Sustainable Food Cornwall accordingly.
## Reserves Policy
The charity currently has few ongoing cost commitments which are limited to supporting an average of one collection and delivery round per month. The trustees have set a reserves policy to hold around 6 months’ worth of free unrestricted reserves to cover costs in the event of close down.
## Going Concern
While the charity retains sufficient funding to continue its current operations for another 12 months, and these accounts have been prepared on that basis, trustees continue to work with its charitable and community partners to find more effective ways of fulfilling its charitable objects through the transfer of assets to them.
## Financial Review
The financial results of the charity for the year are set out on page 5.
The charity's reserves are held to cover unexpected expenses and future operating deficits. There are few fixed costs and so no reserve is required to cover these in the event of closure.
- Current Free Unrestricted reserves as at 31[st ] March 2025 £34k (last year £34k)
- This represents a ratio of 7 months of our average monthly expenditure, our reserves policy sets out to maintain reserves at between 6 and 12 months to ensure we can manage the charity appropriately through periods of lower income. Our future plans set out how we will develop to maintain our reserves in line with this policy.
- Restricted reserves show a deficit of £49k. Of our £174k restricted reserves, £102k is a depreciation
3
The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
reserve for assets purchased with grant funding. £23k is held for delivery of services in the future.
## Future Plans
The Hive Hub at Fentenfenna and the Hive Cornwall fleet of 4 vans are important assets for Cornwall’s food system – in terms both of their potential to support the production and distribution of food surplus rescued, and to support Cornwall’s community growing network. Throughout 2024 and 2025 the volumes of food surplus arising within the regional wholesale system have contracted dramatically while the amount of fresh food gleaned and grown has increased and trustees have been adapting both regular operations and the Hive Cornwall’s future plans accordingly.
The charity relies more than ever on its community partners to deliver its charitable objects, and trustees’ plans for the future are now geared to the streamlining of the Hive Cornwall’s asset register and operations so as to empower its partners as effectively as possible, building on the Sustainable Food Places work The Hive Cornwall helped catalyse.
## On behalf of the Hive Cornwall Trustees
Trustee: Matthew Thomson
Date…31[st] January 2026
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of The Hive Cornwall
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2025
## Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees of the you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2018 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
## Independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 the seeking of explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in audit and, consequently, no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
- which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material aspect, the requirements
- a) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
- b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met; or
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Simon Beckham Swell Accounting & Business Solutions
Dated: 27[th] January 2026
5
The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981
Annual Report 2025
## Statement of Financial Activity
|Note
Income and Endowments from
Donations & Grants
2
Charitable Activities
3
Total
Resources Expended
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
4
Charitable Activities
5/6
Total
Net income/(expenditure) before
transfers
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward|Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
Total Funds
2025
Total Funds
2024
£
£
£
£
0
0
0
4,000
0
0
0
0|
|---|---|
||0
0
0
4,000|
||0
0
0
0
34,048
125,150
159,198
52,546|
||34,048
125,150
159,198
52,546|
||(34,048)
(125,150)
(159,198)
(48,546)|
|||
||34,101
125,150
159,251
207,798|
||53
0
53
159,251|
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## Statement of Financial Activity
(to 31/03/2024)
|Note
Income and Endowments from
Donations & Grants
2
Charitable Activities
3
Total
Resources Expended
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
4
Charitable Activities
5/6
Total
Net income/(expenditure) before
transfers
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward|Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
Total Funds
2025
Total Funds
2024
£
£
£
£
0
4,000
4,000
34,233
0
0
0
0|
|---|---|
||0
4,000
4,000
34,233|
||0
0
0
0
0
52,546
52,546
57,089|
||0
52,546
52,546
57,089|
||0
(48,546)
(48,546)
(22,856)|
|||
||34,101
173,696
207,798
230,653|
||34,101
125,150
159,251
207,798|
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## Balance Sheet
|alance Sheet|||
|---|---|---|
|Note
Fixed Assets:
Tangible Assets
13
Total Fixed Assets
Current Assets:
Debtors & prepayments
11
Cash at bank & in hand
18
Total current assets
Liabilities:
Creditors: amounts
falling due within 12
months
10
Net current assets
Total assets less current
liabilities
The funds of the charity
Restricted income funds
16
Unrestricted funds
15
Total charity funds|Total Funds 2025
£
0
0
0
53
53
0
53
53
0
53
53|Total Funds 2024
£
101,856|
|||101,856|
|||0
58,045|
|||58,045|
|||(650)|
|||57,395|
|||159,251|
|||125,150
34,101|
|||159,251|
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements were approved by the board on:
And signed on its behalf by:
Trustee: Matthew Thomson Date: 31[st] January 2026
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## Statement of Cashflows
|Note
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating
activities
16
Cash flows from investing activities
Dividends, interest and rents from
investments
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and
equipment
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Net cash provided by (used in) investing
activities
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the
reporting period:
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning
of the reporting period
17
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the
reporting period
17|Total Funds
2025
Prior Period
Funds 2024
£
£
(57,992)
(25,610)|
|---|---|
||0
0
0
0
0
0|
||0
0|
||(57,992)
(25,610)
58,045
83,655
53
58,045|
9
The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## Notes to the Financial Statements
## 1. Accounting policies
## Summary of significant accounting policies and key accounting estimates
The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.
## Statement of compliance
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
## Basis of preparation
The Hive Cornwall meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.
## Going concern
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The trustees assess whether the use of going concern is appropriate i.e. whether there are any material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the Charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees make this assessment in respect of a period of one year from the date of approval of the financial statements.
## Income and endowments
All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when it is probable the charity will be entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
## Fund accounting policy
Unrestricted Income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees' discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.
Further details of each fund are disclosed in notes 13, 14 and 15.
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## Incoming resources
Donations are recognised on a cash receipts basis.
Incoming resources from tax reclaims are included in the statement of financial activities when received. Income from charitable activities includes income earned, which is recognised when the related goods or services are provided.
## Resources expended
Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal obligation committing the charity to the expenditure. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis where appropriate.
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It Includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
## Governance costs
Governance costs Include administrative expenses, costs of the preparation and examination of the statutory accounts, the costs of trustee meetings and the cost of any legal advice to trustees on governance or constitutional matters.
## Support costs
Support costs include central functions but not administrative expenses and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
11
## The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## 2. Income from Donations & Grants
|Grants
Donations
Total|Unrestricted
Restricted
2025 Total
2024 Total
£
£
£
£
0
0
0
4,000
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4,000|
|---|---|
## 3. Income from Charitable Activities
|Provision of meals
Total
4. Cost of Raising Funds
Costs of Raising Funds
Fundraising Expenses
Total|Unrestricted
Restricted
2025 Total
2024 Total
£
£
£
£
0
0
0
0|
|---|---|
||0
0
0
0|
||Unrestricted
Restricted
2025
Total
2024
Total
£
£
£
£
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0|
12
The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## 5. Cost of Charitable Activities
|. Cost of Charitable Activities||
|---|---|
|Charitable Activities
Transport and Delivery
Vehicle Hire
Food Partnerships
Accountancy Fees
Legal Expenses
Consulting
Depreciation
IT Software and Consumables
Vehicle Expenses
Travel Expenses
Insurance
Loss on disposal of fixed assets
Subscriptions
Total|Unrestricted
Restricted
2025
Total
2024
Total
£
£
£
£
1,216
0
1,216
8,338
0
1579
1,579
0
31,370
21,715
53,085
15,649
0
0
0
350
0
0
0
1,182
1,111
0
1,111
3,448
0
0
0
22,463
457
0
457
420
81
0
81
347
0
0
0
0
189
0
189
0
0
101,856
101,856
0
389
0
389
348|
||31,963
125,150
159,198
52,546|
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## 6. Analysis of Support and Governance Costs
|Transport and Delivery
Vehicle Hire
Food Partnerships
Accountancy Fees
Legal Expenses
Consulting
Depreciation
IT Software and Consumables
Vehicle Expenses
Travel Expenses
Insurance
Disposal of fixed assets
Subscriptions
Total|Direct
Support
Governance
2025 Total
£
£
£
1,216
0
0
1,216
1,579
0
0
1,579
53,085
0
0
53,085
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1,111
0
0
1,111
0
0
0
0
457
0
0
457
81
0
0
81
0
0
0
0
189
0
0
189
101,856
0
0
101,856
389
0
0
389|
|---|---|
||159,198
0
0
159,198|
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## 7. Net outgoing resources for the period
Net outgoing resources is stated after charging Independent examiners remuneration
2025 Total 2024 Total £ £ 0 350
## 8. Trustee Remuneration
No Trustee received any remuneration for acting as a trustee during the current year. No Trustees were paid any expenses during the current year.
## 9. Employees
Employment costs 2025 Total 2024 Total £ £ Wages and salaries 0 0 Employee Numbers 2025 Total 2024 Total Charitable Activities 0 0
No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## 10. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2025 2024
£ £
Accounts Payable 0 0
0 0
**----- End of picture text -----**
## 11. Debtors and Prepayments
2025 2024 £ £ Prepayments 0 0 0 0
## 12. Related Party transactions
During the year the amount of £6,500 was paid to Cornwall Food Partnership CIC to support the Sustainable Food Cornwall partnership and £750 was paid to Five Turnings ltd for administrative services to the charity. Matthew Thomson is a director of Cornwall Food Partnership CIC and Five Turnings ltd.
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## 13. Tangible Fixed Assets
|13. Tangible Fixed Assets|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Leasehold|Plant &|Motor||Total||
||Improvements|Machinery|Vehicles||||
||£|£||£||£|
|Cost|||||||
|At 1 April 2024|1,824|31,747||126,979|160,550||
|Additions|0||0|0||0|
|Disposals|(1,824)|(31,747)||(126,979)|(160,550)||
|Transfers|0||0|0||0|
|At 31 March 2025|0||0|0||0|
|Depreciation|||||||
|At 1 April 2024|707|6,953||51,034||58,694|
|Provided in Year|0||0|0||0|
|On Disposals|(707)|(6,953)||(51,034)|(58,694)||
|At 31 March 2025|0||0|0||0|
|Net book value at 31 March 2025|0||0|0||0|
|Net book value at 1 April 2024|1,117|24,794||75,945|101,856||
|14. Analysis of net assets between funds|||||||
|Current Period||Unrestricte||Restricted||Total|
|||d Funds||Funds||Funds|
|||£||£||£|
|Fund balances as at 31 March 2025|as represented||||||
|by:|||||||
|Tangible Fixed Assets|||0||0|0|
|Current Assets|||53||0|53|
|Current Liabilities and provisions|||0||0|0|
|Total|||53||0|53|
|||Unrestricte||Restricted||Total|
|Previous Period||d Funds||Funds||Funds|
|||£||£||£|
|Fund balances as at 31 March 2024|as represented||||||
|by:|||||||
|Tangible Fixed Assets|||0|101,856||124,319|
|Current Assets||34,101||23,644||83,778|
|Current Liabilities and provisions|||0||(350)|(350)|
|Total||34,101||125,150||207,798|
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## 15. Analysis of Unrestricted Funds
||At 1 April||Incoming|Outgoing|Transfers|At 31 March|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||2024||Resources|Resources||2025|
||£||£|£|£|£|
|Unrestricted|34,101||0|34,048|0|53|
|Fund|||||||
||At 1|April|Incoming|Outgoing|Transfers|At 31 March|
|||2023|Resources|Resources||2024|
|||£|£|£|£|£|
|Unrestricted|34,101||0|0|0|34,101|
|Fund|||||||
## 16. Analysis of Restricted Funds
||At 01 April|Incoming|Outgoing|Transfers|At 31|March|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||2024|Resources|Resources||2025||
||£|£|£|||£|
|COMF-Cornwall Council|120,039|0|120,039|0||0|
|Soil Association|1,111|0|1,111|0||0|
|Sustain: Alliance for Food &|4,000|0|4,000|0||0|
|Farming|||||||
||125,150|0|125,150|0||0|
||At 01 April|Incoming|Outgoing|Transfers|At 31|March|
||2023|Resources|Resources||2024||
||£|£|£|||£|
|COMF- Cornwall Council|166,146|0|46,107|0||120,039|
|Soil Association|7,550|0|6,439|0||1,111|
|Sustain: Alliance for Food &|0|4,000|0|0||4,000|
|Farming|||||||
||173,696|4,000|52,546|0||125,150|
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The Hive Cornwall Charity Number 1187981 Annual Report 2025
## 17. Reconciliation of net income/(expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities
|ctivities|||
|---|---|---|
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Net income/(expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the|(159,198)|(48,546)|
|statement of financial activities)|||
|Adjustments for:|||
|Depreciation Charges|0|22,462|
|(Gains)/Losses on investments|0|0|
|Dividends, interest and rents from investments|0|0|
|Loss/(profit) on the sale of fixed assets|101,856|0|
|Increase/(decrease) in provision for liabilities|0|0|
|(Increase)/decrease in debtors|0|124|
|Increase/(decrease) in creditors|(650)|350|
|Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities|(57,992)|(25,610)|
## 18. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
||2025||2024|
|---|---|---|---|
||£||£|
|Cash in hand||53|58,045|
|Total cash and cash equivalents||53|58,045|
19