## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 1 Dec 2023 To 30 November 2024** ## **Charity name: Comfort C.A.F.E.** ## **Charity registration number: 1188833** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|1) For the public benefit, the prevention or
relief of poverty in the Blackpool Borough
Council area by the provision of food,
items, advice, information and support to
people aged 18 and over who are living in
poverty as a result of homelessness, being
at risk of homelessness (by virtue of being
vulnerably housed) and financial hardship.
2) To promote social inclusion for the
public benefit by preventing people who are
aged 18 in the Blackpool Borough Council
area from becoming socially excluded,
relieving the needs of those people who are
socially excluded and assisting them to
integrate into society.
For the purpose of this clause ‘socially
excluded’ means being excluded from
society, or part of society, as a result of
being a member of a socially and
economically deprived community.| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|Comfort C.A.F.E. runs a weekly public
drop-in session at St.Thomas’s Church Hall
in Caunce Street, Blackpool. Those
attending are befriended and served with a
hot meal, a drink and takeaway sandwiches
and snacks. We have known for a long time
that many of our community struggle to
feed themselves properly between payment
of wages or benefits. In particular there are
no soup kitchens available mid-week, and
this is a particularly lean time. The situation
has got worse with the current economic
situation and shows no signs of improving.
To address this, we set up the ‘Food
Tomorrow’ project, supported by grants
from Blackpool Council, the Cheshire
Community Foundation and the D.J.
Sidebottom/Glasdon Charitable
Programme. The project provides parcels
of non-perishable foodstuffs over the
Winter period.| |||The weekly attendance is around
78-95 people of various ages, gender, family
situation and employment status.
During the year we saw a steady rise in the
number of people attending our sessions
who had no permanent residence. This
includes rough sleepers, people ‘sofa-
surfing’, and those in B&B and hostel
accommodation. Where funds allow, we
provide sleeping bags, warm clothing,
personal hygiene supplies and clean
underclothes.| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The charity has complied with its duty to
have due regard to the Charity
Commission's public benefit guidance when
exercising powers or duties to which the
guidance is relevant.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|The charity does not make grants but
provides items of food and clothing etc. in
kind.| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|Not applicable| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|All activities of the charity are performed by
unpaid volunteers.| |Other||Comfort C.A.F.E. has facilitated the
attendance of NHS teams to provide Covid
and Influenza vaccinations to people who
might otherwise not have received it.
Comfort C.A.F.E. has facilitated the
attendance of a Wellbeing Councillor at
weekly sessions funded by
the charity ASHAR (Bringing Hope).
We have facilitated the attendance of
members of the Hep C trust who have tested
clients and referred them for treatment when
appropriate.
We have also welcomed representatives of
the Horizon service which is funded by
Blackpool Council to provide support to
people with alcohol and drug dependency
problems. We also have monthly visits by
representatives of the Empowerment Charity
who support clients in various ways.| ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|Comfort C.A.F.E. has run the weekly
sessions described above, helped people
on low incomes to feed themselves and
provided friendship and, via our Wellbeing
counsellor, wellbeing advice. We also refer
people to other organisations for help and
advice as appropriate.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|We have met all objectives for the year.| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|We have raised more than sufficient funds
to meet our objectives during the year from
a mixture of regular donations, one-off
donations from local churches and
organisations, and grants.| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|The charity has made no specific
investments and operates with a basic
bank account to handle donations and pay
for operational expenses.| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|At the start of the year Comfort C.A.F.E.
had funds of £19,522. The bank balance of
the charity at the end of the year was
£15,801 which was carried forward to the
2024/2025 financial year.| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The charity trustees review the accounts at
each meeting and aim to retain reserves
sufficient to pay for our rent and core
services for a period of at least 6 months.| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£5,000| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|Not applicable| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|Not applicable| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|Not applicable| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|The charity has a number of supporters
who make regular monthly donations with
many others making one-off donations.
Fund-raising events have been held by a
number of local churches and we have
received grants from the D.J.
Sidebottom/Glasdon Charitable
Programme and St. Thomas’s Church.| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|All funds are kept in a Cooperative Bank
charity account. There are no other
investments and no plans to make any.| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|No specific risks but we are dependent on
our supporters and volunteers.| |Other||As a provider of food, Comfort C.A.F.E. is
inspected by the Local Authority and was
awarded a Five Star food hygiene rating in
November 2024. Food is prepared and
labelled in accordance with Food Allergy
and Intolerance guidance issued by the
Food Standards Agency, including labelling
pre-prepared items like sandwiches for the
presence of allergens.| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution approved by the Charity
Commission| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|CIO| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|(1) Apart from the first charity trustees,
every trustee must be appointed for a term
of three years by a resolution passed at a
properly convened meeting of the charity
trustees.
(2) In selecting individuals for appointment
as charity trustees, the charity trustees
must have regard to the skills, knowledge
and experience needed for the effective
administration of the CIO.
(3)Eligibility for trusteeship
(a) Every charity trustee must be a natural
person.
(b) No individual may be appointed as a
charity trustee of the CIO:
if he or she is under the age of 16
years; or if he or she would automatically
cease to hold office under the
provisions of clause [12(1)(e)] of the
Constitution.
(c) No one is entitled to act as a charity
trustee whether on appointment or on any
re-appointment until he or she has
expressly acknowledged, in whatever way
the charity trustees decide, his or her
acceptance of the office of charity trustee.
(d) At least one of the trustees of the CIO
must be 18 years of age or over. If there is
no trustee aged at least 18 years, the
remaining trustees may only act to call a
meeting of the charity trustees, or appoint a
new charity trustee.| |**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:||| |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees|Para 1.51|New volunteers are provided with copies of
all policies and procedures and their duties
are explained to them.| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|The charity is managed by the Board of
Trustees. A Kitchen Manager, who has a
Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for
Catering certificate, is appointed to
supervise all matters relating to food
preparation and storage.| |Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51|Comfort C.A.F.E. works closely with the
Blackpool Food Bank, St. Thomas’s
Church and attends forums organised by
Blackpool Council| |---|---|---| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Comfort C.A.F.E.| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|New Comfort Zone (being phased out)| |Registered charity number|1188833| |Charity’s principal address|C/O Brian Watson
19 Ulverston Crescent
Lytham St. Annes
FY8 3RZ| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee(if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Gwen Cross|Secretary||| ||Brian Watson|Treasurer||| ||Sian Livesey|||| ||Justin DeRizzio-
George|||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Date** 22 April 2025 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGI AND ANO WAILS Comfort C.A.F.E. 118B833 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For tht poriod from 01.Dec.23 To 3011112024 Section A Receipts and payments Unr05tTiCted funds to Iho n•ar•st Restricted fund$ Endowment funds Total fund5 Last year ¢0 th• n*ar*st£ t(Ilhv n￿r￿tE A1 Reeeipt$ 9.653 9,6$3 2.921 396 7.$03 RegularDonBlions 396 265 Sub tot•llGross incorne lor ARI 12,970 12.970 11,997 2 As$et and investment sales, (see table). Sub tot81 Tot•1 receipt5 12,970 12.970 11,997 A3P8 ont8 Food Pufchaye Cluihing purch&se 0[r￿e Exppn5P3 p031ag Sleepiry bags, bl4Dkelsolc 9,2 278 674 14.799 27B 674 285 355 t24 3.264 30 2.580 1.408 1.620 30 2,880 Renl InS￿ranc0 Fooo Prep and stor Misc EAPgnsg$ Sub total 16.690 16.690 21.469 A4 Asset Invo$iment pur¢ha8ts, see table Sub total 16.690 16.690 21,469 Nel of r6ceipts/fpayments) AS Transfers beTr4een tun#$ A6 Cash fund5 last year ond Cash lunds this year end 3,721 3.721 9.472 19,522 15,801 19,522 15.801 9.472 CCXX Rl aceounts Issi 2910612025 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Urtrèstric¢sd tund$ RgslriGt9d Efidowmgnt fuTrd5 to nMi•Bt£ Cateyori•s 081811$ Bl Ca$h fund$ barth Accounl 15.801 Tot81 cash lunds 15,801 wX0￿(gI UnrBstrlctod lund8 R•stvlctod fundB to n••rNtE Endowmqnt funds to n•af•Ét£ Fund towhl¢h CuTh•ntwl B3 Inve5trnent assets Fund lowhlch a•••t b•lon cu￿•￿t¥￿Iu￿ B4 Asstts retainod for the ¢h•rity'$ own us• knounl d •nth• B5 LFabilitle8 sign￿ by oneor trust￿& on behalf ol all t￿ trU5tee5 SvJn8lure Print Nama Date of roval 3& 24. CCYX RZ acaxnts ISSI 2910612025