## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 1 Dec 2024 To 30 November 2025** ## **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. 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.
Over the Winter of 2024/2025 we set up the
‘Winter Warmth’ project, supported by grants
from Blackpool Council/ HM Government’s
Household Support Fund, and the D.J.
Sidebottom/Glasdon Charitable Programme.
Over the Winter of 2024/25 we provided
many of our clients with warm clothing and| |||fleece blankets. We handed out thermal
vests, long-johns, gloves, hoodies, snoods,
scarves, tracksuit tops and bottoms, and
jumpers throughout the Winter. Some were
given flasks for hot drinks.
The weekly attendance was around 78-95
people of various ages, gender, family
situation and employment status.
In addition to providing a weekly hot meal
and takeaway food, we served a full
Christmas dinner to 94 clients, plus our
volunteers, and were joined by the Mayor
and Mayoress of Blackpool.
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 allowed, we
provided sleeping bags.| |---|---|---| |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 in
desperate situations, we have a limited
number of vouchers that can only be used
for food. These are issued at the discretion
of a Trustee.| |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, (other than that of
the Wellbeing Counsellor mentioned below),
are performed by
unpaid volunteers.| |Other||We have funded the weekly attendance of a
Wellbeing Counsellor who is available to all
clients, and one of our volunteers provides a
hair and beard trimming service.
We have regular visits from Fylde Coast
Medical Services who offer blood pressure.
pulse and cholesterol checks and administer
COVID and Flu vaccinations. They often
encounter clients who rarely access
preventative medical services. We also
facilitate visits by representatives of the
Hepatitis C Trust who have tested clients
and referred them for treatment when| appropriate, and 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 regular visits by representatives of the Empowerment Charity, United Utilities, Shelter, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Blackpool Council 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** |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 £15,801.31. The bank balance
of the charity at the end of the year was
£33,433.59 which was carried forward to the
2025/2026 financial year. The increase was
due to grants for the Winter of 2025/2026
arriving in our account close to the end of
the 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 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 Blackpool Council/ HM
Government’s Household Support Fund and
the D.J. Sidebottom/Glasdon Charitable
Programme| |---|---|---| |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 2025. 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
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
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 None** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity |**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|| |---|---|---| |||| |**None**||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** |Description of the assets
held in this capacity|None| |---|---| |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)** |**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**| |---|---|---| |**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**||| |||| ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details **Not applicable** ## **Other optional information** Declarations The trust•os declare that they have approved the trustees. report above. Sign•d on behalf of th¢ charity's trustees Signaturelsl Full name($l Position leg Secretary* Chair, etcl Gwen Cross Brian Walson Secretary Treasurer Date 20 April 2026 **----- Start of picture text -----**
Comfort C.A.F.E. No (if any)
1188833
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 01-Dec-24 30/11/2025
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
One-off Donations 3,543 - - 3,543 9,653
Regular Donations 3,770 - - 3,770 2,921
Grant from National Lottery 19,999 - 19,999 -
Grant from Blackpool Council 9,790 - 9,790 -
Grant from Glasdons 5,000 - - 5,000 -
Misc. Refunds 33 - - 33 -
Santander match funding 500 - - 500 -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
12,846 29,789 - 42,635 12,574
AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 12,846 29,789 - 42,635 12,574
A3 Payments
Food purchase 4,353 5,830 - 10,183 9,229
Clothing purchase 37 - 37 278
Office Expenses and postage 377 - - 377 674
Warm clothing, Sleeping bags, blankets
etc 100 2,970 - 3,070 571
Toiletries - 450 - 450 30
Rent and Insurance 3,107 - 3,107 2,880
Food Prep and storage 3,035 - - 3,035 1,408
Misc. Expenses 4,204 - - 4,204 1,620
Food vouchers 540 - 540 -
Sub total [ 15,213 ] 9,790 - 25,003 16,690
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 15,213 9,790 - 25,003 16,690
Net of receipts/(payments) - 2,367 19,999 - 17,632 - 4,116
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 15,801 - 15,801 -
Cash funds this year end 13,435 19,999 - 33,434 - 4,116
**----- End of picture text -----**
CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 24/06/2026 1 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestrlcled funil Restrlcted funds Endowment funds tD￿￿3r￿1E t¢>nBareBt 81 Cash funds 13,4J5 19.9 Tot•1 cosh funds 13N3S 19,gY9 t¢t¢￿I$ll Unr•8trlci4d funds to n•ir•¥l£ R•strfct•d funds lo nv•ro¥l£ Endowmgni fund FundlowNth Curr•nl v•1 Futsd ttsvAilÈh CoBtloptknBII C￿rrIn￿WIlu8 B4 Assets retalnqd for the charity's own use Fundlo**lGh f*￿1• Amount du• tkn¥l du• BS Liabilities S￿Tre￿ byone or tru5t&s beh*f olall the tr￿Slee5 Dat8 or roval ture Prwll N￿¢ o¥e*d] CCXX R2 a¢cwntslSSI 1110512tr26 CCXX R2 accounts ISSI 2410612026 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report R•port to th• tru•t• Comfort C.A.F.E. On accounts for the year Onded 30 Novwnber 2025 Charlty no (If any) 1188833 S•t out on pago8 1to12 I report to the trustees on my examination of the aco)unts of th8 above charty Trust.) for tho year endad 3011112025. Ro8ponslbllltl•s and ba818 of r•port As the tharity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparatlon of th accounts in aG￿rdance with the requirements of th8 Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Act.). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carrfed out under sectSon 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions gNen by the Charity Commlsslon urKl8r section 14515Xb) of the ACL Ind•p•nd•nt examln•rfs stat•m•nt I have completed my èxamination. l ￿nriMi that no material matters have come to my attenlion in ¢onnect•on wlth the examination whlch glves me cause lo believe that in. any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in a(￿rda￿e wlth sectlon 130 of the Charities Act. or the accounts did not accord with the accounlSng records. or the accounts did not compty wlth th8 applicable rgquirements conceming the form and content of accounts set out In lh8 Chadties (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an IndeperKlent examination. I have rK> concems and have come auoss fK> other matters in Connection with the examtnation lo which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the acrA)unts to be r8ach8d. ' Please delet8 the In lh6 brackels rf th8y do not apply. Slgn•d: Dato: 21-OLF- 20z6 Namo: Ic6klopK Relevant professlonal quallflcatlon(s) or body (If any): Addro88: r Ik)£LtswJf) QofvD, E(sT￿j I 1 7 IER Oct 2018 Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlighl material rnatters of concern {s88 CC32, Indep*)d8nt 8xaminatKJn of charity accounts.. directions and guKlance for examiners). Glvo hor• briof details of any it•m8 that th• exami￿r wl$hg• to dlsclose. IER Oct 2018