## Annual Report 

## & 

## Financial Statement 

## 2024 – 2025 

Birchgrove Community Foodbank is a registered charity, reg. no.1188963 **Charity’s Principal Address:** Birchgrove Community Centre Lon Gwesyn 



Birchgrove SA7 9LD 

## **Charitable Aims & Objectives** 

The relief of financial hardship amongst people in Birchgrove and the surrounding area in such ways as the trustees from time to time think fit, in particular but not exclusively by; 

- Providing emergency food, essential toiletries, and household items to individuals and families in need and/or for distribution by charities or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty. 

- Other means including (though not limited to) the provision of support or signposting to relevant information and other advisory services. 

We, the trustees consider that these activities have been and continue to be conducted with regard to the guidance of the Charity Commission on public benefit. 

## **Trustees:** 

Chair Jordan Rees Secretary Juliet Rees Trustee Leanne Dymond 

## **Chair’s Report** 

This year, we focussed on the immediate pressures on the foodbank income and concerns of our clients. Providing much-needed support, signposting and food parcels. 

The food bank has seen an increase in users this year as the cost-ofliving crisis made the issue of food poverty more acute in our community. 

With a very special thank you to all our supporters and all the volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the year ensuring all clients received their food parcels. 


_Jordan Rees - Chair_ 



## **Food Parcels** 

In 2024-25, we continued to receive amazing support from our supporters in the form of donations, despite the increased pressure facing households. This year the foodbank has faced increased food costs and severe demand against an unexpected reduction in grants. We hope to improve this position in the next financial year. Despite these challenges, we handed out approximately 5000 bags of food to families in need. 

## **Birchgrove Community Garden** 

The community garden continues to grow and mature each year. Summer 2024 was a challenging year for vegetable-growing due to adverse weather conditions. However, we added more fruit trees to the garden to mitigate this and ensure we can consistently provide nutritious fruit and vegetables. This met our objectives from 2023 also. 

We regularly host group visits from local primary schools, who have enjoyed learning how to grow vegetables, including kale, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, a variety of herbs and even some flowers. Schools visited once in the winter when the garden is empty and again in the summer when the community garden is in full bloom and they have learned about seeds and plants in their classroom learning. This highlights the work of the foodbank and how we help our community. 





## **Christmas at the Foodbank** 

Christmas 2024, Birchgrove Community Foodbank received £500 in gift card donations from Faith in Families to help local families in need. 

Birchgrove Community Centre hosted a Christmas fete in November 2024. The foodbank raised £300 from a raffle and craft stall which was kindly matched by CAF. 

## **Sponsors & Donors** 

Special thanks to the local churches, schools, businesses, charities and supermarkets for their continued support enabling the foodbank to help families living within Birchgrove and the surrounding area. 



We had several food donations from Tesco 





Swansea Marina customers, CKs Birchgrove, Poundstretcher Llansamlet and Birchgrove Post Office. 

## **Our Supporters this year included:** 

City & County of Swansea, Sullivans Estate Agents, Saron Evangelical Church, Arbourne’s Winchwen, Glantawe Lions, Samlet Church, Tesco Marina, Farm Foods, CK Supermarket Birchgrove, JCP Solicitors, Sensitive Water Solutions, Elsbe, ATR Construction, Poundstretcher, Birchgrove Church, Plough and Harrow, Samlet Sunday Dinners, Tony Evans Swansea Male Voice Choir, Birchgrove WI, Ynystawe Cricket/Football Club, Seven Dragons, Faith in Families, KJ Hire, Swansea Vale Tri, Admiral, HSBC, CAF, Lloyds, Veramed, CKs Foodstores Birchgrove, Birchgrove Post Office, Glais Rugby, Old Glais Inn, Pobl. 

Thank you! 

## **Future Objectives** 

**Supermarket Donation Baskets:** We would like to increase the number of donation baskets in stores to meet increasing demand and also create a visible presence in the wider community. We will contact more supermarkets and small shops to host a basket for us. 

**Washing Powder and Toiletries:** We struggle with donations for laundry and hygiene products. Clients regularly ask for washing powder in particular. This year we will try ways of meeting this demand for families. 

**Links with local groups:** We would like to continue making links with local groups. We have had success partnering with local schools and would like to continue educating children in the community about food poverty and the work we do. 

**Pet Provision:** Contact local charities and organisations for support with pet food for our clients with animals. 

## **Special Thanks** 

Birchgrove Community Foodbank Trustees would like to give special thanks to the local Councillors for their continued support to the Foodbank and local community of Birchgrove. 

Cllr Alyson Pugh     Cllr Ryland Doyle Cllr Matthew Jones 

Cllr Penny Matthews 

## **Financial Statement** 

We, as Trustees, have agreed that a proportion of the monies currently available will be placed into a separate savings account as reserves to ensure the steady supply of food stock is available should the amount of donations lessen. 



## **Income** 

|**Income**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Cash at 01.04.2023||||
|Bank b/f||£2,482||
|Petty cash||£0||
|Donations||£4,057||
|Grants/Funding||£4,130||
|Total||£8,187||
|**Expenditure**||||
|Stock replenishment||£6,459||
|Office (incl phone)||£883||
|Community Garden||£504||
|Volunteer Expenses||£22||
|Insurance||£238||
|FiF Giftcards||£500||
|Total|£8,606|||
|Less Cash in hand|||£0|
|Less Reserves/Savings|||£5,871|
|Balance C/f||£2,482||



## **Notes to the accounts:** 

In previous years, the Trustees discussed and agreed the sum of £8,000 to be placed as a reserve/savings for the bank account. This year due to a decrease in grants, the foodbank has had to use a portion of these reserves. The remainder (£5,871) will remain in reserves for 2025-2026. 

This will ensure the foodbank will have sufficient funds to continue to operate in the event of a reduction in donations. 

I confirm the above accounts provide an accurate record of Birchgrove Community Centre Foodbank's financial transactions for the year 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025 Signed 

Name Juliet Rees Position Secretary Date: 17.01.2025 



**2024/25** 

|**Balance B/F**<br>**Income**<br>**Expenditure**|£    2,481.62|
|---|---|
|||
||£    8,187.25|
|||
||£    8,606.08|



## **Balance c/f (Operating A £2,062.79** 

Reserves (Held separately) £    5,870.96 

Total Funds at Year End 2024/2025 Operating Account Balance Reserves Account Balance Total Funds Held 



At year end, the foodbank held £5,870.96 in reserves, reduced from previous years due to increased food costs and reduced grant income. 



|**Date**|**Item Description**|**Amount**|
|---|---|---|
|Apr|Food|£851.91|
||Community Garden|£340.81|
|May|Food|£356.58|
||Community Garden|£57.21|
|June|Food|£531.30|
||Community Garden|£30.92|
|July|Food|£332.72|
|Aug|Food|£394.24|
|28.08.2023Ofce||£24.89|
|Sept|Food|£428.60|
||Mobile|£20.00|
|Oct|Food|£166.10|
||Insurance|£238.24|
|Nov|Food|£645.85|
|Dec|Food|£1,778.53|
||Volunteers|£21.60|
||Faith in Families Gift Cards|£500.00|
|Jan|Food|£534.45|
||Mobile|£20.00|
||Ofce|£484.07|
|Feb|Food|£191.75|
||Ofce|£333.98|
|March|Food|£247.35|
||Community Garden|£74.98|



**Total** 

**£8,606.08** 



|**Date**|**Item Description**|**Amount**|**Donation**|
|---|---|---|---|
|5/22/2024|T Evans Swansea Male Voice Choir|£200.00|£200.00|
|5/24/2024|Arbournes Collection Box|£59.91|£59.91|
|5/24/2024|Birchgrove Post Ofce Collection Box|£23.21|£23.21|
|6/16/2024|T Evans Swansea Male Voice Choir|£110.00|£110.00|
|7/18/2024|Anon|£100.00|£100.00|
|7/18/2024|Anon|£10.00|£10.00|
|7/18/2024|Anon|£40.00|£40.00|
|7/19/2024|Anon|£5.00|£5.00|
|7/25/2024|Birchgrove WI|£21.53|£21.53|
|7/1/2024|Swansea LA Food Poverty Grant|£2,500.00||
|8/11/2024|Summer Fete|£354.00|£354.00|
|8/15/2024|Llansamlet Church|£50.00|£50.00|
|9/14/2024|Llansamlet Church|£75.00|£75.00|
|9/14/2024|T Evans Swansea Male Voice Choir|£35.00|£35.00|
|9/14/2024|T Evans Swansea Male Voice Choir|£50.00|£50.00|
|9/20/2024|Anon|£100.00|£100.00|
|10/21/2024|Pobl|£830.00|£0.00|
|10/30/2024|Anon|£100.00|£100.00|
|01/110/2024|Old Glais Inn|£105.00|£105.00|
|11/11/2024|Llansamlet Church|£110.00|£110.00|
|11/22/2024|Llansamlet Church|£65.00|£65.00|
|11/22/2024|Birchgrove WI|£300.00|£300.00|
|11/25/2024|Christmas Fete|£300.00|£300.00|
|11/28/2024|Llansamlet Church|£40.00|£40.00|
|12/1/2024|Anon|£50.00|£50.00|
|12/10/2024|Anon|£50.00|£50.00|
|12/10/2024|Faith in Families|£500.00|£500.00|
|12/12/2024|Anon|£26.00|£26.00|
|12/12/2024|Anon|£510.00|£510.00|
|12/20/2024|Anon|£43.00|£43.00|
|12/20/2024|Llansamlet Church|£100.00|£100.00|
|1/15/2025|Anon|£20.00|£20.00|
|1/15/2025|Llansamlet Church|£50.00|£50.00|
|1/16/2025|Birchgrove Post Ofce Collection Box|£27.74|£27.74|
|1/30/2025|Llansamlet Church|£70.00|£70.00|
|2/12/2025|CAF Matched Funding|£300.00||
|3/6/2025|Pobl|£500.00|£0.00|
|3/14/2025|Llansamlet Church|£80.00|£80.00|
|3/14/2025|KJ Hire|£100.00|£100.00|
|3/14/2025|Anon|£50.00|£50.00|
|3/20/2025|Arbournes Collection Box|£126.86|£126.86|
||**Total**|**£8,187.25**|**###**|





**Funding Grant** 

£2,500.00 £830.00 Giftcards provided by FiF - given stratight to clients. £300.00 Matched funding for summer fete £500.00 **£300.00 ###**