2025-12-31-accounts - The Forest Of Dean Baby Bank

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

2025

The Forest of Dean Baby Bank Registered Charity No. 1189302

Registered Address:

Unit 5, Eastern United Site, Ruspidge Road, Ruspidge, Cinderford, GL14 3AW

Trustees

Anne Lamacraft – Chair and Safeguarding Officer
Chris Hedges – Secretary and Logistics Manager
Asiza Tait – Treasurer and Operations Manager
Linda Grindle – Communications Officer

Objectives and Activities

Our Purpose

The Forest of Dean Baby Bank exists to support families across the Forest of Dean who are experiencing financial hardship. We provide essential baby items and equipment, alongside good-quality second-hand clothing for children from premature sizes up to 15 years. We also assist families with the cost of school uniform for both primary and secondary schools within the district.

Our Values

We are committed to equality, inclusion, and dignity. No individual or family is excluded from our services on the basis of age, gender, health or disability, pregnancy or maternity, sexuality, family status, ethnicity, culture, religion, belief, or financial means. We work in partnership with schools, GP surgeries, children’s centres, health visitors, midwives, and social care professionals to ensure support is accessible to those who need it most.

How We Operate

The Baby Bank is entirely volunteer-led, with nine active volunteers supporting donation sorting, parcel preparation, and delivery where required. We have no paid staff. Volunteers are reimbursed for delivery mileage.

We do not undertake activities with children without their parent or carer present. Parents and carers remain responsible for their children’s welfare at all times. Volunteers are supported within a clear organisational structure and are encouraged to use their initiative. Our volunteers are essential to the success of the charity.

Review of the Year 2025

Funding and Financial Support

During the year, we received grant funding from Forest of Dean District Council, Save the Children, the Tesco Groundwork Fund, and the Co-operative Fund.

Forest of Dean District Council again entrusted us with Household Support Funding. Two grants were awarded: one covering May–August 2025 and a second covering January–March 2026. Funds were received in December 2025 and are reflected in this year’s accounts. As in previous years, Tesco Corporate Gift Cards were used to distribute the food support element of this funding.

Support Provided

Demand for our services continued to increase throughout the year. We spent over £9,000 supporting families with school uniform costs, reflecting a significant rise in the number of secondary school pupils assisted, where uniform items are often compulsory and supplier-restricted.

In addition, we distributed over £12,000 in grocery vouchers to hundreds of families. Rising food costs continue to place significant pressure on household budgets, and this support remains vital.

New Initiatives

In 2025, we expanded our outreach by visiting baby and toddler groups across the Forest of Dean. These visits enabled direct engagement with parents, the distribution of essential items such as nappies, wipes, toiletries, and baby food, and increased awareness of the Baby Bank’s services. This approach has proved highly effective and will continue, with seasonal visits planned to ensure families can access appropriate clothing year-round.

We also hosted three Pop-Up Shops in partnership with FVAF volunteers. These events were very well attended and will be developed further in the coming year.

Fundraising

Fundraising activity increased significantly during the year under the leadership of the Chair. Through community engagement, including raffles, pub quizzes, and donation points placed across the Forest of Dean, local businesses and residents have continued to show strong support for the Baby Bank. We are extremely grateful for this generosity, which enables us to respond to growing levels of need.

Service Demand and Growth

The number of parcels distributed has continued to rise year on year:

2020 – 272 parcels
2021 – 409 parcels
2023 – 1,057 parcels
2025 – 1,692 parcels

Detailed monthly data on referrals, children supported, families assisted, and bundles distributed is provided in the table below, demonstrating sustained demand throughout the year.

Service Delivery and Impact

During 2025, the Forest of Dean Baby Bank supported a total of 628 families , providing essential items to 1,078 children across the district. Support was delivered through 1,692 individual bundles , reflecting sustained and growing demand for our services throughout the year.

Referrals were received from both self-referring families and professional partners , including schools, health services, and social care, demonstrating both community awareness of the service and strong confidence from statutory and voluntary sector referrers. Of the total referrals, 772 were self-referrals and 386 were professional referrals , highlighting the accessibility of our support while reinforcing its role as a trusted early-intervention service.

Monthly data shows consistent need across the year, with particularly high levels of demand during the summer and early autumn months, aligning with increased pressures linked to school holidays and the cost of school uniforms. The steady volume of support provided throughout the winter months further reflects the ongoing financial strain faced by families in the Forest of Dean.

This data evidences not only the scale and reach of the Baby Bank’s work, but also its responsiveness to local need . Each bundle distributed represents timely, practical support that helps families meet essential needs, reduce financial stress, and improve outcomes for children.

----- Start of picture text -----
Self Professionally Families
Referred Referred Children supported Bundles
January 62 21 107 77 137
February 50 4 57 34 88
March 98 26 136 88 210
April 74 6 63 34 136
May 66 50 141 56 145
June 64 83 135 78 172
July 100 88 188 107 231
August 75 30 81 45 142
September 53 17 55 31 120
October 46 38 58 37 137
November 50 21 41 30 126
December 34 2 16 11 48
772 386 1078 628 1692
----- End of picture text -----

Conclusion

The Trustees believe that the Forest of Dean Baby Bank continues to meet its charitable objectives effectively and remains well-placed to respond to increasing levels of need within the community. We extend our sincere thanks to our volunteers, funders, partner organisations, and supporters for their continued commitment.

Yours sincerely

The Trustees Forest of Dean Baby Bank

Website: www.forestbabybank.org Email: yourbabyfod@outlook.com

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinèr's Report R•port to th• trust The For8St of Dean Baby Bank 1189302 On •ccounts fortho yèar nded 31. DerAmbar 2025 Charlty no 111 any? Set out on pages I rsport lo th8 trust899 on my 8xaminatx)n of the accounts of th8 above charity fthe Twsfi for Ihe year endwl As the th8riVs trusts85. you aro r8spon5ible for th8 pr8paration of the accounts in accordance wth the iequir8ments ofthe Charibos Act 2011 Ilhe Act"). I report in respect of my axamination of th8 Trust's accounts carried out undèr $tK)n 145 ofthe 2011 Act 8nd in c8rying out my ex8mln8Uon, I hav8 followed all tho applicable Olrections giv8n by th8 Charity Commission under seclNJn 14515llbl of th8 Act. Rospon$IbllIès and basls of rnport Independent I have LY)mp18t8d my 9xamlnaOn. I confirm thal no malerial mattets have examinerfs statement come io my att6ntK*n in connection vth tha examinatKJn (othar than that disdosed b8low'l gNes mo causg to belk?v8 that in, any material respect: the acry)unting TecoTds were not kept in accordance with sèctKJn 130 ofthe Charitias ACL or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records.. or the acwunts did not comply with the appllcabla requirements ctsnceming the form and ccnlent of accounts sel out in the Charities (Accounts and R8POrtsl Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the 8ccounis gwe a 'true and faiT' view which is not a matter considered as part ol an independent exaTnination. I hava no concems and havè coma across no other matiers in wnnection with Ihe examlnatK)n to which attention should be dTawn in this Teport in order lo anable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ' Please delete the worfs Ihe brackets rfthey do not appty. Slgngd: Dato: ZL¥ /z /z Namg: Rel&vant profvsslonal quallficatlonlsl or body lif any): Addrgss: IER Oct 2018

Forest of Dean Baby Bank Registered Charity 1189302 Income and Expenditure Account 1st JANUARY-2025 to 31st DECEMBER 2025 NCO VOLUNTARY INCOME Grants Rec8lved Donauons 43,687.59 4.898.50 48,586.09 FuNDRAING INCOME Forest Lottery Cash Back Rec'd Vinied fundraisiiTy Genèral Fundraising irth 42.37 21.50 343.38 MISCELLANEOUS INGOME Miscellaneous receipts 606.10 TOTAL INCOME 49.535.57 EXPENSE DIRECT COSTS Baby Essentials It8rrts twhl for larrilies Groc8rie5 iK)ught lor farnilie5 Clothes 8nd sthool unifo Toiletries IChildren+Adulll Other Costs 5,012.07 2.244.87 12.777.51 11.169.35 1,056.68 9.30 32.269.78 INDIRECT COSTS Rent and Busin8ss Rates Repair & Maintenanc8 Insurance Heat and Light offi Expenses Volunt¢8r expensgs Webste Subscription8 Delivery Costs Donation to ¢harity in lieu of audit Safeguarding cL)sts Equipment 721.00 156.15 320.00 510.50 880.27 855.62 159.79 1.694.76 50.00 31.70 442.13 5.821.92 TOTAL PAYMENTS 38.091.70 NET SURPLUSIILOSSI FOR PERIOD £11443.87 Cash at Bank and in Hand blf Surplu5 for Period Cash at Bank and In Hand cff £ 21.376.86 £11,443.87 £ 32.820.53