2025-04-05-accounts

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Behind Bars Registered Charity 1190462

Introduction

Welcome to Food Behind Bars’ annual report and accounts for the period from 6th April 2024 - 5th April 2025.

The trustees confirm they comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice. The trustees have also referred to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission regarding public benefit.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25 Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Our Vision

Our vision is that every individual in prison has access to healthy, wholesome and delicious food that supports their health and wellbeing - both during and after their sentence. We want people to leave prison with a positive relationship with food and the skills and knowledge to cook for themselves.

We achieve this by:

We upskill and inspire prison catering teams to produce nutritious and exciting food that meets budget, policy and supplier requirements. We teach people in prison how to cook, bake and grow food - equipping`them with skills for life.

We help prisons build positive food environments that impact wellbeing, stability and rehabilitation. We lead the national and international conversation around prison food and use our knowledge to inspire others and influence policy.

Why is our work important?

of type 2 diabetes in prison had doubled in 4 years. Put simply, the poor health of prisoners is costing the taxpayer and impacting rates of reoffending.

Everyday, hard-working prison catering teams produce three meals a day under the most challenging circumstances. With around £3 per head to spend and a centralised supplier system that limits the availability of fresh, local ingredients, meals in prison can often be unhealthy, repetitive and uninspiring.

We can’t change the system entirely, but we can ensure people are fed a meal that provides them with health, hope and dignity. Many people we speak to in prison tell us the food we serve makes them feel human. This isn’t a solution, but it is an easy and costeffective way to address some of the chronic needs of our prison population. By supporting their wellbeing with good food, we can help make both prisons - and society - safer.

This has a knock-on effect on a prison system under pressure. During this year, assaults on prison staff and deaths in custody both reached record levels. In the 12 months to June 2025, there were 76,148 self-harm incidents in prisons. Our prison system is at capacity with the population nearing 90,000 - the highest ever on record.

New research published this year by the University of Oxford found that people in prison have higher rates of mental illness, infectious diseases and poor physical health. In December 2024, it was reported that rates

Food Behind Bars Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Behind Bars Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Chief Executive’s Summary

This year encouraged me to take stock and reflect. In 2016, I began campaigning for improved prison food standards in the UK. From those grassroots beginnings, I have been on a journey that has led to Food Behind Bars as we know it today: a small but mighty charity delivering meaningful food projects in prisons across the country.

I am proud of everything we have achieved, but this year I wanted to return to our original mission - to change prison food - and place it firmly at the centre of our strategy for the future. To do this, I knew we needed a bold idea: one that could be scaled, replicated and embedded across the prison system. That idea became our Prison Food Education Programme - an inspiring, practical and digital training programme for prison catering teams. This was the year we designed, developed, fundraised for and began piloting the programme.

At its heart, this programme is about people. Over the years, I have visited countless prisons where extraordinary food is produced under the most challenging circumstances.

I will never forget my first visit to HMP Brixton in 2019, which marked the beginning of a long relationship that continues to inspire me.

I saw a prison kitchen operating like a highend restaurant: prisoners running sections, eating lunch alongside staff, developing recipes for menus and learning professional cookery skills. Everything was made from scratch. I watched homemade pastry being blind baked and shaped into tray after tray of quiche for lunch. Curry pastes, marinades and sauces were prepared from fresh ingredients and spices. I learned how thoughtful care and attention could transform even the most budget-constrained ingredients.

I had a similar experience in 2023 during two days spent in the kitchen at Storstrøm Prison in Denmark. There, prisoners shaped baguettes from scratch and took pride in crafting beautifully presented salads with homemade dressings. Simple, comforting food was made by a team who believed deeply in the power of food to support wellbeing and rehabilitation.

What did these kitchens have in common? Prisoners came and went, but the catering staff were the constant. These individuals nurtured environments built on respect and pride in every plate of food. They fostered purposeful, positive kitchen cultures and encouraged their teams to cook food they would be proud to serve to their own friends and families.

Rather than seeing limited budgets, restricted ingredients and complex logistics as barriers, they responded with creativity and care, finding ways to deliver consistency and quality within tight constraints.

On the wings, prisoners noticed these small acts of care. A sprinkling of fresh herbs, chunks of vegetables instead of frozen cubes, or a warm homemade pudding - these details mattered. So what was the secret behind these kitchens, and how could it be replicated? While there will always be examples of best practice that are unique, it became clear to me that the most effective way to create change at scale was to focus on upskilling, inspiring and supporting the catering teams at the frontline of prison food every day.

Our Prison Food Education Programme has been designed around these people and the realities they face. This year, we tested elements of the programme through our existing projects and drew on our extensive network to shape its content. From prison governors and dietitians to chefs, growers, bakers, campaigners and people with lived experience of prison, we have brought together expertise from those who know this system best.

This year marked the first step in a journey that I hope will allow us to significantly scale our impact in the years ahead. Alongside the programme, we continued to deliver projects focused on our two core priorities: improving food quality and educating prisoners about food. Against a backdrop of increasing pressure within the prison system, we continued to work in some of the toughest environments, reaching some of the most vulnerable people.

I am deeply grateful to our growing team of Food Educators and volunteers, whose commitment and creativity continue to show that good food in prison is possible. Every plate of colourful food, every raised bed of seasonal produce and every table that fosters connection and hope gives me optimism for the future of Food Behind Bars. I look forward to what the year ahead will bring.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25 Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

What we do

Food Behind Bars is a Registered Charity dedicated to improving the food served in British prisons. We work with men’s and women’s prisons across England & Wales on the subject of food - to improve the lives of those eating it and support the people making it.

Our aim is to positively impact the health and wellbeing of prisoners, by delivering practical food-based education, promoting healthy eating and supporting catering teams in serving better quality food.

FBB was founded in 2016 by the Chief Executive, Lucy Vincent. A former journalist with a background in food, Lucy launched FBB as a national campaign to improve prison food. This was inspired by the 2016 HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report, “Life in Prison: Food”. We became a Registered Charity in July 2020. Our team consists of chefs, food growers, bakers and nutritionists. They bring a wealth of experience from the likes of BBC Good Food, Leiths School of Food & Wine and The RHS.

Every year, we deliver projects in prisons right across the country. Our food education programmes teach people how to cook, eat well and connect with our food system. We develop recipes for prison menus and provide training in the prison kitchen. We want high quality, healthy food made available to the entire prison system, in order to improve standards, impact health and create better outcomes for everyone in society.

Impact & Activities

• We delivered our projects in 8 prisons

• FBB recipes served to 1315 prisoners

• 24 catering staff completed training in the prison kitchen

• 188 prisoners took part in our food education programmes

Food is one of the most important parts of daily life in prison and yet, it has never received the same level of attention and investment as catering in other public sector settings. We want to see this change, by putting prison food firmly on the agenda and showing what’s possible.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Prison Food Education Programme

During 2024–25, we focused on designing, fundraising for and beginning to pilot our Prison Food Education Programme - a new national model developed in response to the scale of challenges facing prison catering and the clear demand from prison kitchens for sustained, practical support.

Why the programme is needed

Across the prison estate, food standards remain inconsistent and are often

The programme has three interconnected components:

compromised by chronic understaffing, limited training opportunities and severe budgetary constraints. Catering teams are under pressure to deliver meals at scale, frequently without the specialist skills, confidence or time needed to cook from scratch and prioritise nutrition.

In-kitchen training

Practical, hands-on training delivered by Food Behind Bars educators, tailored to each prison’s facilities, workforce and menu requirements.

Digital learning programme

A collection of video tutorials and learning resources delivered by Food Behind Bars experts and industry specialists, allowing teams to learn flexibly and revisit content.

Over the past eight years, Food Behind Bars has worked alongside catering teams who are motivated to do better but lack access to structured training, inspiration and peer support. The Prison Food Education Programme was developed to meet this need at scale, embedding skills, pride and good practice directly into prison kitchens.

Community network

An online platform connecting prison catering teams across the country, enabling them to share ideas, access ongoing support and learn from best practice.

The Prison Food Education Programme is a four-month training and support model designed to upskill and inspire prison catering teams, enabling them to consistently serve healthier, fresher and more nutritious food. By focusing on those who cook every day in prisons, the programme aims to create longlasting change that benefits both staff and prisoners.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Building and piloting the programme in 2024–25

Alongside this, we continued to test and refine key elements of the programme through our ongoing work at prisons including HMP Woodhill and HMP Send. This allowed us to evaluate what works in practice and ensure the programme is realistic, effective and responsive to the operational realities of prison kitchens.

The 2024–25 year marked the beginning of a 12-month build and pilot phase for the programme. During this period, we prioritised:

• Securing funding to develop the programme content and delivery model

• • Recording digital learning materials with Food Behind Bars educators and expert contributors

• Developing and testing recipes suitable for prison catering environments

• Piloting elements of the programme within existing prison projects

By the end of the year, the programme was over 80% funded, with the remaining funds earmarked to complete the pilot phase. We also began preparations for a full pilot delivery at HMP Bristol, which commenced in early 2025.

Pilot Site: HMP Bristol

We began our relationship with HMP Bristol in May 2023 when delivering our Cooking From My Culture programme in the prison’s education kitchen. We continued discussing what a potential future partnership might look like, with the prison keen to work with us on a more long-term basis, specifically focusing on increasing food standards.

This led to our decision to select HMP Bristol as our Prison Food Education Programme pilot site. After initial exploratory conversations in August 2024, we got to work scoping out the project, assessing current standards and capturing baseline data. October 2024 saw us deliver a prison-wide food forum at Bristol, whilst wrapping up filming of our digital modules.

By January 2025, we formally launched the pilot with a kick-off session involving all catering staff and the senior team. This session introduced the aims and structure of the programme, set shared goals and established momentum across staff and prisoner kitchen workers.

By February 2025, the programme had moved into practical delivery. We ran a joint cooking session for catering staff and prisoners,

reinforcing collaboration, shared learning and pride in the kitchen. By this stage, the team had already developed, tested and introduced 20 new home-cooked recipes, all of which are now being served on the prison menu.

In March 2025, our Baker Trainer delivered two days of specialist bakery training, covering bread rolls, focaccia, pizza dough and a range of homemade puddings, cakes and bakes. Alongside this, catering staff began working through the four-month digital learning programme, accessing video tutorials and expert-led resources to support ongoing skills development.

The early stages of the HMP Bristol pilot have demonstrated strong engagement from staff and prisoners alike, and have provided valuable learning that will inform the continued development and future rollout of the Prison Food Education Programme.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Intended Impact

The Prison Food Education Programme is designed to deliver impact at multiple levels. For catering teams, it builds skills, confidence and connection, empowering staff to take pride in their work and pass knowledge on to prisoners.

For prisoners, it increases access to freshly prepared, nutritious food and supports better physical and mental health during custody and beyond.

In the longer term, the programme aims to contribute to safer, more humane prisons, improved rehabilitation outcomes and a reduction in reoffending by addressing food as a foundational part of daily prison life.

This programme represents a significant step forward in Food Behind Bars’ mission to transform prison food nationally. During 2024–25, designing and building the Prison Food Education Programme was a central focus of our work.

We intentionally limited the number of projects delivered during the year in order to invest time, capacity and learning into creating a strong, scalable foundation. This strategic decision positions us to significantly increase our reach and impact from 2025 onwards.

We believe the Prison Food Education Programme will be the primary vehicle through which we achieve long-term, systemwide change in prison food across the UK.

Food Behind Bars

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

In the prison kitchen

During 2024–25, our work in the prison kitchen continued to be a core part of Food Behind Bars’ delivery. Kitchen-based projects allowed us to work closely with catering teams and prisoner workforces, testing practical approaches to improving food quality within the constraints of the prison system.

“Food should always be enjoyable, and today the food has made everyone happy and opened conversations over the dining table. Psychologically, knowing you’re eating healthy inspires a healthy mindset.” Prisoner, HMP Send

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25 5 6

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

HMP Woodhill

We have been working with HMP Woodhill, a high-security men’s prison in Milton Keynes, since December 2023. The prison commissioned Food Behind Bars to deliver a project focused on improving food quality, which had been identified as a contributing factor to low morale, frustration and wider instability within the establishment.

During 2024–25, we delivered the second four-month phase of this project. The initial phase focused on improving kitchen culture, building staff morale and skills, and engaging the wider prison population around food.

The second phase shifted the focus towards food quality, through the introduction of new recipes, continued skills-based training in the kitchen and the creation of energy and enthusiasm around food through tastings and collaborative activities.

In August 2024, we concluded the HMP Woodhill project. The project demonstrated how targeted training, collaboration and pride in food can drive meaningful improvements in food quality, skills and morale, even within the most challenging prison environments.

Impact

“ FBB was really amazing. We had a lot of positive comments from prisoners regarding the food on our menu. We, the chefs, learnt a lot about putting love into our cooking and have more confidence in bringing up new ideas.” Chef, HMP Woodhill

• Increased job satisfaction and confidence among catering staff

• 25 new homemade recipes introduced to the menu, including salads, pasties, healthy bakes, pies, curries and cultural dishes

• Greater involvement from the prisoner

• • Over 50% of prisoners now rate the food as workforce, with more prisoners learning above average to excellent, compared to 20% practical cookery skills in the kitchen in August 2023

• Increased pride and ownership, particularly

• • 92% of prisoners who have eaten the new where prisoners’ and staff members’ own dishes reported a noticeable improvement in recipes are featured on the menu food quality

• Reduced reliance on processed food across menus

The learning from HMP Woodhill has been instrumental in shaping the content, structure and delivery model of our Prison Food Education Programme, providing a strong evidence base for future scale and replication.

Food Behind Bars Trustees Annual Report 2024-25 Food Behind Bars Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

HMP Send

This project put into practice recommendations made as part of the University of Surrey’s Doing Porridge research study, which explored the experiences of women in prison through the lens of food. Food Behind Bars delivered a series of four weekly lunchtime takeovers at HMP Send, a women’s prison in Surrey, between February and March 2025.

For each lunchtime event, Food Behind Bars developed themed sets of recipes in collaboration with the kitchen team at HMP Send. Our chefs worked alongside catering staff and women in the kitchen to prepare and serve food for the entire prison population.

The meals were served in the dining hall during a special event, where women were encouraged to try new dishes, access food education materials and engage with different types of food than would usually be available. All food served as part of the project was designed to be healthy, exciting and culturally diverse. Many of the dishes introduced during the takeovers have since become permanent fixtures on the main menu.

To enhance the dining environment and create a sense of occasion, Food Behind Bars commissioned a set of reusable tablecloths for the dining hall. These were produced by women at HMP Downview, who were working in the prison’s London College of Fashion workshop, and are now permanently used at HMP Send.

In addition, a local organic supplier donated fresh produce each week, which was prepared and placed on tables for women to help themselves. This simple intervention encouraged conversation, increased interaction and supported women to sit down together and enjoy their lunch in the dining hall. Produce included blood oranges, purple carrots, golden beetroot and pomelos.

The fourth and final dining event was a family day at HMP Send. This involved us planning and cooking a meal with 16 women, which they then served to their friends and family during a special visit in the dining hall. It was a rare opportunity for the women to share healthy, delicious food with their family, made all the more special as it was cooked by them.

This project demonstrated how food, environment and shared experience can be used to improve wellbeing, connection and dignity within the prison setting, while embedding healthier and more diverse food choices into everyday prison life.

“ The food was presented well. It all looked fresh and appetising. The meal was delicious and filling, with adequate portions. Great to try new fruit and veg as samples. Lunch today was really enjoyable - I’m looking forward to more.” Prisoner, HMP Send

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25 Food Behind Bars Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Education

Alongside our work in prison kitchens, Food Behind Bars delivers prisoner-facing food education programmes that focus on wellbeing, confidence and practical life skills. These programmes use food, growing and shared learning as tools to support emotional health, build positive routines and encourage connection in environments where opportunities for this are limited.

“The course was a great way to focus on something positive to come out of a harrowing environment like HMP Bristol. A real positive light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Thank you, Food Behind Bars.”

Participant, HMP Bristol

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

HMP Stoke Heath

In June 2024, Food Behind Bars began a 12-month growing and cooking Programme at HMP Stoke Heath, a Category C men’s prison in Shropshire, delivered in partnership with the NHS Healthcare team. The programme takes a holistic approach, combining food growing, cooking, wellbeing and creative activity to support men experiencing vulnerability, poor mental health and long periods of isolation.

The programme spans both outdoor and indoor spaces across the prison. It began with the transformation of an unused courtyard attached to the Healthcare building into a therapeutic kitchen garden. In late 2024, the project expanded further to include the development of an additional underused area elsewhere on the prison grounds.

The programme is led by the Food Behind Bars team and made possible through the active involvement of the prisoners who take part. Participants follow a weekly programme of food growing and cookery education, learning to grow food, care for plants, improve soil health and work collaboratively to bring neglected outdoor spaces back into use.

Produce grown through the programme is taken into the education kitchen, where participants cook together in weekly food education sessions led by Food Behind Bars educators.

Across multiple cohorts delivered during 2024–25, participants:

• Cooked and shared meals using the produce grown on site, alongside affordable store-cupboard ingredients, developing practical skills for everyday cooking

• Established and expanded productive garden spaces, including raised beds, a bee garden and greenhouse areas, transforming previously unused outdoor space into calm, purposeful environments

• Prepared a variety of dishes including roast chicken dinners, chickpea and vegetable curries, bean-based stews, roasted vegetables, homemade flatbreads, rice dishes and simple desserts

• Planted, tended and harvested a wide range of seasonal crops, including herbs, leafy greens, beans, courgettes, beetroot, onions, carrots and edible flowers

• Engaged in shared meals, creative activities, food-themed art and poetry,

• • Learned about soil health, composting, and reflective workbook-based learning, companion planting and seasonality supporting communication, confidence through hands-on gardening and and wellbeing environmental learning

• Took part in beekeeping sessions, learning about pollination, biodiversity and food systems with support from local partners

“ My time on Food Behind Bars has been personally fantastic. Time in the garden learning about plants and seeds has got me thinking of doing a vegetable patch at home. It has opened my mind up a lot, helping me to think more positively. This course and the cooking has been my rehabilitation, helping me to change and interact positively with people. The tutor has been a joy to work with - she’s there when you need her help.”

Participant, HMP Stoke Heath

The programme at HMP Stoke Heath was not without its challenges. The prison’s rural location made staffing particularly difficult, and the programme initially relied on a single member of staff to cover both the growing and cooking elements. It quickly became clear that this placed significant pressure on delivery and that the programme required a broader team to effectively support both strands. At the beginning of 2025, staffing arrangements were adjusted, resulting in a more sustainable model and a noticeably smoother delivery.

The wider prison landscape also presented challenges. Nationally, 2024–25 was marked by increasing levels of violence, mental health need, early releases and population pressures, all of which were felt locally and at times impacted consistency of attendance and delivery. Despite these challenges, the programme remained flexible and responsive. By adapting our approach and working closely with prison and healthcare staff, we were able to maintain delivery and build trust. Feedback from participants remained consistently strong, and the programme continued to provide a valued space for stability, learning and connection throughout the year.

The programme supported participants to build routine, confidence and teamwork, while providing access to fresh air, purposeful activity and nourishing food. Across cohorts, participants demonstrated improved engagement, increased willingness to communicate with others and growing pride in their work, particularly where they could see tangible results through food grown, cooked and shared.

The HMP Stoke Heath programme has become a valued and consistent presence within the prison, contributing positively to individual wellbeing and to the wider culture of the establishment.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

HMP Manchester

In 2024, Food Behind Bars delivered its first ever on-the-wing cookery programme at HMP Manchester. The programme was specifically designed to work within the realities of prison life, using ingredients prisoners could source from the canteen and equipment available on residential units, typically air fryers, microwaves, toasters and kettles.

Delivered over 12 weeks, the programme reached 48 men directly, with many more exposed to the learning through shared recipes and peer-to-peer cooking back on the wings. Sessions created a rare opportunity for men to cook and eat together in a positive, social environment.

The programme supported participants to build confidence, develop healthier eating habits and experience a sense of normality and dignity through shared cooking and eating. It also encouraged cultural exchange, creativity and mutual respect, with participants adapting recipes and sharing food traditions from their own backgrounds.

The programme reflected our ambition to reach individuals who are often excluded from education and kitchen-based activity. Many of the men who participated would not otherwise access structured learning opportunities. Each recipe demonstrated how quick, nutritious and culturally diverse meals can be prepared with limited equipment and low-cost ingredients, building practical life skills that participants can carry with them beyond custody.

Challenges and learning

Delivering the programme presented a number of challenges. Limited space meant sessions could not take place in a single location and instead moved between multiple wing kitchens, requiring significant organisation, flexibility and adaptation by the delivery team.

The experience at HMP Manchester highlighted the challenging conditions currently facing many prisons and how these pressures can affect programme delivery.

At the same time, it reinforced the importance of accessible, flexible models that meet people where they are and enable food education to reach those most excluded from traditional provision.

The wider prison context also had a significant impact. Just two months after the programme concluded, HMP Manchester received an Urgent Notification from the government, citing widespread drug use, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, organised criminal activity and serious violence. Although the programme was well received, the escalating pressures within the prison environment affected delivery and ultimately led to our decision to conclude the contract four weeks early, in the interests of staff wellbeing and safety. This decision was supported by the prison.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25 Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

HMP Downview

From August 2024 to January 2025, Food Behind Bars delivered a holistic cookery programme for women at HMP Downview, a women’s prison in Surrey. The programme aimed to inspire confidence in cooking, introduce new ingredients and cuisines, and create opportunities for women to learn and share food together in a supportive environment.

Food Behind Bars developed bespoke recipes for the programme and provided high-quality, seasonal ingredients. Sessions were structured around two to three recipes, usually pairing something familiar and comforting with something new or unfamiliar. This approach encouraged curiosity, reduced anxiety around new foods and supported women to expand their skills and tastes at their own pace.

The programme was delivered monthly in a residential kitchen unit. Morning sessions were open to women from the general population, while afternoon sessions were reserved for women from the transgender population housed on E Wing, who often have limited access to education and group activity. This structure allowed the programme to reach a wide range of women while also providing continuity and progression for a core cohort.

“Teaching in prisons forced me to reassess my own prejudices of what I expected prisoners to be like. I was struck by the poor mental health, severe self-harm and familial chaos many prisoners experienced. I witnessed the kindness, intelligence and candour of inmates. But I was perhaps most surprised by the commitment of many to turn their lives around.”

Helena Busiakiewicz, FBB Food Educator

Across multiple cohorts delivered during 2024–25, participants:

• Learned how to work with seasonal ingredients, spices and unfamiliar flavours, and how to adapt recipes to suit different tastes and confidence levels

• Took part in hands-on cookery sessions focused on core skills, confidence and teamwork

• Built relationships and teamwork skills through collaborative cooking and shared meals

• Prepared and shared a wide range of dishes, including yoghurt flatbreads, onion bhajis, butter chicken curry, lamb koftes with tahini yoghurt sauce, sweet and sour chicken, egg fried rice, seasonal salads and homemade dressings

• Baked and cooked desserts such as chocolate coconut flapjacks, brownies, pumpkin loaf cake, roasted rhubarb Victoria sponge and a Biscoff profiterole wreath

“I learnt how to make flatbreads and tahini sauce. It was a unique experience compared to what prison usually is. The food was delicious and the tutors were great.”

Participant, HMP Downview

Between August 2024 and January 2025, the programme reached approximately 47 women in total. Evaluation data showed high levels of engagement and learning, with the majority of participants reporting that they learned something new in each session and rated both the recipes and their overall experience very highly.

The HMP Downview programme demonstrated the value of creating welcoming, wellfacilitated food education spaces for women in custody. Learning from this work is informing future programme design, including cohort size, session frequency and the potential for longer-term delivery to further deepen skills and impact.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Spreading the Word

This year, we continued to lead the national conversation on prison food by presenting panels, publishing research and hitting the headlines. The biggest highlight was our Chief Executive Lucy winning the Daily Mail and Marks & Spencer Inspirational Women of the Year awards and attending a special reception with Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace!

“ I have a rule for myself, I try to make sure that the sessions make the people who are receiving them feel like they’re not in prison for that time. So we will have conversations about TV shows that we’re all watching. If I’m in a young offender’s prison, I’ll have purposely been watching Love Island so that there’s that common ground of something we can talk about whilst kneading bread or folding dumplings.”

Natalia Middleton, Head of Food Education

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Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Advocacy Highlights

In May 2024, we published our report ‘Prison Food in Scandinavia’ based on the Churchill Fellowship Lucy completed which saw her travel to prisons across Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The report paints a picture of food in Nordic prisons - where sustainability, nutrition and variety are prioritised and food plays a key role in rehabilitation. The report has been used to inform our projects, as well as inspire the catering teams we work with.

Our relationship with the Scandinavian prison system continues to grow, with our Head of Food Education Nat spending two days in Storstrøm Prison herself, learning from some of the best practice we observed.

Press Highlights

Daily Mail Inspirational Women Awards 2026

The former fashion journalist teaching prisoners how to cook - Daily Mail, January 2024

Marks & Spencer International Women’s Day Panel - March 2025

Appetising, delicious food served to prisoners? It works for the Nordic countries - The Guardian, May 2024

Taste Cells - A look at the charity aiming to improve food for prisoners - Public Sector Catering Magazine, October 2024

Bread Behind Bars - Companion Magazine/ Gails Bakery - February 2025

Inside Story: Food Behind Bars - The Common Table - November 2024

This year, we took part in panels and conferences across the UK and Europe. From the University of Surrey and UCL all the way to Paris - we grew our expertise, expanded our reach and built connections.

Looking Ahead: Our Plan for 2025–26

Create a national model of best practice at HMP Bristol

1.

We want HMP Bristol to be a flagship site for our work and demonstrate that good food in prison is possible, using it as a base to test, innovate and influence.

Begin delivering our Prison Food Education Programme on a wider scale

Our Prison Food Education Programme pilot concludes in September 2025. After evaluating its impact, our goal is to begin rolling the programme out on a larger scale - starting with 2-3 prisons in early 2026.

Take a more strategic, long-term and regional approach to project delivery

This year taught us the importance of building strong teams and encouraging cross-learning. We believe the most effective and impactful way to scale our work is to do so regionally. Next year, we want to begin creating regional hubs for our work, streamlining operations in the process.

Build international connections and influence

Elevating our voice and spotlighting best practice has played a key role in our success this year. We want to continue engaging in the subject on an international level, to help generate systemic change both in the UK and abroad.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25 Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Thank you

Funders

Henry Oldfield Trust The Cedar House Trust The Aurum Charitable Trust The 4814 Trust Dauray Tannahill The Stephen Lloyd Foundation

Prisons

HMP Bristol HMP Woodhill HMP Send HMP Stoke Heath HMP Downview HMP Manchester HMP Isis HMP Brixton

Financial Review

Our total income for 2024-25 amounted to £141,303, compared to £158,588 in the previous financial year. The charity’s expenditure for the year was £146,417 compared to £95,124 in the previous year. During the year, the charity received £60,752 of unrestricted funds and £80,551 of restricted funds. Our cash funds this year end stand at £79,296 in total. This consists of £32,622 of unrestricted cash reserves and £46,674 of restricted cash reserves.

This year we made a strategic choice to scale back the growth of our operations slightly, so we could focus on fundraising, building and piloting our Prison Food Education Programme. By the end of the financial year, we had raised around £100,000 between 2024 and 2025 to do so. This meant a reduction of our sales and contracts income this year, but an increase in grants and donations. The more strategic approach to the delivery of our work, and a clear plan for expansion mean this was a very successful year for attracting donors to the charity.

Although our overall income decreased by around 8% this year, the funds raised have enabled us to build a clear foundation for our future. The funding landscape remains challenging, with stagnant budgets and short-term contracts prevalent across the prison estate. Despite this, our prison contracts remained a steady source of income for us in 2024-25. Next year, we want to seek out longer-term opportunities and explore regional funding models.

The trustees regularly review the finances, budget and spend during quarterly board meetings. The Chief Executive completes a monthly cash flow statement per month, as well as constantly monitoring budgets, income and spending. The charity works with an accountancy firm who prepare our end of year accounts, manage payroll and advise on accountancy matters.

Partners

University of Surrey Churchill Fellowship Marks & Spencer Hawksmoor KERB The Right Course Dan Makes Films Les Dames Escoffier Shropshire Beekeeper’s Association Shrub Re-Wrap

People

Natalia Middleton Ian Bickers Keshia Sakarah Isaac Cameron Helena Busiakiewicz Lawrence Weston Kerry Rowat Natalie Steadman

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Structure, Governance & Management

Administrative details

Registered charity number:

1190462

The charity is governed by a constitution and is currently registered as a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation). The charity holds several published policies, including health and safety, code of conduct, equal opportunities and safeguarding.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

This year saw no new trustees join the board, and our chair remained in place. However, our trustee Naomi Burke-Shyne was experiencing a period of ill health and took a temporary step back from trustee duties in May 2024. By March 2025, she was still unwell and made the decision to formally resign from her trustee position. Sadly, in May 2025, Naomi passed away from cancer at the age of 44. The trustees want to pay tribute to Naomi and the incredible work she has done, and the important role she played in Food Behind Bars. She is sorely missed and remembered fondly.

The trustees plan to recruit for a new trustee during summer 2025.

Trustee positions are advertised publicly through social media and websites such as Reach Volunteering, Linkedin etc. Candidates can apply and applications are monitored primarily by the Chief Executive. Interviews are conducted by the Chair, the Chief Executive and other board members. Trustees are appointed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the constitution. All trustees must sign the Charity Commission Trustee Declaration in order to be accepted onto the board.

Role of trustees

Registered address:

74 Brightwell Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 9EF

Trustees:

Iqbal Wahhab OBE Josie Bevan Missy Flynn Naomi Burke-Shyne Leon Aarts Kate Eves

Chief Executive:

Lucy Vincent

Independent Examiner:

Trenfield Croft Ltd Wentworth House West Square Maldon CM9 6HD

The charity trustees are responsible for the overall management and control of Food Behind Bars and meet four times a year. They help make strategic decisions, review financial activity and work in partnership with the Chief Executive to help her achieve the charity’s objectives. They fulfil the six primary duties of a trustee as listed by The Charity Commission:

• To ensure your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit

• To comply with your charity’s governing documents and the law

• To act in your charity’s best interests

• To manage your charity’s resources responsibly

• To act with reasonable care and skill

• To ensure your charity is accountable

• All trustees give their time freely and no remuneration or expenses were paid in the year.

Role of the Chief Executive

The Chief Executive provides leadership to employees and volunteers and manages the day-today operations of Food Behind Bars. This includes project management, strategic direction, income generation and charity expenditure in line with budgets approved by the board. The Chief Executive regularly reports progress to the Trustees and is responsible for promoting the overall aims of the organisation.

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Food Behind Bars

Trustees Annual Report 2024-25

Statement of Accounts LISignatures Food Behind Bars Trustees Annual ReFK>rt 2024-25 FI￿ BeTru￿ Bat5 Trustees Annual Report 1024-25

[￿1 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALIS Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Recei ts and ents accounts CC16a UnrÈstri¢tèd funds Rostrluèd lunds Endowment funds F¢x Ihe PBriod Irom to ￿&rE5{£ 81 Cash lunds 674 Section A Receipts and payments UThrestrf¢ted lundÉ Restricted lundÈ Endowment Total lutMIs La51 yeai Total cash lunds 32,622 46,674 tr1￿ n8arnsiE A1 Re￿1 Oonaw8 Grants Sal RaTunas BaTrk Int9tost UnrBslricied funds Endiswm?nl funds TL551 63.7 7&74Q lunds to noiTrJsi E Def8119 tota ross in￿rne AA? 0.752 141.W3 Inv see tablÈl. Deiails ass t Ional Tolal recelpts 00.7Y2 141.XQ 158. A3Pa ThtÈ stall CoBts IncI￿ry otyarnthlfveryr 3JS12 11255 4.631 9.451 373 •7*4 762 9.14$ 10.773 3Y3 18 17226 10.12S Offke admln COSL3 Adverfd$WJ vu 7281 Deialls asBo1 b B4 Ass815 retaIn￿ for th# harity's own use Sub total 59222 87.19$ 146.417 9&124 A4 AEsgt and inv•stm•rrt Sub total Total paymentg 59222 87,10G 146.417 95,124 )1 oIr•e•lpi￿{PAyM•nIsJ AS Transfw5 betwe8n lunds A6 C&sh funds last par end Cssh fvnds Ihl$ ye•rend Il•bU r•Lqt•g B5 Llabllltles 1.092 32,6 .313 .41D 8441 zaa£ Swature Prinl Name Dale ol Kate Eves 04.02.26 So hia Tebbetts 0410212026 Food Behind Bars Trustees Annual ReFK>rt 2024-25 FI￿ Behi￿ Bat5 Trustees Annual Report 1024-25

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examlner's report on the accounts Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner n6eds lo highlight maiters of cotKern Is86 CC32, Independent examination of charity ac(x)unis'. dlreclions arKI guldance for examiners). Sgctlon A Independent ExamlneT'5 Roport Give here brfef dotalls of any items that the examlner wlsh•s to disdos•. R•port to the tfU3ts•81 mgmb•rn of On a¢¢ounts for the year Ondod 05 April 2025 Charlty no Ilf •ny) 1190462 Sot out on pages I report to Ihe trustees on my exam￿atiOn of the a¢eounts of the abo4 ¢harity (Ihe Trust'l for the year ended O.,) IJ4 ,' 2025. Responsibllities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsibfe for th8 preparation basis ol report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charibes Aci 2011 rthe Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Tntsf$ a¢o)unts (arried out under se¢tion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examinatK)n, I have followed Ihe app￿Cable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5Xb) of tha Act I have compbted my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come lo my attention (other Ihan that disclosed below ') in connection V•ryth the examlnaiion whlch gl¥es me cause to believe that in. any matknl Independant examinerfs statement accounting records were nol kepl In accordan(% viith section 130 of the Act the accounls do ncrt acurd with the a(uunting recyxds I have no concems and have come across no other matters in cOn￿tiOn with the examination to which attention Strb￿ld be drawn in order to enable a proper uThJarstanding of the accounts to k reached. . Please delete the w(Yds in the tackets rfthey do not apply. Slgned: li ￿124& Namo: NEIL SPOONER Rel•vant professlonal qualificationls) or body (if any): FCCA Address: Wentworth House. West Square Maldon Essex. CM9 6HD Food Behind Bars Trustees Annual ReFK>rt 2024-25 FI￿ Behi￿ Bat5 Trustees Annual Report 1024-25

Thank you. wvv FOOD BEHIND BARS Food Behind Bars Registered Charity 1190462