' itttLe StarJ Trustees. Report and Accounts unaudited For the year ended 31 December 2024 Little Stars Baby Bank Registered Charity No. 1191130 www.littlestarscharity.org UNDRAISING REGULATOR
Little Stars Baby Bank Financial statements for the period ended 31 December 2024 Reference and administration details Charity registration number 1191130 Registered office addres5 Little Stars C/0 Alco Maesbury Road Oswestry SYIO 8NR Accountants TCA Ishrewsburyl LLP Third Floor 21 St Mary's Street Shrew5bury Shropshire SYI IED Bankers CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ HSBC 127 High Street Hounslow Middlesex TW3 IQP Trustees l Groves - lappointed 27, March 20251 Chair C Williams- Vice Chair S Bates- Secretary A Beeston (appointed 12th June 20241- Treasurer J Seabright (appointed 7th December 20241 E Shaw lappointed 28, March 20251 A Garmston (Resigned Il" August 20251 D Korta5 (Resigned 20, March 20251
Table of CONTENTS 01 Trustees. report 16 Independent examiners report 17 Receipts and payments account 18 Statement of funds
Tntees,AnnUa1Rep0rt The Trustees of Little Stars Baby Bank are pleased to present their report and the financial statements for the period ended 31 December 2024. CXJR VISION / MISSION Little Starfs vision is to ensure babies and children across Shropshire have access to the essentials they need at every stage of childhood. Our mission is to alleviate the emotional stress and financial pressures many families face in a county where over 26,000 children are living in povety, and 70/0 of those children are from working families. We believe that every family, no matter how complex their situation, should be shown kindness and support at the time they need it most. LITTLE STARS 01
Statent0Pub1lCBelleflt Our service benefits children offamilies who, for various reasons, do not have access to the basic essentials that every child deserves. We deliver bundles to various referral partners around the couniy of Shropshire. In delivering our services wefurther benefii the public, aslollows.. Fumllles: Providing essentials hos a significant impact on the family, the service helps keeps babies and young children clothed, clean and safe. This not only helps to remove financial pressure, but also alleviate the emotional stress by providing the basic provisions. Wlder communTty.' The local community are able to donate their pre-loved baby items which not only helps the family who are receiving those items but it also reduces landfill waste and helps the environmental impact. Referral partners: Professionals now have a service within the county they can use after a visit to a family they know need the basics. Due to the kind support of fundraisers and donors, Little Stars is able to contribute and supplement the bundles with brand new equipment needed that cannot be donated as pre- loved. Voluntary income enables Little Stars to continue the work and develop the service. In defining our charitable programme, we have regard for the Charity Commissions general guidance on public benefit. LITTLE STARS 02
Stnture, governance and e charity 1.% a Charitable liicorporatioii Organi.satioll ("CIO") wliich was registered with the Charity Commission un 3rd .September 2020 nd is governed by a consiitulion as a Foundaiion CIO. Melhoits used to recThit and apw)int new Int New Trustees are recruited openly in line with Little Stars Baby Bank's Trustee Recruitment Policy. Trustees receive a full induction to the charity and a set of key documents, to enable them to gain the required information to fulfil their role. An annual skills analysis ensures the Trustees offer a suitable range of knowledge and skills to support the charity. Where a skills gap is identified we aim to seek Trustees to bridge this gap. The Board will aim to adhere to the principles of the Charity Governance Code for Small Charities. This is an ongoing process, and we are working towards fulfilling all aspects of the code. iecttves The general aims and objectives of Little Stars are to support families living and working within Shropshire by: orking alongside various organisations to provide relief of financial hardship r families who cannot afford the essential babylchildren items needed. rovide quality items which not only helps the family receiving them but also the environment impact. iving help to pregnant women with essentials needed after giving birth. LITTLE STARS 03
Activities Our Bundles We provide essential items for every stage of childhood as our service encompasses a baby bank, tots to teen support, and a school uniform bank. We take pre-loved items generously donated by the community and compile unique bundles, which are supplemented with new equipment and basic hygiene products that are then gifted to the families referred to us. Our recently launched shop provides an opportunity for older children and pregnant ladies to browse and select their own clothing that they have been referred to us for. This fosters greater independence and provides them a dignified and personalised shopping experience. Our Partnerships Since 2020 we have built strong partnerships with those working with the most vulnerable in our county, this has led to a deeper understanding of our county and the needs of local communities. Our support extends beyond poverty alleviation, reaching children fleeing domestic abuse, those removed from their homes due to neglect, and newly arrived refugees. As we understand that not everyone would like to ask for help when they need IL our Community hub work offers parents and carers the opportunity to discreetly receive our support through access to essential toiletries for themselves and their children, free of charge. LITTLE STARS 04
Achievements and Performance During 2024 we helped 1333 chlldr•n be provided with the childhood essentials they needed. 57 pregnant women with the toiletries they all deserve after giving birth as well as maternity wear. 246 adults with essential toiletries. Our core services have experienced significant increase in demand year-on-year: 2021-2022: 59Y. increase 2022-2023: 93°A increase 2023-2024: 176 /0 increase (the largest increase) This demonstrates a consistent upward trend ond indicates the significant need for our charity. Our community hub work has been vital within the areas we support as offers parents and carers the opportunity to discreetly receive our support through access to essential toiletries for themselves and their children, free of charge. We have also used these hubs for School Uniform pop up events. This year thanks to National Lottery Cost of Living funding we were able to create a new role within the Little Stars team for a Marketing and Fundraising Co-ordinator. Chantal joined the Little Stars team in January 2024 and over the course of the year was able to increase our social followers, create a newsletter keeping our supporters informed and communicote regularly the work of our Charity. This has proven a vital role for the growth of Little Stars, as our supporters increased from the public to corporate support, which has helped the visibility of the important work we do. LITTLE STARS 05
The opening of Little Stars Shop. A place that not only offers affordable clothing options but also serves as a vital hub for the community. With a focus on sustainability and community support, the store sells excess stock that we cannot utilise for our core services, ensuring that these items find new homes while contributing to our mission. The shop fulfils three goals. Flrstly. offers a welcoming spoce for those who hove been referred to us and giving them the opportunity to browse and choose the clothing themselves. This fosters greater independence and provides them a dignified and personalised shopping experience. Secondly. it allows us to find new homes for wonderful items that wouldn't fit into our standard bundles, this gives families and pregnant women seeking good quality, affordable clothing for their children and themselves a fantastic option. LITTLE STARS 06
Lastly, every purchase directly supports Little Stars, mission, creating a vital revenue stream ensuring we can continue providing essential items to families in need of our support across Shropshire. This wouldn't have been possible without the incredible support of The Darwin centre team. Kevin Lockwood, Centre Manager of The Darwin, said, "Since I met the team at Little stars through my involvement in the Shrewsbury Business Chamber, the end goal has always been to try and help them secure a presence and shop within The Darwin. This new store will be an important resource for our community to find affordable and nearly new items for themselves and family, while raising funds for an incredible cause." Fundlng Irom the Natlonal Lottery enabled us to employ a shop manager and we welcomed Mel to the team in November 2024. Mel has already been making o positive impact since starting her role. LITTLE STARS 06
Our Corporate Partnerships Aico's continued support of the charity was recognised at the Better Society Awards 2024 winning the award for Partnership with a local charity. This moment recognised how important relationships between Corporates and Charity's are and how it can help the Charity grow. p4rthÈtJhlpl L4rthlch*rk¥ y¢g(&1 start Tech are a valued corporate supporter. They not only provide us with our cyber security package and assist us with all our IT needs, they also raise our profile, come to our events and even have a Tuck Shop where all money is donated to Little Stars. Liquid Fleet raised £5000 for Little Stars by hosting a raffle with some incredible prizes and attended ClubFest to help raise awareness of the charity. LITTLE STARS 07
CL Claremont Social Tap: In September Claremont Social Tap donated £2000 to Little Stars from their community funds. Corporate Volunteers We have had more corporate volunteers providing support and helping us sort all the wonderful donations we receive. Over the year they gave us 168 hours of time, thank you to WSP, Aico, Start Tech, Marches Academy Trust and Practice Plan. LIThLE STARS 08
Our School Partnerships St Wlnefrodes Our partnership with St. Winefride's School had a brilliant first year. It began with an Easter collection of essential baby items, pre-loved clothing, and toys, then they joined in our first-ever Wear Stars 4 Little Stars day. The Headteacher and some of the parents also supported us by attending our Halloween Ball, and in December the school participated with a Reverse Advent Calendar to support our Santa's Little Stars campaign. We're looking forward to continuing and growing this partnership in the year ahead. .liUie&ora Blrehfield Children at Birchfield School raised £60 for Little Stars by hosting a festive Hot Chocolate Stand. The pupils chose to support a children's charity, showing inspiring kindness and community spirit at just 4 and 5 years old. Hh. Katie's Kids Nursery Katie's Kids Nursery supported Little Stars at both Easter and Christmas, donating Easter eggs and treat bags, and later raising an incredible £265 through their Christmas party fundraising. The funds helped us purchase essential items like highchairs, stair gates, developmental toys, and blankets-already making a real difference for families across Shropshire. West Felton West Felton CE School and Nursery held a raffle during the Make Music Day in June and donated £80 to Little Stars. ii LITTLE STARS 07
2024 Fundraisers Musical Bingo. our signatur8 aV8nt saw new faces walcoméd to our fundraiser 8njoying an unforgettable evening of spontaneous a cappella performances and lots of fun and laughter. All of this fun raised an increcible £1384.70. Luknl Internatlonal Womens Doy Regular supporter of the charity Finn, held a walk on International womens day to raise money for Little Stars. This is the third year Finn has raised money, we couldn't be more grateful for her support. LITTLE STARS 09
2024 Fundraisers The Crafternoon Club ran a wonderful Easter Bunny Hunt in Bridgnorth and raised an amazing £200.26 for Little Stars. Their creative efforts and generous support made a real difference, and we were delighted to meet with them to say thank you in person. th Our first-ever "Wear Stars 4 Llttle Stars" fundraiser took place on the 28 June. We created this event as a unique and fun way to bring awareness to our cause while raising funds to help us continue our vital work supporting children and families across Shropshire. People donned themed clothing and accessories and for the the first event we raised £357 0624 ooIITfLP Ile Star& 28.06.24 LITTLE STARS 09
2024 Fundraisers Halloween Ball our ingural ball sponsored by Alco and Start Tech The evening featured a delicious three-course meal with a Halloween twist! Entertainment was at the heart of the night, with a live band and DJ keeping the dance floor buzzing. Our talented tarot and palm readers added a mystical touch, staying busy all evening with guests eager to hear their fortunes. It was a fantastic blend of fun and mystery, with something for everyone to enjoy. % kir41 The evenlng ralsed the proflle for Llttle stars and ralsed £6000. LITTLE STARS 09
Santa's Little Stars 2024 The Darwin Centre once again supported us with having donation drop off points within the centre during all of November but this year we were able to host our Christmas Hub in the Centre which made it extra special. The volunteers came out in force and over two days we had volunteers from WSP, Shrewsbury Colleges Group, Aico, Lanyon Bowdler, TCA, PWC, and BT. Between them they gave 222 hours of volunteer time and wrapped over 2000 gifts. The gifts were generously donated by the general public during November but also on the day when they saw what we were doing and went and brought gifts to donate. We also had multiple companies donate, huge thank you to Croud, PipeKit, Komplex Group, Samuel Wood, Aico, Severnfields medical practice, MOT Mcdonalds, Primark and Practice Plan. We also received generous donations from two local businesses in December, Different Dog, which donated £140.94 and Unicorn Fire and Safety which donated £262 towards our Christmas Campaign. LITTLE STARS 10
4> We supported 584 ¢hlldren and each of them rocelved multlpl• glfts each. Theatre Severn once again supported us and we were able to be at the end of three pantomime shows to collect money for Little Stars, the public were extremely generous and we raised £635 across the three shows. LITTLE STARS
OurImpact We work clo.sely witli our referral partners to gatlierfeedback and ca.se.%tudies liat we can understand tlie impact our work. It also helps us to ideiilify areas where we con make chaiiges and improve the services we offer. "The overall impact this could have had on the mental health of that family would have been detriment to their wellbeing and that of the child at that time. The importance of organisations such as Little Stars means the difference between someone developing heightened anxiety and depression regarding their financial situation, to seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and being able to ensure their infant is provided for in th8 most financially challenging of times." Perinatal Nurse "The case involved police removing four children under 7 from their home as a matter of urgency. There was very little in the home in the way of belongings or clothes for the children so they hod nothing with them, and you were able to provide not only clothes, noppies and toiletries for all of them, but also little gifts that I know they oll loved to receivel To be able to phone you up in this crisis, and have the items delivered to us in less than 4 hours was amazing, and I know that all of the team who have worked with this family today are so appreciative of the hard work you must have gone to in order to provide such personalised packages for these children. Please know that it has made a difference to these children during a time of crisis for them." Social Worker 'WITHOUT THE SERVICE THE MOST AT-RISK MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WOULD BE LEFT WITHOUT THE MOST BASIC ITEMS NEEDED TO ENSURE THEIR CHILDREN ARE CLOTHED AND HAVE APPROPRIATE ITEMS TO ENSURE THEY ARE SAFE AND CAN THRIVE.. SOCIAL WORKER, SHROPSHIRE COUNCIL. LITTLE STARS 12
Acknowledgments Little Stars have been delighted with the support of so many wonderful families, individuals, and organisations. Thank you to the families and individuals who donate their pre-loved baby and children clothing for Little Stars to pass onto other families in need of a helping hand. Thank you to all the individuals who have donated money to Little Stars and to Morrisons customers who buy the pick-up packs that keep us stocked up with nappies, wipes and toiletries. Our Funders At the beginning of the year we received a generous grant of £4.000 from tho AXIS Foundation to strengthen our Community Hubs Project. This funding is specifically allocated to ensure a year's supply of essential baby items like nappies, wipes, and toiletries. Reflecting on the year, this funding was critical for those supplies after we saw a decrease in donations of the essential items over the course of the year, this funding ensured we could still supply families with the basic essentials. Milllchope Foundatlon continue their yearly support and it was wonderful to invite Val to the newly opened shop, showing them the growth of the charity and what their support means to us at Little Stars. Tosco Communlty Grant - Stronger Starts campaign Little Stors extends sincere appreciation to Tesco and their customers for their support. The £IOOO played a crucial role in our mission to provide essential support to families in need. We were awarded a £5.000 grant from Th• Haberdashers. Company, which helped us support families in Telford and Wrekin and Albrighton. This funding really helped us as we have seen an increase in support needed and use of our service within that part of the county. A £500 grant from the Neighbourly Spring Fund 2024, was a joint initiative with Aldi aimed at providing emergency support to families in need. This timely funding we were able to direct towards our baby bank and community hub services, as we were dealing with a surge in requests for assistance. We were delighted to have been awarded a £2.000 grant from the Albert Hunt Trust. LITTLE STARS 13
Futureplans As we look toward the newflnanclal year our focus will be: Continue our core service and support as many children as possible in need of childhood essentials. Develop our fundraising strategy to have a calendar of events, which we will build on year on year. Develop our corporate partners and introduce our new corporate pack. This includes in-kind support services. Attend more events to promote our work and to gain more support for our cause. Grow the Trustee board for our next stage of growth and building a sustainable charity for years to come. We are committed to continuing the growth of our Community Shop, building on our first year's experience and deep understanding of where we can improve. Improving accessibility for families with varying schedules which will make it easier for referral agencies to arrange appointments providing more opportunity for older children and pregnant ladies to browse and select their own clothing that they have been referred to us for . Continue to build our volunteer base, with opportunities for stock sorters and shop helpers. LITTLE STARS 14
Financial review and reserves policy
The Charity has had another successful year, generating income of £86,995. Expenditure for the year was £91,886, leaving £64,002 in monetary funds carried forward. £30,828 of this is restricted funding, as set out on page 18.
The trustees agree to hold free reserves in the region of £26,000. This is to ensure that there is sufficient funds to cover the running costs of the charity for 3 months. Trustees have taken possible risks into account and considered the loss of gifted storage space.
The Trustees agree to continuously monitor this as the charity grows and develops to ensure the amount held in reserves mirrors the level of activity.
The free reserves of the Charity at the year end, calculated as unrestricted funds less fixed assets and designated funds, were £29,672.
Basis of Accounting
The accounts of the charity have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with charity regulations.
This report was approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by Ian Groves.
Signed by �� Ian Groves - Chair Trustee 25 September 2025
LITTLE STARS
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Little Stars Baby Bank Independent Examlners Report for the year ended 31 December 2024 I report to the charfty trustees on my examinatlon of the accounts of the charsty far the period ended 31 Dernber 2024 which are set out on page5 17 to IB. Thls report Is made Solely to the charlty's trustees, as a body, In accordance with sett4on 145 of the Charitie5 Act 2011 and regulations made undèr sectlon 154 ef that Act. My work h35 been undertaken $0 that I mlght state to the charity'5 tru5tee5 thcse mattels l arn required to stale to them in an Independent Examiner5 Report and for no other purpose, To the fullest extent perrnllted by law. I do not accept or as5urne re5pon51bility ID anyonE oiher than the charity and the charlt(s trustees as a body, for mywerk or for thi5 report. Respon61bllltlesand ba515 ol report As the charlty's trustees you are responslble for the preparatlon of the accounts In accordance wlth the requlrernent$ of ihe Charltles Act 20111.the Act'l I rtport In respe£t of my examination of the charity'5 O¢COUnts Caffled out under section 145 of the Att and In cèrrylnq out my examlnatlon I have followed all the appll¢able Dlrectlons glven by the Charity Commlsslon under sectlon 14SISllbl of the Act. lThd•p*ndent Examln•r's statsment I have completed rnVeamifiatloft. l eonfSrm that ne materlal matter5 have ¢ttme to my èttentlon In connection wlth the e¥•mlnation givln8 me cause to belleve that in any ffjalerial respett.. accountlna records We not kept In respect of the charity a5 requlred by sectlon 130 of the Act.. or the accounts do not accord wlth those r?cord$. I have no concerns and hove corn• a¢ro$$ no other matters In connectlen with the exominatlon to whlch attention Should be drawn in thi5 report in order to tnable a proper under5tandlni of the Jccounts tts be rÈached. iil-LU tsLLLCUW) C L Moelwyn.Wllll•mi Bsc FCA TCA IShrew5buryl LLP 21 51 foary'5 Stroet Shrew5bury Shropshlrt SYI IED Dote- 2v)cl 0CkJlL( 10 2 16
lIttStr5B1knyBnk Finan¢ièlst*emetttsfoithÈy¢arehd¢d iiDe¢ethbei2024 ftÉcelptsand pa¥ThÈntsa(count Uniestilcted R•strlrted Total Total 2024 2014 2023 Rere GraThts DonationSandfndIaISIngItO 2.7W 47.920 50,62 21,386 43.657 29.539 8anklfjtere5treceived 140 140 63 9.720 5.129 9.720 5.IZ9 29,07S 47,92 ÉÉ,yys 74.740 Payménts ayaritrble4irtlvitle5 Purrh¥5e51or5ervi(e u5er5 1.380 5,664 2.99Z Cattsoffvttdralsthg Fundrai51ll8eventsand pro0110 Halloween Ball 97Q 970 1.794 7.3 7,30D 22.589 42,831 65,420 40,721 S94 49 1.675 I.YY2 ovntsn 618 gD 4.965 46D 166 428 594 Mark&tsng 854 854 474 474 61 80 18 98 78 1,629 1,023 339 £.$É6 339 528 Sundry 291 291 244 2.093 40,803 51,OB3 91,886 67,261 NptlPiyrnent511Rereipt5- uDre5thrtedlvnd5 7.478 tashand baThk baIaffttÈ>bU¥htf0rward 34,W2 33,9YI 61.415 33.174 30.826 61002 68.893
Little Stars Baby Bank Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024 Statement of funds
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||||||
| Monetar assets | |||||||
| Current account | 58,364 | 68,818 | |||||
| HSBC account | 5,568 | ||||||
| Paypal account | 70 | 75 | |||||
| 64,002 | 68,893 | ||||||
| Funds | Balance at | Balance at | |||||
| 1st January 2024 | Income | Expenditure | Transfers | 31st December | 2024 | ||
| Unrestricted Funds | 34,902 | 35,417 | (40,647) | 29,672 | |||
| Designated Funds | Santa's Little Stars | 3,658 | (156) | 3,502 | |||
| Restricted Funds | |||||||
| Shop | 22,000 | (2,691) | 19,309 | ||||
| Other restricted fund - Baby Bank Service | 5,043 | 7,100 | (3,188) | 8,955 | |||
| Salaries Fund | 6,517 | (6,517) | |||||
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 18,431 | 13,820 | (32,251) | ||||
| Community Hubs | 4,000 | 1,000 | {2,436) | 2,564 | |||
| Garfield Weston | 4,000 | {4,000) | |||||
| 33,991 | 47,920 | {51,083) | 30,828 | ||||
| 68,893 | 86,995 | {91,886) | 64,002 |
The Designated Fund Santa's Little Stars is for our Christmas campaign. In this campaign, people donate money instead of buying a gift, and we use those funds to purchase gifts for children when our donations fall short.
The Other restricted fund relates to restricted funding provided by The Postcode Lottery, Tesco and The National Lottery to be used for the baby bank service.
The Salaries Fund relates to restricted funding provided by The Postcode Lottery, Tesco and The National Lottery to be used for wages and salaries.
The National Lottery Community Fund relates to project work until the end of March 2024. This includes salaries, overheads and volunteer costs.
Community Hubs Fund -This fund relates to our community hubs project, where we are out in communities, helping families with the essential nappies, wipes and toiletries for children and adults, which they can access whilst they are having support from family practictioners and the Early Help teams.
The Shop fund relates to funding for a Shop Manager role for 12 months and Shop project.
The Garfield Weston funds were restricted to cover our core costs. These funds were used specifically to pay for two part-time salaries and to purchase new items that are used to supplement our pre-loved bundles.
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