2025-12-31-accounts - Salford Families In Need Meals Project

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Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date 01 January 2025 31 December 2025

From

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1194165

Salford Families in need Meals Project

SFinMP

Charity's principal address 11 Stafford Road, Eccles Greater Manchester Postcode M30 9HN

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
Dr AntonyEdkins	Chair	n/a	SFinMP board of trustees
Julie Larkinson	Secretary	n/a	SFinMP board of trustees
Tom Marsden	Treasurer	n/a	SFinMP board of trustees
Baroness Barbara Keeley	Trustee	n/a	SFinMP board of trustees
Claire Woolley	Trustee	n/a	SFinMP board of trustees

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name	Dates acted if not for whole year
None	n/a

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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
None	N/A	N/A



Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
None

None

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with voting Type of governing document members other than its charity trustees (‘Association’ Model Constitution) (eg. trust deed, constitution) (‘Association’ Model Constitution) How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) As per article 13 of our governing document. Trustee selection methods 13. Appointment of charity trustees (1) At every annual general meeting of (eg. appointed by, elected by) the members of the CIO, one-third of the charity trustees shall retire from office. If the number of charity trustees is not three or a multiple of three, then the number nearest to one-third shall retire from office, but if there is only one charity trustee, he or she shall retire; (2) The charity trustees to retire by rotation shall be those who have been longest in office since their last appointment or reappointment. If any trustees were last appointed or reappointed on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot; (3) The vacancies so arising may be filled by the decision of the members at the annual general meeting; any vacancies not filled at the annual general meeting may be filled as provided in sub-clause (5) of this clause; (4) The members or the charity trustees may at any time decide to appoint a new charity trustee, whether in place of a charity trustee who has retired or been removed in accordance with clause 15 (Retirement and removal of charity trustees), or as an additional charity trustee, provided that the limit specified in clause 12(3) on the number of charity trustees would not as a result be exceeded; (5) A person so appointed by the members of the CIO shall retire in accordance with the provisions of subclauses (2) and (3) of this clause. A person so appointed by the charity trustees shall retire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting after the date of his or her appointment and shall not be counted for the purpose of determining which of the charity trustees is to retire by rotation at that meeting. 16. Reappointment of charity trustees: Any person who retires as a charity trustee by rotation or by giving notice to the CIO is eligible for reappointment. Since the charity’s inception, trustees and officers have been reappointed each year except in 2023 when Claire Woolley as headteacher of the school was appointed a trustee and the previous headteacher stepped down from the register in 2025. Trustee membership will be reviewed again in January 2027 to start our seventh year. Every trustee is a charity volunteer.

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

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Bankers

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

additional information, where National Westminster Bank relevant, about: 196 Monton Road, Monton • policies and procedures Eccles adopted for the induction and M30 9NW training of trustees;

the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;

Structure, Governance and Management Organisation and Governing Document

Salford Families in need Meals Project began operating on 3[rd] January 2021 and became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered on 21[st] April 2021. The Chair, reporting to the Board of Trustees, carries out fundraising, administration and together with the secretary, day-to-day management along with the Secretary and the Treasurer, and other members of the board. The Board keeps the skill requirements for the trustee body under review. New trustees may be sought through a dialogue with candidates in relevant sectors. The ultimate decision on selection is a matter for the Board of Trustees. When new trustees are appointed, they are given an introduction to the work of the charity and provided with the information that they need to fulfil their roles.

relationship with any related parties;
trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

SFinMP CIO Report of the Trustees (continued) for the period from 1[st] January 2025 ended 31[st] December 2025

Risk management

The trustees have a duty to identify and review risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure that appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. The trustees are of the opinion that the reserves, held in a charity bank account, and known subsequent income are sufficient for at least short to medium term financial requirements. The following policies and arrangements are in place: public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance and a Safeguarding Policy that follows DfE statutory guidance for Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Public benefit

The charity has due regard to the guidance published by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

Section C Objectives and activities

Charitable objects

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

Through the work of volunteers, to provide the relief of financial hardship among people living or working in the City of Salford and across Greater Manchester by providing such persons with food goods and related services, which they could not otherwise afford through lack of means. Through the weekly activities led by volunteers, the prevention or relief of poverty in Salford by providing food grants, food items and related services to individuals and families in need and/ or charities, or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.

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Registration history:

• 21 April 2021: CIO registration

Organisation type: CIO

Other names:

• SFINMP (Working name)

Gift aid:

Not recognised by HMRC for gift aid

Other regulators: No information available

Policies:

• Safeguarding vulnerable youngsters and adults where needed. Website: https://salfordfamiliesinneed.co.uk

Land and property: This charity does not own and/or lease land or property

Our Activities and Impact

The Salford Families in Need Meals Project (SFinMP) is an entirely volunteer led charity. It exists to relieve poverty and financial hardship among families with disadvantaged children, and others in need, across the City of Salford and Greater Manchester. Every pound spent is directed by trustees and volunteers who know the families, understand the local context and make careful, human judgements about need. Each Wednesday afternoon, volunteers arrive with quiet determination. They sort food, remember names, listen to worries and make decisions that no form or system could ever capture. This report sets out what happens because volunteers are present, trusted and able to act.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

For 2025, trustees agreed spending priorities that enabled volunteers to respond quickly, proportionately and compassionately when families faced difficulty or crisis. This included:

Responding beyond the food hub: volunteers supporting families with one off urgent needs, including preparation for housing meetings and drafting letters relating to a child’s special educational needs.
Weekly food provision: volunteers subsidising food bags and fully covering costs for those unable to pay, including individuals with no recourse to public funds.
Restoring dignity: volunteers coordinating a fitted bra service in partnership with Marks & Spencer, enabling women to access essential clothing without stigma.
Emergency clothing support: volunteers sourcing items from high street retailers for families experiencing immediate need.
Keeping homes warm: volunteers directing energy support during the festive period so families can heat and cook safely on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Christmas provision: volunteers organising fresh meals, children’s presents and food hampers for senior citizens.
Household crisis support: volunteers applying clear eligibility criteria to ensure support reached those facing sudden and acute hardship throughout the year.

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One to one support: volunteers walking alongside people leaving custody, single parents living in hostels and adults struggling to access work or training.
Fundraising: trustees who are also volunteers throughout the year raise funds so that the right support is available at the right time for the right families, couples and individuals.
• Creating a website : https://salfordfamiliesinneed.co.uk with QR code access. Here, the volunteers share the charity’s offer. However, the website’s content is based on piloting and hub users’ feedback. As a result, we signposted

(i) easy accessible joining information. (ii) a hyperlink to Salford Assist for any urgent food requests (iii) text access to SHOUT when ‘you just need someone to listen’.

We are confident that our volunteers do not simply distribute resources. Volunteers make decisions that protect dignity, reduce stress and prevent difficulty from becoming crisis.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

Why SFinMP Works – The Power of Volunteers Working Together

SFinMP works because volunteers act together as a team, which is trusted within their community. Every Wednesday afternoon, volunteers gather to sort, bag and distribute food.

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

policy on grant making;
policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

At the same time, volunteers remember names, circumstances and small details. They notice who looks tired, appears hungry, sad, under-theweather, has not attended for a few weeks, may need extra fruit for children, needs additional help with clothing, is struggling emotionally or who simply needs someone to listen. We know when someone arrives early, they might simply want to talk. Volunteers know systems or referrals alone cannot replicate what SFinMP has built over five years.

This volunteer-work is formed through nurturing that builds trust that has continued to deepen year-on-year. This continuity enables volunteers to respond early and most of them time avoids difficulties escalating into crisis.

Volunteer activity is coordinated by Julie Larkinson, a long-standing presence in the local community and former President of Eccles Rotary Club. Julie’s relationships have brought new volunteers into the project and encourage experienced volunteers to return week after week. In 2025, Jeanne Jones played a key role in organising Wednesday sessions, strengthening reliability, continuity and teamwork across the volunteer group.

Trustees work closely together, drawing on both professional and lived experience. They too get to know those families, couples and individuals who use our service. Decisions are shared, discussed and owned collectively. This approach ensures volunteers feel supported and confident to act when families require immediate help.

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Section D Achievements and performance

Now in its sixth year, the Salford Families in Need Meals Project continues to support local families struggling to cover essential living costs. In 2025, SFinMP supported more than 4,500 families. Volunteers have used their understanding that their presence each week matters effectively. At the heart of the volunteers’ impact is their local knowledge and long-standing relationships. Volunteers know generations of local families. This trust has enabled volunteers to respond with care and judgement when families have shared experiences such as parents skipping meals so their children can eat or eating leftovers late at night once children are asleep. Volunteers have used their discretion with ever increasing care and sensitivity to ensure those most in need retain dignity when vital support is needed. Confidentiality is maintained. Whilst most families will pay £8.50 for their food bags, some cannot afford to do so. Where families, couples and individuals struggle, volunteers are discrete and use discretionary funds to cover the cost. This has an added benefit because volunteers know families personally and maintain trusted links with local agencies. Local Government and third sector officers seeking urgent help will contact volunteers, sometimes with less than 90 minutes’ notice, to arrange food and financial support on a Wednesday. Volunteers have been pleased to offer this support. We have increased our volunteers this year. No Wednesday is the same for volunteers. This variety matters and contributes to strong volunteer retention. We want volunteers to have a positive experience. There is a core team of nine volunteers from the 17 currently involved. This year we have funded ‘home-cooking’ lunches (soup, pies, cheesecakes and more) made by Julie Larkinson. This has made a difference because we get to know one another. We have built in at least 30 minutes to have social chat. This matters for volunteers’ welfare, some of whom live alone and Wednesday is a social high point in their week. Younger volunteers play an important role. When the project began, volunteers received consistent support from a 27-year-old male who was a single parent living in hostel accommodation and unable to have his daughter to stay. He asked for help to get a job and a flat. Volunteers worked alongside him to prepare for a job interview. We sourced a bicycle, a smartphone, interview clothes and found him secure stable housing. He volunteered with us every Wednesday afternoon for 20 months before moving to a new and more senior role in the Midlands. In 2025 and into 2026, volunteers are supporting a 17-year-old young man who lacked the qualifications and confidence to secure a college place or employment. Mainstream education did not give him these skills. Volunteers invited him to volunteer each Wednesday. Through weekly conversations with volunteers whilst doing the heavy lifting, his confidence grew. He secured a job and asked his new employers if he could continue volunteering on Wednesdays. His mother has praised the volunteers, describing the positive change she has seen in her son. Over the past eighteen months, volunteers have worked with pupils from the school who volunteer to help with food packing. This experience builds these pupils’ self-esteem and helps a small number of pupils learn to self-regulate their behaviour in unfamiliar situations. At Christmas 2025 (as in other years) volunteers organised fresh festive meals for families, food hampers for senior citizens and Evouchers for

Summary of the main Now in its sixth year, the Salford Families in Need Meals Project achievements of the charity continues to support local families struggling to cover essential living during the year costs. In 2025, SFinMP supported more than 4,500 families. Volunteers have used their understanding that their presence each week matters effectively. At the heart of the volunteers’ impact is their local knowledge and long-standing relationships. Volunteers know generations of local families. This trust has enabled volunteers to respond with care and judgement when families have shared experiences such as parents skipping meals so their children can eat or eating leftovers late at night once children are asleep.

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Section D Achievements and performance

cooking and heating support to cover Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Volunteers also agreed to deliver an additional food service on New Year’s Eve. Because volunteers were present at these times, families, couples and individuals were warm, fed and not left alone during the hardest days of the year. At Christmas 2025, volunteers ensured that every child supported by the project received a present. In total, 116 Christmas presents were purchased directly by volunteers. Julie Larkinson, trustee and volunteer, and Karrie Bloomfield, treasurer and volunteer, coordinated this provision. The gifts were funded through Julie’s part time employment and income from Karrie’s business, which is committed to charitable support. Since the charity’s inception, generosity has been a defining feature of trustee and volunteer culture. Several trustees and volunteers have chosen to use their own employment income to fund additional support for families when charitable funds were limited. Over the charity’s first five years, this generosity has also helped to build charitable reserves. Volunteers listen carefully to what families say they need. Around half of supported families are in low paid work, while others rely on benefits. Referrals from headteachers, GPs and local organisations increased again this year. Volunteers also began fundraising to support families with no recourse to public funds. We have funded transport costs for a young Ukrainian ice skater to continue practising this sport. In 2024 and again in 2025, volunteers went beyond food provision. Following conversations at the food hub and discussions with a local school, volunteers have now raised over £10,000 to establish and embed a community library. The library is now a calm space where parents, carers and children read together. This initiative was shaped directly by volunteer conversations and by the voices of young people reflected in the Greater Manchester 2023 #BeeWell survey. The additional work undertaken by volunteers is made possible through the continuing generosity of local donors including Morsons PLC, Mark and Maxine Smeaton, A C Clark, Eccles Rotary, Dr Enid Noronha, For Housing, Salford City Council, Salford CVS and the trustees. We are proud of what has been achieved and prouder still of the volunteers who made it possible.

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Section E Financial review

Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves Details of any funds materially in deficit Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern Further financial review details Youmay chooseto include additional information, where relevant about: • the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); • how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; • investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.	The charity’s gross annual income does not exceed £25,000. Trustees choose to have our accounts independently reviewed. The following figure from our NatWest Bank statement was presented to the independent reviewer. As of the 31stDecember 2025, the charity’s bank statement showed a positive balance of £34,292.74 Declared as an accurate record by the external reviewer.
	For 2025, we worked on the basis that we required between £10,000 and £12,500 income to operate in any one year. This enables volunteers to respond to families in extreme hardship. The following figures have also been presented to the independent reviewer. The income for this year is recorded as £13,809.08 Expenditure is recorded as £10,445.94. Of the recorded bank balance at the end of our accounting year, £34,292.74, an estimated £3201.25 covers monies donated for specific purposes which is yet to be spent. This gives, as of 31 December 2025, an estimated reserve of £31,091.49 These reserves are held to ensure continuity should supply arrangements change and are subject to procurement and dispersal capability. The charity’s reserves would enable it to function for at least 24 months without any income.
	SFinMP has no funds that are materially in deficit.
	There are no uncertainties known currently. Supply of short date food is guaranteed from our suppliers.
	(Optional information)
	Our principal funding sources during the year came from Salford CVS, the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund, Eccles Together and donations monthly of £250 from Mark and Maxeen Smeeton. We also received one off payments from Dr Enid Noronha through the annual National Garden Society June event. This funds the ‘thank you to volunteers’. The local Rotary Club gave £100 this year. All expenditure reflects trustee and volunteer decisions made at the point of need. Funds are not allocated through automated criteria but through careful consideration ensuring help is timely, proportionate and dignified. SFinMP has no investments. We have a charity current account into which we pay donations and grants.

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Section F Other optional information

A Word about trustees, starting with Julie Larkinson and their impact on our Wider Community Support

Julie Larkinson’s recognition as Volunteer of the Year has shone a light on SFinMP’s work and helped attract new supporters. Julie’s knowledge over 55 years as teacher, senior leader, and executive leader in the estate’s secondary school coupled with service as a school governor where the Food hub now operates means that Julie knows generations of the estate’s families. This has helped to build continuity and trust amongst the disadvantaged families, couples and individuals who use our charity’s services each year.

Trustees and volunteers also support families behind the scenes, connecting individuals who find themselves with housing difficulties or unmanageable debt or repayments they cannot meet or energy bills they cannot pay, with the right people in the right agency. This saves time, reducing stress levels.

In October 2025, trustees and volunteers hosted a visit from the Lord Lieutenant. This visit showed how SFinMP’s trustees and volunteers work are grounded in service, teamwork and a shared commitment to ensuring families receive practical, dignified support when they need it most.

Our work is strengthened by the hands-on support of founding trustees Baroness Barbara Keeley and Tom Marsden and Claire Woolley, charity trustee and headteacher of Barton Moss Primary School. We are grateful for the support provided by Claire, Lee (her deputy) and the school, which is part of the Prestolee Trust, for providing premises each week. Without this generosity, the food hub could not operate.

Salford Families in Need Meals Project began in January 2021 and was registered as a charity with the Charity Commission in April 2021. The founding trustees asked Antony Edkins to serve as Chair. He has built the charity’s governance systems, ensured financial sustainability and established healthy reserves. He leads all fundraising activity and grant funding applications.

This year successful bids include conclusion of the funding for the school’s community library and more than £6,865 in grant funding, including £3,500 from the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund and £3365 from Eccles Together.

As a result, Salford Families in need Meals Project continues to be a going concern, which is recognised across Salford and other boroughs in Greater Manchester, including Bolton, Trafford and Stockport.

Our accounts are independently reviewed by Mr. Michael Brocklehurst, a retired financial accounts and audit manager, who is qualified by qualification and experience, ensuring full transparency and accountability.

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (e.g., Secretary, Chair, etc) Date
	Dr Antony Edkins	Thomas Marsden
	Chair	Trustee
	19thJanuary 2026
	19thJanuary 2026

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~ CHARITYCOMMISSION FORENGLANDANDWALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts	Section A Independent Examiner's Report	Reporttothe trustees/ membersofISalford Families in need Meals Project 1194165	Onaccountsfortheyear 13111December 2025 ICharityno11194165 I	ended (Ifany)	SetoutonpagesI1 & 2	I report to the tn.,stees on my examinationofthe accountsofthe above	charity ("the Tn.,sr) for the year ended 31/12/2025	ResponsibilitiesandAs the charity tn.,steesoftheTn.,st,you are responsible for the preparation	basisofreportofthe accountsinaccordance with the requirementsofthe Charities Act	2011("the Act").	I reportinrespectofmy examinationoftheTn.1sfsaccounts carriedout	under section 145ofthe2011Act andIncarryingou1my examination,I	have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission	under section 145(5)(b)ofthe Act.	Independent The charity's gross income did not exceed £25,000	examiner's statement	Ihave completed my examination.Iconfirm that no material matters have	cometomy attention (elher than that llisslosed below 0 )in connection with	the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material	respect:	• accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130of	the Actor	• the accountsdonot accord with the accounting records	Ihave no concerns and have come acrossnoother matters in connection	with the examinationtowhich attention should be drawn in ordertoenable a	proper understandingofthe accounts tobereached.	•Please delete thewordsinthe bracketsiftheydonotapply.	Signed:I~ Date:I_1,/_t/,c;,2).	Name:IMichael Geoffrey Brocklehurst	RelevantprofeulonalI QBE I quallficatlon(s)orbody	(ifany):	~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.::::	Address:I9, Burlington Road, ECCLES, Manchester, M30 9NB	IER October 2018

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