Little Acorns Baby Charity (registration no. 1194199)
Trustees’ Report
6[th] April 2022 to 5[th] April 2023
Structure, Governance and Management
Little Acorns Baby Bank was set up on 7[th] December 2020 and was registered with The Charities Commission for England and Wales as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 22[nd] April 2021 and became Little Acorns Baby Charity (registration no. 1194199).
Trustees:
Rebecca Anderson
Neil Garlick
Sally Garlick
The charity is managed and run by the trustees.
As detailed in the charity’s constitution, there must be at least three trustees, new trustees will be appointed by a meeting of the existing trustees, and appointed for a minimum term of 2 years.
Principal Address: Oak House, Satley, County Durham, DL13 4HT
Objectives and Activities
The purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document:
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The prevention and relief of poverty among socially and/or economically disadvantaged individuals and families in Durham/Chester le Street and the surrounding areas who are pregnant or have children aged, in particular but not exclusively under 2 years and are unable to provide basic equipment, consumables, food, clothing and toys for babies and children by supplying them with new and recycled items free of charge.
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To preserve and protect good health of babies and children under 2 years in Durham/Chester le Street and the surrounding area by facilitating projects relating to parenting and the health and wellbeing of babies and children.
The original aim was to set up a baby bank service to help those struggling during the pandemic by collecting good quality used and new baby items from the public and re-distributing them to families
in need free of charge. We explored projects and partnership working in the previous financial year in order to reach more people quickly. We were able to establish donation points, collect and store enough items in 2022-23 to enable us to meet requests without partnership grants to fund buying in items this year.
Where we are based/area covered
We continue (since June 2021) to rent the upper hall at Bethel United Reform Church in Chester le Street. Rent decreased from £35 back to £25 a month from September 2022. We delivered referrals to postcodes DH1,2,3 and 4 but accepted referrals from across County Durham providing collection could be made and there wasn’t a closer baby bank service to the family.
What we collect and supply
We accept items such as baby clothing, toiletries, nappies, sterilisers and maternity items. We had two donation points one at Chester le Street Methodist Church and the other at Clart About Sensory Café in Consett. We used a wishlist of items to match high need/low stock. This was advertised on our Facebook page and donations were dropped off or purchased through our Amazon wishlist.
We continued a relationship with the Community Champion at Morrisons Chester-le Street who supported us through their ‘Pick Up Packs’ scheme and at Christmas they chose us as their store Charity for their Christmas tree bauble scheme raising £75. This was given to us as a Morrisons’ gift card in February 2023.
The only large equipment item we supplied were safety gates purchased new through a wholesaler that sold to charities.
Referral process
We continued to use our Google form for professionals to refer individuals for support. Referrals are then packed and then either collected by the professional or are delivered directly to the family by a member of the Little Acorns team.
Donations/Fundraising
The charity Just Giving page is set up for donations from the public. Durham University Sustainable and Ethical Fashion society (DUSEF) held a second hand clothing sale and fundraised £395.35 for us in October 2022.
Public benefit statement
The Trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit as published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. In setting our objectives and planning activities our Trustees have given consideration to the public benefit and in particular to the prevention or relief of poverty.
Achievements and Performance
Little Acorns Baby Charity received and fulfilled 32 referrals this year. We were able to increase our offering of items available this year and give generously with clothing bundles due to the established stock built up through public donations. We had very little buying in of items apart from safety gates, which we buy new, and formula when we did not have the right brand in stock.
In 2022, we were able to start purchasing plastic storage boxes for clothing through monies supplied by the Barbour Foundation and donations from the public. We sorted and stored all clothing from cardboard boxes into plastic boxes. This was a huge task for us and thanks go to family and members of Great Lumley Methodist Church who helped across two Saturdays in September doing the bulk of the work. Clothing is now stored and organised well helping ensure quality of clothing is maintained and an easier system for putting clothing bundles together for referrals is in place.
Financial Review
Little Acorns Baby Charity accounts for the period 6th April 2022 to 5[th] April 2023 shows a deficit of £1,070 in year and cash at bank at year end of £1,061. As stated in last year’s accounts only £456 of the Barbour Foundation Grant of £1,500 (received in November 2021) was spent in 2021/22. The remaining £1,044 was spent in full in 2022/23 on storage solutions and buying in of baby items, such as safety gates, as planned.
The £701 of donations shown in the accounts is made up of £395 DUSEF and £306 from the public. We are grateful for the support of both.
The £75 gift card received from Morrisons shown in the accounts was not fully spent in the year. £47.81 was spent on baby items in year. The remaining £27.19 is in the cash at bank and in hand figure at year end and was spent early in 2023/24.
We have no reserves policy set. Our current costs are £25 a month rent and annual insurance cost £99. We undertake a monthly bank reconciliation and spending is very much dependent on income. We have established a good level of public donations and community support through Morrisons Chester le Street and find we need to buy in very little to fulfil our referral requests. The main items we buy in are baby gates and formula when not in stock. The Barbour Foundation Grant provided us with monies for buying in these last year and this year. If public donations do not cover buying in these items going forward, we would apply for further grants or fundraise.
We remain in a good position moving forward and there are no uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern.
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustee’s report above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees
Sally Garlick (Chair)
Date: 18.01.24
Charity Name No (if any) Little Acorns Baby Charity 1194199 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 6th April 2022 5th April 2023
| Section A Receipts and payments | Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ - 701 - 75 - - - - 776 - - - 776 340 99 21 488 894 4 - - - - 1,846 - - - 1,846 - 1,070 - 2,132 1,062 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ - 701 - 75 - - - - 776 - - - 776 340 99 21 488 894 4 - - - - 1,846 - - - 1,846 - 1,070 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| Grants | - | 1,500 | ||||
| Donations | 701 | 1,246 | ||||
| Fundraising | - | 105 | ||||
| Gift Card | 75 | - | ||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
776 | 2,851 | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | - | ||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
||||||
| 2,851 | ||||||
| Rent | 340 | 315 | ||||
| Insurance | 99 | 99 | ||||
| Expenses | 21 | 34 | ||||
| Baby/Maternityitems for referrals | 488 | 934 | ||||
| Storage | 894 | - | ||||
| Other costs | 4 | 21 | ||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 1,846 | 1,403 | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | ||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
||||||
| 1,403 | ||||||
| - 1,070 | - | - | - 1,070 |
1,448 | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2,132 | - | - | 2,132 | - | ||
| 1,062 | - | - | 1,062 | 1,448 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
23/01/2024
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets CCXX R2 accounts (SS) |
Signature Details Details Shelving/storage Cash at bank and in hand Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details 2 |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 1,062 - - - - - 1,062 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) unrestricted 1,004 - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Sally Garlick |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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| 18.01.24 | |||
| 23/01/2024 |
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)