Trustee's Re ort to the Chari Commission Hands Outreach Team- Year l of Charitable Status Lovin Alms and Purposes Loving Hands Outreach Team was established to relleve poverty for those Ilvlng in the community of the Metropolitan area of Kirklees. Objertlves and Artlvltles The group wa5 established durin8 the Covld-19 pandemlc In 2020, to dellver e55ential food and household items to vulnerable people and families. Charitable status was awarded in June 2021 and our work contlnues within the current uncertain economic climate. Data from the Kirklees Observatory, 2023 indlcates a severe level of poverty in the Kirklees area. The Index of Multlple Deprivatlon IIMD) 2019 Is the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas lor nei8hbourhood51 in En8land, indicates that 42% of neighbourhoods within Kirklees fall into the top 30% deprlved areas within the local authority and within North Kirklees, where the majorlty of our servlce users reside. thi5 number increases to 57%. Food parcels are dellvered by a team of volunteer5 to the beneficiarf5 home address. These packages typically contaln es5entlal foods and household items such as tinned and packaged foods, cereal, bread milk and eggs. Most importantly, to support health and well-being, fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy products such as cheese and yoghurts are now included. Wherever possible Items such as toiletrles. nappies and other baby items are also supplied. Additional support Is provided vla the signposting of other 5errfices, such as mental health charlties or helplines, other food banks, baby banks. or other charities worklngto reduce poverty. Families who requlre small items of second-hand furniture and other household items. such as beddin8, kStchen equlpment and clothlng are 5UPPOrted on an ad hoc basis, where items can be donated from the local communrty. All of the support provided Is funded through grants, fundraisin8 actlvities and the collettion of donations from local retailers and the commun5ty. When planning actiV5ties for the year the trustee5 have considered the Commission's 8uidance on publlc benefit and. in partlcular guidance for charities specifically set up for the relief of poverty. Appropriate criteria are used for guidance in 5eletting beneficiaries requirin8 SUPPOrt, ensurin8 that the assistance given to individuals is no more than that actually required to relieve their need. For example. those who receive universal credit, or other relevant state beneftts (working with consent under GDPRI. It should be noted that those In poverty, or at risk of being in poverty typically means households who 80 short in some unacceptable way. This includes people who, despite workin& still fall into this category and people who may qualifyfor assistance from poverty charity whether or not they are eligible for state benefits.
Achlevements and Performance Food Bank Service Development Our servlce has developed from providing a basic selertion of tlnned and packaged foods to now Include fresh fruit and vegetables and dairy products. This has been facilitated by incrÈaslng success in applying for and receiving funding through grant applIcatn$ during the reporting perlod. This included a £10,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, plus smaller grants from One Community, Locala and Kirklees Third Sector Leaders amongst others. We are also now able to supplement our fresh food offering via a subscription to Fare-share Yorkshire, a charity supplyin8 125k8 of fresh surplus food per week. sourced from major retailers and food manufarturers. Education Early In 2022 we distributed a questionnaireto one hundred famllles, askln8 them about our servlce and what they wanted to achleve in the longer term for their families. We established that many famllles lack cookln8 knowledge and baslc bud8etin8 skllls and want to provide better food for their children. Many have poverty-related health issues and struggle for ideas on how they can increase their health and well-being with diet and nutrltion. Regular discussions with other charltles and services in the community confimied that provision of food alone will not solve the long-term poverty and health crlsls In the community. Education Is needed forthose who would Ilke to help themselves but need Inspiration and support to do so. We applied forfunding from Locala Health Visltor servlce and successfully ran a 6-week pilot cookery course teachin8 the preparation of basic, cheap and healthy recipes. We have monltored the outcome of our classes uslng a participant questionnaire and discussion Sroup and were pleased to learn that those participating now are less reliant on food support from ourselves and other servlce5. We are now extendlng the pro8ramme into 2023-24.
Financial Review The current cost-of-living crisis ha5 led to a signFficant increase in the number of households requesting our support. Referrals have been made through schools, health visitors. social workers and self-referrals via our Facebook page. Data for the reporting period indicate5 that we re8ularly supported 398 adults lup 67% yearaOn- year}. 392 children lup 73%) and 166 families lup 60%11 plus 154 smaller households without children {up 67%). In the perlod prlor to registration with the Charlty Commlsslon food costs were approximately £580 per calendar month, atthe end of the reporting period thls monthly expenditure had Increased by 88%. This was a function of the increase in number of households requesting SUPPOrt, an increase In the quantlty and qual¥ty of food supplied per household. wlth more fresh fruit, ve8etables & dalry products. In additlon. there were increased costs associated with food and fuel infiation, plus the addition of a quarterty subscription to the Fare-share Yorkshire service. LOVING HANDS OUTREACH TEAM FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE PERIOD 17- JUNE 2021- 30Th SEPTEMBER 2022 The balance of unrestricted funds carrled forward into the next flnanclal year Is £16,076.57. Ihof Accounts are provided for the perlod from re8iStratlon wlth the Charity Commlsslon on the 17 June 2021 to our financial year end of 30th September 2022. Henceforth, In subsequent years our report to the Charity Commlsslon wlll cover a 12-month period to the end of September. RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT GAANTS, WNATLIN% LEGACIES FUNO pAlG EVEllt5•.i.WFLE&CCiLECI 5TAPIDWG OftDER FEES FORCNA11LESERvEs1l•H$1 MISCELLANEOU5 33.198.29 1571.26 2.571.26 IJJL50 5350 184.40 53350 184.4) FOOD PAC¥AfjIN CLOThU.$cHClClQThES.TIS, FPthllYtCllThlVlT SUNDK4ts1NG COSTS 92&65 413.n 69&66 16.928.65 413.77 96>50 L61 5119 OFRCEtOn. L£GAL Tr4VÉL•ID¥II*É mtUAll£OU$ TOTAIA5H P00r l1.61 oiendo Reserves pollcy It is Loving Hands Outreach Team's policy to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds lif posslble), which equates to at least three months unrestricted income, equivalent to £4500. to cover food costs for the provision of food parcels.
Volunteers The Trustees would like to thank all of the volunteers who work 50 hard to make the charity able to support so many people In need within the Kirklees community. Volunteers typically help with the collection, packin8 and delivery of the food parcels and other household items and clothing. Volunteers also assisted at our newly established cookery classes, providing on-site help with childcare for those attending. We are pleased to have recruited five new volunteers from the participants in the cookery class pilot project and they are now helpin8 in the expanslon of our cookery classes programme for 2023-24. Strurture. Governance and Management The method of appointment of trustees Is set out in our governing document. This is based on the Constltutlon of a Charitable Incorporated Or8anisation, whose only voting members are its charlty trustees. Management is carried out by the Managing Trustee and Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson and Secretary, and the Treasurer. These members are responslble for making decisions on all matters of 8eneral concern and Importance to the day-tO•day runnlng of the charlty, including decidin8 on how the funds of the charity are to be spent. The Board of Trustees met flve tSmes durlng the reportln8 period with attendance of all trustees, includln8 some participatlngonllne dueto covld-19 concerns. AdditSonal commlttees were establlshed durlng this reportlng period. a51owlng the particlpatlon of non-trustee volunteers In speclflc project activitles. Admlnlstratlve Informatlon Loving Hands Outreach Team is situated in Batley, West Yorkshire, the Corresponden address is The Old Vicara8e, 150 Hi8h Street, WF17 6DW. rrustees.. Managin8 Trustee and Chairperson- Louisa Mar8aret Weir Trustee Wice Chairperson -Barbara Auty (from June 2021-July 20231 Trustee and Secretary-joanne Pudan (from June 2021- 27th July 2022) Trustee and Secretary- Dr Karen Margaret Wi150n (from 27th July 2022 - presentl Treasurer- Wendy Nuttall Newly appolnted Tmstees in the next reporting period are: Paula Cutler (from Juty 2023) Helen Louise Poole (from July 2023)
Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees of Loving Hands Outreach Team Batleyi West Yorkshire I report to the trustees on the accounts forthe period iw June 2021 to 30 September 2022 which are set out on page 3 of this report. As the charity trustees of the TrusL you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in XCAydance with the rw4uirements of the Chariltes Act R•Bponsibilities and 2011 rthe ACY). ba•1• of r•port I report in re8Fed of my examinalkm of the Tfust's accounts carried out under se¢tion 145 of the 2011 A¢1 and in ¢arying out my examination, I have I1ced the applieable gNgn by th& Charlty Comml881on under sedDn 1451511bl of the Act. I have coMped my exinatiOn. I confirn that no materral matters have come lo my attention lother than that disclosed betr"} in connection with the exwnination which gNes me cause lo believe that in, any material Independent examlnef$ stalement accounting reo)rds were not kept in a(ordanc& wrth 8eclion 130 of the Acl or the accounts do not accord with the accounti reojrds I have no concems and have ccyne acros8 no other matters in ¢onnection wrth the examination to which attentn shoLSld be drawn in order to enab a proper understanding of the aetounls to be reached. ' P188se delete the words in th8 br8ck8ts rflhey L) nol apply. Slgnod: Dats: o" Namo: R•l•vant prolo88lonal quallficalion{sl or body (W any): Addross: Section B Disclosure Only complete if the exarninei needs lo highlight matters of concem Isee CC32. Independent examina11 of ¢hafity aceounls.. directions and guidance for examiner¥).