Trustee's Re ort to the Charit Commission Hands Outreach Team- Year 2 of Charitable Status Lovin Aims and Purposes Lovln8 Hands Outreach Team was established to relieve poverty for those living in the Community of the Metropolltan area of Kirklees. Objectives and Activltles The 8roup was establlshed during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, to dellver essentlal food and household items to vulnerable people and famille5. Charitable status was awarded in June 2021 and our work continues within the current uncertain economic climate. Data from the Kirklees Obser4atory, 2024 indicates a severe level of poverty in the Kirklees area. The Index of Multlple Deprivation (IM DI 2019 is the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas (or nel8hbourhoodsl In England, Indicates that 42% of nelghbourhoods wlthln Klrklees fall Into the top 30% deprived area5 withln the local authorlty and within North Klrklees, where the majority of our 5ervlce users reside, thls number Increases to 57%. Food parcels are delivered by a team of volunteers to the beneflciar<s home address. These packages typlcally contain essentlal foods and household items such as tlnned and packaged foods, cereal, bread milk and e88s. Most lrnportantly, to support health and well-belng, fresh fru, vegetable5, and dairy products such as cheese and yoghurts are now Included. Wherever po55ible items such as toiletrles, nappies and other baby items are also supplled. Addltlonal support15 provlded vla the slgnposting of other servlce5, such as mental health charlties or helplines, other food bank5, baby banks, or other charlties workln8 to reduce poverty. Famllles who require small items of 5econthhand fvrniture and other household items, such as beddlng, kitchen equipment and clothing are supported on an ad hoc basis. where items can be donated from the local communlty. All of the 5UPPOrt provided is funded throu8h grants, fundraising activities, and the collection of donations from local retailer5 and the community. When plannlng actlvlties for the year the trustees have considered the Commisslon's guidance on public benefit and, guidance for charitie5 specifically set up for the relief of poverty. Approprlate criteria are used for guidance in selecting beneficiaries requiring support, ensurlng that the a5515tance given to individuals is no more than is required to relieve their Immediate need. For example, those who recelve universal credit, or other relevant state benefits {worklng with consent under GDPRI. It should be noted that those In poverty, or at risk of being in poverty typlcally means households who go short in some unacceptable way. This includes people who, despite workin& still fall into this category and people who may qualify for assistance from poverty charity whether or not they are e1ible for state benefits.
Achievements and Performance Food Bank Service Development We have eontinuod to provide a basic selertion of tinned and packaged foods alongside a range of fresh fruit and ve8etables and dairy products. This has been facilitated by increasing 5ucce55 in applying for and receiving funding through grant applitations during the reportln8 period. This includes fundlng from the A5da Foundation, Kirklees Third 5ertor Leader5, COOP Community Fund, One Community, Locala and Huddersfleld Town Foundation. We have contlnued to supplement our fresh food offering via a 5ub5criptlon to Fare-share Yorkshire, for surplus food sourced from major retailers and food manufacturers. Education Re8ur dlscusslons with other charitles and services in the community confirm5 that provlslon of food alone will not solve the long-term poverty and health cris15 in the communlty. Education is needed for those wlthin the community who would like to help themselves but need Inspiratlon and support to do so. We have continued to be successful in applyln8 to Locala Health Visitor Service for funding for our Cookery course which teaches the preparation of basic, cheap, and healthy reclpes. We have been fortunate to secured further funding to continue the cookery programme Into 2024-25. Locala health visitors have provided further support by attendlng our monthly coffee club5 as guest speakers. provlding Invaluable information on childcare topics. All partlclpants complete a questionnalre at the end of the course, thereby allowing us to continue to rnonltor the outcomes of our classes and address areas for improvement. This feedback also confirmed that those participatin8 are now less reliant on food support from us and other 5ervlces. Further analyys of the questionnaire results revealed that many of the parent5 we support suffer with poor mental health and anxiety, which dirertly impacts upon their abillty to support themselves financially, This finding was backed up with evldence from a study commissloned by the mental health charlty Mind which concluded that there Is a direct correlation between poverty and poor mental health. We successfully applied for funding to run an Art and Crafts programme to help boost the mental health of those attending. We distributed a questionnalre at the end of the course and the results showed a positive uplift in mental health, general well-belng, and confidence for mogt attending the course. mind.or£.uk study.. Fighting for the MH of people Ilvln8 in poverty. flnal_povety-scoplng-research- report.pdf Imind.or&ukl Flnanclal Review The current cost-of-living crisis has continued to impact Iow4ncome households and the number of households requesting SUPPOrt has continued to increase. Referrals have been made throu8h schools, health visitors, social workers, domestic Violen charities, other local food banks and self-referra15 via our Facebook pase.
Oata for the reporting period year endin8 September 2023 versus 2022 indicates that we regularly supported 529 adults lup 33% year-on-yearl. 536 children lup 37% year-on-yearl and 235 families (up 42% year-on-yearl, plu5 188 smaller households without children lup 22% year-on-yearl. In the perlod year end September 2022 food costs were approximately £IOOO per calendar month, at the end of the reporting period thls monthly expenditure had increased by 33%. This was function of the increase in number of households requesting support. plus there were increased costs associated with food and fuel inflation. LOVING HANDS OUTREACH TEAM FINANCIAL STATEMEN[ FOR THE PERIOD 1st OCTOBER 2022- 30- SEPTEMBER 2023 The balance of unrestrirted funds carried for4vard into the next financial year is £28,272.19 RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT LOVING HANDS ountEACM TEAAIICIOJ Y•r2 •¢counts TRIINSACTIONS l•t O¢tob•rX122. Joth S•thrX123 ii•Mn Y." 10.066.67 1 ORAATS. DOP44TIONS LEGACIES FUNO RNJSING EVENTS • B WFLe3, lEG018 TlG 0eR FEÉS FOII CWIT•fjLE geRWCE8 IF¢JI ISCELLNJ4EOUS 33.981 47 958 50 902.00 soa io 80$ 10 OT FOOD PACK4tyNts CLOTHING. ScW) CLQTrE$.TOYS. F4iILY E¢XIPMENT FL14tiAASING COSTS COSTQ PROM0114GOTrER cRITLe TrEs OFFICE GOSTS. LE. TRA¥EL INE MISCILLl4NEOUS .TOTAL¢JM p•JDfMir 17.513 20 221 74 075 18 17.51320 221 74 175 18 291810 2.914 10 Reserves policy It is Lovin8 Hand5 Outreach Team's policy to aim to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds, which equates to at le35t three months unrestricted income, equivalent to £6000. to cover food and running Costs for the provision of food parcel5. Volunteers The Trustees would like to thank all the volunteers who work so hard to make the charlty able to support so many people in need within the Kirklees community. Volunteers typically help with the
collection, packing and delivery of the food parcels and other household items and clothing. Volunteers a150 assist at cookery classes, providing on-site help with childcare for those attending the classes. Strurture Governance and Manasement The method of appointrnent of trustees is ser out In our governing document. Thi5 is based on the Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, whose only votin8 members are its charity trustees. Mana8ement is carried out by thè Trustees and the Treasurer. These members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the day-to-day running of the charity, including deciding on how the funds of the charity are to be spent. The Board of Trustees met five times durlng the reportln8 period with attendance of all trustees, including some participating online due to work commitments. Additional committees were establlshed durln8 thls reportlng perlod, allowin8 the partlcipatlon of non-trustee volunteers In Specific project activities. Admlnlstratlve Informatlon Loving Hands Outreach Team is situated in Batley. West Yorkshire, the correspondence address Is The Old Vicarage, 150 High Street. WF17 6DW. Trustees.. Managlng Trustee and Chairperson- Louisa Mar8aret Weir Trustee and Secretary - Dr Karen Margaret Wilson (from 2rh July 2022- presentl Trustee - Paula Cutler (from July 2023- present) Trustee . Helen Loulse Poole {from July 2023 to presentl Treasurer- Wendy Nuttall
Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees of Lovln8 Hands Outreach Team Batleyp West Yorkshire th I report to the trustees on the accounts for the period 1st October 2022 to 30 September 2023 which are Set out on page 3 of thi5 report. A8 the charity trustees of Trust. you aro respLsle for thè preparation of the actounts in accordance Wbth ts requiremen18 01 tha Charities Act RMpon•ibilitl•B and 20111.the Acri. b•81s of r•port I report in re8FeCt of my examination of Ihe Tnjst's accounts carried out nder sectb)n 145 of Ihe 2011 Ad aThY in caryino out my examination, I have foll¢Jved the appltablo DIrt6 giv8n by Ctrwity CMi>s1on under section 145(5}Ib) of the A¢L I have ccfflpleted my examinatw)n. I nf1m7 that no material mallern have me lo my attent l in connection with the examination which me c•use to believe that in, any material respett. accounting records were not kept in xcordanc£ with section 130 of the Act or ltre a¢¢ounts do nol a¢ith with th? accounting T8 Independent •xarnlnerf8 8tatemont I have no con¢em$ and have ¢ryne attoss no olh8r matters in connection wrth th• •xamInatn lo which attentfi should drawn in order to enable proper undèrstanding of the accounts lo be reacked. ' Please d818le lh8 Worts th8 brack8ts rf thay not 8ppIy. 81qn•d: Dat•: JI" N•m•: AA R•lov•nl profrf•lon•l quillflcatlon{•) or body (if any): Nl Addrn8•: . W.12 7Z) iliuii B Oisclosiire Onty eeffie rf the exIner needs to highlsht Matte of concam (see CC32, Independent examination of charty accounts.. dIrOn8 and guKl8ncfr for examinern).