Trustee's Re ort to the Chari Commission Hands Outreach Team-year 4 of Charitable Status Lovin Aims and Purposes Loving Hands Outreach Team v5 estsbjished to relieve poverty for those living in the community of the Metropolitan area of rklee5. Objectives and Artivities The group was established during the C(Nid-19 pandemic in 2020 to deliver essential food and household items to vulnerable people and families. Charitable status was awarded in June 2021 and our work continues within the current uncertain economic climate. Dats from the Kirklees Observatory. 2024 indicates a severe level of poverty in the firklees area. The Index of Multiple Deprivation IIMDI 2019. the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas {or neighbourhoods) in England, irKlicates that 42% of neighbourhrA)ds wtthin [klee$ fall into the top 30% of deprived areas within the local authority. Within North Kirklees. where the majority of our service users reside, this number increases to $7%. Food parcels are delivered by a team of volunteers to the beneficiarfs home address. These packages typically contain essential f(xx15 and household items such as tinned and packaged fo(Kls. cereal. bread, milk and eggs. Most irnportantly. to suprM)rt health and well-being. fresh fruit, vegetables. and dairy pr(xlucts such as cheese and yoghurts are now included. Wherever possible items such as knletries nappies and other baby items are also supplied. Additional support is provided wa the signp)strng of other services. including mentsl health charities or helplines. other fcd bank5, baby banks. and other charities worknng to reduce poverty. Families who require small items of second-hand furniture and other household items, such as bedding, kitchen equipment and clothing are supported on an ad hoc bas15, where items can be donated from within the local community. All of the support provided is funded through grants, fundraising activities, and the collection of donatr.ons from local reL3ilers and community dorK)rs. When planning activities for the year the trustees have considered the Commission's guidance on public benefit and guidance for charities specifically Set up for the relief of w)verty. Appropriate criteria are used for guidance in selecting beneficiaries requiring suppcrt ensuring that the assistance given to individuals is no more than is required to relieve their immediate need. For example, the beneficiaries may have to pr(we they are in receipt of universal credit or other relevant stste Trnefits (working with consent under GDPR). It sh¢xJld be noted that those in poverty, or at risk of being in poverty typically means households who go short in some unacceptable way. This includes people who despite Vrn8 still fall into this category and pe(wle who may qualify for assistsnce from a poverty charity vthether or not they are eligible for state benefits.
Achievements and Performan Food Bank Service Development The growing demand for food support is a major issue driven by the cost-of-living crisis. low incomes, and rising everyday costs. Referrals have been made through schools. health visitors. social workers, domestic vidence charities, local churches. other local food banks and self- referrals via our Facebwk page. We have continued to provide a basic selertion of tinned and packaged foods alongside a range of fresh fruit and vegetables and dairy products. We have been successFul in securing funding from One Community, Kirklee5 Third Sector LÈaders. Sainsburys. The National Lottery Community Fund, and Asda Foundation. We have continued to supplement our fresh food offering via a subscription to Fare-share Yorkshire. for surplu5 fo sourced from major retailers and food manufacturers. We have continued to offer support wtth boosted volume of basic groceries and toiletries during school holiday periixts as well as recipe sheets and ideas for meals using a combination of tinned arKI packet staple foods plus fresh vegetsbles and some meat, dairy and bakery products. Education We have been running our education programme for four years and this has served to reinforce our knowledge that the provision of fc*)d alone will not solve the long-term poverty and health crisis in the community. Education is needed for those within the community who would like to help themselves but need inspiration and support to do so. We have continued to be succe5sfrJl in funding our popular c(N)kery classes with support from The National Lottery "Awards For All" grant. Locala Health visitors have continued to provide advice and support to participants of the classes with informal Sessions covering topics such a5 dentsl care, child behawour and weaning. We updated our end-of-course questionnaire to monitor the outcomes and address areas for improvement, the feedback also confirmed that those participating are now less reliant on food SUPPOrt from us and other services. Further analysis of the questionnaire results revealed that many of the parents we support suFfer with mentsl health and anxiety. which directly impacts uwn their ability to 5UPPOrt themselves financially. It VRS also noted that those participating saw a noticeable improvement in their mental health and indicated an increased confidence in cooking with fresh prcKluce. This led to them being able to make bettor. healthier ingredient choices for family mealtimes. This fin(fing was backed up Vth recent ewdence from a 2024 study published in the Nature Human Behaviour journal which confirmed that poverty causes or increases the risk for major conditions. including depression and anxiety. * Nuture Humon Behaviourjoufflol.. InvÉsbgtsring theimpoct ofpoverty on mentol illness in the UK Biobunk using Mendeliun rundomizatron -publishedJuly 2024.
Further Supportfor Families Inflationary pressure in utllity and food bills have meant that faFni5ies are having to make difficult decisions about what expenditure to prioritise. Stsying warm at home and the cost of heating in particular are a significant concern. In August 2024 we launched our Cosy Kids Crowdfunder campaign designed to raise money to provide warm fleece ho(xlie5. hot water ly)ttles, hats, scarves and gloves so that the children of the families we 5upwrtvth food parcels would not be cold during the winter months. The project was picked up on Crowdfunder by the Aviva Community Fund who recommended Aviva employees SUPF)Ort this initiative. We successfully raised £7.260 through Crowdfunding at the end of the initiative, attracting donations from 153 supporters. This enabled us to distribute a -cog1 Kid< pack as extra 5UPty)rt for each child of the families we supwrted during late December and January 2025. We also worked wth the charity Uniform Exchange to wovide viinter coats for any vulnerable ' farnilies who required extra clothing suptM)rL Financial Review The uncertain economic climate has continued to impact low-incorne families leading to an increase in requests and referrals for f¢xNJ supwrt during this financial period. Funding through grants was lower in this financial year {-37%1, fundraising {48%1 and standing orders1-38%1 respectively. This had a direct impact upon the number of families we were able to support in this peri versus 2024. Ilt should be noted that this funding comparison is against the previous financial year in which there VRS a significant increase in funding via a Critical Costs grant from The National Lottery enabling us to cover our basic frA)d SUP[rt costs and increase our capacity by 25- 30% for a four-month peri in early 2024). Despite the reduction in the number of hOseh()1d5 we were able to support in 2025. our food Costs increased by 6.3%. higher than the RPI f¢xKI inflation for that perii)d of 4.8%. This increase was driven by the increased cost of the fresh f¢JyJ Supplied wherea5 the average c051 of packaged groceries remained relatively static. We successfully raised over £7,000 via crowdfunding to supwrt families with clothing through Winter 2024-25. The remaining funds generated by the Crowdfunder activity Was Used to continue helping those families most in need with shoes a1 school uniform into 2025-26.
LOVING HANDS oiTfREACH TEAM FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE PERIOD tst OCTOBER 2024- 30- SEPTEMBER 2025 The balance of unrestricted funds carried fI¥ard into the next financial year is £23.764.89 RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT LOVING HANDS OUTREACH TEAM (CJO) Year4 accounts TRANSACTIOIIS IstCar2024.30th S*2025 119A3T Irv]11 IN TOTAL TOTAL 24,.46 1875 24.46 1875. 27x44 L44 27,WJ Y2 PPAMGI 4,101.14 1,913 69TJ. 4.101.14 13 (X)STS PLWPA)iyJr &endofpwK Reserves policy It is Loving Hands Outreach Team's pdicy to aim to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds, which equates to at least three months unrestricted income. equivalent to £6.975. to cover food and running costs for the provision of fc((t parcel5. Volunteers The trustees would like to thank all the volunteers who ffirk very hard to enable the charity to support so many people in need within the ree5coMmUnlty. Volunteers typically help with the collection, packnng and delivery of the fcM)d parcels. other household items and clothing. Volunteers also assist at cookery classes. providing 0Trsite help with childc3re for those parents attending the classes.
Structure, Governance and Management The method of appointment of trustees is set OLrt in our governing document. This is based upon the Constitution of a Charitsble Incorporated Organisation. whose only voting members are its charity trustees. Management is carried out bythe trustees and the treasurer. These members are responsible for maknng decisions on all matters of general concern and imFKJrtance to the day-to-day running of the charity, including deciding how the funds of the charity are spent The Board of Trustees met five times during the reporting period with attendance of all trustees participating either face to face or online due to logistical challenges. Additional committee5 were established during this reporting period. allowing the participation of non-trustee volunteers to contribute to the organi5ation and running of specific project activities. Administrative Information Loving Hands Outreach Team is located in Batley. West Yorkshire. the correspondence address is The Old Vicarage. 150 High Street. WF17 6DW. Trustees.. Managing Trustee and ChaIrpers(- LLMJisa Margaret Weir Trustee and Secretsry- Dr Karen Margaret wils( (from 27th July 2022- wesentl Trustee - Paula Cutler (from July 2023 - present) Trustee - Helen Louise Poole (from July 2023 to present) Treasurer- Wenity Nuttall
Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees of Loving Hands Outreach Team Batley. West Yorkshire I report to the trustees on the accounts for the peri¢)J 1st October 2024 to 30th September 2025 which are set out on page 3 of this reporL As the charity tnjstees ofthe Tru5C you are responstjle for the Fepathon of the arwunts in accordance the requirements of the Charities Act Responsibilities and 2011 (Ihe Acri. basis of report I report in respect of my examination ofth& Tnjst's accounts Carried out under sectton 145 of the 2011 Act and in Lwrying out my examinalion, I have foFlowEd the applKable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 1495Xbl of the A I have ts)mpted my examinati¢)n. l o)nfirn ihat no Tnaterial matters have come to my attention {other than thal disclosed bek)w") in connection with Ihe examinalion gi rne to IlieVe that in. any material respect accounting reoyds were not kept in sectlon 130 of Ihe Acl or the aCCJnIS do nrA acccrftl with the accountiThJ records Independent examinerfs statement I have Th) Conc and have come auDSS no (Aher rnatte in COnnK$n th the examination to whith attention sh(xJkl be drawn in orderto enable a prcper undersanding ofthe acownts to be reached. ' Please delete the wonls in the brackets rftheydo notapply. Namo: Relevant professlonal qualification{s) or body (If any): /*. 12 7 Sèction B Disclosure Only (xxnplete il the examiner needs to high1ht matters of concem Isee CC32. Independent examination of charity aco)unts: directions and guidan for examine).