Grantham Foodbank Registered Charity Number 1195874
Annual Report for 2024
Summary
Foodbanks provide emergency food, collected from within the local community, for distribution to local people in crisis. Grantham Foodbank was launched on 1st July 2011 as a Charitable Association. From September 2021 the original charity transitioned to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Association Model). It was developed under the auspices of Churches Together in Grantham and District and is part of the national foodbank network seeded by the Trussell Trust.
In its full thirteenth year of operation (January-December 204) Grantham foodbank has received, 75.6 tonnes of food - of which 27.9 tonnes was purchased (2023 – 63.4 tonnes - of which 19.1 tonnes purchased). We distributed 77.3 tonnes (2023 – 66.6 tonnes ) directly to clients. This provided 3 days of food to 5,732 adults (2023 – 5,164 adults) and 3,084 children (2023 – 2,848 children) in crisis. The number of registered agencies issuing vouchers during the year was 59 (2023 – 69).
Of the 3,967 vouchers fulfilled in 2024, 1,868 vouchers were issued to single clients (2023, 3,728 an increase of 6.5%). The Trussell Trust does not require clients to be identified by gender but we estimate this group is made up of 26% women and 74% men.
The growth in the provision of food since its launch is demonstrated in the following graph.
Chart Historical Numbers of Annual Adult & Chid Interventions at end
December Sum of Adults Sum of Children 79,3355,731
----- Start of picture text -----
7 2,1085,164
5 1,1923,585
4 2,4172,806
4 4,2173,036
3 5,5502,553
3 3,1202,461
2 5,2361,940
2 0,9161,599
19,269 1,423
20,088 1,600
18,6841,441
14,1211,091
21 24.4 24.7 24.6 29.3 37 49.5 60.5 54.2 64.6 66.6
15 77.3
2012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
----- End of picture text -----
The Department for Work and Pensions publishes monthly statistics for the number of people on Universal Credit in each Job Centre Plus district. 62.5% (55.0% in 2022) of all food vouchers fulfilled in 2023 were issued by Grantham Job Centre Plus .
Highlights of the Year
Food Collections
Incoming food to the warehouse totalled 75.6 tonnes (63.4 in 2023) including :
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26.0 tonnes (33.6 in 2023) from the public,
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12.7 tonnes (3.1 in 2023) from commercial companies
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7.5 tonnes (4.5 in 2023) from supermarket collections
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27.9 tonnes (19.1 in 2023) purchased.
Included in the ‘donations from public’ section is the local ‘Harvest Festival’ collections and the ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ appeal.
Food Distribution
Total food distribution was 78.4 tonnes (67.7 in 2023) with 77.3 tonnes (66.6 in 2023) going directly to clients.
Other Foodbank Services
Fresh, frozen, toiletries, and pet food
In addition to the standard food parcels we have been privileged to be able to distributing frozen bread, supplied by local stores and bakeries (a big thank you to Bloomsbury bakery), along with fresh milk, eggs and potatoes (curtesy of the NFU). Our relationship with BLUE CROSS continues, who help with donations of pet food, alongside Pets at Home, Pets and Friends, Chandlers and Downtown. We are also thankfull to Moy Park (Pilgrims) for their support in regular supply of frozen chicken/turkey based food items.
Ongoing relationships with companies
We continue to build really good relationships with local companies who have been supporting the community with toys, Christmas fresh food family hampers, and providing treats for children. New companies are being explored and a number are forging links with us as more local people struggle with the ‘cost of living’ crisis and demand on the foodbank continues to increase.
Future Projects
During 2025 we plan to introduce addition fresh items such as; Carrots, Parsnips (Donation from Strawsons Limited in Bilsthorpe), Apples and Bananas, plus Cheese and Butter spread.
Volunteers
We have a strong core base of around 45 volunteers with additional support from local business throughout the year helping at busy times, such as Harvest and Christmas. The Foodbank is extremely grateful for the devotion of all our volunteers, and continue to recruit new volunteers into our ‘family’.
Supporters
The level of support, both financially and via food contributions, from local Churches, Schools and the wider community continues to amaze us and we are thankful for their contribution enabling us to restore dignity and revive hope for those in crisis. We are also grateful for the continued support of Grantham Estates.
Chair's Report
In 2024, Grantham Foodbank marked its 13th year as a charity, facing new challenges due to an increase in demand. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has severely impacted our community, with many more people needing support than ever before. Unfortunately, this crisis has also led to fewer donations as people across our community experience tightening household budgets. Consequently, the Foodbank has had to purchase food at an astonishing rate, highlighting both the depth of need and our unwavering commitment to supporting every individual and family in crisis.
Despite these financial challenges, we remain incredibly grateful to those who have continued to give generously, often sacrificially. Proverbs 11:25 says ‘A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. ’ May all who have generously supported our work be blessed abundantly.
We have been deeply grateful for Dorothy’s work as Coordinator, as she has found new partnerships with local companies and organisations who have generously donated fresh food items, significantly enhancing the quality and variety of support we can offer. We are reviewing the nutritional value of our food parcels, seeking to provide the healthiest options possible and ensure that those accessing our services receive balanced and nutritious food.
In 2024, we enhanced the help we offer within the Foodbank by teaming up with Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) South Lincolnshire to provide a Financial Inclusion Officer. This is someone who can help our clients manage their money, and hopefully go from relying on the Foodbank to not needing to use it any longer. We successfully had one member of staff from the CAB but have taken a break towards the end of the year whilst new advisors are trained up.
2024 also saw the Foodbank have a big reordering project. We have updated some of the décor, had a new counter built in the front of house, and a new sorting table in the warehouse. There have been some big changes to make this happen, and it is with particular thanks to Dorothy, Anne, and especially Brian Deptford and Wendy Bentley who worked tirelessly to ensure the project was a success.
Our volunteers continue to be the backbone of Grantham Foodbank, tirelessly adapting to increased demand and working with exceptional compassion and resilience. Their hard work remains integral to our mission, and we are constantly looking for additional volunteers to support our growing operations. I would like to recognise all our volunteers and thank them for their hard work, compassion, and commitment to this cause, making sure those most in need don’t go without.
We had goodbyes on our Trustee team in 2024. We said goodbye to Brian Deptford who had been a long-standing Trustee for some time, and we said goodbye to Chris Callow as a Trustee, but I am delighted he has remained a volunteer in the Foodbank. Having volunteer trustees is so important to make sure there is a very direct link between trustees and volunteers; we hope to see more joining us soon. We have had Jonny McDonnell and Pravina Chohan join us in the first part of 2025, and we continue to seek more volunteer trustees. Gill Mason as Secretary to Trustees continues to be an asset to the team, from the accurate taking of minutes to making sure information is circulated in a timely manner, and so much more. I am deeply grateful for hers and all my fellow Trustees input.
It is a source of great sadness that a foodbank is needed in Grantham, but while the need exists, we are thankful to be able to provide this service to the community and grateful to all who support it through their time, resources and prayers. This will be my last report as Chair of Trustees, as I will be moving to a Church in Lincoln. It has been a real pleasure to lead the Trustees these past two years, and I know it will continue to be a source of hope and help in Grantham.
Every blessing – Mother Hannah Grivell, Chair of trustees.
Treasurer's Report
Income
We have continued to be blessed with wonderful support both financial and through food donations. We have been particularly well supported by local businesses and charities, as well as our church and regular supporters. Donations of food continue to be generous, and we have used these, together with spending an increased amount on purchasing of food to support our clients.
Expenditure
The two most significant ongoing items of overhead expenditure are the rent of the premises and the employment costs of our Co-ordinator, we are also seeing utility costs increase. Our landlords lease the premises to us at a very generous rent, and to that end, we signed a three-year lease last year, which will provide us with premises stability until at least 31[st] December 2026, the rent is paid annual in advance.
During 2024 we undertook a major reorganisation of the internal layout of the foodbank premises, to maximise the storage space available, to improve the workflow to help our volunteers, and to provide a more welcoming environment for our clients. We have received lots of support from local businesses, and our landlord. We believe that this work will future proof the premises for many years to come.
Last year I flagged our concerns regarding increased pressures on the Charity due to the potential of reduced donations and increased purchasing requirements. Thankfully, donations have remained steady, which have enabled us to increase our food purchases, and support more clients. However, the purchasing is now at such a level that we are using our financial reserves. Spending in the early months of 2025, has confirmed that this level of purchasing is likely to increase. To ensure the sustainability of the foodbank we will need to increase the donations received. We should like to particularly thank Asda, Aldi and Sainsburys, who assisted us in the bulk purchase of food. The local NFU have supported us in providing a generous donation for the purchase of fresh local milk for a number of years now, together with directly donating fresh local produce, for which we are incredibly grateful. We are maintaining a reserve of £20,000 which has been set aside for food purchases.
During the year we successfully applied for funding from the Trussell Trust to provide a Financial inclusion advisor within the foodbank. They will assist our clients in claiming benefits, job seeking, debt managements and helping them with other financial issues. We have partnered with South Lincolnshire Citizen’s advice to provide the advisor, and this service should be fully operational during April 2025.
Assets and Reserves
The Van, purchased in 2020, is now being written off over a 5 year period to reflect the reduction in the value of this asset.
Our bank reserves remain strong, and the funds invested in the CCLA are now providing us with a good rate of monthly interest.
We continue to review our reserves policy, and at present have £50,000 for running costs, £20,000 for food purchases, and £5,000 to equipment. It is a worrying fact that some of our clients have little or limited equipment with which to prepare and cook food. To assist clients with purchasing these essential items a reserve of £5000 has been set aside.
Annual Accounts
Both the income and expenditure figures include “donations in kind”. This includes the value of the food donated and distributed, but not the value of the 4000+ hours of Volunteer and Trustee time.
A summary of Income and Expenditure for the CIO is shown in appendix 1.
Michelle Feasey – Treasurer
Appendix 1
Grantham Foodbank CIO Accounts for the year ended 31st December 2024
| Financialdonations: Churches Regulardonors One-off donors OtherCharities Grants(unrestricted) Businessess Donations in kind: Total food incoming Less purchased out of financial donations Donatedfood Other income: Gift aid tax reclaimed Interest income Totalincome Expenditure: Co-ordinator wages and pension costs Premisescosts: Rent Elec, Gas and phone Water, waste removal and cleaning Insurance Repairs and renewals Food and provisions: Distributed food Printing, stationery & computer costs Motor expenses Vehicledepreciation Professional and legal fees Bankcharges Otherexpenses Surplus or (deficit) of income over expenditure (unrestricted funds) Restricted income and expenditure NFU Fresh food donation fresh food purchased Financial inclusion grant received Financial inclusion advice service |
2024 £ £ 3013 19104 20116 16920 9543 19126 87821 137887 (46701) 91186 579 9026 9605 188612 21938 10000 6745 1809 1707 7046 27307 147264 98 0 30 44 27 72 85 0 17 8 18 21 206153 ~~(17~~ 541 ) 6509 (5442) 36953 (12917) 25103 |
2023 £ £ 5520 16105 29120 7869 23623 8 2 2 3 7 122841 (34231) 8 8 6 1 0 606 6862 7468 17 83 15 18445 10000 4126 783 1646 1960 18515 12 72 79 14 59 33 32 36 96 17 46 11 1 11 22 17 57 05 ~~26~~ 10 6443 (1532) 49 |
|---|---|---|
49 11
| Total surplus of income over expenditure Reserves brought forward Reserves carried forward Unrestrictedfunds 160343 Designatedfunds 75000 235343 Restrictedfunds 30014 |
Total surplus of income over expenditure Reserves brought forward Reserves carried forward Unrestrictedfunds 160343 Designatedfunds 75000 235343 Restrictedfunds 30014 |
~~75~~ 62 257795 177884 75000 252884 4911 265357 |
~~75~~ 62 257795 177884 75000 252884 4911 265357 |
~~75~~ 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 02 74 |
||||
| 257795 |
Grantham Foodbank CIO Accounts for the year ended 31st December 2024
| Reservesbalance Representedby: Bank and cash balances Unrestricted Restricted Refridgeratedvan Stock of food Creditor Prepaidrent |
209869 30014 8316 7785 (627) 10000 |
265357 265357 |
225573 4911 11088 16223 |
257795 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 257795 |
Independent Examiners report to the Trustees of the Grantham Foodbank
I report on the accounts for the trust for the year ended 31[st] December 2024, which are set out above.
This report is made solely to the trustees in accordance with Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity’s trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiners report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees for my examination work.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The Charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act)), and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts (under section 145 of the Act);
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to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charities Commissioners (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act); and
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to state whether particulars matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts represent a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention,
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1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements
oto keep accounts records in accordance with Section 130 of the Charities Act; andoto prepare accounts which record with the accounting records and comply with the accounts requirements of the Charities Act have not been met, or -
2 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Independent Examiner – Niall McQuitty Approved - 28[th] September 2025