COMFORT U BAGS
Registered charity no: 1198226
Trustee Annual Report For period 11/03/2022 to 05/04/2023
1. Objectives and activities
1.1 Objectives
Comfort u Bags officially became a charity on 11[th] March 2022 and was set up with the following objectives;
For the relief and assistance of children entering the care system in the United Kingdom by (a) Providing age and gender appropriate back packs containing essential and comforting items, and (b) Other purposes which may be charitable according to the law of England and Wales as the trustees see fit from time to time.
The aim of Comfort u Bags is to provide rucksacks and items such as books, toys, toiletries, stationery and book tokens and other comforting items. The group aims to help children in their transition into foster care and the rucksacks are used to provide them with essential things in life as very often they move into their foster home with no personal belongings. The inspiration for Comfort u Bags came from a charity based in the U.S. called Comfort Cases, who provide foster children with suitcases full of essential items to help them with their transition into foster care. Comfort u Bags also periodically run an "adopt a cub" campaign for which donors purchase a rucksack and fill it themselves using a set list of essential items; these are then donated to CUBs. All rucksacks are quality checked by the CUBs team and then passed on to social services who ensure the children in their council receive a bag. No monetary donations reach the children; any monetary donations go towards the purchase of items that are organised by the CUBs team.
1.2 Activities
Backpacks are provided through fundraising and donations of items suitable to include in the backpacks.
Fundraising activities primarily involve the donation of goods that make up a bag. The bags are then made up by trustees and volunteers before being donated to local councils (currently Swindon Council and Wiltshire Council).
The charity has relied upon the contribution of volunteers in the following areas;
1 – Fundraising
- 2 – The production of bags via ‘packing parties’
All trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
A website www.comfortubags.co.uk and various other social media sites have been set up to promote the charity and help realise the charities aims.
2. Achievements and performance
During this period the following fundraising activities were carried out;
-
Dorcan Scouts fundraiser
-
Nationwide Building Society team fundraiser
-
Nationwide Building Society Colleague Grant - £8650 secured
The charity held a packing party in June 2022 to make up bags ready to distribute to local councils. During the period a total of with 100 bags being provided to Swindon and Wiltshire councils to distribute to children entering the care system.
The bag contents were also revised to incorporate new age brackets and the provision of gender neutral bags ensuring the bags remained appropriate for any child.
An Amazon Wishlist was created in order to make it easier to donate.
3. Financial review
The following table documents the income and expenditure for this period;
| Dates | Income | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 09/05/20 22 |
£896.33 | Fundraising |
| 05/07/20 22 |
- £454.36 |
Expenses– Bags and contents |
| 05/07/20 22 |
- £673.32 |
Expenses– Bags and contents |
| 22/07/20 22 |
- £808.99 |
Expenses– Bags and contents |
| 03/08/20 22 |
- £108.00 |
Expenses– Website Certifcate |
| 17/08/20 22 |
£600 | Fundraising |
| 22/11/20 22 |
£840.22 | Fundraising |
| 17/03/20 23 |
£8,650 | Grant |
The Charities income for the period is £10,986.55.
At the end of the current financial period the charity has £15,256.40.
The charity holds reserves in order to ensure we can meet any demand for bags and contents when needed by either council. There is no set amount that has been allocated to be kept in reserve.
4. Structure, governance and management
The charity is set up as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), with a trust deed in place as a governing document.
There must be at least three charity trustees. Apart from the first trustees, every trustee must be appointed by a resolution of the trustees passed at a special meeting. In selecting individuals for appointment as trustees, the trustees must
have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the charity.
Monthly meetings are held and the charity AGM took place in January 2023.
5. Reference and administrative details
5.1 Charity Contact Details
Comfort u Bags (charity number 1198226)
41 Whittingham Drive
Wroughton SN4 0TE
5.2 Trustees
The following were charity trustees for this reporting period;
Katie Hall
Neil Spark
Lindsay Ward Sarju Mistry
Sian Briddon
Alex Holland
Victoria Norman (formally resigned as a trustee in February 2023)
| Dates Income Ref |
Dates Income Ref |
Dates Income Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 5/9/2022 | £896.33 | Fundraising |
| 7/5/2022 | -£454.36 | Expenses - Bags and contents |
| 7/5/2022 | -£673.32 | Expenses - Bags and contents |
| 7/22/2022 | -£808.99 | Expenses - Bags and contents |
| 8/3/2022 | -£108.00 | Expenses - Website Certifcate |
| 8/17/2022 | £600 | Fundraising |
| 11/22/2022 | £840.22 | Fundraising |
| 3/17/2023 | £8,650 | Nationwide,Grant |
Initial Balance £6,314.52 Total Income £10,986.55 Total Expenditure £2,044.67 Final Balance £15,256.40