WIVEY KITCHEN- REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960 ANNUAL REPORT &ACCOUNTS-YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025 Wivey KITCHEN WIVEY KITCHEN IMPACT FOR YEAR END AUGUST 2025 15,000 PORTIONS COOKED MEALS DISTRIBUTED VIA FREEACCESS FREEZERS AND DELIVERIES 49 COOKING SESSIONS RUN BY50 VOLUNTEERS 3.375 KG OF SURPLUS FOOD USED 11 Page
WIVEY KITCHEN- REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960 ANNUAL REPORT &ACCOUNTS-YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025 Wivey KTTCHEN WIVEY PANTRY IMPACT FOR YEAR END AUGUST 2025 Sharing: Surplus donatsd food ski115 ond knowLedge comrnunitie5 (Gn fj((e55 hwlihy, tostyond 47 SESSIONS RUN BY20 VOLUNTEERS IL OVER 50 HOUSEHOLDS HELPED WITH WEEKLY FOOD BUDGET AVERAGESHOP WAS WORTH £23 SAVING EACH HOUSEHOLD APPROXIMATELY £850 DURING THE YEAR OVER 7500 KG OF SURPLUS FOOD SAVED FROM LANDFILL 21 Page
WIVEY KITCHEN- REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960 ANNUAL REPORT &ACCOUNTS-YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025 'Just to say l am truly and genuinely grateful for the kindness and sustenance freely shared and given by all included with the Wivey Kitchen, .1 have eaten so much better since joining the Pantry, <1 'Normally reserved, I had to send a message to thank the Wivey Kitchen team for being so welcoming, whatever the weather and also for J my plentiful, varied and delicious r shopping, The meals have been so helpful over the last few months to help me through a difficult time. 'They are brilliant meals, , the roasts are great!> 1/17 The Pantry has been the biggest godsend ever for me over the past year. Thank you for everything., '1 just wanted to message to say thank you for all you do! It was my f irst visit to the Pantry today and you were all lovely, and l just think it's arnazing that we have this on our doorstepl, <1 /1 31 Page
WIVEY KITCHEN – REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS – YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
| CONTENTS | |
|---|---|
| Page | |
| REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES | 5 - 8 |
| STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES | 9 |
| STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 AUGUST 2025 | 10 |
| NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS | 11 |
| INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT | 12 |
Our vision
Our vision is that people living in Wiveliscombe and the surrounding parish communities can enjoy better physical and mental health because they have access to healthy, tasty and affordable food.
Our mission
Our mission is to share surplus and donated food, skills, information and knowledge to make sure that everyone in our communities is able to access healthy food.
Wivey Kitchen believe that if the community work together to use surplus and donated food to:
cook and distribute meals in the kitchen
-
run a community pantry
-
hold community learning sessions at the academy
then local people who
can’t cook for themselves or their family or can’t get out to buy healthy food are having a hard time or in crisis
would like to find out more about cooking healthy or affordable food
will
be able to access tasty and healthy food to fed themselves and their families become more resilient and improve their health and wellbeing
and
food will not be wasted and saved from landfill
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WIVEY KITCHEN – REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS – YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
The Trustees are pleased to present their third annual report for the year ended 31 August 2025.
Executive Summary
In the autumn of 2020, with a winter in lockdown approaching, the idea for a Wiveliscombe community food offer sprang from concerns for people living in isolated rural areas, and for those struggling financially. Originally named the Food Project and delivered as part of Wivey Cares (Charity Number 1183575), the offer and activities grew from strength to strength and in 2022 the project successfully applied to become a registered charity Wivey Kitchen (Charity Number 1201960).
Since inception, more than 100 volunteer cooks and drivers have produced and delivered over 100,000 healthy meals. The original purpose to provide meals for people who need them is very much a core activity for the charity but equally important to the mission is the use of surplus food. In May 2024, we moved into The Bear Inn Wiveliscombe; and preparatory work was carried out to enable a Community Pantry which opened in September 2024.
As Wivey Kitchen grows, the vision is about more than just providing meals so we may offer nutritional advice, teach cooking and other skills and share information to ensure that people in our communities are supported to never go hungry.
Objectives
The objects of the CIO are the prevention or relief of poverty and financial hardship in the area of Wiveliscombe and the ten parishes* by producing and delivering food or pre-prepared meals and by promoting the development of food-related skills.
*Ashbrittle, Bathealton, Brompton Ralph, Chipstable, Clatworthy, Fitzhead, Huish Champflower, Milverton, Stawley and Wiveliscombe plus neighbouring rural areas.
Structure, Governance and Management
The initial Trustees were appointed for a 3 year term. At the end of term of service, a Trustee may be reappointed as a Trustee for a further 3 year term. The maximum length of service is 3 consecutive terms, after which a further term can be served only after an interval of at least 1 year has passed. Trustee meetings are now generally every 6 weeks or so. The Head Chefs meet regularly to plan their weekly cooking sessions. An Operations subgroup also meets regularly to monitor Pantry activities and administrative matters.
Compliance
Policies have been created to cover key elements of our work including Food Hygiene and Environmental Health Compliance, Safeguarding, Finance, Volunteers and Complaints.
Public Benefit
The Trustees confirm that they have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
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WIVEY KITCHEN – REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS – YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objectives
Creation of the charity
Wivey Kitchen was created in 2020 in response to the COVID 19 pandemic lockdowns. Originally, it was known as The Wivey Food Project and operated under another community charity, Wivey Cares CIO. In 2022, it was decided that this activity should be transferred into a separately registered charity. A registration application was submitted in October 2022 which was accepted by the Charity Commission on 15 February 2023. The Board of Trustees of Wivey Cares CIO approved the grant of the Food Project activities, assets and contracts to Wivey Kitchen CIO which accepted the grant as disclosed in the 2023 financial statements. The Trustees of Wivey Kitchen CIO continue to record their grateful thanks to the Trustees of Wivey Cares for their support in the early years of this community food project.
Activities
Kitchen On a weekly basis, a group of “Chop and chat” volunteers come together under the guidance of 2 of the 4 Head Chefs to prepare and cook meals which are then chilled and frozen. They use surplus food provided from our subscription to FareShare and top it up with additional ingredients to create nutritious meals. The Head Chefs take it in turns to lead the cooking sessions with their teams of volunteers. The meals are delivered to people in need in our local community by another team of Delivery volunteers. In the year ended August 2025, we estimate that over 50 volunteers cooked 15,000 food portions over 46 sessions using 3,315 kilos of surplus food which would otherwise have gone to landfill.
Pantry In September 2024, following 6 months of planning) the Community Pantry was opened. Members can join for a period of 6 months and they pay £5 per week to obtain surplus food that Wivey Kitchen obtains from FareShare South West (for an annual subscription). Volunteers support members in their weekly “shopping” on Wednesday mornings. We have a maximum of 40 members. During the year, 20 volunteers ran 47 sessions to enable over 7,600kg of food in support of 52 households. The average shop was worth £23 per household.
Workforce
A paid interim co-ordinator was engaged to work on the charity’s strategy and funding required to secure a venue in the early phase of the charity from July to December 2023. Trustees engaged the services of an advisor for setting up the Community Pantry on a paid basis from April 2024 to August 2024. The Trustees decided to engage the services of a Co-ordinator who was engaged from August 2024 for 15 hours per week (which has increased to 17 hours per week since the year-end).
Fundraising activities during the year
Funds in support of our work are generated by
-
Our monthly 200 Club draw in which members are individuals from our local community
-
Grant funding from
-
Somerset CAG
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WIVEY KITCHEN – REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS – YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
-
Somerset Community Foundation (the second £5k tranche of a £10k grant; and a £9k Warmer Winter Fund grant); and
-
Private individuals including one family which donated a further £6,000 (on which Gift Aid is claimed)
-
Local groups such as the Milverton Parish Council.
In kind support during the year
During the period, we have had in-kind support from
-
The Bear Inn, Wiveliscombe who cleared out their pool room and installed extraction hoods. During Spring 2024, Wivey Kitchen fitted out the kitchen facilities using existing equipment which was topped up with £6k worth of work to fit additional sinks and work surfaces to meet Food Standards and Environmental Health requirements. A Unox oven donated in 2023 is now in use. We reimburse The Bear for our energy costs but there is no rental charge from The Bear Inn.
-
The space for the Community Pantry which opened in September 2024 has been provided by a local family with no rental charge. Wivey Kitchen pays for its energy costs in this space.
-
A private donor who has paid funds into our account with FareShare which covers our subscription invoices for the Kitchen and the Community Pantry.
-
Last but most certainly not least (!) our amazing volunteers who help with preparation of meals, delivery of meals and operation of the Pantry.
On behalf of the community we serve, the Trustees are hugely appreciative of all monetary supporters and in kind supporters.
Financial Review
The financial activities for the period ended 31 August 2025 are summarised on page 9 to 11 and key elements are described above.
Reserves
Trustees have developed a reserves policy to ensure there is sufficient working capital to meet the charity’s regular commitments.
The funds held at the year-end will be utilised for the charitable operating costs of running the charity; and in particular, to meet the costs of our paid worker who co-ordinates our ongoing activities.
Sustainability and collaboration
The achievement of charitable status was a major milestone and opens additional avenues of fundraising for the charity in the longer term.
The Board was “hands on” in the initial phase of the charity’s life and is aiming to take on a more strategic overview of the charity’s work and develop collaborative links with other charities in our community.
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WIVEY KITCHEN – REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS – YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Plans for the Future
During the year to 31 August 2026, Wivey Kitchen is consolidating the step changes from prior years i.e.
-
the production of nutritious frozen meals in the permanent Kitchen premises at The Bear Inn; and
-
the Community Pantry facility which will supply food to people in need for a modest weekly membership fee; and
-
helping out other community groups with food related issues.
The charity’s business plan is being implemented and will be revised as we determine how we will be monitoring and evaluating the outcomes and impact of four work. We are
-
formalising our volunteer co-ordination systems
-
training our team on effective use of Microsoft Teams and digital
-
collaboration with other non profit groups operating in our community.
Reference and Administration Details
The Trustees are listed below and have held office for the period from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025 and to the date of approval of this report, unless otherwise indicated.
N K Benson (Chair) J I Alder G M Doolin S C Heard K M Moss M Walters T Wooff
During the year, the correspondence address for the charity is c/o The Wiveliscombe Area Community Office, Wiveliscombe House, 3 The Square, Wiveliscombe, Taunton TA4 2JT. Since the year end, this was changed to c/o Wiveliscombe Community Centre, West Street, Wiveliscombe, TA4 2JP.
The charity’s bank is Co-operative Bank plc, PO Box 101, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester M60 4EP
The Trustees declare that they have approved the report above on 20 April 2026.
Signed on their behalf by:
N K BENSON K M MOSS Chair of Trustees Trustee
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WIVEY KITCHEN – REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS – YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
| STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (SOFA) Income Cash and cheque donations Donations to FareShare Gift Aid Grant income Other revenue 200 Club memberships Bank interest Total income Charitable Expenditure Cooking ingredients and consumables Kitchen FareShare subscription (note 1) Kitchen consumables / equipment IT consumables and mobile phone Pantry costs including FareShare subscription Co-ordinator salary Kitchen equipment and freezers Canopy/awning Insurance Energy costs at Kitchen, Pantry and open access freezer Repairs and maintenance Other charitable operating expenditure Total charitable expenditure Income less expenditure Balance brought forward Balance carried forward |
Total Funds 2025 £ Total Funds 2024 £ 13,907 11,406 3,934 6,558 4,614 - 14,650 21,034 5,115 2,987 6,370 6,870 538 200 |
|---|---|
| 49,128 49,055 |
|
| 7,679 5,170 1,650 1,400 219 499 1,474 1,749 7,004 2,437 10,323 3,060 5,640 6,617 2,489 - 781 691 3,813 2,758 891 1,653 2,510 1,788 |
|
| 44,473 27,822 |
|
| 4,655 21,233 41,804 20,571 |
|
| £46,459 £41,804 |
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WIVEY KITCHEN – REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS – YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
| STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES At 31 August 2025 Current Assets Cash at bank – current account Cash at bank – deposit account Account at FareShare for Wivey Kitchen (Note 1) Less: Accruals for expenses paid after the year end Grant Income received in advance of next year Total assets Represented by Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Total Funds |
Total Funds 2025 £ Total Funds 2024 £ 807 11,108 42,121 31,863 4,143 5,158 (612) (1,325) - (5,000) |
|---|---|
| £46,459 £41,804 |
|
| - - 46,459 41,804 |
|
| £46,459 £41,804 |
The Trustees declare that they have approved the accounts on 20 April 2026.
Signed on their behalf by
N K BENSON
(Trustee)
K M MOSS (Trustee)
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WIVEY KITCHEN – REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS – YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
1. FareShare balance
The FareShare credit balance arise from donations made directly to FareShare by a private donor in favour of Wivey Kitchen. FareShare subscription invoices are allocated against these donations; the balance is shown in the statement of assets and liabilities.
2. Related Party Transactions
During the year, there was 1 invoice for £891 for initial installation costs of a water heater paid to the business run by the spouse of J I Alder.
There was also a £50 invoice paid to N K Benson for the production of a ceramic plate as a farewell gift to a long serving volunteer who led the deliveries team.
3. Trustee expenses
During the period, Trustees were reimbursed for expenses as follows:
| Trustee | Nature of expense reimbursed | £ |
|---|---|---|
| J I Alder * | None | - |
| N K Benson * | Ingredients and catering equipment | 235 |
| G M Doolin | None | - |
| S C Heard * | Ingredients and catering equipment | - |
| K M Moss | Equipment and supplies for the new community | 794 |
| pantry (purchased online prior to obtaining a bank | ||
| card to enable the co-ordinator shop online) | ||
| M J Walters | IT consumables / expenses | 560 |
| Mobile phone for the co-ordinator | 333 | |
| T Wooff | Pantry fit out costs | 111 |
Trustees marked with an asterisk * are Head Chefs who lead the weekly cooking sessions (and there is a 4th Head Chef who is not a Trustee).
The Head Chefs usually have to buy additional ingredients to top up the surplus food from FareShare in order to create nutritious healthy meals for the households supported by Wivey Kitchen.
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WIVEY KITCHEN – REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1201960
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS – YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF WIVEY KITCHEN CIO
I report on the financial statements of Wivey Kitchen CIO for the year ended 31 August 2025 which are set out on pages 9 to 11.
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
The charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements. The charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the financial statements under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
-
follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
-
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
This report, including my statement, has been prepared for and only for the charity’s Trustees as a body. 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 examiner’s 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 as a body for my examination work, for this report, or for the statements I have made.
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 a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements 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 financial statements present 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, which is complete, no matters have come to my attention which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of Wivey Kitchen CIO in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
-
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
-
the financial statements do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of financial statements set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
Signed by
Name & Qualifications
Date
Jake Sharland CGMA 20 April 2026
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