Charity Number: 1202604
Registered in England & Wales
Swansea Foodbank
Report to the Trustees and Unaudited Financial Statements
For the year ended 31st May 2026
Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Contents Page
| Charity Information | 1 |
|---|---|
| Trustees Report | 2 - 5 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 6 |
| Summary Receipts & Payments Account | 7 |
| Balance Sheet | 8 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 9 - 14 |
| Appendix: List of Donors | 15 - 16 |
Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Charity Information
Trustees Mrs Gloria Hughes (Chair) Mr Peter Hurst (Treasurer) Mr Christopher Davies (Resigned 8th May 2026) Mr Philip Davies Rev Dr Adrian Morgan Mr Alan Cram Ms Julie Rees Mrs Sandra Thomas (Appointed 4th November 2025) Mr Alan Mainwaring (Appointed 19th February 2026) Registered Number 1202604 Registered Office St Catherine's Church Alexandra Road Gorseinon Swansea SA4 4NU Independent Examiners Swansea Accountancy Limited 237 Jersey Road Bonymaen Swansea SA1 7DL Bankers HSBC
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Annual Report: Swansea Foodbank
1. Introduction and Overview
This report covers the activities and developments of Swansea Foodbank for the financial year ended 31st May 2026. It is submitted to external stakeholders to provide an overview of our work, governance, and financial position.
2. Governance and Structure
The board of trustees oversees the governance and strategic direction of the charity. The charity has a set of policies in place to cover all of its activities. These policies include health and safety, safeguarding, data protection and confidentiality. All policies are reviewed regularly to ensure they are up-to-date.
When Trussell’s contract with a third party to provide Human Resources (HR) support to local foodbanks was discontinued, the trustees took the decision to out-source HR support to Peninsula. This has ensured that the charity’s employment practices remain compliant with the latest Government legislation.
Two new trustees joined the trustee board during the year, Alan Mainwaring and Sandra Thomas. Both bring business related skills and experience to the board. We said farewell to Chris Davies, who has been involved with Swansea Foodbank for many years, particularly at our Gorseinon centre. Chris set the CIO up in 2023 and served as Treasurer until May 2025. The trustees thank him for his service.
The focus of the trustees for much of the year has been upon ensuring the financial sustainability of the charity. We were unsuccessful in our bid for a large National Lottery Community Fund grant, we lost our largest personal donor who left the area, and we also lost 50% of our food donations at the city’s largest supermarket to an independent foodbank that started collecting food donations there. These events triggered the need to consider how to continue providing our services without closing a foodbank centre down. Steps have been taken to reduce costs by ceasing to provide fresh fruit and vegetables, increasing food donations, and building new relationships with churches, local employers and workplaces. The trustees have succeeded in stabilising the financial position of Swansea Foodbank.
3. Charitable Activities and Achievements
- Benefits Advice and Financial Inclusion:
The benefits advice team works with foodbank clients to prevent them from needing to use a foodbank in the future. The team’s work is collaborative and supportive. The team secured a total of £572,436 in financial gains for clients during the year. The team has not lost a single court case, and they have been the only charitable benefits advice service to help clients throughout the entire process, including court appearances. The charity sought and secured a replacement financial inclusion case support worker during the year. This year, the service was funded by grants from Trussell, the Albert Hunt Trust and the Waterloo Foundation. The funding for the service ends in June 2026, when the service will close, having generated total financial gains for foodbank clients of over £2,258,000. The three part-time staff will be leaving Swansea Foodbank. We thank them for the enormous contribution they have made during their time with us.
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Annual Report: Swansea Foodbank (continued)
- Partnerships and Advocacy:
Swansea Foodbank works to build connections within the city to end the need for foodbanks. The CEO attends the Swansea Food Poverty Forum which continues to be a means of sharing and addressing local issues as well as a source of information on funding opportunities. Following on from the role of a Civic Commissioner on Swansea’s Poverty Truth Commission, we have worked with the Poverty Insight Lab, a lived experience group to gain their contribution on how we can make Swansea Foodbank more welcoming. Coming out of attendance at the Poverty Truth Network Gathering, we have worked with Commissioners looking at the issue of Economics for All, similar to previous work with Carnegie on aspects of Wellbeing in Wales. We have contributed to workshops led by Wales Centre for Public Policy to report on understanding and addressing poverty stigma in Swansea.
We operate in those Swansea communities that are recognised by the Welsh Government as suffering from multiple deprivation. Three of our six centres are in those East Swansea communities ranked as being among the bottom 5% in Wales and they are the only foodbanks serving these areas. With our financial inclusion project coming to an end in June 2026, our financial inclusion case support worker has worked on creating a signposting system that is being rolled out across all of our centres this summer. This enables our volunteers to direct clients to the agencies best placed to help them.
- Operational Developments
The charity gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the Riverside Christian Fellowship for the use of Siloam as an equipment and food storage facility, particularly while our Gorseinon Centre has been in temporary accommodation during the refurbishment of St Catherine’s Church Hall. Siloam has been sold and a storage facility will no longer be required in the future as every centre will store its own food and equipment locally, eliminating the need for a central distribution point.
As part of the work on financial sustainability, Swansea Foodbank has adopted the standard Trussell UK policy on the number of food parcels that a client may receive over six months. Working with our referral agencies we aim to provide fair access to our service, so donors can be reassured that their donations of food and money are reaching the people in the greatest need. We have also carried out extensive work to ensure that all the data we hold on foodbank clients is up-to-date and accurate, and we have made suggestions to Trussell for nationwide improvements to their database system.
The trustees of Linden Church, who operated one of our foodbank centres, decided that they wished to combine their foodbank service with a focus on health and recovery. To facilitate this change of emphasis, the trustees of Linden Church decided to become an independent foodbank organisation, rather than a Trussell foodbank. We wish them every success in this new venture and are continuing to work closely with them.
6. Our Volunteers
The trustees wish to place on record their gratitude for the huge contribution made by our 150 volunteers across all of the Swansea Foodbank centres. They donate hundreds of hours of their time freely and willingly. Their contribution is equivalent to having six full time staff members and they are the lifeblood of the organisation. There would be no Swansea Foodbank without them. At the minimum living wage of £12.71 an hour, their contribution is worth £138,000 in salaries. We continue to participate in the Tempo time credits scheme, and in recognition of the time spent volunteering, volunteers receive credits that can be exchanged for cinema tickets, days out and other leisure activities.
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Annual Report: Swansea Foodbank (continued)
5. Financial Review
The trustees maintain a designated reserve to cover the cost of staff for 12 months ahead. This reserve also includes the accumulated rights to statutory redundancy pay, should such a situation ever arise. During the year the charity has moved most of its reserves and funds away from HSBC to other institutions that offer better interest rates, and which are also part of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Some of the money is invested in a one-year bond and the rest in accounts with access to the funds.
A fixed asset register has been created listing every item of equipment owned by Swansea Foodbank, its location and the named individual responsible for it.
The charity is operating to strict budgets to ensure it remains financially sustainable and able to continue operating from its six foodbank centres. All costs have been examined and best value is being sought in all food purchasing. Our trustee Alan Mainwaring is leading this work.
The trustees would like to place on record, their sincere thanks for all the donations and grants received during the year, which are listed in the attached list of donors.
6. Fundraising
Raising funds has become much harder this year, with the local economy affected by a lack of growth and the cost of living. The trustees were saddened at having to cease providing fresh fruit and vegetables, as this was one of the consequences of fewer donations. We did have success in raising awareness of Swansea Foodbank among local employers, and during the year we received £11,000 in financial donations, and the equivalent of £39,000 in food and toiletries from them. Public donations including Gift Aid came to just over £40,000.
7. Impact
Swansea Foodbank provided 10,446 food parcels, and this included food for 3,358 children. 1 in 52 of Swansea’s population was helped by Swansea Foodbank.
8. Community and Partner Agencies
The trustees want to express their gratitude to the many other agencies that provide excellent support services to our Foodbank centres. The dedication and commitment of these partners are crucial to providing wraparound care and support for our clients, with the goal of resolving their crisis, so they no longer need to use a foodbank. We are particularly grateful for the support given by Swansea Tenancy Support, Swansea’s Local Area Co-ordinators, Adferiad, the Red Cross and Communities for Work.
9. Donor Acknowledgement
The Trustees would like to express their sincere gratitude to all the corporate donors who so generously supported our work during the year, a list of which is appended to this report.
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Report to the Trustees (cont)
There are no serious incidents to report during the year ended 31st May 2026.
Declaration:
I declare in my capacity as a trustee that:
The trustees have approved the above report, and Have authorised me to sign it on their behalf
Gloria Hughes
Signature: …............................................................... Full Name: Gloria Hughes Position: Chair of the Trustees 10/08/2026 Date: …...............................................................
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Swansea Foodbank
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31st May 2026 set out on pages 7 to 8.
Respective responsibilities of the 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 Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
-
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
-
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of the independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with 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 accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the 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 present a 'true and fair' view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
-
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting 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.
Lisa Allen
…..............................................................
10/08/2026 Date: ….....................................
Mrs Lisa Allen ACCA Swansea Accountancy Limited 237 Jersey Road Bonymaen Swansea SA1 7DL
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Swansea Foodbank
For the year ended 31st May 2026
Total Statement of Financial Activities
| notes INCOMING RESOURCES Voluntary Income 3 Investment Income 3 Total incoming resources RESOURCES EXPENDED Costs of Generating Voluntary Income 4 Operational Costs 4 Charitable Activities 4 Governance Costs 4 Total resources expended NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING) RESOURCES |
2026 2025 £ £ 235,259 227,062 6,001 2,853 |
|---|---|
| 241,260 229,915 - - 7,281 - 175,216 150,857 20,678 12,881 |
|
| 203,175 163,738 38,085 66,177 |
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Balance Sheet as at 31st May 2026
| notes FIXED ASSETS Equipment CURRENT ASSETS Cash in Hand and at Bank 6 Food Stock 7 Debtors 8 CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 9 NET CURRENT ASSETS NET ASSETS FUNDS Restricted Funds 10 Unrestricted Funds 10 Food Stock Reserves Revaluation of Assets |
2026 2025 £ £ TOTAL TOTAL 4,995 3,826 218,427 176,484 33,418 23,339 1,437 - 253,282 199,823 10,892 1,924 242,389 197,899 247,384 201,725 |
|---|---|
| 35,386 13,080 171,006 165,306 33,418 23,339 7,575 - 247,384 201,725 |
10/08/2026 The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on …...................... and were signed on its behalf by:
P E Hurst SIGNED ….................................................... TRUSTEE …....................................................Peter Edward Hurst DATE …....................................................10 August 2026 A Cram SIGNED ….................................................... TRUSTEE …....................................................Alan Cram DATE …....................................................10 August 2026
The notes form part of these financial statements.
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Notes to the Financial Statements
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Financial Statements have been prepared under the historic cost basis of accounting, and are in accordance with applicable accounting standards, the SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" (issued in March 2005) and the Charities Act.
2. INCOMING RESOURCES
Recognition of Incoming Resources
These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:
-
The charity becomes entitled to the resources;
-
the trustees are virtually certain they will receive the resources; and
-
the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability
Grants and Donations
Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources.
Tax Reclaims on Donations and Gifts
Incoming resources from tax reclaims are included in the SoFA when they are received.
Investment Income
Investment income is included in the accounts when receivable.
EXPENDITURE & LIABILITIES
Liability Recognition
Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the Charity to pay out resources.
Costs of Generating Funds
This comprises those costs attributable to generating incoming resources from all sources other than those from undertaking charitable activities.
Charitable Activities
This comprises all expenditure directly relating to the objects of the Charity.
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Governance Costs
Governance costs comprise costs incurred in the governance of the Charity. These costs include costs relating to Independent Examination, together with apportionment of overhead and support costs where appropriate.
Taxation
The Charity is exempt from taxation.
ASSETS
Fixed Assets
Fixed assets are initially recorded at cost, and are subsequently stated at cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.
Stocks and Work in Progress
Stock held is of food donated during the year but not yet distributed. Stock is valued by weight of stock held multiplied by an external valuation figure.
3. ANALYSIS OF INCOMING RESOURCES
Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Donations | ||
| Donations | 65,841 | 152,798 |
| Grants | 95,269 | 3,700 |
| Lotto Abertawe | 645 | - |
| Trussell Trust | 61,798 | 56,790 |
| Gift Aid | 11,706 | 13,774 |
| TOTAL | 235,259 | 227,062 |
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Investment Income
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Bank Interest | 6,001 | 2,853 |
| TOTAL | 6,001 | 2,853 |
4. ANALYSIS OF RESOURCES EXPENDED
Charitable Activities
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| OpeningFood Stock | 23,339 | 3,729 |
| Food Purchases | 46,059 | 57,935 |
| Personal Hygiene Purchases | 16,719 | 4,255 |
| ClosingFood Stock | 33,418 - |
23,339 - |
| Gifts & Donations | - | 1,440 |
| HolidayFood Support | 17,294 | - |
| Admin Costs | - | 8,389 |
| Wages | 105,223 | 98,449 |
| TOTAL | 175,216 | 150,858 |
Operational Costs
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Printing,Postage & Stationary | 666 | 398 |
| IT Hardware | 1,816 | - |
| IT Software | - | - |
| Telephone | 389 | 120 |
| Equipment Purchases | 880 | 5,806 |
| Software Licences | 1,165 | - |
| CAB Supervision | 1,634 | - |
| SundryExpenses | 732 | - |
| TOTAL | 7,281 | 6,324 |
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Governance Costs
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Advice UK | - | 983 |
| Recruitment,Training& HR Support | 3,204 | 1,007 |
| Insurance | 929 | 748 |
| Trussell Trust Franchise Fee | - | - |
| Venue Costs | 1,590 | - |
| Other Foodbank Costs | 241 | 512 |
| Volunteer Training | 271 | - |
| Uniform | 50 | - |
| Depreciation | 10,687 | 957 |
| Accountancy | 500 | 500 |
| Travel Costs | 1,282 | 1,750 |
| Bank Charges | 1,924 | 99 |
| TOTAL | 20,678 | 6,556 |
5. DETAILS OF CERTAIN ITEMS OF EXPENDITURE
Fees for the examination or audit of the Accounts
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Accountancyand Independent Examination Fees | 500 | 500 |
| 500 | 500 |
6. CASH IN HAND & AT BANK
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Current Account | 8,749 | 13,530 |
| Deposit Account | 23,725 | 162,954 |
| Buckinghamshire BuildingSociety | 80,000 | - |
| CAF Shawbrook | 85,000 | - |
| CharityBank | 20,454 | - |
| PettyCash | 499 | - |
| 218,427 | 176,484 | |
| 12 |
Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
The Trustees have agreed a Reserves policy and have designated £85,000.00 of the Charity's unrestricted funds as a reserve to cover the cost of staff for 12 months ahead. This reserve also includes the accumulated rights to statutory redundancy pay should such a situation ever arise.
7. FOOD STOCK
Food stock held at the year end had a value of £33,418. This includes food that was donated during the year end to 31st May 2026 that had not yet been distributed.
Stock Reconciliation
| Stock Reconciliation | |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| Opening Stock as at 1st June 2025 | 23,339 |
| Food Purchased | 64,345 |
| Food Donated | 150,293 |
| Out of Date/Damaged Stock | 144 |
| Stock Issued | 204,255 |
| Value Adjustment | 160 - |
| Closing Stock as at 31st May 2026 | 33,418 |
8. DEBTORS & PREPAYMENTS
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Donations | 1,437 | - |
| - | - |
9. CREDITORS & ACCRUALS
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Accruals | 500 | 500 |
| Other Creditors | 10,392 | 1,424 |
| 10,892 | 1,924 |
10. FUNDS
| 2026 £ |
2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Restricted Funds | 35,386 | 13,080 |
| Food Stock | 33,418 | 23,339 |
| Unrestricted Funds | 171,006 | 165,306 |
| 239,810 | 201,725 | |
| 13 |
Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
11. SOURCES & APPLICATIONS OF RESTRICTED FUNDS DURING THE YEAR
| Source of Funds | Opening Balance |
Received £ |
Spent £ |
Balance £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Bags - 1910 Trust Funding | - | 5,000.00 | 171.34 | 4,828.66 |
| Gorseinon Foodbank | - | 9,906.95 | 4,404.27 | 5,502.68 |
| Council R1 2025/26 Capital Equipment | - | 5,496.00 | 4,949.05 | 546.95 |
| Trussell and Others Financial Inclusion Grants | 637.55 | 69,550.98 | 65,384.54 | 4,803.99 |
| POBL Grant | 534.82 | - | 534.82 | - |
| Relocation Grant | 2,020.14 | - | 477.89 | 1,542.25 |
| Awards - All LotteryGrant | - | 20,000.00 | 2,432.57 | 17,567.43 |
| Training | 377.00 | - | 377.00 | - |
| Toiletries | 4,150.19 | - | 4,150.19 | - |
| Port Tennant Foodbank | - | 3,558.07 | 3,239.92 | 318.15 |
| Penlan Foodbank | - | 119.00 | - | 119.00 |
| Volunteers | - | 157.00 | - | 157.00 |
| Food Grants | 5,359.96 | 557.70 | 5,917.66 | - |
| 13,079.66 | 114,345.70 | 92,039.25 | 35,386.11 |
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Appendix: List of Donors
Financial Donations:
- Trusts and Public Bodies
Trussell: The trustees wish to express their appreciation to Trussell for the grant funding of the Financial Inclusion work over the last three years.
City and County of Swansea: The trustees would like to thank the City and County of Swansea for their grant support over the last 12 months, including the individual grants from a number of local councillors, the summer holiday and warm spaces grants and the grant for emergency food.
Welsh Government: (via Swansea Council) A grant for Period Dignity.
Albert Hunt Trust: A grant towards Financial Inclusion.
The Waterloo Foundation: A grant towards Financial Inclusion.
The Austin Bailey Foundation: A grant for fresh fruit and vegetables.
The 1910 Trust: A grant towards our work providing food for homeless people.
The National Lottery Community Fund – Awards for All: A grant to fund food purchases at our Penlan and Mayhill Foodbank centres.
The Co-op Local Community Fund: Swansea Foodbank is participating in this during 2026 and 2027.
Ty Croeso
North Gower Food Hub
- Corporate Donors
Admiral Insurance Swansea Andrew Scott Ltd Arthur Llewellyn Jenkins Bevan Buckland Capita CGI Crunch Digital Media Cyden Dr Organic DVLA Earth Breeze ERIKS Group ERS Insurance Gower Chemicals Gower Lavender Joes Ice Cream Kaymac Marine Engineering Kier Land Registry Lyte Ladders/Towers Morganite Mrs Bucket Cleaning Services Paned Cymru Tea Quartzelec R&M Williams South Wales Police Spa Medica Statkraft.com
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Swansea Foodbank For the year ended 31st May 2026
Appendix: List of Donors (continued)
Corporate Donors (continued)
Swansea Council Engagement Team Swansea Legal Solutions Swansea University Uber Wales and West Utilities Welsh Government Office
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