## **Pontypridd Foodbank Trustees' Report for year ending 31[st] March 2024** ## **1. Details of the Charity** The Charity name is Pontypridd Foodbank and is registered with the Charities Commission for England and Wales – registration number 1203999. The Foodbank is located and operates from the Riverside Centre, Nile Street, Treforest, Pontypridd, CF37 1BW, and is currently open Mondays to Fridays, 9.00am to 2pm, and Saturdays 10am to 12 noon. Our bank accounts are held with Barclays Bank. Our Auditor/Independent Examiner is KW John T/A KWJ Bookkeeping, Pontypridd. ## 2. **Governance Structure and Management** The charity was established in 2012, originally started by a small team of volunteers and based at St Luke’s Church Rhydyfelin (part of the Pontypridd Ministry area), to offer short-term emergency food aid to those in crisis situations. We out grew the space and (after a short time at different locations during Covid) with the valuable help from the local council, moved to our current premises at Treforest in November 2022. In July 2023 Pontypridd Foodbank achieved one of its main objectives and plans by becoming a Charity Incorporated Organisation (CIO), which separated us from the Pontypridd Ministry Area. The Charity is currently governed by the following 7 Trustees, with term of office in brackets: Elizabeth Pearce – Chair (4 years) Ray Minton – Treasurer (4 years) Diane Morgan - Secretary (2 years) Carole Jones (2 years) Ann Davies (2 years) John Dickenson (3 years) Babs Minton (3 years) Trustee meetings are normally held every 2 months. The Chair circulates an agenda in advance of each meeting and minutes and decisions are recorded. The draft minutes of each meeting are circulated to Trustees via email after the meeting for review and amendment (if applicable). The final draft is then approved at the next Trustees' meeting. The Trustees identify and review any potential risks to which the charity may be exposed to, and systems and procedures are put in place to effectively manage these risks. The Charity is an affiliated member of the Trussell Trust Foodbank Network, who support a nationwide network of over 1300 food bank centres in the UK, and campaign for change to end the need for food banks in the UK. The Trussell Trust provides operational procedures, data services and advice/support. The charity retains the authority to exercise its powers to raise funds, buy/lease and maintain and equip its own property. 1 ## **3. Objectives and Activities** The Object of the charity is the prevention or relief of poverty in Pontypridd and surrounding areas, primarily through the provision of food, but also related additional services, assistance and support for those in need. We provide emergency food parcels to clients in need who have been referred to us by partner referral agencies. We provide access to information and signposting to relevant services and organisations who can assist. As part of the Trussell Trust national network of foodbanks we also campaign for policy change to prevent the need for emergency food aid. -------------------------------------------- Our activities are undertaken by collecting and receiving donations of food and/or money from individuals, schools, faith groups, businesses and supermarkets. Food items are normally dried goods, e.g. tinned and packet foods and are stored in date order to minimise wastage. Parcels are given to an individual or family (the client) via the presentation of an e-voucher which will have been issued by a referral agency. The agency will be one who has been recognised by the charity as having the necessary skills and judgement to determine if an individual or family are in crisis and needs to be given food by the charity. There are currently 64 referral agencies, each of which has been accredited by the charity following meetings/dialogue. The agencies raise an electronic voucher (E-voucher) for the client, with each voucher having a unique number which is traceable via our data system. When the client arrives at our centre to fulfil their e-voucher, they are given a quantity of food dependant on their circumstances,i.e., the number of people in the home plus ages of those being fed. The food has been nutritionally balanced by a dietician and the quantity given is sufficient to last for 10 meals or up to 3 days per person. Referral agencies are encouraged not to issue more than 3 vouchers per client so that they do not become reliant on the charity for food on an ongoing basis. The agency is expected to ensure that having referred the client, they will do all they can to work with the client to help them deal with the crisis they find themselves in, either by direct assistance or signposting the client to another agency. In exceptional circumstances, a referral agency can issue more than 3 vouchers to a particular client, although it is expected that this will be agreed in advance with the charity. Pontypridd Foodbank employs a full time Project Manager, working 35 hours a week, and as part of their duties help clients with the difficulties they are facing, giving advice and signposting where necessary, and can, in exceptional circumstances, also raise an E-voucher on behalf of the client. Our Foodbank activities are undertaken mostly by volunteers, none of which are remunerated for their valuable help and commitment, and are essential to the work and operation of the charity. They are very much appreciated by the Trustees. It is planned that a part time paid Volunteer Coordinator is appointed during 2024 to help our Manager in the day to day operational needs of the charity. For the 6 month period ending 31[st] March 2024 we issued 1664 food parcels to 3444 clients (2357 adults and 1087 children) ## **4. Financial review** The opening financial balance as a new CIO (as at 1[st] October 2023) was £173605.17. This included Restricted Grant funds of £30095.25 as well as Designated funds of £1865.48. Reserves of £110,000 was set aside to cover potential building and maintenance costs, utility bills and contingency operations. _Income and Expenditure for the period 1[st] January to 30[th] September 2023 relating to Pontypridd Foodbank can be viewed on the Charity Commission website under the 2023 accounts submitted for Pontypridd Ministry Area - Charity No. 1165251)._ Financial income for the six month period ending 31st March 2024 was £81897.61, and included £20162.90 in grants and £38720.45 in donations (donations = £20051 from organisations, £14602.45 from individuals, and £4067 from faith groups). A table top fundraising event raised £115.00. 2 Expenditure from October 2023 to March 2024 totalled £64317.96, and included £12972 salary costs, £20063.50 in payment to Rhondda Cynon Taf Citizens Advice Bureau (who use our premises, and for which matched grants had been received), £1039 on premises utilities (note - gas and electric bills from March 2023 to date remain outstanding), and £6500 in essential stock purchases. Our cash balance as at 31[st] March 2024 was £191,184.82. Our stock as at 31[st] March 2024 was 6857.66 kgs. Using guidance provided by the Trussell Trust, the stock has a value of £16252 (based on a value of £2.37 per kg). All donated stock is weighed in upon receipt, and weighed out when distributed to clients. --------------------- We are sincerely grateful to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for their funding and support, and thank them for the temporary lease of the old Riverside Day Centre in Treforest, pending an asset transfer which we hope to complete in 2024. We thank, and are grateful to Pontypridd Town Council for their support, as well as providing funds towards the purchase of required stock. We thank Trussell Trust for their valuable support, advice and financial contributions. We are sincerely grateful to each and every one of our donors, without whom we would be unable to carry out our mission and objectives. We thank every single business, organisation and individual who have supported us – your contributions are very much appreciated. To finish, I offer my most sincere, humble and grateful thanks to our Trustees, our Foodbank Manager, and the wonderful team of volunteers. We have an amazing team and a thank you sometimes seems not enough - without all their time, help and dedication we would not be able to continue our mission work. ## _**Thank You To Everyone Who Supports Pontypridd Foodbank!**_ _Ray Minton Honorary Treasurer & Trustee Pontypridd Foodbank April 2024_ 3 r ended 31 Mar¢h2024 Lhjnatsjns 38720 45 J8720 45 klARC Ad Tax Relef RÈfunds Legacies Grants ney Raisng 1658.70 1658.70 128890 115.00 18874 00 162 115.00 NestrEnt hcome CAher Incor nsfers Ki (LEMeen Da￿￿coUrt$) 1177 06 20(￿3 50 2(X)63.50 4296Q.11 000 38937.50 81b57.51 PAYM8irs General Expense5 Fyo Tnaintsn3nce cepbonal Expendthre 15378 44 1039 86 65161 IfQ30 05 103g.86 Core Wot*- sknck (Jattsble m￿s1On Captsl P3yTrents Cost rf Money Raisng nsfers IDeMeen tenk accouNS) urthases 6844.65 276.40 7121.05 20063.50 20063 50 20(￿3 50 2(X)63. 2326?.95 928.01 40127.00 64317.96 REC8PTS less PAYMWS 19697.16 420111 .118950 17579 65 Cpenng b3￿nCeS as at as (ttanskr 01SJnds tom PontYp￿Jd 141644.44 1865.48 30095 95 I73f￿5 17 a accounts) F￿d Bill￿e$ as at31ffj3Q4 161341 937A7 28905.75 191114.12 KINGSLEY WILLIAM JOHN Maat TIA iawJ Bookkeeping 21 Andrews Court Rickards Street Graig Pontypridd CF37 1SF Email: kingsleyjohn@btintemet.com Tel: 01443 492146 Mobile: 07549 344473 Rnandal Co[￿￿'vAT. In¢omfrTgx' Rnandal Contrc4'VAT' Inc•m• Tax" Anancld Ccthl. VAT" InGOTh Ta¥ PontyPTidd Foodbank Accounts 23 September 2024 Sirlmadam. In the course of my examination of all Pontypridd Foodbank a￿OUnts no mattet has com¢ to my att¢ntion which gives m¢ r¢asonable cause to believe that in any matsrial reS￿t the requirements to keep accounting T￿OrdS whÈch aTe kept in accordan￿ with section 41 of tIK Act to prepare a¢¢ounts which acLX)rd with the acLX)unting records and Comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act h&ve not been nKt or lo which, in my opiniory attention should b¢ drawn in order to enable a proFr understsnding of the accounts to iK reached KJ J,L K W John (Membcr ofknociation ofAccountin8 Technicialls) KWJ Bookkeeping 23 September 2024