2024-03-31-accounts

Brampton Foodbank

Annual Report

1 February 2023 to 31 March 2024

Registered Charity Number 1204340

Trustees' report for the period ended 31 March 2024

Registered Charity Number 1204340

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

CHARITY TRUSTEES

Susan Aglionby Robert Allan Angela Findon Elizabeth Furneaux Jennifer Harvey Michael Kane (chair) Gary Mitchell Philip Nichols Ann Oswin Brian Pease

REGISTERED OFFICE

Brampton Community Centre Union Lane Brampton CA8 1BX

BANKERS

National Westminster Bank

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Rob Hope 36 Jubilee Road Whitehaven

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing Document

The organisation was formed in February 2023 and granted charitable status as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 14 August 2023 and with the charity number 1204340.

The charity is governed by a constitution which was adopted on 1[st] February 2023.

Related Parties

Brampton Foodbank is an independent organisation. It works in collaboration with referral agencies, local churches, local schools, the NHS and other organisations which provide support into the community.

Trustee Selection Method

Trustees are appointed by the existing charity trustees for a 3-year term. The number of trustees shall be not less than 3 and no more than 13.

Risk Review

The trustees have conducted a review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed and systems have been established to mitigate those risks. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure they still meet the needs of the Charity.

Serious Incident

During the year ended 31 March 2024 no serious incident arose within the Charity that could significantly harm its work, beneficaries or reputation.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The relief of financial hardship amongst people in the rural communities’ east of the city of Carlisle, and the surrounding area in such ways as the trustees from time-to-time think fit, in particular but not exclusively by: A) Providing emergency food, essential toiletries, and household items to individuals and families in need and/or for distribution by charities or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.

• B) Such other means, including (but not limited to) the provision of support or signposting to relevant information and other advisory services.

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CHAIR REPORT

TRUSTEES

We began to operate the Foodbank in February 2023 with 10 trustees. Part way through the year, James Burke felt he was overcommitted and need to retire from the group. We owe James a great debt because he was one of those most responsible for our set up and initial ability to deliver food to those in need.

Phil Nichols joined us part way through the year and has taken on the role of treasurer very successfully.

My personal thanks to all the trustees for their contribution to the organisation and for the many stimulating discussions about our direction and response to the world outside. In particular, I would like to thank Beth for negotiating our agreement with Fare Share and to Jenny for picking up the onerous role of Secretary and for being a constant source of support.

We need to amend the constitution to reflect the changes in the trust board.

There remain three vacancies on the Trust Board if there are suitable candidates.

VOLUNTEERS

I would also like to record my thanks to all of our volunteers who have worked tirelessly to maintain the support we provide into the community. We recently had a campaign to find new volunteers and five or six addition people have begun to support us.

CLIENTS

The demand for emergency food has grown over the course of the year and a chart is included showing the number of days of food provided by month. As always, this chart includes food provided to adults, children and family pets. The average over the whole 14 month period is 287 days of food per month and this can be equated to the money spent on food during the reporting period. Also included on the chart is the average for the latest 9 months of the period where demand suddenly jumped and has since remained high. The average over this reduced period was 370 days of food per month and this will have implications for the forecast spend in the coming year if the demand is maintained. It would mean an increase of 30% spend per month over the period average and needs to be taken into account in applications for grant monies.

GRANTS AND DONATIONS

Over the course of the year we have been supported by numerous organisations and individuals. In particular, the Community Centre have supported us both financially and emotionally, there has been significant financial support from the Lottery Fund, the Friends of Brampton Hospital, the Community Fund, the Cumberland Building Society, Oak Tree Animal Sanctuary and Cumberland Council. In addition, local businesses, community groups, political

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organisations and numerous individuals have provided financial support as well as food donations.

I would like to reference William Howard School and King Moor School who have both been involved in donating food to us and in providing volunteer support which is both welcome and enthusiastic.

RISKS TO THE OPERATION IN THE COMING YEAR

Our ability to offer support into the community in the coming year has risk associated with it and the list below needs to be addressed. It cannot be a comprehensive list, there are risks that we are not aware of but those listed have a significant impact on the plans for the coming year some of which are intended to mitigate the risk

• We cannot repeat the level of grant support we got last year

• We don’t maintain contact with the referral agencies which artificially shrinks the demand for support

• We cannot repeat the public support we got last year

• The demand for support in the community increases significantly

• We lose volunteers for some reason that means we cannot function

• The community centre is unable to provide premises and support as has occurred this past year

PLANS FOR THE YEAR 2024-25

Looking ahead, to mitigate the risks to our operation and to improve the support we provide into the community there are a number of initiatives we would like to pursue, subject to available finance.

1. The accommodation we have in the Community Centre has enabled us to develop a purpose-built foodbank and warehousing for the reception and distribution of emergency food. We would like to make some minor adjustments to the way we are set up and because of our push towards fresh food we feel an additional refrigerator would offer more flexibility. Our current refrigeration and freezing equipment is usually full to overflowing. The adjustments and additions can be accommodated within our existing financing. We are working with the community centre management to put the changes into place.

2. It is imperative that we try to obtain funds to pay the rent on the foodbank. This is an immediate priority

3. We need to make application for grants for food, household products and as mentioned above for rent. There is less need than in the previous year for equipment and set up costs. This is an immediate priority.

4. The media sub group have come up with a plan to make us more visible in the community and that will involve getting out to the public and to local businesses. The cost of this initiative is covered by our current funding.

5. Other, larger, foodbanks call the referral agencies into their operation at regular intervals to update them and to make sure the connections into the agencies are up to date. We are not in a position to do this so we plan to target individual referral agencies and make sure all of their staff are aware of our presence. This approach will involve visits,

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meetings and quarterly bulletins. The costs are identified in our current budgets. We need to establish a working group to execute the plan.

1. Completion of our application to join CAF is a necessary precursor to the public outreach.

Finally, thank you again to my fellow Trustees, to our advisers and to our volunteers for managing and operating the organisation and its development over the last year.

Mikel Kane, Chair of Trustees

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TREASURER REPORT

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The total receipts for during the 14 months amounted to £25,815 .

Payments for the period amounted to £18,329.

At the year end the total balance of funds was £7,486

RESERVES POLICY

The trustees aim to manage the finances so that there are 3 months of reserves in the unrestricted funds in order to meet our financial obligations- primarily the costs of food , premises and other overhead costs. Reserves at year end complied with that policy.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

See the Chair Report

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report on 30[th] May 2024

Signed: Michael Kane Chair of Trustees

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IHARITY COMMISSH>N , FOR EN(￿AND ANO WALES RKfflptsand pa ments accounts CC16a Forth• p•n(é,. To Section A Receipts and paymeiilJ Unrnslncth￿1 tunds R•stspt•d ft￿05 EndoTh•nt Total funds A1 RK•l AR) s•t In Tot•1 rn¢•lpts 17.Kl) AJP• v¢￿ VdLthW T Sub tot•1 A4 Ass•t Ind Inv•siJrnnt Sub 1J.•02 N•t olrnc•lpW(p•ym•iii) AS Trnnf•rs b•h•n fund• A6 C•Jh Ivnds 1•st y•*r•nd C••h fund• th1• fftr•nd CCXX R1 •ce£4Jth Issi 3￿512024

Section B Statement of assets al'i.. j¢tl: i i i- i es at the end of the period Unr2stnct•d Reslricted ds Endowrnfrnt funds Calegones 01 C%h lunth Jm ETrdoTr•nt lund• funds Dolails Del411s ch•rW• u•• Oelails 8S ￿bIlItI•¥ Ptht Nam• Date of b•h•trOl4th•tr￿t*1I CCXXR2 4KcountslS8) 30n5Q024

Roport to tho trusteesl members of BRAMPTON FOODBANK On a¢c¢)unts for tho fourtoonth months ondod 31° March 2024 Charlty no Ilf any 1204340 Sgt out on pages Attached I report to the trustees on my examinalion ofthe accounts ofthe above charity {Ihe Trust.) for the year ended Re8ponslbllttles and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the P￿paratIOn basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Acr). I report in respect of my examination of th8 Trust's acix)unts cartied out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination. I have foltowed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145151(b} of the Act. I have compfeted my examination. I confim that no rnaterial matters have to my attention {other than that di$cbsed below.) in connection with the examinatron which gives me cause to believe that in. any material resp8Ct: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not &cord wtth the accounting records Independent oxaminerfs Statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understandirvJ of the accounts to be reached. . Please delete the words in the brackets rfthey do not appty. 8lgned: Ck 24 Namo: Rolwant profe88ional qualification(s) or body (If any): Kk.A Address: <J