Trustees' report for the year ended 31 December 2024
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATION
Charity Trustees Aishah Ahmed (Chair) Akbar Hussain Kuwaz Ali
Registered Ofce
4 The Centre Walliscote Road Weston Super Mare BS23 1US
Bankers
Co-operative Bank 1 Balloon Street Manchester M4 4BE
Independent Examiner
Andrew Hole 183 Lymington Road Torquay Devon TQ1 4BA
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing Document
The organisation was formed and granted charitable status as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 23 October 2023 and with the charity number 1205358.
Trustee Selecton Method
The charity is governed by a constitution which was adopted on 24 August 2023.
Related Partes
Aishah’s Food Charity works in partnership with local catering businesses, foodbanks, food charities, homeless shelters, refugees and asylum seekers.
Trustees Appointment
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 5.
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.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
The objectives of the charity are:
The prevention and relief of poverty for the public benefit in Weston super Mare through the provision of hot, freshly cooked meals to people who are homeless and in financial need together with signposting to support services.
Where;
“Homeless” refers to those people who have no permanent residence or can be found in the public spaces of Weston super Mare.
The activities:
Aishah’s Food Charity is a local hot meal food bank supporting local people in Weston super Mare and surroundings who are struggling with food insecurity and financial difficulties. The charity also provides hot food to the homeless, homeless shelters, family centres and many other organisations who support the food insecurity initiative on a regular weekly basis.
PUBLIC BENEFIT REPORTING REQUIREMENT
The trustees have regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. The following section (‘Achievements and Performance’) gives a detailed account of the activities undertaken to fulfil the Charity’s objectives during the year 2023/2024.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
The charity started as a group in 1998 with helping a very small number of people, specifically the homeless serving teas and coffees. Gradually, it built up and in October 2023, we registered as an independent Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Number 1205358) with our own board of trustees.
The last year has been one of continued development in addressing food poverty in Weston super Mare and surrounding areas.
We have continued to provide hot meals on a regular weekly basis to those who are struggling with food poverty and food insecurity.
The demand for hot meals remained high but we were able to cope thanks to the commitment of our volunteers and the generous support of the community helping the charity out by recommending us to people they know who are in need and providing us with supplies such as water and cutlery.
Our ambition is to enhance our food charity and to go further to alleviate and combat the causes of poverty. A major step was taken towards this in the year to December 2023 when the word had spread, thanks to our local community, that Aishah’s Food Charity would help tackle and maintain food poverty. This has been achieved by the dedication of our volunteers, trustees and the support of the local people.
I must extend heartfelt thanks on behalf of the Trustees to our volunteers for their hard work, adaptability and dedication to the charity.
I also extend heartfelt thanks to the local catering businesses, family centres and homeless shelters who have supported us. In particular, the local community who have contributed food and finance to the food charity to ensure its continued operation.
Finally, thank you to my fellow Trustees and our volunteers for managing the charity and its development over the last year. Aishah Ahmed, Chair of Trustees
Foodbank Manager’s Report and Statstcs 2023/2024
When we gradually opened up our own premises for people to come and collect from our distribution site, we also created a delivery service and maintained a delivery service alongside this for those living further out or who had difficulty carrying or getting to our distribution site.
We have had a few stalls between May-July 2024 in schools, Weston Mela festival, Refugees Welcome Somerset and nursing homes to show what we have been doing as a charity and get the word out to more people about our charity.
We also applied and received grants from Waitrose, Tesco, One Stop, Thatcher’s Foundation, Weston Town Council, Quartet Community Foundation, Co-op, and Asda.
Most of our work is carried out by a wonderful group of local volunteers who do an amazing job.
Statstcs for Aishah’s Food Charity 202 3 /2024
People Helped Year 23/24 2000 people with over 10,400 meals.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The total receipts for the year 2023/24 amounted to £22,644.81.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
The charity plans to help more people as possible and distribute food on more days as our services at our distribution site is only open on a Wednesday every week. We would like to give food on more days to help handle food poverty as much as possible. We want to increase more delivery services and acquire a delivery vehicle so that we can have our own delivery vehicle rather than using volunteers delivery vehicles.
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 5th January 2025. Signed: Aishah Ahmed Chair of Trustees
Independent Examiner’s Report
Aishah’s Food Charity
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“The Trust”) for the year ended 31 January 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of the report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“The Act”)
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:-
-
The accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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The accounts do not accord with those records.
Aishah’s Food Charity
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 January 2025
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Funds | |||
| Cash at Bank | 7,565.86 | 0.00 | 7,565.86 |
| Total Cash Funds | 7,565.86 | 0.00 | 7,565.86 |
The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 15 March 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:-
Aishah’s Food Charity
Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31 January 2025
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts | |||
| Grants | 12,249.81 | 0.00 | 12,249.81 |
| Other Donations | 10,395.00 | 0.00 | 10,395.00 |
| Total Receipts | 22,644.81 | 0.00 | 22,644.81 |
| Payments – Charitable Activities | |||
| Purchases | 8,270.36 | 0.00 | 8,270.36 |
| PPS | 440.97 | 0.00 | 440.97 |
| Travel | 115.17 | 0.00 | 115.17 |
| Repairs | 77.19 | 0.00 | 77.19 |
| Adverts | 301.22 | 0.00 | 301.22 |
| Rent | 5180.00 | 0.00 | 5180.00 |
| Volunteers | 610.00 | 0.00 | 610.00 |
| Utility | 84.04 | 0.00 | 84.04 |
| Total Payments | 15,078.95 | 0.00 | 15,078.95 |
| Net Receipts | 7,565.86 | 0.00 | 7,565.86 |
| Funds brought forwards | 0.00 |
0.00 | 0.00 |
| Funds carried forward | 7,565.86 | 0.00 | 7,565.86 |