**Charity Registration No. 102637** **Company Registration No. NI72847 (Northern Ireland)** **HMRC ref. XT13985** ## **BORING WELLS** **ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022** ## **BORING WELLS** ## **LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** ## **Trustees** Mrs A Craig Mr M McCann Mr M McCleary Mr P Buchanan Mr G McDade Mr P Rowden (resigned 3[rd] April 2022) **Charity number** 102637 **Company number** NI72847 **HMRC ref.** XT13985 **Principal Registered Office** St. Christopher’s Church 70 Mersey Street Belfast BT4 1EW **Independent examiner** CG Taggart Accountancy Services 17 Cypress Crescent Donaghadee Co. Down BT21 0QG **Bankers** The Co-operative Bank p.l.c. P.O. Box 101 Balloon Street Manchester M60 4EP ## **BORING WELLS** ## **CONTENTS** ||Page| |---|---| |Trustees' report|1 - 4| |Independent examiner's report|5| |Statement of financial activities|6| |Balance sheet|7| |Notes to the financial statements|8 – 16| ## **BORING WELLS** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022** The trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's Articles and Memorandum of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)” as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2019) which are prepared to meet the requirements for a directors’ report and accounts for the purposes of company as well as charity law. ## **Objectives and activities** The principal activity of the charity continued to be that of establishing and maintaining a network of mission shaped communities - focusing primarily on the work of St Christopher’s and the community around it. All of this has been achieved by support group meetings and providing premises and facilities to carry this out. ## **Compliance with Public Benefit** The Parish has considered the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's statutory guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities entered into during the year have furthered the Parish's objectives, for the public benefit. The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake. ## **Achievements and performance** Boring Wells works primarily in inner East Belfast, from its premises, St Christopher’s, Mersey Street. This was a “closed” church within the Church of Ireland Parish of Ballymacarrett. There is an active Faith Community that gathers on a Sunday morning as part of the wider community however the main work is now around The Larder, which in June 2022 transitioned from a Food Bank to a Community Food Hub. No charge is made for the use of the building. Our work this year has continued to grow and expand as we seek to address some of the issues around food poverty and food insecurity. In the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic we were faced with the realisation that people had become very dependent on us as a Food Bank; recognizing that this was neither sustainable or desirable we would make the decision to introduce a membership scheme. The public and various funders have given significant resources to deal with the resourcing of a new model and we continue to meet the needs presented to us. We have committed to sourcing as much of our stock from local suppliers - and this has led to positive relationships with The Bethany Greengrocer, Brian Roberts (Milkman), Four Leaf Farm, Allied Bakeries and Musgrave Cash and Carry. ## Community Food Hub The Larder Community Food Hub provides a dignified approach to accessing good food, with the hope of returning some agency to people who have been experiencing poverty. We have a membership of over 200 households and between 60 and 70 households per week accessing the Larder via a membership fee of £5 per year. They are then able to do a weekly shop of between £3 and £5 with access to a stable, regular supply of Fresh bread, fresh milk, fresh fruit and veg and fresh eggs, along with a range of store cupboard items. Soup bags, containing all ingredients and a recipe to make a simple soup at home are regularly provided as an added benefit. Blenders have also been provided as needed. Dinner packs have been made available containing a recipe and all ingredients (measured out for convenience) for people to try at home. **1** ## **BORING WELLS** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022** ## **Achievements and performance (continued)** ## Community Food Hub (continued) Alongside the Larder’s obvious activity of meeting the need caused by food poverty, there is a growing sense of a safe space, a community space where welcome is assured and acceptance need not be earned. The space is also now a hub for support from other churches, businesses and groups of neighbours around East Belfast and beyond. It is worthy of note that both donors and clients are multi-ethnic, all-age, and from all religious backgrounds including "none". ## The Larder Garden In collaboration with Grow NI the beds around St Christopher’s have produced a range of fresh fruit and vegetables which are used in the Larder Kitchen and also distributed to Larder members. We have a community Gardener for 3 hours per week who works alongside volunteers to plan, tend and care for the beds and the polytunnel. It is exciting to watch the connections being made between the green space and the food that we eat and encouraging members to try new foods. The picnic benches and seats provided by Navigate Financial Services continue to be put to good use and we also have a “Chatty Bench” as part of the East Belfast Community Development Agency Chatty Bench initiative on Mental Health. ## The Kitchen We serve tea, coffee and refreshments to people waiting to use The Larder and offer a simple tea on a Thursday evening - Hotdogs, chilli etc. This allows for community to be built as people enjoy a drink and a chat as they wait to use The Larder. ## Dinner’s Done Club We have continued to run “Dinner’s Done” clubs. Providing recipes, ingredients and slow cookers, when required for families and individuals to try new recipes at home. This provides important skills, removes barriers to participation and is very well received by all who take part. We are able to offer this on an ad hoc basis as an addition to the food always available. ## Electric Top Ups We worked in partnership with EBCDA and other agencies in East Belfast to distribute the fuel payment offered by Belfast City Council, and were also able to distribute £50 Electricity top ups at Christmas due to a generous donation from St Columba’s Parish’s Christmas Carol Service. ## Advice Service As part of a Feeding Britain Project with Advice NI we are part of a pilot scheme where an advisor has been placed in The Larder one morning per week during one of our sessions. ## Worship There is a regular weekly service on a Sunday morning. ## Other connections - FARESHARE - Food redistribution project - THE SCAFFOLDING PROJECT - working and advocating for those experiencing poverty - THE ROMA HUB - EAST BELFAST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY - EAST BELFAST MISSION - EAST BELFAST INDEPENDENT ADVICE CENTRE **2** ## **BORING WELLS** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022** ## **Achievements and performance (continued)** ## Other connections (continued) - EAST BELFAST CHURCHES NETWORK - TRUSSELL TRUST - ADVICE NI - STOREHOUSE - ST VINCENT DE PAUL - SAVE THE CHILDREN - BELFAST CITY COUNCIL - IN THIS TOGETHER CIC - FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL - EAST BELFAST - CONNSWATER - GLENTORAN - ULSTER WILDLIFE - EASTSIDE PARTNERSHIP - SURESTART - CFC - EAST BELFAST ANTI POVERTY ALLIANCE ## **Financial review** The Statement of Financial Activities on page 6 shows that the Parish had a net increase in unrestricted resources amounting to £65,875 (2021: increase of £59,802) and a net decrease of restricted resources of £525 (2021: decrease of £5,412). At the year-end our total funds amounted to £236,595 (2021: £171,245). ## **Reserves policy** It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a sufficient level. At the year end the unrestricted reserves totalled £236,120 (2021: £170,245). The trustees considers that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity's current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. We have retained significant reserves for a number of reasons. In principle we retain nine months operational costs. The premises we use may well be in need of significant maintenance and although we are a tenant the landlord has no resources to do this so it falls to us to enable us to continue our activities. We have a relatively short and uncertain tenancy so we need to maintain significant reserves to enable us to move premises which may happen at short notice. We also are retaining reserves in anticipation of recruiting new staff as the charity develops its work. ## **Going concern** After making appropriate enquiries, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis can be found in the Accounting Policies. The results for the year are set out in the attached financial statements. The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks. **3** BORING WELLS TRUSTEES, REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022 Structurei governance and management The charity is a company limited by guarantee and was set up by a Memorandum of Association since its incorporation on the 9 June 2009. The charity is registered in Northern Ireland under number N1072847. The company is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission under the registration number 102637 and accepted by HMRC as a charity under the reference XT13985. The charity's address is St Christopher's, 70 Mersey Street, Belfast, BT4 IEW, Northern Ireland. This is also the company's registered office address. Trustees delegate day-to-day management to Mrs M. Louise Ferguson. None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of 3 winding up. Princi al Office Bearer Chairperson: Treasurer: Secretary., The board have undertaken training in Governance (provided by NICVAI. Insurances are in place. Safeguarding Trust (the pollcy of the Church of Ireland regarding child protection and protection of vulnerable adults) is in place. Statement of trustees, responslbilities The trustees are responsible for preparingthe Trustees, Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accountlng Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law and the law applicable to charities in Northern Ireland requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources including the income and expenditure of the charity for that year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; makejudgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subiert to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and prepare the financial statements on the going cOn￿M basis Unle￿ it 15 inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. The trustees are responsible for keeping sufficient accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial poswtion of the charty and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. 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 tru5tees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees. Mr G McDade Mr M Mccann Mrs Alison Craig Mr M Mccann- Dirertor Date........- Jix/ . Director.