Helensburgh Lunch Club Trustees Annual Report 2024-25
Why was your charity set up?
The Helensburgh Lunch Club was set up in 1980 to provide hot lunches and a meeting place for older residents of the Town and surrounding areas. In 2024 the Club changed its constitution to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) for the following reasons.
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So that our volunteers, members and the public can have confidence that Helensburgh Lunch Club is well regulated.
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To give broader possibilities for collaboration with other local and national charities eg. Local Grey Matters and Age Scotland’s activities.
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To give wider opportunities for funding applications.
Who does your charity help?
Helensburgh Lunch Club helps older people – mainly, though not exclusively, those over 70 years up to 100+, more than 90% of whom live alone. It particularly helps those who are not able to cook, only able to microwave ready meals or make sandwiches.
Just as important as the food is the company. Attending the Lunch Club helps with loneliness and the feeling of isolation.
Quotes: ‘It is such a pleasure to sit, chat and have a laugh - and some great food helps things along!’ ‘It gives me purpose and something to look forward to’. ‘We are just a family of friends who look out for one another’
What was done (outputs)
Two course hot lunches, cooked from scratch, are cooked and served by volunteers. From May 2024, 2 course lunches were served on two days a week to between 24 and 28 older people. On the third day, soup and a filled roll were served. From October 2024, a 2-course meal was served on the third day to around 18 people. Numbers steadily increased, and in the first year of being a charity, a total of 2,845 hot lunches were served.
A summer full day outing, with lunch, was arranged in June 2024.
A Christmas lunch was served to 60 members and guests in December 2024.
A Feedback Session, from the members, was arranged and completed by TSI,
Birthdays and ‘illness recovery’ are celebrated.
Volunteers are actively encouraged to interact socially with the members.
Lunch tables are arranged differently on each day so that members can meet different people on each day.
Quote: ‘I so enjoyed my lunch. It was lovely to have fresh vegetables’
What was achieved? (outcomes)
Helensburgh Lunch Club has a team of volunteers for each of the 3 days. They now serve around 100 two course meals a week.
Socialising amongst members has increased. Members are also happy to meet out with the Lunch Club.
Quote: ‘We talk about life, politics, Donald Trump, health issues. It’s companionship and getting out meeting people’
What difference was made? (impact)
Over the last year more people have attended the Lunch Club. In fact an average of 10+ more people on each day compared to a year ago.
Quote: ‘It has promoted real friendships, built confidence and the feeling of being valued.’
Challenges
Recruiting volunteers is not easy. Young people need to earn a living and retired people look after grandchildren.
Rent of the Church Hall goes up along with the huge jump in food prices.
The Quotes are from members’ thoughts at the Feedback Session.
Helensbu h Lunch Club Incom an eriod 1 ri12024 to 31 March 2025 2024 - 2025 2023 - 20 Income Lunch Inc £9,734.00 £0. £6.062.14 £563.76 £24.42 Sub6 Donation$ Summr Outing and Xmas Lunch VRC Co&ker Repayment Grants Totsl Incom• £600.CO £75.00 £352.80 £6.010.CK) £16,696.80 £0.00 £3,435.C £10.160.32 endltur• Tronsfer to Tesco cArd £3CQ. £5.945.19 £5,099. £62.27 £800.00 £4.411 82 £4,469.50 £82.16 £398.32 Prov181ons Rent and fuel Tel8phono Insuran £472.51 Christrftas lunch Summer Outing Fridge insurance Misc8llaneou8 Dlshw8sher Freezer URC Cooker Purthage Total Expenses £102.98 £1.085.15 £16.50 £0.00 £378.20 £111.34 £40. £18.00 £28.13 £1.472.38 £0.( £0.00 £259.LKI £352.80 £14,073.60 £11A11.65 Surplus for peaod £2,623,20 1£1.651.331 e Shoet as 31 March Openin9 balances Ba of Seotland Inttsm ths exFerKliivre for year Closing Balance £5,357.42 £2,623.20 £7,980.62 £7,008.75 1£1.651.33} £5.357.42 Closing Balan Bank of Scotland £7,980.62 .980.62 £5,357.42 £5A57.42 Total
uJi APPENDIX 3 OSCR Scottish Charity Regulator Independent examiner's rep_ort on the accounts Report to the | Charity name trusteeslmembers of IThe Helensburgh Lunch Club V2 Registered charity , SC053280 number On the accounts of the charity for the period I Period start date Month Period end date Month Year Day Year 104 to ,2025 Set out on pages (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) 2005 Act and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The charity trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1) (c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts examiner's statement Regulations. 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 seeks explanations from the trustees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. Independent examinerfs In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention [otPrn statement which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and to prepare accounts which accord wrth the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or Signed.": Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: "Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not appty. If the words do apply, set out those matter5 which have come to your attention on the following page. . OSCR will accept digital or typed signatures