## 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. 

1. So that our volunteers, members and the public can have confidence that Helensburgh Lunch Club is well regulated. 

2. To give broader possibilities for collaboration with other local and national charities eg. Local Grey Matters and Age Scotland’s activities. 

3. 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