REFUSE C.I.C.

Company limited by guarantee

Company Registration Number:
09672997 (England and Wales)

Unaudited statutory accounts for the year ended 31 July 2024

Period of accounts

Start date: 1 August 2023

End date: 31 July 2024

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Contents of the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 July 2024

Directors report
Balance sheet
Additional notes
Balance sheet notes
Community Interest Report

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Directors' report period ended 31 July 2024

The directors present their report with the financial statements of the company for the period ended 31 July 2024

Directors

The directors shown below have held office during the whole of the period from
1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024

Mr Thomas Bray
Miss Nicola Dravers
Miss Miriam Skinner


The above report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions in part 15 of the Companies Act 2006

This report was approved by the board of directors on
16 March 2025

And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name: Miss Nicola Dravers
Status: Director

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Balance sheet

As at 31 July 2024

Notes 2024 2023


£

£
Fixed assets
Tangible assets: 3 92,318 47,844
Total fixed assets: 92,318 47,844
Current assets
Debtors: 4 6,157 3,201
Cash at bank and in hand: 107,040 228,698
Total current assets: 113,197 231,899
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year: 5 ( 71,470 ) ( 104,634 )
Net current assets (liabilities): 41,727 127,265
Total assets less current liabilities: 134,045 175,109
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year: 6 ( 23,101 ) ( 34,106 )
Provision for liabilities: ( 7,950 ) ( 9,093 )
Total net assets (liabilities): 102,994 131,910
Members' funds
Profit and loss account: 102,994 131,910
Total members' funds: 102,994 131,910

The notes form part of these financial statements

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Balance sheet statements

For the year ending 31 July 2024 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The directors have chosen not to file a copy of the company's profit and loss account.

This report was approved by the board of directors on 27 March 2025
and signed on behalf of the board by:

Name: Miss Nicola Dravers
Status: Director

The notes form part of these financial statements

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Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 July 2024

  • 1. Accounting policies

    Basis of measurement and preparation

    These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Section 1A (Small Entities) of Financial Reporting Standard 102

    Tangible fixed assets depreciation policy

    Tangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of the fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives on the following bases: Leasehold Over6 Years Straightline Plant & Machinery 20% Reducing Balance Motor Vehicles 25% reducing balance Fixtures & Fittings 10% straight line

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Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 July 2024

  • 2. Employees

    2024 2023
    Average number of employees during the period 15 13

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Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 July 2024

3. Tangible assets

Land & buildings Plant & machinery Fixtures & fittings Office equipment Motor vehicles Total
Cost £ £ £ £ £ £
At 1 August 2023 0 12,422 44,276 17,500 74,198
Additions 60,573 2,345 3,744 66,662
Disposals ( 872 ) ( 6,284 ) ( 7,156 )
Revaluations
Transfers
At 31 July 2024 60,573 13,895 41,736 17,500 133,704
Depreciation
At 1 August 2023 0 7,105 17,791 1,458 26,354
Charge for year 10,096 1,136 3,937 4,011 19,180
On disposals ( 611 ) ( 3,537 ) ( 4,148 )
Other adjustments
At 31 July 2024 10,096 7,630 18,191 5,469 41,386
Net book value
At 31 July 2024 50,477 6,265 23,545 12,031 92,318
At 31 July 2023 0 5,317 26,485 16,042 47,844

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Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 July 2024

4. Debtors

2024 2023
£ £
Trade debtors 1,229 50
Prepayments and accrued income 4,928 3,028
Other debtors 0 123
Total 6,157 3,201

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Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 July 2024

5. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year note

2024 2023
£ £
Bank loans and overdrafts 11,006 11,942
Trade creditors 471
Taxation and social security 4,701 10,962
Accruals and deferred income 54,434 81,471
Other creditors 858 259
Total 71,470 104,634

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Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 July 2024

6. Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year note

2024 2023
£ £
Bank loans and overdrafts 8,500 34,106
Amounts due under finance leases and hire purchase contracts 14,601 0
Total 23,101 34,106

COMMUNITY INTEREST ANNUAL REPORT

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Company Number: 09672997 (England and Wales)

Year Ending: 31 July 2024

Company activities and impact

The objects of the company are to operate projects aimed at reducing avoidable food waste, and to make safe, nutritious food available to everyone in the community including those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. This year, August 2022 to July 2023, we collected 129 tonnes of food and drink, diverting food from going to waste in landfill or Anaerobic Digestion. This has saved the equivalent of 494 tonnes CO2 emissions. In our community cafe, we served 16,539 hot meals in the daytime, and thousands more at evening restaurant nights and events. All meals made by volunteers, from food that would otherwise have been wasted, and served on a Pay What You Decide basis. We also have a community shop in the cafe where anyone can select and take home surplus food ingredients. Our Pay As You Feel model empowers people to recognise their skills, contribute to a local project and become included in an active community. We welcome everyone, including those who struggle to afford healthy hot meals, with the aim of feeding bellies not bins. Many of our volunteers and visitors to the cafe are long-term unemployed, socially isolated or experiencing problems with drugs and alcohol. The cafe provides a safe and welcoming community where people know to come, whether in crisis or not, and they will receive food, support, signposting and friendship, and gain skills and confidence as a step towards employment. We offer volunteering opportunities for people from all abilities, ages and backgrounds. Our Access to Volunteering programme supports people with barriers to volunteering including mental health issues, learning difficulties or physical disabilities, referred to us by colleges, NHS and other agencies. The programme saw 40 people supported in this year, many graduating on to either volunteering independently without the need for one-to-one support. We had around 180 active volunteers in total this year, who come from very varied backgrounds. Our Access to Volunteering programme has continued to grow, giving 1-to-1 support to people with barriers to volunteering. A film about the cafe, “Soul Food” was created and with contributions and writing from the whole cafe community. It includes the lines, “From a me, to a w” “This place saved my life, that’s the honest truth”. Other quotes from customers and volunteers in the cafe: “A welcoming community feel, with a huge environmental impact and a really different way of valuing each other.” “This is more than just a place to eat, it has the community at its heart and offers so much to support it and bring it together.” “I’d love to be able to go into a supermarket and say “I’d like that, that” but I just can’t I’m on benefits. I just can’t afford to do that. So I come up [to the cafe and partner project] every day. So that I can get a good meal. Because I can’t afford it otherwise.” “I think people who can pay more will, and people who haven’t got much will just pay what they can. And it just cuts out the embarrassment as well, it’s discreet, you can just put what you can in an envelope.” “I think it’s good. doesn’t matter what it is, put in what you can afford, at least you’ve had a good hot meal. Even if it’s just one meal a day at least you’ve had a good meal. “The community spirit is so important. You don’t just get the food – the food is almost like a welcome sort of addition, to the community aspect.” “Volunteering here is the best thing I’ve ever done. Before this, I did nothing and lived at home on my own.” Secondly, we aim to raise awareness at an individual, industry and government level about the environmental implications of food waste, and to engage and educate the community to be resourceful, not wasteful, and to cook simply, healthily and cheaply. Eat Smart Education project This year we have started a project working in primary schools, ‘Eat Smart’. Primary pupils lead the challenge to reduce food waste in their school and design solutions to tackle the problem. Five schools participated this year, seeing 20% average waste reduction per school (4 tonnes total). A celebration event was held at the cafe in July 2023 for five schools involving 60 pupils. Advocacy undertaken by Waste Warriors includes - Change to policies with one catering company to introduce soup to the menu to use up leftovers, introduce small tomatoes for younger children and a wider range of dried fruit in morning snacks - 80 parents and friends in one school watched presentation about Eat Smart by waste warriors - Message written to parents about letting children choose own menu to reduce waste - Youtube film with results of Eat Smart produced by school for school website. - Presentation to Bishops of Durham and York and 25 other people when they visited the cafe. - EatSmart Video produced by REfUSE Eat Smart County Durham Environmental Award 2023 overall winner for Outstanding Project and Cestria Primary School winner in the Schools’ category Engagement and education 8 sessions in Pelton Youth Club to talk about food waste, healthy eating and food growing. 25-30 children involved per session. 14 Community Champions giving a total of 113 volunteer hours to support events, give talks, provide training. 14 talks & events reaching 700 people to raise awareness of food waste 6 training sessions on using up surpluses and improving cooking skills (e.g.apple pressing, chutney and marmalade making, international cuisine, pickling and fermenting) Four events organised by Refuse in the cafe reaching 270 people Five major catering events to showpiece how “wasted” food can be made to taste good reaching 3000 people. Involved 44 volunteers Greenbelt National festival (1000 meals) North-East Skinny Dip (1500 meals) Gaia festival, Durham cathedral: (200 3-course meals) Eco-fest (200 meals) Christmas Day Meal in cafe (95 meals) 7 cafe visits and tours by young people. 190 people attended, supported by 5 community champions. A window displays to highlight our five-year celebration of food diverted from waste stream, CO2 diverted and volunteers involved. Launch of National Vegetarian Week by the National Vegetarian Society from the REfUSE cafe Regular facebook and instagram postings on a range of issues - 14,000 followers on Facebook with 30,000 interactions per month. 3,000 followers on Instagram Website updated with section for blogs to talk about specific issues. Blog page being redeveloped and updated Three radio interviews Wider advocacy and policy change Member of Food Durham Advisory Board meeting once per quarter to develop a food waste strategy and action plan for County Durham. Quarterly meetings with Durham County Council Low Carbon Economy Team - input into Climate Emergency Response Plan (CERP) in terms of influencing content and including actions.

Consultation with stakeholders

We welcome feedback from the community at all our events and at the cafe. We run surveys online and on paper in the cafe for restaurant night customers, waste not box recipients, catering and cafe customers, and volunteers. We also have an active online presence through social media platforms, and receive regular feedback and reviews from guests and other supporters from further afield. We hold volunteer meetings and social events regularly, and staff team meetings fortnightly, where we discuss feedback and how improvements could be made.

Directors' remuneration

No remuneration was received

Transfer of assets

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration

This report was approved by the board of directors on
16 March 2025

And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name: Nicola Dravers
Status: Director