for the Period Ended 31 July 2024
Directors report | |
Balance sheet | |
Additional notes | |
Balance sheet notes | |
Community Interest Report |
Directors' report period ended
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
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
And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name:
Status: Director
As at
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Fixed assets | |||
Tangible assets: | 3 |
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Total fixed assets: |
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Debtors: | 4 |
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Cash at bank and in hand: |
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Total current assets: |
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Creditors: amounts falling due within one year: | 5 |
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Net current assets (liabilities): |
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Total assets less current liabilities: |
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Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year: | 6 |
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Total net assets (liabilities): |
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Members' funds | |||
Profit and loss account: |
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Total members' funds: |
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The notes form part of these financial statements
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
and signed on behalf of the board by:
Name:
Status: Director
The notes form part of these financial statements
for the Period Ended 31 July 2024
Basis of measurement and preparation
Tangible fixed assets depreciation policy
for the Period Ended 31 July 2024
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Average number of employees during the period |
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for the Period Ended 31 July 2024
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Cost | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
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Charge for year |
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On disposals |
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At 31 July 2024 |
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Net book value | ||||||
At 31 July 2024 |
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At 31 July 2023 |
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for the Period Ended 31 July 2024
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Trade debtors |
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Other debtors |
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Total |
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for the Period Ended 31 July 2024
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Bank loans and overdrafts |
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Taxation and social security |
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Other creditors |
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Total |
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for the Period Ended 31 July 2024
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Bank loans and overdrafts |
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Amounts due under finance leases and hire purchase contracts |
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Total |
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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.
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.
No remuneration was received
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