Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

THE BOW FOODBANK LIMITED

Registered charity 1162185 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BOW FOODBANK

Operation of an independent foodbank in Tower Hamlets

Causes: The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£782k
Latest spending
£831k
Registered
2015
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £48,874 for the year, resulting in a decrease in unrestricted reserves from £431,181 to £416,809. Despite this deficit, the trustees maintain that the charity has adequate resources to continue for the foreseeable future, supported by a bank balance of £483,445 and unrestricted reserves exceeding their stated policy target.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £60,000 - £69,999 — below the median for charities its size (£60k)
“The following number of employees received annual remuneration during the year between: £60,000 - £69,999” — page 30
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Employees paid over £60,000: 1
“The total employee benefits including pension contributions of the key management personnel were £68,930 (2024: £56,940 for one CEO).” — page 30
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Donations from trustees
“During the year the total donations received from trustees amounted to £1,410 (2024: £2,100). No trustee received reimbursement of expenses in either 2024 or 2025.” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£782k
Total spending
£831k
Cost of raising funds
£32k
Reserves (reported)
£417k
Employees
20

Reported reserves equal ~6.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (99% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 4.1% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Tower Hamlets

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£782k£831k
31/03/2024£887k£894k
31/03/2023£809k£670k
31/03/2022£523k£579k
31/03/2021£1.1m£646k

Common questions

Is THE BOW FOODBANK LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £48,874 for the year, resulting in a decrease in unrestricted reserves from £431,181 to £416,809. Despite this deficit, the trustees maintain that the charity has adequate resources to continue for the foreseeable future, supported by a bank balance of £483,445 and unrestricted reserves exceeding their stated policy target. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE BOW FOODBANK LIMITED earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £60,000 - £69,999 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds THE BOW FOODBANK LIMITED?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE BOW FOODBANK LIMITED as a grant recipient include THE HEADLEY TRUST, THE BUZZACOTT STUART DEFRIES MEMORIAL FUND, DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUND, BELVEDERE TRUST, KUSUMA TRUST UK.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE HEADLEY TRUSTFY2024£30kFoodbanks.
THE BUZZACOTT STUART DEFRIES MEMORIAL FUNDFY2024£29k
DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUNDFY2025£25kCore costs
THE BUZZACOTT STUART DEFRIES MEMORIAL FUNDFY2023£25k
THE HEADLEY TRUSTFY2025£20kGrants of £20,000 each were made to the following organisations for the provision of help with food and other basic needs:
BELVEDERE TRUSTFY2022£19k
THE HEADLEY TRUSTFY2023£10kFoodbank plus - Towards provision of help with food and other basic needs.
KUSUMA TRUST UKFY2024£10kRandom Act of Kindness
EAST END COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2024£10kTackling pensioner poverty
KUSUMA TRUST UKFY2023£10kRandom Act of Kindness
TOWER HILL TRUSTFY2025£6kto purchase emergency food for distribution to people in need in Tower Hamlets.
THE PETER STEBBINGS MEMORIAL CHARITYFY2022£5k
EAST END COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2024£5kProvision of feminine hygiene products
THE HEADLEY TRUSTFY2024£5kFoodbanks.
THE PETER STEBBINGS MEMORIAL CHARITYFY2023£5k
THE BUZZACOTT STUART DEFRIES MEMORIAL FUNDFY2025£5k
THE INMAN CHARITYFY2025£3kSocial - Older People and Social Welfare
CHARLES S FRENCH CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£3k
EAST END COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2023£3kCore Costs and Provision of Emergency Support
EAST END COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2023£3kBow Foodbank
The Merchant Taylors' FoundationFY2022£3kSmall Grants Scheme
The Dentons UK and Middle East LLP Charitable TrustFY2024£2k
The Dentons UK and Middle East LLP Charitable TrustFY2025£2k
THE CHILDHOOD TRUSTFY2024£2k
THE BUZZACOTT STUART DEFRIES MEMORIAL FUNDFY2022£1k
EAST END COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2023£700Operational Costs

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
Bird Song Trust1£65k
THE E H SMITH CHARITABLE TRUST1£58k
THE DOROTHY WHITNEY ELMHIRST TRUST1£40k
HACKNEY PAROCHIAL CHARITIES1£23k
HAMMERSMITH UNITED CHARITIES1£16k
THE REED FOUNDATION1£15k
WEST HACKNEY PAROCHIAL CHARITY1£15k
ROSCA TRUST1£8k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with EXETER FOOD BANK.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE BOW FOODBANK LIMITED£782k£60,000 - £69,9991unclear—no doubt
EXETER FOOD BANK FY2025£173k—0unclear—no doubt
THE HACKNEY FOODBANK FY2025£1.8m—0unclear—no doubt
SOUTHEND FOODBANK FY2025£265k—0within—no doubt
BRADFORD METROPOLITAN FOOD BANK FY2024£279k—0above—no doubt
GRANTHAM FOODBANK FY2024£279k—0unclear—noted

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.