FOOD BEHIND BARS

Registered charity 1190462 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The organisation offers prisons in the UK with training and support to encourage improvement in the nutritional value, variety, and quality of the food served inside prisons. This includes menu consultation and development, staff training,cooking support and healthy eating initiatives. It also offers education on nutrition and healthy eating habits, cooking skills, growing and ingredients.

Objects

FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT,1.THE PROMOTION OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING, PARTICULARLY, BUT WITHOUT LIMITATION TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF PRISONERS IN UK PRISONS, THROUGH PROVIDING PROGRAMMES TO ENHANCE NUTRITION IN PRISONS AND PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING2.THE PROMOTION OF EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY BUT WITHOUT LIMITATION TO ENABLE PRISONERS, EX-OFFENDERS AND PEOPLE WHO WORK IN PRISONS, TO LEARN ABOUT HEALTHY EATING AND GOOD NUTRITION, AND TO DEVELOP SKILLS WHICH WILL PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING WHILST IN PRISON AND FOR THEIR FUTURE LIVES.

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Southend-on-Sea, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£141k

Latest spending

£146k

Registered

2020

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income decreased by approximately 8% to £141,303, while total expenditure increased to £146,417, resulting in a net deficit for the year. Despite this, the charity maintains unrestricted cash reserves of £32,622, which the trustees monitor through regular quarterly reviews and monthly cash flow statements.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Restricted funds (57% of income)

“During the year, the charity received £60,752 of unrestricted funds and £80,551 of restricted funds.” — page 18

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2025

Volunteers: 5
Government income: £57,549 — contracts £57,549 (5); 41% of the £141,303 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2024

Volunteers: 2
Government income: £62,000 — contracts £62,000 (2); 39% of the £158,588 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2023

Volunteers: 5
Government income: £11,333 — contracts £11,333 (1); 20% of the £57,510 total gross income on the same return

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Kate Eves OBEchair
Josie Bevan
Leon Aarts
Mehrunika Malik-Flynn
Sophie Tebbetts

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
05/04/2025	£141k	£146k
05/04/2024	£159k	£95k
05/04/2023	£58k	£78k
05/04/2022	£83k	£58k
05/04/2021	£19k	£2k

Common questions

Is FOOD BEHIND BARS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income decreased by approximately 8% to £141,303, while total expenditure increased to £146,417, resulting in a net deficit for the year. Despite this, the charity maintains unrestricted cash reserves of £32,622, which the trustees monitor through regular quarterly reviews and monthly cash flow statements. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds FOOD BEHIND BARS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name FOOD BEHIND BARS as a grant recipient include THE 4814 TRUST, THE AURUM CHARITABLE TRUST, THE GEORGE AND ESME POLLITZER CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE 4814 TRUST	FY2024	£30k
THE 4814 TRUST	FY2025	£15k
THE AURUM CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£10k
THE GEORGE AND ESME POLLITZER CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2025	£5k	Disabled and elderly
THE GEORGE AND ESME POLLITZER CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2024	£5k	Grant category header

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
The Goldsmiths' Foundation	2	£127k
MISS E F RATHBONE CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£6k
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION	1	£250k
THE SYBIL SHINE MEMORIAL TRUST	1	£208k
MOONDANCE FOUNDATION	1	£150k
THE QUILTER FOUNDATION	1	£150k
AKO FOUNDATION	1	£116k
London Homelessness Foundation	1	£114k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE FRIENDLY FOOD CLUB.

THE FRIENDLY FOOD CLUB income £255k
PRISONERS ABROAD income £1.8m
CAN COOK income £1.5m
The Foundation for Feeding, Education and Development income £275k
FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY UK income £96k
FOOD FOR THE BRAIN FOUNDATION income £464k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
FOOD BEHIND BARS	£141k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE FRIENDLY FOOD CLUB FY2026	£255k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
PRISONERS ABROAD FY2026	£1.8m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
CAN COOK FY2025	£1.5m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
The Foundation for Feeding, Education and Development FY2025	£275k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY UK FY2025	£96k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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