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2025-03-31-accounts

STAND AGAINST RACISM & INEQUALITY TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT MARCH 31 2025

Trustees’ Annual Report

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REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

CHARITY NAME Stand Against Racism & Inequality

REGISTERED OFFICE AND 15 Portland Square OPERATIONAL ADDRESS St Pauls Bristol BS2 8SJ

COMPANY NUMBER 3060925 CHARITY NUMBER 1047699

STATUS SARI became a company limited by guarantee on 24th May 1995 and was registered as a charity on 3rd July 1996. The organisation is governed by its Articles of Association and the Companies Act 2006.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows: Abdul Samad Tariq Christina Fernandes Luke Majithia Martin Walker Chair Reuben Chatterjee Ronald Douglas Treasurer Sumayyah Malna Vishal Mall

COMPANY SECRETARY James Evans SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM Alex Raikes MBE DL Chief Executive Temba Mahari Head of Services James Evans Head of Finance, HR and Resources

BANKERS National Westminster Bank Flagstone Group Ltd 250 Bishopsgate 1st Floor, Clareville House London 26-27 Oxendon Street EC2M 4AA London SW1Y 4EL

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER McCloud Ng’onga FCCA, CTA AcTax Consulting Ltd 11 Consort Road Higher Bartle Preston PR4 0QH

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CONTENTS

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This year’s progress was driven by one clear mission: to challenge hate and build a fairer, safer society for all. This mission is powered by hope, resilience, and the relentless efforts of our team, and the communities we work with, to create lasting change.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

In August 2024, a teenager carried out a mass stabbing at a dance class, killing three young girls and impacting an entire community. A rumour went round, completely false, that the person responsible was a Muslim asylum seeker. This disinformation fanned the flames of division that had been bubbling for many months and was a catalyst for widespread racist and Islamophobic rioting and violence across the UK.

Israel’s attack on Gaza continued. A ceasefire that came into effect in January ended two months later. By the end of March 2025, over 50,000 people had been killed, but some say these figures are much higher.

Tell Mama recorded the highest number of anti-Muslim hate cases in 2024 since its inception. These were driven by the war in Gaza, news reports on grooming gangs, and the stabbings in Southport. In the same year, the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitic hate, recorded the second highest reports of antisemitism in its history.

Elections took place across Europe, with the far-right gaining popularity in many of the polls. In the UK, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party came into power after 14 years of a Conservative government.

Despite being across the Atlantic, Donald Trump’s election win at the end of 2024, and the subsequent policy implementations, have had far-reaching ramifications. The decision to ban diversity, equality and inclusion targets looks to already be impacting the UK.

It was with great sadness that we received the news of the passing of Paul Stephenson. Many will know Paul for his historic role in the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott—a pivotal moment in the struggle against racial discrimination in the UK. His courageous actions, alongside those of fellow activists, were instrumental in laying the foundations for the Race Relations Act of 1965. But to us, Paul was more than a civil rights icon. He was a steadfast advocate and supporter of our charity, and a lifelong champion in the fight against racism and inequality. We will always remember him fondly for his unwavering commitment to justice and the powerful legacy he leaves behind.

This year also saw the passing of Richard Allen. Richard was a stalwart supporter of SARI for many years. He joined our Board as a co-optee in May 2011 having got to know Batook Pandya MBE DL, founder Director of SARI when he was working for Avon & Somerset Constabulary and the National College of Policing on improving policing approach to race relations and cultural competency. Richard remained heavily committed to and involved with SARI until he passed away on 29th December this year. He and his equally supportive wife, Ann Allen, attended nearly every single SARI AGM and was always available to share advice and insight even after moving to Dorset and being diagnosed with Myeloma which meant wrestling with a very serious illness. Richard was a tireless campaigner for equality and justice who dedicated so much of his life to volunteering for SARI and others in need. He was always positive no matter what he was dealing with personally. We were devastated to lose him after all these years.

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WELCOME FROM MARTIN WALKER

CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

I’m delighted to welcome you to Stand Against Racism & Inequality’s annual report. As always, this is a testament both to the dedication of our team in standing against hate and to the strength of the people we support. In this report, we hear from people who’ve been harassed in their homes for their disability, whose children have been bullied in school for their race, and people who’ve been assaulted by neighbours for their sexual orientation. People seek SARI’s support for many different reasons, but they all have one thing in common; they’ve been targeted because of someone else’s prejudice.

I know from personal experience how valuable SARI’s services are, and the difference they make to people who’ve experienced hate-motivated incidents and prejudice. In the aftermath of the riots that tore through our communities in the summer, this work is even more important. The riots also highlighted the need for our preventative work. Our education service has come under increasing demand this year, and our small education team has been busy responding as you’ll see in this report.

We go into the next year in the context of proposed changes to disability benefits. This is causing huge anxiety for many disabled people and, because of the rhetoric around these proposals, there is concern that there could be an increase in disablist hate. We will continue to monitor this and be ready to respond if this is the case.

There has been a clear shift to more right-wing parties and, as a result, we’re also seeing increasingly hostile policies which are eroding human rights for those seeking sanctuary, for LGBTQ+ people, and for women. The narratives that go along with these too often demonise marginalised communities.

I want to take the time to thank everyone at SARI who works so hard to make our communities safer for everyone. I am grateful to the many partner agencies and stakeholders who support our work, collaborate with us to make our clients’ lives better and who are allies in our fight against hate and prejudice. We couldn’t do our job without them. Finally I want to thank all our donors, fundraisers, and partners who invest in us. We were overwhelmed by people’s generosity following the riots and, thanks to you, we can continue standing firmly against hate.

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WELCOME FROM ALEX RAIKES MBE DL

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Welcome to our 2024-2025 annual report. For me, this is a chance for us to reflect on the challenges we’ve faced, the progress we’ve made, and the extraordinary strength and resilience of the people and communities we support.

This year has brought continued demand for our services, demonstrating the ongoing and critical need for a specialist agency committed to tackling hate crime, supporting victims, and promoting justice and equality. Whether responding to incidents of racism, religious intolerance, homophobia, transphobia, disability hate, or any form of targeted abuse, SARI has remained unwavering in our mission to stand beside those who need us most.

Behind every statistic in this report are real people with powerful stories—individuals and families who have experienced trauma but have also found courage, advocacy, and hope. Our team, partners, and volunteers have gone above and beyond to do all possible to make sure that people facing hate and discrimination don’t feel alone. I only wish that my younger self and my family had a SARI to turn to. I was on my own with no one talking about racism—let alone doing something about it. Facing racist abuse was an everyday norm and you could never imagine reporting it to anyone. It wasn’t even articulated within our family—let alone on the outside.

I am immensely proud of our collaborative work with statutory agencies, community groups, and schools. These partnerships are vital to creating safer, more inclusive spaces for everyone. Together, we continue to challenge injustice, influence policy, and educate for lasting change.

To our supporters, funders, and allies—thank you. Your trust enables us to continue this vital work.

And to every person who has come to SARI in a time of need: thank you for your bravery and for allowing us to walk alongside you.

As you read through this year’s report, I hope you feel inspired, informed, and empowered to continue standing with us against hate and inequality.

With gratitude and solidarity,

Alex

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WHO WE ARE: CHAMPIONS FOR EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

We are an anti-hate charity based in Bristol and operating across Avon and Somerset. We are dedicated to supporting victims of hate crime and hate incidents, whilst providing training and education around the causes and impact of hate in our communities. Our charitable objectives are:

WHAT WE DO: STANDING AGAINST HATE

We offer vital support to victims of hate crime, helping them to work through the aftermath of hate, advocating with them for justice, and ensuring that they feel safe in their community. We collaborate with local agencies and communities to prevent hate incidents, promote equality, and enhance community cohesion.

Additionally, we provide training and education to challenge negative perceptions, and promote equality, diversity, and cultural awareness. Our programs reach key service providers like the police, housing associations, schools, and social care providers, empowering them to make a positive impact on people’s lives through better understanding.

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HATE ON OUR STREETS

In July and August 2024, towns and cities across the UK erupted in violence after the tragic murder of three young girls. Disinformation spread that the killer was a Muslim asylum seeker with a later post falsely claiming that he was someone who had come to the UK on a small boat. Social media played a huge role in the spread of this disinformation.

Riots, motivated by xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia, spread across the country, leaving many, especially those from minoritised backgrounds, feeling unsafe in their own communities. Mosques and hotels housing people seeking sanctuary were targeted by the violence, as were the homes and businesses of people from minoritised communities.

On August 3rd, the riots came to Bristol, as protesters converged on Castle Park, meeting counter protesters when they got there. At one point, people splintered off and headed towards a hotel they believed was housing people seeking sanctuary. Counter protesters formed a line to protect the people inside the hotel, with chants of “we are many, you are few, we are Bristol, who are you” clearly letting the rioters know that they were not welcome.

The following week, rumours spread that the far-right were going to target immigration and refugee services on Old Market. Bristol communities again came together in solidarity to protect the city and, whilst no far-right protesters showed up, demonstrated that hate is not welcome in our city. As a result of the riots, we swiftly issued guidance for people on how to respond when confronted with hate. We worked behind the scenes with community groups to ensure they felt supported, informed and allyship.

Following the riots, we saw a huge coming together of the community. At SARI, we were overwhelmed by the support that people showed our charity in their desire to stand in solidarity against hate. However, we know that the hate that led to the riots did not disappear when they stopped, which is why we are working within our communities to ensure that we are prepared, resilient, and that we continue to stand against hate.

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MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

669 259 621 REFERRALS CASES OPENED VICTIMS SUPPORTED

89 TRAINING SESSIONS DELIVERED

89 801 TRAINING SESSIONS DELIVERED TRAINING ATTENDEES 113 3945 SCHOOL SESSIONS DELIVERED SCHOOL SESSION ATTENDEES

9121 PEOPLE ACCESSED OUR WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HATE CRIME

86% OF OUR CLIENTS GAVE US OUR HIGHEST RATING AVAILABLE

100% OF OUR CLIENTS SAID THEY FELT ABLE TO TRUST OUR STAFF

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FURTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

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BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET

OUR WORK IN THE AREA

Despite its apparent affluence, Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) faces hidden poverty, deprivation, and housing pressures. SARI has supported the community since 1991, remaining one of the longest-running and few surviving equalities charities in the area.

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, our Every Victim Matters project provides hate crime casework and outreach across BANES, North Somerset, and Somerset, in partnership with Diversity Trust and SWAN Advocacy.

BANES Council funds our work in schools, social care, and the Virtual School, enabling free assemblies, staff training, and one-to-one support. The success of this program has led to similar services in South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

We are again grateful to Jason Pegg and the Black Families Education Support Group, who are key partners in advancing race equality in BANES schools.

==> picture [596 x 403] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
36 4 3
REFERRALS DISABLIST DISCRIMINATION
RECEIVED REFERRALS REFERRALS
1
1 32
SEXUAL
FAITH RACE
ORIENTATION
REFERRAL REFERRALS
REFERRAL
17
CASES OPENED
----- End of picture text -----

Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.

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BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET

CLIENT CASE STUDY CASE #035-2024/25 – RACE HATE

Our client is a dual heritage man who lives with his wife and children near Bath. He and his wife contacted SARI after experiencing years of harassment at the hands of their neighbours, which they felt the police were not taking seriously.

The first incident happened when the family were invited to their neighbour’s house for a party. The host of the party made a racist comment towards our client, at which point he and his family left. Following this interaction, they said there were many more incidents towards him and his wife, including threatening behaviour and verbal abuse, which left the family afraid to go outside without checking if the neighbour was nearby.

Our clients attempted to make police reports but felt dismissed, and that police were implying that they were the issue. The response by

the police left them feeling targeted by the police themselves and that the police were ignoring the racial aspect of the incidents. Our clients submitted several police complaints detailing this, in the hope that if the police started to take the harassment seriously, their family could begin to feel safe in their home. They were also keen that the police learned from their handling of the case. We supported them throughout this, arranging meetings with the police to discuss the case. A key part of our support was taking the abuse seriously where the police were not, showing them that we understood, and explaining what could be done to resolve the issues. Whilst it is still an ongoing case, our clients know that we are there to hold the relevant authorities to account and support them throughout the process.

“ “Thank you so much. Very good supporting me and my son, coming to my house gave us confidence.” — CLIENT #118-2023/24

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BRISTOL

OUR WORK IN THE AREA

In 2024, Bristol was rocked by far-right riots that have heavily impacted our work and the communities we support. In response to this unrest, Central Government gave funding to cities and towns most damaged and impacted by the violence. As part of this, we will be providing guidance to mosques and other community buildings. We also continued to work closely with the family of Hubert Isaac Brown, a beloved member of the community who was killed in a racially motivated attack on Friday 29th September 2023.

We lead the Bristol Hate Crime & Discrimination Service (BHCDS), partnering with Brandon Trust, Bristol Law Centre, Resolve West, Off the Record, and Bristol Mind. Through this partnership, we hosted Voices of Victims, a roundtable where people with lived experience of hate crime or discrimination shared their concerns and ideas on improving the city’s response. It included senior officers and decision-makers from Avon & Somerset Constabulary, Bristol City Council, the CPS, NHS Trusts, the Clinical Commissioning Group, housing associations, education, and other key providers. The service, funded by Bristol City Council, remains the only partnership of its kind nationally.

We play a significant role in Bristol, co-chairing and participating in many strategic partnerships, operational groups, and equalities networks. These cover key areas of housing, public transport, community safety and tensions and focus on the different protected characteristics, intersectionality and communities who particularly face inequalities and hate e.g. race, faith, disability, LGBTQ+, refugees, and the Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities, where more direct engagement is needed.

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----- Start of picture text -----
369 1 41 10
REFERRALS AGE DISABLIST DISCRIMINATION
RECEIVED REFERRAL REFERRALS REFERRALS
1
17 7 MARRIAGE 7
FAITH GENDER AND CIVIL MATE CRIME
REFERRALS REFERRALS PARTNERSHIP REFERRALS
REFERRAL
24
297 1 6
SEXUAL
RACE SEX/MISOGYNY TRANSPHOBIC
ORIENTATION
REFERRALS REFERRAL REFERRALS
REFERRALS
148
CASES OPENED
----- End of picture text -----

Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.

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BRISTOL

CLIENT CASE STUDY

CASE #178-2021/22 – HOMOPHOBIC HATE

Polly came to us in late 2021, after being targeted for her sexual orientation by people who lived in her apartment block. She was being subjected to constant abuse and threats by the perpetrators, and, on one occasion, she was physically assaulted which left her with lasting injuries.

The abuse was incessant and left her feeling afraid to leave her flat. She became increasingly isolated, her sleep and eating were disrupted, and her mental health suffered severely.

When Polly came to us, it was clear she needed someone to support her to get her voice heard. Her Project Worker, Tara, worked hard to raise the hate crimes with the police and housing, making sure they were taking it seriously.

We attended various meetings to ensure she was

being heard, helping her to prepare for them so that she felt confident to attend. We signposted her to relevant specialist agencies, making sure she was getting the support she needed as the persistent abuse was having an impact on her mental health.

All of this work culminated in her getting placed on band one for new housing, meaning she was a higher priority for a house move. Polly moved earlier this year, which has been transformative for her. Life is a lot more positive; she has made new friends and has started volunteering, rebuilding her life following the incessant trauma of the homophobic hate crimes that she experienced.

“ “The work SARI does isn’t recognised enough. Tara’s patience, kindness and open mindedness was so unlike the responses you usually get. I really appreciated coming to a place where there is no judgement.”

— CLIENT #131-2022/23

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NORTH SOMERSET

OUR WORK IN THE AREA

We have been working hard in North Somerset to raise awareness of our work and make sure that we’re reaching the people who need us. Our dedicated team delivered empowerment sessions, trainings, and attended numerous festivals, including several Pride events, ensuring we were visible and known throughout the area.

Along with the funding for the Every Victim Matters (EVM) project, we’re very grateful to have been funded by North Somerset Council to deliver interventions in schools, working with children and young people who are responsible for, or targeted by, hate crime – we are in the process of negotiating for this work to continue next year. Schools in North Somerset have become increasingly more diverse, and we’ve been working with schools to respond positively to this change and to empower staff to make classrooms a more inclusive place.

We’re funded by several Housing Associations, including Alliance and LiveWest who have lots of homes in North Somerset, to provide support for residents and staff, helping to create homes for people that are more tolerant and understanding.

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----- Start of picture text -----
31 5 1
REFERRALS DISABLIST DISCRIMINATION
RECEIVED REFERRALS REFERRAL
1
1 27
SEXUAL
FAITH RACE
ORIENTATION
REFERRAL REFERRALS
REFERRAL
14
CASES OPENED
----- End of picture text -----

Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.

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NORTH SOMERSET

CLIENT CASE STUDY CASE #011-2024/25

Our client is originally from South Africa and now lives in North Somerset. He came to us after his neighbour made xenophobic comments towards him. He had been putting up a fence between their properties which the neighbour was unhappy about. Our client is autistic and doesn’t like to engage with people that he doesn’t know; when the neighbour overheard him speak to his girlfriend she directed a xenophobic comment at him.

The harassment escalated when another neighbour became involved. This neighbour began to make death threats towards our client and subjected him to further xenophobic abuse. This neighbour also made homophobic comments. Our client reported the incidents to both his Housing Association and the police but was struggling to get them to take him seriously.

We supported and advocated with our client, making sure he was taken seriously by the police and that they

were treating the incidents as hate crimes and galvanised his housing association to help him deal with the perpetrator. The police invited the perpertrator to interview under caution. The housing association also began to take action, holding a case conference to discuss the abuse. They went on to issue a Notice of Seeking Possession and invited the neighbour who had been perpetrating the constant hate to conflict coaching.

Unfortunately, the abuse and harassment is ongoing, and we continue to support our client so that one day he will be able to live in his home, undisturbed, and without fear of hate.

“ “I think SARI and Bill were very thoughtful and understanding. I would recommend SARI to anyone with similar issues as mine. Thank you.”

— CLIENT #101-2023/24

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SOMERSET

OUR WORK IN THE AREA

Somerset is the largest area (geographically) that we serve and is a predominantly rural county that also encompasses market and coastal towns. Behind its beautiful landscape, picturesque villages and popular tourist spots, Somerset has major pockets of deprivation and many of the people and families we support are very isolated. There is a lack of community resources and specialist provision for Black and Minority Ethnic, Faith, LGBTQ+ and Disabled communities and people. This is a challenge for SARI, as it can be harder to reach people in the more rural areas who may not have heard of our service but who desperately need our support. Last year, however, after sustained efforts by our team to deliver training and outreach, we saw a significant rise in referrals from local agencies such as the police.

Rumours of planned unrest during the August 2024 riots caused fear and concern amongst some of the communities we work with in Somerset. We attended a variety of English Conversation classes where, with the help of interpreters, we were able to connect with people during a time of fear and mistrust.

We were awarded funding to deliver our education interventions in six schools in Somerset, enabling us to go into schools that are in areas of higher deprivation. Somerset is becoming more diverse, which was especially reflected in the primary schools we went to, and it was wonderful to see students engaged and that they were viewing this as an opportunity for building their understanding.

==> picture [596 x 395] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
98 17 3
REFERRALS DISABLIST DISCRIMINATION
RECEIVED REFERRALS REFERRALS
7
2 68
SEXUAL
MATE CRIME RACE
ORIENTATION
REFERRALS REFERRALS
REFERRALS
5 40
TRANSPHOBIC REFERRALS CASES OPENED
----- End of picture text -----

Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.

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SOMERSET

CLIENT CASE STUDY

CASE #138-2024/25 – DISABLIST HATE

Our client has been disabled for most of her life due to an injury that was not her fault. She lives in an accessible bungalow. After lobbying Somerset Council for a disabled parking space due to not being able to walk long distances, she was granted one.

Our client came to us after neighbours on her street kept parking in her disabled parking spot. She ignored this for some time, avoiding confrontation and would just wait for them to move from her space before moving her car into it. One day, she found that someone had smeared dog faeces on the door handle of her car, which she believed was a targeted incident because of her disability and people not understanding why she needed the space.

We arranged a meeting with her housing officer. We also worked with the police officer in charge of her case. They organised a beat surgery for the estate, which we attended to explain the support we offer and the importance of reporting hate. The police also completed a letter drop.

Alongside these actions, we contacted the local MP on our client’s behalf, asking them to look into the case. They are taking action to support local disability parking, including changing local laws so that fines can be applied for parking in public disabled spaces.

After the letter drop, which established the presence of the police and the severity of the crimes, our client hasn’t seen the perpetrators again. Her neighbourhood feels much safer now; in her words “everything is calm”.

“ “Good is not a strong enough reflection of the support I received from Tim. I very much apppreciate the work that you and SARI as an organisation have done for me over the time we have worked together ... that recognition together with SARI’s unwavering support and protection of me made a significant

difference to how I was able to face the degree of well-targeted abuse and disability directed towards me over the last four years.”

— CLIENT #249-2021/22

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SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

OUR WORK IN THE AREA

South Gloucestershire, though largely rural, has a higher population density than the national average and saw the highest population increase in our service areas according to the latest census. It has lots of new housing developments and is growing in terms of enterprise. With this comes lots of new and diverse residents. This year was one of the highest reporting years we have seen for South Gloucestershire.

We’re grateful to South Gloucestershire Council for continuing to contribute to hate crime and outreach/preventative services, including our education interventions. Sadly, our South Gloucestershire Council funding is being significantly reduced after this year. We will get a much smaller contribution for our work in schools and are having the funding for our core hate crime services in the area nearly halved. We are busy fundraising so we can continue to meet the needs of the area and offer a free service to local schools. This is all the more important as we have seen an increase in hate incidents in schools, leading to rising demand for our specialist education interventions.

Our work with the Youth Offending Team has gone from strength to strength; our training, reflective conversations, and one to one support for young people responsible for hate incidents have a huge impact. This year we were awarded a significant new contract with South Gloucestershire Children’s and Adult Social Care. Funding SARI to this level demonstrates their willingness to prioritise and support services that tackle hate crime despite the ever-decreasing funding for Local Authorities. This programme launched in February and we will kick off next year with specialist sessions on disability and LGBTQ+ equality. We would also like to thank Bromford and LiveWest for funding our specialist work in this area.

Our dedicated team continued to be active in the area, working to increase awareness of our service. They delivered several awareness sessions for newly arrived communities, making sure that people know where to turn to if they experienced hate crime or hate incidents.

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----- Start of picture text -----
105 10 3
REFERRALS DISABLIST DISCRIMINATION
RECEIVED REFERRALS REFERRALS
1
5 82
PREGNANCY
FAITH RACE
AND MATERNITY
REFERRALS REFERRALS
REFERRAL
6
3 37
SEXUAL
TRANSPHOBIC CASES
ORIENTATION
REFERRALS OPENED
REFERRALS
----- End of picture text -----

Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.

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SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

CLIENT CASE STUDY

CASE #167-2024-25 – RACE HATE

Our client, who lives in South Gloucestershire, is a teenager who came to us after years of racist verbal abuse from other students in her school year. She had had to endure comments and remarks about her hair and the colour of her skin, with the abuse following her from the school playground into the classroom. This led to the client becoming anxious and withdrawn from her family. One afternoon when walking home from school, the students targeted the client with further abuse and threatened to kill her. At this point the racist bullying had started to disrupt her learning at school.

After speaking with our client’s mother to understand the context of the referral, we contacted the police and the school for further information on how the incidents had been addressed. We spoke with the pastoral lead, who explained the school’s policies and measures that had been put in place

to keep the client safe. We did work through the education team at SARI to have 1:1 sessions with one of the young people who’d been carrying out the bullying, but further intervention was hard without engagement from parents.

We then developed and delivered 1:1 sessions for the client aimed at empowerment, emotional support, and practical support. We covered the topics of identity, effective communication and advocacy skills, so that she could grow her confidence and stand up to incidents in a safe and effective way. We also provided the client with tips to improve her wellbeing, and help her deal with any emotions she may be feeling due to the abuse she has faced.

The client is much less withdrawn, calmer, and can focus on her schoolwork and day-to-day life without worrying about further abuse. Her confidence has grown, and she is able to effectively advocate for herself and others who may be experiencing similar incidents at school.

“The whole process was good. There was good “ communication and that put me at ease. The school took on board what SARI said.”

— CLIENT #387-2020/21

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EDUCATION: INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION

Sadly hate and prejudice-based incidents continue to be prevalent in education settings. Families come to us for support for their children and young people. This year, we opened 41 education-related cases, which made up 16% of our total caseload. This is the highest percentage of education cases on record for SARI. Of these, 5 were in post-16, 9 were in primary schools, 22 were in secondary schools, and 5 were not specified.

This year we have been encouraged that more schools have referred young people directly, showing they are proactively tackling hate. Often these referrals come after we have delivered staff training, assemblies, or workshops in their organisations. Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire local authorities enabled us to offer such interventions free of charge while in Somerset, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Somerset Community Foundation funded interventions for schools. In Bristol and elsewhere some schools have been able to find the funding to work with us to prevent hate.

42 43 HATE CRIME CASES OPENED FOR SCHOOLS WE WORKED WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

803 NUMBER OF TEACHERS WE TRAINED

3142 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED OUR HATE CRIME SESSIONS

10 25 CASES OPENED IN CASES OPENED IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS SECONDARY SCHOOLS

7 CASES OPENED IN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY

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EDUCATION: INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION

CLIENT CASE STUDY

CASE #122-2024/25

Maya came to us after her son was racially abused at school. There was a breakdown in communication from the school, and she only found out when her son retaliated. She arranged a meeting with the school, during which the focus seemed to be on her son’s behaviour, with little time and understanding given to the racial abuse that provoked it. Maya felt let down by the school, as they seemed more intent on blaming her child rather than appreciating the seriousness of and the impact of the racist incidents. Maya was also concerned as, whilst the child responsible for the racism was sanctioned and forced to apologise, it became apparent that it wasn’t an isolated incident. There were no restorative conversations or education as to why the language he used led to this sanction.

When Maya came to us, she was understandably upset and frustrated at how the school had handled the incidents. We made a report to the police on her behalf. We had a meeting with the headteacher, during which we discussed the pattern of hate incidents. We helped them understand the gravity of the situation and encouraged them to separate hate and prejudicebased incidents from their bullying policy, to reflect that, due to their severity, incidents of hate and prejudice should be dealt with differently.

With both the police and the school, we focused on education and prevention rather than punishment. With the school’s agreement, we delivered an assembly to the year with the support of the PCSO in charge of the case. It provoked brilliant engagement from the children and, in Maya’s words, this “became a turning point.”

As a result of our close work with the school, they have now made the changes to separate hate and prejudice-based behaviour from their bullying policy, meaning that they have been able to adapt their sanctions following hate incidents. They have also incorporated a lot more education into these sanctions in order to prevent future incidents. Maya was very happy with the work we did to both support her and her son and to advocate for a broader change within the school community.

“Alex’s session was fabulous and really gave our “ students an opportunity to have a safe space to open up and ask questions about topics they find challenging. Alex was so positive and framed his sessions with such a welcoming and honest approach and his behaviour management with some challenging students was really impressive. The students immediately like and trusted him. We wish we could have more sessions with him!

— TEACHER

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TRAINING: CREATING UNDERSTANDING

Alongside our vital work responding to hate, we also work to prevent it happening in the first place. We use the experience we gain from supporting people targeted by hate to create relevant impactful training. We have delivered training in a huge range of settings, including groups for women seeking sanctuary, large statutory agencies such as social services, and small businesses. Language, bias, and cultural awareness continue to be popular topics of discussion. With the impact of hate having been particularly visible this year, more services are asking us to deliver training for staff to support them to support their service users who are impacted by hate. We are grateful to the funders who make this work possible, as well as the many clients who pay for our training directly.

100% 100%

ATTENDEES FELT MORE ABLE TO REPORT HATE CRIME AFTER OUR TRAINING SESSION*

ATTENDEES HAVE IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE OF AGENCIES’ ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES*

100%

ATTENDEES WITH GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HATE CRIME IMPACT*

*Data from evaluations recived as part of our National Lottery Funded Project Every Victim Matters that ran from May 2024 to April 30th 2025.

“ “Wonderful service, desperately needed to bridge the gap between the police and disabled community.”

— VISION NORTH SOMERSET WORKSHOP ATTENDEE

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SOME OF OUR OTHER WORK

EMPOWERMENT SESSIONS

Whilst a great deal of our work in schools centres around shifting school culture so that staff and students know how to respond to hate, we also work with young people who have faced hate-based bullying at school. Our team offers 1:1 sessions to young people, ensuring that they have a safe space to turn to, someone who can advocate with them to ensure the hate is adequately addressed. The support doesn’t just focus on the incident(s) but also empowers the young person in their identity, which is vital in the aftermath of hate.

OFFENDER REDUCTION WORK

We also provide 1:1 sessions for young people responsible for hate incidents. This year we have experienced an increased demand from youth justice services and education providers for support for young people responsible for hate and prejudice-based incidents, particularly in the wake of the riots. What happens in the world around us impacts what happens in school playgrounds and university campuses.

Whilst our focus is always on those targeted, supporting those responsible for hate prevents further harm, inspiring change for the future. Alongside our staff, we work with our former chair who uses his lived experience of hate and his knowledge of coaching to deliver 1:1 support for young people.

We develop positive relationships using an approach centred around young people and which builds on their interests. In this context, young people realise the impact of their words and actions, developing respect for people who are different from themselves; this prepares them to flourish in our diverse communities.

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OUR FUNDERS AND SUPPORTERS

SARI’s work would simply not be possible without our funders and supporters. Some have been with us for many years, while others are newer partners, but each plays a crucial role in enabling us to support victims of inequality and injustice across the region. We’re deeply grateful for your ongoing commitment—thank you.

This list is not exhaustive, and there are many more supporters who, whilst not listed here, have made an incredible difference to the work we do.

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OUR DONORS

Each year, we need to raise over £800,000 to fund the full range of our work. While a portion of this comes from local government, it never fully covers the support we provide to victims of hate crime, leaving a growing gap that must be filled through fundraising, individual donations, and regular giving. In the current economic climate, it never fully covers the resources needed to provide the support needed by those turning to us.

This year we saw an increase in donations overall with £19,908.26 made through PayPal and Stripe donations funded through individual giving. This is an increase of £2505.86 (12.6%) on 2023/2024 (£17,402.40) and our first increase since the huge wave of support received following the horrifying murder of George Floyd in 2020.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all donors and subscribers who contributed in 2024-25. Your generosity has directly enabled us to continue our vital work. With costs increasing each year, we kindly ask that, if you’re able to donate to us or fundraise for us, please do so and help us continue to stand against hate.

£40,497 RAISED IN DONATIONS

1117 DONATIONS RECIEVED

81 RECURRING DONORS

227 INDIVIDUALS DONATED

100 RUNNERS AGAINST HATE

In 2024–25, our 100 Runners Against Hate campaign saw 23 participants. A significant number of these runners came from a group formed by staff from the Watershed and their friends, in response to the riots in the UK. A special mention goes to our CEO Alex Raikes’ sons (Jack, is pictured right, running in the Rome marathon), who were the top individual fundraisers in 2024–25.

We go into the new year with 7 runners signed up for Bristol Half Marathon or 10K and we are always looking for more people to take on a run or sporting event to raise money for our charity. Every particpant will recieve a free branded SARI running jersey. You can find out more, or sign up for the campaign, by following the QR code.

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BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE

In December 2024, we took part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, a match funding campaign. We raised £1,850 in pledges from supporters and were successful in securing a further £1,850 in Champion Funds through the Big Give; these funds were then used to match fund any donations made between the 3rd-10th December. Overall, we raised £7,425, exceeding our target. We are incredibly grateful to the pledgers and donors who made our campaign such a success.

BUSINESSES SUPPORTING OUR WORK

Each year, businesses and organisations step up to support our charity because they share our core values and a commitment to making a positive difference in their communities. Often, this is driven by a desire to stand against the injustices they see around them and to show support and solidarity for affected communities.

In response to the riots in August 2024, many businesses chose to take positive action and stand against the hate by supporting our charity. One remarkable example was Watershed’s CEO, Clare Reddington, who organised a sponsored walk between Bristol and Bath to raise funds for both SARI and Hope Not Hate. The walk quickly gathered a large group of Watershed employees, friends, and local supporters. This incredible effort by a group of over 21 people (and two dogs) raised £5520 with half of this total donated to SARI and the other half going to Hope Not Hate.

Another inspiring example came from Theo Wang, a Bristol-based letterpress printmaker who creates artwork under the name Print & Ephemera and as part of the Bristol Print Collective. Disturbed by the hateful and racist scenes during the far-right riots, Theo was determined to respond positively. He produced a limited edition series of custom art prints featuring the slogan “We are many, you are few, we are Bristol, who are you?”, a powerful chant voiced by counter-protesters at the riots. Theo sold these prints through his website and other channels, raising an impressive £403, with all proceeds generously donated to SARI.

Both contributions will be invaluable in supporting our work with local victims of hate crime. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the businesses that, through their acts of solidarity and generosity, have shown the true strength of our communities and their commitment to standing up against hate. We are immensely grateful for their support and are always eager to connect with more businesses and organisations willing to help us continue our vital work.

“Demonstrations by the far right in Bristol shook our staff, audience members and community. As part of Watershed’s response I wanted to plan something hopeful. To undertake an act that brought people together and supported causes connected to providing support and solutions.

“So I put out a call on social media and quickly got a brilliant band together to support Hope Not Hate and SARI—two organisations tackling the issues in quite different ways. Since seeing the brilliant work they do, I have continued supporting SARI personally ever since.”

— CLARE REDDINGTON, CE0 AT WATERSHED

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STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

It’s important to remember that behind every statistic is a real person — someone who has been singled out simply for who they are or what they believe. As you read through this section, try to hold onto that thought. It’s not always easy, but it might help you grasp the true scale and impact of the issues we’re facing.

HOW MANY CASES DID WE OPEN?

This graph shows the number of cases we opened in each calendar month throughout the year.

Generally speaking, we see a lot of incidents and cases referred to us during spring and summer, when people are out and about more, which often leads to conflict.

HOW MANY VICTIMS DID WE SUPPORT?

Hate crime has far-reaching effects beyond the original victim. Family members—if not directly affected— will see and feel the traumatic effects of hate crime. This year, we supported 621 people.

Support varies case by case, need by need. Some clients may not want action taken, but emotional support to help overcome the feelings that being the victim of hate crime or discrimination can cause. Distress, fear, anger, anxiety and depression are all common emotions we’ve supported our clients with in the past year.

WHY WERE PEOPLE TARGETED?

Here we break down all of the cases we opened by protected characteristic. Race is still the biggest category, making up 62% of our total caseload. Religion is often low because it can be difficult to tell whether people are being attacked because of their race or their faith, because these can be so closely connected.

201 RACE

16 8 7 31 16 LGB RELIGION TRANS DISABILITY OTHER

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WHAT DID OUR CLIENTS SAY ABOUT US?

For us, the most powerful and rewarding part of the work that we do, is hearing how we’ve helped our clients. Whether that’s giving them information, helping them find their own path, supporting them through their journey, or hearing they no longer live in fear. This is what makes our work worthwhile.

“ “SARI wrote to my area manager and reminded them about the Equalities Act 2010 and the company’s policies and procedures on hate crime/incidents.

The suspect was suspended whilst the investigation took place and he is no longer working for the company. I am very thankful to SARI for supporting me. Thank you.”

— CLIENT #131-2022/23

“ Thank you so much Mariya for being absolutely amazing ... you gave me the safe space to be able to communicate my needs and go up and beyond for me. My life feels so much better. You’ve been absolutely amazing and I can’t thank SARI enough”

— CLIENT #178-2024/25

“ Siful was very kind and understanding with what we went through, what people do really opened my eyes. Now I know my rights and how to deal with them. ”

— CLIENT #367-2022/23

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PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Our plans for the future are guided by our Business Plan (to be completed by January 2026) and progress will be monitored through our annual Operations Plan which is reported on quarterly to the Board. Below are some of our key priorities for the coming period:

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GOVERNANCE

SARI is a service user led/community-oriented agency that provides support and advice to victims of hate and promotes equality and good relations between people with protected characteristics as defined by law.

It is overseen by a Board of Trustees, most of whom are from the communities we serve and have direct or personal experience of hate crime.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

As set out in the Articles of Association the Board of Trustees (who are Directors for the purpose of company law) consists of no less than 3 members.

APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES AND TERMS OF OFFICE

  1. Trustees may be appointed by ordinary resolution of the members or by decision of the trustees.

  2. So far as possible, at all times at least 60% of the board should be individuals who either (a) have lived experience of racism or inequality in relation to protected characteristics as defined in law or (b) have used the services of the Charity in relation to such matters and whose cases are now closed. The board shall take this into account in seeking and considering potential candidates as trustees and exercising their powers under these articles to make appointments. The members shall do so when exercising their powers to propose and appoint trustees. The board has power to refuse any candidacy, including any proposal of a candidate by a member, if that individual’s appointment as a trustee would prevent the Charity meeting this requirement.

  3. Where composition of the board changes so the required percentage is not met, the board shall use its best endeavours to make additional trustee appointments to achieve that percentage as soon as practicable.

  4. All candidates for trusteeship must commit to supporting the charity’s Objects and provide such information as the trustees decide to verify their identity, probity and eligibility to be a charity trustee of the charity. If any candidate refuses to commit to supporting the Objects or refuses to provide such verification, or if the trustees obtain evidence that they are ineligible under the articles or for any legal reason to become a charity trustee, their candidacy cannot proceed and they may not be appointed.

  5. Records must be kept of all trustee appointments and cessations of office in the charity’s Register of Trustees and of their residential addresses in the Register of Directors’ Residential Addresses, as required by the Companies Acts.

  6. Records of all trustee appointments must be kept with the record of the relevant members’ or trustees’ decisions, if taken at a meeting the records must be included in the meeting minutes.

  7. Notification of all trustee appointments and cessations of office must be given to Companies House and the Charity Commission.

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No person may be appointed a trustee by ordinary resolution of the members unless:

  1. he or she is recommended for appointment by the trustees; or

  2. not less than thirty-five clear days before the date of the meeting, the charity is given a written notice that:

  3. a. is signed by a member entitled to vote at the meeting;

  4. b. states the member’s intention to propose the appointment of a person as a trustee; and

  5. c. is signed by the person who is to be proposed to show their willingness to be appointed.

The term of office of a trustee is three years from the date of appointment, whether the trustee was appointed by the members or the trustees. Re-appointment to not more than two further consecutive terms is permitted (a maximum service period of nine years). At the end of three consecutive terms of office a trustee ceases to hold office. That individual may never be re-appointed to the board.

The appointment of a trustee, whether by the charity in a general meeting or by the other trustees, must not cause the number of trustees to exceed any number fixed as the maximum number of trustees.

TRUSTEE INDUCTION AND TRAINING

All trustees are given a copy of CC3 ‘The Essential Trustee’ guide from the Charity Commission and SARI’s Articles of Association. From time to time, they have training to update them on the roles, responsibilities and legal requirements of being a trustee. Most trustees are already familiar with the purpose of the charity having been users of the service. Additionally, new trustees are invited and encouraged to attend SARI away days, and training sessions which are held for the staff team that are relevant to the trustees’ developmental needs. We review local training provided to support trustees and invite our trustees to attend.

STRUCTURE AND DECISION MAKING

SARI is managed by an elected Board of Trustees. The post of Company Secretary, which is appointed by the Board, is held by the Head of Finance, HR and Resources. The Board makes decisions about policy ratification; agrees the business plan and strategic direction of the organisation; agrees the budget and monitors income and expenditure.

They also review SARI’s delivery against its aims and objectives and funding targets, ensuring we are on track and support the organisation with recruitment, promotion and retention of staff. In addition, SARI trustees with certain specialist skills and knowledge take part in a range of SARI sub-committees relating to policy and procedural development.

The following sub-committees are established:

Buildings Oversee the maintenance, development, and best use of SARI’s physical premises. Finance Monitors SARI’s financial performance, ensures policies & procedures and financial checks are robust and adhere to best practice, ensures compliance with statutory requirements and supports budgeting and resource allocation.

Human Resources Guides staff-related policies and procedures, including recruitment, retention, development. The HR Sub-committee also makes decisions on SARI’s wellbeing survey results. Policy Reviews and develops SARI’s policies to ensure they are up-to-date, legally compliant, and aligned with SARI’s mission and values.

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RISK MANAGEMENT

SARI reviews risks on an ongoing basis through our board of trustees, subcommittees and leadership team and this is recorded and monitored via our Risk Register. These groups manage ongoing risks and identify new risks. We consider the impact and likelihood of every risk and give particular attention to the management and mitigation of the most severe risks. Our risk management process and the risk register are scrutinised regularly by our board of trustees as part of a standing agenda item and at our weekly Management Meetings. Risks are divided into key components and the responsibility for the management of each is assigned to and managed by a relevant agency lead.

We categorise our risks as Governance, Disaster Recovery, Safeguarding, Service Delivery/Service Users, Human Resources, Financial, Legal, ICT, Premises & Health and Safety, Political and External Environment and Partnerships and Reputation. The trustees and leadership team of SARI have taken all reasonable steps to mitigate and manage these risks.

Whilst all potential risks have mitigation plans, we are facing increasing risks, largely due to the external environment with high and growing levels of need for our service, and increasing levels of negative rhetoric, disproportionality and inequalities for the communities we serve. This is compounded by the fall, in real terms, of funding, resulting poverty and cost of living crisis. For SARI our highest scoring risks were:

We have put in place mitigation plans for all but nevertheless we are operating in an increasingly challenging world.

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TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees (who are directors of Stand Against Racism & Inequality for the purposes of company law) are accountable for preparing this Annual Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Insofar as the trustees are aware:

Approved by The Board of Trustees on 15 August 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Martin ~~W~~ alker (Sep 9, 2025 14:25:20 GMT+1)

Martin Walker, Chair of the Board of Trustees

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FINANCIAL REVIEW

In 2024–25, we recorded a planned deficit of £80,909 on our unrestricted funds (2024: £172,753). This was funded from a special “Deficit Funding” reserve set aside for this purpose, as part of our long-term plan to strengthen the charity.

Over the past two years, we have used our reserves to:

This year’s deficit was significantly smaller than last year’s, showing that our fundraising and income-generating activities are having a positive effect. For the year ahead, we expect to break even or achieve a small surplus, with a high proportion of income already confirmed or very likely. We are also working to reduce our reliance on a small number of major funders by increasing the diversity of our funding.

At 31 March 2025, our unrestricted cash reserves were £627,733 (2024: £702,090). Of this, £406,115 (2024: £480,471) has been set aside for future costs and potential liabilities, leaving £221,619 (2024: £221,619) available as free reserves. We believe this is a healthy position and have also put aside contingency funds to help us manage any unexpected funding gaps.

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RESERVES POLICY

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Reserves are the part of a charity’s unrestricted funds that is freely available to spend on any of the charity’s purposes. Where the trustees have a reserves policy, this policy must be set out in the trustees’ annual report. The Charity Commission for England and Wales’ guidance notes lays out key points for charity trustees when setting or reporting on their charity’s reserves policy:

RESPONSIBILITIES

Trustees must ensure that the charity’s funds are used appropriately, prudently, lawfully and in accordance with the charity’s purposes for the public benefit. The general principle of trust law is that funds received as income should be spent within a reasonable period of receipt. The holding of reserves will be authorised (generally) by an implied power to hold reserves. Trustees are justified in exercising their power to hold income reserves if, in their considered view, it is necessary in the charity’s best interests.

APPROACH

The Charity Commission guidelines lay out an integrated approach to developing a reserves policy for a charity with complex activities and structures.

  1. Understanding the nature of charitable reserves held

  2. Identifying functional assets

  3. Understanding the financial impact of risk

  4. Reviewing sources of income

  5. Impact of future plans and commitments

  6. Agreeing a reserves policy

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The organisation’s approach to these guidelines are reflected upon below.

1. UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF CHARITABLE RESERVES HELD

Free reserves are the part of a charity’s unrestricted funds that is freely available to spend on any of the charity’s purposes. In setting a reserves policy, it is vital to understand any restrictions on the use of the charity’s funds. In certain circumstances, holding restricted funds may reduce the need to hold reserves, for particular purposes. SARI holds restricted funds that are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or that have been raised by the charity for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are excluded from the calculation of free reserves.

2. IDENTIFYING FUNCTIONAL ASSETS

Where the trustees consider functional fixed assets, e.g. our building, to be essential to the delivery of the charity’s aims, the value of such assets can be designated and excluded from the calculation of reserves. However, the designation has an administrative purpose only and does not legally restrict the trustee’s discretion to apply the funds.

3. UNDERSTANDING THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF RISK

SARI reviews its risk register regularly, prioritising risks and setting out mitigation approaches and accountabilities for the highest priority items. These risks are reviewed at every Board meeting.

Key risks that have the potential to affect reserves have been identified. In reviewing the financial impact of these risks, it is the short term under consideration; the potential drawdown of reserves to give time to undertake additional mitigation activities and adjust to changed financial circumstances.

3A. INABILITY TO RAISE INCOME FROM DONORS

Inability to raise this type of income could have many root causes, including recession in fundraising markets, failure to demonstrate impact of SARI’s activities, a damaged reputation such as a significant service delivery failure. Voluntary income levels are forecast around £60k-£100k.

Voluntary income sources are not concentrated to any single donor or platform, and a portion of voluntary income from individuals is committed through monthly subscription .

Voluntary income levels have decreased in recent years due to challenging economic conditions and changing public interest in the areas our charity focuses – this is particularly impacted by national and global events and how this is reported by the media. The political environment is also not conducive to our charitable objectives with hate crime not seen as a priority by this government.

The introduction of fundraising regulatory changes that took place in the UK in 2017 did not significantly affect donor acquisition and retention activities. Our planning systems for predicting voluntary income and fundraising investment are robust. Over the past five years the greatest variance in voluntary income has been £320k. An unplanned decline in voluntary income of around £30k is estimated as a prudent view of the impact of this risk on reserves.

3B. INABILITY TO REPLACE FUNDING

Inability to replace funding for core income is a major risk to financial reserves currently, as the funds are primarily from two sources, and both are expected to decline or disappear completely in the short to medium term. If we are unable to replace this income, there is a major risk to our ability to cover on-going costs that were covered by those grants. This impact is estimated at £352k.

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3C. FINANCIAL LOSS DUE TO FRAUD OR MISALLOCATION OF FUNDS

SARI’s financial standing orders are designed to reduce the risk of financial loss due to fraud. There is ongoing effort to refine and improve the control framework, it is therefore unlikely that any single instance of fraud would be material.

3D. CREDIT EVENTS LEADING TO FINANCIAL LOSS

The material credit risk to SARI would be a failure of our lead bank, National Westminster Bank. This would mean a major loss of deposit funds, and there would be significant impact on short-term liquidity. It is worth noting that we see the risk of a credit failure in our lead banks as extremely unlikely. However, actions to further reduce this risk are underway and once completed will eliminate our exposure to the failure of any single institution.

3E. OTHER

There are other risks such as a significant business discontinuity event which could affect SARI’s financial viability, however, the short-term financial impact of these is less tangible.

4. REVIEWING SOURCES OF INCOME

Voluntary income sources are limited, with heavy reliance on two donor groups. Approximately 48% of our income is derived from these two groups. Other voluntary sources of income that we have historically relied on—such as trusts, charities, and local authorities—have also declined in recent years. Central government funding for hate crime services is currently non-existent. Income generation is concentrated in our area of operations. Grant funding is set to decrease substantially in the coming years. We have developed a Fundraising Strategy to mitigate delivery risks. See appendix 1.

5. IMPACT OF FUTURE PLANS AND COMMITMENTS EXPENDITURE

Managing forward expenditure within existing commitments is achieved by regular monitoring of activities. Any issues are highlighted at review meetings and if there is an issue on the availability of funds, activities can be adjusted to manage this. Our employee base is 25 people at a salary cost per annum of approximately £778k, inclusive of National Insurance and pension contributions . Any reduction in headcount would lead to a reduction in associated activities and would affect the ability to deliver organisational and operational objectives. There are no material projects or capital spending plans that cannot be met from anticipated future income. All activities funded from unrestricted monies include the clause ‘subject to funding’ so can notionally be reduced, albeit with potential reputational consequences.

In order for SARI to continue to deliver services in a financially sustainable way, SARI has developed a Fundraising Strategy. Key aims of the strategy are to diversify income streams and maximise use of SARIs physical and intellectual assets, and increasing efficiency to manage costs. Certain investments—such as in the development of our building asset in order to achieve a commercial income from this, and in the further development of SARI’s traded services—are required for the organisation to be resilient to changes in the external financial and political climate.

6. AGREEING A RESERVES POLICY

SARI has limited diversification of income sources and expenditure commitments. Voluntary income has declined in recent years; however, expenditure levels can be materially adjusted within a 12-month period to fit revised funding levels if needed. The reserves policy seeks to balance spending the maximum amount of income raised as soon as possible after receipt with maintaining the minimum level of reserves to ensure uninterrupted operation and provide time to adjust to a change in financial circumstances. A prudent assessment of the financial impact of risk events on reserves is estimated at £0.7m-£0.9m. A target reserve level of £0.8m +/—£0.1m is assessed as striking an appropriate balance between the need to spend income when it is received and maintaining operational integrity.

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The trustees typically aim to have three to six months’ total expenditure available in unrestricted reserves. This is to allow sufficient time to respond if income is reduced, giving the organisation time to find alternative income streams, or to scale back activities if required. Total free reserves at year-end correspond to unrestricted reserves of £220k which represents three months’ expenditure (at 2023-24 spending levels). This level of reserves is consistent with SARI’s business model and financial impact of key risks. It is important to retain some flexibility in the range from median due to variation in actual outrun versus plan and potential for uneven cash-flow on working capital.

FREE RESERVES LOWER THAN MINIMUM LEVEL

In the event that the year-end forecast is lower than the minimum, the Head of Finance, HR and Resources will recommend a course of action to bring free reserves to the required minimum within an acceptable timescale.

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31st March 2025 which are set out on pages 41 to 50.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND BASIS OF REPORT

As the charity trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your company’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145 (5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT

Since the company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

  4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)].

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Name McCloud Ng’onga FCCA, CTA Address AcTax Consulting Ltd., 11 Consort Road, Higher Bartle, Preston, PR4 0QH Signature |

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FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Statement of financial activities for the year ended 31 March 2025

==> picture [525 x 450] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds
Notes 2025 2025 2025 2024
£ £ £
Income from:
Donations 46,349 — 46,349 58,682
Investment income 15,123 — 15,123 18,265
Charitable activities
Training and other income 244,544 — 244,544 61,598
Grants and contracts 20,000 448,869 468,869 542,658
Total 326,016 448,869 774,885 681,203
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities 406,925 498,066 904,991 816,971
Total 2 406,925 498,066 904,991 816,971
Net income/(expenditure) (80,910) (49,197) (130,106) (135,768)
Total funds brought forward 1,098,204 65,323 1,163,527 1,299,295
Total funds carried forward 1,098,204 65,323 1,163,527 1,299,295
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BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025

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2025 2024
Notes £ £ £
Tangible assets 3 389,562 396,115
Current assets
Debtors and prepayments 4 48,022 3,372
Cash at bank and in hand 670,549 815,647
718,571 819,019
Current liabilities
Creditors due within one year 5 (74,712) (51,607)
Net current assets 643,859 767,412
Net assets 1,033,421 1,163,527
Unrestricted funds
General funds 6 221,618 221,619
Designated funds 6 795,677 876,585
Restricted funds 6 16,126 65,323
Total funds 1,033,421 1,163,527
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For the year ended 31 March 2025 the company was entitled to the exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006. The members have not requested the company to obtain and audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. The trustees acknowledge their responsibility for:

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime. The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 15 August 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:

Martin ~~W~~ alker (Sep 9, 2025 14:25:20 GMT+1)

Martin Walker, Chair of the Board of Trustees

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STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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2025 2024
£ £
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by [used in] operating activities (158,553) (106,305)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Interest 15,123 18,265
Disposal of fixed assets — —
Purchase of fixed assets — —
(143,430) (88,040)
Changes in cash in the reporting period
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 815,647 903,687
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 670,549 815,647
(145,098) (88,040)
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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

(1) PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below and have remained unchanged from the previous year.

(a) BASIS OF PREPARATION

The financial statement of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019); Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland and Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under historical cost convention, with the exception of investments which are included at market value, as modified by the revaluation of certain assets.

(b) FUND ACCOUNTING

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the Management Committee for particular purposes.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

(c) INCOME

Income is recognised in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the income, it’s probable that the income will be received and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income.

(d) EXPENDITURE

Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered.

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(e) TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently stated at cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses. Any tangible assets carried at revalued amounts are recorded at the fair value at the date of revaluation less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses. Capital items costing over £500 are capitalised.

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, less its residual value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows:

Motor vehicles 25% per annum on the reducing balance method. Fittings and equipment 25% per annum on the reducing balance method. Property 1% on the straight line basis for property.

(2) EXPENDITURE

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2025 2024
£ £
Salaries 760,455 695,651
Training delivery 3,300 3,515
Non-capitalised equipment 2,155 1,576
Heat, light, power and water 7,953 6,825
Rates 2,720 2,739
Travel, training and conferences 12,406 14,744
Repairs and renewals 48,957 19,971
Print, post and stationery 4,894 6,993
Telephone & IT costs 15,594 14,137
Grants paid out 4,482 3,599
Bank charges 1,392 545
Independent examiner's fees 1,130 965
Translation 3,947 2,530
Insurance 5,745 6,197
Public Relations, advertising and recruitment 2,970 6,555
Professional and subscription fees 17,465 19,599
Board of Trustees 451 1,152
Motor vehicle expenses 755 —
Miscellaneous — 640
Depreciation 8,221 9,039
(surplus) on disposal of fixed assets — —
904,991 816,971
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(3) TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

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Motor vehicle Fittings & equipment Property Total
£ £ £ £
Cost
Balance brought forward 11,499 196,605 410,000 618,104
Additions in the year — 1,668 — 1,668
11,499 198,273 410,000 619,772
Depreciation
Balance brought forward 7,926 185,363 28,700 221,989
Charge for the year 893 3,228 4,100 8,221
8,819 188,591 32,800 230,210
Net book value at 31st. March 2025 2,680 9,683 377,200 389,562
Net book value at 31st. March 2024 3,573 11,242 381,300 396,115
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(4) DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS

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2025 2024
£ £
Grants and trade receivables 40,391 2,283
Sundry debtors and prepayments 7,631 1,089
48,022 3,372
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(5) CREDITORS

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2025 2024
£ £
Falling due within one year
Deferred grants 44,453 27,810
Social Security and other taxes 25,938 18,761
Sundry creditors and accruals 4,321 5,037
74,712 51,608
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(6) MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

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Balance at Balance at
Income Expenditure Transfers
1.4.2024 31.3. 2025
£ £ £ £ £
Restricted funds
Lloyds Bank Foundation — 9,922 (9,922) — —
BCC Hate Crime & Discrimination — 203,937 (203,937) — —
National Lottery Community Fund 65,323 173,510 (224,374) — 14,459
Gypsy Roma Traveller — 14,000 (14,000) — —
Somerset Community Foundation 5,000 (3,333) — 1,667
South Gloucestershire Council — 42,500 (42,500) — —
—
65,323 448,869 (498,066) 16,126
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Funds relating to:
Fixed Assets
Building 381,300 — — (4,100) 377,200
—
Equipment & Vehicle 14,815 1,668 (4,121) 12,362
Total Fixed Assets 396,115 — 1,668 (8,221) 389,562
Other designated funds
Staff Contingency 79,637 — — — 79,637
Deficit Funding 260,833 — — (74,356) 186,477
Business Plan 70,000 — — — 70,000
Annual Maintenance 20,000 — — — 20,000
— — —
Building Accessibility 50,000 50,000
—
Total Designated Funds 876,586 1,668 (82,577) 795,677
General funds 221,619 326,016 (408,593) 82,577 221,618
—
Total unrestricted funds 1,098,205 326,016 (406,925) 1,017,295
of which unrestricted cash reserves: 702,090 326,016 (400,372) - 627,733
—
Total funds 1,163,527 774,885 (904,991) 1,033,421
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Fixed Assets Staff Contingency Deficit Funding

Building & Equipment are Tangible Assets. To cover unforeseen sickness and vacancies in the event of losing key staff members.

To cover 6 month’s expenditure required for the current workforce to be maintained in the event of losing key contracts.

Business Plan Associated costs for our action plan enabling future sustainability and improving service quality. Annual Maintenance To cover larger repair costs. Building Accessibility To fund accessible facilities for the building. Equipment & Vehicle To reflect reserves tied up in the capitalised equipment. It is equal to the net book value of equipment Reserve and motor vehicles.

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(6) MOVEMENT IN FUNDS: PRIOR COMPARATIVE

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Balance at Balance at
Income Expenditure Transfers
1.4.2023 31.3. 2024
£ £ £ £ £
Restricted funds
- - -
BANES CYPS 15,430 (15,430)
BCC Hate Crime & Discrimination — 194,667 (194,667) — —
National Lottery Community Fund 28,338 166,971 (129,986) — 65,323
Gypsy Roma Traveller — 14,000 (14,000) — —
South Gloucestershire Council — 42,500 (42,500) — —
—
28,338 433,568 (396,583) 65,323
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Funds relating to:
Fixed Assets
Building 385,400 — — (4,100) 381,300
— —
Equipment & Vehicle 19,754 (4,939) 14,815
Total Fixed Assets 405,154 — — (9,039) 396,115
Other designated funds
Staff Contingency 79,637 — — — 79,637
Deficit Funding 468,638 — — (207,805) 260,833
Business Plan 70,000 — — — 70,000
Annual Maintenance 20,000 — — — 20,000
— — —
Building Accessibility 50,000 50,000
— —
Total Designated Funds 1,093,429 (216,844) 876,585
General funds 177,528 247,635 (420,388) 216,844 221,619
—
Total unrestricted funds 1,270,957 247,635 (420,388) 1,098,204
of which unrestricted cash reserves: 865,803 247,635 (411,349) - 702,090
—
Total funds 1,299,295 681,203 (816,971) 1,163,527
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(8) EMPLOYEE INFORMATION

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2025 2024
Number of employees 24 29
Salaries and wages 678,471 617,454
Social security costs 57,489 55,728
735,960 673,182
Pension contribution 24,495 22,469
760,455 695,651
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000
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(9) TRUSTEES AND RELATED PARTY INFORMATION

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£ £
Trustees remuneration and expenses 451 1,152
The trustees received no remuneration, except for travel and subsistence to meetings.
There were no reportable related party transactions in the year.
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(10) ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

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General Designated Restricted
Funds Funds Funds Total
£ £ £ £
Tangible fixed assets — 389,562 — 389,562
Current assets 296,330 406,115 16,126 718,571
Current liabilities (74,712) — — (74,712)
Net assets at 31st March 2025 221,619 795,677 16,126 1,033,421
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(11) RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME/[EXPENDITURE] TO NET CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATION ACTIVITIES

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2025 2024
£ £
Net income/[expenditure for the year [as per SoFA] (130,106) (135,768)
Adjustment for:
Depreciation charges 8,221 9,039
[Surplus] on disposal of fixed assets — —
[Increase]/decrease in debtors (44,650) 23,878
Increase/[decrease] in creditors 23,105 14,811
Interest (15,123) (18,265)
Net cash provided by [used in] operating activities (158,553) (106,305)
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(12) TRAINING AND OTHER INCOME

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2025 2024
£ £
Training income 244,544 59,350
VAT reclaimed through flat rate — 2,248
Other income — —
244,544 61,598
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(13) COMPARATIVE FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

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Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds
Notes 2024 2024 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Income from:
Donations 58,682 — 58,682 127,819
Investment income 18,265 — 18,265 4,299
Charitable activities
Training and other income 61,598 — 61,598 49,404
Grants and contracts 109,090 433,568 542,658 519,912
Total 247,635 433,568 681,203 701,434
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities 420,388 396,583 816,971 864,042
Total 420,388 396,583 816,971 864,042
Net income/(expenditure) (172,753) 36,985 (135,768) (162,608)
Total funds brought forward 1,270,957 28,338 1,299,295 1,461,903
Total funds carried forward 1,098,204 65,323 1,163,527 1,299,295
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