Annual Report and Financial Statements Year Ended 31 March 2024 Training Link (A company limited by guarantee) Charity number 1051662 Company number 03142188 Pagel I CONTENTS: LEGAL AND ADMINlSfRATIVE DETAILS MISSION. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES HISTORY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEE5 AND MANAGEMENT COMMIThEE -Chairfs Report- Millicent Christian -Director's Report- Tanya Buynovskaya -Financial Overview -Projects and ESOL report- Chris Carr -computers for Older People and IT Drop-in sesslons- Nelly Pined3 -Advice Work- Peter Lush, Abimbola Ademuyiwa and Millie Christian -case Study -camden Adult Community Learning-Tracey Hami￿on -PCAN Project- Steve Mccarthy -what Learners Say ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS 15 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT 18 srATEMENT OF FINANaAL ACTIVITIES 19 BALAN￿ SHEET 20 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 21 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT (Thi5 report does not form part of the Financial Ststements 28 Pag¢12 LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Tralnlng Llnk Ltd Registered Office: 54-56 Phoenix Road, London NWI IES Charity Registration Number: 1051662 Registered Company Number (England & Wales): 03142188 Telephone: 020 7383 5405 Email: directOT@traininglink.org.uk Websits: ww. inin link.or The Trustees confirm that they have taken into account the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing Training Link's aims and objettives and in planning future activities. Inde ndent Examiner: John Lambourne FCA. Latham Lambourne Ltd, 18 Woodlands Park. Bexley. Kent DA5 2EL Bank: Uoyds Bank plc, 25 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7HN Management committee & Trustees Tr stees: Brenda Goring Moore (Chair}, Millicent Christian, Dr Elaine Arnold QBE. Kathleen Hayes (Treasurer). Mana ement Committee: Millicent Chrlstlan (Chair), Brenda Goring Moore, Elaine Arnold, Kathleen Hayes {Treasurer), Maya Alva, Elizabeth Ajith, France5 Connelly, Larlan Davis (from September 20221, Tracey Hamilton, Paul Tomlinson (from September 2022) The companws Dlrectors are also the charitys Trustees, Pagel 3 OUR MISSION, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES About Training Llnk Training Llnk is a small and welcoming charity based in the St Pancras and Somers Town ward of the London Borough of Camden where a fifth of residents hold no natlonally recognised qualificat5ons. The employment rate for the ward is 46% compared with 68% for the borough's highest scoring ward, Belsize {2021 Census). There are six schools in which the average eligibility for free school meals Is 57% wlth the Camden average belng 40%, (Borough and ward map data pack Dec 2022). Set against this background of challenges, Training Llnk's small team of staff and volunteers upskill and empower local resldents, including those who find it hard to access mainstream services. We provide a range of IT training, accredited vocational trainin& employability SUPPOrt, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and one-to-one literacy support. We also offer advice and advocacy, mainly around benefits and immigration claims and appeals. We help residents build their confidence. become more active in civic society, volunteer, and earn money through paid work. Learners come from diverse starting points, often having limited social networks, confidence, finances, digital or English language skills. They may be family carers, low-waged earners or suffering from a disability or health condition. We provide a choice of learning approaches tsilored to individual learning styles and educational gap5 that larger institutions might not have the flexibilityto address. We are commissioned by We Are Digf(al Group, a Home Office funded company, to offer advice and advocacy support for Windrush residents, EU cityzens and 50cio-economitalSy disadvantaged resldents in need of clifjzenship, housin& disability and benefits advice. OUR MISSION is to relleve poverty, advance education and advance employment opportunities for black and ethnic minority and socially excluded people, by facilitating access to training to enhance employment opportunities. WE WORKTO: Promote baslc skills, vocational training for employment. advice, support and cross-cultural activities to help socially-exduded residents induding BAM£ heritage women and older people to improve wellbeing and better engage with the wider mainstream community, volunteering and employment. Provide programmes of awareness, advice and guidance, equipping service-users wlth skills to make informed decisions about their own and their dependentg lives. Enable service-users to gain better acce55 to legal and statutory support on health. housing. immigration, education and training services vÉa our own internal resources and signposting to specialist local services," Support and develop education, employment and enterprise opportunities for seNice-users: Help improve the quality of life for local people as a whole and encourage disadvantaged residents to participate more widely in activities and social attion for the benefit of a wider local communÉty. OUR VALUES -small, supportive and person-centred -Embedded In the community 4)ffering an opportunityto enter adult education for people who have not done this before -offering opportunltles to learners with family responsibilities Page14 HISTORY Training Link developed in the mid-1980s from a project called the C3mden Bus. This was a bus that visited local housing estates in Camden to promote training and educational opportunities for women. The women Involved in it set up Women's Training Link as an independent organisation to be able to fundraise to continue their work. The organisation was very innovative, offering women from ethnic minorit1es the chance to train as black cab drivers and later driving instructors. In the mid-1990s, the organisation moved to Its current location in Somers Town, having origlnally been based in Holborn. It also became Training Link. This allowed us to open our courses to men and made it easter to fundraise. However, a majority of our trustees, management committee and learners are still women from ethnic minority backgrounds. Training Link has always had basic skills training as an important part of its work. That continues today, linking in with our online vocational courses, computer courses and twice-weekly drop-in sessions. In 2023, one of our trustees, Dr Elaine Arnold, was awarded an OBE in the Birthday Honours for serVI￿S to children of African descent and to charity. Pagel 5 REPORT OFTHE TRUSTEES AND MANAGEMENT COMMirrEE CHAIR'S REPOR Welcome to the Training Link ITL) Annual Report for 2023-2024. When I presented at the Annual General Meetin8 (AGM) in September 2023, we were still focused on combatting the ongoing threat of COVID-19. Although we continue to Ilve with COVID, we rernain vigilant, Additionally, we face some very significant and pressing challenges such as the ongoing conflicts around the world and perhaps the most critical challenge for our service users - the continuous rise in the cost of energy and food, commonly referred to as the "cost of Ilving crisls." These unprecedented increases in living expenses have pushed many of our clients to the brink of despair, with an increasing number finding themselves on the margins of survival, thereby intensifying the need for our services. We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new Direttor, Tanya 8uynovskay3, who joined TL in October 2023 and is now arT integral part of our team. Tanya has been doin8 outstanding work since her arrival. In addition, we have recently employed a Green Learning Coordinator, Anna Rognaldsen. Furthermore: a new discussion group entitled Tea and Talk., facilitated by Shana Blbi: who has also recently joined our team, takes place on Thursday mornings. In 2023 TL held a strategy session to plan future work, and in December 2023. we organised Christmas gathering. These events were made possible through the considerable efforts of our director, who worked diligently to ensure their success. Our commitment isto continue providing an easily accessible program of face-to-face courses and other learning opportunities for our learners. These Initiatives have been well received and supported by the community. We remain open to new ideas and suggestions from both learners and community members. Our evolving approach aims not only to enhance skills and knowledge but a150 to foster personal development. Therefore, we strive to engage the diverse talents of our communlty members to work together in unity. We continue to work with We-Are-Group formerly known asWe-Are-Digit31 in different areas of work supporting people using the Government website. The Essential Digital Skills Qualifications {EDSQ), piloted on behalf of Camden Adult Community Learning in 2022, has been very successful and will continue, leading to a National Open College Network (NOCNI award. Tracey, who previously taught this course, recently transitioned to 3 new role as Library Manager. She has also taught a Level I Business Administration course from September 2023 to July 2024, which was a150 a NOCN award. Tracey has dedicated over 20 years of service at TL on behalf of Camden Adult Community. and we wish her all the best in her new position. It has been a pleasure working alongside Tracey for the past seven years as her teaching assistant; she will be greatly missed. I would also like to express my gratitudeto my fellow Management Committee members and Trustees fortheir unwavering support as well as to our members who have stood by the organisation. Special thanks to Chris, Nelly, Abimbola, steve and Peter who retired as Dirertor last September 2023 but continues to volunteer with TL as an advisor. l also wish to acknowledge our new cleaner, Rosa, and all the volunteers who have tirelessly worked to meet the needs of our learners and clients. I thank our funders for their continued generosity and support of our work. I recognise that the landscape has shifted even in the past year, but change is centra5 to Training Link's mission: helping people transform their lives and reach their potential for a better future. l encourage our funders and supporters to continue helping us facilitate that chan8e. A huge thank you a150 8oes to our audltor. Pagel 6 l extend my appreciation to Frances for her support alongside Tanya in applying for funding and for supporting Anna, our Green Coordinator. Additionally, I would like to thank Kathleen for her ongoing assistance with financial matters. l am grateful to our partners, particularly our Camden famlly and neighbours in Somers Town, The Living Centre group and staff. and Life After Hummus. May we all continue to work together to assist residents in realising their aspirations for themselves and their families. In conclusion, l am optimlstic that in 2024 Training Link will continue to strengthen its support networks and build upon our p35t achievements. Together, we will strive to enhance our ser4ices and meet the evolving needs of our community. l extend my best wishes to all and reaffirm my commitment to providing sUPPOrt wherever it is requTrred. Millicent Christian. Training Link Charr DIRECTOR'S REPORT l joined Training Link in October 2023 and one of my prlorities from the start was to learn about its history and its amazing work in Somer5 Town and wider Camden. l also enjoyed meeting it5 people. beneficiaries and partners. My other key priority during this time was to explore new fijnding opportunities and develop new funding bids to ensure we can continue, improve, and extend our Services and educational support to local underprlvileged Camden residents. During the first six months at my role as Direttor l also looked at the ways we can upgrade our IT system and move to cloud-based Office 365, increase ourstafflng and volunteering capacity and skills, strengthen existing partnershlps and develop new ones. I would like to thank all Training Link Management Committee members, staff and volunteers, and especially Millie Christian, France5 Connelly, Kathleen Hayes and Peter Lush, who helped me settle down and learn about Training Link and its operations. and who were always there for me with advice and support! FINANCIAL OVERVIEW Total income in the finanaal year 2023-2024 was £71,352. representing an increase from £28.249 in 2022-2023 as we rebuild face-to-face services. Total expenditure amounted to £61.916, also an Increase from £49,520 in 2022-2023. This contributed to a healthy expansion of our servI￿s. About Training Link and Sorners Town Training Link has been providing basic skills leamingfor residents in Somers Town and wider Carnden for almost 40 years. Somers Town and Kings Cross are home to the highest number of borough households experiencing food poverty {516). some of the highest concentrations of household5 Wlth incomes below £20,000 and higher concentration5 of indTviduals receiving unemployment benefits, income sUPPOrt and universal credit 18% of our local residents, including BAME women and older learners, have no qualifications. 2020 Ward Analyses indicate higher-than-average receipt of Dlsability Living Allowances, Incapacity Benefits and Severe Disablement support in the local communlty. Our easily accessible learning centre is based at the heart of Somers Town, Just a short walking distance from Euston and St Pancras stations. We offer a friendly place for residents to get out of the house. connect with the local community, learn new skills and share their learning, improve their employment skllls and meet new frlends. Pa8¢17 Serylces are facilitated by stsff, volunteers and Management Committee members wlth experiences reflectlng those of servlce-users and extensive grass-root networks. We also receive support from more than 40 volunteers, who teach English in a one-to-one setting either at the centre or in a local public space, as well as online. Our Impact durlng the year In the year 2023-24 we delivered more than 230 learnlng sesslons for 215 learners focusin8 on digitol inclusion and digitol ski115, ESOL maths, employability andfinancial literacy. Most of our learners came from Camden. with at least 250A from the St Pancras and Somers Town ward. More than 75% of our learners were women and 74% spoke English as their second language. 63% of our learners were unemployed. 77 learners attended our ESOL courses, English Discussion Group and Adult Literacy courses. More than 120 people registered for online vocational courses We sUPPOrted 47 dients with the Windrush Compensation Scheme From May 2023 we provided beneflts advice and advocacy to 70 people, mostly with benefits appeals or applications for Personal Independence Payments (PIP). As part of the NHS PCAN project, we helped 24 people to reglster for th1$ NHS tralning course, wlth 10 completing the course. Plans for the future Sustain and improve our core current work to help empower and up-skill disenfranchised residents to gain paid employment, access volunteering opportun5ties and become more socially active. Pilot and develop further services to help connect, share learning and empower service-users disproportionately experiencing social and economic exclusion. Support the Council's 2020 2025 Climate Action Plan and 5orners Town Future Neighbourhoods programme and initiate partnerships and creative learning approaches to increase awarene55 of environmental issues and share practical information to enable more sustainable lifestyles. Raise our profile via improved face-to-face outreach and social media presence. Further develop and expand our learning opportunities for new groups such as refugees, asylum seekers and new migrants; Develop a programme of activities to celebrate our 40th anniversary in 2025. Page18 TrAINING UNK PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES These are the reports from staff and tutors responsible for our programmes. ESOL classes Adult Literac Pro'ect and Online Vocational Courses Chris Carr, our ESOL Tutor and Project Coordinator, teaches most of the English classes at Training Link and is also responsible for English Discussion Group. Adult Literacy project and Online Vo&itional Courses. This involves not only teachin& but also interviewing volunteers, assessing learners. setting up online course5 and dealing with the administrative side of many activities at the centre. Adult Literacy Project We recruit volunteers to teach English in a l-l setting. Most volunteers do frdce-to-face lessons. either at the centre or in a public space arDund Somers Town, but some also work online. l interview all the volunteers and offer teaching materials for each leamer. l assess each learner, help volunteers to plan the lessons and try to help in whatever area of improving En85ish is needed. Since the stsrt of the pnjject, we had around 46 volunteers working on the project and I think it'5 been a great success. Most volunteers are students from UCL, and the college have told us that we were still the organisation that has the most volunteers recruited through them. The project reaches out to many different people who rnay just need extra support while they are doing other classes with us, or those who prefer to learn English away from a whole class setting. It really helps build confidence and offers the volunteer the chance to get hands-on teaching experience and be involved in grassroots community work. A blg thank you to all the volunteersl English Discussion Group OurThursday English Discusslon Group is an informal Engllsh conversational group. We choose 3 differenttopicto speak about each week. I give out the topic a week before to give learners the chance to think about what they're golng to say. Again, it really helps people's speaking confidence in a friendly, nonjudgmental setting. We have a wide range of learners covering four continentsl And it's interesting to hear such a range of people share their experiences. Numbers in the class usually range between five and nine each week. ESOI Level I In July 2023, seven learner5 finished the Level One course and took an exam in Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening. Five people passed everything and two did not Pass. This course is more formal than the Discussion Group. We do accredited exam5 through the National Open College Network (NOCN). ESOL Entry Level 3 and Entry 3 Funrtional Eng115h Skills These two courses started in September 2023, with each course being attended by flve learners. AII 10 learners will be doing the accredited NOCN exams tOW3rds the end of this academic year. Both courses are quite similar, but Entry 3 Functional English Ski15s course is more analytical and involves more reading and writing than in Entry 3. There Is a Speaking and Listening element in each course as well. Pagel 9 Onllne Vocational Courses I'm the coordinator for the online vocational courses we offer at Training Llnk. Courses we offer include Food Safety, Customer Care, First Aid and HeaSth and Safety in a Care Setting, and there are nurnerous other online courses that can be made available to our leamers upon request. These course5 are useful in terms of helplng people find work. 54 people have registered for online courses and completed them. The Food Safety course is byfar the most popular and most useful for our learner as it can help get paid or voluntsry work. The Food Safety certificate Is needed for any food preparation setting. such as a cafe, restaurant etc. The courses are all done remotely and can be done at our centre or people can do them from home. This means that we can reach out to a lot more people. hope all the projerts continue in the future as they are really beneficial for people in the local area and can help them with academic learning, finding work and helping create community cohesion. Chns Carr niir ￿￿¢[ &r4vnr WindYiitt¢ry Fund Fit7AUe TrusL Francis Crick 6.658 (6,658) 750 (1.328) (11,444) (U5Q) 750 1.328 15,260 2.250 3.816 charl￿ Hayward Foundation 25.496 16,195 9.301 J271 35.024 Cornparativc net movement ID fi]nd4 included in the above are 8s follows: Tncoming Resource expcndoj Movement UJMYstrleted funds General fund 10.405 (15.481) {5,076) Big Lottffly Fund Pilzdale Tntst Francis Crick ST Big Local HS2 GTourLdworks CIL ChaTle4 Hayward FouTLd8tion London COU￿]UnIty Foundation {6,658) (750) (1.328) (417) (6,457) (11,444) (2250) (6,658) 750 (1.328) 1.500 417 6.457 (11.444) (2,250) 9.470 17,844 16.195 28 49.520 continued... Page125 Trainin Link Notes to the Finattci￿ Statements - continued for tbe Year E 31 March 2024 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - CODtinued cuffent year 12 Thontbs atkd ￿lOry¢ar 12 month8 combiued position 18 as follows". Net movernenl i) fi]Dds At 31.3.24 At 1.4.22 Umr￿trICted hnds Genernl fund 30,799 (13.916) 16.883 Restrieted funds Big IA)tt¢ry Fund Francis CtiGk Camden CIL les Hayward Foundation Camden Rcsilience Fund Vandcrycll Foundation 6,658 1,328 k5,260 2250 (6,658) (1.328) 10,407 (2,250) 1,250 25.667 1250 1.000 27.917 TOTAL FUNDS 56295 44.800 A current year 12 months and PIOT ycar 12 month5 combined net movement in fimd4 illclud¢d in tbe above are as follows.. Incoming R&8ources Movement exp¢nd¢d in fi]nds Unrestslded funds General fund 22,789 (36,705) (13.916) Restricted funds Big Lottery Fund Fitzdale Trust Francis Crick sr Bk8 LK)cal HS2 GrouDdworks Camden C Charles Hayward Foundation CamdefE Resilience Fund Lolldi)n CoEnmunity Foundation Accc&s Foundation Grant PCAN ValldervelI Foundation (6,658) (1.500) (1,328) (834) (6.457) (28,093) (2,250) (6J50) (9.470) (6,891) (3.660) 1,000 (6.658) 1,500 (1.328) 834 6,457 38500 10.407 (2250) 1250 7,500 9.470 6.891 3,660 76.812 TOTAL FUNDS (111096 Pag¢126 Notcs to thc Financial Statements - continued the Year Ended 31 Nfarch 2024 10. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURLS There w¢r¢ no related party tr￿actionS for the ycar end￿ 31 Ma￿h 2024. Page127 nin Detsxled Statement of Fill￿CiaL Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 31.3.24 31.3.23 Donations and Iyci¢s Donations 491 733 Investment Ineome Dq￿sIt account interest 634 180 Charjtable activities Service progrdmrne incorne 11359 S8.968 9,492 [7.844 Total iBcom5ng rf*ources 71 J52 28249 Charitable aetlvit14S Staff costs Peosions Rent Water Ratrs 21,863 1,736 4AOO 477 788 1809 079 909 Ih12 3,067 333 15,440 911 4J61 103 651 1.707 979 1.291 l263 1976 191 631 15222 24 179 Light andheat Tdephone Postage station¢ry Advertisitig Sundri Computrr expenses EERM fees Teaching Voluntsus ¢08ts Subscriptions Clcaning Rq)ai 17,924 78S 1,031 385 2,133 85 679 1.818 iji Battk chwges 60.916 47.637 Other Dq>reciation of t0ngibl¢ fixed aB8¢ts 359 Governance Costs A￿OuntAn¢Y and l¢gal f 660 Total rtsour¢es expended Net jDcomeJ(ezp¢llditure) 9,776 (21.271) Pw128 This pag¢ doe5 not fomi part of the statutory finaocial statements