ReGistered Charity Number 1064266 Registered Company Number 3370871 EAST LONDON COMMUNITY LAW SERVICE REPORT AM) ACCOUNTS 31 MARCH 2024 East London Community Law Service Report and Accounts Contents Page Company Informatlon Trustees Report Independent Examiner>s Report Statement of Finaneial Activities Balance Sheet Notes to the accounts Statement of Financial Activities 10 EAST LONDON COMMUNITY LAW SERVICE Company Informatlon Trustaes Dr. Qadir Bakhsh MBE (Chairman) Dr. A Q Sheikh (Vice Chairman) Mr. Robert Manso Mr. Said Aweys Mr. Clive Lucking Secretary Mr. Mabrouk Alloune Indapendent Examiners S. ASGHAR & CO Chartered Certified Accounts & Registered Auditors 85 Station Road Harrow London HA2 7SW Bankars The Co-operative Bank POBox101 1 Ballon Street, Manchester, M60 4EP Registered Office Dahir Community House 702 High Road Leyton London E10 6JP Reglster8d Charity Nurnber 1064286 Company Number 3370871 East London Community Law Service la company limited by guarantee but without a share capital) Report of the trustees for the year ended 31"March 2024 Governing Document Name, ragistered office and constitution of the charlty The full name of the charlty is East London Community Law Servlce l ELCLAS) Date of Incorporatlon 0810911997 Company re8l$tratlon Number 3370871 Reiistered Offlce Dahlr Communlty House, 702 Hlgh Road Leyton, London EIO, 6JP Charlty Re8lstratlon Number 1064266 Objectlves and Actlvltles We provlde free advlce; Informatlon and representatlon to asylum seekers, migrants and others on matters of houslng, debt, and welfare beneflts hate crime domestic violence, education, training and employment. We work to help provide rellef of poverty of asylum seekers, refugees, mlgrants and other members of the communlty with restricted Income who are resldent In the borough by provldlng free and confldentlal advice, assistance, counselllngi translatlon and Interpretatlon seNSce In matters of money, debt, welfare beneflts , housing health, training and employment. Reviéw of Activities. East London Community Law Service Is stlll faclng some dlfflcult challenges flnanclally Iii the comlng year. Thls year, thanks to fundlng from the Blg Lottery Community Funds, we have seen a slS8ht Increase In our generated Income. However, we have been able to show a positive balance in our bank accounts after so many years of flnanclal strug8le and thls Is thanks to the grant and letting some of our facilltles to provlde the much-needed funds for contlnulng the work we do for the Refugees and Migrants in several boroughs. The demand for our services has continued to grow even though we do not have a full contln8ent of staff but our sterllng staff wlth the help of volunteers has coped reasonably well thls year 8ut the organlsatlon Is stlll struggling to flnd support for our work. Our Multlcultural Advlce Servlce IMASC I Is still operatlng essentlally on a voluntary basis and now Includes Signposting cases to Citizens Advice bureaux and Vlctlm support In cases where speclallst skills are requ ired. Our future plan for funding some level of activity continue to include, asking our partners in the consortium to share our office facilities to increase their contribution to our costs while we continue to seek funding. Flnanclal Revlew The financlal results thls year shows a stable In state of affairs, the charity recorded a deflclt of £133 compared to £5088 deflclt In {202212023) The Charity Is aware that there Is a real flnanclal test ahead in the coming years whlch we should overcome by reduclng our expendlture on salarles, applying for funding and reduclng our openlng days to reduce our ener8y consumption. Achievement and Performance of the Charlty The charity was able to advice over 630 cllents coverlng a wlde range of ethnic origins, age, sex, religion and disability either face to face or over the phone, referrals and signposting. We assisted asylum seekers and migrant eitherfrom the EU or other countrles from the day they arrlve into the UK in applying for sUPPOrt {Natlonal Asylum Support Servlcesl and Welfare benefit accordlng to thelr clrcumstances and we were able to achieve a lot of success In securlng both accommodatlon and subslstence support for them. We asslsted cllents who were granted refugee status and economic migrants who were entEtled to the EU Brexlt settlement scheme In thelr dlfficult transitional perlod by applylng for the rlght beneflts that they are ellglble for while waiting to get jobs where they are found flt to work, the total financial amount gained in all the clalms we submltted on their behalf was above £ 127,193 according to our dally monltorlng database. Thanks to the outstandln8 efforts of our frontllne volunteer advisers, we were successful In securlng temporary accommodation for 7 cllents threatened elther wlth homelessness or evictions and easing debt problems for others through securing easy payment plan. Lile in the borough Continue to be a struggle not only for mlgrants and refugees but also for resldents flndlng It hard to meet day to day commitments and we thlnk the local authorlty could do more to allevlate unnecessary sufferlng The Board also wlsh to extend thanks to our volunteers whose work has enabled the or8anlsatlon to contlnue Its serv5ces wlth a very acceptable level of efficiency. Trustee's responslbilitie$ In relatlon to the flnanclal Statements: Company law requlres the trustees to prepare financlal statements for each flnancial year which give true and fair view of the state of affalrs of the charlty at the end of the flnancial year and of Its Incomlng resources and application of resources, includlng Income and expendlture for the fin'ancial year. In dolng so the trustees are required to: I, Select sultable accountlng pollcles and then apply them consistently, 2, Make Judgements and estlmates that are reasonable and prudent. 3, Prepa re the flnancial statements on the going concern basls unless It Is inapproprlate to presume that the charity will continue in business. The trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Thls report as approved by the trustees on ,and signed on their behalf Slgned: Name; Independent Examiner's Report to the trustee of East London Community Law Services For the year ended 31StMarch 2024 I report to the trustees on my examinatlon of the accounts of East London Community Law Servlces for the year ended 31 March 2024 which eomprlse the Staternent of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet and the related notes. Responslbllltles and basls of report As the charity's trustee you are responslble for the preparation of the accounts In accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 20111'the Act'l. The trustee considers that an audlt Is not required for this year under the Charities Act 2011, s.144121 (the 2011 Act) and that an Independent examination is needed. I report In respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carrled out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and In carrylng out my examlnatlon I have followed all the appllcable Dlrectlons glven by the Charity Commission under sectlon 14SISllb) of the Art. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I can confirm that no materlal matters have come to my attention In connectlon wlth the examination giving me cause to belleve that In, any material respect: •the accountlng records were not kept in respert of the charlty as requlred by section 130 of the Act", or •the accounts do not accord wlth those records; or •the accounts dld not comply with the applicable requlrements concernlng the form and content of accounts set out In the Charltles (Accounts and Report51 Regulatlons 2008 other than any requlrement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view whlch is not a matter considered as part of an Independent examlnatlon. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection wlth the examination to which attention should be d wn In thls report In order to enable a proper understandlng of the accounts to be reached. Waqas Imtlaz Khan IFCCAI S.As8har & Co Chartered Certlfled Accountants & Registered Audltors 85 Station Road North Harrow London HA2 7SW East London Community law Service Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31st March 2024 Unrestrlcted Restricted Funds Funds 2024 2024 Total Funds 2024 Total Funds 2023 notes Incomlng Resources Incomlng Resources fram generated funds Grant Funding Activities for generatlng funds Other Income & refunds Total Incomlng Resources 6,500 6,500 27,998 80 34,578 27,998 80 28,078 27,193 1,960 29,153 Expenditure. Cost of cha ritable activlties Governance costs 33,624 1,086 33,624 1,086 33,155 1,086 Total Resources Expended 34,710 34,710 34,241 Net Incoming Resources Before Transfers -6,633 -133 -5,088 Total Funds Brought Forward 397,954 397,954 403,042 Total Funds Carried Forward 391,322 397,822 397,954 East London Community law Service Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2024 notes 2024 2023 Fixed Assets Tan8lble Assets Current Assets Debtors Cash at bank & In hand 359,160 359,160 21422.12 21,555 Total Current assets 21,422 21,555 Current Llabllltles Amounts due wlthln one year Net Current assets 856 856 20,566 20,699 Total Assets less Current liabllitles 379,726 379,859 Long Term Llablllty Total Net assats 379,726 379,859 Funds of tha Charity Unrestricted Accumulated Funds 4,726 4,859 Restr5cted Accumulated Funds 110,000 110,000 Restrirted Flxed asset Revaluatlon ReseNe ..265,000 .265,000 Total Charlty Funds 379,726 379,859 The trustees are satlsfted that the company Is entlltled to exemptlon under sectlon 477 of the Companles Act 2006 and no notlce has been deposlted under sertion 476 of the act requestln8 that an audlt be conducted for the perlod ended 31st March 2024 The Trustees acknawledge thelr responslbllitles for,. lal ensurlng the company keeps accountlng re¢ords which ¢omplles wlth the requlrements of settlon 386 of Companles Act 2006. Ibl preparln8 accounts whlch glve a true and falr vlew of the state of affairs of the company as at the 31st March 2024 and of Its Incame and expendlture for that finance year in accordance wlth the requlrements ofsectlcn 393, and whlch otheNlse comply with the requlrements ofthe Companles act relatln8 to accounts so far as appllcable to the company, The accounts have been prepared in accordance wlth the spe¢ial provlsions appllcable to small companl Apprave SIBned:.... Dr Qadir Bakhsh Chalrman, Board Of Trustees the 2024 Slgned:.... Mr Mabrouk Alloune Secretary East London Community Law Service Notes to the Accounts for the period ending 31st March 2024 I, Accounting Pollcles Accountlng Basis l a l The Flnanci31 statements are prepared under the historic cost basls in Ic¢ordanGe with Financlal Repartlni Standards For Smaller Entliies and In ¢¢mpllonce wlth Stutemonts of Rocornm•nd•d Pr8¢tlee appllcable to Charltles,) I b l The orsanlsallon's maln s¢urce ¢1 Income Is from 8rints and donatlons. Some In¢orn• 1$ dirfved Ir¢rn actlvltleg and servl¢es gravlded by the Company. I c l Grants rqc•lved for sp•clltc purp¢$•$ are accounted for as Res¢rl¢red Funds and are applled In a¢cordan¢• wllh thi tsrrns of ihe grant. I dl Rental Incom& Is Included qross In th• Incom• and •xpindltur• a¢¢ounls on a re¢elvable basls l • I In¢om• and ixpendlrure rela¢ln8 to the actlvltles of the ch4rlty have been tsken Into •