2025-03-31-accounts

Annual Report 2024-25

A Company Limited by Guarantee Report and Audited Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charity no: 1092265 Company no: 4361627

Contents	Page(s)
Legal and administrative information	2
Report of the trustees	4 - 24
Independent auditors' report	25 - 28
Statement of financial activities	29
Balance sheet	30
Statement of cash flows	31
Notes forming part of the financial statements	32 - 49

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Legal and Administrative Information

Charity Name and Number

Asylum Welcome Registered Charity number: 1092265 Registered as a Company limited by guarantee, number: 04361627

Trustees

Aiham Al Aswadi (elected at the AGM, September 2024) Limyaa Ali Dr Alison Baxter Valerie Johnson (Co-chair) Lucy Keating Dr Tina Leonard Dr David Levy Humphrey Lloyd (Treasurer) Clare Miller Tony Samuel (Co-chair) Courtenay Stock (Company Secretary) (elected at the AGM, September 2024)

Chief Executives

Sarah Totterdell Dr Hari Reed

Registered Office

Unit 7 Newtec Place, Magdalen Road, Oxford OX4 1RE

Auditors

Godfrey Wilson, 5[th] Floor Mariner House, 62 Prince St, Bristol BS1 4QD

Bankers

The Co-operative Bank plc: PO Box 250, Skelmersdale, WN8 6WT CCLA Investment Management Limited: 1 Angel Lane, London EC4R 3AB

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Report of the Trustees For the year ended 31 March 2025

The Trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The legal and administrative information set out on the previous page forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Articles of Association, and the Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities.

Aims and Objects

The charity’s objects are to provide charitable assistance, operating principally from Oxfordshire, for the relief of poverty, sickness and distress and for educational purposes, for the benefit of asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants who have a humanitarian need for assistance in the UK, including those detained within the legal or penal system.

Our Vision, Mission and Values remain unchanged from last year and are set out below:

Our Vision

Asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants will feel welcomed, respected, empowered and included. They will be able to live in dignity, have hope for the future, exercise their rights, have their cases fairly considered, access services to meet their needs, and have opportunities to develop and share their talents.

Our Mission

Asylum Welcome works to alleviate poverty, suffering and isolation among asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants in need of humanitarian assistance, who seek refuge in Oxfordshire. We do this through working collaboratively with people seeking sanctuary, providing services and opportunities, supporting people to access services provided by others, promoting independence and challenging the policies and practices that undermine people’s rights.

Our Values

• Common humanity: we are all one people – part of a local and global community.

• Social justice: we believe in a fair, compassionate and inclusive society that provides rights and opportunities for all people.

• Voluntary action: we value volunteers who generously give their time to deliver services, and we seek to make this a rewarding and mutually beneficial experience.

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Structure, Governance and Management

Structure

Asylum Welcome is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity governed by its Articles of Association.

The directors of the charitable company (“the charity”) are its trustees for the purposes of charity law, and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the “trustees”. As set out in the Articles of Association, the members of the charitable company who attend the Annual General Meeting elect the trustees.

The Board of Trustees (the Board) governs the charity and consists of not less than 5 and not more than 13 trustees elected, normally for a three-year term, by the Members at the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”). In addition to the elected trustees, the Board may co-opt up to three more trustees between AGMs. A trustee co-opted by the trustees may only serve office until the next AGM, at which point they must retire, and members have the opportunity to appoint them as a Trustee.

A Director (a role currently held by two joint Chief Executives) is appointed by the Board to manage the day-to-day operation of the charity, and to lead the staff team and the volunteers. The Director has delegated authority, within the terms of the delegation appointed by the Board, for operational matters including finance, employment and asylum and refugee related issues.

The Board has a Finance Committee of three to four trustees, chaired by the Treasurer, with the Director and Finance Manager in attendance. A similar People and Governance Committee oversees these specific areas. Other ‘ad hoc’ groups of trustees meet to advise the Board or Director on particular governance issues, depending on their skills and experience. These committees are generally delegated to deliberate and formulate proposals to be agreed by the Board. The Director normally attends Board meetings in an executive/advisory capacity.

The Director leads a team of staff who work with volunteers to deliver the services of the charity.

Governance

During 2024-25 the Board consisted of 11 trustees. Two trustees who had previously been co-opted, Courtenay Stock and Aiham Al Aswadi, were elected as trustees at the AGM in September 2024.

The Board met six times in 2024-25 in line with our Forward Plan for the year.

The Board were delighted to welcome the Senior Management Team (SMT) and members of the - Staff Committee to Board Meetings for the first time in 2024 25. It has long been the case that individual SMT members attended Board Meetings to talk about their particular area of work, but the Board has recognised the value in sharing discussions at Board meetings, with the team as a whole and we will continue that in future.

The Staff Committee is a new group within Asylum Welcome with staff members elected by colleagues looking at issues affecting staff and where they can discuss matters that need further debate with the Director (and the Board where appropriate). It was part of an initiative within the charity aimed at “Building and Sustaining a Healthy Organisation”. Policies were also reviewed and updated in that process and a staff survey was carried out for the first time.

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A new Flexible Working policy, a Wellbeing, Stress and Mental Health policy and Personal Safety and Security policy and guidelines were approved at the October 2024 Board Meeting.

At the same time, the Complaints policy and Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults policy and procedures were updated and approved.

In late 2024, the Board were formally notified by our Director, Mark Goldring, that he planned to retire in 2025. He kindly gave us six months’ notice so that we could recruit his successor (more details below under Management).

As a pre-emptive measure, realising that Tony Samuel (one of the two Co-Chairs of the charity) would need to resign at the September 2025 AGM after reaching the maximum nine years’ service, the Board unanimously approved in January 2025 that Tony could continue to serve one more threeyear term, in accordance with provisions in our Articles of Association. This would ensure continuity at a time of change. Tony will seek approval of this decision at the 2025 AGM.

Public benefit

Asylum Welcome delivers public benefit by providing advice and support to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants in Oxfordshire. Asylum Welcome delivers programmes aimed at offering holistic support for the multiple complex needs of our clients, from legal immigration and financial advice, housing support, foodbank and hardship funds, digital inclusion, youth support and education and employment advice. Asylum Welcome is the only organisation in Oxfordshire providing this level of wraparound support, thus benefiting society as a whole.

The trustees of Asylum Welcome confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when planning and delivering the charity’s activities. They have ensured that the charity’s aims are for the public benefit, that the benefits are clear, and that they are delivered in a way that is accessible to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants in Oxfordshire.

Management

As noted above, the Director has delegated authority for operational matters including finance, employment and asylum and refugee related issues. Detailed reports follow giving much greater clarity on Asylum Welcome’s extensive programme of work during 2024-25.

Mark Goldring’s intention to retire in 2025 had been known to the Board for some time but nonetheless we were very sorry to receive his formal notice in October 2024. The Board implemented a detailed recruitment and advertising plan which culminated in over 70 applications, reduced to a long-list of 17 people (some applying as joint candidates).

First and second interviews were conducted in February and after a rigorous selection process the two interview panels (one including a staff member, a volunteer and a client) agreed to appoint Sarah Totterdell and Dr Hari Reed as Joint CEOs. Sarah and Hari were already members of staff (Director of Settlement Services and Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, respectively). Working together as Joint CEOs from 1 May 2025, the Board has full confidence in their abilities and passion for the charity’s work to take the organisation forward.

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Looking forward, we have a clear set of objectives for next year; enhancing and improving our advice services, delivering an effective triage service to improve information sharing, client journeys and referrals within and outside the charity, installing and beginning to use a new unified client database, and building a stronger financial base in what is likely to be a challenging economic time.

The Board wants to put on record our enormous thanks to everyone who has contributed to helping our clients over this past year. Sadly the rhetoric from Government often remains hostile towards asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants. We can, however, be proud that so many people work and volunteer at Asylum Welcome to improve their situation.

And finally, we are tremendously grateful to Mark for his expert leadership of Asylum Welcome over the last five years. His decades of experience in the sector have been an enormous asset. Under his guidance we have become a stronger, more resilient organisation, better able to respond to the needs of refugees and asylum seekers in Oxfordshire. We have also built our advocacy function enabling us to advocate for and with the people we exist to support.

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Overview of 2024-25

6 August 2024

of the year, was 6 August 2024. This was the day when far-right groups had called for demonstra�ons at the premises of organisa�ons suppor�ng refugees. Asylum Welcome was specifically named. The promised demonstra�on never materialised, but the counter demonstra�on of hundreds of supporters filled the road outside our offices with people chan�ng their welcome to refugees. Supporters similarly surrounded the local asylum hotel, bringing reassurance to the hundreds of residents, in�midated by recent TV news showing riots and a�acks in Southport and other ci�es.

visit from our Bishop and local Imam expressing solidarity with us and bringing lunch for our staff and volunteers. Their support, and that of the public who took to the streets, showed the best of our city and our country. But it is a sen�ment that we can’t take for granted. The intensive police

prepara�ons and high numbers of supporters showed the level of the threat being made. We need to keep working to sustain a safe and warm welcome amidst polarised opinions and nega�ve storytelling, a trait from which our own government isn’t immune.

Na�onal context

We have seen some posi�ve poli�cal developments under the new government with the aboli�on of the Rwanda plans, the closing of the Bibby Stockholm barge, the accelera�on of asylum interviews and the extension of the move-on period for those granted asylum from 28 to 56 days. We have also seen some less posi�ve signals, including permanently denying ci�zenship to those arriving by unsafe routes, when safe routes for most asylum seekers simply don’t exist. We haven’t seen the progress that we might hope for on some obvious opportuni�es, such as giving asylum seekers the right to work, be�er opportuni�es to learn English or speeding up appeals on refused asylum claims.

Centre closed. We have been disappointed by the new government’s con�nua�on of prepara�ons to re-open the site. We will carry on opposing the plans, while recognising that if the reopening does go ahead as expected, we will look at what we can do to support those who are detained.

Local context

At a local level we have seen posi�ve progress on issues central to our strategy. We have played an ac�ve role in county-wide migra�on fora and coordina�on. Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council have both become Local Authori�es of Sanctuary and West Oxfordshire District Council has started the journey. We have contributed to the development of ac�on plans for both newly approved local authori�es, encouraging them to consider asylum seekers and refugees in all areas within their ambit. An example of this in prac�ce has been Oxfordshire County Council funding bus passes for asylum seekers, most of whom receive less than £9 a week to cover their costs. The City and two District Councils have also contributed funds to assist a newly formed support group for LGBTQ+ refugees.

We have been able to work with Oxford Brookes University on their prepara�ons to be a University of Sanctuary, and with the University of Oxford on the exci�ng explora�on and development of a new Refugee-Led Research Hub, making higher educa�on opportuni�es more accessible to would-be students.

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The second Sanctuary Fair in the Oxford Town Hall in June 2024 was a posi�ve example of collabora�on between all of the ‘Sanctuary’ partners, coordinated by Asylum Welcome.

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Inside Asylum Welcome: a programme overview and some highlights

Trends and challenges

The thousands of Afghans refugees who were evacuated in 2021, and the Ukrainians, who mostly arrived in 2022, have largely se�led into new homes and need less support from Asylum Welcome. Therefore, we have turned our a�en�on, as per our 2024 strategy, to the upwards of 600, everchanging asylum seekers in hotels and dispersal housing across the county. Asylum seekers tend to have the greatest needs, yet the fewest public resources available to support them. Most evident during the year has been the challenge of helping asylum seekers effec�vely present their claims for refugee status. With a dearth of available legal aid lawyers, we have put more staff and volunteer �me into helping clients understand the asylum process, gather their evidence, and prepare to present their own cases, so far with posi�ve results.

a decision on their asylum claims. We have developed a service which helps clients at the Oxford hotel with this journey. We have also collaborated with an organisa�on in Reading, which is giving clients six months in a ‘half-way house’ while we help them with their search for longer-term security. We see this as an important area to build on in the year ahead.

Enhancing our services to asylum seekers

We are pleased to have been able to enhance our services to asylum seekers in two important ways during 2024. The first is as a result of a powerful campaign run by our clients themselves in collabora�on with us and Ci�zens UK which led to the County Council providing asylum seekers with passes for free bus travel. This enabled them to get around the city: to volunteer, worship, play sports or just explore the City. The other was a scheme to assist those living on ins�tu�onal food who have extra dietary needs to supplement their diet. This has proved especially important for pregnant women and those with condi�ons such as allergies or diabetes.

Our core services

As always, the core of and main entry points to our services remain our Adult and Family Service (AFS), the now separate Outreach Service, which covers the three asylum hotels in Oxfordshire, and the Youth Service for younger people. Our core services remain busier than ever, with AFS suppor�ng over 700 clients and Outreach 673. These services engage with clients from their first day in the country through to the longstanding challenges of those who have been here for years and s�ll struggle to thrive.

One highlight of the year for the Adult and Family Service has been the outcome of an external evalua�on of a five-year, mul�-agency collabora�on suppor�ng clients who are homeless and have No Recourse to Public Funds. Our role has been to help clients regularise their immigra�on status, which has allowed them to work, claim benefits and/or find their own housing. The independent review showed that this work has been successful, as illustrated below, and that the project has had a massive impact on the well-being of those involved:

“ The project has supported 50 individuals with 48% of the cohort gaining some form of right to remain, and a further 36% s�ll receiving support to regularise their immigra�on status. Across the cohort, 50% of people now have the right to work in the UK, most gaining this right as a direct result of the project. Of those who have le� the project, 63% have access to public funds.” External Evalua�on, Aitken 2025.

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area of focus has been the addi�onal vulnerabili�es of those whose immigra�on status depends on a spouse and who face domes�c abuse from that spouse or their family. Working with our partners in the Thames Valley Immigra�on Alliance (TVIA), we researched this in more depth, alongside offering direct support to clients, mainly women, caught in this situa�on, taking referrals from across the Thames Valley region. In 2025, we will be dissemina�ng the research and offering training to other organisa�ons to enable them to be�er assist survivors of abuse facing these legal barriers.

as well as running a weekly youth club, and collabora�ng on running a football group. During the year, the Youth Service has supported 200 young people, many at the point of adulthood, when they turn 18 and are no longer supported by Children’s Social Services but con�nue to face extensive challenges. These include finding housing, work and further study.

Responding to clients’ needs

One of our strategic commitments this year has been to improve the way our clients engage with our services. A key step in this has been for our clients to develop a new Triage service, which went live in early 2024. This service, using staff and some experienced volunteers, responds to in-person, phone and on-line enquiries, offering immediate help and informa�on where appropriate, referring to other organisa�ons and/or making appointments internally with the relevant service.

con�nued to provide high quality, intensive support to families for the first few years a�er their arrival, working closely with the City Council. An ongoing challenge has been the difficul�es faced by adults in moving into long-term, paid employment that is consistent with their skills and ambi�ons. To offer more support we collaborated with employment advice organisa�ons on the Refugee Employment Support Programme and have strengthened the exper�se of our own UKRS team in this respect.

New arrivals on government schemes are also able to access a range of other services at Asylum Welcome, including digital support (phones, laptops and digital literacy), bikes, foodbank, youth ac�vi�es, volunteering opportuni�es, and educa�on and employment support. Our very successful Schools Advocacy programme is closely aligned with the Rese�lement Service: the programme helps refugee children and their parents overcome barriers and thrive in the school system.

We pride ourselves on the diversity of our programmes, which are designed to respond to the needs of clients at all stages of their journeys. Finding the funds to sustain all these services has proved a major and increasing challenge. As an example, in 2024 we developed a programme to help refugees be�er understand and access health services. This proved valuable; we produced and disseminated training and materials in many languages, but unfortunately, we were not able to find the funds to con�nue beyond the first year.

We faced similar challenges with our Huntercombe Prison visi�ng programme, funding for which finished in December 2024. This programme offers personal support, legal referrals, family engagement and advice on post-release housing and opportuni�es for foreign na�onal offenders liable for deporta�on. The service proved valuable and has been appreciated by hundreds of inmates

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secured a short-term lifeline.

Inclusion and opportuni�es

One commitment in our 2024 strategy was to do more to promote ac�vity and inclusion within our client base. Establishing the LGBTQ+ group early in the year was an important part of this, as we know from experience that this client group feels par�cularly excluded and unsafe, especially in asylum accommoda�on. The group meets in a safe space and has grown steadily, offering mutual and external support, educa�on, friendship and ac�vity.

Another highlight of the year rela�ng to new opportuni�es for clients was a collabora�on with the University of Oxford’s cultural programme, which led to a range of crea�ve arts programmes over several months, culmina�ng in a Refugee Week exhibi�on. Numerous groups, including young people, hotel residents, Ukrainians and others, chose different art forms and developed their own work for the exhibi�on.

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Summary of our main services and client numbers in 2024-25

----- Start of picture text -----
Programme Description Number of clients
accessing each service
Adult & Family Core Asylum Welcome service and often clients’ entry 709
Service point into the charity. Advice and support, signposting to
internal and external services. Benefits, housing, hardship
and asylum support.
Outreach Service Provides advice to large numbers of clients living in 673
dispersal accommodation, including hotels, hostels, and
single unit accommodation in Oxfordshire. The team
provide advice clinics, covering immigration issues,
healthcare and move-on support for those who receive
refugee status. Arts and sports provision via partnerships.
Youth Project & Supports young refugees and asylum seekers (many of 200
Youth Clubs whom are unaccompanied). Our youth team provides
intensive casework and practical support, as well as a
weekly Youth Club for young people of many nationalities.
The Youth Project facilitates boxing, cricket and football
clubs, and provides engaging outings in school holidays.
Food Bank & Many people in the asylum system receive less than £7 a 199
Hardship Fund day when in self-catered accommodation or £8.86 per
week if living in an asylum hotel. Other clients have No
Recourse to Public Funds and will struggle without our
help. We provide small subsistence grants for emergency
needs. These interventions are a stopgap, while we
attempt to ensure clients are moved onto more
sustainable support.
Asylum and Supports people to navigate the asylum system at all 429
Immigration Advice stages. Aimed at improving access to immigration advice,
expediting outcomes allowing people to move on with
their lives. As well as our Oxford-based service, we run a
Thames Valley Partnership with Slough Refugee Support &
Reading Support Group Berkshire, and Settled.
Education and Provides language lessons, employment support, CV 272
Employment writing, interview practice and makes referrals and (121 employment, 151
applications to schools & colleges. We have established education)
links with local colleges and employers.
UKRS Resettlement Intensive mentoring and material assistance for new 103
Project arrivals on formal resettlement schemes; help with admin
and basic needs for resettled families who are placed in
Oxfordshire by the Home Office. Commissioned by Oxford
City Council.
Huntercombe Supportive visits by volunteers to foreign national 79
Prison/Detention prisoners held at HMP Huntercombe. Provides complex
Support advocacy and practical support as well as emotional
support. Immigration advice for prisoners is complex and
prison staff are not trained in this area.
Sanctuary Wheels- Provides free refurbished bikes (plus helmets, lights and 255
Bike Project locks) for clients throughout Oxfordshire. Partnership
with Active Oxfordshire.
----- End of picture text -----

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Digital Inclusion - Laptop Project	Provides free refurbished laptops and devices, and SIM cards plus personalised IT training for refugees and asylum seekers. Hundreds of unused devices have been donated from the public and businesses which are restored to factorysettings and refurbished.	431
Schools Advocacy	Provides intensive mentoring for newly arrived parents to engage in and understand the English school system, to support good educational outcomes for their children. Includes English language classes forparents.	161
Sanctuary Hosting	Supports refugees and vulnerable migrants at risk of homelessness with hosted homestays. Guests also benefit from the range of services on offer at Asylum Welcome. The service operates across Oxfordshire, and throughout the Thames Valley,includingReading.	49
Refugee Employment Support Project (RESP)	Asylum Welcome’s mentoring service under the Refugee Employment Support Project (RESP) provides one-to-one mentoring for Oxford-based participants, mostly Syrian, who came to the UK under the VPRS scheme more than five years ago and need some additional support in accessing employment. This 15-month project, in partnership with Aspire and EMBS, was funded by Oxford CityCouncil and ended in August 2024.	11
Advocacy & Co- production	Our advocacy service works with other organisations towards a fairer asylum and immigration system. We work with people with lived experience. We do this through co- production workshops, which give a platform to clients to discuss the issues that matter to them, to inform our work, and to campaign locally for change. This group campaigned successfully for free bus travel for asylum seekers in Oxford.	17
Health Access Support Group	Project established to enable asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in Oxfordshire to access reliable, accurate information about healthcare and their rights; to oversee Asylum Welcome’s engagement with healthcare organisations; and to contribute towards positive outcomes for wellbeing amongst migrant communities in Oxfordshire. Health information collated in multiple languages to support health and wellbeing.	Approx. 120

Our client numbers

Es�ma�ng the total number of people, we supported over the year is not a straigh�orward exercise. Our best es�mate is that we directly supported 2,087 individual clients, and indirectly many more. - While most of our services have grown, the fall in total numbers from 2023 24 (2,693 clients) reflects the closing of our Ukraine and European Union Se�lement Scheme (EUSS) programmes, both of which finished in the 2023-24 financial year.

Many of these 2,000+ clients were helped in mul�ple ways. For example, people who were supported with asylum claims may also have received bus passes, bikes and supplementary feeding assistance. A des�tute client who approaches Asylum Welcome may have received food from the foodbank, housing advice and, when ready, a laptop and support applying for a job.

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migrants we have supported indirectly. These include: the family members of people we supported through their journey to refugee status, who have later arrived in the UK via refugee family reunifica�on, the students who have improved access to universi�es in Oxford as a result of our collabora�ons, refugees receiving be�er services from councils who we have helped to become Local Authori�es of Sanctuary, people who have been pointed in the right direc�on by our triage service or helped through our partnerships with the East Timorese and Sudanese community groups, and those making use of the range of mul�lingual briefings and materials on health access produced by our health programme. We can not es�mate these numbers, but such work is as important as our direct provision of services.

• At the height of our Afghan and Ukrainian programmes in 2022 23, we employed over 40 members of staff. As these programmes have come to an end, we have had to find a shape and size that is more sustainable in the long run. We have reorganised to run our current range of services with a staff complement of about 30. Of these, half have lived experience of displacement or migra�on.

our Finance Manager, Jackie McDowell in April 2024 and our CEO, Mark Goldring in April 2025. Our long-serving Services Director, Almas Farzi (Navid) and Fundraising and Development Manager, Gilberto Estrada Harris, also le� during the year. This led to the reshaping of the senior team. We are pleased to have managed this transi�on without damaging our services or slowing down our work.

and Jenny Dunn (Fundraising and Communica�ons Manager). They join the new Joint CEOs, Dr Hari Reed and Sarah To�erdell, both of whom were already on the staff, as the Senior Management Team. Staff, clients and volunteers were all involved in the process of recrui�ng the new CEOs in February 2025.

overall staff sa�sfac�on, while also showing areas we need to improve. An ac�on plan has been developed, in conjunc�on with the board and staff commi�ee to respond to the findings.

scale which has nine levels linked to different roles and responsibili�es. The charity conducts periodic reviews of these scales rela�ve to other charity employers of similar sizes and may adjust the scales as necessary based on this evidence. During the annual budget-se�ng process the charity also considers a general percentage upli� to all pay scales applicable from 1 April each year taking into account general rates of infla�on in the economy as well as affordability for the charity.

Our volunteers

who work as part of a team with staff in delivering each of our services. We have over 300 volunteers working with us at any �me, from half-a-day a month to two days a week. Volunteers in official roles delivered over 23,000 hours of work during the year. Many more help occasionally or informally. The established roles are wide-ranging: running the foodbank, advising on immigra�on, staffing our recep�on, mending bikes, lobbying Parliament, suppor�ng children and their families at school,

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transla�ng health materials. We cannot begin to count the number of hours that volunteer hosts with Sanctuary Hos�ng put in.

Volunteering is an excellent stepping stone for clients who are not permi�ed or ready to work. We are pleased to see them many of them move on to paid work within or outside Asylum Welcome.

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Our fundraising and communica�ons

Our total income for the year was £1,574k. Below is a summary of our fundraising activities against each income stream.

Trust and Foundations (T&Fs): This accounts for approximately a third of income. A big win was securing the National Lottery three-year grant for our core Adult and Family Service, which is approximately £100k a year. The ongoing challenge with T&Fs funding is eligibility criteria – for many we are now too large (over the £1 million threshold). With government cuts and cost of living pressures, competition is increasing with many T&Fs receiving hundreds of applications per funding round.

Statutory: This was down against budget due to the ending and non-renewal of some major contracts with local governments, and there being fewer tenders than we expected. Local councils are increasingly taking work in-house, which would previously have been put out to tender.

Individual: We continue to have a number of committed individuals supporting us through regular giving (approx. £65k a year) and one-off gifts in response to appeals. We currently have over 2,000 supporters receiving our regular mailings, of whom around half give during the year.

We delivered four main appeals last year: Spring, Refugee Week, Autumn/AGM and Winter. We also ran a hardship appeal to cold prospects in the Autumn – door dropping around Oxford. The winter appeal was our most successful ever, raising over £20k.

This was our first year using paid social media ads alongside our appeals and they have proved a successful tool for supporter acquisition and income. Over the year, we brought in almost twice as many new donors through social media than previously.

During the August demonstrations we received an uptick in donations from individuals. We also ran our first International Women’s Day mini digital push which prompted supporters to increase their giving.

Corporates and Community: One area of innovation this year was to encourage matched giving during our Refugee Week appeal. We particularly thank Eleos and Consultant Connect for their support. In total, we raised £31k from Corporate support in 2024-25.

Faith, Colleges and Community groups: A number of local community groups, churches, colleges and schools provided generous support throughout the year. Activities included local bake sales, concerts and other events to raise support and funds for our work.

Fundraising practices:

Asylum Welcome raises money across several incomes streams and complies with the fundraising Code of Practice. We take due care to steward our supporters’ donations with care and transparency. All supporters have opted-in to receive fundraising materials in a form that they prefer, such as by post or digital emails, and can at any time opt-out from receiving these by unsubscribing. We work to ensure that all supporter data information is protected under GDPR regulation as laid out in our IT Security and Data Protection Policy.

The fundraising team seek to keep up to date with Fundraising best practice through training and accessing resources within the sector such as the Civil Society Fundraising Magazine.

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Communications

This year we continued our focus on responsive, inclusive communications. We increased the participation of people with lived experience, improved client communications, and engaged supporters through regular communications, events and creative digital and media channels.

Co-Produc�on: Increased par�cipa�on of people with lived experience

From March to June 2024, our Cultural Democracy Project, funded through the University of Oxford’s Cultural Programme, supported co-produced workshops and training opportuni�es for volunteers and clients. It culminated in the ‘Windows’ exhibi�on at Oxford Town Hall, co-curated by people with lived experience and launched during Refugee Week, alongside the premiere of the

At the Annual Supporters’ Mee�ng in September 2024, clients served as co-hosts and panel speakers - a powerful expression of shared leadership.

Improving client communica�ons

The Community News pla�orm, designed for clients to keep them up-to-date with free local events and opportuni�es, was integrated into our website, supported by a WhatsApp broadcast group to share urgent updates. Communica�ons also played a significant role in major events, including the Oxford Sanctuary Fair, Windows exhibi�on, Cowley Road Carnival, and crisis communica�ons following far-right threats in August.

Engaging supporters

We maintained regular communica�ons to supporters and the public through our digital channels, events and media.

Digital - Our monthly volunteer and supporter newsle�ers had strong engagement, with open and click rates consistently above sector averages. We also con�nued promo�on and engagement across our website and all key social media channels (Facebook, Twi�er/X, Instagram and LinkedIn) and joined Bluesky in January 2025, gaining hundreds of new followers in the first three months.

Events - The Windows exhibi�on, co-curated by asylum seekers and refugees, was developed through a series of art workshops. It explored themes of journey, home and hope. It launched at Oxford Town Hall in June 2024 as part of the second Oxford Sanctuary Fair. The Sanctuary Fair brought together dozens of local groups and audiences, with Asylum Welcome offering informa�on, ac�vi�es, and live performances. A�endee feedback highlighted the sense of welcome and belonging.

Media Engagement, Podcast and Film - Between March 2024 and March 2025, Asylum Welcome was featured regularly in local and na�onal media. In par�cular, our client-led Afghan family reunion campaign received extensive coverage in The Guardian, BBC Oxford, BBC South TV, Heart Radio, and the BBC News website, highligh�ng the human impact of delays and legal barriers.

We launched three co-produced episodes of our Welcomecast podcast and released the client-led short film ‘Incer�tude’ during Refugee Week 2024. 'Incer�tude' is a record of the client-led campaign for free bus travel for asylum seekers.

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Total income for 2024-25 was £1,574k compared to £1,678k in 2023-24. The 6% reduc�on is due to a decrease in funding from statutory sources which nevertheless comprised 39% of income. Grants from Trusts and Founda�ons made up a third of income in 2024-25 and individual and community dona�ons (up on the previous year) represented 21%. Both grants and individual giving are increasingly important to the charity’s financial sustainability.

costs were reduced by around 10% as ac�on was taken during the year to bring costs in line with lower income and to create a more sustainable cost base for future years.

this remained manageable within the charity’s reserves policy.

Risks

The charity ac�vely manages the risks it faces, and the risk register is reviewed and updated regularly. The key financial risk iden�fied is a failure to secure sufficient funds to secure core services and pursue strategic priori�es, par�cularly in the light of reduced statutory funding sources. To mi�gate this risk, the charity con�nues to work to diversify income streams, including: inves�ng in a new database of grant-making bodies; increasing collabora�ons with Universi�es; launching a legacy appeal; exploring new areas of collabora�on in the area of housing advice and building rela�onships with individual and community donors. Crucially the financial risk is managed within the context of a responsible reserves policy.

Reserves

At 31 March 2025 the charity had unrestricted reserves of £585k, including designated funds of £35k, and restricted funds of £133k. Total charity funds at the year-end were £718k.

At 31 March 2025 £35k is designated for potential property expenses both in the current year and at the end of the lease, while the restricted funds of £133k are held to cover the future costs of programmes as specified by the funder and set out in note 17 to the financial statements.

Asylum Welcome has a policy of holding general fund reserves for the following reasons:

• To fund cash flow in the short term, for example where a donor pays in arrears;

• To act as a buffer against negative external events, such as a drop in income;

• To allow investment and expenditure on new initiatives and increases in organisational capacity to further the charity’s work; and

• To allow an orderly wind-down of the organisation if it ceased operating.

In order to provide sufficient working capital to protect the organisation and its beneficiaries in these circumstances the charity’s policy is to set a reserves target equal to three to four months’ anticipated running costs plus an estimate of closure costs, implying a target range of £435k to £560k which is somewhat lower than last year as a result of a reduced cost base. Free reserves are therefore within the ideal range as set out by the board.

18

manageable in that it would leave the charity with reserves within the target range at 31 March 2026, the long-term aim is to increase income to a level where the recurrent costs of our core services are covered on an annual basis and a sustainable breakeven posi�on is a�ained.

Looking ahead to 2025-26

The coming year, from April 2025 to March 2026, will combine opportuni�es and challenges for the organisa�on's rela�vely new senior leadership. A job share at director level is a new venture for Asylum Welcome, which brings different and complementary skills and experience to the role, while modelling collabora�ve ways of working. Organisa�onal priori�es for the coming year include:

Programme objec�ves

• Programme quality: There will be a renewed focus on programme quality, ensuring consistent and rigorous case management and recording, through review, audits, training and guidelines. This is key to ensuring we provide an effec�ve and efficient service. The rollout of the new case management system, replacing the current database, will also support these improvements.

• Programme consolida�on and development: We aim to secure renewed funding for commissioned programmes due to end in 2025/2026; maintain and build on our LGBT and Domes�c Violence programmes; develop a new programme to support move-on housing; and con�nue to flex and develop our support in response to client need.

• Asylum Welcome will con�nue its work as a key local changemaker in the

• refugee and asylum space. We will build on our rela�onships with local authori�es and higher educa�on ins�tu�ons, maintaining Asylum Welcome’s profile and reputa�on in the wider community, and using our ‘Sanctuary’ rela�onships to influence improvements in refugee inclusion. We will con�nue to iden�fy opportuni�es for research partnerships that tangibly benefit our clients, and maintain our par�cipa�on in the Campaign to Keep Campsfield Closed.

• Working with women: We will ensure that women’s needs are be�er met, and their voices heard through improved awareness and gender-sensi�ve delivery in all programmes, alongside the development of new programmes to meet women’s needs.

Enabling objec�ves

• infrastructure, running an affordable budget and delivering on income/expenditure commitments.

• Improved infrastructure: implementa�on of a new case management system to replace the current database; through ongoing improvements to office space; and through work to improve our internal communica�ons.

• Organisa�onal culture: We have made genuine progress this year on improving Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; we aim for this to con�nue apace. This year, we will be reviewing

19

strong focus on coaching, developing ac�on plans on EDI, and delivering ac�ons agreed in response to the staff survey. We will seek to be�er understand and improve the volunteer experience at Asylum Welcome.

• Lived experience: We will centralise lived experience of the asylum system in all aspects of our work, developing our understanding of how best to support staff members and volunteers with lived experience and ensuring client voices are heard.

• Impact measurement: We will develop new frameworks for measuring impact within and across programmes, and pilot different approaches to encouraging client feedback.

20

THANK YOU

Thank you to all those who have generously given to our work over the last year, without you our work would simply not be possible. With gra�tude to the funders and community groups listed below, and special thanks to the mul�tude of individuals who have donated, volunteered, hosted, ran fundraisers and raised awareness for our work.

Trusts and founda�ons

Ac�ve Oxfordshire Anglo American Founda�on Aspire Oxfordshire Community Enterprise The Bromley Trust Educa�onal Opportunity Founda�on Garfield Weston Founda�on Ha�ield Family Trust The Henry Smith Charity Jus�ce Together The Leigh Trust Lloyds Bank Founda�on The MacFarlane Family Founda�on The Mactaggart Third Fund The Maggie Black Trust Marsh Chris�an Trust Na�onal Lo�ery Oxfordshire Community & Voluntary Ac�on Odin Charitable Trust Oxfordshire Homeless Movement Oxford City Council Big Ideas Fund

Oxfordshire Community Founda�on Red Cross Robert & Margaret Moss Charitable Trust Santander UK Founda�on Ltd Shanly Founda�on Souter Charitable Trust The Stanton Ballard Charitable Trust The Swan Mountain Trust Swire Charitable Trust The John Horseman Trust The Kincraig Trust The Westward Trust Wates Founda�on CAF Bank Founda�on Doris Field Charitable Trust Heinz Founda�on J Paul Ge�y Charitable Trust R S Brownless Trust The Truemark Trust

Statutory and partners

Cherwell District Council HMP Huntercombe Migrant Voices Collec�ve Oxford Brookes University Oxford City Council Oxfordshire County Council Refugee Resource Rese�lement CIC South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils SOAS University of London West Oxfordshire District Council University of Lincoln University of Oxford

Corporates

Consultant Connect Ltd Data Salon Eleos Compliance GKN Automo�ve IS Oxford Limited Mishcon de Reya LLP

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Community groups

All Saints Church Oxford Bishop of Oxford Outreach Fund Brightwell Suppor�ng Refugees Burford Local Quaker Mee�ng Charlbury Refugee Ac�on Group Chipping Norton Amnesty Group Christ Church Cathedral Oxford Cowley Road Methodist Church Cowley St John Damascus PCC Eynsham Bap�st Church Eynsham Carnival Headington U3A Highfield Resident Associa�on Kidlington Bap�st Church Li�lemore Church Lord Mayor of Oxford Mansfield College Oxford Magdalen College Oxford Oxford Open Door Oxford Quaker Mee�ng St. Clements Oxford Prac�ce Plus Group Refugee Ac�on Sandford Parochial Church SLG (Sisters of the Love of God) Charitable Trust Somerville College St Andrew's Church, Linton Road St Andrew's Church, Headington St Anne’s College St Ebbe’s Church St Nicholas Church, Oxford Sunningwell Village Hall Trinity Church Abingdon Wesley Memorial Church Westwell PCC St Mary's Church, Wheatley Wheatley Refugee Support Group Woodstock Methodist Church

22

STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES

The trustees (who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accoun�ng Standards, including Financial Repor�ng Standard 102: The Financial Repor�ng Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accoun�ng Prac�ce).

a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:

• select suitable accoun�ng policies and then apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles in the Chari�es SORP;

• make judgements and accoun�ng es�mates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable UK accoun�ng standards and statements of recommended prac�ce have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

• presume that the charity will con�nue in opera�on.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accoun�ng records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any �me the financial posi�on of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the preven�on and detec�on of fraud and other irregulari�es.

In so far as the trustees are aware:

• there is no relevant audit informa�on of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and

• the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit informa�on and to establish that the auditors are aware of that informa�on.

informa�on included on the charitable company's website. Legisla�on in the United Kingdom governing the prepara�on and dissemina�on of financial statements may differ from legisla�on in other jurisdic�ons.

Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The trustees are members of the charity but this en�tles them only to vo�ng rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

23

Auditors

Godfrey Wilson Limited were appointed as auditors to the charitable company during the year and have expressed their willingness to con�nue in that capacity.

Tony Samuel

Approved by the trustees on 24 July 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Tony Samuel (Co-chair)

24

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Asylum Welcome

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Asylum Welcome (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet, statement of cash flows and the related notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the charity's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

25

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Asylum Welcome

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

• the information given in the trustees’ report, which includes the directors’ report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• ▪ the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

• the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

• the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

Responsibilities of the trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out in the trustees’ report, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

26

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Asylum Welcome

Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The procedures we carried out and the extent to which they are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, are detailed below:

(1) We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the charity operates in, and assessed the risk of non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Throughout the audit, we remained alert to possible indications of non-compliance.

(2) We reviewed the charity’s policies and procedures in relation to:

• Identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations, and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;

• Detecting and responding to the risk of fraud, and whether they were aware of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud; and

• Designing and implementing internal controls to mitigate the risk of non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud.

(3) We inspected the minutes of trustee meetings.

(4) We enquired about any non-routine communication with regulators and reviewed any reports made to them.

(5) We reviewed the financial statement disclosures and assessed their compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

(6) We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected transactions or balances that may indicate a risk of material fraud or error.

(7) We assessed the risk of fraud through management override of controls and carried out procedures to address this risk. Our procedures included:

• ▪Testing the appropriateness of journal entries;

• ▪Assessing judgements and accounting estimates for potential bias;

• ▪Reviewing related party transactions; and

• ▪Testing transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. Irregularities that arise due to fraud can be even harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

27

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Asylum Welcome

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charityʼs members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charityʼs members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditorʼs report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charityʼs members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

William Guy Blake

Date: 28 July 2025

William Guy Blake ACA (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of:

GODFREY WILSON LIMITED

Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD

28

Asylum Welcome

Statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Restricted Unrestricted Note £ £ Income from: Donations and legacies 3 30,035 401,903 Charitable activities 4 1,104,585 1,000 Investments - 26,741 Other income - 10,122 Total income 1,134,620 439,766 Expenditure on: Raising funds - 137,928 Charitable activities 1,109,707 401,953 Total expenditure 6 1,109,707 539,881 8 24,913 (100,115) Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward 107,925 684,882 Total funds carried forward 132,838 584,767 Net income / (expenditure) and net movement in funds	2025 Total £ 431,938 1,105,585 26,741 10,122 1,574,386 137,928 1,511,660 1,649,588 (75,202) 792,807 717,605	Restated 2024 Total £ 416,186 1,244,328 17,188 -
		1,677,702
		140,399 1,652,971
		1,793,370
		(115,668) 908,475
		792,807

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 17 to the accounts.

Prior period income and expenditure have been reclassified to reflect the requirements of the Charities SORP (FRS 102) and to be comparable with the current year. Full details are set out in note 20.

29

Asylum Welcome

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2025

Note Fixed assets Tangible assets 11 Intangible assets 12 Current assets Debtors 13 Cash at bank and in hand Liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year 14 Net current assets Net assets 16 Funds 17 Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Designated funds General funds Total charity funds	£ 163,314 637,418 800,732 (88,869)	2025 £ - 5,742 5,742 711,863 717,605 132,838 35,000 549,767 717,605	Restated 2024 £ - -
			- 139,048 723,855
			862,903 (70,096)
			792,807
			792,807
			107,925 50,000 634,882
			792,807

Total charity funds

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.

Approved by the trustees on 24 July 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Tony Samuel

Tony Samuel (Co-chair)

30

Asylum Welcome

Statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Cash used in operating activities: Net movement in funds Adjustments for: Depreciation and amortisation charges Dividends, interest and rents from investments (Increase) / decrease in debtors Increase / (decrease) in creditors Net cash used in operating activities Cash flows from investing activities: Dividends, interest and rents from investments Purchase of intangible fixed assets Net cash provided by investing activities Decrease in cash and cash equivalents in the year Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	2025 £ (75,202) - (26,741) (24,266) 18,773 (107,436) 26,741 (5,742) 20,999 (86,437) 723,855 637,418	2024 £ (115,668) 1,541 (17,188) 60,004 (61,739)
		(133,050)
		17,188 -
		17,188
		(115,862) 839,717
		723,855

The charity has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements.

31

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

1. Accounting policies

a) General information and basis of preparation

Asylum Welcome is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. The registered office address is Unit 7 Newtec Place, Magdalen Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1RE.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Asylum Welcome meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

b) Going concern basis of accounting

The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern, which the trustees consider appropriate having regard to the current level of unrestricted reserves. There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

c) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the Trust that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor's intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.

Income received in advance of provision of the Schools Advocacy and Dispersal support services funded by local government is deferred until criteria for income recognition are met.

32

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued)

d) Donated services and facilities

• Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item, is probable and the economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised.

On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

e) Interest receivable

• Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

f) Funds accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

h) Allocation of support and governance costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity’s activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities based on the proportion of staff time and direct costs associated with each activity as follows:

ws:
	2025	2024
Raising funds	8.4%	7.8%
Charitable activities	91.6%	92.2%

33

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued) i) Tangible and intangible fixed assets

Depreciation/amortisation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation/amortisation rates in use are as follows:

Office furniture and equipment 4 years Intangible assets (website, database) 3 years

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £2,500.

j) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

k) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

l) Creditors

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

m) Financial instruments

The charitable company only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

n) Pension costs

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. There are no further liabilities other than that already recognised in the SOFA.

o) Accounting estimates and key judgements

In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The key sources of estimation or uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are depreciation and amortisation as described in note (i) above.

34

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

2. Prior period comparatives: statement of financial activities (restated)

Income from: Donations and grants Charitable activities Investments Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds Charitable activities Total expenditure Net expenditure and net movement in funds	Restricted £ 16,782 938,527 - 955,309 - 1,033,784 1,033,784 (78,475)	£ 399,404 305,801 17,188 722,393 140,399 619,187 759,586 (37,193) Unrestricted	2024 Total £ 416,186 1,244,328 17,188
			1,677,702
			140,399 1,652,971
			1,793,370
			(115,668)

Prior period income has been restated due to provide a more accurate reflection of the use of resources by the charity and to be comparable with the current year. The only impact on total income is due to a change in deferred income, as set out in the restatement note (note 20).

3. Income from donations and legacies

Trusts and foundations Community groups and corporate donations Individuals including legacies Total income from donations and legacies Prior period comparative: Trusts and foundations Community groups and corporate donations Individuals including legacies Total income from donations and legacies	Restricted £ - 25,531 4,504 30,035 Restricted £ - 16,500 282 16,782	£ 115,145 56,182 230,576 401,903 £ 143,110 48,936 207,358 399,404 Unrestricted Unrestricted	2025 Total £ 115,145 81,713 235,080
			431,938
			Restated 2024 Total £ 143,110 65,436 207,640
			416,186

35

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

4. Income from charitable activities

Trusts and foundations Community groups, partners & corporate Total income from charitable activities Prior period comparative: Trusts and foundations Community groups, partners & corporate Total income from charitable activities Oxfordshire County Council University collaborations University collaborations Oxfordshire County Council West Oxfordshire District Council West Oxfordshire District Council Other statutory authorities Cherwell District Council EUSS Oxford City Council Oxford City Council	Restricted £ 533,375 45,331 22,000 15,000 1,000 401,025 69,935 16,919 1,104,585 Restricted £ 333,958 - 11,498 14,500 551,072 7,590 19,909 938,527	£ 1,000 - - - - - - - 1,000 £ - 305,801 - - - - - 305,801 Unrestricted Unrestricted	2025 Total £ 534,375 45,331 22,000 15,000 1,000 401,025 69,935 16,919
			1,105,585
			Restated 2024 Total £ 333,958 305,801 11,498 14,500 551,072 7,590 19,909
			1,244,328

5. Government grants

The charity receives government grants, defined as funding from Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council and other local authorities to fund charitable activities. The total value of such grants in the period ending 31 March 2025 was £617,706 (2024: £665,757). There are no unfulfilled conditions or contingencies attaching to these grants in 2024/25.

36

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

6. Total expenditure

Direct services staff costs (note 9) Direct management staff (note 9) Senior management staff (note 9) Facilities and finance staff costs (note 9) Fundraising and communications staff (note 9) Asylum seeker and refugee activities Direct assistance to asylum seekers and refugees Direct fundraising costs Premises and office costs Communications and IT Staff, volunteer support and HR Other, including audit and AGM Sub-total Allocation of support and governance costs Total expenditure Total governance costs were £16,565 (2024: £13,734).	Raising funds £ - - - - 76,250 - - 35,490 6,802 2,698 1,451 - 122,691 15,237 137,928	Charitable activities £ 745,361 84,772 - - - 312,709 81,892 - 74,553 29,571 15,799 - 1,344,657 167,003 1,511,660	Support and governance costs £ - - 51,335 70,146 28,362 - - - 9,121 3,618 2,852 16,806 182,240 (182,240) -	2025 Total £ 745,361 84,772 51,335 70,146 104,612 312,709 81,892 35,490 90,476 35,887 20,102 16,806
				1,649,588 -
				1,649,588

37

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

6. Total expenditure (continued) Prior period comparative Direct services staff costs (note 9) Direct management staff (note 9) Senior management staff (note 9) Facilities and finance staff costs (note 9) Fundraising and communications staff (note 9) Asylum seeker and refugee activities Direct assistance to asylum seekers and refugees Direct fundraising costs Premises and office costs Communications and IT Staff, volunteer support and HR Other, including audit and AGM Sub-total Allocation of support and governance costs Total expenditure	Raising funds £ - - - - 78,811 - - 36,483 8,040 2,291 1,944 - 127,569 12,830 140,399	Charitable activities £ 906,770 51,372 - - - 304,055 94,579 - 94,609 26,968 23,636 - 1,501,989 150,982 1,652,971	Support and governance costs £ - - 36,218 66,680 31,412 - - - 9,366 2,670 3,313 14,153 163,812 (163,812) -	2024 Total £ 906,770 51,372 36,218 66,680 110,223 304,055 94,579 36,483 112,015 31,929 28,893 14,153
				1,793,370 -
				1,793,370

Prior period expenditure has been restated due to a change in the basis for allocating costs in order to provide a more accurate reflection of the use of resources and to be comparable with the current year.

38

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

7. Grants payable During the year, 3 (2024: 3) onwards grants were awarded to 3 institutions (2024: 3) under the charity's Justice Together project (as described in note 17). The charity also made 411 cash grants to individuals (2024: 348) to contribute towards essential living costs for the charity's beneficiaries. Grants payable to individuals and institutions are included under the 'Direct assistance to asylum seekers and refugees' and 'Asylum seeker and refugee activities' rows in note 6, respectively.

To individuals To institutions: Settled Slough Refugee Support Reading Refugee Support Group	2025 £ 77,507 26,206 15,373 35,010 154,096	2024 £ 91,669 26,891 15,397 35,927
		169,884

There were no grants payable included in accruals at year end (2024: £nil).

8. Net movement in funds This is stated after charging:

Depreciation / amortisation Operating lease payments Trustees' remuneration Trustees' reimbursed expenses Auditors' remuneration (excluding VAT): Statutory audit	2025 £ Nil 59,999 Nil 34 9,750	2024 £ 1,541 57,380 Nil Nil 6,800

9. Staff costs and numbers

Staff costs were as follows:

Salaries and wages Social security Pension costs	2025 £ 950,026 81,996 24,204 1,056,226	2024 £ 1,047,729 95,396 28,138
		1,171,263

No employee earned more than £60,000 during the current or prior year.

39

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

9. Staff costs and numbers (continued)

The key management personnel of the charity comprises the Director. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £51,335 (2024: £54,056).

Termination and redundancy payments totalling £38,520 were paid during the year (2024: £nil).

Average full time equivalents Average head count	2025 No. 26 34	2024 No. 28
		36

10. Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

11. Tangible fixed assets

Cost At 1 April 2024 and at 31 March 2025 Depreciation At 1 April 2024 and at 31 March 2025 Net book value At 31 March 2025 At 31 March 2024	Total £ 7,954
	7,954
	-
	-

40

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

12. Intangible fixed assets

Cost At 1 April 2024 Additions in year At 1 April 2024 and at 31 March 2025 Amortisation At 1 April 2024 and at 31 March 2025 Net book value At 31 March 2025 At 31 March 2024	Asset under construction £ - 5,742 5,742 - 5,742 -	Website £ 4,625 - 4,625 4,625 - -	Total £ 4,625 5,742
			10,367
			4,625
			5,742
			-

At the year-end costs relating to a new client database had been incurred, and capitalised. As the database was not commissioned and in use until after the year-end, no amortisation has been charged during the 2024-25 financial year.

13. Debtors

Debtors
Trade debtors Prepayments Accrued income Other debtors Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year Trade creditors and accruals Other taxation and social security Other creditors Deferred income (see note 15)	2025 £ 9,704 21,089 131,981 540 163,314 2025 £ 48,685 16,985 8,859 14,340 88,869	2024 £ 13,607 22,878 102,563 -
		139,048
		Restated 2024 £ 30,290 22,031 3,685 14,090
		70,096

14. Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year

41

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

15. Deferred income

Deferred income At 1 April Received during the year Released during the year At 31 March	2025 £ 14,090 140,744 (140,494) 14,340	Restated 2024 £ 47,910 - (33,820)
		14,090

Deferred income relates to agreements with Oxford City Council for the provision of Schools Advocacy and Dispersal Support services.

16. Analysis of net assets between funds

Tangible fixed assets Intangible assets Current assets Current liabilities Net assets at 31 March 2025 Prior period comparative Tangible fixed assets Intangible assets Current assets Current liabilities Net assets at 31 March 2024	£ - - 132,838 - 132,838 £ - - 107,925 - 107,925 Restricted funds Restricted funds	£ - - 35,000 - 35,000 £ - - 50,000 - 50,000 Designated funds Designated funds	£ - 5,742 632,894 (88,869) 549,767 £ - - 704,978 (70,096) 634,882 General funds General funds	Total funds £ - 5,742 800,732 (88,869)
				717,605
				Total funds £ - - 862,903 (70,096)
				792,807

42

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

17. Movements in funds

Movements in funds
Restricted funds Adult and family advice and core services Youth Huntercombe detention support Bus Pass Scheme Food Bank Hardship Dispersal / outreach LGBTQ group Bike scheme Refugee Employment Support Project UKRS resettlement Schools Advocacy Justice Together Digital Inclusion Health Research projects Sanctuary Hosting Misc Total restricted funds Unrestricted funds Designated funds: Property reserve Total designated funds General funds Total unrestricted funds Total funds	At 1 April 2024 £ - 4,000 15,000 - - 5,414 2,728 - - - - 18,232 - 55,923 2,222 3,654 752 - 107,925 50,000 50,000 634,882 684,882 792,807	Income £ 87,386 35,398 14,500 31,331 4,000 44,050 166,097 5,650 14,333 11,312 354,101 52,896 131,035 36,247 17,842 68,285 56,950 3,207 1,134,620 - - 439,766 439,766 1,574,386	£ (81,773) (38,898) (19,178) (24,110) (4,000) (43,288) (143,231) (650) (8,502) (11,312) (354,101) (54,188) (131,035) (42,529) (20,064) (71,939) (57,702) (3,207) (1,109,707) - - (539,881) (539,881) (1,649,588) Expenditure	£ £ - 5,613 - 500 - 10,322 - 7,221 - - - 6,176 - 25,594 - 5,000 - 5,831 - - - - - 16,940 - - - 49,641 - - - - - - - - - 132,838 (15,000) 35,000 (15,000) 35,000 15,000 549,767 - 584,767 - 717,605 Transfers between funds At 31 March 2025
					132,838
					35,000
					35,000
					549,767
					584,767
					717,605

43

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

17. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds Adult and family advice and core services

Adult and family services is the charity's core service providing advice to clients on legal rights, immigration, benefits, housing and health.

Youth

Youth covers advice and support for young refugees and asylum seekers including a weekly club and outings.

Huntercombe detention support

The Huntercombe detainees project supports foreign national prisoners held at HMP Huntercombe.

Bus Pass Scheme

Bus pass scheme is funding to administer free bus travel for asylum seekers in Oxford city.

Food Bank

The food bank operates weekly, providing refugees and asylum seekers with access to basic supplies.

Hardship

Hardship covers a number of schemes funding small cash grants that contribute to essential living costs.

Dispersal / outreach

Dispersal / outreach provides support for refugees and asylum seekers in temporary dispersal accommodation within Oxfordshire.

LGBTQ group

LGBTQ group is a new initiative providing support, advice and community for asylum-seekers and refugees.

Bike scheme

The bike scheme facilitates the repair, and distribution to clients, of donated bikes.

Refugee Employment Support Project

Refugee Employment Support Project (RESP) provides a mentoring service in partnership with Aspire.

UKRS resettlement

UKRS resettlement, sponsored by government, funds intensive support for newly resettled refugee families.

Schools Advocacy

Schools Advocacy helps refugee families navigate the education system and supports children to thrive.

44

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

17. Movements in funds (continued)

Purposes of restricted funds (continued) Justice Together

Justice Together facilitates access to legal assistance for refugees and asylum seekers throughout the Thames Valley, in conjunction with our three partner organisations (described in note 7).

Digital Inclusion

Digital Inclusion supplies clients with laptops, phones and digital training.

Health

The Health Project aims to ensure clients get access to appropriate health provision.

Research projects

Research projects represent a number of collaborations with Universities on a range of issues impacting refugee experience and policy.

Sanctuary Hosting

Sanctuary Hosting supports hosts to provide free home stays for clients who would otherwise be at risk of homelessness.

Purposes of designated funds and transfers

Asylum Welcome occupies leased premises. The Trustees have designated funds to be used to maintain and upgrade the premises as required and to cover dilapidations at the end of the lease period. The Trustees consider £35,000 to be a prudent amount for this purpose and have accordingly released £15,000 from the designated fund into general funds at the end of 2024-25 financial year.

45

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

17. Movements in funds (continued) Prior period comparative (restated)

Restricted funds Adult and family advice and core services Youth Huntercombe detention support Employment and education Food Hardship Dispersal / outreach Europa welcome Bike scheme Refugee employment support project UKRS resettlement Schools advocacy Justice Together Digital Inclusion Ukraine Health Research projects Sanctuary Hosting Total restricted funds Unrestricted funds Designated funds: Property reserve Total designated funds General funds Total unrestricted funds Total funds	At 1 April 2023 £ 62,050 5,000 15,000 6,488 2,500 - - - 1,380 - - 14,681 - 46,154 5,430 - - 27,717 186,400 50,000 50,000 672,075 722,075 908,475	Income £ 152,400 41,400 20,000 7,000 - 37,736 35,688 11,498 8,260 25,022 249,650 58,726 129,955 49,684 20,000 7,000 17,490 83,800 955,309 - - 722,393 722,393 1,677,702	£ (214,450) (42,400) (20,000) (13,488) (2,500) (32,322) (32,960) (11,498) (9,640) (25,022) (249,650) (55,175) (129,955) (39,915) (25,430) (4,778) (13,836) (110,765) (1,033,784) - - (759,586) (759,586) (1,793,370) Expenditure	£ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Transfers between funds	£ - 4,000 15,000 - - 5,414 2,728 - - - - 18,232 - 55,923 - 2,222 3,654 752 At 31 March 2024
					107,925
					50,000
					50,000
					634,882
					684,882
					792,807

46

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

18. Operating lease commitments

The charity had operating leases at the year end with total future minimum lease payments as follows:

follows:
Amount falling due: Within 1 year Within 1 - 5 years	2025 £ 59,999 263,167 323,166	2024 £ 57,380 319,175
		376,555

19. Related party transactions

Aggregate unrestricted donations from Trustees, and connected parties, in the year amounted to £5,569 (2024: £3,700). The Trustees confirm that there have been no other related party transactions that require disclosure in the accounting period.

47

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

20. Prior period adjustment

Financial statements for the prior period have been restated to correct the following material errors: (i) income had been incorrectly deferred at both 31 March 2023 and 31 March 2024. This impacts both income recognised in the statement of financial activities and funds carried forward; (ii) income classified as "donations and grants" in the statement of financial activities for the year ended 31 March 2024 should have been classified as "income from charitable activities"; and (iii) the analysis of expenditure between direct costs and support costs, and the apportionment to charitable activities and fundraising costs, for the year ending 31 March 2024 has also been restated in line with the methodology used for the year ending 31 March 2025.

The effect of the restatements are set out below:

i) Correction of income deferred

Funds and deferred income at 1 April 2023

As originally stated at 1 April 2023 Release of 2022-23 income As restated at 1 April 2023	Unrestricted funds £ 703,325 18,750 722,075	Restricted funds £ 81,285 105,115 186,400	Total funds £ 784,610 123,865 908,475	Deferred income £ 171,775 (123,865)
				47,910

Funds and deferred income at 1 April 2024

Unrestricted funds £ As originally stated at 1 April 2024 666,132 Release of 2023-24 income 18,750 As restated at 1 April 2024 684,882 Total income for the year ended 31 March 2024 As originally stated for the year to 31 March 2024 De-recognition of 2022-23 income Release of 2023-24 income As restated for the year to 31 March 2024	Restricted funds £ 46,077 61,848 107,925 Unrestricted £ 722,393 (18,750) 18,750 722,393	Total funds £ 712,209 80,598 792,807 Restricted £ 998,576 (105,115) 61,848 955,309	Deferred income £ 94,688 (80,598)
			14,090
			Total £ 1,720,969 (123,865) 80,598
			1,677,702

48

Asylum Welcome

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

20. Prior period adjustment (continued) ii) Prior year income allocations

Donations and grants £ 986,939 Re-classification of income (570,753) Deferred income correction as (i) - 416,186 iii) Expenditure analysis Fundraising costs Charitable activities Support and governance costs Restated expenditure for the year to 31 March 2024 Fundraising costs Charitable activities Restated expenditure for the year to 31 March 2024 After apportionment of support and governance costs Before apportionment of support & governance costs As originally stated for the year to 31 March 2024 As restated for the year to 31 March 2024	Charitable activities £ 716,842 570,753 (43,267) 1,244,328 As originally stated £ 115,294 1,493,102 184,974 1,793,370 As originally stated £ 126,856 1,666,514 1,793,370	Investment income £ 17,188 - - 17,188 Re-analysis £ 12,275 8,887 (21,162) - Re-analysis £ 13,543 (13,543) -	Total income £ 1,720,969 - (43,267)
			1,677,702
			As re-stated £ 127,569 1,501,989 163,812
			1,793,370
			As re-stated £ 140,399 1,652,971
			1,793,370

49