Charity Registration Number.. 1096874 BEDFORDSHIRE REFUGEE AND ASYLUM SEEKER SUPPORT(BRASSI TRUSTEES REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL5TATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Legal and Administrative Information Report of the Trustees Independent Ex3mtner5 Report Statement of Financial Activities Balance Sheet Notes to the Financial Statements Page 3 Pages 4-6 Page 7 PaEe 8 Page 9 Pages 10-13 LEGAL ANDADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION CHARITY NAME: Bedfurdshlre Rèfugee and Asylum Seekersupport OTHER NAMECHARITY IS KNOWN BY.. BRASS REGISTERED CHARITYNUM8ER.- 1096874 CHARITY'5 PRINCIPAL ADDRESS.. 27B Tavistock Street 8edford MK40 2RB NAMES OFTHECHARITrTRUSTEES WHO MANAGE THE CHARITY Victoria Hilliard Cathy Moorhouse- Left 30th August 2024 Morris Johns Chair since 3rd July 2020 Sanja Radic James 8iggs Cass Howes Jo Tester Eric Ma5ih PROjE￿c0-oRD1NAT0R Brian Cunningham BANKERS R85 8edford 8ranch 15-19 Mill Street Bedford MK40 3EU Main current aCCOLtnt held since May 2021.. The Co-operative 8ank Delf House Skelmersdale WN8 6WT REPORTOF THE TRU5T£ES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 The Trustees of the charity present their report together with the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025, prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the Accounting and Reporting by Charities Statement of Recommended Prattice ISORP 2005). From April 2024 to March 2025 finance meetings and Trustee meerings were held quarterly. attended by the Chair. Committee Members and staff. 8RASS employs a Projett Co-ordinator to oversee day to day business and to provide specialist advice, a part-time Benefits and Integration Adviser, two Employment and Immigration Advisers, a Finance Manager. Finance Officer. Fundraiser and Admin Officer. Much of the charity's work is undèrtaken by a team of dedicated volunteers. The National Lottery Commuftity Fund 15 part funding costs of thè following p05t5- the Project Co-ordinator, the Admin Officer, the Benefits Adviser and the Immigration Adviser A further two year grant was awarded by Harpur Trust from October 2024 to support the cost$ of the part-time posts of the Finance Manager & Finance Officer, as well as the Integration Adviser salary costs. East of England Local Government Association IEELGAI is funding the costs of the Employment Adviser posts. We thank Wixamtree Trust for their continued ongoing support for funding. A150, we would like to thank The Steel Trust, Gale Family Charity Trust, 29th Mèy 1961 charitable Trust and Margaret Brereton for providing unrestricted funding. We would like to thank all our funders for their ongoing support. OBJECTIVES AND REVIEW OF ACTIVITIE5 The charity is an established non-political, voluntary organisation working to empower, inform and support refugees and asylum Seekers and their families, protert their rights and enable them to develop their independence and involvement in UK society. Specifically the charity was established for the benefit of refugees a nd asylum seekers in the County of Bedfordshire to asslst in the relief of poverty. hardship or distress. Service5 are delivered from a local government owned property in Bedford town centre which 15 leased by BRASS. BRASS continues to have strong working relationships with local organisation5 providing advice so that individuals can get support from the organi5ations best placed to offer it. Luton Law Centre and Luton law firms have qualified 501icitor5 and ase woikers who take referrals from 8RA55 and provide telephonè support to BRA55 advisors. BRASS also works with the University of Bedfordshire Law Department to assist refiJgee5 Wlth family reunification applications. BRASS works with the Citizen5 ALlvice Bureau to cross refer clients and makes referr21s to the local MP who, in specific cases, helps with rep￿sentatIOnS to the Home Office. Referrals are received from Children's Services which is iesponsible for unaccompanied asylum Seekers under the age ol 18, The Community Voluntary SeThice ICVSI provides a regu13r supply of enthusiastic and committed volunteer5 and the Charity continue5 to receive invalu2hle slJPPOrt from the Bedford Borough Council. 8RAS5 works in partnership with both local and national charities. Advice and sUPPOrt are provided by the Refugee Council, which is the largest refugee agency in the UK. and Migrant Help. We are 3150 a registered referrer for Bedford Food 8ank. BRASS seeks to 5UPPOrt the local voluntsry sector and work towards financial self-sustainability. 8RA5S is focused on working in partnership with other organisations to share knowledge and skills. prevent duplication, maxirnise effectiveness. cut costs and share facilities. On behalf of the Trustees of 8RASS I can confirm that in carrying out our financial review we have considered and complied with our duty to have due regard to the Charity Cornmi55ion'5 guidance on public benefit. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE During the last financial year BRASS has SLFPPOrted 949 clients. We seek to support our client group's changing needs- the changes to the Benèfrts system and ever increasing complexity of immigration applications h35 increased demands for our services. Creating evisa accounts was much more in demand this reporting year because the Home Office rèplaced Biometric Residence Permit5 IBRPS) with online immigration status records called eVi5a. Most 8RPs had an expiry date of 31 Decernber 2024, and hence, there was 3 sudden demand to create eV15a accounts, We have had increasing numbers of clients w¥th housing problern5 and needing help with the comKklexitie5 of joining the Social housing waiting lists. We continue attending to our advice sessions three days a week, from 10am-2prr. We a150 offer appointments Wlth our Immigratlon and Employmertt Athisers and with our Benefits AdviseT. From April 2024 to March 2025 we were part of the Employment for Overseas Nationals IEONI project for the wholè of Bedfordshire including in asylum hotels. The aim of the project was to prornote effective integration by actions that support access to the labour market for overseas nationals in the East of England in order to deliver better employment outcomes. We worked with refugeès and Ukrainians. and in additio￿ we worked with asylum seekers before a decision was taken to assist them with the transition if they are granted asylum. Our target wos to work with 100 client5 but we exceeded that by registering 137 clients, with just over 50Y. being asylum seekefs. During the year we had 59 students attending classe5 Wlth 13 volunteers providing English as a Secondlother Language lessons, amounting to a total of 399 lessons. In April wè took over 50 people from the Sharnbrook Hotel to the RaptDr Foundation and in August we had our annual seaside visit to Hunstanton. Refugee Week market stall was a success and the Football tournament at Russell Park was well attended a nd 3 great community èvent. We a150 had Christmas party for our clients and another at the Higgins Museum for the Sharnbrook residents. Report ofthe Trustees cont'd.... FINANCIAL REVIEW As in previous years, BRASS is very fortunate to have received funding from various different sources this year. During this year, we have received funding from: The National Lottery Community Fund Harpur Trust Wiyamtree Trust Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation The Garfield Weston Foundation East of England Local Government A550Clation (this is now called Local Government Eastl Lottery Awards for All 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust 6edfordshire Charitable Trust Postcode Places Trust The Hilden Charitable Fund Gale Family Charity Trust We thank all of our funders for their continued ongoing sUPPOrt this year. Total Incoming Resources during the financial year were £196,497, almost 3% increase on the previous year. This has been used to provide funding to cover all our existing posts which are all filled and other direct costs and overhead5. We are well on our way to completing funding for next year. We have a new fundraiser who started this year and have accessed 3 new funding sources and have other bids submitted awaiting results. Cost5 Increased this year by approximately 6Yo to £187,957 mainly due to an increase in staff pay and overheads. FINANCIAL REVIEW RESERVES POLICY. BRASS reserve5 as 31st March 2025, were £118,465. Of these funds £41,213 were restricted funds, the remaining £72,252 were unrestricted funds. The Trustee Board have established a policy whereby it aims to maintain sufficient unrestricted funds not invested in tangible fixed assets and not required to meet future budgeted expenditure, being the 'lree reserves. to be sufficient to support the future growth of the charity and provide sufficient reserve5 for dealing with possible contingencies such as short-term cessation of project activity or redundancv. Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by.. Morris johns, Chair Date.. INDEPENDENTEXAMINER'S REPORTTO THETRUSTEES OF BEDFOROSHIRE REFUGEE AND ASYLUM SEEKER SVPPORT I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025 as set out on pages 7 to 12 This report is made 501ely to the charity's trustees, as a body, In accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 I'the 2011 Aey). My work has been undertaken so that I might State to the charity'5 trustees those matters l am required to State to them in this report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept Of assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity's trustee5 as a body, for my work. for this report, or lor the opinions I have formed. Respectwe responsibilities of trustees and examiner The chaiity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of financial statements. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144121 of the 2011 Act and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the financial statements under section 145 of the 2011 Act,. to follow the procedures laid down in the Generol Dirertions gwen by the Charity Comrnissioa under section 14515llbl of the 2011 Act.. and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's report My examination wa5 carried out in accordance with the Gener81 Directlons given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the 2ccounting rècords kept by the charity and a compari50n of the financial statements presented with those recDrds. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements and sèeking explanation5 from you as tTU5tees concerning any such marrers_ The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, 3nd consequently no opinion is given as to whether the financial statements present a 'true and fair Vie￿ and the report is lirnited to those matters set out in rhe statement below. Independent examiner's 5taternent In connection with rny examination, no matter has come to my attention., 11 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respèct the requirements". to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and to prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records and cornply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act,. have not been met.. or 21 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial staternents to be reached. john Esam Mayfield Lodge l Main Road. 8iddenham MK404BB Dated.. 2025 ST STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTivinES AS AT 31 MARCH 2025 Incoming Rèsource5 Note Unrestrirted Funds Restri