**Annual Report and Financial Accounts FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MAY 2022 Registered Charity Number: 1116344 Company Number: 05819537**
## **The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2022.**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and "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).
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
The Charity is a Company limited by guarantee. None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The trustees have a process to identify risks through a regular risk register review process and have taken steps to mitigate them.
Reserves policy: The trustees consider that the charity needs to retain between three and six months core project operating costs as unrestricted reserves in order to provide sufficient financial security to allow for the continuation or adaptation of service provision and to meet the charities commitments in the event in a loss of income or gap between receipt of grant funding.
Trustee recruitment is led by the Chair of the Board and the recruitment process is delivered by at least 2 trustees along with the Director. We recruit trustees to meet a gap in Board skills and experience identified via regular skills audit against needs, including lived experience of forced migration. Trustees are inducted by the Chair of the Board and the Director in line with the charity’s Induction Policy, which includes an introduction and visit to the charity’s operations and activities by the Chair and Director. They are asked to read all relevant policies, the Charity Guidance ‘The Essential Trustee’, to declare any conflicts of interest, undergo a DBS check and sign fit and proper and confidentiality declarations. Trustees are provided with training where required to enable them to fulfil their duties effectively.
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## **About AFRIL**
Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) is a small, local charity. Founded in 2006, we support refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants in south east London to lift themselves out of
poverty and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community. We provide both crisis support to meet immediate needs, and long-term, flexible programmes to tackle the underlying problems that lead families to be in crisis, empowering them to move from dependence to independence.
Over time our client group has changed according to the demographic of our borough and we have transitioned from mainly supporting refugees to working with a more diverse group of families who have complex needs relating to insecure immigration status. We work with other local and national organisations to ensure that we can maximise resources locally.
We are a team of 12 majority part-time paid staff (3.5 full time equivalents) and around 80 active volunteers. Our office is based in the Leemore Centre in central Lewisham and we deliver services across the borough, including the Church of the Good Shepherd with St Peter, Lee and St Saviours primary school. Our clients travel from across South East London to access our services.
## Our four core services
Helping Hands Food Bank Programme: food, toiletries and clothes to destitute and low income asylum seeking, refugee, and migrant families and individuals; as well as a range of wellbeing activities including our Allotment of Refuge.
Rainbow Club Supplementary School:
supplementary Saturday education and wellbeing activities to children from 4-11 years old from asylum seeking, refugee, and migrant families.
Advice and Advocacy Service: AQS accredited advice and casework support in housing, income, and integration for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, as well as referral and signposting in immigration matters.
Immigration Advice Service: in partnership with Southwark Law Centre, an experienced immigration solicitor works closely with AFRIL projects to provide in-depth quality immigration advice and representation to support clients to resolve the underlying immigration issues that lead to poverty and crisis.
## Our Values and Approach
At AFRIL we:
- Work with our members to develop services and support that meet their real and not perceived needs.
- Work with our members to enable them to build their knowledge, confidence and skills.
- Work collaboratively with local and national organisations to ensure that services are relevant, appropriate and effective.
Our work is grounded in our values of professionalism, inclusivity, and solidarity. We strive to be community led and community based.
## **Contents**
About AFRIL….…………………….....3 Letter from AFRIL’s Chair………..4 Letter from AFRIL’s Director……5 The people we support……….....6 Our impact in numbers……….....7 Our impact………………………….....8 The Food Bank Programme……11 Rainbow Club…………………….…..15 Advice and Advocacy Service…18 Immigration Advice Service…...20 Our Team…………………………......22 Our Supporters…………………......22 Financial Statement……………….24
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## **Letter from AFRIL’s Chair**
Welcome to AFRIL and thank you for reading our annual report. I know this organisation well, and have been involved for more than six years now. Yet it still gives me enormous pleasure and pride in the organisation to read the story we tell you each year in this document. It is a story of a phenomenal and committed group of people - staff, volunteers, funders and wider group of supporters - offering their time, passion and skills to support and empower a growing number of people whose circumstances place them amongst the most vulnerable in our society.
At a time of multiple interconnected global crises, and worsening knock-on effects in the UK on the cost of living and strained public services, nothing has got any easier over the last year. People fleeing persecution, war and other life-threatening situations, as well as those emigrating to be with family or to seek new opportunities, are confronted by those pressures more starkly than most. On top of which, the UK political and media discourse around migration can make for a more poisonous, unwelcoming and even dangerous situation for those people.
But here in Lewisham, a growing group of phenomenal and committed people - called Action for Refugees in Lewisham - is working hard, and ever more creatively, to welcome, support and empower refugees and vulnerable migrants in our community. AFRIL is a core part of making real Lewisham’s commitment to be a borough of sanctuary.
I could not be prouder of the work that this team does. Thank you to every single one of them. Thank you to those leading the core services - our Foodbank and allotment, the Rainbow Club, and our advice and advocacy service - as well as the brilliant and committed team of staff and volunteers delivering them, and to those in the centre of the organisation not just running but improving how we do it all. Thank you to those who fund all of this - the trusts, foundations, businesses, individuals, and everyone else who has made a contribution.
Thank you to the brilliant team of trustees who work hard to support the governance and support the staff and volunteer team so well. And thank you to our superb director, Sophie, who is taking AFRIL from strength to strength.
Read on for the full story of AFRIL’s year - of what we’ve done, why and how we do it - to give a clear sense too of what we will carry on doing to maintain and grow that support and empowerment to refugees and vulnerable migrants. And thank you in advance for your support for that work over the coming year too.
Gareth Redmond-King Chair, Board of Trustees
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## **Letter from AFRIL’s Director**
This time last year I was writing to you about the year that changed our world. Reflecting now on the year that followed, the volume of change seems more suited to several years. It started with schools having only just reopened, and strict limitations on meeting people still in place. Like much of the sector in 2021, AFRIL was adapting and firefighting. We remodelled, expanded provision, and kept our clients safe. Transitioning back to face to face provision, juggling changing health restrictions, responding to significant migration patterns with new global conflicts with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan. Both very close to home in different ways, the UK government launched particular safe routes for a limited number of people fleeing these conflicts. The public response was overwhelming and we would like to thank our supporters and funders old and new who felt compelled to help. AFRIL welcomes safe legal routes for migration, however the current options are incredibly limited and as a result most people are still forced into dangerous journeys. We added our voice to calls on government to extend these safe routes to refugees fleeing other conflicts and persecution. Instead, the British government passed the Nationality and Borders Act. Creating a two tier system for people seeking sanctuary, significantly eroding peoples’ rights and safe routes, and making possible the horrendous policy of outsourcing our refugee protection obligations to Rwanda. AFRIL opposes these developments and will continue to support people affected by them. Finally we closed the year with rising inflation. It has been quite the journey, but thanks to the incredible dedication of staff, volunteers, supporters, funders and partners, AFRIL has both managed it and thrived.
Rainbow Club managed a smooth transition back to face to face schooling. As expected, children were below their expected national curriculum attainment level and those living in particularly challenging circumstances had regressed. Our outstanding teachers worked hard with children to catch them up and the joy at the return to face to face Saturday school was palpable. With lockdowns easing, we saw a concerning increase in safeguarding issues, families being made street homeless, and those in temporary accommodation being moved several miles at short notice. Securing support from local authorities with hybrid or remote working models was particularly challenging. Our Advice and Advocacy Service delivered even more crisis casework than the previous year to support these families, most notably in housing and homelessness. AFRIL’s Foodbank supported more people than ever before with regular culturally appropriate food. Our immigration project in partnership with Southwark Law Centre has continued to be a game changer, enabling more people to resolve the underlying immigration issues at the root cause of their extreme hardship. As a result of working with AFRIL this year 39% of clients improved their income with an additional 35% supported to maintain a regular income; 30% improved their housing status with an additional 33% actively supported to maintain their housing; and despite Home Office delays, 23% have improved their immigration status and 54% maintained their status e.g. through applications for extending Limited Leave to Remain. We launched Together We Thrive, our women led empowerment network, and look forward to developing this work over the coming year. Overall in 2021-22 we provided holistic support to 90% more people than the previous year and as the year closed secured funding to increase our small staff team to continue to meet this challenge. I would like to personally thank each and every member of staff and volunteer for your dedication, care and commitment to making this happen. I would like to thank AFRIL’s Trustees for maintaining our good governance and in particular Gareth Redmond-King for highly effective leadership and support as Chair. Finally, and most importantly I would like to thank the families that we work with for allowing us the honour of walking alongside you during this difficult time.
Sophie Wickham Director
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## **The people we support**
The people we support are multifaceted. They are people whose migration status is a prominent feature in their lives, but who should not be solely defined by their migration status. They are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends, community members, volunteers and employees.
Their migration status does however have an adverse impact on their lives, particularly in affecting their ability to access housing and income, and to integrate into the community. The three broad categories of migration statuses held by the people we support are recognised refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants who fall outside of these categories. Many of the latter have outstanding protection issues, including issues around gender based violence and trafficking, but were unable to successfully claim asylum due to complexity and the culture of disbelief in the system, and are now on a longer human rights based route to settlement due to having children in the UK.
## Immigration, housing and income status
A person’s migration status affects their rights. Many people with insecure migration statuses have no right to work, no right to rent, and have either no recourse to public funds (NRFP), or receive a very small amount of money from the government. This results in many becoming destitute, and even homeless.
## 75.6% of the people we supported this year had an insecure migration status when they joined
AFRIL. This primarily included those who have complex immigration problems, human rights issues or outstanding protection needs but have had their asylum claim refused (17.3%), those seeking asylum (16.7%), and people with Limited Leave to Remain that expires after 2.5 years unless renewed in time at a high cost (28.6%).
UK immigration policy has been becoming increasingly hostile as migrants, particularly refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants, are often the scapegoat for wider societal issues. This year saw the introduction of the Nationality and Borders Act which includes policies that further complicate the UK immigration system, increase the risk of refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants becoming destitute, and heighten fears of detention and deportation.
This year, 66% of people were without settled housing when they approached AFRIL: 41.3% were living in insecure or temporary housing and 24.6% were homeless, including those who were street homeless, and those who were staying temporarily/sofa surfing with friends or acquaintances. 8.7% were living in asylum support accommodation, most in a local hostel set up as initial accommodation. Currently, people seeking asylum in our area are having to stay in this type of accommodation for over a year whilst they wait for a decision on their case from the Home Office. As has been highlighted by the media, new arrivals to the UK are often experiencing dreadful conditions with a small amount of space and privacy and little to no income from the government. Those who have been provided with full-board accommodation, who have evidenced that they cannot afford to meet their essential living needs, should receive a weekly allowance of £8.24 to cover all other expenses e.g. toiletries and travel.
On joining AFRIL, 70% of our members were on an extremely low income. A further 27.9% had no
income and were often reliant on family and friends. These figures are likely to increase due to the rising cost of living because refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants are some of the groups of people most affected by the crisis. Many were destitute before the crisis began and, despite the admirable resilience of many of our members, the coming months are likely to be extremely challenging.
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## **Our impact in numbers**
## People we supported
**----- Start of picture text -----**
171 494 293
families supported individuals supported children supported
Confidence, wellbeing, and community
90% 88% 82% 93%
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Immigration, income and housing
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
79% 74% 63%
(more) secure immigration (more) secure income (more) secure housing
status status status
Services delivered
1414 93% 65 31
Families
food parcels distributed feel happy at Rainbow advice cases resolved
Immigration
Club
representation
**----- End of picture text -----**
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## **Our impact**
The number of families we supported this year significantly increased by 91% compared to 2020/21. This year, we supported 494 people, including 293
children, from 171 families compared to 259 people last year from 119 families. This increase shows the very real impact that increasingly hostile immigration policies, the legacy of the Covid-19 restrictions, and the current cost of living crisis are having on refugees, asylum seekers and people with other insecure migration statuses. This has resulted in our services being in extremely high demand, with the need for them only increasing. The Immigration Advice service increased by 200% partially due to increased demand, and partially because 2021/22 was the first full year of this service.
Increase in families supported compared to 2020/21 **Rainbow Club +11.9% Foodbank +6.5% Advice & Advocacy +45% Immigration Advice +200%**
We support people holistically which means many of the families we support access more than one of our services. A common example of this is that families who are supported by the food bank to meet their crisis needs are often referred to the Advice and Advocacy service and our Immigration service to understand and resolve the underlying issues that caused them to be in crisis. This year, our foodbank supported 207 individuals, including 128 children, from 66 families, our Rainbow Club supplementary school supported 111 children from 66 families, our Advice and Advocacy service supported 153 individuals, including 90 children, from 58 families. Our Immigration Advice service supported 77 individuals, including 47 children, from 30 families.
## Immigration, housing and income status
Our Advice and Advocacy Service and Immigration Project work with our members to improve the security of their immigration, housing and income.
Changes to immigration status often take a long time due to delays at the home office. Since joining AFRIL, 25.6% have seen an improvement in their immigration status. Most often, this is a change from no status to Limited Leave to Remain or, in some cases, Refugee Status or Indefinite Leave to Remain.
After working with AFRIL this year, 30.5% of families are living in more secure accommodation and 39% have more secure income. These improvements are
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Change in immigration, housing
and income status since joining
AFRIL
2.4% 1.2%
18.3% 24.4% Positive
36.6%
change
Maintained
35.4% (already secure)
53.7%
No change (already
32.9%
insecure)
Negative change
39%
30.5%
25.6%
Immigratio Housing Income
n status status status
Percentage (%)
**----- End of picture text -----**
most commonly a change from living hand to mouth, relying on friends and family for housing and income, to securing local authority housing, often through social services, and receiving welfare benefits or other statutory payments.
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## Wellbeing, confidence and community
Moving to a new country involves leaving behind family, friends, community and careers. The people we support are often also fleeing unsafe situations and have moved to the UK to seek sanctuary and safety. Unfortunately, once they arrive in the UK they are faced with the harsh reality of the UK’s hostile immigration policies which frequently result in those seeking sanctuary becoming marginalised and at risk of destitution. Often, the people we support do not speak English as a first language, so have to navigate the immigration, education and healthcare system in an unfamiliar language, all whilst adapting to life in the UK and continuing to care for their children.
These experiences often negatively impact the wellbeing and confidence of the people we support, and leave them feeling isolated. AFRIL provides services to support them with improving their wellbeing and confidence, reduce feelings of isolation, and help them to feel part of a community. This is a priority throughout all of our core services, and is enhanced through our two foodbank wellbeing projects: the Allotment of Refuge and the Art@Home group.
In our annual survey, we asked about AFRIL’s impact on their wellbeing, confidence, feelings of isolation, and feeling a part of a community. We found that 100% said coming to AFRIL had improved their wellbeing and confidence, 93.9% said AFRIL has helped them to feel less isolated, and 98.8% said AFRIL has helped them to feel a part of a community.
## **Has coming to AFRIL…**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
…improved your …helped to
wellbeing? improve your
confidence?
…helped you to
…helped you to
feel a part of a
feel less
community?
isolated?
Yes
Partially
No
**----- End of picture text -----**
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What our members say…
**“He [my son] is happy, making friends. It's helping with studying.”**
_**Rainbow Club parent**_
**“Best advice ever help me getting a new home for my family.”**
**“I'm happy, I'm relaxed, I'm not scared. Everything is good.”**
_**Immigration Advice Service client**_
**“It is holding me”** _**Foodbank member**_
_**Advice & Advocacy client**_
**“Thank you to AFRIL because they've been a very big support to me. Without them I don't think I'd have been able to get to where I am. I feel at home when I go to AFRIL.”**
_**AFRIL member**_
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## **The Food Bank Programme**
AFRIL’s Food Bank Programme consists of the Helping Hands food bank, the Allotment of Refuge and a range of well-being activities including our regular art@home group.
Over the last year, the programme has supported some of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised members of our local community. We are one of the few food banks dedicated to supporting refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants with no recourse to _Fresh food donated to the food bank_ public funds. The majority of families we support reside in Lewisham, Bromley, Greenwich and Southwark. All the families registered with the food bank have experienced forced migration and sought sanctuary in the UK.
_Fresh food donated to the food bank_
## The Helping Hands Food Bank
The Helping Hands food bank runs on Saturdays in conjunction with the volunteer team from Good Shepherd St Peter’s church, Lee.
Foodbank support begins with weekly food parcels including fresh fruit and vegetables and toiletries. Donations come from FELIX Fareshare, Lee Greens, Church donations and individuals, supplemented by core food purchases by AFRIL and St Peter’s. AFRIL’s Allotment of Refuge also provides a small fresh yield that goes into our food parcels.
_One of our volunteers delivering fresh food parcels_
This year we distributed 1,414 food
parcels to 207 individuals from 66 families, including 128 children. We believe that the food is essential, but that it is just the beginning; the welcome, consistent concern, and wrap-around service is what clients take away alongside a parcel of healthy food.
_“The friendliness, welcoming and making someone to know, you have family and friends somewhere. They are awesome, loving and caring for everyone, well appreciated.”_
Food bank member At the beginning of this year, we were still in lockdown, the church building was still closed as the food bank venue, and our wonderful team of volunteer cyclists and drivers were still making doorstep deliveries to over 35 families every week.
It has been a long stop-start journey to reopening our food bank. In September 2021, as other food banks began to reopen their doors, we also began inviting our members back to making personal collections at the food bank, whilst following COVID safe protocols, such as families staying in the carpark. This allowed the food bank family of staff, clients and volunteers to re-connect in person after 15 months. Several families were unable to collect food themselves due to circumstances associated with their health or disability, so we retained a smaller team of volunteer cyclists and drivers to guarantee a delivery to them.
By November 2021 clients were able to come inside in the warmth of the church hall, to sit (still socially distancing), to wait for their food parcels. [In October 2022 we reopened our drop-in and
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cafe; such important elements of the food bank concept and wellbeing welcome.]
_“AFRIL gives you something to stand on. You are not standing by yourself.”_
_Food bank member_
The return to collections in September 2021 coincided with a review of each family’s circumstances and conversations about those whose immigration, housing and financial statuses were more secure than before or during the first lockdown and were ready to transition to other community food banks in a managed way.
As part of our response to destitution and financial hardship, the food bank team has continued to partner with GRACE AID charity to provide a dignified referral and appointment service for food bank clients needing clothing and shoes. We also received a variety of ‘little extras’ as donations from individuals and organisations supportive of AFRIL’s work. These have included toiletries, face masks, cot blankets, sim cards, or books. We are very grateful for all these donations as they give that little bit of help to make what money people have go further and the practicalities of life slightly less stressful.
This unprecedented increase in demand has resulted in an increased number of enquiries from new families experiencing extreme food poverty, existing families staying for longer, and there being fewer community resources to refer existing families onto. By the end of the year we were at capacity with a waiting list, and were operating at 200% of pre-pandemic levels.
_“[The food bank] has been helpful to me and my child, we get lots of food variety and whenever we need support. They are friendly in their manner and make me feel safe.”_
_Food bank member_
Despite these challenges the food bank team remains hopeful and positive. The food bank staff and volunteers are resilient, innovative, and passionate and the team is well-networked locally through the Lewisham Food Group Network and nationally as a member of the Independent Food Agency Network (IFAN) and FELIX.
_Allotment harvest for the foodbank_
Prior to the cost of living crisis, many of the food bank members were already experiencing marginalisation and poverty, often living on informal networks, casual work and ad hoc meals whilst awaiting Home Office decisions. The rising prices have exacerbated these existing inequalities and increased demand significantly.
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## **The art@home group**
AFRIL art@home is our fortnightly art group, developed as our first online well-being activity at the request of clients, to connect families with families during Covid-19 lockdowns. We have an average of 10 participants per session, including 6 children. This class enables parents and children to spend some quality time together. This is important as, for the rest of the week, the parents often have to focus on practical head of household work.
This year, we held 25 sessions including 3 trips to art galleries. We have observed that mutual peer support has developed and during discussions about art, children and parents have had opportunities to share more about their lives and experiences and tools for resilience in a mutually supportive environment. This year we have developed our programme to include 1 trip per term to a local gallery. So far we have visited Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Geoffrey Moore Gallery and have plans to visit the Horniman Museum. We are excited that we have been invited to hold a public exhibition of the group’s artwork at the Geoffrey Moore Gallery in February 2023.
Many thanks to Elaine, our Art Group leader who has led this group since February 2020. She holds a special place in the hearts of the parents and children because of her care and kindness. Through this group, members have shared joy, concern, and sadness. We have laughed and learned, together, surprised ourselves and shared tools of resilience, and personal belief.
_“Art takes you off from things going on in your life.”_ Art@home member
_“My Friday art group is my time. My children know it, … great family time for me and my children. It helped us during the covid-19 and up till date.”_ Art@home member
_“We are able to make anything and feel part of a big group, valued. Any time there is support, even those who don't know how to draw.”_
Art@home member
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## **Allotment of Refuge**
Our Allotment of Refuge at One Tree Hill, Honor Oak Park is an established project. In 2020, we turned a derelict plot into a re-loved, established and integrated community of gardening, calm, and welcome for refugee and migrant families, local people, volunteers, plot holders and their families.
Rose joined our staff team in March 2022 as our Allotment Gardener. Her knowledge of growing crops and experience of working with people has helped her establish our Tuesday gardening group and Friday harvest sessions. She has grown the allotment volunteer team and worked with them to increase the yield from our plot. Following a survey with food bank members about their favourite fruit and vegetables, the team have grown culturally appropriate foods chosen by our members. The allotment currently provides a regular harvest and contribution of salad, vegetables and herbs to our AFRIL food bank.
In May 2022 we began a conversation with a journalist which led to a feature about the wellbeing aspects of the allotment and the impact of regular gardening on the lives of some of AFRIL’s food bank clients in the October 22 edition of the magazine. You can read the article here: Growing - together: the AFRIL allotment Saga
The allotment is also a great outdoor classroom and workshop space; we held 14 art, nature and food growing workshops for 127 and in addition hosted our AFRIL summer party at the allotment.
A huge thanks to the plot holders and members of One Tree Hill Allotment Society for making AFRIL part of their family, widening their gates, and continuing to welcome AFRIL families and children to their events, and supporting all our plans.
-----------------------------------------------------
Thank you very much to our thoughtful, friendly and resourceful volunteers in the food bank and allotment teams for another year of care, kindness, innovation, and resilience. We could not do what we do without you.
_“Close feel to nature, destressing helps my situation. I feel a part of a community.”_
Allotment member
_“My children experience and know how the food we eat are grown and how to prepare some of them.”_
Allotment member
_“New environment for my children to enjoy time with their friends.”_
Allotment member
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## **Rainbow Club**
The Rainbow Club Saturday Supplementary school supports children from asylum seeking, refugee, and vulnerable migrant families. The school runs every Saturday morning during term time, where children receive English, Maths, Music, Art and Sport lessons. The school is split into 3 classes, spanning multiple year groups: Passion Fruit class (ages 4-6), Starfruit class (ages 6-8), and Mango class (ages 8-11).
at AFRIL’s allotment, an
Over the 2021-22 academic year, Rainbow Club was attended by 111 children from 66 families, and from 17 different countries. Our class teachers were supported by 29 volunteer teaching assistants in addition to 9 youth alumni volunteers. This year we were delighted to welcome our new art teacher, Sadegh, and sport teach, Daniel, to our teaching term, both brining great enthusiasm and creativity, making the sessions both fun and educational in equal measure.
entertaining performance by the Flying Seagull Project, a drama workshop with Lewisham Youth Theatre, and a 3-day song-writing workshop with Fairbeats. During the song-writing workshops, the children wrote and performed a song called ‘Hold Your Head Up High’ which you can listen to here.
Differences in English language abilities can create
This year was our first full year of in-person teaching since the Covid-19 pandemic began in early 2020. Covid-19 restrictions impacted child education and development and it was noticeable that many Rainbow Club students had regressed academically. Returning to regular and consistent learning has helped to return children to their expected academic levels. This year, we provided 150 hours of English and Maths lessons, 60 hours of music lessons, 30 hours of art lessons, and 20 hours of sport lessons.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Drama workshop with Lewisham Youth
Theatre
**----- End of picture text -----**
challenges for children at school, both socially and academically. For example, this year 52% of the parents spoke little/no English, making supporting their children with schoolwork a challenge. Rainbow Club provides a space for these children to receive this support. In addition to this, 39% of children spoke English as an additional language (EAL), and so received more one-to-one and small group support from teaching assistants and focused on English acquisition.
We saw an increase in pupils with SEN (Special Educational Needs), both statemented and those awaiting assessments. Additional SEN training was provided for our teachers and teaching assistants by Drumbeat Outreach and Autism Education Trust, to improve awareness and understanding of how best to support each pupil.
_Sports day at Rainbow Club_
In addition to lessons, extra-curricular activities form an important part of our provision, especially as 87% of our students this year had never or rarely visited museums before coming to Rainbow Club. Further lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions allowed us to run school trips to the National Maritime Museum and Horniman Museum. The children were also able to attend several holiday workshops
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Rainbow Club continues to be an enriching place for children to grow, not only academically, but also socially. In our end of year pupil questionnaires, 93% of children said they felt happy at Rainbow Club, 80% felt their confidence had improved, and 90% felt their social skills had improved and they had made new friends. Furthermore, in our annual survey, 100% of Rainbow Club parents said that their child benefited from and enjoyed Rainbow Club.
Our parent forums, run by Creating Ground, returned to in-person meetings in September. The forums are held once per month, and provide a space for us to further engage with parents. This year, they included workshops on wellbeing, creative activities, and child behaviour. The forums are a space for parents to meet other parents, safely discuss the issues they are currently facing and give feedback on Rainbow Club and AFRIL.
In June 2021, our parent project, Discovery Stories’, came to an end. This project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and explored themes of culture, childhood, identity and tradition. It resulted in the parents working with Creative Ground to publish a book titled ‘Remember the Child of Whom You Are’, a reference to an old Yoruba proverb. The book includes stories, reflections, recipes, games, songs, poems, and traditions from the parents’ childhoods that they would like to pass on to their children. It was printed and shared out to partner organisations, museums, libraries, and AFRIL families. The book is available to read here.
_“Helping them with reading and writing, that was the most worrying for me and now I'm so happy that I joined Rainbow Club. Even their behaviour was absolutely changed.”_
_Rainbow Club parent_
_A huge thank you to all our partners and collaborators who we’ve worked with over the past year at Rainbow Club…_
_St Saviours R.C. Primary School, Fairbeats Music, Creating Ground, National Maritime Museum, Horniman Museum, Flying Seagull Project, Lewisham Youth Theatre & Dulwich College_
_Summer workshop at the allotment_
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## Elizabeth’s story
Elizabeth (not her real name for confidentiality reasons) and her mother arrived at AFRIL in an extremely difficult living situation. They were staying in a spare room owned by an acquaintance but were not allowed to stay in the house unsupervised.
As a first step, we helped them to secure more stable housing, started supporting them through our Helped Hands Foodbank, and began helping them to regularise their immigration status through AFRIL’s Immigration Advice Project at Southwark Law Centre.
Elizabeth then joined Rainbow Club. She was in Year 2 and was performing significantly below the level expected for her year group, both academically and socially. It was clear she had experienced significant disruption to her education and development. She was therefore kept in the younger class, where we were able to focus on helping her to improve her phonics and reading ability. She received additional one-to-one support from our teachers and teaching assistants and she worked hard every single week.
Over the past year, Elizabeth has had one of the best attendance records in the school, thanks to her mother’s commitment and dedication. By the end of the year she was reading at a secure level for her year group and has now been moved up to the next class.
The family have recently been granted leave to remain, and are now able to access mainstream benefits. They are being transitioned from our foodbank and their living situation has vastly improved. Elizabeth continues to attend Rainbow Club and is a joy to teach.
_Child pictured is not “Elizabeth”._
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## **Advice and Advocacy Service**
Our clients face a range of practical difficulties arising from immigration status which need to be resolved through holistic support. Our Advice and Advocacy officer conducts confidential in depth assessments and work plans in partnership with clients to resolve complex issues.
The key issues for our clients are access to appropriate income and accommodation. All of our clients, except resettled refugees, have no recourse to public funds so cannot access mainstream government support. Some women remain in abusive relationships as this is their only source of housing and food. Our advice service advocates to Social Services to conduct child in need assessments and provide emergency accommodation, provide destitution payments and grant applications for food and essential items, makes referrals for Immigration Advice, and supports clients to request the NRPF condition to be removed from grants of temporary leave. This is alongside registering children in school, negotiating discretionary free school meals, and supporting clients to understand the entitlements and limitations on their access to healthcare. For clients granted refugee status, we assist them to get National Insurance numbers, apply for welfare benefits, access employment and training opportunities, make budgeting plans and access specialised debt and legal advice.
> This year, our Advice Service supported 153 individuals from 58 families, including 90 children. We resolved 65 cases, including homeless families securing safe housing; families accessing a regular income; resolving debt issues due to rising utility costs and making budgeting plans; negotiating free school meals for destitute families and supporting struggling families to get lifted their no recourse to public funds restriction. 100% of Advice Service clients have made their own decisions, supported by AFRIL, to resolve the practical problems in their own lives. In addition, 9 clients were provided with detailed information to resolve issues themselves.
_“It help me to know my right and what to do.”_
Advice service client
We take an empowerment approach to advice and advocacy, respecting our clients’ agency and capabilities. We will spend longer with a client and coach them through completing an online benefits application, rather than default to doing it for them. This means that we support our clients from dependence to independence. Our annual survey results show the impact of this approach; 76.7% of advice service clients said that the advice service had helped them to understand UK systems and their entitlements, with a further
16.3% saying it had helped partially; 74.4% felt more confident to deal with problems after using the advice service, and 14% felt a little more confident; and 69.8% said the advice service had helped them to plan more for the future with an additional 18.6% saying it had partially helped.
_“Best advice ever help me getting a new [safe] home for my family”_ -Advice service client
_A member of our Advice & Advocacy Team_
18
We launched a busy fortnightly outreach advice surgery in our local initial asylum accommodation, which has been well received by both clients and the accommodation provider. After working in the hotel we discovered that there had been no new arrivals for some time [this has since changed in 2022-2023] and the average time that families were in the hotel was 1 year. However, since the accommodation is not suitable or set up for long term habitation, residents were experiencing a plethora of other, more time intensive issues. We therefore did casework with residents to move their cases on, raising requests to move on grounds of overcrowding and have developed links with legal representatives. Furthermore, many residents were still not receiving the small payment for full board asylum seekers and so were not able to access services that were more than a walk away. We supported people to make applications for these payments and shared relevant local resources.
_“Feel more motivated, confidence and not alone when talking to advice service team.”_
Advice service client
In April we launched a pilot project called Together We Thrive, thanks to the support of the National Lottery Communities Fund. The project is a recognition of the capability and strength of the women who are members of AFRIL, many of whom are single mothers raising families in very difficult circumstances. It provides an opportunity for our members to gain new skills, receive and give peer support, and in turn increase their confidence and feelings of connectedness to a community. The interactive workshops are co-produced with our members with the aim of increasing understanding of how UK systems work to enable families to thrive in their new and challenging environment. Sessions included how families can make small budgets go further; understanding the UK immigration system; employment, training and volunteering in the UK; and how to communicate successfully with public bodies.
## Mia’s story
Mia (not her real name) and her four children had been in the UK for many years and were living with a friend in Lewisham. Mia had limited leave to remain but two of her children did not.
When her young child developed cancer, Mia was forced to stop working as they required constant care and hospital appointments. We supported her to be able to lift the NRPF restriction so that she could access universal credit.
Then, Mia and her family were made homeless. We made an application to the local authority and advocated for emergency accommodation. The Council erroneously closed her case twice before providing accommodation one night at a time. Each morning the family were told to leave the accommodation and waited outside until they were eventually told at 8pm that they could return. The children became tired and upset.
We sought legal advice and were told that a legal challenge would only be possible after a month or if the Council formally refused to house the family. We kept up daily advocacy, supplemented the family’s income with food bank donations, and secured a grant to pay for hospital travel and food. After one month, a housing solicitor took the case and the Council provided temporary accommodation.
Our immigration solicitor is now providing free representation to regularise the family’s status as a whole. Mia has asked to volunteer in AFRIL’s advice service to help others get the same support.
19
## **Immigration Project**
Our immigration project is a partnership with Southwark Law Centre (SLC) and enables AFRIL clients to access free, high quality immigration advice and representation. SLC provides specialist legal advice in Southwark and Lewisham for people who cannot afford to pay. It specialises in discrimination, employment, housing, planning, welfare rights, and immigration/asylum law.
There are four main challenges faced by our clients and other refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants in the UK when seeking immigration advice; (1) the provision of immigration advice does not meet currently meet the demand, (2) many of AFRIL’s clients are excluded from receiving legal aid and do not have the income to pay for the advice they need, (3) sometimes individuals exploit asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants seeking immigration advice by charging them high prices for poor advice, and (4) often, our clients find it hard to trust organisations and disclose their immigration status because they fear detention, deportation and family breakup.
These issues are UK-wide and require reform and regulation in order to be resolved. Our immigration project aims to counter them on a local scale by enabling AFRIL clients to access free, high quality immigration advice and representation from an experienced, trusted, and qualified immigration solicitor. This enables the people we support to understand and resolve the complex issues that they and their families face relating to their immigration status that are at the root of poverty.
This financial year was the first full year of the project following its launch in January 2021. The project provided legal representation from an experienced solicitor to 31 clients and their 47 dependents and one-off advice and assistance to more than 10 additional clients.
We support clients to submit leave to remain applications to the Home Office. Delays in the Home Office mean that the majority of our clients are still waiting to find out the outcome of their application. So far, 3 grants of leave to remain have been made and no clients have been refused.
_“They helped with my immigration and housing problem when l needed them”_
The high cost of application fees are a barrier for our clients when regularising their status. Many of our clients and their dependents have Limited Leave to Remain on the human rights based 10-year route to settlement. This means that each family
member on this route must apply to extend their leave every 2.5 years for 10 years. If not granted a fee waiver, the cost for each adult application is currently £2,627.20 and for each child application £2,242.20. We have represented 6 clients to make a fee waiver application to the Home Office alongside the application for extension of leave. To date, 100% of fee waiver applications have been successful.
In our annual survey, 55.2% of respondents said that their housing or income had improved since using the immigration service and all clients with applications submitted to the Home Office were able to maintain their accommodation entitlement as a result. As well as helping to resolve our client’s cases, the immigration project supports them to feel empowered through understanding immigration law in the UK and their rights. This helps the people we support to identify if they are receiving poor quality advice from other services and advocate for themselves. All immigration clients confirmed following the advice provided to them that they understood their own immigration status and the
20
> restrictions that this entails. 82.8% of annual survey respondents said that the immigration advice service had helped them to understand the immigration system in the UK more generally, and 17.2% said it had helped a little. Furthermore, 100% said they would recommend the service to a friend.
Another objective in the second half of the project is to develop and deliver second tier advice and capacity building for the wider sector and AFRIL staff and clients. This has resulted in stronger links between AFRIL and SLC who now conduct AFRIL casework file reviews, significant benefits to clients who are now able to resolve underlying issues that lead to poverty and marginalisation, and increased knowledge on immigration law and policy for AFRIL staff, meaning they are better equipped to identify immigration issues amongst their clients and make appropriate referrals. We have identified mainstream and specialist organisations who are in need of and keen to access capacity building in this area. In the 2022/23 financial year, we are organising online training sessions to voluntary
organisations and AFRIL staff by the Immigration Solicitor. The two topics identified so far are an Introductory overview of Immigration Law for non OISC practitioners and the potential implications of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
This year was turbulent in terms of changes to immigration law, the most prominent change being the Nationality and Borders Act. The bill was introduced to the House of Commons in July 2021 meaning that, although it did not become law until June 2022, it dominated the headlines regarding immigration law for the majority of this financial year. We are yet to see the full ramifications of this act, but expect that the policies will further erode the ability of people seeking sanctuary to regularise their immigration status and improve their lives sustainably. There is more need than ever for good quality free immigration advice to support people in need.
21
## **The AFRIL Team 2021/22**
Since the beginning of the 2021/22 financial year our team has expanded in response to increased demand on our services. We have also welcomed new staff members since the end of the financial year who have been involved in preparing this report, with particular thanks to Jessica Hughes.
Director: Sophie Wickham (since 09/2021); Katie Commons (02/2020-09/2021)
## Immigration Advice Service Team
Southwark Law Centre Immigration Advice Partnership Solicitor - Ed O’Driscoll
## Food bank Team
Food bank Director: Helen Mason Food bank Administrator: Louise Vangheluwe Allotment Gardener: Rose Cowling (since 03/2021)
## Office Team:
Administration and Monitoring Officer: Jess Hughes (since April 2021)
## Rainbow Club Team
Education Coordinator - Kieran Tang-Wright Passion Fruit Class Teacher - Ruth Michaels Starfruit Class Teacher - Vita Baliaj Mango Class Teacher - Ndaiziyei Murimba Art Leader - Sadegh Aleahmad (since 09/2021); Melanie Hering (until 07/2021)
Sport Teacher - Daniel Espinosa (since 11/2021); Olu Mason (until 07/2021)
## Trustees:
Gareth Redmond-King (Chair) Margaret Ruth Gravelle Divaughn Burnett Ron Tran Kathleen Commons (appointed 01/10/2021) Lorna Barron (appointed 09/05/2022) Neil Walker (appointed 09/05/2022) Kirsty Wildgoose (appointed 09/05/2022) Karleen Richards (appointed 12/09/2022)
## Advice and Advocacy Service Team
Advice and Advocacy Officer: Shahrazad Magrabi (until 08/2021); Chloe White (since 12/2022; Bevlyn Annokye (since 12/2022)
## Volunteers
We would not be able to deliver the breadth or quality of services that we do without our wonderful team of volunteers. Thank you to everyone who donates their time to AFRIL.
## **Our supporters…**
Thank you to all the individuals, community groups, corporates, and trusts and foundations that have supported AFRIL during 2021-2022. Your grants and donations have played an enormous part in enabling us to support over 260 families this year. Thank you to all those listed below, and those who wish to stay anonymous…
AB Charitable Trust National Lottery Communities The Childhood Trust Fund BBC Children in Need The Hillcote Trust One Tree Hill Allotment Society Blackheath Quakers The Leathersellers Foundation Robbins Family Charitable Fund The Henry Smith Charity The Northwick Trust South East London Humanists Dulwich College The Topinambour Trust St Peter’s & The Good Shepherd Lewisham Local Church, Lee. Trust For Londo 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust
22
The Trustee’ Report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
## **G J Redmond-King**
## **Chair of Board of Trustees**
23
ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM
INOEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OFACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM
I report to the trustees on my exarnlnation of the finandal statents of Actlon for Refugees LshaM {the
charity) for th8 year ended 31 May 2022.
Re8ponglbllltl¢$ and basls of rgport
As the trustee$ of the charity18nd also its director8 for the puOSe8 of mpary lawl you are responslble for th8
preparation of the financial statentS Sn accordance vthth thè requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (the
2006 Act).
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are 1 required to be audited under Part 16 of
the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examlnalion, I retM)rt in respèct of my examinatlon of the charws
flnanclal statements carried out Under section 145 of the Charltie$ Act 2011 {th8 2011 Act). In carrying out my
examinatlon I have foll11 all the applicablg Direcllon5 glven by the Charty Commls8lon under $8¢tlon 145{51
Ibl of the 2011 Act.
Ind•pendent axamlngrfs statemènt
I have completed my examination. I conffi that no mattèrs hove come to my attenUon In conn6cth)n wlth the
examlnatlon giving me cause to believe that In any malgrial resp8ci'.
accounting records wère not kept In respect of the charity as r8qulfOd by $0ckn 386 of the 2CN)6 Act: or
th• financlal statements do not accord wth those records.. or
the )Inandal slatemgnts do not C1)mY wth the accountSng requlrements of Sectlon 396 of the 2006 Act
other than any requirement that the accounts gfvo a lJu8 and falr vlaw whlch L8 not 8 matter con4dered a8
part of an Independent examination. or
the IlnancSal ststements hav8 not been prepared In a¢o)rdarKe wllh the methods and prlnciples of the
statem8nl of Recommended Pradca for aceountlng and reportlng by thariti&s appllcable to charlli88
proparing thelr accounts in accordarth with the Flnandal Reporting Stand8rd appllcable in the UK and
Republi¢ of Ireland IFRS 102).
I have no concerns and have tA>me acr088 no othér matters in connactlon wtth the examlnatlon to whlch attentlon
should be drawn In Ihl8 report In order to enable a prOr understandlng of the financlal statements to be
reached.
FJ Wlld• FCCA MBAOChA
Wamer Wllde
4 Marigold Drfve
8i51gy
Sufrey
GU24 9SF
l4101{IoLS
-24-
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**funds**
**2022**
**2022**
**Notes**
**£**
**£**
**Income and endowments from:**
Donations and legacies
**3**
85,780
149,827
Investments
**4**
11
-
Other income
**5**
2,201
1,935
**Total income**
87,992
151,762
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
**6**
223
-
Charitable activities
**7**
69,901
161,866
**Total expenditure**
70,124
161,866
Gross transfers
between funds
-
-
**Net income/(expenditure)**
**for the year/**
**Net movement in funds**
17,868
(10,104)
Fund balances at 1 June 2021
94,334
45,958
**Fund balances at 31 May**
**2022**
112,202
35,854|**Total Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**funds**
**2022**
**2021**
**2021**
**£**
**£**
**£**
235,607
52,327
143,354
11
411
-
4,136
832
-
239,754
53,570
143,354
223
216
-
231,767
24,318
173,493
231,990
24,534
173,493
-
(8,875)
8,875
7,764
20,161
(21,264)
140,292
74,173
67,222
148,056
94,334
45,958|**Total**
**2021**
**£**
195,681
411
832
196,924
216
197,811
198,027
-
(1,103)
141,395
140,292|
|---|---|---|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.
- 25 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **BALANCE SHEET**
## _**AS AT 31 MAY 2022**_
|**Notes**
**ixed assets**
angible assets
**11**
**urrent assets**
ash at bank and in hand
**reditors: amounts falling due within**
**ne year**
**12**
et current assets
**otal assets less current liabilities**
**ncome funds**
estricted funds
**13**
nrestricted funds|**2022**
**£**
150,587
(3,700)|
**£**
1,169
1
146,887
148,056
35,854
112,202
148,056|**2021**
**£**
38,836
-|**£**
1,456
138,836
140,292
45,958
94,334
140,292|
|---|---|---|---|---|
The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 May 2022.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on .........................
**----- Start of picture text -----**
..............................
G J Redmond-King
Trustee
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Company registration number**
- 26 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Charity information**
Action for Refugees Lewisham is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is F3, Leemore Central Community Hub, Bonfield Road, Lewisham, London, SE13 5ES.
## **1.1 Accounting convention**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "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). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling , which is the functional currency of the charity . Monetary a mounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
## **1.2 Going concern**
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
## **1.3 Charitable funds**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Endowment funds are subject to specific conditions by donors that the capital must be maintained by the charity.
## **1.4 Income**
Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the charity has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset.
- 27 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **(Continued)**
## **1.5 Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
## **1.6 Tangible fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
Office equipment
20% straight line
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities .
## **1.7 Impairment of fixed assets**
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any ) .
## **1.8 Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
## _**Basic financial assets**_
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
- 28 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **(Continued)**
## _**Basic financial liabilities**_
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future p aymen ts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## _**Derecognition of financial liabilities**_
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity ’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
## **1.9 Employee benefits**
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
## **1.10 Retirement benefits**
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
## **2 Critical accounting estimates and judgements**
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated 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 where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
## **3 Donations and legacies**
|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**funds**
**2022**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
Donations and gifts
53,780
5,119
Grants
32,000
144,708
85,780
149,827|**Total**Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
**2022**
2021
2021
**£**
£
£
58,899
-
-
176,708
52,327
143,354
235,607
52,327
143,354|Total
2021
£
-
195,681
195,681|
|---|---|---|
- 29 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
|**Donations and legacies**
**Grants receivable for**
**core activities**
BBC Children in Need
Big Give
Henry Smith
National Lottery
Trust for London
Respond and Adapt
29th May 1961
Leathersellers
AB Charitable Trust
Northwick Trust
Other|-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15,000
10,000
7,000
32,000|40,845
5,119
40,000
9,656
32,500
-
5,000
4,970
-
-
6,618
144,708|40,845
5,119
40,000
9,656
32,500
-
5,000
4,970
15,000
10,000
13,618
176,708|-
16,135
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
36,192
52,327|**(Continued)**
40,819
40,819
-
16,135
20,000
20,000
33,028
33,028
16,250
16,250
10,000
10,000
5,000
5,000
4,970
4,970
-
-
-
-
13,287
49,479
143,354
195,681|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
## **3 Donations and legacies**
## **4 Investments**
Interest receivable
|**Unrestricted**|Unrestricted|
|---|---|
|**funds**|funds|
|**2022**|2021|
|**£**|£|
|11|411|
## **5 Other income**
Other income
|**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**|Unrestricted|
|---|---|---|---|
|**funds**|**funds**||funds|
|**2022**|**2022**|**2022**|2021|
|**£**|**£**|**£**|£|
|2,201|1,935|4,136|832|
## **6 Raising funds**
Fundraising and publicity Other fundraising costs
|**Unrestricted**|Unrestricted|
|---|---|
|**funds**|funds|
|**2022**|2021|
|**£**|£|
|223|216|
- 30 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)**
## _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
## **6 Raising funds**
||**(Continued)**|
|---|---|
|223|
216|
## **7 Charitable activities**
||**Charitable**|
**Charitable**|
|---|---|---|
||**Expenditure**|
**Expenditure**|
||**2022**|
**2021**|
||**£**|
**£**|
|Staff costs|131,673|
123,716|
|Depreciation and impairment|586|
486|
|Advice project|2,317|
4,330|
|Foodbank project|8,326|
9,978|
|Immigration project|32,463|
16,232|
|Rainbow Club project|26,598|
7,212|
|Wellbeing projects|2,529|
1,686|
|Destitution fund|4,876|
21,540|
|Interpreting|1,241|
836|
|Volunteer and other staff costs|1,112|
-|
|Training|1,190|
1,689|
||212,911|
187,705|
|Share of support costs (see note 8)|16,731|
9,581|
|Share of governance costs (see note 8)|2,125|
525|
||231,767|
197,811|
|**Analysis by fund**|||
|Unrestricted funds|69,901|
24,318|
|Restricted funds|161,866|
173,493|
||231,767|
197,811|
- 31 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
## **8 Support costs**
|**Support**
**costs**
**Governance**
**costs**
**£**
**£**
Office and core costs
15,996
-
Insurance
735
-
Independent Examiner
-
2,125
16,731
2,125
Analysed between
Charitable activities
16,731
2,125|**2022**
**£**
15,996
735
2,125
18,856
18,856|Support
costs
Governance
costs
£
£
8,949
-
632
-
-
525
9,581
525
9,581
525|2021
£
8,949
632
525
10,106
10,106|
|---|---|---|---|
Governance costs includes payment to the Independent Examiner of £ 1,500 for accounts preparation and independent examination (2021- £ 625 for independent examination only) .
## **9 Trustees**
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.
## **10 Employees**
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
|**Employment costs**
Wages and salaries
Other pension costs|**2022**
**Number**
3
**2022**
**£**
125,965
5,708
131,673|**2021**
**Number**
3
**2021**
**£**
123,716
-
123,716|
|---|---|---|
The Trustees consider that they, together with the General Manager of the charity, are the key management of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the charity on a day to day basis.
The total remuneration of key management personnel during the year was £ 26,112 (202 1 - £ 23,575 ) and total employer's national insurance contributions in respect to these individuals amounted to £ 2,189 (2021 - £3,945) .
There were no employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000.
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## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
|**11**|**Tangible fixed assets**|||
|---|---|---|---|
||||**Office equipment**|
||||**£**|
||**Cost**|||
||At 1 June 2021||6,665|
||Additions||299|
||Disposals||(4,236)|
||At 31 May 2022||2,728|
||**Depreciation and impairment**|||
||At 1 June 2021||5,209|
||Depreciation charged in the year||586|
||Eliminated in respect of disposals||(4,236)|
||At 31 May 2022||1,559|
||**Carrying amount**|||
||At 31 May 2022||1,169|
||At 31 May 2021||1,456|
|**12**|**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**|||
|||**2022**|
**2021**|
|||**£**|
**£**|
||Accruals and deferred income|3,700|
-|
- 33 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)**
## _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
## **13 Restricted funds**
The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes:
|**Balance at**
**1 June 2020**
**£**
Advice Service
7,500
Client Grants
150
Community Education in Lewisham
7,756
Core Costs
16,036
Covid-19 Response
12,863
Destitution Fund
1,633
Foodbank
2,668
Heritage Lottery - Rainbow Club
9,230
Rainbow Club
4,970
Monitoring and Evaluation
3,850
Office Equipment
566
Immigration Project with SLC
-
67,222|**Movement in funds**
**Incoming**
**resources**
**Resources**
**expended**
**£**
**£**
-
(7,500)
-
-
-
-
61,361
(51,711)
16,250
(29,113)
1,750
(2,783)
4,704
(25,084)
-
(3,080)
43,039
(37,972)
-
-
-
-
16,250
(16,250)
143,354
(173,493)|**Movement in funds**
**Transfers**
**Balance at**
**1 June 2021**
**Incoming**
**resources**
**Resources**
**expended**
**Balance at**
**31 May 2022**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
150
500
(650)
-
-
7,756
-
(7,756)
-
-
25,686
54,655
(44,487)
35,854
-
-
-
-
-
-
600
2,500
(3,100)
-
8,875
(8,837)
13,856
(5,019)
-
-
6,150
-
(6,150)
-
-
10,037
47,751
(57,788)
-
-
3,850
-
(3,850)
-
-
566
-
(566)
-
-
-
32,500
(32,500)
-
8,875
45,958
151,762
(161,866)
35,854|
|---|---|---|
- 34 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)**
## _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
**13 Restricted funds (Continued)** Client Grants : individual grants that we apply for, for particular clients. They are restricted to the client and the purpose specified. Advice Service : expenses relating to the part time Advice Worker.
Covid 19 response : particular funding provided for services in response to the Covid 19 pandemic.
Destitution Fund : general destitution grants for food payments and hardship payments for individuals.
Foodbank : expenses relating to the Foodbank Programme - Foodbank, Allotment and Art Group.
Rainbow Club : expenses relating to the Rainbow Club including funding from BBC Children in Need and Leathersellers.
Immigration Project with S outhwark Law Centre: Trust for London funding to cover immigration solicitor salary and a small contribution to Director costs.
Office equipment : purchases of equipment for the office from the Clothworkers Foundation grant.
Monitoring and Evaluation : this refers to costs related to monitoring and evaluating projects.
Core costs: this has been used historically for core cost grants that cover all charitable projects/services with a few minor exclusions. The expenditure against some restricted funds, such as Rainbow Club and Destitution fund, exceeds the income and the difference is made up from core costs.
- 35 -
## **ACTION FOR REFUGEES LEWISHAM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022**_
|**14**
**Analysis of net assets between funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2022**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
Fund balances at 31
May 2022 are
represented by:
Tangible assets
1,169
-
Current assets/
(liabilities)
111,033
35,854
112,202
35,854|**Total**Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
**2022**
2021
2021
**£**
£
£
1,169
1,456
-
146,887
92,878
45,958
148,056
94,334
45,958|Total
2021
£
1,456
138,836
140,292|
|---|---|---|
## **15 Related party transactions**
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2021 - none) .
- 36 -