2021-03-31-accounts - Forest Fields Advice And Neighbourhood Centre

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Forest Fields Advice and Neighbourhood Centre

Annual Report 2020-21

Reaching out to the Community

Introduction

In shaping our objectives and strategy for the year 2020-2021 Forest Fields Neighbourhood Advice Centre management and trustees have paid attention to the following:

Its own governing documents (Articles and Memoranda of Association) and to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit including the guidance on public benefit and fee charging.

The Advice Centre seeks to raise money from its own activities in order to reduce its dependence on public grants. To this end it makes office and training room space available at competitive rates to like-minded community organisations and providers of complementary services. This ensures not only that the Centre is well used by all sections of the local community, but that it also generates sufficient rental income to cover a large part of its fixed operating costs.

Local views and needs expressed through the resident members of the Board of Directors (Trustees), customer feedback, organised consultation, and available data.

The Advice Centre board is made up of local trustees bringing their experience and ideas alongside specific expertise from the commercial, public and political worlds. This combination informs and oversees the performance of the Advice Centre’s management and staff, and agrees the position of the organisation in relation to opportunities and risks. The consistency from year to year in the number of services we are able to offer, and the continuing growth in the

numbers of local people using them provides the opportunities we need to get customer feedback to inform our decision making and management.

The policy and funding environment within which our work takes place, including consideration of changes, analysis of opportunities and risks.

Public funding now comes mainly in the form of contracts, and the public authorities who commission services in this way rarely design them to allow highly local and specialist providers like ours a lead role. In fact there has been a trend for these contracts to be let to larger and larger regional and national organisations who then seek local providers like our own to sub-contract with. This brings with it the necessity for organisations like our own to take part in consortia in order to be able to demonstrate the kind of administrative and geographic coverage that these contracts require.

The Advice Centre has all the appropriate policies, procedures, insurances, licences, accounts and other requirements in place to compete for contracts and to take part in consortia. As a result we have been able to host Nottingham Law Centre specialist advice sessions on a weekly basis through the Advice Nottingham consortium.

Grant income has also been received during the period, to add to the income generated through rentals. None of our money has been wasted or misspent; customers, suppliers and staff have been treated fairly and consistently; and quality and performance has been continually managed.

A DIFFICULT YEAR !!!

In common with other charities and the Country as a whole, 2020/21 proved to be a difficult year for our centre due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

During the first lockdown, we were only able to provide a limited telephone advice service. However, from July, 2020 onwards we managed to provide a fuller service comprising of face to face appointment, home visits and telephone advice. The weekly advice service which was provided by Nottingham Law Centre prior to the onset of the pandemic did not take place but we still managed to maintain our outreach session at City College Nottingham from July, 2020 onwards.

Details of our services in 2020/21 are as follows:-

a) Outreach session at City College Nottingham every Wednesday, covering Benefits, Housing and Debt. 360 clients seen.

b) Specialist advice service targeted at New and Emerging Communities, covering financial advice and Information, Advice and Guidance. Three sessions a week with a total of 735 enquiries dealt with.

c) Ordinary Advice Service covering Benefits, Debt and Housing which is open to all local residents and people from all over the City. A total of 450 clients were assisted during 2020/21.

d) During 2020/21 we represented 12 clients at Appeal Tribunals for Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance. We were successful in all of these appeals which resulted in backdated benefit being paid totalling approximately £22,400. Also, each client received additional weekly benefit.

This totals over 1,557 individual clients assisted directly by our advice and welfare services. Whilst this was down on the numbers assisted in previous years, it is still quite an achievement given the restrictions caused by the pandemic.

FUNDING THE ACTIVITY

During 2020/21 we have been extremely grateful for the financial support provided from the following sources:-

a) Notngham Equal	£7,249.50
b) Notngham City Council	£10,000
c) Natonal Lotery	£7,561
d) HMRC JRS Grants	£10,489.44
e) N.E.T	£5,000
f) Notngham Law Centre	£720

STAFFING AND VOLUNTEERS

Our only salaried member of staff is Asmara Qureshi who works as our parttime receptionist and general assistant. Alongside her, Ron Bell delivers all of our in-house and outreach services on a voluntary basis.

He also composes our funding applications and maintains a relationship with outside funders which has been so helpful to us over recent years. Ron is assisted by Arifa Hassan, Nahema Farooq, Nassim Iqbal and Wasim Amin who all work in a voluntarily capacity.

Our Trustees wish to thank Asmara and all of our volunteers for all of their dedication and hard work throughout 2020/21

Charity No." 1120139 Financial Stalements for the Year Ended 31 March 2021 For Forest Fields Advice and Neighbourhood Centre

Forest Fields Advice and Neighbourhood Centre Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 Registered Charity No. 1120139 Contents Pagg Legal and administrative information Independent examinerfs report Statement of financial activities Balance sheet No18s lo the financial slalemenls

Forest Fields Advice and Neighbourhood Centrg Legal and administrative informatlon for the year ended 31 March 2021 Trustees Mi H Ahmed Ms A Hassan Mr J Khalil Mr M Bowyer Mr Taz Chaudry Mr J D Muolaba Ms Nahema Farooq Ms Far2ana Afi Choudhary Principal address 69 Wiverton Road Forest Fields Nollingham NG7 6NU Bankers Unity TTUSt Bank plc 9 Brindley Place Birmingham B12HB Independent Examiner Mr. M. Rashid. FCPA Certified Public Accountants Imperial Accountsng 57 Radford Road Hyson Green Nottingham NG7 5DR

Forest Fields Advice and Neighbourhood Centre Independent Examinerfs report for the year ended 31 March 2021 Independenl Examiners Reporl lo the Irustees ol Forest Fields Advice and Neighbourho(Kl Centre. I report on the accounts of the tharily for the peiiod ended 31 March 2021. which are sel oul on page 2. Respectlve responsibilities of trusteess and independent accountants The Charity trustees are responsible for Ihe preparalion ol the accounts. The chaiity's tiustees consider that an audit is not required lor this period lunder sedion 144121 of the Charities Act 2011 and that an independenl examination is needed. 11 is my responsibility lo.. Examine the accounts lundef section 145 of the Act 2011). To follow the procedures laid down in the General Direction given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 145151 Ibl of the 2011 Act and lo slate whether particular mallers have come lo my allenlion. Basis of independent examiners report My examination was carried out rn accofdance wilh the General Oiredion given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of Ihe accounling iecofds kepl by the charity and a comparison ol the accounts presented wlh those records. It also inclLtdes con5ideralion of any unused items or disclosures In the accounts, and seeking of explanations from you as trusiees concerntng any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not wovide all Ihe evidence that would be required in an audit and consiquenlly no opinion is given as lo whethei the accovnls present a 'true and fairf view and the report is Limited to those matters sel (Mji in the statemenl below". Indepèndent examiner's statement In connection with my examination. no matter has come to our altenlion lolhei than Ihal disclosed below).. 1) Which gives us reasonable cause lo believe that, in any material respect. the requirement5'. To keep accounting rec$ in accoidance wth sectton 130 01 Ihe 2011 Act.. and To prepare accounts which accord with Ihe accounting records and lo cornply th Ihe accounting requirements ol the 2011 A(1. have been I have not been met .' or 2) To which. in rny opinion, atlenlron should be drawn in order to enable a propel underslanding ol the accounts lo be reached. Mr. M. Rashid, FCPA Certified Public Accountants Imperial Accounting 57 Radlord Road Hyson Green Nollingham NG7 50R 16 November 2021

Forest Fields Advice and Neighbourhood Centre Income & Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 March 2021 2021 Income Grants and donalrons Rent received 202 40,300 720 12,753 9,274 41.020 L¢ss Ex nditure 22,027 Wages & Nl Rent Water rates L*Jht and heal Prernises maintenance & secLtrity Repairs & renewals Rental equipment Telephone, inlernel and facsimile char9es Printing. slalionery and postage Insurance Travel expense Accountancy fees Other professional fees Refreshment expenses Bank charges Cleaning & waste collection Volunteer expense Sundry expense 13.603 12,808 214 1,415 965 1,000 1,952 1.367 428 1.450 230 1,712 1.220 23 1,800 1.297 269 1,426 117 350 400 150 72 283 1.600 300 72 374 400 3DO Surplus I IDeficltl for the year Cash fund brought fonvard at l Aprll 2020 25,199 15.821 22.440 413 10,761 Cash fund ¢arried forward at 31 March 2021 11.174 26,582 10,761

Forest Fields Advice and Neighbourhood Centre Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2021 FAxed Assets 2021 2020 Office fvrnilure & equipment 9.575 Less depre¢ialN)n for the year 9.575 9.575 9.575 Current Assets 9.575 9,575 Cash in hand and bank Total Assets 17.720 17,720 27.296 1,746 1.746 11.321 Less Current Liabilities Sundry creditors and accrued expenses 588 Hawa Women's Netyk Loan 435 110 Proiecl A2adi Loan 110 100 798 NET ASSETS 644 26,498 10,677 Funds broijghl forward 10,677 Surplus l (Deficit) for the year 11,090 15,821 26.498 26,498 413 10,677 10.677 These financial statements were approved by the Iru51&s on 16 November 2021 and sne on their behalf by: Signed..............., Mr R Bell

Forest Fields Advlce and Neighbourhood Centre Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 I ACCOUNTING POLICIES Accountlng convention The receipt and payment account summarises the cash movement during the financial year. Income sumrnarise as .' Grants and donations NET grant Nottingham equal Covid-19 grants CoviY-19 grant trorn NCC Covid-19 response grant CovMI-19 JRS grant from hmrc 7.250 12,2SO 10,000 7.561 10.489 28.050 Rent Ce1ved Law centre rent Ceived 720 720 41.020 All of above funds are unrestricted whrch are available for use al the direction of rhe Trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes. 2 Credltors and a¢cruals Accoulllancy fees Paye due lo HMRC 400 188 588 3 Sundry expense Payroll lees 300.00

Charity No." 1120139 Financial Stalements for the Year Ended 31 March 2021 For Forest Fields Advice and Neighbourhood Centre