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2021-03-31-accounts

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Company No: 06426744

Charity No: 1122363

Supported by The Charity of Sir Richard Whittington

HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

CONTENTS

Trustees’ report 1 - 16
Independent examiner’s report 17
Statement of financial activities 18
Balance sheet 19
Notes to the accounts 20 - 30

HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The trustees are pleased to present their annual directors’ report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021, which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors’ report and Companies Act purposes.

The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting for Charities: Statements of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2019).

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Company number: 06426744

Charity number: 1122363

Directors and trustees who served during the year:

Rayah Feldman Chair (until April 2021) Hannah McConnachie Chair (from April 2021) Mark Palframan Vice-Chair (resigned Jan 2021) Rosemary Sales Secretary Roy Hiscock Treasurer Elizabeth Kolawole-Johnson Katharine Meade Hannah Ward

Senior Management during the financial year

Dafydd Viney Director of Services Sue Marris Director of Operations

Registered office: Hackney Migrant Centre, The Old Fire Station, 61 Leswin Road, London N16 7NX

Independent examiner: Samir Shah, Chartered Accountant Ramon Lee Ltd, 93 Tabernacle Street London EC2A 4BA

Bankers: Unity Trust Bank, Four Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2JB

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT

In shaping our objectives for the year and planning our activities, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, including the guidance “Public Benefit: Running a Charity”. The achievements and activities outlined in this report demonstrate the public benefit arising through the charity’s activities.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

WHAT WE DO

Hackney Migrant Centre was established in 2008 by local people and community organisations, to provide advice and support for migrants in Hackney and surrounding areas, irrespective of their immigration status.

We work with in-house and external advisors to provide professional advice on immigration, welfare and housing and our team of dedicated volunteers welcome visitors, help them access health and other services. Volunteers also cook and serve a delicious meal each week. Our service specialises in supporting migrants who have few other sources of support and people with complex cases, including victims of trafficking and human rights abuses; survivors of gender-based violence; undocumented people; refused asylum seekers; and those who are homeless or facing destitution.

The charity’s objects are:

  1. To relieve the needs of migrants, especially those whose immigration status is precarious, irregular and/or temporary, through the provision of legal and other advice and advocacy.

  2. To relieve financial hardship and destitution among migrants, especially those whose immigration status is precarious, irregular and/or temporary, through the provision of legal and other advice, advocacy and support.

  3. To preserve and protect the physical and mental health of migrants, especially those whose immigration status is precarious, irregular and/or temporary, by providing advice and advocacy to assist them to access health and other relevant services.

Over the 2020-21 financial year, HMC continued to operate remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, delivering a weekly Remote Advice Service and ongoing casework support as well as providing material and practical support to some of our most destitute visitors.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Messages from the Trustees and Management

From Rayah Feldman, outgoing chair

The last years have seen dramatic change at HMC, beginning with the start of a national lockdown which affected not only our service but the whole of life in the UK, and impacted particularly harshly on migrants in precarious circumstances.

Many of our visitors lost work or were unable to continue to rely on financial support from friends, relatives, and community organisations on whom they had hitherto depended.

Our drop-in service closed abruptly but re-opened within three weeks as a Remote Advice Service, operating online and via phone, alongside a brand-new Collective Care Team formed to provide practical and material support to our most vulnerable visitors.

The range of advice services to which we were able to signpost and refer visitors shrunk considerably as a result of the pandemic. This, together with continuing Hostile Environment policies, put great pressure on our in-house staff carrying out casework to support visitors through the complex processes required to get legal aid, find immigration advisers and organise secure housing solutions. In spite of the problems we have faced, we expanded our workforce over the year and have been delighted to welcome Mark Dunn, Anna Mulcahy, Sarah Hull and Catherine Devlin to our staff team.

Besides the closure of our face-to-face service, we suffered a devastating blow as our Director of Services, Daf Viney, became ill with Covid-19 in October 2020, and subsequently developed “Long Covid”. We were lucky that Amy Murtagh was able to stand in as a temporary replacement and we are immensely grateful to her for taking on this task at a difficult time and with such skill.

We have also had some changes to trustees. Mark Palframan, our Vice-Chair and co-founder of HMC, resigned early in 2021. Mark was instrumental in helping us shape the character and ethos of our service,and provided stalwart support.

I have also resigned as Chair of the trustees, a position I held, like Mark, since we were constituted as an organisation. I am immensely grateful to all our present and past trustees, staff and volunteers for the work they have done, and the support they have given me in establishing and building our service. Hannah McConnachie has replaced me as Chair, and she has already shown herself to be outstandingly capable and committed to our work of helping migrants to achieve safe and secure lives in the UK.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

From Hannah McConnachie, new chair from April 2021

It has been an eventful time to take over as Chair of HMC. As Rayah has outlined, there have been many challenges this past year and while some of them have been difficult, it also means we have had lots of opportunity to grow and develop HMC as we continue to provide support and advice for our resilient visitors.

I want to take the opportunity to thank the staff, volunteers and trustees for welcoming me into this role. Their hard work, positivity and dedication to HMC and support of our visitors is inspiring. I am humbled to be representing and supporting HMC in its vital work. Rayah’s stewardship and vision over these past 10 years has seen HMC grow from a small group of volunteers with a part-time centre manager to a bustling organisation with 8 employed staff, almost 50 regular volunteers and a budget of over £400,000 per year. Our community has been enriched by Rayah and her dedication to welcoming migrants in Hackney. I am pleased Rayah is staying on as a trustee, where she will continue to advise me and the Board. As many of our volunteers will know Rayah is continuing as a regular volunteer at our weekly advice service.

This report details the period from April 2020 to March 2021. Since then we are pleased to have been able to reopen our face-to-face service, although we are still being mindful of the persistent threat of Covid-19 and operating on an appointment-basis to limit numbers. More details on this will be shared in the next report. We have unfortunately also had to say good bye to Sue Marris and Daf Viney as Directors, and we want to take this opportunity to thank them for the huge contribution they made over the last year, and in previous years. Daf has been an inspirational figure in our organisation, motivating staff, volunteers and trustees alike. He developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the migrant advice sector, and retained a deep and visible commitment not only to migrants’ rights generally, but to all the visitors he got to know through HMC. Sue has been described by the staff team as their “anchor” through the difficult period of the pandemic, and provided the leadership needed to see HMC through an uncertain and tumultuous time, guided by an inspiring empathy and commitment. They will be very much missed.

Finally, thank you to the entire community that continues to support HMC. This organisation wouldn’t be possible without many people taking positive actions, no matter how small, in solidarity with migrants’ rights.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Message from the Director of Services

The Covid-19 pandemic forced us to close our drop-in in March 2020, but in April, thanks to the dedication of our staff team and volunteers, we were able to repurpose the advice part of our service and open our “Remote Advice Service” just three weeks after the last of our drop-in session. The drop-in was replaced with appointments booked through a new dedicated phone line.

We kept a similar structure to the advice provision at our drop-in. At our Remote Advice Service session each Wednesday, volunteers had initial conversations with visitors to discuss what we could do for them. Appointments with specialist advisers were made for later in the week with follow-up casework taking place over a longer period. Running the service in this way provided new challenges, but regular meetings with our staff and volunteers meant that new skills were shared and any technological issues resolved.

Initially fairly quiet, the phone line soon became very busy. We realised that with the way we had redesigned our service, we were now able to provide advice as easily to someone in Hartlepool as to someone in Hackney. We were aware that some of the most vulnerable people who used to queue to access our drop-in were now unable to make appointments, so we developed partnerships with local frontline organisations which worked with vulnerable and homeless people so that they could refer people and have priority access.

We were fortunate that practically all of the external advisors who had provided advice at our drop-in were able to continue, carrying out their roles remotely. A huge thank you goes to Islington Law Centre, Coram Children’s Legal Centre, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, and Gentili Stark solicitors for continuing to provide initial immigration advice, and to Hackney Community Law Centre, Lou Crisfield of Miles and Partners and Kathy Meade for making sure we were still able to provide high quality legal advice on housing matters. An extra big thank you to Together with Migrant Children who have supported an increased number of families to access housing and other support.

In addition to our advice service, Sarah Hull and an exceptional team of volunteers speedily set up a Collective Care Team. They provided practical and emotional support to visitors who were left isolated by the sudden absence of their usual support structures at the beginning of the first lockdown. The wonderful work carried out by this team deserves a whole report in itself.

We would like to say thank you to the countless people who donated to our appeal to fund the Collective Care Team and the rest of our work over the course of the pandemic. This meant that we could provide support to the people who needed it the most and whose usual sources of support were no longer functioning.

During the last year we’ve been fortunate to recruit some wonderful new staff to new roles. Sarah Hull joined us as our Collective Care Team coordinator and as our Volunteer Coordinator (both part-time roles). Anna Mulcahy took on a full-time role as our Access to Justice Coordinator; Mark Dunn joined as our new Destitution Services Coordinator, the first time this role has been a full time one; and Catherine Devlin is our Casework Support Assistant.

I would also like to thank the staff who took on short-term roles over the pandemic when extra work was needed. Robin Walden, Lucy Rix and Miranda Lickert all carried out tremendous work and were able to hit the ground running when we needed them most. A huge thank you is due to Amy Murtagh, who stepped in when Covid-19 caught up with me and I was forced to take extended time away from work. There are very few people who could have taken on the role at such short notice and carried it out so effectively and I will be forever grateful to Amy.

Daf Viney, Director of Services

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

OUR WORK, PROJECTS AND IMPACT

Our Year in Figures

Including on-going cases, we worked with a total of 598 people , and their 519 dependents and family members during the financial year.

We held 47 remote advice sessions over the course of the year, which were attended by 406 people .

Our visitors came from 79 different countries and identified as:

They presented with the following issues:

80% of those we have worked with approached HMC in the need of immigration advice. The immigration status of our visitors when they came to us was:

Outcomes

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The impact of our work extends further than the above outcomes. This is explained further in the project reports and case studies on the following pages and illustrated by the visitor quotes below:

“Having been let down, judged and stigmatised by those l thought were professionals l had given up on both my life and the system. This all changed after having met some amazing unsung heroes at Hackney Migrant Centre. It's been a whole year and that year’s first experience was with Anna. She listened to my story and never pushed me. Instead Anna - whom at that time l spoke to about once a week - gave me some reassurance that this is not going to be easy but we will do our best to help. As l had a lot going on at that time Anna referred me to a few of her colleagues in different departments.”

“Mark in the last year became the person l could speak to without fear or being judged or having to choose what l say. Mark's professionalism throughout the months was second to none. Mark would call me every week on a Thursday at 1100 hrs on the dot and would go through my week and how things were. I was told that l could call Mark when l needed to vent or just speak to someone, not only have to wait on the Thursday, and yes there were days that l did call and the support l got was above and beyond. Mark never looked at me as a case but as a person.”

“HMC staff are second to none. I am grateful to the team for all their support and making my journey with them a memory that will always lift me up.”

Moving Out of Hardship

The Moving out of Hardship project, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, was set up in 2016 to support vulnerable migrants in London. It is a joint project between HMC, Haringey Migrant Support Centre (HMSC) and Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC), and was designed to assist vulnerable migrant families and young people to access the advice and support needed to improve their situation. The project funds the Caseworker for Migrant Families and Young People at HMC, an equivalent post at HMSC and legal advice delivered by CCLC’s Immigration Advisers at both Centres.

This year was the final year of the project (ending May 2021), and delivery was dominated by the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the services provided across all three organisations. Providing advice and supporting families and young people remotely has generally been more complex and slower. The introduction of the “Everyone In” scheme and the changes to the asylum support system meant, however, that a larger proportion of young people had housing options and in turn could benefit from casework and advice.

All three partner organisations are very proud of what has been achieved during the lifetime of the project. Upwards of 1,000 families have been supported to gain greater security and move on with their lives.

Working collaboratively as a team enabled us to untangle complex issues and work simultaneously across multiple areas of concern including housing, welfare and immigration. This ensured that visitors were not re-traumatised by having to explain their story repeatedly to multiple different agencies, and that any urgent developments could be communicated and responded to by a team of specialists.

All of the issues for migrant families and young people that this project was set up to address, however, remain, or have even worsened. This means there is a need for continued support and advice to find routes out of irregularity and hardship. HMC is dedicated to continuing to build on the lessons learnt from the Moving out of Hardship project to improve our response to the changing and deepening needs of the migrant communities we support.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Collective Care Team

The Collective Care Team (CCT) was originally set up as a short-term emergency outreach project In response to the first Lockdown in March 2020. It was made possible by some generous community donations and entirely volunteer-led. At that time, no one envisaged that the project would run for a further 18 months – and it managed to do so, thanks to a wonderfully dedicated volunteer team and numerous Covid-related emergency grants, which also funded a part-time Coordinator to manage the project.

The aim of CCT was to support those hit hardest by the pandemic. The already challenging circumstances faced by people with insecure immigration status were exacerbated tenfold; as services closed their doors, support networks withered and precarious sources of income dried up, many were left without access to basic necessities such as food, phone credit or baby products.

Over 180 individuals received supermarket vouchers through the CCT to ensure they had access to food and other essentials during the pandemic. Throughout the project, volunteers also delivered shopping to individuals and families who were ‘isolating’ or shielding, topped up mobile phone credit (and data) and stayed in touch with visitors through regular phone calls. Over 80 people received ongoing volunteer support in the form of weekly or fortnightly telephone calls to ease the impact of isolation.

Many described the regular voucher as a life line. The combination of legal, housing and other casework from HMC, the emotional support provided by CCT volunteers and the security of being able to get food and other necessities throughout the pandemic has offered hope and combated the feeling of being “abandoned” in a public health crisis.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Housing and Destitution Support Team

The urgency of our work to secure housing for destitute migrants became even more acute during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many visitors are at high risk of Covid-19 due to their age, ethnicity, health and being forced into poverty and destitution by the Hostile Environment. Many have no, or unsuitable, accommodation to be able to safely shield, isolate or follow stay at home orders. Many migrants lost their employment and income when sectors of the economy suddenly closed down. Those with Limited Leave to Remain with No Recourse to Public Fund conditions attached to their status suddenly found their income disappear and were required to make a Change of Conditions application to the Home Office before they could apply for welfare benefits. Those working informally lost their employment and income with no safety net at all, including in some cases losing accommodation linked to their employment – for example those working as live-in carers and nannies.

Many experienced that family, friends and support networks that may have previously offered accommodation were now reluctant to allow visitors to stay due to fears around the virus. Places of worship - where many visitors establish networks of support for food, shelter and solidarity - were forced to close. Migrant and homeless charities were suddenly unable to operate face-to-face or meet indoors. Night shelters and hostels had to close or

significantly reduce the amount of bed spaces available to protect the safety of their guests.

In April 2020 the Government told all Local Authorities to accommodate all rough sleepers – regardless of their recourse to public funds or immigration status - a scheme known as ‘Everyone In’. Despite this welcome response, significant advocacy was required by HMC for our visitors to access this accommodation. Many Local Authority housing departments attempted to exclude applicants on the basis of immigration status or questioning whether individuals were truly rough sleeping. Despite the on-going public health risks from Covid19 they refused to accommodate most rough

sleepers who had been made newly homeless since summer 2020. A significant number of local authorities also routinely sent threatening eviction letters those who were accommodated. HMC has supported 48 people accommodated by Local Authorities due to Covid-19 to prevent evictions and helped them access long-term accommodation.

For asylum seekers, the situation was different but still tough. The asylum support system has been significantly weakened due to the impact of Covid-19, following years of mismanagement under the Hostile Environment. After years of failing to secure enough asylum accommodation and with no new spaces becoming available following a halt on evictions during the pandemic, accommodation providers contracted by the Home Office procured a large number of hotels across the country to accommodate newly arrived asylum seekers and those made destitute during Covid-19. In addition, the Asylum Support Tribunal ruled that refused asylum seekers who were destitute were eligible for Section 4 support (housing and limited financial support) regardless of the usual conditions.

Asylum seekers in hotels received no financial support and were provided with inadequate food. Many received no information on the asylum process, their rights to access healthcare and legal representation and have spent months living in hotel accommodation. We have advocated for people to ensure they had access appropriate food, healthcare and legal representation, and helped the most vulnerable into regular asylum accommodation.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

We have also continued to support destitute families and adults with care needs to access accommodation and support from Social Services. With the success of our Access to Justice team, we have seen more visitors being granted more secure immigration status which has allowed our housing team to support visitors to access accommodation under Local Authorities’ homelessness duties.

Covid-19 has exposed and exacerbated the housing crisis and the injustices caused by the Hostile Environment to vulnerable migrants. With the help of our external housing advisors at Hackney Community Law Centre, Miles & Partners, Together with Migrant Children, as well as pro-bono advisers, we have continued to provide visitors with high quality housing advice and advocacy to navigate these changes and to secure their rights and entitlements to accommodation. Secure accommodation is vital to the ability to keep safe from Covid-19.

Access to Justice

The last year has been an exciting time of growth and development for HMC’s Access to Justice work. In November 2020, HMC employed a full time Access to Justice Coordinator. This new role has allowed us to increase the support we can offer to visitors to overcome the systemic barriers within the immigration system.

The Hostile Environment agenda continues to create intentional obstacles for people attempting to regularise their immigration status in the UK. A key problem is the difficulty in accessing legal aid and good quality legal representation in order to be able to navigate the complex Home Office application process. The sweeping cuts to Legal Aid since 2012 have resulted in a significant decline in the capacity of immigration lawyers to take on new cases. Meanwhile, the fee to make an application for leave to remain has now risen to over £2,500 per person. These factors create what are often insurmountable obstacles to regularising immigration status and accessing rights.

HMC supports many families and individuals who are trapped in extreme destitution due to their status despite having strong human rights claims which would entitle them to Leave to Remain, because they have been unable to navigate the Home Office system themselves or access legal assistance.

In response, HMC has developed our Access to Justice work with the aim of providing holistic support and connections to expert legal advice to help people overcome the systemic barriers to justice. Good legal advice, representation and support contributes to providing sustainable outcomes for people: as securing leave to remain is a crucial first step to moving out of destitution and homelessness long term.

HMC’s Access to Justice team assists visitors to apply for Legal Aid, secure legal representation and supports them to navigate the complex and hostile immigration system, for example, with help to access key documentary evidence for their application. We have close partnerships and relationships with local Law Centres and expert legal representatives that allow us to maximise limited resources within our organisation and the wider legal sector. There is a huge demand for this work and the new full-time Access to Justice Coordination role has allowed us to significantly expand the support we can provide to visitors, allowing us to work in tandem with legal representatives to progress people’s applications more quickly and effectively.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The Access to Justice team directly assisted 194 people, including securing legal representation for 177 individuals and families so that they could make an application for leave to remain. During this period, 51 of these families and individuals received positive immigration outcomes following advice and assistance from our service. This included assisting people to apply for family reunion, to secure Refugee status or Indefinite Leave to Remain, or assisting them to remove the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition from their visa. Crucially, 22 individuals and families, including 14 dependent children, were granted leave to remain, allowing them to access housing, employments, education and benefits in this country for the first time so they can begin to rebuild their lives.

CASE STUDIES

Our teams work closely together with a lot of our visitors using all the services that we provide, as explained in these case studies. All names have been changed to preserve privacy.

Amma

Amma was a visa overstayer when she first came to HMC. She was sofa-surfing with friends after leaving an abusive relationship. Amma had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and had an urgent operation, leaving her with severe weakness. We referred her into

accommodation under the ‘Everyone In’ scheme in April 2020. As a result, she was accommodated in various hotels and received regular support from our Collective Care Team. We advocated to get appropriate support (e.g. suitable food, access to laundry facilities) whilst Amma was staying in the hotels. She was granted Limited Leave to Remain with Recourse to Public Funds this year with the help of our Access to Justice team.

We referred Amma to her local authority homelessness team who provided her with Temporary Accommodation under local authority homelessness duties. We successfully advocated to get her more suitable accommodation, access to benefits and provided practical and emotional support during the difficult transitions from inadequate support systems.

Ines

Ines and her young daughter first came to HMC in October 2019. They had been staying with a friend, but now urgently needed somewhere else to stay. Ines did not have leave to remain in the UK so they were unable to access statutory support although her daughter is a British Citizen.

HMC provided Ines and her daughter with multiple forms of assistance, including securing emergency accommodation from the local authority and support to find a place in a special needs nursery for her daughter.

Our partner organisation, Coram Children’s Legal Centre supported Ines to submit an application for leave to remain as the mother and primary carer of a British child, which was granted – giving Ines much more security and recourse to public funds. They are now in a suitable long-term home near the nursery.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Nina

Nina contacted HMC in July 2020. She was in crisis as she was homeless with her young son. Nina had arrived to the UK over seven years before following a sexual assault in her home country. As she did not have leave to remain, she faced the sharp end of the Hostile Environment and was unable to access employment or any form of state support. By excluding many migrants from state benefits and the right to work, the Hostile Environment forces vulnerable people into exploitative and dangerous situations. Nina had been forced to rely on friends, community members and sometimes strangers for shelter.

Nina had spent years doing her best to

survive and provide for her young son. However, like many others, the pandemic cut her off from key sources of support in her community. By the time she approached HMC, the family was homeless and Nina and her four-yearold son had been sleeping on a church floor.

“I contacted HMC as a single mum of a lovely boy, we were vulnerable and homeless…. I was charged thousands of pounds just for having a Caesarean Section when my son was born. We needed this treatment to save mine and my son’s life… my son was admitted to the ICU as soon as he was born and was in hospital for a month… I was charged £45,000 for this treatment… the NHS debt agency will not allow me to rest with many threatening letters and phone calls…”

HMC assisted the family to access emergency accommodation from Social Services. Unfortunately, Social Services terminated the support after a few weeks, despite the ongoing pandemic and lockdown, due to Nina’s lack of immigration status. The family became homeless again. HMC and our partner organisations helped them to access a hosting scheme, which provided a stable place for them to stay. HMC’s Access to Justice team supported Nina to get immigration advice, apply for legal aid and secure an experienced legal representative.

“ When the local authority terminated our accommodation and threw us out I was left hopeless again. I was severely depressed and anxious, I just wanted my son to be safe. During this time, HMC never left us alone. They kept supporting us with food, essential needs, clothes and supermarket vouchers. They helped me to get a good lawyer to put in an application for me and my son. My caseworker at HMC was lovely, selfless, encouraging, humble, respectful and listened without being judgemental, and above all did exceedingly great work with my case.”

One of HMC’s key aims is to provide a welcoming, community space for visitors to socialise, have a hot meal and access advice and support. Nina has joined HMC’s diverse volunteer team and now assists every week to welcome new visitors at our centre. Nina has become integral to creating this sense of community and solidarity for new visitors.

“ With all the support they provided to me, I decided to give back. Meeting with the staff and volunteers at HMC really helped me discover my talent and eased my depression and anxiety. I’m happy to be a volunteer at HMC”.

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Patrick

Patrick first came to HMC in April 2020. At the time, he was homeless and staying at his local church. From the beginning of the first lockdown, he started to receive less and less financial support from the church members, finding himself isolated and often without enough money for food. Later that summer, Patrick was forced to leave the church, becoming street homeless.

HMC helped Patrick access Exceptional Case Funding and find legal representation, as well as helping him find

temporary accommodation. CCT supported Patrick with weekly supermarket vouchers, phone calls and phone topups during this time. Patrick was granted limited leave to remain in October 2020. He is now living in a stable accommodation and has found part-time work.

“ Covid-19 has made it difficult for people like me to mix with others. It has changed how people see you – have you got Covid? – and this means you can’t access services in the same way even when the services want to help you.

With my children, it makes it difficult to see them and they have not been able to go to school which has impacted their education. And, I am not registered with a GP and so it is not possible for me to get tested, as I am worried because they might ask for my ID.

Without the help of the data top-ups and the food vouchers and phone calls, I would not be anywhere to be found. It has really, really changed my life. Because – can you imagine – the system is unapproachable and this support is there to offer help. It is lifesaving to be honest.

HMC came at the right point in my life which was the end of the road for me, in March/April. There was nowhere to turn at that point. Even the food voucher – to be able to pay for what you want – this is a massive relief. It means I can buy things for my children too.

And having internet to listen to music or listen to the news – imagine you have nothing to distract you – this makes a huge difference. And having phone calls makes me realise I am not on my own. Without you, I would not have known about Akwaaba social centre for migrants – and that is the power of networking – I have interaction with people and that really helps.

All I can say is thank you – they took me from 0% to 70/80% – they told me there is still a bright light ahead. They gave me hope that tomorrow is going to be better than today.”

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS

Advisers

Coram Children’s Legal Centre / Hackney Community Law Centre / Islington Law Centre / Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants / Kathy Meade / Lou Crisfield of Miles & Partners LLP / Praxis / Project 17 / Stéphane Gentili of Gentili Stark Solicitors Ltd / Together with Migrant Children

Community supporters

Churches Together Hampstead / Divest Hackney / GOODMOVE / Hackney Risen Christ with All Souls Church / Homerton Hospital Patients Not Passports / Homerton Hospital UNISON / Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants / Open Creates Ltd / Stoke Newington Common Users Group / Students at SOAS Development Studies Department / Threads Radio/ Year Two Teachers and Staff London Fields Primary School

Funders

Choose Love / Dentons Charitable Trust / East End Community Foundation: East End Emergency Fund / Freedom Fund / Hackney Parochial Charities / London Borough of Hackney: Covid-19 Response Grant / London Catalyst: Samaritan Grant / London Churches Refugee Fund / London Legal Support Trust / MSN Fund / Respond and Adapt Programme / Society of the Holy Child Jesus / Souter Charitable Trust / South Hackney Parochial Charity / Southall Trust / Tesco Community Grants / The Blue Moon Trust / The Charity of Sir Richard Whittington / The Mbili Charitable Trust / The National Lottery Community Fund / Trust for London Trustee Distribution Fund / Trust for London: Covid-19 Response Grant / West Hackney Parochial Charity

Donations of goods or services

Bexley Toy Centre / Bromley Bright Beginnings / Free Books Campaign / Haggerston Mutual Aid / Little Village / Made in Hackney / Mammakind / Mer-IT Digital - Raspberry Pi project / National Food Service / North London Action for the Homeless / Smile Brigade / Suleymaniye Mosque / Vital Meals / West London Welcome / Winter Toy Appeal (Local Buyers Club) / Woolwich Equitable

Grants to vulnerable individuals

Heinz, Anna & Carol Kroch Foundation / Hackney Parochial Charities / West Hackney Parochial Charity / Fund for Human Need / Hornsey Parochial Charities

We would also like to thank

The Unity Project, KIND and other partner organisations

Everyone individual who donated generously to support our work throughout the year, including those who give every month

Everyone who ran half-marathons and marathons, organised fundraising events and joined the legal walk to raise funds and awareness

All the anonymous donors we are unable to thank personally

Nadia and Mamie for their tireless campaigning work

All of our many volunteers, who generously donate their time so that HMC can continue to support so many people

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HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Hackney Migrant Centre has a generous pool of individual, corporate and community funders, and this really showed during the Covid-19 pandemic which dominated this financial year. Our supporters donated nearly £20k into our appeal for funds to run the Collective Care Team project, and we received £79k in grants for our Emergency Response and the CCT.

During the year the charity’s income amounted to £453,212, slightly more than the previous year (2020: £435,318). Expenditure for the year was £476,398 (2020: £375,210).

The large increase in expenditure was due to the CCT project which cost £115,286 during the year. As mentioned, we did fundraise specifically for this project and this income of £99k was spent during the year and we contributed a further £16k from our reserves to cover the remaining costs.

The result for the year was a deficit of £23,186 (2020 surplus: £60,108), which, combined with our funds brought forward, gives us total funds of £261,997 at 31 March 2021. Out of these funds, £49,518 are restricted for specific purposes set by the donors. The trustees have decided to designate funds of £60,000, made up of grants received in March 2021, for the drop-in and advice service in the 2021/22 financial year to give some financial stability to the service.

Reserves policy

In common with other charitable organisations of a similar size, we rely on our funders to provide the finances which enable the organisation to operate. While we believe that our service delivery meets all the requirements of current funders, we cannot assume that such funding will continue (and in some cases, our funders specifically state this) and we are constantly attempting to ensure that adequate funding is in place. While this has not so far been a problem, the directors and trustees consider it appropriate to ensure that we are able to continue the service in the event of a funding hiatus. We would estimate that an unrestricted reserve of a minimum of three months’ expenditure is necessary for this purpose and for the year under review such reserves would be a minimum of £119,000.

The directors consider that the charity’s reserves will enhance the services provided and provide financial security for the future. The reserves held in unrestricted funds, which have not been designated or invested in fixed assets, at 31 March 2021 were £149,976 (2020: £102,691), therefore adequately meeting our reserves requirements.

STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 14 November 2007 and registered as a charity on 17 January 2008. The company’s operations are governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 14 November 2007.

Recruitment and appointment of directors/trustees

The directors of the company are also the charity’s trustees for the purposes of charity law.

The number of directors shall not be less than three but (unless otherwise determined by ordinary resolution) shall not be subject to any maximum.

The directors have no beneficial interest in the company other than as members and all guarantee to contribute up to £10 in the event of winding up.

As set out in the Articles of Association, one third of the directors shall retire by rotation at each annual general meeting. No paid employee is eligible to serve as a director or trustee.

Trustee induction and training

New trustees are initially provided with copies of the Memorandum and Articles of association together with the most recent annual report. All trustees continue to maintain a good working knowledge of charity and company law and best practice by studying the Charity Commission newsletters and attending appropriate external courses. The

15

HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

trustees aim to maintain a broad spectrum of specialised abilities and experience on the board, thus enhancing the ongoing successful operation of the organisation.

Organisation

The trustees are responsible for the development and operation of the charity and day to day tasks are delegated to the senior management team.

Pay policy for staff

Staff remuneration reflects appropriate skills level in National Joint Council salary levels and includes Inner London weighting.

TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The trustees (who are also directors of Hackney Migrant Centre for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charitable company for that year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to small companies within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SIGNED ON ITS BEHALF BY

HANNAH MCCONNACHIE – CHAIR

23 MARCH 2022

16

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF HACKNEY MIGRANT CENTRE

I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Respective responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees of the Company (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited for this year under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”). In carrying out my examination, I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act).

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

The company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.

SAMIR SHAH – CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT RAMON LEE LTD 93 Tabernacle Street London EC2A 4BA 23 MARCH 2022

17

Hackney Migrant Centre

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

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Unrestricted
Note
£
Income from:
2
178,577
3
6,340
184,917
4
31,950
4
22,888
4
-
4
-
4
-
ECF
4
-
Covid-19 and Collective Care Team
4
22,794
Campaigns
4
-
77,632
107,285
(60,000)
47,285
Reconciliation of funds:
102,691
149,976
Grants, donations and legacies
Net income / (expenditure) for the year
Total expenditure
Drop-in and Advice Service
Moving out of Hardship
Hardship fund
Grants for Individuals
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Other income
Total income
Expenditure on:
Total funds carried forward
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Total funds brought forward		 Unrestricted
Note
£
Income from:
2
178,577
3
6,340
184,917
4
31,950
4
22,888
4
-
4
-
4
-
ECF
4
-
Covid-19 and Collective Care Team
4
22,794
Campaigns
4
-
77,632
107,285
(60,000)
47,285
Reconciliation of funds:
102,691
149,976
Grants, donations and legacies
Net income / (expenditure) for the year
Total expenditure
Drop-in and Advice Service
Moving out of Hardship
Hardship fund
Grants for Individuals
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Other income
Total income
Expenditure on:
Total funds carried forward
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Total funds brought forward		 Designated
£
-
-		 Restricted
£
268,295
-		 2021
Total
£
446,872
6,340
453,212
31,950
186,840
106,308
26,056
3,327
6,631
115,286
-
476,398
(23,186)
-
(23,186)
285,183
261,997		 Unrestricted
£
167,786
4,253		 Designated
£
-
-		 2020
Restricted
Total
£
£
263,279
431,065
-
4,253
263,279
435,318
-
24,619
53,500
180,795
104,438
104,438
56,138
56,138
6,619
8,619
369
369
48
48
-
184
221,112
375,210
42,167
60,108
-
-
42,167
60,108
55,320
225,075
97,487
285,183
184,917 - 268,295 172,039 -
31,950
22,888
-
-
-
-
22,794
-		 -
82,502
-
-
-
-
-
-		 -
81,450
106,308
26,056
3,327
6,631
92,492
-		 24,619
97,293
-
-
2,000
-
-
184		 -
30,002
-
-
-
-
-
-
77,632 82,502 316,264 124,096 30,002
107,285
(60,000)		 (82,502)
60,000		 (47,969)
-		 47,943
(80,000)		 (30,002)
80,000
47,285
102,691		 (22,502)
85,005		 (47,969)
97,487		 (32,057)
134,748		 49,998
35,007
149,976 62,503 49,518 102,691 85,005

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

18

Hackney Migrant Centre

Company no. 06426744

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2021

Note
£
Fixed assets:
11
Current assets:
12
470
275,827
276,297
Liabilities:
13
16,802
19
62,503
149,976
Total unrestricted funds
Total charity funds
Cash at bank and in hand
Tangible assets
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds
General funds
Total assets less current liabilities
Debtors
The funds of the charity:
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net current assets / (liabilities)
Total net assets / (liabilities)		 Note
£
Fixed assets:
11
Current assets:
12
470
275,827
276,297
Liabilities:
13
16,802
19
62,503
149,976
Total unrestricted funds
Total charity funds
Cash at bank and in hand
Tangible assets
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds
General funds
Total assets less current liabilities
Debtors
The funds of the charity:
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net current assets / (liabilities)
Total net assets / (liabilities)		 2021
£
£
2,502
2,502
2,280
290,305
292,585
12,407
259,495
261,997
261,997
49,518
85,005
102,691
212,479
261,997		 2020
£
5,005
5,005
280,178
276,297
16,802
62,503
149,976
285,183
285,183
97,487
187,696
285,183

In preparing these financial statements:

For the financial year ended 31st March 2021 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 Companies Act 2006. No member of the company has deposited a notice, pursuant to section 476, requiring an audit of these financial statements under the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for ensuring that the company keeps accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act and for preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial period and of its profit or loss for the financial period in accordance with the requirements of sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the CompaniesAct 2006 relating to accounts, so far as applicable to the company.

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

These accounts were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Directors and Trustees on 23 March 2022 and were signed on its behalf by:

Hannah McConnachie Chair of Trustees

19

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

1 Accounting policies

a) Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.

b) Public benefit entity

The charitable company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

c) Going concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.

The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

d) Income

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

The 'grants, donations and legacies' heading on the Statement of Financial Activities includes unrestricted grants and donations, given in general to the organisation and restricted grants and donations which are given for specific elements of our work.

For legacies, entitlement is taken when a distribution is received from the estate. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is a treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.

Income received in advance of the provision of a specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.

e) Donations of gifts, services and facilities

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item or received the service, any conditions associated with the donation have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), volunteer time is not recognised so refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about their contribution.

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

f) Interest receivable

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

g) Fund accounting

Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund.

Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources received or generated for the charitable purposes.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes.

20

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

1 Accounting policies (continued)

h) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

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

˜ Costs of raising funds relate to the costs incurred by the charitable company in inducing third parties to make voluntary contributions to it, as well as the cost of any activities with a fundraising purpose

Expenditure on charitable activities includes the costs of delivering services undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs

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

i) Allocation of support costs

j) Operating leases

Rental charges are charged on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.

k) Tangible fixed assets

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £500. Depreciation costs are allocated to activities on the basis of the use of the related assets in those activities. Assets are reviewed for impairment if circumstances indicate their carrying value may exceed their net realisable value and value in use.

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

˜ Fixtures, fittings and computer equipment

4 years

l) Debtors

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

m) Cash at bank and in hand

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

n) Creditors and provisions

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

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

o) Pensions

The charity pays employer contributions to defined contribution pension schemes.

21

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

2
Unrestricted
£
AB Charitable Trust
Allen & Overy Foundation
Charles S. French Charitable Trust
Choose Love
Churches Together Hampstead
East End Community Foundation : East End Emergency Fund
Hackney Parochial Charities
London Catalyst
London Community Response Fund
London Legal Support Trust
Margaret Hayman Charitable Trust
MSN Fund
Respond and Adapt Programme
Sisters of the Holy Cross
Society of the Holy Child Jesus
20,000
Souter Charitable Trust
South Hackney Parochial Charity
Southall Trust
1,000
Stoke Newington Relief in Need
The Blue Moon Trust
20,000
The Charity of Sir Richard Whittington
34,000
The Mbili Charitable Trust
The National Lottery Community Fund
The Robert Gavron Charitable Trust
Trust for London Trustee Distribution Fund
7,500
Tudor Trust
West Hackney Parochial Charity
82,500
Hackney Parochial Charities
-
Heinz, Anna & Carol Kroch Foundation
-
Mary Strand Trust
-
Methodist Church Fund for Human Need
-
-
-
Community Supporters
10,761
81,345
Fundraising
3,971
178,577
3
Unrestricted
£
4,748
Government covid support (furlough and SSP)
1,592
6,340
Other income
Earned income
Anonymous and other small grants
Income from grants, donations and legacies
Indivdual Donations
Trusts and Foundations
Grants for Individuals
Other small grants		 £
18,000
3,000
6,000
12,500
2,000
18,425
13,200
30,000
3,000
5,500
2,000
105,004
5,000
4,350
227,979
527
28,065
-
160
749
29,501
315
10,500
268,295
£
-
-
Restricted
Restricted		 2021 Total
£
-
-
-
18,000
3,000
6,000
12,500
2,000
18,425
-
-
13,200
30,000
-
20,000
3,000
5,500
1,000
-
20,000
34,000
2,000
105,004
-
7,500
-
5,000
4,350
310,479
527
28,065
-
160
749
29,501
11,076
91,845
3,971
446,872
2021
Total
£
4,748
1,592
6,340		 2020 Total
£
20,000
10,000
1,500
-
-
-
10,000
2,000
-
5,000
4,400
-
-
25,000
20,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
1,000
-
30,000
-
101,234
1,000
7,500
30,000
5,000
12,800
292,434
2,599
43,030
500
70
550
46,749
22,571
58,757
10,554
431,066
2020
Total
£
4,253
4,253

22

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

4 Analysis of expenditure

Analysis of expenditure Analysis of expenditure
Cost of
raising
funds
£
Staff salaries (Note 7)
30,984
Other staff costs
Project partners' costs
Legal advisors
Interpreting and other direct costs
Grants for individuals
Hardship fund - grants
CCT purchases
Evaluation and monitoring
Other direct costs
Rent & storage for Drop-In centre
Volunteer and intern expenses
Food and kitchen supplies
Drop-In centre running costs
Drop-In centre moving costs
Working from home costs
Fundraising
966
Database development
Office rent
Internet
Office equipment and supplies
Finance and admin
Insurance
Subscriptions and membership
-
Website redevelopment
Other expenses
Trustee expenses
AGM and Annual Report
Independent Examiner's fee
Depreciation
31,950
Support costs
-
Total expenditure 2021
31,950
Total expenditure 2020
24,619
Hardship fund - emergency accommodation		 Charitable activities Support
costs
£
44,790
255
7,922
379
134
6,326
870
907
-
1,509
-
400
1,830
2,502		 2021 Total
£
227,556
830
64,790
18,460
7,563
26,056
3,074
252
96,598
-
160
1,575
106
43
3,530
-
1,374
966
-
7,922
379
134
6,326
870
1,593
-
1,509
-
400
1,830
2,502		 2020
Total
£
150,966
59,163
32,187
2,226
56,138
7,530
1,089
48
3,265
2,504
15,650
4,346
3,772
4,914
639
-
2,128
500
7,866
565
1,847
6,941
902
703
1,939
2,716
90
874
1,200
2,502
Drop-In and
Advice
Service
£
102,421
575
18,460
7,563
1,575
106
43
3,530
1,374
686		 Moving out
of Hardship
£
28,825
64,790
160		 Hardship
Fund
£
3,074
252		 Grants for
Individuals
£
26,056		 Campaigns
£		 ECF
£
3,660		 Covid-19
and CCT
£
16,876
96,598
31,950
-		 136,333
50,507		 93,775
12,534		 3,326
-		 26,056
-		 -
-		 3,660
2,971		 113,474
1,812		 67,824
(67,824)		 476,398 375,210
-
31,950 186,840 106,309 3,326 26,056 - 6,631 115,286 - 476,398 375,210
24,619 180,795 104,438 8,619 56,138 184 369 48 -

Of the total expenditure, £77,632 is unrestricted (2020: £124,096), £82,502 designated (2020: £30,002) and £316,264 restricted (2020: £221,112).

23

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

5 Grant making

We grant small amounts of cash, usually £10 or £20 to visitors to our Drop-In centre, known as Hardship grants which cover emergency costs they may have such as food, travel and personal care items. Each grant is assessed on an individual basis and the visitor signs a receipt confirming they have received it. Grants are paid from our restricted Hardship Fund, which is funded by grants and donations specifically earmarked for the purpose.

We also apply for grants on behalf of visitors to our centre which we pass on to them.

During 2020/21, we received 178 grants (2020: 308) totalling £29,501 (2020: £46,749) for our visitors. The grants received are kept in a separate bank account to the rest of the organisation's cash. The grants are received and paid to the individuals usually within 2 weeks of receipt, therefore the balance on this fund carried forward will be paid subsequently. In the rare occasion that we cannot subsequently contact the grant recipient, then the funds are paid back to the grantor. The grants were received from the following organisations:

Catholic Women's League
Hackney Parochial Charities
Heinz, Anna & Carol Kroch Foundation
Hornsey Parochial Charities
Mary Strand Trust
Methodist Church Fund for Human Need
Sheila Hind Trust
The Nawaal Fund
West Hackney Parochial Charity		 2021
2020
£
£
-
250
527
2,599
28,065
43,030
170
-
-
500
160
70
-
100
-
200
579
-
29,501
46,749

6 Net incoming resources for the year

This is stated after charging / crediting:

This is stated after charging / crediting:
2021 2020
£ £
Depreciation 2,502 2,502
Loss or profit on disposal of fixed assets - -
Operating lease rentals:
Property 7,922 7,866
Independent Examiners' remuneration 1,830 1,200

24

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

7 Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel

Staff costs were as follows:

Salaries and wages
Temporary staff cover
Social security costs
Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension schemes		 2021
2020
£
£
180,940
128,357
18,793
4,000
13,356
8,805
14,467
9,804
227,556
150,966

No employee earned more than £60,000 during the year (2020: nil).

The total employee benefits including pension contributions of the key management personnel were £91,403 (2020: £75,541). The increase is due to additional management support due to Covid.

The charity trustees were not paid or received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2020: £nil). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2020: £nil). No trustee claimed travel expenses in 2020 or 2021.

8 Staff numbers

The average number of employees (head count based on number of staff employed) during the year was as follows:

Raising funds
Charitable activities
Support and governance		 2021
2020
No.
No.
0.8
0.7
3.7
2.1
1.0
1.0
5.5
3.9
Full Time Equivalent		 2021
2020
No.
No.
0.8
0.7
3.7
2.1
1.0
1.0
5.5
3.9
Full Time Equivalent		 2021
2020
No.
No.
1.0
0.7
6.8
3.0
1.2
1.2
9.0
4.8
Average Head Count
5.5 3.9

9 Related party transactions

There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties. There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2021.

10 Taxation

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

25

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

11 Tangible fixed assets

£
15,592
-
-
15,592
10,588
2,502
-
13,090
2,502
5,004
Debtors
2021
£
Grants and donations receivable
112
Other debtors
358
Deposit
-
470
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2021
£
Trade creditors
1,109
Taxation and social security
6,006
Accruals
9,226
Deferred income
-
Other creditors
461
16,802
Eliminated on disposal
At the end of the year
Disposals in year
All of the above assets are used for charitable purposes.
At the end of the year
At the start of the year
Charge for the year
Cost
At the start of the year
Additions in year
Depreciation
Fixtures and fittings and
computer equipment
At the end of the year
At the start of the year
Net book value		 £
15,592
-
-
15,592
10,588
2,502
-
13,090
2,502
5,004
Debtors
2021
£
Grants and donations receivable
112
Other debtors
358
Deposit
-
470
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2021
£
Trade creditors
1,109
Taxation and social security
6,006
Accruals
9,226
Deferred income
-
Other creditors
461
16,802
Eliminated on disposal
At the end of the year
Disposals in year
All of the above assets are used for charitable purposes.
At the end of the year
At the start of the year
Charge for the year
Cost
At the start of the year
Additions in year
Depreciation
Fixtures and fittings and
computer equipment
At the end of the year
At the start of the year
Net book value		 Total
£
15,592
-
-
15,592 15,592
10,588
2,502
-		 10,588
2,502
-
13,090 13,090
2,502 2,502
5,004 5,004
2021
£
112
358
-		 2020
£
1,930
-
350
470 2,280
2021
£
1,109
6,006
9,226
-
461		 2020
£
1,811
1,630
9,038
-
(72)
16,802 12,407

12 Debtors

13 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

26

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

14 Deferred income

Deferred income this year represents fundraised income received in advance of the event. Previous years deferred income represents grants received in advance.

Balance at the beginning of the year
Amount released to income in the year
Amount deferred in the year
Balance at the end of the year		 2021
2020
£
£
-
415
-
(415)
-
-

15 Analysis of net assets between funds

Tangible fixed assets
Net current assets
Net assets		 Designated
£
£
62,503
149,976
-
149,976
62,503
General
unrestricted		 Designated
£
£
62,503
149,976
-
149,976
62,503
General
unrestricted		 Restricted
Total funds
£
£
62,503
49,518
199,494
49,518
261,997
149,976 62,503

16 Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year)

Tangible fixed assets
Net current assets
Net assets		 Designated
£
£
85,005
102,691
-
102,691
85,005
General
unrestricted		 Designated
£
£
85,005
102,691
-
102,691
85,005
General
unrestricted		 Restricted
Total funds
£
£
85,005
97,487
200,178
97,487
285,183
102,691 85,005

17 Legal status of the charity

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £10.

27

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

18
Movements in funds
Restricted funds:
£
£
Drop-In and Advice Service
Charles S. French Charitable Trust
1,000
Hackney Parochial Charities
8,000
10,000
MSN Fund
-
13,200
Respond and Adapt Programme
-
13,250
Sisters of the Holy Cross
25,000
-
Souter Charitable Trust
1,000
-
South Hackney Parochial Charity
-
3,000
Tudor Trust
15,000
-
West Hackney Parochial Charity
2,500
5,000
Access to Justice: Exceptional Case Funding Project
London Legal Support Trust
4,631
Individual donation
2,000
Moving Out of Hardship
21,316
105,004
Grants for Individuals
1,411
29,501
Covid-19 Emergency Response and Collective Care Team
Anonymous grant
3,000
Choose Love
18,000
Churches Together Hampstead
3,000
6,000
Hackney Parochial Charities
2,500
Individual and community donations
8,472
10,125
London Catalyst - Samaritan grant
London Community Response Fund
18,425
Respond and Adapt Programme
16,750
Souter Charitable Trust
3,000
South Hackney Parochial Charity
2,500
Tesco Community Grants
500
The Mbili Charitable Trust
2,000
Hardship Fund
Hardship Fund
6,437
690
London Catalyst - Samaritan grant
720
2,000
London Churches Refugee Fund
-
850
Total restricted funds
97,487
268,295
Designated funds:
Fixed assets
5,005
Drop-in and advice service
80,000
Total designated funds
85,005
-
General funds
102,691
184,917
187,696
184,917
285,183
453,212
Total funds
East End Community Foundation: East End
Emergency Fund
Total unrestricted funds
At the start
of the year
Incoming
resources &
gains
The National Lottery Community Fund -
Moving out of Hardship
Unrestricted funds:		 18
Movements in funds
Restricted funds:
£
£
Drop-In and Advice Service
Charles S. French Charitable Trust
1,000
Hackney Parochial Charities
8,000
10,000
MSN Fund
-
13,200
Respond and Adapt Programme
-
13,250
Sisters of the Holy Cross
25,000
-
Souter Charitable Trust
1,000
-
South Hackney Parochial Charity
-
3,000
Tudor Trust
15,000
-
West Hackney Parochial Charity
2,500
5,000
Access to Justice: Exceptional Case Funding Project
London Legal Support Trust
4,631
Individual donation
2,000
Moving Out of Hardship
21,316
105,004
Grants for Individuals
1,411
29,501
Covid-19 Emergency Response and Collective Care Team
Anonymous grant
3,000
Choose Love
18,000
Churches Together Hampstead
3,000
6,000
Hackney Parochial Charities
2,500
Individual and community donations
8,472
10,125
London Catalyst - Samaritan grant
London Community Response Fund
18,425
Respond and Adapt Programme
16,750
Souter Charitable Trust
3,000
South Hackney Parochial Charity
2,500
Tesco Community Grants
500
The Mbili Charitable Trust
2,000
Hardship Fund
Hardship Fund
6,437
690
London Catalyst - Samaritan grant
720
2,000
London Churches Refugee Fund
-
850
Total restricted funds
97,487
268,295
Designated funds:
Fixed assets
5,005
Drop-in and advice service
80,000
Total designated funds
85,005
-
General funds
102,691
184,917
187,696
184,917
285,183
453,212
Total funds
East End Community Foundation: East End
Emergency Fund
Total unrestricted funds
At the start
of the year
Incoming
resources &
gains
The National Lottery Community Fund -
Moving out of Hardship
Unrestricted funds:		 18
Movements in funds
Restricted funds:
£
£
Drop-In and Advice Service
Charles S. French Charitable Trust
1,000
Hackney Parochial Charities
8,000
10,000
MSN Fund
-
13,200
Respond and Adapt Programme
-
13,250
Sisters of the Holy Cross
25,000
-
Souter Charitable Trust
1,000
-
South Hackney Parochial Charity
-
3,000
Tudor Trust
15,000
-
West Hackney Parochial Charity
2,500
5,000
Access to Justice: Exceptional Case Funding Project
London Legal Support Trust
4,631
Individual donation
2,000
Moving Out of Hardship
21,316
105,004
Grants for Individuals
1,411
29,501
Covid-19 Emergency Response and Collective Care Team
Anonymous grant
3,000
Choose Love
18,000
Churches Together Hampstead
3,000
6,000
Hackney Parochial Charities
2,500
Individual and community donations
8,472
10,125
London Catalyst - Samaritan grant
London Community Response Fund
18,425
Respond and Adapt Programme
16,750
Souter Charitable Trust
3,000
South Hackney Parochial Charity
2,500
Tesco Community Grants
500
The Mbili Charitable Trust
2,000
Hardship Fund
Hardship Fund
6,437
690
London Catalyst - Samaritan grant
720
2,000
London Churches Refugee Fund
-
850
Total restricted funds
97,487
268,295
Designated funds:
Fixed assets
5,005
Drop-in and advice service
80,000
Total designated funds
85,005
-
General funds
102,691
184,917
187,696
184,917
285,183
453,212
Total funds
East End Community Foundation: East End
Emergency Fund
Total unrestricted funds
At the start
of the year
Incoming
resources &
gains
The National Lottery Community Fund -
Moving out of Hardship
Unrestricted funds:		 £
(1,000)
(8,000)
(13,200)
(13,250)
(25,000)
(1,000)
(15,000)
(2,500)
(4,631)
(2,000)
(106,308)
(26,056)
(3,000)
(18,000)
(3,000)
(6,000)
(2,500)
(18,597)
(720)
(18,425)
(16,750)
(3,000)
(2,500)
(500)
(2,000)
(2,477)
-
(850)
(316,264)
Outgoing
resources &
losses		 £
720
(720)
-
Transfers		 £
-
10,000
-
-
-
-
3,000
-
5,000
-
-
20,012
4,856
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4,650
2,000
-
49,518
At the end
of the year
5,005
80,000		 (2,502)
(80,000)		 60,000 2,503
60,000
85,005 - (82,502) 60,000 62,503
102,691 184,917 (77,632) (60,000) 149,976
187,696 184,917 (160,134) - 212,479
285,183 453,212 (476,398) - 261,997

28

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

19 Movements in funds (prior year)

he year ended 31 March 2021
Movements in funds (prior year)		 he year ended 31 March 2021
Movements in funds (prior year)		 he year ended 31 March 2021
Movements in funds (prior year)
At the start
of the year
Incoming
resources &
gains
£
£
Drop-In Centre
Charles S. French Charitable Trust
1,500
Hackney Parochial Charities
-
10,000
MSN Fund
5,000
-
Sisters of the Holy Cross
25,000
Souter Charitable Trust
3,000
South Hackney Parochial Charity
-
2,000
Trust for London
-
7,500
Tudor Trust
15,000
30,000
West Hackney Parochial Charity
-
5,000
Access to Justice: Exceptional Case Funding Project
London Legal Support Trust
5,000
Inidvidual donation
2,000
Moving Out of Hardship
24,520
101,234
Grants for Individuals
10,800
46,749
Covid-19 Emergency Response and Collective Care Team
Individual donations
8,520
Hardship Fund
Hardship Fund
-
10,376
Leach Fourteenth
500
London Catalyst - Samaritan grant
-
2,000
London Churches Refugee Fund
-
1,400
Stoke Newington Relief in Need
1,000
The Mbili Charitable Trust
500
Total restricted funds
55,320
263,279
Designated funds:
Staff costs
27,500
-
Fixed assets
7,507
Drop-in service 2020/21
Total designated funds
35,007
-
General funds
134,748
172,039
169,755
172,039
225,074
435,318
Total funds
Restricted funds:
The National Lottery Community Fund -
Moving out of Hardship
Total unrestricted funds
Unrestricted funds:		 Outgoing
resources &
losses
£
(500)
(2,000)
(5,000)
(3,000)
(1,000)
(7,500)
(30,000)
(2,500)
(369)
(104,438)
(56,138)
(48)
(3,939)
(500)
(1,280)
(1,400)
(1,000)
(500)		 Transfers
£		 At the end
of the year
£
1,000
8,000
-
25,000
-
1,000
-
15,000
2,500
4,631
2,000
21,316
1,411
8,472
6,437
-
720
-
-
-
55,320 263,279 (221,112) - 97,487
27,500
7,507		 - (27,500)
(2,502)		 80,000 -
5,005
80,000
35,007 - (30,002) 80,000 85,005
134,748 172,039 (124,096) (80,000) 102,691
169,755 172,039 (154,097) - 187,695
225,074 435,318 (375,209) - 285,183

29

Hackney Migrant Centre

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Purpose of Restricted and Designated Funds 2020/21:

Drop-In Centre

All grants received for the Drop-In Centre were towards general running costs of the service, with the exception of Tudor Trust , which is towards salary costs for the Director of Services' post.

Access to Justice: Exceptional Case Funding Project

This project supports visitors to our advice service to make Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) applications to access legal aid in order to make applications to regularise immigration status, apply to renew Limited Leave to Remain, apply for fee waivers and access legal assistance for British Citizenship registration applications and Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Moving Out of Hardship

National Lottery Community Fund- Moving out of Hardship - funding for our “Moving Out of Hardship” project, which is carried out in partnership with Coram Children’s Legal Centre and Haringey Migrant Support Centre.

Covid-19 Emergency Response and Collective Care Team

Donations and grants received following an emergency appeal in March 2020, to cover immediate needs for visitors left without other support during the pandemic and other needs arising from the closure of face-to-face provision. The Collective Care Team has distributed food, phone credit and other necessities throughout the crisis.

Grants for individuals

Grants received from the organisations listed in note 5 to be passed on to individual visitors.

Hardship Fund

Hardship Fund - donations and gift aid received for our Hardship Fund which pays out small grants or pays for emergency accommodation to individuals in need

London Catalyst Samaritan Grant - for hardship payments to visitors

London Churches Refugee Fund - for hardship payments to visitors

Designated Funds

Fixed Assets - the net book value of the fixed assets has been transferred to a designated fund from which the depreciation will be expensed each year over the useful life of the assets.

Drop-in and advice service - the trustees have designated these funds, made up of grants received in March 2021, for use in our Drop-in and Advice Service in the next financial year, to cover staff costs, running costs and legal advice costs, to ensure that this service can operate effectively.

30