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2025-08-31-accounts

CARAS

TRUSTEES’ REPORT

FOR THE PERIOD 1 SEPTEMBER 2024 TO 31 AUGUST 2025

Charity registration number: 1124376 Company registration number: 06462487

Registered address/ principal office:

Unit B211 Tooting Works 89 Bickersteth Road London SW17 8NE

CARAS

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE PERIOD 1 SEPTEMBER 2024 TO 31 AUGUST 2025

The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the period ended 31 August 2025.

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 and, where applicable, the Companies Act 2006. This report follows the Charities SORP (FRS 102).

This year has demanded calm, practical leadership. The policy environment and public discourse around people seeking sanctuary has continued to harden, and the pressures on our community members have not eased. Yet, inside that noise, CARAS has stayed focused on what matters: showing up consistently, reducing isolation, and helping people regain agency while they navigate uncertainty.

‑ We closed a Strategic Plan period which was originally written as a five year strategy and then shortened to four years in response to rapid changes in asylum support, immigration policy and the needs of our community. During the year we restructured our programmes to strengthen delivery across provision for adults and young people, deepened our work with people living in asylum accommodation, and expanded provision for young people who face delays in their education.

‑ Trustees also made a deliberate decision to invest in staff wellbeing by piloting a four day week. We did not treat this as a ‘perk’; we treated it as a test of resilience and service quality. The data, feedback and outcomes in this report show that CARAS can protect staff capacity while still ‑ delivering high impact support.

I want to thank our staff, volunteers, partners and funders for their commitment, and our community members for trusting us with their stories and aspirations.

Helen Gribble, Chair of Trustees

Message from the CEO

Across the year, our teams have continued to respond to change at pace: shifting media narratives and rising threat to newly arrived people, changes to accommodation patterns, barriers to education, and a constant stream of practical problems that become overwhelming when you are new to a place, speaking a new language, or living with trauma. CARAS’s role is to be a steady guide — helping people understand their options, build skills, and find community.

In practice, that can look like supporting someone to move from crisis to stability: a parent in asylum accommodation who learns how to access local services and begins to feel less alone; a young person out of education who gains routine, confidence and language through our ‘Get Ready for School’ provision; or an adult who arrives to learn English and, over time, becomes the person welcoming others.

We have also strengthened our advice capacity, including progress towards regulated advice provision, so that people can receive accurate, accountable support when it matters most. ‑ I am proud of how staff and volunteers have sustained a warm, rights based approach while maintaining rigorous safeguarding and quality standards.

Our staff team has demonstrated deep commitment to our cause, and to each other as we navigate these challenging circumstances together.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed time, expertise and solidarity this year. Huge gratitude goes out to our volunteer teams, to our donors, and to the trusts and foundations that support our work.

Eleanor Brown

Chief Executive Officer

Objectives and activities

Mission and vision

CARAS exists to work alongside refugees and people seeking asylum, providing holistic support across education and training; information, advice and guidance; and community building and wellbeing. Together, this offer boosts people’s ability to step forward with confidence into their new lives.

We welcome all who have sought safety in the UK, offering a community of support in which they can flourish.

Our values

Kindness: CARAS nurtures all who are part of our community, helping everyone develop their skills, talents and interests.

Justice: CARAS strives for social justice following a rights‑based approach and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society.

Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes.

‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS puts the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do.

Public benefit

The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. CARAS’s activities are directed toward relieving need and disadvantage experienced by refugees and people seeking asylum, supporting access to education, information and advice, and building community connection and wellbeing.

Our main activities

During the period, CARAS delivered programmes and services across three axes: learning, training and employability which includes literacy, numeracy, digital skills and a bridgingeducation programme for young people; wellbeing, connection and community via our vibrant community programmes; and information, advice and guidance delivered by our expert casework team. These activities are supported by volunteers and delivered in partnership with local and national stakeholders.

Achievements and performance

Strategic focus in 2024/25

Four ‑ day week pilot

‑ CARAS reviewed its employment practices and piloted a four day week through a national pilot coordinated by the Four Day Week Foundation. The initial trial ran from January to June 2025. Staff reported significant wellbeing benefits, while the organisation tracked service delivery and outcomes to ensure standards were maintained. In June 2025, Trustees voted to extend the pilot to a full 12 months to ensure annual targets were met. CARAS achieved all targets against the prior year baseline and delivered its strongest outcomes to date.

We are proud to be an organization that prioritises wellbeing for all without compromising on quality.

Outcomes summary

Overview of methodology

‑ Outcomes are measured using distance travelled methodology. An assessment framework is provided via Microsoft Forms, translated into key community languages and supported by images to aid comprehension. Where community members have low literacy, staff contact individuals by phone to ensure accessibility. This information is supplemented by case studies, workshop evaluations, attendance and referral records, and demographic information.

Response rates

We invite all community members who have attended five or more sessions over the past year to reply to the outcomes survey. The increase in eligible community members is noteworthy, indicating more people are staying engaged with CARAS for longer. In total, 533 unique individuals accessed support from CARAS over the year. 280 people had sustained engagement of 5 sessions or more.

Results – outcomes across the organisation

The policy environment and media landscape have continued to worsen.

Despite this, results show this is CARAS’s most impactful year to date with rises in positive change across all measures. This reflects the work of our staff and volunteers to welcome each individual, celebrate people for who they are, and support their specific needs and goals. It is ‑ also notable that this was the first year of the four day week pilot, with staff reducing hours by 20%, without evidence of reduced impact.

Impact in action

These short stories illustrate what sits behind the outcomes data. Quotes were given by CARAS community members at a range of our activities.

and support they need, and feel empowered to take action for themselves. “I have made 3 or 4 friends at CARAS from different countries. I can talk with them sometimes about personal things. Connecting with each other is really good. I feel more power, not only from friends, but also from CARAS staff and volunteers. For example if I get a problem I can imagine that they will absolutely help me, heart and soul. I love to think I have CARAS.”

Outcomes for adult community members

97 adult community members responded to the outcomes survey. Positive outcomes improved compared to 2024 across seven outcome areas. There was a slight decrease in outcomes relating to confidence in English and ability to speak English, and in feeling that opinions are important and being able to help others. Our ESOL outcomes may reflect changing demographics: we supported more people than in previous years who did not require English language support.

We are particularly proud of increased impacts shown in having friends, enjoyment of life and feeling good about the future, indicating improved wellbeing in a period where people may be waiting for asylum determinations in poor conditions.

Disaggregation also showed a greater number of individuals reporting significantly improved outcomes (‘a lot more’) across ten outcome areas.

Key insights from this year’s outcomes data

Engagement with CARAS is deepening: 280 people were eligible to complete the outcomes survey and 161 responded (around 57% of eligible people). This matters because outcomes are measured for people who stay engaged (five or more sessions), so an increase in eligibility is a proxy for sustained participation rather than one‑off contact. We choose 5 or more sessions so that we can see meaningful, sustained change. One-off interventions are measured via e.g. casework outcomes.

Adults — what changed and what it suggests

Young people — what changed and what it suggests

Outcomes for young community members

64 young people responded to the outcomes survey. Results are broadly consistent with 2024. Notable increases were reported in having friends, being in education, employment or training, ability to speak English, and feeling that their opinions are important. A key driver was increased delivery time in ‘Get Ready for School’, providing three days of educational support for young people awaiting a mainstream school or college place. These results show the impact of time to develop English, numeracy, literacy and digital skills that support success at school.

Resources and volunteers

All of our programmes are supported by volunteers. Each year, approximately 60 volunteers freely give their time to CARAS activities. Collectively, they boost our capacity to provide one‑to‑one support in ESOL classes; support the delivery of essential basic information; free up casework staff to work on complex matters; offer creative arts and sports sessions; and fundraise and advocate for our cause. We are proud to hold an Investors in Volunteers award

and are extremely grateful to all of our volunteers for building a strong and visible welcome for newly arrived people.

Financial review

Total income for the period was £872,276 (2024: £876,961 ) and total expenditure was £795,774 (2024: £704,832), resulting in a net surplus of £76,502. At the period end, total funds carried forward were £516,136, comprising unrestricted funds of £386,918 and restricted funds of £129,219.

Significant events affecting financial performance

Compared to previous year CARAS income was reduced only by 1% and the expenditure was increased by 13%. The main reason for the increase in expenditure was staff salary annual increase by 3% and increase in other charitable activities through Learning, Youth, Casework, Adult and Volunteer programmes. The charitable activities expenditure was 91% of total expenditure and fundraising being only 9%.

Principal sources of funding during the year and as in previous periods were grants and donations, which amounted to £844,485 and made 97% of our total income. The other 3% were trading and investment income.

Fundraising

CARAS carries out fundraising activities through the use of a small in-house fundraising team. During this period, there was one junior fundraiser with support and leadership from the CEO and our Head of Operations. All monitoring and evaluation is carried out internally, led by our senior leadership team.

Principal funding sources

The charity’s principal funding sources in the period included Wandsworth Council, Croydon Council, and the Mayor’s Fund; multi-year grants are from the National Lottery Reaching Communities fund, Henry Smith Charity, Children in Need, The Mercers Company, Go! London, The Justice Together Initiative, Swire Charitable Trust, Berkeley Foundation, Jack Petchey, Adobe, Garfield Weston, Mrs Smith and Mount Trust, 29[th] May 1961 Foundation, and the Wimbledon Foundation ACTS 435. Single year funds are from London Freemasons, and the Newby Trust.

Unrestricted funds come from training and placements, individual giving and corporate donations. These resources supported CARAS’s core objectives across education and training, advice and guidance, and community building and wellbeing.

Reserves policy

The Trustees maintain a reserves policy that aims to hold free reserves equivalent to four months of running costs circa £270,000. Free reserves are defined as unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets. At 31 August 2025, free reserves were £391,918, representing approximately 5.7 months of expenditure.

Some of this surplus has been designated as a planned spend for the next financial year, bridging gaps in funds from trusts and foundation, bringing reserves down to our policy level.

Trustees recently amended our Reserves Policy to allow for a range of between 4 and 6 months expenditure to be held in reserve. This decision was made to give greater flexibility, primarily allowing us to have a period of growth in alignment with our newly launched three year strategy.

Going concern

The Trustees have considered the charity’s financial forecasts and cash flow projections and believe that CARAS is well placed to manage its financial risks. The Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and therefore the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis.

Investments

‑ CARAS’s investment policy is to place surplus cash in low risk deposits to protect capital and maintain liquidity, unless and until Trustees agree an alternative approach. The charity held no material investments at the period end.

Principal risks and uncertainties

During the period, the charity strengthened its risk management approach, including reviewing key risks and agreeing risk appetite levels. The principal risks include: volatility in grant funding and the sustainability of core costs; the impact of changes in asylum accommodation and policy on demand for services; safeguarding risks arising from an uncertain and hardening policy ‑ environment; staffing capacity and wellbeing in a high pressure sector; and operational and compliance risks associated with advice provision. Risks are monitored through a risk register reviewed by Trustees and senior management, with mitigations including diversified income generation, strong safeguarding and clinical supervision arrangements, scenario planning and cashflow monitoring, and investment in staff wellbeing and retention.

Structure, governance and management

Governing document and legal status

CARAS is constituted as a charity and a registered company and is governed by its memorandum and articles of association dated 2008.

Trustee recruitment and appointment

Trustees are appointed in accordance with the governing document. New Trustees are recruited ‑ through a skills based process to ensure the Board maintains an appropriate balance of expertise and lived experience relevant to the charity’s purposes. Induction includes an overview of the charity’s work, governance responsibilities, safeguarding and key policies, and opportunities for ongoing training.

Organisational structure and decision making

The Board of Trustees meets quarterly and is responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of CARAS, including approving strategy, budget, key policies and risk appetite. Day‑to‑day management is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, supported by the senior leadership team. The Board operates through the Finance Committee, Risk Working Group, and task and finish groups as needed, each with terms of reference and delegated authority.

Remuneration policy for key management personnel

Pay for the Chief Executive and all staff is set by Trustees and is informed by the charity’s pay policy, affordability, and benchmarking against comparable organisations. The charity aims to ‑ recruit and retain high quality staff while ensuring appropriate stewardship of funds.

Plans for future periods

‑ During 2025/26, CARAS will implement its new three year Strategic Plan, building on the learning from the previous strategy. Priorities are:

1. Deepen and Strengthen Our Core Offer

We will strengthen, deepen and expand our holistic support for refugees and people seeking asylum with a focus on delivering excellence— ensuring every person we work with is met with dignity, agency and care.

2: Build a Voice for Change, launching our Policy and Campaigns Unit.

Working with our community members, we will identify the changes we want to see in the world, speaking out together to achieve policy reform in the areas that matter most.

3: Fit for the Future

We will invest in the people, place, policies and practices that make CARAS resilient, inclusive and sustainable, building an organisation that reflects our values, supports our team, and stands ready to meet the future.

4: Shift the Narrative, communications, storytelling and supporter engagement.

We will invest in ethical storytelling that reaches thousands more people and inspires them to support our work through targeted actions.

5: Sustain and Grow, funding, partnerships and organisational resilience.

We will deliver continued, moderate growth across our funding portfolio, increasing unrestricted income whilst securing new major multiyear grants to stabilise our programme and operational delivery.

‑ ‑ We will also be completing the full year evaluation of the four day week pilot to inform a long‑term decision.

Trustees

The Trustees serving during the period and at the date of approval were:

Senior management

Chief Executive Officer: Eleanor Brown.

Key management personnel: James Nicholas Charnock – Head of Development and Impact (left Dec 2025; Ryan Boyce – Head of Development and Impact (started Jan 26).

Professional advisers and bankers

Independent examiner: Crowe U.K. LLP, Helen Blundell.

Address: Crowe U.K. LLP, Black Country House, Rounds Green Road, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2DG, UK

Bankers: CAF Bank.

Address: 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ

Funds held as custodian trustee on behalf of others

The charity did not hold funds as custodian trustee on behalf of others during the period.

Declaration

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees:

The trustees 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). Charity 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 charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. 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 charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with Charity law. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees declare that they have followed the steps above and approve the Trustees’ Report.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees

Name: Helen Gribble Date: 5th May 2026.

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 August 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors 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 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

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

  4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

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.

Helen Blundell LLB FCA FCIE DChA

Crowe UK LLP Black Country House Rounds Green Road Oldbury B69 2BG Date: ....6 May 2026.........................................

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Statement of financial activities

For the year ended 31 August 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
Note £ £ £ £ £ £
Income from:
Donations and legacies 2 187,029 17,561 204,590 151,359 29,990 181,349
Charitable activities 3 78,153 561,741 639,894 11,900 663,487 675,387
Other trading income 11,530 0 11,530 11,440 0 11,440
Investment income 16,222 0 16,222 8,153 0 8,153
Other Income 39 0 39 632 0 632
Total income 292,973 579,303 872,276 183,484 693,477 876,961
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 4 32,747 35,946 68,694 64,190 0 64,190
Charitable activities 4 103,470 623,611 727,080 62,371 578,270 640,641
Total expenditure 136,217 659,557 795,774 126,561 578,270 704,831
Net income for the year 156,756 (80,254) 76,502 56,923 115,207 172,130
Transfers between funds (94,266) 94,266 0 0 0 0
Net income / (expenditure)
before other recognised 62,490 14,011 76,502 56,923 115,207 172,130
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward 324,427 115,207 439,635 267,505 0 267,505
Total funds carried forward 386,918 129,219 516,136 324,427 115,207 439,635
----- End of picture text -----

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. The annexed notes form part of these financial statements.

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Balance sheet For the year ended 31 August 2025

Note
Current assets:
12
Liabilities:
13
14
Debtors
Funds
Total funds
Unrestricted funds:
Restricted funds
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net current assets
Total net assets		 2025
£
70,761
471,220
541,981
(25,845)		 2025
£
516,136
516,136
129,218
386,918
516,136		 2024
£
21,922
475,889
497,811
(58,176)		 2024
£
439,635
439,635
115,207
324,428
439,635

For the year ended 31 August 2025 the Company was entitled to exemption under section 477of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Directors' responsibilities:

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 (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP FRS102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

They were approved, and authorised for issue,by the Board of Trustees on……5th May 2026…………….. and signed on their behalf by:

Name

Helen Gribble Chair

Company registration no. 06462487

The annexed notes form part of these financial statements.

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 August 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
Note 2025 2025 2024 2024
£ £ £ £
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income / (expenditure) for the year 76,502 172,130
Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities
(Increase)/ decrease in stocks 0 0
(Increase)/ decrease in debtors (48,839) 42,944
(Increase)/ decrease in creditors (32,331) (40,383)
Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities (81,171) 2,561
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year (4,669) 174,691
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 475,889 301,198
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 14 471,220 475,889
----- End of picture text -----

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 August 2025

1 Accounting policies

a) Basis of preparation of financial statements

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost accounting rules, and 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.

The financial statements are presented in sterling and rounded to the nearest £ which may result in some rounding differences.

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. Key judgements that the charitable company has made which have a significant effect on the accounts include estimating income and expenditure for the next 12 months.

d) Income

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

f) Company status Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers is a company limited by guarantee. In the event of the Charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the Charity.

g) Fund accounting

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.

h) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

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

i) Allocation of support costs Resources expended are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity. Staff costs are stated on the basis of staff time. Support costs which cannot be directly attributed to charitable activities are allocated in proportion to staff costs

Where information about the aims, objectives and projects of the charity is also provided to potential donors, activity costs are apportioned between fundraising and charitable activities on the basis of the area of literature occupied by each activity.

j) Operating leases

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

k) Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets (excluding investments) are stated at cost less depreciation. The cost of minor additions or those costing less than £500 are not capitalised. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life. For equipment, this is 25% Straight Line Basis.

Page | 15

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 August 2025

1 Accounting policies (continued)

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. Cash balances exclude any funds held on behalf of service users.

n) Creditors

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

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 operates a defined contributions pension scheme, which is a Group Stakeholder Pension Scheme. All employees are auto-enrolled in this scheme but have the option to opt-out. The charity contributes 7% of gross pay to the pension of all staff. The contributions made during the year are treated as an expense and were £30,063 (2024 - £28,305).

Page | 16

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 August 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2 DONATIONS
Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds
2025 2025 2025
£ £ £
Donations 117,958 17,561 135,520
Gift aid 69,070 0 69,070
187,029 17,561 204,590
3 GRANT INCOME
29th May 1961 Foundation 5,000 5,000
ACTS 435 1,900 1,900
Adobe 15,183 15,183
Berkeley Foundation 59,892 59,892
Blue Thread 15,000 15,000
Croydon Council - Children Fund 15,000 15,000
Croydon Council - Asylum Seeker Fund 14,374 14,374
Jack Petchey 2,800 2,800
Active Wandsworth 988 988
The Justice Together Initiative 25,000 25,000
Coram CLC 6,461 6,461
Children in Need 49,649 49,649
Field Family Charitable Trust 5,000 5,000
Garfield Weston 20,000 20,000
Go! London 49,369 49,369
Health Inequality Fund 30,000 30,000
Henry Smith 40,000 40,000
London Freemasons 9,928 9,928
Mayor Fund 4,050 4,050
The Mercers Company 45,000 45,000
National Lottery Community Fund 111,657 111,657
Newby Trust 10,000 10,000
Separated Child Foundation 195 195
Swire Charitable Trust 30,000 30,000
Wandsworth Borough of Sanctuary 9,892 9,892
Wandsworth Care Alliance -
Wandsworth Community Fund 9,986 9,986
Wimbledon Foundation 30,600 30,600
The Mrs Smith and Mount Trust 20,000 20,000
Other Small Grant 2,970 2,970
78,153 561,741 639,894
2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds
2024 2024 2024
£ £ £
Donations 147,919 29,442 177,361
Gift aid 3,440 548 3,988
Grants 11,900 663,487 675,387
Total income 163,259 693,477 856,736
----- End of picture text -----

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 August 2025

4 ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE

Youth Provision
Adult Provision
Learning
Casework
Volunteer Management
Core
Fundraising Costs
Support and Governance costs		 £
100,800
57,460
101,281
117,171
16,212
108,723
501,648
48,451
102,844
652,944
Staff costs		 £
21,831
26,544
25,696
31,203
1,462
15,228
121,962
7,663
13,205
142,830
Direct costs		 £
27,254
12,229
28,346
31,447
4,193
0
103,470
12,579
(116,048)
0
Support and
Governance
costs		 £
149,885
96,234
155,323
179,821
21,867
123,951
727,080
68,694
-
795,774
Total 2025

Costs have been reanalysed to be more in line with activities pf the charity.

It was decided that the costs sit better under the core project type and this will continue moving forward. Total restricted expenditure is £659,557and unrestricted expenditure is £136,217

Analysis of Expenditure 2024

Youth Provision
Adult Provision
Learning
Casework
Volunteer Management
Fundraising Costs
Support and Governance costs
5
NET INCOME / EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR
This is stated after charging / crediting:
Independent examiner fees		 £
91,204
77,889
81,797
104,744
13,165
368,799
42,197
156,955
567,951
Staff costs		 £
12,872
32,591
18,340
19,473
102
83,378
429
53,073
136,880
Direct costs		 £
46,607
39,803
41,800
53,526
6,728
188,464
21,564
(210,028)
0
2025
£
2,995
Support and
Governance
costs		 £
150,683
150,283
141,937
177,743
19,995
640,641
64,190
704,831
2024
£
1,800
Total 2024

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 August 2025

6 STAFF COSTS AND NUMBERS

Salary costs
Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Pension		 2025
£
511,979
110,902
30,063
652,944		 2024
£
496,908
42,738
28,305
567,951

The average number of employees (head count based on number of staff employed) during the year was 20 (2024 - 16)

Total employee benefits, including pension contributions, of the key management personnel were £116,861 (2024 - 92,733)

No member of staff received emoluments of more than £60,000 in this year including benefits (2024: the same).

7 TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND EXPENSES

The charity trustees were not paid or received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2024: £nil) neither were they reimbursed expenses during the year (2024: £nil). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2024: £nil).

8 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Other than trustees' expenses above, there are no reportable related party transactions to disclose for 2025 (2024 - none).

9 TAXATION

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

10 SUPPORT AND GOVERNANCE COSTS

Other Governance
Insurance
Independent Examination
Office Costs
Professional Fees
Project Costs
Rent and Rates
Utilities
Staff Wellbeing
Support Staff Costs		 Total
Funds
2025
£
793
5,019
2,995
655
1,254
0
1,505
466
517
102,844
116,048		 Total
Funds
2024
£
726
3,632
1,800
22,907
2,847
653
17,775
1,421
1,312
156,955
210,028

Support and governance costs compromise only the unfunded core costs.

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 August 2025

11 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

12
13		 Cost
At 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025
Depreciation
At 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025
Charge for the year
At 31 August 2025
Net book value
At 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025
Debtors
Due within one year
Trade debtors (grants receivable)
Accrued income
Other debtors
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors
Deferred grant income
Social security and other taxes
Pensions payable
Accruals
Deferred income
Beginning balance
Amount released to income resources
Amount deferred in the year
Balance at 31 August		 2025
£
0
69,666
1,095
70,761
2025
£
4,166
0
14,688
3,996
2,995
25,845
29,892
(29,892)
0		 Office
equipment
£
7,491
7,491
0
7,491
Nil
2024
£
6,901
13,835
1,186
21,922
2024
£
6,309
29,892
15,362
4,110
2,503
58,176
80,791
(80,791)
29,892
29,892

14 STATEMENT OF FUNDS

RESTRICTED FUNDS
Youth Provision
Adult Provision
Learning
Casework
Volunteer
Fundraising
Core
SUMMARY OF FUNDS
General Funds
Restricted Funds		 Brought
Forward
£
32,226
15,911
16,566
25,034
0
0
25,470
115,207
324,428
115,207
439,634		 Incoming
Resources
£
102,894
56,275
100,392
134,680
10,033
59,892
115,137
579,303
292,973
579,303
872,276		 Resources
Expended
£
(122,631)
(84,004)
(126,977)
(148,374)
(17,674)
(35,946)
(123,951)
(659,557)
(136,217)
(795,774)
(659,557)		 Transfers
and
Investment
gains
(losses)
£
42,692
11,818
32,087
0
7,642
0
27
94,266
(94,266)
94,266
0		 Carried
Forward
£
55,181
-
22,068
11,340
-
23,946
16,683
129,218
386,918
129,218
516,136

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers)

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 August 2025

Statements of funds 2024

RESTRICTED FUNDS
Youth Provision
Adult Provision
Learning
Casework
Volunteer
Core
SUMMARY OF FUNDS
General Funds
Restricted Funds		 Brought
Forward
£
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
267,505
0
267,505		 Incoming
Resources
£
156,665
96,641
113,363
110,390
13,165
203,253
693,477
183,484
693,477
876,961		 Resources
Expended
£
(124,439)
(80,730)
(96,797)
(85,356)
(13,165)
(177,783)
(578,270)
(126,561)
(578,270)
(704,831)		 Transfers
and
Investment
gains
(losses)
£
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0		 Carried
Forward
£
32,226
15,911
16,566
25,034
-
25,470
115,207
324,428
115,207
439,635

Transfer between funds

Due to lack of funding for some charitable activities that are considered crucial for the programmes, we continued running those activities using our reserves (unrestricted funds) and that is why there are transfer into programmes from our general fund.

Description of funds

Youth Provision

Service for young refugees and asylum seekers, mostly those who arrived in UK as unaccompanied children. Social activities, student support, trips, residentials, and sports.

Adult Provision

Service for adults and their families focusing on social activities, physical and mental health sessions, trips and outdoor activities such as gardening.

Learning

Support with educational needs of all beneficiaries, especially through English language classes.

Casework

One-to-one support for those with specific bureaucratic, legal or personal issue.

Volunteer Coordination

Recruitment, training, safeguarding and retention of the volunteers who support delivery of our projects.

Core

This fund tracks donor funds that are restricted for core costs rather than project costs.

CARAS (Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 August 2025

15 Analysis of net assets between funds (current year)

Unrestricted
Restricted
£
£
Investments
0
0
Current Assets
399,233
142,748
Current Liabilities
(12,315)
(13,530)
Net assets at the end of the year
386,918
129,218
Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year)
Unrestricted
Restricted
£
£
Investments
0
0
Current Assets
334,313
163,498
Current Liabilities
(9,885)
(48,292)
Net assets at the end of the year
324,428
115,207
16
Reconciliation of net income / (expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities
2025
£
Net income / (expenditure) for the reporting period
76,502
(Loss)/ profit on the sale of fixed assets
0
(Increase)/ decrease in stock
0
(Increase)/ decrease in debtors
(48,839)
Increase/ (decrease) in creditors
(32,331)
Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities
(4,669)
17
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
Cash at bank and in hand
475,889
(4,669)
0
Total cash and cash equivalents
475,889
(4,669)
0
Other
changes
At 1
September
2024
Cash flows		 Total
£
0
541,981
(25,845)
516,136
Total
£
0
497,811
(58,176)
439,635
2024
£
172,130
0
0
42,944
(40,383)
174,690
471,220
471,220
At 31
August
2025

18 Operating lease commitments

The charity has a standing lease agreement where a month notice is required by either party in the event of termination. This commitment, in event of early termination by the charity, would attract a month rent charge of £1,356.

19 OTHER COMPANY INFORMATION

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England with registration number 06462487. Its registered office address is Unit B211, Tooting Works, 89 Bickersteth Road, London, SW17 9SH. The accounts are presented in GBP rounded to £1.