REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 06879651 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1132509 (England and Wales)
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
Auditors
Brewers Chartered Accountants Unit 3, Birtley Courtyard Bramley Surrey GU5 0LA
Refugee Education UK is a charity registered in England & Wales under charity number 1132509 and company number 06879651 at International House, 101 King’s Cross Road, London WC1X 9LP
Refugee Education UK
Contents of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Report of the trustees | 3 |
|---|---|
| Statement of trustees’ responsibilities | 18 |
| Report of the independent auditors | 19 |
| Statement of fnancial activities | 23 |
| Balance sheet | 25 |
| Cash fow statement | 26 |
| Notes to the cash fow statement | 27 |
| Notes to the fnancial statements | 29 |
| Detailed statement of fnancial activities | 44 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
2
Refugee Education UK
Report of the trustees
The trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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).
Aims and objectives
The Charity’s Objects, as set out in the Governing Document and which are carried out in the context of the Charity’s Christian foundation and history, are as follows:
-
To promote the benefit of refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced peoples, those affected by conflict or any other vulnerable persons in the United Kingdom or abroad by:
-
a. The advancement of education by way of an educational mentoring scheme and other educational services;
-
b. The relief of poverty, sickness and distress through the provision of holistic support and the dissemination and provision of advice and support on issues that directly affect the beneficiary group.
-
For any such other purposes deemed charitable by the law of England and Wales as the trustees shall from time to time see fit.
In all activities undertaken, the board of trustees has had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Public benefit
The charity acknowledges its requirement to demonstrate clearly that it must have charitable purposes or 'aims' that are for the public benefit. Details of how the charity has achieved this are provided in the trustees’ report. The trustees confirm that they have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit before deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
3
Refugee Education UK
About Refugee Education UK
At Refugee Education UK (REUK) we are working towards a world where all refugee and asylum-seeking children and young people can access education, thrive in education, and use that education to create a hopeful, brighter future.
War and dangerous journeys to safety force children and young people out of education. In host countries like the UK they then face long waits, barriers to admission, and poorer outcomes - making it almost impossible for them to build better futures and become fully involved in society.
We don’t think this should be the case, and our aim is that, as a result of our work:
-
Education Access: young refugees will be better able to access education, from primary school to university;
-
Education Thriving: young refugees will achieve better academic and psychosocial outcomes;
-
Education Change: education systems will be environments where young refugees are welcomed and enabled to thrive.
“This past year has not been without its challenges. We’ve had to devote significant time and effort to safeguarding in the light of Far Right protests, targeted threats and online abuse against refugee organisations, all of which have had significant negative impacts on the safety and mental health of young refugees and our wider team. And this has taken place in a precarious and disheartening financial climate, with funders consistently telling us that they are experiencing unprecedented demand on their finite resources.
“Positively, however, in both these areas, we see glimmers of hope where, for example, reduced grant income has led to individual supporters stepping up to make our work possible, and negative public discourse has led to others proactively taking steps to welcome refugees, including by participating in our training and volunteering opportunities.
“In reflecting on the past year and writing this report on our work and impact, I have been struck by the fact that in darker times the light shines brighter.
“In spite of the challenges, we’ve seen the resilience and optimism of young refugees as they have overcome barriers to accessing and thriving in education, and been at the forefront of trying to bring about positive systems change for others. I hope you are encouraged to read our report on the past year and that you are reminded once again, as I have been, that by promoting and supporting education for refugee children and young people, we send a clear message of hope: that there is a future worth investing in and preparing for.”
Mark Harland, Interim Chair of Trustees
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
4
Refugee Education UK
2024-25: our work and impact
In March 2024, we launched a new strategy which streamlined our existing frontline education services into two new pillars - Education Access and Education Thriving . Our research and training were brought into a new third pillar - Education Change - which has also introduced more proactive policy and influencing work, and centres young people with lived experience in its development, delivery and leadership .
This report is just a small snapshot of our work and its impact in 2024-25. For more details, stories, and to find out how to get involved with REUK, please visit reuk.org and get in touch.
Pillar 1: Education Access
Refugee children and young people wait up to a year to restart their education after arriving in the UK. This year, our Education Access work has enabled over 2,000 young refugees to better understand and navigate the UK education system, over 300 to enrol in education in the UK, and over 1,100 education practitioners and institutions to take actions to welcome refugee children
Education Advice Service
This is the only national service for young asylum seekers and refugees seeking expert advice about accessing and progressing in education in the UK. This year we responded to 1,195 enquiries from young people, 111 from their parents/caregivers, and 156 from other practitioners.
This young refugee explains how accurate and timely advice unlocks the door to education :
“My education dreams and career have been nightmares until I heard about this organisation that rekindled my hopes again and made me feel more inspired and motivated. REUK gives the opportunity to most refugees and asylum seekers to have a chance at meaningful life and happiness. Especially with the very professional, sensitive and patient advice line; the sky's the limit for young people who are lovers of knowledge and sound education.”
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
5
Refugee Education UK
Access to Schools Project
This year our Education Welcome Project (established in response to large and rapid resettlement programmes in 2020) started transitioning into an Access to Schools Project, supporting newly-arrived refugee children who can wait up to a year for a school place. Highlights include:
-
delivering 24 workshops about getting into school, which increased the knowledge and confidence of 840 refugee children and 551 parents;
-
enabling 41 children to enrol in school through 1:1 advocacy in complex appeals processes.
Access to Schools: an illustration of impact
“Unfortunately we had no understanding of how to support our children as the education systems in the UK and Ukraine are completely different. We were under so much stress as we waited for school places. Our eldest was supposed to begin her final year at school and we knew this was important but had no idea how to help her. We felt completely lost and didn’t know where to seek support.
“We met the REUK team at a parents’ event and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly they took us in to advise and support our children. They arranged for the children to start tutoring while they were waiting for a school place. They supported us during all the applications and appeals process. We also received a lot of information and advice about GCSE exams. We are still going through this process but we are incredibly grateful that we are not alone on this journey and that we have Natali [REUK’s Ukrainian-speaking Access to Schools Project Officer]’s support.”
Newly-arrived refugee parents from Ukraine
Access to Further Education (FE) Project
Our Access to FE team in London and the West Midlands enables young people to understand their options and entitlements, and to navigate and overcome the many complex barriers to getting into college . This year’s highlights include:
-
providing 1:1 sessions and ongoing support to 185 young people, equipping them with bespoke education plans;
-
delivering engaging and interactive workshops to 300 young people, increasing their knowledge and confidence to understand and access the UK education system;
-
providing 50 advice sessions through our in-person education advice drop-in clinic , launched in our new building in September 2024;
-
supporting 16 individuals through a specialist stream of casework to support young people aiming to progress to medical-related courses at university, of whom
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
6
Refugee Education UK
eight have already received offers to study a healthcare related course, including five offers for medicine or dentistry.
Access to Further Education: an illustration of impact
Enrolment can be a particularly challenging time for young refugees and asylum seekers who are regularly turned away by colleges, and wrongly deemed ineligible for funded courses based on complex guidance related to age, immigration status and previous levels of study.
This year, in addition to providing vital in-person advocacy and support which enabled 146 young people to successfully enrol in college, including some who had been turned away several times, our Further Education and Research teams documented the barriers to enrolment and produced a report, Make or Break: learnings from FE enrolment .
Published in January 2025, this report is a valuable contribution to a very small evidence base, and contains practical guidance for colleges on how to improve their processes and equip their staff to welcome and enrol refugee learners. It was disseminated to over 800 educational professionals, followed up by an in-depth interactive peer learning session on the topic for members of our Education Professionals Network, and this year we are continuing to share our learning more widely at both policy and practice levels with a view to reducing the barriers to college enrolment later this year.
Access to Higher Education (HE) Project
Just 7% of refugees worldwide make it to university. This year’s project hIghlights include:
-
continuing to partner with the Schwab & Westheimer Trust in the delivery and development of their suite of university scholarships for asylum seekers; processing over 200 applications and working closely with 16 scholarship recipients through a range of pastoral and practical challenges;
-
working with key partner organisations to launch the second phase of the Displaced Students’ Opportunities Portal, which now includes searching, filtering and translation capabilities as well as a resource library for providers. In the past year this website has had 99,000 unique views and was shortlisted for the Ockenden Prize;
-
celebrating with 29 young people from across the programme who started at university this academic year .
Access to Higher Education Project highlight: education as a safe and legal route to the UK
This year we launched our Displaced Students Initiative, an international pilot project designed to offer refugee students in long term displacement contexts - such as
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
7
Refugee Education UK
refugee camps or neighbouring countries to those in conflict - the opportunity to pursue undergraduate education at a British university.
Working in partnership with the University of Exeter and Elimisha, an NGO in Kenya, we have facilitated the process of enabling the project’s first participant - a South Sudanese student who has grown up in a large refugee camp and had no access to university - to take up an undergraduate scholarship in psychology.
“It has been a privilege to partner with REUK on the Displaced Students’ Initiative scholarship programme over the past two years, and to witness our first Elimisha Kakuma student thrive at the University of Exeter. The pathways to higher education that REUK is creating for students in Kakuma Refugee Camp remain a powerful source of hope - for the students themselves, their families and the wider Kakuma Community.” - Anika Brennan, Elimisha Programme Manager
We have also been working with the Universities of Exeter, Edinburgh and Winchester to enable five more students to take up similar opportunities in autumn 2025, and are continuing to work with other relevant stakeholders towards the establishment of an education-based safe and legal route to the UK.
Pillar 2: Education Thriving
Getting through the door of a school, college or university is just the first step : once there, years of lost learning, language barriers and mental health challenges make it hard for young refugees to flourish and reach their potential. This year our Education Thriving work has improved academic outcomes for 299 children and young people, and boosted social and emotional wellbeing for 237.
Early Skills Project
38 newly arrived refugee children attended REUK’s intensive four week Education Orientation Programme . All programme participants improved their English and understanding of the UK while waiting for school places, and then successfully transitioned to mainstream education.
Academic Learning Project: educational mentoring and study groups
209 young refugees participated in weekly 1:1 educational mentoring with a trained community volunteer, and 76 participated in English, Maths and other GCSE study groups and conversation classes . As a result,
-
78% improved their English language and numeracy skills;
-
77% met key academic goals;
-
100% benefitted from the supportive 1:1 relationship with a trusted adult.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
8
Refugee Education UK
“Over the past three years, I’ve witnessed the remarkable progress of young people, from their growing confidence in speaking English, to their increasing smiles and eagerness to share their stories. These moments inspire me and reinforce my passion for supporting newcomers. As a migrant myself, I hope my presence in class shows them they're not alone in navigating language barriers and cultural differences. I’ve learned to be more relaxed, embrace mistakes, and share openly. Thank you to my colleagues, fellow volunteers, and the young people for enriching my world through communication and education.”
- Conversation class volunteer
“I've been meeting regularly with my young person for a year now and during our time together he's had major life changes including transitioning from children's care to independent living. It's been really impressive to watch his level of English and his confidence develop across this period.”
- Volunteer educational mentor
Educational Wellbeing Project
143 refugee children and young people received 1:1 and group-based wellbeing, aspiration-raising, and social and emotional learning (SEL) support to address complex, education-impacting challenges including homelessness, the impact of trauma, and poor mental health. As a result:
-
87% better understand and manage their own social and emotional wellbeing;
-
89% reported improved social and emotional wellbeing.
Project highlight: “Against the odds”
This year we were approached by over 20 schools, colleges and local authorities to support refugee teenage boys who, for complex and intersecting reasons including trauma, cultural barriers, and a lack of positive role models, are disengaging from education, struggling with behavioural and integration challenges, and at risk of school exclusion.
We responded to this need by piloting a project, combining group work and 1:1 sessions, for 79 children, led by a member of our team with lived experience of forced
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
9
Refugee Education UK
migration who drew on and shared his own experiences and educational journey, and sought to enable participants to see and draw on their own skills.
One head teacher told us: “I have seen positive change I had previously thought impossible with every single child referred to this pilot - and against the odds they are all still in education and making positive choices”.
Pillar 3: Education Change
Young people are at the heart of this new pillar of work which seeks to bring about systems change at both practice and policy levels . The developments highlighted below reflect growing political recognition of our youth advocacy group’s work, and mark important progress in shaping national conversations and policy responses to the needs of refugee learners.
Practice level change
Over the past year, REUK’s 15 youth advocates have contributed directly to improving educational practice for other refugee children. Drawing on their own lived experience of both forced migration and the UK education system, they supported the development and delivery of training and resources for education professionals across the UK (including in person or live-facilitated online sessions on Supporting Refugee Children in Schools, Access to FE and Access to HE; an eight module asynchronous self-study online programme for educators in partnership with the University of Nottingham, and numerous bespoke in-person and online sessions for particular institutions), and by participating in our new thought leadership “Lighthouse Lates” events.
Through our training sessions and new Education Professionals Network (launched half-way through the year in September 2024), 752 education practitioners reported increased knowledge of the challenges faced by refugee and asylum-seeking students, as well as practical solutions. Of these, at the point of follow up, 723 education
professionals reported taking specific actions in their schools and colleges to better welcome and support refugee learners - from adapting admissions and induction processes, to rolling out trauma-informed training, to adapting learning materials, to creating buddy schemes, to creating more inclusive classroom environments.
Policy level change
Over the past year, REUK’s youth advocates have led efforts to influence education policy for refugee and asylum-seeking young people, focusing particularly on access to school and college for those arriving ‘late’ in the system - at Key Stage 4 in secondary school or 16-19 provision. Supported by REUK staff, they co-developed research and advocacy strategies , worked as peer researchers and engaged with decision-makers, through meetings and webinars - all grounded in lived experience. All 15 developed research and evidence-building skills through training provided by REUK (we have developed a 4-module research skills for refugee peer researchers programme, accredited by a US university).
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
10
Refugee Education UK
In turn, they enabled 85 additional young refugees to contribute to this work, 24 of whom also developed evidence building skills through participating in research steering groups and setting advocacy priorities.
We have also seen the following outcomes as a result of this work this year:
-
civil servants at the Department of Education were sent our research, and proactively contacted us to meet and ensure that the experiences of young refugees were considered as part of the Curriculum and Assessment Review ;
-
following the publication of our late arrivals research - which included a youth feature in the Guardian - the Education Policy Institute produced a technical briefing in collaboration with REUK to further advance the specific policy recommendations . The briefing includes a foreword from the youth advocates and will form the basis of a political roundtable at the EPI offices in May;
-
as a result of the evidence and data produced by our recent work documenting the challenges young refugees face enrolling in further education , we have been asked to work with the Association of Colleges and the Colleges of Sanctuary movement to ensure colleges across the country receive clear guidance on how to improve;
-
the youth advocates also impressed a key MP on the Education Select Committee , who has agreed to sponsor a roundtable on the intersection of SEND, trauma, and English language acquisition for refugee learners in May, and to host a parliamentary evening reception in June, where the advocates will present their Vision for Refugee Education in the UK .
Project highlight: equipping young leaders with lived experience
This year, for the first time since 2021 and in response to demand from young people, we ran our 8-week values-based leadership course for young refugees.
13 young people completed the course this year, with participants describing it as ‘life changing’ and ‘the best thing I have ever done’. One explained:
“Before I was thinking that a leader is someone in front who people are following, but I never thought of a leader as someone who is helping others and making the world a better place, physically or emotionally. I also learned that to be a leader you have to know yourself, what your values are, being aware of positive and negative values. It’s important to know who you are and what you believe to be a good leader. I view leadership differently now.”
We were then commissioned by a charity working with young refugees in Leeds City College to run the leadership course for 20 students in July 2025, and are excited about exploring further opportunities to partner with other organisations and education institutions in this way.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
11
Refugee Education UK
Challenges and opportunities
The past year has been full of challenges and opportunities for REUK, and we are continually seeking to outwork our mission in line with our strategy and ethos , mitigate the many risks we face, and build strong relationships across our community. Here’s a snapshot:
People and culture
-
As our team grows and diversifies we’ve sought to embed our values - a foundation of hope, valuing the individual, changing the landscape - even more deeply, including through discussions in team meetings and improved internal communications.
-
We have launched an EDI action plan and continue to outwork our anti-racism agenda , focussing on making REUK an increasingly open and learning anti-racist environment, and increasing the diversity of our team. At the end of this year, 32% of our staff were from global majority contexts and 19% had lived experience of forced migration.
-
We have introduced two new ‘wellbeing days ’ per staff member, per year, in addition to annual leave and regular clinical supervision , as one of our ways of prioritising staff care in the face of vicarious trauma, negative public rhetoric and high workloads.
-
We have launched a new Advisory Board , a group of people who are generously sharing their strategic advice and technical expertise with REUK, and advocating for us in wider relevant communities.
Operations with heart
-
Our direct work with young people and our systems change work are enabled and empowered by the core functions - HR, finance, IT, facilities, data management and communications - that support our work. Following a season of rapid growth, we want our core functions to catch up and become a strong trellis that enables our work to grow healthily and strong.
-
This commitment is challenging in the context of most funding being restricted to frontline work. This year we have been grateful for restricted funding from a corporate partner to invest in a new CRM which is already starting to have positive impacts on our data management and impact measurement. We would love to find more partners to invest in the vital functions which make our work possible .
-
As well as the day to day running of REUK, our small operations team is the driving force behind vital conversations and decisions about how we operate well in an ever-shifting world, including developing policies and embedding responsible practices in relation to climate, environment, sustainability and our engagement with AI .
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
12
Refugee Education UK
Location and reach
-
Following a difficult and protracted purchase and refurbishment process, our new building in London, ‘The Lighthouse’, has come to life and we are enjoying seeing young people, volunteers, supporters and staff use the new space for study clubs, education drop-in sessions, events, meetings and community activities.
-
Our small teams in the West Midlands and Oxfordshire continue to deliver a range of contextualised, in person, educational services, including a contract from Oxfordshire County Council, and various local partnership projects which support the educational access and thriving of refugee children and young people in those contexts.
-
Our place-based approaches are complemented by a growing national reach , facilitated by online work which reaches those who would otherwise be unable to access relevant services, and by new emerging partnerships across all four nations.
-
We continue to strive to be rooted in local communities through face-to-face work and relationships, while also growing our reach to positively impact systems as well as individuals .
Strategy and impact
-
Our new strategy, underpinned by an organisation-wide theory of change, has brought greater clarity, structure and focus to the way that each of our activities contributes to our objectives.
-
Together we have sought to improve our monitoring and evaluation processes , grappling with the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to a new organisation-wide log frame and rolling out our CRM.
-
We are continuing to refine and develop our impact measurement in the face of multiple challenges, including the lack of national baseline data, the wide-ranging backgrounds and starting points of programme participants, and the complexity and variety of the educational interventions we provide.
Safeguarding
-
This year, we logged eleven low-level safeguarding incidents, primarily related to suicidal ideation and homelessness .
-
The riots in summer 2024 led to direct threats of harm to refugee organisations , leading us to close our building to ensure that staff and young people were protected, and put in place additional safeguarding measures.
-
Since then, we have witnessed increased anti-refugee rhetoric online , and we are aware of the negative impact of this on young people and staff, especially those with lived experience of forced migration or experiencing racism.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
13
Refugee Education UK
- In this context, we have also been grateful for the solidarity and support of the wider REUK community, and all those across the UK who have sought to make refugees welcome. We believe that we have a role to play in changing the narrative - including by showcasing the achievements of young refugees and promoting their stories - but want to do this in a way that keeps everyone safe.
Fundraising
-
Having crossed the £1.5m turnover threshold we have become ineligible for some trusts and foundations , including those with which we have had longstanding, positive relationships.
-
It is proving more challenging than anticipated to find and build relationships with new trusts and foundations and - like many other organisations in our sector - our grant application success rates have dropped in the light of increased demand for the available funds.
-
We continue to proactively seek trusts, foundations, corporates and philanthropists with an interest in supporting growth-stage organisations like REUK.
-
Our fundraising strategy has sought to keep diversifying our income , including through donations from individuals, corporates, and earned income (from research and training). It has been encouraging to build more relationships with individual supporters , including through the establishment of our Hope Collective Giving Circle and more regular in-person touch points with supporters.
Financial position
Last year, our accounts showed net expenditure of £1.17m, reflecting the major refurbishment of our new home, The Lighthouse . This was a planned investment, made possible by generous funding raised in previous years, and has transformed the space into a welcoming, accessible, and inspiring environment for young people, staff, volunteers and other community groups and building users.
This year, we are pleased to report a return to net income of £73,498 , allowing us to begin rebuilding our reserves after this period of capital investment. This marks an important step towards greater financial stability, ensuring we can continue to plan confidently for the future, and respond to the needs of young refugees with flexibility and care.
Our reserves policy is a key element of good governance, ensuring that REUK remains financially resilient and able to plan for the future with confidence. The policy requires the charity to hold at least three months of operating costs in reserves - around £357,000 over the reporting period (excluding the capital project). As at 31 March, reserves stood at approximately £500,000, or just over four months of operating costs , reflecting prudent management, and providing a strong foundation for the coming year.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
14
Refugee Education UK
Looking ahead, we are mindful of the need to ensure that our staff salaries remain fair and competitive within the sector. As the cost of living and sector benchmarks continue to rise, we want to make sure we retain and attract the committed and talented colleagues who make our work possible. In the coming year, we will be seeking support to help us meet this challenge - strengthening our ability to sustain a passionate, skilled team and continue offering life-changing support to young refugees across the UK.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
15
Refugee Education UK
Structure, governance and management
Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the company's articles. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the members of the board of trustees are appointed by the resolution of the other directors. The board of trustees represents members with experience in financial management and charity governance, and experience in the fields of refugee support, international development, and education.
Organisational structure
REUK currently has a board of trustees who meet quarterly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. At present the board of trustees has seven members from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity. The Chief Executive also attends all trustee meetings but has no voting rights.
The day-to-day responsibility for the provision of services is delegated to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring that the charity delivers the services specified and that key performance indicators are met, and also has responsibility for the day-to-day operational management and the individual supervision and development of the staff.
The Chief Executive is supported by a Senior Leadership Team comprising Chief Programmes Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Head of Culture and Ethos, Head of Education Access, and Head of Education Thriving.
The charity’s wider team includes a further 25 paid staff, though no full-time fundraising staff, and very limited operational capacity. Our work is also supported by approximately 200 volunteers.
Induction and training of new trustees
Trustees are familiar with the practical work of the charity. New trustees are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the charity and the issues with which the charity engages. They are also encouraged to attend any training courses that they feel would benefit them in their role, including courses run by REUK. Each trustee is issued with the Charity Commission's guides "the Essential Trustee" and "Charity Governance Code" along with the Memorandum and Articles and the latest financial statements. All trustees must complete internal safeguarding training as part of their induction.
Risk management
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
16
Refugee Education UK
The trustees actively review the major risks which the charity faces on a regular basis and believe that maintaining the free reserves stated, combined with the annual review of the controls over key financial systems carried out on an annual basis will provide sufficient resources in the event of adverse conditions. The trustees have also examined other operational and business risks which they face and confirm that they have established systems to mitigate the significant risks.
Reference and administrative details
Registered company: 06879651 (England and Wales) Registered charity: 1132509 (England and Wales)
Registered office
International House 101 King’s Cross Road London WC1X 9LP
Trustees
MA Harland, Interim Chair since 31 July 2024 OD Bello (appointed on 21 January 2025) DM Hollow JE Johnston, Chair (resigned on 31 July 2024) KM Martin (resigned on 31 July 2024) MS Nash, Treasurer SL Oleszczuk BJ Perriman (resigned on 16 April 2024) EA Ribeiro (appointed on 16 July 2024) HG Teka
Senior Management Team
Mrs C Gladwell, Chief Executive Ms E Bowerman, Chief Programmes Officer Mr A Moore, Chief Operating Officer Mrs K Barringer, Head of Education Access (on parental leave from March 2024) Mr A Cooper, Head of Education Thriving Mrs H Elwyn, Head of Ethos and Culture
Senior Statutory Auditor
Mr A Skilton
Auditors
Brewers Chartered Accountants Statutory Auditor Unit 3, Birtley Courtyard Bramley Surrey GU5 0LA
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
17
Refugee Education UK
Statement of trustees’ responsibilities
The trustees (who are also the directors of Refugee Education UK Ltd for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the report of the trustees 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 period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to
-
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
-
observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
-
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
-
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to 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.
In so far as the trustees are aware:
-
there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and
-
the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.
Auditors
The auditors, Brewers Chartered Accountants, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
Report of the trustees, incorporating a strategic report, approved by order of the board of trustees, as the company directors, on 8 December 2025, and signed on the board’s behalf by:
Mr M Harland, Trustee
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
18
Refugee Education UK
Report of the independent auditors
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Refugee Education UK Ltd (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
-
give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
-
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
-
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
19
Refugee Education UK
Other information
The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our Report of the Independent Auditors thereon.
Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
-
the information given in the Report of the Trustees for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
-
the Report of the Trustees has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Report of the Trustees.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
-
adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
-
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
-
certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
-
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
Responsibilities of trustees
As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
20
Refugee Education UK
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue a Report of the Independent Auditors that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.
Based on our discussions with the charity's management and the Trustees, we identified that the following laws and regulations are significant to the entity:
Those laws and regulations considered to have a direct effect on the financial statements include UK financial reporting standards and Charity Law.
Those laws and regulations for which non-compliance may be fundamental to the operating aspects of the charity and therefore may have a material effect on the financial statements include compliance with the charitable objectives, public benefit, safeguarding and health and safety legislation. These matters were discussed amongst the engagement team at the planning stage and the team remained alert to non-compliance throughout the audit.
Audit procedures undertaken in response to the potential risks relating to irregularities (which include fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations) comprised of: inquiries of management and the Trustees as to whether the entity complies with such laws and regulations; enquiries with the same concerning any actual or potential litigation or claims; inspection of relevant legal correspondence; review of Trustee meeting minutes; testing the appropriateness of journal entries; and the performance of analytical review to identify unexpected movements in account balances which may be indicative of fraud.
No instances of material non-compliance were identified. However, the likelihood of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is limited by the inherent difficulty in detecting irregularities, the effectiveness of the entity's controls and the nature, timing and extent of the audit procedures performed. Irregularities that result from fraud might be inherently more difficult to detect than irregularities from error. As explained above there is an unavoidable risk that material misstatements may not be detected, even though the audit has been planned and performed in accordance with ISAs (UK).
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
21
Refugee Education UK
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Report of the Independent Auditors.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Andrew Skilton (ACA), Senior Statutory Auditor
for and on behalf of Brewers Chartered Accountants Unit 3, Birtley Courtyard Bramley Surrey GU5 0LA
Date: 8 December 2025
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
22
Refugee Education UK
Statement of financial activities
| Notes | Unrestricted Funds £ |
Restricted Funds £ |
31 Mar 2025 Total Funds £ |
31 Mar 2024 Total Funds £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM | |||||
| Donations and legacies | 2 | 471,586 | 926,090 | 1,397,676 | 1,021,788 |
| Other trading activities | 3 | 230,918 | 400 | 231,318 | 204,184 |
| Other income | 2,791 | - | 2,791 | 18,539 | |
| Total | 705,295 | 926,490 | 1,631,785 | 1,244,511 | |
| EXPENDITURE ON | |||||
| Raising funds | 4 | 61,169 | 706 | 61,875 | 49,903 |
| Charitable activities | 5 | ||||
| Education Access | 115,867 | 322,308 | 438,175 | 239,152 | |
| Education Thriving | 62,508 | 293,812 | 356,320 | 492,959 | |
| Education Change | 129,129 | 38,217 | 167,346 | 170,490 | |
| Core | 260,201 | 146,551 | 406,752 | 512,132 | |
| Capital project | 8,269 | 119,550 | 127,819 | 954,189 | |
| Total | 637,143 | 921,144 | 1,558,287 | 2,418,825 | |
| As part of our new strategy, Educational Progression becameEducation Access, Educational Mentoring and Educational Wellbeing were merged intoEducation Thriving, and Research + Advocacy becameEducation Change. |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
23
Refugee Education UK
| Notes | Unrestricted Funds £ |
Restricted Funds £ |
31 Mar 2025 Total Funds £ |
31 Mar 2024 Total Funds £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) | 68,152 | 5,346 | 73,498 | (1,174,314) | |
| Transfers between funds | 16 | 226,241 | (226,241) | - | - |
| Net movement in funds | 294,393 | (220,895) | 73,498 | (1,174,314) | |
| RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS | |||||
| Total funds brought forward | 809,900 | 401,562 | 1,211,462 | 2,385,776 | |
| TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD | 1,104,293 | 180,667 | 1,284,960 | 1,211,462 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
24
Refugee Education UK
Balance sheet
| Notes ~~Et~~ |
Unrestricted Funds £ ~~Et~~ |
Restricted Funds £ ~~Et~~ |
31 Mar 2025 Total Funds £ ~~Et~~ |
31 Mar 2024 Total Funds £ ~~Et~~ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIXED ASSETS | |||||
| Tangible assets | 11 | 1,573,776 | 10,173 | 1,583,949 | 1,645,542 |
| CURRENT ASSETS | |||||
| Debtors | 12 | 16,471 | 6,250 | 22,721 | 60,472 |
| Cash at bank | 602,362 | 165,153 | 767,515 | 543,304 | |
| 618,833 | 171,403 | 790,236 | 603,776 | ||
| CREDITORS | |||||
| Amounts falling due within one year | 13 | (295,717) | (908) | (296,625) | (274,086) |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | 323,116 | 170,495 | 493,611 | 329,690 | |
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES |
1,896,892 | 180,668 | 2,077,560 | 1,975,232 | |
| CREDITORS | |||||
| Amounts falling due after more than one year |
14 | (792,600) | - | (792,600) | (763,770) |
| NET ASSETS | 1,104,292 | 180,668 | 1,284,960 | 1,211,462 | |
| FUNDS | 16 | ||||
| Unrestricted funds | 1,104,292 | 809,900 | |||
| Restricted funds | 180,668 | 401,562 | |||
| TOTAL FUNDS | 1,284,960 | 1,211,462 |
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on 8 December 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:
Mr M Nash, Trustee
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
25
Refugee Education UK
Cash flow statement
| Notes | 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash fows from operating activities | |||
| Cash generated from operations | 1 | 341,412 | (1,151,536) |
| Interest paid (on loans) | (58,051) | (52,297) | |
| Revaluation impairment | - | 886,147 | |
| Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities | 283,361 | (317,686) | |
| Cash fows from investing activities | |||
| Purchase of tangible fxed assets | - | (1,548,714) | |
| Net cash provided by / (used in) investing activities | - | (1,548,714) | |
| Cash fows from fnancing activities | |||
| Loan repayments in year | (52,915) | (13,213) | |
| Net cash provided by / (used in) investing activities | (52,915) | (13,213) | |
| Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period |
230,445 | (1,879,613) | |
| Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period |
2 | 537,069 | 2,416,682 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period |
2 | 767,514 | 537,069 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
26
Refugee Education UK
Notes to the cash flow statement
1. Reconciliation of net income / (expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Net income / (expenditure) for the reporting period as per the statement of fnancial activities |
73,498 | (1,174,314) |
| Adjustments for | ||
| Depreciation charges | 143,338 | 61,595 |
| Interest paid | 58,051 | 52,297 |
| (Increase) / decrease in debtors | 37,751 | (56,152) |
| Increase / (decrease) in creditors | 28,774 | (34,962) |
| Net cash (used in) / provided by operations | 341,412 | (1,151,536) |
2. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Notice deposits (less than 3 months) | 767,515 | 543,304 |
| Overdrafts included in bank loans, and overdrafts falling due within one year |
- | (6,235) |
| Total cash and cash equivalents | 767,515 | 537,069 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
27
Refugee Education UK
3. Analysis of changes in net funds / (debt)
| At 1 Apr 2024 £ |
Cash fow £ |
At 31 Mar 2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash | |||
| Cash at bank | 543,304 | 224,211 | 767,515 |
| Bank overdraft | (6,235) | 6,235 | - |
| 537,069 | 230,446 | 767,515 | |
| Debt | |||
| Debts falling due within 1 year | (12,759) | - | (12,759) |
| Debts falling due after 1 year | (763,770) | (28,830) | (792,600) |
| (776,529) | (28,830) | (805,359) | |
| Total | (239,460) | 201,616 | (37,844) |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
28
Refugee Education UK
Notes to the financial statements
1. Accounting policies
Basis of preparing the financial statements
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of certain assets.
Preparation of accounts on a going concern basis
Preparation of the accounts is on a going concern basis. The trustees are of the view that the level of reserves will support the charity going forward.
Income
Recognition of income
These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:
-
the charity becomes entitled to the income;
-
it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources; and
-
the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Offsetting
There has been no offsetting of assets and liabilities, or income and expenses, unless required or permitted by the FRS 102 SORP or FRS 102.
Grants and donations
Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the general income recognition criteria are met (5.10 to 5.12 FRS 102 SORP).
Tax reclaims on donations and gifts
Gift Aid receivable is included in income when there is a valid declaration from the donor. Any Gift Aid amount recovered on a donation is considered to be part of that gift and is treated as an addition to the same fund as the initial donation unless the donor or the terms of the appeal have specified otherwise.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
29
Refugee Education UK
Gifts in kind
Gifts in kind for use by the charity are included in the SoFA as income from donations when receivable.
Donated goods
Donated goods are measured at fair value (the amount for which the asset could be exchanged) unless impractical to do so.
Donated services and facilities are included in the SoFA when received at the value of the gift to the charity provided the value of the gift can be measured reliably.
Donated services and facilities that are consumed immediately are recognised as income with an equivalent amount recognised as an expense under the appropriate heading in the SoFA.
Volunteer help
The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts but is described in the directors' annual report.
Income from interest, royalties and dividends
This is included in the accounts when receipt is probable and the amount receivable can be measured reliably.
Expenditure
Liability recognition
Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
Governance costs
Include costs of the preparation and examination of statutory accounts, the costs of the directors' meetings and cost of any legal advice to directors on governance or constitutional matters.
Employee benefits
Short term benefits including holiday pay are recognised as an expense in the period in which the service is received.
Redundancy cost
The charity made no redundancy payments during the reporting period.
Deferred income
There is a material amount of deferred income included in the accounts. Deferred income relates to income that is received prior to the grant period relating to that income officially commencing.
Creditors
The charity has creditors which are measured at settlement amounts less any trade discounts.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
30
Refugee Education UK
Debtors
Debtors (including trade debtors and loans receivable) are measured on initial recognition at settlement amount after any trade discounts or amount advanced by the charity. Subsequently, they are measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be received.
Legal status of the charity
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. 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.
Tangible fixed assets
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.
-
Freehold property: 2% on cost
-
Fixtures and fittings: 25% on cost
Capitalisation of assets
The capitalisation policy of the charity is to only capitalise assets of which the cost exceeds £400.
Impairment of assets
At each reporting date fixed assets are reviewed to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If there is an indication of possible impairment, the recoverable amount of any affected asset is estimated and compared with its carrying amount. If estimated recoverable amount is lower, the carrying amount is reduced to its estimated recoverable amount, and an impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss.
If an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carry amount of the asset is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but not in excess of the amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
31
Refugee Education UK
Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.
2. Donations and legacies
| 2. Donations and legacies | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| Donations | 512,147 | 215,684 |
| Trusts and foundations | 851,119 | 771,936 |
| Churches | 20,100 | 13,000 |
| Benefciary grants | 14,310 | 21,168 |
| 1,397,676 | 1,021,788 |
3. Other trading activities
| 3. Other trading activities | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| Training | 11,760 | 24,135 |
| Research | 90,276 | 172,049 |
| Facilities revenue | 75,632 | 8,000 |
| Statutory | 52,900 | - |
| Consultancy | 750 | - |
| 231,318 | 204,184 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
32
Refugee Education UK
4. Raising funds
| 4. Raising funds | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| Raising donations and legacies | ||
| Staff costs | 56,425 | 43,939 |
| Fundraising expenditure | 2,516 | 3,368 |
| Fundraising fees | 2,934 | 2,596 |
| 61,875 | 49,903 | |
| REUK has no full-time fundraising staff and, as previous years, has not paid for any fundraising consultancy. |
5. Charitable activities costs
| Direct costs | Support costs see note 6 |
Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education Access | 338,142 | 100,033 | 438,175 |
| Education Thriving | 319,647 | 36,673 | 356,320 |
| Education Change | 147,880 | 19,466 | 167,346 |
| Core | 218,645 | 188,107 | 406,752 |
| 1,024,314 | 344,279 | 1,368,593 |
6. Support costs
| Management £ |
Finance £ |
Human Resources £ |
Other £ |
Refurbishment costs £ |
Governance costs £ |
Totals £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education Access |
2,021 | 138 | 3,556 | 94,318 | - | - | 100,033 |
| Education Thriving |
2,021 | - | 3,401 | 31,251 | - | - | 36,673 |
| Education Change |
2,021 | 8 | 165 | 16,902 | 92 | 278 | 19,466 |
| Core | 2,330 | 8,869 | 975 | 110,705 | 53,347 | 11,881 | 136,617 |
| Other resources expended |
697 | 49,036 | - | - | 69,041 | - | 118,774 |
| 9,090 | 58,051 | 8,097 | 253,176 | 122,480 | 12,159 | 463,053 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
33
Refugee Education UK
7. Net income / (expenditure)
Net income / (expenditure) is stated after charging / (crediting):
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Auditors’ remuneration | 11,412 | 9,840 |
| Depreciation - owned assets | 61,593 | 61,595 |
8. Trustees’ remuneration and benefits
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Trustees’ expenses
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2025, and £115 for the year ended 31 March 2024.
9. Staff costs
| 9. Staff costs | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| Wages and salaries | 1,031,844 | 1,118,331 |
| Other pension costs | 41,048 | 42,623 |
| 1,072,892 | 1,160,954 |
The key management personnel of the charity comprise the trustees and senior management team. The trustees are not remunerated. The total employee benefits (including employer national insurance and employer pension contributions) of the other key management personnel of the charity were £270,416 (2023-24: £224,458).
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
| 31 Mar 2025 | 31 Mar 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 35 | 36 |
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
34
Refugee Education UK
10. Comparatives for the statement of financial activities (2023-24)
activities (2023-24) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Funds £ |
Restricted Funds £ |
Total Funds 31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM | |||
| Donations and legacies | 243,465 | 778,323 | 1,021,788 |
| Other trading activities | 34,160 | 170,024 | 204,184 |
| Other income | 18,539 | - | 18,539 |
| Total | 296,164 | 948,347 | 1,244,511 |
| EXPENDITURE ON | |||
| Raising funds | 2,312 | 47,591 | 49,903 |
| Charitable activities | |||
| Educational Progression | 47,474 | 191,678 | 239,152 |
| Educational Mentoring | 49,422 | 313,689 | 363,111 |
| Educational Wellbeing | 60,813 | 69,035 | 129,848 |
| Research + Advocacy | 378 | 170,112 | 170,490 |
| Core | 309,960 | 202,172 | 512,132 |
| Other | 744,335 | 209,854 | 954,189 |
| Total | 1,214,694 | 1,204,131 | 2,418,825 |
| NET INCOME / (EXPENDITURE) | (918,530) | (255,784) | (1.174,314) |
| Transfers between funds | (25,342) | 25,342 | - |
| Net movement in funds | (943,872) | (230,442) | (1,174,314) |
| RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS | |||
| Total funds brought forward | 1,753,768 | 632,004 | 2,385,776 |
| TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD | 809,900 | 401,562 | 1,211,462 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
35
Refugee Education UK
11. Tangible fixed assets
| 11. Tangible fxed assets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Freehold property £ |
Fixtures and fttings £ |
Total £ |
|
| COST OR VALUATION | |||
| At 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 | 1,741,384 | 36,176 | 1,777,560 |
| DEPRECIATION | |||
| At 1 April 2024 | 121,384 | 10,634 | 132,018 |
| Charge for year | 52,550 | 9,043 | 61,593 |
| At 31 March 2025 | 173,934 | 19,677 | 193,611 |
| NET BOOK VALUE | |||
| At 31 March 2025 | 1,567,450 | 16,499 | 1,583,949 |
| At 31 March 2024 | 1,620,000 | 25,542 | 1,645,542 |
Cost or valuation at 31 March 2025 is represented by:
| Cost or valuation at 31 March 2025 is represented by: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Freehold property £ |
Fixtures and fttings £ |
Total £ |
|
| Valuation in 2025 | 1,741,384 | 36,176 | 1,777,560 |
If freehold property had not been revalued it would have been included at the following historical cost:
| historical cost: | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| Cost | 2,627,530 | 2,627,530 |
| Aggregate depreciation | 121,384 | 121,384 |
| Value of land in freehold land and buildings | 2,506,146 | 2,506,146 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
36
Refugee Education UK
12. Debtors: amounts falling due within one year
| year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| Trade debtors | 21,867 | 19,598 |
| Other debtors | 854 | 6,882 |
| Accrued income | - | 33,992 |
| Total | 22,721 | 60,472 |
13. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
| year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| Bank loans and overdrafts (see note 15) | 12,759 | 18,994 |
| Trade creditors | 6,611 | 8,423 |
| Social security and other taxes | 1,765 | 21,208 |
| Other creditors | 5,293 | 9,178 |
| Accruals and deferred income | 270,197 | 191,375 |
| Accrued expenses | - | 24,908 |
| 296,625 | 274,086 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
37
Refugee Education UK
14. Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
| than one year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| Bank loans (see note 15) | 792,600 | 763,770 |
The charity took out a loan with Charity Bank in March 2020. The drawdown amount was £700,000. The loan is repayable over a period of 25 years, by monthly instalments of interest only for the first 30 months after first utilisation, followed by monthly instalments of capital and interest for the remainder of the term. Charity Bank holds a first fixed legal charge over the freehold interest in the property situated at 60 and 62 High Street, London NW1O 4LL.
The charity entered a loan agreement with Community Church Harlesden (charity number 1121958) in February 2020 to assist with the purchase of the new premises. The amount borrowed was £100,000. There is a separate usage agreement between the two charities detailing how they intend to work in partnership to ensure effective usage of the building. The loan is repayable at the point of sale of the property, however the lender is entitled to trigger a release clause after 17 years has elapsed that compels the borrower to repay the loan within 3 years. Any loan repayment is subordinated to the first lender Charity Bank.
15. Loans
An analysis of the maturity of loans is given below:
| An analysis of the maturity of loans is given below: | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
| Amounts falling due within one year on demand: | ||
| Bank overdrafts | - | 6,235 |
| Bank loans | 12,759 | 12,759 |
| 12,759 | 18,994 | |
| Amounts falling due between one and two years: | ||
| Bank loans: 1-2 years | 13,089 | 13,089 |
| Amounts falling due between two and fve years: | ||
| Bank loans: 2-5 years | 45,879 | 45,879 |
| Amounts falling due in more than fve years: | ||
| Bank loans more than fve years by instalments | 633,632 | 604,802 |
| Loans more than fve years by non-instalments | 100,000 | 100,000 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
38
Refugee Education UK
16. Movement in funds
| At 1 Apr 2024 £ |
Net movement in funds £ |
Transfers between funds £ |
At 31 Mar 2025 £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds | ||||
| General fund | 809,900 | 68,151 | 226,241 | 1,104,292 |
| Restricted funds | ||||
| Educational Progression | 100,831 | - | (100,831) | - |
| Educational Mentoring | 6,005 | - | (6,005) | - |
| Educational Wellbeing | 33,523 | - | (33,523) | - |
| Educational Impact | 1,029 | - | (1,029) | - |
| Research + Advocacy | 14,823 | - | (14,823) | - |
| Core | 3,740 | (14,075) | 15,370 | 5,035 |
| Capital project | 241,611 | 2,881 | (241,611) | 2,881 |
| Education Access | - | (17,336) | 100,831 | 83,495 |
| Education Thriving | - | 4,360 | 39,528 | 43,888 |
| Education Change | - | 21,642 | 15,852 | 37,494 |
| Benefciary grants | - | 7,875 | - | 7,875 |
| 401,562 | 5,347 | (226,241) | 180,668 | |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 1,211,462 | 73,498 | - | 1,284,960 |
Net movement in funds, included in the above, are as follows:
| Incoming resources £ |
Resources expended £ |
Movement in funds £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds | |||
| General fund | 705,293 | (637,144) | 68,151 |
| Restricted funds | |||
| Education Access | 305,361 | (322,697) | (17,336) |
| Education Thriving | 298,469 | (294,109) | 4,360 |
| Education Change | 60,014 | (38,372) | 21,642 |
| Core | 126,916 | (140,991) | (14,075) |
| Capital project | 121,670 | (118,789) | 2,881 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
39
Refugee Education UK
| Benefciary grants | 14,060 | (6,185) | 7,875 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 926,490 | (921,143) | 5,347 | |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 1,631,785 | (1,558,287) | 73,498 |
Comparatives for movement in funds
| At 1 Apr 2023 £ |
Net movement in funds £ |
Transfers between funds £ |
At 31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds | ||||
| General fund | 1,753,772 | (918,530) | (25,342) | 809,900 |
| Restricted funds | ||||
| Educational Progression | 71,946 | 28,885 | - | 100,831 |
| Educational Mentoring | 51,182 | (45,177) | - | 6,005 |
| Educational Wellbeing | 45,352 | (11,829) | - | 33,523 |
| Educational Impact | 1,029 | - | - | 1,029 |
| Research + Advocacy | 12,114 | 2,709 | - | 14,823 |
| Core | 8,150 | (29,752) | 25,342 | 3,740 |
| Capital project | 442,231 | (200,620) | - | 241,611 |
| 632,004 | (255,784) | 25,342 | 401,562 | |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 2,385,776 | (1,174,314) | - | 1,211,462 |
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above, are as follows:
| Incoming resources £ |
Resources expended £ |
Movement in funds £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds | |||
| General fund | 296,164 | (1,214,694) | (918,530) |
| Restricted funds | |||
| Educational Progression | 225,489 | (196,604) | 28,885 |
| Educational Mentoring | 273,875 | (319,052) | (45,177) |
| Educational Wellbeing | 57,206 | (69,035) | (11,829) |
| Research + Advocacy | 172,821 | (170,112) | 2,709 |
| Core | 187,921 | (217,673) | (29,752) |
| Capital project | 31,035 | (231,655) | (200,620) |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
40
Refugee Education UK
| 948,347 | (1,204,131) | (255,784) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL FUNDS | 1,244,511 | (2,418,825) | (1,174,314) |
Transfers between funds
During the year ended 31 March 2025, following completion of the capital project, the charity released the surplus from an unrestricted grant (received in an earlier financial year and internally designated towards capital project costs) from the designated Capital Project fund, back into the General Fund as unrestricted, in accordance with the original donor intent.
17. Employee benefit obligations
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the Trust in an independently administered fund. The pension cost in the SoFA represents the contributions payable by the company to the fund and amounted to £41,048 (2023-24: £42,623). There were no commitments at the balance sheet date in respect to future transactions.
18. Related party disclosures
No payments were made to directors or any persons connected with them during this financial year or the previous financial period. The trustees wish to disclose the following transactions which took place between the organisation and a trustee/director or any person connected with them.
During this financial year, Refugee Education UK received a donation of £10,000 from Community Church Harlesden (registered charity number 1121958) to further its charitable aims (2023-24: £9,000).
In February 2020 the charity also entered into a loan agreement with Community Church Harlesden, whereby the charity borrowed an amount of £100,000 to assist with the purchase of new premises. There is a separate usage agreement between the two charities detailing how they intend to work in partnership to ensure effective usage of the building. The loan is repayable at the point of sale of the property, however the lender is entitled to trigger a release clause after 17 years has elapsed that compels the borrower to repay the loan within 3 years. Any loan repayment is subordinated to the first lender Charity Bank.
The trustees of Refugee Education UK disclose that one of their trustees (David Hollow) is a related party to Elizabeth Hollow (his spouse), who is a trustee of Community Church Harlesden, she is also a related party to Catherine Gladwell who is CEO of Refugee Education UK (sister-in-law). Paul Gladwell is a trustee of Community Church Harlesden
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
41
Refugee Education UK
and a related party to Catherine Gladwell who is the CEO of Refugee Education UK (brother-in-law).
Jigsaw Education - of which David Hollow and Catherine Gladwell (siblings) are directors - are tenants of The Lighthouse, and they and Refugee Education UK previously shared temporary office space. Rent and other office related costs were charged to Jigsaw Education in the year of £49,056.05.
19. Grant income
We are grateful to the following organisations for their support of specific areas of our work (restricted funding):
The A B Charitable Trust: funding towards work responding to additional needs deriving from widespread violence across the UK in August 2024.
BBC Children in Need: funding towards an educational mentoring programme for young refugees and asylum seekers in London.
The Beatrice Laing Trust: funding towards the completion of REUK's capital project.
The Bell Foundation: funding towards REUK's 1:1 ESOL and integrated wellbeing support project.
Benefact Trust: funding towards Access to Schools project.
Charity Bank: funding for Cost of Living workstreams and associated costs.
The David Family Foundation: funding towards crisis interventions and wellbeing casework support within REUK’s Education Thriving pillar.
The Dulverton Trust: funding for core costs.
Educational Opportunity Foundation: funding for a Further Education Coordinator for the West Midlands.
The Fidelity UK Foundation: funding for the implementation of a CRM system.
Garfield Weston Foundation: funding for core costs.
The Henry Smith Foundation (formerly The Henry Smith Charity): funding towards the running costs of REUK's Education Thriving project.
HSBC UK: funding for transforming a former HSBC branch into an education centre for young refugees.
John Lyon's Charity: funding towards a further education project (targeted at young people from the Beneficial Area of John Lyon's Charity).
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
42
Refugee Education UK
Man Group plc Charitable Trust: funding towards projects which provide educational mentoring and educational progression support for young refugees.
The Monday Charitable Trust: funding to support REUK’s Education Change programme.
The National Lottery Community Fund ("RC England Wide" programme): funding towards educational mentoring for young asylum seekers and refugees, and a project supporting refugees and asylum seekers into higher education.
Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) and Community First
Oxfordshire (CFO): funding for Oxford mentoring and conversation club.
The Portal Trust: funding towards access to further education for young asylum seekers and refugees.
The Progress Foundation: funding towards our Education Thriving programme.
The Rayne Foundation: funding towards continued support for a specialist education and wellbeing support programme for young refugees and asylum seekers.
Salters' Charitable Foundation: funding for the Education Progression programme.
SmallWorld Foundation: funding towards the national advice line for refugees.
The Steel Charitable Trust: funding towards enabling disadvantaged refugee children in the UK to overcome multiple barriers to education.
We are also grateful for unrestricted support from the following organisations (and for the support of other individuals and grant-makers who prefer to remain anonymous):
-
The Aurum Charitable Trust
-
Baskin Family Foundation
-
Betty Messenger Charitable Foundation
-
The Brown Source Trust
-
The Camilla Mountain Charitable Trust
-
Christ Church London
-
Community Church Harlesden
-
The Considered Ask Foundation
-
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
-
Persula Foundation
-
Schwab & Westheimer Trust
-
The Tuixen Foundation
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
43
Refugee Education UK
Detailed statement of financial activities
| 31 Mar 2025 £ |
31 Mar 2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS | ||
| Donations and legacies | ||
| Donations | 512,147 | 215,684 |
| Trusts and foundations | 851,119 | 771,936 |
| Churches | 20,100 | 13,000 |
| Benefciary grants | 14,310 | 21,168 |
| 1,397,676 | 1,021,788 | |
| Other trading activities | ||
| Training | 11,760 | 24,135 |
| Research | 90,276 | 172,049 |
| Facilities revenue | 75,632 | 8,000 |
| Statutory | 52,900 | - |
| Consultancy | 750 | - |
| 231,318 | 204,184 | |
| Other income | ||
| Bank interest received | 2,791 | 18,539 |
| Total incoming resources | 1,631,785 | 1,244,511 |
| EXPENDITURE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Raising donations and legacies | ||
| Wages | 56,425 | 43,939 |
| Fundraising expenditure | 2,516 | 3,368 |
| Fundraising fees | 2,934 | 2,596 |
| 61,875 | 49,903 | |
| Charitable activities | ||
| Wages | 975,419 | 1,074,392 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
44
Refugee Education UK
| Pensions | 41,048 | 42,623 |
|---|---|---|
| Benefciary grants | 7,847 | 17,670 |
| 1,024,314 | 1,134,685 | |
| Other | ||
| Depreciation of tangible fxed assets | 9,045 | 9,044 |
| Support costs | ||
| Management | ||
| Insurance | 9,090 | 18,796 |
| Light and heat | - | 15,068 |
| 9,090 | 33,864 | |
| Finance | ||
| Bank interest | 58,051 | 52,297 |
| Human resources | ||
| Sundries | 8,097 | 12,340 |
| Other | ||
| Rates and water | 17,532 | 34,770 |
| Telephone | 8,994 | 4,170 |
| Postage and stationery | 883 | 2,903 |
| Training and subsistence | 6 | 20,911 |
| Staff and volunteer expenses | 18,787 | 3,154 |
| Computer costs | 81,742 | 37,684 |
| Freelance labour | 49,497 | 30,339 |
| Household and cleaning | - | 247 |
| Subscriptions | 1,112 | 1,009 |
| Travel | 22,072 | 20,719 |
| Depreciation of tangible fxed assets | 52,551 | 52,551 |
| 253,176 | 208,457 | |
| Refurbishment costs | ||
| Building costs | 122,480 | 6,447 |
| Impairment | - | 886,147 |
| 122,480 | 892,594 |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
45
Refugee Education UK
| Governance costs | ||
| Auditor’s remuneration | 11,412 | 9,840 |
| Accountancy and legal fees | 747 | 15,801 |
| 12,159 | 25,641 | |
| Total resources expended | 1,558,287 | 2,418,825 |
| NET (EXPENDITURE) / INCOME | 73,498 | (1,174,314) |
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements (2024-25)
46