## **Crossroads Women** **25 Wolsey Mews, Kentish Town, London NW5 2DX Tel: 020 7482 2496 Fax: 020 7267 7297** **contact@crossroadswomen.net www.crossroadswomen.net** ## **Report of activities January – December 2020** ## **ABOUT CROSSROADS WOMEN** ## **OBJECTIVES** Crossroads Women was formed in 2009 to renovate and run an expanded more accessible Crossroads Women’s Centre in Kentish Town, north-west London. The Women’s Centre has existed in different venues in the London Borough of Camden since 1976. We have been at 25 Wolsey Mews since April 2012. Through the Centre, women and their loved ones participate in self-help and peer support activities, volunteer, learn new skills, get support for community, cultural, educational, health, environmental or social projects, and access help and information about their rights including to escape racial and sexual violence. - Advance the education of the public by study and research into race and community relations (with particular reference to women) and by the publication of the results of such research for the benefit of the public; - Maintain and run a centre for use by women (without distinction as to political, religious or other opinions) and women’s groups at which meetings, lectures, classes and other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation may take place; - Advance other charitable purposes, as the Trustees may from time to time decide. Beneficiaries include single mothers, women with disabilities or health problems, asylum seekers, immigrant and refugee women, survivors of rape or other abuse, carers, students, grandmothers, pensioners, LBTQI, unemployed women, and low-waged workers. ## **TRUSTEES** They remain: Cristel Amiss, Carolina Begue, Solveig Francis, Claire Glasman, Selma James, Sylvia Salley. ## **CROSSROADS WOMEN’S CENTRE FOR ALL** The Centre provides a base and meeting space for women’s and community groups. 2020 was the fifth year of a second five-year grant from the Big Lottery Fund to develop the community services provided at the Centre. ## **The pandemic – how we adapted and responded** For most of the first three months of 2020 our work continued under the usual inperson conditions. After the first lockdown in March, we had to close the Women’s Centre to the public, redirect the mail, arrange remote access to the ansafone and computers/emails. The three staff, up to 15 volunteers plus trustees met every week (on zoom) to keep in touch and discuss how to respond to emergency and calls for help etc. Staff and volunteers (some of whom were shielding) rose magnificently to the occasion, to work from home as we rearranged our work to happen by phone, email and Zoom. In this way we were able to continue dealing daily with queries for help, information and support. A notice on our front door informed beneficiaries who still showed up how to contact us. On account of the pandemic we had to address a higher number of urgent enquiries that required us to do more research and to be creative in our responses. When lockdown restrictions were temporarily relaxed, people did not feel comfortable for health reasons to travel in on public transport or open up to the public. Some people worked socially distanced at the Centre for essential appointments. It quickly became clear that the impact of the pandemic was falling disproportionately heavily on women, especially women of colour and single mothers, who were losing jobs, trying to claim and survive on Universal Credit, increasing their unwaged caring work burden for vulnerable adults, children and neighbours as statutory support services were abruptly cut. People with disabilities were left in life-threatening situations. Women were working from home while trying to home-school; managing the brunt of others’ anxieties, young and old; trying to maintain health in risky situations (overcrowded housing; front-line jobs); being bereaved; sometimes trapped with frustrated even violent partners, while experiencing anxiety about loved ones in care homes or hospital, and adjusting to the loss of family or friendship support networks. Women have expressed being at the end of their tether, but not being able to show it. This combination of factors has contributed to more mental health issues which may take years to resolve. ## **Access to self-help resources and information** - We compiled and kept updated a list of survival resources on our website covering a range of emergency help from quick sources of funds and food boxes to helplines for domestic violence and eviction and where to get a Covid test quickly. - Self-help rights guides in relation to the family courts, benefit claims, breastfeeding, rape/other violence, fuel poverty, asylum/immigration could also be downloaded. - We applied for hardship funds and a number of beneficiaries received emergency Covid cash pay-outs. _“Words cannot express, I am so happy to have been able to buy food, and credit to call people I care about during this lockdown which found me at my lowest_ .” **A** sylum seeker from Kenya. - Volunteers and self-help groups were provided with technical/zoom support and training to master what became the routine way of participating. - Some volunteers were provided with help setting up laptops and internet access at home. - Referrals were made to local shopping and food-bank or food-box schemes. ## **Case-study** We referred a 37-year-old woman facing imminent eviction to a rare opportunity to apply for secure social housing (the Centre is on a list to be alerted to such openings). She had mental health issues and had lost her job due to the pandemic. She had only experienced short-lived accommodation, moving 30 times in 20 years. We encouraged her to fill in the form and helped her to prepare for the interview. She was allocated the flat and when she moved in said: “ _Having my own secure home for the first time in my life gave me a huge sense of security and confidence. I have the biggest smile on my face. Thank you so much for your help_ .” She has since found a job, and started a course. ## **Peer support and self-help**  Mothers largely from the Bengali community, supported each other against the closure of a well-loved local primary school which would affect overstretched low-income families, disrupt long-standing supportive relationships between staff, children and parents, increase travel time for mothers and children, break up friendship groups, and make the local environment less childfriendly. Parents found out that they had been bypassed in the online consultation as parents with little access to the internet, and/or without English as a first language were severely disadvantaged. Mothers including a volunteer at the Centre began their own survey – see below.  We referred women to self-help meetings online, and informed them of other relevant online events/webinars such as those organised by Fuel Poverty Action, Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and Women in Dialogue to mark the 25[th] anniversary of the UN World Conference on Women in 1995, which some of our longstanding members and volunteers had attended. This communication broadened women’s networks and perspective and gave women more hope and confidence to act for themselves and each other. Women shared information informally: -  Health information, about how to avoid infection, boost the immune system and improve general health and mental resilience. -  Mutual phone support, forming bubbles, dropping off shopping, meeting on walks/in the garden for a cuppa when allowed, etc. -  Sharing information about lockdown regulations, obligations for social care and rules on hospital and care home visits. -  Mutual support for bereavement and attending on-line funerals in the community. ## **SELF-HELP GROUPS** ## **Asylum Seekers and Refugees** The All African Women’s Group of asylumseeking women includes women from Eastern Europe, Iran, Latin America and other countries. Up to 90 women participated in monthly on-line self-help meetings, weekly training workshops and volunteering sessions to discuss their cases, offer mutual support and advice, learn how to help others, prepare for appeals, etc. ## **Mothers’ Group – Support not Separation** This group met monthly on-line throughout the year. Many mothers had to attend family court proceedings and meetings with social workers and lawyers on-line. Some mothers and/or their children were shielding and could not use public transport. Mothers, grandmothers as well as supportive fathers who face unwarranted separation from their children/grandchildren were able to continue to exchange experiences, advice, support and encouragement with each other, more needed than ever. ## **Women with disabilities** WinVisible -- women with visible and invisible disabilities group, continued to hold regular self-help sessions on-line, which became central to crisis support for disabled women who suddenly found themselves in lifeendangering situations because of the suspension and interruption of social care. ## **COMMUNITY EVENTS & INITIATIVES** On 8 March, International Women’s Day, we held an open day with panels, films, open mic, delicious home-cooked food, ‘count your work’ survey and info stalls. Local papers featured our call for “ _people to be able to find out more about what the centre does.”_ A young woman of Indian descent who attended the day said “ _Incredible to see so many issues from lived realities_ .” And another woman said “ _Local connection, real news, feel refreshed. This is where I needed to be today_ .” ## **Eleanor Rathbone project** The Remembering Eleanor Rathbone – Mother of Child Benefit project progressed. We completed editing the 150 interviews with mothers aged up to 95 years, plus a few husbands, daughters and sons. Interviews had been carried out by volunteers including students from the local Parliament Hill School for Girls. ## **ACTION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT**  This year as part of ongoing work to measure and reduce our carbon footprint we had more solar panels installed on the roof of the Centre, after securing funding from Camden Council. We worked with Power Up North London green energy group, and local women architects who donated their services for the planning application. _The south-side of the Centre’s roof is now covered with solar panels._  We had input into a proposed inner city food-growing pilot project addressing food poverty issues and  Towards the end of the year volunteers met together on Zoom to brainstorm their views for a wrap-around special by the local Camden New Journal on what Camden could be like in a green future. The piece came out early in the new year, headlined “Women lead the charge for ‘caring Camden’”. ## **COMMUNITY USE OF THE CENTRE** ## **APPEALS** We continue to work in partnership with the groups based at the Women’s Centre, which also provide resources to our beneficiaries including survivors of rape and domestic violence. Other groups we worked with include Tufnell Park Parents Support Group, Food for All, Camden Law Centre, Think & Do Community space, Transition Kentish Town, Clean Break, Home Start, Remembering Eleanor Rathbone Group, Elfrida Rathbone Society, Law for Life, Mutual Aid societies, North Camden Housing Co-operative, Kentish Town Community Centre, Power Up North London, St Luke’s Church Safe Haven, local schools, nurseries and mum’s groups, students (SOAS, UCL). ## **INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS** Throughout the year, we stayed in touch with women groups in India, Malaysia, Peru, Tanzania, Thailand and the USA and exchanged information on what is happening in their countries. At the start of the pandemic, this was a lifeline for us, as we were able to compare how people were protecting themselves and their loved ones in different countries, and share experiences, including all those who had completely lost their income, often overnight, including shopworkers, sex-workers, asylum-seekers, and those who suddenly found themselves on the frontline of the pandemic, working in dangerous and exhausting circumstances. They were all calling upon local and national governments for emergency resources to feed themselves and their families, but it was also useful to hear about how local communities were sharing resources. Our fundraising during this first year of the pandemic was focused on emergency relief for the sectors of women who suddenly lost their income, like asylum seekers and any immigrant women who are forced to not have “recourse to public funds”. We were moved by how new and regular donors came forward with additional funds without us asking, understanding that women in our network are deeply impacted by the pandemic. Donations to the annual Christmas asylum appeal increased substantially from the year before. ## **THANK-YOU** We greatly appreciate the financial support of The Big Lottery Fund, Persula Foundation, Rock ‘n Roll Rescue, Roughly Trust (AW60 Fund), ACTS, and our generous regular donors. Their grants and donations helped make possible our activities. Our deepest thanks to everyone who contributed over this difficult year: our stalwart volunteers, women and men, who are the backbone of our Centre; the local organisations who fundraised for us; friends and supporters in the local community and beyond whose warm words and deeds (often via phone and zoom, but also in the foodshops and on the street), encourage us daily; the speakers on zoom who encouraged and urged us to keep going, and the technical support people who enabled us to get into our zoom meetings, and gave us training in zoom and other social media; therapists in Vital Forces who provided free or low-cost healing therapies; and local journalists always ready to report on our activities. ## _Registered charity no. 1134495 Company limited by guarantee no. 7087291_ *As members of Camden Climate Change Alliance, we calculate our annual carbon footprint contributing to the production of a borough wide footprint. Our current solar panels produce a third of our electricity needs. We have received a Going Green Mark of Achievement from CCCA. Charity number.. 1134495 Company number.. 07087291 (England and Wales) CROSSROADS WOMEN ReFX)rt of the Trustees and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 Dec8mber 2020 CROSSROADS WOMEN Contents Page For the year ended 31 December 2020 Report of th8 Trust¥e$ Indepgndent Exarninerfs Report to the Trustees Statement ol Financial Activit18S sthtern•nt of Finanaal Posftion Not88 to th¥ Fin4nrABI Stat8rnent8 5t0 11 Detai18d Statsm¥nt olFinanrA81 Activitigs 12to14 CROSSROADS WOMEN Report of the Trustees For Ihe year ended 31 December 2020 The Trust888. who ara also directors for the purpo8e$ of company law. hqve p18asure in presenting thelr roport and th8 financial statement$ for the charitable ¢ornpany for the yoar end8d 31 December 2020. The Trustees h8V8 adopted the prov181ons of AGcounting 8nd R8portin9 by Charities.. Statornent of Recommended Practi¢e applicable to ch8rrti&s preparing th&r accounts in sc￿)rdanCe with the FinanThal R•porting Standard applicabl8 in Ihe UK and the Repu￿1¢ of Ireland IFRS 1021 leffecti￿ 1 January 20191. oeJECTf¥ES AND A¢TwmES Th8trustges have consldored tho Charty Commk8$ion's guidance on public b8nefrt, in¢luding tho guidanca 'public bgn&fit". running a Charity IPB21'. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTR4TNE INFORMATION Nom? olchadty Ch•rlty rngl*tr•tlon nurnbor ¢omp•ny rng18trallon numb•r Prlnclp•l •ddr• CROSSROAOS WOMEN 1134495 07087291 25Wo18ey M•ws London NW52DX Truste The Iru8ta88 •Md offic8r8 88Nino during tho year and since th* y￿r ond ww8 a8 foll￿. Selma Jomo0 Carolin? Begue Solveig Marie Franos Claire Rachel Glasman Crist81 Amis8 Syfvia Carri& Solley Indop•nd•nt •x•mln•r Emm4nuel Mensah FMAAT Ground Floor West Office 10 Nl¢holas House. Riv&r Front Enflold EN13TF B•nk•rn Lloyd8 Bank plc Kilburn Branch PO Bts¥ 1(MJ) BX1 1LT Approvod by Iho Board of Trusteeb and signad on It8 beh•W by SO￿￿.g Marig Francis 1 of 14 CROSSROADS WOMEN Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees For the year ended 31 December 2020 I report to the trusleos on my examination of thg a¢￿untS ofthe Charitable ¢ompany for tho yearended 31 Deeérnb8r 2020. RMpon*ibilitS•9 and basls ol rgport As the charity Trustees, who are al$0 directors for tho purp08es of cornpany law. are ra$ponsibl• for the proparation ol th orxounts in accordan¢e with the reqU1￿ments of the Cornpani88 Act 20061'the 2006 Act'l. Having $alisfi•J my8eW that the a¢¢ounts of the Company are not required to b& audit•d under Part 16 of the 20Cfj Act and are eligible for independent examinatbn, I report Sn respoct of my examination of your charity's accounts ¢arried out undgr ¥ection 145 of the Chant188 A¢t 2011 I'lhe 2011 Act'l. In carryin9 oul my exarninalion I have followed the 01￿ctIOnS given by the Charty Cornmission under S￿lI0n 145(5llbl of the 2011 Act. Ind•p•ndent •x•mln•rn ¥tsternont I have ¢omp18ted my ex8min8tion. I confimi th8t no motters ¢ome to rny attention In connectiors with the examination giving rne caus8 to bdieve that in any material respe¢t". 1. acuunting r8¢ord$ were not kept in respect ofth& C¢)rnpany as required by s8CtK)n 366 of th¢ 2008 Act., or 2. the account8 do not accord wrth those record8," 3. the accounts do not ¢¢)mply with th8 raqulwments of Section 396 of th8 2006 A¢t other than any rwuiremont that the 8ecounts give a Irue and f8ir which is not a m•tter considered a$ port of an ind8pandent examin8tion.' or 4. the account$ have not been prepared in accordance with the rnothod8 and principles of the Statemont of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by ¢harities 8pplicable to charit￿S prepanng their accounts in accordance with the Finondal Reporting Standard applicab￿ in the UK and R8public of Ireland IFRS 1021 I have no Goncern8 and h8ve ¢orne across no other matters in connectlon with the examination towhich attention should drawn in th￿ report in ordar to onabb a proper understanding of tha accounts to bts reached. Ernrnanuel Men8ah FMAAT Ground Floor Wesl Officè 10 Nicholas Hou88, River Front Enr￿Id EN13TF Date.. 22nd October 2021 2of14 CROSSROADS WOMEN Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) For the year ended 31 December 2020 Unrostrl¢tsd fundg R¢•tri¢t8d fvnd• 2020 2019 Incomg and •nd0*7n•nts from.. Donations and legacies Charitabb actiwitN8S Oth8rtr4ding 8Ctiwti&s Investments Other Ineorne Totsl 19,623 3,152 70,930 102,732 90,553 105,884 113.201 108.388 12 2,567 2.567 1.841 702 173,662 199,364 223A42 Expondlturo on.. Rai8ing funds Charilabie Other &ynditure Tol•l 11.3781 121.4291 11,3761 124.1J31 11.3781 1210,1021 14,9901 1216,4701 13,8961 1158.2451 12.1221 1164.2631 619 1188.8731 13,6141 1192.2Bn N•t incomoloxpondltu R•¢oncllkltbon of fund• Total funds brought fts￿ard Totsl fund* ranl•d forward 1A19 116.6251 117,1081 39,179 82.669 1,182.990 1,265.859 1.208.680 84,388 1.164,365 1,248,753 1,266,859 30114 R8gist¥red Number". 07087291 CROSSROADS WOMEN Statement of Financial Position As at 31 December 2020 Not 2020 Fixod assets Tangible a$s0ts 12 1.026,173 1,026.173 1.026.173 1,026,1n Current Debtor$ Cash at bank and in hand 13 3.645 241.659 245,304 22,7241 264.691 272,383 132.6971 Credltorn: amounts f4lllng due wlthln on• ymr 14 Not curr•nt a•S0ts 222.580 239,688 1285.859 Totsl a•*•ts 105• cun•nt Ik•bili1105 1,248,763 1.248.753 1285.859 Tho fundB of th• ¢h•rlty Restricted income ftjnds UnffjStrict￿ incom¥ funds 1.164.365 1.182,990 82.869 15 84.388 Total fund8 1,248,763 1,266,8S9 For the year ended 31 December 2020 the Gompany was ent￿ed to ox•mptK)n from audft under $e¢tion 477 of tha Companies Act 2008 relallng to small companies. Th& mtrmbers have not r8quirad th& ¢¢rnpany to obtain an audit of its account8 forthe year in que¥tson in accordance with section 478. Th8 trustees ucknowledg8 their respon$ibilitios for Complying wth the r•quir8rn8nt8 of the A¢t with respeet to accounting r8cord$ and the preparation of 8¢¢0unt¥. These accounts have been prepared in accordanc8 wrth tho provi510Th5 applicab18 to ￿mpanIeS tsubpct to the small corkynl*8' regirne. Thefinanaal &tot•m•nt5 wor• approved and authorisetal fund8 carrlod forward 12.4991 61,678 69,179 85,368 1,121.312 1.206,880 82,869 1,182,990 1.265,869 8of14 CROSSROADS WOMEN Notes to the Financial Stslements Continued For the year ended 31 December 2020 12. Tan•lbl• fixod a880ts Co•t or valuatlon Bulldlng-2S Wo4$oy M At 01 January 2020 At 31 December 2020 1,026.173 1.026,173 N•t l>ook valu88 At 31 Decamtyer 2020 1,026,1n At 31 Dacembsr 2019 1,026.173 13. O•btorn 2020 2019 Amounts du• wSth1rt on• y••r. PropayrThJnts and accrued in¢ome Othordebtc 5,302 2.390 3.845 7.692 11 Cr•dltorn.' *mouni¥ falllng duo vAthln on• y•ar 2020 2019 Other creditors 1.096 Accruals and deferred in¢om* 22.724 31,801 22,724 32,697 1& Al¢>vornent In fund• Unr•8trkt•d Fund• B•lanco at 0110112020 Incomlftg r••our¢ Outyolng our¢8• ealarK• at 3111212020 Gen8r81 General 82.869 25.702 124.1831 2.869 25.702 124.1831 9of14 CROSSROADS WOMEN Notes to the Financial Slatemenls Continued For the year ended 31 December 2020 Unmtrfct•d Fund•. Pr•viou• yo•r 8ol•n¢• •t 0110112019 In¢omln9 rosourc•• Outgolng OVfC08 B•l•nco at 3111J2019 Gener81 Genèral 85.368 125,4831 82.869 85.366 22,984 125,4831 82.889 Purpos• of unrg•trld•d FundB G•neral Thesos ar8 unre&lricted funds to be applied atthe ¢ji￿retIOn of the tru&t8* board and within th8 contox ofthe objects of the ch&rity. R￿trIcts￿ Fund• Balwncg at 0110112020 In¢omlng Oulgolng rnJourc• B*lance at 3111212020 Re8trict8d Fund8 1.182.990 173.862 1192.2871 1,164.365 1.182,990 173.062 1192,28n 1.164.365 R••trlct•d FundJ- Prevlou8 Balance at 0110112019 In¢omlng rosourcos Outyolng regour¢•s B•l•n¢• at 3111212019 Ro¥liictod Fund8 1.121,312 200.478 1138.8001 1,182,99) 1,121,312 200,478 1138.8001 1.182.990 of re¥trfct•d fund• Restricted Funds ForRe8tnctetal fund8 carrlod forward 12.4991 61,678 69,179 85,368 1,121.312 1.206,880 82,869 1,182,990 1.265,869 8of14 CROSSROADS WOMEN Notes to the Financial Stslements Continued For the year ended 31 December 2020 12. Tan•lbl• fixod a880ts Co•t or valuatlon Bulldlng-2S Wo4$oy M At 01 January 2020 At 31 December 2020 1,026.173 1.026,173 N•t l>ook valu88 At 31 Decamtyer 2020 1,026,1n At 31 Dacembsr 2019 1,026.173 13. O•btorn 2020 2019 Amounts du• wSth1rt on• y••r. PropayrThJnts and accrued in¢ome Othordebtc 5,302 2.390 3.845 7.692 11 Cr•dltorn.' *mouni¥ falllng duo vAthln on• y•ar 2020 2019 Other creditors 1.096 Accruals and deferred in¢om* 22.724 31,801 22,724 32,697 1& Al¢>vornent In fund• Unr•8trkt•d Fund• B•lanco at 0110112020 Incomlftg r••our¢ Outyolng our¢8• ealarK• at 3111212020 Gen8r81 General 82.869 25.702 124.1831 2.869 25.702 124.1831 9of14 CROSSROADS WOMEN Notes to the Financial Slatemenls Continued For the year ended 31 December 2020 Unmtrfct•d Fund•. Pr•viou• yo•r 8ol•n¢• •t 0110112019 In¢omln9 rosourc•• Outgolng OVfC08 B•l•nco at 3111J2019 Gener81 Genèral 85.368 125,4831 82.869 85.366 22,984 125,4831 82.889 Purpos• of unrg•trld•d FundB G•neral Thesos ar8 unre&lricted funds to be applied atthe ¢ji￿retIOn of the tru&t8* board and within th8 contox ofthe objects of the ch&rity. R￿trIcts￿ Fund• Balwncg at 0110112020 In¢omlng Oulgolng rnJourc• B*lance at 3111212020 Re8trict8d Fund8 1.182.990 173.862 1192.2871 1,164.365 1.182,990 173.062 1192,28n 1.164.365 R••trlct•d FundJ- Prevlou8 Balance at 0110112019 In¢omlng rosourcos Outyolng regour¢•s B•l•n¢• at 3111212019 Ro¥liictod Fund8 1.121,312 200.478 1138.8001 1,182,99) 1,121,312 200,478 1138.8001 1.182.990 of re¥trfct•d fund• Restricted Funds ForRe8tncte