Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements 31st August 2022
Contents
| nts | |
|---|---|
| A Word From Our Patron, Actor Juliet Stevenson CBE | 2 |
| Letter From The Chair Of Our Trustees, Victoria Rae | 3 |
| Letter From Our CEO, Andy Ruiz Palma | 4 |
| Our Mission, Vision And Values | 5 |
| Empowering People To Rebuild Their Lives | 7 |
| – Combining Services To Offer Holistic Long Term Support | |
| Our Achievements And Impact In 2022 | 11 |
| Our Plans For The Future – A New Strategy For 2022 - 2025 | 13 |
| Who Our Clients Are And Where Do They Come From? | 14 |
| Case Study – Françis Tells His Story | 16 |
| Our Partners – Focus On Protein Dance | 18 |
| Funding Overview Of 2021 - 2022 | 19 |
| Thanks To Our Funders | 21 |
| Reference and Administrative Details | 23 |
| Trustees’ Annual Report | 24 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 29 |
| Statement Of Financial Activities | 30 |
| (Including Income And Expenditure Account) | |
| Balance Sheet | 31 |
| Notes To The Financial Statements | 32 |
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A Word From Our Patron, Actor Juliet Stevenson CBE
In this its 25th anniversary year it has been wonderful to see how the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants has emerged from the immense challenges of the pandemic stronger, more vibrant and more attuned to the needs of its clients than ever.
2021-22 began with the joyful reopening of the Centre’s doors, with Andy and his dedicated team of staff welcoming people in after 18 months of lockdown and remote support. People were tentative at first, but soon the Centre days were thriving with the same sense of warmth and community which have always made it so unique, giving people the strength to rebuild their lives.
At the same time, I have been so impressed by the way that the Centre continued to grow and develop online classes and groups, working intensively to support people with the equipment and skills they needed to feel confident online. Now, refugees and asylum seekers can learn English and be part of the Centre’s community, joining from hotels, hostels and refugee hosts from wherever they are in London and beyond.
As I write this in the early months of 2023, refugees and asylum seekers are facing an increasingly difficult and hostile environment. Rapidly changing legislation here in the UK and protests outside hotels housing people claiming asylum are creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. At the same time, the cost of living crisis is making life for people who must get by on £45 a week or, in many cases much less, very difficult.
As ever, I remain very proud to be a Patron of the Centre which has shown such grit and determination to stand by its community throughout this extremely challenging period of history. I would strongly encourage anyone in a position to do so to offer as much financial support to the Centre as possible. With thanks and best wishes, Juliet Stevenson
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Letter From Our Chair Of Trustees Victoria Rae
It is a great privilege this year to have joined the Centre as Chair and I continue to benefit from the wisdom and experience of our outgoing Chair Victor de Waal. In the months since what strikes me without fail is the power of human connection that joins all aspects of our work. Whether in the conversations I have had or the activities I have joined, what I see is a family that welcomes our clients with compassion and respect. For those who join through our online community and those who meet with us in our physical spaces we strive to offer constancy, a trusted centre that is there for them and a place where skills, confidence and self-belief can grow.
That we can do this is testament to the generosity and confidence of our supporters who continue to stand with us. With the leadership of Chief Executive, Andy Ruiz Palma, the dedication of his team who go above and beyond and the energy and creativity of our many volunteers, the Board of Trustees and I are immensely proud of the achievements set out in this Annual Report. Together we are committed to going from strength to strength in the years to come.
We are proud to have published our new strategy which sets our ambition for the coming three years. While we have successfully come through the challenges of Covid lockdown, equally we know that the external environment is increasingly hostile and day-to-day cost of living pressures hit even harder for those who are most vulnerable. As we mark our 25th anniversary, our determination to be there for our clients and the issues they face is resolute.
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Letter From Our CEO, Andy Ruiz Palma
I am so proud to be presenting this year’s work and hope this report conveys the sense of progress that - together with our clients - we have achieved. Our work is never done but each year we learn new things and develop new ways of working. This year was no different.
Although the effects of the pandemic continued to shape the way we worked, it felt like this year we could move out of the final phase of our Covid strategy and into a fresh new stage. Looking forward, we are keen to get on with implementing our recently created strategy for 2022-25. For full details of this please see page 13.
The demand for services across the refugee sector has rapidly increased and this is reflected in our corner of it. Around 40% of our clients are destitute asylum seekers whose needs throughout the pandemic, and now post-pandemic, have perhaps been the most challenging to meet. In particular, people need support in the areas of their status, isolation, destitution and homelessness.
Every year is an opportunity to learn new lessons and carry all newly acquired knowledge and practices forward to the next. In 2021-22 we learned that our hybrid approach of online and in-person work was the most inclusive. Our online classes and groups allowed us to maintain relationships with long attending clients who would otherwise have struggled due to barriers around distance, cost etc. Meanwhile, those struggling digitally could come in-person to our Centre where they could receive support to access our digital services too.
The activities we offer, both online and in person, have emerged from demand from our clients and include English classes, our Support Service, Support Packages to people in destitution, Art and Writing, Dance Yoga, Gym, Sewing, and so much more.
We learned to trust in our own investment through the previous year. Throughout 2020-21, a tough fundraising ‘pandemic infused’ environment, we worked hard to exceed our income target and built up our reserves. We knew 2021-22 would be a very difficult year with many external challenges including the country coming back to work and a very competitive fundraising environment. We reinvested some of the reserves we had built up in continuing our Support Package offer and building a stronger team – we identified two new positions including an additional caseworker and a fundraising officer.
With an increasing number of clients and interactions we have sought new ways to manage our day to day work. We started development on a new database management system, Lamplight, to manage our work, services, activities and monitoring and evaluation.
We aim to be a positive force in the life of our clients at what is a very challenging time in their lives. As we change in response to the needs of the clients, we also see progress in the right direction for them and here in this report I hope you will feel a sense of that as you read on.
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Our Mission, Vision And Values
As part of our work to create a post-pandemic strategy in 2022, we articulated our Vision and Values for the first time.
We are proud that the Vision and Values we set out are those which have guided our work since the Centre was founded in 1997 – many of the ideas come from conversations we have had with our clients over the years.
Vision
We envisage a world where refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are integrated fully into their new communities with equal access to opportunities to progress their lives and fulfil their potential.
Mission
Our mission is to offer people the emotional support, practical tools and sense of community they need to be happy and have a decent quality of life in the UK.
Values
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Offering a warm welcome to all who come to us
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Working together to put the client first
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Care and compassion
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Respect and dignity for all
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Learning and improving our working model from our own learning
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Showing grit and determination to be here for our clients
“I really feel much better after joining the Islington Centre. In this every single person who work for Centre they are very kind and helpful. They behave with us as our family member. I love this Centre.”
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Empowering People To Rebuild Their Lives – Combining Services To Offer Holistic, Long Term Support
Overcoming Isolation
2021-2022 saw the reopening of our physical Centre following the pandemic – we were so happy to reopen our doors and welcome people back after almost eighteen months of remote provision. Every Wednesday we offered hot lunches, a safe space to relax, donations of toiletries, activities including Choir and Dance and, crucially, access to our Support Service which supports people to overcome practical problems and move forward in their lives. Out of our client base of 178 people, 120 regularly attended our physical Centre in Islington . Meanwhile, we continued to provide a rich and varied online timetable, including English classes, Art and Writing, online Yoga, online exercise classes, a book group and much more. In September 2022 we opened an additional session on a Tuesday at Christ Church. Our full timetable is available on our website.
Across the year 163 of our clients joined us regularly online in what has become a unique international online community . 83% of new clients surveyed said they feel more part of UK life after six months with us.
One client said:
‘The Centre welcomed me and gave me some warmth. I felt really welcome, from staff, from people. It was like my life kind of renewed.’
Overcoming The Language Barrier
We offer English language lessons to improve people’s language skills and to give a sense of community and connection. We strongly believe that overcoming language barriers is key to allowing people to integrate in their communities. It is extremely difficult to build supportive social networks without being able to communicate. Across the year our highly experienced English teachers taught 136 people, with classes in reading and writing at different levels, classes in citizenship, English with exercise, conversation classes and much more.
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Overcoming Poverty And Inequality
Many of our clients are homeless, sofa surfing, staying with hosts or street sleeping and all live in a degree of poverty. Our Support Service provides support, signposting and referrals to empower people to overcome and resolve issues with asylum, housing, homelessness, destitution and health. The Support Service expanded during 2022 in response to the great level of need post-pandemic. Our Support Service Coordinator became full-time and we recruited a part-time caseworker. In addition, we began the process of securing accreditation with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) and achieved level one (asylum) in the autumn of 2022 which allowed us to support people with a limited number of asylum issues and give some asylum advice. Now, in 2023 we are working towards level two which will mean our Support Service can undertake more complex casework including making asylum claims and giving asylum advice. Our team secured significant successes for many clients including: 62 people had support with housing and homelessness with 11 securing long term accommodation, 130 people had help to negotiate the asylum system with five securing refugee status.
‘The biweekly support package (£39) I received from Islington Centre has been a life saver that has saved me from depression and mental breakdown.’
To read Joseph’s full letter, please visit the blog page of our website.
Overcoming Digital Exclusion
‘I’ve had a lot of problems which have happened to me but since I’ve started coming to the Centre it’s strengthened me. Thank you for giving me this space.’
Escaping Destitution
We are incredibly proud that the Support Packages we started to send to people during the pandemic have developed into a regular system of small grants. We are very grateful to Cloudesley, Cripplegate, our corporate partners and the individuals who give so generously to make this possible. Every fortnight, we send destitute asylum seekers £15 for food. In addition, all asylum seekers who join our classes – either online or in person – are able to claim reimbursements for the cost of digital credit and travel. In 2022 we supported 79 asylum seekers with 2054 Support Packages allowing access to food, essentials, travel and digital credit, all of which are essential to physical and mental health.
During the pandemic we undertook a huge digital inclusion programme , supporting people who had never been online to feel confident with Zoom and email so that they could stay in touch with us and with other organisations. Since then, digital inclusion has continued to be a key part of our work. We provide phones and laptops to those without equipment, offer assistance by phone or online to help people use equipment and assistance with digital issues at our in person Centre days. In 2022, 147 people were supported to feel confident online.
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Escaping Health Inequalities
Many people at the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants have injuries, illnesses and trauma caused by their experiences in their country of origin or in the UK. A significant number experience chronic illnesses. We offer individualised
support where each client is allocated a ‘group leader’ who is there as a point of communication. Group leaders check in with people who are unusually absent, displaying signs of physical or mental distress or seem particularly quiet or reserved during a session. We support people to improve their physical wellbeing by offering support to access the NHS, offering gym and yoga classes online and by welcoming visiting organisations to speak to people about health issues, for example we work closely with NHS CLASH which provides information on sexual health. We also offer access to free sanitary
Empowerment
People seeking asylum have often experienced traumatic events in their country of origin and are haunted by what has happened to them. Perhaps the most important part of our work is listening to people who chose to come to us, allowing them to feel valued and regain a sense of dignity. We do this through every interaction we have with our clients, but it is especially important in our
products and other related items through our partnership with Bloody Good Period and through donations at the Centre on a Wednesday. In 2022 we supported 79 people to access healthcare for example by helping people to register with a GP, or apply for an HC2 certificate so they can access free prescriptions and dental care.
Art and Writing, Choir, Dance and
Exercise classes. These are sessions where clients can learn new skills, explore their emotions and begin to express themselves. This is crucially important to people who have experienced persecution for speaking out and may now feel like they have lost their voices. Our sessions offer people the chance to make friends and practise their English in a supportive, welcoming and friendly environment. Over the year we offered 39 Choir sessions online with Romain Malan, director of the World Harmony Orchestra, 39 Art and Writing sessions, led by our artists in residence, illustrator Jane Ray and author Sita Brahmachari and supported by a volunteer, illustrator Ros Asquith, 39 Gym classes and 39 Yoga classes.
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Our Achievements And Impact In 2022
We are committed to monitoring and evaluating our work – we want to ensure that what we are doing genuinely meets the needs of our community.
Twice a year, we ask a sample of people to fill out a survey asking questions about the level of impact we are having on their lives. Many complete the survey independently online, others with difficulties with English or who have trouble reading and writing, will work with a volunteer. We are proud to say that our latest survey showed:
82% of people felt their English had improved.
83% of people felt more empowered.
91% of people felt that the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants was listening and responding to their needs.
100% of people reported feeling that since starting at the Islington Centre their life is going in a better direction.
One client said: ‘At Islington Centre, they help you like a family. They don’t leave you halfway.’
Every new person who joins us is asked to fill out a questionnaire when they first arrive. The questionnaire asks about their circumstances including factors such as where they are living, their refugee status, whether they have a GP etc. We work with people intensively over time, in many cases for several years. Across each year, we track the positive changes we support people to make and the milestones they reach.
Looking ahead, we are developing an information management system which will allow us to create a profile of each person, with a detailed picture of how our support empowers them to move forward in their lives.
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In 2022 our work resulted in excellent opportunities for our community.
147
people were supported with digital inclusion and felt more confident online (NB. some of these people were on our waiting list and not yet registered with us)
people had support with housing issues 62
people were helped into long-term accommodation 11
people had help to negotiate the asylum system 86
people achieved refugee status 5
people started at college 30
people had the means to access food and essentials because of our 79 support packag es
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Our Plans For The Future The New Strategy 2022 - 2025
Throughout the pandemic we operated under an emergency strategy, moving quickly and growing rapidly to keep pace with what our community needed. Now the restrictions of the pandemic have passed, but day-to-day reality for refugees and asylum seekers in London remains extremely challenging. Since the cost of living crisis began we have been supporting an average of three people a week into emergency accommodation. Meanwhile, around 42% of people who came to us in 2021-22 had nothing at all – their destitute status meant they had no right to work and no recourse to public funds.
We know we need to keep adapting in order to continue meeting the very high level of demand on us. In November 2022 our Board of Trustees approved a new three year strategy focused on strengthening our organisation, building our profile and partnerships and providing the services people need to rebuild their lives. The strategy was developed collaboratively. We started with a trustee vision day and then consulted with clients, volunteers and staff to set our objectives and take us through the next three years.
Objective One
Develop a Strong Organisation to underpin the work and enable the Centre to be the best it can be.
Objective Two
Provide Activities and Services for our clients to help relieve the issues they face and enable them to reach their potential.
Objective Three
Build our profile and our partnerships to share the work we do and to increase support to carry it out.
The full strategy can be downloaded from: https://islingtoncentre.co.uk/strategy-2022-2025/
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Who Are Our Clients And Where Do They Come From?
In 2022 178 people from 40 countries used the support we offer to begin to build a happy life in the UK.
The top 7 countries of origin of our clients were:
----- Start of picture text -----
In the year 67
DRC 43%
people were
men, 110 people
Nigeria 6%
were women and
1 person was
Ethiopia 5%
transgender.
Iran 5%
Many of the
people who come
Angola 3%
have experienced
Cameroon 3% human rights
abuses, others
Turkey 3% are fleeing war
and persecution.
----- End of picture text -----
People came to us from all over London. The top 5 boroughs were:
----- Start of picture text -----
Barnet 4%
Hackney 7%
Barking and Dagenham 9%
Haringey 15%
Islington 16%
0 5 10 15
----- End of picture text -----
‘When you are experiencing being an asylum seeker or refugee it is quite challenging. You lost your dignity and your humanity. I was experiencing losing my humanity. When I met the Centre I got the sense of my humanity, my dignity, coming back.’
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Case Study
Board member and former client Françis tells his story to our Head of Fundraising and Communications, Anna Giokas.
We recently caught up with Françis, who, having first visited the Centre in 2015, now has refugee status, a place he calls home, and will soon graduate with a Master’s degree and has recently become a Trustee of the Centre. We learn about his inspirational journey.
When Françis first came to the Centre in 2015 he was a destitute asylum-seeker with a failed claim.
‘I couldn’t find a way out,’ he says. ‘I was nervous all of the time. You can be arrested or sent back.’ At that time, he had no legal right to work and had no recourse to public funds. ‘I was feeling distressed, my anxiety was getting higher every day,’ he explains.
Now, seven years on, sitting with me on a bench in the sunshine outside our Christ Church site, life looks very different. Françis has refugee status, he is studying for a Master’s degree in data analysis and he has applied for a position as a Trustee on our Board and been appointed.
What made the difference? He smiles. ‘The Centre helped me to survive. They helped me to keep on going. They helped me to dream again and to look forward again and plan again and to see there is something around the corner – that I should hold on.’
As with so many people, it was a friend who first introduced Françis to our services. ‘When I got to the Centre that first day everyone was very kind, the volunteers, the staff, everyone. There were some activities going on: reading, singing, English lessons. After I was registered they asked me to choose one of those activities and to start doing it.’
Remembering this, he laughs. ‘It is not easy sometimes for a grown man to go and do certain activities, sometimes it is a bit funny. But, when you start doing those activities, you start enjoying the moment. It is your way out in your mind.’
Over the next three years, Françis became a regular at the Centre. ‘I started to think I shall do something with my life, regardless of the fact that I was an asylum seeker with a refused case. I started planning that I would go to Uni. Those activities at the Centre put you in a state of mind where you can plan for the future, where you can say: ok, I will do this.’
Our Support Service referred Françis to a partner organisation which helped him to find a solicitor and make a fresh asylum claim and in 2018 he heard the fantastic news that refugee status was granted.
Françis continued to come to the Centre regularly – often five times a week – and in 2019 he was offered a place to study data analysis at the University of East London.
Now, he has refugee status, a place to live and he will soon graduate with a Master’s degree.
So, what next?
He looks surprised. ‘I am going to find a job,’ he says. ‘And, I want to do something for the Centre. The Centre helped me, now I want to help those people coming.’
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Our Partners
We have a strong network of partnerships with organisations locally and throughout the refugee sector. In 2023 we recruited a Referral’s Lead one day a week to support clients to access the many organisations we work with. Here we focus on Protein Dance – an award winning organisation which connects people and everyday life through dance.
A Message from Luca
‘I am very proud of the relationship that Protein and Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants have developed over the last 10 years. Since my first visit to the Centre in 2013, I have felt a strong connection with the ethos and work that Andy and his staff and volunteers have been delivering with so much passion and care, providing a welcoming, learning and creative space for everyone visiting. As an artist who strongly believes in community practice and in the social, physical and mental benefits of participatory arts, I have found in ICRM a perfect partner to start and develop important and ambitious projects for and with refugees and asylum seekers.
Together, and with the support of The Place, we have managed to establish a much loved and popular weekly dance session at the Centre and a very successful intensive performance project, There and Here. First piloted in 2015, There and Here has recently matured into a bigger project and won Community Project of the Year at The Stage Awards 2023. A highlight of the year was performing to a packed audience at The Place in April.
As a migrant myself, I am deeply connected to this work and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see the positive effects of these creative practices amongst the Centre’s service users; as their bodies begin to relax and stretch, they naturally and freely start dancing to music and let go of all their life struggles and pains. Within this safe and creative activity, participants have felt encouraged to share their traditional dances and music as well as their lived experiences and emotions,
(left - right: Luca Silvestrini Artistic Director, Protein and Ramin a client at both the Centre and Protein Dance)
which have strongly moved and provoked those who came to see them performing. I have also enjoyed seeing the start of new friendships and artistic collaborations amongst the participants and with our dance artists. With no doubt these projects have hugely impacted my artistic practice and strengthen Protein’s ongoing commitment to socially engaged art. ICRM and its people have now become so important to me, on a professional and personal level, and we are determined to continue this amazing journey together, looking at providing more creative opportunities to celebrate and empower the lives and skills of displaced people and communities. I’m so happy about the work we do together and I look forward to our next project together.’
Luca Silvestrini Artistic Director, Protein
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Funding Overview Of 2021 - 2022
2021-2022 saw a challenging external environment caused by the pandemic, the increase in the cost of living and general economic uncertainty throughout the year.
Where our funding came from in 2021-22.
Our income reduced from £436,041 in 2020-21 to £324,733 in 2021-22. This reduction of 25% was brought about by the tough economic climate, our own decision to spend reserves and because Covid grants had inflated our fundraising income to unusually high levels in 2020-21. For more details on our reserves, please see the financial statements. We have responded to the decrease by recruiting a second part-time fundraiser (two days per week) and building our profile to attract new funders with a new website and support from a freelance social media expert. Our fundraising portfolio remains strong and our supporter base is growing. We continue to see impressive results from our grant fundraising – we were recently delighted to secure a five year grant with the City Bridge Trust towards our Support Service and have similar multi-year grants with the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation, Islington Council and Cloudesley.
Our total income for 2021-22 was £324,733. This came from the following sources:
Trusts and Foundations - 85% came from grant-giving Trusts and Foundations.
Individuals - 8% came from the generous donations of individuals.
Corporate partners - 4% came from corporate partners at match funding.
Community Partnerships - 3% of our income in the year came from our community partners, this includes a wide range of organisations many of which work with our clients directly, offering experiences and support alongside donations. For example Speak Street offers English lessons and Songworks offers the chance for clients to sing and perform.
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Thanks To Our Funders
We rely entirely on the kindness and generosity of our supporters. Every single penny donated helps us empower refugees and asylum seekers to build a decent quality of life here in the UK. Listed here are the trusts, foundations and companies which made our work possible in 2021-22. There are many partners and individuals who supported our work too of course, too many to name here – and we would like to say a huge thank you to each and every supporter who makes our work possible.
AB Charitable Trust Central District Alliance Islington Community Fund (through the Action Funder platform) Cloudesley Comic Relief (London Together) Cripplegate Diana Parker Charitable Settlement French Huguenot Church Of London Charitable Trust Fulmer Charitable Trust Garfield Weston Foundation Islington Council (through the VCS fund) Leathersellers' Company Leigh Charitable Trust Lloyds Bank Foundation London Churches Refugee Fund Macquarie Group Michael and Harriet Maunsell Charitable Trust National Lottery (Reaching Communities) Not Actual Size Plan A Consultants Porta Pia 2012 Foundation Postcode Society Trust Proud to Pitch Greene King (through the Action Funder Platform) Reel Fund (through the London Community Foundation) Semble Network Ltd St Mary Islington Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation Swan Mountain Trust The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust The South Bank Centre Waylan Trust
Partnership with Plan A Consultants: We were delighted that 2022 marked the beginning of our partnership with design management company Plan A Consultants. Every week, volunteers from the award winning company based in Clerkenwell sent volunteers to support our online English classes and to our Centre to help with everything from distributing toiletries collected by the company to digital inclusion. Thank you so much to everyone at Plan A!
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Reference and Administrative Details
REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07076199
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1135205
TRUSTEES: Victoria Rae (Chair) Victor de Waal Teresa Dodgson Gladys Jusu-Sheriff Richard Nicholson Kathy Margerison
REGISTERED OFFICE:
Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants 16-18 Cross Street London N1 2BG 020 7354 9946 islingtoncentre@gmail.com www.islingtoncentre.co.uk
PRIMARY BANKERS:
The Co-operative Bank PO Box 250, Delf House Southway Skelmersdale WN8 6WT
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER:
Mr J P Foxwell FCCA FCIE independent-examiner.net 39 Enfield Road Poole BH15 3LJ
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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT
The Trustees, who are also directors of the charitable company for the purposes of the Companies Act, submit their report and the financial statements for the year ending 31 August 2022.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the governing document, the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006 and 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.
STATUS: The company was incorporated on 13 November 2009 and is limited by guarantee. The company is a registered charity (no: 1135205) and was registered on 25 March 2010. The Memorandum and Articles of Association form the governing documents of the charitable company. The limit of the members’ guarantee is £10. No provision for taxation has been made on the basis that the charitable company is exempt from Corporation Tax on its charitable activities.
PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY: The principal activity of the charitable company in the year under review was Education - Adult and other education
OBJECTIVES: The Objectives as described in the Memorandum and Articles of Association reads as follows:
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1.To advance education and relieve financial hardship amongst those seeking asylum and those granted refugee status by the provision of advice, training and support.
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To advance the education of the public in general about the issues relating to refugees and those seeking asylum.
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To advance the Christian religion by living out our love for neighbour and bringing the stranger of any or no faith into our community.
All work of the charitable company has been dedicated to the furtherance of these objectives.
BANK ACCOUNTS
The Centre’s main bank account is with the Cooperative Bank. The Centre has a savings deposit account with Triodos and no further bank accounts were opened throughout the year. The Centre has an account with PayPal in order to receive online donations. Donations are also received via Charities Aid Foundation.
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PUBLIC BENEFIT
Trustees have given due consideration to the Charity Commission guidance on Public Benefit - SORP reference 1.18.
Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants is committed to its objectives in all its activities. The principal activities, in line with the Charity Commission’s public benefit description are:
The advancement of education comprising the delivery of a range of services including: English to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, art and creative writing, dance, choir and exercise based activities in order to build confidence within and up-skill all those who access our services.
A Support Service offering practical help, referrals and guidance for clients needing help. Relief of Hardship so destitute clients have access to a range of services that help to relieve both short and long term hardship. This includes our Support Package programme for destitute asylum seekers. This helps destitute clients with essential living costs that they would otherwise not be able to afford.
Islington Centre has a comprehensive website and internet profile in order to present its work and the wider impact of its activities and services on refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. It shines a light on the struggles of its service users in order to educate the public on the issues faced by its client group.
Volunteering is a critical element in the development of a strong community and it is this which mutually benefits the wider community and the Centre. At any given time there are around 40 volunteers contributing to the work of the Centre undertaking activities as varied as preparing food parcels, supporting clients with their everyday or more complex problems, facilitating craft groups and furthering their experiences of British life through our enrichment programme.
On completing activities at the Centre many of our clients progress onto additional higher level further education courses in their chosen subject area, volunteer roles in the community or to paid employment positions. Asylum seekers who are prohibited from working are welcomed to continue attending the Centre while they await the outcome of their asylum application.
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THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE
We work to ensure positive, sustainable change for asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants.
Our Centre is a place where:
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Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants feel safe and welcome
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Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants can meet with each other and with the local community to build friendships and share stories
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Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants are supported to improve their emotional and physical wellbeing
We support our clients to:
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Be independent and empowered
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Be confident in communicating with people around them, and in a position to seize opportunities to build new skills and experiences
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Have access to income, housing, healthcare, education and a stable immigration status
We do this through providing the following services and activities:
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English language lessons
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Skills development activities, workshops and partnerships
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Crisis support to meet immediate need, including emergency grants, donations and support to access shelter
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Advice and advocacy on income, housing, education, healthcare, and supporting people to secure their immigration status
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Health checks, exercise and donations of food, toiletries and sanitary protection
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Providing a safe, welcoming space, including therapeutic arts activities
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Social and recreational activities
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Opportunities to share to help the community engage with, support and understand our clients
TRUSTEES
The trustees (who also act as directors for Companies Act purposes) who served during the year 2021-22 are as follows:
year 2021-22 are as follows: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Appointment Start | Appointment End | |
| Rev Victor de Waal Victoria Rae (Chair) Teresa Dodgson Gladys Jusu-Sheriff Beverley van der Sluis James Fletcher Edward Vargas Caceres Richard Nicholson Kathy Margerison |
01/09/10 17/01/22 21/06/12 21/06/12 21/06/12 04/10/12 04/10/12 26/11/18 14/03/22 |
Continuing Continuing Continuing Continuing 20/11/22 20/11/22 26/03/22 Continuing Continuing |
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STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES
The trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs and of the surplus or deficit for the year.
In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
-
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements, and whether the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP; and
• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for:
-
keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity; and
-
safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The systems of internal control are designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance against material misstatement or loss. They include:
-
agreement on strategy and an annual budget approved by the trustees;
-
regular consideration by the trustees of financial results, variance from budgets, and non-financial performance indicators;
-
delegation of authority and segregation of duties; and identification and management of risks.
RISK MANAGEMENT
The trustees have developed and work closely with an active risk register in order to manage any issues and to minimise disruption in the event of a realised risk.
The Centre has insurance policies as follows:
-
Employers’ Liability insurance with Markel International Insurance Company Limited
-
Public Liability insurance with Markel International Insurance Company Limited
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Directors and Officers Management Liability Insurance with Marsh Omega
The Centre has in place a Safeguarding Policy for vulnerable adults and children that it works with.
The Centre has in place a Health and Safety policy which includes a Risk Assessment.
The trustees have prepared and agreed to comply to a Code of Conduct.
27
RESERVES
Reserves Statement:
The net current assets of £216,941 comprise restricted funds of £64,901 and unrestricted reserves of £152,040. The unrestricted reserves represent 4.1 months of our total projected costs for 2022-23.
Designated Redundancy Fund:
£28,000 has been designated to a redundancy fund giving free reserves of £124,040. The free reserves element of the current assets represents approximately 3.5 months’ running costs of the expenditure budget for 2022-23.
Our Reserves Policy:
Our policy is to maintain unrestricted funds of between 3 to 6 months of average operating costs as an Operating Reserve Fund to ensure the sustainability of the charity and future delivery and development of services.
Note on Reserves carried over from 2020-21 to 2021-22:
The year 2020-21 had seen an increased income of £436,041 (compared with the 2019-20 income of £365,630) as a result of a positive response from our fundraising work including emergency funding in response to COVID:19, post-pandemic recovery and rebuilding funds. In order to maintain the recovery and rebuilding of Islington Centre and maintain a balanced budget in a time of relative growth, the trustees allocated £62,983 of the unrestricted reserves as at 31st August 2021 to the overall costs of running the Centre in 2021-22. This also returned reserves to be within the trustees’ stated policy.
This report was approved by the Board on 13th March 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
Victoria Shelley Rae Chair of Trustees
28
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ISLINGTON CENTRE FOR REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS
I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2022 which comprise a Statement of Financial Activities, Balance Sheet and related notes.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
Since the Company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of both the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Association of Charity Independent Examiners (ACIE), both of which are listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
-
the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
-
The accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Mr J P Foxwell FCCA FCIE
independent-examiner.net
39 Enfield Road Poole BH15 3LJ
Date: 13th March 2023.
29
Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 August 2022 (including an Income and Expenditure Account)
| INCOME Donations and legacies Charitable activities Other income Total income Notes 2 Unrestricted £ 81,113 589 181 81,883 Restricted £ 71,158 171,692 - 242,850 |
INCOME Donations and legacies Charitable activities Other income Total income Notes 2 Unrestricted £ 81,113 589 181 81,883 Restricted £ 71,158 171,692 - 242,850 |
2022 £ 152,271 172,281 181 324,733 |
2021 £ 223,938 210,768 1,335 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 436,041 1,469 363,177 |
|||
| EXPENDITURE Costs of generating income Charitable activities Total expenditure 3 |
- 144,866 144,866 - 240,576 240,576 |
- 385,442 385,442 |
|
| 364,646 71,395 206,254 |
|||
| Net income/ (expenditure) and net movement in funds Funds brought forward Funds carried forward |
(62,983) 215,023 £152,040 2,275 62,626 £64,901 |
(60,709) 277,649 £216,941 |
|
| £277,649 |
The Statement of Financial Activities reflects the results of continuing activities for the year.
There are no recognised gains and losses other than those shown in the Statement of Financial Activities.
30
Balance Sheet at 31 August 2022
| Balance Sheet at 31 August 2022 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | £ | 2022 £ |
£ | 2021 £ £277,649 190,023 25,000 215,023 62,626 £277,649 |
|||||
| CURRENT ASSETS Debtors and accrued income Cash at bank and in hand CREDITORS –amounts falling due in less than one year NET CURRENT ASSETS FUNDS General fund Designated fund Total unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds |
5 6 7 10 |
8,236 218,047 226,283 (9,342) |
£216,941 124,040 28,000 152,040 64,901 £216,941 |
3,425 274,224 277,649 - |
|||||
The directors are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act) relating to the audit of the financial statements for the year by virtue of section 477, and that no member or members have requested an audit pursuant to section 476 of the Act.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
Approved by the trustees on 13th March 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Victoria Shelley Rae Chair of Trustees
31
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) – Charities SORP (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.
(a) Company status
The charity is a company limited by guarantee. The members of the company are those persons included in the register of members and include the trustees named on page 23. In the event of the charitable company being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £10 per member.
(b) Fund accounting
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charitable company and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.
(c) Income
All income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charitable company is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
(d) Pensions
During the financial year ending 31 August 2022 pension provision continued with the employer’s contribution being 8% for all staff. The Centre adheres to the Auto Enrolment Scheme and is compliant with the requirements as set out by the Pensions Regulator. The Centre's pensions’ service provider is The Pensions Trust.
(e) Expenditure
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities. Governance costs, now included within charitable activity costs, are those incurred in connection with administration of the charity and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.
32
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
2. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
| Unrestricted funds | Restricted funds | Total 2022 | Total 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| AB Charitable Trust | - | - | - | 20,000 |
| City Bridge Trust | - | - | - | 30,000 |
| Comic Relief (London Together) | - | 3,778 | 3,778 | 41,205 |
| Garfeld Weston Foundation | - | 30,000 | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| Islington Council | - | 20,000 | 20,000 | 18,750 |
| Leathersellers’ Company | - | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| London Churches Refugee Fund | - | 2,500 | 2,500 | 1,750 |
| London Community Response – | - | - | - | 3,500 |
| Wave 3 | ||||
| Postcode Society Trust | - | 16,335 | 16,335 | - |
| Cloudesley – Catalyst | - | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Cloudesley – Welfare | - | 17,000 | 17,000 | 20,000 |
| Cloudesley – Support | - | 30,000 | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| Stanley Thomas Johnson | - | 17,090 | 17,090 | - |
| Foundation 2 | ||||
| Stanley Thomas Johnson | - | 19,989 | 19,989 | - |
| Foundation 3 | ||||
| Victor de Waal Book Proceeds | 589 | - | 589 | 563 |
| £589 | £171,692 | £172,281 | £210,768 |
33
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
3. COSTS OF ACTIVITIES IN FURTHERANCE OF THE CHARITABLE OBJECTS
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | funds | 2022 | 2021 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Client Activities | 4,462 | 8,006 | 12,468 | 16,679 |
| Client Hardship Payments | 26,519 | 36,601 | 63,120 | 94,646 |
| Client Travel and Subsistence | 1,582 | 1,700 | 3,282 | - |
| Governance Costs | 1,192 | 650 | 1,842 | 4,821 |
| Running Costs | 16,110 | 10,227 | 26,337 | 26,541 |
| Salaries and associated on-costs | 88,999 | 168,462 | 257,461 | 199,563 |
| Sessional Workers | 5,470 | 14,032 | 19,502 | 18,968 |
| Staff and Volunteer Development | 272 | 898 | 1,170 | 1,959 |
| Volunteer Costs | 259 | - | 259 | - |
| £144,866 | £240,576 | £385,442 | £363,177 | |
| 4. STAFF COSTS | ||||
| Total 2022 | Total 2021 | |||
| £ | £ | |||
| Salaries and wages | 221,666 | 173,401 | ||
| Social security costs | 17,446 | 12,457 | ||
| Pension costs | 17,410 | 12,842 | ||
| £256,521 | £198,700 |
No employees had employee benefits in excess of £60,000 (2021 – nil).
The average monthly headcount was 7 staff (2021 – 7 staff).
34
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
5. DEBTORS AND ACCRUED INCOME
| RUED INCOME | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total 2022 | Total 2021 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Prepayment | 3,236 | - |
| Accrued grant income | 5,000 | 3,425 |
| £8,236 | £3,425 |
6. CREDITORS AND DEFERRED INCOME
| EFERRED INCOME | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total 2022 | Total 2021 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Creditors | 1,582 | - |
| Deferred grant income | 4,760 | - |
| £6,342 | £nil |
7. DESIGNATED FUND
The trustees have designated £28,000 as a contingency against unexpected staff costs.
8. TRUSTEES
No trustee received any remuneration during the year. No expenses were reimbursed to any trustee during the year ending 31 August 2021 or 31 August 2022.
9. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
| SSETS BETWEEN | FUNDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total 2022 | Total 2021 | |
| funds | funds | £ | £ | |
| £ | £ | |||
| Current assets | 154,382 | 71,901 | 226,283 | 277,649 |
| Creditors | (1,582) | (4,760) | (6,342) | - |
| £152,800 | £67,141 | £216,941 | £277,649 |
35
----- Start of picture text -----
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS|
|For the Year Ended 31 August 2022|
|10. RESTRICTED FUNDS|
|Balance b/f|Income|Expenditure|Balance c/f|
|£|£|£|£|
|Islington Council|417|20,000|(20,000)|417|
|Speak Street fund|-|170|(170)|-|
|London Churches Refugee Fund|-|2,500|(2,500)|-|
|Comic Relief (London Together)|8,816|3,778|(12,594)|-|
|Cloudesley – Catalyst fund|1,667|5,000|(5,000)|1,667|
|Cloudseley – Welfare fund|-|17,000|(17,000)|-|
|Cloudseley – Support Service|2,500|30,000|(30,000)|2,500|
|Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation 2|-|17,090|(17,090)|-|
|Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation 3|-|19,989|-|19,989|
|AB Charitable Trust|8,333|-|(8,333)|-|
|Leathersellers’ Company|8,333|10,000|(10,000)|8,333|
|National Lottery C-19 Response - Operation|-|60,000|(60,000)|-|
|National Lottery – Reaching Communities|15,000|-|-|15,000|
|Postcode Society Trust|-|16,335|(10,900)|5,435|
|Garfield Weston Foundation|17,560|30,000|(30,000)|17,560|
|Semble Network Ltd|-|3,000|(3,000)|-|
|St Mary Islington|-|2,202|(2,202)|-|
|The South Bank Centre|-|786|(786)|-|
|French Huguenots Church of London|-|5,000|(5,000)|-|
|Charitable Trust|
|Action Funder – Greene King|-|3,000|(3,000)|-|
|Swan Mountain Trust|-|4,000|(1,000)|3,000|
|Lloyds Foundation Bank (Unrestricted)|-|-|(2,000)|(2,000)|
----- End of picture text -----
£62,626 £249,850 £(240,575)
36
Address: 16-18 Cross Street London N1 2BG
General enquiries email address: info.islingtoncentre@gmail.com
Website: islingtoncentre.co.uk
Facebook: @IslingtonCentre Twitter: @IslingtonCentre
Charity registration number: 1135205 Company limited guarantee number: 07076199