2021-03-31-accounts - Thurrock African Group

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Thurrock African Group (TAG)

Charity Registration No: 1135222

Financial Statement for the Year Ended, 31st March 2021

LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Name of Charity: Thurrock African Group Principal Office: First Floor Office, 42 Orsett Road Grays, Essex RM17 5EB Telephone number: 01375 768 233 Email: info@thurrockafricangroup.org Website: www.thurrockafricangroup.org Registered Charity No: 1135222 Trustee Members Bukky Okunade, Chairperson Adewole A Adeaga Olugbenga Lawal Independent Examiner: Adekconsulting Ltd, (Development finance and management consultants) Banker: Lloyds Bank Plc 34 High Street Grays Essex RM17 6LX

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

History, Objectives and Activities of Thurrock African Group

The trustees submit their report and financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2021. The Thurrock African Group (TAG) was established in 2003 and officially launched in March 2005, becoming a registered charity in March 2010.Thurrock African Group is a community / voluntary organisation aimed at promoting the interest of African communities in Thurrock through information sharing, soliciting tolerance, and developing projects to facilitate community cohesion and linkage with wider Thurrock community.

The objectives of the Thurrock African Group (TAG)

The Thurrock African Group’s (TAG) objectives are charitable in nature and are as laid out in the Group's constitution. The major aim of the group is to promote unity and awareness in Thurrock, including promoting African culture and values in the community. In addition to impacting Africans who live or work in Thurrock with educational, health, cultural, and social welfare needs, the group’s objectives including interacting with organisations such as Thurrock Council and other service providers in a variety of ways to ensure that all members of the local community have access to high-quality services.

The group also seeks to encourage members to get more involved in their communities by taking advantage of available opportunities for personal and community development. Participation in the governance of organizations such as schools and Clinical Commissioning Groups is such example.

Structure, Governance and Management

The charity is constituted by a constitution. It is governed by the regulation set out in the constitution and run by a voluntary trustee. The trustees are generally briefed by the Chairperson to familiarise themselves with the rules, regulations, and responsibilities of the charity. They met thrice during the year to review the activities of the charity including the approval of the annual report and accounts as well as budgets, capital expenditure and to set out the fund-raising date for the charity. The day-to-day work of the charity is overseen by the Chairperson who is responsible to and reports to the trustees. They are aware of the potential risks to the charity, both financial and otherwise, therefore, strategies are in place to control these risks. Health safety assessments have also been conducted, with a focus on covid-19 and safe working practices. Other categories being reviewed by the trustees include operational, governance, and legal and regulatory compliance.

Achievements and Performance of the Group

The Chairperson and the trustees are pleased to report an active year. TAG received a grant of £50,000 from the National Lottery (COVID-19 RESPONSE) in November 2020, which was used to purchase radio equipment’s and for personnel to operate Community Radio during the peak of the pandemic. Since then, the project has seen an increase in the number of people from the BAME community tuning in to get information and participate. During the past eleven months, more than 1000 individuals have been reached through community radio broadcasts, distributed via the internet and TAG Radio mobile apps. These were also supplemented by social media platforms such as podcasts, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

Thurrock is estimated to have a population of 24,000 Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people. Our top aim is to grow the number of individuals who regularly listen to and interact with radio programs. TAG Community Radio wants to be a source of helpful and relevant community-led information for everyone in order to continue to benefit the BAME communities. The Thurrock African Group has been at the forefront of assisting Thurrock's BAME communities in recovering from the consequences of COVID-19. We have kept the TAG community radio station running, which gives information to Thurrock's BAME populations about education, empowerment, and connecting communities to thrive.

Financial Analysis

The financial position of the Charity is portrayed in the accompanying Annual Accounts. Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities and Law applicable to charities in England & Wales require the Trustees to prepare financial statement for each financial year, which must give a true and fair view of the charity's financial activities during the year end including its financial position at the end of the year.

In Preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and apply consistently
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
State whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any departure disclosed and explained in the financial statement; (d) Prepare the financial statement on a going concern unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records, which discloses with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statement comply with the charity act 1993. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for

taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities,

Reserve Policy

It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds, which have not been designated for a specific use, should be maintained at a level equivalent to at least three months expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity's current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. The Thurrock African (TAG) Group will actively work to achieve this level of reserve.

Risk Factors

The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are confident that systems are in place to mitigate those risks.

Independent Examiner

According to the provisions of the Charities Act 2011, the Trustees agree that an audit is not required for financial; however due to this provision of the same act an Independent Examiner is required. The Trustees agreed to discuss the requirement with ADEK consultants, a knowledgeable consultant to Charities.

The Trustees approved the accounts on 20th October 2021 and signed on its behalf by:

B. Okunade - Chairperson

Thurrock African Group Balance Sheet as at 31[st] March, 2021.

2021 £ Current Asset Cash at Hand /Bank 902.79 Total Current Asset 902.79 Fixed Asset Radio Equipment 16,866 Total Fixed Asset 16,866 Total Asset 17,768.79 Creditors Amount falling due within the year 0 Net Current Asset 17,768.79	2020 £ 2,756.00 2,756.00
	0 0 2,756.00 0 2,756.00

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2021.

The financial statements laid out in this report have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by: Charities Commission issued in March 2005.

Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The charities' trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2): of the Charities' Act2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

Independent Examiner

It is our responsibility to:

Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act.

To follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions; given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b): of the 2011Act;
and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention;

Basis of independent Examiners Statement

Our examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items of disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedure undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given to whether the accounts present 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiners' Statement and Opinion

In connection with our examination no matter has come to our attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act: and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met; or to which in our opinion attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

In our opinion the financial statement as prepared give a true and fair view of the charity's state of affairs as at 31st March 2021 giving that the incoming resources and their application in the year then ended have been properly prepared with general direction given by the Charities Commissioner.

ADEK CONSULTING LTD (Development finance and Management consultants)

Signed….. ADEMOLA ADEKOLA...

KANMORE HOUSE, CIVIC CENTRE TILBURY RM18 8AD

Basis of Preparation:

The Financial Statements are prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevance note(s) to these accounts and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP): Accounting and Reporting by Charities and with preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Standard applicable in the United Kingdom

(FRS 102) issued on the 16th of July 2016 and updated on the 16th September 2016 and with the Charities Act 2011.

The Charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by the Charity Commission.

Incoming Resources

Incoming Resources represents grants donations, bank interest receivable.

The total incoming resources of the Group for the year have been derived from its principal activity undertaken in the United Kingdom and came from the following resources:

THURROCK AFRICAN GROUP INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDING MARCH 2021

Income Resources	2021 Restricted	2021 Restricted	2021 Unrestricted	2021 Total	2021 Total		2020 Total	2020 Total

Grants	50,000.00		-	50,000			2891.00
Donation/others	902.79		-	0			1261.88
Total	50,902.79		-	50,902.79			4152.88

Resources Expended							-
Staff cost/office cost	20,862.00		-		20,862		-
Radio Equipment and station configuration	16,866.00		-		16,866		-
Studio/ office rent		7,800	-		7,800		-
Facility expenses		2,213	-		2,213		-
Professional fees		1,376	-		1,376		-
Supplies/ Telephone andinternet		895	-		895		358.39
		-
Total Expenses		50,012			50,012	3,250.09

Surplus or Deficit for the year		850.79	-		850.79			902.79