1 ## **Manchester Congolese Organisation Ltd** **Directors’ report** **For the year ended 31 March 2023** Charity No: 1142798 Company No: 07564748 Crossley Community Centre 54 Crossley Street Gorton Manchester M18 8BA 2 The directors submit their annual report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023 _**Company name**_ : Manchester Congolese Organisation Ltd _**Date of incorporation**_ : 15/03/2011 _**Registered charity number**_ : 1142798 _**Registered Company number**_ : 07564748 _**Registered address**_ : Crossley Community Centre, 54 Crossley Street, Manchester M18 8BA ## _**Directors**_ Name: Angel Kaseka Kaleta Position: Company Director, Chair Date of appointment: 15-12-2019 Name: Louison K. Kangombe Position: Company Director, Secretary Date of appointment: 15-12-2019 Name: Augustin Kabeya M’Funyi Position: Company Director, Vice Chair Date of appointment: 15-12-2019 Name: Kayemba Mitenga Position: Company Director Date of appointment: 15-12-2019 Name: Monique Likoy Position: Company Director Date of appointment: 15-12-2019 3 Name: Louis Bloomberg Position: Company Director, Treasurer Date of appointment: 15-12-2019 Name: John Kayembe Position: Company Director Date of appointment: 15-12-2019 Name: Lysette Kamuanya Tshimanga Position: Company Director Date: 15-12-2019 ## _**Governing document**_ The company is operated under the rules of its memorandum and articles of association dated 18-02-2011. It is a company limited by guarantee with charitable purpose and therefore has no share capital. Overall management of the company is the responsibility of the directors who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the memorandum of articles and association. Day to day project activity is managed and carried out by volunteers. ## _**Banker** :_ HSBC Bank ## 2-4 St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7HD _**Independent examiner**_ : LOUIS BOFFY, Accountant 4 ## _**Aims and objectives.**_ The charity's object is specifically the following: To promote the benefit of the Congolese citizens in Manchester by: - 1) The advancement of education and training; - 2) The relief of poverty, sickness and distress. - 3) The promotion of good health; and - 4) The provision of recreational facilities in the interest of social welfare with the object of improving their conditions of life. ## _**Activities**_ MaCO is providing a range of services to the Congolese and wider community in Manchester. Here are some of our services: - Health Advice Services - Financial Advice - Employment Advice - Family Advice Services - IT and ESOL - Translation and Interpretation - Homework Club - Cultural Activities The company is a non-trading organisation therefore the profit and loss account is not attached. The accounts attached have been delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime. 5 The main activities of the company include: _**Socio-cultural**_ This project aims to promote the best of the Congolese culture in the UK and help Congolese people living in Manchester to learn how they can engage effectively in British culture and create a cultural symbiosis. Together as families, we can build up successful lives within the wider community in Manchester by establishing a culture of learning events (dance, music, poetry, craft activities, traditional food, and dress, etc.) and encourage the best behaviour among our children. This project reduce isolation and create opportunities for fruitful lives. This project also promotes and supports happiness in marriage and families through counselling and advice whenever possible. Due to financial constraint, this project is not functioning properly. ## _**Health service**_ The Health Service is run by the volunteers who speak English and the main Congolese and other African languages. Some have a range of health experience and cultural knowledge. We support asylum seekers and refugees needing help with accessing health care services. ## **We continue to provide:** _General advice service_ _**:**_ Drop-in sessions, appointments, workshop, and Advocacy and representations ## _Healthy living Project_ To enable MaCO members to understand the importance of Healthy Lifestyle and improve individuals, families and community Health and Wellbeing, Manchester Congolese Organisation (MaCO) has been organising workshops and advice sessions on “Healthy Lifestyle” in partnership with the Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN), Refugee Action and NHS. Service users are from different African Communities living in Manchester. They have been 6 provided with the opportunity to look at various aspects of a healthy living life through awareness of food labelling, healthy diet and exercise, wellbeing. Healthy living is an ongoing project. For the year ended March 2018, insufficient fund made it difficult for this project to run efficiently. Despite this challenge, MaCO helped other BME groups in delivering their healthy living projects, renewed its membership, and consolidate partnership with NHS – Manchester Mental health and Social Care Trust in terms of Healthy living service support. Women Health project This project promotes health and address key health issues affecting Congolese and African women in securing the preventive care and treatment they need. MaCO is still organising workshops on HIV prevention and contraception for African women. These workshops are still running in partnership with Black Health Agency and NHS. Various women health issues were discussed taking into account African cultures. During the year MaCO was approached several times by other BME communities in Manchester to support and deliver workshop in matters concerning women health issues and conferences ## _Mental Health project (wellbeing project)_ This project aims to improve Mental Health of African by providing early intervention assistance thus helping participants to take control of their mental health while some of them are waiting for an appointment from appropriate mental health services and prevent complications related to mental illness. MaCO is: 1. Raising awareness about the impact of stigma surrounding mental health problems through our advice service and workshops 2. Providing practical activities and befriending service where members could come and meet with others to socialise (music, dance, relaxations and body massage) and reduce isolation and loneliness. 7 3. Advice, Campaign and Advocacy for those with mental health problems (interpretation and representation, support in accessing health services and referral). Actually, we run this project at 54 Crossley Street. Gorton, Manchester M18 8BA Beneficiaries are Black Africans from Congo, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Somali, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Asians. Since it started, this project has promoted cohesion, integration, tolerance and diversity among people from different background. People are excited to gather and tackle common health issues. They have the opportunity to socialise, volunteer and celebrate diversity. Through this project Manchester Congolese Organisation (MaCO) had the opportunity to strengthen partnership with Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust-NHS, Black Health Agency (BHA), Manchester AfroCaribbean Mental Health Service and Manchester’s Mental Health Crisis Centre (an alternative to Hospitalisation) from which we received facilitators for our workshops and activities. ## _**Homework Club**_ The homework club was set up to help African children struggling with English language in order to improve in their schoolwork and to achieve their best at school. During this year, the homework club had regular meetings with children. Teachers have reported on the improvement on the children’s work. The children were awarded for their hard work. These pupils learnt Maths, English, French, ICT and Science. They ranged from Key Stage 1 to Key stage 4 .During the year, we have contributed a lot to the learning of children through their home works in Maths, English, ICT, French and Science and we have in addition grasped the opportunity to explain to and teach them the subjects they have been having difficulties to cope with at their schools. This project has also provided high quality learning resources for parents to borrow and use at home with their children. The aim is to increase parents' involvement in their 8 children's learning, and to support improvement in the children's attainment at school, in an area where there is little spare money for families to spend on educational resources. The Saturday Homework Club opens four times a month on Saturdays. English and Maths books, Computer software, games, puzzles, construction kits, Science activities have been provided for sessions in order to enable good pace of learning. The organisation has recruited four volunteers’ teachers to run the club. The resources are suitable for a wide age group, from six to 16 years old. Maths, English, ICT and Science activities came to the first position in terms of level of activities. We have helped 52 pupils altogether, who ranged from Key Stage 1 to Key stage 4. This, being a larger number, indicates more engagement of children and parents in all our educational activities and in respective schools. Many of our newcomers this year were brought in by their friends already members or other parents, which shows our services are commendable to the community. After collecting school reports in September, we used recommendations, targets and other individual factors to set a one-to-one progress plan with each pupil/parent and we provided learning materials to support weekly learning. 40 young people were on target with their individual homework plan as part of our one-to-one learning programme. Most of them have improved their grades at their mainstream schools and have become more and more engaged in all activities of the Homework Club. We have observed a good conducive environment based on regular attendance, getting along and increased self-confidence noticeable in most of the pupils This tells that our pupils have developed the ability to organise their personal time and work independently at home and also many parents are more actively involved in their children's education. This has also been proved effective by the students' progress charts and some mainstream school reports we collected last month. Some parents made personal arrangements to help one another in bringing children that lacked transport from areas like Salford, Blackley, Clayton and 9 Openshaw. Many of those were helpful each time we had events or off-site visits. Much of the encouragement at the club comes from the friendly and supportive atmosphere created by the pupils, but most importantly, the healthy sense of competition. As we introduced individual progress reviews on the 12th session, many of the children were determined to work towards or above their targets by seeing the success of others. The IT project in MaCO Youth Club has prompted many adult members including over 50s to seek for IT support as well, _The project outcome._ We managed to secure a suitable place where activities and teaching are taking place at Crossley Centre, Gorton-Manchester M18 8BA. We are now in possession of the required learning and teaching materials and consequently children are achieving good grades in their respective quizzes, exercises, and exams, they had the opportunity to express themselves through art activities (drawing, screen printing and clay masks), creative writing, educational debate with the objective of learning how to use persuasive language and negotiate in difficult circumstances. This project has helped to bring together children of different nationalities, faith and culture to learn and play in a friendly and informal environment. Although the background as asylum seekers and refugees may seem similar but each individual story and experience for each family is different. Being based in Gorton where local minority groups are using our services has challenged the negative belief people hold about the communities living in the area. At MaCO, people have learnt to develop assertiveness in working with or/and helping disadvantaged communities regardless of their differences. This brings hope for the future. As an example, we organised a picnic in Alexandra Park where all young people present were involved from planning the event to participating in games and diverse traditional plays. Though it was during Ramadan for Muslim children, they still came out to play while keeping their fasting and collected food to eat later. The subject was discussed among other children with understanding for how people's faith affects their lifestyle 10 and behaviour. Some parents came to help and took part in the games. Many children have developed healthy friendships among themselves while parents, volunteers and teachers get along well and work as a team. There is an increased awareness for healthy choices and mental wellbeing through the health workshops we had this year. Through partnership work with MRSN and MSSN, our children celebrated cultural diversity with other refugee groups and supplementary schools. Having a space allocated to this project is an outcome in itself because young people are not confined in their houses in isolation but look forward each Saturday to meeting their friends and have fun while completing their homework. Many parents have testified how their children put pressure on them to bring them to MaCO Youth Club on the days they were reluctant to do so. This project is sustaining some students that are currently attending failing schools. Even if we are currently working in collaboration with Manchester City Council New Arrivals, Travellers and Exile; we need to strengthen our working relationship with the BME representative at the council for exchange of information. We will continue to build on the successes of this year and secure more funding for running costs of the project. BBC Children mainly fund MaCO Homework or Youth Club project in need. ## **Pupils’ attendance** Since the beginning of this year and particularly during this first term, we have recorded a satisfactory level of children’s attendance. We have enrolled 52 children in total from various ethnic backgrounds from different communities and the average attendance varied between 70% and 80%. Even so, this achievement of attendance is made easier with the contribution of parents, as some of them always thrive to escort their children to the sessions every Saturday. We as the organisation, view this contribution from parents as encouraging because it portrays good faith on their behalf. 11 ## **Volunteers’ contribution:** We carried out the work as planned thanks to the team of committed volunteers with a variety of backgrounds. Five volunteers have been invaluable help in assisting the pupils and maintaining good behaviour during activities and off-site trips. ## **Challenges** Financial constraint is still a serious challenge for this project. ## _**Financial Advice and Employability Project**_ MaCO financial advice services aim to train people especially those from ethnic minority in order to fit in the British society, become valuable assets wherever they choose to work, cope with everyday life circumstances and reduce financial dependency on welfare benefits. We organise conferences, drop-in sessions and training to equip our members with the basic numeracy, literacy and money management skills. We provide practical help and techniques of efficiently using the financial products to reduce the costs and improve the quality of life. The financial advice services worked as usual. Dropin sessions and training were delivered and were financially supported by Ernest Cook Foundation. ## _Employability_ The aim of this project was to help our organisations’ members and volunteers to improve their skills in job searching (searching and selecting a job online or on newspaper, coping with interview questions, personal development planning and setting deadlines for a progress review, training the jobseekers how to use the internet for employment opportunities, sending e-mails, using Microsoft Word, identifying local employers, related industries and identifying transferable skills, writing appropriate CVs in order to draw an employer’s attention and get a job, writing a generic or job specific cover letter to accompany a CV etc. ) and maximising their chances for successful job 12 applications and get back to work. We have helped volunteers interested in the teaching field to develop a scheme of work for their learners in the youth club such as organising and drawing up a session plan from the scheme of work in order to remain within the timeline of teaching program. The project proposal had three objectives: - ➢ Develop good practice on how to successfully do the job search, perform and remain loyal to work. - ➢ Develop a sense of self confidence and esteem. - ➢ Acquire new skills and knowledge on how to cope with different employment issues. - ➢ Being able to integrate into the society, reduce isolation, and create opportunities for fruitful lives. These objectives have been achieved. During the time of this project, some of the beneficiaries already developed newly acquired skills and successfully applied for jobs in various fields. Trainees demonstrated how good they became in the writing of CVs, cover letters, online job searching, filling of application forms and coping with interview challenges. In other words, they have just become more employable. MaCO’s members have benefited and will keep on benefiting from different workshops and drop-in sessions in the employability sector. Financial advice and employability project was funded by Hilden Charitable Trust for the year ended March 2018. ## _**IT over fifty’s project**_ Since October 2014, MaCO has introduced IT training and support for over fifty black and minority people male and female including refugee and asylum seekers in Manchester with difficulty adapting to the lifestyle in the UK because of Language barriers as many are either asylum seekers or refugees with little or no English language, generational and technology gaps, limited education or no qualifications amongst most women and unrecognised qualifications among men which has limited their employability. Cultural shock has limited 13 many from establishing relationships with neighbours. Some have long-term health conditions which restrict their mobility and knowledge .This project was funded by People’s Health Trust and is running in Moss Side Manchester 1. The project is providing IT skills to our over fifties to help them catch up with the new world and give them a better chance in life. 2. Involving the over 50s in the delivery of the project by consulting them and providing them with volunteering opportunities. 3. The project will increase employability 4. The project will reduce isolation and loneliness and promote inclusion, cohesion and improving the quality of life of older men and women. 4. By reducing isolation the project will help maximising the opportunities to improve over 50s' health .Consequently will help increase life expectancy. This project was funded by People’s health trust and still running effectively. ## _**MaCO Advice Project**_ The main purpose of this project is to deliver benefits health checks, income maximisation advice, energy efficiency advice, debt advice and housing advice. The overall aim of the project is to have a direct and lasting impact on fuel poverty among Congolese including refugees and asylum seekers by helping them to achieve affordable warmth. The project will do this by providing: 1/ Benefit heath checks and debt advice in order to maximise people's income. We will help people complete benefit application forms and advocate on their behalf to challenge decisions or speed up payments. We will prepare income and expenditure sheets to enable customers to see how their money is being spent, set up realistic payment plans, apply for charitable grants, and negotiate with creditors to effectively manage debts. 2/ Energy efficiency advice and support to access grants and other measures which will help reduce fuel consumption. As an integral part of our advice service, we will provide personalised advice and information in order to improve energy 14 efficiency in their households. 3/ Housing advice, to ensure families are living in accommodation which is the right size for their needs and in the best possible state of repair, in order to minimise fuel usage. Actually, this project is running on voluntary basis. _**Providing warm space amidst rising cost of living**_ Offering warm spaces to people during winter amidst rising costs of living in the UK can have a significant positive impact. Firstly, it ensured the health and wellbeing of the elderly population, who are more vulnerable to the cold and its associated ailments. Providing a warm space can helped prevent hypothermia, respiratory problems, and other cold related illnesses, reducing the strain on healthcare services. Moreover, offering warm spaces alleviated financial pressures on people by reducing their heating costs. As energy prices continue to rise, many older individuals may struggle to afford adequate heating, forcing them to choose between warmth and necessities like food and medication. Access to warm spaces helped alleviate this burden, ensuring they can remain comfortable and healthy during the winter months without sacrificing other essentials. Additionally, providing warm spaces helped combat social isolation among people. Cold weather often limits outdoor activities and can lead to increased feelings of loneliness and depression. By creating warm community spaces, individuals were encouraged to interact, socialize, and combat the negative effects of isolation. In summary, we offered warm spaces at Crossley Street Community Centre,54 Crossley Street- Gorton to people during the winter and this helped to enhance their health, alleviate financial pressures, combat isolation, and promote overall well-being, providing a vital lifeline amidst the rising cost of living in the UK. People were from Gorton and surroundings, men and women, refugees and asylum seekers. 15 ## _**Rising costs of living**_ 1.We helped families, singles and older people asylum seekers and refugees to reduce food shortages by supplying African food items that aren't readily available in food banks but constitute the native staple diets. 2. We provided warm clothes to those in genuine needs 3.We provided general advice including financial (Budgeting) and information translated in French, Lingala, Swahili, and Tshiluba languages to increase access to mainstream and specialist services. ## **Additional support received.** - ➢ We participated into training and also received an information toolkit and links to help improve our governance and projects management. - ➢ We contributed into workshops and shared our learning and experience through Good Practice get together organised by Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN),Refugee-Action and Data Hub surveys - ➢ The knowledge acquired from training and information sharing via data hub helped us manage efficiently other projects and services we are providing. 16 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF MANCHESTER CONGOLESE ORGA.ryISATI0￿, (M4CO) I rqx)rt on th¢ n￿OUnts of Manchesier Congolese Organi￿tIOn (Maco) for the year ended 3110312023 Respective rdponslblutles of dlreetori tx*mlner The directors are responsible for the prepara¢ton of the accounts. The directors consider that an audit is not required for this year under stttion 14412) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 act) and that an independent ¢xamin81ion is needed. It is my responsibility to: Ex￿nIne th¢ a¢￿U￿1 under section 144 of the 2011 Act: To follow the procedure laid down in the general DweCim)￿ given by the Charily cotnmission Under section 145(5) of the 2011 Aci. and To slate wheiher the particular mitters bavc to my attention Basls of Indepettdtnt etsminer's report My eJamina(ion w&8 Carried out in accordance with the General Direaion given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes 4 review of the accouniin8 rttords kcpi by the charithble Organisation and A comparison of the accounts presented with those rffords. It also includes ¢on5idcrdtion of any unusual iiems or disclosurcs in the accounts. and s¢¢king explanaiions from yuu as directors or trusl¢¢s concerning any such matteTS. Independent eumlner's statement In cortnectjon with mv examination. no rnatter coThr to my Attention: {1) Which gives me reasonabl¢ ¢aus¢ to b¢liev¢ that in any material respect the requirernent: To keep accounting recoT¢Ls in accorda￿¢ wilh seciion 386 of the company Act 2(XMfj. To Prepare account8 With accord with the accounting records. Co￿]Y with the accouniin8 requirement of Section 396 of th¢ Companies Act 2006 and wilh the methods and principles of th¢ State￿￿nt of recO￿llne￿ded Practice.. Accountmg a￿1 Reportin8 by Charitable Organisation5. Hove not been nKI: or (2) To whicty in my Opinio￿ attention Should be drawn in order to enable a proper nder5tanding of the accounts io be reached. Name.. Louis Boffy Sign.. Date.. 0810812023 Addres5: 9 Dean Court. Kmgsioll Roa& KT5 2ET Rclevant professional qualification or E*)dy. AAT MANCHESTER CONGOLESE ORGANISATION LTD STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES AND BALANCE SHEET STATEMENTOF FINANCIAL A￿1VITIEs FO8 THE YEAR ENDED 3110312023 UNRESTRICTED RESTRICTED FUI TOTAL 2023 TOTAL 2022 INCOMING RESOURCES Charltable Artlvltles Donations Other Income 54.046.56 54,046.56 115,219.IXI 635.IX¥ 4,675.IXI 635.00 Members Contribution Balance brought forward 88,106.00 88,106.00 90,099.110 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCE 635.00 142,152.56 142,787.56 209,993.IXI RESOURCES EXPENDED Cost5 of Generating Funds Charitable Actlvlties Governance Costs TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 500.00 NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 135.00 FUNDS ATTHE END OF YEAR 135.00 51)0.00 83,023.00 83,523.IXI 121,886.58 83.023.1)0 59,129.56 59,129.00 83,523.00 121,886.58 59,264.56 88,106.IYJ 59,26&56 88,106.00 Approved by tru5tee5 on the 3110712023 and slgned on thelr behalf bv: The Chairperson The Treasurer KA6EJ- A- MFJttyi L fyLooM 6&4 18 MANCHESTER CONG NLTO BALANCE SHEET FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 8ALANCE SHEET YEAR ENDED 3110312021 2023 2022 Tangible Assets Equipments Acc depreciation 26,679.00 3.334.00 23,345.1)0 30,519.(KJ 3,840.IXJ 26,679.IKJ Current A$￿ts Bank Cash in Hand Total Asset 35.919.56 61,427.TrJ 59.264.56 88.106. Less Current Liabllitles Net Asset 59.264.56 88,106. Total Assets 59,264.56 88.106.00 Funds Unrestrlcted Funds Restrl¢ted Funds 635.IXI 58.629.56 35,681. 52.425. Total Funds 59.264.56 88,106.(M) For the period ending 31 March 2023 the company was entltled to exemptlon from audtt under section 477 of the Company act 2006 relatln8 to small companies The members have not required the company to obtaln an audlt of Its accounts for the year In questlon In accordance with section 476 The directors acknowled8e their responsibilities for complying with the requlrements of the Act wlth respect to accountln8 records and the preparation of ac¢ounts These accounts have been prepared In accordance wlth the prov151on5 applicable to companles sublert to the small companles re￿me Approved by the trustees on the 3110712023 and slgned on thelr behalf by: The Chalrperson The Treasurer L @)LooMb&L4 19 Cost of charltable actlvltles 2023 2022 Stat￿nery and Admlnlstratlon Volunteers Expenses Telephone and Internet Wa8es Repalr and Malntenance 8ulldlA8 Refurblshment Travel Expenses 1.055AJD 17.430.th) J29 1.212.C(I 18.520.C 183.34 21.780.00 3.W.IXI 1.4SS.QO .zzo.00 23,890.fA) 4.225.(XJ 18.225. 15.120.LX* & !! Publicity and Advert Consultants Covid19 Communlty Subslstence Gas Computers, Printers and Tvs Legal and Professlonal Depreclation Refreshment and Sundry expenses 2,19).00 ijfy). #.100. J90. 3.810.LX) 2.3rKI.CKI 4,220. 428.61 650.1￿ 15.160. JJ34.r I1￿20. 83￿￿3.00 3.840.ct) 10.752.61 I21￿6.56 Tan￿ts1• Ass•ts The Covid 19 pandemlc has had some costs Imparts In the operatlons of our or8anlsatlon. During the year 2020- 2021 and 2021-2022 we Incurred hlgh costs of flxed a55ets acqu151tlons to enable us cope wlth the government lockdown scheme and Isolatlon. These fixed assets namely. the computers. tablets, printers, mobile phones and other related equlpments have enabled us to re501ve the challenges of remote work. vldeo ¢onferen¢es. communlcatlon. the education of our home work club's puplls. and the Isolation wlthin our community. T•x•tlon The companyls a charlty and therefore no taxatlon provision Is required W•8es and Staff Costs Wages are allocated accordin8 to the fvnctions of each staff member and therefore, form part of tralnlng c05t5 and charltable expenditure, as appropriate. Wages are directly paid to the sessional workers consldered as contractors to Maco. Ch•rlt•ble Artlvltl•s The operatln8 costs include staff costs. rent and other related costs. All costs 20 are allocated In the actlvlties In furtherance of the charit15 objects and other costs. Most costs incurred by the organisation are directly attrljutable to individual artlvitles. Where costs are not directly attributable to particular activlties, they are apportioned pro rata to the total dlrert costs of attivities or, In the case of shared offlces costs, on the basis of the space occupied. TOTAL TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 2023 2022 Big Lottery {Award for All) BBC Chlldren in Need Room Hire Income Uoyd Foundation Lloyds Foundatlon IDCM5} MSE Charity T545E Cooperative Manchester BME Net Manchester Clty Councll Bauer Radio Senova Fademe Ball Bal of Grant Greater Manchester GMCVO CMMH Greater Manchester People Health Trust Manchester Clty Council Taekwondo Members Contribution The Neighbourly Foundation Balance brought forward Total 9,996.00 5,IMI.IyJ 4A91.56 2250.iXI 9,998.Crf) 35,540.Q) 30,WJ.¢J) 3.039.¢XJ 6.350.IYJ 440.( 4,975.C(I 360.&) 338. 9.685. ,044.tyJ 4,975. 165.cil 19,717.CiJ 635.fLI 4,675. ,099.1 54,681.56 IS9,$38.C4J 21 Basls of preparatlon of flnanclal statements The accounts (financial statements) have been prepared In accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice Accountlng and Reporting by Charitles preparlng thelr accounts In accordance wlth the Flnancial Reportin8 Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in October 2019 and the Flnancial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charitie5 Art 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Practice as It applles from l January 2019. The Charity is a company limited by guarantee. The members of the company are the Trustees named on page three. Fund accounting General funds are unrestricted funds which are avallable for use at the dlscretlon of the Trustees In furtherance of the general objects of the Charlty and whlch have not been designated for other purposes. Designated funds comprlse unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Tru5tee5 for partlcular purposes. The aim and use of each desl8nated fund Is set out In the notes to the financial statements. Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with speciflc restrSrtlons Imposed by donors or whlch have been ralsed by the Charity for particular purposes. The cost of raislng and administerlng such funds are charged against the speciflc fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out In the notes to the financial statements. Incomlng resources All incomin8 resources are included In the Statement of Ftnanclal Activities when the Charity is le8ally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantlfled wlth reasonable accuracy. The followlng specific policies are applied to partlcular categories of income. Voluntary income Is recelved by way of grants. donatlons and glfts and 15 included In full in the Statement of Financial Artlvlties when receivable. Grants. where entitlement 15 not condltlonal on the dellvery of speclflc pertormance by the Charlty, are recognlsed when the Charlty becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant. Donated services and facllltles are Included at the value to the Charity where this can be quantifled. R•sources expended All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basls and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to actlvitles. Where costs cannot be directly attrlbuted to partlcular actlvltles they have been allocated on a basis conslstent wlth the use of the resources. Tan8lble flxed assets and depredatlon 22 ## _**The company’s policy on reserves**_ When creating a reserve policy, we are particularly interested in creating a pot of money that is available to cover gaps in funding – cash flow and meeting costs such as volunteer transport allowances. The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirement of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of account. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime. Manchester Congolese Organisation would like to thank the following Organisations for their support during the year 2022/2023 BBC Children in Need Big lottery (Awards for All) People’s Health Trust Hilden Foundation Lloyds Foundation Manchester BME Network GM GMCVO Manchester City Council CASC Manchester 23 Many thanks to our members for their continual support, and we thank to every individual supporter and other local organisations who have been supporting us during the year 2022-2023 The directors declare that they have approved the directors’ report above. Office Contact Details: **Crossley Community Centre** 54 Crossley Street Gorton, Manchester M18 8BA Tel: 01615469926/ 07951425054