2023-04-05-accounts

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Association for the Polish Family PYZA

Annual Report

2022/2023

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Our Chair of Trustees report

For so many who had to bear the direct challenges of the pandemic in their lives, it will always be difficult to put Covid-19 behind us. Covid-19 has left a nasty legacy of issues that our clients are still dealing with.

The 2022 it’s been a year which has been totally dominated by the Ukrainian war and cost of living crisis.

In the headlines we’ve read and listened to the news of war and price hikes. It’s affected the way we live, the way we learn, the way we connect with one another, the way we look after each other, the way we work, the way we shop, the way we travel, and sadly the way we die and say goodbye as so many Ukrainian guests in UK learned that the hard way. It’s been a year that was impossible to imagine beforehand.

At the start of this year, we knew Polish Family Association had an incredibly important job to do and that we could not let Ukrainian people down. We knew we had to rise to the challenge to support those people who needed us the most. You helped us to do that. But we know we’ve still got a long way to go as hundreds of people struggle to ‘bounce back’ in the aftermath of the pandemic, war and the cost-of-living crisis.

We’ll continue to be there and to rise to that challenge and thank you for your continued support. We also realised that the whole charity is at its best when working with others and when we look for opportunities. There are now many opportunities for us to help those clients who need us the most and we will grasp them now with renewed energy.

Please think about volunteering, or fundraising for us, or perhaps making a donation to our food bank or the Ukrainian Hub, to carry on supporting community and help us all to put crisis behind us.

Kamila Dyczko

Association for Polish Family PYZA Chair

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1. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY AND ITS TRUSTEES

Association for Polish Family PYZA presents the following report and accounts with the independent examiner’s report for the financial year ending 05 April 2023.

1.1 THE ORGANISATIONAL AND DECISION MAKING STRUCTURE

Management Committee

PYZA’s trustees for the period 2022/23 were:

Kamila Dyczko Chair Andrzej Adameczek Treasures Francesca Godding Secretary Gillian Naomi Martin

Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Management Committee can coopt members.

1.2 REGISTERED OFFICE

Registered Office Address 66-72 High Street, SW19 2BY, Colliers Wood

Operations New Horizon Centre South Lodge Avenue, CR41LT

CEO S Szczepanski

Website www.polishfamily.org.uk

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1.3 CHARITY STATUS & PUBLIC BENEFIT

Association for Polish Family PYZA is a registered charity (No. 1143505).

The trustees have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charities Commission.

1.4 ADVISORS AND STAFF

CEO: Slawek Szczepanski

Family Support: Aneta Olszewska, Milena Rosa, Maria Tsyhan, Ruslana Sokolovska,

Ukrainian Hub: Julia Gorytska, Volodymir Partesa, Tatiana Koklova, Anatolii Poplov

Accountants: Toppoint24 Accounting Services Ltd, 74 High Street Colliers Wood, SW19 2BY, London.

Bankers: Cooperative Bank

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2. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

PYZA’s governing document is its Constitution.

The governing body of the Charity is the Management Committee, which comprises of 6 trustee members. Trustees are from voluntary organisations based in, and/or offering a service in Merton, whose membership or area of service is targeted towards Polish community in Merton.

All members of the Management Committee retire together at the end of the Annual General Meeting but are legally entitled to be re-elected or re-appointed.

The Committee receives regular reports on all aspects of PYZA’s work and meets formally at least three times a year. A General Purposes Sub-Committee meeting is called at any time to consider urgent matters of business. The main responsibility of the Management Committee is to formulate PYZA’s business and strategic plans along with the annual budget and regular financial monitoring.

Internal Controls

The Trustees have overall responsibility for ensuring that PYZA has an appropriate system of controls, and also responsible for ensuring that the funds belonging to the Charity are applied only in furthering the objectives of PYZA. During the year the Management Committee have received regular financial and management reports from the Co-ordinator and an annual review of PYZA’s polices and procedures.

3. Aim & Objectives

Association for Polish Family aims are: ‘to promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the London Borough of Merton and surrounding area, in particular but not exclusively Polish citizens, by the advancement of education and training and the provision of recreational facilities in the interests of social welfare, financial hardship or social circumstances with the object of improving their conditions of life’

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4. General Performance

Program of Activities

General advice and support
Community Fridge
Children & Family Clubs
Ukrainian Hub
Community Champions
Home Office: EU Settlment Scheme, HMCTS, Windrush Compensation Scheme

Activities throughout year

Family celabrations – Easter, Mother’s Day, Halloween, Mikolajki, Christmas, Orthodox New Year

General advice & information - we provide advice and support in the fields of wellbeing, education, health, social and economic deprivation. We offer a full range of services with the overall aim of preventing the worsening of members’ circumstance and to enable selfsufficiency.

Practical support – we help to ease some of the stress that our members may experience by offering to undertake tasks that they find difficult for example phone calls, writing letters, help with transport. We also providing access to resources that would otherwise be difficult to access due to language barrier, such as playgroups, children activities and family events.

Community Fridge – in partnership with Sustainable Merton and Commonside Development Trust we offer Community Fridges spaces where anyone can access free, quality food that would otherwise go to waste, connect with others, learn about the environmental impact of food, and share knowledge and skills. Our fridge mainly supports Polish and EE members experiencing financial difficulties or crisis, and offer access to food provision over a period of up to 6 or 8 weeks.

Ukrainian Hub – Polish Family Association (PFA) and Commonside Trust set up the Ukraine Refugee Hub based in the New Horizon Centre, in the east of the borough in Pollards Hill. PFA advisers provide face to face and telephone support in key areas, to help settle in, four days a week with at telephone service on Fridays. The most frequent requests at the Ukraine Refugee Hub have been for help with obtaining a National Insurance Number, opening a Bank account in the UK, acquiring the Biometric Card from the Home Office, help with food and English classes (ESOL). Over 50 people are enrolled on English (ESOL) Classes, held two days a week at the Hub and run in partnership with Merton Libraries. There is a weekly programme of activities in addition to the advice service, details are in the Merton Ukraine Refugee Hub Leaflet we have created.

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We want PFA to be locally recognised for doing the impossible, for finding everything needed for people who have nothing, with no regard to politics.

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And so, this is what we and good people around us did:

We sent 19 trucks and three vans of practical aid from London to Poland .

After they had received, sorted and repacked the donations and made assessments as to where it could best be used, this is where it was sent:

And this is where they sent some of it on to in Ukraine:

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Poznan, Poland where we delivered aid – ‘Arena’ – literally – an indoor sports arena.

Fifteen van- and car-loads of help including Easter gifts for children at Roman and Orthodox Easters, clothes, underwear, canned goods, instant food, baby food, pasta, tea, coffee, pet food, cat litter, pet carriers and sleeping bags. What they couldn’t make use of was put to one side and then sent on to Ukraine with love.

Ukrainian babies born in ‘Polna’ Gynaecology and Obstetrics Hospital, Poznań

Sixty women in their later stages of preganancy were collected from near the border with Ukraine and brough to this hospital by special coach. Ten shipments of baby layette items, ie nappies, baby wipes, pre-sorted clothes, prams, pushchairs, strollers and carry-cots were delivered to the hospital unit so that the Mums could have everything they needed when their babies were born. By mid-April, 58 Mums had given birth and one had had twins!

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lir4 Page 10 of 24

szprTAL KLINICZNY 15 1thSJ5 PotrAh4 JC &IClIli Page 11 of 24

Łukasz and his colleagues maintained close contact with the hospital and provided them with what was needed for the Mums and babies. When they were ready, the Mums were moved to Dopiewo district , outside of Poznań (but still in Wielkopolska). This relatively small district is now housing over 1,000 refugees. Łukasz and colleagues have delivered five truckloads of mixed aid, have sorted and delivered donated clothing as needed and divided up larger deliveries so that they matched the needs on the ground.

Slawek visited Dopiewo and met the Mayor, Pawel Przepiora, and his colleagues, in April and again in late May.

It soon became apparent that whilst much was needed, it wasn’t all needed at the same time or in the same places, so Łukasz and colleagues at Dopiewo Social Aid set up the Konarzewo Warehouse, not far from Dopiewo, for the safe and hygienic storage of aid.

This warehouse distributes to those in need within a 100km radius of its base. Goods are sorted and stored and those that are of more use to people in Ukraine are transported eastwards. Goods were also sorted and stored in Tarnowo Podgórne district in the same region, whence the were transported onwards to a medical centre in Kamianets Podilskyi (Western Ukraine, Khmelnytskyi Oblast) and from there to a hospital in Kyiv region.

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Polish Association for the Protection of Hedgehogs – „Nasze Jeże”

Polish Animal Shelter specialising in rescuing hedgehogs.

With Magdalena from Jeżonauci, the group has rescued 11 hedgehogs from Kyiv and Kharkiv, evacuated puppies and kittens and delivered 2,000kg of pet food. Of his cooperation with Magda, Łukasz says:

I started to cooperate with Magda Lorenz, the chairperson of [Nasze Jeże], because she helps both people AND animals. Her sensitivity for human suffering is also crucial. Not one stage of transport is ever wasted – we fill empty cargo space with additional human aid destined for Ukraine. This allows us to save precious time, reduce costs and diversify supply chains.

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There are further projects also supported in the region: 40 refugees staying with a Religious Order in Lubon, 20 refugees staying in a home for single Mums, and 300 in Żerków Tourist Centre, south-east of Poznań.

Support for people in Ukraine

Igor Kharhalis of Dinmark Fasteners plant, a part of Ukrainian Steel Construction Centre in Lviv, has transpormed his warehouses into an aid centre, receiving five truckloads and 12 vans of aid from the West, purchasing eight pick-up trucks and using them to deliver aid onwards to further destinations and putting together survival packs for civilians and reservists.

Hospitals in Lviv and Pokrovsk

Supplies have been delivered to both these locations. Pokrovsk hospital lies on the road from Donetsk to Dnipro – a key strategic line. Aid is being delivered by trucks, vans and other couriers according to where it is needed, including some unsafe areas.

Yavoriv volunteers and their families

Volunteers in Yavoriv have worked so hard that their own children have missed them at times – they too have made sacrifices during this war – and many have also had their homes bombed. Igor made sure that all of the 25children of volunteers in Yavoriv received special Easter present to let them know how much they too are appreciated.

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Activities in Merton

From mid-June 2022 there were just under 400 refugees from Ukraine – adults and children in the London Borough of Merton under the different visa options. Merton - the local council - has been speedy and effective in response to the crisis – one of the quickest responses in London if not in the country. They set up a working relationship with Polish Family Association (PFA) and Commonside Trust to set up the Ukraine Refugee Hub based in the New Horizon Centre, in the east of the borough in Pollards Hill. PFA advisers provide face to face and telephone support in key areas four days a week with at telephone service on Fridays. Additional support for UK-based host families and in providing cash support is provided by Wimbledon Guild, also in partnership with the Council. The most frequently requests at the Ukraine Refugee Hub have been for help with obtaining a National Insurance Number, opening a Bank account in the UK, acquiring the Biometric Card from the Home Office, help with food and English classes (ESOL). 50 people are enrolled on English (ESOL) Classes, held two days a week at the Hub and run in partnership with Merton Libraries. There is a weekly programme of activities in addition to the advice service, details are in the Merton Ukraine Refugee Hub Leaflet we have created. Funding has been provided by Merton Council as a part of the Government’s Ukraine programme.

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We are particularly proud of our integrated craft sessions held weekly with other local seniors, and the fun we have all had with Kamila Dyczko creating Easter and Spring decorations.

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New Ukrainian life in-borough

Our first Merton Ukrainian baby was born at the end of March – baby Mark.

A second baby was also born in the borough and their Mum was interviewed on the BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-london-61314106 .

Wonderful sponsors Bookmark contacted us in March about providing books and school equipment for every refugee child arriving in the borough. They went away and fundraised phenomenally , returning in May with delightful boxes for the children we support, all of whom are now registered for and attending local schools.

Here are some photos of the delighted families when the Bookmark angels returned with gifts.

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Health Community Champions – Merton & Wandsworth - with PH Merton and PH Wandsworth we run champions programme with the aims to address and promote healthy living and well-being by building on the skills, experience and knowledge within local community. Volunteers from Polish and EE community are recruited to become Community Champions. Champions benefit from the opportunity to undertake free accredited training in topics such as Understanding Health Improvement and Mental Health First Aid, as well as the opportunity to develop skills and experience and have fun. Community Champions play a vital role in supporting and also connecting local people with local healthcare services and much more.

Health Inequalities programme – Merton & Wandsworth – with PH Merton and PH Wandsworth we run a community development activities that facilitate community dialogue with the health services and provide a channel for statutory services to hear, understand and respond adequately to the health needs of Eastern European communities. Our pilot received recommendation and endorsement for future funding from Mark Creelman, Executive Locality Director Merton and Wandsworth, and Dr Dagmar Zeuner, Director of Public Health London

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Borough of Merton, to continue the engagement with Polish/EE community on health care matters, to give the communities an opportunity to voice their opinions on the areas of health care that matter to them, it also allow health care providers/facilitators to gain a deeper understanding of cultural issues and practices.

Hate Crime surgeries and 3[rd] party reporting centre for Eastern Europeans – we are integral part of Hate Crime Strategy which sets out our commitment to tackling perpetrators of hate crime and identifies how we can support victims. Our advice surgery offers a safe space to discuss hate crime and guide members how to report it anonymously. Members of the Polish and EE communities can get free advice with no appointment necessary. The surgeries are being held over the phone on the second Tuesday of every month, midday to 1pm.

European Settlement Scheme – Home Office - we are providing, on behalf of Home Office and WeAreDigital, immigration service following a Brexit referendum in 2016, all EU/EEA citizens or their family members, to continue living, working, and studying in the UK after it leaves the EU, must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). The service is available Monday to Friday, appointment through Home Office call centre is necessary.

HM Court & Tribunal Service – this service provides Digital Support to users who are facing barriers in accessing digital platforms to fill out online forms for HMCTS’s justice services. This service supports those who are not confident filling out online forms or may not have access to online services. The Digital Support service aims to resolve the barriers that prevent people from accessing HMCTS online, enabling them to receive an experience equivalent to those who do not encounter these barriers.

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5. Financial review

The Committee receives quarterly financial reports for the purpose of ensuring that there is proper monitoring and control of finances.

5.1 Accounting Policies

Accounting convention

These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice: “Accounting by Charities”), revised in 2005.

Incoming resources

Income resources from grants, donations and contributions represent the amounts receivable in respect of the year. Grant income is deferred where it has been received in the current year, but relates to a project which takes place in the following year.

Charitable expenditure

This relates to expenditure made for the achievement of the objects of the organisation. Expenditure includes an apportionment of staff and office expenses where it is appropriate to do so.

Grants

The charity administers grants on behalf of public bodies or other agencies and is not itself a grant making body.

Fixed Assets

Fixed assets owned by PYZA include IT equipment and a minibus intended for transporting children and older members of the Ukrainian community.

Governance costs

These include all expenditure not directly attributable to the charitable expenditure accounts in the financial statements.

Voluntary Help

A considerable amount of time is expended on the charity’s activities which is donated free of charge. It is not possible to quantify the value of time given and accordingly it is neither recorded as donated income nor as an expense in the accounts.

Restricted Funds

Where income has been received with conditions attached, which are more specific than the general objectives of the charity, it is allocated to a restricted fund. Subsequent expenditure of this income is charged to the restricted fund as it is incurred.

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Financial report

The overall budget for our organisation for the financial year 2022 – 2023:

	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total funds £	Last year £
Incoming resources
Charitable activities	-	235,972	235,972	153,018
Individual donations	12,268	-	12,268	-
Total income	12,268	235,972	248,240	153,018
Resources expended
Charitable expenditure	-	174,580	174,580	103,745
Asset and investmentpurchase	-	44,550	44,550	-
Total resources expended	-	219,130	219,130	103,745

Net incoming resources	12,268	16,842	29,110	49,273

Funds brought forward	35,235	63,703	98,938	49,665
Funds carried forward at 5th of April	47,503	80,545	128,048	98,938

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Approval This report, which has been prepared in accordan with the General Direction given by the Charity Commission, has been considered by Committee and signed by the Chair on its behalf Kamila Dy¢zko (Chair, Trustee) 16 January 2024 Page 24 of 24

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENfjLAND AND WAtES ASsocM0 FOR THE POUSH FMLY-PYZA- 1143505 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Forthe period To LEm4f2022 0510412023 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds RÈstrioled funds Endowment nds Tolal lunds L•styg•r tothE $t£ ioth• MJrut£ tothe nBirest£ totho nweste A1 R•eelpts Community Fnth32 Crowdfvnaing Inthwdual DaOn$ Jv¥tGIw LB Merton LB W8naAty1h London Commurtity FourthlvJn mert Givi 20.075 1$9 20,075 159 12,Z68 4,853 46,238 112se 4.853 ,50D 23.2$0 20,080 24.188 39,500 23,250 9.600 24,1 39,500 15.5 2,178 VlfimtrAedon Four811 Sub total(Gross income for ARJ 11268 235.972 153,01B A2 Asset and investment Sales Sub total 12.268 235.972 248.240 153.018 A3Pa mènts Administs¥b Comtnunty Insuran 3,137 3,137 7.765 1,912 1,153 4.32$ 1.912 1,153 4325 othqUIneI Re Staff costs Ukrainisn Ame 3.743 1,470 B7,785 8,218 103,745 122,674 31.614 174580 122.674 33,614 174.580 Sub total A4 Asset and invesbnent urcha8es.18¢e tsblel Com uter e ment Mlnlbu8 ¥S50 44,550 44,550 Sub total 219.130 219.130 103,745 Net of receipts/(payments) AS Transyors beknveen funds A6 Cash fund$ last year end Cash fvnds thls year gnd 12.268 16.842 29,110 49.273 35.235 47,503 63,703 80,545 98,938 128.048 37.230 86,503 CCXX R1 a(uwnts Issi

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricied funds Restricted funds Endowment funds to neart£ ategories Details 81 Cash fvnds 47,503 Total cash funds 47.503 80,545 $11 Unrestrfcted fvt)ds Res¢td fund8 to nearest£ Endowment funds Detal NIA to neovest£ Fwid towhkh Curr•rtv•luo WA Fur¥JtowhKh ¢tt (OOnall rt•n¢v8lu? onal Detsll$ B4 Assets rataingd for the ¢harity'$ own use 44550 Fund towhkh WhEn due Detslls B5 Liabiliti8s Signed by one ortssr trustees on bÈhaWof all ts trustegs S¥Jnatu int Namè Date of I¢AMILA DYCZKO ANDP2EJ ADAMECZEK CCXX R2 accounts ISSI

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the Association for Polish Family PYZA I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Association for Polish Family PYZA for the year ended S April 2023. Responsiblllties and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the account5 in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Att 20111'the ACV). I report in respect of my examination of the Trusvs accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Art and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions 8iven by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)Ibl of the Act. Independent examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to mv attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act: or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. 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 account5 to be reached. Signed.. Name: AMELIA (GB) LTD 76 HIGH STREET COLLIERS WOOD LONDON, SW19 2BY 31 January 2024