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
## **Partners:**
- Merton Council
- Home Office
- Wimbledon Foundation
- London Community Foundation
- ICS Merton and Wandsworth
- South West London St Georges NHS Trust
- Merton Connected
- Commonside Development Trust
- WeAreDigital
- Sustainable Merton
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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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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.
Page **22** of **24**
## **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**|
Page **23** of **24**
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 F*MLY-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 W8na*Aty1h
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
$11
Unrestrfcted
fvt)ds
Res¢t*d
fund8
to nearest£
Endowment
funds
Detal
NIA
to neovest£
Fwid towhkh
Curr•rtv•luo
WA
Fur¥JtowhKh
¢t*t (OOnall
rt•n¢v8lu?
onal
Detsll$
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