OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator. This document is also available as Markdown.

← Societylinks Tower Hamlets

2024-03-31-accounts

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets Annual Report 023-2024 WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR You

Contents

Foreword from the Chair 2
Project Manager’s report 2
About SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets 3
SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets in 2023/24 5
Outcomes at a glance: 2023/24 6
A year in figures: what we’ve achieved 6
Financial statement 7
Community services 8
Training hub 11
Women’s services 12
Youth services 14
Staff, Management Committee and volunteers 18
Partners and funders 19
Annual accounts 20

~~1~~

Foreword from the Chair

It has been an honour to serve as the chairperson for SocietyLinks during the last year, and I can honestly say that the organisation has gone from strength to strength, having a wonderful year.

We have seen the launch of some new and exciting projects such as KitchenLinks as well as welcoming new starts and beginning new partnerships with a local women’s refuge.

Our main success this year has been our secured funding for longer term projects as we all know how difficult it is now in the charity sector to secure sustainable funding.

I look forward to another exciting year with SocietyLinks as we continue to build bridges and break down barriers for those facing multiple disadvantages. We will continue to work in partnerships with other sectors and continue to secure even more longer term funding, so a lot of the services that we delivered, will not only be of a high standard, but will meet the needs of those participating in them.

Big thanks goes out to all the staff and volunteers that make SocietyLinks what it is today.

Sharon Barbour

Project Manager’s report

The last year has been another busy and productive year, we have been focusing on stabilising our income to enable the security of our projects and staffing contracts.

I am happy to report that we have three multi-year contracts with LBTH as well as a five year grant with City Bridge Trust which has strengthened our position to try to gain accreditation with an awarding body.

We hope to begin the process of becoming a Trusted Charities Accredited organisation in the coming year.

We will continue to pursue our fundraising targets for existing services and projects as well as new identified needs in the community.

Joyce Archbold

~~2~~

About SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets is a vibrant community-based charity located in a community building on the Whitechapel Peabody Estate. Our mission is to address the needs of underprivileged local residents through creating opportunities and providing practical support. Our projects and services aim to empower local people to achieve tangible, positive change in their lives and those of their families. Our vision is to be a sustainable pillar within the community, providing ongoing services for all residents and developing innovative, new projects to meet the changing needs of the local population. We aim to engage with local residents and build their confidence, capacity and wellbeing. We want to show them the wealth of opportunities around them and how they can connect with these. SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets works in partnership with other organisations to maximise our efficiency and output. We deliver services across the borough from a variety of venues and reaching out to neighbouring boroughs.

Core values

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets actively challenges discrimination and welcomes residents from all sections of the community regardless of their race, gender, disability, sexuality, religion, and political and cultural beliefs.

The core values of SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets are as follows:

  1. We value the residents of Tower Hamlets as an ethnically diverse community with rich experiences and high human potential.

  2. We aim to support residents to:

  3. a) Help them, one another, to live more fulfilling lives by securing better futures

  4. b) Live healthy lives in a safe and comfortable environment

  5. c) Participate in the life of the community

  6. d) Take part in education, training, and recreation opportunities

  7. e) Secure decent housing, employment, and an adequate income.

3. We endeavour:

A brief history of SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets was established in 2010. Its founders were passionate about offering opportunities to disadvantaged people in the local community to help support them to achieve better outcomes for themselves. The service began with the delivery of

~~3~~

youth services and English classes for beginners and was run wholly through the time and efforts of dedicated volunteers. This enabled SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets to develop a foundation within the community and start applying for funding to increase its services and deliver other projects to meet the needs of the service users. Over the years the services have developed according to the needs of the locals and SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets is now a firm pillar in the local community.

Legal status

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. The management constitutes two directors and a Management Committee made up of 11 members with an appointed chairperson, secretary and treasurer. A list of all Management Committee members can be found at the end of this report.

Constitution

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets’ constitution sets out the following objectives:

  1. To advance education and training for people in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets

  2. To reduce unemployment in such ways as may be thought fit

  3. To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society

  4. To promote equality and diversity for the public benefit by, for example:

  5. a) Eliminating discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religion

  6. b) Advancing education and raising awareness of equality and diversity

  7. c) Promoting activities to foster understanding between people from diverse backgrounds

  8. d) Conducting or commissioning research on equality and diversity issues and publishing the results to the public

  9. e) Cultivating a sentiment in favour of equality and diversity.

  10. To advance in life and relieve the needs of young people through the provision of:

  11. a) Recreational and leisure activities provided in the interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life

  12. b) Support and activities to develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.

  13. Such other charitable purposes for the public benefit as are exclusively charitable according to the laws of England and Wales as the trustees may from time to time determine

~~4~~

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets in 2023-2024

This year saw the launch of many new projects including our KitchenLinks programme, newly funded Mayor’s Community Grant projects, and services for under 5s and girls and young women funded by City Bridge.

We worked with many partners over the year, including the NHS on the ‘Be Body Positive’ initiative and Diabetes UK with staff and volunteers taking part in the One Million Step Challenge to raise awareness and understanding of diabetes.

SocietyLinks’ summer programme was very busy with several projects running simultaneously from various sites and we celebrated Christmas in style with multiple events for all our service users. We continued to run Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programmes across holiday periods and these are still as popular as ever.

A year in figures: what we’ve achieved

Between April 2023 and March 2024:

~~5~~

Outcomes at a glance: 2023/24

~~6~~

Financial statement

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets ended the 2023/24 financial year in a stable financial position with new longer-term funding in place and a stronger reserve position, as demonstrated by our annual accounts.

We have continued our pro-active fundraising strategy – through our strong community connections and responsive planning we access funding for projects in line with the dynamically changing needs of the community continued to increasing our annual income year on year despite the funding difficulties faced by the entire charity sector during the Covid pandemic and beyond.

We have increased the size of our reserves in line with our increased operating costs due to running more projects; we have sufficient reserves to maintain a minimum of six months of our existing services in case of a shortfall or delay in income from grants.

Longer-term funding

We have multi-year funding in place for most of our larger projects having successfully applied for long-term grants to financially secure our existing large projects and to start more large projects, which has led us to provide new and existing services to new communities further away from our centre. We have always recognised that long-term a a funding is key to giving our service users and skilled staff confidence in BSsites/ issscass :[seeseee][ ,] our service continuity. This has enabled us to build trust and long-term 1) relationships with new and existing users of our services.

The charity funding environment continues to be under great pressure as we move towards a post-Covid world where the lasting cost of the pandemic is continuing to constrain public and private funding for the charity sector. Similarly, the cost-of-living crisis is impacting all sectors of society; it is constraining funding availability while causing the needs of service users to grow rapidly. We already have funding in place for most of our projects in the medium term and we are confident we can access further funding to secure the longer-term provision of our existing services.

Forecast

In 2024/25 funding will continue to be a priority and challenge for SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets, as is the case for the entire charity sector, particularly considering the difficulties of the post-Covid funding environment where the costs of the pandemic are still being counted by all sectors of society. Alongside this, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis is beginning to acutely affect our service users who are amongst the hardest hit.

We are confident that given our successful performance, specifically through the pandemic period, funders will feel confident to support us even more despite the tightening funding environment.

We aim to further consolidate our position while continuing our expansion into other community centres and service areas through taking on larger-scale and longer-term projects. Our financial aim for 2024/25 is to secure larger, multi-year grants of between £80,000 and £200,000 across three-year funding periods to finance for our long-term projects and to give the organisation longer-term stability and consistent growth.

~~7~~

Community services

Job Club

The Job Club is an ongoing, core service with a steady flow of new people attending. We were able to provide help with writing CVs and personal statements, interview practice, sending people to job fairs, and providing volunteering opportunities for those who were looking for experience. Many had successful outcomes with job applications and have secured employment in various roles in schools, nurseries and other professions.

Better Jobs

Better Jobs continues to support people to find better employment and career prospects for themselves. It offered training such as short courses for individual development as well as group training for continuous personal development. Many individuals have secured more hours, more senior roles and higher pay due to supported training and completion of qualifications.

Digital Divide

We have focused on equipping individuals within the Older People’s Club to gain the skills and confidence needed to navigate everyday technology such as smartphones and laptops. Our efforts have provided valuable insights into using these devices effectively, enabling participants to integrate technology into their daily lives and overcome the lack of confidence with and knowledge of technology associated with older people. We have worked to help those in the group feel comfortable using the internet for essential tasks, such as checking the weather, accessing on-demand news updates, and navigating social media platforms like WhatsApp. With our guidance members of the group have learnt to use applications to maximise their benefits. In addition, we have supported individuals in becoming proficient with online websites and services that enhance their day-to-day activities. For example, we have provided training on using the NHS app for health monitoring and medical appointments, as well as guidance on grocery delivery websites like Tesco for those with mobility challenges. These efforts aim to empower individuals to embrace technology, improving their independence and quality of life.

Over 50s Group

Our funding for the Over 50s Group from L&Q came to an end in December this year, but we were very fortunate that LBTH Mayor’s Grants fund saw how valuable the service was to the community and agreed to = ul _ Na)? . a Be 1 o- } ws fund the service. The programme offers residents digital support, access to gardening activities in the Swedenborg orchard, exercise sessions and other social activities. The ra = 7- attendees enjoy their arts and crafts and a game of bingo, as well as conversing and enjoying each others’ company. They attend events as a group and we held a Christmas party for them at Raines House with special guests.

~~8~~

Fisher Foods

Fisher Foods continues to run as a foodbank service resourced by London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) foodbank service and the Felix Project. The deliveries vary each week but we are seeing more and more = Lew families coming to us for help. The support is very much appreciated by the families, especially those with elderly members and young children. mera

The service is run by a group of our committed volunteers who receive the deliveries, sort and arrange the food, and distribute food parcels to the local residents.

During the holidays we also accept food boxes from the Mayor of London’s Take and Make scheme. The boxes come with recipes and $0 ingredients to cook a meal for a family of four to five. The boxes usually contain fresh fruit and vegetables and offer a healthy hot meal for families. We distribute approximately 90 to 120 of these boxes each holiday.

Insanity Fitness

Insanity Fitness on a Tuesday evening is a very popular session with frequent demands for additional sessions. The session is aimed at men aged over 18 years and aims to increase their general fitness and strength through resistance training exercises. The session is run by a qualified instructor who is passionate about helping people to make better choices in t | life and improve their wellbeing.

Diabetes UK One Million Step Challenge

Staff and volunteers took part in the Diabetes UK One Million Step Challenge to raise money and awareness for a condition that affects the majority of our local residents. A total of £700 pounds were raised to support this amazing cause.

King’s Coronation

We held a traditional street party to celebrate the new King’s Coronation with lots of treats and refreshments, as well as local traditions such as jellied eels, which was a new experience for many! All residents were welcome to join in and we had a wonderful range of ages and backgrounds attend. It was a lovely event for the whole community.

~~9~~

Christmas 2023

Christmas 2023 was celebrated with a community party at Stockholm House with Santa’s grotto and gifts for the local children donated by ELBA and UBS as part of the annual toy appeal. Families enjoyed popcorn and hot dogs and took part in festive games and competitions. We also had separate events at Raines House for our older people’s group and our under 5s, which were a great success. The parties were visited by a local team from the British Transport Police who sang Christmas carols and joined in with the dancing.

KitchenLinks

This year saw the launch of the KitchenLinks programme, which offers online cooking classes for families every week via Instagram Live, as well as budgeting sessions and support with pre-ESOL and numeracy.

KitchenLinks is hugely popular with as many as 30 families joining the cooking session each week. A selected number of families receive the ingredients to cook with and there is a rotating waiting list for this. The recipes are chosen to be healthy, adaptable and budget friendly. Each meal costs around £7 and feeds a family of four to five people. We also focused on making homemade alternatives to popluar high street fast food chains to reduce the amount of money families were spending on takeaways and to raise awareness about healthy choices.

Gardening

Our community garden programme launched this year. We took time to clean and restore the community garden and put in growing boxes, which we have allocated to residents. Everyone is very excited about starting to grow in their boxes in the coming months.

We also started our orchard project called ‘Eat not, waste not’, which focuses on reducing food waste and the impact of waste on the local environment. It facilitates the use of hot bins to compost food waste and the mulching of green waste. Reisdents have volunteered to help out and we are running workshops and sessions in the orchard to help others understand what they can do to help.

~~10~~

Training hub

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets partnered with training providers to deliver Childcare Level 2 training and ESOL courses. Both courses were popular and saw many individuals gain their first qualifications.

Pre-ESOL

Our Pre-ESOL sessions are in high demand. Due to their success we continued to run these sessions this year after securing some funding. We have a waiting list and have two cohorts running consecutively.

The sessions have had amazing outcomes including progression onto ESOL, confidence in speaking, enabling independence and communication, and the gaining of first literacy skills for many individuals.

Staff training and development

We had a staff away day hosted by an external consultant who encouraged the team to talk about visions for the organisation, revisit the original ethos and mission, and also strategise for the future. It was a great day that generated many ideas from staff and volunteers on ways to improve the service and the organisation as a whole. The team enjoyed coming together, seeing all their collegues and spending time with each other.

We continue to support our Business Management Apprentice, who is working towards her Level 5 qualification. We have another member of staff who will start her Youth Work qualification soon. Three others staff members are currently working towards their Childcare qualifications.

All staff continue to receive their statutory training including safeguarding refreshers, first aid and other areas such as equality and diversity training and health and safety refreshers.

~~11~~

Women’s services

Stay Smart, Stay Safe

Our ever-popular women’s group continues to run every Thursday with continued funding from LBTH under the Mayor’s Community Grants. The project invites guest speakers, including the local Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) who visit regularly and deliver workshops and discussions on different issues around safety in the local area. Women are able to ask questions and talk about their concerns or things that they have heard about happening locally. Rumours can often lead to fear and misconceptions among residents and the SNT help to dismantle these with facts and case studies.

Attendees have formed strong supportive networks that cross over faiths, cultures and age groups. The women enjoy a craft activity each week, while participating in an informative workshop. They have painted canvases, and have enjoyed embroidery, weaving and textile design.

The workshop topics have included learning about safety within the home, domestic violence, heart conditions and signs and symptoms for women, the menopause and understanding its impact and choices available, cervical cancer awareness and celebrating motherhood, parenting and being a carer.

Drug awareness workshop

The local community support officers visited the SocietyLinks centre to deliver a workshop to promote drug awareness. It provided the women, particulaly those who are mothers, with valuable knowledge about the dangers of substance abuse that they and their children could face, early warning signs, and available resources for prevention and support. It empowered

them to make informed decisions, protect their families, and foster open communication with their children about the risks associated with drugs. Additionally, it created a supportive environment where participants could share experiences, seek guidance and connect with local services, contributing to a healthier, more resilient community.

Sewing

Our sewing session is a hub of creativity where attendees are now supporting each other to create amazing items from scraps of fabric and reused textiles. The group created a cover for a local family’s fabric bed base, which had been ruined due to damp conditions in the house. After thoroughly cleaning the bed she told the group that she could not get rid of the stains

~~12~~

and it had become an eyesore, but she was not in a position to replace it. The group worked together to make removable covers for her bed frame to make it look more aesthetically pleasing and be easy to keep clean. The group has also designed storage bags using fabric scraps and put together different items of clothing to make new items.

The project not only provides a space to create and recycle, but the support that the women receive from each other is invaluable: they teach each other and share skills. Many find the sessions therapeutic because they are able to have open discussions about things that may be bothering them without feeling pressured.

‘I love coming sewing every week. It’s so nice to see everyone and we always make something crazy each week. I can’t really sew much but I love watching everyone and learning. It’s so good. You leave the session smiling every week.’ Juheara

Girls’ Group

Girls’ Group at SocietyLinks continued this year with increased popularity and evident progress among the attendees. The weekly sessions combine creative activities and informative workshops. This structure incorporates discussion around an educational topic of interest alongside an activity for the girls to look forward to.

The creative activities aim to engage the participants and pique interest in developing new skills. Through guided demonstrations the girls have HER learnt how to do a range of crafts, such as crocheting bags and painting on different mediums such as glass, silk and other materials. They have also been shown how to make desserts, model clay, make stationary and other creative activities that are currently trending or popular. These activities give the girls access to resources to further their creativity. It also allows them to bond with other attendees of similar ages and a interests, encouraging teamwork and community solidarity.

The informative workshops focus on societal and personal issues that young girls face within the community such as body positivity, mental health, bullying, puberty, safety and other dilemmas that young females are dealing with, tailored to their age. The workshops create a safe environment for girls in the community to speak openly and freely without judgement, and we can provide them with support, advice and professional guidance.

The participants are aged between eight and 16 years and the sessions welcome up to 30 girls weekly. The sessions are important for community improvement and have sustained popularity with regular attendees over 6 years.

International Women’s Day

This year International Women’s Day focused on empowering women. We had guest speakers from SNT and Women’s Network who spoke about the help and support services available. The women shared food and made their own hand lotions. It was a lovely occasion celebrating our strong women and giving them the recognition they deserve.

~~13~~

Youth services

Youth club

This year’s youth club offered weekly sessions filled with engaging activities such as pool, PlayStation, workshops, art and crafts, and science projects. Local young people appreciated having a welcoming environment where they could unwind and connect with peers, while accessing support from qualified youth workers. Tailored workshops addressed issues relevant to young people, and referrals were made to external organisations when needed.

The club particularly targeted 10-16 year olds, providing them with opportunities to participate in activities independently with their friends. The sessions played a significant role in reducing isolation during out-of-school hours. Parents expressed confidence in the programme, knowing their teenagers were in a secure and supervised space.

One of the highlights of the youth club was a planned 10,000 step walk to Regent’s Park. The group planned their route and monitored their steps and calories burned during the walk. It was the first time that many young people had walked so far and they all felt very proud of themselves after completing the walk.

The youth club held a Bake Off Challenge, which was an amazing event showcasing the talents of the young people and their passion for learning new skills and baking. They worked in teams to decorate their own bakes, which were then judged by two visitors. The event was a lovely way for young people to try new things and be creative.

NHS Be Body Positive

Our young people were asked to take part and support the design of a new NHS initiative to address disordered eating. They took part in consultations and gave feedback as well as suggesting the name for the website. It was a great programme to be part of. We all learnt a lot about disordered eating and we heard from our young people about how they feel about their bodies and the factors impacting on their self image and body awareness.

City Of London Youth Service

Our partnership with the City of London continues to deliver exceptional services for children’s play. This included one weekly outreach session and two centre-based sessions at Golden Lane and Portsoken for two distinct age groups. A popular addition to the

~~14~~

programme this year was a girls’ group, which happens on Friday afternoons and has been very well received.

Themes for our activities were chosen to resonate with young people and included topics such as substance misuse, body confidence, social media, and broader issues including Black History Month, environmental awareness and current affairs.

The girls’ group asked for a make-up course so we ran a six-week course with a qualified beautician who delivered workshops on skincare, make up application, and other tips and techniques.

We also delivered HAF programmes throughout the holidays as well as trips and events including Christmas parties and summer community fun days.

We were funded to create a booklet to make access to information and services within the City of London easier for residents and visitors. The booklet is a lovely, easy-to-read resource, which has been widely shared across the borough.

Taekwondo

Through our taekwondo sessions, young people continued to develop confidence and achieve gradings, while participating in structured workshops and personal development activities. The sessions were run by youth workers alongside trained taekwondo masters, ensuring comprehensive support for attendees.

This year we welcomed new participants, including young women and SEND students, into the programme. Older participants took on mentoring roles, helping to build their leadership skills and personal growth.

Boxing and self-defence We secured funding from Hargreaves Foundation to deliver boxing and self-defence classes for our young people. The popular sessions were delivered by qualified coaches.

Saturday Sports

Saturday mornings in the park became a hub for children aged 8- 12, who took part in youth worker-led sports activities as part of the Saturday Sports programme. Participants engaged in football, cricket, basketball and other games that enhanced their health, fitness, and teamwork skills.

These sessions provided opportunities for children to learn, practise and refine their skills, while enjoying the company of their peers in a supportive setting.

Study Support

Our Study Support programme caters to children and young people at different stages of their academic journeys, offering targeted assistance. For 8-12 year olds, a weekly session led by two qualified teachers provided a structured environment with worksheets and tasks for those without homework. GCSE maths preparation was offered for 14-16 year

~~15~~

olds identified as struggling, delivered through focused sessions led by a specialist tutor. Additionally, an online maths tuition service was introduced for 15-18 year olds preparing for GCSE and A-Level exams. Delivered in one-to-one or paired formats, these sessions offered personalised teaching time.

Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme

During the school holidays, we delivered our HAF programme, providing a mix of fun activities and meals. The sessions included football, table tennis, cricket, art and crafts, writing competitions, and more, giving children an enriching and safe way to spend their holidays. With access to qualified youth workers, children felt supported, and the programme provided a much-needed safety net for vulnerable families by offering free meals and supervised activities.

Stay-and-Play Sessions

Recognising the need for services supporting parents with children under five, we introduced stay-and-play sessions following feedback from the community. Many parents had reported feeling isolated after the Covid-19 lockdowns, which had also affected their children’s socialisation.

Led by an experienced play worker, these sessions were carefully designed to provide meaningful play opportunities for children while offering guidance and reassurance to parents. Participants praised the sessions for their inclusivity and positive impact on mental health, with parents highlighting the quality of the development resources used.

The sessions included taking the toddlers on nature walks in the orchard and planting sessions during which they were able to get messy in the outdoor environment and learn about the nature around them.

Science Week

The young people took part in many different science experiements, which was a lot of fun for all, including making lava lamps, which were very popular. Young people enjoyed the exciting side of science and applying and sharing some of their knowledge to the tasks that we set up for them.

~~16~~

Summer Project 2023

The Summer Project consisted of three separate programmes this year. We had our mainstream HAF programme delivered from Swedenborg Gardens, a SEND HAF programme focused on targeted sports activities delivered from the Limehouse Youth Centre, and an Eco-Arts Project based at SocietyLinks.

All three programmes were hugely successful and we celebrated the end of all the prgrammes with two big community BBQs.

We worked with more than 200 young people across the summer and supported 15 young people on our young volunteers scheme, through which young people were able to gain work experience across the different sectors of our organisation.

We had visits throughout the summer from the SNT, police horses and the British Transport Police to support our programme delivery.

RainbowLinks

RainbowLinks, with its new funder LBTH, offered integrated services for young people with SEND, as well as continuing with monthly webinars with experts and guest speakers to support parents and carers.

We have started a designated session to support our SEND cohort with homework and youth activities and all sessions are now equipped to welcome young people with additional needs.

~~17~~

Staff, Management Committee and volunteers 2023/24

Staff

Project Manager: Joyce Archbold Deputy Manager: Rahima Khanom Finance Officer: Nozmul Hussain Finance Assistant: Mohsin Amin Office Manager: Mahira Yasmin Youth Work Manager: Natasha Freya Youth Work Lead: Joynul Ahmed Youth Worker Lead: Syed Ahmed Tutor: Sultana Begum Tutor: Heather Smith Project Worker: Bulirun Nessa Project Worker: Rita Rahman Porject Coordinator: Hasina Begum Project Assistant: Ruksana Begum Admin Assistant: Nusrat Begum Youth Worker: Farhana Kadir Youth Worker: Betina Wembo Youth worker: Madihah Khan Youth Worker: Tara Maria Rathour Youth Worker: Aneesah Rahsid Youth Worker: Samad Hussain Youth Worker: Antoine Louis Youth Worker: Ambia Begum Youth Worker: Shah Ahad Early Years Leader: Pipeta O’Brian Project Worker: Sayra Khanom Project Worker: Shana Khatum Project Worker: Shozwana Khanom Project Worker: Shanaz Begum Project Worker: Genia Leontowitsch Sports Worker: Yasir Hyder Sports Worker: Sayek Khan Sports Worker: Jumera Chowdhury Sports Worker: Ashraf Ali Sports Worker: Abjol Miah Media Support: Sajia Hussain

Board of Trustees

Chair: Sharon Barbour Treasurer: Alex Kind Secretary: James Ford Trustee: Rahima Khanom Trustee: Nicole Quotromini Managing Director: Joyce Archbold

Volunteers

Ian Roberts

Shozwana Begum Asma Begum Jaheda Aktar Samid Ahmed Yasir Hyder Ayesha Gulzar

Noushin Begum Shana Khatum Khalida Khatun Jannat Ahmed Shajeda Aktar Mariam Ali Ujjwala Dasgupta Habiba Khatun Foyzur Rahman Ameer Alyaas Saima Khanom Zahra Salam Theo Isaaq

Accountant

Earl and Grey Accountants: Razaul Kabir

~~18~~

Partners and funders

Partners

Peabody Housing Association London Borough of Tower Hamlets Tower Hamlets Homes East End Homes Pollyanna Theatre School Linkage Plus ELBA Prevista Training London Training Centre Jobcentre Plus Savage Words Wapping Youth FC Ocean Youth Connections Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park Community Food Enterprise Team DJB Taekwondo Island House St Mary’s Church Sundial Centre Incy Wincy Playgroup London Learning Consortium JTP Architects Swedenborg Society Wates Group Citadel The Felix Project

Current funders

London Borough of Tower Hamlets Tower Hill Trust Wakefield Trust Peabody Just Fact Global Charities Cripple Gate Foundation East End Community Foundation ELBA City of London L&Q London Community Foundation Seven Stars Foundation City of London – City Bridge Trust Hargreaves Foundation Wiiliam Wates Memorial Trust People’s Health Trust Trust For London British Science Association

~~19~~

Reg No. 07750061 Charity Reg No: l154824 SOCIETYLINKS TOWER HAMLETS Financial statements for th¢ year ended 31 March 2024

SOCIETYLINKS TOWER HAMLETS NTENT Page Charity Information Independent Examiners, Report Income and Expenditure Account

4 Balance Sheet Management Committees Report (Intluding Public benefit Statement)

SOCIETYLINKS TOWER HAMLETS Name ofor anisation: SocietyLinks Toiver Hamlets Corres onden¢¢ Addre55: The Whitech8pel Centre 80 John Fisher Street London El 8JX Tel: 020 7702 0901 Chair erson; Sharon Barboyr Treasurer: Alex Kind ru5Lee Joyce Archbold Nicole Quatrominl James Tr'ord Rahlma Khanom Inde ndent ExAminer: Earl & Grey Aecountanls Suite 1412G DocklAnds Business Centre 10-16 Tlller Ro#d London E14 8PX Banker: NAtw¢st PIC Plai5tow Branch 386 Barklng Road London EII 8JB

SOCIETYLINKS TOWER HAMLETS Ii)J¢wLn(ILllE l..X<1111 iner's Re 31 si March 202 ori ti) Ihc "I'rLI%ILe.%lManaLTreillenl CoiiiniiiieL l()r Ihe -.￿e1￿r ei The financial slalements laid out in this report or page 3 10 i have been prepared under the historical cost Gonv¥ntion and in ac¢orddnc¢ with the Siatemeiil of Reconimended Practice, Accolinting aiid Reporting by Charities Conimission issued in Mar¢h, 20()* and applieable A¢¢ounliiig standards and the Charities Act 1993. Res )onsibilities Ilic Ti'ustee%lM:IH' eineiit c.oiii iliiiiee As the Charity's 1'rustees. you are respi)iisible for thc pi'eparation of the accounts aiid that you corssider the audit reqiiireinenrs of Seciion 43(•) of tl)e Charities Act 1993, this act does iiot apply. It is our responsibility to examine the financial statements undcr section 43(3) (a) of the 1993 Act. follow the procediires laid down in the &Feneral directions giveii by the Charities Commissioners (linder seclion 43(7)(b) of thc l ()93 Act and- Ilasis of IndL LiiidLI)f fi.¥Jin iiiei'$' Slliteiiieiil Tl)L examination ot the accounts was ¢aNied out in PAccordunc¢ with general direction giv¢n by the Charity's Coinmissioii¢r. The examination inclLides: review of the accounling records k¢pl by the Charity. A comparison of the accounts presented with tliose records made available. 11 incliides coiisidcratioii ot any uniisual items if disolosures in the accounts. Finally. making explaiialions from you as Trustees concerning any sucli matter5 relating to the account8. The examination also incllides ex&minatioii of any $uch matters of evidcnce I'elevaiit lo the account of disclosurc¥ in tjio findncial statements. It includes assessm¢nt of the si&inific&nt estimatcs and judginents made in the proparation of tlie finiincial slalciiienls. aiid ot wliethei. th¢ a¢countiiig' policics are appropriule lo Ilic charity's cii'cumstaiices Loi)sislcntly applied aiid adequately disclosed. I'he pi'oc¢diires Undertaken do noi provide all the evidLiice thal would be requireLI in un liudit and conseqLicntly I do iiot express an audit opinion on thc view given by Ihe accounts. InclL' )ciid¢nl r,xxiiiinei' In Connection with my examiiiation no matter1148 come lo my att¢ntion: ( l) Which Liives mo rea4onable cause to believe that in any material respect the reqLiircin¢nts lo k'eep accoun11iis￿ rLcord4 in &ccordancc with sLcliun 41 of Ilic Act aiid lo pr¢par¥ iiLUOLlllts which accord w'ith th¢ accounting records and comply with the accounting reqLiirenienlS of the Act h&ve not been met, or (2) to wl)ich in our opinion attention sholild be drawn in ordcr to enable a pi'oper iinderstanding of the accounts to be reached. In my opinion the fiiianciul statement as prepLired givc a truc and fair view of tlic charity'8 state of affairs as at 3181 Iiid Ilicil IIiL IllCOlI) Iii¢Tr resoiirces and their application in th¢ year then ¢nded hav¢ b¢¢n properly 11 41LC(Ir ral direction giv¥n by the Charities Commissioner. R(i/aiil kJbii' A(.-CAIII.'AIM I PA Eai'l & Grey Accountants Suite 1412G Docklands Bugincss Centi 10-16 filler Road London F.14 8PX Dale.. I I, October 2024

SOCIETY LIP4KS Income Expense I,'OR 5"HE PERIOD CNDbD 31ST MARCH 2022 Restricted Unrestricted Incume City of London LBTH- Local Community Fund LBTH- Main Streain The Hargreawes Foundation Just Fart Cripple Gate Found¢ltion L&Q Placemakers Global c.harities London Comniunity FouiidAtion Seven Stars Foundaiion William Wates Memorial Trus¢ People's Health Trust Trust For l.ondon Easi End Community Foundaiion {EECF) Tower Hill Trust Londoii Learning Consortium (LLC) 138,410 28,-fj77 105,459 20.000 10,900 1,000 2,500 35.000 15,000 ?00 9,757 13,805 48,750 4,000 3.640 3,800 Donations Hall hire 4,903 365 TotAI Income 440.799 5,268 446,067

SOCIETYLINKS TOWER HAMLETS Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 31.03.24 31.03.23 Unrestricted fund Total funds Restricted fund Prevlous year INCOMING RESOURCES Grants: All Grants Contracis JRS (Furlough) 440,799 440,799 339,913 100,000 440,7S9 440,799 439,913 Other Income: Rental income Donations 365 4,903 265 1,042 Total Incoming resources 5,268 440,799 446,067 441,220 RESOURCES EXPENDED Operating Gosts: Admin, Finance & Proj Mang Proiect Staff 60,091 256,479 92,216 248,330 Equipment, Trips & Project Costs Rent 70,687 24,557 62,143 14,228 Premises Cost Cleaning Adminislralive Ex Subscriptions Training Fund Raising & Publicity Insurance Tel & Internel Pènsion enses 150 11,262 2,870 1,013 420 5,374 1,154 4,900 922 360 5,555 7,991 21,089 Financial EX Bank Charges ènses 329 342 Governance costs Accountancy Legal & Other Professional 1,260 3,720 3,315 3,344 Total resources expended 10,209 419,806 430,014 445,007 Net income 14,941} 20,993 16,052 3,787

SOCIETYLINKS TOWER HAMLETS Balance Sheet At 31 March 2024 3110312024 3110312023 Unrestricted fund Restricted fund Total funds Total funds CURRENT ASSETS Cash at bank Debtors 132.103 43,794 62,455 175,897 82,455 161,264 51,475 CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 117,3981 117,398) (7,837) NET CURRENT ASSETS 132,103 88,851 220,954 204,g02 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 132,103 88,851 220,954 204,902 NET ASSETS 132,103 88,851 220,954 204,902 FUNDS Unrestncted funds Restricted funds 132,103 88,851 117,470 87,432 TOTAL FUNDS 220,954 204,902

SOCIETYLINKS TOWER HAMLETS Man¥gement Committee Roport Registered Name & Address: SocietyLinks Tower Flamlets, 80 Jolin Fishcr Sirect, London. El 8JX Re&yistered Charity NEimbcr: Registered Company NLimber'. 1154824 77500C)I Public Benefits StAtement Introduction SocietyLinks I'ower Hamlets as a registered charity is conimittcd to conipli¥Jn¢e ai)d transparency; it strives to demonstrate its bcnefil for thc local rL'gidenLs and wider community. Tliis slalemeiil identifies And sets out the aims, purpose, missioii aiid PLibli¢ benefit that the charity provides. Our Aims ObJ¢¢tlv¢¥ SociLlyLinks 'l'ower Hamlets is a commiinity-bAsed ¢harilv providing opportiiiiities and a¢tivilies to address the needs of uiiderpi'ivil¢¥ed people in tlie Londoii Bc)roiigh of Towcr Haml¢ls aiid neighboiiring boroiighs. Throu&ih sinall. targeted pn>jc¢ls it enipowers people lo mak¢ si&yniticant lifestyle and bULial changes, and to achieve IL)ng-tcrin improvements to their qu&lily of life and that of their families. The a¢tivilies focus education and t.raining unemploymei)I, social Cxclusion, equality and diversity, aiid improving Ihc life chances of local people. SoLi¢tyLinks'l ower Hamlets works towards ils vision of being a sustainable pillar witliin the cominunily, providing on8oing services for all residciits and introducing iniiovalive, new projects lo meet tlie ii)¢reasingY iieeds of the local popiil¢ltion. So¢ietyLiiik% alin8 lo build strong pai1nerships with olhei. vi'¥aiiisations to M￿xin]11e our etticien¢y and output. SocielyLinks Tower HRmlcl4 envisages bcing able to deliv¢i' services across ihe borr)ugh from different venucs and reaching out to n¢ighbouring boroiighs within London. ChArit8bl¢ Piirpose and Mission SocieiyLinks Tower Hamlely, mi.%$iun is lo create opportunities and activities to address the needs of residents, with the ¢th()s of bringing abolit radical lif¢.4tyl¢ and yuci&l change ihrou8h Lreatinjs practical pioje¢ts. The Charity'5 objects ("thu Objects") al'e G¢n¥r￿1 C,harit&bl¢ Purpo$¢$'. (i) 'lo promote the Advancement of education. trainin¥. employment and entcrprise support for people in th¢ London Borough of Tower Haimlels and neigihbouring boroughs. (li) Tn promote and or&yanise edLicalional and social developmeiil of young people who are soLially excludcd and disengaged from their aspirations. liiil To provide a voice for ali under represented generation. (iv) To i)romote equality and tackle exclusion. (v) To create opportLinities and activiliLS co address the significant needs of deprived and uiiderprivilegcd residents. with tl)e ethos of briiisiii¥ abfiul radical lifestyle and social changes to improve th¢ quality of life for Il)os¢ living aiid working in Towor14amlet5. Beneficiaries The overall objective of SucietyLinks Tnwer Hainleis is to build lh¢ Capacity of resideiits on th¢ local estalcs in Tow¢r HaiMl¢ts And crr%lte a stronbker, morc vlbrani cvinmLinity thal all resldtnis rtel a part of aiid havfy a 5cns¢ ofown¢rship towards. We want lo help iiidividua15 take part in activiti¢s, eiigage in training and work, and gkrasp opportunities with confidence. W¢ have separate objeLtives for thc different group8 that we work with. and we aim to biiild networks within and bciween thcse groiips, to create a supportive ¢nvironment that will 5UStaii) pei'sonal dev¢lopment for residents.

Publie Benefit The beneficii?l impact of the ivork that SocietyLinks Tower Flarnlets delivers is demonstrated through the outcomeJ achieicd by th¢5¢ followingi tailored projects: Youth Services (Ages 8-18) minimum SOO iiidividuals registered as contmcts Rcross Tower14amlets ftlld C'ity of Londoii. Study Support (ages 12- 18} & Homework Club (ages O-I l) at least 1.50 Individiial children and young people have Accessed the service5 Girls, Group {agcs 8- 18) 125 iirly stnd you ng women have Attended qt leAsI ono sossion Sports Sessions (ages 11-18) minimuni of 20.4 young people have attended sports sessions such Ag footb411 nd multi-yports in tlie park. Kxerci.se (women 18+1 (Men 18+) 60 individufftls hAve Aceessed the services for adults across three weekly se55iOIIS Iloliday Pro8rAmmes And Actlvlties {Mges 5-16) 732 Individufil chlldren find young people hAVC been provided with lunch during a holid8y perlnd Ac'ross Towel. Hamlets qnd City of London Job Cl￿b (Hdiilt$ 18+) 78 ndults have benefit¢d from L41111)loyment support IT Cli15S {xdulls 18+) 60 xdult5 hAve acce55ed IT support including eompl¢ling online cnur5 F,-saloty Session$ (women I Il+) & ChAI and Chai (women 18+) minimuni of 70 women have attended tlie s¢ssiuns from all agcs And backgi'ounds StHy and Pllly (llges O-S) appri)xlmfitely 145 families of vnrying ethnieities, Cultures and backgrounds hAve accessed thc.$ci'vice Community Eventy {&ll Ages) nverA%e e•ch event is attendod by 300 people S¢wing Cla$,8 Inges 18+) 6.$ women hovc used the scwing 8e$sions Aulisnil,SEND AwAreness Gr()up (ftges 18+) 35 fmmilies and hftuseholds have Attended the SEND Ivurksliops oi. sesSln51.1 Older People's Group (figes 50+)fit leA.$t 40 individ￿￿13 Aged 50+ Attend oui. sei'viee$ CTr5t vf Living Food Dl%tril)utIu￿ (ull A%es) 300 households h#ve ree¢lv¢d support from our food distribution LSOLI Pi'e- ESOL (ages 18+) 75 att¢ndee$ Acr055 the thi'ee clllsses ineludlng pre.ESOL DigitAI Divide CampAign {device (listribution for 8-18years) 34 dovices were donht¢d I'rMining work$hop8 And coiii'.ses (16+) 36 individuAls 4ttendcd ti'gining eou rs¢s Detached Outi'e4¢h Nnd Ref¢rrwls (whole community)600 houseliolds rellched through dooi. knockin% canvllssing gnd tai'geted oiitreAeh Theqe projccts help to: Offer opportunitics to young pcoplc to engage in educatioiial. diversionary and p05iliv¢ activities En¥ouragc Plisilive p8rticip8lion in snciety and cominunity aolivitie8 Develttp th¢ employJbility of job seekers and support advanc¢inLnl of Ihose in work through training and suppoit Facilitate the developinenl of community networks Lo reduce isolation and promuce community dewelopment Create opportuniliesl &¢cess to rcsourccs and support that they may otherwise not have access to Support individuall families Specific needs and dis&dvantages. iniplement in¥lusion and enhance their access to services and sigTrnpost accordingly quip service users Witli skills, knowl¥dge and information to Cnipower thein t() h&v¢ a voice and ¢onfidence to ovei'coine bari'icrs and Inake posilive decision5 Dcvelop Conimunily cohesion and und¢rstanding amon¥ a div¢rse and cultiirally rich commuiiity Support integration and rescttlement tor newcomers The ongoing success and benefit of these services is measured by their popularity and recorded attendance levels and the positive feedback from partners, service users and wider stakeholders reflects the continLSOUS demand for increasing capacity and longevity of projects.

Charlty Commission Publie Benefit Guidance Compllance 'e believe we l)ave complied with our dut). to hawe due regard to the cotnmission's publie interest guidance wtherewer it is relevant to our activilies, hairperson Treasurer Approved on..

SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets Lhaiity Number.. 1154182 Comp•ny: IlJLIUbl 80 John Fisher Street El 8JX 020Tr7Q2-0901 info@societylin s.ore.u www.societylinks.orE.uk society.links