Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (Registered charity, number 1156709) Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2021
| Page | Contents | |
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| 2 - 4 | annual report | |
| 5 | Independent e | report |
| 6 | Receipts & payments account | |
| 7 | Statement of assets & liabilities | |
| 8-11 | Notes to the accounts |
Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees annual report for the year ended 31 December 2021
Full name Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees
Other names by which the charity is known AVID
Registered charity number 1156709
Organisation type Charitable incorporated organisation
Principal address
27-31 Carlton Road, Nottingham, NG3 2DG
Trustees
Carolina Albuerne Rodriguez, Co-chair Jayne Butler, Co-chair, from 04/02/21 Michael Darko Thomas Nunn
Elizabeth Flint
Anne Hudson, Treasurer, from 22/01/21 Ciaran Price, Treasurer, until 15/02/21
Independent examiner
, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2, North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL
Governance and management
The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution adopted 15 April 2014.
Objectives and activities
The formal objects of AVID are - exclusively the charitable relief of immigrants and refugees who are suffering hardship, distress or are in need, with particular reference, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to those who are imprisoned or detained under immigration legislation in the United Kingdom.
AVID aims to address the isolation and injustice of immigration detention in the UK. We do this by supporting, strengthening and promoting volunteer visiting nationally and working towards positive change for all people in detention.
We have three key objectives:
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We strengthen and grow our community of solidarity with people affected by detention;
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We influence reform and detention policy and practise;
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Raising awareness of the realities of detention nationally.
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Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees
We have 14 members who all offer visiting support in immigration detention centres. These are diverse organisations from small voluntary groups to large charities. We work with these organisations to support them to provide befriending support and practical advice. We use our position of representing visiting groups in every detention centre in the UK to provide an overview of the detention estate and practices and use this to influence reform.
Our activities include:
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Members Calls to share best practice;
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Training for volunteers on supporting people in detention;
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Deep Dive sessions to discuss shared challenges and solutions; Newsletter to keep our members up to date of relevant topics; Raise awareness of the impacts of detention on social media;
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1:1 support for members to establish and continue visiting in detention;
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Contribute to policy networks including Home Office Stakeholder meetings and Detention Forum;
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Handbook for Visitors.
Public benefit statement
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit
The harm caused by immigration detention is well-documented by the testimonies of people in detention, government and clinical professional bodies. As well as the human cost, there is the financial cost of a system that is failing by its own standards (70% of people in detention return to the community). Our activities reduce the harm caused by detention by supporting visitors to provide vital befriending advice and combat the isolation in detention. We also support visitors with the information they need so that people who are detained can access services such as healthcare and legal advice they need. We bring public and government awareness to the issues of detention to improve the detention system both in small steps (such as ensuring people in detention have access to phones) and as part of a wider discussion on ending detention because of the harm that it causes. We also benefit communities who provide visiting support and want to advocate for a system that welcomes asylum seekers and people from a migrant background. The platform that we provide gives a way for them to do this and be part of a wider movement.
Summary of the main achievements during the period
The pandemic has seen many changes in the way in which we and our members work. Our 14 members and the people they support in detention - many thousands at any one time - were hugely affected by the pandemic, which created great uncertainty inside detention and for those providing support. During lockdown all services inside detention were suspended, including visiting. Our members looked to us to lead and facilitate cross network conversations about how we could continue support for vulnerable people at this time. We developed a series of rapid response interventions including facilitating a weekly members call, bringing members together designed, developed, and implemented a range of tools to better support them - online training on remote visiting including telephone befriending; an interactive resource and signposting -care; and the co-ordination of several advocacy initiatives. This gave our members access to a tailored and
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Association of WtsitOf5 to Immigration Detainees responsive programme to the COVID 19 situion that enabled them to adapt and resporKI to the immedw of Ihe envinrrnent. This perKyJ was intense cAlknJffwJ. us to forw rnY of wr longer.tenn development plans and make fuller use of online and digital technologies. This in tum engerKlered a much doser WKI more collabrxative working dynamic between AVID and lis members, despite ts physical distance of Icd(down. This perK)d of turbulence was followed by a penod of IntrospeclK and refiectM. We Csthred our role. our MnberS, needs, and our change could be taken forward. Over the past year, our members, calls - we nLy4V host bi-monthly - have become a central part of wr work. Hostiro these online has en)led members across Ihe UK to cc4na together and update one another crt acc8SS, Visiting arKI supp)rt being provided to detaine6s. This has bean vrtal as wr members retum lo in pers(x) support givan the lack of transparency across the detention estate arKJ thaIlers wrth gaining access. We continue to work with members to advocate for their retum to their andoMiC laval of sarvice. A big focus of our work over the last year has been to support the d8vek)pment of Durham, visitors grp at the nthv delention c8ntr& for Yxnen in DertsIde. Folk)wing training, development of best-practise processes arKI w@dUr&S arKI facilitation of links with other groups in community. the group is now established and has bewn offering a visiting service. The group are now taking referrals 8r¥J hav8 initial sessions wrth peop58 in d8tention. W8 hold fortnight meetings wth the core organisers and 1..1 support as the group continues to establish itself. Financial revie•V We were able to Sere fwttdirvJ ttrffyjgh three d ¢yJr ongoing furmkn to ensure that we are financially stable over the next yew. This was however after a drfliwlt fnancial period. We are devebping a furthising strategy that builds cn our membership bas8 and strong relationships wrth Trusts and FowMJations to diversrfy funds. Tho charfty$ poll¢y on ¥Merve• We are cJJrrently rrkiw on Thjr reserves policy as part of the review of financial policies and procedures. tt is a prionty for the tnJst8es n the year to work t¢ywards a sufficient amount of unrestricted reseprfes of three months and we wll be reviewing all financial policies and procedures. Signed M bohalf ol trte8$. Syned Anne Hud80n, Date
Independent e report to the trustees of Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees for the year ended 31 December 2021
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2021.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act
the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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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 accounts to be reached.
Signed ____ Date _______ 22/08/22 Jo Employee of Community Accounting Plus
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Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 December 2021
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Assoclation of Visltors to Immigration Detalnees ststement of assets and liabilitles at 31 December 2021 Cash assets 103424 103424 46604 Other mon•tary assets Debtc43 2821 2821 4203 4203 Asmts retalned for th• charity's own u 2 x laptops, Aw"12021. (x)sl £1,098 LlabHItIo• Creditors 1387 11387) 1306 ThM• fln•ncl•l •t•knl arn acw•d on b•haff of th• charlty by 81gn•d Ann• Hud D•t•d ror
Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021
1. Receipts & payments accounts
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
2. Grants & donations
3. Staff costs
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Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees
4. Premises and running costs
5. Governance costs
6. Direct Charitable Expenditure
7. Debtors
8. Creditors
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Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees
9. Funds analysis
The transfers from the General fund to the Directors salary & core costs fund and the Coronavirus response funds are to cover the deficits on these activities.
The transfer from the Core costs & extra support fund to the General fund related to activities which have ceased, and the release of any restrictions on the use of these funds.
The restricted funds have been received from the following funders: Core costs & extra support Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Organisational development & strategy support - Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Directors salary & core costs The Tudor Trust Coronavirus response National Lottery Community Fund Training Craignish Trust, Noel Buxton Trust and Oakdale Trust Explore Programme Refugee Action Staff wellbeing The Tudor Trust Core costs Allen Lane Foundation Derwentside Visitors Group National Lottery Community Fund
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Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period.
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Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees
11. Glossary of terms
Debtors: These are amounts owed to the charity, but not received in the accounting period.
Prepayments: These are services that the charity has paid for in advance, but not used during the accounting period.
Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.
Restricted funds: These are funds given to the charity, subject to specific restrictions set by the donor, but still within the general objects of the charity.
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