2021-03-31-accounts - West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

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West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Charity number 1158052

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 March 2021

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021

Contents	Page
Trustees' report	2 to 5
Examiner's report	6
Receipts and payments account	7
Statement of assets and liabilities	8
Notes to the accounts	9 to 10

Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accounting Service

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2021

Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors

The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: Name Position Dates

Position Dates Chair and Treasurer Resigned 22 April 2021 Appointed 22 April 2021

Andrew Rathbone John Hebden Edward Britton Keith Mollison

Charity number

The charity was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, number 1158052, on 30 Jul 2014.

Principal address

Bankers

One Community Centre Unity Trust Bank Cromwell Street Nine Brindleyplace Leeds Birmingham LS9 7SG B1 2HB

Independent examiner

Claire Welling

West Yorkshire Community Accounting Service

Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

Structure, governance and management

The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) formed on 30 July 2014.

Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees

The trustees of the charity are appointed by the members at the AGM. The trustees also have the power to co-opt additional trustees subject to them being re-appointed at the next AGM.

Objectives and activities

The charity's objects

The objects of the CIO are:

To advance the education of the public in general about the issues relating to destitute asylum seekers.
To relieve the needs of destitute asylum seekers and their families by any such charitable means as the trustees shall think fit.
To preserve and protect the physical and mental health of destitute asylum seekers and their families.

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2021

Objectives and activities (continued)

The charity's main activities

WYDAN was originally established as a networking organisation bringing together organisations and individuals in West Yorkshire who were committed to supporting destitute asylum seekers.

We subsequently became involved in direct service provision, in particular a night shelter project in Leeds. As explained in our previous annual report, a decision was taken in 2020 that the networking role was no longer needed due to the emergence of the NACCOM “regional hub” for West Yorkshire which fulfils a similar function.

The charity’s main activity in the 2020-21 financial year and subsequently has been to provide accommodation and other support to destitute asylum seekers in the Leeds area.

Public benefit statement

In setting the organisation’s objectives and planning its activities, the Trustees take account of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Achievements and performance

The main service provision of WYDAN in previous years has been a night shelter project to provide accommodation, meals and other support to asylum seekers who were both destitute and homeless, using the facilities and support of churches and other organisations.

The 2020–21 Financial Year started within days of the start of the first national lockdown in response to the Covid pandemic. As explained in our last annual report, this made it impossible to continue the night shelter project, and the night shelter closed at the end of March 2020. It has continued to be impractical to restart the night shelter since then but we have managed to find other ways of fulfilling our aim of providing accommodation and support to destitute asylum seekers.

From the end of March 2020, under the “Everyone In” policy, our night shelter guests were accommodated by Leeds City Council who provided accommodation mainly in a former hostel which was used until November 2020 to accommodate up to 13 destitute asylum seekers. During this period, for all the residents in this property, WYDAN organised food provision, paid a small weekly allowance to each of the residents and provided some “moral support”. The value of this was recognised by the local authority officer with responsibility for managing the project:

“… As you know, a lot of these people are in a desperate situation often without any sense of hope. Food was pretty much all we had to break the days up, help mend disagreements and show them that people do care. The allowances provided them some sense of independence and took a crucial edge off their destitution. All of us at the council were amazed by your generosity and good cheer and one of the positives of this year has been seeing first-hand good people swing into action to help the more vulnerable. Without your contribution we couldn’t have done it. From all of us at Leeds City Council, THANK YOU, it will not be forgotten.”

At the end of November 2020, this property ceased to be used by the local authority to house asylum seekers but the remaining residents were provided with alternative accommodation by another organisation. In December 2020, we were successful in bidding for a significant one-off Public Health funded grant through Leeds City Council to enable us to provide accommodation for destitute migrants during that winter and beyond.

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2021

Achievements and performance (continued)

This enabled us to:

1 Provide accommodation for up to 10 people in a guest house from late December 2020 until the end of March 2021 (and in some cases beyond). We provided each of these guests with a weekly allowance to cover the cost of their food and other essential expenses; and arranged for experienced volunteers to provide individual support to each of the guests.
We received the following comment from a British Red Cross caseworker (one of our referral agencies):
“I wanted to say how much of a difference it has made over the Christmas and New Year period for our service users who have been provided with food, shelter and emotional support. The Red Cross service users whom WYDAN have accommodated had been facing long term destitution and with the weather conditions worsening were also facing homelessness in icy conditions. Instead they have been accommodated in a warm safe environment and with no other emergency accommodation available in the city it is safe to say the guests have found sanctuary at a time they needed it most. Huge thanks and we very much look forward to working together on this project into the new year.”
2 To take a tenancy of a 4 bedroom rented house from March 2021 which has been used to accommodate 4 people (who had previously been staying in the guest house). Once again, our volunteers have provided regular support to the people living in the house, including organising food supplies; and we have provided each of the guests with a small weekly allowance to cover other essential expenses.
As at the end of March 2021, we were continuing to accommodate and support 3 people in the guest house as well as the 4 in the house.

We were also in discussions (which have subsequently come to fruition) with a view to taking on 2 further properties on very favourable terms (a house for 4 people and a flat for 2). We will provide further details of this in our next annual report.

We are aware of the continuing need for 'hostel-type' night shelter accommodation for destitute asylum seekers in Leeds. As a result we have continued to explore the possibilities of WYDAN being able to play a role in providing it.

The Covid pandemic has forced WYDAN to look for very different ways of meeting the needs of destitute asylum seekers. We believe that we have succeeded in doing so in a flexible and effective way, making the most of any opportunities that have arisen.

The trustees are very grateful to all those who have supported WYDAN during the course of the year, in particular the volunteers who have provided practical support, and the many people who have made generous financial contributions which have been vital in enabling us to continue with our work.

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2021

Financial review

The net receipts for the year were £55,313, including net receipts of £31,863 on unrestricted funds and net receipts of £23,450 on restricted funds.

At the time of signing these accounts the charity has continued to be impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, whilst there has been an impact on the services that we offer, we do not consider that there has been a significant adverse effect on our financial position. The trustees have reassessed the charity’s ability to continue for at least 12 months from the date that the accounts are approved and conclude that no material uncertainties exist that cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to meet its liabilities as they fall due.

Reserves policy

The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets and liabilities, at the year end were £22,499. The trustees aim to maintain sufficient reserves to cover between 3 and 6 months operating expenditure.

Signed on behalf of the board of trustees on 27/1/2022

Andrew Rathbone (Trustee)

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO Charitable Incorporated Organisation ('the

CIO')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 March 2021, which are set out on pages 7 to 10.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the CIO's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. 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.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the CIO 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 accounts to be reached.

Claire Welling

28/1/2022

West Yorkshire Community Accounting Service

Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 March 2021

Notes 2021 Unrestricted funds £ Receipts Grants (2) - Donations 34,344 Total receipts 34,344 Payments Insurance 1,309 Project Manager's fees - Shelter and provision expenses - Travel - project manager - Bank charges 72 Bus fares - guests - Beds and bedding - Miscellaneous expenses - Membership fees 455 Printing, postage and office supplies 33 Phone and internet - Donations to guests 168 Premises - Accountancy and independent examination 300 Training - IT 144 Volunteers expenses - Guest House charges - Rent - Utilities - Transport - Total payments 2,481 31,863 Fund balances brought forward 2,262 Fund balances carried forward (3) 34,125 Net receipts / (payments)	2021 Restricted funds £ 68,902 4,115 73,017 - 16,322 1,015 - - - - - - - - 10,999 - - - - - 19,250 1,700 191 90 49,567 23,450 4,358 27,808	2021 Total funds £ 68,902 38,459 107,361 1,309 16,322 1,015 - 72 - - - 455 33 - 11,167 - 300 - 144 - 19,250 1,700 191 90 52,048 55,313 6,620 61,933	2020 Total funds £ 29,640 9,738 39,378 1,088 27,300 721 922 72 1,761 2,296 39 30 698 315 2,913 1,400 600 231 70 33 - - - - 40,489 (1,111) 7,731 6,620

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Statement of assets and liabilities

as at 31 March 2021 2021 Unrestricted £ Cash funds Cash at bank 33,935 Cash in hand 190 Total cash funds 34,125 Assets retained for the charity's own use Laptop Various furniture and household equipment Liabilities Independent examination Guest House charges for March 2021 Guest allowances for March 2021 Project manager's fee for March 2021 Other liabilities including travel and office supplies	2021 Restricted £ 27,808 - 27,808	2021 Total £ 61,743 190 61,933 £ 600 7,455 1,430 1,500 641 11,626	2020 Total £ 6,430 190 6,620

Approval of the accounts

The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 28/1/2022

Andrew Rathbone (Trustee)

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Notes to the accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2021

1 Accounting policies

Basis of accounting

The trustees have taken advantage of section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis.

There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year.

No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.

Taxation

As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.

2 Grants 2021 Unrestricted funds £ Church Homeless Trust - Public Health England - Leeds Community Foundation (LCF) - Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network (LASSN - Methodist Church - West Riding Masonic Charities - Allen Lane Foundation - LCC MICE money - Sir George Martin Trust - Scurrah Wainwright Charity - Ladies of the Grail - - 3 Restricted funds Balance b/f Incoming £ £ Shelter fund donations 5,469 4,115 Church Homeless Trust 339 2,800 Sir George Martin Trust 1,500 - Ladies of the Grail 275 - Winter Wellbeing (1,814) 1,814 West Riding Masonic Charities (1,411) 1,500 Methodist Church - 12,000 Public Health funding - 50,000 Leeds Community Foundation - 788 4,358 73,017	2021 Restricted funds £ 2,800 50,000 788 1,814 12,000 1,500 - - - - - 68,902 Outgoing £ 8,991 3,056 823 275 - - 5,322 31,100 - 49,567	2021 Total funds £ 2,800 50,000 788 1,814 12,000 1,500 - - - - - 68,902 Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - -	2020 Total funds £ 1,500 - - - - - 5,000 1,640 1,500 5,000 15,000 29,640 Balance c/f £ 593 83 677 - - 89 6,678 18,900 788 27,808

West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network CIO

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2021

3 Restricted funds (continued)

Fund name

Purpose of restriction

Shelter fund donations Church Homeless Trust Sir George Martin Trust Ladies of the Grail Winter Wellbeing West Riding Masonic Charities Methodist Church

Public Health funding Leeds Community Foundation

Donations given towards the cost of the shelter fund To fund small grants to individual service users for various expenses For replacement beds and bedding Towards the Night Shelter Project’s operating costs Towards Project Manager’s fees and volunteer expenses Towards cost of purchasing beds To support WYDAN’s provision of accommodation and support to destitute asylum seekers To support WYDAN to provide services that would assist in reducing the transmission and spread of COVID amongst their vulnerable cohort To compensate voluntary organisations for time spent by staff/trustees in attending strategic meetings around the development of asylum seeker accommodation in Leeds.

4 Related party transactions

Trustee expenses

No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.

Trustee remuneration and benefits

No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.

Other related party transactions

There were no other related party transactions in this or the previous financial year.