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2023-03-31-accounts

AFTER18 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Trustees’ Report 2
Review of the Year 5
Cecilia’s Story 9
After18 in 2022-23 11
Financial Summary 12
Governance Information 13
Acknowledgements 15

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT

After18 is a Leicester-based charity, charity number: 1158210 , registered at St. Andrews Church Vicarage, 53b Jarrom Street, Leicester LE2 7DH.

After18 offers support to young people aged 13-25 who have arrived in the UK without family to seek asylum. Led by their needs, our specialised programme of activities supports young people to make their own framework for adapting to life in the UK. Participation in our activities is voluntary and is motivated by each young person’s self-development goals, as well as their enthusiasm to learn and to make new connections after their extraordinary life journeys. After18 is consistently responsive and flexible, keeping the needs of the young people at the very centre of our work and continuing to advocate on their behalf at a local and national level.

During the last year we said goodbye to two of our Trustees, Najat Ali and Ashraf Hamzah, with grateful thanks for the work they put into After18. We wish them well with their future endeavours. We were delighted to welcome Ann Carter, Yulduz Mazhitova and Dimple Patel to the Board and appreciate the contribution they have already made to the organisation over the past year.

Following the challenges of the Covid pandemic, After18 has seen significant financial and organisational growth over the 2022-23 year. As well as welcoming new Trustees to the Board, we have expanded our

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team of staff with the recruitment of Hannah Chapman as Project Worker for our New Arrivals programme and Mohammed Dable, who will shortly commence as Project Worker for our Education Programme. Mohammed and Hannah join our other staff members: Alison Birch - Lead Practitioner and Sarah Danby - Operations Manager, who together comprise the Senior Management Team, as well as activity leads Bee and James.

The Trustees wish to express our great thanks to Alison and Sarah for ensuring that After18 was able to spring back after the pandemic and continue to build its excellent services for young people. We were delighted that the quality and longevity of After18’s services were recognised locally this year, with the

organisation receiving a Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award from the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, and named as a City Charity of the Year finalist at the Voluntary Action Leicestershire Awards. As ever, we are very thankful to all those who have been part of After18, staff members, volunteers, supporters of all kinds, and to organisations and individuals who continue to support our work financially.

The Trustees confirm that they have regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

SHEILA MOSLEY

CHAIR, ON BEHALF OF AFTER18 TRUSTEES MAY 2023

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“They've been very helpful in getting me back to my education but also in an emotional way with the clubs and reunions they organise.”

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

ALISON BIRCH, LEAD PRACTITIONER

Having left the challenges of the pandemic behind us, we have nevertheless been able to leverage our learnings and experience gained during that period to develop our services for young people. Over the last year we have launched new activities that have grown out of some of the adaptations implemented during Covid.

While restrictions were in place, we concentrated the provision of our face to face activities on the newest arrivals, as they were least likely to be able to access online classes. This small group work then attracted referrals from stakeholders and we identified a clear need for educational opportunities for new arrivals waiting for school places. We have now developed this provision into a specialist education project for new arrivals which feeds into

our long-standing open access education drop-in once the students transition into school/college. This service has grown more important over the last year, as we have observed significant issues with access to education for 16-18 year-olds in Leicester. Through our recruitment of Hannah, a qualified teacher, to deliver the project, we have been able to provide quality education and advocacy for those waiting for a place at school or college.

“I enjoyed English, maths, ICT and the Thursday drop-in because the teachers explain things to us very well. ”

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Our services, both new and continuing, have contributed towards the achievement of our objectives:

1 Improving educational opportunities for young refugees

New Arrivals Project

Over the last year, 47 students have attended the project, receiving entry English and orientation activities as well as support to apply for a mainstream place. The majority of these students have subsequently moved into school or college places, although as many only receive a few contact hours each week, several students elected to continue to attend the project throughout the year. Later in 2023 we look forward to adding maths classes to this offering.

Homework Club

The education drop-in which includes the homework club has continued throughout the year with the support of our dedicated

volunteers. This year it has been dominated by students who are at entrylevel English and want to improve their communication skills.

Career Days

This year we have attended career days at both Gateway Sixth Form College and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College to make sixth form students aware of our homework support and access to higher education project.

Health and Social Care Pathway

Many of our young people, especially those attending the young women’s club, have aspirations to work in nursing or medicine. We are able to provide homework support for those studying Health and Social Care to progress to training. This has included support to apply for university with funding, as well as enabling young people to start working and pursue the nursing apprenticeship route through discussions with the local hospital trust.

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2 Increasing skills, knowledge and understanding to participate in life in the UK

This year saw the second operation of our Higher Education Summer School in partnership with the University of Leicester. Nine students attended face to face sessions, increasing their knowledge and understanding of the higher education system in the UK and gaining a taster of life on campus. Although this programme targets students who will commence university in September 2023, with our advice and support two students were able to obtain funding to start in September 2022.

Landmark Trust. The participating young people were students of Architecture and Photography and found staying in a late medieval building and the architectural environment of the Oxford City very inspiring, particularly our visit to the Bodleian Library. They learned a lot from this immersive experience exploring another UK city.

3 Improving social support networks

This year we have continued our partnership with Leicester City in the Community to offer weekly football sessions. This has enabled young people

“I really enjoyed the trip when we went to visit a wonderful artist called Ruth. Hearing about her history and how she came to England was amazing.”

Students from the 2021 class were very successful in achieving university places and securing funding, including scholarships. In September we celebrated their achievement with a farewell party, including good food, games and lots of discussions about living alone and how to keep safe at university. This academic year the young people were going to study much further afield, with students accepted to Plymouth, Manchester, Medway, City and Leeds.

We ended the year in March with our residential in Oxford as guests of The

to meet others from a similar background and develop the life skills associated with team sports, including collaboration and communication. Some of the participants have also now started working at Leicester City Football Club and are enrolled in coaching programmes.

4 Encouraging confidence in own cultural identity

This year, thanks to our supporters, we have been able to distribute faith packs including a copy of the Q’ran, prayer mat and kufi (skull cap) to newly arrived young people. During Ramadan we partnered

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with Leicester City in the Community to provide Iftar for young people, enjoying a silver service dinner at King Power Stadium.

We have been fortunate to work with Phosphorus Theatre twice over the last year. The theatre group, comprising former unaccompanied children, ran two workshops around themes relevant to the experience of young refugees. One of the workshops was aligned to their performance of “All the Beds I have Slept in” and led to an opportunity for some After18 young people to perform on stage with the group at Curve Theatre in Leicester, watched by an enthusiastic group of their After18 friends and staff members.

The young women’s group has made several trips to visit After18 supporter Ruth at her studio. Ruth came to the UK as a child refugee in 1939 and offers art or outdoor activities to young people while

sharing her long term experience with them. The young women’s group has also enjoyed weekly creative and active activities at the Great Meeting Chapel, which has a small kitchen. This has enabled the young women to take turns in cooking for the group. They have been sharing and discussing their favourite foods from home and enjoying the welcome chance to cook, as they do not have these facilities in the hotel where they are accommodated. Some girls have also been asking where they can forage for certain fruits and we were able to put them in touch with their community which identified locations for them.

In March we celebrated Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with the young people by setting up the traditional Haft-Seen table and preparing Haft-Mewa, one of the elements of the Nowruz ceremony. The young people were able to share these traditions with others from different communities.

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CECILIA’S STORY

The first year I spent in the UK was difficult, I thought there was nothing for me to do but stay at home. Then I came across After18 and different opportunities opened up to me. I vaguely knew that I could apply to university but I wasn't confident in myself or even sure if my qualifications would be recognised. I didn't know where to begin, then I met up with Alison for the first time and I left hopeful that there was a path for me. It was a long

process but in the end I couldn't be happier that I decided to start it because I managed to get a scholarship to De Montfort University with Alison’s help. I'm so incredibly thankful for that.

Back then I didn't know many people, much less around my age, but the different group activities After18 organised helped me meet friends and overcome that anxiety when you're in a new place. In Art

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Club, I got the opportunity to continue one of my passions, photography. There, with the guidance of James who runs the club I created a portfolio that helped me with my university applications. He introduced me to new photography mediums and that really inspired my creativity.

On Fridays, we met to do all kinds of interesting activities like cooking, arts and crafts or visiting local places; our last two trips were to an exhibition of Vincent van Gogh and to a roller skating rink. That last one was probably the most challenging and fun activity I've had to do for a while.

“I hope I can have the same impact in someone's life as After18 had in mine.”

We have also gone on longer trips. We visited Oxford for two days where we got the opportunity to stay at a historical house and tour the city. I particularly liked this trip because it gave me the opportunity to photograph scenic locations and people all around. We visited Yorkshire Sculpture Park where we got to see nature as much as art, and we even went to enjoy the beach in the summer which was really refreshing because it had been a long time since I'd seen the sea.

I know that without After18 my life would be completely different, I wouldn't be as socially confident as I am and wouldn't have thought of being a university student here. I really cannot put into words how thankful I am and I hope I can have the same impact in someone's life as After18 had in mine.

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AFTER18 IN 2022-23

229

young people receiving support

23

Volunteers

30

Young person countries of origin

12

trips

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COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS

10

YOUNG PEOPLE SUPPORTED TO START UNIVERSITY

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FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Income and expenditure reported for the 2022-23 financial year

Income Income
Grants £121,712.00
Grants to individuals £0.00
Donations £17,588.58
Fundraising activities £0.00
Gift Aid and Interest £248.50
Total £139,549.08
Expenditure Expenditure
Core Costs £5,518.57
Staffing £60,499.08
Activities £6,117.60
Individuals £0.00
Development £0.00
Equipment £0.00
Total £72,135.25

We carry forward some restricted income to continue to deliver on funded projects and our reserves to secure ongoing running of the organisation. For a copy of our full financial report, please contact us.

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GOVERNANCE INFORMATION

After18 Reserves Policy

After18 Objectives

After18's Board of Trustees has established a Reserves Policy.

After18 is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

The purpose of the policy is to safeguard the charity’s service commitment in the event of delays or shortfall in grant funding or other income and to protect the charity against risk and uncertainty.

The Trustees review the policy annually and have agreed to aim to maintain unrestricted reserves at the equivalent of three months’ running costs.

At 31/03/2023, unrestricted reserves were £43,589, equivalent to four months’ running costs and a designated amount of £12,500 ring-fenced for staff capacity to strengthen volunteer support.

If an emergency arose, both the unrestricted reserves and designated reserves could be called upon.

The objects of the CIO are:

Our principle activities during the 202223 year were:

Date policy reviewed: 23 September 2023

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“The assistance provided is just amazing. I can include myself in every activity, such as trips, art clubs, events etc. Somehow these activities have helped me to rip my stress out. It has given me the opportunity to meet new people and practice my English.”

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are grateful to the funders who contributed to our work in 2022/23, namely:

“It’s a great organisation, it’s been extremely helpful in my life regarding education and making me feel confident socially.”

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We would like to thank the following organisations who have generously made accommodation available to

enable us to work with young people:

Our gratitude for their commitment and support for our activities to:

And a big thank you to all our volunteers for contributing expertise, skills and time to enable the young people to fulfil their potential.

This report and images were originated by After18 staff and volunteers.

“I thank all those who have made After18 possible and contributed to the work it is doing for young refugees. ”

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After18 Board of Trustees:

Sheila Mosley (Chair) Helen Everett Ann Carter

Dimple Patel Yulduz Mazhitova

Registered Charity Number: 1158210

Registered Address: After18, St Andrew’s Church Vicarage, 53B Jarrom Street, Leicester LE2 7DH mail@after18.org.uk ⎪ 07851 411964 ⎪ www.after18.org.uk

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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner s Report Rgport to tho trust￿$1 members of ERI On accounts for the year ended H(￿ch 2023 Charfty no {If any) 1159210 Sot out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity Ilhe Trust") for the y8ar ended31 0 3 iozl R88ponslbllltles and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation ba81s of report of the accounts in accordance wlth the requirements of the charit￿s Act 2011 (Ihe Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts Carried out under section 145 ()f the 2011 Act and in catyng out my examination. I have followed the applicable Directions gNen by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)Ib} of the Act. I have coM￿eted my examination. I confim that no material matters have come to my attention (0th8r than that disdosod below '} in connection vrith th8 éxamination vthich gives m8 cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not k8Pt in accordance with secti)n 130 of the Act or the accounts do not a¢￿ with the accounting records Indepondent •xaminerfs statement I have no concems arKI have com8 aL¥OSS no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. . Please d&lotè the words in the brackets rf they do not appty. Slgned: 21 Namg: . P. PF*£(,hl£cd 06E Rolévanl profossional quallflcatlon(s) or body (If any): Address: E 4-0 IER October 2018

Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examination of charity aC￿unts. directlons and guidance for examiners). Giv0 horo brlèf dotalls of any Items that Ihe examlner wi$ho5 to disclose. IER October 2018