DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
Charity number: 1159775
DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
(A registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
Financial Statements
For the year ended 31 March 2024
| CONTENTS | Page |
|---|---|
| Legal and administrative information | 2 |
| Report of the trustees | 3-10 |
| Statement of financial activities | 11-14 |
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2024
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Governing Document
Doncaster Conversation Club is a charitable incorporated organisation (“CIO”) registered as a charity on 8 January 2015. The charity was established under a Foundation Model CIO constitution by which it is governed.
Trustees
The trustees of the CIO are its trustees for the purpose of charity law and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the trustees. The trustees serving during the year were as follows:
Chair
Nic Burne
Other trustees
Annette Dews Jan Foster Akeela Mohammed Basil Nadeem Julie Stone Seema Jebabli (Deceased)
Principal Office
Bankers
Quaker Meeting House Shotton Walk Doncaster South Yorkshire DN1 3RH
Co-Operative Bank Limited
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2024
Structure, Governance and Management
The trustees submit their annual report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Trustees
The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out on page 2.
Trustees’ Induction and Training
Trustees are provided with key documents. The trustees are encouraged to attend and participate in appropriate training activities that will help them in their role.
The Trustees have the constitutional power to appoint new trustees and keep the composition of the Board under review.
Organisation Structure and Decision Making
The trustees manage the charity. The full Board of Trustees meets a minimum of five times a year, including general meetings. The full board is mainly concerned with policy matters and the strategic direction of the organisation while more detailed trustee management issues can be dealt with through sub committees.
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2024
(continued)
It is normally the case that sub committees can have delegated responsibility for:
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Finance, dealing with financial decisions and monitoring of income and expenditure
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HR related matters
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Audit, including local and regional government and external audits;
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Governance matters such as the continued relevance of the constitution and of other policy documents.
Individual members of the board also have input to the work of the charity by way of their individual skills and knowledge, which frequently leads them to take on projects to improve and extend the work of the charity. If important matters arise in between meetings the Chair and the board members communicate via email and telephone in order to reach a decision..
During the year the day to day management of the charity is in the hands of Nic Burne and Jan Foster.
Related parties
The charity rents the use of premises from the Balby (Doncaster) Local Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) (“the Meeting”). The Meeting forms part of the Sheffield and Balby Area Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (“the Area Meeting”) (Registered Charity number 1134536)..
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2024
(continued)
Risk Management
The trustees have examined the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate those risks. Areas reviewed included: governance and management, operational, financial, IT, data protection, environmental and compliance. During the year under review and the subsequent period, the Trustees have carried out a complete revision of the policies of the charity, including risk assessments.
Objectives and Activities
The objects of the CIO are to relieve the needs of people in Doncaster who are seeking asylum or who have been granted refugee status for the public benefit by providing resources and services which will help them to adapt within a new community.
. How our activities deliver public benefit
Our main activities and a description of our client group are both described below. All our charitable activities focus on work with refugees and asylum seekers and are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit.
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2024
(continued)
Activities
The year 2023- 2024 has seen many changes in the national asylum system as well as in the DCC.
The biggest change was the punitive Illegal Migration Bill which received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023. In general terms it meant that all those arriving by an undocumented route (i.e. by boat or by lorry) would be treated as inadmissible. The effects of this were slow to manifest themselves in the DCC as most people had arrived before that date. However, as the year in question (2023-2024) dragged on, more and more people came through our doors with concerns that they would be deported to Rwanda. There was a noticeable increase in the distress and worry caused by this new Act. Subsequent amendments that expanded on the original Act enabled the DCC to calm some of these worries but still the label of “inadmissible” is an albatross asylum seekers have to carry around their necks.
.
The other issue that continues to make problems for the DCC is the dispersal of asylum seekers to the surrounding villages. This causes acute isolation and loneliness as a bus to town is the large part of a daily allowance. The DCC encourages new arrivers to attend our drop-in at least once so they know where to come for support. Transport for this initial visit is usually reimbursed.
The DCC runs a weekly drop-in on a Thursday afternoon. Beside this, volunteers are available by phone at all hours. When a resolution of the issue is not available by phone “home visits” or meet-ups in town are made. This is a very weighty responsibility which can overload volunteers. This is a vulnerability of the Charity.
The average weekly attendance at the Drop-in at the Quaker Meeting House is in the region of 70. This is lower than pre-pandemic attendance but that is because we do not offer a hot meal at lunch and so social visitors are not attending. Also people cannot afford a bus ticket to come in from outlying villages. Those who do attend are the ones who are seeking help.
The Thursday drop-in is also attended by a solicitor and representatives from the Doncaster Council Moving On team. The solicitor is employed by Parker, Rhodes and Hickmotts Solicitors in Rotherham to whom we are very grateful. Having in house legal advice is invaluable and she is happy to offer informal advice to both volunteers and asylum seekers. The Council Moving On team look
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2024
(continued)
after new refugees, people who have been granted leave to remain and have to move into the world of work and independence in a very short length of time. This service smoothes the transition to independence from the support offered by the DCC.
The Doncaster Hygiene bank generously supply the DCC with products to pass on to asylum seekers.
There were two asylum hotels in the area, one very remote. This was problematic for the residents as getting to town for socialising or asylum support used half their weekly allowance. The DCC ran a weekly ESOL lesson to help residents not to feel abandoned.
In one of the satellite villages with about 40 asylum seekers an enthusiastic volunteer has succeeded in setting up a weekly drop-in where people can get a simple meal, help with their asylum claim and social support. The volunteer also arranges low key outings for the asylum seeker in the village.
The retired doctor who volunteers for the DCC has arranged for the Health Bus (mobile clinic) to visit the DCC drop-in every fortnight. That, the commitment of her health volunteers, themselves asylum seekers, and her personal enthusiasm ensures that the best possible medical care for the asylum seekers is achieved.
There is an enthusiastic team of volunteers who provide ESOL lessons every week in the centre of Doncaster. They promote the
use of English by linking with outside agencies like the local theatre and city library.
Football twice a week near the town centre hosted by Club Doncaster Foundation and sponsored by Amnesty's Football Welcomes programme makes a valuable contribution to the mental and physical health of those who participate. Up to fifty turn up in all sorts of weather. We appreciate very much the services of the volunteers who support this activity.
There is a bike recycling scheme also run by enthusiastic volunteers. This is an increasingly needed service as so many live out of town.
Different volunteers are involved in meetings and training events with other organisations, both health and asylum related. Relevant information and changes are passed on to all volunteers allowing the DCC team to keep up to date. REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 204
(continued)
Trips and activities organised by the DCC in 2023-24.
20[th] May 2023 Conisbrough Castle
2[4th] June 2023 Epworth Music Festival. 9[th] Aug 2023 Bridlington beach.
15[th] Aug 2023 Annual trip to Lifewise centre.
30[th] Sept 2003 Yorkshire Integration Festival. Sheffield.
4[th] Oct 2023 Caphouse Colliery
18[th] Nov 2023 York
27[th] Jan 2024 Food and Fun at Stainforth.
Monthly Village Dance. Barn dance with live music.
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2024
(continued)
Contribution of volunteers
DCC is run entirely by volunteers and the report above makes clear our reliance on them. We rely on grants and donations to keep going. We are extremely grateful to Doncaster Quakers for their continued support and for the use of their Meeting House for our Thursday drop-in.
Achievements & Performance
The charity continues to work for the benefit of refugees and asylum seekers in the area. Large numbers of individuals and families have been helped by our activities. As a side effect, many volunteers have acquired skills which they are able to use for the benefit of the community in all kinds of activities.
Funding
The local Council realises the benefits the DCC offer the community and have guaranteed to cover our running costs. It paid for our rent and the office support needs for the Thursday drop-in. The DCC also had a grant from the Southall Trust that sponsored outings and activities which are greatly appreciated by people who otherwise have nothing to look forward to or remember. The DCC is very grateful to our sponsors.
Public Benefit Statement
Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on Public Benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives, and in planning its future activities, which is an annual process. Many examples of such public benefit have been described earlier in this report.
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2024
(continued)
Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements
Company and charity law require the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the net income or expenditure, of the group for the year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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make sound judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis, unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees have overall responsibility for ensuring that the charity has appropriate systems of control, financial and otherwise. They are also responsible for maintaining proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the group and charity, and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In accordance with company law, as the company’s directors, we certify that so far as we are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditors are not aware and as the directors of the company we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken to make ourselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s auditors are aware of that information.
| Doncaster Conversation Club | 1159775 | CC16a | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
Receipts and payments accounts
For the period 01/04/2023 31/03/2024 To from
| Section A Receipts and payments | Section A Receipts and payments | Section A Receipts and payments | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts DCC J Hastings Damian Allen / CAF Bicycle DMBC - Rent / Stainf/ESOL DMBC - Lifewise DMBC - HSF Trips Fund Rotary Club Mr. Sears FootBall boots Southall Trust DoY Activity Grant Creditor |
Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 430 - 3,335 700 - - - - - - - - - |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - 13,198 1,165 4,860 4,342 750 60 2,781 - 1,426 |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 430 - 3,335 700 13,198 1,165 4,860 4,342 750 60 2,781 - 1,426 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| 430 | - | - | 430 | 3,503 | |
| - | - | - | - | 500 | |
| 3,335 | - | - | 3,335 | - | |
| 700 | - | - | 700 | - | |
| - | 13,198 | - | 13,198 | - | |
| - | 1,165 | - | 1,165 | - | |
| - | 4,860 | - | 4,860 | - | |
| - | 4,342 | - | 4,342 | 1,275 | |
| - | 750 | - | 750 | - | |
| - | 60 | - | 60 | - | |
| - | 2,781 | - | 2,781 | 81 | |
| - | - | - | - | 775 | |
| - | 1,426 | 1,426 | - | ||
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
| - | - | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for | |||||||||
| AR) | 4,465 | 28,582 | - | 33,047 | 6,134 | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment | |||||||||
| sales, (see table). | |||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Total receipts | 4,46 5 |
28,5 82 |
- | 33,047 | 6,1 34 |
||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||
| DCC | 1,736 | - | - | 1,736 | 2,783 | ||||
| Gainsborough | - | - | - | - | 288 | ||||
| Yvonne and S Hadley | - | - | - | - | 100 | ||||
| J Hastings | - | - | - | - | 500 | ||||
| Damian Allen / CAF | 1,500 | - | - | 1,500 | - | ||||
| Bicycle | 174 | - | - | 174 | - | ||||
| DMBC - Rent / Stainf/ESOL | - | 13,198 | - | 13,198 | - | ||||
| DMBC - Lifewise | - | 1,165 | - | 1,165 | - |
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
| DMBC - HSF | - | 4,770 | - | 4,770 | - | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trips Fund | - | 2,869 | - | 2,869 | 384 | |||||||||
| Rotary Club | - | 744 | - | 744 | ||||||||||
| RAS Fund B Gillhan | - | 260 | - | 260 | - | |||||||||
| Southall Trust | - | 2,781 | - | 2,781 | 1,026 | |||||||||
| Lottery Fund | - | 269 | - | 269 | 8,977 | |||||||||
| DoY Activity Grant | - | - | - | - | 775 | |||||||||
| Mr. Sears FootBall boots | 35 | 35 | ||||||||||||
| Joan Brebner Mem | - | 460 | - | 460 | - | |||||||||
| Sub total | ||||||||||||||
| 3,410 | 26,551 | - | 29,961 | 14,834 | ||||||||||
| A4 Asset and investment | ||||||||||||||
| purchases, (see table) | ||||||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| Sub total | ||||||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| Total | payments | 0 |
3,41 | 26,5 51 |
- | 29,961 | 14,8 34 |
|||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 1,05 | 2,03 | 3,0 | - | ||||||||||
| 5 | 0 | - | 86 | 8,700 | ||||||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | ||||||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| A6 Cash funds last | year end | 4,71 | 1,88 | - | 15,2 |
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
| Cash funds this year end | 7 | 0 | 6,597 | 98 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,77 2 |
3,91 0 |
- | 9,683 | 6,5 98 |
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of | the period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets |
Details DCC, Gainsborough, St George Restricted Funds Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 5,772 - - 5,772 OK Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - 3,910 - 3,910 OK Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - |
Endowme nt funds to nearest £ |
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| OK | ||||
| Endowme nt funds to nearest £ |
||||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - |
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
B3 Investment assets
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use
B5 Liabilities
Fund to which Cost Current value asset belongs (optional) (optional) - - - - - - - - - -
Details
Fund to which Cost Current value Details asset belongs (optional) (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which Amount due When due Details liability relates (optional) (optional) - -
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DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB
- Signed by one or two trustees on Date of behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name approval
Accounts approved by the Board on
and signed on their behalf by
Nic Burne (Chair)
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