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2023-03-31-accounts

DocuSign Envelope ID: C809522C-2321-4CDC-87FA-4C87A1D4364B

2022-23 ANNUAL REPORT

DocuSign Envelope ID: C809522C-2321-4CDC-87FA-4C87A1D4364B

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Report of the Trustees.............................................. page 3
The Europia team ..................................................... page 5
Europia's restructuring and development............. page 7
Europia's Year in Review........................................... page 8
Europia's Events......................................................... page 9
Welfare and Immigration Advice............................. page 12
Labyrinth Project........................................................ page 16
Ukraine Project........................................................... page 17
Roma Project.............................................................. page 19
Health and Wellbeing................................................ page 20
Europia’s Community Projects................................. page 25
ECHO Project.............................................................. page 30
Research..................................................................... page 32
Concluding comments.............................................. page 33
Accounts...................................................................... page 34

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Report of the Trustees for the Year Ending 31 March 2023

The trustees, who are the only members of the charity, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ending 31 March 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).

Purpose of the charity:

Europia is the only registered charity working exclusively for the benefit of Central and Eastern European nationals in Greater Manchester. We have a proven track record for the past 12 years of providing bespoke, culturally appropriate and language-specific services to European nationals.

Structure, governance and management

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its CIO governing document: constitution. A CIO is a corporate body (like a company) that can own property, employ staff and enter into other contracts in its own name (rather than in the names of the trustees). Our registration number in England and Wales is 1161453.

Trustee selection

The Trustee board is derived from the larger community, including friends and supporters of Europia.

The board seeks to reflect this diversity through its profile and enable its members to champion those communities. Currently the board has representatives from the Eastern European communities working in various business settings. They each enrich the board with their skills, local knowledge and experience. We also have client representatives on our trustee board who provide valuable insights on how we should shape our future vision in a client friendly manner.

Europia has a robust trustee application process with a clear audit trail.

Policies

Europia has clear policies and procedures to ensure a professional and safe working

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environment. Each of these policies are reviewed on a yearly basis firstly at the bimonthly trustees meeting and then at the monthly staff meetings, they are then cascaded down to our volunteers and suppliers. Below are the policies and important documents which are available for everyone within the organisation to access and understand.

Wider networks

Europia has created a strong and wide network not just in Greater Manchester but also further afield in London. We are closely linked with the local CVS’s in Greater Manchester. We have an ongoing relationship with Greater Manchester BME Network, Age UK Salford, CCG’s, Doctors of the World, Maternity Action, Race Equality Foundation, Eastern European Resource Centre, Polish Expats Association, various councils across GM and Local councillors including elected leaders.

Reference and administrative details

Registered Charity number: 1161453

Registered office: St Thomas Centre, Ardwick Green North, Manchester, M12 6FZ

Trustees

Paul Lajszczak , Adam Mitula, Artur Bobikyan, Alexandra Boca, Sriharsha Nagaraj and George Wright

Independent Examiner

CWilliamson & Croft Audit Limited, York House, 20 York Street, Manchester, M2 3BB

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The Europia team

CEO Kush Chottera

External consultants/contractors and freelancers

Jo Lake, Ruth Mullen, Miroslaw Ogorzalek, Vicky Galligan, Karina Slovik, Jan Micha, Caroline Pollard, Alina Badescu, Lauren Sanders

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Volunteers and interns

Volunteers are the backbone of Europia, playing a vital role in delivering services and expanding the organisation's impact and visibility. Efficiently leveraging their skills, our volunteers are instrumental in taking the organisation's mission to new heights.

The volunteer project is fuelled by funding from diverse projects within the organisation. Each project within the organisation requests (by email) the specific volunteers they require to achieve their intended outcomes, or to identify the needs of each team and match them with the most suitable volunteers.

With passionate volunteers at its core, Europia's volunteer project embodies collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to making a meaningful difference in the communities we serve.

10 new volunteers recruited in Apr22-Mar23

17 existing volunteers

27 volunteers overall

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Europia's restructuring and development

In October 2022 Europia received funding from The National Lottery for the “Putting UE Nationals In The Front” Project, which will be implemented from October 2022 – September 2025.

Through the first six months of the project (Oct22-Mar23), the Reaching Communities funding has enabled us to focus on restructuring the organisation, its internal systems, staff recruitment and training. The time spent on these key areas is reflected in the enhanced quality of staff performance and well-being, as well as the service we provide. We have also prioritised providing opportunities for staff development. As part of strengthening our governance, a new trustees' governance plan has been created, and we are working with a consultant who attends each trustee meeting to help with the processes of decision-making. Along with our internal organisational development, we have invested in our service delivery to improve the scope and quality of our services. We have begun to roll out the expansion of our services across GM. To build on our community links and relationships, in October 2022 we set up a panel of community representatives, with lived experiences, who meet monthly. The purpose of this panel is to provide an informal space to gather feedback from community representatives and shape our activities to reflect community-specific needs and considerations.

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Europia's Year in Review

April 2022

Europia began offering Free Immigration advice to Ukrainian nationals

Europia launched Ukrainian Community drop-in sessions

Europia received "Reaching Communities" funding from The National Lottery to focus on restructuring, internal systems, recruitment and training

Europia launched Roma Health Hub Project

Europia launched the EchoTranslation, Interpreting and Training project March 2023

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Europia's Events

Europia's Away Day 2022

On the 29th of May of 2022, Europia organised our annual Away Day for all staff members, volunteers, trustees, fellow organisations and community leaders to review our Mission, Vision and Values followed by SWOT exercise and feedback during engaging workshops led by Jonny Wineberg from We Stand Together. At the end of this energising meeting, we encouraged people to relax during the gong bath session thanks to Alina Alis Sygiel, followed by a short puzz tongue drum sound session by our colleague Marlena.

Europia's Romanian Blouse Day 2022

The day is dedicated to the traditional blouse also known as 'ie', showing fascinating embroidery. Europia donated a lot of beautiful handmade Romanian blouses, outfits and folk shawls to the local Romanian and Roma community during the event (and a year before), so now we can admire this unique photo session we are very proud of. All ladies also had an opportunity to do their make-up by the make-up artist - Magda, and get a free professional photo print from Ciara, who arranged a pop-up studio for us with a small photoshoot! We had a lovely and relaxed atmosphere throughout the afternoon with Romanian snacks and talking about Romanian traditions. We had over 30 women, men and families that have joined us on that day.

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Roma Community Wellbeing Fair 2022

Roma Community Well-being Fair aimed to appreciate the Roma community and educate and inform them about healthy habits, foods and other well-being practices and tips. The programme included music from Manchester International Roots Orchestra (Miro) Duo, talks from health and well-being specialists.

Community Diversity Event 2023

Europia's Community Diversity celebrations happened on February 2023. The aim of the event was to integrate with the community and share information about what hate crime is and how to report it. We have invited members of CEE Communities and the British community to come together and share this day together. We had a lovely time sharing Polish food, doing crafts and raising awareness around hate crime.

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Roma Women's Day 2023

In March, Europia celebrated Women's Day and Martisor Day with the Roma women and the community in Levenshulme. We have celebrated the Roma women, spread awareness about mental health and learnt how to mkae Martisor bracelets.

Manchester's Pride Community Session 2023

Manchester’s Pride Community Sessions spotlight grassroots organisations that support intersectional LGBTQ+ communities. Europia had a chance to have a chance to have a session at the Proud Place. We had identified many issues but came up with some great ideas and solutions we could put in palce to make the LGBTQ+ community more accesible for Central and Eastern Europeans that might be afraid to make the next step. Community members from Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria had the opportunity to share their stories and experiences of the intersectionality between cultural and sexual identity, the challenges they faced and how they journey to self-discovery and pride.

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Europia Welfare and Immigration Advice

A trusted advisor for the most vulnerable Central and Eastern European nationals

The overarching aim of the Europia immigration team is to support as many vulnerable and discriminated against EU nationals in Greater Manchester with their EUSS applications. Despite the deadline for applications being 30th June 2021, there were, and still are, many people who have yet to apply and therefore require specialist immigration advice.

Due to a member of the team being on maternity leave until July 2022 the majority of immigration matters that came to us between April 2022 – July 2022 were signposted to other organisations in Greater Manchester. However, from August 2022 the immigration team was able to resume providing advice and support, during this time the team consisted of a part-time OISC level 1 adviser/team leader and an OISC level 3 consultant.

In August 2022 the team began to take on fee-paying clients of any nationality for immigration routes beyond the EUSS, with a view to generating income to support vulnerable EUSS clients for free. The long-term vision of the immigration team is to become self-sustaining from the fee-paying clients, therefore the clients that meet our vulnerability criteria can receive much-needed immigration advice and representation pro bono.

We offer an initial consultation for £70.00 to explore the client's visa options and provide them with a detailed client care letter and 5 working days for follow-up questions. The visa application fees vary depending on the type and complexity of the case. Many of the clients who have undertaken an initial consultation need to meet other requirements before making an application, it is very likely these clients will return to us in due course. The fee-paying service is still a very new endeavor and as such requires time for it to become successful, however, we are feeling very hopeful and excited about our future team prospects.

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Expansion of services

We are also very pleased to announce that a full-time experienced immigration adviser joined the team in March. This means we can expand our services even more in regard to fee-paying clients, which in turn will strengthen our position in supporting the most vulnerable EU nationals in Greater Manchester. Following the expansion of our team, we will also be hosting multiple drop-ins throughout Greater Manchester with a view to reaching many more vulnerable citizens as well as fee-paying ones. April 2022 – March 2023 are very much focused on establishing a solid immigration team and laying our roots for progression, whereas the year ahead looks to be an exciting and busy time with multiple and varied applications to be made.

Number of Clients

79 families have been opened to the case management system. Since August 2022 we have had 34 fee-paying clients. In total 139 families have been referred to us or contacted us directly, either for help with applications, minimal advice or to be signposted elsewhere.

Right from our first phone conversation, I felt at ease and confident thanks to your personal skills. I could probably have done it without any help, but the experience would have been completely different. I would have felt alone, and a bit lost, not knowing what to do next. Having someone to walk me through the process has meant a lot to me. To have you on my side has made it so much easier. I knew you knew what was coming, so I could relax and place my trust in you, I want to thank you for your dedication and also express my gratefulness to EUROPIA

Free immigration advice to Ukrainian nationals

Following the devastating invasion of Ukraine, we are also supporting Ukrainian citizens with their immigration matters as much as possible, all of which is pro bono. These matters range from asylum seeker representation to chasing the Home Office for biometric cards.

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Europia Emergency Fund

At the period from April 01st 2022 to March 31st 2023, 98 people became beneficiaries of the Europia Emergency Fund. The total amount of money paid towards them is £5,490.00. Eighty one Ukraine country nationals (82.7%) received grants. Among other nationalities, there are Polish (6 people - 6.1%), Lithuanian (3 people - 2.0%), 2 people from Italy and 2 from Spain, 1 Belgium, 1 German, 1 Portuguese, 1 Swedish grant beneficiaries. There are citizens of Manchester City Council (37 people - 37.8%) who were supported the most. Salford (26 people - 26.5% ), Bury (11 people - 11.2%) and Trafford (7 people - 7.1%) applied for EEF and received support. Among the 98 grant beneficiaries, there are 81 women (82.7%) and 17 men (17.3%).

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Free School Meals Fund

In June 2022, Europia started a pilot school meals support program to Ukrainian nationals. In some cases, children who started to attend schools did not receive free school meal support due to, for example, delays in benefits claims being approved. Europia set up this support to address the gap. In June 2022 it was available in Salford, in July it was extended to Trafford, and starting from September 2022 it is available in Greater Manchester.

Europia provided this support for 6 students attending schools in Salford (4), Trafford (1), and Rochdale (1), covering 159 meals.

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The Labyrinth Project

The Labyrinth Project is an innovative partnership between 3 third sector organisations: Gaddum, Europia and The Melissus Project.

Salford Community Drop-in Sessions

Through this strong and collaborative group, we aim to reach and support the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach communities within Salford, with a particular focus on Central and Eastern European (CEE) Nationals.

The project offers community drop-in sessions across the borough where service users can access peer support and wellbeing activities as well as one-to-one advice and guidance on a range of issues, including housing, welfare rights and unemployment.

Our project aims to support Salford residents to navigate through the ‘labyrinth’ of health and social care services to build resilience and independence, develop English language skills and improve health and wellbeing.

Our project is underpinned by a trauma-informed approach which has the following values: safety, trustworthiness and transparency, choice, collaboration and mutuality empowerment.

In total, we had 256 interactions with the clients. This number consists of attendees of our drop-in sessions and any other Project beneficiaries, e.g. telephone advice, and one-off interactions.

Europia helped me with my questions which, even for Europia, was a very new problem and very uncommon. But they helped me understand where to go and who to ask. It was very useful help and I’m very grateful for that.

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Ukraine Project

Europia stands in solidarity with Ukraine. Europia continues to listen to the needs of the communities and is working to develop appropriate support for those affected by the Russian war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian Community Sessions

This project is designed to provide practical support and advice to Ukrainian refugees in Greater Manchester. The support is provided in the community language, with Ukrainian staff members and Ukrainian-speaking volunteers. The most common issues raised during the interactions with the clients are:

The drop-in sessions take place every Monday from 2 pm – 6 pm, at Manchester Central Library, And every other Wednesday at Ukrainian Cultural Centre “Dnipro” from 4 pm – 7 pm, as well as through a dedicated Ukraine email box, and social media messengers. We are also keen on developing long-term and trusting relationships with our clients and providing a safe space for people to come to.

During our work we developed connections with other organisations and the local councils, and would often practise multi-agency work, referring or seeking help from our partners and contacts at the Home Office, OPORA, United for Ukraine, Ukrainian Cultural Centre "Dnipro", British Red Cross, Mustard Tree and others.

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In addition, during the sessions the safeguarding issues were raised, that our staff members are trained to recognise, emphasising the need for advocacy and the importance of adopting a holistic approach focused on an individual and figuring out how to support them best in that particular situation.

The safeguarding issues included: Homelessness; Asylum status delay and inappropriate living conditions for families with children; Report of sexual assault.

On a number of occasions, our staff members supported our clients practically and mentally during in-person visits to police interviews at the local stations, and homeless shelters to interpret and agree on the ongoing support plan, with clients' key workers.

Having regular presence through the drop-in sessions and a caring approach has allowed Europia to create meaningful connections and continue to ensure that there is a safe space for people to come to in times of difficulty.

...thank you for your support. Your help and what you do is not just support... It is a reminder that we are not abandoned, not forgotten, that our lives are worthwhile. Because sometimes we give up. Thank you for being there for us!

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Roma Project

At Europia, we firmly believe in the power of community and the importance of fostering a sense of belonging. It is our hope that through our continued efforts, we can make a positive impact in the lives of our Roma clients, as well as the wider community.

Roma advice

During the period of 2022-2023, Europia had the privilege of providing support to a remarkable number of 233 clients from the Roma communities. The individuals attended our drop-in sessions, which were held at the Arcadia Library and Levenshulme Old Library. Over the course of the past three years, Europia has earned the trust and confidence of this vibrant community and provided support.

The majority of our clients are Romanian nationals who have chosen to make their homes in Manchester and Oldham. Our dedicated team has offered support in such areas as application process for benefits, offering assistance in completing important forms, addressing housing and welfare concerns, ensuring their rights to benefits are upheld, facilitating GP registration, aiding in school registration, providing translation services, and offering advocacy when needed.

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Europia Health and Wellbeing

Free support, therapy, information and workshops for Central and Eastern European nationals to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Community development project supported by Manchester Local Care Organisation

Working with the Health Development Lead for the Levenshulme and Gorton neighborhood. The regular sessions were held in Levenshulme Old Library with an average number of 5-10 weekly Roma community beneficiaries. The topics/themes for the sessions were:

Role Play

VOCAL

Europia was commissioned by VOCAL to help facilitate workshops with the Romanian Roma community in Manchester, exploring alternate approaches to cervical screening (ACES). Specifically, the researchers at Manchester University want to know if sending at-home self-sampling kits will encourage more people to participate in the cervical cancer screening programme, especially people from marginalised communities. The Roma community was identified as such community, where women have a low uptake of cancer screening appointments.

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Roma Health Project

This cultural Health and Well being Programme aims to support the Roma community people to better understand their health needs and the services available. We want them to gain the necessary skills to keep their body and mind healthy to improve overall health. Whilst breaking down barriers to getting the right health care for them. The programme includes:

Roma support Drop-in sessions

As part of this project is also the Roma Health Hub that offers a safe space to find information and resources about health and wellbeing. We have also tried Roma Gardening Sessions where people could learn about growing their own food and plants, enjoy the time in nature with the community and have a chance to talk about health and wellbeing.

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Polish COVID Impact Project

As part of this project, we have organised several events:

Free art workshops

Those two art sessions were part of the Polish Covid Impact project funded by Manchester Council. Thank you to all the participants who have joined our art workshops as well as other activities during the time of the project.

The art workshops were led by Magda K., our Central and Eastern European Community Development Worker: “Our first session we started with breathing exercises to feel a bit more relaxed. Then we created an imaginative world called' Philadendria' and we recorded an animation. The second session went very well too, with each time my sessions become better. We had an amazing and inspiring conversation about current issues facing England and Poland. We talked about what the future can hold. How much do we really know? It was a great balance between connecting with each other and making colourful art. During one of the sessions, we created an animation called 'Roxi Hopsi' and featured the beautiful art we created together."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrUfnzvwcUM

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Healthy Eating Online Webinar

We have been conducting engaging and informative online meetings specifically tailored for the Polish community, where we delve into topics such as maintaining a wholesome approach to healthy eating and discovering serene and rejuvenating locales within Greater Manchester. These sessions have included a total of three community members taking part and contributing their insights.

Free Music Therapy and Gongbath

During this event, we offered the Polish community the opportunity to partake in revitalising Gong baths and immersive sound therapy sessions. This enriching experience was organised and hosted within the Levenshulme Old Library premises. This event attracted 10 Polish clients who actively participated in this session.

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BCC - Broughton Community Champions / Polish Steering group

The project aimed at collecting information about EU nationals' opinions, their health needs and COVID-19 hesitancy, in the Salford area. We set up weekly dropping sessions around health and wellbeing each week at Broughton Hub. The sessions were informative but also fun (yoga, gong bath, personal development), so the participants could feel comfortable talking about different issues and their COVID-19 vaccine opinions.

The project included 1 focus group as outlined by the findings of the cabinet office Polish vaccine hesitancy group. It was co-facilitated by a Health Improvement team member from Salford. We used trained, experienced and well-briefed interpreters who helped to capture high-quality intelligence on health needs and the effects of COVID-19 within the community. This was a focus group carefully designed by leading national professionals including behavioural scientists, researchers, media specialists and community leaders.

During this project, we managed to get insights from the local community and establish relations with five residents. We got good insights into the community's needs during the focus group we created. The community needs more meetings like this and more engagement.

Furthermore, we want to meet the community monthly to keep the community together and to maintain the relationship we made. This project gave voice to the underrepresented community and created a space for them to speak about their experiences.

Following the project, a series of monthly activities took place at Broughton Community Centre with the 5 people of the steering group. These will be included in the Violence Reduction Unit Alliance program in Salford starting from April ‘23.

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Europia’s Community Projects

Delivering community events and activities to support Central and Eastern European nationals build their social capital

Probation Project

The Probation Project was developed in collaboration with the Probation Services of Greater Manchester. It focused on delivering a well-being program tailored for Central and Eastern European nationals on probation, primarily targeting Polish and Russian speakers. The project was a pilot initiative.

The project aimed to tackle social isolation, promote socio-cultural integration, increase a sense of belonging and support participants in moving away from criminal behaviour.

The project’s activities were planned to be delivered by Europia’s experienced Support Workers and Community Connectors, both Polish speakers and both trained for a trauma sensitive approach, with regular supervision by an external Senior Social Worker. The planned activities included guided walking tours in Manchester City Center in both Polish and Russian languages, in collaboration with the social enterprise “Invisible Cities”, Art & Craft workshops facilitated by our experienced Community Connector, Polish artist Magda Kij.

Overall, the activities of the Probation Project were aimed to improve the participants' mental health, foster a sense of belonging, and create a supportive network that would contribute to their successful reintegration into the community.

Europia offered a wide range of services to the sole participant referred, from immigration support, to Europia Emergency Fund access, to wellbeing activities, with a series of phone calls and email exchanges happening between our staff, the end user and his Probation Officer.

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Domestic abuse support for Polish women and men in Manchster

According to Vesta - Specialist Family Support CIC (Vesta SFS CIC), there was a concern that Polish people, one of the largest minority groups in Manchester, do not ask for help when they experience domestic abuse. They face many barriers in accessing specialist services – language barrier, fear from statutory agencies, lack of knowledge of the system, isolation and financial difficulties. To be responsive to these needs, Vesta SFS CIC, in partnership with Europia, delivered a project for Polish victims/survivors of domestic abuse in Manchester to ensure they are safe in their homes. Specialist support is offered to adult men and women who live in Manchester, and it includes:

Among these services, Welfare and Housing Advice and the Emergency Fund management and fund distribution were provided by Europia. The other services were provided by Vesta.

Clients received information and assistance with completing forms and accessing other specialist services. The support was offered over the phone, via email, and face-to-face appointments at the Europia's office.

All clients were assessed to check if they need an interpreter. The community interpreter offered telephone and face-to-face interpreting between the adviser and the clients.

We received 18 referrals in total to the service, and supported 17 clients.

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Health Boosting Grandma's Recipes Project

This ongoing project, funded by Manchester City Council, aims to encourage people to maintain a healthy lifestyle and boost their immune system through traditional recipes from different countries, as well as health practices and use of nutritious ingredients in diverse cultures. By sharing cultural practices around cooking and eating, the project aims to foster a wider understanding of the relationship between food, health, and well-being across cultural communities.

With the high rates of COVID-19 during this period, as well as other illnesses such as seasonal flu, it is important for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle and boost their immune system.

Europia in partnership with other organisations gathers original wellbeing recipes, stories, remedies, and immune-boosting tips from the members of the community to create a recipe booklet to distribute within the communities. Organisations that are taking part: Caritas Diocese of Shrewsbury, Wai Yin Society, Europia, Yaran NorthWest, Salford Hongkongers CIC, Survivors Manchester.

Europia provided the partner community organisations with a “Social Media Pack” including prewritten posts, graphics and hashtags for social media promotion to facilitate the collection of authentic traditional healthboosting recipes from the community members.

After having collated all recipes, Europia, as project coordinator, will finalise the design of a ca. 48-page booklet. The booklet will be printed in: English and distributed in digital versions, also in other languages from the partner communities: Chinese, Farsi, Ukrainian and Polish.

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Biznesmama Network CIC support

Europia supports other groups and organisations serving Central and Eastern European (CEE) communities in Greater Manchester. Within this context, a need was identified within Biznesmama Network CIC, an organisation supporting Polish women in business and development, for a Communications and Administration role. Following consultation, Europia decided to hire a qualified individual through a secondment agreement. The arrangement entails 8 hours of work per week for a period of 6 months, from October 2022 to March 2023. Additionaly, Europia provided supplementary resources, including access to a laptop and a Zoom license.

Aleksandra, the individual who was working for BMN, thanks to Europia, gained sufficient experience and confidence during her six-month tenure to pursue her dream job and move to the next chapter in her career.

Europia support Outcome:

This success story was made possible due to Europia's strategic decision to provide support. This decision not only enabled Aleksandra to achieve her career aspirations, but also had a profound and positive influence on numerous of other individuals within our BMN community. The impact of this initiative extended far beyond the immediate outcome, demonstrating Europia's commitment to supporting growth and transformation.

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Ukrainian Craft Sessions

In October 2022, we launched a project under the name – “Ukrainian Embroidery – Sharing Knowledge and Re-inventing the Craft for Modern Times.” The project aimed to provide wellbeing support by creating a space where new arrivals from Ukraine could meet new people. The idea was to have embroidery sessions led by a volunteer and Europia's staff member.

The sessions took place every other Saturday from 10 am – 12 am. It included master classes on embroidery, materials, and coffee/tea, snacks.

Originally we expected the attendance to be up to 20 clients per session. During the period between October 2022 and March 2023 we were able to attract 7 adults and 8 children, with 2 adults and 2 children continuing to visit regularly.

Ukrainian Yoga Sessions

The yoga sessions in Ukrainian language started in October 2022 and finished in January 2022. The idea was developed after discussions with a community member, who was already organising yoga sessions for Ukrainian arrivals. She connected us with a volunteer yoga instructor.

We planned 5 bi-weekly sessions at Eccles Gateway building, from 18:00 – 20:00, but due to unforeseen circumstances, two sessions had to be cancelled.

During this period, the sessions attracted 7 adults and 8 children.

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ECHO Project

Echo - Translation, Interpreting & Training

Europia launched the Echo-Translation, Interpreting and Training project on December 15, 2022. https://europia.org.uk/echo/

The project aims to address the language barrier that European languages speakers face in accessing opportunities in the UK. On November 18, we had an away day led by Adrian Ashton, where we identified and agreed upon core purposes for Echo to pursue. These purposes include empowering local communities currently excluded from or with limited access to public services, as well as creating job opportunities for people in these communities.

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The languages Echo provides support with are:

During November 2022 to March 2023, we focused on developing a comprehensive marketing campaign and branding strategy. Additionally, we started the expansion of our team of linguists to enhance the language capabilities.

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Research

The CICADA-ME Study

C oronavirus I ntersectionalities: C hronic Conditions A nd D isabilities A nd M igrant/ E thnic Minoritisation. The facilitator of this research was the University College London Social Research Institute, Europia was one of the organisations participating in this research. The overarching aim of the CICADA study was to improve pandemic and longer-term support networks and access to and experiences of care, services, and resources for people with disabilities from racialised groups, both during the pandemic and longer term.

CICADA was a mixed methods study that involved three ‘sweeps’ of a new UK survey, secondary analyses of existing surveys, a rapid review, a more granular review, and qualitative insights from over 200 semi-structured interviews and two participatory research workshops. Separate stakeholder co-creation meetings, running through the study, developed analyses and outputs. We took a strengths and assets-based approach, underpinned by the social model of disability and by intersectional considerations, to challenge discrimination.

Europia conducted 6 interviews on behalf of CICADA, which included Romanian, Bulgarian, Polish, and Lithuanian nationals, who had diagnosed

mental health condition (or that are undiagnosed but where the condition significantly impacts everyday life)

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DocuSign Envelope ID: C809522C-2321-4CDC-87FA-4C87A1D4364B

Concluding remarks

Public Benefit

The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and have acted in the public benefit as outlined in the activities reported in the preceding section.

Going Concern

The trustees have considered the current and future activities of the charity and known levels of income and expenditure and are satisfied that the charity is a going concern.

Financial Review

In the year to March 2023, the total income was £356,189 (2022: £317,750). Expenditure was £395,569 (2022: £220,787), resulting in a deficit of £39,380 (2022: a surplus of £96,963). The charity continues to operate through its existing banking facilities.

Reserves Policy

The charity does not currently have a reserves policy. It is in the process of formulating one, and once the policy is approved, the Trustees will seek to achieve this target level in future reporting periods. The charity held unrestricted reserves as of 31 March 2023, which represented in excess of two months of expenditure based on results for the year that ended. The Trustees consider this to be sufficient in the interim to support the activities of the charity based on planned expenditure in the next financial year, and they will continue to monitor reserves on an ongoing basis and through discussions at regular Board meetings.

As of 31 March 2023, the charity had total funds of £109,470 (2022: £148,850), including fixed assets totalling £7,212 (2022: £12,011); However, £40,503 of these total reserves are restricted funds, leaving £68,967 (2022: £122,987) as free unrestricted reserves.

Future Plans

We plan to work toward a stronger financial process with budgets, etc. to create financial stability and sustainability. And also develop our paid Immigration services.

Signature: ____ ____ Sriharsha Nagaraj George Wright Name: ____ ____

06/11/2023

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13/11/2023

Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Europia

Year Ended 31 March 2023

I report to the charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2023 which comprises the Statement of Financial Activities, Balance Sheet and Notes to the Financial Statements.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the Trustees of Europia 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

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 charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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.

Tor Stringfellow FCA, ICAEW

Williamson & Croft Audit Ltd York House 20 York Street Manchester M2 3BB

Date: 16 October 2023

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Statement of Financial Activities

Year Ended 31 March 2023

2023 2022
Restricted Unrestricted
funds funds Total Total
Note £ £ £ £
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies 2 47,988 137,201 185,189 10,317
Charitable activities 3 121,277 49,723 171,000 307,433
Total income and endowments 169,265 186,924 356,189 317,750
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 4 - 7,032 7,032 324
Charitable activities 5 154,625 233,912 388,537 220,463
Total expenditure 154,625 240,944 395,569 220,787
Net movement in funds 13 14,640 (54,020) (39,380) 96,963
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward 13 25,863 122,987 148,850 51,887
Total funds carried forward 13 40,503 68,967 109,470 148,850

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised during the year.

The notes on pages 37 to 46 form part of these financial statements.

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Balance Sheet

Year Ended 31 March 2023

Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
9
Current assets
Debtors
10
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
11
Net current assets
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
12
Net assets
Charity Funds
Restricted funds
13
Unrestricted funds
13
Total charity funds
13		 2023
2022
£
£
7,212
12,011
7,212
12,011
24,013
33,920
127,874
105,253
151,887
139,173
26,105
2,334
125,782
136,839
23,524
-
109,470
148,850
40,503
25,863
68,967
122,987
109,470
148,850

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 16 October 2023.

Signed on behalf of the board of Trustees

Mr. George Wright Trustee

Mr Sriharsha Nagaraj Trustee

The notes on pages 37 to 46 form part of these financial statements.

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

1 Summary of significant accounting policies

(a) General information and basis of preparation

Europia is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England and Wales. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information on page 4 of these financial statements. The nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities are included on page 3.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest £.

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.

(b) Funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

(c) Income recognition

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.

For donations to be recognised the charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the donation and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled.

No amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time in line with the SORP.

Income from trading activities includes income earned from fundraising events and trading activities to raise funds for the charity. Income is received in exchange for supplying goods and services in order to raise funds and is recognised when entitlement has occurred.

Income from government and other grants are recognised at fair value when the charity has entitlement after any performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. If entitlement is not met then these amounts are deferred.

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

1 Summary of significant accounting policies

(d) Expenditure recognition

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. It is categorised under the following headings:

Expenditure on charitable activities

Comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Expenditure on raising funds

Comprises costs which are directly attributable to the charity’s fund-raising activities for its charitable purposes and includes costs of all fundraising events and non-charitable trading.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as an expense against the activity for which expenditure arose.

Grants payable to third parties are within the charitable objectives. Where unconditional grants are offered, this is accrued as soon as the recipient is notified of the grant, as this gives rise to a reasonable expectation that the recipient will receive the grants. Where grants are conditional relating to performance then the grant is only accrued when any unfulfilled conditions are outside of the control of the charity.

(e) Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.

Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, at rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value, of each asset on a systematic basis over its expected useful life as follows:

Computer equipment 33% straight line

(f) Debtors and creditors receivable / payable within one year

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure.

(g) Concessionary loans

Concessionary loans include those payable to a third party which are interest free or below market interest rates and are made to advance charitable purposes. All loans are measured at cost, less impairment. Where the loan is repayable more than one year, the loan is initially measured at fair value and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method, less impairment.

(h) Foreign currency

Foreign currency transactions are initially recognised by applying to the foreign currency amount the spot exchange rate between the functional currency and the foreign currency at the date of the transaction.

Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency at the balance sheet date are translated using the closing rate.

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

1 Summary of significant accounting policies

(i) Employee benefits

When employees have rendered service to the charity, short-term employee benefits to which the employees are entitled are recognised at the undiscounted amount expected to be paid in exchange for that service.

The charity operates a defined contribution plan for the benefit of its employees. Contributions are expensed as they become payable.

(j) Tax

The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.

(k) Going concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that no material uncertainties exist. The trustees have considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the charity to be able to continue as a going concern.

2 Income from donations and legacies

Donations
Grants
Donations		 Restricted
funds
2023
Unrestricted
funds
2023
Total
2023
£
£
£
-
9,169
9,169
47,988
128,032
176,020
47,988
137,201
185,189
Unrestricted
funds
2022
Total
2022
£
£
10,317
10,317

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

3 Income from charitable activities

Community support
Other income
Community support		 Restricted
funds
2023
Unrestricted
funds
2023
Total
2023
£
£
£
117,160
45,844
163,004
4,117
3,879
7,996
121,277
49,723
171,000
Restricted
funds
2022
Unrestricted
funds
2022
Total
2022
£
£
£
120,477
186,956
307,433

4 Analysis of expenditure on raising funds

Advertising and marketing
Advertising and marketing		 Unrestricted
funds
2023
Total
2023
£
£
7,032
7,032
Restricted
funds
2022
Total
2022
£
£
324
324

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

5 Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities

Staff costs
Training
Freelance workers
Refreshments
Staff travel
Contractors
Depreciation
Interest and fees payable on loans
Computer & website
Professional fees
Telephone
Rent & rates
Insurance
Post, printing & stationery
Other

Staff costs
Training
Freelance workers
Refreshments
Staff travel
Contractors
Depreciation
Computer & website
Professional fees
Telephone
Rent & rates
Insurance
Post, printing & stationery
Other		 Activities
undertaken
directly
Support
costs
Total
2023
2023
2023
£
£
£
242,511
-
242,511
15,113
-
15,113
25,631
-
25,631
4,454
-
4,454
2,757
-
2,757
42,697
-
42,697
-
5,202
5,202
-
2,646
2,646
-
11,658
11,658
-
7,478
7,478
-
2,747
2,747
-
15,933
15,933
-
1,223
1,223
-
1,967
1,967
-
6,520
6,520
333,163
55,374
388,537
Activities
undertaken
directly
Support
costs
Total
2022
2022
2022
£
£
£
145,785
-
145,785
2,472
-
2,472
-
-
-
1,626
-
1,626
502
-
502
55,334
-
55,334
-
3,184
3,184
-
2,273
2,273
-
1,835
1,835
-
1,871
1,871
-
3,884
3,884
-
894
894
-
697
697
-
106
106
205,719
14,744
220,463

£154,625 (2022: £132,742) of the above costs were attributable to restricted funds. £233,912 (2022: £87,721) of the above costs were attributable to unrestricted funds.

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

6 Independent examiner’s remuneration

The independent examiner’s remuneration amounts to an independent examination fee of £1,000 (2022: £900) and fees for preparation of the financial statements of £650 (2022: £600).

7 Staff costs and employee benefits

The average monthly number of employees and full time equivalent (FTE) during the year was as follows:

Support staff
The total staff costs and employee benefits were as follows:
Wages and salaries
Social security
Defined contribution pension costs		 2023
2022
Number
Number
13
11
2023
2022
£
£
227,000
138,375
11,576
5,073
3,935
2,337
242,511
145,785

No employees received total employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) of more than £60,000.

8 Trustees' and key management personnel remuneration and expenses

The key management personnel of the charity comprised the Chief Executive Officer, Health & Wellbeing Manager, Operations Manager, Service Manager and Partnership & Communications Manager.

The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity for the year were £115,097 (2022: £60,410).

The Trustees neither received nor waived any remuneration during the year (2022: £Nil).

The Trustees did not have any expenses reimbursed during the year (2022: £Nil).

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

9 Tangible fixed assets

Cost or valuation:
At 1 April 2022
Additions
At 31 March 2023
Depreciation:
At 1 April 2022
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2023
Net book value:
At 31 March 2023
At 31 March 2022
10
Debtors
Trade receivables
11
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Other loans
Trade payables
Other taxation and social security
Pension creditor
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income		 Computer
equipment
Total
£
£
15,334
15,334
403
403
15,737
15,737
3,323
3,323
5,202
5,202
8,525
8,525
7,212
7,212
12,011
12,011
2023
2022
£
£
24,013
33,920
24,013
33,920
2023
2022
£
£
7,630
-
9,378
-
6,128
400
1,319
395
-
39
1,650
1,500
26,105
2,334

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

12 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

Other loans 2023
2022
£
£
23,524
-
23,524
-

Other loans represents a Social Investment Loan (SIL) of £36,240 from Access to Growth. The loan is provided unsecured and is repayable by 60 monthly instalments with the final payment due in April 2027. Interest is payable on the loan at a rate of 6.60% per annum.

13 Statement of funds

Unrestricted funds
General funds
Restricted funds
Roma Support Projects
GMCVO
Polish DV project
Our Manchester (MCC)
Salford CVS
Citizens Advice - Kickstarter
We Love Mcr – Ukraine Support Fund
We Love Mcr – Hardship Fund
Salford City Council - Community
Champions Fund
TS4SE
HM Prison & Probation Service
Gaddum
Manchester Health & Care
Commissioning
Equalities Fund Europia
Total of funds		 Balance at
1 April
2022
Income
Expenditure
Balance at
31 March
2023
£
£
£
£
122,987
186,924
240,944
68,967
6,855
-
6,855
-
-
79,950
59,962
19,988
-
8,265
8,265
-
-
7,488
7,488
-
-
5,000
500
4,500
-
4,117
4,117
-
-
30,000
30,000
-
-
4,000
1,000
3,000
1,590
10,500
12,090
-
1,180
(1,170)
10
-
10,000
-
10,000
-
4,238
8,100
12,338
-
2,000
-
2,000
-
-
13,015
-
13,015
25,863
169,265
154,625
40,503
148,850
356,189
395,569
109,470

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

13 Statement of funds (continued)

Fund descriptions

Unrestricted funds

General funds are unrestricted income funds that are available for use at the trustees' discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.

Restricted funds

Restricted funds are used for community support projects involving the European expatriate community.

Analysis of net assets between funds

Analysis of net assets between funds – current year

Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Creditors due within one year
Creditors due after more than one year
Total		 Restricted
funds
Unrestricted
funds
Total
2023
2023
2023
£
£
£
-
7,212
7,212
40,503
111,384
151,887
-
(26,105)
(26,105)
-
(23,524)
(23,524)
40,503
68,967
109,470

Analysis of net assets between funds – prior year

Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Creditors due within one year
Total		 Restricted
funds
Unrestricted
funds
Total
2022
2022
2022
£
£
£
-
12,011
12,011
25,863
113,310
139,173
-
(2,334)
(2,334)
25,863
122,987
148,850

14 Pension commitments

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the charity to the fund and amounted to £3,935 (2022: £2,337).

Amounts of £1,319 (2022: £395) which were payable to the fund at the balance sheet date and are included in creditors.

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Europia (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 March 2023

15 Related party transactions

During the year, the charity operated a loan account with the Executive Director. They are regarded as a related party due to their ability to influence policy and make operational decisions for the Charity. At 31 March 2023, Europia owed the individual £Nil (2022: £39).

There was no repayments terms on this loan and interest has not been charged.

16 Taxation

The charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt from taxation.

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