2023-04-05-accounts

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CHARITY REGISTERED NUMBER: 1165797 ENGLAND AND WALES

ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER REPORTS OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER CONTENTS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

	PAGE
CHARITY INFORMATION	3
TRUSTEE REPORT	4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPOSIBILTIES	10
INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT	11
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES	12
BALANCE SHEET	13
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNT	14, 15, 16

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER CHARITY INFORMATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

TRUSTEES :	Dany Pharel Njiadeu
	Valerie Ngos
	Sandro Alvarez
	Desmond Tilley
	Blaise Nsangou
	Melanie Ngangen
REGISTERED OFFICE:	37 Weybridge Road
	Manchester
	M4 6FD
CHARITY NUMBER:	1165797
ACCOUNTANTS:	Xpert Accountants
	Chartered Certified Accountants
	671 Manchester Road
	Manchester
	M34 2NA
BANK:	Unity Trust Bank
	Nine Brindleyplace
	Birmingham
	B1 2HB

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

The trustees present their report for the year ended 05[th] April 2023.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The Charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation was registered with the charity Commission on 29[th ] February 2016.

The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which charity is exposed, in particular those relating to the operations and finances of the charity, and believe effective Governance, insurance, checks, controls and procedures are in place to mitigate those risks.

The Trustees meet regularly to attend legal and administrative affairs of the Charity, to review and set policy and to establish long-term strategies for the charity.

Introduction

Ensemble exists to serve the needs of Manchester residents with a central African background or heritage particularly those who speak French as their native language or those whose parents/heritage is French speaking African.

We are concerned to support children, young people, and their families in Manchester, preserving a rich and proud cultural heritage. We work with parents to help retain cultural identity and support children and young people to connect with their heritage, maintain the multilingual and multicultural heritage and through this to understand, acknowledge and share their background positively.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The Charity’s objects are:

1) The advancement of education in all aspects of French African culture and heritage, in particular by the provision of educational activities and cultural events.

2) To advance in life and help young people of the French African community in Manchester by providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.

3) To develop the capacity and skills of the members of the French African community of Manchester in such a way that they are better able to identify and help meet their needs and to participate more fully in society in particular by the provision of training opportunities, advocacy and support.

Our aims also include:

To build bridges that help connect different generations and cultures within and between French speaking Africans; to raise achievement and attainment of children and young people in mainstream schools and society.

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

Our Vision

Multilingual and United Franco-African Community that embraces the past and achieves their full potential.

Mission

To build bridges that help connect generations and communities through identity awareness and heritage maintenance.

Our core provision is the French Supplementary School; we are also involved in healthy eating and exercising, heritage preservation, training and advocacy support for children and young people struggling with identity conflicts.

Our Plan for the year ending 5th April 2023 was to pilot French Supplementary School and cookery classes at our own premises using seed loan from GMCVO (Greater Manchester Community and Voluntary Organisation).

We would like to thank our young people who have been showing genuine interest and making a positive contribution taking active role in the development of the community they are apart off. This financial year marks our first step towards entering into a joint Venture with a commercial venture Kalisha African Food Store to secure a one-year lease on commercial premises at 123 Brisco lane where we worked closely with leaders of the Cameroonian, Ivory Coast, Senegalese and Congolese Communities to offer 320 Free Holiday places to children aged 5-16 during summer 2022 and 160 Free Holiday places during Winter Holidays of 2022.

This joint venture has allowed us to:

• Reduce isolation amongst children and young people

• Deliver a range of well planned and structured activities that help connect children with their heritage

• Increase Access to culturally appropriate Food in the local area

• Connect the community and social Business entrepreneurs within the Community

• Improve our understanding of what it takes to develop a structured and well managed partnership

• We have gained knowledge and experiences in how to demonstrate the impact we are making on children and young people within our community

• We have offered volunteers with training, with inbuilt placements to 14 young people and sessional work to 10 adults/parents.

Our “Friendly Meal” Scheme to those isolated, housebound or infirm within the community did not survive due to the cost of living crisis. The Cooking with Afroganic Meal kit provision was gradually introduced from August 2022 with new culturally adapted Food and drinks. We are delighted that our new service has been so well received by the community, and that we are seeing many more local people trying out the scheme.

In summer 2022 we began consulting with different stakeholder groups regarding a new long-term strategy for French Supplementary school building upon our recognition as educational institution by the University of Manchester. This emergent strategy is driving us to ensure that our services and outcomes are co-produced with the communities that we are here to support. This will be achieved through the design of a youth curriculum that will meet the needs of children and young people from 14 French Speaking African countries, particularly Cameroon. In doing so, we are developing a sustainable workforce able to serve the needs of the wider community.

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

Activities we have done to achieve these objectives are:

30 sessions of French classes using Songs for teaching French with a group of 36 young people (aged 5-16) from Diverse Francophone African Background (Congo, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Senegal and Guinea)

Outcome of our activities:

• Aspiration to develop and become volunteer assistant French Tutor within Ensemble’s French Supplementary School

• better family relations as children reported they have been able to engage more often with extended family back home

• Feeling comfortable about going to France or French Speaking African countries during holidays

• Increased confidence during French lesson at school

• Good grade at French GCSE

• Better understanding of the benefits of preserving bilingual heritage

30 sessions of Cooking with Afroganic Meal Kit with a group of 30 Young people (aged 5-16) from diverse African and British community. We delivered 3 additional sessions in Canoeing and Nature walking for parents and children.

Outcome of our activities

• improved health and wellbeing, because young people where able get access to healthier food choices, (gain cooking skills) skills to cook food,

• a clear understanding of their own individual culinary heritage,

• learning/sharing knowledge of each other’s heritage

• better family relations as children took the rest of ingredients from Meal Kit Box and continued to make food at home for their family

• increased confidence

• Increase interest of children in Food Tech at school

• Aspiration to develop and become volunteer or activity leaders within Ensemble’s Holidays activities and other holiday schemes within the area

Children are starting to embrace their differences, through the love of food at community events and appreciate unique cultural differences.

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

We received additional £7,904 Capacity building support from the Together Fund lead by Canal River Trust and Sport England to develop the Healthy Eating and Active Family program.

The fund has allowed us to engage in conversations with 122 parents, leaders and influential members of the Cameroonian, Ivory Coast and Senegalese communities of Greater Manchester and encourage them to take part in wellbeing activities we offer.

The cookery Services for families have continued to be an effective vehicle for connecting children to their heritage, particularly families on low income with limited or no budgeting skills. Our services have developed a reputation of value and impact that is a direct result of our strengthbased approach.

Partnership and collaboration

Ensemble collaborated with Cameroonian led charity The United Community and Hope Church by

• Taking the lead on running Children’s Sunday School

• offering consultancy support on how to develop infrastructure needed to run Holiday activities and food program

• Writing funding application and raised Funds for the delivery of Holidays activities and food program within the church’s premises at Cheetham Hill

• The church was able to offer 320 Free Holiday places to children of various Francophone African Communities

• Delivered an awareness raising session on Mental Health and disabilities. Supported the cost of a trained and vetted deaf tutor to deliver a workshop to 35 children and young people during the Church’s 10[th] Anniversary

Ensemble also worked with Amateur Cameroonian Football 2 Zero Manchester to Plan and deliver The Annual Cameroonian Family Fun Day. Offering the leader of the group opportunity to attend training and work within our Holidays activities and Food Program.

We look forward to launching the new strategy and associated plans in 2024.

Our main planned developments over the next year are:

• To start piloting the use of our multilingual resource packs in French and English

• The establishment of a Community Kitchen social enterprise at 342 Oldham

• The development of trade exchange between Cameroon and the UK

• We plan to further support our organisational development by staff and trustee’s professional training.

This Grant combined with Investment Loan from GMCVO has supported our work with volunteers and allows us to restructure our team as intergenerational Community Organisation, led by experienced project manager and Youth worker. This approach will see our centre host a much wider range of youth work. Our Volunteer and Placements Service will continue to provide excellent outcomes for both those on placement with us, and our beneficiaries, an average of 120 hours per month of volunteering hours were provided during the year.

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

The major challenge that confronts our charity is the pathway to financial sustainability of the French Supplementary School and Meal Kit services. The investment into these services and the time it takes to reach full capacity means that as forecast the service did not break even in its first year of operation. The budget forecast for this service area continues to predict a deficit into 2023/ 2024, with the service only reaching its monthly income targets in the third year. As in previous years our historic investment in sale of spices to Butchers generates an income which allows us to afford 80% running cost of our services which may take time to be sustainable. The trustees would like to thank all of the funders that have made our significant achievements possible.

Our work would not be possible without the commitment of our passionate volunteers and trustees who are driven to improve the lives of young people. The board would additionally wish to pass on their thanks to them all.

Review of Charity's Position Our financial position at the end of the reporting period is in deficit.

We are planning to do the following in the next 12 months:

The development of plans that are driven by a rolling three-year strategic plan which is subject to a full rewrite in the first six months of 2024/2025 as we will be working alongside Heritage advisers and youth workers whilst encouraging the board to undertake training courses as agreed following £7,500 acceptance from Manchester City Council to spend on Capacity building with following outcome:

• Writing Winning Bids

• Introduction to Data driven project delivery

• Fundamentals of project and data analytics with the use of case studies.

• Practical bespoke Bid Writing session

• Safeguarding training

• 10x Paediatric First Aid training

• Procurement Readiness

• DBS x12

• Effective Human Resource Management

• Tailored train the trainer courses in Healthy Eating, Physical activities Creative Art

• Safeguarding lead

• SEN course

Charity Leadership and Management to deliver all of our ambitions and have elected 3 new board members who will bring new skills in the Human resource and Business management as we are looking more at improving our trading arm “Afroganic”.

Our risk register is reviewed at each full trustee board meeting. Targeted Support for Young people with Mental Health Needs.

We wish to broaden the span of our work, to deliver a wider range of support interventions based upon our core methods. We wish to increase the number of places that we support from 30 to 40 within three years.

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

We wish to be supporting vulnerable young people in properties owned by Cameroon Forum as well as other landlords (social or private sector). We wish to develop our expertise and our interventions to focus more upon improving the health and wellbeing of young people struggling with identity crisis, addictions and alcohol and drugs dependency.

Our absolute priority is to have a financially resilient French Supplementary School, Youth Club and Holidays activities that can have an impact in the long term. We wish to provide an alternative to out of school provision that meets the needs of Children and young people.

• We wish to develop young people and Community Led approaches to the delivery of the French Supplementary School.

• We want to support the training and development young people through volunteering, placements, and apprenticeships.

• We aim to have an extensive programme of health and wellbeing interventions co designed and delivered with the community and partners.

• We will have a sustainable youth work and play offer, delivered in partnership with other local organisations.

• we need to invest in the development of our teams and our systems. We need to build the capacity and strength of our board of trustees, and the quality of systems that serve them.

• We aim to have a marketing strategy that makes the best use of traditional and new media to ensure that we are selling the benefits of engaging with our charity as an individual, group or as a commissioner of services.

• We aim to have developed an approach to our branding that unifies our different services.

• We shall ensure that our IT systems are appropriate for new ways of working, including offsite working.

• We shall invest more resources into the training and development of current and future leaders.

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPOSIBILTIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES

The Trustee are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of its surplus and deficit for that period, In preparing those accounts, the Trustees are required to:

• Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.

• Make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.

• State whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have

• been followed, subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that this basis applies.

The Trustees are responsible for ensuring proper accounting records are maintained which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees may, in respect of any accounting year, elect under s133 charities Act 2011 to prepare – (a) a receipts and payments account, and (b) a statement of assets and liabilities, instead of a statement of accounts under section 132 (1) Charities Act 2011 if gross income in any financial year does not exceed £250,000.

The Trustees have confirmed that an independent examination is required under section 145 Charities Act 2011

DECLARATION

The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above.

..............................................

Signed Mr Dany Pharel Njiadeu (Trustee)

Date 14th February 2024

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER INDEPENDENT EXAMINER REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 05 April 2023 which are set out on pages 11 to 14.

RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER

The charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts.

The charity’s Trustees consider that audit is not required for the period under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and that independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

• Examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act.

• examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records.

• To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT

My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanation from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention.

• Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:

• To keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and

• To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting

• requirements of the Charities Act

Have not been met; or

• To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Xpert Accountants Chartered Certified Accountants 671 Manchester Road Manchester M34 2NA Phone: [phone]

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

		Unrestricted	Restricted	Endowment	Total
		Funds	Funds	Funds	Funds
					2023
	Notes	£	£	£	£
Incoming Resources	2
Donation, Grants and Legacies		-	34,284	-	34,284
Income resources from generated	funds	14,642	-	-	14,642
		----------	---------	---------	---------
		14,642	34,284	-	48,926
		======	======	======	======
Resources Expended
Charitable Expenditure	3	17,023	30,409	-	47,432
		=====	======	======	======
Net of Receipts/(Payments)		(2,381)	3,875	-	1,494
Balance Brought down,
At 06 April 2022		(7,708)	-	-	(7,708)
		---------	---------	---------	----------
Balance Brought forward,
At 05 April 2023		(10,089)	3,875	-	(6,214)
		======	=======	======	======

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 05TH APRIL 2023

	Unrestricted	Restricted	Endowment	Total
	Funds	Funds	Funds	2023
	£	£	£	£
Fixed Assets	9,137	-	-	9,137
Current Assets
Stock	2,000	-	-	2,000
Cash at Bank/ in Hand	4,143	3,875	-	8,018
	----------	----------	----------	----------
	6,143	3,875	-	10,018
Creditors
Amount falling within one year	(8,429)	-	-	(8,429)
	----------	----------	-----------	----------
Net Current Assets/(Liabilities)	(2,286)	3,875	-	1,589
	======	======	=======	======
Total Assets less current liabilities	6,851	3,875	-	10,726
Creditors
Amount falling due after one year	(16,940)	-	-	(16,940)
	---------	--------	----------	---------
Net Assets	(10,089)	3,875	-	(6,214)
	======	======	=======	======
Reserves
General Reserve Fund	(10,089)	3,875	-	(6,214)
	----------	---------	----------	---------
Total Funds	(10,089)	3,875	-	(6,214)
	======	======	======	======

The Financial Statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 14[th] February 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:

Mr Dany Pharel Njiadeu (Trustee)

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

1 Accounting Policies

Basis of preparation

The trustees have taken advantage of section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and the Accounts have been prepared on receipt and payments basis in accordance with the Charity Commission guidance.

2 Analysis of incoming resources:

lysis of incoming resources:
	£	£	£
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
	Funds	Funds	Funds
Donation, Grants and Legacies	-	34,284	34,284
Income resources from generated funds 14,642		-	14,642
	-----------	----------	----------
Total	14,642	-	48,926

3 Analysis of resources expanded:

	£ £	£
	Unrestricted Restricted	Total
	Funds Funds	Funds
Food Purchase	3,000 -	3,000
Professional Cost	500 -	500
Packaging	700 -	700
Project Coordination Fee	- 13,112	13,112
Deprecation	2,005 -	2,005
Premises Cost	5,880 -	5,880
Volunteer Expenses	1,336 -	1,336
Publicity Marketing	220 500	720
Interest on Loan	2,596 -	2,596
Holiday activity programme	- 16,788	16,788
FSS Printing/PSA	12 9	21
Bank Charges	172 -	172
General Administration Expenses	602 -	602
	---------- ----------	-----------
Total	17,023 30,409	47,432

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

4 Income:

Income from Grants, fundraising events, goods sale and membership fee is only accounted for only when it is actually received.

Restricted Funds :

Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets the criteria is identified to the fund, together with a fair allocation of management and support costs.

Unrestricted Funds:

Unrestricted funds are fundraising events and other income received or generated for the objects of the organisation without further specified purpose and are available for general funds.

5 Expenditure:

Expenses of the Charity are accounted for only when the actual payment is actually made

6 Tangible fixed assets

e fixed assets
	Equipment
	£
Cost or valuation
	At cost
At 06 April 2022	13,949
Addition during the year	1,468
	-------------
At 05 April 2023	15,417
	------------
Depreciation
At 06 April 2022	4,275
Charge for the year	2,005
	------------
At 05 April 2023	6,280
	=======
Net book value
At 05 April 2023	9,137
	=======
At 05 April 2022	9,798
	=======

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ENSEMBLE MANCHESTER NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED FOR THE YEAR ENDED 05TH APRIL 2023

7	Stock 2023
	£
Finished goods 2,000
	---------

8 Debtors:

No Debtors during the year

9 Creditors: amount falling due within one year:

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11 Trustees:

None of the Trustees received any remuneration during the year except for a payment to Mrs Melanie Ngangen for Project coordination.

12 Employees:

There were no employees during the year. The Charity’s work is undertaken by Volunteers.