
## **Fightback Charity** 

Society of Disabled Refugees and Asylum Seekers 

## Accounts 

April 2021 



## **Trustees’ Annual Report for year 2020/2021** 

## **Overview** 

Fightback was formed in Sunderland in 2004 as a multicultural, one-stop, holistic, user-led, not-for-profit organisation. Fightback continues to be one the only a few projects that works with people who experience multiple disadvantages arising out of intrinsic factors, such as, disability, race, ethnicity, language, cultural barriers and immigration status. 

Fightback charity provided a range of practical, social and educational services and activities to refugees, asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers and other BME and marginalised groups. Fightback’s holistic approach aims to improve the mental health and the well-being of our clients by involving, supporting and engaging marginalized and disadvantaged individuals, facilitating autonomy, building confidence, reducing social isolation, and promoting integration into the wider community and community cohesion. 

## **Pre-Covid19 Practical and Social Activities and Services** 

## **Drop-in Service** 

Fightback provides practical support in the form of advice, information, advocacy, mediation and representation on behalf of clients, with a wide range of businesses, companies and organisations, such as, Asylum Support, Immigration Help, Mears, Hospitals, GP’s, Social Services, Immigration, Solicitors, DWP (job centres and benefits, PIP, ESA, CB), Housing providers, DVLA, Schools, Councils, Utilities, Debt agencies, Schools, Colleges, Universities, Employment Agencies and the Police etc. 

## **Form Filling** 

Fightback Charity reads and write letters on behalf of clients with language or cognitive difficulties and fills in a variety of forms including: Housing application forms, housing benefit and council tax benefit, PIP, DLA, Universal Credit, ESA forms including medical questionnaire forms, driving licence, Passports, etc. 

Additionally, clients have access to phones, computers, photocopying, reading and writing letters with the use of interpreters where required. Creating CV’s, Job Searches, applying for Jobs, college and university courses, Universal Credit and other welfare benefit applications and updates. 



As the majority of our clients struggle with language, social, physical or mental health issues and often arrive in an agitated or anxious state. These practical services provide clients with information, increase their knowledge and understanding, reduce stress and anxiety, improve educational and employment opportunities and overall increase their autonomy, self-esteem and mental health wellbeing. Our clients often say that knowing they can access the help they need in a friendly and welcoming environment, quickly and confidentially. 

## **Practical Transition (Move On) Support** 

Fightback has continued to help asylum seekers through the transition period from being granted refugee status to becoming a British Citizen. We have worked closely with Sunderland Council on understanding their new housing guidelines and continue to work closely with the Gentoo Housing group on the registering of new clients requiring accommodation. Gentoo Housing association attended our drop in on a regular basis to help clients who were experiencing difficulties with their tenancies and to support new refugees to register for homes, including applying for housing benefit. Fightback continued to help clients with the transition from the NASS support system to apply for either, college courses, university courses, employment, or ESA, JSA and Universal credit, updating Universal Credit Journals, creating CV’s, and job searches. Fightback also helped clients navigate a range of other everyday requirements, such as, utility companies, council benefits, school registrations for their children, driving licenses and pass ports to sourcing furniture. 

## **Befriending Service** 

Fightback provides a weekly befriending service where allow people to come together from all communities to make friends.  It also enables people to connect with others from their own ethnic communities who can offer support, advice and reassurance which is especially important for new arrivals here who often feel isolated. Our clients can access social support, free tea and hot coffee, hot and cold snacks, and access to IT services in safe and welcoming environment. 

## **Coffee Morning** 

Fightback’s coffee morning provides a range of hot and cold snacks at the coffee morning, such as, tea, coffee, drinking chocolate, dilute juice, fresh fruit, sandwiches, cheese and crackers, cakes, crisps, nuts, biscuits, toast and soups, ensuring that some of our isolated clients can have hot food. 



The aim of these activities is to reduce social isolation and disadvantage, promote social inclusion, integration and healthier lifestyles amongst these user groups by engaging, supporting, building confidence, facilitating autonomy, increasing knowledge and life skills, and promoting community cohesion through the provision of information and education. Clients report that the coffee morning, befriending service and drop-in service provide are a life-line, often the only social interaction they have each week and state that they feel it is a safe, warm, welcoming environment where they can meet people, make friends, share experiences and also access help. 

## **Educational Services** 

Fightback also provided a range of small classes and one to one sessions and discussions on issues, such as, HIV, Hep B, TB, Diabetes Awareness, Healthy Eating, creating CV’s and helping with Job Searches.  These sessions serve to educate, increasing knowledge, and improve life chances and skills. 

## **Food Parcels** 

Fightback also provide weekly high protein food parcels, to failed asylum seekers, the destitute, and low-income families. 

Our food parcels vary from week to week and often include, Rice, pasta, tinned: tomatoes, beans, kidney beans, spinach, potatoes, soups, peas, oil, tuna, sardines, pilchards, corned beef, assorted fruit, sugar, tea bags etc. These provisions are a lifeline to many of our clients and each food parcel contains enough food for at least one good meal per day. 

Additionally, when funds allow, we also distributed a range of hygiene products each month which has proved to be very popular with families. 

## **Operationally** 

Fightback collects and collates a range of qualitative and quantitative data relating to all areas of our work, including client feedback forms, questionnaires and attendance records relating to the numbers of people accessing each of our services. This enables us to assess if our clients are happy with the service, and how it can be improved etc. We hold regular meetings to review client’s needs, time management, utilization of staff and volunteers, finances, and the relevance and sustainability of our services to maximize the benefits to our users and the project. 



## **Working in Partnership** 

Fightback promotes its activities and services on our website and Facebook page, and provides leaflets in English, French, Kurdish, Arabic and Farsi, to other community projects, doctor’s surgeries, hospitals, churches, the council, housing office and social services. 

Fightback continues to work in partnership with other local projects, organisations, institutions and agencies and is part of the larger Connect and BME networks. Fightback actively engages with other organisations, such as, Gentoo Housing Association. Young Asian Voices, Friends of the Drop In, Police, Fire Brigade, ICOS (International Community of Sunderland), Body Positive NE, International Centre, local health and mental health services, City of Sanctuary, Bethany Church at Bede Tower, other churches, Tyne and Wear Fire services, etc. This is important as we get the opportunity to promote our services, take referrals, share information and areas of good practice. 

Our clients often find out about Fightback via asylum literature or are often referred to us by other community and BME groups, local hostels, social services and doctors who feel that the client is experience difficulties accessing the help they need. However, most of our clients are directed to our services by current or previous clients (word of mouth) illustrating that our clients are confident of our ability to help others and are happy to promote our service. 

## **Covid19 Pandemic** 

## **Lock Down Plan and Action** 

In March 2020, it was clear that the Covid19 pandemic was now a significant threat to public health.   On 17/ 03/ 2020, Fightback held a committee meeting and decided that as our clients have complex physical and mental health issues and are therefore considered to be vulnerable, it was necessary to temporarily suspend our coffee morning, befriending service and drop-in to minimise the risk of transmitting the virus. 

However, as all the other partner organisations within the refugee network were closing their doors, we did not feel that it was in the best interest of our clients who are already some of the most vulnerable sections of society to close our doors and leave our clients cut off, isolated and without the help and support they need.   Fightback Charity stepped up to become a frontline service provider by providing essential food supplies to our existing clients, while also supporting the disabled and elderly in the local community who are having to isolate or shield due to the Corona Virus. We adapted our services in the following ways: 



## **Provision of Food Parcels and Hygiene Products** 

We continue to distribute and deliver much needed food parcels each week including (fresh, ambient, frozen, dried and tinned foods) to refugees, asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers, BME groups, the destitute, and local elderly and disabled residents who have no family or friends to support them, families on low income or universal credit. 

## **Food Bank Logistics** 

Since the start of Covid-19 lock down, Fightback staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly Monday to Friday to ensure we have adequate supplies of food to provide our clients. This has included contacting various large supermarket chains to see if they can supply the amount of food we needed given that they placed restrictions on the amount of food due to panic buying.    For the first 3 months it was impossible to get more than between 3 or 6 items of each product.   As a result, our volunteers were constantly going between ASDA, ALDI, LIDL, Morrison’s, Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s on a daily basis to buy the maximum amounts of food we needed for our food parcels. In recent months we have secured regular supplies in large quantities of different foods through Sainsbury’s. Sunderland Council are also kindly supporting our foodbank by paying for additional food supplies via Fare share. 

## **Food Parcel Collections and Deliveries** 

Covid 19 has created exceptional circumstances, as since the outbreak the demand for food parcels and hygienic products has increased from 34 to 100+ parcels a week. A standard Food parcel will have a mixed selection of basic meal base makers, such as, Rice, Pasta and Potatoes, a selection of difference fresh vegetables and fruit, tinned foods such as tuna, ham, corned beef, beans and tomotoes, and every day essentials, such as, eggs, milk, bread, teabags etc, with food parcels varying in size according to the size of the family, to ensure that people have enough food for at least one nutritious cooked meal per day. People struggled to get supplies for various reasons, such as: 

- Other drop-in centres in Sunderland have suspended their services during this crisis and people who would of normally attended and had refreshments a couple of times per week can no longer access those services. 



- Many of our clients are homeless, destitute, have no recourse to public funds or are on the most basic of incomes, and often have no bank accounts or bank cards and are therefore unable to buy cheaper food on line, further reducing their buying capacity. 

- A number of the elderly, disabled and vulnerable people in the local tower blocks have been forced to isolate or shield and have no families or friends to help and support them at this time, therefore Fightback is helping to provide them with food. 

- Asylum seekers cannot order food online as they cannot use their Aspen cards. 

- The majority of our clients have either no means of support at all or have a basic income of around £37/39 pounds per week. 

- The prices of the foods have also increased due to many people panic buying and supermarkets increasing their prices which is also further reducing their buying capacity. 

- Many of our clients have complex physical and/or mental health issues and have to selfisolate to protect themselves from getting the Corona Virus. 

- Families with children on low incomes, universal credit, furloughed, or became unemployed were also struggling to buy food. 

Since the outbreak until April  2021, we have provided 4,776 Food Parcels to Single people and Families with children. 

The following photos illustrate the work we are doing and the wide range of single people and families we help, including deliveries  to the disabled, elderly, those who are shielding or live on the outskirts of Sunderland and are unable to travel on public transport due to the virus or lack of funds to do so. We currently have clients throughout Sunderland and some clients in Gateshead, Newcastle, Washington, Fence Houses, Houghton-le-Spring, Hebburn, Murton and South Shields. 





**Food Parcels Referrals** 

Fightback continues to receive referral from other agencies, such as, the Red Cross, FODI, Churches, Sunderland City of Sanctuary, Council and Charities. 



## **Remote Practical Services** 

In March 2020, all clients were contacted and provided with various remote options for contacting Fightback to maintain contact and access advice, support, help and reassurance during this time to help them through this isolation period where possible remotely on a daily basis even during weekends. Some urgent issues have to be dealt with face to face, in these cases an appointment is made and clients are seen with all government safety measures in place. As a result, we were able to continue to: 

- Filled in paper and online forms, including: Housing applications, housing and council tax benefits, PIP, DLA, Universal Credit, ESA forms, including medical questionnaire forms, school transfer forms, child benefit forms, PIP, Mandatory reconsiderations, Gentoo home application forms, update HC1/2 forms, driving licences, immigration forms, residence permits, references, passports and updated universal credit journals etc. 

- Contact different agencies on behalf of clients, including Councils, Social Services, other Charities, Homeless referrals, Solicitors, Schools, Migrant Help, utility providers etc. 

- Read and create letters and send them to various places on behalf of clients remotely. 

- Kept in contact and provided advice on a range of subjects and reassurance to clients via Phone, Text, Whatsapp, video calls and Facebook. 

- Dealt with other issues that have arisen due to covid-19, such as, ensuring asylum children could access Free School Meals and arranging essential travel for biometric purposes. 

- Provide information and advice on a range of issues. 

- Signpost clients onto other services where necessary. 

- Deal with urgent immigration issues, client’s cases and emergency accommodation. 

- Provide support and reassurance via these formats. 

- Dealt with other issues that have arisen due to covid-19, such as, ensuring asylum children could access Free School Meals and arranging essential travel for biometric purposes. 

- Maintained vital support via Zoom and Whatsapp Video for clients who had COVID19 on a daily to make sure they were alright or needed further urgent medical support. 



- Responded to texts and requests for chats to let our clients know they have someone to turn to, even if it’s only to hear another voice on the other side of the phone. (this is very important for clients who have anxiety or mental health issues) 

- Send out regular updates via text and Facebook to let our clients know that the provision of food parcels was continuing during these trying times 

- Since the first lock down in March 2020 until April 2021 we have dealt with 1,218 enquiries. 

## **Remote Befriending** 

Fightback adapted its befriending service to maintain contact through remote means to provide ongoing help, support and reassurance via, phone, text, Whatsapp, Facebook, Messenger and Zoom. 

- Keep contact with the clients who had a Covid19 to provide them firstly with reassurance and moral support, but also advice on breathing techniques, eating, drinking and medications that help them to recover quickly. 

- Responded to texts and requests for chats to let our clients know they have someone to turn to, even if it’s only to hear another voice on the other side of the phone. (this is very important for clients who have anxiety or mental health issues) 

- Send out regular updates via text and Facebook to let our clients know that the provision of food parcels was continuing during these trying times. 

- Deliver food parcels and hygienic product to clients who were shielding or isolating due to Covid19. 

- Visited our elderly clients from behind the window or at a distance to give them food parcels and make sure they were okay. 

- Help clients with getting their prescriptions. 




## **Reinstating our face-to-face services** 

## **Drop** 

In July 2020, it became apparent that the lockdown was having devastating effects on the mental health of our clients. With this in mind Fightback responded by reinstating our face to face services (by appointment only) in line with Government and Public Health Guidelines to ensure that clients could receive the practical help, advice and support they needed.   However, our number one priority remained the safety and well-being of all our clients, staff and volunteers, therefore, we ensured that all necessary precautions were in place, such as, social distancing measures, protective Perspex desk barriers, face masks, face shields, rubber gloves and hand sanitizers for staff, volunteers and clients. 

The Table below shows the amount of people we have helped since our drop in was reinstated from 13/7/20 to 02/04/2021. 

|Drop_in|Advice|Advocacy and Mediation|Form Filling|Signposting|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|458|306|117|63|51|






## **Coffee Morning** 

As lock down was clearly having a negative impact on the mental health wellbeing of many of our clients we sort permission to use the large courtyard outside in July 2020 in order to reinstate our coffee morning to help to try and in-still a sense of normality to promote mental health wellbeing amongst our user groups. 

Fightback initially adapted its coffee morning by holding it outside in the courtyard, to ensure that safe distancing measures were maintained **.** This was vitally important as the aim of the coffee morning is to reduce social isolation and promote social inclusion. It also enables our clients to enjoy a range of hot and cold refreshments, such as, tea, coffee, drinking chocolate, dilute juice, fresh fruit, sandwiches, cheese and crackers, cakes, crisps, nuts, biscuits, toast and soups, ensuring that some of our isolated clients can have hot food as this maybe the only hot food they have that day. 

Many families and single parents with children attended our coffee morning illustrating that people needed to socialize. (35 to 40 people attended per week, staggered through the day to avoid people congregating). 

We have received positive feedback from our clients who are so happy to be able to get out again in a safe and relaxed atmosphere. 




Unfortunately, further lock down restrictions prevented anyone from gathering and forced us 

to adapt the service again. Fightback responded by providing refreshments on a takeaway basis. 


## **Free Hair Cuts** 

Since 30th July one of our volunteers has provided free haircuts for our clients in the courtyard outside our premises in line with Government and Public Health guidelines.    Our clients have 



many challenges to face, one of them often being low self-esteem.  A haircut can have a great effect on someone’s self-esteem, by giving them a real boost and feel good about themselves. 


## **Volunteers and Volunteering Opportunities** 

We have 15 committed volunteers on rotation who organise and run our weekly coffee morning, befriending service and drop-in services, collecting, packing, distributing and delivering food parcels.  Fightback is a continuously evolving user led project that actively encourages user participation at every level and to take up various roles within the project, such as, acting as trustees and using their skills and competencies for the benefit of the whole project. Whether it is simply giving their time to help organise and run the coffee morning, befriending or drop-in service, provide or enhance their clerical skills and IT support, use their bilingual or multilingual skills to act as an interpreter or assemble and distribute food parcels.  User participation through volunteering is essential as it helps us to continue to provide a wide range of services that are responsive to the needs of the users Also, providing our clients/users with volunteering opportunities also helps them to gain new or enhance transferable skills which they can then use to secure paid employment, college or university courses and Fightback is always happy to provide volunteers with references. 

## **Refugees Got Talent 2020** 

Unfortunately, in 2020, due to the Covid19 Pandemic, Fightback’s contribution to ‘Refugee Week’ activities, ‘Refugees Got Talent’ sadly had to be cancelled.  This collaborative event has proven to be hugely popular, attracting a massive 250 people from 33 different countries 



in 2019. However, Fightback participated in the walk that was organised by ‘City of Sanctuary’ around Sunderland’s landmarks with 2 metres distancing in place. 

## **Christmas Party 2020** 

Fightback’s Christmas Party was also unable to go ahead, however, in anticipation of a radically different Christmas experience Covid19 had inflicted on the nation, Fightback worked hard to secure funding and donations to enable us to provide family sized food hampers with extra festive items, such as chocolates, biscuits and puddings etc.  We also ensured that families with children received presents for each child which included a pair of pyjamas, a toy and chocolates, and for older children a hoody, toiletry set and chocolates. (for 70+ children). 






## **Table Top Day** 

We held a clothing, toys and house hold items morning for anyone in need. With everyone attending adhering to distancing rules, wearing of masks and gloves. 




## **Working in Partnership** 

Although many other organisations have closed down to the general public and their clients due to Covid-19, Fightback has maintained contact with these agencies and engages in regular updates, urgent case referrals and collaborations behind the scenes via Zoom and Teams meetings with various charities, organisations and agencies, such as, NERS and the wider Connect network, MEARS, FODI, City of Sanctuary, ICOS, Action Foundation and Sunderland City Council. 

## **Medical Placement:** 

Fightback has been working with Sunderland University and have three year 

2 medical students assigned to our Charity as part of their community placements. 

The students have visited our organisation on a few occasions and observed our activities, interacted with volunteers, did some background research and Interviewed Fightback Charity Chairperson. 

The students also spoke to 3 three of your clients/ service users, to gain insight into the experiences of refugees, asylum seekers and minority ethnic groups. They used this experience and learning and write a reflective assignment. 


## **Formal Recognition** 

In July 2020 and October 2020 Fightback received formal recognition of its hard work during 

the lockdown from Mrs. Susan M. Winifield, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant. 






## **Funding** 

## **National Lottery Community Fund** 

In Nov 2016, National Lottery Community Fund kindly donated £125.770 in funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. This five-year grant was given to part fund the project for the salary of our existing part-time manager and accommodation rental and accountancy. This grant ends in November 2021. 

## **Grant Uplift** 

In March/April we saw a substantial increase in demand for the food parcels to both our regular clients and other elderly and vulnerable local residents and we do not turn anyone in need away. 



Most of our clients are unable to access food from the Sunderland food bank because their clients are referred by social services, the CAB or they have to be issued with a voucher by the council. 

Our funding officer Clair Docherty contacted us to discuss the possibility of uplifting our grant with the National Lottery to support our ‘Lockdown’ initiatives/activities for which were kindly granted £12,000. This was secured to be able to increase our storage facilities, such as, the purchase of a large capacity freezer and large capacity larder/fridge, as well as further funding for more food parcels which enabled us to buy ambient, fresh and frozen foods, such as milk, butter, eggs, vegetables and meats for our clients.   Additionally, we were also able to provide much needed items included toiletries/hygiene products for our client’s and Safety Wear for staff and volunteers. 

Gaining this uplift funding enabled us to continue to deliver vital support and helped us to make a real difference to our clients and the local community during these unprecedented times, by ensuring that anyone who came forward requesting support was helped. 

## **Fundraising 2020-2021** 

- National Lottery Grant Uplift 

- Jill Franklin trust 

- Postcode Neighbourhood Trust 

- City of Sunderland Council 

- City of Sunderland Council Crowdfund Sunderland 

- Barbour Trust donated 

- Cadburys 

- Hilden Charitable Trust 

- Community Foundation Giving Network 

- Community Foundation P&G 

- Community FoundationGrigor McClelland 

- Community Foundation P&G 

- Community Foundation, Covid 

- Disability Action 

- Hilden Charitable Trust 

- The Edward Gosling Trust 



- Groundwork (Tesco Covid help) 

- CAF 

- Crowdfunder Ltd 

- Cash Philanthropy Donation 

- PayPal Philanthropy Donation 

- Sunderland City Council provided Fightback with £600 Tesco Care Package Vouchers for the purchase of hygiene products to distribute to our clients. 

- Sunderland City Council also provided Fightback with 100 resilience and 100 gift cards which were distributed amongst families with limited resources and single people with no recourse to public funds. 

- Fightback is currently being supported by Sunderland City Council with Fareshare donations which help us to provide a wide range of food products in our food parcels. 

- The SVP in Newcastle have also provided Fightback with a range of food, pre-used clothes, toys, and household goods which we redistribute amongst the local community. 

- In kind direct #commUNITY has gifted Fightback £200 credit towards online purchases, which been spent on hygiene products. 

## **March 2021 and Beyond** 

Fightback was created in 2004, as a holistic, one-stop, user-led, multicultural project that provides a range of support services and activities to some of the most disadvantaged sections of society. The National Lottery has been an avid supporter of the Fightback Charity for nine years now.  Fightback is a small charity that is making a ‘Huge’ impact on people’s lives as we are one of the most responsive and best value for money charities in the North East Region. Earlier this year Covid-19 presented the world with an unknown virus with the potential of being the deadliest pandemic since 1918.  As a result, the UK was plunged into what can only be described as emergency lockdown measures, with millions of elderly, disabled and vulnerable people being forced to shield. With the vast majority of other charities, organisations and community groups closing their doors, the initial thought was to follow suit. However, after discussing the prospect with the management committee, it was decided that the impact of closing would far more damaging to those who rely on our services in terms of their physical, emotional, psychological wellbeing and ability to obtain adequate food supplies. With this in 



mind, Fightback staff and volunteers decided to remain open, adapt its services where possible with government safeguarding measures in place, effectively becoming a front-line service. However, as our services were focused on responding to the needs of people due to the pandemic, other initiatives have had to be put on hold, while our ability to respond has afforded us other opportunities. 

- Fightback planned to open a charity shop to help us generate an income, however, this plan has been put on hold until it is economically and safely viable to do so. 

- Fightback employed a variety of media/online applications to be able to support its clients via Phone, Text, Whatsapp, Facebook, Messenger and Email, and will continue to do so in the future. 

- Fightback has increased its presence by opening a Facebook page which has proved to be very popular with clients and supporters alike, as it keeps them up to date with new information about our activities etc. 

- Along with this Facebook page we have promoted an online giving page which has already generated some donations. 

- Fightback was approached by Sunderland City Council regarding the prospect of providing an outreach for Refugees/Asylum seekers on the outskirts of Sunderland/Washington. (talks will resume once the Covid-19 situation has resolved) 

- Our funding with the National Lottery expires in November 2021. However, as our plans to become more self-sufficient have been adversely affected by the need to respond to the Covid-19 situation as a priority. We are hoping that the National Lottery will look favourably upon our efforts, and ability to rise to the challenge of becoming a front-line service provider during this time and would consider a further funding application to enable us to continue our valuable work. 



**Thank You for your Support.** 

- To all of our funders for their kind generosity 

- Greggs (Union street Sunderland), who provides unsold pastries for our coffee mornings. 

- Tesco for donating unsold food. 

- Sunderland City Council for financially supporting us with Food share contributions towards our weekly food bank. 

- SVP Charity for their kind donations 

- Sunderland Police Constabulary Community Officers. 

- Northumbria Fire Brigade. 

- Chris Howson, Sunderland University Chaplin 

- Daniel Alcock at Bethany Church (Bede Tower) 

- Fightback charity trustees, staff and volunteers. 



## **Business Information** 

## **Committee Members** 

Chairperson: Diana Lambton Secretary: Sabina Bain Treasure: Claudia Conteh Committee Member: Monique Gorvel 

Committee Member: Naghey Amine Masola Committee Member: Mohammad Azizi 

Committee Member: Mahmood Sharif Rahim 

Committee Member: Janet Nalweysio Committee Member: Daniel Pearce Committee Member: Ali Mirzaei 

## **Accountants** 

Accountability Nautilus House, Durham Rd, Birtley, Chester-le-Street DH3 2PA 

## **Bankers** 

4 Brindley Pl, Birmingham B1 2JB 

## **Address** 

Fightback (Society for Disabled Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Registered Charity; Charity number: 1168874 

Units 4-6. Eagle Building High Street East Sunderland SR1 2AX. Phone: 01915652707 



Flghtback
Approval stat•mont
l approve thése x¢ounts compjite the IrKTh* and Exp￿di￿re AccoLtnt. the Balance Sheet
antJ thg felatgd notes. l acknowledge my respon&￿1￿ for the acC￿nts. including the
appropnaleness of the &counling basis as set (￿rt in n(*e 1. and ftr wovidirg all the infomation and
ex￿a￿allOnS nttessary for their eompilakn.
(&,,Oc
D￿n8 Lamblon
27 Septemb8r 2021

Flghtback
Accountants. report to the members on the unaudited accounts
to Fighlback
You have approved the accounts for the year ended 31 Mar¢h 2021 which comprise the Income and
Expenditure Account, the Balance Sheet and the r8laled notes. In accordance With your instructions
we have compi18d these unaudrted a¢¢ounts from the a¢¢ounting records and Informalion and
explanations supplied to us.
Accountability
Accountants
Nautilus House
Durham Road
Birtlèy
County Dutham
DH3 2PA
27 September 2021

Flghtback
Income and Expenditure Account
for the year gndod 31 March 2021
Total
Funds
2021
Unrestrthd Resthcted
FuAd8
F¢Jnds
Total
Funds
2020
Incoming re80urc••
107.
154,757
40,517
R•8our¢•• •X￿nd•d
Wages, salar￿S and other stsff costs
Travel. vojunleer e¥p8nses & Consuma￿0$
R*nl, rale8, power and insurance costs
Telephone, fax. stsbonery and other oific• ¢08ts
FofAY par¢els
Bank, crgdrt card 8n(l oth8f financ• charges
Accountancy, legal 8nd other professional lee8
Othèr bu8in886 ewu$
72
23.099
7,376
8,127
1,824
40.713
23,171
7.376
8.403
16,819
8.173
5,833
1,199
8,039
144
577
1.161
276
826
811
52
41,524
144
558
2.LX1
1.130
3.191
3.167
83.850
87,017
39.745
8utplu•
43.610
67.740
772
8•lanc¢ brought forward
i.S34
2.074
2,836
Balance ¢arri8d foThMrd
45.144
26.204
71.348
3,608

Fightback
Balance Sheet
as at 31 March 2021
Nots#
2021
2020
Curront a•#ets
Ban￿bulkIlng bat8n¢vJ
88h In hand
71.289
79
3.555
53
N•t curr•nt •M•ts
71,348
3,608
N•tA8••ts
71.348
3,608
A¢Gumulat•d lut)d
8818nco 8t start ol perlc#J
Not $¥rp￿•
ufire1t￿￿ Rejlrthd
2.074
24.130
43.810
3,808
67.740
2.836
772
45.144
26,204
71.346

Flghtback
Notes to the Accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2021
1 Ae¢ouniing ba•1•
The accounts have been ctynpilthy on a basis that ?nabbs surtyu8es to t* caltrjlatsd In aLxordanc8 b%ith UK
Generally Accepted AcC(￿n￿"n9 Practica thal prowde¥ Sufknni and rèbvant infomuthon to enable the
ccffipl8tion ol a tax retum il necessary.
2 Incom• and Exp6ndltur• ae¢ount analy•lg
un￿SIn.(￿a Restricted
Funds
Funds
2021
2020
Incomlng r••ourco•
Fundrai81ng
48,777 107,980
46.777
107,980
154,757
40,517
40.517
Wagm, •alarlgJ and othgr •tsff eo•ts
Wagts and salaries
Pan$ion$
15.038
1.7SO
6,313
15.036
1,750
8,313
11,275
1,480
4.084
PAYE & NI
Bulldlng Cap4blllth•
Tfaining & Development 8 NehwrklN4
72
72
72
23,099
18.819
Trav•l, volunt••r exp•n8•• Ind ¢oMum•bl••
CcnsurnabK8s lor coffee momirgs
Volunteor genergl •yn8e8
2.087
4,086
7.376
7.376
Rgnt, r•t••, pow•r and In•ur•nc• ¢o•ts
Rènt
R8t8S
PrgFerty insuranee
ExpèrL8ed equlpment
8,175
8.175
276
318
1,634
276
5,043
318
272
318
276
8.127
T•l•phon•, fax, •t4tlon¥ry and oth•r offl¢• ¢o•ts
Telephone and fox & staticwry
Station¥ry 8ThJ printing
Soltware
358
682
214
928
1,824
1,040
512
1,098
483
736
170
Food parc•
FOCKI parcèlg
C85h don81ions to fall8d atyurn $8ekeryd
Toiletrf•8 for foiled A¥￿VM seek8rs
38,298
36.298
20
5.2C
41.524
7.108
426
51
8.039
811
811
40,713
Bank, cr•dlt eanl and othorfinanc• ehary•#
Bank charges
52
144
144
144
144
Aceountancy, and oth•r prof•s•Sonal f•
Accountants fees
Other legal aNJ profession
558
558
527
50
577
558
Other b￿lnesS •xpenses
Other Sundry costs
COVID-19 Relatsd costs
ChiLslmas celebrth.ons
85
65
2,131
995
135

Flghtback
Nots8 to th• AGcounts
forth• y8ar •nded 31 Mar¢h 2021
3 Roltrlct•df￿dll
T￿61•r
at l Aprfl
8al•nco ••
•t 31 Plar¢h
2020
Fur*
OLrtgolt
Blo Lonery Fwd Gr*tt
N•ik?n81 Lottery
J￿1 F￿n￿lIn TDJII
Community FOUnd￿￿￿G￿￿KkCkn*•￿ F￿d
Communty FoundatwJrf¢wkl
Po¥ic(th
GmuDthAvk Bty ofw))
Neva￿ty
Th8 Ett•Arl Goslln
1212
23.180
12.WX)
18.e
18.2Q5
12.0
1¢,229
0,187
10,(￿0
10.OC¥)
2.787
17,2Ja
2.600
C¢rnmwdty F(¥Jnd•kn PIG
DlsablrtyACb
3.487
10,000
1,013

CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALE5
Independent examiners report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner s Report
Roportto the truste
mombgrs of
On ac￿￿nts for tho year
•nded
3w(r21
Charlty no
(If any)
1168874
Sot oirt on paggs
I rwt to ts tr￿8$ on my examknakn of the acc￿mtS0f th8 above
chartty {￿ Trusf) f￿tha y88r th 30104 12021.
A8 Y￿ respon8ble forthg preparation of th8
accounts in with the rewirwnents of the Ch*ities Act 2011
(kne Act.).
R￿pOnSIbIlttla1 and
ba•ls •)f roport
I rewt in reapect of my exanlnation of TrusY8 accThJnts carried out
dar seckn 145 of th8 2011 Act and in cary￿ ¢JJt my examinatron, I
have foMow&J all ts apthb￿ DlrectkxB ￿en by t￿ Charfty CoTtm*k)n
under 8ecllon 145(5)(b) of th8 Act.
Independent I have Compkn my exanrth. I C￿ffIrM that matsrfal matters have
•xamlnorf8 •tatsm•nt C￿￿8 to my attth kn c<xM8Ction with the 8xaminatk)n (other than that
d*losed ') which was me cause to believe tst in, any materlal
the acCWn￿j ww8 rKrt kept in acc¢tsKe wlth Sect1(￿ 130
of Ihg Charittes Actr. ¢x
the accwnts dKI not ￿ with the &c(yJntlng record8: or
the acc￿nts not c￿lPty with the appllcable requir8m8nts
concemKtr3 th8 fom aNI conknt of accounts set in Ihe Charlti88
{AccwntsatKJ Reports) Regulatwkn 2CK)8 other than any requirement
that the aCc(￿nts give a lrne arnl fairf VIV￿ which Is not a matter
I have rK) ar¥J trRv8 come across no 0th8r matters in connectr
wilh tho ex8mln8kn to whkh allenuon shouhj b8 drdwn In thk% report in
crder to a WOFer wKlwstsrnlrvJ ofthe ac¢cAJnts to ￿ reached.
' Please délet8 th8 W￿d8 in the Lyackets rfuw do fK)taWy.
S*ngd:
Iv2J2pai
Relw*rt profe￿lOnal
quallflcatlon{s) or body
(If any):
Address:
?0 3 C k-)eJTE•L
IER
(kt 2018

CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGIANO AND WALES
Independent examlnerfs report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Report to t￿ truste
Fithtteck
On accwnts for the year
Charlty no
(rf any)
1168874
Set out on pago9
I rwt to the trLL8te8s ￿ my ax&nrth of the acc(xJntsof ts alx)v8
ch* Tn￿) f(rth8 y83r 3010412021.
A8 tho ctwty'strustw yw arn r8SFI￿S1b￿ forth8 preparalion of lh8
accounts in acc￿￿ar￿a with the requirements of th& Charitles Act 2011
(￿ Acr).
R63ponslblllllu and
bas1• of r•port
I repyt in respect of my examinatk)n of th8 TrusV$ accounts carrf8d out
iThler 9ectk)n 145 of tre 2011 Act and in carying out my Èxamination, I
have folkwed 81 ts applthlqe DkectWS Llven by the Charfty Commi8slon
urKler sectkr* 145(5)(b) cl ts Act.
Independent I have comphted my ex•nkth. I cotrirm that no mater181 matters hava
•xamln•¢• statsm•nt Ciwne to my attention in c<)nnectM)n with the exam￿￿tIon (othw than that
di8clos6d bebThi ') wtr￿Ch &iv8s me cause to bdieve tt￿ in, any materfal
. the aCc￿lnts'ng re¢￿ts rKrt kept Yi ￿￿dance wlth s8Cth)n 130
of the Charities Art c
the dwj rKX accixtl wlth the acC￿ntIr￿j r￿d8. or
th8 accounts dkj not comkty with ￿ a￿￿able r8qulrements
concemirvJ the fMn arKI crA)t*rt of accounts set r*Jt In the Chartties
(AccountsaThJ Re￿ts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirem8nt
that ￿ aCC￿nts grve a and falf vi8wwhich Is 8 matter
¢onsKlered as part of an indgpendent examlnalion.
I have no concems and have come across no other matter3 h connection
the examlnatkn to which attent￿)￿ S￿UkI be drawn In thL8 report in
cfder to enatrje a woper WKlwstandlng ofts to be reached.
. Pbase d&We th6 w(Yds In the t*ackets rflh8y do a￿￿.
slgned:
Relevart professlonal
qualfficatlon(sl or body
(11 any):
IER
Oct 2018