## **Fightback Charity** 

Society of Disabled Refugees and Asylum Seekers 

## Annual Accounts and Reports 

April 2022 



**Overview** 

## **Trustees’ Annual Report for year 2021/2022** 

Fightback was formed in Sunderland in 2004 as a multicultural, one-stop, holistic, user-led, not-forprofit 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. 

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: 

## **Practical Services** 

In July 2020, Fightback was one of only a few organisations to reinstate our face-to-face services to provide practical help, advice and support they needed. 

Fightback's holistic approach aims to reduce or remove this anxiety by engaging with, supporting, advocating, mediating and representing clients, while also providing practical information, advice, facilitating and enabling clients to deal with everyday practical issues, such as, reading, writing and 



replying to letters, making appointments, paying bills, dealing with utilities, doctors, solicitors, hospitals, schools, social services, debt agencies and other service providers, applying for bank accounts, housing, driving licences, college courses, benefits, and jobs etc. 

Clients often tell us that dealing with these practical everyday issues causes them the most stress in their lives because the processes, forms and criteria can be so complicated and confusing. However, feedback from our beneficiaries has indicated that knowing they can access help with working through these practical issues, in a welcoming, non-threatening, non-judgemental atmosphere really helps.   It not only reduces stress and anxiety, but provides them with understanding, skills, and autonomy to be able to cope with the everyday issues and processes that effect their lives and improves resilience and life chances. 

The Table below shows the amount of people we have helped from **April 2021 to April 2022** . 

|Drop-in|Advice|Advocacy and Mediation|Signposting|
|---|---|---|---|
|845|782|262|50|




## **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. **Since April 2021 until April 2022, we have filled in 199 forms.** 



## **Provision of Food Parcels** 

Covid 19 created exceptional circumstances, and highlighted the issue of food poverty in Sunderland, increasing the demand for food parcels and hygienic products from 34 to 100+ parcels a week. This has increased again due to the increase in food prices and utility costs, making everyday living expenses less affordable. 

We continue to distribute much needed food parcels each week 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. 

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: 

- Some of our clients are homeless, destitute, have no recourse to public funds or are on the most basic of incomes. 

- 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 £39 pounds per week. 

- The prices of food and utilities has increased. 

- Many of our clients have complex physical and/or mental health issues and remain wary of Corona Virus. 

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

## **Since April  2021 to April 2022, we have provided 5,466 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, CAB, Churches, Sunderland City Council and Charities. 



## **Provision of Hygiene Products** 

Many people who are locked in poverty or those who find themselves in times of crisis often experience  severely restricted options. This leaves them caught between being able to heat their home, pay their rent, buy food or keep clean.   Hygiene poverty can be shaming, humiliating and excluding and can result in social isolation.    Hygiene poverty can lead to a lack of confidence and can negatively affect good health and mental well-being and social interaction **.** At Fightback we provide hygiene products everymonth to over 70 clients 

**Since April 2021 untill April 2022 we have provided 772 hygenic products  to our clients.** 





## **Remote Practical Services** 

Fightback charity continued to maintain contact and provide advice, support, help and reassurance where possible remotely on a daily basis even during weekends.   As a result, we were able to continue to: 

- Fill 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, other Charities, 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 information, support, and advice on a range of subjects and reassurance to clients via Phone, Text, WhatsApp, video calls and Facebook. 

- Deal 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. 

- Signpost clients onto other services where necessary. 

- 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) 

## **Since April 2021 until April 2022, we have dealt with 824 enquiries.** 

## **Tabletop Day** 

Fightback takes in donations of previously loved items and then redistributes them free of charge to anyone in need at our tabletop days. Items include clothing, toys and household items. 




## **Social Provisions** 

## **Coffee Morning and Befriending Services** 

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. 

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. 

Throughout the summer and winter months our activities have remained outside to ensure we minimised the impact of spreading covid infections.  Many families and single parents with children attended our coffee morning illustrating that people needed to socialize. 

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. 





## **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) 

- 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. 

## **Chat Club** 

Our ‘Community Chat Club’ gives people the opportunity to engage with other people, make positive social connections, make friends, have refreshments and breakdown barriers. 

We provide a safe, friendly, relaxed environment where clients can talk about everyday life, their hopes, fears, plans for the future and mental health without being judged.  They can share experiences, information, and strategies for coping with life’s ups and downs, connect with others who understand what they are going through, and be heard.   This service is designed to build selfesteem, self-worth, and self-awareness, promote autonomy, and increase motivation. 

## **Educational Services** 

## **Job Skill Support** 

Fightback provides advice on how to look for jobs and apply for them online, creating and updating CV's, advice on approaching an employer with you CV or where to look for advertised vacancies. We also provide guidance on updating Universal Credit journals and fulfilling job search requirements. This service increases skills, promotes autonomy, enables clients to take advantage of employment opportunities when they arise, prevents clients who are already economically and socially disadvantaged from being sanctioned by the DWP, and increases positive life chances. 



## **Volunteers and Volunteering Opportunities** 

We have 15 dedicated 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 themselves.    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. 

## **Other Services** 

## **Free Hair Cuts** 

As 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. We continued to provide free haircuts for our clients. 




## **Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) and Christmas party** 

In December 2021 Fightback held two family fun days in conjunction with Sunderland Council and the Education Authority (out of school meals) to provide children with activities and a hot meal. 165 children and their families attended. Additionally, each child engaged in fun educational activities, got to see Santa, and received a present. While the parents were provided with 12 days of Christmas Food Hamper, providing enough fresh fruit, veg and other foods to make a breakfast, and main meal for a family of 4 for 12 days. We have been asked to provide similar events during the summer or in the winter break, illustrating our success at being able to support families with children with out of school activities. 






## **Working in Partnership** 

Although many other organisations closed down to the general public and their clients during Covid19, Fightback maintained contact with these agencies and engaged in regular updates, urgent case referrals and collaborations behind the scenes via Zoom and Teams meetings. Many of these other organisations have now reopened and we continue to work closely 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 had three year 6 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’s staff. The students also spoke to other clients/ service users, to gain insight into the experiences of refugees, asylum seekers and minority ethnic groups. 

**British Empire Medal** 

In June 2021  Fightback charity received the fanastic news that our manager Matti had been awarded a BEM for charitable service in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Matti said: “It’s been team work though - without our team of fantastic volunteers, our trustees, our funders, we wouldn’t have been able to provide support during the pandemic and beyond. 




## **Funding** 

## **National Lottery Community Fund** 

In Nov 2021, the, National Lottery Community Fund kindly donated funding for five years to cover the costs of our accommodation, rental, salary of our existing part-time manager and accountancy charges. 

## **Fundraising 2021-2022** 

- National Lottery Grant Uplift 

- Jill Franklin trust 

- City of Sunderland Council 

- Barbour Trust donated 

- Souter Charitable Trust 

- Community Foundation the Watkin Family Fund 

- Community Foundation P&G 

- Community Foundation Grigor McClelland 

- Cash Philanthropy Donation 

- PayPal Philanthropy Donation 

- Sunderland police constabulary for providing outdoor heaters and gazebos to help keep out coffee morning clients dry during the winter months. 

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

- 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. 

- In kind direct has gifted Fightback clothes, which we redistribute amongst the local community. 



## **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 

- 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 



Fightback
Approval statement
l approve these accounts which comprise the Income and Expenditure Account, the 8alan¢e Sheet
and the related notes. l acknowledge my responsibility for the accounts. including the
appropriateness of the accounting basis as set out in note 1, and for providing all the information and
explanations necessary for their compilation.
Diana Lamblon
30 September 2022

Fightback
Accountsnts. report to the members on the unaudited accounts
to Fightback
You have approved the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 which comprise the Income and
Expenditure Account, the Balance Sheet and the related notes. In accordance with your instructions.
we have compiled these unaudrted accounts from the accounb'ng records and information and
explanations Supplied to us.
Accountability
Accountants
Nautilus House
Durham Road
8irtley
County Durham
DH3 2PA
30 September 2022

Fightback
In¢omg and Exp$ndlture Account
for the year ended 31 March 2022
Totsl
Funds
2022
Total
Funds
2021
Unrestricted Restnded
Funds
Funds
Incomlng mour¢
29.6B3
73,253
103.136
154,757
Resources expended
Wages, salaries and other staff costs
Travel, volunteer expenses & ¢on$umables
Rent. rates, power and insurance wsts
Telephone, fax. static￿ery and other office costs
Food parcels
Bank. ¢redrt card and other finarTh charge$
Accountancy, legal and other wJfe$>onal lees
Oth&r business expenses
29.313
7,015
29,313
7.490
23.171
7.376
8,403
2.650
41,524
144
558
3.191
475
2.1CYJ
1,226
521
39.930
93
$05
2,071
2,621
41.156
153
505
3,688
1.617
5.478
93.832
87.017
Surplus
24.405
15.101
67,740
Ba18nce brought forward
45,144
26.204
71,348
3,608
Balance carried forward
69,549
11.103
80.652
71,348

Fightback
Balance Sheet
as at 31 March 2022
Notr•
2022
2021
¢urr•nt assets
BankJbui￿In9 society balances
Cash In hand
81.225
71.269
79
N•t ¢urr•nl ••••t•
80.652
71,348
Not 48s•ls
71.348
A¢cumulat•d fund
Balance it sthrt of ￿r￿)d
N•1 su￿1V$
Unr•stiKted R•strtt•d
45.144
26.204
24.40S
115.101
71.348
3.608
87,740
69.S49
11.103
80.852
71.348

Fightback
Notes to tho Accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2022
1 A¢eountlng ba•1•
The acc¥)unts have bgtrn compil•d on a basis that enables Surplus￿ to te calculated in acci)rd8n￿ wfth UK
Generally Accept¢d Accounbng Prac*ce and that provK*s suffioent aTrJ re￿vant inftsmab.on to 8nable the
complob.on ol a return rf n8cwary.
2 Sncom• and Exp•ndltur• a¢¢ount anaty•
FuThJs
FuThJ$
2022
2021
InGomlng rg•our¢o•
Fundraising
73.253 103,138
1S4.757
W•ge•. salirle• and oth•r •tsff co•ts
Wages and sal8ri&s
Pensions
PAYE & NI
19,601
2.027
19.601
2,027
7.885
15,036
1,750
8.313
Bulldln9 C•p•b511tl••
Training & Developmenl & N*tsth'ng
72
29.313
Tr•v•l, volunt••r •xp•nM• •nd ¢on*urnabl
Con$umabl88 lor cJtszen5hip dasso$
Volunteer exper&￿5 lor des￿$
Volunteer teather •xwnse$
Volunt•8f ganeral exFen8•$
475
7,015
R•nt. r•t••. pow•r and In¥urnn¢• ¢o•ts
Rent
Ra¢•8
Prop•rty in5urone•
Expensed ¢qulpm•nt
7.805
276
825
7,805
276
825
8,175
278
318
1.834
8,403
T•l•phon•. lax, •tatlon•ry *nd oth•r Offi￿ co•ts
T8l•phone and lax & stats"onery
Stats'on?ry and pnnltrng
so1￿4r•
381
187
334
$88
722
1.331
2,621
1,040
512
1.098
1.331
2,100
521
Fogd par¢•
Food parcel$
C88h dongtioni to lal￿d 8e¢k•rs
T01kn￿$ for foibd asylum Mokors
39.134
39,213
38,298
20
5,206
41.524
1,147
1.943
41.156
39,930
Bank. cr•dlt cartl •nd oth•r fln•nu char9
Bank ¢har9e3
93
153
144
Aceountan¢y, 1ggAI and oth•r prof•ulon•l I
Accountsnts fees
505
S58
othor bu•lM•* •xp•n•o•
Oth¢r suThJry costs
Cov1￿19 Relatad costs
Christmas Celebrationg
1.140
926
85
2.131
477
1.145
2.071
1.822
3.668
3,191

Fightback
Note¥ to the Acctsunt8
for th• yearondgd 31 March 2022
3 Rejtrfjcted funda
Balance a#
0¢ 1 Aprfl
2021
Tran•fvr
B•tw••t)
Funds
B•l•nce 0$
at 31 March
2022
In¢omlng
Outgolng
Big Lottery F￿n￿ Grant
Greatham Hospital
6.187
31,032
1,0
24,OCM)
29.882
1.000
22.378
5.000
1.OOD
17.233
9.350
2.513
88.3
7,337
1.771
3,395
Jame$ KnottTru$l
Gr¢undwtyk (One Stop Bag Lovyl
PoslGode
T[￿•t￿ For c￿l￿ren
Di$abiltyA¢bon
17.233
9,721
371
73,253

(HARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES
Independent examiner's report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Report to the trusteesl
members of
Fighlback
On accounts for the year
ended
3010412022
Charity no
(if any)
1168874
Sèt out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity {'the Trust") for the year ended 3010412022.
Rosponslbllltlo8 and
basis of rèport
As the charity's trustees, you are r88ponsible for the preparation of the
accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
('the A¢t'l.
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145{5)Ibl of the Act.
Independent I havè completed my examination. l Gonfim that no material matters have
examlner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than thal
disclosed below ') which gives me cause to believe that in, any material
respect..
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130
of the Charities Act., or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records., or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements
Con￿rning 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 concems and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examinalion to which attention should be drawn in this report in
order to enable a prop8r understanding of the accounts to be reached,
Please delete th8 words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed:
Date:
2410112023
Name:
Mr Chnstopher Younger MAAT
Relevant professional
qualification{sl or body
(If any):
Association of Accounting Techni¢ians
Addr88S:
1 Burnway, Albany
IER
Oct 2018

Washington
Ne37 1 BG
Section B
Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern
(see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and
guidanGe for examiners).
Give here brief details of
any items that the
examiner wishes to
disclose.
IER
Oct 2018