## **Fightback Charity** Society of Disabled Refugees and Asylum Seekers ## Annual Report and Accounts April 2025 ## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year 2024/2025** ## **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 of 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 provides 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 well-being of our clients by involving, supporting and engaging marginalised and disadvantaged individuals, facilitating autonomy, building confidence, reducing social isolation, and promoting integration into the wider community and community cohesion. ## **Practical Services** ## **Drop-in Service** Our twice-weekly Drop-in service provides a wide range of practical support, offering clients advice and assistance with everyday challenges. From reading and replying to letters to making appointments, paying bills, dealing with utilities, and navigating complex systems like housing, benefits, or job applications, we’re here to help. Fightback takes a holistic approach, advocating for, and supporting clients while also empowering them with the skills and understanding needed to tackle these issues independently. Many clients tell us that these everyday tasks are a significant source of stress due to their complexity, but knowing they have access to help in a welcoming, non-judgmental environment makes a big difference. By reducing anxiety and providing practical tools and guidance, we aim to increase resilience, build autonomy, and enhance life chances for those who we serve. We also provide access to phones, the internet, the use of a laptop and a printer. 1 |**Year**|**2023/2024**|**2024/2025**| |---|---|---| |Advice|1,008 clients|1,039| |Advocacy and Mediation|225 clients|241| ## **Client Feedback** - I split up from my husband, and I don’t have an income and had to go to court because of debts. Fightback helped me apply for Universal Credit, set up a repayment plan and cancelled the court. I was in so much stress, you can’t believe how much this helped me. (Deborah) - Fightback helped my daughter who is autistic get DLA after she was refused twice, anytime I have benefits forms to fill in or renew, I always come here. (Eileen Cowen) - When I have problems, I can get help here (Deepak) ## **Form Filling** Our service is an absolute lifeline for many clients who face challenges with language, reading, writing, or understanding complex forms that are required to access essential support. Fightback provides hands-on assistance by writing letters and completing forms on behalf of clients with language or cognitive difficulties. These forms include housing applications, housing and council tax benefits, PIP, DLA, Universal Credit, ESA medical questionnaires, driving licenses, passports, and more. Between April 2023 and April 2024, we have successfully filled out 211 forms, ensuring our clients can access the services and benefits they need, while alleviating stress and providing essential support to navigate these oftencomplicated processes. |**Year**|**2023/2024**|**2024/2025**| |---|---|---| |Forms filled|211|221| ## **Client Feedback** - I struggle with reading and writing. The girls at Fightback help me with forms, benefits and reading letters, so I know when my appointments are, and it keeps me out of trouble. (Sean) 2 - I came to Fightback for help with applying for PIP, and they also helped me get a disabled persons bus and metro pass, which I didn’t even know I could get. I’m so happy because I need to use buses to get around and it was expensive, but now its free. (Mr. Duggen) ## **Provision of Food Parcels** The increase in demand for food support which Fightback experienced during the start of the cost-of-living crisis, has not abated. As financial pressures on families and individuals continues, demand for our services has also continued to increase. UK households continue to feel the after effects of the cost-of-living crisis, with around 90% of households reporting noticeably higher food bills on an ongoing basis. Prices have continued to grow, and people’s incomes have never caught up. Staples such as, eggs, bread, milk, oil, meat, rice, potatoes, cheese, pasta, vegetables and fruit, remain unaffordable for many households. Essential costs have remained disproportionately burdensome for low-income families: millions of low-income households reported cutting back or skipping meals, going without heating, or borrowing to pay for basic essentials, reflecting persistent hardship even as headline inflation fell from the peak in 2022. The demand for food support at Fightback continues to increase weekly and extends across the community, and includes groups such as refugees, asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers, members of other BME groups, the elderly, people with disabilities, students, benefits claimants, and low-income working families. Fightback continues to receive referrals from other agencies, such as CAB, churches, Sunderland City Council and other charities. |**Year**|**2023/2024**|**2024/2025**| |---|---|---| |Food parcels distributed|6,002|7,012| 3 ## Food Parcels Distributed **----- Start of picture text -----**
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
2021/2022 2022/2023 2023/2024 2024/2025
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Client Feedback** - I get universal credit, after ive paid my rent, and bills I have nothing left. If it wasn’t for the regular food parcels, I don’t know what I would do (Anon) - The fruit and veg help my family a lot, I have 4 children and fresh food is very expensive. (Usman) - The food bank is a life saver, they helped me so much when I had no income at all for 5 weeks. (Sarah) 4 ## **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, mental health well-being and social interaction **.** At Fightback we provide hygiene products to clients on a regular basis throughout the year, both to alleviate financial pressures, but also to directly support the wellbeing of our clients. |**Year**|**2023/2024**|**2024/2025**| |---|---|---| |Hygiene parcels distributed|1,575|1,645| ## **Client Feedback** - Getting help with toiletries really helps, washing power, shampoo, and handwash etc are all expensive. (Fred) - Toiletries are essential but they are so expensive, especially for us women because we have added costs because we need sanitary products every month. I really appreciate the help I get with these, it helps me a lot. (Anonymous) ## **Social Services and Activities** Fightback holds a twice weekly **Coffee Morning and Befriending Service.** These social activities enable people to come together and enjoy a selection of refreshments in a safe and welcoming environment. Our aim is to reduce social isolation and loneliness, while promoting social inclusion and good mental health wellbeing amongst our user groups. Many families and single parents with children attended our coffee morning illustrating that 5 people needed to socialize. This service is vitally important, as the heightened divisive political and media rhetoric surrounding immigration has increased polarisation and hatred in the UK. Fightback’s social and befriending services brings people from diverse communities together to create safe spaces for interaction and dialogue, ultimately nurturing understanding, trust, and reducing isolation. This serves to support and strengthen community resilience at a time of increased division and uncertainty. Ongoing feedback from our clients highlights how much they appreciate being able to get out, connect with others and socialise in a safe and relaxed atmosphere. |**Year**|**2023/2024**|**2024/2025**| |---|---|---| |Refreshments provided at coffee mornings|8,580|9020| Fightback’s **Chat Club** gives people the opportunity to engage with others, make positive social connections and break down 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 worries 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 self-esteem, self-worth, and self-awareness, promote autonomy and increase motivation. ## **Client Feedback** - I love coming to Fightback, its safe, friendly, I meet friends here, we have a chat, coffee and something to eat. (Ken) - I like the coffee morning, I can talk to people, get food, and it’s free. (Youbi) - We have been coming to fightback for years, we have met so many people from all over the world, its good to see everyone just talking and making friends. (Fiona and Eddy) - I like the atmosphere here, it doesn’t matter who you are or where your from, your welcome. (Shoban) - I’ve made some lovely friends here, my friend taught me how to make a real biryani and curry at home, and I showed her how to make Yorkshire puddings and dumplings. (Ashley. D) 6 - I like the chat club, and the coffee morning and befriending service. I have learned a lot about other people and the different places they come from. We really have more in common that we realise. I think this is great for breaking down barriers and stereotypes, the people I meet are so lovely and very caring. (Viv) - I like the coffee morning and befriending group, its not just old women sitting around talking, it’s a real mixed bag, the elderly, adults, teenagers, kiddies from all different countries. It’s amazing meeting and making friends from so many different places. (Doreen) ## **Tabletop Days** 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. This helps vulnerable individuals access everyday essentials, which can often be expensive and unaffordable for many people, builds community support, and benefits the environment by reducing waste and promoting reuse, creating a positive impact on society and also demonstrating Fightback’s commitment to sustainability. ## **Client Feedback** - I look forward to the tabletop, you never know what there will be, and if there is something I really need, I can ask the staff and they will put it aside if someone donates it. (Anon) ## **Job Skill Support** Fightback provides advice on how to look for jobs and apply for them online, creating and updating CVs, advice on approaching an employer for the first time, or where to find 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. ## **Client Feedback** - Fightback helped me to appeal my benefits sanction and got my benefit re-instated, without them I would have been sanctioned for 6 weeks. (Anne) - I can’t use a computer, Diana set up a universal credit journal for me, and she looks at the messages for me and answer any questions for me. I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own. (George) - I got help to apply for attendance allowance for my husband because he has dementia and needs more care. We got it first time with no problems. (Cathy and Jim) - I had been out of work for 6 years after an accident. Matti made me an online journal for universal credit and a CV for applying for jobs, she also gave me a reference as well. Now, I have a part time job in a food factory and im waiting to see if they will take me full time. (Annon) - I got help transferring over to universal credit from ESA, I didn’t know what to do, and it was stressing me out, but they did it very quickly. (Daniel) ## **Volunteers and Volunteering Opportunities** We have 20 dedicated volunteers on rotation who organise and run our weekly coffee morning, befriending service, chat club, and drop-in services, as well as 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 they give their time to help organise and run coffee mornings, our befriending service, chat clubs or drop-in services, contribute clerical and IT skills, use bilingual or multilingual abilities to support interpretation, help assemble and distribute food parcels, or offer free haircuts, this support is highly valued and deeply appreciated. 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. Providing our clients/users with volunteering opportunities helps them to gain new skills or enhance transferable skills which they can then use to secure paid employment or go on to enrol on college or university courses. Fightback is always happy to provide volunteers with references and letters of support. ## **Volunteer Feedback** - I’ve been running the food bank for years now, I like organising things, being useful and helping other people. (Monique) - I love volunteering with Fightback, it gets me out of the house, and I meet lots of people. (Tina) 8 - I volunteer in the foodbank every Thursday, I really enjoy working with the other volunteers, we have a good relationship and laugh and chat while we work. (Carine) - I volunteer for the coffee morning and befriending service. I really like it, I talk to many people and I feel good helping people. I am trained in hairdressing and beauty, and I cut women’s hair here for free, which helps them feel good. (Fatemeh) - I do lots of things volunteering, making food parcels, stock rotation, interpreting for different languages, and make sure people are okay when it is very busy. (Abdullah) - I am a qualified Barber and I give free hair cuts to men and boys (Mahmood) Two of volunteers were finalists were finalists in the VCAS Sunderland Awards this year, Monique Gorvel in the BME Champion category, and Hannah Lambton in the Young Volunteers award. At the ceremony in Sunderland Minster, Monique won the BME Champion Award. ## **Other Services** ## **Free Hair Cuts** Many of our clients face numerous challenges, with low self-esteem being a common hurdle. Something as simple as a haircut can have a profound impact, offering a real boost to their confidence and helping them feel good about themselves. Recognizing this, we have continued to provide free haircuts for our clients, ensuring they experience this small but meaningful gesture of care and support. More recently, we now have a female hairdresser, who provides free haircuts for women. 9 ## **Client Feedback** - I don’t have any money, come here every 4 weeks for a haircut for free, its very good. (Mark) - My husband and children come here and get their hair cut. My children look clean and good for school. (Isla) - I get my hair and face shaved for free (Carl) - My boys get their hair cut here (Shanaz) - Fatemeh cut and dyed my hair for me a few times, she did a really good job. (Anon) ## **Christmas Hampers** Each year, Fightback looks to give our clients, a little something at Christmas. In December 2024, we provided Christmas Food Hampers to our clients. This heartfelt initiative aimed to bring joy and warmth to those facing challenges during the holiday season, ensuring that they could experience the spirit of Christmas. We also made the holidays special for the children of our clients by providing each of them with a thoughtful gift, ensuring that the magic of the season reached the younger members of the community as well. 10 ## **Client Feedback** - I think everyone who comes to Fightback looks forward to Christmas, the staff put a lot of work in to spread a little joy around. (Caroline and Peter) - The staff try to make Christmas special, especially for the kids. (Esme, C) - We are adults and we are not christian but we like the decorations, tree and presents and we even get excited when we come here at Christmas. Our children love Christmas. Its very important to share cultures, traditions, celebrations and happiness. (Mohammed) ## **Funding** **– The National Lottery Community Fund Reaching Communities** In Nov 2021, The National Lottery Community Fund – Reaching Communities, kindly donated funding for five years to cover the costs of our accommodation rental, salary of our existing part-time manager and accountancy charges. ## **Household Support Fund** In August and September 2024, Fightback once again acted on behalf of Sunderland City Council to distribute Household Support Fund grants to families and individuals in need. Fightback distributed £4,050 of grants. ## **Medical Placement** Fightback continues working with Sunderland University Medical School, offering to host 2[nd] Year medical students 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, the disabled, elderly and those experiencing economic hardship to gain an understanding of the struggles they faced within the community. While they were with us, the students got involved and assisted Fightback’s team of volunteers in delivering our services. 11 ## **Online Charity Shop** In November 2024, Fightback launched its online charity shop, using eBay to sell donated items, which might otherwise have gone to landfill. These items are now being given new homes right across the UK, all while raising funding to support Fightback’s other activities. ## **Fundraising 2024-2025** - Jill and Norman Franklin Trust - City of Sunderland Council - University of Sunderland - Online Charity Shop - Cash Philanthropy Donation - 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. ## **Thank You for your Support** - To all our funders for their kind generosity - Greggs (Union Street Sunderland), who provides unsold pastries for our coffee mornings. - Sunderland City Council for financially supporting us with Fareshare food 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. 12 ## **Business Information** ## **Committee Members** Chairperson: Diana Lambton Treasurer: David Lowther Committee Member: Monique Gorvel Committee Member: Claudia Conteh Committee Member: Sabina Bain Committee Member: Mahmood Sharif Rahim Committee Member: Janet Nalweysio Committee Member: Daniel Pearce Committee Member: Ali Mirzaei ## **Accountants** Accountability 3 Cuthbert House, Tower Road, Glover Ind Est, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE37 2SH. ## **Bankers** Unity Trust: 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: 0191 565 2707 13 Fightback Approval statement l approve these accounts which comprise the Income and Expenditure Account, the Ba5ance Sheet and the related notes. l acknowledge my ￿SpOnsIbl11ty 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 Lambton 9 January 2025 ## **Fightback** ## **Accountants' report to the members on the unaudited accounts to Fightback** You have approved the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Income and Expenditure Account, the Balance Sheet and the related notes. In accordance with your instructions, we have compiled these unaudited accounts from the accounting records and information and explanations supplied to us. Accountability Accountants 3 Cuthbert House Tower Road Glover Industrial Estate Washington NE37 2SH 9 January 2025 ## **Fightback** **Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 March 2025** |**Fightback**
**Income and Expenditure Account**
**for the year ended 31 March 2025**||| |---|---|---| |**Income Resources**
**Resources Expended**
Wages, salaries and other staff costs
Travel, volunteer expenses & consumables
Rent, rates, power and insurance costs
Telephone, fax, stationery and other office costs
Food parcels
Household Support Fund (HSF)
Bank, credit card and other finance charges
Accountancy, legal and other professional fees
Other business expenses
**(Deficit)/surplus**
Balance brought forward
Balance carried forward|**2025**
**£**
**£**
**£**
21,022
51,931
72,953
-
21,173
21,173
8,660
-
8,660
4,528
16,625
21,153
2,626
72
2,698
34,385
18,000
52,385
-
4,050
4,050
28
78
106
-
670
670
3,299
277
3,576
53,526
60,945
114,471
(32,504)
(9,014)
(41,518)
80,059
9,015
89,074
47,555
1
47,556
Restricted Funds
Unrestricted
Funds
Total Funds|**2024**
**£**
99,951
21,158
6,825
10,318
1,902
47,010
5,630
189
2,842
1,058
96,932
3,019
Total Funds| |||86,055
89,074| ## **Fightback Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025** |**Notes**
**Current assets**
Bank/building society balances
Cash in hand
**Current liabilities**
Trade creditors
**Net current assets**
**Net assets**
**Accumulated fund**
Balance at start of period
Net (deficit)/surplus
**3**|51,489
52
51,541
3,985
Unrestricted Restricted
80,059
9,015
(32,504)
(9,014)
47,555
1|**2025**
**£**
47,556
47,556
89,074
(41,518)
47,556|98,478
171
98,649
9,575|**2024**
**£**
89,074
89,074
86,055
3,019
89,074| |---|---|---|---|---| **Fightback Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025** ## **1 Accounting basis** The accounts have been compiled on a basis that enables surpluses to be calculated in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice and that provides sufficient and relevant information to enable the completion of a tax return if necessary. |**2**
**Income and Expenditure account analysis**
**Incoming resources**
Fundraising
**Wages, salaries and other staff costs**
Wages and salaries
Pensions
PAYE & NI
Training & Development & Networking
**Building Capabilities**
**Travel, volunteer expenses and consumables**
Volunteer general expenses
**Rent, rates, power and insurance costs**
Rent
Rates
Property insurance
Water rates
**Telephone, fax, stationery and other office costs**
Telephone and fax & stationery
Stationery and printing
Software
**Food parcels**
Food parcels
Toiletries for failed asylum seekers
**Household Support Fund**
Household Support Fund
**Bank, credit card and other finance charges**
Bank charges
**Accountancy, legal and other professional fees**
Accountants fees
Other legal and professional
Organisational Development
**Other business expenses**
Other sundry costs
Charity shop|Unrestricted Restricted
Funds
Funds
**£**
**£**
21,022
51,931
-
10,338
-
1,333
-
9,502
-
-
-
21,173
8,660
-
3,752
16,229
-
396
451
-
325
-
4,528
16,625
1,682
-
250
-
694
72
2,626
72
30,557
18,000
3,828
-
34,385
18,000
4,050
-
4,050
28
78
28
78
-
670
-
-
-
-
-
670
3,282
-
17
277
3,299
277|**2025**

**£**
72,953
10,338
1,333
9,502
-
21,173
8,660
19,981
396
451
325
21,153
1,682
250
766
2,698
48,557
3,828
52,385
4,050
4,050
106
106
670
-
-
670
3,282
294
3,576|**2024**
**£**
99,951
9,910
1,333
9,915
-
21,158
6,825
8,863
372
439
644
10,318
761
374
767
1,902
44,665
2,345
47,010
5,630
5,630
189
189
708
26
2,108
2,842
1,058
-
1,058| |---|---|---|---| ## **Fightback Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025** ## **3 Restricted funds** |The National Lottery Community Fund – Reaching Communities
Jill Franklin Trust
Community Foundation
HSF4 Fund
Groundwork UK -Tesco|**Balance as**
**at 1 April**
**2023**
**£**
9,099
-
-
(84)
-
9,015|**Incoming**
**£**
29,796
18,000
-
4,135
-
51,931|**Transfer**
**Between**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-|**Outgoing**
**£**
38,895
18,000
-
4,050
-
60,945|**Balance as**
**at 31 March**
**2024**
**£**
-
-
-
1
-
1| |---|---|---|---|---|---|