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2022-03-31-accounts

Charity registration number: 1169497

Out & Proud African LGBTI (OPAL)

Annual Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 March 2022

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Out & Proud African LGBTI

Contents:

Charity Information Page 3
Chairman’s Statement Page 4
Independent Examiner Report Page 5
Trustees Report Page 6– 12
Statement of Financial Activities Page 14
Receipt and Payment Accounts Commentary Page 15
Balance Sheet Page 16
Analysis of fixed asset Page 17
Cash in hand certificate Page 18

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Out & Proud African LGBTI

Reference and Administrative Details

Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 March 2022

CHARITY INFORMATION

Trustees

Charity Registration Number

Registered Office

Bankers

Independent examiners

1169497

198 Railton Road London, SE24 0JD

Barclays Bank 193 Camden Town London NW1 7PJ

Swan Accounting Services Accounting & Business Consultancy 55 Stephens Road London, E15 3JJ Tel: 0845 467 7245

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CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

I start my report with a huge thank you, to you, our supporters of which include members, volunteers, funders, friends and many other stakeholders. Without your moral and financial support, the Out and Proud African LGBTI (OPAL) charity would not exist; your continued commitment is valued, and we ask you to continue supporting us, and encourage your friends to support our work. We have seen many lives changed.

My appreciation also goes out to my fellow volunteers. Since we do not have paid staff, our work hugely depends on our volunteers.

We trustee also act as unpaid volunteers and directors of the charity, and provide guidance, human resources, public relations, information technology, fundraising and events assistance, policy research, office management and, importantly, support for other volunteers.

I am pleased to report a year of significant progress in developing a more robust organisation, and working towards securing many African Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals’ legal status in the UK, and also working massively on their integration into British society. We have worked hard to establish a robust set of internal controls, governance and due diligence principles, and to build sounder foundations for our charity’s finances.

If you would like to know more about OPAL, please look at our website and contact us.

Name Abbey Kiwanuka

Chair, Board of Directors

Date: 26 September 2022

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Independent Examiners

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT

FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 March 2022

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TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

The Trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2022. The Board of Trustees approved this report on (date) and signed on its behalf.

The Trustees present their Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31 March 2022. The statements appear in the format required by the Statement of Recommended Practice for the Accounting and Reporting by Charities.

1. Introduction

Out and Proud African LGBTI (OPAL) is a grassroots group set up by, for and run by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) refugees and people seeking asylum. We started after identifying gaps and needs for inclusive support in the wake of growing toxic anti-gay persecution they have faced in their countries of origin for their perceived sexuality.

OPAL was registered as a charity in July 2016 and provides tailored support for LGBTIQ+ asylum seekers and refugees, for whom very little support is otherwise available. Many organisations support refugees; however, their support often causes discomfort in forcing people to reveal their sexualities in ways inappropriate for LGBTIQ asylum seekers. OPAL is known to provide holistic support for its members' legal, physical, social, emotional and sometimes even financial needs.

2. Vision, Mission and Values

OPAL is a safe space for African LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. Our on-line presence makes us arguably one of the first contacts for LGBTIQ asylum seekers in the UK.

Vision

Our vision is to create an environment in which the freedom, rights and equality of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender and Intersex people are guaranteed and where there is no form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Until this is possible, we believe the UK should provide a place of safety for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, providing an environment in which everyone can flourish as their true self.

We engage with our members through one-on-one mentoring, workshops, social events, peer support, and referral to partner organisations for legal, financial, health and housing support. Mission

To ensure the preservation of human dignity, freedom and justice, and the promotion of equality for LGBTI persons in Africa. We engage with our members through one-

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on-one mentoring, workshops, social events, peer support, and referral to partner organisations for legal, financial, health and housing support.

As a community, we:

Values

We are:

Member-led : Our members are at the heart of everything we do. We are led by the lived experiences of our founder Abbey Kiwanuka – a survivor of torture, and member trustees who are all LGBTQ+ refugees. Many of our members volunteer to support the organisation and their peers.

Community-driven : Our focus is on building a community where everyone's expertise, skills and experiences are valued.

Collaborative : We work in partnership with other groups; they have been so valuable to our growth and development. We are part of a wide network of organisations, made up of activists, non-profits, organisation in the UK, who all come together to support LGBTQ+ refugees.

I nclusive : Even though we mostly cater for LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees from Africa, our doors are open to everyone regardless of age, disability, race, gender, sex, sexual orientation, religion, partnership status, pregnancy or other circumstance. We celebrate the diversity of our community, promote a sister-brother

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model of interaction to help those who may have survived violence, and reach out actively to groups we are not yet supporting, especially marginalised groups, for example to elders in retirement homes.

3. Key activities

Outreach: We do much through our social media networks such as YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok via our website www.africanlgbti.org. Many organisations and individuals also refer LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers to OPAL. Others find OPAL via online searches, or by word of mouth from people we have supported.

We cannot reach everyone who may need our help. So, we use our online presence to reach as many as we can. We promote our work online, visiting detention centres, and building partnerships with the NHS, local authorities and Doctors of the World.

Initial assessment and referrals: We invite people who need support to come to our office and meet us. We have a team of male, female and trans people and, after identifying someone's needs, we allocate each person to a peer with whom they feel comfortable to talk. We want to make everyone feel at peace and safe to talk about everything they want. We have private rooms in which words spoken in confidence cannot be overheard. We also explain what we do and what we expect of them.

The aim of the initial assessment is to know someone and understand their needs. We receive members who may need external support such lawyers, therapists, housing associations, social workers, or specialists in physical or psychological trauma.

One-to-one counselling: Members who need one-to-one counselling receive a round ten hours of informal counselling. Our social gatherings help members to alleviate loneliness. Most members have not yet applied for asylum or have nowhere to socialise and 'chill'. We have partnered with G-A-Y and Heaven to enable members to socialise in those two well-known venues LGBTIQ+ venues in London's West End, to play their own music and eat together.

"During lockdown, we were meeting online on Zoom, and after lockdown we are meeting face to face. This has helped me a lot." (Community Member 2021)

Workshops: OPAL hosts weekly workshops for its members, facilitated by OPAL volunteers, or external speakers who are leaders in their field. The aim of our workshops is to raise awareness and levels of understanding in areas specific to LGBTQ+ refugees, and to equip members with skills that help them to navigate life in a new country. These workshops range from discussions about 'coming out' and the impact of concealing your identity, to educational workshops about physical, mental, and sexual health, finding safe housing as an LGBTQ+ asylum seeker, and understanding LGBTQ+ rights in the UK.

"I was able to give my opinion about any matter happening in the group. I was also part of the decision-making process which boosted my confidence to

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believe that I'm part of the community, not only a member receiving help and support but as part of the family". (Community member, 2021)

In partnership with London artists, musicians, poets, and galleries, we run creative workshops providing opportunities for members to build confidence and express themselves creatively, whilst learning new skills or practising an old one.

Social events and reducing isolation: The benefits of our social events are threefold:

To provide opportunities for members to connect with each other, socialise, and share experiences and encouragement.

To run events where LGBTQ+ refugees can meet others living locally, thus reducing isolation and helping people integrate with their new communities.

To build members' confidence in navigating and getting to know their local areas, helping people to feel more at home in the UK.

Every year, we organise a boat cruise party, a men's retreat, house parties and parties at the end of the year. Our men's retreat is a five-day retreat in Weybridge in Surrey. The retreat has indeed helped many of our members who get a chance to interact with other British born or none-refugee black gay men in the UK. By sharing experiences, they learn about other people's struggles. It also helps out members to network and sometimes generates support for their asylum claims.

Advocacy: For LGBTQ+ refugees, attending legal appointments, tribunals, GP and hospital appointments, or other meetings, can be incredibly stressful. In addition to the challenges of navigating complex, unfamiliar systems in a new language, many of our members fear detention, removal from the UK, deportation and, when using services for the first time, discrimination because of their sexual or gender identities.

At OPAL we assist our members to access the services they need, accompanying them to appointments and helping to communicate what they find hard to express, for example the effects of physical violence -- or when interlocuters fail to understand their voices.

We bear witness for members at asylum tribunals, and when they communicate with the Home Office and local authorities, ensuring than they receive the support necessary to express themselves and live safe, comfortable lives.

Ongoing support: Wherever members journey through asylum to life beyond it, OPAL is a point of support. Members can come to OPAL when in need and receive informal counselling and referrals to services otherwise inaccessible to them.

Each person's journey is different; we are as flexible as possible in the support we give. For example, sometimes we support community members to access food banks or homeless shelters, writing letters when a member is concerned that they are being treated unfairly, or simply being a listening ear to someone going through difficulties.

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Our office is open from Monday to Friday. Members can thus arrange to drop in if they have questions about accessing legal support, welfare, and financial aid, writing CVs, filling forms such as travel document applications, or finding volunteering opportunities. Many of our members also volunteer with other charities, for example the non-profit community arts space Gasworks or the Peter Tatchell Foundation.

Crisis support: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw an increased need for funds to assist members urgently. In June 2020, with the support of the artist Jacob Joyce, we set up a ring-fenced emergency fund to help financially and practically during lockdown. We have used this fund to support members with travel to essential legal and medical appointments, or to buy data to attend online interviews and tribunal hearings, for emergency accommodation and food vouchers, etc. Our members have relied on, and greatly appreciated, this practical support in a time where homelessness and destitution among LGBTQ+ refugees are rife, and increasingly dangerous.

Speaking out: We are proud that so many of our members want to speak up for the rights of LGBTQ+ refugees and become activists themselves. We provide a platform for podcasts and YouTube interviews for members to share their experiences and express their opinions. We partner with other organisations to campaign for a fairer asylum process and better lives for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees.

4 Supporters

Charitable trusts and foundations

We received grants from the following foundations:

Individual donors

We received a significant number of donations from individuals whose support has allowed OPAL to support an even larger number of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees in the UK than ever before. These donors include some supporters who have run creative initiatives, crowdfunding, and sporting events to raise funds for OPAL, in particular the artist Jacob Joyce and the Longfield Hall Trust and community centre, and numerous individual supporters. We are incredibly grateful to all our supporters.

5 Staff and volunteers

During the fiscal year ending 31 March 2022, OPAL has not had a paid employee. We have been able to depend on the many volunteers who have lent their skills to fundraising, policy work and event organisation, to name just a few areas of their support. The trustees would like to express thanks to everyone who volunteered with OPAL during this period.

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6 Structure, governance, and management

Appointment of trustees

In the year to 31 March 2022, OPAL was managed by a board of five trustees. Our Trustees have been selected for their broad range of skills and commitment to helping OPAL achieve its vision. OPAL's constitution also stipulates that at least half of our trustees should have lived experience as LGBTQ+ refugees.

The Board of Trustees meets several times a year. All trustees contribute to the efficient and proper running and oversight of OPAL, whilst daily management of the charity is delegated to the Director and Programs Manager, who are also volunteers.

Risk management

As part of their role, all trustees have an obligation to identify, review and mitigate against risks to which OPAL is exposed, ensuring that suitable controls minimise risks of fraud and error.

7 Achievements and performance

OPAL has subsequently undertaken a successful programme of initiatives supporting its vision for EOY 31 March 2022. For reference, we list some of our key achievements and impact metrics below:

Snapshot in Numbers:

Expected Outcomes

The expected outcomes we wanted to see in our client group included:

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Outcomes Achieved

The results of our work in 2021-2022 have been positive. We managed to support community members in Greater London throughout the pandemic. In reflecting on our EOY March 2022, our community members' anonymous annual survey respondents said:

"I am very grateful for OPAL, I joined OPAL when I had lost trust in everything. I was in limbo and I did not have any friends. When I joined OPAL, they became my family and helped me to find a legal advisor, who helped me to get my refugee status. I can see the light at the end of tunnel now" (Community member, 2021 workshop)

8 Financial review

The Trustees are aware that OPAL is not in a good financial position, and we need at least two full-time salaried staff.

During 2022, the Charity will review its funding and grant structures to provide further resilience where possible. The Board of Trustees agrees that the Charity is in its first phase of growth and that therefore we need some time to plan for a stable future. The Board of Trustees will monitor and review funding opportunities and establish how the charity can grow financially. We shall review our plans in twelve months.

9. Plans for the Year Ahead

In the coming year, the Trustees of OPAL have authorised the following work:

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We aim to be able to offer support to more LGBTIQ+ people seeking asylum, reach more members of the public to garner solidarity through new and exciting projects, workshops, seminars, newsletters, press releases, etc. One important focus is to apply for more funding in order to be able to sustain our project. We remain grateful to all our funders including those who donate and fundraise for us.

10 Statement of responsibilities of the Trustees

The Trustees have a duty to prepare financial statements, for each financial year, which give a true and accurate overview of the charity's financial activities and position, including the net income or expenditure of the charity for the year. In preparing these statements the trustees are required to:

The Trustees confirm that to the best of their knowledge there is no information relevant to the audit of which the independent examiners are unaware. The Trustees also confirm that they have taken all necessary steps to ensure that they are aware of all relevant examination information and that this information has been communicated to the independent examiners.

The Trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

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Out & Proud African LGBTI Statement of Financial Activities

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Note
INCOME FROM:
Opening Bal
Donations
1
Grants
2
Other Income [dean st]
3
TOTAL INCOMING
RESOURCE
EXPENDITURE ON:
Volunteer expenses
4
Event/communication
Capacity Building
Telephone
Stationary
On-line Subscription
Office/Meeting Rent
IT (software hardware
Equipment
Transport
General expenses
Food/Refreshment
Social/meeting/Items
Emergency Hardship
Fund
TOATAL EXPENDITURE
NET INCOMING
(OUTGOING) RESOURCES
RECONCILIATION OF
FUNDS
Total Fund Brought Forward
Total Fund Carried Forward		 Unrestricte
d
Funds (£)
Restricted
Fund (£)
Total 2022
Total 2021
6,564.18

17,241.26
17,241.26
12,875.00

15,900.00
15,900.00
11,502.79

6,443.99
6,443.99
6,680.66
17,253.25
22,343.99
39,597.24
31,058.45

1,521.78
1,521.78
-
875.86
875.86
-
980.00
591.45
1,571.45
-
1,090.40
1,090.40
553.90
1,031.87
1,031.87
2652.93
449.76
449.76
2,439.31
9,717.29
9,717.29
4,950.03
1,340.20
1,340.20
-
1,438.00
1,438.00
-
4,328.02
4,328.02
1.278.05
3,961.78
3,961.78
-
4,320.00
1,648.92
5,968.92
881.75
1,173.13
1,173.13
-
11,850.57
914.95
12,765.49
9,510.86
24,173.24 23,060.74
47,233.98
22,266.83
378.88
-716.75
-337.84
8,791.62
-
1,492.75
8,791.62
378.88
776.00
1,154.88
8,791.62

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All of the charity’s activities derive from continuing operations during the above two periods.

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022

1. Donations.

Donars Amount
Communitymembers 17,241.26

During FY22, we received individual donations from our community members, and with the help of Jacob V Joyce, we set up an emergency fund to support our members during the lockdown.

2. Grants

Grants
Grantors Amount
African Advocacy Foundation 10,000.00
Big Lottery Big 5,900.00
15,900.00

Funds from African Advocacy Foundation were for capacity building whereas the funds National Lottery Big Lottery Fund were to facilitate members' urgent and basic day-to-day needs during the Covid pandemic, including food & essential phone/data top-ups, tax/travel fares and emergency cost.

3. Other Incomes.

Funder Amount
56 Dean Street 6,443.99

56 Dean Street offered us space where we hold our weekly workshops.

  1. We did not have a paid staff and depended mainly on volunteers.

  2. During FY22, we acquired office space and purchased podcast equipment, cameras, an outdoor PA system, and office furniture.

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Out & Proud African LGBTI

Balance Sheet

As Of 31 March 2022

FIXED ASSETS
Office Furniture/Equipment
5
CURRENT ASSETS
Accrued Income
Cash at bank and in hand
6
Depreciation
7
CREDITORS:
amount falling due within one year
NET CURRENT ASSETS
NET ASSETS
CHARITY FUNDS
General Funds
Restricted Funds
TOTAL FUNDS		 Unrestricted
Fund (£)
Restricted
Funds (£)
Total 2022
(£)

6,601.00
6,601.00

378.88
776.00
1,154.88
6,979.88
776.00
7,755.88

-
-
-
6,979.88
776.00
7,755.88
6,979.88
776.00
7,755.88
6,979.88
6979.88
776.00
776.00
6,979.88
776.00
7,755.88

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Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 (continued)

Analysis of fixed asset

Items
Comfee fridge
Podcast set
Sony ZV1 camera
Sound books speaker
Led lights
Three-Seater Sofa (Office)
Office chairs (4)
Office table (3)
Office stool
Wall cabinet
Office carpet
Camera gimble
Studio lights
Ridge collapse trolley
Bose Pro speaker
Total fixed asset
6. Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank
Cash at hand
Total		 Amount in £
149.00
1,200.00
749.00
1,100.00
400.00
499.00
250.00
469.00
99.00
99.00
150.00
369.00
268.00
150.00
649.00
6,601.00
597.08
557.80
1,154.88

OPAL maintains a small fund for transportation and food costs for members forced to survive without access to public funds or on the National Asylum Support Service’s standard payment £40.85 per week.

7. Depreciation of capital costs of office furniture/equipment listed in Note 5.

We did not calculate the depreciation of the asset since we bought most of the assets towards the end of our financial year.

Name of restricted fund (FYE 31 March 2022)

Big lottery This fund was for meeting urgent and basic day-to-day needs of members during the Covid pandemic, including food & essential phone/data top-ups, tax/travel fares and emergency cost

African Advocacy This grant was for capacity building of our community Foundation members – covering transport, facilitator and other staffs

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Cash in hand certificate

This cash in hand as of 31 March 2022 is as follow:

Location
198 Contemporary Office
Total cash in Hand		 Amount £s
557.80
557.80

As approved by the trustees on and signed on their behalf by:

Abbey Kiwanuka, Chair of the Board of Trustees

----------------------------------------------------Edrisa Kiyemba, Trustee

----------------------------------------------------Date 05 October 2022

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