2021-03-31-accounts - Greenwich Refugee Aid And Community Enterprise

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GREENWICH REFUGEE AID & COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE (GRACE)

ANNUAL REPORT & AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Charity Registration No. 1169544

Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 3 Objectives and activities ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary............................................................................................................................................ 5 Achievements and performance ......................................................................................................................... 5 Fundraising and Donations Gratitude ................................................................................................................. 6 Acknowledgements: ........................................................................................................................................... 7

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Trustees	Claire Papazidis Andreas Papazidis (Chair) Faten Bizzari (Treasurer) Jennifer Foster	Appointed 30 October 2015 Appointed 1 September 2016 Appointed 3 July 2017 Appointed 5 June 2021
Charity number	1169544
Principal office	18 Leegate, Lewisham London SE12 8SS
Bank	Metro Bank 72 – 76 High Street Bromley BR1 1EG

The Trustees present their report and accounts for the period ended 31 March 2021.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1-9 to the accounts and comply with “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (FRSSE) (effective 1 January 2015)”

Objectives and activities

The Charity's objects (''Objects'') are:

1) For the public benefit to relieve and assist the victims of war, conflict or natural disaster throughout the world, in particular by the provision of volunteers, funds, food, medical aid, accommodation, access to water and sanitation and other humanitarian assistance;

2) The prevention or relief of poverty or financial hardship including, but without limitation to, providing persons in need with grants or money or by providing or paying for services, items or facilities;

3) Such other purposes which are charitable under the laws of England and Wales as the trustees, from time to time, determine.

The charity in the coming months will make every effort to identify new income streams that will enable them to discharge their duties and meet their objectives.

The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake and to its guidance on public benefit.

Structure, governance and management

The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) established in England and Wales on 10/10/16.

It was established using the model constitution for a CIO and its procedures and rules are those in the model constitution for a CIO whose only voting members are its charity trustees.

The charity was successful in obtaining charitable status from the Charity Commission and was formally registered as a charity on 10/10/2016 with charity number 1169544.

The Trustees who served during the year were:

Claire Papazidis Appointed 30 October 2015 Andreas Papazidis (Chair) Appointed 1 September 2016 Faten Bizzari (Treasurer) Appointed 3 July 2017 Jennifer Foster Appointed 5 June 2021

Executive Summary

About GRACE

We help those who have lost everything to rebuild their life from scratch. We aim to provide the essential items needed for individuals and families to get back on their feet again. Through our friendly, innovative, community shop, GRACEaid provides basic items such as clothing, toiletries and small household items to those who need it most. Each client’s dignity and well-being is at the heart of our compassionate service.

Since 2015, GRACE charity remains a firm presence in South East London. We are immensely proud of our achievements, highlighted below, and take pride in playing a leading role harnessing the compassion of our local communities to support those in need.

Achievements and performance

Local community activities

What a year! We were able to nimbly respond to community needs during the COVID lockdown. Whilst we shut our shop to the general public during lockdown, our efforts continued full-steam behind the scenes. While keeping our staff and volunteers safe through stringent health and safety measures, GRACE was able to use our large warehouse space to host other charities and grassroots groups to respond to community need.

We distributed thousands of hygiene products like toiletries, detergents, washing powder, toilet paper and sanitary products. These were crowdfunded by our local community, as well as donated. We were able to provide Greenwich Food Bank and Lewisham Food Bank with non-food items to support their work. Greenwich Food Bank also used our warehouse to store long-term food supplies and we found ourselves getting involved in wholesale distribution of large-scale pallets of pasta as supplies to shops ran out.

During lockdown when clothing retailers were closed, we saw a surge in demand for children’s clothing and menswear. We continued to store goods for our partner charities Lewisham Brighter Beginnings and MamaKind. We also provided clothing and storage space to refugee and asylum groups like Refugee Solidarity and AFRIL.

Perhaps the most exciting news of all was that we opened our Community Referral Shop. Work on the planning had commenced prior to COVID. After a period of developing and trialling the concept throughout 2020, GRACE officially launched the scheme in November 2020.

We take referrals of individuals who need essentials like clothing, toiletries, shoes, coats, toys for children, crockery and all the bits that make a house a home. Our referrals come via other UK charities and grassroots groups to shop in our store. They are able to choose a set number of items under a cashless system.

To date, we have welcomed hundreds of users to our community shop. Our principal clients have been newly arrived asylum seekers, people fleeing domestic abuse and victims of trafficking and modern slavery, as well as vulnerable new mothers. We found that the shop was seeing referrals from right across London (more so during COVID lockdown) - testimony to the demand for this service.

Our community referral shop is now a core part of what we do as a charity and we continue to expand our outreach and welcome new charitable partners.

International activities

In June 2020 we held a review event to celebrate all the work carried out since the launch of GRACE’s international aid campaign. In that time, we have sent abroad 90,000 textile items, 3.5 tonnes of food, 2 tonnes of toiletries and baby products, 4 vans of buggies and cots and 5,000 pairs of shoes, primarily to refugee camps in Europe. We couldn’t be more proud of our achievements and would like to thank everyone who played a part in making that happen.

GRACEaid partners have traditionally transported our goods via land in convoys of lorries. COVID19 and then Brexit forced change upon our during 2020 and into 2021. Freedom for British passport-holders to cross European countries with British goods was severely restricted, while new VAT rules on charitable goods from the UK were still being negotiated into 2021. Container shipping costs have also increased during that time.

In increasingly difficult circumstances, we were still able to work with trusted delivery organisations to continue sending goods abroad. This included tents, sleeping bags, blankets, winter and summer clothing, shoes and jerry cans, reusable nappies, toiletries and buggies. We have often purchased items directly on site and are looking at ongoing ways to make this form of aid more viable than sending goods.

We’d also like to spotlight the way in which our work on the frontline in Greece has helped to shape our work here in the UK. The concept of the referral shop and dignified cashless shopping systems came directly from Greece. Our ability to respond to COVID in the way that we did, was learnt from our initial logistic response to the chaos of asylum seekers arriving in Greece back in 2015. We see this as a fantastic illustration of the interconnectedness of aid work ,and how helping abroad teaches us how to respond and help back home too.

Fundraising and Donations Gratitude

GRACE has always prided itself on being prudent and self-sufficient. Until this year, we ran entirely on volunteer staff. COVID-19 resulted in two lockdowns that shut down our customer-facing shop operations and the vital funds that came from this. Still, we found ourselves coming out of this period in the strongest financial position we’ve ever been in thanks to the incredible support we got along the way. This is the first year in which we have begun the transition from a small to medium size charity and we couldn’t be more proud! We also made our first part-time hires and they are brilliant.

We remain ever grateful to the incredible individual and grassroots support we have received from our local community. Parents, staff and students in Lewisham and Greenwich schools continue to support us with their donations of clothing and other items, as do local individual donors and churches. We always get a tremendous response to any shout-outs for goods and find that these donations come from all over South London and beyond (from Clapham to Kent).

This year also saw a remarkable response from grant-givers. We received generous support to fund our COVID response as well as work towards opening and running the community referral shop. We give special thanks to the following groups:

Acknowledgements:

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Coronavirus Community Support Fund, Distributed by The National Lottery Community

City Bridge Trust

The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity

‘The Indigo Trust’ Christmas Grant

GREENWICH REFUGEE AID & COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE (GRACE)

ANNUAL REPORT & AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Charity Registration No. 1169544

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 3 Objectives and activities ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary............................................................................................................................................ 5 Achievements and performance ......................................................................................................................... 5 Fundraising and Donations Gratitude ................................................................................................................. 6 Acknowledgements: ........................................................................................................................................... 7 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................. 8 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ............................................................................................. 10

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Trustees	Claire Papazidis Andreas Papazidis (Chair) Faten Bizzari (Treasurer) Jennifer Foster	Appointed 30 October 2015 Appointed 1 September 2016 Appointed 3 July 2017 Appointed 5 June 2021
Charity number	1169544
Principal office	18 Leegate, Lewisham London SE12 8SS
Bank	Metro Bank 72 – 76 High Street Bromley BR1 1EG

The Trustees present their report and accounts for the period ended 31 March 2021.

Objectives and activities

The Charity's objects (''Objects'') are:

3) Such other purposes which are charitable under the laws of England and Wales as the trustees, from time to time, determine.

The charity in the coming months will make every effort to identify new income streams that will enable them to discharge their duties and meet their objectives.

The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake and to its guidance on public benefit.

Structure, governance and management

The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) established in England and Wales on 10/10/16.

It was established using the model constitution for a CIO and its procedures and rules are those in the model constitution for a CIO whose only voting members are its charity trustees.

The charity was successful in obtaining charitable status from the Charity Commission and was formally registered as a charity on 10/10/2016 with charity number 1169544.

The Trustees who served during the year were:

Claire Papazidis Appointed 30 October 2015 Andreas Papazidis (Chair) Appointed 1 September 2016 Faten Bizzari (Treasurer) Appointed 3 July 2017 Jennifer Foster Appointed 5 June 2021

Executive Summary

About GRACE

Achievements and performance

Local community activities

Our community referral shop is now a core part of what we do as a charity and we continue to expand our outreach and welcome new charitable partners.

International activities

Fundraising and Donations Gratitude

Acknowledgements:

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Coronavirus Community Support Fund, Distributed by The National Lottery Community

City Bridge Trust

The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity

‘The Indigo Trust’ Christmas Grant

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

GREENWICH REFUGEE AID AND COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE (GRACE)

(INCLUDING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

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Unrestricted Restricted Total 2021 Total 2020
Notes £ £ £ £
Income and Endowments:
-
Donations 9,004 9,004 5,981
Charitable Activities 66,205 9,870 76,075 14,760
Total Income 75,209 9,870 85,079 20,741
Expenditure:
Charitable Activities 2 47,371 9,870 57,241 24,399
Total Expenditure 47,371 9,870 57,241 24,399
-
Net Income/Expenditure 27,838 27,838 (3,658)
-
Total Funds brought forward 4,453 4,453 8,111
-
Total Funds carried forward 32,291 32,291 4,453
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GREENWICH REFUGEE AID AND COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE (GRACE)

BALANCE SHEET

AS AT 31 MARCH 2021

	Note	2021	2021	2020	2020
		£	£	£	£

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors	4	1,271		958
CashatBank&In Hand		40,042		8,150
		41,313		9,108

CREDITORS:AmountsFallingDuewithinOneYear	5	(9,022)		(4,655)


NET CURRENT ASSETS			32,291		4,453

FUNDS
Unrestricted Funds	6 & 7		32,291		4,453

			32,291		4,453

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

GREENWICH REFUGEE AID AND COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE (GRACE)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1. Accounting Policies

1.1 Basis of preparation of Accounts

The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention with the exception of investments which are included at market value. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (Charities SORP (FRS 102 second edition – effective 1 January 2019)), applicable UK accounting standards and the Companies Act 2006.

1.2 Going concern

The trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern assumption is appropriate in preparing these financial statements. The trustees have made this assessment in respect to a period of one year from the date of approval of these financial statements.

The trustees of the charity have concluded that there are no material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees are of the opinion that the charity will have sufficient resources to meet its liabilities as they fall due.

1.3 Incoming resources

Assets for distribution are recognised only when distributed. Assets given for use by the charity are recognised when receivable. Donation, legacies and other forms of voluntary income are recognised as incoming resources when receivable, except insofar as they are incapable of financial measurement.

Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity, are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant.

All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:

Voluntary income and donations are included in incoming resources when they are receivable, except when the donors specify that they must be used in future accounting periods or donors' conditions have not been fulfilled, then the income is deferred. The income for fundraising ventures is shown gross, with the associated costs included in fundraising costs.

Donated assets are included at the value to the charity where these can be quantified.

The charity received cryptocurrency donations of 1506.00227 DAI and 5.96186 Ethereum donations raised through project sponsorship on the Giveth.io platform on 09/04/20. It has been decided only to value the donation upon realisation of the crytpocurrency due to variable nature of the markets.

1.4 Resources expended

Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates.

Charitable expenditure comprised those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the audit fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

GREENWICH REFUGEE AID AND COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE (GRACE)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1.5 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives unless the funds have been designated for other purposes.

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the accounts.

2. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

				2021	2020
	Staff Cost	Direct	Suppor t	Total	Total
	£	£	£	£	£

Charitable activities	20,307	36,374	560	57,24 1	24,39 9

	20,307	36,37 4	560	57,24 1	24,39 9

Included under Support costs are governance costs of £560 (2020: £nil).

3. STAFF COSTS

No remuneration was paid to trustees during the year (2020: £nil). Expenses reimbursed to them in their capacity as trustees amounted to £Nil (2020: £nil).

The staff costs of staff were:




Wages and	8410 · Gross	8470 · Intriem	8500 · - Employment	8490 ·
				Miscellaneous
Salaries	Salaries	CEO pay	Agencies	Staff costs	20,307

					20,307

During the year no staff were paid more than £60,000 (2020: None).

The charity employed 3 staff (2020: 2 staff) with a total full time equivalent of 0.7 (2020: 0.4).

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

GREENWICH REFUGEE AID AND COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE (GRACE)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

4. DEBTORS

				2021	2021	2020
				£		£

Trade debtors				1,271		958

				1,271		958
CREDITORS
				2021		2020
				£		£

Trade creditors				6,085		1,718
Loan account				2,937		2,937
				9,022		4,655
FUNDS	Total Other
		Balan ce	Incoming			Balanc e
		B/F	Resourc es		Expenditure	C/F
		£	£		£	£

Restricted funds


Lottery fund	Expense	-	9,870		9,870	-

		-	9,870		9,870	-

General reserves		4,453	75,209		47,371	32,291

Total reserves		4,453	85,079		57,241	32,291

During the year the charity received funding from the Lottery fund for its shop (2020: £nil).

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

GREENWICH REFUGEE AID AND COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE (GRACE)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

7. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

	Net Current
	Assets
	£

Unrestricted Fund	32,291
	32,291

8. TAXATION

The company is a registered charity and no provision is considered necessary for taxation.

9. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

When the charity started the CEO Claire Papazidis loaned the charity £6,337 from 02/01/16 and £3,400 has since been repaid. The balance remaining is £2,937 (2020: £2,937).

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Independent examiner's report on the accounts

ere ee te independent Examiner’s Report

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Report to the trustees/ | mee fos : ;
meribers af Greenwich Refugee Aid and Community Enterprise
On accounts for the year accounts for the year for the year the year year 315 March 2024 March 2024 2024 Charity NO | NO | | 4469544
om ended (if any) any)
----- End of picture text -----

~ On accounts for the year accounts for the year for the year the year year 315 March 2024 March 2024 2024 Charity NO | NO | | 4469544 om ended (if any) any) |
,
responsibilities Respectiveoftrustees charity'sThe charity's trusteestrusteesareconsider responsible that an audit fortheis not preparation required forthis of the year accounts.under The section ~ andexaminer 144 ofthe Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and thatan inde pendent examination is needed: ; It is my responsibili t o:y ¢ examine the accounts under section 145 ofthe[Charities][Act,] ¢ to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions givenby the
7 Charity Commission(under section 145(5)(b)of the Charities Act, and e to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis ofindependent My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the
examiner’s statement Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those
“records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts presenta ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which: statement 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: e to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and ,
¢ to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply
, havewithnot thebeenaccountingmet; or requirements of the Charities Act 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in orderto enablea proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.

Name: | Stuart Mellor HND BA CIMA ‘Address: | 29 Lowtherville Road, Lowtherville, Isle of Wight, PO38 1AP