Trustees’ Annual Report
1[st ] January 202 to 31[st ] December 2024
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United to Assist Refugees UK (UAREUK)
Charity registration number: 1169738
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Contents
Our Objective ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Our Values .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Our Mission .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Our Vision and segmenting the charity into 4 clear areas ............................................................................... 4 What has the Charity been doing? ................................................................................................................. 5 Some highlights from the year ....................................................................................................................... 6 Events, Workshops, Days Out, ....................................................................................................................... 7 Community Together .................................................................................................................................... 7 Impact .......................................................................................................................................................... 9 What our future holds .................................................................................................................................... 9 Risks and Mitigation ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Additional information ................................................................................................................................ 10 Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit ...................................................................................................................... 10 Policy on grant making ................................................................................................................................ 10 Contributions and Thanks ........................................................................................................................... 10 Financial Review ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Brief overview ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Grants and Funding ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Structure, Governance, and Management ................................................................................................... 11 Reference and Administrative details .......................................................................................................... 11 Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity ................................................................................ 12 Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved ......................................... 12 Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity ............................................................... 12 Exemptions from disclosure ......................................................................................................................... 13 Declarations ............................................................................................................................................... 13
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Our Objective
During 2024 we amended our Governing document to reflect some changes post-Brexit and Covid that sees UareUK’s activities primarily focused in the UK. This was approved by the Charities Commission as follows:
To relieve poverty, sickness and distress of persons who are internally displaced or who are refugees fleeing war and persecution by the provision of such aid, food, assistance, medical aid, community support and empowerment projects for such persons or organisations established to assist them in Wales and surrounding areas or other countries as the trustees shall see fit.
Our Values
We continue to live by our values:
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We do the right thing not the easy thing.
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We work with compassion.
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We are consistent – always there.
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We treat everyone fairly and equally.
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We work in solidarity.
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We believe every child has the right to the same opportunities no matter their background or residency status.
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We do things well, that does not mean we have to do them quickly. Let the cake bake!
Our Mission
We continue to work with all our members (service users) to deliver together our mission:
*Delivering sessions for asylum seekers and refugees to find their feet
*Creating mutual understanding, employment, opportunities and shared experiences through food, art and music projects.
Our Vision and segmenting the charity into 4 clear areas
Our Vision is an integrated society to which all contribute to live a purposeful life.
To be clear on the pathways to achieving this vision and ,as over the period, we recognised that the growth of the charity meant that we needed to create some segments of UareUK, each with their own outputs and outcomes, so we created four distinct yet holistic parts:
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The UareUK Refugee Hub/ Day to day activities
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The Community Garden (Gardd Heddwch)
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The Peace Kitchen
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Bits ‘n’ Peaces Charity Shop and preloved sales
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What has the Charity been doing?
Locally, over the course of the year, UAREUK have:
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Collected aid at the UAREUK hub and redistributed it
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Held weekly drop-in sessions for service users (we refer to everyone as ‘Hub Members’)
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Organised events and workshops, such as informal English lessons, advice and support, craft and art sessions
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Created, curate and hosted music, art and food events for cohesion, integration and awareness
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Started weekly lunches at the hub cooked by Sanctuary seekers from around the world
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Provided training, learning, and volunteering opportunities both at the hub, partner locations, the community garden and through our Peace Kitchen project
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Collected and repaired donated bikes via our partnership with Drosi Bikes in Llangollen, redistributing these along with helmets and locks.
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Organised “Pop-up” shops at the Hub, selling (for free or donations) collected and donated items, such as clothes, homewares, toiletries etc. to local refugees and asylum seekers.
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Distribute SIM cards as a Vodafone partner for Wales for Ukrainian refugees and others) arriving in the UK
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Provided support with aid and furniture for refugees and asylum seekers
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School Holiday Activities from discos, boxing, dancing and gymnastics for children
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Raised funds through:
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Online Appeals – using paypal, gofundme, facebook etc.
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Selling merchandise.
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Continued our efforts at the Community Garden in Caia Park – 30 volunteering group days across the year!
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Provided day trips and activities to support refugee and asylum-seeking families with children
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New Charity shop to collect donations, sell donations, save items for re-use and repurpose
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Written a paper to Home Office on ticketing issues for Home Office interviews and to DAF for cooking options issues – both were acknowledged and addressed.
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Initiated an informal meet up for groups and organisations in Wrexham to share ideas, best practices, plan sessions to complement one another during the week for the best outcome for Sanctuary seekers.
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Coordinated with the local library to deliver summer Informal ESOL sessions once per week
Supporting in Ukraine - Commercial Dough Mixer for an Orphanage in Ukraine and 150 Hygiene Kits to families in Ukraine with ‘Dream of Children of Ukraine
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Some highlights from the year
Music And Humanity 3 day exhibition and concert
2 new members of staff joined UareUK
Wrexham Big Picnic with TCC and the wider network of community groups!
Our Hub Kitchen gets a 5 star hygiene rating!
Over 40 Qualifications gained!! First Aid, Food Hygiene Levels 2 and 3
Charity Shop ‘Bits ‘n’ Peaces’ Launched successfully!
Supporting CVs, adding to experience and complementing volunteering work
A successful first Peace Kitchen Pop up (during Llangollen Eisteddfod Music Festival week)
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Events, Workshops, Days Out,
Community Together
Llandudno Trip for over 80 people – fun at the beach and the fairground! For some the first time seeing the sea!
Arts, crafts and painting fun! Always something to do at social gatherings and tea times!
World Family Tea time Lae y for over 90 people with ‘Family Friend’s and —oA.i \ Wrexham Mayor = a SN —_— ‘ ; 2 y : gef > MEO ht ro ‘ee aS) , a Ce Cn! Sy & Sneak Preview of the Snowman film with New Sinfonia i Orchestra and meeting the orchestra and the instruments!
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Enjoying our new weekly lunch offering cooked by hub members
Iftar with the Dialogue Society in Liverpool tl
Holiday activities and a ‘Staff Takeover’ Christmas Dinner when all UareUK staff cooked for everyone!
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Impact
Supported around 450 people, including around 120 families, across 18 nationalities. Volunteers donated over 2800 hours!!
Aid and Outreach to Ukraine has supported at least 200 people
Created events for cohesion, integration and awareness through food, art and music
Over 500 people (members of the general public) attended our music and art events/exhibitions
Redistributed over 3.500 donated items to those in need.
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The Hub – Providing a safe space, with a real community atmosphere. Weekly lunches. Social events and workshops.
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Community Garden - As well as providing food, this promotes community cohesion and integration.
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Peace Kitchen – people accessing affordable food, people accessing new food from around the world and learning about one another.
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Saw attendance at our learning and wellbeing workshops steadily increase.
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Providing bikes continues to enable independent and sustainable transport for both adults and children.
What our future holds
Risks and Mitigation
The greatest risk during this year was the riots in Summer time, we secured the hub windows with security film and additional bolts on doors. We also have a Priority police marker on the hub. We had to cancel a trip to Liverpool by coach and also postpone our summer trip to Llandudno due to protests, riots and safety concerns.
As a small charity, reduced funding will always be our key threat. Recent societal and economic conditions, the “Cost of Living crisis” and increasing overheads, on top of the continuing impact of the Covid epidemic, the war in Ukraine, and the UK leaving the European Union, all create a gloomy financial landscape. However, these are also the key reasons why our charity is needed. As such, we will continue to actively pursue all available grants, engage with our private donors, and encourage donations at all opportunities. We will also continue to explore other avenues of revenue generation.
We would like to see our reserves continue to increase year-on-year, to ensure our sustainability. We have a robust plan for 2025 to 2026 in place to grow our income self generated and enterprises to increase reserves.
The UK’s break from the EU continues to make distributing aid overseas far more complex, and as such, this year we have moved our focus to local and regional with some small overseas aid and projects. This is reflected as detailed above in out change of Object as approved by the Charities Commission.
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Additional information
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit
The trustees have read and considered the aspects and guidance issues by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
We aim to support projects that benefit the many (with a focus on the sick, women and children and families).
Policy on grant making
The charity has not provided any grants in this period.
Contributions and Thanks
UAREUK trustees would like to sincerely thank:
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All volunteers who have given their time, skills and enthusiasm to the activities of the charity in this period
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Private donors who donate to appeals and share our appeals and updates, we appreciate your contribution very much
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The following organisations:
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AVOW
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Community Foundation Wales
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Hafryn Dyfrdwy
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Keep Wales Tidy
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Moondance Foundation
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Open Philanthropy (Think NPC)
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Police Commissioner’s Fund
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Postcode Lottery
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Shared Prosperity Fund
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Social Farms and Gardens
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The National Lottery Community Fund
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Wrexham Multicultural Hub
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Those organisations with whom we have collaborated Groundworks, Family Friends, New Sinfonia, Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre, Caia Park Partnership, the Red Cross, BAWSO, Tŷ Pawb, WINGS, Llangollen Food Share, AVOW, Children’s Clothing Exchange.
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Financial Review
Brief overview
| f overview | |
|---|---|
| Carried Forwards from 2023 | £ 12,104 |
| Income | £ 124,430 |
| Costs & Expenses | £ 125,735 |
| End of period Funds (Restricted) | £9,663 |
| End of period Reserves (Unrestricted) | £ 1,135 |
Grants and Funding
The largest proportion of turnover is grants, with private donations and self generated income contributing, with our focus for forwards is more self-generated income.
Structure, Governance, and Management
| Type of governing document (trust deed,royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution (CIO) |
|---|---|---|
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g. unincorporated association,CIO) |
Para 1.25 | UAREUK is CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | All details pertaining to lengths of service can be found in the constitution. We have an application form for new trustees and will advertise as and when we require to do so. |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charityname | UAREUK |
|---|---|
| Other name the charityuses | United to Assist Refugees UK |
| Registered charitynumber | 1169738 |
| Charity’s principal address | 65 King Street Wrexham LL11 1HR |
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Name of the charity trustees who manage the charity
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Trustee name Office Dates acted if not for the Name of person (or
(if any) whole year body) entitled to appoint
trustee (if
any)
1. Ann Henders Chair Whole year
2. Alistair Townend Whole year
3. Paul Heppell 01/01/24 – 24/05/24
4. Sean Holcroft Whole year
5. Susan Martin MBE Whole year
----- End of picture text -----
Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
----- Start of picture text -----
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole
year
----- End of picture text -----
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
| Description of the assets held in this capacity | N/A |
|---|---|
| Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects |
N/A |
| Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets |
N/A |
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members
Jane Townend (Whole Year)
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Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature Full Name Ann Henders Position Chair Date 27th October 2025
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Statement of Financial Activities United to Assist Refugees UK For the year ended 31 December 2024
| Account | Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Total |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Bits N Peaces Sales | 0.00 88.30 88.30 |
| Donations | 461.98 4,072.55 4,534.53 |
| Events | 0.00 1,148.35 1,148.35 |
| Giftaid income | 231.42 223.58 455.00 |
| Giving Platforms | 0.00 139.83 139.83 |
| Grants and Funding | 94,972.00 20,150.00 115,122.00 |
| Peace Kitchen Sales | 0.00 50.00 50.00 |
| Raffle | 0.00 (30.00) (30.00) |
| Rent | 240.00 0.00 240.00 |
| Room Hire | 0.00 1,250.00 1,250.00 |
| Sales | 0.00 1,432.34 1,432.34 |
| Total Income | 95,905.40 28,524.95 124,430.35 |
| Gross Income | 95,905.40 28,524.95 124,430.35 |
| Administrative Costs | |
| Admin and Finance | 446.82 61.93 508.75 |
| Aid | 1,273.77 1,009.58 2,283.35 |
| Bank Fees | 17.00 267.59 284.59 |
| Bikes & Kit | 24.90 0.00 24.90 |
| Bit N Peaces Expenses | 200.00 57.72 257.72 |
| Branding and Marketing | 0.00 138.41 138.41 |
| Community Garden | 784.01 275.05 1,059.06 |
| Compliance and Administration | 29.99 0.00 29.99 |
| Compliance and Insurance | 749.39 391.02 1,140.41 |
| Cost of sales - Bits & Peaces | 0.00 200.00 200.00 |
| Education & Learning | 118.41 28.98 147.39 |
| Equipment | 1,885.97 1,514.13 3,400.10 |
| Equipment - Peace Kitchen | 63.13 0.00 63.13 |
| Event Equipment | 38.98 830.39 869.37 |
| Event Expenses | 2,114.79 1,915.78 4,030.57 |
| Food/Refreshments | 3,502.57 989.63 4,492.20 |
| Fundraising Platform Fees | 0.00 83.03 83.03 |
| HR & Recruitment | 47.92 26.22 74.14 |
| Hub Consumables | 310.63 829.75 1,140.38 |
| Maintenance and Upkeep | 2,008.21 1,376.17 3,384.38 |
| Membership of Professional Bodies | 102.00 182.75 284.75 |
| Merchandise | 0.00 26.20 26.20 |
| Non Recoverable VAT | 0.00 (16.97) (16.97) |
| Paypal Fees | 0.00 72.60 72.60 |
| Peace Kitchen Expenses | 0.00 296.43 296.43 |
| Postage/Courier | 27.11 5.61 32.72 |
| Printing and Stationary | 0.00 14.00 14.00 |
| Professional Services | 4,660.73 178.01 4,838.74 |
| Property - Rent | 10,266.74 2,228.94 12,495.68 |
| Property - Utilities | 3,314.00 2,479.99 5,793.99 |
| Repairs & Renewals | 249.00 0.00 249.00 |
| Salaries | 46,564.74 9,777.39 56,342.13 |
| Staff salary advance | 2,100.00 0.00 2,100.00 |
| Staff Training and Development | 1,349.54 50.19 1,399.73 |
| Telephone, Comms & IT | 14,442.63 459.64 14,902.27 |
| Travel Costs/Fuel | 654.85 442.78 1,097.63 |
| Volunteer Expenses | 150.00 0.00 150.00 |
| Wellbeing/Arts & Crafts | 1,783.93 107.52 1,891.45 |
| Workshops & Awareness Expenditure | 145.00 8.71 153.71 |
| Total Administrative Costs | 99,426.76 26,309.17 125,735.93 |
| Carried Forward Balance from 2023 | 13,184.86 (1,079.97) 12,104.89 |
| Balance of Fund | 9,663.50 1,135.81 10,799.31 |
UAREUK (United to Assist Refugees UK) Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees For the year ended 31 December 2024
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024 which are comprised of the Statement of Financial Activities, the Statement of Financial Position and the related notes.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is required.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the 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 you as 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 present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met, or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
________ Liz Needham On behalf of Needham Accountancy Limited
Date: 27 October 2025