## **Charity registration number:1169819**
**The Roma Project**
**Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2023**
1
## **The Roma Project**
## **Contents**
## **for the year ended 31st March 2023**
|Reference and Administrative details|3|
|---|---|
|Trustees’ report|4|
|Objectives and activities|4|
|Achievements and Performance|5|
|Financial Review|5-6|
|Structure, Governance and Management|7|
|Trustee’s Responsibilities|7|
|Independent Examiners Report|8|
|Statement of Financial Activities|9|
|Balance Sheet|10|
|Statement of cash flows|11|
|Notes to the financial statements|12-14|
2
## **The Roma Project**
## **Reference and Administrative Details**
|**for the year ended 31st March 2023**|**for the year ended 31st March 2023**|
|---|---|
|**Trustees**|**Dave Faires - Chairperson**|
||**Rosamaria Kostic Cisneros - Vice-Chair**|
||**Michelle Webb – Treasurer**|
||**Stanislava Yassmin Vilcekova**|
||**Amalia Sabiescu**|
||**Lydia Elizabeth Nash**|
|**Secretary**|**Amanda Rawlings**|
|**Principal Office**|**124 Broad St,**|
||**Coventry**|
||**CV6 5BG,**|
||**United Kingdom**|
|**Charity Registration Number**|**1169819**|
|**Bankers**|**Barclays Bank**|
|**Independent examiner**|**Wendy Stanyon**|
3
## **The Roma Project**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report**
## **for the year ended 31st March 2023**
The Trustees are pleased to present the annual report of The Roma Project which was registered as a charitable incorporated organisation number 1169819 on 20th October 2016.
## **Objectives and activities**
The Roma Project, which is based in Coventry, offers free and confidential information, advice and support across the city.
## **Main activities**
We help to identify and claim benefits, to challenge decisions, to advise on strategies for dealing with problem debt, housing, education, to negotiate with creditors and to provide information and support on a range of other social welfare issues.
Our service is delivered from community outreach venues across the city where we offer a mix of ‘drop-in’ sessions and pre-booked appointments. Our service model is focused on reaching Roma people where they live, in their own neighbourhoods, in areas of greatest need.
By offering high quality advice and information services within the city we will help the Roma people to make informed decisions and choices that affect their lives. We do not seek to create a dependency on our service for assistance; instead we strive to empower people to recognise their rights and entitlements, to claim the benefits they need and to help find realistic solutions to financial problems.
4
## **The Roma Project**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report**
## **for the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **Long-time objectives**
- To facilitate integration and social inclusion of the Roma community within the wider society;
- To advocate for the rights and equal opportunities of Roma individuals and families;
- To continue to offer accessible advice and information services in neighbourhoods across the city;
- To seek opportunities for enhancing our service to Coventry Roma community;
- To help address poverty and inequality by increasing the take-up of benefits and by offering debt advice and casework ;
- To attract additional volunteers to support our service delivery ;
- To play a part in the life of the city through engagement with local initiatives, policy work and campaigns;
## **Achievements and Performance**
We know that we made a real difference for the people who come to see us. We assist people to secure income that they are entitled to and help them take more control of their finances to increase security and stability.
Our work continues to have a wider impact, including improving health, self-confidence and employability. In 2022/2023, 1,710 cases were opened and resolved.
Settled status enquires have become one of the main issues due to the Brexit Settlement Scheme. More than a half of our open cases have been about residence and settled status applications. Advice for welfare benefits, debt, housing and money advice continues to be in high demand.
Our organisation had to adjust during the pandemic and began to offer support and advice to clients - how and where to seek medical advice, how to get tested for the new Coronavirus and also how to stay safe and protect other people.
5
## **The Roma Project**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report**
## **for the year ended 31st March 2023**
The project engaged in advocacy efforts to promote awareness of the rights and needs of the Roma community. This included collaborating with local authorities and organisations to address issues related to healthcare, immigration discrimination, housing. The project successfully raised awareness about the challenges faced by the Roma community, leading to increased recognition of their rights and needs within the local area.
The Roma Project has demonstrated positive outcomes in addressing the educational and social needs of the Roma community . Our aims are to expand our educational programs and offer vocational training opportunities to empower Roma individuals for broader employment prospects. We are building stronger partnerships with local authorities, educational institutions, and other charities to amplify the influence and effectiveness of the project's initiatives.
Our service continues to have 1 day drop-in advice sessions per week and 5 days appointment sessions per week, but as mentioned above due to lockdown the number of people contacting our services via telephone, email and through social media platforms has increased.
With ongoing support and collaborative efforts, the project aims to continue making a meaningful impact on the lives of Roma individuals and families in our community.
## **Financial Review**
The Roma Project has been funded by the Big Lottery and this funding will continue until August 2023. We have applied for further funding from the Big Lottery to continue our work with the Roma community.
The Trustees and officers of the charity continue to explore options for future funding streams and have a reasonable expectation that the charity will continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future (being over 12 months from the date of signing this report) and have therefore, used the going concern basis in preparing these financial statements.
6
## **The Roma Project**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report**
## **for the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **Structure, governance and management**
The Roma Project is constituted as a registered charitable incorporated organisation. Trustees of the charity are appointed following a skills-based audit and interview process with recommended appointments subject to election at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). At each AGM, one-third of the trustees must retire from office but are able to seek re-election. The trustees are also able to co-opt board members during the year, using the same skills-based approach.
## **Trustee’s responsibilities**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with the United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law and regulations. Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for that period. The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity.
The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on 31[th] of October 2023 and signed on its behalf by;
Dave Faires
7
## **The Roma Project**
## **Independent Examiner’s Report**
## **for the year ended 31st March 2023**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2023.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
- the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
- the accounts did not comply with applicable requirements concerning the from and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulation 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Wendy Stanyon
8
## **The Roma Project**
## **Statement of Financial Activities**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**Note**
**Income from:**
Donations
2
Charitable activities
3
Other
Total Incoming Resources
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable Activities
4
Total Resources Expended
**Net income/(expenditure) for the year**
Total funds bought forward
Transfers
**Funds Carried Forward**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
50
-
8,158|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
116,113
-|**2023**
**£**
50
116,113
8,158|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
1,050|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
98,947
-|**2022**
**£**
-
98,947
1,050|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||8,208|116,113|124,321|1,050|98,947|99,997|
||2,732|117,786|120,518|221|115,076|115,297|
||2,732|117,786|120,518|221|115,076|115,297|
||5,476
26,766
-|(1,673)
40,634
-|3,803
67,400
-|829
24,130
1,807|(16,129)
58,570
(1,807)|(15,300)
82,700
-|
||32,242|38,961|71,203|26,766|40,634|67,400|
The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses in the year.
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in Note 9.
Page 9
## **The Roma Project**
## **Balance Sheet**
## **at 31 March 2023**
|**Notes**
**Current Assets**
Debtors
6
Cash at bank and in hand
7
**Current Liabilities**
Amounts due within 1 year
8
**Net Current Assets**
**Total Assets less Current Liabilities**
**Net Assets**
**Financed by:**
Restricted Funds
9
Unrestricted Funds
9|**£**
**£**
5,128
70,014
75,142
(3,939)
71,203
71,203
71,203
38,961
32,242
71,203
**2023**|**£**
**£**
5,128
70,014
75,142
(3,939)
71,203
71,203
71,203
38,961
32,242
71,203
**2023**|**£**
**£**
3,478
70,438
73,916
(6,516)
67,400
67,400
67,400
40,634
26,766
67,400
**2022**|**£**
**£**
3,478
70,438
73,916
(6,516)
67,400
67,400
67,400
40,634
26,766
67,400
**2022**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||75,142
(3,939)||73,916
(6,516)||
||||||
|||71,203||67,400|
|||71,203||67,400|
|||38,961
32,242||40,634
26,766|
|||71,203||67,400|
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on and were signed on its behalf by:
Signed ___________________________________ Director
Page 10
## **The Roma Project**
## **Statement of Cash Flows**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**Note**
**Net cash provided by/ (used in) operating activities**
Net income/(expenditure) for the reporting period (as per statement of financial activities)
Increase in debtors
Decrease in creditors
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year**
7
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year**
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year|**2023**
**£**
3,803
(1,650)
(2,577)|**2022**
**£**
(15,300)
(2,025)
1,202|
|---|---|---|
||(424)
70,438|(16,123)
86,561|
||70,014|70,438|
Page 11
## **The Roma Project**
## **Notes to the accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **1. Accounting policies**
## **Basis of the preparation of the accounts**
These financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and the Financial Reporting Standard 102.
## **Income**
All material incoming resources have been included on a receivable basis – i.e. they are included if the date receivable falls within the period covered by these accounts.
## **Expenditure**
These have been analysed using a natural classification.
## **Depreciation**
There are no assets requiring capitalisation or depreciation.
## **2. Income from donations**
|**Income from donations**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Donations
**Income charitable activities**
Coventry City Council - Community
Champions Fund
The Big Lottery - Reaching
Communities
The Big Lottery - Reaching
Communities (2)|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
50|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-|**2023**
**Total**
**£**
50|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-|**2022**
**Total**
**£**
-|
||**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
-|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
116,113
-|**2023**
**Total**
**£**
-
116,113
-|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
-|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
87,225
11,722|**2022**
**Total**
**£**
-
11,722|
||-|116,113|116,113|-|98,947|98,947|
## **3. Income charitable activities**
Page 12
## **The Roma Project**
## **Notes to the accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **4. Cost of Charitable Activities by Fund Type**
|Salaries
Rent
Minibus expenses
Travel expenses
Destitution expenses
Accountancy fees
Equipment
Evaluation fees
Events
Insurance
Meeting expenses
Miscelaneous
Payroll expenses
PPE equipment
Printing and stationery
Professional fees
Subscriptions
Sundry expenses
Telephone
Training
Volunteer expenses
Webhosting
**Staff Costs and Emoluments**
Total staff costs were as follows:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
(5,000)
2,380
2,275
1,083
178
-
-
50
889
-
31
148
-
-
-
-
-
698
-
-
-
-|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
110,873
-
-
-
-
2,250
222
-
-
778
128
-
-
-
739
-
983
-
651
856
-
306|**2023**
**Total**
**£**
105,873
2,380
2,275
1,083
178
2,250
222
50
889
778
159
148
-
-
739
-
983
698
651
856
-
306|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
(4,000)
20
1,956
-
275
-
-
600
-
118
1,250
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
93,028
4,366
-
-
-
2,250
3,674
3,000
-
699
136
102
-
-
846
150
983
-
604
5,163
75
-|**2022**
**Total**
**£**
89,028
4,386
1,956
-
275
2,250
3,674
3,000
600
699
254
1,352
2
-
846
150
983
-
604
5,163
75
-
115,297
**2022**
**£**
86,037
2,991
89,028
**2017**
**2016**
**£**
**£**
Trade debtors
10,146
1,428
Prepayments
1,423
894
11,569
2,322
**2017**
**2016**
**£**
**£**
Sundry Creditors
12,179
4,286
Taxation & Social Security
-
-
Accruals
450
450
12,629
4,736
**2017**
**2016**
**£**
**£**
Trade debtors
10,146
1,428
Prepayments
1,423
894
11,569
2,322
**2017**
**2016**
**£**
**£**
Sundry Creditors
12,179
4,286
Taxation & Social Security
-
-
Accruals
450
450
12,629
4,736|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||2,732|117,786|120,518|221|115,076||
||||||**2023**
**£**
101,292
4,581||
||||||105,873||
## **5. Staff Costs and Emoluments**
No employees received employee benefits above £60,000 for the year
## **Particulars of employees:**
The number of employees during the year was as follows:
Number of administrative staff
## **6. Debtors**
Debtors Accrued income
|**2023**
**No**
4|**2022**
**No**
4|
|---|---|
|**2023**
**£**
3,875
1,253|**2022**
**£**
1,050
2,428|
|5,128|3,478|
Page 13
## **The Roma Project**
## **Notes to the accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**7. Cash at Bank and In Hand**
Bank and cash balances
**8. Creditors**
Other tax and social security
Other creditors
**9a. Movement in funds**
The Big Lottery - Reaching Communities (2)
General Funds
Coventry City Council - Community Champions Fund
The Big Lottery - Reaching Communities|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2022**
**£**
-
40,634
-|**Incoming**
**Resources**
**£**
-
116,113
-|**Outgoing**
**Resources**
**£**
(56,783)
(48,378)
(9,915)|**2023**
**£**
70,014|**2022**
**£**
70,438|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||70,014|70,438|
|||||**2023**
**£**
2,253
1,686|**2022**
**£**
6,516
-|
|||||3,939|6,516|
|||||**Transfers**
**£**
(1,787)
1,787
(1,807)|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2023**
**£**
(58,570)
110,156
(11,722)|
||40,634
26,766|116,113
8,208|(115,076)
(221)|(1,807)
1,807|39,864
36,560|
||67,400|124,321|(115,297)|-|76,424|
## **9b. Movement in funds (prior year)**
|General Funds
The Big Lottery - Reaching Communities
Coventry City Council - Community Champions Fund
The Big Lottery - Reaching Communities (2)|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2020**
**£**
58,570
-
-|**Incoming**
**Resources**
**£**
-
87,225
11,722|**Outgoing**
**Resources**
**£**
(56,783)
(48,378)
(9,915)|**Transfers**
**£**
(1,787)
1,787
(1,807)|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2022**
**£**
-
40,634
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||58,570
24,130|98,947
1,050|(115,076)
(221)|(1,807)
1,807|40,634
26,766|
||82,700|99,997|(115,297)|-|67,400|
Page 14