REFUGEES WELCOME Westminster Road Macclesfield SK10 1BX
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Refugees Welcome Registered Charity No. 1169909
REFUGEES WELCOME Westminster Road Macclesfield SK10 1BX
Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year ended 31 December 2024
Charity registration number: 1169909
Objectives and Activities
| Objectives and Activities | |
|---|---|
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
1. To advance the education and training, in the area of Cheshire East, of those granted Refugee Status and their dependents in need thereof, so as to support them in life and assist them to adapt within a new community. 2. To provide relief from financial hardship and unemployment amongst those who have been granted refugee status and their dependents within the area of benefit. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
In February 2024 our contracts with Cheshire East council came to an end. They are no longer able to fund us, but we still maintain a close relationship with their Communities Team. We continue to provide volunteers to support Syrians who came to the UK through the VPRS scheme, as laid out by the Home Office, even though this scheme has now finished. We also contract directly with the Home Office to provide Community Sponsorship to a refugee family in the Nantwich area of Cheshire East. The family who lived in Alsager has now moved to Macclesfield. Since September 2021 we are also supporting 5 Afghan refugee families under the ARAP scheme. A further 3 Afghan families arrived in September 2024 and a family from the Chagos Islands, with a different status, arrived in October 2024.Since March 2022 we have worked as an umbrella organisation alongside Cheshire East Council, to support Ukrainian refugees under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. We work with CVS to recruit, select and manage more than 50 volunteers, who work with our families. The roles of the volunteers and the scope of their work are defined in role profiles and are one of three roles – Family Support Volunteer, Task Volunteer or English Practice Volunteer. Volunteers working with the Ukrainians also help with our Conversation Cafés and ESOL classes. All the volunteers go through safeguarding training in addition to training to become volunteers on the programme. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
The Trustees have had regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
| Contribution made by volunteers | Volunteers working with Syrians and Afghans are assigned to individual families to carry out roles detailed above. Volunteers working with Ukrainians also help at the cafés and ESOL classes. |
| Achievements and Performance | |
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
VPRS Cheshire East – Macclesfield and Congleton. We have continued to support 5 families. The mother and 2 children of one family have moved to Luton, leaving the father in Macclesfield. The younger children attend either school or college and ESOL tuition has resumed. Older children are either working or looking for work. Many of the Syrians have applied for British citizenship and some of them – especially the under 18s, have achieved this. CS (VPRS) Cheshire East – Nantwich We continue to support the family in Nantwich who are now well integated in the community. All the family have become British citizens. |
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Refugees Welcome Registered Charity No. 1169909
REFUGEES WELCOME Westminster Road Macclesfield SK10 1BX
| CS (VPRS) Cheshire East – Macclesfield This family is now well settled in Macclesfield. The children were accepted into school in Macclesfield. The father is seeking work. ARAP scheme for AFGHAN refugees. Two families live in Crewe, one in Wistaston, one in Macclesfield and one in Alsager. The children all attend school regularly and adults in all 5 families have some type of paid employment. The Afghan families have settled very well and continue to thrive. Three more Afghan families arrived in Macclesfield and Bollington in September 2024. The younger children have settled well in school. Older children and fathers are working. There are medical problems in all 3 families, but they are being treated appropriately. Most of the Ukrainian families are guests living within sponsor or host households in Cheshire East. The vast majority of the relationships have worked very well. A small number have been rehoused. Cheshire East council has been responsible for matching guests and hosts and for rematching if necessary. Many of the Ukrainians are moving to independent accommodation. They are aided by an organisation formed as Congleton Area Ukraine Support Network (CAUSN), which in December merged with us. |
|
|---|---|
| Achievements against objectives set | In spite of our independence from Cheshire East, we have continued to work successfully with all our refugee groups. Cheshire East still value our input and we have found our merger with CAUSN to be of benefit to both organisations. All our refugee groups continue to thrive. We started a new sequence of long term planning in October 2024, which will be of benefit to everything we do. |
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Boundless has been a successful fundraising scheme. We have received donations from other individuals and from organisations such as Rotary and local churches. We are working hard to find one or more major sponsors. |
| Financial Review | |
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
At the end of the year, the charity had monetary assets of £38,101. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Our policy is to hold 6 months running costs in reserve. |
| Structure, Governance and Management | |
| Type of governing document | Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? | Refugees Welcome is a 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 |
Appointed by interview and vote of members of the board. |
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
All our policies appear on the charity’s website: https://www.refugeeswelcome.co.uk/ |
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
The charity is run by a board of trustees. Our volunteers are organised by a paid member of CVSCE (Council of Voluntary Services, Cheshire East) |
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Refugees Welcome Registered Charity No. 1169909
REFUGEES WELCOME
Westminster Road Macclesfield SK10 1BX
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| Trustee name | Office | Dates acted if not for whole year |
|---|---|---|
| Mrs Nicola Campbell | Chair | |
| Dr Gillian Appleton | Trustee | Resigned July 2025 |
| Mrs Judith Mayer | Trustee | Resigned June 2025 |
| Mrs Anne Towers | Trustee | |
| Mr Anthony Smith | Trustee | |
| Mr David Raines | Trustee | |
| Mr Paul Nixon | Trustee | Appointed April 2024 |
| Mr Michael Buttle | Trustee | Appointed November 2024 |
| Mrs Susan Lord | Trustee | Resigned February 2024 |
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Robert Alan Brown BA FCA Treasurer
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signatures Full Names Position Date |
||
|---|---|---|
| Nicola Ann Campbell | Anne Towers | |
| Chair | Trustee | |
| 4 September 2025 |
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Refugees Welcome Registered Charity No. 1169909
REFUGEES WELCOME Westminster Road Macclesfield SK10 1BX
REFUGEES WELCOME Receipts and Payments account
| Year Ended 31 December 2024 Total £ £ £ RECEIPTS 18,000 Grants 250 6,980 7,230 3,121 Gift Aided Donations 3,641 3,641 1,853 CAF giving 901 901 13,086 Other Donations 14,656 14,656 3,071 Fund Raising 170 170 Misc Income 3,204 3,204 39,131 22,822 6,980 29,802 PAYMENTS 2,513 Insurance 2,453 2,453 12,583 CVS 3,251 6,180 9,431 571 Travel 171 71 242 132 Printing, Stationery & Computer 164 164 435 Translation 0 0 21,036 Rent Support & Council Tax 11,962 11,962 4,738 Tuition 307 1,450 1,757 3,303 Home set-up 0 0 4,513 Expenses 2,569 680 3,249 49,824 20,877 8,381 29,258 (10,693) SURPLUS/(SHORTFALL) 1,945 (1,401) 544 48,250 BANK BALANCE at 1 January 2023 29,306 8,251 37,557 37,557 BANK BALANCE at 31 December 2023 31,251 6,850 38,101 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES at 31 December 2024 Monetary Assets 37,557 Cash at Bank 31,251 6,850 38,101 Non-Monetary Assets & Liabilities — None — — — 37,557 Total Assets and Liabilities 31,251 6,850 38,101 Year Ended 31 December 2023 General Fund Restricted Fund |
Year Ended 31 December 2024 | Year Ended 31 December 2024 | Year Ended 31 December 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6,980 6,980 6,180 71 1,450 680 8,381 (1,401) 8,251 6,850 6,850 — 6,850 Restricted Fund |
Total £ 7,230 3,641 901 14,656 170 3,204 |
||
| 29,802 | |||
| 2,453 9,431 242 164 0 11,962 1,757 0 3,249 |
|||
| 29,258 | |||
| 544 37,557 |
|||
| 38,101 | |||
| 38,101 — |
|||
| 38,101 |
The Restricted Fund is a grant from Cheshire East Borough Council for the support of refugees in the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The restriction on the grant for the support of Afghan refugee families has been removed and the funds are held in the General Fund.
Adopted by the Trustees on 4 September 2025
Nicola Ann Campbell Anne Towers Chair of Trustees Trustee
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Refugees Welcome Registered Charity No. 1169909
REFUGEES WELCOME Westminster Road Macclesfield SK10 1BX
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Report to the trustees/ members Refugees Welcome of On accounts for the Charity 31 December 2024 1169909 year ended no Set out on pages 1 to 4
Responsibilities and I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity basis of report (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2024.
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’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 I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come examiner's to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to statement believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter 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.
Signed: Date: 31 August 2025 Name: Bryan John Coghlan Relevant professional Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and qualification(s) or Wales body (if any): Address: 379, Crewe Road, Wistaston, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 6NW
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Refugees Welcome Registered Charity No. 1169909