**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.| _Page 1_ _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)| _Page 2_ _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|| _Page 3_ _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 _Page 4_ _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: - the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or - the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or - 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** _Page 5_ _Refugees Welcome Registered Charity No. 1169909_