REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1169992
Report of the Trustees and Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2021 for Equal opportunities world wide (EOWW)
- Equal opportunities world wide (eoww)
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Reference and Administrative Details | 1 |
| Report of the Trustees | 2 to 10 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 11 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 12 |
| Balance Sheet | 13 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 14 to 16 |
| Detailed Statement of Financial Activities | 17 to 18 |
Equal Community Forum (EOWW)
Reference and Administrative Details for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
TRUSTEES
Nassar,Kizza (chairperson) Haawa Namiiro Namagambe (Treasurer) ) PRINCIPAL ADDRESS 3 Ashcombe House Devon’s Road E3 3NW London REGISTERED CHARITY 1169992 NUMBER WEBSITE & E-MAIL www.equalopportunitiesworld info@equalopportunitiesworld.org.uk BANK Nat west Plc Account number 29920140 Sort Code 50 00 00
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Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice.
Background
Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Equal opportunities was established in 20016 by members of African back grounds to provide relief and long lasting sustainable improvements to the lives of people affected by Disability, poverty, For the last 12 years we have worked with Disabled people helping them with food and medical help, wheel chairs etc. We have also worked with Malnourished children in Uganda helping them with nourished food, second hand clothing from our clothing banks here in London and also getting their mothers employmen.This gave us a lot of experience and massive network in Africa mainly Uganda.
Our Vision
To empower the marginalised members of the society in our local community and abroad with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they need to change their lives positively for the better.
Our Mission
To provide a comprehensive range of services and activities to enable communities in London Borough of Tower Hamlets and abroad to determine and develop thriving minds to better themselves.
Our Values
Open and accountable, culturally inclusive, integrity and trust, readiness to adapt to changes and make a difference, commitment to equality, community cohesion and empowerment of disadvantaged groups.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
Equal opportunities world, the charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes an unincorporated charity. It adopted a constitution in 2016. The Forum is structured around a Management Committee, which are elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meetings are open to all members of the organisation.
The Management Committee was composed of 3 elected Executive Council Members of which 1 Trustee resigned due to many assignments allocated to him the post we intend to fill as soon as possible. The organisation has the power to co-opt other people as Co-opted Members which the organisation will fill gradually. The co-opted members are selected on an advisory capacity with no voting rights with the aim of ensuring that the Board membership reflects the diversity of the local community. The Management Committee is elected by a ballot of the Members of the organisation at the Annual General Meeting.
Following the election or appointment, the new trustees are introduced to their new role and given copies of the Constitution and a guide to the policies and procedures adopted by The Forum. A number of publications from the Charity Commission are also provided including the guidance on charities and public benefit. This ensures that new trustees are aware of the scope of their responsibilities under the Charity Act. Initially new trustees work with existing trustees assisting on particular activities and the projects run by the charity. After satisfactory feedback from existing
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trustees, they are given the task of leading a particular activity of project, reporting progress at Management Committee meeting.
Organisational structure
The organisation is structured with a management committee (Executive Council Members) elected by the general members to oversee the overall activities and one of the committee members is nominated as chairperson, to monitor the day to day running of the organisation.
The following officers/trustees and Executive Council Members of the charity have held office for the whole/part of the period until 31st March 2021.
Mr Nassar Kizza Chair person
Mr Amir Kisitu Secretary (resigned)
Mrs Haawa Namiiro Namagembe Treasurer
Risk management
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
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Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The Equal opportunities world is an organisation that focuses on promoting diversity and empowering locals to achieve more by providing resources and training to help better the region. Its activities are within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and also abroad mainly Africa. The principal aims and objectives are:
Aims:
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To be open, transparent, and inclusive so that it is representative of the community and the community has a genuine sense of ownership.
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Develop a series of community initiatives based on community needs, survey, and consultation.
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Develop partnerships with existing community and voluntary organisations in Tower hamlets and beyond to ensure joint working and avoidance of duplication of services.
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Empower volunteers and employees to ensure sustainability of community engagement and services.
To meet its objectives the organisation seeks charitable donations and grants from various organisations, local authority, trust, and foundations in and outside the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Objectives:
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To provide skill building training, advice to local and international unemployed residents to meet their needs and to work closely with local employers encouraging them to create opportunities for local community.
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To provide recreational facilities to local children, youth, and elderly and to work towards community cohesion in this area.
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To act as a strong advocate with other agencies/the public services in order to alleviate poverty, ease cultural and language barriers, and to improve the living standard of the families living in London Borough of Tower Hamlets and abroad. This includes working with partnership with statutory, health and other agencies to bring their services in the area.
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To maintain a commitment to best practice throughout the charity’s operational and strategic development.
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PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR THIS PERIOD:
. The project undertook a supposedly one off project in 2020 due to the pandemic called the The Disabled and the ( Blind )
This project’s aims and goals were to teach new skills to the Disabled and the Blind to become self-employed with the long term possibility of becoming financially independent.
Equal opportunities has been working with these 2 groups for the last 6 years sourcing for them food and medical assistance required but for the last one and a half years since the pandemic these groups have suffered the most because they earn their living by begging on the streets or shopping malls and sometimes even places of worship like mosques and churches but because of the COVID lockdowns and curfews put in place it meant that they haven’t been able to provide for their families. When we visited 20 percent of our service users we found that most of the family members were malnourished due to lack of food and also most of them were not vaccinated due to lack of transport putting the whole family at risk.
We are hoping to work with the ministry of Gender and Labour in Kampala for the awareness of social development. We are hoping to work with other well established charities for training and recruitment and these will include? Uganda Disabled women’s Association) (Apac Disabled person’s Union –( Bugin District Union of person’s with disability- (Uganda society for Disabled children
As part of the changes the organisation made during this period operational matters including Safeguarding our staff, volunteers, and users were paramount. We made alternative and safer arrangement to keep in touch with our service users and staff team. We formed partnership with other organisations to deliver our services to the much needed individuals.
COVID-19 had made our staff and management committee more resilient as they have learnt Many new skills that they will build on to sustain the future of the organisation.
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Active Youth Project (AYP)
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Before the pandemic Equal opportunities was involved in a youth project) where we went to schools and organised an after school get fit session and this included body fitness boxing running and also teaching them how to use the Gym equipment.
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Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Equal’s Covid-19 Crisis Support Services April 2020 - Mar 2021
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The project has been able to keep in touch with the vulnerable people who have been isolated throughout the lockdown since March 2020. Provided social connection and survival services to improve their wellbeing and mental health. Assisted them with practical support to meet basic needs, reducing loneliness and isolation through telephone-befriending and other services, advice on financial issues, employment, supporting people’s emotional and mental health and wellbeing.
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Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Change for Life Youth Project (engaging young people in keeping fit activities)
Change for Life Project have been successfully offering personal training to the youth during pandemic since April 2020 a lot of youth were left redundant with not much to do thus we tried to fill up the space with some of our personal trainers giving them a one to one training sessions through the year.
Following attendance of our project the main difference we have seen in some of the project participants includes a positive attitude and increased awareness and confidence in skills.
Most of the project participants are living in an environment of deprivation and disadvantage. At the beginning of the project most of the participants were overweight with little or no skills and qualifications. Many had low self-esteem and lacked aspirations due to a lack of positive role models and availability of personal support. Most participants were either known to the Police or members of gangs. Most of our participants were at risk of committing serious crimes due to being associated with gangs.
Following the completion of above activities participants have been empowered with the skills, attitude, and knowledge they need to live a health and free life.
We have further advised some of them to even move to another environment for their safety and also for their well-being.
Difference the project have made to the lives of young people
Project staff focused on developing participant’s abilities to gain adaptive and positive behaviour that enabled them to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life.
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As direct result of the project three young people have gained awareness and development of boxing skills and improved their confidence in life and also willing to become personal trainers themselves.
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Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Employment Training and Advice Project (ETA)
We have developed the delivery strategy which includes the recruitment, staffing, training, project outputs and outcomes.
Based on our track record and increased profile of the organisation in the community we are confident that we will achieve our target within the year.
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Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Weavers Get Fit Project (WGF)
Weavers Get Fit!' is a new sports programme predominately aimed at the 'low participation groups' of women and those from Black Minority Ethnic backgrounds living close to Weavers Community Centre in the Borough of Tower Hamlets. We are working in partnership with Sport Work to deliver this project.
Project commenced from January 2020 with the aim of running for thirty-four weeks using sports in its broadest sense, to maintain an active lifestyle and get women involved in sports. The activities included Table tennis, Exercise, Fitness, and Movement & Dance delivered by qualified female trainers who were also role models to the participants. The project aims were to address the number of barriers that these groups face when it comes to their participation in sport by delivering high-quality sessions free of charge at our local community venue, whilst working towards local priorities of increasing physical activity levels and reducing obesity of those living in deprivation through a step change in behaviour. The project target outputs were 65 participants to be recruited and supported in activities with 4-6 tenants to be trained as volunteer coaches.
Due to COVID -19 the project had to be put on hold as a result of government lockdown but resumed activities in July 2020 with some of the sessions held on zoom. We collaborated with Sports Work to deliver regular sessions. This was further impacted by the second and the third lockdown however we were granted further extension till September 2021.
Between start of project and March 21, we had 45 participants signed up and took part in the project activities. There was a huge interest among local women after the release of lockdown in December 2020 to take part in similar project. We anticipate the target of 65 participants will be met by end of project in September 2021. Similarly, we aim to support some tenants to become qualified volunteer coach by end of project.
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Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Active Youth Project (AYP)
The project activities include:
Telephone service: We contacted local vulnerable young people who were affected by the COVID-19, and remotely provided general advice and guidance on how to safely engage in the community and where to obtain support when they have concerns.
Small group workshop and Youth club activities were provided to support disadvantage young people in social and personal development that involves improving individual’s character, behaviour, intellectual ability, health and giving them the confidence to be an asset to the community.
Through the grant for this project, we have better resourced the organisation including purchase of equipment and employed part time youth worker. The project also led to new partnership working with Centre Point who referred two young people for work placement at Equal opportunities world. The Forum also employed one of the young participants as a sessional staff on the Covid-19 Crisis Support project.
Project participants were impacted substantially. They improved awareness on health and well-being during the Pandemic, improved motivation, and self-confidence, gained employability skills to aspire and reach their full potential.
Case study – captured by youth worker
Two Young people both have joined our program at the same time, young person A and young person B were aged 17 years old, they were hanging about on the streets socialising and not involved in anything positive outside of their college studies. The Forum’s outreach team engaged them and invited them to attend our project which was open for 3 evenings till late. The Forum felt they were at risk of getting involved in negative influences in the area.
Young person A and young person B started attending the project regularly where they started engaging with our Youth Work staff. The Forum staff also contacted their parents and built a relationship with them.
For the young people it was a chance to get away from their home and School routine. The sessions offered a positive environment where they were made to feel empowered to make a change to their life and to reflect and change their way of thinking as well as improve their potential and opportunities. They were lacking in life skills, interpersonal skills they also knew very little about the world of work and employment. They couldn’t imagine a future where they were working and on the first days, they attended the project session they just wanted to play on the PlayStation, Table Tennis and just socialise. They were not aware of the world of work and adult life and had not even thought about their future. After attending our workshops and receiving 1-2-1 mentoring and support from our youth Worker they started developing leadership skills and were quickly progressed through our volunteering process. Volunteering was an activity where they felt they could channel their energy and a chance for staff to work more closely with them to help them determine their long-term goals and aspirations.
Both young person A and young person B decided to volunteer for the Emergency COVID-19 Food Bank Support Service Project and stayed on for the evening Youth Club session afterwards.
Young person, A when he turned 18 progressed to paid work with the Forum’s Food bank service and this was added to his CV and the Forum’s staff then supported him to apply for jobs. He was successful with a job application and staff then supported him to prepare for the interview. Young people - A was again successful and is now in full time employment with B & Q and still comes back once a week to volunteer for the food bank service.
Young person B is still volunteering for the project and working towards becoming a motor mechanic. Staff have helped him to develop his own freelance business as a drummer and the Forum continue to work with him and mentor him to achieve his aspirations.
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Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Review of Business Plan
Business plan was reviewed in 2020 by staff and trustees and one of the key items all agreed was to approach the local authority for planning permission to extend the centre to provide more space to host much needed services for the community as the existing hall and the office space does not provide enough space to accommodate large groups for sessions at any one time. It was also decided to remove the middle partition wall to merge both halls to one for facilitating larger events and provide more needed space for participants to take part in activities without compromising social distancing. This hasn’t moved any further since last year due to COVID-19 lockdown, the trustees reviewed the position and decision was made to escalate communication with the local authority senior officers.
Hall Hire - Facilities Used by Other Local Groups
Due to Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns, the Centre could not be used by other local voluntary groups for their meetings, classes, and other activities.
Quality Mark (Accreditation)
London Youth Bronze Quality Mark accreditation has been delayed due to the COVID -19 Pandemic. Progress was slow between April – December 2020 due to the series of lockdowns and restrictions. However, the pace improved between January – March 2021 and we are aiming to complete and achieve the accreditation by July 2021.
Staff Training & Development
One of our staff took part in level three Designated Safeguarding Lead training in this period. We recruited a youth worker in November 2020. Our Operations manager has been promoted to Managing Director’s role since February 2021.
Future Plans
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Our future plans are to continue with the Food bank COVID - 19 Crisis Support Service for the local vulnerable tenants / residents from around Weavers and the neighbouring wards, providing them with food packs and other essentials support
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Build on the current provision of hot meals to establish a new community service providing weekly hot meals for the people who are homeless, elderly, and vulnerable who are experiencing loneliness and isolated.
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Continue to deliver the Health and wellbeing project for elderly woman’s
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Identify and secure new source of Funding to restart Youth and Employment Training & Advice Project.
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Explore ways to extend and/or develop partnership work with organisations whose services compliment ours. This could be in neighbouring boroughs such as Barking & Dagenham and Newham.
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Improve organisation governance by exploring to convert current governance arrangement to Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) model or to register as Company Limited by Guarantee.
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Equal opportunities world (EOWW)
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2021
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Our Partners / Supporters
Fare Share, In-kind Direct, London Youth (LY), National Council for Voluntary Organisation (NCVO) Tower Hamlets Council for Voluntary Service (THCVS) MPower Plus UK, Ensign Youth, 13 Rivers Trust, Karins, GGMG and Tower Hamlets Volunteers Centre. Centre Point and Sports Work
Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge and thank the following organisations and businesses for their in kind and financial assistance during the year 2020 / 2021;
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London Community Response Funds (LCRF)
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London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH)
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East End Community Foundation
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BBC Children's in Need
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City Bridge Trust
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Groundwork
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CAFF Tourle Foundation
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Black Training & Enterprise Group (BTEG) (Comic Relief Funding)
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Edward Gostling Foundation
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Equip – European Social Fund (ESF)
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The Foyle Foundation
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Peoples Post Code Trust
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TH Volunteers Centre
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Tower Hamlets Community Voluntary Sector (THCVS)
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London Youth
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MPower Plus UK
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Fare share
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In-kind Direct
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Sports Work
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Centre Point
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13 Rivers Trust
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GGMG
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Karins (Food for Heroes)
Volunteers
This financial year we have benefited from twenty volunteers we would like to acknowledge and thank those volunteers who worked tirelessly to support our projects and services we are very grateful for their help and assistance during the pandemic year 2020 / 2021
Approved by order of the board of trustee on ……….2021 and signed on its behalf by:
Trustee:
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
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