Chair’s Report
This will be our second AGM in lockdown. It seems incredible this time last year we had enjoyed our member’s event at the Quaker Meeting House where we pulled together ideas from the members, asylum seekers and refugees. How our world has changed since then. Steven Piper, from our drop in team, sadly lost his life. He has left a very large hole in the lives of his asylum friends and those of us who knew him. I have missed the hugs and chats with you all, DAR members, asylum seekers and refugees. For the Trustees and Exec Committee Zoom meetings have become a norm with comments like “you’re still on mute” being common! Despite these uncertain times, we have managed to reach out in different ways and adapt along with the rest of the world. It is my hope that we can include our asylum seekers and refugees more in our planning in the coming year.
Our Asylum Team have maintained regular contact with those who came along to the drop in to ensure that they are coping with the situation.
The Language Team continues to provide support and teaching to asylum seekers and refugees. Rebecca White has been a rock to the bereaved Syrian family following the tragedy last August. She has continued to teach them and provide emotional support. The team has broadened its work to include a growing number of asylum seekers alongside their continuing work with refugees. They have also been providing more homework assistance for children and young people. Alison Holland, with the support of Corporation Road Primary school, gained approval from local schools for an orientation programme which will prepare children and young people before they start school and support them when they do. This will start after the May half-term.
We have continued to raise funds through the generous support of our members and the wider public, and from charitable trusts.
One of our Trustees, Paul Hamilton, lead our Laptop Project. We acquired 21 reconditioned laptops from the Turin Trust and purchased data for each of the families with children at school, so that they were more easily able to access their online lessons. This was funded almost entirely by the generosity of our volunteers who responded to pleas for financial support by donating £4,550.
With the help of Clarey Wrightson, we were able to respond to the tragic fire at Moria Camp on Lesbos by collecting toiletries and other donations. Darlington folk donated so much that the Choose Love truck was not able to collect all the items but Clarey kindly delivered them to the Leeds depot.
We welcome Rosie Turner to the Executive team as our Partnership lead. Rosie will be linking up with other charities and organisations in Darlington to help Refugees find meaningful work as volunteers and building partnerships towards employment.
One of the challenges that we have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic is how to reach out to the single asylum seekers. These people are normally accommodated in a house or flat, sharing with someone who might not be their choice of a friend, with nothing to do and limited means of communication. Helping them to stay in touch with loved ones has to be prioritised along with food and clothing due to their restricted budget. We are aiming to alleviate this by applying for funds to help with internet connections. We also hope to set up a “bank of activities” that members are happy to share with asylum seekers, as the current lockdown eases. We hope that by linking asylum seekers with members through hobbies and interests this will improve relationships and make them feel more included in our community.
This is all occurring in the context of what appears to be a Home Office policy of creating a hostile environment for asylum seekers. This includes the increasing use of army barracks, restricted movement and the confiscation of mobile phones. The time taken to process claims has also increased and this is creating a growing backlog of asylum seekers in the system. We continue to raise these issues with our political representatives. The Sovereign Borders Bill making its way through Parliament appears to create a two-tier system for asylum seekers.
Now, more than ever before we need to be lobbying our MPs and asking questions about the lack of humanity in this Bill.
I look forward to seeing you all face to face again and sharing what has been happening in your lives over cups of tea and coffee.
Fran Wood
Chair
Charity Name No (if any) Darlington Assistance for Refugees 1170986 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/01/2020 31/12/2020
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Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donation 1,583 - - 1,583 2,029
Fundraising 1,000 - - 1,000 1,159
Collection for White Helmets - - - - -
Book Sales - - - - -
Bus Hire - - - - -
Interest - - - - -
Other - - - - -
Celebrations, Entertainment & Catering
- - - - 595
Costs
NEMP Project - - - - 5,000
Toiletries & Household Cleaners - - - - -
CDCF Micro Grant School Holiday Clubs
- - - - 1,000
The Hospital of God Bike Grant - - - - -
Bicycle Repairs etc - - - - -
Fostering Event - - - - -
Laptop Project - 5,641 - 5,641 -
Christmas - 285 - 285 -
Lesvos Solidarity - - - - -
2,583 5,926 - 8,509 9,783
Sub total (Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
-
Total receipts 2,583 5,926 - 8,509 9,783
A3 Payments
Translation expenses - - - - 26
Stationery, Printing, Office Equipment &
120 - - 120 136
Postage
Bus Hire - - - - 100
Insurance 252 - - 252 252
Household Goods - - - - 488
Travel Costs 13 - - 13 20
Fundraising Expenses - - - - 27
Donation to White Helmets - - - - -
ICO Fees 35 - - 35 35
Rent - Storage Unit - - - - -
NE Regional Employee DBS checks 38 - - 38 58
Celebrations, Entertainment & Catering
122 - - 122 1,431
Costs
NEMP Project - - - - 5,001
Emergency Clothes AS Families - - - - 269
Toiletries & Household Cleaners - - - - 31
Lesvos Solidarity - - - - -
Holy Trinity Darlington PCC re Walkington
House - - - - -
CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 1 31/03/2021
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CDCF Micro Grant School Holiday Clubs
- - - - 1,360
Bicycle Repairs etc
30 - - 30 64
Emercency help e.g. food, phone top ups
10 - - 10 66
The Hospital of God Bike Grant
- - - - 2,938
Book Sales
- - - - 508
Other
68 - - 68 43
AS ESOL Provision Dictionaries etc.
24 - - 24 434
For AS - Craft items, toys & other sundries
Walkington House 16 - - 16 53
Laptop Project - 3,294 - 3,294 87
Christmas 306 285 - 591
Fostering Event - - - - -
Sub total [ 1,034 ] 3,579 - 4,613 13,427
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 1,034 3,579 - 4,613 13,427
Net of receipts/(payments) 1,549 2,347 - 3,896 - 3,643
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 3,543 17 - 3,560 7,203
Cash funds this year end 5,092 2,364 - 7,456 3,560
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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets CCXX R2 accounts (SS) |
(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Petty Cash Bank Account - Darlington Credit Union Bank Account - Co-Operative Total cash funds Details 2 |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 145 1,995 2,973 5,112 Agreement Error Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - |
Restricted funds Endowment funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - 2,347 - 2,347 - Agreement Error OK Restricted funds Endowment funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - 31/03/2021 |
Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||
| OK |
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Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B3 Investment assets - -
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Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the - -
charity’s own use - -
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Fund to which Amount due When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
B5 Liabilities -
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Signed by one or two trustees on Date of
behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name approval
Jwalker Janet Walker 16/02/2021
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Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
31/03/2021
CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
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