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2025-12-31-accounts

DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

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DAR – Darlington Assistance for Refugees

Annual Report & Financial Statement – 2025

A Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

Registered Charity Number: 1170986

The Board of Trustees of DAR, who are also Directors of the Charity for the purpose of the Companies Act 2006, present their Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31 December 2025.

The Financial Statement complies with the Companies Act 2006 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)

CONTENTS PAGE
Reference & Administration Details 2
Foreword by the DAR CEO 3
Our Charity Objects 4
Our Mission 4
Our Strategy 4
Our Performance in 2025 5
Governance, Leadership and Organisation 8
Risk Management 9
Financial Statement 10

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DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

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REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATION DETAILS

PRINCIPAL OFFICE

33 Linden Avenue Darlington DL3 8PS

CEO IN 2025 Fran Wood

COMPANY SECRETARY Andrew Newens

TRUSTEES IN 2025 Tresor Bukasa Dan Gannaway from September 2025 Lauren Lovegood from March 2025 Peter Meek Chair & Acting Treasurer Andrew Newens Syed Ali Akbar Rizvi from March 2025 Fatima Zohra Smaili until May 2025 Simon Thorley Diane Toner

TRUSTEES at the date this report was approved

Tresor Bukasa Dan Gannaway Lauren Lovegood Andrew Newens Syed Ali Akbar Rizvi Simon Thorley Diane Toner

PRINCIPAL FUNDERS Darlington Borough Council The National Lottery Community Awards for All Fund Sport England Akelius Foundation Allen Lane Foundation Hilden Charitable Fund Evans Cornish Point North Hadrian Trust Alpkit Foundation Warburtons Change Lives Today/Tees Valley GlobalGiving People's Postcode Lottery

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Catherine Milbanke BSc, FCA 3S Accountancy Services

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FOREWORD – by the DAR CEO Fran Wood

2025 has been a year of growth, challenge and real determination for DAR. In particular, the scope of our fundraising has been greatly extended to secure support from a significantly wider range of sources.

Volunteers remain at the heart of everything we do. This year our language team included up to 21 active volunteers, alongside 19 support volunteers working in mentor pods and at Drop-In. New volunteers joined us — including people with lived experience of seeking asylum — bringing skills, empathy and leadership. The compassion our volunteers show, week after week, continues to define DAR.

The year has not been without pressures. Fluctuating numbers, people absconding from accommodation, and young people leaving care and placed in dispersed housing all made continuity of support harder. Some safeguarding situations were emotionally demanding for volunteers and Board. Limited storage and reliance on hired rooms continue to constrain us. The wider climate of anti-immigration rhetoric has also been felt locally, increasing anxiety for many we support. The regular presence of our local police Inclusion Officer has helped build trust and reassurance.

And yet, there have been so many reminders of kindness. At Christmas, schools across Darlington once again showed extraordinary generosity. We are especially grateful to Carmel College for providing more than 50 hampers, and to the many primary schools who filled gift bags with care and thoughtfulness for families who had so little. We are grateful to the core of faithful donors who donate monthly.

Looking ahead to 2026, we do so with stronger foundations. Our priorities are clear: with the help of the National Lottery Reaching Communities bid, securing long-term core roles, improving storage and space, consolidating our women’s English and Akelius programmes, and strengthening our systems and data through a CRM development supported by Lloyds. We will continue working closely with partners across Darlington to ensure people seeking sanctuary feel part of this town.

As always, the commitment of community partners — including Old School Boxing, local fitness coach Charlotte Welton, Darlington Pilates and Darlington Football Club coaches — has enabled those we support to participate fully in the life of Darlington.

On a personal note, this is my final year leading DAR before handing over to my successor in 2026. It has given me time to reflect. Visitors often comment first on the atmosphere at Drop-In: the warmth, the laughter, the sense of safety. That is down to our volunteers. They are the golden thread running through everything we do. It has been a privilege to work alongside such generous, courageous and inspiring people — many of whom I am proud to now call friends.

Thank you for the energy, kindness and commitment you bring. DAR is what it is because of you.

www.darlingtonrefugees.org

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DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

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OUR CHARITY OBJECTS

Taken from the DAR Constitution dated May 2022:

The objects of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) are:

i). The promotion of social inclusion for the public benefit among people who are refugees and asylum seekers living in Darlington who are socially excluded on the grounds of their social and economic position, by providing:

A education and training in the English Language

B volunteer befriender / mentors who will assist them with their integration into the community of Darlington, by the provision of information, advice and support.

ii). The relief of poverty for refugees and asylum seekers displaced from, in particular, but not limited to, Syria and other war zones who are or have been resident in any refugee camps in Europe by the provision of essential equipment, furniture and other items as may be necessary

OUR MISSION

Being a refugee or asylum seeker means reaching a foreign land after fleeing one’s home in fear. It means leaving everything and everyone behind.

At DAR, we want to ensure that those men, women, and children who come to us, not as a choice but to save their lives, have the warm welcome they deserve.

We offer them a safe and friendly environment where they can get the support they need to rebuild their lives. We introduce them to our system and community as we would a dear friend who just moved from abroad. We respect their culture and heritage and cherish the richness they bring into our lives.

OUR STRATEGY

The DAR Strategy is reviewed and updated by the Board of Trustees working with the CEO on an annual basis. It is expressed in terms of timed objectives, based predominantly upon the following strategic themes :

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DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

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OUR PERFORMANCE IN 2025

Reach and Support

In 2025, DAR supported 350 asylum seekers and refugees, including individuals granted leave to remain.

During the year, we assisted 23 families and 26 single people who received leave to remain. We supported their transition into temporary housing and ultimately into more permanent homes.

Our cohort fluctuated between 235 and 200 asylum seekers during the year. Weekly Friday Drop-In attendance averaged around 60 people, with a peak attendance of approximately 70 in October.

Our 63 volunteers contributed over 5,700 hours of support throughout 2025.

Funding Performance

Service Delivery

We delivered weekly activities across sport, language, skills development and advice, including:

Projects Delivered

Akelius Language Project

Launched in 2025, this project created a paid role for one of our experienced ESOL volunteer tutors. The programme delivers classroom-based English lessons to up to 40 learners per week, with each learner accessing an average of four hours weekly. Funding support was provided by the Akelius Foundation.

Allen Lane Women’s ESOL Project

Funded by the Allen Lane Foundation and launched in October, this project supports mothers unable to access mainstream ESOL due to childcare shortages. The sessions are led by a volunteer with lived experience of migration. We anticipate increased uptake as seasonal conditions improve .

Multicultural Cooking Project

Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, this two-year project engaged 40 participants and delivered 72 cooking sessions, with an average of eight participants per session. Led by two chefs with lived experience of migration, the project also included a visit to Middleton Lodge to explore sustainable food growing and preparation. We aim to strengthen this partnership in future years .

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Sewing Project

Delivered monthly sessions totalling 55+ hours over the year, supporting up to 10 participants per session and developing practical skills and social connection.

Bike Project

We refurbished donated bicycles and distributed them to individuals in need. Holiday bike maintenance sessions enabled teenagers to learn skills such as fixing punctures and brakes.

Sport England Funded Activities

Football

Attendance increased by 50%, with more than 25 players weekly, rising to 30+ during summer. At times, we divided into four teams of 8–9 players. Increased demand may require booking a double pitch or expanding to twice-weekly sessions during summer.

Keep Fit (Women’s Fitness)

Participants have demonstrated clear improvements in confidence and physical strength. Women are lifting heavier weights, improving fitness, and supporting one another. English language confidence has also increased significantly, with participants now comfortably socialising and engaging in conversation.

Pilates for Women

Previously, attendance figures included both volunteers and refugee participants. As long-standing refugee participants have grown in confidence and become more familiar with the sessions, the need for volunteer support has gradually reduced. Many of the women now actively welcome and support new arrivals themselves — helping them settle in, understand the routines and feel at ease. This natural peer support has allowed volunteers to step back over time while maintaining a warm and inclusive environment.

From February 2026, two regular members began attending consistently, and attendance is now approximately half refugees and half regular members. This feels like a sustainable, balanced and genuinely integrated model, reflecting the wider aims of our programme funded by Sport England.

Boxing

Two participants won regional competitions under the guidance of coaches at Old School Boxing. One attendee has experienced significant improvements in mental wellbeing, English language development and community integration, and is now aspiring to become a professional boxer.

Gym Access

We supported 10 individuals with gym memberships, helping them build structure into their week and manage anxiety and stress through swimming, gym use and exercise classes.

Research & Partnerships

Teesside University Research Project

In partnership with Teesside University and led by Azadeh Fatehrad, the Connected Communities: Stories and Cultural Practices in Darlington project explores how participatory arts and cultural workshops reduce isolation and improve adult language confidence, wellbeing, belonging and intercultural connection.

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DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

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The project also examines how community spaces can become more inclusive and meaningfully codesigned. It has been particularly encouraging to see single men engaging confidently and creatively in experimental art sessions at Drop-In.

Middleton Lodge

Building in cultural exchange of food preparation and presentation.

Recognition

We were honoured to receive a Special Award from Darlington Stronger Communities in recognition of our work.

Partnerships

We maintained strong working relationships with:

Operational Challenges & Risks

Pipeline & Outlook for 2026

Compiled by Fran Wood CEO

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DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

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GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP & ORGANISATION

GOVERNANCE

The governance of DAR is set out in the DAR Constitution – 27 May 202 2, particularly the powers and duties of the Trustees and the Members of the charity.

The Board of Trustees meets regularly with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to set strategy and exercise oversight of operations in line with the charity’s Objects.

The Annual General Meeting of Members includes the (re)-election of all Trustees, consideration of the Annual Report and Accounts, and the appointment of auditors.

During 2025 the Board delegated authority to just one standing sub-committee:

The Finance Sub-Committee provides guidance, monitoring, and assistance to the CEO in matters relating to financial management and reporting, financial audit and controls, and purchasing.

LEADERSHIP & ORGANISATION

Executive leadership and management of DAR is vested in the role of CEO. The CEO leads the DAR Executive Team – the senior leadership team which coordinates all operations and activities across the whole of DAR. Chaired by the CEO, the Executive Team brings together the key leaders across the organisation and including the leaders of the principal workstreams: e.g. mentoring, languages, and funded projects.

The staff contributing to DAR are part-time volunteers – currently numbering around 60-70 people. Sourcing volunteers for team leadership roles proves to be very challenging and is particularly affecting the progress of our language team. Delivering services with a completely voluntary workforce can also cause difficulties in service continuity, which can put a strain on our stretched resources.

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DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

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RISK MANAGEMENT

The CEO and Trustees of DAR have assessed the risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that processes and systems have been established to mitigate them and ensure the continued viability of DAR.

Led by the CEO, Risk Management is a standing item on the Board’s agenda. The DAR Risk Register details all risks and mitigations, categorised under the following headings:

Governance Failure to deliver the charity's Objects / loss of strategic direction / failure of
service delivery.
Failure of Safeguarding Controls.
Operational Insufficient appropriately motivated and trained volunteers to deliver quality
services / loss of key personnel / failure to manage & report on "restricted"
projects.
Insufficient and / or inappropriate infrastructure to enable volunteers to deliver
quality services – including accommodation, IT systems & hardware,
information management systems, etc.
Financial Insufficient funding income to sustainably support all DAR services &
projects.
Loss of Financial Control.
External Changes in UK Immigration laws & regulations which impact needs / nature
of DAR services / trends in the UK economy (e.g. Inflation, housing costs)
which adversely affect DAR service users.
Compliance Failure to comply with relevant laws and regulations - charity governance
codes / charity financial regulations / health & safety regulations.
Failure of cybersecurity measures / Loss of confidential data / Compromise of
operational data.

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DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

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FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2025

Public Benefit - The Trustees have complied with their duty under the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Reserves Policy - DAR aims to maintain free reserves of unrestricted funds equivalent to at least 3 months of core operating costs, in order to ensure continuity of essential services, manage fluctuations in grant and donation income, and provide a buffer against unforeseen operational risks.

For 2026, the trustees have set the target level of free reserves at £15,000, based on an assessment of projected expenditure, staffing commitments, and the charity’s risk register.

The Finance Sub ‑ Committee reviews reserves quarterly, comparing the current level to the target range and agreeing any actions required to build up or responsibly utilise reserves in line with the charity’s strategic priorities.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on: 24[th] March 2026

& signed on their behalf by:

Diane Toner , Acting Chair of Trustees:

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DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF

DARLINGTON ASSISTANCE FOR REFUGEES (DAR).

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025, which are set out on Appendix 1.

This report is made solely to the trustees of the charity, as a body, in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). My examination has been undertaken so that I might state to the trustees of the charity those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the trustees of the charity as a body for my examination, for this report or the opinions I have formed.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the 2011 Act and that an independent examination is needed. Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

have not been met; or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Catherine Milbanke FCA 3S Accountancy, Chartered Accountants 5-8 Priestgate Darlington Date: 24.3.26

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DAR – Annual Report & Financial Statements – 2025

DL1 1NL

Date: 23/03/26

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