## **Trustees Annual Report HHUGS- HELPING HOUSEHOLDS UNDER GREAT STRESS 2021**
The charity is currently on a transition of changing the structure of the charity to a CIO. The process we are currently working on below, so we can provide best practice for donors, volunteers, supporters and the general community alike.
A few areas of work that is currently being wound down in to the new CIO structure. Experience over 17 years to deliver the best and most suitable support for our beneficiaries are details below along with objectives.
## **Objectives and activities**
To relieve the financial and emotional hardship of Muslim detainees/former detainees & families held in the UK and Abroad, (so long as families are resident/citizens of the UK). By way of provision of counselling, emotional and practical support and financial assistance if the need arises.
We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities.
## **The charity fulfill the public benefit requirement in the following ways:**
- Providing funding for education and training
- Providing advice and counselling
- Relief of financial
## hardship **Achievements**
## **and performance**
Preserving Dignity: Core
## Support
At HHUGS we know that many families feel embarrassed, shy and reluctant to seek help for what seems like small, everyday necessities that were once so easily acquired. Because we realise the importance of preserving dignity, we start our help at the core of each household. We want them to live as normal a life as possible and therefore dedicate a significant amount of our support to catering for every day needs and necessities. More often than not, the most troubling hurdle in their lives centres around an insufficient income. To lighten the load, we provide financial support in the form of shopping vouchers, post office utility bill cards, postal orders to maintain a loved one in prison (where prisoners are not convicted), food packs, direct payments to cover the costs of utility bills and rent, gifts of furniture, bedding, clothing, fuel, legal fees, phone bills, and other household expenditures, transportation costs, full-time carers, tuition fees and debt repayment.
Our financial support is tailored to suit the specific needs of the individual beneficiary. Examples have included bus fares allowing a detainee on house arrest to reach the mosque in time for Friday prayer, phone cards to contact family abroad and a Moses basket for an expectant mother denied access to her belongings stored over 200 miles away. In addition to direct financial help
HHUGS also provided household help and food rotas for families under extra strain from pregnancy, post-child birth, bereavements or court hearings. Living without the most basic of necessities can threaten to strip anyone of their independence and self-worth. At HHUGS we seek to eliminate the humiliation that is often felt by many families struggling to survive. Our aim is to restore and preserve dignity through core support.
## **Our core support also includes:**
1. Financial Relief
The burden of an outstanding debt or additional financial cost can be overbearing for a mother carrying the new found responsibility of singlehandily supporting her household. On top of this, some families may have suddenly been denied access to their bank accounts, including all savings. In other cases, as foreign nationals who have only recently settled in the UK, families have limited access to state welfare. In all cases, families face financial difficulty and struggle to cover the cost of living. Fully aware of the strain such financial burdens can cause to an already fragile family, HHUGS strives to relieve the financial worries of families by taking over their duty of supporting and visiting a loved one in prison, cover rent and food bills or repaying their debts and arrears.
Many Muslim donors contribute their annual ‘Zakat’ allocation to helping such families, an annual obligatory charitable contribution equalling to 2.5% of their dispensable income and directed to those in need. By relieving financial burden, families can regain the hope they need to build a brighter future.
“HHUGS stepped in when no-one else would. They provided financial support when I had nothing and no-one. They helped me get back on my own two feet by getting me onto a skills based course so I could work again. HHUGS helped restore my faith in people.”
## **2. Ramadan**
The absence of a loved one is not felt more so than at times of family and religious celebration. During the holy month of Ramadan, the annual Islamic month of fasting ending with a festival called Eid al-Fitr, our families can become increasingly lonely, isolated and depressed. Remembering the good years that have passed before, they now face the daunting task of spending Ramadan alone, with little money to feed their fasting families.
At HHUGS we want to lighten Ramadan, reviving the spirit of our families during this joyous month. As such, we provided food packs this year containing all the essentials needed for a healthy and nutritious Ramadan, food vouchers, a supply of dates to last the entire month, gift packs for children containing activities and sweets, and vouchers for our families to purchase gifts for Eid al-Fitr.
## **3. Mentoring Scheme**
We are currently working with almost 750 individuals, more than 40% of those are young people. HHUGS have developed a pilot mentoring scheme which aims to enable our young people and the new generation to be empowered and determined to succeed in life with the relevant support
and guidance by a trained mentee. With this project, we seek to help young beneficiaries with an opportunity to hone their talents, abilities, skills and capabilities. We hope to encourage imagination, and creativity in order to view a future beyond circumstances,
Mentoring is a very personal and informal tool which can support young beneficiaries to deal with challenges they face on account of arrests, raids, and detention of a loved one. What matters most is that people are there to listen to you in your hour of need and offer sound advice at your most vulnerable. Back to school campaign Hhugs have provided school uniforms to almost 50 children in our first year. Last year this had increased with various other support areas which is an integral part of their personal development, but also in the wider community.
## **4. Back to school**
The average cost of a uniform for state run schools in the UK, range between £250-£300 per year. A troublingly high number of children from the country's poorest families frequently report bullying, because of their embarrassment over not being able to afford key elements of school uniform. Some even suffer the humiliation of being sent home for wearing ‘incorrect’ attire. This results in sadness of a family, broken and ostracised. The pain of bullying from the previous school year can further increase. Following our support, 100% of HHUGS families who received Back to School support last year, said it restored their dignity and reduced their worry and stress. 83% of these families expressed that your
Back to School gifts helped them financially, enabled them to stay out of debt and improved the quality of their lives. “l was able to buy all the correct uniform, shoes, PE kit, and stationery. The support from HHUGS took all the burden off my shoulders. My daughter is happy and her confidence in her school work has improved. Alhamdulillah.”- Beneficiary in receipt of the Back to School support. Financial review The Trustees are satisfied the with the results of the Charity .
## **Objectives and Activities**
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Summary of the Create a platform to support families who have
purposes of the charity been impacted by counter terror laws within
as set out in its the UK, with financial, emotional and pastoral
governing document support.
Summary of the main Counselling- To provide the right tools
activities in relation to and support to ensure families are able to
those purposes for the manage traumas
public benefit, in Financial support- To support with living
particular, the activities, needs, basic necessities such as daily
projects or services survival products, food and clothing
identified in the Events- To ensure they are integrated
accounts. with the wider community where
appropriate.
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Statement confirming **The Trustees understand their obligations and** whether the trustees **have regular training on changes and/or** have had regard to the **updates to the delivery in line with the Charity** guidance issued by the **Commission guidelines.** Charity Commission on public benefit
## **Additional information**
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Grant making policy updated annually by the
board of trustees and earlier where appropriate
Policy on grant making or legislation changes.
This is part of the grant making and donation
policy which is updated each year or earlier
Policy on social where appropriate.
investment including
program related
investment
This is part of the grant making and donation
policy which is updated each year or earlier
Contribution made by where appropriate.
volunteers
Donation policy available, to ensure best
Other practice for donors, supporters and staff alike
where appropriate for clarity and transparency
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## **Achievements and Performance**
**Currently not running as a CIO charity and managing the structure of the charity and the governance before using this platform to deliver** Summary of the main **services.** 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.
**Donations from the public**
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Trusts and Foundations- To be applied for.
The charity’s principal
sources of funds
(including any
fundraising)
Currently in between creating an investment
and social enterprise policy to meet the needs of
Investment policy and the commission before proceeding to deliver
objectives including any services.
social investment policy
adopted
Families who are impacted by terror laws are
often ostracised from the community and shone.
A description of the They face the hardship of the local community at
principal risks facing the times.
charity
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## **Structure, Governance and Management**
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Type of governing Trust deed provided
document
(trust deed, royal
charter)
How is the charity CIO
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)
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## **Additional information**
**Safeguarding vulnerable adults and children** Policies and procedures **Grant making policy** adopted for the **Donation policy** induction and training of **HR management** trustees **Risk Assessment CIO** The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works
## **Reference and Administrative details**
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Charity name HELPING HOUSEHOLDS UNDER GREAT STRESS
Other name the charity HHUGS
uses
Registered charity 1172158
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number
Charity’s principal HHUGS, 43 Berkeley Square, 4th Floor, London, W1J
address 5FJ
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## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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Name of person (or body)
Dates acted if not for
Trustee name Office (if any) entitled to appoint trustee
whole year
(if any)
Adnan Aly HHUGS, 2006 N/A
43 Berkeley
Square,
1
4th Floor,
London,
W1J 5FJ
Junade Zakir HHUGS, May 2017 N/A
43 Berkeley
Square,
2
4th Floor,
London,
W1J 5FJ
Fahad Qureshi HHUGS, May 2016 N/A
43 Berkeley
Square,
3
4th Floor,
London,
W1J 5FJ
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## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s)** A. ALY **Full name(s)** ADNAN ALY **Position (eg** CHAIR **Secretary, Chair, etc) Date** 26/02/2022
## **Income and Expenditure Accounts**
## HHUGS
## **Turnover**
|**Turnover**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|General Donation|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Gift Aid|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Grant income|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|StandingOrder/DD|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Zakaat Donation|0.00|0.00|0.00|
**Total Turnover**
**0.00**
**0.00 0.00**
## **Beneficiary Costs**
|**Benefciary Costs**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Carers|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Eid Gifts|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Food/Food Packs|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|LivingExpense - Other|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Other Financial Support|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Postal Orders|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Prison Visits|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Rent(Benefciary)|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|ShoppingVouchers|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Social Recreational Programme|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|Transport|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|UtilityBills|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|**Total Benefciary Costs**|**0.00**|**0.00**|**0.00**|
## **Administrative Costs**
|**Administrative Costs**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Accountancy and audit fees|0.00|||
|Advertising/Marketing|0.00|||
|Audit & Accountancy fees|0.00|||
|Bank Charges|0.00|||
|Consultancy|0.00|||
|Donor Stewardship|0.00|||
|Electricity|0.00|||
|Employers National Insurance|0.00|||
|Fundraising Costs|0.00|||
|Goodwill Gesture|0.00|||
|IT|0.00|||
|Mobiles|0.00|||
|Pensions Costs|0.00|||
|Postage and Carriage|0.00|||
|PR (Literature & Brochures)|0.00|||
|Premises Expenses||||
|Salaries||||
|Staf Training||||
|Stationary||||
|Subscriptions||||
|Telephone (Ofce)||||
|**Total Administrative Costs**|**0.00**|**0.00**|**0.00**|