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← Afrocats

2024-06-05-accounts

Charity Number: 1173334

Afrocats

Report and financial statements For the year ended 5[th] June 2024

Afrocats

Reference and administrative information

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

Charity number 1173334 Registered office and operational address 83 Ducie Street, Manchester, M1 2JQ

Trustees Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:

Reina Euphemia Jukon Yaidoo Chair Linzi Jane Stirrup Secretary Pauline Adjemo Trustee

Key management Magdalen Bartlett Chief Executive Officer

personnel

Bankers Lloyds 42-46 Market St, Manchester M1 1PW

Independent Examiner Jennifer Daniel FCCA DChA Slade & Cooper Limited Beehive Mill, Jersey St, Manchester, M4 6JG

1

Afrocats Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements for the year ended 5[th] June 2024.

Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the charity's trust deed and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

Objectives and activities

The promotion of social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society.

For this clause, 'socially excluded' means being excluded from society or parts of society, as a result of one or more of the following factors: unemployment, financial hardship, youth, ill-health (physical or mental), poor educational and skills attainment, discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnic origin, religion, belief or creed.

Our vision : A robust and more inclusive society for asylum-seekers, refugees and diverse young people.

Our mission : To build agency, aspiration and opportunity for women and young people to improve their overall life chances through creative engagement.

The trustees review the aims, objectives and activities of the charity each year. This report looks at what the charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work in the reporting period. The trustees report on the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to the charity beneficiaries. The review also helps the trustees ensure the charity's aims, objectives and activities have remained focused on its stated purposes.

The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and planning its future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set.

Our programmes

All Afrocats charitable activities are programmes for work refugees, asylum seekers and young people from diverse backgrounds. Afrocats’ activities focus on three thematic strands:

Our programmes are guided by our theory of change which outlines how we will achieve our vision for society. All activities are delivered to further Afrocats' charitable purposes for the public benefit.

Natives of the World

On our Natives of the World programme, we work with adults from marginalised backgrounds. Through our activities, everyone can feel included and part of society. We aim for the adults we work with to access volunteering and creative activities to improve their well-being and employability skills. The adult refugees and asylum seekers we work with often experience complex health and social care

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Afrocats Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

needs. Our support is focused primarily on newly granted stay, low-wage or unemployed adults who suffer from low self-esteem and confidence, and those that have poor mental health.

Youth of the World

Youth of the World is our programme for young people to broaden their horizons. We work with children and young people aged 5 to 18 who do not have access to activities and education support. Without this, young people have low aspirations and limited future employment opportunities. The children and young people we work with are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The children and young people who access our programmes include young refugees and asylum seekers, home-schoolers, children from low-wage households and young carers.

Achievements and performance

From June 2023 to June 2024 Afrocats worked with:

To deliver:

Inclusion: Increasing Access and Reducing Barriers

Afrocats used the power of creativity to break down barriers and build stronger communities in Manchester.

Museums and Me

This project opened doors to cultural spaces for isolated communities, providing tours, transport assistance, and a welcoming environment. One family, initially hesitant, saw their child blossom into a confident explorer by the project's end:

We initially observed an "angry baby" who displayed constant emotional distress throughout the taster day. This infant exhibited a heavy reliance on their father, refusing to leave his side, and the family seemed isolated, lacking engagement with the other families. However, by the end of the project, the baby transformed into an "Excitable Baby," exhibiting cheerful behaviour, running around, laughing, and playing with various objects. Notably, the family displayed increased independence as they confidently travelled by bus within Manchester, and the baby demonstrated a willingness to interact and play with both staff, volunteers and other families, indicating a significant positive change in behaviour, confidence, social engagement and 5 practical city skills. This family noted that projects such as Museums and Me will “broaden my child’s horizons”.

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Afrocats Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

Free Your Mind

We facilitated access to a world-class dance performance at Factory International for participants who might not have otherwise experienced it. This sparked a renewed interest in the arts and a sense of belonging in the city's cultural scene.

Saturday Creative Sessions

This programme provided a fun and enriching space for children. Parents appreciate the time for themselves while their children engage in art, movement, and storytelling activities. The sessions foster social connections among children and offer leadership opportunities for older participants.

Our Legacy: My Manchester

This project specifically targeted unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people. Through bi-weekly cultural outings and creative workshops, they explore the city, learn new skills, and build friendships. The launch event, with its inclusive dance and drumming workshops, showcased the project's potential to create a sense of community.

Cancer Awareness

This program tackled difficult topics alongside positive experiences like museum visits and creative activities. Role-plays proved a powerful tool for participants to process information and form a supportive network. One participant highlighted the project's positive impact on vocabulary and communication skills. One participant mentioned: “It helps me with my English and vocabulary; we don’t use words like this often.”

Heart Health

Reaching out to black African communities in Moston, Afrocats raised awareness about heart health through workshops and outreach programs. These initiatives empowered participants to take control of their health, as evidenced by one participant's commitment to healthier habits. One participant told us: "I knew you were coming today so I made sure to drink more water and sleep more last night."

Our dedication to creative inclusion demonstrates the power of arts and social engagement to transform lives. Their projects create a ripple effect, fostering a more vibrant and inclusive Manchester for all.

Development: Empowering Individuals and Communities

Our dedication to development has demonstrably empowered individuals and enriched communities. From equipping staff with essential skills to fostering leadership in young women, their projects go beyond creative expression, paving the way for brighter futures. Our impact extends beyond workshops, as evidenced by the following examples:

The Afrocats x Whitworth Partnership: A Model for Success

This partnership between Afrocats and the Whitworth Art Gallery exemplifies the power of partnership working to invest in the development of marginalised communities. Three diverse artists received mentoring, leading to:

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Afrocats Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

Health and Wellbeing: Safe spaces for healthy lives

We delivered a range of programmes that promote health and wellbeing for a diverse range of participants, particularly women and families. Here's a breakdown of the positive outcomes and their impact:

These walking tours provided opportunities for exercise and cultural exploration.

Overall, Afrocats' health and wellbeing initiatives create a positive ripple effect, fostering a sense of community, belonging, and empowerment for participants.

Partnership working

Our strategic partnerships have helped us to further opportunities for the people we work with across our thematic strands. We have grown our partners and friends across several sectors:

Marketing and audience development

Afrocats implemented a multi-pronged approach to increase awareness throughout the year. Here are some key highlights:

5

Afrocats Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

We have steadily grown the awareness of our work, building our brand to not only the communities we work with but also to the general public who have become supporters and donors. Developing the skills within our team to capture rich content for social media will be a key priority for us going forward as we have learnt that our digital audiences respond well to seeing our work and the impact we make.

Applying for awards and seeking to present opportunities for our CEO has increased our reach outside of Greater Manchester and has positioned our organisation as a sector leader. Going forward, more opportunities for thought leadership will not only add credibility to our brand but also support future fundraising prospects.

Financial review

Expenditure for the year is £165,055. From 2023 to 2024, we secured £223,857 in charitable funds to continue to deliver our programmes and develop our capacity as an organisation. Funding from The National Lottery Community Fund has helped us to continue to grow our reach and maintain a sustainable team of freelancers and staff.

We continued to roll out our fundraising plan to maximise our income across charitable trusts and foundations and build on our successes with individual giving, corporate partnerships and community fundraising.

We continued to expand our income sources through various strategies.

Looking ahead, Afrocats will continue to develop these income streams while exploring new ones.

6

Afrocats Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

Reserves policy

Our reserve policy stipulates that we aim to have enough unrestricted cash to cover operating expenses for three to six months' expenses. As we are still a young and small charity we currently run on a grantby-grant basis but we have continued to diversify our income streams to grow our reserves and financial sustainability.

Structure, governance and management

Afrocats Structure

Management

Afrocats' leadership is made up of the board of trustees and the charity CEO. 100% of the leadership team are women and 75% are from a Black background.

Magdalen Bartlett founded Afrocats, she is the charity’s CEO and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the charity. Magdalen uses her lived experience of migration and culture shock to build programmes of work that will create meaningful change for the communities that Afrocats represents.

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Afrocats Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

Magdalen actively participates in development programs like Action Learning Facilitator training. This commitment will be instrumental in:

Afrocats has a team of freelancers and volunteers managed by the CEO. The charity still needs to contract staff but once core funding is secured the Board of Trustees will contract part-time roles. Funding from The National Lottery Community Fund has enabled Afrocats to commission regular freelancers who give the charity’s programmes, marketing and grant fundraising stability and consistency.

Magdalen organises regular team meet-ups consisting of a board member, one or more staff and groups of volunteers. We dedicated time and effort to empowering and developing our team. Doing this has shown our commitment to staff and has yielded significant outcomes, fostering confidence, building skills, and opening doors to new opportunities. Over this financial year, we have offered various programmes and training that nurture growth and skillsets. These include:

Operations

Afrocats CEO, Magdalen Bartlett oversees the day-to-day operations with project management, managing volunteers, finance and budgets, and reporting to funders and the trustees. She does this with support from volunteers and freelance workers.

Thanks to our second year of National Lottery funding, we have significantly expanded its capacity to deliver impactful programs. In 2023, we had three freelance team members, now we boast a team of 11. We recruited freelance part-time project producers, dance artists, a Bookkeeper and an administrator, allowing for a wider range of expertise. Overall, Afrocats' strategic growth allows us to better serve the community while fostering a strong and motivated team.

Governance

Magdalen Bartlett reports to trustees at monthly meetings with the Chair to ensure the smooth running of the charity's aims and finances according to our constitution and newly completed business plan. Any surplus Afrocats have is reinvested into our charity.

Our board of four trustees are passionate about creating change for the people Afrocats support. The board of trustees have strategic oversight of the charity and its running, the trustees make critical decisions by majority vote. The trustees specify who can become a director, call board meetings, and decide how the board elects the charity officers.

8

Afrocats Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

The trustees are volunteers and don't share in any operating surplus. Afrocats elect trustees to be board members through advertisement and invitation. Each individual must undergo an interview and selection process with long-standing Board members and the CEO. In March 2024 Temilola Fittes joined the board and brought her a people-first approach and experience of improving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She is a strong advocate for community engagement and it was through charity engagement that she began her relationship with Afrocats.

The organisation is a charitable incorporated organisation, registered as a charity on 08/06/2017 in England and Wales. The charity is constituted under a trust deed date. The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity. All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in note 5 of the accounts.

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Afrocats Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 5[th] June 2024

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

Law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity's financial activities during the period and of its financial position at the end of the period. In preparing financial statements giving a true and fair view, the trustees should follow best practice and:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by:

Reina Euphemia Jukon Yaidoo (Chair) Date 22/01/2025

10

Independent examiner’s report

to the trustees of

Afrocats

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 5th June 2024 which are set out on pages 12 to 17.

Responsibilities and basis of report

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 charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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 examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records

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.

Jennifer Daniel FCCA DChA

Slade & Cooper Limited, Chartered Certified Accountants Beehive Mill, Jersey Street Manchester, M4 6JG

Date 23/01/2025

11

Afrocats

Receipts and Payments Account

for the year ended 5 June 2024

Unrestricted
funds
Note
£
Receipts
Donations
5,440
Grants
3
99,799
Commission
58,521
Total receipts
163,760
Payments
ACCESS Costs
5,732
Administration
4,946
Equipment and Materials
1,271
Freelance Artists
19,874
Freelance Fees
29,448
Gift Vouchers
275
Information Technology
2,045
Other Freelance Costs
-
Overheads
-
Postage, Print and Stationery
546
Project Management
26,546
Project Costs
4,176
Refreshments
1,775
Subscriptions
1,022
Telephone and Internet
557
Training
600
Travel
1,073
Venue Hire
2,767
Volunteer Costs
153
Website, Marketing and Publicity
7,556
Total payments
110,362
53,398
Transfer between funds
2,873
Surplus/(deficit)
56,271
Net receipts/(payments)		 Restricted
funds
£
-
60,097
-
60,097
757
6,589
293
7,830
11,243
40
772
-
-
19
18,200
1,700
327
432
134
228
400
1,710
89
3,930
54,693
5,404
(2,873)
2,531		 Total funds
2024
£
5,440
159,896
58,521
223,857
6,489
11,535
1,564
27,704
40,691
315
2,817
-
-
565
44,746
5,876
2,102
1,454
691
828
1,473
4,477
242
11,486
165,055
58,802
-
58,802		 Total funds
2023
£
4,575
41,749
42,154
88,478
11,294
-
1,837
28,781
1,000
1,590
3,851
2,155
1,897
278
36,284
-
-
-
375
784
-
3,245
659
4,927
98,957
(10,479)
-
(10,479)

12

Afrocats

Statement of assets and liabilities as at 5 June 2024

Unrestricted
funds
Note
£
6,734
56,271
63,005
Cash funds
Bank and cash balances at start of
year
Surplus / (deficit) shown on
receipts and payments account
Bank and cash balances at end
of year		 Restricted
funds
£
9,252
2,531
11,783		 Total funds
2024
£
15,986
58,802
74,788		 Total funds
2023
£
26,465
(10,479)
15,986

Approved by the Trustees on 22/ 01/ 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Reina (Chair) Euphemia Jukon Yaidoo

13

Afrocats

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 June 2024

1 Basis of accounting

These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts & Payments basis.

2 Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of charity.

Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

3 Grants received

10GM Ltd
Allen Lane
Arts Council England
Awards for All
BBC Children in Need
Big Life Centre
CAF
Canal and River Trust
Community Health Equity Manchester
Forever Manchester
HAF
Lankelly Chase
Manchester Young
Manchester Youth and Play
Oglesby
Plan International
Salford CVS
Cancer Awareness
GMWM23
Spirit of Manchester
The Charity Service
The National Lottery - RC North West Region
We Love Manchester		 Unrestricted
£
-
5,000
26,017
10,000
-
-
20,000
-
-
4,950
1,734
10,000
100
-
15,000
-
2,000
4,998
-
-
-
-
99,799		 Restricted
£
-
-
-
-
15,000
2,480
-
-
4,995
-
-
-
-
4,910
-
-
-
-
-
3,000
28,712
1,000
60,097		 2024
£
-
5,000
26,017
10,000
15,000
2,480
20,000
-
4,995
4,950
1,734
10,000
100
4,910
15,000
-
2,000
4,998
-
3,000
28,712
1,000
159,896		 2023
£
5,505
-
-
-
500
-
-
5,438
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
800
-
-
1,000
3,000
21,620
3,886
41,749

14

Afrocats

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 June 2024 (continued)

4 Receipts from charitable activities

Donations
Commission		 Unrestricted
5,440
58,521
63,961		 Restricted
-
-
-		 2024
5,440
58,521
63,961		 2023
4,575
42,154
46,729

5 Trustee remuneration and expenses, and related party transactions

No trustees or other persons connected with them received any remuneration during the year.

Trustees received travel and subsistence expenses during the year of £nil (2023: £nil).

No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity, including guarantees, during the year.

6 Analysis of movements in restricted funds

10GM Ltd
Big Life Centre
Canal and River Trust
Plan International
Spirit of Manchester
We Love Manchester
Total
The Charity Service
Greater Manchester Mental
Health
GMCVO
D'Oyly Carte
Arnold Clarke
Didymus
Albert Hunt Trust
Manchester Youth and Play
Fund
The National Lottery - RC North
West Region
BBC Children in Need
Arts Council England
Community Health Equity
Manchester		 Balance at 6
June 2023
£
630
71
7
492
-
-
1,822
-
35
100
7
2
(2,020)
800
1,000
2,716
349
3,241
9,252
 Receipts
£
-
-
-
-
15,000
2,480
-
4,995
-
-
-
-
4,910
-
-
3,000
28,712
1,000
60,097		 Payments
£
-
-
-
-
(11,062)
(2,119)
-
-
-
-
-
-
(3,057)
-
-
(2,866)
(31,185)
(4,404)
(54,693)		 Transfers
£
(630)
(71)
(7)
(492)
-
(361)
(1,822)
-
(35)
(100)
(7)
(2)
167
(800)
(1,000)
-
2,124
163
(2,873)		 Balance at 5
June 2024
£
-
-
-
-
3,938
-
-
4,995
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2,850
-
-
11,783

15

Afrocats

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 June 2024 (continued)

Name of fund

Description, nature and purposes of the fund

10GM Ltd

Our test and learn site will allow space for PCN representatives to hold consultations around social prescribing and maternity with women in the community to identify their needs and work collaboratively to find out barriers rather than making cultural assumptions about the needs of women.

Albert Hunt Trust

Arnold Clarke

Arts Council England BBC Children in Need

Big Life Centre

Canal and River Trust

Community Health Equity Manchester

Didymus D'Oyly Carte

Greater Manchester Mental Health GMCVO

Manchester Youth and Play Fund

Plan International

Spirit of Manchester

The Charity Service

The National Lottery - RC North West Region We Love Manchester

To provide access and project management for our Natives of the world programme Arnold Clarke funds Afrocats to provide travel expenses and refreshments for our Natives of the World Programme The £1500 was a percentage that Arts Council England retained until the completion of the project Three-year fund to support our Youth of the World programme to support creative activities To offer cultural dance classes to refugee and asylum seeker people as well as older people in Care Homes in Longsight Funding for this project will allow us to continue to fund our cultural dance workshops, which support 15 women weekly to engage in cultural dance, creative movement, and fitness programs whilst exploring Manchester canals.

To provide fun and empowering cultural dance and creative movement workshops for 80 global majority adults aged 30-90 from racially minoritised people and communities, new or undocumented migrants/asylum seekers and refugees, and older people experiencing poor mental wellbeing and are impacted by racial inequality, who consequently experience poor fitness levels and mental wellbeing. To support our creative activities with our children and young people To support our creative activities with our children and young people To provide creative and well-being activities for women To provide creative activities for participants in our Natives of the Wold programme To partner with Whitworth Art Gallery to provide a large outdoor Art Studio for children, young people, and their families to enjoy and contribute to.

To provide an opportunity for youth to have an experience to improve their health and wellbeing. To provide access to support for our service users to take part in well-being and creative activities in Manchester. Afrocats engaged with women, children and young people across Manchester to visit cultural and social interest places such as local parks, museums, art galleries, and events and festivals Three-year funding to support our core costs. Previously referred to Reaching Communities To offer cultural dance classes to refugee and asylum seeker women in Manchester.

16

Afrocats

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 5 June 2024 (continued)

7 Analysis of movement in unrestricted funds

Commission
Grants
Donations		 Balance at 6
June 2023
£
812
5,790
132
6,734
Restricted
General
Total		 Receipts
£
5,440
58,521
99,799
163,760		 Payments
£
-
(110,362)
-
(110,362)
11,783
63,005
74,788		 Transfers
£
-
-
2,873
2,873		 As at 5 June
2024
£
6,252
(46,051)
102,804
63,005

17