## **REFUGEASE CHARITY REGISTERED NO. 1175022**
**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2020**
## **REFUGEASE CHARITY REGISTERED NO. 1175022**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2020**
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION**
The Charity is registered with the Charities Commission, its registration number is 1175022.
The principal office of the Charity is 74 Woodside Road, Rusthall, Kent, TN4 8PZ.
## **TRUSTEES**
The Trustees of the charity are:-
V Osborn – resigned 28 September 2020 R Desypri A Musker – resigned 31 December 2020 S Browne - Chair M Lukas – appointed 1 January 2021
*Anne Musker resigned from the board on 31st December 2020. Mark Lukas was appointed in her place, taking on the position as trustee from 1st January 2021 onwards.
*Valentina Osborn, previously chair of trustees, resigned on 28th September 2020, and was subsequently hired as a full-time Managing Director by the board.
## **ACCOUNTANT**
The Charity’s accountant is Mr James Wheelan FCCA of James Wheelan Accountancy, Minshull House, Stockport, SK4 2LP.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
The Charity is constituted as a body corporate under Part 11 of the Charities Act 2011 and is governed by its constitution which was adopted on 6 October 2017. RefugEase is run by its board of trustees and is governed by its constitution.
Recruitment and Appointment of Directors and Trustees
The trustees of the Charity are appointed in accordance with Charity’s constitution.
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
RefugEase has a relatively unique modus operandi, insofar as many of its aims are achieved without reliance on its finances; this is achieved by mobilising a powerful network of dedicated volunteers both in the UK and internationally (people power), collecting donations from the public to be sorted and sent as humanitarian aid (for which the logistics are oftentimes financed by trusted charity partners), and occupying spaces (retail and storage) as charity guardians, avoiding high rent fees.
## **1. Humanitarian aid.**
**Serving refugee camps and people in transit fleeing conflict by providing life-saving aid purchased locally, with a focus on Jordan, Turkey, Greek Islands, and France.**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2020**
In 2020, we divided our aid efforts into two focuses: online via our newly launched e-commerce aid shop website, and a continuation of physical aid deliveries from items donated to our Kent warehouses. This year, RefugEase has focused on the sustainability of its humanitarian aid efforts.
Online Aid: Brexit and Covid restrictions have made physical aid deliveries an expensive and lengthy process, and with limited storage overseas, we had to find a solution. The newly launched RefugEase Aid Shop (previously referred to as ‘The Digital Aid Shop’) enables members of the public to first select, then purchase the most needed (mainly survival) items directly from our website, for refugees in the area they choose (Greece, France and the Middle East). We work with very carefully selected charity partners who enable us to work internationally, without delay. Each purchased item is automatically added to a virtual shopping list that is accessed by a local distributor (normally and wherever possible, a refugee or asylum seeker). We fund the hours they spend working on our distributions, ensuring the money is spent locally, reassuring each donor that the money has been spent on the item specified.
The Aid Shop website enables us to change the items seasonally, respond to emergencies quickly, and helps local economies thrive. By paying local distributors, we are taking strides towards empowering those we are serving.
Physical Aid: In 2020, we have collected, sorted and shipped (either directly or funded by our partners) approximately 52 tonnes of aid.
This has mainly comprised 40ft container-loads of aid to refugees in Bosnia, filled mainly with children’s, women’s and men’s winter-proof clothing, tents, sleeping bags, baby equipment such as nappies, and on-the-go toiletries such as period pads, deodorant and cleansing wipes; and aid distributed by our partners in France and Greece.
## **2. Awareness.**
**Teaching UK children about the world’s bursting refugee crisis: why it's happened, what is happening, and how they can help.**
In 2020, we updated our UK Schools Programme, including lesson plans, fundraising activities and at-home learning activities. Due to lockdown restrictions during 2020, we have been unable to offer these lessons in schools.
We have therefore focused on developing palatable posts on social media called “Explainers”, aiming to achieve two things: firstly, to debunk myths created by sensationalist media, either in print or online; secondly, to offer simple and unbiased reports regarding important refugee news.
## **3. Education & Empowerment.**
**Offering child refugees in Jordan an education they can build a future on, and upskilling adult refugees (in the UK and abroad) into employment to empower them long-term.**
## _**Education Centre, Zaa’tari**_
RefugEase now provides the monthly funding for the running of an Education Centre in Jordan, in Zaa’tari Village, providing lessons to approximately 80 Syrian refugee and low-income Jordanian children, between the ages of four and fifteen years of age.
Our aim is to help them catch up on missed time due to the conflicts they were forced to flee, giving them the best chance at succeeding later in life. We are ensuring this by providing the children with regular English lessons, along with state-required Arabic and Maths.
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2020**
During lockdown in 2020, the Jordanian government required all schools to close. RefugEase purchased every child (circa 80) their own digital tablet, so that they can continue their lessons online, and continue with their own exploratory research at their leisure.
We’ve had plans drawn up, and been granted permission to build a new, permanent, school building on our existing plot of land, replacing the temporary cabins the Education Centre currently runs from.
The permanent building will include four classrooms (allowing us to expand our current teaching capacity to 100 children), a staff/planning room for teachers, a playground, and a separate toilet block; building will commence in Q4 of 2021.
## _**Refugee Employment - UK & Abroad**_
Since 2020, not only have we funded the wages of the refugee teachers at the Education Centre in Jordan, but also the refugee distributors of aid purchased via the online shop, and have onboarded refugees as part of our UK retail workforce.
Our overarching aim remains: to prevent or relieve poverty and distress of those who are internally displaced, or who are fleeing from their countries because of war, persecution or economic distress. Whilst we continue to provide the aforementioned persons with aid (food, shelter, basic medical supplies, and general assistance), we also want to ensure our efforts are felt long-term.
In order to ensure positive socio-economic development in the communities we work in, we are therefore also working on launching projects that will help refugees secure their own employment.
We have begun to work on a nationwide Integration Programme for refugees arriving in the UK, focusing on wellbeing, language skills, employability, and two-way cultural exchanges.
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
The charity performed exceptionally well in 2020, particularly considering all of the challenges the Covid-19 pandemic faced us with. Not only has the charity grown exponentially in a short space of time, but we have ensured that sustainability is at the core of all of our efforts. Our main achievements can be summarised into the following categories:
Our main achievements can be summarised into the following categories:
*Successful launch of (Digital) Aid Shop - a platform that enables us to deliver humanitarian aid immediately, anywhere in the world, bypassing Covid-19 and Brexit complications, and boosting local economies. *Provided regular paid work for 12+ refugees in the UK, and internationally.
*Provided (and continue to provide) funds to cover the running costs (including teacher wages, who are also refugees) of an education centre for 80 refugee children in Jordan.
*During lockdown we purchased the 80 refugee children who attend the Education Centre, their own digital tablet, enabling interactive home learning. The children have since been able to keep their tablets to assist with their in-person classes.
*Plans completed for permanent school structure to be built (building to begin in 2021).
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT**
## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2020**
*Successful opening of first UK retail site (combined humanitarian aid warehouse) under the brand ‘Vintage Emporiums’, with two new sites nearly ready to open their doors to the public.
*Formulated plans for continued retail growth in 2021 nationwide.
*Free house clearances service launched (recycling by reusing thousands of tonnes of unwanted household items UK-wide)
*Onboarded 40+ volunteers
*Updated the RefugEase UK schools programme, teaching children of all ages about the world’s bursting refugee crisis, and how to help.
*Ignited and strengthened corporate partnerships.
*To support the above achievements, we have focused on creating the required processes, policies and staff training, and installed technological infrastructure.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
The attached receipts and payments accounts show the current state of the finances, which the Trustees considers to be acceptable. Total incoming resources were £60,149 (2019: £3,250) and total outgoing payments amounted to £51,542 (2019: £3,398), the net surplus for the year was £8,607 (2019 deficit £148). Unrestricted funds carried forward amounted to £8,750 (2019: £143).
## Reserves Policy
In light of the main risks to the Charity the Trustees have made a decision that the Charity should keep funds at a suitable level in order to meets its ongoing liabilities.
## **PUBLIC BENEFIT**
The trustees confirm that they have referred to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity’s aims and objectives and in planning the future activities of the Charity, These are shown above in the section 'Objectives and activities'.
Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
**S Browne Chair Date**
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF**
## **REFUGEASE**
## **CHARITY REGISTERED NO. 1175022**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the receipts and payments accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2020 which are set out on the pages following this report.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
As the charity trustees of the Trust, 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 Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiners' statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
James Wheelan FCCA Date: 30 October 2021 James Wheelan Accountancy Limited Chartered Certified Accountants Minshull House Stockport SK4 2LP
## **REFUGEASE**
## **CHARITY REGISTERED NO. 1175022**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2020**
|**Receipts**
Donations, legacies and grants
**Total receipts**
**Payments**
Travelling
Education Centre Jordan
Logistics
Marketing
Insurance
Repairs and maintenance
Utilities
Wages
Professional fees
Bank interest and charges
**Sub total**
**Asset and investment purchases**
**Total payments**
**Net of receipts/(payments)**
Transfers between funds
Cash funds brought forward at 1 January 2020
Cash funds carried forward at 31 December
2020|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Total**
**2020**
**Total**
**2019**
60,149
-
60,149
3,250|
|---|---|
||**60,149**
**-**
**60,149**
**3,250**|
||545
-
545
13
8,764
-
8,764
-
3,480
-
3,480
-
154
-
154
-
925
-
925
-
8,758
-
8,758
205
7,554
-
7,554
-
12,293
-
12,293
2,820
8,823
-
8,823
350
246
-
246
10|
||51,542
-
51,542
3,398
-
-
-
-|
||**51,542**
**-**
**51,542**
**3,398**|
||8,607
-
8,607
-148
-
-
-
-
143
-
143
291|
||**8,750**
-
**8,750**
**143**|
## **REFUGEASE**
## **CHARITY REGISTERED NO. 1175022**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 2020**
|**CASH FUNDS**
Current account
**Total cash funds**
**ASSETS**
Other debtors
**Total assets**
**LIABILITIES**
Accruals
**Total liabilities**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Total**
**2020**
**Total**
**2019**
11,140**-**
11,140
291|
|---|---|
||**11,140**-
**11,140**
**291**
1,022**-**
1,022
-|
||**1,022**-
**1,022**
**291**
900
**-**
900
350|
||**900**
**- 900**
**350**|
Approved by the Management Committee and signed on its behalf
**S Browne Chair Date**
## **REFUGEASE**
## **CHARITY REGISTERED NO. 1175022**
## **NOTES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2020**
## **Related Party Transactions**
Ms V Osbourn resigned as chair and trustee on 28 September 2020, from 1 November 2020 Ms V Osbourn took up the paid post of Managing Director. Due to administrative errors relating to tax codes on the December 20 payroll run Valentina was overpaid by £1,022. This overpayment was repaid to the charity on 19 July 2021.