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2025-09-14-accounts

Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff Charity no: 1175110

Charity registration number: 1175110

Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff

Annual report

And

Accounts

For the year ended 14[th] September 2025

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Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff Charity no: 1175110

Contents

Charity Information .................................................................................................. 3 Trustees ................................................................................................................. 3 Trustees Annual Report ........................................................................................... 4 Background ........................................................................................................... 4 Our Aims ................................................................................................................ 5 Objectives and activities ...................................................................................... 5 Management of the charity .................................................................................. 6 Trustee’s appointment ...................................................................................... 6 Review of Activities .................................................................................................. 6 Independent Examiner’s Report ............................................................................. 8 Independent examiner's statement ................................................................. 8 Statement of Financial Activities ............................................................................ 9 Statement of Financial Position ............................................................................ 10

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Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff Charity no: 1175110

Charity Information

Trustees

Hagos Kesete Tesfamichael

Essayas Yohannes Woldemichael

Matewos Dawit

Abraham Mehari

Yonas Okbagergish Woldeab

Tredegarville Baptist Church

The Parade

Roath

Cardiff

CF24 3AD

Email: dsomedhanealem@gmail.com

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Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff Charity no: 1175110

Trustees Annual Report

Trustees annual report for the year ended 14 September 2025

This document outlines the Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff for the year ended 14[th] September 2025.

Background

We are a community that has arrived in the Cardiff area as refugees and asylum seekers, mostly over the last ten years. We have escaped an environment in Eritrea that is considered one of the worst in the world for human rights abuses and restrictions on personal freedoms. Over that time, we have built a community of around 500 people in and around the Cardiff and Newport areas and have always worked hard both to build a situation where we can follow our traditions and culture but also play a positive role in our new homeland.

When we formed the charity, our simple aim was to build upon the common faith we all share and to use that as a powerful tool to help the community become strong and resilient and help overcome what, for many, is a background of trauma, suffering and deprivation of basic rights.

Some years ago, the community was able to rent a local hall where we could support our members and allow our traditions to flourish. This was a critical point in helping our community come together as a very tight and united group. Since that time, the whole community has been making contributions towards our key aim of owning our own building and having a long-term platform to continue to build a community hub.

In 2025 we were able to see that dream become a reality when we were the successful bidder for the Tredegarville Baptist Church, a Grade II listed building in the heart of Cardiff. This cost us well over £600k and every penny was raised from our Eritrean community. We did not seek any external support for this purchase as we felt it was a litmus test for our own ambitions and determination to succeed.

The next phase of our charitable works will be to take the building - which has been essentially mothballed for a decade – to a point where every part of the building can be used. The potential for running social and community events is excellent as the building has many rooms and spaces aside from those dedicated to worship.

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Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff Charity no: 1175110

We are at a point of getting quotes for some essential works plus deciding on a timeline as to which works are prioritised and those that can be put to one side for a while. Realistically, the schedule of works will likely be spread over a decade before all the jobs are completed. To achieve this level of work, we will continue with our own community contributions, but we will also be looking to explore other sources of funding, for the first time.

Our Aims

The organisation’s aims are:

  1. To fulfil Christ’s mission, conduct Sunday services and prayers, and promote the Orthodox Tewahdo faith throughout Wales, particularly in Cardiff and Newport.

  2. To alleviate poverty and hardship in the wider community.

  3. To provide appropriate training and support to people in need.

Objectives and activities

The charity pursued the following objectives and activities during the year:

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Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff Charity no: 1175110

Management of the charity

Trustee’s appointment

Trustees were appointed during the annual meeting, where all members were present and given the opportunity to vote for their preferred trustee candidates.

Appointments were determined solely through a fair voting process, and all eligible members had an equal opportunity to become trustees of the charity.

A trustee who has served for three consecutive terms may not be reappointed until at least one year has passed. Reappointments are conducted in the same manner as the original appointment process.

Review of Activities

Review of activities for the year ended 14[th] September 2025

The charity’s key activities and achievements during the financial year are summarised below:

  1. A total of 223 members accessed the Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) service, mainly seeking support with:

  2. Benefits access

  3. Job searches

  4. Assistance completing official forms

  5. Forty-two individuals and volunteers attended a two-day safeguarding training course focused on children and vulnerable adults.

  6. Fifty-eight individuals were supported to secure full-time employment.

  7. Fourteen families and individuals secured social housing, while a further 27 individuals received support to obtain suitable private rented accommodation.

  8. A total of 145 individuals (85 women and 60 men) participated in at least six weeks of weekly two-hour informal ESOL conversation sessions.

  9. Fifteen volunteers completed Mental Health First Aid training.

  10. A total of 1,040 hours of formal volunteering were completed by 15 core volunteers across the charity’s various activities and projects.

  11. Weekly Sunday services were conducted, where the Gospel was preached to help members strengthen and deepen their faith.

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Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff Charity no: 1175110

In the coming year, our focus will be on a number of key activities;

  1. Working with heritage experts and the local council to ensure we carry out any development works in line with what would be expected to preserve the listed status of the building.

  2. Now that we have a firm base, we can develop links with other local organisations and look at joint working and sharing ideas.

  3. Work with contractors to set out the initial priority works we need to carry out on the building – we anticipate that heating, roof repairs and tackling issues with damp will be at or near the top of such a list.

  4. Develop a fundraising strategy based on the likely costs of the works we need

  5. to carry out.

  6. Looking at the possibility of separating the part of the building that will be dedicated to faith activity into one charity and the part that will be just for community use into a second charity. The first will only be concerned with capital works while the second will be a mix of revenue and capital projects.

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Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff

Charity no: 1175110

Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ members of Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff On accounts for the Charity 1175110 14[th] September 2025 no.

On accounts for the year ended

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 14/09/2025.

Responsibilities and As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

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 I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters examiner's statement have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed: Date: 21-05-2026 Name: Alasan Ceesay MSc. ACCA

Relevant professional qualification(s) or Association of Chartered Certified Accountants body (if any):

Address:

120 Portrack Lane Stockton On Tees TS18 2NG

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Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff Charity no: 1175110

Statement of Financial Activities

Debre Selam M.E.O.T Church Cardiff STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 14th September 2025

INCOME
Gifts and donations
Funds to Buy Church Building
Weddings and Baptisms
Miscellaneous Income
Total Income
EXPENDITURE
Charitable operating expenses
Total expenditure
Surplus for the year		 2025
£
58,470
268,897
2,150
213
329,731
32,624
32,624
297,106		 2024
£
23,585
213,391
1,360
109
238,445
37,412
37,412
201,033

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Debre Selam Medhanealem Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Cardiff Charity no: 1175110

Statement of Financial Position

Debre Selam M.E.O.T Church Cardiff STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 14th September 2025

Unrestricted
funds
£
FIXED ASSETS
Land and building
-
TOTAL FIXED ASSETS
-
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash at bank
162,635
NET CURRENT ASSETS
162,635
TOTAL NET ASSETS
162,635
FUNDS
Funds brought forward
134,426
Surplus/(Deficit) for the year
28,209
TOTAL FUNDS
162,635		 Restricted
funds
£
688,750
688,750
-
-
688,750
419,853
268,897
688,750		 14.09.25
Total
funds
£
688,750
688,750
162,635
162,635
851,385
554,279
297,106
851,385		 14.09.24
Total
funds
£
-
-
554,279
554,279
554,279
353,246
201,033
554,279

These financial statements were approved by the trustees and authorised for issue on 21[st] May 2026, and signed on its behalf by:

Signature:

Name: Yonas Okbagergish Woldeab

Date: 21-05-2026

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