2022-12-31-accounts - Wolverhampton City Of Sanctuary

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ANNUAL REPORT 2022

Wolverhampton City of Sanctuary

enquiries@wolvescofs.com wolverhampton.cityofsanctuary.

16 Temple Street Wolverhampton WV2 4AN

Names of trustees who manage the charity

Gillian Kelly Served for entire period Erik Pearse Served for entire period Khady Noufe Served for entire period George Reiss Served for entire period Jojofana Mengue Owona Served for entire period Geoff Gooding Served for entire period Florence Pelamie Served until September 2022

The Board of Trustees are responsible for appointing additional trustees

Officers

Chair Gillian Kelly Vice-Chair George Reiss Secretary Erik Pearse Treasurer Erik Pearse

Type of Governing Document

Constitution dated 29[th] .June 2022

The Charity is constituted as a CIO

We are pleased to welcome 4 new Trustees for the coming year, including a new Treasurer . We bid farewell to Geoff and Florence as Trustees and thank them for their valuable contributions. We also convey heartfelt thanks to Erik Pearse who has kept the Trustees going by taking on secretarial and financial responsibilities.

Linda Gilson

Summary of main activities 2022

The Wednesday Drop-In has gone from strength to strength over the past twelve months. A growing and committed group of volunteers, coordinated with huge enthusiasm and creativity by Amanda Bevan, provides a wide range of activities to complement the simple pleasures of a shared cup of coffee and a chat. Together we have sewn crocheted and knitted, painted and crafted, cooked and shared food and, thanks to George and his special team of volunteers, engaged in regular, increasingly popular, conversation classes. We now support a large number of people living in local hotels, for whom the Drop-In provides a welcome break from the limitations of in such a regulated communal setting.

During the year several longstanding members of our community obtained their Leave to Remain. They have all become active volunteers, supporting others on similar journeys; their experience is invaluable. With the confidence that comes from their increased stability, they have rediscovered their skills and are beginning to shape the services that we can offer.

The WhatsApp group continued to be cornerstone of our communication with each other and numbers in the region of 130 members. It is used to publicise events, advertise available donated items and simply for keeping in touch and supporting each other.

Practical and financial support has been provided by way of:

Data cards to help people maintain their support networks
Tablets for children to support home learning
Donations which are now managed via the WhatsApp group. These are coordinated by a very efficient volunteer, Annette, who seems to have a bottomless source of household items
Christmas gift vouchers were again part-funded by a Crowd-funding appeal

Emerging from the pandemic has meant that we have been able to organise a range of social activities for adults, children and families, notably:

Trips to Clun, hosted by Bishop’s Castle Quakers, the most recent of which catered for about 70 members of our community
Day trips to Church Stretton and Telford,
Family activity days at the Wildside project and the Kingswood Centre

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Thank you to all our
friends and supporters.
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Making new memories
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Kenny’s Fund continued to support asylum seekers facing destitution and others experiencing extreme economic hardship. The Terms of Reference of the committee have been revised this year in light of experience and the evolving nature of the problems being experienced by asylum seekers and refugees.

Since the last AGM in September 2022, 12 individuals have been referred to the committee. Of these, 2 are currently receiving ongoing financial assistance, including gym subscriptions and subsistence payments whilst their prolonged asylum applications are being processed. Kenny’s Fund has also agreed to contribute to the funding of specialist reports. These individuals are being supported by members of Kenny’s Fund Committee and their situations are reviewed at each committee meeting.

At least 1 other person has moved out of the area but keeps in touch with Committee members for continuing emotional/moral support.

The remaining 9 people have been introduced to Kenny’s Fund via volunteers or Committee Members and, after an assessment, we have been able to either give one-off payments to assist people in setting up their first home and/or to bridge a gap until such time as individuals are receiving money from elsewhere. We have also been able to access practical support through our partner groups (e.g. RMC, Elias Mattu Foundation, Hope into Action Black Country, Hope Projects, Good Shepherd and Wolverhampton Quakers).

During the year KF has issued grants totalling £3348.

Schools of Sanctuary

There are now a total of eight such schools in Wolverhampton. Many more schools are interested. We work with Claire Sumner of the Citizenship, Language and Learning Team in assessing and supporting these schools.

We have continued to build productive partnerships with several organisations, including:

The Church of St. Chad and St. Mark
Quaker meetings in Wolverhampton, Clun Valley and Telford
Wildside Activity Centre

We have promoted the cause of asylum seekers and refugees through individual letters to local MPs and submissions from the organisation regarding Immigration legislation. A group of us also attended a demonstration relating to the use of hotels in Cannock in support of the local refugee support group.

Finances

Our unrestricted reserves at the year end (£13,975) compared to the previous year end (£19,794) at the previous year end. A further deficit budget has been set for 2023.

We are pleased to be able to welcome a new Treasurer for the coming year who will be able to support and work with Devi Bansal, who has agreed to act as our book-keeper for next year‘. Devi is the Book-keeper for Interfaith, Wolverhampton, and we are pleased to be able to benefit from her experience.

Policy on Reserves

Although it is not currently an issue, given our financial position, the Trustees will be considering whether to reduce their policy on unrestricted reserves from the current level of 6-12 months to 3-6 months.

Gill Kelly Chair

Date 20[th] . August 2023

WOLVERHAMPTON CITY OF SANCTUARY Receipts and Payments Accounts for year ended 31st December 2022

Donations Grants Just Giving Gift Aid Publicatiom Sales Phones Compensation Other Income *Total Receipts* IT & Internet Mobile Topups Destitution Support Gift Vouchers Professional Fees Governance/Insurance Publication Costs Travel Costs Alotment Project Shoe Project Drop In Costs Furniture Donations *Total Payments* Net of Receipts Cash Funds Last Year end Cash Funds This Year end	Unrestricted 2738 0 1329 792 0 0 0 2095	Restricted 4831 0 0 315 0 0 0 90 5236 0 0 3348 740 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1052 5140 -96 6067 6163	TOTAL Last Yr 7569 10641 0 3320 1329 3645 1107 1080 0 212 0 119 0 100 2185 0
	6954		12190 19117
	3514 0 0 2583 0 3860 0 1249 0 0 1567 0		3514 4137 0 2963 3348 4216 3323 5090 0 1080 3860 539 0 352 1249 381 0 305 0 860 1567 0 1052 0
	12773		17913 19923
	5819 19794 13975		5723 806 25861 26667 20138 25861