Here for Good Trustees Report
FINANCIAL YEAR 4
01 MARCH 2021 – 28 FEBRUARY 2022
Trustees’ Introduction
This financial year presented significant challenges and growth opportunities for the charity. Amongst other things:
-
The charity’s executive structure began to shift, with a new freelance CEO position established;
-
The EU Settlement Scheme application deadline was passed in June 2021, with a surge of activity pre-deadline and a change in the nature of the work post-deadline; and
-
Opportunities to expand were explored given new settlement schemes announcements by the UK government.
Despite these changes, the charity remains financially and strategically resolute, ready to take advantage of new opportunities and innovations.
Without the contributions of many others, we would not be in the position we are in; a position where we can make a truly positive difference to people's lives. To our partners, supporters, volunteers, staff, and, most importantly, clients: thank you for the trust you have placed in us and your ongoing, unwavering support.
About Here for Good
Here for Good was founded in February 2018 to empower EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their families, by helping them to secure their immigration status and rights in the UK. In particular, the charity’s services are targeted at those most in-need, providing them with free and high-quality legal advice to secure their status in the UK.
Since then, Here for Good has grown to a position where it is now considered the ‘go-to’ charity in the European citizens’ rights sector for complex cases. Key strategic partnerships, ranging from major institutions such as the Mayor of London and UN Migration Agency to not-for-profits like the3million, have been instrumental to the charity’s growth.
Here for Good has several operational strands:
Advice Guide – a free online resource, written in accessible language and updated regularly. A printable version of the guide was produced this year.
Support Mapping – legal researchers have mapped the availability of advice providers and support services for European citizens across the UK on behalf of the European Commission and the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The Advisory Service – the core of Here for Good’s work. Caseworkers provide free immigration advice to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members living in the UK to help them secure their status. Through in-house caseworkers, a bespoke partnership with Paragon Law in the Midlands, and a growing network of pro-bono lawyers, the advisory service consists of:
-
A free phone advice line,
-
A comprehensive email enquiries service,
-
One-to-one support for complex casework, and
-
Outreach events run in collaboration with partners across England and Wales.
Capacity Building Training – a bespoke training programme for practitioners working with vulnerable migrants, to ensure the sector was in the strongest position possible to meet the demands of the EUSS deadline.
The charity has supported thousands of people directly and indirectly over the past year, and is in a strong position to do so again in the year ahead. In particular, the Ukraine War and associated immigration challenges presents an opportunity to support a newly vulnerable demographic of European nationals.
Objects, Governance and Legal Structure
Overview
The Trustees present their report together with the financial statements for the year ended 28 February 2022. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charity Commission’s guidance on the preparation of accounts by charities with gross incomes of more than £250,000 and comply with the charity's governing document.
Registration
The Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) no. 1177260 was formed on the 21 February 2018 and is governed by the conditions contained within its constitution.
Address
The charity’s registered address is: Here for Good, 15 Crosby Walk, London, E8 3DW.
Trustees
At the start of the financial year, the charity’s trustees were:
Tahmid Chowdhury, Charles Dixon Glanville, Kim Hooper, Marianna Koli, Isabella Mosselmans, Gary Simmons and Susan Trepekli.
At the end of the financial year, the charity’s trustees were:
Tahmid Chowdhury, Paul Dossett, Kim Hooper, Zeena Luchowa, Isabella Mosselmans, and Gary Simmons.
Objects
As of the end of the financial year, the charity’s objects are:
To relieve poor persons across England and Wales – primarily those who are EEA citizens and their non-EEA family members living in the UK – by providing such persons with free, high quality legal services which they could not otherwise obtain through lack of means; and
To advance such other charitable purposes as the directors at their absolute discretion may from time to time determine.
Structure, Governance, and Management
Here for Good is governed by its constitution.
The charity has an active and involved Board of Trustees. Each trustee has an equal vote in Board meetings. They retain complete oversight over the charity from a governance, financial and operational perspective.
The Board is supported in its role by the charity’s two founders, Isabella Mosselmans and Tahmid Chowdhury. They sit on the Board whilst also volunteering their time, on a pro bono basis, as the charity’s executive team. Together, they are primarily responsible for fundraising, partnerships and coordinating the charity’s delivery of legal services. The founders enjoy a positive relationship with their fellow trustees, who are fully aware of their legal rights and obligations. The Board agreed to hiring a new freelance CEO from FY5, to support the charity’s executive functions.
In the fourth year of operations, the charity directly or indirectly employed seven members of staff. Staff providing legal services were formally employed by partner law firms and seconded to work with Here for Good.
Two junior staff members were employed directly by the charity on part-time contracts, specifically supporting the charity’s outreach, communications, fundraising and evaluation work. Others were hired on a freelance basis to support the delivery of specific projects.
All of these members of staff, alongside an increasing pool of volunteers, were primarily managed and coordinated by the charity’s founders.
Financial Matters
Here for Good has a Financial Controls Policy that is reviewed on a yearly basis.
All trustees review budgets and financial forecasts in quarterly or bi-monthly board meetings; they can also request these for inspection at any time. They all have sight of accounts in advance of their publication. A full set of Here for Good’s accounts, for the period ended 28 February 2022, follows.
FY4 Accounts
Accounts Overview
A full set of accounts are attached separately through the Charity Commission portal.
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees
The independent examiner’s report to the trustees is also included as an attachment in the portal.
Statement
As a Trustee, I am duly authorised to sign the accounts on behalf of Here for Good. To the best of my knowledge, the accounts are accurate and have been independently examined to a high standard.
Tahmid Chowdhury Co-Founder and Trustee
| Here for Good Income and Expenditure Account | Here for Good Income and Expenditure Account |
|---|---|
| 12m to February | 28 2022 |
| £ | £ |
| Income | |
| Donations | 22,289.14 |
| restricted | 154,802.84 |
| unrestricted | 73,366.34 |
| 250,458.32 | |
| Expenditure | |
| Intern |
12,828.02 |
| Website |
3,861.28 |
| Insurance |
389.78 |
| Research |
70.00 |
| Legal support |
213,078.08 |
| Outreach |
4,032.58 |
| Training and Subs |
776.00 |
| Printing Advice Guide |
6,275.92 |
| Design | |
| Event | |
| 241,311.66 | |
| Net income / (expense) | 9,146.66 |
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the Charity Name Here for Good trustees/ members of 28[th] February 2022 Charity 1177260 On accounts for the no (if year ended any) Set out on pages 1-2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 28/02/2022.
Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the basis of report 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 I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material examiner's matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed statement below *) 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.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed: Riz Wasti Date: 24/10/2022 Name: Riz Wasti Relevant CIMA professional
1
IER
October 2018
qualification(s) or body (if any):
Address: Unit 11, 81 Crampton Street London SE17 3BF
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
2
IER
October 2018
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
3
IER
October 2018