## **Charity Commission Annual Return for The Bakau Community Project** **Name of the Charity:** The Bakau Community Project **Charity Registration Number:** 1177933 **Financial Year:** 1st June 2023 to 31st May 2024 ## **Objectives and Activities** The Bakau Community Project is committed to providing supported accommodation and essential services for vulnerable individuals, including asylum seekers, homeless individuals, and victims of domestic abuse. Our primary focus is to offer these individuals safe housing and the support they need to rebuild their lives and integrate into society. ## **Achievements and Performance** ## **Key Highlights** ## **Securing Housing:** In the financial year ending 31st May 2024, we continued to provide vital services to vulnerable asylum seekers even under strained financial circumstances. This building provides a safe and stable environment, allowing residents to focus on rebuilding their lives after traumatic experiences. ## **Support Services Provided:** Our support for the asylum seekers goes beyond providing housing. Over the past year, we have helped residents with: - **Healthcare Access:** Assisting with the registration of all residents at local GP practices and providing support to ensure they can access healthcare when needed. - **Community Integration:** We helped residents navigate the local community, showing them how to access essential services like markets, libraries, and transport links. Our orientation programs also facilitated connections between the asylum seekers and local community members. - **Education and Skills Development:** Several residents were enrolled in local colleges for English language courses. We provided logistical support and guidance to help them take advantage of these educational opportunities. - **Legal and Administrative Support:** We assisted residents with essential documentation processes, including applying for driver’s licenses and receiving guidance on immigration and legal processes. - **Other support services** depending individual needs ## **Financial Overview** ## **Income:** For the financial year ending 31st May 2024, the charity’s total income was **£68,400** . This income was generated through a combination of government grants, donations from individuals, and support from charitable trusts. ## **Expenditure:** The total expenditure for the year was **£68,400** . The main areas of expenditure were Property costs, Support Services, Training and development and overheads. ## **Surplus:** For the year, the charity spent everything we received to meet the challenging demands we faced. The surplus from 2023 of **£26** was carried forward, reflecting a well-managed balance between income and expenses. ## **Governance and Structure** The Bakau Community Project is governed by a Board of Trustees who meet quarterly to oversee the charity’s financial performance, operational strategy, and progress. A dedicated team of staff and volunteers manages the day-to-day operations, ensuring that our residents receive the support they need. ## **Challenges and Future Plans** ## **Challenges:** - **Limited Accommodation Capacity:** One of the main challenges we faced was the limited capacity of our accommodation, which houses only seven individuals. The demand for our services continues to grow, and we have a waiting list of vulnerable people in need of housing. - **Sustaining Funding:** While we have been able to cover our expenses this year, securing sustainable funding for the future remains a priority to continue providing support and expand our capacity. ## **Future Plans:** - **Expanding Housing:** In the next 12 months, we plan to secure an additional property to increase our capacity to house more vulnerable individuals, including asylum seekers, homeless individuals, and victims of domestic abuse. - **Enhancing Services:** We aim to strengthen our partnerships with local educational institutions, businesses, and community organizations to provide more job placement opportunities and advanced skills training for our residents. - **Volunteer Program Growth:** We intend to recruit and train more volunteers with expertise in mental health, language tutoring, and legal advisory services to enhance the level of support we provide to residents. ## **Public Benefit Statement** The trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty to have regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. The Bakau Community Project provides clear public benefit by offering safe accommodation and critical support services to vulnerable individuals, including asylum seekers, homeless individuals, and victims of domestic abuse. By helping these individuals integrate into society, access essential services, and develop life skills, we not only improve their quality of life but also benefit the wider community by fostering inclusion and reducing social isolation. ## **Declaration** We declare that the information provided in this Annual Return is accurate and truthful to the best of our knowledge. Signed, Lamin BOS Jammeh 26[th] March 2025