## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
## **From May 2020 (Period start date) TO April 2021 (Period end date)**
## **Charity name: ECHO for Refugees**
## **Charity registration number: 1178189**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|To advance the education of refugees and
asylum seekers in Greece by providing and
running a mobile library service at refugee
camps and accommodation sites for the
refugees and asylum seekers|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|ECHO for Refugees is an education,
advocacy and integration charity operating
in Athens, Greece. Through the operation
of a mobile education centre that circulates
to different refugee camps and community
centres, we provide asylum-seekers with
access to internet, language-learning
resources, online education, books in a
range of languages, as well as recreational
activities. We also partner with other NGOs
to provide additional services, such as
music lessons, language lessons and
children’s educational activities.|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The trustees have had regard to the
guidance issued by the Charity
Commission on public benefit|
**Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: SORP reference N/A Para 1.38 Policy on grant making N/A Para 1.38
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|||
|---|---|---|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|Volunteers are at the heart of ECHO’s
work, and despite the difficulties of
recruitment posed by Covid-19 and Brexit,
our volunteers have continued to loyally
support the project.|
|Other||N/A|
## **Achievements and Performance**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|The last year proved to be extremely
challenging for us due to the restrictions
Covid-19 posed on our services, which
relies on in-person library sessions at the
sites we serve. This frustration was
compounded by the fact that we had
acquired a new library van, and had
planned its conversion to allow us to run
sessions in the most optimal way for our
current needs.
Despite the frustration at not being able to
run sessions due to Covid-19 restrictions, it
meant that we had more time to convert the
van into a mobile library – adding a
window, building shelving units, table and
seating and roll away storage, installing a
battery and wiring electricity into the van.
Alongside this conversion, the ECHO for
Refugees team used the old van to deliver
fruit and vegetables to community centres
and provide transportation which has
stopped due to the pandemic. We were
also able to offer online support to existing
users the library had supported and drop
off books and learning resources when
asked. Over the year, we also had 385
enrolments onto Coursera courses, with 47
of those from new students
When we were able to run sessions again,
the team implemented a Covid-19 safe
system of running session and providing
support, which was extremely valuable to
people who had lost many of their sources
of support due to the restrictions. We
continued to service the 9 camps,
accommodation centres and community
projects, running regular and reliable
sessions at the same time each week so|
people always know where to find us. Through the project, we have been able to offer psychosocial support to the people we work with, enabling them to access learning resources they would otherwise not be able to, especially during the pandemic. Through the unique service ECHO for Refugees offers, we have offered people a place where they can find solidarity, friendship, community and a support system invested in their learning and wellbeing. This has enabled people to work towards their goals despite the challenging circumstances they are in. ECHO has provided a place where all are welcome and can access services, which contributes to the overall public benefit.
**Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|Covered above.|
|---|---|---|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|We outperformed in our fundraising despite
the difficulties posed by Covid. We
fundraised less actively this year due to the
unpredictability of the situation which
hindered our ability to plan very far in
advance, but have a good amount of
reserves due to reduced activity as a result
of Covid-19.|
|Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|N/A|
|Other||N/A|
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|We are in a very strong financial position
despite the difficulties posed by Covid-19,
and are ending the year with reserves
totalling £34,589|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|We hold reserves to cover any drops in
income, and to prepare for any unforeseen
circumstances. We will hold these reserves
for any similar unforeseen financial
difficulties, in consultation with trustees and
project coordinators.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£34,589 (£29,387 in bank account, £4,619
on Paypal platform and £583 in cash)|
|---|---|---|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|N/A|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|N/A|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|N/A|
**Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|Grants, crowdfunding and individual
donations, namely:
-
ATFF (£590)
-
Donate4Refugees (£1,500)
-
Emmaus (£8,676)
-
ECF (7,047)
-
Hadaya (£203)
-
Lush (£5,000)
-
Crowdfunding (£9,160)
-
Individual donations (£1,000)|
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|N/A|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|Covid-19 remains a significant risk and has
stalled many of our activities over the last
year.|
|Other||N/A|
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:||Charitable Trust|
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|
Para 1.25|Trust deed|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|Charity/trust|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Election to post, after applicants undertake
vetting and interview process.|
## **Additional information (optional)**
|**Additional information (optional)**|**Additional information (optional)**||
|---|---|---|
|You may choose to include further statements||where relevant about:|
|Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|N/A|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|N/A|
|Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|N/A|
|Other||N/A|
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|ECHO for Refugees|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|N/A|
|Registered charity number|1178189|
|Charity’s principal address|28 Kestrel Way
Reading
RG30 3NU|
|||
**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Laura Naude||N/A||
||Esther ten Zijthoff||N/A||
||Simon Cloudsley||July2021||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
**Director name** N/A
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** N/A **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets No funds are held in this capacity held in this capacity Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
|**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|
|---|---|---|
|N/A|||
||||
||||
||||
**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
N/A
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
## **Other optional information**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s) Full name(s)** Laura Naude **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 20 February 2022
## **ECHO FOR REFUGEES**
**FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 APRIL 2021**
**Registered Charity Number 1178189**
1
## **ECHO FOR REFUGEES Statement of Income and Expenditure**
## **For the year ending 30[th] April 2021**
|**Income**
Note
Grant Income
2
Crowd Funding
Donations
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
Books
Van purchase / renovation
Vehicle running, fuel & repairs
Admin costs
Fundraising costs
Print & stationery
Volunteers stipend
**Total Expenditure**
**Surplus for the year**|**2021**
**£**
23,016
9,160
1,000
**33,176**
894
3,168
2,168
591
-
1,471
11,877
**20,169**
**13,007**|**2020**
**£**
23,714
22,381
1,235|
|---|---|---|
|||**47,338**|
|||1,145
7,823
2,918
1,258
215
3736
11,597|
|||**28,693**|
||||
|||**18,637**|
The accompanying accounting policies and notes form part of these financial statements
2
## **ECHO FOR REFUGEES**
Balance sheet as at 30[th] April 2021
|Balance at Bank, cash in hand and
PayPal
**Net Current Assets**
**Represented by:**
Net Surplus b/fwd
Surplus for the year
**Net Surplus c/fwd**|**2021**
**£**
34,589
34,589
21,582
13,007
34,589|**2020**
**£**
21,582|
|---|---|---|
|||21,582|
|||2,937
18,645|
|||21,582|
The Trustees have not required the charity to obtain an audit of it’s financial statements for the year ended 30[th] April 2021,
These financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees
on ……25/02/2022…………… and were signed on its behalf by:
________ _________
[ _Laura Samira Naude_ ] Trustee
3
## **ECHO FOR REFUGEES**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
1. Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102 (March 2018) and the Charities SORP 2021
- 2, Grants received.
Out of the Grants received £16,400 are for specific and restricted purposes, including for use in 2021-22,
4
## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts**
**Section A Independent Examiner’s Report**
|**Report to the trustees/**
**members of**
**On accounts for the year**
**ended**
**Set out on pages**|Charity Name
ECHO FOR REFUGEES|Charity Name
ECHO FOR REFUGEES|Charity Name
ECHO FOR REFUGEES|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
||30thApril 2021|**Charity no**
**(if any)**|1178189|
|||||
||1 - 4
(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 30/04/2021.
**Responsibilities and** As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the **basis of report** 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 all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
**Independent** The charity’s gross income exceeded £25,000 and I am qualified to **examiner's statement** undertake the examination by being a qualified member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales _._
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:
- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
- the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
- the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
> **Signed:** _Mark Hawkins_ **Date:** 28.02.2022
**Name:** MARK A HAWKINS BA FCA
**Relevant professional** Fellow Chartered Accountant – membership number 7566530 **qualification(s) or body**
**Oct 2018**
1
**IER**
## **(if any):**
**Address:** 212 NORCOT ROAD TILEHURST, READING BERKSHIRE RG30 6AE
## **Section B Disclosure**
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
**Give here brief details of any items that the** NONE **examiner wishes to disclose** .
**Oct 2018**
2
**IER**