St Chad’s Sanctuary CIO Trustee’s Annual Report and Accounts For the Year 1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023
Foreword by the Chair, Monsignor Reverend Fr Timothy Menezes
My fellow Trustees and I are delighted to present our report and the financial statements for the year ending 31st March 2023. This year we have continued to reach out to and work with some of the most vulnerable people in our society, asylum seekers and refugees, despite the ongoing challenges of the complex and ever-evolving asylum system. We are proud that our small staff team and many volunteers are committed to their work and willingly adapt to the ever-changing circumstances of our service users. This Report gives a flavour of the work of St Chad’s Sanctuary over the past year and which we look forward to continuing into next year and well beyond.
Reference and Administrative Information
Status : St Chad’s Sanctuary was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) 11th June 2018. Prior to this it was registered as a charity under number 1146151.
Charity name : St Chad’s Sanctuary CIO Charity number: 1178728
Registered address : 72-74 Shadwell Street, Birmingham, B6 4HA
Trustees:
The Trustees of the Charity during the period were:
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| Name | Date of appointment |
|---|---|
| Sr. Margaret Walsh | 11th June 2018 |
| Ms Joanne Watters | 11th June 2018 |
| Ms Maryam Chaharmir | 11th June 2018 |
| Rev Fr Timothy Menezes | 25th March 2019 |
| Mr David Blower | 23rd September 2019 |
| Mr James Joseph Sullivan | 28th June 2022 |
| Mr Robert Mille | 28th June 2022 |
Independent Examiner: BVSC Accounting Services
138 Digbeth
Birmingham B5 6DR
Gift Aid : St Chad’s Sanctuary CIO is registered for Gift Aid
Structure, Governance and Management
Constitution .
The Charity is a Charity Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The Trustees are the members of the Charity.
Appointment of trustees
The Trustees meet at least quarterly. There must be at least three trustees on the Board at any one time and there is no maximum number. New trustees are appointed by resolution passed by the existing trustees. Two trustees may be appointed by the Archbishop of Birmingham (Currently Rev Fr Timothy Menezes with the opportunity for one more appointment), one by the Provincial Leader of the Infant Jesus Sisters (Nicolas Barre) General Trust in England and Ireland (currently Sr Margaret Walsh), and one by the Chief Executive of Father Hudson’s Care (currently Ms Joanne Watters).
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Objectives and Activities
The primary objective of the CIO can be summarised best as relieving poverty and isolation among asylum seekers and refugees in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. Full objectives are available at the Charity Commission. We seek to fulfil our objectives by providing a warm welcome and a dignified process for obtaining practical items and English lessons.
Staff
We have a staff team of five, one full time and four part time staff members;
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●Manager (F/T)
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●Volunteer Coordinator
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●ESOL Coordinator & Finance Administrator
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●Practical Operations Coordinator
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●Young Person’s Education Coordinator.
Our Volunteer Coordinator retired at the end of July 2022 therefore we recruited a new person who began in the role on 3rd October 2022. All staff are employed on behalf of the Trustees by Father Hudson’s Care (charity number 512992), who are paid for their HR and Management services. We pay a contract cleaner in addition to this. We have nearly one hundred volunteers across the week who enable the charitable objectives to be met and without whom the charity could not succeed.
Services
We distribute practical items such as clothing, food, toiletries, backpacks, luggage, bedding and other household items. We open our doors for distribution of these items at 1030 until 1330 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday over 45 weeks of the year. We have given essential practical items to 2296 people this year from 66 different countries who made 5015 individual visits. We host advisers from Brushstrokes Community Project in Smethwick once a week to meet with and support our service with health and immigration queries. Our service users originate from across the world including Sudan, Eritrea, Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Somalia and Iraq. Once in the UK our service users
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travel from across Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry and even further to access our services. We support individuals and families of all ages, and all faiths and none.
We offer ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes for asylum seekers and refugees to improve their English, focussing our classes on those people who cannot access college courses or other provision, such as asylum seekers who have been in the UK for less than 6 months and those who have fallen out of the ‘system’ and as a result are destitute and have no recourse to public funds. Our ESOL classes provide an essential service to people seeking asylum in Birmingham. In the academic year September 2022 - July 2023 we ran face to face classes at four levels, with each class having a 2-hour lesson twice a week. We also had one hybrid class for our higher-level students, which met once a week with the teacher joining us via Zoom. We also ran 2 informal drop-in English sessions each week, plus an online Conversation group which allowed for people who were unable to attend in person, for example due to childcare issues. Through learning English our students not only learn the language, but they increase their social support networks, interact with different types of people and have a shape and structure to their week, which has mental health benefits.
We have offered separate Young Persons Educational support and classes for the last few years, for children who have not yet secured school places which focus on ‘school readiness’ whilst our team helps their parents navigate the school application process. We worked with the families and schools to obtain school places as well as supporting those who we had previously found places with home/school communication. Those children who had to wait for a school place to become available attended weekly classes at St Chad’s Sanctuary to learn some English and make friends. It was lovely to welcome these families again and to move them on successfully into schools or colleges.
We work closely with many schools, parishes and community groups who support us by holding events to collect money, food items, toiletries and other items. We are so grateful for their input and we encourage their interest in our work and in the wider issues faced by people seeking asylum by hosting visits and tours, and giving talks and assemblies in schools and churches and online. We love to
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encourage interest and engagement in the wider issues of the asylum system and refugee crisis. Although campaigning is not our main purpose, we are grateful to be members of the Together With Refugees coalition which as a body of charities and organisations seeks to campaign for a kinder, more fair approach to refugees in this country.
Volunteers
Our volunteers are at the heart of our work, and we are delighted to have a dedicated team of over 90 people who volunteer across our services. Our volunteers contribute a variety of tasks and skills. Some help in our distribution service by sorting clothing donations, helping service users find the items they need, registering visitors and their items on our database, serving hot drinks and chatting. Other people, such as those with teaching and ESOL qualifications, teach our ESOL classes which are known for their high quality and flexible provision. Other people volunteer on an ad-hoc basis as drivers to collect and deliver donations. We have a Volunteer Coordinator who organises the recruitment, induction, scheduling and ongoing training of the volunteers, and we are happy to invest in this role to benefit the volunteers on whom we so heavily rely and who we appreciate so much.
Trustees
Our Trustees continue to demonstrate commitment and dedication to the charity. This year we welcomed two new Trustees, James Sullivan and Robert Mille, who brought experience of volunteering and languages to the board. Each Trustee brings different skills to the Board and each one has been allocated a particular ‘link’ with the project, a subject in which they have experience and in relation to which they can assist the Project Manager or staff member. For example, David Blower is the link Trustee for volunteers and James Sullivan is the link for the Volunteer Coordinator as he is a volunteer in the distribution activities at St Chad’s Sanctuary. There are also links for safeguarding, finances and HR, for example. The Board continues to seek new members who can add value and experience to the Board. We are especially seeking those with lived experience of being an asylum seeker or refugee, as we enjoy having one such person currently and it is
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crucial to hear their voice at Board level. We are also seeking to appoint a Trustee with a financial background and interest to strengthen the Board’s knowledge and support the work of the Project Manager and Finance Administrator. To ensure that good quality candidates are recruited, the Trustees continue to use a Trustee Application Form with an associated information pack so that Trustees are fully informed of the expectations and responsibilities of Trusteeship, and they are also invited to visit or even volunteer for a period in the Sanctuary to reach a deeper understanding of the challenges and joys of the work.
Financial Review
St Chad’s Sanctuary is currently funded with a mixture of private donations from individuals, schools, parishes and businesses, grant and trust funding and donations of practical items and volunteer time. The Salvation Army provides a building currently at a peppercorn rent, and Father Hudson’s Care provides HR, management and governance support, invoicing for part costs and providing a portion in-kind.
The CIO’s organisational income during 2022/23 was £113,762 and the expenditure was £130,060. This shows a decrease in income of £16,651 and a marginal increase in expenditure of £2,964 compared to 2021/2022. Private donations from individuals, schools and parishes were in line with the previous year (-£640) and while grant funding decreased by £15,620 this reflected the Trustees plan to commit our unrestricted funds to our services rather than applying for more, and that we had received a grant from Garfield Weston for £15,000 in 2021/2022 which was not repeated. Where expenditure on a specific area has increased, such as with ESOL ‘Student Travel Costs’ and ‘Other Practical Items’, this is due to us receiving some specific, restricted funding that enabled us to invest in that area.
Summary of grants received :
Handsworth Charitable Trust £14,000 (£10,000 grant plus a partial payment of £4,000 from the previous year’s grant of £10,000 total)
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Birmingham County Council Emergency Food Fund £2,400 (remaining £2,400 to be paid in 2023/2024)
Eveson Trust £2,000 National Lottery £10,000 Lord Mayor of Birmingham £6,000
TOTAL GRANTS £34,400
Large private donations
There were 15 donors (individuals and organisations) who donated £1,000 or more during the year, and 4 of these donated between £5,000 and £10,000.
Reserves Policy
The CIO has unrestricted funds of £81,083.
Our unrestricted funds are historically high due to the value of donations we received from individuals and parishes who do not restrict their donations. We anticipate that this type of donation will decrease next year given the expected economic downturn and going forward, as it has this year. Of the unrestricted fund, the Trustees believe it necessary to hold £66,000 in reserve to meet the following needs. We are in negotiations with our landlord, The Salvation Army to take over responsibility for our utility bills in the not-too-distant future and estimate this will cost us in the region of £10,000 pa. This leaves us with approximately £60,000 which is approximately 6 months expenditure. It is sensible to keep 6 months running costs in reserve to use for salaries and essential charitable activities should our finances be negatively impacted in the next financial year. We anticipate our monthly expenditure to be approximately £10,000, so we will keep £60,000 for this plus £10,000 for the potential utility bills in reserve; the Trustees therefore deem it prudent to keep £70,000 in reserve.
Public Benefit Statement
The principal activity of the charity is to relieve poverty among asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in Birmingham and surrounding areas. The Trustees have
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referred to the guidance from the Charities Commission on Charities and Public Benefit. The Trustees are confident that St. Chad's Sanctuary aims and activities are in accordance with the regulations on public benefit.
Approved and signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees by:
Name of Trustee: ………Reverend Timothy Menezes……..
Signature of Trustee
Date ……5th January 2024……
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St Chad’s Sanctuary
End of Year Financial Statements
Year ending 31[st] March 2023
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Statement of Financial Activities
| Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Prior year funds funds funds funds total funds |
|
|---|---|
| Income and endowments from: Donations and legacies Other trading activities Other income Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds Expenditure on charitable activities Other expenditure Total expenditure Gains / losses on investment assets Net income / (expenditure) resources before transfer Transfers Gross transfers between funds - in Gross transfers between funds - out Other recognised gains / losses Gains on revaluation, fixed assets, charity's own use Net movement in funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward Represented by Unrestricted General fund Designated Party Restricted Access to Sanctuary services Bus passes Clean Air Zone charges Clothing E H Smith Charitable Trust ESOL costs English Through Song Eveson Family Activity Fund Food fund Green Choices Gubay - food and food delivery Handsworth Charity Jesuits Little School Little School IT fund Lord Mayor’s Charity Matt Kendall Foundation National Lottery for direct client costs |
82,357 30,588 — 112,945 129,205 816 — — 816 1,208 — — — — — |
| 83,174 30,588 — 113,762 130,413 — — — — — 92,112 37,439 — 129,551 126,799 451 57 — 509 297 |
|
| 92,564 37,496 — 130,060 127,096 — — — — — |
|
| (9,390) (6,908) — (16,298) 3,317 — 6,035 — 6,035 6,529 (6,000) (35) — (6,035) (6,529) — — — — — |
|
| (15,390) (908) — (16,298) 3,317 |
|
| 98,502 20,140 — 118,642 115,325 |
|
| 83,111 19,232 — 102,343 118,642 82,611 — — 82,611 98,002 500 — — 500 500 — 2,690 — 2,690 5,000 — — — — 424 — 792 — 792 494 — 250 — 250 — — 675 — 675 1,137 — 126 — 126 309 — 366 — 366 366 — — — — — — 792 — 792 841 — 2,660 — 2,660 1,340 — 27 — 27 102 — 44 — 44 573 — 2,505 — 2,505 (125) — 3,441 — 3,441 5,000 — 456 — 456 4,000 — 302 — 302 302 — 3,085 — 3,085 — — 174 — 174 174 — 843 — 843 — — — — — 200 |
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Balance sheet
| Class and code Description |
This year Last year |
|---|---|
| Current assets CA010 Current account CA020 Petty cash CA030 Little School cash tin CA040 Emergency travel cash box CA100 Old Barclays account Total Current assets Reserves Excess / (deficit) to date Z01 Starting balances Total Reserves Represented by funds Unrestricted Designated Restricted Endowment Total |
98,964 116,389 86 155 21 86 4 4 3,267 2,007 |
| 102,343 118,642 (16,298) 3,317 118,642 115,325 |
|
| 102,343 118,642 82,611 98,002 500 500 19,232 20,140 — — |
|
| 102,343 118,642 |
Statement of assets and liabilities
| General Designated Restricted Endowment This year Last year |
|
|---|---|
| Current assets - Cash at bank and in hand Current account - Petty cash - Little School cash tin - Emergency travel cash box - Old Barclays account - Totals Grand total |
78,928 500 19,535 — 98,964 116,389 390 — (303) — 86 155 21 — — — 21 86 4 — — — 4 4 3,267 — — — 3,267 2,007 |
| 82,611 500 19,232 — 102,343 118,642 |
|
| 82,611 500 19,232 — 102,343 118,642 |
Fund movement by type
| Opening Incoming Outgoing Transfers Gains/losses Journals Closing |
|
|---|---|
| BUSPASS - Bus passes Restricted Sub-total for BUSPASS CAZ - Clean Air Zone charg Restricted Sub-total for CAZ CLOTHES - Clothing Restricted Sub-total for CLOTHES DIRECT - for direct client co Restricted Sub-total for DIRECT EHSMITH – EH Smith Charitable Trust Restricted Sub-total for EHSMITH |
424 — 459 35 — — — |
| 424 — 459 35 — — — 494 338 40 — — — 792 |
|
| 494 338 40 — — — 792 — 250 — — — — 250 |
|
| — 250 — — — — 250 200 1,000 1,200 — — — — |
|
| 200 1,000 1,200 — — — — 1,137 — 427 (35) — — 675 |
|
| 1,137 — 427 (35) — — 675 |
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| ESOL - ESOL costs Restricted Sub-total for ESOL NATIONAL LOTTERY Restricted Sub-total for NATIONAL LOTTERY EVESON - Eveson Restricted Sub-total for EVESON FAM-ACT - Family Activity Fund Restricted Sub-total for FAM-ACT FOOD - Food fund Restricted Sub-total for FOOD GREEN - Green Choices Restricted Sub-total for GREEN GUBAY - Gubay - food and foo Restricted Sub-total for GUBAY HAKE - Access to Sanctuary Restricted Sub-total for HAKE HC - Handsworth Charity Restricted Sub-total for HC JESUITS - Jesuits Restricted Sub-total for JESUITS LS - Little School Restricted Sub-total for LS LS-IT - Little School IT fun Restricted Sub-total for LS-IT MKF - Matt Kendall Foundat Restricted Sub-total for MKF PARTY - Party Designated Sub-total for PARTY LORD MAYOR – Lord Mayor’s Charity Restricted Sub-total for LORD MAYOR SONG - English Through Song Restricted Sub-total for SONG General - General fund Unrestricted Sub-total for General Grand total |
309 600 782 — — — 126 |
|---|---|
| 309 600 782 — — — 126 — 10,000 9,156 — — — 843 |
|
| — 10,000 9,156 — — — 843 — 2,000 2,000 — — — — |
|
| — 2,000 2,000 — — — — 841 — 49 — — — 792 |
|
| 841 — 49 — — — 792 1,340 2,400 1,080 — — — 2,660 |
|
| 1,340 2,400 1,080 — — — 2,660 102 — 75 — — — 27 |
|
| 102 — 75 — — — 27 573 — 528 — — — 44 |
|
| 573 — 528 — — — 44 5,000 — 2,309 — — — 2,690 |
|
| 5,000 — 2,309 — — — 2,690 (125) 14,000 11,370 — — — 2,505 |
|
| (125) 14,000 11,370 — — — 2,505 5,000 — 1,558 — — — 3,441 |
|
| 5,000 — 1,558 — — — 3,441 4,000 — 3,543 — — — 456 |
|
| 4,000 — 3,543 — — — 456 302 — — — — — 302 |
|
| 302 — — — — — 302 174 — — — — — 174 |
|
| 174 — — — — — 174 500 — — — — — 500 |
|
| 500 — — — — — 500 — — 2,914 6,000 — — 3,085 |
|
| — — 2,914 6,000 — — 3,085 366 — — — — — 366 |
|
| 366 — — — — — 366 98,002 83,174 92,564 (6,000) — — 82,611 |
|
| 98,002 83,174 92,564 (6,000) — — 82,611 |
|
| 118,642 113,762 130,060 — — — 102,343 |
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Analysis of income and expenditure
| Total Unrestricted Designated Restricted Endowment This year Last year INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS Donations and legacies IN001 - Donations 76,357 — 2,188 — 78,545 79,185 IN002 - Grants 6,000 — 28,400 — 34,400 50,020 IN003 - Gift Aid — — — — — — IN007 - Legacies — — — — — — Total 82,357 — 30,588 — 112,945 129,205 Other trading activities IN004 - Sales of donated goods 816 — — — 816 1,208 IN005 - Fundraising events — — — — — — IN006 - Sales of merchandise — — — — — — Total 816 — — — 816 1,208 Other income INREF - Refunds — — — — — — Total — — — — — — |
Total Unrestricted Designated Restricted Endowment This year Last year INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS Donations and legacies IN001 - Donations 76,357 — 2,188 — 78,545 79,185 IN002 - Grants 6,000 — 28,400 — 34,400 50,020 IN003 - Gift Aid — — — — — — IN007 - Legacies — — — — — — Total 82,357 — 30,588 — 112,945 129,205 Other trading activities IN004 - Sales of donated goods 816 — — — 816 1,208 IN005 - Fundraising events — — — — — — IN006 - Sales of merchandise — — — — — — Total 816 — — — 816 1,208 Other income INREF - Refunds — — — — — — Total — — — — — — |
|---|---|
| 82,357 — 30,588 — 112,945 129,205 816 — — — 816 1,208 — — — — — — — — — — — — |
|
| 816 — — — 816 1,208 — — — — — — |
|
| — — — — — — |
|
| INCOME TOTAL | 83,174 — 30,588 — 113,762 130,413 |
| EXPENDITURE | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raising funds | ||||||
| EX2160 - Fundraising | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Expenditure on charitable activities | ||||||
| EX0100 - Office and stationery | 221 | — | 75 | — | 297 | 108 |
| EX0110 - Printing and copying | 196 | — | — | — | 196 | 399 |
| EX0200 - ICT | 809 | — | — | — | 809 | 831 |
| EX0250 - ICT hardware | — | — | 1,558 | — | 1,558 | — |
| EX0300 - Utilities | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| EX0400 - Waste and recycling | 630 | — | — | — | 630 | 924 |
| EX0500 - Housekeeping | 358 | — | — | — | 358 | 278 |
| EX0600 - Repairs and maintenance | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| EX0700 - Furniture and fittings | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| EX0800 - Groceries | 91 | — | 1,724 | — | 1,816 | 1,809 |
| EX0900 - Clothing purchases | 5,000 | — | 7,240 | — | 12,241 | 12,667 |
| EX0950 - Other practical items | 567 | — | 4,107 | — | 4,675 | 2,722 |
| EX0980 - Service user travel costs | — | — | 93 | — | 93 | — |
| EX1000 - Hygiene purchases | 76 | — | 1,106 | — | 1,182 | 379 |
| EX1050 - Welfare | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| EX1200 - ESOL student travel costs | 459 | — | 3,063 | — | 3,522 | 496 |
| EX1210 - ESOL student data costs | — | — | — | — | — | 185 |
| EX1250 - ESOL other | 94 | — | 722 | — | 816 | 1,665 |
| EX1300 - Little School travel costs | 37 | — | — | — | 37 | 3 |
| EX1310 - Little School student IT | — | — | — | — | — | 398 |
| costs |
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| EX1400 - Children's resources EX1500 - Cultural events and trips EX1510 - Family activities and trips EX1600 - Volunteer expenses - travel EX1610 - Volunteer expenses - other EX1620 - Volunteer training - general EX1630 - Volunteer training - ESOL EX1700 - Hospitality EX1800 - Staff costs - sessional staff EX1810 - Staff costs - salaries EX1860 - Staff costs - training EX1900 - Cleaning services EX2000 - Accountancy services EX2100 - HR services Total Other expenditure EX2150 - Insurance EX2200 - Misc EX2300 - BANK ERRORS Total |
— — — — — — 973 — — — 973 625 — — 49 — 49 — 1,244 — 72 — 1,316 647 — — — — — 29 — — — — — — 58 — 60 — 118 63 6 — — — 6 — — — — — — — 66,650 — 17,564 — 84,215 91,006 169 — — — 169 390 5,805 — — — 5,805 3,470 — — — — — 360 8,659 — — — 8,659 7,337 |
|---|---|
| 92,112 — 37,439 — 129,551 126,799 330 — — — 330 330 120 — 57 — 178 55 — — — — — (89) |
|
| 451 — 57 — 509 297 |
|
| EXPENDITURE TOTAL | 92,564 — 37,496 — 130,060 127,096 |
| GRAND TOTAL | (9,390) — (6,908) — (16,298) 3,317 |
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