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2025-03-31-accounts

TRUSTEES ANNUAI ? REPORT E ACCOUNTS GXO, Hope Peace Safety 2024-2025

table of CONTENTS

Foreword from the Chair of Trustees 3

Who we are 4

What we do 10

Our financial review of 2024-2025 15

Our financial statements Accountant’s certificate

17 18

FOREWORD

On behalf of my fellow Trustees, I am pleased to present our Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31st March 2025.

Throughout this year, St Chad’s Sanctuary has continued to stand alongside some of the most vulnerable members of our society—people seeking asylum and sanctuary —despite the persistent challenges posed by an increasingly complex and hostile asylum system.

We remain deeply proud of our dedicated staff team and the many volunteers who bring compassion, resilience, and adaptability to their work, responding with grace to the evolving needs of those we serve.

This Report offers a snapshot of our activities and impact during 2024–2025, and reflects our ongoing commitment to this vital work—into the coming year and far beyond.

Eleanor Deeley, Chair of Trustees

3

WHO WE ARE

Our history

St Chad’s Sanctuary was established in 2010 from the desire of Sister Margaret Walsh, IJS, to embrace people neglected by society. The Salvation Army and the Archdiocese of Birmingham supported Sr Margaret’s vision of welcoming these strangers and provided financial and practical assistance to start the charity. The desire to provide a cup of tea and a listening ear evolved into a wide-ranging operation, as stories were heard and perspectives were altered. In 2024 - 2025 over 3,500 people accessed our services, showing that after 15 years, the need remains and is ever-increasing.

Our VISION

A world in which people seeking sanctuary are treated with dignity, empathy and respect.

Our Mission

To engage with those seeking sanctuary and offer welcome, services and support.

Our VALUES

Welcome

PEOPLE FROM 88 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES VISITED US IN 2024-2025

Dignity Compassion Social Justice Empowerment

4

WHO WE ARE Our reference & administration information

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 The Trustees of the Charity during the period were:

Trustee Date of Appointment
Sr. Margaret Walsh 11th June 2018
Maryam Chaharmir 11th June 2018
Bishop Timothy Menezes 25th March 2019
Mr David Blower 23rd September 2019
Mr James Joseph Sullivan 28th June 2022
Mr Robert Mille 28th June 2022
Mr James Bemand 27th June 2023
Ms Sharon Brown 15 October 2024
th
Canon Brian McGinley 15 October 2024
th
Ms Eleanor Deeley 3 December 2024
rd

WHO WE ARE

Our reference & administration information CONT.

Structure, Governance and Management

The Charity is a Charity Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with a written constitution. 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 and serve a term of three years which can be renewed. Two trustees may be appointed by the Archbishop of Birmingham (Currently Bishop Timothy Menezes and Rev Fr Brian McGinley), 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 Caritas (currently Ms Sharon Brown). One of our trustees is also employed in a role that is wholly separate from the Trustee role.

Objectives and Activities

The primary objective of the CIO can be summarised 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 fulfill our objectives by providing a warm welcome and a dignified process for obtaining practical items and English lessons.

Independent Examiner

BVSC Accounting Services, 138 Digbeth , Birmingham B5 6DR Gift Aid: St Chad’s Sanctuary CIO is registered for Gift Aid

6

WHO WE ARE

Our Volunteers

Our volunteer team are essential to the successful and compassionate delivery of our services. We have approximately 70 volunteers in our distribution service, with an additional 10 who facilitate the informal classes and 12 more who teach the formal classes of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Volunteers may offer one session per week whilst others offer three or four. We have volunteers from all walks of life from the local area as well as those who have lived experience of migration, plus those still experiencing the asylum process. We are able to offer informal translation services due to the talents of those volunteers who originate from all over the world; on a typical day of distribution we have at least three languages being spoken in addition to English. We hold biannual training days for our volunteers to keep them up to date on relevant topics like safeguarding and changes in the asylum system.

7

WHO WE ARE

Our Trustees

Each of the 10 Trustees 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 CEO or staff member. Our aim for this year was to recruit a trustee with business expertise -Eleanor Deeley is now the Chair of the Trustee Board. The Board continues to seek members with lived experience of being an asylum seeker or refugee, as we enjoy having one such person currently and it is crucial to hear their voice at Board level. We are also seeking to appoint a Trustee with a marketing background and interest to strengthen the Board’s knowledge and support the work of the CEO 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.

Our Staff

Our staff team is dedicated to our mission of welcome. In this period our staff team consisted of:

CEO (F/T) - role developed from Project Manager this year

Volunteer and Supporter Coordinator (F/T) - until role ended in February 2025 ESOL Coordinator & Finance Administrator (25 hr/pw)

Young Person’s Education Coordinator (6 hr/pw)

All staff are employed on behalf of the Trustees by Father Hudson’s Caritas (charity number 512992), who are paid for their HR and Management services. We pay a contract cleaner in addition to this.

8

WHO WE ARE

our supporters

Our work would not be possible without the support of many individuals, parishes, community groups and schools. We welcome donations of practical items which we then organize and distribute; this negates the need to spend money on items. Some of the donations, like toiletries, are new and some, like clothing, are pre-loved.

Supporters hear about our work through our reputation, as we are a trusted, long-serving organisation. We also visit parishes and schools to share our knowledge and awareness of the asylum system and the experiences of those living in it. Schools and groups are welcome to visit us for a tour of our building to learn about our work and how it fits into the wider asylum system in the UK. We communicate with our supporters via a weekly Mailchimp newsletter and social media channels.

9

what we do Clothing 1

We offer clothing to people who are living in the asylum system and who are destitute. Many asylum seekers rely on the small amount of money provided by the UK government, which is just under £50 per week in uncatered accommodation or just under £10 per week in catered accommodation. They do not have enough money to buy clothing so we provide it for free. We operate a drop in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1030-1330 where people can visit our dedicated clothing room and choose their items as if from a shop. We believe this agency makes the experience more dignified, which is especially important for those living in the dehumanising asylum system. Whilst they are waiting to visit the clothing room they are invited to have drinks and food, with information, signposting and support available. People tell us not only that they feel better equipped practically after a visit to us, they feel welcomed and respected.

‘It’s not easy to be somewhere and to feel relaxed enough to be open with other people because of all the things in my head but I feel supported here and able to open up.’

A volunteer, who is living in the asylum system

In 2024-2025 over 3250 people received clothing from us at least once

Volunteering 2 opportunities

Asylum seekers are rarely allowed to have paid employment so their many talents go to waste. We welcome them to volunteer with us to use their talents and fill their time, giving valuable shape and structure to their week with the increased opportunity to learn the English language and culture. We in turn reap the benefits of their informal translation skills, their vast array of skills and the benefit of their experiences in the asylum system.

10

Food 3

what we do

When we can we provide food to those asylum seekers who do not have catered accommodation provided by the government. People are able to collect a bag of essential food items every week, the contents of which was developed with service users. The food items we share are either donated by supporters or purchased with restricted grants, especially from Birmingham City Council. We are lucky that Costco allow another charity, St Vincent de Paul Society, to collect food that is close to it’s sell by date which they deliver to us to distribute - this way we sometimes receive fresh fruit and vegetables to distribute.

In 2024-2025 we gave out over 3700 food bags.

Support Services 4

‘It’s brilliant that Brushstrokes are here.’

from a volunteer who is delighted to be able to refer service users for legal help onsite.

We collaborate with other organizations to offer legal support, run information sessions and offer guidance about life in the asylum system. We continued welcomed Brushstrokes Community Project to provide legal support and also to give talks on public heath matters. We also welcome an optician once a month. We employed an Outreach Development Lead to visit one of the hotels being used by the Home Office, where we collaborate with Migrant Help and Red Cross and provide activities, signposting and community support.

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what we do

5

In 2024-2025 nearly 122 people attended our formal ESOL lessons, plus hundreds more who accessed our drop in classes and hotel language sessions.

Asylum seekers are not able to access free education at college until they have been in the country for six months. Unable to communicate, people feel confused, rejected and frustrated. We provide formal classes of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for those new arrivals who are keen to learn as soon as they arrive. Our volunteer teachers provide approximately 15 two hour classes a week for four different levels, opening up opportunities and integration to our students.

Friendship and fun6

We offer social activities which help people to meet new friends, learn about English culture and learn English in an informal way. We have a games club, play sports, organise theatre trips and have biannual parties. For some sanctuary seekers who do not feel able to commit to regular classes these activities offer a gentle yet warm welcome.

12

what we do

This year, our Little School team helped more than 60 children from 12 different 7 countries to obtain school places

Little School

Asylum seeking children are required to attend school in the UK. Finding a school that will understand and accept them however, can be very challenging. Our Young Person’s Education Coordinator works with the adults in the family to complete application forms, liaise with schools and understand how the school system works. He maintains close ties with the ‘Newly Arrived People’ team at the local council, helping to accelerate the process of securing placements. Until a school place becomes available, the children can attend our weekly volunteer-led classes, allowing them to make friends and transition to spending time away from their parents.

8

Sharing of knowledge

We share what we learn about the asylum system and the struggles of living within it with interested people in the wider community. Schools and community groups are welcome to visit us for a tour or to host us at their venue to give informative talks. We encourage people to see beyond divisive media headlines to seek the truth of harsh realities of migration.

13

15 year anniversary

In March 2025 we were delighted to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the opening of St Chad’s Sanctuary. We threw a party for people who had supported the Sanctuary along the journey and made it the place of welcome it is today. We welcomed partners, volunteers, staff, trustees, donors, funders and service users spanning the years to enjoy displays of photos, speeches, volunteer awards and of course a cup of tea. It was a really special occasion and a great time to remember all the hard work and great fun that has gone into St Chad’s Sanctuary.

14

our financial review

St Chad’s Sanctuary is currently funded with a mixture of private donations from individuals, schools, parishes, 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 Caritas provides HR, management and governance support, invoicing for part costs and providing a portion in-kind.

The CIO’s organisational income during 2024/25 was £203,492 and the expenditure was £204,050. This shows an increase in income of £36,678 and an increase in expenditure of £37,657 compared to 2023/2024. Financial donations from private individuals, schools, groups and parishes increased by £25,649 as a result of a fundraising drive centred on our 15 year anniversary and income from grants increased by £23,596. The increase in expenditure is predominantly due to an increase in levels of salaries; we employed two new members of staff and increased the hours of two others to better address the needs of our service users.

Summary of grants received:

TOTAL GRANTS £74,496.

Large private donations

There were 19 donors (individuals and organisations) who donated £1,000 or more during the course of the year, and 5 of these donated between £3,000 and £6,000.

15

our financial review

Reserves Policy

The CIO has unrestricted funds of £63,366 which the trustees intend to hold as reserves.

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 have made a strategic decision to utilise unrestricted funds to ensure the level is not above 6 months running costs. We are increasingly using designated funds to allow for accurate budgeting and planning in line with our strategy. We have designated funds which will meet the known liabilities and financial commitments of the charity should there be unforeseen events which negatively impact on our finances. This, combined with the knowledge that our activities can be quickly scaled back if our finances are impacted negatively, means that the Trustees are confident this amount of reserves is sufficient to meet any unexpected costs and deem it prudent to hold the above amount 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 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.

Approval

Approved and signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees by:

Name of Trustee: ……… …….. Eleanor Deeley

Signature of Trustee ..............................................Date ..........30th January 2026.......

16

our end of year financial statements st Year ending 31 March 2025

17

St Chad’s Sanctuary

End of Year Financial Statements

Year ending 31 March 2025

Page 1

Statement of Financial Activities

Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Prior year
funds funds funds funds total funds
Income and endowments from:
Donationsand legacies 162,272 41,686 203,959 165,761
Other trading activities 508 143 651 1,087
Other income 10
Total income 162,781 41,830 204,611 166,859
Expenditure on:
Raisingfunds
Expenditure on charitable activities
Otherexpenditure

152,208
623

51,280



203,488
623
46
164,903
1,478
Total expenditure 153,831 51,280 204,611 166,428
Net income / (expenditure) resources before
Gains / lossesoninvestmentassets
transfer
Transfers
9,949 (9,449) 499 431
Gross transfers between funds - in
Gross transfers between funds - out
Other recognised gains / losses
Gains onrevaluation,fixedassets, charity's own use
54,723
(79,541)
24,818



79,541
(79,541)
0
0
Net movement in funds
(14,869) 15,368 499 431
Total funds brought forward 79,236 23,538 102,775 102,343
Total funds carried forward 64,366 38,907 103,274 102,775
Represented by
Unrestricted
Generalfund 64,366 64,366 14,507
Designated
Garfield Weston grant 2023 5,947
IJS Core funding - Outreach 10,000
Legacies 48,781
Restricted
BCC Clothing 6,554
BCC Contingency 9,821 9,821
BCC Other 905
BCC Salaries 1,109 1,109 10,218
BCC food and hygiene March 2025 2,492 2,492
Clean Air Zone charges 1,358 1,358 1,098
ESOL Costs 60 60 0
Family Activity Fund 637 637 673
Food fund 199 199 0
Jesuits 2,392 2,392 3,246
Little School IT fund 302 302 302
Matt Kendall Foundation 174 174 174
National Lottery 2025 19,996 19,996

Page 2

Balance sheet

Class and code Description
This year Last year
Current assets
CA010 Current account 97,278 97,646
CA020 Petty cash 125 257
CA050 Tesco gift cards 112 112
CA100 Old Barclays account 5,756 4,757
Total Current assets 103,274 102,775
Reserves
Excess / (deficit) to date 499 431
Z01 Starting balances 102,775 102,343
Total Reserves 103,274 102,775
Represented by funds
Unrestricted 64,366 14,507
Designated 0 64,728
Restricted 38,907 23,538
Endowment
Total 103,274 102,775

Statement of assets and liabilities

General Designated Restricted Designated Restricted Endowment This year Last year
Current assets - Cash at bank and in hand
Current account - 58,731 0 38,907 97,278 97,646
Petty cash - 125 125 257
Tesco gift cards - 112 112 112
Old Barclays account - 5,756 5,756 4,757
Totals 64,366 0 38,847 102,810 102,775
Grand total 63,962 0 38,907 103,274 102,775

Fund movement by type

Opening Incoming Outgoing Transfers Gains/losses Journals Closing

BCC-CLOTHE - BCC Clothing
Restricted 6,554 15,554 9,000
Sub-total for BCC-CLOTHE 6,554 15,554 9,000
BCC-CONT - BCC Contingency
Restricted 9,821 9,821
Sub-total for BCC-CONT 9,821 9,821
BCC-MAR - BCC food and hygiene
Restricted 4,000 1,507 2,492
Sub-total for BCC-MAR 4,000 1,507 2,492
BCC-OTHER - BCC Other
Restricted 905 1,810 905
Sub-total for BCC-OTHER 905 1,810 905
BCC-SAL - BCC salaries
Restricted 10,218 1,109 24,313 14,095 1,109
Sub-total for BCC-SAL 10,218 1,109 24,313 14,095 1,109

Page 3

BCC-SEP - BCC September food fund BCC-SEP - BCC September food fund
Restricted 4,000 4,000
Sub-total for BCC-SEP 4,000 4,000
CAZ - Clean Air Zone charge
Restricted 1,098 260 1,358
Sub-total for CAZ 1,098 260 1,358
CLOTHES - Clothing
Restricted 200 1,018 818
Sub-total for CLOTHES 200 1,018 818
DIRECT - for direct client costs
Restricted 900 900
Sub-total for DIRECT 900 900
ESOL - ESOL costs
Restricted 0 743 683 60
Sub-total for ESOL 0 743 683 60
FAM-ACT - Family Activity Fund
Restricted 673 36 637
Sub-total for FAM-ACT 673 36 637
FOOD - Food fund
Restricted 0 300 100 199
Sub-total for FOOD 0 300 100 199
GARFIELD23 - Garfield Weston grant
Designated 5,947 5 (5,941)
Sub-total for GARFIELD23 5,947 5 (5,941)
IJS - IJS Core funding
Designated 10,000 10,000
Sub-total for IJS 10,000 10,000
JESUITS - Jesuits
Restricted 3,246 854 2,392
Sub-total for JESUITS 3,246 854 2,392
LEGACIES - Legacies
Designated 48,781 (48,781)
Sub-total for LEGACIES 48,781 (48,781)
LS-IT - Little School IT fund
Restricted 302 302
Sub-total for LS-IT 302 302
MKF - Matt Kendall Foundation
Restricted 174 174
Sub-total for MKF 174 174
NL25 - National Lottery
Restricted 19,996 19,996
Sub-total for NL25 19,996 19,996
SERCO-CL - SERCO Clothing
Restricted 500 500
Sub-total for SERCO-CL 500 500
SONG - English Through Song
Restricted 366 366
Sub-total for SONG 366 366
SUM-PAR-24 - Summer Party 2024
Designated 500 500
Sub-total for SUM-PAR-24 500 500
General - General fund
Unrestricted 14,507 162,281 142,326 29,904 64,366
Sub-total for General 14,507 162,281 142,326 29,904 64,366
Grand total 102,775 204,611 204,112 103,274

Page 4

Analysis of income and expenditure

Total

Unrestricted Designated Restricted Endowment This year Last year

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS

Donations and legacies

IN001 - Donations 89,543 500 2,760 92,803 66,080
IN002 - Grants 46,500 38,926 85,426 50,900
IN003 - Gift Aid
IN007 - Legacies
25,714
15



25,714
15

48,781
Total 161,772 500 41,686 203,959 165,761
Other trading activities
IN004 - Sales of donatedgoods 508 508 740
IN005 - Fundraising events 159
IN006 - Sales of merchandise 143 143 187
Total 508 143 651 1,087
Other income
INREF - Refunds 10
Total 10
INCOME TOTAL 162,280 500 41,830 204,611 166,859

EXPENDITURE

Raising funds

EX2160 - Fundraising 46
Total 46
Expenditure on charitable activities
EX0100 - Officeandstationery 433 433 494
EX0110 - Printing and copying 266 266 343
EX0200 - ICT 1,004 1,004 989
EX0250 - ICT hardware 48 854 902 65
EX0300 - Utilities
EX0400 - Waste and recycling 1,437 1,437 1,755
EX0500 - Housekeeping 735 735 537
EX0600 - Repairs and maintenance 167 167 11
EX0700 - Furniture and fittings 198 198 130
EX0800 - Groceries 1,278 4,195 5,473 11,270
EX0900 - Clothing purchases 6,307 14,999 21,307 9,241
EX0950 - Other practical items 29 2,973 3,003 3,213
EX0980 - Service user travel costs 2 2
EX1000 - Hygiene purchases 577 1,413 1,991 2,952
EX1200 - ESOL student travel costs 4,624 329 4,954 7,330
EX1210 - ESOL student data costs
EX1250 - ESOL other 628 257 353 1,239 1,158
EX1300 - Little School travel costs 36
EX1500 - Cultural events and trips 1,495 242 36 1,773 1,495
EX1510 - Family activities and trips 119
EX1520 - Non-ESOL activities 91 91
EX1600 - Volunteer expenses - travel 1,079 1,079 1,538
EX1610 - Volunteer expenses - other 86 86 31

Page 5

EX1620 - Volunteer training - general 1,203 1,203 289
EX1630 - Volunteer training - ESOL 50
EX1700 - Hospitality 31 31 53
EX1810 - Staff costs - salaries
EX1850 - Staff costs - expenses
EX1860 - Staff costs - training
EX1900 - Cleaning services
EX2000 - Accountancy services
EX2100 - HR services
107,508
201
115
6,634
10,000
5


24,314







141,823
207
115
6,634
107,113
498
215
6,405
900
5,516 1,810 7,326 6,660
Total 141,703 10,505 51,280 203,488 164,903
Other expenditure
EX1640 - Volunteer events 55 55 972
EX2150 - Insurance 330 330 330
EX2200 - Misc 237 237 175
Total 623 623 1,478
EXPENDITURE TOTAL 142,326
19,954
10,505
(10,005)
51,280
(9,449)

204,112
499
166,428
431

GRAND TOTAL

Page 6

ACCOUNTANTS CERTIFICATE 18

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Report to the St Chad’s Sanctuary CIO trustees/ members of

On accounts for 31 March 2025 the year ended Set out on pages 1-9

Charity no

1178728

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 March 2025.

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in Responsibilities and basis of accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). report 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 examiner's statement

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:

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.

Date: 30 Jan 2026

Signed:

Name: Andrew Hopkins Address: BVSC Accountancy services

Latham House, 33-34 Paradise Street

Birmingham

B1 2AJ

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