2025-03-31-accounts - New Neighbours Together CIO

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

www.nntburnley.org

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2025

New Neighbours Together CIO

Reference and administrative information

Charity Number	1179812
Charity Status	Foundation Charitable Incorporated
	Organisation
Trustees	Julie Sidhu
	Rachel Retford
	Teeman Zaki
	Maureen Butler
	Susan Ryan
Principal office	Northbridge House
	Elm St
	Burnley
	BB10 1PD
Bankers	Santander
Independent Examiner	Mark Heaton FCCA FCIE
	KM, Chartered Accountants
	1stFloor, Block C, The Wharf
	Manchester Rd, Burnley
	BB11 1JG

New Neighbours Together CIO

Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] March 2025

The Trustees present their report on the activities of the charity.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The objects as set out in the constitution are :

The promotion of social inclusion for the public benefit among people who are asylum seekers and refugees, who are socially excluded on the grounds of their social and economic position, by providing:

1) education and training in the English language and vocational skills.
2) social and recreational facilities and events involving the local community. To relieve poverty (or financial hardship) among asylum seekers, refugees and their dependants living in Burnley and neighbouring areas by providing: interpreting, translating, advocacy, health, housing advice and education.
3) To advance the education of the public in general about the issues relating to refugees and those seeking asylum.

INTRODUCTION

New Neighbours Together (NNT) is continuing its work at grassroots level at the forefront of Burnley’s response to the growing numbers of Asylum Seekers and Refugees arriving here in our town who are hoping for the opportunity to be allowed to remain, and to rebuild safe, happy lives, becoming full and productive members of our community. Our charity provides the vital targeted services that bridge the gap between being a stranger here, to becoming a full part of our community. We do this by welcoming, giving newcomers a free social place to be, to feel that they belong somewhere, and enabling and empowering them to succeed, We teach them about life here, essential skills – English/ Life skills- like finding work/ adapting to our way of life and we work with them, the council and our partners to encourage the growth of cohesion and integration.

We seek to build a community united in and proud of its diversity and strength, where all have the opportunity to contribute, thrive and prosper. The race riots in summer last year were a real wake up call for us all. Over this year we have increasingly targeted building Unity in Diversity, through increasing our Outreach Work and by establishing our City Of Sanctuary, active town wide group, undertaking specific strands of integration and cohesion work, enabling people with lived experience to take key roles, promoting the growth of a culture of welcome and joint understanding, respect and cohesion amongst Burnley’s diverse community.

New Neighbours Together CIO

Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] March 2025 (continued)

THIS YEAR – CHALLENGES, CHANGES & RESPONSE

This has been a challenging year in the face of growing needs and numbers of clients, and we have seen our numbers rise by 32%. As changes have occurred, we have demonstrated our ability to adapt swiftly to new circumstances, to maintain a positive impact on the lives and outcomes of our clients and support cohesion and integration in our town. The shocking events of last year in Southport and subsequent riots together with the recently instituted government enquiry have made this work in cohesion & integration a vital service. In addition, NNT has provided some essential services which both benefit our clients and alleviate the burden falling on statutory organisations. Our charity is now well known as first port of call for statutory organisations, and all asylum seekers / refugees, to access or get specialist help. For our clients, NNT is the place where they will find someone who speaks their language/ has the experience and understanding to help them manage their difficulties, can sign post them to help etc, and vitally help them learn English and learn about and prepare for life in our country. In addition, we were proud to be awarded as winners of the Burnley Up & Active Communities Award for small to medium charities in the summer of 2024 for our services to our local community.

Following on from the Summer Riots caused by the Southport Tragedy last year, we understand our mission and charitable objectives in a much deeper way. We believe that the primary measure of long-term success is achieved when people resettling here successfully, feel and become, contributing, welcomed and accepted members of our community. Therefore targeting, building and supporting cohesion and integration across our whole diverse Burnley community is increasingly a vital strand of our work. Alongside welcome, we also have targeted client empowerment and enablement, to prepare people to successfully transition (if their asylum claims are successful) into employment, economic independence, and becoming part of our town wide community.

The fundamental make up of our client group has moved over recent years from being fairly evenly split between families and single males to a predominance of male clients, men either in families or by single status now make up 86% of our client group, this has necessitated some service design revision and adaptation.

Increasingly, we are being approached by migrants who have entered Britain on various visa types, who run into serious difficulties with issues including circumstances which have pushed them in to destitution with no recourse to public funds.

New Neighbours Together CIO

Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] March 2025 (continued)

As our year commenced, our staff team was still relatively new and inexperienced in their roles at a time when demand was growing rapidly. Through one-to-one support/ targeted training and working together in an open learning culture, encouraging feedback and involvement in service design and delivery we have learned and grown together, as we have worked together. There has been huge growth in skills and knowledge and ability in our staff team and our volunteer team and in the services we all deliver. It has been hugely valuable to our work that we have 3 staff with lived experience and 1 from a migrant background and that 50% of our volunteers are also our clients – which really helps us target and deliver service actions more effectively.

Four of our Trustees volunteer regularly in our Drop Ins, helping with Welcome Desk services/ Mothers and children’s activities/Advice & Advocacy. This gives them open access to clients, and it has built trusting relationships with staff and volunteers too. The ethos of Community, Equality and Co-production is a vital part of our grass-roots identity.

Our Partnership work with both statutory and 3rd sector organisations in Burnley is now developing and increasing It is a vital and integral part of service delivery, and we are continuing to develop this and our Cohesion & integration work through the Burnley wide City of Sanctuary Network we have just set up.

Lastly over the last 6 months we have been working to fill an anticipated funding shortfall for the year 25-26 which we will need to take us through to February 2026. This has been challenging and there have been disappointments on the way, but we have now managed to secure over 90% of the much needed funding going forward.

SERVICES WE PROVIDE

Advice& Advocacy - x2 weekly Drop In Sessions & Appointments X 5 days in office Housing Needs Team - x 2 weekly Drop In sessions and appointments X 5 days in office

ESOL and Skills for Life - X 3 lessons weekly Social and Hospitality Free Café space - X 3 times weekly + free lunch weekly NHS Outreach sessions - Wellbeing/ TB/ |Hepatitis/Vaccination etc Programme Children & Family Welfare Team - Weekly

Cohesion & Integration - Outreach to schools /local organisations ( statutory and voluntary )/ Community Events etc

Welfare Support - Helping people facing destitution through assistance with supermarket shopping vouchers and giving clients access to free good as new clothing and household good and referrals to partner organisations who can also offer help and assistance.

PUBLIC BENEFIT

We confirm that the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in undertaking our activities.

New Neighbours Together CIO

Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] March 2025 (continued)

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Our end of year accounts show that our charity is in a reasonable position having met all its obligations, despite the challenges of rapid growth and demand in our client group and will enter year 25-26 with a cash balance of £111,392 to carry forward, giving us circa 2 months of funding in reserve. This must be considered against the fact that our Reaching Communities support is in its final year and demand for our services continues to increase in the current political and government policy climate. This will present us with challenges in maintaining our current activity and intervention levels going forward in 2026 and the consequent pressure on our staffing budget will continue as increased client numbers exert their upward demands on our service budgets.

Our charity is based in community and responds to need at grass roots level. We have little or no control over either the numbers of clients arriving, or the changes in the make-up of the client group, which the Home Office relocate to Burnley. This makes planning and delivering the right type and level of services, to effectively support our clients and vitally work with them, and our whole community, to support cohesion and integration, more challenging. Our charity must of necessity, deliver swift service responses and this causes financial uncertainty as budgets, particularly staffing, are continually stretched, going forward.

Our main funding this year again came from Reaching Communities and a service level agreement with Burnley Council, together with smaller funds and donations throughout the year. A pressing task for the year ahead is to secure funding to replace our Reaching Communities grant which completes in 2026. As we go forward into our next year our Charity will be exploring ways of increasing our earned income, including partnership work, building a larger regular small donor base and exploring what other larger funding sources may be available for us to apply to.

In conclusion, as always, our charity would like to close this report by thanking all our funders and supporters, large and small, who have walked the path with us during this year. Together with all these individuals and organisations here in our town, we look forward to building a community which is united in diversity and founded in respect and mutual understanding. A Burnley which is Stronger Together, where all can thrive and all can prosper, as we go forward in partnership, into the next year of being New Neighbours Together, here in Burnley.

New Neighbours Together CIO

Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] March 2025 (continued)

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The charity is a Foundation Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by its constitution dated 5[th] September 2018.

All Trustees must be appointed for a term of 3 years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees.

In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the existing charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.

The trustees assess the risks facing the charity on an ongoing basis.

Trustee changes from the start of the financial year:

Julie Sidhu – appointed 3[rd] September 2024

Teeman Zaki – appointed 9th June 2025

Huriyah Hussein – resigned 3rd September 2025

Michael Hewitt - resigned 9th September 2025

Rachel Retford - appointed 26th September 2025

Lynn Middleton - resigned 26th September 2025

Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf on 01/11/2025 by:

Chair of Trustees: Julie Sidhu_________

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF NEW NEIGHBOURS TOGETHER CIO

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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 examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

(1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by Section 130 of the Act; or
(2) the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

Mark Heaton FCCA FCIE

KM, Chartered Accountants

1[st] Floor, Block C, The Wharf Manchester Rd, Burnley

BB11 1JG

17/10/2025

New Neighbours Together CIO Receipts and Payments Account For the year ended 31[st] March 2025

General Restricted Restricted Restricted BBC RC SE £ £ £ £ 116000 60000 1110	General Restricted Restricted Restricted BBC RC SE £ £ £ £ 116000 60000 1110	General Restricted Restricted Restricted BBC RC SE £ £ £ £ 116000 60000 1110	General Restricted Restricted Restricted BBC RC SE £ £ £ £ 116000 60000 1110	TOTAL £ 116000 60000 1110
117110 0 60000 0 14236				177110 14236
131346	0	56500	0	191346
20000 project 46000 6012 42274 22711				37800 46000 6012 64985
42274	20000	68711	6012	136997
89071 -20000 -8711 -6012 22321 20000 22711 6012				54348 71043
111392	0	14000	0	125392

111392	0	14000	0	125392
				96000 14000 2500
				112500

Notes to the Financial Statements

1. Basis of preparation

These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.

2. Fund Accounting

a) Unrestricted funds are those that can be expended at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the charity
b) Restricted funds are those that may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor.

3. Taxation

The charity is not liable to tax on its charitable activities.

The charity is not registered for VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the expense to which it relates.

4. Transactions with trustees

No remuneration nor expenses were paid to trustees, or any persons connected with them during the year or previous year.

5 Analysis of payments

Staffing Staffing via Burnley Leisure Session Costs - Drop-in Client Wellbeing Office Costs Independent Examination Other costs Total	2025 2024 99506 75875 8704 14283 10196 6868 13135 14867 3363 1100 1020 373 13282	2025 2024 99506 75875 8704 14283 10196 6868 13135 14867 3363 1100 1020 373 13282
	136997	125575

6 Comparative amounts: Year ended 31st March 2024

6 Comparative amounts: Year ended 31st March 2024
Total receipts Total payments Net receipts Balances bfd Balances cfd	All funds 146034 -125575
	20459 50585
	71044