Trustees’ Report and Receipts & Payments Accounts
for the year ended 30th September 2024
HostNation is a registered charity no. 1180004
CONTENTS
HostNation Annual Report 2023-24
The trustees present their report along with the financial statements of the charity for the period ended 30 September 2024.
Contents
PAGE 3 Letter from the Chair 4 Letter from the Director Strategic report 6 Vision, mission & objectives Outcomes & impact Financial review Strategic review Risk management
Structure, governance and management Organisational structure Public benefit Safeguarding Independent examiners
Report of the independent examiner
Receipts & payments account Receipts & payments account Statement of assets & liabilities Notes to the financial statements
Reference & administrative details
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LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Letter from the Chair
It is a poignant time for me to reflect on the work of HostNation, whose purpose is to make refugees feel welcome. It is 85 years since the extraordinary story of the Kindertransport and the 669 refugee children rescued from Czechoslovakia by a young stockbroker named Nicolas Winton. My mother Liesl was one of those children.
Aged 11, she came alone to Britain on the very last Kindertransport train out of Prague. Apart from her mother, her whole family died under Nazi rule. But in Britain she found welcome, and a full life. She was very proud to be British, the country that gave her refuge.
The reception for refugees is now very different, and it has been a turbulent year for our HostNation asylum seeker friends. At the time of the UK general election in June 2024, asylum decision-making was virtually paralysed following the Illegal Migration Act of June 2023. Of those who had crossed the Channel in the previous year, 96% of claims remained unprocessed. We saw what a toll this took on people’s mental health.
The action of the incoming Labour government to scrap the unworkable Rwanda Plan and expedite asylum claims now means up to half those in the backlog are likely to be granted refugee status. This is welcome progress, but we still want a complete repeal of the Illegal Migration Act. We need safe, legal routes for people seeking asylum. Stepping into a flimsy dinghy across the Channel is a last-chance act by people left with no other choices.
Our compassionate befrienders show us that many citizens do welcome refugees. The disturbing anti-immigrant riots in the summer of 2024 were quickly faced down by many thousands of counterprotestors. Our refugee friends, at first feeling threatened by disturbances across many urban areas, tell us they were heartened at the displays of solidarity by those defending their rights.
On internal news, we welcome two new trustees from a refugee background. Dostyar is an Afghan doctor who now works in public health. Gulsom was a public prosecutor in Afghanistan who works here as a paralegal (see page 19). They both bring a distinctive perspective to the work of our charity. We are grateful to them and all our trustees for their generosity, commitment and creativity.
I am proud to chair HostNation, and urge you to follow and support us through the year ahead.
DANIEL SILVERSTONE Chair of the Trustees
“You gave me the most expensive diamond in the universe – in the form of a friend.” WASAL (LEFT) WITH SEB
HostNation Manchester
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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Letter from the Director
I’m delighted that we have reached 1,000 friendship matches! Our wonderful volunteer befrienders are helping refugees feel welcomed, connected and hopeful, all while making new friends themselves.
These pages detail our results for the year to September 2024, alongside heartwarming stories from our HostNation friends. Overleaf you can meet our first-ever match, still going strong, and our thousandth friendship.
We are so proud to have reached this milestone, something that would have been hard to imagine when we started in 2017. I’m grateful to my fellow founding team members: Rossana, Magda and Anthony. Seven years ago we were just volunteers, but we had all befriended refugees before and knew what a difference it could make.
Together we turned a simple yet powerful idea – that every refugee deserves a friend – into a flourishing network. Our team has grown and our outreach has expanded across Greater London, Greater Manchester and the North East.
This year we have found friends for 183 asylum seekers and refugees across our three regions and we have recruited 245 new volunteer befrienders to add to our existing pool. We carefully monitor the impact of our friendships and this year 92% of refugees reported improved wellbeing, while 94% of befrienders found it a rewarding experience – an amazing testimonial.
We believe this shows we are helping to create happier and friendlier communities in the UK. Our social events add to this ethos, bringing our friendship matches together to share experiences and relax in a safe and welcoming environment.
With no premises or major overheads, we channel £9 out of every £10 we raise into direct project delivery. We have increased our individual donations this year and are very grateful to these donors and our multiyear funders for their continued faith in us.
We feel more thankful than ever for all that is good and compassionate in our HostNation friendships. Every cup of tea, every gesture of friendship, is a bridge that unites us.
ANNEKE ELWES Director
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“Lois is my Angel of the North!”
ALI
HostNation North East
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HOSTNATION STORY
Celebrating 1000 friendships
Louis feels the same connection:
expand my horizons and make a new friend! I have learnt so much about his culture and already feel as though we have a great friendship ahead.”
In a joyful moment for HostNation, we have made our 1000th friendship since we started as a charity.
“We’ve really bonded over our shared love of music and also history. He’s a very easy going guy, and a joy to spend time with.”
“This milestone is a real tribute to the wonderful befrienders who have put the HostNation ideal into practice,” says our director Anneke Elwes.
GIVING BACK
When we introduced Louis and Nazar, our 1000th match, they quickly found they had lots in common. As Nazar says:
Welcoming people who have fled war and persecution, a thousand warmhearted people like Louis have offered acceptance and human connection to their refugee friends. Louis explains what motivated him to sign up:
“It’s so good to have this friendship. We discuss lots of things, especially music. Louis gives me information about the city, this country, the culture here. He is very helpful.”
“I was interested in befriending because I wanted to give back,
“I’ve been to places and done things I never thought I’d go to or do. HostNation has changed my life, since I met Dani.”
“I loved the simplicity of the idea of providing friendship and companionship for someone navigating London.”
STILL GOING STRONG: OUR FIRST FRIENDSHIP
Meanwhile the very first friendship we helped create seven years ago is a stronger bond than ever. Back in 2017, Yvette was an isolated asylum seeker in London, lacking the confidence to go out. “I was dying inside,” she says. Meeting Dani changed all that.
Dani describes their walks and movie outings, and the huge celebrations when Yvette got her refugee status. The two friends have spent every Christmas together (except the year of the pandemic).
BOND OF TRUST
“I love having a befriender,” continues Yvette. “I’m not feeling lonely anymore. It makes me feel really good to have her in my
life. I trust her completely.”
Yvette gets to the core of what makes their friendship special, putting into words the very heart of what HostNation was founded to achieve:
It was the simple yet transformative mission of HostNation that drew her friend Dani to sign up with us.
“It’s having someone to call a friend who is ready to accept me as I am. It makes me feel human again.”
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Vision and objectives
Strategic report
Our vision
HostNation believes every refugee deserves a friend.
Our mission
We are a befriending service connecting refugees and asylum seekers to friendly locals.
We tackle the loneliness refugees experience in our cities by creating friendship connections with residents via our digital platform.
Our aim is to transform social relations in our communities through small acts of hospitality, inclusion and friendship.
Our objectives
Our objectives as defined in our constitution are:
-
The promotion of social inclusion for the public benefit among those who are refugees, asylum seekers or migrants by providing:
-
A befriending service that offers friendship, social opportunities and community connection in order to address social isolation.
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A befriending service that facilitates inter-cultural relationships to help prevent the self-exclusion of migrant communities.
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Increased opportunities for social integration and participation in the local community.
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Increased opportunities to practise and improve English skills through friendship with native English speakers.
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Increased opportunities for citizens to show solidarity and counter the circumstances that have led to social exclusion amongst asylum seekers, refugees and migrants.
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The promotion of equality and diversity for the public benefit amongst those who are asylum seekers, refugees and migrants with a view to tackling discrimination, inequality and social disadvantage by providing:
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Relationships with UK residents who treat them equally, can help identify opportunities, avoid discrimination and assert their rights.
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Meaningful social interaction and inter-cultural friendships that encourage social cohesion and cultural diversity.
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A means of personal engagement with asylum seekers, refugees and migrants as individuals with talents, skills, interests and needs
To achieve these objectives, we recruit volunteers via an online database, then screen and train them before matching them with refugees. The latter are referred by refugee service providers and other agencies. We aim to make meaningful matches based on geography, gender, age and interests. We then introduce the new friends and provide guidance and relationship support.
“Yonas is so lovely. I’ve been really enjoying hanging out with him.”
MEG
HostNation Manchester
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Outcomes and impact
Outcomes and impact
1. HOSTNATION HUBS
This has been a year of consolidation in our three hubs: London, Manchester and the North East. Our last financial year was our first full year of having three HostNation hubs up and running.
This year we have been building upon a successful start and establishing strong partnerships with refugee support services in Manchester and the North East.
Overall, however, the refugee sector has been in crisis, which complicates the work of support agencies still further. Closure of asylum hotels, the Illegal Migration Bill and the Rwanda Bill worsened an already hostile environment. The increase in arrivals by small boats and a lack of services to cope, fuelled anti-refugee rhetoric that culminated in major riots in early August.
Small wonder that this has negatively impacted the mental health of many of our refugee friends as well as the ‘appropriateness’ of referrals made to HostNation. Threats of deportation and detention and the reality of destitution have created a highly stressful reality.
Many of our friends have been referred from temporary housing, or are newly arrived with very little English or with poor mental health, increasing their instability and making long-term friendship hard to sustain. Whilst we have made many transformative friendships across the year, we have seen a small decline in the overall number of matches mostly due to this increase in inappropriate referrals across our three hubs.
2. RECRUITING FRIENDS IN DEED
This year we have welcomed many new befrienders to join our online database:
-
126 in Greater London
-
78 in Greater Manchester
-
41 in the North East.
We recruit through many channels, including volunteer portals and in-person events, partnering with councils and community organisations and communicating via social media, press stories, and most powerful of all, word of mouth from existing befrienders. We aim to balance the number of available befrienders against the need in each of our hubs, and recruit accordingly.
We have a thorough screening and training process for befrienders, and they then join our existing pool of volunteers, ready to step up as refugees are referred to us.
The age profile of our volunteers is very similar in London and Manchester, with 75% and 76% of new volunteers respectively registered this year aged under 40. In the North East there is a wider age range, with 68% of befrienders aged below 40.
While the charity sector in general is still struggling with volunteer recruitment, we have seen a 36% increase in new volunteer registrations. This was likely to be linked to our award-winning short film ‘Friends In Deed’ launched last autumn, and the associated social media campaign to recruit volunteers. It is notable that we also saw an increase of online sign-ups in the wake of the August 2024 anti-refugee riots.
“If you’ve ever considered refugee befriending, look no further than HostNation. It’s been one of the most positive and enriching experiences of my life. Can’t recommend it enough!”
CAMERON (RIGHT) WITH AHMET
HostNation Manchester
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Outcomes and impact
Training and support
As our befrienders may have no prior experience with asylum seekers and refugees, we offer a solid foundation of support services.
Our interactive training is mandatory. Befrienders learn about the hardships that refugees face in the UK, and explore how traumatic events may impact their ability to develop relationships. We discuss how to create a safe and empowering environment to allow friendship to flourish. We outline potential challenges of befriending a refugee and take a deep dive into safeguarding and boundaries, which we update annually.
Befrienders are also given written resources to guide them in their journey. Our bi-monthly newsletter lists ideas for free activities and refugee opportunities in each of our three hubs.
We provide extensive signposting resources for refugee support agencies in all three hubs and share these with other organisations as well as with our befrienders.
We have also developed guides to effective befriending and safeguarding and, this year, cultural guidelines to help avoid misunderstandings between male refugees matched with female befrienders.
3. REFUGEE & ASYLUM SEEKER REFERRALS
We are proud to have found friends for 183 asylum seekers and refugees across our three regions this year:
-
115 in London
-
30 in Newcastle
-
38 in Manchester.
There is growing awareness that people caught up in the UK asylum system need their social and emotional wellbeing tended to alongside practical matters of casework, housing and work. This year we saw a further 25 refugee service organisations referring to us for the first time.
Our top referral organisations across all hubs (by number of people referred) were Breaking Barriers, Freedom from Torture, United Queerdom, Hestia and Care4Calais. In London the level of refugee referrals is consistent, while our regional hubs were down year-on-year.
This resulted in an outreach effort to new sector partners and potential referrers, which led to a rise in referrals in both our northern hubs towards the end of the financial year.
The decrease in referrals in the North East was partly due to a pause for staff changeover. We also saw an increase in referrals that did not meet our criteria. This meant we could not match individuals for various reasons such as insufficient level of English, mental health crisis, or imminent removal from their accommodation.
Of people referred to us, 58% have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection. Although more than four in ten have been in the UK for three years or longer, many are still lonely and do not have friends outside the diaspora of refugees or their own nationalities. So a local befriender continues to have enormous value.
The majority of our refugee friends are young, with seven in ten aged in their 20s and 30s. The proportion of male to female referrals is a 60/40 ratio.
“I am genuinely so happy that your organisation exists! I hope you can take a moment to understand how many peoples’ lives you are benefiting in a positive way. Thank you so much for all you do.”
CHARLOTTE SEWELL Specialist Support Worker, The Salvation Army
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Outcomes and impact
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Refugee/asylum seeker age
n under 20 n 20s n 30s n 40s n 50s n 60+
39.9%
3%
3%
26.8%
5%
21.9%
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We saw a drop in the number of London asylum seeker referrals based in ‘temporary’ accommodation (mainly Home Office hotels) compared to the previous year, down to a quarter of the total. This is partly a reflection of the fact that more people came to us with refugee status, compared to the year 2022/23, probably due to an acceleration in UK Home Office approvals (at least for certain countries).
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Our befriendees came from 48 different countries this year. Iran topped the list with 19% of total referrals, while Turkey dropped to second place. We saw fewer referrals from Ukraine and an increase in those from Syria, which entered back into our top five again. We had slightly fewer referrals from Sudan whilst referrals from Afghanistan stayed at the same level.
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HostNation London
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“Beth is the best person in the world.” AJMAL
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Top countries of origin
Iran
Turkey
Afghanistan
Sudan
Syria
19% 9% 8% 7% 4%
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Our top origin countries may differ from Home Office figures for total arrivals across the UK. This is due to the pipeline effect of people who arrived over a year ago, as well as our partnerships with refugee organisations who may support more people from a particular community.
4. FRIENDSHIP MATCH OUTCOMES
Over this year we have made 206 matches*, which takes us past the milestone of 1000 connections made since we started seven years ago.
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Matches, referrals and volunteer
registrations across all regions
n Oct 22 – Sep 23 n Oct 23 – Sep 24
250
200
150
100
50
0
Matches made Referrals Volunteer
registrations
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The number of matches was 12% down on the previous year, due to a drop in referrals. Positive experiences and meaningful relationships, however, remain our priority, rather than quantity, and this informs our impact assessments.
- No. of matches is higher than the no. of referrals as some refugees are matched more than once.
**Not including archived or deleted
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Outcomes and impact
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Matches year-on-year
250
200
150
100
50
2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
0
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*number of matches made were significantly reduced due to Covid
Three months after introduction, we interview both sides of our friendship matches and record qualitative outcomes.
We are pleased to say that 75% of all relationships we matched this year had positive outcomes, with 43% declaring they had a genuine friendship at the end of the initial three-month period. It is a real validation of our mission that many of our matches are still
meeting up regularly years after being introduced. Our social events are frequently attended by people who are by now old friends.
Among those who we matched this year:
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92% of refugees reported improved wellbeing
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94% of befrienders found it a rewarding experience
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72% of refugees said their English had improved.
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Match outcomes all hubs
(Oct 2023–Sep 2024)
n Positive friendship n Sustained with effort
n Suportive and sustained n Too hard to sustain
n Positive but unable to sustain n Never got off the ground
43.1%
7.4%
23.8%
4%
13.9%
7.9%
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English improved thanks
to having a befriender
n A lot more n A little more
n No difference n Already good
34.1%
9.8%
37.9%
18.2%
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Outcomes and impact
This is a wonderful testament to the positive impact our befrienders have on their refugee friends’ lives. Eight out of ten refugees tell us that they feel less lonely after knowing their befriender for three months and seven out of ten say it helped them improve their English (this excludes 19% whose English is already very good). We’re particularly pleased that 85% told us that they feel more included
thanks to their befriender, while 80% feel less lonely and 50% a lot less lonely.Of course, it is not only our refugee friends who benefit from befriending. The vast majority of our volunteers, 94%, told us that befriending a refugee was a rewarding experience, and 89% reported that it had helped them to broaden their cultural understanding.
“For me these friendships are always really positive. It is very humbling to be working with people who have gone through such a lot.” JOHN (LEFT), THREE-TIME BEFRIENDER, WITH SAIF
HostNation London
5. COMMUNICATIONS AND ADVOCACY
The primary purpose of our communications is to promote values of welcome and compassion for refugees and asylum seekers, celebrating all they bring to their new communities here.
Our short film “Friends In Deed”, made for us in 2023 thanks to our funder City Bridge Foundation in cooperation with the Media Trust, continued to shine. It was applauded in a number of film awards, including winning Gold in the Smiley Charity Film Awards – the Oscars of the charity sector. It was also a BFI pick for their favourite charity films. This heartwarming video perfectly captures the joy of refugee befriending and has proved an excellent vehicle for raising our profile.
We use our social platforms to recruit befrienders, celebrate friendship stories and encourage refugee agencies to send their clients to us. We aim to disseminate positive messages about the refugee experience based on real facts, in contrast to an alarming amount of public disinformation about the sector.
We support the campaigning efforts of our referral partners including the Refugee Council and Care4
Calais across social media, opposing such antirefugee policies as the Rwanda Bill, and the Illegal Migration Act. We joined the coalition Together With Refugees, to call for a fair new plan for refugees.
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HOSTNATION STORY
~~HostNaton London~~
Finding friends for LGBT+ refugees
In March 2024 we made a friendship match between Marcus, a chemical engineer from Uzbekistan, and Mark, a senior HR professional.
celebrate London Pride Week, Black Pride and Brighton Pride.
Ritah is overjoyed, both by the friendship, and the new acceptance she has found here in the UK.
Marcus had just celebrated his 42nd birthday, so Mark brought a gift to their first outing. Since then they have met regularly for walks, visits to London pubs and cultural events. As Marcus explains:
“Emily is a very good friend indeed. Every weekend she has something planned for us. Meeting all her friends and family showed me that there is no discrimination in the UK. You really feel welcome and not lonely anymore. I wouldn’t want to lose that.”
“Before, I only saw UK life on TV, but now I’m experiencing the real thing! This friendship is on a whole new level. It’s an excellent match because we have so much in common.”
Soon after they met through HostNation, Ritah got refugee status. She now lives closer to Emily and nothing comes in the way of their friendship, as Emily says:
Marcus, who has just been granted refugee status, finds Mark’s support invaluable. Not only has his English improved, but also his understanding of British culture and at udes here towards the LGBT+ community.
LGBT+ REFERRALS FOR FRIENDSHIP
This year we have seen an increase in referrals of people seeking asylum after being persecuted due to their sexual preference. The gay movement United Queerdom, for example, have referred several community members to us, whom we have connected with LGBT+ befrienders ready to help them feel accepted in their host cities.
“I’ve found it great and I’ve made a new friend. She’s a lot of fun and gets on with my friends. I’ve learnt a lot about Uganda and about going through the asylum process.”
“Mark has invited me to meet his friends and I’m so much more confident now. This programme is really nice, it’s the perfect way to help with integration.”
EMILY AND RITAH
Ritah, who studied Economics, is from Uganda, where being gay can be punishable by death. In July 2024 we introduced her to befriender Emily, who identifies as queer and loves music, dancing and Gaelic football.
Mark has found the friendship a very positive experience and it has also deepened his understanding. “It has opened my eyes to what life is like for someone like Marcus in Uzbekistan,” he says.
Both in their 20s and both Christian, they hit it off immediately and now meet up every weekend. Emily has introduced Ritah to her family and friends, and taken her to
“I try to message him every few days to maintain that rapport and make sure he’s not feeling isolated. He’s really pro-active and keen to integrate here.”
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CELEBRATING PARTNERSHIPS
Partnerships – joining forces
As we are a small charity, we strive to increase our impact and outreach through a growing number of fruitful partnerships with like-minded organisations.
SOCIAL PARTNERSHIPS
We regularly bring our HostNation matches together to share experiences and celebrate friendship. Social integration is essential to our mission, and our refugees and their befrienders tell us how much they welcome these opportunities to meet other friends in a relaxed setting.
~~HostNaton London~~
In London we hold a bi-monthly supper club for refugees and their befrienders, thanks to our mutually rewarding partnership with the American International Church (AIC). We help them fulfil their refugee outreach programme in Camden, and they host our events for guests of all faiths and none.
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA, the Black American Women’s sorority. They also grant us central London space for our board meetings. They are great supporters of our project and we are deeply grateful to them.
“Thank you for a wonderful partnership over the last year. We are grateful for every meal shared, connection made and fun chat had at our supper clubs.” Brooke Rowan, AIC London
The AIC have also linked us with social food enterprises, musicians and volunteers from their congregation as well as London Business School and
~~HostNaton Manchester~~
In Manchester we enjoy an excellent relationship with House of Books and Friends, a cosy bookshop and cafe space with a mission to combat loneliness and social isolation. It is a perfect fit for us and we have hosted two very joyful gatherings there this year for our local friendship matches, as well as making many introductions in their welcoming cafe.
We recently built a partnership with RHS Bridgewater in Salford, and took a group to a wellbeing session, with more to follow. Their team have also offered our friends the opportunity to book free selfguided visits for wellbeing.
A wonderful evening together at the House of Books and Friends
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CELEBRATING PARTNERSHIPS
SOCIAL PARTNERSHIPS continued
~~HostNaton North East~~
In the North East we hold joint events with the Comfrey Project in Gateshead, a supportive environment where refugees and asylum seekers undertake activities in a community garden and allotments. Volunteering combines with gardening, beekeeping, language lessons and skills sharing.
A standout event this year was a barbecue to celebrate Refugee Week in June, held in their community garden. Everyone enjoyed the lovely weather and dancing to live bands!
the wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees, many of whom are housed in very cramped accommodation.
Buddy or city cycle training. This is a resource our refugee friends really value and we always have a waitlist.
RESOURCES FOR REFUGEES
We have community membership of Kew Gardens, which allows for up to 60 free visits. A trip to this wonderful outdoor space can really boost
In London we link with the Bike Project and can refer two people per month for a free, refurbished bike and the option of a Bike
Also highly popular is our London Zoological Society membership, which allows us to purchase low-cost tickets and give our friendship matches a free day out at London Zoo.
A number of our refugee friends have this year benefited from Screen Share, an enterprise focused on bridging the digital divide by getting refurbished laptops, smartphones and data cards to refugees in need.
HostNation friend Ajmal (right) takes delivery of a laptop from Screen Share, the day before starting college.
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Financial review
Financial review
Our funding position remains strong. In the year to 30th September 2024, income of £153,267 was received and expenditure of £153,229 was incurred, resulting in a net year end surplus of £38. HostNation’s reserves have increased to £87,830, from a brought forward position of £87,792.
Income was in line with 2022-23, with increases in grants and individual giving but a decrease in major/ corporate donors. Major donor income is subject to variation, depending on the ‘one-off’ donations we receive. In 2023-24 we received two, one from Campbell Tickell and another from the fund of a major individual donor.
We are also in a position to carry over substantial unrestricted funds to our next financial year, exceeding our cash reserves target and supporting project delivery and planned activities in 2024-25, such as a 5% staff pay rise, putting further freelance staff onto permanent part time contracts and conducting research and development into opening a potential new hub in Glasgow. It also gives us additional financial resilience as some of our current grants come to an end, giving us time to make multi-year funding applications in 2025 to support HostNation in the future.
FUNDING PARTNERS
We are immensely grateful to the following funders: City Bridge Foundation
City Bridge Foundation is a grant giver that supports London communities. They have a funding stream for re-building the lives of refugees and asylum seekers. After an initial three years of funding (£96,000), we applied for a further two years of continuation funding, which will take us to 2025. This year we received £38,000, restricted to project delivery in London and core expenditure.
Mila Charitable Trust
Mila is a family charitable trust that supports projects in the North East. We received a £10,000 grant in December 2023.
The Henry Smith Charity
This charity helps people and communities at a time of need, to bring about positive change. They fund us through their Improving Lives programme. We
were granted three years of funding (£135,000) in April 2023. This year we received £42,500 to support project delivery across all three hubs.
St. Catherine’s Church, Didsbury
We received a donation of £1,630 in October 2023 from the Sponsorship Group of St. Catherine’s Church in Didsbury specifically to support our social events in Manchester.
Other funding
We received a further £13,300 of unrestricted grants from smaller grant-givers and charitable foundations and just over £29,000 from other major donors for which we are most grateful. We have raised a further £18,589 unrestricted funding from both one-off and recurring individual donations (including Gift Aid).
CASH RESERVES
The trustees continue to take a risk-based approach to reserve targets. Since we operate as a digital platform, fixed costs and forward financial commitments are minimal. In 2023 our trustees agreed to increase our cash reserves to £30,000, which covers three months predicted running costs and gives us a bridge should there be any discontinuities in funding.
COSTS AND BUDGETING
We are governed by the Charity Commission’s financial regulations. Expenditure of £153,229 was incurred. Following normal trends, the majority of expenditure (87%) relates to staffing (£133,311) of which £33,980 is freelancer cost and £99,331 is payroll cost including pension and payroll taxes. Staff costs relate to direct project delivery – staff time spent sourcing referrals; recruiting; screening, checking and training befrienders; making matches; liaising with referrers; safeguarding, monitoring and evaluation; media and reporting.
This year 2023-24 saw changes in staff structure, which explain the increase in staff costs and the reduction in freelance fees. Five members of staff chose part-time contracts and went on payroll, three remained freelance. We had two part-time staff hires – a replacement hub manager in the North East, and a new digital marketing lead.
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Risk management
The remainder of in-year spend (13%) relates to hardship payments to our refugee friends, travel and hospitality expenses, community events and other direct costs. Digital and professional fees including IT systems, social media, software, maintenance, web hosting, insurance, payroll, design and accountancy was just over half of this and made up 7% of total expenditure.
London continues to be the largest hub, where the majority of our matches are made. London accounted for 50% of hub expenditure, Manchester 22% and the North East 27%. We have changed strategy from growth to maintenance in the North East in order to keep the hub going at a lower overall cost.
Risk management
In 2019, our trustees devised a register of risks. A three-stage traffic light system was adopted: RED High risk (business critical) AMBER Low risk (potentially constraining)
GREEN Negligible/low risk (no action)
In 2020 our risks were amended to include public policy and we set out four risks we would review regularly.
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Risk
Definition Mitigation actions
Insufficient Lacking the staffing and/or finances to • Regular review of budget, funding
resources achieve our stated aims strategy, staffing levels and ability to
meet demand for services.
• Maintain close relations with existing
funders.
Reputational Acting unprofessionally and/or • Regular review of our training
damage attracting negative publicity or scrutiny procedures, financial and safeguarding
that potentially undermines our policies.
principles and ethos.
Governance risks Trustees who are disengaged with our • Regular review of our Board to
work and/or fail to ensure that we ensure we have a balance of the skills
are in compliance with our charitable required for effective governance and
purposes & charity law financial oversight.
Public policy Is the external environment conducive • Close monitoring of the changing
and external to or potentially a threat to achieving environment in which we operate.
environment risks our stated aims?
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All risks have been on green for 2023-24, apart from public policy and external environment which was placed on amber in May 2021 and has remained at higher risk ever since.
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Risk management
On resources our medium term financial position looks robust and a small group of staff and trustees regularly review the external funding landscape. Our Treasurer presents quarterly reports on our financial position both actual and forecast. We have a settled and high performing staff team in London and Manchester and have recently recruited a new person to manage our activities in Newcastle.
On reputational risk we have robust and transparent systems and are mindful to safeguard our ethos and principles in our work, decision-making and strategic planning.
On governance we have strengthened our trustee board and remain confident that our trustees are fully engaged with our work and strategising. There is a
strong team ethos connecting trustees and our staff team.
On public policy we are acutely aware of the threatening national and international environment on refugee and asylum issues. Trustees receive short reports on the external environment at each quarterly meeting. This enables us to risk assess our programmes and planning in real time.
We have retained an amber rating for public policy. Although the threat level within the UK appears to have eased since the July 2024 general election, the ramifications of the anti-immigrant disturbances in the summer of 2024 remain unclear and the wider European environment continues to cause potential concern for our work.
“What HostNation has achieved is so deeply impressive and inspiring. It is a story of refugees that fills me with hope.” PETER long-term donor
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Structure, governance & management
Structure, governance & management
Organisational structure
HostNation incorporated as a charity (CIO) and registered with the Charity Commission in September 2018.
Our board
As of 30 September 2024, we have six voluntary trustees. We welcome two new trustees this year from a refugee background, Gulsom Gohar and Dostyar Dost (see box overleaf). Our Chair, Daniel Silverstone, was CEO at both the Commission for Racial Equality and Interights. The board has an equal split between women and men, and meets quarterly.
Our team
We have a lean operational team who work from home, so overheads are low. All staff and freelancers are paid an hourly rate that is more than twice the minimum wage. This year we have a change of regional hub manager in the North East and have a new digital communicator, both part-time.
Independent examiners
Godfrey Wilson Limited were appointed as independent examiners to the charity in 2023 and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.
Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Daniel Silverstone
DANIEL SILVERSTONE Chair of trustees
15 January 2025
Public benefit
The trustees are aware of the Charity Commission’s guidelines on public benefit and consider these measures when carrying out the charitable objectives of this charity.
Safeguarding
In 2023 we fully updated our safeguarding policies and procedures, having consulted widely to make sure we are up to speed on best practice. All our staff, our Chair and our trustee safeguarding lead have attended safeguarding training for those working with asylum seekers, refugees and people who have been trafficked. This endorsed our current processes, and helped us make them even more robust. Our management and trustee safeguarding leads also attended the NCVO training for charity safeguarding leads.
As a result we have developed a full safeguarding policy with reporting processes, new safeguarding guidelines for befrienders and a screening and checks policy (all available on our website), which we review annually. We also update the safeguarding training that is delivered to new volunteer befrienders by our safeguarding lead regularly.
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STRATEGIC REPORT | Structure, governance & management
HOSTNATION
Spotlight on our trustees
We are delighted to welcome two new trustees, Gulsom Gohar and Dostyar Dost. Both their professional skills and life experiences as refugees from Afghanistan are already proving a valuable resource for our work.
GULSOM GOHAR
Gulsom and her husband caught one of the last evacuation flights out of Kabul in the chaos of the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Gulsom was a prosecutor specialising in the defence of abused women and children. She could not remain in Afghanistan.
Arriving in London, she and her husband were referred to us and we matched them with a local couple for friendship, an experience Gulsom says helped them to feel more at home.
In the Breaking Barriers documentary ‘My Refugee Life’, Gulsom talks eloquently about her escape from the Taliban and the pain of losing her old life. At the end, however, she speaks of seeing the light and regaining hope for the future. She now works as a paralegal.
DOSTYAR DOST
Dost was also forced to leave Kabul in 2021 in the most perilous circumstances. He is a medical doctor, who worked for the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan, and with international NGOs including the World Health Organisation.
Like Gulsom, Dost was referred to HostNation soon after arriving in the UK and was matched with his befriender, Rodger, in what the latter calls, “A meeting of equals, a true friendship”.
Dost first volunteered at Groundwork London assisting other Afghan refugees, providing psychological support and teaching English. He now works in public health and volunteers with the Aga Khan Health Board. He supports other Afghan refugees and provides technical support to two hospitals in Afghanistan.
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REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Independent examiner’s report to the HostNation trustees
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of HostNation (the charity) for the year ended 30 September 2024, which are set out on pages 21 to 24.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
As the trustees of the charity 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 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 examiner’s statement
Godfrey Wilson Limited also provided payroll services to the charity. I confirm that as a member of the ICAEW I am subject to the FRC’s Revised Ethical
Standard 2016, which I have applied with respect to this engagement.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
(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.
Dougal Howard
Date: 15 January 2025
DOUGAL HOWARD ACA Member of the ICAEW
For and on behalf of: Godfrey Wilson Limited
Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House, 62 Prince Street, Bristol BS1 4QD
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RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
Receipts & payments account
Receipts & payments account
For the year ended 30 September 2024
----- Start of picture text -----
Note Restricted Unrestricted 2024 Total 2023 Total
RECEIPTS
£ £ £ £
Grants 90,500 13,300 103,800 96,008
Major donors 1,630 29,089 30,719 40,820
-
Individual giving 15,282 15,282 12,852
-
Gift Aid 2,978 2,978 2,608
Interest - 488 488 -
Total receipts 92,130 61,137 153,267 152,288
Payments 1 92,130 61,099 153,229 124,861
Net receipts / - 38 38 27,427
(payments)
Cash funds at
-
87,792 87,792 60,365
1 October 2023
Cash funds at
2 - 87,830 87,830 87,792
30 September 2024
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STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
Statement of assets and liabilities
As at 30 September 2024
----- Start of picture text -----
CASH FUNDS 2024 £ 2023 £
Cash at bank and in hand 87,830 87,792
Total cash funds 87,830 87,792
Restricted funds – –
Unrestricted funds 87,830 87,792
Total cash funds 87,830 87,792
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Approved by the trustees on 15 January 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
Daniel Silverstone
DANIEL SILVERSTONE
Chair of trustees
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Notes to the financial statements
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1. TOTAL PAYMENTS 2024 Total £ 2023 Total £
Staff costs 99,331 59,201
Freelance fees 33,980 49,137
Travel and subsistence 2,641 2,975
Workshops, events and training 2,887 2,891
Hardship fund 3,609 4,043
Digital and other direct costs 6,498 4,154
Professional fees 4,283 2,460
Total payments 153,229 124,861
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
At 30
At 1 October Receipts Payments
2. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS September
2023 £ £ £
2024
Restricted funds
- -
The Henry Smith Charity 38,000 (38,000)
- -
City Bridge Foundation 42,500 (42,500)
Mila Charitable Trust - 10,000 (10,000) -
St. Catherine's Church - 1,630 (1,630) -
Total restricted funds - 92,130 (92,130) -
Unrestricted funds 87,792 61,137 (61,099) 87,830
Total funds 87,792 153,267 (153,229) 87,830
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Purposes of restricted funds
Income and expenditure are restricted by geographical location. HostNation manages three hubs across the UK: Manchester, Newcastle, and London. The donors listed below provide funding restricted to use within specific hubs.
The Henry Smith Charity provide support to HostNation through their ‘Improving Lives’ programme. The grant was provided to support running costs of an organisation providing a befriending service for refugees for three years. Income received this year has been divided between all three hubs.
Manchester
St. Catherine’s Church’s sponsorship group provided funding to be restricted specifically to the Manchester hub.
Newcastle
Mila Charitable Trust is a family trust that supports HostNation in the North East.
London
City Bridge Foundation have been supporting HostNation since 2020, and have an agreement in place to continue providing funding until 2025.
“I love being able to help with the strategic aspects of HostNation’s work and to use my skills and background to support their mission.
It’s so rewarding watching the charity grow, and getting to be part of that.”
OLIVIA, HostNation trustee
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REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Reference and administrative details
For the year ended 30 September 2024
Charity number
1180004
Registered office
23 Lawford Road London NW5 2LH
Trustees
The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:
Dostyar Dost Appointed 1 April 2024 Emiljan Gega Resigned 18 January 2024 Gulsom Gohar Appointed 1 April 2024 Mohamed Massoud Dina Nayeri Resigned 18 January 2024 Olivia Petie Daniel Silverstone Lucy Vidal Joanna Winterbottom Resigned 15 November 2023
Bankers
Metro Bank One Southampton Row London WC1B 5HA
Virgin Money 7 Gold Street Northampton NN1 1EN
Independent examiners
Godfrey Wilson Limited Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD
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