|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Trustees' Annual Report**|||||**for theperiod**|||
|**From**|Period start date|||**To**|Period end date|||
||01|April|2024||31|March|2025|
## Section A Reference and administration details
**Charity name**
Refugee Aid from Taunton
**Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any)** 1180367
RAFT
**Charity's principal address** Unit 4, Enterprise Park
Priorswood Road Taunton, Somerset **Postcode** TA2 8DU
**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
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3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Elaine Dew||Resigned 28 September
2024||
||Fareda Fakhrai||||
||Federica Smith-
Roberts|Chair|||
||Jessica Wintrip||||
||Keith Dew|Treasurer|||
||Lynette Clark||||
||Mark Curtis||||
||Michelle Ferris||||
||Paul Roylance||||
||Tushie Tidman||Appointed 8 March 2025||
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
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**Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)**
**Name Dates acted if not for whole year**
March **2012**
**TAR**
1
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|
|---|---|---|
|**Type of adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|||
||||
||||
||||
||||
|**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**|||
||||
## **Section B Structure, governance and management**
## **Description of the charity’s trusts**
Constitution dated 18 October 2018 Type of governing document
- (eg. trust deed, constitution)
Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Trustees are appointed by the current board, based on their expertise and Trustee selection methods experience of the charity. (eg. appointed by, elected by)
## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)**
New trustees receive a copy of the charity’s constitution, accounts and You **may choose** to include major policies on appointment. It is anticipated that any new trustees are additional information, where likely to already be aware of the charity’s operations but full briefing will be relevant, about: given by existing charities if required.
- policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
The charity is run on a day to day basis by its trustees. All trustees are volunteers and practically the operations are carried out by volunteers, both trustees and others. The charity does not have any paid staff.
- the charity’s organisational structure and any wider The trustees consider the major risks to the charity at every meeting and network with which the charity what is being done to manage them. works;
- relationship with any related parties;
- trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
## **Section C Objectives and activities**
**Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document**
The objects of the CIO are: 1) For the public benefit to relieve and assist the victims of war, conflict or natural disaster throughout the world, in particular but not exclusively, by the provision of clothing, sanitary wear, volunteers, funds, food, medical aid, accommodation, access to water and sanitation and other humanitarian assistance. 2) The prevention or relief of poverty or financial hardship in particular, but not exclusively, by providing persons in need with grants or money or by providing or paying for services, items or facilities.
March **2012**
**TAR**
2
- 3) The protection and preservation of the environment, in particular but not exclusively, by the promotion of recycling and sustainable waste management;
4) To further such other purposes which are charitable under the laws of England and Wales as the trustees from time to time determine.
The charity carries out its objects in practice by receiving donations from members of the public (both financial and of goods and clothes) and distributing these to refugees, both in the local community and across the world. Any items unsuitable for distribution are sold at a reduced rate to the local community.
We aim to be zero waste wherever possible, using all donated items in some form, donating to other charities where no other options are available.
**Summary of the main** Public benefit is achieved throughout all our operations, primarily through **activities undertaken for the** the distribution of aid to those in need, and the availability of reduced rate **public benefit in relation to** clothing (including school uniform). **these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)**
## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)**
March **2012**
**TAR**
3
We provide grants to other organisations who share similar charitable objectives. These are assessed by the trustees and full due diligence undertaken to ensure that the organisations that we provide funding to are registered charities.
You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about:
- policy on grantmaking;
Our entire organisation is run by volunteers, for which we are hugely indebted. We would not be able to operate without the generosity of our volunteers, some of whom give large amounts of time to assist us. We are unable to recognise this value in our financial statements, however wish to express our thanks to anyone who has volunteered with the charity during the year.
- policy programme related investment;
- contribution made by volunteers.
## Section D Achievements and performance
March **2012**
**TAR**
4
## Section D Achievements and performance
**Summary of the main** During the year to 31 March 2025, our operations continued to be **achievements of the charity** impacted by issues with supply routes, particularly into unsafe areas such **during the year** as Gaza, with many supply routes to our usual donation points unable to operate. Due partly to this, and partly to the increased need within our local communities, our focus for donations of aid has continued to be locally, although we have once again increased our financial donations to overseas communities that we are not able to reach with physical aid. Our local community has continued to be home to many refugees, both from Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as housing refugees placed in the community by government. We are incredibly grateful to both the people who continue to bring us donations, and the volunteers who assist with collating and sorting, which allows us to help so many people locally. During 2023-24 we were delighted to be able to bring back our local sales to continue our aim to be zero waste and to assist local families and communities with items unsuitable for onward shipping. These have continued throughout the year with great success. Our previous success with online selling (particularly eBay and Vinted), selling items donated to us that are not suitable for onward distribution, or where we can obtain better value for our beneficiaries, has continued. This has allowed us to maintain sufficient reserves to enable us to make monetary donations to organisations working in the overseas areas that we would normally ship to, to allow some aid to still be delivered.
We are also very conscious that the move to a more formal lease arrangement with our premises, whilst providing more security for the charity, puts financial pressure on the charity due to our commitment to pay rent. We are therefore extremely grateful to have been able to generate such significant funds from the sale of items. Going forward, we will need to retain a significant focus on fundraising to allow us to remain financially viable.
As a result of the operational difficulties outlined above, we have succeeded in making 28 shipments during the year, which has been distributed primarily across the Middle East, Ukraine and France, providing 33 tonnes of aid (2024 – 34 shipments, providing 38 tonnes of aid). This is a decrease from 2024 and continues to drop since before Covid. For reference, in 2019-20, we made 96 shipments, delivering 100 tonnes. We respond to need across the world and more recently the need has been more local to us in assisting local refugees.
March **2012**
**TAR**
5
## **Section E Financial review**
**Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves**
The charity is aiming to build reserves sufficient to enable an orderly run down of the charity should it ever be required. It is considered that around 6 months of expenditure should enable this, which is approximately £20,000. In addition, we would like to retain sufficient funds to pay our rent for the committed 2 year period without further income (approx. £35,000). We therefore consider that the balance at the year end of £33,462 is both reasonable and appropriate. The deficit incurred in the year of £10,034 was a conscious decision to spend down some of our funds to communities in need.
**Details of any funds materially in deficit**
## **Further financial review details (Optional information)**
You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant about:
- the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
The income for the charity primarily comes from donations and the sale of goods that are unsuitable for distribution as aid.
Expenditure is spent primarily on carrying out our charitable objectives. Due to our move to rented premises, we are now incurring some more significant overhead costs such as rent, service charge, insurance and some small admin expenses such as printing and postage.
- how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
- investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.
## **Section F Other optional information**
## **Section G Declaration**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
|**Signature(s)**
**Full name(s)**
**Position (eg Secretary, Chair,**
**etc)**
**Date**|K Dew|F Smith-Roberts|
|---|---|---|
||Keith Dew|Federica Smith-Roberts|
||
Treasurer|Chair|
||27/01/25||
||27/01/25||
March **2012**
**TAR**
6
|**Refugee Aid From Taunton**||**1180367**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Receipts andpayments accounts**|||**CC16a**|
|01/04/2024
**For the period**
**from**|**To**|31/03/2025||
## **Section A Receipts and payments**
|**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**3,790**
**39,105**
**-**
**76**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**42,971**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**42,971**
**24,956**
**1,560**
**-**
**1,744**
**172**
**18,011**
**6,562**
**53,005**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**53,005**
**- 10,034**
~~**43,496**~~
**33,462**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
~~**-**~~
**-**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
~~**-**~~
**-**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**3,790**
**39,105**
**-**
**76**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**42,971**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**42,971**
**24,956**
**1,560**
**-**
**1,744**
**172**
**18,011**
**6,562**
**53,005**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**53,005**
**- 10,034**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**3,790**
**39,105**
**-**
**76**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**42,971**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**42,971**
**24,956**
**1,560**
**-**
**1,744**
**172**
**18,011**
**6,562**
**53,005**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**53,005**
**- 10,034**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Donations|**3,790**|||||**3,991**|
|Sale of donated items|**39,105**|||||**42,498**|
|Fundraising|**-**|||||**-**|
|Gift aid received|**76**|||||**79**|
|Grants received|**-**|||||**-**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
|~~**_Sub total_**~~~~_(Gross income for_~~
_AR)_|
**42,971**|||||**46,568**|
||||||||
|**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**|||||||
||**-**||||||
||**-**|||||**-**|
|~~**_Sub total_**~~|**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Total receipts_ **
**A3 Payments**|||||||
|||||||**46,568**|
||||||||
|
Grants and donations|**24,956**|||||**29,368**|
|Transport|**1,560**|||||**1,950**|
|Insurance|**-**|||||**96**|
|Warehouse expenses|**1,744**|||||**2,556**|
|Advertisingandprinting|**172**|||||**-**|
|Rent and rates|**18,011**|||||**18,574**|
|Postage|**6,562**|||||**7,118**|
|**_Sub total_ **|**53,005**|||||**59,662**|
||||||||
|**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|||||||
||**-**||||||
||**-**||||||
|**_Sub total_ **|**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Total payments_ **
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|||||||
|||||||**59,662**|
||||||||
||**- 10,034**|**-**|**-**|
**- 10,034**||**- 13,094**|
||||**-**|**-**||**-**|
||~~**43,496**~~|~~**-**~~|~~**-**~~|~~**43,496**~~||~~**56,590**~~|
||**33,462**|**-**|**-**|**33,462**||**43,496**|
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
29/01/2026
1
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**|K Dew
Signature
F Smith-Roberts
**Details**
**Details**
Bank account
Paypal account
Cash
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**31,360**
**-**
**2,013**
**-**
**89**
**-**
**33,462**
**-**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Federica Smith-Roberts
Keith Dew|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
||F Smith-Roberts|Federica Smith-Roberts|27/01/2025|
||K Dew|Keith Dew|27/01/2025|
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
29/01/2026
2
## **Refugee Aid From Taunton Notes to the Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
1. The accounts have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis and in accordance with Charity Commission’s guidance.
2. Neither the Trustees, nor any person connected with them, have received any remuneration during the year (2024: NIL). No expenses were reimbursed to trustees. (2024: £50 to 4 Trustees).
3. The Charity holds no Restricted funds at 31 March 2025 (2024: Nil).
4. The trustees confirm, in accordance with the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (General) Regulations 2012, that at year end the CIO did not have any outstanding guarantees to third parties nor any debts secured on assets of the CIO.
## **Refugee Aid From Taunton**
## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Refugee Aid From Taunton**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Refugee Aid From Taunton for the year ended 31 March 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity 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 2011 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 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.
Sarah Twist FCA DChA Chartered Accountant A C Mole LLP Stafford House Blackbrook Park Avenue TAUNTON TA1 2PX
29 January 2026