2025-05-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT 2024/25

CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION (CIO) NO. 1181855 SANCTUARYINCHICHESTER.ORG

Supported by:y

INTRODUCTION

Sanctuary in Chichester provides practical, social and pastoral support to refugees and asylum seekers in the Chichester area.

The charity has two strategic aims:

That all beneficiaries are safe and feel welcome and safe in their new, adopted community.

support around 550 beneficiaries, although the number changes daily.

I hope this brief report sheds some light on the challenges we faced over the year, the quantity and scope of work we delivered, and the impacts of these efforts on the lives of those we support.

That all beneficiaries develop lives independent of state and charitable support to the extent that they are able.

I’m proud that we have continued to deliver on these aims amid continual increase in demand, through the board, staff and volunteers working together as a close-knit team.

This was the charity’s 6th year of operation as a CIO, and it has grown significantly in every aspect since its registration. We currently

Tony Toynton

CHAIR OF TRUSTEES

SANCTUARY IN CHICHESTER | ANNUAL REPORT 2024/ 25

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2024/ 25 CHALLENGES

New families arriving every

week , often with little or no prior notice, putting a huge strain on volunteers and staff.

Increased throughput at the asylum hotel and in the community , with families and individuals receiving leave to remain and then being evicted from their Home Office accommodation, in immediate need of new accommodation and to establish some means of financial support or income for themselves.

This in turn has put significant strain on local housing provision . Whilst

Chichester District Council housing service remains a regular and sympathetic provider, it is clear that suitable

accommodation cannot always be provided as and when needed for our beneficiaries. A lot of work and funds go into preventing street homelessness, including

for women and families with children.

Ensuring that all asylum seekers submit paperwork and attend asylum interviews as required to retain Home Office support until a decision on their application is made. This can be a challenge when language barriers and mental health problems, such as PTSD, are present. A small number of individuals fell completely out of the system during the year, due to a paperwork error or similar resulting in them being evicted from their accommodation and without any statutory support whatsoever.

Securing appropriate legal support for all that need it is often difficult and time

consuming , with seemingly every law firm that handles asylum cases already fully committed and often unwilling to take on new clients.

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DEVELOPMENT

MIND PARTNERSHIP -

Following a successful pilot project and an increased grant from Chichester District Council, West Sussex Mind is now in a position to recruit a new mental health worker to provide vital support to our beneficiaries and volunteers, for 30 hours per week.

ALLOTMENTS - Led by trustees Mike Mansergh and Mark Stables, the charity now benefits from taking care of two allotments. A small number of keen volunteers and beneficiaries set about preparing the ground for a bumper crop this growing season. Working outside in the fresh air, together with other likeminded people, is proven to be beneficial to health and wellbeing, and certainly those involved are really enjoying the experience as well as the fruits of their labour.

struggle; they sometimes lag behind their peers academically, face language barriers, and some find it hard to navigate school expectations that are new to them.

A lot of the children have endured trauma and all have faced major upheaval with no certainty about their families’ future, which can all make learning and social integration very difficult.

To support the sterling work of our local schools, we have recruited a band of Volunteer Teachers (VTs) to provide extra language and integration support.

Our aim is to help these young people feel valued, settle into their new environment, build in confidence, and access the education they need to thrive.

SCHOOLS SUPPORT PROJECT -

Many refugee and asylum-seeking families have children attending local schools.

Some 20 VTs spend on average one hour each week in schools, working with around 50 beneficiary children.

Primary-age pupils tend to pick up English quickly and adapt well. Secondary-age arrivals often

There is no ceiling to this work and the VT recruitment drive continues...

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SPOTLIGHT ON ALLOTMENTS

We are a group of volunteer gardeners meeting twice a week to weed, water, plant fruit and vegetables, and pick what has ripened. We share the harvest among ourselves and with other friends. Later, we take some time to drink coffee, where the aroma of coffee blends with the scent of soil.

A small allotment in Chichester brings together people who were born in this town decades ago and refugees who arrived only months earlier. The act of gardening erases any differences between us and gently weaves bonds of friendship and familiarity – just as the earth does with its seeds, turning them into strong roots and fruitful plants.

We come to the land thinking we are caring for it, only to find that it is truly the one caring for us.

Ishraq Albitawi

ALLOTMENT PARTICIPANT

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PROJECT UPDATES

Visit sanctuaryinchichester.org/blog to see more in-depth updates on our projects, activities and events, as well as beneficiary and volunteer stories, including photos and videos.

Chichester Park Hotel

Sanctuary in Chichester was the first charity to work directly with the Chichester Park Hotel when it opened as asylum accommodation in October 2023. The hotel houses up to 200 asylum seekers, all of whom are families or single women.

guidance on form-filling and understanding the asylum system are also significant supports at the hotel.

Note: a more detailed report on our work at the hotel is available to members of the charity on request.

Since opening, 375 individuals have passed through the hotel or currently live there. We employ a full-time coordinator at the hotel, who works with hotel management and security staff to coordinate the support offered, not only through our volunteers but also by other charities, local churches and other organisations keen to help.

English tutoring

28 beneficiaries received regular one-to-one English tuition. We have a long waiting list of keen learners, so recruitment of qualified volunteer tutors is ongoing.

Support includes provision of clothes, toiletries, and items needed for new mothers and babies. English tutoring, and

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Leave to Remain

Our staff and volunteers also give help and advice to those seeking asylum, to help prepare them for when they are evicted from the hotel or other accommodation provided by the Home Office in our local area.

Once people are notified that the Home Office has granted them leave to remain they have only 56 days, recently reduced to 28 days, to find themselves somewhere to live and a source of income.

Our team therefore provides Headline stats guidance on finding work, gaining skills, enrolling in education and training, applying for benefits and securing affordable rented housing.

These are all key elements of our Pathways to Independence programme.

pathways to independence

94 individuals were active participants in our central programme, Pathways to Independence (PTI), designed to ensure people can successfully build their new lives to the point that they no longer need our support. (122 participated since PTI launched in 2023.) We are working on expanding access to this effective and impactful programme.

“Rolls-Royce has finally accepted me, and I officially started work two days ago. Thank you so much for your kind support and encouragement - it has been invaluable to me.”

PTI participant

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weekly women’s group

Attendance ranged between 12 and 41, with up to 12 children making use of the crèche provided. A lot of the women we support speak little or no English to start with, and some are illiterate in their own languages, so we provide specialist language tuition at the weekly Women’s Group, alongside creative activities and information sharing sessions. Women find connection and build friendships in this safe and welcoming space.

weekly drop-in

Average attendance at these lively social events for the period 1st June '24 to 31st May '25, was 75 attendees in total, comprising an average of 46 beneficiaries (including 14 children) and 20 volunteers.

Headline stats

Total beneficiaries: 550 - 600 (changes daily)

________

200 asylum seekers housed at the hotel, including around 50 children, awaiting Home Office decisions.

32 asylum seekers housed in the community, including 10 children, awaiting decisions.

257 refugees on Government resettlement schemes, including 150 children.

77 refugees, including 32 children, who received leave to remain and chose to settle in the Chichester area.

Below: creations from the children’s art table at the weekly drop-in.

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Nations United Football

Between 30 and 35 players joined us throughout the year, for our weekly practice sessions and regular match fixtures. Supported by four dedicated volunteers and the University of Chichester, we also welcomed our first female players.

Photo: Nations United (turquoise kit) tackling Southampton FC’s refugee team in May 2025

COMING UP...

CO-CREATION DRIVES STRATEGY AND MORE

Staff and trustees found that due to Sanctuary in Chichester’s constant rapid growth, our systems and policies had not kept up with the organisation’s needs. We were also keen to ensure participation of the whole SiC community in every aspect of our organisation’s ongoing development, through co-creation. So we set up a task force - the Policy Review & Development Group, consisting of trustees, staff and volunteers, which will also draw in beneficiaries where appropriate. The group began work in June, systematically examining our existing policies, procedures and documentation, and amending or replacing anything that needs updating.

In addition, Sanctuary Chair Tony Toynton has led a highly participatory and collaborative process for developing our

2026/ ‘27 Strategic Plan, involving stakeholders from across our organisation, including beneficiaries, as well as from local partner organisations.

The Strategic Plan will be launched at our AGM in October, and will be available to view on our website along with details of the planning process.

Huge thanks to our beneficiaries, partners, staff and volunteers who contributed their insights, time and energy into helping us improve our operations and develop our strategy. This work has ensured our organisation is in a strong position for delivering on our strategic aims going into 2026.

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FINANCIALS Independent examIne￿5 r•port on th• accounts to the trustees of Sanctuary in Chichester Charlty no. II81855 On accounts for t￿y•ar •ndod JI May 2025 S•tYJton p•gwntf ¢fQWt lo¢hetlu5teoSonn¥wAm￿0t￿￿0fth1CC￿AS￿l￿4l￿￿chUityl￿￿TfUttTrf0r Lh•swr St￿ch￿￿￿lWUst••￿&VJ￿•1•w1tl•￿ I￿￿￿￿tIanC1th1CcaUr￿1nXCc1￿nr•¥¥ithtr reqUirw￿nIsQft￿tharltkX￿Cl2o)I Incarfy?r￿ts￿l1WQYAmI￿1rIn, althÈaprAKatDliectvJnsgThen &￿tr￿Charli￿ColM￿￿n utthtsettl￿I4S1SI1￿of1￿I thpar(¢)un15did nat acCL¥d%Whl￿￿￿L￿￿ntl￿ie￿g￿￿o anindEpwKknlwaminèt SKJrt4d.' Datw. 26101126 nthorycorkett R•l•vaThi prof•sslonal qualth¢4tii)Iilsl Or btsty. meM￿r01 In5titui*of CharteredAccounUlnfsof Scotland Copperheld&Crooknl Lan￿. Birdham. P0207H SANCTUARY IN CHICHESTEP | ANNUAL REPOPT 202412S

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introduction of reserves Trustees carried out a risk FINANCIALS assessment exercise, whereby known risks were assessed against likelihood and potential impact. The board concluded that the single biggest risk to the charity’s finances on that basis is the Home Office identifying a second hotel in our area for asylum seeker accommodation.

Trustees therefore decided to mitigate the impact of that risk by creating a separate reserve of £40,000 that would cover the majority of the cost of a paid staff member to coordinate hotel support, similar to the provision at Chichester Park hotel.

This risk assessment will be repeated as part of the 2025/ 26 budget-setting.

Tony Toynton

CHAIR OF TRUSTEES

SANCTUARY IN CHICHESTER | ANNUAL REPORT 2024/ 25

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