Charity Number 1183558
Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group
Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31st August 2021
1
| Address |
Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group |
|---|---|
| PO Box 1615, Southampton SO17 3WF | |
| Email:info@swvg-refugees.org.uk | |
| Web:www.swvg-refugees.org.uk | |
| Patrons | Miriam Margolyes, OBE |
| John Pilkington | |
| Dr. Shirley Firth | |
| Trustees | Chair: Chris Stephens |
| Treasurer: Andrew White (resigned 20 September | |
| 2021) | |
| David Smith (appointed 20 | |
| September 2021) | |
| Co-ordinator: Claudia Glyn |
|
| Stash Kozlowski | |
| Catherine Hartley | |
| Christine Holloway (resigned 16 November | |
| 2020) | |
| William Brook-Hart | |
| Mark Courtice | |
| Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer | |
| David Retter | |
| Jackie Batchelor (appointed 16 November | |
| 2020) | |
| Momodou Bah (appointed 7 December 2020) | |
| Jeyatharshan Vettivel (appointed 7 December | |
| 2020) | |
| Secretary | Jessica Hasan |
| Administrator | Xanthe Hackett |
| Bankers | HSBC Bank Plc, 19 High Street, Salisbury SO23 9BZ |
| Independent Examiner | Peter Casson FCA |
2
Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group
The Trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2021.
Formation
The charity was formed as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation to take over the activities and assets and liabilities of the unincorporated charity of the same name. It was registered with the Charity Commission on 29 May 2019. The assets and liabilities were transferred between December 2019 and March 2020 and the activities were transferred on 1 January 2020.
Governance and management
The Trustee Board comprises a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 12 members elected at each Annual General Meeting. Trustees who held office during the year are listed on page 2.
The Board meets monthly and is supported by a number of sub-committees each of which includes at least one trustee.
Aims and objectives
The main objects of the Group as set out in its constitution are: For the relief of need, hardship and distress in the United Kingdom amongst refugees, asylum seekers and other immigrants by providing such charitable assistance as the Trustees think fit, including providing such persons with advice, assistance, representation, counselling, in matters such as money, debts, welfare, benefits, housing, health, asylum, immigration, education, training and employment.
Focus of our work
The Group is a volunteer led charity whose members work with asylum seekers and refugees mainly living in Southampton. The core of our work is to provide one-to-one support for individual clients who are assigned a trained visitor who meets with them regularly to provide friendship and practical help. We also have a team of teachers who offer one-to-one English lessons.
Our ASSIST scheme provides some temporary financial support to those clients pursuing their asylum claim, who are destitute but are not entitled to receive benefits or undertake paid work.
Our Legal Justice fund allows us to use the services of a very experienced immigration solicitor who provides advice to the Group on individual client cases and provides training for our members.
SWVG is a partner in the Avenue Multicultural Centre and contributes to the running of the Centre with three other charities. Each Friday we staff a help desk with two experienced visitors and the SWVG administrator.
Review of the year Covid 19
3
Restrictions to control Covid 19 have been in place throughout the year, reducing the opportunity for face to face contact with clients. Volunteers have maintained contact with clients by phone and online wherever possible. The drop-in centre at Avenue St Andrews closed in March 2020 and only re-opened in September 2021.There has been very little movement of asylum seekers from NASS accommodation and few clients have seen any progress with resolving their outstanding applications. A group of asylum seekers were moved into a hotel in Southampton early in 2021 and efforts were made to support them with English lessons and other activities. The hotel was then closed at short notice with the occupants moved elsewhere. The policy of suspending evictions continued. This resulted in few asylum seekers being referred to us needing accommodation. Only 2 of the hostel’s six rooms were occupied for most of the year. About our clients We are supporting 22 clients with regular visits, most of them living in NASS accommodation. During the year 7 clients have been granted leave to remain. 44 individuals are currently receiving English lessons. A further 21 students received lessons during the year. The hostel
At the start of the year 5 clients were living in the hostel. 3 moved into NASS accommodation within three months. Due to the “no evictions” policy asylum seekers whose claims were unsuccessful were not required to leave their accommodation so SWVG did not receive any new referrals until August 2021. English teaching The grant of £8,000 received last year from Migration Exchange to facilitate teaching English remotely has allowed us to purchase 13 laptops together with routers and mobile hubs to loan to clients. We also purchased monthly mobile data packages for 25 clients which also benefitted other adult family members and children. The project has been very successful and will be continued. Volunteers and staf
In spite of the pandemic we have continued to receive applications from potential volunteers. Much of our training activity can now be arranged online. We have approximately 90 active volunteers. Our 2 part time staff continue to provide essential support services. Campaigning
SWVG has joined “Together with Refugees” national coalition and its “Show Your Heart” campaign. We are calling for a compassionate asylum system and for changes to the cruel and damaging Borders Bill which is presently before Parliament. We campaigned against the Home Office’s plan to intern people who seek asylum in an isolated camp north of Winchester. The Government withdrew this plan just before the local elections.
Finance
Receipts for the year were £96,153, and payments were £77,762, producing a surplus of £18,391.
The activities of the unincorporated charity were transferred to the present organisation on 1 January 2020 and so the comparative figures represent receipts and payments for the 8 month period to 31 August 2020.
Receipts-Grants
Grants from charitable trusts amounted to £38,815. We are grateful for a further grant from the Tolkien Trust of £20,000 which covers a significant part of our core costs.
We are also grateful for a new grant from the Lush Charity Pot for the Legal Justice fund and grants from new funders The Orange Tree Trust and the One Percent
4
Scheme. The National Lottery continues to fund subsistence costs for hostel residents. Details of grants received are set out on page 8 of this report. Receipts-Legacies
We received 2 legacies during the year amounting to £20,200 for which we are very grateful. These are the first legacies received by SWVG. The trustees have designated £20,000 of this amount as an Emergency Response Fund to ensure that sufficient funds are available to react promptly to unforeseen events.
Receipts-Other income
We are grateful for the donations we have received from churches, other organisations and many individuals who have continued to support us in difficult circumstances. In particular we are grateful for donations amounting to £2,500 since August 2020 from St Peter’s Church in Winchester towards food costs for clients. The pandemic has restricted the organisation of fundraising events. We were able to arrange a sponsored walk and cycle event in September 2020 which raised over £10,000. We are grateful to all those that took part and those who donated. Payments included £38,410 for accommodation and subsistence for destitute asylum seekers which include rent of £27,500 for the hostel. Expenditure on other client activities was significantly reduced due to the pandemic.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees have agreed that the value of unrestricted reserves should be between £40,000 and £50,000 representing approximately 6 months normal expenditure. Unrestricted reserves at 31 August, excluding the designated fund, were £ 50,006.
This report was approved by the Trustees on 18 October 2021 and signed on their behalf by Chris Stephens (Chair).
Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group
Independent Examiner’s report to the Trustees
I report to the Committee on my examination of the accounts of Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (the Group) for the year ended 31 August 2021.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Trustees of the Group 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 Group’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
5
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:
- Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Group as required by section
130 of the Act; or
- 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.
Peter Casson FCA 28 October 2021
13 Skylark Road Trumpington Cambridge CB2 9AQ
Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group Accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2021
Receipts and payments
| 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ||||
| Unrestric | Tota | Total | ||
| ted | Restricte | l | ||
| d | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| RECEIPTS | ||||
| Donations from organisations | 1,615 | 2,000 | 3,615 | 750 |
| Donations from individuals including | 20,736 | 970 | 21,706 | 15,486 |
| gift aid | ||||
| Grants from charitable trusts | 26,300 | 12,515 | 38,815 | 40,220 |
| Legacies | 20,200 | 0 | 20,200 | 0 |
6
| Proceeds of fund-raising events Interest Total receipts PAYMENTS Visitors’ travel and other expenses Payments to or for clients Professional fees For accommodation and subsistence Food vouchers Travel English teaching Social activities Other Total payments to or for clients Administration Salaries Expenses relating to fund-raising activities Training Printing, stationery, postage, etc Website Other Total administration expenses Total payments Net excess of receipts over payments for the year Transfers from unincorporated charity Balance brought forward Balance carried forward |
11,327 0 11,327 3,513 490 0 490 199 |
|---|---|
| 80,668 15,485 96,153 60,168 |
|
| 1,417 0 1,417 470 |
|
| 0 1,034 1,034 390 30,640 7,770 38,410 31,984 0 2,260 2,260 240 2,715 441 3,1 56 2,0 10 947 8,000 8,947 1,422 1,895 0 1,895 857 2,023 466 2,489 684 |
|
| 38,220 19,971 58,191 37,587 |
|
| 15,376 0 15,376 9,920 216 0 2 16 1 60 190 504 694 272 509 0 509 573 216 0 216 330 1,143 0 1,143 2,113 |
|
| 17,650 504 18,154 13,368 |
|
| 57,287 20,475 77,762 51,425 |
|
| 23,381 (4,990) 18,391 8,743 0 0 0 54,142 46,625 16,260 62,885 0 |
|
| 70, 006 11, 270 81,276 62,885 |
Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group Accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2021
Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 August 2021
Receiv Paid 31.08.2 01.09.2 ed 1 0
7
| CASH FUNDS Unrestricted Funds General Unrestricted Funds Emergency Response Fund Total Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds ASSIST scheme Subsistence for hostel residents Legal Justice fund English teaching Other Total Restricted Funds Total Funds Represented by: HSBC current account Nationwide Building Society Redwood Bank Float for expenses DEBTORS Tax on Gift Aid donations Other debtors CREDITORS For expenses |
£ £ 46,625 60,668 0 20,000 |
£ £ 57,287 50,00 6 0 20,00 0 |
|---|---|---|
| 46,625 80,668 |
57,287 70,006 |
|
| 2,500 0 5,500 6,365 0 8,000 260 5,000 1,000 3,120 |
2,50 0 0 5,27 0 6,595 2,099 8,000 2,606 2,901 1,0 00 7 74 |
|
| 16,260 15,485 |
20,475 11,270 |
|
| 62,885 96,153 |
77,762 81,276 |
|
| 31.08.2 1 31.08.2 0 £ £ 1,876 10,485 25,000 23,000 54,000 29,000 400 400 |
||
| 81,276 62,885 |
||
| 789 1,282 410 970 |
||
| 1,199 2,252 |
||
| 161 855 |
Signed for and on behalf of the Trustees on 18 October 2021 by
Chris Stephens (Chair)
8
Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group Accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2021
| NOTES: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRANTS | 2021 | 202 | ||
| 0 | ||||
| Unrestric | Restrict | Tot | Tot | |
| ted | ed | al | al | |
| Grants received from charitable trusts | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| were: | ||||
| The Tolkien Trust | 20,000 | 20,000 | ||
| 20,000 | ||||
| Knight Charitable Trust | 400 | 400 | 400 | |
| Sheba Charitable Trust | 400 | 400 | 0 | |
| St Clare and St Francis Trust | 500 | 500 | 0 | |
| The Orange Tree Trust | 5,000 | 5,000 | 0 | |
| Legal Justice Fund | ||||
| Lush Charity Pot | 5,000 | 5,000 | 0 | |
| The ASSIST scheme | ||||
| The 29thMay 1961 Charitable Trust | 0 | 0 | 3,000 | |
| Subsistence for hostel residents | ||||
| The National Lottery | 6,365 | 6,365 | 8,820 | |
| English teaching | ||||
| Migration Exchange - Respond and | 0 | 0 | 8,000 | |
| Adapt | ||||
| One Percent Scheme | 1,000 | 1,000 | 0 | |
| Other | 150 | 150 | 0 | |
| 26,3 | 12,515 | 38,815 | 40,220 | |
| 00 |
TRUSTEE EXPENSES
Expenses reimbursed to trustees during the period amounted to £ 595 (2020 £1,064).
COMMITMENTS
The Group had outstanding commitments for the support of clients which fall after the year end of £5,023 (2020 £5,243).
9