**ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2020/2021** **VIETNAMESE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP** ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 ## **REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1183593** ## **VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE SCHOOL** **80** students taught at the Vietnamese language school Lessons moved from physical to online as a result of the pandemic **256** individuals sought help covering issues like mental wellbeing, signposting and language support ## **CULTURAL EVENTS** ## **ADVICE & SUPPORT CENTRE** Set up during this time to help the Vietnamese community **520** people attended both virtually and physically Our flagship events included the Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival **2** ## **CHAIR'S REPORT** Katherine Hussein In the second year since setting up Vietnamese Family Partnership ('VFP') as a charity, I am so pleased to see the real progress in delivering our objectives. To support our ambitions, VFP have appointed a strong board of trustees with the expertise to grow VFP's impact and reach over the coming years. In July 2021, we hosted our first Strategy Day where we celebrated our achievements, thought about the issues our community faces and set our strategic priorities going ahead. We have reviewed our own governance, particularly our Board meetings with the introduction of formal papers sent ahead of time and the creation of a project tracker to help us deliver and monitor performance against our priorities. As a charity, we are committed to supporting the Vietnamese community and promoting the wider understanding of Vietnamese culture. With volunteering and fundraising, we have a wide and committed group of individuals who have, and continue to demonstrate, their support for VFP. ## **I am so proud to represent VFP in its work and I hope you will learn more about us and the impact we're achieving in this Annual Report** Lastly, I want to say we are so grateful for the continuing support from our partners, volunteers and community which, when combined with the work of our Chief Executive and trustees, enable us to support the needs of the Vietnamese community. ## **Katherine May Hussein** Chair of Vietnamese Family Partnership **3** ## **CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT** Quynh Nguyen This was a pivotal year for our community as the year 2020-2021 pushed our limits. Families struggled with the COVID19 pandemic with personal losses and the two main areas of work for the Vietnamese community: Hospitality and Nail Beauty industries were badly affected, leaving many struggling to find employment. These events created deep uncertainty about the future. How can a small charity like ours deliver on our commitments to all stakeholders? What are the opportunities to affirm our position in the community and develop our charity into sustainability? Not only did Vietnamese Family Partnership (Gia Dinh Viet) play an important role in demonstrating responsible leadership, we also took a pause to reflect on what we do very well, reviewed our mission and strategies, and planned a future focused on amplifying those efforts. In 2021, our charity showed tremendous resilience and responsibility as we delivered support to vulnerable people, empowered younger generations and connected a range of partner organisations, serving our Vietnamese community. I’m incredibly proud of the Board of Trustees, volunteers, and those who have been giving us continuous support. ## **Quynh Nguyen** Chief Executive of Vietnamese Family Partnership **4** ## **STUDENTS FELT MORE CONFIDENT** in speaking, reading and listening to Vietnamese after attending our Vietnamese language school ## **100%** of service users would recommend our Advice & Support Centre to others ## **CONNECTING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY** **----- Start of picture text -----**
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of students and parents would recommend our language classes to friends and family ## **PROVIDED HELP & SUPPORT** with 70% of service users in South East London where a high number of Vietnamese communities reside **101** individuals participated in our cultural competitions/events with 6 cultural competitions such as best photos with Vietnamese traditional dresses, making rice cakes, singing and reading poems **5** ## ## **REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER** 1183593 ## **CHIEF EXECUTIVE** Quynh Nguyen ## **TRUSTEES** Andy Quach David Tran Julia Thanh Katherine May Hussein **(Chair)** Quynhnhu Nguyen Tammie Le Thoai Nhu Nguyen Tung Nguyen **(Secretary)** Van Tim Hoang Yuk Cheng Tran ( **Treasurer)** ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER** Andrew McGuire ## **CONTACT** Evelyn Community Centre 1 Kingfisher Square LONDON SE8 5TW email: hello@vietfp.org website: www.vietfp.org **6** ## **ESTABLISHMENT OF VFP** Vietnamese Family Partnership is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered on 28th May 2019. The registered charity number is 1183593. ## **ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE** The Trust is administered by a Board of Trustees that meets six times a year with additional meetings called when required to discuss new initiatives or plan events. The trustees are set out on page 6 and include a Secretary and a Treasurer. Trustees are not remunerated but reasonable expenses are paid. The day-to-day management of VFP is carried out by Quynh Nguyen. ## **TRUSTEE RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** The Board of Trustees has the power to appoint new Trustees as and when it sees fit; no single Trustee has the power to appoint any other. Trustee recruitment is carried out by a panel of trustees and members and approved by a quorum, including the Chair. Every trustee is provided with information about VFP’s constitution, policies and activities together with information on the Charity Commission guidance. Trustees are offered the opportunity to attend further training courses should they wish to do so. **7** Objectives & activities ## **MISSION STATEMENT** To bring the Vietnamese community together and to help them to thrive in wider British society. ## **VISION** A strong, connected Vietnamese community where children, young adults, families and elderly are empowered to thrive in wider society. ## **KEY OBJECTIVES & PRIORITIES** VFP are a London-based charity that aims to bring the Vietnamese community together. We believe that we are stronger together and that understanding our cultural identity is key to fulfilling our life potential. We provide support and advice, Vietnamese language lessons and cultural events for the entire community, such as our flagship Lunar New Year event. Key priorities include: 1. **Vietnamese Language & Culture School:** To provide cultural education and help people to connect with their Vietnamese identity and families 2. **Advice & Support Centre:** To provide the community with support and advice and help them thrive in wider society 3. **Community events:** To build a stronger sense of community and visibility in wider society We help people on the journey to connect with their Vietnamese culture and identity to better understand themselves. We welcome and respect people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs. **8** ## **ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCE** - This year the **Viet School** had a total of 80 students. After taking lessons, most of our students appreciated opportunities to engage with Vietnamese language and culture and can identify themselves when learning language and culture. - Our **Advice & Support Centre** served a total of 256 individuals and our survey showed that the speed and sensitivity shown in our service was critical to resolving issues met by Vietnamese people in the community. _"It is much easier to share my experience with someone who speaks Vietnamese and understands my cultural background"_ ## Case study: Mr V was so stressed out and panicked when he received an eviction letter from his Social Housing Association. The letter demanded him to leave his home in two weeks. He was desperately looking for help. He came across VFP online and booked a session through the Advice & Support Centre. After assessing his situation, our project worker reassured him and worked with his landlord, explaining the situation and the reason that he could not keep up with payments. We were able to negotiate the repayment terms for him and by the end of our session, Mr V was so happy and felt so much relief that he could stay in his flat. Following our session, we supported him in applying for benefits in order to pay his rent and debt. - Our **events** have been seen as a great example of collaboration across the Vietnamese community - truly organised for the community and by the community. Not only do our events bring the community together but they help our younger generations gain confidence in their Vietnamese roots and allow them to celebrate their cultural identity. ## **FUTURE ACTIVITIES AND PLANS** Our future plans will include: - investing additional resources into our Advice & Support Centre to reach the people hardest hit by the crisis, specifically due to language barriers and lack of digital skills extending the provision of our service with an extra caseload manager who will work with service users with tailored support in our office (in-person and virtual). The service will be open for 10 hours a week (Monday-Friday) - proactive marketing to raise COVID-19 awareness and encourage vaccination uptake in the community - English language classes for Vietnamese natives **9** ## The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: - select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; - observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; - state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and - prepare the accounts on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. The trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity’s website in accordance with legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements. This report has been approved by the trustees and members on 26 January 2022 and signed on their behalf by: ## **Katherine May Hussein** Chair of Vietnamese Family Partnership **10** I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021 which are set out on pages 12 and 13. In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or - the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or - the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 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. ## **Andrew McGuire** Qualification/professional body: AAT Level 3 Address: 30 Sandringham Avenue, PE318QH Date: 26 August 2021 **11** Financial statement CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGIAND AND WALES V￿tnam¢s￿ Famlly Portn¢rshlp IGla Dlnho Vlgti 1183593 Recei ts and ments accounts To CC16a For the period from 0110412020 3110312021 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestrlcted funds Rgstrlcted fund8 Endowment funds Toial funds Last year th• n•uètst tOlh• hMrMt£ tOlh• nMMIi£ ioth• n•aM•t £ toth• n•tr•At £ A1 R•c•l ts N•liono1 Lot￿ry Communl Tnjst for London L¢t)don 8orough olL•￿ShAM Ewtsni lundt*i$lD M¢mbership f8esl¢onidbulvM8 D￿allOn# ivl Fund 9,199 9,908 9,906 4,400 4,185 1,216 53S J5.601 ¥.019 1,215 035 L¢￿0￿ C