## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 01 July 2021 Period start date To 30 June 2022 Period end date**
## **Charity name: Tyneside Welcomes**
**Charity registration number: 1183738**
## **Objectives and Activities**
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SORP
referenc
e
Summary of the Para Tyneside Welcomes exists for the public
1.17
purposes of the benefit of refugees and their host
charity as set out in communities in Northeast England:-
its governing (1) To relieve poverty and to preserve and
document protect the physical and mental health of
those granted refugee status and their
dependants particularly by practical support,
advice and assistance with the provision of
housing;
(2) To advance the education and training of
those granted refugee status and their
dependents in need thereof so as to advance
them in life and assist them to adapt within a
new community; and
In furtherance of the above 2 purposes the
organisation Tyneside Welcomes sponsors the
integration of refugees and local
communities through practical action and
supportive partnerships with statutory and
other agencies.
Summary of the main Para The way we achieve 1 and 2 is through the
1.17 and
activities in relation to 1.19 community sponsorship scheme (the
those purposes for the community version of the UK Resettlement
public benefit, in Scheme -UKRS-utilised by Local Authorities)
particular, the with the Home Office. We fundraise for the
activities, projects or required 9K per family, identify housing,
services identified in develop a resettlement plan covering ESOL,
the accounts. education, cultural orientation and
integration, support with banking, benefits
and budgeting, volunteering and
employment and accessing health and other
relevant services. We submit applications to
the Home Office and when approved we sign
up to a contract to provide support services
to the family.
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1
The main activities have been developing organisational capacity so we can deliver multiple community sponsorship contracts. We have developed a one organisation model whereby, through a core group of lead sponsors, we provide lead sponsorship for emerging community sponsorship groups that establish ‘branches’ of Tyneside Welcomes. To date we have the original Forest Hall branch plus Amnesty North East Welcomes (currently working in Gateshead), Gosforth and North Shields Welcomes branches. RESET have showcased our work in their recent publicity. https://resetuk.org/stories/as-the-leadsponsor-we-are-like-the-trunk-of-a-tree-andeach-group-we-support-is-like-one-of-thetree-s-branches Working on a broader geographical basis means we have had to build relationships with three Local Authorities: North Tyneside, Gateshead and Newcastle. We have been successful in getting approval to operate community sponsorship in all three Local Authority areas. The specific activities we have been involved with have been. - Continuing support for the first family re-settled in Forest Hall (arrived 1 July 2021). They have settled well in the area but after the birth of their fourth child the property they are currently in has become too small. We have supported them in getting on Tyne and Wear Homes register, getting Indefinite Leave to Remain status, and have also identified a potential property in the private rented sector. They are currently making a decision about this property. - Supporting new branches to build membership and submit applications to the Home Office –three new applications have been submitted this year. The ANEW application has been fully approved and the other two are at different stages of approval. - Pre -approval meetings with the Home Office have been attended by ANEW and North Shields branches and Forest Hall have conducted their final postarrival meeting with RESET to review the first year of community sponsorship. The latter has
2
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demonstrated our effectiveness in
supporting the family re-settled in
Forest Hall.
-
Fundraising efforts have continued and
we have been successful in
significantly increasing our reserves.
This has been through individual
donations, standing orders and the
fund-raising efforts of our branches
-
Identifying properties. We have
successfully identified two landlords
who are willing to rent their properties
at the housing benefit allowance cap
(properties in Gateshead and Forest
Hall). In both cases this entails taking
on some property management
responsibilities and in one case we
have had extra expense to cover some
void costs and minor repairs.
Statement confirming Para The trustees have had regard to the guidance
1.18
whether the trustees issued by the Charity Commission on public
have had regard to benefit. New Trustees have been sent
the guidance issued government guidance on becoming a trustee
by the Charity and had induction by zoom on Tyneside
Commission on public Welcomes constitution and charitable
benefit objectives.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/
charity-trustee-welcome-pack
We have increased the number of Trustees by
1 since the last AGM and still aim to recruit at
least one Trustee with experience of being a
refugee in the next year.
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## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
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SORP
referenc
e
Tyneside Welcomes does not make grants.
Policy on grant making Para
1.38
Policy on social Para n/a
investment including 1.38
program related
investment
All Tyneside Welcomes activity is volunteer-
Contribution made by Para led. No member or Trustee has received
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volunteers 1.38 payment. Volunteers have given skills and
resources to which they have access – their
houses and gardens, culinary and musical
skills, financial administrative and other
professional skills, friendship groups, time
and effort. This has put us in the position
that we have the combined skills, expertise
and resources to resettle multiple families.
The Forest Hall Welcome Team and others
have provided intensive support to a family
that is now reducing as the family move
towards independence.
We have now had over a year’s experience
in supporting a family. Experienced
volunteers are also mentoring and
supporting volunteers who are building
branches. The lead sponsorship support
we provide to our new branches is
voluntary and without any charge. We have
also been able to provide pump prime
funding to enable new branches to rapidly
submit applications to the Home Office.
We have been successful in our application
Other for a grant from the Shapiro Fund,
administered through Pickwell Foundation
(4.5K). This is aimed at speeding up the
community sponsorship process so new
groups do not have to fund raise the full 9K
before they can re-settle a family. The
funding has supported our target of
reaching 4 successful applications during
the next financial year.
We also plan to apply to Community
Foundation for a small grant to cover
operational running costs and are in
dialogue with Tyne and Wear Citizens about
a shared bid for external funding.
The Pickwell Foundation administered
grant was specifically aimed at supporting
a family from Afghanistan but because of
delays in the new Afghanistan Citizens
Resettlement Scheme
(ACRS) scheme becoming operational it
was agreed that we could support a family
from Iraq.
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## **Achievements and Performance**
SORP reference
4
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- we have significantly increased
membership and capacity and are
now acting as lead sponsor for four
Summary of the main branches rather than one. RESET
Para 1.20
achievements of the nominated Tyneside Welcomes as a
charity, identifying the Principal Sponsor in November 2021.
difference the charity’s This has entailed organisational work
work has made to the on systems and processes. We have
circumstances of its streamlined the volunteer application
beneficiaries and any process so applications and
wider benefits to society references can be submitted online
as a whole. and have also revised how financial
information is presented.
- this has enabled us to develop
relationships, governance and
processes so that up to 4 more
families will benefit from the
opportunity to resettle in the UK and
has a positive impact on local
communities working together to
resettle families.
-we are working closely with the
Roman Catholic Diocese to access
larger properties and are actively
engaged in negotiations on two
properties located in North Tyneside
and Newcastle.
-we have taken an outreach approach
to use of social media so interested
parties are aware of what we are
doing through our blog, Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter posts whilst
avoiding undue publicity on the family
themselves and their refugee status.
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## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
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We set a target of developing three
Achievements against new branches and have achieved this
objectives set Para 1.41 with three applications submitted to
the Home Office-we have also met all
our milestones on delivering the
Home Office contract for the first
family.
We have significantly exceeded our
Performance of expectations and can now support
fundraising activities another 4 families in the next
against objectives set Para 1.41 financial year rather than just one
more.
Investment performance n/a
against objectives Para 1.41
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other
## **Financial Review**
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Review of the charity’s Para 1.21 The Charity has closed the year with a
financial position at the healthy balance. Our income has
end of the period significantly exceeded our outgoings
(running costs and expenditure on the
first family). We are in a very good
position to support any ongoing costs
for the first family and well on our
way to having sufficient funds to re-
settle four more families – available
funds stand at £35,560.89
Statement explaining Para 1.22 We have no formal reserves policy at
the policy for holding present time, other than to be
reserves stating why prudent and careful with the funds
they are held entrusted to us. However, the
external examiner of our accounts has
recommended we develop a reserves
policy because of the amount of
funding we have accrued over the last
year. We aim to do this in the next 6
months.
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 n/a
Reasons for holding zero Para 1.22 All funds raised are for the direct
reserves support of the families being re-
settled, engagement and integration
of families into local communities and
minimal running costs.
Tyneside Welcomes is run on a
volunteer basis and does not employ
staff so there is no need to build in a
reserve for any staff related issues
such as redundancy. However, as our
commitments rise and there are
uncertainties that have an impact on
families, such as rising energy costs,
it might be prudent to develop a
policy so there is a contingency for
uncertain external events.
Details of fund materially Para 1.24 n/a
in deficit
Explanation of any Para 1.23 The main uncertainty is Government
uncertainties about the Policy related to the Community
charity continuing as a Sponsorship model. Our reliance on
going concern volunteers brings with it the
assumption (and associated risk) that
there will be people willing to
undertake the work on an ongoing
basis. We have significantly increased
the number of volunteers but have
challenging aims and are taking on
additional responsibilities such as
property management.
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## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
7
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Tyneside Welcomes’ principal sources
The charity’s principal of funding are through fundraising
sources of funds events and donations (both one off
(including any Para 1.47 and standing orders). We have
fundraising) received 4.5 K grant funding recently
but this will appear in the budget for
2022-2023.
We have decided, as true to our
Investment policy and values, to use an ethical bank
objectives including any (Triodos). We also have a local North
social investment policy Para 1.46 East Credit Union account as this was
adopted convenient and quick to set up and
helps our engagement with our local
community.
A description of the We have compiled a Risk Register
principal risks facing the Para 1.46 which is appended below
charity
Other
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## **Structure, Governance and Management**
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Description of charity’s
trusts:
Type of governing Para 1.25 Trust deed
document
(trust deed, royal
charter)
How is the charity Para 1.25 CIO
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)
Trustee selection Para 1.25 Appropriate relevant experience at
methods including right level, as decided by existing
details of any trustees. Two trustee references are
constitutional provisions taken up. We aim to increase diversity
e.g. election to post or among the Trustees and attract at
name of any person or least one Trustee with experience of
body entitled to appoint being a refugee and/or significant
one or more trustees experience supporting
refugees/asylum seekers. We are also
encouraging representation across
new branches of Tyneside Welcomes.
A recruitment and selection process
has been implemented and is
overseen by the Finance and
Governance Group.
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## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
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Trustees meetings include informal
Policies and procedures time to support those new to the role
adopted for the and to discuss the attendant
induction and training of Para 1.51 responsibilities. The Chair and other
trustees Trustees meet individually with new
Trustees to help induct them.
The formal members of the CIO are
The charity’s the Trustees. All Trustees are also
organisational structure members of the Co-ordinating
and any wider network Para 1.51 Committee (CC) which has a crucial
with which the charity role in agreeing expectations and
works informing and supporting the
Trustees. Trustees maintain a full
overview of these activities and we
are reviewing the role of Co-
ordinating Committee and subgroups.
We are considering reducing Co-
ordinating Committee meetings to
quarterly. As new branches have
emerged they are convening their
own regular meetings to organise
their operational work.
All safeguarding and financial
decisions are taken by Trustees, not
the Co-ordinating Committee,
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although the Trustees seek the views
of the CC.
Branches with active sponsorship in
place hold monthly informal support
events for volunteers, where issues
and questions can be sensitively
explored.
Tyneside Welcomes supports the
integration of refugees and local
communities through practical action
and supportive partnerships with
statutory and other agencies.
We have external links with: RESET,
SponsorRefugees, North Tyneside
Council, Newcastle City Council,
Gateshead Council, Home Group,
North East Landlords, Newcastle and
Northumbria Universities, and the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham
and Newcastle. Our volunteers also
volunteer or work with Walking With,
Asylum Matters and West End
Refugee Service. Tyneside Welcomes
is currently a member of Tyne and
Wear Citizens, with the chair of
Trustees also on the Citizens
leadership team so this gives us
access to a broader network of
organisations.
We are members of the Community
Relationship with any Sponsorship Council and since our
related parties Para 1.51 approval in the last year as a Principal
Sponsor are also a member of the
Principal Sponsor Alliance.
Other
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## **Reference and Administrative details**
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Charity name Tyneside Welcomes
Other name the charity @TyneWelcomes on Twitter
uses
Registered charity 1183738
number
Charity’s principal 11 Victoria Avenue
address Newcastle upon Tyne
NE12 8AX
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10
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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Name of person (or body)
Dates acted if not for
Trustee name Office (if any) entitled to appoint trustee
whole year
(if any)
Richard Young Chair From 01 October Panel of selected Trustees
2019 - overseen by Finance and
Term of office Governance Group
1 extended to 3
October 2024
Alasdair Wilson 4 October 2021 – 3 Panel of selected Trustees
2 October 2024 overseen by Finance and
Governance Group
Sally Mitchison Safeguarding From 30 October Panel of selected Trustees
4 Lead 2019 overseen by Finance and
To 29 October 2022 Governance Group
Jill Bradbury From 30 October Panel of selected Trustees
2019 - overseen by Finance and
5 term of office Governance Group
extended until 3
October 2024
Lindsay Brigham Secretary From 30 October Panel of selected Trustees
6 2019 overseen by Finance and
To 29 October 2022 Governance Group
Jane Mary Young From 27 November Panel of selected Trustees
7 2019 overseen by Finance and
To 26 November 2022 Governance Group
Judith McSwaine Treasurer From 4 October 2021 Panel of selected Trustees
8 – 3 October 2024 overseen by Finance and
Governance Group
Melissa Schueler From 14 April 2021 Panel of selected Trustees
9 To 13 April 2024 overseen by Finance and
Governance Group
Hellen Giblin From 19 April 2022 to Panel of selected Trustees
10 Jowett 18 April 2025 overseen by Finance and
Governance Group
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
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19
20
Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
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Trustee name Dates acted if not for
whole year
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12
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets n/a held in this capacity
Name and objects of the n/a charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements n/a for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Type of Name Address adviser**
**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
## **Other optional information**
13
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s) Full name(s)** Lindsay Brigham **Position (eg** Secretary to Trustees **Secretary, Chair, etc)**
**Date** 21st August 2022
14
## Tyneside Welcomes
## **Risk Register**
Issue 2 reviewed by 20/1/22 First issue Aug 2020
Impact on the charity or its aims (r): 1 – very low to 5 – severe
Likelihood of occurrence (p): 1 – very unlikely to 5 – very likely
Aim of mitigation is to reduce likelihood (rm) and/or impact (pm) hence lower product of r and p
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Risk Potential Likeli- Impact Mitigation Revised Revised Revised
impact hood factor Impact Likeli- impact
(r) (p) rm hood pm factor
r x p rm x pm
Humanitarian
Adverse or retrograde 4 3 12 1) Be aware of potential changes. 3 2 6
change in Government 2) Be ready to campaign against adverse
policies change
Covid 19 Pandemic: 5 4 20 1) Work to maintain enthusiasm of the 3 3 9
changes in travel and group and support members directly
other restrictions due to affected by Covid-19
adverse changes in virus 3) Ensure Covid risk assessments carried
behaviour, firstly, to delay out for all relevant tasks and interactions
further families arriving, 4) Team leaders to enable training of
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secondly to difficulties for volunteers to be safe during their duties.
effective help being
delivered to families by
our volunteers
Reputational
A volunteer or trustee is 5 2 10 1) Ensure robust recruiting process 3 1 3
suspected or proven to including DBS checks and references
have carried out a crime 2) Safe procedures for interacting with
or misdemeanour beneficiaries
3) Suitable financial procedures.
4) Whether volunteer or trustee, ensure
safeguarding procedures are both robust
and followed
5) Ensure suitable insurance policy is kept
up to date
A beneficiary is suspected 4 2 8 1) Provide mentoring and support either 3 1 3
or proven to have carried directly or by working with partners to
out a crime or minimise need or opportunity for such an
misdemeanour incident
2) Use contacts with RESET, Sponsor
Refugees etc to support TW in managing
the incident and communicate effectively
with the public.
3) May need to provide police statement
4) Depending on nature of suspected
crime or misdemeanour may need to
follow safeguarding procedures
The premises of our family 4 1 4 1) Work with landlord before the family is 2 1 2
are shown to be sub- settled.
standard or unsafe 2) Inspect the property
3)Take Police advice re suitability of local
area.
4) TW would need to act in a timely and
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appropriate way proportionate to nature of
risk/vulnerability of beneficiaries.
5) In case of issue arising after the family
move in make best efforts to remedy the
problem or find an alternative property
Financial
Loss of funds from theft or 5 3 15 1) Ensure security of banking 4 1 4
fraud 2) Suitable procedures for handling cash
and outgoing payments
3) Check all people handling the finances
are right and proper persons
4) Annual check of finances, governance
and accounting by a suitably qualified and
experienced external monitor (Iain Kitt).
5) Ensure suitable insurance policy is kept
up to date
Reduction in income 4 2 8 Experience shows we can raise significant 3 1 3
enough to severely funds in a short period
deplete reserves
Economic crash 3 1 3 Bank deposits are protected by the 1 1 1
Government scheme (85£k)
(Note that TW does not hold stocks and
shares)
Unexpected high 4 1 4 1) Have fund-raising ideas in the pipeline, 3 1 3
expenditure for family keep aware of possible grants to cover
costs.
2) Review budget regularly
Changes in benefit rules 5 2 10 1) as above 3 2 6
or their interpretation 2) continue to develop relationships with
leading to large reduction relevant bodies to mitigate effects
in family's income 3) focus effort on helping adults gain
employment/training
Organisational
Overwork by volunteers 4 2 8 1) Encourage volunteers to communicate 3 1 3
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leading to burnout with team leaders
2) Hold regular Support meetings to
mentor vols.
3) Manage expectations of the family
Dropout of key personnel 4 3 12 1) Maintain openings for new volunteers. 3 2 6
2) Share tasks and have written
procedures for key tasks.
3) Support any dropping out due to Covid
infection/isolation
Activities not covered by 3 2 6 1) Ensure regular review of activities and 2 1 2
approved procedures their procedures and TW policies
2) Regular Support meetings to mentor
vols
Not enough volunteers 4 3 12 1) Maintain publicity activity 3 1 3
either for the workload or 2) Keep up networks
specific tasks 3) Be aware of training opportunities
4) In recruiting from the public we need
clarity about roles/tasks required of
volunteers
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Tyneside Welcomes Statement of accounts for the year ending 30 June 2022
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||£||£|
||OpeningBalance|14,676.4
3|||
|||Expenditure|||
||**Income**||Interpreting|-917.42|
||Interest|5.93|Translation|-309.00|
||Donations|15,898.4
2
Note 4|Website|0.00|
||Fundraising
|9,881.78|Family expenses|-7,026.31
Note 1|
||Home Ofce
funding|3,505.59|Vol Expenses|0.00
Note 2|
||Covid tests
850.00||ESOL - materials|-16.50|
||void costs
955.59||Void costs|-955.59|
||esol
1,700.
00||Donations
Ukraine&FHP|-450.00|
||3,505.
59||Tees & totes|-908.40|
||Giftaid|5,002.43
Note 5|Gateshead
property|-899.38|
||||Fundraising
expenses|-1,207.43|
||||Banner|-171.00|
||||DBS|-64.80|
||||Hire Welcome Party|-75.00|
||||bank charges|-72.30
Note 3|
||||Insurance|-336.56|
||Total Income|34,294.1
5
Total expenditure||-13,409.69|
||Add opening
balances|
14,676.4
3|||
|||48,970.5
8|||
||Balance forward|35,560.8
9|||
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Reconciliation Prepared by Judith McSwaine
Balances in Bank
Checked by Iain
NE Credit Union 4,970.64 Kitt
30,590.2
Triodos 5
35,560.8
Available funds 9 Date
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## Notes
- 1 Includes i) costs of COVID tests;
ii) expenses applied against ESOL Home Office Funding totalling £673.
- 2 All volunteer expenses included in Family Expenses or other appropriate headings, for example: fundraising expenses. Volunteers have not claimed personal travel costs except when accompanying the family. There are no costs for zoom meetings or in person meetings.
- 3 Only Triodos charges included. Paypal (£36.46) & Sumup (£17.30) deducted before funds deposited.
- 4 repayment of overcharge on Insurance (£30)
- 5 Giftaid 2020-21 = £745.36;
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2021-22 = £4,257.07.
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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Tyneside Welcomes on the charity’s accounts for the period 01/07/21 – 30/06/22
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Tyneside Welcomes (TW) for the year ended 30 June 2022.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
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 Trust’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**
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 that:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or that
2. the accounts do not accord with those records, and that
3. the charity's funds are not used in pursuit of the charity’s charitable objectives.
The following points are made not because I have found evidence of anything wrong in the accounts but to point to ways in which accounting procedures could be improved.
I note that I was unable to find documentary evidence for some transactions, notably confirmation of funding received from the Home Office. I understand this is because this is held by one of the other trustees. I recommend that all records relating to any financial transactions should be held by the Treasurer.
I am pleased to see that several of the recommendations that I made in my last report have been implemented. However, I notice that a significant amount of funds continue to be paid out to individuals for expenses that they have incurred. I have no reason to suppose that any of these are not legitimate, they are supported by receipts, but it does
represent a potential weakness in the charity’s financial processes and I recommend that advice be sought from VODA to ensure that the charity is following best practice.
Recording of what might be termed ‘informal donations’, i.e. monies received at fundraising events or through individual donations other than by direct debit, PayPal etc. remains an issue. It is not clear to me that the procedures recommended by the Fundraising Regulator have been fully - implemented. https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/code/all fundraising/processing-donations The procedures for dealing with these donations should be reviewed to ensure they follow best practice.
The organisation has built up considerable reserves and I recommend that, if one does not already exist, a reserves policy should be agreed, as recommended by the Charity Commission (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charities-and-reservescc19/charities-and-reserves#annex-1-a-simple-approach-to-developing-areserves-policy) .
I confirm that there are no other matters to which your attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed:
Name: Iain Kitt
Address: 36 Midhurst Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 9NU Date: 21/08/2022