Taunton Welcomes Refugees
Chair’s report to the Annual Meeting 17.4.24
Having rearranged our calendar to align our Annual Meeting with our financial year it is only six months since our last Annual Meeting. The reports presented to that meeting by the officers and portfolio leads remain a valid and up to date account of our activities. This report serves merely as a very brief update on new developments. Full reports will be presented again to our Annual Meeting in April 2025.
The international situation continues to underline the need for organisations offering support to people seeking refuge in this country. There has been no positive news and we now have war and unimaginable suffering in Gaza as well.
We have seen an increase in the number of families from Afghanistan with 4 new referrals to TWR. This has stretched our capacity to offer befriending circles and it has been pleasing to welcome them to Coffee and Conversation as well.
We continue to offer support and language teaching to people seeking asylum including those housed in a local hotel. We have been able to source a significant number of mobile phones from Migrant Help which are always in great demand. We are grateful to Prodigal Bikes who have continued to source and supply bicycles.
We have run two volunteer preparation courses since October welcoming another 6 volunteers to TWR. Our new Volunteer Management Group continues to offer vital support to our current volunteers and we have now completed a complete round of volunteer reviews from which we have gained valuable insights. Our thanks to David Moy for his work on this. We have also held two interesting and enjoyable social/information sharing/learning evenings for volunteers.
Our safeguarding and CP policy has been reviewed and is currently being updated in line with the Wessex Water grant requirements. The DSL and Deputy DSL are fully up to date with their safeguarding training. Future safeguarding training for new volunteers will be delivered either face to face or online by the DSL. At each Board meeting a contextual safeguarding matter is raised for discussion or free training/resources are suggested.
Having been successful in attracting grant aid to improve our administration we have increased our Administrator’s hours to two days
per week from last January. Oue expectation is that this will enable her to take a more proactive role.
TWR continues to benefit from the hard work and dedication of our Board of Trustees all of whom put in a great deal of time and effort, and of course we couldn’t function without our wonderful team of volunteers. Our volunteer reviews have underlined our conviction that the role provides invaluable support for refugees and people seeking asylum and is a positive and life affirming experience for the volunteers themselves. Eddie East and Simon Forrester
April 2024
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trust8esl members of Taunton Welcomes Refugees On accounts for the year 31 March 2024 endod Charity no (if any) 1183921 set out on pages 1- 2 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Yhe Trusf) for the year ended Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for thè preparalion basls of repcrt of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ftha Act.). I report in resp8Ct of my examination of the Trust's accounts Gqrried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination. I have followed the applicable Dir6ctions given by the Charity CornmissM)n under seclion 145(5Xb) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention {oiher than that disclosed below ") in connection with the examination whith gives me cause to believe that in, any material respe. accounting rewrds w8r8 not k8Pt in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord wth the accounting rewrds Independent examinorfs statement I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connoction with th8 examination to which attention should be drawn in order to anable a proper underslanding of tr16 accounts to be reached. Please e the words in the brackets rfthey do not apply. Signed: ISI Name: Christopher Cherry Relevant professlonal qualification{s) or body (if any): FCCA Address: 3 Marco Polo House, Cook Way, Taunton. Somerset, TA2 68J IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete rf tho examiner needs to htqhlight matters of conc8m (see CC32. Independent examination of charity accounts.. direclions and guidance for examinèrs). Give here brlef details of any items that tho examiner wish8S to dlsclose. IER Octobor 2018
CHARITY COMM155ION FOR ENGLAND AND WALIS Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For th• perlod from Section A Receipts and payments Unrestrlcted lunds Restrlcted funds Endowment funds Total funds Last year to the ngarest to the neargst £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest£ Al Recelpts Individual DDnaiions 2.334 790 2,334 790 27.303 1,927 B,283 13,147 Grants Glft Aid ¢18lm Cards & C8lend¥r$ 27,303 1,069 1,069 1,281 tota ross Income or ARJ 4,193 27,303 31,496 24,638 A2 Asset and tnvestment sales. (see table). 31,496 A3 Pa mènts 360 2,795 1,331 108 733 4,746 571 8,735 1,016 1,283 167 203 193 4,229 1,008 583 896 876 Admin SuprA>rt Meetings 2,795 1,331 108 733 1,803 571 S,653 Convesalion Taunton Conv8r$aiion 8rndgwar Adminsilralor Ukraine Support English for Ukraini¥n$ EnlerprFse Loa Employment W0shOp W. Somer5el SuppDrt AsuM Support 2,943 3,082 2,716 9.475 12,191 310 50 22,814 Sub total 16,078 15,500 31,578 A4 Asset and In¥estmen¢ urchases see table 144 144 Sub total Total payments 16,078 15,500 31,578 22,958 Algt of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 11.885 11,B03 1,680 3,147 14,934 18,081 18.163 CCXX R1 accounts ISSI 1510812024
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period UnrestfiCt8d funds lo nearest£ R8Strict8d funds lo nearest £ Endowment funds to neargsl £ Categories DtailS B1 Cash funds Main account 3,137 14934 Public account 10 Total cash fvnds 3.147 14,934 lagree ba1anceswllhrKWptsa paym8rts acMuntlsll Unrestrfcte(I funds Restrlcted funds Endowment funds lo n&arest£ to naarest£ to nearest£ 82 Other rnonetary assets Fund lo whlch b91on Cost lopt]onall Currpnl value Fund lo whlch asset b91on Current valua on¥1 Cost loptlonall 152 B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use Proj¥¢ior Dsiplay Boards 144 Fund lo whlch rfjlat98 Amount due When due B5 Liabilities Sned by one or Iwo Iruslee5 on behalf of all the Irustees Signature Print Name Date of roval Robin Peeler CCXX R2 acix)unts ISSI 1510812024
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trust8esl members of Taunton Welcomes Refugees On accounts for the year 31 March 2024 endod Charity no (if any) 1183921 set out on pages 1- 2 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Yhe Trusf) for the year ended Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for thè preparalion basls of repcrt of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ftha Act.). I report in resp8Ct of my examination of the Trust's accounts Gqrried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination. I have followed the applicable Dir6ctions given by the Charity CornmissM)n under seclion 145(5Xb) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention {oiher than that disclosed below ") in connection with the examination whith gives me cause to believe that in, any material respe. accounting rewrds w8r8 not k8Pt in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord wth the accounting rewrds Independent examinorfs statement I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connoction with th8 examination to which attention should be drawn in order to anable a proper underslanding of tr16 accounts to be reached. Please e the words in the brackets rfthey do not apply. Signed: ISI Name: Christopher Cherry Relevant professlonal qualification{s) or body (if any): FCCA Address: 3 Marco Polo House, Cook Way, Taunton. Somerset, TA2 68J IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete rf tho examiner needs to htqhlight matters of conc8m (see CC32. Independent examination of charity accounts.. direclions and guidance for examinèrs). Give here brlef details of any items that tho examiner wish8S to dlsclose. IER Octobor 2018
CHARITY COMM155ION FOR ENGLAND AND WALIS Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For th• perlod from Section A Receipts and payments Unrestrlcted lunds Restrlcted funds Endowment funds Total funds Last year to the ngarest to the neargst £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest£ Al Recelpts Individual DDnaiions 2.334 790 2,334 790 27.303 1,927 B,283 13,147 Grants Glft Aid ¢18lm Cards & C8lend¥r$ 27,303 1,069 1,069 1,281 tota ross Income or ARJ 4,193 27,303 31,496 24,638 A2 Asset and tnvestment sales. (see table). 31,496 A3 Pa mènts 360 2,795 1,331 108 733 4,746 571 8,735 1,016 1,283 167 203 193 4,229 1,008 583 896 876 Admin SuprA>rt Meetings 2,795 1,331 108 733 1,803 571 S,653 Convesalion Taunton Conv8r$aiion 8rndgwar Adminsilralor Ukraine Support English for Ukraini¥n$ EnlerprFse Loa Employment W0shOp W. Somer5el SuppDrt AsuM Support 2,943 3,082 2,716 9.475 12,191 310 50 22,814 Sub total 16,078 15,500 31,578 A4 Asset and In¥estmen¢ urchases see table 144 144 Sub total Total payments 16,078 15,500 31,578 22,958 Algt of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 11.885 11,B03 1,680 3,147 14,934 18,081 18.163 CCXX R1 accounts ISSI 1510812024
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period UnrestfiCt8d funds lo nearest£ R8Strict8d funds lo nearest £ Endowment funds to neargsl £ Categories DtailS B1 Cash funds Main account 3,137 14934 Public account 10 Total cash fvnds 3.147 14,934 lagree ba1anceswllhrKWptsa paym8rts acMuntlsll Unrestrfcte(I funds Restrlcted funds Endowment funds lo n&arest£ to naarest£ to nearest£ 82 Other rnonetary assets Fund lo whlch b91on Cost lopt]onall Currpnl value Fund lo whlch asset b91on Current valua on¥1 Cost loptlonall 152 B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use Proj¥¢ior Dsiplay Boards 144 Fund lo whlch rfjlat98 Amount due When due B5 Liabilities Sned by one or Iwo Iruslee5 on behalf of all the Irustees Signature Print Name Date of roval Robin Peeler CCXX R2 acix)unts ISSI 1510812024