## **THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN**
(Registered Charity - Registration Number:- 1191436)
## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2021**
## **Reference and Administrative Information**
## **Trustees**
M. Chowdhury C. Harmer-Brown A. Kempton M. Kempton R. Leal Y. Mohammad
## **Charity Correspondent and Principal Address**
Alex Kempton 58 Middle Road HASTINGS East Sussex TN35 5DL
## **Bankers**
NatWest Bank plc
## **Independent Examiner**
T. E. Reynolds FCA 23 Gillham Wood Road BEXHILL-ON-SEA East Sussex TN39 3BN
## **Index**
## **Page**
2 Report of Trustees 9 Independent Examiner’s Report 10 & 11 Receipts and payments accounts 12 Notes to the accounts
1
**THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2021**
The Trustees present their report along with the financial statements of the charity for the period from the date of its registration on 23[rd] September 2020 to 31[st] March 2021.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Governing document**
The Refugee Buddy Project Hastings Rother and Wealden is constituted as a charitable incorporated organization whose only voting members are its Charity Trustees registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales in September 2020 under charity number 1191436. It is governed by a constitution last updated in September 2020.
## **Organisational structure**
The Charity Trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the charity.
The trustees meet together as a body on a regular basis. Additionally the Trustees, in their various roles, are involved in the day to day activities of the Charity.
## **Recruitment and appointment of trustees**
The existing Trustees are responsible for the recruitment of new trustees. Potential trustees are identified from the volunteers and other individuals involved with the Charity. They are invited to attend Trustees’ meetings as observers and are given more details of the charity’s aims and activities and, if all agree, they are then proposed as new trustees at a subsequent Trustees’ meeting. This process allows due consideration of the person's eligibility, personal competence, specialist knowledge and skills.
## **Induction and training of trustees**
Following appointment, new trustees are introduced to their new role and given copies of the trust deed and a guide to the policies and procedures adopted by our charity. A number of publications from the Charity Commission are also provided including the guidance on charities and public benefit and on the relief of hardship, promotion of social inclusion, preservation and protection of mental health and promotion of equality and diversity for the public benefit. This ensures that new trustees are aware of the scope of their responsibilities under the Charities Act. Initially, new trustees work with an existing Trustee assisting on particular activities and projects run by the charity.
## **Risk management**
The Trustees have assessed the risks the Charity faces and have drawn up a risk matrix which identifies the major risks by area of activity, the nature of those risks, the likelihood of the risks happening and the measures taken to manage them. The Trustees review this risk matrix regularly at their meetings. The Trustees are satisfied that systems are in place, or arrangements are in hand, to manage the risks that have been identified. In particular, insurance cover is in place and the finances of the Charity are kept under review. Appropriate Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks, supported by regularly reviewed policies, are made for all staff and volunteers within the Charity.
2
## **THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2021 (continued)**
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
## **Aims and objectives**
The objectives of the Charity are set out in the Charity’s trust deed and are summarised as follows:-
- To relieve financial hardship to those granted refugee status or seeking sanctuary by providing advice and guidance to enable them to become economically self-supporting on an ongoing basis
- The promotion of social inclusion for the public benefit among people who are refugees and asylum seekers and are socially excluded on the grounds of their social and economic position
- To preserve and protect the physical and mental health of those granted refugee status or seeking sanctuary and their dependents.
- The promotion of equality and diversity for the public benefit by promoting activities to foster understanding and social cohesion between people from different backgrounds.
- .
## **Strategy and mission**
The Buddy Project was set up by Rossana Leal in 2017 who initially worked with people arriving as part of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme (VPRP) (formally the Syrian Resettlement Programme), under which the UK committed to accepting 20,000 people escaping war in Syria. East Sussex committed to resettling around 200 people as part of this programme and the first families arrived in Hastings in 2016.
Working in partnership with the Local Authority Resettlement Programme Caseworkers, The Refugee Buddy Project built a network of volunteers made up of local people who wanted to help those arriving in their town. Providing orientation assistance, informal English conversations, and a sense of community welcome, the Project was designed to reflect the kind of community welcome Rossana and her family received when they arrived from Chile in the 1970s escaping the Pinochet regime.
The Refugee Buddy Project has quickly grown and expanded to support the families arriving in neighbouring Bexhill and then Wealden Boroughs, and currently supports over 30 families across these three areas of East Sussex who arrived via the VPRP.
As well as welcoming people via the VPRP, Hastings is also part of the Home Office Asylum Dispersal System for people seeking asylum in the UK, along with other Local Authorities across the UK. Under this scheme Hastings has up to 106 people seeking asylum in the Borough at any one time, all of whom are unable to work due to their Immigration Status, and who survive on around £39.50 per week per person. The Refugee Buddy Project increasingly works with this community as well, providing buddying, financial assistance and basic casework support.
From 2017 to date, the Charity has developed from connecting newly arriving people seeking refuge with local communities and individuals, to leading and campaigning around the issues encountered in the process of resettling and building a new life in the UK, in line with its charitable objects. This has included hearing the stories of the people we work with, our project participants, and putting these into reports for the decision makers. This has also involved developing partnerships and collaborative pledges with local arts and community organisations in order to ensure the voices of those seeking refuge are not only heard but can play a crucial role in leading the conversations on the issues relevant to their needs.
We provide support to explore their new town and begin a new life. We ‘match’ them with a Buddy to support people in getting to know their new community; to practice conversational English, Employment preparation support - computer skills, CV writing, and interview skills.
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## **THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2021 (continued)**
The Charity offers space for ongoing facilitated conversation and reflective practice through regular training and support sessions for the buddies, thus building strong relationships in and across different communities. We act as a first point of call for the communities who are attached to our services and activities. We refer to existing specialist services, sometimes advocating on their behalf but mainly enabling people to access relevant support services. There is no other organisation working closely with the refugee, migrant and BAME communities in this area doing this type of work. We refer to specialist mental health services and during the COVID19 pandemic we have referred to the local mutual aid volunteer led organisations. Hastings is officially a town of Sanctuary as ratified by Hastings Borough Council.
The Charity has gone from being run on a purely voluntary basis to securing informal selfemployed funding arrangements 2/3 days a week, to more sustainable funding which will be presented in the 2021-2022 reporting period.
## **Use of volunteers**
At the time of writing this report, The Refugee Buddy Project has 45 active buddy relationships and supports over 150 people seeking refuge at various stages of their immigration cases. The Charity also has over 200 local people in a close network of volunteers who provide support and engage with the Project and its aims in a variety of ways from buddying people seeking refuge to helping with fundraising and events.
When volunteers sign up to join the Charity they are asked to complete a Confidentiality Agreement and to have a referee provide a Character Reference. Volunteers then go through an Induction led by the Founder and Director, the Chair of Trustees and a current volunteer Buddy. This induction is an opportunity for new volunteers to learn about the ethos and values of the Charity as well as hear the experiences of current volunteers. It is also a crucial chance to learn about the expectations of volunteers, including the boundaries around volunteering with vulnerable people. The section on boundaries is delivered by the Chair of Trustees, Dr Mursheda Chowdhury, who has had a long career in the medical and medical education field and is well placed to deliver this type of training.
The recruitment of new Buddies and matching is ongoing and this will include referrals to the Together programme mentioned in Principal Funding Sources
## **Activities and achievements**
During the period the Charity engaged in a range of activities to provide assistance to individuals in support of its Aims and Objectives. This support directly benefited the recipients and provided a public benefit to the wider community as outlined in the Aims and Objectives.
The Charity has faced many one off and ongoing challenges. Buddies have often wanted to take on more than what is defined by the buddy role, for example teaching English instead of offering informal English conversation, or working with children as opposed to volunteering with the family unit. Observing the boundaries between being a volunteer buddy and the role of the paid case worker is crucial, and forms a central part of our volunteer Induction process.
## Befriending
At the heart of the Charity is the befriending, or Buddying, which is coordinated by the Buddy Coordinator. This involves recruitment of local people to volunteer as Buddies. New recruits take part in an induction and are matched with a newly arrived person seeking refuge. The Buddy Coordinator provides ongoing support of the buddy relationships. The Buddies provide invaluable support to migrants and newly arrived people seeking refuge.
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## **THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2021 (continued)**
People can volunteer to be Buddies and be matched with a family or an individual of migrant background or seeking refuge. We actively recruit people who have knowledge and understanding of Hastings/Rother/Wealden and the local area. Empathy and a willingness to learn and understand challenges faced by people seeking refuge is essential, and volunteers can commit to 1 to 7 hours a month volunteering.
This befriending benefits the wider community by ensuring the newly arriving refugees gain the knowledge and abilities they need to integrate into the community.
## Reports:
Our aim is to raise the voices of migrants and people seeking refuge; to make visible peoples’ experiences of trying to build new lives in the UK; to work with local services to ensure peoples’ needs are being met with dignity and respect. Two reports produced by the Charity in the period were:-
_Lost in Translation: The Need for Interpreting Services & Access to the NHS for Refugee Women._
_Speaking and Listening: A report on the experiences of refugee families in education_
These reports benefit the wider society by breaking down barriers to integration which exist and promoting communication between the refugee community and institutions.
## Social Gatherings
The Refugee Buddy Project organises a variety of social gatherings, meet ups, pop up suppers and social activities. Most of which had to be put on hold or online during 2020.
Our social gatherings promote a feeling of welcome and inclusion between the newly arriving refugees and the volunteer community to help integration.
## Impact of Lockdown
COVID 19 related Lockdown had a huge impact on the project making it impossible for us to continue doing our work in the same way. We left our community cafe/gallery and took the project online offering regular online ‘check ins’ and sewing workshop which became the Stitch for Change project which is ongoing. During this time the Charity continued with 3 team members making up one full time job. The emphasis on buddying was on people connecting online for 1hr online English conversation. Support from the Buddies was mainly around ensuring the families could access their school dinner vouchers a process made more difficult because of the of the complicated online access. We also supported the families with navigating schools online learning. We understand many of the children were not able to access online learning during Lockdown and have therefore significantly missed out on learning during this time. This gap in learning is significantly crucial for these children who, having recently arrived in the UK, were already trying to catch up.
Other than buddying and regular ‘check ins’, people who reached out to us, were given IT support, funds to cover the cost of telephone data, subsistence, clothing, food and fresh vegetable delivery.
In addition to this we used National Lottery Awards for All funding to support our online Stitch for Change, a successful sewing and textile project - a moving, community-driven project which captured life in the shadow of the pandemic through hand-stitched patchwork art. Ninety-five patchwork squares from local people, including those seeking refuge, volunteers, and Supported Education students from Hastings College, reveal tales of how we coped with Lockdown, change, togetherness, isolation, loss and home. The squares were sewn into 4 quilts and were displayed at an exhibition _All in The Same Storm_ at the De La Warr Pavillion after Lockdown from July to September 2021.
This collaboration includes Lo Recordings who have composed music to recorded conversations about the project. ‘I Feel You Like Home’ is a composition by Simon James that was made to accompany the _All in the Same Storm_ exhibition at the De La Warr Pavillion in East Sussex. The composition weaves interviews with refugees and founder of the Chairty Rosanna Leal, with music that is immersive and involving. The piece invites listeners to slow down and reflect on the stories told, and offers up “some calm in the storm”.
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**THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN**
**REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2021 (continued)**
## Introducing organisational change
During Lockdown the Project Director carried out a series of one to one meetings and groups discussions to go through some of the proposed operational changes. Buddies were given time to think about the changes being introduced to the Charity and opt for staying or leaving the project. During this time, many of those who left also did so because of the impact of Lockdown on their personal lives. The Buddies were invited to one to one or group meetings to discuss the changes and options available to them.
The buddy journey now has a buddy agreement signed by both the project participant and the Buddy, time limited buddying 6 month reviews with an option to leave the Charity, continue as is or take on another buddy.
The Charity now offers mandatory Reflective Practice offered by an experienced psychotherapist. Buddies are expected to take part in this to get support with any challenges of buddying.
## Wrap around support
The Charity also offers tailored employment preparation and access to higher education support. Led by the project participants, this involved liaising with colleges or professional employment support agencies, coordinating up to 6 volunteers with varying skills in interview preparation, filling in application forms and applying to university, exploring self-employment opportunities in catering and mentoring in the arts. Employment preparation and additional English language support will now be done through our partnership with Groundworks and the Together Programme who are funding the Buddy Coordinator roles for 3 days per week.
These activities help the newly arriving refugees to integrate into the host community by accessing education and employment options as well as gaining and improving their English language skills which improves their chances of thriving in the host community and is of benefit both to them and to the host community.
Before Lockdown the Charity had in place a 6 monthly feedback training and support sessions. This practice has been interrupted by Lockdown but will be re-introduced in 2022. This is crucial to the volunteer and project participant feedback which informs the ongoing updating of the Buddy Handbook which Buddies are asked to sign up before becoming a buddy. A live document, the Buddy Handbook is where the Buddies can find out about the project ethos, rules and approach to buddying.
## Campaigns 2021
All of our campaigns are chosen by the Buddies and the project participants, overseen by the staff and Trustees to ensure that they are in line with our charitable objects. Our campaigns also feed into Charity reports which collate the stories of people seeking refuge which we in turn to take to decision makers. This has resulted in _Lost in Translation The need for Interpreting Services & Access to the NHS for Refugee Women_ and a report currently being put together about the experiences of refugee children in local schools. This report was launched in late 2021.
## **Partnerships and collaborations**
This is a crucial area of work for The Refugee Buddy Project. Making connections through buddying is one aspect of the work we do to ensure people seeking refuge can make friends and form networks. Another layer of this work involves connecting with local community groups, art and cultural organisations via our events.
In 2021 we celebrated Refugee Week 2021 with our partners. The De La Warr Pavillion, Eggtooth and Women’s Voice had a week of refuge related social media posts, also celebrating the work they do with us.
For the past two years we have worked with Eggtooth and the De la Warr Pavillion on various projects and we are now developing pledges and more sustainable partnership agreements.
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**THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN**
**REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2021 (continued)**
The work with Eggtooth is part of Community Welcome campaign. We are pledging to work together to fully represent and provide for the mental health needs of people seeking refuge.
The work being developed with the De La Warr Pavilion aims to establish a partnership agreement that embeds the work we have done together thus making it more sustainable but also enabling The Refugee Buddy Project to lead on the development of work which celebrates and educates on refugee and migrant histories and narratives in culture.
Part of this work feeds into who and how The Refugee Buddy Project works with local artists, the arts and cultural organisations. We welcome organisations who will work with us from ideas development stage. Listening to and working with the refugee and migrant communities.
Pea Pod free organic vegetables delivery is for people on No Recourse to Public Funds and those struggling to buy food. This happens between March and November. The rest of the year we are able to give one off food gifts to support with buying fresh foods.
Sanctuary Festival – The project takes part in this annual event. We promote the refugee Buddy Project and register new volunteers. This event is a great opportunity for us to promote all of our activities, deliver workshops and platform our refugee week activities which we prepare from January to June.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## **Review of period**
The Project commenced formal operation in mid 2019 and formally became a charity in September 2020. The Financial Statements which form part of this report show separate financial statements for the following periods:-
- From July 2019 to 22[nd] September 2020
- From 23[rd] September 2020 to 31[st] March 2021
During Lockdown the project lost part of the informal funding it received from the VPRP. This element of funding had paid for 4 days and 7 days a month for the Operations and Campaigns and Buddy Coordinator respectively. This put an additional strain on the project during this time making fundraising a priority.
The Charity was able to secure a total of £20,000 to see us through Lockdown. This came from Refugee Action and AB Charitable Trust. This paid for the two part time roles of the Operations and Campaigns Manager and the Project Director. Through our discretionary funding, £3,000 of this money was distributed to the people we support on No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and allocated to emergency funding.
During the period small grants were made on an ad-hoc basis to many people with NRPF.
## **Reserves policy**
The Trustees have reviewed the reserves of the charity. Their policy is to hold enough funds to meet three months’ operating costs .
## **Principal funding sources/plans for the future**
In addition to the funding sources mentioned above the Charity has secured development funding from Reaching Communities lottery for the next 3 years which will fund three part-time roles - 2 Developmental posts and a Café Manager, as well as cover 1 year’s rent for a social space. This funding will commence in August 2021. The Cafe Manager is working on a business plan and looking to secure suitable premises.
Through the Together Project, an EU AMIF funded project delivered in collaboration with Groundwork South we will offer employment preparation support from April 2021. This offers basic IT skills, additional English language support and a chance to explore different type of skills needed to find employment. This project funds the role of the Buddy Coordinator on a part-time basis.
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**THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2021 (continued)**
## **Investment policy and objectives**
The charity has no long-term investments. Our cash reserves are held current bank accounts.
## **Conflicts of interest**
Trustees are required to disclose all relevant interests and register them with the other trustees and, in accordance with the Trust's policy, withdraw from decisions where a conflict of interest arises
## **Trustees remuneration.**
The Trustees bring a wealth of experience of refugee and migrant rights, charitable and community projects, financial and project oversight and strategy and more. They generously volunteer their time to oversee the Charity and no Trustee receives remuneration for their role as Trustee. Details of transactions in the year between the Trustees and the Charity are set out in Note 3 to these accounts
## **Reference and administrative information**
The names of the Trustees throughout the period and at the date of this report along with other key information is set out on Page 1.
Dr Mursheda Chowdhury, Chair Olivia Cavanagh (resigned 18[th] November 2020) Chrstine Harmer-Brown – a long term Buddy Rossana Leal – Founder and Director Alexandra Kempton – Operations and Campaigns Manager Martin Kempton Yeser Mohammed (appointed 14[th] June 2021)– a long-term Buddy
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above
Dr MURSHEDA CHOWDHURY Trustee and Chair
ALEXANDRA KEMPTON Trustee
ROSSANA LEAL Trustee 31[st] January 2020
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## **THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN**
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2021**
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Refugee Buddy Project Hastings and Rother and Wealden for the period ended 31[st] March 2021, which are set out on pages10 to 12.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the Trust 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 Trustee’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 2011 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:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. 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.
## T. E. REYNOLDS FCA
23 Gillham Wood Road BEXHILL-ON-SEA East Sussex TN39 3BN
31[st] January 2022
9
## **THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD FROM 23 SEPTEMBER 2020 to 31 MARCH 2021**
**Pre charity Project operating as a charity operations**
|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**TOTAL**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2020-21**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**RECEIPTS**
Donations
928
-
928
Activities
-
-
-
Grants received
-
17,453
17,453
Trading income
70
-
70
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
998
17,453
18,451
**PAYMENTS**
Fund raising costs
180
0
180
Trading expenses
-
-
-
General administration
1
738
739
Premises costs
422
648
1,070
Activity costs
1,860
3,258
5,118
Staff costs
-
17,759
17,759
Volunteer expenses
-
37
37
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
2,463
22,440
24,903
**NET RECEIPTS/(PAYMENTS)**
(1,464)
(4,987)
(6,452)
**CASH FUNDS AT START OF PERIOD**
2,142
31,706
33,849
**CASH FUNDS AT END OF PERIOD.**
£678
£26,719
£27,397
**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT THE END OF THE PERIOD**
Cash funds
- NatWest Bank
678
26,719
27,397
£678
£26,719
£27,397
Dr MURSHEDA CHOWDHURY
ROSSANA LEAL
Trustee and Chair
Trustee
ALEXANDRA KEMPTON
31st January 2022
Trustee|**TOTAL**
**2019-2021**
**£**
2,755
1,582
61,206
5,271|
|---|---|
||70,813|
||-
795
2,861
10,216
7,841
14,885
367|
||36,965|
||33,849
-|
||£33,849|
||33,849|
||£33,849|
|||
The notes on page 12 form part of these accounts
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## **THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD FROM 23 SEPTEMBER 2020 to 31 MARCH 2021**
**Prior to the formation of the charity**
|**RECEIPTS**
Donations
Activities
Grants received
Trading income
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**PAYMENTS**
Trading expenses
General administration
Premises costs
Activity costs
Staff costs
Volunteer expenses
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**NET RECEIPTS/(PAYMENTS)**
**CASH FUNDS AT START OF PERIOD**
**CASH FUNDS AT END OF PERIOD.**|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**TOTAL**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2019-21**
**£**
**£**
**£**
2,755
-
2,755
1,582
-
1,582
-
61,206
61,206
5,271
-
5,271
-
-
-|
|---|---|
||9,608
61,206
70,813|
||795
-
795
1,593
1,269
2,861
2,800
7,416
10,216
1,954
5,887
7,841
-
14,885
14,885
324
43
367|
||7,465
29,499
36,965|
||2,142
31,706
33,849
-
-|
||£2,142
£31,706
£33,849|
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT THE END OF THE PERIOD**
|Cash funds
- NatWest Bank|2,142
31,706
33,849|
|---|---|
||£2,142
£31,706
£33,849|
The notes on page 12 form part of these accounts
11
**THE REFUGEE BUDDY PROJECT HASTINGS ROTHER AND WEALDEN NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD FROM 23 SEPTEMBER 2020 to 31 MARCH 2021**
## **1 BASIS OF PREPARATION**
Charities registered in England and Wales that are not companies are allowed under Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 to prepare receipts and payments accounts provided the charity's gross income is less than £250,000. As the gross income of the Charity is less than £250,000 the Trustees have decided to prepare these accounts on a Receipts and Payments basis.
The Buddy Project was incorporated as a charity on the 23rd September but had been in operation since mid 2019. These accounts contain two Receipts and Payments statements. One for the period up until the formation of the Charity and a second one for the period from 23rd September to 31st March 2021 covering the period when the Project was a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation
## **2 GRANT INCOME RECEIVED IN THE PERIOD**
During the period covered by the two Receipts and Payments statements the Charity has received grants from various organisations/programs where the expenditure has taken place prior to or will take place after the 31st March 2021. Significant grants that fall into this category are:-
- the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Program via Hastings Brough Council. This grant is received in arrears and £1,643 was received after 31st March 2021 for expenditure prior to this date. - AB Charitable Trust. £10,000 was received prior to 31st March 2021 but was spent from April 2021 onwards - £12,000 was received prior to September 2020 from Hastings Borough Concil to provide funding for premises for the Project to operate from when Covid restrictions are lifted in the future.
Grant income is treated as "Restricted" as it has been given to fund specific items of expenditure. If there is an underspend on a grant then any surplus will be, with the agreement of the granting body, transferred to Unrestricted Funds.
## **3 RELATED PARTIES**
From December to March payments were made to the following Trustees for specific grant funded part time roles independent of their roles as Trustees of the charity:-
- Alex Kempton £4,200 for her role as Operations and Campaigns Manager with responsibility for the administration of the charity
- Rossana Leal £5,320 for her role as Project Development Officer with responsibility for the development of the Project
Prior to December payments were made to these two individuals direct by the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Program and so no expenditure was recorded in the Project's books for these payments. Post December these payments have been fully funded from grants made specifically for the purpose of funding these roles and so none of the Unrestricted Funds of the charity have been used for the purpose of making these payments.
No payments have been made to these individuals or to any other Trustees for their roles as Trustees of the Charity.
## **4 MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE CHARITY AS A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION**
The Trustees confirm that:-
- the charity has not given any financial guarentees to another organisation
- there are no debts outstanding at the year-end that represent a charge on the assets of the charity.
12