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2021-12-31-accounts

Say It Loud Club Receipts and Payments Accounts 31 December 2021 Registered Charity Number: 1192945

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Say It Loud Club Reference and administrative details For the period ended 31 December 2021

Charity number 1192945
Registered offce and
operational address		 34B York Way
King's Cross
London
N1 9AB
Trustees The trustees who served during the year ending 31
December 2021 were:
●
Amanda Dickins
●
Uche Godwin Dumkwu
●
Katie McCallum
●
Thelma Ndaula
●
Kennedy Chigozie
Chief executive offcer Aloysius Ssali
Bankers NatWest Group plc
36 St Andrew Square
Edinburgh
EH2 2YB
Independent examiners Anthony Wayne Snow

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Say It Loud Club Report of the trustees For the period ended 31 December 2021

The reference and administrative information shown on page 2 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with statutory requirements and the charity’s Constitution.

1. Introduction

Say It Loud Club provides tailored support for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, of which there is otherwise very little available. Other support offered is often either just for refugees – thus often causing discomfort around revealing sexuality – or just for LGBTQ+ people – thus often not appropriate or available to asylum seekers. Whilst there are some fantastic organisations for specific groups of LGBTQ+ refugees in the UK, Say It Loud Club is the only organisation to provide holistic support that accounts for members’ legal, financial, physical, social, and emotional needs.

Findings from a recent survey of our members include:

Over half of members reported that Say It Loud Club has been their main source of practical information about COVID-19 and related guidance, and 84% said that Say It Loud Club has been their main source of emotional support during the pandemic.

2. Vision, Mission and Values

Say It Loud Club is the community of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees in the UK.

Vision

Our vision is for a world where LGBTQ+ people can express their sexuality and gender identity safely and with pride. Until this is possible, we believe the UK should provide a place of safety for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, providing an environment in which everyone can flourish as their true self.

We engage with our members through one-on-one mentoring, workshops, social events, peer support, and referral to partner organisations for legal, financial, health and housing support.

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Mission

Say It Loud Club is the community of LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. We engage with our members through one-on-one mentoring, workshops, social events, peer support, and referral to partner organisations for legal, financial, health and housing support.

As a community, we:

Values

We are:

3. Key activities

Outreach: LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers are referred to Say It Loud Club by a wide range of individuals and organisations, including immigration officers, GPs, social workers, and other charities. Many also come across Say It Loud Club via online searches, or word of mouth.

We try to reach as many people as possible by promoting our work online, visiting detention centres, and building partnerships with the NHS, Local Authorities,

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charities, and other organisations which might be the first point of contact for LGBTQ+ refugees.

Initial assessment and referrals: After contacting Say It Loud Club, LGBTQ+ refugees are invited to meet a member of the team. This meeting is an opportunity for the person to find out what Say It Loud Club does and decide if they want to continue to become a member.

The aim of the initial assessment is to get a good understanding of the new member’s need for support. Based on their individual situation, they can be signposted to particular services within Say It Loud Club, as well as referred to external organisations. We partner with a wide range of other organisations which provide specialised support to LGBTQ+ and/or refugee communities, like solicitors, health services, therapists and trauma-specialists, and housing associations and shelters.

One-to-one counselling: Each new member receives around 12 hours of 1:1 informal counselling. The content of the counselling depends on the individuals’ experiences, but often focuses on topics such as accepting and expressing their sexuality, managing the stress and anxiety of seeking asylum, and feeling at home in a new country and culture. Wherever possible, this counselling is delivered by someone with who has lived through similar experiences.

Workshops: Say It Loud Club hosts monthly workshops for its members, facilitated by Say It Loud Club volunteers, or external speakers who are leaders in their field. The aim of our workshops is to raise awareness and levels of understanding in areas specific to LGBTQ+ refugees, and to equip members with skills which will help them to navigate life in a new country. They range from discussions about ‘coming out’ and the impact of concealing your identity, to educational workshops about physical, mental, and sexual health, finding safe housing as an LGBTQ+ asylum seeker, and understanding LGBTQ+ rights in the UK.

We also run creative workshops, in partnership with local artists and performers, which provide an opportunity for members to build confidence and express themselves creatively whilst learning a new skill (or practising an old one!)

Social events and reducing isolation: The benefits of our social events are threefold:

  1. To provide opportunities for members to connect with each other, socialise, and share experiences and encouragement

  2. To run events where LGBTQ+ refugees can meet others living locally, thus reducing isolation and helping people integrate with their new communities

  3. To build members’ confidence in navigating and getting to know the local area, helping people to feel more at home in the UK

As well as running monthly social events for our members, where community news can be shared and peer support given, we co-host larger events which help our members meet others within the LGBTQ+, refugee, or wider community. With the help of our incredible volunteers, we’re also able to organise outings in and around London and activities like an English conversation group.

Sometimes, due to the challenges of their past and the overwhelming nature of arriving in an unfamiliar country, our members experience isolation and loneliness, and are very anxious about socialising. For these people, we team up with our

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volunteers and befriending organisations like HostNation so that they can build their confidence in a 1-on-1 setting before being supported to attend our larger social events.

Advocacy: For LGBTQ+ refugees, attending legal appointments, tribunals, GP and hospital appointments, or other meetings, can be an incredibly stressful experience. As well as the challenges of navigating complex, unfamiliar systems in a new language, many of our members fear detention, deportation, or discrimination on the basis of sexual or gender identity when using a service for the first time.

At Say It Loud Club, we are able to help our members access the services they need by accompanying them to appointments and helping them to communicate that they are finding it hard to express themselves, or when their voice isn’t being heard. We advocate for members at asylum tribunals and when they are communicating with the Home Office and local authorities, ensuring they are given the support they need to be able to express themselves and live safe, comfortable lives.

Ongoing support: Wherever members are on their journey to asylum and afterwards, Say It Loud Club is a point of support. Members are able to come to Say It Loud Club when they are in need and will receive further informal counselling and referrals onward. As each individual’s journey is different, we are as flexible as possible in the support we give – for example, sometimes supporting people to access food banks or a homeless shelter, writing letters when a member is concerned, they are being treated unfairly, or simply being a listening ear to someone going through difficulties.

We also run regular themed ‘drop-ins’, which members can attend if they have questions about accessing legal support, welfare, and financial aid, writing CVs, or finding volunteering opportunities. Many of our members also volunteer with other charities, like London Friend or the British Heart Foundation. Our Ambassadors Programme offers structured, supported volunteering opportunities within Say It Loud Club, seeing members take on vital roles within the organisation in outreach, peer support, events, communications, and campaigns. We work with training, recruitment, and employment organisations, to ensure our members have the support and skills they need to pursue their chosen career once they have refugee status and the right to work.

Crisis support: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw an increased need for funds to be made available at short-notice to assist members in emergency situations. In June 2020, with the support of Choose Love, we set up a ring-fenced ‘emergency fund’ for this purpose to meet the urgent need for financial and practical assistance during lockdown. We have used the fund to support members with travel to urgent legal and medical appointments, data to access online interviews and tribunals, emergency accommodation, food vouchers, and more. Our members have relied upon, and greatly appreciated, this practical support in a time where homelessness and destitution among LGBTQ+ refugees are rife, and increasingly dangerous.

Speaking out: We are proud that so many of our members want to speak up for the rights of LGBTQ+ refugees and become activists in their own rights. We provide a platform for members to share their experiences and express their opinions via our online campaigns and at events across the country. We partner with other organisations to campaign for a fairer asylum process and better lives for LGBTQ+

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refugees in the UK. We also contribute to research about the experiences of LGBTQ+ refugees in the UK, to provide an evidence-base for changes in policy and practice, and to raise understanding among the general public about the challenges faced by our members.

4. Supporters

Charitable trusts and foundations

We received grants from the following foundations:

Individual donors

We received a significant number of donations from individuals whose support has allowed Say It Loud Club to support an even larger number of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees in the UK than ever before. These donors include some supporters who have run events, creative initiatives, and sporting endeavours to fundraise for Say It Loud Club. We are incredibly grateful to all of our supporters.

5. Staff and volunteers

During the period ended 31 December 2021, Say It Loud Club had 3 paid employees: a full-time Chief Executive Officer, a part-time Communications and events Manager and a part-time Housing and Ambassador Projects Manager. Say It Loud Club was also supported by a large number of volunteers who lent their skills to financial activities, policy work, event organisation to name just a few areas of support. The trustees would like to express thanks to everyone who volunteered with Say It Loud Club during this period.

6. Structure, governance, and management

Appointment of trustees

In the year to 31 December 2021, Say It Loud Club was managed by a board of five trustees. Our trustees have been selected on the basis of their broad range of skills and their commitment to helping Say It Loud Club achieve its vision. Say It Loud Club’s constitution also stipulates that at least half of our trustees must have lived experience of being an LGBTQ+ refugee.

The Board of trustees meets several times a year. All trustees contribute to the efficient and proper running and oversight of Say It Loud Club whilst the daily management of the charity is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, who is a paid employee.

Risk management

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As part of their role, all trustees have an obligation to identify, review and mitigate against risks Say It Loud Club is exposed to, ensuring there are suitable controls in place to minimise the risk of fraud and error.

7. Achievements and performance

Say It Loud Club was registered on 31 December 2020 and has subsequently undertaken a successful programme of initiatives in support of its vision during the year period ending 31 December 2021. We have listed some of our key achievements and impact metrics below for reference.

8. Financial review and reserves policy

The trustees are content with the financial position of the charity at the end of the period.

Say It Loud Club aims to maintain unrestricted funds of approximately £9,000 which would allow us to:

  1. Pay our employees for a period of one month

  2. Conduct our core activities to support our members for a period of one month

  3. Provide the charity with a sufficient level of financial resilience in any event of adversity

During 2022, the charity will review its funding and grant structure to provide further resilience where possible. The board of Trustees agrees the charity is still in its first phase of growth and it will therefore take some time for us to build up our reserves.

The board of Trustees will monitor and review the amounts of reserves that are required to ensure we can fulfil our continuing obligations. The policy will be reviewed in 12 month’s time.

9. Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees have a duty to prepare financial statements, for each financial year, which give a true and accurate overview of the charity’s financial activities and position, including the net income or expenditure of the charity for the year. In preparing these statements the trustees are required to:

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The trustees and treasurer are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity, thereby enabling them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. The trustees and treasurer are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and must therefore take appropriate steps to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees confirm that to the best of their knowledge there is no information relevant to the audit of which the independent examiners are unaware. The trustees also confirm that they have taken all necessary steps to ensure that they are aware of all relevant examination information and that this information has been communicated to the independent examiners.

The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

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Independent examiner’s report To the trustees of

Say It Loud Club

10. Independent examiners

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of the Say It Loud Club

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Say It Loud Club ('the Club') for the year ended 31 December 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees, 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 Club'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:

  1. accounting records were not kept 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.

Anthony Wayne Snow

c/o Queer Britain, 2 Granary Square, London, N1C 4BH

Date: 22 July 2022

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Say It Loud Club Receipts and payments account For the period ended 31 December 2021

Receipts
Grant income
Donations
Total receipts
Payments
Salaries
Offce rent
IT (software and hardware)
General expenses
Events and communications
Interpreter
Emergency and destitute fund
Housing project expenses
Ambassador laptops
Ambassador project expenses
Total payments
Net receipts
Cash funds at 01 January 2021
Cash funds at 31 December 2021		 Restricted
(£)
Unrestricted
(£)
2021 total
(£)
55,676.08
36,000.00
91,676.08
-
11,571.93
11,571.93
55,676.08
47,571.93
103,248.01
43,081.00
5,271.17
48,352.17
-
2,493.96
2,493.96
-
3,898.81
3,898.81
-
14,263.51
14,263.51
-
4,025.67
4,025.67
-
2,214.05
2,214.05
-
11,445.06
11,445.06
-
1,426.50
1,426.50
12,595.08
-
12,595.08
-
2,815.00
2,815.00
55,676.08
47,853.73
103,529.81
-
-281.80
-281.80
-
11,839.57
11,839.57
-
11,557.77
11,557.77

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Receipts and payments accounts commentary:

  1. During FY21 (period ending 31 December 2021) our expenses broadly matched our income levels, and at the end of the year the charity held unrestricted funds of £11,557.77.

  2. Our income predominantly comes from grants and donations, whilst our expenses are largely made up of employee salaries and project-related expenditure.

  3. During FY21, we purchased 30 laptops to loan to volunteers as part of our ambassador programme. We were able to make this purchase due to a generous one-off grant from Choose Love in support of our ambassador programme. Say It Loud Club will retain the laptops in the event of any ambassadors stepping back from their roles.

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Say It Loud Club

Statement of assets and liabilities As at 31 December 2021

Cash funds
Cash at bank in hand
Total cash funds
Funds
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
General funds
Total funds		 31 December 2021 (£)
11,557.77
11,557.77
-
11,557.77
11,557.77

As approved by the trustees on and signed on their behalf by:

Amanda Dickins, Chair of the Board of Trustees Date: 26 July 2022

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