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2022-12-31-accounts

Say It Loud Club Receipts and Payments Accounts 31 December 2022 Registered Charity Number: 1192945

Say It Loud Club

Reference and administrative details For the period ended 31 December 2022

Charity number 1192945
Registered office and
operational address		 200A Pentonville Road
London
N1 9JP
Trustees The trustees who served during the year ending 31
December 2022 were:
●Amanda Dickins (Chair)
●Uche Godwin Dumkwu
●MD Imran Hussain
●Bridget Nakanwagi Kalinda
●Katie McCallum
●Rosemary Nakiwala
●Kennedy Chigozie Obilom
●Thomas George Wood
●Sean Peter Counihan
Chief executive officer Aloysius Ssali
Bankers NatWest Group plc
36 St Andrew Square
Edinburgh
EH2 2YB
Independent examiners Anthony Wayne Snow

Report of the trustees

Say It Loud Club

For the period ended 31 December 2022

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, we believe Say It Loud Club is the only organisation to provide holistic support that accounts for members’ legal, financial, physical, social, and emotional needs.

Feedback from our member survey illustrates how our support has helped them:

Over the course of 2022, we have expanded the scope of our services to support our 480 members, creating a second full-time employee position to facilitate this expansion.

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.

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

Housing project: The housing project was founded in partnership with Notting Hill Genesis in July 2020. Its main objective is to identify the members of the community who are most in need of housing and to provide them with safe, suitable, and permanent homes. LGBTQ+ refugees are at a higher risk of homelessness than the wider refugee population.

This year, the partnership has achieved great success by securing 17 affordable, safe, and permanent homes for our members. Through our extensive networks, we have been able to collect donations that helped furnish our members' accommodations with essential items such as fridges, cookers, washing machines, beds, bedding, and utensils.

Ambassador project: Say It Loud Club Ambassadors (volunteers with lived experience) have enabled us to increase the holistic wrap-around support we offer to meet the needs of our growing community. Our ambassadors benefit from training, structured development, and supported volunteering opportunities, specialising in areas such as outreach, member support, peer mentoring, social media, communications, events, policy work and campaigns.

Ambassadors in our community use media to challenge narratives and raise awareness. We currently train 30 new ambassadors annually, adding to our existing cohort of 30. Through their volunteer work, Say It Loud Club ambassadors have helped overcome growth barriers and ensure future sustainability.

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, 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 bi-weekly workshops for its members, facilitated by Say It Loud Club Ambassadors, volunteers, or external speakers who are leaders and experts in their field. The aim of our workshops is to raise awareness and levels of understanding in areas specific to LGBTQ+ refugees and equip members with skills to help them 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 is 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 can also 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 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 based on sexual or gender identity when using a service for the first time. At Say It Loud Club, we can help our members access the services they need by accompanying them to appointments and helping them 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: Throughout 2022, we have seen an increased need for funds to be made available at short-notice to assist members in emergency situations – we believe this is due to the cost-of-living crisis in the UK. With the support of our core funder, Choose Love, we have continued to provide emergency funding for this purpose to meet the urgent need for financial and practical assistance when required. 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. Because of this increase in demand, Say It Loud Club sought funding to bolster its Emergency Fund and was successfully granted £1,000 of restricted funding from London Catalyst for the emergency fund. Our members have relied upon, and greatly appreciated, this practical support in a time where homelessness and destitution among LGBTQ+ refugees are rife.

Ambassador peer-to-peer support: We have developed a peer-to-peer support system led by Ambassadors who assist members with limited English. We provide a safe space for the members and the signposted Ambassador who meet weekly to confidently discuss their concerns, aspirations, and personal interests. Together, we try to explore and identify solutions and opportunities for them. This may cover immediate worries of the uncertainty of the outcome of interviews with the Home Office; what next steps they may wish to consider once granted, for example, identifying courses or areas of work and how to approach applying and presenting themselves positively; or simply finding creative activities that they can engage with to help combat loneliness, stress and isolation such as sports, entertainment, creative outlets or simply what may be on offer to a newcomer to the UK.

Broad community support: identifying low-cost or free activities that members can explore that will help introduce them to LGBTQ+ life in the UK and the community. Such opportunities will allow them to shift focus from the main preoccupations of their claims and give them a chance to connect with a wider community in the UK.

Policy work: Policy and advocacy work has been another area in which we have seen an increase in efforts during 2022. With the UK government tabling its Nationality and Borders Bill, we joined the 'Together with Refugees' coalition of human rights and refugee NGOs to campaign together against the Bill. We were one of the only organisations to publish a report to the House of Commons Committee, which specifically highlighted the ways in which LGBTQ+ asylum seekers would be harmed. We also mobilised hundreds of our members and supporters to write letters to their MPs and Members of Lords to ask them to oppose the bill and / or table amendments to remove the most harmful elements. Many of the parliamentarians we contacted referenced our report directly in their interventions against the Bill.

Through community organising and supporting our members to use their voice and demand change from decision-makers, we have had a tremendous impact on individual members' confidence and self-acceptance. Many of our members met directly with their local MPs and shared their testimony with them. As a result, some MPs not only supported the wider campaign, but also personally intervened in the individual members' asylum claims and helped secure a positive outcome from the Home Office. We know that empowering our members to become powerful advocates for their community is the right way to deliver long-term change, and that it also plays a crucial role in their own journeys towards pride and self-acceptance. That's why we have committed to continue our community activism into 2023 and beyond.

4. Supporters

Charitable trusts and foundations

As outlined in our 2021 annual report, one of our main aims for 2022 was to diversify our funding streams to increase our financial resilience. We have experienced

significant success in securing additional funding in 2022. During the period ended 31 December 2022 we received grants from the following organisations:

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 participated in sporting challenges 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 2022, Say It Loud Club had two paid employees: a full-time Chief Executive Officer and a full-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 2022, Say It Loud Club was managed by a board of nine 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 – 5 of our 9 trustees in the year to 31 December 2022 were members with lived experience.

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

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

During 2022, Say It Loud Club has continued to provide a wide-ranging programme of initiatives in support of its vision during the year period ending 31 December 2022. We have also been successful in efforts to diversify our funding portfolio in order to increase our financial resilience as we expand the scope of our member services. Policy and advocacy work has been another area in which we have seen an increase in efforts during 2022. 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 £35,000 which would allow us to:

  1. Pay our employees for a period of three months;

  2. Conduct our core activities to support our members for a period of three months; and

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

To build on our successes in 2022, the charity will continue to review its funding and grant structure to provide further resilience where possible during 2023. The board of Trustees agrees the charity remains in a phase of growth and should still focus efforts on building financial resilience. 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 months’ 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:

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.

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 2022.

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: 29 September 2023

Say It Loud Club

Receipts and payments account For the period ended 31 December 2022

Receipts
Choose Love grant
Hilden Charitable Fund grant
Cripplegate Foundation grant
London Catalyst grant
Donations
Total receipts
Payments
Salaries
Office rent
IT (software and hardware)
General expenses
Events and communications
Interpreters
Emergency and destitute fund
Housing project expenses
Ambassador project expenses
Total payments
Net receipts
Cash funds at 01 January
2022
Cash funds at 31 December
2022		 Restricted (£)
Unrestricted
(£)
2022 total (£)
36,150.00
36,150.00
72,300.00
-
7,000.00
7,000.00
-
7,500.00
7,500.00
1,000.00
-
1,000.00
-
37,422.18
37,422.18
37,150.00
88,072.18
125,222.18
36,150.00
17,297.91
53,447.91
-
6,291.33
6,291.33
-
2,036.38
2,036.38
-
15,055.78
15,055.78
-
5,714.00
5,714.00
-
2,820.63
2,820.63
-
13,140.30
13,140.30
-
4,680.04
4,680.04
-
4,784.00
4,784.00
36,150.00
71,820.37
107,970.37
-
17,251.81
17,251.81
-
11,557.77
11,557.77
-
28,809.58
28,809.58

Receipts and payments accounts commentary:

  1. During FY22 (period ending 31 December 2022) our expenses broadly matched our income levels, and at the end of the year the charity held unrestricted funds of £28,809.58.

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

Say It Loud Club Statement of assets and liabilities As at 31 December 2022

ay It Loud Club
tatement of assets and liabilities
s at 31 December 2022
Cash funds
Cash at bank in hand
Total cash funds
Funds
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
General funds
Total funds		 31 December 2022 (£)
28,809.58
28,809.58
-
28,809.58
28,809.58

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

Amanda Dickins Date: 26[th] October 2023

Chair of Trustees Say It Loud Club 200A Pentonville Road London N1 9JP