RAIS LANCASTER ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 counts Matters Llmrted 7-1-10 Cameron House While Crc6S iAncaster LarKashl LAI 4XF
Contents of the Accounts For Th• Year End•d 31 Marth 2024 Contents Pw• Reference and Admln1stTr¥e Detal Twstees. Report 4-15 Independent Earnin$ Report 16 Receipts and Payments Accounts 17-18
RAIS Lancaster Refugee Advocacyi Information and Support Registered Charity No. 1193811 RelerwKe and Admlnlstratl¥e Detsl For The Year Ended 31 March 2024 and beyffid AGM September2024 tharlty Narn•.' Refu8ee A0¢a¢¥ Inforniaoon & Support. laaster CIO Charlty Narne the fharlty ustt.. IiA15 Lan¢aster ReBlstered Chwrlty Number.. 1193811 Charws PrlnclpalAddreM'. RA15 Lancaster. The Comerstone. tyard SL Lancaster LAI IPX W•bth• www.r Ust OITNtel Name of wrson lor body) enlltled lo appoknl trustee Ilf any) Standing down at AGM Ae-elerttd at AGM Stsndin8 down at AGM Trustse Thame Offlcq Illanv) Dates a¢ted11 not forTNthol• y•ar Dr Elabeth Hare Andrew Nicholson Kate Tordoff Chalr Founder member AL¥ust 2022 Safeguardlng offlcer Housin8 and benefits coordlnator Relu8ee16aison Publitity and fund rai51n8 Finartti41 rnana8ement Legal support Staff line manager ¢¢)ordinator Ana5 Radwan Ruth ColbrliJ8e Stephen Thomas Georglna Firth JennKer Maclennan l Husseln Au8USt 2022 Elerted Juty 2023 Elected Juty 2023 Ctropted July 2024 Collopted Juty 2024 Ctropted Juty 2024 Elerted at AGM Standing down ai AGM 8tsard Of trustees Oth•rsupport Imm >lurteer5 Or Pat Allen Ifunding bid5 and IT) Clive Shaw Imlnutes Secr¢tsryl Pald staff Carmel Cheshire rfrea5urer Accountsn8 SUPPNtI Caitlin Lun? loperatlons manager) Trustttrf Annual Report and Hnan¢lal Stat•mhts (fARI Awil 2023to end Marth 2024 Charltable In¢orporated lknanlsatlon. Aqisttred Chartty Inth 1193811) Date: July 2024
RAIS Lancaster Refugee Advocacyi Information and Support Registered Charity No. 1193811 l. objette$ and Artlvltls A.1 Introducilon This port seeks to sffiimarise the wort and developments (arried oui by RAIS LarKasterdurin8 the year April 2023 to the end ol March 2024, whith mark5 ourthird yearof operation a5 a Charitable Incorporated Or8zni5ation ICIOI. 12 Oblectl¥os Our objectives for the fincial yearwere.. l. To incffjase the numberof tru$ on the bod to onsufe the stability and th8 fvlure oltho chorltyB governsnce. To conduct 8 governance reviewwthich will include 8 revi8w of our $8lBguardlng pollcy (now duel ond a roVi8w of our emplo9n1 controct5 and Pfxiice$ to respond to the ¢evgloping need¥ ol th¢ organisation. Response.. durtngthe yo8r we have recrultodandco-optedon? newtw$t•8 to t•ka on th• trniningof stèff 8nd volunt8•rs 8nd to orqsnis8 th8 imp8Ct87d8V81uaTron pr8S$. We have also r8ceivedappts'cation8 from threo mor& interg$tedp8rtie$ whom to eltatth&AGM. (Th0$& additn8[ tru$teè$ wern eo•opredln Juty2024 vthan 8pprov8dbyth&1>08rdJ. rnegovernance reviewhasinGludeda retrT8wolour98feguordingpolicy. o skllls oudit ofthe trustees with o vlow to covering81183pects olthe chori$ work, institutingA nèwlmp8ctsnO 8v8lu8tion programmg. startingto develop8 lunding stl8rwandconrinues in the writfftgol8 th-yg&rstr8to¢rfFrDP0581 in gntt¢ip4tron of r&&$tration wlth th6 OISC. 2. To conduct st8tt dèvelopmtnt 8nd •blunteertW8lningto $obdify8nd Improve our skllls ba8&. Response.. Tho r9clrmenl olihe 8bovo ld9ntrftrU5fee h8s madg itpo$sible to start this proce$$ which 13 ongoing8ndrequir65 further ¥Tk. Tho trainingprogr•mme w8$ h•ldupbyth• ch8n8e ofpersonnè18t the new yearbutlsnowbeing resumed. 3. To continue to 8ngure th* our serviceg in the 8reB are appropri8te both needsof oui ch8ndin8 cllont b8sa as mole people Bre likelylo gft leave to remain and th8r8fore ar• tocus•d on ouv core 8Ctivities ol 8dvoc8Cy. inlormation and support. Respon$e.- signifK8nt chong68 in the demogrokwiiegndnumbers of clnts was causedby tho closurain J&nu&ry 2024 of two hotels housingasylum seeters. This imp8ctedon our vA)rtin th8twe ne&d8d to respond to r&pid chgng8s mBde bygovemm6nt8gèncMs. How6vgr. wo hav8 sustein8d our5ervi¢8s throughout the y88r8nd8re noWexptrrft¢igonets more 8groTrvfft in numtJ&rs parncuiartyffn Telugee clientgroup. To seeklo ensuie sust8in8blg and mor¢ long-lom) lundingfor the charity beyond the Dextfinancl81 yeèr. R8sponse.' have 8ppIAedfw5ignific8ntamo{ts olfvndingduringthisye8rto3ust8in ourwort. We are urrentty woityng forth¥ outcomtrof8 bidto the Notional LorteryCommunityFund to sustain salaries fortwo staff members forthreeyears. We h8¥e recently8ppoint8d8 funthngcoorthn8forwho Is dr&pwngup o fvnding $trategyfor rhe next3 to Sar$.
1.3 PAIS'S Charkable Purpose RAIS exists for the public benefil, to provide lie1 and assistance to a5uM 5eeker5 and refu6ees. aTrJ thebr dependants, in the Lancaster and Morecambe area, yincipally by providing advocacy, information and support. Thetru5tees ha¥ had regard to the zuhjame Ied by the Charlry Comnknlon on publk benefft. In ordei to demonstrate ihis, we outline our main artivitie5 in support of our benefioaries telow and confimi that these do not give rise tts per50nal benefit to tTU5tees. vdunteers, donors or supporters, but are sdely to provide relièf to asylurn seekers. refu8ees and their dependants. In the 12 months CL5vered by thi5 report we have seen swificant than8es in the number of asylum seekers resldent arcornmodated in the area. In t)ecember 2023, the Horne Oth"ce d05ed both the hotels. one in Lancaster and one in Morecambe, which had housed approximately 3C(I to4(Q asylum seekers over the previous 18 months. The closure tonsiderably reduced our potential client base. This was temporary, as other factors mean thÈ the client base has now increased a8ain. Ouropera0ns man4er left the charfty inJanuJry 2024 and we decided to offer the post ol operations manager (full timel to our 5enlor 5UPPOrt worker. IA benlklirles Asylum seekers Al the be8inning of the period of the repcrt Lancaster welc¢xed approximately ISO asylum seekers d55per5ed Into Heme Office accommodation in the clty, comprlsing family and multi-o¢¢upan¢y houses managed by Serco. and a fvrther 220 asylum seekers housed in initial accommodation in hotel Refygees There are approxirnately 150 relu8ees and their families th leave to remain who have stayed in the area since theii ¢a5e5 were decided over the last few years. In the final quarter of the year in question, from janu 2024 tothe end of March 2024, the numbèrs ol bath tllent 8roups be8an to increase steadity and Continue to do so. 1.5 Core Actl¥ltl•s Orlns Our drop-ins leach for two fvoursl took are at the Ccnerstone Centre twice per week untll January 2024. Then, for short while. the drop-in was held once per week, because of the decrease in numbers, Formost of the petsple seNed by the charity the drop-rns are the fSrsi form ol contact. TypiclY the drop-in is staffed by • number of volunteers and the paid Staff. thher drop-ins take F4ace at St Thomas, church centre In Lancaster and the Èare Methodist cfvjrch hall in Morecambe. Dudng the Arst three quarters ofthe year we rffelved many enqulrfjes tr asylum seekers resident in hote15 In Lancaster and More¢ambe. The majority of these were concerned with the need for identity card5 and Asylum Support me¥. In July 2023 the Home Offlce introded the Asylum Case QuE5tionnaire IACQ) whith 15 intended to fast.tra¢k asylurn applicants Irom spetifvc countries where there 15 ong>ng ccffillict, and to which they are not able to retum. Over the followng months fflany clients soughl our help with ihese questionnaires and the lon8tr-tem) result has been an increased number of people 8ettin8 rÈfu8ee5 Status Ileave to remain). Many of these people, having come initially to the Lancaster area when they arrfved as asylum seekers, would like to retum as they have made ¢onnertion5 here. Appoknknonts In the flnal Quarter of the year the operatlrms manager stsrted to offer appointments lor those people with complex case5 at the office and the number requestin8 aPpNIMets ¢ontsnues to increase. She now has approxlmately 8 to Ioappointments a week Types of suppurt Generol support Asylum Seeke and refugees come to ask for help 7AIth a wde variety of matter5. frorn the asylum prrKe5S to benefits. hSin& mana8in8 thwrfinartes, and ewatiLal issues. The charrty does not provide legal or other
advice. We provide information and darifficatirn about the awum process and asslstwith matters suth as hou51118. We refer peOe to service5 such ès eLatiOn. and si8npost them as appropriate to other local or8anisation5, includirÉ Collingwood Immigration Ser¥itr5. a local immyr31 sdiator. We help a5u 5eeker5 understand Hi¥ne OffKe and SERCO letters and em?ils. We help refugee5 with hou51n8, claiming benefits and 5eekin8 employment. We help both groups comete fom75 and CommunitlYbS online and we pro¥ide actess to a translation seThice either in person or on the phone in a variety of languages. Advoc(Ky Ouf advocacy work takes the forffl of ac£oryanyin8 pee to interviews to ensu they understand what is beln8 said, making enquiries C¥l ther behalf Whe needed to the Hcrfre Office and to a variety of local agencie5, induding the local Housin8 Office. Ourvolunteers accompany asylum seekers to legal appointments. to their Mome Ollice inteTview5 and court appeal hearin85. We also xcompany refuBees to local authorfty appointments at Housin& the Citizens, Advice Bureau ICABI and the Department olwork and Penyons IOWPI. We accompany both asylum 5eeker5 and refugees to medical appointment5. advice centres. on sthool visits for their children, to the DWP and Local Authority offices. Ow ad¥o(acy aim5 to ensure that people 8et where they need to go at the right time, understand what they arè asked or tdd- and the implications thereol- and have thebr questions answered. When people get a p051ti¥e de05ion and lewe to remain as refugees. we support them through the comeX systems of housine and befits with which they not familiar. We helpto find housing and apply for and find work. Ontè a month. the Employment cOrdInat0fIrorn LashITe CoLmty Council's Refee Integration Team joins our Thursday drop-in to ofler eMploymt support to cllents. Long temi sypport We olfer some asylum seekers and refugees lon8.kmi SUFWt. Currendy. we have around 25 clients in thls cate80ry. Th55 includes a$M seek5 preparing lor IrÈsh daims and underyolrtB the appeals process alter a ne8atSve decision, referriTrd them for expert [denCe, and findin81è8al Psentation. some clients have suNived tortu. which fequires ongtyng support for medlcal-be8al pOrtS for their aswum daims as well as spedalist medical and mental health supportlielerrals. For farnilies. the family reunion process. supp¢)rtin8 families on arrival, apolying for childcare and h0o1,. and lor dSents with long-term medical condltlons with athlocary for1551n6 healthcare. disability bèneflts and carerfs allowan applications. We also providelong lemi sUPPOrt for inéividuals and families wilh vulnerable member5 as wèll as Indivlduals with physical or mental health problems and dlsabilities. Th15 lattèr aspect of the woth Is U[ertaken in collaboration wilh social. health and mento1 healih serwces. Helpline We run a helpline fwe mornings a week frryn 10 arn to 12 noLN), Is staffed by the ¢)peratlons manager ora pald Worker. We re¢•ve en4uiries from asylum sèekets. refvgees. MberS of the publlc Interested in ourwork, and enquifies and referyals frthm other statutory and voluntsry or&ani5ations. Housing We support cllents recently awarded refugee stabjs who ère empllryed to ftNI shared hou51nB, Utili5in8 our Premium subscriptlon to SpareRoom.com. Ortct offered a room, we apply for a DIretiOnary hou5in8 Payrrnt frorn Lancaster City Coun¢ll to cover thetr deposit and fit month's rent. For new refu8ees made homeles5, we refer them to Ref¢J8ees at Horne. to find them a room with a volunteer host and cmce there, we support them to fln lon8er-term housin8 aftèrtheir host 2£emenL We have done around ten of these referrals. F¢Y refuBee famllles refugees wlth disabilltie5 or¢)ther qualifying needs, we eage Lancaster Clty Council for accessin8 ernÈr8Ènty attommodation if necessary and lore-term cwncil I51T. Where the familles have Ènough income. we 5UPP(Mt them with ff ndin81(m8er.term rented attomrThJ(ation. The majority of clients who arrl¥8d In the UK seekin8 asylum in 2022 now have Leave to Remaln. For those wlth familie5. the clients can requiie support for ThpIe stages in their housir8 searth: a h05t for the short-term, shared rented accomrnodation. and upon theirfamilies l¥if& eenCY accornm0dati. and then lon8er-term houslng through the council or pdvate ntaI sector. 'We have centlyeStablIShed a partner5hipwith Refu8ees at Home, a national ¢harity. to Itelp refugees wlth temporary accoMMlatI once they have leave to remain ond while they a waitin8 for benefits. Ioh8erttrm housln8 and seeking work
1.6 lrnpad and frfalualknn ol our 5er¥kes For the last financlal year we have intro1ed a new system of impact and evaluation in orderto represent the responses of our dients to the services we offer. Using the EVID system (knsed by the LaaSter Uni¥effAty Mana8ement we have established seven focu5 groups, six of which sJndertook threvalUatiC in their own languages and one of which, conduued In En8llsh was fora 8roup self-definin8 group of clients who are LGBTQ+. The kyojett is supervised by one of the trustees. The evaluation results will be shared across the asylum and refr4ee support community acros$ the area in the autumn of 2024. At the t1 of writing the project is undeThvay and will be Completed and ÉnharTrced during the urrent finan¢i81 year. 1.7Saftyuardlng In common with mandatory prartice f¢x statutcry or8anisation5 and best practice for non4tatutory and voluntary or8anSsations, RAIS ha5 developed a robust policy for 5afe8uardl. Its oriBind version was formulated and adopted In 2017, shortly after the charitywas created. Subsequentfy it ha5 undergone further revisions a5 the charity has 8rgwn. our client-base massively increased, and in the light ol OLX own experience of applying the pollcy. The current versi{ of the polity Iversion 41 was amended and adopted by the trustees on 25103124. The scope of the pollc¥ CerS pald stsff. volunteers and dients. It complie5 With the principles idenlifled In thè Carè ¢mpowerment lofthose Seeki SUFWt prevention Itakin8 pre-empiive action btfore harm otturs proportionality ladoptin8 the leasi inirusive respon5el protectlon (support and WesentatI lor those in 8reatest needl partnèrship (working with other agencies within the community) accountability lactin8 Wlth transpafency in dellveiiThd safe8uar(linB} The pollcy Identlfies the complex and wide-ranging forrns that abuse may take. These fall broadlywlthln the folltswin8 categories, •ach of which the policy amplifies in 8reatei detail.. Physical Sèxual Emotional or psychological Flnancial or material 01scriminatory F¢Y each category the poliry outlines rhe posslble indi¢ators. Furthemore, the policy recognises that abuse can take place anywhere and the abusr be a Straer. family member. (afer. or someone in a position of trust. The pollry offers clear guldan¢e as to the action that should be tsken if abuse is suspected.. Reporting it to the Safeguardin8 Olficer Refralning from makin8 an investigatlon orBltln8 thlce Making no promise of confidentiality The polity recognists the importance ol en5urin8 that there is zlw3ys a desvdnated Safe8uwdln8 Offieer. Their responsibilities a clearly defintd.. Ensuring that the safe8uardin8 Oicy is adhered to Providing training and supeThision Passln8 on èllegation5 of abuse to relevant authorities Ensuring that the tharity complies with GDPR Liaisin8 Wth local pdice
It is to be noied that wbereas the safeguarYin8 policyapplies to the re5ponsibifity that the charity has for the safeguarding of trustees, 5tafl. vdunteers and clients whlle they a eaged in artivitie5 relatèd to our SeThi5 we bear in mind the asylum seeker5 and refugees are rt offitialty designated as vulnerable people pèrse although Some ol them may be as a fesult of theiT particul¥ orcum5tance5. We do not take overall responsibility for the safety of dSents outside their eng38ement with u Lone wo1 In December 2023, follryinB concerns raised by Staff, we develo[ a leWorking pdicy which induded the following rneasures= purchasing personal alarms informin8 the Cornerstle staff when Worki alone askin8 that they e5COrt clients to the door 50 that RAIS stafflvolunteers decide If they can enter ensuring that novdunieer wowks alone irt the officewithwt o member of staff present The mana8ement ofthe Cornerstone have also aded to better sale8uard those wthin8 in the buildinB. Measures taken in¢lude: a recepJonist in the buildin6 Installoiion of Th be installed, and th3t the lockin8 01 the automati¢ doors be locked when Comerstone staff ar not PSen1 An app can now be used to access the CCIV ITn¢ludlrt8 to sèe who is tsIde the office doDrl, and there Is now a telecom phone in the RAIS office so that clients tsn Call t)utside the locked ayt¢Nnatic doors to the bullding. This enables a declsion to be madewhether to admlt the person ormeetttRm In the café area la more publSc and busy place). IA Voluni•ws RAIS has approxlmaiely 20 to 24 volunteers at aDy one tiff. incIalre trustees, of whom the majority ore actively en8aged with the front-line work of the tharity- Vdunteers are asked to apply in writln8 and compleie GDPR and Conlidentialily agreements and once provisionally appoinied, to undertake a basic OBS check. The drop-ins are supervlsed by paid worker5 who in turn ore line mana8ed by one of the trustees. All volunteers are requlre(I t¢ ablde by the agreed of the Charity whole act1 M Ouf behalf. In an avera8e week volunieers wll work aCTOSS all adwities undertake an avera8e Of 24 hour5 of Voluntary work wilh four volunteers * each two-hour thop-ln and six hours on accompanyln& household support and advo¢ary of various kinds. 1.9 ParfnershSps RAIS is part of a networkof support org•lsadons across Lancaster tlistrirt, Worki to support asylum seekers and refu8ees. We are cL¥nmitted to effective partnership wckn'ng toen5ure the best P055ible outcomes for our dients. Our main partners are listed below: Lancastercity Counol Asylum and Reft*ee Forum IMAFI Lancaster and Morecambe City of Sanrtuffj committee East Meets West Women's Group Global Llnk StThomas' Churth Asylwn Seeker and Refugee Support Metw StThoma5 Shared hub for new arrivals each Wedne5dav Lancaster and ihe Bay Hygiene 8ank The Olive Branth Food Bk Morecambe Bay Food Bank Skerton Ffy)d Club EgEcup Citiieng Athce Bureau Lancastef City Council Hwsir8 Department Lancasier District CVS The Cornerstone
Lancaster University Methodist Churth Christ Church. Lancaster Collingwood Immigration Services The Tara Centre Lancashire Youth Challen8e Lanc35hire Adult Learnin8 Lancaster and Moretambe College Global Wllage Calé AefiJ8ees at Home l AchSe¥ernents •nd Perforniance 2.15ummary ofA¢hle¥ements The (lata below Indicates the demographit of ourdient base. the rae ol servi$ we offer and how our work has adapted to me the changing n*ed5 ofthe aswum seeker5 and refu8ee community. DROP-IN ENQUIRIES BY MONTH (APRIL 2023-MARCH 2024) 270 250 231 2LKI 166 134 50 The summer month5 of 2023 Saw a si8nificant rlse in the number of ptoplt needing help as the two inial zccommodation hotels were in use at that time. Since Marth 2024 the numbers have Increased again as more dlspersed actommodation has been styJrced by Serto in area and more people with leave to remaln have sought our 5YPPOrt.
DROP-IN ENQUIRIES BY STATUS (APRIL 2023-MARCH 2024} 26% 25% Asylum seeker- dISpeed accommodall(m13391 Asylum 5eeker- initk?I accorTvnodation16461 Relu¢ee13421 DROP-IN ENQUIRIES BY TYPE OF ENQUIRY (APRIL 2023-MARCH 2024) Asylum SUPP¢)rt14 Legal suprrtJrtlreferral12001 Lea to Aemain support11801 H¢yJsing I5) BeIlt5/EmplonentIII91 Health11101 Transpcrt1971 37% This chart ill¢Jstrates the rdnge of enquides we deal with every week. The quests for legal 5UPPQrt refiect the péOrnin8nce of asylum seeker5 in the area over the period in question. 10
RAIS CLIENTS BY LENGTH OF SUPPORT (APRIL 2023-MARCH 2024) 18% 3596 I visit11341 2-5 visits11801
5 visits {691 RAIS CLIENTS 8Y STATUS (APRIL 2023-MARCH2024} 2196 Asylum seeker- dispetsed accommodati¢)n1901 Asylum seeker- Inllial accommodatlon12141 Refugee1791 The last two charts illustrate the need for knnger term support ty a 8rowing number people Indudlng both refugeè5 and asylum seeker5. 2.2 Case studles Case study I: Y was an asylum seeker livi tn the hotel in Morecambe. fs mtntal health dedined and he began sell-haming and attempted suicitle. We engaged the mental health crisis team and organised on8¢yng support from his GP and
Barnardo's BOLOH swvice. a tree therapy progTrmme for asylum seekers. We 5UPP)rted Ywlth healthcare advocacy an aoing basls. includin8 requestin8 medication wews. We immediatety contacted Migrant Help and Sereo's sale8uardin8 team aboutys mèntal hÈalth bel worseft by the hotel environment. We organised Y beirva transferred to a shared house withln weeks. Before the transfer. Y was beeoming sic from the hotel food. Throu8h our s141 Prosperity Fund partneTship with skert Focxl Club, we tX8anised Y rÈcèi¥ingfreÈ food parcels for 6 weeks, whith re501ved hi5 digestive issues. We had refeired Y to Colltrngworxl Immigratlon SeNic&s for hi5 asylum claim. Y received the asylum tlaim westi0ma1 but could not complete it due to repeatedly not being able to log nio the online portal. The Home Office threatened to withdraw his clalm. We contacted the asylum questionnaire department at the Home Office to thocate for Vs daim to not be withdrawn and to re501ve the log- in i55ue. They resolved it withn 2 days. and Y completed questlornai with the solicitor. Y has since received Leave to Remoin. We immediatdy 5UPPOrted him with openin8 a bank account and ap¥1 for Universal Credtt. Casè study I: M. an asylum seeker, arrived in Lancaster tn December 2023 aftèr livlng In anothercity for two years. M had never had a solicitor and had given no evide lor his daim. nor any support from a chartty. M had been very socially 1501ated since beln8 In the UK. M received a ne8atpie deciyon on his daim shortly after arrivln8. M Is a gay man who experienced torture and 51avery. We Sent his decision letterto the North East Law Centfe to wiew its merit, and they a8reed to represent M for his appeal. RAIS c1)Mpted a to Freedom From Torture for a medi¢tr-legal report for hrs claim. We inlrcluced M to loc31 LGBTQ+ Commlty 8roups whlch he now attends. and alsothe10¢41 refugee football team, whom he plays with week. We ilso helped M aPV for a full.timt Plumbln8 Course at Lantasier and Moretambe College, which he wll begin in September 2024. 23 Votyjntw tralnlnl We oller re8ulai tiainin8 sesslons io ¥olwteers diTertty. In summer 2023. our Operations Manager offered four traininB sessions to volunleer5. introducin8 them io RAIS. work and procedures for recordin8 5UPPOrt work in our dlent database. We also ran a trainin8 session for all volunteers, staff, and trustees in Dember 2023 on the areas of support work we do (housin8. edLKation, complex asylum claim5/appeals, etc.), sale8vardln8, and updates to the a5yIurn system. In February 2024. new volunieers attended a tralnire session covering the support work baslts. In September 2023, the volunteers also received trair¥n8 frcth Green Rose CIC. a lool or8anlsatlon supportin8 those in fuel poverry. ThE staff attended an all-day trainin8 event at Asylum Link In Llverpool wAth other north-west orgèn15atlons on the Illegal Migration Act. The staff have recelved trwninz frrjn Asylum SuFVOt1 Appeals Project atxl Mental Health Flr5t Aid En8land. 14 W•ll4r• fvnd In the fin3nclal year In que5tlon our welfore fund assisted YJ dients th8h 224 transartlons Therin8 nte(Js such as destitulion. transpcrt Costs and other Uf8ent needs. Our well¥e fund conststs of regular donatlons and one-off money from fund rai5inB and small gts to meet urgent nttds. Re¢tsrds ¥e kept In an onllne cashbook and the transactions scrutinlsed by our accountants Accounts Matter5 of La)$ter. 3. The Future 3.1 Fundln Key Fundin8 highloghts frun 23124 Continued to demonstrntè ¥illty In response tothe afftmmenfs tharein8 pollces and strJtegie5 reBardln8 both the aswum seekirg refu8ees' tommunities. Our support systems have helped our clients apply for asylum while reduciw the workload ¢)n migration soliciting servSces. Supported wlth leaming English by direrting thern to local sep4ice5. Helped <lients find housire. Helped in cases of need wlth particular focus of food. children's dothin& medical and transpcrt. Mental health support and a¢cLYnpVlng clients to formal interviv4V5. Supportin8 dients find work and Courses. Made an applicaticm to the National Lottery for threeyears core funding. We have so far. suctessfully gat to the final stage and awaitin8 a final decision Iflelayed by thange of pefSth)nel at the NLI. We are CUrntlY f¢)min8 an application which be m in the event of us lalling at the final National Lottery hurdlè. We have brou8ht furtherclarity to our antiopated funding need5 for the next 5 years. This has resulted In a strategic funding plan. 12
We have appolnted a new funding ctrordinator and provitled trainin8 thr(wh the lucal community volunteer service. Successfully athieved a grant to fvnd all Offi and dropin accommojation and training costs forthe curTent year. ITreaSed the numberof regLlardona¢ion5 in(ased thevalue of 8ifts. Provlded an efficient syslem to recover giftaiLI from swtoble donations. Currently have a member of staff stu(fyin8for a OISC level I qualification. Key Fundin8 objectives for 23124 Essential objective.. to secure staff fundingfor next 3 yezrs d to the 5-year strategic funding plan. a 5-year nAlin8 pro8ramme of fundln8 applications with time guides and b%k-up fuTh4in8 Sources. Cre3te financial capacity to employ a thlrd paid member of staff if we tt51der it essential to meet our dienvs need5. Ensure we maintsin the thaiivs abllity to adapt to g(wemrnenYs pdiues and prartice. Ease the burden on local migration solldtors. mices by yovidirtg mfrte gUIdte thrOh our properfy trained and qualified staff. Fundraisin8 Sinte Covid 19 the fundraising opportunities forcharities have been limited Iwt are beginning to resume. Wè anticipate a Share of the funds from cross city fund raiser in October held by our partners atst Thomas, thurch. We have rentlY established a partnership with a local hi8h school who will be fundraisin8 for 3.2 ObJ•rth•s for the ¢omln8 y•ar 24125 l. To confim co-opted trustees in post by elertlon at the AGM in September 2024 2. To review and further develop the training programme for the volunteer5 3. To appoint an additlonal paid memberof staff as ¥ senior wpport worker. funthng permlttlng To register with the OISC and support the operati5 marbager towards level l and 2 qualiflcatlons 5. To review policies.. Confidentiality, Volunteerin& Complainis To continue ro feview ond update the Sale8uardin8 policy a5 necessary aCcdin6 to clrtumstahce To consdidate the finanual problty of the eharity thrDh funding blds To further the implementation of the reCenV acquired CRM system To further involve clients as volunteers in the daY-tdaY artivities of the tharity 3.3 Reser¥es Pollry We have decide¢F that the annual rtsernfes should be ilKrea5ed by £lth) to £7137 in order to cover any possible c¢)ntractual debts. 4. Structur•. Gov•rnance and Manayment 4.1 Govern1 Document RAIS is an Association Model CIO, ElStered with the Charity Comrrtrission cm IS" March 2021. The previous Committee of RAIS, as an unincorporated Community A55ociatign. decided to adopt a more formal structure, includln8 IncoOration. 35 the ambition was togrow the Charity. aThJ to employ our first paid worker, in order to deliverz profeSYcal and property regulattd service to our use. Z Governance The Tru5tee5 meet 5 times a yearoutsh4e AGM. on every quarterto receive ac<ounts and Interim reports and discuss new proposals and isSUP5 Wth an extra meetin8 worto theAGM forTAR preparation. Poli$ Current polities and prOdre5 comprise Safeguarfin& Confidentiality, Volunteering, Compla5nts, Equallty. Diversion and InclLiyon. Health and Safety, t5(]p11nary Procedu. and Grfje¥ance Procedure. 13
Officers of thp Board Neil Makenzie. funding ccrdInat0n. Clive Shaw. minutes SeCv.. Camiel Cheshire. treasUr.. Pat Allen. IT manager. 4.3 Mèmbershlp RAIS is an Association Mode1 CIO, which means that supporters ofthe trarity. Indudlr donors and volunteers, may. il they wish. becorne a Memberof AAIS in OTiJerto keep up to date wtth our a¢tNities and to vote on certaln matters. Only Members ofthecharlty mayvote at (wJrAnnual General Meeti. The RAIS Constitution requlres only e annual meetirvd of its members whith is in effètt the AGM. It may from time to time call additional meetires orinvits membets to participate Sn a consultation or p1anrn& Èvènt as appropriateThe means of cMimunication for members isvia emall and meetln85 are held esther In person Dr on zoom. We currently hive 39 Members. mst of whom were supporters of RAIS before we bÈtame a CIO. The trustees reco8nise that welcoming a wde ¢ross-5tdiM Of ow community as emr5 is a key way to ensurè wè are an inclusive or8anisation and to providing t only community sup&. but communlty understandln8 and empathy for Jr beneficiaries. The trustees have agreed a pro¢ess for apptying for, awfovlng and OrdIn8 Mernber5hip, 4,4. Employeqs The Charity employs two pald staff.. M5 Caitlin Lunz. the Operations Manager, whose rc4e indudes supervising and runnin8 the drop•in sessions, arran8ln8 ird monitoTin8 and outreath as well as networkin8 to create and maintain Good working relationships with other or8anisation5. M5 Carrnel Chesirè. the TrèasurerlAdministTator, who manages the office and dtyto day finances as well as Ilalslr6 with the accountants. 5. Thank$ and a¢kn¢)wlediements Our ir¥teful thanks are due to the follow1 oryan15atlons for th wpport •ul collaboratlon North L•n¢ashire CAB Lancaster City Council trlouslng Dept. East meets West Global Link The Ccrnerstone and Lancaster Methtsdistchurth Lancaster and District CVS Lancaster and Morecambe City of Sanctuary The Olive eranch food bank and Morecambt Bay Food Bank The Lancaster Hy8lenè Bank and Food aub ollin8wood1mrrigratiw Ser¥lces St Thomas, Churth Lancaster Christ Chur¢h Lancaster Our vdunteer and paid interprwers A btg think you to Our futhd•' National Lottery Awwds For1 Garfield Weston The Hilden Trust The Lancaster District MobilityTrusi Migrant Help Morrison"5 PLC Moretambe Walney Extension Community Fund UKSPF Allen Lane Foundation 14
And Ilnally Thankyou so rnh to all the indrviduals who have volunteered andlordonated to FiAIS LancastÈr over the lastyear. We couldn't do any ol it withtyjt youl As well as a growing number of monetary dationS we receive many donations in kind including kitchen equipmenL sma11 items of furnitu, toiletries and cleaning materfal> We are veryBr8ieful to all who donate in response our appeals. EH July 5" 2024 Chair RAIS Lancaster ApwtrAI The annual report and account5 wère approved by ihe TrUee$ and 8n¢d on their behalfby Sl8ned- Or E M Hate, Chalf Dated SlgrKd- Mr A MIthDlson, Tfustee 24 Dated 15
RAIS Lancaster
Independent Examlner's Report
For The Year Ended 31 March 2024
Independent Examlnerfs Reportt
RAIS Lancaster Receipts and payments accounts For the year ended 31 March 2024 Acrnunt Unrestrkted Restrkted 2024 2023 Recelpts Donations Fundraising Grants IntLYe5t Income Sub-total 4,024 4,024 9.942 307 29.824 14,580 70 18*74 37.921 52,501 70 56.595 37J21 40.081 oihèr Income GiftAid Reclalms Total Other Income 1.317 1,317 1,317 lJ17 Total recelpts 19,991 57,921 57.911 40081 Payments Dlrect expense5 ktounting fee5 Bank Fees Insura nce Interprelers Office expenses Office rental Phones Ifor asylum seekers) Room rental Salaries and on costs Stsff expwses Subscri ptlons Volunteers, expenses Welfare fund - fares Welfa re fund - £eral wdfare Sub-tatal 81 210 291 2,424 io 262 1.020 2,095 3.982 302 2,241 36.438 215 132 548 2,996 538 53A94 2.424 io 262 121 1,825 3,982 657 237 1,941 2.236 899 270 302 36 30.183 2,950 6,776 17,060 191 2,205 6,255 215 132 548 761 69 291 9,472 1,170 42,981 2,235 469 18091 Asset and Investment pUrd•S Equipment SUt01a1 2.924 2,924 Total payments 18I91 34.604 53.494 45.905 Net of receipts/lpwfflienls} i.ify) 3J17 4,417 5,824 Transfers be funds Cashfunds last ear end Cash funds this year end 8,412 11,729 12,832 17349 18,656 12,832 55ZO 17
RAIS Lancaster Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the perlod For the year ended 31 March 2024 Endowm•nt fvnds Unr•Arkt•d fvnds R•#rlLted funds C•sh Fynds Current account Savin s account Cash 188 Mobile hor 732 AM•ts rel1 lor t dwttl¢s own u Office furniture 1,032 599 Ide•Pad Roller rtrt Shiedts & 129 117 rint 315 nabj Prlnt namt Dète of rovèl %8ned on bth•lfofthe trtee$ Notes to thgaccounts l. The accounts have beerb prepared on o Retdpts and P•ynwnts basls as by Sec00 133 of the Charltles kt 2011. A% the Inconpls notover £250,fy)O th• Ch•rlty Commlsslon wlddlnt CC16 lor r#•fjpts and payments ha5 been appll&J. 2. The prlnclpal accounfjng pollcles are.. Inco Is reco8nlsed upon recelptof tash or cash equl¥•lents to tAthlth the charlty h¥s fvll eneMnts. Expendlture. Incluslve ol iifecoverable VAT. is rKo8n15ed upon paynwbtof an Involceor clalrn for whl¢h the ch¥rlty 3. The restrltted fund n1wents are as follw: Grant fwd len lane Foundatl¢)n EW 6.240 6.240 270 360 90 fjrants¢¥p• LCF 14,700 8A92 469 5,808 531 LDCVS 3,761 3,500 3.761 2235 302 LDMr Phones 1,265 776 IP78 6.975 The Fgre Morrlson5 6,975 899 3.720 2A21 438 Ml8rant Hdp 462 8A13 37 21 18