## **REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT NETWORK** 

## **CHARITY NUMBER 1196188** 

**Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2023** 



## **Trustees** 

Janice Lopatkin – Chair Akeela Ahmed Douglas Ridley Nour Eddin Al Talli Elizabeth Bowles Sally Frances Bailey Charlie Fraser 

## **Background** 



**In January 2018, a small group of 15 delivery organisations met in London to discuss some of the common challenges they faced and how collaboration could effectively overcome them.** 

After meeting regularly over the following 6 months, these organisations agreed on the need for a coordinating body focused on delivering a shared vision of ensuring every refugee in the UK is able to access appropriate, fulfilling, paid employment or self-employment. 

The Refugee Employment Network (REN) was born from these small beginnings. The network formally launched in January 2019 with a summit attended by over 80 organisations and a renewed mandate to drive collaboration between organisations offering livelihood assistance for refugees in the UK. Since then, REN has been focused on building a membership network that can move the sector forward – united by the vision of a UK that can provide meaningful employment opportunities for refugees. 

Originally incubated by international humanitarian agency World Jewish Relief, the Refugee Employment Network registered as a charity in October 2021. This is our first annual report. 

## **Impact** 

To date, our impacts include: 

- Brokered relationships between employers and network members. 

- Secured ‘start-up’ funding from the Home Office to operationalise the network. 

- A partner with the Department of Work & Pensions to signpost and open access to support for refugees. 

- Collated a range of national data, best practices and case studies to help others expand opportunities. 

- Hosted Business Roundtable with UNHCR and the Home Office 

- Hosted 5 Refugee Jobs Fairs across the UK, including London, Hitchin, Aberdeen, Birmingham and Leeds. 

- Hosted REN Annual Summits. 




Finances
Annual ¥¢¢ounts for tha
tyrlod
1511(112021
To
S•ctlon A Stat•m•nt of financlal actlvltb•B (Includlng summary
Incorne and expendlture account)
F01
F02
F03
FO4
FOS
51.67T
697
10.(X
61.67T
697
Tot
S2.374
10.C*X
62.374
3.456
14.89ts
14.898
$10
18.3S4
18.354
Incomthl(•xp•ndbtuv•)
$1?
10.(
10.(bDD
17
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a1•
fund•
10.¢X
fvnals..
10.(XPD


## Doug Ridley 10/1/24 

Trustee Treasurer 

**These accounts were independently reviewed as per the below:** 



CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGiAND AND WAIE5
Independent examinerfs report on the
accounts
Section A
Independ8nt Examlner'8 Roport
Rèport to the trustees
REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT NETWORK
On accounts for the year
ended
31ST MARCH 2023
Charlty no
lif any)
1196168
Set out on pag*s
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the atJ)ve
charity I"Ihe Trust'l for the year ended 3110312023.
R•spc*nsibilitle$ and
basis of feF)Ort
As the charity's tru5te8s, you are responsible forthe p￿paration of the
a¢¢ount5 in accordance with the requirements of the Charrties A¢t 2011
I'the Acfl.
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust'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 14515llbl of the A¢t.
Indepèndent I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have
•xaminer's ststement come to my attention in connection with the examination %*hich gives me
cause to believe that In, any material respe¢t'.
the accounting records were not kept in accordan￿ wth section 130
of the Charitie8 Act, or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records", or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements
concerning the fomi and Content of accounts Set out in the Charities
IA¢counls and Report81 Regulations 2008 other than any requ1￿Ment
that the 8ccount5 give a Irue and fair. view which is not a matter
considered as part ol an independent examination.
I have no concems and have come across no other matters in conneciion
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.
Please delet6 th& words in the brack8ls if they do not apply.
Slgned..
Dal•:
25
202
Namè:
BRIAN DEMIDOFF
Relwant prof•ssional
qualificatOonl81 or body
Ilf anyl-
Financo Manager, Gingerbread, The Charity for Sing18 Parent Families