2024-07-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT

M A R T H A H O U S E A S S O C I A T I O N 2023-24

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

TOUR CHARITABLE OBJECTS ARE:

“TO RELIEVE POVERTY AND FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AMONG REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS, MIGRANT WORKERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS LIVING IN LONDON BY PROVIDING HOUSING, PASTORAL AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT.”

WE CARRY THIS OUT THROUGH OUR PRINCIPLE ACTIVITIES, OUTLINED BELOW:

THE PROVISION OF ACCOMMODATION

MARTHA HOUSE, THE ORIGINAL PROJECT OF MHA, IS A HOUSE OF HOSPITALITY FOR DESTITUTE ASYLUM SEEKERS, REFUGEES AND OTHER FORCED MIGRANTS. IT IS RUN BY TWO HOSTS, THE CO-COMMUNITY LEADS JO AND CONOR WHO ARE ALSO TRUSTEES OF THE CHARITY, WHO LIVE IN THE HOUSE WITH THE GUESTS. IT PROVIDES FOR BASIC NEEDS OF THOSE WHO ARE DESTITUTE – FOOD, ACCOMMODATION, LAUNDRY FACILITIES, INTERNET ACCESS – RELIEVING THE HARDSHIP THAT THIS MARGINALISED GROUP FACES.

BEYOND ACCOMMODATION, MARTHA HOUSE CREATES A SAFE, CARING AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE RESIDENTS CAN HEAL FROM THE STRESS OF HOMELESSNESS AND ISOLATION. WE SUPPORT GUESTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE RUNNING OF THE HOUSE, TO ESTABLISH LINKS AND FRIENDSHIPS WITH OTHERS AND CONNECT THEM TO LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES. MUCH OF THE WORK IS PASTORAL – LISTENING TO GUESTS AND HELPING THEM PROCESS INFORMATION AND ADVICE FROM CASE-WORKERS.

GUESTS ARE REFERRED TO US BY ADVOCACY AND CASE-WORKERS FROM ORGANISATIONS LIKE HARINGEY MIGRANT SUPPORT CENTRE, CRISIS AND THE RED CROSS. IF THERE ARE NO ISSUES WITH CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE, ETC, THEIR STAY IS OPEN ENDED UNTIL ANOTHER OPTION OF ACCOMMODATION BECOMES AVAILABLE SO WE AIM TO WORK CLOSELY WITH GUESTS’ CASE-WORKERS TO ENSURE MOVE-ON OPTIONS AND THEIR IMMIGRATION CASE ARE PROGRESSED.

MULBERRY TREE COMMUNITY GARDEN

THE MULBERRY TREE COMMUNITY GARDEN IS A SMALL COMMUNITY GARDENING PROJECT RUN JOINTLY BETWEEN MHA AND TOTTENHAM QUAKER MEETING. IT HAPPENS IN TOTTENHAM QUAKERS’ FORMER BURIAL GROUND. EVERYONE IS WELCOME BUT IT IS PRIMARILY AIMED AT THOSE WHO ARE MARGINALISED BECAUSE OF THEIR IMMIGRATIONS STATUS, PRECARIOUS HOUSING SITUATIONS AND/OR POVERTY.

ADDVOCACY SUPPORT WORK

MANY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MARTHA HOUSE OR WHOM WE MEET THROUGH OUR GUESTS AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS, NEED SUPPORT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEIR HOUSING OR IMMIGRATIONS CASEWORKERS ASK THEM TO DO, OR EXTRA HELP UNDERSTANDING STATUTORY ORGANISATIONS, PATHWAYS OUT OF HOMELESSNESS OR THE BENEFITS SYSTEM. THIS OFTEN REQUIRES MORE TIME THAN OVERSTRETCHED LAWYERS OR CASEWORKERS CAN GIVE AND, AFTER A THREE MONTH FUNDED PILOT, THIS HAS BECOME A CORE PART OF OUR WORK.

P U B L I C B E N E F I T S T A T E M E N T : T H E T R U S T E E S E N S U R E T H A T T H E A C T I V I T I E S O F T H E C H A R I T Y A R E C O N S I S T E N T W I T H I T S C H A R I T A B L E O B J E C T S A N D A I M S . I N A G R E E I N G O U R A N N U A L P L A N S , T H E T R U S T E E S T A K E I N T O A C C O U N T P U B L I C B E N E F I T A S S E T O U T I N T H E C H A R I T Y C O M M I S S I O N ' S G E N E R A L G U I D A N C E O N P U B L I C B E N E F I T I N R E L A T I O N T O T H E P R E V E N T I O N A N D R E L I E F O F P O V E R T Y , T H E A D V A N C E M E N T O F E D U C A T I O N A N D H E A L T H A N D T H E R E L I E F O F T H O S E I N N E E D . T H E T R U S T E E S B E L I E V E T H E R E I S C L E A R P U B L I C B E N E F I T D E R I V E D F R O M T H E A C T I V I T I E S O F T H E C H A R I T Y .

PERFORMANCE AND ACHIVEMENTS

AUGUST 2023 - JULY 2024

THE PROVISION OF ACCOMMODATION

COINCIDING WITH HOME OFFICE PUSH TO CLEAR THE ASYLUM BACKLOG AND STOP USING HOTELS, MOST OF OUR GUESTS THIS YEAR HAVE BEEN YOUNG MEN LEAVING HOTELS WHO HAVE RECENTLY BEEN GRANTED THEIR REFUGEE STATUS. SOME OF THEM WERE NEW CLAIMANTS AND OTHERS HAD BEEN IN HOTELS OR THE BIBBY STOCKHOLM BARGE FOR SOME TIME.

THIS HAS SEEN A DIFFERENCE IN THE KIND OF COMMUNITY WE CAN CREATE WHEN THERE HAS BEEN A SLIGHTLY SHORTER THAN AVERAGE STAY AND THE GUESTS HAVE SEEN MARTHA HOUSE AS A STEPPING-STONE FROM HOTEL TO SETTLED ACCOMMODATION, WHILE THEY LOOK FOR WORK OR ACCESS EDUCATION AND TRAINING. IN THE PAST WHEN THE MAJORITY OF GUESTS HAVE BEEN REFUSED ASYLUM SEEKERS, THEY HAVE HAD FEWER OPPORTUNITIES AND MONEY SO HAVE SPENT MORE TIME IN THE HOUSE.

WE CONTINUE TO FINISH OFF THE RENOVATIONS AND LOOK FORWARD TO COMPLETING BESPOKE, BUILT IN FURNITURE IN THE BEDROOMS TO MAXIMISE SPACE. THE YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE STAYED WITH US HAVE ENJOYED HELPING OUT WITH SOME WOOD WORK PROJECTS.

CRAFTING ON OUR TRIP TO MINSTERACRES HALLOWEEN CARVING AT OUT OPEN MEAL

MULBERRY TREE COMMUNITY GARDEN

THE WEEKLY GARDENING PROJECT HAS HAD A STEADY GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH SOME NEW FACES ARRIVING AND SOME MOVING ON FOR HEALTH OR WORK REASONS. IN THE SUMMER OUR AVERAGE NUMBER ON A FRIDAY WAS 9, WHICH IS ALMOST AS MANY AS WE CAN ACCOMMODATE FOR A SESSION.

EACH VOLUNTEER BRINGS DIFFERENT INTERESTS AND SKILLS AND IT IS A JOY TO SEE PEOPLE GET SO MUCH FROM THIS PROJECT AND FORM COMMUNITY WITH EACH OTHER.

WE WERE LUCKY TO RECEIVE AN AWARDS FOR ALL GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY TO ENABLE THE CONTINUATION OF THE PROJECT FOR ANOTHER 18 MONTHS.

ADVOCACY SUPPORT WORK

AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE ADVOCACY SUPPORT PROJECT, THIS WORK HAS NATURALLY CONTINUED AS A CORE PART OF WHAT MARTHA HOUSE OFFERS, ALBEIT WITHOUT SPECIFIC FUNDS. A STEADY FLOW OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PUT IN CONTACT WITH US THROUGH FRIENDS HAVE COME FOR HELP WITH HOUSING ISSUES, UNIVERSAL CREDIT, PENSION AND MORE. OTHERS ARE EX-RESIDENTS WHO ARE STILL NOT FULLY SET UP AND BEING FOBBED OFF BY STATUTORY SERVICES WHO ARE TOO OVERWHELMED TO DEAL WITH THEM AND ARE UNABLE TO ACCESS ENTITLEMENTS.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

AUGUST 2023 - JULY 2024

FINANCIAL POSITION

THERE ARE NO CURRENT FINANCIAL RISKS TO THE CHARITY AND NO MATERIAL DEFICITS.

OUT HARDSHIP FIGURES ARE HIGH AFTER A GRANT FROM THE NAWAAL TRUST FOR SOME INDIVIDUALS AND SOME VOUCHERS

RESERVES STATEMENT AND AMOUNT

WE MAINTAIN RESERVE FUNDS OF £7,000 TO COVER 6 MONTHS OF CORE COSTS.

PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF FUNDING

REGULAR DONATIONS OF ON AVERAGE £350 PER MONTH ALLOW US TO HANDLE OPERATING COSTS FOR MARTHA HOUSE.

IN THIS FINANCIAL YEAR WE RECEIVED GRANTS FROM THE GUARDIAN’S CHRISTMAS APPEAL 2023 AND AWARDS FOR ALL

ACCOUNTS

MARTHA HOUSE ASSOCIATION HAS NO ASSETS OR LIABILITIES

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

MHA IS A CIO FOUNDATION TRUST, GOVERNED BY A CONSTITUTION. ORIGINALLY WE INCORPORATED AS A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE BUT WILL WIND THIS DOWN AS IT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY. TRUSTEES WERE SELECTED FOR HISTORY WITH PROJECT AND THEIR EXPERTISE IN HOMELESSNESS SUPPORT, MIGRANT ISSUES AND FUNDRAISING.

WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OUR SUITE OF POLICIES. MHA HAS STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER LOCAL MIGRANT SUPPORT GROUPS SUCH AS THE LONDON CATHOLIC WORKER AND HARINGEY MIGRANT SUPPORT CENTRE. WE ARE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE ORDER TO THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST (THE PASSIONISTS) WHO OWN THE HOUSE THAT MARTHA HOUSE OPERATES IN. WE CONTINUE TO USE CLAPTON PARK URC AS OUR REGISTERED ADDRESS.

REFERENCE AND ADMIN DETAILS

REGISTERED ADDRESS:

CLAPTON PARK UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, ROUND CHAPEL OLD SCHOOL ROOMS,

2 POWERSCROFT ROAD, LONDON, E5 0PU.

TRUSTEES: CONOR CREGAN,, MARY FAGAN, JOANNA FREW, BETELEHEM GIRMAY, JAMIE RAE, ELEANOR SMITH,

ALL PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION

	Unrestricted funds	Restrictedfunds	Endowment funds	Totalfunds	Lastyear
	totheneareste	to theneareste	tothenearestf	to thenearest f,	to thenearestI
A
Donations	14,625	1,800		16,425	6,365
Grants	14,291	13,500		27,791	3,000
Fundraisinq Activities					75
Community House renlal Income(project eloscrJ|				17,367
Food Coop	13			13	35
OtherIncominq Resources					420
Subtotal(Gross income forAR)	28,903	15,300		44,203	27,192
Totalreceipts A2Asset and investmentsales,	28,903	15,300		44,2$l
A3 ts
Fundraising Actjvities	162			162
Charitable Activities
Community l-louse Proiect Rent &Council
Tax		822		422	15.579
AdvocacySupport Project	2,300	2			180
MulberryTreeCommunityGarden		3,020			1,965
CommunityActivities	1,7',t1			1,7'l'.l	't.051
Hardship assistance	586	2,300		2.886	499
Operational Costs	9,928	2,173		12,101	16,266
Buildinq maintenance	31	2.054		2,085	3,359
Management and Administration	1,605			1.605	2,221
Personnel expenses	94			94	250
Sub	16,417	10,371		26,788	41,374
A4Asset and investment
purchases,(seetable)					H
Totalpayments	16,417	10,371		788	l-;ffi]
Netofreceipts/(paym ents)	12,486	4,929		17,415	14,178
A5Transfers betweenfunds
A6 Cashfundslastyear end	23,907	15,494		39,40't	53,579
Cashfundsthisyearend	36,393	20,423		56,8{6	39,40't

	Account	28,751		20,358
	Total cashfunds	36,393	20,423
					-
			-
	(agreebalarcewith receiptsandpaymffits account(s))
		Unrestricted	Restricted	funds	Endowment
		funds			funds
		tonearestf	tonearest€		tonearestf
82Othermonetary assets
		Fundto which asset	Cost (optional)		Currentvalue
B3lnvestment assets
		Fundto which asset	Cost (optional)		Current value
84Assetsretainedforthe
charity'sown use
		Fundto which	Amountdue		llVhendue
			(optional)		(optional)
B5Liabilities
Signedbyoneor twotrusteeson behalf ofallthe trustees	Signature	Print	Name
		orL