MARTHA HOUSE ASSOCIAITON ANNUAL REPORT
2024 - 2025
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Our charitable objectives 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 in Martha House in Tottenham
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.
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 n 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.. 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 make progress on their immigration case
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.
Advocacy 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.
Public Benefit Statement
The trustees ensure that the activities of the charity are consistent with its charitable objects and aims. In agreeing our annual plans, the trustees take into account public benefit as set out in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit in relation to the prevention and relief of poverty, the advancement of education and health and the relief of those in need. The trustees believe there is clear public benefit derived from the activities of the charity.
PERFORMANCE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
MARTHA HOUSE
During the year, Martha House has continued to offer a community of support to asylum seekers and refugees. From August 2024 to July 2025 we accommodated 25 guests. The demographics range from young, single people from countries as diverse as Eritrea and El Salvador to, unusually for us, and elderly couple from Afghanistan. The length of stay ranged from 2 weeks to a year.
When someone is referred we are often asked about length of stay. Since the early of days of Martha House we have not had fixed time limits. Instead, we offer accommodation to those with no other option. When another option becomes available, this is the point at which a guest will move on. Sometimes this means someone may only be with us for a few nights and at other times it may mean over a year. For some move-on is about finding private rented accommodation (if they have recently got their refugee status) or for others, it might mean Home Office accommodation when they submit an asylum application or appeal. Some people are happy to move on to continue building their life int eh UK, while others would prefer to stay in a welcoming community environment. Nonetheless, we made this policy so that people can rest and recuperate after a period of homelessness without having to worry about finding a new place in 28 days or 3 months, and that we are continually able to help those with no other option.
In 2024-25 we established a partnership with one referrer, Housing Justice, who work with both refugees and asylum seekers. We have worked with them for many years and in 2024 they launched a Refugee Lodging scheme, matching new refugees with resident landlords. There is a huge need for safe and secure accommodation for new refugees so we have given one our bedrooms for this purpose and have so far taken 2 people referred by Housing Justice for 6-month placements. Housing Justice support the lodger to find secure longer-term accommodation as well as help getting into education or work.
In the summer of 2025, we partnered with a new organisation Sanctuary Community Holidays, to offer a few days a way to guests of Martha House and some previous residents who are in hotels in out of the way places without much to do. Sanctuary Community Holidays “connects urban refugee and asylum seeker communities with warm-hearted, welcoming rural communities, and together we create wonderful holidays in the countryside.” We partnered with a group in Deal, Kent, and a fantastic time, visiting castles, the White Cliffs of Dover, learning pottery and much more. The community were extremely welcoming and we hope to continue this relationship and are planning for a holiday in 2026.
We also took a group on our annual visit to Minsteracres Retreat Centre in County Durham. This is always a relaxing time for guests, in peaceful countryside with relaxing activities planned by the Outreach team at Minsteracres.
MULBERRY TREE COMMUNITY GARDEN
The Mulberry Tree Community Garden continues weekly throughout the year (apart from a break in January). Every year is different depending on the interest and skills of those attending. As far as possible we try to allow those who attend to develop it according to their interests. Sometimes we focus on veg, other times we make a lot of infrastructure, sometimes the focus is herbal remedies. After receiving an Awards for All grant last year, we were able to purchase wood for new raised beds so have replaced the old and degraded beds.
ADVOCACY SUPPORT
After the completion of the funded Advocacy Support Project, this work has naturally continued as a core part of what Martha House offers. 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 struggling with housing or understanding bureaucracy. The way that Local Authorities, especially our neighbouring borough of Enfield, move homeless residents out of borough so they don’t need to support them anymore, is the reality for many people we know.
CONSULTANCY
With the grant received last year from the Guardian’s annual appeal, we paid a consultant, Miranda Keast, to support us to work towards taking a second house to rent to new refugees. Miranda worked on a case for support, networking, grant applications and developing our suite of policies.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
FINANCIAL POSITION
There are no current financial risks to the charity and no material deficits
RESERVES STATEMENT AND AMOUNT
We maintain reserve funds of £7,000 to cover 6 months of core costs.
PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF FUNDING
- Our funding has come from 3 main sources this year Donations from regular donors and other unsolicited donations. The Congregation of the Passion who give an annual grant of £3,000. Rental income from the one room we have used for the lodging partnership with Housing Justice
BALANCE SHEET
INCOME AND EXPENSE Income Donab'¢XS Unrestricted Restricted Total 4,440 4,440 rants 6,420 6,420 Fundraising Activiti8s ommunty H98 rental Incom8 Iproi&ct losedl Fcod Coop ther Inccffling Resources 3,570 3,570 olal Incom 14,430 14,430 Ex enses Fundraising Activrties Unrestricted Restrictsd Total Charitabb ActNities Community Hwse Project Rent & Council Tax Athttacy &pport Proiact Mul Tr88 Community Gardgn 733 73 Devebpment work Retum of gFant Community Activities 5.80 5,80 Hardship assistance 59 59 Oprational Costs Building maintenance 2,53 Management and Administratic 821 821 Perscfin81 exFenses 10 10 otal Ex ense
STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE
MHA is a CIO foundation trust, governed by a constitution. Trustees were selected for history with project and their expertise in homelessness support, migrant issues and fundraising.
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
Martha House Association, CPURC, Old School Rooms, 2 Powerscroft Road, E5 0PU.
Trustees: Mary Fagan, Betelehem Girmay, Jamie Rae, Conor Cregan, Eleanor Smith, Joanna Frew
| Martha House Association | Martha House Association | Martha House Association | 1196328 No (if any) |
1196328 No (if any) |
1196328 No (if any) |
CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
01/08/2024 Period start date |
To | 31/07/2025 Period end date |
||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 4,440 6,420 - - - 3,570 - - 14,430 - - - 14,430 - - - - 4,000 4,000 5,802 597 9,748 - 821 106 25,074 - - - 25,074 - 10,644 - 36,393 25,749 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7,336 - - 2,535 - - 9,871 - - - 9,871 - 9,871 - 20,423 10,552 |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 4,440 6,420 - - - 3,570 - - 14,430 - - - 14,430 - - - - 7,336 4,000 4,000 5,802 597 9,748 2,535 821 106 34,945 - - - 34,945 - 20,515 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
||
| Donations | 4,440 | 16,425 | |||||
| Grants | 6,420 | 27,791 | |||||
| FundraisingActivities | - | - | |||||
| Community House rental Income (project closed) |
- | - | |||||
| Food Coop | - | - 13 | |||||
| Other IncomingResources | 3,570 | - | |||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
14,430 | 44,203 | |||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||
| - | |||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||||
| 44,203 | |||||||
| FundraisingActivities | - | 162 | |||||
| Charitable Activities | - | - | |||||
| Community House Project Rent & Council Tax |
- | 822 | |||||
| AdvocacySupport Project | - | 2,302 | |||||
| MulberryTree CommunityGarden | 3,020 | ||||||
| Development work | 4,000 | ||||||
| Return ofgrant | 4,000 | ||||||
| CommunityActivities | 5,802 | 1,711 | |||||
| Hardshipassistance | 597 | 2,886 | |||||
| Operational Costs | 9,748 | 12,101 | |||||
| Buildingmaintenance | - | 2,085 | |||||
| Management and Administration | 821 | 1,605 | |||||
| Personnel expenses | 106 | 94 | |||||
| 25,074 | 26,788 | ||||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||
| - | |||||||
| - | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | |||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
|||||||
| 26,788 | |||||||
| - 10,644 | - 9,871 | - | - 20,515 | 17,415 | |||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||
| 36,393 | 20,423 | - | 56,816 | 39,401 | |||
| 25,749 | 10,552 | - | 36,301 | 56,816 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
21/04/2026
1
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets |
Details | Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||||
| Cash/Undeposited Funds | 466 | - | |||||||
| Martha House Bank Account | 9,634 | - | - | ||||||
| UnityAccount | 15,649 | 10,422 | - | ||||||
| Signature Details Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details |
25,749 | 10,422 | - | ||||||
| OK | |||||||||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| Current value (optional) |
|||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| Current value (optional) |
|||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| When due (optional) |
|||||||||
| Date of approval |
|||||||||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
21/04/2026
2