Sussex Syrian Community CIO Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31" March 2024 The trustees present their annual report and examlned account5 for the year ended 3151 March 2024. Name of charity Sussex Syrian Community CIO Registered Charity number 1196947 Address St, Mary Magdalen5 Community Centre, 55 Upper North Street, Brighton, BNI 3FH Website address sussexsyriancommunity.co.uk Facebook page: Trustees Ahmad Yabrotsdl (Chair) Fathi KhalS1 Mohamad Khaled Morad Johnny Massara E5am Albdin Jamal Alsakka Accounts, Examiners Resource Centre, 6 Tilbury Place, Brlghton, BN2 OGY Bank Barclays Bank PLC, 8 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TNI 2TB Governing document Sussex Syrian Communlty CIO 15 constltuted as a Charltsble Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission on 6th December 2021 under charity number 1196947. It Is governed by the constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation IAssoclatlon Model) with voting members other than its trustees Organisational structure The charity trugtees are responslble for the general control and management of the charity. The trustees give their time freely and ￿ceIve no remUnera￿On or other financial benefit5. The trustees meet together monthly and are re5pon5ible for all decisions taken in relation to runnlng all the actfvities provided by the charity. Appointment of trustees Trustees are elected by the members of the Charity at the Annual General Meeting IAGMI. At each AGM half of the existing Trustees retire. The membership then elect5 the trustee5 for the coming yeor, which can be new Trustees or those who have retired at the beginning of the meeting. PagelofS Induction and training of Trustees Following appointment, new trustee5 are provlded with a copy of the constltution and advised of their responsibilities a5 a charity trustee. They are provided with copies of all the charity's policies and advised to familiarise themselves with them. They are asked to sign the Charity Trustee declaration of eligibility and responsibility. Risk management The trustees discuss possible risks to the charity and how to mitigate them at our re8ular monthly meetlngs. We have identilied the main risks faced by the charity as follows. Insufficlent funds to run our core activities In 2022 we prepared a 5-year plan of activities and budget. This allow5 for inflationary Increases in our C05t5 as forecast by the Office for National Statistics. This will be reviewed each yeor going forward. We have prepared a fundralslng plan based on thls budget and secured five-year funding from The Lottery Communitie5 Fund, starting in October 2023. This funding will not cover all of our activities and we will 5tlll need to apply to other funders. At the beginnlng of each year we review our bud8et and plan our fundraising application5 accordingly. We review thi5 throughout the year and adapt our activities dependlng on the level of fund5 we have been able to ra15e. Provision of venues for our activities The majorlty of our activitie5 take place at Brighton College, Eastern Road, BN2 OAL and St. Marv Magdalens Community Centre, 55 Upper North Street, Brighton, BNI 3FH. We pay an hourly fee for the use of St Mary Ma8dalens, which we include in our budgeting. Brighton College very klndly provides LIS wlth space free of charge as an in-kind donation. We are aware that this may not always be avallable to us and so maintain regular contact with the college to ensure we will know in advance If there are any changes to this arrangement and will be able to adjust our fundin8 or athvltfjes as necessary. We have allowed for this eventuality in our 5-year budget runnin8 2023- 2028. Rlsk of a 5erlous incldent or safeguardln8 incident We have robust safeguardln8 procedures a5 Set out In our Safeguardin8 policies for chIld￿n and vulnerable adults, and ensure that our designated 5afeguardin8 lead receives regular training. Objectives and activities Our objects, as set out in our charlty constitution a￿.. 11 To promote soclal inclusion for the public benefit by worklng with people In Su55ex who are 50ciallv excluded on the 8rounds of their ethnic origin, reliBion, belief or creed lin partlcular, member5 of the Syrian community) to relieve the needs of such people and assist them to integrate into society, in partlcular by providing.. al education and training in the English language and In other skills and subjects: bl a local network group that encourages and enables members of the Syr5an communlty to participate more effectlvely with the wider communlty: cl social and recreational facilitie5 and events involving the local community. 21 The promotion of raclal harmony for the public benefit bv.. al promoting knowledge and mutual understsnding between the Syrian communlty and all other racial group5; Page2of5 bl advancing education and raising awareness about the Syrian community to promote good relatlons between persons of different racial groups,. cl raising awareness of Syrian culture by running classes. holdlng events and sharing infom)atlon. Activities and achievements Public benefit The trustees a￿ mindful of our duty under section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Commission. We have referred to this guidance when reviewing our aims and objeC￿veS and in plannin8 our future activities. We believe the summary of our achvities. outlined below, demonstrates our commitment to creatin8 public benefit in all our work. Summary of activities In 2023-24 we have continued to expand our actlvitles to make our community Stronger and more cohesive. improve the mental and physlcal wellbeing of everyone, and support Syrians to access acttvities and services they need. Over 600 adults and chlldren have attended our activities over the year. This includes those who were already living in the area prior to the war in Syria, those who have settled here slnce as refugees and those who are still arriving. 240 people received support from our weekly drop In servlce 20 - 30 people attended each of our fortnightly Breakfast Clubs 60 adults attended our Sunday clas5e5 for English, Life in the UK and Drivln8 Theory 125 adults and 90 children came to our Christmas and New Year party 35 adults and 60 chlldren attended our graduatlon celebratton 85 children attended our Arablc language school 20 communlty members regularly volunteered to support our activitles Our incluslve and vlbrant Children's Arabic School 85 chlldren attended our Sunday Arabic School held at Brighton College. We continued to run this free of char8e in 2023-24 to make sure no one was excluded. This has helped children from Arabic-speakin8 families to continue to communicate with thelr older relatives, to better connect with their heritage, to read Ilterature and acce55 written and spoken informatlon from Syria, and to feel a sense of belonging in the Syrian communlty locally. At our graduatlon event In June 2023 we thanked our teachers for all theSr hard work and care during the year and celebrated our children'5 achievements 50 they could understand how valued they are by all of our community. Building an integRted and inter8enerational community Every Sunday, alongside the Children's Arabic School, we provided language & skills training, social networking and social activities for adults. These helped established and newly arrived refugee5 to engage more artively In the wider communlty through paid work, volunteering and cultural activities. We ran classe5 for 26 weeks In.. English conversatlon. Giving people exposure and practice in spoken English in an informal environment. DrivlnE theory. Run by a qualified driving instructor in English and Arabic. Life in the UK. Passing the Life in the UK test is an essential criterion for cltlzenship applicotions, 50 these classe5 help everyone to establish thelr life here. Page3of5 In addition, we shared nOti￿S about other training* skills, employment opportunities, job fairs, and cultural activlties through our Facebook group. Festivals and celebrations Our celebrations build a bridge between our Ilves in Syria to our new Ilves in Brighton and Hove. Our Christmas Party in 2023 was a great succes5. Our very own Father Christmas dlstributed presents to 90 children and 125 adult5 attended. Our planned celebratlons for Easter, Mother's Day and Eid al-Fitr were delayed this year a5 Mother's day (which we celebrate on 21st March every yearl fell in the middle of Ramadan. We therefore plan to hold a large '3 in I mix and match, community celebration in July 2024. We will have presents for the mothers, acrlvities for the children, and Syrian music so that everyone ha5 a truly memorable day. Wednesday Advlce Drop-in and Breakfast Club Every Wednesday our team of volunteers provide a free advSce servlce, whlch Is avallable to everyone and accessed by many people beyond our own communlty. We help people to acce55 the servlces they need, signpost them to specialist agencies. We provide a listening ear, translation, accompany people to appointments, and continue to provide support until it is no longer needed. Every two weeks we hold our Breakfast Club of tradldonal Syrian food, where everyone gathers and we invite repreSenta￿ve5 from the wider community to join us. Makin8 our mark in the city We connect with and Support many other orBanlsatlons In the city. by sharlng our knowledge, experience and culture. This year we were proud to see our esteemed professor of Arabic music, Jamal Al Sakka, travel to Algeria to give a keynote speech oll the music and culture of Arabic and Andaluclan peoples and receive an award for his work. Closer to home, our member, Wadee Skaif, was honoured with an award from Brighton Table Tennls Club for the work he has done teaching young people at the club. Over the year we have worked closely wlth oryanlsations supporting refu8ees'. in particular, Volces in Exile. Sanctuary on Sea. Music Action, Ml8rant English Project, Sussex Interpreting Services, Universitv of Sanctury, Euromernet, Best Foot Music and T4K. We recelve referrals from these organlsatlons. We have continued our longstandlng partnerships wlth Brighton Colle8e (who provide a free venue for our Sunday classes and community celebratlonsl and St Mary Magdalens Community Centre Iwhere our weekly advice drop-ln and Breakfast Club are held). We have received support from the Resource Centre, and our Chair is one of thelr Trustees. We are part of the Functional Skllls UK network and also sl8npost/refer people to support organisations, such as CAB, BHESCO, Money Advice plus, Brighton and Hove Clty Council, East Sussex County Council, local churches, mosques, universities, and school5. Use of volunteers Volunteers are an important resource to us in all our activities. They run the activitie5, prepare the food, provide transport, give advlce and support. and help in too many ways to Ilst. We wouldn't be able to do what we do without them. The majority of our volunteers are also members and beneficiaries. We aim for our volunteers to gain skllls. knowledge and experience through their volunteering role that 15 also an 055et to them in sustaining and improving the Ilves of themselve5 and their families. All our trustees Iso give their time freely. Page4ofS Financial review Funding sources In 2023-24 we received grant5 of £5,CW from Brlghton and Hove City Council and £13,309 from The Lottery Communities Fund (Reaching Communttiesl- We carried forward E6,243 from The Lottery Communities Fund (Awards for All) and £1,966 from Brighton and Hove City Council for use during the year. From October 2023 we have a 5-year 8rant from The National Lottery Communitres Fund, which wlll amount to £144,211 over the 5 years. Reserves Policy At 31" March 2024 we held £14.046, of which £3,259 was unrestricted funds. We rely entirely on grant funding to run our activities and therefore have a very small level of free reserves. We have alway5 had very limited funds and to date we have aways been fortunate enou8h to recelve sufficlent funding to cover our costs. Over the year5 we have learned to manage our expectations and our budBet5 carefully to ensu￿ we are consistent, 5V5talnable and inclusive. As the year pro8re55es we review our budget and make adjustments according to the Success of our grant appllcations and the c05t of activities. Statement of Trustees, responslbiiities The charity trustees are responsible for preparing an annual report and flnancial statements In accordance wlth applicable law and SORP IFRS 1021. The Tru5tee5 are requlred to prepare financial statements for each year which glve a true and fair vlew of the state of affairs of the charlty and of the incomin8 resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statement, the trustees are required to.. Select suitable accountTng pollcies and then apply them consistentlv Observe the method5 and prlnciples in the Charities SORP Make judgements and estlmates that are reasonable and prudent, and Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basls unle55 it Is inapproprlate to assume that the company will continue on that basis The Trustees are responslble for maintalning proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the linancial statements comply with the Companles Act 2006. They are a150 responslble for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detechon of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees for the purposes of charity law who seThed during the year and up 10 the date of this report are set out on page l. Approved by the trustees and slgned on it5 behalf by Ahmad Yabroudi (Chairl Signature Date 22 /if/ZtsZ Page5of5 Sussex Syrian Community CIO Accounts year ended 31st March 2024 Registered charity: 1196947 Charity correspondent: AHMAD YABROUDI ST. MARY MAGDALENS COMMUNITY CENTRE 55 UPPER NORTH STREET BRIGHTON BN13FH These accounts have been prepared on the Recelpts and Payments basis from informatlon and explanatlons supplied by the charity. Mireille Shimoda Resource Centre 6 Tilbury Place 8righton BN2 OGY 19th June 2024 These accounts have been approved by the Trustees of the charltv. Signed by one or two Trustees on behalf of all the Trustees Date Page lof4 Sussex Syrian Community CIO ststement of Ftnanc5al ArtTvltles •nd•d 31st March 2024 R•¢4lp Donèt1ons& iiant5 Other TOt•l He Retelpts Reachin8 Communitie5- Nat￿￿31 Lottery 8rb8hton and Hove ciiy Councll Su55ex Community Foundation 8rbghtDn Colle8e 13.30g 13,309 7,0Th) 4,Q Eirth uake emeiBen Totsl RKelpts peal 668 18.309 18.309 11,741 P4yrnents Arabit School teachers, fees Arabic 5chool- 5tstionery, supplies ATabk School- refreshments A￿bk SchDoI- Blfts to teèchers Arab￿ School- graduation partv bre3kfasi Club- toud Drop-In- room hlre Drop-In- refreshments Drcy-In- admin and 5upplles Events. Mother'sday & E45t•r Events- Chri5tm15 & New Year Events- Worthln8 Refu8ee Ch¢lr En8iish tlasses travel Dr4vin8 theory ¢la5ses Itutorfeesl Cornmittee & volunteer expenses Admln.. SLatlonEry, prlnlin8etc Emergency famlly support 9.975 123 38 9,975 123 38 8,460 535 535 270 L271 121 1.2 270 1,271 121 I,zc 21 49 1,425 1,942 347 347 21 52 52 49 L425 1,942 1,905 IL¥) 210 ITr) 210 5,490 190 1.610 5,490 1,425 52 1,425 52 Ico 1,610 loo 1,536 1.536 Earth uJkÈ Émer Ttst•l P• minis peal 668 668 15,620 15.720 Not r•c•ipt5lpayrnentsfor the ¥ear Fund5 at 1st Aprll 2023 Transfer of lunds *l*nc• ollunds •t 3101 M•r¢h 2024 2,689 .110 2,589 11,457 113,0401 22,513 113,0401 24,497 3,347 Iz 3.159 1,363 14046 li 57 NB some addltlon5 m4yvary by +l- £1 due to roundln8 Page3 Df4 Sussex Syrian Community CIO Statement of Assets and Liabllltles at 31st March 2024 Monetsry Assets & Liabllities Barclays current account Minus uncleared cheques1108, 117, 118, 120, 185, 186, 195, 196, 197, 198 Cash in hand Owed to committee member 16,983 {2,9651 35 171 Balance of fund5 held at 31st March 2024 14,046 Non.Monetary Assets None Breakdown of funds at 31st March 2024 Re5trlctedfunds Reaching Communitles- National Lottery Bri8hton and Hove CSty Councll Generolfunds 8,382 2,405 3,259 14,IY16 Page4of4