Sulha Alliance Trustee Report
Introduc�on
The Sulha Alliance CIO is the only UK charity whose work solely focuses on Afghan interpreters and other Locally Engaged Civilians (LECs) who used to work for the Bri�sh Army in Afghanistan. The Sulha Alliance campaigns for their protec�on through rese�lement to the UK from Afghanistan and third countries. Once in the UK, we provide support and signpos�ng services to ensure interpreters and their families are given the best chance to thrive.
This report covers the period since the Sulha Alliance CIO was incorporated on 6 May 2022 un�l 31 December 2022 but this report will reflect events that have occurred since year end.
Board of Trustees
The Sulha Alliance has nine trustees, eight of whom appear below. The Charity Commission has granted a dispensa�on to one of the trustees and exempted them from inclusion of their name in the CIO's entry on the Register of Chari�es
Sara De Jong – Chair of the Board of Trustees Ed Aitken Sarah Hutchinson Liaqat Ali Hassanzadah Laurence Longe David Turner KC David Williams Peter Gordon Finlayson Trustee (iden�ty withheld)
Employees
The Sulha Alliance CIO has two employees and have been employed since March 2023.
Mission and Objec�ves
Our objec�ves are set out in our cons�tu�on as found on the Charity Commission website. Our beneficiaries are Afghan interpreters and Locally Employed Civilians (LECs) who worked with the Bri�sh Army, and their families. Sulha Alliance CIO is to promote the mental, physical and financial wellbeing of our beneficiaries. We endeavour to support their journey from Afghanistan and third countries to a new life in the United Kingdom, and do so facilita�ng interagency support for housing, health and financial needs, assis�ng where possible with advice on educa�on and voca�onal training. In addi�on to this, Sulha Alliance has set up forums and events to generate public support and amplify advocacy.
Financial Overview
The Sulha Alliance was incorporated on 6 May 2022, and is reliant on external funding to support the objec�ves stated in our cons�tu�on.
Income Sources
In the repor�ng period, Sulha Alliance received dona�ons through crowdfunding pla�orms, small events, and personal dona�ons. The largest dona�on received is from Unbound Philanthropy: stretching over a period of two years (1 August 2022 un�l 31 July 2024) with a sum total of £60,000. This grant was given to enhance the capacity of Sulha Alliance to build a more inclusive policy, and to improve the legal and service environment for Afghans in the United Kingdom.
Expenditure
Expenditure during the repor�ng period relates almost en�rely to employment costs. The grant from Unbound Philanthropy funds the salaries of our two Sulha Alliance employees: the Community Support Officer and the Charity Founda�on Officer.
Financial Governance
Sulha Alliance financial governance involves separa�on of du�es (accoun�ng, raising and authorising payments), dual authen�ca�on of all payments by trustee members, cash withdrawal limits, documenta�on of all spend and income, and scru�ny by a Financial Working Group made up of expert members of the board of Trustees.
Achievements and Ac�vi�es
Media Coverage
Sulha Alliance is the only charity suppor�ng Afghan interpreters and LECs who worked with the Bri�sh Army, and is uniquely placed to comment na�onally on the challenges of asylum and rese�lement. In this repor�ng period, our trustees have been interviewed in The Times , The Daily Mail , The Guardian , BBC News, Arab News , Forces News , the Independent , Reuters, ITV, and Metro .
Legal Support
The asylum system and rese�lement schemes for Afghan interpreters are complicated, and several have fallen foul of the draconian rules and Home Office na�onal security rejec�ons (a�er having been approved as eligible for reloca�on under the Afghan Reloca�on and Assistance Policy by the MoD). To support judges in understanding the specific threats faced by those who worked with the Bri�sh Army, the huge mental strain our interpreter community are under as they grapple with rigid bureaucracy and an uncertain future, members of the Sulha Alliance team have given evidence at court in support of interpreters, and have had many nega�ve decisions overturned due to such interven�ons.
Community Outreach Work
Our Community Support Officer (CSO), a former Afghan interpreter, has been employed since March 2023 to support and gather data on our beneficiary community. He offers support and advice, and signposts beneficiaries to organisa�ons who are adequately resourced to deal with some of the major challenges Afghan interpreters face: such as gaining employment, accessing housing and healthcare, and achieving family reunifica�on. This role was created to help Sulha Alliance iden�fy the needs of the community and direct resources accordingly. So far, we have managed to map where many of our beneficiaries have se�led, and established a connec�on into those communi�es. We have, in effect, successfully encouraged former interpreters to become community representa�ves. In future, and resource dependent, we are keen to empower these representa�ves to organise and host events bringing beneficiaries together.
Our CSO hosts online forums to offer advice to our beneficiaries, which is par�cularly useful given the geographical spread of the community.
Research
Sulha Alliance stays informed by working closely with our interpreter and LEC community to ascertain need, and through research undertaken by Prof Sara De Jong, Chair of the Board of Trustees.
As an expert on the protec�on and rights of Afghan interpreters, Prof De Jong has contributed extensively to our media campaigns, and to panel discussions and reports both na�onal and interna�onal. The UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, The Netherlands and Germany are all responsible for rese�ling Afghan interpreters and LECs. These countries, in tandem with several interna�onal NGOs, share best prac�ce with the Sulha Alliance – and vice versa, in a network effort that ul�mately shapes and sharpens our advocacy work.
To ensure we are working with the most accurate figures, Sulha Alliance does Freedom of Informa�on requests and supports MPs in submi�ng Wri�en Ques�ons in order to tailor our advocacy and support work to target the most vulnerable of our beneficiaries.
Raising Awareness
The Sulha Alliance, in collabora�on with photographer Andy Barnham developed the photo exhibi�on 'We are here, because you were there: Afghan interpreters in the UK', which documents the experiences of Afghan interpreters, employed by the Bri�sh Army, through portraits and quotes. The quotes were taken from in-depth interviews by Prof Sara de Jong with 14 Afghan interpreters, supported by the Sulha Alliance, who were recently evacuated to the UK.
○ Leeds – Photo North Fes�val - 23-25 March 2023 ○ Cardiff - Ffotogallery - 26th January - 25th March 2023 ○ Newport – outside projec�on short film – 9 February 2023 ○ London - Last Supper Gallery - 23 November 2022- 7 December 2022 ○ Cambridge - The Cambridge Union - 25 October - 1 November 2022 ○ Glasgow - Tramway - 13 October - 20 October 2022 ○ York - Refugee Week, 24 June 2022
The exhibi�on was referenced in Parliament by Dr Julian Lewis, MP, former Defence Select Commi�ee Chair during a House of Commons debate, December 2022. The Cambridge Union reported over 730 day�me visits in 1 week; the Cambridge Conserva�ve Associa�on visited with Lord Lilly; the Cambridge Liberal associa�on visited with Sir Ed Davey.
The Glasgow opening was a�ended by 4 MPs and one MSP, while the London event was a�ended by a representa�ve of Human Rights Watch, a representa�ve of the NHS, lawyers, chari�es, an MP, and several Afghan interpreters.
Events organised at the Cardiff and Newport exhibi�ons were opened by a Welsh MP and the Deputy Director of the Cohesive Communi�es Division in the Welsh Government and the Chief Execu�ve Officer or the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales.
The exhibi�on has been posi�vely reviewed in the media, including the Metro , the Herald Scotland , The Cardiffian , Welsh Agenda, and Forces.net. It has been developed as a 360 degrees virtual exhibi�on, which remains available online.
Impact
The Sulha Alliance is a new charity, and was, prior to incorpora�on, en�rely volunteer led. The role of the CSO is new, but we are making headway into a hard-to-reach community. We are suppor�ng our Afghan interpreters in finding jobs and housing, empowering community representa�ves to take a more pastoral role within the community and ge�ng those who need it into educa�on and voca�onal training.
Many of our beneficiaries have by now arrived in the UK. Once se�led in permanent accommoda�on, they thrive – as do their families. Many have started university courses, found gainful employment or become self-employed. Their children have o�en excelled at
school and moved on to higher educa�on. They are also helping other Afghans who have recently arrived se�le into the community.
Governance and Compliance
Sulha Alliance CIO takes all reasonable steps to comply with charity law, and has a Board of Trustees with skills in both law and accountancy. We take external legal advice where appropriate from our legal team at:
Charles Russell Speechly LLP 5 Fleet Place
London EC4M 7RD
Internally, governance is achieved through weekly mee�ngs of the execu�ve team (A sub-group of 3 trustees) and the opera�onal team (employees and volunteers). Ac�vity is scru�nised through quarterly mee�ngs between the execu�ve team and full board of trustees.
Challenges and Risks
Sulha Alliance is mainly volunteer led, with the execu�ve team and trustees all unsalaried. Our volunteers have a long history of standing with our beneficiaries. Our expenditure is modest and our employed staff are externally funded for two years. Our fundraising efforts have been curtailed by the war in Ukraine, which diverted a�en�on away from our beneficiary community, and by the cost of living crisis which has affected the charity sector as a whole. There is therefore a requirement to secure ongoing funding to ensure the con�nued employment of salaried staff. This is being addressed through a deliberate fundraising strategy.
Those of our beneficiaries who are s�ll in other countries wai�ng to come to the UK to se�le and start a new life are at the mercy of government policy. We are op�mis�c this will be resolved; that the duty of care the UK has to those who worked with our service personnel at great personal risk will finally be honoured. We will con�nue to advocate for this solu�on.
Future Plans and Goals
The Sulha Alliance is commi�ed to helping our Afghan interpreters and LEC community rese�le and thrive in the UK. This is a small number of people who supported the Bri�sh Armed Forces during our �me in Afghanistan, and we owe it to them to give them a future free from harm due to that associa�on. We endeavour to strengthen our capacity to do this by increasing the hours and therefore the salary of our CSO, and by employing more people in different parts of the country to assist in the rese�lement efforts.
Our plans are twofold: To con�nue our prac�cal help and outreach in rese�ling our beneficiaries, and to con�nue to advocate for our beneficiaries so that they receive the support they deserve.
Financial Projec�ons
Sulha Alliance accounts are prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the Charity Commission of England and Wales.
Contact Informa�on
Sulha Alliance c/o Charles Russell Speechly LLP 5 Fleet Place London EC4M 7RD
- info@sulha alliance.org www.sulha-alliance.org
Sulha Alliance CIO 1198855 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period 6-May-22 31-Dec-22 To from
Section A Receipts and payments
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts - Unbound PhilanthropyGrant - Individual donors and fundraisers 7,175 - - - - 7,175 Nil - - Sub total - Total receipts 7,175 A3 Payments Communityevents - Staff salaries - Employer andpublic liabilityinsurance Staffpensions - Staff NI - Staff expenses - - - Sub total - nil - - Sub total - Total payments - Net of receipts/(payments) 7,175 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end - Cash funds this year end 7,175 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ Crowdfunder donations during OP PITTING Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ 12,910 30,001 - - - - - - 42,911 - - - 42,911 1,250 - - - - - 1,250 - - - 1,250 41,661 - - 41,661 Restricted funds |
to the nearest £ Endowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 12,910 30,001 7,175 - - - - - 50,086 - - - 50,086 1,250 - - - - - - - - 1,250 - - - 1,250 48,836 - - 48,836 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| - - - - - - - - - |
12,910 | - | ||
| 30,001 | - | |||
| 7,175 | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 50,086 | - | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | 50,086 | - | ||
| - - - - - - - - - - |
1,250 | - | ||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 1,250 | - | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | ||||
| - | - | |||
| - | 1,250 | - | ||
| 41,661 | - - - - |
48,836 | - | |
| - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | ||
| 41,661 | 48,836 | - |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Unrestricted funds on account Restricted funds on account Details Details Details Details Signature Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 7,175 - - 41,661 - - 7,175 41,661 OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name SARA DE JONG Peter Gordon-Finlayson Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
| SARA DE JONG | 10/31/2023 | ||
| Peter Gordon-Finlayson | 10/31/2023 |
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Sulha Alliance CIO
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the period ended 31 December 2022.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection 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.
M A Filsell FCA
On behalf of Knill James LLP
One bell Lane Lewes East Sussex BN7 1JU
Date: 31 October 2023