Christadelphian Aid to Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARA) (Charity 1199446)
Annual Report for June 2022 to March 2023
The Trustees of Christadelphian Aid to Refugees and Asylum Seekers (‘CARA’) are pleased to present their first Annual Report of the Charity, for the period to 31 March 2023.
Structure and Governance
The Charity, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Foundation CIO), was approved by the Charity Commission on 24th June 2022, with the registration number 1199446.
The founding Trustees of the Charity were drawn together from the UK Christadelphian community, each of them bringing direct experience of asylum seeker support, wider charity governance expertise and specific skills required to lead a new organisation. We thank Sarah Joiner for her enthusiasm and leadership as the initial Chair of CARA pre registration. Following her request to step down Gordon Dawes joined the Trustee group in April 2022 as Chair, to finalise registration and provide interim leadership through launch.
The Trustees also commenced steps to recruit two or more representatives from church members with personal experience of being asylum seekers and now granted Leave to Remain in the UK, to provide real insight and balance to our deliberations and decisions.
The Trustees and other committee members met as a Managing Committee once a month, to progress the launch and work of the Charity. A considerable amount of work was done via email and Zoom calls between each meeting.
The Managing Committee initiated roles and responsibilities of Trustees in relation to the Charity, and to deploy skills and competencies in relation to the requirements of the Charity and current Charity Commission guidance.
The skills and suitability of applicants for future Trustee roles and committee member roles will be assessed against the anticipated strategic needs of the Charity going forward, a skills matrix and an interview with the trustees. Vacancies will be advertised via appropriate channels through the UK Christadelphian community, to maximise experience and encourage diversity. Prospective trustees and members of the Managing Committee will be encouraged to attend at least two meetings as observers, before formal commitments are made by both the individual and the Charity. Trustee appointments will be on four year terms, and no trustee will serve more than 12 years in total, as per Charity Commission guidance.
The Trustees and other committee members give their time voluntarily and, other than reimbursement of any approved, out of pocket expenses, receive no remuneration or other benefits from their role.
Objectives and Activities
In planning our activities for the year, we kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. The focus of our activities is, as per our registration:
- The provision of grants and other support to UK Christadelphian ecclesias (churches) so that they may relieve the financial hardship of refugees, asylum seekers and those granted Leave
to Remain, and their families, in their locality in particular through the provision of services including but not limited to, English classes, transport costs to and from church activities, food costs and hospitality associated with church work, purchase of basic essentials, costs of seeking accommodation including transport, a bed, cooking and cleaning materials, and advice and support on education, qualifications and job search, and accessing essential public services.
- To advance the education of the community in general about the issues relating to refugees, asylum seekers and those granted Leave to Remain, via upkeep of a website, production of bulletins, webinars and online presentations and the provision of support via phone and other media.
CARA is working to underpin the work of over 100 ecclesias (churches) supporting the still-increasing numbers of both members and non-members seeking asylum. CARA will focus on those churches which are starting to run short of their own resources. Most seeking asylum arrive with very little, receive strictly limited money and are not allowed to work.
Our churches, now with CARA grants in support where needed, will be able to continue to provide some basics - supplemental food, clothing, essential care and other basic needs for those who have come to us.
CARA is also developing a digital library of resources to assist the support of refugees, and a network of skills and experience in this work to help ecclesias respond to this important work.
Achievements and performance
The new Charity was formally launched to the network of UK Christadelphian churches in September 2022, following careful work to ‘nest’ it clearly within the wider landscape of other Christadelphian Charities to ensure good liaison with two particular interfaces Trustee meetings include a representative from Christadelphian Benevolent Fund (CBF) and Christadelphian Outreach Group (COG).
Further materials were emailed to those churches hosting the largest numbers of asylum seekers, to encourage requests for funds.
Banking arrangements were initiated with HSBC. A very welcome major donation to establish CARA funding was received from The Williamsburg Christadelphian Foundation (WCF) in the US, for which we were especially grateful. Funds started to flow from both churches and individuals in the UK, as reported below.
Initial publicity materials and a website were developed, and an online grant application process. Trustees also refined our criteria for reviewing and accepting grant requests, and developed the financial rules and regulations CARA will operate to.
Financial Review
In the period ended 31[st] March 2023 the Charity received income of £53,853.26 and made expenditure of £4,626.95 (£4,250.00 grants).
As at 31st March 2023 the Charity held net assets of £49,226.31 represented by bank balances.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees report set out above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s Trustees
Andrew Wood
(Chair from September 2023)
Date 7[th] March 2024
CHRISTADELPHIAN AID FOR REFUGEES AND 1199446 ASYLUM SEEKERS (CARA)
Receipts and payments accountspts and payments accountsts and payments accountspayments accountsayments accountsyments accountsments accounts
Receipts and payments accountspts and payments accountsts and payments accountspayments accountsayments accountsyments accountsments accounts CC16a For the period 24/06/2022 31/03/2023 To from
Section A Receipts and payments
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 53,853 - - - - - - 53,853 - - - 53,853 4,250 43 334 - - - - - - 4,627 - - - 4,627 49,226 - - 49,226 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 53,853 - - - - - - - 53,853 - - - 53,853 4,250 43 334 - - - - - - 4,627 - - - 4,627 49,226 - - 49,226 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DONATIONS | 53,853 | - | |||
| BANK INTEREST | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
53,853 | - | |||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||
| - | |||||
| - |
- | ||||
| ~~Sub total~~ | - | - | |||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||
| - | |||||
| GRANTS(UK) | 4,250 | - | |||
| BANK CHARGES | 43 | - | |||
| INTERNET CHARGES | 334 | - | |||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| **Sub total ** | 4,627 | - | |||
| 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 |
|||||
| - | |||||
| 49,226 | - | - | 49,226 | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| 49,226 | - | - | 49,226 | - |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
26/02/2024
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) BANK ACCOUNTS Details Details Details Signature |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 49,226 - - - - - 49,226 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name RICHARD CHERRY |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
| RICHARD CHERRY | 26/02/2024 | ||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
26/02/2024
2
ss?Jppv oi YO ZI ILILI 5NJI leuojd iUEAaia 'Feu?E8J eq siurK)Jae aqi io fiulpupwopun Je(ksJd aiqEUa Japjo ui Umejp t4n(NS LK)wauE oi wnEuiwexa u¥.M Joijya 10 Oek UOllJaS Lll.IM 8)UEPJ)Jge u! wu ajam spjoaoj 'E èAW Uj) I vjpu.Xa Atu aAW I '1gy Jo {qllslgtvL UOllJa5 Japun uossiwuM)J AWE49 Aq Uahj6 $LWjIo pa1•11 aAEU I "WXPI.LLm Aw yr fJ¢Aj tXE PV i LI 5tr¥ Jrful iuapuadapw '(.I?V gYLI I LOZ i?v sawe4 J Jo swauJaJ!nbaJ aLU LW.M aaUEWOJE U! swno?ae Jo yodaj 40 S!SEq xji {11 Aw? aAOqP ayl 10 swrioJ?e eyi io u0eu1Wexa Aw uo saaFrL4 yodgj I (AUE ) ou !124? 9trP661 JeaA oyi Jo4 slun0E UO oi yoda oda¥ s Jau!wex3 iuapuadapui v uolpas uno??p uo yodaj sJau!WExa iuapuadapui SIIVM ONV aNV19N3 a04 NOISSIWWO) A1121VH)