WANDSWORTH WELCOMES REFUGEES
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING 31/03/2025
Overview
Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees is a member of the City of Sanctuary network. We support local organisations such as schools, libraries, cafes, and theatres to become accredited sanctuaries and are working with Wandsworth Council (an accredited Borough of Sanctuary). We also run events for Refugee Week as well as campaigns and appeals across the borough.
Registered address: Church of St Mary & St John the Divine, Balham High Road, London, SW12 9BS
Registered Charity number: 1199527
Structure, governance and management
Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 1[ st ] July 2022. It is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with a constitution whose only voting members are its charity trustees.
Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees must have at least three charity trustees and the maximum number of charity trustees is twelve.
The first charity trustees are as follows, and have been appointed for the following terms:
Penny Rogers for 2 years (July 2022 - July 2024) and an additional 3 year term (July 2024 - resigned December 2025)
Eleanor Pyemont for 3 years (July 2022 - July 2025)
Trustees subsequently appointed are as follows, and have been appointed for the following terms:
Sam Robins for 3 years (January 2023 - January 2026)
Amy White for 3 years (June 2023 - June 2026)
Molly Horsburgh for 3 years (August 2023 - resigned August 2025)
Grethe Gullborg Schepers for 3 years (September 2023 - September 2026)
Rebecca Joanne Richmond for 3 years (October 2025 - October 2028)
Pirayeh Sophie Gregory for 3 years (December 2025 - December 2028)
Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees.
In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
The charity trustees must make available to each new charity trustee, on or before their first appointment: a copy of the current version of the CIO constitution; and a copy of the CIO’s latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts.
Any decision by charity trustees is taken either at a meeting of the charity trustees or by resolution in writing or electronic form agreed by a majority of all of the charity trustees, which may comprise either a single document or several documents containing the text of the resolution in like form to which the majority of all of the charity trustees has signified their agreement.
Such a resolution shall be effective provided that a copy of the proposed resolution has been sent, at or as near as reasonably practicable to the same time, to all of the charity trustees; and the majority of all of the charity trustees has signified agreement to the resolution in a document or documents which has or have been authenticated by their signature, by a statement of their identity accompanying the document or documents, or in such other manner as the charity trustees have previously resolved, and delivered to the CIO at its principal office or such other place as the trustees may resolve within 28 days of the circulation date.
Financial overview
During this financial year, Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees continued to operate with appropriate oversight of its finances. Total income for the year amounted to £3,068, primarily from donations, while expenditure totalled £10,921. The apparent deficit for the year reflects the timing of grant funding rather than an underlying shortfall in resources.
The majority of expenditure incurred during the year relates to the delivery of activities funded by a local authority grant that was received and recognised in the previous financial year. As a result, expenditure in the current year exceeds income, with the difference being met from reserves held at the start of the year. This explains the discrepancy between revenue and expenses and does not indicate financial instability.
At the end of the financial year, the charity continued to hold reserves in line with its reserves policy. No individual fund is in material deficit, and the Committee remains satisfied that future planned expenditure can be met through a combination of existing reserves and recurring unrestricted donations. The reserves policy remains that balances under £5,000 are carried forward automatically, while balances in excess of £5,000 are brought to the Committee for discussion and approval.
The trustees are confident that the charity remains financially sustainable and that funds have been applied appropriately in furtherance of its charitable objectives.
Public beneft statement
The objects of Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees are:
-
To advance equality and diversity for the public benefit for people seeking sanctuary by collaborating as a network of individuals and organisations and promoting activities that foster understanding between people from diverse backgrounds and welcome people who have made Wandsworth their home.
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To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people in Wandsworth from becoming socially excluded, and relieving the needs of those people within Wandsworth who are socially excluded by reason of their refugee or asylum seeker status and assisting them to integrate into society.
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To advance the education of the public in general about the issues relating to refugees and those seeking asylum.
In order to carry out the CIO’s charitable purposes for the public benefit, during the year Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees has carried out the following activities:
Object Actvity Delivered two ‘Establishing Sanctuary in Wandsworth’ workshops in March 2024 in Tooting and Putney as well as an online ‘lunch and learn’ session in April 2024. The workshops were attended by more than 30 diverse organisations, including advice centres, theatres, faith groups, shops, gardens, sporting facilities, cafés and community networks. 1 Participated in Wandsworth Council’s City of Sanctuary accreditation as a Borough of Sanctuary in May 2024[ 1 ] and co-chaired the Wandsworth Migration Forum, acting as voluntary sector coordination lead.
1 htps://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/news-may-2024/wandsworth-is-ofcially-a-borough-of-sanctuary/
Organised an event in parliament in partnership with Fleur Anderson, Member of Parliament for Putney, to celebrate Wandsworth’s Borough of Sanctuary status. Over 80 local leaders, organisations, and community members attended.[ 2 ]
Supported individuals in Wandsworth with lived experience of seeking sanctuary through a regular English language conversation group at Balham Library, two visits to Kew Gardens, a visit to 575 Wandsworth Road, and a regular drop-in at Ascension Church. 2 Engaged with Oxfam Tooting to deliver an apprenticeship scheme for refugees to train in a range of retail management and leadership skills.
Coordinated over 50 community groups to produce a Sanctuary banner for Refugee Week which was displayed at locations around the borough including Wandsworth Town Hall, Battersea Arts Centre, All Saints Church, as well as Ravenstone School’s end of year assembly held at Chestnut Grove. Collaborated with Backstory in Balham on a ‘Refugee Tales’ book launch in June 2024[ 3 ] and Hope in the Heart on the HeART of Sanctuary Project which took place from March 2024 to March 2025 at Battersea 3 Arts Centre.[ 4 ] Raised awareness of local, national and international refugee and asylum seeker issues through a monthly newsletter which has over 655 subscribers and social media activity which reaches over 2437 supporters.
The charity trustees have complied with the duty to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant.
2 htps://www.putneysw15.com/default.asp?secton=info&page=confeuranderson116.htm 3 htps://backstory.london/blogs/my-bookshop 4 htps://www.hopeintheheart.org/the-heart-of-sanctuary.html
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Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees 1199527
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period 01/04/2024 31/03/2025
To
from
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
Bank Interest 11 - - 11 15
One-off donations 2,291 - - 2,291 1,332
Recurring donations 766 - - 766 808
Fundraising on behalf of partners - - - - 163
Grants - - - - 14,300
Sales - - - - 79
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
3,068 - - 3,068 16,697
AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
None - - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total receipts 3,068 - - 3,068 16,697
A3 Payments
Bank fees 60 - - 60 60
Insurance 99 - - 99 99
Software 474 - - 474 189
Printing and Merchandise 245 - - 245 267
Website 540 - - 540 -
Project Delivery 9,348 - 9,348 930
Direct Support Items 34 - - 34 -
Events 120 - - 120 184
Pass through donations to partners 4,163
Travel 91
Miscellaneous (rounding correction) - 1 - - - 1 -
Sub total 1,571 9,348 - 10,919 5,984
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
None - - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total payments 1,571 9,348 - 10,919 5,984
Net of receipts/(payments) 1,498 - 9,348 - - 7,850 10,713
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
31/01/2026
1
| A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
2,871 4,369 |
10,163 816 |
- - |
13,035 | 2,322 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,185 | 13,035 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B1 Cash funds |
None Details Details None None Cash at bank Details Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 4,369 - - 4,369 OK Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates |
Restricted funds to nearest £ 816 - - 816 OK Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Amount due (optional) |
Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||
| OK | ||||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - - When due (optional) |
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
31/01/2026
2
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
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Establishing Sanctuary Project - Project Establishing 10,000 30/04/2024
Costs Sanctuary in
-
-
-
-
Date of
Signature Print Name
approval
Grethe Gullborg Schepers 30/01/2026
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CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
31/01/2026
3