2024-12-31-accounts

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT for the period 1 January to 31 December 2024

Charity Number: 1206408

Charitable Objectives

To advance the education and relieve financial hardship of those granted refugee status and other displaced people predominantly in the former Richmondshire District of North Yorkshire and surrounding area through:

• increasing opportunities to engage with service providers, to enable those providers to adapt services to better meet the needs of that community.

• providing peer support and other activities that build people’s confidence and enable them to participate more effectively with the wider community.

• promoting educational, training, social and recreational events involving the local community

RRSG is an Unincorporated Association. The organisation works closely with the Refugee Council and benefits from their overview in terms of mentoring, DBS checks and training courses.

Trustees

RRSG has three trustees, all elected at the AGM:

• David Walker

• Annette Clark

• Iryna Koroieva

The Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

Officers

RRSG has three officers, all elected at the AGM:

• Chair: David Walker

• Secretary: Annette Clark

• Treasurer: Iryna Koroieva

Administrative Information

Principal address: 33 Aske Avenue, Richmond, N Yorks, DL10 5DA

Email contact: [e-mail]

Number of Members as of 2 December 2024: 34

Bank: Darlington Credit Union, 41 Tubwell Row, Darlington, DL1 1DP

Independent examiner: William Gedye

Policies and procedures maintained:

• Equal Opportunities

• Health and Safety

• Safeguarding Adults

• Safeguarding Children

Serious incidents: None

Chair’s Report

RRSG was formed at the end of 2017 to support families arriving from Syria and Iraq. At that time, it was a small group of volunteers supporting just a few families. However, the organisation has grown significantly since then. During the period 1 January to 31 December 2024 the charity supported a total of 44 Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan families totalling some 239 individuals. In addition, the charity supports Ukrainian families in the area numbering around 100 people. The primary role of the charity remains the same – to welcome families to the area and provide them with the support and encouragement they need as they seek to rebuild their lives. The organisation has continued to work closely with the Refugee Council, North Yorkshire Council and the MOD as we support the families.

Some of the highlights from our activities this year include:

• Receiving donations of clothes, TVs, sewing machines, blankets, household goods and the like and distributing them to the families. This has included supporting a number of Afghan families living temporarily on Catterick Garrison under the remit of the MOD. A storage facility for the donations was kindly provided by the MOD.

• Facilitating a room to host Friday prayers in an MOD building on Catterick Garrison. This enabled settled and transit Afghan families and the wider Muslim community to come together to worship locally.

• Supporting families to access medical and employment related appointments.

• Sourcing and servicing bikes, mainly for adults, to enable them to better access Richmond and the surrounding area.

• Organising a large Fusion Tea social event to welcome families to the area and encourage them to get to know one other.

• Supporting a Syrian gentleman setting up a catering business through mentoring and purchase of a banner.

• Operating a maternity grant scheme to help with the initial costs of maternity items for a first, UK newborn child.

• Supporting families trying to gain permission for additional family members to come to the UK, fleeing persecution, by facilitating introductions to lawyers and lobbying with local MPs to try and establish why applications are being delayed.

• Organising a trip to Fountains Abbey with the support of the National Trust who provided free access.

• Organising trips into the Yorkshire Dales with the Yorkshire Dales National Park to introduce families to the opportunities and landscapes available in that part of the world.

• Organising exclusive cinema screenings provided free by the Station Cinema.

• Raising funds by running coffee mornings in Richmond Town Hall.

• Organising monthly ‘Hokey Cokey’ sessions – craft and play days for the ladies and children, with on average 20 ladies and 40 children attending each day.

• Applying for, and successfully receiving, three grants from the Marsh Awards – operated by the Refugee Council. The grants covered the cost of a trip to Big Sheep Little Cow Petting Farm; an initiative to encourage growing from seeds that tracked the gardening from planting through to growth, harvesting and the production of food; and

two separate initiatives for teenagers to explore the wider North East using public transport and to enjoy leisure activities.

• Encouraging families to participate in local events in Richmond such as MayFest Community Festival.

With regard to our activities supporting the Ukrainian families our regular activities during the year have included:

• Language classes for those learning English – three online classes and one face to face class delivered each week, with 5-6 students in each class.

• Informal coffee and chat sessions with native English speakers (two hours per week).

• A Ukrainian language Saturday school (two classes for different age group), around 12 pupils in all.

• A photographic display to mark Ukrainian Independence Day in August. The theme of this was “Ukraine in peace and war” and was intended to inform and educate people about the war. This has now been taken up by North Yorkshire Council and we are working with them to take a similar display “on the road” around the county.

• A trip to the Lake District for the Ukrainian refugees and a Christmas party.

• Collected surplus medical supplies (mainly through the Hospital at Home team in Richmond) and sent them to those in need in Ukraine.

Treasurer’s Report

The statement below sets out the income and expenditure and Balance Sheet for the period 1 January to 31 December 2024. All of the income has come from grants, donations or other general fund raising. None of the income has come from endowments. The charity has no fixed or investment assets. The year end balance is significantly more than that at the end of the 2023 financial year. This relates mainly to the Restricted Funds received during 2024 where grant agreements note that they will be expended on agreed activities in 2025. The charity operates as a going concern.

The Independent Examiner’s Report is also attached below.

Richmondshire Refugee Support Group (RRSG) Funds as at

31/12/2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Funds: YR End Balance 2023 Income 2024 Expenditure 2024 YR End Balance 2024
1 General Fund £3,800.98 £2,591.20 £3,256.30 £3,135.88
Sub-Total £3,800.98 £2,591.20 £3,256.30 £3,135.88
Restricted Funds: YR End Balance 2023 Income 2024 Expenditure 2024 YR End Balance 2024
2 English@Home Grant £2,632.07 £2,900.00 £2,466.84 £3,065.23
3 Loving Earth Grant £60.07 £0.00 £60.07 £0.00
4 Ukraine Fund £3,890.54 £34,520.00 £20,510.11 £17,900.43
5 Walking Grant NYCC £0.00 - - £0.00
6 Space Creative Project £439.98 £0.00 £99.00 £340.98
7 Grant for TVs from Garrison/donation Blenkirons £0.00 - - £0.00
8 Summer Activities Grant NYCC £329.72 £120.27 £449.99 £0.00
9 Richmond Town Council £150.00 £250.00 £150.00 £250.00
10 Room hire £328.00 £328.00 £0.00
Sub-Total £7,502.38 £38,118.27 £24,064.01 £21,556.64
Overall Total £11,303.36 £40,709.47 £27,320.31 £24,692.52
Current balance: £24,692.52
----- End of picture text -----

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Ind6pond8nt Examiner's Report Report to th8 trustses [Richmond Refugee Support Group 2024 On accounts for th• y•ar •ndqd Charity no lil any) 126408 Set out on pwgos l ￿port lo the trus¢ees on My examinatK)n ol the accounls of the abo charity I the Trusfi for the year ended 3111W2024. Responsibilltyes and basls of report As the charty's Iruslees, you are responsible for the preparation of the counts In a¢Cordan￿ wth the requirements of the Charities A¢t 2011 1.the Act"}. l ￿[Y)rt In respect of my examinalh)n of the Tru51'S a¢¢ounl$ earri8d dèr section 145 of the 201 l Act in carrying out my èxamination, I have followed all Ihe appliGable Direction8 given by the Charily Cornmi5SiOn under section 145(5llbl of Act. Indèpendent I￿￿ Gharily'6 9r06s4M￿rnO exc8eded.£250,000 l am gxaminèr's ¥tstsm•nt uAd8Ftak&l￿8￿￿1R8t10FkbFbe￿ a4w*ifigd apWie8bl￿￿ll D61tr1&1 l ifnot applic8ble. I have ¢ompk91ed my exaM￿nation. I ￿[i￿rn that ￿ material matters have ojme to my attention In connection with the examination (other thw that Lli$¢losed blow'l which give5 m8 caL15e to beI￿ve that in. any mal8rial respect.. the accounting re¢ords ￿re mt kept in xcordarte with Secti￿ 130 of the Charities Act", or the accounts did not accord wrth the a¢¢ountiThJ recoid5', or the accounts not Comply wrth the applicable requirements concerning the forrn and content of accounts sel out in the Charit￿$ (A￿ount3 and ReFOrtsl Reguktions 2008 other than any requirement th81 the accounls give a 'lrue and fair, view which is noi a matter cons￿ered as part ol an Independent examination. I have no concems and have coma across rv) other maters in cxjnnection with the examination lo which attention be drawn ITr this report in ¢xder10 enable a proper UnderSt￿ding of the a¢counls to be reached. ' Pl88se delele tho words in thè br8cko18 rflhey do nol a￿￿y. 8lgn•d: Dat•.. 20 March 2025 Nam•: William Gedy R•l8¥ant pro1•88lonal quallffic4tlonls1 or body Ilf any): IER Oct 2018

Addro$5: 55 Maison th.eu R￿hM0nd DL1D 7AU Section B Disclosure Only coinplete If the exaniinei needs lo higmighl material mallers of concern Isee CC32, Independent examination of tharity accounts.. directions and guidan￿ for examiners). Give here brief details of any items thatthe examiner wish08 to disclose. IER Oct 2018

Declaration

The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above Signed on behalf of the charity’s Trustees:

Signed:

Full name: David William Walker Position: Chair Date: 21 May 2025