# **TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT for the period 1 January to 31 December 2025** ## **Charity Number: 1206408** Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8[th] June 2026 ## **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 four trustees, all elected at the AGM: - Annette Clark - Iryna Koroieva - Elaine Wood - John Pritchard 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: Annette Clark - Secretary: John Pritchard - Treasurer: Iryna Koroieva ## **Administrative Information** Principal address: 63 Frenchgate, Richmond North Yorkshire DL10 7AE Email contact: rrsg773@gmail.com Number of Members as of 31[st] December 2025: 34 Replace with 30 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 Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8[th] June 2026 - Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) - Financial Procedures Serious incidents: None Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8[th] June 2026 ## **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 2025 the charity supported a total of 39 Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan families totalling some 211 individuals, who had arrived from 2021. 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: - Supporting Afghan families who are looking at moving on to new accommodation at the end of their initial support with housing. - Supporting families to access medical and employment related appointments. - Sourcing and servicing bikes, to enable them to better access Richmond and the surrounding area for work or pleasure - Operating a maternity grant scheme to help with the initial costs of maternity items for a first, UK newborn child. - Operating a store to take donations of clothes and household goods to distribute them to families and those families staying in the area for a short time, until July ’25 when the MOD buildings became unavailable. Closure was marked with a highly successful open event when families were able to take quality goods to their homes. We continue to support families with repairs for TVs/sewing machines and installations of such as security cameras. - Supporting the Refugee Council with - Women’s Group sessions including topics such as Healthwatch, Health, housing, volunteering with charity shops such as Oxfam. - A trip to Fountains Abbey to celebrate Refugee Week. 81 people went from the Richmond area with a total of 200 from across several Yorkshire groups. - 2 trips to the Yorkshire Dales National Park to Hazel Brow farm to introduce the families to the animals, have a guided walk across meadows to the river, and to learn about the culture of the Dales. - Dales Countryside Museum – 25 went to engage with printing & walking - Raising funds by running coffee mornings in Richmond Town Hall. - Organising monthly ‘Hokey Cokey’ sessions – craft and play days for the ladies and children, culminating in producing decorations for a Christmas tree for the annual tree festival at Richmond’s Methodist church. - Applying for, and successfully receiving, three grants from the Marsh Awards – operated by the Refugee Council. This was built on the successful bids won last year. The 3 new awards of £400 each are for bicycles and bike maintenance; 10 pin bowling – aimed at teenagers, and a cookbook – a collection of recipes and Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8[th] June 2026 associated stories, memories and quotes from those living in the Richmondshire area. - RRSG volunteers and ladies from families joined together to break the fast, during Ramadan for the Itfar meal – Ramadan’s purpose was explained and we joined together with a better understanding whilst enjoying some wonderful food. - RRSG volunteers undertake Safeguarding training via the Refugee Council and Swift open up training such as Cultural Awareness and the Lived Experience. - - Encouraging families to participate in local events in Richmondshire such as: - MayFest Community Festival with 11 ladies and 27 children joining others from the community to take part in a drumming circle and balloon modelling. - Swaledale Festival – tickets were given so that 15 adults & children could attend a puppet show at the Georgian Theatre - Organising exclusive cinema screenings provided free by the Station Cinema. - Registering families with the local libraries enabling access to IT, books and events. 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 with a total of 27 students. There is one face to face class delivered each week, with 7 - 8 students attending and a series of lessons (five classes) for those with lower English language proficiency. 13 people attend. - 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 8 - 9 pupils in each group. - Monthly meeting with attendance of about 10 – 12 people. The aim is to help the community share experiences and to help mutual support. - The Slava Ukrainian photographic exhibition, set up last year, has proven to be a great success. Feedback from both the general public and Ukrainians has been positive, so plans are to widen access to the exhibition. - There has been increased activity in the area to help the Ukrainian community integrate into the wider community, and to help inform the wider community about Ukraine. In particular: - Vyshyvanka day – to celebrate the tradition Ukrainian embroidered wear with a free concert at St Mary’s church in Richmond with performances of Ukrainian music. - Ukrainian Independence Day, - celebrated with a Market Square stall - Talks about Ukraine delivered to 3 Rotary clubs in the area - Attendance at Remembrance Sunday in Richmond. - A short commemoration at Richmond’s War Memorial with a moment of silence and the laying of flowers to remember the full-scale invasion Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8[th] June 2026 ## **Treasurer’s Report** The statement below sets out the income and expenditure for the period 1 January to 31 December 2025. The year-end balance is more than that at the end of the 2024 financial year, which was £24,692.52. The Charity is solvent and has funds sufficient to fulfil its commitments to funders. The charity operates as a going concern. |**Unrestricted Funds**|**Yr End**
**Balance**
**2024**|**Income**
**2025**|**Expenditure**
**2025**|**Year End**
**Balance**
**2025**| |---|---|---|---|---| |1. General Fund|£ 3,135.88|£ 937.82|£ 2,396.79|£ 1,676.91| |**Sub**
**Total**|**£ 3,135.88**|**£ 937.82**|**£ 2,396.79**|**£ 1,676.91**| |**Restricted Funds**||||| |2. English @
Homegrant|£ 3065.23|£ 3,164.00|£ 1,877.73|£ 4,351.50| |3. Loving Earth
Grant|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00| |4. Ukraine Fund|£ 17,900.443|£ 32,287.00|£ 29,433.89|£ 20,753.54| |5. Walking Grant
NYCC|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00| |6. Space
Creative
Project|£ 340.98|£ 0.00|£ 229.40|£ 111.58| |7. TV Grant from
Blenk irons|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00| |8. Summer
Activities Grant
NYCC|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00| |9. Richmond Town
Council|£ 250.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£250| |10. Room Hire|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£ 0.00|£0.00| |**Sub total**|**£ 21,556.64**|**£ 35,451.00**|**£ 31,541.00**|**£ 25,466.62**| |**Overall**
**total**|**£ 24,692.52**|**£36,388.82**|**£ 33,937.81**|**£ 27,143.53**| 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. Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8[th] June 2026 • The year-end balance is more than that at the end of the 2024 financial year. This relates mainly to the Restricted Funds received during 2025 where grant agreements note that they will be expended on agreed activities in 2025. - The charity operates as a going concern Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8[th] June 2026 (HARITY COMMSSSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Indepenflent Examiner'5 Report Report to tho trust••¥ Richmond Refugee SupFQrt Group On a¢counts for tho year ended 31 D¢cemter 2025 Charity no Ilf anyl 126408 Set out on pagtrs I report to the trustees on my examination of the ac£ounts of the atthe charty Trusfi for tfie year ended 3111212024. R•sponsibiliti08 and basis ol report As the charbty's trustees. you are reswjnsible tor Ihe p￿paratIOn ol the ac￿¢￿ in ac¢ordan(e wth the ￿Uirements of the Charit*s A¢t 2011 1'th8 ACVI I report in resp8cI of my 8xarnination of Ihe Tn￿t'S accounts Carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying oth my exarn4na¢aon. have followed all the applicab￿ Directions given by the Charity Commissien undèr section 14515llbl of the Act. Independent tn examinerfs stat•m•nt appl6￿. Detste I l rfnol appI￿able. I have Completed my examin*"on. I confirn) that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination lother than that disd05ed Èebw'l which gives me cause to ￿11?¥8 that in, any material re8pe(*.' the accounting records ￿re not kept in accordan￿ wrth Section 130 of the Charities Ad., or the account$ did not accord wrth the acwunting records.. or the accounts dby not comply with the applicatrAe requtrrements concemiry the fom7 8nd content of accounts set oui in the CharitBs IAttount5 and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requiTement that the accounts give a Irue and fatr. whith is not a matter considere(l as part ol an independent examination. I have ncs ¢oncern5 and have come acr055 no other matters in ctsnnecti( wrth the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report order to enable a proF*r understanding of the accounts to be reached. ' Ple&$e delete the tyvor(ls in Ihe br8¢kets rfthey do not apply. Slgn•d.. 27 Apn'l 2026 Nam•'. 114arn Gedye Relevant professiona5 quallft¢•tionls1 or body (If any).. IER Oct 2018 Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8" June 2026 Addra8b: 55 Mai8on Diev Richmond DL10 7AU Section 8 Disclosure Only cotnplete If the examinei needs lo hi9hlight material mallers of concern (see CC32. Independent examinab¢¥s of charty accounts". directions and guKlance for examinernl. Glve herè b￿￿d•￿Il$ ot any items that the •xarniner wl¥hes to d1$¢1￿. IER Oct 2018 Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8" June 2026 ## **Declaration** The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above Signed on behalf of the charity’s Trustees: Signed: Full name: Annette Jane Clark Position: Chair Date: 8[th] June 2026 Final RRSG Annual Report ending December 2025 8[th] June 2026