Calais Light Report and Finan¢ial Statements lor the period ended 31 Mar¢h 2025 Ch8rity number 1206481 Financial Statements forthe period ended 31" March 2025 Page L8gal and Administrative Information Organisation81 Structure, Aims, Objectives, Activities Receipts and Payments Accounts Statement of Assets and Liabilities atthe end ol period Independent Examiner's Report Reference and Administrative Inforniation Trustees M Stretch.. Chair lappointed 13n120221 T Jorge= Operational Trustee (appointed 17n120241 K MacLeod'. Marketing Lead lappoinied 1717120241 l McDonald'. Lead Admin Volunteer lappoinied 2719120231 R SoLrthgate: Saleguarding Lead & Strategy18ppointed 2719120231 A Malhotra: Treasurer lappoinled 271912023. resigned 916120251 C Mccaffrey: Operational Trustee (appointed 2719120231 Date of Incorporation: 10" January 2024 Address: 194 High Street Rickmansworth Herts, WD3 1BD Bank: Lloyds Bank PO Box 1000 Andover 8x1 1 LT Accountant8'. Delta Ash Licensed Accountants 194 High Street Rickmansworth HertsWD3 1 BD Independent Ex8mlner: Louise Alexander. ACNA 3 Upper High Street. Ipswich IP1 3NE ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE Calais Light first travelled to Calais in 2017 with convoys of volunteers to help grassroots charities. supportingthem in theirwork with the refugee population in and around Calais. In January 2024, it became a CIO and extended its work to support Refugees based in Essex. Calais Light has a board comprising 6 Trustees. Trustees are recruited via external volunteer recruitment portals including Reach volunteering and local community and church networks. Each prospective Trustees is interviewed by the CEO and anotherTrustee seNingfor a term of 3 years. All Trustees give up their time freely and none are remunerated. Upon recruitment. allTrustees undertake online training on Data protection and Safeguarding. Calais Light holds 4 Board meetings peryear where trustees agree the broad strategy and areas for development including new initiatives, tundraising initiatives, and grant approval. The Trustee Board also assesses and agrees safeguarding policies. Board also reviews the quarterly Management Accounls & decides on future funding requirements. There are sub working groups focused on Marketing and S8feguardingiGovern8nce. These meet throughout the fiscal year. All major decisions are presented to the Board of Trustees for final approval. AIMS Initially, Calais Light st8rted running weekend volunieering convoys to support gr8ssroots NGOS, focusing on a process-light approach to appeal to people who might not normally volunteer due to work commitments. In 2023. we rnade a (Jeliberate operational shift to locus on social inclusion in the UK, as enshrined in our chariiable objectives. We expanded oui straiegic focus to include the refugee population closer to home, living in bridging hotels and detention centres in the UK, waiting to have their asylum Claims processed. Social integration and winning the hearts and minds of the British publi¢ tOW8rd$ refugee$ and asylum seekers inform 811 of Calais Light's operations. OBJECTIVES The Objectives of C818is Light aro: For the publi¢ benefit. to promote social inclusion among people who are refugees 8n(J asylum seekers who are socially excluded on ihe grounds of iheii social and economic position and to relieve the needs of refugees and asylum seekers who are in need by reason of their financial hardship andlor social and economic disadvantage by providing.. Selectet1 ant1 trainet1 volunteers and grants io assist those ch8rities and organisations providing practical support to refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and Northern France Food, good quality clothing and other items or services to meet the fiasic nee¢Js of refugees and asylum seekers, in the UK and Northern France A platform to advance the education of the public andlor promote public awareness about the issues relatingto asylum seekers 8nd refugees Education and training in the English language and in vocational skills Social and recreational facilities and events involving the local community. Ivi CALAIS LIGHT FULFILS THESE OBJECTS BY: Sourcing and trainingvolunteers.. Organising 5 convoys of 150 weekend volunteers to Calais in 2024 and creating 2 unique UK based volunteer teams running a betriending hub and a soci81 inclusion activity group in Clacton Providing'on the ground giants. of up to £4,000 to NGOS in Calais, addressing immediate needs and shortfalls #Courtcommerce.. Workingwith globally recognised brands to secure. brand-new age- ppropriate clothing énd fO0￿e￿r and enablingtheir distribution in bridging hotels in London and the Southeast Education and training in the English language and vocational skills- running 2 befriendinglEnglish language sessions perweek hosted by up to14volunteers in Clacton. Providing a fully qualified ESOL teacher for the refugee lessons Providing a tutor, electric seY4ing machines. f8biic 8nd sewing accessories and running 15 weeks of tutored sewing course for refugees in Ciacton Social and recreational events: creating new Volunteer social hub also in Clacton in Essex with 33 volunteers tasked with organising non-therapeutic social events in comrnon civic 8P8ces for refugees and 8sylum seekers living in Ioc81 bridging hotels. Our aim 18 to normalise the local white population seeing groups of black and brown refugees mixing with and having fun wilh our primarily white volunteers- in what would traditionally be 'white' spaces. Our go81 is to Ihus reduce endemic while lear of ethnicity, build local community and to foster soci81 integration. Calais Light confirms that its Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. SUMMARYOFACHIEVEMENTS IN 2024&JANUARY-MARCH 2025 23,086 hours of volunteering delivered in the UK and in Northern France 4120 items of #courtcommerce new clothing and foOl￿ar distributed in UK & France with a value of £91,362 £53.550 fundraising via volunteers and ¢onvoy svpport via Peoples Plattorm fundraising Secured £10.000 Nation81 Lottery Grant to fund Education & social inclusion activities Org8nised 5 Convoys to Calais providing over 150 volunteers to local NGO in France Recruitment of 38 UK volunteers in 2024 and first 3 months of 2025 Organised 11 Social integration events with refugees and local volunteers in 2024 and the first 3 months 012025 with volunteers supplying 598 hours of support Twice weekly, 2-hour Clacton befriending hub. volunteers supplying 2,264 hours of support Funded and delivered 15 weeks sewing classes with a local Essex tutor and refugees with volunteers providing 99 hours of support Organised and facilitateL1 translation and enrolment of 11 of ourformer student Claclon based refugees into more Advanced English language and Digital skills courses run by the Adult Learning College IACLI in Clacton We organised 2 Corporate Volunteering Days in a Croydon bridging accommodation hotel for asylum seekers & a church with our brand sponsor GAP, the fashion retail brand. GAP sent a few of their managers to assist. One DAY was a 'Magic for Smiles, magic show with a magician. who is expert wth traumatised children. who entertained 100 children and parents in a bridging hotel. with goodie bags and a 2-hour children's art & crafts activity For the second Social Day GAP managers cooked and served lunch for 100 refugees in a space in Kingston upon Thames during Refugee Week, with goodie bags for everyone. This was a great opportunity for refugees to relax. to be spoilt and served by people that they didn't know but who wanied to overlly show them empathy and kindness. This helps support their wellbeing and offers them real hope for the future. It was funded by GAP- but fully organised by Calais Light. IMPACTON REFUGEES Sourcing and training volunteers both for convoys to northern France and in th8 UK for UK based initiatives. has provided extra and much-needed physicalvolunteering manpower and support to NGOS operating there on a regular basis. It has also provided ordinary British people who become Calais Light volunteers the opponunity to not only deliver concrete, hands-on humanitarian help but also to genuinely champion and advocate aboul refugees with their peers on their return to their homes here. spreadingihe iruth about their plight and suffering. Our convoys prove to displaced people on the move at or borders ihat there ale indeed many British people who sympathise greatly. are willing to make the effort to help them and will support and offer welcome if they manage to reach the UK and claim asylum. The C18Cton befriending hub run by the UK based volunteers helps refugees improve their basic English skills, gain social confidence via situational English, and also meet UK citizens supportive of their circumstances. Our FREE regular, reliable, high quality English lessons taughl to as many as 20 different n8tionalilies via ESOL techniques. 818 8 lifeline for refugees who are desper8t8 to take part in the host society and to g8in skills that could lead to work. Our teaching offers C18Cton- based refugees a concrete way of meeting their asylum expectations lully though language acquisition while providing refugees with an outlet lor their intelligence and aspirations 8nd the help they desper8tely need to navigate and be accepted by British society. Continuous language lessons are invaluable as the lack of ability to speak English is a key barrier to Social Inlegration. In the UK, Calais Light has funded the purchase of sewing machines and repair of donated sewing machines and the lunding of a tutor to enable a sewing course lor refugees. li has algo provided very high-quality reading and teaching maieriais to help with English language teaching in the twice weekly befriending hub. These textual and visual resources were expressly chosen by three language teachers as specifically relevant to the conversational and daily needs of adult refugees rather than school children. Calais Light wants to acknowledge the identities of traumatised refugees in our work. One of the loudest complaints of refvgees whose loss of agency and personal identity leads to them feeling even more dehum8nised by UK Immigration systems and British people is- 'No-one ever asks us what we would like, In response to this valid plea our social integration activities are designed by the refugees themselves. This consideration of their psychological and adult needs is more than 8 courtesy. Choice massively affects their mental health and wellbeing. Via Posters and surveys we ask the question= What didyou like to do, backhome before you became a refugee? We turn refugee answers into group activities and from the enthusiastically Large response we have received we can be quite certAin this attention to their true needs is creating communtty and speaking to their hearts. We then facilitate these events in Clacton. Most otthe refugees we support are disabled so we accompany them and help them with access and participations- as friends. We have subsidised social integT8tion events in CIActon including the outdoortheatre event, 10 pin bowling, and a Summei Patty Wilh selected local residenis and refugees to interact on an equal basis. The key goal and outcome is to normalise often hostile and racist residents with seeing groups of black and brown refugees mixing and socialising happily in traditionallywhite civic spaces. alongside them. This should ultirnately reduce tension on the part of the refugees and lower the social and racisi temperature of the residents- proving to both sides that interracial harmony is desirable. positive. and already happening. Our events provide place for UK volunteers. members of the local community and refugees to interact as equals. enjoying activities and gettingio know each other. This clearly addiesses the object of promoting soci81 inclusion. Working with corporate sponsors. Calais Light's delivery of brand new. age-appropriate clothing and footwear to residenis in bridging hoiels for asylum in London benefits refugees by giving them high quality. stylish clothes appropriate to their age and sizes. Second-hand, hastily repaired clothes in inappropriate sizes are often distributed to refugees. This marks them out as different and can lead 10 'Othering' and attacks since iheir skin colour and features make them extremely visible and therefore vulnerable to aggressive factions e.g. July 2024 Race Riots. Wearing new brand donated clothing that fits helps them blend in and look like any other British resident and further affords dignity and gives them somethingth8t is both new and is theirs. It removes one visible barrier of difference so that refugees are not t8rgeted as different in the UK. GRANT MAKING POLICY Calois Light strives for a zero-ho8rding approach to donations. It holds o balance of c.£17k to fulfil the operation81 funding of the charity and iesetves. In consultation with the rest of the Trustees, the CEO makes recommendations to offer'on the ground, grants of funding to address shortfalls witnessed as part of the volunteer corwoys in Northern France. These grants are increasingly important as the UK cost of living crisis deepens and household purses ale stretchèd to breaking point. This includes the provision of sundries to help the NGOS supporting the refugees there, for example lea bags. bike oil. toiletTies. cups. utensils. Calais Light hos also made cash grant contributions to supporting NGO operating requirements, vehicle repair and mobile water container damage. £7,281 in cash grants was granted to NGOS in France in the 15 months to 31 March 2025. In the UK. Calais Light ha$ funded the purchase of sewing m8¢hines and repair of donated sewing machines, tabric and accessories and the funding of 8 lutorto enable a sewing course for refugees. It has also funded reading and teaching materials to help with English language leaching in the twice weekly befriending hub. It has subsided the social events in Clacton including the outdoor theatre event, 10-pin t*owling and a Summer Partywth selected local residents and refugees to interact on an equal basis. It provided a place for UK volunteers, members of the Ioc81 community and refugees to interact as equal citizens of Clacton, enjoying activities in common civic spaces and getling to know each other. This addresses the objective of promoting social inclusion. FINANCIAL REVIEW During the 15 months to 31 March 2025. the charity raised a total income of £53.550 through donations, grants, and fundraising activities. After accounting for expenditure, the charity reported a cash surplus of £19.958, reflecting prudent financial management and continued support from fundraising and our supporters. Of this surplus. É3.659 is restricted to the Clacton teaching project funded bythe National Loitery. The remaining balance contributes to the Charity's reserves, supponing our ongoing operational needs and ensuringfinanci81 stability for the year ahead. RESERVES POLICY Calais Light holds a balance of c.£17k to fulfilthe operational funding ol the charity and ensure the continuity of our day-to-day operations. This reserve level has been set to cover essential running costs. including forward travel planning Iprebooking ferries and accommodation for the convoys) and essential costs associated with runningthe organisation. The reserves equate to funding for a minimum perio(J of three monihs in case of an unexpected shortfall in income. Maintaining ihis reserve allows the charity to respond lo unforeseen circumstances without immediate disruption to our beneficiaries or services. The policy is reviewed annually by the Trustees to ensure that the level of reseNes remains 8ppiopri8te in relation to the charity's size, risk profile, and financi81 obligations. SUMMARY Calais Light is a light touch. 100% volunteer run charity with a focus on fostering social inclusion with its work with UK volunteers. Social integration, winning the hearts and minds and increased acceptance of all refugees ty Ihe British public is our declared goal and informs all our operations. Even convoys.. as you cannot accept and care for displaced people here if you are afraid of displaced people over there in Northern France. This is furthei enabled by lis work with corporate brands in the UK 8nd the sourcing. training and deployment of UK based volunteers. Calais Light's experience via supplyingtemporary volunteers lo NGOS based in Northern France both addresses an immediate need for resource there but also Iosiers important dialogue about refugees. Calais Light volunteers become committed champions and regular advocates for refugees. We encourage our Convoy volunteers to return home and have difficult conversations with their networks, ITiend$. and colleague$ about what they have Seen: the goal being to shift public opinion of refugees Irom hostility io compassion. The Befriending hubs held twice weekly in Clacton with the provision of basic English lessons, helps enable integration into the UK and day to day living. The hubs and the volunteers who have given 2264 hours of support also provide an importani social outlet and sense ol community and belonging to refugees new to the UK. It dials down racist hostility in an area with high anti-refugee and sentiment. Calais Light's work 1$ helped enormouslywith the support of corporate sponsors and the sourcing of clothing, toiletries, and foomear to supply to bridging hotels in the UK. In rhe last 4 years we have delivered £710,353 of beautiful, correctly sized new clothes into selected bridging hotels for asylum seekers to help them cope with changing seasons and to blend seamlessly into their locel communilies. As well as respecting ihe dignity of refugees, who may have arrived owning only one set of clothes. the provision of new clothes may reduce the likelihood of standing out and being a target of people with hostile intentions. The distribution of 4.120 new, top quality clothing items i 2024 alone removes one physic81, psychological, and racist barrier to refugee integration in the UK. The new team of UK Social Volunteers, organising social events on an equal fooling in Clacton- the UK heartland of anti-immigrant sentiment- also enables greater social integration for refugees in a very deprived town & area. The success of the first ten events reflects Ihis need. There have been no incidents- only warmth. The premise is workin& CalAiS Light rèmAins eDmmtttÈd to prta ling ring 8nriAI inclii8ion_ Approved by the trus ees on .............. ... . .. .... .. and Si￿ed on thelr behalf by Mary STretcn. Gnalr of tne Boaro OTTrusTees CHARITY COMMISSION FOR INGLANO AND WALES Charity registrntson no 1206481 ca￿15 Llylrt Recei tsand ments accounts Fly the pÈriod stsn da Perioj erKI dale 3110312025 10101r2024 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted fund8 RÈstrittÈd fund8 Endowment fund8 Totsl lunds Last year toth* nfj•mt lothw n¢w•¥¢£ ¢oth• n¢wr•¥t£ tothtr nw*rw¥t£ A1 Recei Donstions frorn Indiwdu81 Corwraie donaiions National LOt￿ty grani CharitsblEAtbvitsps 19.936 6.J87 19,93$ 6.8B7 10.r*)o 16,728 10mO ross In¢om& or ARI 6J,660 an nve8 mon 53,660 A3Pa ents Convoy Iripg Community E￿n SBwinq proie¢l tor reTvgg•$ English Teaching Resources Emergencygrnntg to Reluqeo NGOS Dontsr èv*ni* Slor&ge Trav SDftwBre Subscnpti¢n$ Telephone 14.19$ 14.855 2,955 1,407 9J9 7,454 672 236 2,158 1,755 734 1,017 $87 36.6Qg 296 18 1.162 921 $72 14 222 244 Z85 657 1.470 1.017 587 29.16B Sub toial 6J41 A4 ￿*¢t and invfr$tmont Sub tolal Tolalpaymenls 29.168 6,341 JS.509 Net of reeelpts/(payments) A5 Transfers be￿88￿ funds A6 Ca8h fund8 last year ond Cash funds Ihis year end 143B2 18.041 1,917 16.299 3.6S 19,9S8 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unre8trfcted R•Btrlet•d fund8 neare*£ Endowmgnt fun0$ to r￿112￿£ 81 Cash funds 18. Tolal ¢•sh 16.299 3,659 UnMtrlct•d R••trf¢t•d Endowmont nd• fund• fund$ Dttalls CwrnntvAIu• Dotail¥ FwidtowIIICTh Details B4 A88•ts rotsln•d for the charl￿$ ovm u DÈtall• BS Llabllltles SB•ed 4)n boh•lld•l th¢tr￿￿8 Pnnt N D3to ol Strdth 231L17f202S CHARITY COMMISSION Independent examiner's report on the FOR ENGLAND AND WALES accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trustees Calais Light On accounts for the period ended Charfty no 1206481 3151 March 2025 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity Illhe Trusl") for the period ended 3110312025. Responsibilities and bas1$ of report As the charty's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charrties Acl 2011 lllhe Act.). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Acl and in carying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515llb} of the Act. Independent I have completed my examination. I conffim that no material matters hav8 examinerfs statement come lo my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act". or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records,. or the accounts did not compty with the applicable requirements ncerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities {Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'lrue and fair, view which is not a maller nsidered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no olher matters in conneclion wfth the examination lo which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Signed: Date: 281h July 2025 Narne: Louise Alexander. ACMA Relevant professlonal qualification or body: Member in Praclice of Ihe Chartered Inslilule of Management Accountants Address: 3 Upper H￿h Street Ipswich IP1 3NE 10