Trustees' Annual Report for the period: 22[nd] February 2024 – 31[st] March 2025
Welcome Here Leamington and Warwick
Registered Charity 1207149
Contact Address (not an office location, letters only):
49 Rushmore Street, Leamington Spa, CV31 1JA
Trustees (all acted for the whole period)
Sara Katharine Morrison Penelope Halpin Alison Patricia Lee Ali Alkhalaf Elizabeth Mair Evans Gillian Ann Hundt Andrew Timothy Emm
Governing Document: Template CIO Constitution - Foundation Model - dated 20[th] February 2024
Structure: The Charity’s members are its Trustees. No one receives remuneration.
Trustee selection: The existing Trustees appoint new Trustees at meetings for that purpose after a structured recruitment and selection process. Selection seeks to ensure a broad outlook and skill set appropriate to the charity’s future needs.
OBJECTIVES:
The objects of the CIO are
To advance the education and help relieve the needs of refugees and other displaced people in Warwickshire who are suffering financial hardship through:
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providing or facilitating access to English language lessons or resources.
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increasing opportunities to engage effectively with health & other service providers & agencies.
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providing clothing, other essentials, recreational items and other such items as the charity shall decide are beneficial to their physical and emotional well-being.
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providing personal support and recreational events that build people’s confidence and enable them to participate more effectively with the wider community for the public benefit.
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promoting educational, training, social and recreational events involving the local community.
Public Benefit:
The Trustees keep in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. Much effort goes into meeting the basic needs of hundreds of people each year as well as trying to equip them physically, educationally and socially to play the fullest part themselves in wider society.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS:
Please contact the charity directly for a fuller report on the period.
Although operating since 2017 we only became registered as a CIO in February 2024. Our band of 20 or so brilliant volunteers continue to support the 40 Syrian and Afghan families who have now become settled and more self-sufficient in the area. They have also risen to new challenges.
The Conversation Café set up in January 2024 has continued to thrive. On average there are 20 attendees and up to 30 on a busy week. The café provides English language support to both asylum
seekers and other migrants who live in Leamington and most importantly is a place of safety, warmth and socialisation for those who can be very isolated.
We have continued to offer support to asylum seekers, mainly families and single women, temporarily accommodated at a hotel in Leamington Spa and, since autumn 2024, to a large hotel of single men in Warwick. This continues to be a challenge due to the difficulty in accessing funding for this service and the limitations that come with supporting asylum seekers from public funds. Due to lack of funds we are limited to the basic needs that we are able to meet but have provided clothing to women, children and babies, including school uniform and equipment for babies and pre-school children.
We are grateful to the singing groups who kindly created two memorable evening fundraising concerts for us in 2024. We would also like to thank our colleagues at Warwickshire County Council Migrant Team who continue to support the work of our charity as well as Dale Street Methodist Church who freely offer space for a variety of our activities and meetings.
FINANCE
Reserves Policy:
Demand for clothes and other needs has always exceeded income and so funds at any time represent just a few weeks of expenditure. We also have no paid staff or regular or future commitments which require funds of a particular size to be held for, hence no policy.
Financial Summary:
Our volunteers had a very busy year satisfying hundreds of individual needs. Over £16,000 was spent of clothes and equipment for our beneficiaries as well as on supporting ESOL classes and other activities. Several large grants helped boost income to over £18000 and we ended the year with £3506 in the bank. Of this £749 was restricted to future school uniform purchase. We thank the many individuals and a few organisations who have supported over several years.
DECLARATION:
The Trustees approved this report on 29[th] January 2026. Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
Signature Andrew Emm
Andrew Timothy Emm – Trustee & Treasurer – 29[th] January 2026
Welcome Here Leamington and Warwick Registered Charity 1207149
Receipts and Payments accounts
22nd February 2024 to 31st March 2025
(the first period since charity registration)
A] Receipts and Payments
| A] Receipts and Payments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Receipts Donations from Individuals (incl Gift Aid) Donations from organisations Total Donations & Legacies From Charitable Activities (Grants) Other Trading (Fundraising events) Total Receipts Payments Activities for beneficiaries Clothing & equipment for beneficiaries School Uniform Insurance/Website/Bank Charges admin Total Payments Net of Receipts / (Payments) Funds Cash Funds - last period end Cash Funds - this period end |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds £ £ £ 3822 3822 4318 4318 |
|
| 8140 0 8140 6000 2000 8000 1735 1735 |
||
| 15875 2000 |
17875 | |
| 1754 1754 13421 13421 1251 1251 425 425 |
||
| 15600 1251 |
16851 | |
| 275 749 |
1024 | |
| 2482 0 |
2482 | |
| 2757 749 |
3506 |
B] Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Cash Funds Current Bank Account Petty Cash Total - Cash Funds - this period end |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds £ £ £ 2652 749 3401 105 0 105 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds £ £ £ 2652 749 3401 105 0 105 |
|---|---|---|
| 2757 749 |
3506 |
There are no iabilities, other assets, guarantees or outstanding debts Payments to Trustees were solely to reminburse costs incurred on charitable activities Restricted Funds represent a grant solely for school uniform
The Trustees approved this report on 29th January 2026. Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
Signature Andrew Emm
Andrew Timothy Emm – Trustee & Treasurer – 29th January 2026