Annual Report 2018 - 2019

Contents

1. Chairperson’s Introduction

2. About West End Refugee Service

3. Achievements

4. Performance

5. skillsmatch

6. Our Clients

7. Donations

8. Structure, Governance & Management

9. Financial Statements

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1. Chairperson’s Introduction 2018-19 saw some big changes for WERS, perhaps the most notable being the retirement of Lindsay Cross after 19 years at the helm. We paid tribute to Lindsay's enormous contribution at the last AGM, and are glad that she continues to be an ambassador for WERS. In the unsettled time following Lindsay's retirement, the WERS staff were incredible in the way they pulled together in service of our clients. We are now blessed to have Sean Gladwin as Director and look forward to the continuing strategic development of WERS under his leadership. 2018 also saw the start of new work in the form of the skillsmatch project and we were delighted to be awarded part-funding for three years from the National Lottery Community Fund for this piece of work. We now need to meet the challenge of securing match-funding for years two and three, having committed some of our free reserves for year one. Fundraising will continue to be a challenge in the coming year given the pressures on existing trusts and foundations, and we are launching a new fundraising strategy to meet the challenge. In the midst of all this, the fact is that the services provided by WERS remain very much in demand: we supported 519 clients in 2018-19, and of these, 173 were new clients. We achieved almost all the milestones set. 2019 is WERS' 20th birthday, and we give thanks for all that has been achieved these past 20 years, for lives changed in small and not-so-small ways. As ever, we could not do what we do without the incredible work and support of WERS staff, volunteers, and supporters. Thank you. Ian Flintoft Chair of Trustees

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2. About West End Refugee Service

West End Refugee Service (WERS) is a registered charity which provides support services for asylum seekers and refugees in a friendly, welcoming environment. The range of integrated services aims to address the disadvantage, exclusion and poverty which affect asylum seekers and refugees living in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne. We offer practical help, advice and advocacy through daily drop-in advice sessions, run by WERS’ multi-lingual support worker and trained volunteers. WERS also offers home visits for those who find it difficult to visit WERS’ offices, a Clothing Store, where good quality second-hand clothing and household items are offered free of charge and a Hardship Fund, providing emergency payments to clients in extreme need. Emotional support is offered through the Befriending Scheme, the only dedicated service for refugees and asylum seekers in the city. WERS has also recently launched skillsmatch, a supported volunteering project for clients that matches their skills and interests with volunteering opportunities in the community, via a bespoke online platform. WERS also delivers an extensive awareness-raising, education and training programme addressing the need for accurate information about asylum seekers and refugees and challenges negativity surrounding asylum seekers and refugees. WERS’ volunteer programme offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities: befriending, support work, outreach casework, working in the Clothing Store, admin support and gardening. WERS currently has 80 volunteers whose work is highly valued and significantly enhances the work of the charity.

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Executive Committee Members Chair: Ian Flintoft Treasurer: Gordon Wanless Secretary: Malcolm Macourt Ruth Birnie Dorothy Craw Tim Kell Tessa Sayers

Staff Members Musa Hassan Ali Hannah Barnes Hazel Bloor (started August 2018) Stephen Cowen (December 2018 to January 2019) Edward Cross Lindsay Cross (left November 2018) Helen Wood Melissa Younger

Patrons The Revd Canon Nicholas Sagovsky Dr Hari Shukla CBE, DL, DCL, JP, MA

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3. Achievements Throughout 2018/19 WERS had four main outcomes which we aimed to achieve: 1. Improved personal independence for asylum seekers and refugees

with better access to mainstream service provision and opportunities to get involved in communities

2. Reduced isolation and improved well-being for asylum seekers and refugees

3. Material support for asylum seekers and refugees will be provided

along with financial support for destitute asylum seekers 4. Greater community awareness and understanding of asylum issues

leading to opportunities for individuals and groups to support asylum seekers and refugees in practical ways

For each outcome we set milestones to achieve throughout the year. Performance against these milestones is detailed below.

Milestone 1 - WERS will engage with 5 additional organisations to create skillsmatch opportunities.

Achieved We have met with several organisations locally and six have signed up to the skillsmatch project and submitted their volunteer roles. These are: Scotswood Community Garden, Live Theatre (Live Tales Project), Action

Outcome 1 - Improved personal independence for asylum seekers and refugees with better access to mainstream service provision and opportunities to get involved in community activities

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Housing, Ouseburn Farm, St Vincent de Paul Society (Blackfriars), Oxfam and Newcastle Meditation Centre. These organisations offer 16 different roles in total. We have organised familiarisation visits for clients to several of these organisations with small groups of clients. We have also taken a group of clients to Haltwhistle Plant and Craft Festival in May 2018 to join their event volunteer team for the day, and another group attended an introductory volunteering session at Scotswood Garden in January, several of whom are now regular volunteers there. Milestone 2 - 30 WERS clients will create skillsmatch volunteering profiles.

Achieved 40 clients have made volunteer profiles throughout the year. Clients’ have written profiles describing a broad range of skills and interests including teaching, interpreting, finance, accounting, business management, nursing, gardening, communications and marketing, hospitality management, drawing, painting and creative writing. Milestone 3 - WERS will follow 5 volunteering matches, taking the learning from both the client and the agency offering the volunteering opportunity and using it to refine the website.

Achieved

We have followed six matches with two at St Vincent De Paul Society, three at Scotswood Garden and one at the Great Exhibition of the North over the course of the year. Clients and organisations have initially fed back informally on the experience with follow up phone conversations and emails and then through individual case studies based upon a questionnaire.

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Milestone 1 - Building on the improving social interaction between the residents, develop a series of group activities led by local professionals in the houses of mums and children involved in the Bititi project. The first of these will be a bread-making session led by a community baker, and will be held in the summer holidays.

Achieved

Two sessions for the residents and their children were held during the year. The bread-making session was led in August 2018 and was hugely enjoyed by everyone! “My experience was wonderful. A new experience that I find useful and can use it in the future.” “I really enjoyed doing it in a group and definitely I will repeat it again!”

A second session, a music session, was held in January 2019 and it went down a storm. “It was great fun! I liked the Congolese song. We practise it in the kitchen when we cook.”

“Excellent. We all had great fun and sang all day even when we left!” “Great! Loved singing! Surprised to see how many of us had great voices!”

Outcome 2 - Reduced isolation and improved well-being for asylum seekers and refugees

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Milestone 2 - Recruit 5 more Befrienders Achieved

We have recruited and matched 8 volunteer Befrienders with individual clients. In March we trained an additional 6 Befrienders who are soon to be matched with client referrals to the scheme. Here are some quotes from this year’s evaluations, where befriending matches reflect individually on their experience of the scheme: A male match: “He is very positive, and in my situation it’s important to have someone to talk to. This has helped a lot…. The time when I get that help (from my Befriender) I will never forget that in my life” (client befriendee) “I have gained a deeper knowledge on my befriendee’s culture, country of origin and religion… I have gained tremendous respect for the arduous struggle that it is to seek asylum in the UK” (befriender) A female match: “I’ve built confidence in myself. I try to speak to people and encourage myself. I feel less lonely… she is a very kind person, I can’t even explain how kind and helpful she is” (client befriendee via interpreter) “I have learnt how isolating not speaking a language can be. She is such a friendly person with a good sense of humour but she cannot fully participate in all activities… however her English is improving” (Befriender) Milestone 3 - Seek professional guidance from a clinical psychologist about how non-health professionals working with suicidal clients can best, and appropriately, support them and then develop and roll out guidelines for WERS staff and volunteers.

Achieved

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In early 2018, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with significant experience of working with asylum seekers and refugees delivered a session on Suicide awareness to WERS staff. Following this training we produced a set of guidelines for both staff and volunteers on how best to work with and support individuals expressing suicidal thoughts. Small group sessions were then delivered by staff over the following months to all existing volunteer support workers and befrienders. For new volunteers, a section on Suicide Awareness has been introduced into WERS’ core volunteer training sessions (delivered this year in November 2018 and March 2019) and to the Volunteer Welcome Pack.

Milestone 1 - Raise £90,000 for the Hardship Fund

Not quite achieved (but still pretty amazing!)

A wonderful total of £77,429 was received in Hardship Fund donations and we are all hugely grateful for the staggering generosity of our supporters which has enabled us to support 191 clients financially during the year. Milestone 2 - Through a new link with Business in the Community, we will establish some new partnerships with businesses to see if we can increase our supply of toiletries to give to our clients.

Achieved We achieved this but not through Business in the Community. Just before Christmas WERS received a big delivery of toiletries which had been collected at various branches of the Halifax Building Society in December.

Outcome 3 - Material support for asylum seekers and refugees will be provided along with financial support for destitute refused asylum seekers

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Additionally WERS received toiletries from a range of groups and individuals: East Durham Trust Art Group, Northumberland Tennis Club, the Newcastle Reform Synagogue, Newcastle University students and many local churches.

Milestone 1 - WERS will deliver sessions in 14 schools and other educational settings.

Achieved WERS visited 6 schools and delivered 2 sessions at Newcastle University: Lindsay spoke at the Common Purpose Student Leaders programme and Ali spoke to the post-graduate students studying for a certificate in low intensity psychological therapies, an annual booking. In addition WERS also delivered sessions at 4 religious groups and churches and 1 independent group. The pattern of talks has changed slightly at WERS and during the year we have also welcomed many students to the project for a visit, when they have a short introduction to our work from one of the team and then sit in on part of a support work session. We have welcomed health visitor students, student nurses and social work students and all have found the visits very informative and interesting. Some of the feedback from people who attended the sessions includes: “Listening to Ali’s talk made me realise how important finding a safe place to live is, when you are fleeing a country facing a problem.”

“It made me feel fortunate and opened my eyes to the suffering many refugees have gone through.”

Outcome 4 - Greater community awareness and understanding of asylum issues leading to opportunities for individuals and groups to support asylum seekers and refugees in practical ways

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Milestone 2 - Members of the local community will carry out 1,000 voluntary practical actions supporting WERS’ clients.

Achieved Local people volunteered 207 shifts in the Clothing Store, serving customers, sorting donations and stocking shelves to help provide our clients with a range of good quality clothes, bedding and household items. Volunteer Befrienders visited or met up with their befriendees 475 times, amounting to over 1,000 hours of support through friendship throughout the year. Support workers completed 387 volunteering shifts, providing advice, signposting to relevant services, and giving emotional and practical support to clients during our daily drop-in sessions. Local people made 1,309 deliveries of donations to the Clothing Store during the year. These all add up to 2,378 voluntary practical actions by members of the local community. Absolutely fantastic!

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4. Performance

Support Contacts Throughout 2018/19, the 519 clients accessing WERS did so on at least 5,188 occasions, an average of 432 contacts per month.

In addition to WERS staff delivering support work, we also had 12 volunteers providing support across 387 shifts, totalling 1,299 volunteering hours.

442

470

406

430

449

419

487

460

277

485

415

448

- 100 200 300 400 500 600

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

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A further 535 contacts were made by people visiting our partners who hold regular surgeries at WERS, this includes Welfare Rights, the North East Law Centre, Education Welfare, the Police Community Support Team, British Red Cross and National Energy Action .

Nature of Support The table below shows the different types of support which people accessed. Hardship support continued to be the main reason that people engaged with WERS with contact on 3,756 occasions, followed by emotional support with 1,941 contacts.

Nature of support 18/19 17/18

Hardship 3,756 4,440

Emotional support 1,941 1,823

Food / Toiletries 1,118 730

Liaison with solicitor 644 466

Health 592 543

Housing 469 377

Reading letters / Interpreting 385 318

Education 301 143

Benefits 148 181

Utilities 126 149

Support letter 108 138

Travel 84 105

WERS Scale 62 57

Debt 44 32

Employment 13 37

Other 29 24

Total 9,819 9,563

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Signposting & Referrals

Due to the complex nature of many of our clients’ needs, it isn’t possible to provide all the support from WERS. Therefore, we will identify the most relevant organisation to meet a person’s needs and refer them on for additional support. We made 1,316 referrals to other services. The chart below shows the variety of other organisation which WERS referred onto in 2018/19, with the greatest number being for Solicitors (283) and North East Law Centre (276).

283

276

167

117

106

103

83

45

39

33

26

22

9

5

1

1

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Solicitor

North East Law Centre

NERS

Health Care

Migrant Help

G4S /Jomast

BME Welfare Rights

MP's Office

NEA

Citizens Advice Bureau

Leisure/Sport

Education

Police

Your Homes Newcastle

Social Services

Action Language

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Clothing Store Our Clothing Store provides clothes and household goods to people in need. In 2018/19 we received 1,309 batch deliveries of donations. We know these donations come from multiple sources, but we have been unable to quantify this to date.

People visited the Clothing Store on 5,226 occasions and 41,126 items were given out to people in need. There were 27 volunteers running the Clothing store throughout the year, totally 2,184 hours across 207 shifts.

Befriending The Befriending scheme provides support through friendship to asylum seekers and refugees. An impressively broad range of people volunteer as Befrienders, from full-time students and professionals to people who are retired, with ages ranging from 23 - 79 years old. Throughout 2018/19 there was 29 Befrienders who did 475 visits to ‘befriendees’, which provided 1,187 volunteering hours. Feedback from befriendees shows that:

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Comments from befriendees included:

“I don’t like having time to think about the situation I’m in. Seeing her is wonderful”

“She gave me strength to talk and not be scared”

“Before I was lonely, they changed that. She is amazing. She makes me feel at home here”

“They helped me know about the culture and new places”

The Befrienders also experience benefits of working with WERS clients with many reporting that they have an increased knowledge and understanding of different cultures, more awareness of differences and similarities, as well as the challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees in the British asylum system.

100% enjoyed

time with their

befriender

100% felt relaxed

during their visits

93% had improved wellbeing

85% felt more

confident

85% felt less isolated

85% had more

knowledge of the wider

area

93% had improved

English language

skills

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skillsmatch skillsmatch is a new project based around a bespoke online platform that matches the skills and interests of asylum seekers and refugees with a range of volunteering opportunities. More information on the project can be found in section 5. Throughout 2018/19, 40 clients were supported to create skills profiles by volunteer ‘Buddies’, over 27 sessions and 3 events totalling 96 volunteering hours.

Other Volunteering Opportunities In addition to the volunteering opportunities detailed above, WERS is also supported by volunteers who help with administration tasks and gardening. Throughout the year there were 3 volunteer gardeners who worked 25 hours over 10 shifts, and 1 volunteer administrator who provided 90 hours of support in the office.

Volunteer Support At WERS we feel that providing volunteers with the right level of support is key to developing a good long term relationship. Throughout the year volunteers received 418 hours of support which included induction training, six-monthly one to one support, as well as group peer support sessions.

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5. skillsmatch skillsmatch is a supported volunteer programme for asylum seekers and refugees. The project was developed in consultation with a group of WERS clients and local not-for-profit organisations as a pilot in early 2018, with funding through the Creative Fuse initiative. Recognising that WERS’ client group represents a significant, untapped skills resource, the project aims to make connections between this bank of skills and local organisations looking for specific support for their services through volunteering. From April 2019, skillsmatch secured National Lottery Community Fund Support, for a three-year period, throughout which the project will be developed and grown in size. Central to the project is an online platform (www.skillsmatch.info) that invites clients to create individual profiles which identify their skills, experiences and interests. The website has a matching a facility which identifies opportunities out in the community which match the skills that each individual has to offer. The bespoke system has been developed by Roots and Wings, who specialise in participative design projects. They held initial workshops with clients and organisations to shape the online platform and will continue to support and develop the website over the three-year period, responding to evaluation, feedback and project demands. How it works: Asylum seekers and refugees who are interested in accessing volunteering opportunities sign up to skillsmatch as a WERS client (including referrals from external agencies), and are offered a one-to-one appointment with a skillsmatch Buddy, who are all fully trained volunteers. The Buddies support clients to create a personal profile. These weekly profile writing sessions encourage clients to identify and articulate their skills, experience and aspirations for volunteering, as much as possible. skillsmatch Buddies support the client through next steps - helping them explore, apply for and engage with the volunteering opportunities listed on the website.

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WERS identifies and works with a range of organisations who want to offer asylum seekers and refugees volunteering opportunities. The bank of volunteering opportunities that this will create has an intentionally broad range of roles across the skills areas, and is constantly being developed in response to the growing skills bank of personal profiles. A Volunteering Journey - Sithithibele Ncube Sithithbele (Titi) first volunteered with WERS in 2017. She had mentioned to our support worker Ali that she was keen to help and get involved in something locally that summer, so we offered her the opportunity to volunteer alongside a few other clients at a Great Get Together event in June 2017, organised by the West End United Reformed Church. She spent the day helping on one of the bric-a-brac stands and really enjoyed the experience. Later that year, Titi applied to volunteer regularly in WERS’ Clothing Store where she started in January 2018. In May that year we were looking for volunteers to come out with us to Haltwhistle Plant and Craft Festival, to help out with the running of the event. Titi signed up to come along and was a great member of the team, working alongside local volunteers to serve food in the café, helping clear up and close down the event. When we launched the skillsmatch pilot project in 2018, Titi attended the initial workshops with clients where she shared several invaluable suggestions and insight into how the project and the website could be set up to best support people in a similar position to her own. Titi created her own skillsmatch volunteer profile in June 2018. “The main benefits have been gaining new skills and improving those skills I have. Also gaining new confidence to meet and talk to new

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people – for example, I had to meet and talk to new people at Blackfriars and now I feel comfortable to greet or talk with someone on the bus, whereas before I was nervous if someone sat down next to me and didn’t feel I could talk to them. Having stepped out of ‘the bubble’ at WERS, I now feel confident to apply for roles with other voluntary organisations.” Shortly after this, we went along together to see Blackfriars at the Ouseburn project run by St. Vincent De Paul Society and find out about volunteering there. She submitted her application and had brief interview on the same day. Titi has now been volunteering at the charity since September 2018, and helps out every Monday preparing food for their ‘Pay as you Please’ café. “It felt good to be responsible. People were asking me for things and I was in charge of something in my life, and I felt I can do something for somebody. I felt useful too, like I could use my skills to interact with people and get more from them too. And the staff were lovely and so friendly.” Titi is still highly valued member of our Clothing Store volunteer team. Over the past year or so, she has made a significant contribution to the smooth running of this service for our clients. In her latest supervision, we commented that Titi has been a real asset to the volunteer team with her calm and cheerful approach. Her strong communication skills, particularly her ability to talk to a broad range of people and deal calmly with unexpected situations, are greatly valued by the team here. Over the last couple of years it’s been fantastic to see Titi grow in confidence and be able to apply and develop the many valuable skills she has.

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6. Our Clients

Having an understanding of who our clients are, where they’re from and what their status is, helps us to deliver a tailored service to effectively meet their needs. We also share our statistics with the Local Authority to help inform and map the activity across the City. Throughout 2018/19 we worked with 519 people; 173 of these were new clients, 48 were former clients who came back to WERS and 298 were known to us from the previous year continuing to access support.

Gender Of the people accessing WERS services throughout 2018/19, 69% (357) of these were males, with 31% (162) being female. This is similar to the gender split of those people who accessed the service in 2017/18.

Age Range Throughout 2018/19 the largest group of people accessing WERS continued to be between the ages of 25 and 34 at 40% (209), followed by 29% (150) of those aged 35-44. Again, this is similar to those people who accessed services in 2017/18.

9%

40%

29%

14%

5% 1% 1%

12%

40%

26%

14%

5% 1% 2%

0%

20%

40%

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Unknown

18/19 17/18

69%

31%

73%

27%

0%

50%

100%

Male Female

2018/19

2017/18

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Status The most common asylum status of people accessing WERS services has changed from 2017/18 to 2018/19. 44% (230) of those accessing the service in 2018/19 were “Asylum Seekers in receipt of state support”. The increase from 2017/18 in our clients with this status was due to an increase in the number of dispersals of Asylum Seekers by the Home Office into the area. In 2018/19, 28% (143) of people accessing WERS services were “Destitute/refused Asylum Seekers”. The decrease from 2017/18 was due in part to a suspension of new referrals to the Hardship Fund from Summer 2017 to Summer 2018, in order to ensure the fund’s long-term sustainability.

Countries of Origin The countries of origin for people accessing WERS services continue to be varied with people presenting from 59 different countries. The majority of clients continue to be from Iran (17%), Iraq (10%), Eritrea (9%) and Sudan (8%). This is similar to those people accessing WERS in 2017/18.

44%

28% 25%

3%

27%

41%

28%

3%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Asylum Seekers inreceipt of state

support

Destitute/ refusedAsylum Seekers

Leave to Remain Other

18/19 17/18

22

22%

17%

10%

9%

8%

6%

5%

5%

2%

2%

2%

2%

2%

2%

2%

1%

22%

15%

11%

9%

9%

7%

5%

4%

2%

3%

2%

3%

2%

2%

2%

2%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Other (44 countries)

Iran

Iraq

Eritrea

Sudan

Congo

Afghanistan

Ethiopia

China

Libya

Somalia

Syria

Zimbabwe

Nigeria

Palestine

Gambia 17/18 18/19

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7. Donations WERS continues to be grateful and humbled by the generosity of the community members who provide financial support to the charity, either individually or as a collective. The funding strategy has changed over the last few years in response to the increasingly competitive funding environment. In 2018/19 WERS received a fantastic £134,538 in donations.

The previous year saw a huge increase in donations in response to a ‘call for help’ from supporters to enable WERS to continue delivering services. Into 2018/19 with the increase in previous years donations and the additional grant funding secured, we saw a reduction in the donations overall, but an increase in the number of standing orders set up. These provide WERS with the majority of donations, 39.1%, followed by Churches at 13.4%. Thank you very much to all who donated!

Standing orders 39.1%

Churches 13.4%

Online donations

12.6%

Individual donations

12.0%

Gift Aid 10.2%

Non-church organisations

6.6%

CAF 3.7%

Sponsorship/fundraisers

1.7%

Ragman 0.4%

Talks/training 0.1%

Bank interest

0.1%

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8. Structure, Governance & Management WERS is a registered charity with a constitution. It has a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer and between 3 and 6 additional trustees who are elected at the AGM. It currently also has one non-voting advisor to the Executive Committee. The Executive meets every 2 months when a financial report is given by the Treasurer and a report on the charity’s activities is given by the Director. The Director manages the day to day running of WERS and acts as line manager to the other staff members.

Objectives and Activities WERS was established as a registered charity in 1999. It has developed into one of the major support agencies for asylum seekers and refugees in Newcastle upon Tyne, offering a range of integrated services which complement the statutory package of government support. WERS’ programme of activities has been designed to address the social exclusion, poverty, disadvantage, poor health and worklessness of its client group. Services are tailored to provide wrap-around support from the earliest days following dispersal, right through the asylum process and beyond, as those with permission to stay in the UK focus on entering the labour market and becoming more established within their local communities. WERS’ strength lies in its focus on one-to-one working and individualised support packages.

Reserves The term “Reserves” is defined by the Charity Commission as: “Income which becomes available to the Charity and is to be expended at the Trustees’ discretion in furtherance of the Charity’s objects, but which is not yet spent, committed or designated.” This definition therefore excludes restricted funds, designated funds, and funds already invested in fixed assets. Where the trustees consider there is a particular need or likely to be a particular need for expenditure they

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may, at a quorate meeting of the Executive Committee, decide to designate funds from the reserves to be set aside for that purpose. The level of designated funds will be appropriate to the purpose for which they are designated. Having taken into account the relevant risks to income streams and the planned activities over the next year the trustees feel the most appropriate level of reserves for the charity to hold is £40,000. This figure will be reviewed in line with increased activity. However, at the current time it would allow for three months of staff salaries and other general running costs to be paid until such time as alternative income is secured or, in the worst case scenario, to wind up the charity. This policy is considered to be in the best interests of the service users, staff and trustees of the charity.

Public Benefit The trustees are aware of the Charity Commission’s guidance with regard to public benefit and consider that the activities of WERS satisfy this requirement.

Risk Analysis In line with WERS policy review timetable, the Data Protection, Risk Assessment, Personal Safety and Lone Working policies were reviewed throughout the year. WERS employment practices are kept up to date with changing legislation by regular updates received via some trustee’s own workplaces and professional/voluntary sector newsletters. The level of insurance covered is kept under review and include legal expenses cover. Trustees also ensure that WERS conforms to the new government pension scheme regulations.

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9. Financial Statements

WEST END REFUGEE SERVICE

Financial Statements for Year Ended 31 March 2019

Registered Charity No. 1077601

Contents: Independent Examiner’s Report Statement of Financial Activities Balance Sheet Notes to the Financial Statements

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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of West End Refugee Service I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2019 which are set out on pages 29 to 46 Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent examiner's statement Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as

required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements

concerning 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 ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Ryton Grange Ryton Tyne & Wear NE40 3UN 19 September 2019

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Statement of Financial Activities

2018/19 2017/18

NoteUnrestricted

Funds

Restricted

FundsTotal Total

Income from:

Donations and legacies 2 42,520 222,249 264,769 266,632

Charitable activities 3 760 20 780 480

Other trading activities 4 0 0 0 0

Investments 5 107 0 107 53

Other 6 0 0 0 0

Total Income 43,387 222,269 265,656 267,165

Expenditure on:

Charitable activities 7 49,609 194,792 244,401 261,881

Other 0 0 0 0

Total expenditure 49,609 194,792 244,401 261,881

Net income / (expenditure) (6,222) 27,477 21,255 5,284

Transfers between funds 0 0

Net movement in funds 16 (6,222) 27,477 21,255 5,284

Reconciliation of funds:

Total funds brought forward 16 156,990 55,019 212,009 206,725

Total funds carried forward 16 150,768 82,496 233,264 212,009

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised during the year.

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Balance Sheet 2018/19 2017/18

Note Total Total

Current assets

Debtors 13 13,965 15,662

Prepayments 14 144 0

Investments 14 67,308 67,251

Cash at bank and in hand 14 151,847 133,042

233,264 215,954

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 15 0 (3,945)

Total assets less current liabilities 233,264 212,009

Charity Funds

Restricted funds 16 82,496 55,019

Unrestricted funds 16 150,768 156,990

Total Charity Funds 233,264 212,009

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board on 19 August 2019

Signed on behalf of the board of trustees

Gordon Wanless, Treasurer & Trustee Ian Flintoft, Chair & Trustee

19 August 2019 19 August 2019

The notes on pages 31 to 46 form part of these financial statements.

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1 Summary of significant accounting policies

(a) General information and basis of preparation

West End Refugee Service (WERS) is a charity registered with the Charity Commission of England / Wales. In the event of the charity being wound up, the trustees will be fully liable for the winding up costs of the charity. The address of the registered office is West End Refugee Service, St Philip’s Vicarage, St Philip’s Close, Arthur’s Hill, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5JE. The nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities are to relieve refugees and asylum seekers within the area of benefit who are in need by reason of their poverty and or sickness and the distress arising therefrom, particularly by the provision of practical support.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 (as updated through Update Bulletin 1 published on 2 February 2016), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

WERS has applied Update Bulletin 1 as published on 2 February 2016 and does not include a cash flow statement on the grounds that it is applying FRS 102 Section 1A

The financial statements have been prepared to give a ‘true and fair’ view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’. This departure has involved following the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.

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The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest pound.

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.

The charity adopted SORP (FRS 102) in the current year and an explanation of how transition to SORP (FRS 102) has affected the reported financial position and performance is given in note 18.

(b) Funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

(c) Income recognition

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.

For donations to be recognised the charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the donation and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those

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conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled.

WERS does not place any monetary value on clothing received as it is freely given to clients. WERS is very grateful to all our volunteers for the time they give and do not value anyone's contribution higher than anyone else.

2018/19 2017/18

Number of items given out 41,126 52,045

No amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time in line with the SORP (FRS 102).

Number of volunteers 64 64

Approximate number of volunteer hours 5,209 6,634

Income from trading activities includes income earned from fundraising events and trading activities to raise funds for the charity. Income is received in exchange for supplying goods and services in order to raise funds and is recognised when entitlement has occurred.

Income from grants are recognised at fair value when the charity has entitlement after any performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. If entitlement is not met then these amounts are deferred.

Investment income is earned through holding assets for investment purposes such as shares and property. It includes dividends, interest and rent. Where it is not practicable to identify investment management costs incurred within a scheme with reasonable accuracy the investment income is reported net of these costs. It is included when the amount can be measured reliably. Interest income is recognised using the effective interest method and dividend and rent income is recognised as the charity’s right to receive payment is established.

(d) Expenditure recognition

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category.

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Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. It is categorised under the following headings:

Expenditure on charitable activities includes, for example, payment of monies to clients to relieve poverty and

Other expenditure represents those items not falling into the category above.

(e) Support costs allocation

Support costs are those that assist the work of the charity but do not directly represent charitable activities and include office costs, governance costs, administrative payroll costs. They are incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity and include project management carried out at Headquarters. Where support costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities on a basis consistent with use of the resources.

The analysis of these costs is included in note 8. (g) Debtors and creditors receivable / payable within one year

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure.

(k) Employee benefits

The charity operates a defined contribution plan for the benefit of its employees. Contributions are expensed as they become payable.

(l) Tax

The charity is an exempt charity within the meaning of schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011.

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(m) Going concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that no material uncertainties exist. The trustees have considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the charity to be able to continue as a going concern.

(n) City of Sanctuary

WERS has now finished holding monies on behalf of City of Sanctuary (CoS). The income and expenditure of these monies is shown below. The spend categorised as "Other" is the transfer of remaining monies to Newcastle City Council.

2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Balance Brought Forward 3,945 3,479

Grant Income

New Beginnings 0 10,000

Other 0 25

0 10,025

Expenditure

Contractor 822 9,558

Printing & Translation 0 0

Other 3,123 0

3,945 9,558

Balance at the closing of this sub-account 0 3,945

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2 Income from donation and legacies 2018/19 2017/18 £ £ Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted Gifts 42,520 91,131 70,953 103,696 Grants 0 131,118 0 91,983 Other 0 0 0 0

42,520 222,249 70,953 195,679

Income from donations and legacies was £264769 (2017/18 - £266632)

3 Income from charitable activities 2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted

Sale of goods and services 173 20 250 0

Sale of goods and services provided by donors 587 0 230 0

Other 0 0 0 0

760 20 480 0

Income from charitable activities was £780 (2017/18 - £480)

4 Income from other trading activities 2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted

Fundraising events 0 0 0 0

Other 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

Income from other trading activities was £0 (2017/18 - £0)

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5 Income from investments 2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted

Interest - deposits 107 0 53 0

Other 0 0 0 0

107 0 53 0

Income from investments was £107 (2017/18 - £53)

6 Other income 2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted

Other 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

Other income was £0 (2017/18 - £0)

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9 Governance Costs 2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted

Trustee remuneration 0 0 0 0

Trustee expenses 0 0 0 0

Consultancy 900 750 227 960

Independent examiners remuneration 0 0 0 0

Legal fees 0 0 0 0

Support costs 235 770 59 986

Other 2,241 60 564 77

3,376 1,580 850 2,023

10 Independent examiners remuneration

2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted

IE remuneration 0 0 0 200

0 0 0 200

11 Trustees' and key management personnel remuneration and expenses

The trustees neither received nor waived any remuneration during the year (2017/18: £Nil).

The total amount of employee benefits received by key management personnel is £Nil (2017/18 - £Nil). The Trust considers its key management personnel to be the Project Director. The remuneration for the Project Director during the year was £19,079 (2017/18: £25,079)

Zero (2017/18 - Zero) trustees are accruing pension arrangements.

The trustees did not have any expenses reimbursed during the year (2017/18:£Nil).

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12 Staff costs and employee benefits

The average monthly number of employees and full time equivalent (FTE) during 2018/19 was as follows:

2018/19 2017/18

Number FTE Number FTE

Raising funds 1 1 1 1 Charitable activities 5 5 5 5 Governance 2 2 2 2

8 8 8 8

The total staff costs and employee benefits were as follows:

2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted Wages and salaries 33,115 70,510 7,391 113,589 Social security 1,492 3,176 379 5,821 Defined contribution pension costs 762 1,622 71 1,090 Other employee benefits 0 0 0 0

35,369 75,308 7,841 120,500

Total redundancy / termination payments amount to £Nil (2017/18 - £Nil). No employees received total employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) of more than £60,000.

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13 Debtors 2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted

Gift Aid 0 13,723 0 15,662

Other debtors 242 0 0 0

242 13,723 0 15,662

14 Current asset investments

2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted

Prepayments 144 0 0 0

Bank Balances 107,011 43,085 108,326 22,439

Deposit Account Balances 29,370 37,938 48,440 18,811

Cash in Hand 277 1,474 224 2,052

136,802 82,497 156,990 43,302

15 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

2018/19 2017/18

£ £

Unrestrctd Restricted Unrestrctd Restricted

Trade creditors 0 0 0 0

Other tax and social security 0 0 0 0

Other creditors 0 0 0 3,945

0 0 0 3,945

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Fund descriptions

a) Unrestricted funds

All income that has not been restricted. These funds are expendable at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the objects of WERS b) Designated funds

Unrestricted income that has been designated by the Trustees to act as a contribution to next year's core running costs of the charity c) Restricted funds

Emergency Fund The Hardship Fund which enabled WERS to provide financial support to destitute asylum seekers

William Moulton Charity A contribution which enabled WERS to provide small levels of funding support for extraordinary circumstances

AB Charitable Trust A contribution towards WERS core running costs

Lloyds Bank Foundation This fund enabled us to continue funding for the post of our Support Worker

Daphne & Martin Cookson Fund A contribution towards WERS core running costs

Shears Foundation A contribution towards the Volunteer Project Team

Allison Greenlees Continuation Fund at the Community Foundation servicing Tyne & Wear and Northumberland

A contribution towards WERS core running costs Pea Green Boat Continuation Fund at the Community Foundation servicing Tyne & Wear and Northumberland

A contribution towards WERS core running costs Newcastle Fund

This fund contributed towards the costs of our support work with destitute clients and overseeing the distribution of the Hardship Fund

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Muckle LLP This funding contributed towards our training for volunteers

Watkin Family Fund A contribution towards WERS core running costs

Creative Fuse This funding contributed towards the partnership which developed the online platform for the SkillsMatch volunteering project

Garfield Weston A contribution towards WERS core running costs

17 Events after the end of the period None

18 First-time adoption of SORP (FRS 102)

The charity has adopted the SORP (FRS 102) for the first time in the year ended 31 March 2019.

There was nil effect of the transition from SORP (2005) to SORP (FRS 102) on the previously stated figures.

19 Related Parties There are no transactions with related parties that require disclosure.

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A big thank you to…

All our supporters, individuals, churches, schools, community groups, for sending one-off donations, giving regularly through the standing order scheme and organising fundraising events.

Everyone who has brought donations of clothing and household goods to keep the Clothing Store so well stocked throughout the year.

Our volunteers, without whom we would be unable to support as many refugees and asylum seekers as we do.

Our funders who have generously supported our work during the year: - Emergency Fund - William Moulton Charity - AB Charitable Trust - Lloyds Bank Foundation - Daphne & Martin Cookson Fund - Shears Foundation - Allison Greenlees Continuation Fund at the Community

Foundation servicing Tyne& Wear and Northumberland - The Pea Green Boat Continuation Fund at the Community

Foundation servicing Tyne& Wear and Northumberland - Newcastle Fund - Muckle LLP - Watkin Family Fund - Creative Fuse - Garfield Weston

West End Refugee Service

St Philip’s Vicarage, St Philip’s Close Arthur’s Hill, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5JE

Registered Charity: 1077601

Tel: 0191 273 7482 / Fax: 0191 256 7862 Web: www.wers.org.uk / Email: info@wers.org.uk