SloughRefugeeSupportAnnualReport

Making adifference

2016-2017

Page 3 Chair’s Report 2015-2016

Page 4 Objectives and Activities

Page 5 Client Statistics

Page 6 Chief Executive’s Report

Page 7 Chief Executive’s Report cont’d

Page 8 Case Studies

Page 9 Financial Statement and Independent Report

Page 10 Financial Statement

Page 11 Thanks to Funders and Supporters

CONTENTS

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILSCharity Name Slough Refugee SupportCharity Registration Number 1079776Principal Office 28 Bath Road, Slough, SL1 3SRBankersUnity Trust Bank plcNine Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HB

CAF Bank Ltd25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ

Independent Examiner - My Controller

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While SRS has always operated under financial constraints, 2016-17 began with the loss of our key source of income from the Big Lottery Fund. As a consequence, our Steps to Settlement Project ended in October and its demise meant that we had to reduce opening times and staff hours and make one member of staff redundant.

However, after much soul searching, we discovered that, by diversifying our approach to fund raising, we could attract new income from a range of sources, rather than relying on one major funder. As a result we have been fortunate in securing donations from individuals, churches, organisations and local bodies. The Thames Valley Methodist Circuit kindly donated sufficient funding to cover our rent for one year. This gave us a base to work from. In addition, we have been very careful with our spending and have cut back on unnecessary expenditure.

We were successful in being awarded a contract with Slough Borough Council to provide ‘wrap around provision’ for the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme, part of the UK’s response to finding homes for displaced persons from Syria. We welcomed our first family under this scheme in December 2016 and have enjoyed helping this family settle into their new community. The work has been both demanding and fulfilling and, as we go to press, we are preparing a home for a second family under this scheme.

CHAIR’SREPORT

2016-2017

Working on this project has raised our profile with Slough Borough Council who seem to have been impressed with our work. As a consequence, they have asked us to work in partnership to delivery a number of projects and, when the Citizens’ Advice Bureau closed down, the Slough Prevention Alliance Community Engagement funded our advice work.

As our involvement in these projects has grown throughout the year, we have been able to increase staff hours and to revert to being open for four days a week. During this time, we continue to offer immigration advice in our Drop In, Job Search Skills, a crèche, classes and family support.

We believe that we have been able to make an important difference during the year to the many asylum seekers and refugees who have sought our advice and support. In addition, we find that many of our clients are in turn making a difference in the local community. Our provision would not be possible without the dedication of our key workers, our many volunteers and our trustees. I thank you all for your important contribution and we look forward to continuing to serve our client group for many more years to come.

Chair of Trustees

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OBJECTIVESAND

ACTIVITIES

MISSION STATEMENTSlough Refugee Support is a friendly organisation committed to impartially helping all asylum seekers and refugees in Slough to achieve their rights and settle with dignity in a new community.

CHARITABLE OBJECTSThe charity is established to provide for the relief of poverty, the preservation and protection of physical and mental health, and the advancement of education of asylum seekers and refugees in Slough and neighbouring Local Authority areas, at the discretion of the Trustees.

To this end, the organisation plans to:• Welcome asylum seekers and refugees in Slough• Improve the quality of life for asylum seekers and refugees in Slough• Increase independence and self reliance• Facilitate integration into the Slough community and UK life and to enhance community cohesion• Celebrate cultural richness and diversity in the community

The organisation’s objectives are to:• Facilitate access to all rights, entitlements and services provided by other agencies – education, health, benefits, citizenship• Improve English language skills• Improve employment prospects• Provide a wide range of other services in response to the needs and wants of refugees• Raise awareness of the needs of refugees and how other service providers could respond• Raise awareness of the skills and talents of refugees and how they can meet the needs of the community at large

In setting our aims and objectives and planning our activities, the Trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.

Main Activities Undertaken for the Public Benefit• Provide advice sessions and follow-up casework ‘steps to settlement project’• English classes, sewing classes,• Job Club- ways into work activities• UK Citizenship. Preparation for Life in the UK.• Awareness raising on issues affecting asylum seekers and refugees.

QUALITY CONTROLSRS is registered with the Office of immigration Services commissioner (OISC) to deliver Level 1 immigration advice. It is managed by the Steps to Settlement Co-ordinator with the help of Senior volunteers who also hold the level 1 certificate as required by the OISC.

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AFGHANISTAN 45ALBANIA 1ALGERIA 1ANGOLA 1BANGLADESH 1BHUTAN 4BURUNDI 25CHINA 5CONGO 8EGYPT 8ENTREA 1GAMBIA 2GEORGIA GHANAGUINEA 2INDIA 13IRAN 21IRAQ 34JAMAICIAKENYA 6KUWAIT 39LEBANONMOROCCO 3NIGERIA 5OMAN 2OTHERPAKISTAN 36PALESTINE 2RUSSIARWANDA 4SAUDI ARABIASOMALIA 266SRI LANKA 88SUDAN 28SYRIA 22TANZANIA 7TIBET 9UGANDA 1YEMEN 2ZAMBIA 2ZIMBABWE 60

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AGE GROUPS

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

00 to 5 6 to 16 17 to 20 21 to 60

GENDER

Female 47%

Male 52%

Male 216Female 197Unspecified 4

SRS CLIENTS

WELFARE PAYMENTS

SRS Client visits to SRS

Beneficiaries

Households with positive outcomes

Clients- achieving citizenship

Clients securing shelter

Clients helped to alleviate hardship

Volunteers recruited

Transport

Accomodation

Health

Food

Other

2000

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

400 600 800 1000

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CLIENT STATISTICS

£

Once again it gives me great pleasure to be a part of SRS and to talk about our achievements over the last challenging year. Despite facing major funding issues, SRS continued to make significant progress in securing our future work.

As we begin to celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are proud in having served well over 5,500 clients since we first opened our doors in 1997.Our major Big Lottery Funding came to an end in October and we have started forming alliances and partnerships, increased our presence on social media and generally raised awareness of SRS in the local community to help create future revenue streams.

In addition, we have faced even more challenges in helping our clients cope with procedural

changes and stringent bureaucratic measures introduced by the Home Office and the Department of Work and Pensions. We are faced with a shortage of housing and high rents in Slough, mainly due to the imminent arrival of Cross Rail.

Despite this, we are delighted that even more clients have gained refugee status during 2016-17

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S

REPORTthan in any other year in the past. We know we are making a difference when we see our clients come back with smiles and thanks for helping transforming their lives.

SRS has joined networks that have enabled us to keep abreast with societal and legislative developments. These networks include Free Movement, Asylum Support Advice Network, and Thames Valley Strategic Partnerships. Through these networks, we are able to feed back the difficulties we experience helping our clients when policies and procedures change.

There has also been closer working partnership amongst the refugee support organisations in Slough, Reading and Oxford. Due to the lack of Legal Aid solicitors for Immigration Law in Slough

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and Reading, Reading Refugee Support Group and SRS have recently made a joint funding application to upgrade the level of immigration advice from Level 1 to 2 and to employ a qualified member of staff who can advise and support clients in both organisations.

In December, we were delighted to be chosen by Slough Borough Council to provide the wrap around support for a family under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme. Our successful involvement in this programme has helped raise awareness of SRS in Slough and surrounding areas, which in turn has assisted us in creating networks especially surrounding health, protection and mental illness.

SRS is continuing to provide soup kitchens on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In addition, we have registered with the Food Share project and we regularly receive fresh vegetables and fruits as well as other food from Tesco. We also get food from a Chalvey supermarket and local bakeries. These are distributed on the soup kitchen days. This provision helps ensure clients maintain good health and improved wellbeing.

As well as immigration matters, our aim has always been to make a difference to the lives of our clients by improving their quality of life, boost their self-reliance, as well as enhancing community cohesion.

All this would not be possible without the help of our dedicated volunteers who are generous in the time they donate to improving the welfare and life journeys of our clients.

I thank all my staff for their continuing hard work and dedication and, finally, I would like to thank our Trustees and our Chair for their passion in ensuring that SRS has the right elements for success.

Taz MohammedChief Executive

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Making a difference – NoreenWe were delighted when the BBC’s Children in Need came to make a video of our work. Noreen, a refugee from Zimbabwe, told how SRS helped her through difficult times, gave her emotional support and encouraged her son, to go from being very shy to becoming “the most delightful child”. She calls Children in Need and SRS “A Beacon of Hope” and reminds us “every child matters”.

Here is Noreen being videoed in our garden. Watch the video on our Home Page atwww.sloughrefugeesupport.org.uk

CASE STUDIESSUCCESS STORIES

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Making a Difference – Steve and RobinThe Job Club had 140 drop-ins over the past year and volunteers Steve and Robin advised individuals on all aspects of job search. This ranged from writing CVs to advice on job applications, and ensuring that clients gained credit for all their skills.

As might be expected, the abilities of our clients are wide ranging from, for example, a young man with special needs to a young woman who had gained a qualification in accountancy. Both of these individuals have been helped into employment by the Job Club. In the first case, the young man – who has attended SRS for the past five years – obtained his first three paid part-time jobs this past year. He has not yet found full-time employment, but Steve and Robin continue to work with him to that end. The woman has not found a full-time accountancy position yet, but has been assisted to employment as a counter clerk at the Post Office.

Another long-term client found full-time work through the Job Club as a security guard, but has higher ambitions and has obtained a fork-lift driver qualification. He has attended the Job Club in the past few weeks and Robin and Steve are confident of assisting him to find an appropriate role.

Many of our clients are determined to find paid work. SRS’s Job Club will continue to help them to the best of its abilities.

Steve

Robin

Making a difference – IfrahIn Spring 2017, we were delighted when Ifrah Mohammed, one of our volunteers, was shortlisted for the Woman of the Year Award, organised by Women on the Move. This is a national award that recognises and celebrates women who have migrated or fled persecution themselves and find time to provide essential support and inspiring leadership on a grassroots level to others starting a new life in the UK.

A refugee from Somalia, Ifrah came to the UK in 2002. She suffered personal abuse both in Somalia and in England and came to SRS in 2005. Ifrah taught herself English and became a volunteer for SRS. In 2009, Ifrah and another Somali lady set up the Somali Sisters in Slough and became an active member of Slough Refugee and Migrants Forum. Remarried with a family, Ifrah is now a recognised and respected person within the Slough Somali community.

As spokesperson of Somali Sisters, Ifrah daily improves the lives in the broadest sense of Somalis in Slough. With her mastery of the English language, Ifrah provides unquestioning support in dealing with authorities, utility companies, health and schooling issues, thus making a huge difference to the community she serves. Ifrah guesses that, since 2009, she has helped some 300 Somali families in Slough.

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Michelle Boundy, Treasurer23rd July 2017

Jean Kelly, Chair23rd July 2017

2016-2017 was a challenging year for SRS as one of our core funds came to an end. Our focus was on

reducing costs and acquiring new funding streams, and we achieved both.

Our total costs were £112,153, of which £75,102 (67%) was for paid staff. This was about 80% of the previous year’s spend due

to a reduction in staff hours and the ending of an administrative staff post. Staff training and volunteer costs remained at a similar

level at just under £5,900.

Our total grant funding was £89,268, provided by nine organisations. This amounted to about 90% of the funding we’d received

for the previous year. Our self-generated income rose considerably with donations more than doubling from £15,368 to £35,294.

This was due to an increase in individual donations and those from local faith groups. A handful of large donations aside, most

of our donations from individuals amount to less than £100 and include sponsorship raising, direct cash donations and online

donations through our ‘Just Giving’ page.

SRS was awarded two new service contracts in the year for the provision of advice and support services to Slough Borough

Council. These provided up-front payments of over £17,000.

We began the year with £71,055 carried forward and as at the 31st March 2017 our funds totalled £97,695 – a significant increase. Our funding outlook for the coming year is positive and we are continuing to seek new funding and donations for the coming years.

It is SRS’s policy to hold a Designated Contingency Fund, so that in the event of a significant reduction in income, SRS is able to meet its financial obligations to staff, the landlord, and other parties, with an orderly reduction in activities. Some of this money was used to pay redundancies in the year and so reduced from £14,300 to £8,337. This will be reviewed in the current financial year. Our general reserve for contingencies remains at £5,000.

The Management Committee has reviewed these accounts and are in agreement that these reflect an accurate picture of SRS’s financial affairs at the end of March 2017.

Financial Review for the year ended 31st March 2017

Slough Refugee Support

SLOUGH REFUGEES SUPPORTStatement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet

Year ended 31st March 2017

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Incoming resources

Generated income 4Grant income 3Transfers (gross from General Fund)

Total incoming resources

Resources expended

Charitable activities 5Governance costs 5

Total resources expended 5

Net resources before transfers

Gross transfers between funds (back to General Fund)

Net movement in funds

Total funds brought forward (opening balance)

Total funds carried forward

Statement of Financial Activities

Year ended 31st March 2017

35,482 1,009 0 17,100 53,591 16,7380 1,065 27,693 60,510 89,268 96,831

5,602 0 0 0 5,602 6

41,084 2,074 27,693 77,610 148,460 113,575

26,056 935 34,284 50,738 112,012 131,12934 0 874 0 908 1,953

26,090 935 35,158 50,738 112,920 133,082

14,994 1,139 -7,465 26,872 35,540 -19,507

-5,397 0 0 0 -5,397 0

9,597 1,139 -7,465 26,872 30,143 -19,507

35,114 161 7,465 24,812 67,552 90,562

44,710 1,300 0 51,684 97,695 71,055

Unrestricted funds

Restricted WELFARE

Restricted STEPS fund

Other restricted

Total 2016Total 2017

£ £ £ £ £ £

Creditors (falling due within one year) 9Creditors (falling due within one year) 9

Net current assets

Total net assets

Fixed assets

Tangible assets

Current assets

DebtorsCash at bank and in hand

1,407 2,173

4,422 3,57298,462 67,552

102,884 71,124

-1,590 -2,241

101,295 68,883

102,701 71,056

Total 2016Total 2017

1,407 2,173

4,422 3,57298,462 67,552

102,884 71,124

-1,590 -2,241

101,295 68,883

102,701 71,056

Total 2016

Balance Sheet

At 31st March 2017

£ ££ £

Total funds

Funds of the charity

Unrestricted funds

General fund Designated contingency fundEmergency Fund

Restricted income funds

Family Support Project FundWelfare fundSTEPS fund - Big Lottery fundingAwards for All (capital)Other restricted funds

49,633 35,8298,337 14,3005,000 5,000

62,970 55,129

110234 -28

0 8,56510,00029,387 7,38939,731 15,926

102,701 71,055

49,633 35,8298,337 14,3005,000 5,000

62,970 55,129

234 -280 8,565

-29,387 7,38939,731 15,926

102,701 71,055

Total 2016Total 2017 Total 2016£ ££ £

Thanks to our Funders and Supporters

Abdallah KhalidAbobaker MohamedAdeel AhmadAkash TamamgAli MayeAndrew HartAndrew YoungAnna ChaplinAnton BenedictBaqr AlkarouiBatiya Al RashidiAbdennour BelabbasBhopinderjit MannBrian O’HanlonCecelia LawlessCharles PiketChristine BailieClaire FentimenEdward McAteer

Elizabeth BakerFahima AminGeeta BhugobaunGerard HackettGraham HughesGumbo TourayHelen NivenHelen WhiteHolly WhiteIfrah MohamedImtiyas MohamedIndi SiraJan FredricksonJaveed ZafarJean KellyJenny GriffinJohan BergrallJohn KennedyKamila Imtiaz

Kate PattinsonKate WickersKhando LadangKibreab MenghistuKinza AfzalLinda ChananLiz SheppardLuke EkezieMaenak Shi SainiMakhzum SalumMalik KhokharMary AbrahamMary MagdaleneMeenu Saini Megan GraceMichael CreanMilena RodriguezMohamed HamedMohamed Lamare

Naima TaikaNaseem AkhtarNigel WoofNighat ShahPat O’BrienPaula ByasPhil ElyQumar ZamanRajRay BarkleyRhoda StrachanRifat Muneera Mian-HashimRosemary WatsonRupert YoungSafia AbukarSahra AhmedSamsam MohamedSantokh YadavSara Willcocks

Shabila BashierShabnamShazia ShabnamStephen TaylorSukri JamaSundus Al-DahawiSuresh SakpalWaqas KaiserWendy FooZabihullah Liwal-SaamZaheda MotaraZaitoon FatimaZiporah

GRANTSAB Charitable TrustBBC Children in NeedBig Lottery FundBerkshire Community FoundationLloydsThe Hilden Charitable FundARM TrustHealth Watch

DONATIONSArab Welfare AssociationBurnham Grammar SchoolBurnham Methodist ChurchChurch of the Holy RedeemerCookham Rise Methodist ChurchEden Grils’ SchoolFirst GiveFrizzell Charitable TrustHampshire Avenue Methodist ChurchJamia Masjid and Islamic CentreOne World PartyRCCG Praise Embassy, SloughRotary Club of SloughSlough Baptist ChurchSlough Centre Nursery SchoolSt Andrew’s Methodist ChurchSt Edmund Campion ChurchSt Edward & St Mark Catholic Church, WindsorSt Jospeh’s Furniture Market, Chalfont St PeterSeedbed Christian CommunityThe Thames Valley Methodist CircuitThe Methodist Church, Eton WickUnite the Union

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DONATIONS IN KINDChalvey Supermarket (Mr Iqbal Ali)Enbright Services LtdTogether4goodGold Hill Baptist ChurchSt George’s Church, BritwellEden SchoolFood Bank SloughSlough Business Partnership BoardLocal community donations of clothes and equipmentTesco Food ShareReading Muslim CouncilBerkshire Arab Community

SRS STAFFTaz Mohammed – CEORose Njoroge- Senior Case WorkerKeriann Belcher – Family Support WorkerParin Rahemtulla - Left in October 2016Rebecca Quinn – Housekeeper

SEWING TEACHERSAjmar RaiSahra Jibril

BOARD OF TRUSTEESAnna Chaplin – SecretaryJean Kelly - ChairIqbal AbdealiMichelle Boundy - TreasurerMohamed HamedMary AbrahamNigel WoofRay BarkleyRupert Young

DONATIONSLocal Faith Groups £9,702Private £22,493Corporate and Trade Union £1,505Friends £1,575Membership subs £19

VOLUNTEERS

L E V E L 1

through the Big Lottery Fund

SloughRefugeeSupport 28 Bath Road l Slough SL1 3SR

T 01753 537 142F 01753 575 234

www.sloughrefugeesupport.org.uksrsinfo@ sloughrefugeesupport.org.uk