annual report - Women For Refugee Women

Charity no. 1121174
ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Year ended 31 March 2013
Women speaking up for women
Women Asylum Seekers Together London co-founder & Women for Refugee Women Trustee Marjorie
Nshemere Ojule, left, and Hannah Pool, chair of UK Feminista, at the Feminist Lobby of Parliament
WOMEN FOR REFUGEE WOMEN
ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Contents
Vision and mission ................................................................. 3
Key achievements ................................................................... 4
Director’s Report ................................................................... 6
Trustees’ Report .................................................................. 18
Legal and administrative details .......................................... 23
Financial Statements and Independent Examiners Report
for the year ended 31 March 2013 ....................................... 24
Our vision is a society in which women’s human rights are respected
and in which they are safe from persecution.
Our mission is to ensure that women and children seeking asylum in
the UK are treated with justice and dignity.
Our purpose is to challenge the injustices experienced by women and
children who have sought asylum in the UK. We aim to empower
women who seek refuge here to speak for themselves wherever
possible and to use the media, public events and lobbying
opportunities to communicate their experiences.
Our values:
 We believe that women and children seeking refuge here are
entitled to human rights and to be treated with dignity and
respect.
 We believe that these women and children deserve a fair hearing
by the public, media and policy makers.
 We believe that these women and children should be empowered
to tell their stories.
 We want to work in partnership with existing organisations in the
refugee sector, the women’s sector, and the human rights sector,
adding value to their work rather than replicating it.
 We aim to work in creative ways to communicate effectively to
different audiences.
We aim to create a bridge from the least powerful women
in our society to the more powerful.
3
Our key Achievements
for the year ended 31 March 2013
This has been a significant year for Women for Refugee Women (WRW).
We have built a stronger grassroots base, working with refugee women in
London and throughout the UK to challenge the injustices they experience.
We have spoken to wider audiences by producing important new research,
communicating through a broad range of media and working with a number of
influential individuals and organisations.
 The publication of our ground-breaking new research, Refused: the
experiences of women denied asylum in the UK, uncovered shocking new
evidence that half of women who seek asylum in the UK have been raped
and two thirds have experienced gender-related persecution.
 Among those who supported the launch of the report were lawyers Helena
Kennedy QC and Professor Philippe Sands, Baroness Joan Bakewell, actors
Eve Best and Juliet Stevenson, and novelists Susie Boyt, Esther Freud, Linda
Grant and Sarah Waters.
 The findings of the report were covered widely in the media including the
Sunday Times, BBC Woman's Hour, The Guardian, Channel 4 News, the
Independent, Huffington Post, Daily Express, Sky News and MSN News.
 We launched a new short film with contributions from refugee women
including Marjorie Nshemere Ojule and Lydia Besong and supporters
including Livia Firth, Mariella Frostrup, Oona King and Juliet Stevenson.
 We launched a new blog which was promoted through the Mumsnet
Bloggers Network and featured in The Times.
 The Refused report was mentioned in debates in both Houses of
Parliament, and generated increased engagement in women's experiences
of the asylum process by individual MPs, peers and Parliamentary groups,
including the Conservative Women’s Forum and the All Party Parliamentary
Group on Sexual Violence.
4
 Over 100 women who have sought asylum in the UK are members of the
self-help group we support, Women Asylum Seekers Together London,
which provides English classes, legal advice and campaigning opportunities.
 We worked in partnership with other grassroots organisations including
Women Asylum Seekers Together Manchester and Why Refugee Women in
Bradford to ensure that over 70 women throughout the UK shared their
experiences in the asylum process for our research report.
 We developed the campaigning skills of refugee women through a training
course for 15 women in partnership with the Refugee Council and
Movement for Change.
 We participated in key feminist campaigns, notably the UK Feminista lobby
of Parliament in October 2012, and the One Billion Rising campaign led by
V-Day in February 2013.
Photo: Aliya Mirza
Members of Women Asylum Seekers Together London with their banner at the Feminist Lobby of Parliament
5
Director’s Report
for the year ended 31 March 2013
Women for Refugee Women (WRW) challenges the injustices experienced by
women who are seeking asylum. Women face many barriers to safety when
they cross borders fleeing persecution. They may have escaped danger in their
own country, and then the journey to the UK and the process of claiming
asylum itself may be fraught with problems. WRW works closely with refugee
women to tell their stories and work towards a fairer asylum process.
Launch of Refused
This year, our work centred around the publication of our ground-breaking
research report: Refused: the experiences of women denied asylum in the UK.
Photo: Aliya Mirza
Helena Kennedy QC at the House of Lords with Refused
6
For this report WRW interviewed more than 70 women who had sought
asylum in the UK. We developed questionnaires to gather evidence in
conjunction with members of Women Asylum Seekers Together (WAST)
London through a series of focus groups. To carry out the research we worked
not only with WAST London, but also with Bradford Refugee and Asylum
Seeker Stories, Why Refugee Women, Embrace in Stoke on Trent, the Refugee
Women’s Strategy Group in Glasgow, Women Asylum Seekers Together
Manchester, Women Seeking Sanctuary Advocacy Group Wales, and the
Women’s Group and the Young Asylum Seeker Support Service in Newport.
The report included an introduction by Helena Kennedy QC and an interview
with one refugee woman by novelist Esther Freud.
Photo: Aliya Mirza
Sarah Waters and Joan Bakewell with Refused
The findings of the report were shocking. We found that nearly half of the
women we interviewed had been raped as part of the persecution they
experienced, a third had been raped by soldiers, police or prison guards, nearly
half had experienced imprisonment, and two thirds had experienced some
kind of gender-related persecution including trafficking for forced prostitution,
7
rape or threats of female genital mutilation. However, the vast majority of
these women were turned down for asylum. Of those refused asylum, a
quarter had been detained, more than half had become destitute, and more
than half had contemplated suicide.
Photo: Aliya Mirza
Jude Kelly OBE, Lady Jane Wellesley, Helena Kennedy QC and Bridget Phillipson MP at the launch of Refused
The report was launched on 29 May at the House of Lords, hosted by Baroness
Joan Bakewell, with Baroness Helena Kennedy QC speaking. Juliet Stevenson
and Eve Best read the stories of two refugee women, and Lydia Besong spoke
from her own experiences of seeking asylum and being refused. Among the
audience were a number of refugee women and women from many walks of
life, including Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet; Jude Kelly, director of the
Southbank Centre; novelists Linda Grant, Susie Boyt, Sarah Waters and Meg
Rosoff; film directors Philippa Lowthorpe and Bruce Goodison; Katharine Viner,
associate editor of the Guardian, Ruth Rogers, chef; and members of both
houses of Parliament including Lord Avebury, Baroness Sharp and Bridget
Phillipson MP.
8
Photo: Aliya Mirza
Juliet Stevenson and Eve Best at the launch of Refused
At this reception we also launched our new film for Women for Refugee
Women, with contributions from a number of refugee women as well as
prominent women including Baroness Oona King, Livia Firth, ethical fashion
campaigner and Oxfam ambassador, and Mariella Frostrup, broadcaster.
Photo: Aliya Mirza
Lydia Besong, far right, with members of WAST London at the launch of Refused
The findings of the report were covered extensively in the media, including a
feature in the Sunday Times News Review section by associate editor of the
Sunday Times, Eleanor Mills, and the lead piece on Woman’s Hour. It was also
9
covered in the Guardian, Independent, Huffington Post, Daily Express, Sky
News and MSN News, and throughout local media from Glasgow to
Hampstead. Among those who tweeted about the report were Mumsnet, the
Women’s Institute, Labour Lords, the Guardian and Woman’s Hour.
Inside and outside Parliament
The findings of the report were subsequently mentioned in debates in both
Houses of Parliament.
Bridget Phillipson MP spoke up for women
refugees in the House of Commons on 4 July
2012. She said, “It is important that women
receive a fair hearing and that there is
recognition of the experiences women have
when they come to the UK, and of how those
experiences can differ from those of men. In
order for that to happen, the Home Office and
the UKBA need to make a number of changes, becoming more responsive and
gender-sensitive in their work.” Referring to the barriers women often face in
disclosing their experiences and being believed, she noted how our report had
highlighted those problems.
Lord Avebury spoke up for women
refugees in the House of Lords on 19
July, saying, “The treatment of women
in the asylum system is raised by
Women for Refugee Women.” He went
on to discuss the problems faced by
women who struggle to get legal
representation, and those who are made destitute after being refused asylum.
He was joined by colleagues in the House of Lords, including Lord Dholakia,
who stated that, “the Home Office should show leadership on the importance
of breaking down the culture of disbelief that is particularly obvious in the
treatment of women,” and Baroness Shirley Williams, who commented on the
UKBA’s “failure to recognise the special position of women in a world where,
tragically, rape has become a weapon of war.”
10
We followed up this growing interest among Parliamentarians with a number
of meetings with individual MPs and peers. We were also invited to give a
presentation to the Conservative Women’s Forum, chaired by Claire Perry. We
were also invited to give a presentation to the All Party Parliamentary Group
on Sexual Violence and our trustee Beatrice Botomani was invited to speak to
the All Party Parliamentary Group on Migration, on the subject on detention.
Later in the year we also gave a presentation to the Independent Chief
Inspector of the UK Border Agency, John Vine, regarding the findings of
Refused.
Photo: Aliya Mirza
Member of Women Asylum Seekers Together London speaking to Harriet Harman MP at the Feminist Lobby of
Parliament
In October 2012, we participated in the Feminist Lobby of Parliament,
organised by UK Feminista. This lobby brought together men and women from
all over the UK to bring the need for greater equality to the attention of MPs.
The lobby foregrounded five key demands: action by schools to tackle violence
against women; tackling sexualisation in the media, investment in childcare,
protection of reproductive rights, and ensuring justice for women seeking
asylum. We were delighted that the rights of refugee women were included as
a key demand in this lobby. Our trustee Marjorie Nshemere Ojule spoke at the
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rally alongside MPs of all parties, and Women Asylum Seekers Together
London marched with their banner alongside us to Parliament. We lobbied a
number of MPs personally, and we were supported at the lobby by Baroness
Joan Bakewell.
Photo: Aliya Mirza
Members of Women Asylum Seekers Together London with their banner at the Feminist Lobby of Parliament
Online voices
This year, Women for Refugee Women strengthened our promotion of a range
of different voices by launching a new blog on our website. Among those who
have blogged with us are a number of refugee women, including Mariana, who
lived destitute for five years, and Lydia Besong, who wrote about the Christmas
she spent in a detention centre. We have also featured blogs by various
prominent women, including Bridget Phillipson MP, Stella Creasy MP and Kat
Banyard, founder of UK Feminista. We also launched the Diary of a Refugee
Mother, in which a refugee blogs regularly about her life bringing up her three
children. Helen has been waiting for her papers for 11 years and brings up her
three children in London on £60 a week.
12
These blogs have been promoted through the Mumsnet Bloggers Network, and
as a result Natasha Walter was invited to speak at the first Mumsnet Blogfest
in November 2012 and the blogs were featured in a feature in the Times on
women and internet.
At the grassroots
Throughout this year, Women for Refugee Women has continued to support
Women Asylum Seekers Together (WAST) London. This group now has a
management committee of 10 women, and more than 100 members who
come to weekly English classes with lunch on Mondays in term times, plus
monthly Saturday meetings with dance classes and legal advice services.
Recent monitoring data showed us that between 29 and 56 WAST members
per week (42 on average) have attended the Monday sessions, and the most
recent Saturday meetings have attracted 31 WAST members. A total of 126
individual refugee women have attended at least one WAST session over the
past year.
WAST members come from the following countries: Algeria, Angola, Bolivia,
Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Ecuador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, India,
Iran, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Turkey, Uganda,
Zimbabwe. The majority are aged between 30 and 60, and about 40% have
leave to remain, whilst half are either waiting the outcome of an application or
have been refused asylum.
WAST London’s photographic exhibition, Home Sweet Home, was launched in
2011. It continued to be a powerful tool for shining a light on the hidden lives
of refugee women, and in this year was shown at the Burrell Collection in
Glasgow, at St Alban’s Cathedral, and in the South London Synagogue, among
other venues.
The work for Refused involved building improved links with grassroots groups
elsewhere in the UK, particularly in the north of England where the Why
Refugee Women assisted us in carrying out the research in Bradford. Beatrice
Botomani, Chair of Why Refugee Women, then launched the report at a
successful conference in Bradford, which was attended by the Mayor of
Bradford, David Ward MP for Bradford East, and a number of local and
national refugee organisations.
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Marchu Girma, Grassroots Co-ordinator of Women for Refugee Women, WRW trustee Beatrice Botomani and
Tchiyiwe Chihana from the Northern Refugee Centre at the conference in Bradford
In this period we were assisted by a new grant from Comic Relief to strengthen
this work at the grassroots. In early 2013 we carried out a training course in
partnership with the Refugee Council in London to develop the
communications and campaigning skills of refugee women. Graduates of the
course were invited to set up a new Refugee Women’s Forum, which will act as
an advisory committee to Women for Refugee Women for our campaigning
work. The London Refugee Women’s Forum is chaired by Rahela Siddiqi with
co-chair Ghada Al-Nasseri, and includes members from many countries,
including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Uganda and South Sudan.
One Billion Rising and International Women’s Day
One Billion Rising, an international day of action against violence against
women, was launched by Eve Ensler of V-Day and took place on 14 February
2013. Women for Refugee Women supported this initiative and produced a
short film of women dancing for One Billion Rising, which was included on the
Guardian website together with an article about global solidarity and the rights
of refugee women.
For International Women’s Day, Women for Refugee Women worked with the
Migrant and Refugee Community Forum and the Migrant Rights Network to
celebrate the second Migrant and Refugee Woman of the Year awards. These
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awards celebrate leadership at the grassroots, and the winners this year
included Cynthia Masiyiwa, Remzije Sherifi and Women for Refugee Women’s
trustee Constance Nzeneu. Cynthia Masiyiwa from Zimbabwe advocates for
asylum seekers and encourages young people in south London into
employment. Remzije Sherifi was a radio journalist in Kosovo before she came
to Glasgow where she now runs the Maryhill Integration Network, and
Constance Nzeneu founded the Women Seeking Sanctuary Advocacy Group in
Cardiff.
Photo: Jason Wen, Spot of Bother
Cynthia Masiyiwa, one of the winners of the Migrant and Refugee Woman of the Year Award
The awards were celebrated at a reception at the Royal Festival Hall in
London’s Southbank Centre, as part of the Women of the World festival, and
hosted by Samira Ahmed, Juliet Stevenson and Gillian Slovo.
This year, as part of the awards, we also launched a new media award to
recognize the journalists who tell the stories of migrant and refugee women.
The Speaking Together media award was awarded in three categories: print,
online and broadcast. The judges for this first year were Gillian Slovo, Hannah
Pool, Julia Hobsbawm and Yasmeen Khan. The winners were Zoe Williams from
the Guardian, Len Grant with his blog Life Without Papers, and Jackie Long
from Channel 4 News.
15
Photo: Jason Wen, Spot of Bother
Len Grant from ‘Life without Papers’, winner of the online category,
and Zoe Williams from the Guardian, winner of the print category.
The stories of refugee women were also told very effectively at the Women of
the World festival on 10 March by Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, who
delivered a powerful speech in defence of the rights of refugee women.
Looking forwards
Women for Refugee Women is very aware that this remains a problematic
time for refugee women and those working with them. The political and
economic climate makes it difficult for us to make the case for the needs of
those coming to this country to seek asylum. However, even in this climate we
managed to make progress in reaching wide networks of supporters. Despite
all the injustices we witness at Women for Refugee Women, we are confident
that it would be possible to build a fairer asylum process in the UK and to
ensure greater justice for women who are fleeing persecution.
16
We were heartened by the number of influential women and men who are
now prepared to add their voice to this cause. By speaking in many different
ways – including to the mainstream media and in Parliament –these voices
help to spread the word about the importance of sanctuary for refugee
women. Above all, WRW remains strong only because of the number of
refugee women who have joined us in order to try to build a fairer world.
Next year we will be launching new work on the detention of women who seek
asylum, we will be looking to build up the grassroots networks of women
refugees who campaign on these issues further, and we will be hoping to see
concrete changes in policy and practice to build a fairer asylum process.
Natasha Walter, Director
17
Trustees’ Report
for the year ended 31 March 2013
Thank you to Maggie Baxter
On 4 March 2013 Maggie Baxter
stepped down from being chair of
Women for Refugee Women’s board
after five years in which she had steered
the organisation with vision, authority
and empathy.
During these years the organisation has
grown and developed, and now works
with a large number of refugee women
and with many women of influence. It
has brought the stories of refugee
women into the mainstream of media
and political debate. It has a great staff
team and its own offices in central
London. This growth and development
would not have been possible without
good leadership, and this is what Maggie has provided for WRW over these
years.
Maggie handed over to Liz Page, who has also been with WRW since it was
founded, first as treasurer and now as chair. WRW bid goodbye to Maggie as
chair, but looks forward to continuing to benefit from her wisdom and
friendship.
Thank you, Maggie!
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1. Structure, governance and management
WRW was launched in 2006, and constituted as a charity by trust deed in
October 2007. It is governed by a board of trustees, which has the power to
appoint additional trustees as it considers fit to do so to ensure that all
relevant skills and experience are represented. The board takes on the
responsibility of electing and re-electing board members in accordance with
the governing document. The policy of the board on induction of new trustees
is to ensure that any new board members are provided with background
documentation and guidance from the existing board and staff and Charity
Commission information about the responsibilities of trustees.
All major decisions regarding policy and finance are taken by the board
together with the director. Meetings of the board are convened at least
quarterly to deal with policy and financial issues and to review operational
activity. Trustees have undertaken a risk assessment during this period and put
in place systems to mitigate exposure to major risks.
During the period April 2012 to March 2013 WRW had four part time staff
members: Natasha Walter, the director; Kamena Dorling, the assistant
director, who left and was replaced by Anja Beinroth, operations manager;
Marchu Girma, the grassroots co-ordinator; and Sophie Radice,
communications executive. In addition, Hana Ayele was paid to work part time
for three months as assistant grassroots co-ordinator, an internship funded
through the Vodafone World of Difference scheme. This added up to a staffing
level of 2.3 full time equivalent staff members for the year.
At the end of this year Natasha Walter started to prepare for a six month
sabbatical, which was agreed by the board and which will start in April 2013.
The board appointed Kate Nustedt, previously UK director of Women for
Women International and before that global communications director of
Action Aid, as interim director of WRW during the sabbatical.
During this period two new trustees joined the board, each bringing a wealth
of experience of providing peer support to refugee women. Beatrice Botomani
chairs Why Refugee Women which supports refugees and asylum seeking
women in the Yorkshire and Humber region, and Constance Nzeneu founded
the Women Seeking Sanctuary Advocacy Group in Cardiff.
19
Our work would be impossible if it were not for the contribution of volunteers
and interns who give time on a regular basis to everything from teaching
English to women refugees, to inputting data on a research project, to running
stalls at conferences. We would particularly like to thank Aliya Mirza, Andree
Ryan, Chris Mohr, Claire Litchfield, Darja Markek, Eve Macdonald, Francesca
Brooks, Glory Diri, Hana Ayele, Judith Cravitz, Kate Smurthwaite, Kideshini
Widyaratna, Pat Ryan, Penelope Vita-Finzi, Rebecca Hobson and Teazly
Gumbochuma.
We are very grateful to all the funders and donors who make our work
possible. In this period we are particularly grateful to the Alan and Babette
Sainsbury Charitable Fund, Barrow Cadbury Trust, Comic Relief, Emma Jackson,
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Hilden Charitable Fund, Laura Perkins, Lips Choir,
Pat and Michael Sterne, Philippe Sands, Rachael Takens-Milne, Susie Boyt and
Tom Astor, Trust for London and Unbound Philanthropy.
2. Objectives and activities
The trustees confirm that the charity operates for the public benefit and that
we have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have
due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
The objects of WRW as set out in our governing document are:
i.
To advance the education of the public in general about the issues relating
to refugees and those seeking asylum;
ii. To advance education and relieve financial hardship among those seeking
asylum and those granted refugee status, including by the provision of
advice:
iii. To promote equality and diversity for the public benefit, particularly by the
elimination of discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, disability,
sexual orientation or religion in London and elsewhere.
The director’s report lays out the activities we have carried out in the last 12
months for achieving these objectives and our future plans.
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3. Achievements and performance
Over this period Women for Refugee Women communicated the experiences
of refugee women to wide audiences through public events, media coverage
and research. We were glad to see growing support from politicians in raising
these issues in Parliament and a number of influential figures speaking out
about these issues. We are also glad to be able to work closely with other
organisations in this field.
However, we are still very aware of the injustices and difficulties faced by
women seeking asylum in the UK. The refusal of asylum to many women who
have fled persecution, and the destitution, detention and forced removals that
often follow mean that women are struggling to find safety when they come to
the UK fleeing serious human rights abuses.
4. Financial review
Women for Refugee Women closely manages its finances. The budget is
approved before the beginning of the year, and all expenditure is checked
against the budget and authorised by the director, who is responsible for
ensuring that expenditure remains within agreed limits. Financial and
management reports are provided quarterly to the board of trustees. We are
currently in a good situation to continue our work into the next year.
A reserves policy has been agreed by the board of trustees which states that
unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be
maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six months expenditure.
At 31 March 2013, unrestricted reserves held were £48,427, equivalent to
more than three and less than four months of total budgeted expenditure for
2013/14.
21
5. Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities
Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each
financial year which show a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the
charity and its financial activities for that period. In preparing those financial
statements, the trustees are required to:
 Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently,
 Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP,
 Make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent,
 State whether applicable accounting standards and statements of
recommended practice have been followed, subject to any departures
disclosed and explained in the financial statements,
and
 Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is
inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operational
existence.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which
disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the
charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply
with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the
assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention
and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
17 September 2013
Liz Page
Chair of Trustees
Rachael Takens-Milne
Treasurer
22
Legal and administrative details
Status
Women for Refugee Women is a charity constituted
by trust deed on 12 October 2007
Charity number
1121174
Registered address
Tindlemanor
52-54 Featherstone Street
London
EC1Y 8RT
Trustees
Maggie Baxter (resigned 4 March 2013)
Beatrice Botomani (joined 12 September 2012)
Maria Margaronis
Marjorie Nshemere Ojule
Constance Nzeneu (joined 12 September 2012)
Liz Page - chair
Navprit Rai
Debora Singer
Rachael Takens-Milne - treasurer
Principal Staff
Natasha Walter
Kamena Dorling (to 3 December 2012)
Anja Beinroth (from 7 January 2013)
Marchu Girma
Sophie Radice
Bankers
The Co-operative Bank
1 Balloon Street
Manchester
M60 4EP
23
Financial Statements and Independent Examiners’
Report for the year ended 31 March 2013
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Women for Refugee
Women
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 March 2013, which
are set out on pages 26 to 31.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The
charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under
section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an
independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
 Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
 Follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the
Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
 State whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions
given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the
accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts
presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual
items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as
trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not
provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently
no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’
and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
24
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect
the requirements:
 to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011
Act; and
 to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and
comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met; or
2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a
proper understanding of the accounts to be reached
Name
R D U Cooke
Chartered Accountant
The Old Bakery
106 Brook Drive
London SE11 4TS
Date: 17 September 2013
25
WOMEN FOR REFUGEE WOMEN
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
(Incorporating an Income and Expenditure account)
For the year ended 31 March 2013
Unrestricted
£
2013
Total
£
2012
Total
£
145,553
11,754
157,307
129,422
-
131
131
140
-
-
-
-
Total incoming resources
145,553
11,885
157,438
129,562
Resources expended
Fundraising activities
Charitable activities
Governance costs
Total resources expended
139,243
1,067
140,310
1,671
1,671
140,914
1,067
141,981
102,449
700
103,149
5,243
10,214
15,457
26,413
26,000
38,213
64,213
37,800
31,243
48,427
79,670
64,213
Restricted
Note
£
Incoming resources
Voluntary income
Activities for generating
funds
Investment income
Incoming resources from
charitable activities
Other incoming resources
2
3
Net incoming/outgoing
resources and net
movement in funds
Funds at 1 April 2012
Funds at 31 March 2013
9
All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no
other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in
funds are disclosed in note 9 to the financial statements.
The notes on pages 28 to 31 form part of these accounts.
26
WOMEN FOR REFUGEE WOMEN
BALANCE SHEET
As at 31 March 2013
Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
£
6
Current assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
7
Creditors:
amounts due within one year
8
653
979
6,900
56,534
80,629
63,434
1,612
200
9
Funds
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Total funds
2012
£
10,404
70,225
Net current assets
Net assets
2013
£
9
79,017
63,234
79,670
64,213
31,243
48,427
26,000
38,213
79,670
64,213
The notes on pages 28 to 31 form part of these accounts.
Approved by the Trustees on 17 September 2013 and signed on their behalf
by:
Liz Page
Chair of Trustees
Rachael Takens-Milne
Treasurer
27
WOMEN FOR REFUGEE WOMEN
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2013
1. Accounting Policies
a) The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost
convention and in accordance with applicable accounting standards. They
follow the recommendations in the Statement of Recommended Practice,
"Accounting and Reporting by Charities", issued in March 2005.
b) Grants are recognised in full in the Statement of Financial Activities in the
year in which they are receivable.
c) Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the
donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund.
d) Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources receivable
or generated for the objects of the charity.
e) Resources expended are recognised in the year in which they are incurred.
Resources expended include attributable VAT which cannot be recovered.
f) Fundraising activities expenditure comprises the costs of generating
voluntary income.
g) Charitable activities expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the
charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It
includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and
those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
h) Governance costs comprise expenditure associated with meeting the
constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and linked to the
strategic management of the charity, including audit costs and legal advice.
i)
Shared and indirect costs expended on fundraising and governance
activities have not been apportioned, as the amounts are considered to not
be material.
j) The charity does not currently operate a pension scheme.
k) All assets costing more than £1,000 are capitalised.
l)
Depreciation is provided at rates to write off the cost of each asset by
equal annual instalments over their expected useful lives as follows:
 Computer equipment: 4 years
28
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Notes to the financial statements (continued)
For the year ended 31 March 2013
2. Voluntary income
Alan and Babette Sainsbury
Barrow Cadbury Trust
British Future
Comic Relief
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Hilden Charitable Fund
Trust for London
Unbound Philanthropy
Vodafone
Other donors
Restricted
£
Unrestricted
£
2013
Total
£
2012
Total
£
12,500
15,000
6,000
24,553
25,000
5,000
27,500
30,000
-
1,000
10,754
12,500
16,000
6,000
24,553
25,000
5,000
27,500
30,000
10,754
17,250
15,000
25,000
5,000
27,600
30,000
2,750
6,822
145,553
11,754
157,307
129,422
3. Governance costs and Trustees’ remuneration
Trustees are not remunerated. Expenses totalling £957 were reimbursed to 3
trustees (2011/12: £478 to 2 trustees). Total governance costs of £1,067
comprise trustee expenses, meeting and training costs.
4. Staff costs and numbers
Staff costs were as follows:
Salaries and wages
Social security costs
No employee earned over £50,000 in the year.
29
2013
£
2012
£
78,161
6,487
60,408
5,247
84,648
65,655
WOMEN FOR REFUGEE WOMEN
Notes to the financial statements (continued)
For the year ended 31 March 2013
The average number of employees during the year, calculated on the basis of
full-time equivalents, was 2.3 (2011/12: 1.7).
In addition many volunteers assisted us with our work during the year.
5. Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is
applied for charitable purposes.
6. Tangible fixed assets
Computer
equipment
£
Total
£
COST
At 1 April 2012
Additions in year
Disposals
1,305
-
1,305
-
At 31 March 2013
1,305
1,305
DEPRECIATION
At 1 April 2012
Charge for the year
Disposals
326
326
-
326
326
-
At 31 March 2013
652
652
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 March 2013
653
653
At 31 March 2012
979
979
All tangible fixed assets are used to fulfil the charity's objects.
30
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Notes to the financial statements (continued)
For the year ended 31 March 2013
7. Debtors
Grants and other funds receivable
Other Debtors
2013
£
2012
£
10,206
198
6,900
-
10,404
6,900
2013
£
2012
£
1,612
200
1,612
200
8. Creditors : Amounts due within one year
Accruals
9. Movements in funds
At
1 April
2012
£
Incoming
resources
£
Outgoing
resources
£
At
31 March
2013
£
Restricted funds:
Alan and Babette Sainsbury
Barrow Cadbury Trust
British Future
Comic Relief
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Hilden Charitable Fund
Trust for London
Unbound Philanthropy
Vodafone
5,750
2,500
15,000
2,750
12,500
15,000
6,000
24,553
25,000
5,000
27,500
30,000
-
14,500
15,000
4,200
17,688
25,000
5,000
27,500
28,672
2,750
3,750
1,800
6,865
2,500
16,328
-
Total restricted funds
26,000
145,553
140,310
31,243
General funds
38,213
11,885
1,671
48,427
Total funds
64,213
157,438
141,981
79,670
31

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