Overall GiG Score: 22 ?
Finance Score: 5
Governance Score: 3
Support Score: 14
  • Strong growth: +2
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Grant maker support: +14

CARAS COMMUNITY ACTION FOR REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS LTD 

CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers) is a community organisation with members from all over London. CARAS works closely with a number of organisations in south London to deliver services for refugees and asylum seekers. Projects include after school and youth clubs, ESOL classes, a women's drop-in and advocacy casework.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
  • There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
  • Fundraising costs are low relative to funds raised
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers and there are significant future grants due to be received
  • The Board appears to be dynamic in terms of composition
Established: 16 years

www.caras.org.uk

info@caras.org.uk

02087675378

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/08/22£684£632£51£49£312£2835.41650
31/08/21£569£583£-14£41£261£1743.61680
31/08/20£559£386£173£33£274£1735.411110
31/08/19£350£339£11n/an/an/an/an/a100
31/08/18£223£228£-5£0£0£0n/a0190
31/08/17*£188£196£-8£0£0£0n/a00
31/08/16?*£241£183£58£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/15£227£202£25£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/14£124£134£-9£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/13£112£126£-14£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/12£139£111£29£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/11£82£84£-3£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/10*£62£56£6£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/09£20£15£5£0£0£0n/a00

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 7.3%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 7.8%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 21%
Liabilities/Income: 12%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 91%
Reserves/Spending: 5.4 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 6 months
Quick Ratio: 4.6
Asset Split ?
What it does
  • Amateur Sport
  • Economic/Community Development/Employment
  • Education/Training
Who works here?
  • 16 employees
  • 50 volunteers
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Other Defined Groups
  • People With Disabilities
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides human resources
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Croydon, Lambeth, Merton, Wandsworth,

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
National Lottery Community Fund£469,258
St Paul's Schools Foundation£175,000
Henry Smith Charity£120,000
BBC Children in Need£118,370
Paul Hamlyn Foundation£83,000
City Bridge Trust£63,450
Lloyds Bank Foundation£52,250
AB Charitable Trust£40,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
St Paul's Schools Foundation - Grant to CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
£175,000 30/11/2023
Thriving and Learning: Changing outcomes for refugees and asylum seekers.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
£118,370 06/10/2023
This grant will fund a range of Youth Services and Youth Leadership activities for young refugees and asylum seekers. Activities will increase confidence, emotional wellbeing and improve ....more
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
£120,000 15/03/2023
36
towards three years' running costs of a project providing social and wellbeing services for adult refugees and asylum-seekers across Greater London.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Follow-on Funding: Supporting young asylum seekers in South London
£3,000 18/01/2023
CARAS is a South London-based charity that supports separated children and young people who are seeking asylum, and adult women with either unsettled or recently secured immigration status, to ....more
Lloyds Bank Foundation - One off gift towards cost of living crisis to CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
£2,250 14/12/2022
One off gift to support with the cost of living crisis
National Lottery Community Fund - Casework and information for young asylum seekers
£9,892 25/11/2022
The funding will be used to maintain the group's one to one casework support service for young asylum seekers. The project aims to provide personal and practical advice as well as improve wellbeing ....more
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£20,000 11/03/2022
Thriving and Learning: Changing educational outcomes for refugees and people seeking asylum
National Lottery Community Fund - Sustain renew innovate and influence.
£449,616 15/12/2021
The project is using funding toc continue work supporting refugees and asylum seekers in South West London to integrate and lead independent lives. This funding would support core roles enabling them ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS)
£20,000 07/10/2021
An unrestricted grant of £20,000. Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) provide holistic support to refugees and people seeking asylum through activities including social support, ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Casework for young refugees and asylum seekers
£9,750 13/08/2021
The funding will be used to employ a caseworker who will support refugees and asylum seekers. The project aims to provide people with access to essential services and advice on issues such as ....more
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
£50,000 29/07/2021
24
Unrestricted grant over two years towards the core costs of CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
London Catalyst - CARAS - 6
£1,000 11/05/2021
Hardship Fund
City Bridge Trust - Grant to CARAS
£56,505 08/04/2021
£56,505 over 2 further and final years (£28,124; £28,381) towards the salary costs of the part time Project Coordinator and associated running costs of the ESOL programme. Release of the grant is ....more
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Covid-19 Emergency Funding
£20,000 17/03/2021
6
CARAS is a charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers in London to learn English, build supportive networks and access their rights and entitlements. Based in South London, they support ....more
Greater London Authority - Grant to Church of Our Lady of Lourdes & St Vincent de Paul
£6,836 01/12/2020
Landscaping & planting front courtyard
Barrow Cadbury Trust - COVID-19 - CARAS
£19,550 07/10/2020
6
This grant will allow CARAS to continue to deliver casework support to refugees, migrants and asylum seekers and improve its use of the digital offer it provides.
The London Community Foundation - Grant to CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
£5,049 17/09/2020
Volunteer training, recruitment and ongoing support for online activities.
DCMS - VSCE CMC Fund
£5,049 17/09/2020
NET, Comic Relief and Children in Need will use this funding to provide: increased support to vulnerable people and hidden groups, thus reducing the burden on public services; reach local grassroots ....more
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£33,734 08/07/2020
"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more
The Wimbledon Foundation - Digital Inclusion
£10,000 03/06/2020
Fighting digital poverty for isolated refugees and asylum seekers and improving access to our social, educational and wellbeing support.
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers
£6,945 09/04/2020
A one-off, unrestricted grant of £6,945, equivalent to one regular quarterly payment for the organisations current grant.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Bridging the gap for young Refugees and Asylum Seekers
£60,000 09/12/2019
24
To strengthen the organisation's strategic plan and evaluation methods and to provide young people, families and adults of refugee background with practical, educational and social help.
London Catalyst - CARAS - 5
£3,000 13/11/2019
Group therapy for traumatised women refugees
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS)
£20,000 10/10/2019
An unrestricted grant of £20,000. CARAS works with young people, families and adults of refugee background in South-West London, providing practical, educational and social help.
Sport England - Refugee women and girls learning to love sport
£8,994 06/08/2019
27
Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled Refugee women and girls learning to love sport. This project is a Multi Sports project, with a focus on ....more
Greater London Authority - Grant to Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS)
£9,852 28/02/2019
Tooting Plus! A project enabling young asylum seekers to take their first steps in volunteering in their new community, supported by their more experienced peers. The new cohort of volunteers will ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Great outcomes through stability, quality and ambition
£183,364 01/02/2019
36
Great outcomes through stability, quality and ambition
National Lottery Community Fund - Family Activity Day (refugee support)
£8,122 03/08/2018
12
The funding will be used to deliver several family activity days for refugee and asylum-seeking families. The project aims to provide an opportunity for families to connect and build relationships.
London Catalyst - CARAS - 2
£3,000 09/05/2018
Visiting Project: providing weekly one-to-one support for 25 isolated refugees and asylum seekers.
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Community Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers
£84,520 31/01/2018
36
£84,520 over 3 years (£27,520; £27,780; £29,220) towards the salary costs of the Project Co-ordinator (2.5 days per week) and associated running costs of the ESOL programme.
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
£72,700 07/12/2017
36
towards three years' continuation funding of the running costs of a project in the London Borough of Wandsworth providing skills workshops for women who are refugees and asylum seekers
National Lottery Community Fund - Extending digital access and improving digital literacy for refugees
£9,975 10/05/2017
12
This project will use funding to develop its IT infrastructure, improving the way the organisation supports the needs of refugees and asylum seekers.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
£69,758 11/10/2016
36
This project will offer a weekly youth club and a Saturday club, as well as residential trips, to unaccompanied refugees. Young people will benefit through increased social inclusion, improved life ....more
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Klevis Kola Foundation
£49,200 13/03/2014
36
towards three years' salary of a Children and Young People Activities Coordinator at a project working with vulnerable young people from refugee and asylum-seeking families in the London Boroughs of ....more
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
£20,000 03/02/2011
the salary of the Project Manager
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (8)
Current Trustees appointed

Age Range of Trustees: 31-50
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 06/06/2008, number: 1124376
  • Registered at Companies House on 03/01/2008, number: 06462487
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Complaints handling
  • Conflicting interests
  • Paying staff
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
14 returns made; AR17: 2 days late, AR16: 10 days late, AR10: 81 days late,
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from SOUNDMIX on 29/01/2024
Main office

Unit B211
Tooting Works
89 Bickersteth Road
SW17 9SH

Objectives

1 TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM AND THOSE GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS AND THEIR DEPENDANTS.2 THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR RECREATION OR OTHER LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE OF THOSE PERSONS WHO HAVE NEED OF SUCH FACILITIES BY REASON OF THEIR YOUTH, AGE, INFIRMITY OR DISABLEMENT, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES.3. TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM AND THOSE GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS AND THEIR DEPENDANTS IN NEED THEREOF SO AS TO ADVANCE THEM IN LIFE AND ASSIST THEM TO ADAPT WITHIN A NEW COMMUNITY.4 TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL ABOUT THE ISSUES RELATING TO REFUGEES AND THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM.

Defined Area of Benefit:

UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, LONDON

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase
Authorised officials of this charity can add information to this page (including a Donate Now button) for no cost

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