DURHAM CITY OF SANCTUARY

Registered charity 1168523 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

We are part of the nationwide City of Sanctuary movement. Based in County Durham, we work to build opportunities for introductions and friendship between sanctuary seekers and local people, helping new arrivals to integrate into our communities. Our aim is to create a culture of welcome for people seeking sanctuary from war and persecution.

Objects

TO ADVANCE EDUCATION, RELIEVE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AND DISTRESS AMONGST ASYLUM-SEEKERS AND THOSE GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS IN DURHAM, AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE ISSUES RELATING TO REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY:A) PROMOTING THE INCLUSION, INTEGRATION AND WELFARE OF REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS, BY ENCOURAGING A PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO BECOMING A PLACE OF WELCOME AND SAFETY THROUGH THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION, ADVICE AND SUPPORT AS SHALL BE THOUGHT FIT;B) ENCOURAGING, SUPPORTING AND LIAISING WITH DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL, OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS, LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND VOLUNTARY, COMMUNITY AND FAITH ORGANISATIONS IN WELCOMING AND ASSISTING REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS; ANDC) PROVIDING ACCURATE AND UP TO DATE INFORMATION TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ON THE SITUATION OF LOCAL REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS AND TO PUBLICISE AND CELEBRATE THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND TO UK SOCIETY AND CULTURE, AND TO CHALLENGE HOSTILITY AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THEM.

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: County Durham, North East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£28k

Latest spending

£36k

Registered

2016

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity operated at an operating deficit of £8,454 for the year ended 5 April 2025, with total income of £27,641 against expenditure of £36,095. Net assets decreased from £38,011 to £29,557, with unrestricted reserves falling to £1,118. The trustees consider this level of reserves prudent and confirm the charity is a going concern.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2025

Volunteers: 65
Government income: £12,500 — grants £12,500 (1); 45% of the £27,641 total gross income on the same return
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2024

Volunteers: 50

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2023

Volunteers: 150
Government income: £6,511 — grants £6,511 (1); 11% of the £59,619 total gross income on the same return

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Durham City of Sanctuary (matched by registered charity number).

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook

Trustees · trustee networks

Dr SUSAN FRANCES FRENKchair
Amna Al Ali
Edwin Herbert Simpson · trustee of 1 other charity
Fadia Faqir
Iman Hafez Malouhi
Irene Wilkinson · trustee of 1 other charity
Julius Radziunas
Nelli Stavropolou
TANYA PATRICIA DEVEREUX

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Durham

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
05/04/2025	£28k	£36k
05/04/2024	£20k	£33k
05/04/2023	£60k	£26k
05/04/2022	£18k	£20k
05/04/2021	£8k	£12k

Common questions

Is DURHAM CITY OF SANCTUARY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity operated at an operating deficit of £8,454 for the year ended 5 April 2025, with total income of £27,641 against expenditure of £36,095. Net assets decreased from £38,011 to £29,557, with unrestricted reserves falling to £1,118. The trustees consider this level of reserves prudent and confirm the charity is a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	08/02/2017	£5k	Schools Education Project

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£122k
Point North Community Foundation	1	£891k
Fuel Bank Foundation	1	£152k
UTILITA GIVING	1	£40k
THE RAYNE FOUNDATION	1	£30k
JOFFE CHARITABLE TRUST CIO	1	£25k
NETWORK FOR SOCIAL CHANGE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£20k
THE ROTHLEY TRUST	1	£18k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CITY OF SANCTUARY UK.

CITY OF SANCTUARY UK income £495k
CITY OF SANCTUARY SWINDON income £67k
YOUR SANCTUARY income £1.8m
DURHAM CHRISTIAN PARTNERSHIP income £1.6m
CITIZENS ADVICE COUNTY DURHAM income £2.2m
CITY OF SANCTUARY SHEFFIELD income £528k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
DURHAM CITY OF SANCTUARY	£28k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CITY OF SANCTUARY UK FY2025	£495k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CITY OF SANCTUARY SWINDON FY2025	£67k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
YOUR SANCTUARY FY2025	£1.8m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
DURHAM CHRISTIAN PARTNERSHIP FY2025	£1.6m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CITIZENS ADVICE COUNTY DURHAM FY2025	£2.2m	—	0	below	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.