Directors’ and Trustees’ Report
For the 12 months ended 30 November 2025
The Trustees are pleased to present their annual directors’ report together with the financial statements of the charity for the 12 months ended 30th November 2025, which comply with relevant law and good practice including Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statements 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) (Effective 1 January 2015).
OUR PURPOSE AND OBJECTS
Established in 2005, Education Skills Development Group (ESDEG) is an independent charity based in Southall, Greater London. ESDEG provides valuable services to over 1500 families, children, young people every year, including through three supplementary schools in Southall, Northolt and Brent; employability and training for youth and women, mentoring children and young people, services for SEND children and their families including short breaks/respite, ESOL classes for parents, refugee elderly luncheon club and befriending services and advice and guidance on welfare benefits, housing, education and many other community issues.
Objects:
The objective of Education and Skills Development Group is to improve the conditions of Somali refugees, asylum seekers and other Black and ethnic minority (BAMER) communities in Ealing and surrounding boroughs, particularly children and young people by:
• The advancement of education and training
• The relief of unemployment for the benefit of the public
• The relief of poverty, sickness and promotion of good health and well-being
• The provision of recreational facilities in the interest of social welfare with the objects of improving their conditions of life
LEGAL STRUCTURE:
Education and Skills Development Group is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. ESDEG is governed by a memorandum and articles of association and in accordance with these Trustees are appointed and the Chair nominated by the Trustees. Trustees meet a as frequently as they wish and a minimum of four times a year. Trustees set the overall framework, and grant delegated authority to the director and his team for implementation of this framework and day to day operational management of the company. Trustees are given an induction and relevant training as and when required.
OUR ACTIVITES, ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Education and Skills Development Group has been engaged in various activities for the year ended 30 November 2025, which includes, among other things, the activities below.
Supplementary School Teaching
We delivered weekly supplementary classes in Maths and English in schools in Southall, Northolt, and Brent to children studying from Key Stage 1 to 4; as well as extra-curricular activities for pupils that have focused on developing self-esteem and confidence, aspiration, and core skills to enable young people to succeed.
Our activities are aimed to reduce the attainment gap between refugee-heritage and other disadvantaged children and their peers, helped children develop key soft skills and support parents to foster better working relationship with schools. This helps parents to work in partnership with school teachers which helps children achieve their full potential.
Mentoring, and STEM project
We mentored children from six Primary schools in West London (Blair peach Primary School, Durdan’s Park Primary School, Viking Primary School, Gifford primary school, Petts hill primary school and Vincent primary school) and four secondary schools (Villiers High School and Brentside High School and Northolt High school and Greenford High school).
Our mentoring led to a reduction in fixed, permanent, and informal exclusion, improved attainment, and raised aspiration. In addition to mentoring this project also includes technology workshops designed to inspire children for future career in STEM by enabling them access to the use and design of robotics. This project is funded by the National Lottery and Great Western Rail.
SEND Project
We provided support to families and children affected by special educational needs and disabilities. Our work helped families to overcome challenges associated with gaining a SEND diagnosis, and/or EHC plan, and helped them to better support their child. Through accessible information, advice and guidance we raised awareness and enabled families to exercise their rights. In addition to support for families and children we also run short breaks or respite for children with SEND, this provides activities suited to needs of children with SEND while providing much needed respite to parents. This project is funded by Esme Fairbairn and Henry Smith Charity.
Counselling Project
We provided children and their family members with 1-2-1 and group counselling sessions to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Our qualified counsellor helped them to cope with a range of challenges from intergenerational conflict to mitigating the impact of Covid-19 and enabled them to access mainstream services as required. This project is funded by Esme Fairbairn and Henry smith Charity
Healthy Eating and Positive Lifestyles Project
We provided activities for girls and women from disadvantaged and intersectional backgrounds to improve their lives through healthier eating, and exercise. As required participants were enable and sign-posted to relevant NHS services that they needed. We also supported participants to socialise and develop targeted skills that enabled them to achieve their aspirations.
ESOL Classes Project
We delivered twice weekly ESOL classes for parents and grandparents of children attending our supplementary schools. In addition to helping attendees improve their English, this programme helped participants improve their functional skills, gain confidence and enabled them to interact positively with people from different communities.
Refugee Elders Luncheon Club
We delivered a weekly luncheon club to elderly people including from a refugee background. We helped participants escape isolation and loneliness, encouraged physical activity, and civic participation, mainly through socialising with other members of the community and through volunteering. This project is funded from ESDEG’s own resources.
Home school liaison Project.
This a pilot project aimed to tackle disproportionately high number of school exclusions in mainly black heritage boys in Ealing. This is an intervention to help close the gap between mainstream schools and recent migrant communities. The project runs workshops for parents to educate them on British curriculum and school behavior policies. Similar initiatives are also in place to run cultural competency sessions for school teachers and management.
Welfare Advice and Guidance Project
We provided one to one and group support to service users as regards welfare benefit and housing, hospital appointments, energy and council tax payment plans, and any other issues they may have had that was preventing them from thriving.
Core costs:
Garfield Weston Foundation, provided core costs funding to ESDEG for the first time this helps us a lot in strengthening our governance, monitoring and evaluation of our services as well as to improve our networking and partnerships.
Other activities
As a hub for community services and activity, we delivered a number of other activities in the form of workshops, collaborative events, to help integration, civic participation and for people in the community to know their rights.