ESEA Community Centre Financial Update: January to June 2026
ESEA Community Centre (ESEACC) provides essential support to East and Southeast Asian community members, particularly elderly people and those at risk, who face social isolation, financial hardship, language barriers, discrimination, and mental health challenges. The Centre offers a safe, trusted, and culturally appropriate space where people feel respected, supported, and connected. Between January and June 2026, despite reduced funding and rising operating costs, we maintained every core programme, thanks to the generosity of our members, wider community, and allies. As a non-profit organisation, our purpose is to ensure elderly people and those at risk are never left without support.
Since we announced the loss of funding for the Luncheon Club on 13 December 2025, and launched our public fundraiser on 6 February 2026, we have received overwhelming support from our community and allies. In the interest of transparency, we have produced this update to inform the public of what we have been doing with the support we have received.
This update outlines our current financial position, what has been achieved through your donations, and the challenges we continue to face.
Before we begin, a heartfelt thank you is owed to our supporters, donors, and event collaborators. Because of you, we are able to continue delivering our services and events for the community that relies on them.
Financial Overview
Between January and June 2026, ESEACC recorded:
Total income: £150,776,
Total expenditure (overheads): £136,183
Net surplus: £14,590
This positive result reflects careful financial management, supported by grants, donations, fundraising activity, rental income, and community programmes. On expenditures, the main costs included staff wages, rent, utilities, consultancy and professional fees, programme delivery, transport support, and general operating expenses. As a non-profit organisation, the surplus is not retained as profit, instead, it is redirected toward maintaining affordable, accessible services for the community. Continued financial stability for the Centre would mean maintaining a diverse range of income sources while carefully managing our expenditure.
Donations and Fundraising
From January to June 2026, ESEACC received £65,920.50 in donations and fundraising support, from individual supporters, community members, corporate donors, online fundraising platforms, and community fundraising initiatives. Income from donations makes up 44% of total income for the Centre during this period - a significant proportion for a single income stream. Unlike grant funding, donations are not guaranteed year to year, which means the Centre's financial stability is closely tied to the continued generosity of our community.
During the reporting period, the Centre has received:
General donations: £27,582.64
Luncheon Club donations: £15,745.40
ESEACC Fundraiser on Zeffy: £22,592.46
This support is critical to the Centre's operation. As a charity, donations provide the unrestricted flexibility to sustain services that would otherwise cost more to deliver than they generate in direct income. Every donation, regardless of size, contributes directly to supporting the wellbeing of our community. We sincerely thank everyone who contributed in donations during this period.
Our online fundraiser
The Centre’s fundraiser on Zeffy remains the strongest. From 1 January to 30 June 2026, we raised in total £22,592.46, supported by 116 individual donors with an average donation of £194.76.
Funds were raised through two campaigns on Zeffy:
Rooted Together—Protect the Future of ESEACC (majority individual donors and grassroot organisations)
raised £16,651.46; and
Dining for the ESEACC Diaspora (restaurant donations from bill contributions)
raised £5,941.00.
This performance reflects strong community support, effective digital engagement, and growing confidence in the Centre's work. Each of the 116 Zeffy donors, as well as our restaurant donors Elliot's and Cafe Kowloon, contributed directly to supporting essential services for older people, at-risk individuals, and the wider East and Southeast Asian community. We are grateful to all who took part.
Major Donor Support
We wish to acknowledge and extend our heartfelt gratitude to three major donors who contributed significantly during this period, when sustained funding was lacking:
An anonymous donor
An anonymous donor who gave £10,000, requesting privacy in external communications. Their generosity is deeply appreciated.
Benedict Wong
Benedict Wong, who donated £10,000 in support of the Luncheon Club when it first lost its funding.
His generosity has helped sustain one of the Centre's most valued and longest-standing programmes, allowing older members to continue accessing nutritious meals and a welcoming environment during a particularly difficult time.
Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance, whose £10,000 funding supported our Hate Crime Advocacy Project. This support became particularly significant after dedicated funding for On Your Side ended in April 2026. ESEACC was a casework consortium partner with On Your Side, and this donation has been crucial in enabling the service to continue. A special thanks to our community members Chris Ireland and Hanna Yovita, who supported and brought this opportunity to us.
The ESEACC Luncheon Club remains one of the Centre's most valued services. Following Hackney Council's decision to end Luncheon Club funding in January, the community has responded with regular food donations and financial support on a remarkable scale.
Vegetable, grocery, and meat suppliers now offer weekly donations in kind, alongside many donations given specifically for the Lunch Club. These collective efforts demonstrate the strength and resilience of our community.
Luncheon Club finances (Jan–Jun):
Opening Balance: £650.00
Income: £21,574
Donations: £15,745.40
T-shirt fundraising: £8,149
Total Funds Available: £46,118.40 (including opening balance)
Expenses (including staff salaries): £30,771.97
Net surplus: £15,346.43
Along with the loss of funding, operating costs (staffing, food and ingredients, utilities, and so on) for the Luncheon Club are also higher than in previous years. Meal sales alone cannot cover the full cost of the programme. Its continuation depends on the generosity of donations, volunteers, and support from local communities and businesses. With dedicated funding now ended, the Centre is focused on careful budget management and expanding community-based income to cover costs. Despite ongoing financial challenges, we remain committed to continuing this flagship programme.
Events and Cultural Programming
From January to June, the Centre held community events, including cultural food events, community markets celebrating East and Southeast Asian heritage and a Pride programme, while raising funds for its programmes:
Lunar New Year Markets: £1,690.75
Urban Garden Fair x ESEACC Market: £589.45
13th June Dragon Boat Sports Day: £1,670.12
Celestial Peach Food and Community Programme and Workshops: £3,064.54
Pride at ESEACC 2026: £449.27 (plus a further £732 raised via Zeffy donations)
Gross event income totalled £7,464.13, excluding the Zeffy donations, with the Celestial Peach workshops generating £2,396.72 in net income after costs.
Beyond fundraising, these events strengthened cultural and community identity, fostered engagement, and introduced new members to the Centre. We thank Celestial Peach (Jenny Lau), in particular, for delivering the Food and Community Programme, as well as everyone who attended and supported the Centre throughout these events.
Impact in Practice (Case Studies)
The figures above reflect only part of the Centre's work. While our social media is predominantly used to promote events happening at the Centre, a great deal of what we do remains invisible to the public eyes.
Mr C
Each week, ESEACC funds a £30 return taxi journey for Mr C, a long-term volunteer for more than 20 years, who now lives in a care home after suffering from permanent brain injury, so he can remain connected to the community he has been part of for over twenty years. Mr C is able to come to the lunch club every week, thanks to your support of the Centre.
Ms L
Ms L, aged 99, travels to the Centre independently by public transport three times a week, supported by free lunch provision and regular activities.
Ms K
Ms K came to the Centre after experiencing domestic abuse. She felt isolated, vulnerable and uncertain about her future. The Centre supported her through our Benefit Advice Service and Legal Advice Service, alongside emotional support in a safe and welcoming environment. With access to advice and ongoing encouragement, she gradually regained her confidence and began rebuilding her life.
Today, she leads wellbeing activities for other members and assists in the Luncheon Club. Through the Centre, she has rebuilt her confidence and found a renewed sense of purpose.
Thanks to your support, we will be able to continue delivering our advice services and providing practical and emotional support to those who need it. By empowering people to overcome difficult circumstances, we can help those who come to us for support find the strength to build new lives, and, in turn, inspire and strengthen others within our community.
Ongoing Challenges
Despite this period's surplus, thanks to the generosity of our community, the Centre continues to face significant pressures, including reduced grant funding, rising operating costs, increasing demand for services, and limited unrestricted funding.*
Demand continues to grow amid the cost-of-living crisis, loneliness, mental health challenges, financial hardship, and a rise in hate-related incidents affecting our community.
Many of the Centre's programmes, including the Luncheon Club, operate with costs that exceed direct income, as services are intentionally kept affordable and accessible. This is why donations, grants, and fundraising remain essential to the Centre's continued operation.
* Unrestricted funding refers to core funding - funding with no restrictions on how it is spent. This differs from project-specific funding, which is often restricted to a particular purpose. Unrestricted funding gives a charity greater flexibility in how it operates.
Closing Statement
We are proud to report that, from January to June 2026, we have continued delivering meaningful impact to our community under immense financial pressure.
We extend our sincere thanks once again to every donor, funder, volunteer, staff member, corporate partner, and community supporter who contributed in their own way over this period, funding meals, services, advocacy, workshops, events, transport, and ongoing community connection for those who needed it most. Swipe to see our special shoutout list of those who have supported us through fundraising, events, and beyond.
As a non-profit organisation, our purpose has never been profit. It is to ensure elderly people and those at risk in our community receive the support, dignity, and connection they need, and that young ESEA people have a safe place to explore their identities and cultures without stigma or judgement.
As this update shows, the Centre currently relies heavily on donations to cover costs that grants no longer meet - a level of dependency that is not sustainable in the long term. We are asking our community to help with that: consider setting up a regular monthly donation, organise or take part in a fundraiser with us, bring new ideas or partnerships to work with us, volunteer your time, or simply stay in touch.
With your continued support, we can ensure no one is left behind.
Special thanks
Adobe
Benedict Wong
Cafe Kowloon
Clifford Chance (Hanna Yovita, Chris Ireland)
Elliot’s
Celestial Peach (Jenny Lau)
Luncheon Club food donation
Ajinomoto Ltd
Evergreen Vegetables Ltd
HG Walter
Man’s Food Ltd
Places Direct Ltd
Westmills
Luncheon Club Volunteers:
Aunties: Choi Wong (Angela), Lien Phuong, Mei Au, Mooi Yap (Rose) and Sindy Lui
April Ji, Bernard Lee, Eve Wu, Hongyi He, Katherine Lo, Kitty Lam, Marcus Fung, Priscilia Ho, Sam Young, Sans Peng, Sebastian Wong, Tattva Galgali, Tia Cousins, and Yuki Lam
Luncheon Club T-shirt design
Kishan Rajani
Peggy Lian
Raafaye Ali
Garden Volunteers:
Ben Williams, Chengwei Xia, Emma Bamber, Ho Lam, Lara Ozal, Maggie Ou, Rachel Lu, Richard D’Crus, Yijue Zeng
Partnerships and Fundraising Volunteers:
Jess Ho, Angie Hu
Fundraising and Community Events Partners:
David Kam, ESEA Sisters, ESEA Sisters in Nature, El Jia, Four Winds Mahjong, Jia Tung Saw (Haus of Wok), Kyra Zhang, LOH for life (Celine Loh), Lucky Yu Bakery (Hailin Leung), Lunar Bakes UK, Nat Li Lin Steinhouse (By Hand), Noel Zhang (ESEA Film Night), PA Nguyen (An Viet Archives), Philip Khoury (Khourys Chocolate), Rangoon Sisters, Spillll Studio, Tao Tao Ju, Umi Nail Studio, Urban Garden Fair, Wednesdays Fun, Yiran Duan (Yi Crafts), YUK FUN Illustration & Design, Yuki Lam (LIN:K)
Special thanks to the contribution of Leda Yang