Annual Report and Financial Statements 2023-24
Project Possible, 3 Manor Courtyard, Hughenden Avenue, High Wycombe HP13 5RE 01494 433170 www.projectpossible.org.uk office@projectpossible.org.uk/ /
Registered Charity: 1069608 / Project Possible is a company limited by guarantee Company No.:3524732 First registered at Companies House, Cardiff, March 1998
Contents
| 04 | Welcome | 40 | Financial Review and | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| from our Chair | Sustainability | |||||
| 05 | Welcome | |||||
| from our Chief Executive | 42 | Structure, Governance and | ||||
| Management | ||||||
| 06 | About us | |||||
| Vision, Mission and Values | 44 | Trustees’ responsibilities in | ||||
| relation to the financial | ||||||
| 07 | What we do | statements | ||||
| 08 | Communities we work with | 45 | Statement as to disclosure to | |||
| our auditors, Auditors | ||||||
| Re-appointment | ||||||
| 09 | Impact in 2023/24 | |||||
| 10 | Our Strategic Priorities, Reflections on 2023-24, and Future Plans |
46 45 |
Approval Reference and Administrative |
|||
| Details | ||||||
| 12 | Activities and Achievements | 47 | Independent Auditor’s ~~OO~~ |
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| 14 | Faith and Restoration | Report | ||||
| 18 | Access to Education | |||||
| 51 | Statement of Financial | |||||
| 22 | Building Partnership Resilience | Activities | ||||
| 26 | Livelihood Building | Livelihood Building | ||||
| 52 | Balance Sheet | |||||
| 30 | Health and Wellbeing | Health and Wellbeing | ||||
| 34 | Community Strengthening | 53 | Statement of Cash Flows | |||
| 38 | Fundraising | 54 | Notes to the financial | |||
| statements | ||||||
| 39 | Compliance and Public | |||||
| Benefit |
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A message from our Chair of Trustees
“... prayerfulness and faith underpins every aspect of our important work, and unites our team and our supporters within our global community.”
This is my first report as Chair of Trustees, and it is truly an honour to step into this role. I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to my predecessor, Philip Derbyshire, whose leadership of Project Possible over the last three years has left a strong legacy. On behalf of the Trustee Board, I extend our thanks for his exceptional stewardship.
This shared dedication to prayerfulness and faith underpins every aspect of our important work, and unites our team and our supporters within our global community. Despite the distances between us, together we are becoming a strong Project Possible community, for we know that God’s hope and healing know no boundaries.
Being part of Project Possible is a privilege and a blessing. We are committed to serving communities who are facing disadvantage and exploitation around the world. Together with local Christian organisations, we support overlooked individuals as they unlock their potential to build lives filled with dignity, hope and purpose.
We are immensely grateful for the generosity of our supporters. Your prayers, time, and financial contributions enable our partners to be a witness to the love of Christ and open the door of possibility to those who feel forgotten.
On behalf of everyone at Project Possible, I invite you to explore this report and see the life-changing impact of your support. Thank you for joining us in this journey of hope and transformation.
This year, we have continued to implement our broader strategy of strengthening the robustness and longevity of our partner organisations by changing the way we take action in international development, striving to build more equitable partnerships through shifting the power. I am grateful to our Projects Team who continue to work hard to ensure our partnerships evolve and reflect our ethos of sustainability.
Jonathan Goldthorpe Chair of Trustees
At the foundation of all we do is our Christian faith. The CEO humbly seeks God’s guidance and wisdom as he leads the team in their daily work, and as Trustees, we build on this with our quarterly prayer meetings.
A message from our CEO
“We are incredibly grateful for our dedicated supporter base, whose steadfast commitment to our transformative work have been invaluable”
This past year has been an exciting and significant one, as we began to see the green shoots of sustainability emerge in some of our partner projects. Most significantly, in India, our partner, Asha Kiran Society, has been working alongside subsistence farmers in rural villages to mobilise and utilise their resources for their children’s education. Now, three years on, these villages are collaborating and starting to generate funds to contribute to the transformative educational programme facilitated by Asha Kiran Society. By taking responsibility, the villages are securing education for future generations beyond our partner’s involvement.
In early 2024, we moved our office from Amersham to High Wycombe. Although this move was the result of circumstances beyond our control, we see this as an exciting opportunity to build networks in the local community.
We are incredibly grateful for our dedicated supporter base, whose steadfast commitment to our transformative work has been invaluable, especially during these challenging times for many. We are thankful for their prayers, as they consistently uplift our partners and our team, and we appreciate their encouragement as they advocate for our mission within their churches and among their friends and family.
Additionally, this year we focused on establishing a funnel of new partnerships. This included refining the process of identifying potential partners who share our vision, values and, crucially our commitment to creating a sustainable future without dependency. This involves organisations actively seeking to engage support and funding from in-country sources. During the reporting period, we formed a new partnership in Chad, and began exploring partnerships with four other organisations: two in Malawi and one in Cameroon and one in the Magrheb.
I hope you will be encouraged as you read about the impact of our work. Your generosity is an expression of God’s love in a world of injustice and enables us to collaborate with our partners to shape a hope-filled future in overlooked communities.
It was also a significant year for our fundraising efforts. We developed a 2024-26 strategy, recruited a staff member to our depleted fundraising team, and reviewed and refined our marketing of Spark Projects.
Dave Pepper Chief Executive Officer
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About us
Our Vision
We want to see lives lived in fullness and hope with lasting transformation in small and disadvantaged communities.
Our Mission
We partner with Christian communities around the world to open up opportunities where doors have been closed due to social disadvantage.
We join forces to make their projects possible, working to spark a lasting impact, which restores their sense of value and vocation.
We are committed We are committed to to prayer respect and dignity
We are committed to the whole person
Our Values
Our seven commitments shape and guide everything we do.
We are committed to relationships with compassion and generosity
We are committed to the poor
We are committed to sustainable partnership
We are committed to transparency, integrity and accountability
What we do
Around the world, millions of individuals face complex layers of disadvantage which deprive them of opportunities to realise their potential. As a result, many struggle to recognise their worth or value.
Christ and are living sustainable lives.
We achieve this by partnering with local Christian organisations based in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South America.
At Project Possible, we are dedicated to seeing overlooked and vulnerable communities thrive.
Together, we come alongside 33 marginalised communities such as sex workers, street children, people with disabilities, and others, to open doors of hope and possibility so they can fulfil their God-given potential.
This means we work to see an environment where communities are not held back by disadvantage, where they know their worth in
As lives are transformed, they become the spark for others in their community, opening more possibilities as they lead by example.
Our work is rooted in the belief that big change comes from small beginnings.
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Communities we work with
Impact in 2023-24
PAKISTAN
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Bolivia
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Pakistan
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Bolivia faces the highest violence rates against women in Latin America, with 70% experiencing sexual or physical violence. Women are systematically undervalued, and because of limited job opportunities, many go into exploitation. This creates a vicious cycle of trauma and poverty, making children of sex workers particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
In Gilgit's remote mountains, women face restrictive traditions, which limits their voice in their families and communities. Women experience isolation, lacking opportunities to connect with others, learn skills, or earn an income. These traditions perpetuate inequality which is passed down from mothers to daughters.
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NEPAL
CHAD
.
:
DRC
KENYA
India
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South Africa
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India has over 300 languages, yet only English and Hindi are taught nationally, and only 14 are recognised at the state level. This marginalises speakers of minority languages, like those in rural villages of the Koraput District, Odisha.
Roodewal, a small suburb in Worcester, South Africa, was originally established for commercial purposes. Since then, it has seen minimal development, leaving families in poor housing with inadequate education and job opportunities.
This severe disadvantage often results in children dropping out of their first year of school, simply because they cannot learn in the state language, Odia.
Many children face exposure to violence and family breakdown, with 80% lacking a positive father figure. This environment often leads boys to join street gangs, which perpetuates a cycle of crime, addiction, and imprisonment as they reach adulthood.
remote villages in 2 Pakistan began to recognise the value and women are being trained efforts of women. by graduates of our tailoring course. women are 38 ~ now financially supporting their families. INDIA 527 " mrad primary school children ww { F eA » oe were able to learn in their own language.
50%
of our partners invested in strengthening their organisational robustness and longevity, so their vital work can continue long into the future.
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Our Strategic Priorities
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Investing in the
innovators and
the journey
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We understand that creating change in marginalised communities is a gradual process. Our commitment is to deliver local initiatives that are aimed at making a long-lasting impact on individuals and encouraging a multiplier of change. We have seen that when these individuals undergo a transformation, it creates a ripple effect that spreads throughout the entire community, leading to a cumulative process of positive change.
Over the past few years, Project Possible has been working with Outcome partners to transition from reporting on activities to focusing on focused outcomes, where desired outcomes are clearly identified in the workplan at the start of each project year. This transforms the impact of our work, which we measure through practical assessments or indicators. A simple reporting framework is used to help us assess progress and provide transparent accountability for our supporters.
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Building
sustainable
partnerships
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Our work with partners is seeking to shift from a mindset of dependence on grants to one of empowerment and growing equity in the partnership relationship. We work with partners to develop a road to sustainability which focuses on building, over time, six key areas: work opportunities for participants, participant leadership development, organisational succession planning, local church engagement, local income streams, and good governance and management.
Reflections on 2023-24
We are delighted to share the progress we have made this year in the areas we highlighted as priorities in last year’s 2022-23 report.
are now moving into the delivery phase.
To guide us in identifying new partnerships, we developed a framework that uses a ‘funnel’ approach to carefully assess potential projects against our partnership criteria.
New partnerships: building connections
This year, we have made significant strides in identifying new partnerships and projects. Through engaging with our existing network, we were introduced to individuals and projects that align closely with our vision and values. These connections have led to two new partnership agreements, which
By the end of 2024, we had four promising new projects in the funnel, thanks to the dedicated work of our projects team. Their efforts during these early stages are vital in laying the groundwork for successful, impactful partnerships.
This strategy includes re-engaging with lapsed donors, rebuilding relationships with high-net-worth individuals, and maintaining a strong focus on trusts and foundations.
Strategic Planning with Partners: 3-5 year plans
Planning for the future is an essential element of our collaboration with partners. Many of the contexts in which our partners work are marked by uncertainty and rapid change, making a strong strategic approach important. This year, our projects teams devoted significant time to supporting our partners in developing 3-5 year plans.
Recognising the need to strengthen our fundraising team, we undertook a restructuring process and welcomed a new team member in March 2024. With this addition, our team is well-positioned to implement our strategy and drive our fundraising efforts forward.
This process helps equip our partners to navigate unpredictability while staying focused on long-term impact. I am pleased to report that all of our partnerships now either have 3-5 year plans in place or are making substantial progress toward completing them.
A key focus this year has been strengthening relationships within our supporter community, particularly with local churches. Through Sunday and midweek visits and meaningful discussions with pastors, we’ve been able to deepen these connections.
Refocusing our fundraising efforts
Our relocation to High Wycombe provided an exciting opportunity to engage more closely with the local community, especially its church networks. We were thrilled to connect with three new churches we hadn’t worked with before, representing an important step in expanding our support network.
The fundraising environment remains challenging, particularly in light of the lasting impact of COVID-19 and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. In response, we reviewed our fundraising activities and developed a three-year strategy aimed at growing our income.
Future Plans 2024-25
Growing our portfolio of partnerships: We will establish new partnerships and projects, ensuring each is time-limited to foster partner independence. In 2024-25, we aim to add at least two organisations to our portfolio. All new partnerships will be guided with thorough research and due diligence.
Implementing a new CRM System:
To boost efficiency, we will adopt Donorfy, a cloudbased CRM designed for charities. This system will streamline communication, financial management, fundraising, and governance, enhancing our operational effectiveness.
Developing an organisational strategic plan:
Strengthening supporter engagement and communication:
We will review and develop a five-year organisational strategy to align our efforts, ensuring sustained impact and mapping how we will continue to deliver our mission for years to come.
Building stronger connections with our supporters and engaging with new supporters is essential for our longevity. This year, we will aim to deepen relationships and increase the reach of our fundraising activities. This includes improving the quality of our messaging, participating in and hosting engaging events, and developing our campaigns.
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Activities and Achievements
Throughout the year, we continued to work closely with local Christian organisations which serve vulnerable communities. Our commitment to addressing disadvantage and exploitation around the world remained at the heart of everything we did. To achieve our mission we used a multi-faceted approach, which we’ve structured into six key areas of support.
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Faith and
Restoration
We provide opportunities
for individuals who have Access to
felt forgotten and lost Education
sight of their worth and
purpose, to discover hope
in Jesus Christ.
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We advocate for and provide, primary, secondary, and further education opportunities, ensuring that children and young people have access to quality learning regardless of their background.
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Building
Partnership
Resilience
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Livelihood Recognising the risks and Building vulnerability of relying on external funding, we work with our partners to mobilise and build a local resource, so We empower individuals with skills and resources to break the impact of their work can free from the constraints of continue long into the future.
We empower individuals with skills and resources to break free from the constraints of disadvantage and exploitation, fostering entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency.
Health and Wellbeing We offer compassionate care Community and rehabilitation services to Strengthening individuals affected by exploitation or addiction, helping them heal and We equip communities reintegrate into society. to effectively address the needs amongst them and drive their own development, building their self-reliance and resilience.
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Faith and Restoration
Why we ask God to restore
We believe that when we are disconnected from God we lose sight of our worth and our purpose.
In the communities we serve, some have never heard the good news of Jesus, while others have encountered challenges in life which have led them away from Him.
Sharing the hope of Christ is central to restoring their sense of worth and purpose. With renewed confidence and hope, they are empowered to lift themselves out of poverty and pursue the life God intended for them.
What we do
All the projects we support are carried out to witness to the love of Christ. Where it is possible, our partners support individuals to discover the gospel, by providing regular bible studies, discipleship programmes, and fostering a culture of prayer.
For those who welcome Jesus into their lives, a profound transformation begins. They discover their worth as God’s children, each uniquely made in his image and saved through his Son. They also learn that God has gifted them with talents and a purpose to use these gifts for his glory and in service to others.
When they invite God into their lives, he works with them to restore their relationships - with themselves, with others, and with their environments - as they embrace their God-given potential.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
Highlights from this year:
20
women in the DRC who have been sexually exploited in the past took part in ongoing discipleship
3
women in DRC chose to declare their faith and publicly commit to Jesus Christ by getting baptised
22
people regularly attend weekly bible studies in South Africa
Highlights from 2023-24
Throughout this period, we have prayed regularly with and for our partners. We recognise that our words, actions and efforts are limited, but God is powerful and able to achieve much more than we could on our own.
Learning God’s great love
In 2023-24, our partners, BOMO, journeyed alongside courageous women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, supporting them as they navigated leaving sexual exploitation to build futures filled with hope and purpose.
Additionally, we believe there is a spiritual element to poverty and dependency, and we have been committed to praying that God would break those chains and allow people to live in freedom and dignity.
Through our partnership, twenty women participated in Bible studies, and three of them took the life-changing decision to declare their commitment to the Lord in front of others in baptism.
These women have all experienced deep trauma and challenging upbringings. Yet, in our partner’s programme, they study the Bible together and discover the transformative message of God’s unconditional love. Gradually, they come to see their worth in God’s eyes, understanding that they are beautifully and wonderfully created, accepted just as they are.
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Annual Report and Financial Statements 2023-24
This restoration has sparked a desire to give back and help others. Many of the alumni volunteer with our partners, serving in the outreach team. Together, they walk the streets of Kinshasa, reaching out to others still caught in exploitation.
Through sharing their own powerful stories, they offer encouragement and hope, inviting them to envision a life beyond exploitation and a future filled with dignity and love.
Healing from rejection in Kenya
Children with disabilities and their families often face severe rejection and isolation because of stigma and misconceptions, with many believing disability to be caused by a curse or sin. In 202324, we continued our partnership with Dreamland Mission Hospital offering hope and transformative healing to these families, challenging harmful beliefs and replacing shame with dignity and empowerment.
During the year, the hospital chaplain was a central part of our partner’s work in patient and family restoration. From offering compassionate support before surgery to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, the chaplain’s support was both
spiritual and emotional. Beyond the hospital, the chaplain joined our partner’s outreach clinics, actively working to shift community perception of disability through messages of acceptance and grace, showing how God is enabling our partner’s “quote” life-changing healthcare.
“quote”“quote” The impact year on year is profound. Every family reported feeling welcomed, respected and uplifted, recognising that the care they received was in the name of Jesus. Additionally, the chaplain served hospital staff through leading daily devotions, helping nurture their spiritual and mental well-being amid the pressures of their work.
Together, we have sown seeds of hope and healing – not only physically but also changing the narrative surrounding disability in rural Western Kenya.
Philomene’s Story
*names have been changed due to the sensitive nature of the story
When Philomene* discovered that there is hope and salvation in Christ, it changed everything.
Philomene had a dream of studying law, but when her father passed away, she had to drop out of secondary school because she could not afford the school fees. With no means to provide for herself, men began to exploit her.
She was in a very dark place when she met two of our partner’s evangelists. They talked with her about how they had been exploited themselves and how their lives were now completely different.
The evangelists invited her to a Bible study at our partner’s centre, and it was there that she encountered God’s love, which completely changed the course of her life.
Over several weeks at the Bible study, Philomene discovered she had a talent for singing and loved singing praise to God. She began to feel that God had a purpose for her life and started to see Him guiding her in her decisions.
It was also during this time that Philomene formed her courageous decision to leave sex work.
Following through on her decision wasn’t easy. She dealt with a difficult internal battle. She started asking the Lord, How would I manage to earn money? What other options are open to me?
She felt Christ say that he wanted to use her for good and would provide another way for her. It was a month or so after this that BOMO invited Philomene to their residential tailoring course.
“She began to feel that God had a purpose for her life and started to see Him guiding her in her decisions. “
At the beginning of the course, Philomene was quite shy and sometimes a bit angry in her reactions.
Then slowly, her behaviour changed, and she became the first to encourage others, to experience Jesus’ love and was friendly to everyone.
Today, Philomene is thriving. She’s in her second year of training and is continuing to deepen her faith; she especially loves singing to the Lord. She also has a new dream to set up a business with her best friend and fellow trainee, Gabie*, so they can support themselves.
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Access to Education
Why we open access to education
Despite significant progress in expanding education globally, certain groups still struggle to access quality and inclusive education that meets their needs.
In some cases, education is provided in a language that is unfamiliar to minority groups, creating a barrier to learning. For others, the financial burden of sending their child to school can prevent them from gaining an education. Additionally, challenging circumstances at home can result in children missing substantial amounts of school, causing them to fall behind and eventually drop out.
What we do
We work to ensure that every child, regardless of their background or circumstances, has access to quality and inclusive education.
We offer programmes that address barriers faced by marginalised and minority communities, providing education in mother tongue languages, building sustainable livelihoods so that families can afford school fees.
For children who have missed school, we provide tailored support that helps them to catch up and ensure they are back on track.
“Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.”
Proverbs 9:9
Highlights from this year:
527
primary school children in India were able to learn in their own language
14
young people in Kenya graduated with a qualification and joined the workforce
10
women in Pakistan and Nepal were supported to attend further education
Highlights from 2023-24
Further education for better career opportunities and financial independence
In 2023-24, we supported twenty-two young men in Naivasha, Kenya, to attend further education courses. These young people have all faced homelessness in their childhood and their families were unable to afford further education.
With our partner, Sunshine Rehabilitation Centre, we funded their university or college fees and provided tailored mentoring and career guidance as these young men transitioned into adulthood.
By the year’s end, 14 of these students had successfully graduated from their course and secured employment, achieving financial independence and stepping confidently toward a sustainable future.
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The first in their families to access inclusive education
In the remote villages of Malkangiri, India, we continued our partnership with Asha Kiran Society to provide accessible, multi-lingual education for primary-aged children.
Through being taught in their mother tongue, these children gain a strong foundation in a familiar language, easing their transition to learning the state and national languages.
This curriculum approach prepares students for life-long learning and enables them to advance to secondary schools, where instruction is in the state language of Odia, and one of the national languages, English.
In the 2023 school year, 527 children attended the classes, many of them are the first in their families to access education. This milestone not only builds foundational knowledge but also opens opportunities for them to reach their academic potential.
Equal access to further education in ~~Pakistan and Nepal~~
During the year, we provided university scholarships to 10 students – five young women “quote” in Pakistan and five students from Nepal. All come from rural areas where very few have the “quote”“quote” opportunity to continue their education to university level.
Our partners recognised the long-term impact of equipping individuals rooted in their communities to serve as skilled professionals and also to share their learning with others.
Several students are volunteering with community-based organisations alongside their studies, gaining experience that will enable them to uplift and serve their communities effectively when they return.
Through these initiatives, we continue to promote educational equity and foster the skills that bring lasting change to marginalised communities.
John’s Story
It is hard to believe that when John was a young boy, every day was a struggle for survival. Today, thanks to our partner’s work and John’s resilience, his future is bright with possibility.
John’s mother, a single parent, relied on unpredictable income from casual work, which often wasn’t enough to support her family.
By the age of seven, John had to leave home and ended up begging on the streets of Naivasha, Kenya, to feed himself.
After a year of this precarious life on the city streets, an encounter with our local partner, Sunshine Rehabilitation Centre, set him on a new path. He gained a stable home and access to the education that enabled him to attain a sustainable livelihood.
Thanks to our partner, he was enrolled in primary school and then progressed through secondary school, though not without difficulties.
Given the disruption of his early childhood, it is no surprise that initially, his progress through schooling was not entirely smooth. John faced issues with his discipline, at times proving to be uncooperative and struggling to motivate himself.
But towards the end of his ‘O’ levels, he experienced a complete turnaround.
He began to study diligently and after counselling, became respectful to all. He passed his exams, which enabled him to be accepted into university where he chose to pursue a Diploma in Horticultural Production.
What was evident to everyone was John’s genuine passion for horticulture, and his hard work took him from strength to strength. He graduated from his course in late 2023.
“I thank God for helping me and giving me a sense of belonging.”
By March 2024, John had rented two acres of land on which he is able to grow sugar snaps for the export market. This is a crop which is very labourintensive, allowing him to employ ten others, including his own mother. His access to education has certainly proved invaluable and truly transformative!
Looking back at his journey John said: “I thank God for helping me and giving me a sense of belonging.”
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Building partnership resilience
Why we build partnership resilience
The locally-led organisations we partner with are working hard to serve God and make a lasting difference in overlooked communities.
Highlights from this year:
To provide these vital services, they rely on external funding, leaving them exposed and dependent on others.
We think it is crucial to strengthen the organisations we partner with so that they are robust and the impact of their work can be sustained long into the future.
What we do
We work with partners to clarify their vision and objectives, embed good governance, improve their follow-up with participants, monitor and reflect on their work, develop their team’s capacity, cultivate new leaders and build their financial sustainability.
“They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”
Luke 6:48
2
income generating schemes were launched in Chad to help our partner support their service delivery work with orphans
4
partners have been supported in creating five-year plans to help them clarify their objectives and refine their longer-term strategy
15%
of Change Makers’ funding was earned through their own income generating activities
Highlights from 2023-24
Employment opportunities and growing local income in South Africa
Importantly, this income from carpentry is unrestricted funding and can be allocated where it is most needed; donor and other external funding is often restricted to particular uses.
In Worcester, South Africa, our partner, Change Makers, runs a small carpentry business, selling hand-made woodwork products in the local community.
Their business employs alumni of the programme, individuals who have overcome addiction and are seeking to build a sustainable livelihood. Additionally, the purpose of the business is to generate income to be used towards the running costs of the organisation.
In 2023-24, our partners more than doubled their profits, increasing from £700 in 2022-23 to approximately £1,800. While this amount is a modest contribution to their overall costs, when combined with their other fundraising and local corporate partnerships, it equates to 15% of their total expenditure.
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Managing a small enterprise like this is very different to managing social action projects. Our partners have been developing their skills in this area as they go.
Our projects team has helped Change Makers track their carpentry finances to know when they are breaking even and then making a profit. They have also considered decisions about how much to reinvest in the business and how much to use the profit to support Change Makers' work.
cost of the milk and gradually passing this cost over to Bethanie as their local income increases.
The projects team worked closely with Bethanie to develop their plan and have journeyed with them through the implementation, adjusting the plans when the inevitable bumps in the road came up, as is often the case when starting small businesses.
Kaltouma and Zenaba’s Story
*names have been changed due to the sensitive nature of the story
Launching income-generating initiatives in Chad
In 2023-24, we started partnering with an organisation in N’Djamena, Chad, that has historically been fully funded by external donors. The Bethanie Project supports families who have lost a mother during childbirth. The infant often becomes dangerously malnourished without their mother’s milk, our partners provide lifesaving care for the child and training for the carer.
Previously, this aspect of their work relied on external funding. The projects team worked with Bethanie to develop a plan to grow local income streams to support their service.
Small organisations like Bethanie rarely have funding that is not ring-fenced for projects. This means that they do not have funding available to develop their organisations so that they last into the future.
Our partnership is helping Bethanie to build a reserve fund for emergencies and develop a longterm strategy. It has given Bethanie the opportunity to invest in building the resilience of their organisation.
Together, we launched two initiatives during this period; one involved refurbishing a house in order to rent it out, the other was selling their enriched baby food in the local community. The income from both of these activities would go towards the cost of formula milk for the orphans.
Our partner in Chad, the Bethanie Project, supports families who have lost a mother during, or shortly after, childbirth.
A designated adult, often a grandmother, who has taken on the responsibility of caring for the infant, is invited to live at the Bethanie Centre with the baby for a few months. The baby is provided with goodquality formula milk and the caregiver learns how to look after the child.
Previously, this activity relied on external funding, but Project Possible have supported Bethanie to manufacture enriched baby food. The sale of this to “Previously, this activity the community now generates income to support relied on external funding, the purchase of the formula milk essential for the but Project Possible have healthy development of the children in the programme. supported Bethanie to manufacture nutritious Two weeks after giving birth to Kaltouma* and her baby porridge.”
Two weeks after giving birth to Kaltouma and her twin sister Zenaba their mother, who had been suffering from haemorrhaging, tragically passed away.
couple of weeks of receiving regular formula milk, Kaltouma and Zenaba had gained weight.
Initially, their grandmother looked after them, but she struggled to keep them healthy and without access to infant milk, it seemed that Kaltouma, the 4 smaller twin, would not survive.
Additionally, their grandmother has been able to improve her knowledge of how to look after the twins once they leave the centre.
ei4 smaller twin, would not survive.
A visit by our partner’s social worker identified the twins’ desperate state of health and after much persuasion, the grandmother took them for treatment at hospital. From there, they were referred to the Bethanie Centre.
For now, the babies and their grandmother remain at Bethanie and are progressing well, with each of the twins having gained over 50% in weight since their arrival at the centre.
In the meantime, Project Possible is covering the
With some financial assistance, the grandmother was also able to stay at the centre, and after only a
Our partners report that they will soon be ready to go home.
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Livelihood Building
Why we build livelihoods
In overlooked communities, employment opportunities are limited, making it difficult for families to earn a stable income and break free from poverty. Many families rely on seasonal work or unpredictable incomes, leaving them vulnerable to crises.
By focusing on livelihood development, we aim to empower individuals to use the talents and resources they have to build resilience against uncertainties, fostering long-term economic stability and well-being for themselves, their families and also their communities.
What we do
We help individuals acquire skills and hands-on experience through training apprenticeships, enabling them to earn a stable income and support themselves and their families.
With the skills they gain, participants can either enter employment or develop their own business ideas. For those interested in starting small businesses, we provide investment through start-up grants and revolving micro-loans to help them get started. They then take the lead on their entrepreneurial journey.
In Mark 6:30-44, Jesus asks his disciples to feed 5,000 people. The disciples focussed on the scale of the need. Jesus focussed on what the community already had - five loaves and two fish.
Miraculously, the whole crowd was fed with plenty left over. Jesus encourages us not to be overwhelmed by the scale of the need but to faithfully use what we have, however small, to serve Him.
Highlights from this year:
20
women in Bolivia who were once sexually exploited have accessed loans to start small businesses
10
families in Western Kenya received start-up grants and have built stable businesses
4
men in South Africa, who had completed the drug rehabilitation programme, were supported with their apprenticeships
Highlights from 2023-24
go back into a pot that becomes a revolving loan fund. All the women have been repaying their loans, and during this period, six women have fully repaid their loans.
Revolving micro-loan programme in Bolivia
In Bolivia, 20 women, who were once sexually exploited, received micro-loans to set up small businesses and to provide for their families.
Project Possible invested again in this fund this year, and soon, our partners will be able to continue supporting women without further financial support from Project Possible.
These women have made the brave decision to leave exploitation, and have been supported to process their trauma and unlock their potential. They reach an important point where they need to find safe and dignified ways to earn an income and build a future filled with possibilities.
The 20 women were trained in managing finances and how to run a small business. The small loans then enabled them to turn their business ideas into reality.
As the women grow their businesses, they are encouraged to repay their loans. The funds then
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Small enterprises in Kenya
In 2023-24, we provided start-up grants to 12 vulnerable families in Western Kenya whose children received treatment at our partner organisation, Dreamland Mission Hospital.
While the life-changing treatment gives the family a fresh start, some do not have the resources or support systems necessary to thrive. Our partner invests in these vulnerable families with training, initial capital and mentorship to help them set up small enterprises.
By the end of the year, ten families had successfully established stable businesses and are now able to support their children. Unfortunately, two of the families dropped out of the programme.
Some of the families with stable businesses have managed to save money from their earnings,
which they have invested in assets such as land. With the land, they have started farming enterprises to grow their resilience and improve their livelihoods.
During this period, we have supported Dreamland Mission Hospital to employ a community worker, who has collaborated with a team from the hospital to develop their project. They form a highly effective team, and our project team meets with them monthly to assess and reflect on the participants’ progress and plan the way forward. This is only the second year that this project has been run, and together the teams continue to refine and improve it.
Apprenticeships in South Africa: preparing for employment
In South Africa, we supported 4 men in 2023-24 to access apprenticeships. All four of these men have gone through our partner’s drug rehabilitation programme, helping them overcome their drug addiction and open doors of possibility in their lives.
Through the apprenticeships, the men are provided with specialist training and hands-on experience in their field of choice, building their practical and soft skills. Ultimately, this helps them prepare for employment.
By the end of the year, three of the men completed their apprenticeships and secured employment. The remaining individual from this cohort is continuing to progress through his apprenticeship.
Nayra’s Story
*names have been changed due to the sensitive nature of the story
In Bolivia, Nayra* has shown great determination to build a life beyond exploitation, where she can provide for her family and be a spark for her children.
Today, she is making her dream a reality. She is running a thriving small business producing madeto-order clothing and handbags.
A few years ago, Nayra was able to find solace in our partner’s centre, the ‘House of Hope’. There, she had access to counselling as well as opportunities to develop a whole range of new skills. During this time, her entrepreneurial spirit really blossomed and a business idea began to form.
Following a modest investment made by ourselves via our local partner, Project Suma, Nayra was able to purchase a new button machine to help her start up her business. With the machine, she manufactured wallets and created covers for washing machines. She has been diligent in making repayments against the micro-loan she received.
Nayra’s business acumen has also been developing. She has been very active in researching ways to improve the marketing of her products and advertising them online.
The staff at Project Suma have been particularly impressed with her motivation to find new customers and her willingness to introduce innovative designs.
In addition, Nayra has been keen to enhance her soft skills, receiving coaching in subjects such as effective communication, conflict resolution, and time management.
The income generated by her expanding business has been used to help her grandchildren through school, with some of the older ones already progressing to university!
Nayra takes great pride in reflecting on what they have achieved, but it is surely her own incredible resilience and determination which tell the real success story: after all, it is Nayra’s hard work which has given the next generation some real hope of a brighter future, as well as providing this incredible grandmother with a sustainable livelihood.
“ With our partner’s support, her entrepreneurial spirit really blossomed and a business idea began to form.”
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Health and wellbeing
Why we improve health and well-being
Access to quality healthcare for marginalised communities is often too expensive for those who need it most. As a result, many individuals and families fall through the gaps in receiving essential treatment and care.
Highlights from this year:
The people our partners work with have often endured traumatic experiences, such as violence, abuse, exploitation, or abandonment. For some, this affects their mental health.
Additionally, living with the constant stress of trying to meet needs, as well as feeling vulnerable and marginalised, can be deeply traumatising, affecting their well-being. These factors can lead to struggles with low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.
What we do
We contribute to healthcare services that support vulnerable, low-income families with life-changing treatments. For families who fall through the gaps, we offer a lifeline.
Our partners accompany individuals on their journey of mental healing, offering tailored programmes that help them process trauma, restore hope, and awaken new possibilities for their lives.
10
children and young people from families affected by sexual exploitation received one-to-one counselling in Bolivia
18
men in South Africa have successfully completed a 6- month drug rehabilitation programme
Highlights from 2023-24
Processing trauma and building hope-filled futures
In El Alto, Bolivia, we worked with 60 children and young people who have been affected by or who are at risk of exploitation. With our partners, Project Suma, we provide after-school activities at the House of Hope. There, the children receive homework support, balanced meals, and a safe place to play with other children.
Alongside these activities, our partners assess each child’s circumstances and offer counselling to those who are extremely vulnerable or who have experienced trauma.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3
90
orthopaedic surgeries were performed in Kenya on children with various conditions including clubfoot
In 2023-24, 10 children and young people received counselling. This support has been vital in helping them process their trauma and gain tools for healing and restoring hope. Our partners will continue to support all the children and young people until they are secure in their
future and no longer need assistance, typically by the age of 16.
During the year, our partners faced significant staff turnover. While this presented challenges, the team worked hard to maintain the continuity of services and uphold the quality of care.
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Our projects team adjusted their support to work closely with our partners as they navigated these changes, ensuring that they were available to offer encouragement and guidance whenever needed.
Healing from addiction
In South Africa, we worked with our partners, Change Makers, continuing to bring transformation to the community of Worcester – an area with high levels of drug addiction and gang culture.
In 2023-24, our partners worked with 33 men in healing from addiction, and building their sense of belonging outside of gang affiliation. Eighteen men successfully completed the programme during this period. Four of the men dropped out and did not complete the programme while eleven were still working through the programme at the end of the year.
Change Makers hosted two reconciliation breakfasts. This is where the men invite their families to share a meal and have the
opportunity to publicly apologise to their families for the harm they have caused and ask their forgiveness. This is a powerful moment that helps families to start the journey of rebuilding trust.
“quote”
During this period, 25 of the 33 men had some “quote”“quote” family members attend a reconciliation breakfast and started to restore their relationships. The families of the four men who were unable to attend found other ways to visit, call, and overall reconnect with the men.
Unfortunately, five men were not able to reconcile with their families in 2023-24, but they are continuing to reach out and being patient until their family members are ready to meet.
Jevonne’s Story
In the community of Worcester, South Africa, our partner, Change Makers, provides opportunities for young men as they endeavour to break free from addiction.
Through a structured faith-based programme, Change Makers journeys with each of the men, working together to change their habits and behaviours, encouraging them to reconcile with their often-estranged families, and equipping them with skills and work experience to successfully reintegrate into mainstream society.
Throughout all of this, they are given the opportunity to discover the hope and unconditional love of Jesus Christ.
One such young man with a difficult past was Jevonne, whose father abandoned him, leaving him to be brought up by his mother.
“Those closest to him almost don’t recognise him. The change has been so profound.”
When she remarried, Jevonne did not want to accept her new relationship and he rebelled, causing a huge amount of tension both at school and at home.
Eventually, his violent behaviour and drug addiction resulted in him being arrested and he spent time in prison.
At the time of Jevonne’s release, his mother reached out to Change Makers for help. Through their programme, he received assistance to heal from his addiction and also took advantage of some counselling to help him overcome his past difficulties.
Although his pattern of rebelliousness continued at first, soon his behaviour changed.
He learned how to deal with conflict and how to respect others. He discovered his worth in Jesus and even started to lead the daily devotions. Finally, he restored his relationship with his mother and stepfather.
After graduating from the Change Makers’ programme, Jevonne managed to get a job on a farm and started to feel really positive about the next stage in his life!
He fully understands the problems he has caused in the past, and since joining the programme, his spiritual and emotional growth has been incredible Those closest to him almost don’t recognise him. The change has been so profound.
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Community strengthening
Why we strengthen communities
We are all part of a community. It could be our neighbourhood, our church, local schools, or a sports team or club. As communities, we hold huge potential to address challenges when we come together, bringing our resources, skills, and creativity. We can achieve much more together than we could on our own.
Highlights from this year:
However, disadvantaged communities can experience feelings of shame and powerlessness, which can prevent them from recognising their potential.
What we do
We collaborate with local partners to empower communities to identify their assets and resources to tackle the challenges they face and drive their own development.
One of the methods we use is to assist ‘community mobilisation facilitators’ to bring people together. The facilitators guide communities through a process that helps them recognise their assets, skills and ideas, as well as their challenges. They then work with them to make a plan to utilise their strengths to overcome their challenges.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4-5
14
communities in India are generating income to support their primary schools
4
local churches in El Alto, Bolivia, worked with our partner to run events raising awareness on anti-trafficking and genderbased violence
12
participants in Western Kenya who have started their own businesses have formed peer support groups
Highlights from 2023-24
Growing community ownership in India
the vision of the road to sustainability, where the schools are no longer solely dependent on external funding.
In 2023-24, we saw communities in Malkangiri, India, generate income to support schools in their villages. Fourteen Village Education Committees (VECs) collaborated to grow and sell crops and took on group labour jobs to donate their earnings to support the village school.
There were significant challenges in the beginning, as participating families had limited resources. However, AKS persevered, seeing this as an opportunity to develop greater community ownership of the project—something that they value highly.
By March 2024, four VECs each covered the costs of their schoolteacher’s salary. This process of uniting around a shared vision, making a plan, and taking action together have strengthened bonds within the communities.
Project Possible supported AKS to employ a Community Organiser to take the lead in developing these ideas and starting the ‘community strengthening’ process. Since 2021, he has been mobilising the VECs to sustain the schools. The projects team has closely supported AKS on this journey, meeting monthly for updates and sharing in the challenges and successes. Our aim is to give our partners the space and power to determine their own path, while accompanying them closely as a critical friend. AKS shares our values in prioritising
This growing community participation is the result of a much longer process. Our partner in India, Asha Kiran Society (AKS), has always worked closely with the villages, but in 2020, we asked AKS to consider how the local communities could be more involved and begin to financially sustain the education programmes. We shared
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community-led approaches and we can trust that the decisions they make are aligned with these values.
In 2023-24, we started to see the fruit of this work as the VECs were generating a small income and contributing the funds to the running costs of the schools in their villages.
Peer support in Western Kenya
In Kimilili, Kenya, parents of children who have been treated for disabilities are developing a supportive community as they start small enterprises.
For many years, we have worked with our partner, Dreamland Mission Hospital, providing life-changing surgery for children with orthopaedic conditions. In 2022, our projects team asked our partner how the impact of the orthopaedic treatments could have a deeper impact on the families.
In response, Dreamland Mission Hospital developed a new programme that supports vulnerable families after surgery, helping them start businesses so that they can provide for themselves.
Following a successful pilot in 2022, we invested in 12 families in 2023-24. Throughout the year,
the projects team met regularly with our partner, encouraging them to consider how to evaluate and improve the new programme. With the space and guidance to reflect, they formed an idea of grouping the families so that they could navigate the ups and downs of business together.
As a result, these groups brought together people with lived experience of caregiving who were all starting small businesses, to support one another. The families have established strong relationships where they offer advice, share their struggles and encourage each other. There is also a healthy dose of competition and motivation as the parents seek to do their best in their business activities.
As a result, the participants have been very successful in setting up, establishing and growing their businesses. We have seen a trend that once they have one area of their business established, they quickly diversify by adding new products or invest in another activity. We believe that participants were successful in doing this because of the opportunities for peer-learning in the support groups.
Our hope is that these relationships will outlive our support to the participants.
Sushil’s Story
Sushil has lived all his life in a small village called Durla. For as long as he can remember, he has cared for the welfare of others in his community. He could see the potential of the village and wanted the next generation to have a better future.
However, without the skills or opportunities to make improvements, there were times when he was unsure the community would ever really change.
Several years ago, Asha Kiran Society set up a multilingual school in Durla. People in the village were trained up as teachers and they began running lessons in the local language.
As the school grew, more and more children were learning how to read and write and were getting further and further in their education.
“His dream of seeing his village step into its potential is becoming a reality.”
Seeing these first embers of change, Sushil jumped at the chance of supporting the school by volunteering in the Village Education Committee.
Our support enabled Sushil to train in community mobilising. He learnt how to bring village members together and encourage teamwork so they could support their school.
The training unlocked his potential. With Sushil’s efforts and ideas he helped the Village Education Committee to find innovative ways to generate funds.
One of his ideas was to sell guava leaves.
Through his contacts he had heard of a local company looking for organically grown guava leaves. Sushil brought this to the committee and organised a group of residents and parents from the school to help collect leaves. They then sold the produce to the company earning some funds to support the school!
Today, Sushil is a change maker in his community. Not only that, his dream of seeing his village step into its potential is becoming a reality.
Villages like Durla are now able to realise their Godgiven potential and create a hope-filled future for their children.
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Fundraising Strategy
This year has been centred on strategic planning for our fundraising activities. Two years after rebranding, we assessed our fundraising strategy to enhance the effectiveness of our marketing and fundraising efforts. Our primary objective is to streamline our activities to maintain certain income streams while growing those that show the most potential.
At the core of our strategy is the intention to strengthen relationships with current donors and the cultivation of prospective new ones. By concentrating on narrowing the gap between our income and expenses, we aim to ensure that our charity can continue to fulfil its mission for many years to come.
Alternative Christmas Gifts Campaign
One of the standout initiatives this year has been our annual Alternative Christmas Gifts campaign, inviting supporters to ‘release possibilities around the world’ and ‘give gifts that don’t just warm hearts; they change lives’.
Each gift was designed around unlocking potential and bringing lasting transformation. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the campaign raised over £7,400, making a significant impact in communities that are overlooked.
Deep gratitude to our supporters
We are incredibly blessed and thankful for the faithful and steadfast support of our community, including our dedicated volunteers, generous donors, churches, and the Trusts and Foundations that partner with us.
Their support has been instrumental in enabling us to collaborate with our local partners and create a lasting impact in overlooked communities. We deeply appreciate their generosity, encouragement, and prayers.
As we look ahead, we are excited to continue increasing our fundraising activity, expanding our reach, and deepening our impact. To everyone who has been a part of this journey, thank you – your support is invaluable.
Fundraising
This financial year has been a significant period for our charity’s fundraising efforts, marked by critical internal reflections and strategic developments. As we have continued advancing our mission, we have prioritised refining our brand and fundraising approach to better align with our vision, including forming a clear, target-driven fundraising strategy and plan.
Rebuilding capacity within fundraising
At the end of the financial year, we welcomed a new member to our fundraising team. Their addition has reinvigorated our capacity and supported the return to key initiatives and fundraising activities. At the time of writing in October 2024, their contributions have been instrumental in implementing the first year of our new fundraising strategy, providing fresh energy and ideas that have been essential to our early successes.
Spark Projects: evaluation and refinement
During 2023-24, we conducted an in-depth evaluation of our ‘Spark Projects’ – an integral part of our work as a charity since our rebrand in 2021. By reviewing both the successes and challenges of marketing these projects, we identified key areas of improvement in our messaging, fundraising techniques, and operational processes.
To further align with our brand, we took proactive steps to find the right balance in promoting and fundraising for both our Spark and Next Generation Projects, ensuring that each area receives the visibility and support it deserves.
These refinements have strengthened our ability to represent our two types of projects effectively while staying true to our refreshed identity.
Compliance and Public Benefit
The board of Trustees of Project Possible presents its report with the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024, which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a Directors’ report and accounts for Companies Act purposes.
guidance on reporting on public benefit as we prepared this Annual Report. Project Possible and its partners work with forgotten communities of vulnerable and marginalised people around the world, and our public benefit is delivered through our focus on these needs, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, ability, age, gender, sexuality or nationality. The Trustees ensure that the activities undertaken contribute to the aims and objectives of the charity and are therefore confident that Project Possible meets the public benefit requirements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out later in this report and comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, Project Possible’s Memorandum and Articles of Association and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice 2015, applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective January 2019.
We have referred to the Charity Commission’s
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Financial Review and Sustainability
to maintain grant making at levels which incur an operating loss, to continue the transformative work being done by partners and the full provision for our commitments made with respect to the Brighter Futures children’s homes.
Income and Expenditure
Project Possible’s total income for the year, excluding legacies, was £376,404, which is lower than the previous year’s income of £438,893. Donations from individuals, churches and trusts also decreased, to £300,353 (£343,853 2022/23).
Balance Sheet and Reserves Policy
Several factors impacted our income in 2023/24. As it had been a couple of years since our rebranding, we carried out a full review of our fundraising, evaluating which strategies were performing well and the most effective way to use the resources available to us. We paused some of our active fundraising while we reviewed our Fundraising strategy and recruited. The continued cost-of-living crisis also contributed to a fall in donations. We are, as always, so grateful to our committed supporters who continued their support both financially and in prayer.
Each year the Trustees set aside sufficient reserves, to ensure a balance between spending to meet the immediate needs of our programmes and protecting our future work, by allowing time to adjust to any unexpected operational challenges in our overseas work or to a large or unexpected reduction in the amount of income we receive.
The target level of reserves is between six and nine months of grant expenditure for projects funded from unrestricted giving, which equates to approximately £400,000. The charity has been able to maintain the planned level of reserves throughout the year. The basis for determining the target level of reserves is kept under review by the Trustees.
The income and expenditure statement shows a deficit of (£242,677), this was a higher loss than in 2022/23 (£204,073).
The investment portfolio recovered well in the period, with a gain of £60,482.
Our intention to support our Brighter Futures children’s homes has been reviewed and the provision reduced this year to £183,349(£266,554 in 2022/23). This reduction is due to a full review of reports from all the homes, their current needs and in some cases a reduction in the number of children needing support.
Total grant payments made in the year were 2022/23). This reduction is due to a full review of £327,794, this includes payments made to Brighter reports from all the homes, their current needs and in Futures children’s homes which were provided for in some cases a reduction in the number of children a previous accounting year. The provision for the needing support. Brighter Futures children’s homes was fully reviewed and reduced to £183,349. This reduction in the The Development Fund was used in 2023/24 to Brighter Futures children’s homes provision and the reduce the impact of the reduction in income. It has payments previously provided for means that the net enabled us to maintain staff levels, carry out all amount for Grant funding in the accounts was planned overseas trips to our partners, continue to ~ / £244,588. issue our quarterly magazine and benefit from our new digital asset management system.
The allocation of grant funding and support costs made this year were: Africa 52.8% (2023: 58.4%), the Project Possible is placing a significant emphasis on Americas 19.0% (2023: 22.2%), Asia 28.2% (2023: sustainability, seeking to reverse dependency created -_ E 19.4%) and Europe & Middle East 0.0% (2023: 0.0%). historically with partners and mitigate against this in the future. The road to sustainability is the journey At the year end, total funds amounted to £2,536,998 that we are now taking with partners to enable their (2023: £2,719,193) reflecting the policy of the Board work with individuals and communities to move away
At the year end, total funds amounted to £2,536,998 (2023: £2,719,193) reflecting the policy of the Board
from a mindset of dependency on external support and to see transformation last long into the future. A ‘sustainability and climate change fund’ has been designated to support this work. This will be used to make grants towards initiatives that assist our partners and participants to build their capacity to be financially more resilient with reduced dependency on external funding. This may involve building the human resource capacity and asset base that will enable them to establish and run income-generating activities (and other fundraising activities) to provide reliable future income streams for their work, allowing us to progressively reduce their grants.
Recognising that as an organisation we wish where possible to respond to climate change, this “sustainability and climate change” fund will be made available to support our partners and project participants, who have a long-term plan for building the sustainability of their work, and who can benefit from a capital investment to support them, for example, to reduce their fossil fuel consumption by investing in solar power, or solar based income generating activities.
The need to replace our outdated customer relationship management (CRM) system has been recognised, and research has taken place on the way forward with expenditure due to take place at the start of 2025. We have a designated New Technology Fund of £50,000 for anticipated future costs.
A positive outcome from the work of building sustainability of the projects is that we are investing time and funds to develop and build a pipeline of new projects with current partners and new partners according to our new approach. A project development fund has been designated to allow us to invest in workshops and development activities, and then to provide grants for starting around two new projects per year over the next 5 years.
Free (or Operating) reserves, which is money available to the Trustees to run the charity on a dayto-day basis, at the year-end stood at £791,393. The Board has put in place a financial strategy to disburse the legacy funds within the next 5-10 years.
Investment Policy
The Trustees have a general power to invest and disinvest the Charity’s funds in furtherance of the Charity’s objects. The Charity’s investment policy is reviewed annually by the Finance and Fundraising Committee with the objective being to maintain high liquidity while ensuring maximum security, meeting the ethical standards set by the Board and achieving a balance of capital growth and income. Funds available to meet grant payments are kept in shortterm bank accounts so that payments can be made when required.
Rathbones act as our investment managers, managing the portfolio against the benchmark agreed by the Trustees in November 2017 of the WMA Income, ARC Charity Index and the Consumer Price Index (plus an appropriate return) over a current time horizon of 10 years.
The Charity’s ethical investment policy specifically excludes companies whose principal business is in armaments, gambling, pornography, tobacco and alcoholic drinks, child labour and their exploitation.
Our portfolio holds a mixture of equities, fixed interest (gilts and bonds) and diversified assets as well as cash. We view the return to date as satisfactory and will continue to monitor performance against the benchmark and against the overall objective of generating an income return of up to £100,000 per annum.
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Structure, Governance and Management
members of communities in which we work to report safeguarding concerns and incidents should they occur, as well as to report any allegations of historic incidents they may become aware of.
observes the relevant fundraising regulations and codes. During the year there was no non-compliance of these regulations and codes and Project Possible received no complaints relating to its fundraising practice.
Risk management
Organisation
The Trustees who served during the year ended 31 March 2024, who are also the directors for the purpose of Company law, are listed in the Reference section and are responsible for the governance of the Charity. None has any beneficial interest in the Company, all are members and each one guarantees to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up. They met on four regular occasions to formally discuss and progress the activities of the Charity and additionally met together regularly for prayer. The Board has established two subcommittees dealing with (a) International affairs and (b) Finance and Fundraising, which met between the formal meetings of the Trustees.
The Chief Executive is appointed by the Trustees to manage the day-to-day operations with delegated authority within terms approved by the Trustees. Trustees are appointed at General Meetings of the Charity following recommendations by existing Trustees. A third of directors are required to retire by rotation at each Annual General Meeting.
New Trustees are provided with details of the Charity’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, Trustee reports and financial statements and a full background on the Charity’s activities. They are also encouraged to access the Charity Commission website for details of Trustee responsibilities, governance guidelines and legalities. An induction process has been devised to ensure new Board members become fully familiar with the workings of the Charity following their appointment and includes the opportunity to meet with the Chief Executive and other staff.
Grant making policy
Project Possible does not implement projects directly, it provides support, capacity building and grants to small and locally managed partners that are recognised, and government registered non-
governmental organisations (NGOs). Our partners must meet minimum standards in terms of financial controls, reporting capacity, safeguarding and governance.
Grants are made by distributing donations received, usually on a quarterly basis, to partners who have submitted a proposal for funding and agreed the basis of a Partnership Agreement between them and the Charity. Project Possible partners are required to submit reports and budgets regularly to the Charity in order for ongoing grants to be made.
The Chief Executive, with the Programmes and Partnerships Manager, will decide the number and level of grants to be provided to the charity’s partners, based on the approved annual strategy and budget. The International Committee will review and approve the annual programme and any additional or urgent grant proposals identified by staff or the committee as requiring a higher level of governance scrutiny.
Safeguarding
Part of our mission is to restore a sense of value and vocation to vulnerable people, and our Christian values commit us to treating everyone with dignity, care and respect. In order to keep all the people we reach through our work safe – partners, individual beneficiaries, staff and volunteers - we have invested a significant effort in developing a set of safeguarding policies and implementing them via a strict set of systems to ensure that these are followed. A suite of tools and training materials have also been developed and we continue to revise and improve these as annual reviews are undertaken with our partners. The Board of Trustees receives a report on an annual basis and considers emerging best practice and guidance to ensure that good safeguarding practice is being embedded in our own and our partner’s organisations.
We actively encourage our staff, partners and
The Trustees have a risk management strategy which comprises:
- A regular (quarterly) Board review of the risks faced by the Charity; and established procedures to mitigate the risks identified.
The senior management team are responsible for ensuring that day-to-day risks are managed through agreed systems and procedures.
Risks identified include:
1) Movement of funds overseas - this is mitigated by using Convera (formerly Western Union), who are a leading worldwide provider and also by paying money direct to the Project Possible Partners who submit budgets and quarterly expenditure updates. 2) Use of funds overseas - this is mitigated by visits to the projects, Zoom/WhatsApp calls to gain updates and quarterly reports and expense budget analysis. Clear objectives are set on every project and budgets submitted prior to the commencement of the project for scrutiny.
3) IT system operation - information and files are stored on a secure cloud-based system and we have an IT support company who maintain the systems. 4) Data protection - our donor database is secured and is never shared with any other organisations and has a limited access, only used by key personnel. 5) Staff turnover and unfilled vacancies, particularly the challenge of recruiting fundraising staff – mitigated by actively seeking to recruit excellent staff.
The Trustees are satisfied that appropriate steps are being taken to manage these risks, and that sufficient procedures are in place to enable management and Trustees to assess the effectiveness of risk management.
Fundraising
Project Possible does not use professional fundraisers or commercial participators. The Charity nevertheless
Remuneration Policy and Performance Management
Project Possible seeks to pay all of its staff a fair and appropriate salary, while making sure it exercises good stewardship and has the ability to do so. Staff pay levels including that of the Chief Executive, are reviewed on an annual basis by the Board, which then endorses the overall annual pay settlement for all staff during the annual Budgeting Planning and Approval process.
We actively invest in the learning and selfdevelopment of our staff and ensure that Staff Performance Reviews identify these needs. Budget provision is made for this purpose.
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Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements
The Trustees (who are the directors of Project Possible for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the affairs of the charitable company and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice;
Statement as to disclosure to our auditors
In so far as the Trustees are aware:
There is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditors are unaware The Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.
The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The Trustees are members of the charity, but this entitles them only to voting rights. The Trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.
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make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Auditor reappointment
In accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006, Summers Morgan was reappointed as the charitable company’s auditors during the year and has expressed its willingness to continue in that capacity.
Approval
The Annual Report was approved by the Trustees on the 11th December 2024 and signed on their behalf by
The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Jonathan Goldthorpe
Chair
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Reference and Administrative Details
Independent Auditor’s Report – To the Trustees of Project Possible
| Status | Project Possible is a company limited by guarantee and is registered with the Charities Commission for England and Wales. At first registration the |
|---|---|
| organisation was named “Rope Charitable Trust”. This was changed to Project Possible in April 2021. |
|
| Governing Document | Project Possible is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association, first incorporated 10th March 1998 then amended by special resolution 11th December 2008 and amended again by special resolution 22nd April 2021. This second amendment was for the name change to Project Possible, and to |
| bring some clauses into line with current employment legislation. | |
| Company Number | 03524732 |
| Charity Number | 1069608 |
| Registered Office and | 24 London Road West 3 Manor Courtyard |
| Operational Address | Amersham Hughenden Avenue |
| HP7 0EZ High Wycombe |
|
| (Until December 2023) HP13 5RE |
|
| (From January 2024) | |
| Trustees | Trustee Name From To |
| Philip Derbyshire 17/01/2014 25/04/2024 |
|
| (Chair from 28/01/2021 to 25/04/2024) | |
| Antony Houghton 09/01/2009 Present |
|
| Rev. John Shepherd 20/04/2012 26/10/2023 |
|
| Charles Thompson (Treasurer) 17/03/2017 27/04/2023 |
|
| Kaye Lillycrop Rev. John Bernard 23/03/2018 29/04/2021 Present 27/04/2023 |
|
| Francesca Compostella 28/04/2022 27/04/2023 |
|
| Jonathan Goldthorpe (Treasurer) 05/05/2023 Present |
|
| (Chair from 25/04/2024 to present) | |
| Illia Djadi 18/05/2023 Present |
|
| Chief Executive | Dave Pepper |
| Bankers | Lloyds Bank plc, 70-71 Cheapside, London EC2V 6EN |
| Investment Managers | Rathbone Investment Management, 8 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7AZ |
| Auditor | Summers Morgan – Chartered Accountants |
| Sheraton House, Lower Road, Chorleywood WD3 5LH |
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Project possible (the ‘Charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and the notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
give a true and fair view of the state of the Charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The Trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
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In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Annual Report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditors/audit-assurance/auditor-s-responsibilities-forthe-audit-of-the-fi. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:
certain disclosures of Trustee’s remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit or
the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
the Trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the Trustees’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charitable company through discussions with trustees and other management, and from our knowledge and experience of the sector;
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the charity, including the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011, taxation and employment legislation;
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
the information given in the Trustees’ report which is also the directors’ report for the purpose of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting any reading the minutes of the board of the trustees; and
identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team and the team remained alert to
the Trustees’ report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Responsibilities of Trustees As explained more fully in the statement of Trustees responsibilities, the Trustees, who are also the directors of / ~ the Charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. | regulations. -
instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.
We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:
making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud; and
considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.
In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the Charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:
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| 49
Annual Report and Financial Statements 2023-24
agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
reading the minutes of meetings of the board of trustees; and
enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims.
To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:
Statement of Financial Activities (including income and expenditure account)
performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
reviewed journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
tested the authorisation of expenditure as part of our substantive testing thereon; and
assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates set out in the accounting policies were indicative of potential bias.
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the members and management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the Charity’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Charity's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Nicholas Corden ACA (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of Summers Morgan .............................
Chartered Accountants
Statutory Auditor
First Floor, Sheraton House Lower Road Chorleywood Hertfordshire WD3 5LH
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Balance Sheet
Statement of Cash Flows (for the year ended 31 March 2024)
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Notes to the financial statements
Financial Activities when receivable and legal entitlement has been established and can be reliably measured. The value of services provided by volunteers has not been included in the financial statements because that value cannot be reasonably quantified in financial terms.
1. Accounting Policies
Project Possible is a private company limited by guarantee no. 3524732 incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 3 Manor Courtyard, Hughenden Avenue, High Wycombe, HP13 5RE (from January 2024). The company is registered with the Charity commission no. 1069608. The company was formerly named Rope Charitable Trust until it changed its name on the 16th June 2021.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors on how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
1.1. Basis of preparation
Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid is recognised at the time of the donation.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting for Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice, applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standards for the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011 and the Companies Act 2006.
Legacies from a person’s death estate are recognised when we have been notified and probate has been granted before the year end, the estate has been finalised and the executors are able and ready to make the distribution.
1.4 Expenditure
The accounts have been prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the Charity. Monetary amounts in the financial statements are rounded to the nearest £1.
Support costs are allocated to individual charitable activities on a pro rata basis. Staff and related costs incurred in liaising with Project Possible partners abroad, reviewing claims for grants and assessing the effectiveness of grant making is allocated directly to individual charitable activities as set out in note 3 to the financial statements.
The Charity meets the definition of a public benefit under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historic cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy.
Grants payable are recognised when paid, unless there is an earlier unconditional obligation to make payments. Where the charity has made a firm commitment to provide grant funding to a beneficiary over a number of years without significant conditions attaching to the grant and the 4 commitment has been communicated directly to the grant recipient, the charity recognises a constructive obligation. The full amount of the commitment is recognized as a grant in the SoFA and a provision made in the balance sheet for amounts unpaid at the a year end, apportioned between amounts due within one year and after more than one year.
1.2 Going concern
In reaching the conclusion on application of the going concern basis, Trustees have had regard to the cashflow and projections for the forthcoming 12 ~ month period. The Trustees consider there are no material uncertainties about the charities ability to continue as a going concern. The Trustees have made this assessment in respect to a period of one year from the date of approval of these accounts.
1.3 Incoming resources
Voluntary income is received by way of gifts and donations and is included in full in the Statement of
All expenditure is inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
1.5 Pensions
The Charity provides contributions to the personal pension funds of all staff. The pension costs charged in the financial statements represent the contributions payable by the Charity during the period.
1.6 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:
Fittings - life of the lease, up to six years Equipment - Straight line over three years
1.7 Investments
Listed investments are stated at market value and other fixed asset investments are stated at maturity value which is their best estimate of their market value. Realised and unrealised gains and losses are reflected through the Statement of Financial Activities.
Investments which mature within twelve months are included within current assets.
1.8 Fund accounting
The funds held by the Charity are:
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Unrestricted general funds - these are funds which can be used in accordance with the objects of the Charity at the discretion of the Trustees; Unrestricted designated funds – these are funds set aside by the Trustees out of unrestricted general funds for the purposes noted in the financial statements; and
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Restricted funds - these are funds which can only be used for particular purposes within the objects of the Charity, usually to support particular projects or needs. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. Gift Aid related to restricted donations is treated as restricted income.
1.9 Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand,
deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
1.10 Financial instruments
The company only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments.Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at amortised cost. As noted in 1.7 above investment realised and unrealised gains and losses are reflected through the Statement of Financial Activities.
1.11 Taxation
The Charity is not subject to Corporation Tax. It is entitled to claim from HM Revenue & Customs the tax associated with income received under Gift Aid.
1.12 Foreign currency transactions
Foreign currency transactions are translated to sterling at rates ruling at the date of the transaction.
- 1.13 Critical Accounting estimates and judgements
In the application of the charities accounting policies, the Trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
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Notes to the Accounts
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Will you be the spark?
Inspired by the stories you have read?
To find out more about our transformative work and how to support us, visit projectpossible.org.uk or call our friendly team at 01494 433170.
weareprojectpossible
Project Possible
Contact us: SS 3 Manor Courtyard, Hughenden Avenue, High Wycombe HP13 5RE
Tel: 01494 433170 Email: office@projectpossible.org.uk Web: www.projectpossible.org.uk
Project Possible is a company limited by guarantee. Company No: 3524732. First registered at Companies House, Cardiff, March 1998. Registered Charity No: 1069608
We are fully compliant to the Code of Fundraising Practice.