(A charitable trust registered in England and Wales under number 1074656)
RWANDA GROUP TRUST
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES For The year ended 31[st] December 2021
OBJECTIVES OF THE TRUST
The trust was established by deed on December 9[th] 1998 to advance the education and relieve the poverty and sickness of people in Rwanda. The Trust took on the work of its predecessor organisation, The Rwanda Group, which had been working with the same objectives since 1983.
RWANDA
Rwanda is a small landlocked country in Central Africa. It has a predominantly rural population of approximately 12.5 million people. It is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa.
2021 saw the 27th anniversary of the 1994 genocide when an estimated one million people lost their lives. Much progress has been made in overcoming this disaster but there is still much more work required to complete the task.
Rwanda is a poor country with the bulk of its population living in considerable need. World Bank figures show the average life expectancy at birth as approx. 69 years with 24 out of every 1000 children dying before reaching their fifth birthday.
TRUSTEES
The trustees are responsible for the assets, administration and work of the Trust.
Mr Joseph Bamber together with his wife Rosemary, R.I.P., and fellow trustee Sister Mary McCarren FCJ, began the work in 1983 after a visit to Rwanda and seeing the difficulties under which its people laboured.
Mr Bamber has overseen the growth and remarkable achievements of the charity since its registration in 1998. However in December 2021 he announced his decision to retire as a trustee. He does continue to take a keen interest in its work.
There are currently 5 trustees who meet together at least once per quarter. The current chair of the trust is Mr Michael Donlan.
The other trustees are Bernadette Roberts, Veronica Sanders, Mark Ibison and Myra Gregory.
STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE TRUST
The donor strategy is to fill some of the many gaps in provision left by the major aid charities with relatively small but effective gifts. The help given is designed to be in the nature of help to friends by friends. This is being accomplished by –
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1) Building friendships with communities, schools, individuals and families in need and providing help to them in this spirit.
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2) Establishing committees of Rwandans in the provinces of Rwanda to advise on need, opportunities to help and to assist in the distribution of grants.
The trust works to achieve these objectives through the excellent cooperation of 4 committees – in Kigali, Cyangugu, Gikongoro and Nyundo. The funding strategy of the Trust is to make Rwanda, its people and their difficulties known to wider audiences and to accept donations of cash and goods for resale from those sympathetic to the objectives of the Trust.
The administrative strategy is to keep the work of the Trust as simple as possible and incur a minimum of expense in carrying it out.
FUNDRAISING
The year 2021 has seen a consolidation of the changes to our fund raising methods forced on us by the continuing difficulties with the Covid pandemic. The emphasis has been on increasing donations to the charity. Appeals have been launched in all the parishes of the Lancaster Catholic Diocese and the local parishes of the Liverpool and Salford dioceses. We have continued with the charity’s quarterly newsletter and are creating an ever expanding mailing list. Car boot sales and market stalls have also made significant contributions as well as a sponsored event.
Income
Cash donations for 2021 amounted to a total of £42,763 an increase of approx £27,805 on last year. This resulted in an increased gift aid refunds to £5,468. Sales of donated items of £588 resulted in a total income of £48,820.
Expenditure
In 2021 the Trust made grants of £30,400 to the four committees in Rwanda for distribution to the poorest in their communities as deemed appropriate by them and in accordance with the trust's objectives. The Trust also made grants of £8,730 towards various projects in Rwanda. The addition of bank charges of £120 resulted in a total expenditure of £39,250. The net increase of the charity’s income over last year was approximately £12,280.
COMMUNICATION & FUTURE PLANS
Our foremost means of communication is now our quarterly newsletter. This has proved to be a very effective way of informing donors how their donations are being used to help the poorest of the poor. It also accounts largely for the wonderful increase in donations.
It is intended to continue to sell donated items through such as market stalls, car boot sales and seasonal fairs.
Also we have plans to develop our website to increase its versatility for information giving and provide an alternative and easier ways to donate.
We will continue to produce information leaflets and submit articles in local magazines and newspapers as well as advertising in supermarkets and churches throughout the Lancaster diocese.
Donations can continue to be given through the methods explained on our website at:- Rwandagrouptrust.blogspot.com
We are always looking for potential opportunities to promote our work in the wider community.
The trustees agreed, as last year, that our priority will continue to be our ongoing commitments and only to take on new projects when funds are available.
Finally I would like to thank all our volunteers, donors and supporters for their dedication resulting in such a successful year for the charity.
KEEPING IN TOUCH
The address of the Trust is: 17 Mayfield Road Ashton Preston, PR2 1EX
Email: rwandagrouptrust.org@gmail.com
Website: rwandagrouptrust.blogspot.com
This Report was approved by the Trustees & Signed on their behalf by the chair
Michael Donlan.
20[th] April 2022
RWANDA GROUP TRUST
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 2021
RECEIPTS
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£ £ £
Balances as at 1 [st] January 2021
Santander current account 8,263.77
Santander savings account 20.03
8283.80
Sale of Goods 588.07
Donations Gift Aided 20,505.50
Donations Non Gift Aided 20,744.27
Gift Aided Small Donations 1,514.47
Gift Aid Refund 5,468.38
Total Income 48,820.69
57,104.49
PAYMENTS
Bank Charges 120.00
Rwandan Projects 8,730.00
Rwanda Committees 30,400.00
Total Expenses 39,250.00
Bank Balances as at 31 [st] December 2021
Santander current account 17,834.46
Santander savings account 20.03
Total Bank Balances 17,854.49
57,104.49
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Ms A M Waddingham Independent Examiner Date
CHARITY COMMISSION Independeiit examiner's report on the I FOR ENGLAND AND WALES accounts Independont Examinerfs Report Report to Ihe trusteesl members of On accounL: for the year ended Charity no (If any) Z-I k,S6 Set out on pages I report to the truslees on my e.MInatiOn of the accounts of tlie above Charity {'nhe Trusf) for the year ended Responslbllitiès and basis of report As the charity's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounls in axordance with the requirements of Ihe Charities Act 2011 I'the Act"). l port in respect of my exomination of the Trust's accounts I"arri8d out under section 145 of the 201 i Ar.1 ai)d in carrying out my exar iination. I have followed all Ihe applicabi,: , )ii ections given by the Charit.. Commission under section 145{5)Ib) of the A, i. Independent tThe charity's gross income exo eded £250.000 and l am qua ified to examiner's statement undertake IhE examination by be ing a qualified member of lin: ert name of applicable listpd bodyll. Delete I ' rfnot applicable. I have comple.ted my examination. I confimi that no material rnatters have come to my attention in connection with the examination {othpr Ih8n that disclosed below") which gives me cause to believe that in, ar rf material respect: th6 accounting records were *lOt kept in accordance wil i section 130 of the Lharities Act; or the accounts did not accord with the accounting record,. or the accounts did not com," lij with the applicable require. nents conceming the form and content of accounts set out in he Charities (AccoLtfjts ar Reports) Rbwulations 2008 other than ai y requiremenl that the. accounts give a 't,.ue and fair view which is not a matter considÉ..red as part of an iiidependent examination. ! have no c.oncems and have J)me across rso other mattep." in wnnection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in 'his report in order to epable a proper undE'rstanding of thè accounts to be reached. ' Please delete the words in the brackets rf they do not apply Signed: Date: Name: Relevant professional qualification{s} or body h(A IER Oct 2018