**ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24** y 2 wW 7 Pe iy be **From knowledge** : c¥ ¥ mre 4 " " 4 ate - **to action** 



## **Contents** 


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|2023–24 Progress at a glance|2|
|Message from the Chair and CEO|4|
|Vision, mission and values|6|
|Our strategy|8|
|Our work in action|10|
|Be in the KNOW|12|
|Co-creating with our users|14|
|Understanding health learning journeys|16|
|Boost|18|
|Spotlights|20|
|Young Africa Live|22|
|Connecting, learning and sharing|24|
|A bold new strategic direction|26|
|Financial summary|28|
|Organisational information|30|
|Working in partnership with…|31|
|Structure, governance and management|32|
|Fundraising and partnerships|33|
|Finance report|34|
|Statement of Trustee responsibilities|36|
|Independent auditor’s report to the|37|
|members of Avert|
|Statement of financial activities|39|
|Balance sheet|40|
|Statement of cash flows|41|
|Accounting policies|42|
|Notes to the financial statements|45|

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111

2 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

‘‘ When I got there [on the Chatbot], I saw that I could ask whatever question I wanted or had. I could ask it, especially the questions I could not ask the people around me. I feared judgment so much, but on this platform, I can also ask about those topics I would be shy about. I learnt a lot. Female chatbot user, _Young Africa Live_ , South Africa 

## ‘‘ 

Working with the _Boost_ application has helped us a lot because it gives me confidence in assisting my clients on a daily basis. For example, if I come across a challenging question, I will reply to the application so that it guides me. 

Nyasha Kadirire, OPHID Community Outreach Agent using _Boost_ , Zimbabwe 

4 P **2023–24** - 7 , - , ° . r **Progress at a glance** 

## ‘‘ 

It’s really taught me things I didn’t really know about sex. I love it, thank you. * Pe a, I AM IN THE KNOW!!! 

_Be in the KNOW_ web user, Zambia 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2022–23 | 3 

## **FROM KNOWLEDGE TO ACTION** 

Over **23 MILLION PEOPLE** in sub-Saharan Africa empowered through knowledge across all projects 

Nearly **13 MILLION ENGAGEMENTS** with Avert content across our project portfolio 

Nearly **154 THOUSAND** 

community health workers’ and peer educators’ knowledge and confidence increased in sub-Saharan Africa 

Information resources for primary HIV and sexual health practitioners viewed  over © **163 THOUSAND TIMES HOW OUR REACH IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA HAS GROWN OVER THE STRATEGY PERIOD 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 7.8 13 23 MILLION MILLION MILLION** Cn oul 



**4 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 202]** 3[2] **[–2]** 4[3] 

## **Message from the Chair and CEO** 

This annual report marks the final year of our _From Knowledge to Action_ strategic framework that has guided our work over the last four years. It’s been an incredible period in Avert’s 38-year history and we’re proud of our efforts and contributions to close the HIV and sexual health knowledge gap. 

Health knowledge and health literacy really do matter. There is clear evidence that increasing health literacy improves individuals’ knowledge, confidence and ability to self-care, as well as increasing engagement with and uptake of available health services, improving overall health outcomes. However, despite HIV being around for more than 40 years there are many who still lack access to essential information. Targeted HIV information that resonates, builds personal agency, self-efficacy, and the ability to self-care and make informed decisions, continues to be undervalued and face underinvestment. This is a failure that continues to impact and undermine the wider HIV response. 

During the last four years Avert has reached millions of people with engaging, action-oriented content on HIV and sexual health. We have helped people become more informed and confident about their health choices, as well as feel listened to and not alone. Every day we receive feedback from people who have engaged with our content and who feel driven to share how much it has impacted and helped them. 

Sarah Hand _Chief Executive Officer_ 

Professor Simon Forrest _Chair of the Board of Trustees_ 



**AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 202** 32 **–2** 43 **| 5** 

## ‘‘ 

Sexual health and HIV awareness are crucial topics that need accurate and accessible information. Your post serves as a valuable resource for getting the facts straight and promoting awareness. It’s essential to break the stigma surrounding these issues and encourage open conversations to foster a safer and healthier society. Keep providing valuable content that helps educate and empower individuals. Kudos to your efforts! 

LinkedIn user 

Progress is being made in the global HIV response, but it is fragile in many countries and several critical global indicators are off track. In 2022 we saw the biggest drop in new HIV infections since the late 1980s but with 1.2 million new infections still occurring that year, we are a long way short of the 2025 target of fewer that 370,000 new infections annually. ***** A sobering fact remains that every week 4,000 adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa are still acquiring HIV. Health literacy matters and is a human right for everyone, including these young girls. We can no longer afford to ignore the role health literacy plays as the foundation for a stronger, more effective HIV response. 

Over the last year we have continued to invest in and strengthen our two high impact products _Boost_ and _Be in the KNOW_ , as well as using our expertise to support new digital communications innovations by partner organisations in South Africa and Mozambique focused on young people. Our focus throughout this strategic period has been on reaching three connected audiences critical to bringing about lasting change in the HIV response. These are individual health seekers, community health workers (CHWs), and the frontline primary practitioners providing care in communities. 

Across _Boost_ and _Be in the KNOW_ we are providing health information and resources that can be used to inform, build confidence, counter misinformation and break down stigma. Over the last year alone we have reached over 13 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. In partnership with national 

NGO OPHID in Zimbabwe, _Boost_ has been rolled out to 464 CHWs who are using it to support their daily client interactions, ensuring accurate information on a range of health issues is shared with confidence. Four more organisations and hundreds more CHWs are now in the process of adopting _Boost_ . 

Avert remains committed to using the power of digital to advance sexual health literacy and empowering marginalized communities to make informed choices about their sexual health and wellbeing. It is essential there are sustainable, high quality sexual health information providers, particularly African-led, that can support a pleasure-focused, behaviour change-led approach to improving sexual health literacy, and supporting improved health outcomes. As a small but highly effective organisation, we are extremely proud of the contribution we have made to these goals and of our plans in the year ahead to ensure the sustainability of our work in the hands of locally led African organisations ( _see pages 26–27 for more detail of our new strategy_ ). 

None of our work would be possible without the commitment and passion of our dedicated staff team, Board of Trustees, donors and partners. We are specifically grateful to PATA (Paediatric – Adolescent Treatment Africa) and OPHID (Organisation for Public Health Interventions and Development) Zimbabwe for their partnership that has allowed us to host Avert staff recruited from South Africa and Zimbabwe. 

***** The path that ends AIDS, UNAIDS, 2023. 



6 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

## **Vision, mission and values** 

## **WHO WE ARE** 

Avert uses digital communications to build health literacy on HIV and sexual health. With over 30 years’ experience, we are a trusted provider of accessible, accurate and actionable content and resources that support informed choices. Our work supports global efforts to end AIDS and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal for health. Every year, we engage with millions of individuals, community health workers and primary health practitioners living in areas of greatest need. We use our understanding of HIV and sexual health, our expertise in digital marketing, communications and behaviour change, and our network of partnerships to increase their knowledge, skills and confidence, and their ability to act. 

## **OUR VISION** 

A world with no new HIV infections, where people make empowered sexual health choices, and where those living with HIV do so with dignity, good health and equality. 

## **OUR MISSION** 

To increase health literacy on HIV and sexual health, among those most affected in areas of greatest need, in order to reduce new infections and improve health and well being. 

## **OUR VALUES** 

We believe in every person’s right to health and to the information that enables them to make informed choices around sexual health. The following values inform our work: 




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- **EVIDENCE-BASED.** We are committed to providing reliable, accurate, and high-quality information on HIV and sexual health. We use the latest evidence to inform our content and programmatic priorities. 

- **RESPONSIVE.** We adapt our approach to respond to changing trends in the HIV epidemic and in how our target audiences access and consume information. 

- **TRUSTWORTHY.** We have more than 30 years’ experience of working in the HIV response. We are recognised and accredited as a provider of accurate and reliable information. 

- **CREATIVE.** We understand the power of new approaches to bring about change. We focus on solutions and think creatively to continually improve our work and bring new insights to the sector. 

## ‘‘ 

Hello I have been in connection with Avert or the KNOW ( _Be in the KNOW_ ) since 2004 at about age 16. I wanna say big thank you to the website. I consider Avert as a family but I don’t want to stop and still want to know more! 

_Be in the KNOW_ Facebook user 

I’m a HIV positive MSM. I could easily resonate with the ideas shared. And I found bigger hope. Thanks. I love you guys. _Be in the KNOW_ web user, Nigeria 

- **PEOPLE-ORIENTED.** We put people at the centre of what we do and how we do it – supporting, valuing, engaging and involving them. We aim to be accessible, inclusive and friendly in everything we do. 

- **COLLABORATIVE.** We believe that by working in partnership we can pool skills and resources, share learning, and have greater impact. 

- **SEX-POSITIVE.** We believe in a sex-positive approach to sexual health and rights that recognises and celebrates sexual pleasure and sexual diversity, prioritises personal agency, and is free of judgment. 



8 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

## ‘‘ 

Am learning so much on this page. Continue giving us more talks about different things, many of us are learning from you! 

_Be in the KNOW_ web user, Malawi 

## **Our 2021–2024 strategy From knowledge to action** 

## **THE WAY WE WORK** 

**We develop and promote HIV and sexual health content and resources that are accurate, accessible, useful, and actionable. In doing this:** 

**STRATEGIC RESPONSE** 

- **We use learning and evidence from health literacy, behaviour change and digital marketing research and practice to inform our content and approach.** 

- **We work through partnerships, as the best way to create high quality, sustainable programmes.** 

- **We use our understanding of technology to prioritise inclusive digital approaches, and our knowledge of the context to create realistic solutions.** 

**OUTCOME** 

- **We prioritise user-centred design principles, working with users to develop products that effectively meet their needs.** 

**RESULT** 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 9 


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## ‘‘ 

This awesome and it’s unblinded me. I wasn’t aware of many things as I have never done sex. _Be in the KNOW_ web user, South Africa 

I am a sexual reproductive health and rights practitioner and this will inform my education sessions even more. 

_Be in the KNOW_ web user, Eswatini 

Our 2021–24 strategy set out the following ambitions for our work: 

**1** 

Increase the HIV and sexual healthrelated knowledge, skills and confidence of those most at risk of HIV and poor sexual health, and those living with HIV. 

We will: 

- develop and share targeted digital HIV and sexual health communications. 

The people we reach have gained up-todate knowledge, skills and confidence to make informed choices to support their own and others’ sexual health. 

The people we reach take informed action to support their own and others’ sexual health, reducing HIV and other sexual health infections, and improving physical and mental health among those living with HIV. 

## **2** 

Expand and deepen the knowledge, skills and confidence of educators and advocates working on local responses to HIV and sexual health. 

## We will: 

- develop and share accessible digital knowledge and information resources for educators and advocates. 

Targeted educators and advocates have gained up-to-date knowledge, skills and confidence to support quality engagement with their clients or target groups. 

Educators and advocates are effective at their roles, improving the sexual health of the local population. 

## **3** 

Support evidence-based practice among primary HIV and sexual health practitioners. 

## We will: 

- develop and share evidence-based good practice information and resources for practitioners. 

Targeted practitioners have gained upto-date knowledge of evidence-based approaches to support local HIV and sexual health responses. 

Practitioners adopt evidence-based approaches, improving the relevance of primary HIV and sexual health responses. 



10 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

## **Our work in action** 

## **YOUNG AFRICA LIVE** 

Our programmes in 2023–24 continued to focus on increasing health literacy among individual advice seekers, community health workers/peer educators, and frontline health practitioners across sub-Saharan Africa. Working in partnership with organisations across the region, our local, national and regional projects built the knowledge, confidence and skills of millions of people. 

**YAYA** 

Enabling young people across South Africa to gain knowledge and confidence around their sexuality, relationships, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health 

- [chatbot and social ] media users 

Engaging out-of-school, low literacy girls in Mozambique through a digital life skills and sexual health resource 

- [life skills app users] 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 11 

## **BOOST** 

A digital job aide giving community health workers the up-to-date information and resources they need on HIV, sexual health, mental health and more 

- [website, chatbot, and ] native app users 

- [OPHID Community ] Outreach Agents for screening and referral 

- _[Boost]_[ ambassadors] 

## **BE IN THE KNOW** 

A digital brand offering trusted, evidence-based content on sex and sexual health 

- [website and social ] media users new social media content creators 

- [user engagement ] groups ( _includes focus group discussions, UX session participants, community reviewers, country focal points and youth photography models_ ) 



12 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

Over Gi WZ, **87%** found the website useful Over 00000eeeeeeccee Over .“ 00000“000000000008 0000” cew 2 000 0000000000860000000e> 0000000000 00008 Of 00000000000 OCC8 0 ey ee 000000000©00eeeeeeOCO ececceoeoee e0eeeee **320** e0eeeee e **878** eeeceeee 00 **THOUSAND ENGAGED** e0eeceee0eeee 00o¢ **THOUSAND VIEWS WEBSITE USERS** e0ee0ee000 e of video content eee in sub-Saharan Africa 

## **Be in the KNOW** 

_Be in the KNOW_ offers fresh, sex-positive content for young people, mainly across sub-Saharan Africa, and the community health workers and practitioners who support them. _Be in the KNOW_ exists to increase young people’s knowledge, confidence and ability to make informed choices. The brand’s content is stigmafree, sex-positive, and designed to help individuals understand, discuss and take action to protect their sexual health. 

In its second year, the _Be in the KNOW_ brand empowered over 13 million people across sub-Saharan Africa with knowledge. There were nearly 4 million engagements with its sexual health education content on social media and over 323,000 engaged web users. The brand continued to act as an essential regional ‘overlay’ to other national sources of information, filling gaps, reinforcing positive behaviours, and providing independent, evidence-based content for individual advice seekers, educators and frontline health practitioners not available elsewhere. This included pleasurepositive blogs, videos, quizzes, discussion starters and more – providing advice and information in fun and interactive ways that often engaged young people in their sexual health for the first time. 

As well as increasing reach and engagement, key priorities for the year included supporting young people’s ability to self-care, countering misinformation, prioritising pleasureinclusive sexual health, and giving a platform to marginalised voices and reflecting real lives. 

**4 MILLION ENGAGEMENTS** with social content 

Our sexual health basics video series put this pleasure approach into practice showing the exciting, steamy, and sometimes silly, realities of sex. The reception to these taboo-busting videos has been incredible with the series reaching over 2.16 million people on launch, gaining 1 million engagements across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and topping over 130,670 engaged video views. ***** 

***** Where more than half the video is watched. 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 13 

Meanwhile through our series of community voices and firsthand blogs we reflected the voices of the LGBTQI+ communities as well as the opinions, experiences and perspectives of those health practitioners and community health workers on the frontline of the HIV response. We supported young people’s self-care through content on digital literacy, mental health, and HIV prevention options such as PrEP, as well as a range of content addressing myths and misinformation around masturbation, foreplay, lube, stigma and self-stigma, and much more. 

Content developed to support young people to have more confidence to talk to their doctor reached over 5 million young people on Facebook and Instagram, with over a million post engagements, and 1,600 shares. Comments on social media such as “I so much love this advice thank you” (Facebook user) and “These are such great tips! 🙏🙏 ” (Instagram user) were typical of our audience responses. 

Human centered design and co-creation remained at the core of our approach ( _see page 15_ ), driving the success of the brand and increasing our impact. Nearly 9 in 10 users said they were more likely to take an action as a result of interacting with the brand’s content, 91% had learned something new, and nearly 7 in 10 said their attitudes to sexual health had changed. 

## ‘‘ 

Thank you for all the information that you share. Very informative and beneficial I actually use most of it to disseminate health related topics. Am a nurse by profession here in Zambia and passionate about health education, health promotion and prevention. 

_Be in the KNOW_ user, Zambia 

It increases my self-confidence on how to discuss what I want while intimate with my husband. _Be in the KNOW_ web user, Nigeria 

Thank you very much. I am getting knowledge everyday. 

_Be in the KNOW_ Facebook user 

## Encourage me for a test and not be afraid! 

_Be in the KNOW_ web user, Kenya 

## **13** 

**MILLION PEOPLE** empowered through knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa 



14 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

## **Co-creating with our users** 

Over the past year we continued to engage, observe and co-create with _Be in the KNOW_ users so we understood their challenges and delivered content and tools to address them. 

We carried out a range of _Be in the KNOW_ user engagement activities this year including focus group discussions with young women, trans people and key population representatives, as well as with community health workers in Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We used WhatsApp groups for discussions and ongoing feedback, carried out 1-1 user experience (UX) sessions in person and online, and engaged with expert MSM and trans community activists as co-creators and expert reviewers. We also carried out regular polls on social media and analysed user comments to keep our understanding of their priorities and concerns up to date. 

All of this ensured our content covered the things our audience needs to know about, in ways that are useful and reflects their experience. An example of this is our sexual health basics series. These animated videos explain a range of sexual health topics in a clear and easy-to-digest way via conversations between friends and couples. They are aimed at young people in sub-Saharan Africa, and designed to be empowering, sex-positive and fun. With over 1 million engagements and 130,000 engaged video views we think they succeeded! 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 15 

## ‘‘ 

Now I can jerk off and not feel like a terrible person, thanks for this information. 

_Be in the KNOW_ web user, Nigeria 

The information was very helpful, educational and raises awareness to a lot of stigmatized issues in communities. Quite elaborative in definition and advice in short forms offered. _Be in the KNOW_ web user, Botswana 

It’s useful because it helps me to understand more about being in a relationship and how to r aa be open to your partner. Whatever you want to tell him you can do it without being scared. _Be in the KNOW_ web user, Zambia 

The videos work because they reflect how young people talk and act. We held online discussions with groups of young people to understand how they talk about sex, relationships, and sexual health. Then we got detailed feedback on the video scripts to ensure the language, messaging and storylines genuinely connected with our audiences. As a result, the videos make people smile, whether it’s at Maani getting out his funk-town playlist to put Zuzu in the mood, or PBae and Inno imagining sex as a major league sport as they nervously discuss performance anxiety. The videos don’t talk down to young people – they look them straight in the eye and say, ‘we see you, we know what things are like for you, and here is what you need to be in the know about’. 

Seeing comments on our social channels like “I always rush here to watch your videos while nodding my head, saying ahan ahan...” feels so encouraging because we know the videos are hitting the proverbial g-spot, delivering sexpositive, pleasure-focused sexual health information exactly as they are designed to do. And at Avert, there’s nothing we find more satisfying than that. 



## 16 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 


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## **Understanding health learning journeys** 

Building on innovative approaches used by researchers at the University of Maastricht, this year we took forward a novel behaviour change approach to better understand the behavioural aims and actions of our _Be in the KNOW_ audience, and to test, learn, and improve the brand. 

## ‘‘ 

Gilead is pleased to have supported Avert to continue to build and improve the _Be in the KNOW_ brand, ensuring it is providing audiences with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to take action. 

Manica Lall, Gilead Sciences 

The social media training was useful to me. I learnt how to harness technology and social media in my advocacy journey. I now know how to interact as a professional when using social media. 

Social media training participant, Harare 

The first phase of the project carried out a theoretical analysis of the behavioural aims of _Be in the KNOW_ , using the acyclical behaviour change diagram (ABCD) method. This approach breaks down the intervention into component parts, mapping the behaviour change methods used and how these link through to the ultimate behaviour changes sought (for example, testing for HIV, or having enjoyable sex without STIs and unplanned pregnancies). 

The output of this approach was a set of ABCD diagrams which visualised the intended aims of representative content ( _see example, top left_ ). The process aided systematically thinking through the different behavioural components of specific _Be in the KNOW_ content. We examined which behaviour change methods _Be in the KNOW_ channels are using, whether these have been correctly applied and could be improved, and whether there are other methods that could be relevant to shift behavioural determinants. 

Avert’s work is underpinned by behaviour change theory, and this process provided an opportunity to think in more detail about how we are using behaviour change approaches across the brand. The process identified gaps and inconsistencies between behavioural aims and actual user behaviour – highlighting things that are missing, areas where we could make improvements, and additional behaviour change methods that would be relevant and useful for us to think about using in future content, page design and functionality. 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 17 

## ‘‘ 

Avert was the first endorser of the Pleasure Principles, leading the way for over 40 other organisations in the SRHR space. We are impressed how they now reach their large audiences with sexy, fun, pleasure filled content – to maximise their sexual health impact. 

Anne Philpott, Founder and Co-Director, Pleasure Project 

It have given me much courage to get treated before it’s too late. 

_Be in the KNOW_ web user, Zambia 

## **CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE** 

Following the ABCD process we carried out A/B testing and UX interviews to stress test some of the proposed changes, with a series of improvements subsequently implemented. The final stage in mid-2024 will be to evaluate the impact of these improvements on user behaviour through endline analytics, surveys, and user interviews. 

Through the ABCD process we also reflected on how to incorporate and institutionalise some of the behavioural analysis of this process into new content development and content review processes across our work, with new steps added and operationalised. 

Social media content is increasingly dominated by short ‘influencer’ style video content. In response we brought 14 young people together in Harare, Zimbabwe to provide them training on how to generate the type of health content that they want to see on social media, and that is most useful and appealing to other young people like them. The aim was new youth-focused content that engages and informs young people about HIV and sexual health. 

In March 2024, a training workshop took place facilitated by a local consultant. It was designed to strengthen participants’ content creation skills and encourage a critical approach to information, particularly concerning sexual health. Throughout the training participants engaged in discussion on topics including social media platforms, online communities, dealing with negative comments online, censorship, personal branding, intellectual property, and digital citizenship. They also gained practical experience in editing and content creation using Canva software. 

The group will now be supported to develop new content, with participants encouraged to share their content and get feedback and suggestions from their peers, alongside expert advice from Avert staff and the social media training consultant. The best content produced by the new champions will be amplified via Avert’s _Be in the KNOW_ social media channels. 

_Workshop social media champions develop ideas for new content in Harare._ 



**18 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 202]** 3[2] **[–2]** 4[3] 

## ‘‘ 

Working with Avert to scale _Boost_ has meant our partners can better support their community volunteers. This is a sound development and investment decision. 

Ella Nwaokolo, ViiV Healthcare Positive Action Programme 

## **Boost** 

_Boost_ is a digital job aide for community health workers and peer educators (CHWs) in sub-Saharan Africa. As people’s first point of contact with the health system, CHWs need access to up-to-date and accurate information in order to play an effective role supporting their communities’ sexual health. _Boost_ enhances their knowledge, skills and confidence, ensuring they share accurate and actionable HIV, SRH, and other primary health information with their communities. This in turn builds community trust in their roles and increases the agency of community members to make informed health choices. 

Over **115 THOUSAND** self-motivated _Boost_ users across sub-Saharan Africa 

The _Boost_ ecosystem includes several complementary parts – an open access website and native app, a _Boost_ WhatsApp chatbot, and an enhanced Android app with screening and referral tools being used by our partner OPHID in Zimbabwe. Each of these parts has played a role in developing our scale strategy for _Boost_ , providing evidence and learning, and supporting continuous iteration and improvement. 

Over the past year, the reach of _Boost_ continued to grow across East and Southern Africa, with over 115,000 new self-motivated users of the web version across the region, bringing the cumulative total since launch to over 174,800 users. Over 38,000 conversations were also started on the BoostBot ( _Boost_ ’s own pilot chatbot). Nine new content units were added on engaging with different groups in the community, as well as content on female genital schistosomiasis (FGS), expanding _Boost_ ’s content offer. All content was also made available in Shona and Ndebele, the two main languages in Zimbabwe, to increase accessibility. 

Over **224 THOUSAND** 

HIV, STI and mental health screenings carried out using _Boost_ in Zimbabwe 



**AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 202** 32 **–2** 43 **| 19** 


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## **BOOST INTEGRATION INTO OPHID’S PEPFAR PROGRAMME** 

Over the year we also gained valuable learning from _Boost_ ’s integration into the work of 464 Community Outreach Agents (COAs) within our partner OPHID’s wider PEPFAR programme in Zimbabwe ( _see box out_ ). 

As part of our work to scale _Boost_ we engaged with over 20 organisations across the region learning about their CHWs’ needs and how _Boost_ can support their work. We also engaged _Boost_ ambassadors in Kenya and Malawi to get local, personal feedback from users on its value. As a result, by the end of the financial year we had started to move ahead scaling up _Boost_ to four new organisations in Zimbabwe, as part of a wider partnership with ViiV Positive Action to support access to digital tools amongst its grantees while avoiding duplication of effort. This will expand _Boost_ to hundreds of new users. 

In Zimbabwe, _Boost_ continued to be an integrated part of national NGO OPHID’s PEPFAR programme, supporting the knowledge and confidence of its Community Outreach Agents (COAs), and helping them increase screenings and referrals among young people across the nine programme districts predominantly in the south of the country. 

Over 224,435 screenings were carried out by COAs using _Boost_ ’s simple, intuitive screening tools available in Shona, Ndebele and English. This led to over 93,200 referrals of young people to HIV, STI and mental health services in their area, with health facility data showing an increase in HIV self-tests, facility HIV tests, and STI service uptake in those districts. 

Topline findings from the project’s endline survey also indicate improved knowledge and awareness, and increased confidence among _Boost_ users. 

- 97% said they were equipped with the HIV testing and STI information they needed. 

- 97% agreed that _Boost_ is helpful in providing health knowledge. 


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38<br>THOUSAND<br>conversations on BoostBot<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


- 90% said _Boost_ gives them confidence to do their daily routine duties. 

- 87% said _Boost_ helps them interact with young people in their communities. 

This highlights _Boost_ ’s effectiveness in supporting CHWs’ confidence and effectiveness, and improving service uptake and community health. 



20 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

## ‘‘ 

## **A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE** 

“When the _Boost_ application came in, it was a life saver for us,” says Ellen Nhambura, one of OPHID’s Community Outreach Agent Coordinators based in Chitungwiza. “Why do I say so? Because when you’re out there in the community you need to communicate, to deliver correct information to the client… _Boost_ has helped to incorporate youth – they had been feeling left out.” 

“With _Boost_ it’s fun, it’s light, it’s engaging,” she continues. “We now feel that we know more. We have been boosted in our knowledge, in our understanding of health areas… Now we have the information correct, as the Ministry of Health expects of [us].” 

Asked about the single greatest change from _Boost_ , Ellen says: “now it’s just your phone in your pocket and you are easy to go and distribute the knowledge!” 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 21 

## **THE CHALLENGE OF CENSORSHIP** 

A key challenge across our programmes has been the increasing censorship of sex-positive health education content by Meta, leading to increasing numbers of social media ad campaigns being rejected. Meta consistently misunderstands the purpose of this content, deeming it ‘adult content’. Meta’s specific criteria banning sex positive content in many areas makes effective sexual health education challenging. Cuts to staffing at Meta and other social media platforms has compounded this issue with appeals against content rejections taking longer and making direct access to staff in these situations harder. We have seen this censorship across Avert’s digital work, and across other social media platforms like Google and YouTube. This seems likely to remain a challenge going forward across the sector. 

## **BUILDING LIFE SKILLS** 

_Yaya_ (Big Sister) is a digital life skills app targeted at out of school adolescent girls. It was developed by Avert for the EAGLE project in Mozambique, a literacy and life skills programme being implemented by VSO. _Yaya_ provides a flexible, home-based learning solution, in local languages, using low-cost Android tablets. 

During the year the Ndau and Sena language versions of _Yaya_ continued to be rolled out in the Eagle project, reaching approximately 600 girls. _Yaya_ was also featured in a UNICEF podcast highlighting the co-creation process we undertook and how this supported the app’s acceptance in the girls’ communities. 

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22 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

## **Young Africa Live** 

Piloted in South Africa since early 2023, _Young Africa Live_ uses a WhatsApp chatbot, Facebook and Instagram to reach young people in South Africa with clear, trustworthy, and engaging content to help them make informed choices to improve their sexual and mental health. Avert has been the content and social media marketing partner in the project, which is led by Reach Digital Health, with investment from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and implemented in partnership with the South African national department of health’s sexual health brand B-Wise. 

Young people tend to be less informed about key health topics and have poorer linkages to and retention within services than their adult counterparts. They are also disproportionately impacted by HIV and STIs. Over the past year _Young Africa Live_ has aimed to challenge this using both a WhatsApp chatbot and discussions on Facebook and Instagram to build young South Africans knowledge and confidence. 

Within just nine months, over 100,000 conversations were started on the chatbot, providing trustworthy and judgementfree content, empowering informed decisions, and linking to wider services. Content on the chatbot covered a broad range of issues including sex, pregnancy and birth control, relationships, HIV, STIs, mental health, accessing services, gender and sexuality, and body issues. Sex and pleasurefocused content was most accessed on the chatbot, and also what got young people’s attention on social media. However, shame and stigma around sex, and concerning attitudes to mental health, were evident in user discussions. 

Encouragingly, results from endline surveys show that 73% of respondents thought the chatbot content was well related to their sexual needs, 82% said the content was interesting, and 88% said the content was useful for managing their sexual and reproductive health and relationship needs. 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 23 

There were also nearly 9 million engagements with the social media content developed and marketed by Avert on _Young Africa Live_ /B-Wise’s Facebook and Instagram channels. This social media marketing also recruited nearly all 100,000 users to the chatbot. 

These results have shown that Facebook is a cost-effective way to recruit large numbers of users to a chatbot, and also an effective tool to reach and engage large numbers of young people in South Africa. Endline data showed over three quarters of Facebook members strongly agreed that the posts were informative, interesting, and pertinent to their sexual health needs, and over half of those surveyed were visiting the Facebook page weekly or monthly, showing a strong base of engagement. 

Overall surveyed participants reported that the platform increased their knowledge on a range of areas, and increased intentions around condom use, HIV testing frequency and family planning. The chatbot or the Facebook page was also cited as the primary contribution to their changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour. 

A key success of the project was the improvements in confidence of young people to speak about sex, intimacy, mental health and other issues with their peers and partners. This confidence is critical to improving quality of life, resilience, self-efficacy, and wider self-care, whether or not it is linked to specific behaviour change or service uptake. 

**9 MILLION** social media engagements 

Over **100 THOUSAND CHATBOT USERS** 

**88%** said content was useful 



24 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

## ‘‘ 

## Our joint webinar with Avert was a great 

opportunity to share the positive impact _Boost_ is having on our programming and how _Boost_ can be integrated to support health worker confidence, better client interactions, and relevant referrals. 

Dr Tinashe Chinyanga, Executive Director, OPHID 

## **Connecting, learning and sharing** 

## Core to our approach is working in 

partnership with like-minded organisations to exchange expertise and ideas that add value to each other’s activities. Throughout this strategic period, we engaged with a broad range of organisations across the health literacy, HIV, sexual health, digital, and behaviour change sectors to support collaboration, avoid duplication, and enhance our wider understanding and effectiveness. We also worked hard to share the evidence and learning generated through our own work at conferences and through other networks and events. 

A few highlights of this work include: 

- We presented abstracts on _Boost_ , _Be in the KNOW_ , our Pleasure inclusive approach, and our _Yaya_ app at the **INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AIDS AND STIS IN AFRICA – ICASA** . At a key plenary session, Dr Karen Webb from our partner OPHID had the opportunity to present the findings from their integration of the _Boost_ job aide for CHWs into their wider programmes. Dr Webb shared how _Boost_ and its screening tools are supporting more effective and timely referrals to health facilities, providing a clear example of how digital tools can support CHWs’ roles and improve health in the community. 

- The Female Genital Schistosomiasis Integration Group (FIG) aims to raise aware of this highly prevalent neglected tropical disease and the need to integrate FGS into wider SRHR programmes. As active members of FIG we joined a panel discussion at ICASA sharing how we have used _Boost_ to raise awareness of FGS with community volunteers and build their confidence to communicate to women at risk. 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 25 

- We published regular blogs on Avert.info sharing the approaches we use to support our work and our results. Articles included: our approach to co-creation and how giving users the opportunity to direct content can increase engagement; on using the evidence that supports a pleasure inclusive approach across our content and the results that can be achieved; and on taking a novel behaviour change approach to better understand our audiences’ behavioural aims and actions. 

- In October 2023 we were delighted to deliver **KNOWLEDGE FIRST** , a joint webinar with OPHID that examined how digital tools can support and enhance the work of CHWs. Hosted by Dr Lennie Bazira, Policy Director of the Community Health Impact Coalition (CHIC), the webinar had over 90 attendees. Panel members from Zimbabwe, Kenya, the US and the UK discussed the benefits of digital tools to support the knowledge and confidence of CHWs and peer educators, as well as the challenges of ensuring access and rolling out digital tools in low-resource settings. OPHID’s _Boost_ Project Manager Privillage Charashika, shared how they integrated _Boost_ into their central programming to ensure a genuine, value driven approach to their CHWs. Dr Bazira made a plea for the role of CHWs not to be underestimated, nor their ability to use digital tools, and stressed the need to ensure programmes resource them financially for the work they do. 

- Throughout the year we continued as active participants in several learning exchange and network platforms, including the **SELF-CARE TRAILBLAZER GROUP** where we had an article published; **#GEN-END-IT COALITION** where we supported a strategy review; and **CHIC** where we shared the work we are doing developing _Boost_ as a sustainable, adaptable job-aide for CHWs. 

- Avert’s work was featured in a series of **UNICEF PODCASTS** , **‘HIV REIMAGINED: CONVERSATIONS FOR CHANGE’** . In ‘Apps, Bots, and Chats: innovations in health tech’ two of OPHID’s Community Outreach Agents using Avert’s _Boost_ app in Zimbabwe talked about how the app has changed the way they work and interact with their clients. A second episode, ‘A youth takeover! Healthcare designed for the next generation’, featured Avert’s _Yaya_ life skills app, developed by Avert for VSO’s Eagle project for use by low literacy girls in Mozambique. 



26 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24] 

## **A bold** 

## **new strategic direction** 

In a constantly changing environment, business as usual will not secure the future sustainability of our flagship products _Be in the KNOW_ and _Boost_ . As a result our new strategy focuses on transitioning these products to organisations located in Africa who are best placed to ensure they continue to thrive and engage millions more people each year. 

2021–24 has been a highly successful strategic period for Avert. Over this time we have secured over £2 million in grants, allowing us to build and grow _Boost_ and _Be in the KNOW_ and to use our expertise to support programmes in South Africa and Mozambique. We have effectively contributed to building HIV and sexual health literacy, staying adaptable and nimble in a fastchanging operational environment. 

Understanding this changing environment has been a key factor informing our new strategic direction. The global aid architecture, and specifically that which supports global health and HIV, is changing as it stays responsive to new epidemiological and demographic data. The sector is also reflecting on and reexamining its policies and approaches to aid, development and financing, aiming to ensure efforts do not reinforce a colonial, topdown ‘Western saviour’ ideology, but instead foster solidarity, local ownership, leadership, and lasting positive change for all citizens. Donors who support civil society work are increasingly looking to support locally run organisations that work towards shared national goals. Avert, like many international NGOs, has needed to examine our ongoing purpose, our value add, and the sustainability of our funding strategies. 

Despite our relative success in raising new funds over the last four years – including a 36% success rate on over £1.8 million in grant funding applications in the past year – like many NGOs we have found it increasingly hard to get the return on our fundraising investment needed to secure the future sustainability of our core products. Increased competition for reduced funding opportunities means a realistic view of future fundraising investment return is needed. 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 27 

‘‘ ViiV Healthcare is pleased to support Avert’s proactive localisation strategy. This will ensure the continued delivery of the high-quality, impactful HIV and sexual health information Avert has built up, by an organisation who shares Avert’s values and is rooted in the communities it serves. 

Shaun Mellors, ViiV Healthcare 

Vitol Foundation supports Avert’s new strategic direction as a forward-looking response to changes in the sector. We are pleased to work alongside Avert to ensure the transition of its work to new local partners is a success. 

Sarah Jeffery, Vitol Foundation 

## **ONGOING NEED** 

The evidence and need for our work remain, so we feel it is essential that Avert considers a new strategy that uses an informed understanding of the donor environment and localisation agenda to secure the future of the products we have built so they can continue to benefit those who need them. 

After consulting with external sector leaders and extensive deliberation of options throughout 2023, the Board of Trustees, with senior staff support agreed a new strategy in November 2023 to pursue a well-planned and fully funded transition of our flagship products, _Be in the KNOW_ and _Boost_ to African-led organisations who share our values and for whom these products will add value, have a strong strategic fit, and offer new opportunity. 

This approach not only maximises the impact of Avert’s work and secures a long-term legacy for the products, but also fosters true local ownership and leadership. We believe that transitioning the products to locally run organisations will open up new funding opportunities that are not accessible to Avert. We value the localisation agenda and want to be active participants in progressive change and feel strongly that this bold and exciting direction reflects the values and ethos that have guided Avert for the last 38 years. 

## **PROGRESS TO DATE** 

Our resources and energies are now focused on two areas: the effective delivery of our existing donor-funded programmes which run until December 2024, and the new transition plan. We will no longer spend time on new business development work and as a result restructured staffing in December 2023. The transition plan runs from January to December 2024, during which time we will agree on the new takeover partners, mentor and support these partners, and carry out the legal work related to the transfer of IP and other financial assets, all to ensure a successful and well executed handover. 

We have received very strong support from our donors and partners on our transition plans. Both _Be in the KNOW_ and _Boost_ are in very good health, making this the ideal time for them to be handed over to new owners. Scoping for transition partners started in January along with efforts to raise funding that would go with the brands to the new takeover partners to support their short to medium terms costs until they find new local funding opportunities. Following discussions with a number of organisations based in East and Southern Africa, we are confident that new takeover partners, and initial funding, will be secured for both products. 



**28 |[AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 202]** 3[2] **[–2]** 4[3] 

## **Financial summary** 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
TOTAL INCOME<br>FOR THE YEAR<br>£26,321  £4,914  £8,359  £5,789<br>other donations and legacies other donations and legacies<br>£32,419  £41,726<br>investment income investment income<br>2023–24 2022–23<br>£360,405  £373,488<br>grants grants<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


TOTAL NEW INCOME: **£424,059** 

TOTAL INCOME: **£429,362** 

Avert would like to acknowledge and thank the following donors and other civil society organisations for their partnership and support in our strategy: Vitol Foundation, Mercury Phoenix Trust, Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, The Elton John AIDS Foundation, Risk Pool Fund and VSO, as well as the individual donors who continue to make invaluable contributions. 




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AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 202 32 –2 43 | 29<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
£775,739<br>TOTAL  charitable<br>EXPENDITURE   activities<br>FOR THE<br>YEAR<br>2023–24<br>£84,697<br>seeking donations,<br>grants and legacies<br>£4,513<br>managing investments<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



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TOTAL EXPENDITURE:  £864,949 *<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
£906,740<br>charitable<br>activities<br>2022–23<br>£72,471<br>seeking donations,<br>grants and legacies<br>£8,870<br>managing investments<br>TOTAL EXPENDITURE:  £988,081<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


- _Includes expenditure against multi-year grants_ 

- _brought forward from previous years._ 

## £387,869 

## £232,722 

Strategic Result 1: Strategic Result 2: Promoting knowledge Promoting knowledge of those at risk of community educators 

## £560,056 £305,593 

Strategic Result 1: Promoting knowledge of those at risk 

Strategic Result 2: Promoting knowledge of community educators 

BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURE AGAINST OUR CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES 2023–24 £155,148 Strategic Result 3: Supporting practitioners 


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2022–23<br>£41,091<br>Strategic Result 3:<br>Supporting practitioners<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>





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30  | [AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24]<br>. J rae . | i bd i<br>Mie FU<br>ret Th @ eye<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


## **Organisational information** 

## TRUSTEES 

Professor Simon Forrest ( _Chair_ ) 

Anna Becker Emily Hughes Carole Leach-Lemens 

Andrew Walker Max Cuvellier Giacomelli Sam Avrett ( _resigned 2 November 2023_ ) Carol Sherman 

PRINCIPAL AND REGISTERED OFFICE 

Platf9rm, Tower Point, 44 North Road Brighton BN1 1YR UK 

Registered charity number 1074849 Registered company number 03716796 

COMPANY SECRETARY 

Professor Simon Forrest 

## BOARD SECRETARY 

Kerry Pike _(resigned January 2024)_ 

KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL Sarah Hand, _Chief Executive Officer_ ( _CEO_ ) 

Simon Moore, _Director of Programmes & Digital Health Strategy_ 

Jon Edgell, _Director of Finance and Operations_ 

## BANKERS 

CAF Bank Ltd 

25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ 

Barclays Bank Plc Leicester LE87 2BB 

INVESTMENT MANAGERS J M Finn & Co 

25 Copthall Ave, London EC2R 7AH 

## SOLICITORS 

Irwin Mitchell Belmont House, Station Way Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1JA 

## AUDITORS 

Blue Spire Limited, Chartered Accountants Cawley Priory, South Pallant Chichester PO19 1SY 



AVERT ANNUAL REPORT 2023–24 | 31 

## **Working in partnership with…** 



32 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **Structure, governance and management** 

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 16th February 1999 and registered as a charity on 25th March 1999. 

The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. New Articles of Association were adopted on 21st October 2021. 

All Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in Note 11 to the accounts. 

We refer to Trustees throughout but for the purposes of the Companies Act the Trustees are also the Directors. 

## **APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES** 

The charity has a single management body, the Board of Trustees, elected by its members. The charity continues to benefit greatly from a talented committed Board. New Trustees are recruited through social media, recruitment advertising or networking. In accordance with the charity’s Articles of Association, the Board may by ordinary resolution appoint a person who is willing to act as a Director. 

All new Trustees undertake a full induction programme ensuring that they are aware of their legal obligations under charity and company law. They receive copies of the Articles of Association and the Charity Commission Booklet “CC3 The Essential Trustee”. 

Although we had two resignations from the Board for personal reasons, no new Trustees were appointed in the year under review. 

The Board of Trustees meets quarterly with the CEO and other management staff to review finances, progress and performance, consider risk, strategy and going concerns. Trustee attendance at quarterly meetings remains high at 92%. In addition individual Trustees with specific skill sets from time-to-time work directly with the CEO and members of the management team on specific projects that require their expertise such as the Fundraising and Partnerships Technical Working Group. This group meets to provide support and strategic direction to the Fundraising and Partnerships Team. 

Once a year, Trustees come together with the Senior Management Team for an away day – providing an opportunity for more detailed work and training. This year we combined the meeting with our AGM and invited a guest speaker to give a presentation on the global HIV funding and policy environment to help inform Avert’s next strategy. The outcome of this meeting is captured below under the Fundraising and Partnership section as well as under the Finance section. 

Trustees regularly consider the latest guidance from the Charity Commission and other relevant bodies on good practice. Trustees are committed to personal development through their careers and voluntary work, and a record of training is maintained. 

In line with the organisational Conflict of Interest policy, all Trustees are required to complete the Conflict of Interest, Related Party Transaction and Annual Declaration form for each year that they are in office. 

## **REMUNERATION POLICY FOR KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL** 

The pay and remuneration of the charity’s key management personnel is established through job evaluation, sector benchmarking, availability of funding, recruitment advertising, individuals’ skills, knowledge and experience, and relevant salary surveys comparison. The CEO, together with the Board, reviews budget availability for all appointments. The Chair of the Board reviews the remuneration of the CEO. 

There were no changes to the key management personnel during the year under review. The Director of Programmes and Digital Strategy gained a post graduate Masters Degree in Behaviour Change Communication from Durham University. 

The charity has a staff handbook that contains all necessary human resource and employment policies, including a remuneration policy. The handbook is reviewed and updated regularly by external employment law specialists. The charity takes the safeguarding of its employees and the people we work with seriously. All staff are asked to sign a code of conduct when joining the organisation and are provided with regular training on safeguarding. The charity’s safeguarding policy is available to the public. 

## **ORGANISATION AND DECISION-MAKING** 

The CEO is responsible for the day-to-day operations, compliance and delivery of the charity’s strategy and is accountable to the Board of Trustees. Working closely with the Senior Management Team, decisions are taken to ensure the successful delivery of the agreed annual work plans, budgets, fundraising priorities and activities. Income, spend and performance are reviewed on a quarterly basis and any corrective actions taken are shared with the Trustees to keep projects on track and spend within budget. Staff are recruited into roles identified as key to the organisation’s current strategic focus. Any additional skills required to support short-term activity, such as digital web development and design are hired in on a consultancy/contractor basis. 

## **OBJECTIVES** 

The objects of the charity are advancement of health worldwide in all areas specific to HIV and related conditions and to address the social determinants. The charity does this by providing activities that will include, but not limited to, improving knowledge, awareness, attitudes, practice and ability through informing, educating, motivating and influencing. 

In pursuance of the objects, for the public benefit, the staff and Trustees have undertaken the activities outlined in the front section of this report and with regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. 



FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 33 

## **Fundraising and partnerships** 

This has been a year of two halves and tough decisions. We started the year as we had ended the previous one, with a continued focused income drive targeted at trust and foundations and funded partnerships. Having invested in more staff capacity and with the additional support of a Fundraising and Partnership Technical Working Group, made up of fundraising experts, we worked hard to increase our investments from existing donors, made approaches to new ones, joined new consortium bids and pitched to over 20 organisations working in HIV and global health. Despite this intense effort over 18 months, by the second half of the year now under review we had to make a realistic assessment of our likelihood of successes and consider our options. Without action we would continue to draw on our reserves, putting the charity and our reputation at greater risk. 

We considered our future options taking into account not just our own financial position but the wider changes taking place across the HIV and global health funding landscape and the growing uncertainty and competition that exists for fewer resources. Despite its importance to the HIV response, we also recognised that funding for health literacy is limited and even more so for organisations of our size and working from the UK. We specifically considered the localisation agenda, that we very much support, and questioned our place in this agenda. We felt strongly that we should not ignore these external influences and should consider a course of action that would protect our legacy and investments and ultimately ensure our work would continue to have impact and bring benefit to organisations in the global south. 

In November 2023, the decision was reached by the Trustees, with support from the senior management team, to prepare for a transition of our work to new organisations in east and southern Africa, leading to an ordered close out of the charity by April 2025. 

In addition, Avert would like to acknowledge that we continue to benefit from the kind donations from a small but committed number of individual donors who have supported us now for many years. 

Avert’s fundraising activities have adhered to the following principles: 

- All funds raised through restricted fundraising activities will be spent in line with donor agreements. 

- In all cases, funds will be spent in accordance with the organisation’s mission and purpose. 

- All personal information collected by Avert will be treated as confidential and will not be shared with third parties without the direct permission of the individual. 

- Avert does not engage in telephone or door-to-door fundraising. 

- Avert is registered with and abides by the Fundraising Regulator’s code of conduct. 

Avert would also like to acknowledge that we benefit from the grant giving arms of several pharmaceutical companies who are committed to supporting the SDG. The charity has no conflict-ofinterest concerns relating to these funding relationships. There is no question that our values, editorial independence, or impartiality are compromised by these funding relationships. 

With a heathy balanced budget for the new financial year, Avert is confident of its decision to act now and oversee an orderly close out of the organisation and celebrate its legacy through the successful transition strategy that will benefit organisations in the global south. 

From that point onwards our Fundraising and Partnership work was no longer focused on new business development but on the objective of securing takeover partners and funds to support the transition strategy. 

Over the year we made applications to trust and foundations that totalled £1.8 million. We achieved a modest 36% success rate. All funding secured was restricted and in support of the ongoing delivery and development of our core products, Be in the KNOW and Boost. We continue to benefit from funding from four core donors, Gilead Sciences, Vitol Foundation, ViiV Healthcare and Mercury Phoenix Trust. By the end of the financial year we had secured two large grants from the Vitol Foundation and ViiV Healthcare to support our transition strategy. This income will ensure that we have the necessary resource to work with the takeover partners, mentoring and supporting them through the transition and then providing financial resource to support the initial running costs that they will incur while seeking new local donor support for the longer term. 



34 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **Finance report** 

In line with our 4 year strategic framework and business development plan, our key financial objective for the year was to continue work to raise our income from existing and new funders and to reduce the level of expenditure required from the charity’s reducing reserves. 

As captured above in the fundraising and partnership section, a significant decision was taken at the Q3 Board of Trustees meeting to move to a new ordered transition and close out strategy from April 2024. 

To add further context to this decision, Avert has operated with a number of key financial milestones that if reached would trigger the need for review and decisions by the Board on future directions. After an unsuccessful bid for significant multi-year funding in May 2023 along with a review of our funding prospects and pipeline, we reached a financial milestone that required us to consider our short term to longer term viability. With the support of a HIV funding sector expert, we undertook a detailed review of our options, which included carrying on with the hope that some of our funding applications would come good, contract the charity’s operations down, engage in the localisation agenda and transition our work leading to an ordered close out of Avert. In keeping with the charity’s values and principles and with a realistic assessment of the wider sector, the latter option was taken. 

In many respects, we have had a very similar financial year to the last one. The key difference is however that our unrestricted reserves, held in the form of an invested endowment up until December 2023, were continuing to reduce and could no longer shoulder the deficit between restricted income and full expenditure. Avert has always operated with a blended financial model of restricted income, supported by unrestricted. Restricted income in the form of annual grants or multi-year project grants has been invaluable to the delivery of our charitable objectives, but without a multi-year unrestricted grant, which we have not been successful in achieving, it is not possible to continue to deliver the quality work the charity is known for. 

The total income for the year was £361,394 (2023: £429,362). The total cost for raising funds was £92,731 (2023: £81,341) and includes the costs related to managing the charity’s endowment fund. Restricted income is identified as such and managed in accordance with the donor’s terms and conditions of grant. No compliance issues arose in the management and handling of restricted funds. 

Total expenditure for the year was £864,748 (2023: £988,081) which is a 13% decrease on last year (and a 15% decrease in charitable activities expenditure). 69% of the charitable expenditure was from restricted funds (2023: 73%). 

Financial KPIs are in place that are monitored and reported on quarterly. They include tracking the percentage of cost share required on grants, and the extent of salary recovery from restricted funds. 

## **PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES** 

The Trustees perform a review to identify the major risks to which the charity is exposed on an annual basis and have established systems and procedures to mitigate these risks. These risks haves included the possibility of volatility in the investment market affecting the charity’s endowment fund; funder commitment to the HIV response; a serious technology failing in the hosting of our digital products and platforms; negative external publicity affecting how our users engage in our digital materials; failing to deliver on contractual obligations to donors; a diverse donor portfolio; and retention and development of staff. 

## **INVESTMENTS AND RESERVES** 

The charity holds flexible relevant reserves and investment policies that are reviewed annually during budget setting. The charity continues to hold a small expendable endowment, the original purpose of which was to support the charity to deliver on its charitable objects. This endowment was gifted to the charity by its founding Directors at the time of the charity’s formation in 1999. Over the years the endowment has allowed the charity to grow and transition towards being sustainable through donor funds. 

Avert’s assets are invested in line with its aims and values. The Trustees do not wish to adopt an exclusionary policy, but individual investments may be excluded if perceived to conflict with the charity’s purpose. Specific restrictions can be imposed upon the Investment Fund Manager at any time by the Trustees. The restrictions during the year were: 

- No one stock holding should represent over 5% of the value of the whole portfolio. 

- If invested in any pharmaceutical stocks at least two must be held. 

The Investment Fund Manager has managed the assets on a discretionary basis in line with this policy, providing a detailed monthly valuation statement including all investments bought and sold. Performance of the portfolio and the Investment Fund Manager has been monitored annually against agreed market benchmarks as below. 

The performance benchmarks used are RPI +2%, and the 75% FTSE All Share Index/25% FTSE UK Gilt Index. Despite a fall in value during the year the Board is satisfied the Investment Fund Manager has consistently exceeded these performance benchmarks over the long term. 

In order to preserve the charity’s funds for the new strategy the Trustees took the decision to fully derisk the stock holdings and convert all investments held in the endowment into cash in November 2023. The cash continues to be held by the Investment Fund Manager free of charge in a high interest earning bank account. 

The fund ended the year valued at £564,756 (2023: £930,840). 



FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 35 

At 31st March 2024 the charity’s total funds amounted to £636,061 (2023: £1,176,212) with unrestricted reserves in deficit of £115,861 (2023: in deficit of £158,649). The deficit on free reserves at the balance sheet date arises due to the timing of the recognition of liabilities and the transfer of funds from the endowment fund. 

A restricted funds total of £182,305 represented by 7 outstanding grants (2023: £396,948 represented by 7 outstanding grants) will be carried forward into the new year to be fully expended by year end. One restricted fund was overdrawn meaning front loaded expenditure had been made in advance of grant income. This will be smoothed out over the full length of the project. Balances on each fund are summarised in Note 18. 

## **LIABILITIES AND GRANT COMMITMENTS** 

Avert had a sub-agreement in place with OPHID, a not-for-profit organisation in Zimbabwe funded under the Vitol Foundation that came to an end in March 2024. All funds were transferred in accordance with the sub-agreement and were reported and closed out on in April 2024. There were no concerns or liabilities reported. 

Avert has an office rental agreement in place with co-working office provider Platf9rm. The agreement runs on a renewable 6 month fixed basis and was last renewed in April 2024 until October 2024. 

Any remaining general funds on closure of the charity will form part of the transition process in accordance with the charity’s Articles of Association. 



36 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **Statement of Trustee responsibilities** 

The Trustees (who are also Directors of Avert for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ 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 year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the 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 SORP 2019 (FRS 102); 

- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; 

- 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 that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and 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. 

In so far as the Trustees are aware: 

- there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and 

- 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 auditor is aware of that information. 

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. 

## **APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS** 

The charity reappointed Blue Spire Limited as the charity’s auditors for the year under review. 

Blue Spire Limited have expressed their willingness to stand for reappointment and a resolution proposing their reappointment will be put forward at the annual general meeting of the charity. 

## **SMALL COMPANIES PROVISIONS** 

This report has been prepared in accordance with the small companies regime under the Companies Act 2006. Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf. 

bye Professor Simon Forrest _Chairman_ 31 October 2024 



FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 37 

## **Independent auditor’s report to the members of Avert** 

## **OPINION** 

We have audited the financial statements of Avert (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise Statement of Financial Activities, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including 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, including its income and expenditure, 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 the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company 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. 

## **EMPHASIS OF MATTER – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PREPARED ON A BASIS OTHER THAN GOING CONCERN** 

We draw attention to Note 21 to the financial statements which explains that the trustees intend to cease activities and pass the remaining assets to three non-governmental organisations and therefore do not consider it to be appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements. Accordingly the financial statements have been prepared on a basis other than going concern as described in Note 21. Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter. 

## **OTHER INFORMATION** 

The other information comprises the information included in the trustees’ report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the 

other information contained within the report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. 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 course of 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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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. 

## **OPINIONS ON OTHER MATTERS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMPANIES ACT 2006** 

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: 

- the information given in the trustees’ report (incorporating the directors’ report) for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and 

- the directors’ report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. 

## **MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT BY EXCEPTION** 

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report. 

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires 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 

- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or 

- certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or 

- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or 

- 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 directors’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report. 



38 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES** 

As explained more fully in the statement of trustees responsibilities, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes 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. 

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’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 charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 

## **AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

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. 

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: 

Based on our understanding of the Charity and the industry in which it operates, we identified the principal laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements to be the Charities Act, Employment Act and Trustee Act. We assessed the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items. 

In addition, the Charity is subject to many other laws and regulations where the consequences of non-compliance could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance through the imposition of fines or litigation. As an investment, grant and donation funded charity providing advocacy and education directly or through the supporting of other entities there is a limitation to areas most likely to have such an effect. Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence if any. 

Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included: 

- Enquiry of management, those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims; 

- Enquiry of entity staff to identify any instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations; 

- Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance; 

- Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations. 

- Performing audit work over the risk of management override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and revieing accounting estimates for bias. 

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or noncompliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation. 

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/ Our-Work/Audit/Audit-and-assurance/Standards-and-guidance/ Standards-and-guidance-for-auditors/Auditors-responsibilitiesfor-audit/Description-of-auditors-responsibilities-for-audit.aspx. This description forms part of our auditor’s report. 

## **USE OF OUR REPORT** 

This report is made solely to the charitable company’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 charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s 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 charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit 

work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed 

## ie 

Geoffrey Frost _BSc (Hons) FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Blue Spire Limited, Statutory Auditor_ 

31 October 2024 

Cawley Priory, South Pallant Chichester, West Sussex PO19 7UY 



FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 39 

## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT)** 

|**Note**<br>**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:**<br>Donations and legacies<br>**1**<br>Charitable activities<br>**2**<br>Investments<br>**3**<br>**Total**<br>**EXPENDITURE ON:**<br>Raising funds - Investment management<br>**4**<br>Raising funds - Seeking funds<br>**4**<br>Charitable activities<br>**5**<br>**Total**<br>Net gains/(losses) on investment assets<br>**Net Income/(expenditure)**<br>**Transfers between funds**<br>**18**<br>**Net movement in funds**<br>**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**<br>**Total funds brought forward**<br>**18**<br>**Total funds carried forward**<br>**18**|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>4,869<br>-<br>35,773<br>40,642<br>-<br>88,218<br>236,622<br>324,840<br>-<br>(284,198)<br>324,775<br>40,577<br>(151,577)<br>(111,000)|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>320,752<br>-<br>-<br>320,752<br>-<br>-<br>535,395<br>535,395<br>-<br>(214,643)<br>-<br>(214,643)<br>396,948<br>182,305|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>4,513<br>-<br>-<br>4,513<br>(36,797)<br>(41,310)<br>(324,775)<br>(366,085)<br>930,841<br>564,756|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>325,621<br>-<br>35,773<br>361,394<br>4,513<br>88,218<br>772,017<br>864,748<br>(36,797)<br>(540,151)<br>-<br>(540,151)<br>1,176,212<br>636,061|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>379,277<br>8,359<br>41,726|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||429,362|
||||||8,870<br>72,471<br>906,740|
||||||988,081|
||||||(193,383)|
||||||(752,102)<br>-|
||||||(752,102)<br>1,928,314|
||||||1,176,212|



The charity has no recognised gains or losses other than those dealt with in the statement of financial activities. All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. 



40 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2024** 

||||**2024**||**2023**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Note**|**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**FIXED ASSETS**|||||||
|Intangible assets|**12**|59,283|||88,924||
|Tangible assets|**13**|4,862|||7,073||
|Investments|**14**|-|||930,840||
|||||64,145||1,026,837|
|**CURRENT ASSETS**|||||||
|Debtors|**15**|60,546|||157,367||
|Cash at hand and in bank||621,742|||56,421||
|**Total current assets**||682,288|||213,788||
|**CURRENT LIABILITIES**|||||||
|Creditors: amounts falling due within one year|**16**|110,372|||64,413||
|**Net current assets/(liabilities)**||||571,916||149,375|
|**Net assets/(liabilities)**||||636,061||1,176,212|
|**THE FUNDS OF THE CHARITY**|||||||
|**Endowment funds**|**18**||||||
|Expendable endowment||564,756|||673,127||
|Fair value reserve||-|||257,714||
|||||564,756||930,841|
|**Restricted funds**|**18**|||182,305||396,948|
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||||
|Designated Funds||4,861|||7,072||
|General Funds||(115,861)|||(158,649)||
|**Total unrestricted funds**|**18**|||(111,000)||(151,577)|
|**Total charity funds**||||636,061||1,176,212|



The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. 

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements. 

> The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the trustees on ………………………………… and signed on their behalf by: 31 October 2024 and signed on their behalf by: 

…………………………………………. Professor Simon Forrest Chairman 

Avert 

Registered Charity Number 1074849 Registered Company Number 03716796 



FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 41 

## **STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS** 

|**Net cash flow from operating activities (see below)**<br>**Cash flow from investing activities**<br>Purchase of intangible fixed assets<br>Purchase of tangible fixed assets<br>Purchase of investments<br>Proceeds from sales of investments<br>Receipts from sale of tangible fixed assets<br>Investment income<br>**Net cash flow from investing activities**<br>**Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents**<br>**Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April**<br>**Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March**<br>**Cash and cash equivalents consist of:**<br>Cash at bank and in hand<br>Cash held within investments<br>**Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March**|**£**<br>**£**<br>(364,495)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>880,298<br>-<br>35,773<br>916,071<br>551,576<br>70,166<br>621,742<br>621,742<br>-<br>621,742<br>**2024**|**£**<br>**£**<br>(288,978)<br>-<br>(8,134)<br>(110,477)<br>230,183<br>492<br>41,726<br>153,790<br>(135,188)<br>205,354<br>70,166<br>56,421<br>13,745<br>70,166<br>**2023**|**£**<br>**£**<br>(288,978)<br>-<br>(8,134)<br>(110,477)<br>230,183<br>492<br>41,726<br>153,790<br>(135,188)<br>205,354<br>70,166<br>56,421<br>13,745<br>70,166<br>**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||(135,188)<br>205,354|
||||70,166|
||||56,421<br>13,745|
||||70,166|



## **Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating activities** 

|Net income for the period<br>Adjusted for:<br>Investment income<br>(Gains)/losses on investments<br>Depreciation and impairment of tangible fixed assets<br>Loss/(gain) on disposal of fixed assets<br>Decrease/(increase) in debtors<br>Increase/(decrease) in creditors<br>**Analysis of changes in net debt**<br>Total net debt brought forward<br>Cash flows<br>Total net debt carried forward|**£**<br>**£**<br>(540,151)<br>(35,773)<br>36,797<br>31,852<br>-<br>96,821<br>45,959<br>175,656<br>(364,495)<br>**2024**<br>**Cash and cash**<br>**equivalents**<br>**£**<br>70,166<br>551,576<br>621,742<br>**2024**|**£**<br>**£**<br>(752,102)<br>(41,726)<br>193,383<br>33,093<br>-<br>257,624<br>20,750<br>463,124<br>(288,978)<br>**2023**<br>**Cash and cash**<br>**equivalents**<br>**£**<br>205,354<br>(135,188)<br>70,166<br>**2023**|**£**<br>**£**<br>(752,102)<br>(41,726)<br>193,383<br>33,093<br>-<br>257,624<br>20,750<br>463,124<br>(288,978)<br>**2023**<br>**Cash and cash**<br>**equivalents**<br>**£**<br>205,354<br>(135,188)<br>70,166<br>**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||(288,978)|
||||**2023**<br>**Cash and cash**<br>**equivalents**<br>**£**<br>205,354<br>(135,188)|
||||70,166|





42 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **ACCOUNTING POLICIES** 

## **General information, scope and basis of the financial statements** 

Avert is an incorporated charity, limited by guarantee, incorporated in England with the company number 03716796. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £10 per member of the charity. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information page of these financial statements. The nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities are outlined in the trustees' report. 

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. 

The financial statements are not prepared on a going concern basis with items modified to an appropriate fair value as necessary. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest £. 

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated. 

## **Incoming resources** 

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received. 

For donations to be recognised the charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the donation and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled. 

For legacies, entitlement is the earlier of the charity being notified of an impending distribution or the legacy being received. At this point income is recognised. On occasion legacies will be notified to the charity however it is not possible to measure the amount expected to be distributed. On these occasions, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed. 

Income from government and other grants are recognised at fair value when the charity has entitlement after any performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. If entitlement is not met then these amounts are deferred. 

Investment income is earned through holding assets for investment purposes such as shares and cash deposits. It includes dividends and interest. Where it is not practicable to identify investment management costs incurred within a scheme with reasonable accuracy the investment income is reported net of these costs. It is included when the amount can be measured reliably. Interest income is recognised using the effective interest method and dividend income is recognised as the charity’s right to receive payment is established. 

## **Resources expended** 

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. It is categorised under the following headings: 

- costs of raising funds; which includes the costs of organising events and investment management fees 

- expenditure on charitable activities; which includes grants made to beneficiaries and costs incurred to support those activities 

Grants payable to third parties are within the charitable objectives. Where unconditional grants are offered, this is accrued as soon as the recipient is notified of the grant, as this gives rise to a reasonable expectation that the recipient will receive the grants. Where grants are conditional relating to performance then the grant is only accrued when any unfulfilled conditions are outside of the control of the charity. 

## _Support cost allocation_ 

Support costs are those that assist the work of the charity but do not directly represent charitable activities and include office costs, governance costs and administrative payroll costs. They are incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity. Where support costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities on a basis consistent with use of the resources. 

> The analysis of these costs is included in Note 7 and has been included on the following basis: 6 Promoting knowledge of those at risk 40% Promoting knowledge of community educators 40% Supporting practitioners 20% 



FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 43 

## **ACCOUNTING POLICIES** 

## **Employee benefits** 

When employees have rendered service to the charity, short-term employee benefits to which the employees are entitled are recognised at the undiscounted amount expected to be paid in exchange for that service. 

## **Pension costs** 

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions to the scheme are charged to the statement of financial activities on a payable basis. 

## **VAT** 

The charity is not registered for VAT and is unable to recover VAT incurred. On this basis costs are recorded inclusive of VAT within the SoFA. 

## **Taxation** 

The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in sections 466 to 493 Corporation Tax Act 2010 (CTA 2010), as such no income tax is payable on the charity's activities. 

## **Intangible assets** 

Identifiable development expenditure on the website is capitalised to the extent that the technical, commercial and financial feasibility can be demonstrated. 

Intangible assets are amortised on a straight line basis over their useful lives.  The useful lives of intangible assets are as follows: Website 25% Straight line 

## **Fixed assets** 

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Cost includes costs directly attributable to making the asset capable of operating as intended. 

Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, at rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value, of each asset on a systematic basis over its expected useful life as follows: 

Office equipment 25% straight line 

## **Fixed asset investments** 

Investments are recognised initially at fair value which is normally the transaction price excluding transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at fair value with changes recognised in ‘net gains/(losses) on investments’ in the SoFA if the shares are publicly traded or their fair value can otherwise be measured reliably. 

## **Debtors and creditors receivable / payable within one year** 

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure. 

## **Cash and cash equivalents** 

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value. In addition it includes cash at bank and in hand and cash balances within the investment portfolio available for investment transaction purposes. 



44 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **ACCOUNTING POLICIES** 

## **Fund accounting** 

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes. 

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements. 

Endowment funds represent those assets which were gifted to the charity to be held for income generation and applied in furtherance of the charity’s objects. Income arising on the endowment funds can be used in accordance with the objects of the charity and is included as unrestricted income. Any capital gains or losses arising on the investments form part of the fund. Investment management charges and legal advice relating to the fund are charged against the fund. 

> Further details of each fund are disclosed in Notes 19 and 20. 18 19 



FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 45 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **1. Donations and legacies** 

|**1. Donations and legacies**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Donations<br>Grants<br>Donations<br>Grants<br>**2. Charitable activities**<br>Earned income<br>Earned income<br>**3. Investments**<br>Bank interest<br>Income from investment holdings<br>Bank interest|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>4,869<br>-<br>4,869<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>5,789<br>-<br>5,789<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>8,359<br>8,359<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>3,354<br>32,419<br>35,773<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>172<br>41,554<br>41,726|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>320,752<br>320,752<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>373,488<br>373,488<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>4,869<br>320,752|
|||||325,621|
|||||**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>5,789<br>373,488|
|||||379,277|
|||||**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-|
|||||-|
|||||**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>8,359|
|||||8,359|
|||||**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>3,354<br>32,419|
|||||35,773|
|||||**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>172<br>41,554|
|||||41,726|





46 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **4. Raising funds** 

|_Investment management_<br>Investment management fees<br>_Cost of seeking donations, grants and legacies_<br>Staff costs<br>Other costs<br>_Investment management_<br>Investment management fees<br>_Cost of seeking donations, grants and legacies_<br>Staff costs<br>Other costs|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>73,011<br>15,207<br>88,218<br>88,218<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>64,660<br>7,811<br>72,471<br>72,471|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>4,513<br>4,513<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>4,513<br>**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>8,870<br>8,870<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>8,870|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>4,513|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||4,513|
|||||73,011<br>15,207|
|||||88,218|
|||||92,731|
|||||**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>8,870|
|||||8,870|
|||||64,660<br>7,811|
|||||72,471|
|||||81,341|



## **5. Charitable activities** 

|_Promoting knowledge of those at risk_<br>Staff costs<br>Other direct costs<br>Support and governance costs<br>_Promoting knowledge of community educators_<br>Grants (see note 7)<br>Staff costs<br>Other direct costs<br>Support and governance costs<br>_Supporting practitioners_<br>Staff costs<br>Other direct costs<br>Support and governance costs|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>19,899<br>90,615<br>35,708<br>146,222<br>-<br>6,633<br>30,205<br>35,708<br>72,546<br>-<br>-<br>17,854<br>17,854<br>236,622|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>243,895<br>82,389<br>11,388<br>337,672<br>14,563<br>81,298<br>27,462<br>11,388<br>134,711<br>36,701<br>20,617<br>5,694<br>63,012<br>535,395|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>263,794<br>173,004<br>47,096|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||483,894|
|||||14,563<br>87,931<br>57,667<br>47,096|
|||||207,257|
|||||36,701<br>20,617<br>23,548|
|||||80,866|
|||||772,017|





FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 47 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **5. Charitable activities (continued)** 

|_Promoting knowledge of those at risk_<br>Staff costs<br>Other direct costs<br>Support and governance costs<br>_Promoting knowledge of community educators_<br>Grants (see note 7)<br>Staff costs<br>Other direct costs<br>Support and governance costs<br>_Supporting practitioners_<br>Staff costs<br>Other direct costs<br>Support and governance costs|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>115,166<br>35,539<br>150,705<br>-<br>-<br>38,389<br>35,539<br>73,928<br>-<br>-<br>17,768<br>17,768<br>242,401|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>277,029<br>113,135<br>19,187<br>409,351<br>82,424<br>92,343<br>37,711<br>19,187<br>231,665<br>4,235<br>9,494<br>9,594<br>23,323<br>664,339|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>277,029<br>228,301<br>54,726|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||560,056|
|||||82,424<br>92,343<br>76,100<br>54,726|
|||||305,593|
|||||4,235<br>9,494<br>27,362|
|||||41,091|
|||||906,740|



## **6. Support and governance costs** 

|**6. Support and governance costs**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Staff costs<br>Premises<br>Recruitment and training<br>Travel, conferences and events<br>Security including Legal and HR<br>Printing, postage and stationery<br>Telephone<br>Computer costs and equipment hire<br>General office and office moving expenses<br>Insurance<br>Subscriptions<br>Depreciation<br>Governance:<br>Audit fee<br>Trustee training and expenses<br>Strategic Development<br>Overhead allocation to Restricted Funds<br>_Allocation of support costs_<br>Promoting knowledge of those at risk<br>Promoting knowledge of community educators<br>Supporting practitioners|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>52,489<br>31,571<br>60<br>835<br>2,547<br>5,563<br>608<br>2,812<br>1,673<br>1,974<br>3,851<br>2,211<br>5,970<br>-<br>5,576<br>117,740<br>(28,470)<br>89,270<br>35,708<br>35,708<br>17,854<br>89,270|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>28,470<br>28,470<br>11,388<br>11,388<br>5,694<br>28,470|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>52,489<br>31,571<br>60<br>835<br>2,547<br>5,563<br>608<br>2,812<br>1,673<br>1,974<br>3,851<br>2,211<br>5,970<br>-<br>5,576|
|||||117,740<br>-|
|||||117,740|
|||||47,096<br>47,096<br>23,548|
|||||117,740|





48 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **6. Support and governance costs (continued)** 

|Staff costs<br>Premises<br>Recruitment and training<br>Travel, conference and events<br>Security including Legal and HR<br>Printing, postage and stationery<br>Telephone<br>Computer costs and equipment hire<br>General office and office moving expenses<br>Insurance<br>Subscriptions<br>Depreciation<br>Governance:<br>Audit fee<br>Trustee training and expenses<br>Strategic Development<br>_Allocation of support costs_<br>Promoting knowledge of those at risk<br>Promoting knowledge of community educators<br>Supporting practitioners|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>51,676<br>45,582<br>5,235<br>608<br>7,970<br>4,955<br>(127)<br>2,265<br>2,559<br>1,868<br>3,340<br>3,452<br>5,370<br>2,048<br>13<br>136,814<br>(47,968)<br>88,846<br>35,539<br>35,539<br>17,768<br>88,846|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>47,968<br>47,968<br>19,187<br>19,187<br>9,594<br>47,968|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>51,676<br>45,582<br>5,235<br>608<br>7,970<br>4,955<br>(127)<br>2,265<br>2,559<br>1,868<br>3,340<br>3,452<br>5,370<br>2,048<br>13|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||136,814<br>-|
|||||136,814|
|||||54,726<br>54,726<br>27,362|
|||||136,814|



## **7. Analysis of grants** 

|**7. Analysis of grants**|||
|---|---|---|
|Grants to institutions<br>Zimbabwe - OPHID|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>14,563<br>14,563|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>82,424|
|||82,424|



## **Future commitments** 

The charity budgets for instalments of multi year grants that have not yet been approved. These future commitments are not contractual as the amounts are not part of the charity's formal grant offer, and are subject to the grantee satisfying the charity's monitoring requirements and showing that they are making satisfactory progress towards meeting the grant's objectives. At the balance sheet date the charity had no obligations for future instalments of grants. 



FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 49 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **8. Auditors' remuneration** 

|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>Auditors' remuneration - audit<br>5,370<br>Auditors' remuneration - other accountancy services<br>600<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>Auditors' remuneration - audit<br>5,370<br>**9. Wages and salary cost**<br>Gross wages<br>Employer's national insurance costs (inclusive of employer national insurance allowance)<br>Employer's pension contributions<br>Termination payments*<br>Subcontract staff overseas|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>426,305<br>41,499<br>35,357<br>8,578<br>43,150<br>554,889|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>5,370<br>600|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>5,370|
||||**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>388,585<br>38,101<br>30,322<br>-<br>32,163|
||||489,171|



* Termination payments were made to staff in the form of redundancy. These amounts are complete with no further amounts to be paid in respect of these agreed settlements. 

Two employees (2023: one employee) received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) in the range £60,000 to £70,000. 

|The average number of employees was:<br>Administration of charitable activities|11<br>11|10|
|---|---|---|
|||10|



## **10. Pension scheme** 

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. The total payable for the year under review was £35,357 (2023: £30,322). £4,393 (2023: £4,596) was outstanding at the end of the financial year. 



50 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **11. Related party transactions** 

None of the trustees received any remuneration during the year under review (2023: £nil). £nil (2023: £2,048) was reimbursed to or paid on behalf of the trustees. 

No donations (2023: £nil) were received from the charity's trustees in the year under review. 

During the year under review the charity reimbursed or paid expenses on behalf of the three (2023: four) key management personnel incurred in the performance of their duties totalling £2,175 (2023: £4,416). 

At the end of the reporting year the charity had three (2023: three) key management personnel comprising the CEO, Director of Communications and Digital Health Strategy, Director of Finance and Operations. Avert hired a new recruit in Partnerships and Fundraising at project management level. The total employee benefits, inclusive of employer's national insurance and pension contributions, received by those key management personnel amounted to £210,402 (2023: £212,427). 

## **12. Intangible fixed assets** 

|_Cost_<br>At 1 April 2023<br>Additions<br>Disposals<br>At 31 March 2024<br>_Amortisation_<br>At 1 April 2023<br>Charge for the year<br>On disposals<br>At 31 March 2024<br>Net book value at 31 March 2024<br>Net book value at 31 March 2023|**Website**<br>**£**<br>118,565<br>-<br>-<br>118,565<br>29,641<br>29,641<br>-<br>59,282<br>59,283<br>88,924|**Total**<br>**£**<br>118,565<br>-<br>-|
|---|---|---|
|||118,565|
|||29,641<br>29,641<br>-|
|||59,282|
|||59,283|
|||88,924|



## **13. Tangible fixed assets** 

|_Cost_<br>At 1 April 2023<br>Additions<br>Disposals<br>At 31 March 2024<br>_Depreciation_<br>Accumulated at 1 April 2023<br>Charge for the year<br>On disposals<br>At 31 March 2024<br>Net book value at 31 March 2024<br>Net book value at 31 March 2023|**Office**<br>**equipment**<br>**£**<br>14,642<br>-<br>-<br>14,642<br>7,569<br>2,211<br>-<br>9,780<br>4,862<br>7,073|**Total**<br>**£**<br>14,642<br>-<br>-|
|---|---|---|
|||14,642|
|||7,569<br>2,211<br>-|
|||9,780|
|||4,862|
|||7,073|





FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 51 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **14. Fixed assets investments** 

|_Reconciliation of movement on investments_<br>Carrying (market) value brought forward<br>Additions at cost<br>Disposals at carrying value<br>Gain/(Loss) on revaluation<br>Net increase/(decrease) in cash<br>Carrying (market) value carried forward<br>_Gains/(losses) on investments_<br>Unrealised (from above)<br>Realised on disposal of fixed asset investments<br>_The investments above are analysed as follows:_<br>Listed investments<br>Cash or cash equivalents|**Listed**<br>**investments**<br>**£**<br>917,095<br>-<br>(917,095)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>(36,797)<br>(36,797)<br>-<br>-<br>-|**Cash**<br>**£**<br>13,745<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>(13,745)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>930,840<br>-<br>(917,095)<br>-<br>(13,745)<br>-<br>-<br>(36,797)<br>(36,797)<br>-<br>-<br>-|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>1,316,539<br>110,477<br>(140,484)<br>(283,082)<br>(72,610)|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||930,840|
|||||(283,082)<br>89,699|
|||||(193,383)|
|||||917,095<br>13,745|
|||||930,840|



## **15. Debtors** 

|**15. Debtors**|||
|---|---|---|
|Trade debtors<br>Other debtors<br>Prepayments<br>Accrued income receivable within one year|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>864<br>5,031<br>54,651<br>60,546|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>7,560<br>2,969<br>146,838|
|||157,367|



Accrued income consists of £50,271 (2023: £146,787) of grant income receivable, £187 (2023: £51) of gift aid recoverable and £4,193 of interest receivable. 



52 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **16. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year** 

|**16. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Trade creditors<br>Accruals<br>Deferred income (see below)<br>Other creditors<br>Taxation and social security<br>_Deferred income_<br>ViiV - Positive Action|**Brought**<br>**forward**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-|**Released**<br>**in year**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>7,314<br>21,022<br>66,908<br>4,393<br>10,735<br>110,372<br>**Deferred**<br>**in year**<br>**£**<br>66,908<br>66,908|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>23,058<br>26,294<br>-<br>4,596<br>10,465|
|||||64,413|
|||||**Carried**<br>**forward**<br>**£**<br>66,908|
|||||66,908|



## **17. Analysis of net assets between funds** 

|Intangible fixed assets<br>Tangible fixed assets<br>Fixed asset investments<br>Current assets<br>Current liabilities|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>59,283<br>4,862<br>-<br>(64,773)<br>(110,372)<br>(111,000)|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>182,305<br>-<br>182,305|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>564,756<br>-<br>564,756|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>59,283<br>4,862<br>-<br>682,288<br>(110,372)<br>636,061|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>88,924<br>7,073<br>930,840<br>213,788<br>(64,413)|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||1,176,212|





FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 53 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **18. Analysis of net movement in funds** 

|**18. Analysis of net movement in funds**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|_Endowment funds_<br>Expendable endowment<br>Fair value reserve<br>_Total endowment funds_<br>_Restricted funds_<br>Vitol Foundation - Youth Boost<br>Vitol Foundation - Youth Boost<br>ViiV Healthcare - Technical support to<br>ViiV - Prevention<br>ViiV - Strategic Fund<br>ViiV - Positive Action<br>Gilead Sciences Inc - Knowledge to<br>Gilead Sciences Inc - Support for<br>Gilead Sciences Inc - Zeroing in<br>Gilead Sciences Inc - Monkeypox<br>Gilead Sciences Inc - Testing and<br>Mercury Phoenix Trust - Be in the<br>Mercury Phoenix Trust - What People<br>Risk Pool Fund - Youth Boost<br>VSO/Eagle - Mozambique project<br>VSO/Eagle - Sena and Chiute<br>Reach_(previously Praekelt)_(EJAF) -<br>Sentebale<br>_Total restricted funds_<br>_Unrestricted funds_<br>_Designated funds_<br>Fixed asset reserve<br>General Fund<br>_Total unrestricted funds_<br>Total funds|||**Year ended 31 March 2024**||||
||**Total funds**<br>**brought**<br>**forward**<br>**£**<br>673,127<br>257,714<br>930,841<br>57,471<br>-<br>-<br>47,225<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>92,848<br>41,379<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>26,878<br>-<br>14,694<br>116,453<br>-<br>396,948<br>7,072<br>7,072<br>(158,649)<br>(151,577)<br>1,176,212|**Total**<br>**incoming**<br>**resources**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>37,012<br>79,913<br>-<br>13,382<br>13,259<br>-<br>78,419<br>-<br>-<br>99,844<br>-<br>24,663<br>-<br>-<br>(24,313)<br>(1,427)<br>-<br>320,752<br>-<br>-<br>40,642<br>40,642<br>361,394|**Total**<br>**resources**<br>**expended**<br>**£**<br>(4,513)<br>-<br>(4,513)<br>(57,471)<br>(23,016)<br>(31,032)<br>(47,225)<br>(7,231)<br>(22,967)<br>-<br>(14,219)<br>(92,848)<br>(41,379)<br>(57,588)<br>-<br>(8,134)<br>(26,878)<br>-<br>9,619<br>(115,026)<br>-<br>(535,395)<br>(2,211)<br>(2,211)<br>(322,629)<br>(324,840)<br>(864,748)|**Gains and**<br>**(losses) on**<br>**investments**<br>**£**<br>220,917<br>(257,714)<br>(36,797)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>(36,797)|**Transfers**<br>**between**<br>**funds**<br>**£**<br>(324,775)<br>-<br>(324,775)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>324,775<br>324,775<br>-|**Total funds**<br>**carried**<br>**forward**<br>**£**<br>564,756<br>-|
|||||||564,756|
|||||||-<br>13,996<br>48,881<br>-<br>6,151<br>(9,708)<br>-<br>64,200<br>-<br>-<br>42,256<br>-<br>16,529<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|
|||||||182,305|
|||||||4,861|
|||||||4,861<br>(115,861)|
|||||||(111,000)|
|||||||636,061|





54 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **18. Analysis of net movement in funds (continued)** 

|**18. Analysis of net movement in funds**|**(continued)**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|_Endowment funds_<br>Expendable endowment<br>Fair value reserve<br>_Total endowment funds_<br>_Restricted funds_<br>Vitol Foundation - Youth Boost<br>ViiV Healthcare - Technical support to<br>ViiV - Prevention<br>Gilead Sciences Inc - Knowledge to<br>Gilead Sciences Inc - Support for<br>Gilead Sciences Inc - Zeroing in<br>Gilead Sciences Inc - Monkeypox<br>Mercury Phoenix Trust - Be in the<br>Risk Pool Fund - Youth Boost<br>VSO/Eagle - Mozambique project<br>VSO/Eagle - Sena and Chiute<br>Reach_(previously Praekelt)_(EJAF) -<br>Sentebale<br>_Total endowment funds_<br>_Unrestricted funds_<br>_Designated funds_<br>Fixed asset reserve<br>General Fund<br>_Total unrestricted funds_<br>Total funds|||**Year ended 31 March 2023**||||
||**Total funds**<br>**brought**<br>**forward**<br>**£**<br>775,113<br>541,426<br>1,316,539<br>60,391<br>2,400<br>-<br>35,446<br>20,676<br>175,135<br>-<br>18,120<br>-<br>31,651<br>-<br>343,980<br>-<br>687,799<br>2,883<br>2,883<br>(78,907)<br>(76,024)<br>1,928,314|**Total**<br>**incoming**<br>**resources**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>137,320<br>-<br>58,554<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>43,359<br>-<br>39,694<br>-<br>60,783<br>19,632<br>14,146<br>373,488<br>-<br>-<br>55,874<br>55,874<br>429,362|**Total**<br>**resources**<br>**expended**<br>**£**<br>(8,870)<br>-<br>(8,870)<br>(140,240)<br>(2,400)<br>(11,329)<br>(35,446)<br>(20,676)<br>(82,287)<br>(1,980)<br>(18,120)<br>(12,816)<br>(31,651)<br>(46,089)<br>(247,159)<br>(14,146)<br>(664,339)<br>(3,452)<br>(3,452)<br>(311,420)<br>(314,872)<br>(988,081)|**Gains and**<br>**(losses) on**<br>**investments**<br>**£**<br>90,329<br>(283,712)<br>(193,383)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>(193,383)|**Transfers**<br>**between**<br>**funds**<br>**£**<br>(183,445)<br>-<br>(183,445)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>7,641<br>7,641<br>175,804<br>183,445<br>-|**Total funds**<br>**carried**<br>**forward**<br>**£**<br>673,127<br>257,714|
|||||||930,841|
|||||||57,471<br>-<br>47,225<br>-<br>-<br>92,848<br>41,379<br>-<br>26,878<br>-<br>14,694<br>116,453<br>-|
|||||||396,948|
|||||||7,072|
|||||||7,072<br>(158,649)|
|||||||(151,577)|
|||||||1,176,212|





FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 55 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **19. Description of funds** 

|Expendable endowment|Expendable endowment funds comprise an expendable endowment donated to the charity in 1989.|
|---|---|
|Fair value reserve|Representing the variance between cost and fair value of the charity's investment assets.|
|Vitol Foundation - Youth Boost|Funds received for the Youth Boost project and Boost evaluation.|
|ViiV Healthcare - Technical support to|Funds received from ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action for Children Fund to support Umunthu's|
|Umunthu project|Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission project.|
|Gilead Sciences Inc - Knowledge to|Funds received to support digital communications to build health literacy among those most impacted|
|Action|by HIV through our Be in the KNOW website.|
|Gilead Sciences Inc - Support for<br>practitioners|Funds received to support provision of COVID-19 information.|
|Gilead Sciences Inc - Zeroing in|Funds received to support communications work with young adults and community health workers.|
|Gilead Sciences Inc - Monkeypox|Funds received to support knowledge and action for populations who need to know.|
|Mercury Phoenix Trust  - Be in the Know|Funds received to support the development of our Be in the KNOW website.|
|Risk Pool Fund - Youth Boost|Funds received to upgrade our Youth Boost app in Zimbabwe.|
|VSO/Eagle - Mozambique project|Funds received to support the empowerment of adolescent girls to learn and earn in Mozambique.|
|VSO/Eagle - Sena and Chiute|Funds received to support the empowerment of adolescent girls to learn and earn for people of Sena|
||and Chiute origins.|
|Sentebale|Funds received to support a scoping trip to Botswana and Lesotho to present Boost.|
|Reach_(previously Praekelt)_(EJAF) -|Funds received via the Elton John AIDS Foundation in partnership with Reach _(previously Praekelt)_ to|
|Young Africa Live|build an integrated digital health information platform for young people.|
|Mercury Phoenix Trust  - Young Voices|Funds received from Mercury Phoenix Trust to support the charity's Promoting knowledge and|
||education projects.|
|Mercury Phoenix Trust - PrEP|Funds received from Mercury Phoenix Trust to create a social media campaign promoting awareness,|
||interest, support and demand for PrEP among young people in Southern Africa.|
|Risk Pool Fund - Be in the Know|Funds received from the Risk Pool Fund in collaboration with The Vitol Foundation to evaluate sexual|
|(Zambia)|health communications during the coronavirus epidemic in Zambia.|
|Fixed asset reserve|Designated funds representing the net book value of fixed assets.|
|General funds|Funds available for use at the discretion of the trustees.|





56 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **20. Transfers between funds** 

|**Unrestricted**<br>**Designated**<br>**From**<br>**To**<br>**Funds**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>_Transfer 1_<br>Expendable endowment<br>General fund<br>107,225<br>-<br>107,225<br>-<br>_Transfer 2_<br>General fund<br>Fixed Assets<br>651<br>(651)<br>651<br>(651)<br>Transfer from expendable endowment funds to general fund to support the expenditure of the|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>charity.|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>(107,225)<br>(107,225)<br>-<br>-|**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-|
|---|---|---|---|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|



Transfer from general funds to fixed assets designated fund representing the additions to and disposal of fixed assets. 

|_Transfer 3_<br>Gilead Sciences 1<br>General fund<br>44,524<br>-<br>(44,524)<br>44,524<br>-<br>(44,524)<br>152,400<br>(651)<br>(44,524)<br>Transfer from general funds in respect of IT infrastructure expenditure funded by restricted fund.|-<br>-<br>(107,225)|-|
|---|---|---|
|||-|
|||-|



## **21. Proposed cessaton of activities** 

In the period since the year end the trustees after consultation resolved to cease activities at December 2024 and pass Avert's work and remaining assets to 3 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in east and Southern Africa, who we have been working with and have similar objects aligning with our values and mission. At the time of writing this report the trustees with the assistance of the charity's senior management are putting in place the necessary agreements with funders and the recipient organisations to complete the closure and transfer of assets. The charity is on track to complete the transfer strategy by December 2024 and will then commence the work associated with the charity's close out which is expected to be completed by April 2025.  A final set of accounts and report will be produced for this period. 

No adjustments to the carrying value of assets are necessary as a result of the planned closure. 

## **22. Financial instruments** 

The carrying amounts of the charity's financial instruments are as follows: 

|_Financial assets_<br>Measured at fair value through net income/(expenditure):<br>Fixed asset investments*<br>_*Fair value is taken as the average of the bid and offer price for each security_|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>930,840|
|---|---|---|
|||930,840|





FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 | 57 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **22. Financial instruments (continued)** 

|**22. Financial instruments (continued)**|||
|---|---|---|
|_Financial assets_<br>Measured at amortised cost:<br>Trade debtors<br>_Financial liabilities_<br>Measured at amortised cost:<br>Trade creditors|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>7,314<br>7,314|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-|
|||-|
|||23,058|
|||23,058|



The income, expense, net gains and net losses attributable to the charity's financial instruments are summarised as follows: 

|_Income and expense_<br>Financial assets measured at fair value through net income/(expenditure)<br>Investment income<br>Investment management fees<br>_Net gains and losses (including changes In fair value)_<br>Financial assets measured at fair value through net income/(expenditure)<br>Unrealised gains/(losses) on investments<br>Realised gains/(losses) on investments|**2024**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>32,419<br>(4,513)<br>27,906<br>-<br>(36,797)<br>(36,797)|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>41,554<br>(8,870)|
|---|---|---|
|||32,684|
|||(283,082)<br>89,699|
|||(193,383)|



Fixed asset investments are held at fair value with valuations obtained using closing mid-market price. 



58 |[FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024] 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

|**23. Comparative statement of financial activities**<br>**Note**<br>**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:**<br>Donations and legacies<br>**1**<br>Charitable activities<br>**2**<br>Investments<br>**3**<br>**Total**<br>**EXPENDITURE ON:**<br>Raising funds - Investment management<br>**4**<br>Raising funds - Seeking funds<br>**4**<br>Charitable activities<br>**5**<br>**Total**<br>Net gains/(losses) on investment assets<br>**Net Income/(expenditure)**<br>**Transfers between funds**<br>**18**<br>**Net movement in funds**<br>**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**<br>**Total funds brought forward (restated)**<br>**18**<br>**Total funds carried forward**<br>**18**|**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>5,789<br>8,359<br>41,726<br>55,874<br>-<br>72,471<br>242,401<br>314,872<br>-<br>(258,998)<br>183,445<br>(75,553)<br>(76,024)<br>(151,577)|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>373,488<br>-<br>-<br>373,488<br>-<br>-<br>664,339<br>664,339<br>-<br>(290,851)<br>-<br>(290,851)<br>687,799<br>396,948|**Endowment**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>8,870<br>-<br>-<br>8,870<br>(193,383)<br>(202,253)<br>(183,445)<br>(385,698)<br>1,316,539<br>930,841|**2023**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>379,277<br>8,359<br>41,726|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||429,362|
|||||8,870<br>72,471<br>906,740|
|||||988,081|
|||||(193,383)|
|||||(752,102)<br>-|
|||||(752,102)<br>1,928,314|
|||||1,176,212|






www.avert.info General email: info@avert.org 

## PHOTO CREDITS 

cover & contents © Gulshan Khan/Avert/Ikusasa Lethu pp.2–3  © Kerstin Hacker pp.4–5, 6–7, 8–9 & 14–15  © Gulshan Khan/Avert/Ikusasa Lethu p.17  © Tinashe Madamombe p.18–19  © Hilton Matyatya p.20–21 main photo  © Gulshan Khan/Avert/Ikusasa Lethu p.20 A personal perspective © Lucy Gale pp.22, 24–25, 29, 30, 31 & 35 © Gulshan Khan/Avert/Ikusasa Lethu 

Registered UK charity no. 1074849 Registered UK company no. 03716796