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2024-03-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

BBC Media Action is a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 1076235) and a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (no. 3521587) at Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA.

The trustees, who are the directors for the purposes of company law, present their Annual Report and Accounts, including the Strategic Report, together with the financial statements of BBC Media Action for the year ended 31 March 2024.

© BBC Media Action Copyright 2024

BBC Media Action is a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 1076235) and a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (no. 3521587) at Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA. You can download this publication from bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/about/annual-reports/

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BBC Media Action | Annual Report and Accounts

Contents

IN THIS DOCUMENT

Impact ~~7~~ report

Foreword

Impact report

32

Strategic report

Strategic report

Our organisation & our finances

Auditors’ report 57
Accounts 61

39 Our organisation and our finances

79 Additional information

The BBC's international charity

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BBC Media Action | Annual Report and Accounts

Foreword

A NOTE FROM OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I’m delighted to be writing my first foreword to the BBC Media Action Annual Report.

Since stepping into the CEO role in July 2023, I have been blown away by BBC Media Action’s incredible impact – whether delivering a radio drama in South Sudan that tackles gender-based violence in six different languages, or working through heavy restrictions in some of the world’s most difficult media environments. We really are a jewel in the BBC’s crown.

Our work has never been more needed. We live in a global crisis of trust. Some 72% of the world’s population – that is 5.7 billion people – now live in autocracies. False and misleading information, much of it deliberate, threatens human health, democracy and development. People are so swamped with information that they often no longer know who or what they can trust. At the same time, increasing political, technological and economic pressures are squeezing out independent media.

Simon Bishop, Chief Executive Officer

That is where we come in. Working with the editorial standards and public service principles of the BBC, we ensure that people have access to information they can trust, so they can make sense of the world, make informed decisions and hold leaders to account.

This year, we completed a pioneering media development project across Sierra Leone, Bangladesh and Ethiopia, demonstrating what works in supporting public interest media. We expanded our footprint into Solomon Islands, with more work in the Pacific to come. I’m incredibly proud that we are supporting women-led radio stations in Afghanistan to stay on air, and that Ukrainian journalists on the frontlines of conflict are safer and better able to serve their audiences because of our work with them.

Most of all, I’m proud of our people. Amid multiple crises and conflicts, 2023–24 was a trying year in international development, and BBC Media Action has keenly felt these pressures. Yet, through it all, our people continued to deliver support for public service media that truly saves and changes lives.

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BBC Media Action | Annual Report and Accounts

Foreword

In the last half of this financial year, we set three organisational priorities: championing people and culture, setting a bold new organisational strategy, and restoring our finances to good health. We have made difficult decisions to continue to serve our audiences and ensure our sustainability as an organisation.

This shift to our business model, combined with a bold new strategy unveiled in May 2024, sets us on course to ensure that trustworthy public service media reaches those who need it most. It brings us closer to the heart of the BBC. Most importantly, it allows us to deliver greater impact to address division, disinformation and distrust around the world, and to ensure that people can realise their right to trustworthy information.

My gratitude and admiration go to all the incredible people around the world who have delivered the amazing impact detailed in these pages.

Si with our Bangladesh team stationed in Cox's Bazar

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BBC Media Action | Annual Report and Accounts

Foreword

A NOTE FROM OUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR

We pen this foreword at a time of extraordinary change for BBC Media Action.

Externally, change has come amid increasing – and increasingly brutal – conflict and disaster, stretching overseas aid budgets more than ever before. More than half of the world’s population were scheduled to go to the polls in 2024, and false and misleading information, enabled by the rise of AI, plays a growing and terrifying role in fuelling division, polarisation and distrust.

Francesca Unsworth, Chair

And internally, there has been change too. In 2023-24 BBC Media Action welcomed a new Chief Executive Officer in Si Bishop and bid a grateful farewell to Caroline Nursey OBE, who led us for 14 years. We wrestled with the impacts of dwindling aid budgets, technological advancements, and a young global population that is coming online and consuming media in vastly different ways. Yet, we continued to serve the poorest and hardest-to-reach communities with media and communication on issues that matter most to them – ranging from better health for their families to adapting livelihoods amid the climate crisis.

This year feels a lifetime away from 2018, when BBC Media Action last set an organisational strategy. We have used an inclusive process to develop a bold new strategy that takes an honest look at these challenges and our organisation’s role – both within the BBC and in international development.

Awo Ablo, Vice Chair

This new strategy clearly outlines how we can deliver our objectives over the next three years, based on the BBC’s values. As the international development sector examines how to transfer power back to the communities we work in and for, it is right that localisation is also an essential part of this strategy to ensure access to trustworthy information for all.

BBC Media Action truly brings the best of the BBC – its creativity, diversity, innovation and absolute commitment to truth with no agenda – to all of its work. Thank you to all our staff, board, donors, partners and supporters for your contributions. We are grateful for and look forward to your continued support.

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BBC Media Action | Annual Report and Accounts

OUR VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international charity, registered in the UK and working in international development.

We bring the best of the BBC to our work around the world – supporting trustworthy public service media essential to democracy and development, and ensuring audiences have trusted information and stories that inform, connect and inspire change for the better. Amid a global crisis of trust, our work has never been more important.

We benefit from strong partnerships with the BBC. But we rely on our donors to fund our work.

Our vision

A world where informed and empowered people live in healthy, resilient and inclusive communities.

Our mission

With our partners we reach millions of people through creative communication and trusted media, helping people have their say, understand their rights, responsibilities and each other, and take action to transform their lives.

Public benefit

In May 2024 the trustees approved a new BBC Media Action organisational strategy for the three years to 2027. When reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities, the trustees confirm that they have given due regard to the public benefit guidance as published by the Charity Commission, as required under the Charities Act 2011.

Our charitable objectives include education and training, advancing health, preventing or relieving poverty, and overseas aid.

Soksan Family (Happy Family) TV drama crews in Cambodia – part of BBC Media Action’s Klahan9 SPACE project – support young people to get involved in public life

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WHERE WE WORK

----- Start of picture text -----
USA office
Boston
Ukraine
Georgia
Moldova
London
Armenia
Afghanistan
Kabul
Algeria Tunisia Nepal
Kathmandu
Tunis
Libya Myanmar
Yangon
Cambodia
Phnom Penh
Ethiopia
Addis Ababa
Solomon
Islands
India
Sierra Leone South Sudan Somalia Honiara
Delhi
Freetown Juba
Hargeisa
Nigeria Bangladesh
Abuja Dhaka
Tanzania Indonesia
Dar es Salaam Jakarta
Barbados Zambia Kenya
Lusaka Nairobi
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We opened a new project in summer 2024 covering Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu.

The BBC's international charity

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IMPACT REPORT

p.9

Highlights from our year

p.12

Eastern Europe and the Caucasus

p.13

p.23 Asia and the Pacific

Africa

North Africa 24 Afghanistan
14
Tunisia, Algeria, Libya		 25 Bangladesh
Southern Africa
15
Zambia		 26
27
28		 Cambodia
India
Indonesia
East Africa 29 Myanmar
16
Ethiopia
17
Kenya		 30
31		 Nepal
Solomon Islands
18
Somalia
19
South Sudan
20
Tanzania

West Africa

21 Nigeria 22 Sierra Leone

The BBC's international charity

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BBC Media Action | Annual Report and Accounts

25 YEARS OF MEASURING IMPACT

(1999-2024)

----- Start of picture text -----
Worked in
60
countries
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total income raised and used to deliver impact £651 MILLION over 25 years

average annual reach (since 2013):

100 – 200 MILLION

(including contributing 16-23m people per week to the BBC’s global audience)

Its ability to carve out a space for challenging programming stands in some contrast to the general decline in media freedom worldwide. ”

DFID (now FCDO)

In 2023-2024, BBC Media Action reached more than 100 million people around the world, working in 24 countries

In 2023-2024, BBC Media Action co-produced content in more than 50 languages

BBC Media Action is uniquely placed to deliver measurable impact through our work, which is rooted in audience metrics and advanced impact metric tools. We measure the impact of our programmes on people, communities and media ecosystems and prioritise understanding of what brings about change, how and why.

The BBC's international charity

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Impact report

HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR YEAR

We reached 100 million people around the world, working in more than 50 languages and 24 countries – and increasing into nearly 30 in the next financial year!

Photo by BBC Media Action Ethiopia

We were thrilled to win an Averted Disaster Award special recognition, for our lifesaving work with local radio stations on climate change in Kenya. We connect climate scientists and journalists so that media outlets can produce clear, accurate and trustworthy information that listeners can easily understand and apply.

Photo by BBC Media Action Kenya

We continued to support local media partners on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, helping local broadcasters to report more safely and effectively on the conflict, and deliver vital trustworthy information to audiences.

Photo courtesy of Suspilne

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Impact report

We began production on Gaza Lifeline programming for children and their carers, amid war and a serious humanitarian crisis. The three-month series includes critical information about physical and psychological health and child protection for carers, and songs and stories as respite for the children.

Graphic for Zaza and Zuzu courtesy of BBC Media Action North Africa

We worked with Ukraine’s national broadcaster Suspilne to produce Visible, a landmark series of films dispelling LGBTQI+ stigma in Ukraine and showcasing the wartime contributions of these communities.

Photo courtesy of Suspilne

In Afghanistan our team continued to work tirelessly to support local radio broadcasters – including several women-led, womenfocused radio stations – to deliver critical health and humanitarian information to communities amid severe restrictions.

Photo by BBC Media Action Afghanistan

In Nepal, we worked with influencers and high-profile individuals on a 16 Days of Action series focused on gender-based violence and online harassment, reaching 2.6 million people.

Photo by BBC Media Action Nepal

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Following devastating flooding in Libya, we launched Lifeline programming on our digital current affairs platform El Kul (For Everyone), helping audiences understand how to access safe water and shelter, sharing up-to-date information on the flood response, and dispelling rumours and misinformation. Our team received a BBC News Award nomination for their efforts.

Photo by BBC Media Action

We contributed to voices for climate action at COP28 with a high-level event moderated by BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt and launched a powerful series with the Global Center on Adaptation, showcasing stories of local adaptation produced by local journalists and contentcreators following training by our Bangladesh team.

Photo by BBC Media Action

We joined the Concordia Summit, alongside the UN General Assembly, speaking to the pressing need to combat mis- and disinformation as a major threat to democracy and development.

Photo courtesy of Concordia Summit

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Impact report

EASTERN EUROPE AND THE CAUCASUS

Due to the challenging situation regarding freedom of speech and access to information in Donbas, we make a lot of effort to provide… people with quality informational alternatives and strengthen their resilience to propaganda.

Our team is proud of the fact that, despite sometimes very challenging working conditions and overall instability, we continue to work for our audience and adhere to the principles of conflict-sensitive journalism and professional standards.

When working on the issues of mine safety, it is essential for us not only to demonstrate the scale of the problem but also to underline the correct way for people to behave with explosive objects. ”

Yuliia Didenko, Editor-in-Chief, News of Donbas Video. We support News of Donbas, which serves communities in occupied areas and near the conflict frontlines in Ukraine.

Photo courtesy of Yuliia Didenko

BBC Media Action has worked in Eastern Europe for more than a decade, supporting and strengthening local public service media. We strive to ensure that audiences have access to trustworthy information at a time when disinformation is widespread and driven by fast-advancing technology and AI.

This year we began work on a new Eastern Neighbourhood Combatting Disinformation project funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). This project supports local media partners in Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia and Georgia to produce trustworthy public interest content to help counter misand disinformation in the region. In Moldova this includes extensive work with the national broadcaster TeleRadio Moldova, including an internship programme.

We supported the Ukraine public broadcaster Suspilne to produce Visible, a film project also supported by the National Democratic Institute with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Visible examines the positive roles of LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or queer and intersex) and gender diverse communities in wartime, including frontline roles. In telling their stories in relatable ways, this project tackles deeply held stigmas and stereotypes.

Our Humanitarian Communication Support project covers Ukraine, through which we support Suspilne’s regional operations in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia oblasts in Eastern Ukraine. This support includes mentoring, training in producing Lifeline content and surviving in hostile environments, providing personal protective equipment and security consultations, and strengthened connections with humanitarian agencies.

This initiative helps to ensure that audiences near the frontline can access vital, potentially lifesaving, trusted information. In addition, our work funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) increases public awareness of unexploded ordnance in Ukraine, the most heavily mined country in the world.

Impact report 13

BBC Media Action | Annual Report and Accounts

Photo by BBC Media Action

AFRICA

Our work in Africa spans the continent. We support media organisations ranging from national broadcasters to tiny community radio stations. In some remote locations – beyond the reach of radio and TV broadcasting and where mobile phones remain scarce – we provide radio access through solar-powered and wind-up radios preloaded with content that is shared with listening groups. We work with the power of media and communication to strengthen development and democracy, from highlighting the rights of women and girls, to improving reproductive rights and health for people living with disabilities, and ensuring that young people are heard by local decision-makers.

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BBC Media Action | Annual Report and Accounts

NORTH AFRICA

Tunisia, Algeria, Libya

El Kul was founded in 2015 as a training project for local journalists… We now have six staff based in Tunis, most of whom are Libyan, four freelance content producers, and… 15 reporters across Libya. The flood affected all Libyans. Even if you don’t have someone in the region, we are all connected. ”

Barkawi Amaka, El Kul assistant editor

Sara Alhouni and Barkawi Amaka after a BBC News award nomination for El Kul' s work during the Libya floods in September 2023. Photo by BBC Media Action. Photo by BBC Media Action

We put a spotlight on inspiring stories of individuals, including women, who volunteered their time to help in affected regions, to help inspire others and to show the solidarity of Libyan people. ”

Sara Alhouni, El Kul outreach officer

Our work in North Africa covers Algeria, Libya and Tunisia, with a base in Tunis.

Our major project for Libyan audiences is El Kul (For Everyone), a digital news and current affairs platform run by a small production team in Tunis and a network of freelancers across Libya. In addition to responding to the devastating flooding in Derna in September 2023, the team delivers content spanning a wide range of topics – sharing colourful insights into Libyan life and trends, while tackling gender inequality, stigma against migrants and other contemporary issues.

Following the flooding, El Kul countered fast-spreading online misinformation with trustworthy information about what was happening, where and how to seek help, how host communities could welcome refugees, and coverage of reconstruction and recovery efforts. In the three months after the crisis, El Kul ’s 90 posts achieved a unique reach of 7.5 million, including approximately 60,000 per month in Derna, and 1.9 million likes, comments and shares. In April 2024, El Kul was nominated for a BBC News Award for their efforts.

We also delivered groundbreaking work to help build resilience to mis- and disinformation in Libya through a UNDP-funded project. Our evidence base of what works and what does not in using creative mass media to tackle information disorder will be tested in a peer-reviewed scientific approach.

Our North Africa team is also leading our plans to bring psychosocial support to children and their caregivers in Gaza. Through short programmes containing songs, stories and expert psychological advice that will air in shelters from June 2024, this initiative will aim to help children be children in the middle of a devastating war and its aftermath.

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Impact report

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Zambia

One of my stories on the Moto Project led to groundbreaking results: council retirees who were owed money … were paid their contributions, despite the local authority [earlier] not making the contributions which had been deducted from employees’ salaries.

A free press is like democracy, or freedom for journalists to report freely, considering that they are the eyes and ears of the public. Journalists must be able to report upon matters of public interest. A free and independent press helps connect the governed with the people in power so that they can access information they need to make informed decisions, and hold government to account. ”

Angela Mtambo, BBC Media Action Moto (Fire) trainee and broadcaster with Radio Luswepo, awarded a Media Institute for Southern Africa Zambia award for her investigative work

Photo by BBC Media Action Zambia

We have worked with 30 media partners in Zambia, reaching over 5 million people across TV, radio and online in seven languages. An impressive nine mentees under our Moto training project went on to win awards for their reports, covering diverse topics including corruption, health, disability rights and the mining industry.

Our governance programmes reached one-third of adults in our eight focal provinces. Our Tikambe! (Let’s Talk!) programme on radio, TV and Facebook, focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights, reached three in 10 young people aged 14–24 across four focal provinces.

Our Radio Waves project supported 15 media outlets, including the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, to produce stronger public interest content and live audience debates. Through our Citizens’ Voice project we also worked with the National Parliament radio and TV stations to enhance transparency and public engagement through their programming.

During the year we wrapped up our sexual- and gender-based violence project, Natwampane (Coming Together). Working with 16 FM stations in remote Luapula and Northern provinces, we reached 84% of 15–49 year-olds (over 1 million people). Some 65% of women and 59% of men listening demonstrated positive attitudes towards women’s rights and gender equality, compared to less than one-third of non-listeners.

We partnered with BBC Monitoring to conduct a study on mis- and disinformation originators and trends in Zambia, and trained and supported a network of 30 fact-checkers across the country to produce fact-checked content.

We also supported the Media Institute of Southern Africa to work on policy reform to improve media freedoms in Zambia, supporting more than 110 media houses to establish a media self-regulation council. We also produced media guidelines for reporting on gender-based violence, working with the Ministry of Gender, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and media practitioners, and trained journalists across all 10 provinces.

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EAST AFRICA

Ethiopia

In our country’s context, the trust and comfort that we ct had on social media are no longer there. I think they have changed totally. ”

Rehobot Ayalew, an Ethiopian fact-checker featured in LeArada (Cool), our podcast about staying safe online Photo by BBC Media Action Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, we worked with more than 10 local media partners in three languages – Afaan Oromo, Amharic and Wolayta. We reached over 10 million people with our health and hygiene content alone.

Ethiopia is one of three countries in our flagship Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED) project, which ended in March 2024. We worked with three local media outlets in Ethiopia to improve their production and editorial processes and standards, supporting their expansion into digital and their financial sustainability.

We tackled health, hygiene and vaccine hesitancy through the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition project, with radio, TV and social media content funded by Unilever and the FCDO. Our Engaging Young People Through Media project, funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, covered issues ranging from young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health services to improving their employment prospects.

We also produced the LeArada (Cool) podcast as part of a project on conflictsensitive and inclusive media coverage, focused on digital media literacy for young people and capacity strengthening for three community radio stations. LeArada is available on 11 platforms, including Apple and Spotify; its 20 weekly episodes were released with accompanying social media content.

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Impact report

Kenya

I enjoy listening to West FM and particularly the TVET [technical and vocational education and training] programme because they talk about the importance of acquiring skills. I heard them say that there is no age limit to education…. Listening to the programme motivated me to want to go back to school.

It was a bit challenging to go back to school because I still had family responsibilities and I also had to pay transport from my house to school. I also had to deal with perceptions from some of my community members who felt that it was a waste of time for a parent to go back to school… Nevertheless, I pressed on and completed my course in tailoring and design. My business is expanding, and I have also started an apprenticeship programme to train others... I am grateful to West FM for educating me on TVET and request them to continue sharing this information with listeners so that more people can benefit. ”

Antonina Khakuya, West FM listener in Bungoma Photo by BBC Media Action Kenya

In Kenya we mentored more than 16 broadcast partners, supporting them to tackle issues including climate change and preparedness for extreme weather, the value of technical and vocational education, and employment rights – particularly for people with disabilities and women.

We were thrilled to win an Averted Disaster Award special recognition for our lifesaving work with local radio stations on climate change. We connect climate scientists and journalists so that media outlets can produce clear, accurate and trustworthy information that listeners can easily understand and apply.

We also expanded our work on climate impacts through a project with WWF, funded by FCDO, mentoring radio stations to make content about conservation and sustainable livelihoods in the Amboseli ecosystem.

Our new project with Sightsavers, also funded by FCDO, tackled disability rights. Our research showed that stigma, discrimination, inaccessible facilities, communication difficulties and inadequate knowledge of their rights hinder people living with disabilities from finding meaningful employment, while women are held back by gender norms. In response, we worked with radio stations to create content to challenge these barriers and share success stories from employers and employees.

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Impact report

Somalia

The programme taught me how to become confident. I learned many new things, including how to adapt using weather forecast information during heavy rains, to avoid water pooling that may affect electricity wires. Also, I learned health knowledge and I advised my friends and neighbours about health issues. ”

Female Badqab (Safety) listener in Mogadishu, aged 20–45 File photo by BBC Media Action Somalia

People in Somalia are struggling to cope with droughts and flooding that disrupt livelihoods and food supply chains and are contributing to displacement and conflict over resources. Rising temperatures, extreme heat and water scarcity also contribute to illness and the loss of livestock.

We partnered with 11 radio stations across the country, working in two dialects – May and Maxa Tidhi. We provided Lifeline training and workshops, supporting local broadcasters to make longer-form content, and produced public service announcements broadcast on BBC Somali Service. Our research found that listeners were more aware of why flooding was happening and what they could do to safeguard their food supply, ensure they had access to clean water and sanitation, and adapt their livelihoods.

In Baidoa, we’ve connected journalists with humanitarian aid agencies, helping them to work together more effectively to ensure that crisis-affected people have the trustworthy information they need to make appropriate decisions. We supported women to play a more significant role in decision-making, including adapting to the impacts of climate change and protecting biodiversity.

We continue to work with media associations and local partner radio stations from across the country, to support young Somalis to build peace through their programming. We are also working to tackle mis- and disinformation in Somalia, researching why people share it, and mentoring radio stations and producing social media content to improve people’s resilience to false and misleading information.

Along with Barbados and Cambodia, Somalia is one of three countries where we work with UN Disaster Risk Reduction, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, to improve communication with people at risk of natural hazards. Together, we are improving early warning systems and ensuring crisis-affected people can take early action to protect themselves and their families.

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Impact report

South Sudan

After listening to the radio episode on disability inclusion, I was inspired to go to school… My grandmother was hesitant due to my physical impairment and the challenges to reach school. She later accepted and I was enrolled in… Primary 1. ”

13-year-old student in South Sudan and a listener of 'Our School', our radio programme that aims to keep children - especially girls and those with disabilities - in school

Photo by BBC Media Action South Sudan

In South Sudan, we reached 4.6 million people during the year, working with 26 broadcast partners across the country and delivering content and training in nine languages to support broadcasters and their audiences as they cope with extreme weather linked to climate change, increased numbers of refugees from conflict in neighbouring Sudan, ongoing challenges around health, gender-based violence and the aftermath of a long civil war, and a planned election.

We were delighted to prepare for the return of Life in Lulu this year! Our beloved radio drama series, which has been running since 2012, went into production at the end of this financial year. The programme, which reaches 1.4 million people, focuses on engaging young people in civic life, while also addressing other issues including governance and gender-based violence. Research into Life in Lulu ’s previous season found that a majority of listeners took action to resolve conflicts peacefully.

Through our factual radio magazine programme, we aim to increase young people’s civic engagement – particularly among young women. And our programme Sout Bitanina (Our Voices) aims to prevent gender-based violence, partly by engaging leaders from all walks of life – including the government, military, religious and traditional leaders, women leaders and civil society representatives.

We launched a Facebook page to support this work – establishing more inclusive spaces and platforms for young people to share their hopes for better governance, and an end to gender-based violence.

To address other challenges in South Sudan, our factual radio show, Let’s Talk About Us, facilitates conversations between service providers for mental, neurological and substance disorders and community members. And we continued to support the Girls Education South Sudan consortium by producing Our School, a radio programme to encourage parents and caregivers to keep their children in school. This project will close in 2024 and we look forward to sharing our learning and impact.

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Tanzania

Nowadays there are a lot of single mothers and yet they are young, they don’t get support from their partners, and they don’t know what to do, so I realise this is a big challenge.

In the programme about gender desks (at police stations), they explain very clearly that a mother should not raise the child alone (without support) if the father of the child is alive and he is stable financially. They also explain other kinds of violence such as physical abuse that someone can report at the gender desk.

[Learning about] the gender desk is the information that I have heard from the programme and use to help my community. I used to believe [that the] gender desk at a police station is not a safe place to report a case and maybe you need money to be sorted. ”

Gladys Kimario, a teacher in Dodoma, on what she learned from following Niambie! (Tell Me) on Instagram Photo by BBC Media Action Tanzania

In Tanzania we worked with 20 broadcast partners and 15 rebroadcasting partners, and reached 3 million people with our Broadcasting for Change project.

Our work with local radio shows focused on including young people and women in civic spaces and decision-making that affects them. We included a strong climate focus in our A National Conversation project, producing an 18-episode podcast in addition to our work with local broadcasters.

Through Broadcasting for Change we produced the national radio shows Niambie (Tell Me) and Tuyajenge (Let's Build It) focused on women’s and girls’ rights. These programmes are reinforced by digital content on Instagram and Facebook, and support our partner broadcasters to ensure they are more inclusive and prioritise gender, and safeguarding in their work.

We also produced the Safari ya Malezi (A Parenting Journey) national radio show through our Responsible Parenting and Family Care project.

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WEST AFRICA

Nigeria

The programme has increased my knowledge a lot, to the point of convincing me to agree to receive this [COVID-19] vaccine and also get tested (for HIV]. ”

Male participant, aged 26–30, in an outreach event in Katsina for our Unicef-funded project for young people Outreach event file photo by BBC Media Action Nigeria

In Nigeria, we worked with 15 radio stations across six states and the Federal Capital Territory, working in five languages – Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Kanuri. This work covered diverse themes including health, climate and the environment, supporting displaced people and those at risk from human trafficking, and humanitarian response.

Our Madubi (Mirror) radio programme focused on family planning for people with disabilities as part of the Sightsavers-led Inclusive Futures project. This project also included formative research, capacity-strengthening for local media partners, and social media content.

Through outreach events, radio discussion on our programmes Talk Your Own and Mu Tattauna (Let’s Talk) and accompanying social media, we enabled young Nigerians to make informed decisions about the COVID-19 vaccine and adopting measures to prevent HIV and HPV.

These programmes remain household names – 67% of Nigerians in Rivers state, and 63% in Ebonyi state, said they are aware of Talk Your Own. More than half (56%) of people surveyed in Katsina are aware of Mu Tattauna and 43% reported listening to it. Listeners reported better understanding of where and how to access health services, and were very likely to discuss health issues with others (78% of listeners surveyed in Rivers, 85% in Ebonyi and 66% in Katsina).

We also worked to improve how humanitarian organisations communicate with crisis-affected people, through Lifeline training and events. We supported displaced people in Adamawa State to become more self-reliant and integrated in local communities, by strengthening the capacity of local radio stations and co-producing radio programmes.

We continued using media and communication to reach women and girls, their families and community leaders, to combat sex trafficking in Edo State – through research, producing TV docu-dramas, and working with local radio stations.

Reflecting the risks to regional water and food supplies posed by climate change, we are working to strengthen integrated water resource management across the Niger basin, conducting research and identifying local media partners for future collaborations.

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Sierra Leone

I feel good doing this job. It is not an easy task – I Tt: felt shy at the beginning. But now people see me as a woman working in radio, sharing information not only for men but also for other women and girls.… I think they feel good seeing me sharing these messages. They believe in the radio and they trust in me in the community. They see me as a role model. ”

Sombo Angelina Fullah, presenter of Docket en Lappa (A small purse and woman’s wrapper), Radio Wanjei, Sierra Leone

Photo by BBC Media Action Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is one of three countries to host our flagship PRIMED project, which closed in March 2024. Through PRIMED, we worked with the national Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation and local partners to deliver mentoring and training, improve business planning, and address gender inequalities in both newsrooms and media content. We were proud to continue supporting efforts to develop a national plan for media viability, which received one of the first grants from the International Fund for Public Interest Media – co-founded by BBC Media Action and now an independent entity.

Our radio programme Docket en Lappa , co-produced with local radio partners, encouraged women’s participation in society, economics and politics.

We also continued working for improved health, nutrition and equality for people with disabilities, delivering short films and public service announcements on nutrition, and a powerful series on the life-changing power of prosthetics.

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Impact report

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

In Asia and the Pacific our work stretches from small local broadcasters operating under constant threat in Afghanistan, to award-winning social media and reality TV shows for young urban audiences in Cambodia and Indonesia.

Climate is a major focus for our work in Asia and the Pacific, supporting communities in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal and Solomon Islands with access to media content that helps them to adapt to and cope with the impacts of climate change, and hold leaders to account.

We supported the launch of Voice Blo Iu (Your Voice), the Solomon Islands’ first audience-led debate and discussion programme.

Photo by BBC Media Action Solomon Islands

In the next financial year, our work in the Pacific will expand to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea under an FCDO-funded project to support trustworthy, public interest media in the region.

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Afghanistan

We run a lot of call-in programmes because the audience likes them and we get to hear their opinions and concerns… With the solar panels and batteries, our signal reaches across the province and even beyond. We get male and female callers from everywhere. ”

Shahira (not her real name), a journalist who manages the Radio M station, despite increasing restrictions from the Taliban. With support from USAID’s Afghan Support Project, local radio stations like Shahira’s receive funds and equipment – including solar panels and batteries – and we provide training and mentoring.

Photo by BBC Media Action Afghanistan

During the year, we worked with 52 local radio partners in Afghanistan. We reach a regular audience of 3.5 million people with critical information through our weekly Darman (Healing) radio programme, which also airs on the BBC Afghan Service.

Our work in Afghanistan focuses on media development and programming about health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and knowledge about unexploded ordnance. Our audio and video public service announcements were distributed at health centres, on buses and on Facebook, where the most popular reached 1.5 million users.

We’re particularly proud of our national media survey, in which we interviewed over 2,600 people in all provinces to understand Afghans’ access to, and preference for, different media content and platforms, their trust in media, and how they use and share mis- and disinformation. These findings inform all our work and help our broadcast partners understand audience trends and interests.

As our team has grown, we continue to support our female colleagues to work despite increasing restrictions on women’s lives, supported by a small team of Afghan colleagues in London.

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Bangladesh

I had no idea about climate adaptation by local &e people before participating in the [BBC Media Action] training. But now I am finding so many climate adaptation stories for making news around me, which is amazing. To feel the importance of local people's adaptations for their survival in the situation of climate change, I think as a journalist it is my responsibility to find adaptation stories for the news and I am trying my best to do so. ”

Riktu Prasad, correspondent for Gaibandha district, DBC News, and BBC Media Action mentee

Photo by BBC Media Action Bangladesh

Our projects in Bangladesh span long-term development and critical humanitarian assistance, particularly in Cox’s Bazar, which is home to more than 1 million Rohingya refugees. Bangladesh is also one of our focus countries for Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED), our flagship media development project closing in March 2024.

With support from the Global Centre on Adaptation, we trained 60 journalists and content-creators from areas most vulnerable to climate change to report on how communities are leading their own adaptations, resulting in a steady stream of stories on local broadcast stations and social media. This content reached millions of people across the country, and was showcased in an event at the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP)28.

With funding from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), we trained journalists in public interest and humanitarian journalism. This resulted in stories from displacement camps, such as a report from a national news platform on the plight of Rohingya orphans.

We continue to lead YouthRISE, a four-year consortium programme funded by USAID to reduce conflict between Rohingya refugees and host communities. Together, we build people’s practical skills to earn livelihoods and resolve conflict, while also encouraging community discussions and strengthening local justice mechanisms.

Under this project, we trained 57 young Bangladeshis in digital literacy, helping them to identify misinformation and online risks, and to respond responsibly to digital threats. After this training, participants reported having greater understanding and confidence in navigating the digital landscape safely.

We launched a related, moderated Facebook page to share content and facilitate discussion on building vocational skills and digital literacy. The page achieved an average monthly growth rate of 2.33% and reached over 2.3 million people. It attracted a 24% engagement rate, or 123,600 likes, comments and shares.

We also trained and mentored eight Rohingya young people in social and digital monitoring. They created five editions of a fact-checking bulletin that countered false rumours and misconceptions – including using coconut oil to treat dengue fever, and misinformation about food rations.

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Cambodia

There are a variety of lessons that I have learned from Klahan9’s Roadshow but what I found most important is the topic around hate speech which is referring to using inappropriate words toward someone on social media. It is very necessary to be more thoughtful before throwing a comment. Commenting can be a dangerous weapon to somebody. ”

Chan Vai, a secondary student who joined the Klahan9 (Brave 9) Roadshow Academy. He is now sharing his learning with friends and classmates.

Photo by BBC Media Action Cambodia

In Cambodia, our 2023–24 work focused on increasing civic engagement among young people. We did this by training young media workers, strengthening the capacity of the broader media sector, producing and broadcasting content about youth participation in public life, and conducting outreach work with our local partners.

We produced 20 new episodes of our Soksan Family reality TV series, and published 267 pieces of social media content as part of our Klahan 9 (Brave 9) multimedia project, reaching more than 11 million people. Our research found that 90% of online youth surveyed believe our content has enhanced their soft skills and awareness of community issues, and 67% say they are inspired to engage more in volunteering activities, discuss issues with their peers and parents, and practise online safety as a result.

We organised roadshows to screen our content and train young people in digital and media literacy skills. We also worked with local partners to train more than 50 young media practitioners – including 25 young women, one LGBTQI+ person and one Indigenous young person– in effective media production, resulting in 167 pieces of online content from a youth perspective.

We started working on a Risk Communication for Early Action project to use media and communication to contribute to early warning and early action, focusing on hard-to-reach populations. In time, we hope that this will help to mitigate damage, loss of life and livelihoods from extreme weather and natural hazards.

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India

In the past people used to look at us and move away from us … Now the situation has changed. Today I’m invited to places and offered a seat, or some water or tea. There is definitely a shift in the way people see me, which makes me happy. ”

Indira, a waste picker from Bengaluru, in an interview with the BBC’s People Fixing the World Podcast who was part of Coffee with Recyclers, our four-part YouTube series to overcome prejudice against this group. Photo by BBC Media Action India

Our 2023–24 work in India encompasses social inclusion, challenging gender norms, adolescent health and rights, and environmental sustainability. With support from the H&M Foundation, we continued to address attitudes towards waste pickers in Bengaluru, working to make their contributions more visible. We delivered two social media campaigns, including collaborations with influencers. Data showed that this content sparked meaningful conversations and inspired others to join the campaign. We co-created viral social media content and a long-format four-part YouTube series, Coffee with Recyclers. Overall we reached 10.6 million people through our campaign.. We were proud to have our work featured on the BBC’s People Fixing the World podcast.

This year we completed a one-year planning project, funded by the Gates Foundation, looking at gender norms around the ownership and use of mobile phones among young women in suburban communities in India. This work will help support interventions that can overcome these norms, and support women's economic empowerment through digital. This work was presented at a Yale Inclusion Economics event on ‘Women and the Digital Economy’ and the abstract has been accepted for presentation at the University of Oxford during a Sustainable Development Workshop in the next financial year.

In partnership with Unicef, we continued our work with the AadhaFULL (Half-full) brand on adolescent health and rights, which used multi-media approaches to challenge gender stereotypes and discrimination against adolescent girls. We created six new graphic novels as part of this ongoing series, working with local community groups.

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Indonesia

Whenever my mother tells me to buy a motorcycle, I tell her that I don’t want to buy it as it is going to add more pollution in our atmosphere. ”

A young man in Jakarta, aged 18-23, in speaking with our researchers. Our TV drama, #CeritaKita , helped audiences understand environmental issues and built motivation to discuss them in public

Photo courtesy of BBC Media Action Indonesia's Aksi Kita Instagram

In Indonesia we continue to focus on climate and the environment. We reached 20 million people in Indonesia in 2023–24, mainly through social media.

Our For the People project aims to provide fairer access to natural resources for Indigenous communities. We created 40 episodes of audiovisual content, held more than 100 discussion clubs in 15 villages with our local partner KKI Warsi, and involved four Indigenous communities from Kalimantan and Sumatra. Participating communities have gained new skills and knowledge of digital media, an increased knowledge of community land rights, and have adopted agricultural, agroforestry, eco-tourism and handicraft suggestions from the videos.

Movingly, we supported the Orang Rimba Indigenous communities to speak publicly for the first time during community dialogues attended by government officials and private sector representatives, as well as speaking on TV, radio, and in seminars and workshops. Our discussion clubs also sparked changes among women's groups in the Dayak tribe – these women are now actively sustaining local handicraft traditions, with younger women eager to learn from their elders.

Our digital brand #AksiKitaIndonesia on Instagram continued to examine trends and topics around environmental sustainability that appeal to young people. In March 2024 alone, our content reached over 10 million people, with an impressive average engagement of 11%.

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Myanmar

In the past, I felt shy to buy contraceptive pills. But now, I do cc not feel shy. I feel brave to buy it for my health and [pregnancy] prevention. ”

A 23-year-old woman in Ayeyarwaddy Region who follows the Ma Shet Ne (Don’t Be Shy) Facebook page

Graphic courtesy of BBC Media Action's Ma Shet Ne Facebook page

Amid a difficult and heavily restricted media environment, we continued working in Myanmar in the areas of health, nutrition and social inclusion, primarily through social media augmented by print-ready content.

Our sexual and reproductive health and rights project Ma Shet Ne (Don’t Be Shy) earned 3 million social media followers in the calendar year 2023, targeting young people with quality digital media content to build their knowledge and understanding, and provide a platform for discussion.

Our Yay Kyi Yar (Towards Clearer Waters) project ended in 2023. The project covered the risks and opportunities of migrating within Myanmar and internationally, equipping potential migrants with knowledge about their rights, and enabling them to make informed decisions.

We also completed our Tu Tu Pae (We Are The Same) project, providing information on the rights and health of people with disabilities, and shifting public attitudes and behaviour towards them. We created fully accessible social media content, and delivered training in partnership with disability organisations. More than 50% of survey respondents said they share Tu Tu Pae’ s information within their family.

We began a new project, Mikhin Metta (A Mother’s Love), targeting pregnant women and mothers of children under two years old with information on nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene practices. This aims to tackle poor local knowledge around nutrition, particularly around food taboos and restrictions during pregnancy and in the postpartum period, with digital content and interactive toolkits for health facilitators. In its first three months, the project’s Facebook page attracted 30,000 followers and 27,000 likes.

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Nepal

I can hear these messages myself if they are shared in the village. If there is heavy rain we G6 will not sleep during the night. If the network is good, we receive information through mobile phones. We also watch news on TV when it works. Also, we can listen to the radio. ”

Shreedevi BK, Annapurna, Nepal. The community has experienced devastating landslides during monsoon rains, made worse by increasing development. BBC Media Action is working with government, nongovernmental organisations and communities in Nepal on keeping media and communication at the heart of disaster planning.

Photo by BBC Media Action Nepal

In Nepal, we focus on gender, and more effective media and communication that help people and policy-makers better prepare for emergencies such as floods and landslides during the monsoons and earthquakes. We support local media partners to produce innovative programmes showcasing different ways to prepare for emergencies. And we have worked with national broadcaster Radio Nepal, the Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal and the Broadcasters Association of Nepal, which cover more than 500 radio stations across the country, to develop plans to ensure that local radio networks can continue to broadcast when natural hazards strike.

Through our mentoring and capacity strengthening, local media partners are now producing innovative programmes that build resilience, enhance anticipatory action and combat mis- and disinformation – all helping safeguard people against climate change risks.

We produced short documentaries on the experiences of people affected by natural hazards, to demonstrate how they have rebuilt and adapted their lives, and to inspire others to do the same. Through national consultations and meetings we also engaged with government representatives, donors, partner agencies and local media practitioners on disaster-risk reduction and management, and climate and early warning systems.

Our campaign on the 16 Days of Action was supported by work with government authorities, experts and celebrities to build awareness against cyberviolence, reaching more than 2.6 million people in a month.

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Solomon Islands

From the training I’ve learned a lot. This is going to be my first time to actually cover a joint election, it’s a big one… I have a team of very young staff for Paoa FM, and it’s going to be their first time to cover such an event. I’ve learned so many interesting things. I’ve learned what sort of questions you should ask the public and what sort of angle you should take. ”

Lanieta, Paoa FM station manager, Solomon Islands, on the training she received before the April 2024 general election.

Photo by BBC Media Action Solomon Islands

We continued our first project in Solomon Islands, which has provided training and mentoring to more than 100 journalists, programme producers and presenters of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) and the Media Association of Solomon Islands. This has strengthened their editorial and production techniques, as well as their ability to broadcast during emergencies, financial reporting, and coverage of the trafficking of women and girls. It also taught them how to cover elections freely and impartially, and provide platforms for respectful discussion and debate – essential before the April 2024 elections.

We supported the launch of Voice Blo Iu (Your Voice), the islands’ first audience-led debate and discussion programme, which allowed audience members to ask questions and voice concerns directly to election candidates. The programme aired on SIBC and streamed on its Facebook platform.

We also published a research briefing based on our research study, comprising a national, mobile phone survey of more than 1,000 Solomon Islanders and 12 focus group discussions. The survey explored media access and use, key issues affecting people at a local and national level, and their information needs and barriers. This research underpins our targeted media sector growth and capacity building strategies, to ensure that underserved audiences get improved access to news and information in the future.

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STRATEGIC REPORT

p.35 How we serve our stakeholders

p.37 Looking ahead

p.38 Thanks and acknowledgements

The 2023–24 financial year marked a time of change for BBC Media Action.

Our goals for the 2023–24 financial year were:

The BBC's international charity

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Strategic report

The 2023–24 financial year marked a time of change for BBC Media Action.

We continued to deliver on our key thematic areas – governance and rights, health, and resilience and humanitarian response. However, in June 2023, we began work on a bold new strategy that launched in May 2024.

This strategy will guide our work until 2027. It refocuses BBC Media Action’s work with a new purpose and aligns us with the BBC’s values. Our work on media development, media content and media policy will reach people most in need trusted information, and those on the frontlines of global challenges.

While we will continue to work across a range of themes according to local needs, our key impact areas will focus on stronger democracies, a safer, more habitable planet and more inclusive societies. For more information on this strategy, see the Looking ahead section on page 37.

Our goals for the 2023–24 financial year were:

I. With our partners, deliver programmes and support to public interest media that has positive impact for communities and contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

We reached 100 million people around the world in 24 countries and more than 50 languages. And we provided capacity strengthening to more than 200 local media partners. We are also proud to have been selected as part of a new European Commission framework to support independent media. We will lead a consortium to increase the resilience of at-risk journalists and media houses, and provide professional development and learning to young journalists working in difficult conditions.

In our work on governance and rights, contributing to UN SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong public institutions, we delivered media mentoring and training to ensure a freer, fairer press before elections in Sierra Leone, Zambia and Solomon Islands. We supported women to take their place in civic space through our radio programmes and online content in Tanzania. And we encouraged young people to understand their rights and responsibilities, and get involved in civil society and current affairs, in Cambodia, Tanzania and Indonesia.

In our work on health, contributing to SDG 3, we increased access to sexual and reproductive health services in Zambia, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Nigeria and Tanzania – with a focus on people with disabilities in Nigeria and Myanmar. We created content focused on health and hygiene in Ethiopia and on vaccine hesitancy in Ethiopia and Tanzania. And we shared critical ante-natal, maternal and child health information, and information on nutrition, in Afghanistan, as health systems collapse and healthcare access is increasingly restricted for women.

In our work on resilience and humanitarian response – including responding to the climate crisis, contributing to SDG 13 – we launched Lifeline content in response to devastating flooding in Libya on our El Kul platform. We worked extensively with local and national media and government ministries in Nepal on disaster risk reduction, and adaptation to increasingly severe and unpredictable monsoons. And we responded to flooding and drought in Somalia and Kenya by providing mentoring and training for local radio stations, and producing content that helps people to survive and adapt.

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Our online course on climate change reporting is now available in four languages. Climate change was also a feature of our media training and support in Solomon Islands, and the focus of a project training local journalists and content creators in Bangladesh. We worked extensively with journalists in Ukraine on Lifeline training to support audiences affected by armed conflict, and in Bangladesh to support the ongoing humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar. At the end of the financial year, we began creating Gaza Lifeline programming to support children and their carers, which we expect to launch in June 2024.

Our work also contributes to SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities). Gender is a focus in all of our programming, notably in Afghanistan where we continued to support several women-led, women-focused radio stations to stay on air. Our projects and programmes in Nepal, Zambia and South Sudan tackled gender-based violence. In Ukraine we supported national public service broadcaster Suspilne in creating two powerful film series focused on the wartime contributions of women and the LGBTQI+ communities. Our central communications team, and our teams in Ukraine and Ethiopia, all participate in BBC 50:50: The Equality Project on gender representation; they track their own content production (including content on our core social media and website), and share the approach with our local partners.

II. Expand our work to tackle disinformation and build media and digital literacy

During the year we focused on tackling disinformation and supporting trustworthy public interest media throughout our work in Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Moldova, as well as with specific training and fact-checking programmes in Sierra Leone, Somalia, Zambia and North Africa. Toward the end of the financial year, we initiated a pilot project in Indonesia, working with BBC Monitoring, to identify misand disinformation trends and their impact.

Training both media practitioners and audiences in fact-checking, debunking rumours and identifying mis- and disinformation has become a standard part of all of our projects and programmes. Tackling disinformation is a major theme in our upcoming strategy and we anticipate expanding our work in this area in the coming years.

III. Grow restricted and unrestricted income, delivering our organisational budget

Our business development strategy, launched in January 2022, has helped shore up our institutional funding base but, facing strong headwinds, we have been unable to grow our income as hoped.

In autumn 2023, our management team – supported by our trustees, external consultants and some members of our leadership team – began a full review of our strategies and opportunities, while also considering what efficiencies could reduce our cost base. This review resulted in more 2023–24 investment in our fundraising team, and planned changes for 2024–25, including a restructure of our crosscountry support team to reduce core costs.

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HOW WE SERVE OUR STAKEHOLDERS

BBC Media Action complies with section 172 of the Companies Act 2006. Our board of trustees acts in the way it considers, in good faith, is most likely to enhance BBC Media Action’s impact for the people we work with, while considering the long-term effect of decisions on our organisation and our stakeholders. Our mission sets out our need to work with partners to reach our audiences.

Our internal stakeholders are our employees, who are our greatest strength. We made championing people and culture a clear organisational priority in 2023–24, with a new People and Culture board and more emphasis on internal communications through our digital Hub. Our employees enjoy opportunities for learning and development through the BBC and beyond. All our employees have access to an employee assistance programme, with enhanced support in times of crisis in the countries where we work.

Our external stakeholders include:

Our audience members

Reached directly and through our partners, these are the people who most benefit from our work. Our research into what viewers and listeners need helps inform our work. Our project evaluations ensure that we learn from our work and achieve positive impact.

We are expanding and deepening our digital work as audiences’ media habits change, while ensuring that we include people who still live in media-dark or media-poor communities. We follow BBC and media sector best practice in obtaining consent from anyone who participates in, or features on, our media outputs, and we maintain a strict code of conduct and safeguarding protocol for our staff and partners.

Journalists, media workers and media houses

Working to the BBC’s Editorial Values, the heart of our work is mentoring and training journalists, content producers and other professionals in local public service media, in many countries and contexts. We also work with media organisations on business planning, marketing and economic viability.

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The BBC

We enjoy strong support from across the BBC, and work closely with the World Service and other parts of the BBC. The BBC World Service founded us, many of our trustees come from the BBC, and we are grateful for the support of senior BBC correspondents and personalities who help us with fundraising and publicity to support our work.

Our partners in project delivery and sector learning

Partnerships are critical to our success. We work in several project consortia, we participate in sector collaborations and events, and we are members of Bond, the umbrella group for UK-based international NGOs. Most of our partners around the world are local NGOs.

Our suppliers

We have established procedures to ensure that our external suppliers are individually verified to ensure they meet our required health and safety, regulatory and financial security standards.

Our donors

Our largest donors include the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Global Affairs Canada, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). We also enjoy support from other institutional donors, UN bodies, private foundations and corporate partners. We are committed to delivering high-quality work and reporting on our impact, both directly to donors and through events and sector engagement, our website and social media.

Our wider communities and our planet

Responding to the climate emergency is a growing priority in our programme work, reflecting the urgent need for action among the communities we serve, our partners and donors. We are also working hard to examine and mitigate the environmental impact of our own operations. The BBC’s Sustainability team has helped us to measure the carbon footprint of all our offices in a consistent way this year, which will inform our next steps toward decarbonisation in line with our Environmental Policy.

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LOOKING AHEAD

In May 2024 we launched our new organisational strategy to 2027: TRUST. DEMOCRACY. TRANSFORMED LIVES.

This strategy represents a major shift for BBC Media Action, in which we adopt the BBC values as our own, and redefine our purpose – working with partners around the world to provide impartial, trustworthy media to people and communities in need so that they can make informed choices to transform their lives. In a world of disinformation, distrust and division, we share the BBC’s values, skills and experience to bring people together, and foster greater understanding and trust.

Based on this strategy, our organisational goals for 2024–25 are:

  1. To continue reaching 100 million people each year with our work

  2. To secure our financial future by moving closer to the heart of the BBC, working closely with our most important donors and investing in generating unrestricted funding

  3. To deepen our global policy and influencing in keeping with our role as the BBC’s international charity

  4. To focus our work more sharply on media development, media policy, media content and media research

  5. Through this work, contribute to more stable democracies, a safer, more habitable planet and more inclusive societies, contributing to the SDGs

Our enablers for this work will be:

  1. Drawing on our unique position at the heart of the BBC, we will upskill our people and partners, and leverage BBC expertise, to achieve impact in an increasingly digital world

  2. Addressing climate change issues remains a cornerstone of our work and we will “walk the talk” in our own organisational sustainability

  3. Driving a culture of belonging, inclusivity and engagement to make BBC Media Action an even better place to work

  4. Increasing our efforts to generate unrestricted income

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THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BBC Media Action is grateful to all our donors, partners and supporters, without whom our work would not be possible.

ACTED

Action Against Hunger

Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

BMB Mott Macdonald

British Council

Cardiff University

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICAN)

Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (UK)

Counterpart International

DAI

Deutsche Welle

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia

Diakonia

H & M Foundation

Halo Trust

Humanity and Inclusion International

IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre

International Development Research Centre, Canada

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

International Committee of the Red Cross

International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

International Labour Organization International Rescue Committee

Norad

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation

Sightsavers

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Terre des Hommes

UN Development Programme (UNDP)

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)

Internews

DT Global

Durham University

Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Equal Access International

European Commission

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK

Gates Foundation

GIZ

Global Affairs Canada

Global Center on Adaptation

Irish Aid

Italian Agency for Development Co-operation (AICS)

Koalaa

Livelihoods and Food Security Fund, Myanmar (LIFT)

Minderoo Foundation

National Democratic Institute (NDI)

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Unicef

Unilever

UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

US State Department

USAID

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

World Food Programme

World Vision

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

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OUR ORGANISATION & OUR FINANCES

p.40 Our funding

p.43 Our people

p.45 Our organisation

p.49 Managing risk

p.52 Managing our finances

p.55 Statement of trustees’ responsibilities

p.57 Auditors’ report

p.60 Accounts

The BBC's international charity

Our organisation & our finances

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OUR FUNDING

BBC Media Action’s global team continues to deliver impact around the world amid constant change.

Fundraising remains challenging in an environment of shrinking overseas development aid. Consequently, in the second half of 2023– 24, BBC Media Action made improving our financial health a major organisational priority. Our response plan, approved by our trustees in May 2024, includes investment in building our sources of unrestricted funding and exploring more flexible sources of funding from our largest donors.

We are grateful to all our donors who make our work possible. Together, our donors funded our work to the value of £25.2m (£27.1m in 2022– 23). As of 31 March 2024, we had 107 (2023: 120) active projects around the world.

Institutional funders remain our largest source of support. In 2023–24, our main donors included the UK FCDO, USAID and Sida, among many others.

----- Start of picture text -----
USAID
£2,613k
Foreign, Commonwealth
and Development Office
£3,020k Swedish International
Top 10 donors Development Cooperation
Swiss Agency for Agency
Development 2023-24 £1,625k
£867k
Conflict, Stability
Counterpart and Security Fund
International £1,397k
£875k
European Commission
Global Affairs Canada £1,342k
£907k
SIDA & Swiss Agency for
Unicef
Development Cooperation
£1,042k
£1,188k
UK Foreign, Commonwealth UNOPS
and Development office £877k
£5,670k
Norwegian Ministry
Swedish International of Foreign Affairs
Development Cooperation £1,079k
£2,915k Top 10 donors
2022-23 International Rescue
United States Agency for Committee
International Development £1,088k
£1,897k
Swiss Agency for
Bill & Melinda Gates Development Cooperation
Foundation £1,347k
£1,864k
Norwegian Agency for
Global Affairs Canada Development Cooperation
£1,775k £1,547k
----- End of picture text -----

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UK Government
Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office
Conflict, Stability and Security Fund		 £4,421k
£3,024k
£1,397k
International & NonGovernment
Organisations
Counterpart International		 £4,464k
£875k
International Rescue Committee
International Foundation for
Electoral Systems (IFES)		 £594k
£566k
World Vision £487k
Halo Trust £319k
Sightsavers £273k
National Democratic Institute (NDI) £256k
Diakonia £206k
Deutsche Welle £178k
Global Center on Adaptation £149k
Humanity and Inclusion International £138k
National Research Development
Council (Canada)		 £103k
International Committee
of the Red Cross		 £79k
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) £69k
Internews £67k
Minderoo Foundation £44k
IDRC £40k
Equal Access International £19k
Terre des Hommes £2k
Private Sector & Educational
Establishments £434k
DAI
Colleges and Institutes
Canada (CICAN)		 £175k
£129k
Unilever £58k
Durham University £51k
Cardiff University £16k
DT GLOBAL £5k
National Governemts
USAID
Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency		 £9,244k
£2,613k
£1,625k
SIDA & Swiss Agency for Development
Cooperation		 £1,188k
Global Affairs Canada £907k
Swiss Agency for Development £867k
Norad £601k
Norwegian Ministry £340k
Irish Aid £315k
US State Department £280k
GIZ £202k
Dutch Embassy £186k
Government of Belgium £63k
AICS £54k
DFAT Australia £3k
Private and Corporate
Foundations £2,150k
BMB Mott Macdonald £841k
H & M Foundation £615k
Gates Foundation £545k
Wellspring Philanthropic Fund £149k
United Nations £3,120k
Unicef £1,042k
UN £455k
UNOPS £366k
UN Development Programme £410k
ACTED / UNHCR £267k
LIFT £168k
UNDRR £165k
UNFPA £144k
International Labour Organization £91k
World Food Programme £7k
ACTED £5k
European Commission £1,342k

£25,175k rn Health Governance Resilience £2,389k £13,782k £9,004k

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BBC Media Action | Annual Report and Accounts

Corporate donors

Our corporate partners in 2023–24 helped us by donating income and gifts in kind in the form of IT support, technical equipment, software and professional advice. We are grateful for all their support.

Fundraising events and individual giving

Our BBC Correspondents’ Charity Dinner in July 2023 was one of our most successful yet, raising over £135,000 for our work. We extend our thanks to our Fundraising Board and Steering Group for their ongoing support of the event, and their assistance as we grow new fundraising streams.

We launched our first BBC Payroll Giving campaign for many years in February 2024. During the year we reinvigorated our PayPal Giving platform and launched a donation function on our Instagram and Facebook channels. We also ran a small joint public fundraising campaign with BBC Children in Need, the BBC’s UK charity, in the run-up to the Eurovision song contest in Liverpool in May 2023.

Our JustGiving page remains the main donation point for individual giving and can be accessed from our website and social media accounts.

Fundraising governance and compliance

At BBC Media Action, we ensure that our donors are protected by using well-established, reputable platforms that display clear terms and conditions, including on UK General Data Protection Legislation (GDPR) compliance. JustGiving adheres to the Code of Fundraising Practice and subscribes to the Fundraising Regulator. Our prize draws with Givergy.com are subject to review from the BBC interactivity technical advice and contracts unit.

Our Communications team monitors and moderates our social media accounts according to BBC Editorial Policy. There have been no formal complaints regarding our fundraising activity but any future complaints or concerns about our fundraising activities will be investigated and responded to. We voluntarily subscribe to the Fundraising Regulator.

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OUR PEOPLE

BBC Media Action’s greatest strength is our global team. Championing our people and culture was an organisational priority in 2023–24 as we continued to strive to create a working environment that is diverse, fully inclusive and more locally led.

As of 31 March 2024 we had, in full-time equivalents:

We do not normally work with volunteers, although we have internship schemes in some countries focused on women, young people or minority groups. This year, our London office participated in the BBC’s Hot Shoes and 80:20 placement schemes to bring in fresh perspectives and voices from across the BBC, and to give our London-based staff a chance to learn in other parts of the organisation.

All BBC Media Action managers take part in fair recruitment and unconscious bias training to ensure that our recruitment process is as fair as possible. We encourage flexible working and development opportunities for all employees. All of our employees have the same opportunities to access training, career development and promotion, regardless of their characteristics.

Staff salaries

We strive to ensure that our salaries are competitive by benchmarking against other international development organisations. Our UKcontracted employees are paid based on harmonised charity bands within the BBC salary framework, which are publicly available, and in line with BBC pay reviews.

Our chief executive officer carries out a regular salary review for other members of the management team, while his salary is reviewed by our trustees, also in line with BBC pay reviews.

Salary banding – employees earning £60,001 or more:

Salary band 2024 2023
£60,001-£70,000 17 15
£70,001-£80,000 7 4
£80,001-£90,000 2 5
£90,001-£100,000 5 2
£100,001-£110,000 - 1
£110,001-£120,000 1 1

In 2023/24, the basic pay of our outgoing chief executive officer was £31.8k and our incoming chief executive £113k.

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Gender pay gap

BBC Media Action is committed to gender equality and building a fully inclusive workplace. As such, we are again voluntarily choosing to report on our gender pay gap among UK-contracted employees. We have begun to conduct gender analysis in employment and pay across our global organisation, while understanding that there are significant differences in the employment markets where we operate.

All figures include UK-contracted employees based overseas. Gender is based on our employees’ self-reported gender.

As of 31 March 2024, 59% of employees in our UK team were women (2023: 63%). On the same date, our senior management team comprised two men and three women. The mean (average) salary for women was 17% lower than that of men (2023: 12% lower). The median (midpoint) salary for women was 18% lower than that of men (2023: equal). This disparity remains in part because there are few men in junior posts in our UK office. The table below shows the proportion of women and men in each pay quartile of our UK team, where the 1[st] quartile is highest.

1st quartile 2nd quartile 3rd quartile 4th quartile
Female
(2024) 38% 62% 65% 70%
(2023) 52% 58% 71% 63%
Male
(2024) 62% 38% 35% 30%
(2023) 48% 42% 29% 37%

We continue to monitor our gender pay gap and are committed to eliminating it.

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OUR ORGANISATION

Safeguarding

BBC Media Action remains committed to supporting sector-wide improvements in safeguarding policies and practices, to better protect vulnerable people from exploitation and abuseFor more details, see the table on page 50.

Our director of programmes is our designated safeguarding officer at senior management level and we have a dedicated head of safeguarding and ethics who works with our country offices to ensure that our employment policies and training are appropriate. This postholder also guides work with our partner organisations around the world to improve knowledge and performance in these areas.

We continued to ensure that our employees are trained in, and fully implement, our policies to protect any children and vulnerable adults we encounter through our work. Training courses in safeguarding and respect at work are mandatory for all employees and operational freelancers, and all our offices have received additional guidance on safer recruitment.

Our trustees received dedicated safeguarding training this year. Safeguarding is reviewed and discussed at every trustee meeting, as well as at monthly management team meetings. Any reported concerns are carefully reviewed and investigated as needed, in accordance with BBC policies. As required, our trustees report any relevant safeguarding incidents to the Charity Commission.

All these measures are designed to help keep our employees, partners and contributors as safe as possible. A staff code of conduct ensures that everyone working for us understands our expected behaviour, knows that any concerns they have will be taken seriously, and understands that we will support anyone who reports a safeguarding issue.

Energy use

BBC Media Action is required to disclose its annual energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for its UK operations, in line with SECR guidance.

In late February 2024 our London-based team moved offices, from Ibex House in east London to BBC premises in west London. The following data applies from 1 April 2023 until the end of our lease in March 2024.

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The greenhouse gas emissions and energy use data for our UK office are:

These figures have been calculated using readings from energy meters in our East London office, with UK government approved conversion factors applied.

Our UK energy use in 2023–24 has decreased by 14% overall since 2022–23. This was driven by a 28% reduction in our gas consumption, as a result of energy-saving measures to counter rising costs. Our electricity consumption was similar to last year.

Continuing hybrid working practices and fewer staff using the London office has kept our energy use and commuter journeys to a minimum. Our office-sharing arrangement with ScreenSkills at Ibex House also delivered greater energy efficiency. In our office to end March, we benefitted from a renewable electricity tariff, and other energy saving measures such as motion-activated lighting.

We continue to implement our global environmental policy and minimise international travel where possible to lower our carbon footprint. In 2023–24 we drew on support from the BBC Sustainability team to accurately measure operational carbon emissions for each of our offices around the world. We will use this baseline to improve our energy consumption and lessen our environmental impact. Several of our offices have green teams who advocate for improved environmental practices. Our UK employees have access to locked bicycle storage and showers to encourage cycling to work.

Legal structure

BBC Media Action is a charity (registered number 1076235) and a company limited by guarantee (registered number 3521587). Our financial statements will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies.

BBC Media Action was established under its Memorandum of Association with the objects and powers of a charitable company. It is governed by its Articles of Association. The sole member of BBC Media Action, the BBC, undertakes to contribute to the assets of BBC Media Action in

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the event of it being wound up while it is a member, or within one year after it ceases to be a member for payment of the debts and liabilities of BBC Media Action contracted before it ceases to be a member, and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up, for the adjustment of the rights of the contributors among themselves such amount as may be required, not exceeding £10.

Subsidiary companies

BBC Media Action has three subsidiary companies, which were 100% owned by BBC Media Action as at 31 March 2024: BBC Media Action (India) Limited, BBC Media Action Nepal Private Limited and British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action Ltd/Gte (a Nigerian entity).

Our work in India in 2023–24 was largely conducted through BBC Media Action (India) Limited. BBC Media Action Nepal Private Limited is an entity established in Nepal. British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action Ltd/Gte is an entity established in Nigeria on 26 October 2017. It therefore meets the criteria for consolidation. It did not trade during the year ended 31 March 2024.

BBC World Service Trust India is an Indian entity over which BBC Media Action exercises effective control by way of the right to nominate trustees. This entity was set up in India on 28 December 2007. Although BBC Media Action has no investment in BBC World Service Trust India, it meets the criteria for consolidation in accordance with paragraph 24.14 of the Statement of Recommended Practice Financial Reporting Standard (SORP FRS 102) and is therefore regarded as a subsidiary undertaking. However, it remained dormant in 2023–24 and 2022–23.

Governance

Our trustees, who are also directors of BBC Media Action, are listed on page 56. They come from the BBC, and the private, media and international development sectors, with a range of skills and expertise. They meet quarterly and for an additional away day each year.

The trustees seek to ensure that all BBC Media Action activities comply with UK and relevant local laws, and fall within agreed charitable objectives. Their work includes setting our strategic direction, agreeing our financial plan, and approving key policies at board meetings. Trustees receive reports on progress at each board meeting, highlighting areas of risk.

In 2023–24, our trustees particularly focused on our organisation’s finances and sustainability, our new organisational strategy development, our position within the BBC, and on our project delivery and ways of working.

Our trustees perform some of their functions through sub-committees of the board. The chair is a non-BBC nominated trustee. Our Governance Committee comprises the chair, vice chair and up to two other trustees.

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Our Finance and Audit Committee comprises four trustees. This committee has strategic oversight of our controls, risk management, and internal and external audit. It reviews and recommends to the board our annual budget, any multi-year financial plans and our Annual Report and Accounts.

The trustees delegate a range of day-to-day decision-making powers to the chief executive officer and other members of the management team. Trustees have established appropriate controls and reporting mechanisms to ensure that the management team operates within the scope of these delegated powers. The delegation policy is formally reviewed and approved by trustees. Our management team members are listed on page 56. They are not directors for the purposes of company law.

The board has appointed some of its members as lead trustees in particular areas, who feed back to the rest of the board. All new trustees participate in an induction programme and training on duties and responsibilities. We encourage our trustees to visit BBC Media Action projects to obtain first-hand experience of our work at country level – this year we held a virtual project visit. Knowledge-sharing sessions before board meetings continue to give trustees a more detailed understanding of particular areas of our work.

Organisational structure and management

BBC Media Action’s head office is in London, where our central support functions are based. We are increasingly locating some of our central support posts outside the UK, taking advantage of our fully connected global organisation and expertise in the countries where we work.

We are led by a five-person senior management team, comprising our chief executive officer, chief operating officer, director of programmes, director of strategy and partnerships and our people and culture lead. In July 2023, our chief executive officer, Caroline Nursey OBE, retired and was succeeded by Simon Bishop.

Our director of strategy and partnerships leads our expanded business development initiative. Our programmes department includes our regional teams, along with editorial development and innovation, programme support, research, insight, policy and advisory.

Our chief operating officer oversees our finance and technology and change teams, and our legal function.

Our chief executive officer directly manages our small fundraising and communication teams, as well as our human resources function. Both our legal and human resources functions are also supported by the BBC. Our human resources business partner was added to our management team half-way through this financial year to support our organisational priority to champion our people and culture.

Our leadership team includes the heads of our cross-country support teams – many of whom are London-based – and our country directors around the world.

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MANAGING RISK

BBC Media Action works in countries where a certain level of risk is inevitable. Both as part of the BBC and as an international NGO, we face risks to the health, welfare, safeguarding and security of our people, our partners and our audiences, as well as to our funding and our reputation. These risks are compounded as spaces for public interest media and civil society contract around the world, leaving our local media partners facing increased political, economic and legal pressures that make it harder for them to operate.

We have an active risk management process in place to make sure that appropriate steps are taken to manage and mitigate risk across our global organisation. Our board of trustees has overall responsibility for ensuring that we have a system of internal control, management and audit to take advantage of opportunities while effectively managing risks.

Our risk management process

We maintain a risk register that prioritises risks based on their likelihood and impact, and outlines controls and mitigating actions.

We identify risks through monthly reports by our country directors (or more frequently as needed), which our escalated to our management team that meets weekly. Our Finance and Audit Committee conducts a regular risk management review and our board of trustees reviews our risk register quarterly. We also conduct an annual, in-depth review of our risk profile at both management team and board levels.

We maintain an internal audit function, based in London but with the ability to travel regularly. Our chief executive officer oversees this function. Our head of internal audit reports directly to the Finance and Audit Committee and meets them privately each year.

We conduct multi-year planning and budgeting, with quarterly reforecasts to compare our spending against our budgets. As part of the BBC, we use the principle of Value for All to guide us in how we procure goods and services and ensure we deliver value for our donors and our audiences. We benchmark salaries based on a mix of the BBC’s publicly available bands, international NGO salaries and local markets in the countries where we work. Our policies on investment and reserves are guided by our board of trustees, based on best practice in the charity sector and the BBC.

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Risks and mitigations

RISK

Operating environments

Challenges in our operating environments include:

Safeguarding

We work in complex environments and through local partner organisations, where there is risk of harm to those we work with and for.

MITIGATION IN 2023–24

We continued to benefit from dedicated support from the BBC High Risk team. BBC Media Action staff attend mandatory hostile environment training before high-risk deployments and follow protocols to minimise risks.

We regularly update and clearly communicate emergency plans in every country office, tailored to each context, and frequently review the level of risk faced by our staff.

We have home-working in place in high-risk situations wherever possible and feasible.

We are fully equipped to access critical systems and deliver work remotely, to explore alternative operating models, to liaise with donors and to repurpose activities at short notice as needed.

We continued to strengthen our approach to safeguarding, in line with the NGO sector and donor expectations. We thoroughly communicate our policies across our organisation, conduct regular training and review our processes for safe recruitment, including criminal background checks.

We logged four reports on our confidential reporting system. None involved children or beneficiaries, and none met the requirements for reporting to the UK Charity Commission.

Cyber-security

A data breach (hacking or accidental), could lead to business disruption and serious reputational and financial damage.

We continued to have strong support from the BBC’s Information Security team, including monitoring of social media accounts, in addition to our own dedicated team’s work. We achieved the Cyber Essentials accreditation standard. We have confidential incident reporting for any data loss or breaches. Our laptops are encrypted and cyber security training is compulsory for employees.

We work to ensure full compliance with the UK 2018 GDPR legislation, with mandatory training for all employees, and our information security policies comply with strict BBC requirements.

We reported one incident related to a BBC-wide payroll data leak to the Charity Commission.

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RISK

Funding, finance and business model

Our heavy reliance on restricted, mainly institutional, funding poses risk to our sustainability, as the donor landscape changes, funding mechanisms and service contracts become more restricted, donor payments are delayed and overseas aid is increasingly stretched across multiple world crises.

Gaps between projects lead to costs that must be covered by limited unrestricted funds, and project costs are also vulnerable to high inflation.

MITIGATION IN 2023–24

In autumn 2023 we undertook a further, full review of all our income streams, working with external consultants to identify further opportunities and potential efficiencies.

We invested in our fundraising team to deliver more unrestricted income, while maintaining close relationships with existing donors. We continue to apply strong budget tests to ensure that project budgets cover a fair share of our support costs.

We conduct close and regular reviews of our income and margin forecasts, and review donor requirements carefully.

We are able to conduct limited public fundraising in part of our responsibility to the BBC.

Changes within the BBC

The BBC is undergoing major strategic shifts and restructuring. While we are funded independently and not by the UK TV Licence Fee, changes affect our relationships across the BBC and our supporter base.

Compliance

We operate according to complex regulations set by donors and by local laws. A lack of specialist knowledge may result in an inability to comply with donor, tax or audit requirements, with a knock-on impact on our finances and our reputation.

Risk of fraud

We work in some environments where there is a high risk of fraud and corruption, with associated impacts on our finances, our reputation and our staff morale.

We made deepening our relationships across the BBC a cross-cutting priority.

We maintain good relationships with many BBC correspondents, presenters and editors, and work regularly with many parts of the BBC.

We have a dedicated compliance manager and we practise proactive stakeholder management, starting with donors and external auditors.

We receive BBC support for tax and legal advice in relevant countries. We do not open country offices without registration in place, allowing for payment of payroll taxes.

Our controls are regularly reviewed, including by internal audit, external audit and project audit teams.

We deliver and regularly update staff anti-bribery and fraud awareness training across all countries of operation, and have a whistleblowing policy in place.

We fully investigated minor incidents of attempted fraud. None were reportable to the Charity Commission.

Reputation

As the BBC’s international charity we are at risk of accusations of bias and misinformation, as well as from press campaigns against the BBC or the international development sector , which might affect our funding, our reputation, and the morale and well-being of our employees.

Our employees receive regular training on BBC editorial standards, and we monitor the quality of our own output and that of our partners. We consult BBC Editorial Policy when required.

Our communications team is experienced in handling negative media coverage, prepares reactive lines and works closely with the BBC Press Office if needed.

We actively manage safeguarding with dedicated employees and training, and we maintain close relationships across the international NGO sector and with our funders.

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MANAGING OUR FINANCES

BBC Media Action continues to face serious challenges to its finances and longer-term sustainability. Conflicts and crises continue to exert pressure on overseas development aid, even as overall spend on aid has decreased in many countries, including the UK. In 2023–24 we undertook a major review of our business model in an effort to increase our unrestricted funding and maximise our institutional funding, while realigning our focus and core mission as the BBC’s international charity. In June 2024, we announced a restructure of our cross-country support team to cut core costs.

Our ability to engage in public fundraising is somewhat constrained by the need to avoid audience confusion around the use of the BBC TV Licence Fee. This year we conducted some limited public fundraising, including a payroll giving campaign across the BBC, and a joint public fundraising campaign around Eurovision with BBC Children in Need, the BBC’s domestic charity.

Our total income in 2023–24 was £32m [2022-23 – £35m]. Income from institutional donors decreased to £25.2m (2022–23: £27m). Our fundraising income decreased to £6.6m (2022–23: £7.7m), of which £6.4m were gifts in kind (2022–23: £7.4m).

Our total expenditure during the year was £33.8m (2022–23: £35.8m). Expenditure on our charitable activity, providing public benefit by changing lives through media and communication, represented 99% of our total expenditure (2022–23: 99%). Our income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 March 2024 shows a deficit of £1.75m (2022–23: a deficit of £0.854m). The Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows shows that our cash decreased during the year to a position of £2.3m (2022–23: £4.2m).

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Reserves

BBC Media Action’s net assets in the consolidated balance sheet decreased to £1.55m at 31 March 2024 (31 March 2023: £3.3m). Our board of trustees reviews our reserves policy on an annual basis in the context of our multi-year plans and a review of the risks and opportunities for our organisation. Our policy is to ensure that we hold sufficient reserves to continue operating after negative financial shocks, while not tying up too much funding that could be spent on charitable activities.

In January 2023 our board of trustees confirmed that our reserves policy, taking a risk-based approach, recommends minimum net cash holdings of £3.5m in any one month, and general funds (total unrestricted funds less designated funds) of £4.0-£5.0m at year-end.

The upper end of this range (£5.0m) represents the reserves impact of a worst-case scenario that might conceivably take place over a 12-month period. This combines three risk components: a funding gap or urgent closure of country operations; a funding gap from under-recovery of central costs; and potential materially adverse events such as foreign exchange losses or disallowed costs. The lower end of the range was set at 80% of the amount for the worst-case scenario.

Our trustees revisited this policy in April 2024, and reduced the minimum level of net cash holdings to £2m in any one month, and general funds (total unrestricted funds less designated funds) in a range of £2.8–3.5m at year-end. This was based on recalculating our risks, and our projections that the overall size of BBC Media Action will reduce, thereby reducing the reserves impact of a worst-case scenario. Our trustees also approved extending an agreement to operate outside the recommended minimum range. We are able to do this with support from the BBC through an underwriting arrangement.

Our total unrestricted funds held at 31 March 2024 amounted to £1.5m (31 March 2023 £3.3m), of which reserves in the general fund amounted to £1.5m (31 March 2023: £2.9m). This is below the lower end of the recommended minimum range. As a result, our designated Technology-led Change Fund (2023: £369,000) has been undesignated for use as general reserves.

Investment policy

Cash balances are set out in the consolidated and BBC Media Action balance sheets, consolidated statement of cash flows, and in the notes to the financial statements. The objective of our investment policy is to maximise interest while limiting risk.

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Going concern

Our Finance and Audit Committee met seven times in 2023–24. It monitored key risks and opportunities related to our funding, operating uncertainties and sustainability.

In the first half of 2023–24 we continued to implement an investment plan, approved in January 2022, to draw upon our reserves to invest in business development and systems to ensure our long-term sustainability. Our initial projections were to spend £1.6m over two years, before breaking even in 2024–25 and then gradually rebuilding our reserves.

Given the continued challenging external context, including limited overseas aid budgets in the UK and other countries, and the challenging environments in which we work, our income projections have remained lower than expected. Consequently, in September 2023, we undertook another review of all our income streams, along with potential for further efficiencies and savings, through three working groups supported by external consultants.

The resulting plan to return our finances to good health was approved by trustees in May 2024 and will be implemented throughout the 2024–25 financial year. It includes: investment in our fundraising team to increase our unrestricted and semi-restricted fundraising; exploring limited commercial income streams; a decision to maintain, rather than increase, our institutional funding; and a restructuring of our UKand cross-country support teams.

In March 2024 we also moved into BBC premises at Energy Centre, W12, saving on office rental costs.

Our trustees are satisfied that continued monitoring of activity is in place and that business development indicators are in place to track our investment against expectations. We will continue a controlled use of reserves while maintaining a going concern position. Our liquidity position is also deemed satisfactory.

Our board of trustees is of the opinion that BBC Media Action has adequate resources to continue as a going concern, as is further explained in Note 1 of the Financial Statements. In the unlikely circumstances where sudden significant shocks might compromise the financial viability of the organisation, BBC Media Action has received written assurance of support from the BBC Group.

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STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

BBC Media Action’s trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report (incorporating the strategic report and the directors’ report) and financial statements, in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law, they have elected to prepare the group (subsidiaries’) and parent company financial statements in accordance with UK Accounting Standards and applicable law (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Under company law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the group and the charitable company, and of the group’s excess of income over expenditure for that period.

Trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company’s transactions. They must also disclose with reasonable accuracy, at any time, the financial position of the charitable company and ensure that its financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006.

They have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the group, and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

As far as the trustees are aware, there is no relevant information of which the charity’s auditor is unaware. The trustees have taken all the steps 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, in their capacity as both trustees and company directors, have reviewed and approved the Trustees’ Report, which incorporates the directors’ report and the requirement for a strategic report as set out in the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors’ Report) Regulations 2013.

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Trustees, senior staff and advisors

Our trustees**

Francesca Unsworth (Chair)

Awo Ablo (Vice chair) (to October 2024)

Management team:

Caroline Nursey Chief Executive Officer (to July 2023)

Reeta Chakrabarti

Phil Harrold Freshta Karim Gavin Mann Nicholas Pickles Julia Rank Sophia Swithern Shirley Cameron Myles Wickstead Michael Wooldridge (to 30 June 2024) Lindsey North

Company Secretary:

Dushani Karunatilleka

Simon Bishop Chief Executive Officer (from July 2023)

Laura Collier-Keywood Chief Operating Officer (parental leave from April 2024)

Scott Rutherford Chief Operating Officer (acting, from April 2024)

Richard Lace Director of Programmes

Caroline Sugg Director of Strategy and Partnerships

Eva Ng'ang'a People and Culture Lead (appointed to management team in July 2023)

Registered office:

Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA

Auditors:

Buzzacott LLP 130 Wood Street London EC2V 6DL

Bankers:

Barclays Bank Plc 1 Churchill Place London E14 5HP

Lloyds Bank Plc 10 Gresham Street London EC2V 7AE

Francesca Unsworth, Chair

BBC employee Member of finance and audit committee Member of governance committee

18 October 2024

On behalf of the board of trustees of BBC Media Action

BBC Media Action is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1076235) and a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (no 3521587).

Find out more: bbcmediaaction.org

On Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, LinkedIn: @bbcmediaaction

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AUDITORS’ REPORT

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of BBC Media Action (the ‘charitable parent company’) and its subsidiaries (the ‘group’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which the comprise the group statement of financial activities, the group and charitable parent company balance sheets and consolidated statement of cash flows, the principal accounting policies and the notes to the financial statements. 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:

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 group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the group and charitable parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

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Other information

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

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

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

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the charitable parent company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ report including the strategic 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:

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable parent 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.

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Auditors’ report

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

Auditors’ 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:

How the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities including fraud

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable parent company financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:

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To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of noncompliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the trustees and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s member, 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 parent company’s members those matters we are required to state to it 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 parent company and the charitable parent company’s member as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Edward Finch

(senior statutory auditor)

27 November 2024

For and on behalf of Buzzacott LLP, Statutory Auditor, 130 Wood Street, London EC2V 6DL

The BBC's international charity

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ACCOUNTS

Consolidated statement of financial activities

(including the income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
Note 2024 2024 2024 2023 2023 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Income from
Donations 2
Gif-in-kind 852 5,515 6,367 613 6,826 7,439
General 250 - 250 294 - 294
Other trading activities 3 137 - 137 136 - 136
Investments 4 96 - 96 27 - 27
Charitable activities
Funding for specifc
charitable activities		 5 2,291 22,884 25,175 2,209 24,864 27,073
Total income 3,626 28,399 32,025 3,279 31,690 34,969
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 6 (265) - (265) (216) - (216)
Charitable activities
Changing lives
through media and
communication
Governance 6 (2,802) (15,547) (18,349) (2,233) (17,483) (19,716)
Resilience 6 (1,830) (10,157) (11,987) (862) (7,630) (8,492)
Health 6 (486) (2,695) (3,181) (821) (6,577) (7,398)
Total expenditure on
charitable activities		 (5,118) (28,399) (33,517) (3,916) (31,690) (35,606)
Total expenditure 6 (5,383) (28,399) (33,782) (4,132) (31,690) (35,822)
Net expenditure for the
year		 7 (1,757) - (1,757) (854) - (854)
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought
forward		 3,273 34 3,307 4,127 34 4,161
Total funds carried
forward		 16, 17 1,516 34 1,550 3,273 34 3,307

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised during the year. All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities. The notes on pages 64-78 form part of these financial statements. As permitted by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006, the individual charity’s statement of financial activities has not been included in these financial statements. The gross income of the charity is £32,025,000 (2023: £34,969,000) and the net result is a deficit of £1,757,000 (2023: £854,000).

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Accounts

Consolidated and BBC Media Action balance sheets

At 31 March 2024

At 31 March 2024
Group Group Charity Charity
Note 2024 2023 2024 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Fixed assets
Investments 10 - - 23 23
Total fixed assets - - 23 23
Current assets
Debtors 11 6,118 6,009 7,169 6,237
Cash at bank and in hand 12 2,323 4,255 2,137 4,122
Total current assets 8,441 10,264 9,306 10,359
Liabilities
Creditors: amounts fallingdue within oneyear 13 (6,591) (6,703) (7,479) (6,819)
Net current assets 1,850 3,561 1,827 3,540
Total assets less current liabilities 1,850 3,561 1,850 3,563
Provisions for liabilities 14 (300) (254) (300) (254)
Net assets 1,550 3,307 1,550 3,309
Funds
Unrestricted funds 16, 17 1,516 3,273 1,516 3,275
Restricted funds 16, 17 34 34 34 34
Total Funds 16, 17 1,550 3,307 1,550 3,309

The notes on pages 64-78 form part of these financial statements. The financial statements on pages 62-78 were approved by the Board of Trustees on 18 October 2024.

Francesca Unsworth, Chair

18 October 2024

BBC Media Action is the BBC's international charity registered in England and Wales (no 1076235) and a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (no 3521587)

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Accounts

Consolidated statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 March 2024

For the year ended 31 March 2024
Total Total
Note 2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Net cash (outfow) from operating activities 18 (2,028) (3,366)
Returns on investments and servicing of fnance
Interest received 96 27
Decrease in cash in theyear (1,932) (3,339)
Cash at the start of theyear 12 4,255 7,594
Cash at the end of theyear 12 2,323 4,255

Analysis of changes in net debt

Analysis of changes in net debt
At 1 April Cash At 31 March
2023 fows 2024
£’000 £’000 £’000
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash 4,255 (1,932) 2,323
Total net debt 4,255 (1,932) 2,323

BBC Media Action does not have any borrowings or lease obligations. Net debt consists therefore of the cash balance.

As permitted by paragraph 1.12 of FRS 102, BBC Media Action has not prepared a statement of cash flows for the parent entity. The consolidated statement of cash flows above includes both the parent and subsidiary entities.

The notes on pages 64-78 form part of these financial statements.

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NOTES

(forming part of the financial statements) for the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting policies

The following accounting policies have been applied consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the financial statements.

a) Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and applicable UK accounting standards and under historical cost accounting rules. The Group’s 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 United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Assessment of Going Concern

The Financial Review in the Trustees’ Report reviews the finances of BBC Media Action and the group in the year ended 31 March 2024 in comparison to the prior and earlier years.

The trustees are satisfied that continued monitoring of the financial strength of BBC Media Action is in place and that sufficient indicators have been put in place to track performance against the organisation’s multi-year planning.

The BBC Media Action Group has a sufficient cash balance as set out in note 12. Forecasts indicate that payments can be made as they fall due and negative adjustments to the forecast can be managed.

Board of Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the annual financial statements.

The financial statements are prepared in pound sterling and rounded to the nearest thousand pound.

b) Basis of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of BBC Media Action and its subsidiary undertakings made up to 31 March 2024. For the purposes of complying with FRS 102 the entity is a public benefit entity.

The financial statements of BBC Media Action (India) Limited (formerly BBC WST Limited), a company registered in England and Wales (no: 2746733), the financial statements of BBC Media Action Nepal Private Limited, an entity established in Nepal (no:112548/60/070), the financial statements of British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action Ltd/Gte (No: RC1448388), an entity established in Nigeria, and the financial statements of BBC World Service Trust India have been consolidated with those of BBC Media Action.

Under section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 the company is exempt from the requirement to present its own statement of financial activities or income and expenditure account and statement of cash flows by FRS102.

The Trustees’ Report explains how BBC Media Action is structured and managed and how the major risks are managed. Thus the

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c) Limited by guarantee

BBC Media Action is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. The sole member of the company undertakes to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of it being wound up, while it is a member or within one year after it ceases to be a member, for payment of the debts and liabilities of the company contracted before it ceases to be a member, and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up, and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributors among themselves, such amount as may be required not exceeding £10. BBC Media Action had one member (the BBC) at the end of the period. Each Trustee is a subscriber to the Memorandum of Association and accordingly BBC Media Action had 12 subscribers at the end of the year.

d) Fund accounting

BBC Media Action has various funds for which separate disclosure is required as follows:

Restricted income funds

Grants which are earmarked by the funder for specific purposes. Such purposes are within the overall aims of the charity.

Unrestricted funds

Funds which are expendable at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity.

General funds are those unrestricted funds that have not been set aside by Trustees for a particular purpose. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes.

e) Income

Income is included in the statement of financial activities when BBC Media Action is entitled to the income, when receipt of funds is probable, and when the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Income from charitable activities includes income earned both from the supply of goods or services under contractual arrangements and from performance-related grants which have conditions that specify the provision of particular goods or services to be provided by the charity. These contracts or performancerelated grants have been included as ‘Income from charitable activities’ where these grants specifically outline the goods and services to be provided to beneficiaries which are within the charitable purposes of the charity.

Income from such contracts and grants is recognised to the extent that resources have been committed to the specific programme, as this is deemed to be a reliable estimate of the right to receive payment for the work performed. In this case, cash received in excess of expenditure is included as a creditor (as deferred income) and expenditure in excess of cash included as a debtor (as accrued income).

Other trading activities are the activities where BBC Media Action provides goods, services or entry to events in order to generate income and undertake charitable activities. Where income is received in advance, recognition is deferred and included in creditors and where entitlement arises before income is received, the income is accrued.

Donations are recognised when receivable. Gifts in kind are valued at a reasonable estimate of the value to BBC Media Action, which is normally equal to the market value.

Where funding allows for a general allowance to cover indirect costs that allowance is recognised as unrestricted income within the SOFA in proportion to the amounts recognised as income to cover direct programme expenses.

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f) Expenditure

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category as listed below. Support costs, which include the central or regional office functions such as general programme support, payroll administration, budgeting and accounting, information technology, human resources, and financing, are allocated across the categories of charitable expenditure and governance costs. The basis of the cost allocation is explained in the notes to the accounts. The allocation for the purposes of the Statement of Recommended Practice may not always reflect the definition per various donor contracts.

Equipment purchased as part of the production of media as part of a project is expensed in the statement of financial activities in the year of purchase and returned to the funder or donated to local charities on cessation.

g) Foreign currency

Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are recorded in sterling at the rates ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the exchange rates ruling at the balance sheet date and any exchange differences arising are taken to the statement of financial activities.

h) Pension costs

Some UK employees are members of the BBC’s pension schemes. The BBC group operates both defined benefit and defined contribution schemes for the benefit of the employees.

Defined benefit scheme

The defined benefit schemes provide benefits based on final pensionable pay. The assets of the BBC Pension Scheme, to which the majority of BBC employees belong, are held separately from those of the BBC group. BBC Media Action, following the provisions within section 28 of FRS 102, accounts for the scheme as if it were a defined contribution scheme. This is because it is not possible to

identify its share of underlying assets and liabilities of the scheme on a consistent and reasonable basis. The expenditure charged in the SOFA therefore represents the contributions payable to the scheme in the year.

Defined contribution scheme

The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of BBC Media Action in an independently administered fund. The amounts charged as expenditure for the defined contribution scheme represent contributions payable by BBC Media Action in respect of the financial year. Where these contributions are reclaimable directly from donors they are charged to restricted funds, where they are not they are charged to unrestricted funds.

i) Debtors

Debtors are recognised at their settlement amount, less any provision for nonrecoverability. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid. They have been discounted to the present value of the future cash receipt where such discounting is material.

j) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand represents such accounts and instruments that are available on demand or have a maturity of less than three months from the date of acquisition. Deposits for more than three months but less than one year have been disclosed as short term deposits.

k) Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised when there is an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are recognised at the amount the charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt. They have been discounted to the present value of the future cash payment where such discounting is material.

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l) Leases

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to the statement of financial activities on a straight line basis over the lease term. Lease incentives are recognised over the lease term on a straight line basis.

m) Tax

BBC Media Action is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.

n) Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for assets and liabilities as at the balance sheet date and the amounts reported for revenues and expenses during the year. However, the nature of estimation means that actual outcomes could differ from those estimates. The items in the financial statements where judgements and estimates have been made include:

o) Financial instruments

The financial assets and financial liabilities of the charity and their measurement basis are as follows:

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2. Donations

Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
2024 2024 2024 2023 2023 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Gif-in-Kind
BBC Global News Limited 73 1,590 1,663 65 1,439 1,504
Airtime/media space from
various providers		 - 3,925 3,925 - 5,387 5,387
Individuals/other 779 - 779 549 - 549
General Donations
BBC Group 250 - 250 250 - 250
Individuals/other - - - 44 - 44
Total 1,102 5,515 6,617 907 6,826 7,734

3. Other trading activities

Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
2024 2024 2024 2023 2023 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Fundraising dinner and
corporate partners		 137 - 137 136 - 136
Total 137 - 137 136 - 136

4. Investment income

Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
2024 2024 2024 2023 2023 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Bank interest receivable 96 - 96 27 - 27
Total 96 - 96 27 - 27

5. Income and grants from charitable activities

Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
2024 2024 2024 2023 2023 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Grant funding for specifc
charitable activities
Governance 1,254 12,528 13,782 1,212 13,643 14,855
Resilience 820 8,184 9,004 537 6,043 6,580
Health 217 2,172 2,389 460 5,178 5,638
Total 2,291 22,884 25,175 2,209 24,864 27,073

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6. Expenditure

Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
2024 2024 2024 2023 2023 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Raising Funds 265 - 265 216 - 216
Charitable Activities 5,118 28,399 33,517 3,917 31,690 35,607
Total 5,383 28,399 33,782 4,133 31,690 35,823

Donations in the current year were derived from the following sources:

Direct Allocation
project Staf of support
costs costs costs Total Total
2024 2024 2024 2024 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Raising funds
Donations 17 167 4 188 165
Other trading activities 19 53 5 77 51
Total cost of raisingfunds 36 220 9 265 216
Charitable activities
Changing lives through media and
communication
Governance 8,462 7,670 2,217 18,349 19,716
Resilience 5,528 5,010 1,449 11,987 8,492
Health 1,467 1,330 384 3,181 7,399
Total cost of charitable activities 15,457 14,010 4,050 33,517 35,607
Total expenditure 15,493 14,230 4,059 33,782 35,823

The support costs allocated and the basis of apportionment were:

2024 2023
Support activity Basis of apportionment £’000 £’000
Programme support Specifc allocation and pro-rata by
direct project expenditure		 227 172
General management
and fundraising		 Pro-rata by direct project expenditure 2,337 1,910
Financial management Pro-rata by direct project expenditure 650 497
Information technology Pro-rata by direct project expenditure 367 331
Premises and facilities Pro-rata by direct project expenditure 478 454
Total 4,059 3,363

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7. Net expenditure for the year

Net expenditure for the year
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
This is stated afer charging:
Auditor's remuneration (including VAT)
Group
current year 53 49
Auditor's remuneration (including VAT)
subsidiaries 10 9
Exchange rate loss 223 100
Hire of assets - operating leases 1,084 1,184

8. Trustees and employees

Members of the Board of Trustees (who are all directors within the meaning of the Companies Act 2006). Trustees' expenses amounted to £1,239 (2023 : £NIL).

Donations made by Trustees in the year totalled £NIL (2023: £NIL). Trustees are provided with indemnity insurance as part of the BBC Group’s Directors’ and Officers’ policy.

All UK staff employed on a continuing basis by BBC Media Action have employment contracts with the BBC. Staff costs referred to in note 9 are either incurred in the form of payments to the BBC for these staff members or internationally through project based payrolls, in addition to the costs of temporary staff employed directly and through agencies.

9. Staff costs

Staf costs
Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Costs of staf split by:
Wages and salaries 11,023 12,063 10,554 11,373
National insurance 490 527 490 527
Pension costs 1,299 1,203 1,266 1,168
Other staf costs 1,418 1,459 1,389 1,392
Total 14,230 15,252 13,699 14,460
Employees with emoluments of £60,000 and over fell into the following bands: 2024 2023
£60,001–£70,000 17 15
£70,001–£80,000 7 4
£80,001–£90,000 2 5
£90,001–£100,000 5 2
£100,001–£110,000 - 1
£110,001-£120,000 1 1

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9. Staff costs (continued)

The number of employees whose emoluments were greater than £60,000 to whom retirement benefits are accruing under defined benefits schemes is 5 (2023:7). The senior management team who have authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the Group are considered to be key management personnel. Total cost of employment in respect of these individuals, including the Chief Executive Officer’s total cost of employment of £189,033 (2023: £179,902) and excluding People and Culture Lead's salary which is covered by a monthly re-charge to BBC HR, is £559,696 (2023: £517,956).

The average number of employees on a headcount basis, analysed by function was:

2024 2023
Programme activities (charitable):
Africa 203 236
Asia 203 192
Rest of World 98 101
Other 2 2
Total 506 531

There were no redundancy costs in the year (2023: £0).

10. Fixed asset investment

Fixed asset investment
Charity Charity
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Investment in BBC Media Action (India) Limited
Cost 55 55
Less: Cumulative impairment (34) (34)
Investment in BBC Media Action Nepal Private Limited
Cost 1 1
Investment in British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action Ltd/Gte
(Nigeria)
Cost 1 1
Total 23 23

BBC Media Action has three 100% owned subsidiary undertakings: BBC Media Action (India) Limited, BBC Media Action Nepal Private Limited, and British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action Ltd/Gte, an entity registered in Nigeria.

The investment in BBC Media Action (India) Limited (registered number 2746733, charity number 1121665) is held directly.

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10. Fixed asset investment (continued)

The investment in BBC Media Action Nepal Private Limited, (Company Registration Number: 112548/60/070) an entity established under the laws of Nepal, is held directly.

British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action Ltd/Gte (Company Registration Number RC1448388) is an entity under the laws of Nigeria. It is a 100% owned subsidiary of BBC Media Action. Although local staff contracts are in the name of British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action Ltd/Gte, funding to meet the charitable objectives of the organisation is received and disbursed by BBC Media Action in Nigeria.

A fourth entity, BBC World Service Trust India, is regarded as a subsidiary undertaking and in accordance with paragraph 24.14 of SORP FRS 102 has been consolidated in the consolidated financial statements as BBC Media Action has the right to appoint the majority of Trustees. This entity did not trade in the current or prior year.

BBC Media Action (India) Limited –

Cowrks Ground and First Floor, Worldmark 1, Aerocity, New Delhi - 110037, India

The statement of financial activities of BBC Media Action (India) Limited may be summarised as follows:

2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Total income 970 1,566
Total expenditure (970) (1,566)
Net income - -

The balance sheet of BBC Media Action (India) Limited may be summarised as follows:

The balance sheet of BBC Media Action (India) Limited may be summarised as follows:
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Fixed and current assets 714 660
Liabilities (693) (639)
Net amount 21 21

BBC Media Action Nepal Private Limited –

Lalitpur District, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Ward No 3, Sanepa, Nepal

The statement of financial activities of BBC Media Action Nepal Private Limited may be summarised as follows:

2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Total income - -
Total expenditure - -
Net income - -
Total funds brought forward 1 1
Total funds carried forward 1 1

The balance sheet of BBC Media Action Nepal Private Limited may be summarised as follows:

2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Fixed and current assets 1 1
Liabilities - -
Net amount 1 1

British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action Ltd/Gte –

Plot 800, Off Ebitu Ukiwe Street, Jabi, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

This entity was dormant during the year.

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11. Debtors

Debtors
Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Trade debtors 293 453 288 453
Amounts due from subsidiary
and related undertakings		 582 - 1,220 574
Other debtors 527 534 27 188
Prepayments 284 282 261 282
Accrued income (see Note 15) 4,432 4,740 5,373 4,740
Total 6,118 6,009 7,169 6,237

All debtors fall due within one year.

12. Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand
Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Cash held at bank in UK 881 3,508 822 3,470
Cash held at bank and in hand overseas 1,442 747 1,315 652
Total 2,323 4,255 2,137 4,122

13. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Trade creditors 81 28 81 27
Amounts due to related
undertakings (see Note 21)		 729 958 728 958
Other creditors 647 1,468 2,058 1,614
Accruals 1,357 735 1,306 707
Deferred income (see Note 15) 3,777 3,513 3,306 3,513
Total 6,591 6,703 7,479 6,819

14. Provisions for liabilities

Provisions for liabilities
Project Costs Other Costs Total
Charity and group £’000 £’000 £’000
At 1 April 2023 254 - 254
New provisions in 23/24 (Ibex House dilapidations) - 117 117
Provisions utilised in 23/24 (71) - (71)
At 31 March 2024 183 117 300

The provision for project costs relates to costs that are not expected to be recovered from the donor and are therefore an obligation at 31 March 2023. It is expected that the majority of these obligations will be paid during the year ending 31 March 2024.

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15. Accrued and deferred income

Where cash is received in advance of a project period commencing, income is deferred and included in creditors. Where entitlement arises (i.e. when performance conditions has been met) before cash is received, the income is accrued and included within debtors. The most significant projects for which income was deferred and accrued are detailed below. In the year to 31 March 2024 the Group had 107 (2022: 120) active projects.

Total Total Amount Total Total
Deferred Accrued Received Deferred Accrued
Income Income and Other Released Income Income
2023 2023 Movements Via SOFA 2024 2024
ACTED / UNHCR : Bangladesh:
Supporting Rohingya refugees		 - - (178) 267 - 89
BMB MOTT MACDONALD :
South Sudan: GESS II - MOTT		 - 254 (974) 841 - 121
CICAN : Kenya: Young Africa
Works in Kenya-TVET		 - 133 (262) 129 - -
COUNTERPART : Afghanistan:
ASP USAID - Counterpart		 - 117 (734) 768 - 151
COUNTERPART : Afghanistan:
Afghanistan Support Project		 - - (107) 107 - -
CSSF : EECA: ENCD - FCDO - - (917) 1,397 - 480
DAI : Myanmar: ECCR_DAI (105) - (70) 175 - -
DEUTSCHE WELLE : Armenia:
Media Support in Armenia - EU		 (59) - (81) 178 - 38
DIAKONIA : Zambia: Democratic
Governance		 - 84 (87) 206 - 203
DUTCH EMBASSY : North Africa:
Dutch Funding El Kul Ph2		 (67) - (92) 146 (13) -
EUROPEAN COMMISSION :
Ethiopia: Increasing Confict Sens		 (614) - 12 573 (29) -
EUROPEAN COMMISSION :
Zambia: EU Citizens Voice		 (294) - - 217 (77) -
EUROPEAN COMMISSION :
Zambia: Natwampane - EU		 (31) - - 269 - 238
EUROPEAN UNION : EU Media Somalia - - (172) 176 - 4
FCDO : Bangladesh: PRIMED
implementation - FCDO		 - 82 (295) 213 - -
FCDO : Ethiopia: PRIMED
implementation - FCDO		 - 77 (336) 259 - -
FCDO : HQ: PRIMED
implementation - FCDO		 (385) - (508) 1,183 - 290
FCDO : Indonesia:
The Integrity Initiativ-Phs 1		 - - - 145 - 145
FCDO : MOL: Supporting
Teleradio Moldova's (TRM)		 - 17 (312) 294 (1) -
FCDO : Sierra Leone:
PRIMED implement- FCDO		 - 128 (448) 320 - -
FCDO : SO: Building Women's Resilience - - (204) 155 (49) -
FCDO : Solomon Islands: Media
Strengthening Ph2		 - - (407) 267 (140) -
FCDO : Tanzania: Shule Bora - 67 (149) 108 - 26
GAC : Tanzania: Niambie 2: GAC (80) - (907) 895 (92) -
GATES FOUNDATION : India:
Gender Normative Barriers		 (599) - 8 570 (21) -
GIZ : GIZ - Rural Governance
in South Sudan		 - - (150) 153 - 3
GLOBAL CENTER ON ADA :
Bangladesh: GCA - Stories of Cha		 - - (128) 149 - 21
H & M FOUNDATION : India:
PRIDE - H & M Foundation		 (410) - (61) 447 (24) -

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Accounts

15. Accrued and deferred income (continued)

Total Total Amount Total Total
Deferred Accrued Received Deferred Accrued
Income Income and Other Released Income Income
2023 2023 Movements Via SOFA 2024 2024
H & M FOUNDATION : PRIDE Phase - 2 - - (684) 121 (563) -
HALO TRUST : Afghanistan:
HALO - Mine Action in AFG		 - 93 (412) 319 - -
HUMANITY AND INCLUSI :
EECA HI Demining		 - - (161) 123 (38) -
IFES : Lib: Elections and Leg Strength IFES - 98 (559) 566 - 105
INT RESCUE COMMITTEE : Bangladesh:
BPRM Support for Roh		 - 274 (870) 594 (2) -
IRISH AID : NATIONAL
CONVERSATION 5 - PHASE 2		 - - (401) 224 (177) -
LIFT - MiKhin Myit Tar (103) - (69) 168 (4) -
NDI : EECA: LGBTQ+ Films - NDI Sida - 32 (219) 187 - -
NORAD : Indonesia: For the
People - NORAD		 (63) - (619) 605 (77) -
NORWEGIAN MINISTRY :
Life in Lulu Series IX & X		 - - (733) 340 (393) -
NRC : Emergencey to Reliance
in Adamawa (E2R)		 - - (47) 103 - 56
SDC : Tanzania: Niambie 2 - SDC - - (391) 478 - 87
SDC : Tanzania:Niambie 2 Rural Radio SDC (166) - (389) 389 (166) -
SIDA & SDC : Cambodia: Klahan9
SPACE - Sida & SDC		 - 373 (1,859) 1,188 (298) -
SIDA : Zambia: Kudziwa SIDA - 291 (2,279) 1,625 (363) -
SIGHTSAVERS : Nigeria:
Sightsavers DID Scale-Up		 - 120 (317) 273 - 76
UN : Afghanistan: MCH-UNFPA - - (435) 455 - 20
UNDP : LIB: RIPIL Resilience
to Inf Pollution		 - - (10) 222 - 212
UNDP : Promotion of Human
Security in Ukriane		 - - - 121 - 121
UNFPA : Zambia: UNFPA - - (122) 107 (15) -
UNICEF : Cambodia: Pakistan
Digital Polio Strategy		 - - (190) 175 (15) -
UNICEF : Covid-19 Vaccine
Hesitancy for Youth		 (66) - (77) 143 - -
UNICEF : TZ: Responsible
Parenting and Family Care		 (4) - (266) 369 - 99
UNICEF : Zambia: Ubumi Bwesu - 23 (153) 129 (1) -
UNOPS : Myanmar: Ma Shet Ne - UNOPS - 85 (245) 220 - 60
US STATE DEPARTMENT :
Afghanistan: DoS - Media Survey		 - - - 170 - 170
USAID : Bangladesh: USAID
- YouthRISE Activity		 - 31 (941) 928 - 18
USAID : Kenya USAID Global
Labour Program		 - 9 (82) 172 - 99
USAID : Myanmar BIG - Believing in Girls - 48 (24) 377 - 401
USAID : Myanmar: Investing
in Independent Media		 - 103 (511) 477 - 69
USAID : Nigeria Global APS - USAID: BHA - 24 (148) 124 - -
Other projects (466) 2,177 (4,976) 3,077 (1,219) 1,030
Total (3,513) 4,740 (25,748) 25,176 (3,777) 4,432

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Accounts

16. Funds analysis

Balance at Balance at
1-Apr-23 Income Expenditure Transfers 31-Mar-24
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds:
Technology-led Change Fund 369 - - (369) -
Total Designated funds 369 - - (369) -
General Funds 2,904 3,626 (5,014) - 1,516
Total Unrestricted funds 3,273 3,626 (5,014) - 1,516
Total Restricted Funds 34 28,399 (28,399) - 34
Total 3,307 32,025 (33,782) - 1,550
Balance at Balance at
1-Apr-22 Income Expenditure 31-Mar-23
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds:
Technology-led Change Fund 369 - - 369
Total Designated funds 369 - - 369
General Funds 3,758 3,279 (4,133) 2,904
Total Unrestricted funds 4,127 3,279 (4,133) 3,273
Total Restricted Funds 34 31,690 (31,690) 34
Total 4,161 34,969 (35,823) 3,307

The Trustees’ Report explains why the group and the charity hold unrestricted funds and the adequacy of these funds at the year end. The reserves policy is reviewed on an annual basis.

All of BBC Media Action’s primary activities are included within restricted funds. These activities are restricted to overseas project work and associated income and expenditure in line with the key themes and charitable objectives described in the Trustees report. Analysis of the projects are included in note 15.

The designated Technology-led Change Fund (2023: £369,000) has been undesignated for use as general reserves.

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Accounts

17. Analysis of group and charity net assets between funds

Net current Provision for Total
assets liabilities funds
£'000 £'000 £'000
Restricted funds 34 - 34
Unrestricted general funds 1,816 (300) 1,516
Total Funds at 31 March 2024 1,850 (300) 1,550
Net current Provision for Total
assets liabilities funds
£'000 £'000 £'000
Restricted funds 34 - 34
Unrestricted designated funds 369 - 369
Unrestricted general funds 3,158 (254) 2,904
Total Funds at 31 March 2023 3,561 (254) 3,307

18. Reconciliation of movement in funds to net cash (outflow) / inflow from operating activities


operating activities
2024 2023
£'000 £'000
Net expenditure for the year (1,757) (854)
Investment income (96) (27)
(Increase) / Decrease in debtors (109) 151
(Decrease) in creditors (112) (2,319)
Increase / (Decrease) in provisions 46 (317)
Cash(outfow)from operatingactivities (2,028) (3,366)

19. Commitments and contingent liabilities

Operating Leases

There were total amounts payable in the future on non-cancellable leases:

Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Land and buildings
Operating leases which expire:
Within one year 451 786 412 753
In the second to ffh years inclusive 109 103 109 103
Total 560 889 521 856

Contingent liabilities

There are none in current or prior years.

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Accounts

20. Pension costs

Many of the Company’s employees are members of the BBC’s pension schemes, the BBC Pension Scheme (a defined benefit scheme) and defined contribution schemes (LifePlan and the Group Personal Pension Scheme).

BBC Pension Scheme

The BBC Pension Scheme provides pension benefits on a defined benefit basis from assets held in separate, trustee-administered, funds.

The scheme is subject to independent valuation by a professionally qualified actuary at least every three years, on the basis of which the actuary certifies the rate of employer’s contributions. These, together with the specified contributions payable by employees and proceeds from the scheme’s assets, are expected to be sufficient to fund the benefits payable under the scheme.

The actuarial valuation of the Scheme as at 1 April 2022 reported a shortfall (liabilities, calculated on the technical provisions basis, minus value of assets) of £841m. The value of the Scheme’s assets and liabilities at that date were £19,745m and £20,586m respectively (both excluding AVCs). The method used to calculate the technical provisions is the projected unit method.

An 11-year recovery plan (2017 to 2028) was agreed between the BBC and the pension scheme Trustees which details the total amounts to be paid by the BBC (these amounts include both the employer normal contributions in respect of future service accrual and the amounts payable in respect of the funding shortfall).The funding shortfall is expected to be eliminated within 9.75 years of the valuation date, i.e. by 31 December 2028.

The contributions to the scheme by members are paid via a salary sacrifice arrangement. These have been treated as employer contributions.

Actuarial valuations must be carried out at least every three years (but may be carried out more frequently). The effective date of the next actuarial valuation of the Scheme must therefore be no later than 1 April 2025.

Contribution rates Projections (%)
2024
2023
2022
Employer
Employee (Old and New Benefts)
Employee (Career Average Benefts 2006)
Employee (Career Average Benefts 2011)		 30.0
42.3
42.3
7.5
7.5
7.5
4.0
4.0
4.0
6.0
6.0
6.0

21. Related party transactions

The following related party transactions occurred during the year:

Related party transactions
The following related party transactions occurred during the year:
2024 2023
£'000 £'000
Related parties
Services procured from related parties 181 295
Amounts owed from related parties 582 -
Amounts owed to related parties (Note 13) 729 957

During the year, BBC Media Action procured HR, IT and other support services of £180,896 (2023: £295,214) from the BBC.

Donations received from the BBC World Service, BBC Group and BBC Global News Limited are detailed in note 2.

At 31 March 2024, an amount of £729k (2023: £958k) was owing to the BBC Group (including BBC and BBC World Service) and was Country Office cash-in-transit. This amount owing is non-interest bearing and repayable on demand.

As at 31 March 2024, an amount of £582k (2023: nil) was owed by BBC Group (including BBC and BBC World Service) to the charity. This amount owing is non-interest bearing and repayable on demand.

There were no other related party transactions to 31 March 2024 (2023: none).

22. Post balance sheet events

There are no events after the balance sheet date that require adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Image credits

Front cover

Life goes on: farmers resume rice plantation and bringing life back to normal after 2015 earthquake in Nepal. / BBC Media Action Nepal

Contents page

  1. Photo from IDP camp about our impact in Hygiene Behaviour Change Coalition. / Ahmed Fais, BBC Media Action Somalia

  2. Miriam from Tanzania helped us to create a special season of Niambie! (Tell Me!) for Inclusive Futures, a disability-inclusive development initiative working to ensure all children and adults with a disability have the same opportunities as everyone else to access education, health and work opportunities. / BBC Media Action Tanzania

  3. In India, we are lifting the cloak of invisibility around informal waste pickers. / Vinod Sebastian, Saamuhika Shakti

Page 7

A photo from an IDP camp near Hargeisa, where we worked as part of the Hygiene Behaviour Change Coalition at the height of Covid-19. / Ahmed Fais, BBC Media Action Somalia

Page 32

BBC Media Action is sharing digital expertise with Unicef’s Oky app partners in the Indo-Pacific region with a specific focus on the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. / Image courtesy of Unicef

Page 39

Jeremiah interviews a fish farmer in Homa Bay about adapting to the changing weather. / Diana Njeru, BBC Media Action Kenya

Back cover

Hilder Ngatunga, a presenter for our Niambie! (Tell Me!) radio programme in Tanzania, with an interview guest following recording. / Joseph Minde, BBC Media Action Tanzania

Registered office: Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA, United Kingdom.

Registered charity no. (England & Wales): 1076235 Company number: 3521587 Tel: +44 (0) 208 008 2026 Email: media.action@bbc.co.uk

@bbcmediaaction

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