Registered Charity No. 1090901
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022
The Kanji Project 34 Vicarage Drive, Eastbourne, BN20 8AP
Trustees' Annual Report Year ended 31 December 2022
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022
Aims and Objectives
The Objects of the Charity, as defined in its constitution, are:
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the advancement of education in India
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the relief of those in need in India, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage.
The constitution permits the Charity Trustees to meet these Objects in such ways as they think fit, in particular, but not exclusively, by providing grants.
Partners
During 2022 The Kanji Project continued to work with two organisations in Tamil Nadu, India:
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St Antony’s Foundlings (SAF) is an Indian-registered charitable Society. The Society runs St Antony’s Matriculation School and Shanthi Lumin children’s home. It also assists local people who are in need. Its work is centred around the small rural town of Kanji in the Tiruvannamalai District of Tamil Nadu.
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The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (FIHM) is a religious Congregation of women based in Pondicherry. The Congregation runs The Sunshine Special School and coordinates outreach programmes for young people and for ‘differently abled’ people from its centre near Pudupalayam, about 12 kilometres from Kanji.
Enfants de Kanji, a small French charity, also works with St Antony’s Foundlings and liaises with The Kanji Project, sharing knowledge and experience.
Public Benefit
The Trustees of The Kanji Project are mindful of their responsibility to ensure that the Charity provides a public benefit. They communicate frequently with the key personnel in their Indian partner organisations so that they can be confident that the work being funded is indeed providing such a benefit.
In 2022 the Trustees have maintained regular contacts with our partners in India via online meetings, telephone and email. Because of the ongoing restrictions around travel following the pandemic, no Trustee visit to the projects has been considered this year.
Governance
The Trustees have continued to meet regularly online via Teams throughout 2022. In total, the Trustees met online as a quorate group 6 times for a regular Trustees’ meeting and once for a dedicated discussion of fundraising options.
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The post-pandemic environment in Tamil Nadu has been tough on the poorest communities in particular. Loss of job opportunities, recessive economic conditions and high levels of inflation are all factors that have impacted the re-opening and re-activation of the projects we support in Kanji. Despite these adverse conditions, the trustees have been pleased to observe and celebrate some significant successes with our delivery partners, for example, the full re-opening of St. Anthony’s school and the Sunshine Day Centre for disabled children, as well as the completion of new homes for families tragically affected by the floods in 2021. St. Anthony’s school also saw the retainment of the high-level success rate in pupils’ Standard 10 examinations for which the school is renowned.
With regards to the distribution of funds, The Kanji Project has remained committed to being led by its partners on the ground. Regular communication has allowed for swift decisions to be made and to ensure that funds are used where they are most needed. For example, this has meant that we have been able to support a rise in salaries for the social and outreach workers engaged by The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The charity’s UK based fundraising activities have resulted in a good level one-off donations with key successes in the year including an appearance as supported guest charity at a quiz in Eastbourne. Key supporters have continued to carry out their individual fundraising activities and kept up their sponsorship arrangements despite the disrupted educational situation in Kanji and surroundings, bringing much appreciated stability to the charity’s finances. The Trustees have continued to prioritise communication with the charity’s regular membership and are continuously reviewing how we can make the most of our website and social media platforms to engage new supporters.
This year we re-instated our AGM in a new online format. The annual meeting saw a live presentation from Lourdusamy Michael, the head of St. Anthony’s school, and was attended by the charity’s patron.
Education
There are three distinct strands to the educational work funded by The Kanji Project.
St Antony’s Matriculation School takes pupils, boys and girls, regardless of caste or religion, from the age of 3 through to 15. The school has high academic standards and its results in the external examinations for 15-year-olds are consistently among the best in the area. These results are complemented by the school’s achievements in sports and a range of extra-curricular activities. The school involves itself in the community with ecological projects and health awareness programmes. St Antony’s, which is run by St Antony's Foundlings, is a fee-paying school, with the fees set by the Tamil Nadu Education Department. It takes a proportion of children whose parents cannot afford to pay the full fees. Depending upon the family’s circumstances, there may be up to 100% remission of fees.
The Kanji Project provides grants to top up the fee income and so enable the subsidised places to be offered. Grants also help to finance some of the community involvement.
In 2022 the school opened again fully following a 2 year period of full or partial closure due to the pandemic. Although there were initial concerns about a potential significant drop in pupil numbers
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based in part on the number of children having left during the pandemic, St.Anthony’s has successfully retained its intake, with student numbers dropping by only 85, to 1465 at the start of the 2022 academic year. Challenges do remain, however, with regards to the fee-paying abilities of the current cohort, a result in part of the general economic downturn experienced in the area. Other challenges include the difficulty in retaining and recruiting new staff, particularly teachers with a higher level of proficiency in English.
The Sunshine Special School takes up to sixteen children who have learning disabilities. Some of the children also have moderate to severe physical disabilities. The aim of the school is to enable each child to develop social, practical and academic skills to the extent to which he or she is able. The school is staffed by two teachers with Special Needs training, assisted by two ayahs with a particular interest in working with these children. There is close liaison between the staff and the children’s parents.
The children’s attendance records are excellent, and parents are pleased by the ways in which their children are benefiting from the school. There have been some significant improvements in children’s speech, physical agility and learning.
The Sunshine School is run by the Franciscan Sisters. No fees are charged by the school which is supported entirely by grants from The Kanji Project.
The Sunshine Day Centre also opened its doors again this year at full capacity. The children have grown and the Centre has purchased new furniture and made other adjustments to improve the children’s physical learning environment.
After-school clubs , organised in twenty villages by the Franciscan Sisters and their co-workers, offer children assistance with their homework. This is especially valuable for those who find their lessons difficult. They also arrange sporting and musical activities. The children who benefit from the after-school clubs come from St. Anthony’s and local government schools where extracurricular activities are minimal.
Children attend these after-school clubs without charge. Costs, including payment of the teachers who provide the assistance, are funded entirely by grants from The Kanji Project.
Relief of Need
Financial support from The Kanji Project to relieve need focuses on long-term benefits rather than short-term handouts.
As mentioned, 2022 saw the completion of two houses for families whose accommodation was damaged in the in 2021 severe floods. These were funded through a separate Kanji Project appeal.
Shanthi Lumin children’s home accommodates up to sixty girls, usually from age 5 to 16. The girls come from a range of backgrounds including extreme poverty and domestic violence. At Shanthi Lumin they are given both physical and emotional security, sometimes experiencing this for the first time in their lives.
The children are encouraged in their schoolwork and play some part in the day-to-day running of the home – whether inside, or outside in the large vegetable garden. During their time at Shanthi
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Lumin, the children are helped to become more confident and better educated, and thus more likely to escape the deprivations of their earlier lives.
St Antony's Foundlings has responsibility for Shanthi Lumin. The running of the home is subject to regulation and inspection by the government social services department. The costs of the home are met by The Kanji Project in conjunction with Enfants de Kanji.
Shanthi Lumin is the project in our project portfolio most adversely affected by the pandemic which saw a full closure of the home. Return of resident girls to the hostel has been slow, and we are in ongoing communication with SAF who is considering the future purpose and mode of running of the project.
St Antony's Foundlings holds a small fund, provided by The Kanji Project, from which it can give emergency grants to families and individuals, most often in the case of a medical crisis. It is only these people who receive assistance in cash.
The Franciscan Sisters coordinate a team of field workers financed by The Kanji Project, who work in twenty villages in the area around Pudupalayam and Kanji. They work to relieve need by empowering two groups of people:
“Differently abled” people (to use the Indian description) are entitled to various government benefits, but many of them lack the skills to cope with the bureaucracy required to apply for them. The Sisters, or their field workers, assist people with their applications, often accompanying them to the government offices. They also facilitate meetings for these people, providing them with a forum to share and discuss the issues which they face and the experiences they have had, to assist them in overcoming the hardships which their disabilities bring.
Children’s parliaments bring together boys and girls from different castes and religions to work together for the benefit of their communities. The parliaments are well-structured arrangements, with individuals taking responsibilities for particular roles e.g. chair, secretary, and subjects e.g. education, environment and so on. The parliaments are held in 'neutral' places such as schools, to ensure that children from differing castes or religions feel welcome. The children’s parliaments are effective in disseminating information, such as the prevention of diseases like Dengue Fever, and in lobbying village elders for small but significant improvements such as the repair of street lighting, the cleaning up of public wells. Through the work of the children's parliaments, young people are growing up with a greater sense of social responsibility and the common good.
Safeguarding
Following release of the Charity Commission’s Inquiry Report, The Gail Trust (March 2018), which emphasised the safeguarding responsibilities of UK charities who do not do direct delivery abroad but whose overseas partners have contact with potentially vulnerable individuals and groups, the Kanji Project’s Board of Trustees, in conjunction with staff at St Antony’s Foundlings, has undertaken a thorough review of our safeguarding policy and procedures. Processes for ensuring due diligence within our partner organisations have been added to our processes and a system which will alert us to potential safeguarding issues within the projects has been put in place. No incidents requiring involvement of The Kanji Project have been noted by partners during 2022. DATA PROTECTION - GDPR
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Leading up to the introduction of new regulations in May 2018, the Trustees undertook a data flow analysis and updated privacy statements and consent forms to be GDPR compliant. The legal basis underpinning The Kanji Project’s data processes are Consent and Legitimate Interest. There have been no recorded breaches during 2022 and the Trustees continue to review the data that we hold on supporters to ensure that it complies with legislation.
Publicity and Liaison with Supporters
The Kanji Project sends out 2 yearly, larger newsletters and also use the news tab on our website extensively to communicate with supporters about current issues affecting our projects and the local area in which they are situated. We use Mailchimp to share regular news updates with people on our database and to launch new fundraising initiatives.
Website and database improvements
The trustees have continued to improve and expand our social media activity and donations received through our online donation platform hosted on the charity’s website continue to grow.
Financial Review
As in previous years, regular donations, including Gift Aid where applicable, form the mainstay of the Charity's income, accounting for more than 70% of receipts in 2022. The Trustees are particularly grateful to the supporters who continue to contribute to the Charity in this way. All donations to the Charity are, of course, much appreciated and mean that the Charity can continue to support the worthwhile work being done in India.
Fundraising events are valuable not just for the income they provide but as a way of increasing the visibility of the Charity. This year we were fortunate to benefit from the proceeds of an Eastbourne quiz night and from a coffee morning organised by one of our long-standing supporters.
The budget plan for 2022 anticipated that expenditure would exceed receipts. In the event, the deficit of £1,209 was smaller than anticipated. We have continued to benefit from some very generous one-off donations.
For 2022, the Charity made some changes to the way it sends funds to St. Anthony’s Foundlings. We now provide baseline funding which is set out in the funding agreement which covers St. Anthony’s School and the Shanthi Lumin children’s home. In addition, we provide extra top-up funding which can be varied according to the relative strength or weakness of our financial position at any given time. This gives greater flexibility to the way in which we are able to manage our finances.
Both of our Indian partners do their utmost to make the most of every rupee that we provide. They face increasing costs and their ability to extend their work is limited by finances. However much the Trustees might wish to be able to provide additional financial support to their Indian partners, they can only do so within the constraints of the funds available.
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Reserves Policy
In the second half of 2022 we re-visited our Reserves Policy. The added financial flexibility referred to above has led us to decide that in future we no longer need to hold as much in reserve for contingencies or as a buffer. A draft policy has been drawn up which proposes that £7,500 should be retained for contingencies, whilst the remainder may be allocated for future projects of St Antony’s Foundlings, the Franciscan Sisters or of other suitable Indian charities. This policy will be presented for formal agreement at a Trustee meeting in early 2023.
At the end of 2022, the Charity held £14,306 in the General Account and £15,066 in the Reserve Account, a total of £29,372.
Risk
The Trustees are aware of the risks associated with aid to overseas countries: exchange rate fluctuations, cultural differences, creation of dependency and so on. These are taken into account when making grant decisions. They discuss with the Trustees of St Antony’s Foundlings and with the Franciscan Sisters the impacts, positive and negative, that different forms of aid may make upon the Indian village communities. They also periodically review risks more generally.
Structure, governance and management
The Kanji Project is an unincorporated association registered by the Charity Commission on 4th March 2002 and governed by a Constitution (last updated 25 April 2015). It is managed by trustees.
Trustees
Trustees are elected by members at the Annual General Meeting. They may also be co-opted until the next Annual General Meeting by the existing Trustees. Trustees are themselves members of the charity.
When seeking to recruit new trustees, the existing Trustees are mindful of the skills, knowledge and experience needed by the Board of Trustees. We continue to review the Trustee Board’s need for new membership and the recruitment of new trustees is a priority for 2023. To inform this recruitment drive, the current Trustees have drawn up detailed lists of the roles and responsibilities that we currently cover and identified priority areas for additional support.
Prior to appointment, potential trustees are interviewed, two references are obtained, and, if successful, the new trustee is required to sign a declaration confirming their eligibility to serve. New Trustees are provided with information giving them an overview of the charity’s operations, but much of the Trustee induction is done informally with further information being supplied as needed in Trustee meetings and in other communications.
Trustees meet about every six weeks. They do not receive remuneration for their work with the charity, but expenses incurred solely for charity business are reimbursed on request.
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Trustees' Annual Report Year ended 31 December 2022
Trustees who served in 2022 were:
Jennifer Cruse re-elected 02/07/2022 Veronica Clark re-elected 08/06/2018 George Foden re-elected 02/07/2022 Sofie Franzen (Chair) re-elected 02/07/2022
Pamela Jones re-elected 14/06/2019 Rod Thick re-elected 02/07/2022 Alison Worgan re-elected 02/07/2022 Peter Dacombe re-elected 02/07/2022
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Patron and President Lady Cotton is a Patron of The Kanji Project.
Mr Ian Parr is the President of the Charity.
Volunteers
The Kanji Project is run entirely by volunteers: the Trustees plus the many other people who give of their time and their skills to the Charity. It is thanks to all these people that the Charity can commit such a large proportion of its income to its charitable purposes.
Serious incidents
The Trustees are legally obliged to report to The Charity Commission any serious incident (e.g. fraud) adversely affecting the charity. No such serious incident has occurred during 2022.
Bankers CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ
Honorary Legal Adviser Elizabeth Jones
Approved by the Trustees on 20[th] May 2023 and signed on their behalf by
Jennifer Cruse Secretary
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Trustees' Annual Report Year ended 31 December 2022
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of The Kanji Project Trust
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Kanji Project Trust (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2022.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
JOHN COLLIER Chartered Accountant 114 Lupus Street, London, SW1V 4AJ
20[th] May 2023
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Trustees' Annual Report Year ended 31 December 2022
Financial Statement for the year ended 31 December 2022
| Please see notes below | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| RECEIPTS | ||
| Regular donations (1) | 19,837 | 21,147 |
| One-off donations (2) | 7,257 | 12,935 |
| Fund-raising events (3) | 1,640 | 4,299 |
| Gift Aid payment from HMRC (4) | 5,651 | 4,324 |
| Sale of Indian artefacts | 155 | 200 |
| Bank interest | 15 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 34,555 | 42,905 |
| PAYMENTS | ||
| Grants to St. Antony's Foundlings | ||
| - School grants | 18,900 | 16,500 |
| - Flood relief grants | 0 | 1,850 |
| - House building grant | 2,000 | 0 |
| Grants to IDHAYA | ||
| - Sunshine School grants (5) | 7,640 | 7,200 |
| - Flood relief grants | 0 | 1,850 |
| Salaries (India) (6) | 6,000 | 8,400 |
| Bank charges | 319 | 397 |
| Printing - newsletters and cards | ||
| (7) | 593 | 218 |
| Postage | 0 | 40 |
| Website hosting and helpdesk | 143 | 161 |
| Purchase of Indian artefacts (8) | 119 | 238 |
| Membership fee | 50 | 0 |
| Trustee expenses | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 35,764 | 36,854 |
| Excess of Receipts over Payments | -1,209 | 6,051 |
| Balance Sheet | ||
| Assets | ||
| CAF Cash General Account | 14,306 | 15,515 |
| CAF Gold Reserve Account | 15,066 | 15,023 |
| TOTAL | 29,372 | 30,538 |
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Trustees' Annual Report Year ended 31 December 2022
Notes to accompany the 2022 annual accounts
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Regular donations are lower than in 2021. We now have around 100 regular standing orders coming in each month, down from about 110 in 2021.
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One-off donations still represent a very important part of our income. In 2021 we had a very large donation in memory of David Holman. This is the main reason why the figure for that year is higher than in 2022.
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This figure covers receipts from the Eastbourne quiz night and Bernadette Skinner’s coffee morning.
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This figure is higher than usual. This is because the large donation referred to in (2) above was eligible for Gift Aid, which was claimed in 2022.
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Payments to Idhaya (the Sunshine Special School) have been increased to help support the salary increases for staff.
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This figure does not include the £1,200 salary for Maria. We were unable to make appropriate arrangements to pay this before the end of the financial year.
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This figure covers payments for the two 2022 newsletters and an invoice for the 2021 Autumn newsletter. It was sent to an old address and was therefore paid late.
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