2023-03-31-accounts - Ghana Outlook

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Trustees' Annual Report for the period
From				T o
	Period start date				Period end date

					Day 31	Month 03	year 2023
	Day 01	Mont h 04	year 2022

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Ghana Outlook Other names charity is known by GO Registered charity number (if any) 1091636 Charity's principal address 27 Pengeston Road Penistone Sheffield Postcode S36 6GW

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Dates acted if not for Name of person (or body) entitled Trustee name Office (if any) whole year to appoint trustee (if any) Ghana Outlook 1[Richard Galli-] ford Chairman Ghana Outlook 2[Kevin Michael ] Kelly Treasurer Ghana Outlook 3[John Stuart ] Walker 4 Carol Parry Secretary Ghana Outlook 5 Derek Housley

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

Declaration of Trust dated 24 February 2002

(eg. trust deed, constitution)

Association How the charity is constituted

(eg. trust, association, company)

Appointed by trustees at General Meeting Trustee selection methods

(eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;

The 5 trustees of GO are all retired professionals, three from the UK’s Fire and Rescue Service, one a Consultant Civil Engineer from private practice and one from a background of social work. The trustees met at Wilmslow four times during the year and also met via video link several times as the charity’s business required. All trustees give freely of their time and receive no remuneration, reimbursement of expenses or other benefit.

The trustees manage the charity but the work of GO is entirely dependent on its long-standing partnerships with local, trusted, dedicated Ghanaians.

relationship with any related parties;

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trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

Two such partnerships are Sahara Advocates of change (SAC) and Rural Endogenous Development Organisation (REDO), formerly Coalition for Change. Both are Ghanaian NGOs based in Wa, Upper West Region , Ghana. They identify need, promote interventions to GO and beneficiaries, have stewardship of funds, supervise project implementation, measure outturn and report. Projects establish women’s group market gardening and provide clean water and safe /sanitation in the region; all in support of children’s wellbeing and education.

The trustees express their heartfelt sorrow and sympathy to Jacob Agyakinla (CEO of REDO ) and the three children, following the tragic and unexpected death of Carmel, his wife and their mother. Carmel was also the NGO’s treasurer.

In Ashanti, Eastern, Central and Volta Regions, William Mensah, a retired senior officer with the Ghana National Fire and Rescue Service, fulfils the same rolls. William has years of experience working on humanitarian projects in Ghana with the Presbyterian Relief and Development Service (PRS&D). He is based in Accra. Projects are water and sanitation; in the main mechanized boreholes and latrine pits for schools.

GO has collaborated over many years with the Christian African Relief Trust (CART) a registered UK charity based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire to send educational materials and equipment and humanitarian aid to support GO's projects and communities in need.

Over the years, a procedure of working has evolved which GO now applies to all water and sanitation projects and plans to use for future agricultural projects. The procedure is not fixed but is reviewed regularly in the light of experience gained by both GO and its partners, project by project. Rigorous reviews are undertaken following field trips.

The process currently has four stages: project adoption, when funds are available, project implementation and project outturn.

Project adoption focuses around completion of a project adoption check list, a preliminary cost estimate and the outcome of meeting with piped water and electricity suppliers.
When funds are available includes cost quotations and a memorandum of agreement (MOU) being signed by the beneficiaries and the partner.
Project implementation is about site supervision and management of change.
Project outturn uses an outturn check list involving measurable outcomes. These and less tangible outcomes are to be included in a project report.

Section C Objectives and activities

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HELP FACILITATE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IN GHANA.

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

PROVIDE FUNDING FOR WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION TO ENABLE VILLAGES AND SCHOOLS TO HAVE CLEAN WATER SUPPLY FOR DRINKING AND/OR WATER FOR IRRIGATION AND/OR SAFE SANITATION.

TO RELIEVE POVERTY AND SICKNESS AND ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF PEOPLE LIVING IN GHANA BY THE PROVISION OF FUNDS AND EQUIPMENT TO EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN GHANA.

In planning activities for the year, the trustees kept in mind the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.

The focus of our activities during the year has been to provide:

safe water for drinking and for irrigation thereby reducing absenteeism from school due to water borne disease,
enhanced family nutrition through food production and sales.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

Safe sanitation through dry pit latrine blocks for schools.
Safe water also increases the ability of adults to earn money, largely through farming, and thus raise money for education and health.

In providing safe water, the usual requirement for women to walk long distances in search of water, usually polluted, and carry it back to their village two times every day, is removed. This allows women to care for children and the elderly, to engage on other useful activities and to achieve potential.

A number of projects have been initiated to enhance the ability of women’s groups to conduct market gardening to generate additional income and food.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

policy on grantmaking;
policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

In February 2023, three trustees with two supporters of GO carried out a field trip to Eastern, Central and Volta Regions. They visited many of the communities that now own a borehole funded by GO and thereby have an abundant supply of clean water. Included was the Orthopaedic Training Centre at Nswawan.

Field trip members were based in Accra but our partners, SAC and REDO, from Upper West Region, and our long-standing supporter Francis Cudjoe from Western Region, were able to travel to Accra to participate.

The field trip members self-funded their international travel and local accommodation and subsistence. Trustees also raised funds towards costs which would otherwise have been borne by the charity, such as the cost of local transportation to and from

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projects to be inspected and the costs incurred by our partners travelling to Accra to join the field trip.

Section D Achievements and erformance p

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

During the year GO provided funds and advice to enable implemen- Summary of the main achieve- tation of the following assistance to disadvantaged children and ments of the charity during the families in remote rural communities in Ghana year FARMING

In Upper West and Upper East, the dry season can last up to eight months, during which water supplies are depleted and farming activity is not possible. Working age men move south for employment but the women, elderly and young remain. Following installation of a borehole, dry season gardening projects become feasible. Our partners SAC identify and train women’s groups of about 20, in market gardening techniques. A group is provided with netting, tools and fence posts for them to mark and secure an area to be cultivated. During the year, a gardening project for the Gadi community was completed, having been financed the previous year. Two others were funded and completed: at Nyoli Karaa and at Sanoori School: funds for third at Nyonen Beraene, was transferred to SAC for setting up in 2023-24. All these projects, and others set up earlier, have been highly successful, producing enough quality food for community consumption and surplus for sale at the local market. All are reported on at least annually. The two aged tractors provided some years ago have seen good service but, as reported by our REDO partners during the field trip, they can no longer be repaired. Nevertheless, they led the way and now, Jacobs Well Appeal, another UK partner of REDO, has supplied a more modern tractor and it is now carrying on the valuable service of providing ploughing for women’s group farms at the right time, which has to be in the very early weeks of the short rainy season in Upper West and Upper East.

Following a presentation by REDO during the field trip, the trustees have agreed to fund a project aimed at demonstrating the benefits of introducing new breeds of pig, goat and sheep to traditional animal rearing in the dry Upper West. A costed proposal has been accepted and fundraising has commenced. REDO is led by an agriculturalist. WATER Following the extended use of an Aquabox Community Filter by the Kuolundule people in remote area of Upper West, the planned hand-pumped borehole was installed by REDO and has brought great change to the wellbeing of all community members. GO was successful in obtaining a grant to fund the entire project from UK charity Wilmslow Wells for Africa.

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

Under the supervision of William Mensah and in partnership with PRS&D four mechanised borehole projects were completed for remote communities at Damang, Asafokope, Tuime and Ayensuano. A fifth has been approved in principle for Ayiresu-Bentum.

SAC in Upper West proposed a hand-pumped borehole for the Beikanateng community. This has been approved and a significant fund-raising event (Ben Nevis, Skafell Pike and Snowden in 24 hours) is being planned. A further, similar project has been proposed for the Gongo community in the far north west of the region.

SANITATION

The senior high School at Addakope, with some 450 students plus staff, has been provided a with Ventilated Improved Dry Pit block toilet facility. Planning commenced in early 2022 and a 16-cubicle, dry pit latrine block was agreed and costed at c£7500, plus a community contribution of free community labour to hand-dig the 3m deep pits. The target was achieved, thanks to generous grants towards construction by the Christian Africa Relief Trust and by The Southall Trust, and generous donations from the Rotary Club of Stainborough and from individuals. Unfortunately, the Ghana currency depreciated against international markets by some 50% in the short period to October 2022, when construction was to start. This made it necessary to scale down the project to 9 cubicles. Nevertheless, the latrine project was very near completion when inspected during the field trip in February 2023. It is an outstanding success; it is a safe replacement for the previous habits of open defecation or using dangerous previous on-site toilets. The new toilet has hand washing facilities, is easy to keep clean, it has much reduced odour and it actively traps flies in the pits. Albeit the pits may require mechanical emptying from time to time. OTC (Orthopaedic Training Centre)

The field trip included a visit to the OTC at Nswawan, Central Region. OTC had in previous years received from GO a handpumped borehole for the specialized staff quarters and a mechanised borehole to serve the integral maternity clinic. During the visit GO inspected and discussed plans for the proposed new maternity ward. Subsequently, a donation of £1000 was sent to assist with the funding of beds and other furniture for the ward.

SUPPORT FOR NGO PARTNERS

Support to SAC, towards fees, travel and accommodation costs associated with annual NGO registration and other statutory requirements. Support was also given towards the travel costs connected with travelling long distances to reach potential or past beneficiary communities at project identification stage and at post implementation: costs which are seldom fully covered by project budgets. SAC

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

has three members, one of which in not employed, but all give their time free of charge and pool their own money to cover administration, communications and non-project expenditure. Support was also given to REDO which also has three members, all of which are volunteers and give their time willingly and without recompense. Inevitably, an additional burden now falls the all members of REDO following the untimely passing of Carmel Agyakinla, the treasurer.

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

Section E Financial review

The trustees reviewed the charity’s reserves policy at the Annual General Brief statement of the charity’s Meeting in January 2023. Reserves will be sufficient to enable the charity policy on reserves to meet its administration costs. These are bank charges and website maintenance only. From the annual accounts of the last ten years, a reserve sum of £400 was considered appropriate. The policy and actual sum will be reviewed annually at the Annual General Meeting. Details of any funds materially None in deficit Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include adGhana Outlook’s principal resources of funds are: ditional information, where rele❖ David and Lesley Dawson vant about: ❖ Hilary Smith • the charity’s principal sources ❖ Rotary Clubs: Stainborough, Cheadle Royal, Barnsley (3 No.) of funds (including any fund❖ Wilmslow Wells for Africa raising); ❖ The Southall Trust
• how expenditure has sup❖ Christian Africa Relief Trust ported the key objectives of ❖ Rotary Foundation – District Grants the charity; ❖ Fundraising towards the field trip
• investment policy and objec❖ HMRC tax refund on Gift Aided donations tives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

Four of the trustees are members of Rotary International. Rotary clubs often, through fund raising efforts, support GO projects and are sometimes able to obtain matching grants from the Rotary Foundation.

Income during the year was almost £33,000, a substantial increase from the previous year’s £20,100. In the main, the increase was made up of: grants from the Southhall Trust and the Christian Africa

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Relief Trust towards the latrine project for the school at Addakope; a grant from Wilmslow Wells for Africa to fund the borehole project for the Kuolundule community; funds raised to pay for the major part of the field trip costs and a large donation from a single longstanding donor.

All expenditure, except money spent on website maintenance and bank charges, has been on projects in Ghana, supporting the objectives of Ghana Outlook

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Kevin Kelly Carol Parry

Position (eg Secretary, Chairman Secretary Chair, etc) Date

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