Goodwill and Growth for Africa UK Financial Year 2024-2025 Narrative Trustees Report
Trustees Annual Return and Accounts for the year ended 30 April 2025
Goodwill & Growth for Africa UK, aka GAGA UK
Registered charity number 1092028
Goodwill and Growth for Africa UK Financial Year 2024-2025 Narrative Trustees Report
Trustees
Mrs Shirley Whiting (Chair) Mr Charlie Homer (Vice-Chairman) (Acting Chairman) Mrs Claire Henley (Treasurer) Mr Richard Lucas (Vice-Chairman) Ms Sarah Hodgson (Secretary) Ms Nommiselo Nene Mr Colin Morrison Mr Colin Daley DBA OLY Ms Namhla Ruselo Ms Magcino Gule**
The chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer shall constitute the four trustees of the executive committee. The executive committee shall have the power to make decisions in any emergency and to carry on business between the meetings of trustees, but all actions and decisions of their committee shall be reported to the trustees for confirmation and ratification at the next meeting.
*Charlie Homer was Vice Chair and Acting Chairman for the first month of the 2024-2025 financial year, after which point Shirley Whiting was appointed as Chair at the Annual General Meeting on 30 May 2024. Colin Morrison was also appointed to the Board of Trustees at the 30 May 2024 meeting. Charlie Homer resigned from the Board effective 29 April 2025, after which point Richard Lucas became Vice-Chair.
**Colin Daley, Namhla Ruselo and Magcino Gule were appointed to the Board of Trustees at the 20 January 2025 board meeting.
Appointment of Trustees
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There shall be at least four trustees. Every future trustee shall be appointed by resolution of the trustees passed at a special meeting called under clause J of the trust deed.
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If for any reason trustees cannot be appointed in accordance with the foregoing position the statutory power of appointing new or additional trustees shall be exercisable.
Staff members
Mrs Olivia Van Rensburg (Director)
Goodwill and Growth for Africa UK Financial Year 2024-2025 Narrative Trustees Report
Principal Bank Lloyds Bank 22 Bridge Street Stratford upon Avon Warwickshire CV37 6AG
Independent Examiner T J Abrey FCA 2 Swallow Close Stratford upon Avon CV37 6TT
Constitution
Declaration of trust dated 19/03/2002 as amended by deed dated 17/03/2010 as amended by deed dated 31/03/2010 as amended by deed dated 22/01/2011, as amended by deed dated 21/04/2022.
Objectives
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(I) To relieve poverty and sickness in South Africa and elsewhere in particular by providing relief to orphans and their carers.
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(II) To advance education, training, personal development and employment including self-employment, partnerships and co-operatives of children and/or their carers in South Africa and elsewhere.
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(III) To preserve and protect health of children and their carers in South Africa and elsewhere.
Summary of main activities
Our main activities are and remain, to raise and distribute funds to partner projects in South Africa and elsewhere, namely in Tanzania, and any other African country and project, which the board of trustees deems worthy.
This was an unusual year for GAGA UK, as the Director (sole staff member of the charity) took a five-month maternity leave from the end of August 2024 until the end of January 2025. Although the Trustees appointed a part-time maternity cover based in South Africa to carry out prospecting research and coordinate with the projects and activities, there was no staff member actively raising funds in the UK during this time. However, thanks to sufficient planning by the Director and Trustees, the charity remained smoothly operational over the course of the year with income for the year at £95,082 which represented only a 13.5% fall on the prior year.
We continued to benefit from regular giving and a growing Trust and Foundations fundraising programme. Additionally, this was the first full financial year that all operations and income of the former charity KYGN UK was brought within the
Goodwill and Growth for Africa UK Financial Year 2024-2025 Narrative Trustees Report
GAGA UK organisation, which greatly strengthened our corporate fundraising programme. We also continued our strong partnership with our corporate partner sponsoring the Sangobeg Scholarships Programme.
During this financial year, the Trustees restructured the way in which the charity was allocating funds. Following concerns raised to the Board in 2023/24 regarding the level of unrestricted income going to HACT and 1000 Hills Community Helpers a decision was made to cease funding these projects from unrestricted income and to focus on raising funds for them via crowdfunding or trust and foundation applications. The projects were notified of the cessation of regular funding with 3 months’ notice and work is ongoing to replace that income through other means. The trustees remain deeply committed to those two projects. Our other beneficiary projects (KYGN, Sangobeg Scholarships Programme and Likhon iThemba) continue to benefit from dedicated donors who restrict funding to those programmes.
Our staff, trustees and volunteers continue to fundraise in the UK and our regular donors continue to help us deliver our objectives as listed above.
The charity Director (sole staff member) was unable to visit the projects the charity supports in KwaZulu-Natal during this financial year due to her pregnancy and subsequent maternity leave.
For the year ending April 2025, GAGA recorded a deficit of £11,7k. This shortfall primarily reflects a timing difference with the planned use of reserves to support charitable activities, including the final disbursement from 2023/24 of £10.7k and funding for KYGN’s BioFuel Project, which drew on both current-year income and reserves. While total income for the year was £95k, distributions to projects totalled £80.3k (£53.3k to South Africa and £27.0k to Tanzania) and running costs were £27.3k.
Operating costs averaged £2.3k per month, although this was temporarily reduced due to lower staff costs during maternity leave, with a fully staffed run rate of around £2.9k per month. The deficit therefore reflects strategic investment in key programmes rather than ongoing financial pressure, with the charity maintaining a sustainable position supported by committed donors and strong relationships with corporate partners.
Summary of main achievements
Health 1000 Hills Community Helpers, South Africa
GAGA UK remains committed to the Baby Wellness Clinic at 1000 Hills Community Helpers which has been a longstanding beneficiary. 1000 Hills Community Helpers received disbursements from GAGA UK for the Baby Clinic at the previous level of funding in the first two quarters of the financial year. Following this the funds were
Goodwill and Growth for Africa UK Financial Year 2024-2025 Narrative Trustees Report
considered on a quarterly basis and allocated as and when they were raised for the project. Work is ongoing to raise funds for the Baby Clinic through online fundraising and applications to Trusts and Foundations. Over the course of the 2024/2025 financial year, 1,920 babies were seen and treated at the Baby Wellness Clinic which represented a small decrease of 15% on the prior year.
HIV/AIDS – Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, South Africa
Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust received funding from GAGA UK which was made via the regular annual grant. Despite the scaling back of fund distributions, Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust remained a trusted partner and GAGA UK continued to contribute to the Othandweni Respite Unit where possible (contributing towards the costs for the 24-bed unit, helping with the unit’s running costs and helping to ensure that their vital services in helping those in the end stages of AIDS can continue). This unit remains the only facility of its kind in the area, providing free, high-quality palliative and respite care.
House of Love and Hope, South Africa
We continue to receive regular monthly donations which are restricted to Likhon iThemba’s House of Love and Hope, providing a home and education for orphaned and disabled children in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. These donations are forwarded to Likhon iThemba every 3 months.
Education
Sangobeg Scholarships, South Africa
The Sangobeg Scholarship programme continued to be a valued part of our portfolio. This year, 13 individuals received funding through the programme through funding their degree, diploma, vocational training, plus accommodation and subsistence during their studies. This year also represented a trial period whereby we worked with the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust’s peer education team to identify new candidates to fund through the Sangobeg Programme. Two of these candidates were funded in early 2025. Funds received from our corporate partner Sangobeg Investments Ltd are restricted specifically for this programme. Sangobeg Investments Ltd’s owner, David Morrison, continues to be a loyal supporter of GAGA UK and the student programme, maintaining a keen interest in the progress of the students.
Kilimanjaro Young Girls in Need, Tanzania
This year was the first full financial year that the operations, fundraising, and disbursements of the former charity KYGN UK (which ceased its charitable status) became part of GAGA UK, The long-standing relationships held by KYGN UK have been nurtured and developed resulting in substantial gifts from previous KYGN corporate partners. A new major donor for KYGN also began funding in March 2025 with a two-year commitment to fund running costs of the school. Funding from one corporate partner was allocated to fund the first phase of a Biogas sustainable energy project at the school, with the Jephcott Charitable Trust generously
Goodwill and Growth for Africa UK Financial Year 2024-2025 Narrative Trustees Report
awarding a substantial grant to fund the project’s second phase. This funding ensured that the school remained operational after the Tanzanian government’s deadline of January 2025 to stop using charcoal and wood at the country’s institutions.
Fundraising 2024/2025
We continued to develop our programme raising funds from Trusts and Foundations in the UK. We were grateful to receive generous donations this year from The Jephcott Charitable Trust, The Archer Trust, The Souter Charitable Trust, and the Rowland and Kerry Johnson Foundation.
Whilst we focused less on individual giving campaigns we remain deeply grateful to our regular donors who provide monthly donations to GAGA UK. We also boosted our Corporate Partnership programme with many relationships from KYGN UK which were taken over and developed by GAGA UK.
We are grateful for the ongoing support of our ambassadors, volunteers, fundraisers, and supporters, without whom our work would not be possible.
Trustees
We remain a strong organisation with a dedicated board of trustees who continue to work towards our objectives. Shirley Whiting was appointed as Chair at the Annual General Meeting on 30 May 2024. Colin Morrison was also appointed to the Board of Trustees at the 30 May 2024 meeting. Charlie Homer resigned from the Board effective 29 April 2025, after which point Richard Lucas became Vice-Chair. Colin Daley, Namhla Ruselo and Magcino Gule were appointed to the Board of Trustees at the 20 January 2025 board meeting.
Related Parties and Trustee Transactions
The charity paid £1,300 to a trustee for professional services regarding the fund analysis, income projections and scholarship programme analysis, as well as their time for training the outsourced finance and administration team.
Fundraising Policy
GAGA UK is a member of the Fundraising Regulator. GAGA UK will continue to show our commitment to accountability and transparency through prompt and thorough reporting and analysis of accounts.
There were no complaints received in the reporting period.
Reserves Policy
Goodwill and Growth for Africa UK Financial Year 2024-2025 Narrative Trustees Report
In 2014/15 the Board of Trustees invested £10,000 into a deposit account. This deposit remains in place, and acts as a reserve fund, were it to be needed. It would help to cover almost one quarter’s worth of donations to those where we have ongoing commitments. There is no indication that current events will necessitate drawdown of these reserves in the foreseeable future.
Development of GAGA ZA
Going forward the Trustees have been looking at developing an NPO in South Africa (GAGA ZA) with the intention of working closely with GAGA ZA to bring the support of our projects (and potential new projects) closer to home and to develop a fundraising strategy amongst South African based corporates and donors. This development will be reported on in the next GAGA UK Trustee Report.
GOODWILL AND GROWTH FOR AFRICA UK REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1092028
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees
| report on the accounts of Goodwill and Growth for Africa UK for the year ended 30" April 2025.
Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiners
The Charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). The Charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Act and that an independent examination is required. | am qualified to undertake the examination by virtue of being a practising member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
It is my responsibility as Examiner :
To examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act;
To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under Section 145 (5) (b) of the 2011 Act and To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a true and fair view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:
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a) The accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or b) The accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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c) The accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, other than any requirement that the accounts give a “true and fair” view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
| have no concerns and have come across no other matters to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
T. J. AB FCA Chartered |Accountant 2 Swallow|Close Stratford-upon Avon CV37 6TT
Dated 17" November 2025
Voluntary[Income]
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Govemance
TOTAL SURPLUS DEFICIT
Fixed Assets
Lloyds current account 1 Co-op cuzrent account Coop Savings a/c CCLA Deposit Act Clear Capital Balance
HMRC Liability a’c
KYGN - Surplus’ deficit year to date Likhon iTh - Surplus’ deficit year to SA - Surplus’ deficit year to date Sango - Surplus’deficit year to date SWAZI - Surplus’ deficit year to TANZ - Surplus’ deficit year to date