2021-03-31-accounts

India Direct Annual Report 2020-21

Registered Charity Number 1101839

Introduction

To all our supporters,

The last year brought significant challenges for India Direct in the form of the global Covid-19 pandemic, which none of us could have predicted or prepared for. While I personally felt the effects of the pandemic as a frontline NHS doctor working on Covid-19 wards, our charity saw a collapse in available fundraising opportunities and a drastic change to our charitable operation in India as a result of the national lockdown.

With schools and children’s homes in India forced to close, our trustee partners had to organise care for the 135 children we support back in their local villages with their nearest capable family members. As a charity, we went from running two children’s homes on a successful model, to delivering care packages to families across Tamil Nadu. Overnight, we switched from supporting 135 children to around 350 family members. Despite the change in our operating model, it was crucial to the trustee board that the safety, wellbeing and education of the children in our care remained a top priority. Throughout the pandemic and at all stages of the enforced lockdown, each child received a fortnightly welfare call and our trustees in India provided any support and counselling required.

Back in the UK, we were incredibly grateful that longstanding supporters of our Annual Golf Day donated to our Covid-19 Appeal in lieu of the traditional golf competition, which was prevented by restrictions in the UK. Another highlight of the year was the sale of over 1,000 Christmas cards, generously handmade by a team of volunteers, delivering over £2,000 of Christmas fundraising.

As a charity we also relaunched our website to take advantage of modern web technologies and provide our supporters with a secure SSL platform through which to donate, fundraise and join our sponsorship programmes. Additionally, we ensured the charity could continue to operate during the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions by amending our Deed of Trust to allow for virtual online meetings.

As always, I am hugely grateful to all our supporters and volunteers who have supported our charity through one of the toughest years in its history. I would also like to thank my fellow trustees In the UK and those in India, who have volunteered countless hours to ensure the safety of the children and families who rely upon our support. With the help of our dedicated supporters, we will continue use every penny raised to change the lives of some of India’s poorest children.

My very best wishes,

Dr. Mark Johnson Chair, India Direct

Our Charity

About India Direct

India Direct has been a registered charity since January 2004 and is currently run by four volunteer trustees, assisted by several other volunteers.

Money raised in the UK is sent to India, where it is administered by Love & Care Charitable Trust, an Indian charity based in Chennai in Southern India. Their Trustees are Pastor K. Martin, Mrs. A. Martin and Mr. V. Omega.

The trust looks after 135 children housed in two children’s homes and provides support for 30 widows in the community. Where funding allows, it also supports other charitable projects, including feeding programmes and medical camps.

With the help of our supporters and volunteers over the last 15 years, India Direct has changed the lives of over 450 children in its care.

Our Charitable Aims

Charitable Aims

To alleviate poverty and suffering in Southern India by the provision of financial and practical assistance to locally run projects supporting children and communities, regardless of religion or race.

To provide a means for such projects to become self-supporting. To provide those in need with education and training.

Our Trustee Board

Mark Johnson

Mark is a Doctor and lives in Oxfordshire with Naomi.

He is the Chair of India Direct, having been a fundraiser since 2009 and a Trustee since 2015.

Ewan Dennis

Ewan is a Maths & Science Tutor in London.

He has been involved as a fundraiser since 2004 and is the Treasurer of India Direct.

Helen Milligan

Helen is a former teacher at Poynton High School and previously head of the Poynton High School India Project.

She is the Secretary of India Direct.

Naomi Bullivant

Naomi is a Regional Sales Manager in the travel industry and lives in Oxfordshire with Mark.

She is the Sponsorship Secretary of India Direct.

Our Year in Review

Our Charity in Numbers

450+ Children have been supported and helped by India Direct over the last 15 years

350+ Family members supported in the community due to the Covid-19 pandemic

2020/21 Timeline

April

We were disappointed to have to cancel our planned fundraising events, a curry night in Bramhall and a quiz in London, as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions. As trustees, we agreed to take advantage of UK lockdown to spend time upgrading the India Direct website.

The Indian Government enforced a national lockdown. Our trustee partners in India followed the lockdown requirements, keeping the children safe at Bethel and Joy.

As an NHS doctor, Mark shared World Health Organisation and NHS advice on infection control with our trustee partners at Love & Care Charitable Trust, as information was limited in India.

2020/21 Timeline

May

The Tamil Nadu State Government enforced the closure of all children’s homes. Despite misgivings at this sudden policy change and concerns for the children, our trustee partners in India had to comply. With considerable effort, Annie ensured that all children were found a place to stay with extended family in the community. At that point, we expected that this arrangement would last about a month during the temporary closure of the homes.

As our children came to the homes because their families could not afford their care, our trustee partners supplied groceries and hygiene packs on a fortnightly basis.

With many of the ‘breadwinners’ of the families working as daylabourers and such work suspended as a result of the pandemic, our provisions were used to support the whole family, reaching 350 people, rather than just the 135 children and 30 widows in our regular care.

2020/21 Timeline

June

As trustees, we worked with our trustee partners in India to plan the safe, staggered readmission of children to the homes when this was allowed, which was anticipated to be August 2020. Infection control and hygiene measures were agreed to ensure the safety of those living and working in the homes. We discussed self isolation protocols in the event of infection among children, staff or families to minimise the risk to all.

In between working as a frontline Covid doctor in the NHS, Mark continued to work on the website upgrade. Mark and Naomi were sadly forced to postpone their wedding, which had been planned for 4th July 2020.

July

The uncertainties of the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions meant that the planned 10th Annual Golf Day had to be cancelled. At the suggestion of the main organiser, Tony Swallow, we launched an appeal up on our Virgin Money Giving page with the aim of mitigating the loss of this crucial fundraising opportunity.

2020/21 Timeline

August

We launched the Golf Day online appeal on Virgin Money Giving, encouraging our usual golf day participants to donate the equivalent of their entry fee.

We launched our new India Direct website with upgraded security functions and extensive content.

Helen and her team of Christmas Card makers agreed upon the updated 2020 designs and distributed the templates to the team.

Since the schools in Tamil Nadu remained closed, Annie sent out education packs to the younger children in our care, supporting their ongoing learning and education skills.

2020/21 Timeline

September

Those children in 12th standard (UK Year 13 equivalent) and above could apply for a personal laptop and a bicycle from the Indian Government to support their learning at home. Unfortunately, these laptops were of limited use for children who were staying with their extended family in homes with no power supply or internet access.

Our online Golf Day Appeal was generously match-funded by £2500 by Creamline Dairies, who have been our Golf Day sponsors for the last 9 years.

As trustees, we updated our Declaration of Trust, so that we could hold our AGM remotely if the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions prevented us from meeting in person.

2020/21 Timeline

October

The Indian Government decreed that charities would only be permitted to receive foreign contributions into a specific bank in Delhi.

Our final Covid-19 Golf Day online appeal total was £6,410, with an additional £2,500 match-funding from Creamline Dairies. This meant an amazing total of £8,910, the equivalent of almost two months of support for the 350 people we were supporting in the community.

With the ongoing restrictions, we reviewed our financial models on the assumption that no in-person fundraising would be possible until at least August 2021.

2020/21 Timeline

November

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, we held our first remote AGM.

Our international currency transfer provider, Ebury, abruptly ceased trading with charities internationally after a takeover. Mark researched options to minimise the cost of sending donations to India, whilst maintaining our confidence in the security of financial transactions.

Hannah Fisher, a former Poynton India Project pupil, provided free independent scrutiny of our 2020 accounts and annual report.

We set up an Etsy shop for the first time to sell our Christmas cards to a wider, external audience.

2020/21 Timeline

December

Our Christmas Direct card sales raised £800, while we made more than 1,000 handmade Christmas cards, raising £1,975. We were extremely grateful to our fabulous team of card makers (Helen, Angela, Jo, Hannah, Mark and Naomi) and to Emily Mee for stocking our cards in her shop in Bramhall.

With the continuing forced closure of the homes, we changed the emphasis of our Christmas gifts in India from the usual Christmas celebrations and small gifts. We provided 15 families with chickens to raise their standard of living and ongoing sustenance.

Other families received a new outfit for their Bethel or Joy children, a small gift for all children in the household and a festive food parcel for the whole family.

2020/21 Timeline

January

Schools in India were finally reopened for 10th to 12th standard (UK Year 11-13 equivalent). However, the schools were unfortunately closed again just a few weeks later due to a surge in Covid cases and the resultant health crisis in India.

February

The new bank account in Delhi was set up to allow Love and Care Charitable Trust to continue receiving foreign contributions. As trustees, we decided to send three of our monthly payments in one transfer to avoid any potential disruption to our Indian partners during this process.

After the success of our handmade Christmas cards, we added Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day cards to our product range on Etsy.

2020/21 Timeline

March

We conducted a review of our financial position, which showed that we were maintaining our financial security, despite the fundraising challenges brought about by the pandemic.

The situation in India began to worsen, with a second Covid-19 wave beginning to impact the country.

Risks for 2021 /22

Risks for 2021/22

Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact upon our work. In India, it presents risks to both our operating model (with restrictions keeping the children’s homes closed) and the safety for the LCCT trustees, employees, children and their families. In the UK it is currently restricting our ability to hold the normal fundraising events we use to maintain our income and has caused a reduction in our regular donations due to sponsors’ financial circumstances. As of March 2021, the pandemic is ongoing, and cases are increasing significantly in India.

Financial

India Direct’s financial standing remains an ongoing concern. Despite ending 20/21 with a year-on-year surplus, we maintain a deficit between regular donations received and our committed expenditure in India. We continue to revise our financial model, so that we could give due notice to our trustee partners in India if our expenditure had to be curtailed. To promote financial stability, we remain focused on increasing our regular income from donors and improving the self-sufficiency of our projects in India.

Permission to Receive Foreign Donations

Our charity partner in India, Love & Care Charitable Trust, must regularly renew its “permission to receive foreign donations” with the Indian government. This approval is due again in Q4 of 21/22. It is concerning that since 2014 over 15,000 NGOs in India have had their license to receive foreign aid revoked. Without this permission, LCCT would be forbidden from receiving support from India Direct.

Trustee Visits & Indian Visas

Visiting the homes regularly allows us to have accountability for the money we send over to India and enables us to maintain our relationships with our partners there. In July 2017, the students and teachers on the Poynton High School India Trip were turned away at the Indian border. Since then, Annie and Martin have reported problems with other visitors from the UK. On the 22[nd] March 2020 the Indian government closed its borders to international visitors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and trustees are still unable to gain entry to the country.

Online

Online

Facebook

Our Facebook following grew by 9 ‘likes’ over the course of the year, with 509 individuals ‘liking’ our page on the platform. One of our posts reached over 1.27k individuals.

Web Presence

During 2020/21 we updated our website – ( www.indiadirect.org.uk). We updated the technology underlying the site to modern web architecture, along with installing an SSL certificate to provide reassurance to donors and supports that their donations are secure.

The site makes great use of large colourful images to show the fantastic work of India Direct. It enables visitors to donate directly to India Direct, but also to join one of our sponsorship programmes.

The costs of the new website design were donated by one of the Trustees of the charity. We are grateful that our web hosting fees are donated for free by a web hosting company (TSO Host). The new SSL certificate is a new cost for the charity, but is a necessity to ensure a safe browsing experience for our supporters. The SSL costs are funded by our Gift Aid income, which means we continue to spend 100% of supporters’ donations on our projects in India.

Fundraising & Donations

The Covid-19 Pandemic

Donations & Fundraising

£2,000+ From our Christmas Direct Appeal

£8,910 From the Golf Day Appeal, a Golf Day record!

£2,846

Each month in one-off donations

£2,540 Regular monthly giving

Our Fundraising

Golf Day Appeal 2020

Our 2020 Golf Day was due to be a big event for us. Not only is the Golf Day our biggest single fundraising event, but this was to be the 10th event organised by Tony Swallow, so quite a milestone!

Unfortunately, Covid restrictions in the North-West of England were among the strictest in the country, so we were forced to cancel the day itself.

Undaunted, Tony and his team suggested an online appeal to the golfers, many of whom are regulars at the event.

The Golf Day Appeal page raised an amazing £6,410, with an additional match funding sum of £2,500 being donated by Creamline Dairies, our Golf Day sponsors since our first event.

Our Fundraising

Christmas Direct

Our Christmas Direct Appeal has evolved over the years from our original Christmas Direct cards for a child’s Christmas in India, to include three different packs of handmade Christmas cards.

We had new members of the card-making team this year, with Hannah, Angela and Jo joining Helen, Naomi and Mark. The team produced well over 1000 cards and more than 80 Christmas Direct cards, raising over £2,000.

Traditionally the Christmas Direct Appeal funded seasonal celebrations at Bethel and Joy Homes, with all the children receiving a new outfit, a small gift and a festive meal, to which family members were invited.

This year, with the Homes closed due to Covid, we took a different approach. All families received a festive food pack, while 15 families in most need received a gift of live chickens. The Christmas chickens enabled these families to supplement their own diet by eating the eggs, or to raise additional income by selling them.

Those families who didn’t benefit from the chickens received new outfits for the children and a small gift.

Stories from India

A Child’s Story from India

Shayamala’s Story in her own words

I’m Shayamala. I live in a village in southern Tamil Nadu, India. I grew up facing problems at home every day. I was quiet and withdrawn due to the environment I grew up in. My mother had her own doubts about my father, she didn’t trust him and they quarrel everyday. One day the outrage broke out and all of a sudden, my mother committed suicide.

Losing my mother suddenly left me and my sister confused and distressed. My father married another women and left home. Me and my sister were taken in by our grandmother. My grandmother was elderly and did not get work as labourer. She was not able to give us food, clothes and education. We use to starve for food for many days. My grandmother brought me to Joy Children’s Home, and I was 12 years old then, studying in 7th Std.

The first look of the home gave me hope. I felt life changed and it did change. I got good food, clothes, friends, education. Aunties took care when we fell sick, they helped us with our school work. I grew up learning good things in a happy, comfortable and secure environment. My life changed. I studied well, I completed school and I joined nursing college and completed the course. I now work as a Nurse in a hospital.

This was possible only by all the sponsors and supporters of our charity. It’s not only me, but you are changing the lives of many little children. It is a great blessing for all of us. Recently, I got married to a good man. I’m blessed. I thank all of you for changing my life into a better and beautiful one.

A Child’s Story from India

Sabitha’s Story in her own words

I’m Sabitha, aged 20 years. I live in a small town in Tamil Nadu. I was born in a small family, below the extreme poverty line. My mother left the family, so my sister and I lived with my father. When I was 5, my Father got remarried and we went to live with our grandmother, who was elderly.

My grandmother worked as a coolie [labourer] and worked hard to bring us up, but she was failing to give us good food, clothes or education. No one else wanted to take care of us. We were struggling to survive and my grandmother’s income was not enough for 3 meals a day for 4 of us, she borrowed money and struggled to repay it. My sister Ammu and I were malnourished, quiet, and withdrawn. We lived with our grandmother in a small thatched hut, 100 sq ft. It has only one room, and we cook outside the hut with sticks and twigs we gather around. We do not have electricity in the hut and the roof is damaged, it leaks during rain.

When I was aged 7, my Grandmother brought us to Bethel Home. Our new lives started there. I was excited with each and everything I saw. I was happy to start this new life, in new surroundings with so many new faces. I enjoyed growing up in a loving, secure surrounding. I was for the first time a happy little girl.

My life changed. I studied well and completed high school. I joined nursing and completed my 2-year course to work as an intern at the Health Centre. This was possible only because of all the sponsors and supporters of our charity. I thank all of you for changing my LIFE into a BETTER and BEAUTIFUL ONE.

2020/21 Financial Summary

Financial Summary 2020/21

Financial Summary 20/21

This year’s financial situation has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in a number of ways.

Firstly, monthly regular giving has reduced by 9.75% a year as we saw a number of our supporters’ incomes being squeezed as a result of the uncertain economic situation. However, we saw one-off donations increase by 10% to a total of £34,146 as a result of a number of appeals we conducted to try and reduce the impact in both the reduction in regular giving and the loss of opportunity of in-person fundraising. We also benefited from a £13,948 gift aid claim made during the previous year (19/20). We ended this year with an increase in our reserves of £9,565, taking our total reserves to £46,413. This should see the charity good stead for the coming years, which may be a time of uncertainty for India Direct, as for many charities.

We have been able to continue to send our regular monthly support to India of £4,500. In addition we sent £3,750 for the children’s education costs, £3,000 for Christmas and £3,000 for maintenance of the homes. We were also able to send £1,200 for the scholarship fund, which had previously been supported by Poynton High School. This fund helps support young adults in our care into further education. It is a testament to our approach of controlled spending over many years that we were able to continue our commitment to supporting our beneficiaries in India, despite the pandemic unfolding.

This year has been unprecedented for the charity. Despite this, the charity's reserves have improved during this time, largely due to the gift aid claim from the previous year and generous one-off donations from supporters. We have been aware for some time that these one-time donations cannot be relied upon going forward. This is particularly important as our regular income was reduced this year. We continue to aim to increase our regular income, and look forward to being able to resume in-person fundraising events in the future.

Financial Summary

£2,540 Monthly regular giving to India Direct

£4,500 Monthly regular expenditure to India

22.7% Increase in Annual Income this year compared to 2019/20

£8,010

£2,846 Per month in one-off donations (average of yearly donations)

One-off expenditure to India over the course of the year e.g. Maintenance, Education

Financial Summary

10% Increase in one-off donations (average of our yearly donations)

£13,948 From a GiftAid claim made for the previous financial year (2019/20)

9.75% Decrease in regular giving

£4,750

Decrease in one-off expenditure in India compared to 2019/20

Financial Summary

Income

Income
Regular Donations	£30,474
Fundraising/One-Off Donations	£34,146
100 Club	£2,058
Gift Aid Claim	£13,498
Total	£80,176
Expenditure
Monthly Payments to LCCT	£58,500
Education (November 2020)	£3,750
Christmas (December 2020)	£3,000
Maintenance (August 2020)	£3,000
Other Payments to LCCT	£1,260
Other	£1,101
Total	£70,611

Financial Summary

£80,176 Total Income

£70,611 Total Expenditure

Financial Summary

£36,848 April 2020 Year End

£46,413 March 2021 Year End

+£9,565 Increase in India Direct financial reserves

+£35,725

Increase on our projected year end calculated in our three-year forecast in 2017/18

Thank You

Thank You

On behalf of India Direct, Love & Care Charitable Trust and all the children and families we support in India

Annual Report 2020/21

India Direct 2020/21 Annual Report signed by:

Dr. Mark Johnson Chair, India Direct

Mrs. Helen Milligan Secretary, India Direct

Charity Name No (if any)

Receipts and payments accounts For the period Period start date Period end date To from ee ee ee

Section A Receipts and payments

Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds

Total funds

to the nearest £

to the nearest £

to the nearest £ to the nearest £

A1 Receipts

Donations and Fundraising events 80,176 - - 80,176 Exchange rate profit 80,176 - - 80,176 Sub total (Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - - - - - Sub total - Total receipts 80,176 - - 80,176 ~~SS —~~ A3 Payments Money sent to India from GBP accounts 69,510 - - 69,510 Reimbursement for expenses incurred 212 - - 212 Golf Day costs - 100 club prizes 889 - - 889 Bank Charges - Misc costs - Sub total [ 70,611 ] - - 70,611 A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - - - - - Sub total [ - ] - - - Total payments ~~SS~~ 70,611 - - ~~=>~~ 70,611 Net of receipts/(payments) 9,564 - - 9,564 A5 Transfers between funds - - - A6 Cash funds last year end 36,848 - - 36,848 Cash funds this year end ~~—=S=~~ 46,413 - ~~=>~~ 46,413

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

		Unrestricted		Restricted
Categories	Details	funds		funds
B1 Cash funds	HSBC Current Account HSBC Current Account 2 100 club account HSBC Dollar account Barclays Saving Account Total cash funds	to nearest £ 31,519 11,806 3,088 - - 46,413		to nearest £ - - - -
	(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))	OK	OK
		Unrestricted		Restricted
		funds		funds
B2 Other monetary assets	Details	to nearest £ -		to nearest £ - - - - - -
B3 Investment assets	Details	Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional) - - - - -
B4 Assets retained for the	Details	Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional) -
charity’s own use				- - - - - - - -
B5 Liabilities	Details	Fund to which liability relates		- - - - - Amount due (optional)
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Signature	Print	Name
	Ewan Dennis	Ewan	Dennis

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CC16a
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Last year

to the nearest £

----- Start of picture text -----
66,906
76
-
-
-
-
-
66,982
----- End of picture text -----

66,982

68,319 100 2,940 1,102 42 - 72,503

72,503 - 5,521 - 28,068 22,547

Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - -

OK

Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - -

Current value (optional) - - - - -

Current value (optional)

When due (optional)

Date of approval

8/8/2019

CHARITY (OMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts IIIV.So¢tlon A 0￿￿11ndependent Examlnèe• Roport:, Report to th• trustoe¥l members of INOlh DIRECT 31 fvlcutK ￿ LI On acc¢)unts for tho year ended Chaflty no (If any) 1101831 Sot out on pages I repLYt to the trustees on my examinal¥)n ol tt a(￿Unts of the above thafity (Ihe Twsf) lor the year ended As the d￿lIty's trustees. Y(￿ are responsible tor the preparation of the a(xounts in a(x0rdan￿ wth the rewirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("tr AGr). Responsibilitles and basis of report I report in respett of my eXaMina￿n ol the Twst's acrounts carried out urKlef seaion 145 of ts 2011 Aca and in 12rrying out my examw)at¥)n, I have folkjwed all Ihe aFplioble DireUw)ns giv￿ by the Charity Commission under se(aion 145(5I(b) of the Act. Independent examinefs statsment meol aFpl1￿￿￿t￿ll. Delete £ ] rfnotapplKable. I have c(xnpFeted my exaMW￿t1C￿1. I confirm that no material matters have CA)me to my atten￿￿ in ¢ty)ne¢tK)n with the exaffination (other than Ihat disch)sed below") hi(h gives me rause to believe that in. any material respetr. the ac(x)unting reu)fds were not kept in ac(XJfdance with seaion 130 of the Charitses Act: or the accounts not a(xx)rd with the a0￿>￿ting re(x)ids' or the acrn￿ts not Cwtply with the applicable requirements con￿mIng the form and (Thileni of aux)unts set wt in the Charities (Acrounts armj Reports) RegubatK)ns 2W8 other than any requirement that Ihe acc(MJnis give a Irue and fairf view vthith is nol a matter consMJered as part of an irxdependent examination. I have no ccxmxms and have clyne a(Yoss no other matters in connection with the examinatim to attention should be drawn in this report in order lo enth a proper understa￿lIng of the acrA)unts to b8 reathed. ' Please delpte Its wonls Ixackets rf Ih8y <k• not appty. Slgnod= Nam•: ELETkfvDE M E 3¢SknJtLL IER Oct 2018

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