Annual Report 2024
Creating brighter futures.
CHARITY NUMBER: 1103859
info@freedomtolearn.org.uk www.freedomtolearn.org.uk
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Trustees:
Mr. Jamie Creswell (Chair) Mrs. Dawn Tebbutt (Treasurer) Mrs. Karuna Onta Mr. Adam Bentham
CEO’s Report By Joey Owen
Despite significant challenges in the year June 23 to June 24 we saw good progress in our core projectwork. Extending our work to the rural municipality of Bethanchok has been particularly exciting. Our research in 2022/23 highlighted the need for our initiatives in rural areas beyond the Panauti catchment. Outreach began in winter 2023, and an eight month Act on Education programme started in August 2024.
We were thrilled that our Nepalbased Project Manager, SK, was elected Secretary of the National Network of School Governance during this reporting period. This achievement underscores the importance and visibility of our work, demonstrating our impact on local and national education governance in Nepal.
Our partnership with School Management Committees across Nepal has therefore grown, leading to better policy management and leadership in many schools. This collaboration has improved governance, safeguarding, attendance, and community engagement.
Fundraising has become very challenging due to increased competition and the closure of one of our major funders. This has showed us the great need to diversify our funding streams. So, we’ve started a community engagement fundraising initiative, enjoying workshops in UK schools, market sales with beautiful handmade Nepali wares, and boosting our social media presence.
The growing social media
engagement is becoming a valuable tool for outreach, awareness, and long-term fundraising. It helps us connect with a broader audience, sharing student success stories and cultural celebrations.
We hope to build a strong foundation for the sustainability of our work in Nepal . To all our supporters, thank you for your generosity. Your support has been crucial, and we look forward to continuing our mission to ensure education for every child.
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Our Work – Outputs and Impact:
With the clear aim of improving access to a high quality of education for all, we operate under four key thematic areas:
1. ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH
Ensuring that everyone in the community has the opportunity to understand and therefore value the importance of a stable education in some of the poorest areas of the world.
2. QUALITY OF EDUCATION
Improving and sustaining a positive curriculum in schools and helping teachers feel equipped and confident to deliver impactful lessons.
3. ACCESS TO EDUCATION
Removing any barriers which might stop young people in rural Nepal from attending school every day.
4. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP AND
RESPONSIBILITY
We facilitate climate and environment education projects, school greening and global school partnerships.
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Pillar 1. Advocacy and Research:
Our Act on Education programme continued to be the cornerstone of our advocacy efforts, ensuring that community members have a voice in shaping local education policy.
This year, our outreach reached over 1,100 children, 300 parents, and 100 teaching staff across Panauti municipality, highlighting the importance of education and encouraging community ownership of school improvements.
School attendance increased by an impressive 2.4%, largely as a result of these initiatives.
Pillar 2. Quality of Education:
Teacher training continued in partnership with Kathmandu University, involving 343 teachers from 34 schools. The training focused on creative teaching techniques, mental health support, and classroom management.
Teachers reported greater confidence in their abilities, and classroom environments became more vibrant, with displays of student work contributing to a more engaging learning atmosphere.
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Pillar 3. Access to Education:
Access to basic learning materials remains a critical part of our mission. This year, we provided school bags, stationery, and sports materials, benefitting over 500 children, which not only improved access to education but also increased students' sense of pride in their schools.
Six classrooms were painted and furnished to create comfortable reading corners and engaging spaces that encourage learning. Our volunteers, and a team of students, improved the grounds of Kushadevi School with a mural wall and playground made from recycled materials.
The work continued at local education level to ensure schools are outwardly inviting, including public events funded by the Ward Committees (similar to Parish Councils in the UK) increasing community engagement and parental interest, which in turn, despite facing political difficulties, has supported the attendance rates to rise by 2.4%.
Pillar 4. Global citizenship and Responsibility:
The Sister Schools project, which connects Kushadevi School in Nepal with Milford-on-Sea Primary in the UK, was a continued success. Students from both schools participated in cultural exchanges and learned about each other’s languages, traditions, and daily lives. This project fostered mutual respect and understanding, demonstrating the importance of intercultural communication in today’s world.
Lorna Walton, Assistant Headteacher at Milford, visited Kushadevi School for two weeks, and facilitated maths training to over 40 teachers, representing every school in the municipality. It was exciting for children in the UK to follow their teacher and has supported a healthy amount of fundraising for Kushadevi, which will be used to employ sports teachers in the school.
We have laid the foundations in six new schools in the New Forest, UK, all of which are participating in Sister Schools from September 2024 onwards.
It is exciting to confirm the growth of this project, creating value for schools not only in Nepal, but also here in the UK, as children learn to expand their understanding of what it is to be a global citizen.
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Social Media and Community Engagement
This year, our social media platforms became a vital avenue for engaging our supporters and showcasing our work.
Our Facebook page grew by 38%, thanks to engaging posts that included project updates, student testimonials, and highlights from our Sister Schools live events. Videos of classroom activities and teacher training sessions were particularly popular, with thousands of views and numerous shares, expanding our reach beyond our usual networks.
One of our standout social media campaigns featured the Reading Camp initiative, where posts showed local leaders and children discussing their favourite books. This campaign inspired more families to participate and demonstrated the positive impact of our programmes.
Financial Summary
Despite financial challenges in the small charity sector, we maximised the use of our resources to sustain our work in Nepal in the best way we could this year. Funding from Trusts and Foundations has been increasingly tough to access, and our success in that area of income has not been at the level we would have hoped for.
So, in response, we focused on raising funds through local markets, social media campaigns, and networking activities (such as the Sister Schools). This contributed significantly to our income, reflecting the success of our diversified fundraising strategy.
As a small charity we are still able to be efficient and flexible in our use of funds raised, making sure every pound raised creates value in Nepal.
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|Income and Expenditure Account 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024
~~|~~|Income and Expenditure Account 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024
~~|~~|Income and Expenditure Account 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024
~~|~~|
|---|---|---|
|Income|||
|Grants||£21,758.72|
|Fundraising||£33,434.13|
|Gifts in Kind||£4,552.00 |
|Regular Donations||£3,012.00|
|Bank Interest||£516.01|
|||£63,272.86|
|Less Expenditure|||
|Project Pillars:|||
|Improving Quality of Education|£11,244.72||
|Advocacy and research|£6,532.31||
|Access to education|£5,225.84||
|Global Citizenship and Responsibility|£3,919.38||
|Teacher and Programmes Training|£1,302.00||
|Tuition|£648.00||
|||£28,872.25|
|Freedom to Learn Wages||£14,625.00|
|Nepal Based Core Costs||£1,976.98|
|Social Media Manager||£1,152.00|
|Insurance and Professional Fees||£1,620.13|
|Office Costs||£720.00|
|New Website and Branding||£300.00|
|Fundraising Expenses||£1,650.22|
|Travel Expenses||£115.81|
|Bank Charges||£204.13|
|||£51,236.52|
|Surplus / (deficit) of Income over Expenditure||£12,036.34*|
LT Balance Sheet as at 30 June 2024
| Current Assets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Money Manager Account | £33,753.73 | ||
| Community Account | £1,461.43 | ||
| Euro Account | £13,740.81 | £48,955.97 | |
| Current Liabilities | |||
| Book-keeping costs | |||
| £146.25 | £146.25 | ||
| Net Current Assets | £48,809.72 | ||
| £48,809.72 | |||
| Financed by | |||
| Accumulated Fund Brought Down on 1 July 2023 | £36,773.38 | ||
| Surplus / (deficit) of Expenditure over Income for the Year | £12,036.34 | ||
| £48,809.72 |
| * Gifts in Kind broken down as follows: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Activities: | ||
| Social Media Manager | ||
| Home Office Costs | £1,152.00 | Monthly input |
| Website | £720.00 | Donated |
| Xmas fair donation | £300.00 | Ongoing website maintenance and support |
| Nepal Based Tuition | £430.00 | Xmas purchases donated by J Owen |
| Volunteer Teaching Training | £648.00 | 12 Tutors in Nepal Working Weekly |
| Programmes Trainer | £750.00 | Kathmandu University Trainers x 3 Days |
| £552.00 | Creative Environment and Act on Education Training and Drama and Sister School Workshops | |
| £4,552.00 |
Notes
Euro Account transactions converted to sterling at the UBI agreed reporting rate of 1 GBP = 1.15 EUR
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Freedom to Learn Annual Reportlng 2023r2024 Independent Examiner'8 Report to the Trustees I report on the accounts ol the charity, Freedom to Leam, for the year ended 30th June 2024, as set out in Ihis report. The charity's Trustees are responsible for the preparation of accounts. They consider Ihal an audit is not required for this year (under Section 43 (2) of Ihe Charities Act 1993) and thal inslead an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibilty to: Examine the accounts (under Section 43 (3) (a) of the 1993 Act; To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under Section 43 (7) (b) of the 1993 Act); and To state whether particular matters have come lo my attenlion. My examination was carried OLrt in acrdanCe with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissions. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by Freedom to Leam and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes a consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the Trusiees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do nol provide all the evidence thal would be required in an audit, and consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on view given by the accounts. In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention". 1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe Ihat in any material respect the following requirements have not been mel: to keep accounb'ng records in acrdanCe with Section 41 of the 1993 Act; to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act. or; 2. To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to reach a proper understanding of the accounts. Slgnaturn.............. Name ..........fy111kn4fi4trA.HA9b................................... Prole8Slon..........I9IP4nI?I.Q¥1t.. H8y.F9Eq&FIipK.GIMq............ Address .. 20th October 2024 08
Looking Forward
As we move into the next year, our focus will remain on educational projects both in Panauti and Bethanchok. We will launch our exciting environmental education project “Pedagogy of Empowement, Hope and Action” (PEHA), which you can read about here.
With expansion of our school partnerships in the UK, we will be supporting our global citizenship and responsibility work more widely, and increasing knowledge exchange and training in Nepal. We will grow local capacity through training and the exciting new income generating venture of a community café and education hub, right in the centre of Panauti old town.
We will also continue to leverage our social media channels to connect with new supporters and build awareness of our work.
We are deeply thankful for the ongoing support we receive from donors, volunteers and the community.
Your belief in our mission allows us to continue our work, making a positive difference in the lives of children in Nepal.
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