AIM FOR CHANGE
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
Administration information
Aim for Change (registered charity number no. 1107924) is situated in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire. The correspondence address is 31 York Close, Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, CV13 0ND
The following trustees who have served from 1 April 2022 until the date this report was approved are:
Mrs Ruth James (founder) Mrs Nicola Ridout Mrs Nicola Yates-Smith Dr Domini James Dr Lawrence Miall Mr Robert Leake Dr Matt James
Structure, governance and management
Aim for Change is governed by a declaration of trust executed on 13[th] October 2004 as amended by supplemental deed dated 20[th] January 2005. The legal form adopted by the charity is that of a trust.
The above trustees are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance, including trustee appointment, to Aim for Change including deciding on how the funds of Aim for Change are to be spent.
Aim and purposes
The aim of the charity is to give hope and security to impoverished families, orphans and street children who are living in the very rural bush areas of Uganda and in Pakistan through the development of education, healthcare and self sufficiency.
Aim for Change has been working in Uganda for 20 years and in Pakistan for 17 years; we have been officially registered with the UK Charity Commission for 18 years.
The ethos of the charity is: Education – Health Care – Self Sufficiency.
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AIM FOR CHANGE
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 (continued)
Objectives and activities
Aim for Change is committed to helping as many children and adults as possible who are living in poverty; working at present in Uganda and Pakistan through:
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Giving children the opportunity of education
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Improving health care through fresh water boreholes and medical facilities
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Enabling people to support themselves through animal projects/small businesses
To facilitate this work, it is important that we maintain the ethos of Aim for Change.
Achievements and performance
Education
The charity cares for many children and young people, including orphan/street/refugee children of Uganda and orphan/refugee/abused children of Pakistan. We support several schools, in Uganda, constructed by the charity, and help to provide school materials and resources. During the period April 2021 – Mar 2022, at Bakka School, Uganda, the charity built an additional block of 3 classrooms, replaced the wooden kitchen structure with a brick building to cater for the increasing numbers of pupils, secured the whole school site with a perimeter wall and gates, provided more school desks and benches, and equipped the school with equipment, medicines and food to help the staff and pupils cope during the Covid pandemic. In 2022, a donation enabled us to purchase art materials for the children to develop their creative talents in a range of media. A significant number of the young people in our care have now progressed to vocational training and university degree courses, on completion of their Secondary education. In Mbarara, where, through sponsorship, the charity supports a large number of former street children, many students have now graduated, secured employment and some are voluntarily contributing towards the education costs of new intake street children. To accommodate the increasing number of youngsters cared for at the project in Mbarara, Aim for Change constructed a second home towards the end of 2021. We also continue to fund the higher education of 3 young people in Lira, Uganda. When required, we purchase laptops for individual students in our care who are in higher education.
In Pakistan, the charity continues to help provide school equipment and materials for the school at our orphanage, as the need arises, and also for a small school in a refugee colony in Islamabad. Three brothers were taken in at the orphanage in July 2021 and have joined the orphanage school.
Health Care
Through grants many fresh water boreholes have been provided in Uganda in communities and at schools, where the water is also accessed by the wider community. Boreholes have also been provided in Pakistan. During December 2021, sanitiser fluid and thermometers were provided at Bakka School, Uganda, to meet government requirements for re-opening the school after lockdown. During the pandemic, one of our sponsored young people, studying Clinical Medicine, volunteered, administering Covid vaccines at a hospital. Also during the Covid-19 lockdown, we sent funding to purchase food for those in need in the local community at many of our projects and also funded some medical treatments. In 2022-23, in Uganda, we have provided many mosquito nets, refurbished latrines at our home for street children, helped build new latrines for girls at Amazing Grace School and Orphanage and purchased bedding, mattresses and nightwear for boarders at our school in Bakka. With over 550 orphans in our care in Uganda and Pakistan, we are now sending regular funding to help provide food, education, and healthcare for the orphans.
Self sufficiency
The charity provides individual animal projects/cultivation/farming/large community projects which include; water provision, cultivation, animals, sewing projects and small businesses. We have many chicken/pig/goat projects. We continue to send funds for families to purchase seeds. In 2022, 6 sewing machines were purchased for young people who were graduating in sewing and tailoring at Amazing Grace School.
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AIM FOR CHANGE
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 (continued)
Financial review
Total receipts on unrestricted funds were £36,594 of which £36,377 were donations. A total of £41,110 was spent on charitable causes, with approx. 76% of this being spent in Uganda and 24% in Pakistan.
Travelling costs of £nil (2022 - £nil) were spent during the year for visiting Uganda and Pakistan for Ruth James and Nicola Ridout.
A deficit of £7,924 was made in the year. The charity’s bank balance at the year end was £108,340 and total assets were £296,636.
The full financial results can be seen on pages 5 & 6.
Policy on reserves
The trustees hold reserves in order to meet any potential fluctuations in receipts and payments, and to enable the organisation to continue fulfilling its charitable aims and objectives.
After taking account of assets not readily realised into cash, the charity had £108,340 (2022 - £116,263) held in reserves at the year end.
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AIM FOR CHANGE
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 (continued)
Statement of trustees' responsibilities
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material 00departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993, the Charity Regulations 2008 and trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the trustees on 31 October 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Mrs Ruth James Founder/chair/trustee
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AIM FOR CHANGE CHARITY NO 1107924
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2023
AIM FOR CHANGE
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
| INCOME Donations received HMRC gift aid received Gross interest EXPENSES Charitable causes Uganda Pakistan Administration Travelling Telephone Promotional and website Printing, postage and stationery Computer and IT Bank charges and money transfer fees Accountancy SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) |
Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds £ £ 36,377 - 217 36,594 31,110 10,000 41,110 - - 1,545 540 60 1,013 250 3,407 (7,924) 2023 |
Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds £ £ 50,738 5,207 6 55,951 64,900 14,070 78,970 - 61 823 687 730 1,061 300 3,661 (26,681) 2022 |
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AIM FOR CHANGE
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
AS AT 31 MARCH 2023
| Fixed Assets Properties and equipment in Uganda Land, property and equipment in Pakistan Current Assets Cash at bank and in hand Total Assets Funds of the Charity Amounts brought forward Designated reserves Undesignated reserves Surplus/(Deficit) this year |
2023 Unrestricted funds £ 132,546 55,750 188,296 108,340 108,340 296,636 188,297 116,263 (7,924) 296,636 |
2022 Unrestricted funds £ 132,546 55,750 188,296 116,263 116,263 304,559 188,296 142,944 (26,681) 304,559 |
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Approved by the trustees on 31 October 2023 by:
Signed ………………………………………………….
Founder/chair/trustee
Mrs Ruth James
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Aim for Change (Charity No 1107924)
I report on the accounts of the charity for year ended 31 March 2023 which are set out on pages 5 to 6.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as 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 next statement.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or
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2 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Andrew Niven MAAT
Member of: The Association of Accounting Technicians
AJN Accountancy Limited, 37 Burton Road Ashby de la Zouch, Leics LE65 2LF
- 31 October 2023
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