2024-03-31-accounts - Aim For Change

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AIM FOR CHANGE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

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 2023 until the date this report was approved are:

Mrs Ruth James (founder) Mrs Nicola Ridout Mr Philip Owen Dr Domini James Dr Lawrence Miall Mr Robert Leake Dr Matt James

Mrs Nicola Yates-Smith stepped down as a Trustee at the Trustees meeting held on 25[th] September 2023.

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 21 years and in Pakistan for 18 years; we have been officially registered with the UK Charity Commission for 19 years.

The ethos of the charity is: Education – Health Care – Self Sufficiency.

AIM FOR CHANGE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 (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:

Giving children the opportunity of education
Improving health care through fresh water boreholes and medical facilities
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 have approximately 550 orphans in our care. We support several schools, in Uganda, constructed by the charity, and help to provide school materials and resources. During the period April 2023 – Mar 2024, at Bakka School, Uganda, the charity provided food regularly for the increasing number of orphans attending the school. Funding was provided to concrete the ground in the school compound to provide an area for the children to play and exercise. In January 2024, funding was used to purchase stationery and school equipment for the orphans and to give a post-Christmas party for the children on their return to school for the new academic year. To help meet Ugandan government requirements for schools, the charity purchased a fire extinguisher for the school.

Food for orphans and school equipment including desks and benches is also provided, as required, at Amazing Grace School and Orphanage in Uganda.

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 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. Each term, the charity provides funding towards school fees and to purchase food for the young people at Trust Children’s Centre. In August and September 2023, the charity provided school equipment for a number of youngsters returning to boarding school and 50 mosquito nets. At Christmas 2023, as usual, funding was sent for a Christmas meal for all the young people at the project.

We also continue to fund the accommodation costs for a young man in nursing training in Lira, Uganda. When required, we purchase laptops for individual students in our care who are in higher education. We continue to pay college fees for several individuals through sponsorship.

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. We also continue to help to care for youngsters at Hope of Life Foundation orphanage.

AIM FOR CHANGE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 (continued)

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. 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. At Bakka School, Uganda, land was purchased for a well and for the imminent construction of a kjndergarten classroom and new administration block.

Self sufficiency

In Uganda, 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 Pakistan, a sewing machine was purchased for a young girl at HOLF orphanage.

Financial review

Total receipts on unrestricted funds were £48,724 of which £35,603 were donations. A total of £44,456 was spent on charitable causes, with approx. 57% of this being spent in Uganda and 43% in Pakistan.

A surplus of £736 was made in the year. The charity’s bank balance at the year end was £108,707 and total assets were £297,372.

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 £108,707 (2023 - £108,340) held in reserves at the year end.

AIM FOR CHANGE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 (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:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material 00departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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 21 October 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Mrs Ruth James Founder/chair/trustee

AIM FOR CHANGE CHARITY NO 1107924

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2024

AIM FOR CHANGE

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

INCOME Donations received HMRC gift aid received Bank interest EXPENSES Charitable causes Uganda Pakistan Administration Promotional and website Printing, postage and stationery Computer and IT Depreciation Bank charges and money transfer fees Accountancy SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)	Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds £ £ 35,603 11,788 1,333 48,724 25,356 19,100 44,456 904 1,218 60 184 965 200 3,531 736 2024	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

AIM FOR CHANGE

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

AS AT 31 MARCH 2024

Fixed Assets Properties and equipment in Uganda Land, property and equipment in Pakistan Computer equipment 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	2024 Unrestricted funds £ 132,546 55,750 369 188,665 108,707 108,707 297,372 188,296 108,340 736 297,372	2023 Unrestricted funds £ 132,546 55,750 - 188,296 108,340 108,340 296,636 188,297 116,263 (7,924) 296,636

Approved by the trustees on 21 October 2024 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 2024 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:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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:

1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or
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 Hall FCCA

Hall & Co Accountants Limited, 37 Burton Road Ashby de la Zouch, Leics LE65 2LF

21 October 2023