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2021-02-28-accounts

BUILDAID - TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 28TH FEBRUARY 2021

1. TRUSTEES

Trustees are selected for appointment by the existing trustees having due regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for effective administration.

2. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The charity operates under the Declaration of Trust made on 7th March 2005 and is administered by the trustees to achieve the charity's objectives.

3. THE BUILDAID MODEL

Our vision is of a world where everyone can access the vital services that they need.

Our mission is to provide sustainable infrastructure and construction aid to people in need around the world.

We work with local partners, providing construction expertise and funding to build medical, educational and welfare facilities. Our assistance is flexible, tailored to each community’s unique needs and ranges across all levels of built environment services, including pro-bono design assistance and project management.

Our work saves lives, creates opportunities and improves the welfare of people in disadvantaged areas globally.

Our values are:

4. THE YEAR IN REVIEW

This year was dominated by the COVID-19 global pandemic, its effects and introduced limitations. Our fundraising efforts and income were severely disrupted and the aim for the year became survival, as opposed to development.

Main achievements were:

(All completed while adhering to COVID-19 related government restrictions)

5. ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE

This year saw some major changes within our Board of Trustees. Two of our four Trustees, Robert Morris and Rick Mackay, both stepped down after serving for many years and faithfully supporting the charity. As we go into the new charity year, we have two new Trustees joining us, Oliver Greatbatch

and Chiara Ronchini, with Helen Brittain joining as Board Secretary. Robert Muir was appointed as Chair of the Board.

The Trustees are:

Robert Muir Reappointed February 2021 Benjamin Muir Reappointed February 2021 Chiara Ronchini Appointed February 2021 Oliver Greatbatch Appointed February 2021 Robert Morris Resigned January 2021 Richard Mackay Resigned January 2021

As of 28[th] February 2021, the charity has two full-time employees responsible for day to day operations: Fundraising Manager – Ashley Russell and Development Manager – Katie Muir. Ashley’s role covers fundraising, compliance, policies and project reporting. Katie’s role covers project planning/management/reporting, research, communications, advocacy and general charity management.

We have been supported this year mainly by two volunteers who have assisted the charity. Zain Kashif has provided professional photography and photo editing skills for us, free of charge and Diane Muir has assisted with payroll and accounts.

Due to the global pandemic and our adoption of the government’s Job Retention Scheme, our staff and Trustees did not complete any training this year.

6. THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the charity considerably. The series of lockdowns in the UK meant that our three staff members were placed on ‘furlough’ and worked significantly reduced hours for the entire charity year. Lockdowns and social restrictions were put in place worldwide which limited our ability to support and work with local partners on planned and existing projects.

We estimate that pandemic cost us a total of £140,000 in lost fundraising opportunities and supporters reviewing their prioirities during the pandemic. We entered 2020 with several very promising fundraising events planned and several companies committing to a year of fundraising. However, the pandemic made all these activities impossible.

Impact on projects

Moving Forward

We have safely recovered from these setbacks and are confident that the organisation and our activities will return to normal. We’ve evaluated our response to the pandemic and taken note on how to have increased protection from similar events in future. This includes:

7. PROJECTS

THE STAGES OF A PROJECT

Every project differs greatly from another, but we pride ourselves on our ability to implement a variety of projects for a range of beneficiaries. We operate following a comprehensive system that we use for every project to ensure that it is of the highest quality and has the greatest possible impact.

Stage 1: Pre-Construction

Research and Needs Assessment

Before any visits to potential areas of operation or meetings with potential partners, extensive research must be carried out, especially regarding the national and local issues in the area. It is imperative that we are fully aware of an area’s specific needs and are equipped with the appropriate information to discuss methods of addressing these needs. Following this desk-based research, an initial visit takes place and extensive data, both quantitative and qualitative, must be collated for BuildAid records and project justification.

Another vital aspect of conducting research in the local area is to ensure that as many local community members as possible are consulted with and involved in the decision-making process. We strive to empower communities and build capacity with our projects, so it’s essential that we understand what the entire community needs.

Due Diligence

We ensure that organisations affiliated with BuildAid projects, especially project partners, are scrutinised and researched thoroughly before a project agreement. This includes an in-depth analysis of the organisation’s finances and strategy, personnel, policies, references and a criminal records check. It is especially vital to ensure that organisations have a strict Child Protection Policy that they abide to.

Energy and Sustainability

Our tailor-made approach to construction aid means that we have the flexibility to incorporate innovative solutions to energy waste and environmentally harmful practices. Many areas that we work in have unreliable sources of power and would benefit from harnessing alternative energy sources such as solar. We are developing our capacity as pro-bono design consultants to include strategies for renewable energy use in new buildings and renovations.

As well as the use of renewable energy, our consultancy includes strategies to prevent:

Project Planning

Once a project has been agreed and our project partners have been suitably assessed, we can begin preparing for the project. This entails:

Policies and MOUs

All project partners must sign a legal Memorandum of Understanding with BuildAid to ensure that each party is aware of their responsibilities and the expectations of them. This document is tailored to each project and includes a commitment that partners will adhere to all BuildAid policies and protocols.

Stage 2: Construction

Finance

Project funds are never handled by any agencies, third parties or governments. We use MoneyCorp to transfer money overseas and we require a detailed request from our project partners that specifies the exact amount and proposed use of funds. Project funding is always staged and dependent on progress reports from our project partners.

Monitoring and Reporting

It’s vital that projects are carefully monitored and project partners must meet our requirements for reporting. Partners must report at least weekly on construction progress with photos and videos and consult us immediately with any queries or problems.

Advocacy

Many of our projects relate to key problems in low-income countries, e.g. child exploitation and limited access to education. We believe that working on such projects carries a responsibility of advocating for change and spreading awareness. We use our platform as an NGO to speak to our supporters in the UK about the issues that communities are facing in our areas of operation. We’re very active on social media and are constantly expanding our reach and audience. We also speak to members of the public about these issues during our community fundraising activities.

Stage 3: Post-Construction

Evaluation

On project completion, BuildAid and our project partners both complete a project report and evaluation. Here, we review the project outcomes and compare them with the planned outcomes. A further evaluation will take place 5-10 years post-completion in the form of an Impact Assessment.

Monitoring and Reporting

One of our requirements for our project partners is that they must report to us for two years following project completion. This allows us to ensure that the project is serving its intended purpose and helps us to schedule the appropriate time for an Impact Assessment.

PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN THIS YEAR

BioLites

As part of a Rotary District Grant in partnership with Light of Maasai and Rotary Clubs in District 1240, we were able to purchase and distribute 30 BioLite solar units to low-income families living off-grid in the region of Rombo, Kajiado South.

These units transform off-grid homes by providing a safe, affordable and reliable source of light and energy. Each unit includes:

One unit can power an entire home and dramatically improve a family’s quality of life. The lights make housework, childcare and hygiene much easier and safer; give children light for completing homework and allow isolated areas to keep up to date with national news via the radio. These activities are all essential for families’ welfare, especially during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

This will allow families to keep up to date with national announcements during lockdown, have improved security in their homes and provide children with light to complete homework and exam preparation after sunset.

COVID-19 Provisions in Schools

All Kenyan schools were forced to close in April 2020 during a National Lockdown and remained closed until January 2021. The government stipulated a number of measures that must be in place before schools could safely re-open. Many classrooms in Kenyan schools are seriously overcrowded where desks are often shared by up to 4 students at the same time. Under the new guidelines, desk sharing would no longer be allowed and social distancing measures were mandatory in all schools. A number of items were desperately needed in order for schools to re-open.

As part of another Rotary District Grant in partnership with Light of Maasai and Rotary Clubs in District 1240, we were able to assist with:

The provision of these items allowed multiple local schools to safely open in January 2021 and actively reduce the spread of COVID-19 while students continued with their essential education.

Mother and Baby Unit

Rombo Health Centre, Kajiado South, Kenya, operates a Comprehensive Care Clinic for pre and post-natal medical care. The centre was using a very small building with no indoor waiting area, insufficient private examination rooms and very limited space for the clinic. Many mothers and children would wait outside for hours to be seen. This dissuaded many mothers from visiting the clinic and taking up essential medical care for them and their infants, especially during rainy season.

There was an unfinished ‘shell’ of a building on site at the health centre, which was initially due to be an HIV/AIDS clinic from another NGO, until funding ran out. We designed a plan to finish construction of the building and utilise it as a new Mother and Baby Unit. The new unit would be complete with private examination rooms, treatment rooms, an indoor waiting area and space for community education workshops.

In June of 2020, we were able to fund these works and complete the building, thanks to funds raised from the MIPIM Rally. This new building will allow increased numbers of women and children to

access essential pre and post-natal healthcare and also allow the health centre to deliver a higher standard of medical care in their new facilities.

In December 2020, we also funded the purchase of a new incubator for the clinic as there was only capacity for one premature baby at a time, with some instances of three babies in one incubator. This new equipment will increase the chances of premature babies surviving their crucial first few days.

Child Oncology Unit

We were introduced to World Child Cancer (WCC) in late 2019 and recommended to advise on a possible extension of an existing Child Oncology Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. We completed an initial site visit and survey in January 2020 and compiled a comprehensive report for WCC, advising that a new building be constructed, as opposed to an extension of the existing one.

We are now involved in the design stages of a new two-storey building to be built in place of the current unit. We are working with Inter Urban Studios who are kindly offering their architectural services on a pro-bono basis.

This new building will allow for the hospital to provide a higher quality of medical care and increase the number of patients that can be treated. The new building design will reduce the spread of infection through increased handwashing facilities, more isolation rooms and newly separated outpatient and inpatient areas.

Sand Dams

We were approached by a representative from Rotary International in 2019 suggesting a potential partnership between BuildAid and Rotary to construct a number of Sand Dams in Kenya. A Sand Dam is a reinforced rubble cement wall built across a seasonal sandy river. The dam increasingly retains sand over time and the sand then retains water for the dry seasons. This retention of water recharges the aquifer and therefore provides enough water for tree and vegetable nurseries.

The full programme of sand dams, tree planting and farmland terracing forms a self-perpetuating cycle of water and soil conservation. This conservation reduces time spent collecting water, leaving more time for farming and other essential activities such as learning, studying and childcare. The soil conservation enables farmers to utilise improved agriculture techniques leading to a more secure and diverse supply of food, all year round.

In January 2020, we conducted primary and secondary research into Sand Dams and subsequently met with African Sand Dam Foundation to propose a delivery model. Unfortunately, the planned funding from Rotary International was postponed due to the pandemic and we’re now working towards a start date of Spring 2021 for our first two Sand Dams.

Matterport Classroom/Dormitory

Belgrove Primary School in Kajiado South, Kenya, is an extremely rural school serving isolated communities. The school is entirely off-grid and has its own borehole due to its location. Despite this school being the nearest one for many families, many children must still travel very long distances on foot to attend. The school is also very small, with very limited infrastructure.

Matterport Media chose BuildAid as their Charity of the Year in 2019 and their staff spent a year fundraising to build a new classroom/dormitory building at Belgrove School. They were very successful and hit their target early, raising extra funds for the installation of solar panels and microgeneration on the building.

The initial construction of this new classroom/dormitory building was completed in March 2020, in partnership with Light of Maasai. However, the decorating and fit-out was postponed until January 2021, due to school closure from the pandemic. Finally, the fit-out, painting and solar installation was completed in March 2021 and the school was able to expand their classes to include reception and nursery in the new building. The fit-out and purchase of furniture was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Romford.

This new building will reduce overcrowding in the classrooms and allow for more children to attend school and receive a quality education. When restrictions are eased and the building can be used as a dormitory, there will be a reduced number of small children making long journeys to school by foot.

8. FINANCE AND FUNDRAISING

Reserves Policy

Currently, BuildAid holds £20,000 in reserves. This is a reduction from our previous reserves figure of £50,000. These funds are unallocated funding that has been accrued gradually since the formation of the charity. These funds are specifically for:

We will continue to revisit our Reserves Policy at least quarterly to ensure that we are financially protected enough and also not holding funds that could spent on operational aid.

Fundraising

Despite the difficulties of the pandemic and severely reduced fundraising activities, we were able to raise £86,812 this year in donations. We’ve been very fortunate to have the continued support from a number of organisations and individuals and have been able to maintain our diversified income streams.

Trusts and Foundations

We received a total of £6,400 in donations this year from Charitable Trusts for general funds, including grants from the Christadelphian Samaritan Fund, The Souter Trust and The SMG Trust. We’re very grateful to all Trusts who support us on a regular basis.

Rotary International

We’ve continued to be supported by a number of Rotary Clubs in District 1240 and particularly the Rotary Club of Stort Valley. As well as the two Rotary District Grants of £2,000, which funded the BioLites and COVID-19 Schools Projects, Stort Valley chose BuildAid as one of their charities for their Christmas fundraiser. This campaign raised a total of £6,000 which was spent on fit-out for the new Mother and Baby Unit, including a new incubator.

MIPIM Rally

We were able to successfully run the annual MIPIM Rally in March 2020 for a third year, made possible by our lead sponsor Red Brick and long-term donor, Nicholas Wallwork. Despite the MIPIM conference being cancelled, 12 cars still took part in the event and drove from London to Monaco, raising sponsorship and taking part in an auction and black-tie dinner at the end. A total of £23,000 was raised which funded the construction of the Mother and Baby Unit at Rombo Health Centre in Kenya.

Corporate Supporters

This year, donations from Corporate Supporters totalled £5,000. We’re very lucky to have regular support from our ‘Corporate Heroes’ who make a monthly donation to the charity. Without these committed donors, we wouldn’t be able to achieve the impact that we do with our projects. These companies include: Dilara Capital, DeeDeeDee Ltd and Red Brick Wealth. We’ve also received regular support from Betteridge and Milsom.

This year, we were also supported by Matterport Media following their year of fundraising in 2019. Matterport conducted an auction of their office furniture and equipment as they moved to a work-fromhome schedule. All funds raised were donated to BuildAid and spent on buying provisions for Belgrove School, including a new printer-photocopier and desks for students and teachers.

Individual Giving

This year, donations from individuals totalled £42,000. We have a small number of individual donors who generously support us with a monthly gift. In addition, we also received a small number of one-off donations throughout the year. These donations have been essential for our survival throughout the pandemic and have allowed us to continue to deliver our projects.

9. RISK ASSESSMENT

We have identified and assessed the main risks that we are vulnerable to and the steps that we can take to prevent and reduce the chance of each risk and its effects.

10. KEY OBJECTIVES FOR 2021/22

11. DECLARATION

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees.

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Robert Muir Benjamin Muir
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BUILDAID

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 28TH FEBRUARY 2021

RECEIPTS
Donations
Total Receipts
PAYMENTS
Charitable Activities
Programme Staff
Programme Delivery
Compliance and Policy
Office Costs
Total Charitable Acitivites Spend
Support costs
Fundraising Expenditure
Management
Office Staff Costs
HR Consultants
Accountancy
Pension
Bank charges
Recruitment
Insurance
Marketing
Total Support Costs
Total Payments
Net Receitps / Payments
Funds Bought Forward
Funds Carried Forward		 2021
2020
£
£
86,814
155,787
86,814
155,787
15,417
42,321
28,187
59,688
8,311
7,664
4,753
12,263
56,668
121,936
6,176
21,974
6,001
21,339
1,498
3,856
459
-
1,724
612
2,163
1,819
68
718
129
-
835
805
-
1,136
19,052
52,259
75,720
174,195
11,094
18,408
-
45,697
119,815
38,542
45,697

BUILDAID

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 28TH FEBRUARY 2021

2021 2020
£ £
Cash Funds 38,542
 45,697
Represented by;
Net receipts to date 38,542 45,697

BUILDAID REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF BUILDAID CHARITY NUMBER 1108811 ACCOUNTS TO 28th FEBRUARY 2021

RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER

The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act").

The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act 2011 and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to our attention.

BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT

My examination was carried out in accordance with 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 any 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 material matters have come to my attention which gives cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Kate Elsmore

ICAEW Chartered Accountant