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2022-02-28-accounts

BUILDAID - TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 28TH FEBRUARY 2022

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 began with the COVID-19 global pandemic and related national lockdown continuing from 2020. The pandemic had a dramatic effect on the charity’s activities, reducing our operational abilities as well as our fundraising capacity. More information on this can be found in the Trustees’ Annual Report 2021.

This year, our newly expanded Board of Trustees evaluated the charity’s strengths and weaknesses and decided on several actions to reduce the charity’s running costs and to ensure our long-term sustainability. These actions were:

These actions yielded very positive results for the charity and have ensured we are on stable footing for the next 3-4 years.

Our main achievements for this charity year were:

5. ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE

The previous charity year (2020/2021) 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 went into this charity year, we had 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

As of 28[th] February 2021, the charity had 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 utilised the government’s Job Retention Scheme from April 2020 until September 2021, placing our three employees on furlough, due to the dramatic decrease in the charity’s activities during the pandemic. In March 2021, we made the decision to consider redundancies for both of our full-time employees, due to the lack in income and the shift in charitable activities, due to the pandemic. Following a consultation process, Ashley Russell was made redundant in May 2021 and Katie Muir was moved to a zero-hours contract, to work for BuildAid on a casual basis.

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.

Other research includes:

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

Working in partnership with Rotary International and Kenya-based community organisation, Light of Maasai, we have been able to purchase and distribute 30 BioLite SolarHome 620 units to low-income families living off-grid in the region of Rombo, Kajiado South.

The BioLite Solar Home 620 transforms 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.

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.

This year, we worked closely with our architectural supporters, Inter Urban Studios, to design a new two-storey building to be built in place of the current unit. Inter Urban Studio offered us their services pro-bono for this project. Following the initial concept designs, we worked collaboratively with World Child Cancer to carefully design the layout of the new unit to achieve maximum efficiency and positive impact for service users.

Sand Dams

We were approached by a representative from Rotary International in 2019 suggesting a potential partnership between BuildAid and Rotary to construct a series 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 through each rainy season and the sand then retains water for the dry season. 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. In August 2021, the funding for the first four Sand Dams was approved and we were able to start work immediately. Construction of the first two Sand Dams and the subsequent training, planting and terracing programme from Rotary Global Grant 8, was completed in January 2022. At this time, we were able complete a site visit to inspect these dams and make necessary preparations for the next stage of the programme, a further two Sand Dams.

8. FINANCE AND FUNDRAISING

Reserves Policy

Currently, BuildAid holds £15,000 in reserves. This is a reduction from our previous reserves figure of £50,000, due to the effects of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. 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 annually 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 2020 pandemic and severely reduced fundraising activities, we were able to raise £61,043 this year in donations. We’ve been very fortunate to have the continued support from several organisations and individuals and have been able to maintain our diversified income streams.

Rotary International

We’ve continued to be supported by Rotary International and have worked closely with them on a number of projects. This has included a large-scale programme of Sand Dams and the continued provision of BioLites to off-grid homes, both in rural 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.

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 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.

RISK: IT failure

PROTECTION: Back-up of major documents and increased use of cloud-based storage

RISK: Too much reliance on individuals for programme delivery PROTECTION: Expand Trustee Board and volunteer base to include individuals’ construction expertise

RISK: Misuse of funds PROTECTION: Due diligence for project partners including reference requests

RISK: Drop in income

PROTECTION: Due diligence for project partners including reference requests

10. KEY OBJECTIVES FOR 2022/23

11. DECLARATION

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

Robert Muir

Benjamin Muir

BUILDAID

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 28TH FEBRUARY 2022

RECEIPTS
Donations
Total Receipts
PAYMENTS
Charitable Activities
Programme Staff
Programme Delivery
Compliance and Policy
Office Costs
JRS Grant
Total Charitable Acitivites Spend
Support costs
Fundraising Expenditure
Management
Office Staff Costs
HR Consultants
Accountancy
Pension
Bank charges
Recruitment
Insurance
Marketing
JRS Grant
Total Support Costs
Total Payments
Net Receitps / Payments
Funds Bought Forward
Funds Carried Forward		 2022
£
61,043
61,043
-
32,284
1,274
4,982
-
38,541
32,218
1,262
10,228
-
-
-
363
-
913
176
18,964
-
26,196
64,737
3,694
-
38,542
34,848		 2021
£
86,814
86,814
34,491
28,187
8,311
4,753
43,278
-
32,464
17,107
16,623
4,148
459
1,724
2,163
68
129
835
-
-
43,256
75,720
11,094
45,697
38,542

BUILDAID

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 28TH FEBRUARY 2022

2022 2021
£ £
Cash Funds 34,848 38,542
Represented by;
Net receipts to date 34,848 38,542

BUILDAID REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF BUILDAID CHARITY NUMBER 1108811 ACCOUNTS TO 28th FEBRUARY 2022

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 our 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