2025-07-31-accounts - Solar Links Initiative

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Charity Number 1110013

SOLAR LINKS INITIATIVE

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

SOLAR LINKS INITIATIVE Year ended 31 July 2025

Trustees’ Report for the period ending 31 July 2025

The Trustees are pleased to present their report together with the accounts for Solar Links Initiative (the charity), for the year to 31 July 2025.

Achievements and performance

Solar Links Initiative are in regular communication with all their major partners in Uganda and South Sudan over the progress and impact of their solar lighting programmes as well as the community projects towards which agreed repayments are contributed.

South Sudanese families who had been refugees in Uganda started trying to return to their land to plant crops and the solar lights donated by SLI gave confidence to them in these efforts. Unfortunately, the country has been severely destabilised by the civil war in neighbouring Sudan, causing many people to flee into eastern and northern parts of the country. The ongoing conflict between the military government in Khartoum and the RSF who hold power in Sudan’s western provinces disrupted both Juba’s agreements on payments for their pipelines to the coast, and consequently the actual flow of oil for export. Since the government of South Sudan rely on the sale of oil for 98% of its operating budget, the consequences to the economy are catastrophic. In Kajo Keji district, disaffection and a lack of security have allowed random militias to plunder the harvests of the returnee farmers. In addition, the lack of funding for schools and teachers has slowed the return of refugees, since the camps provide more safety and at least some education for their children.

In Northern Uganda solar lighting programmes have brought the expected benefits to households and have been helpful to the communities more generally through the support for educational costs of the most deserving children and agricultural interventions, especially around vegetable seed distribution and productive tree saplings donation, which repayments have made possible.

In the Eastern Region of Uganda, in Karamoja District, the people continued to be plagued by violent raids on their cattle from tribesman from across the border in Kenya. This was at last alleviated to some extent, at the end of the year, by the stationing of Ugandan Peoples Defence Force soldiers in the area.

Two SLI trustees travelled to Uganda and South Sudan, at their own expense, at the end of the year to meet with partners and discuss the effectiveness of the solar lighting programmes, the condition of the equipment and its impact on their lives, as well as the community programmes supported and plans going forwards.

In South Sudan they delivered some lights for health clinics, to supplement those previously given to the main hospital. This was welcomed by the county’s Director for Health who is currently suffering from the lack of budget from central government for health programmes. In a situation where government officials, teachers, soldiers, doctors and nurses had not been paid for many months, most health interventions were being provided by MSF. Families visited gave evidence of the benefits that lights, and phone charging, brought them, but also of the overwhelming challenges facing them in their disrupted country.

The trustees visited families in Alebtong District who received over 1,000 solar lighting units and saw how their benefits supplemented the comprehensive improvements of OCA’s StepUp participatory development programmes, which have been introduced by SLI’s partner, OCA, over many years in this, Lira and neighbouring districts. Families are living more economically productive, more harmonious, safer, cleaner, more sanitary and more ordered in compounds. The evidence of climate change in South Sudan and North and

SOLAR LINKS INITIATIVE Year ended 31 July 2025

North-Eastern Uganda is clear with many areas becoming more arid as a result of drought. In Karamoja the failure of the rains has compromised some of the youth agricultural programme SLI has supported alongside other livelihood projects. The trustees discussed with community leaders the implementation of a new pay in instalment solar lighting programme for families in the Namalu area which was approved by the Board. In Iganga District SLI gave lights to a youth-led community group running programmes in six villages where repayments support youth engagement and empowerment projects. Further meetings were held with community leaders from Kiboga and five villages in the Zombo and Nebbi Districts who were given lights as a result and are gradually collecting repayments, as they considered appropriate, and supporting community causes in education and livelihood training and improving water sources.

SLI is extremely grateful to their loyal long-term donors and charitable trust funders as well as those who have more recently kindly contributed to their solar lighting mission. SLI has no paid staff and minimal overheads, so 99 pence in every pound of your donation goes directly to the purchase and transportation of the equipment. You are truly changing lives, SLI thank you very sincerely.

Objectives and activities

Solar Links Initiative is a charity and its objects are:

To develop the capacity and skills of the members of socially and economically or socially disadvantaged communities selected by the trustees on the basis of appropriate evidence of disadvantage, for the benefit of those communities;
To relieve poverty for the benefit of the public by such means as the trustees think fit, including but not limited to the use of communications technology, the provision or facilitation of information and the encouragement of best practice;
To relieve sickness.

The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Trust’s objectives and in planning future activities.

SLI carries out these objects by taking action to benefit people around the world who are improving the lives of their communities, and we currently provide funds to assist disadvantaged communities primarily through the introduction of solar lighting.

Structure, Governance and Management

Solar Links Initiative was originally established as a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 12 July 2004 with the name Global Links Initiative, and registered as a Charity on 13 May 2005. The charity changed its name to Solar Links Initiative on 9 December 2015 and on 15 July 2024 Solar Links Initiative converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

Trustees may be appointed, either to fill vacancies or as additional Trustees, by resolution of the Trustees at a meeting of Trustees. Trustees are recruited to fill vacancies or to address the particular needs of the charity, as required.

SOLAR LINKS INITIATIVE Year ended 31 July 2025

Reference and administrative details

Charity number: 1110013 Registered Office: 22 Old Millmeads, Horsham, RH12 2LZ Independent Examiner: David Parker, 33 Wagtail Close, Horsham, RH12 5HL Bankers Barclays Bank plc, 92 High St, Crawley, RH10 1YF

The trustees serving during the year and since the year end were as follows:

Ian Hutchinson Nicholas Derek Feeny Bhagyashree Mandke Phillida Purvis MBE

Financial review

Our policy is to maintain appropriate reserves to cover our immediate operating needs which, at any one time, are normally less than £3,000. At 31 July 2025 our reserves were £59,447 (2024 £49,947).

The Trustees review income and expenditure on a periodic basis and the level of expenditure is set to ensure that there will be adequate resources available to meet commitments made as they fall due.

The trustees have considered the major risks to which the charity is exposed and have concluded that our major on-going risk is to ensure that we have adequate financial resources available to finance our future activities.

The results for the year to 31 July 2025 amounted to net receipts of £9,500 (2024 net payments of £6,149).

Approved by the Trustees and signed on its behalf on 14 September 2025.

Ian Hutchinson Trustee

SOLAR LINKS INITIATIVE Year ended 31 July 2025

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF SOLAR LINKS INITIATIVE

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Solar Links Initiative (“the Trust”) for the period to 31 July 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

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.

David Parker Chartered Accountant

33 Wagtail Close, Horsham, RH12 5HL

Dated: 14 September 2025

SOLAR LINKS INITIATIVE Year ended 31 July 2025

ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD TO 31 JULY 2025

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

Receipts Donations and legacies Total receipts Payments Charitable Activities Total payments Receipts less payments for the year Fund balances at 1 August 2024 Fund balances at 31 July 2025	2025 2025 2025 Funds Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds £ £ £ 50,568 50,568 - 50,56850,568 - 41,068 41,068 - 41,06841,068 - 9,500 9,500 - 49,947 49,947 - 59,44759,447 -	2025 2025 2025 Funds Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds £ £ £ 50,568 50,568 - 50,56850,568 - 41,068 41,068 - 41,06841,068 - 9,500 9,500 - 49,947 49,947 - 59,44759,447 -

SOLAR LINKS INITIATIVE Year ended 31 July 2025

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

AS AT 31 JULY 2025

Assets Cash in Bank and in hand Total assets Unrestricted income funds Restricted income funds Total funds	2025 £ 59,447 59,447 59,447 - 59,447	2024 £ 49,947 49,947 49,947 - 49,947

Notes to the accounts

1 Basis of preparation

These accounts have been prepared on a cash basis. As the Charity is registered in England and Wales, is not a company and has gross income that is not over £250,000 it is permitted under section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 to prepare receipts and payments accounts.

2. Restricted funds

Restricted funds, being donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the Charity’s work, are shown separately from unrestricted funds which are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity.

3. Staff Costs and Trustees’ Remuneration

The Charity has no paid employees. Trustees received no remuneration (2024 £Nil), but are reimbursed for personal expenses, primarily costs of travelling to Uganda, incurred on behalf of the charity which amounted in the year to £2,110 (2024 £Nil). These travel costs are financed by donations from trustees.

Approved by the Trustees on 14 September 2025 and signed on its behalf.

Ian Hutchinson Trustee