2023-09-30-accounts - Watoto Trust

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ANNUAL REPORT AND STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2023

WATOTO TRUST

CHARITY REGISTRATION No: 1111551

WATOTO TRUST

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

CHARITY NUMBER

1111551

START PERIOD

END PERIOD

1[st] October 2022 30[th] September 2023

TRUSTEES AT 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2017

Sarah Green Joanna Shapiro Bruce Nightingale Oliver Nightingale Louise Myles Karen Meynink

GOVERNING INSTRUMENT

The existing trustees appoint any new trustees following the provisions laid out in the charity’s governing instrument.

Trust Deed executed on 19[th] May 2005 as amended by supplemental deed dated 9[th] September 2005.

OBJECTS

The relief of poverty, sickness and distress, the advancement of education and the protection and preservation of health of persons in African countries, particularly but not exclusively children and young persons, by the provision of financial and material assistance, food, clothing, medical aid, shelter, support for local projects and by other charitable means as the trustees shall from time to time determine with the object of improving conditions of life for such persons.

CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS

Watoto Trust Tankerdale Farm Tankerdale Lane Liss Hampshire GU33 7QY

PRIMARY BANKERS

Barclays Bank PLC Leicester Leicestershire LE87 2BB

Page 2

WATOTO TRUST

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS

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 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is the Independent Examiner’s responsibility to:

examine the accounts (under section 43(3)(a) of the act);
follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 43(7)(b) of the 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 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 I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.

Independent Examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
- to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act
have not been met; or
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Niamh Wakefield Signed: Niamh Wakefield 10 Heathfield Road

Petersfield Hampshire GU31 4DG Dated: 22 July 2024

WATOTO TRUST

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2023

Trustees

Sarah Green Founding Trustee Joanna Shapiro Founding Trustee Louise Myles Appointed 9[th] November 2016 Karen Meynink Appointed 24[th] April 2018 Bruce Nightingale Kenyan Trustee Oliver Nightingale Kenyan Trustee

The charity is a Trust with a Trust Deed as the governing document.

Watoto Trust’s organisational structure

We are a small charity and we have strived to keep overheads low in order to apply donor funds solely to the aims of the charity. Our donors are mainly friends and family and express their pleasure at being able to know that their donations go directly to the beneficiaries’ needs as opposed to administrative costs, etc. When expenses arise, they are usually met from donations earmarked for that purpose. The four UK trustees carry out all the fund-raising work of the charity in the UK. In Kenya, involvement on the ground by the Kenyan trustees ensures financial accountability and transparency and a real link with the projects.

The objects of the charity as set out in the governing document

Summary of the main activities in relation to these objects

Watoto Trust supports three initiatives in Kenya.

Provision of Scholarships to school and university children including help with living expenses where necessary
Paying for breakfasts and lunches for nursery school children and other support when necessary
Support for a rural community of Masai

Scholarships

WATOTO TRUST

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2023

Watoto Trust is working in two areas of Kenya to provide scholarships for bright children to go to secondary school.

We have 13 children in the Njoro area who attend either Day or Boarding School, seven girls and six boys.

We also supported Judy Tigeri who is in her fourth year of Medicine at Moi University, Eldoret. We began sponsoring her through secondary school in 2013 when her father lost a leg in an accident and could no longer work.

In the Orkonyil Communities we have 8 children who attend two boarding schools, Nkoitoi and Mulot. There are no day schools in the area at secondary level. The children are mentored by Josaphat who helps us select which children to sponsor and helps choose the school for them. He helps them settle into their new school and provides whatever support they need throughout their time at school. We also have a girl at Kenyatta University, the first girl in the area to go on to tertiary education.

BETA Day Nursery

BETA Day nursery is a small nursery school in the slums of Dagoretti near Nairobi. There are 50 children between 6 months and 6 years of age at the school, some can afford minimal fees, others pay nothing. Hannah Njoroge who set up the nursery is amazingly innovative, educating these children to a high standard with minimal resources. Watoto Trust has provided funds to give the children a hot breakfast and lunch every day. Hannah also looks after three disabled children, a boy with severe autism and two girls with cerebral palsy. Watoto Trust also paid for a new water tap and refurbished the playground.

Orkonyil (Forest Guardian) Project

Watoto Trust supported the Orkonyil (Forest Guardian) Project again this year. We continue to help fund alternative incomes. The vegetable growing using higher yielding growbags continues to be successful. We have also funded the training of people to use the Makiga brick maker and build a teacher’s house at Kitlikini. The Masai community are currently facing land adjudication issues where their communally owned rangelands are being bought into private ownership. We are providing funds to teach them about the complexities of this process, and about their rights.

Munje Teacher Assistance

All four of our teacher assistance are now qualified teachers. Watoto Trust supported them through this process and has decided that on-going support is now no longer needed as they are able to get well paid jobs. We paid them up until the end of 2022.

Financial Review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

At the end of the year the reserves were £ 55,724

This year we raised £9,293 more than we spent.

We want to ensure that once we have started to pay for a child to attend a school or further education that we have the funds available for them to complete their

WATOTO TRUST

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2023

education. The trustees consider that it is important that we have a reasonable balance of funds in reserve to meet this commitment without being overly dependent on the continuing generosity of our small but loyal group of donors.

The trustees continue to consider the most appropriate way of holding the charity’s reserves so that a balance is struck between generating additional funds and ensuring guaranteed funds are available for the children’s secondary and potentially tertiary education. We currently expect to continue to hold all our surplus funds in our deposit account with Barclays in the UK.

Fundraising

As a result of the Christmas Fair held at the Tithe Barn, Ditcham in November £11,790 was donated to Watoto Trust. Further funds come from a group of loyal supporters who donate regularly by standing order. We have also been given some generous one-off gifts. We are extremely grateful to all donors and friends of Watoto Trust.

Trustees Responsibilities

The Charities Act 1993 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 trust and of surplus of the trust for that period. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
Prepare financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the trust will continue in existence.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the trust. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the trust and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Signed for and on behalf of the Trustees

Date 24 January 2024

WATOTO TRUST

RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS YEAR ENDED 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2023

2023 £ 19,254 6000	2022 £ 17,541 0	2022 £ 17,541 3
5,239 10,562 1,718 720 -2,160	8,711 5,000 1,000 3,252 8,940
		17,544
		51
		51
		26,903

		26,954

		-9,410

WATOTO TRUST

BALANCE SHEET 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2023

CASH Current Deposit Cash SURPLUS At beginning of the year For the year At the end of the year	2023 £ 26,787 28,937 55,724 46,431 9,293 55,724	2022 £ 17,674 28,757
		46,431
		55,841 (9,410)
		46,431

The above accounts were approved by the Trustees on 24 January 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

Sarah Green

Sarah Green Trustee