## Trustees' Annual Report THE HELP UGANDA TRUST **Registered charity Number 1113447** ## **For the period from 1[st] January 2020 to 31[st] December 2020** ## **Charity's principal address** 120 Silverdale Avenue Walton on Thames Surrey KT12 1EQ ## **Trustees who manage the charity** 1 Mr ARA Robertson Chairman 2 Mrs CC Gray 3 Mr KJ Mantle 4 Mr RWS Lee 5 Mrs E-J Simpkin 6 Mr MD Simpkin 7 Mrs LE Speed 8 Mr SJC Speed 9 Mr S Di Gregorio Treasurer ## **Description of the charity’s Governance** The Help Uganda Trust is constituted by a Trust Document and new Trustees are appointed by the Trustees. The Charity is managed by a number of volunteers who support the Chairman Mr Andrew Robertson with fundraising and with overviewing the work of local support organisations in Kampala. The charity does not directly employ anyone and instead makes grants to local partner organisations. The pandemic has been immensely disruptive and has meant that it has not been possible to visit Uganda nor for trustees to meet in person. Communications have however been by email and also with calls to Uganda. The Trust continues to work closely with the Daughters of Charity (DOC), a Uganda based charity under the auspices of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala. The DOC and the Archdiocese are the owners of the facilities at St Michaels and employ all of the staff at the home. The continued work with Child’s I Foundation (Charity number: 1126212) a leading UK Charity operating in Uganda has been invaluable because of their in country representation. The Trust ensures that its services and support are provided to children regardless of ethnic origin or religious background. All monies raised by the HUT are paid into an account held with Barclays Bank in the UK and transfers are made to Uganda on a monthly basis in line with specific requests for school fees, staff salaries, food and medicine etc. A transfer via Barclays typically takes four to five days. On rare occasions and in times of emergency money can be sent via Mr Daniel Kitzito and Western Union, when this is done monies are first sent by Mr Andrew Robertson who has a WU account who is then reimbursed by electronic transfer. This is a very fast operation and money can be there in a few hours if required. Mr Kitzito who is an employee of Brussels Airlines and a member of the St Michaels Management Board is able to collect money at the airport which is deemed a particularly safe location for cash collection. Details of amounts sent are also sent to other members of the Management Board of St Michaels and this way the Trustees are confident that the money can be easily tracked and reconciles ## **Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document** The relief of poverty and sickness and the advancement of education, whether generally or individually, of children and young people in Uganda, in particular, but not exclusively, the children of St Michael’s Children’s Home in Nsambya, Kampala, by making grants of money for providing or paying for items, services or facilities or through the provision of goods or services or grants. ## **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects** When planning our activities for the year, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit. We have ensured that all activities are for the benefit of the disadvantaged children and young people at St Michael’s home and other parts of Uganda. The Trustees continue to believe that in addition to food and medical assistance, that providing education and training provides the best way of relieving long term poverty. We aim subject to our financial constraints to provide education or technical training to a young person until they are able to leave the home and support themselves. Because of their disrupted education (from conflict, illness or simple poverty and this year the pandemic) many children will not finish secondary education until they are in their early 20s. ## **Chairman’s Report** This has been a most difficult year because of the pandemic. In some ways we were fortunate in that the lockdown in the UK started before the one in Uganda. With the experience gained the Trustees were able to offer additional advice. St Michaels managed to get special dispensation to keep the young people at the home. The vast majority of facilities sent their Children and young people out to extended family. The trustees feeling was that given the space and the ability to buy a quantity of supplies in advance and then operating a strict isolation would be better. As the first wave passed we were fortunate to be able to resettle with the support of Child I foundation a number of the older students who had completed their studies (by chance this was also a peak year). Education in Uganda has very much ground to a halt with many years being called as dead years. Unlike the UK were education continued and examinations were adjusted Uganda has provided minimal education and exams have stopped. The trustees in conjunction with Childs I are reviewing the ongoing strategy because given children were already behind in school a further delay of two years in limbo has significant effects. The Charity was most blessed to receive a significant legacy of £49,300 from Sheila Higgins a parishioner of Pulborough and a long-term supporter of the HUT. This money will enable us to continue support the young people especially because of the impact of the pandemic. The Trust is anticipating that the bulk of its activities will be completed by December 2023 ## **Further financial review details** General income fell significantly as it was not possible to make general appeals. It was noted that Fr John left funds within his estate that subject to certain conditions may be available to the Trust for the education of the young people. The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. ## **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** Andrew Robertson CHAIRMAN Date 30[th] October 2021 CHARITY (OMMISSION FOR ENGIAND AND WALES Indopondent examinefs r•port on tho accounts Report to the tr￿te members of E HELP UGANDA TRUST On acco4mts for the yea 31° Decwnber Charity no frf any) 1113447 Set out on pages pages ReF(wl aTrJ 2 pages A(£ounts I report to trustees on my examination of the 8rxx)unts ofthe al￿ ctharty (Yh8 Trusf) for the year eThJed 31112r2C(I. Respon5ibillts¥ and the thantys trustees. you are re¥thisit4e for the preparation ofthe a¢X￿nts in aC￿l[lan￿ ￿th the requirem￿ ofthe Charrbes Ad 2011 fthg I rewt in resrt of my examination ofthe Tnksvs acL¥)unts cwried out under sec*ion 145 of the 2011 Ac* aThJ in C£ryU￿ out my exanination. I t frAINed ￿1 the appltcable DJ"rec*ons grven ty the Charity Commission urNJer seGtK>n 145(5llb} ofthe P Ind•p•nd•n I hav8 0)mWed my examin8tion. I tJJnffmi that no material mattels have come to my attentson in o)nnedion the exami1￿t￿n (other than that disck)sed ￿0W I whM* gives mg ￿uSe to bdieve Ihat VK any matenal the ctrdriti.es Act or • the ￿nts th'd not attord the aco)untiThJ rec￿rds.. or . thg ￿)UnIS did not o)mpty ￿th Ihe applicable reqUirem￿ts crKKoming Ihe fcffm and ccffltent of acxx)unts set ¢yJt in the Charilies (Ao)Junts aTr ReFKwts) ReguktKJns X¥J8 other than ary ￿uIreMent that the >xThmts give a Irue and I￿r. viewwfiith is r¥)t a matter conside part of an i￿le{e￿Ient examinatw)n. Ith Ihe examinalx)n to which attOnts"￿ shcmjld be drw*n in this reFrf in dor to enalle a proper urKler8tsnding olthe aLrounts to be rea(l￿d. Pkn8se delete th& in ts br•cl¢&ts rfthoy do nL* appty. 31qn•d.' D•t•: 0 10.20 SQthLJ2A R•l•vant prt)f••slonhil qualincatl•n{s) or body Irf •nyl: Addr•sS: