Friends of Amasango c/o
2 Dean Clarke House, 2 Southernhay East, Exeter Devon, EX11AP
U.K. Charity No. 1116268
Annual Report for the year 2021/22
1. Overview of the year
During the year the Friends of Amasango (the Charity) has engaged in fundraising for and the facilitation of volunteers to the Amasango Career School (ACS), Grahamstown, South Africa to support in particular the following objectives --
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Food at Amasango
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Clothing at Amasango
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Honoraria to local volunteers
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Past Pupil Support for those at High School
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Overseas fund raising
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Accountancy support
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Capital expenditure on necessary equipment
A total of £33,980 (about ZAR 67,900) was sent to ACS meeting the objectives as agreed in the Budget. The Charity’s contributions to ACS have been affected by the very difficult fund-raising climate in the UK resulting from the COVID pandemic.
With all the ramifications and difficulties of the Covid pandemic the new Headmistress, Mrs Shadaya’s first year has not been easy. Whilst trying to maintain support for the learners when they were not at school and then trying to get them back to school after such a long-disrupted period, has made life difficult for her. On top of this the local Education authority has not helped by threatening the removal of a number of teachers and imposing on the school, under a Covid Support Programme, other staff – all of which has been disruptive of a normal school running ethos.
However, we have been able to help with extra funding for the School to provide extra food parcels and facilitate other support and are hoping to do more in the year to come. We have also provided support for the School to enact a Membership Drive’ to try and increase numbers in the School to make up for the losses resulting from Covid.
We have also finally, been able to organise for the conversion of a 40ft Shipping Container into a Beauty Salon Training facility for the School. This has now been delivered, connected up to all the necessary services and is fully functional, with staff trained - another practical training facility added to the School, thanks to our Charity.
With regard to the New School, I am delighted to be able to report that, following continuous pressure on our NGO lawyers and them on the Courts and the Local Education Authority, we now are in a position where the Local Education Authority has been forced to take action on the new School. The necessary Land for the Playing Field and School have been transferred to the Authority, detailed plans have been drawn up for a temporary School on the New Site that should be in place during next year and further detail plans done and approved by the School for the Permanent School to follow the next year – all this backed by formal legal, court approved and mandated instructions, with the Local Education Authority, and indeed some of its key officers, locked in to the agreements and
plans. We even hope to be progressing the construction of the Soccer field, on the appropriate approved site, for which funds were donate years ago by a Dutch Rotary Group, to be able to start construction in the next few months.
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Clearly, trying to raise funds for the School during the year has been difficult with all the normal fundraising activities curtailed or stopped and donors potentially short of funds themselves. Thus, it is so fantastic that all our regular donners have continued to give us their support through Direct Debit and Standing order payments – without them we would really be lost, so my considerable thanks go to them and I am sure they will continue to provide this essential support for the School. In addition, we need to be looking to obtaining legacies if at all possible. With all the existing commitments to the School and now the necessity to build up funds for the New School Project, fund raising remains the major challenge of our Charity. However, the accounts and Budget show that we are keeping control of the situation whilst starting to build the necessary fund to support the needs of a properly equipping the New School, specifically with all the necessary vocational items, which the Local Authority will not provide.
On the Volunteering front Charl Oosthuizen has kindly and excellently, updated and developed all our Volunteering documentation and processes and we are now able to start promoting the Volunteering facility in the near future. During the year, 2 overseas Volunteers helped at ACS.
In U.K. the Charity received a total of £44,426 during the year. Compared with 2019/20, individual donations were increased whilst yet again corporate donations reduced and there were no legacies. Gift Aid tax recovery has worked well. UK bank balances at the year-end were up to £87,049 ensuring the charity has the cash flow resources to meet the needs of the school which start immediately in the new financial year whilst funds only come in during the year. In addition, as stated above the charity has to start building a fund to provide the necessary facilities for the New School.
To maintain financial prudence but take note of increasing demands in the School a Budget has been agreed for the forthcoming year with revenue expenditure in 2022/23 totalling R 983,114 (about £ 49,155.70) has been agreed which the Trustees believe can be serviced, and which the school believes is adequate in the current circumstances. This Budget was approved by Members at the AGM held on Saturday 15th October 2022.
The AGM has been held physically for the first time for 3 years and the Headmistress of the School has been able to visit the UK and attend the AGM plus tour the UK on information and Fund raising activities, funded by the Charity.
The Charity is the largest single donor to ACS.
2. Statutory information
The Charity is regulated by its Constitution which was adopted in General Meeting on 15[th] October 2005.
The Charity’s Objects as stated therein are as a Christian organisation to advance the education of pupils who are street children in South Africa and in particular those attached to the Amasango Career Schools in Eastern Cape Province by financial support through bursaries or otherwise and through assisting in the provision of facilities not provided by the Provincial Government and by facilitating the availability to the Amasango Career Schools of volunteer teachers and assistants.
The ten Trustees of the Charity in 2020/21 were Ian Irvin (Chairman), Hannah Peters (Hon Treasurer), Martin Coombs (Hon Secretary), John Cartmell, Alison Evans, Kate Mier, Mark Newton, Charl Oosthuizen, Rebecca Pennells and Brian Wakeham, none of whom holds any property on behalf of the Charity. Eleven Trustees meetings were held during the year.
The Charity’s bankers are Santander Commercial Bank of Bridle Road, Merseyside, L30 4GB. The Charity’s Independent Examiner is Holly Ashenden, 39c Schubert Road, London, SW15 2QT. This Annual Report was approved by the Charity in General Meeting on 15[th] October 2022 and signed on its behalf by
Ian Irvin, Chairman
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Friends of Amasango
Accounts for the Year Ended 30 June 2022
Friends of Amasango
Accounts for the Year Ended 30 June 2022
Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Receipts and Payments Account | 1 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 2 |
Friends of Amasango
U.K. Charity No 1116268 supporting the Amasango Career Schools (ACS) in South Africa
Receipts and Payments Account Accounts for the Year Ended 30 June 2022
| Receipts and Payments £ £ Receipts Individual donations 44,426 Legacies 0 Corporate donations 18 Grants succesfully applied for 0 Gift Aid tax recovered 0 Bank interest 19 44,463 Payments Donations to ACS 33,980 Bank charges 0 Administration 624 34,605 Excess of receipts over payments 9,858 Balance brought forward 77,191 Balance carried forward 87,049 Represented by : Bank balances on 30th June 87,049 Cash in hand 0 87,049 2022 |
£ £ 2021 |
£ £ 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 44,479 0 120 0 0 12 31,230 100 644 |
44,611 31,974 |
|
| 12,637 64,554 |
||
| 77,191 | ||
| 77,191 0 |
||
| 77,191 |
Note
This account has been prepared on a cash basis from the records of the Friends of Amasango. "Administration" in the year to 30th June 2022 includes JustGiving administrative charges totalling £162, plus insurance premium.
Approved by the Friends of Amasango in General Meeting on 15th October 2022 and signed on their behalf by :
Hannah Peters….. Hon Treasurer
Page 1
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of 'Friends of Amasango' Trust
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 30 June 2022, which are set out on page 1.
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 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act.
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act.
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinionis 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 matter has come to my attention:
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(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
have not been met or
- (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Name: Holly Ashenden Relevant professional body: CIMA
Date: 11th October 2022
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of 'Friends of Amasango' Trust
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 30 June 2022, which are set out on page 1. 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 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) 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 procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act. - to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's report My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 you as 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 matter has come to my attention: (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: - to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act and - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met or (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Name: Holly Ashenden Relevant professional body:
CIMA Date: 11th October 2022