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2024-05-31-accounts

Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended

May 31

2024

Shine

Sharing the gift of literacy with Africa’s poorest children

Registered charity no. 1117954

The Trustees of Shine present their report and consolidated financial statements for the charity and its subsidiary Shine Zambia for the period ended 31[st] May 2024.

Shine is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1117954.

Charitable objects

As stated in our Constitution, the objects for which Shine was established for the public benefit are:

In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.

Focus of this Annual Report

The period from 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024 constitutes the focus of this Annual Report. The Report covers the charity’s operations during the period. It also presents a Financial Report outlining our financial position at the end of the period. The operations of the charity are primarily focused on running our Literacy Centre in Zambia, Shine Zambia Reading Academy , as well as other activities related to the provision of literacy skills in Zambia.

In summary, the key activities and milestones during the period are as follows:

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHARITY

Name of charity: Shine Charity registration number: 1117954 46 Heathcliff Avenue Stotfold Hitchin Registered office: Hertfordshire SG5 4EY 07949 611 832 (primary contact) Telephone: 07540 109 096 (secondary contact) info@shinecharity.org E-mail: Web: www.shinecharity.org Vineet Bhatnagar (Chair) Siân Elizabeth Bhatnagar (Secretary) Trustees: Richard Mumba Staff: None HSBC 7 West Nile Street Bank: Glasgow G1 2RQ

There were no changes to the Board during the reporting period.

This Annual Report was approved by the Board of Trustees on 23[rd] March 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Vineet Bhatnagar Chair& Founder 23 March 2025

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

SHINE – WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

Registration, structure and governance

Shine is an international educational charity that was registered with the Charity Commission of England & Wales in February 2007. Shine works exclusively in Africa. Its governing body is the Board of Trustees, currently consisting of three UK-based individuals. Shine’s governing document is its constitution, which was adopted in May 2006 by the Board of Trustees prior to registration with the Charity Commission. Shine is a non-governmental, non-political and non-religious organisation.

Although Shine is based in England, it works exclusively in Africa. Currently, its work is being implemented specifically in Zambia through its subsidiary, Shine Zambia – a registered NGO in Zambia. Shine and Shine Zambia essentially share the same constitution, and the three current Trustees are also Trustees of Shine Zambia.

Shine has no UK staff. Its work is carried out by the Trustees and by volunteers, therefore administration costs are kept to a minimum. Funds raised by Shine in the UK are sent to Shine Zambia for use in its projects to tackle illiteracy.

Trustees

The Board of Trustees meets as and when necessary, but at least once per quarter, to review performance and to plan forthcoming activities. Day-to-day decisions are made by the Trustees, often in consultation with the Trustees of Shine Zambia and other advisors. All trustees give of their time freely. The names of the Trustees are listed above in the chapter Administrative Information about the Charity .

Regarding the appointment of new Trustees, existing Trustees identify possible new Trustees, taking into account the need for a range of skills and experience to be represented on the Board to ensure effective management. We also desire diversity within the group with regard to gender and ethnicity.

Chair

The Chair of Shine is Mr. Vineet Bhatnagar. Vineet is responsible for the day-to-day running of the charity and its local branch in Zambia, Shine Zambia. He is actively involved in the running of the school in Zambia along with his wife, Siân. By profession, Vineet is an IT consultant and his permanent residence is in the UK.

Our vision

Shine’s vision is of a Zambia where every child can read and write. Its aim is to help alleviate poverty in Zambia by tackling one of its root causes - illiteracy - in the poorest areas by setting up schools specialising in providing free literacy education. The charity’s target beneficiaries are poor and vulnerable children in urban shanty towns and rural areas, where poverty levels are high and literacy rates are low.

Our activities

Shine’s primary function is to financially support its local branch, Shine Zambia, which conducts charitable activities for achieving our objectives. Shine is helping to educate underprivileged children in Lusaka, Zambia by providing free literacy education to children who were previously out of school and illiterate, and who are living in poverty. Shine set up its first Literacy Centre in January 2007 in a shanty town called Kalikiliki, an urban ‘compound’ on the outskirts of Lusaka. The school is called Shine Zambia Reading Academy and currently has an enrolment of around 180 orphans and vulnerable children from nearby townships.

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

An overview of our Literacy Centre, Shine Zambia Reading Academy

Soon after Shine was established in the UK and was registered in Zambia (as ‘Shine Zambia’), we began our first Literacy Centre in a compound called Kalikiliki in the east of the capital, Lusaka. Kalikiliki has around 30,000 inhabitants and is one of the poorest compounds in Lusaka. Educational facilities in the compound are poor – there are no government schools and just a few ‘community schools’, which charge fees and generally have little resources and unqualified and inexperienced teachers.

Shine wanted to address the problem of illiteracy in Kalikiliki by starting a literacy school called Shine Zambia Reading Academy. The school started as a pilot project in January 2007 with just 30 children and two local teachers. It started in a room in someone’s house in the community. Since then, it has grown significantly. The school now has its own premises on a 4-acre plot of land in the township, including a 4-classroom block, an administration block, library and separate water-borne toilets for pupils.

During the period of this report, there were around 180 pupils enrolled in the school with 10 full-time teachers and several auxiliary workers: an office administrator, a caretaker/landscaper, security guard and cooks to prepare food for the children every day. All our staff are from the local community and are paid a monthly living allowance by Shine.

The Academy offers a program which is not offered by other schools in Zambia. It is a two-year program, specialising in literacy. Children who enrol at Shine Zambia Reading Academy are completely illiterate or very poor at reading at the start. By the end of the program they achieve the level of literacy expected at Zambian Grade 4 level. This means we deliver 4 years’ education within 2 years. Other points to note about the program:

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

2023/24 was a positive year for Shine as we continued the strong performance of our various literacy programmes in Zambia. The launch of our Partner Schools and Rural Reading Programmes in 2022/23 allowed us to reach our beneficiaries in new ways, including bringing literacy to the rural village setting in Eastern Zambia. This continued in 23/24 with remarkable pupil improvements in all our literacy programmes.

Although the cost of living in Zambia continues to rise, adding financial pressure on the charity, we managed to reduce our running costs in some areas through more efficient spending.

Vineet Bhatnagar Chair & Founder, Shine

Despite the financial challenges, Shine is continuing to achieve its main aims. Our core purpose – teaching underprivileged children how to read – continued at our Literacy Centre in Zambia, with around 180 children enrolled in our programmes. These children received a free education from Shine as well as a free meal every day. This is what we have always set out to achieve.

Shine Zambia, our local entity, maintained its policy of raising funds locally through its various income streams – a rental property, a car park business within the boundary of the school’s security fence and hiring of the school premises to churches at weekends.

During the course of the year, we achieved our aim of offering a high-quality literacy programme for the orphans and vulnerable children of Kalikiliki, Zambia. This is ultimately our aim – to share the gift of literacy with underprivileged children in Zambia.

I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who have supported Shine, whether through donating money or materials, participating in fundraising events for us, offering their time or giving us their advice and moral support. Without the generosity of these individuals and organisations, we would not have enjoyed a year which will enable us to help empower many more vulnerable Zambian children.

Vineet Bhatnagar

Chair & Founder, Shine

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

ACTIVITIES, ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Continued excellent performance of our four core literacy programmes in Zambia

Our four core literacy programmes in Zambia during this period are shown below:

All four programmes performed excellently during this period, with over 400 beneficiaries enrolled in our literacy initiatives:

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

President of Zambia visits Shine

On 31[st] August 2023, Shine’s Literacy Centre in Lusaka was paid a visit by the President of Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema.

The main purpose of the visit was to sink a borehole at our Literacy Centre in Lusaka, which will provide a water access point for the local community. This was facilitated through the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Honourable Mike Mposha MP.

It was a momentous occasion marked by great enthusiasm and community spirit. The President's visit generated a sense of pride and solidarity among Shine's pupils, staff and board members, highlighting the importance of partnerships for positive change. The generous donation of a borehole signifies a long-term commitment to improving the lives of the local residents and the Shine Zambia organisation. The President's presence at Shine served as a symbol of the government's support for initiatives that enhance the well-being of its citizens.

The event was also attended by local dignitaries and community leaders who expressed their gratitude for this vital contribution to the community's infrastructure. We are humbled that the President chose to help the local community through Shine Zambia, and it highlights our long-standing role as a leader in the community.

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

Shine launches a Mental Health Programme for our underprivileged pupils

In February 2024, Shine launched a Mental Health Awareness programme aimed at supporting Shine pupils, mainly girls enrolled at our Literacy Centre, with their mental well-being. It targeted a subset of our enrolled pupils and, in particular, those who have suffered difficult circumstances during their upbringing.

Sadly, traumatic experiences caused by poverty and HIV/AIDS are commonplace in poorer parts of Zambia and this has a huge impact on the mental health of our young learners.

We addressed crucial topics such as: using daily positive affirmations to support our self-esteem, setting boundaries, learning to trust ourselves, and being in control of our emotions. We focused very much on feeding their young minds with positivity, whilst also discussing the importance of discussing feelings openly with trusted people. We also uncovered the harsh realities that many children face, including physical and verbal abuse, and living with cruel guardians. These revelations have underscored the importance of Shine's work and the need for continued support and intervention.

We encouraged the development of tangible skills for these children. Our initiative to teach sewing skills (using a sewing machine donated by a well-wisher in the UK) has led to an exciting project: our girls have made door mats. This hands-on activity has boosted their confidence and creativity. We are proud of the progress our learners have made and look forward to seeing how these new skills will empower them in the future.

Future plans

Our short to medium term goals are as follows:

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Shine

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 May 2024 which are set out on pages 14 to 18.

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(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

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:

Patricia K Kalota Suite 2 Bungano Suites, Lubu Road, Longacres, Lusaka, ZAMBIA 26/03/2025

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

Income

Shine (combined UK and Zambian entities) recorded a total income of £27,442 during the period of this report. This amount was made up of £22,862 from the UK and £4,579 from Zambia. The majority of these funds came from donations to Shine (UK) - monthly donations, individual one-off donations and corporate donations - accounting for 75% of the UK income (£17,055).

Some other key points:

==> picture [493 x 239] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Sources of income
(combined Shine and Car park
Rent/hire 9%
Shine Zambia entities)
of school Bank interest Other income Grants
Local donations in premises (Zambia) 0% 14%
9% 0%
Zambia
0%
Rental income from
residential property
Donations - corporate
9%
20%
Gift Aid
4%
:
Donations - personal
35%
----- End of picture text -----

Key figures:

Total income (UK and Zambia): £27,442 Income from UK donations: £22,862

Income from Gift Aid in UK: £1,307 Income from grants: £4,500

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

Locally-generated income in Zambia

The following sources make up the income generated locally by our Zambian entity, Shine Zambia :

**Income type ** Amount(GBP)
Rental property net income 2,841
In-country donations 3
Hire of School Premises 2,686
Bank interest 37
Car park net income 2,736
Pig farm net income (3,828)
Other income 104
Total 4,579

The chart below excludes the pig farm and is included to illustrate the effectiveness of the other sustainability initiatives:

==> picture [472 x 236] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Sources of income 2023/24 Rental property net
- Zambia only income
23%
Other income
1%
GrantIn-country donations
0% 0%
Hire of School Premises
22%
Car park net income od
a
23%
Bank interest
0%
Excludesfunds transferred from Shine UK
----- End of picture text -----

An additional £3,452 has been recorded as foreign exchange gain in our Financial Statements due to the change in value over the period of the local currency in Zambia, the Kwacha.

Expenditure

Shine spent a total of £30,909 during the year in both the UK and Zambia. Our expenditure can be separated into money spent to support the UK charity and money spent in Zambia to run our programmes. The former is represented only by the administration costs shown in (1) below.

Local operating expenditure by Shine Zambia can be categorised as: (2) administration costs for Shine Zambia; (3) operational costs, which includes running costs for our school as well as other related activities in furtherance of our

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

objectives (e.g. community outreach, other literacy programmes). A total of £23,800 was transferred from Shine to Shine Zambia in support of our programmes in Zambia. This is considered an internal group transfer therefore not detailed below as an operational expense. The table below provides a high-level breakdown of our operational expenditure, showing the split between the above categories (excluding internal transfers from Shine to Shine Zambia):

Combined Expenditure – Shine and Shine Zambia

Type Amount % Notes
(GBP)
1. Shine administration costs 252 1% Administration costs in UK (bank charges)
2. Shine Zambia administration costs 577 2% Administration costs in Zambia, consisting of bank
charges, money transfer charges and tax payments
3. Shine Zambia operational costs 30,080 97% Total cost of running our literacy programmes in
Zambia and related activities
30,909

(1) Shine administrative expenses

Shine incurred administrative expenses of £252 during the period. The breakdown of this figure is as follows:

**Type ** e Amount(GBP) % Notes
Bank charges Bank charges 252 100% Bank charges for maintaining the account and transferring
funds to Zambia
252

(2) Shine Zambia administrative expenses

Shine Zambia incurred administrative expenses of £577 during the period, consisting of bank charges for our local bank account in Zambia and accounting fees.

**Type ** Amount(GBP) % Notes
Bank charges 327 57% Monthly charges for maintaining our Absa bank account
Money transfer charges 47 8% Charges for sending money to rural areas where we run a
literacy programme
Withholding tax 204 35% Tax payments for locally-generated income
577

(3) Running costs for our Literacy Centre, Shine Zambia Reading Academy, and other related activities

The total cost of running the Shine Zambia Reading Academy literacy school in Lusaka was £30,080 .

This funds for this amount were sourced from (1) funds transferred from Shine UK, (2) locally-generated income, and (3) funds in the Shine Zambia bank account prior to the start of the period.

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

The key expenses in running the school were as follows:

Local currency
Expenditure (ZMW) GBP
Office resources, stationery, IT equipment 5,645 172_1%_
Utilities (electricity, water) 16,376 499_2%_
Landscaping 17,533 534_2%_
Travel, transportation 51,139 1,558_5%_
Pupil feeding programme 124,497 3,794_13%_
Staff allowances 601,538 18,332_61%_
Teaching and learning aids 52,972 1,614_5%_
Maintenance 40,584 1,237_4%_
Hygiene and sanitation 5,033 153_1%_
Staff meals 30,656 934_3%_
Phone 4,250 130_0%_
Professional fees, subscriptions 800 24_0%_
Pupil sponsorship 1,225 37_0%_
Insurance 4,659 142_0%_
Security 13,850 422_1%_
Internet 2,680 82_0%_
Other staff costs - medical allowance, training 4,134 126_0%_
Printing & photocopying 8,876 270_1%_
Clothing 600 18_0%_
987,047 30,080

Reserves policy

Shine’s policy on reserves targets a general reserves amount that is sufficient to cover at least three months net running costs for the school in Zambia (less locally-generated income), which is around £6,500.

Restricted and unrestricted funds

Unrestricted funds are funds that are not designated to be used for a specific purpose and may be used at the discretion of the Board of Trustees for any purpose that is in furtherance of Shine’s constitutional objectives. Restricted funds are those that are tied to a particular purpose, as specified by a donor or as identified at the time of a particular appeal. At the end of the period Shine had no restricted funds.

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Consolidated statement of financial activities

All amounts are in pounds sterling.

Notes Shine Shine Zambia Group
Income 2 22,862 4,579 27,442
Income received by Shine 22,862 - 22,862
Income received by Shine Zambia - 4,579 4,579
Operating Expenses (252) (34,110) (34,361)
Operating Expenses - Zambia 3 - (30,657) (30,657)
Operating Expenses - UK 4 (252) - (252)
Other gains/losses
Foreign exchange loss - (3,452) (3,452)
Depreciation - (3,176) (3,176)
Land - - -
Buildings - (2,978) (2,978)
Furniture - (198) (198)
Transfers
UK funds transferred to Zambia –
recognized as income for Shine Zambia (23,800) 23,800 -
Net Income (1,189) (8,907) (10,096)

The notes included below form part of these accounts.

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

Balance sheet

Balance sheet
Notes Shine Shine Zambia TOTAL
Fixed Assets 5
Land 0 6,042 6,042
Furniture 0 1,989 1,989
Buildings - school 0 79,423 79,423
Buildings - pig farm 0 15,981 15,981
Buildings - residential property 0 50,506 50,506
Total Fixed Assets 0 153,941 153,941
Current Assets
Cash at bank and in hand 1,733 2,718 4,451
Debtors/loans receivable 6 0 353 353
Total Current Assets 1,733 3,071 4,804
Current Liabilities
Creditors falling due within one year 0 0 0
Creditors falling due after more
than one year
Long-term liability - loan payable for
purchase of residential property 0 26,303 26,303
Total Current Liabilities 0 26,303 26,303
Total Assets Less Current Liabilities 1,733 130,709 132,442
Funds of the Charity
Unrestricted funds 1,733 130,709 132,442
Restricted income funds 0 0
Total Charity Funds 1,733 130,709 132,442

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 23[rd] March 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Plage Vineet Bhatnagar

Chair & Founder

23 March 2025

The notes included below form part of these accounts.

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

Notes to the accounts

1. Accounting policies

Basis of preparation:

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, with the exception of investments which are included at market value. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” published in 2005 and applicable accounting standards.

The Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) and Balance Sheet consolidate the financial statements of the charity and its subsidiary undertaking. The results of the subsidiary are consolidated on a line by line basis.

2. Income

Income raised by Shine (UK):

The UK income was received from the following sources:

Income Type Description Amount % of UK
(GBP) Total
Donations (personal) Donations from monthly and adhoc donors 10,855 47%
Donations (corporate) Donations from corporate sponsors 6,200 27%
Grants Grants given for specific purposes 4,500 20%
Gift Aid Amount of tax re-claimed from HMRC 1,307 6%
22,862

Income raised by Shine Zambia:

Shine Zambia income was received from the following sources, excluding the £23,800 provided by Shine (which is considered an internal transfer):

**Income type ** Amount(GBP)
Rental property net income 2,841
In-country donations 3
Hire of School Premises 2,686
Bank interest 37
Car park net income 2,736
Pig farm net income (3,828)
Other income 104
Total 4,579

3. Operating expenses – Zambia

The operating costs of £30,657 is categorised as follows:

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

running costs of the feeding program, teaching and learning aids, travel costs, hygiene and sanitation, electricity and water

Expenditure can be broken down as follows:

Cost type Amount
(GBP)
%
School running costs 30,080 98%
Administration 577 2%
Total 30,657

The school running costs are broken down as follows:

Expenditure GBP
Office resources, stationery, IT equipment 172_1%_
Utilities (electricity, water) 499_2%_
Landscaping 534_2%_
Travel, transportation 1,558_5%_
Pupil feeding programme 3,794_13%_
Staff allowances 18,332_61%_
Teaching and learning aids 1,614_5%_
Maintenance 1,237_4%_
Hygiene and sanitation 153_1%_
Staff meals 934_3%_
Phone 130_0%_
Professional fees, subscriptions 24_0%_
Pupil sponsorship 37_0%_
Insurance 142_0%_
Security 422_1%_
Internet 82_0%_
Other staff costs - medical allowance, training 126_0%_
Printing & photocopying 270_1%_
Clothing 18_0%_
30,080

4. Operating expenses – UK

The UK operating expense figure of £234 is broken down as follows:

**Type ** Amount(GBP) % Notes
Bank charges 252 100% Bank charges for maintaining the account and transferring funds to
Zambia
252

5. Fixed assets

The following is the Charity’s fixed assets for the period of the Report (all located in Zambia):

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024

Description Amount (GBP)
Land in Lusaka, Zambia 6,042
School buildingsi 79,423
Pig farm buildingii 15,981
School furnitureiii 1,989
Residential property in Lusaka, Zambiaiv 50,506
153,941

i. The calculation for ‘School buildings’ is last year’s value minus 2% depreciation

ii. Pig farm infrastructure depreciated by 2% and nothing was spent on upgrading/adding to the infrastructure

iii. The existing furniture depreciated by 10% and £204 was spent on furniture for the school during the period

iv. The residential property purchased by Shine Zambia last year depreciated by 2%

The Charity has the following policy regarding depreciation of fixed assets:

6. Loans receivable

A total debt amounting to £353 to Shine was recorded at the end of the period. This consists of outstanding shortterm loans to staff at the school.

7. Restricted funds

As at 31 May 2024 there were no restricted funds for the charity.

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Annual Report 01 June 2023 to 31 May 2024