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← Bhola's Children

2024-03-31-accounts

BHOLA’S CHILDREN

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS For the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Pages
Trustees’ Annual Report 1 – 11
Independent Examiner’s Report 12
Annual Accounts 13 – 21

BHOLA’S CHILDREN

CHARITY REG. NO. 1118345 12 Cornwall Grove, London W4 2LB, UK Tel: +44(0)20 8994 6011 Website: www.bholaschildren.org

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

Report of the trustees for the year ended 31st March 2024

The trustees of Bhola’s Children (registered no. 1118345) present their annual report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes 1 and 2 to the accounts and comply with the charity’s trust deed, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (second edition) and Financial Reporting Standard FRS 102.

Post-year end events

Whilst this report concerns the year to 31st March 2024 and the position at that date there have been important events since then in Bangladesh, which have a bearing on almost every section of this report. In particular they create great uncertainty about the future of the project we support. The events and their ramifications are explained in the section “Regime Change” below. This comes, sad to say, after the most successful year ever operationally for the project, when important new developments like the Sunshine School came to fruition.

Objectives and activities for the public benefit

The trustees confirm that they have referred to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives, in planning future activities, and setting the budget and grant-making policy for the year.

The purpose of the charity set out in its trust deed is to advance education, health and poverty relief among children in Southern Bangladesh, particularly those orphaned or with disabilities. More particularly, it was established in 2007 to provide a permanent source of funding for Bhola’s Children Special School – Bangladesh (“BCSB”), a local charitable trust which runs a single project, a home and school for disabled children on the island of Bhola in Southern Bangladesh.

Background

Bhola is an island of two million people. The high level of poverty has been exacerbated by rapid erosion of the North East corner of the island which displaced families, some multiple times. There are very limited medical facilities on the island. Early marriage, early first pregnancy, poverty, lack of education, and inability to access appropriate medical care and facilities all contribute to high levels of disability. For the children and their families this is made much worse by the terrible social stigma attaching to disability. Disabled children are also more likely to be abused by family or neighbours.

Despite the evident needs, there is no other facility on the island capable of meeting those needs in the way that BCSB does.

The vision

The charity (hereinafter “BCUK”) furthers its charitable purposes for the public benefit by granting funds to BCSB for the purposes of the home and school.

From the outset the project was unusual in two key respects:

1

These were key parts of the vision of the founder and first director of the project, Howlader Ali. By having those with different disabilities together the children flourish helping each other. They see that their particular disability does not prevent them being a valued part of the happy “family”. And their actual families see in many cases that their disabled child can acquire economically productive skills. Indeed, the disabled child may be more productive than their siblings who have not had access to training. This is a start to reducing the social stigma attaching to both the child and the family. Reducing that stigma was Ali’s long-term aim.

The trustees are proud of how successfully BCSB has realised Ali’s vision over the last sixteen years and how Zakirul Haque, the Director for the last nine years, has built on what Ali started. This has benefited the public through:

How BCSB realises the vision

1) Admissions policy

The home and school is open to any disabled child from the age of five, regardless of gender, religion, or social, political or financial status of their family. Now that BCSB is so well known throughout the island there is greater demand than BCSB can meet. Admission is based on an assessment of the needs of the child and BCSB’s ability to meet those needs. If demand exceeds the number of places, priority is given to the poorest.

During the year a more detailed assessment procedure was introduced, which includes a visit to the family home and looking at the whole family situation.

BCSB is not at present equipped to deal with children under five years old, or who are not capable of self-toiletting, or the seriously autistic. Also the focus is on disabilities arising before, during or shortly after childbirth. Disabilities resulting from injuries or illness sustained later in life are generally regarded as the province of other agencies.

The aim is to equip the children when they leave to live a productive life with dignity, so far as their disabilities permit, and while staying at BCSB to feel safe, loved and valued for who they are, as part of an inclusive family.

There is an increasing emphasis on support for the family as well as the child. Besides remaining in close communication while the child is in residence, this can be anything from advising on breast feeding a child with a cleft palate to teaching them to sign or to help the child with physio or occupational therapy exercises. This may involve the parent(s) staying at BCSB for a few days. This can benefit a child who cannot be admitted for some reason or can be admitted only for a short period.

2) Education

The children who are capable of attending normal school attend a school just up the road in the mornings. BCSB provides classes covering reading and writing in Bangla and English and in Bangla and roman script, arithmetic, art, dance, sign language and (for the deaf) lipreading and vocalisation.

2

For slow learners there is now a dedicated class called the Sunshine School. This takes non-residential children on a paying basis. During the year a partnership was set up with Mann, an Indian charity which specialises in training autistic children and young adults and finding them employment. Mann have provided free of charge access to their online training course for teachers of autistic children. This has enabled BCSB to raise the standard of teaching provided by the existing staff. As the number of fee-paying students increases, fully qualified specialist teachers will be hired.

There is no religious education provided by BSCB, which has no religious affiliation. But the children are able to attend religious instruction at their local place of worship. An indicator of the inclusiveness of BCSB is that the staff, while mainly Muslim, includes two Hindus and one Christian.

3) Technical training

Older children are taught employable skills including:

Increasingly, BCSB is seeking to broaden the range of skills training available and increase the standard by forming partnerships with larger local organisations which can afford better facilities and specialist instructors teaching to certificated standards. For example, instruction in computers and IT and in electrical wiring is provided at HEED Technical Training College nearby. This increases the chances of each child receiving training which makes the most of their individual aptitudes and capabilities.

The ablest children are sent for further training in Dhaka where BCSB has close relations with specialist organisations providing training and safe accommodation for the disabled.

The older teenagers are given increasing responsibilities, for example as teaching assistants, for which they are paid a small salary.

4) Hostel accommodation and pastoral and medical care

The girls and boys sleep in small dormitories on separate floors of the main hostel building.

A house mother and house father provide pastoral care and instruction in personal hygiene for the girls and boys respectively.

Medical care is provided by local medical services except for physiotherapy and occupational therapy, which are provided on-site by staff – daily for those with cerebral palsy. (See Physiotherapy Department below.) Two female staff came to the home as blind children and when older were trained to provide physiotherapy. A consultant physiotherapist who is also qualified in occupational therapy visits weekly to provide diagnoses and treatment plans and to review progress. The occupational therapy is particularly helpful for the slow learners.

3

The arrangements whereby children needing operations for cleft lips, cleft palates and other deformities were taken to a hospital at Barisal or Dhaka on the mainland for free treatment has been suspended by the hospitals. It is hoped that this will resume at some point.

The children are expected to do their fair share of the household chores. They are organised into teams led by older children, which are responsible for cleaning their dormitories and the communal rooms and other tasks on a rota basis.

All the children and all the staff have to learn sign language so that the deaf children can communicate freely with anyone in the boundary.

At present the families must provide soap and toiletries. Everything else is free of charge. The trustees of BCUK and BCSB keep this under review and it is likely that more of the services will be charged for in future in those cases where the child’s family have the means to pay. The relief of poverty associated with disability is part of our aims, so priority would always continue to be given to the poorest.

5) Sport and recreation

Time is allocated every day for play and sport. Depending on the season and weather there may be cricket, badminton, football, swimming, bicycling, board games, chess, carom, hopscotch and many more. There are also regular dance and music classes – it is a joy to see a group of deaf children dancing gracefully and in time to music!

BCSB children are regularly entered for competitions almost invariably winning prizes. In 2023-24 these included:

Grant making policy

Grants are made to BCSB in instalments against a pre-approved annual budget which has also been approved by the Bangladesh NGO Affairs Bureau. The grants are subject to BCSB complying with a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) between BCUK and BCSB.

How our grants delivered public benefit

Typically the residential children included 30 deaf, 20 slow learners, 10 with physical disabilities, 3 with CP and 1 blind.

Besides the children, six of the staff of BCSB are themselves disabled and might otherwise find it hard to find accommodation and employment and impossible to get married. They include two blind, one deaf, one CP, one acid victim and one with cleft and deformed foot. Three of them have successfully married with the support of BCSB.

4

BCSB thus provides substantial benefits to many disabled children from mostly very poor families in an island of two million people where there are no comparable alternative facilities. And, as its reputation grows, it benefits the wider community by showing that disabled children can be economically productive and valued individuals who deserve to live and be treated with dignity rather than stigma.

Monitoring of the achievements

BCSB operates as a project of DORP (Development Organisation for the Rural Poor), a large long-established Bangladeshi NGO. This means that the project is subject to detailed monitoring by the Bangladesh government’s NGO Affairs Bureau (“NGOAB”). This includes pre-approval of the annual budget, pre-approval of each payment received from BCUK and subsequent auditing by auditors on the Bangladesh government’s list of approved auditors.

BCSB also has to comply with the monitoring requirements of the Department of Social Welfare, with which it is registered, and with the financial control procedures of DORP through whom the funds are remitted.

To satisfy BCUK that BCSB spends the money received in ways which meet the specific intentions and charitable aims of BCUK the primary controls are:

Financial review

Donations, grants and strategic review

Until this year, with one exception, namely a large legacy of £274,000 received in May 2019, almost all the charity’s income comprised personal donations from a core group of UK donors mainly in West London, supplemented by occasional fundraising events including appeals through local churches.

But the running costs of the project have grown sharply in recent years, due to the increased number of children, increased quality of care provided and massive price inflation during and after the pandemic which shows no sign of reversing. These cost increases have far outpaced the amount that could reasonably be raised from the existing donor base. So, if the project in its present form was to be financially sustainable in the longer term, it was clearly necessary to develop a new source of income and/or make radical changes in how it was structured.

While the legacy provided a breathing space, it also made it very difficult to raise new funds during the pandemic, the Ukraine War and the cost-of-living crisis. A professional fundraiser was appointed for the first time in May 2021, but the results were disappointing with only £20,000 over two years raised by them from grant-making bodies. So that relationship was terminated in March 2022.

5

Our focus shifted to launching a Sponsor-a-Child scheme and to reducing costs by making the project more self-sustaining both by increasing income streams within the project and by raising funds locally in Bangladesh.

Investment policy and performance

The trustees’ policy is to invest surplus funds in bank fixed deposits with up to one year’s maturity and/or notice accounts, while ensuring that all the funds are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Interest received in the current year was £2,376 (last year £2,180).

Expenditure

It has been the trustees’ policy that all of the money raised from donors and the net amount raised from fundraising activities should be applied for the benefit of the children in Bhola, except for money spent on:

The trustees personally have borne, and continue to bear, all the other administration costs. In particular they bear the considerable costs of travel and accommodation when visiting BCSB on charity business.

The fundraiser’s fees were this year £nil (last year £7,245).

Expenditure – grants to BCSB

Expenditure on grants to BCSB is shown in the accounts on a cash basis. This is because grants are not confirmed until paid and they cannot be paid until both the annual budget and the individual payment have been approved by the NGOAB. BCSB’s accounting year is the calendar year, whereas BCUK’s is the year to 31st March. As NGOAB approval is not received until two, three or even four months into the year, the first payment for the year may be before or after BCUK’s 31st March year end. Also the amount of the first payment may represent anything between three and six months expenditure depending on our judgement of future exchange movements and, for example, the need to complete building work ahead of the monsoon. For these reasons the cash figure can be very different from the costs incurred in the year by BCSB.

Financial summary

Results per the accounts This year Last year
£ £
Personal donations 22,649 26,078
Grants from foundations/trusts 13,000 3,000
Fundraising events 0 12,736
Investment income 2,376 2,180
Total income 43,994 43,994
Cost of raising funds 487 10,750
Cost of grants paid to BCSB 106,336 98,339
Total expenditure 106,823 109,089
(Deficit) per accounts (68,798) (65,095)

6

Total funds at end of year 29,311 98,109 of which restricted funds 29,311 40,000

If the grant expenditure had been accounted for on an accruals rather than cash basis:

The restriction on the restricted funds is that the funds are intended as a working capital reserve to cover adverse temporary cashflow fluctuations and the trustees are expected (but not legally bound) to replenish the reserve within twelve months of drawing on it. In March 2024 the trustees drew on this £40,000 reserve for the first time to the extent of £10,689 at the year end. After the year end the donor removed the restriction so that all the reserves became unrestricted.

Fundraising

The fundraising climate remained extremely difficult during the year for all charities with the overall level of giving down and the priorities of grant-making bodies having been changed by first Covid, then the Ukraine War and then the cost-of-living crisis. The trustees’ efforts to raise more from grants were not successful. The proposed Sponsor-a-Child was first delayed and then had to be suspended following the regime change and resultant breakdown of law and order in Bangladesh but it is hoped to resume it in more settled times.

Going concern basis

The chances of the charity ceasing to be a going concern are minimal, so long as there is a surviving trustee and the charity has banking facilities. The charity’s administrative expenses are almost all borne by the trustees personally. Grants are only finally approved at the time they are paid and they are only paid if the funds are available. The trustees therefore consider it is appropriate to present the accounts on a going concern basis.

Risks

It is a regrettable fact of modern life that Anti-Moneylaundering Legislation and Charity Commission rules and guidance are becoming ever more stringent. Any involvement with Bangladesh is of itself sufficient to raise the authorities’ concerns. The trustees are confident that under the current rules they can satisfy enquiries made by the banks at their annual reviews of the charity’s accounts or by the Charity Commission, but it is impossible to predict how those rules and the attitudes of the various authorities and the banks may develop in future. If the worst were to happen and the charity’s banking facilities were withdrawn, this would prevent the charity from operating.

The chances of the grantee ceasing to be a going concern are more significant, in particular:

7

The charity aims to have sufficient reserves to provide emergency financial aid in the interests of the children in any such circumstances, but there is no binding legal obligation to provide that support. In such circumstances, even if it had the funds, there is no guarantee that there would be a legal means of delivering them to where they were needed.

Under the MOU BCSB is required to have a safeguarding policy which meets UK requirements. In the UK the requirement now is to have a policy which safeguards not just vulnerable children and adults but anyone within or who comes into contact with the organisation. The last full review of BCSB’s policy was in July 2021 but it is updated between reviews as and when necessary and the next full review is due in 2024.

BCUK reviewed its own safeguarding policy at the same time. Before authorising visits by BCUK trustees the trustees consider the security and health risks to the visiting trustee, who also has to be personally satisfied that the visit is safe.

During the year the Director introduced a more detailed and integrated system for planning, budgeting and managing the human and financial resources of the project. This will make it much easier for an interim or permanent successor to take over when he leaves or for any reason becomes unable to carry out his duties.

Reserves policy

As at the year end the trustees felt it was unnecessary to have a designated contingency reserve when the Working Capital Reserve of £40,000 (equivalent to 42% of the annual running cost budget) effectively fulfilled this role.

However, since the regime change the charity is in a situation where it faces great uncertainty about its future role in the project and has very little control over the situation. Until there is some clarity about the situation in Bangladesh and/or get we an injection of new funds we have no basis on which to make future plans. So we have no basis for a reserves policy other than to hold all our funds ready to help BCSB or the children directly whilst retaining as an absolute minimum the amount necessary to fund the minimal winding up costs of the charity if it should come to that.

Plans for the future

An overarching aim is to make the project more self-sustaining financially by raising donations locally and generating local income from sales of services and goods. The island of Bhola is undergoing rapid economic development following the development of substantial gas fields. Completion of a bridge to the mainland in the next few years will further accelerate development. It is anticipated that this will create significant markets for BCSB’s services and goods, bring businesses to the island who will want to be seen supporting local good causes and make it easier to hire qualified staff.

An immediate priority is to continue building up capacity at the Sunshine School and Physiotherapy Department, both to increase the numbers served and increase the income generated.

Another priority is to develop the production of handcrafts with a view to generating income from this source. This involves first developing the skills and organisation for items to be produced consistently to a saleable standard and identifying which products would be profitable. The technical training programmes would remain training programmes where students learn by making mistakes. Items for sale would be made only by older students preparing for the world of work outside BCSB, for which they would be paid.

8

Regime change

In July 2024 students took to the streets in Bangladesh protesting against the reinstatement by the courts of a preference for the grandchildren of those who fought for independence in 1971 when applying for government jobs. Many others joined the protests out of dissatisfaction with the increasingly autocratic and corrupt government. 1,200 people were killed by the police attempting to suppress the riots before the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina fled to India. The police and anyone associated with the regime fled or went into hiding. Since then an interim government has been formed under the internationally respected Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Whether he will succeed in steering the country through the economic, political and constitutional reforms necessary before fair elections can be held is far from certain.

Meanwhile, it is not safe for us to visit the project. Many police remain in hiding and the state of law and order is fragile.

The chairman of BCSB was the Chairman of the District Council. He went into hiding, was dismissed from his post in common with all members of the Awami League, Shaikh Hasina’s party, and has since been arrested. Whatever he else he may have done (the charges against him may be purely speculative) he certainly had a great heart for BCSB and was about to be very useful in relation to both NGO registration for BCSB and raising funds locally. For three months after the regime the other board members were very reluctant to show their faces and we could not get them to hold a board meeting to address the major issues facing them (meetings have now resumed).

Under the old regime BCSB could not have functioned without an Awami League member as Chairman, especially as several members are active members of the opposition party. Now the board has to be restructured to be acceptable under whatever new regime emerges.

The action plan we had previously agreed with them to address the funding problem had three main elements: (1) a valuable surplus piece of land to be sold to provide a year’s worth of funds while (2) approaching some known wealthy local businessmen to join the board and make significant donations, and (3) more urgently pursuing NGO registration which would open doors to a wider range of local grantors/donors. There is another option involving a larger local charity which would probably change the nature of the BCSB project and so is less attractive to us, but if all else fails we may have to consider it.

Without a functioning board none of these avenues could be pursued, especially the land sale which requires all the board to attend the court in person to apply for permission.

It could not be more unfortunate that this comes at the time our Director is leaving.

So we face a situation where the power to do anything about the various problems of funding, appointing a new Director, and managing the interregnum and transition to a new Director rests almost entirely with the BCSB board. They have funds to last until the end of March 2025, after which the project might have to close while a solution is found. The BCUK trustees could extend that cut-off point but will want to see evidence of real progress in developing new local funding before committing further UK donors’ money.

9

Structure, governance and management

BCUK

BCUK is run by a board of the eight trustees listed below.

The board contains trustees with a range of relevant skills and experience and the balance of these skills and experience is kept under review.

There are no staff. All the work is done by the trustees with occasional assistance from other volunteers in connection with fundraising events and IT.

Office facilities are provided by the Chair from her home.

BCSB

BSCB is a Bangladesh charitable trust with a board of eight trustees who are all wellrespected members of the local community. The board, however, needs to be restructured as explained above.

BCSB is registered with the Social Welfare Department.

BCSB is a small organisation and relies heavily on the person of the Director. The current Director, Zakirul Haque, is highly regarded by BCUK but since the year end has given notice that he will leave at the end of 2024 after ten years. It will take time to find a permanent replacement, so there may be an interregnum with an interim Director.

MOU

The MOU between BCUK and BCSB was last revised in January 2023. It sets out various matters that must be agreed jointly by the two parties. These include the appointment of the Director of BCSB, terms of his or her employment and any changes thereto. In practice there is email, telephone and Zoom contact between the Chair of BCUK and the Director, at least weekly and often daily. Since the pandemic there have also been occasional joint meetings of the BCUK and BCSB boards on Zoom.

The purchases of the land and original buildings were funded by a group of individual donors including the current chair of BCUK. The subsequent buildings were funded by BCUK. All the land and buildings are now registered in the name of BCSB, but under the MOU BCUK must agree to the disposal of any interest in the land and buildings.

The MOU also requires both parties to share minutes of their meetings.

DORP

Pending BCSB getting its own NGO registration, which can take years, BCSB became a project of DORP (Development Organisation of the Rural Poor) a large long-established Bangladesh NGO. DORP handles the considerable work in dealing with the NGO Affairs Bureau in respect of the project in return for 3% of the funds remitted by BCUK. Otherwise it is supportive of but plays no part in the management of the project. The involvement of DORP was a necessary price for BCSB being allowed to receive funds from BCUK through the banking system.

10

Reference and administrative information

Trustees Dinah Wiener, Chair of Trustees Alexander (“Sandy”) Anson FCA, Treasurer Nicholas Breeze Bruna Colombo-Otten Freda Graf Anne Hamilton Andrew Hogan Barnaby Wiener

Registered Office and Principal Office : 12 Cornwall Grove, London, W4 2LB Charity Number: 1118345

Independent examiner: Michael Godbee FCA, 99 The Avenue, London, W13 8JT Bankers : CAF Bank Limited, 25 Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4TA

Trustees’ responsibility in relation to the financial statements

The charity trustees are responsible for preparing a trustees’ annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations, and the provisions of the Trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity’s website in accordance with legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements.

Approved by the trustees on 2nd January 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Dinah Wiener, Chair of Trustees Alexander Anson, Treasurer

11

Independent examiner’s report on the accounts

Report to the trustees Bhola’s Children of: (Charity no. 1118345) On accounts for the 31st March 2024 year ended: Set out on pages: 13 to 21

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31st March 2024.

Responsibilities and As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report 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 all 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:

I draw attention to pages 5 to 9 of the trustees’ annual report where the trustees’ give more explanation of:

With that exception I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Date:

Name: MICHAEL GODBEE

Relevant professional FCA qualification:

Address: 99 THE AVENUE, LONDON, W13 8JT

12

BHOLA'S CHILDREN

Charity No. 1118345 Annual accounts for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Statement of financial activities

Note
Income and endowments
from:
Donations
3
Grants
3
Other trading activities
3
Investments
3
Total
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
4
Charitable activities
4
Total
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Other recognised
gains/(losses)
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
–		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Total
funds
£
£
£
22,649
-
22,649
13,000
-
13,000
-
-
-
2,376
-
2,376
38,025
-
38,025
487
-
487
106,336
-
106,336
106,823
-
106,823
(68,798)
-
(68,798)
10,689
(10,689)
-
(58,109)
(10,689)
(68,798)
-
-
-
(58,109)
(10,689)
(68,798)
58,109
40,000
98,109
-
29,311
29,311
––––––– Current year –––––––		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Total
funds
£
£
£
22,649
-
22,649
13,000
-
13,000
-
-
-
2,376
-
2,376
38,025
-
38,025
487
-
487
106,336
-
106,336
106,823
-
106,823
(68,798)
-
(68,798)
10,689
(10,689)
-
(58,109)
(10,689)
(68,798)
-
-
-
(58,109)
(10,689)
(68,798)
58,109
40,000
98,109
-
29,311
29,311
––––––– Current year –––––––		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Total
funds
£
£
£
22,649
-
22,649
13,000
-
13,000
-
-
-
2,376
-
2,376
38,025
-
38,025
487
-
487
106,336
-
106,336
106,823
-
106,823
(68,798)
-
(68,798)
10,689
(10,689)
-
(58,109)
(10,689)
(68,798)
-
-
-
(58,109)
(10,689)
(68,798)
58,109
40,000
98,109
-
29,311
29,311
––––––– Current year –––––––		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Total
funds
£
£
£
26,078
26,078
3,000
-
3,000
12,736
-
12,736
2,180
-
2,180
43,994
-
43,994
10,750
-
10,750
98,339
98,339
109,089
-
109,089
(65,095)
-
(65,095)
-
-
-
(65,095)
-
(65,095)
-
-
-
(65,095)
-
(65,095)
123,204
40,000
163,204
58,109
40,000
98,109
––––––––– Prior year –––––––––		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Total
funds
£
£
£
26,078
26,078
3,000
-
3,000
12,736
-
12,736
2,180
-
2,180
43,994
-
43,994
10,750
-
10,750
98,339
98,339
109,089
-
109,089
(65,095)
-
(65,095)
-
-
-
(65,095)
-
(65,095)
-
-
-
(65,095)
-
(65,095)
123,204
40,000
163,204
58,109
40,000
98,109
––––––––– Prior year –––––––––		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Total
funds
£
£
£
26,078
26,078
3,000
-
3,000
12,736
-
12,736
2,180
-
2,180
43,994
-
43,994
10,750
-
10,750
98,339
98,339
109,089
-
109,089
(65,095)
-
(65,095)
-
-
-
(65,095)
-
(65,095)
-
-
-
(65,095)
-
(65,095)
123,204
40,000
163,204
58,109
40,000
98,109
––––––––– Prior year –––––––––
(68,798) - (68,798) (65,095) - (65,095)
10,689 (10,689) - - - -
(58,109) (10,689) (68,798) (65,095) - (65,095)
- - - - - -
(58,109) (10,689) (68,798) (65,095) - (65,095)
58,109 40,000 98,109 123,204 40,000 163,204
- 29,311 29,311 58,109 40,000 98,109

There were no endowment funds at any time in either year.

13

Balance sheet ~~Pe~~

At 31 March At 31 March At 31 March
Current
Note
year		 Prior year
£ £
Current assets:
Stock 6
240 300		 240 300 240 300
Debtors 7
3,464		 3,869
Investments 8
20,186		 58,033
Cash at bank 9
5,421 35,911		 5,421 35,911 5,421 35,911
Total current assets 29,311 98,113 29,311 98,113 29,311 98,113
Creditors
Total current liabilities		 10
- 4
- 4
~~—~~
Net current assets 29,311 98,109
~~ee~~
Total assets less current liabilities 29,311 98,109
~~re~~
The funds of the charity:
Net assets		 29,311 98,109
~~ee~~
Endowment and restricted income funds 12
29,311 40,000		 29,311 40,000 29,311 40,000
Unrestricted funds 13
-		 58,109
Total charity funds 29,311 98,109 29,311 98,109 29,311 98,109

Approved by the trustees on 2nd January 2025 and signed on their behalf by: Position Name Signature Chair of the Trustees Dinah Leah Carlotta WIENER ~~es Seed~~ Treasurer Alexander Lothian ANSON ~~rs~~

14

Notes to the Accounts

Note 1 Basis of preparation

1.1 Basis of accounting

These accounts (financial statements) have been prepared under the historic cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with:

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

1.2 Change in basis of accounting

There has been no change in the basis of accounting in the current year.

1.3 Changes to previous accounts

There have been no changes to the figures for last year.

Note 2 Accounting policies

2.1 INCOME

Recognition of income

Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:

Offsetting There has been no offsetting of assets and liabilities, or income and expenses, unless required or permitted by the FRS or SORP.

Grants and donations Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the general income criteria are met (5.8 to 5.12 FRS102). In the case of performance related grants, income must only be recognised to the extent that the charity has provided the specified goods or services as entitlement to the grant only occurs when the performance-related conditions are met.

Tax reclaims on donations Gift Aid receivable is included in income when there is a valid and gifts declaration from the donor. Any Gift Aid amount recovered on a donation is considered to be part of that gift and is treated as an addition to the same fund as the initial donation unless the donor or the terms of the appeal have specified otherwise.

Donated goods Donated goods are measured at fair value (the amount for which the asset could be exchanged) unless impractical to do so.

15

Notes to the Accounts

Donated services and Donated services and facilities are included in the SOFA when facilities received at the value of the gift to the charity provided the value of the gift can be measured reliably. Volunteer help The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts but is described in the trustees’ annual report. Income from interest, This is included in the accounts when receipt is probable and royalties and dividends the amount can be measured reliably. Investment gains and This includes any gain or loss on the sale of investments and losses any gain or loss resulting from revaluing investments to market value at the end of the year.

2.2 EXPENDITURE AND LIABILITIES

Liability recognition Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that
there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the
charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation
can be measured with reasonable accuracy.
Governance and support
costs		 Governance costs comprise all costs involving public
accountability of the charity and its compliance with
regulation and good practice. Support costs include costs of
grant-making and subsequent monitoring. All governance and
support costs in the year other than bank charges were borne
personally by the trustees in accordance with their policy of
not charging such costs to the charity.
Grants with performance
conditions		 Where the charity gives a grant with conditions for its
payment being a specific level of service or output to be
provided, such grants are only recognised in the SoFA once
the recipient of the grant has provided the specified service
or output.
Grants payable without Where there are no conditions attaching to the grant that
performance conditions enables the donor charity to realistically avoid the
commitment, a liability for the full funding obligation must
be recognised.
Deferred income No deferred income has been included in the accounts.
2.3 ASSETS
Fixed assets and The charity had no fixed assets or investments in the current
investments or prior year.
Stocks Stocks held for sale as part of non-charitable trade are
measured at the lower of cost or net realisable value.

16

Notes to the Accounts

Note 3 Analysis of income and endowments

Donations and legacies This year
Last year
£
£		 This year
Last year
£
£
Donations andgifts – unrestricted 13,041 20,401
Donations – restricted - -
Expenses waived bytrustees 6,986 2,764
Gift Aid tax recoverable 2,622 2,913
**Total ** 22,649 26,078

The trustees' expenses above and in Note 4 were expenses incurred on travel and subsistence in the course of their duties when visiting the project in Bangladesh. The Trustees waived their right to claim these expenses. The Trustees also incurred and waived other expenses in the course of their duties on, for example, the provision of home office and telephone facilities and travel to meetings, but it was not considered economic to identify and quantify these.

Grants
Grants fromprivategrant-makingbodies
Total
Income from other
trading activities
Income from fundraising event
Total
Investment income
Bank interest
Total
Costs of raising funds Fundraiser's fees
Commission and fees paid in respect of
donations received through the CAFDonate
website
Printing
Website development
Expenses of fundraisingevent
Bank charges on foreign donations and account
maintenance
Total
Charitable activities
Grantspaid to BCSB – other
Trustees' expenses for visits to BCSB
Bank charges on foreignpayments
Total
Note 4 Analysis of expenditure		 Grants fromprivategrant-makingbodies 13,000 3,000
**Total ** 13,000 3,000
Income from fundraising event - 12,736
**Total ** - 12,736
Bank interest 2,376 2,180
**Total ** 2,376 2,180
This year
Last year
£
£
Fundraiser's fees - 7,245
Commission and fees paid in respect of
donations received through the CAFDonate
website		 16 49
Printing 60 60
Website development 300 -
Expenses of fundraisingevent - 3,323
Bank charges on foreign donations and account
maintenance		 111 73
**Total ** 487 10,750
Grantspaid to BCSB – other 99,250 95,500
Trustees' expenses for visits to BCSB 6,986 2,764
Bank charges on foreignpayments 100 75
**Total ** 106,336 98,339

The only costs borne by the charity in respect of grantmaking are bank charges.

17

Notes to the Accounts

Approved expenditures
funded by grants to BCSB		 This year
Last year
£
£		 This year
Last year
£
£
Buildings and equipment 6,152 10,094
Staff salaries 27,913 39,174
Food,medecine and healthcare 17,935 30,958
Education,trainingand rehabilitation 4,013 9,864
Travel 2,308 2,758
Utilities and security 1,797 2,561
Administration and audit 1,150 3,047
Contribution to DORP 4,937 4,697
**Total ** 66,205 103,153

These figures are on a cash basis. The Trustees' report contains further explanation.

Note 5 Details of certain items of expenditure 5.1 Trustee expenses

Number of trustees who claimed expenses
Total amount claimed		 Thisyear Lastyear
None None
£0 £0

All the trustees who incurred expenses in the performance of their duties waived their right to claim those expenses. See Note 3 for details.

5.2 Fees for examination or audit of the accounts

Independent examiner’s fees for reporting on the accounts
Other fees (for example: advice, consultancy, accountancy services) paid
to the independent examiner		 This year
£		 Last year
£
0 0
0
 0

Note 6 Stocks

This year
£		 Last year
£
Gift Aid envelopes 180 180
Leaflets 60 120
240 300

18

Notes to the Accounts

Note 7 Debtors and prepayments

Amounts falling due
within one year		 Amounts falling due
within one year		 Amounts falling due
after more than one
year		 Amounts falling due
after more than one
year
This year
£		 Last year
£		 This year
£
 Last year
£
Accrued bank interest 935 1,193 0 0
Gift Aid recoverable 2,529 2,676 0 0
Total 3,464 3,869 0 0

Note 8 Investments

This year
£		 Last year
£
Bank 1-year fixed deposits 0 15,000
Bank 100-daynotice deposit 20,186 43,033
Total
20,186		 58,033

The figures for last year in Notes 8 and 9 have been restated to correctly show the 100-day notice account as an Investment rather than Cash at bank.

Note 9 Cash at bank and in hand

This year
£		 Last year
£
Cash at bank 5,421 35,911
Cash in hand 0 0
Total
5,421		 35,911

Note 10 Creditors and accruals

Note 10 Creditors and accruals and accruals
Amounts falling due
within one year		 Amounts falling due
after more than one
year
This year
£		 Last year
£		 This year
£		 Last year
£
Creditors –CAFDonate fees 0 4 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0

Note 11 Transactions with related parties

11.1 Remuneration and benefits

No remuneration or other benefits were paid to a trustee or other related party during either year by the charity or by any institution or company connected with it. See note 5.1 regarding trustees' expenses.

11.2 Loans

No amounts were owing to or from the charity’s trustees or other related parties by the charity at either year end.

19

Notes to the Accounts

11.3 Other transactions with trustees or related parties

Name of the trustee or
relatedparty
Relationship to the charity		 Description of the
transactions		 This year
£		 Last year
£
Bhola's Children Special
School Bangladesh
("BCSB")		 Bangladesh charitable trust
which operates the home
and school funded by the
Charity		 Grants paid by the
Charity to BCSB for the
purposes specified in
Note 4		 99,250 95,500

Note 12 Endowment and restricted income funds

CURRENT YEAR

Restricted income Fund Fund brought
forward
£		 Added
£		 Utilised/
Released
£
Carried
forward
£
Workingcapital fund 40,000 - (10,689) 29,311
**Total restricted funds ** 40,000 - **(10,689) ** 29,311

PRIOR YEAR

PRIOR YEAR
Restricted income Fund Fund brought
forward
£		 Added
£		 Utilised/
Released
£
Carried
forward
£
Workingcapital fund 40,000 - - 40,000
**Total restricted funds ** 40,000 - - 40,000

There were no endowment funds in the current or prior year.

The £40,000 Working Capital Fund is intended to cover adverse short-term cashflow fluctuations in income and expenditure. There is an expectation but not a legal requirement that amounts drawn from the fund are repaid within 12 months. This restriction was withdrawn by the donor after the year end. But as at the year end the amount of £10,689 utilised in March 2024 was expected to be replaced from unrestricted reserves by March 2025. See the Trustees' Annual Report for further explanation.

Note 13 Unrestricted funds – designated

CURRENT YEAR

Designation Reserve
brought
forward
£		 Surplus/
deficit for
the year
£		 Transfer
from
restricted
£		 Newly
designated
£		 Utilised/
Released
£
Reserve
carried
forward
£
Legacy contribution to
running costs		 40,000 - - - (40,000) -
BCSB staffprovident fund - - - - (6,300) (6,300)
Undesignated reserve 18,109 (68,798) 10,689 - 46,300 6,300
**Total unrestricted funds ** 58,109 **(68,798) ** 10,689 - - -

20

Notes to the Accounts

PRIOR YEAR

PRIOR YEAR
Designation Reserve
brought
forward
£		 Surplus/
deficit for
the year
£		 Transfer
from
restricted
£		 Newly
designated
£		 Utilised/
Released
£
Reserve
carried
forward
£
Legacy contribution to
running costs		 80,000 - - - (40,000) 40,000
BCSB staff provident fund 6,300 - - - (6,300) -
Undesignated reserve 36,904 (65,095) - - 46,300 18,109
**Total unrestricted funds ** 123,204 **(65,095) ** - - - 58,109

There is no designated contingency reserve as the Trustees consider that the Working Capital Fund (Note 12) fulfils this role.

21