Congo Children Trust Annual Report 2023-24
The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. During the year 2023-24 the trustees continued to focus on supporting fundraising by groups and individuals as well as applying for grant funding. A large number of churches and individuals continued to give generously and talks and presence at a range of events continued to raise awareness in the UK.
Congo Children Trust made both monthly maintenance grants and occasional one-off grants to the Kimbilio Project for street children in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo and to related projects in DRC.
Income
In 2022-23 income declined somewhat in comparison with the previous year and expenditure also fell, now that the school project is complete. Donations continued to be received towards the construction costs of the new Day Centre for the Kimbilio Project and this continues to be a key aim for fundraising from grants and donations.
Trading income fell in comparison to the previous year but the trustees continue to owe particular thanks to Ruth Allen for operating the Etsy shop and co-ordinating the volunteer sewers in the UK, along with Gill Venton. As in previous years, a great deal of hard work by volunteers and Ian Harvey, the founding Director, went into maintaining personal contact with group and individual supporters as well as applying for grants from funders.
The trustees are deeply grateful to the following trusts, companies, and funds for their generous support:
- The Morel Trust, Souter Charitable Trust, Wolverhampton Rotary Club, Rotary Charity Auctions, the Rozelle Trust., The Crazy Crystal Charity, Ideal Networks, Oakdale Trust, Carpe Crystals Ltd, RAF Church Collections.
A substantial body of regular donors continue to support the charity via standing orders, ensuring that regular income is maintained and that funds are available when required for grants for costs of food and utilities and the trustees are deeply grateful to them for their generous commitment. In addition, the trustees owe particular thanks to the following churches:
- The congregations and church councils of Horwich Evangelical Church, St Andrew, Hadfield; St Michael and All Angels, Cosby; Wesley Methodist Centre, Chester; Central Exeter Parish; St Michael, Helston; St Helen, Wheathampstead; The Church of the Good Shepherd, Romford; St Andrew, Lowestoft; St James, Woodley; St Margaret, Whalley Range; Christ Church, West Didsbury and St Christopher, Withington; St Helen, Etwall; All Hallows, Allerton; Holy Trinity, Warrington; St Paul, Oldham; Hillheads Community Church; St Mary, Long Stratton.
Other funding sources of note:
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Once again, various volunteers took part in various fairs and fundraising events in Manchester, London and Greenbelt Festival, adding to trading income.
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Global Giving continued to be a particularly helpful online fundraising tool in the course of the year, particularly for the Kimbilio Day Centre project, with significant match funding provided.
Expenditure
Operational expenditure increased once again but funds were again able to this and funds were also received for the new Day Centre. The bulk of Congo Children Trust’s financial support continues to provide for the day to day running of the Centre Kimbilio and Maison Kimbilio; a day centre for street children as well as associated accommodation and support provision for former street children. The Kimbilio/Mapendo school also received funding for month-to-month expenses.
The Kimbilio Day Centre welcomes between 77 and 108 children, depending on the day and month. Between 21 and 26 children live in each of the boys’ and girls’ transit houses and the long-term
houses are home to 17 and 12 children respectively. Children coming to the Day Centre, had the opportunity to get medical care, food, entertainment, counselling and many other activities. The girls undertake sewing training and the boys play football once a month. Kimbilio has two vocational programmes which are working with young mothers in a sewing training project and a hairdressing training project. The children from the two transit houses just receive basic education in literacy, mathematics, dance and art. The children from the two long terms houses are attending school at the Kimbilio/Mapendo primary and secondary school, which children from the area surrounding the school also attend, helping to integrate the former street children into their local community. 20232024 was the second year of learning at the school with the following numbers enrolled: Nursery: 16 students, Primary: 229 students, Secondary: 71 students. Among the young people formerly cared for by the project, 5 boys and 1 girl are undertaking theirs studies at the university, and Kimbilio is providing their fees.
Through most of the year 2023-24 the Trust continued to have very low UK running costs at under 5% of our income and we are extremely grateful once again for the generosity of the St Margaret's Centre, Whalley Range, Manchester for giving use of office space free of charge. The Kimbilio Project UK director Ian Harvey worked two days a week on a voluntary basis, with some support donated funds specifically for his expenses. His activities involved communicating with supporters and volunteers in the UK, including emails, newsletters and online meetings and a programme of visits to supporter churches. He also maintained regular contact with the volunteers and staff in DRC and led a visit to Lubumbashi including representatives of donor partner Kumi Consulting in July 2023. The Congo Children Trust/Kimbilio website was relaunched in January 2024 with the support of Elliot Allan. Trustees are also grateful for the support and collaboration of Ellen Wolaner who launched a sister charity in the U.S.
Charity Name Congo Children Trust
No (if any) 1121048
Receipts and payments accounts For the period 4/1/2023 3/31/2024 To from ~~ee ee ee ee~~ Section A Receipts and payments
CC16a
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds
Total funds Last year
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | ||||
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||
| Donations | 98,372 | - | - | 98,372 | 132,490 | ||||
| Grants | 40,741 | - | - | 40,741 | 53,999 | ||||
| Grants(school) | - | - | - | - | 1,000 | ||||
| Trading | 1,683 | - | - | 1,683 | 4,303 | ||||
| Bank Account interest | 289 | - | - | 289 | 27 | ||||
| Donation(food costs) | - | 2,000 | - | 2,000 | - | ||||
| Gift Aid | - | - | - | - | 3,075 | ||||
| Church Donations | 12,762 | - | - | 12,762 | 20,708 | ||||
| Church Donations(teacher salaries) | - | - | - | - | 17,000 | ||||
| Church Donations(director salary) | 321 | - | 321 | - | |||||
| Donations(daycentre) | 20,610 | - | 20,610 | - | |||||
| Visits to DRC | 1,250 | - | 1,250 | - | |||||
| Jean Bosco Funeral and Family | - | - | - | - | 50 | ||||
| Mireille | - | 140 | - | 140 | - | ||||
| Church Donation(youngMums) | 750 | - | 750 | 100 | |||||
| Lilyfor the Congo | 2,580 | - | 2,580 | - | |||||
| Daniella universityfees | - | 1,195 | - | 1,195 | - | ||||
| Grants (sewing workshop and kitchen extention) |
2,000 | - | 2,000 | - | |||||
| Emergencyoperation | 210 | - | 210 | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | Sub total(Gross income for AR) | Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 155,097 (Gross income for AR) |
29,806 | - | 184,903 | 232,752 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total receipts 155,097 29,806 - 184,903 232,752 A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). ~~——————~~ |
||||||||||||
| A3 Payments | ||||||||||||
| Publicity | 4,077 | - | - | 4,077 | 1,175 | |||||||
| Subscriptions/Memberships | 399 | - | - | 399 | 536 | |||||||
| Grants to DR Congo | 141,729 | - | - | 141,729 | 210,631 | |||||||
| Insurance | 722 | - | - | 722 | 712 | |||||||
| Staff and Office Expenses | 10,069 | - | - | 10,069 | 2,252 | |||||||
| Bank fees | 435 | - | - | 435 | 580 | |||||||
| Strategicplan facilitation | - | - | - | - | 365 | |||||||
| Visits to DRC | 2,435 | - | - | 2,435 | 8,235 | |||||||
| Transfer to reserve account | - | - | - | - | 5,000 | |||||||
| YoungMums | - | 750 | - | 750 | 100 | |||||||
| Teacher Salaries | - | - | - | - | 17,000 | |||||||
| School Buildingand furnishing | - | - | - | - | 1,000 | |||||||
| SewingProject | - | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - | |||||||
| Girls House | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| Jean Bosco Funeral and Family | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| Tradingexpenses | 46 | - | - | 46 | 436 | |||||||
| DayCentre | - | - | - | 50 | ||||||||
| Payment to MaryRatter | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| Girls House | - | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - | |||||||
| Lillyfor the Congo | 2,580 | - | 2,580 | - | ||||||||
| Food Costs | - | 2,000 | 2,000 | |||||||||
| Director salary | - | 321 | - | 321 | ||||||||
| Mirellie | - | 140 | - | 140 | ||||||||
| Emergencyoperation | - | 210 | - | 210 | - | |||||||
| Daniella Universityfees | fees | - | 1,195 | - | 1,195 | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| **Sub total ** | 159,911 | 9,196 | - | 169,107 | 248,073 |
----- Start of picture text -----
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total payments 159,911 9,196 - 169,107 248,073
Net of receipts/(payments) - 4,814 20,610 - 15,796 - 15,320
A5 Transfers between funds - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 37,553 7,578 - 45,131 60,451
Cash funds this year end 32,739 28,188 - 60,927 45,131
----- End of picture text -----
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ B1 Cash funds Current Account 14,396 1,000 - Reserve Account 18,343.27 27,188 - - - - 32,739 28,188 - Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds Total cash funds ~~——~~ |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ B1 Cash funds Current Account 14,396 1,000 - Reserve Account 18,343.27 27,188 - - - - 32,739 28,188 - Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds Total cash funds ~~——~~ |
|---|---|
| OK OK OK (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Endowment |
|
| funds funds funds |
|
| Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ |
|
| B2 Other monetary assets | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~~===>~~ |
| Details Cost (optional) Fund to which asset belongs Current value (optional) |
|
| B3 Investment assets | - - - - - - - - - - ~~===>~~ |
| Details Cost (optional) Fund to which asset belongs Current value (optional) |
|
| B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~~====~~ |
| Fund to which Amount due When due |
|
| Details liability relates (optional) (optional) |
|
| B5 Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
- - - - - Signature Print Name Mark Gant 1/28/2025 Date of approval ~~=—55~~ |
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Congo Children Trust
On accounts for the year 31 March 2024 Charity no 1121048 ended (if any) Set out on pages (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 / 03 / 2024 .
Responsibilities and As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with 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 (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect,:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
| Signed: | Date: | Date:28 January 2025 ~~CT~~ |
Date:28 January 2025 ~~CT~~ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: | Euan Menzies | |||
| Relevant professional | ICAEW | |||
| qualification(s) or body | ||||
| (if any): | ||||
| Address: | 24 Balcombe Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex |
October 2018
IER
1
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
N/A
October 2018
IER
2