2025-02-28-accounts

The 2025 Annual Report the gumboots foundation (UK )

1[st ] March 2024 - 28[th ] February 2025

registered charity no: 1123418

Helping to educate and empower some of South Africa’s most disadvantaged children and young people

objectives of the charity

the gumboots foundation’s mission is to address poverty and aids related issues in South Africa by improving education, nutrition, employment and wellbeing.

Our objectives are:

1. To empower children through education, both formal and informal, whilst also ensuring that their basic needs are met by providing food, shelter, healthcare and recreation.

2. To strengthen and support local home grown projects with local leadership and to secure a sustainable long term solution.

3. To help strengthen local communities both through financial assistance and by fostering a mutual understanding.

4. To provide individuals with an opportunity to be directly involved financially and personally in community development projects.

5. To provide honest and informative feedback on the progress of the projects and transparency on the use of donor money.

6. To seek partnership rather than dependency, with the focus being to uplift all involved through building relationships between donors, Gumboots and beneficiaries.

Statutory Declaration:

In arriving at these objectives the Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

structure, governance & management

Registered address:

1 Station Avenue, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 9SZ

Managing trustees at 28th February 2025 were:

Angela Dyer (Secretary) Mark Escolme Margaret Green David Lightfoot Robert Marcuson

Methods for the recruitment and appointment of new trustees are as outlined in the Essential Trustee document CC3 regulations from the UK Charity Commission.

Governing document:

The Gumboots Foundation (UK) is constituted as a charitable trust by way of a Trust Deed/Charity Commission Application, dated 1st March 2008.

Decision making is via Trustee Board Meetings which are held quarterly.

Areas of operation and main activities:

Gumboots Foundation (UK) is a charity founded for the purpose of fundraising, promotion and decision making in the UK for the benefit of projects operating in South Africa.

structure, governance & management (continued)

v

Projects operating in South Africa apply to the Gumboots Foundation (UK) for grants. Each application is approved or rejected by the board of UK Trustees. The Board will only approve grants which fulfil the criteria and further the aims of the charity as set out in our objectives.

Our partner organisation in South Africa, Gumboots (SA), which works together with the projects below, and which mainly operates within Alexandra Township. Township residents who are attending educational institutions elsewhere in South Africa also benefit. These projects apply for grants from Gumboots (UK) via Gumboots (SA)

• leratong pre-school

• sigiya sonke dance group

• phetoho education fund

• ratang bana family support centre

• the caitlin fund

• kidlinks usa

Our wider network

Kidlinks World is our sister organisation in the USA which also supports some of the Alexandra Township projects, (in addition to other initiatives in rural parts of South Africa), whilst the Kadey Family Charitable Corporation (KFCC) in Canada supports the Kadey House Orphanage which is based at the same site as Leratong Pre-school. KFCC has also been a generous donor to Sakhimfundo, the new home for the Sigiya Sonke Dance Group

Role of volunteers

The trustees of Gumboots Foundation UK, and the directors of Gumboots South Africa and Kidlinks USA, offer their services on an entirely unpaid basis. All three organisations are assisted by a small but dedicated group of local volunteers without whose assistance operation of the projects and fundraising would not be possible.

This year we distributed the sum of £51,140 to fund the following projects

distribution of grants

Under the guidance and supervision of Dimakatso Aphane, the senior teacher, Leratong continues to provide a vital nurturing and supportive environment for 67 of some of the most vulnerable children.

Leratong, unlike the government run pre-schools, provides all day care and two meals a day. This prevents young children going hungry and roaming the busy streets of Alexandra Township in the afternoons where they are exposed to many dangers.

Our grant this year has again funded teachers’ and support staff salaries, helped provide food for children's breakfasts and lunches, as well as provisions and maintenance of the centre.

We are particularly indebted to the Brita Foundation for their continuing support in funding all the salaries. From this year’s Gumboots (UK) grant to Leratong Pre-School of £24,682 of which £24,000 was donated by the Brita Foundation for salaries and Gumboots (UK) donated a further £682 for school outings.

LERATONG PRE-SCHOOL (continued) ApprfII

Ratang Bana continues to grow be — and now has well over 10,000 . ; ae service users and 52 members of staff. Gumboots is one of }4 ~ 2aN ~ > many organisations who has Yaa assisted with the phenomenal growth of this valued service to vulnerable children. 'Sa‘ - —4fer, Families are either headed by grandmothers or siblings. A meal is provided on a daily basis to numerous children and most of the food is sourced from Ratang Bana’s extensive and prolific food garden.

Children are supplied with school uniforms and equipment and also given medical and HIV counselling. Social workers also aid with counselling and provide home visits and additional support. There is a playground where children can play safely after school.

We continue to pay stipends to two gardeners and other helpers and assist with the purchase of food, clothing and other necessities. In addition Ingrid Moloi runs a safe house for up to 12 children, rescuing them from desperate domestic situations.

Sadly as a result of severe cuts to the USAID budget, Ingrid is now unable to support as many children as previously.

First established in the mid - 1990’s the group’s main focus has been dance and performance arts but it also provides much more than that. Under the leadership of husband and wife team Jack and Beauty Letsoela, over 80 children each year also receive pastoral support and help with education.

They are still based in the Performing Arts Centre which is part of the Sakhimfundo Youth Programme.

This includes an After-school Learning Centre focusing primarily on maths and reading.

In this new spacious venue the dancers have a safe and secure place to rehearse, receive educational support, a daily hot meal and socialise with their friends. This year we provided additional support from Big Give funds to renew the dancefloor and generally improve the facilities.

This year Gumboots (UK) granted Sigiya Sonke £7,545 providing stipends for two group leaders, costumes and musical instruments, competitions, educational activities, food and refreshments.

SIGIYA SONKE DANCE GROUP . I IIL nKe ¢e Group

This project assists children and young people to continue their education and learning and meet their full potential. We provide support and/or stipends to children at school and young people at university/college or just starting their careers.

Four of our alumni have gone onto further education or are gainfully employed.

One other learner is making good progress towards her Education Diploma.

We also support 4 children at the United Church School which has proved to be an excellent pathway for young people getting into further education. We purchase uniforms for these children, provide learning resources, transport to and from school and lunches.

This project has broadened the horizons of numerous learners and shown them life outside Alexandra Township. We have helped them take the steps towards independent and fulfilled lives.

The Caitlin Fund has been supporting young women and girls through primary and higher education for almost 15 years. The fund continues to support 2 girls in Alexandra Township to attend a local school and is also now helping a young woman from the Eastern Cape. She has now matriculated and is applying to universities to further her studies.

Many of the young women who have benefitted from the fund are now employed full-time and we are proud to report success in the education, arts and medical fields.

In July 2024, The Gumboots Foundation sponsored the 3- week intensive Youth Exchange course which covers classroom and in-field training, at Kidlinks Small Farm Incubator in the Eastern Cape.

This experience gives youth the skills to start small scale urban and rural organic vegetable farms. Out of this training course have emerged several shining stars who started their business enterprises. Melikhaya is farming one-hectare in the village of Mpincho. He grows a diverse range of crops. In Zikhova village 11 youth farmers led by two Youth Exchange graduates are using neighbor’s properties to grow vegetables.

Both farmers supply the KSFI weekly markets with beautiful nutritious produce. In the local rural village of Sandile, Eastern Cape, Sifiso started a garden and a seedling business to sell to his surrounding neighbors. These three projects bring valuable income to support families and youth and are proof of concept that when you offer youth an opportunity, they jump at the chance to change the trajectory of their lives.

KSFI is exceptionally grateful to Gumboots for sponsoring these youth to succeed in life.

For more information, please visit the KSFI website: www.ksfi.co.za

accounts 24/25

the gumboots foundation (uk)

statement of the financial activities period from 1st march 2024 to 28th february 2025

the gumboots foundation (uk) statement of the financial activities period from 1st march 2024 to 28th february 20251st march 2024 to 28th february 2025st march 2024 to 28th february 2025 march 2024 to 28th february 20252024 to 28th february 2025 to 28th february 202528th february 2025 february 20252025	the gumboots foundation (uk) statement of the financial activities period from 1st march 2024 to 28th february 20251st march 2024 to 28th february 2025st march 2024 to 28th february 2025 march 2024 to 28th february 20252024 to 28th february 2025 to 28th february 202528th february 2025 february 20252025	the gumboots foundation (uk) statement of the financial activities period from 1st march 2024 to 28th february 20251st march 2024 to 28th february 2025st march 2024 to 28th february 2025 march 2024 to 28th february 20252024 to 28th february 2025 to 28th february 202528th february 2025 february 20252025	the gumboots foundation (uk) statement of the financial activities period from 1st march 2024 to 28th february 20251st march 2024 to 28th february 2025st march 2024 to 28th february 2025 march 2024 to 28th february 20252024 to 28th february 2025 to 28th february 202528th february 2025 february 20252025
	unrestricted funds	unrestricted restricted funds	Total funds
	£	£	£
Incoming Resources dG	dG	dG	2025 dG
Net of Incoming resourcesfromgenerated funds eG	eG	eG	eG
Personal and Corporate Income eG GG	eG GG	eG GG	eG GG
Unrestricted Corporate donations GG		2,612 GG
Unrestricted Personal donations	GG a	11,182	GG
Restricted donations - Caitlin Fund a	0	240	240
Restricted Corporate donations - Leratong a ee	0 ee	24,000 ee	24,000 ee
HMRC - Gift Aid	6,622 es	0	6,622
Total Personal and Corporate ee	£20,416 ee es	£24,240 ee	£44,656 ee
a	es a	a	a
Incoming Resources from charitable activities eG	eG	eG	eG
Unrestricted Fundraising events eG	23,299 eG	0 eG	23,299 eG
Total Events Income Pr	23,299 Pr	Pr	23,299 Pr
Total Income QO	£43,715 QO	£24,240 QO	£67,955 QO
GG a	GG	GG	GG
Expenditure a a		(
Administration costs a a	0	0 (	0
Event Expenses a ee	(843) ee	0 ( ee	(843) ee
Governance costs DO a	(278) DO	0 DO	(278) DO
Total Expenditure a	(£1,121)	0	(£1,121)
aes	es	es	es
Net amount available for Distribution Grants distributed	£42,594 (26,458)	£24,240 (24,682)	£66,834 (51,140)
Transfers unrestricted to restricted GO	0 GO	0 GO	0 GO
Net Cash Movement es	£16,136 es	(£442) es	£15,694 es
Reconciliatin of funds	20,281	711	20,992
Total funds brought forward
GG	GG	GG	GG
Total funds carried forward a	£36,417	£269	£36,686
a
aee	ee	ee	ee
GO	GO	GO	GO

financial report 24/25

Our income, at £67,955 was higher compared to £59,514 for the previous year

The unrestricted corporate donations this year totalled £2,612 Our fundraising events including the Christmas Craft Market & donations to The Big Give brought in £23,299

Personal unrestricted donations totalled £11,182 plus £6,622 Gift Aid. Donations including Gift Aid to the Caitlin Fund produced £240

Our event expenses and administration costs totalled £1,121

The grants to projects in South Africa totalled £51,140 compared to £64,772 for the previous year.

Cash at year end was £36,686 compared to £20,992 for the previous year.

Together we will create a better future for some of south Africa’s poorest children

declaration 24/25

The Trustees declare that they have approved this report.

Signed by:

David Lightfoot (Treasurer) Dated: 10 December 2025