Children's Minirtry Bridge of Hope Children's Ministry Trustees Annual Report and Accounts For the period l July 2023 30 June 2024 Charity number 1126408
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Trustees, annual report for the period From: 1 July 2023- 30 June 2024 Charity name: Bridge of Hope Children's Ministry Charity registratlon number 1126408 Objectives and activities SORP reference Para 1.17 Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document We are a Christian Charity Committed to social justice and the provision of care to the most vulnerable children regardless of religion or social background. Our charis prime purpose is to benefit the public and enhan the lives of children and young people. by relieving the needs of those identified as suffering because of their youth, sickness. abandonment or financial hardship. These objectives are principally being achieved through the provision of support to help young people develop their skills. capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible adults. Summary of the main actFviiies in Telation to those purposes for Ihe public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or seNices identif1 in the accounts. Para 1.17 and 1.19 Our charitable ath'vities to date have focussed on the provision of support to the mary orphaned and abandoned children who live in extreme poverty in the district of Rukungiri, South West Uganda. Whilst our purposes, aims and objectives are not geographically restricted. we consider this area of Uganda will continue to be the focus of our activities for the foreseeablé future. The prime objectives are to alleviate the problems associated with orphans and abandoned children being homeless or unable to access educab'on, therefore leaving them vulnerable to emotional, physical and sexual abuse on the streets. The focuses of our work are: The Children's Villa e - The provision of °Family Style Homes. for homeless and abandoned children. The Child S onsorshi ramme - The sponsorship of children livin in the communi who are identified as
being most in need. The Education Pro ramme - The provision of high quality Pre-school Nursery and Primary Education facilities with opportunities for students to progress to Senior School and Vocational Training. The Protected S rin sPr ramme - The provision of clean water to an acceptable level of purity. Bible Based Holida Clubs - The provision of two clubs run on separate sites during school holidays for children aged between 6 andl 8 years. Youth S orts Develo ment Pr ramme -The provision of sports activities to offer the poorest children the opportunity to gain skills. The Communi Su ort Pro ramme - The provision of support for families in need; induding crisis intervention. statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charty Commission on public benefft pa 1.18 We confimi that we have fully complied wrth section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefrt guidance published by the Charity Commission. Additional inforniation (optional) You may choose to include further statements ere relevant about: SORP referen Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers We have no paid employees in the U Our charity could not operate effectively without the significant but unmeasurable contribution made by a group of committed volunteers in the UK. Together with the Trustees they undertake the many tasks associated with day-to-day activities which would otherwise be undertaken by paid staff. In addition to individuals who launch fundraising initiatives. we have seven Advocates and six Trustees who meet regularty and arrange fund raising events and help to make people aware of the work the charity is doing. In this connection, we understand our responsibilib.es in respect of fvndraising. Taking note of Chanty Commission guidan "Charity Fundraising: a guide to Trustee Duties (CC20)". we a satisfied that we comply with chaiity law and best practi. All events are overseen by trustees who are also actively involved. All Advocates and Trustees have been to U anda, at
their own expense. to see the work first-hand and to observe the development of the charity. Again. at their own expense, 63 supporters, induding donors and sponsors. have joined one of our Mission Visits. We continue to offer this life changing opportunity to people. A founding trustee, who discharges all bookkeeping duties, is assisted by a volunteer when preparing the year end accounts and when daiming Gift Aid. Our unpaid Independent Examiner is also a volunteer and a supportei. However. she does not have a close relationship with any Trustee, nor is she involved in the day-to4ay administration or decision making. Achievements and performance Summary of the main achievements of the charity. identifying the difference the CharItS work has made to the circumslances of rts beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. Para 1.20 Our charitable activities are delivered by an NGO which we formed specifically for that purpose. Two UK Trustees sit on the NGO board to help ensure that decisions made in the UK are followed through by the NGO Management Team and staff. Money is transfeed from the UK to Uganda only when needed so the UK Trustees maintain control of funds as long as possible. Management Accounts, prepared by our NGO Manager are sent to the UK monthly and are supported by copies of the NGO Bank Account Statements. Trustees check the original records during their visits. To further control funds the two UK Trustees who sit on the NGO board are also signatories on the NGO Bank Account. We are aware of the ever4ncreasing inc[denS of fraud and appreciate we are not immune from the possibilty of attack. Vvhilst not at all complacent, we have a robust system of controlling expenditure and at our Trustee meetings in the U K we visit the topic regularly. We remain aware of the possibility of cyber- crime but have concluded that our present system limits our vulnerability- The Children's Willa e continues to provide 26 orphaned or abandoned children with a secure and loving home. Many of these children would have died withoLrt the medical. emotional and nutritional care they receive in our two Family Style Homes. Where possible we continue to maintain contact with a child's wider family to assess whether a reunification plan can be put in pla. When a child reaches Ihe age of 18 the are re uired b U andan Law to move out of
the Children's Homes. The Movin On Pro ramme is a rentlY introduced initiative. In order to support and plan for the young people who have no family and reach the age of 18, we have constructed a small °Twin House" near our Childien's Village. There we will offer these young people a period of transition with full support to ensure they can adjust to community living. The Child S onsorshi Pro ramme is currently supporting a further 141 children to live in the community. Many of these children are orphans living with elderly grandparents. Sponsorship improves their access to education. vocational training, nutritional food, sanitation programmes. and income generating activities. During our personal home visits, we have obseNed families who were fonnerfy robbed of all hope be empowered to reach their God given potential and enabled to transform their lives. Bursaries have enabled children to progress to Secondary Education and complete Vocational training, thus providing them with income generating skills. When funds allow we also construct latrines for families that do not have this facility and have SussfUllY managed to provide three more latrines this year. Thus further improving the hygiene of all these families. The Education Pro ramme was developed to benefit over four hundred and sixty children, who attend the BOHCM Nursery & Primary School. Bursaries enable the poorest children to access this good quality education so no child is ever turned away due to lack of ability to pay school f. We remain a non-profit making school. A free meal is given daily to every child. which not only improves their health but enhan5 their ability to concentrate and learn. Sadly many of the children do not know when they will next receive a meal. The teachers and support staff all report the benefrts of having a permanent job and the positive impact this has on their ability to care for their families. Furthermore. other opportunities for work become available for local builders and carpenters who are employed as needed. Our Rain Water Harvesterys have greatly improved our capacity to store water for the school. The Protected S rin ramme is an essential initiative. To date we have constructed 47 clean
water facililies with each one providing over 200 people with daily dean water. AcsS to clean water has not only improved general hygiene for these families but has significantly reduced water borne diseases such as Typhoid and Dysentery thus decreasing infant mortality rates. Our latest Protected Spring was constructed in February 2024 and is greatly appreciated by the local community. The Bible Based Holida Club which runs for children aged between 6 and18 years during school holidays, is planned to recommence in December 2024. We look forward to a time when we can welcome up to 300 children to each of the sessions and to meet the parents and guardians who are always eager to attend the final day and see what their children have been enjoying. The Youth S orts Develo ment Club welcomes children every Sunday aftemoon where they continue to develop many skills such as sharing. socialising. appropriate behaviour and sports skills. For these children who come from impoverished homes, the opportunity to gain skills, have fvn and develop their selfesteem has proved invaluable. The Communi ort Pro ramme is not a main focus of our work. However. our experien is that families who have benefitted from our initiatives such as rep1arnent rooves. pit latrines or medical intervention. frequently require subsequent longer term assistance to enable them to become self- sufficient. We are pleased to report that our flexible and individual approach continues to improve the lives of man families: es ciall the children's. Financial review Review of the charit5ls financial position at the end of the period Para 1.21 Our deficit has reduced from £29K to £8K. We are conscious of the need to return to a surplus but meanwhile are comforted by the total reserves held. Charitable Activities spend continues to be well in excess of 95% of our annual expenditure. The Trustees recognise that this has been made possible mainly because there are no paid staff in the UK. Atl work in the UK is undertaken by the Trustees and vcAunteers. Our Charitable Activities figure has decreased to £94K a ainst £110K in 2023. An anal sisb cate
of spend is included in the accounts to aid transparency. Last yearfs expenditure included some one-off items and investments for the future. This year we have sought to contain costs and with the exception of The Children's Village initiative. all categories show reductions. We have been aided by the stable exchange rate and the fact that Ugandan inflation fell to 4% and is projected to fall further. Building Work shows the most significant fall. Part of the fall is because some of the work is income dependanL Nevertheless, this year we built 3 latrines and a house for community families, a Staff Latrine at our Schod. and completed the construction of a Twin House as part of our new °Moving On Programme.. (See page 4). Costs of Generating Voluntary Receipts is down by 44 % to £1.430,' largely because last yearfs figure included the cost of a new iPad and a new printei. Princi I fundin sources Total income is very similar to last Yearfs figure. 88K against 84K Our accounts show Gift Aid reIpts separately from Donations. Trustees continue to make donations according to their personal circumstances and this year have collectively donated £6.5K. These donations comfortably exed the total of expenses cEaimed. Whilst our supporters continue to be affected by the inaSe in the cost of living. they number over 200. We are not reliant on any single donor, or group, to maintain income at an adequate level. We continue to appreciate the prayers and financial support from all our supporters. For the first time in years. we have seen a welcome increase in interest income. although we appreciate that rates are not forecast to continue at their present levels. Investment It remains our practice to retain funds are in the UK until actually needed in Uganda. Money is held in Barclays Bank plus short-term notice accounts with UK institutions. authorised b the Prudential
Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. All UK accounts are FSCS protected. Statement explaining the policy for holding resetves stating why they are held Para 1.22 During our meetin9s. we discuss the need for a Reserves Policy. Whilst we are aware of Charity Commission guidan, we decided against having such a policy. However, we will keep this subject befo u5 at futuie TrUStS meetings. Meanwhile we believe the °amount of resetves held" figure is more than adequate based on our current and envisaged tumover. Amount of reseTves held Reasons for holding zero reserves Para 1.22 £86K NIA Para 1.22 Details of fund materialty in deficit Para 1.24 None. Explanation of any uncertainties about the charsty continuing as oin concem Para 123 None. Structure, governance and management Descri tion of cha s trusts: Type of goveming document" for example, trust deed, memorandum and articles of association etc How is the charity constituted? for example limited company, unincorporated association, CIO Para 1.25 When we founded the charity in 2008, we established it as a Charitable Company. sin 10 May 2019 it has been a CIO. P*a 1.25 As a CIO with effect from 10 May 2019. The Constitution is based on the Charity Commission Foundation Model Truslee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. electron to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees Pwa 1.25 Trustees are selected by invitation of existing trustees whenever a need arises. We have 6 trustees with the right mix of sla"Ils and experience. Four of these are fourKling trustees. All have visited Uganda and subscribe to the Statement of Faith", as shown below. Additional infomiation We believe in ... 'Our Slatement of Faith The one true God who lives etemally in three persons - the Father. the Son and the Holy Spirit. The love. gra and sovereignty of God in creating. sustaining. ruling. redeeming and judging the world.
The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God - fully trustworthy for faith and conduct. The dignity of all people, made male and female in God's image to love, be holy and care for creation. yet corTUPted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement. The incarnation of God's etemal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ- bom of the virgin Mary, truly divine and truly human. yet without sin. The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross.. dying in our place. paying the price of sin and defeats.ng evil. so reconciling us with God. The bodily resurrection of Christ. the first fruits of our resurrection; his asnSIon to the Father and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world. The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness. The church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers - given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirtt's gifts to worship God and proclaim Ihe gospel. promoting justice and love. The personal arKI visible retum of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring etemal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.
Reference and administrative details Cha name Other name the cha uses Registered charity number rinci al addr&8S Brid e of Hope Children's Minist 1126408 10. Government Rw Enfield, EN3 6JN Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity oirice {if any) Dates acted rf not for whole year Najne of per¥on (or l)ody) ontitled to appoint trustee (tf any) Mr G Skerratt Mrs B Skerratt Chair Mr M Shennan Mrs M Wood Mrs L Murphy Mrs J Young Corporate trustees - names of the directors at the date the report was approved Dlrtttor namo Datés actéd rf not for whole None. Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity Trustee name Dat•s acted Ef not for wholè None. Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others Description of the assets held in this capacity None. Declarations The trustses declare that they have approved the truste8s' report above. Signed on behalf of the charttys trustees. Signature(s) A Sc-v Full Name(s) L,/MiJ ffluLPH/ Position T£1 Date gTiq APRIL 202f
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the tru3te881 ', members of Bridge of Hope Children's Minislry On accounts for the year 5 30 June 2024 ended I | Charity no , 1126408 (if any) I Set out on pages 12-14 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('Ihe Trust") for the year ended 3010612024. Responslbilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are Tesponsible for the preparation basls of report of the 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 examinatÉon, I ave followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)(b) of the Act. 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 g5ves me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with Ihe accounting records Independent examiner's Statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attenlion should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accourrts to be reached. . Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: 17 Name: l Diane Collins Relevant professional l None qualification(s) or body lif any): Address: 6 Elm Gardens Enfield . EN2 OHS IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32. Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief detalls of any Items that the examiner wishes to disclose. None IER October 2018
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALE5 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from 2023 To 2024 Section A Receipts and payments Reslricted funds l Endc)vmient nds Total fund5 Last year loth¢ nBa¥t £ tothe toth nèar85t£ ,' , tDthenÈare£ to the ne*rèstE A1 Recelpts ojunla RecettAs {DonatK)ns) Actiwties for Grafj Fur Interost HMRC Gjft Atd 66J10 10 05.642 292 322 12.059 1J11 11 1.911 rik8s income AR) 188 88.188 84185 A2 Asset arKI in¥tment sales. (see table). Total receipts 88.188 A3Pa ments Charitable Actsyr (See attthed) Cnsts ot G8ne[aIM Vohjtrtary Rewts Fundrak%ing Costs 9(0 1.430 T18 109.632 2.494 77B Sub totaj 96,2 96,216 112.780 A4 Asset and Investment urehases see table Sub totsl Totalpayments 94216 112.780 Net OYrecwp{PayMents) - A5 Transfets between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds thls year end 8.028 28.S9 85.961 84981 93.98 CCXX R1 8r¢ryJnts (SSI 18103121Y25
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestrictgd funds Restrlct6d funds lon6are5t£ Endowment funds to neare5t£ B1 Cash funds 8.79LI 27.171 so.000 Total funds , SI1 ' Unrestrfcted fu Rest¢1d | En(lowmenl nds funds to nearest£ Details Estimated Glft Awj lotd&RwJ to ne•51£ B2 Other monetary assets 1.500 Fund lothh I Cost{t)pkn•l) Curronl value Details None 83 Investment assets Funtito whtch Cutrentval or1 Oelails No Costlowlonall B4 A3sets retaingd for th8 harity's own use I111- ' Deta&15 Fund lol¢h An¥)unt du• Vthen duo nal B5 Llabllllles behalf of all the In S¥Jnalure Prfnl Name Date of val )/. YODH o. P SfGft 16. w.l5 lo, CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 1810312025
Anal sis of Charitable Activities Ex enditure - 2023- 2024 Pro ramme £K Children's Villa Child S onsorshi Education Pro ramme Protected S rin Pro ramme Bible Based Holida Club Youth S orts Develo ment Pro Communi ort Pro ramme Communi Su rt Buildin work NGO Mana er & Field Staff Wa es Administration in U anda Truck & Trans ortation Trustees, Ex enses" Other 18.5 21.3 21.1 Pro ramme ramme Total 94.0 Trustees donate funds to the cha - which exceed expenses daimed