The Vinjeru School Trust - Charity No: 1135234
Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts for the period ended 31 December 2022
The trustees present their annual report and the independently examined accounts for the twelve months ending 31 December 2022.
Name and principal address
The name of the charity is The Vinjeru School Trust and the principal address is 17 Sayer Way, Knebworth, Herts SG3 6BN.
Trustees
The trustees who served during the period were: Ross Power – Chair Roberta Power – Secretary Martin Hodder Gillian Hodder Jonathan Field Malcolm Pickard Joel Haris - Treasurer Hannah Haris
Objectives
The objectives of the Trust are:
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To raise funds for the building and establishment of a school based on Christian principles in the town of Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia.
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To provide education and bring hope to the underprivileged children in Kapiri Mposhi who would otherwise not be able to afford education.
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To raise funds to operate an effective bursary scheme to enable a quarter of the students to have a reduced fee or a free place.
The School is accessible to all, regardless of race, religion or gender. The school endeavours to provide quality, holistic education which will be of benefit to the students and to the wider community in the area around Kapiri Mposhi and, since the opening of the boarding facilities, the whole of Zambia.
Review of Activities
Trustees Visit to School Site
With the government lifting restrictions in place due to the outbreak of the pandemic in the prior years, two of the trustees (the Chairman and Secretary) had the privilege of visiting the School at the end of June 2022, and were impressed with the condition of the site. The buildings were in good condition and the grounds were well cared for, with fencing and walls providing effective protection from intruders.
Building
Building was completed for the male accommodation block which was opened to students at the start of the academic year in 2022. Initial work on a new DT block was started in the previous year and is well on the way to being completed. It was planned for dividers to be heavy curtains, which will be fitted to help split up the space but to also allow for flexibility in the use of the space for larger assemblies.
A new piece of land has been acquired next door to the existing land, which will house new Primary School buildings and a sports field. The land was kindly donated to the school, for which the trustees are truly grateful.
School Life and Examinations
The trustees’ visit in June 2022 offered the opportunity to see the school in operation. The trustees were encouraged to observe the good interaction between staff and pupils, as well as the good at ude and respect shown to each other.
The results from the senior school students were once again strong, with another 100% pass rate achieved this year. The school aims to continue achieving strong pass rates in the next year.
Resources
The Trust was able to secure computers for the school, which were sent across in late 2022. The computers were fitted when they arrived at the school and are now being used by the students.
Funding
The Trust has continued to support the school with some operational costs due to the growth phase of the school and the effects of the pandemic. Financial processes and recent results indicate the school will be self-sufficient in terms of operation in the near future.
The Trust held fundraising events as well as a tea and cake afternoon to engage supporters in 2022. The Trust applied for funding from the Pat Wedge Fund during the year, which was utilised to support students at the school and the building projects being undertaken during the year. This funding contributed to the building of the new DT block.
The Trust has continued to receive large and small donations which has enabled the school to continue operating and has added funds for building projects.
Many sponsors have continued to support students at the school through the Vinjeru School Trust Bursary Scheme. The scheme currently supports students who would otherwise not be able to attend secondary education.
Micro Farming
The Zambian economy often experiences high inflation which can lead to challenges operating businesses. The Trust provided the school with grants which were used in the prior year to establish a chicken coop and a piggery. This has subsequently allowed the school the ability to feed boarding and day students despite the challenging economic factors.
Governance
The Trustees have continued to work with individuals in Zambia to establish a Zambian trust to oversee the operational governance of the school. The intention is that the UK trust will be solely
responsible for raising money and providing grants to the school in Zambia for building and running their bursary scheme.
We are sad to report that Treasurer Malcolm Pickard sadly passed away in August 2022. As a result, Martin Hodder took on the role for the remainder of the year until the appointment of Joel Haris as Treasurer in February 2023.
Roberta Power was also appointed as Secretary for the Trust in May 2022.
Future Work
The Trust is looking to return to building classrooms from 2023, as well as expand the sporting facilities of the school with a new basketball/netball court.
Signed on behalf of the trustees on 20[th] October 2023
Ross Power
Chairman The Vinjeru School Trust – Charity No: 1135234
INDEPENDENf EXAMINERS, REPORT TO THE TRUST£ES OF THE VtNJERU SCHOOL TRbST Clbtrliy 1133234 I re on the aLxounts of the cb8rxty trustees fcrth¢ >tAT ¢twJcd 311t Decernlxr 2022. whi¢h are set out Rupec¢fve rewn51b£llthi of trwt¢¢• exAmkn¢r As th¢ ¢hority's Inees. you are r¢swnsible for the pwaration ofthe #nIs. you ¢SIder that the audit rquiremenl of x¢tion 144 of the (h8riii&8 kn 2011 (the Act) dc¢s not apply. and that an IlldDdent examination i¥ Twuired. It is my resp)nsibility io examinc the xcounts under section 145 of the Act. to follow thc wcreduTes specified in th¢ g¢neral Direthions given bythechwity Commission undff section 145{5)0)) of th¢ ACL and to sthte whether partiLwl4r matters havc come to my attention. BA•ts ofkndeptDdent ¢xtyiDerJ' sltement My ¢xamination wa8 carried oui in accordatKe with the 8en¢rnl Direciions given by the Charity Commi$sTOQ An ¢xamination includes ll vI¢W of ille accountin8 recoTri4 kept by thc Llwity and a eon)paTi50n of theaccounts pr¢sEnd with tbose recoTds. It al Ilu{k3 cO$1deratiOll of any unusual items or di8elosur¢$ in the accounts and sttking ¢xplanatsoDS from the tntee$ ¢xgnc¢rniDg any such matter5. The priYxdU undertaken th not PTovide all the evAdenc¢ would bc required in an audit, and CKJnsequently no opinion is given as to whh¢T the accounts present a'true and f&ie' view and the reix)Tl is lirnited to th 0¢(¢r8 sei out in the 8tatetDent Ixlow. Indtpendent euml•tr4' stsl¢mellt tn conti¢dion with our examinali0 no m*tcr bas come to my attention." (i) whicb gives me rea80bk cauge lo believe th&t in any Marial rup¢d lh¢ requirements to keep ftttonls in accordance with wtion 130 of the Ala" ODd b) lo prepare acLX)unl8 wbith accLYd with the accowitittg rtLx)rd8 aDd to comply with the eOUttitn8 rnqulrccnts of the Act have not been mel: or {2) to Whic in my Opinio attention shou]d b¢ drawn iti orts enable a prop¢r understsndwg of tk ¥cc(xuts lo be Itbea. Ms M C Ri¢h8thn FCCA Ri¢hardson & Co Accountant$ Cornish & Sussex Suile Housc 3 LyndetsWOfj Bu8ineBs P Black NkY Esscx CM77 8Tr 20th Othober 2023
The Vinjeru School Trust - Charity No: 1135234
Receipts and Payment Account for the 12 months ended 31 December 2022
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Unrestricted Restricted Total funds Year to:
funds Funds 31/12/2021
As at 31/12/2022 £ £ £ £
Receipts
General fund donations 22,510 22,510 30,184
Building fund donations 4,313 4,313 2,126
Uniform Fund 1,925 1,925 8,700
Simbeye fund donations 13,486 13,486 15,835
Bursaries fund donations 16,821 16,821 19,304
Wedge Building Grant 18,745 18,745 0
Wedge Education Grant 6,500 6,500 0
Teaching fund donations 11,000 11,000 0
Interest income 12 12 3
22,523 72,790 95,312 76,151
Payments
Grants paid - School operations 12,638 12,000 24,638 23,111
Grants paid - Bursary 18,990 18,990 19,365
Grants paid - Building works 0 0 33,750
Uniforms 1,288 1,288 16,415
Simbeye support 16,686 16,686 17,871
Wedge Building Grant 18,500 18,500 0
Wedge Education Grant 6,500 6,500 0
Bank and finance charges 292 292 251
Professional fees 360 360 0
Fund-raising Costs 0 0 48
13,290 73,964 87,254 110,811
Net receipts / (payments) 9,232 -1,174 8,058 -34,660
Transfers between funds -1,697 1,697 0 0
Total funds brought forward 6,050 4,974 11,023 45,684
Total funds carried forward 13,586 5,496 19,082 11,023
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 31/12/2022
Unrestricted Restricted Total funds
funds Funds
Cash funds 0 0 0
HSBC 13,586 5,496 19,082
13,586 5,496 19,082
Joel Haris
Trustee/Treasurer
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