Zoe Sarojini Education Trust
Annual Report for 2024
October 2025
This report was written by the trustees of the Zoe Sarojini Education Trust and approved by them.
Signed:
Emily Young Chair of the Trustees
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Table of Contents
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Reference and Administrative Details
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Structure Governance and management
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Financial Review
Unrestricted Fund and policy on Reserves
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Public benefit Statement
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Objectives and activities
a. Charity Objectives (governing document)
b. Charity Aims
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Achievement and performance Aim 1: Support the education of individual children in need
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Supporting children to go to good schools
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Ensure basic needs in shelter and food are met
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Contributing to the enrichment of our children’s education
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Enabling access to the internet and IT learning
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Communication between sponsors and children AIM 2 : Support and strengthen innovative education models
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Raising Funds in 2024 Regular donors One-off events and donations
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Conclusion
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1. Reference and Administrative Details
a) Name of the Charity: Zoe Sarojini Education Trust
b) Charity registration number: 1135609
c) Address: 88 Hamilton Road, Reading RG1 5RD
d) Trustees:
Dorothy Schwarz (since February 2010) Tanya Murphy (since February 2010) Laura Burch Schwarz (since September 2011) Emily Young (formerly Hogge) (since September 2011) - Chair
2. Structure Governance and management
a. Nature of the governing document
We have a Trust Deed, dated the 1[st] February 2010.
b. Recruitment of trustees
Trustees are recruited because of their interest in the work and mission of the charity and their specific skills.
c. Training of trustees
Trustees are invited to read the relevant documents pertaining to the role of trustees that the Charity Commission publishes. They are also inducted in the operations and requirements of the charity.
d. Organisational structure
Decisions are taken by consensus by the trustees. Strategic decisions are made during meetings (face to face or over Skype) and operational decisions are taken by sub-groups of trustees during phone conversations and conference calls.
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3. Financial Review
The year 2024 has been another successful year for the Trust. We raised £57,881 and donated £67,724. Our costs for the year were £35.
The Table below shows how our money was spent:
| Fund names | Fund balances 1st January 2024 |
Incoming resources |
Outgoing resources |
Fund balances 31st December 2024 |
transfer from unrestrict ed funds |
Adjusted balances 31st Dec 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Khethani | 0 | 6,228 | -20,800 | -14,572 | 14,572 | 0 |
| Enrichment | 5,262 | 6,940 | -630 | 11,572 | -11,572 | 0 |
| Cape Town | 7,330 | 2,877 | -7,963 | 2,244 | -490 | 1,754 |
| Misty Meadows | 10,760 | 8,423 | -38,296 | -19,113 | 19,104 | -9 |
| University Fund | 5,768 | 0 | 5,769 | -5,768 | 1 | |
| Special Projects Fund |
0 | 33,407 | 33,407 | 6,000 | 39,407 | |
| Total Restricted |
29,120 | 57,875 | -67,689 | 19,307 | 21,846 | 41,153 |
| Endowment | 1,000 | 0 | 1,000 | 1,000 | ||
| Unrestricted | 21,875 | 6 | -35 | 21,846 | -21,846 | 0 |
| Total Funds | 51,995 | 57,881 | -67,724 | 42,153 | 0 | 42,153 |
Unrestricted Fund and policy on Reserves
The unrestricted fund was completely used up in 2024, including our reserves, due to our decision to fund the building of a new kitchen in Misty Meadows, and to raise money for this in 2025. Trustees have plans in place to replenish reserves during 2025 and 2026.
Designated as reserves: 0
Available for spending during 2024:
Total: 0
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Please see our Financial Accounts, available on the Charity Commission’s website for further details of the Trust’s finances in 2024.
4. Public benefit Statement
The trustees have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Commission.
We benefit the public through our objective of promoting the education of children in South Africa and elsewhere. Specifically, we support children to attend quality schools and fund the associated costs as required, such as school fees, uniforms, stationery and transport to school. We also enhance the education of the children we sponsor by ensuring as far as possible adequate living conditions for them.
5. Objectives and activities
a. Charity Objectives (governing document)
The Objectives of our charity, as set out in the Governing Document are:
For the public benefit to promote the education of people under the age of 30 years worldwide in such ways as the charity trustees think fit, including by:
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Awarding to such persons scholarships, maintenance allowances or grants tenable at any school, university, college or institution of education;
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Providing their education (including the study of music or other arts), to undertake travel in furtherance of that education or to prepare for entry to any occupation, trade or profession on leaving any educational establishment.
b. Charity Aims
The Zoë Sarojini Education Trust’s purpose is to help children, particularly girls, living in poverty to go to school. The Trust was set up in memory of Zoë Sarojini Schwarz, a loved and loving young woman who suffered from bipolar depression and took her own life in August 2000.
Overall Aim One: Support the education of individual children in need
The Trust enables donors, singly or in small groups, to fund the education of individual youngsters. We work through trusted and experienced volunteers in the Cape Town and
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Kwazulu-Natal regions of South Africa who help us select the most suitable youngsters to be funded, channel the funds directly to the relevant schools and colleges, and act as mentors to the youngsters. The children and young people we help are chosen according to local need and opportunity, with no preconceived criteria.
In addition to covering school fees, the Trust aims to ensure its sponsored children have their basic needs for shelter and food met.
The Trust also aims to fund enrichment extra-curricular activities for its sponsored children.
Finally, the Trust aims to facilitate communication between children and sponsors. If sponsors wish to, they and their families can maintain on-going personal contact with the young people they are sponsoring in order to encourage them, monitor their progress, mentor them and form long-term relationships.
Overall Aim Two: Support and strengthen innovative education models
The Zoe Sarojini Education Trust aims to work closely with a small number of education partners that it deems provide powerful innovative education models to enable quality education for disadvantaged young people.
6. Achievement and performance
2024 was a busy year for the trust. We continued to support our children in their educational journey which at times meant stepping in to support when they faced difficult personal challenges. We also continued to work closely with Misty Meadows, supporting the development of provision for their older children whilst continuing to support their long standing make space and computer space, and the construction of a kitchen for learning and healthy eating at school. Overall, it was another successful year for the trust.
Our sponsors remained supportive; however, amidst the difficult financial times we have lost some which has stretched our finances.
We set out below our achievements in 2024 against the aims stated above.
Aim 1: Support the education of individual children in need
1. Supporting children to go to good schools
In 2024, we supported 15 individual children and young adults to access quality education in South Africa. The children range in age from 11 to 23.
Ingwavuma, Kwazulu Natal
Three children went to local schools in Ingwavuma, in Kwazulu Natal. They were selected
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by a local charity Zisize (see www.zisize.org). Two children attended Richards Bay Christian School staying in a hostel with other children from Ingwavuma. One child attended Durban University.
All six of these children are children whose parents cannot afford school fees due to a lack of work or poorly paid work. One lives in the Zisize-run orphanage.
Cape Town
Four children went to school in Cape Town. These children live in Cape Town townships. Their families are hard-working but cannot afford the school fees of schools that provide a vastly superior education to the township education they received previously.
Howick, Kwazulu Natal
This year we continued to support five children at Misty Meadows School, Howick. These children come from loving and hard-working families however they cannot afford to send their children to Misty Meadows. They live either on the farm or in the local township.
2. Ensure basic needs in shelter and food are met
Whilst the majority of our families were self-sufficient in terms of shelter and food this year, we were able to pay for one of our children who is at university with food costs when her NSFAS government loan was delayed.
3. Contributing to the enrichment of our children’s education
The money for enrichment is raised through monthly donations and one-off fundraising events throughout the year. The money is spent on projects that are put forward to the trust by our mentors in South Africa who work alongside our children.
This extra level of care is what makes the Zoe Trust unique as it allows us to provide all round care for our children giving them the best possible chance to succeed.
We have continued to provide stationery, transport, uniforms and textbooks for our children. This takes the pressure off parents who are struggling to feed their children. It also allows us to make sure that they have what they need to be successful at school.
This year we have also continued to support a workshop space at Misty Meadows. The aim of the space is to provide the children with practical experience in woodwork, electrical engineering and elements of mechanical engineering. And the fund contributed to the building of a school kitchen at Misty Meadows.
We have also paid for trips and outings so that our children can have their enrichment opportunities in line with their peers.
In 2024, this fund also provided invaluable funding for counselling for some of our children in Cape Town who were struggling with trauma from their past. These counselling sessions have helped them to begin to process this trauma and take steps to move
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forward with their lives.
4. Enabling access to the internet and IT learning
This year we continued to support computer programmes at Misty Meadows providing continued internet access.
5. Communication between sponsors and children
Child sponsor correspondence continued in 2024. Several sponsors and children wrote to each other this year whether via text, voice notes, photos or email. In addition, we received termly updates from our children via our mentors. As trustees, we are in constant communication with our mentors which allows us to keep up to date with our children’s progress and react to emergencies as and when they arise.
Our children love this communication and it allows them to feel connected and accountable.
AIM 2 : Support and strengthen innovative education models
The trust worked with Misty Meadows a carefully-vetted and trusted education provider, providing both tangible funding and capacity building as required.
Misty Meadows School (South Africa)
We are now in our tenth year of partnership with Misty Meadows School.
This year, Anni, a friend of the trust, was able to visit Misty Meadows. This provided us not only with an update and insight into how the school is doing but also a range of photos, videos and stories to share with sponsors. She was also able to support the school with ideas on how to develop products that could help them be more financially self-supporting.
We have also maintained constant communication with Cassie, the head teacher of the school, so that we can support her with her continued work.
We were delighted to contribute to the growth of the school via a one-off donation of £11,000 to build a kitchen, providing an invaluable space for the children to continue to develop their culinary skills. This is really important within their community where the majority of jobs are in restaurants and hotels.
7. Raising Funds in 2024
Regular donors
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In 2024, we maintained regular contact with our regular donors. We sent out regular updates via email and updated Facebook and our website. In addition, each sponsor received updates on their child’s progress.
Our Facebook page is updated with pictures and messages from trustees, mentors, sponsors and our children directly. It has provided a fast and visual way for our sponsors and children to connect.
One-off events and donations
This year we didn’t hold any one-off events or receive any one-off donations.
8. Conclusion
2024 has been another successful year for the trust. We saw two of our children achieve a good set of matric results and secure places at university. We have also helped a number of children overcome difficult situations in their personal lives, working closely with our mentors on the ground to support them through these times.
We have continued to strengthen our relationship with Misty Meadows, supporting the school as a whole and continuing to help them expand through the kitchen project. We look forward to supporting them into 2025 as they finish building the kitchen and start to develop their culinary programs.
We have also continued to strengthen our relationship with sponsors, working with them to communicate with their children and help in encouraging and motivating them to work hard. These strong relationships reap benefits for all involved.
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Charity Number 1135609
ZOE SAROJINI EDUCATION TRUST YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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Charity Number 1135609
ZOE SAROJINI EDUCATION TRUST
YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024
CONTENTS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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2 Contents
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3 Receipts and Payments Account
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4 Statement of Assets and Liabilities
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5-6 Notes
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7 Independent Examiner's Report
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Charity Number 1135609
ZOE SAROJINI EDUCATION TRUST
YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024
STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
| Notes INCOMING RESOURCES Voluntary Income Interest income TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENSED Charitable Activities Costs of Generating Voluntary Income 3 Governance 4 Special Projects Fund TOTAL NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS BALANCES B/FWD 1 JANUARY transfer from unrestricted to restricted funds BALANCES C/FWD 31 DECEMBER 6.2 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endowment Funds Main Account 2024 Special Project Account 2024 Main Account 2023 £ £ £ 6 57,468 - 18,474- - 39,000- - 59,433- - 408- |
|---|---|
| - 6- - 57,468- - -- - 18,474- - 39,408- - 59,433- |
|
| - 67,689- - -- - 67,689- - 41,361- - 35- - -- - 35- - 516- - -- - -- - -- - -- |
|
| - 35- - 67,689- - -- - 67,724- - -- - 41,877- |
|
| - -- - 29- - 10,221- - -- - 49,250- - 17,556- - 21,875- - 29,120- - 1,000- - 51,995- - 34,439- -21,846 21,846 - -- - -- |
|
| - -- - 40,745- - 1,000- - 2,745- - 39,408- - 51,995- |
The notes on pages 5 to 6 form part of this account
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Charity Number 1135609
ZOE SAROJINI EDUCATION TRUST
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2024
| Endowment | Endowment | Total Dec | Total Dec | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | Unrestricted Funds | Restricted Funds | Funds | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||||
| CURRENT ASSETS | |||||||||||
| Cash at bank | - | -- | - | 40,745- | - | 1,000- | - | 41,745- | - | 51,997- | |
| FUNDS OF THE CHARITY | 6 | ||||||||||
| Unrestricted | - | -- | - | 21,875- | |||||||
| Restricted | - | 41,153- | - | 41,153- | - | 29,120- | |||||
| Endowment | - | 1,000- | - | 1,000- | - | 1,000- | |||||
| TOTAL FUNDS | - | 41,153- | - | 1,000- | - | 42,153- | - | 51,995- | |||
| Approved by the Trustees on and signed on its behalf by | Approved by the Trustees on and signed on its behalf by | Approved by the Trustees on and signed on its behalf by | Approved by the Trustees on and signed on its behalf by | Approved by the Trustees on and signed on its behalf by |
Emily Young, Chair of the Trust
The notes on pages 5 to 6 form part of this account
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Charity Number 1135609
ZOE SAROJINI EDUCATION TRUST
YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS
Note 1 Basis of preparation
1.1 Basis of accounting
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
1.2 Change in basis of accounting
There has been no change to the accounting policies (valuation rules and methods of accounting) since last year.
1.3 Changes to previous accounts
No changes have been made to the accounts for the previous year .
2. Accounting policies
2.1 Incoming resources
Donations are recognised when received. Gift Aid refunds are recognised on receipt from the tax office. Gift aid for 2024 will be requested on total donations of £11,936
2.2 Resources expended
Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding or constructive obligation on the Trust. All other expenditure is generally recognised when it is incurred and is accounted for gross.
2.3 Funds
Endowment Fund is a fund, the capital of which must be maintained.
Restricted Funds represent grants and donations received for a specific object of the Trust. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of each year must be carried forward as a balance on that fund.
Unrestricted Fund is a general fund which can be used for Trust ordinary purposes.
| 3. Cost of Generating Voluntary Income Paypal fees, new website design, data registration 4. Governance Independent examiner's fees 5 Details of certain items of expenditure 5.1 Trustee fees Number of trustees who were paid fees 5.2 Trustee expenses continued........... |
2024 £35 |
2023 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £516 | |||
| £0 | £0 | ||
| £0 | £0 | ||
| none none |
none | ||
| none | |||
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Charity Number 1135609
ZOE SAROJINI EDUCATION TRUST
YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS
6 Funds
6.1 Funds Held
| 6.1 Funds Held | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fund Name | Purpose and Restrictions | |
| Cape Town | This fund pays for the education costs of the children that we sponsor in Cape Town. | |
| This fund covers extracurricular activities for our sponsored children, one-off education necessities such as | ||
| Enrichment | uniforms and text books, and homework clubs. | |
| Khethani | This fund covers the fees of our scholarship children who attend the Khethani School and schools which Khethani School alumni attend. |
|
| Special projects | We have created a new fund for a special project within the Trust's mission.This fund covers special projects that unites education and environment and social sustainability. |
|
| Misty Meadows | This fund is to support the education of children at Misty Meadows in KwaZulu-Natal. | |
| We have decided to close down this fund in 2024 as we succeeded in obtaining governmnet grants for our | ||
| University Funds | university students. Funds have been reallocated to the Enrichment Fund, which includes incidental support to our university students |
6.2 Movements of funds
| Fund names | Fund balances 1st January 2024 |
Fund balances 1st January 2024 |
Incoming resources |
Outgoing resources |
Fund balances Dec 2024 |
Fund balances Dec 2024 |
31st | transfer between funds |
Adjusted balances 31st Dec 2024 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||||
| Khethani | 0 | 6,228 | -20,800 | -14,572 | 14,572 | 0 | ||||||
| Enrichment | 5,262 | 6,940 | -630 | 11,572 | -11,572 | 0 | ||||||
| Cape Town | 7,330 | 2,877 | -7,963 | 2,244 | -490 | 1,754 | ||||||
| Misty Meadows | 10,760 | 8,423 | -38,296 | -19,113 | 19,104 | -9 | ||||||
| University Fund | 5,768 | 0 | 5,769 | -5,768 | 1 | |||||||
| Special Projects Fund |
0 | 33,407 | 33,407 | 6,000 | 39,407 | |||||||
| Total Restricted | 29,120 | 57,875 | -67,689 | 19,307 | 21,846 | 41,153 | ||||||
| Endowment | 1,000 | 0 | 1,000 | 1,000 | ||||||||
| Unrestricted | 21,875 | 6 | -35 | 21,846 | -21,846 | 0 | ||||||
| Total Funds | 51,995 | 57,881 | -67,724 | 42,153 | 0 | 42,153 | ||||||
| 6.3 Transfer of Funds |
This represents transfer of funds from unrestricted and enrichment funds to cover expenditure in specific locations.
6.4 Endowment Fund
This sum is provided by the first trustees on the trusts declared in the trust deed.
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
To the Trustees of Zoe Sarojini Education Trust
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2024, which are set out on pages 1 to 6.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act;
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act; and
to state whether any particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention: which gives me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or * the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable to a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Name: Carrie Sewell
Address Channel Court, Hill Road, Clevedon, England, BS21 7NE
Dated 29/10/2025
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