EAST AFRICA CHILDREN’S PROJECT
Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts
for the year ended
31 March 2024
EACP is a Registered Charity in England and Wales (No. 1136340)
Trustees: Pieter Lagaay, Martin Sadofski, Ros Stow, Barry Harper
2 Eastfield Crescent, Brighton BN1 8EL
www.eacpcharity.com
Registration details and Trustees
EAST AFRICA CHILDREN’S PROJECT (“EACP”)
Charity name Registered in England and Wales No. 1136340 Principal address 2 Eastfield Crescent Brighton BN1 8EL Website www.eacpcharity.com
Trustees Office Date of appointment Date of resignation Pieter Lagaay Chair 8 March 2010 Barry Harper Secretary 1 September 2023 Jennie Lawes 20 January 2011 31 March 2024 Martin Sadofski 11 December 2012 Ros Stow 8 March 2010 Officers Paige Rumble Treasurer
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Welcome to EACP’s Annual Report for the year to 31 March 2024
The Trustees of EACP are delighted to present their fourteenth annual report for EACP’s year ended 31 March 2024.
Once again, we are delighted to report another excellent year for donations with total income of £82,043 (2023 £81,547), our second highest income ever. As a result, the charity has now raised over £600,000 since its inception. This is testament to the continuing generosity of our regular donors and the hard work of trustees and volunteers in successfully approaching grant making trusts. Most importantly, it demonstrates the belief in the difference that EACP and our partners in East Africa can make, and have made, to so many lives.
In the remainder of this report, we will provide you with details of our:
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Structure, governance, and management.
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Charitable objects and how we are putting them into practice.
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Project partners in East Africa and our combined achievements.
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Financial performance this year.
There then follow EACP’s receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024.
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Structure, governance, and management
Constitution
EACP began in August 2009 as an informal organisation under the direction of Pieter Lagaay, providing support to projects in East Africa. It soon became apparent that there was a tremendous public interest in these activities and what Pieter was trying to achieve. The logical next step was to enact a more formal constitution and seek full charitable status.
EACP was constituted as a charitable trust under a Trust Deed dated 8 March 2010 and, following amendments to its objects, a new Trust Deed was enacted on 20 May 2010 (the ‘Trust Deed’). EACP then successfully obtained registration as a charity in England and Wales on 14 June 2010.
Recruitment and appointment of trustees
Under the terms of the Trust Deed, EACP must have a minimum of three trustees who are appointed for a term of one year.
Pieter Lagaay who has a long and distinguished background in children’s education, particularly those with special needs, as well as experience with development charities in Africa, was appointed one of the first Trustees and he brought together other friends and associates with relevant professional experience to act with him. Trustees are subject to annual re-election by a majority of their fellow Trustees.
We started the year with four Trustees, including Pieter, who have each worked with EACP for many years. During the year these were joined by Barry Harper, who had previously served as a volunteer officer of the charity. The Trustees bring a wide and complementary mix of development, fundraising, communications, administration, and finance skills to EACP.
At the year end, Jennie Lawes decided to stand down as a Trustee after many years of devoted service. EACP owes Jennie a huge debt of gratitude for her unwavering dedication and hard work which has helped make an enormous difference to the lives of hundreds of needy children in East Africa by giving them an education and the prospect of a brighter future.
The charity is now looking to appoint one or more additional trustees in 2024. Prior to appointment, trustees are provided with guidance produced by the Charities Commission, for example the publication ‘The Essential Trustee,’ and ongoing training needs of trustees are reviewed on an annual basis.
Governance and management
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The work of EACP is directed by its Trustees, who provide their services voluntarily and are ably assisted by committed volunteers. The Trustees are in regular contact and hold meetings, approximately monthly, where formal decisions to fund individual projects are made and minuted.
We are fully aware of our obligations to our donors and the trust they have placed in us when donating funds. With that in mind, we have developed policies and procedures to minimise the risks to EACP’s assets.
For example, we conduct checks on potential new project partners, formally assess all requests for funding in terms of risks, viability, and relevance to our charitable objectives, and monitor the outcomes of the initiatives we support. We also ensure that our partners have appropriate Child Safeguarding Policies in place.
We aim to conduct a monitoring visit to the projects we support every two to three years to confirm our understanding of the work being undertaken by our project partners. In the year, the trustees conducted one such visit to Kenya and Uganda, which helped further cement our relationships with existing partners and successfully identify other organisations with whom we might work in future.
Objects and activities
Objects
The charitable objects of EACP are:
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To advance the education of children and adults in East Africa for the benefit of the public through the provision of or the assistance in the provision of education, educational materials, and training.
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The relief of poverty and the promotion and preservation of good health of children and adults in East Africa, through the provision of or the assistance in the provision of projects designed to improve health and welfare.
Main activities
The main activity undertaken by EACP in furtherance of these objectives is the support of projects which:
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Directly improve the health, welfare and education of disadvantaged children and their families.
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Provide training or sustainable livelihoods for young adults and women which directly or indirectly improve the health, welfare, and education of disadvantaged children.
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EACP currently supports small, manageable projects in Kenya and Uganda that produce tangible outcomes for children in need. We do not currently support any activities in Tanzania but are open to considering new initiatives there, as well as in the countries where we currently operate.
We strongly believe that collaborating with local partners produces the best results and our work could not be undertaken without the dedication and initiative of the people who manage the projects we support. We believe that local solutions to local problems are the most effective means of delivering longer term positive change for children and their communities.
Public benefit
In exercising their duties and in making decisions as to how EACP’s resources will be applied, the Trustees have had regard to the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission, as required by Section 4(6) Charities Act 2006 and the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008.
Achievements and performance
EACP’s focus this year continued to be initiatives which support improvements in children’s education, health, and welfare. Sadly, what started as exceptional requests for funding to meet food price increases now seems to have become the norm, with the charity routinely funding feeding programmes at schools in both Kenya and Uganda. The charity recognises that before a child can benefit from schooling, they must be able to focus on their studies without being distracted through hunger.
Once this most basic of needs has been addressed, the charity has supported direct education costs, including funding for secondary and tertiary education, home science, and IT equipment, and infrastructure projects to improve classrooms, sleeping facilities and sources of food and energy.
Our ability to support this range and extent of initiatives has been made possible by:
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Regular donations from individuals, mostly in the Brighton & Hove area, to whom we are extremely grateful.
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Funding from grant-making bodies that we have approached directly or have been introduced to by a professional fund-raiser. These grants have enabled us to support specific larger projects such as the building of classrooms and dormitories. We also extend our thanks to those bodies who have provided grants this year.
During the year, we made grants to three organisations, as described below. For more details and photos of the outcomes of our work please visit our website: www.eacpcharity.com.
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Joy Children’s Centre, Ruiru, near Thika, Kenya (‘Joy’)
EACP has provided significant support to Joy since 2010, during which time Joy has provided a home to around 90-100 orphaned, abandoned, or abused children and provides primary schooling to around 350 children. Its founder, Sarah Wanjiku, remains extraordinarily committed, creative and resilient in these tough times.
We have continued to support basic subsistence requirements of children who live at the school and the educational needs of the school itself including: building a new library and home science classroom; expanding IT facilities with 10 desktop computers; upgrading the simple school bio-gas facility which provides gas for the school kitchen; and supporting Joy’s older resident children obtain secondary and tertiary education.
Faith School, Uganda (‘Faith’)
Faith was introduced to us in 2017 by one of our volunteers who has been supporting the school personally for some years. Faith is a thriving, well run organisation which has much support from the local community. We have supported the provision of daily school meals for around 300 children; basic school clothing for around 250 children; mosquito nets to reduce the incidence of malaria; books and other educational materials; and recently enabled the building of new brick boys’ and girls’ dormitories to replace dilapidated stick and mud buildings which were insufficient to prevent ingress by snakes and other pests. To promote employment, we have supported garment making courses for young adults, including single mothers.
Rossholme School, Kiambiu Slum, Nairobi, Kenya (“Rossholme”)
In January 2023, the trustees agreed to partner with “Rossholme School in Kenya”, a Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1178553, to support Rossholme, a school located within Nairobi’s Kiambiu slum. Rossholme provides free education and pastoral care for 330 children aged between 3 and 12 who would otherwise receive no formal education. During the year, the future of the school was put at risk when the owner of the land on which the school is built decided to sell.
During their visit in June 2023 the Trustees were able to witness first-hand the excellent commitment to education on the part of Rossholme’s founder, the teaching staff, and the pupils. The Trustees were therefore delighted when, with the charity’s help, the school was able to raise the necessary funds to secure the purchase of the land, and in doing so ensure the continued education of the many children who attend the school in this very impoverished part of Nairobi. We have also supported the provision of classroom solar lighting, school textbooks, 84 new desks, and new music and sports equipment to broaden the school curriculum.
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Financial review
Incoming resources
EACP’s total income during the year was £82,043 (2023: £81,547). All our income, except for interest on funds held on deposit, was from voluntary donations as shown in the following table:
| Year ended 31 March 2024 | Year ended 31 March 2024 | Year ended 31 March 2024 | Year ended 31 March 2023 | Year ended 31 March 2023 | Year ended 31 March 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricte | |||||||
| Total | d | Restricted | Total Unrestricted |
Restricted | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Income | |||||||
| Voluntary donations | 81,883 | 56,902 | 24,981 | 81,518 | 41,965 | 39,553 | |
| Interest | 160 | 160 | 29 | 29 | |||
| 82,043 | 57,062 | 24,981 | 81,547 | 41,994 | 39,553 | ||
| A further breakdown of our voluntary donations is shown in the table below: | A further breakdown of our voluntary donations is shown in the table below: | A further breakdown of our voluntary donations is shown in the table below: | |||||
| Year ended 31 March 2024 | Year ended 31 March 2024 | Year ended 31 March 2024 | Year ended 31 March 2023 | Year ended 31 March 2023 | |||
| Total | Unrestricted | Restricte | Total | Unrestricted | Restricted | ||
| £ | £ | d | £ | £ | £ | ||
| £ | |||||||
| Grants | 66,086 | 41,105 | 24,981 | 67,653 | 28,100 | 39,553 | |
| Regular donations | 11,109 | 11,109 | 11,413 | 11,413 | |||
| Other donations/ | |||||||
| interest | 160 | 160 | 124 | 124 | |||
| Gift aid | 4,688 | 4,688 | 2,357 | 2,357 | |||
| 82,043 | 57,062 | 24,981 | 81,547 | 41,994 | 39,553 |
A further breakdown of our voluntary donations is shown in the table below:
Our largest source of voluntary donations (both restricted and unrestricted) was from grant-making bodies. Except for specific funding applications, we seek to raise grant funding on an unrestricted basis, so that it may be applied where most needed. Our successful specific appeals included those for building classrooms and dormitories.
Donations from individuals by regular standing order are consistent with, if slightly lower than, 2023. These regular donations have in the past provided us with sufficient funds to meet our regular funding commitments. However, the continued increase in food costs mean that our regular donations are no longer sufficient to meet our support for basic food and clothing and additional costs are met from unrestricted grants. We benefit from gift aid on most of the regular donations we receive.
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Resources expended
During the year, EACP expended a total of £66,410 (2023: £86,492):
| Charitable activities1 Trustees visit Fundraising costs Administration costs |
Year ended 31 March 2024 Total £ Unrestricted £ Restricted £ 59,136 35,068 24,068 5,224 5,224 1,728 1,728 322 322 66,410 42,342 24,068 |
Year ended 31 March 2023 Total £ Unrestricted £ Restricted £ 85,292 44,187 41,105 913 913 287 287 86,492 45,387 41,105 |
|---|---|---|
£59,136 or 89% (2023: £85,292 or 98%) of our total expenditure went in grants and donations to the charitable activities and projects we support as follows:
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Joy | 30,962 | 33,666 |
| Faith | 21,995 | 11,091 |
| St Vianney | 5,159 | |
| BWG | 16,932 | |
| Bulogo | 11,589 | |
| LTCH | 3,131 | |
| Rossholme | 6,179 | 3,724 |
| 59,136 | 85,292 |
As in most previous years, Joy was the main beneficiary of our grants this year, with Faith also benefiting significantly from building projects and Rossholme from the land purchase.
As a small charity run entirely by volunteers, we strive to minimise our expenditure on items other than direct project costs.
This year the charity incurred a cost of £5,244 on one of our regular visits to the projects we support in Uganda and Kenya. Three members of the charity spent a rewarding week monitoring the projects and renewing contact with the leaders at Joy and Faith, and seeing the operations at Rossholme and LTCH for the first time. Whilst on the visit, the Trustees also made enquiries about other partner organisations with whom we might work in future.
Our fundraising costs mostly comprise commission paid to a fund-raising consultant. This year we raised nearly £15,500 (2023: £7,800) from the grant making bodies introduced to us by the consultant.
1 Including money transfer costs
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Our administration costs of £322 (2023: £287) were largely for IT and internet subscriptions, and printing and stamps for our appeal letters.
Reserves policy
EACP’s reserves policy is, subject to exceptional circumstances, to maintain a minimum reserve of £5,000 or three months anticipated committed expenditure, whichever is the greater. As of 31 March 2024, we had an unrestricted reserves balance of £29,318 (2023: £14,599) which is more than sufficient to cover three months of committed expenditure at current levels (including the additional food inflation related funding). In addition, we have a restricted funds balance of £8,447, all of which is earmarked for specific projects. While our unrestricted reserves balance at the yearend was higher than usual, we are actively considering new projects at our existing partners as well as engaging with a number of new potential partners. As ever, the Trustees review all projects and partners carefully before approving any grants.
Surplus funds are held on deposit as the Trustees do not consider it appropriate to invest funds where there is a risk of capital depreciation.
Inspection of accounts
As our income for the year exceeded £25,000, we are required to have our accounts inspected by an independent examiner. This service has been provided on a pro bono basis. The inspector’s report is at page 10.
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.
Signed on behalf of EACP’s Trustees by:
Pieter Lagaay, Trustee and Chairman Date: 14.10.2024
Ros Stow, Trustee
Date: 14.10.2024
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF EAST AFRICA CHILDREN'S PROJECT
Registered Charity number 1136340
Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024
The accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and independent 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:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
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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 particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report
My examination was carried out in accordance with 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 Report
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act;
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have not been met; or
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To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Shari Norton ACA
Flat 1, 17 Cambridge Park, Twickenham TW1 2JE
Signed Date 21 September 2024 : :
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Section A Receipts and payments for the year ended 31 March 2024
| 31 March 2024 | 31 March 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Receipts | Unrestricted £ Restricted £ |
|
| Voluntarydonations andgrants | 56,902 | 24,981 |
| Interest on deposit accounts | 160 | 0 |
| Total receipts Payments |
57,062 | 24,981 |
| Grants and donations | 35,068 | 24,068 |
| Trustees monitoringvisit | 5,224 | |
| Costs of fundraising | 1,728 | |
| Administration | 322 | |
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) during the period Accumulated net receipts brought forward at 31 March 2023 (2022) Accumulated net receipts (payments) at 31 March 2024(2023) |
42,342 | 24,068 |
| 14,720 | 913 | |
| 14,599 | 7,534 | |
| 29,319 | 8,447 |
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2024 | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2024 | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2024 | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2024 | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2024 | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2024 | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2024 | 31 March 2024 | 31 March 2023 | 31 March 2023 | |||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||
| Cash at bank | 29,319 | 8,447 | 14,599 | 7,533 |
Signed on behalf of all the Trustees of EACP by:
Pieter Lagaay, Trustee and Chairman
Date: 14.10.2024
Ros Stow, Trustee
Date: 14.10.2024
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