REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1136738
SALTPOND EDUCATION PROJECT UNINCORPORATED CHARITABLE ASSOCIATION
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2022
Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022
| Trustees’ Annual Report | 2-5 |
|---|---|
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 6 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 7 |
| Balance Sheet | 8 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 9 - 10 |
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Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the Saltpond Education Project for the year ended 31 March 2022.
In shaping the objectives for the year and planning the charity's activities, the trustees referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning future activities.
Objectives and activities
The objectives as established in the governing document are to advance the education of underprivileged children and young people in Saltpond, Ghana by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities and resources. Currently these facilities and resources amount to a single primary school and community space, and a sponsorship programme which enables students to continue their education at local junior and senior high schools. An additional site was purchased adjacent to the current primary school and work began to build a junior high school on this site.
A small, grassroots organisation assisted by volunteers in the UK, we work alongside Ghanaian staff so that they can run the project themselves whilst learning vital skills. We provide innovative teacher training via education professionals from both Ghana and the UK, as well as all project funding and materials.
We offer a broad extra-curricular programme and free food, uniform and resources for all students who cannot access mainstream education due to the prohibitive costs of the above-mentioned required items. Our teachers focus on bilingual teaching and learning, and a play-based, skills-focused curriculum.
We work under the guidance of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to ensure our research and development is sustainable and standardised, and of overall benefit to the community we serve.
The main public-facing aims and articulations are:
A dynamic primary school and teacher-training project for underprivileged children in Saltpond, Ghana , with a mission of:
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Dynamic classroom practice
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Education beyond the classroom
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A healthy, safe environment
The SEP Happy School (primary) is a registered independent school in Ghana, and the Saltpond Education Project is registered as an NGO in Ghana. It produces and files its own accounts in Ghana but it is answerable to the UK charity, which closely supervises its operations via a team of employees on the ground in Ghana, and regular visits by trustees and volunteers from the UK.
The student population at the SEP Happy primary school is currently 138, with an additional 40 students being sponsored into two local Junior High Schools (JHS), and 6 students being sponsored into 1 private Senior High School. We also support 5 graduates in our apprenticeship scheme. In total, the charity supports 189 Ghanaian children. The Ghanaian NGO currently employees 9 teaching staff, plus a full-time project manager, a part-time accountant, security guard, school nurse, and cook.
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Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
Activity in this period
Following the reopening of schools in Ghana in January 2021 after the global COVID-19 pandemic, the SEP Happy School in Saltpond returned to its normal operations. Both students and teachers were very happy to return to school. We were very happy that nearly all our students returned following the 9-month break and our numbers have even increased slightly since the previous year. The teachers continued to receive regular training from our headteacher, Emmanuel Ofori, and also attended trainings offered by the Ghanaian Government Education Service and the Private Schools Network. SEP is committed to ensuring our teaching maintains very high standards and adopts the latest innovations in education to provide the best opportunities for our students.
We continued to sponsor the students who have graduated from our primary school through their junior high and senior high schools, by covering all related costs, including uniforms, lunches and school resources. In total, we sponsor 46 students through their secondary education. Everyone at SEP was overjoyed by the success of our first students to graduate from senior high school in January 2021. These 8 students have been with SEP since the very beginning and have been so committed to their education and worked so hard over the last 12 years. It is an incredible achievement for children from such disadvantaged backgrounds to even finish primary school, let alone junior or senior high school, given the hardships they face and the pressure to earn money for their families rather than attend school.
SEP began its apprenticeship programme in May 2021 with 5 apprentices. The programme has been set up for those students who have graduated junior high school but have not been accepted into the rigorously academic senior high school that we sponsor our students into. We wanted to ensure that along with a national qualification (the BECE achieved at the end of junior high) these students were able to learn skills that would allow them to pursue a profession and earn a living, while also supporting their community in Saltpond. The apprentices are training in floral decoration and cake making, masonry, welding and tailoring.
In March 2022, one of our trustees visited Saltpond along with a documentary film-maker. They brought out with them 2 tablets donated by a new partnership with Sun Books (part of the World Literacy Foundation). The tablets are loaded with lots of literacy content and e-books that have culturally-relevant characters and themes. Sun Books also offer remote training and regular contact to support the teachers. Culturally relevant books and literacy resources are notoriously scarce in subSaharan Africa, so this partnership will greatly help our efforts to teach literacy. The film-maker, Sam Pearson, made a short film about the project’s work, including content of the teaching and interviews with Mike Ofori (founder and project co-ordinator) and Emmanuel. The film was edited and released later on in 2022.
Building work on our new junior high school building re-started in July 2021 following the break brought on by the pandemic. However, continued materials shortages meant that work was slow and eventually stopped again later in the year. We are hoping to be able to open our own junior high school in 2023. It will follow the same SEP Happy School ethos and will mean we will not need to sponsor students into other junior high schools once we have our own on site.
In September 2021, we offered our staff salary increases due to rising inflation and cost of living. This is in addition to the termly increases we offer teaching staff based upon their teaching observations and targets.
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Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
The Ghanaian government decided to change the academic year to run from January to December, rather than September to August, to help make up for some of the learning time lost during the pandemic.
At the charity AGM in May 2022, all board positions were voted on and remained the same. Financial and other updates were presented to all the trustees. The meeting was held online via Zoom, due to the pandemic restrictions.
Grants and Corporate Sponsorship
SEP have been successful in maintaining our partnership with the Cereal Investments Company in Ghana who generously commit to a monthly donation of 225kg of rice.
SEP created a new partnership with Sun Books (part of the World Literacy Foundation) in March 2022. 2 tablets loaded with literacy content were donated as part of the exploratory stage. Further tablets and in-country support will be donated in the next stage of the partnership, greatly supporting our ability to to teach literacy and to take advantage of the latest in edtech innovation.
Financial Review
Reserves policy
It is the charity’s policy to hold reserves amounting to £15,000, or approximately 6 months’ operating costs.
The present level of funding is adequate to support the continuation of the charity for the medium term and the trustees consider the financial position of the charity to be satisfactory.
Principal funding sources
The principal funding source for the charity is currently by way of regular donations as well as grants and sponsorship.
Structure, governance and management
The Saltpond Education Project is controlled by its governing document, a constitution of charitable association, which was adopted on May 23rd 2010. It was registered as a charity on 6th July 2010.
The board of trustees, chaired by the chairperson, is responsible for the organisation's good governance, and delegates day-to-day management responsibility to the director, who oversees the work of staff and volunteers. New trustees are recruited by word of mouth.
Risk management and child protection policy
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
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Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
All parties in regular contact with children are Ghanaian citizens and therefore not subject to legal checking procedures. Such parties are, however, subject to the organisation’s vetting process, which involves obtaining employment history and character references as far as is possible. All parties are subject to continued scrutiny in an open and law-abiding community, in which trustees are highly involved.
Volunteership does not allow for one-on-one contact with children, and is usually undertaken by qualified UK teachers, who are subject to UK DBS checks via their own institutions.
Trusteeship does not, by definition, involve regular contact with children.
The Board of Trustees
Ms Rachel Mann Ms Laura Percival Mr Ian Burbidge Mrs Tara Royle (Chairperson) Ms Ashley Barras (Director) Ms Natalie Falconer (Secretary)
Registered address
29 St Albans Road London NW5 1RG
Charity number
1136738
Independent Examiner
Catherine Sullivan
On behalf of the board,
Tara Royle
Chairperson of the board of trustees 2[nd] January 2023
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Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Saltpond Education Project
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Saltpond Education Project (the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2021.
This report is made solely to the Charity’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 8 of the Charities Act 2011.
My examination has been undertaken so that I might state to the Charity’s Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the Charity’s Trustees as a body, for my examination, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation 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 examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent Examiner’s statement I have completed my examination.
I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
• accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
• the accounts do not accord with those records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Catherine Sullivan FCA DCha Beresford Marney Ltd Date: 29[th] January 2023
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Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
Statement of Financial Activities
| Notes Income from: Voluntary Income 2 Expenditure Charitable Activities 3 Net Income Reconciliation of funds Funds Brought forward at 1 April Funds Carried forward at 31 March |
2022 £ 59,065 59,065 30,686 30,686 28,379 73,386 101,765 |
2021 £ 35,646 |
|---|---|---|
| 35,646 | ||
| 20,439 | ||
| 20,439 | ||
| 15,207 | ||
| 58,179 | ||
| 73,386 |
The notes on pages 9 to 10 form part of these accounts
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Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2022
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2022 2021
Notes £ £ £ £
Fixed Assets 4 32,802 24,680
Current Assets
Cash at bank and in hand 68,873 48,706
68,873 48,706
Total assets less total liabilities 101,675 73,386
Funds
Unrestricted Funds 101,675 73,386
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For the year ended 31 March 2022 the charitable association was entitled to exemption under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 relating to small charities. The members have not required the charity to obtain an audit in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. The trustees acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on 29th January 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
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______
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Tara Royle Chairperson of the board of trustees
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Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
1) Basis of Preparation
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognized at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these financial statements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011. The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. There are no significant areas of judgement or key assumptions that affect items in the financial statements other than those included within the accounting policies described below.
The Trustees have taken advantage of the disclosure exemption in respect of the requirements of Section 7 “Statement of Cash Flows” in preparing these accounts as permitted by FRS 102 and the Charities SORP (FRS 102) Update Bulletin 1.
A Income
Income is recognized in the period in which the charity is in receipt of donation income.
B Expenditure
All expenditure is included on a payment’s basis. Charitable expenditure comprises grants which are provided for when approved by the Trustees, and support costs which are identifiable as wholly or mainly in support of the charity’s objectives based on the allocation of staff time and office resources. Support costs are those costs which enable fund generating and charitable activities to be undertaken. Where activities incurred relate to more than one cost category, it is apportioned on the basis of staff time incurred.
C Taxation
The charity is not liable to taxation on any surplus of income over expenditure and can recover tax suffered on donations received under Gift Aid. D Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and balances with banks, and investments in money market instruments which are readily convertible, being those with original maturities of three months or less.
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Saltpond Education Project Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
2. Voluntary Income
| 2022 £ Donations 59,065 59,065 3. Charitable Activities 2022 £ Operations in Ghana: Food costs 5,243 School supplies 7,146 Staff costs 10,490 Administration 261 23,139 UK support costs: Publicity 530 Bank charges 342 Forex loss 6,674 7,547 30,686 |
2021 £ 35,646 35,646 2021 £ 1,220 5,702 11,822 554 19,297 47 384 711 1,142 20,439 |
|---|---|
There were no employees based in the UK in year (2021: nil)
4. Fixed Assets
| 4. Fixed Assets | |
|---|---|
| Brought forward at 1 April 2021 Additions in year Carried forward at 31 March 2022 |
Land and Buildings £ 24,681 8,121 |
| 32,802 |
No depreciation has been applied to land and buildings
5. Transactions with Trustees
No Trustee received any remuneration or reimbursement of expenses (2021: £Nil) incurred in carrying out their responsibilities.
Tara Royle (Chair of the Trustees) made a donation in year of £12,500 (2021: £15,000)
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