2020-09-30-accounts

Charity Registration No. 1138333

PROJECT SRI LANKA Charitable Incorporated Organisation

DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES’ REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2020

PROJECT SRI LANKA

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Companies House Certificate of Incorporation number: 07318625 Converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) 5/11/18

Registered Charity number: 1138333

Registered Office:

West Acres Cottage West Acres Alnwick Northumberland NE66 2PU

Directors and Trustees

Professor Joy Annette Palmer Cooper JP (Chairman) Professor David Edward Cooper (Secretary) Mrs Alison Hilary Brown JP (Vice Chairman) Mr Michael Alan Brown

Secretary

Professor David E. Cooper

Bankers

HSBC 110 Grey Street Newcastle upon Tyne

PROJECT SRI LANKA

TRUSTEES’ REPORT 2020

The Directors and Trustees present this Report together with financial statements of Project Sri Lanka, for the year ended 30[th] September 2020.

Structure, Governance and Management

The governing document is the Governing Document submitted with the application to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

The number of Trustees shall not be less than 3 but shall not be more than 12. For the period of present reporting there have been 4 Trustees and Members as named above. The Trustees have the power at any time to appoint any person who is able and willing to do so to be a Trustee. Upon his appointment as a Trustee, a person shall automatically become a Member of the CIO, subject to any maximum number not being exceeded. A person shall not be entitled to act as a Trustee until he has signed a declaration of acceptance and willingness to act in accordance with the terms of the Articles of Association.

The Trustees have accepted ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of Project Sri Lanka and for ensuring that it is solvent, well run, and delivering the charitable outcomes for the benefit of the public for which it has been set up. All of the present Trustees are very well qualified to provide oversight of the affairs of the charity. All are long-established and successful educators and all have worked in Sri Lanka in relation to our humanitarian endeavours. Two of the Trustees are Justices of the Peace and thus have extensive training in legal matters and of working with situations that require application of justice and equity, principles of human rights, and the need to consider the welfare of children and vulnerable adults in difficult circumstances. They will ensure that any person appointed in future as a Trustee is appropriately inducted and trained to understand the nature of the charity and its operations and their responsibilities in relation to compliance, duty of prudence and duty of care.

Project Sri Lanka employs no staff. Business is managed by the Trustees in accordance with the Governing Document. The Trustees examine the major strategic, business and operational risks to which the charity is exposed and satisfy themselves that systems or procedures are in place to minimise such risks and ensure that any risks remain insignificant.

The Trustees have policies for Working with Children and Vulnerable Adults and Risk Management which are reviewed on an annual basis. The Chairman serves as Safeguarding Officer.

Objects

The CIO’s objects are specifically restricted to the following:

The advancement of education and the relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, poverty or those living in socially or economically disadvantaged communities, primarily in Sri Lanka but not limited to this area, in particular but not exclusively by the following means:

• i) Providing or assisting in the provision of goods, services, resources, grants and trained volunteers; or

• ii) Providing support to schools and teachers and developing educational and environmental infrastructure; or

iii) Providing people with the means to live and support themselves and their community for the present and the future.

These objects are clearly for the public benefit. Trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers and duties.

The charity seeks to enhance the lives of people, primarily in Sri Lanka, by providing assistance and support as detailed regardless of ethnicity or religious belief. The charity is committed to equality of opportunity, integrity, tolerance and respect for others in all of its endeavours.

Specific Objectives for 2019-20 were:

• i) Further monitoring of progress made on the Oral Cancer Awareness, Detection and Treatment programme which is being conducted in association with the Rotary Club of Kandy, Cancer Care Services in Sri Lanka and the Faculty of Dental Sciences and Maxilofacial Surgery in Peradeniya – this being the subject of a Rotary International Global Grant

• ii) Monitoring of the substantial project on the provision of equipment for paediatric oncology surgery in association with the Rotary Club of Kandy – this also being the subject of a Global Grant of Rotary International.

• iii) Considering a further collaborative project that links Project Sri Lanka, The Rotary club of Kandy and the Rotary Club of Alnwick.

• iv) Sustaining the quality of pre-school education and general usage in our community buildings by continuing training and ensuring that each has a pre-school teacher where appropriate and/or a range of successful community activities.

• v) Ensuring the continued success of the ‘sponsor a child’ scheme.

• vi) Maintaining visits by Trustees for personal contribution, development and evaluation activities.

Activities and programmes delivered during the reporting period included:

• i) Sadly, due to coronavirus restrictions associated with the global pandemic, Trustees have not been able to make personal visits to Sri Lanka over the period covered by this Report. However, significant efforts have been made to monitor the progress and development of projects by alternative means. The Oral Cancer Detection, Awareness and Treatment project is being conducted in partnership with Cancer Care Services in Sri Lanka and the Department of Dental and Maxilofacial Surgery at the University Hospital of Peradeniya. Funds for the project have been donated by Project Sri Lanka, the Rotary Club of Kandy and the Rotary Club of Alnwick in RIBI District 1030 and it has been the subject of a Rotary International Global Grant. The project has entailed conducting field visits to Sri Lanka’s rural tea plantation communities and engaging in screening for early signs of oral cancerous lesions or cancer in its more advanced stages. Individuals with detected problems have then been referred to the Peradeniya hospital for treatment. The project has also included an all-important educational dimension where young children are taught the dangers of betel leaf chewing and encouraged not to become involved in this life-threatening habit that affects the lives of so many rural workers. The formal period of the Global Grant is now concluded, and the project has been deemed highly successful. That said, now that Cancer Care services are working in partnership

with the surgical team, their work continues, and successful identification and treatment of cancers will be routinely made. We were very greatly impressed by the work being conducted for this project which is most certainly saving lives of people in remote rural communities.

• ii) In the Report of the previous year, it was noted that Trustees had ‘officially’ handed over multiple items of equipment for paediatric oncology surgery – this being the subject of a further Global Grant in association with the Rotary Club of Kandy and the Rotary Club of Alnwick. This project has been monitored by reports from Sri Lanka and we note the highly successful nature of it. Many more patients are being treated as a result of the acquisition of the donated equipment which is being put to extensive and excellent use by the surgical team.

• iii) During the year, the Chairman has been in regular communication with the officer in charge of monitoring activities in many of our partnership villages and project locations in the Matara and Ratnapura Districts, this being Mr Bandula Senadeera, Head of the International Division of the organisation Sarvodaya Shramadana. Where challenges have been identified, these are being addressed, though once again it should be noted that in-country travel restrictions have necessitated this monitoring to be done from Colombo.

• iv) The programme of training for the teachers in the Charity’s 7 community buildings in the Matara area and 3 in the Ratnapura District has continued and is monitored by Mr Senadeera.

• v) Trustees have been engaged in discussions with the Rotary Club of Kandy about a further application for a Rotary International Global Grant. An application was duly made in June 2020 and Trustees are delighted to report that this has recently been approved as successful. The subject of this new partnership project is ‘Cranio-Facial Deformities’. Equipment will be provided for surgery on patients presenting with severe facial deformities in the Peradeniya Hospital in Kandy. It is anticipated that the Project will commence towards the end of 2020 and will be stringently monitored and hopefully visited when Covid-19 restrictions on travel allow.

• vi) The Charity’s ‘Sponsor a Child’ scheme has continued throughout the year. Children supported through this activity continue to receive regular financial assistance for their education. In January 2020 the due annual payments were made into the children’s bank accounts, noting that Trustees had decided to increase the amounts paid as a result of rising local costs in Sri Lanka.

• vii) Various presentations have been given by Trustees on the nature and development of Project Sri Lanka, for example, to Rotary Clubs in the North East of England Rotary District.

Achievements and performance

All of the Charity’s objectives set for the period 2018-2019 were met through the programmes and activities as set out above. Alongside our continued interest in education and provision of water supplies, the Trustees have embraced several projects in the areas of health and care for those with disabilities, urgent medical and basic human needs. The Trustees remain committed to exploring and being receptive to new opportunities for community development and the provision of basic human needs.

2020 has marked the 15th anniversary of the commencement of Project Sri Lanka’s activities in Sri Lanka, activities that were originally organised under the auspices of Durham University and which later became the Charity Project Sri Lanka. Most sincere gratitude is expressed to all donors and friends of the Charity for their continued support.

Plans for future periods Specific objectives for 2020-2021 include:

• i) Further monitoring of the substantial project on the provision of equipment for paediatric oncology surgery in association with the Rotary Club of Kandy – this also being the subject of a Global Grant from Rotary International

• ii) The commencement and monitoring of the latest Global Grant from Rotary International, linking Project Sri Lanka with the Rotary Club of Kandy and the Rotary Club of Alnwick, this being dedicated to the treatment of cranio-facial deformities.

• iii) Sustaining the quality of pre-school education and general usage in our community buildings by continuing training and ensuring each has a pre-school teacher where appropriate and/or a range of successful community activities.

• iv) Ensuring the continued success of the ‘sponsor a child’ scheme.

• vii) Maintaining visits by Trustees for personal contribution, development and evaluation activities if Covid-19 travel restrictions allow.

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities

The Directors and Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the accounts in accordance with the Charity Commission requirements for a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

This report was approved by the Directors and Trustees and signed on their behalf by

Professor David E. Cooper Secretary and Trustee

Dated 19 November 2020

Charity Name			No (if any)
Project Sri Lanka			1138333
Receipts and payments accounts
For the period from	Period start date 01 10 2019	To	Period end date 30 09 2020

CC16a

Section A Receipts and payments

A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~~3333~~ 60 - - 3393 3393 ~~1500~~ ~~1050~~ ~~-~~ 287 16337 16337 (12944) 68841 ~~81785~~	Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Endowment funds to the nearest £	Total funds to the nearest £	Last year to the nearest £
~~Donations~~	- ~~3333~~		- - - - - - - - -	- - - - - - - - - ~~3333~~ ~~60~~ 3393	- - - - - - - - ~~2339~~ 84 ~~1281~~ ~~105~~
	-
~~Interest on savings~~	- 60
	-
~~Gift Aid~~	- -
	-
~~Returned payment~~	- -
	-
Sub total(Gross income for AR)	- 3393				- 3809
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-		- - -	- - -	-
	-
Sub total	-				-
Total receipts A3 Payments
			-	- 3393	- ~~3809~~
Grants	- ~~1500~~		- - - - - - - - - -	- - - - - - - - - - ~~1500~~ ~~1050~~ ~~287~~ 16337	- - - - - - - - - - ~~1821~~ ~~371~~ ~~1963~~
	-
~~Child sponsorship~~ ~~grants~~	- ~~1050~~
	-
Expenses (bank charges,	- 287
~~post trustees~~'~~travel etc)~~	-
Website costs ~~, ~~	- ~~-~~
	-
	-
**Sub total **	- 16337				- 4155
A4 Asset and investment purchases (see table)
,	-		- - -	- - -
	-
**Sub total **	-				-
Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end				- 16337
			-		- 4155
	- (12944)		-	- (12944)	- (346)
	-		- -	- - ~~81785~~	- -
	- ~~81785~~
	- 68841		-	- 68841	-

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

13/05/2021

1

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at	the end of the period
Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds	Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Details Details Signature Current account Savings account	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name 41296 ~~27545~~ 68841 David E. Cooper	Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			OK
			Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			When due (optional)
			Date of approval
			13 05 2021

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

13/05/2021

2