CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of TRUSTthildren Support Grcxjp UK On accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 Charlty no Iff any) 1139559 Sot out on pages I rewrt to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended 31112122. Rosponslbllltles and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basls of report of th8 accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Chartt18s Act 2011 {"the Act"). I reFQrt in spe of my examinats'on of the Trust's accounts carried oul under seclion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examlnallon, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under sedion 145(5Xb) of th8 Act. I have completed my examination. I confirni that no material matters have ma lo my attention In connection wlth the examination which gives me cause lo believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examlnerfs statement I have no concems and have come across no other matters In connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounls to be reached. pi delel e words in the brackets if they do not apply. Slgnod: Dato: fwE 2023 Name: Rel8vant profosslonal quallflcatlon(s) or body (If any): Address: MI¥L wfE>f , irtfEl8•lfvÉ Sfa . IER October 2018
Website: www.trustchildren.org.uk
Trustees Annual Report and Accounts 2022
Aims and Purposes
The objectives of our charity are to relieve poverty and hardship among needy, poor and orphaned children in India through the provision of shelter and nutrition, health, education, general welfare and vocational training programmes, and in particular to support the work of TRUST and the TRUST Children’s Homes.
Activities
In pursuit of these objectives we have had regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and have made grants to help support the children being looked after at TRUST Children’s Homes. Through the generous support of two Trusts and many individuals, we have been able to help with two major capital projects this year (see below). We have also been able to make a contribution towards the costs of education and help with the regular costs of food and of staff. Covid has meant that it has not been possible for GAP year students from the UK to visit TRUST Children’s Homes. We have helped to ensure that the children in TRUST’s care are able to look forward to a secure future.
Education is vital to enable the children to progress to a safe and independent life. The children from the Children’s Homes attend local schools. Basic Primary and Secondary education is provided free by the State, but there are costs for uniform, books and for other incidentals. After leaving school the provision of further academic, technical or vocational education, according to ability and interests, is vital to enable the children to lead independent adult lives. Schools and colleges have been open again after Covid and we have helped with the costs of college fees as well as incidental expenses for the younger children. There were five children in their final year at college for whom fees were payable.
The older children who have left school and are away at college, often staying in hostels during term time, have usually returned to the Children’s Homes to stay with their ‘extended family’ during holiday periods. A major project to build two simple small Hostels for these older children, close to the Children’s Homes, has been completed this year with the opening of the Boys’ 18+ Hostel. Generous Trusts and individuals have made vital contributions in previous years to make this development possible.
The regular and reliable support from our monthly donors has helped to pay for regular school expenses, staff salaries, medical costs and day-to-day grocery bills. The cost of food has increased significantly during the pandemic. The restriction on local families coming to the Children’s Homes to provide and share a meal with them (‘one-time food’), introduced as an infection control measure, has continued in force. This has further increased the need for our support to help feed the children. Our regular donors have enabled us to make regular transfers to support TRUST in providing a future for around eighty destitute children who are predominantly from a poor, rural background in the far south of India.
Water is provided largely from bore holes and wells. The wells are mainly very big tanks to store water, holding water directed to them from the roofs of the buildings. In May, while the well at the Boys’ Home was almost dry, the opportunity was taken to make it deeper. One-off donations enabled us to fund this work and the well is now six feet deeper. The family concern who dug the well quoted and were paid for five feet. They provided the extra work as their contribution to the welfare of the children.
An inspection of the Boys’ Home in November resulted in renewed approval by the authorities. The report required the provision of further dormitory space as a condition for the present number of boys remaining. Once again, a grant from a very generous anonymous Trust has enabled this provision to be made. The funds are in our account and will be transferred in January 2023. Building work has started. All the present boys will be allowed to remain at TRUST Boys’ Home.
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As well as the Children’s Homes, TRUST also runs an English medium school in the village. A major new project has begun this year providing support for migrant children. There are brick kilns nearby and the labour there is provided by families who come from North India. TRUST has been offering transport to TRUST’s school, education and a meal each day to the children of these families. The lives of the children are enormously enhanced. The project started small but the numbers have steadily increased to around 100 children.
Foreign visitors are welcomed at TRUST and we have a role in providing advice to potential visitors from the UK. Although infection control restrictions mean that visitors to the campuses of the Children Homes’ are still not permitted, a visit is still really worthwhile and help at the TRUST school is allowed. Visitors help the children with their English and broaden their life experience. If anyone reading this has an interest in visiting the TRUST project please get in touch with us through our website to express this interest.
We have kept in touch with the needs and the challenges faced by Dr Thirumaran, who runs the Homes, by email and WhatsApp messages this year. The pandemic has restricted visiting in 2022 but personal contact was maintained by one of our trustees who was able to visit Thirumaran in person for a few days in December, while he was on holiday in India.
Our charity is always looking for ways to provide support for projects that will help to make the Children’s Homes more sustainable. The provision of a secure water supply in their very dry area of south India is an on-going issue. There are wells and bore holes at both Homes. When there is water it is also possible to grow vegetables and reduce food costs. Both homes now also have solar panels, charging batteries to provide light in the evenings, reducing the cost of electricity. The boys have also been looking after a number of cows – providing milk for the boys and girls in the homes, fertilizer for crops, and a useful skill looking after the animals.
Financial Review
The trustees have covered their expenses from their own resources so that all the money donated has directly benefitted the objectives of our charity. The charity’s income has all been transferred to TRUST in support of the children in its care. The main expenses (around 2%) are the costs of transferring the money to India and fees charged by card processing organisations when they collect donations on our behalf. There is no intention to maintain a reserve fund and regular transfers are normally made each month. The item ‘other transfers’ includes support for further education fees. The large balance in the account at the end of this year is the result of a donation to pay for the new boy’s dormitory. It was paid into our account towards the end of December and will be transferred to TRUST early in January. An Independent Examiner, as required by the Charity Commission, has examined our accounts. We are in regular and direct contact with the TRUST Children’s Homes and they report to us on their needs and the progress of capital projects.
Governing Document
This has been our twelfth full year as a charity registered with the Charity Commission – Registered Charity number: 1139559.
Trustees
Trustees are appointed for a term of five years at a meeting of the existing trustees. The trustees will always be delighted to hear from an individual who has an association with the TRUST Children Homes and who would like to offer their services as a trustee.
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| INCOME | EXPENDITURE | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||
| Brought forward | 2769 | 1055 | 714 | Regular transfers to TRUST | 12741 | 12056 | 13891 | |
| Regular donations via bank | 7606 | 7746 | 7616 | Transfers for Capital Projects | 5522 | 5209 | 5225 | |
| Regular donations online (incl GiftAid) |
3754 | 5837 | 2725 | Other transfers | 3067 | 6000 | 1250 | |
| One-off donations via bank | 14939 | 7556 | 4883 | Cost of transfers | 210 | 210 | 180 | |
| One-off donations online (incl GiftAid) |
662 | 1049 | 493 | Charity Checkout sub | 240 | 240 | 240 | |
| GiftAid reclaim | 3668 | 3241 | 4610 | |||||
| Placement fees | 0 | 0 | 800 | Carried forward | 11618 | 2769 | 1055 | |
| 33398 | 26484 | 21841 | 33398 | 26484 | 21841 | |||
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