Report of the Trustees for Spirit of Africa charity ( 1141351 ) Year ending August 12th 2023
The Charity’s work
The charity operates in the Valley of a Thousand Hills in Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa. Our current project is called Ithembalihle, which means; “place of hope.” We have a dormitory building and a Pre-school at our project. Accommodation for the NGO supervisor and her family.
The pre-school was built by the charity, along with the aid of volunteers from another South African, UK based, charity. We funded the running of the pre-school from 2013, but now it has been registered by the local authority and is now totally run and funded by the South African government.
We currently have 14 children staying on the project. Thandiwe Sibya who operates the project, under a South African registered NGO lives permanently on the property. Until this year we have had a permanent, live in House mother. Now that several of our children are 17years of age, we no longer have a live in Housemother. We have house help and a cook who help out with washing and general cleaning several times a week.
In order to create independence in the children they are encouraged to do their own washing, help with the cooking and cleaning. Because they are still at school, they require help from the house help.
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Some of our children stay with us permanently and are orphaned, other children, On occasions, do visit a family member during the school holidays.
We send our children to two different schools. Most of the children attend Sankontshe primary. One child attends Marion Hill Primary in PZB. We have a 9-seater vehicle, which we bought in 2019 to transport the children back and forth to school.
The charity pays for all uniforms and school fees, where required.
The charity pays for all the staff that works on site at Ithembahlile. All money is sent via Torfx into Thandiwe Sibya’s NGO account.
Everything at the project: education, food, children’s clothing, and general Maintenance, gas, electricity, vehicle repairs etc. is paid for by the charity. We believe all children have the right to have a home, a safe place to live, and Good health care, access to education and to be loved. The charity enables all of The mentioned to be provided.
Where our money comes from
A local church has committed to sponsor us for 3 years. We are now into the 3[rd] year of that agreement. The donation is approximately £1000 per annum
A UK based South African, children’s charity does gift us £500- £1000 when we are involved in fund raising campaigns to improve the facilities at Ithemabalihle. We organize online and events raffles and a bonus ball game to raise money. We sell African goods at craft fairs. We have dinner and live band events, an annual garden party, accessory parties etc.
We have regular individual sponsors, which now account for a third of our income. We have people who make a one off donation through out the year.
How we have spent our money
A monthly payment is made to the project to cover all of the regular expenses that is incurred at Ithembalihle. The monthly payment various between £800 and £1,500 depending on the rate of exchange and any extra expenditure, incurred, in that month. Extra expenditure may include extra payments for school uniform, repairs to the buildings, vehicle repairs or general maintenance.
We send monthly contributions to Ithembalihle, via Torfx money, to Thandiwe who is the Registered representative of the NGO in S. Africa. Thandiwe then pays the: House help, cook and any contractor carrying out repairs. The rest of the monthly payment is used for: Gas, electricity, food, petrol, medical expenses and cleaning materials. School fees, uniforms, graduation, Christmas parties, gifts, vehicle insurance and car Tax. Repairs are paid at the same time as the general budget or in separate payments.
Since our last report a kitchen for the Pre-school was built by local personnel and paid for by SOA
2022-23 we financed an extension of the existing dormitory, which now has two floors. The boys occupy upstairs the girls downstairs.
The £500 per month for an interest free loan for our vehicle, ended May 2023
We have had several bouts of flooding since our last report. In response to climate changes and increased danger of flooding we have also managed to build flood defenses since our last report. The defenses were walls and drainage.
We have annual charity insurance and licenses to pay. A new electricity box system has been updated. A Trustee visit to the project is financed by the charity.
Aims met since our last report
1) To generate sufficient funds to commence a new dormitory building for the Girls only. Extension complete
2) The Pre-school has now been registered for three years but, we are yet to receive any funding from government. The local authority will be pursued for a regular Income for our Preschool children. Funding now met by S. African government
3) To install a wall behind the pre-school to prevent further flooding. To install field Drains to prevent further flooding. Completed
4) Lay carpet in the Pre-school and flooring in the new kitchen. Completed
- 5) Supply and fit tanks for the storage of water. Completed
Future Aims
1) To concentrate on saving funds to replace our ageing vehicle
2) To encourage further independence in our older children.
3) To enhance the education of our children. Education has been lost due to Covid. Teacher’s strikes and this year school closures because of having no water supply in the whole of the valley for months at a time.
Currently sourcing Saturday schooling.
4) To consolidate funds after two years of building expenses.
5) To continue to support the project while looking towards a future exit strategy as our children gain their independence.
Financial position
The aim of the charity is to always have a 9-12 months charity spending in the bank.
Report compiled by Carol Tree (Chair Trustee) and witnessed by Clive Barr Trustees.
Date April 2024
Statement of Income & Expenditure to 14th August 2023
| £ | £ | £ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | |||
| Donations Gift Aided | 12860.00 | ||
| Donations Non Gift Aided | 6094.63 | ||
| HMRC Gift Aid Repayment | 4765.75 | ||
| Amazon Smile | 7.37 | ||
| Fund Raising | |||
| Garden Party | 659.97 | ||
| Sponsored Runs | 3165.81 | ||
| Bonus Ball | 1955.18 | ||
| May Event | 288.06 | ||
| Café 19 | 285.85 | ||
| Raffle | 2857.60 | ||
| Christmas Cards | 10.00 | ||
| Sale of African Goods | |||
| Sales | 2511.32 | ||
| Opening Stock | 416.00 | ||
| Add Purchases | 760.08 | ||
| Less Closing Stock | 300.00 | ||
| Cost of goods sold | 876.08 | ||
| Profit on sale of African Goods | 1635.24 | ||
| Gross Interest Savings Account | |||
| Total Income | 34585.46 | ||
| Expenditure | |||
| iThembalhle Core Costs | 8314.09 | ||
| Education | 2208.38 | ||
| Pre School | 0.00 | ||
| Car Insurance & Licence | 1162.81 | ||
| Car Repairs & Service | 3821.01 | ||
| Petrol | 1449.80 | ||
| Taxi | 541.36 | ||
| Travel & Accomodation | 1481.22 | ||
| Building Repairs & Improvements | 7744.12 | ||
| Great North Run | 581.00 | ||
| Charity Insurance | 320.27 | ||
| Web Site | 85.04 | ||
| Depreciation of car | 1964.78 | ||
| 29673.88 | |||
| Net Income (Loss) | 4911.58 |
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examlner's report on the accounts Sèction A Indep8ndent Examinèr's Report R&port to tho trustgos "gpiliT OF Af RILFL On accounts for the y•ar ended CharSty no {if any) ILplo812oL3 IIW1351 Set out on pages I rewt io the bustees on my examination of the a¢counts ol the atr)ve charity I'thg Trusfi for the year encled .... Responsibilitles and bagis of report As th8 charty8 trust885, you arè resrK>wble for the preparation of tho aco(xJnts in accordance with the requirements of the Charrti8s Act 2011 l.the Acr). I roport In r84)8ct ol my èxamination of the Trusi's accounts carried out under $6cti(m 145 of th& 2011 Act and in carryiry wt my èxarninthn. I have followed all the applicable Directions gfven by the Charty Commlssion under secticfi 14515llbl of the Act. Independent trhe charity's gross incom8 8xeoeded £250,000 Bnd l am quaIffi lo examln•fs statement wdertak8 tha 8xaminatlon by belng a qUrfled mernb8r of linsgrl nam& of 4)plicable li8ted tsv. Delete I l rfnotappliGabk¥. I have Comted rny examlnab"th. l e()fim) that no matetial matters have com6 tr) my attantion in eonnection wth tha examinatiln lolher than tr1 disclosed below '} whKh gives me cause to bdieve thal In. any materkil respect: Ihe accounting rectyds were rt kept in accorxlance with secthjn 130 of th8 CharTties Act- or tho accoLEnts did not accord with accounting rec¢xds', or Iha aCCnts dkj not cOmY wlttTr the applcabb requirem8nts cOreming the form and content of accounts 891 OLrt in the Charrties (Accounts aTha Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any reqLirement Ihat lh¢ accounts opie a'lrue and fa*, vkw whh Th)t a matter ¢onskYered as part of an Independent examinath?n. I have rK) concerns and have come across no other matters In conneclijn with the examination lo which 8ttenlion shId be drawn in this report in ord8r10 8nable 8 prop8r utKlerstsndlng of the accounts to be reached. ' Please delete tho wolts in the brackets rfthey do nof8pply. Signed: Zz Name: Relevant profosslonal qualifi¢ati¢)nlsl or body .bÉsg-Try2 - 6A ALYrJS , IER Oct 2018
Address: gLi4tL TM &*4 Sectlon B Dis¢105ure Only complete il the examiner needs lo highlight msterial matters ol concern 18ge CC32, Independent exomination of ehaTty Bccounts.. directions aryj guidance for examin8rsl. Givè here brief delalls of any ltsms that the oxamlner wlshos to dlsclose. NJ ER Oct 2018