The Mary Wood Trust Annual Report- 202212023 Charity Name The Mary Wood Trust Registration Number-____ 1144311 Registered adthess -- 9 Handforth Roa Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 2LX Chgrity Strnctmre, Governance and Management Trustees Chairperson --clare Ramsden Treasurer - Dr Petsr Wood Trustees - Kath Smith. Ann Gover, Pippa Hutchins, Rachel Wood Trustee selection method- By personal invitation and approval by existing trustees. Our Aims and Objectives l.To provide scholarships for educatton and training with a view to improving disadvantaged young peoples, life skills and opportunities in Uganda. 2.To advance educatkon and relieve poverty by providing sponsorship. training, fidS or items for disadvantag¢d childre young people, and those in need in Uganda. 3.To develop facilities in Kinkiizi, Kanungu district, tn particular but not exclusively. at Nyakabungo Girls Secondary School (NGSS) and Ruth Memorial Nursery School (RMNS), in order to achieve the aims outlined in l and 2 above. We have held four trustees. meetings during the year. all via Zoom, which included a special meeting in February 2023 to confm Rachel Wood as a new trustee. It is good to have some new and younger blood join the team. We also invited the headteacher of NGSS to join us via Zoom for our May 2022 meeting. This was a great opportunity to show our continued support for the school and to involve her in some of our decision making. These meetings are very important and enable us to discuss in detail about the running of the charity and also take important decisions regarding our various projects in Uganda and plans for the future. We are in regular communication with Kinkiizi Diocese and the head teachers ofboth NGSS and RMNS. There is full transparency about how our money is spent, and we ty our hardest to make su that the money we send out to Uganda and is spent there is fully accounted for, endeavouring to get receipts wherever possible. Money sent for student sponsorship or building projects at NGSS is channelled via the Diocese of Kinkiizi, where the contacts we have there are trusted and reliable, the relationship having been built up ov¢r many years. The fees for university and further education tuition are sent directly to the individual respected institutions. The trustees receive no remuneratton for their involvement in the charity and any trips to Uganda by trustees are totally self-fmanced.
ActiVRties And Objectives Activitias over thepastyear Ruth Memorial Nursery School (RMNS) in Kihiihi continues to provide a basic primary education for approximately 70 young childreffj from the local area. All come from poor families. many of whom have been affected by AIDSIHIV. The founder Ephraim Tumwesigye is the director of the nursery School. He is a retired teacher and he and his board of management (which includes family members) make sure that the nursery school runs smoothly and follows any local guidelines and restrictions. The school employs a head teacher (who has some nursery qualification) and 5 other ladies who are not fornially trained. There is also a cook and night watchman. The increased costs of food and other supplies have caused concern. The temily f¢es for the chtldren just about ¢over the cost of the staff if everyone pays. The Mary Wood Trust provides money to pay for the regular food, milk and pancakes, as well as the firewood and the cook's salary. In this way we can be sure that the children do get some nourishment every day. We have also paid for stationary needed throughout the school year and replaced all the footballs that were damaged. The laptop has been bought and solar panels have been installed throughout the classrooms and the office. We have also agreed to finance the building of a new pit latrine and to paint all the classroom walls white, as directed by the local authority. Our visit to Uganda in March 2023 highlighted other needs at the school such as replacing broken blackboards, fixing holes in the boundary fence and fixing broken outdoor toys. We have agreed to finance these during the next school year. Nyakabungo Girls Secondary School INGSS) This Church of Uganda school was founded in 1987. It is the only girls boarding school under the UMblIa of the Diocese of Kinkiizi. Its nwal situation, on sometimes impassable roads, makes it very difficult to access, particularly when it rains. This emph&8ises the importance of its boarding status as many students live some distance away. The Mary Wood Trust has been involved with the school since 2002 and has continued to grow in its sponsorship of students and improvtng the infrastructure of the school. This is seen by all the additional buildings and facilities provided by the MWT over the past 22 years. We are supporting 42 girls at the school. After Covid there was some reluctance among some parents to allow their girls to return. This was due mainly to the increase in the cost of living and thus increased school fees. The sponsorship fees are now £20 per month. Large numbers of teachers have been on strike in the county, causing problems at school and science teachers won a huge pay rise, making it almost prohibÈtive for small schools to employ full time science t¢achers. There was also disrnption at the school due to the Ebola crisis, when
the president closed all schools two we¢ks before the end of the third terni. Fortunately, those girls sitting their A levels were allowed to stay to complet¢ their exams. The girls we support are all chosen because of their great need and their poor family backgrounds, some being more academic than others. The new cu1¢U1uM that h&8 been introduced includes more vocational subjects which suits those who are less academic. The Cliff Smith sewing room (fully equipped with 13 sewing machines) is such a great asset to the school, particularly with the new curriculum. The girls are introduced to the basics of pattern making and sewing various useful garnients. This is a skill that they will be able to take away with them to Use in the tuture. We have replaced some of the solarpower equipment at the school which makes evening study more possible. Fine Arts is still a very popular subject for girls to take at O level. We have continued to support this with regular finance to buy supplies that are being used. In March we saw plastic woven baskets that the students had made and were hopefully selling to rdkse funds so that the Fine Arts can be more self-supporting. The renovation of the Female Stair House Mary Hall - is nearing completion and will hopefully provide good and ple&8ant accommodation for 7 teachers. After a very successful Christmas fundraising campaign we have been able to continue to supply sanitary towels for all girls and female teachers at the Sch(1. We also supply mosqukto nets to all and trust that they are bein8 used sensibly. There is a plan in place to build a new incinerator, thanks to a generous donor. Mary Wood Day was celebrated on March 11th 2023 when Clare and Oliver Ramsden were vtsiting. It was a good opportunity to see the ongoing renovation work at Mary Hall and to iron out a few queries. It was also a day when parents and guardians of Mary Wood Trust sponsoied girls were invited to enjoy the speeches and dancing and prizegiving to girls who had achieved well in their exams. We donafrd a cow on that day so that everyone could enjoy a heaty meal. Plans have been th?wn up to build a new A level and Fine Arts Block at NGSS. This is a very exciting project and should pmvide a very attractive place for A level students to study and hopefully make the s¢hool more markelable. The building will be built in memory of a very good friend of the Wood family, who supported the work in Uganda for many years. NGSS is very fortunate to have a dedicated and caring headteaeher. Molly Musinguzi ontinues to run the school with a supportive staff. It is a challenging situation with all the increased costs but she strives to do her best. We invited her to jotn in our trustees Zoom meeting in May and thi5 w&s a real benefit to us all. We trust that this good relationship will continue for some time.
Nyakatare Health Centre (NHC 11 I) Situated in Kanungu Town. NHC is a Dioce.qan Health Centre and provides good quality medical care to the local community. During the past year the health centre has had its status changed to a level 4 facility. There is a fully qualified doctor in change now- Dr Joe Kalenzi. Nexon Tusiime's role has Changed and he is now in charge of the HIV/AIDS department. The dental unit is still without a fully trained dentist which limits the extent of work that can be done. We help towards the salary of the dental assistant and have agreed to provide a much needed air compTrssor for the dental chair and appliances. Past Students We are fortunate to be in the position to be able to provide support for further education to some of our sponsored students after taking their A levels. Unfortunately, we cannot offer this to all the girls which of course does make for some hard decisions. We have one girl studying for a certificate in Nursing at Bwindi Nurstng School, one girl at Bukalasa Agrtculturnl College studying animal husbandry, one girl who we have set up in her own small tailoring business. 5 girls are at present at Bishop Barham Christian University in Kabale. Their subjects include Mass Communicatioffj Public Administration and Management, Business Administration and Education. We are very proud of all our girls. Achieving all this under the circumstances that they sthdy in is commendable. Newsletters and raising awareness It is always important to keep our supporters and friends up to date with how the work of the Mary Wood Trust is progressing. We have sent out 2 newsletters during the year and written an article for the St Barts Parish Magazine in Wilmslow. Future Plans Fundraising activities can begin again now that Covid restrictions are lifted. Trustees have plans for a Quiz Night and a Cake and Plant stall. These all help to raise both money as well as awareness of the charity and its work. We are looking forward to th¢ completion of the renovation work to Mary Hall (the female staff house) at NGSS. The new A level and Fine Arts block at NGSS will be built this year, including a rainwater collection system. We hope to be able to provide solar power to this building as well. A new incinerator will b¢ built at NGSS.
Financi21 Review Overview of the year Financial Revlew 2022 - 2023 We have continued to be blessed by receiving regular donations from many individuals desplte the fart of the economic downturn and hardship people face in these uncertain times. Our total income rose by a modest £1,887. Prlnclpal sources of funds Most of the Trust's income came from Individuals {Direct - £26,405; via Paypal £1,696), HMRC- Gift Aid reclaimed- £2,472, eBay Sales- £598, and £5,200 from 2 other charities. Expenditure Our expenditure has been more than 2021- 2022 as we embarked on a renovation project of the female Staff House, and as students returned to their studies with the opening of schools etc, amounts spent increased in most areas. Our main areas of expenditure were: Further Education Students - £7,157 (£7.703 last yearl NGSS Student support £8,546 (£5,634 last yearl Nyakatare Health Centre £336 (£3,974 last year) Ruth Mem. School daily food £4,279 (£2,443 last yearl NGSS Building Fund £9,774 (£2,454 last yearl Fundraising Selling donated items on eBay and Facebook marketplace has continued to bring in substantial funds. Purchasing items on the internet Amazon smile, and other schemes also raises a small amount of money. We are thankful that our regular supporters have continued their generous giving, whether it be helping with the running of RMNS, supporting individual gir15 at NGSS, responding to specific support requests, providing university support, giving to the general fund. We are very grateful indeed. Financlal Policy We have worked through the charity Commission Self - assessment checklist and checked that we are complying with all that is required of the charity.
Reserve funds We hold reserve funds in case the charity was to fold so as to enable the commitments that we have made to the students at NGSS, RMNS and the various institutes of further education to finish their respective education. How expendlture has supported the key objectlves of the charity. By providing sponsorship for 42 girls boarding at Nyakabungo Girls Secondary School {NGSSI. all of whom come from needy backgrounds, we are helping to ensure that they have a good secondary education and therefore a good start in life. This in turn will improve the standard of their own families and hopefully uplift their whole communities. By providing mosquito nets each year and supportingthe sick bayand nurse, we are ensuring that the girls are being cared for when sick and hopefully learning to keep themselves safe. By providing sanitary towels to all girls and women at the school we are helping to boost their self-esteem. The improvements to the fabric of both NGSS and Ruth Memorial Nursery School {RMNSI, will give a clean and safe environment for the children and young people to learn in. The Provision of decent male and female staff accommodation at NGSS is encouraging for the teachers themselves, showing that they appreciated and hopefully this will help them to be more caring teachers. By providing daily porridge, pancakes, and milk for 70 children at RMNS we are ensuring that the children have daily nourishment. Replacing broken play equipment and providing all the stationary need5 for the school are important in keeping up the standards of the school. Our continued ability to support some girls beyond NGSS is hopefully going to produce useful and educated and informed cttizens who will make a difference in their own families and the community beyond. Privacy Policy The Mary Wood TrSt h&8 ThTitten a privacy policy which is available to view on our website.
fHARtwYtOMIIISSION The Mary Wood Tvust Recel and ments accounts 1144311 CC16a Forth•pÈd from 06ID412022 Tv 0510412023 Section A Receipts and paymerEts Unrestrfcted Endownwnt funds LB*y tp th• io the rartE to th• Trwr4•t£ to th•n•3rt£ lolht •1•1£ Af Racei hZ05m1LE CM4RITABLETRUSTS CHURts DONANONS DFP051-, IP4TER EaAYuLES GIVEbSYOUL.:WC45H&iCK HMACGITAD 20 479 791 11 PER50NAiaONATIQNS PERSnNAi)ONAON5VlApAVPAl ARDSHIP A3 FURTHERuCoN FURTHEREO6ODD5NMTAmFUNo 265 74 kiNKIIZISTUDfNTSUPPQRT KIS11$TTrEm[su?POT eUIlDINFNQ f4GSSFItIÈPRT5 NGSSKIICHEN 14G55&4M4RIT#14 tIG5SSANITARYPADS NGSSSEWITrIGROOM NGSSSUPPOAT RASPORRIDGE GENERAL UGthOA TRIP 6ENEVI 336 SU 53 747 A4ATs•t Hnd lnv¢5tTht bloral Totalp4ymtfiis A5Trans1•Th b•tweeTriund¥ Ahlnds yw•Trd
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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Seclion A lTrdwnd•Trt Ex•mln•f'S R•p Report to Ihe trustee&l , memhr• of The Wood Trust On •ecounts br tho ye•r I •nd•d ,; 5th Awl 2023 Ch•rity no Ilf any) 1144311 S•t oul on p•9•• , CC18• I repon 10 Ihe trustees on my exarninaljon of the •ccounts oltr abov• chwty ('the Tnjst'l fcrf I y•ar •nd•d 0510412023. RponsIbIlItIeS •nd As the ¢harily Irustee$ of the Trust. you 8f• rn8PY)sibl• for th8 prparatiC4) of ba$ig of r¢port Ihe •cc¢xJnt8 in aCcdanCe wlh the requirements of the Ch8nti68 Act 2011 rtr Acn. I report in r•sp•ct ol my •x8minal•Dn of Trusl'$ accourts carried out under se¢lion 145 01 th? 2011 Act and cafrymg oul my ex•ninl0n, I ha tlOWed thé apFdicable rjrect 9iven by the Ch•rrty C(M$Son uThJer 8•cliM 1495)Ibl of the Ad. I hav ¢L¥npleled my examinati. I confim that no matènal matt•f8 hav ¢>yne to my attenlwi ') in connects'on twrth thè exnination vthich gives me ¢au6e to b&l•&ve that in, any m8ienal resit. accouTrting rec(Kd8 wefe Thot k•M fft •¢¢(thn¢ s•¢tK 130 01th8 Ind•p¢nd•nt •x•min•¢• Jtstement lh• a¢unIS do not wilh the KcwrrtirwJ reco lh• 6x•Minaln to which attèntion IUld b• dr¥4m in ord¥ to able a proper understandirKd of ih¢ a¢wunis lo btr reached. ' P1fr858 de18te the th8 brackels rflhey d) 8ppty. 0711)9r2023 R•l•v•nt prol¢MioNI I quallfl¢atlon{•l or body I 111 •ny)". Addrw: 1 166 8eects Ro¥d Chelmsltyd Ewx CMI 2RZ IER OctOr 2018