The Trust for Child Soldiers Annual Report April 2023 to March 2024 Charity Commission Number 1144484 Objectlves: To relieve the sick and promote good health in particular but not exclusively by promoting the psychosocial wellbeing and social inclusion of children and youth experiencing psychological distress a5 a result of armed conflict in Africa. To relieve poverty and distress amongst children and youth affetted by armed conflict in Africa, generally and individually, by provision of grants, items, sepiices or facilities to those in need. To undertake research and publish the useful results on issues affecting the psychological welfare and security of children and youth affected by conflict in Africa and the rest of the world, in order to advance public education. The Trust has pursued objectives lil and (il) in the financial year. Actlvlties and pub15c beneffts The Trust has carried out its work in the viclnity of the city of Gulu, northern Uganda, and has made grants benefitting 163 households to the value of £16,957 during the financial year and provided medical assistance to 211 individuals to the value of £4,700, as well as 965 individual consultations for our beneficiaries at St Philips Health Centre, to the value of £3,114. In addition, many hours of volunteer input have been directed at assisting beneficiaries in a number of ways. 94% of our expenditure was in the form of dirett grants to beneficiariés. Report on Actlvitles Throughoutthe year, the Trust has held twice-weekly clinics, when people can drop in to request assistance. Timings of clinics were selected to coincide with when a doctor is on duty at St Philips Health Centre should people come with complex medical issues. When the Trust is in a financial position to make substantial grants to new beneficiaries, typically of the order of £IOO-£2iXI, the team does due diligen¢e regarding requests through home visitsto establish the facts about the need and circumstances of the individual/family concerned. The team will then make a decision. Where the request is for costly medical treatment, including transfers to medical facilities in other parts of the country, we will usually send the person concerned to St Philips Health Centre for a second opinlon, and to establish the viability of the proposed treatment. Generol grants In the course of the year, we have supported a total of 67 individuals with education costs 37 girls and 30 boys. 28 are children to whom we have made an on-going commitment to cover their school
fees and other requirements, while the others we have supported with one off or top-up payments to cover shortfalls. Education was our largest expenditure item at £10,199. We have supported the livelihoods of 47 individuals, 41 women and six men, with grants totalling £2,466. We have also helped 36 women and nine men with small grants for an assortment of reasons including things such as help with funeral expenses, help with legal issues, visiting relatives in prison, roof repair and wheelchair repair. These other grants totalled £637. We helped 32 women. and two men and their children to relocate, usually to stay with relatlves in rural communities where they would receive more support, at a cost of £574. In addition, we made emergencylsubsistence grants totalllng £3,529 to 66 women and 14 men. Usually these represented cases of single-parent famllies struggling to cover food or accommodation costs. Most were one-off payments but for six families we provided monthly assistance of, in most cases, about £22, to assist with food costs. This range of contributions reflect our commitment to a model of direct giving, where we make grants based on the specific, self-identified needs of households. Medical grant5 We gave a total of £4,700 in medical grants to 211 individuals for a wide range of conditions and procedures, including sickle cell disease, cancer treatments and operations, broken limbs, obstetric problems, snake bites and more. In addition, we have given 965 vouchers for consultations at St Philips Health Centre to a value of £3,114, We try to pnsure that these are given to people who would not otherwise be able to afford to acce55 healthcare. Our current system does not record the number of individuals helped as there will be some overlaps with the above 211, and some have had multiple consultations. Reglstered Offirx The Trusys registered office durlng the year was Garden Flat, 6 Old Devonshire Road, London SW12 9RB. Structure. governance and management The Trusvs governing document is the trust deed of 27 October 2011. The Trust is governed by the trustees. New trustees are invited to join on the basis of expressed interest and relevant skills following a vote of the existing trustees. A minimum of two trustee meetings take place each year. During the year one new trustee, Dr Sophie Mylan, was appointed. Diana Birkett continued as Chair.
Trustees who served during the year were: l. Diana Birkett {Chair) ' 2. Julian Hopwood 3. Eliana Lafone 4. Sophie Mylan {appointed 13/0112024} 5. Charles Ogeno 6. Anna Phillips 7. Helen Saunders 8. Kim Silburn Administration Joseph Okello has continued to make a major contribution to the Trust's work as our administrator and bookkeeper and is also heavily involved in our work supporting beneficiaries. Volunteers Volunteers Jackie Aciro, Jacky Atingo and Dick Kinyera have worked extensively through the year in many capacities and made important contributions to the support of particular beneficiaries. Flnancial review: financial position, relevant policies adopted and concerns or rlsks Income for the year was £27,722, and expenditure was £26,255. Income increased by 17% and expenditure increased by IO% on 2022-23. Reserves at the years end stand at £2,917, double the figure of £1,450 in 2022-23. Monthly standing orders in March 2023 totalled £758. Restrictedfunds The Trust has two restritted funds: Medical Fund One donor stipulates that her donations should be used for medical purposes. Medical expenditure so far has substantially exceeded these donations, resulting in no balance of funds. Education Fund, formerly Children Born of War Education Fund In 2022 nearly £2,000 was donated for the education of a group of young people born in LRA captivity, established as the Children Born of War Education Fund. This was largely spent down in 2021-22 and 2022-23, such that on I, April 2023 there was only £88 left in the Fund, and only one donation of £51 in was made 2023-24.
In February 2024 we received a donation of £5,000 from the Social enterprise Giveclarity, which Stipulated that it should be spent on broad educational purposes, including both actual school fee5 and on-costs as well as sUPPOrt of families to help them educate their own children. We merged this with the original CBW Education Fund, identifying 12 families from our existing beneficiaries who qualified for thi5 Fund, as well as the two remaining th beneficiaries of the original CBW Education Fund. We have included 4 Quarter expenditure on the 12 families and two individuals in the Fund's outgoings, totalling £2,503. GiftAid We were able to claim a total of £3,141 in Gift Aid for donations made in 2022-23 and are able to claim £3,583 for donations made in 2023-24 in the next financial year. Risk The Trusvs financial position has contlnued to strengthen and our work to expand. This is the first vear our income ha5 exceeded £25,000, meaning we have reached the level at which Charity Commission regulations require our accounts to be examined by an independent person. 39% of our income was in the form of predictable standing-order donations, 50% were one-off donations, and Il% Gift Aid reimbursements from the previous year. This leaves us in the position of needing to continue to actively fundraise in order to maintain our level of operation and in particular we need to increase our predictable income to ensure we can cover our school fees commitments and likely health spending. Signed on behalf of the trustees Diana Birkett, Chair
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT Report to the trustees of The Trust for Child Soldiers Charity no 1144484 On accounts for the year ended 31" March 2024 as set out on page 6 Responsibilities and basis of report I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the TrusY'> for the year ended 31" March 2024. 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 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145151{bl of the Act. Independent examiner's ststement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any rnaterial respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: /gfr+¥Z. Date: Name. Malcolm Forbes Address: Si/Jl
Statement of Financial Activities Recelpls and Payments forth• p8thd 1 *)rf12023 to 31 Mafch 2024 Unrèstricted R&strlcl8d FL#TJs FLnJs Total Total Apr2023- Apr2022- MaT 2024 Alar2023 NCOMING RESOLRICES Ac&vities to furtherthe charitys objects DoThqtioTh8 legacies CiftAid 19.214 3.141 5.367 24.581 3,141 20,268 3,471 Totsl incomirvJ rbsoLrcas 22,355 5,367 27,722 23,739 RESOURCES EXPENDED Charitsbl• expendilu GrS disbmd to 161 housekIS to rotte poverty M8dical assistarLe to 211 ifKlTrd$ 14,451 4,386 3,114 1,395 89 2,506 314. 16.957 4.700 3.114 1,395 89 16,471 3.355 2.993 878 Medical ass18tae thrOh 965 clIa lx(1000 Acty¢osts Managemgnt a1 adMIstrAon 72 Tolal resources expoThled 23,435 2.820 26.255 23, 769 FUND BALANCES AT 1 Aprfl 2023 1.362 88 1,450 1,480 FUND BALANCES AT 31 March 2024 282 2,635 2.917 1,450 Ststsrn•nt of as8•ts and Itablllths on 31st March 2024 Uweslrided Reslridod EThJovmw FurKJs FuThJs FuThJs Cosh Inhanj 237 Furvjs In ba 2.635 Total cgsh 282 2.635 Otrer morpt8ry aSS8ts knbestmert assets Assèts mlalmd lorthe chariV8 LBe Llabllltias Signed on behalf of the trustees Diana Birkett, Chair These have been drawn up according to the Charity Commission Standard of Recommended Practice ISORPI for small charities.