**Annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021**
## **COMPANY INFORMATION**
A charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No: 7874206 Registered Charity No: 1146220
## **Trustees**
## **Vice-Presidents**
Gary Bandy (Treasurer) Cynthia Bower (until 31 March) Margaret Eddershaw Justin Gordon-Muortat Professor Jean Hartley David Lewis (Chair) Julie Lodrick Dame Rosalind Marsden Hugh Paget (Company Secretary) Julia Sanders
Emeritus Professor John Benington CBE Lord Michael Bichard Baroness Estelle Morris Rev Michael Paget-Wilkes Rev Margaret Sentamu
## **Bankers**
Co-operative Bank, PO Box 101, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester M60 4EP
Mike Stone (from 8 April to 1 December)
## **Independent Examiner**
Chris West FCPFA
**1**
## **Trustees Report**
## **Structure and Governance of the Charity**
Friends of Ibba Girls’ School, South Sudan (FIGS) is a company limited by guarantee (registration number 7874206) and is registered in England as a charitable trust, (registration number 1146220). The governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association, dated 30 November 2011, under which the first trustees were appointed.
The UK trustees are supported by a number of honorary advisers, covering various disciplines and areas of experience, to enable the trustees better to fulfil their responsibilities. These include people with experience in finance and accountancy, fund-raising, law, public policy making and management (including education, health, national, regional and local government), school leadership and educational development, economic and community development, programme evaluation, and international development work.
The FIGS trustees aim to work in partnership with the South Sudanese trustees of Ibba Girls Boarding School (IGBS). The IGBS trustees are responsible for guarding, developing and promoting the vision, values and strategy for the school; holding the land and buildings and other assets in trust for the school; and for the selection of the head teacher and senior management team.
The Board of IGBS Trustees continues to undergo a period of change, following the challenges of Covid and other societal instabilities in South Sudan.
Following a meeting at the school in May 2021, led by a senior Zande leader Archbishop Samuel Peni, a review of governance has seen the appointment of several senior African leaders from the State government, community elders and the local teacher training college. Given that FIGS has been concerned that more effective governance should be put in place locally it is positive to
**2**
see this strengthening of the African governance of the school, for its next phase of development.
IGBS trustees delegate specific responsibilities to a local Board of Governors which meets three times a year and is responsible for implementing the strategy, developing a school educational plan, and supporting the Headteacher and staff in the achievement of these goals. IGBS governors also include the State Minister and Director General for Education; the County Commissioner; chair of the Parent Teacher Association; local leaders of the main churches; the Paramount Chief; other local elders; and representatives from the Friends of Ibba Girls’ School trustee body if they are visiting the school at the time. The membership and effective functioning of this body is also being strengthened in the governance overhaul.
The objectives of Ibba Girls Boarding School (IGBS), as expressed in its 2014 founding legal Constitution, are to:
- provide high quality education rooted in Christian values, open and welcoming to people of all faiths and none, whatever their background or status;
- focus on girls through nine years of schooling, from Primary 4 to Primary 8 and then Senior 1 to Senior 4, because these are the years of schooling during which drop-out rates are highest;
- provide residential education, to make it possible for girls from the catchment area of the whole of Western Equatoria State to attend, and to study safely, shielded from competing demands for their attention;
- foster learning both with “the pen and the hoe”, combining academic knowledge with a wide range of vocational and life skills such as personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, agriculture, sewing, embroidery, sport, debating, drama and music;
- prepare pupils to contribute as knowledgeable, transformed and empowered women, to the development of their communities, and to the leadership of this new nation.
##
The FIGS Trustees currently meet every other month to agree the budget and accounts, approve contracts, and receive progress reports from working groups and the school. Working groups primarily focus on fundraising and communications, contracts, and educational capacity-building and continuing professional development in South Sudan. Trustees set up ad hoc working groups as required, e.g. for recruitment of staff and diaspora engagement.
The Trustees are convinced that the activities of the charity, summarised below, are furthering the charity’s objects for the public benefit, and the charity’s public added value continues to be monitored and evaluated by the Trustees. Girls’ education has been described as the world’s best investment with the widest-ranging returns, contributing to a range of development outcomes.
**3**
## **Activity in 2021**
FIGS has continued to implement the third phase of its development plan and fundraising strategy, with a view to taking the school to its full capacity of 360 students. This was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with school closures remaining in place for a significant part of 2021, and this resulted in a drop in numbers as some girl students fell out of education completely, while some others moved to more local schools. However, the school undertook a recruitment drive in early 2022 and has made considerable progress in recruiting more girls, currently exceeding previous numbers. Fundraising continues to be a challenge, with FIGS being grateful for significant support from institutional and personal donors, as well as another successful Big Give Christmas Challenge in December 2021. The new trustee lead for fundraising had to step down for personal reasons and a recruitment process for a replacement is underway.
On the communications and engagement front FIGS held more successful webinars, including one entitled ‘In for the long haul: Girls’ education, conflict and South Sudan’ and a successful Big Give Party, as well as continued well-received newsletters and prayer letters.
The school appointed an experienced Headteacher, Emmanuel Kenyi Taban, supported by FIGS, and a new Senior Finance Manager, Cheka Akbar Raymond Lodule. These appointments have strengthened the leadership and accountability at the school and the senior management team of the school has been enhanced with Directors of Studies (Primary and Secondary). Three teacher vacancies have been filled.
In addition, the South Sudanese governance of the school has been bolstered, after a time of some difficulty during the COVID period, with the recruitment of high calibre trustees to the IGBS Board of Trustees. These include the regional Anglican Archbishop, the Head of the local Solidarity Teacher Training College and
**4**
the Western Equatoria State Education Minister among others. Working with the new trustees the headteacher has sought to galvanise a renewed relationship with PTA, and progress here appears to be promising.
Plans to build a classroom block, a dormitory and a new kitchen, utilising funding from FIGS supporters and anonymous philanthropists, have been completed and all three buildings have been built during the course of the year. Other important maintenance tasks have been undertaken, with groundwork and solar power upgrades being undertaken.
## **Looking forward to 2021 and beyond**
It is hoped that additional funding will be available to commission some of the other buildings that are needed to complete the school. These include the final dormitory, a classroom block for science, technology, engineering and maths teaching, and an administration block.
The long-term strategy, based on four key pillars, remains unchanged. These pillars are: consolidating the charity's existing position; strengthening fundraising and governance to support the development of long-term income-generating activities; sharing and spreading the learning from IGBS across other states within South Sudan, as a tried-andtested demonstration project; and community outreach (including a farming co-operative and a vocational and life skills training centre, linked to the school).
Finally FIGS is building on the successful webinars described above by developing a programme of online seminars and events focusing on the value added by girls'
education and celebrating the work of the school. These will continue to showcase what the school does, consider how girls' education can empower and support development, and explore the challenges facing South Sudan as a nation.
## **Financial Review for 2021**
Total income in 2021 was £478,314 compared with £488,139 in the previous year. Donations and grants were received principally from charitable foundations, churches, and family trusts but also from more than a hundred individuals, and from special fund-raising events and activities.
Total expenditure for the year was £479,446 (£253,731 in 2020) resulting in an operating deficit of £1,132. To some extent this reflects the fact that donations received in 2020 for building works could not be used in 2020 (because of COVID-19 lockdowns) and were useable in 2021.
Over 93% of the expenditure in 2021 was on charitable purposes compared with 87% in 2020. Most of this — £285,975 or 60% of the total expenditure — was on construction of buildings and infrastructure at the school. There were three main building projects: a new dormitory, a classroom block and a kitchen/ store building.
In December 2021 the trustees chose to make an early repayment of £70,000 from the interest-free loans. This reduced the outstanding loan amount to £68,750. The trustees have also earmarked reserves each month to build up a fund to use for redemption of the remaining loan principal. As at 31 December 2021 these earmarked funds
**5**
were £36,000, which is just over half of the remaining loan principal.
After making the early repayment of the loans the net worth of the charity at the end of 2021 stood at £335,035 compared with £336,168 at the end of 2020. The net worth is represented by restricted funds of £189,846 (almost all restricted for investment in buildings and infrastructure) and unrestricted funds of £145,189.
The level of reserves at the end of 2021 put the charity in a position to be confident that it can complete the three building projects commenced in 2021 and operate the school throughout 2022. However, the trustees recognise the continuing fundraising challenge to ensure sufficient regular (i.e. monthly) income to support the operation and growth of the school. To that end, the charity’s cash flow is monitored regularly and actions taken to balance expenses with available resources.
## **Reserves Policy**
The trustees aspire to maintain a financial position allowing it to fund the operating costs of Ibba Girls Boarding School for one year ahead, to be able to give security to existing pupils and their parents. This policy implies a target level of reserves which, when added to the anticipated donation inflow on a conservative basis of present regular monthly payments and predictable annual payments (not including unpredicted large donations), totals around £150,000.
During the period where the school is being constructed (i.e. until 2023) the trustees recognise that from time to time they will prefer to use funds for new buildings rather than holding them as reserves, but the policy stated above will not be abandoned without the agreement of the trustees and after due warning of the possible consequences.
Approved by the Trustees on 7 September 2022 and signed on their behalf:
## **David Lewis**
Chair of Trustees
**6**
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF FRIENDS OF IBBA GIRLS
SCHOOL, SOUTH SUDAN
I report on the accounts of the Charity set out on the pages 8 to 19.
Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and Independent Examiner
The charity's trustees (who are also Directors of Friends of Ibba Girls School, South Sudan for the
purposes of company lawl are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity s
trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act
2011 Ithe Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. Having satisfied myself
that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent
examination it is my responsibility to..
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Att,
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity
Commission (under section 14515llbll of the Charities Act, and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity
Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a
comparison of the accounts presented with those records.
It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking
explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters.
The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and
consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair, view and the
report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's report
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention..
which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements
o to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charitie5 Act,. and
o to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the
accounting requirements of the Charities Act
have not been met; or
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper under-
standing of the accounts to be reached.
Chris West FCPFA
7 September 2022
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES AND INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
|Note|Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
2021
Total
£
2020
Total
£|
|---|---|
|**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
3
Fundraising events
3
Other trading activities
3
Bursary income
10
Other income
3
Interest and investment income
3
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
4
Charitable activities
5
Other expenditure
6
**Total expenditure**
Net surplus/(deficit)
Other recognised gains/(losses)
**Net movement in funds**||
||153,438
175,000
328,438
440,834
50,148
50,148
45,745
242
242
495
97,960
97,960
0
1,127
1,127
543
399
399
522|
||**205,354**
**272,960**
**478,314**
**488,139**|
|||
||16,865
16,865
44,131
83,870
364,377
448,247
175,491
14,334
14,334
34,109|
||**115,069**
**364,377**
**479,446**
**253,731**
90,285
(91,417)
(1,132)
234,408
0
0
0
0|
||**90,285**
**(91,417)**
**(1,132)**
**234,408**|
|||
**8**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AT 31 DECEMBER 2021**
|Note|Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
2021
Total
£
2020
Total
£|
|---|---|
|**Current assets**
Debtors
7
Cash & bank accounts
**Current liabilities**
Creditors: amounts falling due
within 1 year
8
**Net current assets**
Creditors: amounts falling after
more than 1 year
9
**Net assets**||
||38,533
0
38,533
80,021
206,961
189,846
396,807
397,514|
||245,494
189,846
435,340
477,535
31,555
0
31,555
2,617|
||213,939
189,846
403,785
**474,918**
68,750
0
68,750
138,750|
||**145,189**
**189,846**
**335,035**
**336,168**|
|||
|**The funds of the charity:**
Funds brought forward
Net movement in funds
10
**Total charity funds**
10||
||54,905
281,263
336,168
101,760
90,285
(91,417)
(1,132)
234,408|
||**145,190**
**189,846**
**335,036**
**336,168**|
**9**
## **STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 2021**
|Note|2021
Total
£
2020
Total
£
520,127
498,899
(446,835)
(250,917)
399
522
(4,397)
(3,996)|
|---|---|
|Receipts from donors
Payment to suppliers and IGBS
Interest received
Other operating receipts and payments
**Cash fows from operating activities**
11
**Cash fows from investing activities**
**Cash fows from fnancing activities**
12
**Net cash infow/(outfow) in the period**||
||**69,294**
**244,508**
0
0
(70,000)
(20,000)|
||**(706)**
**224,508**|
|||
|Cash and cash equivalents 1 January
**Cash and cash equivalents 31 December**|397,513
173,005|
||**396,807**
**397,513**|
For the period ending 31 December 2021 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
The notes on pages 11 to 19 form part of these accounts.
Approved by the Trustees on 7 September 2022 and signed on their behalf by:
**David Lewis** Chair of Trustees
**Gary Bandy CPFA**
Treasurer
**10**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
## **1 Basis of preparation**
The Friends of Ibba Girls School is a registered charity and, for accounting purposes, it is a public benefit entity.
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable United Kingdom accounting standards, the Charities Statement of Accounting and Reporting (SORP) 2015 (Financial Reporting Standard 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
## **2 Accounting policies**
## _**Recognition of incoming resources**_
## _**Incoming resources with related expenditure**_
Incoming resources are included in the
Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:
- the charity becomes entitled to the resources;
- the trustees are virtually certain they will receive the resources; and
- the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Where incoming resources have related expenditure (as with fundraising or contract income) the incoming resources and related expenditure are reported gross in the SoFA.
## _**Grants and donations**_
Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources.
**11**
## _**Tax reclaims on donations and gifts**_
Incoming resources from tax reclaims are included in the SoFA at the same time as the gift to which they relate.
## _**Volunteer help**_
The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts but is described in the trustees’ annual report.
## _**Investment income**_
This is included in the accounts when receivable.
## _**Restricted income funds**_
Restricted income funds are funds which are subject to specific conditions imposed by the donor or by the terms of an appeal, these conditions being legally binding. The aims and uses of each restricted fund are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Trustees have not sought to apportion the interest earned on cash balances and bank fees paid across all the restricted funds on the grounds of materiality.
## _**Liability recognition**_
Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources.
## _**Governance costs**_
trustee meetings and cost of any legal advice to trustees on governance or constitutional matters.
## _**Support Costs**_
Support costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources
## _**Currency conversion**_
The charity makes overseas payments to IGBS and some suppliers in US dollars. Expenditure in US dollars has been accounted for in sterling using the market exchange rate on the date the expenditure was incurred because this is a feature of the Xero accounting system. Currency gains and losses arise partly from timing differences between the date of invoices and the date of payments, and also because the actual exchange rate received by the charity from its bankers is different from the market rate used in the Xero accounting system.
## _**Going concern**_
The Trustees have prepared the accounts on the going concern basis. They recognise there is a continuing fundraising challenge to ensure sufficient income to support the operation and growth of the school. Cash flow is monitored by the trustees and actions taken to balance expenses with available resources.
Governance costs include the preparation and examination of statutory accounts, the costs of
**12**
## **3 Analysis of incoming resources**
|**3**
**Analysis of incoming resources**||
|---|---|
||2021
£
2020
£|
|**Donations and legacies**
Donations
Gift Aid
**Total**||
||311,254
410,688
17,184
30,146|
||**328,438**
**440,834**|
|||
|**Fundraising events**
The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2021||
||50,148
45,745|
|||
|**Trading activities**
Sale of Christmas cards, calendars, CDs and other goods||
||242
495|
|||
|**Investment income**
Interest on funds in a deposit account||
||399
522|
|||
|**4**
**Fundraising expenses**
**Other income**
Income from Amazon Smile
Income from Facebook
Miscellaneous income from unknown donors
**Total**
Fundraising support from Acorn Fundraising and Central Exhibitions
Time spent on fundraising work by chief executive
Other expenses (incl website hosting, postage, software)
**Total**||
|||
||116
93
132
879
450|
||**1,127**
**543**|
||15,900
16,233
0
27,419
965
479|
||**16,865**
**44,131**|
**13**
## **5 Expenditure on charitable activities**
|**5**
**Expenditure on charitable activities**||
|---|---|
||2021
£
2020
£
89,591
121,140
285,975
34,181
0
11,695
0
600
60,552
6,074
6,255
76
5,260
0
0
657
0
571
614
497|
|Grants to IGBS for operating costs
Construction of buildings at Ibba Girls Boarding School
Grants to IGBS for capital purposes
Architect’s fees and expenses
IGBS operating expenses paid direct by FIGS
Materials and equipment for IGBS
Consulting fees (for work in IGBS)
Purchase of goods for resale
Marketing and promotional material
Other charitable expenditure
**Total**||
||**448,247**
**175,491**|
Other charitable expenditure in 2020 includes £495 (£nil in 2021) on arranging the travel to IGBS for volunteers as a group, which was refunded to the charity by the volunteers as donations.
**14**
**6 Other expenditure**
|**6**
**Other expenditure**||
|---|---|
||2021
£
2020
£
0
49,449
0
(27,419)
7,455
691
0
0
369
0
0
710
0
526
454
264
1,078
1,048
0
3,008
4,609
5,118
369
714|
|Employee expenses
Allocation of employee expenses to fundraising
Bank charges, commissions and credit card fees
Cash courier service in South Sudan
Consulting fees
Employee and consultant travel and subsistence
Trustee travel and subsistence
ICT services and software
Insurances
Advertising
Net loss/(gain) on currency exchange rates
Other general expenses
**Total**||
||**14,334**
**34,109**|
No trustee received any remuneration or reimbursement of expenses to attend FIGS meetings. Flights for trustees to visit South Sudan were booked and paid for by FIGS and the trustees made donations to FIGS to cover the costs.
The independent examination of the accounts has been carried out free of charge.
## **7 Debtors and accrued income**
|**7**
**Debtors and accrued income**||
|---|---|
||2021
£
2020
£
17,184
17,419
21,349
62,479
0
123|
|Gift Aid due from HMRC
Big Give income not received by 31 December
Income not received
**Total**||
||**38,533**
**80,021**|
**15**
**8 Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year**
|**8**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year**||
|---|---|
||2021
£
2020
£
30,430
1,867
1,125
750|
|Contract retentions
Acorn Fundraising
**Total**||
||**31,555**
**2,617**|
## **9 Creditors: amounts falling due after 1 year**
The Trustees wish to redeem the long-term loans received in 2016 earlier than December 2024 if possible. To that end, in December 2021 £70,000 of long-term loans were redeemed early. Below are the balances of the loans outstanding on 31 December 2021.
|Lender|Date|Amount|Due Date|Interest Rate|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||received||||
|Jean Hartley|16/09/2016|£34,375|31/12/2024|Nil|
|John Benington|16/09/2016|£34,375|31/12/2024|Nil|
## **10 Unrestricted and restricted income funds**
## _**Unrestricted funds during 2021**_
During the year the charity earmarked £3,000 a month into a Loan Redemption Fund with the intention of building up sufficient funds to redeem the long-term loans when they become due. As a result of the early redemption of £70,000 of the loans in December 2021 the earmarked fund will, if it continues at £3,000 a month, enable the balance of the loans to be redeemed earlier than December 2024. No such commitment has been made by the Trustees to the lenders.
2021 was the first year that the charity received bursary income from donors. Bursaries are donations intended to fund a specified number of girls for a period of time, which could be more than one year. The charity treats bursary income as restricted income at the time of receipt and reduces the restriction every month for the duration of the bursary, per the request of the donor at the time of donation.
**16**
## _**Restricted funds held during 2021**_
## **Donor**
## **Purpose**
Anonymous donor Big Give 2019 (various donors) David Family Foundation Ferguson Trust Fields of Life Horne Family Charitable Foundation Keith and Christine Binks
For development of the school For buildings and infrastructure For running costs
School leadership, teaching staff and resources To install a rainwater harvesting system at IGBS Bursaries for 59 girls for 1 year (July 21 to June 22) For latrines
Serena Lancaster
St Peter’s Church, Kineton Van Neste Foundation Various re John Twidell’s birthday Various re World Water Day Zhejiang Wonder Public Foundation Woolhope Trust
For latrines To support a teacher’s salary For matrons and nurses Rainwater harvesting project Rainwater harvesting project For buildings and infrastructure Bursaries for 10 girls for 4 years (2021 to 2024)
**17**
## **Movements in restricted funds**
|**Movements in restricted funds**||
|---|---|
||Balance
01/01/21
£
Incoming
resources
£
Outgoing
resources
£
Balance
31/12/21
£
150,000
175,000
(198,522)
126,478
49,371
(49,371)
0
5,000
(5,000)
0
10,000
(10,000)
0
702
702
0
57,960
(28,980)
28,980
1,000
1,000
1,605
1,605
1,000
(1,000)
0
8,000
(8,000)
0
465
465
1,016
1,016
53,104
(53,104)
0
0
40,000
(10,400)
29,600|
|Anonymous
Big Give 2019
David Family Foundation
Ferguson Trust
Fields of Life
Horne Family Trust
Keith and Christine Binks
Serena Lancaster
St Peter’s, Kineton
Van Neste Foundation
Various re John Twidell birthday
Various re World Water Day
Zhejiang Wonder Public Foundation
Woolhope Trust
**Total Restricted Funds**||
||**281,263**
**272,960**
**(364,377)**
**189,846**|
## **11**
||2021
£
2020
£
(1,132)
234,408
41,488
13,807
28,938
(3,707)|
|---|---|
|Net surplus/(deficit) from Statement of Financial Activities
Decrease/(increase) in debtors and prepayments
Increase/(decrease) in trade creditors and contract retentions
**Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities**||
||**69,294**
244,508|
**18**
**12**
Repayment of the principal element of long term loans during the year
2021 2020 £ £ (70,000) (20,000)
## **13 Transactions with related parties**
Related parties are the trustees and employees of the charity and their close family members.
Trustees and some of their family members make donations of varying amounts to Friends of Ibba Girls School. The amounts of these donations are exempt from disclosure because none of them carry conditions.
There have been loan transactions between Friends of Ibba Girls School and one of its trustees, Professor Jean Hartley, and these are disclosed in note 9.
**19**