## Global Hope Network International UK
BRINGING HELP AND HOPE TO THE HIDDEN AND HURTING
Charity No: 1148384 Company No: 8078928
## **TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 1 JANUARY – 31 DECEMBER 2020**
## **1. Objectives**
1.1 Global Hope Network International UK (the charity) is one of 3 national resource associations linked to Global Hope Network International (GHNI), a Geneva-based humanitarian aid and development agency. The 2 other national associations are based in Switzerland and the USA, all with the same charitable purposes, viz.
- The prevention or relief of poverty in any part of the world, through assisting communities to become self-sufficient, and in training their leaders to support transformational change in their countries; and
- The relief and assistance of people in any part of the world who are the victims of war or natural disaster, trouble, or catastrophe in particular by the supply of medical aid to such persons.
1.2 Each national resource association is legally and financially independent, but they collaborate to ensure good cooperation, accountability and transparency in meeting the needs of recipient countries. The latter are 30-35 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, in which GHNI has several long-term development programmes, particularly amongst rural villages, and emergency aid programmes. Further information about the UK charity is at www.ghniuk.org and about GHNI at www.ghni.org,.
- 1.3 GHNI field staff oversee all country programmes, keeping national the UK (and other) resource offices informed of developments and needs, so that the latter can decide priorities for fund-raising, marketing, publicity etc.
1
## **2. Activities and achievements**
2.1 The charity’s board of trustees agree a 3-year rolling plan each year based on information from GHNI’s field staff. The charity received no funding other than from donors and it had no contracts with central government or local authorities, leaving the Board free to set its own priorities.
## _**Publicity and promotional events**_
2.2 As for many charities, GHNI UK held far fewer events than had been planned for 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown. However, several online videoconference meetings were held between UK donors and GHNI field staff to maintain donor interest and update them with developments. During 2020, such meetings focused on GHNI’s work in Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon and Nigeria.
## _**Field projects and staff supported**_
2.3 **Jordan.** UK donations went to GHNI’s office in Amman to enable them to support Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni refugees living in privately rented accommodation in Amman. Such support helped to meet the cost of basic needs such as for food, clothing and primary health care. A UK appeal for blankets at Christmas 2019 also resulted in significantly increased giving in early 2020. Meanwhile in the nearby town of Madaba, GHNI’s training centre – the House of Ruth – continued to run skills training courses for nearby communities of long-term refugees and operate well equipped medical and dental clinics. Goat loan programmes as a means of income generation also continued successfully in several Jordanian villages.
2.4 The country was less affected by the pandemic in its early stages, so GHNI’s work remained unaffected but this changed later in the year and work became more severely hampered. GHNI obtained special government permission to drive emergency aid to refugees in their homes in Amman.
2.5 **Lebanon** . The Bekaa valley was still home to an estimated 750,000 mostly Syrian refugees, and GHNI’s skills training and medical centre based there – the House of Sarah – continued to be in much demand. The House of Sarah continued to provide training in certain trades, e.g., carpentry, and to teach languages and IT skills and operate primary health care and dental clinics. However, the centre had to be closed during the year because of periods of national lockdown due to the Covid19 pandemic which affected the country badly.
2
2.6 Lebanon also suffered a severe national economic crisis during 2020 and a catastrophic explosion in Beirut, all of which impacted daily life for ordinary people. The national crisis affected the work of many charities like GHNI, as the local currency was much devalued making imported goods like medicines much more expensive. The country thus became a particular focus for the charity in 2020.
2.6 **Armenia** . The charity helped to initiate a new sewing machine training programme in the village of Jrashen, Spitak in the north of Armenia. The aim was to train local women to gain sufficient sewing skills so that by 6 months they would be able to find local employment or launch out in business on their own. The charity bought 4 sewing machines and helped pay for the refurbishment and initial rental of an existing building and pay the trainer’s salary. National GHNI staff oversaw the programme which was immediately successful and after 6 months some women found local employment while others started a new tailoring business of their own.
2.7 However, country went to war with Azerbaijan from September-November 2020, leading to large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) seeking refuge elsewhere in Armenia. Some 3000 mainly women and children arrived in Spitak, and all local agencies rallied to help provide basic needs for shelter, food, clothing etc. This gave an immediate and urgent focus for the newly begun sewing training programme, whose efforts were diverted to making or mending clothing to help some of the women and children IDPs.
2.8 **Other countries** . Smaller donations from the charity went to support GHNI programmes in Myanmar (Burma), Greece and Nigeria. Some of these were for emergency relief programmes, others for longer-term development.
2.9 Lastly, regular and one-off donations were given to support individual GHNI staff members in both field and HQ offices.
## _**The Geneva Institute for Leadership and Public Policy**_
2.10 For many years the charity has played an active role in supporting the Geneva Institute for Leadership and Public Policy (GILPP), both in donating towards its costs and attending its annual Geneva conference. GILPP is an agency of GHNI, whose annual conferences in Geneva are held in collaboration with the UN Institute for Training and Research. GILPP conferences are a priority for GHNI as they seek
3
to influence Government and other leaders in the countries in which GHNI is working, helping to make development truly sustainable.
2.11 The 2020 GILPP conference was held virtually by videoconference because of Covid-related travel restrictions, with over 100 participants joining the event. Speakers gave either live or recorded presentations and there was opportunity for discussion and debate. Despite the limitations of an online event, it was generally deemed to have been very successful.
## 3. **Financial review**
## _**Overview**_
3.1 Like many charities, GHNI UK saw lower donations in 2020 compared to previous years because of the impact of the pandemic, lockdown, loss of jobs etc. This fall in this charity’s income was compounded by uncertainties over the future of GHNI’s Middle East region which was subject to an internal audit in March 2020. This undermined UK donor confidence in GHNI especially in the Middle East.
Hitherto, the great majority of the UK charity’s donations had been given for work in the Middle East, so this loss of confidence led to a major loss of annual income.
3.2 The Financial Statement for 2020 is attached as an Annex to this report. The charity saw a 57% fall in income in 2020 compared to 2019, very largely for reasons mentioned in para 3.1 above.
3.3 During the year, the charity also engaged a UK consultancy to give advice on which charitable trusts and similar institutions the charity might approach for financial support. The consultancy duly advised, recommending that the most
attractive part of GHNI’s work for which to seek funding was GILPP. However, with the 2021 GILPP conference also likely to be virtual rather than real, its need for financial support was far less than usual and it was decided to defer follow-up action until the pandemic was over and a degree of normality returned.
## _**Funds from elsewhere**_
3.4 The charity held no funds as a custodian for others during the year, neither did it act as an agent for any other. It also had no financial investments, reserve funds
4
or assets other than what was held in its sole account with the Cooperative Bank. It also received no income from any other countries during 2020.
## _**Means of fundraising, engagement of third parties**_
3.5 The charity achieves its purposes by raising funds from the UK public. It does not work with professional fundraisers or commercial participators, although as mentioned above it has occasionally sought advice on how to raise funds more effectively.
## _**Money transfers**_
3.6 All funds for field programmes or individual staff are transferred to GHNI’s US office which acts on behalf of GHNI Geneva in managing field programmes and staff support. The US office then holds funds until they are needed, ensuring good coordination and control of funds from all national resource associations. Expenditure of funds by field offices is carefully monitored so that funds can be
accounted for. All the UK charity’s funds are separately tracked so that they can be effectively traced.
3.7 All programme and staff support funds sent to GHNI US were transferred using the regulated banking system.
## _**Financial controls**_
3.8 Trustees receive monthly reports of accounts from the charity’s bookkeeper, who tracks all receipts and payments, maintaining records electronically with a back-up system. Funds for all project and staff support are sent to their beneficiaries via the GHNI US office, which keeps separate records of funds received from donor countries, consolidating them as necessary. This helps to ensure that all UK donations can be carefully traced and at the same time provide oversight of all funds going to the field to ensure financial probity.
## **4. Structure, governance and management**
4.1 GHNI UK is formally governed by its Articles of Association, agreed in 2012, which describe the charity’s aims and objectives, the functions of trustees, benefits and conflicts of interest, reporting etc.
5
4.2 The charity is also governed by a Framework Agreement with GHNI Geneva, GHNI’s international HQ, which ensures that the charity is legally and financially independent from GHNI Geneva and promoting good communication between the parties. The Agreement also stipulates that the charity will donate 5% and 2% respectively of all project and staff support donations to GHNI Geneva as a contribution to the latter’s management of field programmes on behalf of the charity.
4.3 GHNI UK had no trading subsidiaries during 2020.
## _**Directors/trustees and meetings**_
4.4 Directors/trustees are appointed for an indefinite period. During 2020, these were:
- Ms Juliet Donoghue
- Mr. Malcolm Gifford (chairman),
- Mr. Hal Jones (until he died on 27 October 2020)
4.5 The charity had no corporate trustees and owned no property.
4.6 As required, the directors/trustees met twice during the year, in May and November, to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the running of the charity.
4.7 All directors/trustees work on a voluntary basis and were unpaid for their work as trustees. None received remuneration or benefits other than expenses incurred during the year, and none resigned from the charity in 2020.
## _**Administration**_
4.8 As in previous years, two part-time unpaid UK volunteers helped with bookkeeping, maintaining financial records, claiming Gift Aid from HM Revenue and Customs, banking donations and routine donor communications.
4.9 In January 2020, a contract was drawn up and agreed with Mr Tim Norman to undertake paid work for the charity for 8 hours/week. The aim was to promote the charity nationally and to develop new partnerships with trusts and other funding organizations to boost the charity’s income. The means to achieve this included engaging potential new and existing donors, holding meetings, social media activities and other promotional work to boost the charity’s profile and donations.
4.10 At the same time, the charity invited an IT specialist to help build a new website for the charity, independent of the global website. It was hoped that this would
6
encourage donors to see the charity as truly UK-managed rather than being an offshoot of a US charity. The specialist agreed to work unpaid, but in March 2020 he unfortunately withdrew his services. As a result, Tim Norman was asked to divert effort to building the website, a task that took several months and diverted Tim from his intended work.
## **5 Reference and administrative details**
The name of the charity and its registration details are provided at the top of page 1. The address of the principal office and the registered office is Sparrows farmhouse, Chapel Road, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 0HE.
## **6. Risks and serious incidents**
6.1 GHNI has a risk management policy which addresses all the risks arising from its activities, whether in the field or in national resource countries. The charity’s trustees are satisfied that this policy is adequate.
6.2 There were no serious incidents to report during 2020.
## **7. Exemptions from disclosure**
As far as the trustees are aware, no exemptions from disclosure apply.
M J Gifford
Director, GHNI UK
Signed on behalf of the other charity trustees
29[th] October 2021
7
## **GLOBAL HOPE NETWORK INTERNATIONAL UK**
## **Receipts and Payments account for year ending 31st December 2020**
|**Receipts**
**General**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
Income from donations
6299
36234
Gift Aid
560
**Total Receipts**
6299
36794
**Payments**
**£**
**£**
Project Support:
Jordan
14819
Burma
210
Armenia
8584
Greece
448
Nepal
0
Nigeria
416
Greatest Needs/Unallocated
1686
Lebanon
10693
Afghanistan
0
GILPP
0
Covid-19 response
706
Total Project Support
GHNI Staff Support
7290
Global Operations Programme Support
3385
Support by USA Office
2531
UK Fund raising
9953
Governance
1082
Bank charges
0
Ecclesiatical refund '18
0
16951
7290
**Total Payments**
**Net Surplus/Deficit for the year**
**Statement of Assets & Liabilities as at 31st December 2019**
**Monetary Assets**
Cash in hand
0
Bank Current Account:
Restricted Funds
9703
Unrestricted Funds
5395
Total bank balance
**Liabilities**
Directors expenses
0
0
Total liabilities
**2020**|**General**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
6299
36234
560
6299
36794
**£**
**£**
14819
210
8584
448
0
416
1686
10693
0
0
706
7290
3385
2531
9953
1082
0
0
**2020**|**All**
**Funds**
**£**
42533
560
**43093**
**£**
37562
7290
3385
2531
9953
1082
0
0
24241
**61803**
**-18710**
**15098**
**0**|**All**
**Funds**
**£**
84378
16825
101203
**£**
56970
300
1134
480
190
320
1865
0
87
5160
0
**2019**|**All**
**Funds**
**2019**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**£**
84378
16825|
|||||101203|
|||||66506
4447
2823
1294
1235
2263
10
0|
|||||12072
**78578**|
|||||**22625**|
|||||0
17224
16584|
|**Monetary Assets**
Cash in hand
Bank Current Account:
Restricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds
Total bank balance
**Liabilities**
Directors expenses
Total liabilities|||||
|||||**33808**|
|||||1168
0|
|||||**1168**|
Independenl EMIne Report to the Tslee$ oCGk)hl Hope Nebvork InterJ)&tional UK
l Rp)rt on ihe a¢¢ouniS of Global HorK NctwoEk International UK fw th¢ year end 31" December 2020
which are set out on th¢ previow page.
Respective Responslbllities of TThytrtJ 8Dd Ei4miner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparntion of the aLrowits. They Consider that an audit is not
required for thi# yegr (ulth section 43(2) of the clwities Act 1993) th* an independent examination is
n¢eded.
It is my responsibility 10..
Examine the accounts lunder se¢lion 4313Xal of ik act)
2. To follow the pro¢edures laid down in thc Genetai Directions given by the chltY Commissioncrs
(under section 4317)Ib) of the act)
To slate whether ]xrtieulw rn&tters hfft come lo my attention.
BAiis of Independent Examiners Report
My examinaiion was ¢sThied out In accordance with the General Dirtttions given by the Charity
Cornmissioners. An examination iticludes a review of the a(Younlin8 records k¢pi by the d)arity aThJ a
COLhparison of the accounts presented with those rxords. Ir alw includes consideration of any unusual
items or disclosures in the a¢¢ounts and seekin8 explan*lL5 from you as tn]ste¢s ¢onceming any such
matter5. Th¢ procedures undertdkert do noi providc all the evidence that would be required in an audit and
ons¢qu¢ntiy I do not expres5 an audit optKffj cffl the 8iv¢n by the •¢ullts.
Independent ExAminer'$ Statement
In connection Wlih tny examltwtlo no matt¢r h¥$ com¢ to my att¢niiorL
l. Which Bives me reasomble caus¢ to lieve thai in any malerial Tespcct requirements
To keep accounling re¢ords in accordance wilh section 41 of the Act: and
To pr¢pare a¢¢ounts which x%ord with the accountin8 rOrdS and comply with the 8c£ouniin8
r¢quirem¢nls of the Aci
have not bccn 1. LY
To which. in rny Opinio attention should be thawn irt orts to enable a propEr understanding of the
&c¢ounts to be reached.
Lloyd
Ichael & Co
Pr¢¢oria House
7 Station Road
Llanfairfechzn
Conwy
LL33 OAL
4, Septemkr 2021