NEnNoRK FOR A BErrER WORLD
Registered Charity Number 1151591
TRUSfEES' REPORT FOR YEAR ENDED 315r DECEMBER 2023
Reference and administration details
Charity name:
Other names Charity is known by:
Registered Charity Number=
Charitvs principal address..
Networkfor a Better World
N48W
1151571
st Vincenvs School. Yew Tree Lane. Liverpool. L12 9HN
Contart:
Telephone=
Website:
Email=
Mrs Barbara Charle5
0151228 9968
www.n4bw.or&uk
LnouiriesLaTrn4bw.or
Names of trustees Mtho managed the tharity during 2023:
Mr Andrew Clark Ichairl
Mrs Mary aark IDat3 Protection)
Ms Sheila Cogley Isafeguardingl
Ms Alice Davidson (Founder and main fundraiser)
M5 Marian Kearney (Projerts & Publicity)
Principal Bankers:
The Co-operative Bank.
PO Box 250. Delf House, Skelmersdale. WN8 6Wt
Independent Examiner: Dominic lon
Structure, governance and management
Governing Document
Network for a Better World became a registered charity on 10th April 2013 under a trust deed signed on 4th
February 2013 and operated in accordan￿ wtth the provisions of that document
Trustees
Networkfor a Better World appoints trustees according to skills and experience, espeaally relevant experience
of working in the developing world. The trustees administer the charity and take decisions on the deployment
of funds and human resour￿ to meetthe tharitable objectives of N4BW. The trustees who served during the
year are listed above.
Officers
In addition to the trustees a number of other officers are appointed to assist with the organisation and
administration of the charity. Together with the trustees they fom) the management team and regularly
attend or report to quarterly meetings.
Secretsry and Administrdtion Officer: Mrs Barbara Charles
Treasurer".
Professor Ken Holden.
Active Supporters
A nijmber of other people attend meetings regularly and play an actrve part in fundraisin& promotional
activities and 5hort-term volunteering oversea&

Meetings
Trustee meetings are held quarterly with an Annual General meettng held usually in the spring. At the AGM all
trustees present will vote for the office bearers. The annual accounts will a150 be presented and a review of
the organisation's yearly objective will take place. The organisation will also agree on priorities for the next
year. In 2023 the trustees met 5 times and the AGM was held in July.
Induction and training
Induction and training is through attendance at trustee meet¢ng5 and the Annual General Meeting. Ati
trustees, officers and supporters give their time voluntsrily and re￿1ve no remuneration or other benefits.
Volunteers re￿*ve induttion and training prior to travelling overseas and are required to hold a DBS
Clearance. N4BW 15 registered wwth CSAS (Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service). This means that we are
able to process DBS checks for our volunteers rather than relying on other agencies. There is a Safeguarding
policy which all trustees, officers, artive members and volunteers are required to follow. This includes a
reporknng procedure in case of any safeguarding issues occurring either in the UK or in our overseas field of
operation5. To date no safeguarding incidents requiring investigation have been reported.
Objectives and activities
The objects of the charity are."
111 The prevention or relief of poverty anywhere in the world by providing grants, items and servi￿$ to
individuals in need and/or charities, or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty-
121 The prevention or relief of poverty anywhere in the wodd by providing or as5iStrng in the provision of
education. training, healthcare projects. and all the ne￿Sary support designed to enable individuals to
generate a 5UStainable income and be self-sufficient
Public Benefit
The objects of the charity are to act as a forum for the missionary members to promote their aims and
objectives withirE the wider context of the Roman Catholic Church of England and Wales. When planning the
activities of the charity, the trustees have considered the Charwty Commission's guidance on public benefit. Our
humanitarian work in the developing world is primarily focused on the relief of poverty and sustainable
development to enable disadvantaged people to supportthemselves and theirfamilies. Although we are a lay
missionary organisation we make no distindion in the religion or cultural background of our beneficiaries and
seek to help people of all *aiths or none.
Overview of Activities in 2023
In addition to disaster relief for the community following Cyclone Freddy we have continued our work with
schools, mainly in the primary sector, improving existing dassrooms. building new blocks and toilet facilities
and providing desks and benches forolder dasses. A new initiattve to provide fuel eli
cienL Stoves is proving
successful in schools. Management training for headteathers and senior staff has continued together with
subject-specific ojrriculum support. Community work too, has continued with craft workshops, support for
kitchen gardens. tree-planting and entrepreneurial initiatives. Other artivities include support for families with
disabled members and the local prison.
Achievements and performan￿ in 2023
Cyclone Freddy. The early part of the year was dominated by news of the devaststion caused by Storm Freddy
in Southern Malawi during February & Marth. Over IOIKJ people died and thousands of familie5 were
displaced. rnany in the area we cover. Roads were impassable. schoo15 were closed and used to shelter and
feed the homeless. Init1311y we sent £IO.000 for emergency food and repairs. Later in the year we funded the
Cost of building new homes for two elderly women who had lost everything.

School Improvements.
In the past 5-6 years our wnain focus has been on supporting schools, in particular the primary sector. Our work
involves not only improvements to school buildings, the provision of school furniture and other resour￿5 but
also providing teachertraining and supporting initiatives in partnership with the Education Authority to
ddress the problem of absenteeism.
al Building Work. In 2023 we provided new dassroom blocks for three primary 5chog15 to accommodate the
increasing number of children attending schools. This has eased overcrowding and enabled the sthools to
recruit more teachers. Where we have been unable to provide new buildings, we have funded the
refurbishment of several schools by replacing or reposwiioning windows to create more light. damp-proofin&
repairing floors, re-plastering and re painting w3115 and chalkboards, and creating storage space. Additionallv,
we have provided new toilets for schools where existi￿ faultties were totslly inadequate.
b) Classroom desks.
Few classrooms in the primary schools we support have desks for the children. Mostly the 100 or so children in
each classroom sit on the floor wwth books resting on their knees. Over the lastfew years we have worked with
5chooSs to renovate some of the desks they already had but were broken through constant wear and tear. In
2023, having sourced a durable design, we instslled new desks and benches in five classrooms for older
learner5. Our aim over the next 2-3 years is to provide every one of the 20 primary sthools in our area with
desks for Standards 7 and 8 (exam classes).
cl Work with headteachers. teachers and learners.
Over the course of the year volunteers delivered teacher training sessions in Maths. English, Biology, Financial
Management and First Aid. Several headteachers attended management training and subjert4pecific re50ur
packs were developed and distributed. Sensorytoys and teaching aids were delivered to the Special Needs
Adviserfor use in schools to support thildren with special needs. Desptte the improvements to the fabric of
schools and supportforstaff, one area of concem remains= the number of children who drop out of School
early* often to help wrth the familyg3rden, look after younger siblillgs or increasingly in the case of young girls,
to engage in early marriage. We have supported an initiative by the local priestto tackle the problems by
bringing together sth¢)015, thiefs, ￿lIage headsj parents. teachers and health officials.
School &Village Kitchen Gardens.
Following our successful pilot Wtth kttchen gardens in schools. this has now been extended to several villages
in the area. Prospective participarrts submit a request to the local chief and agree to prepare the land and
build a protective fence around the growing area. In 2023 we helped 30 families develop kitchen gardens,
training them in hortkculture and providing ongoing support as their kttchen garden5 developed.
Combating aimate Change.
Many N4BW projects since 2013 are directly concerned with equipping and empowering local people to
improve their environment and adaptto and cope with climate change. These include:
al Solar13mps.
This projert was started over 10 years ago and is still running. We estimate that around 6000 families now
benefit from the use of a solar lamp in their homes.
bl Tree planting.
An offshoot our earlier irrigation projert has been the development of a tree DU￿ery run by the manager. The
seedlings are purchased by N4BW and distributed to schools and villages to help combat climate change.
Following the successful pilot in February 2019 it has now become an annual event-.- Tree Planting Oa*-
Teachers and learners are taught tree planting techniques. In 2023 100 trees, including fruit trees, were
delivered to eath School. providing both shade and nourishment.

cl Eco stoves.
In 2023 we installed fuel-effiaent stoves in 11 schools to replace the ones previously used to prepare school
meals. It is hoped that a smaller version will eventually become the standard in homes. thus reduang the
amount of wood burned by up to 50%.
Other projerts.
N4BW has been able to engage with the local community via a number of other initiatives."
al Disability Support. One of our volunteers. a Nurse Trainer followed up on families with disabled children she
had visited previously and identified necessary actions needed for each family. This induded the provision of
walking aids and in one case, a wheelchair.
b) Adult literacy. These classes stsrted over 10 years ago continue with the help of the lo(31 sisters. The
women meet in the training room attathed to our volunteer house.
cl Craft workshops. The women who attend the literacy da55es have also benefttted from workshops run by
some of our volunteers. These include d￿$SMakIn& knittin& (rochet and embroidery. Several sewing
machines have been donated and are being put to good use to make items to sell.
dl Sports Leagues. Afootball league has been wnning successfully for over 10 years. A netball league was
started initially but for various reasons was discontinued after 2 years. In February 2023 One of our volunteers
gave it a fresh impetus with the support of some funding from her home town.
dl Supportfor Mikuyu Prison.
Over the year we made our usual small gifts of sweets, toiletries and footwear to the prisoners which are
always gratefully received. At Christmas the young men enjoyed a hearty goat stew instead of their
normal daily dish of maize porridge. We also provided sanitary knits to a women's branch which had
recently opened in the same area. One of our volunteers received fundingto provide sewing machines
and tailoring training for the pri50n, thus enabling the inmates to learn a Skill to enable them to earn a
living once they are released. This initiative has been very much welcomed by the prison authorities who
see it as a positive developmènt likely to redLtce the chance of re-offending. We have recèntly 5Ènt photos of
drèsses madè by the young men with their newly acquired skills.
Prloritles forthe futu
Our focus in 2024 will continue to be on education since there is still much to be done in this area. including
completion of at least one further planned dassroom buildirE projecL
We will also continue to support the disabled and disadvantaged groups in the community- With the opening
of a new clinic in the community we are readyto assistwith stsff training and support.
We also hope to build on the Suc￿sS of the kntchen garden stheme. address the practical problems and extend
to a wider area.
We welcome the development of entrepreneurial inttiatives enabled bythe craft workshops and hope that
some of these will generate incomes for the partiopants.
In 2021 three of ourtrustees retired and we became COn￿rned about the future viabilty of our operations in
Malawi. However, following the success of our Parish Appeals programmes in 2022 and 2023 we are delighted
to welcome 7 new volunteers with relevant skills and experien￿ and committed to contributing to our work.
Three of these visited SThma in 2023 to and a further four plan to visit in 2024. This gives us confidence that
the continuity of our work is secured * leastfor the time being.

Flnancial Review
Sources of funding
As registered members of the CMU (Catholic Missionary Union of England and Wales) we have an annual
programme of mission appeals in designated parishes. The purpose is not only to raise funds but to promote
the missionary aspect of our work and encourage supportfrom people who are inspired by our endeavour5.
Other regular sources of funding have continued-
Standing orders
Sponsored events by individuals
59 aub- lucky numbers scheme
One-off donations
Internet fundraising
Accounting
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disdose with reasonable accuracy
the financial position of the twst and ensure that the finanaal statements comply with the Chartty
Commission's SORP 2(KJ5.
Reserves Policy
The General Reserve represents the free funds of the charity which are not designated for particular purposes.
It is the policy of the trustees to maintain reserves at an adequate level, being at least 12 months, expenditure.
The trustees continue to monitorthe level of free reserves and believe thatthe charity will be able to fulfil its
objectives in the short to medium term.
Risk Management
The trustees have considered the risks to which the charity is exposed and have reviewed those rfsks and
established systems and prO￿dureS to manage them. The trustees consider the principal risks to be related to
an inability to provide the necessary continuTty of funding to enable the projects to continue.
Financial Outcome
For the financial year ending 31 December 2023 the chari￿s income was £40,027 and the charitws spending
was £68.998. The bank balance on 31 December 2023 was E26.733 whith induded substsntial amounts
earmarkedforfurther building and community projects.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trusteeg report above.
Signed on behalf of the ch
itvs trustees
Signature:
Full Name=
-ddetriu CL4é/r
Position=
Date:

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## 

||2023|2023|2022|2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|lncome|||||
|Personal Donations|1"4,!26.50||7,590.07||
|HMRCGiftAidRefund|3,792.L2||2,226.77||
|CMUParishAppeals|5,824.20||2,736.96||
|Other CorporateDonations|6,842.50||3,252.50||
|lnternetFundraising|2,222.15||1,183.88||
|Total Donations & Fundraising||32,807.47||16,990.12|
|DepositAccountInterest||375.03||73.78|
|59Club Grosslncome||6,845.00||6,475.00|
|Total lncome||40,027.50||23,538.90|
|Expenditure|||||
|lrrigationEpendrture|0||2,71.6.00||
|Famine Relief Expenditure|9,892.00||0||
|Community & Health Projects|10,734.99||489.00||
|Education Projects Expenditure:|43,410.66||33,695.39||
|N4BWSmallProjects|809.21||s16.00||
|Bessie's Place|325.45||2,193.00||
|Total Charitable Expenditure||65,172.31||39,609.39|
|Catholic Missionary Union|243.77||329.69||
|Computer &lnternetExpenses|98.93||88.62||
|Bank Charges|'13B.15||1.62.00||
|TotalCosts||480.85||580.31|
|59ClubPrizes||3,345.00||3,230.00|
|Total Expenditure||68,998.16||43,4L9.70|
|Deficit||-28,974.66||-19,880.80|





## 

|ASSETS|2023|2022|
|---|---|---|
|UKCoopCurrent Account|2,002.65|5,830.66|
|UKCoop DepositAccount|22,000.00|49,O73.78|
|MalawiBankCurrentAccount|488.17|358.80|
|MalawiCash inhand|242.54|325.12|
|Prepayments|2,000.00|0|
|TotalAssets|26,733.36|55,598.36|
|LIABIL!TIES|||
|AccountsPayable|0|0|
|TotalLiabilities|0|0|
|ASSETSLESSLIABILITIES|||
|REPRESENTEDBY:|||
|Opening balances1stJanuary|55,598.35|76,L82.97|
|Currentyear earnings(surplus/deficit)|-28,970.66|-19,880.80|
|Exchangerateeffect(surplus/deficit)|105.66|-703.81|
|Total|26,733.36|55,598.36|





## 

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## 

||2023|2023|2022|2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|lncome|||||
|Personal Donations|1"4,!26.50||7,590.07||
|HMRCGiftAidRefund|3,792.L2||2,226.77||
|CMUParishAppeals|5,824.20||2,736.96||
|Other CorporateDonations|6,842.50||3,252.50||
|lnternetFundraising|2,222.15||1,183.88||
|Total Donations & Fundraising||32,807.47||16,990.12|
|DepositAccountInterest||375.03||73.78|
|59Club Grosslncome||6,845.00||6,475.00|
|Total lncome||40,027.50||23,538.90|
|Expenditure|||||
|lrrigationEpendrture|0||2,71.6.00||
|Famine Relief Expenditure|9,892.00||0||
|Community & Health Projects|10,734.99||489.00||
|Education Projects Expenditure:|43,410.66||33,695.39||
|N4BWSmallProjects|809.21||s16.00||
|Bessie's Place|325.45||2,193.00||
|Total Charitable Expenditure||65,172.31||39,609.39|
|Catholic Missionary Union|243.77||329.69||
|Computer &lnternetExpenses|98.93||88.62||
|Bank Charges|'13B.15||1.62.00||
|TotalCosts||480.85||580.31|
|59ClubPrizes||3,345.00||3,230.00|
|Total Expenditure||68,998.16||43,4L9.70|
|Deficit||-28,974.66||-19,880.80|





## 

|ASSETS|2023|2022|
|---|---|---|
|UKCoopCurrent Account|2,002.65|5,830.66|
|UKCoop DepositAccount|22,000.00|49,O73.78|
|MalawiBankCurrentAccount|488.17|358.80|
|MalawiCash inhand|242.54|325.12|
|Prepayments|2,000.00|0|
|TotalAssets|26,733.36|55,598.36|
|LIABIL!TIES|||
|AccountsPayable|0|0|
|TotalLiabilities|0|0|
|ASSETSLESSLIABILITIES|||
|REPRESENTEDBY:|||
|Opening balances1stJanuary|55,598.35|76,L82.97|
|Currentyear earnings(surplus/deficit)|-28,970.66|-19,880.80|
|Exchangerateeffect(surplus/deficit)|105.66|-703.81|
|Total|26,733.36|55,598.36|