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← Exeter-Ethiopia Link

2024-12-31-accounts

EXETER ETHIOPIA LINK ANNUAL REPORT JANUARY- DECEMBER 2024 Enabling communities to help themselves

ANNUAL REPORT - CONTENTS

2024 PROJECT UPDATES

CHARITY UPDATES:

2025:

INTRODUCTION FROM SECRETARY

2024 was a of within our reduced We year working budget. consolidated our projects, focussing heavily on our core objective of providing libraries to the area in which we excelled and further extended our reach in both footfall and books lent. We continued our other projects where funding allowed. Huge thanks to Murti and her team. The project committee is to be thanked for their keen attention to the details of the projects and budgeting.

The Year of The Teacher raised £2056 which was a great achievement and covered the cost of 650 books. We chose The Year of Rural Schools as our focus for 2025.

Our newsletter continues to evolve and be a vital form of communication.

In Nekemte there continued to be challenges with security issues and we thank the whole team for their resilience and determination to keep projects running where it is safe to do so. Murti has worked tirelessly to ensure the safe and efficient continuation of the work.

We are delighted to have secure two significant grants in 2024. Thanks to Mark and Murti for their skilful proposals.

I would like to extend sincere thanks and appreciation across the spectrum of EEL. From our members and supporters through to our board of trustees and treasurer, our project committee, our volunteers Lee and David and our Nekemte team working with our teachers, librarians and local communities.

Thank you for your continued support.

Murti is growing our engagement with schools and has restarted the linked schools’ initiative. This is an area of great potential and her regular schools newsletter is proving a big success in raising interest.

Dawn Swettenham

2024 PROJECT UPDATES:

2024 was a hugely challenging year because of the political and security situation in and around Nekemte with regular armed conflict around and at times in Nekemte. Nekemte was declared (and still is) an area which the FCDO advises against all travel to.

However, EEL is continuing to work with the EECMY CSDASSC. It puts the security of the team as a total priority but uses local knowledge to identify areas where it is safe.

Thank you from the team in Nekemte

1) LIBRARIES

LIBRARIES ~~ee~~  VY|, oe3 ~ HweeA im el # oe , We have planned to extend the project agreement for an additional year, starting in June 2025. Under this siti = ¥ be , a va we are planning to:

2. LITERACY

12 teachers were trained in the teaching of early grade reading from four rural schools.

 We have continued girls’ literacy tutorials in four schools . This resulted in 85 girls who otherwise were not achieving literacy in mainstream classrooms to reach a minimum word level of literacy and out of this 71 girls to become fluent in reading.

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Grade 2 Girls' Literacy Assessment in
(2024/5)
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31%
5% 60% 46%
18%
22%
9% 9%
Illiterate Sound recognition Min fluency Fluent reader
(letter) (word)
| Baseline % | Endline %
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3. GIRLS’ BIKE PROJECT

 8 girls from two secondary school have been training in our girls cycling club. They meet three times a week with Coach Takele, a former professional cyclist, to build their skills and confidence.

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----- Start of picture text -----
8
Girls attending
Year In Numbers
cycling club
53 People accessing
savings and loan
>
Girls attending
210
literacy tutorials
os
35 Librarians employed
Dp
2,000 Average number of books
borrowed monthly
a
27,400 Average monthly
library use
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Fundraising by Annie Bainbridge and members

Annie, as usual, ran her stall at The Respect Festival. She also organized a walk and talk and attended South Molton Market to sell hand made knitted items kindly donated by a member. Money raised was added to our Big Give campaign and doubled!

Our trustee Ken organized a stand at Exeter University Fresher’s Week to raise

awareness

We had 30 sign ups P °

2024 FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN:

UPDATE

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£2056 raised
2,680 books donated
to libraries
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EEL UPDATES:

MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS

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abceeeeeee
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A big thank you to all our members whose subscriptions help fund our much needed and appreciated projects in and around Nekemte.

We have 20 more members than in 2024 and of course our aim is to increase membership year on year. The annual fee is £10 single and £15 joint membership. It is easy to subscribe online through our website.

I would also like to thank those who are not members but give their time and energy to the Respect Festival and other fundraising activities.

Please email me if your contact details have changed .... membsec@exeterethiopialink.org

Annie Bainbridge Membership secretary

We have focused on inviting friends and followers to sign up to our newsletter.

We hope that this is an easy step towards membership.

We currently have 147 people signed up to our newsletter.

CURRENT MEMBERS = 164

TREASURER’S REPORT

The trustees have approved the accounts and Emerald Davies in the process of examining our accounts for January to December 2024 in line with financial legislation and submit her report to the Trustees. Exeter Ethiopia Link has finished 2024 with total funds of £20,384 (2023: £32,119).

We raised a total of £21,997 compared to £20,042 the previous year). This slight increase is mainly due to an additional grant we received. We again carried out a very successful Big Give campaign in which we raised £9,837. Money from this is included in both fundraising and donations lines (from our match funders Ethiopia Aid and Enable Ed CIC) of our Statement of Financial Activities. We spent £33,732 of which 90% went as grants out to Ethiopia and 7% as a stipend and expenses to our volunteer project manager in Ethiopia.

Currently the accounts for Exeter Ethiopia Link are declining, with totals of £12,965 in unrestricted funds and £7,419 in restricted funds (£20,384 in total).

EEL has finished 2024 with total funds of £20,384 (See separate Financial Report for detail)

What’s Next:

Our projects come to an end in June 2025 but with a recent grant (Feb 2025) of £10,000 from the Waterloo Foundation we will be continuing our projects and Murti is developing a project budget for sign off initially with the project committee.

By Mark Smith EEL Treasurer.

ANNUAL ACCOUNTS APPROVAL

GOVERNANCE, PEOPLE AND ROLES OFFICERS:

OFFICERS:
Role Officer during 2024:
General Secretary Dawn Swettenham
Treasurer Mark Smith
Membership Secretary Annie Bainbridge
Fundraising, social media, publicity Lee Davies
Website Editor David Scarbrough
Project committee chair George Dexter
Project committee Penny Pullen, Liz Horsefield, Aynsley Jones
Jordan Jones, Sue Parks, Marc Zuiderveen
Joanne Keenahan, Sue Parks, Murti Uma, Mark Smith

GOVERNANCE, PEOPLE AND ROLES TRUSTEES:

Trustees during 2024 Changes During Year:

Penny Pullen (honorary/ ex officio)

Liz Horsefield

Dawn Swettenham

George Dexter

Trustee Changes at 2025 AGM Dawn Swettenham Standing down George Dexter Standing down Cynthia Palmer For re election by rotation Ruth Smith Nominated to become trustee

Selam Uma

Cynthia Palmer

Kenechukwu Leonard

Ex-officios Selam Uma Secretary Mark Smith (Treasurer) Treasurer (non trustee)

2025/6 STRATEGY

Build on Our Strengths

Seize Opportunities

2025/6 STRATEGY

Address Weaknesses

Prepare for and Mitigate Threats

2025 FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN: UPDATE

We have chosen rural schools as our fundraising focus for 2025. Rural schools have lower attendance rates compare

The purpose of our fundraising is to purchase essential classroom equipment such as school desks, blackboards and bookshelves. We are seeking a volunteer to help us to promote this cause and to organise fundraising events.

Dawn

Could you organise an event and give the gift of education which will last a lifetime?

Could you support our rural schools? A sponsored event :

• An opportunity to reach a personal goal • An opportunity to improve your fitness A coffee morning / book swap or supper: • An opportunity to meet up with friends AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO

Charity Number 1154085

Annual Accounts and Financial Statements for the Year Ending 31 December 2024

Unaudited Accounts

Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO

Independent examiner's report on the accounts for the year ending 31 December 2024

The charity's trustees 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 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,

to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state

whether particular matters have come to my attention.

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.

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: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met.

Signed: Dated: 12[th] July 2025

Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO Charity Information

Charity Address:

333A Willenhall Road

Wolverhampton WV1 2HD Charity Number 1154085

Trustees

Dawn Swettenham Annie Bainbridge George Dexter Penelope Pullen Elizabeth Horsefield Selam Uma Kenechukwu Osanakpo Cynthia Palmer

Independent Examiner

Emerald Thomas MAAT FCCA

Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO Balance Sheet as at 31/12/2024

Total Total
Funds Funds
Notes 2024 2023
Current Assets £ £
Bank Account ...5188 18,528 26,549
Bank Account …7900 1,857 5,570
20,384 32,119
Creditors
Liabilities Falling Due Within One Year - -
Net Assets 20,384 32,119
Funds of the charity
Unrestricted funds 12,966 21,259
Restricted funds 7,418 10,860
Total Funds 20,384 32,119

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 17/7/2025

and signed on its behalf by

Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO

Statement of Financial Activities for year ending 31/12/2024

Unrestricted Restricted Total
Notes Funds Funds Funds Total Funds
2024 2024 2024 2023
Grants Received 5,000 5,000 2,200
Donations 4,500 4,500 5,064
Subscriptions 3,144 3,144 3,132
Fundraising 6,659 6,659 5,478
Gift Aid 2,694 2,694 4,168
Total Income 5,838 16,159 21,997 20,042
Expenditure on:
Fundraising costs 504 504 280
Grants out 11,277 18,990 30,267 23,664
Travel costs Ethiopia 91 610 701 -
Volunteer Stipend 1,800 1,800 1,470
Volunteer Expenses 0 191
Room Hire+ Refreshments 148 148 241
Insurance 242 242 251
Donation 70 70 30
Total Expenditure 14,132 19,600 33,732 26,127
Net Income/(Expenditure) (8,294) (3,441) (11,735) (6,085)
Reconciliation of Funds
Total Funds brought Forward 21,259 10,860 32,119 38,204
Total Funds carried Forward 12,966 7,419 20,384 32,119

EXETER ETHIOPIA LINK CIO NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31st December 2024

Accounting policies

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (FRS102) issued on 16 July 2014 effective 1[st] January 2019

Project Fund Balances

Below are the fund balances. Trustees took the decision to simplify the project lines. In the Unrestricted Funds, funds were merged into one. For Restricted funds a number of fund lines were spent out. If future grants are obtained, these will be managed on separate project lines.

Unrestricted Funds
General
Restricted Funds
Ferguson
Souter Charitable
Trust
Sponsorships
Travel Fund
Librarians
Year of Teacher
EEL Project Fund
Total Funds		 Jan-24 Income
Expenditure
Dec-24
21,259
5,838
14,131
12,966
21,259
5,838
14,131
12,966
5,000
3,000
2,000
2,041
2041
0
580
580
0
610
610
0
3,553
8,866
7,000
5,419
936
936
0
4,076
1357
5,433
0
10,860
16,159
19,600
7,419
32,119
21,997
33,731
20,384