Cameroon Catalyst
Trustees' Annual Report 2019/20
1a. Charity Details
Charity Name: Cameroon Catalyst
Registered Charity Number: 1155758
Charity Principal Address:
27 Hawker Close Longbridge Birmingham B31 2GU
Trustee Details
Trustees are elected for a term of three years by the Cameroon Catalyst constitution. The following trustees currently serve the charity:
| • | Laura Cannon | – Chairperson (from 31 Aug 2020) |
|---|---|---|
| • | Andy Hopkins | – Treasurer (from 31 Aug 2020) |
| • | Pat Mballa | – Trustee and Co-Founder |
| • | Thomas Edwards | – Trustee (from 31 Aug 2020) |
| • | Claire Gott | – Trustee and Co-Founder |
| • | Mikey Harper | – Trustee (resigned September 2020) |
| • | Charlie Steer | – Trustee (resigned September 2020) |
2. Structure of the Charity
| Governing Document: | Constitution, latest version enacted March 2016 |
|---|---|
| Charity Constitution: | Charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) |
| Trustee Selection: | Elected by charity members at AGM |
3. The Report
This Trustee’s Annual Report accompanies the accounts submitted by Cameroon Catalyst to the Charity Commission, covering the 12-month accounting period from 01/09/2019 to 31/08/2020. It highlights the aims of the charity, the work we have undertaken in the period and summarises the outcomes of our efforts.
4. The Charity
The object of Cameroon Catalyst is to empower village communities across east Cameroon, West Africa and improve living conditions and wellbeing, especially through the provision of water, education, health care, affordable housing, renewable energy, and microbusinesses.
Cameroon Catalyst is an international development charity, focused on promoting sustainable development in the Eastern region of Cameroon. The charity was founded in 2009 by University of Southampton students, with the aim of putting their knowledge and skills to use in improving infrastructure in the developing world. The charity brings together students, engineers and specialists to develop projects which are carefully researched, well designed and fulfil a real need.
From 2009 to 2014, Cameroon Catalyst worked in the rural village of Bambouti, in Eastern Cameroon. Careful consultation with the village was key to the development of a Medical Centre, a school, a carpentry and mechanical skills workshop and a solar-powered electrical hub, which provides sustainable electricity to the village primarily for the medical centre. A small business venture charging battery-powered lamps and mobile phones has also come about as a result.
Research conducted in 2013 showed that water and sanitation remained the major issues in the wider region around Bambouti. After careful consideration, and consultation with experts, the charity embarked in 2014 on a new five-year scheme of works, scheduled between 2017 and 2021, aimed at addressing WaSH with a range of measures, including the construction of new wells and latrines.
The Charity now operates out of three Chapters, the existing one in Southampton, and one at the University of Birmingham founded in 2016, and Imperial College London founded in 2019. Each Chapter is responsible for the research, design and delivery of a different project that falls within the current WaSH programme, detailed in the 2017-21 Business Plan. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and in line with Government guidance, in March of 2020 all three universities prematurely ended their face-to-face learning. This hugely impacted the Student teams, not least by cancelling all their in-person meetings, but also by limiting campus-based fundraising which is a big source of income for the chapters.
5. Charitable Activities in the period
Access to Water:
- In April 2020 Southampton delivered their sixth clean water well to the village of Deoule, as selected on the 2019 Summer Trip. Imperial began researching opportunities for rainwater capture and harvesting as an alternative source of clean water in the villages.
Annual Student Research Trip:
- Unfortunately there was no Annual Student Research Trip in 2020, however we were successful in engaging with our local volunteers in Cameroon to collect data on project site locations and local villager opinions.
Improved Sanitation:
- Birmingham continued with the development of their communal pit latrine which seeks to address the lack of sanitation and hygiene facilities in the region.
6. Financial Review
Reserves Policy: Cameroon Catalyst endeavours to hold reserves to help cover the next year of charitable activity and provide contingency. The current cash reserve is £17,367.
7. Declaration
Signed on behalf of the Trustees of Cameroon Catalyst
Signature:
Name: Andy Hopkins Position: Treasurer Date: 30/06/2021
| Cameroon Catalyst | Cameroon Catalyst | Cameroon Catalyst | 1155758 | 1155758 | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
01/09/2019 | To | 31/08/2020 | |||
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||||
| A1 Receipts Voluntary - Receipt of Sponsorship Voluntary - Other Donations Fundraising Activities Grant Income Gift Aid Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ - 4,402 861 - 605 - - - 5,868 - - - 5,868 6,027 - p2,121 215 325 0 - - 8,688 - - - 8,688 - 2,820 - 13,017 10,197 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - 1,000 - - - - 1,000 - - - 1,000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1,000 - 6,170 7,170 |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ - 4,402 861 1,000 605 - - - 6,868 - - - 6,868 6,027 - 2,121 215 - 325 0 - - 8,688 - - - 8,688 - 1,820 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| - - - - - - - - - |
- | 7,500 | ||||
| 4,402 | 6,475 | |||||
| 861 | 4,761 | |||||
| 1,000 | - | |||||
| 605 | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| 6,868 | 18,736 | |||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
||||||
| - | - - - |
- | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | |||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
||||||
| - | 6,868 | 18,736 | ||||
| Charitable Activities (Cameroon): Well Construction |
6,027 | - - - - - - - - - - |
6,027 | 9,080 | ||
| Charitable Activities (Cameroon): Trip Support |
- | - | 1,588 | |||
| Charitable Activities(UK): Student sup | p2,121 | 2,121 | ||||
| Bank Fees | 215 | 215 | 212 | |||
| Insurance | - | 3,876 | ||||
| Expenses for fundraisingactivities | 325 | 325 | 222 | |||
| Effect of currencychange | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| **Sub total ** | 8,688 | 8,688 | 14,981 | |||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
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| - | - - - |
- | ||||
| - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | |||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
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| - | 8,688 | 14,981 | ||||
| - 2,820 | 1,000 | - | - 1,820 | 3,755 | ||
| - | - | - - |
- | - | ||
| 13,017 | 6,170 | 19,187 | 15,431 | |||
| 10,197 | 7,170 | - | 17,367 | 19,186 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
30/06/2021
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one trustee on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds CCXX R2 accounts (SS) |
Details | Details | Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Current Account: Main UK account | 7,808 | 6,170 | - | ||||
| Bank Current Account: Uni. Southampton | 863 | - | - | ||||
| Bank Current Account: Uni. Birmingham | 1,079 | ||||||
| Bank Current Account: Uni. ICL | - | 1,000 | - | ||||
| Bank Current Account: Cameroon | 177 | ||||||
| Cash Held in Hand | 270 | ||||||
| Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Details Details Signature ~~2~~ |
10,197 | 7,170 | - | ||||
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| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| Date of approval |
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| 30/06/2021 ~~30/06/2021~~ |
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