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← Cameroon Catalyst

2024-08-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report

01 September 2023 to 31 August 2024

Trustees’ Annual Report 2023/24

Cameroon Catalyst

Version History

Date Version Comments Author(s)
25/06/2025 #01 For Submission TE, JC, MD

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Trustees’ Annual Report 2023/24

Cameroon Catalyst

Page of Contents

Version History 1
Page of Contents 2
1. Administrative Details 3
2. Structure, Governance and Management 3
3. The Report 3
4. Objectives and Activities 4
4.1. Objectives 4
4.2. Activities 5
5. Achievements and Performance 6
5.1. Project Delivery 6
5.2. Community Engagement 7
5.3. Student Development 8
5.4. Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing 9
6. Financial Review 11
7. Declarations 11

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Trustees’ Annual Report 2023/24

Cameroon Catalyst

1. Administrative Details

Charity Name Cameroon Catalyst Registered Charity Number 1155758 Flat 6 Stockwood Court 19 St Winifred’s Road Charity Principal Address Bournemouth BH2 6NY Trustee Name Dates Acted Thomas Edwards Trustee and Chairperson Claire Gott Trustee and Co-Founder Pat Mballa Trustee and Co-Founder Sebastian Denner Trustee Thom Dutton Trustee (until 25 February 2024) Andy Hopkins Treasurer (until 31 August 2024) James Cox Trustee (from 03 October 2023) Martha Day Trustee (from 03 October 2023)

2. Structure, Governance and Management

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 September 2023 to 31 August 2024. It highlights the objectives of the charity, the activities undertaken and the achievements made in the period reported.

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4. Objectives and Activities

4.1. Objectives

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 a student driven international development charity promoting sustainable development in rural Cameroon. We bring together students and specialists to deliver essential infrastructure projects in some of the least developed communities in the country. We were co-founded in 2009 by a team of civil engineering students at the University of Southampton in partnership with a native Cameroonian living in the UK.

Our vision is for rural communities in Cameroon to possess the autonomy and opportunity to achieve their own sustainable development towards a fulfilling, healthy and prosperous future. Our mission is to act as a catalyst for sustainable change in rural Cameroon by delivering needs-assessed infrastructure which removes development barriers and empowers local people to engage with their own sustainable development.

We are driven by teams of dedicated students at the University of Southampton and Imperial College London. Our student volunteers hold a vital role in our work and are responsible for the design and fundraising for our projects. Our student teams combine a diverse range of technical and non-technical degree programmes, drawing from engineering, natural and social sciences and languages.

We are governed by a Board of Trustees who inform the charity’s direction and managed day-to-day by a senior committee of industry professionals. We are supported by an advisory board of individuals and organisations who specialise in each of our focus areas and priorities. We are grateful to receive ongoing corporate patronage from engineering professional services firm WSP who contribute to our project funding. We are also proud of our long term technical advisory relationship with humanitarian architectural design charity Article 25 who play a vital role in the delivery of our projects.

Our work is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The goals and their targets help to define our priorities and provide us with the confidence that our solutions act towards the sustainable change we hope to catalyse.

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4.2. Activities

To ensure we are most effective in achieving our purpose, we conduct our work through four focus areas. Within each focus area we define what we hope to achieve, what we do to achieve this, and the impact we have. Our focus areas were chosen to reflect what is most important to us as a charity and structure our approach irrespective of our current priority.

Our first programme of works between 2009 and 2014 prioritised the village of Bambouti. Over five years we delivered five independent projects addressing five interconnected development needs, including a Medical Centre, Mechanical Workshop, School Classrooms, a Solar Electrification Hub and Improved Housing.

In 2013, following the successful delivery of our programme of works in Bambouti, we conducted a full assessment of the development needs in the wider Eastern Region of Cameroon. Our assessment identified that a lack of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) Infrastructure was the biggest barrier to sustainable development. Since 2014 we have been developing our response to the presented WaSH needs across the Eastern Region. Our WaSH programme combines infrastructure for water provision and sanitation. To date we have delivered seven hand dug water wells, a ventilated improved pit latrine and a rainwater harvesting and storage system.

Rising temperatures and less frequent rainfall in Sub-Saharan Africa are lengthening the dry season exacerbating stress on groundwater levels and consequently shallow aquifers are becoming less reliable as a water source. This is rendering many older shallow, hand-dug wells less effective, especially towards the beginning of the rainy season, when groundwater levels are low after a long dry season. This was highlighted by UNICEF in their Climate Change Impacts, Trends and Vulnerabilities of Children in Sub Saharan Africa report in 2020. Consequently we have adapted their response to clean water provision to focus on the delivery of solar pumped borehole wells which tap deeper into the surface aquifer, or even into unconfined aquifers deeper below ground.

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4.3. Public Benefit

The trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the guidance published by the Charity Commission on public benefit in accordance with the requirements set out in the Charity SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) 2015, paragraph 1.18. The trustees have ensured that the activities undertaken reflect the charity’s aims and objectives, and provide identifiable public benefit by addressing fundamental needs in the communities we aim to benefit.

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5. Achievements and Performance

5.1. Project Delivery

The most tangible impact we have is through the delivery of essential infrastructure projects. Project Delivery encompasses the full project lifecycle, from needs assessment to post-handover monitoring and evaluation. Our student volunteers respond to assessed needs with sustainable design proposals which are checked by our in-house chartered engineers and by external experts. We work closely with our advisors at Article 25 and WSP to ensure our project designs are technically excellent and best meet the needs of the community.

Construction in Cameroon is undertaken by appointed local contractors and completed projects are handed over to selected operational committees within the beneficiary community. The success of each project is not only defined by the handover of the project to the community, but by the continued performance of the facility following completion. We conduct monitoring and evaluation activities on an ongoing basis, ensuring our projects continue to meet target outcomes; this process also provides valuable lessons for future projects.

In 2023, Cameroon Catalyst trialled solar-powered water pumping in the village of Mbangue, building on a hand-dug well we had constructed in previous years. A solar pump was installed at an 18-metre depth, feeding a ferrocement attenuation tank that balanced supply and demand—enabling reliable, day-long access to water while allowing the well to naturally recharge. This pilot allowed us to test the reliability and viability of solar technology in a rural setting.

Solar Pump Retrofit in Mbangue

Building on that success, we launched our most ambitious project to date in 2024 in the village of Petit Ngaoundéré—an area facing acute water scarcity. The scheme included a 120-metre-deep borehole, solar-powered pump, elevated storage tower, and a gravity-fed distribution network supplying communal collection points. This marked our first full-scale borehole project and a major milestone in our mission to deliver lasting access to clean, safe water.

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5.2. Community Engagement

Community engagement encompasses all of the charity’s interactions with our beneficiary communities, local governance and representation in Cameroon. We involve these stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of each project; from thorough initial field visit surveys to ongoing monitoring and evaluation post-handover. Consistent and effective communication with the communities ensures that each project responds to the essential needs and aligns with community aspirations. As a result our projects are well received and maintained, and empower local communities to continue to achieve their own development sustainably.

Our community engagement efforts during the May and July 2024 volunteer trips were pivotal in the delivery of sustainable water solutions in Petit Ngaoundere. Through targeted strategies, including community interviews, stakeholder engagements with local water managers and leaders, and participatory workshops, we ensured that the voices of the community were central to decision-making processes. These interactions not only provided valuable insights into local water needs but also empowered community members to actively participate in shaping solutions. By mapping water sources and conducting village tours alongside local managers, we facilitated a comprehensive understanding of water access challenges, thereby laying a robust foundation for collaborative action during the project delivery phase.

Senior Committee Trip to Cameroon in May 2024

Pictured from left to right Patrick Mballa (Trustee), Clara Gimeno-Jesus (Head of Community Engagement), Village Chief, James Cox (Trustee), Sandrine (Cameroonian Volunteer), Martha Day (Trustee), 3 community beneficiaries

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5.3. Student Development

Student volunteers are the core drivers of our impact, responsible for the design of, and fundraising for, each project. This level of student involvement in an international development charity is unique to Cameroon Catalyst and is important because it provides those at the beginning of their careers with the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and experience across a range of technical and non-technical areas. Our student volunteers develop both passively through their direct experiences with project involvement and charity operations, and actively through opportunities tailored towards improving specific skills or knowledge sets. Cameroon Catalyst alumni represent a cohort of sustainability thinkers which contributes to preparing the next generation of civil society leaders.

In February 2024 the charity hosted the Annual Charity Workshop at the University of Southampton Boldrewood Campus. The workshop brought together Trustees, Senior Committee Members and Student Volunteers to share achievements and lessons learnt from the previous year and partake in design and fundraising workshops. This year the workshop focused on Community Engagement throughout the project delivery lifecycle and how best to engage with the beneficiary communities our projects are intended for.

Annual Charity Workshop at the University of Southampton

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5.4. Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing

Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing includes all of our interactions with NGOs, companies, institutions and wider industry outside of our beneficiary communities. We aspire to partner with organisations to deliver the most effective projects and share our research findings, best practice and lessons learned. Through this we can significantly increase our influence in the international development sector rather than existing as an isolated entity.

Collaboration was at the heart of our approach to project delivery in 2024, exemplified by our partnership with UNICEF in Bertoua. In an initial in-person meeting in May 2024, we developed a strong working relationship with UNICEF’s local technical team, who provided key advice and technical guidance for our project in Petit Ngaoundere. By leveraging UNICEF's expertise and insights, we enhanced our project delivery strategy, ensuring alignment with the local context and global best practices in water resource management. Through knowledge sharing sessions and strategic discussions, we exchanged critical information on effective community engagement, technology adoption and long-term water governance of our project. This collaboration enriches our technical capabilities, helps inform our approach of delivering solutions aimed at localised contexts and underscores our dedication to maximising impact and fostering resilience within the communities we serve.

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6. Financial Review

Reserves Policy Cameroon Catalyst endeavours to hold reserves to help cover the next year of charitable activity and provide contingency. At the end of the 2023/24 financial year the reserve stood at £7,225 in the Main UK Bank Account and £10,622 including all Student Chapter accounts. ~~_~~

7. Declarations

Signed on behalf of the Trustees of Cameroon Catalyst.

Name Thomas Edwards Position Chairperson
Date 25/06/2025 Signed

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www.camerooncatalyst.org info@camerooncatalyst.org

Registered Charity Number: 1155758

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Cameroon Catalyst 1155758
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period 1/9/2023 To 31/8/2024
from
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Endowment
Restricted funds Total funds Last year
funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Voluntary - Corporate Sponsorship - -- - - - - - - - - - - 7,500-
Voluntary - Other Donations - 780- - - - - - - - 780- - 780-
Fundraising Activities - 3,776- - - - - - - - 3,776- - 2,360-
Grant Income (Main UK) - -- - 6,306- - - - - 6,306- - 4,000-
Trip Fundraising Activities - -- - 9,796- - - - - 9,796- - 7,200-
Grant Income (Southampton) - -- - 594- - - - - 594- - 480-
Grant Income (Imperial) - -- - 870- - - - - 870- - - -
- 4,556- - 17,566- - - - - 22,122- - 22,320-
a Sub total (Gross income for AR) = ===
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- -- - -- - -- - - -
Sub total [-] -- - -- - -- - - - - --
— Total receipts ————— [-] 4,556- - 17,566- - -- - 22,122- - 22,320-
A3 Payments
Charitable Activities (Cameroon): Solar Pump
Retrofit - 610- - - - - - - - 610- - 8,176-
Charitable Activities (Cameroon): Borehole
Well - 7,405- - 6,900- - - - - 14,305- - 2,310-
Charitable Activities (Cameroon): Road Safety
Signage - -- - 385- - - - - 385- - 2,310-
Charitable Activities (Cameroon): Rainwater
Harvesting and Storage - -- - 1,500- - - - - 1,500- - 2,310-
Charitable Activities (Cameroon): Trip Support
(Main UK) - 7,594- - 9,796- - - - - 17,390- - 10,130-
Charitable Activities (Cameroon): Trip Support
(Southampton) - -- - 360- - - - - 360- - - -
Charitable Activities (UK): Travel Support to
Annual Charity Workshop - -- - 205- - - - - 205- - - -
Insurance - 2,514- - - - - - - - 2,514- - 2,374-
Website Hosting Fee - 39- - - - - - - - 39- - 102-
Cost of Fundraising (Main UK) - 318- - - - - - - - 318- - 216-
Cost of Fundraising (Southampton) - 254- - - - - - - - 254- - 91-
Cost of Fundraising (Imperial) - -- - 120- - - - - 120- - - -
Sub total - 18,735- - 19,265- - - - - 38,000- - 28,019-
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- -- - -- - -- - - -
Sub total - -- - -- - -- - - -
ee Total payments - 18,735- - 19,265- - -- - 38,000- - 28,019-
Net of receipts/(payments) - 14,179- - 1,699- - - - - 15,878- - 5,699-
A5 Transfers between funds - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end - 23,149- - 3,350- - - - - 26,499- - 26,499-
Cash funds this year end === - 8,970- - 1,651- - - - - 10,621- - 20,800-
— =
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestricted Restricted funds Endowment
Categories Details funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds Current Account: Main UK Account - 7,225- - - - - - -
Current Account: Southampton - 604- - 106- - - -
Current Account: Birmingham - 1,079-
Current Account: Imperial - 1,545- - - -
Cash held in hand - 62- - - -
===
1 26/06/2025
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

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Total cash funds - 8,970- - 1,651- - - -
TT
(agree balances with receipts and payments account
(s)) OK OK OK
Unrestricted Restricted funds Endowment
funds funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets Po - - - - - - - - -
Fund to which asset Current value
Cost (optional)
Details belongs (optional)
B3 Investment assets Po - - - - - -
Fund to which asset Current value
Cost (optional)
Details belongs (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the - - - - - -
charity’s own use - - - - - -
| Fund to which Amount due | When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
B5 Liabilities Po - - -
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of
all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of approval
Thomas Henderson Edwards 25/06/2025
ee ee ee
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CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

26/06/2025

2