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← Dart International UK

2024-04-01-accounts

DART INTERNATIONAL UK TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 2023/24

The trustees of DART International UK are pleased to present their annual report and financial accounts for the period 6 April 2023 to 5 April 2024.

DART International UK was entered on the Register of Charities on 22 May 2014 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Registered charity number 1157168). This report represents the Charity's 8th year of operation.

Back ground DART was established as a result of experience gained in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, when it became apparent that local communities and international aid agencies were poorly equipped to deal with damage to critical infrastructure caused by fallen trees.

Since 2014, DART teams have conducted disaster response operations in the South Pacific island state of Vanuatu, San Jose in Northern Samar and the Caribbean island of Dominica, Grand Bahama and lastly in Malawi. The Charity has also collaborated with another UK charity working in rural Sierra Leone to deliver arboricultural skills training as part of a sustainable farming development programme and, most recently, project managed the construction of a modern 4 classroom primary school serving the same village.

Our Mission DART's charitable objectives are:

To provide teams of professionally qualified and experienced arborists, trained and equipped to support disaster relief operations worldwide by dealing efficiently with trees that pose a direct danger to the local community or obstruction of the relief effort. To promote a more considered approach to the treatment of fallen and damaged trees among international relief organisations, taking account of local knowledge, culture and practice, safeguarding trees that can be saved for future generations and helping process those that cannot in a way that supports the local economy and reconstruction.

Governance DART is governed by 7 trustees who meet regularly to manage the affairs of the Charity in accordance with its founding constitution. No DART trustee or associate is employed by or receives any financial or material benefit from the Charity, which is entirely managed and operated by volunteers.

Volunteer Structure DART has 110 registered volunteers, 55 of whom have qualified for overseas response team deployment by completing the Charity's mandatory pre-deployment Safety and Security training.

The Charity's Pre-deployment Training programme is underpinned by the Humanitarian Practice Network Good Practice Review, the Humanitarian Charter, the NGO Code of Conduct and field guidance given to staff of the IFRC and other major NGOs.

Typically, DART volunteers are highly qualified and experienced professional arboricultural specialists. In addition to fulfilling the Charity’s professional qualification and experience requirements, DART volunteers are all First Aid trained and receive advanced trauma and expedition First Aid training as part of their pre-deployment qualification.

Each volunteer brings a wide range of additional skills and life experiences to the organisation. The deployable volunteer base currently includes practising and former NHS paramedics, military and expedition trained medics, security and risk assessment specialists, trained engineers, former emergency services personnel, builders, engineers and much more. The deployed teams, benefiting from the diverse backgrounds, can impart more skills to the communities they are helping.

The Charity recognises that our volunteer’s availability and/or willingness to deploy will depend on their personal and professional commitments at any given time. Subject to their availability, volunteers agree to deploy in support of DART on the understanding that their time, energy and professional ability are freely donated; travel expenses, medical insurance, deployment field equipment and rations are funded by the Charity’s operational budget.

Financial Strategy . The Charity derives its financial support from two main areas. Firstly, a number of corporate sponsors have supplied specialist equipment, with some also providing financial support. Secondly, funds are raised through public and private donations via various fund-raising activities carried out by volunteers and supporters along with additional online donations. Corporate donations are usually solicited for a specific deployment, rather than as 'uncommitted' donations. This gives the Charity's corporate sponsors clear visibility of where and how their donation is being spent and allows DART to operate without maintaining a large cash reserve.

The Charity’s overall budget is divided between 4 main areas of expenditure: ‘Governance’, ‘Equipment’, ‘Training’ and ‘Operations’.

Budget Amount(£)
Total Income £2347
Total Expenditure £1968

Governance , including fundraising costs, IT, Safeguarding and insurance for stands at shows, accounted for a large of total expenditure for the year.

Equipment , There were no equipment purchases this year due to a lack of deployment however some banners and t-shirts were printed.

Training , The annual volunteer Pre-Deployment Qualification Course was not run this year due to lack of capacity in trainers.

Financially, DART continues to benefit from its all-volunteer workforce and donated training/equipment and storage facilities. Consequently, with no paid staff or premises to maintain, DART's financial overheads are extremely modest, and the Charity remains highly cost effective. Our total funds are £17,228.53.

Operational Activities .

There were no deployments in this financial year

DART's aims for the following 12 months remain unchanged and are to:

Summary DART has continued to fundraise and has increased our end of year cash funds. There was not the opportunity to deploy this year, however we are constantly scanning to see where our skills can be put to humanitarian benefit in the future.

The trustees conclude that DART International UK is well placed to continue its humanitarian work.

Approved by the full board of trustees and signed on their behalf by

...H Coloma...........

...A Bakere..............

H Coloma (Chair)

A Bakere (Secretary)

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from To 6th Awl 2023 5th Awl 2024 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds Restricted funds End0V+￿nt funds Total funds Last year tothe I￿reSt tothè nèarègt £ trjthè nèarègt£ to nè4rÈgt£ A1 Receipts Voluntsry Receipts Investment InterÈst 2A47 Sub total (Gn)ss income for AR) 2,347 A2 Asset and Invest￿nI sales. {see table). Sub total 1347 A3 PaJTrents Costof fundraising Inlernel postage rchendise purchase Insurance 216 9S9 327 339 41 Costof generabng ￿lUntary receipL8 (¥emance costs tra1 Prescribon medicines foi de￿O￿￿ents 86 Sub total 1.968 A4 Asset and investrEnt purchases, (see table) Sub total 1,968 Net of ￿CeIpts/{paVmentsj A5 Transfers betV￿en funds Cash funds last ￿ar end Cash fvnds this yearend 379 14284 142 14284 14284 12,979 13,358

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories Details Details Details Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Endowment
funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds Cash at bank 16,605 - -
Cash in hand 1,587 - -
- - -
Total cash funds 18,192 -
OK		 -
(agree balances w ith receipts and payments
account(s))		 Agreement Error OK
Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Endowment
funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets - - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
Details Fund to which
asset belongs		 Cost (optional) Current value
(optional)
B3 Investment assets - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Details Fund to which
asset belongs		 Cost (optional) Current value
(optional)
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use		 - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Details Fund to which
liability relates		 Amount due
(optional)		 When due
(optional)
B5 Liabilities -
-
-
-
-
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees		 Signature Print Name Date of
approval
H.Coloma H.Coloma 30/01/2025
A.Bakere A.Bakere 30/01/2025