## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 27/07/22 Period start date To Period end date** ## **26/07/23** ## **Charity name: Sierra Foundation for Life Skills** ## **Charity registration number: 1157293** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**Advancement of education and training**
**in Sierra Leone, particularly females**
**facing social exclusion and economic**
**disadvantage.**
**Relief of poverty in Sierra Leone.**
**Advancement of the Christian faith in**
**Sierra Leone.**| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**1. SFFLS has paid salaries for tutors and**
**support staff at the Vocational Centre for**
**young women.**
**2. The latest student cohort has**
**graduated and more students have been**
**recruited for catering training and**
**tailoring at the Vocational Centre.**
**3. Rice has been supplied to widows and**
**other families facing hunger and**
**destitution on a regular basis.**
**4. The sinking of a well in rural Sierra**
**Leone (Mile 91) has been completed.**
**5. The building of 2 homes for war**
**widows and their families has been**
**completed and are now occupied.**
**6. Funds for the building of a palava hut**
**to enhance the work of the vocational**
**centre have been used to start the**
**structure.**
**7. Funds have been raised to underpin a**
**classroom block in a school which was**
**too dangerous to be used.**| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**Due note has been taken on issues**
**regarding public benefit by the charity.**| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**SFFLS works in partnership with Family**
**Homes Movement in Freetown. It is**
**through this charity that projects are**
**established and completed.**
⚫
**A new cohort of young women have**
**enrolled on catering and tailoring**
**courses which will enable them to**
**gain employment in local hospitality**
**venues and as self employed tailors.**
**The previous cohort have graduated**
**successfully.**
⚫
**Homes being built for war widows**
**and their families have been**
**completed and are occupied. This**
**has supported extended families who**
**were previously homeless.**
⚫
**Bags of rice have been funded every**
**month for the hungry and destitute as**
**distributed by Family Homes**
**Movement.**
⚫
**Funds have been raised to underpin a**
**classroom block in Deep Eye School**
**which was too dangerous to be used.**
**Once completed it will enable safe**
**gatherings to take place in the wider**
**community.**
⚫
**A well in a rural setting has been**
**started with the initial depth dug by**
**hand, and awaiting the weather**
**conditions to be completed. This has**
**now been completed and is**
**supplying safe water for the local**
**village (Mile 91 outside of Freetown).**| |**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements|where relevant about:| |---|---|---| |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|**All objectives are either in progress or**
**completed as set out by the trustees.**
**Two trustees had a 3 week visit to Sierra**
**Leone in January 2023 to support the**
**work of Family Homes Movement and see**
**progress made on projects funded by**
**SFFLS.**| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|**Fundraising has successfully supported**
**all projects that have been agreed with**
**Family Homes Movement.**| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|**Not applicable.**| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**The charity is in credit with financial**
**assets as seen in attached accounts, with**
**all commitments having been met.**| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**Reserves of £500 are maintained in the**
**SFFLS account.**| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**£500.00**| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**None**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|| |**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements|where relevant about:| |---|---|---| |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|**Individual donations from supporters,**
**largely through regular giving and gift aid**
**where applicable. Fund raising events**
**include summer garden parties in July**
**2022 and 2023. Occasional events were**
**organised for supporters which raised**
**funds for the charity.**| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|**None.**| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|**The trustees operate a low risk position**
**regarding the use of funds for**
**distribution.**| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**Constitution**| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**Charitable Incorporated organisation**| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**Appointed by existing trustees.**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and Para 1.51 training of trustees **Family Homes Movement in Freetown is our local partner in Sierra Leone.** The charity’s organisational structure and any wider Para 1.51 network with which the charity works Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties Other ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Sierra Foundation for Life Skills| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|SFFLS| |Registered charity number|1157293| |Charity’s principal address|37, Fairview Drive,
Bayston Hill
Shrewsbury
SY3 0LD| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||VerityLowe|Chair||| ||Sarah Wolton|Secretary||| ||Sandra Lloyd|Treasurer||| ||Steven Butterworth|Trustee||| ||Rev Clive Devonish|Trustee|6thOctober 2021|| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets None held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser** **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** |**Signature(s)**
**Full name(s)**
**Position (eg Secretary,**
**Chair, etc)**
**Date**|Verity Lowe|| |---|---|---| ||Verity Janet Lowe|| ||
Chair|| ||29.03.23|| ||29.03.23|| ## **SIERRA FOUNDATION FOR LIFE SKILLS RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD 27/7/2022 - 26/7/2023** |RECEIPTS|2023|2023|2022|2022| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Restricted|Unrestricted|Restricted|Unrestricted| |DONATIONS||12761.00||10068.73| |DONATION TOWARDS|FLIGHTS|1000.00||0| |FUNDRAISING||2925.40||3148.12| |GIFT AID||1329.11||2305.72| |PCC||275.73||| |OTHER||||409.39| |TOTAL RECEIPTS||18291.24||15931.96| |PAYMENTS||||| |FUNDRAISING COSTS||0||186.34| |SIERRA LEONE PROJECT COSTS||19637.99||12745.00| |INSURANCE||538.16||530.92| |PRINTING & POSTAGE||49.49||110.67| |FLIGHTS & TRAVEL COSTS||3569.73||0| |ACCOUNTANTS FEES||300.00||300.00| |WEBSITE / I.T||497.99||506.99| |BANK CHARGES & FEES||83.00||70.00| |OTHER||50.00||0| |TOTAL PAYMENTS||24726.36||14449.92| |NET INCOMING/ (OUTGOING)||(6435.12)||1482.04| |RESOURCES FOR THE YEAR||||| ## SIERRA FOUNDATION FOR LIFE SKILLS ## STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR THE PERIOD 27/7/2022 - 26/7/2023 ||2023|2022| |---|---|---| |CASH FUNDS||| |BANK CURRENT ACCOUNT|2608.86|9043.98| |TOTAL CASH FUNDS|2608.86|9043.98| |FUNDS||| |OPENING BALANCE|9043.98|7561.94| |SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR|(6435.12)|1482.04| |TOTAL FUNDS CLOSING BALANCE|2608.86|9043.98| I have audited the books and financial statements of the Sierra Foundation for Life Skills for the 12 month period ended 26/7/2023. In my view the above accounts are a true and fair record of the Foundations financial affairs during that period. Signed R. Harper, Auditor Date 7th March 2024