## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
## **From 27/07/24 Period start date To Period end date**
## **26/07/25**
## **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. Rice has been supplied to widows and**
**other families facing hunger and**
**destitution on a regular basis.**
**3. A perimeter fence has been started**
**around a school and vocational centre to**
**provide security for school children and**
**students and to prevent vandalism.**
**4. Funding for a graduation ceremony for**
**students has been provided.**|
|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
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|**Volunteers have been the key fundraisers**
**for projects supported by SFFLS and**
**remain interested in the work that is**
**being done to support the work of Family**
**Homes Movement.**|
|---|---|---|
|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.**
⚫
**Bags of rice have been funded every**
**month for the hungry and destitute as**
**distributed by Family Homes**
**Movement.**
⚫
**A perimeter fence has been started to**
**provide security for pupils, students**
**and buildings on the campus.**
⚫
**Repairs to roof and general upkeep of**
**the Vocational Centre.**
⚫
**Supply of materials and machines for**
**the students at the Vocational Centre.**|
## **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 April 2025 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. These include**
**information events giving accounts of the**
**visit completed by trustees in March**
**2025.**|
|Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|**Not applicable.**|
||||
Other
## **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|**£3,000 (3 months salaries for staff in**
**Sierra Leone).**|
|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 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**
**2024 and 2025. A thanksgiving service**
**was held in October 2024 reflecting on**
**the work and impact of the charity over**
**the past ten years. A sponsored walk on**
**18th July in Church Stretton was**
**completed by one of the trustees. A**
**grant was given to fund the building of a**
**perimeter fence around a school and**
**vocational centre. This was granted by**
**The Kitchen Table Charities Trust.**|
|---|---|---|
|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
training of trustees|Para 1.51|**Recommendations for attendance of**
**relevant webinars delivered by the**
**Charity Commission.**
**The following policies have been agreed**
**by the trustees:**
**Safeguarding**
**Internal financial controls**
**Social Media**
**Data Protection**|
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|**Family Homes Movement in Freetown is**
**our local partner in Sierra Leone.**|
|Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51||
|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**
|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee(if any)**|
|---|---|---|---|
|VerityLowe|Chair|||
|Sarah Wolton|Secretary|||
|Sandra Lloyd|Treasurer|||
|Caroline Monro|Trustee|||
|Rev Clive Devonish|Trustee|||
|JeremyNuttall|Trustee|||
|||||
|||||
– 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**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|
|---|---|---|
||||
||||
||||
||||
|**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||
||01.08.25||
||01.08.25||
## **SIERRA FOUNDATION FOR LIFE SKILLS RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD 27/7/2024 - 26/7/2025**
|RECEIPTS
2025|RECEIPTS
2025|2024|2024||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Restricted Unrestricted|||Restricted Unrestricted||
|DONATIONS
28666.38
16032.51|||||
|FUNDRAISING
2647.19
4597.58|||||
|PCC
521.82
423.00|||||
|STEWARDSHIP
300.00||||350.00|
|GIFT AID
0.00
5414.42
TOTAL RECEIPTS
32135.39
26817.51
PAYMENTS|||||
|FUNDRAISING COSTS
0.00
40.00|||||
|SIERRA LEONE PROJECT COSTS 26261.79
14935.00|||||
|INSURANCE||561.87
549.88|||
|PRINTING & POSTAGE
101.98
36.17|||||
|FLIGHTS & TRAVEL COSTS||4308.00
3030.00|||
|ACCOUNTANTS FEES
300.00
300.00|||||
|WEBSITE / I.T
663.93
533.99|||||
|BANK CHARGES & FEES
45.00
40.00|||||
|OTHER
0.00
0.00|||||
|TOTAL PAYMENTS
32242.57
19465.04|||||
|NET INCOMING/ (OUTGOING)||(107.18)
||7352.47|
|RESOURCES FOR THE YEAR|||||
## SIERRA FOUNDATION FOR LIFE SKILLS
## STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
FOR THE PERIOD 27/7/2024 - 26/7/2025
|2025
2024|2025
2024|2025
2024|
|---|---|---|
|CASH FUNDS|||
|BANK CURRENT ACCOUNT
9854.15
9961.33|||
|TOTAL CASH FUNDS
9854.15
9961.33|||
|FUNDS|||
|OPENING BALANCE
9961.33
2608.86|||
|SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR (107.18)
||7352.47|
|TOTAL FUNDS CLOSING BALANCE|9854.15
9961.33||
I have audited the books and financial statements of the Sierra Foundation for Life Skills for the 12 month period ended 26/7/2025. 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 8th January 2026
## **SIERRA FOUNDATION FOR LIFE SKILLS RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD 27/7/2024 - 26/7/2025**
|RECEIPTS
2025|RECEIPTS
2025|2024|2024||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Restricted Unrestricted|||Restricted Unrestricted||
|DONATIONS
28666.38
16032.51|||||
|FUNDRAISING
2647.19
4597.58|||||
|PCC
521.82
423.00|||||
|STEWARDSHIP
300.00||||350.00|
|GIFT AID
0.00
5414.42
TOTAL RECEIPTS
32135.39
26817.51
PAYMENTS|||||
|FUNDRAISING COSTS
0.00
40.00|||||
|SIERRA LEONE PROJECT COSTS 26261.79
14935.00|||||
|INSURANCE||561.87
549.88|||
|PRINTING & POSTAGE
101.98
36.17|||||
|FLIGHTS & TRAVEL COSTS||4308.00
3030.00|||
|ACCOUNTANTS FEES
300.00
300.00|||||
|WEBSITE / I.T
663.93
533.99|||||
|BANK CHARGES & FEES
45.00
40.00|||||
|OTHER
0.00
0.00|||||
|TOTAL PAYMENTS
32242.57
19465.04|||||
|NET INCOMING/ (OUTGOING)||(107.18)
||7352.47|
|RESOURCES FOR THE YEAR|||||
## SIERRA FOUNDATION FOR LIFE SKILLS
## STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
FOR THE PERIOD 27/7/2024 - 26/7/2025
|2025
2024|2025
2024|2025
2024|
|---|---|---|
|CASH FUNDS|||
|BANK CURRENT ACCOUNT
9854.15
9961.33|||
|TOTAL CASH FUNDS
9854.15
9961.33|||
|FUNDS|||
|OPENING BALANCE
9961.33
2608.86|||
|SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR (107.18)
||7352.47|
|TOTAL FUNDS CLOSING BALANCE|9854.15
9961.33||
I have audited the books and financial statements of the Sierra Foundation for Life Skills for the 12 month period ended 26/7/2025. 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 8th January 2026