## Love Sierra Leone Annual Report 2022 Charity Number 1157847 www.lovesierraleone.org Trustees: Richard Bayfield, Rev David Bendor-Samuel, Ian Gill, Norm Robins ## Thank you The first and most important message within this short report is to thank you, our Supporters, and our Trustees. We are thankful to Pastor Yatta Samura for his multiple ministries to those in need, irrespective of whether they have a Christian faith or not, and to David Sandi for his ongoing dedication to Ahkom School and to RightToRead. ## UN Human Development Index (HDI) – Sierra Leone 182 out of 189 The United Nations Index is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions. In the UN’s report dated 2020, Sierra Leone finds itself at 182 out of 189! (Norway is at 1 and the UK is at 13). - - - (https://hdr.undp.org/data center/human development index#/indicies/HDI ) This is the context in which this ministry operates. ## Love Sierra Leone Annual Report 2022 Charity Number 1157847 www.lovesierraleone.org Trustees: Richard Bayfield, Rev David Bendor-Samuel, Ian Gill, Norm Robins ## Christmas Meals for Children December 2022 – report from Pastor Yatta We look forward to the Christmas meal every year. We are really grateful to God for the provision you are making. This time I divided the money into 4 parts, and you can see photographs at: https://lovesierraleone.org/2023/01/19/christmas-feeding-program-dec-2022/ 1. Kono Church. They did a big cook, brought 63 children to church and fed them. Many Children from the neighbourhood came around but they had to restrict to the children in the church. 2. Central Church in Freetown. They did a whole day of treats, entertainment, games and food for their Sunday school children at the beach. 3. Sports Life Ministry. We cooked for 68 teenagers after their sports training on Christmas Eve. They ate so much that they don’t want to go home! I also gave them a small amount of money to take to their parents to help with the family meal on Christmas day. 4. Grace Community Church Mambo. The newest church in the Mission. They bought toys and used clothing to share with the children and members. The church lives in a very poor community 58 people benefited. ## Love Sierra Leone Annual Report 2022 Charity Number 1157847 www.lovesierraleone.org Trustees: Richard Bayfield, Rev David Bendor-Samuel, Ian Gill, Norm Robins ## RightToRead RightToRead (RTR) uses technology to improve English language outcomes for pupils. Since piloting RTR in 2015 at Ahkom school with 100 children we now have 7 schools in the program, reaching over 1200 children. Start and end-of-year assessments showed a 10% improvement in children’s English skills over the course of a year. Sadly one school dropped out of program due to a change of leadership at the school. Some other schools are interested in adopting RTR however, we need to provide a laptop and in-class TV screen to each school and we don’t have the funds to purchase these. Adults and parents in the community continue to ask for RTR lessons to improve their English. Again, lack of funds prevented us from making any progress on this front. ## Ahkom School – Update November 2022 David Sandi writes to us _: “Greetings once more to everyone. I begin the Ahkom update with some really good news about 2 Girls who have been supported by 2 faithful supporters for many years:_ _A big hand to Nick and Vicky for the determined assistance they’ve given Ami and Esther over many years. Ami’s been bullying, academically, all her elders in the engineering department at Milton Margai University. To the point they made her their year rep. Esther’s Public Health results just came out – straight A’s and although she’s currently on the Higher National Diploma programme, she also topped all those on the degree programme doing the same modules. She’s now been invited to transfer, asap, to complete her course on the degree programme”. Read More._ In late 2020 we merged Ahkom charity into LSL. We recognise there is a funding gap between the aspirations of the School and the actual giving. ## Financial Summary Income in 2022 was lower than the previous year. We used money from LSL general funds to make up shortfalls in Ahkom school and C3M-specific donations. Total income was £36,825 including £6320 in Gift Aid. Expenditure for the year was £39,280. We ended the year with £4,237 in reserve. ## **Christian Community Church £10,228** - Church & Sports Ministry £9,050 - Office fees (SL) £1,000 ## Love Sierra Leone Annual Report 2022 Charity Number 1157847 www.lovesierraleone.org Trustees: Richard Bayfield, Rev David Bendor-Samuel, Ian Gill, Norm Robins - Bank fees, etc £178 ## **RightToRead £9,400** - Salaries, teacher training, IT support £9,300 - Bank fees etc £100 ## **Ahkom School £9,371** - Teachers’ salaries & sponsored kids £5,920 - Replacement laptop, farm project, etc £1,226 - Travel for David Sandi UK visit £2,000 - Bank fees etc £225 ## **LSL general fund £10,281** - Donations to Ahkom school £3,090 - Donations to C3M £4,125 - Office, church vehicle repairs £769 - XMAS and Easter meals for children £2000 - Bank fees, etc £297 ## Outlook for 2023 We continue to support the 3 strands of Education, Sport and Ministry. The act of helping our neighbour fits with our Christian perspective, although many of us ask whether we can do more. Whilst Covid has not (so far) been as devastating as in other parts of the world, the indirect effect has been to increase poverty. We recognize we need to stabilize our support for our current commitments to C3M Church, Ahkom school and Sports Life. We consider that “stabilize” means knowing that we are able to support them for some months/years ahead. This would mean finding longer term donor commitments and a contingency fund. ## Giving If you would like to support our activities you can donate online (one off or standing order) at www.lovesierraleone.org or by cheque, payable to “Love Sierra Leone”. For further information please contact Richard Bayfield, 25 Davenant Road, Oxford, OX2 8BU, (01865 311800), email info@lovesierraleone.org. ## Love Sierra Leone Annual Report 2022 Charity Number 1157847 www.lovesierraleone.org Trustees: Richard Bayfield, Rev David Bendor-Samuel, Ian Gill, Norm Robins Love Sierra Leone Income & expenditure account for the year ended 31st December, 2022 Love Sierra Leone Incomo & Expendltur• Account for the year ended 318t December, 2022 2022 2021 Incomo Donations Gift aid refunds 30,504.97 6.319.72 33,820.15 7,561.75 T tal Incomo 36,824.69 41,381.90 Ex ndlt Donations lo oversea$ projects Other finance charges Other costs 38,323.80 800.00 156.00 36,473.90 832.74 144.00 Totsl Expondlturn 39,279.80 37N50.64 N¢t Income -2N55.11 3.931.26 Balance as at 1$t January 2022 6.691.70 2,760.44 Total funds at 318t December, 2022 4,236.59 6,691.70 R•pr•S9nt￿ by: CAF accounts 4.236.59 6,691.70 4,236.59 6,691.70 Love Sierra Leone Independont examlners report Independent examlnerfs report to the trustees of Love Slerra Leono I report on the accounts ft)r the year ond&d 31st December 2022 Re8POCtlve responsibllltles of trustees and examlnor The Charity's Trustees are rèsponsible for tho preparatton of thè accounts. The Charity's Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year {under sectlon 144 of the Charitles AGt 20111 and that an independent examinatlon is needed. 1118 my respgnsibility to.. - examine the accounts (under seGtion 1451 of the 2011 A¢t.' - to follow the pro¢edures laid down In the General Direct(on8 given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 145{5llbl of the 2011 Acl and - lo stale whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basls of ind¢pendont oxamlnerfs i•port My examination was carried out In accordance with the General Dlrections givgn by tha Charity Commissioners. An examination in¢ludes a review of the ac¢ounling re¢ords kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presentsd with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeklng explanations from you as trustees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit. and consequentiy no opinlon 15 given as lo whether Ihe accounts present a 'tnJe and fair view and the report Is limltsd to those rriatters set out in the statement below. Indopendont examln•Vs 8totemont In connecllon wth my examlnation. no matter has Gome lo my attention.. {11 whlch g£ves m8 reasonable cause to believe that in any material reS￿¢t tho requirements - to keep accounting records in accordance with sectlon 130 of the 2011 Act and - lo prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply wth the aGcounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been metr, or 121 lo which, in my oplnion, attentlon should be drawn in order to ersable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed . Name.. Professional qualifiGalion= Address.. Dale.. P T Sklnner FCCA 30 Bankslde Cour( Stslionfields. Kldllnglon. Oxon OX5 1JE 03.03.2023