Build on Books (BOB UK) **Trustees Annual Report** For the period from 1st September 2019 to 31st August 2020 ## **Names of the charity trustees** Chair Lori Spragg Treasurer Brid Hayward Secretary James Lee MacDonald UK Registered charity number 1158201 Charity's principal address Build on Books 38 Oak Tree Road, Marlow, Bucks SL7 3EE ## **Structure, Governance and Management** Build on Books is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and is governed by a Foundation Model Constitution dated 5 August 2014. The Trustees who were appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the Trustees and who served during the year are: Lori Spragg Brid Hayward James MacDonald ## **Recruitment of New Trustees** The current trustees come from backgrounds in business, teaching, and voluntary work. New trustees are inducted by the Chair and existing trustees. We take advice from other professionals and other organisations as necessary. The appointment of Trustees is carried out having regard to the needs of the organisation, the suitability, and skills of the candidate and by interview of interested parties. ## **Organisational Structure** Build on Books (BOB UK) is an all-volunteer charity which operates mainly to relieve poverty and to aid development in Sierra Leone. The Trustees of BOB UK work in partnership with Build on Books Sierra Leone (BOB SL) which is a registered all-volunteer Community Based Organisation in Sierra Leone. Their committee is made up of local headteachers, community leaders and professionals who give their time and expertise freely. Build on Books Trustees meet regularly to discuss proposals from BOB SL and other organisations to see how we can work together on projects that help us reach our charitable aims and objectives. The trustees also coordinate and work with other charities working in similar fields in order to achieve our goals more effectively. ## **Risk Management** The trustees have a duty to identify and review risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error or harm. ## **Charitable Objectives and Activities** The objects of the charity, as set out in its governing document are the prevention or relief of poverty in Sierra Leone by providing grants, items and services to individuals in need and/or charities, or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty. This is achieved through initiatives in a variety of areas including education, water, sanitation, food security, health, humanitarian aid, community engagement and social mobilisation. All Build on Books trustees have read the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and always demonstrate regard to it in planning the activities we undertake. The charity and its trustees work in close collaboration with BOB SL and others to ensure that we respond to the needs of the beneficiaries in the most effective and sympathetic way possible. Our projects often involve input by the beneficiary communities who might volunteer to lead a project, provide land or be more hands on. All trustees are volunteers and we do not pay for staff or premises. Funds raised are therefore used to fulfil the charity’s aims and objectives. ## This Year's Aims and Objectives In 2019 - 2020 The Trustees aim to visit Sierra Leone to officially open the Peace Library at St Clements School in Kwama and check on our other on-going projects. Our visits help us support our volunteers and allow the Build on Books team in Sierra Leone the opportunity to discuss any of their ideas and concerns with us. We aim to complete construction and furnishment of the library as soon as possible. We will then fill the shelves from floor to ceiling with books so that every child or adult using this wonderful facility can find something to educate or entertain them. When the library is fully up and running, we also hope to build a companion Learning Centre. This new building will increase capacity to allow the library to be used by both students at the school and those visiting the library from other neighbouring schools. We will also continue sending books and furniture to needy schools in Sierra Leone as we have done since 2008. This year we plan to begin a new pilot project in adult education. We hope to work with St Clements school and the community in Kwama to deliver adult literacy, numeracy, and technical and vocational training programmes to people living in the region who have previously missed out on education. We will carry on with teacher training to allow more teachers to complete their qualifications and obtain certification. We aim to continue building boreholes with the help of in-country charity Willamette International. We will continue to care for the Ebola orphans by sending clothes, shoes and school supplies and hosting their much-loved Christmas party. We will also provide them with a set of school uniforms as we do each year to help them continue their education. Should the need arise we will raise funds to help fight disease or disaster if called upon to do so. Providing humanitarian and food aid to individuals and communities in need remains an important part of our work. ## Build on Books Achievements and Performance 2019 – 2020 ## Opening the New Peace Library at St Clements school in Kwama In November 2019 Build on Books Trustees Lori Spragg & Brid Hayward visited Sierra Leone for the opening of our new The Peace Library at St Clements School in Kwama. This was a very proud moment for everyone and a cause for great celebration in the community and school. The ribbon was cut by Mrs. Emily Kadiatu Gogra, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education in Sierra Leone. Mrs. Gogra shared her concerns about the general lack of libraries in Sierra Leone and the hope that overseas charities like Build on Books would help to build more like these. She was appreciative of all our work with the school over the past nine years such as providing clean water, toilets, seeds and tools, building classrooms, a canteen and a sewing workshop as well as giving the school a science lab and solar power. These things have transformed the school which has grown continuously because of the high quality of teaching and pastoral care as well as performance national examinations. We saw for ourselves how eager the teachers and students were to begin using the library which was already half full of books sent by Build on Books. We also took note of suggestions given by the students and teachers regarding the type of books they would like us to send and ensured they were in the next shipment. Build on Books sent several shipments of books over the year to the libraries in Kwama and Waterloo. From there thousands of books were distributed to other schools in the region and other parts of Sierra Leone. Not many schools have room for a library especially as many are overcrowded and lack any spare classroom space. For this reason, we think it is vitally important that we help encourage other schools to use the library in Kwama in the same way they use the Codep Library in Waterloo. The Codep schools outreach program serves 100 schools in the Waterloo region and The Peace Library was built to so the same thing in the Northern Province. Therefore, we think it is important to build a new separate Learning Centre next to the library where local teachers can bring their classes to use our library. They will have a large space for students to read and take full advantage of our excellent literacy teaching staff who will be on hand to guide them. While we were in Sierra Leone, we therefore made plans with Head teacher Alphonsus Kargbo to start designing the new Learning Centre so that the Trustees could start to raise the funds needed to build it on our return to the UK. Unfortunately, the outbreak of Covid-19 meant that our fundraising initiatives had be curtailed but we intend to revisit the Learning Centre proposal as soon as we possibly can. In the interim a temporary learning centre made of local materials will be used so that the schools outreach program can start. ## Sewing workshop at St Clements During our visit to St Clements, we were really impressed by the new sewing workshop and the quality of the clothing being made. The tailors were making school uniform for the students as well as lovely clothing for sale to local people. Proceeds from this venture are having a significant impact on school finances. Profits from the uniform sales are helping the school to pay the salary of teachers who are not on the government payroll and surplus funds are also being used for necessary school maintenance such as the repainting of the canteen. To build on the program's success, we have sent five more sewing machines and more fabric this year. We have found that the older type of manual sewing machine works best, so we will continue to send as many we can find as we would like to expand this project which it teaches valuable sewing skills to students as well as providing work for local tailors. When possible schools in Sierra Leone need to develop revenue-generating projects that can allow them to become more self-sufficient and aid their ability to offer students a more enhanced learning experience. This sewing workshop builds on the success of the school canteen, which also raises funds that are supporting the activities of the Home Economics department. Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Skills training Pilot Project Although the building of a new learning centre has been delayed until next year the Build on Books Trustees were excited to be able to start an adult learning pilot project. Once the Learning Centre is built, hopefully next year we aim to use it to help illiterate adults learn to read, improve numeracy and learn some new skills that would help them earn a living. There are many women and men who missed out on basic education due to the civil war or the effects of poverty living in the region around St Clements School. We invited them to join our classes which will deliver adult literacy and numeracy teaching as well as technical and vocational skills training, such as sewing, food preparation and preservation and traditional crafts such as gari tie-dyeing. Health and nutrition, family planning, and child development are also on the curriculum. The pilot project was so successful that the teaching will continue wherever we can find space until the Learning Centre is built hopefully next year. ## Four New Boreholes for Pepel Island Pepel Island is located near the mouth of the Sierra Leone River and is connected by rail to the Marampa iron mine. When we visited Pepel in November mining had been stopped and people were struggling with poverty related issues. Despite having had mining companies working on the island for many decades there was a lack of clean water in residential areas and children were suffering from unnecessary illness due to waterborne diseases. Fortunately, with the help of Orville’s Appliances USA, and our implementing partner Willamette International, Build on Books was able to construct 4 new boreholes across the island this year. Three are located in residential areas and one in the local school. These boreholes have transformed life on the island helping to end the nightmare many parents face when their children contract typhoid, hepatitis and parasites from filthy stream or well water. COVID-19 Prevention Training and Lots of Buckets and Soap Given our vast experience in Ebola prevention and delivering humanitarian aid throughout the crisis in 2014 we were ready to begin COVID-19 prevention training as soon as the pandemic was announced and long before even the first case appeared in Sierra Leone. Our team is trusted by the thousands of people who remember their brave work teaching people in their own languages how to stop the transmission of Ebola while feeding hundreds of quarantined families and saving the lives of 200 orphans. To help stop the potential spread of Covid-19 the team distributed veronica buckets with taps and cartons of soap throughout Kwama, Brama and Krossing Village as well as the displacement camp for survivors of the mudslides and floods in the Freetown. They also disseminated messages about Covid-19 prevention to as many Sierra Leoneans as possible This was done through socially distanced meetings with community elders, and by using texting, social media, print media and over the radio. The BOB SL team were relentless in sending a clear message which stressed the importance of social distancing, handwashing, protecting the elderly and vulnerable and persuading people not to move about from town to town and village to village. The team taught the students social distancing at school, in the market, the fields and workshops. They reinforced hand washing and urged teachers and other community workers to check temperatures using the infrared thermometers retained after the Ebola pandemic. They helped people to recognize the symptoms and pressed upon them the importance of self-isolating at the first sign of symptoms. In the schools they drilled the students in social distancing and handwashing well before schools officially closed for the lockdown and before a state of emergency was declared. When lockdown was imposed, the team made facemasks which were distributed to thousands of students. At the time of writing transmission rates and death rates due to Covid-19 remain very low. ## Two More Boreholes to help Stop the Spread of COVID-19 and other Diseases To help with handwashing two more boreholes were built with funding from Orville's Home Appliances USA through our partner Willamette International. These boreholes will make handwashing with clean water much easier for many more people in Kwama and in Destiny Village in Newton. They will also help stop the transmission of waterborne diseases that take the lives of many children in Sierra Leone. Food Aid for the Most Vulnerable during COVID-19 Lockdown COVID-19 was an unanticipated global crisis; nonetheless, our teams' quick action in delivering coronavirus prevention training and handwashing facilities had a tremendous impact in helping people in Kwama and Buya Romende Chiefdom to understand the seriousness of the situation. We managed to begin prevention training early before the first cases appeared in Sierra Leone. However, as the disease progressed worldwide, there were a growing number of infections in Waterloo, Sierra Leone, where we work. As the busy town was going into COVID-19 lockdown, the Build on Books team members were anxious about the lives of the most vulnerable people around them. Many poor people live from hand to mouth and do not have the resources to cope with the lockdown. So, Treasurer Rosetta Kargbo and the team asked for funds to provide immediate food aid to orphans, disabled, and vulnerable elderly people who could not manage to feed themselves during the COVID-19 lockdown. Without help, these children and adults were in danger of starvation and malnutrition. Build on Books has a history of providing short and long-term humanitarian and food aid to desperate people in crisis. Having a team based permanently on the ground made it easy to safely deliver urgent food aid to the people who needed it most. We made the first delivery of just rice and oil to keep people going while we raised further funds. With our donors' help, we soon provided many more vulnerable people with necessities such as rice, oil, vegetables, and groundnuts bought from wholesalers. The food was bagged and safely dropped at the houses of orphans, disabled people and aged adults to help them safely though the lockdown. ## Build on Books Teacher Training Sponsorship for Eight Teachers Sierra Leone has long suffered from a shortage of qualified teachers and this gap is filled by otherwise educated people who often act as teachers and enjoy on-the-job training. Many would like to gain their teaching qualification but are unable to afford to pay the necessary college fees. Without their certification they cannot receive a salary from the government and must rely only on a small stipend from the school. If Sierra Leone is ever to significantly improve their education system this situation cannot continue. Build on Books has continued to help eight previously unqualified teachers to go to college. Four of the students come from Our Lady of Kwama primary school and four of the teachers come from IYBAS Primary School. One of the teachers from IYBAS Mr Sesay has successfully graduated this year while four of the students are in their third year at teacher’s college. The remaining three are in their second year. All of the schools are benefiting from having better educated teachers so this is a project that should be expanded to other schools next year if possible. ## School Supplies and Christmas Party treats for Ebola Orphans In December, Build on Books held our eagerly anticipated Ebola Orphans Christmas Party for children who lost their parents to the Ebola epidemic of 2014. It is the highlight of the year and helps to remind them that they are not alone but part of one big family. This year we shipped over plenty of rucksacks filled with Christmas goodies donated by schools, churches and individuals in Marlow who wanted to give the children a special Christmas treat. We also sent them plenty of school supplies including pens, exercise books, calculators and shoes. Once again this year, we also provided the orphans with the locally made school uniform they need to stay in school and continue to learn. ## Thousands of Books and Pens for school children and plenty of shoes Every year Build on Books receives thousands of books and offers of school furniture from schools and individuals across the UK. We send many of the books to the CODEP library in Waterloo or for distribution to schools throughout the Western Area and to Kwama for distribution to schools in the region. We also supply books to the Sierra Leone Hastings partnership. We are still distributing the remainder of the 120,000 pens we received from the UK charity Pens4kids last year and we included some of them in every shipment of books. The students are always so happy to receive them especially around exam time and books are always well received by schools. Along with the books pens and furniture, we also managed to send a several boxes of shoes donated by primary schools in the UK. These were distributed to orphans and the children at Rogberay primary school at the request of the headteacher. The children at his school come from families eking out a living from subsistence level farming so new shoes are a luxury. Many children go to school barefoot which raises the potential for injuries and parasitic disease which are easily prevented by a good pair of shoes. ## Unexpected Expenses This Year This year the temporary learning centre at St Clements School, made of local natural materials, blew down in a storm as did the school fence. We are expecting to build a new concrete learning centre next year so it was decided that the materials should be recycled to make a fence however, there were additional costs incurred. Our Treasurer Rosetta Kargbo needed a new computer and we had to purchase 500 cardboard more boxes for shipping books. Additionally, the generator at St Clements broke down and was beyond repair so we purchased a new one for them. We also helped some of the orphans with specific books and exam fees. Build on Books trustees are all volunteers, so we do not receive any salaries and we usually cover our own running costs and expenses. Build on Books would like to thank all our donors and implementing partners in the UK and around the world for helping us to fight poverty in Sierra Leone. Your contributions have given many children and adults the opportunity have a better life and a better education. ## Financial Review **----- Start of picture text -----**
Build on Books 1/09/2019 - 31/8/2020
Receipts
Restricted
IYBAS Primary School
Peace Library, Kwama
Rogberay Primary School
Covid 1,476.85
Teacher Training
Ebola Orphans 1,865.69
3342.54
Unrestricted
Other donations 14,273.23
Gift Aid 2,974.25
17247.48
Total Receipts 20590.02
Payments
Restricted
IYBAS Primary School
Peace Library, Kwama
Rogberay Primary School
Teacher Training
Ebola Orphans 1,865.69
Covid 1,476.85
3342.54
Unrestricted
IYBAS Primary School -
Peace Library, Kwama 3,648.24
Rogberay Primary School 100.00
Teacher Training 1,231.98
Ebola Orphans 119.31
Codep Library 146.99
Buya Romende Farming Projects -
Learning Centre 3,936.33
Covid 4,661.85
Other Funding
13844.70
Expenses
Office expenses 431.99
Travel 1,516.26
1948.25
Total Payments 19135.49
Net of Receipts (payments) 1454.53
Cash Funds Last Year End 3675.15
Cash funds this year end 5129.68
**----- End of picture text -----**
## Statement of Charity’s Policy on Reserves As we aim to reduce poverty our policy is not to hold excess funds in reserve, but to use them for the purpose intended as soon as possible. However, £800 of the charity’s capital is held in reserve for shipping books and other goods that we have collected during our appeals. We do not pay salaries or rent, so it is not necessary to keep a surplus. Our main sources of funds come from appeals and donations from grant making and charitable organisations, charitable clubs and individual donations. We want to thank the many groups and individuals who responded to our appeals this year and who donated funds for our work fighting poverty in Sierra Leone. Donations for Boreholes from the USA On some occasions our boreholes are funded by donors in the USA through our implementing partners Willamette International who are an US 501c3. The full funds are then used by Willamette to build the boreholes in Sierra Leone. This Trustees Annual Report covers the period from 1 st September 2019 to 31 st August 2020. The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees, report above. Lori Spragg, Chair James MacDonald, Secretary Date: Brid Hayward, Treasurer Date.. BUILD 011 BOOKS 158201 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from To 31-Au -19 01-Sep-20 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds to the noare$t Restricted funds Endowment funds Total funds Lo$¢ year to thtr naarest E to the n￿reSt £ to thg n¢4rgst £ to the rboarost £ A1 Recglpts Volunlary Donalions Gift Aid 14,273 2,974 3,343 17.616 2.974 35,644 3,205 Sub total (Gross income for AR) 17.247 3,343 20.590 38,849 A2 Asset and investment sales, Isee tsblfrl. Sub total Total receipts 17,247 3,343 20.590 38,849 A3Pa ment$ IYBAS Primary School Peate Library Rogbere Prim8ry School Teacher Training Ebola Orphans Codep Library Buya Romendt Fartning Projec15 Covid Learnin9 Cenlre Other funding Office exFen5es 3.772 19,308 988 1.189 2,222 922 7.895 3.648 100 1,232 119 147 100 1,232 1,985 147 1,866 4,662 3,936 1,477 6,139 3,936 7$ 100 432 1.516 432 1.516 Travel (Physical Audill 1.109 37,580 Sub total 15.792 3,343 19,135 A4 Asset and Investment pureha5es. (see table) Sub total Total payments 1S,792 3,343 19,135 37,580 Net ol receipts/(payments) AS Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 1,455 1,455 1.269 3,674 S,129 3,674 5,129 2.405 3,67 CCXX R1 accounts ISSI 28102r2021 Section B Ststement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds to nèarest £ Restricted funds to nearest E Endowment funds Categories Detslls to noafy$t £ B1 Cash funds Cash & Bank 5,130 Total Cash funds 5,130 lagree balan￿5 with ieceipis p¥ymwts Unrestricted Restrlcted endowment Details to Treartrst £ to nearest £ to nearesi £ Fund to which Cost loptionall Current valu¢ Details B3 Investment assets Fund to wh¢ch 888et b8lon curmnt valu8 Details Cost loptionall B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use Fund to which lates Amount duo Whgn du¢ ional Details B5 Liabilities Signed by one Dr two Irusiees on behalf ol all the Iruslees Pnnl Name Signèlure Date ol èppro¥al Lori S ra James MacDonald zi 51 5 CCXX R2 accounts ISSI 2810212021 (HARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Sectlon A Independent ExamIne￿8 Report Report to the trusteesl members of i LD ON 6ooKS On accounts for the year ended sk 2c)Zo Charity no (if any) Set out on pages me.mhpr In Inp.ludp. tle. pagp. VLmbers nf addilional sheÈisl I report lo the Iruslees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity I'the Trust") for the year ended 31 08 2ow Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the TrLJSt, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 1.the Act ). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)Ibl of the Acl. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material mallers have Come lo my attention lolher than that disclosed below ') in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accountirbg records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounls tc) be reached. Ple e delete Ihe words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: Name.. Relevant professional qualification{$l or body {if any): Address: Tk4 Ho4JSÉ PG*D SLI IQF IER October 2018 Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018