Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1[st] July 2024 To 30[th] June 2025
Charity name: Village Rwanda UK
Charity registration number: 1162004
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference |
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|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To relieve poverty in a remote rural community in Rwanda by providing education, training, healthcare projects and the necessary support to enable individuals to generate a sustainable income and be self-sufficient. |
| 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 |
VRUK raises funds in the UK and works in partnership with Gihembo Forward (GiFo), a local Rwandan NGO. GiFo manage an Early Years Children's Centre and Nursery School and a number of income generation projects at Gasundwe in Gihombo, Rwanda. The funds VRUK send to GiFo pay for: ● A full-time representative responsible for ensuring liaison with local government and implementation of co-ordinated annual plans , ● Shared responsibility for the upkeep of a building in which to deliver services for the surrounding community, ● The services of teachers, cook and night watchman, ● Teaching resources, ● A term time daily feeding programme to deliver protein enhanced porridge for all children who come to the nursery ● A range of mutually agreed income generation projects. The trustees and associates of VRUK endeavour to make an annual visit to Rwanda and require regular verbal, written and photographic reports from the representative to enable oversight of: ● the ongoing development of the Children’s Centre and ensure the service is of good quality, ● to ensure the income generation projects are being implemented to agreed specifications (Agreements of Expectation). VRUK are also seeking to improve healthcare provision for the children and their parents, by improving links with existing local agencies. |
| The public benefits of these co-ordinated efforts are considerable. The work of VRUK focuses on Early Years education (which is not funded by government) in an inaccessible part of Rwanda. Approximately 80 children between 4 and 6 years of age attend the nursery. They benefit from the enhanced nutrition provided each day and from interactive learning which enables them to achieve basic skills. On leaving the nursery, children can walk to their local primary school (about 2 hours walk away), being stronger physically and intellectually more able than they would be without this service. The Nursery and Children's Centre has enabled parents, particularly mothers, to see the benefits of good nutrition and quality interactive learning for their children. Parents and the local population have also had opportunities to participate in income generation projects, which has a benefit for the whole community. |
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| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference |
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|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | None |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | None |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | Apart from the paid representative in Rwanda, no staff are paid by the charity and all work is done on a voluntary basis. |
| 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 | The period from July 2024 to June 2025, was one of continuing activity and development. VRUK Trustees, working with the local representative for GiFo and the local people have continued to achieve improvements and benefits. Organisational achievements of VRUK ●Effective financial management and fundraising- Fundraising is mainly from regular donations and during 2024/25 VRUK income has been stable. ●Financial tracking– this has continued with effective systems for online monitoring of transfers to our Rwandan bank account and withdrawals for items of agreed expenditure to support identified projects. ●Organisational efficiency– VRUK hold regular bi monthly trustee meetings. These are mainly virtual with an annual face-to-face meeting in August. Project management and accountability continues via ongoing improvements to a well-established system of Agreements of Expectations to set the anticipated parameters of our project investment. VRUK has continued to update the charity website and sends out bi-annual newsletters. VRUK planning systems continue to be effective and we share these plans with GiFo and are responsive to their planning. The process is reciprocal. ●Increasing local capacity- this is mainly by supporting income generation initiatives and holding the local NGO increasingly to account for initiating, implementing and reporting on these developments. The VRUK local representative works to strengthen these projects and he has an annual performance appraisal. Monitoring ● There have been no visits by trustees during the reporting period. ● Electronic communication between the local representative is monthly and the outcomes are written up and circulated to all trustees. ● Trustees have agreed to undertake a strategic review during the period June 2025 to November 2025. |
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Developments in Rwanda ● The Children’s Centre continues to deliver Early Years education services to seventy 3-5year olds. ● A well-resourced learning environment is provided for the children and teaching staff to learn, work and play. Two teachers work under the oversight of a GiFo board member - a local primary deputy headteacher. ● Quality interactive teaching methods are being used and teachers are being trained through government courses and other NGO providers. ● The children are provided with a meal of beans and rice or protein porridge on all five days of the week. This has eradicated almost all cases of malnutrition in these young children. ● The health worker makes regular visits to give vaccinations, promote family well-being and healthy eating at the termly Parents’ meetings. ● VRUK also pay for an adult training programme in house building skills. ● The VRUK representative is working to support the income generation projects currently agreed between VRUK and GiFO. These are written up and form part of the local government organisation for NGOs (JADF). All agreed projects have Agreement of Expectations and the impact of the activities is reported back verbally, photographically and in writing. Impact has been positive and learning for the future noted. ● The local VRUK representative, participates in Rwanda Education NGO Coordination Platform (RENCP) ● A representative from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) visited the local NGO during the reporting period and no concerns were reported. Formal feedback is awaited.
| Additional information (optional) | Additional information (optional) | Additional information (optional) | ||
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| You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: | ||||
| Achievements against | As described above, projects were assessed | |||
| objectives set | against Agreements of Expectations and broadly | |||
| Para 1.41 | meet objectives. The charity continues to | |||
| develop the capacity of people to report on the | ||||
| outcomes of investment in businesses. | ||||
| Performance of fundraising | No fundraising targets set for 2024/5 | |||
| activities against objectives | ||||
| set | ||||
| Para 1.41 | ||||
| Investment performance | The charity has no investments. | |||
| against objectives | ||||
| Para 1.41 | ||||
| Other | ||||
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | Carried forward at the end of the period £11,797 |
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Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | VRUK policy on reserves is that we wish to ensure that salaries of Rwandan employees can be covered for a period of 6 months should donations cease. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £1000 (approx. cost of 6 month salaries) |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | Not applicable |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | Not applicable |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | There are no immediate concerns. |
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
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 |
The charity relies on six principal sources of funds ● Regular monthly supporters/donors ● Single donations from individuals ● Single donations from companies with a social responsibility strategy ● Sponsored events ● Promotional entertainment events ● Grant funding from UK grant making bodies. All funds are directed toward key objectives. |
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | VRUK does not invest other than in essential bank accounts. |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | The charity maintains a risk register listing principal risks and mitigations. The key risks facing the charity are, ● Insufficient income to meet commitments. ● Inadequate reserves to manage temporary loss of income. ● Funds in Rwanda misapplied. ● Increase in cost of providing services in Rwanda. |
● Over-reliance on key people in Rwanda Trustees review the mitigations to these risks continuously. Other
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
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| Type of governing document | Para 1.25 | Constitution | |
| How is the charity constituted? |
Para 1.25 | CIO | |
| 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 | VRUK continues to actively seek new trustees with an understanding and interest in Rwanda although our numbers are currently stable.. Advertisement during the reporting period via the VRUK newsletter and on an appropriate charity website has enabled new appointments to be made during the reporting period. Constitutional provisions enable trustees to appoint. |
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| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
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Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees. |
Para 1.51 |
Induction is individually tailored as required and ongoing as needed. |
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| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works. |
Para 1.51 |
VRUK is a very small charity, where the trustees have equal powers and shared responsibilities. VRUK seeks to work in England with any overseas development and fundraising organisations which are supportive of our aims. In Rwanda, VRUK works closely with Gihembo Forward (GiFo) our local partner NGO, as well as local government and health organisations in promoting the work of the Children’s Centre. VRUK has introduced a new level of Involvement and appointed a small number of ex-trustees as Associates to assist in very specific tasks working with a nominated trustee. |
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| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 |
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| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charityname | VillageRwanda UK |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | VRUK |
| Registered charity number | 1162004 |
Charity’s principal address |
19 West Green, Heighington, DL5 6RA |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year Nam e of pers on (or bod y) entit led to app oint trust ee (if any) |
Dates acted if not for whole year Nam e of pers on (or bod y) entit led to app oint trust ee (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patricia Atherton | Chair | |||
| Lynne Gregory | Secretary | |||
| Petronella Spivey | trustee | |||
| PhillipAdams | trustee | |||
| AndyHopkins | trustee | |||
| Ruta Kanyandeke | trustee | From October 24 |
– 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) Lynne Gregory Position (eg Secretary, Secretary Chair, etc) Date 6th October 2025
Charity Name No (if any) Village Rwanda UK 1162004
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
| For the period from |
Period start date 01/07/2024 |
To |
|---|---|---|
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Endowment Restricted funds Total funds Last year funds funds to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
| A1 Receipts | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | - | 13,852- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 13,852- | - | 13,279- | ||||||||||
| Fundraising events | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| Gift Aid | - | 2,031- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 2,031- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| Bank Interest | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| - | 15,883- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 15,883- | - | 13,279- | |||||||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
| Sub total(Gro | ss income for AR) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| A2 Asset and investment sales, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (see table). | |||||||||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| Sub total | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| **Total receipts ** | - | 15,883- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 15,883- | - | 13,279- |
| **Total receipts ** | - | 15,883- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 15,883- | - | 13,279- | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A3 Payments | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Wages & Salaries | - | 1,603- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 1,603- | - | 2,516- | |||||||||||
| Community Development | - | 15,576- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 15,576- | - | 6,663- | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous expenses | - | 156- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 156- | - | 124- | |||||||||||
| Training | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 92- |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
02/11/2025
1
| Income Generation Projects | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food and Feeding programme | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 320- | |||||||||||
| Hosting fees and IT Consumables | - | 204- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 204- | - | 115- | |||||||||||
| Bank Charges | - | 86- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 86- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| Exchange rate loss | - | 107- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 107- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | 17,732- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 17,732- | - | 9,830- | |||||||||||
| A4 Asset and investment | ||||||||||||||||||||
| purchases, (see table) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| **Total payments ** | - | 17,732- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 17,732- | - | 9,830- | ||||||||||
| **Net of receipts/(payments) ** | - | 1,849- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 1,849- | - | 3,450- | ||||||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | - | 13,646- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 13,646- | - | 10,196- | ||||||||||
| **Cash funds this year end ** | - | 11,797- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 11,797- | - | 13,646- | ||||||||||
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | Restricted funds | Endowment | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | funds | funds | ||||||||||||
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | |||||||||||||
| B1 | Cash funds | Co-operative Bank (UK) | - | 1,238- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| Bank of Kigali (Rwanda) | - | 10,559- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| Total cash funds | - | 11,797- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||
| (agree balances with receipts and payments account (s)) |
OK | OK | OK | ||||||||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | Endowment | |||||||||||||
| funds | funds |
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
02/11/2025
2
| B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
Details | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ |
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CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
02/11/2025
3
| B5 Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Signature |
Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- Print Name Andy Hopkins (Treasurer and Trustee) |
When due (optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of approval | |||
| Andy Hopkins (Treasurer and Trustee) | 02/08/2025 | ||
CCXX R4 accounts (SS)
02/11/2025
4