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2024-03-31-accounts

OPERATION SABRE ANNUAL REPORT 2023/24

Table of Contents

Subject:

Page:

Welcome 2 Charity Particulars 3 Overview 4 Our Vision and Mission 5 Trustee Declaration of 6 Compliance with Public Benefit Requirements Where we operate 7 Summary of our activities 8 Good Governance 14 Our Accounts for 2023/24 15 Acknowledgements 16 Appendix A: Business Plan 17 2023/24 Appendix B: Code of Conduct 18 References 19

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Welcome

Welcome to the 2023/24 Annual Report of Operation Sabre, a report that records the activities of our small charity, doing its best, to support the most vulnerable of Romania.

As a small and yet agile charity, Operation Sabre continues to work alongside trusted partners to operate in a flexible and pragmatic manner to support the most vulnerable in Romania. Unfortunately, those we support, have increased in numbers to include some of the many millions of displaced Ukrainian refugees who now seek sanctuary in Romania. Our efforts, designed to create public benefit, are now two-fold, by providing the means for our Romanian partners to support the refugees in the short-term, but at the same time, creating a legacy that benefits Romania in the long-term, be this through enhanced fire safety arrangements, humanitarian aid or transport.

Steve Worrall BEM PhD MBA President Operation Sabre

We are in indebted to the generosity of our benefactors and partners for their much-appreciated support.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Operation Sabre takes its name from the predominant type of fire engine the charity has delivered to Romania, the DENNIS SABRE . The charity’s emblem depicts two crossed sabres denoting ‘readiness to protect’ surmounted by a Victorian fire helmet, representing the ‘traditions and values’ of the fire and rescue service. The crossed sabres and helmet are encircled by an eight pointed star that signifies the cross of Saint John. The eight points or 'tenets' represent the knightly virtues of - Tact, Gallantry, Dexterity, Observation, Perseverance, Loyalty, Explicitness and Sympathy.

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Charity Particulars

CHARITY DETAILS

TRUSTEES

  - Dr Steve Worrall (President)

  - Mr Malcolm Price (Vice-President)

  - Cllr Lesley Rennie

  - Ms Jean Jones

  - Mrs Kathy Hall

  - Mr Steve Purslow

  - Mr John Harrison

  - Mr Mark Briscoe

  - Mr Andy Price

Operation Sabre is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with voting rights for members and Trustees. Trustees are required to stand down after twelve months, with new elections taken at the Annual General Meeting. Trustees are required to sign the Charity Commission’s Trustee Eligibility Declaration and abide by the Commission’s prescribed responsibilities for Trustees.

Copyright © 2025 Operation Sabre

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the Board of Trustees.

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Operation Sabre’s vision is to assist in shaping the future of Transylvania, by preserving and protecting its communities and heritage from the effects of fire and other emergencies. In doing so, public benefit is achieved through the sharing of knowledge, expertise, equipment and resources to advance the understanding of fire protection, prevention and emergency response arrangements.

Two missions to Romania were conducted during 2023/24, in addition many remote projects that were funded across the range of partners supported by Operation Sabre. The primary focus of the visits was to install fire and smoke alarms within the many residential care homes now supported by the charity, deliver humanitarian aid to Romanian partner agencies supporting Ukrainian refugees, and provide further specialist training.

Our fleet of donated minibuses was increased further during 2023/24, which have been provided to the Romanian Orthodox Church operating in Argeş and Mures Counties and the Catholic Church in Bihor County. The short-term purpose for these vehicles is to assist in the transportation of humanitarian aid and refugees. Long-term, the minibuses will be retained and used by Romanian orphanages and the Targu Mures Red Cross.

Overview…

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Our Vision and Mission...

OUR VISION: Helping to shape the future of Transylvania, Romania by preserving and protecting its communities and heritage from the effects of fire and other emergencies.

OUR MISSION: To share knowledge, expertise, equipment and resources to advance the understanding of protection, prevention and response to fire and other emergencies.

OUR OBJECTIVES:

MAKING IT HAPPEN:

The strategy for turning our vision into reality is set out in our Business Plan 2023/24 (see attached Appendix A), a Plan underpinned by Good Governance arrangements and a genuine passion to help others. A summary of our income and expenditure is provided at page 15.

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Trustee Declaration of Compliance with Public Benefit Requirements

The charitable objects of Operation Sabre, as registered with the Charity Commission, are:

a) The preservation and protection of health by the provision of fire and rescue vehicles and equipment to Romania, enabling them to provide a lifesaving and humanitarian service.

b) To advance education in relation to all aspects of preserving and protecting health for the benefit of the public in Romania.

We, the Trustees of Operation Sabre, hereby declare that, in accordance with our responsibilities as Trustees of the charity, we confirm the following:

Commitment to Public Benefit

We acknowledge that, as Trustees, we have a duty to ensure that the charity operates in a manner that provides public benefit, in accordance with the requirements set out by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Compliance with Charity Law

We affirm that the charity's purposes are clearly defined and operate for the public benefit. We confirm that we have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and have ensured that the charity’s activities and services are accessible to and beneficial for the public.

Review of Public Benefit

We have reviewed the charity’s activities, governance, and operations to ensure that the public benefit requirement is met in practice. This includes considering whether:

Ongoing Monitoring

We commit to continuing to monitor the charity’s compliance with the public benefit requirement, ensuring that the charity's activities remain focused on the public benefit and adapt to any changes in needs or circumstances.

Accountability and Transparency

We are committed to ensuring that the charity’s activities, finances, and decisions are transparent and communicated clearly to the public, in line with Charity Commission guidance.

We, the Trustees of Operation Sabre, confirm that, to the best of our knowledge and belief, we have adhered to the principles and requirements of the Charity Commission regarding public benefit, and will continue to do so in the future.

The Trustees of Operation Sabre

27 January 2025

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Where we operate…

Since 2012, Operation Sabre has operated in Transylvania, supporting both professional (Inspectoratul pentru Situaţii de Urgenţă (ISU) – Emergency Situations Inspectorate) and community volunteer fire services in the counties of Alba, Bihor, Brasov, Harghita and Mures. The total number of vehicles delivered by the charity since 2012 now stands at 58.

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Summary of our activities…

Our Strategy for 2023/24

Summary of our activities during 2023/24

To operate with professionalism, integrity and honesty, demonstrating at all times respect and dignity towards each other and the communities we strive to support

Operation Sabre continually strives to deliver humanitarian assistance as a professional proactive initiative to enhance the fire protection, prevention and response arrangements provided by Transylvania’s fire and rescue services. In delivering such assistance, we are proud to declare that we continue to be formally recognised as signatories to the Code of Conduct1 of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Operation Sabre has reviewed and enhanced its arrangements for the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Persons and also Data Protection. The charity is compliant to the Data Protection Regulations 2018 and registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

To create and promote partnerships that support the advancement of Operation Sabre’s objectives in Romania. Specifically, this will include awareness raising, fundraising, grant applications and vehicle/equipment/uniform acquisitions

Operation Sabre has created partnerships with a number of UK fire and rescue services and CAFFRA2 that assist in the provision of equipment and training resources. In addition, Operation Sabre is a formal member of the UK’s overarching fire related charity - FireAid.3

Within Romania, Operation Sabre is grateful for the continuing assistance, support and friendship received from key partners responsible for professional fire service provision in Bihor and Mures Counties.

During 2023/24 Operation Sabre has endeavoured to deliver information events to community groups in the UK with the objective of raising awareness and fundraising. The events have generated significant donations in support of Romanian partners who are caring for the refugees, with Operation Sabre viewed as a ‘can-do’ charity that responds quickly, turning donations into outcomes with minimal delay.

To establish, in collaboration with professional Romanian Fire & Rescue Services a medium and long-term partnership strategy for the protection, prevention and response to fire and other emergencies in Transylvania

Operation Sabre continues to have constructive and productive professional partnerships, particularly with ISU Bihor and ISU Mures, partnerships that enable the protection of communities and prevention of fire. Operation Sabre’s focus is now on prevention and protection activities (through the provision of smoke/fire alarms and training/advice) as opposed to response (donation of firefighting vehicles). We are grateful to the Romanian fire services for hosting and providing internal transportation during our visits. UK best practice fire and rescue documentation is shared regularly with Romanian partners, including home fire safety literature printed in Ukrainian.[4]

To promote and foster the spirit of ‘volunteering’ for the benefit of public goodwill, community wellbeing and health in Transylvania

Community wellbeing and goodwill was further enhanced during 2022-24 through the donation of humanitarian aid and minibuses to partners dealing with the Ukrainian refugee crisis in Romania.

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A summary of our activities cont. ….

2023/24 represents another successful year of fundraising that has enabled Operation Sabre to continue its ongoing programme of creating public benefit through enhancing fire safety arrangements, creating smiles and bringing hope to some of the most vulnerable in Romania.

Our initiatives have led to the donation and installation of hundreds of battery operated fire and smoke alarms, emergency lighting units and exit signage at several locations in Mures and Bihor Counties supported by Operation Sabre, including premises providing support to displaced Ukrainian refugees.

These vital life-saving apparatus have increased the ability to detect the outbreak of fire at its incipient stages, provide an early audio warning and thereafter, ensure an illuminated and signed escape route to a place of safety.

In the UK, over 93% of private dwellings are fitted with working smoke alarms. Sadly, for cultural and economic reasons, the uptake of smoke alarms in Romania is incredibly low. Operation Sabre will continue to use its influence to promote their use amongst partners.

We have been overwhelmed by the continuing generosity of our supporters from across Shropshire and Mid-Wales, which has resulted in the donation of thousands of items of beautiful knitwear, babywear, costume jewellery and spectacles. 100% of all donated items received during 2023/24 has been transported and presented to hundreds of recipients, be these babies, their mothers, the elderly, vulnerable and refugees.

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We regularly review and prioritise partner requests for assistance, endeavouring to effectively manage and support expectations where possible.

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In May 2023, Operation Sabre returned once more to Bihor County to provide specialist training to professional Romanian fire officers. The training creates public benefit, shares best practice and knowledge from the UK’s fire and rescue services in subjects such fire investigation, incident command and leadership. The Inspectorate for Emergency Situations in Bihor County is now pioneering and leading the way in Romania, adopting and implementing UK approaches to methods of forensic fire investigation and inter-agency incident command arrangements. To date, Operation Sabre has provided five, one-week specialist training courses.

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As a charity that prides itself on being compassionate towards the vulnerable, we are delighted once more to be able to provide several hundred Christmas gifts sacks. The gift sacks give recognition to our UK sponsors (sponsor names are included on the sacks) and contain a wide range of personalised gifts.

Gifts are delivered from the UK, and include hand written Christmas cards, knitwear, teddies and costume jewellery, all supplemented with locally purchased Romanian gifts (toiletries, chocolates and fruit etc) funded by Operation Sabre.

A little goes a long way to creating smiles and bringing hope…

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As the late Queen Elizabeth II once said:

“Sport has a wonderful way of bringing together people and nations”

Our annual sporting challenge creates lasting memories on the Operation Sabre sponsored all-weather five-aside football pitch at the Capusu de Campie Special Needs Home.

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In November 2023, several members of Operation Sabre were honoured to receive an audience with his Holiness Father Irineu Pop, who serves as Archbishop of the diocese of Alba Iulia and is a member of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

The Archbishop bestowed upon members of Operation Sabre commendations for their charitable activities in Romania and awarded the Holy Noble Order of Faith and Unity to the charity’s president Steve Worrall.

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Good Governance….

We, the Trustees of Operation Sabre, hereby confirm our compliance, as far as is reasonably practicable given the charity’s scale of operations, with all applicable UK laws and the requirements set out by the Charity Commission in relation to good governance. We are committed to ensuring the creation of public benefit through adherence of the highest standards of governance in the management of the charity’s activities, including the following key areas:

  1. Charity Reserves : We maintain an appropriate level of reserves to ensure the charity’s financial sustainability and to protect against unforeseen financial difficulties. Reserves are carefully reviewed and adjusted in line with our financial policies and operational needs.

  2. Internal Financial Controls : We have implemented robust internal financial controls to safeguard the charity’s funds, ensuring transparency and accountability in all financial transactions. Regular audits and reviews are conducted to verify the integrity of our financial systems.

  3. Safeguarding : We take the safeguarding of vulnerable individuals seriously and have established clear safeguarding policies with partners to ensure compliance with safeguarding requirements and to maintain a safe environment for all Romanian/Ukrainian beneficiaries.

  4. Conflicts of Interest : We adhere to a strict policy on conflicts of interest, requiring all trustees to declare any potential conflicts, which are then appropriately managed and documented to maintain the charity’s integrity.

  5. Risk Management : We actively assess and manage risks associated with our activities, ensuring that measures are in place to mitigate any risks to the charity, its beneficiaries, or its reputation.

  6. Due Diligence and Monitoring of Charitable Funds : We carry out thorough due diligence to ensure that charitable funds are used effectively and for their intended purposes. Regular monitoring processes are in place to verify the end use of funds.

  7. Data Protection : We comply fully with data protection regulations, ensuring that personal data is securely stored and handled in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

We remain committed to upholding the highest standards of governance, transparency, and accountability in all aspects of our work.

The Trustees of Operation Sabre

27 January 2025

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Our Accounts 2023-2024…

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Our Accounts for 2023/24…
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Acknowledgements…

The trustees and members of Operation Sabre wish to record their appreciation to their families and friends, for their continued support, tolerance and perseverance.

To our many friends and hosts in Romania and in particular, to the numerous benefactors, be these individuals, clubs, associations or corporate organisations, for their financial support and donated aid (from knitwear to defibrillators…) we thank you.

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Appendix A- Business Plan 2023/24 5AIRF & r> 1>1 TJ È OPERATION SABRE ANNUAL REPORT 2023124 17

Appendix B – Code of Conduct

Operation Sabre, as a charity, is rooted in the traditions and values of the fire service and founded on mutual respect and trust between its membership and the communities it serves. To ensure the continuing integrity of Operation Sabre, the highest standards of ethical conduct must be maintained at all times. Incorporated within the code of conduct are the ‘Standards of Conduct’ issued by the United Nations.[5]

All participants involved in the activities of Operation Sabre ( be these at the planning, preparation or execution stages ) are bound by the following rules:

  1. Always conduct yourself in a manner that reflects positively on yourself, Operation Sabre, your employing Service/Organisation, your hosts, the United Kingdom and the fire service in general.

  2. Dress, think, talk, act and behave in a manner befitting the dignity of a disciplined, caring, considerate, mature, respected and trusted member of Operation Sabre, displaying the highest integrity and impartiality.

  3. Have pride in your position as a member of Operation Sabre and do not abuse or misuse your authority.

  4. Respect the law of the land of the host country, their local culture, traditions, customs and practices.

  5. Treat the inhabitants of the host country with respect, courtesy and consideration. You are there as a guest to help them and in so doing will be welcomed with admiration.

  6. Do not indulge in immoral acts of sexual, physical or psychological abuse or exploitation of the local population or fellow members of Operation Sabre.

  7. Respect and regard the human rights of all. Support and aid the infirm, sick and weak.

  8. Show respect for and promote the environment, including the flora and fauna, of the host country.

  9. Exercise the utmost discretion in handling confidential information and matters of official business which can compromise security or individual confidentiality.

  10. Accept responsibility for your actions and for the consequences of your actions.

  11. Support the concept of fairness and the value of diverse thoughts and opinions.

  12. Avoid situations that would adversely affect the credibility or public perception of the fire service profession and that of Operation Sabre.

  13. Be truthful and honest at all times and report instances of cheating or other dishonest acts that compromise the integrity of the fire service and that of Operation Sabre.

  14. Conduct your personal affairs in a manner that does not improperly influence the performance of your duties or bring discredit to the fire service profession and that of Operation Sabre.

  15. Be respectful and conscious of your hosts and each member’s safety and welfare.

  16. Recognise that you serve in a position of public trust that requires stewardship in the honest and efficient use of resources, which are funded through donations (including uniforms, vehicles and equipment), and that these are protected from misuse and theft.

  17. Exercise professionalism, competence, respect and loyalty in the performance of your duties and use information, confidential or otherwise, gained by virtue of your position, only to benefit those you are entrusted to serve.

  18. Avoid financial investments, business interests or activities that conflict with or are enhanced by your position in Operation Sabre or have the potential to create the perception of impropriety.

  19. Never propose or accept personal rewards, special privileges, benefits, advancement, honours or gifts that may create a conflict of interest, or the appearance thereof.

  20. Never engage in activities involving alcohol or other substance use or abuse that can impair your mental state or the performance of your duties and compromise safety.

  21. Never discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual preference, medical condition or handicap.

  22. Never harass, intimidate or threaten fellow members of Operation Sabre, your hosts or the public and stop or report the actions of other team members or hosts who engage in such behaviours.

  23. Never take photographs and/or video of children, young adults, vulnerable persons, military personnel and military installations without the express permission of both the relevant host and a Trustee from Operation Sabre.

  24. Responsibly use social networking/media, electronic communications, or other media technology opportunities in a manner that does not discredit, dishonour or embarrass Operation Sabre, your hosts, the fire service and the public.

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References

1 http://www.ifrc.org/en/publications-and-reports/code-of-conduct/

2 http://www.caffra.org/

3 - http://www.fire aid.org/

4 https://www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Ukrainian-FireSafety-in-the-Home-Web.pdf

5 https:peacekeeping.un.org/en/standards-of-conduct

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