Farmcrs Overseas Action Group (FOAG) lgftl Trustees, Report For the year ended 5th April 2025 Fanncrs Ova3eas Action Group (FOAG) is a ChaTitable Incorporat (kganisation
Farniers Ovcrscas Action Group {foAG) Truslccs, Report for the year ended 5 ApTit 2025 Truslees, report Thr trusiee8 present their ststutory report together with the fu]ancial statements of barniers Ov¢rsees Action Group ('F,OACI') registered charity numbcr 1164747 for the year ending 5° April 2025. This trustees. report has been prepared in accordancc with the statement of recommendcd practice (SORP) for small charities as is8ued by ihe Charity Commisslon of England aDd Wales. The financial statemcnts havc been prepa in accordance with the accounting wlicies sd out on pagc I I and comply with foAG's constitution and applicable laws and Accounting and Reporting by Charitics.. Statement of Recommended PTaciice appli¢able to charities preparing thcir accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Administti office The Old Rectory, Stanford Bridge, Worccster. WR6 6SH TrHslees The Tru8tees who have served during the yearand up lo the dale of this rcport are.. Christiana Bentley, fvIichacl Bentley. Nabil Jamous, Janet Mcconvillc, Jan¢ Sturdy, Christopher Sturdy, Williwn Surniall, Alex tktts and Cecilia Dean. Th¢ Tnte¢S arc also the Committee and. as SUC arc appointcd by fvll members ai the Annual General Meeting. Independent examiller Alan Hess, knan Hous¥, W¢stern Roa¢ Hagley. West Midlands, DY9 OHZ. Chority's bankgys CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, Kent. ME19 4JQ. Nallonal Westminster Bank Plc, Worcester Cross Branch, l The Cross, Worcest¢r. WRI 3PR. Objects of the charity The charity is cstablished lo relieve poverty, distress and sutyering in developing countries by providing practical hclp) education and suprx)rt to fann¢rs aEkd rural communities. Since it was estsblishcd in 1981 it has concentrated ils efforts in Uganda. Goiyrning document The charity has a constitution. Ourprojeets include.. l. Support for three Cheshire rehabilitation ccntrcs at Butitu, Budaka and Pamba (Soroti). They support children and young adults with disabilities such as club foot and th¢ aftermath of polio and malaria in older children and arrange for corrective operations, rehabilitation. aftercare and integration within their families and commuJ)ities. We havc also helped these centres to grow more food, through conservation a¥riculture. 2. Pearls of AfriLa Special Needs Celllres (PASNEC} at Kanyanya and Scguku in Kampala. these centres support children with learning difficulties. 3. The independent hospital at Kumi, origillally a l¢prosy hospital, but now a general hospital, where FOAG assisted with the provision of maintenancc and capital equipment. 4. CoRSURehabilitation Hospital Services for people with Disability in Uganda (CORSU). It is a specialised surgical hospilal in the Buganda Region of Uganda specifically for peoplc with disabilities. 5. The boarding unit of Kamurasi Primary School at Masindi that is for disabled children. Th¢ s¢ope of the school is lo inl¢grate disabled children into mainstream ¢ducatIo FOAG originally provided fimds to
Tranners Overseas Aclion Group (FOAG) Trustees, Report for the yearcnded 5 April 2025 build a residential home for the blind children that attend the school and now providcs general support. 6. The Chekwii Initiative for Rural and Int¢gratcd Dcvelopment (CIRIDE), in the Karamoja region of Eastcrn Ugallda where FOAG finan¢es the storage of crops belween harvests - the Waste Less Food projcct and provides training and support in post-harvest handling. Storage is provided through on-tarni silos and in a community storage facility. 7. Eastern Arcbdiocesall Developmeni Network ADE). FOAG has partnercd with EADEN as the implementation partner for a Waste tess Food and Grow More FIM)d initiative. 8. The sponsorshtp of individual students und¢Jtiking secondary and tertiary education. 9. YOUF114- Young Franciscan centre Suppo and educate5 young mothers and tbeir chilitren who were teenage rdpe victims of the Lord's Rcsistancc Arniy. Support was given for food, medÉcal operations, and infrastNctur¢ improvctucllts. Additional SUPEX)rt was giv¢n to help fa¥T5 jOifL the Gmw More Food project with acce88 10 improved seed. 10. Grow Mor¢ F(N)d - This project supports, trdRll5. and supervises four rehabilitation ceJJtres - surrounding fanning families- tc) s£inb]Y grow IhciT own food through conservation techniques and to become self-suifici¢n¢ and less lIant on donattO]ts to feed the Centr. I l. Dr Ambrosell Medical Centre is an associat¢ pmject not fundcd by FOAG. It is v¢tt¢d to ensure that ils practicc falls within the objects of FOAG. but it is not monitored by an atmual visit in the same way as FOAG projects although it has been visited on several occasions. Th¢ Trustees bave ]d regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and have ample eNrydence that FOAG'S activities directly benefit considerable numbers ofpcoplc whosc lives are bettered ill various ways.. re¢¢iving rducation and VQLational trdining and material assistance,. improved m¢dical care and rehabilitation,. improved means to feed themselv and an ability to earn a living fiDm faming. FOAG has a mod¢rat¢ Ass(JL'iate Membership base comprising individuals. families, and cory()rate gmups such a8 chUhe$, schools and Rotary clubs. Indivkduals and families contribute a minimum subscription of £20 pcr annum and in return re¢¢iv¢ an atinual newsletter and project updata5. FOAG employs a paid part-time administrator. All other Trnstees, Officers and Committee members work without remuneration. The costs of monitoIing the projects in Uganda are usually borne by those Committee manbeTS who make the visit. Safeguarding Giv¢n the nature of ihe work that FOA(i undertakes its trusi¢¢s Gonsid¢r safeguarding a vitally importanl issue. They keep th¢ subjrfl under review and WDJk with their partner organisalions to improve the transparency of their policies. FOAG has a written safeguarding policy that has been approved by the TsteeS. FOAG'5 rol¢ in Uganda is to provide support for agricultural. health car¢ and edUclOnal needs in the ruTaJ arS of eastern and Thorthern Uganda. It dS thi8 with financial support for cxisting local organisations having first vetted the potentl81 partner and, in most cases, having had a long produ¢tiv¢ rrlationship with 'I'he initial vetting and on-going monitoring of our partner organisations is Caled out by trustees. These Irustrcs &im to visit each project regularly to ensure they well rull and tbat the funds provided by FOAG have becn uscd wiscly and for the agreed purpose. The monitoriDg iD¢lud¢s a&8essing the arrangementq for safeguarding the vutfLerdble and their reintegration with their families and communities. FOACI S PRrtner organisations are run by professional staff. nun& teachers, doctors, and nurses, bul are situal¢d in very n#1 ur¢a5 whcrc. ulltil quite recently. written safeguarding policies were llot common. These are now routinely requested as part of our monitoring process. FOAG'8 Contribution to the budgets of the
anners Overseas Action Group (FOAG) Trustees, Report for the year ended 5 ' April 2025 organisations we support is relatively mcdest but the oulcomes for the individuals involved is huge. Our UK administrdtOT has no personal contact with the vulnerable pwplc we support, and our Ugandan co- ordinator has no unsuperviscd contact with them. Achievements andperfornianee As w¢ll as supwrtillg rural schools. hospitals and c¢ntr¢s forlife-changingmcdic&l operations, rebabilitations, and education. FOAG continues to develop its focus on famiing and expanding the Waste Less and Grow More lid initiativcs for morc 5uslaiDable farming and improved livelihoods. ProJ(MOn1¢0Ti2 Whilc not always pOsSbIe. FOAG trustees aspire to conduct annual Projeci Monitoring Vi8lts. This year's PMV took place in October and Novcmber, lcd by Trustee Alex I£tts. Personal circumstances n)eant trnscees were not able to physically visit in the financial year 202312024. Th¢ last ill-dcpth project monitoring visit before that was February to March 2023. FOAG also relies on its part time in-country manager - Patrick Walusansa - to providc rcgular reports, and visits, alongside regular reports from FOAG'S implementing partners in Uganda. Modern communication makes reports. fast alld engaging with videos, WhatsApp messages, etnails and phonc coverage enabling constant communication. The Comtnittee meets about Six time8 a year and considers the various affairs of the charity and decides on the all(Kation of funds to the projects. Throughout the year delegated Committeemembers k¢ep in close tou¢h with the people in Uganda rnnning individual projecls and report at Committee nleetings. l. Waste Less Food projects One third of all food harvested in Uganda is lost before it gets to the ppIe it is m¢ani io f¢¢d. Mosl of Ihis is due to poor post-harvest handling and lack of adequatc siorage. This l¢vel of inefficiency has huge economic, social, and ¢nviromnenlal inLpa¢ts. FOAG partners with two Ugandan NGOS CIRIDE and EADEN to run the Waste L£ss Food project to work with local communities by training farmers in the post-harvcst handling of their ¢rops to reduce tix)d waste on their farnis. to provide improved grdin sloragc such as air-tight grain bags and metal silos, also to maintain bulking stQTes to ett8ure fwd security within the local areas. CIRIDE (Chekwii Initiative for Rural and Integrdied Development) in Namalu. a Tegion in Karamoja, has the worst socio<¢onomi¢ indicators in Uganda with around three quart¢rs of pIe living below the poverty lille. The proj1 works with 300 farnicrs, and maintain a 40-ton store. Since providing the initial funding Lo sct it up in 2016, the project has become self-suificicnt* producing sUlUS funds tbat are used to support to train and benefit farniers and the local community. In 2018 we exp8nded the project to EADEN (Eastern Ar¢110¢¢San D¢velopmcnt Nclwork) to build two Waste Less food projects with 400 fanllers each And a 40-ton community store in the sub counties of Budhaya and Nawaningi. Both Waste l£ss Food projects are ongoing, ffcycling the inttl81 stsrt-up fvnds. £7.698,49 w&8 paid into the PToj¢ci during the financial year 2024-2025. 2. Grow More Food projects Agriculture contributes arounLI a quarter of Uganda's GDP and it is the county's main economic driver,. howev¢r, farniers facc great challenges. The rising rural population has increased pr¢ssurc on land availability. The tradiuonal crop rotation under which land Could be rested between crops is no longer possible. With a redueed acreage farmfflE must now Cultivate the samc ground year afier year. In addition. limate ¢hange has caused more extreme w¢ather. such as ¢rippling droughts and tormitial rains.
Farmers OveTscas Action 6roup (FOAG) Trustees, Report for the year ended 5 April 2025 subsisten farniers stjvggle to grow enough rd for the family. let alone a surplus. Conservation agriculture is part of the solution. as it allows farniers to manage their land sustainably In 2020 FOAG teamed up with & local Ugandan NGO called EADEN in Eastern Uganda to commence a four-year project to promote thc adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. somelimes calltxl T¢g¢n¢rative or cOnseation agriculiure (CA). The project includes four demonstration plots where farniers are trialling and demonstrating CA techniques. As the demonstration farnis become establtshal Thcy hopc to expand CA onlo n¢i¥hbouring holdings. No new money was paid into the project during thc fjnancial year 2024-2025. 3. Rehabilitation Centres FOAG conlinues to support the rehabilitation centres at Budaka, Butiru, Pamba, 8nd Lira. We proNided funds for building maintenance, medical operations, patienl transport, farni training and food pur¢hasin¥. In the financial year, a total of £5,507.23 was granted to ¢over the cost of general tttaintenance at the ¢entrcs, support with food buying and support to grow more food. Thc Sistcrs in charge at the centres prepare the children for their operation and refer them to local hospilalb for trealmcnl (usually Kumi orCoRSU), before continuing theireducation and rehabilitation back al the centst to help the childTen to live a full life. Many of the children Ihat are brought to the centres by tbeir families or by outreach programs have disabilities in Yarying dcgrcEs, and are unable to support ihemselves. FOAG has for many ycars funded some of th¢ n¢¢essary opcrations. Around 75180 m¢dical procedures wcrc caTried out in the past year at a cost of £13.718.54. This figure includes transport, pre-and posi-operation assessments, feeding the children before and after wtions, physio and for prostheses su¢h as prosthetic legs for child ampulees. The centres struggle wilh fccding the chitdren daily and in th¢ year in qucstion FOAG made a number of grants for food, As result FOAG started a new initiative in 2019 to make the celltres s¢lf_suffi¢ient in food production and wiihout the need io be reliant on donations. FOAG has appointed a specialist in Conbcrvalion A]CultUrC (CA) to establish sustainable fartns and train th¢ ceDtres in such practices. FOAG granted £389 in IILe fitwicial year. 4. Pearls of Afrlea Spetial Needs Cenlres (PASNEQ Pearls of Africa Special Needs Centres (PASNEC} Foulldatioll operates from two sites- Kanyanya and Segukn- near the capital city Kampala. The centres help children, from agc two upwards with a mental or physical disability* to dcvclop skills for a fulfilled life. These include basic life skills like washillg, bathing. and laundry as well as education in basic numeracy and literdcy and vocational skills such as woodwork, brickworL cooking and crafts. Total funds provided to support the centrcs is £7,215.05 this fman¢ial y. 5. Kiwoko Hospltal FOAG'S involv¢m¢nl with Kiwoko Hospital has been to assist wilh nwse and midwife training. ID 2017 thc ProJt Monitortng T1 advised the Deputy Medical Superintendent that it could not continue with ils regular payment of £4,000 per allnU bul would consider "one off, applications from the Hospital and all current funds will fonn as a student loan schcmc so that th¢ money can revolve and reach more students. No new were given in lh¢ Cuent finim¢ial year. 6. Kumi Hospital It is vital Ihat Ihc hospital has a reliable standby gouree ofelectricity. FOAG continues to maintain and provide diesel for Ibe electricity gencrator that Rotary donated in 2006.
FarmcTS Overseas Action Group IFOAG) "1"ntees, Rq)ort for th¢ year ended 5 April 2025 No new fimds were paid inlo the project during the fmancial year 2024-2025. 7. School partners FOAG has partnered with Kamura5i and St Joscph's School to support through f(xyd provision, tcacher salarics alld general school mainlenan¢e. Kamurasi is situated in Masindi and the headieacher for th¢ last seven years has b¢en Lilliall Byakagaba. During that time pupil numbers have more than doublcd to 1106 of which 181 are special needs childre]¥ for example with sight OT sp¢wh impainllcnt, Downs Syndrome and autism. 60 cbildren are boardcrs. FOAG'S involvemenl wilh the school began when a group of supporters had a sponsored Channel swim and raised over £25,000 which enabled the accomrrLodation unil to be buili. Ther¢ are 25 full tim£ tcachcrs a¥ well a8 a mlad of different support for both able bodied and special needs chddren. FOAG provided £2,000.00 in the fit)ancial year to assist with the provision Df food lor th¢ boarders. St Joseph's school is expertly by headD]astcr Simon P¢twOmollo, but it struggles for ndS to pay teacher salaries, provide food and maintain gcneral upkeep of the school grounds. In the financial year FOAG provided £1.413.34 to assist the school upkeep and building maintenancc. 8. Sponsoring Chlldren's Educatlon Only l in 4 children who start primary school in Uganda makes it to secondary school, with family issues 8nd school fees keeping many teens, especially girls. from pursuing their¢ducation. Only 35 per ¢ent of those that make it through secondary school end up in higher education- with many put off by the financial burden. FOAG and ils supwrt¢rs hav¢ becn sponsoring young people through education sincc 2008. Tha]]ks to our supporters, there are currently 14 students being sponsoredthrough secondary school4 colleges, and universities. The cost of sponsorship for the financial year amounted to £14.355.49. W¢ k¢ep in regular contact with the students. their ¢ar¢rs and thcir spJnsor5 in UK. Th¢ Fulure FOAG continues to l(X)k to a positive future wh¢r¢ it ¢an partller with well-established Ugandan NGOS to help farniing families lo grow more and waste less food, enabling a perniancllt trallsition oul of poverty L])rough incotlle generation. This way Ugandans call pay for thc healthcare and edueatinn they need. Alongside this enterprise focus, foACJ maint2ins legacy projects to support those who remain stuck in poverty with support for schools, cbildr¢n's hOlarshIps. operations and rehabilitation. Financeol rewew The proportiull of donon, contributions that a charity SFtnd5 on communicating with donors, reporting, management arLd publicity is always a difficult decision for trustees. Over the years. the FOAG Treasurer and trustees havc sought to keep this figure in the region of 70/0, significantly lower than most national charities. In the cutrelll financial year, our adminislration ¢0st amounicd to 4.93 % of total outgoings. ReSerS The Committee aim to maintain between £5,000 gnd £10,000 uncommitted general funds to b¢ abl¢ to continuc to support those projects requiring a regular flow of fvnds and to be able lo respond to unforeseen emergewy requests. The closing unrcslricted balan¢¢ this ycar was £100,844.20. This figure recognises the need (o be cautious in the current economic climats, the reduced donations in the year under r¢view and dcvclopmcnts that will take place in the year ending 5, April 2025. Thanks The Tnistces Teuogllise and Ihank the M¢mbeTS for their generous donation8 and r¢sponsu to Appeals. Without thcir generosity it would be impossible to continue FOAG'S important work in Uganda.
Farnjers Overseas Action Group (FOAG) Trustees, Report for the year ended 5 April 2025 Approved by th¢ TNstees and signed on their be])alf Williarn Surman Chairnian tknte:
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rarmet3 Ovetseas Action Group {FOAG) Trnstee5' Report for the year ended 5, April 2025 FAILIIERSOVELSEASAcnoNCROUP oEllullcJal Id11.y¢jra¢+ SthApJ12ryZ5 Tok4lAII futth 124 2n Nolt %itt8id ts¥rEcmYrablp I?30 14$6 1152 19 I2 6ankloietosl 1262 iA50 Joo 24J04 Chirltahk artlviile5-FwwiRrnn15 15.1 .310 1319 io dan•AemeThtddrnInlr1Qn 178 2] 71310 é6.503 g.l.IS> lllcirnleyThdltsTel befotelrADsfus 7¥.04D 79.0 66.555 Totpl fvJ44¥bTou%h forwm4 21,804 26122 61h19 247 TotalfdsrilO1wd £49.J34 119 TheatovetsMtemeDi Sn¢lude5ail galDsand I$¢COl dutTnE ttheye6raDd deri1 1rorntontlnu5nghctiv1
Farniers Ovcrscas Action Group (FOAG) Trustees, Report for the year ended 5 April 2025 Ai I ¥kn IWIL+
Farmcrs Overseas Action Group (foAG) Trus¢ees' Report for the year ended 5, Aptil 2025 Iyotes to the statement of gccounts- S April 2025 Ae¢&ull¢lng pvU¢les The following &¢counting policies have been used con¥ist¢ntly in (kaling with items wbich are considcrcd material in relation to tbe ac¢ount$. 1.1 Basis ofpyeparation The accounts have been prepared, under the historical cos( convelltion, in accordance wfftth the Charitie5 Aci 2011 and with applicable accounting standards and the Charities Statement of liecommended Pra¢ti¢e, A¢countAng ond R¢porting by Chariiiey (FRS102), using the acctuals basis.. wkth the exception noted in 2.3 below, income andexpenditurc it* brought into account in the pai(Kl to Nthich ir TeLates which is not necewiiy the period At is receivoj 01 paid. 1.2 FuleL0tIg The General Fund is unrestrieted and is available for use at the disGfdion of thc Trustees in fiutheranee of foAG's clwitsble obj¢ctives. Restri¢trd illoorne funds are subject to specific restrActions imposed by the donors or by the pu4)ose of the aprtAI. The pwpos¢ and us¢ olth¢ principaI restricied fimds is set out in the Ttust¢Gs' ReporL 1.5 Incoming resourc8 With the exception of gifi aid tax recov¢rdbl¢, which is in line with relevant donation$, in¢ome is only bTou¥ht illto account when it is reKeived aud recorded. 1.4 ResouTCCS ayended Expenditure is recognised in the financial.8tatcments when there is a legal or constructive obli8ation lo for goods or setvices. -io-
Farn]ers Ovcrscas Action Group (FOAG) Trustees, Report for the year ended 5, April 2025 FARMERS OVEIiSEAS ACIION GROUP Notes to the financial statements- 5 April 2025 2 mgeMent aiid AdKiinistration 2025 2024 Staff costs Sfilnries 08 1634 Publicity Priiiliiig Postftge 657 855 741 32 1,398 1,787 Administration Bank ¢lrgeS Office siipplies Teleplioi Welmte 60 60 71 37 41 41 14 172 152 £4378 £A,573 NumiEr of part-time employee5'. 3 PAyiiieiits to trmstees No paymnents were made to or on behalf of any trustee duiing the year (2024- £nil)
Farn)ers Overseas Action Grou (FOAG) Tnte¢s. Report for th¢ year ended 5, April 2025 FARMERS DVER5EAS AcfIoN GROUP Note5 tothefltsan¢igl &atemeDI. 5th Aprll 4 no¥tdtTUN4 pr¢JjtrtgMnts ttc - PTryed exFYnthture-- -ol which metfyotn- Restricted General Un%pÈni al fvnds 05.OQ tknnati0Ths un511t (.1.24 •natax Avèllthblr remvertd Tran5fets forgrts 'I'otat ChiistUW5 Appeal 2024 AR RevolViryFuI Bl.E Pmjtcl Bctty HdThFUnd Buduka chlTe Hojne Botito Clwhirc Home &655 810 810 If) 7581 125 125 12731 11,JwJ 17, 115,&]51 13891 131.f)341 1148) 11,IN)Tr Silo chiidswntship ctm5yrvatll AgrKulture Dt AmtMoFeilCenlre Ee[F1Fund arow MoTeWa&t LE55 Jatlla ConsvltalY Kaznurg57 PrIllry5dDl Kiwokn Hp5pitsI Nuise Tialnin8 KuttLi Kiub 13,981 37Q 11,7( 410 14351 353 I15,EI 5,748 512 994 35 Zf09 161 1&$9 1&1 Iz(w) i¥(wi 1,637 921 103 12255 11,OW4 iorm)) Mp6mdiCentre foi Handicap Medi¢alopcralion8 PNEc Relf Cbre Ug&ttda StFrpmi4 CheshireHome St l(wphs School P4m¢kW4luGSfA YOUFRA Itt3 14.042 1,217 103 324 113,7181 17,217) 111.7JRI 17.217) {6831 1217 16.(Wl io io 11,4141 IIAI41 241 241 5th April W25 61.619 0,444 486A&SJ q71JIOI 4J5J55) E49.134 SthApa2tr24 77.W 75 8.122 fts]9 tWai]s ofthe above projects are 1 ottt in theTru5teo8'Rcwrt. tbnatN)ns other Cetseralfottd exwditiiÈ Graftts Other .6&41 £lW General 5th ApTll 25 kh A Inl 2124 26.122 24,764 .4YII . QL8DI 5th Apri] I)29 3AJ a59, £186,4ts51 49.9 5thApTll2024 £l(B269 frJ5,639 a79. ¥(),1 £83,421 -12-
Farmers Ovcrseas Action Group (FOAG) Ttustees, Report for the year ended 5" April 2025 FARMERS OVEKSEAS ACTIOP4 GROUP Note8 to fllwwi81 statemtnt- 5th April 21125 S FuAd p4lbing e15 ond costs Costs surp1$ Supplu.¥ 2024 2025 - co1 3,937 12.094) 1,843 851 £3,937 (2,094) 851 herfvnd raising costs ]$1 Giwng clmrges sUp ¢Irge5. (?16) 12161 {141 £(13111) £1,627 £621 -13-