## **LONE BUFFALO**
## **Trustees' annual report for the period ended 31 December 2021**
Registered charity number 1169163; registered on 13 September 2016 Principal address 7 Mount Harry Road SEVENOAKS TN13 3JH
## **Trustees during the period to 31 December 2021 were**
Jackie Thomas Andrew March Jeremy Richens Richard Johns
## **Structure, governance and management**
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and its constitution was adopted on 23 June 2016. Trustees and volunteers provide support and advice from the UK to the Lone Buffalo English Development Centre in Phonsavan, Laos as well as managing fund raising internationally. The backgrounds of the trustees and volunteers include education, child protection, web design, fund raising and finance. In the past, trustees and volunteers have been recruited by personal contacts and from the supporters of the charity. This policy will be followed if there are vacancies in the future. All trustees give their time voluntarily and received no remuneration or other benefits.
## **Objectives**
Each year the charity reviews its objectives with reference to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. The charity's objectives for 2021 were to advance the education and improve the life chances of the young people in and around Phonsavan, Laos through the provision, maintenance and support of the .Lone Buffalo English Development Centre in Phonsavan, Laos.
## **Activities**
The objectives are achieved by providing to students in Phonsavan:
- (a) English language education and training;
- (b) Sport and leisure activities to promote health and social wellbeing;
- (c) Activities and other opportunities to develop skills, capabilities and resilience of young people, so they can participate in society as mature and responsible individuals;
- (d) Presentations and field trips to inform young people about their local community and country; and
- (e) Assistance with volunteer placements in local services and further education opportunities.
The main term runs for ten months from September to June although our Lao teachers do continue beginners classes through the summer for those students who can study in July and August.
## **Main achievements**
Activities in 2021 continued to be disrupted by the Covid pandemic with a second lockdown halting activities between October and December, with only online teaching possible. Nevertheless, when it was possible up to 205 boy and girl students between the ages of 11 and 18 were provided with up to 6 hours per week of structured English language lessons taught by qualified teaching professionals together with the opportunity to participate in team sports, mainly soccer, and individual exercise in the school gymnasium. Level 2, 3 and 4 classes completed courses with 85% of these students passing final assessments. 27 Lone Buffalo students completed their final year at High School in 2021. 22 have already started tertiary studies. The Student Coffee Co-operative continued to develop basic business skills and promote local produce. The significant achievement in 2021 was the launch of the 'Barrier Free Learning' programme with students in the four senior classes being provided with tablets to improve the online teaching experience, and to bring technology into the classroom, now we are back to face to face learning. The Lone Buffalo Girls Football Club was launched in 2021, with female students/alumnae managing the coaching, management, promotion and accounts. Lastly the first Develop Together life skills programme was completed, which delivered 16 workshops for 106 senior male and female students.
## **Financial review**
The charity receives donations from individuals and corporate bodies and sponsorship from the US and UK and other embassies in Vientiane, Laos, and others, towards the cost of specific activities. All funds received, except for some minor costs of governance, are used to support the school.
The charity maintains a cash reserve within unrestricted funds which is sufficient to cover at least six months regular support for the school. However because donations and sponsorship, especially from corporate bodies and embassies, are not received on a regular basis during the year and remittances to support the school are made only when needed by the school, the level of the reserves will from time to time exceed this minimum level.
Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees
## Jackie Thomas
Date…… **28 July 2022** ………
Page 1
## **LONE BUFFALO**
**Receipts and payments account for the year to 31 December 2021**
|**Unrestricted funds**
**Restricted funds**
**Total funds**
£
£
£
**Receipts**
Corporate donations
4,991
-
4,991
Personal donations
31,658
-
31,658
US Embassy
1,170
7,785
8,955
UK Embassy
-
-
-
NZ Embassy
-
18,802
18,802
Gift Aid recovery
1,851
-
1,851
39,670
26,587
66,257
**Payments**
Support for school
37,011
18,617
55,628
Cost of generating funds
216
-
216
IT costs
4,247
-
4,247
Bank charges
225
-
225
41,699
18,617
60,316
Net of receipts and payments
(2,029)
7,970
5,941
Funds at 1 January 2021
27,397
4,800
32,197
**Funds at 31 December 2021**
**£25,368**
**£12,770**
**£38,138**
Cash at bank
**£25,368**
**£12,770**
**£38,138**
**Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 December 2021**|**2020**
**Total funds**
£
4,252
22,844
7,662
1,460
11,800
1,716|
|---|---|
||49,734|
||50,601
216
1,646
225|
||52,688|
||(2,954)
35,151|
||**£32,197**|
||**£32,197**|
Approved by the Trustees on 27 July 2022 and signed on their behalf by
## Jackie Thomas
Date…… **28 July 2022** ………
Page 2
## **LONE BUFFALO**
## **Trustees' annual report for the period ended 31 December 2021**
Registered charity number 1169163; registered on 13 September 2016 Principal address 7 Mount Harry Road SEVENOAKS TN13 3JH
## **Trustees during the period to 31 December 2021 were**
Jackie Thomas Andrew March Jeremy Richens Richard Johns
## **Structure, governance and management**
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and its constitution was adopted on 23 June 2016. Trustees and volunteers provide support and advice from the UK to the Lone Buffalo English Development Centre in Phonsavan, Laos as well as managing fund raising internationally. The backgrounds of the trustees and volunteers include education, child protection, web design, fund raising and finance. In the past, trustees and volunteers have been recruited by personal contacts and from the supporters of the charity. This policy will be followed if there are vacancies in the future. All trustees give their time voluntarily and received no remuneration or other benefits.
## **Objectives**
Each year the charity reviews its objectives with reference to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. The charity's objectives for 2021 were to advance the education and improve the life chances of the young people in and around Phonsavan, Laos through the provision, maintenance and support of the .Lone Buffalo English Development Centre in Phonsavan, Laos.
## **Activities**
The objectives are achieved by providing to students in Phonsavan:
- (a) English language education and training;
- (b) Sport and leisure activities to promote health and social wellbeing;
- (c) Activities and other opportunities to develop skills, capabilities and resilience of young people, so they can participate in society as mature and responsible individuals;
- (d) Presentations and field trips to inform young people about their local community and country; and
- (e) Assistance with volunteer placements in local services and further education opportunities.
The main term runs for ten months from September to June although our Lao teachers do continue beginners classes through the summer for those students who can study in July and August.
## **Main achievements**
Activities in 2021 continued to be disrupted by the Covid pandemic with a second lockdown halting activities between October and December, with only online teaching possible. Nevertheless, when it was possible up to 205 boy and girl students between the ages of 11 and 18 were provided with up to 6 hours per week of structured English language lessons taught by qualified teaching professionals together with the opportunity to participate in team sports, mainly soccer, and individual exercise in the school gymnasium. Level 2, 3 and 4 classes completed courses with 85% of these students passing final assessments. 27 Lone Buffalo students completed their final year at High School in 2021. 22 have already started tertiary studies. The Student Coffee Co-operative continued to develop basic business skills and promote local produce. The significant achievement in 2021 was the launch of the 'Barrier Free Learning' programme with students in the four senior classes being provided with tablets to improve the online teaching experience, and to bring technology into the classroom, now we are back to face to face learning. The Lone Buffalo Girls Football Club was launched in 2021, with female students/alumnae managing the coaching, management, promotion and accounts. Lastly the first Develop Together life skills programme was completed, which delivered 16 workshops for 106 senior male and female students.
## **Financial review**
The charity receives donations from individuals and corporate bodies and sponsorship from the US and UK and other embassies in Vientiane, Laos, and others, towards the cost of specific activities. All funds received, except for some minor costs of governance, are used to support the school.
The charity maintains a cash reserve within unrestricted funds which is sufficient to cover at least six months regular support for the school. However because donations and sponsorship, especially from corporate bodies and embassies, are not received on a regular basis during the year and remittances to support the school are made only when needed by the school, the level of the reserves will from time to time exceed this minimum level.
Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees
## Jackie Thomas
Date…… **28 July 2022** ………
Page 1
## **LONE BUFFALO**
**Receipts and payments account for the year to 31 December 2021**
|**Unrestricted funds**
**Restricted funds**
**Total funds**
£
£
£
**Receipts**
Corporate donations
4,991
-
4,991
Personal donations
31,658
-
31,658
US Embassy
1,170
7,785
8,955
UK Embassy
-
-
-
NZ Embassy
-
18,802
18,802
Gift Aid recovery
1,851
-
1,851
39,670
26,587
66,257
**Payments**
Support for school
37,011
18,617
55,628
Cost of generating funds
216
-
216
IT costs
4,247
-
4,247
Bank charges
225
-
225
41,699
18,617
60,316
Net of receipts and payments
(2,029)
7,970
5,941
Funds at 1 January 2021
27,397
4,800
32,197
**Funds at 31 December 2021**
**£25,368**
**£12,770**
**£38,138**
Cash at bank
**£25,368**
**£12,770**
**£38,138**
**Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 December 2021**|**2020**
**Total funds**
£
4,252
22,844
7,662
1,460
11,800
1,716|
|---|---|
||49,734|
||50,601
216
1,646
225|
||52,688|
||(2,954)
35,151|
||**£32,197**|
||**£32,197**|
Approved by the Trustees on 27 July 2022 and signed on their behalf by
## Jackie Thomas
Date…… **28 July 2022** ………
Page 2
## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Lone Buffalo**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Lone Buffalo Charitable Incorporated Organisation (the CIO) for the year ended 31 December 2021.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the CIO as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Name: Anthony S Weston Smith Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales Address: 132 Oakhill Road, Sevenoaks TN13 1NX Date: 29th July 2022