THE ZAMBEZI SUNRISE TRUST
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 8 MAY 2025
CONTENTS: Legal and administrative details 2 Report of the Trustees 3 - 5 Report of the Independent Examiner to the Zambezi Sunrise Trust 6 Balance Sheet 7 Income and Expenditure account 8 M W DENTON CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT KEIGHLEY
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THE ZAMBEZI SUNRISE TRUST
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
The trustees present their report together with the financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 8 May 2025.
STATUS: Registered Charity (England and Wales) No 1169587
TRUSTEES: Joanne Gillette John Gillette Nicola Short Robert Smith Jonathan Ashley-Norman K.C. PRINCIPLE ADDRESS: Kelloe Hall South Town Kelloe County Durham DH6 4PR BANKERS: Barclays Bank Plc INDEPENDENT EXAMINER: M W Denton Tel: (01535) 690190 29 Devonshire Street Keighley West Yorkshire BD21 2BH
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THE ZAMBEZI SUNRISE TRUST
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 8 MAY 2025
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
GOVERNING DOCUMENT
The Zambezi Sunrise Trust is a charitable trust and was established pursuant to a Declaration of Trust made on 8 May 2016.
ORGANISATION
The body of trustees throughout the period of this report comprised the three original trustees, as well as two others. Any further trustees must be appointed for a term of two years by a resolution of the trustees passed at a special meeting called in compliance with the Declaration of Trust. A trustee may resign his or her trusteeship at any time by notifying the other trustees but only if enough trustees will remain in office when the notice of resignation takes effect to form a quorum for meetings.
RELATED PARTIES
The Charity has no related parties.
TRUSTEES
Throughout the period of this report the body of trustees comprised the original trustees: Joanne Gillette, John Gillette, Nicola Short, together with Robert Smith and Jonathan Ashley-Norman K.C.
OBJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
The objects of the Charity are:
To promote for the public benefit, primarily but not exclusively within the Republic of Zambia, (a) the advancement of education and (b) the relief of poverty, sickness and distress amongst children in such manner as the trustees may think fit including without limitation the purchase of books, teaching materials, cooking materials, foodstuffs, cleaning materials, clothing, sporting equipment, building materials or medical supplies or the making of grants for the purchase of the same, the purchase of land upon which to build school facilities, the paying of school fees or the paying of teacher salaries.
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THE ZAMBEZI SUNRISE TRUST
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 8 MAY 2025
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
This, the ninth year of the charity, again saw significant progress in the development of our projects.
Our flagship project, the construction of Linda Community School, a school for vulnerable children in Livingstone, Zambia continued with more building construction as well as other support. The central area of the school and access road were further gravelled with the assistance of Livingstone City Council who donated the gravel as well as provided the requisite lorries, grader and steam roller. This further enhanced dry and reliable access to the school in the rainy season. The school numbers having significantly expanded with the construction of the secondary school, a large new ablution block was constructed for the secondary grades. This provides toilet facilities (including disabled access) for boys and girls, as well as a shower facility for girls to assist with helping them avoid missing days at school. This facility was opened in the presence of the deputy District Education Board Secretary. A cikuta (a round, thatched meeting area with a waist high cement wall but open above that), built to reflect traditional local architecture and in memory of a past volunteer in Zambia, was also built. This structure is in contant use for a variety of uses, ranging from choir practice, a place to learn or study in the shade, to shelter from the rains when eating. By the end of this reporting period a dedicated Pre-school facility had also been commenced. Construction of this building will provide a purpose built learning environment for early years children. Its completion will mean that a child will be able to attend the school from pre-school, through primary school (Grades 1 – 7) and then complete secondary school (Grades 8 – 12). Our first ever Grade 12 results showed that nearly half of the children obtained scores that would qualify them for university (to put that in context only a third of Zambians complete upper secondary education). Our regular annual round of repairs to buildings and desks continued, as did uniform and furniture donations, together with the donation of 23 iPads (the first in the school). Letter exchanges and video links between the school and supporting schools in the U.K. continued, facilitated by the visits of three of our trustees (at their own expense) in January and February.
We continued to support Nekacheya Primary School in Livingstone. Textbooks were provided for Grades 4, 6 and 7 (the funding coming through fundraising by their twinned school in the U.K.).
Our support to Njokomalomo Basic School in Western Province / Barotseland saw the completion of three boarding huts funded by the charity. Textbooks were provided for Grades 8 and 9. Uniform and food donations were also made.
Knitted donations made by our supporters were distributed in the community and at Linda Community School. Other donations to the community included food, clothing and glasses.
Our women’s empowerment group, Tiyese (‘Let’s Try’) Craft Initiative, continued to enjoy success. They secured another outlet for their craft items at a well known hotel in Livingstone. Working from the insaka at Linda Community School, they produced more curtains for the school as well as making an increasingly varied range of craft items for tourists and volunteers.
‘Homework Club’ continued to be supported and developed at Linda Community School. Adult education classes continued there in the facilities we have previously built and teachers continued to be supported.
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Three of our trustees were able to visit Zambia and visit our projects during the reporting period. They were also able to support ‘Home visits’ by the head teacher of Linda Community School to the homes of children of particular concern and in that context further food, blanket, clothing, toothbrush and toy donations were made.
A dozen schools in the U.K. now support the charity and derive benefit from it through the links we have established for them to schools and children in Zambia. They all enjoy active letter exchanges and video links with their linked school, as well as receiving regular visits by our trustees to update them.
The year’s fundraising activities involved events held by several of the schools, as well as by supporters in the U.K. (including sponsored runs, donating the proceeds of open gardens stalls, university theatrical production proceeds and a music night) and Ireland. Further well received talks by trustees were given to Women’s Institutes. A successful 2024 Big Give Christmas Challenge online campaign raised much of the funding for a computer room at Linda Community School that was built in the next reporting period. We were honoured to have the attendance of the High Commissioner of Zambia at a charity fundraising showing of ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ in London that featured a question and answer session with director and actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.
At the end of the reporting period the charity was well placed to continue pursuing its objects. As well as successful fundraising, the period saw increased support and co-operation with the District Education Board and the City Council in Livingstone. The charity was able to confidently look forward to further supporting its beneficiaries in 2025/26.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The results shown within these financial statements are in line with the expectations of the trustees.
John Gillette
Trustee
16 February 2026
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THE ZAMBEZI SUNRISE TRUST
Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees of The Zambezi Sunrise Trust
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Zambezi Sunrise Trust for the year ended 8 May 2025, which are set out on pages 7 and 8.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (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 all 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 which gives me cause to believe that in any material respect:
The accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act.
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.
M W Denton
Chartered Accountant
29 Devonshire Street
KEIGHLEY
BD21 2BH
16 February 2026
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THE ZAMBEZI SUNRISE TRUST
Balance sheet as at 8 May 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ Current assets Bank account 25,751 36,377 --------- --------Net Current assets 25,751 36,377 ---------- ---------25,751 36 ,377 --------- --------Trust income account Surplus of income over expenditure for the year 25,751 36,377 --------- ---------
These accounts were approved by the trust and signed on their behalf by:
Joanne Gillette
John Gillette
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THE ZAMBEZI SUNRISE TRUST Income and expenditure account for the year ended 8 May 2025 2024 £ £ Income Donations and fundraising events income 58,906 54,797 -------- --------58,906 54,797 --------- --------Expenditure Zambezi Sunrise Trust project expenditure In England and Wales 1,424 1,330 (outside England and Wales, in Zambia) 68,108 74,108 --------- --------Surplus of expenditure over income for the year (10,626) ( 20,641) --------- ---------
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