2023-10-13-accounts - Better Community Association West Africa

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Trustees’ Annual Report 2022 - 2023

Trustees’ Annual Report 2022 - 2023
Section	Comment
Charity Name	Better Community Association West Africa
Other names by which the charity is known	BCAWA
Registered charity number	1169646
Principal address	private
Charity Trustees	J. Buchanan, C. Riley, P. Weeden, A. Bittaye
Former charity trustees	M. Browne: 13/10/16 – 3/5/17 J. Higgs: 13/10/16 – 23/5/17
Governing document	Constitution, Foundation model
How the charity is constituted	CIO, passive NFE
Charity trustee selection methods	Appointed by existing trustees
Charity Objects	Revised Constitution in force from 11thJanuary 2023: The CIO is established to further the following purposes for the public benefit in West Africa or anywhere in the world. 1.To relieve poverty 2.To relieve sickness and to promote and protect good health 3.To advance education 4.To promote racial harmony for the public benefit by raising awareness of African history and culture, including that of the global diaspora, to promote good relations between persons of different racial groups in the United Kingdom and other countries of the world as the trustees may from time to time think fit. 5.To provide or assist in the provision of facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances with the object of improving their condition of life. Nothing in this constitution shall authorize an application of the property of the CIO for the purposes which are not charitable in accordance

	with [section 7 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005] and [section 2 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008]
Summary of main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects.	Distribution of medical educational materials to Hospital Directors, Regional Health Directors and midwives.
Additional matters on activities	BCAWA has enter into agreements with whatimpact, smile amazon, and paypal to obtain funding and has received tiny amounts.
Summary of the main achievements	Our activities have been restricted since our main sponsor withdrew funding. We continue to appeal in general and to UK Aid in particular to consider charities that have specific projects to implement and that operate at grassroots level. The situation in Gambia is dire and a change of approach would be the only solution in the long-term. We have not given up hope with regard to the numerous projects we have assessed. As the captains of the Books for Africa project to The Gambia we have been able to distribute e-readers with the complete Merck Medical Manual to doctors and medical directors. We distributed another 10 to Regional Health Directors and 7 to midwives. We have revised our governing document (Objects shown above) to include beneficiaries in Great Britain. BCAWA is now associated with Black Initiative Alliance, Afrograph and other black-led organizations in Liverpool. We have significantly progressed our planned project called ‘Fruits of the Diaspora’ which aims to enhance education in schools and provide employment.
Policy on reserves	Money is left in the account as prudent policy. Our main sponsor has passed away and so residue in the account is all we have left. Money has been used to re-activate the Better Community Association of Bakau (BCA), which had become dormant during Covid. There are now 4 signatories. JB is a sole signatory. The others are dual signature.
Details of funds in deficit	N/A
Further financial review details	The Trustees have over a decade of experience in The Gambia. We know what to do and how to do it. We help at the grassroots level and concern ourselves with the impoverished people of The Gambia and other West African countries. We are the Container Captains for BFA in The Gambia and would like to respond to BFAs request to work with us as their recipient charity as in the past. We would like to improve more nursery schools and supply furniture and teaching and learning materials. There are health centres that are not fitted out and would benefit from assistance. Research has been done by LJMU Business School to illuminate the lack of

reliable drinking water in the rural areas. A funding strategy has been drawn up by LJMU Business School master’s degree students, which we hoped could be implemented in the near future. It has not been possible to raise funds. It is frustrating to have the personnel, the contacts, the know-how, the experience, the leadership, the documentation and policies but, sadly, no funding.

BCAWA

Better Community Association West Africa, reg. no. 1169646 Barclays Bank Plc Acc. 73681173 Joy S. Buchanan 4 Cubbin Crescent Tel. +44 (0)7925 938 237 SC 204545 Trustee Liverpool L5 7TU Email joybu58@gmail.com bcawa2016@gmail.com