Araba Scott Children’s Foundation Trustees’ Annual Report 2023
The trustees of Araba Scott Children’s Foundation present their annual report and accounts for the period 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023 , and confirm they comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011, the constitution, and the Charities SORP (FRS 102).
Executive Summary
This year marks 6 years of Araba Scott Children’s Foundation (ASCF), and 9 years of service to children and families in St. Thomas, Jamaica!
Our voluntary income for the year was £3,744; less than half of what we made in 2022. However, this did not stop us from achieving the goals we had in mind for 2023! We still delivered as many ACE Learning sessions as we could, held a second drum and dance workshop and took the children on their first trip! We were also able to support several children with back-to-school supplies; although our budget didn’t allow us to reach as many children as in previous years. ASCF also introduced a ‘Kidz Klub bank’ reward system that earned the children two bikes for consistent positive behaviour. Our trustee, Gee OkoloAngus, also held the first Kingston Education Experience for a group of children from Port Morant.
Our total spending was £5, 837, which is a little over what we spent last year. Funds were primarily spent on renovating our safe haven, to make it more comfortable for our children and young people, and on the ACE (art, culture and education) Learning programme. This programme successfully carried on from last year. Altogether, we delivered a substantial 70 ACE Learning sessions, which included numeracy and literacy, sensory play, Lego®️ therapy, Kidz Klub and cultural studies.
In 2023, we made significant progress on Strategy Item 1, which was to have a fully active Board of trustees. Two founding trustees, who could no longer remain active in ASCF’s Board, transitioned to patronage roles to open up space for new and existing trustees who have more capacity. ASCF did exceptionally well on Strategy Item 3, which was to improve our marketing. We appeared on a popular Jamaican news programme and featured in several online articles, where our children’s work was highlighted. An area of weakness for ASCF this year has been on fundraising (Strategy Item 2), as we have gained little to no new monthly donors. However, we did receive our first legacy donation, which we are told is just the initial part of donations to come.
Steady progress was made on Strategy Items 4, 5 and 6 around providing more artistic, cultural and educational enrichment for the children of St. Thomas. However, the number of sessions offered, and assessments carried out of children’s progress, were stunted due to
harsh and unpredictable weather conditions throughout the year. For instance, heavy flooding caused by Hurricane Ian in September 2022, made the entry road to the safe haven (which is already prone to flooding) completely inaccessible for children and staff.
We launched our first ever publication, The Lego®️ Therapy Workbook , which aims to help children with (and without) autism develop their social communication skills. This gained significant media attention and introduced lots of people to ASCF. Parents and carers in Morant Bay and other parts of St. Thomas and Jamaica, soon began reaching out to us for support and to arrange their visit to the safe haven. Additionally, we set up a Parents and Carers Support WhatsApp Group to include and support parents and carers of children with autism in distant parts of Jamaica, who would find travelling to our safe haven difficult. This was a safe space for caregivers to introduce themselves, express what they’d like to get from, and offer, the group. ASCF also shared ideas for educational and leisure activities to try, as well as links to more specific support for children with autism.
Overall, the most important thing we did was give of our time and introduce lots of willing professionals to share their life experiences with the children. These included a curator, midwife, landscaper, engineer, dentist, and youth worker amongst others. One such visit came from Dominique, a young person living in the UK who has started a similar service in Portland, Jamaica and wanted to learn from our safe haven model. The public also kindly donated mosquito nets, quality children’s shoes and clothing, group games, books for teenagers, pencils and Lego®️ sets – all of which we were very grateful for!
Mission Statement
ASCF’s mission is to bring children of all circumstances living in St. Thomas together with professional artists, teachers, and therapists, to create, learn, play and embrace their culture, increasing wellbeing, tolerance, and helping give children a positive view of themselves.
Strategy and Objectives for 2023 and 2024
Our current strategy aims to make progress in 6 key areas: organisational development, fundraising, marketing, art, culture and education. A detailed internal document has been produced to outline each strategy, its rationale, our current position, where we expect to be by 2024 and our details of actions. In brief:
Concerning:
• Strategy Item One, ‘Organisational Development’ between 2021-2024
We are enhancing the effectiveness of ASCF’s governance and management, by striving for a fully active and involved Board of Trustees and fully remunerated staff team. Additionally, we want a wide range of skills and representation within the Board of Trustees and Advisors. So, we have recruited two more trustees in the areas of (dis)ability inclusion and expert networking.
Concerning:
• Strategy Item Two, ‘Fundraising’ between 2021-2024
We continue to scale up our fundraising efforts by seeking a fundraising volunteer to help identify key trusts and foundations to apply to for core costs, writing or editing grant applications, and arranging media and PR events that we can attend or participate in. Thus, raising enough funds to allow ASCF to operate a full cost recovery model that can sustain and expand our children’s work in St. Thomas, Jamaica.
Concerning:
• Strategy Item Three, ‘Marketing’ between 2021-2024:
We are raising awareness about, and engaging more of the public with our work, both inperson and on social media, allowing us to share our successes, evidence of learning and solutions to challenges in St. Thomas, Jamaica.
Concerning:
• Strategy Item Four, ‘Art’ between 2021-2024:
We have developed a dedicated arts programme, similar to that of the ACE Learning programme, offering art classes with learning objectives, lesson plans and a prize giving after 10 weeks. By highlighting children’s natural propensity for art-making, we are encouraging relaxation while learning skills and methods of creativity that could be used as a trade, or coping tool in later life.
Concerning:
• Strategy Item Five, ‘Culture’ between 2021-2024:
We have established a dedicated cultural learning programme for children, helping children in St. Thomas celebrate their culture and history, and the stories of others. Therefore, supporting children’s development of self-confidence, empathy and tolerance towards others.
Concerning:
• Strategy Item Six, ‘Education’ between 2021-2024:
We have doubled the number of classes we offer to children per week and doubling our team so that children aged 4-10 are taught by two primary school educators, and children aged 1117 are taught by two secondary school educators. We are benefiting from having safely recruited more skilled and passionate volunteers, and a mobile ACE Learning service for children who are confined to their home due to a physical disability.
Our Aims
The CIO operates under its governing document which was authorised by the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 16[th] October 2016, and included the regulations for appointment of trustees.
The objects of the CIO are to advance in life and relieve the needs of young people in St. Thomas, Jamaica through:
1. Advancing education;
The provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life;
Providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.
2. To advance the education of the public in St. Thomas, Jamaica but not exclusively by the provision of basic literacy and numeracy classes.
Review of Activities
Participant Numbers and Activities
Between April 2022 and March 2023, ASCF delivered 70 weekly ACE Learning Literacy, Numeracy and Arts and Culture classes. Class sizes ranged from 1-15 students of varying ages. It wouldn’t be helpful to provide an average number of students per class, because any figure on attendance would be skewed by periods of poor weather and then having more popular days.
Arts and Culture
In ACE Learning Arts and Culture, the children studied countries such as Sweden, Israel (and the Dead Sea), Egypt, Siberia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Afghanistan. The lessons were divided into two parts: cultural studies and then an art project that related to what the children have just learned. For example, when the children learned about Afghanistan the children created kites, to celebrate the popular Afghan pass-time of kite running. The children always enjoy using a wide range of craft materials, and 10% of our income went on providing these. For each country, or culture, we study, we try to research any African influences, or artists with African heritage. This exposes the children to the inventions, talents, and histories of Africans in the world – something that we have always strived to make the children feel proud of.
Numeracy
In ACE Learning Numeracy, the children have worked in groups and on a one-to-one basis. We worked throughout the year on memorisation of times tables 1-12, 2D and 3D shapes, measurement, and mental arithmetic. Using a range of manipulatives and tactile resources, such as cubes, the abacus and Lego®️, the children really progressed with their individual targets. Between January and February 2022, a group of children spent every session working on short and long multiplication, which we identified as a weakness.
Literacy
In ACE Learning Literacy, the primary focus has been on expressing to the children the importance of reading and writing. Sessions have a strong emphasis on phonetic awareness for our ‘beginner readers’, and our ‘confident readers’ are encouraged to read to members of the team on a one-to-one basis. To help inspire the children, dentist, Dr Juline Whyte, from Port Morant, came to speak to the children. She demonstrated the value of reading, writing, counting and being kind, so the children may achieve their goals and have better outcomes in the future.
Lego® Club
Using the first draft of the Lego®️ Therapy Workbook, the children participate in a weekly Lego®️ Club, which helps them develop their social communication skills. The Club, which usually takes place on a Thursday afternoon, remains a very popular session at the safe haven, since introducing it last year. Whilst our Workbook specifies use for 3 children (engineer, supplier and builder), sessions are often conducted in large groups of mixed ages and stages of development. In particular, children under the age of 4, enjoyed observing the older children playing with the Lego®️. It then became challenging to exclude them from the Lego®️ Club when they were present. We had to be very careful to watch the younger children so they wouldn’t choke on small pieces, but this was always fine. Their involvement didn’t interfere with the older children’s session, and often added
additional therapeutic value.
Sensory Seeking
In Sensory Seeking sessions, the children were invited to explore all five senses: smell, taste, sound, sight and feel. Initially, we offered this as a closed session for children with autism, but again other children showed an interest in participating. 90% of these sessions were carried out by staff voluntarily, as our budget couldn’t stretch to an additional day. Sessions took place on a Thursday morning and began shortly after the launch of our Lego®️ Therapy Workbook. Viewers and readers from our Press engagement tarted to reach out to us about their autistic child(ren) coming to the safe haven. Soon after our first contact with the caregivers, we were able to meet these children in person at the safe haven.
The children created sensory bottles, played with Orbeez, enjoyed the water tray, went on sensory treasure hunts, moulded Play-Doh, played with musical instruments and much more. Most of the children were aged between 3 and 12 and had never been to school due to a lack of schools (or confidence in schools) who could help their autistic child thrive. Our team lead, Kamara, spent one-to-one time with each child, learning about their individual personalities, their likes and dislikes and additional needs. The primary needs of the children were for sensory stimulation, and this is how Thursday mornings became dedicated ‘Sensory Seeking’ days (before Lego®️ Club in the afternoon).
Workshops and Trips
Calbert and the All-Star Drummers
In July 2022, ten children took part in another drum and dance workshop by Calbert and the All-Star Drummers at the safe haven. The children and staff had requested this second visit after last year’s successful workshop. Everyone was taught how to play the djembe, how to listen and respond musically and how to dance to the different rhythms. Those hours were super fun and delightfully exhausting for all!
Oceans for Everyone Inc Trip
In July 2022, forty-three children and adults from St. Thomas, were invited to attend our first ever trip to Port Royal by yacht. This trip was sponsored by Rayon Carruthers, a research vessel captain from California who established Oceans for Everyone Inc . ASCF paid for the coach transportation, food, drink and snacks for all the children and supporting adults. Miss Vinette of the Port Morant Life Line Mission cooked stew chicken, rice and peas and macaroni for everyone. This was a closed trip, which meant our children and chaperones had the entire yacht and Maiden Cay (where the yacht anchored) to themselves. At the start of the day, yoga instructor Olivia Wilmott came and did an outdoor yoga session with the children and staff to prepare them for their day. Lots of them found it new, relaxing and fun. This was a fantastic experience for all involved, and the sights of the starfish, octopus and various species of fish will be remembered by the children for years to come. Most of the children
had never been on the ocean before, despite having a parent or uncle who is a fisherman (for example), so it meant the world to be able to offer this experience!
The Kingston Education Experience
In August 2022, thirteen children attended the Kingston Education Experience , which had been postponed due to flooding last year. The objective of the event was to take the children out of their surroundings, and into an environment where they could focus on their sense of, self-worth, self-belief, self-care, self-reliance, selfresponsibility, and self-direction. Sponsored by our trustee, Gee OkoloAngus, her company, Change Agents in Action challenged the children with numeracy, literacy and STEM tasks, and empowered the children to remember their innate goodness and uniqueness.
JA$10,000 was gifted by Change Agents in Action towards school uniforms for 5 children. Additionally, all participants received back to school supplies, including water bottles, backpacks, and geometry sets.
Celebrating Positive Attributes
In November 2022, we set up a reward system to promote positive behaviours at the safe haven, and called this, ‘The Kidz Klub bank’. The children earned points which convert to money for things like, cleaning, completing assignments, learning something new and following instructions. In total they raised $5,700 in nine days, which meant they could afford to buy one bike. As a treat we awarded the children a second bike, because we were very pleased with their attitude, progress, and tenacity towards earning their “money”. It also meant both the older and younger children had a bike they could ride.
Encouraging Play
On 1st of February 2023, we participated in, 'Play Day JA', a day of fun for children all over Jamaica, which seeks to raise awareness of the importance of the first 1000 days of a child's life. An initiative of the Ministry of Education & Youth, it promotes good healthcare for children, safe and non-violent environments, good diets, education and much more. ASCF planned a fun day of dressing up, games and cycling etc., at our safe haven.
Fundraising
Strategy Item 3 was set for ASCF to increase the effectiveness of marketing, which would then generate more funds, which would achieve Strategy Item 2. To support these efforts, we created a YouTube video to explain to the public what ASCF does, and how they can assist, donate, and help raise awareness of our work. As well as posting on our YouTube page, we continued to post on our Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages. We also launched a Workbook to help us sustainably raise income, and hosted a fundraising event.
Second Treadathon
In August 2022, the trustees hosted our second ever Treadathon on Jamaica’s 60th Independence Day! We raised over £350 through sponsorships and t-shirt sales, and this was match-funded by the Bank of England. Our trustee, Gradle Gardner Martin put some t-shirts designed by Alicia Louise onto a platform to sell before the event, and these sales increased donations.
The Lego ® Therapy Workbook
To make our fundraising more sustainable, ASCF published a Workbook, where all proceeds would go back to the charity. Our trustee, Gradle Gardner Martin, was the original author of a book about Lego®️ Therapy, and she gave this to our Director to edit and re-imagine for a new audience. The project took around 24 months to complete, and donations meant we could afford a consultation with author, Casey Elisha, who helped us understand the publishing process. Thus, at the beginning of the year, Araba Scott Children’s Foundation Publishing was born! Our publication was called, The Lego® Therapy Workbook ; a resource aimed at supporting the social communication of children with (and without) autism. The Workbook was launched during World Autism Acceptance Week in March 2023, and garnered the attention of the media, teachers, therapists, parents, carers, and childcare practitioners.
Our Director shared a digital Press Release with several friends of the charity, schools, organisations and others in our networks to raise awareness of the Lego® Therapy Workbook . One such interaction with Ross from UNICEF, helped us secure a number of online articles, such as those written by the Jamaica Observer and Our Today. Soon after, we would receive a call inviting us for a slot on Smile TVJ news (a popular Jamaican news programme). Dahlia Harris hosted the interview and Alicia Louise was able to tell the world about our publication and the work of our charity.
To help promote the Lego®️ Therapy Workbook further, Gradle wrote a number of blog posts to give the public a flavour of the Workbook’s content, and to offer Lego®️ play ideas for the (then) upcoming Easter holidays. In our first month, ASCF sold 7 copies of The Lego®️ Therapy Workbook. It was largely bought by families, therapists, and mainstream and special needs schools. We are actively looking for more opportunities to sell our Workbook at trade shows in the future.
Details of Awards
On 20[th] September 2022, the Bank of England matched the £350 raised during ASCF’s second Treadathon event – so ASCF was awarded £700!
Impact and Evaluation
In ACE Learning Literacy we have noticed some significant improvements in one child, who at the age of 10 is only just learning to read. She is visibly more confident and less embarrassed to read aloud and make mistakes. Most importantly, she can recognise a few common sight words, as well as break down a word phonetically. The one-to-one reading sessions are helpful for children, but we have found that some of our ‘confident readers’ don’t want to read, or regularly choose books that are well below their reading age or stage of development. We try to encourage the children to find books they are interested in and explore books from the ‘teen’ section. Our ‘beginner readers’ show clear progress in their phonetic awareness and those who are consistently attending sessions are steadily on their way to moving up to our ‘confident readers’ group.
In ACE Learning Numeracy we routinely assess the children to ensure they are reaching goals related to their personal targets. Each child has their own portfolio and target list, which highlights any areas of strengths and weaknesses. This year it has been challenging to accurately assess all the children’s progress using our standardised questions. The main reason is, assessments aren’t being carried out in a consistent way as children’s level of literacy and comprehension on questions varies, and means things need to be explained differently. Often this leads to our team indirectly giving the children the answer to a problem, or the child not understanding the new re-phrasing (which doesn’t necessarily indicate they don’t understand). When our Director calls in to complete assessments over the phone, it can be difficult to know if a child is concentrating, as noise from other children in
the safe haven can distract them, and the internet connection worsens when they try moving to a quieter spot. Thus, we continue to review how best we can measure the children’s progress to this end. Although, we can say anecdotally that all children who attend sessions regularly, are improving in mathematical confidence. We see this is in the way they answer questions, and in the way they try even when they are uncertain.
In ACE Learning Arts and Culture, we have found that honest conversations about different cultures have been meaningful, especially when children are visited by people who have travelled to a particular country. For example, when curator Donata Miller visited the children she told them about the year she spent living in China. One of the children who was visiting St. Thomas from Clarendon, made a comment about ‘eating dogs’, and this was met with laughter from the other children. Lincoln, a landscaper (who also happened to be from Clarendon) responded to this by saying, “yes. I have many Chinese friends living in Jamaica who enjoy this meal. You may not think it’s nice or acceptable to eat it, but there are people in the world that do. In the same way, there is food we eat in Jamaica (like cow and chicken feet), that somebody from abroad may think is strange”. The children agreed with this, and reflected on the cultural differences that exist based on where you are brought up, and how
we should be tolerant of others' differences as we expect them to be of ours. These conversations, coupled with our classes, are helping the children see themselves and others in a positive light and be more accepting of others, which aligns with ASCF’s mission.
Lego® Club
In Lego®️ Club we were surprised to find a significant value in toddlers engaging in the process. Older children were able to benefit from their presence because Lego®️ made the toddlers slightly calmer, and the children were careful in their choice of words and behaviour around them. The toddlers learned to say, ‘no’, if older children took pieces from them without asking. Older children really enjoyed being able to focus on their role in the model making and learn how to make themselves heard. All children say Lego®️ Club is fun, and it’s something they look forward to, even on days where there is no session.
Feedback from The Oceans for Everyone Inc Trip:
This was the first time we have hosted a trip for the children, and we are proud to say that all children arrived and left safely, enjoyed their first experience on a yacht and experienced the freedom of the ocean. Both the children, our staff members and their caregivers (who weren’t there but heard about the trip from their children), truly appreciated the trip and said they wanted us to repeat this trip the following year.
Feedback from the Kingston Educational Experience:
Our Finances
Details of Voluntary Income as of 31[st] March 2023
The financial statements show net incoming resources for the year on charitable purposes of £3,744.03. The chart below indicates the numerical amounts and percentages for each income category. Monthly donations accounted for just over half of ASCF’s income. One donation from the Charities Trust accounted for 100% of awards granted in this financial year and were the second highest source of voluntary income for ASCF. Nearly 15% of our income came from the public donating one-off amounts. Fundraising efforts constituted 8% of incoming funds and donations from private companies such as PayPal (through the PayPal Giving Fund) and The Gallery London, formed 5%. We gratefully received our first ever legacy donation, which was in honour of the late Ms Lorna Daley, which accounted for 2% of donations for the year.
Details of Expenditure as of 31[st] March 2023
Our financial statements show net outgoing resources for the year on charitable activities as, £5,837.02. This year, most of our spending was allocated to renovation works (22.4%), and this included improving the appearance and condition of the floor using special floor paint, painting a new mural on the exterior wall, rendering (and colouring with yellow oxide) the exterior floor next to the veranda, purchasing a 200-gallon water tank to prevent water shortages, and completing plumbing works. Ms Ida Johnson, a trustee, sponsored a plumber to install the tank for us.
Almost 20% of our income was spent on the ACE Learning programme, which paid 2 members of staff to deliver seventy sessions throughout the year. Children’s activities (11%) such as the Oceans for Everyone trip and the drumming workshop, and Children’s resources (10%) like stationery, craft materials, food and drinks accounted for over 21% of expenditure.
9% of our income was spent on fundraising resources and training around the launch of the Lego®️ Therapy Workbook (where 100% of sales go to Araba Scott Children’s Foundation). This included purchasing, a Square card reader for processing sales, book printing, postage
stamps, publishing and ISBN fees, book wraps for shipping, and a professional consultation to support our new publication. Administrative fees such as Zoom and DonorBox subscriptions, bank charges, money transfer fees, foreign exchange charges, travel expenses and website maintenance account for just over 10% of outgoings.
7% of outgoings helped send a 16-year-old to school – we contributed to her school fare and lunch 5 days a week. To maintain the cleanliness of the safe haven we hired the services of a weekly cleaner, purchased cleaning products and routinely had the front yard chopped, accounting for 4% of spending.
Nearly 3% of expenditure went on back to school purchases, consisting of 2 school bags, 9 exercise books, 1 white school shirt, crayons, 5 textbooks, a pair of school shoes, poster paint, Play-Doh, and a water bottle.
Finally, care packages including, a baby bag for an expectant mother, a food package for a family of 6, and donations towards a child’s emergency medical expenses, constituted 2% of spending.
Our Vision for the Future, Ethos and Policies
Our Ethos
To provide children with artistic, cultural and educational activities in a nurturing environment that reminds them of their rights in the world. We promote children’s rights and advocate against the use of corporal punishment to discipline children. Our vision is embodied by the following:
Children in St. Thomas are learning, playing and creating in a safe and nurturing environment. The children’s self-confidence grows and literacy rates improve, regardless of ability or disability. Children of all backgrounds treat each other with dignity and respect, as a result of learning better conflict resolution and tolerance for one another (as modelled by ASCF staff and volunteers).
ASCF also supports the Jamaican Government’s, National Shared Vision for education for 2030;
“Each learner will maximise his/her potential in an enriching, learner-centred education environment…supported by committed, qualified, competent, effective and professional educators and staff.
The system produces full literacy and numeracy, a globally competitive, quality workforce and a disciplined culturally aware and ethical Jamaican citizenry.”
ASCF’s ethos, is also in line with the performance targets set by the Jamaican Government and stipulated in the 2015 White Paper on Education, which promotes, “building community participation…to influence positive behavioural changes and stimulate a higher level of involvement.”
Our Policies
This year we reviewed and/or updated the following policies after discussion with the Board before our fourth AGM. Policies were not altered if after reviewing and discussing the entirety of each policy, the Board and the Director decided that no changes needed to be made to their contents.
Code of Behaviour ; this was reviewed but not altered. Conflicts of Interest ; this was reviewed but not altered. Ethical Fundraising ; this was reviewed but not altered. Equal Opportunities ; this was reviewed but not altered. Financial Management ; this was reviewed but not altered. Health & Safety; this was reviewed but not altered. Safeguarding Children & Young People ; this was reviewed but not altered.
Safe Recruitment ; this was reviewed but not altered. Supervision ; this was reviewed but not altered. Whistle-Blowing ; this was reviewed but not altered.
Structure, Governance and Management
The trustees determine the general policy of the foundation. The Director undertakes the key leadership role overseeing ACE programs in consultation with the trustees. The day-to-day administration is undertaken within the policies and procedures approved by the trustees. Our Lead Project Facilitator manages and is responsible for service delivery, reporting any maintenance issues to the Director or Board of trustees in Jamaica, and providing weekly reports of work carried out. The Lead Project Facilitator is also responsible for co-delivering and overseeing the work carried out by our ACE Educator on the ACE Learning Literacy and Numeracy Programme.
Organisational Management
The trustees are responsible for the overall management and control of the Foundation and meet at least four times a year. The task of implementing most of our policies is carried out by the Director, our Lead project Facilitator, and members of the Ethics and Finance Committee who are in regular communication. They give of their time freely and no remuneration or expenses were paid in the year. The Director also volunteers her time and no remuneration or expenses were paid in the year, due to a mutual decision to put the principal needs of the safe haven first.
Risk Management
The trustees are responsible for the overseeing of the risks faced by the Foundation. The task of providing detailed considerations of risk is delegated to the Director, who may also work in collaboration with the Lead Project Facilitator. Risks are identified, assessed and controls established throughout the year. A formal review of the charity’s risk management processes is undertaken on a yearly basis, and as such, reviews take place throughout the year as new projects are considered, and examples of good practice or challenges are highlighted.
Risk is managed under the headings of Child Welfare, General Security (on site and on future trips and events), and Fraud and Financial crime. The main risks that the trustees have identified and the plans to manage those risks are:
Risk 1: Child welfare (abuse, negligence and hazards)
Impact: Children’s lives are negatively affected; the charity loses credibility and becomes unsafe for children.
Likelihood: For a charity that works with children, particularly those from vulnerable backgrounds, it is likely that harm can come to children through recruitment (people choosing to work with us with the intention of harming children) and through poor health and safety practices.
Mitigation: ASCF is dedicated to safeguarding children. Our main risk is to the safety of children, and we have taken the following steps to ensure that children are properly safeguarded.
ASCF will hold interviews and meetings with prospective volunteers, asking them why they want to take part in our work. Only those who have the necessary skills, passion and dedication to our cause will be recruited. Volunteers will be subject to a DBS check if they are coming from the UK.
Volunteers in Jamaica will be subject to a CRB check which is provided by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). The Police Certificate bares the background of each applicant and indicates whether or not an individual has any convictions recorded against him/her in Jamaica. If a prospective volunteer or staff member has a conviction for a sexual or violent offence, they will be automatically barred from working with ASCF. All other offences will be considered individually by the Board of Trustees.
Secondly, we have drawn up a health and safety policy to accommodate for every situation where a child could be harmed in the building. We will also inform children about the best practices to use to keep themselves and others safe from harm.
Monitoring: As far as possible, the Director will remain directly involved in the work with the children in St. Thomas and promptly address any concerns that come about. Additionally, a weekly report will be a mandatory part of the role of teachers, staff and volunteers at the centre(s). This means staff and volunteers are accountable for the safety of children at all times, and we can see how children are being treated, and address issues if they arise. Furthermore, once staff are instated we will train them on how to keep children safe from harm and conduct risk assessments for work carried out in the building and on trips.
- Risk 2: General Security On Site and on Trips and at Events
Impact: Children come to serious harm or go missing; the charity makes children vulnerable and unsafe.
Likelihood: Port Morant remains a relatively safe area, and Barnes Hall is highly visible to the community, guarded with a gate and has exterior grills and locks on the doors.
Mitigation: We want everyone to be safe in the building in Jamaica that ASCF operates from. The gate will be guarded by security while children are inside. Trips will require a full
written risk assessment to be made to the Director before the trip takes place. ASCF’s safe haven is a two minute-drive from the local police station.
Monitoring: All adults working with children will be responsible for overseeing their safeguarding, and a caretaker will be appointed who looks after the building’s physical security. For example, making sure the outer gate is supervised, and to sign people in and out of the building.
Risk 3: Fraud and Financial Crime (money laundering, donations from proceeds of crime and tax evasion)
Impact : The charity is put at risk of external scrutiny, or the charity comes under investigation by the Charity Commission and other authorities not by its own doing. Thus, affecting our public image permanently, it could be difficult to regain the trust of the public and our service users.
Likelihood: As a charity, there is always a risk of people taking advantage of our charitable status for their individual criminal gain.
However, at this stage, we’d say it’s highly unlikely.
Mitigation: The fact that we usually announce or thank donors (of money, clothes, toys, books etc.) publicly, would probably be enough to prevent people from donating large amounts of money for fraudulent purposes. In the event we receive, or are offered, an anonymous donation of £25,000 we will report this as a serious incident to the Charity Commission. We will then consult the Charity Commission's Compliance Toolkit, ‘Protecting your Charity from Harm’ to see how to proceed next.
Trustee Recruitment and Training
The Board of Trustees requires breadth and depth of experience to carry out its duties effectively and efficiently. When recruiting new trustees, the most important attribute is a passion for fostering safer childhoods, the work of ASCF and an understanding of the Arts, Culture and Education, as a holistic and rounded experience for children’s personal growth.
We continue to advertise through our website (www.arabascottcf.org) and social media platforms for:
- A trustee with a fundraising/project scaling background.
Charity Trustees
The trustees of ASCF govern its work. New trustees are appointed by the existing Board of Trustees. All trustees have served throughout the year. In March 2023, founding trustees Andrew Williams and T’Leisha Senior stepped down from their positions, and transitioned to patrons.
Ethics Committee | Paul Macey (October 2017), Ida Johnson (October 2016) Finance Committee | Shenaid Tapper (October 2016)
Communications Committee
Dr Ogogua Gee Okolo-Angus (10[th] September 2020), Camile Pinnock (22[nd] September 2020) Gradle Gardner Martin (10[th] November 2020) Lisa Anderson (10[th] September 2021) Imaan Williams (29[th] October 2021)
Service Delivery Team
These members are responsible for the operations of the charity and delivery of programmes to children:
The Director | Alicia Louise Williams Lead Project Facilitator and ACE Educator | Kamara Webb ACE Educator | Fiona Lee, Shantel Skyers and Hobbian Turgott
Contact Details
Registered Address: Araba Scott Children’s Foundation 1 Burcott Road Purley Surrey CR8 4AD G.B. Safe Haven Address:
Barnes Hall Curtis Bottom St. Thomas Jamaica W.I.
Website: www.arabascottcf.org Donations: www.arabascottcf.org/donate Registered Charity No. 1169742
Professional Advisors
Bank: Reliance Bank Ltd Faith House 23-24 Lovat Lane London EC3R 8EB
Receipts and Payments Account
| ipts and Payments Account | ipts and Payments Account | ipts and Payments Account | ipts and Payments Account |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year start date Year end date |
|||
| For the year from |
1st April 2021 | To | 31st March 2022 |
Receipts and
payments
| Receipts and payments |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts | 2022/03 2022/03 2022/03 Unrestricted funds Restrict ed funds Total funds £ £ £ - 1920 556 - 700 - 196 68 - 3440 - - - - - - |
Last Year Total funds £ |
||
| Donations, legacies and similar income |
||||
| Membership subscriptions | - | 1920 | 2165 | |
| One-Off Donations | 556 | 1408 | ||
| Awards | - | 700 | 700 | |
| Corporate | - | 196 | 84 | |
| Legacy | 68 | 0 | ||
| Sub total | - | 3440 | 4,357 | |
| Grants | ||||
| Grant | - | - | - | - |
| Sub total | - | - | - | - |
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Fundraising (gross)
Community
304 2620
-
Events
- - -
-
- - -
Sub total
304 2620
-
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Total Gross Income
Asset and investment sales, etc.
Total receipts
| 3744 | 6977 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| 3744 | 6977 | ||||
| - |
Receipts and Payments Account
| ipts and Payments Account | ipts and Payments Account | ipts and Payments Account | ipts and Payments Account | ipts and Payments Account | ipts and Payments Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year start date Year start date Year start date Year end date |
|||||
| For the year from |
1st April 2022 | 1st April 2022 |
1st April 2022 |
T o |
31st March 2023 |
Receipts and payments
| Payments | 2023/03 Unrestricted funds £ |
2023/0 3 Restric ted funds £ |
2023/ 03 Total funds £ |
Last Year Total funds £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charitable Payments | ||||
| ACE Learning Program | 1129.98 | 1954.25 |
| Administration | 390.44 | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Therapy | 0 | 0 | |
| Back to School Supplies | 153.36 | - | |
| Care Packages | 104.31 | - | |
| Children's Activities | 646.96 | - | |
| Children's Resources | 625.59 | - | |
| Insurance | 0 | - | |
| Renovations | 1308.03 | - | |
| Safe Haven Maintenance | 203.47 | - | |
| Training | 40 | - | - |
| Website Maintenance | 290.26 | - | |
| Travel | 28.53 | ||
| School Fare | 424.77 | - | |
| Sub total | 5345.70 | - | |
| Fundraising expenses | |||
| Community | 491.32 | - | |
| Events | - | ||
| Internal | - | - | - |
| Sub total | 491.32 | - | |
| Total Gross Expenditure Asset and investment purchases, etc. Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) |
|||
| 5837 | - | ||
| - | - | - | |
| 5837 | - | ||
| - | - | - |
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Cash funds last year
end - - - -
Cash funds this
year end - - - -
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Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the year
31st 31st 31st 31st March 2022 March March March 2023 2023 2022 Restrict Total Total Unrestricted funds ed funds funds funds £ £ £ £ Cash funds 1047 1047 2885 Bank current account - Bank deposit account - Cash/Floats Total cash funds (Agree balances with receipts and payments - account(s))
Signed by one trustee on behalf of all the trustees
| Signature |
Print Name SHENAID TAPPER |
Date of approval |
|---|---|---|
| SHENAID TAPPER | 28/01/2024 |