TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22
(1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022)
We have been an independent charity since the end of November 2016. The Trustees’ annual report outlines progress made in respect to compliance and financial control, philosophy and working practices, as well as a progress update on numbers of students supported and our current financial position.
The John Aves Education Project team
JAEP’s policy has always been to enrol Trustees and committee members with relevant experience and skills to fulfil the objects of the JAEP. This is to identify and monitor selection of suitable candidates from the Dheisheh Refugee Camp in Palestine as well as to manage efficiently and with compliance the administration of the charity.
JAEP currently has five Trustees and one committee member who joins in the Board of Trustees meetings and regularly liaises with the Trustees. The experience, skills and interest of the team are wide and all are mentioned here:
Anne Aves is our Chair and the widow of John, in whose memory JAEP was founded. Anne worked at City College Norwich from 1984 until her retirement in 2017. Her roles have included teaching, Head of Department and managing regional projects to re-engage vulnerable young people. Anne has returned to Dheisheh Camp, Al Quds and Bethlehem universities a number of times.
Liz Magem is the secretary for our committee. Liz has been involved in education for over 30 years. Her roles have included Head of Department at City College Norwich, a training consultant for Aviva and a principal lecturer for QA, the UK's leading learning company. Liz is currently a freelancer trainer. Liz and Anne Aves have been friends for over 30 years, and through that friendship Liz came to know John. Liz has accompanied Anne on her visits to Dheisheh Camp in 2018 and 2020.
Nick Taylor is our treasurer. Nick is a retired local businessman with solid financial and management skills. His companies won many local and national business awards and he brings a discipline and focus to the charity.
Ben Aves . Ben is a son of John and Anne. Ben is Director – Global Communications Strategy at LEGO group the UK base is in London.
Ed Aves Edmund is a son of John and Anne. Edmund works as a freelance photographer.
Samia Tabari is a member of JAEP’s committee. She is a social development expert with a focus on women and children and youth programmes, primarily in the Middle East. She retains professional and personal connections to the Middle East and speaks Arabic. Samia offers advice on the scholarship process and applicants. She is based in the UK.
Compliance
We have a Trust Deed that fully complies with the requirements of the Charities Commission. We have further controls beyond our statutory obligations which are outlined in the following documents. Procedures and Policies. Here we outline our working procedures that enable full and accountable management of our charity.
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We only commit to the funding of a student if we have sufficient funds (plus a reserve) to finance the entire duration of their course.
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The Reserve. We quantify the total financial commitment to our students for their entire course. To this figure we add 10% and a further £1,000. This becomes our reserve and no expenditure can dip into this amount.
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Risk Register. This is regularly updated to ensure that risk is identified, measured and minimised. In light of any weaknesses then the Procedures and Rules are amended to mitigate any identified risk.
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Data Protection. We take our responsibilities seriously and do not share any individual’s information with any other organisation except with Inland Revenue in respect to claiming Gift Aid.
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Safeguarding Policy. Informed by attendance at a Charity Commission International Engagement Team webinar our safeguarding policy and procedures have been updated and embedded in our procedures and policies.
Financial control & Report
During the 2021/22 financial year our income fell by a significant £68k to £26k. This follows the previous year’s drop of £80k. This is, however, set against a very large gift during the 2019/2020 year and again in 2020/2021. Regular gift aids were only marginally down on the previous year by a couple of hundred pounds but with cost-of-living crisis and world uncertainty, I consider this a fair result. We must be more cautious with future grants to students until such time as income recovers. Fortunately, our policies protect us during these times and underlines our prudent approach.
Income from card sales increased during the year to a healthy £3,726 up from £2,500.
Expenditure reduced slightly during the year which was reflected in slightly reduced grants and no travel expenses due to Covid travel restrictions.
The result was that we paid out for grants using some of our reserves and these were reduced by £48k. This was anticipated and reflects the roll out of funding from the very generous gifts received in 2019 and 2020.
At the time of writing this report we are holding £157,538 in our bank accounts. £100941 is the amount already committed for grants, this leaves us with £56,597 to fund new students.
The accounts will be independently checked and a letter of compliance issued.
As we work through the generous gifts previously made, I am satisfied with the continued progress the charity is making and the controls in place to ensure comprehensive compliance and levels of reserves. A word of caution is that we must adjust our support to new students to reflect the current level of income.
The treasurer updates the ledgers at least once every month onto an Excel spreadsheet. After the bank reconciliation a copy of the account spreadsheets is emailed to each of the Trustees to ensure that there is transparency but also to ensure that back-ups are available off site in addition to regular on-site procedures.
Selection and monitoring of students
JAEP has funded seventy young people to achieve an undergraduate degree.
Selection of new students is carried out in collaboration with the Financial Aid Department (IAD) of Al Quds University. Al Quds University remains JAEP’s main partner. Al Quds University has campuses in East Jerusalem, Abu Dis, and al-Bireh. JAEP reviews its scholarship guidance notes and application form with each university on an annual basis. The FAD uploads JAEP’s notes and form on the university’s website as part of the annual call for JAEP’s scholarship applications. At Bethlehem University the Student Finance Manager promotes the project to students from Dheisheh in need of financial aid. JAEP Trustees and members review the scholarship applications and any supporting documents and then interview shortlisted candidates via Skype. JAEP launched its
application process for 2022/2023 in April 2022 (outside this reporting period).
The JAEP team continues to ensure and provide evidence that we are selecting young people who are academically able to benefit from and in need of our financial support. To this end we receive transcripts of student results at the end of each academic year. Any student who either had poor results or did not complete the year would be contacted by JAEP. This did not happen in 2021.
Students returned to face to face teaching from September 2021.
Impact of Covid-19 on family fnances continues
Our donations, especially from standing orders have remained steady, enabling us to offer thirteen scholarships. This is slightly down on last years’ high of sixteen. Covid-19 has continued to result in less opportunities for employment which has meant families haves struggled to pay the tuition fees, with the result students have built up even more debt. We decided in 2021/ 2022 to maintain the same level of funding as 2020/2021 and also to continue to pay the debt. Without payment of the debt students would not be able to graduate.
JAEP management of the project
Trustee meetings and sub meetings throughout 2021/2022 were mostly in person as COVID restrictions were eased from July 2021 onwards. Members also have regular e-communications. Continuing Covid-19 restrictions for international travel meant that no visit to the area was possible in 2021/2022. JAEP does not have an office or paid staff members.
The Chair and Secretary have attended webinars hosted by the Charity Commissioners International Engagement Team on 09/12/21 and 02/02/2022.
Outreach and success with grant applications
The application for a one off grant to the Britain Yearly Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers Peace and Social Witness) to buy laptops to support learning for students was successful. Seven laptops have been bought and distributed to the most financially needy students at Al Quds University. FAD at the university purchased the laptops and administer the scheme. Highlighting our very strong relationship with this team and university.
We have continued to receive support from Unipal. In 2021/2022 Unipal funded a second JAEP student. The student is studying Midwifery at Bethlehem University. Unipal have committed to fund the student for the remaining two years of her course. Unipal funded a student studying Special Education at Al Quds University for two years 2018/2019 and 2019/ 2020
Covid-19 meant that most organisations have not returned to meeting in person with the result that no talks were booked for 2021/22. JAEP continues to receive support and donations from many of these organisations for examples as Charity of the Month.
Online donations via our website launched in July 2021.
JAEP produced Newsletters in April and November 2021. The Newsletter was sent electronically to ninety two supporters, both individuals and organisations, and to seven supporters by post.
The Future
As the £ continues to fall against the $ we will add to the notes section of the monthly accounts the current level of reserve needed for commitment to existing students.
Apply to the Big Give initiative to broaden our supporters base and also generate more income. The scheme match funds donations received.
Contact the twenty organisations who, pre the pandemic regularly invited us to give talks and/or make donations to the project, to offer to return to update them about JAEP. We continue to grow this number and maintain a calendar of talks and events throughout the year.
Maintain and develop our links with Dheisheh Refugee Camp. This enables us to better target the most disadvantaged students with the greatest potential.
Maintain and development our strong link with Al Quds University.
Following trustees’ visit to Bethlehem University in February 2020 we will continue to refine the selection process and develop our links there, which will enable us to financially support more young people from Dheisheh to study there.
We are making plans for visiting the area in March 2023. As well as spending time at Dheisheh Camp, Al Quds University, Bethlehem
University we will meet staff at Dar Al Kalima University College of Arts and Culture in Bethlehem to progress our discussions to fund students from this university.
The Trustees feel that future “organic” growth will better target the students able to provide a dividend of skills in their community while keeping costs to a minimum.
Anne Aves (Trustee)
Liz Magem (Trustee)
Nick Taylor (Trustee)
JOHN AVES EDUCATION PROJECT
| YEAR ENDED 31st March, 2022 | YEAR ENDED 31st March, 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| General | General | ||
| Funds | Funds | ||
| INCOME | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | |
| £ | £ | ||
| Regular Gift Aid Donations | 6,477 | 6,692 | |
| One-of Gift Aids | 2,053 | 1,629 | |
| Tax reclaim Gift Aid | 2,112 | 1,725 | |
| Other Donations/Fund Raising | 11,529 | 81,797 | |
| Other Income | 264 | 135 | |
| Xmas Cards and other sales | 3,725 | 2,500 | |
| £ | 26,160 | £ | 94,478 |
| EXPENDITURE | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | |
| Bank Charges | 70 | 25 | |
| Educational Grants | 71,722 | 74,263 | |
| Administration Cost | 57 | 216 | |
| Foreign Travel Expenses | 0 | 1,754 | |
| Other costs | 1,903 | 1,823 | |
| £ | 73,752 | £ | 78,081 |
STATEMENT OF FUNDS as at 31st March, 2022
| 2021/22 | 2020/21 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Balance at beginning of year | 205,130 | 188,733 | ||
| Add surplus (loss) for the year | ||||
| Income | 26,160 | 94,478 | ||
| Expenditure | 73,752 | -47,592 | 78,081 | 16,379 |
| £ | 157,538 | £ | 205,130 | |
| Represented by: | ||||
| Current and Business Account | £ | 157,538 | £ | 205,130 |
JOHN AVES EDUCATION PROJECT
ACCOUNTS
For the period to 31 March 2022
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A '. Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of John Aves Educational Project On accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 Charity no (if any) Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended 3110312021. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of 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 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ') in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Date: 2511112022 Independent examiner's statement Signed: Name: Mike Barnes FCA Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Address: Unit 42 , Syderstone Industrial Estate, Mill Lane, Syderstone PE318SE October 2018 IER
Section B - Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief detsils of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018