Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1 September 2022 to 30 August 2023
Rural Schools Water Project
Charity Number 1170858
Objectives and Activities
The purposes of Rural Schools Water Project as set out in its governing document are:
“ For the public benefit, to relieve poverty and suffering in any part of the world through:
1. Ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, in particular, but not exclusively, in rural schools and surrounding communities;
2. Promoting healthy lives and raising awareness and understanding of physical and mental health wellbeing for all at all ages;
3. Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all;
4. Achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture, and;
5. Promoting the reduction and elimination of inequality, and in particular gender inequality affecting women and girls living in poverty. ”
The charity’s main activities in relation to those purposes were:
A comprehensive evaluation of our water systems that we have sponsored in schools in Tororo district, Uganda. The bulk of the charity’s costs supported this work. (May 2023)
We successfully underwent a rebranding and change of mandate, emerging as 'Rural Schools Water Project.' This new identity aligns more closely with our mission to provide sustainable water solutions to rural schools (August 2023).
Throughout the year the structure of the board of trustees was altered to bring expert engagement and renewed focus on our new objectives. We bid farewell to Rebecca Procter and Linda Watts, who retired after many years of dedicated service. We welcomed four new trustees: Kimberley Ducimo, Sharon Akech, Isobel Stewart, and Anabella Spanos, each bringing diverse skills and fresh perspectives to our team.
The trustees have regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference RSWP issues small grants to local actors in
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | Uganda to enable their participation in evaluation and community engagement activities on topics of water, sanitation and hygiene. All grants issued in 2023 were paid after evidence of need was received, and only up to levels that were budgeted and agreed in advance of the activities taking place. |
|---|---|---|
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | RSWP does not make social or program- related investments |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | Our evaluation activities produced insights that are crucial in shaping the next phase of our programming to better meet the needs of the communities we serve. The legal and brand changes to the charity were sucessfully completed with the support of the charity commission. RSWP’s new image provides a strong platform from which to make an impact in local, national and international WASH communities. The composition of our board of trustees brings a diverse and international range of perspectives to our dedicated team. This positions the charity well to make connections across continents to improve RSWP’s effectiveness as well as the knowledge and resources available to beneficiaries. |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | RSWP ended the year with cash of £808 (2022:£1,939). Trustee expenses of £1,979 (2022: £0) were paid to support evaluation activities in Tororo District, Uganda. The principal source of income was HMRC Gift Aid on donations of £829 (2022: £0). |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | RSWP aims to hold reserves sufficient to continue operations for 12 months. At present the cost of operations is low enough that available cash is sufficient. |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | There are no uncertainties over the charity’s going concern status because the cost of its operations is negligible. |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution |
|---|---|---|
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Election to post by existing board of trustees. |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Rural Schools Water Project |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | RSWP |
| Registered charity number | 1170858 |
| Charity’s principal address | Cedar House, St. Francis Close, Buntingford SG9 9SH |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Knapman | Trustee | Wholeyear | Board of Trustees | |
| Baaldesh Singh | Trustee | Wholeyear | Board of Trustees | |
| Matt Coote | Trustee | Wholeyear | Board of Trustees | |
| KimberleyDucimo | Trustee | Wholeyear | Board of Trustees | |
| Sharon Akech | Trustee | Wholeyear | Board of Trustees | |
| Isobel Stewart | Trustee | Wholeyear | Board of Trustees | |
| Anabella Spanos | Trustee | Wholeyear | Board of Trustees | |
| Linda Watts | Trustee | To 12 Jun 2023 | Board of Trustees | |
| Rebecca Procter | Trustee | To 6 Feb 2023 | Board of Trustees | |
Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved
None
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
None
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others Description of the assets None held in this capacity Name and objects of the None charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for None safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date |
||
|---|---|---|
William Knapman |
Matthew Coote | |
Chair |
Trustee | |
| 25/6/2024 | ||
| 25/6/2024 |
| Charity Name | No | No | No | (if any) | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Schools | Water Project | 1170858 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Receipts and payments accounts | CC16a | ||||||||||||||||||||
| For the period from |
01 September 2022 | To | 31 August 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | Endowment | Total funds | Last year | |||||||||||||||||
| to the nearest | £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest | £ | |||||||||||||||
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Gift aid | - | 829- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 829- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| Donations | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 498- | |||||||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | - | 829- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 829- | - | 498- |
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gift aid | - | 829- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 829- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| Donations | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 498- | |||||||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | - | 829- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 829- | - | 498- | |||||||||||
| A2 Asset and investment | sales, | ||||||||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| Sub total | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| **Total receipts ** | - | 829- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 829- | - | 498- | |||||||||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Grants paid | - | 180- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 180- | - | 3,174- | |||||||||||
| Foreign transaction fee | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 40- | |||||||||||
| Administrative costs | - | 12- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 12- | - | 84- | |||||||||||
| Platform fees | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 119- | |||||||||||
| Trustee expenses | - | 1,979- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 1,979- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | 2,171- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 2,171- | - | 3,417- | |||||||||||
| A4 Asset and investment | |||||||||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||||
| Total | **payments ** | - | 2,171- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 2,171- | - | 3,417- | ||||||||||
| **Net of receipts/(payments) ** | - | 1,343- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 1,343- | - | 2,920- | |||||||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | - | 1,650- | - | 500- | - | -- | - | 2,150- | - | 4,858- | |||||||||||
| **Cash funds this year end ** | - | 308- | - | 500- | - | -- | - | 808- | - | 1,939- |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories | Details | Unrestricted | Restricted funds | Restricted funds | Endowment | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | ||||||||||||||
| B1 | Cash | funds | Unrestricted funds | - | 308- | - | -- | |||||||||
| Sage grant for reading materials | - | -- | - | 500- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| Total cash funds | - | 308- | - | 500- | - | -- |
CCXX R accounts (SS)