2025-04-05-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date Day Month Year Day Month Year From 06 04 2024 To 05 04 2025

Section A Reference and administration details ~~ee~~ Charity name AFRICAN HOSPITAL LIBRARIES ~~[~~ Other names charity is known by AHL ~~[_~~ Registered charity number (if any) 1170968 ~~-t—CS~~ Charity's principal address 56, ELMS DRIVE,

OXFORD

Postcode OX3 0NL

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole **year **	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
1 Claire Blacklock
2 TraceyLumsden
3 Rhys Whelan
Fatmata Kanjia Jalloh

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees) Name Dates acted if not for whole year n/a ~~oT~~

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) Type of adviser Name Address n/a ~~sn~~ Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) ~~Pe ee~~ Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Appointment by existing Trustees Trustee selection methods (eg. appointed by, elected by)

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Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

• policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;

• the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;

• relationship with any related parties;

• trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

Governance procedures

During this reporting year, the trustees have been in communication with Barclays Bank to change the signatories on the account (former trustee still a signatory) and to update the type of account. However, due to administrative delays at the bank this is ongoing. Trustees have completed all required tasks in this process.

The Sierra Leone-based trustee visited the Ministry of Health to seek advice on updating the Service Level Agreement we have with the Ministry of Health. We are in the process of applying for renewal.

Changes to staffing

• During this reporting year, the Library Coordinator in Bo retired from his post.

Note on assets (as per last reporting period)

African Hospital Libraries supports the set-up and running of hospital libraries in Makeni, Bo and Kenema Government Hospitals, in addition to five link-up libraries.

AHL has Memoranda of Understanding with all partners (e.g. Hospital Management Teams) representing the institutions where the libraries are situated. The MoUs set out the parties involved and their roles and contributions. The libraries are entities within themselves, and as such assets within a specific library are the property of that library. The assets are therefore not owned by the hospital, but by the library. Likewise, AHL does not therefore own these assets, but instead they are the property of the library. This is reflected on our CC16a form, to show that no assets belong to AHL. However, AHL does maintain an oversight role in the ongoing stewardship and replenishment of library assets, particularly in the libraries at Bo, Makeni and Kenema Government Hospitals.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

TO ADVANCE EDUCATION FOR CLINICIANS AND HEALTHCARE STUDENTS BY FACILITATING ACCESS TO CLEAR, RELEVANT, UP-TO- DATE, LIFESAVING HEALTH INFORMATION IN SUCH WAYS AS SHALL BE THOUGHT FIT, REGARDLESS OF GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, RELIABLE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY, OR TECHNOLOGY AND DISSEMINATING ACCURATE HEALTH INFORMATION CONTRIBUTING TO QUALITY PATIENT CARE, CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND STRENGTHENING HEALTH SYSTEMS.

Activities of African Hospital Libraries overlap in their fulfilment of the objects of the charity. Activities within the reporting period are summarised below, under the following headings: • Communication and travel • Skills development within team • Shipments of books • Makeni Hospital Library and Resource Centre • Bo Hospital Library • Kenema Hospital Library • Link-up libraries • Fundraising and support • Volunteers

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1) Communication and travel

During the reporting period, communication between members of the team was facilitated in the following ways:

• Peer support to library staff in Sierra Leone, in the form of face-toface visits

• Monthly Team Meetings on Zoom (attended by all staff and at least one trustee)

• • Continuation of regular WhatsApp and email communications between the UK and Sierra Leone

• Trustee WhatsApp group

• Whole AHL Team WhatsApp group

• Trustee meetings (zoom)

• • Staff Annual General Meeting in Makeni, Sierra Leone, also attended by one trustee.

• • Teamwork to collect and process shipments of books (1 shipment donated from Book Aid International, and 1 shipment comprised of used books from University of Oxford, and new books from Oxford University Press)

• Travel to Makeni for the retirement celebration for the Library Coordinator.

2) Skills development within team

During this reporting year, the Kenema Library Administrator continued to undertake HND in Information Communication and Technology.

3) Shipments

One shipment of books was collected from the Sierra Leone Libraries Board by AHL staff (donated to African Hospital Libraries by Book Aid International). Another shipment of books was sent by trustees, containing selected used books from Oxford University Hospital Libraries and new editions of core Oxford Handbooks, donated by Oxford University Press. Both shipments were collected by library staff in Sierra Leone and taken to Makeni Hospital Library for processing. From there, the books were distributed according to need, to Makeni, Bo and Kenema.

4) Makeni Hospital Library

• From start of April 24 until end of March 25, there were 511+ books borrowed and 595+ visitors who used the resource centre for study.

• Library staff continue to undertake outreach activities in the hospital.

• The resource centre building is also used for student teaching and staff meetings and continuing professional development.

• AHL continues to support the salaries of the three staff, the costs associated with shipping and transporting books, and the day-today library consumables, etc.

5) Bo Hospital Library

• The Library Coordinator (based in Bo) retired from his position, during this reporting period. The occasion was marked with a celebration of all staff and a small number of additional invited guests. It was held in the Makeni Resource Centre, at the request of the Library Coordinator.

• Electricals that were fused during a further electricity surge at the hospital were replaced during this reporting period.

• From start of April 24 until end of March 25, there were 963 books borrowed and 1013 visitors who used the library for study.

• • AHL continues to support the salary costs of the Bo Library Administrator. The costs associated with shipping and

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  - transporting books, and the day-to-day library consumables, etc. have continued to be met by AHL.

• We continue to recognise the need for a resource centre to be constructed at Bo Government Hospital

• 6) Kenema Hospital Library • Renovations to the chairs and flooring at Kenema Hospital Library were undertaken in this reporting year.

• Kenema Hospital Library has been continuing its provision of library services to hospital staff and students from the adjacent Eastern Polytechnic.

• From start of April 24 until end of March 25, there were 503 books borrowed and 265 visitors who used the library for study.

• • AHL employs a Library Administrator to run the operations of the library, and pays for library consumables, furniture, shipping of books etc. -

• 7) Link up libraries • In the next reporting period, two additional link-up libraries have been established. The Kenema Library Administrator had started discussions with the two institutions during this reporting period, and sent link-up requests to trustees.

• • During this reporting period, five link-up libraries continued to be supported: 1) Mattru Jong School of Nursing, 2) School of Midwifery, Bo (SOMBO), 3) Makeni School of Clinical Sciences, 4) Department of Community Health, Fourah Bay Campus, and 5) Princess Christiana Maternity Hospital/ Ola During Children’s Hospital (PCMH/ODCH) joint library service.

• 8) Fundraising and support • This reporting period was unusually challenging for fundraising activities, due to the Chair of Trustees needing to write and submit her DPhil thesis and undertake her viva defence. This trustee also had to pull out of a sponsored run due to unanticipated health reasons.

• • We continued to benefit from donations of books from the Oxford University Healthcare Libraries, Book Aid International, and in this reporting period we also received donated books from Oxford University Press.

• We continue to be supported by the generosity of several committed individuals, who give to AHL regularly through standing order.

9) Volunteers

• No additional volunteers during this reporting period.

Declaration

Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

• policy on grantmaking;

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• policy programme related investment;

• contribution made by volunteers.

Section D Achievements and performance

• Main achievements:

• Summary of the main • Continued partnership with healthcare and educational institutions

• achievements of the charity in Sierra Leone

• during the year • Support given to three core libraries and five link-up libraries.

• • There were 1977+ borrowing episodes across the core libraries in Bo, Makeni and Kenema Government Hospitals, with an additional 1873+ readers in the libraries.

• • Shipment of books from the UK to Sierra Leone, and additional receipt of books donated by Book Aid International

• • Improvements to chairs and flooring at Kenema Hospital Library

• • Staff AGM, attended by trustee

• • Monthly staff meetings enhancing the continuity and quality of remote communication between the UK and Sierra Leone via zoom

Section E Financial review

Reserves Policy: AHL aims to hold the equivalent of two months’ salary Brief statement of the costs in reserves in respect of library staff. charity’s policy on reserves Details of any funds materially N/A in deficit

Further financial review details (Optional information)

Due to problems with the UK Barclays Bank account, the Chair of Trustees paid all funds due to Sierra Leone in November 2024 from her personal bank account. She did not reclaim these funds from the charity (i.e. she donated them). Following independent financial advice, we have not included these transactions on the CC16a form, as they did not pass through our charity’s bank account, but have instead reported them here:

27.11.24: £556.75 Western Union Transfer to Makeni Hospital Library, £284.68 Western Union Transfer to Bo Hospital Library, £190.69 Western Union Transfer to Kenema Hospital Library.

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Please see note in section B regarding assets.

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

Breakdown of money spent in Sierra Leone

In addition to the CC16a form, here is a breakdown to show how the money transferred by AHL to Sierra Leone was spent:

• the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);

• Staff salaries = 80%

• Internal travel costs = 8%

• how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;

• Cleaner costs = 4%

• Renovation costs = 4%

• Consumables and equipment = 3%

• investment policy and • Other = 1% objectives including any ethical investment policy Each library has its own registered bank account in Sierra Leone.

• adopted.

~~a~~ Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Rhys Whelan Full name(s) Claire Blacklock Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Co-Founder and Trustee Trustee etc)

Date 05.02.2026 05.02.2026 ~~es~~

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		AFRICAN HOSPITAL LIBRARIES	AFRICAN HOSPITAL LIBRARIES	AFRICAN HOSPITAL LIBRARIES			1170968	1170968
		Receipts andpayments accounts									CC16a
	For the period from ~~ee~~			06/04/2024 Period start date ~~ee ~~		To ~~ee~~		05/04/2025 Period end date ~~ee~~
	Section A Receipts and payments
		Unrestricted funds		Restricted funds		Endowment funds		Total funds			Last year
		to the nearest £		to the nearest £		to the nearest £		to the nearest £			to the nearest £
	A1 Receipts
	Donations	12,516		-		-		12,516			20,881
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
	Sub total(Gross income for AR)	AR) 12,516		-		-		12,516			20,881
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total receipts 12,516 - - 12,516 20,881 ~~——————~~
	A3 Payments
	Fund Raising	604		-		-		604			72
	Charitable Activities	16,196				-		16,196			19,873
				-		-		-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
		-		-		-		-			-
	**Sub total **	16,800		-		-		16,800			19,945
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total payments 16,800 - - 16,800 19,945 ~~S555~~
	Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end	- 4,284 - - - 4,284 936 - - - 3,680 1,000 - 4,680 3,744 10 387 - 397 4,680 ~~SSS555~~

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

05/02/2026

1

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets	Bank account Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details		Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 10 - - 10 OK Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs		Restricted funds to nearest £ 387 - - 387 OK Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Cost (optional)		Endowment funds to nearest £
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							-
							-
							-
							OK
							Endowment funds to nearest £
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							Current value (optional)
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	Details		Fund to which asset belongs		Cost (optional)		Current value (optional)
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	Details		Fund to which liability relates		Amount due (optional)		When due (optional)
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	Rhys Whelan Signature Claire Blacklock		Print Name CLAIRE BLACKLOCK RHYS WHELAN
							Date of approval
	Claire Blacklock		CLAIRE BLACKLOCK				05.02.26
	Rhys Whelan		RHYS WHELAN				05.02.26

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

05/02/2026

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