Impact report for the year ended 30th September 2020
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Contents
A note from our Chair
Our strategic work areas
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Activities in 2019/20
4 An emergency grant 5 International Development conference 7 Local volunteering 8 Volunteer stories & skills development 9
Governance & Committee 10
BVDA accounts 11 13 Notes to the financial statements
Going forward
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With thanks 16
Our vision is of a global community working together to deliver sustainable positive change.
Our mission is to inspire and enable students to actively engage in sustainable international development.
Our aim is the advancement of education and the relief of poverty, sickness and distress in developing countries.
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A note from our chair
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruption to our planned activities in 2020 and like many charities we were forced to reappraise and refocus our efforts in the face of new challenges. While this meant that we unfortunately had to postpone planned projects abroad, BVDA has a number of successes to celebrate from both before and throughout the pandemic. We have much to be proud of despite a difficult year.
In February, BVDA’s committee held the annual Student International Development Network (SIDN) conference, hosting students from across the UK for 2 days of international development activities, talks and workshops. The team also continued another year of local volunteering with Feed the Homeless, providing support to a great local cause.
In the months following these activities, lockdown and the need to adapt to new ways of working resulted in committee members and trustees coming together to develop a revised plan of action. New activities were devised so that BVDA could continue to support the charity objectives, engaging students and supporting our international partners as far as possible.
We’re thankful not only to have been in a position to support our partner charity in Nepal with an emergency support grant in the face of COVID-19, but to also have such a motivated committee who have maintained their dedication to BVDA throughout an incredibly challenging time.
BVDA continues to adapt and persevere with the help of its supporters, committee and trustees. Our thoughts and best wishes are with everyone who has been affected by the pandemic.
Sarah Malina
Chair of trustees, 2019/20
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Our strategic work areas
During 2020, BVDA had to refocus its priorities. Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our student volunteers and the beneficiaries of our partner charities is our highest priority and activities were adapted accordingly.
The diagram to the right shows the areas we had planned to focus on in our 3-year strategic plan. The situation globally in 2020 meant that much was postponed as projects abroad were unable to go ahead, however we continued a number of engagement activities, as well as developing new opportunities for training and support.
BVDA forum
Hosting the annual Student International Development Conference (SIDN) in 2020 was a highlight of our work to expand BVDA forum activities. One of the charity’s key aims is ‘to provide a platform for meaningful international development discussion’ and we were thrilled that BVDA’s committee were able to host a weekend that not only provided this opportunity for Bristol students, but for student international development societies from across the UK.
Financial Planning
BVDA continues to take forward its strategy of utilising excess reserves to support the charity’s aims. Having received a request from long-term partners Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) in Nepal, BVDA agreed an emergency support grant to roll out provisions and training to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the beneficiary community where students were unable to volunteer this year.
Skills Development
While not being one of our planned strategic objectives, BVDA refocused its work in 2020 to ensure we could still support both student engagement and our charity partners. Experienced trustees led a grants workshop to provide students with new skills in funding research and bid writing, with several applications for funding being submitted in the hope of supporting project partners.
Activities in 2019/20
The following pages outline BVDA’s activities in 2019/20. Despite international projects being postponed this year, there were still a multitude of successes for BVDA.
Having hosted an engaging international development conference and local volunteering in terms 1 & 2, BVDA’s activities moved online to accommodate lockdown measures and social distancing. Subsequent volunteering involved a rapid change of pace to virtual meetings and distanced activities, including improved online marketing and grant writing.
BVDA is pleased to have been able to provide a rapid grant to one of our project partners, enabling them to roll-out vital equipment and awareness-raising to fight against the spread of COVID-19. The details of this work is provided in the following pages.
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An Emergency grant
In June, BVDA responded to a request from Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) to provide funds that would help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 across central regions in Nepal.
Impact
BVDA continues to work with PSD to understand the longer term impact of the pandemic on Nepalese communities and to understand the next steps so we can continue to provide support.
586 households provided with essential hygiene kits
Essential equipment and training was rolled out in Dahare, Sima, Naldhunga, Multhana, Salam, Nakedhara, Gairathok and Daspasa, with beneficiaries in the community comprising the following groups of people:.
BVDA sent an emergency grant of £1,753 to fund the provision of basic hygiene and sanitation equipment such as soap, gloves and masks.
Over 1,000 people directly reached through training
In addition to rolling out essential PPE, PSD led a campaign of awarenessraising, across multiple communities, around how COVID-19 is spread. As well as being provided with essential hygiene supplies, every person trained was also given the skills to roll-out further awareness-raising across their communities.
g) Womens health volunteers h) Police/security personnel i) Local Societies
a) Those in Quarantine
b) Community members c) Local representatives d) Teachers e) Local NGOs
j) Womens groups
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f) Health professionals
Next steps
PSD is continuing to assess the most urgent community needs, with a focus on livelihood support beyond the immediate urgent health requirements.
BVDA plans to continue supporting PSD’s work with local Nepalese communities to benefit people’s lives and livelihoods over the longer term.
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International development conference
Hosting the 2020 Student International Development Network conference over a weekend in February provided an exciting opportunity to invite meaningful debate and discussion, while continuing to forge networks with other student international development groups from the across the UK.
BVDA’s students were able to share skills gained in conducting project impact evaluations and deliver a presentation about recent experiences supporting local Bristol charities through volunteering activities.
We were also thrilled to have a professional speaker sharing tips on how to find purpose and stay motivated when things don’t quite go to plan, in addition to a guest talk from the student service Nightline.
Round-table discussion
Hackathon activity Guest speakers icebreaker
volunteering workshop
Local volunteering
In 2019, BVDA students organised to volunteer with Feed the Homeless Bristol.
While BVDA’s primary activities involve working to further international development aims with our partners, empowering students to become active citizens is a key aspect of the charity’s mission.
Taking part in a Feed the Homeless walk, BVDA volunteers delivered hot meals and essentials to those who are homeless across Bristol City Centre. Not only is this an extremely important cause, but it supports practical skills development such as teamwork and time management ahead of volunteers undertaking longer term volunteering abroad.
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Volunteer Stories & skills development
BVDA launched a new ‘Volunteer stories’ section on our website. This new blog provides a platform for BVDA volunteers to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences when it comes to their volunteering with BVDA.
Having a forum where volunteers can share their own personal experiences of taking part in an international development project, their fundraising successes and the committee’s experiences of their roles will help to support BVDA’s engagement with existing and potential volunteers, as well as our long-term recruitment objectives going forward.
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Due to the pandemic, BVDA also refocused its energy into skills development, with a specific emphasis on grant writing. Through a workshop and ongoing individual support, in 2020 BVDA delivered training on grant research and bid writing, providing students with a new skill and more ways they can get involved in supporting international partners.
While this work came about due to BVDA’s usual volunteering abroad being postponed, this has been a great activity that we plan to continue. We recognise the ongoing disruption that may result from COVID-19 and the potential need to further adapt our activities in the short to medium term. Therefore, we will look to identify a broader range of workshops, talks and activities going forward that will contribute to our objectives to broaden BVDA’s appeal and reach under-represented audiences.
Governance & Committee
In 2020, the trustees and committee worked closely to respond to the challenges presented by COVID-19, with regular meetings and informal check-ins to share concerns and ideas.
With planned projects abroad unable to take place, BVDA’s strategy was adapted to focus on providing a platform for meaningful discussion on international development. Reviewing BVDA’s charitable mission and objectives, the board worked to develop a revised and more flexible plan of action for the 2019/20 academic year, allowing for the changing environment and the uncertainty around what lay ahead.
In February 2020, the trustees were delighted to welcome Katie Tomlinson to the board, with Katie leading work to make the BVDA offer increasingly engaging and inclusive.
Trustees are appointed by a resolution of existing trustees, of which there must be a minimum of three. All trustees serve for a term of two years and may be re-appointed for a further term at each Annual General Meeting.
Trustee board
Sarah Malina (Chair)
Shindy Lall (Vice-Chair, Committee Contact)
Ben Perry (Finance)
Celestine Weegenaar (Projects) Katie Tomlinson (Publicity, EDI)
The Trustee Board seeks to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the charity through diversity of skills and experience on the Trustee board. Trustees are given BVDA’s governing document upon joining the board and are subject to a 6-month trial period, throughout which they are supported through an induction process with an existing Trustee.
The trustees undertake a full risk review each year, with each trustee holding responsibility for the area of risk relevant to their role. A comprehensive risk register is maintained, following Charity Commission guidance.
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BVDA Accounts
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that neither an independent review nor an audit is required for this year under sections 144(2) and 145(1) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). Receipts and Payments
| Receipts Voluntary income Fundraising sales Deposits and grant income Payments Fundraising costs Project expenditure Administrative costs Insurance Deposits and grant payments Cash funds this year end Total Receipts Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) Transfers between funds Cash funds from last year end |
FY 2020 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | PY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds 425 4,909 - - 1,050 - |
Total 5,334 - 1,050 |
Total 11,762 - 2,680 |
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| 1,475 4,909 - - - (1,753) - (362) - - (300) - |
6,384 - (1,753) (362) - (300) |
14,764 (268) (12,969) (989) (548) (3,094) |
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| (300) (2,115) |
(2,415) | (17,867) | ||
| 1,175 2,794 |
3,969 | (3,104) | ||
| - - - 14,953 |
- 14,953 |
- 18,056 |
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| 1,175 17,747 18,922 14,953 |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
Cash funds
Net assets and liabilities
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FY 2020 FY 2019
Restricted Unrestricted
Total Total
Funds Funds
1,175 17,747 18,922 14,953
1,175 17,747 18,922 14,953
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The accounts on pages 11-12, together with the related notes on pages 13-14 were approved by the trustees on 28th April 2021 and were signed on their behalf by:
Ben Perry Sarah Malina Finance Trustee Chair 2019/20
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Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 30th September 2020
Basis of accounting
Administrative costs include the costs associated with meetings of the Trustees. Neither the trustees, nor any members of the committee, receive any payment for their involvement with the charity.
The financial statements are prepared on a ‘receipts and payments’ basis.
During the year, travel and expense costs were reimbursed to trustees and committee members totalling £362 (2019: £851).
Receipts
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
Restricted funds
Fundraising sales represent the income made from sales of charity goods.
The charity’s policy on restricted funds is to separately record donations, grants and other sources of fundraising where restrictions are imposed that are narrower than the charity’s overall objectives. Since the 2020 projects could not go ahead, certain donors requested that their donations be refunded. The £425 held as restricted funds at 30 September 2020 represents funds returned to donors in the six months following year end.
Payments
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
In addition, volunteers provide deposits to BVDA prior to fundraising. These deposits are recorded as restricted income when received and restricted payments when returned to the volunteer. Since the 2020 projects could not go ahead, £750 of deposits were held as restricted funds at 30 September 2020.
Fundraising costs represent the costs associated with the income from fundraising sales.
Project expenditure represents payments made to overseas partners to fund volunteering projects. Volunteers do not receive payments for their services.
Volunteers who do not reach their fundraising target waive their right to the deposit, so a transfer is made at year-end from restricted funds to unrestricted funds where required. Deposits still owed to volunteers at year-end but not yet repaid remain within restricted funds for one year.
Taxation
BVDA is a registered charity, and as such is entitled to certain tax exemptions including Gift Aid. At 30 September 2019 BVDA was in the process of reclaiming Gift Aid receipts relating to recent fundraising from the fundraising platforms used by our volunteers.
BVDA is not registered for VAT and accordingly, all expenditure is recorded inclusive of any VAT incurred.
Foreign currencies
Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rate incurred as part of the transaction. Bank fees incurred are recorded as direct project expenditure.
All bank accounts are held in pounds sterling.
Reserves (cash funds)
The trustees have determined that BVDA needs to retain £7,500 (2019: £7,500) in reserves to cover operational costs for one year, should we face a loss of income. Hence, BVDA continues to hold a level of reserves in excess of those likely to be required. Restricted funds are excluded from charity reserves.
One of BVDA’s current strategic objectives is to deploy our excess reserves to line with our charitable purpose.
The trustees remain satisfied that the charity’s expenses in excess of income during the year are reasonable and in line with this objective.
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Priorities Going forward
Supporting partners
In 2021 BVDA hopes to take forward projects as planned with our partners. Uncertainty around global circumstances means there is a possibility that our support may not include in-person volunteering. The committee and trustees will work together to make plans for various eventualities, with potential collaboration including remote volunteering and raising funds for partners. We will continue to maintain regular communication with our partners to understand how we can best support the lives and livelihoods of the communities they work with.
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Student engagement & longevity
Another priority for 2021 will be ensuring that BVDA’s activities are diversified. This means continuing and trialling new ideas and experiences that will attract a wide range of volunteers from a variety of backgrounds. We will evaluate our activities on a regular ongoing basis to ensure that, alongside meeting our charitable objectives, we are striving to be a charity that is inclusive and representative of all students at Bristol University.
With thanks
We truly value the relationships we have built with our project partners and were deeply saddened to have been unable to send students abroad to support some great projects this year. We are committed to resuming these project relationships as soon as we are able and in the meantime are working to provide support however we can. With thanks to our current project partners:
Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD)
Nancholi Youth Organisation (NAYO)
Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative (YEDI)
With thanks to our supporters:
With additional thanks to our individual supporters and donors who donated towards students’ fundraising efforts.
BVDA would like to acknowledge the incredible support and resilience of our student committee, volunteers and trustees through an extremely difficult year.
With agreement, many of the funds raised have been held back to fund participation in projects as soon as they are able to go ahead.
Thank you for keeping BVDA strong so that future students and communities are able to benefit from amazing international development projects.
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Bristol volunteers for development abroad (BVDA)
Registered charity no. 1173282 trustees@bvda.org.uk bvda.org.uk @bvda_bristol