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← The Pole Pole Foundation UK

2023-09-02-accounts

The Pole Pole Foundation UK Registered Charity No. 1173386

Receipts and Payments Accounts from the Period 02/09/2022 - 01/09/2023

Section 1: Receipts and Payments

Unrestricted
funds		 Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Endowment
funds		 Endowment
funds		 Total
funds		 Total
funds		 Last year Last year Last year
to the nearest
£		 to the nearest
£		 to the nearest £ to the nearest
£		 to the nearest £
Receipts
£8,411.30 - - 8,411 £18,474.91
- £138,372 - 138,372 £6,474.64
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total(Gross
income for AR)		 8,411 138,372 - 146,783 24,950
Asset and
investment sales
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 8,411 138,372 - 146,783 24,950
Payments
£15,122 - - 15,122 £11,010.40
- £136,671 - 136,671 £8,300.00
- - - - -
**Sub total ** 15,122 136,671 - 151,793 19,310
Asset and
investment
purchases
- - - -
- - - -
**Sub total ** - - - - -
Total payments 15,122 136,671 - 151,793 19,310
Net of
receipts/(paym
ents) - 6,711 1,701 -
-		 5,010 5,639
Transfers
between funds - - - - -
Cash funds last
year end
 10,453
 - -
10,453
 4,814
Cash funds this
year end
 3,742
 1,701
 - 5,443
 10,453

Section2: Statement of Assests and Liabilities

Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Categories Details funds funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
Cash funds 3,742 1,701 -
- - -
- - -
Total cash funds 3,742 1,701 -
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
Other monetary None - - -
assets
Fund to which Cost Current value
Details asset belongs (optional) (optional)
Investment None - -
assets
Fund to which Cost Current value
Details asset belongs (optional) (optional)
Assets retained None - -
for the charity’s
own use
Fund to which Amount due When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
Liabilities None -
Signature Print Name Date of
approval
Signed by one or
two trustees on
behalf of all the
trustees		 �� � ���� �����
Julia Milburn 15/06/2024

THE POLE POLE FOUNDATION UK

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 01 SEPTEMBER 2023

Introduction

The Trustees are pleased to present their report on the activities of The Pole Pole Foundation UK (“the Charity”) for the year ended 1[st] September 2023.

Constitution

The Pole Pole Foundation UK is a charity operating as an unincorporated association under constitution dated 8[th] June 2017.

The Charity has registered with the Charity Commission under registration number 1173386 and is also registered with HMRC for Gift Aid donations from individuals who pay tax in the UK, allowing the Charity to increase the value of donations from UK taxpayers by 25%.

Objectives

The objectives of the Charity (its objects) are:

1) To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment by promoting biological diversity;

2) To advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment;

3) To promote sustainable development for the benefit of the public by:

i) the preservation, conservation and the protection of the environment and the prudent use of resources;

ii) the relief of poverty and the improvement of the conditions of life in socially and economically disadvantaged communities;

iii) the promotion of sustainable means of achieving economic growth and regeneration.

The charity will have a geographic focus for its work in the region in and around Kahuzi-Biega National Park, in the South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will carry out its activities primarily by supporting the work of The Pole Pole Foundation, which is based in the Democratic Republic of Congo and works to preserve the Kahuzi-Biega National Park and promote the sustainable development of the surrounding communities.

Sustainable development means “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Trustees

The Trustees who served at any time during the year and to the date of this report were:

Richard Milburn (Chair) Julia Milburn Nicola Jones

The appointment of the Chair is reviewed annually in accordance with the Trust Deed.

Applications for new Trustees are invited as and when required. Appointments are made having regard to the skills on the Trust body and its future needs.

Governance

During the year, the Trustees maintained a sound governance framework for the Charity including;

Activities

(i) We supported the PFWEG women’s group micro-finance scheme to help expand the provision of small loans to members of the group to develop their own enterprises to support sustainable development.

(ii) We provided further support to schooling in and around Miti. Funds were provided to pay school fees for primary school children, and we supported a computer science and coding project in the secondary school, purchasing laptops to enable students to learn key computer and coding skills, and training up students to provide further training to other schools. The project proved very popular among pupils and has helped to enhance the perception of the secondary school we support among members of the local community.

(iii) We provided funds for community tourist visits to the gorillas, expanding the popular programme which pays for members of the local community to visit the gorillas in Kahui-Biega National Park, helping to give people a greater stake in conservation.

(iv) We enabled the transfer of follow-on funds provided by the Whitely Fund for Nature (WFN) to the Pole Pole Foundation, helping to maintain the relationship and build on previous successful grant from the WFN.

(v) We enabled the transfer of the first year of three years of grant funding from the Ecological Restoration Fund (ERF) to enable the Pole Pole Foundation to purchase a much-needed 4x4 vehicle and to develop a detailed understanding of the deforestation problem and solution for restoration of the eco-corridor linking the Highland and Lowland sectors of KBNP together. The project will help to restore the eco-corridor from an over-grazed grassland back into natural forest and enable the free movement of wildlife between sectors.

(vi) We continued to fund administrative costs for the Pole Pole Foundation including an enhanced internet connection in their new offices in Bukavu and an educational trip to Nairobi for the Chief Finance Officer of the Pole Pole Foundation to develop administration, management and business skills from studies in the city.

We continue to receive regular reports from the Pole Pole Foundation and also organise regular Zoom video conference calls to discuss activities and go through reporting on projects we have funded.

Diversity statement

The Trustees recognises the value of diversity in all its forms in helping run the Charity, benefiting from a variety of different perspectives, experiences and skills in its Trustees.

At this stage in our Charity's development, we believe that knowledge of running a charity is an essential requirement of Trustees. Within the constraints of available candidates to become Trustees and having regard to the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, we seek ways of broadening the diversity of the Board, and especially as regards geography, age, gender and ethnicity.

In assessing grant applications, we will ensure that there are no explicit or implicit limitations as to the diversity of beneficiaries of the project being supported except as regards age or gender where that is a key element of the project (eg under-18s, or to increase the participation rate of an underrepresented group such as women or disabled people).

Financial review of the year

Total income was £146,783.09. Grants totalling £151,793.77 were paid during the year. There was no other expenditure.

The deficit of income over expenditure for the year was £5,010.68 which reduces our reserves.

Reserves

Our total reserves at 1[st] September 2023 are £5,443.25. As we do not currently incur any expenses, all of the monies we receive are currently used for making grants to reputable organisations working in and around Kahuzi-Biega National Park, however

consideration is being given to increasing the level of Reserves of the Charity to help with potential future deviations in funding given the challenges of operating in the DRC region.

How our activities deliver Public Benefit

All of our charitable activities focus on the provision of grant funding for the furtherance of conservation or community development activities in and around Kahui-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the public benefit. The Trustees confirm that in exercising their powers and duties they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission.

Future developments

Contact us

The Trustees can be contacted through the Administrator:

or via www.polepolefoundation.org where there is a contact form.

Approved by the Trustees on 15[th] June and signed on their behalf by:

Richard Milburn Chair of the Trustees

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 01 SEPTEMBER 2023

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 01 September 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation 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.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

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.

Fahad Suleman-Tahir ACA