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← The Pole Pole Foundation UK

2025-08-31-accounts

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
£4,876.00 - - 4,876 £8,172.00
- £219,900 - 219,900 £12,900.00
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total(Gross income for AR) 4,876 219,900 - 224,776 21,072
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 4,876 219,900 -
224,776		 21,072
A3 Payments
£8,396 - - 8,396 £1,714.00
- £174,692 - 174,692 £12,405.00
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total 8,396 174,692 - 183,088 14,119

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)

-
 -
 -
-
-
 -
 -
-
Sub total
-
 -
 -
-
 -
Total payments 8,396
 174,692
 -
 183,088
 14,119
Net of receipts/(payments) - 3,520
 45,208
 -
 41,688
 6,953
A5 Transfers between funds -
 -
 -
-
 -
A6 Cash funds last year end 10,200
 2,196
 -
12,396
 5,443
Cash funds this year end 6,680
 47,404
 -
 54,084
 12,396
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Categories Details funds funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds 6,680 47,404 -
- - -
- - -
Total cash funds 6,680 47,404 -
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets None - - -
Details Fund to which
asset belongs		 Cost (optional) Current value
(optional)
B3 Investment assets None - -
Details Fund to which
asset belongs		 Cost (optional) Current value
(optional)
B4 Assets retained for the None - -
charity’s own use
Fund to which Amount due When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
B5 Liabilities None -
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees		 Signature Print Name Date of
approval
SIGN Richard Milburn 28th April 2026

THE POLE POLE FOUNDATION UK

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Introduction

The Trustees are pleased to present their report on the activities of The Pole Pole Foundation UK (“the Charity”) for the year ended 31[st] August 2025.

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 enabled the transfer of a further two years of the Ecological Restoration Fund’s (ERF) eco-corridor reforesting project funding. 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.

(ii) We enabled the transfer of funding from Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) to enable Eddy Kahekwa, POPOF DRC operations manager, to visit South African tourist sites and learn about how they operate to enhance the POPOF tourist provision, and also provided support to help Eddy Kahekwa continue his MBA studies, which is significantly increasing the capacity of POPOF to develop its strategy, administration and reporting capability and quality.

(iii) We enabled the transfer of funds for the STEM and Science Lab tech training in school, supported again by Atul Pant, who provides the training to multiple charities around the world.

(iv) We enabled the transfer of funds from Rufford Small Grants to support a project by a trusted POPOF partner researcher, helping to build work and capacity beyond POPOF itself and enabling access to important overseas funding for the project.

(v) We continued to fund administrative costs for the Pole Pole Foundation, including transfers to provide funds during the advance of the M23 rebels into Bukavu in early 2025, vital support to the team in the DRC who all heroically stayed in post despite the risks they faced.

(vi) We enabled the transfer of funds from Wild Frontiers to support a fuel-efficient stoves project, helping to reduce demand for charcoal that leads to deforestation in the Park.

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

Diversity statement

The Trustees recognise 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 £224,776. Grants totalling £183,088 were paid during the year. There was no other expenditure.

The surplus for the year was £41,688, which has been added to our reserves; £40,000 has been agreed with ERF to be retained as an emergency fund to help the charity deal with potential shortfalls in future.

Reserves

Our total reserves at 31[st] August 2023 are £54,084. 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 in agreement with ERF we have increased 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

The Trustees intend to concentrate on the following activities;

Contact us

The Trustees can be contacted through the Administrator:

Richard Milburn

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

Approved by the Trustees on 28[th] April and signed on their behalf by:

Richard Milburn Chair of the Trustees

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 01 SEPTEMBER 2025

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 August 2025.

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