2025-04-05-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report

For the Period: 6[th] April 2024 to 5[th] April 2025

Charity name: Medical Education Exchange Teams UK

Charity registration number: 117569

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	Medical Education Exchange Teams (MEET UK) is a non-profit organisation that supports global health education by fostering international education partnerships. MEET UK assists in the provision of staff, equipment and services not normally provided by the statutory bodies in particular, the provision of Paediatric Surgery and Anaesthesia to children in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	The April 24 – April 25 Year November 2024 – Paediatric Surgical Trip to Can Tho Vietnam. Charity teams placed in both Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital and Can Tho Children’s Hospital. Providing urology and Hand surgery for children with congenital conditions. Reviewed 120 children, across both sites Successfully completed 32 cases, with teams operating in 2 hospital sites. To enhance sustainability, education pilot programme included. Day of interactive seminars, pre-operative teaching in review clinics and intra-operative procedure education with local teams observing and scrubbing in to assist with immediate supervision from PSD visiting team
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity	Para 1.18	The Trustees of MEET observe the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on the public benefit of charitable activities. MEET consults with

Commission on public benefit		our long-standing local colleagues, medical staff and Boards of Directors at the Hospitals in which we work and local administrative teams, for logistical and statutory requirements, take guidance from the Vietnamese Board Members of MEET- International and in-country contacts, regarding all charitable work, its scope and organisation to ensure relevance, benefit to the local people and underprivileged children and to the healthcare workers, to ensure education and sustainability. This is reviewed bi-annually by Board.

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	2023 continued one in county surgical trip This enabled direct delivery of surgical care to underprivileged children in Vietnam. Enabling correction of congenital conditions, in those, for whom, there would be no alternative access to surgery. The work of the charity and the teams volunteering to provide surgery, has a huge impact on both the individuals we assist and their wider families and communities. The corrective surgery directly improves function for the child and in turn their ability to engage in schooling, sporting and activities for daily life. This has an immediate impact and further improves their future opportunities for education and work. In addition, a measurable psychological benefit has been shown in children with these conditions, post correction. Within the communities and cultures that we work, this effect extends beyond the patient, to their families, who often have fewer opportunities and lower earning capabilities secondary to stigma and caring responsibilities. Improving the opportunities for involvement and engagement of the wider families with work and in the community and the children themselves as they grow and indeed reducing the care burden by performing these surgeries, has a marked benefit that ripples to improve the greater society within these communities and provinces.

IN 2024 there was a specific request from the local clinicians for education of families regarding urological conditions and when to seek review. Groups sessions with translators were held with parents on the ward to understand more and empower them to speak about unspoken conditions. There is hope to expand this more to work with local healthcare professionals to identify how to improve community messaging. In our volunteer service, MEET-UK, directly engages with the local healthcare teams and provides education and training. This expands to the entire patient journey and provides for improved assessment and understanding of the disease pathology, to consider appropriate management options, decision making, the surgical and anaesthetic processes and ongoing aftercare and physiotherapy as required, to aim for maximal benefit and optimal outcome from any interventions performed. By providing knowledge and education, local understanding of pathology, risk and complications,and their competancies are increased wholistically. Future charitable work looks to continue with an aim to grow a self-sustaining service at source, with direct and remote support.

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	Accounts. Debits- Donations only Credits- expenses for international surgical trip, consumables, Forex Trustees and organisers work entirely voluntarily and take no fee for work or expenses
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	All monies held go towards the provision of charitable activity education and surgery, in future years.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	N/A
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	N/A
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	None. Charitable activities resumed in November 2023, with a successful trip in 2024. The Board collected feedback from local teams and volunteers, which has been discussed with board and key team leaders. Consideration if this aims to guide ongoing expansion of work, to move forward with the expanding medical skilled workforce and changes to education possible, The demand for charitable services remains high and volunteer interest is sustained.

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Memorandum of Understanding Articles of Incorporation
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Charitable Incorporated Organisation
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	Trustees selected by Board Members of the existing MEET Charity, registered in USA, and voted into office by same. All Trustees are experienced volunteers, having been responsible for in country operations and the necessary international relations for a number of years prior to the formation of MEET UK.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51	MEET International was incorporated in Washington State USA, in 2013. MEET UK was incorporated, as a sister charity in 2018, to enable UK volunteers to operate and raise money directly. MEET UK and MEET International continue to work together for the benefit of the people and healthcare professionals of Can Tho, Vietnam. Joint Board meetings are held quarterly. In addition MEET operates in partnership with Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, who provide local expertise and information to guide, support and attain Vietnamese official approval for all MEET work.

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Medical Education Exchange Teams UK
Other name the charity uses	MEET UK
Registered charity number	117569
Charity’s principal address	Markham House 20 Broad Street Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1AH