Freedom4Girls UK
Charity number 1177566
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 March 2021
Freedom4Girls UK
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Trustees' report | 2 to 6 |
| Examiner's report | 7 |
| Receipts and payments account | 8 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 9 |
| Notes to the accounts | 10 to 11 |
Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accounting Service
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Freedom4Girls UK
Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2021
Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors
The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: Name Position Dates Roopen Kalirai Chair Tina Leslie Sonia Kumari Sophie Rowan Resigned December 2021 Megan Thomas Danielle Perro Appointed June 2020 Sheona Masterton Resigned December 2020
Charity number
The charity was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, number 1177566, on 16 March 2018.
Principal address Bankers 15 Roundhay View Barclays Bank UK PLC Leeds 1 Churchill Place LS8 4DX London. E14 5HP
Independent examiner
Claire Welling West Yorkshire Community Accounting Service Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
Structure, governance and management
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) formed on 16 March 2018. The constitution was amended at the Charity Commission on 18 July 2020.
Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees
The trustees of the charity are appointed by the members at the AGM.
Mission statement
The mission of Freedom4Girls is to reduce gender inequality through the reduction of period poverty.
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Freedom4Girls UK
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2021
Objectives and activities
The charity's objects
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i. To prevent and relieve period poverty anywhere in the UK and regions of East Africa, by providing or assisting in the provision of a choice of safe period products, be they environmentally-friendly, reusable or disposable. The donated products attained by means of:
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a. Donated disposable products provided through partnerships with period product developers and members of the public donations;
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b. The donation of re-usable, washable pads through production lines in Leeds, UK and regions of East Africa;
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c. The donation of re-usable, washable menstrual cups through a partnership with private, menstrual cup corporation(s).
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ii. To develop and deliver quality education programmes that tackle stigmas and taboos on menstruation, gender inequalities and in turn empowers women, men, girls, boys and communities with emotional support, physical tips on menstruation and confidence building regarding menstrual health, delivered to the identified geographical regions, as per (i).
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iii. Supporting in the wider campaign towards gender and menstrual equity, such that all who menstruate, experience menstruation with dignity and safety.
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iv. Commissioning and conducting research that plays a fundamental part in health and socio-economic impact assessments that the work Freedom4Girls conducts and in the learning of socio-economic inequality resulting from misconceptions and negative stereotypes regarding menstruation, gender stereotypes and lack of opportunity for women.
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v. Contributing in the wider campaign that advocates for the rights of women, girls and those who menstruate, as well as being at the forefront of activism that impacts and influences national policy.
The charity's main activities
1) Provision of Products:
Freedom4Girls work to support women, girls and those who menstruate with access to a choice of period products. We do this by supporting in the provision of products that are donated to us by members of the public, product providers and businesses.
We are fortunate enough to have partnerships with larger product providers, who donate a large number of products to us.
Through our formed partnerships and collaborations with community groups, third sector organisations and some statutory, we donate a combination of disposable pads, tampons and washable reusable products to those most in need.
2) Creation of Washable Reusable Pads:
As an organisation committed to tackling period poverty, supporting those in low economic situations and in reducing waste, both in the UK and our East Africa projects, we are passionate about both sewing workshops we deliver, Leeds and Mombassa, Kenya.
As well as creating the washable, reusable pads, we are proud that our volunteer led sewing workshops support in enhancing the self-esteem, confidence and in reducing social isolation of groups of women within our community.
3) The Education Workshop:
The main focus of the education workshop is to allow for young women and girls to feel confident and comfortable about their periods and their bodies. This has been a success by delivering the sessions both in youth groups and academic institutions. The feedback from the UK led work has been that those with low confidence have been better at discussing their periods and general wellbeing with trusted support staff.
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Freedom4Girls UK
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2021
Objectives and activities (continued)
The charity's main activities
Commencing in roughly August 2019 and in the period that led to the 2019 AGM, Freedom4Girls has focused significantly on supporting itself in terms of structural development, concentrating on the development of effective policies and procedures, including drafts of:
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Trustee Responsibilities, (Appendix A to the Constitution);
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Operations Team Responsibilities;
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Grievances & Complaints;
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Staff Code of Conduct;
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Forming Partnerships;
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Supervision Policy;
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Volunteers Policy;
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Communications Policy.
The organisation is also working on the development of a Business & Strategy Plan that contains priority ordered objectives.
Throughout this period, the organisation’s support from volunteers has also increased exponentially. Freedom4Girls currently has two student placements, three remote administrative support volunteers and four operational volunteers who assist with a substantial part of the organisation’s core business, specifically ensuring the effective operation of the donation station and distribution of product provision.
Public benefit statement
In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.
Achievements and performance
UK period product provision : Throughout the 2020/21 financial year, Freedom4Girls delivered over 21,200 packs of period products to those in need, via 60 organisations and community groups in the Leeds area. As a direct result of the pandemic, we modified our working practices as many of our previous product distribution outlets were temporarily closed; instead, we focussed our distribution efforts on developing partnerships with local people at grassroots level, including community leaders, to help us to supply period products to those in need. During this period we made significant progress in establishing new relationships with hard-to-reach culturally diverse communities that were suffering social isolation; for many of the beneficiaries in these communities Freedom4girls became a lifeline in terms of not only providing period products but in signposting to additional financial and societal support. Due to the significant increase in demand for period products throughout 2020/21, Freedom4Girls also encountered challenges with the supply of period products that are historically donated to the charity via public donation stations that are established in supermarkets and offices within the Leeds area; this donation model was severely affected by homeworking and a reduction in supermarket traffic. Freedom4Girls therefore reached out to several period product companies and has since established close partnerships to ensure that we were able to meet the increase in demand from our beneficiaries.
UK menstrual health education: Throughout 2020/21, Freedom4Girls developed a comprehensive menstrual health management education programme, which we have started to deliver to students within Leeds schools. Feedback from these education sessions has been overwhelmingly positive, resulting in the empowerment of young people to talk more openly about their experiences of menstruation, thereby reducing stigma surrounding the topic. Freedom4Girls now intends to continue to work alongside schools to provide further education sessions and to expand the UK education programme to engage with community groups and adult beneficiaries.
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Freedom4Girls UK
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2021
Achievements and performance (continued)
Kenya projects: Freedom4Girls has worked tirelessly for several years to provide washable period product packs and menstrual health education to thousands of schoolgirls in Kenya. Although the charity encountered access issues due to the pandemic that prevented UK representatives from visiting the country in person, we have established partnerships within Kenya that we worked with to establish COVID-secure approaches to delivering period packs and education in rural communities. Specifically, Freedom4Girls works with several seamstresses who sew the packs in Kenya; these seamstresses also produced fabric facemasks to accompany the period packs, which were distributed to smaller groups of schoolgirls during socially-distanced education sessions. Throughout the 2020/21 financial year, the charity delivered 4,134 washable period packs within 57 schools in Kenya.
Uganda projects: Freedom4Girls operates in 4 regions of Uganda, having established partners within each of these areas to make and deliver reusable period pads alongside menstrual health education. Throughout 2020/2021, the Uganda project encountered significant access challenges due to school closures and local curfews associated with the pandemic; in response to these difficulties, Freedom4Girls modified their outreach approach to work with local community groups. One of the most positive results of this approach has been the ability to engage with a broader demographic of beneficiaries, including parents, grandparents and community leaders, as well as schoolgirls. During the pandemic, we have also established local sewing workshops, whereby local people have learnt to sew reusable period pads; we are now working towards a financially sustainable model in which beneficiaries are able to market and sell their pads locally to support the objectives of the charity. Throughout the 2020/21 financial year, Freedom4Girls delivered 600 reusable pads and provided menstrual health education to 730 girls, women and boys within Uganda.
B lack Women’s Menstrual Health Project: Freedom4Girls work closely with many beneficiaries from African and Caribbean communities, both within Leeds and through our East African projects. During the 2020/21 financial year, the Black Women’s Menstrual Health project was established to shed light on the experiences of black women who seek to engage with healthcare professionals regarding menstrual and maternal health issues, and to investigate the impact of period poverty on members of BAME communities. The project provides a safe space for black women to talk about their menstruation experiences within peer participation groups; these discussions feed into evidence-based research, as well as advocacy & educational resources that will empower black women to feel informed and confident when discussing their menstrual health needs with healthcare professionals. After a successful initial research phase of the project, Freedom4Girls successfully secured funding to facilitate a series of peer-support sessions and progress the project the further meet its aims.
Sewing workshops: Freedom4Girls has run monthly sewing workshops within the UK for the past 4 years, teaching attendees to sew washable, reusable period pads. The majority of these pads are historically distributed to beneficiaries in Kenya and Uganda. Although our workshops were temporarily paused due to the pandemic, many of our volunteers continued to support our efforts by sewing at home; as a result, we have found that the development of a strong support network through these efforts has significantly reduced social isolation and anxiety arising from the pandemic.
Freedom4Girls are keen to reduce the environmental, financial and health impact of single-use, disposable period products by encouraging those who menstruate to switch over to reusable products; as part of our ‘Make the Switch’ campaign, we have successfully secured funding from two separate funders to facilitate pad-sewing workshops whereby UK-based beneficiaries are taught how to sew their own pads, alongside education of how to care for the products and their own menstrual health.
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Freedom4Girls UK
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2021
Achievements and performance (continued)
Public outreach and recognition: Freedom4Girls were nominated for a Queens award for voluntary service towards the end of 2020 and subsequently achieved this award, with special recognition for their service throughout the global pandemic.
The charity has been featured in many media reports regarding our COVID response to period poverty featuring in two BBC News reports, ITN, Sky news and articles published in local and national newspapers.
In March 2021, Freedom4Girls also published a book, ‘A Letter to my Younger Self’ in celebration of International Women’s Day and to raise funds towards tackling period poverty.
Financial review
The net receipts for the year were £39,384, including net receipts of £9,326 on unrestricted funds and net receipts of £30,058 on restricted funds, after transfers.
Reserves policy
The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets, at the year end were £28,961. The charity has no formal reserves policy.
Signed on behalf of the board of trustees on 3/1/2022
Roopen Kalirai (Trustee)
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Freedom4Girls UK
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Freedom4Girls UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation ('the CIO')
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 March 2021, which are set out on pages 8 to 11.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the CIO 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 CIO's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the CIO as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2 the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Claire Welling
7/1/2022
West Yorkshire Community Accounting Service
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
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Freedom4Girls UK
Receipts and payments account
for the year ended 31 March 2021
| Notes 2021 Unrestricted funds £ Receipts Grants and donations (2) 38,466 Fundraising - Sales 100 Other income 260 Total receipts 38,826 Payments Accounting support 691 Administrative support 4,997 Bank charges 131 Education sessions - Marketing and merchandise 1,908 Memberships - Infrastructure development 3,193 Insurance 311 IT support 85 Product provision 61 Purchases - Sewing workshops - Storage 504 UK external events 150 UK internal events 15 Volunteer travel expenses 106 Fundraising - Total payments 12,152 26,674 Transfers between funds (17,348) Net movement in funds after transfers 9,326 Fund balances brought forward 19,635 Fund balances carried forward (3) 28,961 Net receipts / (payments) |
2021 Restricted funds £ 41,379 - - - 41,379 - - - 5,371 893 - 2 - - 1,506 - 16,706 - 23 - 4,068 100 28,669 12,710 17,348 30,058 - 30,058 |
2021 Total funds £ 79,845 - 100 260 80,205 691 4,997 131 5,371 2,801 - 3,195 311 85 1,567 - 16,706 504 173 15 4,174 100 40,821 39,384 - 39,384 19,635 59,019 |
2020 Total funds £ 46,265 6,905 - 1,626 54,796 30 2,277 177 13,440 370 60 72 203 206 4,418 9 17,013 96 1,608 521 7,674 - 48,174 6,622 - 6,622 13,013 19,635 |
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Freedom4Girls UK
Statement of assets and liabilities
| as at 31 March 2021 2021 Unrestricted £ Cash funds Barclays bank 22,669 PayPal 6,292 Total cash funds 28,961 Liabilities Independent examination |
2021 Restricted £ 30,058 - 30,058 |
2021 Total £ 52,727 6,292 59,019 £ 420 420 |
2020 Total £ 18,495 1,140 19,635 |
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Approval of the accounts
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 3/1/2022
Roopen Kalirai (Trustee)
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Freedom4Girls UK
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2021
1 Accounting policies
Basis of accounting
The trustees have taken advantage of section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis.
There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year.
No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.
Taxation
As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.
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Freedom4Girls UK
Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 31 March 2021
| 2 Grants and donations Plan International UK Volition Leeds Co-op Masons LCC MICE Rentokil Initial Other donations 3 Restricted funds Balance b/f £ East Africa projects - Kenya project delivery - - Uganda project delivery - UK project delivery - Masons grant - Co-op - Volition - MICE - Rentokil Initial - - The Rainer and Doreen Burchett Charitable Foundation The Rainer and Doreen Burchett Charitable Foundation |
2021 Unrestricted funds £ - - - - - - - 38,466 38,466 Incoming £ 3,298 876 3,000 2,659 21,106 4,600 762 2,000 167 2,912 41,379 |
2021 Restricted funds £ 3,000 - 2,000 762 4,600 167 2,912 27,938 41,379 Outgoing £ 825 16,177 3,000 4,706 2,641 - - 1,170 - 150 28,669 |
2021 Total funds £ 3,000 - 2,000 762 4,600 167 2,912 66,404 79,845 Transfers £ - 15,301 - 2,047 - - - - - - 17,348 |
2020 Total funds £ 3,000 10,000 - - - - 33,265 46,265 Balance c/f £ 2,473 - - - 18,465 4,600 762 830 167 2,762 30,058 |
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Fund name
Purpose of restriction
East Africa projects Kenya project delivery The Burchett Charitable Foundation Uganda project delivery UK project delivery
Masons grant
Co-op Volition MICE
For menstrual health education and product provision For menstrual health education and product provision For the work done in Kenya
For menstrual health education and product provision For UK menstrual health education and menstrual awareness campaigns and reusable pad sewing workshops and product provision.
To fund delivery of a project designed to campaign for and create environmentally friendly period products
For sewing workshops Towards the Together Youth Leeds Positive Partnership
Towards providing continued education on period poverty, product provision and reducing stigmas around menstruation with different community groups
Rentokil Initial
For UK education
Transfers were made into these projects from the unrestricted funds of the charity
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