## Freedom4Girls UK
Charity number 1177566
## Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 March 2022
Freedom4Girls UK
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees' report|2 to 5|
|Examiner's report|6|
|Receipts and payments account|7|
|Statement of assets and liabilities|8|
|Notes to the accounts|9 to 11|
## **Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
1
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2022
## **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**
**Position Dates** Roopen Kalirai Chair Resigned 26th April 2022 Bettina Leslie Sonia Kumari Resigned 26th April 2022 Megan Thomas Resigned 26th April 2022 Danielle Perro Resigned 26th April 2022 Mike McAughtrie Chair Appointed 25 January 2022 Louisa Jane Braunholtz-Speight Appointed 12 December 2022 Chebet Chesaina Appointed 12 December 2022 1177566
**Charity number**
Registered in England and Wales
## **Registered and principal address**
**Registered and principal address Bankers** 15 Roundhay View Barclays Bank UK PLC Leeds 1 Churchill Place LS8 4DX London. E14 5HP
## **Independent examiner**
Sarah Coates MAAT **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO** 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.
2
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2022
## **Objectives and activities**
## **The charity's objects**
- i. The prevention or relief of poverty among women and girls anywhere in the uk and worldwide by providing and assisting in the provision of sanitary products such as sustainable, washable reusable pads, mooncups or disposables where they are needed.
- a. Donated disposable products provided through partnerships with period product developers and members of the public donations;
- b. The donation of re-usable, washable pads through production lines in Leeds, UK and regions of East Africa;
- c. The donation of re-usable, washable menstrual cups through a partnership with private, menstrual cup corporation(s).
- ii. The advancement of education in the UK and worldwide in the subject of menstruation and sanitary protection and to promote research into the economic, social and environmental impacts of period poverty in the UK and worldwide and to make results of this research available to the public. For the purposes of this clause “period poverty” means a lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints
- iii. Supporting in the wider campaign towards gender and menstrual equity, such that all who menstruate, experience menstruation with dignity and safety.
- 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.
- 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 numbers 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 Mombasa, 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.
3
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2022
## **Objectives and activities (continued)**
## **The charity's main activities**
Commencing in roughly August 2021 and in the period that led to the 2021 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:
- Trustee Responsibilities, (Appendix A to the Constitution);
- Operations Team Responsibilities;
- Grievances & Complaints;
- Staff Code of Conduct;
- Forming Partnerships;
- Supervision Policy;
- Volunteers Policy;
- 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**
We have continued to deliver the core activities of the charity and developed our aims of addressing period and hygiene poverty via education and provision of materials.
**Period Product Provision** - demand for these has risen across the range of community partners in Leeds and Sheffield (where we have one donation station) - particularly during the cost of living crisis which has increased demand amongst agencies we’ve worked for previously and requests for new ones. We continue to partner with Initial Rentokil, who support us with period product provision and towards our education work. We have donation stations at Tesco supermarkets and receive donations from other companies and individuals to help with this which is a growing problem due to the cost of living crisis. We have worked with our partners in Leeds to source and supply the poorest communities with food and other goods as and when possible. We provided 10,000 pieces of uniform from a warehouse in West Yorkshire and distributed it va Leeds Council to local families. These supplementary activities have been made possible by the links we have forged with our local partners and in response to community need.
**UK Menstrual Health education** - we continue to develop and deliver education around menstruation and related health and social matters via our dedicated team. We are working to expand the geographical scope of the project and to ensure that it is relevant to all including groups with protected characteristics. This strand of work is vital as there is a gap in mainstream education (and beyond) about the subject. We will be focusing on this in greater detail this year.
**Kenya project-** As travel becomes easier we have visited Kenya and provided education sessions with relevant resources to large groups of school age girls in the country. We have continued to promote and demonstrate the use of reusable pads and provided education about sexual health. This is a key function of Freedom 4 Girls and will continue to be as we move forward.
4
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2022
## **Achievements and performance (continued)**
**Uganda project** - we continue to have links with Uganda and our project worker is due to visit in July 2022 to oversee more work. As well as this we have received funding to develop a Black Womens menstrual health project - the results of which are due to be exhibited at the Vagina Museum in London in September. As one of our valued partners we held an exhibition with the Vagina museum at Thackray Medical museum highlighting local art about menstruation.
**Public Outreach and recognition** - We were delighted to receive the Queens award for voluntary service this year. There was stiff competition but the volume of support our key workers received from partners during the assessment process - from across the UK and the world was magnificent.
This charity has grown from small beginnings to have the potential to grow larger and help more people in the UK and beyond. The work done by the staff is highly impressive and we want to maximise the impact that we have in a time of great financial difficulty for many.
We have continued to speak to a variety of media outlets across the year and have been invited to speak at the Global Period Poverty Forum. We’ve also been asked to be part of the BSI standards committee for period products.
We are in the process of reviewing our governance arrangements and ensuring that they are as beneficial as possible for the smooth running of the operation and to provide support to our valued staff. This includes a commitment to diversity and equality in everything that we do.
We are also working to improve our website and social media offering as well as developing an overall strategic plan for the next five years. We have appointed a volunteer co-ordinator to ensure our wonderful volunteers are supported and allocated relevant tasks whilst developing their skills and contributing to the charity with a wide variety of skills and experience.
## **Financial review**
The net receipts for the year were £14,127, including net payments of £7,121 on unrestricted funds and net receipts of £21,248 on restricted funds, after transfers.
## **Reserves policy**
The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets, at the year end were £21,840. The charity has no formal reserves policy.
Approved by the board of trustees on 29/01/2023
Bettina Leslie (Trustee)
5
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Freedom4Girls UK
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 March 2022, which are set out on pages 7 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.
Sarah Coates MAAT
30/01/2023
## **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
6
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 March 2022
|Notes
2022
Unrestricted
funds
£
**Receipts**
Grants and donations
(2)
35,362
Sales
1,092
Other income
5,391
**Total receipts**
41,845
**Payments**
Accounting support
1,596
Independent examination fee
660
Administrative support
7,541
Bank charges
444
Education sessions
-
Marketing and merchandise
4,837
Infrastructure development
8,445
Insurance
436
IT support
828
Product provision
-
Sewing workshops
-
Storage
-
UK external events
-
UK internal events
-
Volunteer travel expenses
85
Subscriptions
182
Sundries
370
Fundraising
383
**Total payments**
25,807
**Net income / (expenditure)**
16,038
Transfers between funds
(23,159)
**Net movement in funds**
(7,121)
**Fund balances brought forward**
28,961
**Fund balances carried forward**
(3)
21,840|2022
Restricted
funds
£
50,881
100
-
50,981
-
-
-
30
9,905
274
200
-
270
5,605
33,301
-
-
-
2,742
-
385
180
52,892
(1,911)
23,159
21,248
30,058
51,306|2022
Total
funds
£
86,243
1,192
5,391
92,826
1,596
660
7,541
474
9,905
5,111
8,645
436
1,098
5,605
33,301
-
-
-
2,827
182
755
563
78,699
14,127
-
14,127
59,019
73,146|2021
Total
funds
£
79,845
100
260
80,205
271
420
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|
|---|---|---|---|
7
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Statement of assets and liabilities
|as at 31 March 2022
2022
Unrestricted
£
**Cash funds**
Bank account
16,902
PayPal
4,938
**Total cash funds**
21,840
**Liabilities**
Independent examination|2022
Restricted
£
51,306
-
51,306|2022
Total
£
68,208
4,938
73,146
£
660
660|2021
Total
£
52,727
6,292
59,019|
|---|---|---|---|
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 29/01/2023
Bettina Leslie (Trustee)
8
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 31 March 2022
## **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.
|**2 Grants and donations**
Volition Leeds
Co-op
Masons
Leeds City Council (LCC) MICE
Rentokil Initial
Royal Society of RSA
Edith Maud Ellis Trust fund
St James Place
National Survivor User Network
Hey Neighbour Grant
Awards For All
Hey Girls UK funding
NHS Leeds CCG
Other donations
The Rainer and Doreen Burchett Charitable
Foundation|2022
Unrestricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
35,362
35,362|2022
Restricted
funds
£
3,000
-
1,946
-
300
-
9,000
2,500
2,500
500
2,430
9,993
4,920
500
13,292
50,881|2022
Total
funds
£
3,000
-
1,946
-
300
-
9,000
2,500
2,500
500
2,430
9,993
4,920
500
48,654
86,243|2021
Total
funds
£
3,000
2,000
762
4,600
167
2,912
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
66,404
79,845|
|---|---|---|---|---|
9
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 March 2022
|**3 Restricted funds**
Balance b/f
£
East Africa Projects
348
Kenya Project Delivery
-
Rainer Foundation
-
Royal Society of RSA
-
Uganda Project Delivery
-
2,125
Edith Maud Trust
-
St James Place
-
UK Project Delivery
4,965
Black Women's Menstrual Health
-
National Survivor User Network
-
Hey Neighbour
-
Awards For All
-
Make The Switch
-
Co-op Community Fund
762
Hey Girls
-
Masons
4,600
LCC MICE
167
UK Education
-
Rentokil Initial
2,762
Volition
830
UK Product Provision
-
Leeds City Council
13,500
Unite Bradford
-
NHS CCG
-
30,058
Corporate Social
Responsibility Uganda|Receipts
£
1,919
2,206
3,000
9,000
21
-
2,500
2,500
608
-
500
2,430
9,993
186
1,946
4,920
-
300
565
5,597
-
2,000
-
270
520
50,981|Payments
£
1,117
17,765
3,000
7,531
4,795
1,608
920
30
344
539
500
-
7,481
196
-
315
103
167
9
2,414
830
385
2,150
180
514
52,892|Transfers
£
(1,150)
15,559
-
4,900
-
-
-
-
600
-
-
-
1,000
-
-
-
-
2,000
-
-
250
-
-
-
23,159|Balance c/f
£
-
-
-
1,469
126
517
1,580
2,470
5,229
61
-
2,430
2,512
990
2,708
4,605
4,497
300
2,556
5,945
-
1,865
11,350
90
6
51,306|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## **Fund name**
East Africa Projects
Kenya Project Delivery
Rainer Foundation Royal Society of RSA Uganda Project Delivery
Corporate Social Responsibility Uganda Edith Maud Trust St James Place UK Project Delivery
## **Purpose of restriction**
For menstrual health education and product provision. The transfer was to support other East Africa projects.
For menstrual health education and product provision. The transfer was from unrestricted funds to support project costs.
For menstrual health education and product provision in Kenya. Upscaling the provision of reusable period packs in Kilifi, Kenya. For menstrual health education and product provision. The transfer was from unrestricted funds to support project delivery. For menstrual health education and product provision.
Period pad sewing workshops in Uganda. For Sewing workshops.
For UK menstrual health education and menstrual awareness campaigns and reusable pad sewing workshops and product provision.
10
## Freedom4Girls UK
## Notes to the accounts continued for the year ended 31 March 2022
## **3 Restricted funds continued**
## **Fund name**
Black Women's Menstrual Health National Survivor User Network Hey Neighbour Awards for all
Make the switch Co-op community fund
Hey Girls
Masons LCC MICE
UK Education Rentokil Initial Volition
UK Product Provision
Leeds City Council Unite Bradford NHS CCG
## **Purpose of restriction**
Towards the Black Women’s Menstrual Health Project. The transfer was from unrestricted funds to support project costs.
Towards the Black Women’s Menstrual Health Project. Towards community sew-a-pad workshops. Towards community sewing workshops in Leeds. Make the Switch Campaign work to encourage the use of reusable period products. The transfer was from unrestricted funds to support project costs. For sewing workshops Make the Switch Campaign work to encourage the use of reusable period products
To fund delivery of a project designed to campaign for and create environmentally friendly period products Towards general organisational work Make the Switch Campaign work to encourage the use of reusable period products. The transfer was from unrestricted funds to support project costs. For UK education Towards the Together Youth Leeds Positive Partnership For UK menstrual health education and menstrual awareness campaigns and reusable pad sewing workshops and product provision. The transfer was from unrestricted funds to support project costs.
For UK menstrual health education and menstrual awareness campaigns and reusable pad sewing workshops and product provision. Product provision in Bradford Assembly and distribution of well-being packs within Leeds
## **4 Related party transactions**
## **Trustee expenses**
No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.
## **Trustee remuneration and benefits**
No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.
11