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CIO Number 1179742
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The African Caribbean Centre Development Group (ACCDG) CIO Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] March 2025
The Trustees presents its report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Reference and Administrative Information
Charity Name: African Caribbean Centre Development Group CIO
Charity registration number: 1179742
Registered Office and operational address: African Caribbean Centre Maidstone Road Leicester LE2 0UA Trustees Dr M. Iwobi Mr David R Cole Mr O. G. Cole Chairperson
Our Aims and objectives
Purposes and Aims
The charity’s purposes as set out in the objects of the CIO, contained in our constitution in brief is:
- v To improve the conditions of life for the African Heritage residents in the city of Leicester by ensuring that the African Caribbean Centre (ACC) remains a focal point and a key facility for the community to access at all times.
The aims of our charity is to ensure that the African Heritage Community become the custodian and owners of the African Caribbean Centre through
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asset transfer from Leicester City Council and ensuring it becomes and remains a part of the community asset and legacy.
The focus of our work
The main objectives for the year continued to be:
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v the encouragement of African Heritage groups, organisations and individual to use the ACC and make it their home.
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v Ensuring that the ACC continues to be a vibrant centre for all communities to use.
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v a centre where the ACCDG put on activities that enrich the lives of all who participate in the activities, in particular the African Heritage community.
How our activities deliver public benefit
Our main activities deliver public benefit through education, mental health support, celebrations of the African Heritage culture and heritage, engage in and promoting community cohesion events, supporting fledgling groups in their development at the centre and so on.
Who used and benefited from our services and activities?
Our objects are to improve the conditions of life for the African Heritage residents in the city of Leicester and the same are the main beneficiaries of the services and activities that we provide. We often rely on experts to deliver our services and activities. However, our funding limits how much we can do but we aim to be efficient and effective as possible. All our services and activities start at the ACC, but some continue to other locations.
Financial Review
Against the backdrop of no funds, we work in partnership with other African Heritage organisations to achieve our aims and objective. This is a difficult arrangement, and we plan to improve on this arrangement for next year by securing our own funds. Nevertheless, the charity, with the aid of sound planning and the support of the trustees generated very positive outcome for the period with a net increase in centre users and activities and services.
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CIO Number 1179742
Principal Funding Sources
We had anticipated our main funding source would have been grants, fund raising activities and membership fees. In addition, we had expected the bar and kitchen would have been another revenue stream. This unfortunately did not happen. Asset transfer took place in 2024. The African Heritage Alliance is now in charge and managing the building. We offer support where we can.
Governing Document
The organisation is a CIO operated by its trustees and formed as outlined above. Its powers and objectives are outlined in its constitution. If the CIO is wound up, the Trustees of the CIO have no liability to contribute to its assets and no personal responsibility for settling its debts and liabilities.
Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees
Under the requirements of the Constitution the Trustees are elected to serve for a period of five years after which they must be re-elected at the next Annual General Meeting. All members of the Trustees give their time voluntarily and received no benefits from the CIO. Any expenses reclaimed from the CIO are set out in the constitution.
Trustee Induction and Training
New trustees are invited and encouraged to attend a series of short training sessions to familiarise themselves with the CIO and the context within which it operates. These are jointly led by the Chair of the Trustees and the ACC Centre manager and cover:
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v The obligations of the Trustees
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v The main documents which set out the operational framework for the CIO including the constitution
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v Resourcing and the current financial position of the CIO
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v Future plans and objectives.
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v The facilities and operation of the ACC
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v Signposted to the Charity Commission’s website to gather additional information on the roles of CIO’s and their role as Trustees.
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v New trustees are also provided with a copy of the CIO’s constitution.
No new trustees were appointed for the year.
Organisational Structure
The ACCDG has a board of Trustees consisting of a maximum of ten. All Trustees are a member of the CIO. The voting membership of the CIO is
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limited to its Trustees. However other none voting membership is also possible. The Trustees are responsible for ensuring that the CIO delivers the services and activities specified and that key performance indicators are met. This arrangement will be changed once the appropriate management staffs are in place.
Responsibilities of the Trustees Board
CIO law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the CIO as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees should follow best practice and:
v select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
v make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and v prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is not appropriate to assume that the company will continue on that basis.
The Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the CIO and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the appropriate CIO acts. The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the CIO and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
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