HOPE FOR COMMUNITIES 511 TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT 2021-2022
Charity Information
Founders and Directors of Hope for Communities
Sharo Ahmedi
Alexis Rachel Ahmedi
Trustees of Hope for Communities ( as of 31st March 2022, all acted for the en-
tire year)
David John Nunn—Chair
Vivienne Lesley Nunn
Andrew David McCullough
Sarah Anne Louise Harris
John Douglas Henry Greenway
Note: All trustees have confirmed that they have regarded the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Charity Commission Registration Number Trustee Annual Re1180747
Charity Uk address
121 Drummond RD Bermondsey London England SE16 2JY
2020/2021
Charity website
www.hopeforcommunities.com
A Summary of the Purposes of Hope for Communities as set out in our Governing Document
The prevention or relief of poverty or financial hardship anywhere in the world, but in particular Iraq, by providing or assisting in the provision of, primarily but not limited to, education, training, healthcare projects and all the necessary support designed to enable individuals to generate a sustainable in-
A Letter from Sharo and Alexis, Directors of Hope for Communities
The previous year has been an interesting and exciting year for Hope for Communities. On paper there is an obvious drop in income from the previous year, however this is mostly related to timings of major grants and a slowing down of projects and inability to connect and fundraise in person due to Covid. However we were able to continue to run all of our projects and even increase local staff numbers which has allowed us work more towards our goal of seeing hope restored to communities in which we work. With the ability to get back to connecting and meeting with people, we are pleased to say there has been a significant increase in income in the current financial year. Trustee Annual ReOne massive highlight of the year was our first major charity event held in London in September 2022. One of our trustees described it as being almost like a launch event for Hope for Communities. Although we have been registered as a charity for a number of years, we have intentionally used these early years to spend time laying good foundations, and seeking to establish healthy and successful pilot projects. However we feel that the charity is now moving onto the next stage of growth and development. We are very grateful for the many people who have supported us to reach this stage. What the charity really needs to continue to port grow and develop is an increase in the number of committed regular givers. While big one off gifts can really make a difference, and an impact in sustaining our projects, regular giving will enable us to establish long term and sustainable investment in the communities that we work in. Maybe you already support Hope for Communities, and if you do we want to say a very big thankyou for being ‘part of it.’ We would ask you to consider helping us to increase the number of people who know about our charity, we would encourage you to share 2020/2021 this report with people, so they are able to find out more about what we do, and are invited to become ‘part of it’ as well.
A Summary of the Main Activities and Achievements of Hope for Communities
Community Centre in Barika, Kurdish Region of Northern Iraq
This was Hope for Communities first project, which means that we have now been working with some of the same children and young people for almost 5 years. The Centre has really grown and developed from being just Sharo and Alexis, with Sharo registering the children at the door and Alexis
singing baby shark and playing
games with the children, to a place where we currently have 15 members of staff (as of Jan 2023) who either volunteer or work part or full time to support the running of the community centre and/or our other projects. Through our training with KnownValuedLoved (a UK charity working to support education), we have developed a full curriculum, and we now have lessons being planned and taught by teachers who have completed a Trustee Annual Retraining course with KnownValuedLoved.
Whilst we have developed our teaching standards and are seeing huge progress in the English of the children, we have stayed true to our original vision that the centre needs to be a place for children to come and have fun, to play, and to feel loved. We have rooms set up for games and crafts, and we have a library where children are able to borrow books to read at home (this for most, will be their port only access to books). We are currently excited to see the first group of students working towards being able to take an internationally recognized English Language qualification within the next couple of years. This could be life changing for these young people, as it open up opportunities for future employment and will hopefully work towards bringing lasting change to the 2020/2021 whole community.
Projects in Government Orphanages
We are grateful that we have had the opportunity to continue working in the local government orphanages in our city. Our work has mainly been focused in 3 homes this past year, the home for 0-4 year olds, the home for 5-12 year old boys and the home for 12-18 year old boys. As you can imagine the activities look very different in each home, but the heart that we go in with, to let the children know they are loved and they are valued, is the same in every home. We don’t take photos of the children as they are vulnerable and in the care system, but we will try and paint a picture of what a typical week in each of the homes may look like.
0-4 year old home: The children in this home aren’t old enough yet to attend nursery and so many never go outside of the home. This is why we aim to take the children out of the home as often as we can for trips. The most popular place for us to take them is to soft play, which as you can imagine is lots of fun, but also an opportunity for these children to leave the home and experience something outside of the four walls that they are always in. When we aren’t taking this group out for trips we are playing games, telling stories, singing songs and making crafts.
5-12 year old boys: This is the busiest of the homes we visit and can often feel the most chaotic. What is great about this home is the huge changes and improvements we have seen in the 2 years since we have been going in. Initially the boys wouldn’t have all been able to engage in a game together without fighting, they wouldn’t have all been able to sit and listen to a story, or complete a craft, which are activities that Trustee Annual Rewe now do regularly. This is definitely one of our most challenging projects, but the children are excited to see our team each week, and we love that they are getting the opportunity to play and have fun.
12-18 year old boys: One of the main positives that has come out of our time in this home is the trust that we have been able to build with these boys and young men. Due to many years of trauma and various challenges they sadly have reached a point in life port where they have lost trust in adults, and they have learnt not to rely on others. This meant that at the start of us going into this home, many didn’t want to engage. However the consistency of our team going into the home every week has made a huge difference in the relationships we have been able to build. We also try to give the boys an opportunity to suggest activities, which they have done e.g. going out to play snooker. We recently were able to take them swimming and teach them to swim 2020/2021 which they requested and had never before been given the opportunity to do.
Exciting Future Projects– A Community Hub/Coffee Shop in Slemani!
In last years report we mentioned that we had been exploring how Hope for Communities could potentially support some of the children and young people who we had been working with in the 12-18 year old orphanage; who at 18 would find themselves without a home or employment. As most of them won’t have completed education, or have the family/community connections which can be so important in this culture to find employment, these young men often find themselves unemployed and homeless. Due to traumatic life experiences and limited opportunities too many will also sadly end up in the prison system. For some time as a charity we have been exploring how best we can respond to this heart-breaking situation.
We are pleased to share that we have received the funding to open a community hub in our city in 2023. We will serve coffee and snacks and so will be able to provide employment and training for the young men who are in such need. We hope this emTrustee Annual Reployment and training will be a stepping stone to enabling them to find other employment in the city. We also will simultaneously provide a mentorship programme for these young boys and men. It will be with our staff who have been working with them for the past 2 years and so have already built up a trusting relationship. The aim will be to help these young men to stay port in education where possible, and to avoid activities and situations which make them more likely to end up in prison. We hope to be able to provide them with life skills training to be able to support them to work and live independently. 2020/2021
Staff Training and Development
It has always been a priority of Hope for Communities to not only invest in communities through projects, but also invest in the development and training of a team of local staff, which is another way of bringing hope into communities. It also has the huge benefit of meaning the people who are benefitting from our projects are also been looked after by an excellent team of staff..
As well as our usual annual training e.g. safeguarding, first aid etc, Hope for Communities have hugely benefitted this year from training and support provided by a UK registered charity called KnownValuedLoved. KnownValuedLoved seek to advance education is communities such as ours, and have supported us with excellent teacher training courses and follow up support in implementing and developing our educational programmes. We can see the huge impact that this training and support has made to our staff and therefore to the children Trustee Annual Reand young people that we work with. port
Contribution made by Volunteers
Hope for Communities had four members of staff from the UK volunteering for the charity throughout this time period; Sharo Ahmedi, Alexis Ahmedi, Joanna Martin and Hannah Townhill. The charity is thankful for their contribution. 2020/2021
A Trustee visitors report
Andrew McCullough one of our trustees was able to visit our projects between the 9th and 16th of March 2022. Here are some excerpts from his report…
‘Orphanage Trip to the Zoo
We took a group of very young children (3-4 years old) from one of the orphanages to the zoo. These children almost never go out, because of a lack of funding and no transportation. One young boy had difficulty walking unaided, and when I enquired, I was told that he was unaccustomed to walking as he has never worn shoes before and has never been out of the Home. We were able to support the home as we were able to access a minibus and offer the support of extra staff. As the weather improves and Covid restrictions lift, it is expected that more of these trips will be able to be offered.’
‘Nawroz end-of-term celebration at the community centre
One of the highlights of the visit was the opportunity to participate in the end-of-term celebration and award ceremony at the community centre in the camp. Since my last visit 3 years ago, the centre has developed dramatically, with colourful paint, more rooms brought into use, the library looking well-supplied and well-loved, and generally more evidence of care, use, and community. Large numbers of children attended the morning and afternoon prizegiving ceremonies, including several parents, which is a really positive development in building bridges into families in the camp. There was food, the giving of certificates, a video celebrating the childrens’ accomplishments, and Kurdish dancing. Everyone was invited to wear traditional Kurdish dress, resulting in a very colourful occasion. Trustee Annual ReI spoke to three teenage young women with excellent English who told me they want to study medicine to be doctors “like Alexis.” If poverty is powerlessness and lack of agency, these young women have been empowered with hope that is tangible and within reach.’
‘The Staff Team
One of the most impressive things observable on this visit was the quality of the staff team that has been built. They are an excellent team of bright, young people with initiative, shared port values, and a genuine concern for the children with whom they are working. I sense this is an outstanding achievement of the charity to date, the equipping and building together of such a quality team of people. Visiting the home of some of the staff and talking to their parents, it was possible to see the high levels of trust and respect that Sharo and Alexis have been able to engender. One staff members father told me that he is very proud that his son is working for Hope for Communities, and sees this as a respectable and worthy employment – 2020/2021 high praise indeed.’
Financial Review
Hope for Communities is very grateful to all of its supporters who have so generously helped us in being able to continue with all of our projects.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held: The trustees have agreed to hold three months of the charities running cost in reserve. This is to enable projects to continue in the event of a drop in income.
Amount of reserves held at end of financial year: £13,612
This was more than the needed 3 months running costs (as of March 2022), however at present our projects are constantly developing and we are starting new projects and so these additional reserves help us in being able to confidently start new projects.
| 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 goingconcern |
Para 1.23 | n/a |
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity n/a Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets n/a are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation n/a of such assets from the charity’s own assets
HOPE FOR COMMUNITIES Structure, Governance and Management Description of charity's Irusls. Type of goveming docurnenl trust deed, ro al charter How is the charity conslilul- ed? le.g. unincorporated associa- lion, CIO Trustee selection methods including details ol any con- slilulional provisions e.g. election lo post or name of any peison or body enlilled lo app01nl one or more trus- lees Para 1.25 Cc>nslilulion Para 1.25 Charitable Incorporated Organisalion ICIOI Para 1.25 According lo the constilulion. Apart from the first charity Iruslees, every Iruslee musl be appoint- ed Ifor a term of three yearsl by a resolution passed al a properly convened meeting of the charity Iruslees. In selecting individuals for appoint- ment as charity Iruslees, the charity Iruslees musl have re- gard lo the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effectwe adminislralion of the cio. Declarations The trustees declare that they hav8 approved the trustees, report above, Signed on behalf of the charity's Iruslees Signature Full Name SftOAH mlot Hftl05 Position Date Iqli Igg
Charity Name No (if any) Hope for Communities 1180747
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 1/4/2021 31/03/22
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Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
One-off donations from individuals 3,440 - - 3,440 2,355
Regular invoiced donations from
individuals 2,530 - - 2,530 1,735
Donations from buinesses/organisations 1,460 7,400 - 8,860 25,500
Fundraising events 1,304 - - 1,304 2,477
Everyclick LTD - - - - 56
Give as you live 16 - - 16 -
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 8,749 ] 7,400 - 16,149 32,123
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 8,749 7,400 - 16,149 32,123
A3 Payments
Staff 6,979 7,400 - 14,379 12,904
Rent 945 - - 945 1,761
Petrol 506 - - 506 526
Food distributions - - - 4,671
Staff training - - - - 104
Refreshments/masks/sanitisers 276 - - 276 225
Printing/books/stationary/translation 485 - - 485 278
Plumbing/repairs/centre equipment 769 769 112
Banking charges kurdistan 22 22 3
Heating/electricity 172 172 14
Vehicle maintanance 37 37
sports/art equipment/resources 284 284 261
website design and maintanance 370 370 365
communications 68 68 732
charity administration kurdistan 7 7 745
charity administration UK 33 1 33 33
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
1/29/2023
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Travel/Trips and outings 31 31 2
Charge for money transfers 440 440 98
Stripe Fees 108 108 90
Project Payments to Kurdistan Yet to Be
Deployed (Cash & Bank) - 1,663
-
-
- - - - -
Sub total [ 11,532 ] 7,400 - 18,932 24,587
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments [ 11,532 ] 7,400 - 18,932 24,587
Net of receipts/(payments) - 2,783 - - - 2,783 7,536
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 16,395 - - 16,395 -
Cash funds this year end 13,612 - - 13,612 7,536
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CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
1/29/2023
2
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) UK bank account Details Details 3 |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 13,612 - 13,612 OK Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - OK Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||
| OK | ||||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - - - |
CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
1/29/2023
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
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- -
- -
Fund to which Amount due When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Date of
Signature Print Name
approval
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CCXX R4 accounts (SS)
1/29/2023
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