Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1/04/2022 Period start date To Period end date
31\03/2023
Charity name:The Kora Trust
Charity registration number: 1181515
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | The relief of poverty and advancement of education of people living in Kafountine and the surrounding areas in the Casamance, Senegal through support and funding for projects |
| 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 |
Providing funding to organisations running projects that meet the Charity’s criteria. Occasional help in kind (eg tools, equipment) |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | This is incorporated in the Charity’s Constitution. All Trustees have signed a document confirming that they understand the requirements |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference |
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|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | The Chair of the Trust lives part of the year in Kafountine and the other Trustees are regular visitors. The Trust is therefore well integrated with the community in Kafountine and aware of its needs and aspirations. Trustees will consider support for any project that (a) supports and is consistent with the aims of the Trust and (b) originates from and/or has significant support within the local community. They will also have regard to whether a project has the potential to become self-supporting and/or whether supporting it can unlock other funding sources (e.g. other charities), so as to maximise the effectiveness and |
| sustainability of the help given. However we recognise that the lack of resources within Kafountine means that this cannot always be guaranteed and will not be a condition of funding. In practice the Trust will have limited funds available to it and a more complex and detailed application and decision-making process is not considered appropriate or proportionate at this time |
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|---|---|---|
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | n/a |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | The Charity has no paid staff. Most donor activity is financial help, although occasional donations in kind, or hands-on help with a project also take place. |
| Other |
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 | Since it was established in 2019 the Charity has supported four projects. The Youssouph Kalagan Diatta Pre- School With help from The Kora Trust, the school has built up from just a handful of children in 2010 to over 120 today. Resources are scarce and one of the ways in which guests of the Kora Workshop and supporters of the Trust have been able to support the school has been by donating simple appropriate equipment and learning resources. The community-run pre-school prepares children for entry into the local primary school. Most children only speak a local language at home and are taught first steps in French, personal hygiene and social skills. This enables them to focus their energies more effectively on learning when they enter primary school. The Trust supports the salaries of two teachers and helps build and maintain the facilities at the school, including help to |
build a new classroom as well as accommodation for the teachers. The Souda Coly Pottery Souada Coly is a potter who sustains traditional pottery skills, a trade, unusually, led by women and who also provides a very necessary product. This oncethriving pottery needed investment to maintain its viability. The Trust is helping to build a new kiln for Souda, and a simple undercover showroom where Souada can display her work and run workshops. With the above improvements, Souada has been able to increase her output and regularly supply her functional earthenware pots to local markets, as well as create new work, which can sell to passing visitors. She was one of the last in a line of potters and her skills were in danger of being lost. Her daughters couldn’t see a future in the declining business but now with a revamped set up, two of her daughters have decided to learn the traditional skills that have sustained their family for many years. Kalilu Kalilu is a women’s cooperative, using a plaiting technique to recycle cuttings from local tailors to make a strong and colourful fabric which can thern be used to make bags, clothes, etc. The Trust financed the purchase of a heavy duty sewing machine, necessary to work with the thick material. Nature Vert This is a project, developed and managed by local woodworkers to guarantee supply of wood for future generations. They have joined forces with a local farmer to pilot a tree-planting project. They aim to persuade the Marie (the local Council) to allocate land to this project but need to demonstrate its viability for this to happen. At present the pilot is being run on a beautifully tended market garden, growing a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, just outside Kafountine.
The trees are Acacia mangium , Australian black wattle, a non-native but naturalised species not considered invasive. They are unusually fast growing for a hardwood, growing to a usable size in five years. They also have the huge advantage of being termite resistant. Our funding initially was to buy 700 reusable sachets in which seeds (which are collected from around existing trees) were planted. In addition, through the work of one supporter in particular the Trust has supplied woodwork and shoemaking tools to local tradespeople With the help of residents in his home village of Bamford in Derbyshire, Philip Taylor collected together around 25kg of woodwork and shoemaking tools which have now been distributed around Kafountine. These tools are helping families to become more self sufficient and increase productivity and prosperity.
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
|---|---|---|
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | We essentially respond to local needs as our limited resources allow. We do not believe that a target-driven performance culture is appropriate for this organisation |
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | On 31/3/22 the charity’s bank balance stood at £2250.01. Income during the year was £2754 and expenditure £4027. Expenditure exceeded income largely because an accumulated balance and the promise of a large donation enabled us to fund significant building works in the pre- school. Our income from Standing Orders was £1075, which represents a stable base for our expenditure. Our one ongoing commitment is to the salaries at the pre- school, which amounted to £2979. Our balance would cover 9 months salaries, without any income, plus, in accordance with Senegalese requirements, we have lodged a sum equivalent to three months’ salaries in an account linked to the school. We therefore view the charity’s financial position as stable, with additional projects dependent on future income. Such projects, of course also offer opportunities for additional fund raising. |
|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | We do not hold separate reserves. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | The financial size of the Charity and the fact that it has no fixed costs (buildings employees etc) does not warrant holding reserves, over and above a prudent positive bank balance. |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | None with current levels of support and expenditure |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | Donations, primarily from people who have visited Kafountine, through standing orders. Occasional one-off fund-rasising events |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | n/a |
| A description of the principal | Para 1.46 | Low risk of disruption caused by political upheaval in Senegal. Low because (a) historical stability of Senegal (b) Kafountine |
| risks facing the charity | is in a quiet rural area. | |
|---|---|---|
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
Trust Deed | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | CIO whose only voting members are its Trustees |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | (a) Every charity trustee must be a natural person. (b) No individual may be appointed as a charity trustee of the CIO: •if he or sheisundertheageof16years;or •if he or she would automatically cease to hold ofce under the provisions of clause [12(1)(e)]. Of thde Constitution (c) No one is entitled to act as a charity trustee whether on appointment or on any re- appointment until he or she has expressly acknowledged, in whatever way the charity trustees decide, his or her acceptance of the ofce of charity trustee. (d) Apart from the frst charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed [for a term of [three] years] by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. (e) In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the efective administration of the CIO. |
| 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 able to appoint further Trustees |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
We regard it as essential that any Trustee
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | should have visited and be familiar with the community of Kafountine |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | The Kora Trust |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | |
| Registered charity number | 1181515 |
| Charity’s principal address | 12 Grosvenor Road, London, N10 2DS, UK |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katherine Pickering | Chair | |||
| Nigel Hamilton | Treasurer | |||
| Jack Hamilton | ||||
| Annie Menter | ||||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets n/a held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of Name Address adviser
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) Nigel Hamilton
Position (eg Secretary, Treasurer Chair, etc)
Date
23/6/24
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