Accelerating Community Empowerment (ACE Projects) 1182685 Trustees Annual Report & Accounts For the Year Ending 31 December 2021 1 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 ## **Contents** |Legal & Administrative Information|3| |---|---| |Activities|5| |Achievements & Performance|13| |Financial Overview|14| |Structure, Governance & Management|16| |Independent Examiners Report|19| |Accounts|21| 2 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 ## Legal and Administrative Information Board of Trustees |Board of Trustees|| |---|---| ||| |S J D Collins|Chair (Appointed: 29/03/2019)| |L E Lopez|Treasurer (Appointed: 01/01/2020)| |A Q Parker|Secretary (Appointed: 01/01/2020)| ||| ## Executives **----- Start of picture text -----**
G M B Crawley Chief Executive Officer (Appointed: 01/01/2020)
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|G M B Crawley|Chief Executive Officer (Appointed: 01/01/2020)| |---|---| |D P Brown|Chief Operating Officer (Appointed: 01/01/2020)| |CharitySecretary|| |J A Barrett|Appointed: 01/04/2020| ## Accountants Jo Shenton J Leon & Company 32 Hampstead High Street London NW3 1JQ (+44 (0) 20 7435 7800) ## Independent Examination Julie Burling Ingenhaag LLP 39 Eastcheap London EC3M 1DT (+44 (0) 20 7626 6355) ## Charity Offices GRD Floor 90 Bartholomew Road Kentish Town London NW5 2AS Charity Registration Number 1182685 3 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 ## **Public Benefit** In accordance with Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011, the Trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit and in particular to continue maintaining its principal objects. ## **The trustees present their report and accounts for the period ended 31st December 2021** The report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) 2005 and CC16 guidance. The charity has chosen to prepare its accounts on a receipts & payments basis because it is not a company and has an income of less than £250,000, which also complies with the charity’s governing document and the Charities Act 2011. ## **Reference and administration details:** Charity name: Accelerating Community Empowerment Registration number: 1182685 Principal address: GRD Floor, 90 Bartholomew Road, London, NW5 2AS ## **Trustees** The trustees who manage the charity are named on page **4** . ## **Structure, governance and management** The charity is governed by the CIO dated **27th March 2019** . The charity obtained charitable status on 27th March 2019. Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees have to regard the skills, knowledge and experience needed to effectively administer the CIO. ## **Objectives** The Objects of the CIO are for the benefit of children and young people aged 3-18 living below the poverty line in the developing world. 4 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 1. To advance in life and relieve needs of children and young people aged between 3-18 living below the poverty line in the developing world through: - a. The provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the interests of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life; - b. Providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals; and - c. Advancing their education in particular but not exclusively by the provision of native and English language classes, geography classes and the study of art, dance, photography and media. - d. Preserving and protecting of health and mental well-being of such children and young people, experiencing emotional, behavioural and other challenges and complex needs by providing art-as-therapy programmes and family therapy sessions, that, amongst other things, promote engagement with learning and inclusion in schools and communities, for the public benefit. - e. The advancement of education for the public benefit by providing training and support for those who work with children and young people experiencing challenges in their lives. ## Activities Our main activities and services are described below. All our charitable activities focus on accelerating existing local social leaders with a lived experience, motivating and empowering both future generations and their predecessors and are undertaken to further our charitable purpose for the public benefit. ## **Growth in 2021** ACE Projects continued to make huge progress in 2021. We partnered with multiple new leaders and independent favela-based cultural artists growing each pillar of ACE significantly. 5 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 ACE also grew to a new city, Natal, accelerating our first favela-based social project, Bale da Rale. Some specific KPIs include **1. 30% rise in the number of young people (450) consistently attending ACE projects** **2. 2000+ young people physically impacted by ACE Projects in 2021** **3. 15,000+ wider young people impacted by ACE Projects in 2021 (Digital Impact Spaces)** **4. 300% growth in leaders taking up professional development opportunities (12 full day workshops)** **5. 700+ hours of one to one support from ACE Projects core team to local leaders** **6. Every ACE Projects impact space grew its number of local leaders and class offerings by 100%.** **7. 94% rise in hours of safe space (2000+ hours) for young people to coexist, learn and thrive** ACE continues to accelerate local leaders by offering opportunities and collectives for young people in the following areas: - Girls empowerment football class hosted by local leader Tamires in Vidigal favela - Tennis for children in Vidigal Favela hosted by local leaders Rogério, Leonardo & Aguinaldo - Breakdancing, Culture and Dance for children in Rocinha is hosted by local leader Rafael (aka - Bala) and local leader Leo - Girls empowerment football project hosted by local leader Gagui in Mandela - Theatre class hosted by local leader João at our flagship community centre in Rocinha favela - Surf school dedicated to working with young people from Rocinha favela hosted by local leader Carlos ## **Pillar 1: Institutional Support** ## **Programme Intro** Supporting grassroots community leaders financially has been and continues to be a core part of the deliverables at ACE Projects. The first barrier to success that our partner local leaders face is financial. ACE Projects works with projects that are not candidates for outside funding, whether it be lack of registration, supporting documentation, or lack of access, there are a multitude of reasons why our partners do not receive funding. Through monthly donations, ACE 6 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 Projects provides a base for the local leader to build on. The donation provides a sense of stability and brings sustainability to the project. As a part of the financial support, ACE Projects offers our partners monthly feedback sessions where our organization ensures that partners are delivering on their impact goals and it gives a chance for partners to have extra mentorship. ## **Graciara Silva (Gagui)** Gagui is responsible for hosting a girls' football project in Mandela. Currently, she offers 4 hours of football coaching for 60 girls in her community every week. The project, as of 2021, also has further after-school tutoring for young people attending football classes. Gagui has been an activist for over 20 years, offering women’s football training to youth in the area. She is a wonderfully strong role model to look up for young girls in the community. Football is seen as part of the Brazilian ‘machismo’ culture. Gagui is teaching the girls in her community that they can play, excel, and change the culture around football to be more inclusive and representative of everyone who loves the game. The boys may make fun of them, but they return every week because Gagui teaches them that they can stand up to sexism and have a place on the football pitch. She runs a 2-hour session twice a week for over 60 registered young people. She is an excellent addition to our team and embodies the values we hold dearly at ACE. ## **Tamires** Tamires is responsible for hosting a girls football project in Vidigal favela, but her impact space (local name: Play life) also offers mixed tennis offering a total of 10 hours of tennis and football coaching every week to 110 local children. Tamires is the head of Playlife in Vidigal. She is another strong female role model for the girls in the favela to look up to, and she makes sure they understand their worth on and off the pitch. In the lockdown, she even taught the students how to make footballs at home to keep them entertained and learning new skills! Tamires didn’t know what she wanted from life, but after participating in a football project until 18, she went to university to study Physical Education. She then founded Playlife for girls in the favela, later developing the tennis project with the help of ACE. She is a perfect role model for the girls, showing them how sport gave her a direction in life, and how she can pave that path for others. She runs three football classes weekly, clocking over 120 hours in the past 5 months for 75 young people per week. Her impact on so many young girls, encouraging them into sports they have not previously felt 7 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 they could play, is extraordinary! She also runs the tennis project, providing over 10 hours to 35 children who arrive weekly. Her ability to bring the community together through sport is inspirational, but she didn’t stop there. ## **Rafael (Bala)** Bala offers 2 hours of breakdancing weekly to 60 children from his community. Rafael is one of the original break dancers from Rio. There is a direct lineage that you can follow back to Luke BRC, the first breakdancer in Rio. Rafael was a part of his crew, learned from Luke, and is on a mission to pass his knowledge on to others. He lives and breathes his culture and just wants to pass it on. You can’t get through a conversation with Rafael without him circling back to the fact that he considers it his life mission to share his culture! ## **Tio Lino (Uncle Lino)** Our flagship collab community centre in Rocinha favela has grown considerably throughout 2020/21, now offering 20 hours of extracurricular support to 40 children in Rocinha favela. We have introduced two new classes to the community centre. We now offer a theatre class (run by dedicated local leader Joao) and one-to-one tutoring sessions to help those struggling with school work. Theatre is a great way to get young people to express themselves, move outside their comfort zone, and work as a group to make something together. Coupled with academic help, we hope these new projects aid the social and academic skills of all the young people at the centre. And judging by their enthusiasm, we think it’s working! We have 50 young people across our four classes (Breakdancing, Theatre, Tutoring and Art Therapy). We have five weekly classes, with over 20 hours of extracurriculars available. ## **Vivendo um Sonho Surf (New 2021)** Carlos, a product of a social project himself, founded Vivendo Um Sonho Surf (VUSS) in 2017. He started the project because he saw that surf culture was dying in Rocinha, and through first hand experience he knew and knows the power of surfing as a tool to keep young people away from violence. ACE Projects is honoured to be collaborating with Carlos and his ambition. In collaboration with ACE, his initiative offers surf lessons to 40 young people from Rocinha favela. 8 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 ## **The Street Flow (New 2021)** Born and raised in Complexo do Alemão, JP is not afraid to face any battle. A prominent dancer in the Rio de Janeiro Hip Hop scene, JP has competed in some of the world's most prestigious events, including Juste Debout, and even found himself on prominent television shows like the Xuxa Show. JP uses Hip Hop to teach the value of art, culture, and education through The Street Flow Project. He hopes that young people who pass through his project gain a new perspective on life, dreams for a better future, and a pathway to achieve those dreams. Currently, JP is working with 40 young people from the community. ## **Bale da Rale (New 2021)** Balé do Ralé is a community development project located in the Comunidade do Japão, Natal. The project aims to change lives through dance, lower violence in the community, and show the world that ballet is not just for more affluent families, but young people from favelas can dance too. Bale do Rale has a solid base and a vast potential to grow and solidify its impact. Their future goals are developing the project, hiring more professors, and becoming more of a community centre, offering various classes to children in the area. Through a partnership with ACE Projects, we are confident that we can help them achieve their goals, grow their impact, and help more people in the community. ## **Overview - Institutional Support by the numbers in 2021** ACE Projects is delighted to have grown its leader intake from 16 to 22 in Brazil. Boasting 8 incredible and impactful projects across 6 favelas in two cities across Brazil (Rio & Natal). Currently, ACE Projects has 450 young beneficiaries, split 45% young girls, 55% young boys, coming through our projects regularly (3-5 times weekly) but saw well over 200 children through our projects in 2021. Every month, ACE provides over 160 hours of extracurricular classes and collectives for favela-based children, moreover, it is important to note children often, if not always, spend most of their time in our impact spaces and thus, ACE provides multiple 1000’s of hours for safe space for children to grow and develop away from negative influences violent communities face. ## **Pillar 2: Professional Development** A core focus of ACE Projects activities in 2021 was launching a professional development programme in partnership with Rexona (Unilever). 9 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 The ACE Projects professional development programme is rooted in the needs of the communities where we work. The programme offers personalised/professional training for ACE Projects grassroots community leaders, helping them develop as professionals and people preparing them for success in the nonprofit market. Through interactive teaching methodologies, practical and attainable content, and valuing and incorporating the experiences and knowledge of the communities where we work, the programme helps leaders grow and sustain their impact. What differentiates the ACE Projects programme from other opportunities in the marketplace is our focus on and understanding of the people with whom we work. These are not blanket solutions. Not only is the programme designed and adaptable to where and who we are working with, but the implementation is also executed on a personal level. The workshops are in person; we then offer countless hours of one-to-one help to ensure that the leaders are learning and implementing strategies from the workshops into their program. ACE Projects does not simply offer the resources, we ensure each leader gets the most out of the programme and implements the lessons to the best of their ability. Throughout 2021, ACE Projects was proud to offer 12 workshops to 16 favela-based local leaders and more than 700 hours of one-to-one mentorship for local leaders to engage what they were learning in the professional development programme in their physical impact spaces. ## **Community Leader Day 2021** On May 5th, we celebrated national community leaders day. ACE Projects took advantage of the special date and took its leaders to lunch in one of the most popular and touristic neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro. 16 leaders were present. Many community leaders find it challenging to leave their communities and visit the city; either the lack of financial conditions or the violence present in their community prevents them from coming and going safely. Offering a day of rest, leisure and fun was a meaningful way to value our leaders and show them how much they mean to their communities and us. ## **Pillar 3: ACE Cultural Arm** The cultural arm has been a key part of our impact in Brazil and something that we expect to see similar results for in the UK. Children who enter gangs often do so because gang members are larger-than-life figures in their communities, the people with the power. Moreover, being a part of a gang means being a part of something that gives children a sense of identity and worth; it is a lifestyle rather than just a working occupation. Children must be offered the chance to be a part of something else that will give them a sense of identity and pride. Children need other idols and, just as importantly, ways to become like them. The cultural branch of the charity empowers our community leaders and their cultural identities. Helping community leaders, their projects, and cultures become a dominant part of the community hierarchy, providing strong cultural alternatives for youth. The youth then follow in the path of their role models, adopting new cultural identities, leading them to become community leaders and removing them from the cycle of urban violence. 10 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 ## **Outreach/Field Trips** Throughout 2021, ACE was proud to provide a total of 16 events and field trips to collaborating projects. From celebrating national holidays to museum trips and chances to meet favela-born Olympic athletes, we provided 100s of young people with incredible, empowering and inspiring days out. - PlayLife x Estrelas do Mandela Football Tornument - Street Flow vist to Rio Expo - Tio Lino Cultural City Tour - Playlife Culural City Tour - Tio Lino Cultural City Tour - PlayLife visit to Museu do Amanhã (Musem of Tomorrow) - Several beach trips and hikes, and more… ## **A Visit from Olympians** Street Flow and ACE Projects Local Leader JP was thrilled to introduce Olympic Gold and Silver medalist Rebeca Andrade to the project. Rebeca Andrade is a shining example of the talent and success that the favela can produce. Thank you, Rebeca, for all the inspiration you provide to the favela-based community and everyone, everywhere. Tio Lino and ACE Projects Local Leader Leo were incredibly proud to welcome future Olympian Itsa Gonçalves to the Tio Lino Breakdancing Collective. Itsa will be representing Brazil in Breakdancing at the Paris 2024 Summer Games. Again, Itsa is from a favela and is a shining example of success for all the young people attending ACE Projects. ## **PlayLife x Estrelas de Mandela Football Tournament** On February 27th, ACE Projects held its first girl’s football tournament in the Vidigal community. Estrelas do Mandela (an ACE Projects partner) from the city's north traveled to the south to play against another ACE Projects project, Playlife. Despite the obvious similarities, both being football social projects focused on young girls, the projects have very different personalities due to the difference in the culture of the two favelas. Over 26 girls played in four matches spanning over three hours. The day was filled with many fun and impactful moments. The girls integrated with another community, another “culture,” made new friends, and interacted with local leaders. After the final whistle, the girls had a fantastic lunch followed by a tour of Vidigal favela, where they took pictures of some of Rio’s most famous landmarks. Days like this show the full scope of our work, and we were incredibly proud to be standing alongside leaders Tamires and Gagui, watching them in their element, coaching and impacting the lives of young girls through football. 11 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 We’re looking forward to taking the girls from Vidigal to Manginhos shortly for another impactful experience for students and leaders alike. ## **ACE TV** In partnership with The Evans Cornish Foundation, ACE Projects is running a pilot project that leverages Brazil’s high social media consumption rates to push positive messaging onto these platforms. Currently, six months into the pilot, ACE TV takes positive role models from the Rio de Janeiro dance community, shares their stories, and offers dance workshops all online. The pilot project aims to understand how children interact with social media influencers. What type of content do they consume, and how local leaders’ messaging can be adapted to fill this area? In the long term, ACE Projects hopes that ACE TV can provide direction, role models, and purpose not just to the children that ACE has direct contact with but to children in favelas throughout Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. Key KPIs include 1. More than 15,000+ young people engaged with the channel throughput 2021 (August - December) 2. Over 160 hours watched by young people from across Brazil 3. All hosts on the channel are favela-based artists across the dance culture. ACE Projects was proud to invest in their cultures and help spread positive messaging around their impact. ## **GRUPO FAVELA** Grupo Favela, a contemporary dance group, is a project that we started this year in collaboration with a local favela resident and as a part of our cultural branch that looks to break stereotypes through dance. The group shows the true potential of the favelas and their residents. This is a long-term project with a goal that the group will perform and bring some sustainability to the charity while also creating legitimate future working opportunities for children in our programmes. ## **ACE Community Battle 2021** We hosted our inaugural Rocinha community breakdance event. Held over two days, the event showcases the very best of the favela-based dance community and also offers a wonderful opportunity for ACE Projects to collaborate on breakdance projects to show off their stuff. Last year (2020), the event saw 32 professional dancers and 45 young people from ACE collaborating projects. We also had more than 100 young people across our projects come to spectate. 12 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 This year (2021), the event was bigger and better. You can watch a video via this link. Again, hosted over two days, the event saw more than 500 favela-based young people in attendance. We had 57 favela-based dancers dance in the battle, and all collaborating ACE Projects dance projects were able to attend. The event also showcased Grupo Favela for the very first, but far from the last time. We’re looking forward to hosting an even bigger event in November 2022. ## Achievements & Performance As indicated in the above section ‘Activities’ the charity has successfully carried out thousands of hours of extracurricular support in a wide range of classes for hundreds of beneficiaries and Local Leaders. ## **Overview KPIs Revisited** - Increase 30% Number of consistent young people - Increase 300% Number of professional development opportunities for favela-based leaders - Increase 100% Number of leaders per ACE collaborating project - Increase 93.8% Number of hours of safe and brave space for young people - Increase 87.5% Number of support teachers per favela based project ## **Outcomes** We ran a series of surveys across 4 projects to demonstrate and prove the impact our collaborating local leaders are making. As a result of young people attending ACE collaborative projects: ## **Tio Lino** - 80% of young people said their relationship with leaders is excellent, very good and good. - 95% of young people said they highly valued school. - 99% of young people said they have dreams and a desire for a career. - 99% of young people said they had improved skills and talent in classes carried out in their local projects such as dance, and photography. ## **Estrelas do Mandela** - 80% of young people said their relationship with leaders is excellent, very good and good. - 94% of young people said they highly valued school. - 98% of young people said they have dreams and a desire for a career. - 99% of young people said they had improved skills and talent in classes carried out in their local projects such as football. 13 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 ## **PlayLife** - 70% of young people said their relationship with leaders is excellent, very good and good. - 94% of young people said they highly valued school. - 99% of young people said they have dreams and a desire for a career. - 99% of young people said they had improved skills and talent in classes carried out in their local projects such as football. ## **StreetFlow** - 90% of young people said their relationship with leaders is excellent, very good and good. - 98% of young people said they highly valued school. - 99% of young people said they had improved skills and talent in classes carried out in their local projects such as football. ## Financial Review The charity with the help of its board, providing sound financial management, was able to raise £176,410 and hold reserves of £161,664 for the year 2021. ## **Principle Funding Sources** Aside from the charity’s events and online fundraising, the charity has managed to secure and continue its core financial partnerships. The core partners are; J Leon & Company, Tulchan Communications, The Archie Lloyd Charitable Foundation and Albert Van den Bergh Charitable Trust. In 2021, ACE was successful in closing further core partnerships with Rexona, Swarovski Foundation and The Evans Cornish Foundation as well as a range of other smaller family foundations. ## **Reserves Policy** The Board of Directors has examined the charity’s requirements for reserves and in light of the main risks to the organisation. It has established a policy whereby the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets held by the charity should be between 6 - 8 months of expenditure. The budgeted expenditure of 2022 is £136,000, and therefore the target is £68,000 to £91,000 in general funds. The reserves are needed to meet the working capital requirements of the charity, and the trustees are confident that at this level, they would be able to continue the charity's current activities in the event of a significant drop in funding. 14 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 ## **Plans for Future Periods:** ## **Brazil** The plan is to continue our core activities as above whilst solidifying and growing a core network of local leaders and projects to continue creating impact inside their communities in Rio de Janeiro and Natal. We intend to focus more time, energy and resources on the professional development programme whilst also drawing out the Cultural Branch to be a significant focus of the charity and its ambition. ## **Expanding to London** Subsequently, ACE intends to scale its operation to London. ACE has identified multiple Local Leaders and projects working in the London area and aims to accelerate at least two local leaders throughout 2022. Much of this expansion depends on securing local funding to pilot the endeavour. Some identified projects include: ## 1. Chayses Boys Book Club A welcoming learning environment for young boys from disadvantaged backgrounds in London. The club was set up after Mel, the founder, returned from a holiday with her 9- year-old son, Chayse. Excited to tell his classmates about his time away in New York, Chayse was impacted when he found out that most of his age group hadn’t even left their local community over the course of the year. He returned home to his mum, disillusioned and disheartened. Since that trip in 2016, Mel has worked tirelessly to offer young boys in London the opportunity to explore the world outside the confines of their neighbourhoods. Mel is full of passion, energy and is wholeheartedly committed to her social initiativeand we love it! Chayses Bookclub provides books and educational resources to encourage its members to read, learn and bond with their peers in a fun and safe environment, increasing their literacy and confidence levels whilst deterring them from engaging in anti-social behaviour. Chayses book club is changing the narrative- literally! ## 2. Sports Fun 4 All A biweekly football session for young people aged 3 to 21. Born and bred in Lewisham himself, Kieran started the social project as a response to the dwindling free youth 15 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 provisions available in South London. As the pandemic took its toll in lower-income areas, Kieran introduced free school meals alongside his weekly sessions. Having worked as a youth outreach mentor for many years, Kieran is loved and respected amongst his local community. Guaranteed anyone in a 5-mile radius of the football pitch knows who he is! We love Kieran’s relentless determination to improve opportunities for young people, always putting in the work behind the scenes to keep the wheels of his social initiatives well-oiled. ## **Rebrand** ACE is excited to embark on a newfound partnership with Pearlfisher, an award-winning product design and brand agency. ACE will be rebranding to the working name SEJA and, with the help of Pearlfisher, create a brand which better represents the communities and people we work with. _In Portuguese, SEJA means ‘to be’. Our work embraces the power of local social leaders to inspire individuals and communities to be the creators of their own journey. A dynamic journey that opens up the possibilities and potential to become whoever they want to be._ ## Structure, Governance and Management ## **Governing Document** The organisation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which was incorporated on March 27th 2019. The organisation was established and is governed in accordance with its Constitution. ## **Recruitment and Appointment of The Board of Trustees** Under the requirements of the Constitution, the members of the Board are elected to serve for a period of 3 years, after which they must be re-elected at the next Annual General Meeting. All members of the Management Committee give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Due to the nature of our work, much of the charity’s work inevitably focuses on young people. The Board of Trustees seeks to ensure that the needs of this group are appropriately reflected through the diversity of the trustee body. To enhance the potential pool of trustees, the charity has advertised board positions online. The charity seeks trustees who are connected to our cause and can help push forward the 16 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 objectives stated in the CIO. The more traditional business skills are well represented on the Board of Trustees. To maintain this broad skill mix, members of the Board are requested to provide a list of their skills at the AGM for management to decipher and group for committees. ## **Trustee Induction and Training** Most trustees are already familiar with the charity, having been encouraged first to attend a two-hour meeting with Management to see the charity’s full presentation, as given to funders every year, and also read all charity documents, including but not limited to the CIO Constitution, Business Plan and Theory of Change. All new trustees must read and comment on Charity Commission’s guidance; “The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do”. A Q&A pack has also been created and distributed around the board of trustees, both new and old. All charity trustees are required to attend quarterly board meetings and an AGM. ## **Volunteers** ACE is hugely grateful for its wide array of volunteers both home and abroad for their dedicated work to help push the charity's objectives forward. ## **Risk Management** Management has reviewed the major risks to which the charity is exposed. A risk register has been established and is updated throughout the year. Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the charity's risks. Significant external risks to funding have led to the development of a strategic business plan which allows for the diversification of funding and activities. Internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for the authorisation of all transactions and projects. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with the health and safety of staff, volunteers, clients and visitors to the centre. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet the charity's needs. 17 Accelerating Community Empowerment Report & Accounts 2021 1182685 ## **Signature** _________________________________________ Name: Sam Collins Position: Chair Date: 17th September 2022 18 Accelerabng ComTnunty EFnpowertnenl RepDrt & Accounts 2021 1182885 Independent Examiners Report CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinor's Report m•mb•rs of On accounts lor the y•ar •nd•d 31 D•Mrnb•r 2021 Ch¥r5ty no 1182685 Ill anyl >18 l Terort lo ts truJ* ￿ my •xamination ol the accoimts of lh• •k>) chanty I"th6 Trust") lor the year 31 O•cwnb•r 2021 RMponolb11115•• •Trd A8 th? ¢hirty tru￿¢￿ ol lh8 Tnmi. you are respo￿11￿? lor th• w•w•li¢ b••l• tsl rèport of th• accounts In accwdanc• t•fith thè reqwements dth• Chwt*s Act I rewt in resFe¢l ol my examination of Tru8t's accwrds cJrri?d out r 145 of the 2011 Ad and m cwryir4 my •xAminal￿n, I loltsA*d th* opF4iea￿• Dif•CtKMX gN•n by th• Charty c￿￿￿1*11)n r s•clrf)n 145(Sllbl ol the Acl Indep•nd•nt I h•ve my l ewthmi th•t no matori81 mattwl hav• •x•mln•f• •t*t•mont coThry to my •ttenbon ￿th the •x•mintht￿￿ m• c*uBe lo tsel*￿ th•1 In. wy fflat￿al relrrtt. 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