Brighter Path Annual Report 2021 To 30.4.21
Brighter Path was registered as a charity in England and Wales in May 2019 and this is our second annual report, covering the period 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2021. In the past 12 months we have opened a bank account, started fundraising, launched our website and most importantly, begun making grants to individual care leavers on the ground in Sri Lanka.
Trustees
The trustees of Brighter Path remain Caroline de Bono, John de Bono, Patrick Marshall, Henrietta Woolf and Alice Pilcher. We held trustee meetings in June 2020, September 2020, December 2020, and February 2020.
Banking
We opened an account with CAF Bank who specialise in supporting the charitable sector in August 2020.
Funds received
In the period of 12 months to 30 April 2021 we have received cash donations £10,981.83.
Other donations
Our website and its running costs have been entirely funded by a private donation.
Funds distributed
In the period of 12 months to 30 April 2021 we have distributed a total of £3,446.68 . The exchange rate has moved in our favour over the last 12 months such that whereas previously we worked on the basis of 200RS to the £, we now work on the basis of 250RS to the £.
Organisations we work with in Sri Lanka
There are a limited number of organisations and individuals working with care leavers in Sri Lanka. It is a fundamental principle of Brighter Path that we are able to make grants to any bona fide organisation working with care leavers in Sri Lanka. We are able to make grants directly to these organisations or to individuals that they refer. We have strong relationships on the ground with the University of Colombo, Brighter Path Sri Lanka[1] , SOS Villages Sri Lanka, Child Protection Force, a number of children’s homes/ orphanages, and Generation Never Give Up[2] .
1 Brighter Path in Sri Lanka is a not for profit company, founded by Caroline de Bono to provide care and support to care leavers. Caroline and John de Bono are directors of Brighter Path in Sri Lanka and to avoid conflicts of interest they do not vote on any funding application by Brighter Path Sri Lanka.
2 Generation Never Give Up is an organisation of care leavers in Sri Lanka which campaigns and advocates for the rights of care leavers. It was founded by care leavers and is run by care leavers for care leavers. Caroline de Bono has been a member of its Advisory Board between January 2021 and December 2021.
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Conflict of interest
We have a conflict of interest policy and all grant decisions are made in accordance with this policy.
Activity
May to October 2020
- In this period we concentrated on developing our banking and other policies to enable us to open a UK bank account with CAF Bank. The account was opened in August 2020. We have registered with HMRC and are now able to claim gift aid on donations.
November 2020
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We received an application from N, a care leaver, for funding for board and accommodation. N was studying an NVQ course at the Vocational Training Authority (VTA) to become a pre-school teacher. We made an initial grant of 25,500RS (to include a 10,000 RS deposit) and thereafter committed to 15,500RS per month to pay for N’s board and lodging with a family in Colombo. This grant has enabled N to continue her studies.
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We received an application from A, a care leaver, who runs a small soup kitchen. He asked for help to pay for the deposit on a fridge so that he could store his soup and ingredients, enabling him to make his business more profitable and sustainable. We made a grant of 25,000RS.
December 2020
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We were contacted by the University of Colombo about a disabled undergraduate care leaver who was about to abandon his degree studies. He had been living in university accommodation but this was closed as a result of the pandemic and he had been sent to live nd an old people’s home. A lack of internet, no privacy or facilities for study and the general unsuitability of an old people’s home for a young man of his age were causing serious mental health issues and C was about to drop out of his degree course. The University asked whether we might be able to find a better accommodation solution for him. C made an application to Brighter Path for funds to adapt the bathroom in a house where he had been offered accommodation. A grant of 639,100RS was made in December 2020 and the works were completed on time and on budget.
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We launched our website in the week before Christmas. The website at www.brighterpathfoundation.org showcases the work of Brighter Path and as well as raising awareness of the issues facing care leavers in Sri Lanka is an important platform for fundraising. The website and hosting costs have been funded entiely by a specific donation.
January 2021
- C moved into his adapted accommodation in January 2021 and has resumed his university studies. We have since been approached by the University to consider
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assisting a second disabled student but were unable to help because this second student was not a care leaver.
February 2021
- R, an 18 year old care leaver made an application to Brighter Path for a monthly allowance of 12,000RS to cover living expenses (excluding accommodation) including food and clothes. He is waiting to start a training course in April 2021 and in the meantime is learning important life skills, including housekeeping, cooking and personal finances, all of which will give him much greater confidence as he embarks on his training.
March 2021
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N made a successful application for 12000RS to pay for three work sarees. She is at the stage of her training where she will be placed in a pre-school and without funding would not have had any suitable clothes to wear. This is the sort of ‘small but essential’ help which Brighter Path is able to provide to individual care leavers who do not have the sort of family support which would normally fund purchases such as this.
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We have started funding 4,000RS per week for art therapy and counselling for P with Vista Counselling and Training. P is a disabled care leaver who, after leaving his orphanage, returned to the countryside to the village where he was born. He was taken in by someone he knew but spent a traumatic two years of abuse. He was made to do unpaid domestic work, was not allowed to leave the house, was not properly fed and was left severely malnourished. He was in a traumatised state after he finally escaped to Colombo. His therapy is provided by an art therapist and counsellor and is overseen by a psychiatrist. The challenges for any disabled care leaver are enormous even without the experiences that P has been through but we hope that with our support he will recover and that in the long term we may be able to support him into employment.
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We made a further one-off grant of 8,000 RS to C for mobile phone data for his online classes and for the printing of online course materials.
April 2021
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As a result of the pandemic worsening in Sri Lanka all training courses have been delayed. R was due to start an IT and English course but instead is now seeking work and we are supporting him through interviews.
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C’s in-person university studies have been further delayed and he will be working remotely for the foreseeable future.
Plans for the following year
Our plan is to continue supporting individual care leavers with grants but we are also looking to work with organisations on the ground in Sri Lanka. The impact of the pandemic is likely to continue to be significant.
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Brighter Path
Financial Report for Year Ending 30[th] April 2021
| Total 2021 | Total 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming resources | ||
| Donations | £10,981.83 | - |
| Other income | - | £100 |
| Bank interest | - | - |
| Resources Expended | ||
| Bank/ fundraising charges | £153.50 | - |
| Grants | £3,446.68 | - |
| Net resources | ||
| Total incoming/ outgoing | £7,381.65 | £100 |
| Total funds carried forward | £7,481.65 | £100 |
The notes on pages 2 to 4 form part of this financial report
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Balance Sheet as at 30[th] April 2021
| 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash in CAF Bank | £6,654.65 | £100 |
| Paypal balance | £827 | £0 |
| Total assets | £7,481.65 | £100 |
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Notes to Financial Report
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Brighter Path is a CIO with annual income of less than £25,000 and therefore the accounts require approval from trustees but are not subject to independent examination. The accounts must show receipts and payments with a statement of assets and liabilities.
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Donations received:
Via website: £2,653
Other sources: £8,328.83
Tax recovered under Gift Aid: none in this accounting period[1]
In addition a trustee donated the cost of the website, plug-ins and all the hosting costs[2]
- Charitable Grants.
The following grants were made (without identifying individual recipients by name)
Care Leaver A £106.08 Care Leaver N £511.73 Care Leaver R £191.15 Care Leaver P £63.32 Care leaver C £2,621.95 Total: £3,446.68
4. Governance
Bank fees were incurred of £64
Deductions from payment platforms (Paypal and Stripe) on the website were £95.50
1 A claim for Gift Aid in respect of relevant donations in the period ending 30.4.21 has been made in the financial year ending 30.4.22 and will feature in the financial report for 2022.
2 Website value £5,700, excluding cost of hosting and plug-ins
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Trustee remuneration : No remuneration was paid or was payable for the year directly or indirectly out of the funds of the charity to any trustee. Attention is drawn to the heading ‘conflicts of interest’ below.
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Conflicts of interest : Caroline and John de Bono who are trustees of Brighter Path are also directors of Brighter Path (Sri Lanka) a not for profit company registered in Sri Lanka which provides support for care leavers in Sri Lanka. In accordance with the Charity Commission’s guidance on conflicts of interest neither trustee voted on the application by Brighter Path (Sri Lanka) for funds to adapt the Brighter Path (Sri Lanka) transition home to make it suitable for a severely disabled care leaver (see annual report).
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