2022-04-30-accounts

- Annual Report 2021 2022

Brighter Path was registered as a charity in England and Wales in May 2019 and this is our third annual report, covering the period 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022. In the past 12 months we have continued making grants to individual care leavers on the ground in Sri Lanka and we have begun making grants to organisations in Sri Lanka which support care leavers.

Our activities were severely restricted by the effects of the Covid pandemic in Sri Lanka which affected the country particularly in the months from May 2021. With the country in lockdown until September / October and rapidly increasing inflation the support that we provided to individuals was very important and made a significant difference to them.

Trustees

The trustees of Brighter Path remain Caroline de Bono, John de Bono, Patrick Marshall, Henrietta Woolf and Alice Pilcher.

Banking

Brighter Path banking remains with CAF Bank who specialise in supporting the charitable.

Funds received

In the period of 12 months to 30 April 2022 we have received cash donations £12,521.43.

Other donations

Our website and its running costs remain entirely funded by private donation from the trustees.

Funds distributed

In the period of 12 months to 30 April 2022 we have distributed a total of £6,924.77.

1

Activity

May/ June 2021

Sri Lanka went into full lockdown so many care leavers were not able to go to work or attend their vocational training courses. Many people were required to remain indoors, living in cramped and unhygienic conditions. Food was rationed.

We were asked by Generation Never Give Up (see below) to provide emergency dry food packs to care leavers who were going hungry as they had no source of income. Many care leavers are on day wages and with no work during lockdown they were not earning any money. The food packs included rice, lentils, coconut, onions, milk powder, sugar, flour, chillies, oil, tea. Many of the care leavers who received these rations had babies or young children. The funding provided was equivalent to £275.

July 2021

We received an application from C, a student at Colombo University, for monthly help of 6,000 LKR for help cover transport costs and a contribution towards his food expenses. His need for help was particularly acute because of rampant inflation. Our grant enabled him to remain at university and he has since graduated.

August/ September 2021

We received an application from Generation Never Give Up to fund a new resource centre for care leavers. GNG is an organisation founded and run by care leavers that campaigns on care leavers issues. GNG had been offered office space by SOS Villages, a long-standing care organisation, but funding was required for staff and office equipment. GNG wanted a resource centre to provide support, training and employment opportunities to care leavers and also to create a voluntary database of care leavers so that they would have better access to work and other opportunities.

2

Following a lengthy application process including several zoom interviews BP agreed to fund a full time staff member and office equipment, including a computer, which enabled GNG to get their project off the ground. The initial grant was for 570,000 LKR.

(GNG published this photo in their annual report of Caroline visiting them to discuss funding)

October to December 2021

Whilst many courses were not operating because of the lockdown we were approached by two care leavers in their early thirties who were seeking funding for professional development courses which they could not otherwise afford. Both were care leavers who had missed the opportunity for further education when they left school because of the lack of family support and the need to obtain work. A further grant was made to a care leaver to purchase a laptop which significantly increased his employment opportunities.

----- Start of picture text -----
(D ‘s new laptop)
----- End of picture text -----

January/ February 2022

We provided funding for a disabled care leaver to restart art therapy. He had suffered significant childhood abuse and had made a successful start to therapy which was interrupted by the pandemic. Therapy has been of significant benefit and has led to such an

3

improvement in this young man’s condition that we have since been able to find him employment.

We also provided funding for a care leaver who had been living in poor accommodation outside Colombo. As a result of this funding which covers basic living expenses the care leaver has been able to take up better paid employment in Colombo with professional training.

In March 2022 we paid a second tranche of funding to GNG for its resource centre of 498,000LKR. This gave GNG continued funding for their programme coordinator and office expenses as well as the option of recruiting an assistant.

(M’s employment prospects improved dramatically after we helped him move to Colombo)

March/ April 2022

In March 2022 inflation was running at 19% and by April 2022 this had increased to 30% (inflation continued to increase in May 2022). Care leavers were feeling the effects of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka because they do not have family networks to fall back on in times of difficulty. We began supporting 8 care leavers with food and living expenses

In addition we started funding a care leaver who at 18 would otherwise have been forced to leave school before completing his A-Level studies. This bright student has no other means of support and we are providing funds for accommodation, food, school expenses and transport. As a result of this support he has been able to stay at school and complete his A-Levels. This has significant increased his future opportunities.

(H is still studying for his A-Levels)

4

Conclusion

The economic and political instability in Sri Lanka continue to present challenges and in the next 12 months we look forward to expanding our support to those most in need, working directly and through partners on the ground. We will continue our fundraising efforts. In the meantime I am very grateful to the trustees for their hard work and unstinting support and to our very generous donors without whom we would not be able to operate at all.

Caroline de Bono

Oxford March 2023

5

Brighter Path

Financial Report for Year Ending 30[th] April 2022

	Total 2022		Total 2021
Incoming resources
Donations	£12,521.43		£10,981.83
Other income	£31.21		-
Gift Aid	£2,885.15		-
Bank interest	-	-
Resources Expended
Bank/ fundraising charges	£537.75		£153.50
Grants	£6,924.77		£3,446.68
Net resources
Total incoming/ outgoing	£7,975.27		£7,381.65
Total funds carried forward	£15,456.92		£7,481.65

The notes on pages 2 to 3 form part of this financial report

1

Balance Sheet as at 30[th] April 2022

	2022	2021
Cash in CAF Bank	£10,111.57	£6,654.65
Paypal balance	£5,345.35	£827
Total assets	£15,456.92	£7,481.65

2

Notes to Financial Report

1. 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.

2. Donations received: £12,521.43

3. Payment from Amazon Smile : £31.21

4. Tax recovered under Gift Aid : £2,885.15

5. Website: a trustee continues to donate the value of the hosting of the website and plug-ins to allow the website to operate[1]

6. Charitable Grants : £6,924.77

7. Governance: bank and payment platform fees were £537.75.

1. 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.

2. 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 any grants to Brighter Path in Sri Lanka.

1 Hosting costs are £50.99 per month

3