2025-08-31-accounts

Kumi Community Foundation

Charity registration number: 1184935

Registered address: 2 Upsall Drive, Darlington DL3 8RB

Trustees’ Annual Report 01/09/2024 to 31/08/2025

Objectives and Activities

The purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document are:

THE RELIEF OF POVERTY, SICKNESS AND DISTRESS, THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF, IN PARTICULAR, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, DISADVANTAGED AND DISABLED CHILDREN AND ADULTS LIVING IN THE TESO REGION OF UGANDA, BY THE PROVISION OF SUPPORT, ITEMS AND FUNDS AS THE TRUSTEES SEE FIT.

The main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit are: enabling those in need to access nutrition, medical and therapeutic assessment and intervention, aids to mobility and hygiene, education, training, and income generating activities.

The Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

All Trustees are volunteers. Additional UK volunteers help with fund-raising events and craft items for sale or to distribute in Uganda. Ugandan volunteers provide local knowledge and contacts, make field visits to identify those in need, and follow their progress after intervention, as well as supporting banking and administration.

Achievements and Performance

Our founder, Elspeth Robinson, was awarded a well-deserved MBE in an investiture By Prince William at Windsor Castle in June 2025, recognising her immense personal contribution in initiating the work of the charity.

Donations from private individuals and commercial or charitable organisations make up much of the funding for KCF (75%) and Gift Aid is claimed where applicable, providing another 4%. Organisations giving generously have included St Augustine’s Parish Centre Darlington, Soroptimists International of Darlington District, Darlington Inner Wheel, Convent of Poor Clares, and Scorton Methodist Church. A range of fund-raising activities (which provided 18% of income) included sales of bric-a-brac and craft goods, Christmas wreath-making workshops, an Open Day at the founder’s home and a ceilidh. Other income came from bank interest.

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We are particularly grateful for generous donations from Farmers Overseas Action Group (for surgeries for gluteal fibrosis) and The Rope Trust (for the transport of mobility equipment into Uganda).

KCF has continued to sell Gift Cards, raising £1035 in this financial year, thus providing for Income Generating Projects (IGPs, e.g. chickens and goats to improve the status and financial security of a family affected by disability), Afripads (menstrual hygiene products so that girls don’t have to miss school every month) and aids to mobility (prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs).

KCF has produced two newsletters (circulated in print and by email) and made regular use of the website and Facebook to publicise the work. These media have proven valuable in telling the stories of individuals whose lives have been changed immeasurably by the work of KCF.

KCF volunteers in Kumi have facilitated 4 outreach clinics. Following each clinic, reports, including photographic evidence, have been submitted to Trustees so that action plans and costings can be agreed. Clinic outcomes over the year have been summarised by our team leader in Kumi as: 71 surgeries, 9 prostheses, 17 orthotic devices and other aids to promote safe mobility, one walker, 8 hand-propelled tricycles and 6 bicycles.

KCF has continued to support the work of the Nutrition Unit at Kumi Hospital. 110 patients were identified during outreach ranging from very young babies to older teenagers. As well as providing life-saving nutrition, staff aim to identifying causal factors and conditions, educate mothers re breastfeeding and weaning and support families and carers emotionally, socially, and practically in the often difficult task of bringing up a child with a disability.

During the period of this report, 2 tailoring students have completed their courses and been given a sewing machine and materials to begin in business. Another young mother of a disabled child has been enrolled on the course.

Our founder, Elspeth Robinson, visited in September 2024. She was able meet the family of the late Atom Ruth (a long-standing key volunteer in Kumi) and give thanks personally for Ruth’s valued service. Two Trustees and a supporter visited in March 2025. They worked tirelessly to iron out issues in new procedures, establish a kitchen garden for the Nutrition Unit, supply income generating projects and much else besides.

Working in partnership with PhysioNet, a charity that collects unwanted wheelchairs and other mobility equipment and refurbishes them to send abroad to those in need, KCF was able to fill a forty-foot container with more than 100 wheelchairs as well as postural chairs, walking frames and pairs of crutches. This container left England in May 2024 to travel by sea and road to Kumi, arriving in August, well in time for a distribution camp in October. The successful distribution took place between Monday 28th October and Wednesday 6th November 2024. A total of 222 clients were seen,

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101 wheelchairs were distributed, as were 13 postural chairs, 7 buggies, 12 walkers, 18 walking frames, and 53 pairs of crutches. A total of 19 prosthetic limbs were also funded.

Principal areas of expenditure in Uganda during this period (£33,785) related to hospital expenses (36%), education (21%), nutrition (9%), income generating projects (6%), and physical aids and workshop (6%). Other expenditure included client and team expenses, especially transport, so necessary when working to support those in remote areas.

Operational costs have been higher this year as they include the cost of shipping disability aids from the UK to Kumi (£8,000), and the cost of the distribution itself (£5,500) which involves transport, materials, and nutrition. Therapists and technicians fund their own air travel, accommodation, and other expenses, for which the charity commends them.

KCF continues to be reliant on a small number of dedicated volunteers ‘on the ground’ in Kumi. Kumi Hospital management continue to be very supportive of KCF, working positively to enable KCF to ‘help others to help themselves.’

Contribution made by volunteers.

Key volunteers in Uganda:

• manage the day-to-day administration of banking, finances, record-keeping and maintaining the link with the Trustees,

• liaise with Kumi Hospital staff.

• manage the educational and vocational needs of sponsored students, including enrolment, paying fees, providing requirements and transport if necessary, maintaining contact with the school Director and staff, and ensuring that students' situations are satisfactory.

• identify new individuals and families in need of assistance, conduct or arrange for assessments and report back to the Trustees for advice on future action and permission to finance the assessed need.

• Support the above individuals and families to access assistance, for example by funding transport if this is needed, and by meeting perceived immediate needs such as inadequate nutrition and medical costs.

Other Ugandan volunteers work with the above to identify new families with children with disabilities and/or malnutrition and report back with information for the key worker's assessment. In the event of a proposed outreach clinic, such families are alerted through the church, health centres, and schools.

UK volunteers

• assist with social media.

• visit Kumi with Trustees in order to experience and support the work there.

• raise funds in many different ways, including by making and selling craft items.

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Financial Review

At the end of the period, the charity carries forward £45,743. As budgets are set for quarterly expenditure based on funds already in hand, the only funds held in reserve are £8,000 to ensure the payment of school and training fees for one year. No funds are materially in deficit and there are no specific financial uncertainties about the charity as an ongoing concern at present.

The charity’s principal sources of funds are:

• one-off and regular donations from individuals on which Gift Aid is claimed where applicable,

• collections of donations in public buildings on which Gift Aid (Small Donations Scheme) is claimed where applicable,

• donations from supportive organisations,

• funds raised by the charity as well as by individuals and other organisations. through sales of gift cards, crafts, coffee mornings, sponsored events etc.

The principal risk facing the charity is reliance on a small number of committed but busy individuals in Uganda. Trustees are continuing to work to mitigate that risk in a number of ways, for example by:

• simplifying procedures and paperwork,

• providing appropriate transport and information technology,

• encouraging Ugandan volunteers to identify other local individuals who may be able to help with this work in the future.

Structure, Governance and Management

Kumi Community Foundation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, governed by a constitution. Trustees managing the charity are Elspeth Robinson (Chairperson), Lynn Fletcher (Secretary), Lynne Mosher (Treasurer), Michele Herdman, Lynne Williams, and Hannah Meeson.

Apart from the first 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.

In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.

The charity trustees will make available to each new charity trustee, on or before his or her first appointment:

• a copy of the current version of the constitution,

• a copy of the latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts.

• a copy of the Safeguarding Policy

Links with other Charities

The charity continues to work with PhysioNet, collecting mobility aids for refurbishment and shipment to Kumi for another distribution camp in Spring 2026.

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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) Position (e.g., Secretary, Chair, etc) Date
	Elspeth Robinson
	Chairperson

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KUMI COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Independent Examlners Report for the year to 31st August 2015 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the year to 31st August 2025 As the charlty's trustees, you are responslble for the prepardtlon of the accounts In accordance wtth the requlrements of the Charlt5es Art 20111"the Art") I report In respect of my examlnation of the Trust's accounts Ca￿led out under sertion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under sertion 145151 Ib) of the Art. I have completed my examlnatioll. I confirm that no material matters h￿e come to my attention In connection with the examination which glves me cause to believe that, In any material respect.. . the accountin8 records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Art,. or . the accounts did not comply with the accountin8 records; or . the accounts did not compfy with the applicable requirements concerning the form and contents of accounts set out In the Charlties {Accounts and Reports) Re8ulatlon$ 2c￿8 other than any requlrement that the accounts glve a "true and fair" view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examinatlon. I have no ¢onterns and have come a¢ross no other matters in connection with the examlnation to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understandin8 of the accounts to be reached. Danlel Hunter 30-01-2026 Daniel Hunter 38 KSeran Maxwell Lane Hei8hington Newton Aycliffe County Durham DL5 6RT

Inde dent Examination Crrteria The purpose of this dcKument is to record the review of the elwibilty of the chanty for an independent examination. Matter Consider Wh8r8 a charty's annual income is 0￿r £25.000. the trustees must also arrange for an independent person or accountancy firm to carry out erther an audit or an independent examination of their chanty's accounts. Conclusion I Th8 annual income doe5 exceed £25,000 so a review is required Independent examination is approprtate The trustees will usually be abte to choose an independent examinatton instead of an audil if your charty's gross income is.. more than £25.000. but not more than £1 million. provided that if its gross income is more than £250,000, rts gross assets (fixed assets plus current assets) are £3.26 million or less I meet the wuirem8nts of independence 'An independent person. The examiner must be independent of the charity. Independence means that the examiner must not be influenced, or could not be perceived to be influenced, by their relationships with the chanty and ts trustees. Therefore, the examiner cannot be a trustee of the charity. An examiner must also have sufficient accounting skills to carry out an independent examination. The extent of the skills required depends upon the charity's gross income and the complexty of its accounts.. I have the necessary skills required Review has been eArried out and the independent examInat￿n is deemed appropriate and I am independent and qualffied to carry out the examination.

• Overall review In carrying out my review I have referenced the following files Uganda Account 2¢2025.xls UK Income and Expenses 2024 to 2025 CURREfrTh IN PROGRESS.xls These files were reviewed as presented by the Treasury Lynn Mosher. On review I found the ana￿515 and categorization of expenses to be well carried out and could see no errors In my ￿vIeW Gift aid was chetked against the submlssions made. The exchange rate used was chan8ed from last year to 4800 from *1600 the rate adjustment appears reasonable In addltlon thls change means that a revaluatlon of openlng balances was requlred and carrfed out thls year correctly.

C- Financial Statement Review In carrying out my rewew of the financial ststements the following item5 were noticed and correrted. An error was klentified in a double tount of income received in cash and then transferred to the bank account. In addition the chance in exchange rate led to the r)eed to revalue the openlng balances for the Uganda local bank accounts. All items were discussed wlth the treasuref and corrected. As a result the flnal accounts were accurate as presented.