Friends of Khasdobir, Bangladesh Charity Number 1185262 FRIEND&> OF 5th Annual Report and Accounts To 31st March 2025 KHASDOBIR Patrons: The Rt. Hon the Baroness Morgan of Cotes., Rt. Hon Sir Kevin Barron Trustees Ms Sue Simmons Mr Mike Sherriff (Chair) Mrs Doreen Watson Mrs Moyra Blake (Secretary) Mr Philip Watson (Treasurer) Ms Maureen Haddock Mr John Cowpe Mrs Kathleen Jackson Bankers.. Barclays. Independent Examiner. Rachel Thorpe Web site: www.khasdobir.o History and Objectives Friends of Khasdobir has operated as a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation since 1st April 2020. Previously we were a registered charitable association and prior to that operated as part of Toc H under the name Toc H Friends of Khasdobir. The objects of Friends of Khasdobir, Bangladesh are.. To advance the education of children, young people and adults in Bangladesh, in particular by supporting the work of the Khasdobir Education, Welfare and Development Project to provide and assist in the provision of facilities for education in the area currently known as Sylhet The relief of financial hardship amongst people living in Bangladesh, in particular by supporting the work of the Khasdobir Education, Welfare and Development Project to make grants of money and provide goods, services or facilities for the relief of the poor living in the aa CurntIY known as Sylhet To advance the education of the public in England and Wales in the subject of development in Bangladesh Structure, Governance and Management The Charity is governed by a constitution adopted at a General Meeting held on June 29th 2019. Trustees, most of whom have visited the project we support in Bangladesh, are appointed by existing trustees to serve a period of 3 years. There must be between 3 and 12 trustees. Review of the Year Friends of Khasdobir supports the educational and welfare work begun by Peter East and Harun Ahmed in Sylhet, Bangladesh. over 40 years ago. Since 1st July 2018 the Friends have supported the Sylhet Jubo Academy ISJA), local non-government organisation based in Sylhet, to deliver the project. This is the final year of a three-year commitment we have made to SJA to deliver the project up to July 2025. This year we made a further commitment for two years to July 2027. During the year we continued to support 12 pre-primary centres 7 on the tea gardens and 5 serving the slum areas. 8 Continued on page 2
Continz4edfrompage I tournament with over 100 local teams taking part was organised to raise funds in Sylhet. of the ntreS are in purpose-built shelters constructed by the project. The remainder are in rented premises. They provide education for 385 4-6-year- olds. In January 2025 56 children from our pre-primary centres transferred to primary school. Each centre had a farewell party and presented certificates to the children leaving. Our UK fundraising this year has included a virtual legacy trek visiting the shelters that we have constructed in Sylhet, a virtual Christmas puppet show, fundraising meals, a garden party and Santa fun run. Several organisations have made donations including Rotary and Churches. We are extremely grateful to everybody who has organised fundraising events and to everybody who makes regular or one-off donations. Our on-line fundraising platform is: htt s'.Ilwww. eo lesfundraisin .comldon ationlfriends-of-khasdobir We rely on these donations and fundraising events to raise the money to continue to support the project. The project provides training in sewing, block-batik and hand embroidery, and computing. 100 young people take part in the training. For young women living on the tea gardens the training provides an alternative to tea garden work. We are especially pleased that one of the more remote tea garden centres has started their own sewing and computer training run by students who previously completed courses at our project office. We are also pleased that several previous computer students have started to earn income using online freelancing platforms. We continue to have a facebook page with 805 followers and produ a regular newsletter. Next year there will some reduction in our activities as we put more emphasis on trying to ensure the long-term sustainability of the work. We will continue support for 10 centres. We will increase embroidery and block batik training, continue support for computer training but end direct sewing training. We will continue to support 20 widows. This year we supporled 40 widows with an allowance of 700 taka per month. We are gradually reducing the numbers supported. Our outreach team is assisting widows to obtain support from alternative facilities in Sylhet- for example local health provision. We continue to give attention to the long-term sustainability of the work. Each centre now has a local management committee that is engaged in raising funds to support some of the activities at their centre. With the centre management committees, we are considering the long-term future including collaboration with tea garden and government primary schools and seeking support from a range of other organisations including local Rotary Clubs. Risk Assessment The Trustees have considered the risks to which they may be exposed and have policies in place to manage these. We have a lead trustee for safeguarding and have given particular attention to strengthening our communication with the project about safeguarding issues. We have intrOdUd new policies on serious incident reporting and prevention of bullying. Public Benefit This year has been the final phase ofthe SJA fundraising officer pilot. A football Continued on page 3
Continued hDm page 2 The Trustees confirm that due regard has been given to the Charity Commissioners, guidance on public benefit. The work in Bangladesh, which we support, assists the very poorest people in the area. report and our accounts wlll b• pl•d at our Mwtlng of Support•rn on: Saturday Juty 5" 2025 10 am by zoom. Plo•s0 cont•ct us by •maR lo eonflmi that you wlll atl•nd and to roqu•st the zoom Ilnk lojoln th• m••tlng. For mor• n•ws and plctur•s do pl•as• vlslt our w•bslt•: www.khasdoblr.ory.uk Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees on the unaudited financial statement of Friends of Khasdobir, Bangladesh (on Page 4) I report on the accounts of Friends of Khasdobir. Bangladesh. lo 31# March 2025 Respectlve responslbllltles of Trustses and Examlner As the charity's iruslee5 'OU are resnsIble for the preparation of the accounts. you consider that the audil requirement of 5eclion 144{2} of ihe Chanties Act 201 I Ithe Act) doe5 not apply and that an indendent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to examin¢ the accounts under seclion 145 of the Act. to follow the proc¢dur¢s laid in the Genera] Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5Xb) of the Act, and to stsle whether particular matters have come to my attLntion. Basls of Independent Examinerfs Statement M J. examination wa5 carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Chanty Commission. An examination includcs a r¢vi¢w of the accounting records kcpt by th¢ charity and a comparison of the accoun15 presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seekingy explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provi(k all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'lrue and fair view" and ihe report is limited to ihose matters s¢1 oul in the stalemenl below In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention.. (i) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: to keep proper accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounling requirements of the Act have noi been met. or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of ihe accounts to be reached. Rachel Thorpe CIMA 52 Priory Road, LoughboTough. LEII 3PP Independent Exominer
FRIENDS OF KHASDOBIR: BANGLADESH Charity No. 1185262 Account5 for the Year 1st April, 2024 to 315t Trlarch 2025 Presentl'ear to 31m25 Last Full Yenr to 311•3124 Full I'e3r to )13123 RECEIP Donatiorts liidil-Lauals.' ITIft Aid RL%YyVLrablL 9.972 1.469.fft1 795 fy) l30.1 918.00 10.093 1.498 81 Pldra]sing m15 Iiiconie. Gifi Aid l RL x Recoverible rundr81ginB M¢819 In¢Oin¢.- fJiTr AidTaA N()i Rrt'Oveobl¢ Individu?1 DDnalions fD)m Fund Rai&ing-. Gift Aid Tax Rwuvctablc Illdiiidual Donalion5 from Fuiid Rai&iiiB'. tiift Aid Tax Not Recoverable Dondlion4 from Grou. Tu¢ H (hh¢iOi¥ani4atjon Logacic% Sale% ol-fal¢Ndats. 5urplvS Jew¢ll¢ty. Oth¢r 1L¢inS Itc&t from CliantiC Official InVcqnCTrt Fund (COIF) Dcplt Accounl 61Tr.00 1.915.(M) 5th) 25.OOOIY) l5. If13.43 4.95745 3.635 47 ?05.78 T&x Rocoberoa froili HMR&L on YcW& tiift AidablL Donati 3.U9O61 TOTAI. RF.CFivrs Sl,1.39.3.1 pAYlENT 411.953 IYJ J.l501YJ 57.769 CulvurL¢afl& ¥buut PD)Jc¢l Quartcrl) Ncw51cltcrTkniiling and Packing pO%bLIMa1tt1y N1clt0J. bul al%DI Mccliiig RDOrn Hir EquipniLiIt Pu(chasQ torSylhctJuboAcadLIMy'S Work In Kknsdobir 3(M). 5580) ?gb.22 33% 40 60.(M) 49RthJ 3.229 84 Ptt)j¢ci Ixp¢rt%¢sby Tte¢* forwork in KhA%drt)It 5_%%.fY) 50.(K) 14.702 thj BaithL'harges forTraThsfetringMoney tobJA'sAccwntin Sylhet 15DIYJ 7V.(KJ 646 TOT.4L PAYfvIENT5 43,754.9U 69,252.86 63513.03 Deficit) -l85S&49 4&73&72 -12J73.711 BALANcs Ilalante Bt()U81ii r(Kward 273.363.47 -7,374.6S -fy.780.43 4h.73% 7? 171,117&91 CutMulAtlveSurplus Carred Forwwrd 145,7(Tr&99 203ts1&12 RtyrL4ehlLNi By.. Bk Atitsunl 13.955 77 CCLA ChRrilicb Official lnvcb1TrTrt Fund (D051¢ Accounll CCI A Charilics 0]¢1¥1 TnvcblmrTht Fiind AL¢llUlltl 180.466. TLs1 I19]at¢s 14&7Tr&99 171,lJ7&9l 201615.12 Frignds of Khasdobir Annual Report and Ac¢ounts adoptad by the Trustees on 5th April 2025 MIKE SHERRIFF Chair of Trustees Phil Watson Hon Treasurer