Hope and Life Missions Africa UK
Registration Number 1185616
Report of the Trustees for the year ending December 31[st,] 2020.
Introduction
The trustees are pleased to present the first report of the above charity which was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 4[th] October 2019.
Objectives of the Charity
The Charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation regulated by its governing document- the Constitution.
The objectives are:
-
The advancement of education
-
The advancement of the Christian faith
-
The Prevention and relief of poverty
Summary of the Charity’s main activities and achievements.
The charity’s objectives are being met by partnering with a Community Based Organization (CBO) in Uganda – Hope and Life Missions Africa (HALMA)- which arose from the local church’s concern for those in the community who were disadvantaged by poverty.
There is a partnership agreement and agreed criteria for children and youth to be sponsored for education. It is thanks to our sponsors that the programme is going on well although it has been challenging due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
On 18[th] March 2020, the Ugandan Government closed all educational establishments to prevent the spread of the Covid 19 virus, so all of our sponsored children had to stay in their homes. It was difficult to plan in advance as it was not known when the educational establishments would open again.
The team in Uganda responded appropriately while complying with government restrictions and guidelines and the sponsorship money enabled them to do the following.
-
Welfare visits -The Ugandan team assessed their physical needs which included providing food parcels, clothes and taking them to registered medical clinics as appropriate.
-
Academic Visits-Learning packages were bought and distributed as appropriated to encourage and enable the children to study from home. A paid teacher accompanied these visits to guide the children in their studies.
-
Emotional and Spiritual Welfare- The Senior Pastor of the church is the director of the Community Based Project and with other pastors and leaders regularly visited the children and their families on these visits to give appropriate support and guidance.
-
We have 2 young people waiting to access University Education and with the permission of their sponsors we have allowed most of their support to accumulate until they are able to begin their course.
By the end of 2020 all the sponsored children had received appropriate learning materials, were in good health and had appropriate food and clothing. They were looking forward to resuming their education programmes in 2021.
Financial Review
The trustees are aware of the responsibilities to monitor and ensure appropriate expenditure of funds given. Two of the trustees visited Uganda in January 2020 to assess the work going on.
It is planned that at least one Trustee or representative would visit a minimum of once a year but preferably twice a year. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic these visits could not take place, but monthly finance reports and appropriate photos were received and reviewed by the trustees before any further funds were sent according to approved budgets There was regular communication between the trustees in UK and the team in Uganda between the monthly reports and also some online video meetings.
We thank our sponsors who have been able to sustain their giving during the pandemic to enable the charity’s objectives to be met.
Reserves Policy
As the main activity of the charity now is educational sponsorship which is an ongoing programme supported by monthly donations by our sponsors, most of the funds are transferred immediately to fund the programme according to agreed budgets and criteria. However, the trustees have agreed it would be wise to keep £500 in reserve for any unexpected expenditure.
During 2020 the money kept in reserve was more than this as funds to enable access to university education were being held until they opened, and some was kept in reserve to ensure that educational costs could be met when the schools opened.
Governance and Operations
The trustees meet monthly to monitor and evaluate the activities of the charity and its partner in Uganda who manages the project on a daily basis. Occasionally there have been formal meetings via internet with the partners in Uganda as appropriate.
Regular reports are received on the progress and welfare of those being sponsored and there are good communication links which are used appropriately for clarification when necessary between formal meetings.
Final decisions are made by agreement of the trustees at their monthly meetings.
The Trustees acknowledge their responsibility to communicate with their donors and sponsors receive regular updates on the progress of those they are sponsoring and how their funding is being used.
Summary of Accounts for year ending December 31[st] 2020
INCOME
| Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
Gift Aid | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 383 | 10186.5 | 625 | 111194.5 |
EXPENDITURE
| EXPENDITURE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITEM | Amount | |||
| Professional Fees |
30 | |||
| Insurance | 273.65 | |||
| Web Site | 61.2 | |||
| Christmas Cards |
14.1 | |||
| Bank Charges | 110 | |||
| Grants to Uganda |
7531 |
TOTAL INCOME= £11194
TOTAL EXPENDITURE= £8045
BALANCE= £3149
Figures for totals are rounded up figures. Reserve Fund for University Costs is £1109.
Responsibilities of the Trustees
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities to:
-
Keep appropriate finance records for each accounting year which can disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity.
-
Give appropriate feedback to donors and supporters.
-
To take reasonable steps to prevent fraud and any other irregularities.
Approval
This report has been reviewed and agreed by the Trustees of the Charity.
Signed on their behalf by:
Margaret Bagley
DATE 21[st] April 2021