2021-12-31-accounts - Yakum

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2021

YAKUM ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021 CONTENTS PAGE

Chairman’s Report	1
Trustees’ Annual Report	2
Independent Examiner’s Report	5
Financial Review	6
Statement of Financial Activities	7
Balance Sheet	8
Notes on the Financial Statements	9

CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

YAKUM sets out to highlight the urgency of acting on deforestation by regenerating rainforests side by side with local indigenous communities. This report shows the impact we had in 2021 and where we can offer proven solutions to the climate crisis and global poverty in 2022 and beyond.

The past few years have seen remarkable challenges for all of humanity. While the environmental challenges we face are daunting, many of the most effective, sustainable, and equitable solutions are local, and Yakum and our partners have shown extraordinary tenacity to effect change against the odds.

Knowledge Sharing

YAKUM is spearheading community- based forest restoration work to restore the most diverse reforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon in partnership with local indigenous Kichwa, Shuar, Cofán and Siekopai communities. These indigenous groups have inhabited and managed the forest for thousands of years, giving them extraordinary knowledge and the capacity to live in balance with their environment.

YAKUM recognises its indigenous partners as excellent practitioners of regenerative land management. Our diverse, talented, and committed team of 10 exchange knowledge, tirelessly collect seeds, plan projects, map out reforestation areas, cut back weeds and plant trees in hot sun and torrential rain, all contributing ideas to everything we do and helping to build strong relationships with communities.

Investment in trees, in people, in the future YAKUM is growing fast, but we do not want to become another ‘$1 per tree’ organisation. Our reforestation costs more, around $5 per tree, because we take time to design the work with communities, have incredibly high diversity of seeds, and continue to maintain plots until the trees have become properly established.

We are grateful to all those who have supported us in 2021 - from those who have been there for us since the day we began, and to new funders joining the movement

TRUSTEE’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

Objects and Activities

Summary of objects of the charity set out in its governing document.

The mission and objectives of the CIO are:

Our Mission - Regenerating Amazonian rainforests, foods and cultures with indigenous communities.
Community initiatives - Identifying and supporting informed community-led initiatives.
Tree Planting - Selecting & planting the most useful, nutritious, or medicinal tree species and varieties with community partners.
Growing food forests - Establishing, caring for and monitoring trees to maturity.
Food sovereignty - Celebrating, harvesting, processing and selling Amazon superfoods.

Summary of the main activities in relation to these objectives

Reforestation of indigenous territories with important trees producing important medicines, foods, and materials, which benefit the community directly through ecosystem services, improved access to food, improved nutrition and health, reinforcing cultural knowledge and identity, and providing livelihood.
Mapping territories improves forest management and provides communities with insight into economic, educational and cultural opportunities which contribute to conservation.
Workshops based around soil improvement, to improve food production and sequester carbon.
Workshops and follow-up on processing food provides a way for Amazonians to conserve their foods out of their short fruit seasons (Amazonian climate makes food rot incredibly fast and outside of fruit season there is little access to important vitamins) and provides alternative livelihoods.

The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

Policy on Social Investment.

We do not make cash investments, although we consider our field work to be a considerable investment in community development and forest conservation

Contribution made by volunteers

Volunteers in Ecuador attending work “minga” days to help bagging up saplings and planting trees in Napo province. Volunteers in indigenous communities helping to carry out and monitor reforestation in their territory, support from them to accommodate our staff during visits. Volunteer support in communications and artwork from UK and Spanish friends. Some in-person medium-term volunteers have participated in diverse activities.

TRUSTEE’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

Reference and Administrative details

Charityname	YAKUM
Registered charitynumber	1186064
Charity’s principal address	2 BARKER CLOSE RICHMOND TW9 4ET
Bank	The Co-operative Bank 6th Floor, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester M60 4EP
Independent Examiner	Best4Business 44-45 Beaufort Court Admirals Way London E14 9XL

Trustees

Alexander McFarlane-Watts

Georgina White Hamza Aynashe (resigned 1/09/2022) Zygmunt de Goris Jedrzejowski (Appointed 16/09/2021)

Corporate trustees

Director name:

Nicholas Ovenden

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts: Foundation Charitable Incorporated Organisation (“CIO”) Type of governing document: Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose only voting members are its Charity Trustees Charity constitution: CIO Trustee selection methods: Personal search and recommendation

Trustee selection policies and procedures.

Apart from the first Charity Trustees, every Trustee must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the Charity Trustees.
In selecting individuals for appointment as Charity Trustees, the Charity Trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.

TRUSTEE’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

Risk Management

The Trustees updated the risk assessment during the year and continue to monitor identified risks and seek appropriate mitigations. The Trustees believe that systems are in place to mitigate most significant risks.

Policy for Induction and Training of Trustees

New Trustees are taken through an induction process by the Chairman or another Trustee. Information for new Trustees is contained in an Induction Pack containing relevant policy documents. Trustees have access to courses and seminars relevant to their positions and have peer support through regular meetings.

Trustees’ Responsibilities in Relation to the Financial Statements

The charity Trustees are responsible for preparing a Trustees' annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards.

Company law requires the charity Trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP.
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection for fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Statement as to disclosure to our Independent Examiners

In so far as the Trustees are aware at the time of approving our Trustees’ annual report:

there is no relevant information, being information needed by the auditor in connection with preparing their report, of which the company’s external examiner is unaware, and
the Trustees, having made enquiries of fellow Trustees, have each taken all steps that he/she is obliged to take as a Trustee to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the examiner is aware of that information.

By Order or the Board of Trustees

Alexander McFarlane-Watts ……………………………………..Chair Dated 30[th] September 2022

FINANCIAL REVIEW FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Thanks to all our partners, we made incredible progress in 2021. We generated over £100,000 of critical resource through grants and donations, which was more than four times the previous year. 2021 was the year of Covid 19 disruption and uncertainties which made us especially proud of this achievement.

In 2022 we are looking to more than double 2021’s fundraising to allow us to increase our impact further.

Combined UK and Ecuador income was £102,627. The increase was achieved by the acquisition of reputable major donors who will continue to support Yakum in the future. There were also substantial private donations which contributed so much to Yakum’s survival in 2020 and continued progress in 2021.

A major donation arrived late in 2021 leading to a substantial increase in cash balances as the activities funded were undertaken in 2022

Income

Income to Yakum as a whole follows two different routes. To avoid double currency conversions donations received in currencies other than GBP are routed directly to Ecuador where possible.

Income received in UK for the year 2021 was £21,003 (2020 £28,702).

Income received by Yakum in Ecuador for 2021 was $113,240 = £81,623

Funds transfer to Ecuador

Following the donation by Lush, repeated attempts were made to transfer funds to Yakum in Ecuador. Despite numerous meetings and contacts with the bank in Ecuador the transfer issue was not resolved until January 2022 when the transfer finally succeeded.

The funds were held by Equals Foreign Exchange at the year end.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

Income and expenditure

Note Incoming Resources Donations 1 Total income Expenditure Donation to Yakum Ecuador 2 Cost of charitable activities Professional fees 3 Service Fees Insurance Licences and Internet Total expenditure Net movement in funds for the year Funds brought forward 1st January Funds carried forward 31st December	2021 2020 Unrestricted Restricted Funds Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds Funds Total Funds Funds Total £ £ £ £ £ £ 5,794 15,209 21,003 28,702 - 28,702
	5,794 15,209 21,003 28,702 - 28,702
	- - - 26,705 - 26,705 1,500 1,500 450 - 450 - - 56 - 56 51 - 51 - - - 242 - 242 238 - 238 - - -
	1,794 - 1,794 27,448 - 27,448
	4,000 15,209 19,209 1,253 - 1,253 1,253 - 1,253 - - -
	5,253 15,209 20,462 1,253 - 1,253

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

#

£ 0 21,962	2021 £ 21,962 20,462	2020 £ 1,254 1,254
1,020 480
1,500 10,220 2,406 2,583
	20,462	1,254
	15,209 5,254	1,254
	20,462	1,254

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies in the Companies act 2006.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 30[th] September 2022 and signed on its behalf by

Z de Goris Jedrzejowski

Treasurer

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

Donations received in the year

Donor Project Lush Plant for the Planet Sahara Pam de Goris Other personal donations	Restricted Unrestricted 10,220 2,406 2,583 5,000 794
	15,209 5,794

Donations Made

The funds were held by Equals Foreign Exchange at the year end

Professional fees

Professional fees of £1,020 were incurred in the preparation of the 2020 but were paid personally by the operation director and not accrued for in the 2020 accounts. The fees for 2021 have been accrued as £480.

4. Cash at Bank

The balance at the year end was high due to the transfer issue mentioned in Note 2.

Cash at bank and in hand Currency Bank Currency amount Cashplus GBP 6,960.92 Equals (Converted at purchase rate) USD 18,689.00 PayPal GBP 1,001.16 Total Cash at bank and in hand	GBP amount 6,960.92 14,000.02 1,001.16
	21,962.10

5. Creditor

The fee for professional advice and construction of accounts in 2020 was paid personally by Nick Ovenden £1,020.00