## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 1/1/2025 Period start date To 31/12/2025 Period end date Charity name: Surgical teams Working in Africa Together for Safer Surgery**
## **Charity registration number: 1186564**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**The purpose of the Charity is, for the**
**public benefit, the advancement of**
**health and the saving of lives, in**
**particular (not limited to) by facilitating**
**improvements in surgical care in Africa**
**and elsewhere.**|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**The main activity of the charity is to**
**offer training for surgical teams to**
**improve services and provide better and**
**safer surgical care. We do this in such a**
**way as to achieve long-lasting, locally**
**driven sustainable change.**|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**The trustees have regard to the**
**guidance issued by the Charity**
**Commission on public benefit.**|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers
Other
## **Achievements and Performance**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**The Charity’s flagship project is the**
**Affordable Mesh Hernia Initiative**
**(formerly the Tanzania Mesh Hernia**
**Project). Hernia surgery is the most**
**common general surgical procedure**
**performed worldwide. The burden of**
**untreated hernia in Africa remains**
**substanital, with an estimated 1,000,000**
**hernias currently requiring treatment in**
**Tanzania (for example).** **The morbidity**
**rate is very high due to a lack of**
**resources, training and inadequate**
**procedures. The Project adopts a well-**
**established procedure using mesh for**
**hernia repair, rather than a traditional**
**suture plication technique. We provide**
**centres with a supply of suitable mesh,**
**a means to sterilise it and ensuring that**
**all the necessary surgical and**
**supporting skills are in place.**
**Phase 1 of the Project was undertaken**
**in March 2020, when 72 surgeons (of all**
**grades) and 5 centres were involved.**
**Feedback and results were again very**
**encouraging.**
**Progress slowed during the Covid-19**
**pandemic, but the relationship with the**
**Tanzanian surgical community**
**continued to flourish. Furthermore, the**
**successes seen in Tanzania led to**
**significant interest from countries.**
**In 2024 ongoing expansion included**
**further centre enrolment in Tanzania**
**and Sierra Leone.**
**As of December 2025 3 countries are**
**involved, with 130 surgeons inducted**
**across 17 centres. 1,600 hernia**
**operations have been carried out in**
**programme.**
**The mesh programme is a vector for a**
**number of other worstreams including;**
**Basic Surgical Skills Training; Safer**
**Surgery Training; antibiotic**|
**stewardship; quality assurance and improvement methodology; research skills; mentorship and networking. We also engage in laparoscopic surgical skills training and other educational events (eg speaking at training courses). We have a strong quality assurance workstream across our activity and are engaged in research.**
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||||
|---|---|---|
|Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41||
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41||
|Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41||
|Other|||
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**For this year, the Charity received**
**income from donations only.**|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**Currently, the reserves are £4,224.66.**
**Expenditure covered Admin and travel**
**costs associated with only 1 trips to**
**Tanzania in June 2025.**|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**£4,224.66.**|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22||
|---|---|---|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24||
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**Following the COVID-19 pandemic and**
**Ukraine War the ability for the charity to**
**raise funds has been significantly**
**hindered. Reductions in Governmental**
**Overseas Aid spending has been cut**
**dramatically, other fund holders have**
**narrowed their support and the cost of**
**living has generally reduced the**
**avilabilty of money into this area.**|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||||
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47||
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46||
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46||
|Other|||
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**Our governing document is a trust deed.**|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**CIO.**|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**Any person who is willing to act as a**
**Trustee, and who would not be**
**disqualified from acting under the**
**provisions of Clause 10 in the CIO**
**constitution, may be appointed to be a**
**Trustee by a decision of the Trustees.**|
**Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51||
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51||
|Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51||
|Other|||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Surgical teams Working in Africa Together for Safer
Surgery|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|SWIFTSS|
|Registered charitynumber|1186564|
|Charity’s principal address|6 Balniel Gate, London, SW1V 3SD|
|||
**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
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3
4
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (if any)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Mark
Szymankiewicz|Medical Director|||
||Katharine
Szymankiewicz||||
||Karen Nugent||||
||Christian Wakefield||||
||Helena Kelly|Secretary|||
||Jonathan Linton||||
||Richard Constant|Chair|||
||LesleyHunt||||
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– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
**Director name**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year**
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
|Description of the assets
held in this capacity|Not applicable|
|---|---|
|Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects|Not applicable|
|Details of arrangements for
safe custody and
segregation of such assets
from the charity’s own
assets|Not applicable|
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|
|---|---|---|
|**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|||
||||
||||
||||
||||
|**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**|||
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
## **Other optional information**
## **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)** Helena Kelly **Position (eg Secretary,** Secretary **Chair, etc)**
**Date**
## **Statement of Financial Position SWIFTSS**
## **As of 31 December, 2025**
|**Distribution account**|**Total**|
|---|---|
|Cash at bank and in hand
Charity Bank account
Foreign Cash
**Total for Cash at bank and in hand**
Debtors
Debtors
**Total for Debtors**
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Trade Creditors
Creditors
**Total for Trade Creditors**
Current Liabilities
Mark Shim
Richard C Loan
**Total for Current Liabilities**
**Total for Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
**NET CURRENT ASSETS (LIABILITIES)**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES**
**TOTAL NET ASSETS (LIABILITIES)**
Capital and Reserves
Retained Earnings
Net Income
**Total for Capital and Reserves**|4,856.38
129.00|
||**£4,985.38**
0.00|
||**£0.00**|
||**£4,985.38**
760.72|
||**£760.72**
0.00
0.00|
||**£0.00**|
||**£760.72**|
||**£4,224.66**|
||**£4,224.66**|
||**£4,224.66**
-16,372.99
20,597.65|
||**£4,224.66**|
Accrual Basis Monday, 02 March 2026 07:59 PM GMTZ
## **Statement of Activity**
## **SWIFTSS**
## **January-December, 2025**
|**Distribution account**|**Total**|
|---|---|
|Income
Donations and legacies
Other Income (Gift Aid etc)
**Total for Income**
**Gross Profit**
Expenses|20,273.56
5,000.00|
||**£25,273.56**|
||**£25,273.56**|
|Accounting/Project Management
Advertising/Promotional
Bank charges
Computer Costs
Legal & Professional fees
Travel and Accommodation
T&S
**Total for Travel and Accommodation**
**Total for Expenses**
**Net Operating Income**
**Net Other Income**
**Net Income**|490.00
48.00
18.01
376.19
35.00
619.50
3,089.21|
|---|---|
||**£3,708.71**|
||**£4,675.91**|
||**£20,597.65**|
|||
||**£20,597.65**|
Accrual Basis Monday, 02 March 2026 08:03 PM GMTZ
Spindle Cottage
**NALDRETT ACCOUNTANTS** 2 Back Lane,
Sydling St Nicholas, Dorchester,
Dorset DT2 9TP
## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of SWIFTSS**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the SWIFTSS ( _'Surgical teams Working in aFrica Together for Safer Surgery_ ') charity for the year ended 31 December 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination and can confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination that would give me cause to believe that in any material respect that:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘ _true and fair view'_ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
>>CONT>>>
Naldrett Accountants is the trading name of ExitJust Ltd. Registration number: 2593244 Registered with the Association of Taxation Technicians for the purposes of anti money laundering legislation
## >> CONT>>
I confirm that I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
I confirm that I am qualified to undertake this examination by virtue of relevant professional qualification as:
## **FELLOW OF THE CHARTERED GOVERNANCE INSTITUTE**
Name: **JENNIFER ADAMS FCG TEP ATT (Fellow)**
Signed: ________________________________
Date:_________________________
Address:
## **NALDRETT ACCOUNTANTS**
## **2 Back Lane,**
**Sydling St Nicholas**
**Dorchester,**
**Dorset. DT2 9TP**