Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (1187516)
## **Trustees’ Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity** for the Year Ended 31st December 2020
## **Unity is Strength**
## **Email: info@unityisstrength.org.uk https://unityisstrength.org.uk/**
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## **Contents**
|**Section**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|1. Reference and Administration Details|3|
|2. Structure, Governance and Management|3|
|3. Activities|5|
|4. Achievements and Performance|6|
|5. Financial Review|7|
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## **Trustees Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity for the Year Ended 31st December 2020**
**__________________________________________________________________________**
## **1. Reference and Administration Details**
## **1.1. Charity Name & Registration**
## **Unity is Strength**
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registration number 1187516. Registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 22nd January 2020.
The charity is registered with HM Revenue & Customs.
## **1.2 Charity details**
Registered address: Pollardine Farm, Gatten, Pontesbury, Shropshire, SY5 0SJ Email: info@unityisstrength.org.uk
Website: https://unityisstrength.org.uk/
## **1.3 Trustees**
The Trustees who served the charity in this period are:
Elizabeth Ann Hulton-Harrop (Chair) Jane Elizabeth Yair Hulton-Harrop Thomas Hugh Hulton-Harrop
## **1.4 Names of Advisors & Senior Members of Staff**
None
## **1.5 Bank**
CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ.
## **2. Structure, Governance and Management**
## **2.1 Type of governing document**
Constitution – based on the Charity Commission’s model governing document for Foundation Charitable Incorporated Organisations, _ie:_ where the Trustees are the only Members of the charity.
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## **2.2. Charitable Objects**
As defined in Unity is Strength’s Constitution (governing document), the charity’s objects (“objects”) are:
‘to advance education, relieve sickness and poverty and to otherwise provide for the charitable needs of orphans at St. Paul KAASO (Kabira Adult Attention & School for Orphans), Uganda in particular by providing grants, items and services to KAASO.’
## **2.3 Organisational structure**
The charity trustees are responsible for the governance and management of the charity. The trustees give their time freely and receive no remuneration or other benefits.
The trustees meet quarterly and are responsible for all decisions taken in relation to running the charity. To assist the smooth running of the charity, the trustees set up a sub-committee to oversee certain aspects of the charity’s work. The Chair sits on the sub-committee alongside the two Founders and Directors of St Paul KAASO, Uganda, and the KAASO Volunteer Coordinator. The sub-committee oversees the delivery of the projects in Uganda and submits regular reports to the trustees.
## **2.3 Trustee selection methods**
There must be at least three charity trustees. There is no maximum number of charity trustees that may be appointed to the CIO.
In accordance with the Constitution, Trustees are appointed or re-appointed for a one year term by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees.
In appointing Trustees due consideration is given to ensuring that the Trustees have, between them, the skills and experience necessary to manage the charity effectively and in accordance with charity law as laid down in Clause 10 (2) of the Constitution.
## **2.4 Induction and training of trustees**
Following appointment, trustees are introduced to their new role and given copies of the following documents:
- The charity’s Constitution
- CC3 The Essential Trustee: What you need to know
- Relevant policies
This ensures new trustees are aware of the scope of their responsibilities under the Charities Act. Initially, new trustees work with an existing trustee assisting on particular activities and
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projects run by the charity. After satisfactory feedback from existing trustees, they are given the task of leading a particular activity or project, reporting progress at trustee meetings.
## **2.5 Risk Management**
The Trustees have assessed the risks the charity faces and have drawn up a Risk Log which identifies the major risks by likelihood of occurrence, severity of impact, control procedure, retained risk, monitoring process, and responsibility. The trustees review the Risk Log quarterly.
The trustees are satisfied that systems are in place, or arrangements are in hand, to manage the risks that have been identified.
## **2.6 Other**
The trustees have spent considerable time in the first year of Unity is Strength’s operation to establish good governance. As well as developing a risk management framework as mentioned above, the trustees have put policies and practices in place for safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries, managing volunteers, handling complaints, recording and managing conflicting interests, agreeing a reserves policy, and protecting beneficiary, supporter and trustee personal data.
## **3. Activities**
## **3.1 Statutory Declaration**
The Trustees of Unity is Strength confirm that they have paid due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
## **3.2 How our activities deliver public benefit**
The charity carries out a range of activities in pursuance of its charitable aims. The trustees consider that these activities, summarised below, provide benefit for the needs of orphans at St. Paul KAASO (Kabira Adult Attention & School for Orphans), Uganda.
## **3.3 Provision of grants for:**
**COVID-19 supplies -** The Government of Uganda put restrictions (‘Standard Operating Procedures’) in place to be able to open up the candidate classes (those sitting exams) for all education institutions in Uganda. Restricted funds raised for COVID-19 supplies were used to meet the Standard Operating Procedures, which included purchasing temperature guns, installing hand washing facilities and purchasing masks for staff and students.
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**Classroom and boarding materials -** Books, pens, mosquito nets and soap were bought with restricted funds raised for classroom and boarding materials. Given that so few children have been in attendance at school in Uganda since March 2020, St Paul KAASO has experienced a sharp fall in its income due to not receiving payments of student fees. Even in ‘normal’ times, the majority of students that attend KAASO are not fee-paying because they are orphans. Therefore, it has been even more important than ever this year to support KAASO with funds to purchase items to keep those who can attend safe and in the best possible learning environment.
**Food and other essential items -** Large quantities of beans, maize flour, sugar, rice and salt were bought with restricted funds for food. This has helped to improve staff and student welfare by providing a stable diet.
**Sanitation and children’s hygiene -** During the heavy rains in December 2020, one of the girls’ toilets at KAASO collapsed and needed repairs. KAASO had already started work on this but had had to stop due to lack of funds. A proportion of the general funds transferred in December 2020 were used to continue the repair work.
Some general funds were also used to empty the boys’ pit latrine.
**Solar batteries -** During the financial year 2020, funds were also raised to replace the solar batteries at KAASO. The target was not hit during this financial year, so the funds were not spent until 2021.
## **4. Achievements and Performance**
As the charity’s bank account was only opened in September 2020, we were not able to raise funds prior to this in the financial year 2020. For this reason, we set conservative targets for fundraising and the sub-committee managed expectations with St Paul KAASO for low fundraising returns in this first year.
After setting up a website for Unity is Strength, we set about running a fundraising campaign in the week prior to and ending on #GivingTuesday (1st December 2020). We were incredibly grateful to receive £1,000 in general funds to match any donations received during the week of the campaign. We exceeded the match funds amount and raised a fantastic £2,800.
These funds provided a much needed boost of support for St Paul KAASO School at an incredibly difficult time. The sub-committee works with the Directors of KAASO to decide on which projects should be supported in Uganda in terms of priority. This information is fed back to the trustees who make the final decision.
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## **5. Financial Review**
At the end of the financial period, the charity’s position was positive, £174 remained in the bank account. The pie charts below show the breakdown of our income and expenditure for the financial year 2020.
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## **5.1 Reserves Policy**
The reserves policy seeks to balance spending the maximum amount of income raised as soon as possible after receipt with maintaining the minimum level of reserves to ensure uninterrupted operation and provide time to adjust to a change in financial circumstances.
A prudent assessment of the financial impact of risk events on reserves is estimated at 6-7% of total cash income. This is the level that Unity is Strength operated at for year end December 2020 (£3,032 total income and 2,858 expenditure). However, as this is not a representative financial year, the Trustees will review this % at year end December 2021 to ensure it is still appropriate.
## **5.2 Details of any funds materially in deficit**
The Charity has no funds which are materially in deficit.
## **5.3 Principal funding sources**
Voluntary income was the only source of funding for the financial year 2020. It is not concentrated on any single donor and some donors committed to regular giving in this financial period. Voluntary income levels have held up despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
## **5.4 Plans for future period**
A fundraising strategy is due to be written in the summer of 2021 to explore other funding sources to help Unity is Strength build a diversified funding portfolio.
## **5.5. Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities**
The charity trustees are responsible for preparing an annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period.
In preparing the 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 accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity 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 to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the Constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees for the purposes of charity law who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out on page 3.
Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Elizabeth Hulton-Harrop (Chair)
16th May 2021
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**Charity Name Unity is Strength**
**No (if any) 1187516**
## **Receipts and payments accounts**
Period start date Period end date **To** 1/1/2020 12/31/2020
**For the period from**
## **Section A Receipts and payments**
**Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds**
**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**to the nearest £**
**to the nearest £ to the nearest £**
## **A1 Receipts**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
General donations 1,531 - 1,531
Project - COVID-19 339 - 339
Project - Classroom & Boarding materials - 406 - 406
Project - Food - 230 - 230
Project - Solar batteries - 526 - 526
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
1,531 1,501 - 3,032
Sub total (Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - -
Total receipts 1,531 1,501 - 3,032
A3 Payments
Bank charges 15 - - 15
International transfer charge 20 - - 20
Donations processing fee 23 - - 23
General grant 1,330 1,330
Project - COVID-19 336 - 336
Project - Classroom & Boarding materials 400 - 400
Project - Food 225 - 225
Project - Solar batteries 509 - 509
- - - -
Sub total [ 1,388 ] 1,470 - 2,858
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - -
Total payments 1,388 1,470 - 2,858
Net of receipts/(payments) 143 31 - 174
A5 Transfers between funds - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end - - - -
Cash funds this year end 143 31 - 174
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**
||||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**|**Details**||**funds**|**funds**|
|**B1 Cash funds**||**_Total cash funds_**|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
||(agree|balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|Agreement Error|Agreement Error|
||||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|
||||**funds**|**funds**|
|**B2 Other monetary assets**|**Details**||**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|**B3 Investment assets**|**Details**||**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|**B4 Assets retained for the**|**Details**||**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Cost (optional)**
**-**|
|**charity’s own use**||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|**B5 Liabilities**|**Details**||**Fund to which**
**liability relates**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|
|Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees||Signature|Print|Name|
||E A Hulton-Harrop||Elizabeth Ann Hulton-Harrop||
||JEY Hulton-Harrop||Jane Elizabeth Yair Hulton-Harrop||
**----- Start of picture text -----**
CC16a
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Last year
**----- End of picture text -----**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
## **Endowment funds**
**to nearest £ - - - -**
OK
**Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - Current value (optional)**
**When due (optional)** Date of approval 7/20/2021 7/20/2021