Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (1187516)
Trustees’ Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity for 15 months ended 31st March 2023
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 | 4 |
| 3. Activities | 7 |
| 4. Achievements and Performance | 11 |
| 5. Financial Review | 12 |
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Trustees Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity for 15 months ended 31st March 2023
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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.
1.6 Reporting period
The Trustees agreed it would be more appropriate for the charity to operate with a reporting period from 1st April - 31st March instead of 1st January - 31st December because we receive a high number of donations at Christmas time and cannot spend these within the same financial year. To make this change, the current financial year
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had to be extended. Therefore, this Report covers the period from 1st January 2022 - 31st March 2023.
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.
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 regularly discuss the running of the charity and formally meet on an annual basis. They 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 to ensure there is no duplication between Unity is Strength’s work and that of other organisations or volunteers.
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.
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In accordance with the Constitution, Trustees are appointed or re-appointed for a oneyear 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:
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The charity’s Constitution
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CC3 The Essential Trustee: What you need to know
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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 projects run by the charity. After satisfactory feedback from existing trustees, they may be 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 annually.
The major risks and how they are managed are outlined in the table below:
| Risks | Management |
|---|---|
| Three trustees only undertake the governance and management of the charity. |
Ensure that the charity complies with all the regulatory requirements before spending time on other activities e.g. funding applications. The charity needs to have a strong foundation be able to grow successfully in the future. Keeptrack of all activities and then label |
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| them as either 'must-have', 'should-have', or 'nice-to-have'. This enables the trustees to see everything that the charity could be doing, but with a control mechanism in place to prioritise activities. Regular communication between trustees so that if work becomes overwhelming/unmanageable it is recognised at the earliest opportunity. |
|
|---|---|
| Mishandling of restricted vs unrestricted donations |
Partners in Uganda prepare a budget before funds are sent so that we can agree on what the money will be spent on. When funds are sent to Uganda, our partners are required to send a report to show how funds have been spent and to ensure the funds have been used for the correct purposes. Additional funds are not sent until a report has been received. |
| KAASO becoming dependent on funds from Unity is Strength |
Focus on funding income-generating projects rather than funding maintenance costs. Medium-long term strategy to reduce provision for maintenance costs. All income-generating projects must pass criteria to demonstrate that they can run without additional input from Unity is Strength. Regular, open conversations with partners in Uganda to discuss above strategy and ensure it is the most appropriate mechanism of support for them. Understanding that donations come in peaks and troughs throughout the year e.g. at Christmas time we are likely to receive a higher number of donations. |
| Funding for projects that may fail | Before agreeing to fund any high-risk projects, our partners in Uganda outline thepros and cons and make a |
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recommendation on whether it is worth allocating donations to a project that is not 100% guaranteed to be successful. If it is decided to go ahead, the donation page must clearly explain any risks associated with the project so that the donor is aware their money may not deliver the desired outcome and whether refunds will be administered (probably not given the small reserves held by the charity). Work with KAASO on putting measures in place to mitigate risk of disease for animal/plant-based projects.
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 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 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.
These policies were reviewed, updated (where necessary) and approved by trustees in February 2023.
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
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of students and staff at St. Paul KAASO (Kabira Adult Attention & School for Orphans), Uganda.
3.3 Provision of grants for:
Solar batteries - Restricted funds for this project remained after Unity is Strength’s first grant towards solar batteries in 2021. When visiting St Paul KAASO in March 2023, we learned that the batteries had not been working for approximately four months. We agreed with our partners in Uganda to have more regular communication to ensure we can identify these types of occurrences earlier in future. We also reiterated the importance of learning when things are not working. It was good to have this in-person visit to continue building a transparent, open relationship.
A total of £1,650 was given in 2023 to replace the batteries, clean the panels and update the whole system. The batteries store energy generated from the solar panels, which is then used to provide light in the school for evening classes, as well as to charge electrical equipment such as radios (used between the staff), laptops, and phones.
Income-generating projects - These were set up with seed funding in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide an alternative income for teachers and staff at St Paul KAASO while the school was closed due to the national lockdown. Since KAASO reopened in January 2022, these projects have continued and are now a key part of life at KAASO. We have provided funding for:
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Piggery - 10 piglets and feed (£1,016.22)
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Brick-making - Firewood to burn the bricks, labour, transport (£1,500)
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Chair hire - 1,000 chairs (£5,600)
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Coffee garden - Weeding (£150)
We work closely with the founders and Directors of KAASO, Dominic and Rose Mukwaya, to assess the viability of the projects and where there are challenges to be addressed. The net income for the projects for January and February 2023 is shown in the table below:
| Project | Net income (Ugandan shillings) | Net income (GBP) |
| Piggery | 60,000 | 13 |
| Brick-making | 1,680,000 | 360 |
| Chair hire | 420,000 | 90 |
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Coffee garden Not yet ready to sell Not yet ready to sell
All projects are covering their costs. The Piggery is slowly being rebuilt after the devastating swine fever outbreak in 2021. Mitigation measures have been put in place to lower the risk of future pests/diseases affecting KAASO, which includes only allowing project owners access to the project area, and disinfecting boots on entering and leaving the project area.
Chairs were purchased towards the end of this financial period when it was still the rainy season in Uganda. During the visit to KAASO in March 2023, Dominic shared his plan to rent out the chairs for local functions on a regular basis in the dry season. They are also a useful asset to the school and are used by the students in the new school hall.
Micro-loan initiative - In October 2022, we were excited to hear about the establishment of the KAASO Staff Development Association (set-up independently by staff at KAASO), which will issue microloans to individuals and groups working at KAASO to run small businesses to supplement their salaries.
Their vision is, “To create a society where workers have equal and sufficient economic and social opportunities to improve their standards of living and where they can contribute productively towards the overall development of the country.” We look
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forward to providing some of the initial capital for the loans once the staff members have drafted their applications.
Individuals or groups are required to submit an application to the committee outlining what their project is, why they want to run it, and a breakdown of the costs. The committee will review the applications and decide which projects are granted loans. Each loan will have a specified pay-back window with a small interest rate to ensure the initiative is sustainable, and loanees must have three guarantors in case they are unable to pay. As the loan is repaid, this money can then be awarded to another project, and so on.
Following the visit in 2023, we allocated £3,600 to the loan pot.
Bunk beds - In 2021, triple-decker wooden bunk beds were no longer allowed to be used in boarding schools as they were deemed unsafe. This meant that KAASO had to replace a vast number of its beds to house the returning students. We launched a fundraiser in partnership with Emma Outteridge (the KAASO volunteer co-ordinator) and raised a fantastic £1,912.60 of which £155.77 was received in the period under review.
Our combined efforts meant 240 double-decker metallic bunk beds could be installed at KAASO.
Music, Dance & Drama festival - £659.04 was raised to help KAASO participate in the Uganda Primary Schools National Music, Dance and Drama Festival. This year, the festival was held in Kyotera, just 20 minutes from KAASO. The children of KAASO
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performed an extraordinary feat by taking 4th place out of no less than 73 schools competing! This video shows their rehearsals: https://youtu.be/8Ymera0wPAY
General maintenance - Funds were provided for:
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10,000-litre water tank (£1,266)
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Staff kitchen utensils (£570)
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Fire extinguishers (£250)
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Main Hall renovations - windows, tiles, cement, sand, labour, etc. (£1,271.23)
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Classroom materials - pens, books, chalk board, etc. (£491.06)
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COVID-19 measures - Hand-washing facilities, disinfectant, soap, etc. (£1,772.72)
4. Achievements and Performance
Visit to St Paul KAASO, March 2023 - It was incredible to have the opportunity to visit KAASO again after four years. Trustee, Lizzie Hulton-Harrop, and her boyfriend, Rob Havard, visited KAASO for a week in March visiting the projects supported by Unity is Strength and discussing future plans. Read about their visit here.
From left: Lizzie Hulton-Harrop, Rose Mukwaya, Dominic Mukwaya, Rob Havard.
Give as you Live and Amazon Smile - £306 raised by supporters generating free donations while shopping online. Unfortunately, Amazon Smile has now been discontinued.
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5. Financial Review
At the end of the financial period, the charity’s position was positive with £412 in the bank account.
The pie charts show the breakdown of our income for the financial period 1 Jan 2022 to 31 March 2023.
We received £9 in interest for the financial period under review.
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The following table shows our total expenditure for the period ended 31 March 2023. We decided not to use a pie chart to display these figures as the non-transfer expenditure is so low, it is hard to interpret on a pie chart.
| Expenditure category | Amount in GBP |
| Transfers to KAASO | 21,708.87 (4,405.78 restricted) |
| Transfer fees | 150.00 |
| Bank account fees | 96.00 |
| Currency charges | 30.00 |
| Donation processing fees | 59.03 |
| Fundraising Regulator | 100.00 |
| Trustee training - Monitoring & Evaluation with the NCVO |
55.00 |
| TOTAL | 22,198.90 |
All restricted funds (£1,049.50) were transferred to KAASO, as well as remaining restricted funds from the previous financial year (2021: £3,356.28).
General funds transferred totalled £17,303.09, including remaining funds from the previous financial year (2021: £829.30).
Total funds remaining at 15 months ended 31 March 2023:
£4,185.58 (2021 remaining funds) + £18,416.53 (2022/3 income)
= £22,602.11
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£21,708.87 (transferred to KAASO)
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£490.03 (fees)
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£8.51 (interest)
= £411.72
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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.
An assessment of the financial impact of risk events on reserves is estimated at 1% of total cash income for this reporting period (January 2022 - March 2023). Our only committed expenditure is our monthly bank account fee and Fundraising Regulator annual payment, which equate to approximately £32 over a three-month period. The Trustees feel it is important to safeguard some additional unrestricted funds to cover unexpected costs, such as increased transaction fees. 1% of our total cash income for 2022/3 is approximately £185. This is the minimum amount that we aim to keep in our account over each three-month period.
As can be seen from the previous section, there is more than £185 available as free reserves. These funds may be designated by the trustees to support their strategy of investing more funds in income-generating projects rather than maintenance work.
5.2 Details of any funds materially in deficit
The Charity has no funds which are materially in deficit.
5.3 Principal funding sources
Fundraising comes from a range of sources, such as individual recurring donations, individual one-off donations, school fundraisers at Northbourne Park School, fundraisers run by the trustees, and grant-funding.
5.4 Plans for future period
The Trustees aim to develop the following two streams in 2023: grant-funding and individual recurring donations. This will be achieved by researching appropriate grantmakers and creating a strategy to reach a wider audience of potential donors.
Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Elizabeth Hulton-Harrop (Chair), 2[nd] July 2023
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Unity is Strength 1187516 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 1/1/2022 3/31/2023
Section A Receipts and payments
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts Donations 13,332 Interest 9 Voluntaryreceipts(Gift Aid) 4,035 Fundraisingevents - Grants - - - - 17,376 - - Sub total - Total receipts 17,376 A3 Payments Bank charges 96 International transfer fee to Uganda 150 Donations processing fee 59 Grant - General donations 17,303 Grant - Restricted donations - FundraisingRegulator subscription 100 Transfer feefor Facebookdonations 30 NCVOTrusteeTraining 55 - Sub total 17,793 - - Sub total - Total payments 17,793 Net of receipts/(payments) - 417 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 829 Cash funds this year end 412 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ 1,050 - - - - - - - 1,050 - - - 1,050 - - - - 4,406 - - - - 4,406 - - - 4,406 - 3,356 - 3,356 - Restricted funds |
to the nearest £ Endowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 14,381 9 4,035 - - - - - 18,425 - - - 18,425 96 150 59 17,303 4,406 100 30 55 - 22,199 - - - 22,199 - 3,774 - 4,186 412 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| - - - - - - - - - |
14,381 | 15,768 | ||
| 9 | - | |||
| 4,035 | 2,733 | |||
| - | 865 | |||
| - | 1,000 | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 18,425 | 20,366 | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | 18,425 | 20,366 | ||
| - - - - - - - - - - |
96 | 96 | ||
| 150 | 150 | |||
| 59 | 109 | |||
| 17,303 | 11,038 | |||
| 4,406 | 4,962 | |||
| 100 | - | |||
| 30 | - | |||
| 55 | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 22,199 | 16,355 | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | ||||
| - | - | |||
| - | 22,199 | 16,355 | ||
| - 3,356 | - - - - |
- 3,774 | 4,011 | |
| - | - | - | ||
| 3,356 | 4,186 | - | ||
| - | 412 | 4,011 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details CAF Bank Details Details Details Details Signature E A Hulton-Harrop JEY Hulton-Harrop Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 412 - - - - - 412 - OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Elizabeth Ann Hulton-Harrop Jane Elizabeth Yair Hulton-Harrop Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
|||
| E A Hulton-Harrop | Elizabeth Ann Hulton-Harrop | 30.10.23 | |
| JEY Hulton-Harrop | Jane Elizabeth Yair Hulton-Harrop | 30.10.23 |