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BUILDING
HOPE
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2023 TRUSTEES
Registered Charity No. 1187525
Trustees’ annual report
For the period: 06-04-2022 to: 05-04-2023 Charity name: I AM Charity No: 1187525
Address: 14 Gardeners Green, Rusper, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4QY Trustees: Mr Christian Denson (Chairperson) Mr Paul Keith Baker (Secretary) Mrs Emma Loiuse Denson (Treasurer)
Objectives
We believe that quality of life begins at home. I AM was founded to assist and partner with families and individuals in desperate housing need, with the following objectives:
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The relief of poverty in Uganda through the provision or facilitation of accomodation for the benefit of people in desperate housing need.
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The preservation and protection of health in Uganda through the provision or facilitation of clean drinking water and sanitation and hygiene infrastructure to people in desperate housing need.
Activities
This report covers our second full year of operations since registration with the Charity Commission for England & Wales, on 23-01-2020. Our most significant activity in the period of this report was the completion of our second home build project and the commencement and completion of our first collaborative project with the U.K. based fundraising organisation, You Can Africa (www.youcanafrica.org)
Building Projects
Having commenced our second home build project in January 2022, by April 2022 the main home build was complete and work had commenced on the facilties, such as the rainwater harvesting system, solar power installation, and smokeless oven. Over the course of April and May 2022 all the facilities were completed and the home was painted internally and externally. Ahead of handing over the property, new locks were fitted to ensure that only one set of keys are held, these were passed to Edith (the new homeowner). Working with our local builder and his team, the five month project has provided regular employment, not only for the team themselves but through the local supply chain.
As part of our home builds, pre-moving in, we provide basic furnishings and essential household items. These include items such as: beds, bedding, mosquito nets, table & chairs, crockery, cutlery, cooking vessels, etc. These items were purchased and installed at Edith’s home in May 2022. At this time we also carried out our final inspection of the property with the builder prior to release of the final balance of the construction fees. For more in depth information regarding the home build please see our 2021 - 2022 report, as the majority of this build fell into the period of that report. More details of our home designs can be seen on our website at: https://iamcharity.org.uk/iam-homes/
Registered Charity Number 1187525
I AM, 14 Gardeners Green, Rusper, Horsham, West sussex, RH12 4QY
Activities,
Building Projects continued . . .
In June 2022 Edith and her family moved into their new home and a small handover meeting was held to mark the occassion. For the six month period following moving in, our team met regularly with Edith to provide support where needed, in adjusting to their new home and dramatic change in circumstance.
In September 2022 we began a partnership with the U.K. fundraising intiative You Can Africa (www.youcanafrica.org) to raise funds for two home build projects in the South-west of Uganda. You can Africa have historic links to the South-west region of Uganda, having worked in the Kabale district for many years. Working with the registered Ugandan CBO We Care Uganda (reg no. CBS/005/2023) who provide support primarily for local business and entrepreneurial ventures. An opportunity arose to provide desperately needed housing, which would also serve as local projects hubs, from where We Care Uganda would coordinate their philanthropic activities.
From September to November 2022, through various fundraising events and some very generous donations, the full funds for both home build projects were realised. In late November the first building materials arrived on site at home build no.1 and the foundations were dug. Through November and December the phased build schedule was strictly adhered to, with an emphasis on accountability and governance of funds and expenditure. The team from You Can Africa managed the build in coordination with I AM and the whole project was handled with great integrity, accounting for all expenditure and providing receipts throughout the build and a thorough breakdown of the project expenditure at every stage. The build continued on schedule and budget through to completion in March 2023. We were extremely grateful for You Can Africa ’s excellence in governance of the project expenditure in-country and their commitment to transparency at every stage of the build.
Towards the end of March 2023 plans were being put in place to commence You Can Africa & We Care Uganda ’s second home build project, in the village of Buhara, which would also serve as a community and project hub for teh CBO We Care Uganda . With full funding already achieved this would be another uninteruppted phased building project, managed by I AM and You Can Africa but falls outside of the period of this report.
Emergency Support
Following completion of our second home build project and the family moving into the home, we offer a period of emergency support. This support is a small monthly allowance for basic food stuffs, for a six month period, while the family adjusts to their new living circumstance and are able to stabilise their household income. This support is reflected in our financial statement at the close of this report and is, as mentioned above, for the provision of essential food items during the period of our committment to the project.
The trustee board acknowledge that they have planned activities with due consideration of the Charity Commission’s published guidance on public benefit, with particular reference to guidance on the prevention or relief of poverty for public benefit.
Registered Charity Number 1187525
I AM, 14 Gardeners Green, Rusper, Horsham, West sussex, RH12 4QY
Achievements & Performance
Build partner assesments
In May 2023 our in-country operations manager was able to begin assessment of potential beneficiaries for housing assistance in partnering on a home build project. The need in our area of operation is significant and on this occassion our funding had allowed us to consider two possible beneficiaries. Assesments are undertaken with a great deal of sensitivity and cultural awareness, in order to gather necessary information, while managing expectations. As a member of the community for forty years our Operations Manager is keenly aware of the circumstances of potential benefactors and following his low-key assesments, the trustee board have been able to identify two families in significant need, both of whome are effectively homeless at the time of asesment.
Vocational Training
In January 2023 we met with Edith Zawedde (head of our second home build household) to discuss the possibility of vocational training in a field which she had an interest or particular apptitude. Edith decided she would especially like to pursue a seamstress course and in providing seamstress training and basic essential equipment we have been able to equip Edith to improve the prospect for her whole family. By facilitating increased household income we are able to help in the relief of poverty and accomodate improved access to health care and education for Edith and her family. Edith excelled in her training and is doing particularly well, taking on small jobs initially, but with a hope to build up the volume of work she is able to undertake. Edith is particularly entrepreneurial and we had no concerns that she would make a great success of the venture. During the process it became clear that Edith needed corrective glasses for the close-up work and so we were able to fund an eye test of provision of spectacles for this purpose.
Fundraising
Separate to the fundraising ventures undertaken by You Can Africa , in support of the home builds in South-west Uganda, we have continued to raise awareness of our charitable activities through social media. Our second home build project, completed during the period of this report, was funded entirely through donations from individuals. While we did take some time to submit grant applications to grant giving bodies, we were not successful in attaining any funding via this channel. In large part we put this down to our lmited resources, in particular time, to dedicate to making applications.
Registered Charity Number 1187525
I AM, 14 Gardeners Green, Rusper, Horsham, West sussex, RH12 4QY
Financial Review
Our total receipts on unrestricted funds were £10,030.48 of which £0 was investment income. For the full report period we were engaged in fundraising activities for our second home build project. The net result for the year was a surplus on receipts over payments of £2,693.76 on unrestricted funds. Our balance carried forward at 5th April 2023 on unrestricted funds totalled £2,947.47, with £0 on restricted funds.
Reserves policy
As a small organisation our overheads in the UK are minimal, with 100% voluntary staffing of our UK operation. Presently, our primary activity of home building is undertaken one project at a time, only commencing once the full funds have been raised to complete an entire build project. As such we do not specify any reserve amount of restricted funds for this purpose as we would not consider those funds being raised for a specific identified build project to be ‘in reserve’. We do however aim to hold £1,000 of unrestricted funds in reserve primarily for our secondary objective of the preservation and protection of health.
It is the view of the trustee board that this reserve policy will enable us to adequately meet our charitable objectives for the foreseeable future and realistically represents several months of operational expenditure, excluding specific home build project expenditure.
The trustees will review the reserve amounts required to fulfil the charity’s continuing obligations on a quarterly basis.
Structure, Governance, and Management
I AM operates under the Charity Commission’s Foundation model constitution for charitable incorporated organisations which was adopted on the 17-01-2020. Our Trustee recruitment and induction policy, adopted 01-02-2020, was developed with reference to Charity Commission report RS1 for guidance.
Future plans
With our focus on home build projects we continue to investigate the most cost effective methods of construction, to maximise our available funds. We also continue to develop relationships with local partners that stimulate the rural economy during the periods of our active build projects. Our hope is to establish a dedicated build team who can utilise sustainable building technologies, such as interlocking stabilise soil blocks. Outside of our active projects this team would then benefit from the continued use of the build system to develop more housing locally that is not placing an unsustainable drain on resources.
Registered Charity Number 1187525
I AM, 14 Gardeners Green, Rusper, Horsham, West sussex, RH12 4QY
Financial Statement ~~-~~ for period: 06/04/2022 05/04/2023
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Income 2023
Donations £2,990.00
Fundraising £6,002.98
Gift Aid Payments £1,037.50
Other £00.00
Total Income £10,030.48
Expenditure 2023
Build Project Costs £5,675.99
Training & Education £570.00£00.00
Emergency Support £300.24
Business Start-up £23,346.98£00.00
Uganda Office & Admin £40.00
Media & Promo £00.00
£603.09
UK Office & Admin
Bank Charges £147.40
Total Expenditure £7,336.72
Balance 2023
Surplus/Deficit £2,693.76
Year Opening Balance £253.71
Year Closing Balance £2,947.47
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Outstanding Guarantee & Debt
The Trustees declare that the charity has given no guarantee where potential liability is outstanding at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
The Trustees declare that the charity has no outstanding debts which are secured by an express charge on any of the assets of the charity at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
Registered Charity Number 1187525
I AM, 14 Gardeners Green, Rusper, Horsham, West sussex, RH12 4QY