FUTURE ACADEMY Annual Trustees, Re ort Period Ending: 31 December 2023 Future Academy Reference and Administratlon Information: Registered Charity Number 1187737 Date of Registration.. 04.02.20 Registered Address: Brierley, First Avenue, Frinton-on-sea, Essex C013 9EX Email: contact@future-academy.net Website.. www.future-academ .net In5tagram: @futureacademy.socia Trustees Christopher Watts (Chairl Stephen Appleton- resigned 03.02.23 Antonia Elliott- appointed 10.11.23 Alex Fisher Damlen Gabet Molly Graves- appointed 29.10.23 Max Montgomery Rob Pi18rim - resigned 26.10.23 James Watts Jane Watts Senlor Mana ement team Christopher Watts {C<FFounder; Chair of Trustees; Future English Lead) Jane Watts {Treasurer; Governance Lead; Education Consultant) Ahmad Al Jamal ICo-Founder: Operations Lead-Beirut; Future Football Lead) Mahmoud Al Jamal (Deputy Lead- Beirut; Securty Lead) Consultants Omar Adi (Partnerships) Meriem Cheikh (Web design) Bankers Cashplus Bank. Cottons Centre, Cottons Lane, London SEI 2QG Future Academy was re8iStered by The Charity Commission as a CIO in February 2020 (No. 11877371. This is the report of the Trustees for the year endin8 31 December 2023.
Aims and Objectives The Future Academy Trustees revtew the aims objectives and activities of the charity each year in January. This report looks at what the chartty has achieved: the outcomes of its work in the reporting period and the benefit brought to the young people it supports. The Trustees have referred to the guidan contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charivs airns and objectives and in planning Its future artbvities. In particular, the Trustees consider how the planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set. The objects of Future Acodemy arefvr the public benefit to odvunce in lift ond relieve the needs of young people up to the age of 18 Ilving in refvgee comps in Beirut by." a) Developing theirskills capacit5 and capabilities to enable them to porticipote in society u5 independen¢ mature ond responsible individu¢715.- b) Advoncln9 educotion,- c) Providing recreotional ond leisure time artivity in the interests of sociol welforeforpeople living in the oreo of benefit who hove need by reoson ofthelr youth, oge. infimiity or disobility. poverty orsoaol and economic clrcum5tances with a view to improwng the conditions of life of such persons. Future Academy was Co-founded in 2019 by Christopher Watts, a travel wrfter and Engllsh teacher, and Ahmad Al Jamal. the first Palestinian refugee to play football in the Lebanese premiership. Their friendship is based on a love of football and a passlonate belief that edUCan should be freely available and accessible to all children. Future Academy was registered as a UK charity in February 2020 and currently provides educational. sporting and teisure actlvitres for chlldren In two Beirut refu8ee camps: Burl Barajneh and Shatila. In 1948-9 the Red Cross estsblished 12 refuBee camps in Lebanon for Palestinian refugees. They were meant to provide temporary housin& yet 75 years later thousands of stateless Palestinians still live in the crumbling camps alongside large numbers of Syrion refu8ee5, refugees of other nationalit5 arHI some of the poorest Lebanese families. Conditions in the camps are dire. characterised by overcrowdin& poor quality housing. unemployment, poverty and lack of access to education. health servi$ and justice. Future Academy aims to deliver activitles that will further its objects. These include football coachlng: football toumaments: classes In English language. mathematics. PSHE, art & crafts and vocational skills: leisure activitie5 and sportingleducational field trips Sn wlder Beirut. All adbvities are rlsk assessed at the planning stage and a8ain before implementation; they are revlewed afterwards to evaluate their success and impact. Futu Academ5 operations are overseen by co-fouThlers Christopher Watts and Ahmad Al Jamal. Ahmad is Operational Lead in Beirut and Head of Future Football. as a refugee who used sport and English to change hls future, he is uniquely placed to inspire others and to lead Future Academy in Beirut. Ahmad grew up in Burj Barajneh- his local knowled8e and contacts are integral to our acceptance in the camps and ultimately our success. Chris is Chalr of Trustees and Head of Future English; he spends 8 months a year in Beirut. as a volunteer. His role is multifaceted.. making connections and rdising the profile of Future Academy in wider Beirut: rnonitoring the end use of funds,. safeguarding: curriculurn devek)pment: assessment & pro8ress lead: mentorship of local teachers; and as a volunteer teacher. Apart from Chris. all our team in Belwt are from the local refugee community.. our operational team is SUPPOrted by volunteers in the UK and USA. Future Academ s aims for 2023 were to: 11 Maintain our current provision In ljoth Burf Bardjneh and Shatlla Camp5 This was ochieved infull. with session5 runningforS2 week5 of the year. The number of children attending Future Acodemy ortivities hos nsen to 150. 21 Create a second girls, cla55 in Buri Barajneh Funding receivedfrom tru5teeAlex Fisherond Thejephcott Choritt7ble Trust have enobled u5 to expond ourglrls. provision. The two groups run concurrently with students split by oge and obility.. we now have os mt7ny girts os boys attending ourschool.
31 Estsblish a youth dub for older students During 2023 ¥ve established o toble tennis clubfv our olderstudents. We a150 show CIM7mpion5 Le(wue and Internotionolfootboll motches on TV, providing 0sofes(Kial environmentfor these students. Achievements and Perforrnan 2023 Future Academy believes that education shotsld be freety available aThl accessible to all children. Lebanon ha5 the highest proportion of refvgees in the world: education is a human right. yet in Lebanon rnore than 40% of school- aged refugees are not enrolled in education. Forgirls the situation is even worse- onty 27% of ftmale refugees complete secondary school IUNHCR 20221. Future AcademWs provision is needs-based: durin8 2023 we have provided educational, swrting and leisu activities to at least 150 refugee children in Burl Barajneh and Shatila camps, Beirut. Future Football Future Football sessions are led by a qualified local coach (Asian Football Federation Accreditation). 5UPPOrted by at least one asSi5tsnt coach. Sessions focus on the acquisition of football skills. tactics. fair play and fun: groups are split accordin8 to age and ability. Gifted players have access to professional trials, aPprenteShIpS and coaching badges. Ex-professional footballers provide mentorship to students. Monthly award5 are 8iven for attendance, improvement, fair play and leadership. More than 120 children have attended fts)tball sessions this year, includin8 our first dedicated girls. group. We are grateful to KitAid, Watford FC. Aston Villa and FC Clacton for providing kit for our teams and coaches. Many thanks to coaches Salah (Buri Barajnehl and Mahmoud IShatlla} and their teams of dedicated asslstsnt coaches for delivering such high-quality coaching. I Illl )'1!&41 ) I Football Tournaments Football toumaments allow students to test themselves competiti4Ely agalftst thelr peers: they also provide a ra opportunity for Palestinian and Syrian familie5 to soclallse together, helping to promote community coheslon. In 2023, Future Academy held 2 large tournaments for players from both Burl 8arajneh and Shatila camps= The Future Cup and the inaugural ESR Tournament (Every Single Refugee). We are very grateful to Les Rowe and Emile Smith-Rowe IArsenal & England) for the support they have gtven us this year. football kit. boots, trainer5. backpacks and some of Emile's prIlesS England and Arsenal memorabilia.
Future English 04Jr school is located in 8urj Barajneh Camp; co-founder and Chair of trustees, Chris Watts, leads a dedicated team comprisinE TEFLualified. native English speaking volunteer teachers and local, bilingual teachers. Roughly 50% of our students attend the UNWRA school part time, the remainder had never been to sclKJoI before. Our students, life experiences are very different from their noTr-refvgee peers. so they need a curriculum that is relevant to the specift chaifenges they fa. Classes a small: we use games as a tool to ifflprove academic performance and to build resllien- making learning active and fun. Our flexible. non-formal edutbon programme aim5 to protect. educate and empower: it is centred on the 4 purposes of learning: vol." to be able to exp$$ ideas and opinions. with the cOnfenCe that they will be heard and understood. Access: to be able to access inft)rmation 50 that they can or¥ent themselve5 in the world. Independence.. to be able to solve problems and make decisions independently. without having to lY upon others. 8ridge to the fvture: to acquire the skills they need to be active participants in a thanging world. We provide children with a minimum of 5 sesslons per week. 52 weeks of the year. These include English, mathematics. PSHE, art & crafts, age-appropriate vocational skills, Sport and an enrichment programme of extra- curricular activities. Children also have attess to the school library and afterschool club. Gender equality In the aassroom By the end of 2023 we achieved our aim of having as many gir15 attending our sthool as boys. Enrlthment Programme In 2023 we created an enrlchment programme to 8ive students opportunrties for extracurricular activities. This was great success and provided students with days out, sports competitions. creative workshops and challenges. We are very grateful to our Specialist volunteers: hainlres5er Claire Lee and musician Kevin Safadi for their inspiring contribution r lrnpact Our provision is needs-based and constantty evolving to enable us to best support our student5. In line with UN Su5tsinable l)evelopment Goals 4 and 5.- "Ensure inclusive and equitable qualtty education and promote lifelong learnin8 Opportunities for all. and -Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girl<, we pledge that every student that enters our school will leave wtth a better understanding of the world and how to access it. The impact of our provision is an improvement in literacy skills. numeTrcy and general krK)wledge; enhanced communication and social skills.. improved self-esteem. self-re11an and the capacity to self-advocate," increased confidence, emotional well-being and resilience. Recreational and leisure attNities provide a welcome respite from the harsh reality of daity life. The longer-term irnpact will be increased employTh*nt opportunities enabling students to participate fully in society.
Communlty Relatlonshlps Future ACademS commitment to the children of Buri Barajneh and Shatila is long tem: Ahmad, FA'S cTrfounder and Future Football Director, was a child refugee who spent part of his childhood in both camps. becoming a professional footballer: he is well known and respected. Our football coaches. teachers and security stsff are all from the local refugee community: their input helps refine and expand our provision. The communitie5 are now familiar with our programme of activities and children are keen to participate. The ongoing economic and political crisis In LebaTh)n has made life even more challenging for the refugee community. Rival armed, political factions jostle for supremary control. the falkiut impacts the communty. our students and sometimes our artivities. The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas is causing anxiety and sadness as many of the community have relatives in Gaza and the West 8ank. There are daily skim)i5he5 on the southern Lebanese border and there is fear that hostilities will spread to Beirut. However, Lebanon is currently described 35 Stable and our charitable activities continue as rrmal. this fragile stability could chawde without warnin8 50. for now, we have decided not to allow vlsltors In to camp. Volunteer Contrlbutlon Without the si8nificant contribution of volunteers, Future Acaderny would be unable to deliver its activlties to 50 many children. In addition to the time doTrated by Trustees and occasional volunteers. the contribution5 provided by our key management personnel. consultants and volunteer teachers equate to more than 48 hours per week. Future Plans Our aims for 2024 are to". 11 Malntaln our ¢urrent provlsion in both Burj Bardjneh Shatlla Camps- 150 children 21 Open a second school In Shatila Camp- in the first phase. all students attendin8 football coaching in Shatila will be offed places. the second phase will work towards our aim of gender equality In the classroom. Public Benefit The Trustees confim that they have complied with their dirty to have due regard to the guidan on public benefit published by the Charity Commission In exercising their powers and duties. The public benefit of the Charitfs activities is to advano in life and relieve the need5 of young people Irrfing in refugee caFnps in Beirut- this is achieved principally by providing the children with regular educational and srKJrting actrvities. Structure. Governance and Mana8ement Future Academy was registered as a CIO with the Charitie5 Commission in February 2020. The governing document is the Charity Commission's Foundation Model Constitution. Future Academy has a board of eight Trustees. who have a varied skillset. In 2023, two trustees made self-funded trips to Beinrt to meet the team, verify the end use of funds and to see the impatt of our work. The senior management team ISMT) ha5 day-to-day responsibility for the running of Future Academy. This comprises co-founders Chris Watts (Chair of Trustees) and Ahamd Al Jamal (Operational Lead) along with Mahmoud Al Jamal ISecurFty Lead) and Jane Watts IFinano/Governance). SMT report to the board of tnjstees every three months. The Trustees will consider recruitment of new Ttustee5 as the need ariw. Appltcations from suitsble candidates would be sought by identifying specvfic gaps in professional ski115 and seeking recommendations of professionally qualified candidates. if necessary. placing advertisements in suitable publications. Applicants would be provided with an information pack outlining the history of the orgènisation, its strutture. activities and objettives. roles and expectations of Trustees plus other relevant supportirE inforniation. yi74141
The board holds an AGM where the budget and aims for the following year are agreed. Policies are reviewed by the Trustees on an annual basts olon8 With the risk register. The board are committed to developi a training budget 50 that Future Academy Trustees and the wider team are appropriatety trained for their roles. 2022Tralnl 2023 Trats Safeguarding in an internalional uintexl Wothing iternabonaty- an tris• arbj rnanag8m8ftt fOrthlS ChiKI PiotKth)n' Chthknn'5 R4hts in Thew and pr• IH8Nard Unwer5ty1 Risk$ aThJ requirements OFeratw in cash irthrnats Loc41 staff trainw (Beirutl.. safeguarding. first ahl & s8oJr DelNered by Future AcalemyRJ croSNRWA repwr3 ' L(1 staff Irdillry IBnJtl.' Salegualry, first aK1 & securty Financial Review Future Academy raises funds from tre public, indNidual donors, fvndraising events, charitsble trusts and corporate sponsors; we do not use professional fundraisers. We claim Gift Aid on all qualifying donations. In 2023 total receipts of funds were £43,079.. £24.285 were funds restricted to specific projects e.g. girls, educatlon and £18.794 were unrestricted funds. Expenditure totalled £41,144 leaving a net balance on 31 December 2023 of £20.816. Future ACademS main expenses are staffing and rentlutilities in Beirut. We estimate that the cost of activities planned for 2023 to be £53.(KM) and we expect to have income of £57,LK(I. Loan repayments of £1.750 were made to the Chair of Trustees. [In June 2019. the Chair of Trustees made a 5-year, interest-free loan of £50 to Future Academy. This is the second repayment,. the remaining £1,750 is due by 31 May 2024]. Remuneration of Key Management Personnel Future Academy does not pay any UK-based Key Management Perwnnel. Remuneratlon of Lool (BeIr) Personnel Our policy is, wherever possible, to employ staff from the refugee community. Local football coaches and assistant teachers are paid by the se55ion, in USO. In 2023 we had 12 local staff on our team- 9 rnaie and 3 female, all from the fugee community. Staff costs for deliverlng charitable attNities in Beirut was £18,889. Future Academy does not pay expenses to trustees for carrying Out theif trustee duties. Volunteer Expenses UK-based volunteer teachers. who commrt to spending at least one month in Beirut, have accommodation. electricity and travel costs met: trustees may also be volunteer teachers. In 2023, one teacher {co-founder and Chalr of Trustee5) spent 254 days volunteerin8 in Beirut; volunteer costs amounted to £8801. R•seryes Pollcy The Trustees aim to maintain reserves allowing Flrture Academy artivities to run for 3-6 months. This provldes stsbility and enables us to honour our commitment to the children of Burj Barajneh and Shatila. whilst ensuring that excessive funds are not accumulated. The adequacy of this policy is wiewed annually. Detalls of Any Funds Materially in Defidt The Trustees decla that the chartty had no funds which were materially in deficft at the date of the statement of assets & liabilitie5. Partkulars of Any (knsEandin8 Guarantee Given by the Charity The Trustees declare that the charty has 8tven no guarantee where potential liability is outstandin8 at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities. Particulars of Any Outstandlng Debt The Trustees declare that the charity has no outstsnding debts which are secured by an express tharge on any of the assets of the charity at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
Risk The major risks to which the Chartty is exposed have been identifd by the Tnth: procedures established to mitigate these risks are monitored and reviewed regularty and have been recorded in the risk register. Three major risks have been identified and arrangements ha been put in pla to miteate these risks. Securi Issues: This could include clashes between camp residents and the surrounding Lebanese oreas over resources such as fuel, or over personal disputes: clashes insJe camp between different arnied fartK)ns or refugees. Mitigations include: Dirert ac55 to the latest security briefiw from UNRWA and Red Cross18eirut}. Established communication chain between security lead. head of operatM)ns and staff leading actNities to ensure all staff and students are inforrned. Artivities will be postponed when safety is compromised. Volunteerlstaff safeguarding guide outlines procedures for such inudents. Ensure valuable itern5 (IT equipment) are kept securely- either offsite or in a l(Kked cupboard. Armed Politic ons within Rival amied. litiCal factK)ns jostle for supremacy and control; the fallout impact5 the community. our students and sometimes our actpiities. Our charter is very clear: We are apolitical. Our children are victims of history." we don't take sides in thefightfor theirfuture. We do not turn owoy anyone who wants to learn. We do not acceptfundingfrom politicol organi50tions or their affiliate5. Mitigations include= Maintain a neutral, non<onfrontational position. Deliver some activitie5 off-site e.g. football training. Restrict the number of visitors to camp to those that are essential for the delNery of charitable activities and governance. Fina Financial risk relates rnainty to establishin8 Stable revenue streams and 0r5eaS currency fluctuations- our revenue Is in £ sterling-but most payments made in Beirut are in Lebanese lira Iconverted from US dollars). Since the start of the financial crisis in 2019, the national currency of Lebanon has lost more than 90% of its value. On l February 2023 the Central Bank reset the currency pe8 at LL 15,(KX) per US dollar. By mid-march 2023, the "parallel marketr rate had fallen to LL I(Xi.IXilJnflatton Is high (Dec 2023= 211.9%) and prices have risen dramaticalty. Poverty is now wldespread, and this is espectally true within the refugee camps. Durlng 2024, we expect the cost-of-livin8 crisis in the UK and the GBP-USD exchange rate to contlnue to have an impact on our income and expenditure in Beirut. Mitigatlons include: Maintain and develop relationships with existing funders: provlde quarterly newsletters and personalised feedback to demonstrate the impact of their funds. Follow the Charity Commission Toolkit guidance relatin8 to "MOVI handling and receiving fund5 safety when working in the UK and intemationallf. Ichapter 4] FA internal financial controls FY)licy is reviewed anfiua to ensure it is robust. full arKI proper written records are kept.. all transartions a monitored. The formal banking systern is used whenever rM)ssible and appropriate. Risk assessment undertaken before using alternative methods for transferring fijnds Local staff {Beirutl a paid in USD Signed on behalf of Future Academy Twstees: C. bJhTTS J. LJPr-
Inde ndent Examinerfs R ort to the Tn of Future Acade Independert examin•rt r•port to the trustees of FUrn Academy I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the arntS of FutureAcademy for the year ended 31 December 2023. Responsibilities and basis of rnport As the charty trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of1he aC)xnts in aux+rdanc ryth th8 requirements of the Chaiities Act 2011 ('the Act,). I report in resped of my examination of the TNst's accounts carried out under sedion 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination, I have fo11ryEd all alIcable 'reC110ns given by the Charity Commission under sedion 145{5)(b) of the Act. Independent examinerfs statèm•nt I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have com8 to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to beliève that in any material respect.. accountiNJ records ere not kept in resped of the Trust a$ required by section 130 of thè Act., or the aUnIS do not accord wrth those records: or the accounts do not mplY Y•ith the applt<le requirements conceming the form and content of accounts set out in the Charrties {A(uunls and Reports) Regulations 2Crf)8 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view is not a matter o)nsidered as part of an independent eXana.on. I have no concems and have come acxosg no other matters in conneclion wth the examination to v*hich attention should b8 dra i) this report in order to enable a propw understanding of the acxx>unts to be reathed. Mark Thompson FCGI PG Lemon LLP Chartered Certffied Accthnt8nts Unicom House 2211222 Shoroditth High Stre8t London E16PJ Date: 14 May 2024
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENfjLAND AND WALES 118n37 Recei tsand ents accounts CC16a Forthe poriod 01-JaTr23 To 31-D8c-23 Section A Receipts and payments Unr8s¢ri¢t•d R••irKi•d fund5 funds Total fund8 L•st ye8r A1 Re¢el ts Vdunt•y RKdp GrantB Gfft Akj 27.941 24215 4.507 4,507 ross ncorne AR) 18.794 41310 an •e• tsble 4Jm A3Pa ents 1¢101 333 T61 Sub tot 10 27A62 Loon Rèp8 1,500 4,039 5,$5> Sub (o 1,750 11326 22.918 33.021 Net of receip{payMents} AS Transfers b•twwn funds A8 Cash funds last Jpar end Cash funds thls yearend 8.189 11263 20016 18,8B2 CCXX R1 accolmts ISS ¢)810112024
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Endowment runds b) rb•aT••t£ Categorfes Detsl lunds B1 Cash funds 10,103 4562 2,160 Totsl cash funds 12.263 R•¥trletfjd Endowm•nt fund5 lund lund• DetaS1$ ) n•ar•st E Detai15 Co•¢ B3 InStmant au•tA Dotallg B4 A6•ets r•taln•d for th• charl1 own uso du• Delails B5 Llabllltles 1.750 31.0&24 SvJn8d by one Inth8S ( behalf of all th8 Ir*88 Signth Date of roval 13-3.2 CCXX R2 acrounls ISSI 0810112024
Future AdemY 1187737 A3. Palts Charftable Actlvltlos Wages Pitch Hire School Rent + Utilities Transport Staff Tratning Volunteer Expenses Resources Total T4)lal 18889 3193 3341 9970 2540 1114 8919 654 2227 529 104 8320 1651 22405 52 156 2540 38509 16104 G¢)v•rnance Accountancy Fees Bank Charges Monitoring End Use of Funds Total 176 244 420 59 236 82 326 141 562 G•noratlng Fund8 Fundralsing equipmant Websito Total 12 124 136 16 172 28 296 324 A4. Asset & Investment purcha Loan R•paymont 1750 1750 Tolal Payments 2023 22918