2022-03-31-accounts - Sos Africa

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR END 31[ST] MAR 2022

SOS AFRICA

Registered Charity No: 1188705

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Summary of the Purposes of the Charity

SOS Africa Western Cape Staff and Children

SOS Africa is a small UK based grassroots child sponsorship organisation which funds the education and care of underprivileged South African children from the poorest regions of South Africa. Since 2003 the charity has provided disadvantaged children, from grades 1 to 12, with a personal education programme or learning support scheme tailored specifically to their needs. This holistic approach enables children to break the cycle of poverty and reach their full potential.

The SOS Africa Children's Charity provides:

A Personal Approach – Originally founded by a family from Somerset in the UK, SOS Africa provides a personal approach to charitable giving. Now in its 20[th] year of operation, the charity is still managed by its original founders under the direction of an experienced panel of passionate trustees.
A Holistic Education Programme – SOS Africa provides each of the children in its care with school tuition, after-school care, learning support, holiday workshops, mentoring, counselling, transport, clothing and stationery. SOS Africa’s Education Programmes are tailored to the needs of the children in the charity’s care.
Regular Progress Reports – SOS Africa maintains strong lines of communication between child, organisation and sponsor by providing regular updates including school reports, photo albums, updates via the SOS Africa Children’s Blog and correspondence via email. Sponsors also have the option of visiting sponsored children throughout the process.
Minimal Charity Expenses – Prioritising transparency, SOS Africa guarantees that 100% of donations are invested in the education and care of its children; all UK expenses are covered by Gift Aid. This is possible because the charity only employs one full-time staff member in the UK and invests all resources into its education programmes in South Africa.

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Summary of the Charity’s Main Activities

SOS Africa currently operates in two of the poorest regions of South Africa; Mahikeng (NorthWest Province) and Western Cape. The charity provides underprivileged children from these areas with the following support:

A high standard of education and care within Preparatory, Primary and High Schools with a good reputation throughout local communities.
Safe transportation to and from school.
School uniform and stationery to eliminate potential inequalities and barriers to learning.
After-school care at SOS Africa Aftercare Centres where the children receive lunch, homework assistance, tutoring and extra lessons. SOS Africa also provides each child with a mentor, with whom they can consult about any day-to-day problems which they may encounter.
SOS Africa’s Western Cape Education Centres also provide learning support for students with learning difficulties. This is essential in combating illiteracy among Primary School children (currently 78% of South African Primary School Children between grades 1-4 are unable to read with comprehension).
Extra-curricular activities which include swimming lessons, kung fu and yoga, plus holiday workshops to supplement their education and keep the children safe outside of school hours.

All activities carried out by the SOS Africa Charity fulfil the Charity Commission’s public benefit requirements. The SOS Africa Trustees confirm that all the charity’s operations benefit and empower South African township children through the provision of a high standard of education and care enabling them to break the poverty cycle.

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Summary of the Charity’s Main Achievements

2021/22 Fundraising Achievements

“SOS Africa seemed like the best fit for us as they ensure all the money goes to the children who need it the most. We hope that our small contribution goes some way to giving a bright future to these children who deserve it just as much as the children we educate here in the UK. The staff and our families are looking forward to hearing of their wonderful
achievements and accomplishments." Gavin Paul (Solid Rock and Treetops Owner)

“We are delighted with our community's choice to support SOS Africa as our charity partner this year for their work supporting underprivileged African children. We believe that there is much more to these partnerships than just our financial donation - we aim to promote the work of the organisations we partner with and help them get exposure and build connections. We look forward to sharing SOS Africa's highlights and achievements over the months ahead.” Alex Reynolds (CEO, Teacher Horizons).

“Seeing Matt and the team with the kids left us feeling positive about their future. It can be all too easy to despair of making a difference, but they are driven and ambitious. Whilst there is a very real drive and determination there, it is tempered by an essential appreciation of the challenges, combined with warmth, humour, pragmatism and flexibility. We have no doubt that this is just the start of our own relationship with them.”

Kevin and Louise Studd (SOS Africa Child Sponsors)

Kevin and Louise Studd visiting their sponsored children in Grabouw

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During the 2021/22 financial year SOS Africa achieved an income of £477,500. Although this represents a drop from the £713,000 raised during the previous financial year, this can be attributed to the one-off COVID-19 corporate donations generated throughout 2020/21. Excluding these contributions, SOS Africa’s annual income actually increased in 2021/22.
During this period, only 11% of SOS Africa’s income funded the charity’s UK running costs, all of which was covered by Gift Aid and the SOS Africa Charity Shop.

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Throughout the early stages of the 2021/22 financial year, SOS Africa continued to receive donations towards its COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief Appeal to support residents of disadvantaged communities during the 3[rd] wave of the pandemic.
In addition to donations from SOS Africa charity sponsors and supporters, in October 2021, SOS Africa received a generous corporate donation of £143,000 to support both ongoing education programmes and COVID relief projects. This enabled us to continue funding feeding schemes and food parcel delivery initiatives throughout the Western Cape to ensure that nutritional support was given to those who needed it the most.

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In early May 2021, Hermitcraft celebrities Rendog, Grian, Scar and Bdubs hosted another livestream Minecraft fundraising event and invited thousands of fans to raise funds for the renovation and construction of SOS Africa’s Gordon’s Bay Education Centre. The fundraising target was set at an extremely ambitious £100,000; enough to fund the entire project.

Over the course of a 5 hour live-stream event, over 5000 sponsors from across the world donated in excess of £111,000 – a new SOS Africa fundraising record surpassing the £80,000 raised by Rendog and Grian in May 2020. The SOS Africa Trustees would like to thank Rendog, Grian, Scar, Bdubs and their supporters for their incredible generosity and look forward to updating them on the progress of the building project throughout 2022.

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In November 2021, SOS Africa formed a partnership with a group of pre-schools in Horsham, West Sussex. As part of the exciting new collaboration, the school owner agreed to sponsor the school tuition of 25 SOS Africa Children. The SOS Africa Trustees are extremely appreciative of the support provided by Treetop, Solid Rock and all SOS Africa’s school sponsors.
In early 2022, SOS Africa was voted as Teacher Horizons “Charity of the Year” by their network of supporters across the world. Following the announcement, the Teacher Horizons team decided that it would like to invest its support in tutoring sessions for the SOS Africa children. The SOS Africa Trustees are very excited by this new partnership and look forward to working with the Teacher Horizons Team over the coming months.

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Following the postponement of SOS Africa’s COVID Heroes Wells Cathedral Abseil due to a surge in pandemic infections, the event was rescheduled for June 2022. “The Wells Cathedral Jubilee Charity Abseil” will take place on the 4[th] , 5[th] , 10[th] and 12[th] June 2022 in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
During the 2021/22 financial year, SOS Africa continued to experience a surge in the recruitment of child sponsors from across the globe. By the end of the financial year, SOS Africa’s 240 long-term sponsors generated an annual income of approximately £115,000 for our organisation. This sustainable sponsorship enables SOS Africa to safeguard the long-term education and care of the SOS Africa children.

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SOS Africa Child Sponsors Since 2003
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The 2021/22 financial year saw a resurgence of SOS Africa’s Shepton Mallet Charity Shop takings in the absence of COVID-19 lockdown measures. Whilst many other high street shops closed indefinitely, thanks to the dedication and determination of Shop Manager Lin and her assistants and volunteers, the shop survived the economic downturn and has bounced back as strong as ever. Throughout this 12-month period, the shop managed to generate £20,000 in profits which will be invested in SOS Africa’s 2022 Education Programmes. The trustees would like to thank Lin and her team for all their efforts throughout this challenging time.
The trustees would also like to give special mention to SOS Africa’s Glastonbury Festival Litter Picking Team. After the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 festivals, the charity now has a team of 120 litter picking volunteers ready for Glastonbury 2022. If successful, they will raise in excess of £12,000 for the SOS Africa Charity children.

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Lastly, following on from the fundraising successes of the 2020/21 financial year, the SOS Africa Trustees were able to claim Gift Aid equating to £33,164. Although £6000 less than the previous claim, due to the postponement of offline fundraising events during the 3[rd] wave of the pandemic, this income is vital as it covers UK expenses and guarantees that 100% of all initial funds raised/donated are invested in the charity’s education projects in South Africa.

On behalf of the SOS Africa Staff and Children, the CEO and Trustees would like to say a big thank you to all SOS Africa Sponsors, fundraisers and donors for your incredible support and generosity over the past 12 months:

“It has not been an easy 12 months as the world battles to recover from the long-term socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the exception of COVID-19 related corporate sponsorship, SOS Africa’s income has increased in almost all other areas. This success is down to the hard work of our staff and
volunteers and the generosity of our fundraisers, sponsors and supports; we cannot thank you enough for your ongoing support!”

(Matt Crowcombe, CEO SOS Africa)

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2021/22 Achievements in South Africa

Children supported by SOS Africa Education Programmes throughout 2021/22:

	Scholarship Scheme	Learning Support	Graduated
Mahikeng	11	N/A	8
Grabouw	25	20	1
Somerset West	15	72
Elgin	20	38
Gordon’s Bay	4
Sir Lowry’sPass	3
TOTAL	78	130	9

SOS Africa Education Programme Formats:

SOS Africa Scholarship Schemes

The SOS Africa Charity Scholarship Scheme funds the holistic education and care of underprivileged children from the townships of South Africa, providing each child with the following support:

School tuition at a school partnered with SOS Africa.
Transport to and from school each day.
School clothing, stationery and equipment .

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Attendance at an SOS Africa Education Centre (1.30pm – 4pm each afternoon). The SOS Africa Aftercare Programme provides each child with the following:
Nutrition – home cooked food funded by SOS provided and cooked by staff members. This ensures that the children are receiving a healthy balanced meal every day.
Homework support – including the introduction of reading and maths apps to further support the children who continue to struggle.
Student mentoring – one-on-one support.
Access to an SOS Africa Library and other learning resources.
Life skills tools and education – Brain Gym / Yoga sessions / Mindfully me (meditation tools) / Occupational Therapy / workshops led by our Educational Psychologist on matters such as ‘personal safety’, bullying etc.
Individual support / therapy given to children in each centre who we consider to be ‘at risk’ or not coping in school or at home.
Guest speakers – Police / Heroes in the community.
Holiday programmes aimed at bringing everyone together (staff and children) having some creative fun time outside school. This year we visited the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town.
Provision of a safe space for parents and teachers to meet and discuss progress or intervention plans for children at risk. We have had to facilitate meetings with the school and parents where plans need to be put into place to best support the children.

SOS Africa Learning Support Scheme (8.30am – 12.30pm each day):

Impact of SOS Africa Education Programmes:

Over the last four years SOS Africa has developed the Learning Support Programme offered to the Foundation Phase (grades 1-3) children of our partnering schools. Our staff received excellent basic training and assessment tools through the WORDWORKS “Ready, Steady, Read, Write” Programme which has been adapted to ensure we meet the needs of each partnering school.

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For the most part, each of our tutors work with 2 or 3 children per 40-minute session. These children attend Learning Support four days a week. Every week we follow the same programme of activities but with a new story.

After our 5-minute warm up of Brain Gym; a series of exercises designed to engage learning through movement; the children are relaxed and ready to absorb new lessons.

With each new story the lessons then follow these four predetermined steps:

Reading the new story.
Having discussions about the story highlighting new sounds and words.
Writing or drawing something based on the story.
Playing letter and sound games.

These include playdough (and other tangible materials) to physically shape letters. We also have “Letter Boxes” filled with a random assortment of items; the aim is for the child to pick out the item that begins with the letter on the box. These and many other games are developed to help the child learn through a process of playing and therefore greater understanding.

At the start and end of each term we test the children to assess their progress. Each child needs to progress through three levels of reading proficiency and comprehension before leaving our programme and returning to their classroom having caught up to the level of their

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fellow classmates. Our staff provide regular progress updates to the teachers and we all work together for the betterment of each child’s development.

Ultimately, the aim is not only to teach the children to simply read or write but also to comprehend, to question the story and form their own opinions. In grades 1-3 you learn to read but from grades 4 onwards you have to read in order to learn. If children are not properly prepared in the foundation of their education, with these fundamental yet basic skills, then the rest of the educational development is thwarted.

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SOS Africa Western Cape Scholarship Schemes

SOS Africa Grabouw

SOS Africa Somerset West

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SOS Africa St Michael’s Elgin

SOS Africa Gordon’s Bay

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continued in 2021, we worked hard to ensure that there was a sense of ‘normal’ for our children. In the midst of this pandemic, many struggled financially, and emotionally, and lost so much. With the help of sponsors, volunteers, trustees, and staff members, we were able to bring light to a dire situation. Not only did we support our children and their families, but we also took the initiative to reach out to the broader disadvantaged communities that needed assistance. We are grateful beyond measure for all the love, care, and support constantly provided to us and many others in our communities.” Li-andi Claassen (Operations Manager, SOS Africa Western Cape)

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Here are some of the highlights of the last year:

SOS Africa Launches Gordon’s Bay Education Programme as 20[th] Year Begins

The start of the new school year is exciting for so many reasons… Our staff are reunited with the SOS kids after the long school holidays while the first few days are always filled with the sharing of stories of memorable experiences from the Christmas break. It is also a time for new beginnings as our children begin different grades with new teachers and classmates. But last January had added excitement for our staff and sponsors as our children’s charity launched its new Gordon’s Bay Education Programme.

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Following the founding of a new partnership with Sir Lowry’s Pass Village Primary School in late 2021, this new initiative will provide holistic education and care to children from the Sir Lowry’s Pass community every weekday afternoon.

Currently in the planning phase, next year the charity’s Gordon’s Bay premises will also undergo a complete transformation as the pre-existing property is developed to provide holistic education and care to children across a broad scope of age ranges from the area.

In the meantime, the premises are currently permitted to host up to 6 children at any one time and programme facilitator Teacher Anuska is taking full advantage of this opportunity:

“The children are very excited to be here and throughout the first week we organised fun activities such as painting, sandpit play and gardening to get a sense of how they will work both individually and together as a group.” (Anuska Kroutz, SOS Africa Gordon’s Bay)

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Meanwhile, SOS Africa’s other Western Cape Education Programmes continue to grow and develop: the charity's 4 education centres now provide holistic education and care for 78 children, in partnership with 7 schools across 2 regions. The SOS Africa staff are also trained to provide reading and scribe services and learning support to hundreds of children in attendance at partnering schools.

“I am very excited for the year ahead and wish our team and wonderful children all the best for 2022 – may we all reach for the stars and fulfil our true potential. To our amazing sponsors, we are truly blessed and honoured with the faith you have in us and the limitless support you provide – we couldn’t do it without you!” ( SOS Africa Western Cape Operations Manager, Li-andi Claassen )

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Mondeor Eco School Partnership

With the number of good high schools available to disadvantaged students in the Western Cape extremely limited, in December 2021 SOS Africa formed a new partnership with Mondeor Eco School. Mondeor is a private school based on the outskirts of Somerset West which provides a high standard of education with small class sizes and excellent facilities.

After offering guaranteed places for reduced fees, the SOS Africa staff enrolled 5 of our Somerset West Methodist School graduates to start at Mondeor High School in January 2022. The children, their families and sponsors were thrilled with this opportunity. The SOS Africa staff and trustees look forward to watching them progress over the coming months.

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New Additions to the SOS Africa Family

The Trustees are also delighted to introduce the newest members of SOS Africa’s Western Cape Family, Amoelang, Mpho, Daniel, David, Hayley and Fastlita. These 6 wonderful children all reside with their families on Elgin Orchards Farm and joined SOS Africa’s Elgin Education Programme at St Michael’s Primary school in early 2022.

They have settled in well and already made significant progress at school, thanks to the extra support they receive from The Porta Romana Education Centre staff. As well as wishing the children a warm welcome, The Trustees would also like to thank Educational Psychologist Marja Reid for overseeing SOS Africa’s extremely thorough child selection process.

Tutoring and Mentoring

The SOS Africa Trustees would also like to welcome newly appointed tutor, retired teacher David Mason. David provides invaluable academic support and mentorship to SOS Africa’s High School children in Elgin and Grabouw.

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COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief

When the pandemic first hit South Africa in March 2020 and the country entered its first national lockdown, it quickly became clear that the short-term impact of these extreme measures would be devastating for ‘those without’. In response, SOS Africa launched its Emergency Food Relief Appeal in the hope of raising vital funding to ease the suffering of these communities.

Initially, the Emergency Food Relief Appeal enabled the SOS Africa Staff to supply comprehensive and nutritious monthly food parcels to the families of the SOS Africa children. This enabled us to ensure that our children would be well-nourished during the weeks and months that they were unable to access our education centres. The generosity of our sponsors has enabled us to continue this support throughout the national lockdowns. In partnership with local farms and companies including Emdee Food Group and Econo Foods, SOS Africa’s Claudia has organised locally sourced, healthy food parcels which we still distribute to this day.

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Since the outbreak of the 1st wave of COVID-19 in South Africa, SOS Africa has also partnered with community-based soup kitchens and feeding schemes, enabling them to provide emergency food relief to individuals and families desperately in need of support. 15 months on, this support is still going strong, and we continue to be inspired by the dedication of those providing these vital services.

"SOS Africa purchases food items that allow us to tailor make food parcels to 185 elderly people in desperate situations. In addition, approximately 150 families receive food parcels bi-weekly and the fresh vegetables, fruit and bulk dry goods are distributed to three very busy soup kitchens where 600 meals are prepared each day. Without this incredibly generous contribution, it would be near impossible to reach the numbers that we do. Thank you again Matt and the incredible team at SOS Africa. We love working with you!" (Lorraine Emery, The Village Collaboration)

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Supporting Local Schools and Education Initiatives

In addition to funding its own education programmes, SOS Africa also provides financial assistance to local schools and education projects. The significant increase in funding generated by the charity’s COVID Relief Appeal has enabled the Trustees to provide additional support to many institutions and groups directly affected by the pandemic…

Funding of tables & chairs for 4THE1 Education Charity

Funding of essential sanitation facilities at SLP Primary School

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Funding of learning resources for St Michael’s Primary School

Funding of pathway at St Michael’s Primary School

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Mental Health Awareness

The COVID-19 Pandemic has not only had a significant impact on physical health, but also mental wellbeing. During this time the SOS Africa Trustees have funded vital social worker support at Grabouw High School and St Michael’s Primary School.

SOS Africa Operations Manager Li-andi Claasseen and Social Worker Gershon Witbooi have also organised group mentoring sessions with the SOS Africa children covering important subjects such as identity, bullying, gangsterism, teenage pregnancy and drug abuse.

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Extra-Curricular Activities

Over the past 12 months, the SOS Africa children have also benefitted from a vast array of extra-curricular activities including…

Occupational Therapy

Yoga Classes

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Kung Fu with Sifu Andre

Swimming lessons at Gordon’s Bay with new Instructor Cailin

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Rugby – Springbok hopeful Elvino continues to thrive at Drostdy

Gardening field trips hosted by Hannes from Real Fresh Veg

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Pottery painting trips to The Pottery House in Gordon’s Bay

Parent Meetings

Throughout the past 12 months the SOS Africa staff have also hosted termly meetings with the parents of the SOS Africa children. Parents and guardians play a critical role in their child’s education process; if the parent believes in the process then they are more likely to motivate their child and encourage them when the going gets tough and priorities shift.

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Health and Wellbeing

Safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the children in their care is also a priority for the SOS Africa Trustees. Hygiene packs were distributed to every SOS Africa child this year.

Staff Training

As part of the charity’s holistic training schedule, all SOS Africa staff receive regular first aid training. Further training courses have been planned for the 2022/23 year; upskilling staff is not only important for career development but will ultimately benefit the SOS Africa children.

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Sponsorship of Sir Lowry’s Pass High School Students

With all SOS Africa’s current children fully sponsored, The SOS Africa CEO recommended the launch of a new high school sponsorship programme in Sir Lowry’s Pass Village. This would fund tuition fees and tutoring for students with academic potentional and in early 2022 the first students were enrolled on the programme.

‘The Saints Award 2021’

After a busy 12 months during which the scope of SOS Africa’s support futher broadened to provide essential assistance not just to the children in our care, but also to our partnering schools, SOS Africa Founder Matt Crowcombe was presented with ‘The Saints Award 2021.’

The trustees are hugely proud of the charity’s education intiatives and extremely grateful to SOS Africa’s many sponsors for empowering them with the means to make such a broad lasting impact.

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End of Year Party

What better way to mark the end of a successful year than by hosting an unforgettable End of Year Party? In early December SOS Africa’s Western Cape staff and children embarked on an adventure to Villiera Wildlife Sanctuary. The purpose of the outing was not just to celebrate the year just gone but also to get excited for the year to come.

Throughout the day, the wonderful Villiera staff took the children on game drives across their beautiful estate. In the meantime, they gave the staff free use of the gardens for what turned out to be very competitive cricket matches.

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For lunch they made burgers for the children made by a local regenerative farm. Added to this feast was fresh fruit juice and delicious ice lollies made purely from fruit. They also hosted a hotly contested prize giving ceremony where awards were presented to staff and children across all 3 centres.

The trustees would like to thank event organiser Claudia Titley for arranging this end of year party which was thoroughly enjoyed by both the charity’s staff and children! The bar has now definitely been set for next year’s event!

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SOS Africa Western Cape Staff and Trustees

At this point, the UK trustees would like to congratulate SOS Africa’s formidable team of Western Cape staff and trustees. Particular mention goes to SOS Africa Western Cape Operations Manager Li-andi Claassen and Admin & Finance Manager Rae Morris for working tirelessly behind the scenes to make everything possible.

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Mahikeng Scholarship Scheme

SOS Africa’s Mahikeng Education Programme was first established in January 2003. It began by providing education and care to one child and has grown to support 11 children with eight children having already graduated and now attending further education.

Each morning the children sponsored by SOS Africa’s Mahikeng Scholarship Scheme are transported in the charity’s bus to 3 different partnering schools across the town; Mahikeng High School, Curro Academy School and Golf View High School where they receive a good standard of school tuition. In the afternoons they are collected from the schools and attend SOS Africa’s Mahikeng Education Centre which is based at a residential property at the International School of South Africa. The programme is run by Jenny Matthews and her assistants Elisa, Olebogeng and Othusitse.

Mahikeng is a struggling town surrounded by growing numbers of rural township communities. The town has high unemployment, minimal public services and under-resourced state-funded schools. As a consequence, the barriers to learning faced by the SOS Africa children are significant. SOS Africa’s after-school programme plays a critical role in ensuring that these children receive the holistic care and support they need to beat the odds and succeed. As part of this programme they receive a nutritious lunch, homework support, tutoring and mentoring.

One of the strengths of the programme is the invaluable support provided by our Aftercare Assistants, 2 of which are graduates of the programme. Olebogeng and Othusitse graduated in 2018 and are currently continuing their studies at local varsities. In the afternoons they return to the centre to tutor and mentor the SOS Africa children; they are excellent role models for the younger children who aspire to follow closely in their footsteps.

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Feedback from SOS Africa Mahikeng Operations Manager Jenny Matthews:

Mafikeng High School

“The children in Mafikeng settled in quickly to the new school year and are all doing well. After the disappointing results from a few of the children at the end of last year I am pleased with their efforts this year; they have really turned things around recently.”

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“On the sports field I must congratulate Dimpho for all the trophies and medals she won at the interschool athletics earlier in the year. She won the trophy for being the best U19 athlete. Congratulations as well to Boitshepo and Girly who were selected for the Curro first netball team. Ofentse was selected as Goalie for the U16 Curro soccer team.”

“The three Grade 10s, Kabelo, Kelebogile and Dimpho had very pleasing reports in the first term this year. Dimpho also did very well in term 2. I am especially pleased with Ofentse’s term 2 report. He is repeating Grade 8 and has been struggling with concentration and was not doing his homework. We started a system whereby he must get the teacher to sign a homework book and comment about behaviour in class and if homework was done. Olebogeng senior has been mentoring him and helping him with homework. This system is definitely working which we can see in his improvement last term. I must also commend Dimpho, Boitshepo and Lele for putting in the extra effort with their schoolwork by coming to Aftercare on a Saturday.”

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“Our Alumni are also all doing well. Obu, Othu and Olebogeng are all in their third year at University and doing very well. Othu and Olebogeng are also tutoring our students in the afternoon. Mavis has just registered for her final module in her Business Management Degree and will complete this next year. She had a baby earlier this year. Kgalalelo has been upgrading her matric results and has been entering a few beauty pageants where she has done very well. Kelebogile has a little girl that is now three years old and she is studying psychology through UNISA.”

“On a sad note, Johanna Pienaar our previous trustee passed away. She taught most of our children in Grade 2. She will be missed by the children.

I would like to thank Matt, the SOS Africa Trustees and their sponsors for their support over the past 12 months and hope that we will continue to make you all proud.”

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Concluding Thoughts

Writing a Trustees Annual Report is always a great opportunity to reflect on the collective journey our trustees, staff, volunteers and children have been on over the previous 12 months. At the beginning of the year, the restrictions imposed on the daily lives of South Africans and indeed on the state school system remained in place, impacting heavily on our operations. In spite of these hurdles the trustees are incredibly proud of how everyone has adapted to ensure that the SOS Africa children continue to receive the best possible education and care.

On the fundraising front, the remarkable fact of the matter is that, during the pandemic, instead of stagnation, the charity’s fundraising efforts continue to bear fruit. Thanks to unprecedented corporate sponsorship, a record-breaking online fundraiser and a significant increase in the numbers of child sponsors recruited, our organisation ends the 2021/22 year in a strong financial position. The trustees would like to wholeheartedly thank all our donors, fundraisers and sponsors for their incredible generosity over this period.

As a consequence of this invaluable support, this document has hopefully demonstrated how the scope of our charity’s support has also grown over this time, to provide vital assistance to more people than ever before. Not only have the numbers of sponsored children increased to 78, with 9 children having already graduated, SOS Africa’s Education Centres are now providing learning support to more children than previously. The trustees are also extremely proud of the impact made by our Covid Relief Fund which continues to provide vital assistance to those directly affected by the pandemic. And perhaps most significantly of all, the young adults who have completed our education programmes have taken full advantage of the opportunities now available to them and are even ‘paying it forward’ by assisting other impressionable and ambitious children following closely in their footsteps.

And indeed, it is not only the future of our high school graduates that looks bright, with more growth and development on the horizon including plans to assist young adults who have not benefitted from an education, early on in the 2022/23 financial year (watch this space).

None of this would be possible without the dedication of CEO Matt Crowcombe, Operations Managers Li-andi and Jenny and their incredible team of staff and volunteers. The trustees would like to congratulate them all for the life-changing difference their efforts make to the lives of so many!

Lasty, the trustees would like to welcome Gavin Thompson to the UK board of trustees and thank Richard Long for his service after stepping down from his role this year. We look forward to working with Gavin, and all trustees, in ensuring that the charity continues its success and growth in delivering holistic learning support to disadvantaged children across South Africa, providing empowerment through education to break the cycle of poverty.

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR END 31[ST] MAR 2022

SOS AFRICA

Financial Review

Review of SOS Africa’s Financial Position

At the close of the 2021/22 financial year, SOS Africa is in a strong financial position. As previously demonstrated, this has resulted from the successes of SOS Africa’s Emergency Food Relief Appeal, donations from corporate sponsors, foundations and community groups, increases in child sponsors, online and offline fundraising and Gift Aid claims.

Whilst investing this income in both new and existing SOS Africa Education Programmes, funding has also been kept in reserve to secure the long-term educational development of the children supported by the charity.

As previously mentioned, only 18% of SOS Africa’s 2021/22 annual income was required to cover the charity’s UK running costs. These expenses were easily covered by SOS Africa’s Gift Aid claims and charity shop takings.

Policy for Holding Reserves

Each year SOS Africa holds reserves to ensure that the charity can guarantee the long-term education of all the children within its care, in line with the charity’s policy never to remove a child from schooling for financial reasons.

Amount of Reserves Held

Following the close of the 2021/22 financial year, SOS Africa held £286278.49 in reserve. This is enough funding to safeguard all SOS Africa’s Education Programmes for a further year. This is particularly important given that the COVID-19 Pandemic is likely to impact the health and wellbeing of the adults and children in our care and continue to disrupt SOS Africa’s fundraising activities throughout the 2022/23 financial year.

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR END 31[ST] MAR 2022

SOS AFRICA

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document	Constitution
How is the charity constituted?	Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions	New SOS Africa trustees are appointed by resolution of the current trustees. For example, if one trustee resigns, the remaining trustees will appoint a replacement.

Reference and Administrative Details

Charity name	SOS Africa
Registered charity number	1188705
Charity’s principal address	SOS Africa 21 High Street Shepton Mallet Somerset BA4 5AA

Names of Charity Trustees who Manage the Charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any)
Matthew Davies	Chair of Trustees	N/A	N/A
Gavin Thompson	N/A	N/A	N/A
Kim Williams	N/A	N/A	N/A
Alex Dyer	N/A	N/A	N/A

Names of Chief Executive or Names of Senior Staff Members

SOS Africa CEO: Matthew Crowcombe

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR END 31[ST] MAR 2022

SOS AFRICA

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity trustees:


Signature
Full Name	Dr Matthew Lloyd Davies
Position	Chair of Trustees, SOS Africa
Date	27/09/2022

SOS Africa			1188705
Receipts andpayments accounts					CC16a
For the period from	1st April2021	To	31st March 2022

Section A Receipts and payments	Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ - - - 226 - 33 165 20 000 - 53 391 - - - 53 391 - 323 798 9 457 36 164 4 480 1 500 - 307 - 53 029 - - - 53 029 362 - - 362	Restricted funds to the nearest £ 92 769 172 123 742 - 173 849 - - 33 600 424 131 - - - 424 131 433 668 - - - - - - - - 33 600 467 268 - - - 467 268 - 43 137 - 329 053 285 916	Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Total funds to the nearest £ 92 769 172 123 742 226 173 849 33 165 20 000 33 600 477 522 - - - 477 522 433 668 323 798 9 457 36 164 4 480 1 500 - 307 33 600 520 297 - - - 520 297 - 42 775	Last year to the nearest £
Child Sponsorship	-				77 086
Offline Fundraising	-				2 136
Online Fundraising& Donations	-				107 162
Bank Interest	226				105
Donations	-				477 264
Gift Aid	33 165				39 234
ShopSales	20 000				10 000
GlastonburyLitterpickingDeposits	-				-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	53 391				712 987

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-
	-				-
*Sub total*	-				-
*Total receipts* A3 Payments
					712 987

Education Programme in South Africa	-				529 279
Website Fees	323				390
Bank Charges / Just GivingFees	798				562
Tax / National Insurance Payments	9 457				9 334
Wages / Pension	36 164				34 684
Printing/ Travel	4 480				3 197
Event Expenses	1 500				-
Funds Raised for Other Charities	-				-
Accounts / Prof Fees	307				235
GlastonburyLitterpickingDeposits	-				-
**Sub total **	53 029				577 680

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
	-
	-
**Sub total **	-				-
*Total payments* *Net of receipts/(payments)* A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year end*
					577 680

	362	- 43 137	-	- 42 775	135 308
	-	-	-	-	-
	-	329 053	-	329 053	193 745
	362	285 916	-	286 278	329 053

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

2022/05/12

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds	Details Details *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) SOS Africa UK HSBC ACCOUNT Details Details Details Signature	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 362 285 916 - - - - 362 285 916 OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Matthew Lloyd Davies	Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			OK
			Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			When due (optional)






			Date of approval
		Matthew Lloyd Davies	27/09/2022

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

2022/05/12