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2022-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts

Year ending: 31[st] March 2022

Charity Number: 1189286 Report Date: October 2022

Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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Reference and Administration

Name: Fuel Macedonia

Number: 1189286

Principle Office: 3 Greenbanks, Cranham, Upminster RM14 3YR

Names of Trustees of the Charity

IP Coppeard, Chair of Trustees

D Parker

D Woodward

L Smith

M Smith

Names & Addresses of Advisors

Bank: Metro Bank, Romford

Financial advice and Independent Examiner: Mr Stephen Price, Derby

Structure, Governance and Management

Fuel Macedonia, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, is a registered charity, number 1189286, with a constitution dated 10[th] April 2020. The Charity raises funds to support appropriate projects managed by carefully selected Local Partners and Partner Organisations who live and operate in the Republic of North Macedonia in line with the Constitution’s Objects and in accordance with the Charity’s Grant Making and Due Diligence policies.

New Trustees are appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the current Trustees and are appointed indefinitely. The Constitution provides for a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 7 Trustees, all appointed indefinitely. The current Board consists of 5 people who bring the following skills to the operation: the original vision, project and people management, web design and media production, English as a foreign language and other languages, finance (ex-bank manager) and passion for the cause and people.

At the trustees’ meetings the Trustees review the current projects, the level of funding needed and available, and they look at ways of raising the profile of the charity to encourage more giving. They use these opportunities to consider additional grants to projects or the raising of funds for new projects suggested by the Charity’s Local Partners or Partner Organisations.

Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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On appointment new Trustees sign the Charity’s ‘Trustee Code of Conduct’, are made aware of the current Local Partners and Partner Organisations through whom grants are distributed, and the current projects the Charity is supporting. They have access to, and are expected to read, the Charity’s policies on grant making, due diligence, confidentiality, data protection and conflict of interests.

All Trustees give of their time freely and no Trustee remuneration has been paid. Details of Trustee expenses are disclosed in Note 1 of the accounts. Trustees are required to disclose all relevant interests and register them with the Chair of Trustees and, in accordance with the Charity’s policy, withdraw from decisions where a conflict of interest arises.

The major risk for the Charity is the potential failure of a funded project and the effects on the donor(s). Hence the Grant Making and Due Diligence Policies are key in the decision-making process for the agreement to raise funds for a grant or project, therefore, these policies are constantly under review to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose.

Objects and Activities for the public benefit

The object of the Charity is the prevention and relief of poverty and the relief of those in need by reason of financial hardship in the Republic of North Macedonia.

The Charity carries out these objects through (but is not limited to) the following activities:

The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity’s aims and objectives and in considering future activities and the grant making policy for the year.

Grant making policy

The Charity has established its Grant Making Policy to clearly lay out the way the Charity works to achieve the Charity’s objectives (see above). During this first year the trustees have been continually reviewing this policy to ensure it is fit for purpose to advance public benefit.

Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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The Charity’s beneficiaries are all in various degrees of financial hardship and, whilst most of this year’s efforts have centred around the relief of poverty, the Trustees have been very pleased to see the sustainable garden (which is preventing poverty) handed over to joint management of the Roma people for whom it was intended. The beneficiaries have to be known by the Local Partners or Trustees and the Grant Making Policy has been worded to protect abuse of the donations received through Trustee contacts and site visits.

Executive Summary

We, as Trustees, have been very gratified by the response to the appeals we have made for the various projects that have been brought to us by our Local Partners and the following is a summary of our achievements and performance in our first full year of operation from 1[st] April 2021 to 31[st] March 2022:

Relief of poverty & financial hardship

Beneficiaries’ welfare

Sustainable projects

Since the Charity’s year end (31[st] March 2022) we have provided a further

Achievements and Performance

We are so grateful for the generosity of people in the UK (and, this year a few other countries too!) to the people of Macedonia that have made a real difference in the lives of many households. Trustees have had the privilege of meeting some of the beneficiaries who have expressed their gratitude and thanks towards the people who have given so freely – it was very humbling for us.

Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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All the projects we have undertaken to support have been those suggested by our Local Partners and they are all ongoing projects from year to year. The following report gives more details of the projects for the time period from the inception of the Charity to the date of the report.

Relief of Poverty/Financial Hardship:

Winter Heating

In summary this project purchases either firewood or Calor gas, to heat homes during the worst 3 months of the year because the price of electricity for heating is considerable and the gathering of firewood is controlled by the government (there are wood police!).

We now have 2 Local Partners who regularly give us requests for wood:

one in Tetovo/Gostivar, the other in Skopje. Last winter was particularly difficult as it was not only cold but there was the isolation of lockdown and lack of employment causing further hardship through evictions.

This year we were able to buy 81 months of heating for 30 households at a total cost of £4,542.

Food Parcels

Food parcels are never the same – they depend on the makeup and heritage of the family concerned and they vary in price. The parcels are meant to supplement the household’s groceries, not completely provide for them. They average £40 per ‘food parcel’, can also contain cleaning and washing materials, would be for a family of 2 adults and 2 smaller children.

This year we were able to buy 28 food parcels for 13 households (2 of which have been on-going support for families in particularly difficult situations), at a cost of £956.

We have been able to fund a further 5 food parcels for 5 families, in addition to the 2 regulars, at a cost of £574.

Feeding the Homeless in Skopje

This pilot project did not continue during this year as the Local Partner sought other ways of meeting people’s needs. We did however, agree to provide a hot meal a day for a couple of rough sleeping homeless lads. Our Local Partner and we met with a restauranteur local to the lads’ sleeping place and he agreed to supply the meals at a good price and added a couple of weeks at his own cost to the deal. This ended as the restaurant had to closed for the winter after the ‘deal’ had finished.

We have been able to give him £234 which was used in support these young men who we believe are now in a hostel in Skopje and in a far better situation.

Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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Beneficiaries’ Welfare:

Wellbeing sessions

These are run by our Local Partner in Tetovo, who has a venue and brought in speakers where necessary. The meetings were hindered by the pandemic situation and the government restrictions in force they restarted as soon as the restrictions were lifted due to the enthusiasm of the Local Partner and the participants.

These seminars/courses have been funded by Fuel Macedonia, at a cost of £672, and a further £357 to the end of October this year.

We have also been able to fund some specific ‘projects’ for individuals who have had specific needs.

Sustainable Projects:

Shutka Food Garden

This project, set up to “establish a sustainable local food garden which will engage with the community to provide them with supplemental food to meet their physical needs”, was supported by Fuel Macedonia in the garden’s set-up costs and then running costs for 6 months (costing £3,020). The running costs support ended in December 2021 and the garden is now being run by the local Roma people with the support of the Project Leaders.

Food Bank of Macedonia

Fuel Macedonia has been able to provide 3 months’ rent (costing £951) for this valuable organisation that reaches approximately 1,500 households a year throughout Macedonia. We have established a working protocol with the Food Bank so that our Local Partners, having met with the Food Bank can now put in requests for food boxes too.

Financial review

The Charity depends on donations to enable grants to be given. The Charity has no investments or endowments to provide a steady income. Therefore, each new project has to be marketed and have funds raised for it. No ‘promises’ of grants are given for which funds have not already been received or promised.

The Charity has no regular support or governance costs and, therefore, there are no reserves.

Plans for the future

The year’s achievements are a testimony to the generosity of the public responding to a very real need in another country.

Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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The Trustees have been actively developing their relationships with, and encouraging the activities of, all the Local Partners through another year of restrictions and difficult situations arising from the global pandemic, which has caused additional financial hardship to many people in Macedonia, particularly through loss of employment.

We are aiming to continue our ‘winter aid’ of heating materials and food parcels for families in need and to promote these projects to our Local Partners in Tetovo, Skopje and Matka so that we can increase the circle of beneficiaries.

We have been very pleased to see the success of the Food Garden project in becoming largely selfsustaining. The Project Leaders have actioned their plans to set up more food gardens in and around Skopje and these are currently underway

The IT micro-school is still a project that is very dear to our hearts in Fuel Macedonia as it will enable young people to obtain employable skills and the possibility of employment too as the school will have firms already lined up for their students. Currently young people very often look for work abroad, many working in the hospitality industry once having obtained their degrees in Macedonia. We want to see good employment possibilities available in their own country and as this project was first put together by a Macedonian national it has a good chance of success. We know that the originator, Veton Vela is still very keen to get the micro-school(s) started and we are looking forward to working with him when the project starts.

Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards. The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires trustee(s) to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ascertain to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the Constitution. They are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Charity and financial information included on the Charity’s website.

Approved by the Trustees on 15[th] November 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

----- Start of picture text -----
Signature(s)
Full name(s) Ian Paul Coppeard Daniel William Parker
Position Chair of Trustees Trustee
Date 15/11/2022
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Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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Fuel Macedonia Statement of Financial Activities For the period from 01/04/2021 to 31/03/2022

Receipts and payments Receipts and payments Receipts and payments
Receipts Unrestricted
funds
to the
nearest £
11,344
427
1,147
12,918		 Restricted
funds
to the
nearest £
-
-
-
-		 Endowment
funds
to the
nearest £
-
-
-
-		 Total
funds
to the
nearest £
11,344
427
1,147
12,918		 Last year
to the
nearest £
Donations for Projects 11,344 6,692
Donations for Charity
Overheads		 427 508
Gift Aid reclaimed 1,147 525
Subtotal Receipts 12,918 7,726
Asset and investment sales
None - - - -
Total receipts 12,918 - - 12,918 7,726
Payments 956
4,543
234
3,020
951
672
1,415
166
11,957
104
19
-
322
12,401		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 956
4,543
234
3,020
951
672
1,415
166
11,957
104
19
-
322
12,401
Grants for Food Parcels 956 - - 956 1,679
Grants for Winter Heating 4,543 - - 4,543 2,313
Grants to Feed Homeless in
Skopje		 234 - - 234 150
Grants for Shutka Food
Garden		 3,020 - - 3,020 450
Grant for the Food Bank 951 951
Wellbeing Sessions 672 - - 672 515
Miscellaneous Grants (note
2)		 1,415 - - 1,415 868
Charity costs spent in
Macedonia		 166 **- ** **- ** 166 267
Subtotal payments in
Macedonia		 11,957 - - 11,957 6,243
Cost of Grants in exchange
rate fees		 104 - - 104 30
Cost of Donations on
NowDonate platform		 19 - - 19 23
Costs incurred in UK for
Clothing sent (note 3)		 - - - - 113
Charity running costs not in
Macedonia		 322 - - 322 619
Subtotal all Payments 12,401 - - 12,401 7,027

Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total
funds funds funds funds Last year
to the to the to the to the to the
nearest £ nearest £ nearest £ nearest £ nearest £
Asset and investment
purchases
None
- - - -
Subtotal - - - - -
Total payments 12,401 - - 12,401 7,027
Net of receipts &
payments 517 - - 517 699
Transfers between funds - - - - -
Cash funds from last
year end 1,440 - - 1,440 741
Cash funds this year end 1,957 - - 1,957 1,440
----- End of picture text -----

Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Cash funds
Other monetary assets
Investment assets
Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
Liabilities		 Current Account
Total cash funds
Gift aid reclaim
None
None
None		 Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
1,957
1,957
50		 Restricted
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-		 Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
None

Notes to the Accounts

  1. Trustee expenses have only been for reimbursement of items needed to run the charity

  2. Miscellaneous grants are those where an individual need is found and responded to and includes financial assistance for funeral costs and dental bills. Funds are raised specifically for these purposes.

  3. Donated clothes were shipped out to Macedonia and these were the shipping costs

Fuel Macedonia Registered Charity Number 1189286

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