## **Centennial Old Students Association (CEOSA) Trustees Report For Year Ending 31[st] December 2024** ## Organisational structure This has remained the same: As mentioned in previous reports, the charity which gained registration status in May 2021 is under the management of a board of trustees which meets regularly to plan and implement fund raising programmes. They also have the responsibility of identifying specific development projects that the association should undertake on a yearly basis. ## Risk management A system of control is still in place whereby the authorisation, payment and monitoring of the association’s programmes and activities are monitored. Consequently, the payment of any amount of money from the Association’s fund must be approved and ratified by the majority of members. ## Our Vision: Our vision remains the same in which we continue to renovate the infrastructure of our school (Centennial Secondary School) which was vandalized during the Sierra Leone Civil War. Renovation work carried out this year includes: Our ongoing renovation work Centres around the school’s auditorium. We have spent a total of £2000 on renovating this all-important building on the school’s campus. This particular renovation exercise is currently being supervised by one of our members who is now based in Sierra Leone. We are pleased to announce that the results of the GCSE results of the 2023/2024 academic year were extremely good as some of students from Centennial Secondary School made the grade to pursue higher education in our institutions of higher learning. Consequently CEOSA/UK awarded scholarships to three successful students to pursue higher education in our institutions of higher learning. The total cost of the scholarships awarded to the three students was £3000. We also support other charitable organisations that support the welfare of youths in England. In this respect we donated the sum of £100 including various items of clothing toa charity called “MIND” ## Our Mission: Our mission remains the same which is our ardent wish to restore our school to its former glory. From its inception in 1955 on to the late 1980’s, Centennial Secondary School was one of the best schools in Sierra Leone. We are determined to recreate that golden era with the provision of services that will attract very bright students and highly competent and qualified teachers. Consequently, as mentioned in previous reports we have collaborated with other branches of Centennial Old Students Association to the school’s administration with a revolving fund that can be utilised in providing teachers’ salaries as when payment of their salary payment is delayed by the central government. In addition to the above our mission also includes the following: - a) Through the provision of facilities that will encourage aspiring students to achieve academic excellence, such as the supply of much needed text books, scholarships and employing competent and devoted teachers. - b) Recreational and leisure activities will also be provided. This includes supplying the school with sports equipment and prizes for winning participants in sports competitions. ## General Summary After gaining registration status with the Charity Commission both the board of trustees and the executive members of the association drew up a plan of activities that will cover a five-year period that came into effect on the 1[st] of June 2020. This plan will be the guiding principle for our activities in the next five years. The plan includes raising funds raising funds to support our projects. CEOSA continues to carry out fundraising activities annually through the organisation of a dinner and dance. Our next fundraising dinner and dance is scheduled for the 7[th] of June 2025. The renovation of the school’s infrastructure is still an ongoing programme. CEOSA is still engage in the arduous task of completely reroofing all the classrooms in the school. As mentioned last year, Sierra Leone is prone to heavy rain storms and a leaking roof does not provide the right atmosphere for learning. However, we are determined to resume the renovation of the school’s infrastructure. ## Our Strategic Objectives Our strategic objectives are still being pursued with a renewed vigor, despite the fact that we still have a long way to go in the achievement of these objectives. Objective 1: The provision of scholarships to students who pass their GCSE and gain admission to university. ## Achievement We are pleased to announce that another two of the students we have been sponsoring have graduated from university at the end of the 2023/2024 academic year. ## Future Plans We have encouraged all alumni of the Centennial Secondary School all over the world to continue to make positive financial and material contributions towards the development of the schoo l. Achievements: The school celebrated its 70[th] anniversary and former students from all over the world congregated in the school’s campus in January this year to celebrate this ## all-important event Achievement: The auditorium which has been fully renovated is now in use. This has been used by drama students to stage plays. It is also a venue for holding important meetings pertaining to the school. ## **A word of appreciation to our donors** The effort to improve the infrastructure of Centennial is solely dependent on those who patronise our fundraising efforts. Thanks to their generous contributions we have made giant strides towards the regeneration of our school. We also express our thanks and appreciation to those who have made individual contributions towards the development of the school. For instance, we can now boast of one of the best school libraries in the Sierra Leone thanks to the individual members who are still supplying the library with much needed books.