## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 1 April 2023 Period start date To 31 March 2024 Period end date Charity name: FREETOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS EX PUPILS ASSOCIATION, UK & IRELAND** ## **Charity registration number: 1191039** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The advancement of quality education,
particularly for the pupils of the Freetown
Secondary School for Girls, Sierra Leone. (2)
Support and assist the provision of educational
facilities and a safe learning environment for
pupils at the Freetown Secondary School for
Girls,resultingin improvedpupils’ outcomes| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**Luncheon Sale**
We had a successful Luncheon Sale on 10 June
2023 that was well attended and we raised a
substantial amount (See account).
**Africana Night**
Our Africana night on 23 September 2023 was
a huge success despite the low turnout from
members. However, we had the support from
non-members and it turned out to be one of
our most successful events.
**Thanksgiving Service**
Our 39thAnnual Thanksgiving Service on 21
January 2024, celebrating our Alma mater’s
98thanniversary was conducted in person at St
Giles Church, Camberwell. This was a
successful event.
Thanks to all our members, patrons and
supporters for their continued support and
donations made towards the above fundraising
events.| |||We continued with our monthly meetings,
virtually and we had three face to face
meetings which were also successful. We had
the privilege to meet with and socialise with
some of our senior members who are
disadvantaged by technology and have not
been able to join in, on our Zoom meetings.
Our members continued with their annual
subscription and voluntary donations.
Trustees are aware of the Charity Commission
guidance on public benefit/funds and that
none of the income of the charity may be paid
or transferred directly or indirectly by way of
dividend, bonus or otherwise by way of profit
to any member of the charity. All funds raised
are for public benefit.| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|Our policies include Code of Conduct (Bye
laws), Equal Opportunity and Diversity,
Safeguarding, Volunteering, Functions and
duties of charity trustees. The charity is
managed by the Trustees, headed by the
President (Chair) of the organisation. The
organisation works in partnership with other
alumni branches in Sierra Leone, The Gambia
and the United States. The trustees manage
the affairs of the charity in good faith and with
due regard to the will of members to further
the purposes of the CIO. Trustees have a wide
range of special knowledge and experience and
show due consideration to any major risks that
the charity may be exposed to and have
established procedures in place to Manage
them.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|**N/A**| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|**N/A**| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|The charity is made up of ex-pupils (Alumni)
who are volunteers and give up their time,
financial contribution and expertise to improve| the standard of the organisation and increase our fund-raising efforts. Other ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**2023 -2024 in review**
**Fundraising events**
Our three main fundraising events i.e.
Luncheons Sale, Africana Night and
Thanksgiving were all successful and made
profits for the association.
**Annual returns**
We successfully submitted our third Annual
Returns and within the time frame.
**Bank accounts**
We are managing three accounts with Metro
Bank. We hold two Currents Accounts, one of
which is our Subscription Account and the
other our main account. The third account is
our Savings Account.
**Project**
In March 2023, we embarked on refurbishing
and equipping the Foods & Nutrition room and
the Clothing & Textiles room as our identified
project in the school. The refurbishment has
been completed and the pupils now have a
well-equipped Foods room to do their
practicals and external examinations.
This project was split into two halves due to
the financial costs. Phase 1 was the Foods &
Nutrition room and this has successfully been
completed. Phase 2 was the Clothing & Textiles
room which is also now completed.
I can proudly say we have completed the Foods
& Nutrition room. We replaced the entire roof
of the wingstartingfrom the Cookeryroom to| the Library. The interior rooms were also refurbished and now equipped with both electric and gas cookers; Deep freezers; gas cylinders; Microwaves; work station tables; white boards etc. We added extra security measures to the doors and windows and furnished the store. The completed Foods and Nutrition room was formally handed to the school and has been in use by the students since September 2023. The clothing and Textiles room has also been refurbished and almost fully equipped. This room is set up with twenty functional tables, white boards, cupboards, electrical points, and equipment for the pupils to learn dressmaking and take their external exams in. The wellequipped cookery room and needlework room, will give the girls better opportunities and better exams pass grades. **Benevolent Fund guidelines** March 2023 – Benevolent Fund Guidelines was completed and formally ratified at AGM. We continued to support the school financially in collaboration with our sister branches in Freetown, and in the diaspora. ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|**N/A**| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|**N/A**| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|**N/A**| |Other||**N/A**| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|FSSGians UK & Ireland CIO maintains a
healthy financial position at the end of the
financial period as we continue to fundraise
through the global financial difficulties.| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The objective of our Charity is to aid our
school in Freetown. Most of our income is
designated for projects such as the
maintenance of buildings and other
facilities, improvement to the educational
development of the students through
provision of adequate teaching equipment.
We aim to retain sufficient reserves for our
fundraising events, unforeseen
circumstances and sustainability and, to
enable Trustees to respond rapidly to
urgent matters or requests from the school
in Freetown.| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**£8**| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**N/A**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**N/A**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|Donations from well -wishers, supporters
and members. The CIO organizes a
Thanksgiving Service, a Luncheon Sale
and an Africana Buffet dance annually.
However, for this financial year we were
only able to hold our Annual Thanksgiving
Service and participated in the Global
virtual Gala and virtual Thanksgiving
Service.| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|**N/A**| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|**N/A**| |Other||**N/A**| **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|A Constitution| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association,CIO)|Para 1.25|CHARITY INCORPORATED ORGANISATION
(ASSOCIATION)| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Trustees are appointed or re-appointed at
the Annual General Meeting.
The term of office for each elected Trustee
is two years. A Trustee shall hold the same
office for no more than two consecutive
terms.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|The charity trustees will make available to
each new charity trustee, on or before his
or her first appointment:
(a) a copy of this constitution and any
amendments made to it; and
(b) a copy of the CIO’s latest trustees’
annual report and statement of accounts.| |---|---|---| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|FSSGians UK & Ireland is managed by the
Trustees and Executives. The
organisational structure is as follows:
President / Chair Trustee
Vice President /Trustee
General Secretary /Trustee
Assistant General Secretary / Trustee
Treasurer /Trustee
Assistant Treasurer /Trustee
Social Secretary /Trustee
Assistant Secretary / Trustee
Publicity Officer / Trustee
Assistant Publicity Officer / Trustee
Pastoral Officers x 2
Ex-Officios x 4| |Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51|FSSGians UK work in collaboration with
our sister branches in the Diaspora; the
school in Freetown; the Board of Trustees
and the Board of Governors in Freetown.
The Diaspora presidents meets monthly.| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Freetown Secondary School for Girls Ex-Pupils
Association UK and Ireland| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|FSSGians UK & Ireland| |Registered charity number|1191039| |Charity’s principal address|68 BELLINGHAM ROAD
London
SE6 2PT| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Madlyne Harding|President / Chair
Trustee||| ||Sitnah Palmer|Vice President /
Trustee||| ||Grace Elizabeth
Christiana Akinlusi|Treasurer / Trustee||| ||Angela Fubara|Assistant Treasurer /
Trustee||| ||Harolda C.E.O.
Williams-Babin|General Secretary /
Trustee||| ||Amorette Decker|Assistant Secretary /
Trustee||| ||Kadijatu McEwen|Social Secretary /
Trustee||| ||Isabella Dixon-
Williams|Publicity Officer /
Trustee||| ||Willis Olu-Williams|Assistant Publicity
Officer / Trustee||| ||Reverend Bernice
Lemon-Thomas|Pastoral Officer /
Trustee||| ||Vida Wills|Pastoral / Trustee||| ||Elizabeth Jinadu|Trustee||| ||Adekemi Bull|Trustee||| ||Doris Crompton-
Thomas|Trustee||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**| |---|---|---| |**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**||| |||| ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** |**Signature(s)**
**Full name(s)**
**Position (eg Secretary,**
**Chair, etc)**
**Date**|MHarding|| |---|---|---| ||Madlyne Harding|| ||
Chair|| ||23/11/2024|| ||23/11/2024|| FREEfowNSECONDAAYSCHOOLFOR￿RL5￿￿ptJplL5Ass0(YAT￿*lL￿l STATEMEPITOFFIIIANCiALACIMTIES YFARENI¥IIG3151MIRCM2024 ehAlityReg.I10.11911139 Ye7FeThl 31Marth Yearendls 31Maffh INCQMIP￿ RES(NJRCE5 Fun￿￿$1￿¥EV¢￿ts ThankSIWing LUntheonSalÈ￿nÈ2o228juNf2o Al￿tan3 NlgMSspromr*r2022&5EPT2023 &783A6 3.7fA61 13245.45 aTJU2 I72￿￿7 27WU7 &149.50 i* MÈmbetsgubJGiiplHJn5 OliectDonaiionsforHomp EcorA￿ksP￿￿ts 3917. 58ies Frvmriew¢hatyJrJ¥ Hthband5. Ma4(s. Badge5&Tshirts 32Tr. OthtrRecelkrts BankInterestreCe￿d 5B22 Prioryeardebl reco￿red TotalRecelptsfNtheYear EXPENSFS Dlrect F￿ndIa1*￿￿￿$•5 Thanks8Tring LunihBonSa￿￿ne 2tr22 Africana NlgMSepremLEr iKdep05ft £750 40￿.68 2.4SIA6 7,643.78 1417092 10.W2.T2 ISW78 187724 MEMBERSHIP.ÈENEVOiENeE&N)NAIWM4S BenevoIent(k)nat￿nS DUnat￿n1001ber0wnisaIW￿s 429.¥2 410. Dlrect &rwrtToSchDol S¢no[￿reNjffj￿nrn8nt c05tofmwehandl￿M$d Hatbinds. BadgEs&FatpmisWTfjkErys T-Shirt3 7W.C 249. MaThagernont& A￿n￿EXpl￿5qs Bankcharges Websfte &Emallfees Zoom eNoiWr HallHirefDirneelin TOTALEXPENDmJRÉFOAniEYEAR 1.75 11S.06 63L81 4177&51 EXc•s$•TifLcom•(y￿Éx￿o￿*OI OpeniniBaiartsBIF*d . ￿￿92 3￿￿13￿7 30287.95 Closlr*paia￿eClF￿￿3lstM￿rrtt2￿24 >)287.9S StatemerrtolTotslAs¥etsoltheF55GExPupl*A%so¢iatx)n at3ts1Marrh2024 MetroBènk Communtycurrwt at¢OL*It Meir¢) Bafflkcornrrojnity CuNentaccomt Metro8ankcornmtsnit¥ln5ta* 8¢cessa¢c( Clo￿n$ N3tvwestActhints PayPalaccoL¥rt 2240.BI 9W.91 8918AI 18,175.57 7.362.91 &824.7D 576. 576.DD >)287JS Approved tylheTwst￿o 9th oep12024AM ofithdrtseth￿ DY Signtd..A Fubar&.______._ e& Fubx Madlyn2 HaFdlng Till8tee￿cth￿l1 Page2 ## **Report of the Independent Examiner to the members of Freetown Secondary School for Girls Ex-Pupils Association UK & Ireland** ## **Re: FINAL ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR TO THE 31st MARCH 2024** I have examined the accounts of the Freetown Secondary School for Girls Ex- Pupils Association which have been prepared on a Receipts & Payments basis for the year to 31[st ] March 2024 It is my responsibility to examine the accounts without performing an audit and to report to the Trustees ## **Respective responsibilities of the Trustees** The Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the charity and which enables them to ensure that the Accounts comply with the regulations under section 43 (7) (b) of the charities Act 2011. They are responsible for safeguarding the assets (Its Cash & Bank Accounts & its debtors) and hence for taking reasonable steps to prevent and detect errors fraud or other irregularities ## **Independent Examiner’s statement.** Based on my examination Nothing has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, The requirements to 1, Keep proper accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the charities Act 2011 2, Prepare accounts which agree with the accounting records and comply with accounting requirements have not been met. And I express my satisfaction that the records kept are in agreement with this Accounts Independent Examiner AG Davies Alex Davies CASP Project 702 High Road Leyton London E10,6JP Dated 9[th] Sept 2024 Page 1