1 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Trustees, Annual Report for the period 1°, April 2024- 31st March 2025 Charity name: Sponsor A Gambian Teacher (SAGT) Charlty registration number: 1191072 Objectives In its constitution, the object of SAGT as a charity is: "The advancement of education for the public benefit in The Gambia, by providing grant funding to support the training of adults to become teachers, and to support teachers." Our main activities to achieve this are.. 1. To work with Headteachers in the Early Childhood Development Association (ECDA}, West Coast Region of The Gambia, to identify adults who are suitable to train as teachers, and who would not olhemise be able to finance their own training. 2. To pay the teachers, fees for teacher training courses provided by the University of The Gambia School of Education, also known as The Gambia college. 3. To give teachers a monthly living allowance (stipend) during their training. 4. To monitor the progress of teachers via the ECDA. 5. To receive donations from sponsors to enable us to carry oul these activities. The trustees believe that the public benefits of SAGT, in line with Charity Commission Guidance. are.. 1. To enable adults to train as teachers, who would not otherwise be able to finance their own training. 2. To enable schools to increase the number of qualified teachers working there. 3. To improve the quality of education available, which then benefits children, families and communities more widely. Partnership with the ECDA SAGT works in close partnership with the ECDA Committee. The charity could not operate in the way that it does, without this partnership. Leading Headteachers in the ECDA take on key tasks which must take place in The Gambia for SAGT to be effective. This also includes meeting with the university staff to discuss developments affecting teachers sponsored by SAGT. The partnership between SAGT trustees and the ECDA ensures that decision making about the best way to support schools and teachers is taken in The Gambia, by local people with the right knowledge and experience. SAGT aims to empower school leaders in The Gambia to take decisions and support schools and student teachers in the best way possible. The cost of running SAGT is minimal. The charity meets the travel expenses of ECDA members in carrying out their duties in The Gambia. SAGT trustees carry out all of their work on a voluntary basis. Activities All sponsored teachers must meet the entrance qualifications of the University, and also go through a selection process undertaken by the ECDA, to ensure that they meet the objectives of SAGT. In all cases, teachers work within a school during their training. and attend University part time or in the school holidays. The children, the school and the wider community therefore benefits from the work of the teacher throughout their training. The ECDA maintains contact with the schools and teachers throughout their training. One important contact is the monthly meeting when teachers are given their allowance (also called a stipend) and sign for it. ECDA leaders and SAGT trustees keep in contact and information is shared about the progress of teachers, the available funding. and planning for the next cohort of teachers. SAGT trustees monitor the budget and transfer money to the ECDA account four times a year (every 3 months) for the stipend and usually once a year for college fees. All payments to teachers and the college are administered by the ECDA and records are given to SAGT trustees as often as possible. Achievements and Performance At the 31°, March 2025, SAGT was sponsoring 24 teachers. Of these: 1 teacher is studying for the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Certificate I Diploma-, 17 teachers are studying for the ECD Advanced Diploma., O teachers are studying for the Primary Teachers (PTC) Certificate l Diploma. 5 teachers are studying for the PTC Advanced Diploma., O teachers are studying for a Higher Teaching Certificate {HTCI', 1 teacher is studying for the HTC Advanced Diploma Teaching Certificate (Secondary)- 21 are women and 3 are men. The sponsored teachers work in around 20 different schools, with each school taking children from one or more villages. so the impact of our small charity can be quite significant. Some teachers need three years of sponsorship, some two years and others only ask for sponsorship for their final year. There are a range of reasons why teachers might need only one or two years of sponsorship. They may have started the course by funding it themselves or being fInan￿d by a relative. The death of a parent or olher family member. or a change in family circumstances might mean that they would be unable to complete their qualification without OLor support. SAGT also ensures that at least 500/0 of its sponsored teachers are women, and the figure is usually much higher. This contributes to 'Educating Ihe Girl Child" campaign in The Gambia to promote sending girls to school. Training women teachers, and providing education for girl children, is seen as one of the best ways to reduce child marriage in The Gambia. We expect to sponsor around 10 new teachers each year, selected by the ECDA, in addition to those we are already committed to sponsoring to complete their training. A number of teachers we sponsored to achieve basic teaching qualifications, have later been supported to achieve more advanced qualifications. This has meant that around 153 individuals have been supported by SAGT in total, since it started in 2012. Students are now accepted onto courses at different times of the year according to the course they are on, rather than in the standard academic year. This can be complex to track, and is being well-managed by the ECDA Committee. They mainlain contact with the University and ensure that the varying timescales are met, selecting sludents at the appropriate times. The trustees thank all sponsors for their very generous support, some over many years, to enable SAGT to make a massive difference to the lives of teachers, children, schools and the communities they serve. We know that the chance for young people to train and qualify as teachers is truly life-changing. The children they teach are often the first generation in their family to go to school. Every person and every school has a story to tell. Financial Review During the financial year 2024-2025, SAGT spent a total of £8,694 all on charitable activities to enable teachers to be trained. This breaks down as.. Monthly living allowance (stipend) for all teachers in training £5,082 College fees paid for all sponsored students £3,612 42% ECDA- to reimburse travel and other expenses incurred in visiting students TOTAL £8,694 In 2024-25 SAGT received donations amounting to £8,703 We brought forward £17,388 from the previous financial year, 2023-2024 We carried forward £17,397 to the next financial year, 2025-26. A Statement of Financial Activities is available summarising this. SAGT'S donations come mainly from individuals who know about the charity and are committed to supporting teachers in The Gambia. General fund-raising activities are rarely undertaken. On the advice of the financial auditor, the trustees have agreed a Reserves Policy. This is.. to maintain a balance in the account that would enable SAGT to complete its existing commitments to teachers who have started training. to retain a small reserve for contingencies-, to allocate reserves over and above that to train and support teachers., to review this policy annually. Structure, Governance and Management SAGT is 8 Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) whose only voting members are its charity trustees. It has a constitution based on the Foundation model constitution provided by the Charity Commission for England and WaSes. There is a Partnership Agreement between the ECDA and SAGT setting out key tasks undertaken by each. SAGT is also a member of Hub Cymru Africa, which supports charities working across Africa and Wales. With their advice SAGT has adopted a Code of Conduct, and a Safeguarding Policy. Reference and Administrative details Sponsor A Gambian Teacher (SAGTI operates from: Fron Grove Bodfari Denbighshire Wales LL16 4DE Tel.. 07944 075569 info onsora ambianteacher.or onsora ambianteacher.or Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity Trustee name Office If an Date a Nigel Hamshere Chair Susan Lewis olnted May 2022 September 2023 January 2025 October 2021 Term of a 4 years 4 years 4 years 4 years 4 years ointmènt Secretary Founder stephen Lewis Peter Lewis David Lewis October 2021 Declarations The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees, report above. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees Signat e{s) Full name{s) Nigel Hamshere Susan Lewis Position Chair Date CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALIS R A (;AliP, Annual accounts for the period 01.04.2-24 To 31 03.2025 Period start dale Section A Statement of financial activities Restricted Income funds Recommended categories by activity Unrestricted funds Endowment funds Prror year funds Total fund5 Incoming resources INote 31 lTrcomo and andowrnerts from.. Donati￿$ ano lega￿e5 Charitable acliwtses F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 S01 8,703 8.703 7.475 S02 Other trading acilw1￿5 Inwestmenis S03 S04 separa￿ Mat￿81 Ilèrnof Income OthFr S05 S06 Total Resources expended {Note 61 Expenditure on: S07 8.703 8,703 7.475 SO8 Chaiiiaue activi￿e5 S09 8,694 8.694 9,710 Separ81e malenal item of expense Oiher sio Total S12 8,694 9.710 Net ineomellexp9nditure) before investment gainslllossesl S13 2,235 $14 Net incomel{expenditure) Extraordinary items Transfers between funds Other recogni5ed gainslllosses)- 815 2,235 $16 S17 Gains and10sse5 on reV￿u•￿0n of fixed asse15 for Ihe charily$ own use Other Qain￿(losSesI Net movement in funds sis S19 S20 17,388 Reconcillation of funds." Total funds broughlforward Total funds carried fO￿ard 822 nnual accounts for the period Section Balance sheet 0104.2024 31.03.2025 Restri¢t8d income funds Unréstricted lunds Endowment Total this funds y8aT Total last year Guidance note Fixed assets Intangible a5$ets Tangible assels Heritage assets Investments F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 (Note 151 INotÈ 141 (Note 161 (Note 171 Total fixedassets Current assets stock$ Debtors (Note 181 (Note 191 Investments INotg 17.41 Cash 3t bank and in hand INote 241 rotal ¢urrentOS5ets 17,397 17.397 17,397 17,397 17.388 17.388 B1D Credltors: amounts falling due within one year (Note 201 Net currentassets/(Ilablll¢les) B1 17,397 17.397 17.388 Totèl ass$t5 less current liabilities B13 17,397 17.397 17.388 Creditors- amounts falling due after one year (Note 201 Provision5 for liabilit195 h14 815 Total net assets orliabililies Funds of the Charity Endowme￿ funds INote 271 Restricted incomè funds (Note 271 Unreslrtcted funds Revaluation reserve 16 17,397 17,397 17.388 17 17,397 17,397 17.388 E2D Fair value reserve B2t rotal funds B22 17.397 17.397 17.388 rhe cornpany was entitled to exemption from audil under $47T of the Companies Act 2006 relating to sm311 cofnpanies. The members have notrequired the Company to obtain an audlt In a¢¢ordance with section 476 of tho Companies Act 2006. accounting records and the preparatson of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in accordance wilh Ihg provi$lons applicable to 5rnall companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordan¢e with FRSq02 SORP. Signed by one or two Iru8te8sldir8clors on ￿ha￿or all IhÈ tru8t8esldireclors Prinl Name Date of 8pprov?I ddlm(nlyyyy Iv Signature of direclor aulhenlieatsng account5 b8ing sent ID Compani8s House Signature Dale dcslmmi PTlnt namè CC17a (Excell 18101120