2024-12-30-accounts - Action For Sustainable Communities Foundation

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Action for Sustainable Communities Foundation (ASC)

Registered Charity Number: 1193197

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements

For the Year Ended 31 December 2024

Reference and Administrative Details

CharityName	Action for Sustainable Communities Foundation
Registered Number	1193197
Legal Form	Charitable Incorporated Organisation(CIO)
Principal Address	St Clair,Petrockstowe,Okehampton,Devon EX20 3QJ
ReportingPeriod	1 January– 31 December 2024
Independent Examiner	Mr Kieran Lappin

Trustees’ Annual Report (1 January – 31 December 2024)

Objectives and Activities

Action for Sustainable Communities Foundation (ASC) was established in 2021 to improve health, education, and wellbeing in deprived communities. The charity promotes sustainable development for the benefit of the public in particular, but not exclusively for communities in the Europe, Africa and Asia by:

(a) the preservation, conservation and the protection of the environment and the prudent use of resources;

(b) the relief of poverty and the improvement of the conditions of life in socially and economically disadvantaged communities; and

All activities during the year were directed toward achieving these charitable objectives and providing demonstrable public benefit. The trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when planning and carrying out the charity’s activities.

Main Activities and Public Benefit

The charity’s primary focus remains the Thitimila Community Secondary School Project in Malawi, which aims to deliver access to quality secondary education for up to 200 students in a rural region that previously had no secondary school.

The project is being delivered in partnership with:

The Malawi Ministry of Education
Local community leaders

Achievements and Performance (2024)

The following were achieved in 2024:

Completion of the second school block funded by RSK, providing two classrooms.
Construction of two teachers’ houses to bring the total number of teachers’ houses to six enabling the school to attract and retain qualified staff.
Construction of a girls’ hostel part-funded by the Solon Foundation.
Provision of 50 additional desks and textbooks to accommodate the increased student intake.
Donation of 50 solar lights by RSK to enable students to study in the evening at home and at school.
Water connection to four teachers’ houses that previously had no supply.
Business skills training for a women’s entrepreneurial group, which established a successful organic fertiliser business to support family income and education.
Sponsorship of 41 students from low-income families through ASC fundraising events including the Swing Concert, Midsummer Party, and Cookham Concert.
Support for a farming initiative to provide porridge for students.
A girls’ engagement evening held to discuss needs for a new toilet and shower block planned for 2025.

Looking forward

In 2025, ASC will continue with Phase 2 of the Thitimila School Project, which includes:

Building a new girls’ toilet and shower block.
Building new boys’ toilets.
Constructing additional teachers’ houses.
Upgrading the water supply system to ensure continued provision to teachers’ houses.
• Sponsorship of children from low-income families.

Financial Review for the Year Ending 31 December 2024

ASC’s financial statements were prepared on a receipts and payments basis. The charity reported the following summary for the year:

Total Income	£39,264
Total Expenditure	£37,964
Net Receipts / (Payments)	£1,300
Closing Cash Balance (31 Dec 2024)	£19,884

Income was derived from a mix of company and charitable donations, individual fundraising, and event income:

RSK: £20,000
The Waterloo Foundation: £12,500
Individual donations: £872
Events (Swing Concert, Midsummer Party, Cookham Concert): £2,956
Student Sponsorship: £2,925
Miscellaneous PayPal receipts: £11

Expenditure was directed primarily to the Thitimila Community Secondary School Project in Malawi, including building works, equipment, and local management. Remaining costs covered administrative expenses, website, and banking fees.

Reserves Policy

ASC aims to maintain reserves sufficient to cover at least six months of core administrative and project support costs to ensure continuity of operations. At year-end, reserves were appropriate for the charity’s size and commitments.

Risk Management

The trustees monitor financial, operational, and safeguarding risks quarterly and have controls in place to ensure that funds are used appropriately and effectively. This includes independent examination of accounts, dual authorisation for payments, and regular project reporting.

Structure, Governance and Management

ASC is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) governed by a Constitution adopted on 17 January 2021. Trustees serve three-year terms and meet quarterly to oversee progress, finances, and risk management. The trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty under Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance.

Trustees (2024):

Dr Catherine Brogan – Chair
Mr Ron Jones – Treasurer
Dr Newton Matupi
Ms Felicity Corbyn
Mr Iain Corbyn

Independent Examiner

Following the resignation of Mr Chris Vane, Mr Kieran Lappin has been appointed as ASC’s Independent Examiner for the financial year ending 31 December 2024.

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved this report and the accompanying financial statements.

Name	Position	Signature	Date
Dr Catherine Brogan	Chair		1stMay 2024

Action for Sustainable Communities Foundation

1193197

Receipts and payments accounts

CC16a

For the period Period start date Period end date To from 1st January 2024 31st December 2024

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts Companydonations CharityFoundations - Individuat donations 350 Events - Student sponsorship - Miscpaypal receipts - - - 350 - - Sub total - Total receipts 350 A3 Payments Malawi Project - Bank charges 97 Paypal charges 12 Website development 85 Admin support 770 - - - - Sub total 964 - - Sub total - Total payments 964 Net of receipts/(payments) - 614 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 18,087 Cash funds this year end 17,473 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ *Sub total*(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)	to the nearest £ 20,000 12,500 522 2,956 2,925 11 - - 38,914 - - - 38,914 37,000 37,000 - - - 37,000 1,914 - 497 2,411 Restricted funds	to the nearest £ Endowment funds	Total funds to the nearest £ 20,000 12,500 872 2,956 2,925 11 - - 39,264 - - - 39,264 37,000 97 12 85 770 - - - - 37,964 - - - 37,964 1,300 - 18,584 19,884	Last year to the nearest £
		- - - - - - - - -	20,000	55,200
			12,500	-
			872	1,570
			2,956	31
			2,925	-
			11	872
			-	-
			-	-
			39,264	57,673

		- - -	-
			-	-
			-	-

		-		57,673

		- - - - - - - - - -	37,000	58,601
			97	263
			12	17
			85	337
			770	448
			-	-
			-	-
			-	-
			-	-
			37,964	59,666

		- - -	-
			-
			-	-

		-	37,964	59,666

	1,914	- - - -	1,300	- 1,993
	-		-	-
	497		18,584	20,577
	2,411		19,884	18,584

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

Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Details Cash at bank Paypal Details Details Details Details Signature *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))	to nearest £ to nearest £ 17,473 2,131 - 280 - - 17,473 2,411 OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Dr Catherine Brogan Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional)	to nearest £ Endowment funds
			-
			-
			-
			-
			OK
			to nearest £ Endowment funds
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			When due (optional)






			Date of approval
		Dr Catherine Brogan	1st May 2025

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ Charity Name Action for Sustainable Communities Foundation members of On accounts for the year 31/12/2024 Charity no 1193197 ended (if any) Set out on pages 1 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/ 12 / 2024 .

Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.

Date: 08/08/2025 Signed: Name: Kieran Lappin Relevant professional FCMA qualification(s) or body (if any): Graphic House, Ridgehill Address: Hereford HR2 8AG

October 2018

IER

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

October 2018

IER