Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022
1. Objectives and Activities
Black Heritage Fund’s purpose and the relevance of its activities to such purpose:
The vision that shapes the annual activities of Black Heritage Fund (BHF) is the promotion of equality and diversity for the public benefit by the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of race by any means charitable, including by making grants to charities, charitable institutions, charitable purposes or organisations as the trustees select and think fit.
In shaping BHF’s objectives for the year and planning its activities, the trustees have considered and had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. The BHF trustees consider that they have taken such guidance into account when making decisions during the period identified at the top of this report (the “Period”) in relation to selecting and supporting nominated organisations, such that the purpose as detailed above continues to be for the ‘public benefit’ within the meaning of the Charities Act 2011.
2. Achievements and Performance
BHF had three main areas of focus over the Period: (i) selecting new beneficiary organisations, (ii) arranging non-financial support to its first beneficiary organisation (The African Pot Project (T.A.P)), and (iii) reviewing and learning from its first year of operation. In addition to these areas of focus, which are expanded on below, the trustees worked to comply with the considerable administrative requirements of maintaining a charity and to keep BHF’s online presence up to date with information for donors and prospective beneficiaries.
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i. Selecting beneficiary organisations
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Following a successful first year of operation, BHF received a high volume of applications for support from prospective beneficiary organisations. BHF invited interested organisations to apply for support via a standardised application form. In addition, BHF trustees conducted desktop research to identify potential beneficiaries that appeared to fit with BHF’s goals, values and objectives and invited applications.
BHF’s trustees reviewed all applications and drew up a shortlist. Shortlisted organisations were contacted for a discussion with one or more of the trustees and invited to submit supplementary information as required. Shortlisting and final selection of beneficiary organisations was conducted according to BHF’s project selection criteria. The overarching criteria BHF used to select its beneficiaries is as follows:
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a. BHF will focus its resources on projects seeking to diminish racial inequality and a lack of diversity in respect of those groups which BHF considers are suffering the most severely as a result of such inequality in England and Wales.
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b. In determining what work BHF carries out, or supports, BHF will consider (i) the extent to which the work furthers BHF’s mission (i.e. to promote racial harmony
and equality), (ii) the resources BHF is able to apply towards this work, and (iii) the impact those resources will have on this work.
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c. Some projects, initiatives, or programmes (“Projects”) are originated by BHF, whereas others are delivered by a third party (a “Partner”) with BHF’S assistance (if necessary). Where a Project is delivered by a Partner, the BHF trustees will have discretion in deciding how our assistance is applied in the pursuit of BHF’s purposes.
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d. BHF will consider a selection of specific, core questions in relation to the Project, which BHF has set out in a project support criteria document, when determining which Projects to work on or support.
On the basis of best fit with BHF’s selection criteria, according to the judgement of the trustees, Room to Heal was selected as BHF’s second beneficiary organisation. Room to Heal, a registered charity, works with around 140 refugees and people seeking asylum from over 30 countries. The organisation provides holistic support for those individuals through therapy, casework, community activities, assisting them and general assistance. BHF’s trustees noted that, although Room To Heal did not focus on the Black community specifically, a large proportion of those supported by Room to Heal were from the Black community.
BHF agreed to part-fund two therapeutic retreats organised by Room to Heal in the year 2023, and to provide non-financial assistance as required.
BHF also selected a secondary beneficiary organisation: Be Lifted Now, a communityled organisation with a vision to uplift women and young girls through activities such as book clubs, mother and daughter groups and debt advisory services. Be Lifted Now works in North London and focuses on those from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, domestic violence survivors, single mothers, those living in poverty, exoffenders and those who are otherwise at-risk.
BHF agreed to offer non-financial support to Be Lifted Now throughout 2023.
- ii. Non-financial support for the African Pot Project
BHF partners with BofA (formerly Bank of America Merrill Lynch), who offer nonfinancial support to BHF’s beneficiaries on a pro bono basis. During the Period, BHF worked with BofA to scope non-financial support for T.A.P (BHF’s beneficiary selected in 2022). BHF, BofA and T.A.P agreed that a package of data protection training for T.A.P would be beneficial. Bespoke training was designed and delivered by BofA. BHF and its beneficiaries are grateful to BofA for their support.
- iii. Reviewing and learning from the first year of BHF’s operations
BHF’s activities are run on a fully volunteer basis by a small group of trustees. Following the first year of BHF’s operation, the trustees sought to review its operations with a view to learning and improving. Over the Period, BHF reviewed its strategy, policies and trustee responsibilities. This work yielded benefits to the efficiency of the administration of BHF and its work with beneficiaries.
3. Financial Review
BHF received £8,305 in unrestricted donations in the Period. £201 was spent on insurance and £359 on payment provider charges during the Period. £600 in anticipated accountancy fees were waived and so not spent from BHF’s funds.
BHF ended the year with cash funds of £9,286. Of the cash funds, it was anticipated that £6,400 would be donated to Room to Heal to part-fund two therapeutic retreats for asylum seekers and refugees in 2023. The majority of the remaining funds will be allocated to future beneficiaries, with a portion retained to cover BHF’s operational costs and as reserves. BHF’s operational costs for the next period are anticipated to include email and website domain hosting costs, insurance, registered address and telephone number costs and trustee travel expenses for attending BHF’s annual meeting.
4. Structure, Governance and Management
BHF’s governing document is a CIO constitution. BHF is a CIO. BHF’s trustee selection methods are as follows: apart from the first charity trustees (detailed below in this report), every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
5. Reference and Administrative details
Charity Name : Black Heritage Fund Registered Charity Number : 1194332
Charity’s principal address : 71 to 75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ
Names of the trustees who manage the Charity:
| Trustee name | Dates acted | Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
|---|---|---|
| Rosanna Barry | Whole year | N/A |
| Leonie Campbell-King | Whole year | N/A |
| Tanisha Onyenaoha | Whole year | N/A |
| Samy Samandjeu | Whole year | N/A |
| Daniel Stone | Whole year | N/A |
6. Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
| Full name | Rosanna Barry | Tanisha Onyenaoha |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Trustee | Trustee |
| Date of approval | 20 October 2023 | 20 October 2023 |
Receipts and Payments Accounts Black Heritage Fund (1194332)
For the period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022
Section A Receipts and Payments
| Unrestricted funds | Total funds | Last year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | |
| Receipts | |||
| Donations | 8,305 | 8,305 | |
| Total Receipts | 8,305 | 8,305 | 12,006 |
| Payments | |||
| Insurance | 201 | 201 | |
| Payment provider charges | 359 | 359 | |
| Total Payments | 560 | 560 | 10,456 |
| Net of | 7,745 | 7,745 | 1,541 |
| receipts/(payments) | |||
| Cash funds last year end | 1,541 | 1,541 | |
| Cash funds this year end | 9,286 | 9,286 |
Section B
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Unrestricted funds | Total funds | |
|---|---|---|
| to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | |
| Cash funds | ||
| Total cash funds | 9,286 | 9,286 |
| Other monetary assets | ||
| Tax reclaims due | 1,121 | 1,121 |
Notes to the accounts:
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These accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
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The CIO has two funds: an unrestricted general fund and a beneficiary-specific restricted fund. All receipts and payments in the Period were to or from the unrestricted fund.
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The CIO has no outstanding guarantees to third parties nor any debts secured on the assets of the CIO.
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No remuneration was paid to any trustee, nor were there any personal expenses paid during this period.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Full name Rosanna Barry Tanisha Onyenaoha Position Chair Trustee Date of approval 20 October 2023 20 October 2023