Moortown Emergency Relief Fund MERF Charity no 1194470
Annual Report 2024 - 25
Fundamental Aims
Many people in the world particularly in Developing Nations and Eastern Europe are very poor. living ‘hand to mouth’ daily, one days meagre wage ($1-2/day) paying for food (rice, potatoes) needing to be purchased next day but they survive/get by until an emergency - medical treatment, housing needs ( storm damage etc), training opportunities, etc or just being unemployed for several weeks because of weather, political strife shut downs etc (no food). Money can sometimes be borrowed but at extortinate/ crippling interest rates - the loan taking several hard years to repay. Floods, political riots, curfews occur regularly with all the subsequent consequences. MERF became active with the opening of a bank account with Cooperative Bank on 27 August 2022.
Income
MERF has not been involved in active fund raising, income has been mainly provided by 2 trustees with other gifts from concerned individuals. There are no expenses for running MERF, no employees, no buildings, just charges for bank transfers.
Activity
Currently our outgoings are for 2 needs/locations - the village of Jhum Para, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh and the remote town of Bardai in Northern Chad. We have had long historical links with JP due to medical missionaries from Moortown Baptist Church, Leeds, 1960 - 70 and ongoing support. Dr P Commons, trustee, worked as a physiotherapist for 10 years at the nearby missions hospital, Chandragona, now a Bangladesh run hospital. During that time Dr Commons worked with a Bangladesh native, Mr Anup Biswas, who became a trusted colleague and now is our volunteer trusted agent for the people of JP.
In Bardai our agents are Doctors Mark and Andrea Hodgkis employed by the Bapist Missionary Society of UK.
Activities
Jhum Para
Village 51 families, 203 people, a remote hill village - the people often adopt the district name as their family name.
Popi Chakma Emergency pregnancy operation
Ahona Chakma Nurse training support Kalabi Chakma Left eye operation Shraboni Chakma Twisted ovarian tumour Riots/curfew Food distribution
Anjalis son Hospital treatment Hemran Jan Small business loan Sharfru Khyang Funeral, food Ronel Tripura Medical support Shraboni Chakma Ovary removal Shuresh Kanti Funeral Joyasree Chakma Appendix Teacher support Makroi Chakma Emergency Hep B + birth Sunayan House rebuild Indra Babu Eye surgery Anil Rupna House reroof John Tripura Stomach, tests, medication Many small needs Bardai Ongoing support No requests Accounts 2024 - 25 Balance 5/4/2024 Virgin Money 1022.40 Coop Bank 2258.20 3280.60 Income IN OUT Standing order 960.00 Bank Interest 13.93 Gifts/donations 9992.00 Expenditure Bangladesh 11,250.00 Bank charges 43.72 10965.93 11,293.72 (327.79) Balance 5/4.2025 Virgin Money 1036.33 Coop Bank 1916.48 2952.81
Funds are transferred in tranches to cover approved expenditure plus a small contingency amount to be used for smaller subsequent approved expenditure.
Ian Rodney Russell 01.01.2026