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