Trustee Annual Report
1[st] October 2023 – 1[st] October 2024
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 1[st] October 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).
Objectives and Activities
Veterinary Education Malawi aims to improve the welfare of animals in Malawi through the provision of educational support to vet students at the first and only vet school in Malawi, the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) and to para-vets, who currently provide most of the veterinary care in country. Our aims are also achieved through the provision of free veterinary care to low-income communities, mostly in canine population control and rabies vaccination and primary care for donkeys owned by farmers in rural communities.
The main activities carried out this year
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Two week equine teaching block in equine medicine and surgery delivered to vet students in their third and fourth years at LUANAR
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Vet student volunteer programmes in which we provide free veterinary services including canine neutering, rabies vaccination, donkey castration and primary care (dentistry, hoof care, wound treatment, parasite diagnostics and treatment)
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Started a vet student bursary for a Malawian student at LUANAR
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Neuterered 458 dogs
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Treated 95 donkeys
Public benefit
Trustees have read, understood and agree that the services provided by VEM are in line with guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. All work carried out by VEM is to further animal welfare and veterinary education in Malawi. Animal welfare and human welfare are intrinsically linked and in improving the welfare of animals, human welfare will simultaneously be improved, in Malawi this is most evident in the reduction of zoonotic diseases, most notably in Malawi, rabies. Improving the welfare of donkeys will impact their farmers and the communities they are working for overall.
Achievements and Performance
Veterinary Education Malawi had a successful year treating an increased number of dogs and donkeys living in low income communities compared to the previous year. From October 2023 – October 2024 VEM led five international vet student surgical training courses. During this time 458 dogs were neutered and 95 donkeys were castrated free of charge in low income communities around Lilongwe and Dedza. These
projects were run alongside the Lilongwe Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LSPCA). Canine neutering is an important tool in preventing human rabies deaths by humanely managing the canine population, which cause the majority of human rabies deaths. VEM aims to raise awareness of rabies through neutering and rabies vaccination drives in order to reduce human rabies deaths. In rural areas such as Dedza, farmers rely on donkeys for both transport and farming practices, particularly during harvest. However, due to economic restrictions they have little access to veterinary care. Farmers frequently request for their donkeys to be castrated as it means they are easier to handle and they will also be able to manage the breeding of donkeys more suitable to work. Currently, there is no one carrying out safe and humane donkey castration in country.
VEM trustees are delighted to have been able to start a vet student bursary for a Malawian vet student. VEM will cover tuition fees for one student to attend vet school for the five year course. Long-term, this is something the trustees hope to expand to help more people who otherwise would not have been able to afford to go to vet school. This is something the trustees are passionate about as it directly links to the aims of the charity, to improve animal welfare through education in a sustainable way.
VEM carried out a two week equine medicine and surgery teaching block at LUANAR. Prior to this and despite a large working donkey population, there has been no equine teaching in the syllabus. During the two weeks, VEM trustees, alongside a volunteer equine vet, ran 10 outreach clinics in which farmers brought their donkeys for health checks, dentistry, hoof care and castration. These clinics ran as a seminar where students would lead the clinical assessment and discuss treatment plans and protocols with the trustees and volunteer vet. Students were taught all aspects of donkey castration including field anaesthesia and recovery. The afternoons comprised of lectures and time spent in the clinical skills lab. This is currently the only practical training received by students at the vet school.
Financial Review
Review of financial position at end of the period
VEM is in a good position at the end of this accounting period with enough reserves in the bank to be able to continue our charitable activities. The trustees have not been renumerated for any of their work during the year other than to cover the costs of performing the charitable objectives on behalf of the charity. There are no restricted funds in reserve as they were all used to create the clinical skills lab at the vet school. The funds held in reserve are all unrestricted and can be used on any charitable activity in the future.
Policy for holding reserves
It is the charities policy to hold unrestricted reserves at the end of the accounting period to ensure there are funds available to use for charitable purposes in the coming years. We aim to hold minimum funds equivalent to one year’s Malawian vet student fees in
reserve in order to ensure our ability to continue to fund our vet student bursary. Any other reserves will be used to fund educational projects at the vet school as well as para-vet training projects.
Amount of reserves held
At the end of the financial period, £7,966.89 were held in reserve. These are unrestricted funds generated from our international vet student volunteering programme. These funds will be used in the following years to achieve our aims of providing educational support to the vet school and to para-vets in Malawi.
Structure, Governance and Management
Constitution and Governing document
The charity a CIO. It is controlled by its governing document, using a foundation model constitution.
Trustee selection methods
VEM is a CIO. Additional trustees must be appointed by a resolution passed at a meeting of 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, in particular knowledge and experience in the fields of veterinary medicine and surgery, animal welfare, charity management and structure.
Reference and Administrative details
Name: Veterinary Education Malawi
Registered charity number: 1195815
Charities principal address: 2 Colliers Cottages, Midhurst Road, Fernhurst, West Sussex, GU27 3EX
Trustees
Rebecca Hampson – Chair
Angus Yeomans
Catherine Wood
Precious Mastala
Joe Banda
All trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signature:
Full name: Rebecca Hampson
Position: Chair
Date: 21.02.2024
| Veterinary Education Malawi |
Veterinary Education Malawi |
Veterinary Education Malawi |
Veterinary Education Malawi |
CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
Period start date 01.10.2023 |
To | |||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
| A1 Receipts 25,513 Public Donations 577 MarchigTrust - - - - - 26,090 - Sub total - Total receipts 26,090 A3 Payments 13,950 8,635 Payment for services 200 Programme Consumables(t-shirts) 311 Website 166 International Payment Fee 75 Student Bursary 450 Vetineraryconsumables 41 Partial student refund Sub total 23,828 - - Sub total - Total payments 23,828 Net of receipts/(payments) 2,262 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 7,967 Cash funds this year end 10,229 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ Charitable Activities (Student Volunteer Programme) Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). Charitable Activities (International Student Project) Programme Running Costs (Accommodation, flights and car rental) A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ Restricted funds |
to the nearest £ Endowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| - - - - - - - - - |
- - - - - - - - - |
25,513 577 - - - - - - 26,090 |
24,750 | ||
| 825 | |||||
| 2,000 | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 27,575 | |||||
| - - - |
- - - |
- - - |
|||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 26,090 | |||||
| - | - | 27,575 | |||
| - - - - - - - - - |
- - - - - - - - - |
13,950 8,635 200 311 166 75 450 41 - |
|||
| 13,060 | |||||
| 3,662 | |||||
| - | |||||
| 384 | |||||
| 142 | |||||
| 25 | |||||
| - | |||||
| 2,160 | |||||
| 175 | |||||
| - | - | 23,828 | 19,608 | ||
| - - - |
- - - |
- - - |
|||
| - | |||||
| - | - | 23,828 | 19,608 | ||
| - - - - |
- - - - |
2,262 - 7,967 10,229 |
7,967 | ||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 7,967 |
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 Bank balance - Metrobank Cash - Malawi Kwachi Details Details Details Details Signature Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 10,224 - 5 - - - 10,229 - OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Rebecca Hampson 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 |
|||
| Rebecca Hampson | 04.04.2025 | ||
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report.," Report to the trusteesl members of Veterinary Education Malawi On accounts for the year ended 30.09.2024 Charity no (if any) 1195815 Set out on pages 5,6 of the Trustee Annual report 2023-2024 De'-s ()1 &.(ii.-i4iCIr'._ I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended 3010912024 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. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention 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 Independent examiner's statement 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. Signed: Date: 161May12024 Name: Christoph Cheetham Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Chartered Accountant (ICAEW member) Address: Stables Cottage Forwood, Minchinhampton GL6 gAB 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). IER October 2018
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. No issues to raise IER October 2018