The Helping Hand of God Foundation
Correspondence address: 351 Watford Road, Chiswell Green, St Albans, Herts AL2 3DB Tel: 07584 137002 Email: thhogf@yahoo.com.
THE HELPING HAND OF GOD FOUNDATION 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024 Report
Date of constitution 6 MARCH 2021
Last amended: 16 AUGUST 2021
Location of principal office: 351 Watford Road, Road, Chiswell Green, St Albans, AL2 3DB, UK
Objective of the charity
The objective of the charity is the relief of poverty among socially and economically disadvantaged women and their families in Nigeria by aiding in education, training, healthcare and by empowering the women to start their own businesses to generate sustainable income for themselves and their families and thereby become financially independent.
The charity is operated across two sites in Nigeria, one in Lagos, overseen by the Nigerian Trustees Pastors Sam Nwani and Felix Nwasike and the other in Ibusa, overseen by Pastor Austin Peter James. To support these two operational sites, the charity has opened two bank accounts in Nigeria, one in Lagos and the other in Ibusa. These are the two sites from which the operational activities of the foundation are run. Pastor Felix Nwasike (one of our trustees) oversees the financial activities of the foundation in Nigeria and requires the signatories of two trustees before any financial outlay is agreed. Money is sent from the United Kingdom via money exchange company (LemFi). All our financial transactions are now sent via LemFi. |On each occasion, instructions are given as to what the money is to be used for. For example, in November 2023, the foundation provided approximately 300,000 NGN (about £210) each to the Ibusa and Lagos chapters of the foundation for the purchase of foodstuffs (rice and garri) for the women in both Lagos and Ibusa.
To God be the glory, today we have 36 women in the Ibusa chapter and 31 women in the Lagos chapter of the foundation who attend regular meetings. These are fellowship meetings where the women receive the word of God and are encouraged in their businesses.
Of these, 17 women have been empowered with 100,000 NGN (approx. £50 as this depends on exchange rates) and have started their businesses in Lagos, as have 16 women in Ibusa, so in total, 33 women have been empowered to start their businesses and most are doing well. One of them, unfortunately, lost money in her business and was retrained and then re-empowered and she is now doing well, and her business is flourishing.
The charity provides money for the purchase of foodstuffs (rice, garri and chicken) on various occasions, notably during Christmas and Easter. On these occasions, both the women who have been empowered and those who have not all receive what we call Christmas and Easter hampers, so that those who have not yet been empowered are not left out.
The foundation has also provided money for the payment of rent for the school attended by 140 children. During the year 2022 - 2023 the rent for the school quadrupled and, after discussion with the UK and Nigerian Trustees, the organization bought a plot of land in Ibusa, Nigeria for the building of six primary and six secondary school classrooms as well as a library, teachers’ mess and a school shop for the children. The work is currently in progress, and it is hoped that the building will be completed by September 2025, in time for the start of the new academic year 2025 - 2026. (No money was borrowed to support the work in this project. All the funds utilized for this work came from donations from the joint bank account of the chairman and his wife.)
Benefits and payments to charity trustees and connected persons (1) General provisions
No payments were made to the charity trustees or to anyone connected to the CIO and no goods were sold.
No one is employed by the charity, and none of the trustees received any remuneration or financial benefit from the charity. However, the wives of Pastors Felix Nwasike, Sam Nwani and Austin Peter James were empowered with 100,000 Niara (approximately £ 50) each for use to start their own business. This is the amount of money which (until recently) all our beneficiaries were empowered with to start their own businesses. Recently however, this amount has been increased to 120,000 Naira ( £ 60) due to the high cost of goods in Nigeria. Two beneficiaries were recently empowered with this amount. The charity trustees were in agreement and satisfied that the wives of the trustees in NIgeria should be empowered as they fell within the category of women who are to be supported by the charity.
There has been no conflicts of interest in the work in this foundation. The whole focus has been to provide help and support to underprivileged women and their children in Nigeria.
8. There has not been any liability of members to contribute to the assets of the charity
The charity trustee are all natural persons under the provisions of clause [12(1)(e)]. . None is under the age of 18 years of age.
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(1) Number of charity trustees
The Charity trustees comprises three adults.
(4) First charity trustees
The first charity trustees are as follows, and are appointed for the following 2 terms of two years:
DR DAVID EVAN DAVIES
DR DAVID EVAN DAVIES 2 terms of two years MRS SUSAN MICHAELS 2 terms of two years MR EMMANUEL KWAW ENTEE 2 terms of two years
10. Appointment of charity trustees Option 1
No new trustees have been appointed.
11. Information for new charity trustees
(a) Not applicable
12. Retirement and removal of charity trustees
None of the Trustees have retired and none has died.
13. Taking of decisions by charity trustees Any decision may be taken either:
- at a meeting of the charity trustees; or
• by resolution in writing [or electronic form] agreed by a majority of all of the charity trustees, which may comprise either a single document or several documents containing the text of the resolution in like form to which the majority of all of the charity trustees has signified their agreement. Such a resolution shall be effective provided that
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a copy of the proposed resolution has been sent, at or as near as
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reasonably practicable to the same time, to all of the charity trustees; and
• the majority of all of the charity trustees has signified agreement to the resolution in a document or documents which has or have been authenticated by their signature, by a statement of their identity accompanying the document or documents, or in such other manner as the charity trustees have previously resolved, and delivered to the CIO at its principal office or such other place as the trustees may resolve [within 28 days of the circulation date].
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14. Delegation by charity trustees
Not applicable
15. Meetings of charity trustees (1) Calling meetings
(a) Any charity trustee may call a meeting of the charity trustees. (b) Subject to that, the charity trustees shall decide how their meetings are to be called, and what notice is required.
(2) Chairing of meetings
The charity trustees may appoint one of their number to chair their meetings and may at any time revoke such appointment. If no-one has been so appointed, or if the person appointed is unwilling to preside or is not present within 10 minutes after the time of the meeting, the charity trustees present may appoint one of their number to chair that meeting.
(3) Procedure at meetings
(a) No decision shall be taken at a meeting unless a quorum is present at the time when the decision is taken. The quorum is two charity trustees, or the number nearest to one third of the total number of charity trustees, whichever is greater, or such larger number as the charity trustees may decide from time to time. A charity trustee shall not be counted in the quorum present when any decision is made about a matter upon which he or she is not entitled to vote.
(b) Questions arising at a meeting shall be decided by a majority of those eligible to vote.
[(c) In the case of an equality of votes, the person who chairs the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.]
(4) Participation in meetings by electronic means
(a) A meeting may be held by suitable electronic means agreed by the charity trustees in which each participant may communicate with all the other participants.
(b) Any charity trustee participating at a meeting by suitable electronic means agreed by the charity trustees in which a participant or
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participants may communicate with all the other participants shall qualify as being present at the meeting.
(c) Meetings held by electronic means must comply with rules for meetings, including chairing and the taking of minutes.
16. Membership of the CIO
(1) The members of the CIO shall be its charity trustees for the time being. The only persons eligible to be members of the CIO are its charity trustees. Membership of the CIO cannot be transferred to anyone else.
(2) Any member and charity trustee who ceases to be a charity trustee automatically ceases to be a member of the CIO.
[17. Informal or associate (non-voting) membership
(1) The charity trustees may create associate or other classes of nonvoting membership, and may determine the rights and obligations of any such members (including payment of membership fees), and the conditions for admission to, and termination of membership of any such class of members.
(2) Other references in this constitution to “ members ” and “ membership ” do not apply to non-voting members, and nonvoting members do not qualify as members for any purpose under the Charities Acts, General Regulations or Dissolution Regulations.]
18. Decisions which must be made by the members of the CIO
(1) Any decision to:
(a) amend the constitution of the CIO;
(b) amalgamate the CIO with, or transfer its undertaking to, one or more other CIOs, in accordance with the Charities Act 2011; or
(c) wind up or dissolve the CIO (including transferring its business to any other charity)
must be made by a resolution of the members of the CIO rather than a resolution of the charity trustees).
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(2) Decisions of the members may be made either:
(a) by resolution at a general meeting; or
(b) by resolution in writing, in accordance with subclause (4) of this clause.
(3) Any decision specified in sub-clause (1) of this clause must be made in accordance with the provisions of clause [28] (amendment of constitution), clause [29] (Voluntary winding up or dissolution), or the provisions of the Charities Act 2011, the General Regulations or the Dissolution Regulations as applicable. Those provisions require the resolution to be agreed by a 75% majority of those members voting at a general meeting or agreed by all members in writing.
(4) Except where a resolution in writing must be agreed by all the members, such a resolution may be agreed by a simple majority of all the members who are entitled to vote on it. Such a resolution shall be effective provided that:
(a) a copy of the proposed resolution has been sent to all the members eligible to vote; and
(b) the required majority of members has signified its agreement to the resolution in a document or documents which are received at the principal office within the period of 28 days beginning with the circulation date. The document signifying a member ’ s agreement must be authenticated by their signature,
by a statement of their identity accompanying the document, or in such other manner as the CIO has specified.
The resolution in writing may comprise several copies to which one or more members has signified their agreement. Eligibility to vote on the resolution is limited to members who are members of the CIO on the date when the proposal is first circulated.
19. General meetings of members (1) Calling of general meetings of members
The charity trustees may designate any of their meetings as a general meeting of the members of the CIO. The purpose of such a meeting is to discharge any business which must by law be discharged by a resolution of the members of the CIO as specified in clause [18] (Decisions which must be made by the members of the CIO).
(2) Notice of general meetings of members
(a) The minimum period of notice required to hold a general meeting of the members of the CIO is [14] days.
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(b) Except where a specified period of notice is strictly required by another clause in this constitution, by the Charities Act 2011 or by the General Regulations, a general meeting may be called by shorter notice if it is so agreed by a majority of the members of the CIO.
(c) Proof that an envelope containing a notice was properly addressed, prepaid and posted; or that an electronic form of notice was properly addressed and sent, shall be conclusive evidence that the notice was given. Notice shall be deemed to be given 48 hours after it was posted or sent.
(3) Procedure at general meetings of members
The provisions in clause 15 (2)-(4) governing the chairing of meetings, procedure at meetings and participation in meetings by electronic means apply to any general meeting of the members, with all references to trustees to be taken as references to members.
20. Saving provisions
(1) Subject to sub-clause (2) of this clause, all decisions of the charity trustees, or of a committee of charity trustees, shall be valid notwithstanding the participation in any vote of a charity trustee:
• who was disqualified from holding office;
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who had previously retired or who had been obliged by the
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constitution to vacate office;
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who was not entitled to vote on the matter, whether by
reason of a conflict of interest or otherwise;
if, without the vote of that charity trustee and that charity trustee being counted in the quorum, the decision has been made by a majority of the charity trustees at a quorate meeting.
(2) Sub-clause (1) of this clause does not permit a charity trustee to keep any benefit that may be conferred upon him or her by a resolution of the charity trustees or of a committee of charity trustees if, but for sub-clause (1), the resolution would have been void, or if the charity trustee has not complied with clause 7 (Conflicts of interest).
21. Execution of documents
- (1) The CIO shall execute documents either by signature or by affixing
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its seal (if it has one)
(2) A document is validly executed by signature if it is signed by at least two of the charity trustees.
(3) If the CIO has a seal:
(a) it must comply with the provisions of the General Regulations; and
(b) the seal must only be used by the authority of the charity trustees or of a committee of charity trustees duly authorised by the charity trustees. The charity trustees may determine who shall sign any document to which the seal is affixed and unless otherwise so determined it shall be signed by two charity trustees.
22. Use of electronic communications [(1) General]
The CIO will comply with the requirements of the Communications Provisions in the General Regulations and in particular:
(a) the requirement to provide within 21 days to any member on request a hard copy of any document or information sent to the member otherwise than in hard copy form;
(b) any requirements to provide information to the Commission in a particular form or manner.
23. Keeping of Registers
The CIO must comply with its obligations under the General Regulations in relation to the keeping of, and provision of access to, a (combined) registers of its members and charity trustees.
24. Minutes
The charity trustees must keep minutes of all:
(1) appointments of officers made by the charity trustees;
- (2) proceedings at general meetings of the CIO;
(3) meetings of the charity trustees and committees of charity trustees including:
- the names of the trustees present at the meeting;
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the decisions made at the meetings; and
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where appropriate the reasons for the decisions;
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(4) decisions made by the charity trustees otherwise than in meetings.
25. Accounting records, accounts, annual reports and returns, register maintenance
(1) The charity trustees must comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 with regard to the keeping of accounting records, to the preparation and scrutiny of statements of account, and to the preparation of annual reports and returns. The statements of account, reports and returns must be sent to the Charity Commission, regardless of the income of the CIO, within 10 months of the financial year end.
(2) The charity trustees must comply with their obligation to inform the Commission within 28 days of any change in the particulars of the CIO entered on the Central Register of Charities.
26. Rules
The charity trustees may from time to time make such reasonable and proper rules or byelaws as they may deem necessary or expedient for the proper conduct and management of the CIO, but such rules or bye laws must not be inconsistent with any provision of this constitution. Copies of any such rules or bye laws currently in force must be made available to any member of the CIO on request.
27. Disputes
If a dispute arises between members of the CIO about the validity or propriety of anything done by the members under this constitution, and the dispute cannot be resolved by agreement, the parties to the dispute must first try in good faith to settle the dispute by mediation before resorting to litigation.
28. Amendment of constitution
As provided by sections 224-227 of the Charities Act 2011:
(1) This constitution can only be amended:
(a) by resolution agreed in writing by all members of the CIO; or (b) by a resolution passed by a 75% majority of those voting at a general meeting of the members of the CIO called in accordance with clause 19 (General meetings of members).
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(2) Any alteration of clause 3 (Objects), clause [29] (Voluntary winding up or dissolution), this clause, or of any provision where the alteration would provide authorisation for any benefit to be obtained by charity trustees or members of the CIO or persons connected with them, requires the prior written consent of the Charity Commission.
(3) No amendment that is inconsistent with the provisions of the Charities Act 2011 or the General Regulations shall be valid.
(4) A copy of every resolution amending the constitution, together with a copy of the CIO ’ s constitution as amended must be sent to the Commission by the end of the period of 15 days beginning with the date of passing of the resolution, and the amendment does not take effect until it has been recorded in the Register of Charities.
29. Voluntary winding up or dissolution
(1) As provided by the Dissolution Regulations, the CIO may be dissolved by resolution of its members. Any decision by the members to wind up or dissolve the CIO can only be made:
(a) at a general meeting of the members of the CIO called in accordance with clause 19 (General meetings of members), of which not less than 14 days ’ notice has been given to those eligible to attend and vote:
(i) by a resolution passed by a 75% majority of those voting, or
(ii) by a resolution passed by decision taken without a vote and without any expression of dissent in response to the question put to the general meeting; or
(a) by a resolution agreed in writing by all members of the CIO.
(2) Subject to the payment of all the CIO ’ s debts:
(a) Any resolution for the winding up of the CIO, or for the dissolution of the CIO without winding up, may contain a provision directing how any remaining assets of the CIO shall be applied.
(b) If the resolution does not contain such a provision, the charity trustees must decide how any remaining assets of the CIO shall be applied.
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(c) In either case the remaining assets must be applied for charitable purposes the same as or similar to those of the CIO.
(3) The CIO must observe the requirements of the Dissolution Regulations in applying to the Commission for the CIO to be removed from the Register of Charities, and in particular:
(a) the charity trustees must send with their application to the Commission:
(i) a copy of the resolution passed by the members of the CIO;
(ii) a declaration by the charity trustees that any debts and other liabilities of the CIO have been settled or otherwise provided for in full; and
(iii) a statement by the charity trustees setting out the way in which any property of the CIO has been or is to be applied prior to its dissolution in accordance with this constitution;
(b) the charity trustees must ensure that a copy of the application is sent within seven days to every member and employee of the CIO, and to any charity trustee of the CIO who was not privy to the application.
(4) If the CIO is to be wound up or dissolved in any other circumstances, the provisions of the Dissolution Regulations must be followed.
30. Interpretation
In this constitution:
“ connected person ” means:
(a) a child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, brother or sister of the charity trustee;
(b) the spouse or civil partner of the charity trustee or of any person falling within sub-clause (a) above;
(c) a person carrying on business in partnership with the charity trustee or with any person falling within subclause (a) or (b) above;
(d) an institution which is controlled –
(i) by the charity trustee or any connected person falling within sub-clause (a), (b), or (c) above; or
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(ii) by two or more persons falling within subclause (d)(i), – when taken together (e) a body corporate in which
(i) the charity trustee or any connected person falling within subclauses (a) to (c) has a substantial interest; or
(ii) two or more persons falling within sub-clause
(e)(i) who, when taken together, have a substantial interest.
Section 118 of the Charities Act 2011 apply for the purposes of interpreting the terms used in this constitution.
“ General Regulations ” means the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (General) Regulations 2012.
“ Dissolution Regulations ” means the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (Insolvency and Dissolution) Regulations 2012.
The “ Communications Provisions ” means the Communications Provisions in [Part 9, Chapter 4] of the General Regulations. “ charity trustee ” means a charity trustee of the CIO.
A “ poll ” means a counted vote or ballot, usually (but not necessarily) in writing.
Income:
As in previous years, all income for The Helping Hand of God Foundation has come from the bank account jointly held by the chairman of trustees (Dr David Davies) and his wife (Dr Patricia Davies).
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| Pastor Sam | Pastor Sam | Pastor Austin | Pastor Austin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| date | (£) | (NGN) | (£) | (NGN) |
| 01/11/2023 | 200 | 286600 | ||
| 03/11/2023 | 217 | 300979 | ||
| 03/11/2023 | 167 | 211088 | ||
| 05/11/2023 | 2000 | 2482000 | ||
| 29/11/2023 | 685 | 1000100 | ||
| 19/12/2023 | 280 | 430360 | ||
| 21/12/2023 | 135 | 200610 | ||
| 19/01/2024 | 206.00 | 350303.00 | ||
| 03/02/2024 | 111.00 | 200577.00 | ||
| 15/02/2024 | 41.00 | 80651.00 | ||
| 22/02/2024 | ||||
| 27/02/2024 | ||||
| 08/03/2024 | ||||
| 05/06/2024 | 161.00 | 301150.00 | ||
| 05/06/2024 | 161.00 | 301150.00 | ||
| sub-totals | 4203 | 5844418 | 161 | 301150 |
| total (£) | 9580 | |||
| total (NGN) | 16882829 |
THHoGF THHoGF Ibusa THHoGF Lagos (£) THHoGF Lagos (NGN) Ibusa (£) (NGN)
2000.00 4260000.00 2979.00 5999706.00 237.00 477555.00 4979 10259706 237 477555
purpose feeding women in Lagos church feeding women in Ibusa church building fund buying land for school/church feeding women in Lagos and Ibusa feeding women in Lagos and Ibusa feeding women in Lagos and Ibusa C-section for sister-in-law + 100000 NGN to Austin feeding women in Lagos church feeding women in Lagos church building fund building fund feeding women in Lagos church feeding women in Lagos church feeding women in Ibusa church