Trustees Annual Report 2023/2024
INTRODUCTION
The BLUESKY CITADEL charity was registered as a charity on 23rd November 2021; it has a five-member board of trustees. This report is an overview of our aims, activities and vision as an organization. It also includes a summary of our achievements and successes as well as a financial overview.
AIMS
Our Mission Statement reads “To unleash the potential within, nurture skills and empower aspiring professionals to thrive in their careers and impact their community”. The platform strives to provide empowerment, nurturing career and personal growth to young and old individuals who aspire to be IT professionals so that they can also reach out to the community and beyond. These groups of people, mostly within the less disadvantaged and black ethnic minority, are prepared and encouraged to make life better for themselves in their community and to also help others people in the community, particularly those who have no means of affording costly IT training courses.
ACTIVITIES
The organization has several online activities which are directed at achieving our aims. Our activities include periodic free IT training, workshops, seminars and webinars in IT foundational courses targeted at tech aspirers, enthusiasts, undergraduates, new graduates, career upskillers and career changers. We also serve children from ages 5 years through coding for kids classes. We have trained hundreds of children from black minority backgrounds on coding, leadership and communication. We provide networking opportunities and events twice in a year where we celebrate course and work experience completion and celebrate these successes with some awards. This brings members of the charity and the community together in celebration. We also provide pastoral care, health and wellbeing support on a weekly basis.
BlueSky Citadel provides a forward-thinking training and mentorship platform dedicated to equipping individuals with high-demand technology skills and guiding them to rewarding careers. With a focus on practical learning, personalized mentorship, and robust career support, BlueSky Citadel has earned a reputation for delivering exceptional results in tech education. Through extensive training hours, ongoing support, and a vibrant community, BlueSky Citadel is transforming lives and helping people achieve professional success in technology.
Key Achievements and Impact
Our programs are designed to provide real-world, hands-on experience that equips students with both technical know-how and the practical problem-solving skills that
employers are looking for. Specializing in fields like cloud computing, software development, data science, cybersecurity, and other key areas essential to the digital economy, BlueSky Citadel ensures that students are prepared to meet the demands of today’s digital workforce.
Below are some of the notable achievements that showcase BlueSky Citadel's impact:
Total Training Hours: BlueSky Citadel has delivered over 2,100 hours of intensive training across various tech disciplines, ensuring students gain practical, job-ready skills through an immersive, hands-on approach.
Individual Trainings Delivered: We have conducted 1,080 individual training sessions, offering each learner a tailored experience that allows them to build expertise at their own pace while benefiting from personalized guidance.
Current Student Cohort: BlueSky Citadel currently has 130 active learners progressing through our structured programs, gaining invaluable skills and insights in their chosen fields with the support of experienced mentors and comprehensive learning resources.
Job Placement Success and Annual Salaries: Since record-keeping began in 2022, our mentees have collectively secured positions with an impressive annual salary total of over £2,299,984.00. This achievement underscores our commitment to helping learners not only acquire skills but also secure high-paying, rewarding roles.
Role Support and Career Advancement:
Secured Roles: BlueSky Citadel has helped at least 153 individuals secure roles in the tech industry, supporting them from training through successful job placement.
On-the-Job Support: We are actively assisting 71 individuals in their roles, offering continuous mentorship to ensure they thrive and continue to advance in their positions.
Ongoing Placement Assistance: We are currently helping over 80 individuals who are in the process of securing roles, providing them with the resources, networking opportunities, and guidance needed to confidently transition into tech careers.
Community and Support:
Testimonials: We have received 117 positive testimonials from students who credit BlueSky Citadel with helping them secure jobs and achieve their career aspirations.
Azure Platform Users: With 934 active users on our Azure portal, BlueSky Citadel provides real-world experience in cloud environments, preparing students to work confidently with industry-standard tools.
Telegram Group Community: Our Telegram group has grown to 3,007 members, creating a vibrant network of students, alumni, and professionals who support each other by sharing insights, job leads, and encouragement.
Total Number Trained: To date, BlueSky Citadel has trained 1,534 individuals, empowering them with practical skills and industry insights that pave the way for successful tech careers.
At BlueSky Citadel, we believe in the transformative power of education, hands-on experience, and a supportive community. Our mission goes beyond training—we are dedicated to guiding each learner toward a fulfilling career and supporting them every step of the way. With our expanding network and proven track record of success, BlueSky Citadel is making a lasting impact on the lives of aspiring tech professionals worldwide.
SUCCESSES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Many homes in the black ethnic community have been empowered and supported into work in the IT sector. Majority of our current members are either serving in the IT marketplace in the UK majorly and other countries like Australia, the United State of America, Nigeria, Spain, Netherlands and Canada. The organization has been an arm of support to these new professionals particularly in times of work experience, career development, coaching and mentoring in hard and soft skills.
Individuals and families have been motivated and encouraged to grow their career, get certifications and knowledge shared with us on the platform. The organization also offers a platform for social integration as it is open to all, regardless of faith, race, age, gender or nationality.
The organization has various testimonies from students, new professionals and has launched our website www.ptcoder.com for the children of the community members in the organization which is also accessible to other children in the community and elsewhere. We have several awards and nominations in the IT industry and other bodies. Recently in May - June 2025, we won the National and global award for ‘ Excellence in Learning and Development’. An award sponsored by Digital Revolution Awards UK. We were nominated along with the likes of big Consulting firms like Capgemini , Version 1 in the UK. We have empowered up to 3000 individuals in IT globally. Received 8 recognitions and nominations in the UK, Supported over 500 into work experience opportunities. Empowered, over 200 into IT business and mentoring.
We also secure partnership with a UK faith based college Christ the Redeemer College, to expand our reach and extend our tech training into offering Diploma in IT courses.
VISION
The organization is working towards one main vision for the near future. By the end of 2025, envisioning a vibrant community of 2,500 empowered IT professionals and entrepreneurs, collectively shaping the future of the industry through individual excellence, innovation, and impactful contributions to the evolving technological landscape."
Besides the above, the charity is currently offering regular seminars and career clinics aimed at CV writing, educating our members and others in the community on career development, job searching and CV building.
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
The organization currently has no public funding. However, the organisation has received cheque gift and donations from individuals , friends and trustees to support operational costs and maintenance of training systems and servers.
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Signature Date 07/07/2025
1Pastor Tutu Sofowora (Trustee Chair)
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Signature Date 07/07/2025 Patricia Emmanuel (Trustee Secretary)
1 Registered charity number: 1196721
| Bluesky Citadel | 1196721 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts andpayments accounts | CC16a | |||
| For the period from |
09/09/2023 | To | 08/09/2024 |
Section A Receipts and payments
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ - 2,500 2,603 - - - - - 5,103 - - - 5,103 1,210 - - - - 1,300 - - - 2,510 - - - 2,510 2,593 - - 2,593 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ - 2,500 2,603 - - - - - 5,103 - - - 5,103 1,210 - - - - 1,300 - - - 2,510 - - - 2,510 2,593 |
Total funds to the nearest £ - 2,500 2,603 - - - - - 5,103 - - - 5,103 1,210 - - - - 1,300 - - - 2,510 - - - 2,510 2,593 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voluntarydonations | - | - | ||||
| Grants received | 2,500 | - | ||||
| Tuition income | 2,603 | - | ||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
5,103 | - | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | - | ||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| Marketing& Publicitycosts | 1,210 | - | ||||
| Telephone and SMS costs | - | - | ||||
| Website costs | - | - | ||||
| Accountancyfees | - | - | ||||
| Bank charges | - | - | ||||
| Consultancyfees | 1,300 | - | ||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 2,510 | - | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | ||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| 2,593 | - | - | 2,593 |
- | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2,593 | - | - | 2,593 | - |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
08/07/2025
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Bank Details Details Details Signature |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 2,593 - - - - - 2,593 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Patricia Emmanuel(Chair) |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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| Patricia Emmanuel(Chair) | 08/07/2025 | ||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
08/07/2025
2