2024-04-05-accounts - Sophos Africa UK

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

SOPHOS AFRICA UK (SAUK) second Annual Report

(From April 2023 till end of March 2024)

A. SAUK’s Reference and Administrative Information

• SOPHOS AFRICA UK was registered as a by the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 18[th] January 2022 with the registration number 1197557.

SAUK’s principal office address is 70, Blairhead Drive, Watford, WD19 7RJ
The names of SAUK’s trustees on the date the report was approved are:-
Christopher Reveley (Chair)
Fasil Bellete
Jonathan Fox
Alastair Mitchell-Baker

• Our founder and Executive Director is Dr Desta Heliso Anshebo. Dr Desta is invited to attend many of our Trustees Meetings and he also leads SOPHOS AFRICA charities in Ethiopia and in USA.

SAUK’s Financial Reporting period is April 1[st] till March 31[st] and this our second Annual Report from April 1[st] 2023 to 31[st] March 2024.

B. The Objects of SAUK are:-

For the public benefit and in line with Judeo-Christian principles:

to prevent or relieve poverty, suffering and distress in Africa, in particular, but not limited to:

a. supporting income generation schemes amongst socially and economically disadvantaged communities, with a particular focus on women and young people; and

b. researching and raising awareness of the causes of poverty and developing and promoting mechanisms to relieve the causes;

to promote racial and religious harmony for the public benefit by advancing knowledge, mutual understanding and peaceful relations between different ethnic and religious groups.

C. The activities and achievements of SAUK up to end of March 2024

Activities undertaken by SAUK during the financial year 2023/4 have included:-

a) Completing a satisfactory first Annual Accounts and Report to the Charity Commission
b) Conducting a review of our SAUK Policies for operational matters
c) Dr Heliso’s weekly interactions with the SOPHOS AFRICA Ethiopia staff team and five visits to Ethiopia to undertake work activities directly
d) Dr Heliso’s participation in a major US Conference on Aid
e) Promoting the vision, mission and objects of SOPHOS AFRICA in the UK
f) Fund-raising in the UK, US and Norway/Sweden.
g) Dr Heliso also underwent medical treatment in August/September 2023.

Achievements of SAUK up to March 2023

a) Supporting Dr Desta’s work in Ethiopia during which SOPHOS AFRICA has:-
a. Developed capacity in Ethiopia with more than 1,000 students and young professionals (from different ethnic and religious backgrounds) signed up to be supporters and advocates of the SA Vision .
b. Entered agreement with a local microfinance company (Tesfa) to provide assurance and guidance to our ethical entrepreneurship (poverty alleviation and income generation) program.
c. Selected the first 30 unemployed graduates to go through the ethical income generation training and to be considered for business loans or Internships.
d. Obtained funding from Church of Sweden and launched a program of Breakfast Club discussion meetings with Government Officials, Senior Business-people and academics and senior Church leaders to highlight issues around ethno-centrism and religious extremism and corruption.
e. Piloted a first Praxis group based upon SOPHOS AFRICA produced materials ahead of launching a full Praxis group program later in 2024. This is a key mechanism that SA will use to bring about corporate/organisational transformation in Ethiopia.
b) SAUK work in the UK
a. Obtained a grant of £10,000 from the Lottery Fund at the end of 2023 for Project Harmony which will run till late 2024 with public meetings to address issues and promote harmony around ethnicity and identity within the Ethiopian diaspora.
b. Continued to provide bi-monthly updates to a wider network of those interested.
c) The Trustees have had regards to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit by ensuring that those engaging with the SOPHOS AFRICA Ethiopia events and training courses are from a variety of racial and religious backgrounds; by establishing the link between corruption (often on racial or religious grounds) and poverty; by recruiting a cohort of young professionals and students trained and committed to the vision of SOPHOS AFRICA; and by launching the first ethical economic empowerment programme (for unemployed graduates) in 2024. Project Harmony in the UK also seeks to foster inter-ethnic harmony and promote better community relations amongst the diaspora.

D. Financial Position

a. For the financial year ending March 2024 SAUK’s income came from:
i. Fieldstead & Co – 46.5%
ii. Individual donation income (regular & one-off) – 16.7%
iii. UK Trust funds and donor organisations – 33.4%
iv. Churches – 3.4%

b. SAUK’s primary expenses are:-
i. The costs of employing our UK-based Executive Director, Dr Desta.
ii. The costs of equipping him to travel and work in Ethiopia, other parts of Africa and, occasionally, to the US or Europe.
iii. Remittances that we wish to make to support SOPHOS AFRICA project work or operational costs in Ethiopia in line with SAUK Objects.
iv. The costs associated with promoting SOPHOS AFRICA in the UK and the costs of operating as a charity.

E. SAUK’s Reserves Policy

a. The minimum operating costs of SAUK are defined by the need to pay our Executive Director and to equip him to travel to Ethiopia a number of times a year plus to other locations for fund-raising purposes. Administrative costs are minimal and other UK-based tasks are covered by the Trustees and our volunteer accountant.
b. Therefore, our Reserves Policy (which is to have a minimum of three months expenditure in our Bank Account at any time) minimum amount has been raised this year. As of March 31[st] 2024 that quarterly minimum reserve was £10,000 and we have been compliant with our Reserves policy throughout the period being reported upon.

END

	Sophos Africa	Sophos Africa	Sophos Africa	1197557	CC16a
	For the period from	Apr-23	To	Mar-24

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 50,060 - - - - - - - 50,060 - - - 50,060 44,254 - - - - - - - - 44,254 - - - 44,254 5,806 - 16,999 22,805	Restricted funds to the nearest £ 10,000 - - - - - - - 10,000 - - - 10,000 4,000 - - - - - - - - 4,000 - - - 4,000 6,000 - 4,000 10,000	Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Total funds to the nearest £ 60,060 - - - - - - - 60,060 - - - 60,060 48,254 - - - - - - - - 48,254 - - - 48,254 11,806	Last year to the nearest £
	50,060				45,652
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	50,060				45,652

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-
	-				-
*Sub total*	-				-
*Total receipts* A3 Payments
					45,652

	44,254				32,061
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
**Sub total **	44,254				32,061

A4 Asset and investment purchases (see table)
, Office equipment	-				1,638
	-
**Sub total **	-				1,638
*Total payments* *Net of receipts/(payments)* A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year end*
					33,699

	5,806	6,000	-	11,806	11,953
	-	-	-	-	-
	16,999	4,000	-	20,999	9,046
	22,805	10,000	-	32,805	20,999

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

16/01/2025

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	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 Balance at the end of the period Details Details A Laptop Details Signature	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 22,805 10,000 - - - - 22,805 10,000 OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Unrestricted funds 1,549 - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Christopher William Reveley Alastair Mitchell-Baker	Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			OK
			Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			750
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			When due (optional)






			Date of approval
		Christopher William Reveley
		Alastair Mitchell-Baker

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

16/01/2025

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ members of On accounts for the year ended	Sophos Africa UK	Sophos Africa UK	Sophos Africa UK

	31 March 2024	Charity no (if any)	1197557

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 March 2024.

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.

Independent examiner's statement

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

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: Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:		7 January 2025

	Adam Perryman

	Associated Chartered Accountant (ACA), member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)

	14 Savernake Close
	Reading
	RG30 4LY

IER