Approved 23/01/25
Baranku School Fundraising Charity A Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered in England & Wales Registered Charity, Number 1208833
Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2024
Page
Contents
2-9 Trustees’ Annual Report 10 Receipts & Payments Account 10 Statement of Assets & Liabilities 11 Notes to the Accounts
Principle Office:
Baranku Academy Nursery School Sanyang Highway Jambanjelly Village Kombo South West Coast Region The Gambia
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Trustees’ Annual Report
Baranku School Fundraising Charity Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2024
Full Name: Baranku School Fundraising Charity Registered Charity Number: 1208833
Principal Address Baranku Academy Nursery School Sanyang Highway Jambanjelly Village Kombo South West Coast Region The Gambia
Trustees & Members Michael Tinkler – Chair Caroline Tinkler Sonia Charalambous
Banking
Lloyds Bank, 76 Front Street, Nottingham, NG5 7EJ
Trustees Annual Report
This Annual Report covers the period from when the charity commenced its role on 1[st] January 2024 to 25[th] June 2024 as an unregistered, unincorporated charity and from 26[th] June 2024 to 31[st] December 2024 as a CIO, registered charity.
Governance and Management
The Baranku School Fundraising Charity ( The Charity ) is operated under the rules of its constitution dated 19[th] June 2024. The Charity is a Charitable Incorporated Charity, registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales.
The Members of The Charity are the Trustees, current Trustees and Members are detailed above. The Trustees are appointed by the Trustees of the CIO
A Trustee may retire by notifying The Charity in writing (but only if enough charity trustees will remain in office when the notice of resignation takes effect to form a quorum for meetings).
There must be at least three charity trustees, the maximum number of charity trustees is 12. The quorum for decisions is two charity trustees, or the number nearest to one third of the total number of charity trustees, whichever is greater.
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Trustees’ Annual Report
Objectives and Activities
The object of The Charity is to advance the education of pupils at schools in the Republic of The Gambia by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities for education in such ways as the charity trustees think fit.
The Charity has decided to focus its resources on one school, The Baranku Academy Nursery School ( Baranku School ) which is located in a rural area of The Gambia, between Jambanjelly and Jalambang, on the Sanyang Highway in Kombo South, the West Coast Region, of The Gambia. For the time being The Charity will not fund any other school in The Gambia.
The Charity and the Baranku School have a Partnership Agreement in place which is based on the model agreement drafted by the Charity Commission which sets out the expectations of each party.
Summary of the Main Activities Undertaken for the Public Benefit
The Charity’s aim is to support the Baranku School , a Christian school in Jambanjelly, The Gambia for up to 300 children aged 3 to 13, giving local Gambian children a firm academic foundation enabling them to thrive, breaking the cycle of poverty that so many families in the local area find themselves in, delivered by Christian teaching staff, supported by a UK fundraising Charity , showing the love of God to the children and their families.
Public Benefit Statement
The Trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing their aims and objectives and in planning their future activities. In particular, the Trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set. The Charity’s activities and beneficiaries are described below.
The Charity provides funds which enables the Baranku School to run a school for children aged 3 to 7 in the Jambanjelly area of The Gambia. During 2024 The Charity has provided funding for books and to replace the roof of the school which leaked. In the future The Charity will fund the salaries of teaching staff and overheads of the Baranku School enabling it to provide lessons to teach more children. In addition to the provision of funding The Charity has provided donated educational toys, an iPad and sports equipment for the school to use to further the education of the children who attend it.
The Baranku School provides pupils with a range of educational opportunities within which they can fully realise their individual potential. The school is open to any child who is aged 3 to 7. The school charges a small fee (D800 per term equivalent to £9), however, if the child’s parents or guardians are unable to pay this through poverty the school waives the fee to ensure this is not a barrier to education.
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Trustees’ Annual Report
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
Summary of the Main Achievements During 2024
The Charity has supported the Baranku School , which provides an education for children aged 3 to 7 years, the school has a building with three classrooms located at:
Sanyang Highway Jambanjelly Village Kombo South West Coast Region The Gambia
Fundraising
The trustees would like to thank all the individuals who have given so generously to The Charity to enable it to support the Baranku School .
We would also like to thank The King’s Church Arnold (registered charity number 1199632) for their support over the past year which has included:
-
✓ raising nearly £4,000 through gifts made by individual members of the congregation to pay for a replacement roof for the school which leaked so badly the school would have had to close during the rainy season (June to October)
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✓ a £1,000 donation
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✓ the use of the church photocopier without any charge
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✓ use of the church communication channels
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✓ free use of the building for a fundraising event, the Barn Dance & Hog Roast
The Charity had an appeal to raise funds to purchase books and stationery items for the school. The target for this fundraising was £100, our supporters donated £220. We donated £243, D20,000 (“D” is Gambian Dalasi, the currency of The Gambia) to the Baranku School .
We worked with The King’s Church Arnold to raise funds to replace the roof of the school, the congregation of the church donated £3,915 to the charity. This enabled us to make a grant of £3,950, D328,604 to the Baranku School .
We held a Barn Dance & Hog Roast which raised £779. Thanks are extended to the band (Clare Watkins on fiddle, Andrew Pickin on guitar & Graham Cox on bass), Mark Hopkins our caller and George Moran on the sound desk who all gave their services free of charge. Thanks to The King’s Church Arnold for hosting the event free of charge.
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Trustees’ Annual Report
The total given by way of donations, including Gift Aid, amounted to £7,063 during 2024.
Grants
The Charity has provided the Baranku School with two grants:
1. Books and Stationery
The Charity provided a grant of £243, D20,000 for the school to purchase books and other stationery items.
2. Replacement Roof
The Charity collaborated with The King’s Church Arnold (registered charity number 1199632) whose congregation raised £3,915 towards the replacement of the roof of the school building. A grant of £3,950, D328,604 was made to the school to have the roof replaced.
The Charity plans to make a further grant to the Baranku School of approximately £2,000 to enable it to plaster & paint the walls of the school and to repair & seal the floor of the school. A designated fund has been established to hold these funds.
Prescence on the Internet
The Charity has built a website, developed a Facebook Page and Google listing for the school and The Charity. Thanks to Mick Tinkler for his work in a voluntary role to establish these resources.
Donated Items
The Charity sent two lots of donated goods to the Baranku School via a trip made by Graham & Linda Cox and a trip made by Mick & Caroline Tinkler. The donated goods included sports equipment, educational toys, an iPad and stationery items. Thank you to those individuals who gifted these items.
Please note: All of the trips to The Gambia made on behalf of The Charity are paid for by the individuals concerned. This includes flights, accommodation, car hire, food, insurance, etc. Under no circumstances are The Charity funds used to pay for these trips.
Administration
The administration of the charity is undertaken by Mick Tinkler in a voluntary role.
Financial Review
Between the 1[st of] January and 31[st] of December 2024 The Charity had an income of £8,518 and expenditure of £5,480, with a surplus at the end of the
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Trustees’ Annual Report
year of £3,037. It should be noted that £2,000 of the surplus has been designated to fund the plastering & painting of the school walls and the repair & sealing of the school floor. The Trustees have also designated £1,037 to be held as The Charity reserve. As a result of the designation of funds, the unrestricted funds on the 31[st] of December 2024 stood at £0.
The income included £220 of restricted donations for the Read 4a Fiver Appeal and £3,195 of restricted income for the Roof Appeal.
The income consisted of £12 of bank interest, donations & associated gift aid of £7,574 and sales (Barn Dance sales of tickets & drink) of £931.
Expenditure consisted of £4,194 of grants to the Baranku School , £187 was spent on website hosting, including the school URL and email facilities, £192 was spent on insurance, £6 on labels for the reading books, £39 for promotional cards, £10 on a collection bucket, £24 on raffle tickets, £6 on transaction fees for card payments made to The Charity and £821 on the Barn Dance & Hog Roast event.
The Charity does not have any paid employees, all the work is undertaken by volunteers, primarily the charity trustees.
The following is a breakdown of income and expenditure of the Barn Dance & Hog Roast event which raised £779 for The Charity :
| Barn Dance & Hog Roast Fundraising Event | Barn Dance & Hog Roast Fundraising Event |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Donations | £ 536 |
| Ticket Sales | £ 900 |
| Cans of Drink Purchased | £ 31 |
| Gift Aid | £ 133 |
| Total | £ 1,600 |
| Expenditure | |
| Hog Roast | £ 695 |
| Cake, napkins, plates, etc. | £ 126 |
| Total | £ 821 |
| Surplus | £ 779 |
Risks
The Charity has a Risk Management Policy which details how risks are managed by means of a cycle of identification, quantification, management and review.
The financial risks of The Charity include the following:
The Charity has procedures setting out internal financial controls to ensure
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Trustees’ Annual Report
separation of duties, conflicts of interest, entering into contracts, obtaining best value, how to deal with novel & contentious expenditure, financial management and financial reporting. The procedures also cover fraud, bribery, hospitality, gifts and scam recognition & reporting. The Charity has a written Investment Policy.
The Charity is dependent on income from individuals, without any on-going commitment from them that they will donate to The Charity in the future. The trustees will launch a new appeal in 2025 called “Angel Investors” which will seek to build on the relationship it has with existing donors to encourage them to make a monthly donation to The Charity to fund the Baranku School’s revenue requirements, enabling it to take on paid teaching staff.
When compared to the UK The Gambia has high levels of inflation over the decade prior to 2020 when the world suffered the global Coronavirus pandemic, the average inflation was 6%. In 2021 it rose to 7%, in 2022 it was 12%, it peaked at 17% in 2023 and should fall to 14% in 2024. The Gambian government is committed to reducing inflation and it predicts it will fall back to pre-pandemic levels in 2026, and it predicts it will be 5% from 2027 onwards. It should be noted that the high level of inflation is not solely linked to the pandemic, it is also the result of other geo-political instabilities such as the war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East. Food inflation stood at 19.7% in March 2024, the country is a net importer of food, as well as a net importer of energy. The global prices of commodities, such as food, oil, and fertiliser, have had a long-term impact on inflation in The Gambia. The currency is weak when compared to the pound and dollar. If the country continues to have an inflation rate that is higher than the UK’s The Charity will need to grow the income from donors at a higher than UK inflation rate, this is built into The Charity’s business plan.
The charity Trustees are the only volunteers for The Charity , the Chair of the Trustees does the bulk of the day-to-day work of The Charity . The Charity is therefore dependent on a small number of people to run it, without this the activities of The Charity would need to reduce. The Charity will seek to recruit additional volunteers to enable it to expand to support a larger number of donors.
Whilst The Charity is small, it faces the same level of compliance, such as Charity Legislation, Finance, Data Protection and Health & Safety as a larger charity. The Charity has a range of policies, procedures, processes, and systems to ensure compliance with all legislative requirements. These are regularly reviewed; risk management is a standard agenda item at every Trustee meeting. The Charity has insurance in place to mitigate some of the compliance risk.
As The Charity works to support the school in The Gambia it follows the Charity Commission guidance “Charities: how to manage risks when working
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Trustees’ Annual Report
internationally”. The Charity has clear audit trails to ensure the trustees know how much money has been moved to the Baranku School and where it has been moved to. The Baranku School provides receipts, screen shots of bank accounts, photos of items purchased or work undertaken. The Trustees are in regular communication with the school via WhatsApp messaging, telephone calls and video conferencing. Two of the Trustees visit the school once a year. Before accepting the quotation for the new roof for c£4k the Trustees checked this with another charity who builds schools in The Gambia to ensure the quotation was reasonable.
The Baranku School ’s Bank Account cannot accept direct transfers of funds from The Charity ’s bank account as it does not accept SWIFT payments, we are working with the school to ensure they open a new bank account with a bank that has this facility. The Charity always transfers a small amount of funds to test a new transfer mechanism, once funds are received the full amount is transferred.
It is recognised that there is a specific Safeguarding risk when individuals are “introduced” to the school and a child Ambassador by The Charity through the proposed Angel Investor programme. Specific Safeguarding protocols have been put in place to mitigate this risk, making it clear who is responsible for safeguarding the child during any visit to the school by supporters.
The Charity is aware that if the planned revenue support programme is established the school will need to employ staff and so the school will need to become a legal entity such as a company or charity. The Trustees, one of whom has established both charities and companies in the UK, will support the school volunteers to carry this out, Gambian legal advice will be taken.
The charity’s policy on reserves
The Charity must have insurance at a cost of c£200, it is committed to maintaining a website for the school and charity at a cost of c£200, it plans to make a donation to the school of c£4,000 in 2025 to cover revenue costs, in consideration of these commitments:
The Board of Trustees have reviewed the Charity’s need for reserves in line with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission. The Trustees have identified the need to hold reserves equivalent to 4 months of its’ annual commitments which is £1,467. At the end of the year the charity had reserves of £1,037 which is £430 below the target level.
The Trustees have established a Designated Fund of £1,037 for these reserves.
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Trustees’ Annual Report
Designated and Restricted Funds
In addition to the Designated Fund for Reserves, The Charity has designated funds to cover a grant of approximately £2,000 that it will make to the Baranku School to enable them to plaster & paint the walls of the school and to repair & seal the floor of the school.
Details of two restricted funds which have been spent during 2024 can be found in note 5 on page 11.
The unrestricted funds the end of 2024 was £0.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signed _________ Date: 23[rd] January 2025
Michael Tinkler, Chair & Trustee
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Baranku School Fundraising Charity Receipts & Payments Account for the Year 1[st] January 2024 to 31[st] December 2024
| Receipts | Notes Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
2024 Total Funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Interest | £ 13 | £ - | £ 13 |
| Donations | £ 3,032 | £ 4,110 | £ 7,142 |
| Gift Aid | £ 407 | £ 25 | £ 432 |
| Sales | 2 £ 931 |
£ - | £ 931 |
| Total Receipts | £ 4,383 | £ 4,135 | £ 8,518 |
| Payments | |||
| Bank Charges | 3 £ 7 |
£ - | £ 6 |
| Insurance | £ 192 | £ - | £ 192 |
| Grants | £ 59 | £ 4,135 | £ 4,194 |
| Fundraising | £ 34 | £ - | £ 34 |
| Printing & Stationery | £ 46 | £ - | £ 46 |
| Website | £ 187 | £ - | £ 187 |
| Barn Dance | £ 821 | £ - | £ 821 |
| Total Payments | £ 1,346 | £ 4,135 | £ 5,481 |
| Net Receipts/(payments) | £ 3,037 | £ - | £ 3,037 |
| Cash funds at start of thisperiod | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Cash funds at end of this period | £ 3,037 | £ - | £ 3,037 |
Statement of Assets & Liabilities on 31[st] December 2024
| Cash Assets | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Lloyds Current Account | £ 37 |
| Lloyds Savings Account | £ 3,000 |
| Total all Bank Accounts | £ 3,037 |
| Cash in Hand | - |
| TOTAL Current Assets | £ 3,037 |
Note: Cash Assets are the amount of money held by The Charity in the bank accounts detailed in this table. The Charity does not have any fixed assets. At the end of the year The Charity did not have any liabilities.
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of The Charity
Signed _____ Dated: 23[rd] January 2025
Michael Tinkler, Chair & Trustee
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833
Baranku School Fundraising Charity Notes to the Accounts
for the Year 1[st] January 2024 to 31[st] December 2024
1. Receipts & Payments Accounts
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period.
Usually, cash received, and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
2. Sales
During 2024 The Charity received £931 for the sale of 60 Barn Dance & Hog Roast tickets at £15 per ticket and the sale of 31 cans of drink at £1 per can during the event.
3. Bank Charges
Fees were incurred when supporters made a payment using their phone, credit or debit cards.
4. Prior Year Figures
No prior year figures have been shown as this is the first accounting period for The Charity .
5. Analysis of Funds
| Opening | Receipts | Payments | Closing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Funds | balance | balance | ||
| Read 4a Fiver Appeal for books | - | £ 220 | (£ 220) |
£ 0 |
| Replacement Roof Appeal | - | £ 3,915 | (£ 3,915) |
£ 0 |
| Total Restricted Funds | - | £ 4,135 | (£ 4,135) |
£ 0 |
| Unrestricted Funds | ||||
| General Funds | - | £ 4,383 | (£ 1,346) |
£ 3,037 |
| Total Unrestricted Funds | - | £ 4,383 | (£ 1,346) | £3,037 |
| Total Funds | - | £ 8,518 | (£ 5,481) |
£ 3,037 |
6. Designation of Funds
| Fund | Amount |
|---|---|
| Walls & Floor Designated Fund | £ 2,000 |
| Reserves Designated Fund | £ 1,037 |
| Unrestricted Funds | £ 0 |
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Baranku School Fundraising Charity, a CIO Registered Charity Number 1208833