Charity number: 1209458
Burundi Ac:on
Trustees’ Annual Report & Accounts
For the period 6 August 2024 to 31 March 2025
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Burundi Acon is a Charitable Incorporated Organisaon which is governed by our Constuon.
Registered Charity number: 1209458
Trustees:
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Fabien Raymondaud (Chair )
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Mitchell Payne
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Rev Gary Green
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Dorothy McLean
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Claude Chappe
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Andrea MacDonald
Green Oak, Upper BaSlefield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 4AA
Bankers: The Co-Opera*ve Bank Plc
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Burundi Ac*on
Report of the Trustees
For the period 6 August 2024 to 31 March 2025
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Burundi Acon is a Charitable Incorporated Organisaon (CIO) governed by its Constuon dated 16 May 2024. The charity’s objects are focused on the relief of poverty, advancement of educaon and training, and the relief of sickness and preservaon of health in Burundi. The charity trustees are the only vo*ng members of the CIO.
Trustee Appointment and Terms
Trustees are appointed by resoluon of the exisng trustees in accordance with the Constuon. Trustees serve on a fixed-term basis and may be reappointed. When appoinng new trustees, the board considers the skills, knowledge and experience required for the effecve administra*on of the charity.
Trustee Mee1ngs and Decision Making
The trustees meet formally at least quarterly, with addional meengs or consultaons held as circumstances require. Decisions may be taken at meengs or by wriRen/electronic resoluon, in line with the Constuon. Financial posion, programme acvies, safeguarding maRers and risk are reviewed regularly as part of trustee oversight.
Financial Oversight and Controls
The charity holds its funds in a UK bank account where access is held by at least three trustees. Two authorised signatories are required for payments. The Chair maintains the charity’s financial records and reports income and expenditure to the trustees.
Programme plans and budgets are agreed at trustee level in advance. Our expenditure in Burundi is generally small-scale and aligned with agreed priories. Any significant changes or exceponal costs are communicated to the trustees.
Overseas Delivery and Monitoring
Charitable acvies are delivered in Burundi through trusted local individuals with whom the charity has established working relaonships. Oversight is maintained through regular communicaon, photographic and narrave reporng, and direct observaon during periodic trustee visits to the country. Trustees use this combinaon of reporng, direct relaonships and in-country visits to monitor how funds are applied and to assess needs and outcomes.
Due to local banking constraints, high transfer fees on small amounts, and praccal limitaons in the areas of operaon, the charity has at mes used Muhecash to move funds. Trustees are aware of the associated risks
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and migate these through liming transfer amounts, using trusted intermediaries with a track record of reliability, maintaining clear records of amounts sent, and requiring confirma*on of receipt and use of funds.
Safeguarding and Welfare Oversight
The charity works with vulnerable children and families. Trustees review welfare situaons and have not proceeded with acvi*es where risk was considered too high.
The trustees are in the process of strengthening formal safeguarding procedures. Concerns may be raised through more than one channel, and trustees maintain oversight of child welfare through regular updates and communica*on with those providing day-to-day care.
conflicts of interest in line with the Constuon and withdraw from decisions where appropriate. The charity’s funds are applied solely to further its charitable purposes.
OBJECTIVES OF THE CHARITY
its Constuon, are:
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The prevenon or relief of poverty in Burundi by providing: grants, items and services to individuals in need and/or charies, or other organisa*ons working to prevent or relieve poverty.
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The advancement of educa*on and training for children and teachers in Burundi by the provision of but not limited to equipment, books and sponsorships.
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The relief of sickness and the preserva*on of health among people residing permanently or temporarily in Burundi.
The charity pursues these purposes in Burundi by providing praccal assistance and support to individuals and families experiencing hardship, with a parcular focus on vulnerable children and those with limited access to essen*al services.
PUBLIC BENEFIT
when planning and reviewing the charity’s acvies. The charity’s work is directed toward the relief of poverty, the advancement of educaon, and the relief of sickness and preservaon of health among vulnerable individuals and families in Burundi.
supporng individuals and families experiencing poverty, poor health and limited access to educaon and essen*al services.
ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Context of the Charity’s Work
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educaon, and reduced presence of internaonal support in parts of Burundi. The charity focuses on providing praccal, direct assistance to individuals and families experiencing poverty, poor health and vulnerability, parcularly children.
Family and Community Support
During the reporng period, the charity connued to provide essenal support to vulnerable families in Burundi. This included assistance with food, rent, basic living needs, access to healthcare and support with educaon costs.
Support was directed toward stabilising living condions and improving access to essenal services. Previous intervenons, including improvements to housing condions and access to safe water, connued to have a posive effect on beneficiary wellbeing during the year.
Support for Vulnerable Children
experiencing significant welfare challenges. At the start of support, the children required medical aRen*on and basic care. Over the course of the year:
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The children received medical treatment and recovered from serious illness
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They were provided with stable accommoda*on and daily care within a family-based se\ng
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Ongoing support for nutrion, health and educaon has been maintained
intervenon combined with connued support.
Educa1on and Health Support
The charity connued to assist with school-related costs and educaonal materials for children in supported households. Access to healthcare was provided when needed, including support for treatment and essenal medicines. These intervenons aimed to reduce the impact of poverty on health and educa*on outcomes.
Economic Resilience Support
The charity also supported small-scale income-generang acvity within the community by providing limited start-up assistance to help stabilise household income. This was intended to reduce dependency and improve longer-term resilience.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Financial Overview
During the period from 6 August 2024 to 31 March 2025, the charity received total income of £21,494 and incurred total expenditure of £19,224, resulng in a surplus of £2,269 for the year. The surplus is retained to support connuing and future charitable acvies.
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The charity’s income was derived primarily from individual donaons and small-scale supporter fundraising. The charity did not receive government funding during the reporng period.
Expenditure during the period totalled £19,224. This included direct charitable support costs in Burundi (food and essenals, family support, rent, educaon and medical costs, and basic household items) as well as loan repayments totalling £6,878.79 relang to earlier charitable commitments. The loan was fully repaid during the reporng period. Trustees confirm that funds were applied in furtherance of the charity’s objects and that costs were kept proporonate to the charity’s size and acvi*es.
Reserves Policy
The charity operates on a small scale and works in a context of immediate and unpredictable need. The trustees aim to hold a modest level of unrestricted reserves to provide connuity of support for vulnerable beneficiaries and to allow the charity to respond to urgent situaons such as medical needs or sudden hardship.
At the end of the reporng period, the charity held free reserves of £2,269. Given the charity’s limited income and the ongoing commitments to vulnerable families and children, this level of reserves is considered prudent but modest. The trustees will connue to monitor reserves in line with an*cipated commitments and fundraising capacity.
Financial Management
Trustees apply a cauous approach to spending and seek to ensure that the majority of funds are applied directly to charitable purposes. Where funds are transferred overseas, trustees maintain oversight through financial reporng, communicaon, and monitoring arrangements as described in the governance secon of this report.
PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS
The trustees intend to connue the charity’s core acvies in line with its charitable objects. Priories for the coming period include:
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health and welfare support.
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Maintaining essenal support for families in Mbuye and Bujumbura facing hardship, parcularly relang to food, healthcare and educaon access.
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Exploring small-scale, sustainable income-generang inia*ves that may strengthen household resilience and reduce long-term dependency on external assistance.
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Developing relaonships and partnerships that may support improved access to educaon, including opportunies focused on girls’ educaon, where these can be undertaken safely and in line with the charity’s safeguarding approach.
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the charity’s connued responsible operaon as acvies develop.
The trustees will connue to review acvies considering local condions and available resources, and will priorise safety, sustainability and the effecve use of charitable funds.
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RISK MANAGEMENT
Safeguarding risks
The charity works with vulnerable children and families. Trustees migate this risk through ongoing welfare review, cauous decision-making about new iniaves, and strengthening formal safeguarding procedures. Overseas opera1onal risks
Acvies take place in a context with limited infrastructure and banking access. Trustees manage this through working with established local contacts, maintaining communicaon and reporng, and monitoring the use of funds through regular updates and visits where possible.
Financial sustainability
spending decisions, maintaining modest reserves, and priorising essenal support.
Legal and contextual risks
The charity operates in a changing social and regulatory environment. Trustees monitor local condions and avoid acvi*es where risks are considered too high.
The trustees review risks as part of their ongoing oversight and adjust acvies where necessary to ensure the safety of beneficiaries and the responsible use of charitable funds.
EXTERNAL SCRUTINY OF ACCOUNTS
The charity’s gross income for the period was below £25,000. Under the Charies Act 2011, charies with income below this level are not required to have an independent examinaon or audit. There is no requirement in the charity’s governing document or from any funder for external scruny of the accounts for this period. Accordingly, no independent examina*on or audit has been undertaken for the year ended 31 March 2025.
CUSTODIAN FUNDS
The charity did not hold any funds as custodian trustee on behalf of others during the repor*ng period.
APPROVAL
Approved by the trustees on: 15[th] January 2026
Signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees
Name: Fabien Raymondaud Role: Chair of Trustees
Signature:
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ACCOUNTS
For the period 6 August 2024 to 31 March 2025
| Receipts and Payments Account | |
|---|---|
| Receipts | |
| Dona*ons and supporter income | £21,494 |
| Total Receipts | £21,494 |
| Payments | |
| Charitable support costs in Burundi | £12,346 |
| Loan repayments (fully repaid in year) | £6,879 |
| Total Payments | £19,224 |
| Net movement in funds(surplus for the period) | £2,269 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabili1es | |
| As at 31 March 2025 | |
| Assets | |
| Bank balance | £2,269 |
Liabili1es
None
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Burundi Action – Profit & Loss Statement
View shown: Apr 2024 to Mar 2025 (full-year view). Annual Return period: 06/08/2024–31/03/2025.
| Income | Income | Income | Income | Income | Income | Income | Income | Income | Income | Income | Income | Income | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Apr 2024 | May 2024 | Jun 2024 | Jul 2024 | Aug 2024 | Sep 2024 | Oct 2024 | Nov 2024 | Dec 2024 | Jan 2025 | Feb 2025 | Mar 2025 | YTD |
| Patrice Van Isacker | £100.00 | £100.00 | £100.00 | £100.00 | £100.00 | £100.00 | £2,000.00 | £100.00 | £100.00 | £0.00 | £300.00 | £300.00 | £3,400.00 |
| DeafReach | £1,250.00 | £1,250.00 | £1,500.00 | £1,500.00 | £1,500.00 | £1,500.00 | £2,500.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £11,000.00 |
| Caroline Pawed | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,000.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,000.00 |
| Gofundme | £116.02 | £0.00 | £31.79 | £0.00 | £96.85 | £9.46 | £145.15 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £399.27 |
| TerryMcCabe | £333.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £333.00 | £0.00 | £333.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £333.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,332.00 |
| Christopher Kendall | £100.00 | £0.00 | £100.00 | ||||||||||
| DorothyMcLean | £200.00 | £2,200.00 | £2,400.00 | ||||||||||
| PayPal GivingFund | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £296.08 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,450.90 | £1,746.98 |
| Etsy: Sales of Jewellery | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £116.03 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £116.03 |
| Total Income | £1,799.02 | £1,350.00 | £1,631.79 | £1,933.00 | £1,696.85 | £2,058.49 | £5,645.15 | £100.00 | £729.08 | £0.00 | £600.00 | £3,950.90 | £21,494.28 |
| Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Apr 2024 | May 2024 | Jun 2024 | Jul 2024 | Aug 2024 | Sep 2024 | Oct 2024 | Nov 2024 | Dec 2024 | Jan 2025 | Feb 2025 | Mar 2025 | YTD |
| Food & essentials for Mbuye | £649.00 | £657.00 | £688.00 | £484.08 | £568.57 | £509.81 | £320.26 | £0.00 | £360.00 | £229.89 | £401.00 | £1,272.34 | £6,139.95 |
| Egide & familyAid | £146.00 | £165.00 | £0.00 | £123.19 | £147.91 | £158.17 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £500.00 | £0.00 | £800.00 | £2,040.27 |
| School Grants | £111.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £250.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £90.91 | £451.91 |
| Medical Care | £0.00 | £47.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £47.00 |
| Rent | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £879.12 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £879.12 |
| Furniture | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £878.64 | £909.09 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,787.73 |
| Jean-Marie Nziniza CoopProject(Mugogo) | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,000.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,000.00 |
| Loan Repayment | £1,000.00 | £1,000.00 | £2,400.00 | £78.79 | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £6,878.79 |
| Total Expenses | £1,906.00 | £1,869.00 | £3,088.00 | £686.06 | £1,916.48 | £1,867.98 | £320.26 | £1,757.76 | £2,519.09 | £729.89 | £401.00 | £2,163.25 | £19,224.77 |
| Net Profit/ (Loss) | -£106.98 | -£519.00 | -£1,456.21 | £1,246.94 | -£219.63 | £190.51 | £5,324.89 | -£1,657.76 | -£1,790.01 | -£729.89 | £199.00 | £1,787.65 | £2,269.51 |