Friends of El Obeid CIO
Report and Financial Statement From 9th May 2025 to 31st December 2025
A) Reference and Administrative Details
Official name: Friends of El Obeid CIO Registered Charity Number: 1213218 Address: 83 Wakeley Hill, Wolverhampton, WV4 5RA. Trustees:
Mrs M. Evans - Chair Mrs V. Rayney - Treasurer Mrs D. Welch - Secretary
B) Objectives and Activities
Purposes of the charity:
The objects of Friends of El Obeid CIO are
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(1)The prevention and relief of poverty, hunger and illness among the children, their families and staff attending the Kindergarten and Good Shepherd Primary School in El Obeid, Sudan.
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(2)The advancement of the education of the children attending the Kindergarten and Good Shepherd Primary School in El Obeid, Sudan by providing finance to support salaries of the teaching and ancillary staff, by financing the provision of uniforms, books and other resources required by the students, and by funding the provision of necessary educational facilities.
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(3)The advancement of health by funding the provision of medicines and related resources for the benefit of those associated with the Kindergarten and Good Shepherd Primary School in El Obeid, Sudan.
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(4)The relief of those in need by the provision of funds to the leadership team at the Kindergarten and Good Shepherd Primary School in El Obeid, Sudan in order to alleviate the suffering and deprivations caused by war, catastrophe and natural disasters to those related to the school and its vicinity.
Main Activities
Managing the monthly standing orders.
Liaising with our contact in El Obeid to transfer money (received as monthly standing orders and occasional donations and fundraisers) via Western Union.
How our activities deliver public benefit
Our main activities and whom we try to help are described below. All our charitable activities are undertaken for the public benefit and focus on the following:
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(1)The prevention and relief of poverty, hunger and illness among the children, their families and staff attending the Kindergarten and Good Shepherd Primary School in El Obeid, Sudan.
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(2)The advancement of the education of the children attending the Kindergarten and Good Shepherd Primary School in El Obeid, Sudan by providing finance to support salaries of the teaching and ancillary staff, by financing the provision of uniforms, books and other resources required by the students, and by funding the provision of necessary educational facilities.
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(3)The advancement of health by funding the provision of medicines and related resources for the benefit of those associated with the Kindergarten and Good Shepherd Primary School in El Obeid, Sudan.
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(4)The relief of those in need by the provision of funds to the leadership team at the Kindergarten and Good Shepherd Primary School in El Obeid, Sudan in order to alleviate the suffering and deprivations caused by war, catastrophe and natural disasters to those related to the school and its vicinity.
C) Structure, Governance and Management
Governance
The organisation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered as a charity on 9th May 2025. The organisation was established under a constitution which established the aims and objects of the CIO.
Appointment of Trustees
Individuals were appointed as charity trustees, with regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of Friends of El Obeid CIO.
Task Delegation
There are no day to day tasks.
D) Achievements and Performance
To understand the important work the charity is undertaking it helps to know a little of the situation in this region of Sudan.
Since April 2023 there has been a civil war in Sudan between the two factions of the country’s military government, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
El Obeid, where the school community is situated, is the capital of the North Kordofan state and a vital hub for trading, commerce and transportation.
The Friends of El Obeid is a small church based charity and the sole benefactors of the school.
The impact of the war on the school community is massively negative in an already fragile economic situation, for example:
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Prices of everything have rocketed.
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Food and medical supplies are difficult to get through.
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School is closed when fighting is near.
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Disease is more prevalent.
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Displaced people have been sheltering in the school buildings, putting more strain on food, water and medical supplies.
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People live with the fear that if the SAF cannot protect them from the RSF there could be a repeat of the massacre in El Fasher.
The high and lowlights of the year 2025 are listed below:
January : A joyous celebration for 72 children graduating from the kindergarten to the primary school.
March : Roads blocked by the RSF are opened so that much needed food supplies can get through.
RSF fighters fleeing Khartoum are killing civilians near El Obeid. The school is shut for a week.
May : RSF fighters are near and food is not getting through. Yassir, a 14 year old student is shot in the forearm.
Sr Angelina cannot pay for his operation (including aftercare) and buy enough food to feed all the children. She is reassured that enough money will be sent to cover both.
July : 27 children are ill with cholera. Money is sent to pay for the medicine they need.
September : RSF tried to enter El Obeid. School was shut for 2 days.
October: Celebration for the feast of Daniel Comboni, the patron saint of Sudan.
To summarise, in the year ending 31st December 2025, we have sent a total of £15750.
The people who have benefitted from this money are the school community and the many displaced people seeking refuge and protection.
The money has been used to buy educational supplies, food, water and medicines eg for malaria and cholera.
We have raised the money through monthly standing orders, appeals when emergencies happen and plant sales. We were delighted to be given 25% of the proceeds of our church Christmas Fair.
E) Financial Review and Reserves Policy
Balance brought forward £521.50 Total money in £18,046.92
Total money out £18,259.20 Balance carried forward £309.22
Total money in is made up of:
Plant sales £246.00 Donations £14,253.92 Standing orders £3,547.00 —————— £18,046.92 ——————
Trustees believe that we do not need reserves as we have regular monthly standing orders of approximately £500 and all the money that we receive is transferred as soon as possible due to the extreme situation in Sudan.
FRIENDS OF EL OBEID CIO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT From 9 May 2025 to 31 December 2025
| INCOME from | Unrestricted Note £ 17,800.92 1 246.00 2 |
|---|---|
| Donations Charitable activities: fundraising Total income EXPENDITURE on Charitable activities Donations to Sudanese school Cost of funds transfer Total expenditure NET EXPENDITURE during the year |
|
| 18046.92 | |
| 18,150.00 109.20 3 |
|
| 18,259.20 | |
| (212.28) | |
| Reconciliation of Funds: Add funds brought forward Funds carried forward |
|
| 521.50 | |
| 309.22 | |
| BALANCE SHEET At 31 December 2025 ASSETS Bank Account Net Asset |
|
| 309.22 | |
| 309.22 | |
| ACCUMULATED FUND Fund brought forward (unrestricted) Net expenditure during the year Total charity funds carried forward |
|
| 521.50 (212.28) |
|
| 309.22 |
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
1 Summary of donations received
| 1 Summary of donations received |
|
|---|---|
| Bank standing orders Other bank transfers Donation for WU fees Total 2 Summary of fund raising Plant sales Total |
3,547.00 14,144.72 109.20 |
| 17,800.92 | |
| 246.00 | |
| 246.00 | |
| 3 Cost of funds transfer Donations to the school in Sudan are transmitted via a Western Union Office which charges £11.90 or £13.90 depending on the value of each transaction 7 x £13.90 1 x £11.90 Total |
|
| 97.30 11.90 |
|
| 109.20 |