## TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT and ## FINANCIAL STATEMENT For the year ended 31[st] December 2025 1 ## MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC AID FOR VIETNAM, LAOS AND CAMBODIA Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] December 2025 The Trustees present their report for the year ended 31[st] December 2025. The Charity is an unincorporated association established in June 1965 as the Medical Aid Committee for Vietnam and is registered with the Charity Commission No. 252906. The Charity’s name was changed to Medical and Scientific Aid for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia when aid was also sent to Laos and Cambodia. A new constitution based on the Charity Commission’s model was formally adopted at the Annual General Meeting in July 2010. Medical and Scientific Aid for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, is also known by its abbreviated form of MSAVLC. Trustees are elected on an annual basis at the Annual General Meeting of the Charity; new Trustees are inducted fully on all the charity’s projects and given appropriate literature. All new Trustees are required to be prepared to take on a specific role in the running of the charity. Trustees can be co-opted onto the Committee, if necessary, to fulfil a role. The Trustees during the year were: Mr Peter Lidgard Mrs Mary Lidgard Mr John Firth Mrs Lynn Firth Mrs Susmita Ghosh Ms Jenny Gold Chairman Honorary Secretary Honorary Treasurer The Honorary Officers of the Charity are: President of the Charity: Vice-Presidents: Medical & Scientific Advisor: Dame Judi Dench DBE Sir George Howarth Dr. Stewart Benzie Lord Balfe of Dulwich Honorary Legal Advisor: Simon Mumford BA The Principal Address of the Charity is: Anchor Cottage, 3, Horsefair Street, Charlton Kings, CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire, GL53 8JF. ## **Objects of the Charity** The objects of the charity are:- The relief of sickness, the promotion of good health and the advance of medical research in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In furtherance of these objectives, the Charity shall have power - a) To send medical, scientific and food aid, supplies, equipment and literature to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. - b) To further, and to assist in the furtherance of, medical research provided that the useful results of such research shall be disseminated. - c) To foster the exchange between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and Britain and other - nations medical, scientific, and technological information and personnel. 2. ## **Organisation, Governance and Activities** The control of the charity is vested in the Trustees and supporters who meet annually to elect Honorary Officers, to receive the Annual Report and Financial Statement for the previous year, and to elect the Trustees for the following year. The day-to-day management of the Charity is the responsibility of the Trustees who aim to meet three or four times per year and correspond with each other regularly via email and telephone during the year. Detailed project proposals from our Project Directors are submitted for approval by the Trustees, and decisions regarding disbursements are taken by the Trustees at their meetings. New and existing projects are reviewed regularly, and accounts, reports and outcomes are provided. It is the aim of the Trustees to send a delegation to visit all funded projects at regular intervals, ideally every two years. During these visits receipts and invoices are checked and the outcomes and impact of projects recorded. New proposals are received, to be discussed and approved by the Trustees. The charity has considered that the risk of accidents or ill health may occur during the Trustees’ visits to projects, and all Trustees are advised to take appropriate measures in the form of insurance and medications. A Safeguarding Policy, Social Media Policy and Data Protection Policy are held by the charity and are reviewed every year. Donations are received mainly as a result of publicity campaigns, chiefly the publication of the news Bulletin three or four times per year, from leaflets, and by notifications in Facebook and on our website. From timeto-time fund-raising activities are organised. Donations sent for a specific project, or specified purpose are recorded as Restricted Income and are only used for that specified purpose. All other donations are recorded as Unrestricted Income. Complete detailed records of Income and Expenditure are maintained by the Honorary Treasurer, and a Financial Statement is prepared at the end of each month for the approval by the Trustees. The Honorary Treasurer’s Report is included within the Trustees’ Annual Report. 2025 has been a fairly quiet year financially for MSAVLC, as some of our projects run over two years and have already been financed. But that will change in 2026 when our projects will be due for renewal . The Charity financially supported during the year: - Continuation of the First Aid Project (April 2024- March 2027) at New Hope Children’s Home and in nearby villages in Cambodia. - This project provides first aid to vulnerable children where no other care is available. - The continuation of the two-year Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Rehabilitation Project (PQR Project) run by the Disability Development Services Program (DDSP) in Pursat Province, Cambodia. - The project has improved the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families, through access to health, rehabilitation, livelihood, and social inclusion. - A qualified medical doctor to work at the All Ears Cambodia Clinic in Phnom Penh. - The doctor was employed to enhance and promote AEC clinical services in Phnom Penh and at outreach level. He combined clinical and teaching skills with direct patient care. - A Hearing Screening Project for babies and school children in eastern Cambodia, run by All Ears Cambodia, (AEC). - The project combined screening of school children for chronic otitis media, the leading cause of hearing loss globally, with a neonatal hearing screening service to detect congenital hearing loss. - The continuation of a Health and Wellness Project at Daughters of Cambodia, until its completion at the end of September 2025, and a new programme started to run until September 2026. 3. The project helped young women and men in Cambodia escape the horrors of sex trafficking and start sustainable new lives for themselves. It provided skills and training, paired with vital health and support services needed to aid their physical, psychological, and social recovery. This enabled disabled victims to become economically self-sufficient, thus enhancing their Health and wellbeing. Further details of clients benefitting directly or indirectly from the charity’s funding is provided in the ‘Projects’ section of the charity’s website (www.msavlc.org), in the quarterly Bulletins and on our Facebook and Instagram pages. The Trustees believe that all the funding for the projects supported in 2025 was for the public benefit, as set out in the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance. ## **Review of Objectives, Progress and Achievements during 2025** As well as conducting their respective executive roles, Peter Lidgard compiled and edited the Bulletin, Mary Lidgard liaised regularly with all project directors, and managed all emails sent to the website contact address, and John Firth maintained the charity’s mailing list. Lynn Firth was responsible for the distribution of the Bulletin by post and email, each quarter, and for compliance with General Data Protection Regulations. She also compiled the charity’s new statuary policies. Susmita Ghosh managed the MSAVLC Facebook page. Jenny Gold liaised with New Hope Children’s Home and managed our Instagram page. The Trustees held meetings three times during 2025, and were in touch regularly by telephone and email, when necessary. **A meeting of the Trustees** took place in February 2025. The main points from that meeting follow: Lynn Firth had compiled a proposed Data Protection Policy and Social Media Policy and forwarded it to the Trustees for approval. Both were accepted, and it was agreed that they should be reviewed each year along with our existing Safeguarding Policy. John Firth had created a secure password to protect the names and addresses of our supporters. Jenny Gold had established an Instagram account for MSAVLC in order to help stay connected with our supporters. Money had been sent last December to the Vietnamese Association for the Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) to purchase wheelchairs for victims, and to start up small businesses. The necessary information had been sent to All Ears Cambodia to produce a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Ministry of Health for Cambodia. This document confirmed the amount of funds provided by MSAVLC, and for which projects they were used. A Narrative Report had been received at the end of November from Daughters of Cambodia which was satisfactory and informative. New Hope Children’s Home in Cambodia has now become self-sufficient, so we will not be funding them anymore, but will keep in touch with their director. We will still fund the First Aid Project in the area. It was decided to undertake a Monitoring and Evaluation visit to Vietnam and Cambodia in the new year. ## **A meeting of the Trustees** took place in June 2025. The main points from that meeting follow: Trustees of MSAVLC had attended an All-Party Parliamentary Group meeting in London. Ms Mai Khanh, our contact with VAVA in Hanoi, had been relocated to Ho Chi Minh City to oversee the development of a new centre there for Agent Orange victims. It was agreed that Trustees should visit this on their evaluation visit next year. Mary and Peter Lidgard had given illustrated talks on MSAVLC to the Friendship Group in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham and to the Mother’s Union. Both talks had received a lot of interest from members. 4. A Spring Report had been received from Daughters of Cambodia which was informative and satisfactory. Two reports had been received from All Ears Cambodia regarding the Sponsor a Doctor Project and the Screening of New-born Babies and Children Project. Both were satisfactory. A report on the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi had been received from the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in Vietnam. Funds had been sent last year to provide aid to families affected. Legacies had been received from our late Vice-President and friend John Pilger, and from David Smart a long-term supporter of MSAVLC. We were extremely grateful for both. Plans were discussed to celebrate MSAVLC’s 60[th] anniversary in June. **A meeting of the Trustees** took place in October 2025. The main points from that meeting follow: Narrative and Financial Reports had been received from The Disability Development Services Program (DDSP) in Cambodia, and both were satisfactory. The AGM celebrating 60 years of MSAVLC had taken place in June and was deemed a great success. Thanks were expressed to Lord Balfe for his contribution to the event. All Ears Cambodia and Daughters of Cambodia had both been send money to cover their projects until September 2026. Narrative and Summer updates had been received from Daughters of Cambodia. We were pleased to hear that 531 general wheelchairs and 40 machine wheelchairs had been purchased by The Vietnamese Association for the Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) from the money sent to them in December last year. Photos of these wheelchairs, newspaper reports and receipts were forwarded to us, and the remainder of the money went towards funding small start-up businesses. Mary and Peter Lidgard had attended an event to celebrate the Vietnamese National Day in September and were pleased to meet the new Vietnamese Ambassador, who thanked them for the work of MSAVLC over the years. Fairford United Church had sent us some money which they had collected from a fundraising quiz. Trustees were to give a talk to the church members in November. Less money was spent on projects this year, but this will no doubt change when Trustees visit S.E. Asia next year. It was noted that unfortunately the costs of hotels and flights for the trip had increased since the Trustees last visit, but that was to be expected. ## **During 2025** Three Trustees’ meetings took place. Satisfactory reports were received from all our project leaders, and regular contact was made with them all. Funding was agreed, where requested, for our present projects in Vietnam and Cambodia. The Bulletin was published in February, May, August, and November, and circulated to all our supporters by post or email. The Annual General Meeting and 60-year celebration took place in June at Charlton Kings Social Club, Cheltenham. The MSAVLC Data Protection Policy, Social Media Policy and Safeguarding Policy were all reviewed and accepted. ## **Future Plans and Key Objectives** The Trustees aim to meet regularly during 2026 and consult with all project leaders of the projects which we are currently supporting. We aim to keep our Policies, Website, Mailing List, Facebook and Instagram up to date, and to publish our Bulletin three or four times a year, to inform our donors and supporters of the charity’s activities. 5. We will support fund-raising activities where appropriate. We will make arrangements to carry out a monitoring and evaluation visit to all our current projects in 2026. As economic progress continues in Vietnam and Cambodia, and as these countries are becoming increasingly popular holiday destinations, many people only see the bright lights and holiday resorts. But it is in the areas that are not seen where the aid is most needed, and where the people are left behind. The Agent Orange victims in Vietnam, the landmine victims and the many disabled people in Cambodia, the victims of natural disasters and of trafficking, and the deprived and homeless children. These are the people that we aim to help. ## **Finances** The attached Financial Statements show the state of the charity’s finances on 31[st] December 2025 which the Trustees consider to be satisfactory. The Charity’s main bankers are: The Cooperative Bank plc 25 Islington High Street London N1 9LQ The Charity’s Independent Examiner is: Mrs Nicola Hewlett MAAT 43, West Street, Minehead, TA24 5EJ. Flnandal revlew of year endlng 310ecember 2025 l. Mnanaal poshlon In the absence of any significant and dramatlc increase in the level of grants made to beneficiarles, the trustees have not identffjied any factors that would adversely affert our financial position. 2. Investments lal Our investment5 are held in the "COIF Ethical Fund" managed by CCLA Investment Management Ltd, leaders Tn the field of managin8 investments on behalf of charities. We rely on their proven expertise in both growin8 capFtal and generating Income. However, it should be recorded that CCLA'S performance in 2025 was unexperted poor. Thls Is mainly due to their conservative stock holdings, avoiding the 'racierf stocks, which disproportionately affected the overall stock market globally. CCL4 have consequently reassured their clients that they have conducted a thorough review of what went wrong. It should be noted that from February 2026. CCIA have become part of the much larger group, Jupiter Fund Management. Ibl The trustees acknowledge the risk of a reduction in capital In the event of a market corrertion or'crash., but are confident in the skills of thelr investment managers to mitigate such risk via artive stock selection and diversification. {c) We currently hold 86.75% of our total assets in the investment fund. The trustees wlll regularly review this ratio and are prepared to sell some of our investment holding, rf we consider it necessary to boost the level of our cash on deposit. During 2025, we did not sell any of our investment units. Idl In the event of a shortage of funds for grant-makift& our investments in the COIF Ethical Fund are readily available and can be sold in whole or in part at one workin8 darfs notice. 3. Fundralslng Our primary method of fundralsing IS through the publlcation of quarterly news bulletins. 2025 showed 3 3.4% increase in the level of donations reoived: to £30,39512024: £29,383). It should be noted that this slender increase was only achieved due to one large donation from a generous supporter. Our £26.364 Investment Income 12024: £25,921) accounted for 41% of our total income (excluding legacies). 4. Restrfcted funds We only held restricted funds for VAVA {£5,(￿7) at the end of the year. There were no other material amounts designated or otherwise Cornm￿ed. The overall reserves of the charity- effectively our total a￿ts lin the absence of any non-financial assets)- remain In the reglon of £1 mlllion and, In the opinion of the trustees, put the charity In a very strong position, which 8uarantees our financial stability fi)r many years to come. 6. Expendlture Our project expenditure continues to fluctuate. In 2025 it was £60.688- down by 63% year-on-year. But as alww￿. the level of our project spendin81s entirely dependent on the applications received. Non-project expenditure remains very low indeed at £1,908 (2024: £2,649} which includes fundraising costs of £1,1751£1.171). Ironically the 28% reduction did not help our overall expense ratio, which lowin£ to the dramatic fall in project.spendin8) nearty doubled to 3% (2024: 1.6%) However, the trustees remain justifiably proud of the extremety low level of our tharitls running costs. slnWep¥fftnts ￿￿eP*￿ents eBuIarp*￿Thents 14.965 SS.375 4679 25,921 74.(01 S￿7 49ffjn IT ILOJ7 L175 U75 1.171 •n S2 52 adm IQ13 bank 93 93 47 47 33 45,767 redualm oflr<+YAI 24.41Y 2V .35 Q1353 11011 OFFUMD5 110241 120241 120231 9¥743 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Report to the trustees of Medical & Scientrfic Aid for Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia On accounts for tho yoar ended Charity number 31 December 2025 252906 Sot out on pag 8arK49 I report to the trustees on my examinats.on of the ac£ounts of the abov8 charity (Ihe Trusr). Responslbilllles and As the chaiity trustees of the Trust, you are respcinSib￿ for th8 preparation basis of rèport of the accounts in aC￿rdanCe wth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Yhe Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's arxounts Garried out under section 145 of the Act and, in Car￿ng out my examination, I have followed the applicable Direcb'ons given by ts Chanty Commission under section 145{5){b} of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attents'on in connection vthh the examination which glves 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 wrth the aC￿Unting records Independent examinerfs statement I have no cOn￿mS and have come a¢XOSS no other matters in connection wrth the examination to which attention should drawn in order to enab proper understanding of the accounls to be reached. Signed: Dats: ,Itl Name: Mrs Ni￿a Héwtett Relevant professional qualffiutlonls) or body (If any): Addres•: 43 West'street Minehead Somerset TA24 5EJ 5t¥tefft￿ ofAss¢tswd UabllhbÈsas * Ji December2025 unrÈthL%ed 20Z5 tth 2024t￿l io Cashfvnos Ctrop 8ankcwrwtW￿nt 23,5 ns C(NFIC dep￿tfUnd 12 5.067 1(4475 90.831 127.452 SA*7 132.518 115.955 CCIF IA4 ethlc41 thJnd 867.392 867,291 914￿9 Toi•lats 744 &Cffj7 995.810 030,¢ io VAVAH4nc4 s,￿7 s￿67 S￿￿7 s￿67 Notes tothÈ¥ccvunts Yhese accovntshaye bEen prepared in atCQrdan￿￿th wKleJlnessetOut bythecharky Commi5*on. SinOepaymEnts re￿Ne0 byt35h, (heque or BAC5tran5ferlntotwrCow Banka¢uwnL nd bydirea transfei ord@b￿credItcèrd Ihto our PèyPalat¢ount Re8ular payments recwved bymandingorder imoourctrcp Bank payp￿ atcoun Frum theeststes tsf John Pilger. Da￿d Smart3nd DÈnn60n. Asat 31 DeThThber 2025 we had redalmed tsxon all th4ded donatiortsrÈthved prloF to l 2025. 5eebath pa8eforproprt& Anythar4e51ncurred in transferring monvrfovwseas arÈda55ed aspiojÈttÈwdttyre. Costolsendin{truste& toSouth Ea5tAWatOrev￿w supported proSett& Funded entyretyfrotn irb¥e5tmentSncorne. *ulletins' itemindude5 all a5souated ptw. prlntlntandStsloneryco5ts. IndudÈxcostof wfttothdEpendwtexaminEr. finanual wortlby¥reDdinB 31 Dpc•Trber 2024lexaffllned fvee of thar￿. The￿d￿ty0WnS noproperty. has nDefflployees. noborr￿￿rbSSa0d no d￿bts. 11 The Pzfflal account n)èInlYre￿￿￿5d0rtsab0n5 made thiouth ourweb51te arKI tsJrwththtyAandin¥orders. All rÈ5trfLted tunds a￿tL￿rnItIe0IothÈ pruieth N purwsÈ 5peJftedbythE I￿v￿estOrtof￿fttowebs1te man4er' web%teillainkned anttupdatedtrrfoUthr￿t￿tyeWfreÈofthlr$@. 10 IASA¥L¢. 2025 PR￿E¢T EXPE14DrruAÉ AI Ew5 Crtrtoa. of b8bles & ChI￿ren (year2 of21 15,680.00 AI Ew5 C•rtrdi8. spwsorsh4) ofdoth I￿r2 of21 8,649.00 £ 25.342.24 £ 11,017.00 £ 60.688.24 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Medical & Sctnttfic Aid for Vtetnam. Laos & Cambodia Charlty number ended 31 December 2025 252906 Set out on pages 8and9 I rerK)rt to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe TTUSt"). Responslbilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordan￿ wth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Act.). I report in rest*d of my examination of the Trust's accounts Carried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicab18 Diredions given by the Charity comm[s￿On under seGtion 145{5){b} of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confinn that no material matters have come to my attention in connedion with the examination which gives me use to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting re￿rdS Twere not kept in accordan(* with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord wrth the accounting records Independent examinerfs statement I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to whith attention should be drawn in order to enable a proFer understanding of the a￿nts to be rea¢l￿d. Slgnod: Name: Mrs Ni¢ola Hewlett Relèvant professional qualfficatlonls) or body (If any): MAAT Add￿￿. 43 West'street Minehead Somerset TA24 5EJ