Hope and a Future Company Limited by Guarantee Directors. Annual Report (Incorporats"ng the Director's Report) Year ended 31 March 2024 The direclors, who are also Ilie iJireLtor5 foi the purpose5 of wtnpany law, present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 M2rr.h 2n24 Reference and administrative details Registered charity name Hope and a Future Charity registration number 100154 Company registration number N1622198 Principal offlce and reglstered 7 New Street office RAndAlqtown County Antrim BT41 3AF The directors Mrs C Keenan Mr W Pollock Independent examiner Dermot Corr 296 Main Street Randalstown County Antriin BT413AB struU, governance and management Hope and a Future Is a company limited by guaiantee and as such it does not have shale capital. Every director being a member of the Executive Committee undertake$ to contribute to the assets of the Company, in the event of the same being wound up while he is a member, or within one year after hp ceaso.s to be a member, for payment of debts and liabilities of the Company contracted before he ¢ease$ to be a member, and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up, and for the adjustment of rights ot the contributors among themselves. such amount as may be required not axcooding £1.00. The Lompany is registere¢J with HM Revenue and Customs as a charitable body for tsxation purposes IHMRC Charity Number XT7910}. The Company was incorporated on 8 January 2014 and its governing instruments are the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The address of tne Pompany's Registered Office, which is also its principal address. is shown on page 1.
Hope and a Future Company Llmlted by Guarantee Directors. Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2024 Objective5 and activities Hope and a Future is a small Northem Ireland charity based in Randalstown, County Antrim. The Glicirity wa5 Inltiated by loGal Gouple Kevin ana Christine Keenan followlng a irtp io tne iown or Shashemene in the south of Ethiopia in 2006 They were mcjvpd hy thp high Ipvp.l of povprty and the lack of education for some of the poorest children. Many of these children worked from as young as 5-6 years of age or made a living by begging on the streets. The Hope and a Futu Charity was formed in 2007 and 13 overseen by a committee of local people from Randalstown and Antrim. The Initial aim at the start was to provide education tor some of the poorest children in the town of Shashemene in South Ethiopia, 250 kms from Addis Ababa. From a very small beginning of a small rented building with 150 children the charity has grown r)ver the past 12 years to the extent that in 2019 8UPPOrt was being provided for two schools with up to 500 children. The first school was purpose built and provides education for children 8yrs to 16yrs. This school is called "School for Humanity and currently provides education for up to 400 children. A second SGho]ol called Tesfa had around 100 chil(Jren atten(Jing of age 5-7 years. The decision was made to to cease the second school in June 201g 2nd the childrpn would be tr2n.Efprred intn thp firql school as places became avai18ble. From September 2019 the Charity was maintaining the School for Humanity with 400 children. All Ghildren were provided with school uniforms and for many of the children it is their main items of clothing. Each child reiVeS a nourishing meal each day which greatly helps the health of the children but this also presents a challenge due to increasing costs of foodstuffs. Children also are provided with new shoes wlien requlred as well as medical treatment when necessary. All teachers and support staff are employed from the local area and the charity up to June 2020 were employing more than 50 50 staff as teachers. cooks, cleaners, adiiiin, sloies and maiiagemeiil. In 2015 the Hopa and a Future charity began to plan towards building a Therapeutic Centre for children with a Disability and a Youth Gentre in Sha5hemene. At that titne there was very little provision for children with a Disability with many of these children living in isolation in their shack houses. They have no access to education, therapeutic interventions, healthcare or opportunities for socialisation with their peers Construciion of this new Ouilding was completed in 2019 From 2015 the Chartty began to gather Disability equipment into sto facilities connected to the Lharity shop outlets with the aim of sending a Sea container loaded with this equipment trom N. l. into Ethiopia and on to the new building in Shashemene. Arrangement was made for the Container to leave N. l. In September 2019, laden with the equipment which had been gathered up over the previous years. The container arrived at its destination in Ethiopia in November 2019. In the years from the beginning of the Charity. teams of volunteets trom N. Ireland have travelled to Ethiopia to provide direct support and encouragement for all ongoing projects. These trips are generally 10 to 14 days duration. The last trip was in November 2023 and four people visite(J the various projects in Ethiopia and brought back gcd progress report.
Hope and a Future Company Limited by Guarantee Directors. Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2024 AGhievements and performance In September 2019 there was a formal opening of the new Youth Centre in Ethiopia, attended by Local Auihorlty including the Mayor ana also represeniaiives trom N. Ireland The Youih centre on the upper floor would provide local children with somewhere to meet and socialise. They would havè accass to a library and a place to study and complete homework. During 2019, due to increasing expense of maintaining the school with rising costs for food. salaries etc. there were delays in achieving full operation of the Disability Centre and Youth Centre. At this time the Charity Committee were looking ai ways to recluce the financial burden. The financial situation intensified in March 2020 when Coronations came into N. Ireland bringing the first Lockdown when our shops had to close and the main Sour of Income ceased. By June 2020 any reserve financo was depleted and decision was made to terminate our finance input to the School Ivi Huinar)ity drid to tlie Disability and Youth Centre. At thi5 time the Charity wa5 5ti11 in LocK(Jown with no inr.ome and no reqerve finance to m2intgin Proj@cts. L@ttors w@r@ writtèn to Authorities in Ethiopia explaining the Charity position and giving the Projects over to their administration. Following the first Lockdown the Charity shops rgopgngd in July 2020 and income began to ba reslored bul slill willi littiildtlDnS due to the ongoing Covid 19 PandetniG. In July 2020, thi5 Charity began to send finance support to smaller schools in the same region of Ethiopia.. The Charity finance position remained very low during the Covid threat in the County and there was 8 second Lockdown from Dec 2020 til Apnl 2021.our shops were Closed for this llme. Following the second Covid lockdown our shops reopened in April 2021 and began to restore income for Charity funds. In the monins following Charity SUPPOrt was restored lo the School for Humanity an(J also support continugd for a second school callad 'Mululalam'. The School for Humanity continues to have 400 childien and the Mululalem school also has up to 400 children so in total our Charity 15 providing education for 800 children 2nd also provincialities for more than 50 staff across the Iwo 5Ghools. Many of the studonts from School for Humanity have proceeded into higher lavels of Education and may proceed into University Education which will bring good prospects of Etnployment and future finance support for their families. Since the 5ufftmer of 2021, thanks to steady income fvorrb our Charity shop5, we have maintained regular monthly finance payments to thp. schools in Ethiopi2 We also support a Deaf community of around 40 famllies wlth monthly finance as thelr disabillty limlts their employment potential.we also SLSPPOrt a community of people whose adults have leprosy, supporting an Agriculture programme to encourage selF sufficiency in the future. The Deaf group and Leprosy group live in the same region as our schools in Ethiopia. In addition to oui projects in Ethiopia, the Charity also aims to support small local needs in our local Area of N Ireland This includes single parent f2milies. migrant families, people on low incomes and others with disability, addictions andlor mental health issues. At present time the Charity may support people experiencing stress due to National economic downturn. Our Charity shops have become popular social locations wh8ra p8ople find friendship and gncouragomant. Our Charsty shops sarv Inaiiily Raiiddlslown aKitJ AiitiirTI diiij è4uirouwidiny iegiuiib. Mdfly ul Liui vulurileei èiidff bpedk of Ilie personal benefit of engaging in worthwhile work and escape from isolation and loneliness. We also encourage involvement of people who may have disability or mental health issue3 and this 18 therapeutic for In(Jividual health.
Hope and a Future Company Limited by Guarantee Directors. Annual Report {Incorporating the Directorfs Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2024 FinanGial review Both the level of activities and the year end financial position were considered satisfactory. The dlreciors expect Ihai income to increase in Ine year 10 31 Marcn 2024 an(1 this will De maintained for the foregoÉablÉ future. The Statement of Financial Activities shows a net decrease in Unrestricted Funds of £27.758 and a no change to the Restricted Funds. The Company had Total Charity Funds of £129,170 at 31 March 2024. Small company provisions Thig rÈport has been prepared in accordanco with the provisions applicable to companias antitlèd to the small companies exemption_ The directors, annual report was approved on 17 December 2024 and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by- Mrs C Keenan Director