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← Moving Mountains Trust

2025-04-05-annual-report

Welcome to the Moving Mountains Trustees Report 6[th] April 2024 – 5[th] April 2025

The Trustees of Moving Mountains Trust present their annual report for the year ended 5[th] April 2025, together with the accounts for the year and confirm that the latter comply with the requirements of the Charities Regulations 2008 for reporting. We also confirm that all the activities undertaken by the charity were to further its charitable purposes for the public benefit.

Contents:

1. Chairman's welcome

2. Trust details

3. Purposes of the charity and governance

4. Financial Statements

5. Review of Charitable Activities

6. Thank You

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

1. From the Chairman - Gavin Bate

Over the past year, Moving Mountains has continued to deliver and strengthen our programmes in both Kenya and Nepal. Thanks to an encouraging increase in funding, the charity agreed to begin exploring opportunities to expand our work—both through new initiatives and by growing our existing projects, particularly in Kenya. These exciting developments are planned to begin in the next financial year.

Our focus has remained firmly on our core programmes in both countries. In Nepal, we continued to support the employment of a community healthcare worker, a healthcare assistant, and both primary and secondary school teachers—impacting hundreds of children in rural Himalayan communities. We also maintained the provision of vital school and medical supplies to villages that Moving Mountains Nepal has helped develop over many years. These ongoing efforts ensure that the communities we serve continue to receive consistent, long-term support.

In Kenya, we sustained our commitment to the Rescue Centre and the daily feeding programme for street children, which continues to provide nutritious meals for over 100 children every day. The much improved Black Cats Football Academy offers a safe, inclusive, and inspiring environment for some of the most marginalised young people in Embu. With Under-13, Under-15, senior, and girls’ teams all competing regularly in local and county leagues—and participating in national tournaments such as the Moi Cup in Nairobi and the Rausha Kibaji Cup in Nakuru—the academy continues to demonstrate the power of sport as a tool for social change and personal development.

We were also fortunate to receive continued support from George Watson’s College and Harton Academy. Their involvement enabled us to run successful summer camps in Embu in 2024, directly benefiting our project participants, creating employment opportunities for former beneficiaries, and furthering development at Gatwe Primary, St Monica’s School for Special Needs, and the Rescue Centre.

In Naro Moru, the Granaghan Outreach team returned to Kenya to construct two new classrooms at Kimbo Primary School on the lower western slopes of Mount Kenya National Park. In addition, long-time supporters Pat Mullan and Aidan McGlade began refurbishment work at Naro Moru Township School— projects that will have a lasting impact on educational access and quality in these communities.

The Trustees in the UK continue to manage the charity with the invaluable support of Adventure Alternative, a partnership that provides us with essential staff and resources, ensuring that the maximum amount of funding is directed to projects and communities for whom they are intended.

Special mention to King Edwards School in Bath, Joanne Jarvis from the American School in Paris, Natural Vitality, Crompton House, Anne-Marie Morrone and everyone who supported Moving Mountains during the year, without your support the charity would not exist!

As we reflect on another productive year, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported Moving Mountains—our partners, donors, volunteers, and friends around the world. The enduring success of our programmes is a testament to your ongoing belief in our mission and your trust in the work we do. Together, we are continuing to move mountains for communities that deserve the opportunity to thrive.

Gavin Bate, Chairman Moving Mountains, November 2025

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

2. Moving Mountains Trust

Official charity name

Moving Mountains Trust

Charity Number:

NIC 100742. We are registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission

Charity classifications:

the prevention or relief of poverty

the advancement of education

the advancement of health or the saving of lives the advancement of citizenship or community development the relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. personal development and growth

Area of operation: Address and registered office:

Kenya, Nepal, Borneo and Tanzania

PO Box 14, Portstewart, Northern Ireland BT55 7WS 9 Central Avenue, Portstewart, Northern Ireland BT55 7BP

Board of Trustees Chairman – Gavin Bate Secretary – Chris Little Treasurer – Andrew MacDonald Trustee – Susan Birkett Trustee – Dot King

New trustees are voted in following a proposal by any of the current Trustees which can be made at any time. We aim for a unanimous agreement before potential trustees are approached. No other individual or organisation can appoint trustees.

Governing Document:

Trust Deed

The Trust was formed on 13 March 2002 as a charity and is governed by its Trust Deed signed on 1st January 2002 and further amended on 11 May 2003 and 1 November 2005. The registration with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland happened on 12 February 2015.

Bankers: Ulster Bank, Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Website: www.movingmountainstrust.org Email: info@movingmountainstrust.org Phone: (+44) (0)2870 831 258

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

3. Purpose of the charity

The aim of the Trust is to provide funding to NGOs in East Africa and Nepal which are called Moving Mountains Kenya and Moving Mountains Nepal and also smaller projects in Tanzania and Borneo, which carry out the remit of our charitable objectives and create lasting change in targeted areas, based on need and on the interests of the Trustees and the local stakeholders. The Trust partners with those organisations that share our objectives, values and methodologies and that fully represent the views and needs of local stakeholders.

We also engage in volunteering activities designed to promote global citizenship and teach progressive development education through practical interaction and experience under the strapline ‘personal development through international development’.

For many years we have been providing training and mentoring for volunteers and school groups, and those experiences have contributed considerably to career choices, self esteem and happiness, helping to develop grounded young people with a greater perspective of the world which we live in.

We concentrate on attracting donors and volunteer groups, and the delivery of our services in the UK to young people looking for opportunities to enhance their career opportunities

Vision

We believe that people who are educated and healthy and recognised as equal global citizens have greater opportunities. Our vision is that empowered equitable relationships will ultimately drive the evolution of development and help us move mountains for people to succeed and improve their quality of life.

Charity Objectives

(i) the provision of financial assistance, food, clothing and shelter to children and their families who are homeless or living in desperate conditions to help advance their education, relieve their poverty and promote their ambitions, hopes and dreams.

(ii) the provision of financial assistance, advice and expertise for self-help projects, schemes and rehabilitation camps for street children in order to promote practical and vocational skills, the production of food and income, good citizenship and standing in the local community, plus an increased sense of personal self-esteem and enjoyment of life.

(iii) the financial assistance and otherwise for setting up useful rural and urban community programmes which are environmentally responsible and which promote empowerment and sustainable development; this includes facilities and projects in the interests of education, social welfare, the improvement of existing conditions and the promotion of awareness to a wider audience.

(iv) the relief of sickness and the safeguarding of health by grants of money for:

(v) the development and joint maintenance of community groups in areas benefiting from all of the above whereby specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound objectives are evaluated, supervised, implemented and monitored so that the benefits can serve the community for years to come; this includes the provision of volunteers and personnel, shared management and implementation of projects, training, maintenance, advice and arbitration over problems or disputes plus assistance with accounts and records.

(vi) to advance the education of the public in global citizenship and youth development through expeditions in all areas of operation.

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

Governing Document:

Trust Deed. The Trust was formed on 13 March 2002 as a charity and is governed by its Trust Deed signed on 1st January 2002 and further amended on 11 May 2003 and 1 November 2005. The registration with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland happened on 12 February 2015.

Grant Making Analysis

Decisions on grants to Kenya, Nepal, Borneo and Tanzania are made by the Trustees. Trustees approve grants or fund projects which demonstrate public benefit within the remit of the Trust objectives and within the criteria of guidance taken from the Charity Commission. In addition the Trust actively looks for projects or programmes that show leverage through involvement and additional funding from local authorities and other organisations.

Overall the Trustees were pleased that the Trust was able to maintain grant-making in its core operations, cover overheads, maintain its underlying financial base and increase its donor base through improved communications.

Reserve Policy

The reserve policy is to provide sufficient capital to continue its grant-making programme and support future expenditure plans, and also to build up its unrestricted reserve to manage against unforeseen circumstances such as economic uncertainty. The Trustees this year agreed the figure of unrestricted reserves should be maintained at a minimum of £20,000, which represents roughly 20% of annual spend, and this policy is reviewed annually.

Going Concern

The Trusts financial position and performance has been outlined in the financial review. The Trustees have assessed projected future income, expenditure and cash flows and have analysed the strength of the Trust's reserves and its ability to withstand a material fall in incoming resources. Consideration has been given to stability and diversity of various income streams in making this assessment.

The Trustees have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the Trust has adequate resources to continue activities for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

Risk Management

The Trustees are satisfied that the major risks identified in the main areas - financial, governance, operational, compliance and external – have been mitigated through proper and comprehensive planning and operational decision-making, management systems, specialist advice and holding appropriate levels of funds for residual reserves. The risk management assessment is monitored regularly by the staff and by the Trustees. The Trustees have also considered any potential conflicts of interest and the implications of the Bribery Act 2010.

Public Benefit

The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and setting grant making policies. In particular, the Trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set. There will be no restrictions on future grant making through poverty, location or lack of entitlement.

Disclosure of Information

The Trustees who held office at the date of approval of this Trustees' report confirm that they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as a Trustee to make themselves aware of any relevant financial information and to establish that the relevant authorities are aware of that information.

Conflict of Interest

The trustees confirm that there is no conflict of interest with the tour operator Adventure Alternative that supplies all the travel arrangements for groups or volunteers going to work on Moving Mountains projects, irrespective of the fact that three of the Trustees are employed by the travel company.

The charity has a clear agreement with the company to provide the trip logistics because the company is a registered tour operator with the correct bonding and insurance in place to comply with the UK Package Travel

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

Regulations and the EU Travel Directive. The company provides services at a reduced cost for the charity.

Additionally, Adventure Alternative supplies overheads and resources and staffing free of charge for the charity, in particular employee time from Christopher Little, Andrew MacDonald and Gavin Bate. This amounts to a figure in the region of £50,000 per annum as a donation in kind. The trustees do not make any personal financial gain from the charity.

Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. In preparing the financial statements the Trustees are required to select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently, observe the methods and principles in the charities SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice), make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent, and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue its activities.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Trust. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Trust and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Structure of Payments

Trustees meet annually to agree the areas of operation which includes ongoing programmes, new projects and potentially new locations. At this general meeting the annual amount of money for each location is agreed depending on expected donations and groups engaging in particular projects and visits.

For each area the trustees set up a budgeting cycle which is either monthly, quarterly or on a per project basis. This budget is kept online and checked by trustees before funds are sent. The items on the budget are agreed in advance with the local committees in each country. This process goes back and forth, often over several weeks until the agreement is made and the money is sent by transfer to an agreed bank account. From there the local committee manages the money and keeps the records and provides the feedback.

In Kenya, the NGO Moving Mountains Kenya is managed by a committee which distributes the money to each individual or service provider, or materials needed for the project. The money is sent every month.

In Nepal the NGO Moving Mountains Nepal is similarly managed by a committee and the money is distributed by one member who lives in the Himalayan villages and distributes the money to each individual. The money is sent every three months.

In Borneo the money is sent on a per project basis to the local village committees where it then used to purchase materials and pay individuals and suppliers.

In Tanzania the money is either sent to Moving Mountains Kenya initially and the committee there uses mpesa to distribute the money to individuals, or it is sent to Castro Kapela in Moshi who is our representative in Tanzania and he will make the relevant purchases for materials.

In all cases the UK Trustees make regular visits, at least once a year, to meet with the local committees and check on the work and ensure that the local NGO is making the correct submissions to the authorities in order to ensure their legality.

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

4. Financial Statements

Financial Review and Results

During the year the Trust raised £114,563, an increase of 29.15% from the previous year (£81,166) . Total expenditure for the year was £98,698, a decrease of 2.72% from the previous year (£101,458). Therefore a slight decrease in spending, although not in line with the increase in income, continued to allow us to catch up with support and project investment that had previously been neglected due to the drop in income during the Covid pandemic. The unrestricted reserves at the end of the year (£56,318) were over £36,000 above our unrestricted reserve target of £20,000.

Out of the total funding of £97,845 given to charitable causes during the year the breakdown of expenditures across the different countries and remits was as follows: 73.5% to Kenya, and 26.5% to Nepal . Cash funds at the end of year were £56,318 an increase of 28.17% from the previous year.

The core costs of the Trust were covered by donations in kind from Adventure Alternative once again, enabling us to devote 99.1% of our funds to charitable purposes , with just 0.9% to administrative overheads like banking and fundraising platform charges and to promotional fundraising activities.

Our main funding continues to come from volunteers and visiting groups promoted through Adventure Alternative, plus a number of dedicated monthly standing orders and annual support from long standing supporting organisations .

The Trustees have continued to focus on creating sustainable income streams and three primary objectives for income generation:

Furthermore, the Trustees continue to ensure expenditure and grants are monitored regularly and are in line with approved budgetary controls, with use of cloud services for live sharing of information and VoIP technology to provide free communication.

We are unusual in that three of the trustees maintain a daily contact with the regional offices and work voluntarily to help with the running of the charity. Their input has been consistent now for well over a decade and it is their knowledge and analysis which has enabled the charity to work efficiently and flexibly.

Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by,

Gavin Bate – Chairman

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

Receipts and Payments

Balance Sheet

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

Restricted Donations to Kenya

Restricted Funds to Nepal

Restricted Funds to Tanzania

Restricted Funds to Borneo

Adventure Alternative - donation in kind:

Donations in kind included office space, telephone, stationery, postage and travel expenses as well as 25% of the time of three full-time members of staff in the Adventure Alternative UK office, amounting to an estimated total of £50,000 per annum.

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

Categories for Expenditure

5. Review of Charitable Activities

Moving Mountains in East Africa (Kenya & Tanzania)

Moving Mountains remain committed to long-term support, it’s what truly sets us apart and has, over the years, empowered so many of our beneficiaries to achieve lasting social mobility—ensuring their families never again experience the hardship of poverty.

Beyond education, we also create real employment and business opportunities through our partnership with Adventure Alternative, offering seasonal work that allows many former beneficiaries to save for the future. This approach helps everyone remain connected as part of a close-knit “family,” where mutual support and friendship continue to thrive. Some of the one-off projects and activities for Moving Mountains in Kenya include the following;

Embu Street Children Rescue Centre;

The Embu Rescue Centre for Street Children continues to provide a safe, welcoming environment and hot nutritious meals every day for well over one hundred vulnerable children from the slum communities that surround Embu. Many of the children also play football with the Black Cats Academy and benefit from access to safe drinking water, showers and counselling provided by our volunteers.

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

George Watsons College Kenya Expedition;

In late June 2024, a group of 25 students and 3 teachers from George Watson’s College in Edinburgh partnered with Moving Mountains Kenya to host a camp at Camp Ndunda Outdoor Activity Centre, located on the lower slopes of Mount Kenya. The camp brought together the Scottish students and over 20 Moving Mountains beneficiaries for a week of shared learning and cultural exchange.

Throughout the camp, participants engaged in a wide range of activities, including home visits to some of the children, organizing games and sports days, running arts and crafts sessions, delivering educational and health talks, and exploring local tourist attractions and Moving Mountains projects in the area. Evenings were spent preparing meals together and enjoying campfires to share their experiences and learn about each other’s cultures, hopes and dreams..

Beyond the camp itself, the team also contributed to ongoing renovation work at the rural Gatwe Primary School and St. Monica’s Special School, supporting the continued improvement of these educational facilities.

Harton Academy Kenya Expedition;

In July 2024 a team of 9 students and 2 teachers from Harton Academy in South Shields travelled to Kenya for an expedition which combined a Moving Mountains development camp with a trek to the summit of Mt Kenya and overland safari. During their camp they helped with the renovation work at Gatwe Primary School and St Monica’s Special School in Embu and donated new kits donated by Sunderland AFC to the Black Cats Academy.

Black Cats Academy;

Moving Mountains Trust's sports programme in Embu provides a vital opportunity for children from deprived communities and street families. It not only offers them a chance to excel in the competitive world of sports but also provides guidance, counseling, and support in dealing with mental health issues and past traumas. Through life skills education, we aim to empower these children and give them a brighter future.

Aside from the regular football in competitive local and county leagues all the teams got to experience a number of Nationwide Tournaments which provide opportunities for growth, education, and empowerment. The main ones were the the Manuar Cup (Under 11’s winning the Plate), the Rausha Kibaji Cup in Nakuru and the prestigous Moi Cup in Nairobi (Girls Under 13’s winning the Plate). The kits donated by Sunderland AFC which were delivered by Harton Academy gave the kids pride and a sense of belonging.

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

Kimbo Primary School;

Kimbo is a rural Primary School located in a village of the same name, near Naro Moru on the slopes of Mount Kenya, close to the boundary of Mount Kenya National Park. Kimbo Primary is a new project for Moving Mountains and a school that needs a complete rebuild, the majority of the classrooms have no floors and the structures are made from wood off-cuts so although the school has a picturesque look, the learning environment is very far from ideal.

The classrooms provide very little protection from the wind and cold weather which is common on the slopes of Mt Kenya and as a result, children find it very difficult to concentrate during lessons. The wooden structures are not permanent and there are large gaps between all the off-cuts used in the walls. Thanks to Granaghan Outreach and their volunteers the school now has two new classrooms and we hope to continue with the more classrooms next year and continue to provide a safe and comfortable environment for the children to learn.

Naro Moru Township Primary School;

Naro Moru Township Primary, on the western side of Mt Kenya is in a bad state of disrepair from years of neglect but this year saw our first project here with the support of long term supporters Aidan McGlade and Pat Mullan who came out to Kenya to help rebuild a kitchen and start the refurbishment of the school. Plans are in place for future projects here as like Kimbo Primary, it requires long term development to ensure the children have a quality learning environment.

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

Employment;

Employment is a big commitment for Moving Mountains and we continue to employ a number of local staff in specific roles within the charity, including our Project coordinator (Kioni), and Volunteer coordinator (Gilbert). In Embu we employ Rescue Centre Cook / Carer (Lilian), Sports Coaches (Sammy, Oti and Janet – Black Cats), Ignatius Nyaga (adult literacy teacher) & ECD teacher in Solio (Hannah Munyori). In Tanzania we employ an ECD teacher (Mrs Vida Kingo) at Ng’aroni Primary on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The staffing numbers in Kenya will increase in the following financial year as we look to expand existing programmes.

In May 2024, seven of our Kenyan staff and volunteers completed the Tree of Life introduction course with Phola International, this was followed up in October 2024 with the Level 3 Tree of Life course with the same seven staff and volunteers. The course provided our team with a globally recognised approach to working with trauma, grief, identity, and healing, particularly for children and women.

Moving Mountains in Nepal

In Nepal we continued with our financial commitment to provide 4 x Primary School teachers and 3 x Secondary School teachers at the schools which we’ve developed in the rural villages of Bupsa and Bumburi in the lower Solukhumbu region of the Himalaya, support that has benefitted hundreds of children over the years.

We also continued with our commitment to the salaries of a Community Health Care Worker and a Health Care Assistant that are based out of the Bumburi Community Clinic, a project developed and maintained by Moving Mountains in Nepal.

Aside from the salaries we also fund school books and teaching resources for the schools and medical supplies and equipment for the clinic in Bumburi

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742

6. Thank You

All of the trustees, staff and beneficiaries of Moving Mountains would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our donors and supporters around the world. Your support and commitment have again ensured that we were able to continue to achieve our objectives as a charity, benefiting disadvantaged children, young people, families and communities and working towards long-term development outcomes and strategies.

In particular we would like to thank the following:

So many donors have continued their support of Moving Mountains for so many years , and their monthly donations have kept the backbone of the charity together, enabling us to continue supporting our programmes for so long and genuinely making such a difference to our beneficiaries, some of whom are now adults and have their own children. In Nepal the money for the teachers has not been temporary or transient, but has enabled them to pursue a lifelong vocation in teaching. It is without doubt one of the most humbling recognitions that so many people keep supporting Moving Mountains because they understand that real change is slow and organic, and it takes place over generations.

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with ‘Friends of Moving Mountains’ , a new charity being established in the United States. This marks an exciting milestone in our journey, one that will significantly strengthen our global reach and impact.

Through this partnership, we’ll have the opportunity to expand our existing programmes , launch new community initiatives, and build even deeper connections with supporters around the world. ‘Friends of Moving Mountains’ will open up new avenues for collaboration, fundraising, and long-term sustainability, helping us bring life-changing opportunities to even more children, families, and communities.

The trustees would like to share this report with everyone in celebration of what has been achieved, not just during this financial year but since Moving Mountains started back in 2002. The name Moving Mountains refers to the challenge that faces so many people each day of their lives, and sadly for so many children that struggle is never truly resolved; we hope our work goes a long way to making positive change in the lives of all the children and communities that benefit from our work.

Registered as a charity by the Northern Ireland Charity Commission: NIC 100742