FRIENDS OF THE GAMBIA ASSOCIATION CIO

Registered charity 1171620 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as FRIENDS OF THE GAMBIA CIO, THE FRIENDS OF THE GAMBIA ASSOCIATION

To relieve poverty, alleviate pain and suffering, and advance the education of the people of The Gambia

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF THE GAMBIA ARE:TO RELIEVE POVERTY, ALLEVIATE PAIN AND SUFFERING AND ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE IN THE GAMBIA BY :-(1) THE PROVISION OF EDUCATION BY:(A) THE SPONSORSHIP OF INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE GAMBIA.(B) THE SPONSORSHIP OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS IN FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION INCLUDING STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS OUTSIDE THE GAMBIA.(2) IMPROVING THE ACCESSIBILITY AND QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN THE GAMBIA BY THE PROVISION OF CLASSROOMS, FURNITURE, BOOKS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL AIDS FOR SCHOOLS. ALSO BY ASSISTING SCHOOLS TO GENERATE INCOME AND THE DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF TEACHERS.(3) ADVANCING AND IMPROVING THE AVAILABILITY AND QUALITY OF MEDICAL CARE AND HEALTH CARE BY THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES AND ANCILLARY SERVICES FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE GAMBIA.(4) THE PROVISION OF WORKSHOPS AND EQUIPMENT FOR CARPENTRY, METALWORK, BUILDING AND OTHER CRAFTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE OF THE GAMBIA.(5) THE PROVISION OF AID FOR COMMUNAL AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS SUCH AS MARKET GARDENS AND OTHER FARMING ACTIVITIES IN THE GAMBIA.(6) THE PROVISION OF SHIPPING SO THAT AID GOODS MAY SENT TO THE GAMBIA AND FREELY DISTRIBUTED TO NEEDY PEOPLE.(7) THE RAISING OF FUNDS BY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE APPEAL TO FINANCE CHARITABLE PROJECTS EXECUTED BY THE CIO IN THE GAMBIA TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE OF THAT COUNTRY.NOTHING IN THIS CONSTITUTION SHALL AUTHORISE AN APPLICATION OF THE PROPERTY OF THE CIO FOR THE PURPOSES WHICH ARE NOT CHARITABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH [SECTION 7 OF THE CHARITIES AND TRUSTEE INVESTMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2005] AND [SECTION 2 OF THE CHARITIES ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2008]

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Amateur Sport · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Merton, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity is breaking even financially, supported by volunteer bookkeeping and paid accountancy services due to the absence of a treasurer. The trustees report that while gaining new sponsors is challenging, the charity continues to support students and schools in The Gambia through sponsorship grants and material donations.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

• Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
• Complaints handling
• Complaints policy and procedures
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Internal risk management policy and procedures
• Investing charity funds policy and procedures
• Paying staff
• Risk management
• Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
• Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
• Social media policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Trustee expenses policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Register events

• Received assets from another charity (13/10/2020) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

• Donna Makinschair · trustee of 1 other charity
• Gillian Edith Brenton Hill
• JEFFREY LESLIE BRENTON PHILLIPS
• Richard Hughes
• Sandra Hill-Smith

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: The Gambia

Income and spending

Common questions

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with The Gambian Schools Trust.

• The Gambian Schools Trust income £37k
• GIVING OPPORTUNITIES TO ACHIEVE AND LEARN FOR THE GAMBIA income £75k
• SPONSOR A GAMBIAN CHILD income £77k
• SCHOOLGAMBIA income £31k
• GAMBIA SCHOOL SUPPORT income £157k
• HELP FOR EDUCATION AND LOCAL PROJECTS IN THE GAMBIA income £132k

Side by side with its peers

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.