BITOU COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TRUST

Registered charity 1172847 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE BITOU TRUST

The Bitou Trust is dedicated to assisting disadvantaged communities and advancing sustainable development and conservation within the Bitou region of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Situated in the heart of the UNESCO Garden Route Biosphere Reserve, the Bitou municipal area covers 992 square kms within one of the most diverse biodiversity hot spots on the planet.

Objects

THE ORGANISATION IS ESTABLISHED TO MAKE GRANTS TO NON FOR PROFIT ORGANISATIONS IN FURTHERANCE OF THE FOLLOWING ECLUSIVELY CHARITABLE PURPOSES FOR THE BENEFIT OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE BITOU REGION OF THE WESTERN CAPE OF SOUTH AFRCIA:A) THE RELIEF OF SICKNESS AND PRESERVATION OF HEALTH.B) THE RELIEF OF POVERTY AND FINANCIAL HARDSHIP.C) THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION.D) THE PRESERVATION, PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.E) THE PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE MEANS OF ACHIEVING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND REGENERATION. (SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MEANS "DEVELOPMENT THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE PRESENT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MET THEIR OWN NEEDS").F) SUCH OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT AS ARE EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AND WALES AS THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE.

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 · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds unrestricted reserves of £6,562, which the trustees consider sufficient for ongoing maintenance and regulatory obligations given that the support team consists entirely of volunteers. The charity reported a net incoming resource of £1,979 for the year, resulting in total funds carried forward of £6,562. The filing notes that the funding climate has become increasingly difficult, particularly regarding corporate support, but the charity remains committed to transparency and prudent management.

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 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

• Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "below" (FY2024) to "within" (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

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 policy and procedures
• Conflicting interests
• 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
• Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
• Social media policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Trustees · trustee networks

• ANNABELLE CONYNGHAMchair
• JANE TAYLOR
• Morkel Pienaar
• PHILIPPA VAUGHAN
• Philippa Mary Sauvenier

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

Operates in: South Africa · Throughout England And Wales

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 GARDEN ROUTE CHILDREN'S TRUST.

• GARDEN ROUTE CHILDREN'S TRUST income £113k
• Becht Foundation income £8.5m
• BANC D'ARGUIN, AND COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY TRUST FUND LIMITED income £4.3m
• Chelmsford Garden Community Trust income £175k
• THE BRIDGE TRUST income £963k
• THE NATURESAVE TRUST income £101k

Side by side with its peers

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