In Your Hands

Home
CCR

IYH CC REPORT 2018/19

ANNUAL REVIEW

In Your Hands Charity 31st July 2018/ 31st July 2019

HISTORY OF IN YOUR HANDS

“In Your Hands' (“IYH”) was started to help raise funds for the people of Nepal after the devastating earthquakes in April and May 2015.

In Your Hands was registered with the Charity Commission in the UK in September 2015. The objectives of the charity were identified as helping to support schools and their communities as a result of the earthquake both in terms of their immediate and future need.

IYH began by organising a series of major fund raising events in 2015. The money from these events enabled the charity to re-build their first two schools. IYH were able to trust the results of their efforts by working with their long-term friends and partners in Nepal, The Mandala Organisation (NGO). They have subsequently helped us to develop other welfare and educational projects along with rebuilding/repairing a further three schools in 2016/17 and the sixth school in 2018.

This started as a five-year program. This was the realistic time frame we were given by local experts. IYH strategy has evolved over the last three years. In 2016, our understanding of what we were trying to achieve developed into a long term and more broad reaching approach. This has come to fruition. We have developed and supported projects that have resulted in an improvement in both education and well being of those in the six school communities we support.

****************************

IYH PROJECTS NEXT STEPS

IYH started by wanting to raise money to rebuild state schools that were destroyed by the earthquakes. We chose six schools that were in the worst affected areas and were not a priority for support from the government due to location or caste hierarchy. It could have been years before these schools were rebuilt with an unthinkable consequence of hundreds of children being vulnerable to exploitation on the streets. So, our strategy was to reduce that risk by building the schools as the first step in safeguarding the children.

We have always wanted to work hand in hand with government policy in terms of supporting national curriculum, uniforms and policies. We have no intention of privatizing these schools. Our goal is to support and aid the government to create better educated and healthier schools.

We learned very quickly that although the buildings were crucial, they were only one small part of the problem facing rural education in Nepal. We are working with partners, experts and volunteers in Nepal and internationally with the intention of helping school communities to be in a better position than before the earthquake. We are helping by introducing the skills and systems to maintain the improvements when our charity leaves. We have never wanted to create donor dependant projects. Our goal is self sustaining improvements.

We have focused on specific projects to improve education of the teachers and children. We are also offering an opportunity to have a more informed understanding of women’s health, plus general health and wellbeing.

BUILDING SCHOOLS

In 2015/ 2016 IYH was on target for rebuilding two schools and identifying a further four schools in areas of Nepal worst affected by the earthquakes. Gorkha and Shree Jugal Lower.

In 2016/17 IYH hit their target of repairing/rebuilding a total of five schools to a higher and safer standard for the children to go to school with separate toilets and running water. Bachchalla Devi, Siddhartha and Sita made a total of five. The sixth school, Sundara Devi was such a big project that it was identified as a 2017/18 rebuild.

2017/18 IYH with financial support from another British charity CWT, funded and co-ordinated the building of the sixth school, Sundara Devi, alongside the government.

2018/19 IYH stopped investing in building. The new Nepalese government also started to invest in more school buildings so any further investment was potentially overridden by bigger government investment. Sundara Devi still needed running water and upgraded roofs which were planned for 2019.

NEXT STEPS:

Now six of the schools are rebuilt/repaired and have improved toilet and washing facilities, desks, benches and whiteboards. One school, Sita, deteriorated in attendance and performance to the extent they are in the equivalent of UK special measures. This is largely due to local issues around community attitude to education but also the attitude of the Head Teacher and school management committee. After consulting with TMO and our education experts, First Steps Himalaya, we agreed to suspend future support as it would be wasted. This support was transferred to a school with a Head Teacher who is a role model in terms of engagement with opportunities for the students and teachers. This school is Shree Songhai Devi. So in conclusion we continue to support six schools.

VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM

We had recruited and placed volunteer English teachers since 2016. Although it was considered a great project for many reasons, there is only one school that has suitable accommodation and support for any volunteers, Gorkha School. In 2018 we made a decision to suspend future recruitment due to our acceptance of not being able to offer suitable support in a foreign country in such remote areas. We may develop this in the future through a suitably certified organisation that specialises in volunteer placements.

TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM

Thanks to the feedback from our volunteers and insight from The Mandala Organisation , it was established some rural teachers in Nepal are qualified but some have no training at all. The government schools are free but suffer from a lack of respect from the local communities compared to the alternative private schools. Therefore it is the poorest children and often the least motivated teachers that seem to be in these schools. Both suffer from low self esteem as nobody invests in them or believes in what their school can achieve. There are exceptions to this especially where there is an exceptional Head Teacher.

The consequences of this are that neither the children or teachers were motivated or engaged with the benefits of education when we visited in 2015. IYH hosted a two day workshop during the visit of 2017 lead by Jane Halsall. Jane is the IYH Education Manager. It was so well received that the strategy to develop a long term Teacher Training Program was developed. We introduced a pilot Teacher Training Strategy.

The response to free teacher training was very positive. However, they would only go if they were paid an allowance. This request was partly due to the fact the teachers have a role to play in their home with children and livestock and their absence would be felt. It was also partly a reflection of the lack of respect for the benefits of teacher training and possibly the belief in any long term investment.

2017/18 IYH introduced two Nepal based teachers to IYH. Annu Ranna who is a teacher at an Ullens School in Kathmandu, and Vanessa Schroeter who is Swiss and has spent time in Nepal teaching with her TEFL qualification. The goal was for them to run two Teacher Training Programs. This was not a hugely successful strategy due to the unforeseen availability of both Vanessa and Annu for differing reasons.

First Steps Himalaya were the third element of the Teacher Training strategy in this year. This is a local provider with a purpose built teacher training facility based in Sindopalchuk. This proved to be a huge success. We agreed to trial a 5 days residential program.

RESULT: Annu was only able to deliver 3 one day workshops up until July 2018.

Vanessa was not able to extend her work visa but did deliver 3 weeks of English training before July 2018. First Steps delivered a very successful 5 day residential course in April 2018.

2018/19: IYH developed a two year plan to develop a more robust Teacher Training Program with First Steps Himalaya. This included six more 5 days residential trainings starting November 2018 and finishing April 2021. This would include Monitoring and Evaluation twice per year starting from November 2019. They will also be allocating teacher resources to support the training from November 2019, starting with two schools and then to the next forum schools as their upgrades are completed by the government.

Computer Training

Each school was offered a 4 day residential computer training course in a college in Kathmandu. Each school was provided with either a laptop or a computer for their school.

The goal of this is to support opportunities that come from their link schools in the UK (see below). Also, we see IT as an important part of future education. We will review after they have attended two courses. A further 4 day residential is planned for January 2020.

LINKED SCHOOLS

Five schools are linked to five British schools with a view to long term exchange of teaching resources and ideas. The sixth school, Bachchalla, will be linked once we have faith that the school has a long term future. It is currently in a similar situation to Sita School with low attendance and poor leadership. A key reason to link each school in Nepal to an English speaking school is to improve the opportunities for education. Our hope is for regular updates via shared Face Book page videos and stories as well as teaching aids being shared.

NEXT STEPS: Due to the lack of computer skillsand lack of wifi the communication between link schools has not been active. The reality is that the teachers need to complete sufficient teacher training and attend sufficient computer courses before there will be any regular communication to thier UK link schools. Each school, with the exception of BAchchalla, has at least one computer or laptop.

NEXT STEPS: We have a 2019/20 deadline for each school to start communication in earnest with their link school. This also allows time to establish energy and wifi supply.

HAGAM SENIOR SCHOOL

During the IYH 2017 visit, a representative of BISP School in Thailand, identified a project his school wanted to support and IYH agreed to manage it with TMO. Hagam Senior School is the school where many of the children will move on to who attend the IYH supported primary schools. They were desperately short of computers. In February 2018: IYH bought and delivered 15 suitable computers after assessing the the needs and appropriate support were established.

2018: in December IYH and TMO visited the school to see how the computers were being used. The whole school was being rebuilt by the government which meant that the computers were effectively in storage until they could be safely transported to the new building.

NEXT STEPS: IYH will stay in contact to receive reports from the school to show the computers are in use in the new building.

NUTRITION PROJECT

Gorkha School was identified as having a serious nutrition problem in 2015. The problem was causing children not to attend school. IYH bought and supplied a kitchen, cook and food with the financial support of an Italian charity Associazione P.S. Funding has been in place since 2016 up until 2018.

During an IYH visit by Pauline Sanderson and Sue Adlamhill in December 2018, Shree Songhai Devi and Bachchalla were also identified as needing support for lunches for the the children.

NEXT STEPS: IYH would like to support a self-sufficient approach to food for the future. Talks started in December 2018 about how community funded projects can support the school lunches to reduce donation dependence.

UNIFORMS

IYH believes that how you feel about yourself is an important part of how you perform in life. Looking smart in a uniform became part of that strategy.

The uniforms which were in line with government uniform guidelines, were distributed by Jo Pawley (Director of IYH) when she lead a team of IYH supporters and partners in February 2018.

2018/2019: During a visit to all six schools in December 2018 by Pauline Sanderson, Director or IYH and Sue Adlamhill, IYH Women’s Health Project Manager, a review of the uniforms was agreed. The conclusion was that it was not a huge success in terms of IYH goals. It was a premature project. The Head Teacher and School Management Committee should have been part of the management and distribution process. This would have made them and the families more accountable.

The fact all of these families are poor, meant that the new clothes and shoes were used all the time. Also, the children are either bare foot or wear flip flops. The shoes were not necessary.

Any future distribution would be done very differently. Lessons have been learnt.

*******************************

2018/19 IYH OVERVIEWS FOR SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

IYH has learnt a great deal over the last three years about the needs of teachers, children and volunteers. We have tried to listen, learn and action strategies to support these needs as well as trying to achieve our original goals of rebuilding safe schools.

The communities we are working with have not got confidence in free government education. Our long term goals will only be achievable if we get it right at this stage in their primary education and build trust and get results not just for the children but for the teachers and families.

During a three week visit to the six (seven)schools in November 2018 by Pauline Sanderson and Sue Adlamhill from IYH and Lamin Tamang from TMO, lengthy discussions were held with each set of school teachers and where possible members from the school Management Committees. We tried to gauge how well the teacher training was going as well as the facilities and resources. As a whole it was very positive and they have started to trust that our strategy is long term and not just a quick fix. We also learnt more about how the teachers are recruited and trained. Some go through 2-3 years government training and some are promoted from being cleaners or just available. This confirmed that the teacher training is not only essential, it will give the teachers more credibility among the community as there is little respect for the standard of teaching.

We also learned how important it is to include the School MAnagement Committee in any projects. Their approval means the community will support the project.

We took the opportunity to explore the option of computer training and English language training. They would be necessary skills to keep any relationship with their British link schools. See below.

In July 2018 10 teachers from the five schools attended a four day computer training course in Kathmandu. This was well received. One more residential four day course is planned for January 2020. Each school has either a laptop or computer.

The visit allowed the IYH team to assess the commitment to improvement. Sita school did not have the necessary commitment to the teacher training, hygiene or recruitment of children from the village. In UK terms, this school had been put into ‘special measures’ by the Nepal authorities. There had been over 100 children in this school in 2015. During the visit in NOvember 2018, it was established less than 30-40 children attended regularly. We decided any further investment would be a waste despite our best efforts to keep them engaged. The Head Teacher was not committed to teacher training and there was no support from the School management committee.

TMO suggested we change our support to another school worthy of effort in Sindopalchuk called Shree Songhai Devi . The Head Teach and School Management Committee are enthusiastic and engaged with all projects we have offered.

The following list is a summary of our on-going strategy:

Schools must look smart.
Schools are safe (earthquake proof)
Schools have enough classrooms
Schools have separate toilets for boys and girls with running water, washbasins and soap.
Classrooms have enough desks and chairs
Classrooms have access to necessary teaching aids such as whiteboards, computers, books and safe storage for all resources.
Teachers should have sufficient training, support and acknowledgement to motivate them to deliver a good standard of education
Each school should have effective, educational and trustworthy links to a British link school with view to developing long term relations.
Each school should have a laptop or computer with sufficient training to be able to use IT skills for teaching and communicating with their British link school.

*******************************

2018/19 IYH OVERVIEW FOR HEALTH & WELL BEING

The IYH strategy for health and well being is an on going project. We are always talking and learning from people who are offering their expertise.

The 2017/18 strategy rolled into the 2018/19 action. It can be summarised as follows:

No child should be prevented from attending school because she has a period
No child should be prevented from going to school because of hunger
A hygiene program should be in place to reduce absenteeism due to illness. There should be a system in place so children wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet and the toilets and washbasins are cleaned regularly.

WOMEN’S HEALTH PROJECT

In 2018, Sue Adlamhill joined our UK team as the Women’s Health Project Manager. She did an initial one week to visit to Nepal in February 2018 to understand the challenge. In November 2018, she spent nearly three weeks out there with Pauline Sanderson. Prior to the visit she worked closely with a global organisation called DAYS FOR GIRLS. They have an office in Kathmandu and deliver workshops to communities of women on sanitary health, products and sexual exploitation. Sue, with help from the TMO arranged for the delivery of four workshops in four the the six school communities we support. These workshops were delivered with the help of Lamin Tamang (TMO) and during Sue and Pauline’s visit. All the women in the families associated with each school were invited. A total of over 600 women and girls attended from the four communities. They all received reusable sanitary packs that should last them at least two years. The fifth school community had the same workshop delivered in February 2019 and hte sixth school will have the workshop in February 2020.

Sue wrote a very detailed report about the opportunities and obstacles so that any other organisation hoping to do a similar project could learn from our experience. There is potential for women from these communities to start their own businesses making and providing packs and hygiene information. Once the M&E has been completed (planned for Feb 2019) we will know whether this is a reality.

************************

PANAUTI ROTARY NEPAL - REGENERATION PROJECT (Global Grant)

During the IYH visit in December 2018, Pauline and Sue met Situ Sainju from the Rotary Club in Panauti. We were introduced to the team and the idea of a Regeneration Scheme they have developed. This involves communities creating a facility to collect, store and recycle waste and generate organic compost from natural waste. They agreed that this is a scheme that would benefit a village and could be managed by the local residents and prove hugely beneficial to the environment while providing an income stream from recycled products and compost from the natural waste.

Situ and his team did a site visit to the Sindopalchuk area schools in April 2019. They will be creating an application for submission to the International Rotary Club for a global grant to provide re-generation plants at the school communities.

2018/19 IYH OVERVIEW FOR COSTS & FUNDRAISING

The initial fund raising for the charity was established thanks to a road show of motivational talks and an on-line auction organised and delivered by the two Trustees and co-founders, Jo Pawley and Pauline Sanderson.

Once the charity was registered the fundraising continued in many different forms. This included donations, sales of local Nepalese merchandise by the IYH team (which also helps and benefits Nepal’s local retail industry), leading trips of supporters to Nepal, other charities identifying our projects as ones they would like to support and individuals being inspired to do extreme things and host events as well as business policies to match fund their employees efforts.

Each school that linked to a Nepalese school was also obliged to raise an initial amount of £1500 to help fund the re-build of their link school in Nepal. However, all of them have raised far more and as the progress continues, we hope this stream of funding will continue for years to come alongside the educational support and friendships.

Our strategy moving forward is more of all of the above.

All administration for IYH has been done free of charge by lawyers, accountants, website designers and general goodwill. Those involved in the charity cover all of their own expenses, including flights and living expenses in Nepal to co-ordinate projects. This means all the money raised goes directly to the IYH projects and not on administration or expenses. As a result there are no costs showing in the annual accounts aside from the provision of funding to TMO to manage the school re-building and refurbishments, teaching resources and training on behalf of IYH.

In determining costs, the IYH Trustees have been provided with estimates of project costs. There have been assessments of the work done by actual site visits and the actual costs incurred have been reviewed, as far as possible, all of the receipts for costs incurred provided. TMO provide a monthly cost sheet with receipts where appropriate.

An independent review has been undertaken of the annual report and accounts, and this too has been provided on an honorary basis.

*************************

COME AND GET INVOLVED

Visit: www.inyourhandscharity.org

Contact: info@inyourhandscharity.org

Donate: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/donation-web/charity?charityId=1013517&stop_mobi=yes

*********************************

OUR THANKS

We would like to thank all those who have made this charity so much more than just a fund raising organization. In 2018/19 we have yet again had the privilege to meet and make friends with many truly inspiring individuals.

The individuals and organisations we would like to acknowledge from 2018/19 and give special thanks to include:

The Mandala Organisation – IYH partners in Nepal

Sue Adlamhill - Women’s Project Manager

Jane Halsall – IYH Director of Education

Emma Morley – IYH Financial Advisor

Sully Mogra FCCA - Independent reviewer of the annual accounts

Grafika Ltd - website design and management

Communities Working Together (CWT) Worldwide - Invaluable support for Sundara Devi Projects.

William Hancock -Partner, Collyer Bristow LLP, legal support

Rotary Canada - Jan MacNeil a working partner with IYH

Equator Expeditions – support for volunteers and IYH visiting teams

UK LINK SCHOOLS

Auchnagatt Primary School, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Barlows School, Liverpool, UK

Blessed Sacrament School, Liverpool, UK

St Francis De Sales, Liverpool, UK

SydenhamHigh School, London, UK

Corporate Charitable Matching Donors:

IYH CC REPORT 2017/18

ANNUAL REVIEW

In Your Hands Charity 2017/18

HISTORY OF IN YOUR HANDS

“In Your Hands' (“IYH”) was started to help raise funds for the people of Nepal after the devastating earthquakes in April and May 2015.

This started as a five-year program. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and we have been advised that it could take that long to rebuild due to the extent of the earthquake damage. However, the IYH strategy has evolved as we learn more and get more involved with the projects that will help the schools and communities we support. As a result during 2016/17 and then again in 2017/18 we developed a long term and more broad reaching approach. We are hoping to develop and support an improvement in both education and the health and well being of those in the school communities that were so badly effected by the earthquake and we are now supporting.

****************************

IYH PROJECTS NEXT STEPS

IYH started by wanting to raise money to simply rebuild state schools that were destroyed by the earthquakes. We chose six schools that were in the worst affected areas from the earthquake and were not a priority for support from the government due to location or caste hierarchy. It could have been years before these schools were rebuilt with an unthinkable consequence of hundreds of children being vulnerable to exploitation on the streets. So, our strategy was to reduce that risk by building the schools as the first step in safeguarding the children.

We learned very quickly that although the buildings were crucial, they were only one small part of the problem facing rural education in Nepal. We are working with partners, experts and volunteers in Nepal and internationally with the intention of helping school communities to be in a better position than before the earthquake with the skills and systems to maintain the improvements when our charity leaves. We have never wanted to create donor dependant projects. Our goal is self sustaining improvements.

We have focused on specific projects to improve education of the teachers, children as well as offering an opportunity to have a more informed understanding of women’s health, plus general health and wellbeing.

In 2017 we engaged an IYH Manager in Nepal, Shanta Nepali whom has proven to be invaluable to making the IYH projects a reality. She is vocational to the cause and always goes the extra mile. She is also Vice President of TMO so our partnership could not be stronger. Her local knowledge and insights have lead us to meet the right people to help us move our strategies forward and her ability to make things happen is outstanding.

An IYH Director, Jo Pawley, co-ordinated a visit to Nepal in February 2017 and 2018. She lead a group of supporters and charity partners. The information and discussions that were held were a major contribution to updating the 2017/18 strategies.

BUILDING SCHOOLS

In 2015/ 2016 IYH was on target for rebuilding two schools and identifying a further four schools in areas of Nepal worst affected by the earthquakes.

In 2016/17 IYH hit their target of repairing/rebuilding a total of five schools to a higher and safer standard for the children to go to school. The sixth school was such a big project that it was identified as a 2017/18 rebuild.

2017/18 IYH with financial support from another British charity CWT, funded and co-ordinated the building of the sixth school alongside the government.

NEXT STEPS: Now six of the schools are rebuilt/repaired and have improved toilet and washing facilities, the next step for 2018/19 is to upgrade all the educational facilities. We hope to provide schools that look good, feel safe and have enough facilities to provide a healthy and well resourced education. First Steps have offered a consultation process to help us with this. We hope to review and action this in 2019.

VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM

It was established that the standard of teaching was very poor in rural schools, especially for English. A Volunteers Program was introduced in February 2016 to help both the Nepali children and teachers in the IYH supported schools. The first volunteers arrived in autumn of 2016 at Gorkha. This is the only school that had suitable accommodation and resources for the volunteers to live comfortably enough. This was important to us because we wanted their energy to go into teaching. We do not underestimate the effort needed to live in a developing world in isolated areas with no running water or toilet facilities. This was the correct decsion. The volunteers have provided invaluable insights to the needs of the school as well as offering a modern and fun approach to learning English.

The recruitment of volunteers was helped by Jane Halsall (IYH Education Manager) offering a weekend of training before they go to give them some top tips on what works in Nepal. We encouraged TEFL trained candidates and experienced teachers of all ages. Every candidate has to send a CV, covering letter, a character reference and complete the ICPC (International Child Protection Certificate).

NEXT STEPS: In 2018/19 we will put the volunteer program on hold until the other schools have suitable accommodation and conditions for volunteers. The level of remote and basic living is something that only a certain kind of person could adapt to for long periods of time. This is an area we will be reviewing in 2018/19 to decide if as a Charity we are happy to continue taking responsibility for the volunteers. Despite their obvious beneficial contribution, we are not naive to the fact that remote and unfamiliar cultures come with their own dangers. Gorkha School is situated close our great friends resort (Equator Expeditions Resort) and is suitable and safe. However, we feel we are best to pause this program until we have more resources to support it.

TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM

The consequences of this are that neither the children or teachers were motivated or engaged with the benefits of education. IYH hosted a two day workshop during the visit of 2017 lead by Jane Halsall. Jane is the IYH Education Manager. It was so well received that the strategy to develop a long term Teacher Training Program was developed. We introduced a pilot Teacher Training Strategy.

Annu was to have 100 days to develop their teaching skills in Nepali supported by a five-day residential training course hosted by First Steps, a charity from New Zealand but with a teaching academy in Nepal.

Vanessa was to offer 100 days of English training. These programs were to be documented and certificates awarded for completion of each module.

RESULT: Annu was only able to deliver 3 one day workshops up until July 2018.

Vanessa was not able to extend her work visa but did deliver 3 weeks of English training before July 2018. First Steps delivered a very successful residential course.

NEXT STEPS 2018/19: IYH plans to develop a more robust Teacher Training Program with First Steps.

LINKED SCHOOLS

Five schools are linked to five British schools with a view to long term exchange of information and ideas. The sixth school will be linked in 2019. A key reason to link each school in Nepal to an English speaking school is to improve the opportunities for education. Our hope is for regular updates via shared Face Book page videos and stories as well as teaching aids being shared.

NEXT STEPS: Due to the lack of computer skills and secure areas for storage of computers and lack of wifi the communication between link schools has not been active. The reality is that the teachers need to complete sufficient teacher training and attend a computer course before we distribute the computers.

NEXT STEPS: We have a 2019/20 deadline for computers to be in each school and communication to start in earnest with their link school. This also allows time to establish energy and wifi supply.

HAGAM SENIOR SCHOOL

During the IYH 2017 visit, a representative of BISP School in Thailand, identified a project his school wanted to support and IYH agreed to manage it with TMO. Hagam Senior School is the school where most of the children will move on to who attend the IYH supported primary schools. They were desperately short of computers. In February 2018: IYH bought and delivered 15 suitable computers after assessing the the needs and appropriate support were established.

NEXT STEPS: IYH will stay in contact to receive reports from the school to show the computers are in use. It needs to be noted that the government is currently building a completely new school which will involve temporary storage of the computers.

WOMENS PROJECT

During the 2017 visit, Jo and Jan MacNeil a supporter of IYH from a Rotary Club in Canada, spoke in depth to women and the Director of the REWA charity in Kathmandu. REWA supports and offers work to women who have been victims of various atrocities. They make reusable sanitary packs. IYH have established the need for the education about women’s health and the need for these packs in our school communities. It is essential that girls do not miss school every month once they have started menstruation. We need to educate the children, teachers and families in each community without disrespecting their culture.

NUTRITION PROJECT

Gorkha School was identified as having a serious nutrition problem to the point children were not attending school. IYH bought and supplied a kitchen, cook and food with the financial support of an Italian charity Associazione P.S. Funding is in place for 2018-2019.

NEXT STEPS: IYH would like to support a self-sufficient approach to food for the future. Talks will start in 2018 about how community funded projects can support the school lunches to reduce donation dependence.

UNIFORMS

IYH believes that how you feel about yourself is an important part of how you perform. Self esteem is an aspect we want to include in any educational strategy going forward. Looking smart in a uniform is part of that strategy. We included in our 2015/16 strategy, the intention of buying uniforms so every child would take pride in their appearance and feel they were equal and belonged to a team. We had intended to buy and provide uniforms in 2016/17. However, on reflection we decided to postpone this action until the schools had been upgraded to a better standard. It seemed more appropriate to have smart uniforms in a smart school to give a stronger message. We are guided by the government policy on uniforms. We chose the standard uniform with allowable extras such as a warm fleece, warm leggings for the girls, shoes and a school rucksack.

The uniforms were distributed by Jo Pawley (Director of IYH) when she lead a team of IYH supporters and partners in February 2018.

NEXT STEPS: Review how the uniforms are used and impact after 6 months to a year.

*******************************

2017/18 IYH OVERVIEWS FOR SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

IYH has learnt a great deal in 2017/18 about the needs of teachers, children and volunteers. We have tried to listen, learn and action strategies to support these needs as well as trying to achieve our original goals of rebuilding safe schools.

We are also looking further than a child’s education at primary school. We hope to develop confidence in the children and their families that going to senior school is worth it and ultimately they could take opportunities to go on to higher education. It would be a success to reduce the drop out rate on the change from primary to senior school.

The following list is a summary of our 2017/18strategies moving into 2018/19 and beyond.

Schools must look smart.
Schools are safe (earthquake proof)
Schools have enough classrooms
Schools have separate toilets for boys and girls with running water, washbasins and soap.
Classrooms have enough desks and chairs
Classrooms have access to necessary teaching aids such as whiteboards, computers, books and safe storage for all resources.
Teachers should have sufficient training, support and acknowledgement to motivate them to deliver a good standard of education
Each school should have effective, educational and trustworthy links to a British link school with view to developing long term relations.

*******************************

2017/18 IYH OVERVIEW FOR HEALTH & WELL BEING

The IYH strategy for health and well being is an on going project. We are always talking and learning from people who are offering their expertise. We have not incorporated all we hope to achieve in our current strategy but that does not mean we will not in the future. One example would be a mobile medical clinic. We need to do more research before we know how much we need to raise and who can manage it.

However, 2017/18 strategy is specific and achievable in the near future and can be summarised as follows:

No child should be prevented from attending school because she has a period
No child should be prevented from going to school because of hunger
A hygiene program should be in place so children wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet and the toilets and washbasins are cleaned regularly.
Each child should have a school uniform supported initially by IYH that will contribute to their self worth and sense of belonging to a team.

************************

2017/18 IYH OVERVIEW FOR COSTS & FUNDRAISING

Our strategy moving forward is more of all of the above plus a strategic recruitment of supporters who either host fund raising events or give monthly donations.

An independent review has been undertaken of the annual report and accounts, and this too has been provided on an honorary basis.

*************************

COME AND GET INVOLVED

Visit: www.inyourhandscharity.org

Contact: info@inyourhandscharity.org

Donate: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/donation-web/charity?charityId=1013517&stop_mobi=yes

*********************************

OUR THANKS

We would like to thank all those who have made this charity so much more than just a fund raising organization. In 2017/18 we have yet again had the privilege to meet and make friends with many truly inspiring individuals.

The individuals and organisations we would like to acknowledge from 2017/18 and give special thanks to include:

The Mandala Organisation – IYH partners in Nepal

Shanta Nepali – IYH Manager Nepal

Jane Halsall – IYH Director of Education

Emma Morley – IYH Financial Advisor

Sue Adhill - IYH Women’s Project Co-Ordiantor

Sully Mogra FCCA - Independent reviewer of the annual accounts

Grafika Ltd - website design and management

William Hancock -Partner, Collyer Bristow LLP, legal support

Rotary Canada - Jan MacNeil a working partner with IYH

Dr. William Harkness – Medical Development

Equator Expeditions – support for volunteers and IYH visiting teams

UK LINK SCHOOLS

Auchnagatt Primary School, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Barlows School, Liverpool, UK

Blessed Sacrament School, Liverpool, UK

St Francis De Sales, Liverpool, UK

SydenhamHigh School, London, UK

Corporate Charitable Matching Donors:

CHARITY COMMISSION REPORT

ANNUAL REVIEW

In Your Hands Charity 2016/17

HISTORY OF IN YOUR HANDS

Pauline Sanderson and Jo Pawley have been good friends for over 40 years and in September 2015 they set up the charity 'In Your Hands' (“IYH”) to help raise funds for the people of Nepal after the devastating earthquakes in April and May of that year.

In Your Hands was registered with the Charity Commission in the UK in September 2015.

Pauline and Jo both have strong links to Nepal. This was a major motivation for them to try and make a difference there. IYH began by organising a series of major fund raising events in 2015. The money from these events enabled the charity to re-build their first two schools. IYH were able to trust the results of their efforts by working with their long-term friends and partners in Nepal, The Mandala Organisation. Theyhave subsequently helped us to develop other welfare and educational projects along with rebuilding/repairing a further three schools in 2016/17.

This started as a five-year program. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and we have been advised that it could take that long to rebuild due to the extent of the earthquake damage. However, the IYH strategy has evolved as we learn more and get more involved with the projects. As a result during 2016/17 we developed a long term and more broad reaching approach. We are hoping to develop and support an improvement in both education and the health and well being of those in the school communities we are supporting.

****************************

IYH PROJECTS 2016/17 & NEXT STEPS

IYH started by wanting to raise money to simply rebuild state schools that were destroyed by the earthquakes. We chose six schools that were in the worst affected areas from the earthquake and were not a priority for support from the government due to location or caste hierarchy. It could have been years before these schools were rebuilt with an unthinkable consequence of hundreds of children being vulnerable to exploitation on the streets. However, we work hand in hand with government policy in terms of supporting national curriculum, uniforms and policies. We have no intention of privatizing these schools. Our goal is to support and aid the government to create better educated and healthier schoos.

We learned very quickly that although the buildings were crucial, they were only one small part of the problem facing rural education in Nepal. It was not long before we were committed to providing more than just the buildings. We are working with partners, experts and volunteers in Nepal and internationally with the intention of making school communities better than they were before the earthquakes. We have focused on specific projects to improve education of the teachers, children as well as offering an opportunity to have a more informed understanding of women’s health, plus general health and wellbeing.

An IYH Director, Jo Pawley, co-ordinated a visit to Nepal in February 2017. She leada group of supporters and charity partners from Britain, Canada and Thailand. The information and discussions that were held were a major contribution to updating the 2015/16 strategies.

BUILDING SCHOOLS

In 2015/ 2016 IYH was on target for rebuilding two schools and identifying a further four schools in areas of Nepal worst affected by the earthquakes.

NEXT STEPS: Now five of the schools are rebuilt/repaired, the next step for 2017/8 is to upgrade all the facilities so we fulfill our original goal of providing a school that looks good, feels safe and has enough facilities to provide a healthy and well resourced education. This will include separate toilets for boys and girls and washbasins.

VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM

It was established that the standard of teaching was very poor in rural schools, especially for English. A Volunteers Program was introduced in February 2016 to help both the Nepali children and teachers in the IYH supported schools. The first volunteers arrived in autumn of 2016 at Gorkha. This is the only school that had suitable accommodation and resources for the volunteers to live comfortably enough. This was important to us because we want their energy to go into teaching. We do not underestimate the effort needed to live in a developing world in isolated areas with not running water or toilet facilities. This was the correct decsion. The volunteers have provided invaluable insights to the needs of the school as well as offering a modern and fun approach to learning English.

The recruitment of volunteers is helped by Jane Halsall (IYH Education Manager) offering a weekend of training before they go to give them some top tips on what works in Nepal. We have encouraged TEFL trained candidates and experienced teachers of all ages. Every candidate has to send a CV, covering letter, a character reference and complete the ICPC (International Child Protection Certificate).

NEXT STEPS: In 2017, only one of the schools we support was suitable to host volunteers. In 2018 the plan is for all six schools to be able to accommodatevolunteers. We will provide a mobile living space comprised of a sleeping tent, kitchen area and shower tent. They will be able to use the toilets at the school. We need to manage how we integrate volunteers so we do not overwhelm the schools but compliment and help them to develop them with modern techniques. The overall support IYH is providing to the teachers and children is now creating a level of trust in our commitment. We are not just a quick fix charity.

We also intend to create a more rigorous IYH Code Of Conduct for all volunteerswhich can be supervised by the Head Teacher at each school.

TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM

Thanks to the feedback from our volunteers and insight from The MandalaOrganisation , it was established that most rural teachers in Nepal only get six days training. This meant neither the children or teachers were motivated or engaged with the benefits of education. IYH hosted a two day workshop during the visit of 2017 lead by Jane Halsall. Jane is the IYH Education Manager. It was so well received that the strategy to develop a long term Teacher Training Program was developed.

NEXT STEPS: 2017/18 will introduce two Nepal based teachers to IYH. Annu Rannawho is a teacher at an Ullens School in Kathmandu, and Vanessa Schroeter who is Swiss and has spent time in Nepal teaching with her TEFL qualification. The goal is for them to run two Teacher Training Programs.

Annu will have 100 days to develop their teaching skills in Nepali. This will be supported by a five-day residential training course hosted by First Steps, a charity from New Zealand but with a teaching academy in Nepal. Vanessa will offer 100 days of English training. These programs will be documented and certificates awarded for completion of each module. This is an important tool to motivate the teachers.

LINKED SCHOOLS

Five schools are linked to five British schools with a view to long term exchange of information and ideas. The sixth school will be linked in 2018. A key reason to link each school in Nepal to an English speaking school is to improve the opportunities for education. There will be regular updates via shared Face Book page videos and stories as well as teaching aids being shared.

NEXT STEPS: Due to the lack of secure areas for storage of computers and lack of wifi in 2015-2017, the communication between link schools has not been active. The reality is that the teachers need to complete sufficient teacher training and attend a computer course before we distribute the computers. We have a 2018/19 deadline for computers to be in each school and communication to start in earnest with their link school. This also allows time to establish energy and wifi supply.

HAGAM SENIOR SCHOOL

During the 2017 visit, a representative of BISP School in Thailand, identified a project his school wanted to support and IYH agreed to manage it. Hagam Senior School is the school where most of the children will move on to who attend the IYH supported primary schools. They were desperately short of computers.

NEXT STEPS: IYH will buy and deliver suitable computers and IT equipment once the needs and appropriate support have been established. They will be delivered in 2017/18.

WOMENS PROJECT

NEXT STEPS: IYH will deliver a workshop and distribute sanitary packs for all the females in the school communities of the six schools. The workshop will cover essential information on how to use the sanitary packs and womens health and welfare in general. Shanta Nepali, the IYH Manager in Nepal will be working alongside and supported by medically trained staff from the Rotary Club in Kathmandu. This is scheduled for 2018.

NUTRITION PROJECT

NEXT STEPS: IYH would like to support a self-sufficient approach to food for the future, starting with the children growing their own vegetables and working with what they have to be self-sufficient.

HYGIENE PROGRAM

Poor hygiene is a reason why so many children miss school. Shanta has been managing the upgrades to each school and making sure systems are in place to keep the toilets and wash basins clean. Along side the upgrades, Shanta has created a hygiene lesson so children wash their hands after going to the toilet and before eating.

NEXT STEPS: To encourage this behaviour, IYH has introduced an award (among others) to the school that demonstrates the best hygiene systems. The IYH Awards awill be announced in 2018 once there has been time for training and development of systems in each school.

UNIFORMS

IYH believes that how you feel about yourself is an important part of how you perform. Self esteem is an aspect we want to include in any educational strategy going forward. Looking smart in a uniform is part of that strategy. We included in our 2015/16 strategy, the intention of buying uniforms so every child would take pride in their appearance and feel they were equal and belonged to a team. We had intended to buy and provide uniforms in 2016/17. However, on reflection we decided to postpone this action until the schools had been upgraded to a better standard. It seemed more appropriate to have smart uniforms in a smart school to give a stronger message. We are guided by the government policy on uniforms. We have planned to the satandarduniform with allowable extras such as a warm fleece, warm leggings for the girls, shoes and a school rucksack.

NEXT STEPS: The uniforms will be distributed by Jo Pawley (Director of IYH) when she leads a team of IYH supporters and partners in February 2018. One of the IYH Awards ( mentioned above) will be for any school with consistently well presented children.

*******************************

2016/17 IYH OVERVIEWS FOR SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

IYH has learnt a great deal in 2016/17 about the needs of teachers, children and volunteers. We have tried to listen, learn and action strategies to support these needs as well as trying to achieve our original goals of rebuilding safe schools.

We are also looking further than a child’s education at primary school. We hope to develop confidence in the children and their families that going to senior school is worth it and ultimately we could offer them an option of higher education in an IYH Tourism Academy or an existing establishment we can affiliate with that is already achieving this. These long-term goals should be achievable in the lifetime of the children currently in the primary schools we are supporting.

The communities we are working with have not got confidence in education. Our long term goals will only be achievable if we get it right at this stage in their primary education and build trust and get results not just for the children but for the teachers and families.

The following list is a summary of our 2016/17 strategies moving into 2017/18 and beyond.

1) Schools must look smart.

2) Schools are safe (earthquake proof)

3) Schools have enough classrooms

4) Schools have separate toilets for boys and girls with running water, washbasins and soap.

6) Classrooms have enough desks and chairs

7) Classrooms have access to necessary teaching aids such as whiteboards, computers, books and safe storage for all resources.

8) Teachers should have sufficient training, support and acknowledgement to motivate them to deliver a good standard of education

9) Volunteers should become an integral part of each schools curriculum for English.

10) Each school should have effective, educational and trustworthy links to a Britishlink school with view to developing long term relations.

11) IYH will develop a long term strategy to offer children and their families motivation to move on from primary to secondary and then higher education.

*******************************

2016/17 IYH OVERVIEW FOR HEALTH & WELL BEING

However, 2016/17 strategy is specific and achievable can be summarised as follows:

1) No child should be prevented from attending school because she has a period

2) No child should be prevented from going to school because of hunger

3) Women and girls should have access to medical support and information that will keep them healthy and safe

4) A hygiene program should be in place so children wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet and the toilets and washbasins are cleaned regularly.

5) Each child should have a school uniform supported initially by IYH that will contribute to their self worth and sense of belonging to a team.

************************

2016/17 IYH OVERVIEW FOR COSTS & FUNDRAISING

Once the charity was registered the fundraising continued in many different forms. This included donations, sales of local Nepalese merchandise by the IYH team (which also helps and benefits Nepal’s local retail industry) a trekking expedition to Nepal, other charities identifying our projects as ones they would like to support and individuals being inspired to do extreme things and host events as well as business policies to match fund their employees efforts.

Our strategy moving forward is to link with businesses who want to contribute to our strategy by promoting our charity through their marketing and contribute financially from their profits. This will hopefully contribute to a regular income to support our fundraising events.

In determining costs, the IYH Trustees have been provided with estimates of project costs. There have been assessments of the work done by actual site visits and the actual costs incurred have been reviewed with, as far as possible, all of the receipts for costs incurred provided. TMO provide a monthly cost sheet with receipts where appropriate.

An independent review has been undertaken of the annual report and accounts, and this too has been provided on an honorary basis.

*************************

COME AND GET INVOLVED

Visit: www.inyourhandscharity.org

Contact: info@inyourhandscharity.org

Volunteer: https://www.inyourhandscharity.org/volunteer-teachers-information/

Donate: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/donation-web/charity?charityId=1013517&stop_mobi=yes

*********************************

OUR THANKS

We would like to thank all those who have made this charity so much more than just a fund raising organization. In 2016/ 2017 we have had the privilege to meet and make friends with many truly inspiring individuals.

The individuals and organisations we would like to acknowledge from 2016/17 and give special thanks to include:

The Mandala Organisation – IYH partners in Nepal

Shanta Nepali – IYH Manager Nepal

Jane Halsall – IYH Director of Education

Emma Morley – IYH Financial Advisor

Sully Mogra FCCA - Independent reviewer of the annual accounts

Grafika Ltd - website design and management

William Hancock -Partner, Collyer Bristow LLP, legal support

Rotary Canada - Jan MacNeil a working partner with IYH

Dr. William Harkness – Medical Development

Equator Expeditions – support for volunteers and IYH visiting teams

Annie McGrath - Volunteer

Sarah Woodman - Volunteer

Naiara Unzurrunzaga – Volunteer

Lynn Eastwood - Volunteer

Auchnagatt Primary School, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Barlows School, Liverpool, UK

Blessed Sacrament School, Liverpool, UK

St Francis De Sales, Liverpool, UK

SydenhamHigh School, London, UK

Norman Cunningham & Ryan Gordon

Richard Archbold,

CHARITY COMMISSION REPORT

ANNUAL REVIEW

In Your Hands Charity 2015/16

HISTORY OF IN YOUR HANDS

In Your Hands was registered with the Charity Commission in the UK in September 2015.

Pauline and Jo both have strong links to Nepal. This was a major motivation for them to try and make a difference there. IYH began by organising a series of major fund raising events in 2015. The money from these events enabled the charity to re-build their first two schools. IYH were able to trust the results of their efforts by working with their long-term friends and partners in Nepal who have project managed the rebuilding of the first two schools.

This started as a five-year program. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and we have been advised that it could take that long to rebuild due to the extent of the earthquake damage. However, the IYH strategy evolved during 2015/16 (its first year). As a result IYH has adopted a much longer commitment to the schools and communities being supported.

****************************

A BIT ABOUT IYH PROJECTS

IYH started by wanting to raise money to simply rebuild schools that were destroyed by the earthquakes. However it learned much as a result of the initial two projects. It is committed to providing more than just the buildings. We are working with partners, experts and volunteers in Nepal and in the UK with the intention of making communities better than they were before the earthquakes and to improve educational standards in the schools that we are supporting.

BUILDING SCHOOLS

In 2015/ 2016 IYH was on target for rebuilding two schools and repairing a further four schools in areas of Nepal worst affected by the earthquakes.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2015/16 was a year when IYH established partnerships with Rotary in Canada and Dr William Harkness. IYH is now working to develop community projects including basic health centres, nutrition and female sanitary aids.

EDUCATION/VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM

It was established that the standard of teaching was very poor, especially for English. A Volunteers Program was introduced in February 2016 to help both the Nepali children and teachers in the IYH schools. Each school is also linked to a British school with a view to long term exchange of information and ideas.

FUNDRAISING

Fundraising events were held to raise funds in the form of donations and to forge links with schools for long term relationships and support.

*******************************

2015/16 OVERVIEW: BUILDING SCHOOLS

IYH does not want to just build schools. It wants to build communities that are healthy and believe in education. IYH wants the communities to have pride in the schools built for their children and to encourage them to embrace the benefits of education.

During 2015/16 IYH has been working closely with The Mandala Organisation (“TMO”). They are an NGO and headed up by Mr Mahendra Thapa, an old friend and business partner of Pauline. They have been at the coal face and have project managed the building and repairs for our schools. Two of the Trustees visited Nepal in February 2016 at their own cost to assess and develop a strategy, taking advice from both local and international experts. Going forward they will visit and co-ordinate the projects while in Nepal and from the UK.

IYH adapted the following strategy and solutions (on going) during 2015/16:

1) Research shows if the schools are inspiring and useful to the local community, it will help them to respect education.

Solution 1: IYH will build schools that look good, feel safe and can be used by the children and local community.

Solution 2: Each school ideally needs a school hall that can be used as a community hall. It can also be used for a medical clinic which, we hope, will be supported from funding from our partners (see Community Engagement). Currently only one school has a school hall this by the end of the current year.

2) The children need to have pride in their school and their appearance so they have pride in themselves.

Solution 1: We intend to provide school uniforms that look smart and have a badge for each uniform that make them feel they "belong" to a team. Costs have been established. Uniforms will be purchased in 2016/2017.

3) The schools need to be clean, with good facilities that the school population and community need to respect and protect.

Solution 1: Annual repairs and paintwork.

Solution 2: We will ensure separate toilets for girls and boys, with running water, wash basins and soap. We also want to provide a cleaner. This is important as currently no one does this. As a consequence the girls generally don’t come to school in the week that they are menstruating.

Solution 3: Provide school classrooms that have what they need to learn. This includes proper white boards attached to the wall, book shelves, a computer with a projector, books and teaching aids, desks and chairs.

Summary of Vision for all schools:

1) Schools must look smart.

2) Schools are safe (earthquake proof)

3) Schools have enough classrooms

4) Schools have a hall that can be used by the community for social or community projects i.e. medical clinic

5) Schools have separate toilets for boys and girls with running water, washbasins and soap.

6) Classrooms have enough desks and chairs

7) Classrooms have access to necessary teaching aids such as whiteboards, computers, books and safe storage for all resources.

8) A local person is employed to clean the school, especially the toilets regularly.

9) Each child should have a school uniform supported initially by IYH.

*******************************

2015/16 OVERVIEW: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

During 2015/16 we had the good fortune to meet and develop ideas with many teams and individuals around the health and well being of the children and their communities.

We have planned the building and/or significant repair of six schools already. Our school in Gorkha is complete and our initial work at our second school, Shree Jugal in Hagam, is complete.

Rotary Canada approached IYH in 2016 through Jan MacNeill with the offer to assist with education supplies, water/sanitation/, nutrition for the health and wellbeing projects that fall within Rotary’s remit for funding. We hope this will include simple medical clinics for the children and wider communities. Jan is visiting Nepal in February 2017 to see the IYH projects first hand and identify where Rotary can work in partnership with IYH to benefit the schools and communities.

Dr. William Harkness has been working with Jo to explore the provision of basic medical s clinics that share the essential resources and utilities of the IYH schools. Dr Harkness will be in Nepal in April 2017. William is exploring with Jo what necessary training would be required as well as the essential equipment needed.

In 2015/2016 we began exploring the set-up of a nutrition project. It is a very real issue at our first school in Gorkha due to local levels of poverty and lack of access to employment. Jo is exploring in Nepal both with TMO and others how IYH can best set this up in a way that is practical and offers a long term solution.

***************************

2015/16 OVERVIEW: EDUCATION/VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM

IYH had its first three volunteer teachers in the autumn term of 2016. It was such a huge success and it created the opportunity for so many insights. We placed all three volunteers at Gorkha as we are lucky enough to have the Equator Expeditions Resort offering food and accommodation. This is the easiest lifestyle option. It was important to do this before putting any of our volunteers into our other schools in more remote locations. It was a good decision. IYH now knows that if we have less experienced and/or less able volunteers this would be a suitable location. More importantly IYH now really understands the importance of and what it needs to do to ensure the Nepali schools are properly linked to their international partner school. It also better understands the real needs of the teaching staff in Nepal. IYH intends to increase opportunities for volunteers now we know more about who, where and what works best for them and for the IYH schools in Nepal.

International Liason Officer and IYH Education

Thanks to Naiara, our volunteer at Gorkha in 2016, we were introduced to Dinesh Gurung who helped at the schools as a translator and with the computer set-up. He became invaluable and we offered him the role of IYH International Liaison Officer and Head of English and IT. Dinesh has previously worked abroad for five years and his English and personal skills are perfect for his role. He will be responsible for liaising with the linked schools and keeping them updated on progress through videos and stories from the children at each school. He will also be able to help the Nepali teachers use the teaching aids that will be sent for use via power point presentations etc. He will be a key link for every volunteer and of course, the IYH Team in the UK.

TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM: Jane Halsall has also become key to our education programme. She now plays an essential role in the selection and training of our volunteers. Jane delivers a two day training workshops to IYH volunteers before they go out to Nepal and will be leading a teacher training programme in Nepal on 20^th and 21^st February 2017 for all the IYH Nepali teachers. It is difficult to overstate the importance of this critical work and the enormous benefit to IYH as a result.

International School Links.

A key reasons each IYH school in Nepal is linked to an international English speaking school is to improve the opportunities for education. There will be regular updates via shared Face Book page videos and stories as well as teaching aids being shared. The links have begun in 2016 but the real communication has yet to start. We expect to see real benefits from these connections in 2017.

************************

2015/16 OVERVIEW: FUNDRAISING

The initial fund raising for the charity was established thanks to a road show of motivational talks by one of the Trustees and co-founder, Pauline Sanderson as well as an on-line auction.

Once the charity was registered the fundraising continued in the form of donations, sales of local Nepalese merchandise (which also helps and benefits Nepal’s local retail industry) and a trekking expedition to Nepal. Each school that linked to a Nepalese school was also obliged to raise an initial minimum amount of £1500 to help fund the re-build of their link school in Nepal. Once the relationships start in earnest, we are hoping the support both financially and educationally will continue for years to come.

In terms of the funding for each of the schools we hope that each of the international link schools will raise as much as possible and continue to do so. However, in order not to delay the re-building of the IYH schools, where there is a shortfall in the amount required for our IYH schools in Nepal the Trustees have agreed that IYH should cover the shortfall in funds from the money it raises.

All administration for IYH has been done free of charge by lawyers, accountants and general goodwill. Those involved in the charity cover all of their own expenses, including flights and living expenses in Nepal to co-ordinate projects. This means all the money raised goes directly to the IYH projects and not on administration or expenses. As a result there are no costs showing in the annual accounts aside from the provision of funding to TMO to manage the school re-building and refurbishments on behalf of IYH.

In determining costs, the IYH Trustees have been provided with estimates of project costs. There have been assessments of the work done by actual site visits and the actual costs incurred have been reviewed with, as far as possible, all of the receipts for costs incurred provided.

An independent review has been undertaken of the annual report and accounts, and this too has been provided on an honorary basis.

*************************

COME AND GET INVOLVED Visit: www.inyourhandscharity.org

Contact: info@inyourhandscharity.org

Volunteer: https://www.inyourhandscharity.org/volunteer-teachers-information/

Donate: https://www.gofundme.com/uxzmhh9

*********************************

OUR THANKS

We would like to thank all those who have made this charity so much more than just a fund raising organization. In 2015/ 2016 we have had the privilege to meet and make friends with many truly inspiring individuals.

The individuals and organisations we would like to acknowledge from 2015/16 and give special thanks to include:

The Mandala Organisation – IYH partners in Nepal

Jane Halsall – IYH Director of Education

Emma Morley – IYH Financial Advisor

Sully Mogra FCCA - Independent reviewer of the annual accounts

Grafika Ltd

William Hancock -Partner, Collyer Bristow LLP

Rotary Canada

Dr. William Harkness – Medical Development

Equator Expeditions

Glenmore Lodge

Annie McGrath - Volunteer

Sarah Woodman - Volunteer

Naiara Unzurrunzaga – Volunteer

Dinesh Gurung – IYH International Officer

Auchnagatt Primary School, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Barlows School, Liverpool, UK

Blessed Sacrament School, Liverpool, UK

Montague Intermediate School, Canada

St Francis De Sales, Liverpool, UK

SydenhamHigh School, London, UK

Mike Blanchard – Highland Waterworks

IYH Trek Team 2016

Norman Cunningham & Ryan Gordon

Richard Archbold,

Corporate Charitable Matching Donors:

PX Ltd

UBS

*********************************