BRITAIN-NEPAL_MEDICAL_TRU - Accounts

The trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)".

The overall goal of BNMT is the improvement in health and livelihood of marginalised and conflict affected communities living in remote and rural areas of Nepal. The organisation seeks to achieve this goal through working in partnership with BNMT Nepal, a local NGO established to support BNMT in delivery of a programme of work which includes: strengthening partners (local community groups and NGOs and local health workers); empowering communities for improved access to health services or advocating for such access; leading on innovation and advocating for mainstreaming of effective interventions.

BNMT’s support to the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) continues through its the laboratory quality assurance provision in the Eastern region. Other components of BNMT’s support to NTP have been transferred to our local partner organisation (BNMT Nepal) – however BNMT continues to provide financial and technical support to BNMT Nepal as part of BNMT’s long term vision and strategy for sustainability.

BNMT has been working collaboratively with the Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Trust and Institute of Cancer Research to support the development of oncology service in Nepal and inclusion in a global cancer research network. Our partnership with Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital and the Oncology department at Bir Hospital Kathmandu – continues to support a Nepal oncology network and development of an oncogenetics facility.

BNMT has worked with SH:24 CIC on a discovery phase of developing a pilot for remote testing for HPV. HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer – which is the biggest cancer killer of women in Nepal. SH:24 is the UK leading online specialist sex and reproductive health service in the UK and beyond. The work was supported in addition with a grant from Innovate UK.

Unrestricted funds showed expenditure in excess of income of £95,987 (2019: £86,515), and an increase in the value of the investments of £6,738 (2019: £13,298). This gives an overall decrease in unrestricted funds of £89,249 (2019: 73,217), leaving a balance of £269,519 (2019: £358,768).

Restricted funds showed increase in £1,470 in 2020 (2019: deficit of £4,678), leaving a restricted balance of £8,965 (2019: £7,495) to be used in later periods.

The Directors aim to hold unrestricted reserves of between 3 and 6 months annual income as working capital. Investments held are medium term and are reviewed two times each year. The Trustees have ethical considerations when making decisions to ensure particularly that healthcare considerations are not compromised. Cash deposits are held at best interest rates commensurate with accessibility for cash flow purposes.

The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.

The Directors have a risk management strategy which comprises the maintenance of a detailed risk register which is reviewed annually. Interim reviews have also been carried out to assess and adjust policies as necessary to take account of changing security concerns in Nepal and variations to emergency procedures.

The charity was established as a charitable company limited by guarantee on 7th November 1967 (company number 921566). The company is registered with the Charity Commission (charity number 255249).

The Board of Trustees meets in the UK. The Charity's programme of activities is carried out in Nepal by Nepalese staff, under the direction of a Country Director.

The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:

New candidates for the Board are proposed by existing Trustees. Candidates receive written advice on the roles and responsibilities of Trustees and are invited to attend a Board meeting. Thereafter the Chair of the Board and the candidate exchange views and if appropriate the incoming Trustee is proposed, seconded and elected at the next Board meeting.

None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.

The Board of Trustees is the final decision-making body. The Board is advised by a Finance & General Purposes Committee, composed of Trustees, the Country Director, the Company Secretary and Financial Adviser.

The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2020, which are set out on pages 4 to 15.

As the charity trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’). The trustees consider that an audit is not required for the year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. The charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination being a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

examine the financial statements under section 145 of the 2011 Act;

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the financial statements present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and

to prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities;

to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.

Chartered Accountants

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 December 2020.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for ensuring that the charity keeps accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act and for preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the financial year in accordance with the requirements of sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Britain-Nepal Medical Trust was established as a charitable company limited by guarantee on 7th November 1967 (company number 921566). The company is registered with the Charity Commission (charity number 255249).

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.

The financial statements have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved following the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applying FRS 102 rather than the version of the Statement of Recommended Practice which is referred to in the Regulations but which has since been withdrawn.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Expenditure is recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. All expenditure including support costs and governance costs are allocated or apportioned to the applicable expenditure headings.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the expenditure heading for which it was incurred.

Grants payable are payments to charities in Nepal, which are charged in the year when the grant is awarded by the Trustees.

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year.

At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

The trust only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of current asset investments which are subsequently measured at fair value with any gains or losses arising on remeasurement recognised in profit or loss.

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged as an expense on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease.

All investment income earned, during both this financial reporting period and the previous reporting period, was of an unrestricted nature.

All other income received, during both this financial reporting period and the previous reporting period, was of an unrestricted nature.

Accountancy

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year, but two of them were reimbursed a total of £807 travelling expenses (2019- one was reimbursed £56).

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

All gains/(losses) on investments, during both this financial reporting period and the previous reporting period, related to unrestricted funds.

Current asset investments are initially recognised at cost and are subsequently remeasured at fair value, being the quoted market price, with any gains or losses arising on remeasurement recognised in the SOFA.

At the year end the investments held had an original cost value of £8,706 (2019: £8,706) and a fair value (quoted market price) of £88,730 (2019: £81,992).

Restricted funds

The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes:

Incoming resources