Page 11 - Aidlink Financial Statement 2023

Aidlink Financial Statements 2023
DIRECTORS’ REPORT
For the financial year ended 31 December 2023
construction of a classroom block in four of the most vulnerable primary schools in Turkana East (one in each school) benefiting 1,200 children.
In addition, one girls’ dormitory
will be built to provide safety and security throughout the whole year for the most vulnerable girls from all schools in the locality, in line with the National Council for Nomadic Education strategy.
Aidlink is planning to expand our reach in Uganda maintaining partnerships with Caritas MADDO and ARUWE. We will continue to target poorer communities with a gender, education and WASH focus. We will intensify efforts to explore, and develop new partnerships, that share Aidlink’s values and goals.
2024 will see the delivery of 4 planned immersion programmes
– two to Kenya, one to Uganda and one to Ghana. Aidlink is planning to grow and expand its development education and immersion work.
2024 Fundraising
Fundraising is a key priority for the Board of Directors. A ‘Fundraising strategy’ was adopted by the board in 2021. Aidlink’s priorities for strengthening fundraising in 2024 include:
• Secure Irish Aid Civil Society Funding. New five-year grant of €2m approved March 2024 (€400,000 per annum).
• Maintain relationships with Foundations Trusts and Companies and philanthropic
Organisations. The €100,000 ‘Every Girl in Class’ project funded by a new philanthropic donor
and a new ‘special’ grant of €50,000 from Bank of Ireland Staff Charitable Fund the results to date.
• Expand Aidlink’s public reach to develop strong diverse pool of supporters.
• Continue to strengthen relationships with Immersion School partners and expand to include new partner schools. Four schools are traveling in 2024. Aidlink is exploring the expansion of this programme in 2025.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Organisational Structure
Aidlink is governed by a Board of Directors who are responsible for providing leadership, setting strategy, and ensuring control. Day to day operations of the organisation are managed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) appointed by the Board.
Two staff members report to
the CEO: the Programme Lead
with responsibility for partners
and programmes and the communications lead responsible for communications and fundraising. Aidlink employs the expertise of external consultants where required and an administrator was appointed in January 2024.
Composition of the Board
The Board must comprise of between eight and twelve non-executive
Directors. During 2023, Aidlink’s Board had 11 serving members, comprised of four women and seven men. Their professional biographies are available on the Aidlink website http://aidlink.ie/about/governance/. In 2023, the Board met eight times (2022: ten times) with an average attendance of 81% (2022: 82%).
The Directors are committed to maintaining the highest standards of Corporate Governance and believe this is critical to ensuring the proper operation of Aidlink’s activities. A core element of this policy is to ensure that the company is led by an effective Board and an experienced Chief Executive Officer. The role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer are separate, and all Directors are independent of the management of Aidlink.
Following approval by the Charities Regulator in February 2021, Aidlink formally adopted a new constitution in April 2021. Aidlink’s Governance Policy was updated in 2021 in line with the principals of The Charities Governance Code as set out by
the Charities Regulatory Authority. Aidlink declared to the Charities Regulator it complies with all sections of the Charities Governance Code in October 2023. Aidlink carries out annual Board and Chief Executive Officer Performance reviews and has a comprehensive process for reporting management information including monthly management accounts.
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