Governance & Financial Integrity Declaration

Our Commitment to Transparency, Accountability and Sound Stewardship

UCEP is a UK-registered charity whose mission is to transform the lives of disadvantaged children in rural West Africa through education. Every donation entrusted to us is a vote of confidence that we take seriously. This declaration sets out the governance structures, financial controls, and oversight mechanisms through which UCEP fulfils that responsibility to the highest standards of integrity.

1.  Our Governing Body: The Board of Trustees

UCEP is led by a Board of Trustees comprising eight individuals carefully selected for the depth and diversity of their professional and life experiences. The Board provides strategic leadership, independent oversight, and governance guidance across all aspects of the charity’s operations.

Our trustees bring backgrounds spanning finance, law, international business, education, operations, communications, and community development. This breadth of expertise ensures that decisions are well-informed, balanced, and reflective of the communities we serve.

Trustee Responsibilities

The Board exercises its responsibilities in full compliance with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Collectively, trustees are responsible for:

  • Safeguarding the charity’s mission, values, and assets
  • Approving strategic plans, annual budgets, and major expenditure
  • Ensuring UCEP complies with charity law, regulatory requirements, and its own governing document
  • Overseeing the effectiveness of internal controls and risk management
  • Scrutinising financial reports and approving the annual accounts for submission to the Charity Commission
  • Maintaining a culture of transparency and accountability throughout the organisation

Governance Standard:  UCEP’s Board is constituted and operates in accordance with the Charity Governance Code and the requirements of the Charity Commission for England and Wales. All trustees serve as volunteers and receive no remuneration for their governance duties.

2. The Finance Committee

UCEP operates a dedicated Finance/Legal Team that functions as the charity’s Finance Committee. The Committee is the guardian of UCEP’s financial reporting systems and is responsible for ensuring that all financial processes are robust, transparent, and fully compliant with statutory obligations.

Finance Committee Lead

The Finance Committee is led by David Ogilvie, a qualified professional accountant. David brings rigorous financial discipline and professional expertise to the oversight of UCEP’s income, expenditure, and controls. Under his leadership, the Finance Committee:

  • Maintains and oversees all financial reporting systems
  • Ensures transparency in the management and flow of funds
  • Monitors income and expenditure against approved budgets
  • Ensures full compliance with all statutory financial reporting requirements
  • Prepares financial reports for review by the Board of Trustees and submission to the Charity Commission
  • Oversees the preparation and independent examination of the annual accounts.

Professional Standard:  The Finance Committee is led by a qualified accountant and operates to professional accounting standards. Its work is further strengthened by the oversight of four volunteer Chartered Accountants (see Section 5 below).

3. Direct Payment to Schools: Ensuring Funds Reach Children

One of UCEP’s most important safeguards and one of the features that most distinguishes us from comparable organisations is our policy of paying school fees and the cost of books directly to schools, rather than through intermediaries or to families.

Why Direct Payment Matters

This policy provides multiple layers of assurance to our donors and beneficiaries:

  • Funds are applied exclusively to the educational purposes for which they were donated
  • Children cannot be excluded from school on the grounds of unpaid fees
  • There is no opportunity for diversion or misuse of funds at the local level
  • Schools receive confirmed payment at the start of each term, enabling children to attend without disruption
  • UCEP receives written confirmation from schools acknowledging receipt of each payment

Donor Assurance:  When you donate to UCEP, you can be confident that your contribution goes directly to the child you are supporting. School fees and book costs are paid by bank transfer directly to the school at the start of each term. UCEP does not pass cash to families or intermediaries.

4.  Robust Funds Flow Process: Four-Person Authorisation

UCEP applies a stringent four-person authorisation requirement to all fund transfers and payments. This is one of the most rigorous financial control mechanisms operated by any charity of our size, and it reflects our absolute commitment to safeguarding donor funds.

How the Process Works

No payment or transfer of funds can be executed without the involvement and approval of four individuals. The process requires:

  • Initiation: A payment instruction is raised and documented by a designated team member
  • Review and first authorisation: The instruction is reviewed and approved by a senior Finance Committee member
  • Second authorisation: A second independent approver typically a trustee confirms the payment is appropriate and properly supported
  • Final execution and confirmation: The payment is processed by a fourth authorised individual who verifies that all approvals are in place before release

Every payment is supported by documentary evidence (invoices, fee schedules, receipts) and recorded in UCEP’s financial system before authorisation is granted. A full audit trail is maintained for every transaction.

Control Standard:  UCEP’s four-person authorisation requirement means that no single individual including the Founder has the authority to transfer funds unilaterally. This segregation of duties is a fundamental principle of sound financial governance and provides strong protection against error, fraud, and misuse.

5.  Independent Oversight: Three Volunteer Chartered Accountants

In addition to the Finance Committee’s day-to-day stewardship, UCEP benefits from the independent scrutiny of three volunteer Chartered Accountants who review our management processes and oversee our financial reporting.

Their Role

Our Chartered Accountants bring an independent professional perspective to UCEP’s financial governance. Their responsibilities include:

  • Reviewing and scrutinising UCEP’s management accounts and financial records
  • Independently assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of internal financial controls
  • Overseeing the preparation and accuracy of the charity’s annual financial statements
  • Providing professional assurance to the Board of Trustees on the integrity of financial reporting
  • Identifying any areas for improvement in financial management and recommending corrective action
  • Supporting UCEP’s compliance with the Charity Commission’s financial reporting requirements

All three serve as volunteers and bring the standards of their professional qualifications to bear in the public interest and in the interest of our beneficiaries. Their independent involvement provides an additional layer of assurance that sits entirely outside the management chain.

Independence Assurance:  The Chartered Accountants who oversee our financial reporting act independently of the management team and report directly to the Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees. This structural independence is a hallmark of sound charity governance.

6.  Summary: UCEP’s Governance Framework at a Glance

Governance Feature What This Means for Donors and Beneficiaries
Board of Trustees Nine experienced trustees provide independent strategic oversight and are legally accountable to the Charity Commission.
Finance Committee Led by David Ogilvie, a qualified professional accountant, the Committee is the guardian of UCEP’s financial systems and compliance.Led by David Ogilvie, a qualified professional accountant, the Committee is the guardian of UCEP’s financial systems and compliance.
Direct school payments School fees and books are paid for directly to schools by bank transfer and never via intermediaries or in cash to families.
Four-person authorisation All fund transfers and payments require the involvement and approval of four separate individuals, providing strong segregation of duties.
Three Chartered Accountants Three independent volunteer Chartered Accountants scrutinise management processes and oversee financial reporting, providing an additional professional assurance layer.
Charity Commission compliance UCEP is a registered UK charity (No. 1198382) that submits annual accounts and reports to the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

7.  Our Commitment to You

UCEP was built on the principle that every child who benefits from our programme deserves the assurance that the funds entrusted to us are managed with the utmost care, rigour, and integrity. Every governance and financial control described in this declaration was put in place not because we were required to, but because we believe it is the right way to operate a charity that holds the trust of its donors, beneficiaries, and the public.

We welcome scrutiny. We invite any donor, grant-making body, or interested party to ask questions about our governance, our finances, or our operations. Transparency is not a compliance obligation for UCEP. It is a core value.

Transforming Lives Through Education

To support UCEP’s work, make a general enquiry, or request further governance information:

partnerships@ucepcommunity.org

Registered Charity No. 1198382  |  Registered with the UK Fundraising Regulator